Chapter 1: False start
Chapter Text
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So began the first day of the rest of his life. At 22 years old, Kuroo Tetsurō finally felt purely and simply free.
As he set foot on the Tokyo ground for the first time, he knew. He knew instantly that every minute, every second of his existence gathered to fulfill one purpose, and one only: to bring him here. He raised his head and took a deep breath, letting his lungs fill with the air that had the sweet scent of promises kept. All the work he had put in over the past few years had finally paid off! He had to stop for a moment to regain his composure, standing in the crowd. He smiled and clasped his hands as if in prayer and closed his eyes. He held back from shouting out of pure joy, but couldn't contain the triumphant smile that formed at the corner of his lips.
He was more than a thousand kilometers away from his hometown, and yet, he felt at home. He had spent more time in the car getting to the airport, sandwiched between his two younger sisters in the back seats while his mother was tirelessly imparting a whole bunch of advice as if they were the Ten Commandments, than in the plane itself. However, he had the strange feeling of having traveled billions of miles, and that sensation alone was priceless.
After he obtained his bachelor's degree in sciences, he finally succeeded in getting into the University of Tokyo. And not just any way, mind you; he had been selected based on his record to join the international master's program in science, specializing in biochemistry and physics. His classes were set to begin in a few days, and he was already bubbling with anticipation!
He took his sunglasses out of his pocket and adjusted them on his nose with as much style and nonchalance as possible. He had promised himself that he would approach this new life with style.
He was cut short in his mental slow motion when he was pushed aside by what appeared to be the illegitimate lovechild of Godzilla and a wardrobe. When he looked up, Kuroo realized that Godzilla Jr. was in the company of all his friends, certainly all worthy descendants of some other legendary monsters or mighty furniture. Although he had had heroic moments in the past, the brunet wisely decided not to confront them.
"Alphas?" he thought fleetingly.
His theory was finally confirmed when Godzilla-kun looked him up and down with disdain and... amusement ? He turned back to his peers, not forgetting to mutter a very polite, "Fucking betas."
Kuroo stopped, surprised by what had just happened. It was probably the first time in his life that his secondary sex had been offensively used against him. He tried not to take it too personally and continued walking.
Kuroo was, like all members of his family, and like ninety percent of the people he had encountered in his life, a "beta." Of course, even on his island, there were a few alphas, and surely one or two omegas had crossed his path at a certain point in his life; he hadn’t been raised in the forest either.
He had done his research before going to the capital. He had learned that while betas made up 80% of the population almost everywhere in the provinces, in Tokyo, the numbers were closer to 50% betas, 30% alphas, and 20% omegas. More than in any other place in the country. It didn't particularly impress him; his secondary sex had never been an obstacle for him. He learned some of the basics about secondaries in school or on the internet but figured it wouldn't directly impact his life. In any case, he decided that it wouldn't ruin his day. Kuroo Tetsurō wasn't one to give up so easily! So he readjusted his backpack on his shoulder and continued on his merry way.
//
So began the first day of the rest of his life, and perhaps his life would end like this. At 22 years old, Kuroo Tetsurō, all things considered, would like to go back home because the world here was a little too terrifying for his taste. Moreover, Murphy must really, really have a serious grudge against him. He couldn't see how his situation could be explained otherwise. Seriously though, Kuroo was a scientist, so he had considered all possible scenarios before coming to this conclusion. If he had to retrace the course of events, he would say that his misfortune had started the moment his feet touched this cursed land... Or maybe when dear Godzilla-kun bumped into him.
After this quick incident, Kuroo went to collect his suitcase with his most cheerful stride. Ah, how he had waited in front of that conveyor belt, with the same fear gripping his stomach as when a child loses sight of his mother in a supermarket aisle. He had waited for an hour... In vain. He went to the lost and found counter, but there was no sign of his luggage anywhere. He was advised to go to the airline counter with his luggage number. Kuroo rushed through the entire airport, his heart pounding in his chest. In his head, the very famous but nevertheless macabre phrase "all unattended luggage will be destroyed" kept looping. Destroyed? With the astronomical number of hairspray inside, Kuroo feared that if they were to destroy his suitcase, it would cause a colossal explosion that would certainly obliterate Narita Airport from the face of the Earth. Plus, with the amount of food his mother had packed inside, he was certain that it could become deadly projectiles when launched at high speed.
Out of breath, he finally reached the counter of the Bystraya Malenkaya ptchka airline, where a tall, blond man greeted him with a smile. Kuroo smiled less when the man answered his question in Russian. Very politely, but still in Russian! After several minutes of confusion, two flight attendants, a security guard, a dog, and a grumpy old man, someone who spoke decent Japanese and Russian arrived. He was then told that his luggage had been accidentally placed on a plane for Moscow. Well, that was fairly logical, right?! It was the kind of thing that happened regularly! Especially on a domestic flight of barely an hour and a half! All things considered, Kuroo had to admit that choosing a foreign company for a domestic flight wasn’t his greatest idea ever. Well, he now had to wait for his suitcase to be returned to him, hoping that it wouldn't end up exploding into small pieces at Moscow airport after being mistaken for a suspicious package.
What saddened him the most was that this traitorous suitcase held hostage not only his toothbrush and clean underwear but also all of his hair products. Without them, it wasn't just his artistic styling that was in jeopardy, but the very essence of his own identity. "New style for a new life," he had tried to convince himself. After all, he still had his backpack, wallet, and phone, he would definitely manage, right? Plus, facing the Tokyo subway for the first time without his suitcase could only be a blessing, he thought.
Indeed, he didn't miss his suitcase when he found himself sucked into the bustling subway, but it turned out that his own weight was too much as well. He had never been in such close quarters with so many people in his life. Internally, Kuroo thought that this could probably be the closest thing to torture. And he wondered with an unparalleled intensity why so many people could endure such a fate daily.
He had been so focused on maintaining his mental health that he had ended up missing his station, and then the next two while trying to extricate himself from this human entanglement. Once out, he chose to walk, determined to not return to the subway's hellish depths. A little fresh air wouldn't hurt him after all!
This statement had been one of the most absurdly false things his mind had ever formulated. Why? Fresh air? In Tokyo? One of the most densely populated cities in the world? Seriously, Tetsu!
Very, very poor judgment of distances on his end as well: while he had vaguely expected a 30-minute walk to reach his main route, he was completely dumbfounded when Google announced a nearly two-hour walk to reach his destination. Well, what he didn't admit to himself was that while the basic route was indeed 34 minutes, it was no longer the case after the many detours he took while trying to orient himself in the city.
Again, the young man didn't let himself be discouraged! He was quite athletic, and a few miles through the urban jungle could be somehow fun! It would surely allow him to explore his new natural habitat. Indeed, the beginning of his journey went rather well, his phone served as his guide, and the bustling streets had something magical and exciting in his eyes. However, his euphoria faded very, very quickly. As fast as poppies withered after being picked. Today, it was Kuroo, the poor poppy, torn from his innocent nature, trampled on and reduced to a pulp. His battery had finally run out, and his phone died with the last light of day. Downtown and its benevolent lights had also abandoned him. He found himself alone in a residential area with houses all more identical than the others, without the slightest idea of where he was or the direction he should take. He had tried to ask for directions, but while seeking information about his geographic location, he had instead learned that human beings could not only grunt but also bark, and that was not pleasant at all.
Note to self: do not approach a lone omega, at risk of being barked at by a territorial and angry alpha. The only problem was that he had absolutely no idea how to identify secondaries, so his resolution was closer to a "do not approach anyone."
He had held on until now, but his mood was seriously beginning to deteriorate. He stopped, disheartened, and gazed vacantly into the distance. It was pitch black, he had no way to orient himself, and he was cold and hungry. And he was so alone. He felt his heart tighten, heavy with a void that seemed to slowly suck him in. Kuroo let out a heavy sigh and started walking again, dragging his feet dreadfully, not even looking where he was going. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't saw the wall coming straight at him, and he ran into it at full speed. When he looked up, he was surprised to discover that it was not a wall, but another Godzilla-kun, much bulkier than the last one. Panic instantly overwhelmed him, and he immediately took off running to escape the potential wrath of Godzilla-sama. Even when he realized that no one was following him, he didn't stop, even when his legs started to hurt, and he felt like his lungs were on the verge of exploding, he kept running.
His run only came to an end when he turned into a small alley and found himself trapped in a dead end. His legs finally gave way, and all his dark thoughts surged violently within him. His brain began to race, spiraling with anxiety, the content of his thoughts worsening with every passing second, becoming darker and more absurd. He tucked his head between his knees, taking deep breaths to calm himself. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, in...
“Are you okay?”
Kuroo opened his eyes again, seized by the electrifying gentleness of that velvety voice. Slowly, he raised his head. His heart skipped a beat, certain that he was facing the most beautiful creature the earth had ever borne. Before him stood a young man dressed in all black, with pearly skin and jet-black hair. His delicate and graceful features were painted with deep serenity. Kuroo struggled to catch his breath as his gaze locked onto the mysterious stranger’s, shaken by the mystical intensity of the two onyx eyes facing him. The stranger held eye contact for a moment before slowly blinking, causing his long black eyelashes to flutter.
“Uh... Better?”, Kuroo said, still unable to divert his gaze from the young man in front of him.
The stranger smiled, amused by the brunet's response. He extended his hand to help Kuroo stand. Kuroo took it, and once on his feet again, he thanked him with a nod. The young man reciprocated the gesture and spoke again.
“May I ask what brings you here? You seemed a little... distressed.”
“Oh... yeah,” Kuroo swept his gaze around the alley. “Um, I got lost. It's my first day here, you see, and it didn't really go as I hoped...”
Kuroo laughed nervously.
Mr. Fatal Beauty nodded, and his velvety voice rose once more.
”May I invite you inside? Perhaps a hot drink will do you good? We could figure out together how to get you back on track.”
“Inside?”
The mysterious stranger nodded and pointed toward the street before setting off. Kuroo followed him.
He was surprised to discover a small shopping street with brightly lit shop fronts that adorned the night as he exited the alley. Kuroo followed the handsome stranger until he stood in front of a coffee shop. The shop, with ivy-covered cracked walls that seemed to have spanned several decades, was nestled between two ten-story buildings. Its black frontage displayed the words "Fukuro Coffee" in golden letters. When the brunet entered, he was immediately captivated by the soothing atmosphere inside. Large leaves of winding climbing plants contrasted against the black walls. Large golden light fixtures adorned the ceiling, casting a soft orange glow on a few weathered wooden tables scattered throughout the room. At the back stood a long, wooden counter, in front of which were tall pearly white chairs.
The handsome stranger made his way to the bar. The brunet watched him pass behind the counter and didn't take his eyes off him when, with his back to him, he took off his long black woolen cardigan. He let it slide down his arms with a natural sensuality, something Kuroo had rarely, if ever, witnessed. He shook his head to dispel the strange fantasies that were weaving in his mind and joined the handsome stranger. Not without difficulty, because despite his deep concentration, he almost fell off the chair when his left buttock slipped off the edge. Nevertheless, he managed to regain his composure, fervently hoping the incident had gone unnoticed. When he was finally seated properly, he looked up to find that the handsome stranger was looking at him. His gaze held no mockery or judgment. Kuroo smiled at him, almost unconsciously, and saw the features of his counterpart soften.
“You seem to be in better shape than earlier.”
“Uh, yes... Thank you,” the brunet absentmindedly replied, taking off his jacket and scanning the room.
“Would you like something to drink perhaps? Hmmm...”
“Kuroo... Kuroo Tetsurō.”
Then Kuroo realized he hadn’t actually answered the question at all.
“Uh, yes... A coffee, please.”
The young man in front of him nodded and turned to the coffee machine. He returned to Kuroo shortly after, placing a lovely porcelain cup adorned with roses in front of him. Kuroo thanked him and took the cup in both hands. The gentle aroma of roasting and the soothing warmth of the rising steam enveloped him completely, and he felt instantly comforted. He brought the cup to his lips and let the hot liquid roll down his throat. He was immediately captivated by the flavor and delicacy of the beverage, which seemed to be the most exquisite thing that had ever tickled his taste buds. He noticed that his pleasure must have been evident when he saw the handsome stranger smile, with a touch of pride.
“This is... Exquisite... Hmm?”
“Akaashi. Akaashi Keiji.”
In his mind, Kuroo dropped the "stranger" but kept the "handsome" out of his nickname.
“It's delicious, Akaashi-san. Probably the best thing that's happened to me today...”
“I'm flattered, but I can not help but notice that your day has not been very pleasant in that case.”
“No... Not really. Seriously, I think if you hadn't rescued me, I would have spent the night in that alley,” confessed Kuroo before letting out a nervous laugh.
“That sounds quite extreme.”
“Not really... I swear, ever since I set foot in Tokyo, everything's been going haywire. My suitcase went to visit Moscow without me, I discovered that I have a terrible sense of direction, I had to trade my socks for an umbrella, I don't know where I am, my phone is dead, and I've been barked at about ten times now.”
“Barked, you say?” replied Akaashi, amused.
“Yes, Barked! I didn't think it was possible, and it's pretty creepy, too. Oh, and on top of that, I’ve been chased by an angry barker too!”
He wasn't entirely sure about that last part, but it brightened up his story.
Akaashi blinked several times, not entirely sure how to respond to that. He started by refilling Kuroo's cup and finally said:
“I am sorry to hear that your first few hours in the capital have gone so poorly, Kuroo-san. However, if you have a charger, I can plug it in behind the counter. I can assure you that finding your way back will not be so complicated. I am however afraid there is nothing I can do about your socks...”
“Ah, thank you, that's already more than enough,” assured Kuroo, handing over his phone and charger.
He was on the verge of letting out tears of joy when Akaashi plugged in his phone, and he heard it come back to life.
“As for the barking,” continued the handsome-not so much of a stranger now- man, “I can assure you that not all alphas are capable of it, and some can also behave properly in public.”
The remark surprised Kuroo, who let out a laugh.
“Thank you for that information, Akaashi-san. That's good to know!”
Akaashi nodded. He excused himself as he saw new customers enter the shop. Once their order was taken and fulfilled, he returned to Kuroo.
“Kuroo-san, if I may ask, where are you from?”
“Oh, I'm from Shakotan.”
Seeing that his interlocutor seemed deeply troubled, he clarified.
“It’s a small town south of Sapporo, on Hokkaido island. So, I'm not used to big cities...” Kuroo added, with a smile. “Even at the university I was going to, I think there were fewer students than there are in two blocks here.”
"Hokkaido you say... Sounds charming,” said Akaashi with a touch of tenderness.
Kuroo took it as an invitation. He spoke of boundless horizons, tranquil seashores, the smell of iodine, the wind, and the seaweed. He talked about the polite familiarity among all the residents of his hometown. The more words rolled off his tongue, the more he felt his throat constrict with nostalgia. He eventually fell silent, trying to maintain his composure, disturbed by the fact that he had laid it all out like this to a complete stranger.
A tender smile formed on Akaashi’s lips.
“You seem quite attached to that land...”
“Yes...”
Kuroo swallowed a large sip of coffee, trying to dispel the lump in his throat.
“What are you doing here, then?”
“Oh! I'm starting my master's degree at Todaï next week.”
He saw his interlocutor's eyes light up with interest.
“What will you be studying?”
“Science. Biochemistry to be specific.”
“Oh.”
Was that disappointment in his voice?
“I'm sure you'll find good company there,” assured Akaashi, “I also study there.”
“If you study there, Akaashi-san, I can only be in good company,” dared Kuroo.
He quickly regretted his words, fearing to have appeared too forward. His confusion abated when the man in front of him rolled his eyes but still managed to muster a faintly flattered smile.
“Perhaps I spoke too soon; your impudence might attract you some thunder and even some barking.”
Kuroo's smile instantly faded, terrified of having to endure the angry barking thing again. Seeing him so distressed, Akaashi let out a slight, almost inaudible laugh, like a summer thunder rumbling over the sea. Kuroo immediately felt invigorated. All in all, this day wasn't so bad after all.
They talked about everything, but mostly about nothing. The brunet wanted this moment to stretch on for as long as possible. He became aware of the passing of time when the door slammed shut. They were now truly alone.
“Kuroo-san, I'm sorry, but I will have to close soon.”
“Oh...”
“I can maybe help you find your way. Where do you need to go?”
“Oh, near Nishi-nippori Station.”
Akaashi discreetly grimaced upon hearing the name. However, he did not comment and just pointed him in the direction of the station, along with the train line to take, assuring him that at this hour, the crowds would be much more manageable than what he had experienced earlier.
Kuroo warmly thanked him, nodded, and turned to leave. Akaashi watched him walk away, feeling increasingly uneasy. Was it really safe to leave him like this in the middle of the night ? Especially after finding him during a panic attack in a dark alley? No. But what could he do about it? A good part of his instinct took over. He called out to the brunet, grabbed his scarf, and walked towards him, discreetly rubbing his wrists against the fabric.
“Take this, the weather has gotten colder.”
Kuroo raised an eyebrow, his eyes still fixed on the scarf, not sure of how to interpret this gesture.
In front of him, Akaashi remained neutral.
“It is really cold outside,” Akaashi insisted.
Kuroo politely refused. A scarf at this time of year? He changed his mind when a terribly cold wind swept across his face as he opened the door. An extra scarf wouldn't hurt.
“Aren't you going to get cold?” asked Kuroo.
His counterpart signaled that he wouldn't.
“Uh... How do I return this to you?”
Akaashi smiled:
“You can find me here.”
He handed him a card, which Kuroo accepted, still somewhat perplexed.
“Noted.”
He quickly bowed to him again and finally crossed the threshold. Akaashi returned the gesture and watched him leave until he disappeared from his field of vision. Finally, he closed the door, turned the sign to "closed," and returned to the counter. He began to vaguely count the cash register but stopped. His tacit and nonchalant facade had just fallen, now that he was alone. He let his face fall into his hands and let out a long sigh. He really needed to learn to control his protective instincts; it was becoming embarrassing. Nevertheless, he had not betrayed his morals. It was a bit gruff maybe, but effective. Plus, he secretly hoped to cross paths with the young man again, admitting to himself that he had in fact, piqued his curiosity.
Kuroo faced the greenish sky of the Tokyo night and a smile slipped on his lips.
All in all, it wasn’t such a bad day, isn’t it ?
-end of the chapter-
Chapter 2: Vocational reorientation
Summary:
“It was 11:45 AM on that Sunday when Kuroo found himself in the grip of one of the most terrible existential crises of his life. There, in the middle of the hygiene aisle at the Seven-Eleven, it became perfectly clear to him that life was nothing but a fragmented, sad, and insubstantial entity. What could "Coco Max Alpha Boost musk" possibly mean? Or "Sandalwood, enhanced pheromone"? He didn’t want much besides smelling like a clean human being. He put back the shower gel and started examining the next one.
“ I wouldn't take that one if I were you,” an unfamiliar voice intervened “
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
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The last train had just passed by Nishinippori’s station. The headlight's beam tore through the night and filtered through the blinds of his window. The floor had vibrated for a moment before calm settled in again.
The journey back had been surprisingly pleasant. Kuroo had entered the subway with apprehension, but when the train stopped, he was pleased to find it almost empty. Much to his surprise and delight, he hadn’t had any unfortunate encounters this time.
He had found his apartment online and hadn't had the chance to visit it yet. However, the place seemed charming in the photos, relatively close to the Hongo campus, and especially cheap compared to the rest of the Tokyo market.
When he arrived at Nishi-nippori, the night had long fallen. Looking up at the sky, he discovered a greenish-orange night devoid of stars or moonlight. When he finally arrived, the old concierge, smelling like old carpet and cat fur, handed him the key, eyeing him suspiciously. He took the key and climbed the stairs, crushed in a narrow and poorly lit staircase, until he reached the last apartment under the roof.
The place was much less charming than he imagined. The main room couldn’t have been more than six square meters. A bulb hanging from a wire illuminated the room with a feeble light. The worn-out wooden floor creaked under his feet and was warped in places. In the back, a small window, so tiny that it couldn’t let in more than a ray or two of sunlight for half an hour a day, clung to a gray wall. The landlady had kindly left him a small refrigerator with an additional electric hot plate on top. Kuroo didn’t mind; all he needed was a rice cooker, and he’d be set. To the right of the tiny kitchenette, squeezed under the roof, was a small shower room. The room was tiled in a dull brown, and the grout had taken on the same shade over time. Next to a misaligned toilet bowl, the showerhead was pitifully lying on the floor.
To put it lightly, discovering the place had extinguished the faint sparks of cheer that the brunet had tried so hard to maintain. He tried to reignite the fire within himself by telling himself that he must be in a bad mood, that tomorrow would be another day, and that the sun would reignite the dormant fire within him.
He spent several minutes exploring the few closets in search of a futon or anything similar, in vain. So, he decided to sleep on the floor fully clothed, using his jacket as a makeshift mattress and Akaashi's scarf as a pillow.
That's where he was now, lying on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling above his head. Kuroo pulled out the small midnight blue card from his jeans pocket. "Fukuro coffee," he read aloud, letting out a smile. In the background, one could make out the drawing of an owl, its plumage changing color depending on the angle of the card.
The wool of the scarf had absorbed the scent of its owner, a fragrance of wild lilac and forest rains. It enveloped everything around him, soothing him without being able to define why. The streetlamp outside began to flicker before finally going out, plunging Kuroo into complete darkness. He closed his eyes, and thinking about the handsome stranger he met earlier, fell asleep.
-//-
He didn’t really know what woke him up the next morning.
Was it the vibration of the floor with each passing train? The morning hubbub, made of screeching, buzzing, and other atrocious sounds? The sun shining directly on his face? Or his backache? After mentally establishing this list, he concluded that it must have been a combination of all these things that had pounded him into wakefulness. He looked longingly at the ceiling, feeling more exhausted than the day before. Summoning his courage, he sat up. He immediately regretted the decision when he felt his spine painfully unwind. One might have thought that regularly sleeping on futons since his early childhood would have prepared him, or at least made him a bit more resilient. Let’s be clear : nope, it didn’t.
The train passing by his window emitted a rumble, and Kuroo didn’t know if his mind was playing tricks on him, but he swore that it sounded like an old steam locomotive.
He sat cross-legged and placed his hands on his knees. Inhale… Exhale… Inhale… Exhale. He returned to himself after a few minutes, barely calmed but calmer, nonetheless. He scanned the room like a castaway at sea trying to reach dry land. He had nothing to eat or drink. Oh well, he would find a coffee shop on the way. In the meantime, a nice shower would certainly do him good.
Alas, it was only when he found himself as naked as a jaybird in the bathroom that he remembered he had nothing to dry himself with, and only one change of clothes, so he didn't even have the option to sadly rub himself with his T-shirt. He weighed the pros and cons for a moment.
“Ah, screw it,” he muttered, determined to treat himself for once.
He armed himself with the showerhead, and turned the tap to maximum heat, ready to gratefully welcome the gentle caress of warm water on his skin. Ah... If only. Everything would have gone perfectly well if the universe was on his side. That wasn’t the case. While he hoped for the sweet release of warm water, he was greeted with a sneaky attack of thousands of icy daggers.
Tokyo wasn’t going to be his ally right away.
-//-
It was 11:45 AM on that Sunday when Kuroo found himself in the grip of one of the most terrible existential crises of his life. There, in the middle of the hygiene aisle at the Seven-Eleven, it became perfectly clear to him that life was nothing but a fragmented, sad, and insubstantial entity.
For a good ten minutes, he phased out while facing the array of shower gels and shampoos, his basket as empty as his mind. Earlier, he had waited for a good ten minutes for the water to warm up, crouched in front of the showerhead. The hot water never came. Would it ever? Hard to say... He tried to contact the landlady, in vain, and the concierge was asleep under the counter when he went to fetch her.
He then contacted his airline, hoping for better news. After five exclusively Russian speakers, he was finally informed that his luggage would (most likely) be returned to him in the coming week. Hanging up, Kuroo truly had to fight not to start bawling like a baby. But he swallowed back his damn tears and left his house with the goal to make his apartment and stomach fuller.
That’s how he ended up here, with the terrible impression of having landed in a parallel universe. What could "Coco Max Alpha Boost musk" possibly mean? Or "Sandalwood, enhanced pheromone"? He didn’t want much besides smelling like a clean human being. He put back the shower gel and started examining the next one.
“I wouldn't take that one if I were you,” an unfamiliar voice intervened.
Under normal circumstances, Kuroo would have probably jumped, but his body was definitely too apathetic to provoke such a reaction. He simply turned around and discovered behind him a young man with a strange gray-silver (pearly blond ? Ashen white?) mane of hair. He was leaning over his shoulder to read the label of the product Kuroo held. The young man in question smiled when their eyes met.
“Hmm… Why?” the brunet eventually asked.
The young man raised his eyebrows, appearing both troubled and amused.
“Do you really want to smell like a cheap alpha?”
Kuroo noted the familiarity with which the individual addressed him. But he didn’t take offense. Strangely, it had something more nurturing about it than vulgar or condescending.
“Ah… no,” the brunet replied.
He put the product back and continued to look at the rest of the aisle, trying as best he could to act as if he knew exactly what he was doing. The employee didn’t move, and his gaze towards Kuroo became increasingly concerned.
“Okay, okay. I’m lost, I don’t understand this jumble,” Kuroo finally admitted.
The silver-haired man frowned, looking deeply bewildered, and proceeded to sniff him ostentatiously. Kuroo must have looked particularly offended because the young man immediately seemed mortified and explained:
“Oh, sorry! Old habit, It’s just that, I thought you were an alpha because of your smell, but... it’s not yours. It’s just that... I understand better now.”
It was Kuroo’s turn to look perplexed, a feeling that intensified when he saw the young man let out a wry smile.
“Alright, hold on a second. Let me take a guess,” his hazel eyes scrutinized him for a moment before he continued, “You just arrived in the big city, completely clueless, and you went from being part of the majority to a mere subpopulation in just a few hours.” He sniffed the air a bit more, “You said goodbye to your seaside home to end up in the equivalent of a broom closet with not much more to your name than a shipwrecked sailor, am I right?"
Kuroo had to hold his jaw to avoid it from dropping to the floor.
“More or less, yes.”
More than less, actually. The brunet hesitated to flee, but he reconsidered when he saw his interlocutor smiling warmly at him. The mole beneath his eye followed the movement of his cheekbones, giving him an incredibly endearing and reassuring look.
“How did you guess?”
“I’m just pretty good at this game. And turns out, you’re not the only one it’s happened to.”
Kuroo doubted that somewhat but did not comment.
“Okay,” the silver-haired softened his expression, “to choose that shower gel or whatever, you have to look at the back,” he picked up one of the products and turned it around, showing the text on the back like he was presenting a showing him a picture book, “It’s written when it’s neutral and suitable for everyone. Otherwise, you take those with suppressors, it won’t change anything for you anyway.”
The brunet nodded and let himself be guided diligently.
“Here, I think this one will suit you well,” the young man concluded while placing a bar of licorice and honey soap, a bottle of shampoo, a facial cleanser, a styling product, and a box of cotton swabs into Kuroo's basket.
“Oh! And also…”
The silver-haired turned on his heel, grabbing Kuroo's arm in the process to pull him along. He wove through several aisles, filling the brunet's basket, which was beginning to strain under the weight. The most astonishing part was that each item was relevant, and the explanations accompanying each decision were all more unsettlingly accurate than the last.
“And there you go!” the individual whom Kuroo had now identified as some sort of medium concluded, “ I suggest you go to Nitori, there’s one in Ueno, you’ll probably find what you're missing.”
It oddly sounded like a quest...
A few seconds of silence passed; the brunet wanted to make sure the shopping was definitively over before leaving. Seeing that the young man in front of him seemed satisfied, Kuroo bowed to thank him:
“Thank you, uh,” he lifted his gaze and noticed for the first time the badge the medium wore on his chest, “Thank you, Sugawara-san.”
The person in question gave him a broad smile before adding:
“Oh, and go explore a bit if you have the time. It’s good for the spirit.”
As Kuroo was about to answer, he saw his counterpart visibly stiffen, apparently having made eye contact with his superior. He bid Kuroo farewell and added, with a politeness he hadn’t displayed before:
“Thank you for visiting our store, we hope to see you again very soon. Have a pleasant day.”
Kuroo took that as a definitive goodbye and headed towards the cashier. He couldn’t help but let out a laugh as he watched his items slide on the small conveyor belt, still stunned by the improbable nature of this encounter. His amusement plummeted at the speed of light when he realized he now had to go back home, which meant climbing five flights of stairs with no less than four bulging shopping bags.
That was definitely not going to help his backache.
-//-
The rain had stopped, but the pavement was still wet. The sky had donned its nocturnal fabric. The streetlights had lit up on the boulevards, and the billboards had taken on a more saturated hue in the twilight. The clouds formed different shapes, sometimes leaving room for the moon to peek out as Kuroo walked, carefully cradling his purchases, enveloped by the melody of the city.
Everywhere his eyes landed, there was life, light, movement, and noise. The smell of urban rain saturated the atmosphere, mingling with that of frying, grilled fish, and warm tires.
After several trips between the stores and his apartment, the brunet spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the city. He’d wandered for hours, his heart curious and his eyes alert, imprinting in his memory everything that crossed his path.
He took a deep breath and let out a contented smile. He was now certain that somewhere here, he would eventually find his anchor.
He had the strange sensation of having appeared in the world while simultaneously drowning in it, crushed by the towering height of glass towers. The feeling of being nothing but a wandering shadow among the crowd. He hadn't stopped for hours, and even though his eyes marveled endlessly, the rest of his body began to feel the passage of time. His feet were sore from pounding the pavement, his legs heavy, and his arms numb. But he didn't care and preferred to continue.
His body finally protested to make itself heard: his stomach growled so loudly that he startled him, as did the few passersby who had the misfortune of crossing his path at the same time. He was then forced to stop, twisted by the rumblings of his hungry belly.
The world around him transformed: there were no longer frivolous sounds or lights, just smells, smells everywhere, each more enticing than the other. He pivoted on himself, nose alert: skewers, fried foods, fish, burnt grease, ground coffee, and thousands of others. Yet, nothing seemed good enough; nothing lived up to the expectation of his immense hunger.
Unconsciously, he resumed walking, his legs guiding him without his mind intervening. He turned, returned, doubled back, weaved through, crossed, and finally stopped abruptly, like a hunting dog that had spotted its prey. Above the olfactory chaos rose a fragrance more exceptional than the others, more intoxicating: it called out to him. He followed its trail without offering the slightest resistance. It led him into a tortuous alley strewn with lanterns in faded colors, dirty and wobbly air conditioners, and windows fogged by the vapors from touristic restaurant kitchens.
As he was navigating the urban maze, noises became distant and the light less dazzling; as if the city was regaining human form. With each step, the scent became more present, even more intoxicating. Kuroo finally arrived at the edge of a road. On the other side, he could see a park, where trees had dressed up for the night. In the darkness, the brunet could detect a vague, luminous red point. He squinted, not quite sure what it was. Intrigued and guided by his instinct, he crossed the road. There, wedged between a stone fence and the gate guarding the entrance to the park, Kuroo discovered, treasure among treasures, a yatai: a small mobile food stall. It was from this wonderful place that the tantalizing fragrance emanated.
Without further ado, he stepped forward and passed under the red fabric at the end of the unfurled roof, announcing his presence so vigorously that he startled the person sitting behind the counter. It was a man in his thirties, bleached blond hair pulled back by a black headband and dressed in a red apron.
Kuroo was so hungry that he forgot the most basic rules of politeness, and his attention was quickly drawn to the steaming bowl that appeared under his nose. He gulped it down in one go.
“Hey! Calm down kiddo, don't gobble it up like that!” protested the chef, who seemed nonetheless amused by the situation.
“Sorry, sorry, I was just starving !”
“Ah, kids these days, don't know how to appreciate things.”
Kuroo, feeling suddenly playful, smirked.
“Aren't you a bit young to be talking like that, Gramps?”
The cook choked, surprised by Kuroo's audacity. He gave him a stern look before bursting into laughter, a laugh so loud and bright that it was contagious.
“But you're right, I didn’t take time to appreciate... I see your great age has brought you wisdom, so I'll take a second bowl, Gramps.”
This time, the said "Gramps" barely protested and returned to the stoves. It was barely a minute later that he turned again, with a large steaming bowl that he placed in front of Kuroo.
“Come on, eat up, and not like a pig this time!”
The brunet chuckled before focusing again on his food. A good bowl of ramen as he liked them. Kuroo placed his head over the bowl, the steam splashing his face with enticing, familiar, and comforting scents of chicken and soy sauce.
He grabbed his chopsticks and after a traditional "Itadakimasu,", took his first slurp of noodle, quickly followed by a gulp of broth. This time, he was able to properly appreciate the flavors, which instantly engulfed him in a deep sense of well-being. The ramen had the authentic texture of "homemade," like the ones his grandfather used to make when he was a kid.. He let out a smile of child-like bliss that once again made the owner laugh.
“Ah well! Isn't it better when you savor it?"
Kuroo signaled his agreement with a thumbs-up, his mouth too full to open without something spilling out. The owner chuckled before leaning against the back wall. He pulled a cigarette out of his apron pocket and, after non-verbally asking the brunet if it bothered him, he lit it.
Kuroo slowed down, allowing himself small breaks between each bite. He began to examine the interior of the stall. The place was so small that it was difficult to do much in terms of decoration. Nonetheless, many photos had been framed and hung here and there. On one of them, placed in front of the cash register, Kuroo recognized the owner, surrounded by a dozen teenagers, clearly inside a gymnasium and in uniform. The brunet smiled.
“Volleyball?”, he asked, although he was almost sure of the answer.
The blond glanced at it before returning to his client, his eyes shining with pride.
“Yeah, I coached a high school team for a while...”
“Oh yeah, and with you at the helm, Gramps, how did it go?"
“Damn well!”
Kuroo chuckled in response. Silence briefly settled in, tinged with a hint of nostalgia.
“I played a lot too, when I was in middle and high school.”
“You quitted?”
“Yeah, when I went to college.”
“Hmm. Did you play in any tournaments? Who knows, your face doesn't ring a bell, but I might have crossed paths with you at some point kid.”
“Ah no, I doubt it. I wasn't bad, but we were a small team from a tiny high school in the depths of Hokkaido. I was really crazy about it, but we never really went far...”
“Oh I see.”
“And you, your team was in Tokyo?”
“Oh no, in Miyagi Prefecture. And tell me ...”
The conversation slid into nerd talk, discussing the secret techniques (which everyone knew in the end), legendary matches, small anecdotes—exciting, amusing, or neither—the disastrous moments, the defeats, and the small glories.
"Too bad you stopped kiddo, I'm sure you could've gone far!”
“It's nice, but meh, I don’t think so. And you, Gramps, why did you stop?”
The blond's face dimmed a little, veiled with a heaviness that hadn't lifted, even with time.
“Ah, a real shitty story. We ended up changing direction, and some parents and leaders from the surrounding packs pressured us to enforce some dumb rules.”
Kuroo frowned; the vocabulary and attitude were vehement, but he had trouble understanding what he was talking about.
“Like?”
“Some utter crap like the application of the treaty for omegas protection and other crap spewed by alpha supremacists to screw us all over!”
The brunet didn't fully grasp what was that about. He had never heard of this protection treaty in his life. Just based on the name, it didn't seem so bad, but given the rest of the conversation, he was under the impression that it wasn't necessarily the case.
“So what happened?”
“We had to form teams by primary and secondary sexes, except that of course you can't form teams like that. And even if I eventually had enough volunteers, it just annoyed me; I couldn't stand that nonsense, so I left...”
“To make ramen in Tokyo?”
“To make ramen in Tokyo, yes.”
“Hmm, interesting vocational reorientation,” the brunet said in an attempt to lighten the mood, “I came, I saw, I tasted...”
“And you were conquered.”
“And I was conquered, yes.”
“Well, I'm not doing too bad then.”
Kuroo smiled.
They talked for a long time, about everything and nothing, but mostly about volleyball. The headlights of the cars became rarer, and the night grew colder and colder. Kuroo had to pull his jacket's flaps tightly against his chest to avoid shivering.
“Well, Gramps, I think I’m going to go before I fuse to the counter.”
“Finally!”
Kuroo chuckled.
“See you around, Gramps!”
“Ukai-san.”
The brunet gave a sly smile:
“Ukai-oji it is then.”
Then he turned on his heels, ignoring the verbal reprisals of the said "Ukai-oji,".
With a full stomach and a smile on his lips, he returned to his small apartment, his head filled with everything he had seen, and those little encounters he wouldn't forget anytime soon.
-End of the chapter-
Notes:
Chapter 3: “Black cats are bad luck”
“Testu, my baby, finally I hear from you! About time! So, tell me, how's college?”
“Mom, why didn't you warn me that you had stuffed an entire crab in my suitcase?” Kuroo interrupted.
His mother felt silent.
“Oops...”See you!
Chapter 3: Black cats are bad luck
Summary:
“Testu, my baby, finally I hear from you! About time! So, tell me, how's college?”
“Mom, why didn't you warn me that you had stuffed an entire crab in my suitcase?” Kuroo interrupted.
His mother felt silent.
“Oops...”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
In Tokyo that morning, three hundred and fifty-eight people woke up late, twenty-eight nearly slipped on their bathroom rugs, thirty-two took a freezing shower, five hundred and twenty-five spilled hot drinks on their knees, two hundred and twenty-two missed a step running downstairs, a hundred and twenty-eight missed the subway by a second, eighty-five missed their stop, sixteen hundred got stuck for several minutes between two flights of stairs, two hundred and twenty-five dropped their phones screen-down on the floor, and forty-two got barked at (by dogs this time). So yes, perhaps Kuroo Tetsurō wasn't the only one experiencing these little annoyances, but he probably was among the few who had them all happen to him successively in less than an hour. He finally arrived on campus, already breathless, stressed, and completely lost. Quite the way to start the year!
Kuroo swore to himself, pacing in circles, panicking as he tried to find the building listed on his schedule. Welcome to your Master's degree: no welcome ceremony, no campus tour (he missed it), no, straight to class and figure it out yourself! He scanned the area for someone who could help, but no one was around.
Kuroo stopped again, checking again the building name on his schedule.
“Excuse me...”
The brunet jumped violently, caught off guard by the voice that seemed too close to his ear for his comfort. He turned around and ended up face to face with a slim and tall guy with mid-length blond hair and two cerulean blue eyes fixed on him. Being already above the average Japanese height, Kuroo wasn't used to meeting someone taller than himself, as he was already way above Japanese’s standard and didn't like the feeling. The blond in front of him started babbling something, and Kuroo had to ask him to repeat himself several times to understand:
“B3-126, B3-126!” the person repeated in a stuttering Japanese.
Poor guy had to repeat himself ten times before Kuroo understood that it was the identification of a lecture hall. Lucky for him, he was looking for that mysterious B3-126 lecture hall as well.
“Ah yes, I'm looking for that room too, but I can't find the right building,” replied Kuroo, hoping his English wasn’t too wanky to be understood.
The blond nodded.
“I have a map,” the blond announced, taking said map out of his pocket. “I can't read it,” he added, pointing to the kanji characters on the document.
Kuroo signaled him to hand it over, and the young man complied. The brunet turned the map around and eventually found their location on it.
“Found it!” he exclaimed, deeply relieved.
Seeing the somewhat perplexed look on the blond's face, Kuroo felt the need to clarify:
“It’s the building over there!” he indicated, designating the building to their right.
He invited him to follow, and they rushed there together.
“Here!” Kuroo exclaimed after a frantic run up the stairs of the building he spent so long trying to locate.
Carried away by the euphoria, Kuroo swung the door open. He and his new friend were immediately met by the annoyed gazes of fifty students and their teacher. Kuroo stood still for a moment, waiting for most of the eyes to turn away from them, then bowed silently to apologize. The blond did the same. Once they were out of their teacher's sight, who had resumed reading his lecture notes, the two young men went to find a place to sit. As there were no seats at the back, they moved closer to the front of the lecture hall, stepping over a few backpacks along the way. They finally slid into a row's end, meticulously trying not to make any noise. A futile attempt. The zippers of Kuroo's backpack screeched loudly against the wood as he passed it under the desk, and his colleague joined the impromptu jam when he pulled out a pencil case full of keychains from his backpack. Their musical number eventually annoyed the student in front of them, who turned completely to give them a disapproving look. The student in question, a young man with chestnut hair, looked them up and down with disdain before turning away again.
Kuroo raised an eyebrow. Sure, they hadn't been the most discreet, but the animosity seemed disproportionate. He examined him a bit more: he seemed like a grumpy fashionista, impeccably styled, perfectly manicured, with a state-of-the-art computer and an impeccably polished leather briefcase. All of that plus the Diva attitude: it was a mix that didn't sit well with Kuroo.
He turned his attention elsewhere and tried to focus on the class. It proved to be more difficult than expected, not only because he had already missed about twenty minutes of it, but also because it was entirely in English. No surprise there, he signed up for it after all, but he had to admit he probably overestimated his language skills.
“I’m Chris,” the blond suddenly announced, in a stuttering but adorable Japanese.
The Diva in front of them turned again, more annoyed than before. The brunet held his gaze, unimpressed. The exchange intensified, but he didn't back down, and even let a sardonic smile slip onto his lips. A few students around them turned, but Kuroo didn't pay them much attention. However, when the Diva noticed, he looked away and turned back.
Kuroo smiled, happy to have emerged victorious from that silent battle. After a few moments of silence, he turned to Chris.
Putting on his best accent, he said:
“My name is Tetsurō Kuroo.”
“Shh!” ordered the guy in front of them, before clicking his tongue.
“Sorry,” the blond politely replied, as Kuroo let out a quiet laugh.
Well, maybe not so quiet, as the teacher turned to give him a disapproving look. Kuroo decided it was time to focus on the class again.
-//-
The classes went by like this until the end of the day. Chris had accompanied him in most of them. They kept each other company, exchanging in a mix of Japanese and English that worked for them nonetheless. They however had to part ways for their last class of the days, each having different minors. Kuroo ended up having to spend the last two hours of his day in company of the diva. Much to his relief, the latter didn’t pay attention to him at all.
The sun had nearly disappeared from the horizon when he finished his day. He decided to walk back home, taking his time to explore the city as he wasn’t really in the mood for a crowded subway ride. When Kuroo arrived in front of his apartment, his suitcase was there. Euphoria rushed within him but washed off pretty quickly when he came closer. Why? Well, first thing first, the suitcase in question had been wrapped in plastic film. The last time he saw it, it wasn’t the case. Nothing terrifying so far, no. No, what was utterly terrifying was that the suitcase seemed to ooze out some unidentified substance. Secondly, the odor emanating from it had a “je-ne-sais-quoi" of Otoru’s fish market smell. He tried to remember everything he had packed in his suitcase, but nothing that could cause such damage came to mind.
Perplexed, he opened his apartment door and rolled the suitcase inside. It emitted a sticky groan against the floor, definitely a bad omen. Kuroo unwrapped the baggage from the plastic film and felt bile rise in his throat as the smell intensified.
The suitcase was there, in front of him. Perfectly still (fortunately), but menacing. Kuroo dreaded discovering what was hidden inside. He took a deep breath but nearly chocked when the nauseating smell invaded his lungs. Immediately, he exhaled and held his breath.
He hesitated in front of the zipper, his hand trembling with fear. In one swift motion, he unzipped it and lifted the lid, releasing the foul odor that instantly filled the room. This time, he truly struggled not to regurgitate everything he had ingested that past week. It was with horror that he discovered, placed on top of his neatly folded pile of clothes, a swollen and oozing plastic bag.
“Damn it !” muttered the brunet while burying his nose in the collar of his shirt.
He reached out with his fingertips and grabbed the bag. He felt his insides knotting in disgust when the said bag responded with a squelching sound, as an orangish liquid slowly descended along the plastic, so slowly that it was borderline defying gravity. Slowly, to avoid bursting the bag on the floor, Kuroo stood up and, with the greatest caution he had ever displayed, approached the tiny window, which he opened completely. He delicately placed the bag on the windowsill, but as soon as it made contact with the edge, it rolled and exploded on the balcony below with a loud "SPLASH."
“Shit...” muttered the brunet, truly panicked. He had been fortunate enough to meet his downstairs neighbor, and he didn't, under any circumstances, want to end up having to confront him. Especially not now that he had spread filth on his territory.
He hesitated to climb out the window himself to clean the mess. Acrobatic, yes, but if that was the only option he had to stay alive, so be it. Kuroo began to climb out the window; the balcony was very close, so he risked only a simple fracture if he missed his attempt. Multiple fractures in the worst-case scenario, but not death… probably. As he leaned forward, preparing to swing his leg outside, he managed to decipher what had exploded on the ground. A completely different emotion washed over him. He cursed and re-entered the apartment. He grabbed his backpack and furiously pulled out his phone. He typed at lightning speed before placing the phone to his ear, tapping his foot impatiently.
“Testu, my baby, finally I hear from you! About time! So, tell me, how's college?”
Hearing his mother's voice gave him a slight pang in his heart and disarmed him. While his initial intention was just to yell at her, he backed down. He sighed. His mother had started talking again without even waiting for his answer.
“Mom, why didn't you warn me that you had stuffed an entire crab in my suitcase?” Kuroo interrupted.
His mother felt silent.
“Oops...”
“Oops? That’s it? Mom, it's disgusting! I told you my suitcase was lost, why didn't you say anything?”
“What could you have done, baby? Retrieve your crab in Moscow? The longer you remained unaware, the better off you were...”
“But why did you put it there?” Kuroo's voice lost all its anger and sounded more like a child pouting.
“I wanted you to have something to eat when you arrived! A taste of home! That's why.”
Kuroo sighed. The argument was silly: who thinks of a crab as an easy meal in an empty apartment... But the intention was there, and he couldn't argue against it. He sighed deeply and sat on the floor. His mother had started talking again, quickly skirting the topic. The brunet listened absentmindedly, vaguely replying from time to time.
His attention was focused on something else entirely: even though the rotten crab had physically left his apartment, its fragrance lingered. He sniffed the air, skeptical. As he approached his suitcase, he found that the smell was just as intense there. Timidly, he felt the heaps of clothing inside. It was then, with horror, that he realized his clothes were damp. Damp and oozing. Damp, oozing, and viscous. Damp, oozing, viscous, and stinky. Kuroo closed his eyes. A painful sensation of disgust mixed with sorrow overwhelmed him.
“Mom, sorry, I'll call you back later.”
Before his mother could finish her sentence, he hung up.
He finally decided to retract his hand but left it hanging in the air, as if the ambient air could improve his situation. He remained motionless for a long moment, devasted, overwhelmed, and powerless.
It took him ten minutes to regain some kind of composure. He had two possibilities: close the suitcase and throw it out the window or wash his clothes of all the malodorous filth. He quickly dismissed the first option: the crab and the suitcase on the neighbor's balcony might be too much, and he didn't necessarily want to spend the year with only one pair of socks, a faded pair of jeans, and two poor boxers. So, he had to resort to intensive washing; such a task couldn’t be satisfied by vaguely soapy lukewarm water in a small plastic basin. The basin was currently occupied by his soaking underwear anyway.
Alright, he quickly made up his mind.
The brunet retrieved his largest, and also most waterproof, shopping bag, stuffing the clothes inside. He was pleased to find that the rest of his belongings, stowed away in other pockets or buried at the bottom, had resisted the pestilential attack. The reunion with his toothbrush was deeply emotional. He tore himself away from admiring his toiletry bag to pull out his phone and search for the nearest laundromat.
He headed towards the indicated establishment, located barely two minutes away from his place. He stopped in front of the laundromat. Even though the place seemed nice, it was too crowded. For Kuroo, this congregation of humans meant two things:
1) A far too long wait, especially in the company of his soiled laundry.
2) Way too many potential looks of disgust and judgment attracted by his said companion.
He set off again, eventually arriving to a second location, dilapidated and of unparalleled ugliness. For a moment, he even wondered if it was one of those derelict buildings beloved by hipster photographers. Apparently not, as an old lady wearing an ugly floral blouse was seated behind an old counter. This would do. He walked in, and greeted the old lady, who didn't respond, merely pointing to a sign indicating the token price to start the machine. Kuroo handed her a large bill:
“Sorry, I don't have change but...”
The old lady didn't listen and handed him about fifty coins.
“Oh, that's way too much, can I have less?”
The old lady shook her head negatively, pointing to a sign on her left: 'We do not give change.”
Seriously?
She insisted, and Kuroo reached out his hands to receive his wealth. He didn't push further. After all, it could come in handy sometimes, no?
“Oh, and for the detergent and...”
The old lady didn't let him continue and vaguely pointed him in a direction before disappearing behind a door.
Alone again, Kuroo turned towards the indicated direction, finding a rather uninviting corridor with a glow at the end from an old vending machine. Kuroo approached it, trying to fill his pockets with as many coins as possible. Only two rows of the machine were fully stocked. Luckily, there was detergent and fabric softener, which would do. He inserted a coin, but it fell between the machine and the plastic cover. Kuroo cursed but gave up on the coin and inserted another one, which was instantly returned. He sighed but tried to insert the same coin again, luckily accepted this time. He pressed A5 for the detergent. Instead, B7 appeared on the screen. Kuroo tried again. This time, the machine didn't even bother to react. He pressed A5 again. Victory! This time the machine whirred, and the mechanical cycle activated in the right place. The twirling stopped, and Kuroo felt the light within him fade away. The small pack of detergent remained stuck against the glass, so close, yet so far from his reach.
“Damn it,” cursed the brunet.
He returned to the counter, calling out to the old lady. No response. He knocked on the door behind which she had disappeared. Nothing. He cracked the door open but found himself facing a long, dark corridor that seemed to lead into the depths of hell.
Deeply disturbed, Kuroo closed the door and returned to the machine. He only had one solution, the most “mechanical” one would say: he grabbed the sides and vigorously shook the heap of old metal. The machine squeaked but yielded nothing. Annoyed, he shook it even harder while banging his knee angrily against the glass. His perseverance paid off, perhaps too much, as he ended up not with just a dose of detergent but six, along with the entire row of fabric softener with...cotton candy and matcha scent. An odd mix, indeed, but he wasn't going to complain. He looked back: no one. So, he seized his loot and returned to the washing machines. He hurriedly stuffed all his soiled clothes into the first machine he came across, added five hundred grams of detergent and half a liter of cotton candy-matcha fabric softener, and pressed many buttons before starting the machine. He stood up, rubbing his hands to get rid of the metaphorical dust of his hard labor. His relief, however, was short-lived. As he watched the drum start to fill, he recognized a tartan fabric that he immediately identified: Akaashi's scarf. He did plan to wash it before returning it to its owner (he had to, given the number of nights he had used it as a pillow), but having that noble garment thrown into old crab juice was out of the question!
“Damn it!”
Kuroo furiously pressed the stop button. But the machine remained stoic and continued to fill. It was only after pressing the same button fifty times that the water seemed to stop rising. Well, now he needed to open the door! Only his brazen perseverance managed to overcome it, or rather it took so long that the door had time to unlock itself. It swung open, spewing crab juice mixed with soapy water onto Kuroo's feet. In a panicked motion, he grabbed the clothes before they could escape, seized the scarf, placed the pile of vile clothes back into the washing machine, closed the drum door, and restarted the cycle. There, mission accomplished, crisis averted.
Or so he thought. He was forced to realize otherwise when he noticed that the scarf was spinning alone in the drum, with five hundred grams of powdered detergent and a half-liter of fabric softener of improbable smell. The rest of his clothes lay on the floor like a bunch of flaccid snot. Luckily for him, most of the machines were empty, and he had pockets full of coins. He grabbed the wet clothes, which now felt like they each weighed ten kilos, and headed towards the machine on his right, stuffed everything in, and started the cycle without worrying about the temperature, colors, or any other trivia.
Phew! Finally! Now all he had to do was wait. He congratulated himself, rediscovering with pride that he sometimes knew how to act like a perfectly functional adult.
He turned around and sat cross-legged between the two machines but eventually ended up closer to the first one. The scarf was spinning solo inside. Kuroo couldn't help but smile, excited about the prospect of seeing that individual who, over time, had taken on the most fantastico-mystical traits in his brain (he had just come up with that word and was almost proud of it).
Fade to black...
After the first wash, Kuroo's clothes didn't return to normal.
Several T-shirts shrank.
Others faded onto his jeans, which also shrank.
A lot of them kept the smell of old crab, now enhanced with cotton candy and matcha.
The smell persisted, despite his numerous attempts to get rid of it...
And that's how Tetsurō Kuroo lost, once and for all, the vast majority of his wardrobe.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
“Akaashi-san.”
He couldn't help but smile. He stood there for a moment.
“Uh, I came to return your scarf,” Kuroo finally said in one breath, without even caring about the informality of his language.
“I still have a little time before I have to go back to work. Would you like to join me, Kuroo-san?”
Kuroo had to bite the inside of his cheeks to prevent a silly smile from escaping upon hearing familiarity slip into the elegant speech of the brunet.
“ With pleasure.”
Chapter 4: Mister fantastico-mystical
Summary:
“Akaashi-san.”
He couldn't help but smile. He stood there for a moment.
“Uh, I came to return your scarf,” Kuroo finally said in one breath, without even caring about the informality of his language.
“I still have a little time before I have to go back to work. Would you like to join me, Kuroo-san?”
Kuroo had to bite the inside of his cheeks to prevent a silly smile from escaping upon hearing familiarity slip into the elegant speech of the brunet.
“ With pleasure.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Kuroo stood in front of the 'Fukuro coffee ' door for a long moment, staring at the sign. He was well aware that it might seem strange to see him motionless in front of the door like that from an outside perspective. He finally decided to enter. He took a deep breath, clenched his buttocks, adorned himself with the most confident mask he had in stock, and pushed the door open As he entered, he strode confidently toward the bar. His steps slowed when he saw the person behind it: a tall, well-built young man - sturdy enough to weather the winter, at least - with a buzz cut and a face reflecting either serene monk-like wisdom or cosmic aloofness. A strange sense of confusion overwhelmed the brunet: after all, he had only met this handsome stranger once, and his twisted mind could have distorted the memory. It had happened to him in the past: a charming encounter late at night that turned out to be far less charming when he had to meet the person sober and in broad daylight... Maybe the guy in his head wasn't as fantastico-mystical as he remembered?
No, no, that was silly! Kuroo certainly wasn't the most physiognomist guy around, but he wasn't devoid of visual acuity and functional memory either. Besides, Akaashi-san had much longer hair, and he wasn't that tall! There!
Well, he could have gone to the hairdresser and be on a step ladder now, no?
No!
“Hello, welcome to Fukuro, what can I do for you?”
Kuroo was caught off guard; his mind had taken up too much space to realize he had finally reached the counter and needed to revert to socially acceptable behavior.
“Uh... Hello.”
That's good, keep going.
“Hello.”
Silence.
“Akaashi-san?” the brunet blurted out without really having taken the time to form a complete sentence in his head.
The young man didn't seem particularly concerned about the strange interaction he was having. He scanned Kuroo, without appearing to pass any judgment, and spoke in an even tone:
“He's on break at the moment.”
“Oh...”
“He's over there, by the window.”
Kuroo turned in the indicated direction. He smiled, and his heart fluttered when he recognized the silhouette. He was also reassured to realize that yes, he had a perfectly functional memory and that the fantastico-mystical wasn't a complete invention of his sick mind. He thanked the barista with a bow and headed towards the table of the handsome not-so-stranger anymore (he needed that to sink in). With each step bringing him closer, a jumbled feeling of euphoria surged within him, a childish yet intoxicating sensation. It was a mix of joy one felt when meeting friends in the schoolyard, the ethereal and boiling tension of meeting a celebrity, and a touch of a first date.
Akaashi hadn't raised his head from his book yet. Kuroo was about to announce his presence but refrained, suddenly unsettled by the title of said book, which was none other than 'JENSEITS VON GUT UND BÖSE: VORSPIEL EINER PHILOSOPHIE DER ZUKUNFT' (not all cap, but Kuroo had a very clear impression that someone was yelling at him in German).
“Oh... Kuroo-san. Nice to see you again.”
Akaashi's velvet soothing voice managed to pull Kuroo out of his bewilderment.
“Akaashi-san.”
He couldn't help but smile. He stood there for a moment.
“Uh, I came to return your scarf,” Kuroo finally said in one breath, without even caring about the informality of his language.
However, the man in front of him didn't seem to be bothered by it. He nodded and reached out to take it back. Once he had the fabric in hand, Kuroo saw him subtly twitch his nostrils. Before Kuroo could begin to overanalyze this, Akaashi spoke again:
“I still have a little time before I have to go back to work. Would you like to join me, Kuroo-san?”
Kuroo had to bite the inside of his cheeks to prevent a silly smile from escaping upon hearing familiarity slip into the elegant speech of the brunet.
“ With pleasure.”
Akaashi nodded and offered him the chair opposite him. Kuroo wasted no time and sat down.
“Sorry for interrupting your reading, whatever it may be.”
“Oh! Nietzsche,” informed Akaashi.
“Oh yes, Nietzsche and his famous 'Jenuseitsu van gutu unda boissu.'”
While Kuroo tried to mimic an impeccable German accent, when the words came out of his mouth, he knew that it was an insult to all German speakers worldwide. However,to his pleasant surprise, it managed to amuse Akaashi, who even let out a discreet laugh.
“You seem to be quite familiar with Nietzsche’s work,” teased Akaashi.
“Indeed, I particularly enjoyed his work ‘Ja nein Ich bin eine Kartoffel danke schön’- a masterpiece.”
He saw the brunet in front of him restrain himself from bursting into laughter, but he couldn't help but let out an amused and somewhat mocking smile.
“A masterpiece indeed.”
“Isn't it?”
The two young men exchanged an amused glance.
“Otherwise, do you often spend your free time reading philosophy in German?”
“Indeed...”
“Interesting. And why do you inflict that on yourself ?”
“Mainly for classes. But I like to see it as a hobby too.”
“My condolences...”
Akaashi rolled his eyes but didn't argue, a playful smile still on his lips.
“So, I gather you are not a fan of German literature.”
“A fan? No. I must confess that I know nothing about it... Maybe if someone were to read it to me, I could fully appreciate it.”
Kuroo couldn't help but let a mischievous smile slide onto his lips, and his mischief was rewarded when he saw an equally mischievous glint awaken in his counterpart's eyes, but he didn't insist. The game would stay at that for the moment.
“ Do you venture into reading in other languages, Akaashi-san?”
“Oh yes.” he paused to think “ English, of course... French too, Italian, Spanish, and I am starting to get into Greek... Oh, and Korean, but that was just out of necessity really.”
If Kuroo wasn't sitting, he would certainly have fallen over. His astonishment and honest surprise almost made the brunet in front of him blush.
“ But... Do you speak all these languages? Like... fluently?”
“More or less,” announced Akaashi as if he weren't at all 1, 2, 3... Hexalingual? Nonaglot? Was there even a word for that?
(The word “polyglot” did not cross his stupid mind)
Kuroo was completely blown away.
“Well, now I just have to get into it; could you lend it to me?” asked Kuroo, pointing to the book on the table.
“With pleasure.”
“In exchange, I could lend you 'Guri to Guro,' an excellent work!”
Akaashi was taken aback and let out a discreet laugh.
“Oh, I do not doubt it.”
“And I was proud of my vaguely English babble...”
“I just study languages at the University, that is why...”
“Still, it’s very impressive!”
Akaashi nodded his thanks for the compliment, struggling hard not to show any trace of the gentle tingling that the flattery gave him.
“I made a friend in class, Chris, who speaks German! Wait and maybe we'll be able to have our next conversations in the language of Goethe.”
“I look forward to it, Kuroo-san.”
Akaashi had relaxed his posture, now holding his chin in the palm of his left hand with nonchalance, and his eyes, still tinged with amusement, were seriously unsettling Kuroo. He hurriedly spoke up to avoid slipping too much:
“With my suitcase adventure, I also learned a couple of Russian!”
“Oh yes! How did that go ?”
Kuroo then rushed into the description of his more or less epic adventures (which he slightly embellished to maintain the attention of his audience). The more his words unfolded, the more he felt Akaashi opening up to him. Kuroo couldn't help but memorize every tiny detail that caught his gaze: the way he slowly blinked when he listened, the sparkle in his eyes, the grace of his gestures, the movement of his fingers when he tucked an ebony strand behind his ear, the discreet curve of his smile, the timbre of his voice, the way he clasped his hands when speaking... And his scent, his scent seemed to grow every second around him. He already knew it, having spent several days in its company, but it seemed to have intensified, the fragrance of pine forests during a winter storm, of lilacs and fresh moss.
The discussion went on, Kuroo not being able to say about what, and then, naturally, silence fell. Akaashi glanced up at the clock and briefly made eye contact with his colleagues at the bar.
“I have to get back to work,” he announced finally.
However, none of them made a move. Kuroo eventually answered:
“Okay, I'll let you get back to work then. Thanks for the scarf.”
Akaashi, who had stood up already, nodded in acceptance of his thanks. A smile hung on his lips, one that Kuroo hadn't seen leave his face for a while, and it stirred something in his chest, like a simmering broth left on low heat for hours.
“See you soon.” Kuroo wished it sounded determined, but his voice had taken on the intonation of a question.
“Yes. See you soon...”
The brunet let out a smile, which he tried (more or less successfully) to conceal as he gathered his things. The two young men finally parted ways, waving goodbye. When Kuroo looked away to leave, he felt like gravity was lighter and the atmosphere infinitely softer.
-//-
Nobuyuki Kai wasn’t one to judge people hastily, or to judge anything for that matter. Not only was it a matter of ethics, but also because it demanded a lot of energy for very little benefit. However, he found himself tempted to indulge in it when he saw a young man standing motionless in front of the door for five minutes. He wondered if he should go out to help him, but quickly thought better of it. After all, the young man was within his rights and didn’t seem particularly distressed. Kai made an effort not to appear too surprised when the young man finally entered. He maintained his composure when he saw him approach the counter, a certain unease evident in his eyes. His task became more complicated when the young man awkwardly asked if Akaashi-san was there. Kai pointed out where his colleague was, and the strange boy followed his directions without ordering anything.
Kai remained standing in front of the counter, trying as much as possible to not let his attention be drawn too much to the scene unfolding before his eyes. He didn’t particularly indulge in voyeurism, but the event was enough to feed his curiosity.
“Yo!”
Kai was abruptly pulled out of his thoughts when one of his colleagues arrived behind the counter.
“Komi-san,” he greeted as the chestnut-haired man was putting on his apron.
He immediately directed his attention back to strange boy, now sitting with Akaashi in the back of the room.
His colleague followed his gaze:
“Who's that guy?”
“And why is Akaashi smiling like that? It’s creepy!”
His second colleague (and, unfortunately, manager), a tall, blond young man, interposed himself between his two colleagues, leaning on the bar where he could spy on the two fellows at the back of the room.
“Konoha-san, not so loud!”
“What? I'm just stating the obvious. Who's that guy?”
“I don't know, he came to see Akaashi-san,” Kai quietly announced.
Konoha raised an eyebrow:
“Why?”
“To return his scarf, I think...”
His two colleagues turned to him simultaneously, both equally perplexed.
“His scarf?” Komi insisted.
“What was he doing with his scarf?!”
Kai shrugged and decided to find something to do to escape the conversation that he sensed was coming.
“Konoha! Stop staring at them like that!” the chestnut-haired one whispered.
“Customers just walked in,” observed Kai, looking at the blond.
The latter got the message. He looked up, clicked his tongue, but still grabbed his notepad before heading to the table where the newcomers had settled, presenting them with his most radiant, albeit very fake, smile. As he was returning with their orders, he froze. An incredibly improbable sound had just reached his ears. Meeting his colleague's gaze, he realized the surprise was mutual. The blond hurried back behind the bar, grabbed Komi by his arm to pull him close, and whispered:
“Am I crazy or did he just laugh?”
Komi was too stunned to speak.
“Something’s not right...”
Kai didn't say anything, even though he thought the same.
“But doesn’t he have enough already?” the blond exclaimed.
Komi chuckled in agreement.
The unsettlement of the clandestine audience grew more and more with every passing minute, reaching the pinnacle of absurdity when the two young men finally had to part ways, exchanging goodbyes with an intensity in their gaze that fooled no one. Once the mysterious young man had finally left, Akaashi retrieved his belongings and returned to the bar. He had regained the neutral and almost cold demeanor that everyone usually knew him for. When he finally realized that something was amiss, he turned his attention to them:
“Is something going on?” he asked calmly.
“Yes, dude, yes, clearly something is going on!” Konoha intervened, emphasizing each word with his trademark dramatic flair.
Akaashi frowned.
“I'll take the orders,” announced Kai, fleeing the scene.
“Who was it?” Komi asked, more calmly than his manager, but still intrigued.
Akaashi turned his eyes toward the door, then back to them, his face reflecting no emotion.
“Nobody.”
Konoha almost choked:
“But Akaashi, we have eyes you know! Clearly, it wasn’t ‘nobody’,” he insisted on the last word, mimicking quotation marks with his hands.
Akaashi visibly closed off.
“Full poker face,” Komi murmured, almost frightened.
“I do not see what you are getting at.”
“Oh, come on! I’m not judging you or anything, but clearly, there’s something!”
Kai returned, but this time he couldn’t avoid being caught up in the conversation.
“Kai! We’re not crazy! Tell him you think the same!”
Silence.
“I'm sorry, Akaashi-san. But I think they're right.”
The brunet was defeated.
He closed his eyelids and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, the coldness of his features had dissipated a bit, reflecting now a certain vulnerability.
“ I don't understand,” Komi intervened, “What’s wrong ? He seems to like you. And they…”
“It is complicated.” Akaashi interrupted abruptly. “Nothing will happen. We barely know each other. I don't know him.”
“But, he was clearly courting you!”
Akaashi looked the blond in the eyes, his sternness wavered slightly:
“I am not sure he realized it, or understood the implications... I mean, we might never meet again, why should I care ?”
Akaashi wanted to get back to work to finally escape the conversation.
“He still knows where you work,” mumbled Komi.
Konoha frowned. What had begun as playful teasing was taking a much more serious turn now, and his friend's reaction was making him more puzzled than he already was. The charade had gone on long enough. Without further ado, he walked toward Akaashi, took the cup he was cleaning from his hands, grabbed his arm, and pulled him along. It was only when they were both alone in the stockroom that he turned to face him.
“Alright, cut the crap! It was funny at first, but seeing how you reacted, it’s not anymore. Oh, and stop with your pheromones, you’re going to smoke out the entire coffee shop!”
The brunet grimaced, holding to his stubbornness, but Konoha felt his aura become less oppressive. He sighed.
“What’s the problem?”
His voice softened, and that was enough to weaken the brunet's defenses.
“Nothing.”
The blond rolled his eyes, put his hands on his hips, and looked at the brunet with a very unimpressed gaze.
“It sure looks like it. I didn’t say anything in front of everyone, but if he came back with your scarf, it’s because you gave it to him!”
Akaashi looked away, visibly embarrassed.
“ ‘Kaashi. We both know perfectly well what that implies. Why did you do that if you’re not interested?”
No response.
“ ‘Kaashi?”
The interested party sighed before confessing, in a low voice:
“It was just to protect him.”
Konoha's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets:
“Excuse me? Just to protect him?!”
“You are being dramatic. Yes, he was completely lost, he was going through a place that... anyway, I could not just let him leave without doing anything to help.”
“I don’t see you marking my clothes every time I leave work in the evening?”
“That would not mean the same thing at all, and you know it.”
“And this doesn’t?”
“No. He probably did not even notice it. He is a non-pack beta, I am not even sure he guessed my secondary sex and...”
“Not difficult to figure out though,” commented Konoha. “And it’s not much better to do this behind his back.”
Akaashi paused.
“Will you stop? How does this concern you?”
“In no way, we agree on this, but it pisses me off me that you’re lying to my face like that.”
Akaashi relaxed his shoulders.
“I am not lying...”
“But?”
“Even if I do not know him well yet, I do enjoy his company...”
“Ah!”
“But.”
“But?”
“But, it is not only up to me... And...”
“And ?”
“And he does not seem very familiar with... these kinds of things. I do not know if he would understand...”
Konoha crossed his arms and leaned against a stack of cardboard boxes.
“I have too much to lose to risk everything, especially after what happened...”
Konoha sighed
“Okay, okay...”
“Well, no more comments then.”
“But!”
“No buts!”
“But don’t assume nothing will happen!”
“I know nothing will happen.”
“Don’t act like a brat.”
“I am not.”
“... Don’t overthink it, okay? Talk to them, at least to see what they think?”
He knew Akaashi probably wouldn’t do it, but...
“Thank you, Konoha-san.”
The courtesy was delivered with a passive-aggressive note that didn’t go unnoticed.
“Okay, okay, I won’t meddle anymore!”
Akaashi nodded and thanked him, this time sincerely.
Unfortunately for him, Konoha wouldn’t keep his promise very long.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Next chapter : Otto the sugar daddy
The brunet's eyes stumbled upon the badge fixed on the silver-haired guy's shirt. Strangely, it didn't indicate the name he knew. Instead, it was written in Romanji: "OTTO." The young man in front of him followed his gaze and finally understood where his confusion was coming from.
“Ah! Don't worry, just a dumb joke.”
“Oh... Okay, see you later then.”
He didn't use any name, not knowing which one to use.
The charming "OTTO" nodded, and Kuroo reached the end of the counter. As he waited for his drink, he couldn't stop ruminating on the question. What could be so funny about calling your colleague "OTTO"? Kuroo had never been particularly fond of Germanic names, but this one was still quite… peculiar. Only when he was called to pick up his drink did the answer finally occur to him:
“Otto-san... Daddy! Sugar Daddy!”
See ya
Chapter 5: Otto the sugar daddy
Summary:
The brunet's eyes stumbled upon the badge fixed on the silver-haired guy's shirt. Strangely, it didn't indicate the name he knew. Instead, it was written in Romanji: "OTTO." The young man in front of him followed his gaze and finally understood where his confusion was coming from.
“Ah! Don't worry, just a dumb joke.”
“Oh... Okay, see you later then.”
He didn't use any name, not knowing which one to use.
The charming "OTTO" nodded, and Kuroo reached the end of the counter. As he waited for his drink, he couldn't stop ruminating on the question. What could be so funny about calling your colleague "OTTO"? Kuroo had never been particularly fond of Germanic names, but this one was still quite… peculiar. Only when he was called to pick up his drink did the answer finally occur to him:
“Otto-san... Daddy! Sugar Daddy!”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
---
Kuroo let out a deep sigh. No, he wasn't sleeping; he was just resting his eyes! Mobilizing two neurons at such an early hour was pure torture. He would have given anything to go back to bed. What a cruel fate he was enduring...
Outside, the sun had barely made an appearance. Normally, all his classes started at a reasonable hour, and he was perfectly content with that. So why? Why on earth had they decided to move his classes from 10 to 7 am? It had been almost five years since Kuroo had to get up that early, and it was particularly painful for him. He would have been tempted to skip the classes, but the teaching staff had threatened to deduct points from their final grade if they didn't show up. However, the logistics of their torture treatment had not been well-executed: the room assigned to them, tiny and poorly lit, could barely accommodate everyone.
Moreover, Kuroo had to face this ordeal alone. Chris, who hadn't chosen the same classes, was probably luxuriating in extra sleep at this very moment, leaving Kuroo to endure the early morning struggle in solitude. Unfair, to say the least! Luckily, the only vacant seat in the room happened to be beside him, a small consolation in his solitary suffering. He scanned the room, starting to recognize his fellow students without being able to put names on faces yet. He frowned; the annoying diva was nowhere to be seen. Had he overslept? Or, good grief, did he not have time to refresh his manicure? The horror! How could he confidently parade without perfectly manicured nails to complement his coat? Kuroo chuckled, amused by his thoughts.
Karma quickly made him pay for his little mockery.
As the class was about to begin, the door slammed open behind Kuroo. He turned instinctively, more intrigued by the noise than by the person entering. But this order quickly reversed. He had a hard time recognizing him at first, but he almost choked in surprise when he did: it was the diva. Who... strangely no longer had much of what he knew about him (so not much really). While he usually had an impeccable style, this time Kuroo wondered if he hadn't just come in pajamas. He had messy hair and big bags under his eyes, hidden behind a large pair of glasses. He wore a black windbreaker with nonexistent elegance, jeans way too big for him, and a pair of worn-out white sneakers. Phew, he thought he wasn't a morning person, he had found someone to outmatch him. His gaze met the diva's when he realized where the last available seat was.
The diva seemed annoyed, but his usual look of condescending disdain had disappeared. He was just... wrinkled as if he didn't have the energy to express more complex emotions. The diva approached and pulled the chair next to him to sit. He took off his jacket, and Kuroo could then see the T-shirt he was wearing underneath, covered with small green aliens. Green aliens, yes. Those with balloon-like heads and oversized eyes. Kuroo swore he heard the diva growl when he noticed his gaze. The brunet looked away, troubled, and remained so until the class started.
Then began a losing battle...
The Enemy: a cell biology class taught in English at 7 in the morning.
To face it: his English level, which he realized was not that good, and his two alert neurons. He fought for a good while. But just as he thought he was getting back on track, a graph appeared whose explanation seemed most nebulous to him. He still clung on and continued to write. But the sentences disappeared from his mind before he could even put them on paper. And gradually, he felt the words burying him, making him suffocate, crushing him. He eventually let go of his pen and let out a discreet sigh. Damn, this wasn't how he was going to make progress... If he didn't have the notes that he wasn't currently taking, how would he manage to study for the exam? And his parents who were counting on him... What a little brat! Wanting to leave for the city like a grown-up without even taking responsibility! Soon he would be on the streets! And all because he couldn't concentrate, damn it.
A brief low growl snapped him out of his infernal spiral. He turned his gaze. This was the second time the diva had made weird noises at him; noises he swore he had never heard before this day. He met his gaze, not understanding what he wanted.
He was surprised to read no animosity in it, only a vague discomfort at most. Under his astonished gaze, he saw the diva pull his chair closer to his and tilt this computer screen. Kuroo remained momentarily speechless. He didn't expect that from the diva. Had he misjudged him? Probably yes, because at this moment, he represented to him the most amazing human being the earth had ever borne.
The diva didn't say anything and continued writing his notes. Kuroo quietly thanked the young man, the latter offering a nod in response. Kuroo quickly resumed taking notes. The more he wrote, the more he promised himself to build a shrine in the diva’s honor: the notes were transcribed more or less in Japanese and perfectly organized. He didn't just transcribe what he heard; he synthesized the information, made links with the beginning of the class, and organized everything according to a color code that Kuroo had no trouble understanding. In short, a masterpiece. Kuroo couldn't believe that even though he didn't seem to be a morning person, he managed to solicit enough synaptic connections to do such impeccable work. And for that, he had his immense respect. He vaguely wondered why the diva had come to his rescue. Did he look that pitiful? He shrugged: if he indeed attracted pity, it didn't matter as long as it benefited him.
The moment the class ended, the diva quickly packed up his things, put on his windbreaker, and disappeared before Kuroo could even thank him. The brunet lowered his eyes to his notes; it was rare that he absorbed so much information all at once, and for that, he owed thanks to the diva. He promised himself to find a way to thank him later...
-//-
The curse struck Kuroo again the following day. They had been informed the previous afternoon that the biochemistry tutorial, normally scheduled for Wednesday at the very reasonable time of 1 pm, had been moved to Tuesday at 7:45 am. The scenario repeated itself more or less: Kuroo was still exhausted, even if, in the end, the additional forty-five minutes of sleep had their effect. There were far fewer people in the room, but the seat next to him was still vacant, empty of the only friend he had made, who insisted on taunting him with his repeated lie-ins.
As the day before, the door slammed open behind him, and he recognized the diva. This time, the young man apparently had time to take care of his style, but not to put in his contact lenses, as evidenced by the large pair of glasses perched on his nose. Kuroo sensed no animosity or annoyance in him, just a deep weariness. He came to sit next to Kuroo, without addressing him, and without emitting any of his unsettling noises this time. The brunet took it as a great sign but didn't dwell on it and focused his attention on the class. He was able to follow everything this time; no need for great English proficiency as they spoke his language: the language of chemistry. While some wished to talk about the rain, he only wanted to hear about double bonds, carbon, and hydrogen. He was in his element, and the feeling of not drowning under the mass of information coming at him was nice to say the least. Yet he was forced to admit that it was not the case for everyone. Next to him, the diva was having a nervous breakdown; his notetaking was punctuated by exasperated sighs or other incomprehensible murmurs, seemingly full of wrath. The “coup de grâce” was finally delivered when the chemical structure on the board was erased far too quickly for the diva's liking. He dropped his pen abruptly, cursing the whole world before slumping back in his chair, crossing his arms like a frustrated child. This time, Kuroo couldn't help but let out a laugh. The diva turned to give him a death stare, but he seemed troubled when he discovered that the brunet was smiling at him, mocking indeed, but without challenge or judgment. Kuroo handed him the sheets he had just written, placing them in the middle of the table, before resuming taking notes. The diva's gaze traveled several times between Kuroo and the sheets he had put within his reach.
“Hurry up, or you'll be even more lost,”Kuroo whispered to him, without turning his gaze away from the board.
He felt the diva look at him for a while, but he decided not to meet his gaze. Eventually, the young man next to him looked away, moved the sheets towards him, and started copying what was on them. He quickly caught up but continued to use the brunet's notes to copy chemical structures and other convoluted formulas.
Soon, the theoretical part came to an end, and they had to tackle some exercises. After spending the first ten minutes working silently on their own, Kuroo finally came to the rescue of his table neighbor, who was once again on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He saw that accepting help was something difficult for him. But Kuroo didn't mind and continued to help him without his voice announcing any judgment. He just stated the facts. The diva finally relaxed when he realized that the explanations did indeed help. Without even realizing it, he also started interacting with Kuroo, asking for explanations here and there or presenting his work for his feedback. Silence finally fell, and each returned to work on their own. This time, when the class ended, the diva didn't flee immediately. He packed his things without hurrying and put on his coat without haste. It took Kuroo a while to understand that his neighbor was taking his time to attract his attention without having to call out to him. Once their eyes met, the diva bowed to thank him and left without saying anything. Kuroo watched him go, a little thrown off by the events. He finally looked away, letting out a smile. In the end, being social and not sticking to his prejudices had paid off.
He stretched his arms and began to pack his things too. He wasn't particularly in a hurry, given that he didn't have any other classes for the day. That's when his phone vibrated in his pocket. A huge smile, strangely Machiavellian, spread across his lips. It was an alert from his bank announcing that his mother's money transfer had just been made: compensation for the crab incident. So now he knew what he would do with his day: rebuild a semblance of a wardrobe. And find underwear because he couldn't stand washing them every night to have a clean one the next day, a rotation of two boxers was very limited. But soon, the torment would come to an end.
He threw himself into the subway heading towards the city center, where he would surely find the Holy Grail. He spent his journey more occupied with wondering what new style he would adopt, without caring this time about the other passengers who pressed him against the window (my my, he was really becoming a real Tokyoite). He still managed to free up enough space to send a message to his two younger sisters, who were usually his personal stylists. Both responded promptly, and he had to promise to keep them informed of his progress. He smiled and put the phone back in his pocket.
When he arrived at Shibuya station, it was the human mass more than his will that made him exit the train. The first trial he faced was to find which exit, out of the nineteen possible ones, he should take. Really, between 13A and 6 West, the choice was difficult. He chose exit number 5. The mass movement carried him like waves rolling to the shore. Finally reaching the surface, he was immediately overwhelmed by the ambient commotion. Maybe not a real Tokyoite yet... He wondered if he would ever get used to the unique atmosphere that prevailed in the heart of the city: the huge giant screens like a forest replacing the horizon, immense buildings, and the jungle of billboards in every direction. The noise was everywhere and came from all directions. Kuroo, even though he wasn't quite familiar with this wild urban sprawl yet, was starting to adjust.
Once he crossed the immense intersection, he took out his phone: 10:30.
All right, first things first: find a place to have coffee. It was out of the question for him to do anything until his "caffeine meter" was recharged. The brunet turned into an alley where the crowd seemed a bit less dense and went on a reconnaissance mission. He would have liked to visit Akaashi-san, but unfortunately, the "Fukuro coffee" was way too far. So, he had to find something new. He let his gaze wander around without slowing down. A storefront finally caught his attention. His pace was faster than his visual air, so he had to take a few steps back to examine it in detail: "Karasu no Kôhî," the crow's coffee... It was a trend to give establishments bird names apparently. He decided that it must be a sign and entered.
The place was overall quite pleasant. Kuroo wondered who had dared to paint most of the walls orange, but after a few seconds of getting used to it, it seemed less shocking, almost enjoyable. The brunet stood in line and focused on studying the menu above the counter. Lowering his eyes, his gaze fell on the person behind the counter, and... he recognized him. Kuroo furrowed his brows. Was his brain playing tricks on him again? No, it was impossible to forget the silver-haired young man facing him. Kuroo could never forget his savior/medium! Without him, he would never have known that the fragrance licorice and honey suited him so well. Their eyes hadn't met yet, giving Kuroo a bit of time to think about how he would approach him. After all, it wasn't certain that the latter would remember him. Maybe he was just a little lost sheep among the crowd of other lost sheep that Sugawara-san had rescued! Maybe it wasn't him but his twin brother: one working at the seven-eleven, the other in a coffee shop on the other side of the city... Or a look-alike... Damn, now that he thought about it, it actually made sense...
“Hello, welcome to Karasu no Kôhî, can I take your order?”
The brunet was (once again) taken aback. Since no response reached him, the silver-haired man looked up. Kuroo smiled at him (one of his typical smiles), and he vaguely thought that if the guy didn't recognize him, he would probably seem very, very creepy. Fortunately, that wasn't the case; the brunet caught the moment his counterpart recognized him, and the silver-haired smiled at him with all his teeth.
“Oh! It's you! Nice to see you again! You look better than last time!”
Kuroo greeted him as if meeting an old friend.
“Hey! Yeah, thanks again for last time! I owe you one!”
“It's really nothing! Are you getting used to the city? What will you have?"
“Slowly, but yeah. A latte, please. Oat milk."
“Perfect! Your name?”
“My name?”
“For the drink.”
“Oh! Kuroo!”
“Okay, noted! ,” he smiled, “your order will be at the end of the counter”
“Okay, thanks Sug...”
The brunet's eyes stumbled upon the badge fixed on the silver-haired guy's shirt. Strangely, it didn't indicate the name he knew. Instead, it was written in Romanji: "OTTO." The young man in front of him followed his gaze and finally understood where his confusion was coming from.
“Ah! Don't worry, just a dumb joke.”
“Oh... Okay, see you later then.”
He didn't use any name, not knowing which one to use.
The charming "OTTO" nodded, and Kuroo reached the end of the counter. As he waited for his drink, he couldn't stop ruminating on the question. What could be so funny about calling your colleague "OTTO"? Kuroo had never been particularly fond of Germanic names, but this one was still quite… peculiar. Only when he was called to pick up his drink did the answer finally occur to him:
“Otto-san... Daddy! Sugar Daddy!”
Eureka, his neurons had finally found peace!
He realized that he had just spoken out loud (shouted really) when he noticed that everyone in the coffee shop had turned to look at him.
“Damn...” muttered the brunet. Seems like he could speak in a low voice when he wanted to.
The silver-haired one, who initially seemed bewildered, eventually burst into laughter.
“Hush! We said not in public, Kuroo-san.”
Kuroo had the terrible urge to disappear, to dig a hole and return to the bowels of the Earth. He finally thought that the best way to overcome his shame was to own it: he let out a mischievous smile and suggestively raised his eyebrows, which made Sugawara-san laugh once again. Once everyone had diverted their attention from him, he approached the cashier.
“Sorry for that.”
“It's nothing! I had a good laugh.”
“I didn't, but oh well. So, was I right? For the ‘Otto’ thing?”
The person in question nodded, a mischievous smile appearing on his lips:
“Disappointed not to have the exclusive right to call me 'Otto-san'?”
“Well...”
Sugawara chuckled.
“Well, on that note, I'm going to disappear. I wouldn't want people to have time to memorize my face.”
“Alas, I think it's too late, Kuroo-san.”
“Hope springs eternal.”
“Yeah... Well, see you later, Kuroo-san!”
Kuroo returned his farewell and left the cafe, completely unaware that this "see you later" would be more apt than he could have imagined.
-//-
“Tetsu! You're just showing us the basics! I thought you wanted to change your style ?!”
“Seriously, man, a little boldness!”
Tetsurō rolled his eyes, bitterly regretting agreeing to the video call with his sisters. Even though they weren't physically with him, they managed to drag him through the streets of Shibuya. He ended up entering the massive Shibuya 109 shopping center. He had already given up the idea of opposing any resistance. It was quite simple: he didn't have the luxury of making a single decision.
“Basic, basic, basic...”
“Even your undies are basic!”
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
“Do they need to be anything other than basic?”
“Who knows?”
The young woman provocatively wiggled her eyebrows.
Kasumi Kuroo (Katsu Katsu ) was two years younger than Tetsurō. Her specialty: pissing off her big brother. She was pretty good at it, her methods being effective even if she was hundreds of kilometers away from him.
“You could find a good use for them, Tetsu!”
Natsume Kuroo, the youngest, was also pretty good at being a pain in his ass. Under her appearance of a frail and innocent high school student, was a literal demon.
He, however, deeply loved his sisters and enjoyed their company, even if they were tormenting him.
“By the way, have you found a cute face to your liking yet?”
Tetsurō gave them an enigmatic smile.
He had to be smart about his answer: if he answered negatively or very vehemently, it might seem suspicious. However, the problem would be the same if he evaded the question. He still opted for the latest solution:
“Natsu, aren't you supposed to be in class right now?”
“Well... no.”
“Seriously, turn on your camera, it's weird hearing your voice and not seeing you.”
“No!”
“Turn it on!”
“But why?”
“You might be getting high on crack in a back alley, we need to know!”
“Dramatic much?”
“Come on!”
Tetsurō heard his youngest sister sigh, but she eventually complied.
Kasumi and he then discovered Natsume, in what seemed to be a bathroom stall, in uniform, leaving no doubt about her geographical location.
“You're skipping classes again!” protested her older brother.
“This will cost you a lot if you don't want me to tell Mom.”
“Okay, okay! It's math.”
“Oh.” answered the two older siblings in unison.
Indeed, while ordinary people despised logarithms and other derivatives, Natsume loved them, and the affection was mutual. By the time she was two years old, Natsume could already do Euclidean divisions; she tackled three-variable equations at around twelve, and at seventeen now, her hobby was sending salty critiques to mathematicians at the University of Cambridge or Oxford, depending on her mood. So, there was no harm in her skipping high school math classes.
“Well, let's get back to business, Tetsu, this T-shirt is lame, plain, basic, boring.”
“Really?”
“Wait, wait, Natsu,” intervened Kasumi, “it's still a must-have, kind of like the little black dress, you know.”
Her younger sister let out a little mischievous laugh:
“Do you remember when we made Tetsu try on your clothes? Epic!”
Kasumi let out a laugh before smiling foolishly:
“Oh yeah, epic...”
“Shut up! You're just jealous; that dress looked great on me!”
“It wasn't too bad...”
“Damn right it wasn’t too bad, I was drop-dead gorgeous. Well, there you go! A little floral dress would suit me well, at least that’s not ‘basic’, happy?”
“Sorry, I think we don't have a floral dress in your size...”
Kuroo jumped in surprise hearing the voice behind him. He didn't need to turn around to recognize the person behind him.
“Daddy!”
He instantly regretted his words.
“Did he just call that guy ‘Daddy’?” murmured Kasumi.
“Yes... Maybe we should have insisted on the underwear...”
Kuroo muted his phone.
“I said not in public, Kuroo-san!”
“Sorry, I can't help it now,” he replied.
Sugawara winked at him.
“Our paths crossed again,” observed the brunet.
“Indeed.”
“So, do you work in every store in the city, or should I be worried?”
“Worried about what?”
“My survival? Otto, that sounds a bit like a serial killer's name now that I think of it.”
A diabolical smile slowly spread across Sugawara's lips. Kuroo felt his blood begin to freeze. But instantly, Sugawara's features softened (which was no less frightening).
“No, it's just that rents are astronomically high here.”
“Ah, yeah...”
“Plus, if I had chosen you as a victim, I would have been a little more discreet...” added the silver-haired man, still smiling.
Kuroo swallowed difficultly.
“Well,” Sugawara clapped his hands, “let's see what I can do for you!”
He stepped back and studied Kuroo’s physiognomy, making him turn several times with a serious expression painted on his face.
“I'll be right back!” he announced before disappearing into an adjacent aisle.
Kuroo nodded and turned the microphone back on.
“Who’s that guy ?!” yelled his sister.
“Ugh, you're breaking my eardrums!”
“Answer you little shit!”
“Nothing, a guy I keep running into... Yeah! You know the guy who helped me at the seven-eleven last time? That’s him!”
“Oh!”replied his sisters in unison.
“But what's he doing here?”
“He works here...”
“Yeah, I guess, but...”
Kuroo didn't hear the end; he muted the sound when Sugawara came back to him, arms loaded with clothes.
“Here!”
He thrust the clothes into his hands before dragging him towards the fitting rooms. Before his brain could properly process what was happening, he found himself inside a booth.He unmuted his sisters.
“Well, go on, try it on!”
He put his phone on the chair inside and started taking off his pants. However, he was stopped in his action when the screams of terror from his two sisters reached him.
“Ah, my eyes!”
“Dude, we didn't sign to see your butt up close!”
Kuroo let out a mischievous smile and dropped his jeans on his legs before approaching his ass to the phone. He burst into laughter upon hearing a new cry of disgust:
“Well, thanks for the enthusiasm!”
“Come on, stop it; spare us this horror show, hurry up and change!”
Kuroo turned the phone back and complied, not failing to escape a little chuckle.
He looked at the items in front of him, not entirely sure how it would look on him.
“Well ?” asked Kasumi after several minutes, visibly impatient.
Kuroo took the phone, holding it up to the mirror. Instantly, an expression of surprise and appreciation appeared on their faces.
“Oh! Dude! Damn, you look good like that !”
“Yeah !”
“Really ?”
The brunet turned in front of the mirror, seeing his reflection. He was now dressed in black cargo pants, an oversized tank top that, while not the ugliest, devilishly let drafts through, and a black jacket that almost reached his knees.
“Seriously! It gives off a bit of a bad-boy vibe! Tech wear vibe, not bad.”
“It's like your usual style but a bit more sophisticated!”
“Isn’t it too long?” asked Kuroo.
“No, it's stylish!”
“Buy it!”
He didn't have the leisure to doubt any longer, as his younger sisters started singing in unison to push him into buying the ensemble. They only stopped when he finally gave in. After all, it didn't look that bad on him.
When he came out of the fitting room, Sugawara was gone. He looked around for him for a moment before finally resuming the conversation with his sisters, who seemed to have been particularly inspired by this last fitting session.
-//-
He emerged again from the shopping center hours later, with arms laden and a seriously damaged bank account.
Outside, dusk had just fallen, coloring the sky with a myriad of orange hues. However, he didn't have the leisure to indulge in contemplation, caught in the hustle of hurried pedestrians. He let himself be carried along and headed towards the nearest subway station. However, he soon found himself overwhelmed by the dense crowd and attempted to navigate through less congested streets. His abysmal sense of direction compelled him to resort to his phone for guidance. The cunning device led him through numerous turns, steering him into increasingly narrow alleys. When Google Maps insisted on him crossing what appeared to be the entrance to hell – a tiny, dimly lit alley with only the flickering neon sign of a small grocery store visible – he hesitated. Ultimately, he took a deep breath and entered the alley. Everything went well until a door suddenly opened on his right, violently spewing the noisy commotion and the olfactory tumult of a restaurant kitchen into his face. The person who had just come out closed the door behind him and looked up.
“Damn it, tell me this is a joke!”
“Kuroo-san!”
Before him stood none other than Sugawara-san, smiling at him with all his teeth.
“What a strange coincidence,” he commented finally, not seeming in the least disturbed by the fact that their paths had crossed not once, not twice, but three times in the same day.
“Yeah...”
Silence settled in briefly. Maybe he wasn't the only one finding the situation strange. He observed the young man in front of him, poor guy looked dead tired.
“Uh... Do you work here too?”
“Ah, no! Not this time! I have a friend who works here. I just came to steal some food from him”, he informed him, pointing to the paper bag in his hands.
“Clever,” commented the brunet. “Oh. Um, thanks for earlier, I didn't have time to thank you before leaving.”
“Oh, it's nothing.”
The silver-haired smiled at him. The day must have been long for him, Kuroo thought, noting that his smile had lost some of its luminosity. However, an extreme gentleness still lingered on the curve of his lips.
“And you, what are you doing here, Kuroo-san?”
“Oh... The usual, I’m lost.”
The silver-haired chuckled.
“Where are you going?”
“I'm looking for the subway station.”
“Okay, I'm going there too. We can go together if you want; it's not nearby.”
Kuroo nodded, and they left together.
The first few minutes of walking were in silence before fragments of conversation began to establish themselves, finally solidifying to oust the silence.
“I don't know what's more absurd, the suitcase in Moscow, or this crab story!”
“Honestly, I don’t know either. On the bright side, I had the opportunity to learn some Russian. Who knows, that might come in handy some days.”
“Yeah, like if you end up in the Gulag; a diplomatic accident can happen so quickly you know.”
Kuroo raised an eyebrow before bursting into laughter.
“That sounds like a threat,” remarked the brunet humorously.
The silver-haired one shrugged.
“Who knows, maybe Otto happens to be my real name, and I'm a Russian spy sent to eliminate a potential terrorist who tried to harm the nation with a putrefied crab,” suggested Sugawara, maintaining a smile that suddenly seemed quite unsettling.
“Did anyone ever tell you that you're terrifying?”
Sugawara seemed taken aback by the comment but eventually burst into laughter.
“Well, I usually hide my true nature well, although I've heard that I terrify children aged four to six.”
“That's a specific age range.”
“I work with precision.”
“Well, I'm impressed, Sugawara-san.”
“They call me Van Helsing in the business.”
Kuroo chuckled.
“Otto Von Helsing? Sorry, I'll stick with Sugawara if it doesn't bother you.”
“Just Suga will do then.”
“Fine, if I have no choice, Suga it is.”
The silence fell, softer this time. Night had fallen. They had reached a more residential neighborhood, far from the skyscrapers and billboards. Here, the horizon was made up of small squares of light cut by the windows of houses and a few street lamps whose orange hues illuminated the pavement.
“And by the way, how about you ? Are you getting used to the big city yet ?”
“ You mean since the time you found me on the verge of tears in the middle of the hygiene aisle of a seven-eleven? Yes, things have been better since then. I almost don't jump anymore when I hear barks.”
Suga let out a small laugh.
“Barks? Sorry, Kuroo, I didn't realize you came from such a remote place you never saw dogs,” teased the silver-haired man.
“Ahaha, very funny! No, like, alphas.”
Suga raised an eyebrow.
“Sorry if this is too intrusive, but where exactly are you from?”
“Oh, a small town south of Sapporo.”
Sugawara seemed pensive for a moment.
“I thought there was a big Sô-kita clan on Hokkaido...”
Kuroo looked at him, bewildered. His surprise seemed to disturb the silver-haired man more than he was.
“Sô what?”
“Sô-kita, you know, the omegaarchies? There aren't many left, but I thought they were still some clan in Hokkaido.”
Kuroo still didn't understand, as if someone had just told him that aliens had invaded the earth decades ago, and he knew nothing of it.
“Omegaarchies?”
Sugawara was too stunned to speak.
“Uh...”
“Wait, wait, just... I didn't think that...”
“Yes, I know, my knowledge about secondary sexes, other than mine, is very limited. Like, I only know what I learned in school, and the subject is not very extensively covered.”
“And... never heard about omegaarchies? Or other clans, I don't know, like the first clans of Yama-kita in Kansai or Sô-shi packs?"
Others? Sô-shi packs?
“Uh... no.”
A long silence settled between them. The atmosphere visibly relaxed when Sugawara burst into laughter.
“I'm starting to question my entire education,” confessed the brunet.
“I see why! What do they teach you at school there? Alphas are big, angry, and muscular guys who only think about fighting, and omegas are defenseless little things who only think about breeding?”
“Yeah... Sort of, yeah.”
Suga's laughter intensified. Kuroo watched him howled in laughter, understanding that his lack of education was the cause but not grasping the humorous subtlety of it.
“Phew, sorry, sorry!” the Sugawara managed to say almost out of breath.
“I think you'll have to redo my education, Otto-san.”
“That sounded wrong, but I’m afraid that is in order.”
Sugawara leaned on his knees to straighten up and resumed walking.
“Okay. Lesson number 1: not all alphas can bark.”
“I've heard that already...”
“... And those who can do it sometimes have the politeness and self-control not to do it all the time. For example, me: just because I can doesn't mean I'm not a civilized being. Those who barked at you are just idiots, to be polite.”
The sentence had to go through Kuroo's mind several times before he grasped its meaning.
The first prejudice Kuroo had about alphas had just collapsed:
Prejudice No. 1: Alphas are forces of nature, gruff and aggressive Godzilla-kun.
Forced to admit that it wasn't necessarily true, as Sugawara-san didn't meet any of these criteria. Prejudice No. 1: Trash.
“Oh... I didn't... Sorry, I wasn’t aware that...”
“I know, don't worry.”
“Damn, though... Sorry.”
“Pff, it's nothing, I've seen worse. And besides, you don't seem to be well-informed either.”
“Yeah... That explains why you sniffed me the first time we met.”
Suga chuckled.
“Oh my, I wished you’d forgotten about that already.”
“ Are you kidding? My first sniffing, not gonna forget any time soon! That’s a very special moment.”
“Sorry for stealing that precious moment from you,” teased the silver-haired.
They laughed together. Only then did Kuroo realize they had reached their destination.
“This is where our paths diverge,” Sugawara announced.
“Yeah, um... see you later.”
“With the luck we have, it won't be too long!”
“Yeah... It'll allow you to continue your lessons.”
“Wait, I know!”
Suga slid his backpack off his shoulders and rummaged inside. He pulled out a small notebook on which he scribbled before tearing the page and handing it to Kuroo. It read "CATO" in capital letters, followed by what seemed to be an address.
Was he inviting him to join a cult?
“What's this?”
“It's... a club, kind of.”
“A club ?”
“Yeah, you'll see. I think the best way to learn is to see how it really works from the inside, you know.”
No, he didn’t know in fact.
“We meet on Thursday evenings at 7:30.”
Kuroo stared at the piece of paper for a long moment. He didn't quite know what he was getting into by accepting, and besides, sure, Suga was a nice guy, but other than that, they didn't know each other that well. His doubts eased a bit when looking up, he met the benevolent gaze of Sugawara.
“Okay, thanks.”
“See you on Thursday?”
“Yep, later!”
And they parted ways. Once in the subway, Kuroo took the opportunity to search the name of this strange club on the internet, trying to find out what it was all about. However, the search result left him more puzzled than anything else:
CATO Tokyo: Club of Amiable Teapot Owners.
What the hell?
What had he gotten himself into again...
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Next chapter: CATO
“The more he thought about it, the stranger it became... No, this teapot story made no sense... What if it was a cartel cover? Under the teapot gathering, maybe tons of “rare teas” were hidden. And by “rare tea” he meant shit like... what, meth? Clandestine meth smuggling? Although wary, Kuroo had still decided to go to the indicated address, just for reconnaissance...
Damn, what was he getting himself into?”
Chapter 6: CATO
Summary:
“The more he thought about it, the stranger it became... No, this teapot story made no sense... What if it was a cartel cover? Under the teapot gathering, maybe tons of “rare teas” were hidden. And by “rare tea” he meant shit like... what, meth? Clandestine meth smuggling? Although wary, Kuroo had still decided to go to the indicated address, just for reconnaissance...
Damn, what was he getting himself into?”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
After much hesitation, Kuroo finally decided to attend the meeting arranged by Sugawara two days earlier. After all, perhaps the Club of Amiable Teapot Owners was an entirely thrilling community? Since the designated location was just around the corner from the university, Kuroo decided to go directly to this mysterious gathering, before he could change his mind. After classes, he spent the rest of his afternoon at the library, accompanied by his faithful Chris. He had actually considered asking Chris to join him but thought better of it. He preferred to scout things out first, no need to involve the young man in this. On second thought, he should have talked to him about it; maybe Chris knew the rules of teapot ownership? Oh, wait, he wasn’t British...
The more he thought about it, the stranger it became... No, this teapot story made no sense... What if it was a cartel cover? Under the teapot gathering, maybe tons of “rare teas” were hidden. And by “rare tea” he meant shit like... what, meth? Clandestine meth smuggling? Although wary, Kuroo had still decided to go to the indicated address, just for reconnaissance...
Damn, what was he getting himself into?
Expecting to come across an old warehouse, imagine his surprise when he found himself in front of a small ramen restaurant: O2 Ramen. A strange name for a ramen restaurant; Kuroo wondered what oxygen molecules had to do with such a business... The broth, perhaps ? One could believe they were taking a breath of air ? An unrequited love for chemistry? Molecular gastronomy experience? In any case, the place, which looked charming nonetheless, was indeed closed.
The hours on the side indicated that the establishment was not open in the evening on weekdays. He reread the address on the paper he was still holding. He went up the street, went down it again, but everything seemed to indicate that the little restaurant was indeed his destination. He stood there, hesitating to knock on the window. The place seemed deserted. He should have asked Sugawara for his number; at least he would have known how to get in. And now that he thought about it, he felt weird about going inside, not knowing what to expect and not knowing anyone. Maybe he should just leave... But damn, he was way too intrigued now to turn back. He leaned in again to look through the window.
“Oi, Kuroo-san!"
Startled, Kuroo jumped and almost hit his head on the window. Damn it, this guy needed to stop surprising him like that! He turned around, and it was no surprise to find Sugawara smiling at him with all his teeth. What surprised him, however, was to discover that the latter was accompanied by a tall, well-built brunet, and Kuroo was relieved that he hadn't made any questionable jokes when his gaze fell on their joined hands.
“Yo,” he simply said.
“Glad to see you came! Let me introduce you to my mate, Sawamura Daichi.”
“Nice to meet you, Kuroo-san!” greeted the young man, a jovial smile on his lips.
Kuroo returned the greeting.
“Likewise,” he turned to Sugawara “I understand why you didn't want me to call you Daddy.”
Fuck, he really couldn't help himself.
The concerned party gave him a stern look; his mate let out a hearty and loud laugh.
“I said not in public!”
The remark only intensified Sawamura's laughter. Suga eventually turned a somewhat amused but resigned look towards his companion.
“And you find this funny ?”
“Please don't punish us, Otto-san.” Kuroo intervened mischievously.
For the first time ever, he saw the silver-haired start to blush. Rolling his eyes, he passed them both.
“Come on, let's go!”
Sawamura and he exchanged a brief glance before following him. They circled around the small restaurant to arrive in a tiny dark alley. Suga stopped in front of a small wooden door, and on it, a sheet of paper was taped crookedly, "CATO" written on it with a marker. No wonder he hadn't found it earlier! Sugawara opened the door, revealing a “charming”, dark, and narrow staircase, not the least bit intimidating! Sugawara and his mate entered without much concern; Kuroo stood still in front of the first step for a few seconds. The “tea” smuggling plot wasn’t out of his mind yet.
“Kuroo-san?” Sawamura called out when he realized the brunet wasn't following them.
“We're really going into a basement?” Kuroo decided to ask.
“Oh yes, don't worry, our friends own the restaurant above; they've arranged the basement, you'll see, it's nice.”
Oh yeah, nice, for sure...
Wait, owners of a restaurant and a basement in Tokyo? Seriously? Na, wait...
Hum... After all, it could be a family inheritance, nothing to worry about...
Kuroo shook his head; he needed to stop always wander off-road like this in his own mind. He had always had the unfortunate tendency to do that, but it had gotten worse when he moved to Tokyo. His record had been staying 65 minutes in front of the library door wondering if he wouldn't have been better off going directly to buy the books; after all, independent bookstores needed to make their sales!
Kuroo vaguely nodded and decided to follow them. Fragments of voices, laughter, and music began to reach him with each step. Well, they were moving away from the illicit trafficking atmosphere, but it wasn’t exactly what he expected from “teapot owners” either. Once downstairs, he joined Sawamura and Suga, who were waiting for him in front of a small wooden door.
“Welcome to CATO !” Sugawara announced, opening the door.
Kuroo followed him inside and discovered, not without relief, that the basement had been indeed arranged to create a welcoming and cozy place. The room was illuminated by a warm orange light, a few tables were scattered around, and some young adults gathered in discussions that their entrance had not interrupted in the least. Some slightly worn but still seemingly comfortable armchairs were arranged in circles, an old sofa, a few pillows. On the other side of the room, a bay window opened on a little courtyard, the declining lights of the day barely visible due to the buildings encircling it.
“Ta-da!” announced the silver-haired one cheerfully.
“I... didn't expect this...”
“Yeah, I might have been a tad too enigmatic but well, let me introduce you and then...”
And then ? Nothing.
Intrigued, Kuroo turned around. It was with deep confusion that he discovered Sugawara standing there, frozen, his gaze fixed on something in front of him.
“Uh... Suga?”
No response. But his intervention caught Sawamura's attention, who had moved away earlier to put away their things.
“Oh darn,” he simply said, not at all concerned about the very alarming state in which his mate found himself,
“Uh, you should step back, Kuroo-san.”
The latter complied without really understanding what was going on. Suga still didn't move. Kuroo followed his gaze. Much to his surprise, his eyes landed on someone he had no trouble recognizing: his diva, well, the diva. The young man next to said diva locked eyes with Kuroo as he turned his head, then turned to Sugawara. Without his face showing any emotion, he detached his arm from the diva's hips and stepped back.
“You've been spotted.” he said.
The diva, intrigued, turned around as well.
“Oh, not again?” commented a voice somewhere in the room.
What was happening exactly?
Sugawara and the diva were now facing each other, their eyes locked on each other. The diva didn't bat an eye, and an annoyed cat growl escaped him. Kuroo, who really didn't know what was happening, turned to Suga again. The growling didn't scare him at all. On the contrary, judging by the huge smile on his lips, it seemed to make him euphoric.
“Tōru!” the silver-haired blurted out, in something more like a yelp than a friendly greeting.
And without further ado, he threw himself at him. Fortunately, the poor souls behind them at that moment had the presence of mind to flee. After some messy struggles, the two oddballs fell onto the coach, which didn't stop their fight. Kuroo couldn't take his eyes off the scene, which seemed utterly astonishing to him.
“Um... What's happening exactly?”
“Idiotic alpha fight,” commented the brunet who was earlier in the company of the diva.
“It's been, what? Two weeks since they last saw each other? they're unbelievable,” said Sawamura, who seemed a bit bored.
Kuroo turned his gaze again to the ongoing battle. Sugawara was currently biting his opponent's sleeve, while the latter gave him quick little slaps with his free hand, still growling.
“Feels like I'm watching a pup fighting with an old grumpy cat.” commented Kuroo.
He heard the two young men to his right laugh.
“Yeah, basically yeah” said Sawamura.
“Hajime! Help me!” pleaded the diva to his mate.
The concerned party just raised an eyebrow before crossing his arms.
“Sort out your belligerent alpha problems on your own.”
“I'm not belligerent! It's him who...”
He tried a few kicks to free himself from his assailant's grip. In vain, as the latter took advantage to tighten his grip and bite into his shoulder this time.
They were finally interrupted when another growl made them stop. Kuroo turned his head to determine who this sound came from. His gaze fell on an individual to his right: a tall blond guy with glasses who looked thoroughly annoyed. His reaction, however, seemed to amuse the individual to his right, a young man with dark green hair falling in stray strands on his face and tied back in a loose bun.
“Tsukki, come on...”
Sugawara and the diva stared at each other for a long moment, dumbfounded, before bursting into laughter. They finally straightened up. Their respective mate decided to join them, and Kuroo followed suit.
“You suck,” pouted the diva, elbowing his friend.
“Stop pretending; you're purring like crazy,” remarked the silver-haired one.
It was true that underneath his old angry hen appearance, the diva's loud purring betrayed his joy. It was the first time Kuroo had heard someone purr... But after that absurd fight, nothing really surprised him anymore.
“You messed up my hair, damn it!” lamented the diva.
“Who care; you're ugly no matter what,” flatly remarked the brunet, whom Kuroo thought until then was the diva's boyfriend. He suddenly had doubts.
Kuroo let out a chuckle, surprised by his comment.
“Iwa-chan, you're breaking my heart; I'm dying,” the diva announced dramatically.
“Then die.”
This time, the diva threw the shoe he was putting on straight at him.
Sugawara chuckled. He turned to Kuroo:
“Sorry for that... Um, let me introduce you, Oikawa Tōru and his mate, Iwaizumi Hajime,” Suga quickly resumed, evidently wanting to avoid addressing what had just happened, even though it seemed to be a rather common event.
“Uh, Kuroo Tetsurō,” greeted the brunet.
The three exchanged greetings, but when his gaze met the diva's, the latter bowed again:
“Thanks for the other day.”
“Oh, it's nothing; thank you too,” Kuroo replied.
“You guys know each other?” Sugawara asked, genuinely surprised.
“Yes, we're in the same class at uni,” answered Oikawa.
“Oh! Nice!”
“Sorry, but I’m surprise to see you here,” Oikawa intervened, turning his gaze towards him.
“Why is that?” Suga asked.
“Well, I don't know; are we sure we want some clueless beta? No offense, but it's true!”
He turned to the silver-haired “But you know, the guy who challenged me in front of the entire class without flinching while I was full aura, well, that was him.”
Suga chuckled and turned to Kuroo :
“What did you do?”
“What did I do? Uh... Sorry, I didn't realize that...”
“Yes, I know; I figured out after a while that you absolutely didn't get it.”
Sugawara burst into laughter.
“Challenging an alpha without even realizing it, that's something!”
Kuroo shrugged, not missing the chance to slide a smug smile on his lips.
“Anyway, glad you're here, Kuroo-san,” Sawamura said, smiling
“We were starting to feel a little bit in minority here,” added Iwaizumi.
Kuroo raised an eyebrow, not quite sure he was following.
“Daichi and Iwaizumi are betas too,” Sugawara explained to him.
“Oh... ok.”
Kuroo didn't really know what else to add. He wasn't used to discussing secondary sexes, and certainly not that openly. His brain was still processing the fight, the purring, and... full aura? What was that? He was starting to understand what Sugawara meant by "seeing how things work from the inside." Clearly, when it came to secondary sexes, he was completely lost. He couldn't believe he was raised in this world without taking the time to challenge his world view or dig deeper.
He hadn't even realized how many preconceived ideas he had before this. Having all his prejudices shattered made him realize he had never questioned them. He had always considered himself open-minded and slow to judge others. Realizing that wasn't necessarily the case was unsettling. He felt a bit ashamed for not doing it earlier. It was wake-up call but was also invigorating! He had so much to learn, and now he had the space to evolve, discover new things, and ask questions without fear.
He more or less understood that this little group that gathered on Thursday nights to play cards or chat over a beer was made up of misfits. A small group of pacifist rebels who didn't care what the universe thought of them. No one had presented it that way, but Kuroo understood. He understood because he had felt that way growing up when he realized he wasn't like all the boys in his class, and he had to accept himself. So yes, he understood that everyone ended up here because they might have had to tear themselves away from their homeland, their family, to live in peace, or simply because being surrounded by people who understand and support us without judging has something terribly euphoric.
He didn't really understand where Sugawara's kindness came from, but he was grateful because each member of the club he had met this evening had allowed him to learn more about this previously unknown world.
He met Nishinoya and Asahi, the owners of the place, a pair of omegas, two individuals with diametrically opposed personalities who seemed to complement each other perfectly.
Before, he might have thought that omegas were frail and delicate creatures... And then he met Asahi, and even though he seemed to be a very tender: frail, and delicate being, he wasn't. And his partner, Nishinoya, who approached more of the stereotypical omega build he had in mind, had a character more like that of a Boxer than anything else.
He met Hinata, probably the most adorable kid the earth had ever borne, with his little red-haired face and big smile. Hinata was deaf from birth, and yet Kuroo had rarely met someone as loud and bright as this kid. So Kuroo learned that you could be an alpha and be terribly adorable; one didn't exclude the other. His mate, Kageyama, was also an alpha, and even though he could speak, he was much less talkative than his companion and mostly just orally translated what Hinata was signing. Although Kuroo had interacted little with him, he had no doubt that he was a fairly good lad.
And then he was introduced to Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. Tsukishima turned out to be the tall blond who had audibly intervened to end the fight between Sugawara and Oikawa. The guy seemed bored, even disdainful when Sugawara introduced him. Kuroo couldn't help but let out a mischievous smile. Damn, how he was going to enjoy teasing this one. He had dealt with others (a.k.a his sisters), and he still enjoyed teasing kids like this. Yamaguchi, on the other hand, seemed to be a delightful young man, smiling, gentle-looking, with a face covered in freckles that gave him an innocent look. Yet Sugawara assured him to be wary of appearances and that in this pair of alphas, the more insolent of the two was not necessarily the one he thought.
They all welcomed him without asking questions.
Finally, Kuroo ended up getting an explanation about this Teapot ownership story. Nothing to do with teapot in reality, it was in fact a cover, allowing the club to more or less survive without arousing anyone's interest.
Kuroo smiled when they finally revealed what this acronym meant. Because he could see that it perfectly defined the atmosphere and composition of this strange group.
CATO: Club of Adorable Troublesome Outcasts.
That was well said.
-//-
Kuroo never would have thought that the mere idea of a warm shower could make him so deeply euphoric. But here he was, fretting over the idea of having said hot shower in a uni gymnasium at 7 in the morning.
For the occasion, he had gotten up at the crack of dawn without complaining, put on his sweatsuit, stuffed some clothes into a backpack, and left his apartment. What was supposed to be a simple, leisurely jog quickly turned into a sprint. He couldn't help it; the call of warm water was so strong! He ignored his muscles screaming in agony and his deflated lung alveoli, he needed this so damn much, and quickly.
The day before, while he got lost on campus trying to find his classroom, he stumbled upon a small gym, much smaller than the one located at the heart of the campus. It was almost hidden, as one had to stray from the paths around Sanshiro Pond to get there. When he found this place, somewhere between charming and creepy, it inspired two things in Kuroo:
- The place was so improbably located that it must be rarely frequented.
- Gym means showers, and showers mean hot water.
Well, at least he hoped for hot water. The gym, although secluded, seemed to still be in use, judging by the schedules posted on the door.
That was enough to make him get up early enough to rush there.
The journey, which he would ordinarily have completed in thirty minutes, ended up taking only about fifteen minutes. Thinking that he hadn't sweated enough, he took the opportunity to run one more lap around the pond. The place was soothing, a small piece of nature in the heart of the city, where the silence and the lapping of the water were louder than all the noises around. The sun had just risen, and its rays gently touched the surface of the green water, as if to awaken the schools of carp sleeping within.
Then, he veered off the trail to find the way to the small gymnasium. When he finally arrived, he was out of breath, and feeling his skin moist with sweat brought a smile to his face: how amazing this shower was going to be! He prayed that the door wasn't locked, and his words must have been heard, or luck was simply on his side, because the gym was indeed unlocked. He stuck his head in, looked right, then left. Nothing but silence greeted him. So, he entered, closing the door behind him.
First mission: find the showers. To do so, a little exploration was in order. Luckily, the place was rather small, so there weren't much to explore. He crossed the court and couldn't help but smile seeing the nets still set up in the center. He finally reached the door on the other side. He had to hold back a small euphoric laugh when he recognized the logo indicating the showers. That’s when things started to get complicated: first, he had to decide if he was a stick or a triangle. Oh, yes! The two genders: sticks and triangles, so obvious! After a few seconds of hesitation, he decided, or rather understood that he was probably a stick, and went through the swinging door. The misfortune sticked again as his trial didn't end there, as he was now faced with three doors above which were marked with Greek letters. He was okay with being a clueless beta, but this was even more disturbing than that weird geometry gender fuckery. He didn't really understand why the showers were separated but attributed it to his ignorance. Without asking further questions, he opened the door labeled "β".
He instantly fell in love when his eyes landed on dozens of small shower cabins, laying in front of him like the art piece they were. Has he ever seen such magnificent sight? No, probably not. He couldn't wait another second, and got rid of his clothes, scattering them behind him, not caring if someone walked in and found his boxers in the middle of the room. However, he took the time to grab his bathing essentials and, with a fluttering heart, entered a cabin and turned on the tap. He didn't even take the time to test the temperature and immersed himself under the water.
He couldn't help but let out a small moan of pure bliss when the hot water began to flow over his head, down his neck, over his shoulders, and to his feet, so warm that it almost burned his skin. To hell with molecular biology classes, he was going to stay under this water until his skin wrinkled like an old prune! After reactivating the water at least five times, he decided it was finally time to wash himself. He even took his body scrub, promising to make it a delightful experience! He started by grabbing his shampoo, took a good dollop to lather it into his hair. But just as he was about to reactivate the water jet to rinse, he stopped, his heart pounding: A voice had risen in the middle of the silence, bouncing off all the walls to amplify its volume.
"Is this real life?
Is this just fantasy,
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality"
Was there seriously someone, at 7 in the morning, singing "Bohemian Rhapsody" at the top of their lungs in the middle of the communal showers?
Yes, apparently. The person didn't sing badly per se; his enthusiasm and vocal range were rather impressive. But seriously, what the hell was going on?! Kuroo thought of his poor boxers, abandoned in the middle of the room... As for the singer, he probably hadn't noticed his presence yet.
Kuroo didn't dare to move and stood in the shower cabin, naked and with shampoo in his eyes, with the shower singer belting out in the background. Seriously, what was he going to do ? He couldn’t stay like this forever! He was starting to feel cold !
Maybe with the volume, the singer wouldn't hear anything if he reactivated the water to rinse? As he was about to do so, he reconsidered when he heard the voice approaching him. Intrigued, he stuck his head out of the shower cabin: no one. It was someone behind the partition. A glance allowed him to understand that the top of his shower opened into the adjacent room. Partition my ass ! Slowly, he tiptoed, grabbed the edge, and hoisted himself up enough to see what was happening on the other side. He finally discovered who was behind this mysterious shower singer, and God, he didn't regret it. He had just laid eyes on, he was sure, the closest thing to a Greek god. The individual was half-naked, a towel fasten around his waist, revealing enough flesh to make the brunet's head spin. He blushed just at the distant sight of this beautiful Apollo. He couldn’t see his face, just a mass of white hair interspersed with black strands that he shook under his hairdryer in rhythm with the song. Kuroo, too caught up in contemplation, realized too late that his hands were going to slip, and he couldn't hold back when the accident happened. The wet sound of his buttocks landing on the floor at a speed too high for comfort resonated throughout the room. The singing stopped abruptly, and silence fell. Damn, what was he going to do now?
"Uh... anyone here?" asked the beautiful Apollo on the other side of the partition.
Kuroo stayed silent. His butt was getting swollen, and he had shampoo in his eyes, but he remained silent. What could he do, announce himself? Yes, that would be easier... Or he could leave, unnoticed... No, he hadn't rinsed his hair yet; there was no way he would leave them like this, his hair integrity depended on it! He could always wait for the other to lose interest in him and leave.
"Is someone there?" the bathroom singer asked again.
Kuroo frowned; his voice had sounded less striking this time, wary, and almost fearful. Damn, he didn't necessarily want to turn Hercules's life into a Psycho’s scene. So, he inhaled, and stated singing:
"Too late, my time has come,
Sends shivers down my spine,
Body’s aching all the time."
Hercules let out a chuckle, pleasantly surprised by his intervention, and started singing again:
"Goodbye, everybody,
I’ve got to go, Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth."
And at the top of their lungs, they shouted in unison:
"Mama ooh ooh ooh
I don’t wanna die
I sometimes wish I’d never been born at all."
Followed by the greatest guitar-voice duet humanity has ever witness. The rest was simply grandiose, each of them abandoning themselves to the music, forgetting that they were singing in duet with a total stranger, simply carried away by the excitement of the moment and the euphoria triggered by this song. The further they progressed in the lyrics, the more their voices became off-key. Kuroo didn't care and continued to sing at the top of his lungs.
When the last notes of the song died down, and silence extended again, they let it linger a bit longer, still a bit stunned by what had just happened. Eventually, they laughed in unison.
“Bro, you were so damn good” congratulated Hercules Mercury from the other side of the partition.
"You weren't bad either," replied the brunet.
"Pff... We'll have to do it again sometime !” Kuroo heard him tidy up his belongings “ Well bro, see you around ! ”
And that's how Hercules Mercury, the sexiest bathroom singer the Earth had ever borne, disappeared from his life.
"Oh, by the way, Bro, be careful. You're not supposed to be here during this time slot, but I won't say anything. Bye!"
The door slammed again.
Kuroo stood there for a while, with his hair still full of shampoo, a bruise preparing to form on his butt, and a silly smile on his face. He hoped for one thing only: that their paths crosse again. He wasn’t going to forget about that Hercule Mercury anytime soon, that’s for sure.
-//-
“Dude ! I ’ m telling you, it was amazing! I do, hum, did not knew he was here! And then we start singing together!
Kuroo didn't wait before starting to narrate his picturesque adventure to Chris. As soon as he arrived in the auditorium, he rushed towards him to begin describing the scene he had just experienced, in a somewhat jumbled English that the blond seemed to understand perfectly.
“Sounds like you had fun Kuroo-san. Were you able to see him?”
“Yeah! Well kind of, I didn’ t see his face but…”
“Good looking?"
Kuroo, surprised, turned in the direction of the voice that had interrupted him. A slight smirk escaped him when he recognized Oikawa.
"A damn living god!" he replied, a slightly lascivious smile on his lips.
Oikawa raised an eyebrow, feigning disdain to conceal his amusement. He made a vague sweeping gesture with his hand to signal that Kuroo should move aside to make room for him. Kuroo complied, satisfied to see the diva mingling with the common folk. He caught Chris's gaze, surprised by such an occurrence.
“Oh, we’re friends now!” the brunet informed him.
Oikawa clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes.
“Don’t get cocky; we’re barely acquaintances,” retorted the interested party, in an English infused with a British arrogance that suited the character perfectly.
Despite the apparent disdain towards him, the diva settled beside him, beginning to unpack his belongings. He stopped when his gaze fell on Kuroo, who seemed ardently amused by the situation.
"Kuroo-san, are you aware that you look like a psychopath?"
The concerned one chuckled before retorting:
"Oikawa-san, are you aware that you look like a prick?"
The brunet glared at him before a more childlike expression of amusement spread across his features.
"I don’t just look like one, and I take it as a compliment."
Kuroo couldn't help but burst into laughter, surprised by the comeback.
"You don’t break that easily, do you?"
"Have you met my mate? I would be dead by now if my skin wasn’t thick enough."
"Pff, yeah… He’s tough…"
They exchanged a look that slowly approached complicity. Finally, Kuroo turned back to the blond.
"Chris, this is Oikawa-san."
"Nice to meet you, Oikawa-san," greeted the interested party, politely nodding his head.
“Oh, you speak Japanese?"
"A little, I’m trying to improve."
A little was an understatement. He managed quite well in fact. Chris and he had developed the habit of communicating in English, but over time, the transition between the two languages in their conversation was almost constant.
"I noticed your English is very good, Oikawa-san."
Kuroo raised an eyebrow, unsure where the desire to compliment the diva came from. Besides, he had never made such a remark to him!
"Oh, thank you," replied the chestnut-haired one, displaying a courtesy that Kuroo was not familiar with.
Silence settled in. Chris seemed to be holding back something. Or perhaps he was simply revising the syntactic construction of the sentence he was about to say.
"Oh, Oikawa-san, I apologize for the last time; we didn’t mean to challenge you."
"It's nothing, I…"
Kuroo turned abruptly, not waiting for Oikawa to finish his sentence.
"You understood?"
"Uh, yes…"
Kuroo looked at his friend as if a third eye had suddenly sprouted in the middle of his forehead.
"But…"
"Not everyone is as clueless as you, Kuroo!"
The concerned party turned again, casting a disheartened look at the diva, who smiled.
"Chris! Please say something!"
The blond looked at him but seemed unresponsive. Instead, he decided to change the subject.
"You were telling me that you spy on people in the gym’s showers."
Oikawa chuckled as Kuroo blushed, unable to find a comeback. Chris smiled at him, indicating that he was just teasing him. Under his disguise as a taciturn giant, Kuroo was beginning to discover that the guy was more playful than he initially thought.
"Fuck you, it was glorious, and I regret nothing!"
"Good, that’s what matters the most," replied the blond with a sly smile. "What did you sing?"
"Oh, Bohemian Rhapsody!"
"Well-built and a good repertoire! You shouldn’t have let him go," the diva added mischievously.
"Uh, I couldn’t, he was in the next room… He also told me I wasn’t supposed to be there, so I kept a low profile…"
Oikawa frowned, before letting out a slight mocking laugh.
"You really are a clueless beta, unbelievable…"
"What? Why? What did I do ?"
"Gyms are segregated, so the schedules are staggered."
Kuroo furrowed his brow, deeply puzzled.
"Uh… but it wasn’t a girl, was it? Unless he thought so, I don’t think that… Oh… you were talking about secondary sex…."
Oikawa and Chris nodded.
"But why are the schedules separated? I mean... I was already surprised that the showers were separated, that seem... extreme."
The diva shrugged.
"I don't know, what can I do if the administrators are big idiots?"
Kuroo was about to respond when the door at the bottom of the amphitheater slammed shut, and their biology professor made his appearance, quickly heading towards the stage while already unpacking his lecture. The brunet fell silent and finally took out something to write with. However, it took him several minutes to focus on the lecture, disconcerted by what he had just learned. When he finally managed to detach his mind from the question, it was images, albeit not conducive to serenity and concentration, that came to his mind. Fortunately, Oikawa's screen was right in his line of sight. He mechanically copied what he saw, while the rest of his neurons were busy with a much more pleasant task.
He wasn't about to forget this unlikely encounter anytime soon.
-//-
One of the things that surprised Kuroo the most when he arrived in Tokyo was that nature was never far away. Hard to believe when walking through the city center, crowded with skyscrapers and neon lights rather than life. In this metropolis where everything teemed, and nothing ever truly slept, there were, in fact, numerous hidden worlds.. Along a street bustling with yatai, one could find an old traditional house squeezed between two decrepit buildings, a temple in the middle of avenues, a pond bordered by ginkgo trees in the business district. The university was no exception, and amidst these neo-Gothic buildings and the remnants of a few traditional structures, these pockets of nature could always be found. On weekends, when the weather was good enough, he would walk to Ueno Park. There, although one had to distance oneself from Sunday walkers and tourists, the company of silent trees was quite enjoyable. Between classes, Chris and he would often settle near the Sanshiro Pond, even if the rest of the students had begun the same migration as them, and the silence became less pronounced, the place remained quite pleasant.
That afternoon, Kuroo took longer than usual to recover from the nap he had taken on the grass, and it was only because Chris had vigorously shaken him that he finally got up. Unfortunately, he soon had to return to the biology building to listen to his microbiology professor debate the differences between bacteria and archaea.
As they passed by the pond, he recognized the silhouette sitting on a flat rock right at the water's edge. A smile spread across his lips as he felt his heart lift with sparkling euphoria.
"Wait, I'll be right back!" he told Chris before heading towards the pond.
He approached slowly, as if he had to approach a creature that might fly away at the slightest draught. Once next to him, he leaned forward and whispered:
"What are you reading?"
Akaashi turned. A smile spread across his lips when their eyes met.
"Les Fleurs du mal, by Baudelaire, a French poet."
"Hmm, I forgot I was dealing with an intellectual."
Akaashi raised an amused eyebrow.
"What were you doing here if it wasn't to read poetry by the water?"
"Napping."
"A perfectly acceptable pastime."
"Isn't it!"
They continued to chat for a few minutes. The sun's rays caressed Akaashi's black hair, the light flickering like golden beads. After a while, Kuroo remembered that he had left the blond behind. When he turned his head, the latter was waiting where he left him. He waved at him, inviting the blond to join them.
"A friend?"
"Yes, wait, I'll introduce you."
Once at their height, Chris nodded, a gesture reciprocated by the brunet.
"Akaashi, let me introduce you to Chris, Chris, Akaashi. You know, he's the one who rescued me when I arrived."
"Rescued is perhaps a bit much…"
"Come on, without you, I'm not sure I would have made it home before the next morning."
Akaashi rolled his eyes but said nothing.
"Oh, I remember! Chris also speaks German! You can talk to each other and… Chris, speak to him."
The one called turned his attention back to them. Kuroo had to repeat himself, but the request seemed to unsettle him.
"In what?" Chris asked hesitantly.
"Your native tongue! He'll understand!"
"Hmm… Are you sure?"
"Yes! Come on, man!"
Chris hesitated, but eventually turned to Akaashi before starting to speak in a language Kuroo did not understand at all. Akaashi seemed more confused than anything else and turned his gaze to Kuroo.
"Hmm, Kuroo-san. Although it sounds like it, this isn't German…"
Kuroo frowned, perplexed. As he was about to speak again, Chris spoke up. The sound of his words had slightly changed, and Kuroo saw the confusion of the brunet vanish instantly as he replied, in a linguistic melody that seemed to harmonize with the blond's.
They exchanged like this for a few seconds before Akaashi laughed. He gave Kuroo a look tinged with amusement.
"Kuroo-san, your friend is not German, you know that?"
"What?!"
He turned to his friend, conveying his confusion as the latter simply shrugged.
"Where are you from then?"
"Luxembourg."
"That's not in Germany ?"
Akaashi let out a light laugh.
"No, Kuroo-san, it is a country."
Chris nodded.
"What? Where?"
"Between Belgium, France, and Germany," the blond replied.
Kuroo remained silent for several seconds.
"Damn… I'm really bad at geography…"
Chris said nothing, but a slightly mocking smile spread across his lips.
"But you told me you speak German!"
"I do. I also speak French, English, and Luxembourgish."
Kuroo was left speechless. The information, however, seemed to delight Akaashi, who resumed talking with Chris, in a language still unknown to Kuroo's ears. He watched them converse, without understanding what they might be saying. Something was disturbing but pleasant about hearing Akaashi's voice roll so strangely, changing the melody of his voice and the rhythm of his words. However, they were cut off when Akaashi's phone started vibrating.
"Oh, it is my alarm. I am afraid I have to go back," he announced, quickly packing up his things.
He straightened up immediately.
"I hope to see you again very soon."
And he walked away quickly.
"Uh… Yes, see you later," Kuroo greeted him in turn, a bit taken aback by this hasty departure.
His gaze remained fixed on the thicket behind which the beautiful brunet had disappeared, before falling back on Chris.
"So… You're not German."
Chris let out a smirk and shook his head.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Kuroo," he added, teasing.
He came to sit next to the brunet.
"It's nothing; I just looked like a fool, but that's okay."
Chris vaguely nodded. He looked at him for a moment silently, before blurting out:
"You like him, right?"
"What? Why would you say that!" he replied, trying his best not to blush like a high school girl.
"I don't know… He seems to like you too."
"Come on, stop bullshiting me!" Kuroo hurriedly replied; in English, this time allowed him to appear more detached than he really was.
The blond raised an eyebrow, unimpressed, and apparently amused by the brunet's behavior.
"Alright, Alright, if you say so…"
Kuroo turned his eyes to the lake, indicating that the discussion was over. However, one detail bothered him:
"Why do you say that?"
"Why?"
"Yeah, about him, like... you know, what you just said."
“What I just said?”
“Oh come on! That he likes me! How do you know?”
"Oh! Hmm… The way he looked at you, I don't know."
Kuroo rolled his eyes before letting himself fall backward to lie down, saving himself from enduring his colleague's gaze any longer.
"Between Akaashi-san and the Greek god from the gym’s showers, you're doing well, Kuroo-san."
This man was definitely set on persecuting him! Moreover, he had never disclosed his preferences to him, but the blond seemed to have figured it out on his own (the most improbable thing was thinking he was discreet enough for anyone to not have notice it sooner).
"We should go; it's almost time, right?" Kuroo asked to put an end to this discussion.
"Yes, we should hurry if we want to be there on time."
They both got up simultaneously, but Chris leaned over to pick up something that had fallen to the ground before handing it to the brunet. Kuroo discovered it was the book Akaashi had been reading earlier.
"He forgot his book..."
"Oh... here, I'll give it back to him."
The blond let him take it, but Kuroo couldn’t miss his teasing smile.
"What?"
"It's in French... If you want, I can translate some of it for you, and you can serenade him with some French poems."
Certainly, this guy wanted his death. A heart attack: the perfect crime, no murder weapon, no signs of struggle, nothing that could betray any malicious intent... Cunning indeed. But he hadn't said his last word!
"When you’ll learn poems in Japanese, I'll learn them in French."
"Maybe I already know some."
"Well, go ahead, let’s hear it then."
Chris put on his most serious expression and began reciting haikus. Kuroo couldn't help but burst into laughter. However, the blond didn't stop and continued with the haikus, some of which became so improbable that Kuroo suspected they must have been invented on the spot. He only stopped when they were settled in the lecture hall.
As he was taking out his belongings from his bag, Kuroo brushed against the edge of the book. He let out a smile and picked it up, discreetly flipping through the pages. Chris had given him a good idea; maybe he would ask him to translate some pages after all...
-//-
It was 3:35 PM when Akaashi arrived at Fukuro the next day. He hated being late, but his Modern literature professor retained them far too long. He walked behind the counter, a bit breathless. Only Kai-san was there at the moment, unaffected by his tardiness, merely nodding vaguely when he apologized.
"Oh, Akaashi-san," Kai intervened as the brunet was about to head towards the locker room to leave his belongings, "someone came by for you earlier."
"Oh? Who was it?" Akaashi asked, distracted.
"The young man who came to see you last time."
Kuroo-san. Akaashi pretended not to react and remained silent.
"He came to return this," his colleague indicated, handing him a book.
Surprised, Akaashi took it; it was his copy of "Les Fleurs du mal." He thought he had misplaced it and was quite pleased to have it back, especially since he had annotated most of the pages for his literature class.
"I must have left it by the pond... I will thank him later. Thank you, Kai-san."
Kai nodded and returned to work without asking further questions. After what happened last time, Akaashi was relieved that his other colleagues weren't around; he wouldn't have been able to avoid their teasing if that were the case.
As he crossed the door to the locker room, he noticed a torn piece of paper, wedged between two pages of the returned book. Intrigued, he opened it at the marked spot. Across the paper, calligraphed with a writing he wasn’t familiar with yet, he read:
"I didn't know you met Baudelaire."
Nothing more. Akaashi frowned, perplexed by the nebulous nature of the message. It was only when he removed the piece of paper from the book that he discovered its meaning. It took him a few seconds to process the information before feeling his cheeks flush. He smiled and was grateful to be the only witness because who knows what someone might read into it.
He placed the piece of paper back in its place, page 31. And he closed his book on this poem: "Hymn to Beauty."
Notes:
““Kageyama just told me there's a party on campus this weekend.”
Kuroo almost jumped when he heard Chris's voice so close to him. Too much information at once: how had he managed to get so close without him noticing, and then Kageyama? Inviting them to a party?
Hinata, who apparently followed the conversation, started signing with overflowing enthusiasm. After a good minute, the redhead finally stopped and turned his eyes to his mate for him to translate:
“He's asking if you're coming.”
A very brief, yet undoubtedly effective summary.
“Yeah, when is it ?”
“Saturday night,” Kageyama answered.
Two days.
Kuroo felt a thrill of sparkling excitement running through him. This would be his first uni party of the year in Tokyo, and he hoped it would be memorable.
And damn, it was.”
See ya!
Chapter 7: Hercules Mercury
Summary:
“Kageyama just told me there's a party on campus this weekend.”
Kuroo almost jumped when he heard Chris's voice so close to him. Too much information at once: how had he managed to get so close without him noticing, and then Kageyama? Inviting them to a party?
Hinata, who apparently followed the conversation, started signing with overflowing enthusiasm. After a good minute, the redhead finally stopped and turned his eyes to his mate for him to translate:
“He's asking if you're coming.”
A very brief, yet undoubtedly effective summary.
“Yeah, when is it ?”
“Saturday night,” Kageyama answered.
Two days.
Kuroo felt a thrill of sparkling excitement running through him. This would be his first uni party of the year in Tokyo, and he hoped it would be memorable.
And damn, it was."
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
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One month had passed since Kuroo's first encounter with the members of CATO. It was only the fourth time he had seen most of them, but he was now a full-time member of the gang. In the meantime, new faces had also appeared, including Tanaka Ryû, Nishinoya's best friend, with whom the first meeting had almost turned into a street fight. Although he found it hard to admit, Kuroo was not entirely innocent in this story. On his way to CATO for the second time, he spotted Nishinoya from a distance. So, he started following him, not only because he wasn't sure of the way to CATO, but also because he did not really know how to approach him, he had after all only met him once. Unfortunately for him, Tanaka, thinking he was a stalker or something, stumbled upon him, promising a good beating, whatever his intentions were. Kuroo, as stubborn as he was, didn't bother denying the facts, too happy to respond to the provocation. Fortunately for the two hotheads, Nishinoya put an end to the confrontation when he jumped onto his friend's back, screaming with joy, instantly defusing the conflict.
No major incidents have been reported since.
Kuroo had adapted to the polymorphic atmosphere at CATO: sometimes a philosophy cafe, sometimes a kid playground. That Thursday, the tone was definitely set on the latter: in one corner of the room, Nishinoya and Tanaka had decided to engage in what seemed to be Olympic gymnastics, under the horrified gaze of Azumane, who, despite himself, was included in the exercise, serving as a safety net. On the side, Kuroo spotted Chris and Kageyama, silently watching the scene unfold, probably waiting for a fall that would inevitably happen sooner or later.
After Chris met Oikawa, Kuroo introduced his friend to the group, and he integrated well. Initially, Kuroo feared that the language barrier would be a problem; however, not only did the young man's Japanese proficiency experience exponential growth, but he also formed a strange friendship with Kageyama, both seeming to appreciate each other's company without the need for words.
As for Kuroo, he lounged on a sofa, accompanied by Sugawara and Oikawa, who, after their weekly battle, were just talking, sometimes trying to include Kuroo who wasn’t really paying attention to what they were saying.
Boredom was slowly setting in, and the brunet wondered how to intelligently occupy his time. He surveyed the room and smirked when his eyes fell on his favorite target: Tsukishima. Smiling, already relishing the prospect of pissing him off, Kuroo straightened up to approach him. However, he was preempted by Hinata, who captured the blond's attention before him by making faces. Tsukishima, unimpressed, raised a disdainful eyebrow before signing a response. A response apparently cutting, judging by the annoyed reaction of the redhead, who vehemently replied. The blond smiled and retorted. The non-verbal banter continued like this until Hinata rushed at the blond, ready for a showdown. Unimpressed, Tsukishima simply extended his arm and stopped him by pressing his palm against the redhead's forehead (a technique well known to Kuroo, having used it many times against his younger sisters). Hinata pushed on his legs to break free, in vain. Tsukishima chuckled as he heard him start to growl but didn't budge.
"Tsukki, it's not nice to pick on someone smaller than you," teased Kuroo, amused.
The concerned party clicked his tongue.
"First, stop calling me that. Secondly: not my fault if the Lilliputian decides to pick on me; he deserves what he gets. Thirdly..."
Thirdly, nothing, as Yamaguchi came out of nowhere and jumped on the blond's back, destabilizing him and giving the redhead a chance to break free. He hit the blond like a cannonball, who, off balance, stumbled backward and crashed to the ground. Yamaguchi burst into laughter, not the least bit concerned about the state of his mate. Hinata triumphantly towered over the blond.
"Thirdly, you’re stupid," declared Yamaguchi, squatting next to the blond before planting a kiss on his cheek.
"Traitor," the latter grumbled, pouting as he got up.
"I think the Lilliputian got you good," Kuroo said slyly.
"I'd like to see how you'd manage if two idiots Yama-shis decided to team up against you just to piss me off."
Silence.
Tsukishima raised an eyebrow, seeing the perplexed expression on Kuroo's face.
"I don't see what you didn't understand, 'idiots.' Or 'piss me up’? Seems to me like you do know how to do that already ."
"Ahaha, very funny, I'm amused! No, Yama-what?"
"Yama-shi?" interrupted Yamaguchi.
Tsukishima chuckled.
"You're really a..."
"Cluless beta, yeah, I know, thanks."
He was used to it by now; it took more to ruffle his feathers.
"Clueless is an understatement..."
"Tsukki," reprimanded Yamaguchi. "We're both Yama-shis with Hinata, that's why he said that."
Kuroo raised an eyebrow. He vaguely remembered hearing similar terms when Sugawara had invited him to join them. Since then, he hadn't asked what it meant.
"Do you know there are several groups, right?"
"Groups? Uh, I heard Suga talk about packs or clans, is that it?"
Yamaguchi shook his head.
"No, genetic groups."
Hinata signed something that escaped him.
"Oh, I didn't know that..."
Tsukishima rolled his eyes outrageously. Kuroo decided not to react and went to sit in front of Yamaguchi, who had returned to his seat.
"There are six different groups, well, I think, at least in Japan, we count six."
"Oh, okay... How are they different?"
"You study biology, right? Genetics is too hard for you, huh?" taunted the blond.
"Biochemistry, actually, and, phenotypically?"
Tsukishima sighed deeply but finally decided to cooperate.
"Differences in behavior, social hierarchy, courtship behavior or during cycles... Mainly. It's a bit like comparing a wolf and a jaguar, in terms of behavior, I mean."
"Yeah, a bit," interjected Yamaguchi. "As I was saying, there are six main groups: the Sô-shi, Sô-nami, Sô-kita, and the Yama-shi, Yama-nami, Yama-kita. I think the basic names come from the geographical areas where the first colonies came from in Japan, but it doesn't really matter anymore...."
Oh, it was starting to vaguely ring a bell.
"Oh! The Sô-kita, like, the omegaarchies, right? Suga told me about those."
“Yeah, for example, but it's a minority really. I would say that the majority are Sô-shis... Though we might not be the best representation here, ” Yamaguchi turned to scan the room “I think Sugawara is the only one here.”
“Oh yeah, so like the big, crazy doggo,” Kuroo formulated, not missing a sly smile when he saw that the person in question had started bickering with Oikawa again.
Tsukishima and Yamaguchi chuckled together:
“ Yeah, kind of. Well, generally, Sô-shis are big brutes who are always looking for trouble... But that's more because they're a bunch of pretentious fuckos. Nothing to do with genetics, just education. Sô-shi packs are pretty fuck up.”
Ah, the barkers, Kuroo mentally noted.
“Anyway, Suga is different, I imagine...” Yamaguchi finished a hint of tenderness in his voice.
“I think Iwaizumi too," the blond added.
“Isn't he a beta?” Kuroo interrupted.
“Yes, but let me finish: he is, or used to be, part of a Sô-shi's pack.”
“Oh... I didn't know there were betas too...”
“You non-pack betas are not the only ones around you know ?!”
“We'd be in trouble if the planet was only populated by clueless betas...”
“Okay, I get it, I get it !”
“Anyway,” Yamaguchi continued, amused, “Tsukki and Oikawa are Sô-nami...”
“Hmm, yeah, I see the similarities,” joked Kuroo.
“Pff... Yeah. As I said, Hinata, Asahi, and I are Yama-shi, Nishinoya, well, Yama-nami, and... Kageyama? Kageyama too, he finished after confirmation from Hinata.”
The comparison was more complex to establish this time.
“Each group kinda developed different cultures too. We talk about a pack in general, but it depends. I can't explain why... Most of the time, the pack is structured around a pair consisting of the dominant alpha and their omega. Generally, all pairs are made between alpha and omega of the same group...”
“Which is absolutely not the case here," noted Kuroo with a smile.
“No, not really...” Yamaguchi caught his mate's gaze and joined his hand with his. “We're not the club of troublesome outcasts for nothing!”
“Adorable troublesome outcasts!” Sugawara intervened, ruffling Hinata’s hair.
The latter seemed to appreciate the gesture, displaying a blissful smile before chirping. Just a few seconds later, the attitude of the redhead changed drastically as he began to growl, squinting his eyes. Kuroo couldn't help but laugh when he realized that it was none other than Kageyama's approach that caused it.
Their dynamic was really something to be puzzled about: these two could really go from lovey-dovey to a growling duel in just a few seconds. Kageyama let out a brief guttural growl before settling next to his mate. Hinata tilted his head, and Kageyama joined his forehead to his, rubbed his cheek against his briefly, and pulled away. Kuroo had already witnessed this kind of interaction. Indeed, the behavior, which he found completely adorable, seemed common to more or less all the members of the club.
“Kageyama just told me there's a party on campus this weekend.”
Kuroo almost jumped when he heard Chris's voice so close to him. Too much information at once: how had he managed to get so close without him noticing, and then Kageyama? Inviting them to a party?
Hinata, who apparently followed the conversation, started signing with overflowing enthusiasm. After a good minute, the redhead finally stopped and turned his eyes to his mate for him to translate:
“He's asking if you're coming.”
A very brief, yet undoubtedly effective summary.
“Oh yes! It's the party organized by the student council !” Yamaguchi intervened, just as delighted as the redhead, “all faculties are participating, and usually the first one of the year is insane!”
“I just hope you won't end up at the police station this time,” Tsukishima grumbled.
“What did you do to get...?”
“You don't want to know,” Sugawara interrupted.
Kuroo raised an eyebrow but decided to not ask further questions when he witnessed the insane smile on Yamaguchi’s face. Certainly, Kuroo had a hard time understanding how beings like Sugawara and he could be both so adorable and so deeply frightening at the same time.
Okay, quick, change of subject:
“When is it ?”
“Saturday night,” Kageyama answered.
Two days.
Kuroo felt a thrill of sparkling excitement running through him. This would be his first college party of the year in Tokyo, and he hoped it would be memorable.
And damn, it was.
-//-
21:34:
In nearly three years of college, Kuroo had had his fair share of crazy nights. He had his rebellious years, even before turning twenty. He must have visited most of the bars in Sapporo, attended at least one party in each dorm on campus, and lost count of the times he had returned to his parents for the weekend with a cosmic hangover. Something entirely normal for a "bon vivant" of his caliber. Anyway, Kuroo Tetsurō wasn't born yesterday; he had tested his limits extensively, seen dawns with way too much alcohol in his veins, and was notably proud of his alcohol tolerance, which most of his comrades found quite remarkable. Yes, Kuroo could hold his liquor pretty darn well, or so he thought.
What an idiot, what a fool to have thought that such a small accomplishment could bring him glory and pride. Truth be told, he was nothing, he had no merit or grand immunity, no advantage. He realized this very quickly that evening...
Kuroo arrived on campus with Chris in the early evening. He was worried about not finding the precise location of the party. Indeed, the event did not specify a specific location, just "Hongo campus," which was, in the eyes of the brunet, a rather vague geographical indication. He quickly realized that, no, the location was not wrong or too vague. No, when they said campus, they meant the entire campus.
People were everywhere, and the music seemed to invade all the space, harmonizing with a thousand tones changing with each of their steps. The trees had been decorated with lanterns and colorful banners, and food stands had been set up on the alley facing Yasuda Auditorium. After a quick tour, Chris and he quickly joined Kageyama, Hinata, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi near the main gymnasium. The place seemed less crowded than the rest of the campus, and the atmosphere was rather relaxed.
And there, in this gymnasium, the floor already sticky with alcohol, there precisely, he knew. He knew that he was nothing. He learned humility. It was at that moment that he saw all his convictions collapse (regarding his alcohol tolerance), all his pride (still regarding his alcohol tolerance), his honor (alcohol wise obviously). Indeed, when Chris and he found their little group of friends, they were excited to finally have access to the Ping-Pong table to... play beer pong. Not particularly surprising so far, unless you consider that the average Japanese struggles to swallow more than one and a half beers before hitting the floor. The very idea of throwing dirty ping pong balls into beer-filled glasses to end up dead drunk after three shots was not necessarily the most charming and exciting plan one could formulate. Kuroo had nevertheless accepted, partly because he did not deny that the said activity had something appealing, but also because he thought the game would end before reaching the end. What an idiot to have thought that... How could he have thought for a moment that his metabolism, as strong as it may be, could measure up to that of four alphas and a European? It was barely ten o'clock, and Kuroo was going to have to give up so soon... Fortunately for him, after just 10 minutes of play, Kageyama and Hinata had ended up monopolizing the table, both unable to tolerate that one was better than the other. It quickly turned into a competition between the two alphas. The game had the merit of being captivating, and Kuroo enjoyed commenting on the match while sipping his beer, which also seemed to amuse Chris leaning beside him.
During a timeout in the beer pong game, caused by a heated dispute between the two competitors, Kuroo glanced at his phone, still waiting for news from Oikawa, who had promised to join them. As he looked up, Kuroo's gaze met that of a young woman leaning on the bar in the middle of the gymnasium. She quickly averted her eyes when she realized she had been spotted. Kuroo raised an eyebrow but quickly lost interest, focusing again on the game that had just resumed. Kageyama and Hinata had decided to slightly modify the game's rules, now seemingly limited to "throwing ping pong balls as violently as possible at your opponent," but it was no less entertaining. Soon, however, Kuroo had the unpleasant feeling of being watched. Turning his eyes, he found the gaze of the young woman again, who quickly looked away. Without really noticing, he puffed out his chest. He understood the appeal of the women for him; he wasn't too bad to look at after all. But this lady needed to understand that he was not interested.
A second blow to his ego came when he realized that the stolen glances were not directed at him but rather at the tall blond European with blue eyes next to him. Suddenly, it all made sense. No metabolism, and no charisma, he only had his gentlemanly attitude left:
“Chris...”
The latter directed his attention to him, intrigued by Kuroo's tone :
“Chris, I never asked before but...are you into girls?”
Kuroo hated when people assumed he was straight, he was not about to do the same thing, nope.
Chris seemed surprised by the question but answered without hesitation:
“Yes, well, I just don't really care.”
“'bout what?”
“Genders.”
Kuroo was initially surprised by the answer but quickly integrated it.
“Ok, in that case, don't look too obvious, but I think there's a girl over there that seems pretty interested.”
Chris frowned, “Interested in what?”
“In you dude!”
Deeply surprised, the blond blinked several times before raising his head, sweeping the room without any discretion.
“Where is she?”
“At the bar.”
Chris squinted his eyes.
“The girl with black hair?” the blond asked, switching back to Japanese.
“That's a bit broad to describe a Japanese girl, man. I know we're not a good example, but still!”
Chris let out a smirk:
“With the blue shirt?”
Kuroo discreetly glanced in the direction of the bar:
“Yes, that's her.”
The expression of the blond didn't change, but Kuroo still noticed a slight shade of pink tinting his cheeks.
“She's cute,” the blond said placidly.
“Are you gonna talk to her?”
The blond shrugged, trying, in vain, to remain as neutral as possible.
Kuroo didn't have the leisure to investigate the question any further because, after having disappeared for a while, he saw Tsukishima coming towards them.
“Have you seen Yamaguchi?”
“He's not with you?” Kuroo asked.
Tsukishima seemed extremely annoyed and retorted sarcastically:
“Well, yes, he's with me, and that's why I'm looking for him.”
Chris chuckled. Kuroo gave him a sinister look.
“Traitor.”
“Bathroom?”
“No.”
“Okay, wait, I'll search with you. I'll be back, Chris.”
The latter nodded and gave him a quick wave. Kuroo scanned the room. No Yamaguchi anywhere, he decided to try his luck outside. He scrutinized each small group that had formed around the entrance, even went into the grass to discreetly check if the fugitive wasn't among one of the groups there. Not there either.
As he approached the entrance, a furtive movement on the roof of the gymnasium caught his eye. He focused on the source and finally recognized Yamaguchi, comfortably seated on the gymnasium roof. What the fuck was he doing out there? Just as he was about to ask him - yelling - the young man urged him to stay silent and ask him to join him. Kuroo raised an eyebrow, perplexed.
"How do I come?" he managed to sign after mentally collecting the few signs Hinata had taught him. "Ladders," signed Yamaguchi in response, indicating the left side of the building. The brunet hesitated but eventually followed his instructions.
He indeed found an emergency ladder on the side of the building, but:
1- Nearly two meters was separating him from the first rung.
2- The said ladder was surrounded by iron arches that wouldn't give him much freedom of movement.
3- It was night, and the ladder didn't necessarily look inviting.
Undeterred, Kuroo decided to set aside his mental nuisance (also known as conscience) and embarked on the adventure. With a bit of momentum, he managed to jump high enough to grab the first rung of the ladder. After pushing hard with his arms, praying that his biceps would accompany him in the ordeal, he managed to straighten up enough to grab the second rung and finally positioned himself correctly on the ladder. After a good minute to climb it all, he proudly reached the roof of the gymnasium and joined Yamaguchi, who had crouched behind the roof panel.
“What the hell are you doing!”
“Shh, nothing, I want to prank Tsukki.”
Kuroo smirked:
“How?”
“I'm going to throw water on his head,” the young man announced proudly, his eyes sparkling with childish amusement. Or maybe it was the alcohol? Definitely alcohol.
What a shock it was for Kuroo when Yamaguchi presented him with a bucket filled to the brim with water. He phased, unable to understand how the latter had managed to climb the ladder with his bucket.
“How did you climb up?”
“The ladder,” Yamaguchi replied as naturally as possible.
His brain must have started to take a good hit because he just sat down next to Yamaguchi without asking for details. Sometimes you had to let go and not try to understand absolutely everything.
Both of them crouched discreetly, like predators lying in wait, ready to strike.
“What the fuck are you doing here ?” asked the said Tsukishima behind them.
Yamaguchi and Kuroo jumped so violently that they both hit the bucket, which fell from the roof. Fortunately for them, no one was in its path, and even though many students ended up copiously drenched, no deaths were to be reported.
“Shit... How did you find us, Tsukki?”
“ I saw Kuroo struggling to climb the ladder.”
“Pff, I'd like to see you try,” the latter mumbled.
Tsukishima smirked :
“Drinks ?” ask the blond, three glasses in hands.
“But how did... what ? How did you climb up?” Kuroo asked, convinced that there was definitely another way up.
“The ladder.”
Seriously, what the hell?!
“Thanks, I'm deeply touched,” Kuroo announced in an excessively sweet voice, grabbing the glass offered to him.
“My pleasure.”
Damn, this kid was annoying.
Tsukishima came to sit next to his mate, and all three of them silently sipped their drinks. From where they were sitting, the lights stretching to the Sanshiro Pond seemed to dance like fireflies. The crowd, on the other hand, seemed to have intensified. The air had taken on the smell of alcohol, tobacco, and night.
“Hey, you want to see something funny?” Yamaguchi asked, seemingly aggravated. Alcohol, what a plague for the youngster.
“No”, firmly stated the blond.
“Yes.”
“Tadashi, no.”
“Tadashi, yes!”
And without further ado, to Kuroo's astonished eyes, the young man straightened up and started howling. Even more astonishing, the crowd seemed to respond to him, and all around them, howls joined his. Yamaguchi eventually fell silent, but the choir around did not stop, and howls echoed from everywhere, which seemed to deeply amuse the young man.
Kuroo couldn't help but laugh too, both amused by the situation and by Yamaguchi's attitude, who seemed deeply proud of his mischief.
“You can't help it right...”
“ No. I can't help it if the Sô-shi are so easy to provoke...”
Tsukishima rolled his eyes but added nothing more.
“You really have a grudge against them,” the brunet observed.
“They've pissed me off enough, I have to give them a little payback,” he said, a smile this time devoid of any malice across his face, his eyes focused on the distance.
“Shit,” the blond intervened.
“ What?”
“Ennoshita.”
“Fuck...”
“Who ?”
“A friend but… He's part of the student council. If he sees us, will be in big big shit”
Kuroo glanced over the edge of the roof and discovered that a young man, was standing below. He was well-built for sure, but they were not dealing with a polar bear either.
“He doesn’t look that bad...”
Both nodded their heads in concert.
“No… imagine a fusion between Daichi and Suga and multiplied by 10.”
Kuroo shuddered with pure terror. Even the polar bear would have been scared.
“Exactly.”
“We need to go down,” urged the blond.
“Yeah, but he'll see us if we take the ladder…” noted his mate.
“So what? We jump?”
What?
“Ok.”
I beg your fucking pardon?
The two straightened up and went to the edge of the wall opposite the ladder.
“Wait!”
These idiots weren't going to jump from the roof, were they? Sure, it wasn't very high, but the height was not comfortable either, even for an experienced ninja!
Yamaguchi was the first to jump, followed by Tsukishima. Panicked, Kuroo rushed to the edge of the roof to check that the two fools hadn't killed themselves. Apparently, all their limbs were intact. Not sure if their heads hadn't taken a serious hit though.
“Coming?” Yamaguchi asked.
“No, of course not!”
Kuroo wasn't ready to die just yet.
Yamaguchi shrugged:
“Okay,see you later then!”
And the two walked away. Bastards.
Kuroo discreetly returned to the front to check that the "terrible" Ennoshita wasn't around. Unfortunately, he must have sensed trouble and was now looking suspiciously at the roof. Kuroo hid behind the ledge to avoid being spotted. It was only five minutes later that he dared to straighten up. He seemed out of danger now. Still alert, he crawled in the direction of the ladder. Once sure that the area was safe, he began to climb it down. Those brats were going to hear from him!
He tried to blend back into the crowd, hoping to find his friends. Unfortunately, Kageyama and Hinata were still throwing ping-pong balls at each other; the sport had attracted quite a crowd now. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were nowhere to be found, and Chris... The brunet smirked when he noticed that the blond was in the company of the young lady who had only eyes for him earlier. Kuroo checked his phone again: no news from Oikawa.
And... he was alone.
Undeterred, he went to get another drink at the bar and mingled with the crowd, maneuvering through the dancers, chatters, and embracing couples to reach the back of the gymnasium. He leaned against the wall and sipped his beer, humming softly.
As time passed, the alcohol began to make him dizzy, the music resonated loudly within him, and his voice became louder, more confident. Before he realized it, he was singing Britney Spears at the top of his lungs, disregarding the looks it might attract. The volume of his voice increased even more when the first verse of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" started. He didn't know who had made this playlist, but damn they were good, and he was loving it. While shouting the lyrics, he heard for the first time a voice echoing his.
Kuroo recognized it. He felt the childish excitement he had felt the first time that voice had blended with his rush through him. He continued to sing, this time to trace the path of his echo. He had to find him! The voice got closer and closer, the song was about to end, but he had to find him, so he pushed harder on his voice, hoping that his counterpart would do so as well.
As the music delivered its final notes, he spotted him: Hercules Mercury, in the flesh. He saw that his excitement was shared when he met the look of pure euphoria on the individual's face. Kuroo could finally get a good look at him, and damn, he almost fainted. He had had a good glimpse of him during their first encounter, but, whoa... His mind hadn't exaggerated his memory of him. Hercules Mercury stood there, with his godlike physique, in an outrageously low-cut black tank top and... loose striped pants? Kuroo's gaze found Hercules' again, and he let out a smirk, finally taking note of the individual's hairstyle, his hair standing on his head, defying gravity (well, Kuroo didn't really have room to criticize). Everything happened in slow motion, and the moment the song dissolved into another, Hercules rushed towards him, and without really controlling it, he also rushed towards him. They met in an overexcited and euphoric embrace, crackling with static electricity.
“Bro! It's you! The shower singer!”
“In the flesh,” replied Kuroo, who couldn't stop smiling like a kid.
They didn't say anything else, not yet, looking at each other like two old friends whose paths hadn't crossed in a long time.
“Bokuto Kōtarō”
No more Hercules Mercury then.
“Kuroo Tetsurō”
Bokuto seemed about to speak again when he stopped, taken aback by the music that had just started. His pupils dilated, and his gaze met Kuroo's. The atmosphere had dramatically changed, more pop-rock than before. A smile of pure joy escaped them before they started singing in unison.
-//-
23:42
After a good hour of jumping around and screaming at the top of their lungs, Kuroo and his brand-new friend finally decided to take a few minutes to chill.
“Bro, I'm going to get something to drink, want anything?”
“A beer sounds nice.”
While Kuroo was rummaging in his pockets for loose change to give to Bokuto, the latter grabbed his arm, shaking his head.
“Don't worry; I got this,” assured Bokuto, eyebrows bouncing, apparently ready to put a Machiavellian plan into action.
He swept the room with his head, and finally, he spotted a victim, leaning on the bar. Kuroo saw the young man heading to the bar to accost a young woman. Their body language was confusing: impossible to discern whether the exchange was on the tone of seduction or camaraderie. Anyway, Bokuto quickly returned to him with two pints. He handed one to Kuroo before starting to gulp down half of his.
“How did you do that?” asked the brunet, curious.
Bokuto smirked
“Oi oi, I'm not going to reveal my secret to you like that !”
“Ouch... offers me a drink and doesn't even confide a little.”
Bokuto chuckled. In a fraction of a second, something changed in his gaze, shifting from friendly to almost flirty, which almost made Kuroo blush.
“If you really want to know...” began Mr. Mercury, approaching the brunet. “I told her...”
Damn, Kuroo was going to suffocate, how did this guy manage to be so... hot.
“ ‘Do you have a map? I got lost in your eyes’.”
Kuroo remained silent for a few seconds, too surprised to bounce back. He finally burst into laughter.
“Seriously? That kind of bullshits really works?”
“Yes, Bro! Proof!” he exclaimed, raising his beer. “I can show you the ropes if you want,” he finished with a wink.
“ 'cause you have others tired pick-up lines like that?”
“Tons!”
“I'm listening,” said Kuroo with a smirk.
“First, you need inspiration, you just need to use your imagination.”
“Hm, imagination, huh... I just typed ‘cheesy pickup line’ and found exactly what you just told me.”
Bokuto seemed somewhat undermined by the intervention but quickly regained his composure: “Who says it didn't come from me in the first place?”
Kuroo raised an amused eyebrow.
“ Oh well really," he brought his phone to his eyeline, “'Excuse me, do you have a bandage? I hurt myself falling in love with you,' is that also from you?”
Bokuto visibly held back laughter, trying hard to keep a straight face:
“Exactly, also me.”
“Woah, what an honor to meet such an esteemed master of words...”
The so-called master bowed to him before gulping down the rest of his beer, under Kuroo's somewhat alarmed gaze, wondering how he would still be standing in ten minutes.
“It's your turn,” commanded Mr. Mercury, handing him his empty glass. “I've taught you everything I know; the floor is yours now.”
He hadn't done anything at all, let's be clear, but Kuroo still played along:
“Thanks for this lesson, sensei; I won't tarnish your name.”
The brunet took the empty glass and headed to the bar. The young lady, previously approached by his accomplice, was still there. Without hesitation, he went to meet her.
He returned a few minutes later, two full pints in hand, under Bokuto's amazed gaze.
“Bro, how did you do that?” asked the latter, genuinely surprised.
A mischievous smile appeared on the brunet's lips:
“I told her : Hey angel, did it hurt when you fell from heaven? Now you should buy me a drink as compensation for the theft of my heart.”
While expecting lots of laughter in response to this magnificent piece of humor, it was not the case. The young man in front of him simply stared at him with an air of profound bewilderment.
“And she didn't slap you?”
“Nope, proof,” replied Kuroo, pointing to the full glasses in his hands.
Bokuto remained silent; he tried to speak or imitate a fish, depending on your perspective, but he couldn't utter a single word.
“Ok, no I didn’t say that," Kuroo finally admitted, planting the cup in his hands, “I just asked her what you told her.”
“And?”
“Treating your elders like that, Bro, are we sure about that one?”
Bokuto finally burst into laughter, somewhat reassured:
“As long as I have something to drink, I'm fine. Well, let's go back.”
With that, he gulped down the entirety of his cup in one go (which was half a liter of alcoholic beverage), placed the cup on the nearest table, and grabbed Kuroo to lead them to the dance floor.
0:40
After four pints, Bokuto was still standing. Kuroo had started to hypothesize that the young man's muscle mass must absorb all the liquid like a sponge without it having time to pass into his bloodstream (he was still working on the robustness of his theory). As for himself, he had to admit that his consciousness was beginning to seriously crumble. But the euphoria accompanying the shipwreck of his mind was so intoxicating that he was starting to willingly drown in it.
“Bro!”
Kuroo turned around, surprised to realize that Bokuto had exited his field of vision without him really noticing. Their eyes met... Phew, after all, the muscles must have started to saturate because his gaze was beginning to get a little... glazed. Or was it the joy that shone so brightly in his eyes? Bokuto smiled and handed him a new filled cup. Kuroo considered the liquid for a moment, met Bokuto's eyes again, and finally, buoyed by his exuberance, took the drink. It was time for the ship to wreck.
1:35
The air outside is sweet, and everything smells of the night's humidity. How did they end up here again? Skipping stones on the pond? Kuroo doesn't really know, but he doesn't care. All he hears is their laughter bouncing off the water more than the pebbles they throw in it.
2:25, or maybe 3:14
“Come on! Get in, and I'll push you!”
Kuroo stuck his head above the dumpster. It looked clean, cozy even.
“Common, get in!”
“No! Come with me!”
“But no, then there's no one to push.”
“Ah, yeah... Well, I'll do it, and then you do it.”
Bokuto nodded frantically. Kuroo tried to climb into the dumpster but quickly had to forfeit; he had given everything to climb that cursed ladder earlier and was utterly powerless now.
“ Help me! "
His comrade complied and wrapped his arms around his hips to lift him. After several futile attempts and some youthful laughter, the brunet finally managed to get into the container.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes!" Kuroo shouted.
And he felt propelled forward; the sensation elicited a euphoric scream, like the ones one might let out on a roller-coaster. However, the feeling did not last long because the dumpster stopped abruptly, propelling him backward before falling, which... propelled him forward again. There, on the asphalt, head muddled by the impact and alcohol, heart pounding, he suddenly felt very stupid. Bokuto laughed. Was his heart beating so fast because of the shock?
“ Bro, are you okay?” Bokuto asked, still giggling.
“I'm okay, but how did you manage to knock me down? The road is straight.”
Bokuto couldn't stop laughing; he was literally twisting and eventually fell on his butt, on the verge of tears.
Kuroo burst into laughter as well.
They looked beautiful like that, lying on the ground, laughing out loud in the middle of the night.
At some point during the night
The music vibrates and drums in his body. He completely surrenders, to the noise, to the intoxication, and to him. With half-closed eyes, he can't take his eyes off him. Bokuto is completely disheveled, bare-armed, and his skin glistens with sweat. His hair has fallen, strands sticking to his face and sliding down his neck. The colors of the spotlights dance on his hair, stroboscopic, distorted, giving the world around a taste of the unreal. The dance is absurd, but they’re synchronized, their bodies move to the same rhythm and resonate. There is nothing else around, just them, the noise, and the vibrating floor. In the dim light, his golden gaze pierces through him. Kuroo shivers but doesn't look away. His pupils dilate, and his ears buzz, but he doesn't look away. He suffocates, suffocates from the noise, the heat, and him. Especially him. He is everything and everywhere, and yet so little. He still doesn't look away. He wants him closer, his flesh burning to feel him nearby. He brushes against him, breathes his scent in until he's dizzy. At this precise moment, seeing him vibrate to the musical drumming, feeling the noise infiltrate him and make him deaf to everything, Kuroo swears he has never felt so alive.
12:27 the next day
Let me paint you a picture: you're on a boat amid a raging storm. The tormented sea is violently tossing the ship's bow, and the water seems ready to devour you whole. Your body is trembling all over, and every movement makes you sick. Charming, isn’t it? But it's not finished: you've got an iron pot on your head, and a gang of vigorous woodpeckers keeps knocking on it. The vibration echoes in your head until there is nothing but pain. On top of that, the sound of a 1950s locomotive is looping in your ear. If you can picture this, you can easily imagine the disastrous state Kuroo was in when he emerged from his post-party coma the next morning.
And that unbearable buzzing sound? Where the hell was it coming from?
It took Kuroo over a minute to realize this horrible music was emanating from his cell phone... He made a guttural grunt (after hearing them all day long, he was starting to mimic them), and after a few seconds of clumsy fumbling, managed to grab his phone. He picked up without bothering to speak.
“Kuroo?”
He frowned, not immediately recognizing the voice on the other end of the line.
“Suga?”
“Oh, he's alive!” exclaimed a voice in the background, Yamaguchi?
Indeed, he was alive... but he didn't understand why that was so surprising.
“Are you okay?” Sugawara asked gently.
“Uh, yes...”
“Dude, where were you?! Everyone was looking for you everywhere!” Yamaguchi intervened again.
“What do you mean everywhere?”
“Tadashi and Kei told me they lost sight of you at the party yesterday. Chris also looked for you, and Tooru tried to call you several times too... We were starting to worry...”
Kuroo tried to reconnect the few neurons that had survived his night of debauchery, in vain. Only a heavy sigh escaped him.
On the other end of the line, he heard Suga let out a mocking chuckle:
“Well, you're not dead, just a good old hangover...”
“I'm in so much pain.” confessed the brunet.
Suga laughed again:
“Good, it’s proof that you're very much alive.”
“Right now, at this very moment, it's not necessarily great news.”
“Wait, I want to see this!”
What, no!
Sugawara activated the video conversation, and Kuroo quickly turned off the camera before anyone could witness his sorry state. On his phone appeared the face of his silver-haired friend, with Yamaguchi in the background.
“Turn it on!” Sugawara ordered.
“No, I just woke up!”
“Come on!” he pleaded.
He was soon joined in his complaint by Yamaguchi.
“No!”
“We just want to make sure you're okay,” Sugawara attempted.
“Yeah, right!”
It was only after many plaintive requests that Kuroo complied (and only because Sugawara's mournful mother tone annoyed him deeply, that's all, certainly not because it touched a sensitive nerve, not at all). When his face appeared on the screen, his two friends burst into laughter.
“Oh, quite something...” commented the silver-haired one.
“Oh, you're cute with your hair like that!” remarked Yamaguchi.
“Who's that?”
Tsukishima appeared on the screen:
“You look like shit,” mocked the blond with his usual insolent tone that greatly irritated the brunet.
He made it clear by presenting him with his middle finger. A gesture that only amused the blond.
“How did you get home then?” Yamaguchi asked.
Good question... It took Kuroo a few seconds to collect the meager memories that remained in his mind.
“I think... I took the subway...”
The revelation seemed to flabbergast his audience:
“What?”
“What time did you get back?”
“Uh, I don't know... Around five, I think...”
Silence. Even Tsukishima seemed blown away by the news.
“Well yeah, we left way before that dude… When we couldn't find you, we thought you just went home, sorry about that” Yamaguchi said.
“Either that or you were still on the roof,” added the blond.
His mate elbowed him before Suga turned around, alarmed:
“What do you mean on the roof?”
“Nothing, he's joking!” Yamaguchi answered, then tried to change the subject, “Well, anyway, where were you?”
“I was dancing... most of the time at least...”
“...You danced alone until five in the morning?”
“I didn't say I was alone!”
The statement made Suga and Yamaguchi raise their eyebrows:
“Oh... You weren't alone, hmm... I see.” teased the silver-haired.
“Oh, I see, you were ‘dancing’,” Yamaguchi added knowingly.
Kuroo chuckled:
“No, no, with a friend...”
“Sure...”
The brunet rolled his eyes, unable to suppress a smile.
“Well, if it's just to say nonsense, I'm going to hang up…”
“Pff, don't be so touchy. Well, rest well, and don't forget to drink a lot of water,” Sugawara advised.
“Ok, bye.” Kuroo greeted.
He quickly hung up when Yamaguchi started to make kissing noises.
Silence settled in again. The sea had calmed, and it seemed to him that his boat was no longer rocking. He let himself fall back onto his pillow and remained still for a long time, staring at the ceiling. He now remembered that they had waited together for the first subway... Dawn was beginning to spread its light, revealing them to each other, undone by the night, breathless from so much laughter, from having lived so much. Kuroo closed his eyes, euphoric and a little embarrassed at the memory of what he had felt back then... Hercule Mercury... He didn't even know if he would see him again... He shook his head: no, it wouldn't be the last time he heard about this Bokuto, that’s for sure.
Notes:
Thanks for reading!
Next chapter "Fucking T.O.P"
"And indeed, it was not the last time that his path crossed that of Hercules Mercury."
See ya
Chapter 8: Fucking T.O.P
Summary:
"And indeed, it was not the last time his path crossed that of Hercules Mercury."
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
--
And indeed, it was not the last time his path crossed that of Hercules Mercury.
The first time their paths crossed again, the individual appeared out of nowhere while Kuroo was quietly enjoying his meal at the university restaurant in the company of his dear diva. Kuroo had almost jumped when he felt someone lean over to his ear. In a whisper, a sensual voice murmured to him, "Your eyes are so blue that I would like to kayak in them." Kuroo immediately recognized the voice of his dear Hercules Mercury, who disappeared as quickly as he had arrived. Once he had digested the initial surprise, Kuroo burst into laughter, amused by the absurdity of the situation, under the worried gaze of Oikawa.
The second time, it was Kuroo who acted first. As he headed to his class building, he saw Mister Mercury sitting on a bench. He approached stealthily to avoid being noticed. Once he reached him, he leaned in and, in his most suave and sensual voice, whispered, "Is your mother a farmer? Because you're a darn pretty chick," and ran away giggling.
Thus began their bizarre correspondence. The fleeting exchanges continued, each seeking the other to escalate their competition of 'who can come up with the silliest pickup line.' As their game persisted, the absurdity intensified, growing more and more farfetched with each passing day.
"Is your daddy a farmer? Because you're a real shiny tractor" marked the end of their competition. Kuroo laughed so hard he almost choked.
Do not be worry: their story did not end there. Certainly, no more fleeting jokes before running away, but they began to spend more time together, occasionally meeting on campus to eat together or simply hang out. Their conversations, however, lost none of their absurdity: they could spend an entire meal expressing themselves only in onomatopoeia, approaching with a scholarly attitude topic like ‘fishes and bicycles: for or against aquatic sports,’ or simply chuckling foolishly while looking at photos of blobfish. Their exchanges were sparkling and youthful, absurd and whimsical, perplexing and comically prolific. All these scattered threads had eventually woven a tender bond between them, and each day new threads came to tighten the weave of their friendship.
-//-
"Bro... What do we do now?"
Kuroo lifted his head to face his sidekick. They stared at each other for a while without saying anything, before the brunet spoke again, "I don't know... Go somewhere else to study?"
The initial plan was to meet at the central library to study together. However, their studious inspiration quickly evaporated, replaced by a penchant for cerebral vacuity and foolishness. So, they began to trace the epic tale of a Penny the Pencil embarking on a mystical crusade around the globe. Unfortunately, their little stories had to be cut short when the sacred palace, constructed solely with Bic pens, collapsed. The resonance of its collapse echoed through the library walls, leading, of course, to fits of laughter. Unable to contain themself, the loudness of their hilarity quickly led to their downfall: expulsion from the library by an irritated librarian and a horde of disgruntled math students.
Bokuto wrinkled his nose, eyebrows raised, "We can... But I don't feel like working anymore."
"Me neither," confessed Kuroo. "So, what do we do?”
"I don't know." Bokuto sighed and slumped down next to his accomplice.
"We can’t give up like that, no?" Kuroo asked.
"No... But where do we go?"
"I don't know, we can go downtown," the brunet suggested
"Too many people..."
"No need to go to the city center, I know some coffee shop that are pretty nice..."
"Hmm...or…" Bokuto let his head fall onto his knees.
"Or ?" Kuroo continued.
"We go into downtown..."
"Yes?"
"But we don't study."
Kuroo chuckled, "I’m listening. What do you have in mind?”
"I heard there's a new cool place that just opened, but no one wants to go with me."
"Poor you. What's there?"
"Oh, nothing, not sure you'd be interested..." Bokuto cast a mischievous glance at his companion, "Just an arcade, some food, a trampoline park, and..."
"Shh!" the brunet abruptly cut him off, pressing a finger to his lips. "Say no more”.
Bokuto grinned widely, and Kuroo did the same; the excitement was bordering on madness. They both straightened up, grabbed their backpacks, and rushed towards the metro, giggling like kids.
-//-
Despite their enthusiasm, it was only two hours later that the two comrades arrived at the venue. The journey there had been filled with obstacles. First, they passed by a candy store in the metro gallery. Not wanting to miss on their duty as citizens, they emerged from the station with two bags of poorly nutritive treats filled with glucoses. They then passed by numerous clothing stores, which they, of course, visited one by one. What was initially an innocent session of window shopping turned into a competition of "who will have the most outrageous look for dancing," each outfit accompanied by a proper runway show. Kuroo finally conceded defeat when his accomplice presented himself dressed in a neon green crop top, topped with a bright yellow bikini top, canary yellow shorts with blue dots, and socks adorned with small multicolored ducks. Kuroo laughed so hard that the store's employee, who had already endured their giggles for a good half hour, kindly asked them to leave.
Bokuto looked at the bag he held in his hand. Kuroo chuckled when he saw him make a face.
“I still don't understand why you bought them...”
“I panicked, alright?” Bokuto replied, “I couldn't leave empty-handed!”
“Well, now you're stuck with these abominations.”
Bokuto opened the bag to reveal his brand-new... pair of multicolored duck socks. He looked at them for a long time before saying with little to no conviction:
“They're not that bad, right?”
The brunet giggled.
“If it makes you feel better, sure!”
His accomplice sighed deeply:
“I don't know what I'm going to do with them; maybe I can give them to someone...”
“Pff, would you really give that to someone?”
“Yeah, you're right... But hey, I'm sure they'll come in handy someday! Imagine if I'm invited to a costume party with a duck theme!”
“A very common theme indeed ,” sarcastically replied the brunet.
When Kuroo turned to meet his gaze, he found him with a silly smile on his face. He raised an eyebrow:
“What are you thinking about?”
Bokuto looked up.
“I know who I can gift them to,” he replied, a hint of tenderness in his gaze. “Alright, let's go, bro!”
Before the brunet could ask, he grabbed his arm and threw him inside.
Now is the time to imagine the kind of cinematic sequence typically found in romantic comedies. The ones where the two protagonists embark on picturesque adventures, often childish, sometimes delinquent, always adorably stupid. A skillful ellipse set to a background of commercial pop music.
Kuroo saw this sequence unfold in his head, in real-time, incorporating every glance, every laugh, every spark, every light, every second, with the firm intention of keeping each moment engraved in his memory. He cursed himself; his cheesiness struck him with horror as much as it filled him with joy. And then, finally, he let go.
They explored the entire complex, not missing a single pinball machine, dance game, or motorcycle racing simulation. Kuroo laughed so much that he was convinced he would wake up the next day with terrible soreness and an extra set of abs. The final blow came when they went to the trampoline park and ended up playing dodgeball with a dozen children no older than ten. Those rascals were not bad despite their small size, and escaping them had not been an easy task! In the end, in the panic, the two comrades ended up violently colliding, which made them fall backward, bounce, and collide again. The children took advantage of this to throw a dozen foam balls at them. The two young men took about ten minutes to recover, stifled with laughter.
Only one thing remained to be tested, and it promised to be memorable: the go-kart track. In the twenty-two years of his earthly life, Kuroo had not yet had the opportunity to fulfill such a fantasy. The day had finally come!
He discovered the entrance to this wonderful place while looking for the restroom. He stopped to read the conditions written on the door. Nothing would stand between him and the realization of this childhood dream:
- Height: 1m50: check
- Age: 13 years: check
- Weight: 40 kilograms: check
- T.O.P: no idea what that meant, but check
All conditions were met; they just had to hand over their ID cards for the equipment rental, and they were good to go.
Kuroo hurried to empty his bladder before joining his compadre to inform him of his discovery. He found the latter with his mouth full of dorayaki, surrounded by all the kids they had played with earlier. Kuroo braved the youthful crowd to grab Bokuto's arm and told him about his discovery. However, he was somewhat destabilized to find that his plan did not seem to delight his accomplice, which, knowing the character, was quite strange.
“They don’t have any conditions?” Bokuto finally asked.
“No, just over forty kilos, I think you'll make it, right?” joked the brunet
“They don't ask for anything else?” insisted Bo, not even bothering to react.
“No, over thirteen years is fine; you just need the ID for the rental. Do you have it?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Let's go!” Kuroo was already fidgeting.
Bokuto pulled out his card with a timid gesture. Kuroo didn't even notice it and seized it instantly. He grabbed his companion by the arm and dragged him to the entrance of the track. He only let go of him in front of the door and rushed to the counter inside.
“Two tickets please!” shouted the brunet without further ado as he arrived in front of the young man behind the counter.
His eagerness seemed to amuse the latter, who let out a smile before addressing him:
“Certainly, I just need your ID cards.”
“Kuroo-san, wait!” intervened Bokuto behind him.
He frowned: Kuroo-san? Seriously? He handed the cards and turned to his companion. His confusion only increased when he found the latter standing in the middle of the hall, looking panicked.
He was about to ask him what was wrong when the voice of the seller reached him:
“Excuse me, sir, do you have an authorization?”
Bokuto looked down. Kuroo turned again to the employee.
“Uh, authorization for what?”
The seller turned his gaze to Bokuto and returned to the brunet. He lowered the volume of his voice and spoke in a strange tone, mixed with disdain and pity :
“From the alpha.”
Kuroo frowned:
“What alpha?”
“Um, the alpha's authorization for the omega accompanying you.”
Kuroo froze, deeply dismayed by what he had just heard. He turned his gaze to Bokuto and felt a violent stab in his heart as he discovered that he still had his eyes downcast, his features crumpled with shame. That was enough to make him boil with rage.
“Are you kidding me!” he retorted, forgetting all forms of politeness.
The young man in front of him recoiled, readjusting his posture before adding:
“No, sir. We are simply applying the rules of the treaty for omegas protection; as you can see here.”
He pointed to the symbol "T.O.P" written on the counter.
“What the hell,” muttered Kuroo to himself.
“I'm sorry, sir, but without it, I can't authorize...”
“Go to hell,” cut in the brunet.
He took the IDs, grabbed Bokuto, and headed toward the exit.
“Kuroo...”
“What a bunch of fuckers, damn it! Come on, let's get out of here.”
In the end, something had indeed thwarted the realization of his childhood dream: stupidity.
-//-
“ Authorization, my ass! Seriously, what the hell is this? Do you have the authorization to be a jerk like that?” grumbled Kuroo, kicking a stone.
It had already been a good ten minutes since they left the complex, but the brunet was still fuming.
He turned his gaze to Bokuto, sitting on the steps in front of him. He hadn't said anything, just staring at the ground. Kuroo's heart was breaking. The anger subsided a bit; he approached his friend and tapped gently on his shoe. Bokuto looked up:
“I’m sorry.”
“Don't be”, the brunet replied, “it's not your fault if they're idiots... Damn, it's freaking unfair...”
Bokuto managed a smile, without joy.
“I'm used to it.”
“You shouldn't be... Have you seen yourself? You're heavier than their pseudo-racing cars”
Bokuto chuckled:
“I know.”
“Sure hope you do!”
Kuroo's heart warmed a bit when he saw Bokuto smile - a genuine one this time.
“I’m sorry.”
Bokuto raised his head, giving him his best owl-in-the-headlights look.
“For what?”
“For insisting... For exposing you like that...”
Kuroo sat in front of his friend.
“Don't worry, bro... it's nothing!”
Bokuto gave him a reassuring smile. The brunet could see that it was far from “nothing” to him, and it made him want to break everything or burst into tears, whichever came first. He did neither and decided it wasn't up to him to take up so much emotional space. Silence stretched for several minutes before Bokuto spoke again:
“Kuroo... Just promise me one thing, ok ?”
“Hmm?”
He hesitated. With his gaze fixed on the ground, he continued in what was almost a whisper:
“ Promise me that... Even if you know my secondary now, it won't change anything between us, okay?”
“Bo...”
He said nothing to emphasize his request.
“No, Bo, I promise you it won't change anything... Except that I have mad respect for you now, for putting up with this kind of bullshit!”
Bo smiled sadly.
“Thank you...”
Kuroo returned his smile. He then leaned his head on his knees. His friend leaned forward to let his head fall onto his own. They stayed like that for a while, calming down in each other's presence.
After a few minutes, Kuroo tilted his head to the side, and his friend raised himself slightly, enough for their gazes to meet again. The brunet smiled:
“Good thing we left, there was a bomb in the building.”
“What ?”
“You, you’re the bomb”
Bokuto frowned but giggled.
“Pff, you’re stupid.”.
Maybe, but it was worth it: Bokuto was smiling.
Notes:
Thanks for reading!
Next chapter: Serendipity
“What the heck is wrong with him?” mumbled Kuroo to himself.
“What?”
“What’s wrong with who?” Sugawara asked, unabashedly sipping Yamaguchi's drink.
“No one.”
Sugawara insisted.
“Just Oikawa. I don't know, it's been a few days... he's acting weird.”See ya
Chapter 9: Serendipity
Summary:
“What the heck is wrong with him?” mumbled Kuroo to himself.
“What?”
“What’s wrong with who?” Sugawara asked, unabashedly sipping Yamaguchi's drink.
“No one.”
Sugawara insisted.
“Just Oikawa. I don't know, it's been a few days... he's acting weird.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
---
Kuroo briefly emerged from his postprandial coma to glance at his phone: at 2:27 PM. He still had time. His next class wasn't for several hours, and he had to wait for Chris to join him before heading out. He could still enjoy the calm atmosphere inside O2 Ramen, the small restaurant owned by Nishinoya and Azumane. The customers had left, and the couple was in the kitchen, busy cleaning up the remains of the last rush. Sugawara, in the kitchen’s doorway, chatted cheerfully with his friends without lifting a finger to help them. Sawamura, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and himself lounged on a bench at the back of the restaurant, vaguely watching the television hanging above the counter. The volume was too low to follow the program, but the images spoke for themselves. They watched sceneries of sunny Japanese coasts, letting the soothing ambiance wash over them.
"I miss the sea," Yamaguchi lamented, letting his head fall on his mate's shoulder.
Tsukishima turned his head, "We're on an island; I don't see how you can miss it. Besides, we were there last week-end.
Yamaguchi frowned, "Where?"
"Next to the aquarium."
"It’s not the same!" the other three exclaimed in unison.
"You're not comparing Tokyo Bay with that are you ?" Yamaguchi pointed at the television.
Tsukishima sighed, rolling his eyes, "Okay, okay, whatever.”
Silence fell, and their attention returned to the television.
"Oh! That's Katsurashima Beach!" Yamaguchi said.
He turned his gaze to Sawamura and continued, "Remember when we used to go there in the summer with Kōshi?"
"Yeah. Remember when you almost fell off the boat trying to get your hat back?" Sawamura replied, a mocking smile on his lips.
"But I loved that hat!"
"Where is it?" Kuroo finally asked.
"On one of the Urato Islands, in the Bay of Matsushima," the youngest replied.
"In Miyagi Prefecture?" Kuroo asked.
Yamaguchi and Daichi nodded.
"Hmm, I've never been there... I miss the sea too. Not that I don't like Tokyo, but I don't think I'll spend my whole life here. I’m kinda looking forward to family vacations to get back to the countryside."
"I'd love to go back and live there," Sawamura dreamily intervened.
Kuroo chuckled, "Why did you leave then?"
"For Kōshi 's job; he couldn't find one there. We thought he'd have a better chance in here," Daichi explained.
The brunet raised an eyebrow, "Um, I don't want to sound sarcastic, but aren't there coffee shops or seven-elevens in Miyagi?"
The three turned suddenly, looking bewildered.
"What?"
They burst into laughter. Uh, okay... Kuroo had definitely said something stupid.
"Pff, he didn't spend four years at uni to become a barista," Yamaguchi said.
"Oh,I didn't know... What did he do?"
"Bachelor's degree in education," Daichi replied, "It was his dream since he was a kid."
"Cool! But why didn't he do that then?"
He instantly felt a chill settle between them. Yamaguchi and Sawamura lowered their eyes.
"For stupid reasons," the youngest replied.
Sawamura looked up, watching his lover talk cheerfully with his friends. He sighed and turned his attention back to Kuroo.
"He never passed the recruitment exam."
Yamaguchi crossed his arms and sank onto the bench.
"Darn... Why?" Kuroo asked.
"Because he's an alpha," Yamaguchi replied bitterly.
"Huh?"
"In short, that's it."
"But... why?"
"It's not a job very associated with... the alpha status, let's say."
Kuroo then remembered one of the first conversations he had with Sugawara: “Well, I usually hide my true nature well, although I've heard that I terrify children aged four to six.” “Oh... what do they teach you at school there? Alphas are big, angry, and muscular guys who only think about fighting, and omegas are defenseless little things who only think about breeding?"
The mentality wasn't much different here.
"So you came here thinking that people would be... more open-minded?"
"Yeah," confirmed Daichi. “I found a job easily, but with my salary alone, we didn't really get by. So he took on a part-time job while waiting to take the exam. In the end, even here, it's not any easier."
Kuroo turned his eyes to Sugawara and felt his heart tighten, touched by the ever-gentle aura around the alpha.
The more Kuroo discovered about his friends, the more he realized the crap they had to go through. And he was certainly not done being surprised.
-//-
May the world bask in its glory, at last, it was Friday! Kuroo had to restrain a little cry of joy when the last class of the week finally came to an end. He packed his things enthusiastically, already trying to convince Chris to join him for a drink. He didn't need to insist too much before Chris agreed. His gaze fell on Oikawa at the end of the row.
"Oikawa, do you want to come?"
No response; the interested party seemed not to have registered what he had just said.
"Oikawa?"
The latter suddenly raised his head.
"What?"
"Um... Do you want to come for a beer?"
The chestnut-haired seemed to reconnect with reality; his gaze traveled between his two friends.
"Oh no, I’ll pass, sorry... I have things to do."
Kuroo nodded. However, he didn't immediately break eye contact. His friend had been acting strangely these past few days. He wondered if everything was okay with him, but decided to respect his privacy.
The three friends left the lecture hall together, Kuroo and Chris chatting while Oikawa followed them without participating in the conversation. Chris eventually left them, claiming to have to go somewhere before heading out for the evening.
"How are you getting home?"
Silence.
"Oikawa?"
Still nothing.
"Um, by car."
"Okay, I'll walk to the parking lot with you."
"Hmm, don't worry, I'm fine."
"Okay then, see you later!"
His friend waved vaguely. Kuroo returned the gesture and turned. Before he could go far, Oikawa called out to him again.
"Yes?"
Oikawa came to him. Once at his side, he hesitated for a few seconds before asking, strangely embarrassed, "Hey, could you take notes for me for next week's classes?”
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, no problem... You won't be here?"
"No... Um, I have something to do."
"Uh, okay."
Oikawa seemed relieved but quickly adopted his diva-like attitude.
"And make an effort with your handwriting; I don't want your disgusting chicken scratches."
The brunet chuckled. Oikawa was finally sounding like himself.
"Okay, promised. Well, have a good weekend!"
"Goodbye."
And they split up. At one point, Kuroo turned around, watching his friend walk away.
What the heck was wrong with him?
-//-
“What the heck is wrong with him?” mumbled Kuroo to himself.
“What?”
The brunet looked up, meeting the questioning gaze of Sugawara and Yamaguchi.
Kuroo had joined Yamaguchi and Tsukishima in the afternoon for a little window shopping session, much to the dismay of the blond who dragged his feet all along. They had finally decided to go to the Karasu to sit down for a drink and greet their friends. Sugawara had eventually abandoned the counter to join them, leaving Narita and Kageyama to manage the coffee shop on their own (fortunately, the place was relatively empty).
“What’s wrong with who?” Sugawara asked, unabashedly sipping Yamaguchi's drink.
“No one.”
Sugawara insisted.
“Just Oikawa. I don't know, it's been a few days... he's acting weird.”
“How weird?”
“Don't you think?”
Suga shrugged.
“I don't know, he's either absent-minded or annoyed... But... Not like the usual. And he's doing weird shit! The other day, I saw him pacing back and forth in the corridor, stomping around for a good 30 minutes, and when I asked him why, he just growled and left... And, like, on Wednesday, he spent the whole day with his scarf wrapped around his head, and I could clearly see him chewing on it. Plus, the scarf didn't match the rest of his outfit at all, can you imagine? And now he asked me to take his classes for next week.”
“Hmm, that... Don't worry, it's nothing,” Suga reassured him.
“Doesn’t look like it though, are you sure ?”
His three friends nodded.
“Really? And why didn't he come the day before yesterday if everything's fine?”
“Where?”
“To CATO?”
“Oh, that's cute, you're worried about him...” Yamaguchi mockingly cooed, Tsukishima also seemed deeply amused.
“Don't worry, he's fine; he just didn't come because there were too many alphas in the same room, it's not easy to handle in those moments,” Sugawara intervened calmly.
“There are always too many alphas in the same room !” Kuroo retorted.
Silence. The three friends looked at him insistently, as if he were likable but terribly clueless.
“Oh my god, get a clue, damn it !” said the blond, annoyed.
Kuroo would have gladly gouged his eyes out if Sugawara's gentle voice hadn't intervened:
“Don't worry, he's fine; he just entered his cycle.”
Hmm, hmm, oh yes, now it's clear!
“His cycle of what?”
Tsukishima nervously chuckled. This time, Kuroo couldn't help but throw his paper towel at him.
“Of lectures,” Yamaguchi continued, “you know he secretly teaches classes to NASA's new recruits, right? He’s always a mess before it starts!”
Kuroo didn't know how to respond, deeply perplexed.
This time, the pair of alphas burst into laughter in unison.
“They're just messing with you,” Sugawara warned him.
“Look like you're finding it pretty funny too.”
“It's kind of funny, yes.”
Kuroo crossed his arms.
“He's in pre-rut, that's why he's acting like that, nothing serious. And I think he asked you to take his classes because he's entering a rut, that's all,” Sugawara enlightened him.
“Oh...”
Oh, yes, now he saw very well why he had come off as a complete idiot. But, well, not like he could have figured it out on his own.
“Um, okay... But... How long does it last?”
“Three days,” Tsukishima replied.
“Oh, okay, that's fine... Why did he ask me for the whole week then?" the brunet added, more to himself than anything.
“Hey, you've already spent three days just fucking ?” Yamaguchi intervened, “ That’s no picnic, you need time to recover!”
Okay, Kuroo clearly did not expect that, and he wasn't exactly comfortable with this subject.
“Try five,” Sugawara added in a hushed voice.
“Five!” the other two exclaimed.
Okay, Kuroo really didn't want to participate in this discussion any longer. Not that he was particularly prude or anything, but, uh... no.
“Oh yeah, but for you, it's only twice, right?” Yamaguchi asked.
“Yeah, why, and you?”
“Normally once, but with this monster, four times.”
“Four!”
“This monster?” Tsukishima muttered.
“You never noticed?” Yamaguchi asked the silver-haired one.
“No, I thought you just went on a lot of weekend trips.”
“Pff, you're dumb.”
“At least you don't work yet. I already lose ten days a year; it ruins my holidays.”
“Aren't there any… special day off?”
The three looked at him, bewildered.
“Well, what, there are menstrual leave for beta women, right? Don’t you have, I don’t know, medical leave ?”
“Oh well, technically yes, for omegas. But it's a nightmare to get them. For alphas? Forget it. The problem is that we really can't do anything during this time, bye-bye holidays, so we inevitably lose several weeks of work per year.”
“Oh... That sucks.”
“Yep”
“Welcome to our world.”
The phrase had been said with little seriousness, and the conversation naturally resumed. However, Kuroo thought about it for a long time.
Welcome to our world...
-//-
Kuroo had visited his fair share of amusement parks in his life, ridden the most dizzyingly insane rides that had crossed his path. He loved the feeling of defying gravity and the adrenaline that a good jolt could bring. Yet nothing, not even the most terrifying roller coaster, could have prepared him for this: a bus ride through the suburban neighborhoods of the city. The experience was unsettling, and Kuroo struggled to understand how it was possible to feel like you were on a trip in the middle of the jungle when driving on a perfectly paved road.
He had decided to personally deliver his notes for the past week to Oikawa. What he hadn't anticipated was that the latter lived more than an hour and a half away from his apartment and that the journey would be so... turbulent. He eventually got there but he ended up standing in front of the door for a good ten minutes without announcing himself. He remembered the conversation he had with his CATO friends and had finally decided that it probably wasn't the right time to disturb his friend.
He would have liked to think about it before enduring an hour and a half of rodeo, but his transcendental illogical brain had caught up with him. So, he ended up stuffing the notes into the mailbox before turning back. He got back on the bus, fear gripping him. However, he was relieved to find an empty seat.
To his surprise, this time the journey turned out to be more serene. Kuroo let his head fall against the window, watching the city lights and car headlights pass by, gradually succumbing to drowsiness. The bus stopped abruptly, jolting him out of his half-sleep. A young man boarded the bus and settled at the back, facing away from Kuroo. The brunet raised an eyebrow when the bus started again, and the young man remained standing, eyes glued to his phone, not bothering to hold onto anything. Bus surfing? That was kind of bold.
Kuroo lost interest when his own phone vibrated in his pocket. He smiled upon opening Oikawa's message:
"You know you could have sent me the notes by email."
Kuroo hadn't even thought about it... It was true that it would have been more convenient... Now that he thought about it, he could have simply transcribed everything into a Word file and sent it to him.
"I’m old-school" he finally replied. "I can already see your disdain look" he added.
"Nah, it’s more like… dismay," Oikawa replied.
Kuroo chuckled. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."
The bus braked a bit abruptly, and Kuroo looked up, wondering if the bold bus-surfing guy in front of him had finally grabbed onto something. Apparently no; his balance was quite impressive! The brunet's gaze lingered a little longer on the appearance of the person in front of him. He was roughly his age, rather short, drowning in a sweatshirt way too big for him, the sleeves almost entirely covering his hands. His hair was tied in a messy bun, with a few blonde strands protruding, and the bus's light reflected off the silver steel of the multiple piercings he wore in his ears.
His phone vibrated again.
"Why didn't you ring the bell? Hajime told me you stood there for a while."
Kuroo suddenly felt very foolish and didn't know what to say. Iwaizumi saw him? And did nothing? ... Well… Was it surprising ? No, not really.
"I didn't want to bother you," he finally replied.
Another jolt. Kuroo turned his gaze towards the blonde in front of him, still firmly in place. He stifled a little laugh when his eyes fell on the socks peeking out of his Doc Martens: hideous, multicolored duck socks. He couldn't believe that there were human beings on earth capable of wearing such things... However... he had to admit that it didn't look too bad on him.
"Oh, Kuroo, darling... You know you always bother me."
The brunet burst into laughter. As he was about to respond, the bus suddenly braked, and he found himself thrown against the back of his seat. He then saw that the guy in front of him had not been able to anticipate the impact properly this time. Kuroo saw him fall backward rapidly with nothing to stop him. Panicking, the brunet reached out his arm to simply stop his fall. The bus came to a stop just as the blonde collided with his arm, which was enough to halt his fall, and he was able to steady himself.
Their eyes met then, and Kuroo got momentarily lost in the light hazel ones facing him, both still deeply surprised by what had just happened. Once the shock passed, the stranger straightened up, bowed to thank him, and decided to go sit down. A wise decision after what had just occurred. The exchange had lasted only a few seconds, but it awoke a strange sensation within Kuroo. He tried to shake it off and returned to his phone.
"That's more like you. Glad to see everything is fine then," he wrote.
The brunet looked up. The stranger had turned his face towards the window. How strange was this feeling that was beginning to rise within him... And where did it come from? Lost in his thoughts, he only heard belatedly that the bus had stopped at his stop. Kuroo quickly got up and exited the vehicle before the doors closed.
As the bus resumed its journey, he caught the gaze of the stranger in the window.
Everything happened in a fraction of a second.
He was hit suddenly as if struck by lightning. He recognized him. In a fraction of a second, the stranger's face became familiar again, and he saw the features of his memories—those of a child with almost golden eyes and raven-black hair—superimposed on the one standing in front of him. His eyes widened, as did those of the stranger. His heart raced so strongly that he felt dizzy, his limbs went numb, and it felt like electric arcs were traversing his skin across his entire body.
How had he not recognized him earlier? How had he not recognized him the second their eyes met? How had he not recognized him when he populated every one of his memories? At last, he had found him again.
The bus moved away, devoured by the night, taking him far away. Once again.
“Kenma...”
Notes:
This one was kinda short, but look who’s there! Thanks for reading! See you next week!
Next chapter: “Jiji the black cat”
“The bus pulled away, devoured by the night, carrying him far away. The adrenaline rush subsided, and Kuroo felt like everything was collapsing within him. He sensed an immense wave of disappointment engulfing him.
"Fuck..." he muttered, turning his face to the ground, his heart heavy with regret. His heart skipped a beat when he heard an abrupt braking noise. He looked up. The bus had just stopped at the end of the street.”
Chapter 10: Jiji the black cat
Summary:
Summary: “The bus pulled away, devoured by the night, carrying him far away. The adrenaline rush subsided, and Kuroo felt like everything was collapsing within him. He sensed an immense wave of disappointment engulfing him.
"Fuck..." he muttered, turning his face to the ground, his heart heavy with regret. His heart skipped a beat when he heard an abrupt braking noise. He looked up. The bus had just stopped at the end of the street.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
---
The bus pulled away, devoured by the night, carrying him far away. The adrenaline rush subsided, and Kuroo felt like everything was collapsing within him. He sensed an immense wave of disappointment engulfing him.
"Fuck..." he muttered, turning his face to the ground, his heart heavy with regret. His heart skipped a beat when he heard an abrupt braking noise. He looked up. The bus had just stopped at the end of the street. Hope surged within him again, quickly dispelled when he realized that the vehicle had simply stopped at the traffic light.
The light turned green, and the bus started moving again. Then it braked again, the doors opened, and someone got off. Kuroo instantly recognized him. Kenma had almost stumbled while getting off and was now running in his direction. Kuroo let out a laugh, tears welling up in his eyes. He started running in his direction, legs trembling, his body shaken with joy.
"Oh shit, oh damn it! Fuck! ," he murmured, breathless, still trying to hold back tears of joy.
"Jiji!" Kenma yelled when he was close enough to be heard. And damn it, Kuroo burst into tears but kept running.
They finally met, the collision of their encounter comparable to the meteorite that triggered the extinction of the dinosaurs. Kenma clung to him, and Kuroo spun around, burying his face in his neck. They laughed together, carried away by the euphoria of the moment. Never had an embrace been so sweet and moving for Kuroo. He was twelve again, reunited with his best friend. They finally separated, both out of breath, their eyes unable to look away from each other. Kenma was the first to avert his gaze. When their eyes met again, his features had regained the composure that Kuroo knew so well.
In a strangely polite tone, Kenma said, "Oh, Kuroo-san, it's been a while."
Kuroo chuckled, "You're an idiot."
Kenma smiled. "I missed you, Jiji."
The said Jiji couldn't help but release a childish smile, grabbing the blond by the arm to pull him closer. He hugged him so tightly that Kuroo lifterd him off the ground.
"I missed you like crazy too."
Kuroo let go of the blond to scrutinize him more closely.
"Look at you," he grabbed a strand of Kenma's hair that had escaped his bun, "blond hair, piercings, you're a real punk,!"
"You look like a pigeon with that hairstyle."
Kuroo raised an eyebrow before bursting into laughter.
"Cool, thanks. I preferred Jiji the black cat, but oh well."
"Jiji the black cat with a pigeon hairstyle."
"Okay, okay, I think your bus is waiting, it was cool, see you later," Kuroo said, pretending to turn.
Kenma grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him back.
"I'm kidding."
"I know..."
They looked at each other for a long time, standing in the middle of the sidewalk, like two idiots.
"Well, tell me everything ! What are you doing here? In Tokyo, I mean."
"I live here," Kenma replied, "and you? I didn't expect to see you so far from Shakotan."
"I'm here for my master's at Todai."
"Oh," the blond replied.
"You seem surprised..."
"I just didn't remember you as an intellectual. As far as I remember, all you wanted to do was kick balls around all day."
"Pff, jerk."
Kenma let out a smirk and looked away.
"I just know a few people who also go there."
"Really?"
Kenma nodded.
"Cool, you can introduce me to them someday, but before that..." Kuroo grabbed the blond by the shoulders, "Tell me everything. It's been what ? Nine, ten years since we last saw each other? We have to catch up!"
They talked for a long time, shaken by the euphoria of their reunion. They ended up sitting on a wall behind the bus shelter, letting the night flow with the rhythm of their conversations. The streets became increasingly deserted, the temperature gradually dropping, and the headlights of cars and buses became less frequent. It was only several hours later that Kuroo glanced at his phone for the first time: 11:46 PM. Kenma saw the phone screen and seemed to abruptly return to reality.
"Is it so late already?"
"Yeah, I didn't see the time pass. Are you in a hurry? Is your carriage going to turn into a pumpkin if you don't get home before midnight?"
Kenma didn't respond to the joke and rummaged in his backpack to retrieve his phone. He seemed to have missed several calls, receiving one just as he unlocked his phone. He moved away to answer. He hung up hastily upon seeing a bus approaching in the distance. He hurried back to Kuroo to pick up his backpack.
"Sorry, I have to go, it's the last bus," he hastily informed him, signaling to the driver.
"Uh, okay," the surprised brunet replied.
The bus stopped, and the blond approached to board.
"Kenma, wait!"
"Yes?"
"Uh? Can I have your number or something, to find you again?"
Kenma glanced at the bus, and with eagerness, he asked, "Do you have Insta? What's your name on it?"
"Uh, ‘Ji The black cat’.'"
Kenma raised an eyebrow but did not comment. He tapped on his phone and looked up.
"Okay, I sent you a message, I have to go."
The doors closed, and Kuroo watched the bus drive away. His heart tightened as he saw it disappear around the corner of the road.
He took his phone out of his pocket and opened Instagram. He raised an eyebrow upon discovering a message from a certain "Apple pie" in his inbox, but before he could open it, he received a second one. "KodzuKen." He smiled and opened the message.
"Sorry, I messed up the account the first time. I left in a hurry, sorry."
"No worries," Kuroo replied. "It was a pleasure to see you again," he added.
"Same here."
"I missed you."
The three little dots disappeared.
"I hope we can see each other again soon," Kuroo quickly responded.
"Me too."
"Goodnight, Kenma."
"Goodnight, Jiji."
Kuroo let out a smile, his heart overflowing with joy. He put his phone back in his pocket and turned on his heels, finally heading home. The farther he walked, the more he felt reconnected with reality, letting the endorphins dissipate gradually, the memory deeply anchoring within him. He hoped that from now on, they could create hundreds more memories together.
-//-
Tsukishima, though he might seem otherwise, was a rather simple man. He could adapt to any situation and anyone as long as they agreed to respect a few basic rules:
- Respect his personal space.
- Must not be a nuisance under any circumstances.
- Must be a source of intelligible and frivolity-free conversation.
- No stupidity at his table.
He was forced to admit that over time, he had surrounded himself with more and more individuals who bent or broke these rules. The entire CATO violated these rules. Hell, even his own mate violated these rules. Occasionally, he nostalgically remembered the Yamaguchi of his youth, a gentle, shy, and silent being. Things had changed.
No, Tsukishima was a simple man, and now that he thought about it, he was quite flexible. But everything had its limits, and they had been outrageously crossed!
This needed to be addressed immediately! The situation initially didn't seem hostile: a simple lunch with his mate and Kuroo. Although he didn't show it, Tsukishima appreciated the company of the brunet, who, once you got past his penchant for teasing and his beta-centered attitude, turned out to be an interesting person. What a mistake, what naivety on his part. First, Kuroo arrived with an abominably radiant expression. He spent the first part of the meal giggling stupidly while tapping on his phone. And when be through this was finally over, Yamaguchi had the audacity to tease him about it. That's when Kuroo delivered a disgustingly sentimental story about his reunion with his childhood friend, and Tsukishima couldn't care less. He could have kept that to himself until, and maybe even participated in the conversation if Yamaguchi hadn't also given into sentimentality. He found himself with two chattering magpies. This time it was too much.
He clenched his fists on the table but said nothing, hoping to keep his calm. He finally reconnected with his surroundings when he met Yamaguchi's dumbfounded gaze. Turning his head, he found that Kuroo wore the same expression. The two exchanged a look before finally bursting into laughter, much to the blond's surprise, who hadn't grasped the humorous content of the situation:
"What?"
"Oh, here's the old grump again," mocked Kuroo." We thought we'd lost you."
Tsukishima, incredulous, turned his head back to his mate.
"Dude, you just growled; I think the earth shook all the way to Beijing."
"You should have told us earlier if we were annoying you that much."
At that moment, the blond considered confessing that yes, they were annoying the hell out of him. But seeing the mocking looks, he reconsidered. He adjusted his glasses, more to regain composure than anything else, and in the most solemn tone announced:
" I apologize; I didn't realize."
"Hmm," Yamaguchi muttered, not very convinced.
In any case, it had the merit of ending the conversation, and finally, silence fell, much to the blond's delight.
However, as comfortable as it was, silence eventually became boring. He wasn't used to such a calm atmosphere anymore, and his boredom soon became unbearable. Out of idleness, he looked down at Kuroo, who was messing around on his phone. It seemed to him that Kuroo was randomly browsing his Instagram messages. One of the names the blond read caught his attention. He frowned. Could it be? No... he must have misread. He then saw Kuroo press on the message that had caught his eye earlier. Turning his gaze slightly, he felt that Kuroo was also more or less perplexed. The brunet pressed on the sender's name, and Tsukishima instantly recognized the profile that appeared. In surprise, he spat out the sip of broth.
"The fuck Tsukishima!" protested the brunet, who had just taken a full-face blast of broth.
The blond paid no attention to his complaining and asked:
"How do you know him?"
"Who?"
The blond simply pointed at the profile.
"Uh... well, I just talked about him for half an hour. He's my childhood friend!"
Kuroo fell silent upon seeing the more than alarming expression on the blond's face, who was now pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
"What?"
"Kuroo," the blond continued with an oddly calm voice.
"Yes?"
"Can you read the number of followers please."
Kuroo looked at him for a moment, incredulous, with a glass of water in his hand. He took a sip and looked at his phone. The sip of water didn't have the chance to fall into his esophagus and also ended up as a geyser.
"Oh, you guys are disgusting!" complained Yamaguchi.
"1.8 million."
" What!" Yamaguchi grabbed the phone and almost choked on his own saliva.
"Your childhood friend is ApplePie?!"
Kuroo remained silent, first because he couldn't believe what he had just seen, and second, because he didn't know how to process this. He picked up his phone, went back to his messages, recognized Kenma's first message at 11:49 PM on that account, and clicked again on the account, still the same number of followers.
"I presume, yes."
His two friends remained silent, staring at him insistently.
"Uh... I'm supposed to know who that is?"
"He has millions of followers on his channel, he’s one of the biggest streamers in the country, and you're telling me you don't know who he is?" Yamaguchi asked calmly.
"Oh, that's a lot... but no, I don't really watch that kind of thing..."
"Just one of the best gamers in the country, or even on the planet!" intervened the blond.
"Don't be overdramatic, Tsukki..."
"Dramatic? Triple winner of the Overlord Land Fantasy tournament, in solo. I’m not dramatic, that’s just fact"
"Wow... I knew he was a geek, but I didn't think he made it his job."
"How can you stay so calm?" asked the blond.
"I'm not really, I'm just trying to keep my cool."
"I'm... almost impressed..."
Silence fell. After a few minutes, Kuroo finally came back to himself. His gaze traveled several times between the two alphas in front of him:
"I never realized you guys were geeks..."
His eyes landed on Tsukishima.
"Yeah... I should have figured it out sooner."
"I don't even have the strength to give you a comeback for that."
"Wait, wait!" Yamaguchi resumed euphorically, "if you know him, it means you know what he looks like?"
Kuroo frowned.
"Uh... yes..."
He saw the pupils of his two companions dilate at this simple answer.
"Oh my... one of the greatest secrets of our world finally revealed..."
"But I don't have any pictures of him..."
"What? Ugh... But, doesn't he have a personal Insta?"
"Uh, yes, but he has like, a cat photo."
"Damn."
"You're useless,” added the blond.
"Guys, if his identity has stayed secret until now, I'm not going to ruin everything."
Yamaguchi let out a guttural and diabolical laugh:
"Too late! I already know his name is Kenma, and he likes ugly socks; nothing will stop me!"
"Guys, guys... I'm not going to let him slip away now. Who knows, you might meet him one of these days."
"Really?"
No, probably not, but it had the merit of shutting them up and leaving Kuroo in peace. For now.
-//-
"So... Do you often invite people to laundromats?" asked Kenma.
Kuroo gave him a sideways glance: nothing on his face betrayed what he might feel about the place.
"No, but at least there's no one here."
He saw the blond let out a smile.
Kenma and Kuroo had met a little earlier. Kuroo initially planned to take his newly found friend to a coffee shop for a peaceful chat. He quickly changed his mind, firstly because he didn't really know where to go: Karasu? Not necessarily keen on running into the gang that would not stop staring at them. He had also thought about Fukuro, but the idea of having Akaashi and Kenma in the same room was strangely disturbing. He had thought he would find a place along the way, but seeing Kenma tense up every time someone brushed against him, he thought he wouldn't mind an empty laundromat.
Kuroo let out a tender smile.
"Still as antisocial as ever, I see..."
The blond raised an eyebrow:
"Just selective."
"Delighted to have been invited to the court of Sir Kozume Kenma."
Kenma rolled his eyes.
"It's His Highness Kozume Kenma."
Kuroo chuckled.
"Your Highness, I see that success hasn't gone to your head."
The blond frowned, surprised.
"... How do you know?" he asked in a half-whisper.
"You sent me a message from your public account."
The blond remained silent for a moment.
"I see. Big fuckup on my end. Since you didn't react, I thought... you hadn't noticed."
"To be honest, it's some friends who pointed it out to me, big fans."
"Hmm."
"Well, maybe the millions of followers would have eventually caught my attention."
"Hmm."
"Now I know what I'm going to do with my evenings: go to your livestream to listen to the sweet sound of your voice. Who knows, I know nothing about it, but maybe I'll discover a gamer vocation."
"Don't count on it."
Kenma had buried his neck in his sweatshirt. Although he showed nothing, Kuroo could discern a touch of red on his cheeks. Damn, he had forgotten how adorable this guy could be.
"Are we going to get kicked out if we stay here doing nothing?" the blond asked, probably to change the subject.
"No, I don't think so. I think I'm their main customer, and Minako-san likes me now, I think..."
Kenma frowned. He checked that the counter been deserted before stating in a low voice:
"It looks a bit like a front..."
"What?"
"You know... for money laundering."
Although Kenma had brought up the hypothesis himself, he did not seem particularly alarmed. Kuroo, on the other hand, took several seconds to recover.
"Oh shit... You're right... that explains the black Mercedes parked in front at night..."
Silence.
"Maybe we should go then, right? " said Kuroo. "My place ?"
"Works for me."
They left the small laundromat and headed to Kuroo's apartment. Goodbye super shady plans, hello shitty apartment. Kuroo came back to himself when the blond's mischievous laughter reached him:
"Why are you laughing?"
"I forgot your ability to get into weird situations all the time."
Kuroo wanted to retort something, but faced with such truth, he didn't know how to.
"I don't care... Anyway, I still have about thirty tokens to use... what? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I’m just picturing you as a Yakuza... Not bad... Plus, you do chemistry, right? You could easily find a good job."
"Pff, you're an idiot, you know that? Like I'll start cooking meth."
"You said it, not me."
"Not to mention, I'm not sure I fit their standards."
"Oh really? Why?"
"Well, I don't know, I imagine the Yakuza as the badass dark handsome guy with an amazing aura, the stereotype of the ultra-dominant alpha, like in the movies. Considering how many times I've been called a clueless beta, not sure I fit."
Kenma raised an eyebrow before lowering his head again. After a few seconds of silence, he said:
"Well, historically speaking, Yakuzas started organizing to stand up to the pack leaders on Kyushu Island, so they're rarely non-betas. As for the aura, I think it fits quite well."
Kuroo stopped walking, turning his eyes to the blond:
"How do you know all of that?"
The blond just smiled mysteriously before starting to tap on his phone.
"Know what? That you have the aura of a badass handsome guy?"
Kuroo felt the blood rush to his head.
"No, the other one, the Yakuzas!"
"Oh, that..."
"Kenma, are you telling me that you're part of a drug cartel?"
"Why do you think I knew the laundromat was a front?"
"Ohhh, it's your boss!"
The blond rolled his eyes:
"Ji, may I remind you that I am 'His Highness Kozume Kenma',who do you think the boss is."
The brunet stopped, playing the drama to the end. His friend continued, without looking up from his phone. He finally stopped a few meters away to wait for him:
" Your the one that knows the way," he pointed out.
"Yeah... are you writing to your henchmen to come and kidnap me in the middle of the night, is that it?"
"Of course, our chemist got caught during a raid, I was just looking for someone..."
"... Kenma, you terrify me."
"Good. Now move."
Kuroo let out a smile and caught up with Kenma. It was only a few meters from his place that he began to feel a slight sense of panic taking over. He had finally realized that he was heading towards his apartment. His ugly, tiny, and shabby apartment... He couldn't even remember if he had left his dirty underwear in the middle of the room, his socks on the bedside lamp, or dishes in the sink... Damn, what was he going to offer him to drink? Water?!
Oh! He had some herbal tea... at this hour? Wait, maybe he still had some black tea bags he stole from the university cafeteria! Did he even have two cups? Hmm, but he had a small vase... yes, that would do just fine... But he wouldn't drink from a vase, right?
He didn't have time to spiral into the question because they had finally arrived at their destination. Kuroo opened the door, and with exaggerated gallantry—subterfuge to hide his discomfort—he invited Kenma inside. They climbed the narrow stairs to reach the top floor.
" Welcome to my humble home," announced the brunet as he opened the door to his apartment.
He let the blond enter and closed the door behind him. Kenma surveyed the small room for a moment:
"Yeah, I know, it's not amazing, but well, the rent isn't that expensive. Exorbitant for anywhere else on the planet, but affordable for Tokyo."
"No, it's... cozy."
As he was about to continue, Kuroo saw Kenma sniff the air before frowning.
"Damn, sorry, does it still smell like rotten crab? I kept putting scented candles, but I must have gotten used to it. Damn, do my clothes smell like that too?"
He lift his T-shirt to bring it to his nose.
"No, it's just that..."
Kenma stopped mid-sentence, seemingly lost in thought.
"Kenma?"
The blond came back to himself.
"No, nothing. And no, you don't smell like rotten crab; I wouldn't have followed you here otherwise."
"Charming, and what would you have done to me?"
"I would have put you in one of the washing machines at the laundromat."
"Pff. And you would have kept me prisoner in the drum until I agreed to work for your gang?"
"Hmm, good idea, if you want, we can go back."
" No thanks, I'll pass."
They fell silent. Their eyes met, and they smiled.
Kuroo interrupted the exchange by clearing his throat before turning to his kitchen cabinet. He was delighted to find that he still had about ten tea bags.
"Can I get you something? Is tea okay ?"
Kenma nodded and Kuroo complied. Once the task was done, he served the two cups (well, a mug and a Coca-Cola glass) and turned to sit next to the blond who had settled on the floor.
"Sorry, I only have one cup."
Kenma shrugged in response. He rolled up his sleeves to his fingers and grabbed the cup with both hands, blowing on the tea to cool it. Kuroo couldn't help but let out a smile. It was strange to have him there, in front of him. Kenma was deeply anchored to his childhood memory; now, he was here. Kenma had always had a peculiar aura; it seemed to have grown over time, becoming voluptuous, electrifying, yet so tender. Seeing him like this, sitting on the floor of his tiny apartment, inhabiting space without even realizing it, Kuroo couldn't help but feel his heart swell, moved by a strange feeling that didn't have a name yet.
He was quickly pulled out of his contemplation when Kenma met his gaze.
"What's wrong?"
"Uh, nothing! I just remembered when they used to pour hot water into the non-heat-resistant glass at the school cafeteria. Your glass exploded once, right? " Kuroo said.
"I almost died that day. You think it's funny?"
"Pff, die, come on, what a drama queen."
"No, I was deeply injured that day..."
"You got nothing!"
" Not physically maybe."
"What, psychologically? Is that why you became a gang leader?"
"Exactly."
"Lamest backstory I've ever heard."
"You won't say the same thing when I've put you in the washing machine drum."
"Pff, idiot," Kuroo exclaimed before bursting into laughter.
They smiled at each other again. The occurrence was becoming more and more frequent, and Kuroo didn't mind, even though his stomach tied itself into knots every time.
"Anyway, it will never be worse than..."
"The death porridge, " they finished in unison.
They laughed.
Death porridge was the name they had given to an infamous concoction served to them every morning. The concoction in question was supposed to be a rice porridge but had the nauseating consistency of vomit and the smell of mold and sun-rotted fish liver.
“It was awful! I can't even count the number of houseplants I’ve killed by pouring my glass into them," Kuroo said.
"I still remember when you got caught by Imari-sensei."
"Oh, I thought she was going to hang me by my feet; she was so terrifying..."
"Hmm."
"And do you remember when..."
They talked for a long time like this, delving into their shared memories, pulling out forgotten events from the depths of their memory. Everything surfaced, and retrieving these old memories had something profoundly euphoric about it.
"You know, I continued when I arrived here," Kenma confessed after a while.
Kuroo seemed deeply shocked by this revelation.
"No kidding? You continued volleyball?"
Kenma nodded.
"Is it that surprising?"
"A bit, yeah. I remember that I had to drag you by the skin of your ass every time to get you to practice! "
The blond let out a smile and shrugged.
"Well, it wasn’t so bad... And I made good friends because of it."
"Do you still play? I stopped when I went to uni, it's stupid, but well."
"No, I stopped at the end of my second year of high school."
"Oh... Why? Were you already too busy dominating the gaming world?"
"Hmm, yes, and then... my team no longer existed, so well, I didn't see the point anymore."
Kuroo frowned:
"Like, they decided to disband the team, just like that?"
"Yeah."
"That's stupid."
"Yeah"
Kuroo nodded several times, remaining stuck in his thoughts for a long moment, before continuing:
"It reminds me that when I arrived here, I met a guy who used to be a volleyball team coach; now he makes ramen."
"Interesting career change."
"Yeah… Apparently, his team had to be disbanded too, T.O.P stuff, it pissed him off, so he left."
Kenma seemed deeply surprised by what he just said.
"What?" Kuroo asked.
"Nothing... I didn't think you knew about that.”
"About what?"
"T.O.P."
"Oh... Well, to be honest, I didn't know what it was before coming here, but well, I gathered that it's a load of crap."
"Yeah."
"Yeah..."
Silence fell. Kenma started drawing circles on the carpet. He stayed silent for a while. Finally, while still staring at the carpet, he spoke again :
"That's why I had to stop too."
Kuroo sat up. He turned his gaze to Kenma. His face was completely neutral, but the way he fidgeted with the carpet betrayed his nervousness. The brunet didn't immediately grasp what it was about.
"Why? Like, they didn't even have... Oh..."
Team of betas. That's what he was going to say. An old reflex, a bad one.
He fell silent.
He felt his heart tighten, and his back hunch under the weight of the atmosphere that had begun to grow heavy. Kenma still said nothing, his eyes fixed on the carpet. Kuroo approached him.
"Kenma..." he asked in a low voice.
The concerned one nodded.
Hundreds of small details came to his mind, looks, words he had heard when he was younger, just before Kenma suddenly disappeared from his life. The question burned on his lips; he was afraid of having understood. Or, on the contrary, of being completely off the mark.
"Is that why you had to leave?"
The blond froze. He remained silent; eyes downcast. He finally nodded. Kuroo felt his heart skip a beat before racing at a frantic pace, his body boiling with a mix of past and present feelings.
"Remember when... I got sick? Just before we left." Kenma eventually said.
"Yes," Kuroo replied in a low voice.
One, two, three breaths.
Kenma raised his eyes, Kuroo found himself captivated by his gaze. The blond's face revealed nothing of his turmoil, but Kuroo could feel the tension intensify all around them.
"I wasn't really sick."
Kuroo didn't break eye contact, and he didn't need to verbalize his question for Kenma to understand it. Kenma looked away.
"I had just entered my first estrus cycle."
Silence.
"Does that mean..."
Kenma nodded. He inhaled before continuing, still not dropping his mask.
"I’m an omega."
Oh.
"Oh..."
"Is it a problem for you?”
"What? No, of course not, Kenma... I feel relieved actually."
The blond frowned.
"Well, that means you're not a yakuza !"
Kenma chuckled.
Kuroo smiled. Kenma had finally let go of his mask, and his face had come back to life. Even though he hadn't been around him for years, Kuroo hadn't taken long to sync back into his frequency: the static noise had dissipated, and the reception of all his signals had become clear again. So yes, he knew that opening up like this hadn't been easy. Acknowledging this flooded his heart with a heavy tumult of emotions, woven with deep tenderness and empathy.
"Kenma?"
"Hm?"
"Can I hug you? I know you're not overly into physical touch, but..."
The blond looked him in the eyes for a second before looking away:
"If it's you."
"If it's me?"
Kenma rolled his eyes and opened his arms. Kuroo smiled and hugged him. He closed his eyes feeling the blond's hands joining behind his back. He tightened his grip around him to convey his support. Their breaths harmonized in unison.
"Thank you..." Kenma murmured after a while.
"Why?"
"Just... Thank you."
"I missed you, you know, " Kuroo replied.
Silence. One, two, three seconds.
"I missed you too..."
They split up; their heads dizzy with tenderness. Silence settled between them, gentle and serene. Kuroo lay down on the floor. Kenma followed suit. A train passed through Nishi-nippori station; the sound echoed around them before fading into the city's rumble.
"Kenma?"
"Hmm?"
The brunet turned onto his side, resting his head on his arm:
"I still don't understand why you had to leave... I mean, it's not a big deal, right?"
Kenma sighed.
"It was a real catastrophe for my parents..."
Kuroo frowned:
"They never really explained to me why, but... with time, I think they must have thought that... well, we were in the middle of nowhere, I would have been the only one around. Plus, everything didn't go... very well. They probably thought it would be better for me...in a bigger city."
"You seem... I don't know, to resent them a little, right?"
"Oh, I deeply resented them... I still do, but for different reasons now. For that... I understand now."
"Hmm..."
Kuroo moved closer to Kenma and rubbed his forehead against his shoulder to convey his support. The blond tilted his head in return as if reciprocating the action. Kuroo resumed his initial position.
"But your parents... well, they're betas, right? How come..."
Kenma gave a slightly teasing smirk:
"Aren't you supposed to know how genetics work?"
Kuroo made a childish grimace.
"No, but like, come on, you get it. You know when you have non-betas in your genealogy!"
"Not them... They didn't know, but they are both descendants of an extinct Sô-kita clan. There hadn't been a non-beta in their family for generations... but here I am."
Kuroo sat up slightly:
"Sô-kita? Like the omegaarchies?"
Kenma blinked several times, genuinely surprised:
"What?"
"No, nothing..."
"What?"
"I'm just surprised you know anything about that kind of thing."
Kuroo wanted to reply with all sorts of teasing remarks but just said the truth:
"As I said, I didn't know much before... I started educating myself when I got here."
"I see... Yes, like the omegaarchies."
Kuroo nodded. His knowledge about the subject ended roughly there, but he didn't necessarily need to know more for the moment.
Twilight rays were now filtering through the room, reflecting on the glass of the small window and decomposing into small patches of light all around them.
"I don't know if your parents did the right thing... but anyway, when I see what you've become, it reassures me. I'm not too worried."
"What I've become? I spend my time hiding my identity because I work in one of the fields where there's the most discrimination against omegas!"
"And you're crushing it!"
"If you say so..."
"A true punk !"
They smiled.
The night would fall soon, but it could do nothing to undo the weaving of the bonds that had reformed between them and would start to grow even more.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Kenma is finally here! We have all our protagonists, let the roller coaster begin!
Next chapter: “Triple homicide on a sorry heart”
“1, 2, 3... and now his heart was racing again. Ah... No matter how hard he tried to push it away, he knew well the reason for his insomnia... The reasons, actually... He couldn't lie to himself anymore, not after this week, not after these three little events that had messed up his mind. Kuroo was usually quite open with his feelings, but this time he had allowed himself to ignore them for far too long, and now everything was crumbling down on him.
Triple homicide on his poor, sorry heart...”
Chapter 11: Triple homicide on a sorry heart
Summary:
“1, 2, 3... and now his heart was racing again. Ah... No matter how hard he tried to push it away, he knew well the reason for his insomnia... The reasons, actually... He couldn't lie to himself anymore, not after this week, not after these three little events that had messed up his mind. Kuroo was usually quite open with his feelings, but this time he had allowed himself to ignore them for far too long, and now everything was crumbling down on him.
Triple homicide on his poor, sorry heart...”
Notes:
Ish, sorry I’m late, things kinda suck lately. Hope you’ll enjoy this chapter!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
--
Kuroo looked at his alarm clock: 2:45 AM. A wave of anxiety began to rise within him. The mid-term exams were around the corner, and he needed to be in good shape for the next day... well, in about five hours, to be precise.
Damn it. He was supposed to meet up with Oikawa to study biochemistry. The diva would lash out at him if he wasn’t in perfect shape. Not to mention, it was nearly impossible to tolerate him without at least seven hours of sleep.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to push the worry deep within him and finally find sleep. Kuroo was used to these sleepless nights... hell, his insolent insomniac mood had defined his high school social persona for nearly three years. Fortunately, he had found two or three techniques to deal with these kinds of nocturnal hyper-awareness states.
Kuroo opened his eyes again, staring at the ceiling for a long moment, remaining perfectly still. Outside, the night was almost silent, with the texture of the late hours that only existed in the strange and blurry world between two bodies of water.
He diverted his mind from what troubled him and applied himself to let it engage in absurd directions. In such situations, Kuroo had found that calculating improbable things was of great use to distance himself from his demons. Questions like: How many times had he bought a bottle of shampoo since January 2013? How many kilometers had he traveled in the universe, knowing that the galaxy moves at... he couldn't remember exactly how many thousands of light-years per second, he should check on Google... How many sponges were needed to build a twelve-meter-high fortress?
Usually, it drained him so much that he eventually fell asleep.
His mind went silent for a second. It had been a very strange week for Kuroo... Perhaps one of the most unsettling of his existence (and yet he had experienced his fair share of incongruous events). Of his existence... That's a lot, right? By the way, how many days had passed since his birth?
Let's see, last November 17th, it was exactly 22 years ago... 365 days in a year... Damn, and leap years? Oh, let's round it up, let's say 365.25... -he grabbed his phone and opened the calculator- 365.25x22... 8035.5 days... The 0.5 was ridiculous... He had never had half a day... Well, his hangover days must count as half-days, and now it was 2:55 am, that makes a… small portion of day, right?
Kuroo sat up, and grabbed his bag to take out his notebook, where he noted the result of his calculation. He stared at it for a long time. A smirk escaped him. All those damn days on this cursed planet, and he was still here, wide awake in the dead of night? The beats of his heart echoed in his temples. Strangely, he noticed that despite the turmoil in his mind, his heart rate didn't seem much affected. Perhaps that brave organ was used to it by now... By the way, how many times had it beaten ?
Let's see... He was quite healthy and athletic... He must be at what... come on, let's say 70 beats per minute (taking a minute to calculate didn't cross his mind). 8035.5x24 (+3 now) x60 = 11,571,300 minutes since his birth (roughly, he couldn't remember the exact time of his birth). That's 809,940,600... 601,602,603 beats. How could this thing still work properly? Considering that this sneaky organ hadn't waited for his birth to start beating...
Okay, the heart starts beating from what... four weeks? Yeah, but at what rate? Well, let's say from birth, then it's fine. But... he didn’t always have an athlete's heart? And then, it would be lying to assume it was still the case.
Moreover, a heart doesn't beat immutably at the same frequency... He didn't count the number of times he had been scared... Like when the living room shelf fell on him when he was ten... Nor the number of times he had run after a ball; surely that should count, right? He hadn't counted the moments of euphoria either, like when he won his first match... The excitement when he landed in Tokyo... Damn, he hadn't counted the number of times he had fallen in love, had sex, or even just the times he jerked off.
He hadn't counted the number of times he had missed a step and tumbled down the rest of the stairs on his butt; the number of times he had narrowly escaped being hit by a bike, a moped, and any other wheeled vehicle; when he realized he had missed an important deadline. The number of times he had argued with his sisters, laughed with them; the time he almost dropped his bag from the 3rd floor of his high school; the first time he saw Akaashi; when he got angry at his shoelaces, when he said "You too" to the waiter who wished him a good meal; when he found himself butt naked trying to climb a fence and his jeans got caught in the spikes at the top; when he heard Bokuto's voice for the first time, the number of laughs he had; the number of defeats he had experienced... The last time he got dumped; the time he hit the skate park railing in the balls while trying his friend's rollerblades; the moment he learned his suitcase had gone to Moscow without him; the first time he heard Akaashi's laughter; the first time he felt attracted to a guy; the time lightning struck a few centimeters from him; the first time he saw a volleyball match on TV; the time he got stuck in his sheets trying to change them and thought he would die of suffocation; the time he skipped stones with Bokuto by the pond; the time the high school principal called him into her office, the time he saw his cell phone run over by a bus; the first time Kenma hugged him when he was eight years old; the moment he recognized him on the bus a few weeks ago...
1, 2, 3... and now his heart was racing again. Ah... No matter how hard he tried to push it away, he knew well the reason for his insomnia... The reasons, actually... He couldn't lie to himself anymore, not after this week, not after these three little “incidents” that had messed up his mind. Kuroo was usually quite open with his feelings, but this time he had allowed himself to ignore them for far too long. Now everything was crumbling down on him.
Triple homicide on his poor, sorry heart...
118, 119, 120... he lost count.
Outside, dawn was already spreading its light. He heard the rain begin to fall on the asphalt.
72 hours earlier, 1st homicide on a sorry heart:
Kuroo was wandering through the city center, drowned in the hustle of crowded alleys. Midterm exams were approaching, and his days now revolved around the sight of the university library, his lecture notes, and Oikawa growling at him every time he diverted his attention for too long.
He just needed some fresh air, to feel the rush of oxygen into his lungs, to escape time for an hour or two. Upon reflection, the idea of “taking some fresh air” in the hyper center of this gigantic mess of a megalopolis had not been one of his brightest ideas. The crowd quickly got on his nerves. He plugged his earphones in, turned the volume to the maximum, and pulled his hood over his head (there was always something cathartic about a touch of "teen angst" after all). He walked without really knowing where or why.
Instinctively, he veered more and more, distancing himself from the artificiality of the city center. The light dimmed, the sun disappearing behind a mass of large cumulus clouds forming above the buildings. It was only an hour later that he raised his head, his visual field finally reconnecting with the rest of his brain. He recognized the buildings around him. He didn't know how he had drifted into this neighborhood or what strange instinct had guided him there, but he soon recognized the street leading to Fukuro Coffee.
Well, that meant he wasn't far from the subway. Anyway, he still had a chapter of organic chemistry to study to check off his to-do list for the day; it was probably time to get back to it. So, he turned to head home.
However, he couldn't go much further. His legs refused to move forward. He stood in the middle of the street, eyes fixed on his feet, consumed by the sudden urge to turn back. He sighed and succumbed to it, turning to head towards the coffee shop. After all, a good coffee could only do him good. If pleasant company was also part of the deal, it would say no either.
Above his head, the sky had almost turned completely black. Upon arriving at the Fukuro Coffee , he felt his heart sparkle. The feeling was quickly evicted when he raised his head and discovered the individual behind the counter. The latter stared at him with a disdain much more abrasive than that of his favorite diva.
"Oh, hello Konoha-san,"
The blond raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.
A shiver ran through Kuroo from head to toe. He had no idea why the barista disliked him so much or why Kuroo was so afraid of him.
"What are you doing here?" the blond said dryly.
"Uh... coffee?"
Konoha rolled his eyes and looked him directly in the eyes, "Really?"
"Uh..."
"Akaashi isn't here."
"Ah, okay... but."
Without further ado, Konoha turned and waved his hand for him to move on. Kuroo, blown away, stood for a moment in the middle of the coffee shop. He finally greeted him and turned back. He swallowed, feeling a heavy weight like a ten-ton meteorite fall to the back of his throat.
The sun had been so ousted by the bad weather that it already seemed like night. A drizzle began to weep from the sky, and the wind also picked up. Kuroo zipped up his jacket and started walking again. He couldn't go much further though, as the rain began to intensify, soon becoming so dense that he couldn't see a meter ahead. He cursed and took refuge under the porch of a residential building. The shelter was not the most effective, and the rain continued to whip his face. He crouched on the ground, buried his face in the collar of his jacket, and lowered his head to protect his face. He waited, disconnecting his mind from reality.
Suddenly, the sensation of rain on his skull disappeared. Surprised, he opened his eyes again: the downpour hadn't stopped; the water was still crashing violently on the asphalt. He frowned and turned his head to his right. His heart jumped when he recognized the person beside him, holding an umbrella over their heads.
"Akaashi."
A smile spread across Akaashi’s lips, and he tilted his head to greet him.
"Kuroo-san, I was not expecting to find you here."
The brunet returned his smile. It took him several seconds to realize that he probably needed to answer.
"Uh, I was passing by and thought I'd grab a coffee, but..."
"But?”
"I ran into Konoha-san."
"Oh... And?"
"Uh, I wouldn't want to jump to conclusions, but I think this guy doesn't like me very much, and he terrifies me!"
Akaashi raised an eyebrow before letting out a discreet laugh.
"I swear, he scares the hell out of me! He glared at me when I walked in; I preferred to take the rain rather than face his wrath!"
"I see," Akaashi replied, a hint of mockery in his voice.
The brunet leaned against the wall behind him, and they watched the rain fall together. After watering the asphalt, the rain melody softened until it stopped completely. The clouds resumed their course, carried by the wind, letting the sun finally spread its twilight rays. The sky had taken on a strange hue, the yellowish glow of an afterstorm.
"Ah, the rain has stopped," Akaashi announced with his velvety voice while closing his umbrella.
Kuroo looked up, and their eyes met. The golden rays flooded Akaashi's face, flowing down his hair like glass beads. He smiled.
And it was at that precise moment that the first blow was struck. Kuroo felt his heart swell, swell, until it became gigantic, until it hit his ribcage like a taut drum, splashing blood violently throughout his body, making him immediately feverish. So violently that his head began to spin and his legs to shake. All his blood began to boil under his skin, the heat engulfing him like a giant sea monster. This warmth enveloped him and confused him with a dizzying intoxication. He forgot how to breathe.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck my life" he thought.
"Can I still interest you in a coffee?" Akaashi asked. "Despite appearances, Konoha is not that terrible.”
"Uh... hum... ah," Kuroo stammered.
The "fuck, fuck, fuck " mantra was still echoing in his head.
Akaashi seemed troubled by his reaction.
“Uh, the thing is, I still have studying I need to catch up on, but next time, yes... Uh, I have to go.”
He stood up abruptly and started to leave but immediately turned back.
“Uh, thanks for the umbrella,” Kuroo said, bowing, before quickly walking away, leaving a thoroughly bewildered Akaashi behind.
Big gigantic fuck !
This word accompanied him all the way to his apartment. He obviously couldn't concentrate on his biochemistry chapter after that. His heart kept pounding against his ribcage, stirred by turmoil, anxiety, and something that Kuroo could only call high treason. Damn fickle heart.
48 hours earlier, 2nd homicide on a sorry heart:
Following the previous day's tachycardic episode, Kuroo woke up feeling as if he had been flattened by a steamroller. He gazed into nothingness for a while, contemplating the extent of the damage in an introspective manner. His heart had calmed down, and all the turmoil that had gripped him earlier now seemed almost alien. Upon reflection, did any of it really mean anything? Was it all that... overwhelming? After all, he had known for quite some time that he wasn't indifferent to Akaashi's numerous charms. Damn, he had known that since the first time his gaze landed on him; he didn't nickname him "Mister fantastico-mystical" for nothing! Admittedly, his physiological reaction may have been triggered by the monstrous doses of caffeine he had consumed throughout the day. There, nothing alarming really. Now that he had a clear mind, it seemed much more plausible.
Okay, he had to admit that he maybe had... a little crush on him; but that was it really.
Satisfied with the shameful lie he had just concocted himself, Kuroo got up, leaving all that aside to get ready before gathering his things to go—once again—to the university library. Little did he know that the second blow would be struck there.
It unfolded like this:
After climbing the stairs to reach the first floor of the library, Kuroo joyfully found Bokuto posing in the doorway leading to the study room.
“Fancy seeing you here,” Bokuto announced with comical intensity.
Kuroo chuckled but still tried to maintain a semblance of seriousness, wanting to participate in this impromptu act. He stepped aside to disappear from his friend's field of vision, only to reappear with an exaggeratedly surprised expression.
“Oh, my, you here?”
Bokuto chuckled and disappeared again to redo his entrance.
They continued playing this absurd version of "peek-a-boo" much longer than any normally constituted individual could endure. Kuroo, once again, was the first to completely lose his shit. As it was his turn to reappear, he found that his friend had preceded him and stood in the doorway, his sweatshirt hood pulled up, laces pulled tight, forming a ridiculous collar that almost completely hid his face. Only his eyes were visible. The incongruity was enough to send Kuroo into fits of laughter.
“I haven't said anything yet!” Bokuto exclaimed.
“Bro, no need, you know it kills me when you make that face!”
“What face?”
“Your 'Great Owl caught in the headlights of a car' face.”
“Oh, that one?”
And he reiterated his said Great Owl face, not failing to make the brunet laugh once again. Satisfied with having delighted his audience, Bokuto decided to end his performance there. He loosened the laces and pulled down his hood.
“Oh no, it messed up your magnificent hairstyle Bro ! How can you claim to be an owl worthy of the name if you don't have your ears anymore!”
Kuroo approached his friend and without thinking, ran his hands through his hair to restore some semblance of hair integrity.
“They aren’t ears”, Bokuto interjected.
“Yeah, but I can't remember what they're called...”
“Horns?”
“Horns?!”
At that moment, a young woman apologized as she wanted to access the hallway (which they were heavily blocking access to). Bokuto turned his eyes to her, and instead of detaching himself from the brunet to move aside, he seized him by the hips and pulled him close to him to clear the way. Without even seeing it coming, Kuroo found himself pressed against his chest, his face so close to his that he could feel his breath on his skin, his "Herculean" arms embracing his hips.
And the second blow was struck.
Kuroo felt his heart swell, swell, until it became gigantic, until it beat on his chest like a taut drum, sending bursts of blood so violently throughout his body that he immediately felt feverish. So violently that his head started to spin and his legs to shake.
All the nerves in his body went haywire, his overloaded neurons began to form electric arcs until the entire system tripped at once, sending hundreds of sparks crackling under his skin.
Bokuto, on the other hand, didn't seem overly affected by the whole thing and continued the conversation naturally:
“Yeah, horns, like this...”
He took his hands off Kuroo's hips to run them through his hair. The brunet felt Bokuto's fingers pass over his skull as he raised his front hair on his head.
“Like this!”
Kuroo was now almost in a state of cerebral death.
“Are you okay, bro?” asked his accomplice.
“Uh, yeah... It does look like horns.”
Bokuto tilted his head to the side.
“Now you're doing the barn owl,” said Kuroo. It took him a crazy amount of brainpower to control the tone of his voice.
Bokuto smiled at him.
The brunet returned the smile. He gave a little push with his arms - still pressed against Bokuto's body - to separate from him.
“Uh... I'll leave you, I have to go... to study,” Kuroo managed to articulate almost correctly.
“Yeah, me too!”
“Uh, so, see you around!”
Kuroo gave him a vague wave, turned around, and went down the stairs. Wrong direction, but no turning back now! Anyway, he needed caffeine, and the only machine was downstairs.
The caffeine did not help his case at all. He spent a good hour rereading the same page on the verge of a heart attack, under the half-annoyed, half-worried gaze of Oikawa. The only positive point was that by the end of the day, he felt like he had run five marathons, which had exhausted him enough that he immediately fell asleep when he came back home.
A few hours earlier, 3rd homicide against a lonely heart:
Kuroo woke up that morning with a chatty migraine and a nagging voice in his head. His alarm had gone off for the first time at 6:45, then at 7, 7:30, 8. For once, he heard them all; he just deliberately decided to let them ring (which didn't help with his headache). It wasn't until around 8:30 that he decided to wake up. He grabbed his phone to inform his study buddies that he wouldn't join them today and immediately pulled the covers up to snuggle in. He would be much more inclined to study once well-rested and with a clearer mind.
Okay, and maybe a tiny part of him didn't want to go to the library as he was afraid of running into Bokuto again. He closed his eyes, trying to let his mind wander enough to lead him to sleep. It took him less than two minutes to realize his efforts were in vain. Out of frustration, he kicked furiously his blanket to get rid of it and sat up. No use, he couldn't get it out of his head. After roughhousing his pillow more than necessary, he eventually calmed down and fell back onto his futon.
Okay, okay, this time it wasn't the caffeine. But now that he thought about it, it wasn't that big of a deal. His body just... reacted... which was natural after all! Why was he so surprised after all? He knew it right away, the moment his eyes landed on Bokuto for the first time! Damn, he didn't call him "Hercule Mercury" for nothing! He had rarely met someone so damn sexy, funny, deeply moving, and... Kuroo knew himself well and knew his weaknesses, so it wasn't surprising how he reacted. That reaction when Bokuto's arms had wrapped around him, and he felt his chest against his and his breath... Kuroo blushed and buried his head in his pillow.
And damn it, this guy made him laugh...
He let go of the pillow.
Okay, okay: he had a little crush on Bokuto… as well.
What was the problem really? His sister Kasumi had multiple crushes when she was in high school, so many that she couldn't decently count them on her hands. Even counting all the guys from her favorite music group at the time, it added up to eight! And Natsume too! He remember when her heart swung between the mysterious bad boy hanging out in front of the school, the geek from her physics-chemistry class, and a math professor from Oxford University whose TED talks she couldn't stop playing on a loop! There was no difference between that and his current situation... Except maybe that he wasn't a high school student experiencing his first romantic rodeos... But apart from that, no differences.
With this last thought, he left his reflection there.
The day passed, the light outside barely filtering through his small window, and the hours flowed, mingling with each other in a strange stream. Kuroo had pushed himself so hard to distance himself from his thoughts that he succeeded in the extreme feat of focusing effectively on his studies. So much so that he had already achieved the goal he had set for himself by the end of the afternoon. He tried to push a little more, without success. He wouldn't go any further today.
So he found himself lazing around in his small apartment, with a pressing desire to do something with his time but too little energy to do anything about it. Out of boredom, he grabbed his phone. He mechanically scrolled through the apps and opened Instagram. He scrolled through the posts without really paying attention but quickly caught up.
He scrolled through his feed and started watching the stories. Not much on that side either since most of the accounts he followed were those of his friends who were more or less all studying. Well, maybe not all of them, Yamaguchi had spent his day posting all kinds of ridiculous (but funny) memes, and Sugawara had posted many photos of Daichi chasing dogs in a park. Those two had some odd dates, but who was he to judge? He finally came across the story of Kenma's official account: on a multicolored background was written, "Live OLF bilingual tonight on my channel 8 PM JST." Kuroo smiled. Sure, he had no idea what "OLF" meant, but he didn't care at all. He had never seen him in "action" and wouldn't miss it for the world!
He glanced at the time: 8:38 PM. He had already missed the beginning of the stream! He got rid of the textbooks he had piled on the floor, grabbed his computer, and went to Kenma's channel (which he had already saved in his favorites but hadn't watched any content from yet). The live opened with what must have been Kenma's screen, who was valiantly fighting against what could be described as the illegitimate child of a dragon and a raging troll. His webcam wasn't on (of course), but his voice could be heard.
He was speaking in a mixture of Japanese and English, switching between the two languages to respond to comments rapidly appearing in the chat window. Kuroo smiled, blissfully euphoric. He vaguely tried to follow what was happening on the screen, and even though Kenma regularly commented on his strategy, he didn't understand much more. He gave up after ten minutes and just listened to his friend’s voice.
The feeling was strange but not unpleasant. He had rarely heard Kenma talk that much; he was even surprised to see that he was physiologically able to express himself for so long without showing any signs of fatigue.
Kenma's voice filled the room, spreading everywhere around and within him. Kuroo noted all the curves of his tone, the slight change in harmonization when he spoke in English, and his breath between each sentence. He eventually turned to the chat window, trying to read the messages that were scrolling down at lightning speed. At the bottom of the window, he could read "Write a message." He hesitated... He wanted to show his presence, but there was little chance Kenma would notice... He hesitated for a few more seconds before finally writing:
Ji Kuso@Neko: Hope you'll die.
Sent.
The comment disappeared in just a few seconds, and he didn't even have time to see it appear on his screen. Kuroo looked at his computer screen, helpless. He could still send him a message... But there was no guarantee he would check his phone if he was in the middle of a stream. He swept the screen with a sorry look. A smile escaped him when he noticed that Kenma's profile picture was a drawing of a small ginger tabby cat looking both disdainful and terrified, most likely caused by the apple placed on the animal's head. Quite fitting, he thought. He looked up. The same little feline appeared on the screen along with the name of a subscriber, followed by a message in Japanese.
“Thank you Pearlonyx for the sub, and hi to you too.”
That was interesting... Kuroo looked for how to mimic this action. Once he found his wallet, he carried out his operation:
Ji Kuso@Neko: Hope you’ll die.
His name appeared on the screen.
“Thank you…”
He heard Kenma chuckle and his heart swelled with euphoria.
“You’re an idiot… And stop doing that or you’ll get banned. Hi to you too Jiji”
Kuroo cracked a smile upon hearing his nickname.
“Guys, say ‘Hi’ to my friend.”
Messages in the chat window began to scroll at a frantic pace, with several hundred people welcoming him all at once.
“That bastard wants me dead, let’s show him what we’ve got."
Kuroo couldn't help but let out a laugh, delighted with the few seconds of interaction he had with his friend. His laughter subsided into a tender smile.
He couldn't believe he had navigated through life for so long without his best friend by his side. Despite their long separation, he didn't feel like much had changed...
Yet, Kuroo thought that in ten years, he had had time to change, to shed what he was, to grow. Usually, when he thought about his youth, he struggled to recall what the child he used to be could think, feel, experience... The exercise of this mnemonic regression was the most alienating.
Not that one... Not that sensation...
Some things hadn't changed, even in ten years... He still remembered those rainy days, those summers where the scent of grass mingled with the fragrance of sea breeze, volleyball practices, winter afternoons on the living room couch... The texture of those memories had never been altered, and they all had one thing in common: Kenma. Kenma under a small blue umbrella, absentmindedly listening to Kuroo telling him about his day on their way home; Kenma lying down in the shade of the only tree on the beach, letting himself be buried in the sand; Kenma passing him the ball during a match; Kenma cuddling with him under the living room blanket, playing Nintendo DS together for hours...
In ten years, he had had time to change, and so had Kenma. Looked like the heart remains youthful much longer than the mind. He felt a slight tingling travel up his legs. He welcomed this sensation with open arms, as painful and exquisite as it was. He closed his eyes. It was time to let go…
3rd homicide against a sorry heart:
Kuroo felt his heart swell, swell until it became gigantic, until it struck his chest like a taut drum, sending bursts of blood so violently through his body that he immediately felt feverish. So violently that his head began to spin, and his legs to shake.
It's boiling in his head, in his organs, it's pure effervescence. It sparkles and jingles, it makes loops, it turns, it rises like an immense wave and wrecks everything on its path.
Kuroo opened his eyes again.
Welcome back sweet insomnia.
Notes:
My poor poor Kuroo… It’s gonna get worse, you know that, right?
Also, just thought about that, the story is set on “canon” timeline, kind of, so we’re in 2016. Good thing for Kuroo, because TikTok rise would have swallowed him whole.Next chapter: “Purgatory”
“As a teenager, Kuroo had to learn to grow in an environment that, while not being hostile per se, did not necessarily provide the best framework for his introspective inquiries. Being 13 years old in Shakotan, a small town on the west coast of Hokkaido, hasn't been always easy. In middle school, most of his friends, 12-13-year-old kids already bombarded with hormones, had the favorite activity of secretly eyeing lingerie catalog models during recess. And yes, Kuroo had to lie countless times: "Hey Kuroo, which one's your favorite?" A difficult question when clearly the opulent breasts of lingerie models appeared less attractive to him than the musculature of the mechanic on the cover of "Turbo Mechanic" in the shop window at the corner of his street.”
Chapter 12: Purgatory
Summary:
“As a teenager, Kuroo had to learn to grow in an environment that, while not being hostile per se, did not necessarily provide the best framework for his introspective inquiries. Being 13 years old in Shakotan, a small town on the west coast of Hokkaido, hasn't always been easy. In middle school, most of his friends, 12-13-year-old kids already bombarded with hormones, loved to look at lingerie catalog models during recess. And yes, Kuroo had to lie countless times: "Hey Kuroo, which one's your favorite?" A difficult question when clearly the opulent breasts of lingerie models appeared less attractive to him than the musculature of the mechanic on the cover of "Turbo Mechanic" in the shop window at the corner of his street.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
As a teenager, Kuroo had to learn to grow in an environment that, while not being hostile per se, did not necessarily provide the best framework for his introspective inquiries. Being 13 years old in Shakotan, a small town on the west coast of Hokkaido, hasn't always been easy. In middle school, most of his friends, 12-13-year-old kids already bombarded with hormones, loved to look at lingerie catalog models during recess. And yes, Kuroo had to lie countless times: "Hey Kuroo, which one's your favorite?" A difficult question when clearly the opulent breasts of lingerie models appeared less attractive to him than the musculature of the mechanic on the cover of "Turbo Mechanic" in the shop window at the corner of his street.
His parents had never said anything that could make him fear any rejection, but they never talked about that kind of thing with him either. Before he realized it, it had never crossed his mind that a man could love another man. He had spent two years secretly fantasizing about mechanics without knowing that other people on Earth could feel the same way as him. His greatest help, undoubtedly, had been the internet, which had answered many of his questions and led him to meet a bunch of people who had helped him find himself, understand himself, and accept himself. So, in a moment of existential crisis like the one he was experiencing now, he turned to the source of all wisdom: the internet.
And just like in the early days of his identity quest, he did this in the dead of the night. Yes, he had a biochemistry exam the next day, and sleep would have been a far wiser occupation, but realistically, he had been staring at the ceiling for hours, so he might as well put his mind at ease.
Kuroo picked up his phone and made sure to open a page in incognito mode: no way the corporations that were already tracking him legally could use the data from the searches he was about to do, and he certainly didn't want targeted ads based on that. He looked at the search bar for a long time, not knowing how to intelligibly express what was on his mind. Finally, he sighed loudly and typed, "Can I have multiple crushes at once?" He hit enter and closed his eyes, somewhat embarrassed about what he had just fed the search engine. Fortunately for him, seeing the number of results found, he was relieved to realize that he hadn't been the first one to ask this question.
He quickly noted that most inquiries were aimed at women, given the sweet tone of some articles and the almost exclusive use of feminine pronouns. "Glamour: The 12 types of crushes that all girls will experience at least once in their life." Kuroo sighed. Given the title, the article seemed oriented towards an editorial line that was meagerly intellectual, sexist, and sadly heteronormative, but Kuroo desperately needed answers. He clicked on the link.
"The 12 types of crushes on guys that all girls will inevitably encounter one day, here they are." Okay... off to a good start.
"No. 1, the celebrity crush: you have posters of him everywhere in your room that you gaze lovingly at before falling asleep, and you have already imagined every detail of your wedding." Kuroo stopped for a moment to think about it. He remembered that for a long time, he had displayed a photo of the volleyball team that had won the 1972 Olympics in his room, a photo he had cut out from an old magazine he found in his father's things. But he didn't remember thinking anything romantic about them... Well, okay, he had fantasized about the mechanic on page 62 of the March 2008 edition of "Turbo Mechanic" hidden under his pillow, but that wasn't really a celebrity crush... Next!
"No. 2, the work crush: the guy who's not necessarily your type and who wouldn't have interested you if you had met him in any other circumstances, but who you feel your little heart fluster for now you've spent three months, nine hours a day in an open space with him." Kuroo made a face. A big no on that one; the only people who could fit this description were Chris and Oikawa, and while his heart trembled at the thought, it was more of horror than anything else.
He scrolled through the page and skipped directly to the 4th.
"No. 4: The 'I keep running into him' crush: you take the bus, he's there, you go shopping, he's three too! He works in your favorite store, and he jogs in the same park as you; coincidence? I don't think so! Go ahead, go for it."
This time, Kuroo had a clear impression that it was more about a dangerous predator than an ordinary citizen living his life innocently. The advice to "go for it" seemed entirely reasonable: get out, change your phone number and apartment before he accidentally shows up in your living room dressed in your underwear and wielding a kitchen knife. Upon reflection, the description oddly matched his first encounters with Sugawara... Kuroo shuddered. The image of Sugawara in a nightgown in his kitchen armed with a knife appeared abominably terrifying for two very different reasons: 1- He was his friend, no homo 2- This guy was creepy when he wanted to be, and Kuroo would be right to fear for his life in a situation like the one depicted in his mind. Next!
"n°5: The barista crush: the guy who works at the coffee shop around the corner, who hands you your latte with a little wink. No, no, it's not because the coffee there is very good that you go there every morning, but because he melts your heart!"
Kuroo froze. Damn... Guilty. Akaashi could fit this description. He never winked at him—or Kuroo would have already died of a heart attack by now—but he always smiled at him while handing him his coffee... A smile to damn all the freaking saints and make archangels turn pale with jealousy... He had to admit that his heart was not immune to it. He swallowed and continued reading.
"n°6, the inappropriate crush."
Yuck, what now? A crush on your cousin, your brother’s crack dealer? Nope!
"n°7: the anger crush: between hate and love, there's only one step..."
Kuroo let out a little laugh. Ah, the famous "enemy to lover," Kuroo was himself pretty familiar with this trope... In high school, he had spent almost two years hating on the captain of the basketball team (those sneaky bastards always stole their training slots) and ended up dating him for several months at the end of high school... Good times.
"n°8, the Fun-crush: the guy who leaves you rolling with laughter every time you meet, and don't they say 'make her laugh, you're halfway there", well, that might as well be true.”
Kuroo blushed: especially when the person in question is built like a living god... There was nothing to deny on that front. Bokuto did indeed leave him "rolling with laughter ", and as for the rest of the sentence, he certainly wouldn't say no...
Kuroo let his head fall back into his pillow, bored by his own sappiness. After zoning out for a while, he picked up his phone again. He scrolled down the page, not feeling particularly concerned about the rest of the list: no, he wasn't about to have a crush on his best friend's husband... No, not on the dirty-haired teenager singing in his favorite bar...
"n°12: the childhood crush."
Thanks, Sherlock, he was very aware...
"You will definitely have some, if not all, of these crushes in your life; they will mark your journey, and who knows, among them, maybe the right one will be hidden!"
Great, that was really helpful! What did that mean? Three at once in the "12 types of ridiculous crushes that will torment you and make you feel miserable" bingo, ô joy! Did he get a special prize now?
He sighed.
He reread the last paragraph several times, but each time got stuck on the last words: "maybe the right one will be hidden among them"...
"The right one"...
This providential statement made him increasingly uneasy, and he didn't know what to do with the unpleasantly gloomy feeling starting to grow within him. Ten minutes of reading for… nothing. He pressed the back arrow to return to browsing. Fashion magazine, mushy blog... oh, a forum reeking of teen angst: perfect!
Yuki89 asks: "Is it normal to have multiple crushes at the same time?" and so on, etc., a story he didn't care about, but the question nonetheless seemed to perfectly match his concerns!
To this question, "Flexilus8516" answered: yes.
Well, there you go, end of the story, if "Flexilus8516" said so, it was probably true, no more worries, life could go on. Certainly, the problem was not exactly solved.
To the same question, "Xixi-StartDust" had replied: "yes, but if you want to go further, you'll have to choose!"
Kuroo continued to stare at his screen until it became completely blurry. Finally, he blinked and laid his phone back on his chest. Two things had bothered him in that sentence: the "go further" and "choose." He completely understood the definition, but the application seemed obscure to him.
Did he want to go further?
No answer. "Thank you for your non-participation, dear conscience," he said to himself (said conscience didn't bother to answer).
Just because he had recurring tachycardic episodes in the presence of these charming gentlemen didn't mean he wanted to go further, right? It would be better for his physical (and mental) health, anyway... Well, if the mechanic from page 62 showed up in his room tomorrow, would he go further? No, certainly not!
He had to reconsider his words by imagining the scene... Maybe it wouldn't bother him that much after all... Well, it was more of a fantasy, nothing really concrete. Kuroo sighed and rested his phone against his chest.
"Go further." The more he thought about it, the more his thoughts distorted in his head, silent and loud echoes at the same time, ultimately turning into a dull and heavy hum. The lack of sleep didn't help, taking his mind on shifting paths that only lovers of late hours could know, a serenity covering the turmoil of a silent storm. The great cyclone in his head eventually engulfed him, and he sank into a heavy sleep.
He was awakened by the sound of rain. Opening his eyes, he realized he was sitting on the steps of a building. What was he doing there again? He stood up and turned around... Akaashi was there under his large umbrella. The rain stopped, and the sunlight surrounded the young man in front of him, painting him like a holy figure. Akaashi winked at him and closed the umbrella. Kuroo said nothing, hypnotized. He then felt Akaashi's hand entwine with his, and felt him put his arm around his back to pull him closer. He whispered, his breath caressing his neck: "The rain stopped."
Kuroo woke up, feeling on the verge of suffocation, his heart pounding so hard against his chest that he lost his breath.
"Bro, are you okay?"
Kuroo turned, his eyes falling directly on Bokuto, who was looking at him with concern. They were in the university library, sitting at a table between two large wings of books. Kuroo looked down, realizing that he must have fallen asleep on his notebooks.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't realize I fell asleep," he heard himself say.
"Bro, you've been drooling on your books for 20 minutes."
"Damn it, why didn't you wake me up?"
Bokuto rested his head against his fist, smiling at him.
"Nahh, you were too cute, I wasn't going to do that!"
Kuroo chuckled.
"Too cute?"
Bokuto just nodded. He settled back in his chair, sighed loudly, and started stretching like a big cat.
"Dude, I can't take it anymore, I'm soooo bored... You know what would be cool?"
"No?" Kuroo asked, a smile already forming on his lips.
"The trampoline park !"
Kuroo frowned.
"These idiots ?! Nah,we're not going back there, are we?"
"Oh yeah... We can go downtown then... Or we can go back to the pond, we couldn't pet the swan last time!"
"That jerk slipped through our fingers!"
"Shall we go then?"
"Of course! That damn swan deserves some love!"
Bokuto leaped from his chair.
"You're the best!"
He grabbed Kuroo by the collar of his sweatshirt and pulled him into a kiss. Kuroo smiled into the kiss and put his hands on Bokuto's neck.
Kuroo opened his eyes, breathless, his heart pounding. He couldn’t see a thing, and the darkness only heightened his anxiety.
"Tetsu?"
The light blinded him for a moment, but he quickly got used to it and turned his head toward the voice that had called him. On the other side of the bed, Kenma was looking at him, sleepy-eyed, looking a bit worried.
"Are you okay?" the blond asked.
"Yes, just a dream..."
"A nightmare?
"I don't remember..."
Kenma nodded. He adjusted his pillow and settled back under the covers.
"Come here."
He opened his arms. Kuroo approached to rest his head against his chest. He heard Kenma turn off the light before turning to hug him. Kenma planted a kiss on the top of his head before whispering:
"Go back to sleep."
Kuroo opened his eyes. The glow of streetlights illuminated his apartment in evanescent beams of light. He heard the first train pass at Nishi-nippori station, making the metal structures in front of his building vibrate. He was back to reality. Why did he feel so dull then? He turned to face the ceiling. He looked at it for a while. He could remember every second of his dreams as if they were memories rather than fanciful fabrics of his mind. The grand euphoria felt in the dream had oxidized upon contact with reality and had become acid, corrosive, and painful. He let out a heavy sigh, and let the tears roll down his face.
-//-
Despite his cruel lack of sleep, Kuroo managed to get through his biochemistry exam without major issues. Sure, he had to take a five-minute nap in the restroom before going back to his exam, but this brief boost of energy was more than enough. Fortunately for him, his insomnia didn't occur the night before his neurophysiology midterm; the consequences would have been much more serious in that case. He even finished early and, being the good friend he was, was currently waiting for Oikawa in front of the lecture hall. The latter appeared just as the rest of the students were leaving the exam room, conversations already buzzing with discussions and comparisons of answers. They greeted each other with a wave and left the building side by side.
"How did it go?" asked Kuroo.
Oikawa clicked his tongue, and replied, "It went well, of course. Failure is impossible for me."
Amused, Kuroo raised an eyebrow, "That's not what you were saying two days ago when you were whining in front of your revision notes!"
The diva looked deeply offended by this remark, "First of all, I wasn't 'whining,' I..."
"You were being dramatic. You’re right, nothing new."
"No. And fuck you."
Kuroo chuckled. That was enough to break Oikawa out of his diva act, and he let out a smile.
"All right, I admit I had a moment of weakness. Thanks for helping me."
The brunet looked shocked, "What? The great Oikawa Tōru, thanking me? No!"
Oikawa rolled his eyes, "And I'm the drama queen here..."
"I couldn't possibly usurp the title that rightfully belongs to you, my dear."
"Damn, but you're really in good shape," complained Oikawa. "Stepping out to jerk off during the exam did put you in a good mood."
Kuroo almost choked on his saliva, "What? No, not at all!"
Oikawa raised an eyebrow, a suggestive smile on his lips, "You were gone for quite a while though."
"First of all, you should have focused on your exam rather than my activities. Second of all, I was just taking a nap."
"A nap? Yeah right."
"I swear!"
"Who takes naps during an exam?"
"I needed a micro nap, and for your information, it was very effective! I just slept badly last night."
"Yeah... What kept you awake?"
"Ugh, nothing. I just kept having weird dreams..."
"Wet dreams? Is that why you took a 'micro-nap'?"
"No!"
Wet dreams? If only! His mind would have been more at ease. No, no, much worse : his brain had decided to serve him up "domestic fluff" in various forms, much more challenging to explain than a wet dream.
They exchanged a complicit look, and silence fell.
Kuroo gradually detached himself from the world around him, his thoughts quickly overwhelming him with a myriad of questions.
"You’re sure everything’s okay?” Oikawa said, surprising him with the concerned and benevolent tone in his voice.
"Uh... Yeah, no problem. Why?"
Oikawa-the-diva immediately made a comeback, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms, unimpressed by what was evidently a lie.
"Dude, you reek of stress, and you took a nap in the middle of an exam. I don't have to be a genius to see that something's wrong."
A smile appeared on the brunet's lips, touched to see the chestnut-haired worried about him.
"No, don't worry. It's just the exams and everything getting on my nerves."
"Mmm," Oikawa uttered, still unconvinced.
"I swear, no worries."
"Okay."
They resumed their walk.
"Wait... what do you mean I 'reek' of stress?" Kuroo stopped once again.
Oikawa looked at him as if he were profoundly stupid, "I don't understand which word you don't get."
"'Reek,' like, is it figurative? I've never heard that expression."
"...Oh no, it's completely literal. You literally stink."
"Okay, thanks for still gracing me with your company."
"You're welcome."
And he continued walking.
"But how 'literal'?" Kuroo tucked his nose under his jacket; he still smelled good.
Oikawa waved his arms, disoriented by his friend's cruel lack of intelligence.
"Don't get upset; I don't understand how I can smell an emotion!"
Oikawa seemed dismayed. "It's not your emotion; it's the physiological response, you big puddle of noodles."
Kuroo stood in the middle of the path, perplexed. What? And then, "big puddle of noodles," was that really an insult?
Oikawa dropped his face into his hands and sighed loudly. Kuroo still didn't move. The chestnut-haired took a deep breath, clearly indicating that he was making a superhuman effort to remain friendly.
"I'll assume you just haven't connected the dots... Kuroo, when you stress, you release..."
"Um... cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine?"
"There you go..."
Kuroo didn't seem particularly impressed.
Oikawa sighed. "Basically, it increases the concentration of these hormones in your body, and... it changes your scent."
"Okay..."
"You don't seem convinced."
"Um... I don't know; I just never noticed... Never had someone say to me, 'I can smell that you're producing more cortisol than usual.'"
Oikawa seemed irritated, but his eyes betrayed a certain amusement.
"That's what you get for hanging out with clueless betas!”
"I didn't have much of a choice, and given the gang, I caught up! Plus, you guys have an overdeveloped sense of smell !"
Oikawa frowned, "What does my sense of smell have to do with your ignorance?"
"No, it's not fair!"
"Yeah okay, I have a more developed VNO than you, but..."
"A what?"
"VNO, but..."
Oikawa didn't finish his sentence upon seeing Kuroo's expression.
"Do you know what it means?"
"Very nauseous orangutang?” ventured Kuroo.
Oikawa chuckled, "No, vomeronasal organ."
"Oh, of course, yeah obviously "
"I still wonder how you can be both so intelligent and yet so dumb at the same time."
Kuroo had to admit that the Japanese education system had missed some points in his education. Being constantly reminded of this wasn't necessarily pleasant, but he had learned to take it with humor.
"You should start a club with Tsukki. Fortunately, I have the incredible chance to be in the presence of an eminent being who will lift me out of my abysmal incompetence."
Oikawa rolled his eyes but couldn't help but let out a smile.
"It's an organ that detects pheromones."
"Oh... I didn't know that... Another thing I don't have..."
"What else do you not have? Neurons?"
"I was going to say my dignity, but that works too," joked Kuroo.
The remark made the chestnut-haired laugh.
"All this to say that I might have a more developed VNO than you, but you can still notice it without it."
"Notice what? Sorry, it's the mourning for my VNO that weighs on me; I forgot the beginning of the conversation."
"Changes in scent in response to a physiological response caused by an emotion."
"Oh, yes, couldn't we have had an easier topic?"
"What? Like why you went to jerk off during an exam?"
"Exactly, want the details?"
"With pleasure. I'm listening."
Kuroo smiled, amused that his friends had followed him, but now unable to continue on that path without it becoming very disturbing.
"So, you were saying... changes in scents in response to the physiological response of an emotion, an eminently important subject."
"Indeed."
"And you were telling me that I, poor clueless beta that I am, also possessed this superpower."
"To a lesser extent, yes."
"I didn't know you were so well-versed in the olfactory capabilities of betas," said Kuroo, intentionally trying to be provocative.
"I grew up with betas, Kuroo. I didn't discover them at 22," replied Oikawa in a haughty tone that the brunet knew well. "And my mate is a beta."
"Valid argument."
"Obviously."
Kuroo pretended to repeat his words with an outrageously childish pout. Strangely, it was what made Oikawa relax, and he smiled genuinely.
"I know that non-betas communicate a lot, um... olfactively, but can you recognize other emotions? Or I don’t know, something like that? " asked Kuroo, genuinely interested.
"Hmm... Alphas and omegas can change the intensity or type of pheromones they release... we can convey most basic information..."
"Cool!"
"With betas, it's different; most olfactory signals happen unintentionally... So fear, stress... irritation, attraction, and..." - a mischievous smile appeared on his lips - "coitus."
Kuroo stopped again, stunned. "What?"
Oikawa crossed his arms, maintaining his smile, which clearly didn't hide the suggestive tone of his words. "Really?"
Oikawa nodded. "Until the hormonal rush completely dissipates. That's why I know you didn't go jerk off during the exam."
"Ah... so you were just saying that to mess with me?"
"Yep."
"Hmm..."
Kuroo remained momentarily speechless. Before a disgusted grimace appeared on his face.
"So, does that mean that whenever you meet someone, you can tell if they fucked?"
"Basically, yes..."
The news delighted and disturbed Kuroo equally. His curiosity spoke for him. "Okay, tell me about them, then." Kuroo gestured toward a group of young people a few meters away.
"I'm on suppressants now, it doesn't work."
"Ah, that's reassuring... So 90% of the time, you don't know."
"Hmm... Well, I do; I just need to know someone's usual smell well enough to notice. Like your, for example."
"What you're telling me is deeply troubling," Kuroo confessed.
"I know," replied Oikawa, tapping his nose.
"Stop!" complained Kuroo, squirming in discomfort.
Oikawa chuckled.
Kuroo thought about all those solitary pleasures he had allowed himself during morning showers before going to class... where he sat next to Oikawa... Just thinking about it made him shudder in horror. He would now consider adapting his "extracurricular activities" to avoid this kind of embarrassment. He couldn't believe it took him 22 years to learn such a crucial piece of information...
"Well, I'll be on my way then; I wouldn't want Iwa-chan to wait too long."
"Oh yes, what would he do without you?" the brunet said sarcastically.
"He would be lost, I, the light of his life, honey of his existence, his absolute and only!"
Kuroo rolled his eyes. "Never too much"
"Never," affirmed Oikawa, amused.
His phone vibrated in his hand, and he continued, "Speaking of devil, he's texting me, 'where are you, my beloved, I long for you.'"
"I doubt it, knowing him, he probably wrote something like, 'where are you, move your ass, Shittykawa,'" Kuroo suggested.
"Six of one, half a dozen of the other! Wait, he's calling me." - he answered the call - "Yes, apple of my eye, love of my life?"
Kuroo chuckled, imagining the face Iwaizumi was probably making on the other end of the line. Although he didn't hear the reply, which he imagined was quite biting, it seemed to delight Oikawa. His face lit up with a youthful and genuine smile. Kuroo had seen him wear such an expression before but seeing him like this was always profoundly touching.
"Kuroo, see you tomorrow," said his friend softly, putting his hand on the microphone.
He waved goodbye, and Oikawa resumed the conversation as he walked away. Kuroo watched him go, a smile on his lips.
"Apple of my eye, love of my life, I swear," he murmured to himself, amused by the grandiose absurdity of his friend.
Was it really so absurd? Over the top, certainly, but absurd... He thought again about Oikawa's smile, genuine and loving. Without really knowing the reason why, he felt his own heart grow heavier, and his smile faded. He stopped, halted by the buzzing and deafening flow of thoughts crossing his mind. He couldn't escape it for long...
He sighed, raised his head, and walked toward the subway station.
-//-
The rest of the week was a nightmare, but it was finally over. After their last exam, Oikawa, Chris, and himself had gone to CATO. The atmosphere there was lively and euphoric. Oikawa, Chris, Sugawara, and himself were in the middle of a game of Daifugō, which unfortunately for him was turning into a nightmare after a good dozen rounds of him ending up Daihinmin. In his defense, Chris was just too good at this game: silent and observant, he was practically unbeatable. How had he become so good at this game without years of experience?
"Chris, how many years did you practice becoming such a monster at this game?" joked the brunet.
The one called Chris stopped to think.
"Five, six years."
Kuroo was struck by the casualness of his answer.
"We played every day when I was in high school."
"You played Daifugō too?" Sugawara asked.
Kuroo couldn't tell if the latter was genuinely interested or just trying to distract him to snatch his victory.
"It's not called the same, but the rules are the same..."
"Oh really," Sugawara said.
Now Kuroo could confirm that it was indeed a strategy on his part. Sugawara took the lead and played a pair of 9, leaving him with only three cards in hand. Five for Chris. Victory was his.
"Yes," the blond simply replied before laying down a pair of twos and a triple king in succession. "I'm done."
The rest of the players protested. Oikawa even threw his cards on the table, upset by this outcome.
"Tōru! Don't throw your cards; we won't be able to determine the order," Suga remarked, attempting to reconstruct his opponent's hand. He certainly wasn't losing track; he might not be the first, but he still had a second place to conquer.
"I don't care, I'm done!" complained the chestnut-haired one.
Chris said nothing, but Kuroo could detect the hint of a victorious smile on his lips.
"But no, wait," insisted the silver-haired one, offering him his cards.
Oikawa vehemently refused, sulking like a child. Sugawara insisted, using his softest voice, a fine manipulation technique to get what he wanted. He only gave in when Nishinoya approached him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you available sometime next week? I need to go to the city hall."
"Uh, yes, Tuesday morning if you want. Why are they bothering you now?"
"I don't know, something about property, shit like that," Noya replied, sitting on the couch armrest.
Kuroo frowned. "Suga-mama, are you also a real estate advisor in addition to being a barista and a seller? You never cease to amaze me!"
Sugawara chuckled. "No..."
"Sugawara is my sub," Noya declared bluntly, giving him a big smile.
The brunet remained momentarily stunned, batting his eyelashes. Sub? Were Sugawara and Nishinoya engaging in extramarital BDSM? And apparently, everyone knew and accepted it... Kuroo wasn't one to judge; they were free to spend their free time as they pleased. However, he struggled to understand why this needed to be brought to the attention of the Tokyo administration. Perhaps this "property" matter had nothing to do with real estate after all?
Kuroo was abruptly interrupted in his internal monologue by Oikawa, who kicked him in the calf.
"Oh, Kuroo, you really have a dirty mind!" he said, visibly exasperated.
The brunet couldn't believe he had guessed what was on his mind. The other two, however, didn't seem to grasp it.
"It means alpha of substitution, you big pervert!" Oikawa clarified with all the kindness he was humanly capable of: none.
"Oh..."
"What were you thinking about?" Nishinoya asked.
"Ah, nothing," Kuroo lied.
Sugawara seemed momentarily perplexed before bursting into laughter.
"Oh no..."
"What?" Noya asked.
"You would indeed make a good Dom, Noya," Suga threw out before being hit by another round of laughter.
Noya, too, transitioned from perplexity to hilarity.
"I wouldn't want to overshadow you, Dom-daddy," he said, with a suggestive tone.
They all laughed even louder.
"Oi, oi, I couldn't have guessed!" Kuroo tried to defend himself.
"Oh...” Sugawara was out of breath. “I have to tell Yamaguchi, Tadashi!"
Oh, good grief, not Yamaguchi! Not only because he would relish in his humiliation, but mainly because he would also tell Tsukki, doubling or even tripling his embarrassment.
Fortunately for him, Yamaguchi was out of earshot. Now he needed to divert attention.
"So, uh, Suga, you're... a sub?"
Sugawara turned his attention back to him.
"Yes," he affirmed, not without a hint of hilarity in his voice. "Oikawa is Asahi's if you want to know."
The latter simply nodded.
"Oh... Glad to know that... And what's it for?"
"To bypass the T.O.P" Noya explained.
“How so?”
“According to the T.O.P, omegas are placed under the guardianship of an alpha. If it's not their mate, it's a family member, or the alpha leader assigned to the district where you live,” clarified Nishinoya.
"And since we didn't want to be bothered by our families or some super annoying alpha Sô-shi, no offense Suga, we found this arrangement," Noya concluded.
Kuroo was left dumbfounded, stunned to learn each day that a portion of the population had fewer rights than an 18th-century woman, which wasn't much. He didn't know if he wanted to burst into tears or punch a wall. Noya seemed to pick up on the emotional cocktail brewing within him:
"Yeah, I know, it sucks... But it's quite common..."
"Disregard for rights?" Kuroo asked sarcastically.
"That too, but I was talking about subs," clarified Noya.
"Oh. Well, that's fucked up."
"Thanks, Sherlock," retorted Oikawa.
Kuroo said nothing. He could see that, for once, Oikawa wasn't angry with him. He gave a sad smile but remained silent. The discussions around him resumed as if nothing special had happened. Kuroo had a harder time coming back to reality. He eventually thought of Kenma and Bokuto... Of everything they had never confided in him, of everything they might be going through.
He remembered Kenma's face when he told him about his secondary and Bokuto's expression when he was denied entry to the Kart circuit. His heart grew heavier. He still didn't know if he wanted to burst into tears or punch a wall, but he was leaning towards the former. He snapped out of it when he felt a hand on his shoulder: Noya was smiling at him. The eye contact lasted only a few seconds before the young man went back to sitting on the couch armrest, resuming his conversation with his friends. Kuroo watched him. He felt a bit ashamed to have to be cheered up by someone who directly experienced this kind of injustice every day. Their eyes met again. Kuroo nodded his thanks, and Noya simply smiled back.
It was at that moment that Yamaguchi rushed in:
"We should throw a party!" he announced cheerfully.
"Why? " asked Tsukki, who hadn't been informed.
" The end of exams!"
This didn't seem to please everyone.
"Suga? " Yamaguchi asked, thinking the silver-haired one would be his best ally.
"Uh... I don't know..."
"What! But why?"
"First of all, we didn't take any exams..."
"No, but who cares; it's a reason to celebrate! Plus, we usually do it every year!"
"Yes, and every time, it coincides with everyone's birthdays, and we can't stop for a month," added Suga.
"What do you mean everyone's birthdays? It's just you and Hinata; it's not the end of the world!"
"And Iwaizumi," Sugawara added.
"I can barely stand the face of Shittykawa's for my birthday," commented Iwaizumi who had just arrived next to his mate. The latter attempted a strange contortion to elbow him without changing his position. The others seemed more amused than offended by his remark.
"Yes, but... "Sugawara began.
"Yes, I know, some of us work, me too, and we're going back to classes next week, it's the right time! Wait !" Yamaguchi grabbed Hinata's sleeve as he passed by to present his idea. An idea that seemed to delight the redhead, who began signing rapidly while hopping.
" Come on, Kōshi," Sawamura insisted, siding with the kids.
"Alright, alright!"
"Yes! " Yamaguchi rejoiced.
If Suga-daddy said yes, it meant it was a yes for everyone, apparently.
"What are we talking about?" Tanaka asked as he approached, followed by Asahi.
It was Hinata who answered his question!
"Cool! Where are we doing this?"
" I don't know... here ?" Yamaguchi suggested.
"No, no !"Noya intervened. "Last time, the neighbors hassled me for weeks with your jackass bullshits
Tsukishima raised an eyebrow:
"Our bullshits? You're the one who decided to climb the wall to get on the neighbor's balcony and steal their cat!"
"Whoa, Tsukki, that cat was super cute, okay! You can't judge me on that! And I was super stealthy like a ninja."
His demonstration nearly blinded Asahi; luckily, the latter was used to it and avoided the impact without too much difficulty.
"You're the one to talk,"Nishinoya continued, "you were singing Speed at the top of your lungs."
Kuroo almost choked on his saliva.
"What?!"
Tsukki sulked:
"Kageyama started it!"
Kuroo couldn't believe his ears... Tsukishima and Kageyama singing loudly to 90s pop... that couldn't possibly be true.
"Sugawara provoked me," Kageyama defended himself.
All eyes turned to the one in question.
"What? Daichi wanted to hear you sing!"
"Yes,but so did you."
"There you go."
" So, " Kuroo asked in a hushed voice, particularly interested in the question.
Sugawara leaned in his direction to confide:
"Kageyama sings like a kettle, but Tsukki has an angelic voice!"
"Really?"
Suga nodded. Kuroo turned his awestruck gaze to Tsukki.
"Not even in your dreams."
"Oh, cupcake, I want to hear that so much!"
Tsukishima seemed troubled by the nickname but quickly regained his composure:
"You can forget about it."
"Oh, I'll make you sing," Kuroo insisted with a manic smile.
"We won't hear anyone sing if we don't know where to do it!"
"Can't we just go to a bar?" Kageyama suggested.
"No, that's lame! Alright, so, whose place, Suga?"
"Mine? Are you crazy, Tadashi, there's no space at our place!"
"That's true..."
"And why not at your place if you insist so much," Suga suggested.
"No." Tsukki replied firmly.
"If you want, we can do it at my place."
All eyes turned to Chris, whose intervention was quite surprising.
"Really?" Kuroo asked.
Chris just nodded.
" You can really feat all of us?"
"I think so... For the noise, I don't think there will be too much trouble either."
Hinata shook Kageyama's sleeve to make him give him a recap of the situation. Kageyama complied. The news seemed to delight the redhead, who started jumping out of pure joy.
"Well, I think it's decided then," Daichi said.
"When are we doing this?"
"Saturday night, is that okay with you?" Chris suggested.
By the unanimous enthusiastic cheers, Chris could tell that the answer was yes.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Next chapter “The Theorem of sentimental geometry”
"Chris... you live here?"
The latter simply nodded.
"Wow... I thought it was just a cliché that the Luxembourgish were loaded..."
The remark made the blond laugh. It was around this time that the rest of the gang joined them, all expressing their surprise upon seeing the mansion.
"It's one of my parents' houses; they're letting me use it for now," Chris informed them.
"One of the houses... Chris, houses plural?"
The blond said nothing and just walked up to the front door.
"Chris, houses plural? Chris!"See ya
Chapter 13: The theorem of sentimental geometry
Summary:
"Chris... you live here?"
The latter simply nodded.
"Wow... I thought it was just a cliché that the Luxembourgish were loaded..."
The remark made the blond laugh. It was around this time that the rest of the gang joined them, all expressing their surprise upon seeing the mansion.
"It's one of my parents' houses; they're letting me use it for now," Chris informed them.
"One of the houses... Chris, houses plural?"
The blond said nothing and just walked up to the front door.
"Chris, houses plural? Chris!"
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
--
With nearly thirty-eight million inhabitants recorded in 2016, Tokyo ranked first in the list of the world's most populous cities. It took great imagination to accommodate all these people, packed into tiny boxes stacked up to the sky. The search for a house without anyone near overlooking, which already sounded fancy, was by no means conceivable.
One had to get used to living in the intimacy of neighbors. Unless one lived on the fiftieth floor of a tower, the idea of not having a view of other human beings was pure fantasy. Before moving to the capital, Kuroo had extensively explored different neighborhoods on Google Maps, and one thing was clear: unless you lived in the middle of a park, there was no way to have more than two square meters around your property all to yourself. Not a street corner was wasted, not a plot of land remained unturned. Even a mansion of the most bombastic luxury had to be cornered by wobbly grey houses. At least, that's what Kuroo thought, until Chris guided them to his place.
Kuroo started feeling perplexed when they took the subway to Meguro station. His confusion intensified when they changed to a train that left them at Den-enchofu station, one of the most upscale neighborhoods in the Tokyo suburbs, known for its villas and extravagantly expensive houses. What could a student in his early twenties possibly do there? Apart from living in the sewers, Kuroo couldn't see how, according to the blond, they could find a space large enough to accommodate them all. It was true that the sewers could offer enough space for their debauchery, provided they didn't mind the native rodents.
Kuroo had almost gotten used to this idea but had to reassess his predictions when Chris led them to a staircase, almost concealed by thick vegetation. The more they climbed, the less the sewer theory held water. They passed by the slightly decrepit gate of an old temple and continued to climb. After ten minutes of tiring climbing, Kuroo finally asked, out of breath:
"Are we almost there? We’ve been climbing for ages! "
"It’s been two minutes," Kageyama replied, sounding slightly annoyed.
"Yes, we're almost there," Chris replied.
The jerk dared to speak without a hint of breathlessness in his voice.
Kuroo was on the verge of collapse. Where had the stamina of his youth gone? He really needed to get back into jogging, or any kind of physical activity… Well, not any kind, not the kind of physical activity one might practice with tanned Mechanics… Well, you get him.
He turned his gaze. Everyone around looked perfectly comfortable with the trek they were undertaking, probably already intoxicated with euphoria. He finally caught Tsukishima's gaze, clearly amused to see him in agony. He growled - something he had picked up after spending so much time with "belligerent" alphas - but it only amused the blond. Kuroo shot him a dark look, straightened up, and returned to the leading front of their group.
An infinite amount of time had passed (about forty-five seconds) when Chris finally announced:
"We're here."
Kuroo looked up and almost fell backwards. Before them stood a magnificent residence, a blend of traditional Japanese architecture and ultra-modern design, proudly standing at the end of an alley illuminated by small lanterns. A few other houses were perched on top of the hill but were distant enough for their light to be almost erased by the youthful night. Chris led him to the gate, which he opened before inviting him to follow.
"Chris... you live here?"
The latter simply nodded.
"Wow... I thought it was just a cliché that the Luxembourgish were loaded..."
The remark made the blond laugh.
"It's one of my parents' houses; they're letting me use it for now," Chris informed them.
"One of the houses... Chris, houses plural?"
The blond said nothing and just walked up to the front door.
"Chris, houses plural? Chris!"
He didn't have time to insist further as he was bumped by Yamaguchi, who rushed up the alley at full speed, shouting with joy, a bottle of tequila in each hand, closely followed by Hinata bouncing like an ecstatic rabbit. Kuroo remained dumbfounded for a good while until Daichi, probably sensing his deep distress, put an arm around his shoulders to guide him forward. Sugawara gently patted him on the back and also rushed toward the entrance at full speed.
The euphoria quickly took entropic turns when Chris started a quick tour of the place, and Yamaguchi and Hinata began to open a bottle of tequila. Apart from Chris's room, there were still four available bedrooms, including the immense living room; the place had enough space to accommodate everyone for the night. Kuroo tried to secure a spot in one of the cozy beds, but all of them had been claimed before he could do anything about it. Having also decided against sleeping with one of the many couples in his group of friends, he chose to simply accept his fate.
As he was going down to return to the living room, where some had already started settling in, Kuroo said, "This house is huge, it's crazy to find something like this."
Suga beside him nodded to emphasize this words.
"It's a house my mother inherited from her grandparents," Chris said. "My parents renovated it before I was born."
"I didn't know you had family here," Suga noted.
"Not anymore. When I was younger, my family used to come here for vacations, but then we were too... um... too many."
Kuroo, who vaguely wondered when the first waves of Luxembourgish immigration had taken place, was puzzled by the response.
"You were too many?"
Chris nodded. "Yes, ten is a lot for here."
The brunet frowned. Ten? He remained dumbfounded for a moment. Kuroo already thought he came from a large family, but ten! That was definitely another level! Suga didn't seem particularly phased by the statement. He just replied, "Yeah, for sure," and once they reached the ground floor, quickly joined the others. Chris turned to Kuroo, still standing on the stairs.
"Kuroo?"
"I don't know why I thought you were an only child; now I discover you have seven siblings... I feel stupid for not asking earlier."
Chris just smiled at him and explained, "I have three older brothers and one older sister."
"Oh, ok, nice!”
Wait, that was only five children! How did they manage to have ten people in his mansion? Cousins maybe? Child mortality, perhaps? Could child mortality be so significant in a country with such a healthy GDP? Or was it all just a translation error on Chris’s part ?
Before he could delve deeper into the subject, Chris had already been accosted by Hinata and Yamaguchi, who were visibly no longer at their first tequila shot. Kuroo decided to put his questions aside and finally join his friends. They were all settled in the living room, scattered in small groups sprawled here and there. Voices and laughter mingled with the background music, creating a sparkling and warm atmosphere that enveloped the brunet.
"Alright! Let's do something!" suddenly shouted Nishinoya, climbing over the couch.
"Hell yeah!" exclaimed Tanaka.
"Okay, but what?" Sugawara asked.
"A drinking game!" suggested Yamaguchi while raising his glass of an unidentified mixture.
"No!"
Kuroo was surprised to find that Sugawara and Daichi's voices had joined his on this last intervention. They all looked at each other, a little surprised. In the past, Kuroo had already noticed that his metabolism couldn't keep up with that of overly excited alphas; he didn't necessarily want to end up on the floor in half an hour. He didn’t know however what was Sugawara and Sawamura excuses.
"Oh, come on!" pouted Yamaguchi.
"What should we do then?" Kageyama intervened laconically, translating what his mate had just signed.
Ideas began to fly from all sides, but everyone fell silent when Chris cleared his throat to get their attention.
"I bought a game," he announced almost ceremoniously.
"Oh, cool, what is it?" Kuroo asked.
Chris crossed the room to retrieve a small paper bag placed on the TV stand. He came back and handed it to the brunet.
"Oh, it's like a Truth or Dare kind of game," Sugawara intervened, reading over Kuroo's shoulder.
Most of the audience seemed delighted, except for Tsukishima, who was unimpressed.
"We're not twelve," he muttered.
"Come on, Tsukki! It’ll be fun, give it a try."
The blond rolled his eyes but didn't offer much more resistance. He just crouched down next to his mate. Sugawara, who had finally retrieved the game box, began to explain the rules:
"Well, first, we need to sit in a circle..."
Chris moved the coffee table, and everyone quickly settled.
"Starting a round: choose a moderator. In case of debate, the moderator has the final say, so choose carefully," Sugawara read.
"Who do we choose?"
"Chris?" suggested Kuroo.
Everyone seemed to agree, thus honoring their host.
"Place the spinner and play cards in the center," Sugawara complied. "The moderator opens the round by drawing a spinner card designating the person to be questioned, then draws a play card and asks the 'truth' question. If and only if the designated person refuses, they have to accept the dare. They can appeal; in that case, the moderator decides on the course of action. The turn continues with the last person questioned. The game continues until the players or cards are exhausted, or until death"
They all laughed.
"Okay, Chris, you start, draw a spinner card."
The latter complied and read:
"To the person on the left, Kuroo, then."
The brunet nodded, waiting for the question.
Chris drew the second card, took a few seconds to translate it before reading aloud:
"When was the last time you cried?"
"Well, that's a great start," Yamaguchi sarcastically commented.
Indeed, especially considering that the answer was, "this morning when I woke up, like every other morning this week." Kuroo wasn't eager to dampen the mood right off the bat.
"We're not starting with that! What's the dare?"
"Let another player do your hair..."
Kageyama had barely finished transcribing the answer when Hinata volunteered, soon joined by Yamaguchi, whose motivations seemed far less innocent. To Kuroo's dismay, Yamaguchi had the habit of wearing several hair ties on his wrist, and the brunet quickly found himself adorned with two pigtails.
It was Kuroo's turn to draw:
"Left, roll the dice... Is there a dice?"
Sugawara retrieved the box and handed him the black and red dice inside.
"Three -" Kuroo let out a sinister smile "- Yamaguchi."
"What? But I'm not even there!" protested Yamaguchi, who was still busy ruining Kuroo's hair.
"I don't care; that's your spot; it's your turn."
"But...”
"Moderator?"
Chris nodded. Yamaguchi sighed for the sake of it and returned to his seat.
"Go ahead."
"Okay: What's the worst thing you've ever hidden from your parents?"
"Yeah, but no, that doesn't work," Yamaguchi intervened.
"Why not?"
"We were raised in the same clan," Sugawara explained.
This only added to Kuroo's confusion.
"Sô-Shi clans raise children collectively," Iwaizumi clarified across from him.
Not wanting to come across as the clueless beta he was, Kuroo wisely decided not to delve into the matter. Sure, the question could have been rephrased in a more open-ended way, like "What's the worst thing you've hidden from a legal guardian during your childhood development?" but did he really want to go down that path? The answer was a no, of course.
"Oh... Okay... So the dare is: put four ice cubes in your mouth and keep them until they melt."
"What? Can't I have another card? Chris?"
"I think I have ice cubes in the freezer," Chris replied.
"No! Wait!"
Yamaguchi got up to try to dissuade the blond, who had just gone into the kitchen.
"I didn't know you guys grew up together," Kuroo said to the silver-haired one.
"Yeah, we've known each other since we were little," the latter replied, smiling.
"Oh, you must have plenty of embarrassing stories to tell, then," Kuroo wiggled his eyebrows in a slyly conspiratorial manner.
"Ah, ah, tons... But everything has a price, my dear..."
"I'll bring you all the food you desire."
"Now we're speaking!"
They laughed together.
"But I thought Yamaguchi was a Yama-shi, like Hinata."
The remark seemed to make Sugawara slightly uneasy; he tensed slightly.
"Yeah, that's right," replied Yamaguchi, who had just returned with his bowl of ice cubes. "But how do I ask the question if I have ice cubes in my mouth?"
"You figure it out," Oikawa replied.
"Come on, hurry up!" Tsukishima urged.
His mate shot him a dark look before finally complying. Once all the ice cubes were in his mouth, he drew the first card and almost dropped an ice cube as he smiled. He pointed at Hinata, pleased to not have to speak to ask the question.
"What is the part of your body you hate the most?" Yamaguchi signed.
The redhead barely thought for a few seconds before answering:
"My hair."
The response revolted the audience, who protested and showered him with compliments about the magnificence of his hair. Hinata, now smiling broadly, drew a card. He rolled a three and landed on Asahi. The redhead handed the question card to his mate to read aloud:
"Asahi-san, in your opinion, which of the players would survive the longest in a zombie attack, and who would die first?"
Asahi seemed to ponder the question for a long time before answering.
"Yuu..."
"Ohhh, do you think I would survive the longest?" Nishinoya exclaimed.
"Of course not, you would die first."
"Hey!"
"What? You would charge headfirst and get bitten straight away."
"Yeah, true," conceded his mate.
"And Ryūnosuke would end up the same way."
"Yeah, that’s about right."
"For the one who would survive the longest... I don’t know, maybe Daichi? Or Suga."
"Seriously, the zombies would be more scared of him than the other way around," remarked Nishinoya.
"Or Iwaizumi," Asahi finally suggested, turning to the person in question, "you would head to a farm in the middle of nowhere with a shotgun..."
"Yeah, I can see that for him," Daichi noted.
Iwaizumi smirked and nodded.
The next question was actually directed at him:
"Iwaizumi, what is the worst excuse you've used to cancel a date at the last minute?" Asahi asked.
"That doesn't work," Oikawa intervened before his mate could formulate a response. “He just says, 'I'm not in the mood, I'm not coming,' and that's it.”
The statement seemed to be widely accepted among the other players, and even by Iwaizumi.
"Okay, okay, so what about the dare?" Asahi asked, turning his gaze to the moderator to inquire about his verdict.
Chris nodded.
"Okay... So the dare is... you have to lick... a bar of soap."
"What?" asked Oikawa.
"I’m just reading..."
"Alright," replied Imaizumi, seemingly unfazed by the challenge.
The host went to fetch the most beautiful of his soap bars and handed it to the brunet.
The audience held their breath as Iwaizumi considered the object of the dare. He frowned and solemnly bit into the soap bar. Everyone remained dumbfounded.
"What the fuck..." murmured Yamaguchi.
Noya burst into laughter, Oikawa stood up to approach the soap-eater.
"Are you out of your mind?! Spit it out!" he ordered him with the severity of an overwhelmed housewife.
Iwaizumi swallowed. By the deep disgust he displayed, it was clear to everyone that the ginger-scented soap wasn’t to his liking.
"We said lick!" exclaimed Oikawa.
"Do you want a glass of water?" Daichi asked.
"No! It will make bubbles!" Tanaka shouted.
"Here," Nishinoya intervened, handing him a glass.
Imaizumi quickly gulped it down, but it seemed to worsen his condition.
"What the fuck is that?" he asked between coughing fits.
"Vodka."
"Are you freaking crazy!" Oikawa exclaimed.
"What? At least it doesn't foam!"
" You're really..."
Oikawa couldn't go any further. His mate had grabbed his arm to signal that everything was fine. The chestnut-haired let out a long groan before returning to his seat.
Once the commotion subsided, the game continued. Iwaizumi, whose voice was now slightly hoarse, had to ask his question to his right-hand neighbor.
"Sawamura, what is the worst physical pain you've ever experienced?"
Although the question didn't necessarily lend itself to it, Daichi let out a nervous laugh and blushed. He looked up at Sugawara, who had already buried his face in his hands. Kuroo went back and forth between the two, wondering what dark truth was about to be revealed to them.
"Hmmm... Well, Kōshi bit me once until I bled... it wasn't really pleasant..."
Yamaguchi chuckled maliciously, muttering a very friendly "fucking Sô-shi," and Sugawara had to slump onto Oikawa to slap the back of his sneaky little head.
"Oh no, don't you remember the time when you crashed with Ryū?" Nishinoya intervened.
"Oh yeah! It was bad, so bad!" Tanaka added.
"Oh, yes! Once we were playing, and I took Tanaka head-on... That really knocked me out,” explained Daichi. “Yeah, that wasn’t fun either.”
Kuroo put on his most mischievous smile and whispered to the silver-haired one.
"Kinky... This Sub story, and now this... Well, I didn't know you were into BDSM."
"Oh, shut up," he whispered back. "Well, Daichi, now that you've embarrassed, it's your turn to ask the question."
The man in question let out a little laugh before drawing his card.
"Chris... How many people have you kissed in your life?"
The blond nodded but did not answer. Long seconds passed in silence. Kuroo wondered if Chris had understood the question correctly, but before he could ask, his friend said:
"Sober?"
"Yeah, well, the one you remember."
And Chris went back to his calculation. Kuroo frowned. Answering an equation with three unknowns would have taken him less time than this!
"Thirty-three," the blond finally answered.
"What?!" Kuroo exclaimed, genuinely surprised.
"Does that surprise you?"
"I don't know... I didn't know you were such a Casanova in the past!" the brunet remarked, a hint of humor in his tone.
"In the past?" the blond asked, much to Kuroo's surprise.
Chris didn't dwell on it and grabbed his cards.
"Kageyama, what is the most embarrassing music you listen to most often."
The question seemed to upset Kageyama, who scowled.
"Dare?" he asked.
"Give a compliment to the person on your left."
Kageyama sighed and turned to Hinata. He considered him for a long time before signing :
"You have a nice sweatshirt."
The compliment, albeit quite insubstantial, did not seem to please the redhead at all.
"Your compliment sucks."
"Oh yeah? Well, go ahead then if you can do better!"
"Okay. You are the most amazing person I have ever met, and I love you more than anything in the world!"
"Oh yeah, well..."
The rest of the non-verbal jousting completely escaped Kuroo, now resembling more of a battle straight out of Naruto than a passionate declaration of love.
"Alright! Stop being awkward," Tsukishima finally interrupted.
The two exchanged a final "I love you" sign before turning away from each other, as annoyed as if they had a fight. Kageyama violently rolled the dice and got a six. He looked at Tsukishima and drew the play card. What he read made him smile, and it was with a certain jubilation that he asked the blond:
"Do you sing in the shower? If so, what was your last cover?"
Tsukishima narrowed his eyes, trying to appear subtly threatening, probably hoping it would deter his interlocutor from insisting. It was in vain against Kageyama, whose triumphant smile only widened.
"If you want, you can choose the dare, but it means you have to give a singing demonstration," the brunet continued.
"Oh, sing, cupcake!" Kuroo exclaimed.
"You're lying," the blond asserted.
Kageyama shrugged and leaned in to let him read the card. Obviously, he wasn't lying. Tsukishima, offended, but not wanting to lose any of his honor, straightened up and crossed his arms.
"I don't sing in the shower."
"You're lying," Yamaguchi intervened.
Tsukishima shot him a dark look, which only amused his mate.
"Of course, he's lying!" Kuroo shouted.
"Speak!" Kageyama ordered. "Or sing."
Tsukishima focused his gaze on him and let out a low growl. Kageyama raised an eyebrow without letting go of his mischievous smile. The blond seemed to give up and murmured an inaudible response.
"What?"
"Me too... by Meghan Trainor."
Kuroo remained bewildered for a moment before bursting into laughter, and half of the group quickly joined in.
"What kind of song is that?" Daichi asked.
This was followed by a magnificent singing demonstration by Tanaka and Nishinoya, which finished off everyone. It wasn't until long minutes later, out of breath from laughing so much, that the game could finally continue.
"Tanaka, it's your turn."
"I'm listening, 'Sexy girl.'"
Tsukishima sighed before reading his question:
"What is the most embarrassing thing you've done on a date?"
Tanaka rubbed his chin, thinking intensely about the question.
"Hmm... Oh yeah, I know, I brought Noya," he revealed, pointing to the interested party.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that!"
"It was like… 2 pm and we ate like pigs while the girl just had an expresso."
"Why did you do that?" Oikawa asked.
"I don't know... I think I just didn't realize it was a date..."
"And you thought, 'hey, she invited me for a coffee, she probably wants to eat dried meat with my best friend,'?" Asahi added.
"I was just super nervous! She was super pretty!" Tanaka defended himself while scratching his head.
"Great technique," Oikawa sarcastically remarked.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, not my brightest moment. Now, my turn! Oh, and by the way, Oikawa, it's for you."
"Go on."
"What is your record for sleep? Like, how many consecutive hours have you slept the longest, I guess."
"Who wrote these questions?" Sugawara asked before grabbing the game box to find the answer to his question.
"Seventy-two hours," Oikawa answered without hesitation.
"What?"
"I thought he was dead," Iwaizumi added.
"And you didn't wake him up?" Yamaguchi asked.
The person in question simply shook his head negatively. Was it really surprising coming from this particular individual? Not really.
"But what did you do to sleep that long?" Kuroo asked.
"It was after my first shared rut, I crashed out and... that's it," Oikawa explained.
Now Kuroo understood why he had to take his classes for a week...
"Wow, three days ! I think my max is like... eighteen or twenty hours... Otherwise, I'm starving," Yamaguchi intervened.
And to think that Kuroo thought he was doing well when he slept more than ten hours without interruption... Jealousy was starting to creep in. He would give so much to sleep for twenty hours straight, especially right now...
"I'm not telling you how out of sync I was afterward," Oikawa commented. "Okay, it's my turn,” he drew his cards “Person to my right, Suga, it's for you."
"Hmm."
"If a genie granted you three wishes, what would they be?"
Sugawara swayed for a few seconds while grabbing his knees to catalyze his thoughts.
"I don't know... To pass this damn exam ," the group approved. "To sleep peacefully for seventy-two hours... And for the third one , I don't know, have a Michelin-starred chef cook for me every day?"
"Oh, well, thank you!" protested his mate.
"Are you a Michelin-starred chef now?" Sugawara joked.
"If it were me, I’d choose to not have ruts anymore," Oikawa intervened.
"Oh, Yeah! Me too! " Yamaguchi and Sugawara chimed in unison.
For once, all the alphas in the assembly agreed on the matter.
"Same, it's annoying!" Nishinoya joined in, with Asahi nodding vigorously.
Kuroo was initially surprised by their reaction. He quickly remembered that his sisters had already had this discussion about their periods... In short, he wasn't really competent to debate the issue, but he could understand.
"Well, we can't do much about it anyway," Sugawara concluded, grabbing new cards. "Kuroo! What is the weirdest place you've ever peed? Seriously, who wrote this..."
Kuroo smiled, and shared with them, with a pinch of extravagant and absurd details, the time when, at a friend's secret party, he found himself facing his friend's parents after using the master suite’s bathroom. While he was fairly drunk, he did manage to hold a ten-minute conversation with them and later left their house with a homemade jar of jam and some fresh onigiris. The anecdote seemed to delight the audience, who couldn't stop choking with laughter.
Next was Iwaizumi, who unsurprisingly revealed that the worst thing he had ever eaten was the soap he had chewed half an hour earlier and was having trouble digesting. Daichi revealed that his greatest dream was to live secluded in the countryside with a pack of dogs, an idea that didn't particularly please Sugawara, who couldn't see himself sharing his territory with a dozen dogs.
Tanaka swallowed a raw egg, and Kageyama had to show an embarrassing photo. The photo turned out to be more adorable than embarrassing, as Hinata showed a picture of the brunet aged 4, dressed in dinosaur overalls.
If Oikawa ever ended up on a deserted island, he would take Iwaizumi with him, not for romantic reasons, but rather because he could build him a shelter and later serve as a reserve for dried meat.
Nishinoya had to call Tanaka's sister and sing the national anthem to her. Finally, Chris revealed his immense talent as an actor by impersonating Kageyama—an activity that required the use of no facial muscles, except for a slight eyebrow furrow.
It was at this moment that the game took a less joyful turn.
"Sugawara, a question for you," announced Chris. "What is your greatest regret?"
The face of the silver-haired man darkened, and his features tensed imperceptibly. He glanced furtively at Yamaguchi before raising his eyes to the sky.
"Hmm… Maybe not having been able to protect as much as I wanted to," his expression changed instantly, "and never managing to learn more than three words in French!"
"I could teach you if you want," Chris offered.
"That's kind of you, but I think I'm a lost cause!"
They all laughed. However, Kuroo noticed from the corner of his eye that when Sugawara felt the general attention shift away from him, he leaned back further to secretly grasp Yamaguchi's hand in his own before straightening up, rejoining the conversation as if nothing happened.
The game resumed, and Kuroo relaxed when Hinata had to give them a twerking demonstration. The final execution resembled more an imitation of a fish wriggling out of the water, but it was done with such gusto that it could only command respect. Later, Yamaguchi, who once again couldn't answer the "truth" question, ended up having to howl for a minute. However, this seemed to satisfy him more than anything, and he tackled the task with passion, much to Sugawara's dismay, who had to fight with all his might not to howl too. Fortunately for Sugawara, Yamaguchi could only carry out his mischief for a few seconds before the entire assembly begged him to be shut up.
"Kuroo, it's your turn," Yamaguchi smiled, "do you have a crush? If so, reveal their identity."
The brunet tensed up and froze completely.
"What is fucking wrong with these questions! We're not twelve years old!” Tsukishima grumbled.
Kuroo had never appreciated his bratty comeback more.
"Hush! Come on, Kuroo!"
Kuroo felt the blood rush to his head; he hoped that his friends' advanced state of inebriation would allow him to go unnoticed.
"I..hum..maybe?" he stammered.
"What kind of answer is that! What does that mean? Oh! Who is it? Here?" Yamaguchi asked.
"What do you mean here? You're all in a relationship here!"
"So what! And besides, it's not true; there's Tanaka."
Kuroo rolled his eyes and turned his gaze to the interested party.
"Tanaka-san, you are a charming person, but I have no feelings for you," he solemnly announced to highlight the absurdity of the situation.
"No problem, my brother. I too have no feelings for you, Kuroo-san."
"Blah blah blah, that doesn't tell us anything," Yamaguchi interrupted, "spill the beans!"
"Can I choose the dare?"
"No!" Yamaguchi said.
"Yes," Chris countered.
"Ugh... Okay, then you chug your drink in one go."
"Very well!"
Kuroo grabbed his glass, filled with a previously concocted, unidentified mixture signed Yamaguchi, and downed it in one gulp. The alcohol, which had been only slightly diluted, burned his throat, but he maintained appearances and dignifiedly put his glass back on the floor.
Fortunately for him, this was the moment Tsukishima chose to announce that he had had enough of it and stood up. Everyone then scattered, conversations resuming everywhere. Kuroo and his secrets were finally safe when half the group got excited to play beer pong. Kuroo still didn't quite understand the appeal, knowing he wouldn't last more than ten minutes, but he was relieved that the conversation had definitively turned away from him.
Nevertheless, Kuroo got caught up in the moment and joined the group in the garage for a game of beer pong. After two very bad throws and two cups of warm beer, he wisely decided to withdraw from the game. He officiated as a referee for a while but quickly abandoned his title as he began to be invaded by dark thoughts.
When he came back to himself, the players had started playing with three balls at the same time, and Kageyama and Hinata had resumed their non-verbal banter. Laughter filled the space, voices brimming with euphoria. But Kuroo suddenly felt profoundly detached, as if he were a mere spectator of the scene. It took him a while to shake off this alienating sensation that enveloped his mind. Finally, he lowered his eyes to his glass. A large glass of water would do him good. He went back inside and headed to the kitchen. He drank a first glass of water, spent several minutes staring at the wall, then poured himself a second one. As he was about to rejoin the garage, he passed by the glass door overlooking a small garden where several voices emanated. As he went out, he found Oikawa, Sugawara, and Chris sitting on the grass, chatting peacefully. Spotting him, they greeted him and invited him to join them. Kuroo smiled and obliged.
"What are you drinking?" Oikawa asked.
"Water."
"A wise choice," Sugawara commented.
"Hmm... What were you talking about?"
"The relationships between the gaseous, stellar, structural, and chemical properties of galaxies to study and predict their evolutions," Oikawa replied.
Kuroo nodded; the question was indeed relevant.
"And do you understand?" the brunet asked Sugawara.
"Yes, of course. And they decided to start speaking in English to include me even more in the discussion," Sugawara said with irony.
Kuroo chuckled.
"Sorry, Sugawara, I didn't know how to talk about it in Japanese," Chris apologized politely.
"It's okay, but I worry about Kuroo; not sure if he'll follow," Sugawara humorously replied.
"Yeah, right."
They laughed together.
"Well!" Oikawa finally exclaimed, "so you 'maybe' have a crush."
Kuroo almost choked on his sip of water.
"Uh..."
“Uh ?”
Now Sugawara joined in, making his eyebrows bounce. Kuroo rolled his eyes. Unfortunately for him, the two alphas in front of him had definitely switched to "gossip" mode, and there was no point in trying to steer the conversation away now. Even Chris seemed interested in the question. Kuroo remained silent for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. After all, he could simply lie...
Oh, screw it! His conscience had already plunged, and the alcohol rushing through his veins had finished breaking down his barriers. If he couldn't broach the subject when completely uninhibited, he would never be able to do it.
"Um, well, actually..."
"Yeah? "Sugawara insisted.
Damn, now he was blushing! He ran his hand through his hair to regain composure and continued:
"Actually, it's more like three...crushes"
Kuroo timidly raised his eyes, dreading the reaction of his interlocutors. The interested parties did seem surprised, but it didn't appear to be overtly negative.
"And I'm the Casanova,". Chris playfully remarked, automatically easing Kuroo's tension.
"Wooh, well..."
"Hmm, and who is it? " Oikawa hurriedly asked.
"No one... a secret, " Kuroo childishly replied.
"Oh, a secret," Sugawara emphasized." And... among these three, isn't there one that, I don't know"
"Who might fancy some company? " Oikawa eagerly inquired.
Kuroo averted his eyes.
"Pff, I don't know..."
"Don't tell me you've been friend-zoned by all of them! That suck!" Oikawa chimed in.
"I hope you know very well that the friend-zone concept is bullshit, but no, I don't think so... I mean, yes, we are friends for now but... I don't know... it's just that..."
They waited for the end of the sentence... in vain.
"That?" Sugawara insisted.
"His harem is so vast, he doesn't know on whom to set his sights," Oikawa joked.
Sugawara chuckled, and as he was about to add to the joke, Kuroo intervened:
"Well, for real, it's a bit like that... I'm just lost, I don't know what to do."
"Well, first of all, do you want to do something ?" Sugawara noted.
"Yeah, I guess... I don't even know."
"Okay, okay, I know! Tell us a bit about them, what you like about them; it might help you see things more clearly," Sugawara suggested.
The brunet raised an eyebrow. Despite the seemingly benevolent tone of the sentence, Kuroo could tell it was more about feasting on the narration than genuinely helping.
"Seriously, it's not a bad idea," Oikawa emphasized.
Kuroo looked at them suspiciously.
"Oh, come on! If you want to keep their "anonymity," let's just say it's A, B, and C."
Kuroo relaxed slightly but remained silent.
"Come on, don't be shy. Tell us about A first."
Kuroo took a deep breath. He downed his glass in one go. He was disappointed to remember it was just water, so he grabbed the sake lying next to Oikawa's feet, poured himself a glass, and downed it. Now that his dramatic effect was achieved, he could start.
"Okay... okay... um."
"A."
"Yes, A."
The image of Akaashi rushed through his mind.
"A is... well, A is fucking gorgeous; it's just insane... And... impressive, with intelligence that completely blows me away. He's... sharp but delicate in his humor, a bit cheeky... And his voice, I... I don't know, when I'm with him, it's like I'm drowned in his presence as if I've been stuffed into the drum of a washing machine on a rapid cycle at 1200 rpm, but it's so exhilarating... Just thinking about him gives me goosebumps... And then there's B, who is first thing first, um, also freaking gorgeous, demigod carved-in-marble gorgeous. And... He makes me laugh, a lot. When I'm with him, I'm five years old again, and I'm having a blast... And B can be so… moving, and with a strength that puzzles me. When I'm with him, it feels like I stuck my fingers into an electrical outlet, and it twists my brain, but I still want to go back, even with a fork if necessary. When I think of his laughter and... his gaze, it feels like having a bug farm in my stomach... And then there's C... Oh, C! What to say... finding him again was cataclysmic, as if I had was reunited with a part of myself, he is so... So himself... And when I think of him, when I'm with him, it feels like I'm a damn effervescent aspirin tablet in a glass of water, it fizzes, and it burns me at the same time, and I could just explode! And, um, that's it."
Kuroo finally stopped, breathless from the tirade he had just delivered.
Silence fell heavily.
Kuroo looked up. His friends in front of him seemed completely stunned by what he had just told them.
A laughter on the verge of hysteria, burst into the silence. Kuroo turned around. Yamaguchi, laughing, and Tsukishima, apparently very amused, emerged from behind a bush. Kuroo fought the urge to run away and act as if nothing had happened.
"What were you doing there?" He asked.
"You don't want to know, " said Yamaguchi.
He burst into laughter again.
"What's so funny?"Kuroo asked.
Yamaguchi wiped a tear from the corner of his eye:
"Oh, man, I expected something ridiculous, but you can't seriously believe it's just a little crush; we're on a damn different level here!"
Kuroo said nothing. He turned again to his three comrades who seemed to share that opinion.
"He's not wrong... " Sugawara murmured. His lips stretched into a sweet smile.
Kuroo closed his eyes, feeling his resistance crumble. A tremendous weight lifted off his heart, and he felt like falling backward off a building. His throat tightened.
"I know..." he finally confessed, his voice filled with tears.
Unable to hold back, he burst into tears. He knew that beer pong was not a good idea at all!
"Oh no, I didn't mean to make you cry! " Yamaguchi reassured him.
He crouched beside him and hugged him, which didn't help Kuroo's lacrimal glands at all. However, he couldn't help but laugh when the younger one started purring in the embrace to try to calm him down. He pulled away from him and managed to give him a smile to show that he was okay. Yamaguchi let go of him but sat beside him. Kuroo chuckled, released another burst of tears, sniffed loudly, and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Damn, I'm pathetic," Kuroo announced.
"No, you're not," Sugawara reassured him.
"Very much so,"Tsukishima joked.
Kuroo laughed again. Damn, that jerk was almost lifting his spirits.
"Come on, it's not a big deal," Oikawa said.
"But I know it's not a big deal! That's what's bothering me... Still, I'm lost... I can't sleep, and if I do, I keep having weird dreams!"
"Oh, wet dreams? " Yamaguchi suggested.
"If only! If only, damn it! But no, instead, I dream that I have a house by the sea with C, that I go on a trip to Venice with A, and that I raise a pack of dogs in the mountains with B!"
"You have twisted fantasies," Tsukishima remarked.
"Hmm, I don't know... I can totally see you raising a pack of dogs with Bokuto-san, it fits," Oikawa commented.
Kuroo was stunned. It took him a few seconds to respond:
"But... How do you know it's Bokuto?"
"Kuroo, it's so obvious that it's painful! As for A and C..."
"A is Akaashi-san, right?" Chris suggested.
"And C is Kenma," Tsukishima and Yamaguchi finished in unison.
Kuroo was astonished.
"Wow, you guys are so much more informed than me; I'm almost jealous," Sugawara confessed.
"But, we're right, right? "Yamaguchi hurriedly asked.
The brunet nodded.
"So, what do I do then?"
The audience seemed to possess no more of an answer to this question than he did.
"Wait, I found a WikiHow," Yamaguchi intervened.
"Really?" the silver-haired one exclaimed.
"Not surprising," Kuroo added. "Once, I found 'how to euthanize your goldfish without making it suffer' so...,"
" How did you come across that?" Tsukishima asked.
"My sister's fish got stuck in the air tube, he wasn't doing well after that, so I had to be the big brother, you know."
"You scientists are all a bit crazy anyway," sarcastically remarked Sugawara, which earned him a punch in the ribs from Oikawa.
Kuroo smiled, but before he could intervene, Yamaguchi spoke up:
"Okay, you have to answer these questions. The first one is 'who do you have the most fun with?'"
"What?"
"Like, time flies by so fast because it's so much fun," Yamaguchi explained again.
Kuroo paused to think.
"Don't overthink it, just say what comes to your mind!" the younger one ordered him.
"Okay, okay! I don't know... Bokuto? We goof around pretty well... Or Akaashi, we could talk for hours... Or Kenma... I could spend hours doing nothing with him, and I wouldn't get bored... Or..."
"Well, just choose! " Yamaguchi urged impatiently.
"That's the fucking problem!” the brunet defended himself.
"Oh... Yeah. Well, next question then: 'Who treats you the best?'"
"That's a stupid question; if they treated me like crap, I wouldn't be in this situation!"
Tsukishima nodded. Even if it didn't seem like it, he still seemed somewhat absorbed in the conversation.
"No, but wait, there's a photo where the guy gives him flowers, it's probably in that sense," Yamaguchi tried to explain.
"Did someone give you flowers?" Oikawa asked with a smile.
"No. By the way, no one has ever given me flowers..."
"That's a shame, "Oikawa remarked.
"I like to buy myself flowers sometimes," Sugawara intervened, it looks nice.
"Kōshi, we don't care! We're talking about romantic gestures here!"
"Uh... Well, Akaashi has bought me several coffees... Bokuto, food..."
"Ah, it's narrowing down!"
"But no, this is stupid, it doesn't work like that!" Kuroo complained.
"Ugh, but you're not helping either! Come on, next question: List the traits you like the most about each person'."
"Oh no, we are not going through that again! " Tsukishima snapped.
"Hmm, I think you already answered that one." noted Chris.
"Well, okay, next 'decide which one you feel most compatible with'," Yamaguchi read.
"I don't know, that's the problem!"
"Damn it, Kuroo, you're not very cooperative," Yamaguchi joked. "Well then, after that, 'talk to your friends,' I think we've done that, or go talk to a therapist."
"What?" Kuroo had almost choked on his saliva.
"And why don't you choose not to choose?" Chris finally intervened.
All eyes turned to him.
"Oh, yeah, you could test the waters first, right?" Sugawara suggested.
The idea didn't seem to please Kuroo.
"Yeah, that too... That's not what I meant, but it works too, " Chris said.
Kuroo frowned.
"What did you mean? Date all three of them? Wouldn't that be unfair?"
"Unfair to whom?"
"I don't know, to them..."
Chris shrugged:
"If they know about it and you all agree, there's no problem, right?"
Kuroo was left dumbfounded. Where did this idea come from? He couldn't possibly consider that option!"
"Yeah... Well, actually, that's the last point,” Yamaguchi intervened, “'Take the time to reflect on your stance on monogamy'."
Kuroo was left breathless. He looked at Yamaguchi for a long moment and maintained his gaze when he lifted his eyes from his phone. He then turned his head to the rest of his friends. No one seemed as stunned as he was. On the contrary, they all seemed to consider the option as a perfectly acceptable choice. Kuroo had never been a fervent defender of morals and virtue, but this... He shook his head frantically, and attempted to start a few sentences unsuccessfully before finally managing to articulate his thoughts:
"But, I can't do that!"
"Why? Chris calmly asked.
Was this a massive cultural shock? He couldn't believe he was being asked such a question. Chris, however, seemed to bear no particular judgment, animosity, or challenge. His question was surprisingly honest and innocent.
Kuroo didn't want to resort to preconceived speeches, ideas he had no control over, and that weren't necessarily his own. He finally answered honestly:
“I don't know... It doesn't seem very healthy, or viable... or even just right?"
"Why?"
The question had once again been asked with complete honesty.
Kuroo remained silent.
"My parents are like that, and they have been together for a very long time... And I don't think it's unhealthy," Chris eventually revealed.
Kuroo was stunned. He gaped like a fish out of water, unable to respond. The others seemed, however, more intrigued than shocked by the revelation.
"Chris, sorry to ask, " Sugawara intervened, "but how many parents do you have?"
Kuroo had never heard such a question; he had to replay it in his head to make sure he had understood correctly.
"Five," the blond simply replied.
"What! " Kuroo exclaimed.
"Hm, that explains the house," Oikawa remarked in a conversational tone.
The rest of the group simply nodded, as if it made perfect sense.
"But you never told me,” Kuroo exclaimed.
"You never asked,” the blond replied.
Fair enough. He hadn't asked... He hadn't actually asked that question to anyone...ever. Should he start doing it?
"Um, betas or a polygynous clan?" Sugawara asked.
A what now?
"A clan," Chris simply replied.
Once again, everyone except Kuroo seemed to be following events correctly. Well, correctly, he wasn't sure how to judge it.
"Uh, guys, include me here," he finally asked.
Yamaguchi turned to him again:
"Oh... Do you remember when I told you about hierarchies in different non-beta social groups?"
Kuroo nodded.
"I didn't specify, but some groups have polygynous structures. In short, instead of having a core composed of an alpha leader and their omega, the core is... more extensive, and can be made up of several alphas, omegas, and even betas sometimes... It's less common, but yes... Polyamorous relationships, as there can be among betas, although it's less, uh, socially accepted."
"Like... an open relationship?"
"Um... no, but... I see what you mean, sometimes, it depends on the situation. Sometimes the core is exclusive; it's the decision of those who compose it, you know..."
Kuroo was stunned. He simply nodded, struggling to digest the information he had just been fed.
"My mother comes from an ancient Yama-kita clan," Chris announced a statement that once again made no sense to Kuroo.
"Oh! Is she Japanese then? " Sugawara asked.
"Yes. That's why I speak Japanese; she taught me."
"Woah, woah!" Kuroo intervened. "There's a bit of false advertising here! I thought you learned it here, and that's why we spoke English at the beginning!"
"Yes and no... I learned it when I was young, but we don't really speak it at home. I just had to remember... I also learned a lot here."
"That explains the rapid improvement," Sugawara remarked. "I feel less stupid for not being able to speak French after all these years..."
Chris smiled at him.
Silence settled in again. Kuroo felt that attention had once again turned to him.
Oikawa was the first to speak again:
"Anyway, Kuroo... Clan or no clan, poly or not, it's up to you, and them too."
"Yes... you might not have to come to that. Just question your feelings, or where you want to go. Take your chances and see where it leads you, I think that's all we can advise you for now, " Sugawara concluded.
Kuroo felt his heart tighten. He nodded.
"Come on, give me a hug."
Sugawara opened his arms.
Kuroo smiled at him. In the end, being surrounded by extremely tactile people wasn't so bad. It had taken him a while to get used to it at first, but he had come to enjoy it quite a bit. He dragged himself to join him and accepted the embrace.
"Pathetic, really, "Tsukishima commented.
"Shut up, " Kuroo retorted, without a hint of animosity in his voice.
Sugawara chuckled but didn't let go of him. Oikawa leaned his head against his, and Yamaguchi came to sandwich him between him and Sugawara.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"And remember, it's not the end of the world."
Kuroo had learned many theorems in his life: the Pythagorean theorem, Thales' theorem, Bernoulli's theorem, Borel-Cantelli's theorem, Goodstein's theorem... But he hadn't yet encountered this one, and it was probably the hardest he had to face: the theorem of sentimental geometry.
-End of the chapter-
Notes:
Next chapter : “ The wind blows”
"It's Sunday. What would I be doing on campus?"
"I don't know, bro, I like it here."
"What are you doing there?"
"I had to drop something off; now I have to wait for my ride home."
Kuroo chuckled. Little Bo had to wait patiently for someone to come and get him safely home.
"I thought I'd go for a jog while waiting, and I thought, 'Wah, it would be cool if my bro was here too,' so... you live nearby, right?"
Kuroo grimaced. It was nice of him to think of him, but the idea of getting out of bed to go tire himself out was almost painful.
"Oh, I don't know, I have a killer hangover, man..."
"All the more reason! Come on, bro!"
Kuroo looked at his phone for a long time. He really didn't want to... However, he thought back to the reflection he had earlier: seize the opportunity and see where it would take him. He weighed the pros and cons for a while before finally replying:
"Alright, I'm coming. I'll be there in fifteen, max twenty minutes."
Chapter 14: The wind blows
Summary:
“It's Sunday, what would I be doing on campus?”
“I don't know, Bro, I like it here.”
“What are you doing there?”
“I had to drop something off :) have to wait for my drive home.”
Kuroo chuckled. Little Bo had to wait patiently for someone to come and get him safely home.
“I thought I'd go for a jog while waiting, and I thought ‘ Wah, would be cool if my bro was here too’, soo… You live nearby right ?”
Kuroo grimaced. It was nice of him to think of him, but the idea of getting out of bed to tire himself out was almost painful.
Oh, I don't know, I have a killer hangover, man...”
“All the more reason, come on, Bro!”
Kuroo looked at his phone for a long time. He weighed the pros and cons for a while before finally replying:
“Alright, I'm coming. I'll be there in fifteen, max twenty minutes.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Surprisingly, it wasn't a pounding headache that woke Kuroo the next morning, but the gentle touch of dawn light on his eyelids. He opened his eyes, his gaze falling directly on the distant horizon painted with orange hues behind the glass door. His sensations gradually returned, still blurred by the mists of his sleep. He must have fallen asleep at some point in the evening; he couldn't even remember drifting off, but there he was, lying on the floor in the middle of the living room. It was at that moment that he felt the weight against his leg. He lowered his eyes and stifled a laugh, realizing that he wasn't the only one who had collapsed into sleep: Sugawara had fallen asleep against his thigh, holding Yamaguchi in his arms. Tsukishima rested his head on his mate's stomach. Looking up, he noticed that none of the rooms had been used since the entire living room floor was occupied by sleepers, more or less stacked on top of each other. He chuckled, noting that only Hinata had managed to find a cozy spot. He was sprawled on the sofa in a very precarious position, half of his body threatening to return to solid ground quickly. His dangling hand was pressed against his mate's cheek lying on the floor. Only Chris was missing from the scene.
Now that he was fully awake, he could here noises coming from the kitchen. He got up: a delicate operation given the human Mikado challenge he had to face. Once on his feet, he stepped over the others to join the kitchen. He found Chris, leaning on the kitchen island, a cup of steaming beverage in hand. The guy had the audacity to look fresh and rested. He smiled and waved at him
“You're ok?”
“Yeah I guess...”
“Coffee?”
“God yes.”
Chris nodded and turned to prepare him a cup of coffee. Kuroo felt already energized with the first sip.
“Dude, what the hell happened to your living room?”
Chris raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips.
“Never been part of pack cuddles?”
“Is that what it is?”
Chris nodded.
“Better get used to it I think,” he added with a smirk.
“Didn't see you there, and you don’t look like someone who slept on the floor.”
The blond shrugged.
“My bed seemed like a better option.”
“ Right. Hey, by the way, why am I bothering to speak English now that I know Japanese is one of your mother tongues?”
Chris grimaced.
“ I’m not multilingual in the morning.”
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
“I heard you talking to yourself in German before I arrived.”
“That wasn't German.”
“And you just answered my question in Japanese.”
Chris rolled his eyes.
“Ok ok, you got me there.”
They exchanged a knowing glance.
“What time is it ?” asked Kuroo after a while.
“Hmm, six thirty.”
The brunet nodded. He stretched like a big cat before asking:
“Do you need some help cleaning up?”
The blond chuckled.
“You don’t remember that you already cleaned everything last night?”
“Woh, nope. I didn't know I had a tidy-drunk side.”
“You do, and it's quite handy.”
“Well… I'm going to finish my night in my bed then… I think I reek of drunk alphas since they all slept on me, but at least I won't be bothered.”
“Ok… You know how to get back to the train station?”
“Yeah… I have my phone just in case.”
“Ok… See you tomorrow then.”
“Hmm… And thanks for the party, it was cool.”
Kuroo gathered his belongings, and the blond escorted him to the door. They waved each other goodbye, but as Chris was about to close the door, the brunet intervened:
“And thanks for listening to me.”
Chris smiled at him.
“Happy I could help.”
Kuroo nodded and turned, waving goodbye.
The air outside had the freshness of youthful mornings, the wind had picked up and swept across his face. He breathed in the air, calmed by its gentleness.
He hadn't found the solution to his problem yet, but he felt like he had gained some perspective. In the end, it didn't seem so insurmountable.
-//-
Kuroo collapsed on his bed the second he arrived in his apartment. When he resurfaced, the sun was already high in the sky, and his hangover finally made its presence known. He laid in bed for a while, staring at the ceiling without a single coherent thought crossing his mind. It was only after a good twenty minutes that he finally got up, deciding that a good shower would do him a world of good. He also thought it was the perfect place to think properly. Much to his disappointment, he realized that the stream of water from the shower was meager and lukewarm, not the best conditions for introspection. So, he hurried and quickly returned to the main room. His towel dropped down in the middle of the room, but he paid it little mind and went back to lying naked on his bed. He turned his gaze back to the ceiling, this time determined to focus for good.
He reflected on the conversation he had with his friends the night before. He didn't necessarily remember all the details, but the essentials came back to him. He thought about what Chris had told him and meditated on it. He understood well what his friend had explained, and he could see that strict monogamy wasn't necessarily the only way to conceptualize romantic relationships. But to go down the path proposed by his friend... Kuroo couldn't see himself getting into that kind of relationship... or starting anything with that idea in mind. However, as Sugawara had noted, he ultimately only had two choices: do nothing and continue to brood like a cursed poet, or take action and see where it would lead him. After all, testing the waters didn't commit him to anything at the moment. Maybe played the field a little… He grimaced. He didn't deeply like that idea either.
His thoughts wandered for a moment, and he laughed upon realizing that his situation could more or less resemble the reverse harem games Kasumi used to play on her phone a few years ago. He thought about that summer a few years back. The heat outside was so oppressive that they had to spend their afternoon locked inside. Kuroo spent most of his troglodytic days watching his sister play. Initially, he teased her, mocking the very repetitive and stereotypical scenarios of those games, but he involuntarily ended up getting involved, participating in decisions, and reacting in unison with his sister when a romantic action was underway. They even completely excluded their youngest sister, who couldn't help making sarcastic remarks whenever she found them playing.
Kasumi had a unique strategy in these games: she didn't have one. She didn't particularly focus on one of the suitors from the start, instead waiting to see where the action would take her, seizing the opportunities that came her way, which could bring surprises in some cases. Kuroo could never have imagined that this kind of game would one day provide him with life lessons. He smiled. He didn't feel like brooding in his corner anymore. Now that he thought about it, it was really ridiculous, and there wasn't much to worry about. This was what he needed to do after all: test the waters and go with the flow to see where it would take him, without overthinking it. He took a deep breath, feeling calm and hopeful.
No more than ten minutes later, his phone vibrated. He picked it up and saw that Bokuto had sent him a message asking if he was on campus.
“It's Sunday, what would I be doing on campus?”
“I don't know, Bro, I like it here.”
“What are you doing there?”
“I had to drop something off :) have to wait for my drive home.”
Kuroo chuckled. Little Bo had to wait patiently for someone to come and get him safely home.
“I thought I'd go for a jog while waiting, and I thought ‘ Wah, would be cool if my bro was here too’, soo… You live nearby right ?”
Kuroo grimaced. It was nice of him to think of him, but the idea of getting out of bed to tire himself out was almost painful.
Oh, I don't know, I have a killer hangover, man...”
“All the more reason, come on, Bro!”
Kuroo looked at his phone for a long time. He really didn't want to... However, he thought back to the reflection he had earlier: seize the opportunity and see where it would take him. He weighed the pros and cons for a while before finally replying:
“Alright, I'm coming. I'll be there in fifteen, max twenty minutes.”
He put on his tracksuit, packed some things in a bag, and set off.
-//-
They met near Sanshiro Pond. The slight apprehension Kuroo felt before arriving vanished when he laid eyes on Bokuto. They set off, and unfortunately for the brunet, his hangover and lack of stamina soon caught up with him. Bokuto, whose physical abilities far surpassed his, kindly stayed at his pace and slowed down. This, however, didn't necessarily help Kuroo’s case, as his friend then had the opportunity to tell him a bunch of nonsense. As a result, he had to stop every thirty meters, plagued by stitches and bursts of laughter. They took a real break after thirty minutes of running. While he was trying to catch his breath, Kuroo lifted his shirt to wipe the sweat out of his face. When he looked up to continue the conversation, he noticed Bokuto staring at his stomach. Amused, Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
“Everything okay?”
Bokuto looked up, and with a sincerity that puzzled the brunet, said:
“You're in good shape, Bro.”
Kuroo, internally on the verge of a syncope, managed to maintain his composure:
“Were you doubting it?”
“Well, honestly, you had to stop five times in ten meters, so...” teased Bokuto.
Kuroo chuckled.
“Jerk!”
Bokuto smiled genuinely.
“Bro, I just have no stamina anymore, that’s a pity I know but well, what can I do… But I still try to stay in shape.”
“Yeah ! You must be breaking ladies' hearts left and right, Bro.
Kuroo chuckled.
“Well, I don't really worry too much about that, if you catch my drift.”
Bokuto didn't seem to catch “his drift” at all. Kuroo raised an eyebrow. He hesitated to clarify the situation, not knowing how his friend would react. Oh well, he had to reveal his cards at some point, and he couldn't imagine a scenario where Bokuto would react negatively.
“Bro, I'm gay.”
The revelation seemed to reassure Bokuto more than anything else:
“Ah, okay, I didn't get it. Don't worry Bro, I’m only dating guys too, so...”
Kuroo laughed, amused to see Bokuto assemble his words so oddly. The brunet felt his heart lift with joy. It wasn't much, and it didn't mean anything, but just knowing that they shared the same "interests" meant that Kuroo stood a chance to “test the waters” a little bit deeper.
“So, you must be breaking dudes’ hearts left and right,” corrected Bokuto.
Kuroo burst into laughter.
“If you say so! One more lap ?”
Bokuto nodded, and they set off again. The conversation quickly drifted to the secret life of the ducks in the pond. Breathless from both their laughter and the effort, they finished their run.
“Do you think the gym is open?” asked Kuroo. “I could use a hot shower right now.”
Of course, he had brought something to enjoy the warm water in the gym. After his sad shower with lukewarm water, he wasn't going to miss this opportunity!
“I'm not even sure they close it. I sometimes come on Sundays, and I've never found it closed. I think they just lost the keys.”
“Cool!”
The two young men headed to the gym. They opened the door gently and peeked inside, making sure there was no one. The place seemed completely empty. They entered. Passing through the main hall, they noticed that the net in the center had yet to be put away.
“Someone is going to get an earful...” remarked Kuroo.
This sight seemed to delight Bokuto to the highest degree, and he ran towards the net.
“Bro! Is there a ball somewhere?”
Bokuto opened the door where all the equipment was probably stored – a door that apparently hadn't been locked either. Clearly, someone was really going to get scolded for leaving everything like this. Bokuto came back with a volleyball and the delighted look of a six-year-old. When he was roughly at net height, he sent the ball to the other side. Seeing it coming towards him, Kuroo resurrected his old player instincts and returned the ball with a forearm pass. The ball went up quite high, and he saw Bokuto positioning himself to attack. Before he could reach the ball, Kuroo rushed to the net. He jumped and stopped his opponent's smash. The ball fell to the ground, and the two friends looked at each other, both surprised by what had just happened. Eventually, a huge smile appeared on their faces, drowned in the euphoria that this interaction had brought them.
“Bro!”
“Bro!”
“Do you play volleyball?” asked Bokuto.
“Used to, back in high school.”
“Bro no way! Me too!”
“Bro!”
Kuroo vaguely thought that coming across so many former volleyball players was starting to become odd... With a bit of luck, he might end up gathering enough players to organize a tournament.
“I stopped when I got to college.”
“Yeah... I had to stop in my last year of high school, but I would have liked to continue... But, well, I didn't really have a choice,” Bokuto confided.
“Oh... Did you have to quit playing because of that T.O.P thing?”
Bokuto nodded. His features had visibly darkened.
“Oh... I see... It happened to a friend of mine too... That sucks...”
“Yeah...”
Silence fell. But Bokuto quickly broke it, not wanting to maintain this gloomy atmosphere.
“Well! Wanna play?”
“Definitely!”
And they started doing simple volleys while chatting. However, the exercise eventually became more challenging. It ended with a powerful smash from Bokuto. The sound of the ball hitting the floor echoed throughout the gym. The author of this impressive shot let out a victory cry before sprawling on the floor, completely out of breath. Kuroo smiled and passed under the net to lie down beside him.
“Satisfied?”
“Very... Man, it's been ages since I played like this... I'd really love to have another match!”
“Same. I'm sure I could find enough players.”
“That would be awesome!”
“Yeah...”
Kuroo turned his head towards Bokuto: sweat had brought his hair down on his face, his chest rose at the pace of his heavy breathing, and his eyes were still sparked with the adrenaline and euphoria of the game. Kuroo found him beautiful like that. He thought he should maybe look away, but he didn't. Bokuto eventually caught his gaze and smiled. Kuroo felt his heart lift, and he welcomed the electrifying sensation that ran through his body.
“Well, shower!” announced Bokuto as he got up.
He helped the brunet to his feet, and they headed down to the showers, their conversation picking up again. When they reached the different doors, Kuroo began to part ways with his friend to enter the locker reserved for the beta. But before he could open the door, Bokuto grabbed him by the arm.
“Bro, come with me!”
“What?”
“Come on, so we can keep talking.”
Kuroo felt the blood rush to his head.
“But, um... I can't, can I?”
“Come on, who cares? No one's here anyway!”
“Okay...”
And Bokuto dragged him along. Kuroo was too busy wondering if it was a code for something specific or if he was just imagining things. Part of his brain, the least reliable one, was already looking forward to catching a glimpse of his accomplice's god-like figure. He vigorously shook his head to shake off those thoughts. Kuroo took refuge in one of the cabins as quickly as possible. His thoughts stopped bothering him when Bokuto started playing his Queen playlist. The volume was so loud that the sound reverberated on all the walls. Kuroo laughed, intoxicated with euphoria, and started singing at the top of his lungs with Bokuto. The brunet was beginning to have a dry throat and a hoarse voice, but at the start of each song, he let himself be carried away by the music and by Bokuto's voice.
Kuroo finished his shower just as the song "Old Fashioned Lover Boy" started playing. When he opened the door, he stumbled upon Bokuto, a towel around his hips, singing into his hairdryer. He had to stop singing to avoid bursting into laughter. Bokuto turned around and handed him his makeshift microphone. They started singing together as the second verse began.
"Ooh boy, Oooh lover boy!"
Bokuto continued with the main vocals while Kuroo provided the backing vocals.
"What're you doin' tonight, hey, boy?
Set my alarm, turn on my charm
That's because I'm a good old-fashioned loverboy"
Damn, this song suited him well.
"Ooh, let me feel your heartbeat
Ooh, ooh, can you feel my love heat?
Come on and sit on my hot-seat of love
And tell me how do you feel right after all"
Kuroo felt his heart start to race, unsure if it was due to the music or Bokuto's presence. Seeing him completely surrender to the music was profoundly exhilarating.
Their eyes locked, and in unison, they sang,
“I'd like for you and I to go romancing”
Those words echoed in Kuroo's head as he shouted his feelings. Bokuto continued the next lyrics alone, never taking his eyes off the brunet,
"Say the word, your wish is my command"
Kuroo's heart pounded violently against his ribcage, desperately wanting to believe this was a sign.
Bokuto continued the song, taking up his hairdryer-microphone again. Kuroo was left breathless for a moment before finally regaining his singing ability, and they finished together. When the song ended, they were both breathless, smiling at each other like idiots, intoxicated by their musical escapade.
"I think we can add 'karaoke' to our to do list!"
"Absolutely!"
Bokuto lowered the volume on his phone and turned on his hairdryer again. Kuroo looked at him in the mirror. A smile played on his lips. Eventually, Bokuto caught his gaze.
"Why are you laughing?" he asked, turning off the hairdryer.
"Oh, nothing... I just remembered that before we met for real, I used to call you 'Hercules Mercury.'"
"Pff, why?"
"Because I remind you that when we first met, you were belting out Queen in this very shower room."
Bokuto laughed.
“Yeah... that was insane! ”
“Yeah...”
“And why ‘Hercules’? What's the connection?”
Oops... It was too late to lie or come up with an excuse for this part...
Kuroo gestured to all of him.
“Have you seen how ripped you are, Bro?”
Bokuto seemed perplexed.
“Uh... thanks but… how could you know if we hadn't met yet?
Oops, again.
“Ok, ok , I confess, I may have peeked over the partition to see who the nutjob singing was.”
Kuroo wasn't sure if revealing his penchant for voyeurism was the most delicate thing to do.
“Whoa... You must have super-strong arms to hoist yourself up like that.”
Kuroo burst out laughing, taken aback that this was his friend's first reaction.
The conversation took a different turn, and they chatted while finishing getting ready. Kuroo was the first one ready. It was almost time for them to part ways.
‘Now,’ thought Kuroo. ‘Now. Don't stand there like an idiot, do something !’
He pondered what he could do to convey the idea that he would like to see Bokuto again, for something more akin to a date than just hanging out.
‘Take the plunge!’
“Um... Since we were talking about karaoke.”
Not off to a good start already.
“We should do something like that, like grab a bite to eat and then go do karaoke or something? I know a place that serves mind-blowing ramen!”
“Absolutely!”
Just by his tone, Kuroo understood that his request hadn't been clear enough to be interpreted correctly.
"We really gotta do something like we did at the arcade last time," Bokuto suggested.
“I don't know, I'm scared of trampolines and kids now,” joked Kuroo.
His friend laughed and reminded him of the good times they had fighting with kids.
“Yeah, yeah, okay, it wasn't that bad!”
“Yeah, and we should go back, we couldn't do the go-kart last time!”
Kuroo frowned:
“Yeah, and I remember very well why. We're not going to give our money to jerks like them.”
Bokuto sighed.
“Yeah, but... it might not be different elsewhere... And it just caught me off guard last time... But, hey, it could be fun!”
“But... don't you need an authorization or something?”
“Yeah... It's not really a problem; it's just...”
“Humiliating and pretty dumb?”
“Yeah... But honestly, I'm used to it. I don't care as long as we can do it. If they want the authorization, I'll give it.”
Kuroo frowned, puzzled.
“Do you have a sub?”
Now it was Bokuto's turn to look puzzled. Darn, that was maybe just a CATO thing, maybe it reverted by to its original meaning in any other settings? Kuroo was about to clarify, but Bokuto spoke before he could:
“No, I don't have a substitute.”
“Oh... okay... so, how do you manage then?”
Bokuto's perplexity didn't fade:
“Well, just no substitute.”
What else ?
“I just have a mate who's an alpha, so it’s not really an issue.”
Kuroo felt like he had crashed to the ground after falling down a fifty-story building.
“Oh... I didn't know that... I mean, it's easier that way then,” Kuroo managed to get out.
“Yeah.”
The monstrous slap that Kuroo had just taken hurt like hell. He felt profoundly stupid. Bokuto hadn't used just any term, not "boyfriend" or "lover”, no, he said "mate". How could he have thought for even a moment that he stood a chance? Bokuto was a mated omega, the ultimate no-go!
He felt deeply ashamed for contemplating making a move on him. He felt ashamed for seeing signs in what was evidently a sincere proof of friendship and trust.
“Kuroo?”
The interjection brought him abruptly back to the surface.
“Uh, yeah? Sorry, I lost track; I just can't wrap my head around this whole authorization thing.”
“Yeah, I know... It's not ideal... But well, we can still do a Karaoke thing!”
“Yeah!”
Kuroo was amazed at the composure he demonstrated. He managed to keep the conversation going and appear as normal as possible until they were outside. They were interrupted in their discussion when Bokuto's phone vibrated.
“Oh, he's here. Do you want me to ask if we can give you a ride home Bro?”
What a great idea, end up in the car with Bokuto, his mate, and his broken heart!
He managed a smile.
“No, I'm good, thanks. I have some errands to run before getting back home,” he lied.
“Okay, well, I'll go first then. See you later, Bro!”
Kuroo smiled and waved as he watched Bokuto walk away. When he was far enough, his smile faded, his face emptied of all emotion. He headed for the subway station on autopilot. He put on his headphones as he entered the train.
"Don't cry on the subway, Tetsu, not here, not now."
After all... Wasn't it better this way? Without doing anything, his options had narrowed down, making things easier, right? No?
Of course not
Of course not. Even if it "narrowed down" his options, it was still painful. Because even if he wasn't the only one for whom he had feelings, those feelings were not any less valid or less strong. He had those feelings, and it still hurt like hell to have to let them go, to tear them apart to get rid of them.
"Don't cry now."
Damn, he was just an asshole really… A freaking self-centered asshole. Of course, he couldn't have everything; thinking otherwise was ridiculous and vain. What did he imagine? Of course, at some point, he would have to let go of some of his feelings. He couldn't have everything he desired, everything he wished for, and certainly not everyone... Life just didn't work that way. He was 22, not 5; he should have grasped this concept a long time ago! He was just an idiot…
"Don't cry now."
And why did all the damn songs on his playlist talk about love? He finally came across the intro to the song "Old Fashioned Lover Boy." He thought of Bokuto singing at the top of his lungs into his hairdryer. He remembered his laughter, his smile, his voice. That dream where Bokuto grabbed him by his collar and kissed him... He thought of all his shattered dreams, of all the hopes he had to mourn now...
"I'm a good old-fashioned lover boy."
Despite all his efforts, Kuroo burst into tears on the subway.
Notes:
Poor bb , cheer up, you’ll see, it gets worse
Next chapter: Breeze
“Kuroo, you really suck at lying.”
“Yeah...”
The silence stretched again. He heard Oikawa moving away from the speaker to address someone, probably Iwaizumi.
“Kuroo, do you want to come over to my place?”
“Uh, but... We have class tomorrow. And you live far away, man.”
“No problem, you can crash on my couch. And we can drive to uni tomorrow.”
“Oh, uh...”
“Unless you want to stay alone and brood like the massive piece of shit you are.”
Kuroo laughed.
“Come on, bring your ass over here, we're gonna watch a crappy movie and eat junk food.”
Chapter 15: Breeze
Summary:
“Kuroo, you really suck at lying.”
“Yeah...”
The silence stretched again. He heard Oikawa moving away from the speaker to address someone, probably Iwaizumi.
“Kuroo, do you want to come over to my place?”
“Uh, but... We have class tomorrow. And you live far away, man.”
“No problem, you can crash on my couch. And we can drive to uni tomorrow.”
“Oh, uh...”
“Unless you want to stay alone and brood like the massive piece of shit you are.”
Kuroo laughed.
“Come on, bring your ass over here, we're gonna watch a crappy movie and eat junk food.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
---
Tetsuro eventually stopped crying. His tears died with the last rays of daylight. He was now indulging in his new favorite activity: ceiling gazing.
Everything in him had deflated. The tears had soothed his body but drained his emotions.
All the events that had taken place in the afternoon felt distant to him now, almost unreal; like images of a dream that were starting to wear off. Maybe he overreacted, yeah? He felt like the world had just collapsed when it happened, thinking back on it, he could clearly see that it wasn’t that bad, and the way he reacted was pretty ridiculous. Pathetic really, and for nothing.
"It's not nothing," said the voice in his head.
The voice was right.
His emotions resurfaced. They were no longer as poignant and painful as before, but they were heavy, having to bear the load of regret and melancholy. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to distance himself from himself and his consciousness. He finally managed to reach a state of soothing inertia. He returned to reality when he heard his phone vibrating. Oikawa was calling. Kuroo hesitated but eventually answered:
“Hello?”
“Kuroo, do we have any homework for tomorrow's biochemistry class?”
Kuroo did not get why Oikawa had to call him to ask that… After further investigation, he noticed the 3 unread messages Oikawa had sent. Yep, okay !
“Hmm... But it's not Biochem tomorrow, it's APBioS.”
“What ? What's that?”
“Applied Physics to Biological Systems.”
“I don't have that as a class.”
Kuroo frowned. He moved his phone away from his ear to check his schedule.
“Oh, I didn't see that we had Biochem in the morning, my bad… Well, it's the first class of the new block, right ? Guess we have nothing to do then.”
“If we still have Nobishi, I doubt it.”
“Hmm... yeah…”
Kuroo let the silence settle, not really in the state to worry about Biochem exercises.
“Kuroo?”
“Hm?”
“You're okay?”
The interested party straightened up, surprised. He wouldn't go so far as to say the question was unfounded, but he was almost sure that the tone of his voice hadn't betrayed him.
“Yeah, why?”
“I don't know, you sound weird.”
Damn it.
Now that Oikawa asked the question, he felt the urge to burst into tears. But he held back, and tried to evade the question:
“No, I'm fine.”
And damn... his voice cracked on the last word. Even he didn't believe that lie.
Oikawa chuckled:
“You’re such a bad liar.”
“Yeah, right... But really, I'm fine, it's just that...”
Just shut up already!
“That?”
“No, nothing serious... I swear, it's stupid!”
“Kuroo, I talk to you every day, I'm used to your stupidity,” his friend replied sarcastically.
This managed to make the brunet laugh.
“But...”
“Oh my god! Spill the beans already!”
“Ok, ok... Well, I saw Bokuto today.”
“Oh... well, you’re not wasting your time, right? And ?”
“He texted me this morning to go for a jog with him… Well so far so good but… forget it, it’s really stupid.”
“Go on.”
“Pff... Just that... Well, at some point, I tried to suggest a date...”
“Oh, and?”
“Well, for one, he didn't get it.”
Oikawa burst into laughter.
“Okay...”
“And then… I understood that… well he brought up that… he has a mate.”
Silence.
“Oh.”
“Yeah, I just feel dumb for not getting it before... Anyway, it's stupid, but it hurt, just a little bit but well... But it's okay, I can handle it.”
“Kuroo, you really suck at lying.”
He laughed.
“Yeah...”
The silence stretched again. He heard Oikawa moving away from the speaker to address someone, probably Iwaizumi.
“Kuroo, do you want to come over to my place?”
Kuroo, surprised by the offer, didn't react immediately.
“Uh, but... We have class tomorrow. And you live far away, man.”
“No problem, you can crash on my couch. And we can drive to uni tomorrow.”
“Oh, uh...”
“Unless you want to stay alone and brood like the massive piece of shit you are.”
Kuroo laughed.
“Come on, bring your ass over here, we're going to watch a crappy movie and eat junk food.”
Kuroo pondered. He desperately wanted to stay alone. However, he was aware that it wouldn't help improve his state. He didn't know Oikawa for his talents in moral boosting, but the offer was sincere. Well, and Kuroo was also bad at lying to himself, he didn’t really want to be alone.
“Okay, I'll pack a bag and come over. Do you need me to bring anything?”
“No, it's okay, don't worry. We’re all good.”
“Okay... I'll be there asap then.”
“See you.”
He hung up.
He glanced up at the ceiling one last time and got up.
-//-
It was pitch black when Kuroo arrived. The bus trip hasn’t been that bad really, or maybe he was just getting used to Tokyo transport rodeo by now
"You have reached your destination," announced his GPS.
He looked up, recognizing his friend’s house, a narrow cube squeezed between two significantly taller buildings. The windows illuminated the street with a soft orange hue. He lowered his gaze, reading the names on the mailbox; he had indeed reached his destination. He hesitated for a moment. The ground floor led to a garage door, and on the side, a narrow staircase led to the first floor. He climbed the stairs and pressed the doorbell. He heard footsteps approaching, and the door opened. Kuroo stifled a laugh when he saw Oikawa in the doorway, dressed in green alien-patterned jogging pants, a "I believe" T-shirt topped with a loosely knit cardigan. On top of that, he wore his big round glasses, giving him the charming look of an old grumpy librarian. As the chestnut-haired was about to greet his friend gently, considering the emotional distress of the latter, he changed his mind when he heard the brunet chuckle. Oikawa frowned and asked hostilely:
“What ?”
“Nothing, nothing!” he laughed again “It's just... cute.”
“What?”
Kuroo pointed to his little green men jogging pants.
Oikawa raised an eyebrow and closed the door in his face. Kuroo burst into laughter again.
“Don't leave me outside! I'm going to be abducted by Martians, I'm sure they're after my virtue!”
“Pfft, what virtue?” Oikawa replied from the other side of the door.
“Hmm... you're right, I left it with my honor.”
Oikawa laughed and opened the door again.
“Acting tough, huh? Wait until I become a renowned exobiologist and make contact with the first extraterrestrial life form. I'll ask them to come and pick you up and take you to their planet to make you their slave.”
Kuroo burst into laughter.
“Indeed… I'm not sure I'd be of much use to them, though.”
“Why? You're well-built; you can build things for them.”
“Hmm... yeah, I guess I could always serve as a sex slave in the worst-case scenario.”
Oikawa looked at him, apparently puzzled by the direction this conversation had taken. He finally smiled.
“Come on, get in, you noodle-head.”
Kuroo greeted him with exaggerated politeness and entered.
“Ojama shimasu.”
He took off his shoes and put on the sandals his friend handed him, and together they entered. The place was quite charming and remarkably well-arranged despite the limited space. The room opened into a small living room separated from the kitchen at the back by a wooden bar. Above the kitchen was a mezzanine leading to what must be their bedroom. The wall facing the windows was adorned with a bookshelf made of dark wooden cubes of various sizes intertwined with each other. Even the ladder leading to the floor had been designed in such a way that it could serve as storage. The entire apartment was populated with plants of various sizes and a myriad of colorful shades.
“Wow, your place is nice !”
“Thank you, Iwa-chan made it.”
Kuroo took a few seconds to try to make sense of this statement.
“What do you mean he made it?”
“Well... the coffee table, the bookshelf, the bar, the kitchen, the mezzanine, the bed, the ladder...”
Impressive indeed.
“Oh woah! He's really good with his fingers, damn,” joked Kuroo.
“Thank you, Kuroo, I appreciate the compliment,” replied a voice behind him.
Oikawa chuckled, and Kuroo turned around, discovering that Iwaizumi had subtly appeared behind him.
Kuroo had only one solution to ward off his discomfort: make it worse by sinking deeper.
“You must do wonders,” he whispered with a sly smile.
“You're an idiot,” laughed Oikawa.
Iwaizumi smiled.
“No, but seriously, I'm impressed!”
Iwaizumi shrugged:
“It's my job, after all.”
“You’re still very talented Hajime,” added Oikawa.
Kuroo just nodded to affirm his friend's words.
“Are you... a carpenter then?”
“Cabinetmaker.”
“Nice, when I have the money, I'll place an order; this bookshelf is really catching my eye.”
“Hey, that's my bookshelf! Get yours!” protested Oikawa.
“Noted,” replied the cabinetmaker.
They chatted for a few minutes before Iwaizumi finally turned to go to the kitchen.
“Well, then, tell me everything!”
Surprised by this sudden attack, Kuroo protested:
“Whoa, okay, you don't waste time, straight to the point! I not even sat yet!”
“I'm not going to talk to you about my kitchen walls for fifty years either!”
“No, but wait, you haven't even introduced me to your plants!”
“Cut the crap; we both know why you're here, Kuroo. Spill it!”
“Uh... Iwaizumi doesn't know, we shouldn't...”
“Oh, I know,” interjected the brunet from the kitchen.
“Oh...”
He turned his eyes to Oikawa, who pretended to be sorry.
Oikawa sat on the couch and invited his friend to sit beside him. Kuroo complied.
“I've already told you over the phone.”
“No, but I want details!”
Kuroo frowned. He wasn't sure if he could give more details without revealing things that Bokuto wouldn't have liked to be known... Then again, he was here to gossip about his failed love story, was he really at the point of holding back sensitive information? Was it really that sensitive... Not really, especially if... Oops, he was starting to go off course... Oikawa brought him back to the surface by directing his question:
“ Ok, first thing first, why Bokuto? Yesterday, you didn't know where to start, and now you're all over him?”
“I'm not all over him!”
Oikawa raised an eyebrow, far from being impressed.
“For real! It’s just… Well when I came back this morning, I thought that it wasn’t a big deal, and I could just… go with the flow, you know ?”
“You thought you could play the Bachelor without them knowing, right?”
Kuroo looked at him, surprised:
“It sounds so bad when you say it like that...”
“Yeah ok... But hey, you don’t have any bad intentions, do you ?”
“No… And thanks for trying to reassure me about my integrity.”
“You're welcome.”
They both chuckled.
“Anyway, and?”
“Anyway... I hadn't planned on getting into this kind of thing today,but I got a text from Bokuto asking if I was on campus and if I wanted to join him for a jog.”
“So far, so good.”
“Yeah... So I joined him, it was great, and as usual, I couldn’t stop laughing the all time, and... We even played a bit and...”
“Played?”
“Hmm, we found a volleyball, he used to play in high school too...”
“How come we all played this sport in high school and never crossed paths?”
Kuroo paused, genuinely considering the question. He shrugged, not quite sure what to answer.
“Odd really... Anyway, what happened next?”
“We went to shower, and at the moment we were supposed to part ways, he grabbed my arm to come with him...”
Oikawa widened his eyes in surprise:
“Oh!”
“Yeah, that what I thought at first.”
Oikawa nodded.
“Anyway, we sang, and it was great, and I thought, ‘ask now or forever hold your peace’.”
“And you asked...”
“Yeah... But I wasn't clear enough, I think...”
“Anyway, I gathered it didn’t go well.”
Kuroo nodded.
“Well, I realized he’s mated, and I was just imagining things really... But chill...”
His friend gave him a sympathetic look but didn't add anything more. His mate, on the other hand, didn't hold back:
“Well, that’s not really a big deal.”
Iwaizumi was returning from the kitchen with a cast iron teapot and three small cups arranged on a wooden tray—most likely handmade as well. The dissonance between his words and his courteous attention left Kuroo deeply confused. He quickly understood that the comment had been more directed towards his mate than him, judging by the amused glances they exchanged.
“You're silly,” Oikawa said with a smile as he poured tea.
They continued to exchange sweet and amused looks until Oikawa's gaze met Kuroo's, who clearly wasn't following the conversation for obvious reasons but had the courtesy not to intrude.
“It's nothing, just that...”
“I am kind of a ‘match wreaker’.”
Oikawa chuckled at the remark.
“You… you were mated when you two met ?” asked Kuroo, surprised.
“No, no, but let's say I was promised to someone else.”
“What!”
“Yeah… I ran away with the only beta from the Sô-shi clan around.”
Kuroo smiled, amused by the anecdote and the triumphant look on Iwaizumi's face.
“Is it because you were so skillful with your hands that you charmed him?” Kuroo asked mischievously.
“Partly, yes,” intervened Oikawa.
“Well calculated, now you live in a hobbit house.”
“I love my hobbit house!”
“I didn't say it was a bad thing.”
Oikawa still slapped his shoulder which only increased Kuroo's hilarity.
The conversation deviated from its main topic and naturally lightened. After a good ten minutes, silence fell.
“Well, I’m gonna work downstair for a bit,” announced Iwaizumi. “Excuse me, Kuroo.”
The concerned one nodded to let him know it wasn't a problem.
“But it's already late,” protested Oikawa.
“It's not that late.”
That was his only argument. Iwaizumi collected the cups, arranged them on the tray, and returned to the kitchen. Oikawa, who was pouting, followed him. Kuroo stayed alone in the living room, watching them from the corner of his eye. They were talking quietly, and Kuroo couldn't distinctly hear what they were saying. They moved together in this confined space, without either of them feeling crowded, like a modern ballet that was pleasant to observe stealthily. They eventually got closer. Oikawa, who was taller than his mate, pulled him toward him by the arm to place a kiss on his temple. Kuroo looked away but couldn't help but smile.
He had grown up in a society where expressing emotions or showing affection was taboo. He couldn't recall seeing his parents manifest affection overtly. In the past, he had been around individuals who had started to break free from these tacit prohibitions, but no one had completely shed them. Kuroo had to meet the CATO gang to begin letting go of them himself, and even if it had been somewhat alienating at first, it felt almost natural to him now. Seeing the freedom with which Oikawa and Iwaizumi acted with each other was deeply endearing.
He snapped out of his thoughts when he saw Iwaizumi crossing the room again. Their eyes met, and they exchanged a greeting. The host eventually looked away to catch his mate's gaze:
“Okay, I'll come back up in a bit, Tōru, don't forget your meds.”
“Hmm...”
And Iwaizumi left. Oikawa seemed to be listening attentively, which intrigued his friend. The moment he heard the door slam, he let out a mischievous smile. Then, he saw him take out two beers from the fridge.
Kuroo chuckled.
“What are you doing?”
“Shh!”
Oikawa hid his beers again, and waited for a moment.
“Where did he go?”
“Garage.”
“Oh.”
Once he was sure he had left, the diva took the beers, grabbed a bag of chips, and returned to Kuroo with his loot.
“Ugh, do you have to hide to drink? Are you afraid of getting scolded?”
“Totally. He doesn't want me to drink when I take my suppressants. Supposedly, I have to wait at least an hour, blah blah blah.”
Kuroo let out a laugh.
“You did some pharmacology; you know he’s right.”
Oikawa clicked his tongue.
“I've been taking them for almost ten years; I've got it under control.”
“If you say so.”
Oikawa opened the beers and handed one to his friend.
“Come on, to your love failures.”
“Ugh, ‘my failures’, are we already using plural?”
“Well, your failure if you prefer.”
“You're really good at cheering up people, you know ?”
“Yeah, I know.”
They clinked bottles and gulped down the first sip. Oikawa stood up again and returned with two med tubes that he placed on the table. The brunet was surprised to see so many pills scattered on the table.
“Oh, woah!”
“That’s fine.”, said Oikawa before putting the pills in his mouth all at once and gulping down a big sip of beer to wash it down.
Kuroo looked at the tubes on the table; they piqued his curiosity as a chemist.
“Can I take a look?” he asked.
Oikawa nodded positively.
Kuroo grabbed the tubes, but his enthusiasm waned when he realized they didn't know these molecules at all.
“Diphylten and Prolysatine? Never heard of that!”
Oikawa seemed surprised; he let out a somewhat mocking half-smile but didn't comment any further than "Oh really?"
“What are they for?”
“Hmm... Diphylten is a VN receptor antagonist; it reduces pheromone reception, and Prolysatine is a pheromonal modulator.”
“Oh, ok.”
Kuroo immediately delved into his thoughts, leaving only a very unexpressive external facade, occasionally animated by the ripples of his reflection. Oikawa caught on and let out a smile.
“What's confusing you like that?”
“Hmm, nothing... I just don't understand the biological need, I mean... Pheromones are not a bad thing, right? Or is it like contraception?
“Hmm... Not really a contraceptive, but it helps regulate the appearance of cycles... But it's more for... comfort, I would say.”
“Comfort?”
“Yeah, it's like wearing noise-canceling headphones... Otherwise, it would be a nightmare!”
Kuroo frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, remember when we talked about olfactory communication?”
Kuroo nodded.
“Well, imagine having all that information with you wherever you go. It's a bit like hearing everyone's thoughts around you all the time. When you live in the middle of nowhere, it's manageable, but as soon as you're in a place with more than ten people, it starts to be annoying. Diphylten won't make the voices disappear, but it dulls them. And for the other one, um... It's more to control the volume of your own thoughts. Instead of shouting all the time, you can just speak softly and raise your voice if needed, but well...”
“Ah yes, the unfamous ‘full alpha’ thingy you played on me”.
“Are you going to keep bringing that up?”
“Yes, until the day you die.”
Oikawa let out a laugh.
“Well, okay, but did you get it?”
“Yes, more or less...”
“Really ?”
“Yes, yes... I was just thinking... Can you completely block out the thoughts?”
“Hmm, yes... But it's not necessarily recommended. First, because if you're used to hearing them, it would be like becoming completely deaf. And then, imagine when you have to reduce them pre-cycle; it would be like switching from birdsong in the tropical forest to heavy metal all of a sudden.”
Kuroo chuckled.
“You think that’s funny noodle-head? replied Oikawa in a conversational tone.
The remark made Kuroo laugh.
“No, I just like your choice of metaphor. But I get it!”
“Yeah, whatever...”
Kuroo retrieved his bag from the floor. While rummaging inside, he asked:
“Okay, okay, and can you completely block your own thoughts?”
“You can, but it’s not recommended... Many omegas do it, though, but it's more to avoid getting bothered than anything else.”
Kuroo stopped his search.
“Bothered by whom?”
“By shitty alphas most of the time.”
“Oh...”
“Yeah...”
Silence.
Kuroo finally took out a piece of paper and a pen from his bag. He grabbed the box of Diphylten and began copying something written on the back.
“What are you doing?”
“I'm trying to draw the molecule from the chemical formula.”
“You're really a nerd; come on, drop that and drink instead!” exclaimed the diva, grabbing the paper with one hand and insistently offering the beer with the other.
The brunet pouted, like a child seeing his favorite toy being taken away. He eventually gave in and took a sip of beer. The conversation resumed, lighter this time. They gorged on chips and eventually started a movie they didn't even follow because they couldn't refrain from discussing each inadequacy depicted by the fiction. Seeing that it was already late, they agreed to go to bed. Oikawa unfolded the sofa bed, but they continued to chat, now both sprawled across the mattress, forgetting all sense of time. The conversation eventually petered out, and they both silently looked at the ceiling.
Oikawa eventually turned to his friend:
“What are you going to do now?”
“About what?”
“Bokuto-san?”
Kuroo sighed.
“Well... nothing, I'm not going to be a match-wrecker... And besides, you've seen Bokuto; I can't even imagine the face of his mate. I don't want to get my head smashed on a wall by a jealous alpha.”
Kuroo widened his eyes. Oops, he had precisely revealed what he was trying to keep under wraps. However, Oikawa didn't seem to react.
Well yeah, Kuroo had not thought about that sooner but Oikawa had met Bokuto before, he probably already knew his secondary.
“Beside, I don’t want to be a bitch about it all.”
“Yeah...”
“Yeah...”
Silence.
“So... Are you continuing your Bachelor game?”
“Stop saying that, it makes me feel terrible!”
“Come on, you get it. Are you going to try your luck with someone else?”
Kuroo turned back onto his back.
“I don't know... I don't want to force things...”
“You're not going to give up immediately like that, are you?”
“I don't know...”
Oikawa smiled.
“You’re making it way harder than it is.”
“Maybe…”
They both sat up again when they heard the front door open.
“You’re still up?” asked Iwaizumi when he entered the room.
“Well, you are too,” noted Oikawa.
“Well yeah, but I don't work tomorrow morning; don't you have an 8 am class?”
“Yeah, but... Oh! Fuck!” exclaimed the Oikawa when he unlocked his phone, “ It’s 3AM!”
“Oh… Damn it…”
‘Damn it’ was the word. But their bitterness of this statement only hit them once they arrived in class the next morning, when they found themselves in the lecture hall with so few hours of sleep that their brains struggled to function properly, and the perception of noise and light was almost painful. Their state, already not glorious, worsened when their professor, the very sympathetic Nobishi-san, asked:
“I hope you've all read the first five chapters of the book and done the exercises.”
Oikawa and Kuroo turned to each other, exhausted and panicked:
“Damn it...”
-//-
Kuroo had a peaceful week after that. Fortunately for him, he hadn’t crossed paths with any of the charming young men who were out to harm his poor heart and his relatively fragile mental health. This isolation gave him the wonderful opportunity to relish in his denial state and illusive inertia.
On this Sunday afternoon, he had decided to join his friends at the Karasu. The place was relatively quiet, which was not good for business, indeed, but was quite nice for them.
Kuroo was in the company of his favorite redhead, continuing his sign language lessons. He was proud to be able to hold a simple conversation now and was able to understand when his friends were conversing at a faster pace. Sugawara eventually joined them, abandoning his post once again while Kageyama had to take care of everything (which wasn’t much, but still).
“Yo losers,” kindly greeted Oikawa as he approached them.
He removed his sunglasses like a movie star wanting to impress the paparazzi. Overall, something entirely normal for the individual in question.
“Hi, ugly face” Sugawara replied with a smile.
Oikawa didn't react at all.
“What are you guys up to?” he asked, putting away his things to join them.
“Ping-pong, wanna join?” replied the silver-haired one.
“Ahah, very funny. You're in a good mood today, you big jerk,” his friend responded.
Sugawara chuckled.
“Nothing, just chatting... By the way, your scarf is nice,” he complimented, pointing to the fabric.
“Thanks.”
“Funny… I swear I had one like that… wonder where it went.”
“Don't pull that one on me again!” protested the diva.
“Just saying, that's all,” the silver-haired one replied with a mischievous smile.
Oikawa looked at him suspiciously but eventually let it go.
Kuroo, while eager to continue witnessing this lively interaction, had to step away momentarily to relieve his painfully full bladder. When he returned, his three friends were conversing in sign language. The brunet sat down and tried to follow the conversation. However, something was bothering him : they kept making a strange sign that he didn't recognize. He frowned and tried to understand from the context. Eventually, he mimicked the sign, asking for its meaning.
Hinata smiled at him and pointed at himself. Kuroo signed that he didn't understand.
“It's your name.”
Kuroo looked at him, his features reflecting his candid disbelief.
“It's a mix of "rooster" for your hair and "black", like your name, kind of.” Hinata explained.
Kuroo couldn't believe it; he felt deeply moved. Giving him a sign name was a great honor; it meant that Kuroo was accepted. He had just received his VIP ticket, the ultimate recognition! He almost had tears in his eyes.
The idea that they were discussing him in undetermined terms didn't bother him at all; the serotonin boost overshadowed everything else.
Hinata frowned, unsure of how to interpret his friend's reaction. As he was about to react, Kuroo intervened.
“Thank you, I love it!”
Hinata let his arms fall on the table and offered him a radiant smile. While they resumed their conversation, Kuroo proudly signed his own name, rehearsing introduction sentences, and imagining numerous scenarios. Sugawara eventually directed his attention towards him and burst into laughter.
“Hinata, I think you broke him,” he said aloud while continuing to sign.
Hinata seemed deeply affected by this remark and turned to Kuroo with a sorry expression.
“He's lying; I'm just happy.”
The redhead, reassured, smiled at him again.
“Well, I'm gonna piss off Kageyama. I'll get something to drink, be right back,” the diva announced before getting up and heading toward the counter.
“Okay,” Sugawara replied.
Hinata hurriedly followed Oikawa, apparently delighted at the idea of teasing his mate.
Once Oikawa was far enough, a sly smile formed on Sugawara's lips. While keeping an eye on his victim, he grabbed Oikawa's scarf and began rubbing his wrists on it. Kuroo watched him, deeply skeptical, unable to interpret the scene unfolding before his eyes. Sugawara placed the scarf back in its original place and tried to appear as innocent as possible.
Oikawa returned a few minutes later, continuing the conversation. Kuroo didn't listen to a single word he said, too preoccupied with wondering what had just happened and why Sugawara had done it. Finally, Oikawa stopped and sniffed loudly, visibly bothered. He grabbed his scarf, confirming it to be the source of the offensive smell. He turned to Sugawara, annoyed. The latter chuckled like a child satisfied with his prank.
"Fuck you Kōshi!" exclaimed the diva, throwing the scarf at him. Correction: smashing the scarf onto his face.
Sugawara burst into laughter.
As a revenge, Oikawa grabbed his friend's jacket, but Sugawara snatched it from his hands before he could do anything:
"Okay, okay, stop, it was just a joke!"
"Just a joke, my ass, now it stinks!"
"It doesn't stink!"
"It does, you jerk!"
The remark made Sugawara laugh. Oikawa pouted and gave up the fight. He sank into his chair and started rubbing his wrists on the fabric of his scarf.
"Damn it, now I'll smell like Sô-Shi!"
"Hmm, I think you should give it back to me then"
"But shut up, it's not yours!"
"Meh..."
"You'll pay for this!"
Kuroo's eyes darted between his two friends, incredulous.
"Uh... What's going on?"
"Nothing, just think it’s funny to mark my clothes!" exclaimed Oikawa.
"What?"
Kuroo didn't get an answer; his two friends were too busy bickering. He sank into his chair and left them to their verbal sparring. It was around this time that Hinata appeared again, his mischief surely accomplished. He asked Kuroo what was going on, and the latter replied by mimicking the gesture Sugawara had made earlier. Hinata was initially surprised but ended up finding it amusing. Sensing the brunet's incredulity, Hinata tried to clarify the situation, but the sign he made was not yet in Kuroo's vocabulary. Noting his confusion, Hinata grabbed the sheet of paper they had been using since the beginning of the impromptu language lesson and wrote "to mark," then made the sign again. Kuroo imitated him.
" ‘To mark’ what?" signed Kuroo.
Hinata answered him with signs, but Kuroo didn't understand; once again, it surpassed his vocabulary level. The redhead took back the sheet, and next to the previously written word, he added, " = marking territory." Kuroo stared at the paper, more bewildered than before. The gesture he had witnessed earlier reminded him of something... He had to dig into his memory to find the source of that recollection. When it struck him, he appeared even more taken aback than before.
“What's wrong?” asked the redhead, tilting his head.
“Nothing... I remember seeing someone do that. He did it on his scarf and gave it to me...”
Hinata frowned:
“Who?”
“A-ka-shi-i,” Kuroo signed.
“What?”
Kuroo jumped and turned to his two friends in front of him. Oikawa and Sugawara displayed the same look of profound astonishment. The brunet turned to Hinata, equally shaken by the revelation. Oikawa was the first to recover from it and burst into laughter.
“Are you kidding?” he asked between laughs.
“No... What does it mean?”
“Uh, well, normally, it means he's claiming you. Like, he's telling others that you're his.”
Kuroo nearly choked on his saliva.
“What? But, we didn't even know each other yet! It was like the first time we saw each other! And I can't picture him doing that...”
Oikawa didn't know how to retort, seemingly bewildered.
“Oh, wait, I think I know why he did that,” Sugawara intervened.
“Oh well, go ahead, enlighten us!”
“Kuroo, why did he give you the scarf?”
“I don't know... I was about to go home, and he gave it to me so that I wouldn't be cold.”
“It might just be that,” Oikawa said.
“Why would he mark his own clothes?” noted the silver-haired.
“Don't know, do you have a better explanation?”
“Hmm... He might have done it to mask Kuroo’s scent. I've done it before...”
“What!”
“Sorry !But you're such a trouble magnet, I worry about you!”
Kuroo didn't know what to say and merely mimicked a fish.
“But why?”
“By wearing the scent of an alpha, either others think you are one, and they won't bother you, or they think you have an alpha, and they bother you less too...”
Kuroo remained silent, unable to decide how he should react, or even how he should feel.
“I swear, I did it once because you were walking home drunk in the middle of the night! I won't do it again!”
“Oh... No, it's okay, don't worry... Just warn me next time...”
“I promise, sorry...”
“But are we sure about this? Just because you played big mama hen once doesn't mean he did too,” Oikawa interjected.
“It's the most plausible explanation I see...”
“But I'm not even sure if Akaashi is an alpha,” the brunet added.
Oikawa raised an eyebrow, and Sugawara looked puzzled. They exchanged a glance. The diva was the first to speak again.
“Hmm... most likely, yes, I can't picture an omega doing that, and a beta? Forget about it.”
“Why not?”
Oikawa shook his head, sorry for having to resort to these explanations:
“Well, Kuroo, you don't have pheromonal glands here,” he affirmed, pointing at his wrist, “you're not going to rub them against whatever!”
“...That makes sense.”
“As for wearing the scent of an omega, they get bothered enough as it is, they don't go around inflicting it on others, especially people they barely know, right?”
“Oh... yeah, that makes sense.”
Silence fell. Sugawara still looked embarrassed and didn't say a word.
“Well... It's not very subtle, but it shows that he... cares about you? It's not a bad sign for your Bachelor game!
“His Bachelor game?”
“Oikawa is comparing my romantic suffering to a cheesy game show...” Kuroo explained.
“Your ‘romantic suffering,’” the diva echoed, “And I’m the drama queen!”
“Hmm, I see,” Sugawara intervened. “Well, then yeah, it’s a good sign for you Bachelor game thing.”
“Not you too!” Kuroo wined.
“I like this metaphor,” Sugawara said.
Ô, misery.
“Still, whatever you want to call it, it's not a bad sign!”
“Hmm... do you think so?”
Oikawa nodded.
“And let's be honest, from what you've told us, he doesn't seem entirely immune to your charms either! Go for it,” suggested the chestnut-haired, shrugging.
Kuroo wanted to remain pragmatic, but that simple suggestion had sparked hope within him, and the dopamine rush his brain had just released as a response dissuaded him from thinking otherwise.
“Or he just sees you as a lost kid, and you've been kid-zoned.”
Kuroo jumped. He turned to find that Kageyama had made his appearance. Since when had he been here exactly?
“Yeah...” Sugawara and Oikawa replied in unison.
The dopaminergic relapse was harsh.
But the idea remained somewhere in his head, warm and comfortable, waiting to see what time would make of it.
Notes:
Fun fact: the word for “mark” in French was “imprégner” which translates to “impregnate”… (It doesn’t have the double meaning in French). Could’ve worked though but let’s face it, I’m still giggling at that.
Next chapter: The violence of the trade winds
“What are you doing?" asked Oikawa.
"I have something to take care of..."
Suddenly, the bird broke eye contact and darted away at full speed.
Kuroo ran down the stairs and rushed toward his feathered nemesis.”
See you
Chapter 16: The violence of the trade winds
Summary:
“What are you doing?" asked Oikawa.
"I have something to take care of..."
Suddenly, the bird broke eye contact and darted away at full speed.
Kuroo ran down the stairs and rushed toward his feathered nemesis.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Kuroo always had the odd ability to navigate life's most improbable statistical paths. A simple action, like walking down the street, could quickly turn into an encounter with a gang of pigeon thieves armed with nuclear missiles (this hadn't happened yet, but it didn’t mean it couldn’t). The trajectory of his life seemed ethereal and quantum in nature. However, he had learned to deal with it, consoling his anxious nature by telling himself he would always have good stories to tell at parties. After all, he had met wonderful people thanks to the story of his crab suitcase sent to Moscow!
Even knowing this, he was always surprised when such an unlikely sequence of events unfolded, with no warning signs to anticipate them... This day was no exception...
He was awakened, as usual, by the sweet symphony of the Tokyo morning orchestra: the ringtone of his cellphone as the strings, the train horns from the station as the winds, the beating of the pavement and the traffic noises as the percussion. It took him a moment to realize that the instrumental ensemble had been complemented by a new sound unknown to his ears. He focused on this new resonance: high-pitched, grating, and deeply unpleasant. It sounded a bit like... a badly tuned violin played by a dying cat... or perhaps... a doorbell... A doorbell? A doorbell! It was his doorbell. He jumped out of bed and rushed to the intercom.
"Yes?"
"Good morning, postal service. I have a package for 'Kuroo Tetsurō'."
"Yes, I'll come down."
He hung up. He quickly searched the room for something to wear; he couldn't go down in just his underwear and a loose tank top! A pair of pants would do. He hastily put on the garment and rushed out of his apartment to run down the stairs. It was only halfway down that he realized he hadn't put on pants, but a t-shirt that reached the top of his thighs over his tank top. He hesitated to go back up but thought against it. When he swung open the door, the postal worker flinched imperceptibly. He saw him eyeing him for a moment but remained polite and greeted him while handing over the package. Kuroo signed the receipt, greeted the postman like a socially normed person, and closed the door behind him.
Well, that's one thing done!
He set about deciphering the sender's address. He didn't remember making any compulsive online purchases, but his memory could play tricks on him... He smiled as he recognized the address of his family home. It took him a few more seconds to remember that his mother had called him to say she was sending him a package, and a little longer to remember that he had asked her to add something very important to it. A radiant smile spread across his face, and he raced up the stairs to his apartment. Once inside, he tore open the cardboard box and pulled out its contents: multiple boxes of cookies, a pair of new socks, a box of herbal tea, charming underwear adorned with blue otters, medication, his trusty old bright red Doc Martens that he had forgotten in Hokkaido, and... Kuroo made a face when he discovered that his mother had once again sent him a whole crab. It had been vacuum-packed this time, but the oozing crab trauma was still fresh and he wasn’t ready to revisit seafood cuisine just yet.
He plunged his hand back into the box, trying to find what he asked his mother to add, but couldn't find it. Perhaps she hadn't found it? The weight of his disappointment began to rise in his stomach. Finally, amidst the bubble wrap, he felt it, and the weight of disappointment imploded into sparkling bubbles of euphoria. He picked up the small plastic box decorated with dinosaurs, which he caressed with his fingertips. He opened it, and a shiver of tender joy ran up his spine. Its contents were still there: little notes passed in class with disastrous spelling and childish handwriting, a bouquet of dried daisies, small white stones, an old disposable camera. Kuroo found a small Kodak pouch containing old photos. Most were blurry or overexposed, but he easily recognized that they were of the little beach below his hometown. Only one of the photos was clear, and his heart tightened as he looked at it. It was a photo of him, aged between eight and nine, smiling at the camera. Next to him, he recognized Kenma, his brown hair flowing down his shoulders, his eyes turned towards Kuroo. He recognized the green dinosaur sweatshirt Kenma was wearing in the photo. He chuckled. He remembered that shirt very well. It originally belonged to him, but Kenma liked it so much that he gave it to him. Kenma had spent the next two years wearing it constantly, and he had worn it until it became nothing more than a faded rag.
The brunet went to get his phone and took a picture of the photo, which he quickly sent to Kenma with the simple caption "You were so cute back then."
The blond replied almost instantly:
"You already had your little ferret face"
The brunet chuckled.
"You really loved that sweatshirt, I remember what a drama it was when your mom had to throw it away"
"Yeah, but I got over it, don't worry"
Kenma sent him a photo of himself, and Kuroo gasped in delighted surprise when he discovered that he was wearing an oversized dark green sweatshirt adorned with a cyan brachiosaurus.
"Oh my god! I love it! I want the same one!"
The two friends chatted for a few minutes, discussing the magnificence of the garment. Finally, Kuroo returned to his original activity. There wasn't much left in the box, except for a small bracelet made of large colorful beads, whose chromatic harmony was not recommended for anyone with epilepsy. As he turned over the beads, he discovered that some of them had letters, which together formed his childhood nickname: kuro neko no Jiji. He laughed as he remembered the rainy afternoon when Kenma and he had played with his little sister to make jewelry. The one he held in his hand was a relic of that day, a treasure given to him by his childhood friend and whose existence he had dared to forget. He put it on his wrist and took a selfie which he sent to his friend:
"I can't believe you still have that," the latter replied.
"Honestly, I completely forgot I had it."
"I still have the Kiki's Delivery Service keychain you gave me."
Kuroo smiled.
"I thought you threw it away because you didn't like me calling you that!"
"I still don't like you calling me that"
"I know, Kiki"
Kenma replied with a very rude emoji.
“Kuso neko no Jiji”
The brunet burst into laughter. He sent back a photo of himself blowing kisses at the camera.
He glanced at the time: he still had plenty of time before his first class but leaving early wouldn't hurt. So, he got ready to leave and put on the beaded bracelet before stepping out of his apartment. He checked the time when he exited the subway and smiled upon discovering that he had 45 minutes to spare: enough to quietly enjoy a good coffee under a tree. Delighted with this plan, he headed towards the small mobile shop at the entrance of the campus, which, although modestly set up, served the most exquisite latte. Judging by the quite substantial line he found in front of the shop, he wasn't the only one who had had this idea. He joined the line and waited. He couldn't stop looking at the bracelet on his wrist, the sight of this object continuing to delight him every moment.
He took his phone out of his pocket to send a text to Oikawa and Chris to see if they wanted him to get them something as well. He smiled as he received an enthusiastic response from his two friends.
He finally arrived at the counter and ordered the three large lattes. The barista invited him to wait aside for his order. Kuroo complied. His gaze fell again on the bracelet on his wrist. More and more memories were rushing back to him. He now clearly remembered that afternoon. He had begged Kenma to come and play with him, a refined technique to trick the latter into joining the volleyball club with him. Unfortunately for him, the weather had not been on his side, and they ended up confined indoors. Seeing them idle like that, his mother had invited them to play with his little sister Kasumi. Kenma had been initially reluctant but had eventually joined in their artistic activity. If he remembered correctly, Kuroo had made him a necklace, also made of horribly mismatched beads. He highly doubted that Kenma still had that horrible thing. He began to fiddle with the bracelet, then eventually took it off his wrist to roll the beads between his fingers.
As the merchant called out to him to pick up his order, he dropped the bracelet. His executive functions were briefly short-circuited, not knowing which task to prioritize. He decided to retrieve his order first, after all, the bracelet wouldn't fall any further down. He picked up the three cups, a delicate task which he managed with skill, while not realizing it was indeed the task he should have undertaken last.
He looked down to see where his bracelet had fallen, and his heart skipped a beat when he realized it was gone. He scanned the floor, perhaps it had landed a bit further away? He felt relieved when he spotted it a few steps away from the shop. As he approached to retrieve it, he heard a croak. Looking up, his eyes met those of a large crow. The animal was a few steps away from his bracelet, and its cunning gaze signaled to Kuroo that the bird was up too no good. The brunet stopped to analyze the animal's behavior. The crow lowered its gaze, Kuroo followed it. The bird was looking at his bracelet.
"No!" exclaimed the brunet.
Too late, the corvid had seized the bracelet in its beak.
"Give it back!"
Kuroo rushed towards the bird. It darted away at full speed and the brunet chased after it. The animal didn't even have the grace to fly, and instead taunted him by zigzagging through the student crowd. Just as he had it within reach, Kuroo violently collided with an obstacle. Two dramas unfolded simultaneously:
The first one: all three coffees spilled on him
The second one: the crow flew away with his precious bracelet.
Kuroo dropped to the ground, crestfallen.
"Are you okay?"
"Damn it! You almost ruined my clothes!"
Looking up, Kuroo found Oikawa and Chris facing him, one of them undoubtedly constituting the obstacle he had encountered earlier. Chris helped his friend to get back on his feet. Deeply disoriented, Kuroo took several seconds to reconnect with reality. He handed the cups he still had in his hand to his friends. Both looked puzzled. Kuroo realized he had indeed handed them the two cups, but they had been completely crushed and twisted during the collision. Oikawa sighed, visibly annoyed.
"What happened to you?" asked the blond.
"Uh... a crow stole my bracelet."
Oikawa chuckled, his friend's misfortune lifting his spirits.
"Did you burn yourself?" asked the chestnut-haired.
It was only then that Kuroo assessed the bodily damage he had suffered. Indeed, the torrent of hot coffee that had spilled on him was burning his thighs, stomach, and nipples.
"Uh, yeah, a bit."
"You're soaked. Do you have spare clothes?"
"No."
"I have spare shorts in my bag," said Chris.
Oikawa sighed again.
"I have a t-shirt," he finally added, "we still have some time before class starts, let's go to the bathroom so you can change."
Kuroo nodded and followed them. Once there, he locked himself in a stall to get rid of his soiled clothes. He ended up with his wet pants and t-shirt in hand. He couldn't just put them in his bag like that! They would soak everything... So he decided to wrap them in toilet paper. As he undertook this task, which proved more difficult than expected since the paper instantly absorbed coffee upon contact with the fabric, Chris passed his hand over the stall to hand him a gray sports shorts. Kuroo placed the soiled clothes on his bag and took the shorts. The garment was severely lacking in fabric!
"Uh... Isn't this short too small for you?" the brunet asked.
"Yeah, I ordered it too small," Chris explained, "I was going to return it to the store, but if you need it, I'll lend it to you."
"Uh, thanks."
So Kuroo proceeded to put on the tiny shorts. The garment in question barely reached his thighs.
"Is it okay?" Chris asked.
"A bit short, but it'll do, thanks."
"Here!"
Now it was Oikawa's turn to make his offering. Kuroo's eyes widened as he saw it what it was.
"Uh... Oikawa, what are you doing with a 3XXL Godzilla t-shirt?"
"It's Iwa-chan's."
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
"And what are you doing with it?"
Silence.
"Oikawa?"
"I'm hiding it! I'm tired of him wearing that thing! I'll get him a new one in the right size, but this is just not working anymore."
Kuroo chuckled.
"Ah, okay, so what about me then?"
"You're not my boyfriend, I don't care! Do you want it or not?"
"Yeah, yeah, it's fine, thanks!"
"Okay! But make sure to take it off before going to CATO tonight!"
"Okay, okay, your secret's safe with me."
Kuroo reluctantly put on the t-shirt. Or rather, the Quechua tent considering how loose it was. The sleeves, supposed to reach his shoulders, ended up at his elbows, and the whole thing fell to his knees. Kuroo sighed but accepted his fate. He packed the rest of his clothes into his bag and opened the cabin door. Oikawa laughed at the sight, and Chris couldn't help but smile.
"Come on guys!" Kuroo complained, devastated by his friends' reaction and the reflection the mirror was showing him.
"No, but." Oikawa burst out laughing again, "it's stylish."
"It looks like I'm wearing a dress!"
"So what?" Chris asked.
Kuroo calmed down. It wasn't that tragic after all. The outfit had a certain... charm to it. It more or less matched his... his Doc Martens.
"It's fine, with the girl dressed like a Victorian widow in our lecture hall, no one will notice! Anyway, we're out of time, time to move people!"
Resigned, Kuroo followed his friends out of the bathroom. As he was barely out of the bathroom, a group of young students passed by, and one of them shouted:
"Nice dress!"
"No! I have shorts underneath!" Kuroo exclaimed.
His two companions stared at him, surprised by his intense reaction.
"I have shorts underneath," Kuroo repeated.
Oikawa laughed and wrapped his arm around Kuroo's shoulders.
"Come on, embrace it, it's not that bad."
Kuroo muttered something but followed along.
Fucking crow!
-//-
Finally, this day of misfortune was coming to an end. Kuroo could now go home to change and permanently erase the humiliation of this day from his memory. He and Oikawa were leaning against the iron railing of the outdoor staircase, watching the students below while waiting for Chris to join them. A group of young women passed by, and one of them called out to him:
"Nice dress!"
"Thanks..."
Kuroo had heard this so many times throughout the day that he no longer bothered to try to justify himself.
Oikawa watched the group of students walk away.
"No one seems to be mocking you, quite the opposite actually," observed his friend. "It actually suits you quite well."
Kuroo turned his gaze towards his friend, looking indifferent. Oikawa seemed serious.
"Thanks..."
The brunet turned his gaze away again to look into the distance. He caught sight of a black mass in his peripheral vision. When he turned his eyes in that direction, he was shocked to see a crow. Not any crow: the vile bracelet thief. The bird met his gaze. Kuroo noticed vivid spots of color around the bird's neck. His eyes widened: the creature had dared to put on his bracelet around its neck. Kuroo narrowed his eyes. The crow seemed to almost do the same. He stared at the crow. The crow stared back at him. Slowly, without breaking eye contact with the animal, Kuroo grabbed his bag.
"What are you doing?" asked Oikawa.
"I have something to take care of..."
Suddenly, the bird broke eye contact and darted away at full speed.
Kuroo ran down the stairs and rushed toward his feathered nemesis. The crow taunted him even more, stopping every ten steps to wait for him. Once the bird was within his reach, the cunning animal cawed before darting away at full speed. Kuroo cursed but didn't give up! Now the crow was even hobbling forward, most likely to mock him! Soon he had run through the entire campus and arrived at the edge of the pond. As he stepped onto the grass, the cawing of his black nemesis was joined by that of dozens of its kind.
Kuroo stopped. He knew full well that crows were clever animals, and vengeful... He would face severe retaliation if he got into a fight with the entire flock. Damn, it wasn't called a "murder" of crows for nothing! The corvid stopped and looked at him. Perhaps it had taken pity on him? Hope arose within him when the crow approached. The bird stopped a few steps away from him. Kuroo hesitated but eventually approached slowly. He came so close that he could almost touch its feathers. Maybe he had simply misunderstood the situation. Perhaps the crow had been panicked to find itself with the jewelry around its throat, and now that it felt safe near its peers, it was letting Kuroo approach to help it get rid of it. Kuroo approached the bird. It didn't move. Slowly, the brunet reached out his hand and managed to retrieve the bracelet.
“Look, I've taken it off," he said, presenting the bracelet to show the animal that it was now free.
The crow looked at the bracelet and raised its head. Its eyes seemed filled with gratitude. Kuroo let out a smile.
"You're not so ba—"
The crow cawed and snatched the bracelet from the brunet's hand with the tip of its beak before darting away again at full speed.
"You little...!" Kuroo growled, running after the damn bird.
His hope vanished when he saw the crow take flight.
"Ah, damn it..."
The crow performed a few acrobatics before landing on a tall oak tree. Kuroo hesitated to turn back, starting to feel defeated. He lowered his eyes, looked at his bare wrist, thought back to the joy he had felt that morning when he found the jewelry, and... No! No, he couldn't give up! Kuroo resumed his run, heading straight toward the tree. Some branches were low enough for him to grab onto. Without further ado, he embarked on the adventure. He jumped to reach the nearest branch and managed to pull himself up. He continued his ascent. Finally, he managed to almost circle the tree, gaining a few inches in height. Eventually, he spotted the animal hidden among the branches.
"Ah, there you are!"
The bird turned its gaze in his direction. Noticing its presence infuriated him. It cawed and spread its wings. Equally irritated, Kuroo mimicked its cry. The bird fell silent and turned its head to observe him better. Deciding it had seen enough, the crow darted towards the human nuisance threatening its nest and took flight just inches from his face. Startled, Kuroo completely let go of the branch. His backside met the ground all too quickly for his own comfort.
"Fuck," complained the brunet, feeling the impact on his buttocks.
"Are you all right?" came a concerned voice.
Kuroo looked up, mortified to recognize the person in front of him.
"Kuroo-san!"
"Akaashi... san."
The two looked at each other, surprised to find themselves in such a situation.
"Are you okay?" Akaashi asked.
"Yeah, I think so. What... um... what are you doing here?"
"I am working... and yourself?"
"As surprising as it may seem, I was chasing after a thieving crow."
Akaashi frowned, skeptical, but eventually let out a light laugh.
"Of course.”
He reached out to help his friend up. Once Kuroo was standing and steady on his feet, he looked up. Akaashi discreetly scrutinized him without letting his gaze betray the extent of his judgment.
“Um... It's not a dress, just an oversized T-shirt with shorts underneath... Some friends lent it to me, I, um... I spilled three coffees on myself...”
“Oh... Chasing after the... the crow, I suppose?”
“Yes...”
Akaashi laughed again.
“Despite its accidental nature, I think it suits you rather well.”
Kuroo felt the blood rush to his cheeks.
“Oh... um, thank you.”
Seeking to avoid eye contact at all costs, Kuroo shifted his gaze towards the tree and discovered that Akaashi had set up a small cloth at its base scattered with dozens of books.
“Charming workspace.”
Akaashi followed his gaze.
“Thank you”
The brunet nodded. And... he continued nodding, for far too long to seem natural. He kept staring at the cloth on the ground and... nodding. He mentally forced himself to stop so his body would follow suit. He could sense Akaashi's puzzled expression in his peripheral vision but didn't look away from the cloth.
“It's a nice cloth.”
“Yes.”
And silence fell again. Akaashi chuckled. Kuroo turned his gaze towards him.
“ Would you like to join me?”
Kuroo smiled and nodded. Akaashi returned to sit under the tree, and he followed. They settled down side by side and remained silent for a moment, occasionally exchanging smiles. The situation was becoming awkward, but the brunet had absolutely no idea what to do to fix it. It was Akaashi who took the initiative:
“So, I you had… a feud with a crow?”
Kuroo smiled and began telling him about his misadventures. The further he got into the story, the more he animated it with grand gestures and theatrical caricatures. Seeing Akaashi relax more and more and laugh at his story encouraged him to add even more frivolity, never getting tired of the gentle sensation his laughter evoked in him. The conversation eventually digressed, and they talked for a long time, enthusiastically exchanging whatever came to mind. The sun was beginning to set, its golden rays filtering through the foliage of the trees to fall in fine golden beads in Akaashi's hair. And every time he heard him talk, Kuroo was intoxicated by his voice, by his presence. Everything about him was so musical. While nature buzzed around them, nothing but a cacophony of chirps and caws, Akaashi had the majestic harmony of a symphony.
They fell silent. The silence between them this time was no longer awkward. It was gentle and calming. The sun had almost disappeared behind the horizon, painting the sky with a sumptuous palette of pink and orange hues.
Kuroo checked the time on his phone: 6:12 PM. He needed to leave soon if he wanted to join his friends at CATO’s. He glanced at Akaashi. His gaze was fixed on the sky, a slight smile playing on his lips. Kuroo didn't want to leave. A twisted and strange feeling welled up inside him, and he had to look away. He knew this feeling well, having experienced it recently. This sense of urgency and imperativeness. He let his head fall back onto his knees and delved into himself. Even though he tried to get rid of this feeling, it kept spreading in his body. Perhaps he was being too capricious? Perhaps he was being foolish? But he wanted more. He wanted to explore this sensation lurking within him, to see if he could make it bloom, redefine it, and reshape it. What was it already? "Testing the waters" ?
He felt like he was standing before this expanse, between water and mist, between two physical states to define. He wanted to step forward, to run his fingers through it, to understand it, to know if venturing into it was too dangerous. He shivered, and the sensation threw him out of himself. He resurfaced. The air had cooled, and the wind swept over his bare legs.
"Are you cold?"
Kuroo turned his gaze. Akaashi was looking at him.
"A little, but I'll be fine. I didn't plan on walking around bare-legged all day."
Akaashi nodded and turned to retrieve his bag. He pulled out a scarf and handed it to Kuroo. The latter recognized it instantly. It had served as his pillow for almost a week, and with the washing machine disaster, he wasn't about to forget it anytime soon.
"Oh! Is this the scarf you lent me when we met?"
The brunet nodded. Kuroo thanked him and unfolded the fabric to cover his legs. He rested his head on his knees again and discreetly sniffed the scent of the fabric. It had regained its original fragrance: lilac and petrichor. He chuckled.
"You managed to get rid of the cotton candy-matcha smell."
Akaashi frowned, not following.
"The fabric softener."
"Oh! Indeed."
Kuroo chuckled again.
"Sorry about that... Did I ever tell you that story?"
"I do not believe you did."
"Seriously?"
Kuroo launched into yet another one of his disaster stories, a tale only he could tell. When he finished, Akaashi was laughing so hard that tears welled up in his eyes.
"I swear! Well, I didn't go back too often after that, partly because I was a bit embarrassed, and because my best friend pointed out that it might be a front for a Yakuza gang to launder money."
Akaashi laughed again.
"That would not be so surprising indeed."
"No."
They continued their conversation, more calmly this time. Kuroo's gaze found the scarf again. He detached himself from it to watch Akaashi. It only took a few seconds for him to avert his eyes again. He went back and forth several times, now unable to listen to what the brunet was saying. He kept thinking about the discussion he had with his friends at Karasu, and the thought started looping in his head, so much so that soon he could only hear that thought.
"Kuroo?" Akaashi asked.
"Did you mark your scarf when you lent it to me?"
Kuroo widened his eyes, mortified to have dared to ask the question so bluntly. Akaashi was startled. They looked at each other like two disoriented owls. Finally, Kuroo saw his friend starting to blush. Ashamed, Akaashi buried his face in his hands.
"Um, sorry for asking, I... "
"I am deeply sorry Kuroo-san," Akaashi interrupted. "I am sincerely sorry for doing that without your consent. I..."
The shift to a more polite language amused the brunet. Akaashi put his hands on the ground and leaned forward to bow.
Kuroo let out a smile.
"Hey."
He took his hand to help him up. Akaashi let him but seemed surprised.
"Relax, it's okay... it just caught me off guard when I... when I realized."
Akaashi's face twisted with embarrassment, and he plunged his face back into his hands.
"I acted on impulsiveness, I should not have, but... And I did not think you would notice... I... it does not excuse anything but..."
"To be honest, I didn't really notice... I just saw a friend do that to annoy another friend and uh, they explained to me what it meant..."
"Oh..."
Oh great, Kuroo thought, You really ruined the mood there, what are you going to do now, idiot?
"But... but why? I mean, we had just met?"
Well done dumbass!
Akaashi started to stutter something. He eventually regained his composure, took a deep breath, and continued more calmly:
"Well... It was probably inappropriate of me, but when you told me where you were going and given what happened to you, I thought it would be wiser, just in case..."
Kuroo waited but quickly realized that he wouldn't finish his sentence.
"Where was I going?"
His interlocutor squirmed, uncomfortable.
"The Asakusa district."
"Oh... and?"
"It's a place known for... hosting a lot of despicable alpha-supremacist communities... And since you told me that your encounters of the day had not been the most peaceful, I thought... well, I thought... Well..."
"You wanted to protect me from the bad alphas, is that it? Disguise the sheep so it doesn't get eaten by the nasty wolves?"
Akaashi relaxed and let out a slight laugh:
"Yes, that was the idea..."
Kuroo smiled tenderly.
"Thank you."
Akaashi turned his gaze towards him, surprised by the gratitude.
"It probably helped."
The brunet across from him nodded.
"Not very elegant maybe but... I understand. I get that you did it without any ill intent."
"Thank you for your understanding."
Silence fell.
Now! a voice inside him shouted, and Kuroo almost jumped, surprised to hear it so loud. The mist had lifted, the pond he could see behind didn't seem so hostile. He felt like approaching it... Maybe the water temperature would be pleasant there?
Now!
"But... I'm a little disappointed..."
Okay, not bad, keep going...
Akaashi turned his head, looking panicked.
"Oh!"
"Disappointed that it was only to protect me..."
Hmm, a bit cavalier but...
Akaashi raised an eyebrow.
Damn.
Kuroo dropped the weight of his previous comment for the lightness and honesty of humor:
"Oops, I was just trying to flirt, I'm a bit rusty I guess."
It was still a bit clumsy, but it could work. After all, it was a game they both enjoyed, and now it was up to him to make it clear that he wasn't just playing around anymore.
The remark had the merit of amusing Akaashi, who let out a smile.
"Given our previous interactions, I would say that you are far from rusty"
"Really?" Kuroo asked innocently, though he couldn't help a mischievous smile from escaping him.
Akaashi blushed slightly.
Kuroo was getting closer to the water's edge, and it was becoming clearer and clearer.
"A great example of putting theory into practice, do you practice often?"
Kuroo ventured to bring his hand closer to the surface:
"Um, not really, we don't see each other that often."
His hand was almost touching the water.
"It must come naturally to you, then."
It was now time to take the plunge.
"Um, but I think I might need more practice, something more intensive, what do you say?"
Akaashi chuckled. He smiled and turned his eyes to his interlocutor. Kuroo caught his gaze and held it. He wanted him to understand that he wasn’t playing around anymore. Akaashi quickly understood. His smile faded, and Kuroo saw with horror his features take on an expression of embarrassed regret.
"Oh..."
"Oh?"
"Kuroo-san."
The use of "-san" didn't amuse him much this time. He still tried to keep up appearances:
"Akaashi-san?"
The attempt at humor had little effect.
"I am sorry."
Kuroo attempted a smile, but it faded quickly.
"Oh, sorry, I misinterpreted... I... sorry..." Kuroo stammered.
Akaashi turned his head. He closed his eyes. After a breath, he opened them again.
"No need to apologize. I might have sent some signals that led you to think that... I apologize for that."
Kuroo remained silent.
"You are someone dear to me Kuroo-san, but…”
"But?"
Kuroo made eye contact, only to have it immediately broken.
"There are certain things you do not know, and... well, I cannot risk it. Although I enjoy the time we spend together, I am afraid that is where it ends."
Kuroo had just fallen headfirst into the water and it was freezing cold!
"Oh... okay, I understand."
The silence settled in.
"Sorry..." Akaashi apologized.
"No, it's really nothing! Don't worry about it, let's forget it, it's... really nothing!" Kuroo spoke too quickly for it to sound believable.
Silence.
Kuroo suddenly got up and grabbed his things.
"If you don't mind, I'll go then."
"Oh... yes."
Kuroo didn't leave right away, and the two looked at each other for a long time without saying anything.
"Are you going to be okay?" Akaashi finally asked.
"Yeah, no problem... um, well then, see you later."
"See you later..."
And Kuroo turned to leave. He went to catch the train, congratulating himself on his composure. He wouldn't be caught crying on public transportation again. And really, it wasn't that bad, he wasn't making a big deal out of it, he felt perfectly fine. Yes, perfectly fine. That's what he repeated to himself over and over again on his way to the CATO: that he was perfectly fine, that he would have a great evening with his friends, and that it would completely take his mind off things because he was going to have such a good laugh. After all, he had that crow story to tell them! He managed to believe in that until he arrived. Everyone was there, and the bustling atmosphere of the place instantly delighted him. Sugawara was the first one to notice him.
"Nice dress!" he remarked.
Oikawa beside him seemed less pleased to see him in that outfit. He rushed over to him and whispered, "Dude, seriously! I told you to change, I'm going to..."
He didn't finish, his eyes scanning Kuroo.
"Are you okay?" the chestnut-haired asked.
"I'm fine, are you okay?"
"Um, yeah..."
Oikawa didn't take his eyes off him.
"Where did you find that? It's... Are you okay ?"
Sugawara approached him, also instantly sensing that something was wrong.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
The lie didn't stick.
"Sure?" Sugawara insisted.
Ah! Not that voice! It had always been his biggest weakness!
Kuroo's face twisted from the turmoil of tears he had tried so hard to hold back.
"Not really. But… that’s fine, I’m okay, that’s nothing really.”
"I've heard that somewhere before," Oikawa said.
"What's going on?"
Not that voice! Please!
“Nothing… well, I shot my shot and missed, that’s ok, I’m fine.”
“Oh no... I'm sorry," Sugawara said in his softest voice.
Kuroo shrugged, clinging to the few shreds of composure he had left.
"Hug?" Sugawara suggested, opening his arms.
The brunet nodded and let his friend wrap his arms around him. Kuroo finally relaxed and let the meager barriers he had tried to erect collapse.
"You suck at your Bachelor game" commented Oikawa.
Kuroo chuckled.
"Pfft, shut up."
"I'm just stating the facts."
At that moment, Yamaguchi, passing behind Suga, caught his eye.
"Are you okay?"
The brunet shook his head negatively.
"Oh shit? What's going on?" asked Yamaguchi, approaching.
"He got turned down," explained Oikawa.
"Shit! By who?"
"Akaashi," answered the brunet.
"Oh phew!"
"What “phew”!" Sugawara scolded.
"Well, I'm team Kenma, so it's okay."
"Since when are there teams?"
"Doesn't matter, a little empathy here!"
Kuroo noticed that Sugawara had completely answered his question.
“I'm sorry for you," Yamaguchi finally said before joining their hug.
Kuroo already felt better. But he knew what would lift his spirits even more.
"Yama?"
"Hmm?"
"Can you purr, please?"
Yamaguchi chuckled but immediately complied. The sound instantly soothed Kuroo.
"Thank you."
"Isn't that my T-shirt?" came Iwaizumi's voice, making Kuroo jump.
“Oh crap..." Oikawa muttered.
Notes:
Next chapter : “The death of stars”
"Kenma, I won't hold much longer!"
"I almost got it..."
"Uh, Ken..."
Kuroo wavered, feeling Kenma start to tilt. Realizing the fall was inevitable, Kuroo tried to shift their balance. He managed to grab Kenma's thighs, but the momentum pulled them both down. Kuroo landed hard on his back, the impact reverberating through his chest. Kenma fell on top of him, knocking the breath out of his lungs.
"Are you okay?"
Kuroo opened his eyes. Kenma was okay. He wasn't sure how, but when he fell backward, Kuroo must have wrapped his arms around Kenma, which undoubtedly dragged him into the fall with him.
"I'm fine, you?"
"Yeah."
They looked at each other before bursting into laughter.
"You always have the must fuckup ideas," the blonde commented.
"What! It was your idea!"
See you!
Chapter 17: The death of stars
Summary:
"Kenma, I won't hold much longer!"
"I almost got it..."
"Uh, Ken..."
Kuroo wavered, feeling Kenma start to tilt. Realizing the fall was inevitable, Kuroo tried to shift their balance. He managed to grab Kenma's thighs, but the momentum pulled them both down. Kuroo landed hard on his back, the impact reverberating through his chest. Kenma fell on top of him, knocking the breath out of his lungs.
"Are you okay?"
Kuroo opened his eyes. Kenma was okay. He wasn't sure how, but when he fell backward, Kuroo must have wrapped his arms around Kenma, which undoubtedly dragged him into the fall with him.
"I'm fine, you?"
"Yeah."
They looked at each other before bursting into laughter.
"You always have the must fuckup ideas," the blonde commented.
"What! It was your idea!"
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Kuroo was doing okay. He pondered the question at length, and that was the conclusion he had drawn from his emotional state, admittedly hazy and strangely silent, but not devastated nonetheless. A week had passed since his last encounter with Akaashi, and he was... relatively okay. After all, 1200 stars were exploding every passing second, and he had not exploded yet, that was something! Yes, some might argue that stars are just big sky rocks far far away and their explosion is not that devastating, but still… he didn’t explode!
People were dying each passing second, 1.8 persons exactly, every second! That was devastating, right? And guess what? He didn’t die! He didn’t explode, and he didn’t die! Conclusion: everything was just fine! He could even say that he was happy, unlike… dead people. Well, dead people are neither happy nor unhappy really, they’re just… And exploding stars were not… unhappy either… And supernovas are pretty neat really… Kuroo shook his head to get out of his mind side-tracking.
Anyway… He was okay, that was it really, he was... he was fine.
And even if he wasn't feeling great, he still told himself that he needed to toughen up a bit. He was past the age of stressing over boys. Boys who were quite charming, yes… But that didn't diminish the rather untragic nature of the situation. He had considered the idea of retreating to a temple, hoping it would help him reconnect with the "primordial aspects of existence." He had spoken several times with his sisters on the phone, realizing in the process that stressing over boys was a family affair. Maybe a temple stay for the whole family would benefit them? He needed to look into it.
Once this little introspective point was made, he got up, like someone who was perfectly fine; took a lukewarm shower, like someone who was relatively fine; dressed, like an individual with a stable emotional state, and went to the university, like the student eager to learn he was, which was overall positive. Upon arriving at the university, he began to play his favorite game, which consisted of avoiding anyone vaguely looking like Bokuto or Akaashi. Not that he was avoiding them, but he didn't want to show off how well he was doing. And fortunately for them, he made it to class without crossing paths with them. He listened attentively to the lecture and finally stopped wondering every second if he was okay.
His applied physics course in biological systems was as effective as the temple for reconnecting him with the "primordial aspects of existence." The end of the morning came very quickly. He was the only one from his friendly microcosm attending this class; Chris and Oikawa would only arrive in the early afternoon. So, he sent a message to Yamaguchi to see if he was on campus so they could have lunch together. Not that he didn't want to be alone with his thoughts, no , he just needed to maintain a healthy relationship with his friends! The young man's company was charming and always enjoyable, and if his mate could join as well, it would only make things better. The more the merrier, right?
He joined the two of them at the university cafeteria, and they had a pleasant time together, which proved that Kuroo was indeed in a very good mood.
Once their meal was finished, they went to sit next to the science building to have a coffee in the sun and to continue their chat peacefully. The couple had started a debate on a nebulous topic that Kuroo didn't quite understand, probably some geeky stuff. He didn’t mind and was happy just listening to them. He only broke away from their discussion when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. His heart leaped... but wait! A normal leap, a small leap like that of a baby rabbit, a leap that naturally occurs when you realize that a dear friend has sent you a message.
"Why are you smiling like an idiot?" Tsukishima asked him.
Kuroo looked up, barely taking note of the tone, and simply replied, "Kenma sent me a text."
"Oh! What does he want?" Yamaguchi hurriedly asked.
"He's asking if I'm on campus, he's around I guess."
Kuroo looked up, feeling an insistent gaze on him. Yamaguchi was looking at him with a teasing look, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
"What?"
"Hmm, Kenma?"
Kuroo tried to suppress the blush rising to his cheeks, but controlling his emotional responses wasn't really his specialty.
"What ?"
The young man continued teasing him with his cursed eyebrows.
"What?"
"Kenma..."
"Stop doing that..."
Yamaguchi got up to dance around him.
"So, are you going to tell him?"
"Tell him what?"
"That your little heart goes boom boom for him and that you get butterflies in your stomach when you see him!"
Kuroo rolled his eyes.
"No."
"Hmm, I see, I see, you're waiting for the right moment, nice move."
"No... I'm just not going to tell him."
Yamaguchi stopped and frowned.
"What? But why?"
Kuroo sighed.
"Because."
"Because what?"
Now Tsukki was getting involved.
Yamaguchi grabbed his arm, and upon meeting his gaze, Kuroo understood that the question was sincere and no longer part of the game.
"Because… Just, because, I’ve done enough damage already."
"You're really not going to tell him?"
"No..."
An insistent silence lingered.
"It's okay, it's not the end of the world, I'd rather keep things that way. I don’t want to lose him."
"Oh... Kuroo, I..."
"Well, I'll call him," the brunet interrupted.
He dialed the number and brought the phone close to his ear. He almost dropped the device when he saw the bush in front of him start to move. A bird emerged from it and took off.
"Hello."
Kuroo smiled upon hearing Kenma's voice.
"Hey, everything okay? You sound out of breath."
"...I'm fine."
"So, are you nearby? Where are you?"
After a brief pause, Kenma replied:
"In front of building C."
"Oh, I'm right next to it, I'll be there."
"Okay, I'll wait for you, see you soon."
"See you."
Kuroo hung up, gathered his belongings from the wall where his friends were sitting, making sure not to meet their eyes, and thanked them before heading towards the building. The conversation had affected his mood, and he felt a heavy, oppressive feeling rising within him. To somewhat block it out, he quietly hummed "tututulu". He fell silent when he spotted Kenma in the distance. The heavy sensation in his chest melted away in an instant, replaced by a sparkling lightness. He waved , but Kenma swept his gaze across space without seeing him and looked in the opposite direction. He gave up on calling out to him and trotted cheerfully towards him. As he was just a few steps away, Kenma turned his head, and he met his gaze. Kuroo smiled without even thinking about it and saw his friend's features soften.
"Hey!" he greeted once he reached him.
"Hey."
Silence settled for a moment.
"So, what are you doing around here?"
"Uh... I had to drop something off, and I have some time on my hands, so..."
Kuroo didn't ask any further questions and simply responded "cool," before letting out a huge smile. He casually surveyed his friend's appearance. Considering his outfit, he eventually asked him,
"Is that a skirt?"
Kenma glanced at it before meeting Kuroo's gaze again.
"Yeah," he simply replied.
The brunet examined the garment: a black pleated skirt reaching down to his calf.
"Nice... does it have pockets?"
"Of course," Kenma said while giving him a demo.
"Wow..."
Kenma smirked.
"Jealous ?."
"Big time."
"Hum, didn’t think you were into that aesthetic."
"Well, ever since I accidentally wore something that could pass for a dress all day, and only received compliments, I'm starting to consider expanding my wardrobe."
Kenma raised an eyebrow before chuckling.
"You think it’s funny? I swear, I kept getting compliments!"
"Pfft, no, I just have a feeling there's another one of your insane stories behind it."
"Ah, yeah, well guessed..." the brunet admitted, scratching the back of his neck.
"Go on, tell me."
Kuroo smiled before narrating to him the tale of the thieving crow. Kenma burst into laughter, and Kuroo felt his heart doing somersaults in his chest.
"Classic. How did it end? "
"Uh... the bird flew away, I fell out of the tree, and... at the bottom of the tree, I bumped into... a friend who helped me up, and then, I kind of gave up."
Kenma gave him a stern look.
"What?"
"That means you didn’t get the bracelet back?"
"No, I know, it sucks... I had forgotten about that thing for years, but I already miss it."
"Do you think it's still there?"
"Where?"
"In the crow's nest!"
"I don't know, maybe..."
Kenma narrowed his eyes.
"What are you thinking?"
"We need to go get it back."
Kuroo chuckled.
"Alright."
"Do you remember where it was?"
"Yeah."
"Let's go then," the blonde said before setting off.
The brunet followed, amused. He had to quicken his pace to catch up and guide him on the path to the thieving crow's nest. It wasn't until they were a few steps away from the tree that he began to worry about running into Akaashi. Not that he was avoiding him, but he didn't necessarily want to bump into him now. He paced around, pretending not to recognize the tree anymore until he could confirm that the place they were looking for was free from any human presence. Once he confirmed that the coast was clear, he guided Kenma there.
"Here we are, the crime scene."
Kenma nodded and surveyed the foliage.
"The nest is there," the blonde said, pointing to the base of a branch above their heads.
"Oh, yeah."
Kenma tapped his shoulder.
"Lift me up, I'll go get it."
Kuroo laughed, amused to see him so involved.
"Okay."
Kenma signaled that he needed to kneel. Once done, the blonde sat on his shoulders.
"Now, stand up."
Kuroo complied, Kenma wasn't very heavy, which made the task easier.
"Okay, give me your hands so I can stand up."
"Ha, have you been training with Cirque du Soleil lately?"
"Shut up and help me!" the blonde replied, his voice betraying his amusement.
Kuroo complied and grabbed Kenma's hands to help him stand up. Once the latter managed to stand on his shoulders, he grabbed his calves to support him.
"Wait, lift your skirt, I can't see a thing!"
"You don't need to see," the blonde retorted, still adjusting the fabric to avoid obstructing the brunet's vision.
"Do you see anything?"
"Yeah, the nest."
"So?"
"There's nothing in it."
"Oh, damn it."
"Oh, wait! I can see it!"
"What?"
"The bracelet!"
"Oh! Where is it?"
"Hanging on a small branch higher up."
That sneaky crow hadn't even bothered to take care of its property...
"Can you reach it?"
"No, it's too far. Wait, step back."
Kuroo complied, making sure not to make Kenma tip over.
"Okay, I'm close, but I'll have to turn around."
"What?!"
"Don't worry."
Raising his head, Kuroo noticed that the blonde had clung to the main branch. He lifted his weight to be able to move his body and position himself with his back facing the trunk. Once done, he rested his feet on Kuroo's shoulders. The brunet held on, although the position was much less stable this way. The situation became critical when the blonde leaned over to reach for the branch.
"Kenma, I won't hold much longer!"
"I almost got it..."
"Uh, Ken..."
Kuroo wavered, feeling Kenma start to tilt. Realizing the fall was inevitable, Kuroo tried to shift their balance. He managed to grab Kenma's thighs, but the momentum pulled them both down. Kuroo landed hard on his back, the impact reverberating through his chest. Kenma fell on top of him, knocking the breath out of his lungs.
"Are you okay?"
Kuroo opened his eyes. Kenma was okay.
"I'm fine, you?"
"Yeah."
They looked at each other before bursting into laughter.
"You always have the must fuckup ideas," the blonde commented.
"What! It was your idea!"
Kenma rolled his eyes, and they burst into laughter once again.
Silence fell, and Kenma let his head fall back onto the brunet's chest. Kuroo smiled and looked up at the sky, not caring much that his heart was racing, even though he knew perfectly well that it had nothing to do with the shock he had just experienced. They stayed like that for a while.
"You won't lose me."
Kenma had just whispered. Kuroo frowned, not quite sure he had understood correctly... His mind was certainly playing tricks on him:
"What?"
"You won't lose it," the blonde repeated.
Ah, that sounded a bit better.
"Lose what?"
Silence. Kuroo looked down at Kenma. The latter smiled at him and opened his hand. Inside, Kuroo discovered his bracelet.
"Oh! You got it!"
Kenma nodded. Kuroo hugged him and rested his head on his. His childhood friend chuckled but allowed it. Finally, Kuroo sat up straight. He retrieved the bracelet and put it back on his wrist.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, pigeon head."
Kuroo sulked, pretending to be offended.
"Onion head," he signed, borrowing Hinata's favorite insult for the occasion.
Kenma raised an eyebrow, and to Kuroo's greatest surprise, he replied:
"Onion head yourself, pigeon head."
Kuroo was speechless:
"Damn, I didn't expect you to understand."
"Too bad, you guessed wrong."
"Hmm... interesting..."
"Hmm..."
"Onion head," Kuroo reiterated.
Kenma rolled his eyes, and they laughed.
Kuroo was sure now: right there, right now, he was feeling great.
-//-
But what was happiness after all? That was a subjective and vast concept! Kuroo had had enough philosophy classes in his life to realize that. If he relied on a Western definition, happiness then denoted a sort of continuous state of absolute satisfaction, so no, he wasn't really happy, but few could boast the contrary. Considering his own cultural prism, happiness could be associated with the concept of ikigai, the pursuit of a reason to live. Ikigai requires continual introspection and the identification of one's passions. It was more of a process than a state in itself... Kuroo was in perpetual introspection... It was certainly somewhat paradoxical on his part, but wasn't he then happy because he was engaged in the pursuit of this happiness? Didn't they say "It's not the destination that matters, it's the journey"? In that case then...
"You're awfully quiet, what are you thinking about?"
Kuroo abruptly snapped out of his thoughts. He turned his gaze towards Oikawa, walking beside him.
"Hmm... Ikigai. I was wondering if happiness lies in the pursuit of it rather than in the state itself and... hmm..."
Kuroo didn't continue, Oikawa was looking at him, his eyes reflecting an emotion between bewilderment and disdain.
"You just went to pee and that's really what's on your mind?"
"Yes," the brunet replied.
"If happiness lies in the pursuit of a state and not in the state itself, can we really say that happiness exists? A quest for something substantially non-existent. Happiness would then be found in the acceptance of our existence’s absurdity."
Kuroo glanced over. Chris had just spoken in one go, without changing tone or expression, still looking straight ahead.
"Uh...” he turned to the chestnut-haired one “See ? He gets me."
"You guys are nuts..."
As Kuroo was about to reply, he froze. He had just recognized a silhouette in the distance. Instinctively, he turned and went in the opposite direction. His friends, initially surprised, eventually caught up with him.
"What are you doing? We said we were going to the library!"
"Um, I changed my mind... Go without me, I'll see you later."
Oikawa, initially incredulous, turned his head to try to see what Kuroo had seen to react like that.
"Isn't that Bokuto over there? Oh oh, are you avoiding him?" he exclaimed, slightly scandalized.
"No."
"You're clearly avoiding him."
"No, it's just that..."
"That you're avoiding him."
"No! I, well, yes, but temporarily, just until, uh, I figure out how to talk to him again."
"You still haven't talked to him !"
"Um, no... I just need to find the right moment."
"Dude, he's your friend! Not cool, just own up to it!"
"That doesn't change anything, I just need to, to sort things out in my head and..."
"Kuroo?" Chris interrupted.
"Hm?"
"Are you avoiding Akaashi-san too?"
"I'm not avoiding him, I just..."
"Because he's heading straight towards us."
Kuroo stiffened instantly and pivoted to the left, heading towards buildings he had never had the chance to visit. What a fantastic opportunity!
"You're such a jerk, damn it," Oikawa threw at him, while following him.
"He saw us?"
"No," Chris lied. He had caught Akaashi's gaze when Kuroo changed direction, so he was certain that the latter had understood what was going on.
Kuroo let out a sigh.
"Dude, you can't spend your life avoiding them!"
"Why not? The campus is big, it's not like I'm going to run into them all the time."
Oikawa crossed his arms.
"You're right, what just happened is a good example."
"Oh, come on! I just need... time."
"You had time! It's one thing for Akaashi, but for Bokuto, that’s just not fare!"
"Why do you care?"
"Why? Hey, remember who cheered you up ? Plus, even if I don’t show it, I have something called empathy! I can put myself in his shoes. It would really piss me off if one day you started avoiding me without me understanding why! Not like you could really avoid me anyway, but still!"
"Why?"
"Because you're my friend, you bowl of wet noodles! Why the fuck are you so dumb?"
Kuroo let out a silly smile.
"Ow, you're my friend too!"
"I sure hope so!"
"So cute!"
"Oh, fuck you," the chestnut-haired yelled as Kuroo headed towards him with open arms to hug him.
Oikawa crossed his arms and went to sit on the stairs. Kuroo approached, and his friend growled. Kuroo chuckled and sat down on the step where he had placed his legs. He rested his forehead on the Oikawa’s knee before straightening up. Oikawa growled again but quickly stopped, the display of affection having the desired effect.
"You're a real piece of work, you know that ?” Oikawa concluded.
"I know."
"What are you going to do then?"
Kuroo looked up at Chris, who had just joined them.
"I don't know... For Akaashi, well... we both know what happened and... we'll see. But for Bokuto... Oikawa is right, I've been overthinking it on my own, he shouldn't have to deal the consequences of my own actions... But I also don't want to talk to him about it... I just want everything to go back to how it was before, but... But right now, I don't know if I can make that happen..."
"Okay..."
"So what do we do then? We have class in an hour."
"Weather's nice, why don't we just stay here?"
"Hmm..."
Oikawa took out his computer from his bag.
"Oh, so we're studying then?" asked Kuroo.
"Well, that was the plan," Oikawa replied.
"Or we could play Daifugō," Chris suggested, "I have a deck of cards."
Oikawa closed his computer and stowed it away in an instant.
"Alright, deal the cards, I'm going to crush you guys."
Kuroo laughed, and Chris rolled his eyes.
"We'll see about that!"
-//-
They almost arrived late to their class after that.
Class had finished 10 minutes ago, but they were still in the lecture hall, waiting for Oikawa to copy a diagram from Kuroo’s note.
“Oh come on! What is taking you so long?! Are you copying this diagram or painting the ceiling of the Sixtine Chapel!”
“Fuck you,” just answered Oikawa.
“Take a picture, I don’t know!”
“Oh come one! Just one more minute! Do you need to take a train or something?!”
“No, but we should hurry or we will be late to our microbiology lab” Chris intervened.
Oikawa's eyes widened.
“Crap! I forgot about that!”
"Oh, I forgot you had that class. Have your labs already started?"
"Yes, haven't yours?"
Kuroo had a moment of panic, terrified at the thought of having missed multiple graded practical works without realizing it. After checking, he found that wasn't the case. He sighed with relief, glad he hadn't unintentionally messed up his semester.
"Ok! I’m done! Here!” Oikawa said, giving him his notebook back before rushing out of the lecture hall.
Chris and Kuroo looked at each other, amused, and followed Oikawa outside. They found him in front of the building:
“Come on, let’s move!”
Chris nodded and joined him, waving goodbye.
Kuroo waved back and watched them walk away. He stood in front of the building for a while, unable to pinpoint what was keeping him from leaving. It wasn't until about five minutes later that he decided to walk to the subway station. However, he stopped again after taking a few steps. His heart did a flip when he spotted Bokuto in the distance. The latter was looking around as if searching for something, or... someone. His heartbeat quickened, and he turned on his heels to walk in the opposite direction. After all, the subway must be crowded at this hour; he would probably be better off walking. He moved at a leisurely pace because he wasn't in a hurry, that's all, not because he thought that if he picked up the pace, he would be more easily spotted—that would be foolish of him. And being spotted? The word was a bit strong; it's not like Bokuto was following him. He blended into the crowd of students leaving class and discreetly turned his head. He realized that, on the contrary, he had indeed been followed. However, Bokuto seemed to have momentarily lost sight of him, and Kuroo took advantage of that to make a run for it. He only stopped when he arrived behind the building. He caught his breath, and considered the extent of his foolishness, but quickly pushed that thought away, completely nullified by his power of self-persuasion.
And what if he went for a little jog ! In jeans, yes, what a great idea! He emerged from his hiding spot and began to jog towards the pond. Perhaps it wasn't very friendly of him, he was aware of that. He knew full well that he had to stop avoiding his friend, but he needed to talk to him first, and it was absolutely not the right time for it! However, the further he went, the more foolish he felt. He still had the option to stop and act natural: "Oh bro, what are you doing here? I didn't see you earlier."
Yeah, and maybe Bokuto wasn’t even looking for him, and there’s no way he was following him, right? He turned around again to find that the young man was still behind him. He jumped. This time their eyes met. Bokuto seemed to be fully aware of what he was doing and didn’t seem happy about it. Kuroo stopped jogging and started running.
"What are you doing, idiot! Stop!" he screamed internally. But he didn't slow down. He no longer had the option to act like nothing happened; he was busted for good. "Stop! Stop!" His legs refused to obey.
"Kuroo!" he heard shouted from behind.
Startled, he sped up. But what exactly was he doing? Besides, he had seen Bokuto running abilities: he knew perfectly well that he was faster than him and that he would eventually catch up to him. He knew he had to stop ! He had no excuse, he was just running his friendship! But he didn't have the strength to do it, he didn't have the strength to confront him, to act like nothing was wrong, or to clarify the situation. Not now, not there. He began to zigzag between the trees, hoping that this would allow him to escape his pursuer. He finally caught sight of the small gym and rushed towards it at full speed. He didn't stop until the door closed behind him. He was out of breath, and his body was so filled with adrenaline that his legs were shaky and his head was spinning. He discreetly cracked the door open, hoping to have lost his pursuer. It wasn't the case; not only had Bokuto seen him enter the gymnasium, he was now heading towards the door like a bull ready to enter the arena and smash everything in its path.
"Shit," Kuroo muttered.
He leaped and headed towards the showers. He heard the door open as he was in the middle of the field. By an unexplained reflex, he took out his phone from his pocket, pretending to be talking to someone.
"Yes mom, I've already told you, I..."
"Kuroo!" Bokuto yelled.
Kuroo was completely off track, but now that he was racing down the slope, he couldn't stop.
"Oh, Bo, uh, I'm on the phone, I..."
He stopped. As he was turning, he met his friend's gaze. The latter stood in front of him, his face twisted with rage and sorrow. Seeing him like this disarmed Kuroo. He let his arms fall. He couldn't tear his gaze away from his friend's now.
"What the hell, Kuroo, why are you avoiding me?"
"I'm not avoiding you, Bo..."
"Stop bullshiting me alright ?"
Bokuto's shout echoed against the walls. Kuroo was completely shaken by it.
"Well, okay, yes, but... It's just that, I, it's just that... not now."
"Not now what?"
Bokuto shouted again. He managed to grab hold of a ball lying on the ground and threw it at the brunet, who narrowly dodged the projectile.
"I thought we were friends, damn it! Why are you doing this to me?"
Kuroo felt like he'd been slapped. He closed his eyes and lowered his head.
"I know, Bo, but... I can't right now."
He spoke softly, almost in a whisper.
"You can't right now?"
The brunet looked up when he heard Bokuto's voice lose its intensity, broken by the resonance of his tears. He flinched as he met his counterpart's gaze again: Bokuto had burst into tears. His gaze still pierced him, and Kuroo could read in his eyes his rage and his pain. His throat tightened, and he felt tears welling up in his eyes, devastated to see that he had put someone so dear to him in such a state.
"Bokuto..."
This time Kuroo couldn't dodge the ball and it hit him in the head. How many of his things were still lying around?
"Bo, wait, I..."
"You promised me, damn it!"
Bokuto's voice resonated all around.
Kuroo frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"You promised! You promised that nothing would change between us!"
Kuroo remained momentarily speechless. What was he talking about exactly?
"You promised..."
He then remembered the conversation they had had together in front of the arcade center: "Promise me that... that even though you know my secondary now, nothing will change between us." The realization shook him. He felt his heart twist and crash in his chest. Damn it!
"No, no, Bo, I swear it's not that!"
Bokuto didn't listen and turned on his heels. However, he stopped before even taking a step forward.
"I trusted you ! Like an idiot, I trusted you! You're just like the others, damn it! Just because... just because I'm..."
He heard him choke out another burst of tears and saw him walk away. Kuroo finally reacted and ran towards him :
"No, I swear! It's not because of that, Bo, I don't give a damn about your..."
He fell silent. As he was just a few inches away, Bokuto had turned around, his eyes filled with rage.
"Oh yeah? Doesn't seem like it! You don't care as long as it's not visible and you can ignore it, but the moment you find out I'm mated, then it becomes too real for you and you leave me hanging!"
Kuroo flinched. Oh... So he had understood that learning he had a mate had pushed him away. He sighed.
"It's not because of that..."
The blood was pounding so loudly in his temples that he could barely hear his own voice.
"You're lying! As long as you could ignore it, you didn't care, but now that you see it, you think I'm just a damn fucking disgusting omega!"
The words fell so brutally that Kuroo was left breathless. He was devastated that Bokuto could think that was how he saw him. Devastated that he made someone so wonderful feel so bad about himself.
"No, Bo, I would never..."
His voice was almost a whisper.
"Stop it! Stop lying to me."
Bokuto turned away again to leave. Before he could take a step, Kuroo grabbed him by the arm to hold him back.
"I'm not lying to you!"
Bo broke free from his grip, turned around, and pushed him back.
"You just said you couldn't be my friend with me anymore!"
"Yeah, I said that but..."
"But what ? You really think I..."
Bokuto fell silent. Kuroo had let go. He had broken down in tears, heavy and silent. Bokuto stared at him, and Kuroo weakly smiled, the sadness he reflected diluting the rage of his counterpart.
"Because I wanted to be more than that."
"More than what?"
"Than just your friend."
Bokuto's arms fell limply at his sides.
"What?"
Kuroo sniffled loudly. He looked away for a moment, then brought his gaze back to Bokuto.
"I'm sorry... That's why I reacted like that when I realized that... well, you know. I thought I could pretend like everything was okay, but I can't. It's stupid... And it kills me that ," Kuroo had to contain the tears welling up in his eyes. "that you could think that... I'm just so selfish damn it, and I don’t know what I want, and... I'm sorry if I hurt you... I have no excuse for that."
Bokuto still said nothing, visibly stunned by what was happening.
"You're such an amazing person, Bo, it kills me that you could feel so bad because of my bullshit... I... I'm sorry. I..."
He didn't finish. Bokuto had just pulled him close to hug him. Kuroo gasped in surprise. He gave up holding back his tears and hugged him back.
Bokuto eventually pulled away from him, enough to face him. He released his arms from behind his back and placed his hands on Kuroo's face.
"Don't cry," he murmured as he wiped away his tears.
"Too late, it's already out, it won't stop now," the brunet joked.
After a few seconds, he continued:
"I'm sorry, bro, for messing everything up like this..."
"Don't apologize..."
Bokuto smiled at him. Kuroo smiled back. They remained like that, unable to break away from each other's gaze. Kuroo felt Bokuto's heartbeat resonating against his chest, singing in unison with his own. He didn't understand what was happening, but the sensation was dizzying.
1, 2, 3 seconds. Somewhere in the universe, 3600 stars had just exploded.
Their gazes intensified, initiating a silent yet rich dialogue.
1, 2, 3 seconds, 180,000 stars had just been born.
Bokuto leaned in, and Kuroo let him. The brunet released himself from their embrace to place his hands behind his neck. Bokuto wrapped his arm around his back to pull him closer, and they met.
1, 2, 3, 4: 240,000 planets had just formed, some at the right distance from their star to witness the emergence of life.
The kiss came to an end.
They quickly realized what had just happened. They split up, looking at each other with eyes as wide as saucers, both bewildered by what they had just done. Started a staring contest, two owls caught in the headlights of a car.
"Uh...," the brunet began.
"Uh...," Bokuto echoed in response. "I... I have to go!"
And before Kuroo could say anything, he saw him dart away at full speed.
Kuroo just stood there, in the middle of the gymnasium.
1, 2, 3.
360 black holes had just been born.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Did you ask for drama? Here ya go, you’re welcome.
Next chapter: “Sentimental paradox”
"Who is it?"
"Kenma..."
"And?"
"Uh, nothing, just... not now"
Kuroo's phone almost slipped from his hands several times. In one of his attempts to grab it, he accidentally pressed on the screen:
"Hey! Ji?"
Kuroo panicked upon hearing Kenma’s voice. What was it supposed to do? He couldn’t just hang up like that!
In a last desperate attempt, he replied, "Oh, sorry, I'm going under a bridge," and tossed his cell phone as far away as possible. Kuroo grimaced when he heard it crash to the ground.
"What the heck is wrong with you!" exclaimed Oikawa.See you!
Chapter 18: Sentimental paradox
Summary:
"Who is it?"
"Kenma..."
"And?"
"Uh, nothing, just... not now"
Kuroo's phone almost slipped from his hands several times. In one of his attempts to grab it, he accidentally pressed on the screen:
"Hey! Ji?"
Kuroo panicked upon hearing Kenma’s voice. What was it supposed to do? He couldn’t just hang up like that!
In a last desperate attempt, he replied, "Oh, sorry, I'm going under a bridge," and tossed his cell phone as far away as possible. Kuroo grimaced when he heard it crash to the ground.
"What the heck is wrong with you!" exclaimed Oikawa.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Kuroo was now used to the emotional roller coasters. The past few weeks, however, had tested his ability to withstand them. And let's be clear, even though he was starting to get used to it, he still wasn't properly equipped to face them properly. He tried to avoid that kind of situation in the past : after all, if he didn't want to ride roller coasters, he just had to not get on them. Easier said than done, especially when the roller coasters involved human relationships. He had to admit that the climbs were profoundly exhilarating, but the descents were brutal. Every time, he felt like he was about to be ejected from the ride, violently propelled out of his car to do acrobatics and end up hitting the pavement headfirst.
Kuroo stayed in the gymnasium for a long time after Bokuto left, his stomach twisted, his head heavy, his body shaken by a troubling cocktail of endorphins and cortisol. His thoughts raced in all directions, only to self-annihilate, plunging his consciousness into abyssal silence. Planets, stars, black holes, everything eventually faded away, leaving behind a cold, black, and empty universe. He finally left and went back home as if none of it had ever happened. Once he arrived, he collapsed on his bed and instantly fell asleep.
When he woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky. He vaguely thought he would be late for class but didn't get up nonetheless. It was only minutes later that he decided to truly emerge. Oikawa and Chris would notice he wasn't there, and he didn't want to be questioned or have to catch up on classes later. With what little shreds of motivation he had left, he headed to the bathroom. Once naked, he thought he should at least send a message to let them know he would be late. He returned to the main room to grab his phone. He unlocked it: 2:10 PM. He had already missed the morning classes... No messages. It took him a long time to realize that he didn't actually have class, as it was Saturday. He didn't need to be anywhere. He put his phone back down, sprawled out on his bed again, and fell asleep.
When he opened his eyes again, the air had softened, and so had the light. His head felt heavy with sleep, and he had the unpleasant sensation that time had stretched out. His skin was clammy, his throat dry, and he felt like his eyes had sunk into his skull. He sighed, tired of feeling this way. He checked his phone again: 7:05 PM. He sighed again. He buried his head in his pillow, turned, picked up his phone again, put it back down, and stared at the ceiling. He didn't particularly want to stay in this state, maybe a hot shower, or rather, a lukewarm one, would snap him out of this lethargy? It didn't work, Kuroo found himself in exactly the same state ten minutes later, the only positive point being that now he smelled like honey and licorice.
He needed to get out, he didn't want to stay here. His body took over for him, and he dressed hastily. He stepped outside, and stood in front of his building watching the passersby, unable to decide which direction to go. His indecision annoyed him enough to get moving. It wasn't until he was walking that he could think again. He had a brand new quest: the quest for dopamine, the glorious molecule that would lift him out of this paradoxical state. But how to obtain it? He smirked. He knew what would instantly cheer him up: food. But what food would be grand enough, succulent enough to provide him with everything he needed? The answer came to him as he passed by a ramen stand. He now knew where to go: the yatai near the park. When he arrived at the said stand, only a young couple was seated there, casually chatting with the owner. Ukai-oji noticed him as he was just a few steps away from the stall.
“Hey kid!” called out the owner.
Kuroo smirked:
“Hey old man, did you miss me?”
Ukai-san let out a hearty laugh in response.
“Still a brat I see.”
The couple, who had stood up, thanked the owner and left. They gave Kuroo a nod as they passed by, and he politely replied.
“Look at that! You're scaring away my customers !”
Kuroo chuckled and took a seat at the counter.
“The usual?”
Kuroo nodded, and Ukai-san turned to start cooking.
“It's been a while since I've seen you, kid!”
“Hmm, so you did miss me!”
“I wouldn't go that far, but, hey, it’s nice to see your little face again.”
Ukai turned around and placed a large, steaming bowl in front of Kuroo. The latter smiled. He clasped his hands together, and after a fervent "itadakimasu," he began to eat.
Barely had he swallowed the first bite that the effect he had been eagerly awaiting arrived. The sensation brought him back to his senses. Forget about ikigai and whimsical philosophical principles! Happiness was right there: in a good bowl of homemade ramen.
Unfortunately for him, the euphoria quickly dissipated. The revival of his sensations had pierced through the void that had settled within him, and everything he tried to drown resurfaced. He had not yet put words to this feeling, his thoughts not yet animated enough to articulate it, but he felt his throat tighten. He wanted to burst into tears. He held back and continued to eat.
“Hey kid, you’re alright?”
Kuroo looked up, surprised by this intervention.
“Yeah.”
The man in front of him raised an eyebrow, skeptical.
“Don’t like my ramen?” growled the restaurateur.
Kuroo smiled:
“No, no, they are delicious, as always.”
“Hmph.”
Ukai looked at him suspiciously. He crossed his arms and looked him up and down before letting out a smile. Finally, he leaned on the counter and declared:
“Ah, I see what's happening here.”
“Oh yeah?”
“It’s love, isn’t it ?”
The brunet nearly choked. He coughed violently and swallowed a large glass of water to wash it down.
“Oh, I see I hit the mark... Go ahead, kid, spill everything to old Ukai-san.”
Was he really at this point? Sharing his little love stories with a ramen seller in the middle of the street?
“I didn't know you were well versed in that kind of matter.” joked the brunet.
“Oh, if you only knew, I've seen plenty of kids been through countless love stories.”
“Hmm, I see, have you ever thought about becoming a shrink? it pays well, you know?”
Ukai-san let out a hearty laugh.
“Oh, you little rascal. I see you're resisting, but it never lasts long, I have a secret weapon!”
“Oh yeah?”
The boss nodded. He took his bowl again, filled it, and placed it in front of Kuroo.
“I see.”
“Hard to resist, yeah?”
Kuroo rolled his eyes, and took another bite. Damn, that shit was good!
“Okay, seriously, what's going on, kiddo?”
Kuroo met his gaze. He looked serious. Was he really about to indulge in armchair psychology now? Kuroo put the bowl down.
“Ah, it's nothing...”
“Go on.”
Their gazes met again. Kuroo looked away and sighed.
“It's just... I have this friend...”
Ukai nodded.
“And... uh... and well, I have, um, a little crush on, uh, this friend...”
“A little crush?”
“Okay, fine, a big one!”
The shopkeeper chuckled.
“And?”
“And he...”
Kuroo fell silent, mortified to have spilt the beans all by himself. He looked up. His counterpart didn't seem to make much of this information.
“He's great, and I care a lot about him... but... I acted like a jerk.”
“Ugh... I realized it wouldn't work out, and... I wanted to act like nothing changed, like nothing was different, but... But I acted like a kid and avoided him. I just wanted to… I don’t know, come to terms with it first. I needed time to be able to be his friend again, without any ulterior motives.”
“Sounds like a bad idea. I mean, the avoiding your friend part of it.”
“Yeah... He eventually figured it out and it pissed him off,” Kuroo chuckled “he chased me across campus to yell at me.”
“Yeah... you kinda deserved it.”
“Yeah.. Anyway, he let it all out and I kept being an idiot, I didn't want to confront him about it... But... seeing how much it hurt him... I... I couldn't hold out any longer.”
“You told him how you felt.”
Kuroo ran his hand through his hair:
“Not directly...at first… but yeah.”
“Oh... and how did he react?”
Kuroo buried his face in his hands and mumbled his answer.
“What?”
“We kissed,” repeated the brunet.
“Oh! That’s a good thing, right?” asked Ukai.
Kuroo rubbed his hair frantically. He suddenly raised his head and exclaimed:
“No! It's not at all!”
The owner jumped.
“Uh... and why is that?”
“Because…”
Kuroo let his head fall back onto the counter. Ukai managed to remove the bowl from its path just in time.
“Because?”
Kuroo sighed.
“Because,” he turned his head but let it rest on the counter, avoiding eye contact, “because I distanced myself because... I realized he was already in a relationship. Well, more than that really, he’s mated.”
“Oh...”
“Yeah...”
Silence.
“And I don't know why he did that! I mean... I didn't force him into anything, it happened... mutually, like that, so... I don't know. Maybe he took pity on me and did it because I was crying like an idiot? I don't know...”
“Hmm... Or maybe he did it because he wanted to?”
Kuroo straightened up.
“Maybe but that doesn't help me either...”
“Just because it doesn't help you, doesn't mean it's not true, kiddo.”
“Yeah... but... I don't want to stir up trouble...”
“Sorry, but I think you got yourself into trouble all by yourself there.”
“Haha, thanks, that's really helpful...”
“No but... well, I won't assume, I don't know, but... You don't know the relationship he has with his mate.”
“I don't see where you're going with this, gramps.”
Ukai sighed. He took out his pack from his apron and lit a cigarette.
“I don't know... maybe they don't get along anymore, or maybe he never really chose them.”
Kuroo remembered the conversation he had with Oikawa, when he found out he had escaped from an arranged marriage... He hoped with all his heart that Bokuto hadn't had to go through that.
“Or maybe, even if that's not the case and he doesn't have any issues with his mate, it doesn't change what's between you...”
Kuroo frowned.
“Like, he's cheating on his mate? I don't see him doing that and I don't want to be the jerk meddling like that either, no thanks...”
“Yes maybe... or maybe not.”
“What do you mean?”
Ukai sighed, took one last drag of his cigarette before extinguishing it in the ashtray on the edge of the counter.
“You know kid, it's not always as... ugh, black and white, it's not exactly what I mean but you get the idea.”
“No...”
“Pfft... What I mean is you don't know the relationship he has with his mate, maybe they've agreed on this sort of thing, you never know. There are plenty of people who don't have just one mate, or lover, I've known and still know people like that.”
Kuroo widened his eyes. Seriously ? This again?!
“Um...”
“I know it's surprising, but there's nothing wrong with that and then... well you see.”
“Yeah... I get it, I have a friend who has five parents…”
“Ah, see?”
“Yeah but still... I'm not sure if I want to get into that kind of things.”
“I understand... And maybe we're completely off track here...”
“Yeah...”
“But kiddo, you'll only know if you go talk to him... It would be sad to lose someone you care about over something stupid like this.”
“You're right...”
Silence fell between them. Kuroo hadn't looked up. Ukai let out a smile:
“Well, come on, it's not the end of the world!”
“You're not too bad at giving love advice, you know?”
“I know! Well, finish your bowl so you can go home and I can close up.”
Kuroo nodded and complied. He smiled, finally at peace. The old man was right, there was no point in mulling it over in his head until he talked to him. He now knew what he had to do. After all, it wasn't that complicated...
-//-
Kuroo had been mistaken. On the contrary, establishing dialogue was not a piece of cake at all. However, on his part, Kuroo was well-prepared, ready to face Bokuto, to clarify things, to open up and talk! Unfortunately, he had forgotten that the "reciprocity" factor was essential for communication.
Kuroo had spent his Sunday pacing around, writing texts only to never finish them. Finally, he decided to give up on doing it by text, thinking that it would probably be easier to talk about it face to face. He just had to find Bokuto on campus the next day. Luck seemed to be on his side at first. Indeed, as he was leaving his first class of the morning, he recognized Bokuto, a few meters away from him, walking in his direction. He smiled at him and waved when their eyes met, a gesture albeit timid but one he hoped was explicit enough. He hadn't planned to ambush him like that, but that didn't change anything. He needed to muster up his courage and talk to him! It was at that moment that the "reciprocity" factor became a problem: Bokuto, upon spotting him, did not respond at all to his greeting. He made his best panicked owl face and immediately turned to head in the opposite direction. Ouch, now that he was experiencing it himself, he understood how hurtful his behavior had been...
He sighed, dismayed, and let his arms fall limply at his sides.
“Am I tripping or is Bokuto avoiding you now?”
Kuroo jumped, surprised to hear Oikawa so close to him.
“No!”
“Well, stop lying, it's obvious. What did you do now?”
Kuroo sighed again.
“Nothing...”
“What do you mean nothing, wait!” Oikawa urged him as he saw him walking away.
He had the tact not to ask him more questions and left him alone.
However, Kuroo's mind couldn't find peace. He turned the matter over and over in his head, examining it as thoroughly as possible, desperately trying to find a solution... Could he simply chase after him across campus? But that wasn't really his style... After all, if the young man didn't want to talk to him now, he had to respect that and wait for him to come to him on his own terms. Yes, that's what he should do... No... was that really the right thing to do? What if he never managed to re-establish contact with him? Bokuto might never want to talk to him again, and he would lose him for good! What should he do? Should he talk to his friends about it? Most likely... But that meant he would have to reveal what happened... How could he broach the subject? No, it was his problem, he had to deal with it alone...
His heart clenched at the memory of Bokuto's expression when he saw him... Oikawa's voice echoed in his head: "What did you do this time?" A pertinent question, and he turned it back on himself. The question spun around and around in his head, resonating like a thousand voices, ever more insistent, ever louder. He couldn't take it anymore, it had to stop!
"We kissed!"
Oikawa, whom he had just interrupted mid-sentence, jumped violently and dropped the pen he was holding.
A hushing sound rose, all the students present in the library casting irritated glances at him. Kuroo scanned the room. Bad timing. He caught the gaze of some students and bowed to apologize.
It took Oikawa several seconds to process what Kuroo had just said, the initial event having taken place several hours earlier. When he finally registered the information, his jaw dropped:
"What?! Are you kidding me!" he whispered.
Kuroo shook his head negatively.
"Who did you kiss?" Yamaguchi whispered from across the table.
"Bokuto!" Oikawa replied.
"What?!"
Kuroo let his face fall into his hands.
"What? When?" Yamaguchi protested.
Kuroo let out a muffled groan.
"Last week. He chased me, we argued, and um... I told him the truth, and we... well, you know," Kuroo confessed.
Oikawa and Yamaguchi looked at him, completely bewildered.
"Guys, calm down, he didn’t secretly make three kids with him, chill.” Tsukishima commented nonchalantly.
"Tsukki, shush, shush!" Yamaguchi scolded him, pressing his hand over his mouth.
Kuroo nodded. From that perspective, it wasn't so terrible, just a tiny little kiss, nothing dramatic really! Tsukishima and Yamaguchi continued to bicker louder and louder. As Kuroo was about to intervene to advise them to lower their voices, the librarian arrived, like a all-powerful magical entity, and commanded them to leave immediately. The small group obeyed without protest. Once outside, Yamaguchi and Tsukishima resumed their verbal sparring, but Kuroo didn't bother to pay attention to what they were saying.
"Kuroo?"
He didn't react immediately.
"Kuroo?" Oikawa repeated.
"Hmm?"
"What are you going to do about..."
They both jumped simultaneously upon hearing Kuroo's phone ring. The brunet pulled it out of his pocket.
"Fuck!"
"Who is it?"
"Kenma..."
"And?"
"Uh, nothing, just... not now"
Kuroo's phone almost slipped from his hands several times. In one of his attempts to grab it, he accidentally pressed on the screen:
"Hey! Ji?"
Kuroo panicked upon hearing Kenma’s voice. What was it supposed to do? He couldn’t just hang up like that!
In a last desperate attempt, he replied, "Oh, sorry, I'm going under a bridge," and tossed his cell phone as far away as possible. Kuroo grimaced when he heard it crash to the ground. It took him several seconds to come back to himself and catch his breath. He turned his head, his friends were looking at him with astonishment and concern.
"What's wrong with you!" exclaimed Oikawa.
Kuroo stammered, unable to formulate a coherent sentence, frantically waving his arms without bringing any clarity to his nebulous explanation.
"I... I can't handle this right now," the brunet finally affirmed.
"No shit," Oikawa replied.
"You're really losing it," Tsukishima intervened.
For once, no one denied the facts. Kuroo just went to retrieve his now badly damaged phone. The poor thing was on its last legs, and it breathed its last breath in the hands of its owner. Kuroo sighed, dismayed to see the extent of his own stupidity. At least no one could call him now...
-//-
The following days were relatively peaceful. The loss of his phone turned out to be rather pleasant. Indeed, Kuroo, no longer having the possibility of being contacted, also no longer had to worry about answering calls. He had entered a state of intermediate existence, something akin to Schrödinger's cat experiment: he was there without really being there. What a pleasant sensation it was! Unfortunately for him, he couldn't remain hidden for long.
-//-
“No, Suga, you can't do that and...”
Oikawa fell silent. A loud noise had just echoed in the room. All eyes turned towards the door. After several seconds, the handle lowered, and to their surprise, Kuroo appeared.
“Oops, sorry for the noise!”
Most of them turned back, resuming their initial activities. But not Oikawa. Kuroo had closed the door behind him and was now stumbling in their direction, his gait disjointed as if he were under the control of a puppeteer. His gaze was vacant, fixed on the ground. Oikawa glanced at Sugawara, who also seemed to worry about their friend.
“Kuroo, are you okay?” asked the silver-haired.
“Yes,” he affirmed.
His words were immediately discredited when he collided with a chair in the middle of his path. Kuroo seemed surprised by the impact and took a step back to recalculate his trajectory. But his recalculation was off, and he hit the coffee table this time. He nearly stumbled another ten times, which was astronomical considering the ridiculously short distance he had to travel. Once he reached them, Oikawa pulled back the chair next to him so that Kuroo could sit down. Kuroo managed to sit down without any trouble. He sighed, satisfied to have made it here in one piece.
“Kuroo, what's wrong?” asked Sugawara.
The interested party looked up but didn't immediately answer.
“Hello, earth to Kuroo?” intervened Oikawa.
“Um... I'm not sure...”
Silence.
“Kuroo?”
“Go ahead, tell us.”
The brunet took a deep breath and finally spoke.
One hour earlier:
Kuroo was comfortably settled on his bed, killing time before he had to go to CATO. The loss of his phone had been beneficial in that regard: he couldn't scroll through social media for hours anymore. So, he had resumed a more noble activity: reading. He had almost forgotten how enjoyable it could be, like a door through time and space capable of isolating him from everything. Yes, he couldn't necessarily read a whole page without his mind wandering off in various directions, forcing him to reread the same words again and again, but it wasn't unpleasant either. He was abruptly pulled out of his reading when the sound of the intercom echoed in the apartment. Kuroo jumped and dropped his book in the process. The noise ceased. Kuroo looked at the intercom from which the ringing sound emanated. Who could it be at this hour? The doorbell rang again. This time Kuroo answered it:
“Hello?”
“Bro!”
Kuroo lost his breath as his heart pounded violently against his chest.
“Bokuto? What are you doing here?”
“Open up!”
The young man addressed him in a cheerful and lively voice, which didn't quite match the attitude he had towards Kuroo in recent days.
“Wait, I...”
Too late for excuses, Kuroo heard his friend chatting with someone who had just opened the door for him.
“Thanks a lot! I'm coming, Bro!”
And he heard the ground floor door slam shut. The phone slipped from his hands, and he spun around, panicked. What was he doing here exactly?! How did he get his address? He hastily picked up the few clothes lying on the floor and stuffed them into a closet. He began to fold his futon, but he heard a knock on his door before he could even finish putting it away.
“Coming!”
Kuroo spun around once again, clearly on the verge of a syncope. He gathered himself and went to open the door.
“Bo, I...”
He couldn't continue. As soon as he opened the door, Bokuto threw himself into his arms.
“Bro!”
He lifted him off the ground and spun him around. Even though the tone was far from what he expected, Kuroo let him do it and smiled.
“What are you doing here, Bo?”
“I'm so happy! We were afraid you wouldn't be here!”
“We?”
The latter grinned widely at him. As he opened his mouth to reply, a voice reached them from the stairs:
“Kōtarō, we said we would go together.”
Kuroo widened his eyes. He had just recognized the voice. Bokuto hadn't let go of him, so he was still crushed against his friend's chest when he saw him appear:
“Kenma?”
The latter smiled at him, amused by his reaction.
“Hi, Jiji.”
“What are you...”
He fell silent again, hearing footsteps on the stairs. A third person appeared.
“Akaashi... san?”
The latter greeted him more solemnly, his expression almost completely closed off. Bokuto let out a joyous laugh, tightening his embrace. Kuroo's brain had completely short-circuited. What was happening exactly? This was sheer madness! He felt like he was in one of those ridiculous American comedies, or like in that movie... where a married woman decides to team up with her husband's mistresses to give him a hard time... The exes' revenge?
"The Other Woman," Tsukishima interjected.
"Shh!" Yamaguchi urged.
The four of them stood in the entryway for a good ten seconds.
"What... what are you doing here?" Kuroo finally managed to ask.
"We couldn't reach you."
"Oh... I broke my phone."
"Hmm... can we come in?" Kenma asked.
Kuroo nodded. Bokuto let go of him to enter, and Kuroo stepped aside from the door to let the other two in. With shaky hands, he closed the door. He made an awkward gesture to invite his visitors to sit on the carpet. The three of them sat down side by side, and Kenma returned the gesture. Kuroo sat down facing them. He looked at them, unable to think of something to say. He still couldn't believe he had all three of them in the middle of his apartment. His heart was pounding violently against his ribcage, blood circulating so fast in his veins that he could feel it pulsating under his skin, his brain so oxygenated that he felt dizzy. Kuroo was unable to process the situation properly. Akaashi had lowered his gaze, his face betraying nothing of his thoughts, Kenma seemed relaxed, and Bokuto was smiling at him with all his teeth.
"Relax, Bro!" the latter intervened in a hushed voice.
Easier said than done!
Kenma cleared his throat to catch his attention.
"Ji, let me introduce you to Bokuto Kōtarō and Akaashi Keiji."
Yes, he was aware! That didn't help him much!
Not knowing what else to do, he bowed to greet them. It was at that moment that Kenma added:
"My mates."
Kuroo almost choked on his saliva.
"But I believe you already know them."
Kuroo was interrupted from his narrative by a loud crash. He turned his head, Yamaguchi had just dropped his glass, which shattered on the floor into a thousand pieces. Kuroo scanned the room. Although he had only started telling his story to two of them, the entire CATO had ended up listening. They were all now staring at him in astonishment.
"Um..."
"And then?" Sugawara asked eagerly.
Kuroo turned his gaze in his direction. He had excitement sparkling in his eyes:
"Um... then"
Oikawa and Sugawara nodded simultaneously, eager to know what happened next.
"Then... They told me... well, Kenma said that... They realized they all knew me and that they... had a special connection with... with me..."
"And?" Sugawara was on the verge of exploding.
"And..."
Kuroo hid his face in his hands:
"And um... they asked me if... if they could um... court me, if that's what you call it, to um... potentially become um... their boyfriend."
Silence fell, heavy as two tons of lead.
"Triple kokuhaku," the silver-haired let out, his voice choked with emotion.
Once again, he had plunged the room into silence, his revelation leaving everyone speechless.
Chris was the first to regain his composure. He flashed a smile and extended his hand, palm up. Everyone around him sighed, and the blond soon found himself with a stack of cash in his hand.
"Um... what's going on?"
"Oh, come on," Yamaguchi grumbled as he placed a bill in Chris's hand, "he's the only one who bet you'd end up with all three of them."
Chris relished his victory.
"What! Wait, first of all... am I tripping or did you really bet on that?" Kuroo exclaimed.
"Yeah," they all replied in unison...
"Oh my god, I can't believe it... And secondly! I never said I was dating them!"
"What?" Oikawa protested.
Chris frowned. He closed his hand around his jackpot before anyone could take back what rightfully belonged to him.
"Are you really that surprised that I didn't automatically say yes to dating a triad?"
"Um... yes, dude! Yes!" Oikawa exclaimed. "You like all three of them, you're always blabbing about your little sad stories, and now you have a... a freaking miracle drop on your lap, and you say no!"
"A miracle, really," Kuroo commented.
"Well... it's kind of a miracle," Sugawara added more calmly.
"Yeah, I don't see how it could get any better than that," Yamaguchi concluded.
"But I... I can't do it!"
"But why? You didn't want to choose, now you don’t have to! Why did you say no?!" the youngest one retorted.
Kuroo sighed. He met his friends' gaze before lowering his head again.
“Technically I didn't say no..."
"Oh?"
"But I didn't say yes either..."
Oikawa let his head fall into his hands:
"Oh my god, what did you do ?!”
"Um... I just... I just... left..."
"What?"
"They weren't at your place?" Chris asked.
"... they were."
"And you just ditched them?" Oikawa exclaimed.
"Yep."
He heard Yamaguchi and Tsukishima snicker.
"You suck, man," Oikawa concluded.
He didn't retort.
When Kuroo finally returned home several hours after fleeing like a coward, the door was locked. He quicly realized that the keys had been hidden under his doormat. He sighed, he really left in a hurry, without even taking his keys, just leaving them there, on his carpet. He opened the door: there was no one there anymore... Obviously. He closed the door and let himself slide down against it. What was he going to do now?
Only silence answered him. He sighed. Where was his proactive conscience when he needed it? His mind was nothing but a murky mush, stretched thin and desolate.
He scanned the apartment. Night had fallen, and inside, only the faint reflection of the dim streetlight outside his building prevailed. A train passed by, and silence settled again. His eyes fell on the carpet in the middle of the room. The scene he had experienced replayed in his head. He really had reacted like a child... What an idiot. But then again, what could he have possibly said to them? He sighed again.
It was at that moment that he noticed something had been placed on his carpet. He frowned and got up to check what it was. His heart skipped a beat when he saw it was a piece of paper; Kenma had left him a note:
“We've left.
Sorry for ambushing you Ji.
I hope you'll take the time to think about it.
Whatever happens, you'll still be my kuso neko no Jiji.”
Kuroo let out a laugh. A weak, almost silent laugh. In the midst of all this, he had almost forgotten who he was dealing with. The more he thought about it, the more ashamed he felt for reacting this way.
He grabbed his computer, sat down on the floor, and opened Instagram. He opened the conversation with Kenma, scrolling through the latest discussions they had. His heart tightened.
"I just got back."
Sent.
He gasped in surprise when he saw that his message had been instantly read. Kenma was typing. He hesitated to close the computer and throw it across the room. Before he could even initiate the gesture, Kenma replied.
"Ok. Are you okay?"
No... Yes? He wasn't sure anymore.
"Yes."
"Kuroo... Sorry for the ambush... We shouldn't have done that."
"Sorry for reacting like that, it's lame."
"No... I understand. It's not easy to handle."
Kuroo didn't know why, but he felt like bursting into tears, releasing the pressure. Crying like tired children sometimes do.
"To tell you the truth, I did the same thing when the other two goofballs pulled the same stunt on me."
The brunet chuckled.
"Ah, so it's a tradition."
"Kind of I guess."
Kuroo sighed. He stared at the computer screen until the words became too blurry to read. He shook his head and started writing again.
"Kenma... Sorry, I can't give you... Well, I can't give you..."
God, it felt so strange.
"I can't give you an answer. Not now."
"Ok... I understand. We understand."
"I just need to... think about it."
"Alright."
They didn't exchange anything for almost a minute.
"Take your time... Whatever you choose, I hope it won't change anything between us..."
This time, Kuroo didn't hold back his tears. He remembered what Kenma had said to him during their acrobatic mission to retrieve the bracelet: "You won't lose me." Maybe he hadn't made it up after all. He smiled.
"You won't lose me, Kenma..."
The three dots indicating that the blonde was typing appeared, then disappeared again.
"You'll be my Kiki forever"
"Don't push it."
"Me? Never!"
He smiled.
"Kenma... Can you tell Bokuto and Akaashi that I'm sorry ?"
"You don’t have to…"
"Still."
"Okay."
Kuroo smiled, genuinely relieved.
"Good night, Kenma."
"Good night, Jiji."
He closed his computer.
Notes:
So? Here we are, and Kuroo is still an idiot.
Next chapter: “Unusual suspect.”
Konoha fell silent. His eyes widened, and he looked at the picture with shock. Kenma frowned. While Kuroo wasn't unattractive, he didn't expect such a reaction!
“Uh... 'Kaashi, come see this...”
“What! No!” demanded the blond.
He tried to retrieve his phone, but Konoha backed away to prevent him from taking it back. Before he could attempt it again, Akaashi approached them. To Kenma's surprise, he had the same reaction as Konoha. Kenma sat back, watching the two young men in front of him. He didn't quite understand what was happening...
“Um, Kenma, how do you know him?” his mate finally asked.
He frowned, deeply puzzled:
“It's Jiji.”
See you
Chapter 19: Unusual suspect
Summary:
Konoha fell silent. His eyes widened, and he looked at the picture with shock. Kenma frowned. While Kuroo wasn't unattractive, he didn't expect such a reaction!
“Uh... 'Kaashi, come see this...”
“What! No!” demanded the blond.
He tried to retrieve his phone, but Konoha backed away to prevent him from taking it back. Before he could attempt it again, Akaashi approached them. To Kenma's surprise, he had the same reaction as Konoha. Kenma sat back, watching the two young men in front of him. He didn't quite understand what was happening...
“Um, Kenma, how do you know him?” his mate finally asked.
He frowned, deeply puzzled:
“It's Jiji.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"I can't give you an answer. Not now."
"Okay... I understand. We understand."
"I just need to... think."
"Alright."
They didn't exchange anything for almost a minute.
"Take your time... Whatever you choose, I hope it won't change anything between us..."
Ten days earlier:
Kenma stopped the car on the side of the road without bothering to park properly. The traffic had been terrible and they were now terribly late. As soon as the car stopped, Akaashi unbuckled his seatbelt. In the same motion, he kissed the blonde on the temple, opened the door, and after a "see you tonight," ran off towards the university entrance.
Kenma sighed and leaned over to close the passenger side door. His arms couldn't reach the handle, so he unbuckled his seatbelt and sprawled onto the seat to reach it. Barely had he managed to grab it when he was honked at. He grunted, slammed the door, and gestured to the driver behind to go around him. The horn honked again. He repeated the gesture, this time more forcefully. That idiot clearly had enough space to drive around! He was honked at once again. Kenma cursed, restarted the car, and maneuvered back onto the road. The imbecile behind him stopped exactly where he had been a few seconds earlier. Seriously? Seeing other cars approaching from behind, he continued on the road and stopped again a few meters ahead in a parking spot. He turned off the engine and let his head fall onto the steering wheel. It was way too early to deal with this kind of bullshit... When he looked up, he saw that it was already 1:05 PM. Well, maybe it wasn't so early, but he had far too few hours of sleep to deal with the human species. He had gone to bed at 4 AM and woke up two hours later when Bokuto got up to leave. He couldn’t sleep after that. He closed his eyes. A little nap would surely do him good.
He eventually gave up, realizing that his brain wouldn't leave him alone. He sank into the seat and took out his phone. Opening Instagram, he saw that he had an unread message from Kuroo. The latter had sent him a compilation of snakes meowing like kittens. He chuckled and replayed the video, a smile spreading across his lips. Hmm, perhaps he was on campus? Without taking more time to think about it, he got out of the car. He roughly knew where the science building was; maybe he would find him there. He only thought about sending him a text when he arrived in the vicinity of the science building. He did so and sat on a wall, waiting for his friend to text back. He jumped at the sound of a voice behind him:
"Why are you smiling like an idiot?"
He turned around: there was a tall bush behind him, some students must have just settled on the other side.
"Kenma sent me a text."
"Oh! What does he want?"
"He's asking if I'm on campus, he's around I guess."
Kenma let out a smile upon recognizing the voice. Bingo! He was about to get up to go around but dissuaded himself from doing so. Kuroo was clearly accompanied, and it's not that he didn't like his friends, whom he absolutely didn't know, but he didn't necessarily want to interact with strangers right now. At least he knew he was around, he just had to go in front of the building to wait for him... He was about to get up when Kuroo's voice reached him again:
"What?"
"Umm, Kenma?"
The concerned one frowned. The intervention had unsettled him: firstly because someone unknown to him was using his first name, but also because the tone used to do so was quite unusual.
"What?"
The silence lingered, Kenma almost held his breath. He didn't want to be noticed now.
"What?"
"Kenma...."
"Stop doing that..."
He agreed with him. It was getting awkward.
"So, are you going to tell him?"
"Tell him what?"
"That your little heart goes boom boom for him and that you get butterflies in your stomach when you see him!"
His heart skipped a beat. His eyes widened. What?
He remembered to breathe.
He rolled his eyes. This must be some kind of game.
"No."
From the tone of his voice, Kenma understood that it wasn't a game. He cursed under his breath. What were the odds of him overhearing this conversation? What did it mean exactly? Did Kuroo really...
"Hmm, I see, I see, you're waiting for the right moment, nice move."
"No... I'll just, not tell him."
Kenma frowned.
"What! But why?"
"Because."
"Because what?"
Kenma murmured the same question.
"Because… Just, because, I’ve done enough damage already."
"You're really not going to tell him?"
"No..."
Kenma felt the blood pulsating in his temples.
"It's okay, it's not the end of the world, I'd rather keep things that way. I don’t want to loose him."
His heart tightened.
"Oh... Kuroo, I..."
"Well, I'll call him."
Kenma was abruptly brought out of his thoughts. No, definitely not! He was going to get noticed! He took out his phone but dropped it. He picked it up but almost fell into the bush as he got up. Seeing the name start to appear on the screen, he ran away. He let the phone ring several times. Maybe it would be better if he didn't answer after all... He dissuaded himself and picked up.
“ Hello.”
What was he going to say to him?
“Hey, is everything okay? You sound out of breath.”
Seriously.
“...I'm fine.”
"So, are you nearby? Where are you?"
Kenma glanced around. Good question, where was he exactly?
“In front of building C.”
"Oh, I'm right next to it, I'll be there."
“Okay, I'll wait for you, see you soon.”
“See you.”
He hung up. His mind was racing. What should he do? What was he going to say to him? Should he act like nothing happened? Easier said than done now... now that he knew. He was good at concealing his emotions, yes, but he wasn’t that good either! He sighed, frustrated. Did it really have to happen to him today, with only two hours of sleep? He composed himself and took a deep breath. His thoughts calmed down. The chemistry in his brain immediately transformed.
Was it really so surprising after all?
He smiled.
No, not really.
He knew exactly what Kuroo felt for him when they were kids. At the time, he only had a vague sense of it, but over time, he had come to accept it. Many years had passed since then, and time could have dulled those feelings... Kenma knew that wasn't the case. He had seen it. He saw it every time Kuroo laid eyes on him. He just pretended not to understand.
And on his side?
Was it reciprocal, even after all this time?
He glanced around. Kuroo was facing him. Their eyes met. Kuroo smiled at him.
He felt a deep sense of euphoria wash over him.
The answer came to him clearly:
Yes, it was.
-//-
Four days earlier:
Kenma parked the car. He glanced at the time and sighed: Keiji wouldn't finish for another twenty minutes. He slumped back in the seat and looked up. He could stay in the car and wait; he had brought his Nintendo Switch with him, so he could play a bit while waiting. He retrieved it from his bag and turned it on. However, as soon as the game loaded, he lost interest. He sighed again, letting the console fall onto his lap. He could also wait inside... maybe Konoha was there? He packed up his things in his bag and got out of the car. He caught his mate's gaze as he entered the Fukuro Coffee, but before they could exchange a word, a familiar voice intervened:
“Well, well, who do we have here? If it isn't the charming Kozume.”
Konoha had just returned from the back room to sit behind the counter.
Kenma rolled his eyes, internally pleased to see the young man. He approached the counter and sat down across from him.
“Konoha, I've told you to stop calling me that.”
The latter clicked his tongue.
“Okay, okay, but I've also told you that if I have to call you by your first name, you have to call me Akinori.”
The blond grimaced.
“That's what I thought... So, dear Kozume, delighted to see you mingling with the commoners, it's been a while since we last saw each other, time drags on without you, my dear.”
Kenma rolled his eyes:
“We saw each other last week.”
“That's what I said.”
Keiji approached them:
“I will be finishing soon.”
Kenma nodded.
“Konoha, I am going to check the stock in the back.”
The addressed one nodded, and the brunet disappeared behind the door leading to the stock room.
“Well, now that we're alone, we can converse in peace!”
“Don't you have work to do?” Kenma commented.
Konoha grimaced and waved his hand, indicating that he didn't care. So, they chatted quietly until they were interrupted by the brief vibration of Kenma's phone. He unlocked it and smiled when he saw that it was from Kuroo. He chuckled reading his text and immediately started typing a reply.
“Oh, what do we have here, a smile from Mr. Kozume?” teased Konoha.
“Hmm...”
The blond in front of him leaned on the counter and let his face fall into his hands, intrigued.
“So, who is it?”
He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
Kenma rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to his phone:
“My childhood friend.”
“Oh, that friend you lost touch with for years who miraculously reappeared in your life?
“Yes.”
“Hmm, I see, this ‘friend’,” Konoha drawled out the last word.
The implication made Kenma blush, and his friend noticed immediately:
“Oh, I hit the mark, interesting... Tell me everything,” he whispered.
Kenma looked up, making sure no one could hear them.
“Well, maybe I'm thinking about... more.”
“Seriously!” Konoha clapped his hands together in excitement.
“But shh, I haven't talked about it yet.”
“Hmm... does he know about you?”
Kenma shook his head negatively.
“Hmm... What is he? A Sô-kita, Yama-kita?”
“Nothing, a beta.”
Konoha raised an eyebrow;
“Oh... Really? That won't make it easy for you. Already, does he know that...”
“He knows about my secondary, yes.”
“Oh, okay... How do you think he will react?”
Kenma shrugged.
“I'm not sure... I don’t see him reacting badly, but I don't know...”
“Yeah, I see, you need to test the waters first.”
“Yeah...”
“And what about your goofballs?”
“What about them?”
“What do they think about it?”
Kenma sighed.
“I still have to talk to them about it... I don't think it'll bother them, but... We haven't discussed it in a while now”
“Discussed what?”
“Well, we never really decided to be exclusive, but in practice, we’ve been for a while now… I don’t know if… Well, you know.”
“Anyway, you're not far off for now.”
The blond nodded.
“Yeah... So, this stays between us, okay?”
“Okay, okay,” he pretended to zip his mouth shut as a promise.
Kenma quickly realized that the discussion wouldn't end there.
“Okay, but what about him? Good-looking? Pfft, why am I even asking, he obviously his.”
“Obviously?”
“I know your taste in men.”
Konoha had glanced over at Akaashi, who had just returned from the storage room.
“Hmm...”
“Do you have a picture of him?” he asked Kenma in a low voice.
“No.”
“Come on! I know you’re lying!” he pleaded.
Kenma glanced at Akaashi. The latter was at the other end of the counter, busy tidying up dishes.
“It's fine, he won't see, and besides, you're showing me pictures of your friend”
Kenma sighed but still searched for a picture. He scrolled back to their conversation and tapped on the last picture sent. He handed his phone to Konoha. The blond looked at the photo and raised an eyebrow:
“Is your friend ten years old?” he remarked.
“No... That's us when we were kids.”
“Hmm... you were cute with your hair like that... But I don't care! I want to see him now! I can't determine his potential with a childhood photo!”
Kenma sighed and took his phone back from Konoha's hands. The next photo was the selfie Kuroo had sent with the bracelet. He handed his phone to his friend again.
“Ah, better, he...”
Konoha fell silent. His eyes widened, and he looked at the picture with shock. Kenma frowned. While Kuroo wasn't unattractive, he didn't expect such a reaction!
“Uh... 'Kaashi, come see this...”
“What! No!” demanded the blond.
He tried to retrieve his phone, but Konoha backed away to prevent him from taking it back. Before he could attempt it again, Akaashi approached them. To Kenma's surprise, he had the same reaction as Konoha. Kenma sat back, watching the two young men in front of him. He didn't quite understand what was happening...
“Um, Kenma, how do you know him?” his mate finally asked.
He frowned, deeply puzzled:
“It's Jiji.”
Akaashi gasped in surprise, dropping the cup he held between his hands. It shattered at his feet, the sound echoing throughout the coffee shop. The situation had taken a turn he hadn't anticipated, and Kenma had no idea how to interpret it.
“Oh! But that's Kuroo!”
Komi had just arrived behind the counter. He leaned over the phone still in Konoha's hands, and it took him less than a second to recognize the person in the photo. Kenma turned his gaze to him:
“Do you know him?”
“Of course! Everyone knows him here!”
“How so?”
“Ha, he's been coming here several times a week for months, flirting with Akaashi... Actually, I haven't seen him in a while... I wonder what he's up to...”
Kenma blinked several times, stunned. His face hardened, and he turned to his mate. The latter had buried his face in his hands.
“I told you it would come back to bite you,” Konoha murmured to his colleague.
Akaashi lifted his head to glare at him.
“Konoha, we have already talked about this, and I told you not to meddle.”
“Maybe, but I warned you! With your stupid ‘It’s no one, nothing is going on,’ you should have thought about it before flirting like maniacs!”
“And I will not take back my words, I...”
“I told you so!”
The tone was starting to rise between them. It was Kenma who put an end to their altercation.
“Stop!” he growled.
They fell silent and turned their gaze towards him, intimidated by the tone he had just used.
“Keiji, you're done, let's go.”
“I have not picked up the cup I broke yet...”
“I don't care. I'll wait for you in the car.”
Keiji nodded, sheepish, and watched Kenma walk away.
“Why did you say that, Komi?” grumbled Konoha.
“I don't know, I didn't know it was a secret, sorry...”
Akaashi sighed.
“Sorry, Akaashi!”
“It’s okay, Komi-san.”
“Told you!”
Akaashi looked up, his gaze meeting that of his colleague.
“Yes, thank you, Konoha-san,” he replied coldly.
“Um, Don’t worry, I'll take care of the mess,” said Komi.
The brunet sighed. He thanked him with a nod. He took off his apron and went to get his things.
“Um, good luck!” Komi called after him.
Akaashi nodded and left.
Kenma was waiting for him outside. He was leaning against the car, arms crossed. He sighed again and approached. Once he reached his side, the blond tossed him the keys:
“You drive. I'm not in the mood.”
Akaashi nodded and got into the driver's seat. Kenma slammed the passenger door and slumped into the seat. He turned his gaze towards the window, clearly containing his anger. He started the car. Silence had prevailed for several minutes when Akaashi decided to ask:
“Are you mad?”
“Oh, you think?” Kenma replied sarcastically.
Silence fell again.
“Kenma... I swear I... I did not know it was Jiji.”
The blond tapped his foot on the glove compartment.
“Damn it, I don't care about that, Keiji! I don’t give a flying fuck!” he burst out.
He kicked again.
“The problem, Keiji, is that you didn't say anything!”
“Sorry...”
Kenma sighed loudly. He wasn't sure anymore if his anger was justified. Sure, learning this kind of thing from someone else wasn't necessarily pleasant, but maybe he was overreacting a bit... Maybe it did indeed come down to the fact that it was Kuroo after all...
“When did you meet him?”
“Three months ago, when he arrived.”
“What!”
Akaashi jumped. Kenma hadn't calmed down for long.
“Three months! I can't believe it...”
“Nothing happened between us, Kenma...”
“What do you mean nothing! And damn it, Keiji, I don't care! You could have had kids with him for all I care! You do whatever you want, but the only thing I ask of you, that we ask of you, is that you talk to us! That's the deal, Keiji.”
“I know...”
“No, apparently you don't!”
Akaashi grimaced.
“I'm not even mad, actually... just hurt. We're your mates, it kills me that...”
He didn't finish his sentence. He crossed his arms and sank back into his seat.
“Kenma...”
Silence.
“Nothing happened... really.”
Kenma growled.
“I did not want anything to happen...”
“Why?” Kenma spoke without raising his voice this time.
“You know why,” murmured the brunet.
Kenma seemed hurt, guilt flickering across his face. He turned his gaze towards the window.
“Sorry, Keiji...”
“It is not your fault, Kenma, but just...”
“Yes... I... I still don't know why I...”
He sighed.
“Keiji, I love you and I deeply care about you, you know that.”
“I know...”
Silence fell again. Kenma's anger had completely dissipated.
“For Kuroo... I know I should have talked to you about it but... I thought... I did not want it to go anywhere... I just did not expect that... That I would end up… so attached to him.”
Kenma took a deep breath.
“Anyway, it is over now.”
“What do you mean?”
“I... um... He sort of... asked me out. And, well, I turned him down. We have not spoken since.”
“Oh... damn it.”
Keiji frowned, surprised by his mate's reaction.
“But,” started Kenma.
“Hmm?”
“So... do you have feelings for him?”
Akaashi jerked and almost veered off the road. He quickly got back on track but couldn't avoid the turbulence. Kenma narrowly missed hitting the window with his head.
“Sorry.”
“It's okay... So?”
Akaashi sighed.
“Yes. But I...”
“Good,” interrupted Kenma, “me too.”
Akaashi turned to look at Kenma, deeply shocked.
“Look at the road, we're going to end up in a car crash.”
The brunet complied.
“Does it surprise you?” asked the blond.
Keiji thought about it. He knew the bond between Kenma and his childhood friend. He had seen how the blond reacted when he talked about him, his expression when he received his texts, the memories they shared...
After a brief pause, he replied:
“No.”
“Good.”
They fell silent. Only the sound of the engine filled their silence.
Kenma was the first to speak again:
“That's what I was telling Konoha... I thought I'd tell you guys.”
“Oh,” responded Keiji, surprised by the turn of events. “But... does Kuroo know about…”
“No, I haven't talked to him yet... But clearly, I don't think it's a big deal for him since you guys ‘flirt like maniacs’.”
“Konoha exaggerated...”
“Well... knowing that blockhead, it's not that surprising after all. I'm sure he's the type of guy to write you poems in German.”
Keiji let out a light laugh, which caught Kenma's attention.
“Once, he brought me back my copy of ‘Les Fleurs du mal’...”
“What was he doing with it?”
“I bumped into him on campus and forgot the book when I left.”
“Hmm, and then?”
“He left me a note inside.”
“What did it say?”
Keiji smiled.
‘‘I didn't know you'd met Baudelaire’ left on the page of the poem ‘Hymn to Beauty’.”
Kenma chuckled.
“What a wanker!”
They laughed together. The atmosphere around them had changed, much lighter and more relaxed.
“I'm still mad, Keiji.”
“I know, sorry.”
“You know I love you and it doesn't change anything but I'm angry.”
“I know.”
After several minutes of silence, Kenma finally spoke again:
“We need to talk to him...”
Keiji nodded.
-//-
It was official: Bokuto Kōtarō was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He had been pacing in the hallway, torturing his mind, ever since he got back home. Why now? Well, that was an excellent question! He couldn't even explain it himself. He had managed to get through the whole weekend without the event resurfacing.
He sighed. He was clearly lying to himself... Ever since the bizarre incident of the kiss in the gymnasium, it was on his mind constantly. For a while, he managed to convince himself that it was nothing much, that it didn't mean anything special. They were just caught up in the moment, that's all! This might have vaguely held true if Kuroo hadn’t confessed his feelings to him. Bokuto finally resolved to keep silent, at least until he could talk it over with Kuroo. He didn’t foresee that it would be far more complicated than he imagined.
Everything started off well. He woke up that Monday morning with a firm resolution to clarify the situation that very day. After his first class of the morning, he marched resolutely toward the science building, knowing Kuroo would be there. He played out every possible scenario in his head, preparing his questions, his answers; he was ready for any eventuality. Yet the moment their eyes met, his determination crumbled. Something in Kuroo's gaze completely disarmed him, and without thinking, he fled. All this time, he avoided mentally addressing the most central question: and what about him? How did he feel?
Yes, the kiss was unexpected, but he couldn't say he hadn’t been a willing participant. It wasn’t a stolen kiss; it had happened with his full consent! He had taken Kuroo in his arms, wiped away his tears, pulled him close, fully aware of what was happening, and then they had kissed. So, yes, he could claim he had just been caught up in the moment, that seeing his friend in tears had made him want to comfort him, without any deeper meaning behind it. But that was total bullshit, and he realized it the moment his gaze met Kuroo's. His heart had raced, and his mind, muddled with a thousand questions, had gone silent. He kissed him because he wanted to, and damn it, he wanted to do it again and again! Because he cared about him deeply, because he didn’t want things to go back to how they were before, because he, too, wanted more...
The charade had gone on long enough, and it was time to straighten things up.
Unfortunately for him, while he had prepared a speech on his way back home, no one was there yet when he arrived. Since then, he had been pacing around, questioning even the legitimacy of his existence. Finally, he heard the front door open and his mates' voices reached him. He rushed into the living room to meet them.
“When are we going to talk about Kuroo?” murmured Akaashi.
“Oh...”
Akaashi and Kenma turned upon hearing him.
Bokuto slowed down and approached them with his head down, sheepishly.
“So you already know?”
Wait! How could they know? No one had seen them and...
“What are you talking about, Kōtarō?” asked Kenma.
“Hum, Kuroo?”
His two mates looked deeply puzzled.
“Who?”
“Kuroo, my buddy from college? You know? I talk about him all the time!”
Kenma sighed and buried his face in his hands.
“You never mentioned his name...”
Bokuto frowned, not seeing at all how that was relevant.
“Maybe it is not the same one?” suggested Akaashi, addressing the blond.
Kenma let out a frustrated groan. He grabbed his phone, and after a few taps, turned the screen towards Bokuto. He frowned:
“Yes, Kuroo Tetsurō, my college buddy... Why do you have a picture of him ?”
The situation seemed more and more confusing to him.
“What the fuck is going on...” muttered Kenma through his teeth.
“It is Jiji”, informed Akaashi.
Bokuto widened his eyes, bewildered:
“Jiji?”
The two in front of him nodded.
“Jiji like your childhood crush who just resurfaced in your life?”
“Exactly.”
“Oh...”
Bokuto lowered his gaze. He wasn't so sure anymore about wanting to confess anything now... He raised his head and addressed Akaashi:
“And you know him too?”
He nodded.
“How so?”
“They've been eyeing each other for months,” Kenma replied.
“Kenma...”
“Oh... Oh! But... you've never told us about this, right?” asked Bokuto.
Akaashi grimaced.
“Yes, that's the problem!”
Kenma looked particularly annoyed.
The situation was becoming more and more odd.
“But damn it ! How did we not notice sooner!”, grumbled the blond.”
Only silence answered him.
“So, what now?” Kenma finally asked.
“What now?” replied Bokuto, still not fully grasping everything.
“Well, you came in saying ‘so you already know’.”
‘Yes... but apparently you don't know... Which is a relief because that would have been weird... Not that it's not weird now but... well...”
“Yes, so what don't we know?”
Bokuto remained silent, nervously biting his lip without deciding to speak up.
“Kōtarō?” insisted the blond.
“Yes... yes... um...”
His mate's gaze became more insistent.
“Um... so, it started because... because I don't know why, but Kuroo started avoiding me... Well, I know why, I mean I didn't know before, but now I do...”
“Kōtarō...”
“Yes, anyway... Once we were talking and I mentioned uh, Keiji, well I didn't say ‘Akaashi Keiji’, I didn't specify anything, but anyway, I didn't think it was important but after that, he completely stopped talking to me and I clearly got that he was avoiding me...”
Seeing surprise creeping onto his mates' faces, he emphasized:
“Yeah, surprising! Anyway, I got a bit worked up, and one day when I clearly saw him turning around when he saw me... well, I chased after him, because it really pissed me off! But he kept running! So after a while he couldn't anymore, we ended up in the gymnasium, you know the one next to the pond, where go there a lot; by the way, that's where we met...”
“Okay,okay ! And?”
“And um... Well, I yelled at him, but I could see that he wasn't like, as I imagined, he looked all... all sorry and sad and... so I was like "oh ok, what?" but I kept going. And then I was about to leave, like he just told me he couldn't be my friend, I was so pissed! But then he caught up to me, and I turned around and he was, like, crying, so I didn't really understand... and then...”
“And then?”
“ Um... Well, then he told me he wanted to be more... than just my friend.”
Kenma and Akaashi were stunned. Kenma's bag slipped off his shoulder and fell to the ground.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought too...”
“What the fuck…” murmured Kenma to himself.
“And then…”
“Because there's more?” interrupted the blond.
Bokuto gave a sheepish smile. He tapped his fingers against each other, a futile attempt to contain his discomfort. Eventually, he nodded.
“Alright then, spill it…”
Bokuto remained silent.
“Come on, what happened next?”
He didn't say a word.
Kenma started to growl. Bokuto flinched upon hearing him and finally spoke up:
“Okay, okay... Well, then we, um... we kissed.”
This time, his mates' jaws nearly dropped.
“What?” snapped Kenma.
“Yeah... I... well, yeah...”
Kenma narrowed his eyes, furious.
“Damn it, why is this guy messing with my mates... I swear if... if he...”
He sighed in frustration, his face contorted with anger. He began to stomp away, but then turned back around:
“Alright, I'm calling him, he has some explaining to do, I swear that...”
As he was about to put the phone to his ear, Bokuto stopped him by grabbing his arm:
“Wait!”
“Wait for what?”
“Well, shouldn't we talk about it first?”
“Talk about what? We already did, right?”
“ Well... we should discuss what we're going to do, right?”
“What do you mean ?”
“ Well, I don't know, figure out if we ask him if... if we can officially court him, right?”
Kenma's anger instantly melted away, he blinked several times, bewildered.
“ Or like if he wants to date us? Yeah... Maybe he'll understand more if we frame it like that...”
Kenma choked on his words, unable to form a coherent sentence.
“Well, I don't know, I like him, you like him, Keiji likes him...”
He turned to him to get his agreement, the brunet nodded, still standing in front of the door.
“Well, there you go...”
“Oh... um... I hadn't thought of that... Well, I mean, I did but... not like that.”
“Alright then, hang up!” insisted Bokuto.
“I'm not going to hang up now!”
“Yes, you are!”
Bokuto desperately tried to retrieve the phone, but Kenma managed to contort himself enough to escape. They stopped when they heard that Kuroo had answered. Kenma put the phone to his ear.
“Hey, Ji?”
The call ended almost immediately. Kenma frowned, visibly confused. He glanced at Bokuto, then at Akaashi.
“So what did he say?” asked Bokuto.
“Um... he said he was passing under a bridge and then... then I think he threw his phone...”
Bokuto chuckled.
“What?”
Kenma shrugged. The three of them remained silent for a long moment, unable to fully grasp the situation.
The blond sighed and started typing on his phone again.
“Are you calling him back?”
“No... I'm ordering food.”
“Cool!”
“You’re right, we need to talk.”
While certainly less appealing than eating pizza, it was probably necessary.
Notes:
Here we are, hope you enjoyed that chapter!
Next “Purgatory 2”
"Take your time... Whatever you choose, I hope it won't change anything between us..." That's what Kenma had told him. It was nice and all, but the more time passed, the more he realized he had to face the facts: it would change things between them, one way or another.
Of course, it would change something! "Sorry, Kenma, I'd rather we stay friends, but how about we go out for dinner sometime? With your two mates, for whom I clearly have feelings. One I've been flirting with for months, the other I kissed in the middle of a gymnasium, but no big deal." He sighed. What a damn mess! What was he going to do?
Chapter 20: Purgatory 2
Summary:
Take your time... Whatever you choose, I hope it won't change anything between us..." That's what Kenma had told him. It was nice and all, but the more time passed, the more he realized he had to face the facts: it would change things between them, one way or another.
Of course, it would change things! "Sorry, Kenma, I'd rather we stay friends, but how about we go out for dinner sometime? With your two mates, for whom I clearly have feelings. One I've been flirting with for months, the other I kissed in the middle of a gymnasium, but no big deal." He sighed. What a damn mess! What was he going to do?
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Nearly a week had passed since ‘the ambush’. Kuroo, who was running on fewer and fewer hours of sleep, was beginning to struggle to maintain his student routine. He still tried his best to stay out of the water. He managed to stay more or less awake during classes, but listening was another story...
He had been vaguely scribbling words here and there, sure... This Friday morning would be no exception. He had managed to note the first two minutes of the class properly, then, all his neurons had decided to leave him stranded, probably to go on an adventure of their own. Well, maybe not all of his neurons had left; there was still one or two whose sole goal was to torture him.
He had told Kenma that he needed to think, but he hadn't specified the timeframe for this reflection. He felt his body growing numb, and a lump formed in his throat. Time was starting to weigh on him.
"Take your time... Whatever you choose, I hope it won't change anything between us..." That's what Kenma had told him. It was nice and all, but the more time passed, the more he realized he had to face the facts: it would change things between them, one way or another.
Of course, it would change things ! "Sorry, Kenma, I'd rather we stay friends, but how about we go out for dinner sometime? With your two mates, for whom I clearly have feelings. One I've been flirting with for months, the other I kissed in the middle of a gymnasium, but no big deal." He sighed. What a damn mess! What was he going to do?
He wrote the same sentence on his notes, perhaps trying to exorcise it, to manifest it outside of himself so he could detach from it? He stared at the sentence for a long time, everything around him disappeared in the chaos of his internal turmoil. He didn't even notice that Chris had glanced at his sheet. He didn’t comment and turned his attention back to their professor.
Kuroo managed to refocus on the class, but unfortunately for him, his attention only lasted barely two minutes. After this, he sighed, crossed his arms on the table, and buried his face in them. He eventually lifted his head when Chris placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Are you okay?” he whispered.
“Yeah, don't worry, I'm just exhausted.”
Chris nodded.
“Did you go to bed late?”
“Yeah...”
Chris looked concerned, so Kuroo had to make up a lie to reassure him:
“I just started a series and couldn't stop until three in the morning.”
Plausible, right? Especially since it had already happened to him in the past. Everyone experiences that kind of thing, right? The perfect excuse!
“Oh, what was it?”
Busted.
What was he going to answer: "Kuroo stares at the ceiling until death ensues"? Not sure if that would be the best answer to give him.
“Um... It was the story of...” his gaze fell on Oikawa's small alien-themed pencil case, “an astronaut who travels into space and discovers a planet inhabited by…” he discreetly scanned his surroundings, the young woman in front of him had a llama plush keychain,“a planet inhabited by intelligent llamas and he... um” quick, think fast! “he teaches them to play basketball.”
Basketball?
Chris raised an eyebrow.
“Very absurd, but not bad I guess.”
“I see. What was it called?”
“Uh... Space...Llama-ball.”
“I'll check it out then, you...”
“Shh!” Oikawa finally cut them off.
They fell silent and returned to the lesson, Kuroo mentally thanking his diva for intervening to end his ordeal. God knows what absurdity he might have blurted out if he had continued.
The rest of the day went smoothly; Kuroo managed to squeeze in a micro-nap during lunch break, a precious moment that allowed him to maintain his focus for most of the afternoon. Finally, the end of the day arrived. Kuroo said goodbye to his friends and they all went their separate ways. But as Kuroo was walking away to catch the metro, Chris caught up with him.
“Do you want to hang out at my place?” the blond asked out of the blue.
Kuroo frowned. Couldn't he have asked him before they parted ways?
“Um... to do what?”
“I don't know... Hang out, have a beer, and we can play video games...”
OK... Why did Kuroo feel like there was something fishy going on?
“Um... I don't know, I'm tired and...”
“You can take a nap on the train if you want,” Chris cut him off.
Kuroo looked up. Chris was inscrutable, as usual, but he felt like he didn't have a say in the matter. Chris would push until he gave in anyway; his friend's gaze had something imperative and urgent about it, Kuroo couldn't escape him. He eventually agreed. He fell asleep the moment the train started moving and only regained consciousness once they arrived at their destination. It took him several minutes to fully wake up, but he managed to come to his senses: his impromptu nap had worked wonders. They chatted lightly until they reached Chris's place. As soon as they arrived, his friend invited him to sit at the garden table. Once Kuroo was seated, Chris went back inside, interrupting their conversation before Kuroo could finish his sentence. He returned a few moments later with two beers, and just as Kuroo was about to resume their conversation, Chris cut him off:
“So?”
Kuroo furrowed his brow.
“What?”
“Can we talk about it now?”
“Talk about what?”
Chris insisted, and Kuroo quickly understood what he was getting at.
“Oh... Oh... Is it an intervention?”
“Not really... I do have beers and video games.”
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
“Do you mind? You seemed preoccupied. I thought you might like to talk about it.” Chris said.
The brunet sank into his chair. He didn't necessarily want to talk about it, especially since he hadn't planned to... But he couldn't remain stuck like this indefinitely! Plus, Chris was probably the best person to talk about... that. He crossed his arms.
“I don't know, it's embarrassing...”
Chris raised an eyebrow.
“Last week you spent 45 minutes talking about your locker room stories in high school, aren't we past that now?”
Kuroo blushed and let out a laugh to ease the blow.
“OK, OK, you got me...”
Chris smiled and adjusted his position.
“So, have you thought about it yet?”
Damn, were they really at this point?
“I'm way too sober to talk about it right now!”
Chris smirked.
“Take two more sips, that'll do it.”
Kuroo chuckled.
“Hey! It's not nice to make fun of my metabolism!”
“I'm not making fun of anything, it’s just facts.”
“Yeah, right...”
He took another sip.
“So I’m asking again, have you thought about it yet?”
Kuroo sighed. He couldn't escape now. He glanced at the patio door: maybe he could try to make a run for it? He reluctantly gave up on that idea and finally answered:
“No... well, yes, but...”
“But?”
“I still don't know...”
Chris nodded.
“What's bothering you?”
“Isn't it obvious?”
The blond shook his head.
Obviously, they hadn't grown up in the same context: in addition to growing up in Europe, Chris had been raised by five parents, so of course he didn't see what the problem was! Actually, Kuroo himself couldn't really articulate what the problem was... Well, he could, but...
“Why are you resisting so much?”
“Isn't it obvious?”
“No... I don't think so. Well, apart from the fact that it goes against the social norms you're familiar with.”
Kuroo sighed. God, he was almost regretting the time Chris couldn’t speak proper Japanese.
“But since when do you care about this kind of thing?” Chris finally remarked.
“What? I follow social norms very well, thank you.”
“I'm not saying you're impolite, but you know what I mean, right?”
“No.”
Chris raised an eyebrow.
Kuroo knew perfectly well what he was getting at. During his teenage years, he had understood that what society wanted to instill in him was sometimes absurd; he had eventually given society the finger and gradually erected his own code of conduct.
“Let's say I do,” the brunet conceded, deciding it was time to stop avoiding the conversation.
“I understand that it takes time to deconstruct this kind of thing, that it doesn't happen overnight, but what is really bothering you?”
Kuroo just shrugged.
“Are you really attached to the idea of monogamy?”
Kuroo nearly choked on his beer. What a strange question! He could never have imagined that he would be asked that seriously one day... Hell, not long ago, he didn't even think there were other possibilities! So no, he hadn't really had time to think about it... Well, yes, since he had discussed his love life at Chris's last party, and the idea had been brought up, he had to admit that it had sometimes crossed his mind, but nothing concrete...
“Apparently...”
“Huh...”
They fell silent. Kuroo thought for a long time. If he was honest with himself, no, conceptually speaking, he wasn't that attached to... to "monogamy," the idea didn't really bother him deep down, he vaguely understood the principle. But to integrate it both mentally and... factually into his life, there was still a long way to go.
And then... it was an outcome he had never considered... There were plenty of love triangle stories out there. As far as he knew, Bridget Jones had never considered the possibility of having her happy ending with both Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver (yes, he had two sisters who loved that movie, he must have seen it fifty times already and it was probably what had helped him improve his English, so it was normal for him to use it as a reference, right?). Well, bad example, Daniel clearly didn't deserve her... And Daniel and Mark weren't already a couple... But never mind, he hadn't seen that ending anywhere else before. So, it wasn't so surprising that he had such a hard time processing it, right?
Maybe that was his problem? He had wanted to play out some ridiculous American rom-com scenario, and it came back to bite his ass.
“I don't know, maybe I was just trying to... to play the field, and it got back at me.”
Chris didn't seem convinced.
“I had a friend in college who did that... He had like, five dates a week, with a different girl each time. Well, he never got attached to any of them... He ended up dating his best friend... I think they're still together...”
“Huh, yeah, you were definitely just trying to ‘play the field’, right."
Was that sarcasm?
“I don't know, maybe?”
Chris looked at him with a weary expression.
“No, okay, I was just trying not to think about it, I had zero plan in mind, zero strategy... Or rather, that was my strategy, the problem is that it blew up in my face and I got screwed.”
“Not really,” corrected Chris.
Kuroo blushed.
“I mean, not literally! You know what I mean!”
“Literally or not, I don't think you got ‘screwed’."
He sighed.
“Kuroo... Can I ask you a question?”
“Huh?”
“If you had met all three of them at different times in your life, would you have tried something? Something serious, I mean.”
“Probably, yeah...”
“So?”
“But... not like this! I can't have everything, it's...” he sighed and let his head fall onto the table.
“Why not? You don't need to do much, just see where it can take you, right?”
“Let me guess, you also think it's a ‘miracle’?”
Chris shrugged.
“It’s uncanny.”
“Hmm...”
The silence stretched. The sun had disappeared behind the horizon a while ago, the air was starting to cool down. Seeing that he wouldn't get anything more out of him, Chris suggested:
“Do you want to go back inside? We can play some Mario Kart if you want?”
“Okay.”
The conversation naturally drifted away, much to Kuroo's delight, who willingly got caught up in an unproductive debate to decide which of Princess Peach or Rosalina was more charismatic. They didn't really agree on the matter and started the race. Kuroo's attention was gradually drifting away from the game, so much so that he ended up hitting a wall and didn't even try to get back on track. He held the controller tightly in his hands, staring at the screen blankly.
“Um... Kuroo?” Chris finally worried.
“I don't know... It's just that... I don't know, we always say ‘You'll find the right one’ not ‘the right ones’ I don't know, it seems... I don't know, unfair or unbalanced?” Kuroo blurted out without having time to phrase it properly.
Chris paused the game and turned his gaze to his friend:
“Kuroo... You have two sisters, right? Do you love them equally?”
“Yes, but...”
“And you have multiple friends, each with a different connection, who bring something different to your life, right?”
“But it's different, I…”
“How is it different?”
Kuroo didn't know what to say.
Chris took a deep breath and set down the controller before turning to Kuroo.
“I think that romantic love is like any other type of love. It doesn't divide, it multiplies.”
Kuroo fell silent for a moment.
“I guess you're right...”
Kuroo finally dropped his defenses.
He knew where this resistance was coming from after all... He was just afraid. He was terrified of having to plunge into the unknown. Committing to a relationship had always been scary for him, even if he was deeply attached, even if he loved with every damn fiber of his being! So here... Here his fears exceeded all bounds. Here he felt like he had to throw himself into an abyss, not knowing what was at the bottom, and his survival instinct screamed at him to turn back, not to get any closer to the edge.
But damn it, he knew... He knew he wanted to close his eyes and jump. He just couldn't bring himself to do it.
He picked up his beer from the coffee table and drank half of it. The alcohol was starting to make him dizzy.
“I think I'm just scared...” he admitted.
“Ah... What are you afraid of?”
“I don't know... of committing to something I don't know? I just don't know how it works...”
“Well... you'll learn.”
“Maybe I won't be able to handle it, I don't know, jealousy, just, I don't know...”
“You'll see.”
Very constructive intervention, thank you!
“And then, if it doesn't work out if I don't get along with them after all? It would piss me off to lose them for... For stupid reasons, just because I don't know what to do...”
Chris sank into the couch, looking up at the ceiling:
“You can't know if you don’t try.”
“Yeah, hence the fear I'm dealing with.”
“It would be sad not to start a story because of fear of how it might end, right?”
“Huh...”
A valid point indeed, but that didn't make things any easier.
Silence fell again. Chris hesitated to restart the game, seeing that the brunet had picked up his controller again. But Kuroo quickly abandoned it and continued:
“OK, but...”
“But?”
“I don't know... they've been together for a long time apparently, I don't know exactly how long but... What if I can't fit in? I mean, starting a relationship, uh... more classic, it's new for both parties! Here I'm intruding into an existing relationship, one that existed well before me...”
“Hmm... First... You don't necessarily have to think of it as ‘a relationship’.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it's three different people, each with a particular connection to the others, it's ‘relationships’."
“Uh...”
“From what you've already told us, you don't have the same relationship with each of them, right? The bonds you create, what you build, will be new to them too. These bonds, these relationships, didn't exist before you, they exist with you. Sure, you have to coexist with the existing dynamics, but if they offered to include you, it's because they also want to create these bonds, and in your case, they're ready to integrate you into their dynamic.”
Kuroo didn't know what to say. His body was starting to be shaken by all sorts of conflicting emotions, his head was foggy, and his heart was a mess. He let his head fall back onto the couch.
“At the risk of repeating myself, it would be stupid to do nothing just because you're scared, right?”
“Huh...”
Kuroo chuckled, and Chris turned his face in his direction.
“You don't talk much, but when you do, it's not for nothing, damn it.”
Chris let out a laugh.
Silence fell again.
“And...” the blond continued.
“Hmm?”
“If we're talking about it, it's because you've already thought about it, right? Otherwise, you would have already turned them down, you don’t think so?”
“Probably...”
“You don’t have to commit to anything just yet. You can just talk to them about it and see how it goes.”
“Well, I guess... I just need to figure out how to bring up the subject...”
Chris smiled.
“But I'm not too worried about you, I think you've got what it takes.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean... you're honest with yourself...”
Eh.
“You're honest about your feelings and...”
Still, these past few months were evidence to the contrary.
“And you're always open to dialogue.”
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
“That's not easy to find, you know.”
Kuroo had to give himself that. He had been raised as a boy in Japan; it had taken him years of deconstruction and years of navigating a rather underground scene to get to where he was now... He didn't know what he was so afraid of deep down. If he thought about it, he had to build his identity on uncharted territory that no one had prepared him to face. He hadn't given up and was proud of who he had become.
“You're right... I'm actually a rebel...”
Chris chuckled.
“You remind me a bit of my mom, you should've seen the look on her parents' faces when she left Japan with my other parents. I wasn't there to see it, but I heard about it.”
“Chris, are you my friend because I remind you of your mother?”
The blond raised an eyebrow, an amused smirk on his lips:
“Maybe a little.”
“Oh! I can't believe it!”
“Shall we continue the game?”
“Don't change the subject!”
Too late, Chris had already pressed start again.
“My mom can't play Mario Kart.”
“As if that answered the question.”
He gave up the debate and dove back into the race.
He discreetly glanced in Chris's direction. He was glad to have him in his life, even if it was only because he reminded him of his mother. Ultimately, that intervention had paid off. He still wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he was starting to see things a little more clearly.
-//-
Three days had passed since Chris’ intervention. He had been able to get some sleep, which had been miraculous in restoring proper cognitive function to his brain. He wasn't as scared anymore, but he still didn't know how to approach them... How should he initiate the dialogue? The simplest solution would be to send a text; he always had an ongoing conversation with Kenma on insta, so he could contact him that way... However, he didn't know what to say or how to go about it... So, he let time stretch, waiting for a sign.
Great, talking about signs had gotten the entirety of the Anastasia movie soundtrack stuck in his head! Nothing else could emerge in his brain now except the lyrics to "Journey to the Past". He must have started singing aloud as Oikawa soon began singing absentmindedly along with him, still buried in his textbooks. They had settled outside at a table to study a bit before their last class of the day. Kuroo, despite having his biochemistry notes laid out in front of him, hadn't read a single word for nearly ten minutes. He continued to sing softly, Oikawa's voice resonating with his:
“One step at a time,
One hope then another,
Who knows where this road may go,
Back to who I was,
On to find my future,
Things my heart still needs to know”
He looked up, completely abandoning his reading. He watched the small groups of students walking together, the smiles, the lively exchanges. His gaze finally caught a distant figure, and he squinted to make out the details.
“Yes, let this be a sign,
Let this road be mine”
He had just recognized Bokuto. He froze and fell completely silent. Oikawa raised his eyes, surprised to not hear him anymore.
He had to do something.
Now.
Without further ado, and without taking the time to gather his things, he got up and started running towards Bokuto.
"Kuroo!" he heard shouted behind him.
He didn't turn around and kept running. Bokuto was too far away for him to call out his name, and the sneaky one was getting farther and farther away, nearing the exit. He pushed hard to close the gap between them, but after a few attempts, realized he still wasn't within shouting distance. He passed through the exit gate and stopped to scan the surroundings, having lost all trace of the young man he was chasing.
He finally saw him a few meters away, getting into the back of a car. He sped up, swearing as he saw the car start to leave the car park. As the vehicle regained the road, ready to head back to an unknown destination, Kuroo, out of ideas, stood in front of it, arms outstretched. The car stopped just in front of him, but he couldn't avoid the collision and took the bumper to his legs. The impact threw him off balance, and he barely managed to catch himself by extending his arms to avoid falling flat on the car. Without even taking the time to process the incident, he circled around to stand in front of the driver's side door. The window rolled down:
"What the fuck Kuroo! Are you out of you’re freaking mind?!” Kenma shouted, on the verge of hyperventilating.
As he stuck his head inside, Kuroo noticed that all three of them were in the car. They looked at him in astonishment, shocked by what had just happened.
"Oh, you're all here," Kuroo remarked as if he hadn't just been hit by a car.
"You reckless idiot! Do you…"
"Okay," Kuroo said.
Kenma fell silent and raised an eyebrow.
"Okay," Kuroo repeated, not elaborating further.
The trio went from astonishment to surprise.
"You mean that..."
Bokuto leaned his head between the two front seats and shouted, "You mean it's a yes!"
"Well, I don't know if it's a yes, but I'm willing to give it a try, see if..."
Before he could finish, Bokuto got out of the car and threw himself at him. He hugged him so tightly that he lost his breath.
Kuroo felt a profound wave of euphoria wash over him, and he knew he had made the right decision. He would see what the future held for him. He would take it one step at a time, but this was the road that would be his.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
We’re finally here!
Next chapter: “Butterfly farm 1”
"Kuroo."
"Hmm."
"If you were doubting it, know that I am here willingly. I am glad to be here, with you."
The brunet smiled at him.
"Me too."
They looked at each other. Already, something had changed between them.
It reminded him of the first time he had joined Akaashi at Fukuro. When his gaze had gotten lost in his as they were about to part; when he had felt that first tingling, that youthful excitement that had enveloped him entirely. When he had felt that the tingling was mutual.
Today they were here. Together.
Chapter 21: Butterfly farm 1
Summary:
"Kuroo."
"Hmm."
"If you were doubting it, know that I'm here willingly. I'm glad to be here, with you."
The brunet smiled at him.
"Me too."
They looked at each other. Something had already shifted between them.
It reminded Kuroo of the first time he had met Akaashi at Fukuro. How his gaze had lingered as they were about to part; how he had felt that first spark, the youthful excitement that had washed over him completely. And how, in that moment, he knew the feeling was mutual.
Today they were here. Together.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
A few days earlier, when he had deliberately collided with Kenma's car to announce his decision, the blond had looked him in the eyes once the confusion had passed. Pragmatic in every situation, he simply asked: 'Okay, what do you want to do?'
Kuroo stayed silent for several seconds. Seeing that the trio was waiting patiently for his answer, he said, 'I don't know... Can we start with a date... dates? I'm not really sure how it works.'
Kenma nodded. He took out his phone and, without looking up, asked: 'Are you free on Saturday?'
“Yes.”
“The whole day?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, then we'll do that on Saturday.”
Kuroo nodded. Bokuto, who was still holding him in his arms, let out a euphoric babble, planted a kiss on his cheek, and finally let go of him. Before he could gather his thoughts, the trio was gone. He didn't get any more information until Friday night, when Kenma sent him a message on Instagram simply stating, 'Be ready around nine.'
Kuroo wasn’t sure if it was euphoria, stress, or anxiety that woke him up at 6 AM on that Saturday, but his brain refused to give him more sleep.
By 7:23, he was already fully dressed. He'd changed his outfit two more times, not sure of what to go with, but eventually settled for a classic: white t-shirt, and black jeans. If his sisters saw him, they would likely be scandalized, but he didn't have the mental space to care. Besides, he only had one ridiculously small mirror, and a fashion faux pas would happen too quickly if he were to attempt a more eccentric look.
Anyway, he was waiting.
He entered a paradoxical state of consciousness, almost managing to detach himself completely from the turmoil stirring his body. He resurfaced upon hearing the doorbell. He glanced down at his watch: 8:58. He looked up at the intercom. It rang again. He got up, stumbled upon realizing his legs had gone numb, but managed to stagger to the intercom. He picked up.
"Yes?"
"Kuroo-san."
He shivered and couldn't help but smile.
"Akaashi-san."
They both remained silent for a while. Kuroo was the first to speak again:
"I'm coming down."
He hung up, and paced around without knowing what he was looking for, the only thing swirling in his head being, "Is this really happening?". He had to force himself to remember what he was looking for: his wallet. He retrieved it from his backpack and left the apartment. He raced down the stairs and only stopped once he reached the door. He breathed out, lifted his head, and opened the door. His gaze instantly found Akaashi's. The young man was charming and elegant, as usual. Having him there, so close, brought a smile to his face.
"Hello."
"Hello."
The two young men stood facing each other, smiling foolishly without either of them being able to speak. Kuroo eventually stuck his head out to survey the surroundings.
"Is it just you?"
Akaashi simply nodded. Kuroo nodded in return, finally stepped out, and closed the door behind him. He turned his gaze, smiling again as he met the brunet's eyes.
"Coffee?" Akaashi offered, handing him a cardboard cup.
"Oh, thank you."
Kuroo took the cup, and Akaashi nodded before starting to walk.
"Where are we going?"
"To the station."
"Oh... okay."
Kuroo followed him.
Once the excitement faded, silence settled between them. It stayed that way for most of the journey. They exchanged occasional small talk, but neither could seem to start a real conversation. Kuroo didn’t know how to handle the awkwardness, just trying to ease the tension by sipping his coffee every ten seconds.
The train coach, which had emptied more and more at each stop, was now practically deserted. Gathering his courage, Kuroo decided to address what had been on his mind for a while now:
"I..."
Akaashi turned to him.
"I was surprised to see you first," Kuroo finally said.
"Oh. Well, Kenma sleeps in late, and Kōtarō trains in the morning."
Kuroo didn't expect this kind of answer at all; he just said, "Oh, okay," before falling silent again.
"That is not the answer you were expecting," Akaashi remarked.
"No," he averted his eyes, "I mean," he met his interlocutor's gaze again, "our last, um... discussion didn't... you know."
"Oh... Yes."
Great, now Akaashi was as uncomfortable too.
"Well, you said there were things I didn't know, and... well, I guess I know now..."
"Yes."
"But... I don't know... When you came last time... I mean, you know... I felt like..."
The brunet frowned.
"Like what?"
"That you felt, I don’t know... sort of forced to be there," Kuroo finally blurted out.
Akaashi's eyes widened.
"Oh... no, not at all. I was there of my own accord. If I gave you that impression, I’m sorry. It’s just that—" Akaashi gestured vaguely, struggling to explain.
He paused, letting his hands fall onto his knees. Kuroo noticed a faint blush spreading across Akaashi’s face as he finally clarified:
"Kenma was still angry with me, and... I felt silly for being there after... after what I told you during our last meeting."
"Oh," Kuroo frowned, "why was he angry?"
The brunet in front of him grimaced and averted his gaze, visibly embarrassed.
"Well... I had not told him about... us, about you. And he found out a bit suddenly."
"Oh..."
Kuroo finally let out a laugh:
"Just imagining Kenma angry gives me chills."
Akaashi met his gaze: yeah, no one really wanted to face the wrath of Kozume Kenma.
"How did he find out then?"
Akaashi hesitated but eventually told him what had happened at the Fukuro. Kuroo couldn't help but laugh, amused by Akaashi's embarrassment.
"Now I understand why Konoha-san can't stand me."
Akaashi grimaced. Silence fell between them again. This time it was soft and ethereal: their silence.
"Kuroo."
"Hmm."
"If you were doubting it, know that I'm here willingly. I'm glad to be here, with you."
The brunet smiled at him.
"Me too."
They looked at each other. Something had already shifted between them.
It reminded Kuroo of the first time he had met Akaashi at Fukuro. How his gaze had lingered as they were about to part; how he had felt that first spark, the youthful excitement that had washed over him completely. And how, in that moment, he knew the feeling was mutual.
Today they were here. Together.
Kuroo was the first to break eye contact:
"So, where are we going then?"
"Oh, an immersive exhibition of Monet's works, the French painter. I heard good things about it when it was in Chicago."
"Nice."
The atmosphere had completely changed between them. It was still charged with crackling tension, but now it had a touch of excitement. Once they got off the train, it took them another good ten minutes to reach the exhibition. The place had just opened when they arrived, and after less than a minute in line, they reached the ticket counter. Akaashi asked for two tickets, and not knowing exactly what their arrangement was, Kuroo reached for his wallet. Noticing him do so, Akaashi placed his hand on top of his to dissuade him, smiling.
"My treat," he said.
Kuroo smiled and looked away. He cursed himself mentally for feeling his cheeks flush. He wasn't used to going on "romantic dates" anymore (just thinking about that word made him feel awkward). He made an effort not to reveal any of this turmoil: he was an adult for fuck’s sake, not a fifteen-year-old high schooler!
His mind went completely silent when they entered the exhibition. The room was plunged into darkness, with images of a pond dotted with blooming water lilies projected on the walls, trees reflecting in waters that were sometimes navy blue, sometimes violet, occasionally tinged with the orange hue of a setting sun. Water lilies were everywhere, from floor to ceiling, and Koi carp were swimming peacefully under their feet. Kuroo let out an amazed sigh. Akaashi stole a glance at him, delighted by his enthusiasm.
He followed the fish and approached the surface of the walls, examining the nuances of colors in the water reflections, a formidable and dazzling kaleidoscope. Akaashi approached and whispered to him:
"These are several paintings from the Water Lilies series. There are nearly three hundred pieces, exhibited all over the world."
"Wow, that guy liked water lilies," remarked Kuroo.
Akaashi smiled and nodded.
"This is the pond he had built in his house in Giverny, in northern France. These are from the works of the last ten years of his life," he lowered his voice, "he had cataracts and could not see very clearly."
Kuroo chuckled.
They continued the tour, crossing fields of poppies and sunflowers, stormy seas and green fields. Akaashi's voice accompanied him on this journey, and although Kuroo didn't retain a single word he said, hearing him whispering close to him was exhilarating.
They eventually found themselves in a lit corridor: no floral walls this time, just large panels. Kuroo, not wanting to appear dumber than he was, began reading a panel about... the theory of colors in the painter's works... Why not? Sure, he didn't understand much of it, but that didn't tarnish his... interest. He was pulled out of his reading when he heard Akaashi chuckle. Seeing that a couple was passing behind him, he straightened up again and resumed his reading. He completely lost his composure when they were alone again and stifled another laugh. Curious, Kuroo joined him. He raised an eyebrow when he saw that the brunet was standing in front of a panel written in German (he had almost forgotten who he was dealing with).
"What's going on?"
Akaashi seemed on the verge of tears now.
"The translation," he managed to articulate.
"What?"
"I do not know how they managed it, but it makes no sense.”
"What does it say?"
Akaashi cleared his throat.
"Claude Monet, also known as Oscar Claude Monet, was born in Paris on November 14, 1840, and died in Garnsey on December 5, 1926, a French painter and one of the founders of Italy."
They both burst out laughing, trying to remain discreet.
"Italy?"
"I'm not sure how they went from 'impressionist' to 'Italy.' Wait, it goes on: 'He began his career by recording the known figure of Le Havre.'"
"What does that mean?"
"I have absolutely no idea... but did you know, Kuroo-san, that 'Painting saloon thanks to ‘Woman in Green Dress’ about of Camille Dancio, whom he wedding on June 28, 1870’.'"
Kuroo was now also on the verge of tears, finding it increasingly difficult to hold back loud laughter.
"On a more serious note: 'San Montre,' whom I guess is no other than Claude Monet, 'dies according to his lung cancer of the lung.'"
"'According to his lung cancer? They weren't sure, so they asked his cancer, is that it?"
"It was not just any lung cancer, Kuroo-san, it was a lung cancer of the lung."
"Never mind, very reliable source indeed..."
"Indeed..."
"Poor San Montre, whoever he is."
They exchanged a complicit look and stifled another discreet laugh.
"I think you should offer them your translation services," suggested Kuroo.
"Hmm, I am not sure, it would lose its charm."
"You're right, it would be a shame to spoil the pleasure of a few German speakers."
"Indeed... I will spare myself from reading the panel in French, I am not sure I can survive it."
"You're doing the right thing, safety first."
They smiled at each other and stood there for a long moment, in the middle of the corridor, looking at each other without ever getting tired of their silent exchanges.
"We still have one more room left," Akaashi finally said.
Kuroo took the lead, and they finally reached the last room. It was a small dark room where fish, flowers, and sunbeams swirled in shimmering water.
"Cool!" exclaimed Kuroo when he saw that bean bags had been placed on the floor. He quickly went to sprawl out in one and let out a sigh, fully contented.
Akaashi joined him, and they silently watched the carp swim across the ceilings (a much more pleasant activity than staring at the ceiling of his apartment).
"I can't believe we're here, together," Kuroo murmured.
Akaashi turned his head towards him.
"Neither can I, to be honest."
"But I'm glad to be here."
"So am I."
They smiled at each other.
Kuroo thought about the first time they met. He couldn't help but share his thoughts:
"Do you know what I used to call you at the beginning?"
Akaashi frowned.
"In my head, I mean."
"Oh... no?"
“Mr. Fantastico-mystical."
Akaashi chuckled.
"I hope you realize that means absolutely nothing."
"Maybe not, but I think it suits you well."
"Why is that?"
"I don't know... It's the impression you gave me when we first met... Your aura, your presence. And the fact that you're probably one of the most fucking beautiful people I've ever met in my life..."
"You... flatter me."
Yes, maybe he had gone overboard for a first date... But well, it's not like they weren't used to this kind of exchange, he just raised the bar and brought sincerity. Kuroo didn’t dare to turn his head, not wanting to see his reaction.
"Kuroo."
"Hmm?"
Akaashi cleared his throat.
"May I kiss you?"
I beg your pardon? Turns out it was he who was playing it safe.
Kuroo turned to him, deeply surprised. His counterpart didn't look confused, perfectly composed after his request, patiently waiting for his consent.
"Here?"
Akaashi nodded.
"But... there are people!"
"There is no one here."
Seeing Kuroo so disarmed amused the brunet, who raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
Kuroo froze. He knew. He knew that if he accepted, he might not be able to go back. Legally, yes, he could, but he knew he might not be able to. He, who had promised himself not to make any "mistakes," just to leave himself some room to maneuver, just in case... His gaze slid to Akaashi's lips. Damn, he wanted to kiss him so, so bad. He accepted with a nod. To hell with caution and margins for error!
Akaashi smiled at him and leaned over. Kuroo let him, not taking his eyes off his approaching lips, closing his eyelids as they met.
Kuroo felt his heart swell, swell, until it became gigantic, until it pounded on his chest like a stretched drum, sending bursts of blood throughout his body, so violently that his head began to spin.
Every nerve in his body spiraled out, and his energy-overloaded neurons started to form electric arcs, until the whole system short-circuited in one go, sending hundreds of lightning bolts crackling under his skin.
Kuroo eventually heard footsteps behind them, and the voice of a young woman reached them. He turned his head, breaking the exchange. He sank into his bean bag, a vain attempt to disappear from the face of the Earth. Akaashi chuckled at his reaction and settled back into his place.
"Don't tease me!" Kuroo whispered to him.
"You are adorable."
Kuroo let out a groan, deeply embarrassed. It took him several seconds to regain his composure.
"I could never have imagined that you were so cavalier, my dear," he finally intervened, an amused smile playing on his lips. "Who would have thought that I was in the presence of a PDA enthusiast."
"It's not public if there is no one around," remarked Akaashi. "And besides, have been initiated into this delicate craft since a young age," he continued.
"Oh really? Can I know the name of your master in this rarely practiced art in the Land of the Rising Sun?"
"Certainly, the wise Kōtarō Bokuto."
Kuroo burst into laughter.
"But it seems you've already experienced his methods," Akaashi remarked.
Kuroo almost choked on his saliva.
"He told you?"
"Of course."
"Oh..."
"Is there a problem?"
"No, not at all."
"Not at all," he didn't know. Talking about kissing the mate of the person who had just kissed you wasn't necessarily something Kuroo had experienced frequently in his life. Once again, he tried to play it off with his best smirk:
"How so? Did you take this initiative because you were jealous that I had dealt with your sensei?"
"Dealt with?"
"Don't dodge the question. Were you jealous?"
"Jealous, no. Envious? Perhaps."
Not one for composure and self-control, Kuroo didn't know what to reply and began blushing like a schoolgirl.
Akaashi smiled at him. He stood up and offered him his hand:
"Shall we go?"
Kuroo nodded and took it. The water lilies and poppies accompanied them until they exited, their colorful shadows dancing on Akaashi's silhouette. Kuroo smiled. His body was still trembling with electric shivers, and the sensation was exhilarating.
Notes:
Next chapter “Butterfly farm 2”
"And," Bokuto began, "they always have at least one quirky movie. Listen to this: 'An invasion of zombie sharks plunges the earth into terror. Who will save humanity from this apocalypse? An elite unit of bionic soldiers, part dogs, part dolphins, is formed to avert this crisis. Will they rise to the challenge? Can they save humanity from its doom?'." He mimicked an explosion noise to accentuate the drama.
Kuroo chuckled.
"It sounds wonderfully bad, I love it!"
Chapter 22: Butterfly farm 2
Summary:
"And," Bokuto began, "they always have at least one quirky movie. Listen to this: 'An invasion of zombie sharks plunges the earth into terror. Who will save humanity from this apocalypse? An elite unit of bionic soldiers, part dogs, part dolphins, is formed to avert this crisis. Will they rise to the challenge? Can they save humanity from its doom?'." He mimicked an explosion noise to accentuate the drama.
Kuroo chuckled.
"It sounds wonderfully bad, I love it!"
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
After their trip to the exhibition, Kuroo and Akaashi strolled through a nearby park, walking side by side beneath the canopy of tall cherry trees and maples. The atmosphere between them had shifted; their conversation had relaxed, returning to its usual flow. Yet, something deeper was quietly taking shape: a connection woven with threads still thin and timid, but of a nature far different from anything they had known before.
They stopped and sat under a tree. Akaashi pulled out from his bag the tablecloth with light blue squares, the one he had the last time Kuroo saw him on campus. He grimaced remembering the details of this last encounter, but the memory had now lost its bitterness. They settled down and continued to talk peacefully.
"Kōtarō spent a week after that coughing up glitter. To this day, I still find some on my clothes..."
Kuroo laughed.
“Oh my god! What was he thinking?"
Akaashi shrugged.
“Who knows...”
“Well, I have to admit that it doesn’t surprise me that much, but still…”
They laughed again.
"Hey, um, I don't know if I should ask but..."
"You can ask whatever you want."
"Oh, okay..."
Kuroo took a few seconds to formulate his question:
"How long have you known each other?"
"Oh... I've known Kōtarō since I was a child."
Kuroo blinked several times, genuinely surprised.
"Really?"
"Our families' territories adjoin, and being the only Yama-kitas around, they have always been close."
"Oh... so you're childhood friends."
"Yes and no... I must confess that I despised him as a child. It got worse when we both went through our presentation."
"Your presentation?"
Akaashi nodded.
"What does that mean?"
"It means entering into a cycle for the first time, which sort of reveals secondary sexes."
"Oh! Like a gender reveal party? But instead of 'it's a girl!' it's 'it's an alpha!'"
"Yes, sort of... although it is not a lot of fun, if we consider that gender reveal parties are fun. Which are not in my opinion, but still.”
"Hmm... And why did it get worse?"
Akaashi rolled his eyes.
"I was the only alpha in my family and Kōtarō the only omega, so naturally our families kept trying to push us together."
A playful smile formed on Kuroo’s lips:
"Well, I guess it worked, kind of."
"Yes..."
Akaashi gazed at the horizon, a tender smile playing on his lips.
"When did you change your mind?"
"When did I change my mind about what? "
"Him. When did you start dating?"
"Oh... when I went to high school."
Kuroo smiled. Contrary to what he thought, bringing up the subject wasn't embarrassing at all. The tenderness painted on Akaashi's features, although not addressed to him, seemed so sweet that it made his heart heavy with affection.
"And Kenma? How did you meet him?"
"We were in the same class in high school."
Kuroo seemed deeply surprised by the revelation.
"You were in the same class?"
Akaashi frowned, not quite sure where his astonishment was coming from.
"Yes."
"Wait, you're the same age as Kenma?"
"Yes."
"You're younger than me?"
Kuroo took a few seconds to recover from it.
"By a year, I presume. It is not that bad" Akaashi commented.
"No, I'm just surprised."
"Conventionally, that would be one of the first questions asked in a conversation."
"You didn't ask me either."
"True."
"And besides, I’m not sure I’m on the track here for the all ‘following convention’ gig."
Akaashi smiled.
"True."
"Anyway, so you were in the same class in high school?"
The brunet nodded.
"And when did you... uh, you two? Start... dating him?"
"The year after."
"Oh... and..."
Kuroo couldn’t finish his sentence. Something had slammed violently into his back, knocking the breath out of him.
"Bro!" was yelled into his ears.
The "something" in question was none other than Kōtarō Bokuto.
"Bo! You almost killed me! "
"Nah, you’re fine.”
Bokuto embraced him, his legs wrapped around Kuroo's waist. He rubbed his cheek against his, chirping with excitement.
"I think your PDA sensei has arrived," remarked the brunet.
Akaashi nodded, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
"What were you talking about?" asked Bokuto.
"You," Kuroo replied.
"Oh? I hope it was to say how great I am.”
"No, Akaashi was telling me he couldn't stand you when you were kids."
The remark visibly saddened the young man.
"Yeah, I know," he leaned in to whisper in Kuroo's ear, "but I've made up for it since then."
Kuroo shivered and blushed.
"I will leave you guys then," Akaashi finally intervened.
Bokuto detached himself from Kuroo to drag himself over to the brunet.
"Yeah, hop hop, come on, it's my turn," he insisted, pushing him off the blanket.
Akaashi seemed amused and resisted as a challenge. He eventually chuckled and surrendered.
"Okay, okay!"
"Good."
As he was about to straighten up, Bokuto grabbed his arm to pull him back and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Love you!"
"Pff, love you too."
He finally managed to straighten up and gather his things. His gaze met Kuroo's, and they smiled at each other.
"Have fun."
He waved goodbye to Kuroo, who waved back. He watched him walk away until he disappeared completely behind the tree line. When he turned his gaze, Bokuto had sprawled out on the blanket and was staring at him with a knowing look, a mischievous smile playing on his lips:
"So?"
"So what?"
"Was it nice?"
Kuroo tried his best not to blush.
"Yes."
"Hm... Did you guys kissy-kiss?" Bokuto joked, making exaggerated smooching sounds.
Kuroo froze.
"Really?"
Kuroo nodded.
This seemed to delight the gossip-loving side of Bokuto. He let out a light, sparkling laugh.
"Well, I guess it went well then."
Kuroo looked away but eventually nodded.
"Can I have one too?"
"One what?"
He reiterated the smooching sounds.
"No!"
Bokuto's enthusiasm waned.
"Why not?"
"Well, not here."
"Oh come on!"
"No... and besides, we both remember what happened last time, we're already ahead of that."
Bokuto rolled his eyes.
"I didn't sign up for one miserable kiss forever!"
"You didn't sign up for anything."
He raised an eyebrow. Kuroo tried to suppress a smile.
"You just arrived and you're already after my virtue."
Bokuto's eyes rolled, and he let out a sigh.
"Your virtue, dramatic much ?”
Their eyes met, and they exchanged an amused smile.
"Well, if I have to behave like a gentleman," he stood up and retrieved a wicker basket he had left behind Kuroo, "lunch is served, my dear."
He took out a thermos and two bento boxes from his wicker bag. Placing one in front of Kuroo, he opened it to reveal its contents. Much to the brunet's surprise, inside was a rich assortment: fried chicken, salmon sashimi, onigiris, composed salad, and tamagoyaki.
"and voilà!" Bokuto announced proudly.
Kuroo couldn't help but let out a laugh: the onigiris had been shaped like little rabbits, the salad was accompanied by colorful vegetables cut in star and cloud shapes, and the tamagoyaki had been arranged in the shape of a heart.
His counterpart seemed less than pleased to hear him chuckle.
"Got a problem with my beautiful bento?"
"No, it's cute, it caught me off guard. Did you make it yourself?"
"Of course I did."
"I didn't know you had this talent," remarked the brunet.
A somewhat suggestive smile formed on his interlocutor's lips.
"Ah, I have a lot of hidden talent you have yet to discover"
Kuroo couldn't help but feel his cheeks starting to flush. Normally, he was the one playing this game, not the other way around! He eventually chuckled and looked away.
"Geez, you're ridiculous."
Bokuto's expression had regained its childish sparkle. Their eyes met again, and they laughed in unison. Bokuto pulled out a pair of chopsticks and handed them to him. Kuroo thanked him and, after a mutual "Itadakimasu," they began to eat.
The brunet took a first bite of the fried chicken and stopped before swallowing it. He let out a smile of pure bliss and took another bite without even finishing the first one:
"This is so good!" he commented before enthusiastically devouring a bite of rabbit-shaped onigiri. "Oh! This is good too!"
The compliment brought a smile to Bokuto's face.
"Thank you."
"For real, I love it! My little sisters always had cute bentos, and I had nothing! Some octopus-shaped sausages if I was lucky. But I never said anything, I wanted to be tough."
Bokuto laughed and took another bite.
"Your sisters, Kasumi and Natsume, right?"
Kuroo nodded.
"They sound cool."
"Oh, they're real monsters, but yeah, they're cool."
Bokuto let out a little laugh.
"It can't be worse than my older brothers, and my older sister too. When they team up, it's a nightmare."
Kuroo tilted his head.
"So, you have siblings then?"
"Oh yeah, I have two older brothers, an older sister, and a younger brother and sister."
Kuroo's eyes widened. He realized the extent of his inability to ask basic polite questions. How many times did it have to backfire on him for him to learn? He had had countless meaningless discussions during his English classes at school: "How old are you?" "Where are you from?" and the traditional "Do you have siblings?". Why did he never ask these kinds of questions in his native language?! He really needed to get on it...
"Woh, so five siblings?"
Bokuto nodded.
"What are their names?"
"My older brothers are Nobuyoshi and Nao. My older sister is Suki, my younger sister is Megumi, and my younger brother is Shin."
"Oh, okay... Fourth one then."
His counterpart nodded and took a bite of his onigiri.
Kuroo then remembered the discussion he had with Chris at his party. He had promised himself to ask the question more often since apparently, it was a question to ask. But he wasn't sure if it was appropriate in the real world.
"Um, this might be a weird question but..."
"Hmm?"
"How many parents do you have?"
Bokuto seemed surprised by the question.
"Oh, sorry, maybe it's not uh..."
"No, I just didn't expect that question, from you I mean."
Kuroo eyes rolled.
"Because I'm a clueless beta?"
Bokuto chuckled.
"Yeah, but apparently not that much."
It felt like déjà vu...
"Um, well, okay, I'm trying but..."
"I have four parents," Bokuto interrupted.
"Oh... okay!"
The young man smiled at him, his mouth still full of rice.
"Surprised?"
Kuroo took a few seconds to think. From Akaashi's story, he had gathered that they were Yama-kitas, just like Chris's mother. So it wasn't really surprising after a cognitive update on that kind of thing:
"No, not that much..."
Ah, would you look at that? He was almost proud of him.
“I guess they were not surprised then when you came home with two boyfriends,” Kuroo commented.
"It’s gonna be three pretty soon." he murmured before letting out a mischievous smile.
Kuroo nearly choked on his saliva. Seeing that Bokuto still hadn't dropped his smile and had approached him, probably ready to seize this opportunity to demonstrate his skills as a grand master of PDA, he pushed him back. Bokuto let himself fall dramatically. Kuroo laughed and threw his napkin at his face. His opponent protested and threw his napkin back. Their squabbles continued until one of them kicked the thermos, causing it to tip over and spill its contents onto the tablecloth. They both straightened up to catch it. After the surprise passed, they burst out laughing.
The rest of the picnic unfolded in a light atmosphere, discussing all sorts of anecdotes, peculiar memories, and the miseries their siblings had put them through.
"Shall we go? We'll be late otherwise!"
"Where to?"
"To the cinema."
Kuroo smiled.
"Picnic and a movie, wouldn't that be the perfect plan for a first date?"
"Thanks for noticing."
"What are we going to watch?"
"I have no idea. We'll see when we get there."
They busied themselves with packing up the picnic blanket and set off. They took the subway and stopped at Meguro station. While he expected them to go to a huge complex, like the ones in the city center with giant screens and gargantuan statues of Godzilla, Kuroo was surprised when Bokuto stopped in front of a small neighborhood cinema. The place was charming and cozy. In front of the narrow entrance, a few movie posters were plastered behind a glass window, accompanied below by the summary, simply printed on A4 sheets. Kuroo peeked inside, seeing a small counter, a few wooden tables set here and there, where some people were enjoying a coffee before their movie. Kuroo smiled, pleasantly surprised.
"Is this okay with you?" Bokuto asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
"Yes, it's fine. I just didn't expect you to be a fan of independent cinema."
Bokuto smiled, relieved.
"We come here often. They have a lot of foreign movies that Keiji can't find elsewhere, and Kenma likes to come here because there aren't many people."
"That makes sense," Kuroo commented.
He smiled, glad that he had taken him to a place that was dear to them.
"And," Bokuto began, "they always have at least one quirky movie. Listen to this: 'An invasion of zombie sharks plunges the earth into terror. Who will save humanity from this apocalypse? An elite unit of bionic soldiers, part dogs, part dolphins, is formed to avert this crisis. Will they rise to the challenge? Can they save humanity from its doom?'." He mimicked an explosion noise to accentuate the drama.
Kuroo chuckled.
"It sounds wonderfully bad, I love it!"
Bokuto let out a smile, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Are you in?"
"Let's go!"
They giggled and rushed inside.
Once they paid for their tickets, Bokuto asked eagerly, "Oh! Do you want some popcorn?"
"Sure."
"Cool! Kenma and Keiji never let me have any!"
"Poor you. You're persecuted."
“I am, thank you for noticing!"
Once they had their popcorn in hand, they entered the theater. The place was empty, except for a teenager in cosplay and a middle-aged salaryman sitting at the back of the room.
"You weren't kidding, there’s no one," remarked Kuroo.
"Especially at this hour."
"Cool."
“Yeah.”
Kuroo turned his head. Bokuto's voice had become deeper, and he was looking at him with an intensity that boded nothing good. He accentuated it by wiggling his eyebrows, a tad provocatively. Kuroo blushed, not yet used to this kind of teasing.
"What are you up to now?" he asked.
Bokuto looked up innocently and replied, "Nothing, I don't see why you'd say that..."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Hmm?"
Bokutp quickly changed the subject:
"Shall we sit here? "
Kuroo nodded, and they went to sit in the middle of an empty row.
Their conversation quickly regained its absurd tone. They eventually burst out laughing loudly. The salaryman at the back of the room shushed them. They complied, but couldn't help snickering like kids. Kuroo discreetly turned his gaze to Bokuto, who was now trying to stuff as much popcorn as possible into his mouth. He smiled. He had been afraid. Afraid of not knowing how to interact with him anymore, afraid of not knowing what to say or do, and afraid of making the situation awkward. But that wasn't the case. He couldn't really say that nothing had changed, because that would be a lie. But the changes so far had only been beneficial. This simple thought warmed his heart and filled him with euphoria.
"Bro, I need to confess something."
"Hmm?"
Bokuto put on a comically guilty expression, dramatically emphasizing his declaration:
"I love commenting on movies... I know I shouldn't, but there you have it..."
Kuroo chuckled.
"Don't laugh. It's just the sad truth..."
"Bo, I need to confess something too..."
"Yes?"
"I also love commenting on movies."
Bokuto grabbed his hands and looked at him with tearful intensity.
"Really?"
Kuroo continued to play along, not holding back on the drama:
"Yes, it would be lying to say otherwise."
"Oh! Kuroo-san!" he replied, his voice trembling.
They burst into laughter and were once again reprimanded.
Nevertheless, they didn't stop and continued their absurdity in hushed voices, stifling idiotic laughter.
Soon the lights dimmed, and they fell silent. The silence lasted only a short while, and they warmed up by commenting on all the commercials. They regained their composure when the screen turned black again and the movie began. Their "seriousness" didn't last long either. In their defense, the content presented was ripe for mockery, and they didn't hold back. However, Kuroo eventually became more or less absorbed in the movie and fell silent at the first attack of zombie sharks.
After about half an hour, Bokuto stretched and rested his arm on Kuroo's shoulder. Kuroo chuckled discreetly. Bokuto questioned him with a glance.
“Very smooth." he murmured.
Kuroo raised an eyebrow, "I'm doing my best! Besides, you're taller than me, I'm not used to it."
"We're sitting down, I don't see what's so complicated about it."
Bokuto pouted and withdrew his arm. He sank into his seat, sulking. He brightened up when he heard Kuroo's laughter.
About ten minutes later, as the part-dog part-dolphin bionic soldiers were in the midst of military training, Kuroo saw Bokuto sinking into his seat, sliding until his head reached the middle of the backrest, redistributing his weight so that the seat began to tilt back.
"What are you doing?"
Bokuto mumbled an inaudible response.
"What?"
Same mumbling. Kuroo leaned in to try to hear him. Then, Bokuto grabbed him by the collar of his t-shirt and pulled him towards him. He stopped a few inches from his face. His attacker smirked, victorious. Kuroo also smiled. His assailant's features softened, and he did nothing, giving his victim a chance to escape. But it was too late. Kuroo closed his eyes, and he bridged the distance between them.
Kuroo felt his heart swell, growing larger and larger until it became gigantic, until it beat against his ribcage like a taut drum, sending bursts of blood so violently throughout his body that he immediately felt feverish. So violently that his head began to spin.
All the nerves in his body went haywire, his energy-overloaded neurons began to form electric arcs, until the entire system short-circuited at once, sending hundreds of lightning bolts crackling through his body.
He felt Bokuto's smile against his lips before he too succumbed to the kiss. They succumbed indeed very quickly, and what could have been a chaste kiss took a completely different turn after a few seconds. They separated for a fraction of a second to catch their breath and found each other again. Bokuto had run his hands through his hair, keeping him close, and Kuroo, in a rather uncertain balance, held onto the armrest of the seat and Bokuto's thigh. The brunet was shaken by a new electric shock when he heard him start to purr, at such a low frequency that the sound, almost inaudible, resonated in his chest. They split up abruptly when they heard a throat clearing near them. As they looked up, they realized that the salaryman, visibly annoyed, had brought a cinema employee with him. The employee himself didn't seem too phased by the situation, just looking at them with a bored expression. The individual next to him, seething with rage, pointed to the door. They hastily gathered their things, bowed to apologize, and left the theater. They didn't say anything until they were outside. They exchanged a look, somewhat embarrassed, and finally burst out laughing.
"Damn, I hope they don't ban you, especially if you're a regular."
"Eh, no, given how unphased was the employee, I think he's used to it."
"Okay but," Kuroo pointed at them in turn.
"With the astronomical number of LGBTQIA+ movies they show, I don't think that's really the issue here."
The brunet smirked.
"We're idiots, aren't we? And we'll never know how it ends."
"Well, we'll watch it online." he locked eyes with him, "I regret nothing, much better than zombie sharks."
"I agree."
They didn't break eye contact, foolishly excited.
"So, what are we doing now?" the brunet asked.
Bokuto flashed a smile.
"There's a thrift store nearby, we can have another contest for the ugliest outfit."
Kuroo laughed, "Seriously! And you won’t end up buying the ugliest shit again? Like your duck’s socks last time."
"Oh yeah… I gave them to Kenma.”
"You gave him the socks?"
"Yeah, he loves them."
The brunet chuckled.
The set course for the thrift shop.
"I can't believe it... Now that I think about it, I think I've seen him wearing them before!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, I think so."
He laughed.
"Seriously, I don't know how you didn't figure it out earlier," Bokuto said.
"Figure out what?"
"That the three of us were connected."
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
"How was I supposed to know?"
"I don't know, Kenma often picks us up, and he’s always borrowing our clothes. I see Keiji on campus at least once a day.”
“Maybe, but you guys were private about that kind of stuff, how would I know ?"
"Okay, maybe. But, you know, it’s not something common, even more so among non-pack betas. We don't openly talk about it. And I wasn’t that secretive, look how it turned out !”
"Hmm," the brunet conceded. "But what about you guys, how did you not connect the dots? I'm alone, there are three of you!"
Bokuto chuckled.
"I know, it's stupid. But Kenma calls you Jiji, I just call you 'my Bro,' and... and Akaashi didn't call you anything."
"Yeah, so I’m not the clueless one here! Plus, don't you guys have a better sense of smell than me? Or some VNO thing?"
"What's that got to do with it?"
"I don't know, recognizing my scent, something like that?"
Bokuto thought for a moment.
"I think I've smelled your scent on Kenma's sweater before... But I just thought I was crazy. And we're all on suppressants... And, dude, let's be clear about something, your scent his pretty messy!"
"How so?" Kuroo exclaimed, offended.
"Bro, no judgment, but you constantly smell like alphas. At first, I thought it was your boyfriend, but there are fifteen different scents!"
Kuroo blushed, he brought his T-shirt to his nose: he could only smell his own smell.
"I just thought you had a tumultuous life."
"They're my friends! It's not my fault if they stick to me! Or if I stick to them, whatever."
Bokuto smiled.
"I know, it's just disorienting at first."
"Sorry..."
"Don't apologize, it's not your fault you got adopted by a pack of unmated alphas."
"What do you mean? They're all mated!"
Bokuto seemed genuinely surprised.
"Oh really? Well, it doesn't seem like it!"
Kuroo didn't know what to say, and before he could respond, Bokuto stopped them in front of a store.
"So, ready to bust out your ugliest outfit?"
"You're going down!"
They chuckled like kids and went inside.
They set the rules of the game: five minutes to find an outfit, then try it on. Unfortunately, the store employee quickly caught on to what they were doing and asked them to leave. Undeterred, they immediately changed stores. Rinse and repeat.
When they entered the fourth shop, they immediately made a disclaimer to avoid being thrown out. The person behind the counter, who seemed to have started playing their game before they arrived, gave them a big smile and invited them inside. The place was fantastic and filled with old-fashioned patterns, forgotten fashion artifacts, and stylistic oddities. They had a blast; with each try-on, they giggled like kids and took loads of photos. Gradually, Kuroo managed to find some interesting pieces: an old T-shirt from a long-forgotten rock band and a hakama, probably from a Kyodo outfit. He took them under his arm to try on discreetly and also grabbed a ruffled shirt and floral flare-legged pants. As he was trying on the first outfit sneakily (he didn't want to be disqualified for breaking the rules), he heard Bokuto complaining in the cabin next to his.
"Bo, you’re okay?"
Silence.
"I'm stuck."
"Do you want some help?"
Silence. Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
"Bo?"
"Yes..."
Kuroo stepped out of the cabin.
"I'm coming in," he announced before joining Bokuto inside.
Much to his surprise, he found Bokuto struggling with a large, faded floral dress with big balloon sleeves and lace frills around the collar. Kuroo stopped, deeply surprised that a garment so hideous-looking dared to fit him somewhat nicely. He couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's disheartened expression.
"Don't laugh! I got the zipper stuck and I'm suffocating in it!" he eyed Kuroo "Hey! Your outfit actually looks good!"
"I was just trying it on to see! And you’re the one to talk! How do you manage to wear something like that and make it look good!"
Bokuto looked deeply puzzled.
"How can it possibly look good on me!"
"I don't know, it accentuates your waist and shoulders, it's rather flattering."
"Pfft, come on, help me !"
He signaled him to turn around and set about trying to unblock the zipper, with no avail.
"Okay, I'm going to have to pull it up to pull it down again..."
"But I can't, I'll die!"
"Suck in your stomach and hold your breath!"
Bokuto complied. Kuroo managed to pull up the zipper; it got stuck again, and with a bit of force, it went up almost to the top. The sudden compression surprised Bokuto, who couldn't hold his breath anymore and tensed his muscles. The dress couldn't handle the strain and tore completely in the back.
The silence stretched between them.
"Shit..." they muttered in unison.
"Is it bad?" Bokuto asked.
He turned to the mirror before his accomplice could answer.
"Oh, damn yeah... What do we do?"
"... Take it off and put it back like nothing happened?"
"We can't do that! The cashier looks way too nice!"
"You're right...Someone that can pull off that yellow eyeshadow can only be a wonderful person.”
"Yeah!”
Bokuto chuckled.
"I'm not sure I can give this to Kenma..."
"We'll just have to throw a costume party..."
"Hmm..."
"At least it’s cheap."
"Thankfully!"
"And you can take it off now."
Bokuto nodded. They burst into laughter once again and separated to get dressed. He joined his accomplice at the cabin exit.
"I'm kind of embarrassed..."
"Don't be! Come on!"
"Are you taking your outfit too? It looked good on you."
"Hmm, I don't know..."
"Please, I'll buy it for you! Don't make me go to the cashier alone!"
Kuroo chuckled.
"Okay, but I'll pay for it then."
"Even better."
They headed towards the entrance, and the person behind the counter greeted them with a big smile as they approached. Kuroo was the first to go to the checkout, giving Bokuto a moment of respite. Once done, he finally had to place his dress on the counter.
"Oh! Very good choice!" they announced.
"Thank you," Bokuto replied, visibly embarrassed.
Kuroo had to restrain himself from bursting into laughter.
"Oh, I see the zipper is broken, that's too bad. I'll give you a discount in that case."
Before Bokuto could confess his crime, he found himself with his dress nicely wrapped in a small paper bag. They exited, and Kuroo finally burst into laughter.
"Stop! It’s not funny!"
"I think we need to stop playing this game, it always ends badly..."
Bokuto sighed. He took out his phone and after a quick glance announced:
"Shit, I didn't realize the time. We need to get going."
"Why? Are we in a rush?"
"Not me, but you have a date," he said, wiggling his infernal eyebrows.
"Oh... yeah."
They walked up the street and stopped.
"Keiji's picking me up."
"You're leaving me all alone?!"
"Yep! But don't worry, you won't be alone for long."
"Oh..."
"Give me your phone."
Silence.
Bokuto raised an eyebrow, Kuroo did the same.
"Well ?"
"Well, I don't have a phone, you know that!"
"Oh damn, right... Well, wait, I'll give you mine."
He placed it in front of him to show him the unlock pattern and handed it over. Bokuto had marked a GPS location and started the navigation. It would only take him a few minutes to walk to this mysterious destination. Before he could even make any requests, Bokuto spoke again.
"He's here."
A car parked in front of them, and he recognized Akaashi at the wheel. He smiled at him and they greeted each other.
"Ah! Can you take my bag please?"
"Uh, okay..."
“See you later!"
Bokuto kissed him on the cheek and left immediately. He gave him one last "have fun!" and closed the passenger door. The car started again, and he found himself alone. He looked for a long moment in the direction the vehicle had taken and stood there, in the middle of the sidewalk. He took a deep breath, and set off, his heart starting to beat wildly again.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Next chapter: Butterfly farm 3:
It was a small figurine of Kiki riding her broomstick, Jiji the black cat nestled in her bag. He picked up the figurine and spun it between his fingers.
“You still have that thing?!”, he said as he heard Kenma returning to the room.
“Hm?”
Kuroo turned to show him what he had in his hands. Kenma smiled:
“Of course.”
"Oh, you care about me!”
“Of course, idiot, otherwise you wouldn't be here.”
Chapter 23: Butterfly farm 3
Summary:
It was a small figurine of Kiki riding her broomstick, Jiji the black cat nestled in her bag. He picked up the figurine and spun it between his fingers.
“You still have that thing?!”, he said as he heard Kenma returning to the room.
“Hm?”
Kuroo turned to show him what he had in his hands. Kenma smiled:
“Of course.”
"Oh, you care about me!”
“Of course, idiot, otherwise you wouldn't be here.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Kuroo wasn't great with GPS. He usually turned at the wrong intersection or continued on his way for far too long, never considering turning back and trying again. He just continued on his merry way until he found himself utterly lost. So he preferred to wait for the GPS to recalculate its route rather than backtrack, which usually dramatically increased his travel time. And that's exactly what he did, once again.
After a few minutes standing on the sidewalk, Kuroo glanced down at Bokuto’s phone and started walking. Of course, he interpreted the GPS route as if it were a piece of classic literature open to interpretation. As a result, his travel time quickly went from five to fifteen minutes. Being in the middle of a residential area didn't help either. He vaguely looked at the houses around, with children's bikes abandoned in front of expensive cars. Great! He had gotten lost in an upscale neighborhood!
When he looked down again, the screen had gone black. Kuroo pressed the buttons on the side and eventually managed to bring up the home screen. He swiped his finger across the screen. He recreated the pattern he had seen Bokuto draw to unlock the screen. "Incorrect pattern" the device announced. Kuroo frowned and repeated the drawing. "Incorrect pattern. Attempts remaining: 2." Kuroo inhaled, was his memory playing tricks on him? Yet he clearly saw Bokuto draw the pattern before his eyes. Confident, he tried again. Still wrong. Attempts remaining: 1. Well, he needed to act wisely, one misstep and he would be lost in a residential neighborhood without any means of communication.
He sighed. Perhaps he had missed a point while drawing the pattern? Yes, that must be it! As he prepared to redraw the unlock pattern, he almost dropped the phone. He caught it just in time.
Unfortunately for him, his fingers swept across the screen, forming a random pattern. "Incorrect pattern. Device locked." Damn it!
Kuroo lifted his eyes. He looked around like a shipwrecked sailor lost at sea. He remembered the time he lost his parents at the summer festival when he was a child, a dark day in his existence... He had cried in a corner and completely missed the fireworks. His parents had eventually found him, and they told him that if he ever got lost again, he should go back to the last place he remembered. A wise advice. He sighed and decided to turn back, trying to make his way back to the street where Bokuto left him. Easier said than done, all the houses looked more or less the same, and dozens of junctions presented themselves to him. He tried to keep calm, but the more he progressed, the more he felt tears welling up in his eyes. He was four years old again, lost in a supermarket aisle, and the sensation wasn't exactly pleasant.
He eventually recognized a corner, and a smile of relief escaped him, certain he was on the right track. He reached the adjacent street, which bore no resemblance to the one he had left earlier. He threw up his arms in the air, he was definitely lost... Great! What a stupid idea to leave him like this! He didn't have the...
"Ji!"
His heart somersaulted upon recognizing the voice. He turned, his heart filled with hope. It was with immense joy that he saw Kenma a few steps away from him!
"Kenma!"
He hurried in his direction and embraced him tightly once within reach. The blond chuckled, returning his embrace.
"What are you doing here?"
Kuroo finally let go of him.
"I got lost."
"Don't you have GPS?"
He held up the phone in front of his eyes:
"I locked down Bokuto's phone..."
Kenma looked at him, incredulous, before bursting into laughter.
"I should have known!"
"Yes! That was a bad idea! Never to that again!”
"Okay, okay! Come on, Romeo."
Kenma set off, and he followed suit. They remained silent. Kuroo didn't mind, he was used to their silence, Kenma wasn't a big fan of small talk, and it didn't bother him much.
"How was your day?" the blond eventually asked.
Kuroo nodded yes, blushing slightly. Kenma smirked.
"Did you guys go shopping?" the blond asked, indicating the bag Kuroo was carrying.
He laughed:
"Yeah, look what Bokuto found, it’s marvelous!" he said, holding out the bag.
"God, what again…"
He opened the bag and stopped. He eventually let out a slight laugh.
"It actually suits him quite well, but well, I think some adjustments will be needed," Kuroo said, pointing out the tears in the flower dress.
"You can't imagine how many times this kind of thing happens to him..."
"He must have an interesting wardrobe."
"Yes... I swear he's going to wear that dress," a smirk almost demoniac formed on the blond's lips.
Kuroo laughed, and they resumed walking, Kenma telling him about all the stylistic monstrosities that lived in his mate's wardrobe.
"We’re here," Kenma finally announced.
Kuroo lifted his eyes. They had just stopped in front of a house with modern style, consisting of three cubic-shaped floors, the last of which was admittedly smaller than the others, but still three floors nonetheless. On the side of the second floor, Kuroo saw a large bay window, and a small garden extended behind a wooden fence. Kuroo was speechless.
“Wow... Is this your place?”
“Ours.”
“Wow... The rent must be astronomical... Well, I guess that if you split the rent three way it’s fine…”
“We don't pay rent.”
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
“I bought it.”
The brunet blinked several times.
“You bought it? The whole house?”
Kenma nodded, a tad proudly.
“Well, technically Keiji is the owner since I can't be a landowner, but it's mine. Shall we?”
Kuroo, unable to speak now, nodded and followed him.
“I didn't think playing video games online could earn so much...”
Kenma raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, it's not bad. But the money doesn't come from there...”
“Then from where?”
“I developed a data encryption program that I sold last year. And two, three other things for big companies too.”
Kuroo stopped.
“You can do that?”
Kenma smiled.
“Yes.”
“Wow. I didn’t know you studied that kind of thing. Like… coding, I don’t know.”
“Hmm, I did one year after high school… Drop out when I realized I could manage on my own.”
“ Wow, okay.”
This man would never cease to impress him.
Kenma unlocked the front door and stepped inside. Kuroo followed him. The place was rather dark, and unappealing; he was almost disappointed. Kenma must have noticed because he added:
“This is just the garage and the laundry room.”
He bent down to take off his shoes at the bottom of the stairs. Kuroo did the same and followed him upstairs. Kenma opened the door and they stepped inside. This time, Kuroo was far from disappointed. The place opened up to a charming living room, the light from the bay windows infiltrating everywhere, revealing the space in a warm clarity. On his left was a lounge area, separated by a bar from a fully equipped kitchen. A wood table was set in a dining area on his right. The place was tastefully decorated, filled with colors, various decorative objects, and plants. Kuroo let out a smile, delighted.
“Nice!”
“Kōtarō took care of the decorations.”
“Really?”
“He doesn’t know how to dress, but he has taste. Surprising, I know.”
Kuroo chuckled. He walked into the room. At the end, on the side of the kitchen, he discovered a long hallway, where he counted five doors.
“Damn it! It’s huge! Do you have, like, three game rooms and an indoor pool?” he joked.
“No... But we have four bedrooms.”
“Four?”
“We wanted a place where we could have our own space without tripping over each other.”
“Well, you've succeeded. But why four?”
“One for each of us... The fourth one was originally a guest room.”
“Originally?”
“It became a shared room, Kōtarō and Keiji stay there most of the time... And the additional bathroom is convenient when we have to leave at the same time in the morning.”
“You have two bathrooms?!”
“Yes, well, one bathroom and one shower room.”
That was impressive nonetheless. He barely had a shower room in his pitiful and ugly apartment!
Kenma gave him a quick tour of the place. Upstairs, under the roof, was a small room cluttered with a myriad of incongruous and mismatched objects: easels stood beside tangled balls of wool; a pair of roller derby skates shared space with an old single-string guitar and a unicycle skateboard. Apparently, Bokuto had many hobbies that never really took off. He claimed earlier that day to have countless hidden talents, but Kuroo hadn’t expected those to include potential roller derby skills. The room, however, looked like it hadn’t been used in a long time, though Kuroo didn’t comment on it.
Downstairs, on the left, was Akaashi’s room—small, simply furnished with a bed and a desk cluttered with stacks of books. The bathroom, in contrast, was breathtaking, with a stunning corner bathtub that made Kuroo feel like he’d stepped into a five-star hotel suite. The master bedroom was equally luxurious and clearly much more lived-in than the others. Kuroo was particularly struck by the gargantuan dimensions of the bed. Where on earth were they finding sheets to fit that kind of mattress?!
They finally arrived at the last door.
“And this is my room.”
He opened the door. Kuroo expected to find a geek's den, where wires ran in all directions and the ceiling was covered with screens, but he was surprised to discover a cozy and well-organized space.
“Oh...”
Kenma raised an eyebrow.
“No, it's cool... I love the mushroom-shaped lamp...”
“Hmm?”
“I just expected something more… gamer-like, you know ? A futuristic setup and all”
The blond smirked.
“My office is next door,” he pointed to a door at the back of the room.
Silence.
“Do you want to see?”
Kuroo nodded and stood in front of the door. Kenma followed him and opened it.
Kuroo let out a sigh of amazement. The place was much more futuristic and mystical than he could have imagined. The west wall of the room was almost completely covered with acoustic panels. Across from it, behind a chair whose price must have already exceeded that of two months' rent, stretched three curved screens. In front of them, a keyboard with sleek curves blinked in all colors. he desk itself was cluttered with control panels and a microphone that looked as if it had been plucked straight from an international space station -surely capable of communicating with the neighboring solar system. Three monitors were hanging on the wall, forming a near-panoramic display. Two towers, the hearts of this electronic ecosystem, were installed on each side of the desk, the entrails of these beasts visible on the side and shining with a bluish light.
“That’s crazy!”
Kuroo was 13 again and he loved it.
“Why are there two towers?”
“One for gaming, one for streaming.”
“They must be beasts!”
“Hm, yeah. It cost me the same price as my first car, but they're reliable.”
“Wow.”
Kenma unexpectedly started talking again, meticulously describing every component of his setup. Kuroo had rarely heard him speak so much, and even though he didn’t understand a word of it, he let him continue. Kenma’s usual nonchalance melted away, replaced by an expression lit up with passion. Kuroo smiled, genuinely touched to see him like this. Eventually, Kenma noticed.
“You didn’t understand a thing, did you?”
“Nope.”
Kenma smiled and finally said:
“Come on.”
Reluctantly, Kuroo left the wonders' den.
“Oh, wait, I'll be right back.”
Kenma went back into the office, tackling a nebulous task. Kuroo detached himself from him and walked into the room.
Being in this house felt anticlimactic. On the one hand, he had this nagging feeling of discomfort, not yet knowing how to move around in the space, not really able to make it his own. On the other hand, it was somewhat familiar. He remembered the days of their childhood when they spent their weekends at each other's places. He smiled to himself and walked across the room, noting every detail composing the space. He chuckled to himself. Despite his punk, grunge style, the room was decorated like some kind of fairy den populated with pastel-colored garlands.
He stopped at the desk, adorned with mnemonic artifacts that he scanned with his eyes without understanding the memories attached to them. Until he came across an object he knew, which brought forth cherished memories within him. It was a small figurine of Kiki riding her broomstick, Jiji the black cat nestled in her bag. He picked up the figurine and spun it between his fingers.
“You still have that thing?!”, he said as he heard Kenma returning to the room.
“Hm?”
Kuroo turned to show him what he had in his hands. Seeing the object, Kenma smiled:
“Of course.”
"Oh, you care about me!”
“Of course, idiot, otherwise you wouldn't be here.”
“Well,ok, but still!”
Kenma rolled his eyes, but Kuroo had no trouble seeing his cheeks starting to blush.
“I had saved up a lot of pocket money for...”
He stopped, Kenma had approached his bed and was currently trying to crawl underneath. Intrigued, Kuroo approached. The blond finally pulled out a shoebox and placed it on the bed.
“What's this?”
Kenma didn't answer, he just sat down on the bed and invited him to do the same. Once done, he handed him the box.
“Open it.”
Kuroo complied. He smiled as he discovered its contents. It was a true time capsule, brimming with drawings they made as children, painted rocks, and photographs. Kuroo picked up the first one: it was a picture of them as children posing in front of a Christmas tree, both dressed in hideous sweaters.
“Oh, I remember that year... Look at your grumpy face”
Kenma picked up the photo:
“I’m not grumpy! I'm super happy here!”
Kuroo just laughed, not a hint of bliss was visible on the child's face.
“Don't laugh, it's true!”
“I believe you!”
“Yeah, right...It was the Christmas I got my Nintendo DS.”
“Oh! Yes! I remember because I snuck out that night to come play!”
“Ha, yeah, and you crashed to the ground when you tried to leave.”
“Oh yeah... I limped for days, my parents kept asking me if I had problems at school.”
They burst into laughter.
They continued to travel through their memories through the small relics kept in the box. The minutes passed without them feeling them: they had entered a parallel dimension where time almost ceased to exist.
“I still can't believe you kept playing volleyball after that.”
“Hm, to be honest, I thought about quitting when I started high school.”
“Why?!” protested Kuroo.
“I wanted to quit earlier, but my parents wouldn't let me. I had devised a plan to quit when I entered high school.”
“Really?”
“Hm, pretty easy, I just had to tell them the team was full of terrifying alphas and that I preferred to do something else.”
“How could they have believed that, you're scarier than any alpha I know.”
“True, but my parents didn't seem to think so.”
“And so? Your plan didn't work out?”
“I didn't have to put it into action.”
“Oh, why?”
Kenma grimaced, a twisted smile spread across his lips. Kuroo could almost guess the teenager he had been at that time from his features.
“What?”
“It's pretty dumb now that I think about it, it's so stereotypical...”
“Pff, why?”
“Because, I kept playing because...”
He cleared his throat.
“Because there was a guy in my class who I had a huge crush on who was part of the volleyball club.”
“Oh?”
Kuroo raised his eyebrows to tease the blond. Kenma rolled his eyes, pretending to be exasperated, but eventually let out a smile.
“So, this guy played in the volleyball team?”
“Yep... So I signed up, only to find out that the guy already had a boyfriend, and I couldn’t stand that guy. Plus, he was also on the team, so I had to put up with him every week.
“Oh... So then you met Akaashi and Bokuto and forgot about your crush?”
“No.”
Kuroo frowned.
“But... Akaashi told me you met at the beginning of high school... Oh! He was your crush!”
“Yep.”
Kuroo chuckled.
“You couldn’t stand Bokuto?”
“No, really couldn’t.”
Kuroo burst out laughing:
“Damn, poor guy! Akaashi told me he couldn’t stand him at first either.”
“Well, to be fair, he was a pain in the ass! He wouldn’t stop screaming all the time, and he’d make scenes during the games. But, I still hung out a lot with Keiji, so with Kōtarō by extension. And...”
“And?”
The blond turned his eyes towards the ceiling, and a tender smile spread across his lips.
“And I fell in love.”
“Ow, cute!”
“Shut up, and no, it wasn’t cute! You don’t know what it's like to have feelings for two people that...”
Kuroo cleared his throat. Kenma turned his gaze in his direction and saw him raise an eyebrow.
“Really, I don’t know?”
The remark amused Kenma:
“Okay, okay, but I already knew they were together.”
“Yeah, me too, remember the ambush?”
“Okay, okay! But I was young, and... And that's also how I realized I like boys and... Well not really but I had avoided the question long enough to forget it, anyway, it was a mess.”
“ Well, I guess it didn't end too badly for you.”
“No...”
“What happened?”
Kenma sighed:
“One day they took me aside. They ambushed me in a corridor.”
“How romantic.”
“Ah, yeah. I was afraid they had figured it out and they had come to settle the score with me.”
“That's not really like them...”
“It was the only hypothesis I had but actually...”
“Hm?”
“Well, they confessed their feelings for me.”
“And you just left.”
Kenma seemed surprised:
“How do you know?”
“You told me.”
“Oh... right. Anyway, I tried to… avoid them. Which wasn’t easy because I was seeing them every day.”
“Hm... So how did it end?”
“They courted me for six months and... I ended up giving in. And... here we are today.”
“Six months!”
“Hm.”
“You're hard-core!”
Kenma let out a smile but didn't add anything.
The silence stretched between them. Kuroo felt that the blond wanted to tell him something. Maybe he did too, but no clear thoughts could form in his head anymore. The atmosphere had changed, and the brunet didn't know how to handle it.
“Do you want to play Mario Kart?” Kenma eventually asked.
“ Are you asking me if I want to play Mario with a pro gamer who's going to kick my butt?”
“I'm not a pro at Mario Kart.”
“I doubt that.”
“So? What do you say?”
Kuroo thought about it. Ultimately, it wouldn't change much. Even as a child, Kenma was much better than him, but that hadn't stopped him from playing. Plus, he had had the chance to practice with Chris, maybe he stood a chance after all?
“Okay!”
They left Kenma’s room and settled in the living room to start the game. As expected, Kuroo was thoroughly crushed. But that didn’t dampen his spirit! The task was daunting, but he knew he had a chance—however slim it might be. After about ten rounds, Kenma suggested switching to a different game, but Kuroo refused: his honor was at stake!
Determined, he chose the next track—the one he knew by heart, with every turn etched into his memory. With dramatic intensity, he threw himself into the race. It was challenging and fraught with obstacles, but in the end, he finally emerged victorious. As he crossed the finish line, he shouted in triumph, feeling the thrill of victory wash over him.
After an impromptu victory dance, he turned to gloat to his opponent, only to see Kenma watching him with a faint, knowing smile. Kenma didn’t look the least bit bothered—in fact, he seemed almost... satisfied..
“You let me win, didn't you?”
“No, not at all.”
“Come on, no!” complained the brunet before sprawling on the couch to sulk.
“I had to give you a chance.”
“I don't want your pity!” he retorted dramatically.
Kenma chuckled and Kuroo threw a pillow at his face. The blond didn't back down and returned the favor. Their squabbling continued until Kuroo took an elbow to the eye. His battle wound didn't seem to affect the blond much, who just chuckled.
“You hurt me!”
“Sorry.”
“You don't look sorry.”
“Yeah, I’m not. I don’t care.”
Kuroo burst out laughing.
“You're still mad at me and taking revenge!”
“Why would I be mad at you?”
“I don't know, Bo told me you were pissed.”
“I wasn't pissed.”
“Hmm? Really?”
He sighed.
“It's just that, at the time, realizing suddenly that you've been cozying up with my mates for months, it kinda... bothered me.”
“Bothered you?”
“I didn't know if you were just doing it for fun, or if you were sincere.”
“Hmm...”
The information still felt strange in his brain, but he was getting used to it little by little.
“Then I remembered it was you.”
“And?”
“And, I couldn't see how you couldn't be sincere.”
Kuroo smiled at him.
“Akaashi told me you were mad at him too.”
“Hm...”
“Are you still mad?”
“No.”
They smiled at each other.
“I was angry and hurt that he didn't talk to me about it earlier. Kōtarō, I get it, knowing him it must have hit him out of nowhere without him realizing it before, but Keiji... He clearly knew what was going on, and he didn't say anything.”
“He probably thought I wouldn't understand, I guess. So... no need... I suppose.”
Kenma rolled his eyes.
“Bullshit, he’s just a stubborn alpha, keeping everything to himself because he thinks it's up to him to handle everything.”
“Does that annoy you?”
“Yeah... But well, in the end, I guess I'm lucky.”
“Lucky?”
“Lucky turned out like this... That you're here.”
Kuroo smiled, feeling his heart start to flutter in his chest. His palpitations worsened when Kenma left his spot to come lie down on him. He crossed his arms over his chest and rested his head on it, never letting go of his gaze. He felt the echoes of his heartbeats resonate in his ribcage, joining the rhythm of his own.
“Tetsu?”
He shivered. It had been years since he had called him that. Feeling that his voice would falter if he answered aloud, he simply nodded.
“Do we have to chase after you for six months for you to accept us?”
His heart was now beating so hard that the resonance was almost deafening.
“I wouldn't last that long, I don't have your stamina.”
They smiled at each other.
“Um,” Kuroo averted his gaze, “maybe you’ll have to go easy on me... I’m still pretty lost, and... well, yeah...”
“Okay, I understand. So...?”
“So...?”
“Is that a yes?”
Kuroo blushed furiously and tried to hide his face behind the couch cushion.
“I don't know if I have much of a choice, I've already kissed the other two before. Do you think I can go with all the bachelorettes?”
Kenma didn't answer. Worried about his reaction, Kuroo turned to meet his gaze. Unexpectedly, Kenma was looking at him, a hint of mischief in his eyes.
“What's with that face?”
“You haven't kissed all the bachelorettes.”
Kuroo felt his heart swell, swell, until it became gigantic, until it pounded against his rib cage like a taut drum, sending spurts of blood so violently throughout his body that he immediately felt feverish. So violently that his head began to spin.
“Hmm, yeah, but I think we can fix that.”
Kenma smiled at him, and he straightened up to get closer to him. Kuroo met him halfway, and their lips met.
It's boiling in his head, and his organs are bubbling. It sparkles and jingles, it loops, it spins, it rises like a huge wave and overturns everything in its path.
They split up, and he opened his eyes again.
“It feels weird.”
“What is?”
“That it's you.”
Kenma raised an eyebrow.
“How so?”
“Well, I mean... you're my childhood mega crush and... my best friend... it's a bit weird.”
“It feels weird for me too.”
“Hmm, I think we should try again, just to make sure.”
Kenma chuckled and leaned in again.
“So?” the blond asked after their kiss.
“So I think I could open a butterfly farm with all the ones growing in my stomach.”
“They...grow?”
“Yes, well, you get it...”
“No Ji, I want to know if you think butterflies grow on trees.”
“Well obviously they do!”
Kenma rolled his eyes. He finally smiled at him and lay back on his chest again.
“So is that a yes?”
“Yes.”
“Nice.”
“Nice, is that it?”
“What do you want?”
“Another kiss.”
“Hmm... Hold on, the goofballs are here. They've been waiting downstairs for ten minutes.”
“When did you take out your phone?”
“I didn't take out my phone.”
What?
“I still can't believe you call them goofballs.”
“It's Konoha who calls them that.”
“You're friends with Konoha-san?”
“Yeah, he's cool. And he's the only other Sô-kita I know, so…”
“Hmm... Well, he terrifies me.”
“Not surprise, he can be pretty frightening, that’s why I like him I guess...”
Just as Kuroo was about to speak again, he heard footsteps running up the stairs. Bokuto swung the door open. As he was probably about to yell something, he reconsidered upon seeing them.
“Oh, am I interrupting something?”
“No,” Kenma said.
“Perfect!”
He dropped his things on the floor and rushed to the couch. He crouched down in front of it, resting his head on the edge to face Kuroo.
“So?”
“Hmm?”
“Do we have a boyfriend?”
Kuroo smiled. He looked up and met Akaashi's eyes. Then he turned his gaze to Kenma, and then to Bokuto. He had no more doubts in his heart.
“Yes.”
Bokuto let out a joyful babble and threw himself into his arms. Luckily, Kenma moved back quickly enough to avoid the collision. Kuroo laughed out of pure euphoria.
He did not really know what he was doing or where it would lead him. But he knew, deep within his core, that he had made the right choice.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Kuroo officially went from 0 to 3 boyfriends. Please cheer for him!
We just finished the first arc of this story; hope you liked it! There is... a lot more to come! It’s just the beginning, hence the next chapter: “The Beginning of a New Story.”
“Bro, since we’re on this...”
Kuroo turned his head to face him.
“Just... are you okay?”
The brunet frowned.
“Yes, why?”
“I don't know, just checking. It's a big change. I've never really thought about it because it's what I've always known, but for you, I don't know...”
“No, I'm fine. I'm... happy.”
Bokuto smiled at him.
“I was just scared.”
“Of what?”
“I don't know... the unknown?”
“Are you still scared?”
Tetsurō shrugged. He could feel Bokuto's gaze on him; his own was still turned toward the horizon.
“A little, yes... but it's not the same. And,” he turned his gaze, catching his boyfriend's, “I want this.”
Chapter 24: The beginning of a new story
Summary:
“Bro, since we’re on this...”
Kuroo turned his head to face him.
“Just... are you okay?”
The brunet frowned.
“Yes, why?”
“I don't know, just checking. It's a big change. I've never really thought about it because it's what I've always known, but for you, I don't know...”
“No, I'm fine. I'm... happy.”
Bokuto smiled at him.
“I was just scared.”
“Of what?”
“I don't know... the unknown?”
“Are you still scared?”
Tetsurō shrugged. He could feel Bokuto's gaze on him; his own was still turned toward the horizon.
“A little, yes... but it's not the same. And,” he turned his gaze, catching his boyfriend's, “I want this.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
If his life were a movie, it would surely have ended here. If Hollywood were to tell his story, they would have added fireworks, or a kiss in a fountain. Kisses in a fountain? Anyway, his life wasn't a movie, and his story didn't end there.
Kuroo opened his eyes and didn't instantly recognize where he was. The sun had risen and the room was bathed in morning light. He smiled, he was at Kenma's place. Well, Kenma, Bokuto and Akaashi’s place. His boyfriends. He smiled, foolishly flustered by the thought. He hadn’t gone back home in the end. They'd talked for hours, without really brushing anything deep, just gradually unfolding everything that had happened to make these memories their own. Then they'd ordered food and watched a rerun of Pacific Rim on TV and... and then he couldn't remember. So he must have fallen asleep before the movie was over. He turned his head and smiled: Bokuto had fallen asleep beside him. When he looked up, he saw that Akaashi was there too, asleep in an armchair beside the sofa. He listened to their breathing. He closed his eyes. He felt weird, like he was no longer really in touch with reality, and yet somehow deeply anchored in it.
He heard a noise behind him and decided to get off the sofa to see what was going on. He found Kenma in the kitchen, boiling water.
“Hello," he whispered.
“Hello," replied the blond.
They stood there, facing each other, saying nothing, just smiling at each other.
“What time is it?" Kuroo finally asked.
“Six in the morning.”
He pouted; he wasn't a big fan of waking up so early in the morning.
“What are you doing up so early?”
“Late, I haven’t slept yet. I was going to make myself a tea before heading to bed.”
Kuroo frowned.
“I was streaming," Kenma clarified.
“That late?”
The blond simply nodded.
“There is always someone awake somewhere. Coffee?”
“Oh yeah, thanks.”
“Is instant okay? I don't want to make too much noise with the machine.”
“Perfect.”
They moved to the dining room and sat at the table. They remained silent, only their eyes were conversing. Without knowing who initiated it, their hands found each other. Fingers laced and unlaced, intertwining in a playful dance as if learning to communicate in a brand new language. They only pulled away when a noise broke the silence. Bokuto was up, eyes still heavy with sleep.
He approached Kuroo, and with tender ease, ran his fingers through his hair, before planting a kiss on top of his head. Then, he moved to Kenma, standing in front of him, and gently lifted his chin. The blond met his gaze and leaned in, letting him close the distance. Kuroo smiled softly. He remembered that when he was younger, drained by countless disastrous love stories and rotten dates with strangers he’d met online, he’d often wished he could skip the oh-so-awkward early stages of a relationship and magically find himself in an established relationship. He never imagined that his wish would be granted so literally.
“You stink," teased Kenma.
“Never," retorted Bokuto.
He headed back towards the kitchen and returned with a mug. Just as the conversation was about to pick up again, Akaashi appeared. He stood in front of them, staring blankly. Kuroo wondered if he was really awake.
“Hello, light of my life," Kenma mockingly greeted him.
Akaashi didn't reply. He just narrowed his eyes and let out a long growl. Without a word, he disappeared into the corridor. His two mates chuckled, obviously used to this kind of odd behavior.
“Is he all right?” Kuroo asked.
“Yes, he's just not a morning person," Kenma said.
“He's going back to bed" Bokuto added.
“Ji, what do you want to do? I'm going to bed, but Kōtarō is up.”
“Wow, I can already see the benefit of having three boyfriends," joked the brunet.
They smiled at him.
“I'm going for a run," Bokuto announced with a yawn. “Wanna come?”
“Okay, that won't hurt.”
“Nice.”
“I think I'm going to sleep for four or five hours. We can go eat out for lunch after that.”
“Nice!”
Kuroo simply nodded. He had already broken, by far, the record for the longest date(s), so why stop there?
Bokuto swallowed the rest of his coffee in one gulp and trotted off down the corridor. After a few grunts, whispers and heckles, he came back.
“Here!" says Bokuto, tossing him a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt.
He understood that he had to hurry. He finished his cup and went to change. Five minutes later, he was out the door, his neurons still not quite in sync, but ready to keep pace. Bokuto smiled at him, and they set off.
The air was fresh, and the streets were still empty and silent. They threaded their way through the narrow streets, gradually moving away from the high-end pavilions towards rows of old '70s houses with walls tarnished by time. An old cat slept on a bicycle, and a crow cawed from the top of a pole. The power lines, tangled all together, let through a few bits of blue sky.
They were silent. Something he wasn’t used to when in the company of Bokuto. Only their breath and the sounds of the waking city disturbed the music of their silence. Kuroo felt soothed, and although he knew it wouldn't last long, his mind was clear. Eventually, they reached a park and made their way along lush green paths, lined with maples, willows, and ginkgo. The park was empty, except for a jogger or two, and an old man walking his dog. They crossed a bridge stretched over the vegetation and eventually came to an artificial pond. They reached a wooden pontoon and stopped.
“You're very quiet,” Bokuto observed.
“Hmm, it's early. And you're not very talkative either.”
Bokuto raised an eyebrow:
“Does that surprise you?”
“A little. The last time we ran together I almost died because you kept making me laugh.”
“Hmm, but it wasn't early, you were just hungover.” Bokuto grinned. “That was fun! When we sang afterward and everything.”
“Hmm...”
“Well, then you started avoiding me, which wasn't so fun, but... well, that's over now.”
Bokuto forced a smile. The wind rustled the water in the pond.
Kuroo sighed.
“ I really screwed up... But if it makes you feel any better, I cried in the subway afterward. And it was packed. I got so many side eyes.”
“Really?”
“Yeah…”
“Oh Bro! Sorry I made you cry!”
Bokuto took him in his arms. Kuroo let out a slight laugh but joined in the embrace. He murmured:
“Sorry I avoided you and hurt your feelings.”
Bokuto didn't reply but tightened his grip.
Eventually, they separated and sat side by side by the pond. They watched the ducks circle in the water and listened to the birds sing from the treetops.
“Bro, since we’re on this.”
Kuroo turned his head to face him.
“Just... Are you okay?”
The brunet frowned.
“Yes, why?”
“I don't know, just checking. It's a big change. I've never really thought about it because it's what I've always known, but for you, I don't know…”
He intentionally left the end of his sentence hanging, probably not really knowing how to express his thoughts. But Kuroo understood.
He took the time to think about it. He dived into himself, analyzing what he was feeling. He recognized this sensation, having encountered it before: a slight disorientation, but a sense of certainty, and of the quiet happiness it brought. He remembered the first time he'd had a lover. Despite all the social dictates that had raised him, it felt… profoundly natural. He felt the same now: something calm, soothing, and gentle. He was lucky to be surrounded by open-minded, tolerant people, and the world wouldn't always have such benevolence. But he already knew that, and he was no longer afraid of it. It had taken him a long time to see his last resistance crumble, but now he knew he didn't need it anymore. He was doing the right thing.
“No, I'm fine. I'm... happy.”
Bokuto smiled at him.
“I was just scared.”
“Of what?”
“I don't know... the unknown?”
“Are you still scared?”
Tetsurō shrugged. He could feel Bokuto's gaze on him; his own was still turned toward the horizon.
“A little yes... but it's not the same. And,” he turned his gaze, catching his boyfriend's “I want this.”
Bokuto smiled, and after a quick glance around to check his surroundings moved closer to kiss him. Then he rested his forehead against his, and they stayed like that for a moment. Kuroo finally let out a laugh, which caught Bokuto’s attention.
“Nothing, I'm just thinking about the face they're going to make at CATO.”
“CATO?”
“My gang of alphas… well, they're not all alphas but they're the ones who give me my ‘confusing scent’.”
“Oh them ! And uh, why?”
“ I've been feeding them my drama every week for almost two months now, and it's about time they got their closure. And I must thank Chris too... It's thanks to him that I'm here.”
“Then you can thank him for me too.”
“Pfft, okay.”
They set off again, taking time to soak up the atmosphere. A little "shinrin-yoku "* was always beneficial. The conversation gradually returned to its original goofy tone. Fortunately for Kuroo, he wasn't running this time. By the time they made it back home, almost two hours had passed.
“Are you ready?" asked Bokuto, looking up from his phone.
Kuroo frowned.
“Ready for what?”
Bokuto wiggled his eyebrows.
“Bo, ready for what?”
“The talk.”
Kuroo felt a surge of anxiety rising inside him, not quite sure what to expect. Bokuto, who instantly sensed it, chuckled without giving him any further explanation.
“The talk?! About what?”
Silence.
“Bo?”
“You'll see, relax.”
Relax? Easier said than done!
Kuroo had no further explanation. The question slipped his mind as they returned upstairs. Akaashi was up, his aura very different from that of a few hours earlier. He was seated at the table, in his robe, glasses on his nose and book in hand, a steaming mug in front of him. The perfect embodiment of the distinguished intellectual. He looked up from his book when he heard them arrive, and smiled. Bokuto let out a chirp when he saw him, and threw himself at him to kiss him on the cheek. Kuroo approached with more restraint, their eyes caught and they smiled at each other. Without really calculating his action, Kuroo seized his hand and kissed it. He was quickly taken out of his bubble when Bokuto chuckled.
“You guys are weird," he commented, amused.
Kuroo simply stuck his tongue out at him, seemingly able to go from gentleman to five-year-old in less than a second. Akaashi rolled his eyes but did not comment.
“You’re… in a good mood I see, better than earlier I suppose,” remarked Kuroo.
The brunet in front of him stiffened imperceptibly. He cleared his throat before speaking:
“Yes. I apologize if I seemed a little...”
“Grumpy?" cut in Bokuto.
“Rude.”
“Hmm, he just lets his grumpy alpha out when the sun hasn't been up for long enough.”
“Kōtarō.”
“It's true! He just won't admit it.”
Before his mate could even defend himself, he said:
“Well, I'm going to take a shower, Bro, you can use the bathroom and I'll use the one in the bedroom.”
Kuroo nodded and followed him out. Bokuto lent him underwear and a towel and left him to his business. The brunet closed the door and caught his reflection in the mirror. His image in this unfamiliar room anchored him, and he smiled before looking away.
When he returned to the living room, clean as a whistle, he found his three boyfriends seated at the table. He met Bokuto's gaze, who waggled his eyebrows once more. Kuroo stiffened.
“You're up already," he asked Kenma.
He shrugged.
“Come and sit with us.”
Kuroo remained silent for a moment, before complying. He sat down in front of them and waited. The situation was awfully awkward and he really didn't know what to expect.
“Just to clear up a few things, it's best to do it right away," resumed Kenma.
“Uh ok...”
“Okay. First of all, we want you to know that, even if we are exclusive, you don't have to be. The only thing we ask of you is that you tell us about it, within the limits of what you're comfortable with. And, of course, protect yourself to protect us too. The reciprocity holds of course.”
Kuroo was now somewhere between aghast and uneasy. He certainly hadn't expected to have to receive a "sex talk" from Kenma. Even his parents had never really broached the subject with him. He understood why it was important to communicate this kind of thing, but... He was more attached to the Nipponese unspoken culture than he thought. It was true that in the first hours of a relationship, there wasn't often room for rationalization. It was probably healthier to do so, but it still wasn't pleasant for him.
“Does that sound reasonable?” Akaashi asked.
“Uh... Yes... But to tell you the truth, I... I've already gone from zero to three, so I don't think I'll be starting ah... well. I admit I haven't really thought it through yet. And I... well... But I think, three is fine by me.”
He was beginning to lose his words, not really knowing what direction to take.
“It's just the... ground rules, um... We can talk about it later... well, when you've thought about it.”
“Uh... Okay.”
Kenma nodded.
“It's important that you communicate your needs and feelings. I, well, we” he turned his gaze toward his mates, “understand that this is new for you and that it's not easy, but know that we’ll always be there if you need to talk.”
Kuroo detected Kenma's sideways glance at Akaashi. Apparently, the clarification was not only intended for him. He saw the brunet turn his eyes to his cup, an object that suddenly seemed deeply interesting to him.
“I understand," he finally replied.
“Good.”
Kenma let out a sigh. Even if he had taken the lead, apparently starting this discussion hadn't been as easy for him as it had seemed.
“Ok.”
“Is that all?”
“Did you have a question?”
“Uh, no, not at the moment”.
“Okay, good. We can talk about it later if you need to.”
Kenma and Akaashi left the table and went into the kitchen. Bokuto was still facing him, a mocking smile on his lips. He rose to approach him.
“How are you feeling?”
“It was awful," the brunet admitted in a murmur.
It hadn't been that bad really, but Kuroo loved being a tad dramatic.
Bokuto chuckled.
“I think you're going to have to get used to it.”
“Hmm...”
Bokuto smiled and rested his forehead against his for a second before straightening up.
“Kenma! Where are we going for lunch?”
“Nowhere yet, it’s not even ten!”
“Yeah, but…”
They continued to discuss the appropriate time for lunch, and Kuroo went back to his thoughts.
“Shit!”
“What's wrong?" asked Bokuto.
“I was supposed to meet some friends for lunch. I have to ask them for a rain check.”
“You can go if you want.”
“ Hmm, I'd rather stay. I just have to tell them. Can I borrow your phone?”
“Hmm...”
Just as he was about to hand it to him, he changed his mind.
“Oh, wait! Do you have your SIM card?”
“In my wallet, why?”
“I've got my old phone, hold on.”
Without further explanation, he hurried down the corridor and returned a few moments later.
“Here.”
He handed him a telephone, which had probably been dropped a few times, but all in all, seemed to be in perfect condition.
“It’s still working just fine. Kenma just gifted me another one.”
“Hmm, is he your boyfriend or your sugar daddy?” Kuroo said mockingly.
Bokuto chuckled, and leaned in:
“Our Sugar Daddy.”
Kuroo blushed. His embarrassment made his boyfriend smile.
-//-
Yamaguchi had to learn at a very young age the art of moving without making the slightest noise. Even if his skill hadn't emerged from happy circumstances, it had become quite handy. Not to brag, but he was so skilled that he was tempted to add it to his resume under “special skills”.
This was particularly useful now that he was living in a tiny apartment with his mate, who woke up at the slightest sound. Clarification: the noises that only he made. The situation was ultimately quite unfair: the noise from the construction work down the street didn't bother him at all, but the clinking of his spoon in a cup would set him off and he would throw anything at him. Fortunately for him, it was often just a pillow.
He was safe for now: he had managed to get up and prepare breakfast without a rustle being heard. He stirred his cup of tea as delicately as possible, and gently placed the spoon back on the countertop. He glanced towards the bed: no movement, no projectile in sight. He was safe. As he turned around, he bumped into the handle of the spoon which was now approaching the ground far too quickly. He managed to catch it before it completed its fall. He breathed a sigh of relief. That had been too close for his comfort! Just when he thought he was out of the woods, the sound of his phone ringing echoed. He froze, mortified. He slowly turned his head: Tsukki was still asleep. Phew!
He unlocked his phone to find a text from Kuroo. Well, he had a phone again, that was good news.
"Sorry, I won’t make it today. Are you free next week?"
Yamaguchi sighed, disappointed. "Ugh, you suck, I hope you have a good excuse," he replied. New text.
"Good enough?”
New notification. This time Kuroo had sent him a photo.
"Oh damn it!" he exclaimed.
"Tadashi fuck you!" protested Tsukki.
He threw his pillow at him, but Yamaguchi avoided it without any problem. He chirped happily and jumped onto the bed.
"You suck!"
"Shh, look!"
Yamaguchi shoved the phone in front of his eyes, the light assaulted the poor retinas of his mate who didn't fail to complain. Yamaguchi sighed and grabbed the blond's glasses, shoving them under his nose.
In the photo, Kuroo was smiling at the camera, he must have been lying on someone's lap, and two other silhouettes were discernible beside him. In the caption of the photo, he had written, with as much embellishment as a birthday card from a young child: "with my bfs". Tsukishima couldn't help but smile:
"Well, at least he'll stop bothering us now."
He turned over. Yamaguchi, who hadn't let go of the silly smile hanging on his lips, started cooing again.
"Wait, I'm going to send it to Koshi."
"Don't bother him with that, his working."
"Too late!"
Suga received the text a few seconds later. He had to finish taking a customer's order before he could sneak a look at his phone. He smiled and discreetly showed his phone to Hinata who was waiting at the counter. He then forwarded the message to Oikawa.
It took less than ten minutes for the entire CATO gang to find out.
Chris was the last one to send him a message, a simple thumbs up. Kuroo understood. He smiled, and simply replied: "Thank you."
Without him, Kuroo would probably have ended up in the same situation at some point, but certainly not as quickly. For that, he was deeply grateful. He locked his phone and went to join his boyfriends.
- End of chapter-
Notes:
* shinrin-yoku: forest bath.
Hope you liked it! Next chapter : “Meeting the crew”
He took out his phone and sent a message to Sugawara:
"Can I come with my boyfriend?" he asked.
The response came in just a few seconds:
"Which one?"
"Haha, does it make a difference?"
"No, Tadashi just wants to know."
"Bokuto"
"Yeah, no problem."
"All good.”
Bokuto grabbed his bag with a quick movement and exclaimed, "Yeah!"See ya
Chapter 25: Meeting the crew
Summary:
He took out his phone and sent a message to Sugawara:
"Can I come with my boyfriend?" he asked.
The response came in just a few seconds:
"Which one?"
"Haha, does it make a difference?"
"No, Tadashi just wants to know."
"Bokuto"
"Yeah, no problem."
"All good.”
Bokuto grabbed his bag with a quick movement and exclaimed, "Yeah!"
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Now that he had three wonderful boyfriends, Kuroo adopted a new daily routine. Between dates, CATO meetings, and his classes, he hardly had time to stare at his bedroom ceiling anymore, and he certainly wasn't going to complain about it.
Their relationships were starting to find their rhythm. He was forming increasingly intimate bonds with his boyfriends.
He still fondly remembered the time he had taken Kenma to Ukai's place; it was often deserted at night, perfect for his favorite antisocial night owl. The yatai owner had taken advantage of a moment alone with Kuroo to lean towards him:
“Hey, kiddo, tell me. Isn't that your ‘friend’ you told me about last time?”
“No,” the brunet had answered with a smile.
His reaction seemed to unsettle the bar owner.
Considering their last conversation, Kuroo hadn't hesitated to confide in him.
“You know what gramps, you’re not that bad at giving romantic advice.”
The man in front of him didn't seem to grasp what he meant.
“Remember when I told you this ‘friend’ had a mate?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, turns out he has two.”
“Oh.”
"Well, he's one of them. And, by the way, he's also my childhood best friend. We lost contact when he moved away, but we met again a few months ago."
Ukai-oji seemed blown away by the news.
“Well, that's some coincidence.”
“Hmm...”
Kuroo had glanced at his boyfriend, then returned his attention to Ukai-oji. He smiled, and the man finally understood what he meant.
“No... all three of them?”
Kuroo had simply nodded, not dropping his smile.
He had then burst into laughter. A laughter so loud that it made Kenma jump, nearly causing him to fall off the chair where he had just settled back in.
“Ah! Well played, kiddo! You’ll never cease to amaze me. Here, another round on me!”
He had refilled their bowls and plunked two beers in front of them. Kenma had seemed surprised by the turn of events but hadn't had time to ask for more details, as Ukai-oji was already insisting on toasting with them.
He would have to introduce the rest of the gang to him somedays.
From time to time, he thought back to his conversation with Chris. Despite the fears he may have had before getting into this, or rather these, relationships, the rhythm had come to him rather naturally. Well, it wasn't as if everything had come instinctively to him, far from it. It took long roundtable discussions so that each one could establish what suited them best. Little by little, Kuroo was getting better at expressing and articulating his needs and feelings. Not everything had been fully clarified yet, but it would come in due time.
He now understood why Chris had explained to him that it wasn't "a" relationship, but multiple ones. Each relationship he maintained was distinct from the others. But he had also learned that in addition to interpersonal connections, there was also the "whole." He didn't have to "juggle" anything; their connections existed in an interconnected network that together formed an ecosystem.
Kuroo was a scientist, and he liked to dissect the elements composing a complex system.
He had the opportunity to do so when they were all together. They rarely went out as a group during the week, but he still spent most of his weekends with them. He then had the opportunity to indulge in a pastime, certainly, one he should probably be embarrassed about, but which coming from him wasn’t that surprising: he liked to see them interact with each other. He liked to guess the nature of the bonds that united the people who were so dear to him. The familiar way they moved around each other, the way they acted around each other… All these small things unveiled the different facets of themselves.
He had never had the opportunity to experience this: one can never see from the outside how the other person loves, and how they can love in multiple ways. Something was fascinating and deeply moving about discovering it.
Bokuto and Akaashi had a very tender relationship. Bokuto looked at all his lovers as if they were the eighth wonder of the world (Kuroo included), but the gaze he reserved for Akaashi was the most endearing. He remembered stumbling upon them one evening, dancing a waltz to a music that only they could hear. They were looking at each other as if the world around them had fallen silent for a second.
They were not the last to argue either, complaining about trivialities at the slightest opportunity. But their arguments never really escalated, deflating on their own without any drama.
Akaashi and Kenma shared a special relationship marked by profound complicity, which was evident to anyone who observed them closely. They could spend hours in silence, cuddled up against each other, each engrossed in their activity. Their silences were gentle and soothing, and they had this wonderful ability to communicate without saying a word. However, when they decided to converse, they could debate for hours, constantly reshaping the world without ever running out of breath or growing tired of each other's words.
Kenma and Bokuto had a rather playful relationship. They would exchange verbal banter and burst into laughter, or fight like kids. It was astonishing to see Kenma like this, bursting into laughter with the same intensity as a child. He lost count of the number of times he had seen Bokuto dragging the blond by his feet across the apartment because Kenma denied him a kiss. Kenma, playing hard to catch, wouldn’t stop laughing out loud, until he eventually gave in.
Rarely could he feel jealous of what they had. At least not for the moment. He was aware that the bonds between them were still new, and realizing this did not made him feel insecure at all. On the contrary, witnessing these moments filled Kuroo’s heart with tenderness, and made his feelings for them grow a little more each day. He could sense that the feeling was mutual.
While the essence of his bond with each of his boyfriends remained unchanged, it had deepened and softened over time. Bokuto was already very tactile with him, which was not surprising coming from him. However, what surprised Kuroo was that Akaashi and Kenma were equally affectionate, even though they showed more restraint outside the walls of their home. It was not uncommon for Akaashi to embrace him unexpectedly as soon as he crossed paths with him in a hallway or while he was busy with something else. And Kenma had the wonderful habit of purring loudly as soon as he entered the room where he was, snuggling up to him like a big cat as soon as he sat down somewhere.
No matter what anyone might think or say, Kuroo was happy.
-//-
Life quickly lost its lightness: exams were back. Or rather, they would soon be back. His dates were now spent at the university library, which was bitter, but necessary. He had to hold on, to be brave, because exams meant something far greater : summer vacation was just over the corner.
He glanced at his watch: 6:40 PM. He smiled: he was done with his to-do list for the day. Looking up, he noticed that Bokuto decided to engage in a much more pleasant task: a nap. He chuckled. The young man looked peaceful, abandoned to sleep. His face was pressed against a thick economics book that seemed to make a quite comfortable pillow. He looked around. The library was far from empty at this hour, but they had settled in a secluded corner, and unless someone decided to study the life of African frogs, they were completely out of sight. Kuroo quietly got up from his chair and circled the table to sit next to his boyfriend.
"Bo," he murmured.
Only a muffled groan answered him. The brunet leaned in and kissed his temple before resting his forehead against his head. Bokuto eventually resurfaced, and without sitting up, he turned his face towards him and opened one eye.
"What time is it?" he mumbled.
"6:40," Kuroo replied.
Bokuto let out a deep sigh.
"Damn... I was so bored that I fell asleep."
"I noticed."
Bokuto looked up, staring intently.
"What?" the brunet asked.
"I need something to wake me up."
Kuroo knew exactly what he meant, but still pretended not to understand.
"Coffee?"
"No," he said in a dragging voice.
"Fine, fine," Kuroo said, giving in.
Without further ado, he leaned in to kiss him on the lips.
"Better?"
Bokuto just nodded. He finally sat up and stretched like a big cat.
"What should we do? Should we go somewhere else? Do you want to come over? We can study there if you want," he asked.
"Hmm, I'm done for the day. I think I'll go to CATO," Kuroo replied.
"Oh, okay."
They didn’t move, and Bokuto continued to watch his boyfriend without saying a word.
"Do... do you want to come?" Kuroo asked.
"Can I?" Bokuto replied.
"Well, I'll ask, but I think so, wait."
He took out his phone and sent a message to Sugawara:
"Can I come with my boyfriend?" he asked.
The response came in just a few seconds:
"Which one?"
"Haha, does it make difference?"
"No, Tadashi just wants to know."
"Bokuto"
"Yeah, no problem."
"All good.”
Bokuto grabbed his bag with a quick movement and exclaimed, "Yeah!"
"Shh!" the other students reprimanded him.
Bokuto didn't seem the least bit sorry and began to trot happily towards the exit.
Once outside, Kuroo finally asked him, "Are you going to be okay?"
The concerned party seemed puzzled by the question.
"Yes, why?"
"I don't know, there are a lot of alphas, I'm asking."
"Hmm, yes, I'm on suppressors, I'll be fine. And they seem cool anyway."
"Yeah."
Of the two, Kuroo was the more stressed about the meeting. He couldn’t quite explain why, but it felt as though he were introducing his boyfriend to his parents. His anxiety finally eased when they arrived at CATO. Bokuto seemed confident and relaxed, as if he couldn't imagine anything going wrong. He was proven right when everyone greeted them warmly upon arrival, welcoming Bokuto as if he were already part of the family.
The tone shifted slightly when they got to Tsukishima, but Kuroo was delighted to see that same mischievous spark in Bokuto’s eyes that he had during his first encounter with the blond. Kuroo discreetly rubbed his hands together. Oh, he was going to have so much fun tormenting Tsukishima now that he had an accomplice.
Kageyama and Hinata were the last to be introduced. As usual, Kageyama translated what Hinata was signing. Bokuto listened attentively, then turned to Hinata and replied in sign language. The attention delighted the young man, who bounced with excitement.
"I didn't know you could sign too," Kuroo remarked.
"Yeah, Keiji and Kenma too," his boyfriend replied naturally. "It's more convenient," he concluded.
Kuroo didn't quite understand why it was more convenient, but the rest of the gang seemed to agree with his boyfriend's statement. He chalked it up to his "clueless beta" side and didn't inquire further; he'd figure it out eventually. He scanned the room: someone was missing.
"Where’s Oikawa?" he asked.
"He's coming, he's just running late," Sugawara replied.
"Oh."
At that moment, footsteps echoed on the stairs, and Oikawa finally appeared.
"Sorry I’m late, Kōshi, I swear if you..." Oikawa froze when he saw Bokuto.
"Bokuto-san," he said.
Kuroo almost forgot that the two had crossed paths enough times to recognize each other. Oikawa bowed to greet him. Kuroo saw him adjust his shirt, visibly uncomfortable. Ah, he understood where that discomfort might be coming from: caught up in studying, he hadn't had the chance to put on his elegant diva attire, and it was bothering him terribly.
As expected, Bokuto paid little attention to it and approached him with a smile.
"Oikawa-san, right?" he said.
Oikawa nodded, and Bokuto returned his greeting. They looked at each other for a few more seconds.
"Um... nice T-shirt," Bokuto commented.
Oikawa glanced down at his famous "I believe" T-shirt with Martian heads. He frowned. His counterpart quickly understood what was going on.
"No, but seriously. I mean, there are already billions of Earth-like planets in our galaxy, and about a hundred that are potentially habitable. On the scale of the universe, it's almost inevitable that life has appeared somewhere else."
Kuroo blinked several times. He was not expecting that kind of answer at all. Oikawa was fully charmed, his eyes almost shining with admiration. He finally leaned in enough to catch the brunet's gaze.
"Okay, I changed my mind, this one's my favorite. I should have voted for him."
Kuroo chuckled. Bokuto also turned, questioning him with his gaze.
"These little shits bet on who I'd end up with between you, Akaashi, and Kenma."
The news didn't seem to bother the concerned party too much. He even seemed rather amused to learn about it.
"So you all won, then, it's a tie, right?" he remarked.
"Unfortunately no, quite the opposite," Oikawa commented dramatically.
Bokuto frowned.
"Chris was the only one who bet on you three," Kuroo clarified.
The blond, sitting on the couch behind them, saluted them like an old marine.
"Well played. I wouldn't have bet on that either," he said.
"What?" exclaimed Kuroo.
"Well, it's true."
He didn't get a chance to ask more. Yamaguchi had just offered them a game of Daifugō, and Bokuto accepted without even taking the time to explain his reasoning. Kuroo sighed and eventually joined them.
At one point during the game, he took the time to look at everyone gathered around him. He couldn't help but smile, pleased to see how smoothly Bokuto had integrated the group.
"You're last, Kuroo, you suck," Oikawa taunted him.
Damn it.
-//-
They left CATO late in the evening. Card games had been played one after the other, finally ceasing when Oikawa, once again irritated by Chris's repeated victories, dramatically slammed his cards on the table. This was followed by an absurd debate, and gradually the conversation drifted. They all ended up around the couch, chatting about anything and everything while sipping beers. A typical evening for them really. Eventually, they decided to leave after Yamaguchi fell asleep sprawled on the floor. Once outside, they walked up the street together, and then each went their separate ways, warmly waving goodbye to Bokuto and Kuroo.
They were now walking side by side.
"Are we heading to the subway station?" the brunet asked.
"Hmm, no, Kenma is picking me up. Do you want us to drop you off on the way?"
"Sure."
If he could avoid the subway, he was game. Plus, it would give him a chance to see the blond, whom he hadn't been able to see yet that week.
They waited on the sidewalk, and Kenma arrived just a few minutes later. Kuroo got into the back and leaned over to kiss his boyfriend on the cheek, while Bokuto settled in the front.
"How was it?" the blond asked.
"Awesome!"
Without waiting another second, Bokuto launched into an ecstatic monologue, enthusiastically describing the course of his evening, sparing no detail. Kenma listened attentively, and Kuroo noticed the tender smile on the blond's face as he glanced in the rearview mirror.
"Oh, there was this guy, um... the redhead," he looked up in the rearview mirror to catch Kuroo's gaze.
"Hinata."
"Yes, Hinata! I'm sure you'd love him!"
"Hmm?"
"Definitely! Totally your type of pups."
"Pups?" Kuroo asked.
This time Bokuto turned to face him.
"Pups are categories of people Kenma wants to adopt," he explained with a knowledgeable air.
The blond beside him elbowed him. Unfortunately for him, not only did this attack confirm his words, but it also increased his mate's amusement.
"Good to know," the brunet commented. "And I have to admit I can see what you mean. He definitely has the potential."
"Ah! See!"
Kenma didn't respond and just rolled his eyes.
"Oh, and I didn't expect it, but there was a prima, and..."
"A prima?" Kenma interrupted with a hint of concern in his voice.
"Yeah, but with good vibes, super chill. Quite surprising actually."
"Yeah, surprising for a prima.”
"Yeah, but I swear he’s amazing!"
In a moment of latency, Kuroo finally asked, "What's a prima?"
"A prima is a very dominant alpha. In alpha hierarchies, they're the second in command of a pack. They’re destined to take over leadership," explained the blond.
The definition did little to brighten the brunet's understanding. He couldn't figure out who Bokuto was talking about.
"Who?" he hurriedly asked.
"Um... Damn, his name... Um... You know, his boyfriend is cool too, a beta..."
"Oikawa?"
That could roughly make sense...
"No, the Sô-shi, um..."
"A Sô-shi!"
"Sugawara?"
"Yes! He's really cool!"
The brunet sank back into his seat. He was quite surprised to learn this. It didn't change his view of his friend, but... it was... surprising.
"Oh yeah, I can confirm, he's really cool. He's the one who introduced me to everyone... And he helped me buy soap when I arrived."
"What?"
"He saved me, I was about to buy 'pheromone booster plus'!"
Bokuto burst into laughter.
"Oh woah, good thing he was there.”
Silence fell
"Oh, and there was also, um... Yamaguchi?"
"Hmm, and?"
What else was he going to find out?
"He's cool too... He has a quite unique aura for an alpha, really kind of... soothing."
"Keiji has a soothing aura," commented Kenma.
"Yeah, but I don't know... Not the same... He's nice."
"He's a pest though," remarked the brunette.
"I like pests," Bokuto commented, turning his gaze to the blond. The latter responded with a nudge.
They kept talking and finally arrived in front of Kuroo’s apartment. After proper "goodbye kisses," he got out of the car. He waved to his boyfriends and watched the car drive away.
He smiled to himself. The introduction to the adoptive family had gone well. Now he needed to convince Akaashi and Kenma to take the plunge.
-//-
The life of a student was sometimes cruel. The closer the exams got, the less time Kuroo had to spend with his boyfriends. He tried to cheer himself up by thinking that the end was near and that he would find time to spend time with them during the summer. For now, he was able to meet with Akaashi and Bokuto on campus, and even though he couldn't see them for long, he was simply happy to spend some time with them.
On that day, Kenma, who had come to drop off Akaashi at the university, stayed for his lunch break with him. Kuroo was trying to stay composed, but God, it was frustrating. Kenma wasn’t the kind of person to indulge in PDA, so Kuroo couldn't hope for a bit of tenderness. He would have killed for a hug, just a little one! Just to recharge his batteries... But their time was running out, they were already walking back up the campus to reach the parking lot.
Kenma eventually noticed it. He smiled at him tenderly.
"I know you have work to do, but if you can, come over this weekend. The goofballs are in full study mode too anyway, so..."
Kuroo nodded, feeling a bit sheepish.
They stopped near the exit.
"Well... See you I guess"
Kuroo didn't reply immediately. He quickly scanned the surroundings: there were few people around, and they were partially hidden behind a concrete wall. He had to seize his chance, it was now or never! Well, it was now or in three days, but whatever. Slowly, he opened his arms, imploring the blond with his Golden retriever-in-desperate-need-of-love eyes. Kenma noticed and let out a smile. Bingo!
But to his greatest misfortune, just as the blond was approaching him, he was cut off:
"Oi, Kuroo!"
Damn it!
Kuroo quickly lowered his arms, and Kenma turned in the direction of the voice. Yamaguchi trotted towards them, looking way too happy for someone who had just ruined his day. Kuroo tried his best not to appear too dismayed to avoid arousing suspicion.
"Yamaguchi."
"Here you are! I looked for you everywhere! I wanted to..."
The young man had just spotted Kenma. Kuroo held his breath: oh fuck. He wasn't entirely sure if Kenma was in the mood to deal with his fan club now. Yet, after the initial surprise, he saw a polite smile form on Yamaguchi's lips.
"I didn't realize you were with someone, hello," he bowed to greet the blond.
Kenma reciprocated the gesture but remained silent. He looked at Kuroo and said: “I’ll be on my way then, see you.”
And just like that, after another round of greetings to Yamaguchi, he left. Kuroo almost felt like bursting into tears, but he had to remain composed! The young man in front of him watched the blond walk away, and just as he was about to speak again, he stopped upon seeing the expression on the brunet's face. He turned, looked at the blond, then turned to him again. He eventually gasped and froze completely.
"Uh... are you okay?"
This was followed by an incomprehensible gibberish as if someone in his brain had just smashed the speech keyboard :
"jkqrgoqerkenkq"
"Yes?"
Yamaguchi caught his breath.
"That was Kenma, right?"
"Uh..."
"Damn it, Tadashi, don't just leave like that," intervened Tsukishima, who had just appeared, "You..."
He fell silent upon seeing his mate’s facial expression.
"Uh... what's wrong with him?"
Yamaguchi grabbed the blond's sleeve and shook it frantically.
“I just saw ApplePie," Yamaguchi blurted out.
Now it was the blond's turn to play "red light, green light”, and he was very good at it.
"What?"
"I swear ! It was Kenma, right?"
Kuroo didn't say anything. Could he still lie?
"Are you sure?" asked Tsukki.
"Based on Kuroo’s face, it was one of his boyfriends. I've seen Bokuto-san before, and I know Akaashi-san doesn't look like that... so."
“Oh my fuck! You really saw him!”
Kuroo raised an eyebrow; the blond had lost all of his disdain, he had stars in his eyes and was smiling like a child who had just met his idol.
“How was he?” he eagerly asked.
“Amazing...”
They both burst into laughter, like two fangirls in full implosion. They even started hopping around like little fleas.
“Um...”
“Oh! Greatest day ever!” exclaimed Yamaguchi “Kuroo! You never told me he’s an omega!”
“Really?” chimed in the blond.
“Does it matter?” Kuroo asked, feeling embarrassed.
His answer seemed to stun Yamaguchi. He blinked several times, looking a little bit like his favorite diva:
“Does it matter? Does.it.matter !?”
“Oh, Kuroo,you dumb dumb child.” murmured Tsukishima.
“No, but you're right, it doesn’t matter. It's not like the guy that came out of nowhere, won the tournament of ‘Overlord Land Fantasy’ by his god damn self against e-sport gods,”
“Who won the same tournament three years as a freelancer, while agencies across the country were trying to snatch him up.”
“One of the biggest streamers in Japan, who started his own company on top of that, was also the first omega in the country, or even the planet, to do so! No, but you’re right, it’s nothing really.”
It was indeed quite impressive. Kuroo couldn't help but smile proudly.
“Oh damn, I love him even more now,” murmured Yamaguchi, on the verge of hyperventilating.
“Me too...” his mate replied.
“I really want to talk to him, I have to see him again!”
“Me too...”
Tsukishima turned toward Kuroo. Was he really pleading with his eyes?
We've seen it all.
The two comrades continued in their excitement, babbling without interruption. Kuroo detached himself from them. He looked into the distance. The blond had completely disappeared now. He felt a weight crush his chest.
“Are you okay?” Yamaguchi asked.
Kuroo shook his head negatively. Of course not, what an idiot!
“I didn't get my hug because of you...”
Yamaguchi chuckled.
“Ow, I'm sorry, come here! “
He opened his arms to hug him.
“Your hug sucks,” the brunet pouted while hugging him back.
“Sorry...”
“Yeah, sure, you don't care at all.”
“No I don’t. I saw my idol, I would have done it a thousand times.”
“So cruel.”
“There, there,” Yamaguchi replied, patting him on the back.
Kuroo chuckled.
What a jerk.
-//-
Although Bokuto had been really charmed by the CATO gang, the other two were still hesitant. They hadn't said anything specific yet, but Kuroo understood. Not that they were against it, but unlike Bokuto, they weren't going to jump at the opportunity. He understood that meeting all those people at once could be overwhelming. Kenma wasn't a big fan of crowds, and Kuroo had mentioned that some of them already knew about his 'secret' identity, which certainly didn’t help. Akaashi didn't have any secret identity to hide, but let's be clear, his social skills were similar to Kenma's. He accepted the situation as it was. The time would come eventually.
-//-
Surprisingly, it was Yamaguchi who sparked the breakthrough.
The end of the semester was around the corner. Kuroo only had two more exams left, and then it would be vacation time! The pressure had slowly eased off. No grandiose study sessions scheduled for the weekend; he could finally spend time with his boyfriends!
Kuroo waited for them at the entrance of the campus. They had planned to meet up at the end of the day to leave together. Kenma was the first to arrive
"I'm beat... Do you know where I can get a coffee?" the blond asked.
"Hmm, there's a vending machine over there," the brunet pointed to the building on their left.
"Cool, got any change?"
"Are you mugging me?"
"No, I just don't have any change."
"And I do?"
Kenma frowned.
"Okay, here you go."
Kenma took the coins, muttered a vague thank you, and headed towards the coffee machine. Kuroo remained standing there, alone in the middle of the parking lot. Night was falling down, and the streetlights had just turned on, their orange glow mixing with the rosy blue of the twilight sky.
"Yo, Kuroo! What are you doing here all alone?"
He turned around and came across Yamaguchi, who greeted him cheerfully.
"I'm not alone."
Yamaguchi frowned, almost worriedly. "Uh, yeah, you are."
"No, I'm waiting."
"What are you waiting for?"
The answer spoke for himself:
“Here Ji, take your change."
He saw Yamaguchi freeze. Redness crept up his cheeks, and Kuroo almost wondered if he should worry about his friend's health.
"Oh, it's you," Kenma said simply upon noticing his presence.
Yamaguchi let out a strange sound, a mix of excitement and distress.
"Ap... Ke... Hello."
"Hello," the blond replied, a hint of tenderness in his voice.
"Yamaguchi Tadashi," the young man introduced himself solemnly.
"Kozume Kenma.”
Kuroo turned around: Kenma seemed composed, and calm. Kuroo had talked to him about his fanboys, well, warned him rather. He had dreaded the blond's reaction. Apparently, he worried for nothing.
"Kozume-san, I'm a big fan," Yamaguchi confessed solemnly.
"So I heard," Kenma bowed. "Thanks for following me and supporting my work. You can call me Kenma."
“Kenma-san...”
“Kenma,” the blond interrupted.
Yamaguchi finally relaxed. Kuroo let them chat, Kenma looking rather delighted to talk with him. After a few minutes, Yamaguchi had almost regained a normal attitude. Their conversation was interrupted when Kenma was lifted off the ground to the stunned gaze of his interlocutor.
“Kenma!” Bokuto babbled happily, rubbing his head against his mate's back.
“Kōtarō,” the blond replied, mimicking the overly sweet tone Bokuto had taken.
“I missed you.”
“We saw each other this morning.”
“Hmm, I know.”
“Okay, and nobody cares about me," Kuroo intervened.
Bokuto set Kenma down and trotted over to him. Once at his height, he took his face in his hands and replied tenderly:
“No, I missed you too.”
Kuroo let out a smile and Bokuto kissed him.
“You're not alone, Kōtarō,” a voice growled behind them. Akaashi had just arrived.
Bokuto finally became aware of his surroundings, and his gaze met Yamaguchi's, who waved at him.
“Oh! Yamaguchi! You're here! Hi!”
“Hi," the younger one replied, a hint of shyness in his voice.
“Sorry about that.”
Yamaguchi turned towards the voice. He silently gasped, meeting the brunet for the first time.
“It's nothing, um, Akaashi-san, I presume."
The brunet nodded.
“Yamaguchi Tadashi," he introduced himself before bowing.
The brunet returned his greeting, but before he could add anything, Bokuto was already on him, trying to defend his case.
Yamaguchi took advantage of this moment to approach Kuroo.
“Damn, you've got taste."
Kuroo chuckled before letting out a proud smile.
“I know.”
His friend smiled back at him.
“Well, I’ll be on my way then, now that I know Kuroo’s not standing alone in the dark like a crazy man. Nice to meet you guys. Drop by CATO soon, would be great to have you there! See you later!"
He waved to them and headed towards the subway.
“You were right, he has a good aura," Akaashi said.
“See, I told you!"
-//-
Yamaguchi's invitation had its effect, and it was with his three boyfriends that Kuroo arrived at CATO the following Thursday.
This time, Kuroo feared he would faint before reaching their destination. However, Bokuto's enthusiasm lifted his spirits, and he quickly regained his confidence. As they met the whole group, they were welcomed warmly, just like when they first met Bokuto.
Kenma barely had time to introduce himself before Yamaguchi and Tsukishima pounced on him. Kuroo chuckled seeing Tsukishima face his idol. The blond had abandoned his cold and superior attitude for a more juvenile demeanor, amazed and intimidated by Kenma's presence. He spoke to him with an uncertain voice, stuttering on each word, struggling terribly to construct a complete sentence.
Unfortunately for him, he lost Kenma's attention when Hinata arrived to greet him. The redhead thrown himself between Kenma and Tsukishima, addressing him with enthusiasm. At first, he received no response. Hinata slowly lowered his arms, confused. Kuroo approached to see what was happening. Kenma said nothing, but his pupils tripled in size. Just as Kuroo was about to intervene, Kenma began to purr loudly, still not taking his eyes off the redhead in front of him. Kageyama, who hadn’t missed a single detail of the exchange, intervened, standing threateningly in front of his mate. However, a quick glance at the blond taught him that he harbored no ill will towards his virtue and stepped aside. Hinata asked the brunet what was going on, but before the latter could formulate a response, Kenma finally signed back. The redhead's face lit up with a huge smile before he began signing rapidly. After that, no one could tear Kenma's attention away from him, much to Yamaguchi and Tsukishima’s dismay.
On the other hand, Akaashi had a little more difficulty adapting. He stayed close to Kuroo, speaking only when necessary, never once removing his austere mask. Fortunately, Chris eventually approached him and started talking to him in a language that Kuroo couldn't quite discern. The brunet's face gradually softened, regaining the ethereal sweetness that Kuroo knew so well. Everyone was taken aback, all of them collectively charmed by his boyfriend when a light and sparkling laugh escaped him. That was enough for Akaashi to finally open up and participate in conversations with more confidence.
Kuroo took a moment to step back, observing his surroundings. It was strange to see them all together as if two bubble universes had collided to form one. He smiled, feeling genuinely happy to be surrounded by all his loved ones.
At the end of the evening, as everyone was leaving, Sugawara approached him. He placed a hand on Kuroo's shoulder and smiled warmly. In that moment, Kuroo felt as if he had received a parent's blessing; even though it wasn't official, it warmed his heart.
-//-
Summer break was finally there. Just when he thought he could spend the first few weeks with his boyfriends, Kuroo's mother quickly reminded him otherwise. Well, she had called him about ten times, asking in a plaintive voice when he planned to come home to visit "his poor lonely mother" who apparently forgot the existence of her other two children. His mother's strategy had been effective; Kuroo's guilt got the best of him. He eventually gave in and booked a flight to leave the following week.
However, as the date of his departure approached, the idea of having to part with his boyfriends became increasingly difficult for him. He had to remind himself several times that he wasn't a child, and being apart from them for a week wouldn't kill him! Still, his heart painfully clenched at the mere thought of having to leave. So much had happened since he arrived in Tokyo… It was the first time since he arrived that he was going to leave the city. He remembered the dislike he had for this place when he first arrived. He couldn't believe how hard it was to leave now. The week passed, and now only a few hours remained before his departure...
He was lying in Kenma's bed, the blond slouched beside him, eyes fixed on his Nintendo. Akaashi and Bokuto had gone out to do some grocery shopping for dinner. The apartment was quiet, only their breathing and the music from the Nintendo disturbed the silence.
Kuroo looked up at Kenma. His face was illuminated by the faint glow of the fairy lights wrapped around his bed headboard and the screen of his console. The blond caught his gaze. He smiled at him and ran his hand through his hair, planting a kiss on his head before returning to his game. Kuroo didn't take his eyes off him; he moved a little closer. This time Kenma turned off the console and placed it on his bedside table.
"Come here," he murmured.
Kuroo complied, resting his head on the blond's chest and melting into his embrace. They stayed like that for several minutes, Kuroo listening to the beating of Kenma's heart as he stroked his hair.
"I don't want to leave," the brunet finally admitted, his voice taking on a childish tone.
"It's just for a week, it's not the end of the world."
"Yes it is!"
Kenma chuckled.
"We're not going to disappear into thin air. And besides, you'll get to spend time with your family."
Kuroo sighed, vaguely convinced. The blond placed his hand under his chin to make him look up. He got lost in Kenma's eyes and eventually leaned in to kiss him. He felt the blond smile, and he wrapped his arms around his neck, melting into the kiss. They eventually rolled onto their sides, moving without ever interrupting the exchange. Their legs intertwined, and Kuroo wrapped his arms around Kenma's back to hold him close. He felt his heart swell more and more with every passing second; the mere idea of having to part with him was painful. He wanted him closer, even closer, all to himself. The sensation eventually spread throughout his body, the burning heat descending to his lower abdomen. He felt his body responding to his silent command. Caught off guard, he jumped and broke the kiss.
Damn. He wasn’t sure why it surprised him; it’s not like he hadn’t seen it coming. Of course, he had thought about it, he thought about it constantly… But the idea tasted bitter, and he hadn’t delved much deeper into it. Now, confronted with the reality, everything he had tried to suppress came crashing down on him.
He lowered his gaze to Kenma. Before they separated, he felt the pressure the blond had exerted against his chest to push him away too. The blond looked at him, eyes wide, short of breath. A mute stupor was evident in his gaze, and he guessed it wasn't solely caused by his reaction. Once the surprise passed, he could see the concern in his eyes:
"Ji, I..."
The front door slammed shut, and they heard Bokuto and Akaashi's voices.
"Sorry," Kuroo shouted before leaping up, leaving the room hastily, leaving a completely disoriented Kenma behind.
He only reappeared several minutes later, entering the living room as if nothing had happened. They all dined together. While he did evade Kenma, the blond kept stealing glances at him, and he struggled to avoid meeting his gaze. Eventually, he made his escape, with the excuse that he needed to pack for his trip. He was determined to appear detached, hoping to avoid arousing any suspicion. The next day, he left without managing to clear things up with Kenma.
Damn, he hated himself for acting like that.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Oops, angst loading.
Next chapter : “Back home”
“Hey, ugly face,” Kasumi greeted him.
“Is it because you’re fucking like rabbits that you’ve lost weight?” Natsume whispered, a smug smile on her lips.
Kuroo rolled his eyes. Great, he had just arrived, and she was already making that joke. Ironically, it was the complete opposite of the truth. That was actually what had ruined his night.
“Well, yeah, that’s exactly it. You caught me,” he replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
His younger sister beamed at him, fully aware of the nonsense she was spouting, and gave him a hearty slap on the back.
“I hope you missed seafood because that’s all we’re gonna eat,” Kasumi warned.
He grimaced
Chapter 26: back home
Summary:
“Hey, ugly face,” Kasumi greeted him.
“Is it because you’re fucking like rabbits that you’ve lost weight?” Natsume whispered, a smug smile on her lips.
Kuroo rolled his eyes. Great, he had just arrived, and she was already making that joke. Ironically, it was the complete opposite of the truth. That was actually what had ruined his night.
“Well, yeah, that’s exactly it. You caught me,” he replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
His younger sister beamed at him, fully aware of the nonsense she was spouting, and gave him a hearty slap on the back.
“I hope you missed seafood because that’s all we’re gonna eat,” Kasumi warned.
He grimaced
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The anthracite sky welcomed Kuroo when he arrived at Sapporo Okadama Airport. The temperature had dropped a few degrees, but he didn’t mind. The air was humid and carrying the scent of iodine: it smelled like home. Before crossing the gates, he pulled out his phone and texted his boyfriends to let them know he landed safely. They instantaneously replied back with a voice message, wishing him a good stay. He felt his heart flutter, happy to just be able to hear their voice. He smiled and put away his phone.
He passed through customs security and it took him no more than ten seconds to spot his entire family. Even his father was there. He smiled and approached. He barely had time to say hello before his mother threw herself on him, hugging him so tightly that he was on the verge of suffocation.
"Oh my baby!"
"Hi mom. Hey dad," he greeted his father with a wave.
"Hello son!"
"Look at you," his mother said, "haven't you lost weight? Are you eating properly ?"
"Uh... I started to jog again, that must be why."
"Oh! That's good news!"
His mother let go of him, snatching his bag and tossing it into his father's arms. They set off, heading towards the exit.
“Hey, ugly face,” Kasumi greeted him.
“Is it because you’re fucking like rabbits that you’ve lost weight?” Natsume whispered, a smug smile on her lips.
Kuroo rolled his eyes. Great, he had just arrived, and she was already making that joke. Ironically, it was the complete opposite of the truth. That was actually what had ruined his night.
“Well, yeah, that’s exactly it. You caught me,” he replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
His younger sister beamed at him, fully aware of the nonsense she was spouting, and gave him a hearty slap on the back.
“I hope you missed seafood because that’s all we’re gonna eat,” Kasumi warned.
He grimaced. He had to admit that after the crab incident, he wasn't sure he could eat seafood again.
They arrived at the car, and Kuroo quickly realized that he had lost his big brother privileges, as he found himself in the middle seat in the back of the car, sandwiched between his two sisters. His parents bombarded him with questions about college and his life in Tokyo. Kuroo answered them in a detached tone, not wanting to draw too much attention to his personal life. He could escape the invasive questions for long though. His father caught his gaze in the rearview mirror and asked enthusiastically:
"So, no girlfriend?"
And off they went.
He saw his sisters contorting themselves, trying their best not to burst out laughing while trying to hide behind the seats so their hilarity wouldn't be obvious. Kuroo didn't react. He glanced up at the rearview mirror to gauge his mother's expression. She looked embarrassed but did not comment.
"No," he simply replied.
It wasn't as if he hadn't already come out to them. He had done it years ago. His mother just chose not to talk about it, and his father was apparently in denial. Or he just thought it was a phase. He could even reply, "No, but I have three boyfriends," and his father would simply nod and forget about it until the next time. He vaguely considered himself lucky; at least they didn't hate him, they hadn't changed the way they treated him... He was well aware that the bar was on the floor, but well.
"Have you met any alphas?" Kasumi finally asked.
"Yeah, lots, most of my friends are alphas."
"Really?" his mother intervened, a hint of concern in her voice.
"Yeah, they're cool."
"And omegas?"
"Yeah, omegas too. Wait."
He pulled out his phone and scowled through his photo album. He found the latest group photo they had taken the last time they were together at CATO. Akaashi, Kenma, and Bokuto were in the photo, but they were far enough from him that it wouldn't raise any suspicions.
"Here," he said, handing the phone to his sister.
"Oh, they look cool."
"Let me see!" Natsume intervened, snatching the phone from her older brother's hands. "Oh, yeah. There are some hotties in there," she turned to her brother, raising her eyebrows suggestively. My… that was going to be a long week.
"Look, Mom."
She handed the phone to her mother, who took it. Kuroo saw her eyes soften, finally able to put faces to her son's friends.
"They seem very nice. Not many girls, though."
“Hmm," Kuroo commented.
It was true that he needed to diversify his relationships a bit; the ladies were severely lacking in his social circle…
"Do they have girlfriends?"
"Um, no."
He gestured to his sisters to indicate that none of them were straight. Once again, his sisters had to restrain themselves from bursting into laughter.
"Oh, but my goodness, is that Kenma-kun I see! You said you met him again! I didn't recognize him at first. He's grown so much!"
This time Kuroo let out a genuine smile.
"Let me see!" Kasumi exclaimed, leaning between the seats to snatch the phone from her mother, crushing her older brother’s bones in the process.
“Where?”
Kuroo pointed him out:
"Ohh, he's so cute!"
She showed the photo to her sister:
"Love the bad boy vibe."
"What is he doing now?"
"Playing video games..."
His mother frowned.
Kuroo would have liked to specify that he was a famous streamer and a fierce competitor, but explaining the very concept to his mother would probably give them both a headache. And he also didn't want to reveal the blond's secret identity.
"And occasionally he develops encryption programs for big companies."
He had to defend his boyfriend's honor there.
"And he bought a house."
His parents let out a surprised gasp.
"Oh, well, he's doing well!"
"Very well."
"Perfect!"
The topic eventually drifted away, thanks to his sisters' intervention who had sensed that the questioning was getting a bit lengthy. Kuroo let out a sigh of relief. He was happy to see them again, but he had forgotten what it felt like. What it felt like to not be able to be completely himself with his loved ones.
-//-
He quickly found his bearings in his family home. The sensation was strange. During his bachelor's degree, he never stayed away from his parents for long. Partly because he worked at the fish market on Saturday mornings for several years (a dark part of his past), and partly because, well, free food and all. Well, and also because every time he came back home, he was pampered as if he were the chosen one (which greatly annoyed his sisters for a while). Now that he couldn't go home often, it had amplified: he wasn't the chosen one anymore, but a god among men. Or a ten-year-old child who needed nurturing, he wasn't sure, but the feeling wasn't unpleasant either. Even his sisters had softened. Sure, they still teased him, but he could see that they had missed him. He had rarely spent so much time with them: they went for walks along the Shakotan Peninsula together, spent their afternoons frolicking in nature and talking about everything and nothing. His sisters told him all about their latest adventures, which he listened to attentively. In the evenings, they all gathered together in Tetsurō's room, cuddled up to each other to watch a movie together on his laptop. They talked until late, sometimes falling asleep together. He had feared that by moving away, he would lose his bonds with them. But that wasn't the case at all.
That evening was no exception. Kasumi pitched them a sappy drama and they all agreed to watch it. The story had no originality whatsoever: a poor girl having a tumultuous relationship with a wealthy young man, particularly hot-headed and presumptuous, while her best friend, a charming and caring person, tried to win her heart in vain. The plot of almost every drama out there really.
"Ohhhh, come on!" whined Natsume, "We all know how it's going to end!"
"What, do you think she'll be able to find the crystal heart?"
Oh yes, and there was also some ridiculous magical quest.
"Of course she will, but that's not what I meant!"
"What did you mean?"
"We all know she's going to end up with the other idiot! When clearly the best option here is Kosuke!"
"Kosuke is a wimp. Kijima is, first of all, much more handsome, and he's been hurt, it's not his fault! Deep down, he has a heart!"
"I don't care, he's a jerk!"
"You don't get it, Tetsu, what do you think?" Kasumi interjected.
Tetsurō turned his gaze away from the screen: his sisters seemed particularly interested in his opinion. He sighed.
"Hmm... I don't know... Kajima is a jerk, sure."
"Ah, see, I told you," Natsume interrupted.
"But Katsu-Katsu is right, he has a good heart, and whatever we say, he makes Megumi happy. Kosuke is a nice guy too. Each of them brings something different to her... Kijima and she have something electric, but deep, and he pushes her forward, whereas Kosuke is more about comfort, simplicity, and security... We all know she's going to end up with Kijima, but Kosuke is a good catch too."
His sisters nodded, agreeing with the accuracy of his analysis.
"You're right," said Kasumi.
"Yeah, actually, she should end up with both."
Tetsurō gasped in surprise and turned to his younger sister. Kasumi let out a high-pitched "what" and did the same.
"What's wrong with that? No need to choose if both make her happy."
"Are you out of your mind!"
Tetsurō did not comment. He just looked at her as if she had grown a third head.
"What's wrong? Oh, you're so old-fashioned!"
He felt his heartbeats quicken and blood rush to his head. He tried to conceal his turmoil by burying his head into the pillow he held in his arms. He hadn't expected that from Natsume... Sure, he knew his sisters weren't closed-minded; they accepted him unconditionally. But still... It showed that the younger generation wasn't so bad. He tried his best to control his breathing rhythm. Could he tell her? Them? Maybe they wouldn't react as badly as he thought.
"And besides, it's just a drama, it’s not real."
"Ah, you scared me!"
"But the argument still holds."
He felt an immense weight pressing down on his chest.
Ah, just as he suspected.
His sisters continued talking about the show.
He was feeling like he was sinking into the bed, struggling to breathe... He hadn't thought earlier about what his sisters might think... His parents, he had given up on for now, but them... What would they say if they found out? What if they rejected him? If they refused to see him ever again? What if he were to lose them? He felt trapped, anxiety choking him.
"Tetsu, you’re okay?"
He was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts. His sisters were looking at him, concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired."
"Yeah, me too, we should go to sleep. We'll get scolded again if we wake up at eleven tomorrow."
His sisters got up from the bed, chanted "oyasumi" and left the room. Kuroo stared at the door for a long time. He sighed and turned off the light. He tried to fall asleep, unsuccessfully. He felt terrible. He hugged the pillow tightly to his chest to ease his anxiety. His head was spinning. He tried to distance himself from it all, to completely disconnect himself from what his mind was screaming at him.
He eventually picked up his phone: 3:30 AM. Everyone must be asleep... Maybe not Kenma, but if he was streaming, he wouldn't reply. Still, he opened the conversation and sent:
"I miss you."
Just as he was about to put his phone down, it vibrated in his hand.
"We miss you too."
Kenma had replied in less than a minute. He smiled.
"Can I call you guys tomorrow?”
"If you want... Alright, go to sleep."
"Hmm, goodnight, see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
He put the phone down and fell asleep almost immediately.
-//-
Kuroo woke up three hours later. The sunlight flooded his room. The lack of sleep made his head spin, but he couldn't fall asleep again. So he got up, put on an old pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt, and went outside through his bedroom window. He shivered; it couldn't have been more than fifteen degrees Celsius outside, and the air was still damp with dew. He set off; a little morning jog would surely do him good. He only stopped when he reached the coast. Down below the cliff, waves crashed against the rocks. He lay down in the grass, gazing at the sky, with the sound of the sea in the background, and fell asleep. He only woke up several hours later. He felt calmer now, the turmoil had left him. Perhaps temporarily, but he savored the silence in his mind. He got up and started running again. When he got back home, everyone was up, having breakfast in the kitchen. He smiled and joined them.
-//-
“I can not believe you vandalized the only tree on the beach," Akaashi said.
“I can't believe you're such a romantic, "Bokuto mockingly said to Kenma.
The blond rolled his eyes.
“Come on, it's true, you've never carved my name into a tree as far as I know," he continued.
“I'm not ten years old anymore Kōtarō, I'm not going to vandalize nature for that," Kenma replied.
“For that? You mean for me!" Bokuto intervened, feigning outrage.
Kuroo let out a euphoric laugh. He adjusted the screen of his computer to see his three boyfriends properly.
“I can't believe I thought I was straight for so long," the blond finally added.
The remark caught the other three off guard, and they burst into laughter.
The conversation resumed, Kuroo telling them about his stay. He described to Kenma how the city had evolved since his departure, sharing childhood memories, with the blond occasionally chiming in to add certain details.
He had to stop midsentence when the door of his room suddenly opened. Kasumi stood in the doorway. From the look on her face, she hadn't come to tell him something important. She was just there to tease her brother. Her expression quickly changed upon realizing that he was in the middle of a conversation.
“Who's that?” she asked.
She stood in front of the computer before even waiting for his answer.
“Oh! Kenma!”
“Kenma?” he heard someone shout from the corridor.
His second sister didn't take long to barge in as well.
“Oh, Kenma! Hi!”
Kuroo barely had time to open his mouth when he heard his mother calling out the blond's name in the hallway. She at least had the decency to knock on the wide-open door before entering. Kuroo was now sandwiched between the three women of his family, who were making exaggerated gestures at the camera as if the recipients were far away at sea. Kuroo pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out an exasperated sight.
“Kenma-kun! You've grown so much!”
“Hello, Kuroo-san”
“Hatsuko, my boy," his mother cut in. "Oh, sorry for barging in like this, I see you're not alone. Nice to meet you, I'm Tetsurō's mom."
The brunet let out one last sigh and finally managed to speak again.
“Mom, let me introduce you to Akaashi Keiji and Bokuto Kōtarō," he said. The two bowed their head at the mention of their names. "Kenma's... roommates."
He saw Bokuto struggling to hold back laughter, temporarily disappearing from the camera to avoid arousing suspicion. Akaashi closed his eyes, only a slight twitch of his lower lip betraying his amusement. Kenma, true to himself, managed to remain impassive.
"I'm so happy to see you, Kenma-kun. You look healthy. How are your parents?"
Everyone's gaze fell on the blond; they all knew perfectly well that he hadn't seen his parents in years.
"They're fine," he simply replied.
"Perfect, then give them my regards. And what about your love life?"
"Mom," Kuroo scolded.
This time Kenma had a hard time not reacting; Kuroo saw him smile. He managed to pass it off as a polite smile.
"Fine, thank you.”
"Good, good. I'll have Tetsurō bring you some homemade shokupan. Will you do that for me, Tetsu?"
"Of course, maybe a little crab too?"
This time the remark made the whole assembly laugh. Except Hatsuko, who frowned.
"Don't get upset Mom, thanks to my crab story I made many friends!"
"I was just trying to be a good mom," his mother almost pouted. "Well, I'll leave you boys alone. Akaashi-kun, Bokuto-kun, nice to meet you. Kenma-kun, I hope we can meet again soon!"
"Me too, Hatsuko-san."
They all waved goodbye, and Hatsuko left the room. Kuroo let out a sigh.
"What are you still doing here!" the brunet grumbled to his sisters.
They didn't seem impressed and remained in front of the camera.
"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Kasumi interjected.
Kuroo rolled his eyes.
"Kasumi, Natsume, my sisters, there, now out!"
The two young women, unimpressed, did not move.
"So... Kenma-kun, you're filthy rich, huh?" remarked Kasumi.
Kuroo nearly choked. He heard Bokuto laugh.
"Filthy rich, I don't know, but I'm doing alright."
"Wait, Tetsu told us he bought a house, why does he have roommates then?" Natsume remarked without addressing the person directly concerned.
Kuroo froze. Oops.
"I like having company," the blond replied.
"And we're poor," Bokuto added.
The remark managed to lighten Kuroo's mood, and he let out a discreet laugh.
"Hmm..."
As she caught her breath to speak again, Kuroo cut his sister off:
"Okay, that's enough, now get out!"
This time the brunet used force to make his sisters leave. He let out a long sigh when he was finally alone.
"Sorry about that," he said.
"It is nothing," Akaashi replied.
"We got to meet your family! Your sisters seem nice!" Bokuto continued.
"Nice?"
Akaashi and Bokuto nodded.
"I was glad to see them again," Kenma commented.
The brunet gave a tender smile.
The silence stretched for a few seconds before the blond intervened again:
"And we're poor..." he repeated, rolling his eyes.
"Well, what can I say? It's true! If you dump me, I'm out on the streets!"
"For one, I'm not going to dump you, Kōtaro, and, you'd be fine. Your family is loaded."
"And so what? It's not my money."
"Do you really think they'd let you be homeless?"
"No."
"Well, there you go."
“Can we change the subject? I don’t want to think about that!”
"You're the one who started it!"
"Hmm... Keiji, you'd be forced to live with your sister."
Akaashi visibly tensed up. The idea seemed to utterly terrify him.
His mates burst into laughter. Kuroo eventually joined in.
"Oh! I should probably get going," Akaashi said.
"Where are you going?"
"I have to go to work."
"Oh... Say hi to Konoha-san for me."
The brunet smiled, amused by the insolent tone he had taken:
"I will pass on your regards, I am sure he will be pleased. Kenma, can I take the car?"
"Hmm... The keys are on the bar."
“Thank you. Kuroo, sorry to leave like this, see you soon."
"Yeah... I miss you. I miss you guys."
Akaashi let out a tender smile.
"I miss you too. I have to go, sorry!"
He momentarily disappeared from the camera's view to retrieve his belongings.
"Did you find the keys?"
"Yes."
Kuroo saw him reappear when he came to kiss Kenma. He gave one final wave before leaving.
"Wait, can I come? I need to pick something up!" Bokuto called out.
"If you want, but hurry up."
"Okay."
Bokuto kissed Kenma on the cheek and sent a flying kiss to the camera:
"See you soon, bro!"
"See you, Bo."
He smiled at him and disappeared from his field of vision.
Kenma watched them leave, his gaze only returning to Kuroo when the door closed.
"I won't be long either," the brunet said. "It smells like food, we'll probably eat soon."
"Hmm, okay."
"It was nice talking to you guys."
Kenma let out a smile.
"I’m glad too."
Silence.
"Ji..."
"Hmm?"
Silence.
"Uh..."
"Hmm?"
Kenma adjusted his position, apparently embarrassed.
"I wanted to talk to you."
"About what?"
The blond's gaze caught his. His seriousness sent a shiver down Kuroo's spine.
"About what happened last time."
Kuroo felt his anxiety rising. He exhaled slowly to regain his composure.
"Oh... I know. But… can we talk about that later, face to face ?"
He needed time to think it over on his own. To clarify everything, to figure out how to explain what he was feeling.
"Okay."
Kuroo smiled at him, wanting to convey that no matter what happened, no matter what was happening, it didn't change his feelings. Kenma understood and returned his smile.
"I miss you," he murmured.
"Me too."
"Bye…"
"Yes, bye, see you soon."
Kenma left the conversation. Kuroo looked at the screen for a long time before sighing. He wasn't going to escape it, was he?
"Tetsu, lunch’s ready!" his mother called.
"I'm coming!"
He closed the computer and left his room.
-//-
And so, the rest of the week eventually passed by. Kuroo remembered the exact moment he had arrived a few days earlier, and now he was there, luggage in hand, ready to leave. Only his parents had accompanied him this time. His mother was giving him advice, speaking faster and faster as tears were starting to well up in her eyes. She finally stopped when her father placed a hand on her shoulder. They exchanged a glance before turning back to their eldest son.
"Have a safe trip back, Tetsu."
"Yeah."
"See you soon, baby. Enjoy the rest of your vacation, and study hard for your summer classes."
Oops, had Kuroo invented summer classes to be able to cut his trip home short? Yes, yes, he did. He loved his family, but the prospect of spending the summer in Tokyo was much more enticing to him.
"Okay... Well, I'm off."
He hugged his mother and passed through security. He turned one last time, waved to his parents, and walked away.
When he arrived at Narita Airport, he felt a sparkling and sweet feeling wash over him. Quite different from what he had felt the first time he had set foot in Tokyo. The excitement had turned into something tender: the sensation of being back home.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
“The brunet tapped the floor next to him, and Kenma approached. He sat down beside him, and they both watched the laundry spin for a moment. Kuroo was the first to speak up again:
"What did you want to talk about?" he asked, knowing perfectly well the answer.
"About sex."
Oh boy... Kuroo felt the anxiety rising, but he tried his best to hold it back. He took a deep breath. Before he could say anything, Kenma spoke up again:
"And about me."
Oh? Kuroo expected them to talk about him, but... He glanced over, surprised.
"Oh, okay... Uh, I'm listening."
Chapter 27: Skewers and barbecue
Summary:
“The brunet tapped the floor next to him, and Kenma approached. He sat down beside him, and they both watched the laundry spin for a moment. Kuroo was the first to speak up again:
"What did you want to talk about?" he asked, knowing perfectly well the answer.
"About sex."
Oh boy... Kuroo felt the anxiety rising, but he tried his best to hold it back. He took a deep breath. Before he could say anything, Kenma spoke up again:
"And about me."
Oh? Kuroo expected them to talk about him, but... He glanced over, surprised.
"Oh, okay... Uh, I'm listening."
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
--
Kuroo didn't even bother to stop by his place and went straight to his boyfriends' instead. Sure, he didn't have any change of clothes left, but that was the benefit of having Akaashi, Bokuto, and Kenma in his life: he had three closets to raid, and no need to go to the sketchy laundromat anymore ! Pure bliss!
His boyfriends welcomed him back with a fantastic dinner. He had to admit though that he didn’t honor it quite as it deserved. Just being there with them left him so ecstatic he hardly noticed what was on his plate.
Then, they all settled in front of the TV to watch a thriller, one with the most chilling yet irresistibly intriguing plot. Unfortunately for the other two, Kuroo and Bokuto were in peak conditions to play the movie commentary. The other two tried to ask them to stay quiet at first, to no avail. After ten seconds of silence, they leaned toward each other to whisper nonsense, trying to contain the childish waves of laughter that overcame them. Akaashi and Kenma eventually gave up, knowing full well they wouldn't be able to reason with them. So they let them be, occasionally chuckling at their remarks. However, they soon began to share their own comments. The euphoria spread to everyone, and they had to pause the movie several times, seized by laughter so intensely they had trouble breathing.
"Alright, next time we'll choose a bad horror movie, we'll have plenty to comment on, and no need to follow along," Kenma said as the credits rolled.
"We did follow along! We figured out who the killer was super quickly!" Bokuto retorted.
"We did," Akaashi conceded.
"Teamwork is essential for good detectives, that's all," Bokuto declared.
They chatted for a long time, their conversations taking increasingly convoluted directions. Kenma was the first to call it a night and went to bed, followed closely by Akaashi. Kuroo and Bokuto continued for a while longer before deciding that 2 AM was an acceptable time to go to bed. They continued to speak softly by the door of the master bedroom.
Kuroo had gotten used to sleeping in the upstairs bedroom, alone. Bokuto had long since abandoned the room for the master bedroom. As he was about to leave, Bokuto called out to him:
"Bro, do you want to come with me?"
Kuroo tensed. Everything that had been weighing on his mind resurfaced. He couldn't understand why it made him so anxious, and he would have to overcome it sooner or later. For now, it hadn't seemed to bother anyone, they were moving at his pace, and he was deeply grateful for that. But he would eventually have to explain himself, especially to Kenma... They still needed to discuss what had happened... And then...
He was snapped out of his spiral when Bokuto took his hand in his. As he looked up, his eyes met his. His boyfriend smiled at him. He smiled back. Bokuto took his face in his hands to kiss him and opened the door.
"See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
Kuroo slept very little that night, battling his demons and tracing their origins.
-//-
Kuroo wasn't exactly young anymore. The cruelty of this fact was painful for him. When he was still vigorous and young, a sleepless night wouldn't have affected him so much. He would have woken up the next morning with as much energy as if he had slept for eight hours. And now, every waking second was a merciless battle.
Well, to his defense, he had been trying to catch up on sleep for a while now. The week at his parents' house hadn't been restful at all...
Kuroo had gone downstairs to do laundry. He had sat down to set up the program and start it but never got back up. Now, his forehead was pressed against the drum's glass, watching the laundry spin. His eyelids began to droop; he was close to falling asleep. But before he could fully succumb to it, he heard a knock at the door.
"Ji, are you there?"
Kenma.
"Yeah."
The blond walked in, about to speak, but stopped when he saw Kuroo's position.
"What are you doing?"
Kuroo lifted his forehead from the glass to face him.
"Nothing, just watching... I didn't sleep well."
"Oh..."
The silence grew between them.
"Do you… need anything?"
"Yeah, I wanted to… talk." the blond replied. "But if you're not up for it, we can do it later."
Kuroo knew exactly what he wanted to talk about. Sure, his neurons weren't firing on all cylinders, but he had rehearsed what he wanted to say enough times in his head. And maybe the lack of sleep would even help him overcome his discomfort. He didn't want to avoid it anymore.
"No, it's okay, don't worry."
The brunet tapped the floor next to him, and Kenma approached. He sat down beside him, and they both watched the laundry spin for a moment. Kuroo was the first to speak up again:
"What did you want to talk about?" he asked, knowing perfectly well the answer.
"About sex."
Oh boy... Kuroo felt the anxiety rising, but he tried his best to hold it back. He took a deep breath. Before he could say anything, Kenma spoke up again:
"And about me."
Oh? Kuroo expected them to talk about him, but... He glanced over, surprised.
"Oh, okay... Uh, I'm listening."
He saw Kenma lower his gaze. Kuroo frowned. While Kenma usually appeared composed, and confident, it was not the case now. He seemed upset, and... was he... afraid? The blond let out a restless sigh before continuing.
"Okay... um... First... I want you to know that what I'm about to tell you doesn't... affect in any way, shape or form, uh, the feelings I have for you, or their intensity..."
This time, Kuroo was starting to worry.
"Okay," he replied in a whisper.
Kenma lifted his gaze again, focusing it on him. He took a deep breath and said:
"I'm vegetarian."
Kuroo blinked before letting out a chuckle.
"What? Sorry, I... what?"
Kenma, however, didn't seem to be joking.
"Okay, imagine sex is like... meat."
"Okay."
"Well, then, I'm vegetarian."
Oh? Oh! Oooh!
"Okay," Kuroo simply replied.
His answer must not have pleased Kenma, who decided to launch into a monologue:
"Well... I can make an exception but... not an exception, it's not like I have... it's not that it disgusts me or that I have a mental block, it's just that... It's not my priority, I... And I... Well, no, I..."
His voice had become so weak that he couldn't understand what he was saying anymore, but the stream of words didn't stop. And the further he went, the more distressed he became. He saw tears welling up in his eyes, his limbs beginning to tremble. Kuroo had experienced enough panic attacks to understand what was happening.
"Hey, hey," the brunet murmured tenderly.
He took Kenma's hand in his.
Kenma abruptly stopped, gasping for air as if he had been holding his breath for several minutes. The kindness in Kuroo's gaze unsettled the blond. The brunet leaned in to kiss his temple.
"I understand, Kenma."
"Really?"
"Yeah..."
Kenma frowned.
"I don't know if you can understand, I... I'm not expressing myself properly, I don't want you to think that..."
"You just want to tell me that you're asexual, right?" Kuroo interrupted.
Kenma fell silent and turned his head, dumbfounded.
"Uh, shit, that's not it? Sorry, I don't want to label you or anything, it's just, it resonates with what I know, so..."
"No... That's it," the blond cut in.
He answered as if Kuroo had just performed a magic trick.
"Okay."
"Okay."
Silence.
"And Kenma, I understand that just because you're not sexually attracted to me... doesn't mean you don’t like me... I... It's the same for me... Not that... Well, it doesn't change my feelings either."
Kenma looked him in the eyes before bursting into tears.
In his life, he must have seen Kenma cry twice: when he was seven years old, and now.
"Woh, woh, sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry! Did I say something wrong?"
"No, no, not at all... I'm just relieved."
Kuroo hugged him. Kenma wrapped his arms around his back to hold him close.
"I was scared, damn it..."
"Scared of what?"
Kenma sniffled loudly.
"I don't know... That you'd get angry... that you'd be disappointed..."
The brunet pulled away to look him in the eyes, raising an eyebrow.
"You were afraid I would be disappointed by your… sexual orientation?"
The blond chuckled, new tears rolling down his cheeks.
"I don't know... I was just scared."
Kuroo said nothing and hugged him again.
"Thank you..."
"Why?" Kuroo murmured.
"For this..."
Kenma pulled away, wiping his face with the back of his hand.
"Damn it," he sighed. "I wish it had gone this well before..."
Kuroo frowned:
"It didn't go well before?"
"No..."
"Oh..."
Kenma sniffed and turned his eyes to the washing machine.
"Kōtaro and Keiji understand now, and so do I... I know it's not my fault or theirs... And it's not a problem... But it wasn't always the case."
Kuroo pulled his legs up to rest his head on his knees, showing Kenma that he was listening.
"It wasn't a great time... And not understanding what was happening hurt me... Them too. We almost broke up..."
"Really?"
"Yeah... But they didn't let me down, and we moved forward, together. Our relationship still bears some scars, but... well, it’s ok now. So thank you."
Kuroo smiled. They hugged again.
"I'm surprised you're so well-informed," the blond added.
"Hmm, I've done my homework. I consider myself an expert," Kuroo joked.
Kenma chuckled. They remained silent for a long time in each other's arms before Kenma pulled away. Kuroo chuckled, and the blond raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you laughing?"
“Nothing… I just… It’s a bit ironic that you’re the one who gave me the sex talk. They dumped it on you, didn’t they?”
"Kind of, yeah," the blond grimaced. "But it concerns me too, so..."
"Hmm, okay..."
"I gather you didn’t like it very much then."
"No, absolutely not. I understand that it was important, but...Well, I wasn’t perfectly at ease let's say.”
Kenma rolled his eyes but said nothing more.
"Okay, your turn."
"My turn?"
Kenma was looking way more like himself now.
"I was there, you know, I saw how you reacted."
"Oh... yeah."
Well yes, he had almost forgotten the original problem.
"You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t feel like it. I just want to make sure you’re okay."
"Hmm... I don't know."
Kenma raised an eyebrow. Kuroo took a deep breath.
"I'm not a vegetarian."
"Okay."
"But... um, I have to admit that I'm having a bit of trouble... having barbecues again."
"Oh, okay."
"I've thought about it a lot... And, I think I pinpointed the problem by now, well, more or less. But well, I think I know why I reacted that way.”
"Do you want to tell me why?"
"Yes... Well, let's say... I didn't always have great barbecues."
Kenma frowned, alarmed.
"Nothing terrible, like, no big trauma, but... I think... um... I had a lot of barbecues... I'll stop with the barbecue, it sounds a bit orgy-like… Not that it’s a bad thing, just, um to each their own, but that's not what I mean."
Kenma chuckled:
"I got it."
"Anyway, I had a phase where I ate a lot of skewers, oh my god, that's worse!"
Kenma let out a light laugh.
"You can give up on the metaphor if you want."
"No, it still helps. Anyway, barbecues—I’ve done a lot, often with people I didn’t know well or really care to be around, and… well, I often went with the wrong intentions, you know? Not just for the love of grilled steaks. I thought it was ‘cool’ and fulfilling, that it somehow proved I was free to do what I wanted. But really, it didn’t help. It just ruined barbecues for me and messed up my… relationship with skewers. Throw in an irrational fear of abandonment and… you get this..."
Silence...
"Okay... So you're afraid of intimacy."
Kuroo blushed furiously.
"Don't give up on my great metaphor!"
"It's my metaphor to begin with."
"Yeah, but..."
"Okay, okay. But did I get it right?"
Kuroo sighed.
"Yes."
"Okay," the blond murmured.
He took Kuroo's hand in his, inviting him to continue. Kuroo smiled, relieved.
"I thought it would get better because... I trust you guys and... And damn it, I really crave those skewers..."
"Pfft, okay..."
"But it didn't go away... I want them, but every time I envision, um, going to the barbecue, everything collapses, and I panic... a little."
"Okay."
"Plus... Well, it's been a while since I... had a barbecue. And then, I don't know, I've never eaten skewers with three, well, two, I'll take you out of the equation if that's okay?"
Kenma nodded.
"Two people, I mean, and it stresses me out even more, and..."
Kuroo didn’t know how to end his sentence.
Kenma raised an eyebrow.
"What?" Kuroo asked.
"Ji, um... I gather it’s not obvious to you but..."
"But?"
"You don't have to have sex,” Kuroo grimaced and Kenma corrected himself, “eat skewers with both of them at the same time."
"Oh... yeah."
His response almost sounded like a question.
"But..."
"It's two people, you don't have to go at the same pace. I don't think it'll be a problem for them."
"Hmm..."
"But I think talking to them about it would be better, for them and you."
"Yeah..."
"Okay?"
"Okay."
They smiled at each other. Silence fell again. They only really returned to reality when the machine beeped to announce the end of the cycle.
"Come on," Kenma straightened up.
"Hmm, Kenma?"
"Yes."
"Thank you."
He smiled.
"Thank you too."
Kuroo smiled and also got to his feet. He pulled Kenma close to him and hugged him tightly. Kenma responded to the embrace. The blond smiled at him and stood on tiptoe, Kuroo leaning down to meet him for a kiss.
"I starving now that we talked about barbecues."
"Damn, me too..."
They split up and went back upstairs.
Kuroo smiled to himself. Everything wasn't resolved yet, but he felt much lighter.
-//-
Well, it definitely wasn't resolved at all. Now that he had put words to the problem and had the will to move forward, his anxiety had turned into something much more tangible. He no longer wanted to avoid the discussion, but the idea of having to talk about it was almost painful. He had talked about it with Kenma, it had gone well, but... But the topic wasn't easy to broach.
Kuroo looked up from his book. He was sitting on the living room carpet, Kenma and Bokuto were sprawled on the couch, the blond using his mate's body as a giant pillow, both busy looking at the screen of the console Kenma held in his hands. Sitting in the armchair next to them, Akaashi was reading, occasionally stopping to note something down on the notebook resting on the couch arm. They were all together, but more or less engrossed in their own thing; it might not necessarily be the right time to talk about that kind of things... And did Kenma really want to find himself in the middle of this conversation again? And then...
"I like barbecues but I'm afraid to have them again," Kuroo blurted out without further ado.
The other three were startled by his sudden intervention. Kuroo had spoken without thinking, and he immediately regretted it. He grimaced and groaned, feeling embarrassment creeping up on him. Kenma burst out laughing, and the other two looked at him, incredulous.
"He's talking about sex," the blond clarified.
Well, now Kuroo felt like rolling himself up inside the carpet to disappear from the face of the Earth.
"Oh, I see," Akaashi responded calmly.
He closed his book and placed it on the edge of the couch. Adjusting his position in his armchair, he turned his gaze towards Kuroo. Bokuto sat up straight, turning his eyes towards him as well.
Well, damn, it was hard to back out now. Kuroo turned his eyes to the window to regain his composure.
"Did you want to talk to us about it?" Akaashi asked.
The tenderness in his voice soothed Kuroo.
"Yes... Um... You may have noticed that... I've been avoiding, uh, that."
Both Akaashi and Bokuto nodded.
He didn't really know how to formulate his thoughts or express them...
"Bro, um... it's okay, you know," Bokuto said.
"I know, but... Um... I've already talked about it with Kenma and... I want to move forward but... I don't know."
No one commented. They were waiting for him to finish on his own, to explain what was on his mind. He took a deep breath and summarized what he had discussed with Kenma, once again resorting to the metaphor of the barbecue, which apparently had become dear to him. Once he finished, he fell silent. He didn't really know what reaction he was expecting from them. Akaashi and Bokuto nodded.
"Bro, no worries, you know. Go at your own pace."
Akaashi nodded.
"Do you know what you... would like to do? What would you be more comfortable with?"
"No, I have no idea."
"Okay."
The three of them exchanged glances. Bokuto was the first to speak again.
"You know, Bro, um, you don’t have to go to the barbecue all at once or even go there at all. Like, there are plenty of steps before, like going to the butcher to choose the right cuts, preparing the sauces, buying charcoal... Well, lots of cool stuff!"
Kuroo frowned, not entirely sure he followed. Apparently, he was the only one, as the other two seemed pleasantly surprised by the aptness of this intervention.
"Um, Bo, I usually understand you fine, but you lost me there."
"I think what he's trying to say is that there can be intimacy without sex."
"Yeah, that's it," confirmed Bokuto.
Kuroo felt silent. He was right. He had so often rushed through the steps that he had almost forgotten they could be distinct. This thought reassured him. He let out a smile.
“That's true. I'll think about it. Um... Thank you."
"Why?"
"For listening, I guess."
Bokuto leaped off the couch and threw himself at Kuroo. He hugged him tightly, making sure to offset their height difference so he could plant a kiss on his head. Kuroo smiled and hugged him back. He was proud to have already taken this first step.
-//-
It took him a few days to focus on what he wanted to do ; how he wanted to move forward. In the meantime, he’d gone back home and spent several afternoons with the members of CATO who were still around, which, fortunately, was pretty much everyone. He reunited with his boyfriends without having fully decided how to approach his problem. Since their last discussion, Kuroo hadn’t brought up the topic again, and no one had pressured him to do so.
He was sitting in the living room, Bokuto was lying on the couch, Akaashi in his armchair, and he was sitting on the carpet, leaning against the couch. Kenma had left them earlier in the evening to start his stream. Bokuto absentmindedly stroked his hair, his gaze fixed on the TV screen. He wasn't quite sure what they were watching anymore. They had spent the day outside, and the heat had tired them out. Fortunately, the night air had cooled them down. Akaashi was the first one to get up.
"I am going to bed."
"Hmm, me too."
Kuroo also straightened up. Bokuto yawned and turned off the TV. His boyfriends kissed him before parting ways and headed to the master bedroom. Kuroo went to freshen up before heading back upstairs. He looked at the bed, indecisive.
"Okay," he murmured to himself.
He grabbed his pillow and went back downstairs. Once in front of the door, he hesitated. He took a deep breath and knocked. A vague murmur responded to him, and he opened the bedroom door. He saw two heads turning towards him in the darkness.
"Kuroo? Did you need something?"
"Um..."
Silence.
"Yes?"
"Can I sleep with you?"
They looked surprised but agreed.
"No barbecue, just... sleeping," he clarified.
"Okay," Akaashi replied, already half asleep.
Kuroo stepped forward and closed the door behind him. He let his eyes adjust to the darkness and approached. Akaashi and Bokuto had left him some space between them, and he slipped in. He noticed that they were both sleeping shirtless. He blushed foolishly but quickly regained his composure. He hesitated but eventually sat up to remove his T-shirt. Once settled, he heard Bokuto murmur:
"Cuddle?"
"Yes."
Akaashi wasted no time and wrapped his arms around him, pressing his chest against his back. Bokuto slid under the sheets to snuggle closer to him, resting his head near his chest, his free arm draped over his hip.
Oh my god, he was going to boil.
"Goodnight," he murmured.
Kuroo fell asleep almost instantly.
When he woke up, the room was completely bathed in daylight, the sun's rays penetrating the room through the skylight. Kuroo had to close his eyes, overwhelmed by the brightness.
"Hello," he heard someone whisper.
He opened his eyes. Bokuto was smiling at him.
"Hello."
He ran his hand through his hair and leaned in to kiss his lips.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Hm."
Kuroo slid his arm under Bokuto's and drew closer to him. Bokuto followed suit, resting his forehead against his. They stayed like that for several minutes. Kuroo felt good. The contact of their bare skin, his body against his, without it being sexualized, just out of pure tenderness. That was what he had missed the most. He smiled to himself. He wrapped his arm around him a little tighter, and Bokuto joined in the embrace. His boyfriend kissed his neck and rested his head on his shoulder.
"Pff, look at him."
Kuroo disentangled himself to turn his head. He chuckled as well: Akaashi had moved during the night. He was now facing away from them, right at the edge of the bed, half of his body hanging off.
"How did he manage not to fall?"
"I have no idea, he always does that."
"Do you think we should help him? He's going to end up on the floor."
Bokuto rolled his eyes.
"Wait."
With a less-than-graceful movement, he climbed over Kuroo to reach Akaashi's side. Kuroo turned completely to watch them. Bokuto leaned towards the brunet, whispering something before kissing his ear. No response from Akaashi. So Bokuto proceeded to pull him away from the edge. The gesture was not very appreciated judging by the low grunt that escaped the brunet.
"Stop it! You're going to fall, you big idiot."
Akaashi eventually complied, though he continued to growl. He shielded his eyes from the sun with his arm, muttering under his breath without anyone being able to understand what he was talking about. He lay on his side, hiding his face under Bokuto's arm who was lying on his back. Eventually, he opened his eyes, and his gaze met Kuroo's. His lover smiled at him.
Akaashi let out a deep sigh, apparently satisfied to see him. He reached out his hand, and Kuroo understood his request. He moved closer to them, and Bokuto opened his free arm for him to snuggle against his side. Akaashi raised his hand to stroke his face and let it glide over his skin until their hands met and their fingers intertwined. Kuroo closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep.
-//-
Kuroo had gradually become accustomed to this kind of interaction, and he had to admit that it was becoming almost addictive. Soon, he spent most of his days cuddling. The Mediterraneans knew it well: naps were the best! There was nothing greater than sleeping in the middle of the day! It wasn't productive, but he had nothing better to do anyway. His new rhythm resembled that of a pampered cat: he spent the night with Bokuto, Akaashi, or both. He woke up and went back to sleep with Kenma, who went to bed at dawn. He would then get up around ten or eleven in the morning, and once breakfast was over, he was off for another nap. One thing was certain, he had made up for all the lost sleep hours during his nights of psychological turmoil.
Still no barbecue in sight, but the idea was becoming less and less frightening to him. No one had tried anything, letting him go at his own pace.
Kuroo was engaged in his favorite activity that morning: cuddling. He and Bokuto were lying in bed, the brunet caressing his boyfriend's skin as the latter was clearly struggling to stay awake. His hands stopped at his neck, and he frowned. Bokuto noticed and opened his eyes completely:
"What's up?"
"Nothing... I was just thinking, don't you have a mark?"
It was Bokuto's turn to frown:
"A mark?"
"Yeah, you're mated, right?"
"Yeah."
"But you don't have a mark?"
"A mark?" his boyfriend murmured, not seeing where he was going with this. He eventually understood and chuckled:
"Bro, here's my mark," he indicated, pointing to his head.
Kuroo looked horrified.
"On your skull?"
"No, bro, in my brain."
Okay, that didn't make any sense now! Brain surgery for that? Wasn't that a bit extreme?
Bokuto continued to laugh.
"You've watched too much porn, bro!"
"I didn’t!" the brunet defended himself. "I thought that like, uh..."
"The whole biting thing, nah... The Sô-shis do, or did that, but it's more of a territorial thing. But anyway, you don’t have to have a mark to be mated."
"Oh."
Kuroo looked at him, starting to realize the extent of his ignorance. Bokuto smiled, amused.
"Do you even know what it is?"
"What?"
"The bond."
Kuroo opened his mouth to answer, then closed it immediately. He tried to recall the little knowledge he had on the subject, but, judging by the earlier remarks, it seemed that knowledge might be less reliable than he thought.
"No," he admitted.
Bokuto stretched. After readjusting his position, he continued:
"It's a neuro-physiological synchronization, you don't need a physical mark for that."
"Oh."
Surprising how the same person who had given you a very poorly constructed speech on the lives of earthworms ten minutes earlier would throw out the term "neuro-physiological synchronization" as if it were nothing. Life was full of wonderful surprises!
"Oh, okay."
Kuroo let his head fall back onto Bokuto's chest.
"But then, how do you form it?"
Scientist mode activated for Kuroo.
"What?"
"The bond."
Bokuto let his head fall back, looking at the ceiling.
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"No... It's not completely unconscious, but still. I don't think I could explain. It just... happens."
Not much for the scientific explanation, he needed to educate himself on the subject.
That's exactly what he did. Unfortunately for him, science wasn't much advanced on the topic either. He found plenty of complex explanations about the nature of the bond, but very little was known about its establishment.
Although he didn't get answers to all his questions, this event had the advantage of reminding him of something important. Something he hadn't considered earlier, but which evidently mattered: he didn't have the same secondary as his boyfriends. And he had to admit that despite learning quite a bit about it over the past few months, he was far from being an expert. In his everyday life, it didn't bother him too much; he learned as he went along. But now that he was seriously considering the idea of returning to barbecues, he was starting to think that it might be important to learn a little bit more about that matter.
So, he undertook to do what he did best in these situations: theorize. Unfortunately for him, the internet wasn't much help. He typed things like "omega anatomy," "alpha sex," and the like, but only encountered very little educational content. He had established that watching pornography was not a reliable source. So, he was now looking into old-school techniques: books.
To do this, there was nothing better than a trip to the university library. Kuroo first wandered through the aisles, ashamed of the nature of his activity. He quickly regained his composure: firstly, he was doing it for science, nothing shameful about that. Secondly, there were hardly any people around. This wasn’t surprising, since not a lot of students wanted to bury themselves in books during summer break.
There wasn't much on the subject, just a few old drawings in atlases dating back to the last century, with faded colors and dog-eared pages. The hardest part was finding data on male omegas, which science had apparently decided to overlook... He was now busy examining a diagram showing the differences between beta’s and omega’s uteruses. He had never thought about it before, but it was true that there must be differences, given that the cycles were not the same and that...
"What are you doing?"
Kuroo jumped, sending the pen he had in his hands flying across the room. He turned and found Yamaguchi, looking in the direction his pen had taken.
"Oh, Yamaguchi, what are you doing here?"
"I'm waiting for Tsukki, he's working in the archives."
"What's he doing?"
"I don't know, sorting stuff. What are you doing here?"
"Nothing."
Yamaguchi didn't say anything, but he wasn't fooled either. He leaned over Kuroo's shoulder to see what he was looking at. Kuroo tried to close the book, but the young man intercepted it before he could. Of all the people he could have run into, it had to be Yamaguchi who stumbled upon him. While he expected a mocking response, he simply replied in an even tone:
"Your book sucks, is it from three centuries ago or what?"
He continued flipping through the pages, without his gaze meeting Kuroo's:
"Plus, there's nothing on female alphas and male omegas, it's ridiculous."
"Uh..."
Yamaguchi sighed. He pulled the chair next to him and sat down:
"Can I take this?" he asked, pointing to the stack of papers under his elbow.
Kuroo nodded, unable to understand what was happening.
"Thanks," he grabbed a pen from his pencil case and began drawing on the sheet he had taken.
"First of all, there's no trunk like that, I don't know where that comes from, uterine horns look more like this..."
Kuroo looked up, stunned by the direction this discussion was taking.
"Are you listening to me or what?"
The brunet blinked several times:
"Uh, yes."
"Okay, so in female omegas it's like this, but in males it's not connected the same way..."
Kuroo took a moment to focus, but eventually let himself be drawn in, listening carefully to each explanation his friend provided. Ten minutes later, Yamaguchi had drawn multiple carefully labeled diagrams. He even titled each one of them.
"Well, I think that covers it, here you go," he said, handing him the stack of papers.
"Um... thanks."
Kuroo looked at what he had in his hands with a vacant expression.
"Are you okay?"
"Um, yeah, I'm still not over this whole ‘expandable clitoris’. It must hurt like hell..."
Yamaguchi smiled at him.
"I'm not sure, maybe in the first cycle, but after that, I guess it's okay."
"Uh..."
Silence.
"Um... I didn't know you were so, um, knowledgeable about this"
Yamaguchi raised an eyebrow:
"You know I'm studying biology too, right? I'm just a year below you."
"Uh yeah, but... I didn't know... And don't give me the ‘you’re a clueless beta’ shit, we had the same curriculum, I know we didn't cover that."
"Uh... I'd like to specialize in pharmacology in this field, what they're doing today is crap. Okay, suppressants can be a good thing and all, but it's not great on many levels. So I had to learn on my own."
"Oh, okay. Um... It's impressive."
The young man smiled at him, proud of himself.
"Okay, so why did you want to know about this?"
"For... my education."
Kuroo didn't sound confident, and Yamaguchi didn't believe him for a second. He saw him raise an eyebrow, pressing him to answer his question.
"It’s true though... I just realized that... Well, I don’t have the same secondary as them, and I didn't want to remain ignorant."
Yamaguchi nodded but didn't take his eyes off him, sensing that there was more to it.
"What? Did they ask if you wanted to spend their cycles with them?"
Kuroo's eyes widened, and he almost choked on his saliva.
"No! No! Damn it, I'm not there yet... Shit, I hadn't thought about that either... Anyway, no, far from it... Well, not far, but..." He didn't dare to finish his sentence. He looked up, staring at Yamaguchi for a long time. "Damn it, am I really about to have this conversation with you?"
"What conversation?"
Kuroo sighed and let his head fall into his hands.
"Oh! You want to talk about sex, right? Ah, go ahead, I don't care, chill."
"No, not chill," muttered the brunette.
"Dude, now that you're there, just keep going."
Another sigh.
"Okay."
"Yeah!" Yamaguchi exclaimed, clapping his hands joyfully.
Kuroo looked up.
"What? What do you want?" his counterpart asked.
"Can I braid your hair?" the brunette asked.
Yamaguchi frowned. "What? Why? And we're in the middle of the library!"
"No one's here. And honestly, I don't want to face you while I talk about this, and... it relaxes me. Plus, I'm not bad at braiding; I braided my sisters' hair for years. And I often braid Kenma's hair."
"I love it when you casually drop that you braid my idol's hair."
"Um, so?"
"Okay."
Kuroo turned his chair to the side, and Yamaguchi did the same. Once positioned with his back to Kuroo, he undid his bun to let his hair fall.
"Woh! I never noticed how long your hair is, you always have it tied up," Kuroo remarked, grabbing the mass of hair that reached down to his friend's upper back.
"Um, I like them like this."
"Give me your hair tie."
Yamaguchi complied, and the brunet began running his fingers through his hair to detangle it.
"So?" the younger one began.
"So."
Kuroo fell silent.
"I didn't give you access to my hair for nothing, spill the tea."
"Okay... um, first, I... um... eeehh."
He let out the last syllable in a high-pitched squeal.
"Eeeeeh what?"
"Damn it, I can't believe I'm telling you this."
"Shut up, come on!"
"Okay, um, I... we haven't... well, you know..."
"Oh? Um, okay."
Yamaguchi didn't add anything more. It reassured Kuroo, who continued:
"It's on my end that it’s… problematic let’s say. I’m a tiny bit... scared of intimacy, and... um, I'm trying to work on it, it's getting better, I guess, but..."
Kuroo stopped for a moment, waiting for his friend's reaction. He said nothing. Kuroo sighed, feeling a bit more confident now. He started parting Yamaguchi's hair evenly to begin braiding.
"So, I'd say it's getting better, but it's not quite there yet. And then, I realized that... well, like I said, we don't have the same secondary, and I just wanted to know... what was different, you know."
"Hum... And you thought looking at diagrams in old books would help you," Yamaguchi remarked somewhat mockingly.
"I don't know, it was that or weird porn."
Yamaguchi chuckled, and Kuroo pulled his hair to silence him.
"Stay still!"
"I'm not moving!"
Silence.
"Okay, so, do you want to know if sex is different?"
Kuroo pulled on his hair again.
"What? That’s not it?”
"Well, yeah..."
"Okay then. Well, I think I'll disappoint you, but out of cycle, there's not much difference. Unless you need a lesson on sex between guys, but..."
"No, I'm good," Kuroo interrupted.
"Well, there you go," he sighed.
Kuroo sighed.
"Oh, and by the way," Yamaguchi added, "omega males get wet," he chuckled like a child who had just said something silly.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Kuroo didn't know what to do with that information.
"Okay... And, the thing you mentioned earlier?"
"About what?"
"The alphas."
"The knot?"
Why had Kuroo gotten into this already? It was almost torture! He undid the braid he had just finished to start over.
"Hmm, that."
"Hum, it doesn't really happen out of cycle either... And I don't want to spoil the surprise," Yamaguchi finished before giggling childishly.
"Shut up."
"You shut up."
They both chuckled this time.
"And during a cycle?"
“Um... are you sure you want to go there? Besides, I could tell you in theory, but it varies from person to person. From my experience, we spend several days beforehand cooking because we eat like five during, and then my head is so messed up that I wouldn't even be able to tell you what I'm doing. I just know that I wake up several days later feeling like I survived an apocalypse and spend the following days sleeping and doing laundry.
“Oh... that sounds lovely," Kuroo commented ironically.
“Real lovely. Your head is so full of hormones you can't think straight anymore, even talking is difficult, if not impossible. That's why so many of us know sign language; you can't engage in philosophical debates, but it helps. And then it's super funny; you can't necessarily stay in your apartment because you might really annoy the neighbors and end up on the streets. So, it can be really expensive to find a place to spend your cycle sometimes...”
“Oh... I didn't know that.”
“Hum... it sucks a bit.”
“I can see that...”
“But... when you're with someone cool, it's not too bad...”
Kuroo smiled.
“Thanks.”
“For what?”
“For talking about it with me.”
“I know you can't see it, but I'm rolling my eyes right now.”
“I think Oikawa has a bad influence on you.”
“How do you know it's not the other way around?”
“What the fuck are you guys doing here?”
They both turned around.
“Oh, Tsukki baby," greeted Kuroo.
The person addressed didn't appreciate the nickname very much.
“Just talking," Yamaguchi told him.
“About what?”
“Nothing.”
“Sex.”
Yamaguchi and Kuroo had spoken simultaneously. Kuroo shot his friend a dark look, who just smiled. The news didn't seem to faze the blond, who approached without further comment.
“And why do you look like a freaking fairy?" he added to his partner.
“A fairy?”
Yamaguchi pulled out his phone to look at his reflection with the front camera. Kuroo was quite proud of his work: two braids on the side, and another in the middle fell into a large braid that he had brought back over his shoulder, a masterpiece.
“Wow, it's so pretty!” Yamaguchi exclaimed enthusiastically.
“Told you.”
“To think I doubted you! You'll have to do it for me again.”
“I hope I won't have that kind of conversation with you ever again.”
“Oh, my poor friend, I think your hopes are in vain.”
Kuroo chuckled but said nothing more.
“Well, we were planning to go for bubble tea, wanna come?”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Cool!”
“Why would he come with us?” Tsukishima intervened.
“Oh, Tsukki baby, don't you want me to come?”
Tsukishima grimaced, and Kuroo did too.
God, that sounded way dirtier than he intended.
“Sorry… Not what I was going for.”
To his surprise, Tsukishima snorted. He turned and started walking toward the entrance.
“I'll wait for you guys outside, hurry up.”
“Yes!” Yamaguchi and Kuroo exclaimed.
It was only a good half-hour later, with bubble tea in hand, that Kuroo remembered something crucial:
“Damn it...”
“What?” Yamaguchi asked, busy looking at himself from all angles in the window in front of him.
“I forgot to pick up the pen I threw on the floor.”
Yamaguchi, surprised by his response, burst into laughter.
Of course, he never saw that pen again. May it rest in peace.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Next chapter “Bon appétit”
"See you tomorrow," the blond signed to him before turning back to his screens. Kuroo quietly opened Kenma’s door, careful not to make any noise since Akaashi and Bokuto were surely asleep by now. He closed the door gently behind him, but as he was about to step out into the hallway, he paused, caught off guard by faint sounds coming from further down the corridor. He couldn’t quite make out what it was and leaned forward a bit to get a better look.
Oh : apparently, his boyfriends weren’t sleeping. There they were, Akaashi pinned to the wall by Bokuto, the two of them kissing like the world was about to vaporize.See you
Chapter 28: Bon appétit
Summary:
"See you tomorrow," the blond signed to him before turning back to his screens. Kuroo quietly opened Kenma’s door, careful not to make any noise since Akaashi and Bokuto were surely asleep by now. He closed the door gently behind him, but as he was about to step out into the hallway, he paused, caught off guard by faint sounds coming from further down the corridor. He couldn’t quite make out what it was and leaned forward a bit to get a better look.
Oh : apparently, his boyfriends weren’t sleeping. There they were, Akaashi pinned to the wall by Bokuto, the two of them kissing like the world was about to vaporize.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
While deeply embarrassing, Kuroo’s little “discussion” with Yamaguchi has been immensely… educative and benefited him greatly. He felt more confident now. He wasn't quite there yet, but he was making progress. He was training his brain to come to terms with the idea without panicking, which was quite challenging for his overly anxious nervous system.
He had spent most of the evening in Kenma's office, having secured the exclusive right to stay during his stream, provided he kept quiet. Slouched on the small couch at the back of the room, he couldn’t see the screens clearly but instead focused on listening to Kenma’s voice. He had to admit, aside from simply being close to his boyfriend, this setup was ideal because Kenma's office was the only room in the house with AC.
He was beginning to fall asleep, his mind caught between wakefulness and sleep going off in unlikely memetic directions, retransforming all the noises around him to materialize them into something else. Eventually, he came more or less back to his senses. He looked at the time: 1:30 AM. Well, time to go to bed ! He straightened up to go out, Kenma noticed and waved goodbye with a smile.
"See you tomorrow," the blond signed to him before turning back to his screens. Kuroo quietly opened Kenma’s door, careful not to make any noise since Akaashi and Bokuto were surely asleep by now. He closed the door gently behind him, but as he was about to step out into the hallway, he paused, caught off guard by faint sounds coming from further down the corridor. He couldn’t quite make out what it was and leaned forward a bit to get a better look.
Oh : apparently, his boyfriends weren’t sleeping. There they were, Akaashi pinned to the wall by Bokuto, the two of them kissing like the world was about to vaporize.
Kuroo pressed himself against the door to not be spotted. Yes, he could no longer see them, but he could still hear them! The sound of their suckling breaths, their distraught mouths. Kuroo blushed, feeling the blood rush to his head. He was well aware that Bokuto and Akaashi didn't knit sweaters together when he wasn't squatting their bed, but this was the first time he'd bumped into them, and he had absolutely no idea how to react. So he did nothing.
He looked up again after a moment, leaning against the doorframe, his gaze turned towards the living room. The mirror in front of him reflected the hallway, and he instinctively looked away. His breathing began to quicken, and his head to spin. His curiosity - or his libido - made him look up again. He could see them in the mirror in front of him. His heart was pounding against his ribcage. A sensation, at once burning and freezing gripped all his limbs.
He couldn’t look away now. The two lovers had momentarily separated, now looking intensely at each other, their eyes reflecting the urgency of their desire. Bokuto plunged his head into Akaashi's neck, nibbling his skin. Kuroo saw his hand glide over his lover's skin to finally slip into his pants. Akaashi let out a groan that was quickly swallowed up in a kiss. Without letting go of his lover's lips, the brunet managed to pull down the handle of the door leading to the master bedroom. Bokuto noticed and freed his hand. Akaashi grabbed him by the elastic band of his pants and dragged him into the room. The door slammed behind them, and Kuroo found himself alone in the hallway.
He caught his breath, now aware that he'd been holding it all along. Okay, he was very, very hot there. He waited several seconds before stepping into the corridor. He tiptoed all the way to the stairs leading to the upstairs room, which was quite tedious since his legs were wobbly and he suddenly had a very poor perception of space. Nevertheless, he managed to make it to his bed. He wrapped himself in the blanket, trying as best he could to fall asleep without thinking about what he'd just witnessed. Easier said than done!
At first, he felt ashamed to think about it. Then he remembered how at the very beginning of their relationship, he'd averted his eyes every time he witnessed a kiss between his boyfriends. Or rather, every time one of them realized he was looking at them. The thing had amused them and he'd been told it was no trouble for him to do it. If it didn't bother him, it didn't bother anyone. He just had to expand now.
He could have gone back into Kenma's room to leave them to their privacy. No, instead he had decided that spying on them in the mirror was a better idea. And if he was honest with himself, he had to admit that it was indeed an excellent one. But now he couldn't tear himself away from the thought, as his mind began to imagine what was going on behind their closed door. He surrendered himself completely to the vision of his fantasy, forfeiting his guilt and his shame. Without warning, the fantasy changed form, and without his conscience consulting him about it, he found himself involved in the scenario played out by his mind. Pleasure swelled inside him, his body on the verge of explosion. He drowned all the more in this imaginary vision, his flesh burning as if everything were real.
Ecstasy brought him back to himself. His heart was pounding, his ears were ringing and his chest was heaving with the frantic rhythm of his breathing. He turned to lie on his back. He ran a hand through his hair, damp with sweat, and let out a sigh.
Well, at least the psychological block seemed to have given way.
-//-
Kuroo had fallen asleep almost immediately after that and he woke up the next morning, his body both light and extremely heavy, his skin still clammy with sweat. He lay in bed for several minutes before deciding to get up. He grabbed some clean underwear and a T-shirt and headed back downstairs. All was quiet and no one was up yet.
He entered the bathroom, taking care to close the door quietly. The contact of the hot water against his skin completely phased him, and he remained motionless for long minutes, staring into space, absent-mindedly passing the showerhead from one shoulder to the other. While he would normally over-analyze his feelings, he did not. His mind was just empty, as if drained, but soothed. The tension built up in his muscles was gone. He finished up his shower and dressed.
Just as he was heading toward the kitchen, he heard muffled voices coming from behind the master bedroom door. He stopped in his tracks, hesitated, and then finally knocked.
“Come in," Akaashi replied.
He complied and without further ado headed for the bed. Akaashi was laying on his side, and Kuroo came to lean against him, slumping across the bed. Bokuto shifted position to let him lie down, resting his head on the pillow beside him.
“Are you all right?" asked Akaashi.
Kuroo simply nodded. He saw the two exchange a glance, but they did not comment. Kuroo hesitated: was it worth talking about? It was their lives after all, not his... But...
But of course, his brain took action without his consent :
“Hmm... I... I saw you two last night. Not on purpose but… yeah.”
‘Not on purpose’, the jury was still out on that one.
“Oh,” commented Akaashi.
His two boyfriends exchanged glances again, before letting out a laugh.
“What?”
Bokuto's gaze found his. His lips stretched into a mocking smile.
“What?" Kuroo reiterated, seriously alarmed this time.
Akaashi laughed lightly.
“ I gather it did not upset you too much,” he teased.
Bokuto tilted his head, still not taking his eyes off him, his smile widening. Kuroo decided to shake it off and turn his face towards Akaashi.
“I don't deny it, but why do you say that?”
“Bro, you reek of endorphins. And you don't look like you ran a marathon before you came here.”
Kuroo quickly realized what was happening and felt his cheeks flush. The other two laughed again. No, worse, they weren't laughing : they were giggling.
“Oh.”
What was there to say in this situation?
“Sorry.”
Sorry?
Bokuto approached him, resting his head on the back of his neck, breathing in his scent.
“I never said I didn't like it.”
"Damn it," murmured the brunet to himself.
Well, Kuroo very much wanted to disappear from the face of the Earth now.
“Me neither” Akaashi commented.
Kuroo heard him try not to laugh.
“Glad I could be of help.”
Bokuto chuckled at his mate's remark.
“Well, I think I’ll be on my way then,” Kuroo declared, pretending to leave.
Bokuto grabbed him by the arm and pulled him towards him, nipping in the bud any further attempts to escape. Kuroo gave in without too much resistance. For several minutes, they said nothing, just held each other. Akaashi was right, it had been rather… enlightening. He felt soothed. He almost wondered why he'd been so afraid of taking that step.
He felt as if he'd broken something inside him a long time ago, without really knowing what. Now, he felt whole again. The intimacy that had so long frightened him had finally been restored. He was ready to welcome the myriad of emotions, vulnerability and gentleness that accompanied it.
He took a deep breath.
“I think I'm okay now.”
“About?”
Kuroo inhaled, then exhaled deeply.
“I'm no longer afraid. Well, yes, but less… It’s not the same.”
“Oh?”
“Like... now?" asked Bokuto.
“No, not now. But, uh, soon.”
“Oh, okay, nice.”
Kuroo chuckled but added nothing more. He turned to Bokuto. He opened his arms to embrace him and stretched out his hand towards Akaashi, who entwined his fingers with his. He closed his eyes, listening to their breathing. A smile spread across his lips.
Everyone said that summer was the perfect season for barbecues: he had to seize the opportunity, right?
-//-
If he was going to host a barbecue, Kuroo had to get ready for it. For the moment, he knew more or less the guest list, he still didn't know in detail how they were going to entertain them, but he told himself he'd improvise on the go. He'd done his research. Finding resources wasn't easy, but fortunately, Kuroo had learned English, which unlocked thirty percent of the internet's content for him. According to British queer influencer Betany Strivers, the keys to a good “multi-guest barbecue” were none other than "communication" and "using your limbs intelligently" (whatever it was supposed to mean), and Kuroo was confident he could handle that.
He’d stopped home to pick up a few essentials and decided to make a quick drugstore run as well. Avoiding the one closest to his place—where the employees knew him well enough to recognize him—he opted for a shop twenty minutes away, hoping to keep a low profile.
He filled his basket with more or less useless items, before moving on to the aisles that interested him most: condoms. The action was simple: grab what he needed and go. But that was without taking into account the diabolical ability of companies to do improbable marketing ! In front of him, spread out over a whole aisle, were indeed the products he had come for in the first place, but their diversity was overwhelming: "Alpha Sensation Plus", "Alpha Booster Max", "Alpha Experium"... He was reliving his first day in Tokyo once again, and he found himself in the same state of despair as then. Couldn't it get any simpler? Was there even a difference? Maybe there was a difference! Maybe the choice wasn't so obvious? In that case, maybe he had to take all kinds, just so he didn't miss out! Panicked, he grabbed five boxes and stuffed them into his basket. He continued to explore the aisle, unable to find anything other than products targeting alphas. There wasn't a single product designed to satisfy omegas that had a penis and wanted to use it ! The world wasn't fair! He was now on the verge of a panic attack, two seconds away from dropping his basket and taking off running. Fortunately, this time there were no Sugawara around to witness his misery. He loved him but was glad he wasn't around to see this debacle.
Just as he was about to grab a new, dubiously marketed box, he heard behind his back:
“Frankly, I wouldn't recommend it.”
He jumped and turned around.
“Oh, damn it, Suga...”
The silver-haired smiled broadly.
“Don't tell me you work here too...”
“I don’t”
“But I do.”
Kuroo felt his blood freeze instantly. He turned slowly, and discovered to his horror who was standing behind him: Yamaguchi. He saw a petty smile creep on his lips.
“This is a nightmare and I’m going to wake up," Kuroo murmured to himself.
Yamaguchi approached to study the contents of his basket.
“What the fuck are you doing with that shit?”
He chuckled as he grabbed one of the articles.
“XXXL ? Are we sure about that?”
“I panicked," Kuroo said to defend himself. "And I don't know, maybe there really is a huge difference between 'alpha sensation plus extra large' and 'Max booster'...”
“No," replied Sugawara and Yamaguchi in chorus.
Kuroo sighed, distraught.
“I've already told you, there are no differences out of cycle, and it's not the type of contraception used in cycle either... It's just to boost the ego of alphas who think they have gigantic dicks... You can take bigger sizes if you think it’s adequate, but that shit? Nah, that’s nonsense.”
“Wait, you already told him?” interjected the silver one, amused.
“Long story," Kuroo hastened to reply.
“Not so much really...”
“Yes, long story.”
Sugawara and Yamaguchi looked at him in disbelief, before letting out a chuckle. Sensing his friend's distress, Yamaguchi resumed in a benevolent tone :
“Wait, let’s get rid of that already,” he retrieved the contents of his basket and put it back on the shelf.
He then bent down to retrieve a product stashed at the very bottom of the shelf: and there it was, the good old box he'd missed so much! He placed it in his basket before looking up again. After five seconds, he bent down again and took a second and, then a third box.
“Oh my god, someone please kill me!" Kuroo murmured.
He saw a devilish smile forming on Yamaguchi’s lips.
“On the other hand, when it comes to lube, you can have fun, wait...”
He launched into a monologue extolling the virtues of all the products he presented to him, pointing out their differences and advantages with precision. When he fell silent again, he had already managed to sell Kuroo four different products.
“Anything else?" asked the youngest.
“No... I just want to run away.”
“Right, let's get to checkout then.”
Kuroo followed at a slow pace. Just when he thought he'd passed the point of no return for interstellar discomfort, Yamaguchi managed to make things worse, when he placed the items he recommended into a gift bag with a yellow ribbon.
“I hate you," muttered the brunet as the gift bag was handed to him.
Yamaguchi simply smiled. In his well-polished customer service voice, he replied:
“Here you go!”
Just as Kuroo was about to leave, he dealt him the final blow:
“Have fun!”
Oh, the little shit. Kuroo hadn't said his last word, and in an equally cheerful voice he replied:
“Yes, I'll send you pictures!”
The younger one chuckled and continued:
“I can’t wait!”
-//-
This was it. It was barbecue o’clock, Kuroo was certain of it. Well not really, but it was the moment he'd chosen and it was good enough. The mood was good, the weather mild enough to allow him to raise his body temperature without risking hyperthermia. He’d taken a shower, and with every second that ticked by, he felt his body fill with a pressing mix of need, stress, and anticipation. He was ready!
The only small drawback was that he hadn't told any of his guests about the barbecue… So now he had to find a way to invite them to join him for the celebration. He would have tried the "let's set the mood" trick, but he wasn't very good at that… He couldn’t picture himself waltzing into the living room to announce with an ember look and a sultry voice “I’ll wait in the bedroom”. That was a bit too “80’s porn vibe” for him. He didn't mind a bit of vintage role-play, but he had very little confidence in his acting. He chuckled, sorry for his lack of imagination.
What was he exactly stressing about?! It wasn't his first barbecue! How had he done it before? He grimaced, it wasn't necessarily much better than the vintage porn movies... A little gayer, yes, but not that different. He thought back to the video advice he'd seen in his youth: "convey your desire and expectations"... Or was it the introductory video to a guided meditation? Perhaps simply a wiki how on "how to ask your doctor to become your primary care physician". He wasn't sure, but he was sure that the advice was applicable in all circumstances.
He left the bathroom without really having found a solution. He went upstairs to drop off his belongings and stood in front of his backpack. He knew exactly what was inside: the little gift bag with the yellow ribbon. He looked down, detailing his attire. Should he put on something more fashionable? He decided against it. It was an outfit suitable for all circumstances, easy to pull off, certainly without artifice, but he knew it wouldn't grieve anyone. He took a deep breath. He was an experienced adult, he'd do just fine. He opened his backpack and retrieved the yellow ribbon and went downstairs. He headed for the living room, determined to make his desires known. He didn't need a premeditated scenario, he was going to rely on his improvisation skills.
He felt his determination falter when he reached his destination. Akaashi was on the living room couch, Bokuto sitting in front of him, the brunet rubbing his mate's hair dry. They didn't even acknowledge his arrival. Kuroo planted himself in front of the couch arm, and the other two finally looked up.
“Good evening,"Kuroo said.
Wow, he was really bad at improv.
The other two raised an eyebrow but responded to his greeting all the same.
“Uh, you okay, bro?”
Without further explanation, Kuroo placed the gift bag on the coffee table, moving away again in silence.
His boyfriends looked at him in disbelief, not understanding what was going on. Bokuto was the first to react, reaching for the bag, while Akaashi leaned over his shoulder to see what was inside. It didn't take more than three seconds for them to register what was inside. Kuroo found himself with two pairs of eyes fixed on him.
The brunet cleared his throat and announced:
“ I wanted to invite you to...”
He wasn't going to continue with his barbecue metaphor, was he? "Convey your desire and expectations," he repeated to himself in his head.
“To have sex, uh, with me. Now...if...you're interested.”
Oh, God, he hated himself! He saw the other two exchange a look, before turning back to him.
Bokuto pointed to Akaashi and himself in a silent question.
Kuroo simply nodded.
“Uh, okay.”
Just as Kuroo was about to say something, without really knowing what the content would be, he was startled by the sound of laughter behind his back. He turned around, discovering Kenma, laptop in one hand, charger in the other.
“Nerd," he teased.
When Kuroo's gaze met his, he smiled.
“Do you want to come?" asked Bokuto.
Kenma turned his gaze to Bokuto:
“Nah, I’m fine. If it's okay with you, Ji.”
“Of course.”
“Okay I've got a meeting with Yūji anyway, have fun," he announced with a smirk before leaving the room.
Kuroo was taken aback by the lightness of this intervention.
“Who's Yūji?”
“Work.”
“Oh ok...”
Silence.
“Um, do you want to go?" asked Akaashi.
The brunet simply nodded.
Bokuto jumped to his feet and rushed down the corridor, not forgetting the yellow ribbon bag. Akaashi got up too, grabbed Kuroo's hand, kissed his lips and led him into the master bedroom. Akaashi detached himself from Kuroo to sit cross-legged on the bed where Bokuto was already waiting. Kuroo joined them, and Bokuto moved to his back, laying his head on his neck and wrapping his arms around him.
“Is there anything you prefer? Or... Not, it is up to you," Akaashi asked.
“Uh, I'm not really into BDSM, not at the moment anyway.”
Bokuto and Akaashi chuckled.
“Oh, wasn't that the question?”
“No, but thank you for letting us know.”
It still took Kuroo several seconds to understand.
“Oh," he intervened once the information had sunk in, "uh no, I'm fine with anything.”
“Okay... us too. Um, any thoughts?”
Apparently he wasn't the only one to have watched this "convey your desires and expectations" video. Akaashi was even on episode two: "listen to your partners’ desires and expectations". He breathed in; he had to play along too.
“Um... To be honest, if it's all right with you, I'd be more comfortable if... I'll let you two take the lead.”
“Okay," replied Akaashi with a smile.
Bokuto placed a kiss on his neck and slipped his hands under his shirt to remove it. Akaashi followed suit and, once he was free, took his face in his hands to kiss it. He felt Bokuto's hands sliding over his skin.
Kuroo closed his eyes and let himself sink. That's all it took for him to let go completely.
-//-
Kuroo resurfaced, breathless, dizzy, his skin watering with pleasure. He let himself fall back limply, his feverish body still electrocuted with pleasure. He heard Bokuto fall back onto the bed beside him. He leaned over to place a kiss on his temple and rose to leave for the bathroom.
Kuroo closed his eyes, still unable to regain full control of his brain. His head, resting on Akaashi's chest, rose to the rhythm of his lover's still erratic breathing. His heartbeat echoed in his ear, and he listened as his pulse gradually stabilized. He tilted his head to catch his eyes. His lover smiled at him and ran his hands through his hair. Kuroo welcomed his caresses fervently.
“Are you okay?" he murmured.
“I...”
His voice was still raw, the hoarse resonance ricocheting in his throat. He cleared his throat and continued:
“I've just had a mega-shot of oxytocin and dopamine. I think I'll be fine.”
Akaashi smiled. Kuroo managed to push down enough on his arms to straighten up and come close enough to kiss his lips. He didn't last long, however, and he quickly let himself fall back onto Akaashi’s chest.
Bokuto came back and threw himself on top of them. Akaashi opened his arm to let him snuggle up.
“Bro, that was something!”
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
“I’m sorry Bo, but I think you should stop calling me that.”
His statement seemed to deeply upset Bokuto. He heard Akaashi let out a soft laugh.
“Why?" asked Bokuto plaintively.
“Bo, no, you can't, not after this.”
“After what?”
“This phallic incident.”
Bokuto and Akaashi burst out laughing.
“Okay, but what do I call you?”
“I don't know... Tetsurō?”
“Tetsu...bro?”
Kuroo chuckled.
“No Bo!”
“Ah, ah, ah!" warned the latter, wagging his finger.
“What?”
“If I can't call you Bro, you can't call me Bo.”
“But I like Bo," lamented Kuroo.
“No. No Bro, no Bo!”
“But it's not the same!”
“But you used to call me that before!”
“Before what?”
He saw a slightly gravelly smile forming on her lips.
“Before the ‘phallic incident’.”
The deceiver dared to turn his own words against him.
“Oh, I know!" intervened Bokuto.
“Hmm?”
“Can I call you babe?”
“Pff, if you want, yes.”
“Nice babe," he replied, without missing a twitch of his eyebrows.
“Nice babe.”
They laughed and silence fell.
Kuroo looked up:
“What about you, Akaashi?”
The brunet raised an eyebrow:
“If we cannot call you by your surname, you cannot either.”
Kuroo smiled:
“Keiji...”
He had whispered his first name. Their gazes caught, and they remained staring at each other for a long moment, foolishly giddy with tenderness.
“ Meine kleiner igel," murmured Tetsurō.
He saw Keiji's eyes widen before he finally burst out laughing.
“You don’t like it? Meine schöner schmetterling ?”
The brunet’s laughter redoubled.
“How do you know all this?”
“I didn't ask Chris at all.”
“I wonder how this kind of thing can come up in a conversation.”
“Not schmetterling then?”
“No, absolutely not.”
“What does schmetterling mean?" finally interjected Kōtarō.
“Butterfly.”
The answer didn't seem to please him much.
“Keiji is just fine.”
No need to argue further in this case.
Kōtarō and Keiji simultaneously turned their heads toward the door. Kuroo followed their gaze, intrigued. It took another few seconds before he could hear a knock on the door.
“Come," called Akaashi.
The knob lowered and Kenma appeared in the doorway.
Keiji opened his free arm to invite him in. Kenma entered, closing the door behind him. Once he reached the foot of the bed he undressed completely and slipped under the blanket to join them. Tetsurō watched him do so, unsurprised by this behavior he had already witnessed. The blond came and placed a kiss on his lips before snuggling up to Akaashi. He cradled his head in his neck, breathing in his scent, which made his mate smile.
“You smell like a satisfied alpha," commented the blond, clearly delighted.
“Well, I am.”
Kenma let out a sigh of relief before finally turning his attention to Kuroo.
“Do I smell like a satisfied beta?”
“Pfft, yes. What were you talking about?" he finally asked.
“Pet names," Tetsurō replied.
"He doesn't want me to call him 'Bro' anymore," Kōtarō complains “because of a ‘phallic incident’ apparently.”
Kenma laughed at his intervention.
“So I have to call him by his first name. Can you imagine that he had to meet my penis to start calling me by my first name!” Bokuto resumed, which didn't fail to make his mates laugh.
“I'd met him before," remarked Kuroo.
“You'd met the flabby version, not the same babe.”
Tetsurō chuckled.
“Oh yes, sorry, how dare I confuse them! Kenma, any preference?”
“Of flabby penises?”
“Pfft No! Pet names! I tried the German version of ‘my little hedgehog’ for Keiji, but it didn’t find its crowd.”
“I kinda get why..”
“So, no ‘my little hedgehog’ for you either?”
“No.”
“My sugar duck then?”
“Kenma is just fine.”
“Hmm, no. Kiki then?”
“No.”
“Okay, okay, tough crowd. Kitten?”
The blond winced.
“My little field dragonfly?”
“My wild rabbit?” Bokuto outbid him.
“My little skunk?”
“My lovely koala?”
“Oh my god, make them stop !" the blond complained, burying his face in Keiji's neck.
“Of course, my little canary.”
“Traitor...”
The other three laugh in chorus.
Silence finally fell, soft and comfortable.
Kenma, who had closed his eyes, began to purr softly, soon followed by Kōtarō. Keiji finally joined them, his deeper, slower purr echoing in Tetsurō's chest. This simple noise was enough to trigger a new dopamine shot in his brain.
The brunet closed his eyes, flooded with tenderness.
He felt loved, and damn it, the sensation was dizzying.
He felt loved, and he felt in love.
He'd been feeling it for a while now. He didn't know if his brain had ever put it that way, but it was obvious to him now.
It only takes a few seconds to fall in love. On average, it takes almost a hundred days to say it. Kuroo couldn't say what second he'd fallen in love, but he knew it took a little longer to really love, for it to emerge in himself so clearly. At first, he'd thought it was a curse. Now, he had to acknowledge the blessing he'd been given, because the miracle of existence, or chemistry, had meant that it had happened several times in a very short amount of time.
“Oh...” he murmured.
“Hmm?”
“I was just thinking… I never said it.”
“What?” Bokuto asked.
He turned to face him.
“I'm in love… like… so freaking much.”
Kōtarō smiled at him. He took his face in his hands and brought his face close to his:
“I love you too," he murmured against his lips before kissing him.
Keiji freed his arm, sliding his hand through the brunet's hair:
“So do I.”
Tetsurō shifted his head so he could catch his gaze. They smiled at each other.
Silence.
Kōtarō and Keiji turned their gaze to their mate. Kuroo had to turn to face him. Kenma seemed surprised by their insistence.
“I've been in love with this idiot since I was ten, do I have to say it?”
“Yes !" Kuroo complained.
The blond rolled his eyes.
“I love you, Kenma.”
The blond escaped a wry smile:
“Me too, kuso neko Jiji.”
Notes:
Fluff, fluff all around !
Next chapter “Ebb tide”
"Do you want to come to the beach with us?"
Kuroo stopped, taken aback by the request.
"What?"
"Do you want to come? Sugawara repeated.
See you!
Chapter 29: Ebb tide
Summary:
"Do you want to come to the beach with us?"
Kuroo stopped, taken aback by the request.
"What?"
"Do you want to come? Sugawara repeated.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
----
"Do you want to come to the beach with us?"
Kuroo stopped, taken aback by the request.
"What?"
"Do you want to come?” Sugawara repeated.
"Uh, when?"
"This weekend! You can come with your boyfriends if you want! Come on, almost everyone is coming! I just couldn't reach Chris."
Seeing that his boyfriends hadn't noticed he had stopped, Kuroo had to start walking again to keep up with them.
"He went back to his family for the holidays. Where do you want to go?"
"Shichigahama."
"Where's that?"
"Miyagi."
Kuroo stopped again. He managed to catch Bokuto's attention and signaled for him to wait. He stepped aside.
"But that's super far!"
"No!"
"Isn't it like, five hours away?"
"Yes."
Kuroo didn't know what to say to that.
"Daichi's parents own a resort there."
"Uh, OK, but..."
"Come on ! Everyone’s coming."
Kōtaro joined him.
"Who's that?” he asked.
"Suga."
"What does he want?"
"He's asking if we want to come to the beach with them... But like, in Miyagi. Sawamura's parents own a resort there."
"Awesome!" Bokuto replied without a hint of hesitation. "Wait, I'll ask Keiji and Kenma if they can come."
He sprinted off and returned a few seconds later, out of breath.
"They said Ok!"
Well, seems like they were going to Shichigahama then.
-//-
They met two days later at dawn in the university parking lot. Eyes were still sleepy, but the excitement was already palpable. After a brief chat to get organized and distribute the coolers, they were ready to go.
"We still have one spot left," Kenma announced after quickly counting the number of people.
Yamaguchi raised his hand with the same intensity as if he had just volunteered as a tribute for the Hunger Games. No one was fooled; his enthusiasm was not hard to guess. He nudged Tsukishima to prevent him from taking his place and rushed in their direction. Once there, he offered them a huge smile and placed his backpack in the trunk.
"Kenma drives and you won’t sit in the front," Kuroo whispered to him.
Yamaguchi pouted. "Kuroo, I came for you, you know, you're my friend and I..."
"Cut the crap. I know why you’re here," the brunet interrupted.
The younger one rolled his eyes but said nothing and sat diligently in the middle back seat. After that, they finally set off.
The journey went smoothly, at least for Kuroo. Bokuto, Yamaguchi, and himself formed a terrible trio, and they spent the four and a half hours of the journey spouting nonsense and playing ridiculous made-up games.
When they arrived, they briefly met Sawamura's parents: a charming couple in their sixties who welcomed them with enthusiasm and kindness. They accompanied them to a wooden cabin nestled in a wooded area, barely five minutes from the beach. Once the keys were retrieved, they waved to goodbye to the older couple.
"Tada!" Sugawara announced as they arrived on the landing.
The place was charming, the outside had a large table, and inside was a small kitchen and two bathrooms. They finally arrived in a large, empty room with about ten folded futons in one corner.
"Are we all sleeping here?" Kuroo asked.
"There's another room next door, but yes. Sorry I didn't mention, hard to find a seven-bedroom villa you know.” Sugawara replied.
"Cool!" Bokuto exclaimed, rushing inside. “It’s like middle school! I've already found my spot," he declared, planting himself in a corner of the room.
Kuroo seemed much less enthusiastic.
"Does it bother you?" Sugawara asked, concerned.
"No, not me, I'm just not sure if Kenma will..."
"I've already booked a room," the blond announced without looking up from his phone. "Sorry, Sugawara, thank you for your invitation." He bowed to thank him.
"No problem," Sugawara replied with a benevolent smile. "Sorry for not mentioning it."
"No worries. The hotel is just a few minutes from here. Keiji, you’re coming with me, these idiots won't let me in alone."
"Okay," the brunet replied behind him.
Kenma looked up at them.
"Do you want to come?"
"No, I'll stay here," Kōtarō said, already choosing his futon.
"I'll stay too," Kuroo declared.
"Okay, let's go to drop off our stuff, we'll join you later, see you in a bit."
And with that, they left.
-//-
After the chaotic commotion of their arrival, they managed to organize themselves to settle in properly. They decided to head straight to the beach; they would surely find something to eat there.
"Come on, let's move!" Tsukishima grumbled.
"We're waiting for Oikawa," his mate replied.
"What the fuck is he doing?"
"I'm coming!"
Kuroo turned his eyes and stifled a chuckle at the sight of his friend's outfit. Don't get him wrong, it was fantastic, as usual. But the brunet didn't think his diva attitude could go to such a length. Oikawa had just appeared, dressed in some kind of white poncho, a wide straw hat, and huge sunglasses. All he was missing was the Chihuahua, and he almost looked like an American billionaire housewife getting ready to go to her private beach in Miami. Oikawa lowered his sunglasses.
"You’ve got a problem?" he challenged when he saw Kuroo’s gaze on him.
"No," his smile widened, "I adore you."
"That’s more like it," the chestnut-haired replied, adjusting his sunglasses.
They arrived at the beach just a few minutes later. The place had already been invaded by hordes of families with screaming children, but their enthusiasm was such that they didn't even notice. They crossed the beach and found a fairly clear spot where they could all settle in. While most of them had simply laid a towel on the sand, like honest people they were, Oikawa had brought his outdoor furniture: he lounged on a folding chair set up in the shade of a bubblegum pink sun umbrella. Cherry on the top, he was glaring at a group of children playing in the water while sipping an unidentified beverage in what seemed to be a champagne glass.
Kuroo approached him, an amused smile playing on his lips.
"I see you're well settled."
The man glanced at him but didn't bother to reply.
"What are you drinking?"
"Orange juice."
"In a champagne glass?"
"It was all I had."
"You only had a champagne glass?" the brunet insisted.
"Yes. And it's more elegant."
Kuroo chuckled.
"Where's Iwaizumi?"
Oikawa nonchalantly pointed in a direction. When he turned, Kuroo did indeed find Iwaizumi chatting with Sawamura.
"He prefers to sit on the ground, right in the sun."
Kuroo frowned.
"Did you fight?"
His intervention deeply confused his interlocutor.
"No, why?"
"Just checking."
"Babe!" he heard behind him.
He turned, Kōtarō was waving frantically as he ran towards them.
"Come on, let's go into the water!" he shouted as he reached them.
"Okay, but wait, I haven't put on sunscreen yet."
"Oh yeah, me neither, wait."
He dashed off again.
"Get out of here, it's my spot," Oikawa grumbled.
"Oh, come on, you can..."
"Hey, Oikawa, I love your poncho!" Bokuto came back, sunscreen in hand.
The compliment caught the diva off guard.
"Thank you."
"Seriously, you look nice like that. Do you mind if we sit here for a while?"
"No, not at all."
Kuroo was left breathless: Kōtarō's seduction skills were truly impressive... He eventually let out a smirk that his friend couldn't help but notice. He rolled his eyes but made no further comment.
Kuroo applied sunscreen on his body and helped Bokuto apply some on his back. His boyfriend returned the favor, but despite his good intentions, the experience felt more like a very abrasive scrub as Bokuto kept dropping the tube in the sand and getting half the beach on Kuroo's back in the process.
"Come on!"
Bokuto grabbed him by the arm and ran towards the water. When they reached the edge, Kuroo tried to get him to let go; he didn't want to plunge directly into the water without getting used to the temperature first. But Bokuto didn't relent and kept moving forward. The brunet tried to stop him again and pulled even harder. The force he exerted caused Kuroo to stumble forward, and they both ended up completely submerged.
"Oh, damn it, Ko..."
Bokuto burst out laughing, which was enough to lighten Kuroo’s mood.
"Come on, let's go further," he declared before starting to swim.
Kuroo quickly realized he had no say in the matter and followed him.
They stopped a few meters away, the water now reached them up to their upper backs. Bokuto smiled at him, put an arm around his waist, and pulled him closer. Before he could do anything else, he stopped him:
"Babe, I love you, but there are people around."
Bokuto rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. The sheepish air he displayed quickly turned into a mischievous one. Before Tetsurō could react, his boyfriend swiftly swept his legs and pushed his chest to make him fall backward. Kuroo found himself underwater before he could even fight back. Bokuto dove in with him and grabbed his face to kiss him. Kuroo smiled and returned his kiss.
"Sneaky bastard," the brunet said once they resurfaced.
His counterpart just smiled, pleased with his trick.
"We should have waited on the beach; I don't know how Kenma and Keiji will find us."
"Mmm, don't worry, babe, they'll find us. Plus, Kenma has Yamaguchi's number."
"Ok… But Yamaguchi is here" observed Kuroo, pointing his finger at his friend, trying to sink his mate.
"Oh," Kōtarō simply replied, "they'll find us. Look, they're there," he continued, pointing at the beach.
Turning around, Kuroo could indeed make out the silhouettes of his other two lovers. Without further ado, he headed back to the shore to meet them.
"Did you find us easily?"
"Yes," Kenma replied without going into details.
He planted the umbrella he had in his hand in the sand.
"We brought that with us?" asked the brunet.
"No, I bought it."
"Oh... It's huge!"
The umbrella was indeed pretty huge. Enough to shade five overheated alligators.
"So we can all sit under it."
"Oh, that's awesome!" exclaimed Bokuto, who had just joined them.
They helped set up their little camp and settled in. Their shaded spot quickly sparked envy among their peers, and soon they found themselves almost crowded under the umbrella. But no one seemed bothered by it; Kenma was in the company of his beloved redhead and his mate, Akaashi was chatting with Sawamura and Sugawara, and Kuroo and Bokuto had teamed up against Tsukishima to make his life miserable.
"Guys!" they heard Yamaguchi shout.
Everyone turned to him, who had just appeared with Nishinoya and Tanaka by his side.
"We found a volleyball net!" he shouted once he had caught his breath. "Come on, let's play! It's been so long!"
"I’m in," Bokuto replied enthusiastically.
"We don't have a ball," Sugawara pointed out.
"Yes, we do!" Nishinoya replied proudly, brandishing the ball like a trophy.
"Okay, I’m on too," Sugawara finally agreed.
"Kenma?" Kuroo asked, turning to the blond.
The latter grimaced, evidently not very enthusiastic. Just as he was about to reply, Hinata signed something to him. That was enough to convince him, and he nodded before getting up. He really couldn't refuse anything to the redhead.
"Keiji?" Kuroo asked, turning to the interested party.
"I would rather not participate," he replied. "I injured myself a few years ago."
"Me too," Sawamura intervened, "but we can referee," he suggested.
Akaashi nodded.
"I'll ask Oikawa," Kuroo announced.
"I'll come with you."
At first, Kageyama's intervention surprised the brunet, but he simply nodded, and they left together.
"Yo, Oikawa, we're having a volleyball game, do you want to join?" Tetsurō proposed once they arrived.
The diva raised an eyebrow.
"No."
"Oh come on!"
"Coward."
Kuroo turned to Kageyama, surprised by the intensity of his intervention.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Coward" he repeated.
Oikawa sighed. He got up, took off his sunglasses, removed his poncho, and locked eyes with Kageyama.
"I'm going to crush you," he growled.
The response, or rather the threat, seemed to delight the younger one, who flashed a smile bordering on madness. Oh... He wasn't aware that these two had... this kind of relationship... Rivalry? Delightful.... What exactly had he gotten himself into?
They joined the rest of the group and headed towards the improvised volleyball field.
"How many of us are playing?"
"Twelve."
"Isn't beach volleyball usually played two against two?" Tsukishima remarked.
Everyone fell silent, thrown off by the comment.
"Who cares, we'll play six against six."
That seemed to satisfy everyone.
They began to split into teams, trying to accommodate the positions where they felt most comfortable, which proved rather complicated given the astronomical number of setters trying to assert their position.
"Wait, we need to be smart about that, it shouldn't be too unbalanced," Tsukishima remarked.
Which was relevant considering the differences in height that could exist, and...
"What do you mean?" Nishinoya didn't seem to appreciate what the blond had just insinuated. Kuroo was under the impression that it wasn't related to height.
"Well, we're not going to put all the alphas together and..."
"Oh, okay, that's how it is," Nishinoya cut him off, "you're underestimating us, is that it?"
"Not at all, I'm just saying that based on biology we..."
"Oh shut the fuck up Tsukki !" his mate interrupted.
"What? I'm just saying that..."
"Okay, alphas against omegas," Nishinoya interjected. "We're going to crush you!"
Tsukishima maintained his gaze.
"You won't be able to say we didn't warn you."
"You're going down."
"Um..." Kuroo intervened, "where do we go?" he asked, pointing to Tanaka, Iwaizumi, and himself.
"We'll take the betas," Nishinoya asserted while maintaining eye contact with his opponent.
"Okay."
"Well, no, not okay, there are too many of us," Azumane interjected.
"We keep Iwa-chan!" Oikawa hastily decided.
The concerned one sighed but still joined his mate.
"Are we really doing this?" Sugawara asked.
Kageyama shrugged and joined the rest of the alphas.
"I wanted to be with Shoyo," Kenma grumbled.
"I wanted to bash your annoying face," Oikawa muttered to Kageyama.
"Oh, what a pity," the latter replied.
They took their positions. On one side, the omega team, consisting of Kenma, Bokuto, Kuroo at the front, Nishinoya, Azumane, and Tanaka at the back. On the opposite side of the net, was the alpha team, with Hinata, Kageyama, Tsukishima, Oikawa, Yamaguchi, and Iwaizumi.
The alpha team started the game. They were delayed by Yamaguchi and Tsukishima, who were still arguing, but each went to one end of the field, and the match finally began. Kuroo stood ready, already analyzing his opponent's formation, hoping his old reflexes would soon kick in. Yamaguchi took the first serve. The brunet tried to calculate the trajectory, which seemed to be... Tsukishima's head.
"Tadashi! Stop that! That doesn't count!" Oikawa complained.
"And why is that?”
"He did it on purpose! We're not going to be penalized for their bullshit!"
"Okay, okay, I'll start over," Yamaguchi said.
This time he served intending to get the ball to the other side of the net. However, not everything went as smoothly as Kuroo had anticipated: firstly, the ball's trajectory was completely altered by the first gust of wind, secondly, he had completely underestimated the resistance of the sand, and he fell at the first quick movement he attempted. He wasn't the only one; he saw Bokuto to his left end up on his butt, and half of the opposing team also slipped and ended up headfirst in the sand. Fortunately for them, the ball's trajectory was so altered that it ended up outside the bounds of the field.
"Um... The point goes to the omega team," announced Sawamura.
Everyone seemed quite disturbed by this rather catastrophic start. Kuroo lowered his gaze; he needed to reassess his footholds to move efficiently in the sand. It took a few more minutes for him to get used to it, but he quickly regained his confidence. The rest of the players also had a period of adjustment; the first points were won on errors and unexpected tumbles, but soon they all managed to more or less master this new environment.
Kuroo was alert, managing to keep his cool to analyze the game. The alpha team received the ball, quickly passed it, and it reached Tsukishima who jumped to spike. The brunet reacted quickly and followed his movement, seeing him turn his gaze. He couldn't help but smile as he easily calculated the trajectory and stopped the ball from crossing the net.
"Point for the omega team, 12 to 8," announced Akaashi.
Kuroo smiled to himself. Turning his eyes, he found the blond still staring at him.
"What?"
Tsukki grimaced, a strange mix of his usual nonchalance and... fear?
"You're freaking me out with that smile."
"How?"
Kuroo flashed the same smile as before, which he knew was a tad demonic.
"That one, there."
"Am I intimidating you, beanpole?"
Tsukki rolled his eyes.
"I don't know why you call me that; we're practically the same height."
"I didn't say I wasn't a beanpole myself."
"You...”
They both fell silent. The ball had passed just beside them and crashed behind Kuroo. Turning his head, the brunet found Hinata's gaze, who cheerfully waved at him.
"Ji!" Kenma grumbled.
"Sorry !” he shouted.
Oikawa served, and the ball came towards them at an incredible speed. Just as Kuroo thought he was going to lose the point, he heard someone yell behind him "Rolling thunder!" Nishinoya received the serve before rolling in the sand. Azumane retrieved the ball, which was intercepted by Kenma, who then passed it to Bokuto. He saw Tsukishima move quickly to block the attack, but Bokuto managed to spike between the block that had risen in front of him. The ball crashed on the other side of the net without being intercepted.
"Point goes to the omegas, 13 to 9."
"Did you see that, Keiji!" Kōtarō yelled.
"Yes, I saw," his mate replied with a smile.
Bokuto stepped out of the court to squat in front of him, starting to babble happily. Kenma sighed and went to grab him by the collar of his T-shirt. Bokuto allowed it but managed to plant a kiss on Akaashi's cheek before being dragged back onto the court.
The game resumed.
For the moment, his team had the advantage. The opposing team had good players, but they were still too disorganized to be effective. On their side, they managed to synchronize quickly and operate effectively. They won the first set 25 to 23. The second set began, and they had a little more trouble standing out this time; the alpha team had managed to organize themselves, and their strategy was paying off.
Unless... Kuroo had seen Kageyama send the ball to his mate several times with improbable trajectories that the redhead couldn't intercept, giving them the advantage, but he struggled to understand what they were plotting. They eventually stopped, and their game synchronized again. His team won the second set, much more laboriously this time, but they still had enough energy to continue on this momentum.
"Hey, ref, neutrality!" Bokuto complained.
Kuroo glanced around, realizing that Bokuto was talking about Sawamura, who was deep in conversation with his mate. From their respective expressions, it was clear they were discussing strategy. Daichi offered no defense and returned to sit next to Akaashi. Sugawara signaled for his teammates to join him, and they conversed until the game resumed. Their quiet discussions had paid off; they managed to gain the upper hand halfway through the set, and the gap gradually widened. It was 24-23 for the alpha team. 25-24. Kuroo got back into position; if they lost this point, the alpha team would win the set, and they'd be headed for a fourth one. At this rate, he wasn't sure if they could seize the advantage afterward; running and moving in the sand was exhausting. The wind was picking up, and although Kuroo was pleasantly surprised to find that he hadn't lost all of his old reflexes, his stamina was far less impressive than when he was younger. In his peripheral vision, he saw Hinata jumping, out of sync with the rest of his team. The height of his jump was impressive, especially considering he didn't have a stable footing in the sand. Kageyama received the ball and managed to send it with incredible precision right to the attack point. Hinata hit the ball, which crashed down on the other side of the net without them being able to do anything about it.
"26-24, the set goes to the alpha team."
A cry of victory escaped their opponents. Hinata, radiant, jumped around before throwing himself onto his mate.
Kuroo turned to his teammates. They all caught his gaze, and he felt their motivation was shared: they were going to win this final set. They changed sides, taking advantage of it to refine their strategy. Kuroo noticed the weaknesses he had observed in the opposing team, suggesting what could be done to use them to their advantage. Everyone listened attentively, nodding or adding their observations. They repositioned themselves and stood ready to start again.
The game resumed nervously; the alpha team was fired up, and his teammates were starting to tire, which only widened the gap between the two teams.
Oikawa stepped up to serve. He was in the back with Kenma; the previous rotations had already disrupted their game. They prepared to receive, but the ball didn't reach them; it got caught in the net. Oikawa vaguely apologized to his team, and they had to rotate. Bokuto ended up behind the attack line with them. Kuroo frowned, concerned about the current position, which wasn't really to their advantage. That was until his teammates' talent (and his own, but he didn't want to brag too much) came into play. Bokuto even managed to score from his position. They managed to take the upper hand and found a position that suited them all. They eventually turned the tide and took the lead. They were now on the verge of victory. The alpha team, perhaps destabilized, returned the ball with disproportionate strength.
"It's out."
And indeed, it was.
Match point. They were all ready to fight it out, to give everything they had until their legs gave out. The tension was palpable. The ball was put back into play, and Kuroo saw out of the corner of his eye the rest of his team getting into position. The alpha team was also ready to turn the game around, to seize the last chance they had! They received the serve without trouble, Kenma got the ball, and... made a tip shot. The ball barely crossed the net and fell softly on the other side. The other eleven players looked at it, there, on the sand, deeply bewildered.
"Um..." Daichi began.
"The point goes to the omega team, 28-26. The omega team wins."
Silence hung for a few more seconds before a victorious cry escaped them. They all threw themselves at each other, celebrating their victory. Kenma managed to escape in time to avoid being caught in the hug.
"I can't believe we lost on a tip !" Oikawa said, dejected.
Kenma shrugged. They had indeed won their last set in an unimpressive manner, but they won nonetheless. Hinata passed under the net to rush toward Kenma, starting to sign rapidly.
"He says he's glad to have played and... he can't wait to do it again," translated Kageyama, who had followed his mate.
"I think he got that," Kuroo remarked.
The other two hadn't even listened to Kageyama, continuing their discussion without paying attention to him.
"That was for you.”
The brunet turned and walked away. Kuroo remained speechless, unable to interpret what had just happened. He snapped out of it when Bokuto jumped on his back, shouting with joy.
"Wow, that was insane! I haven't had that much fun in ages!"
"Me neither."
"Keiji!" Kōtarō shouted, a little too close from his ears to his comfort.
Their boyfriend got up to meet them.
"That was amazing, right?"
The brunet gave a tender smile.
"Yes."
"It sucks though that you couldn't play, like in high school."
"I would have been on the opposing team anyway."
"Oh yeah... And see? I didn't even sulk!"
"Well done."
"Sulk?"
"Yeah... Kōtarō had the habit of throwing tantrums during the game, and..."
"And he played like shit until we comforted him," Kenma finished, joining them.
"Hey!"
"Therapy pays off, apparently," Kenma muttered.
Kōtarō didn't seem to appreciate the comment.
"I was joking," Kenma added, moving closer to them to kiss Kōtarō.
Bokuto got off his back to hug his mate.
"All right! Losers pay for the drinks!" Nishinoya yelled.
They all shouted like mighty Vikings ready to conquer their enemy.
Kuroo smiled to himself and followed the rest of his friends.
-//-
Kuroo woke up the next day feeling sorry for himself. Sure, he had had a great evening the day before, but he may have once again overindulged in drinking. He made the mistake of only eating a slice of pizza, which did nothing to stabilize his state of inebriation or the functioning of his organs. His liver was in agony, his stomach churned, and his kidneys were ready to shut down. He found a bit of solace when he opened his eyes and saw Kōtarō asleep on his chest. He closed his eyes again and ran a hand through his lover's hair. Upon further analysis, he felt a weight against his right side. Lately, he had gotten used to waking up in a tangle of arms and legs, nothing alarming so far. Kenma, perhaps? He moved his hand around. Feeling a head, he ran his hand through long hair to caress it. He heard purring and smiled. However, something was off... The texture of the hair, the body shape, the scent, the sound of the purring... Kuroo stopped and opened his eyes again.
“Yamaguchi?”
What was he doing here? The latter grunted, still half asleep.
“Keep going,” he commanded.
Though unsettled, Kuroo complied. Cuddle pack? He glanced around: everyone in the room was sound asleep in their futon. So, no pack cuddle.
“What are you doing here?” the brunet finally asked him.
“I'm sleeping, shut up.”
Okay...
“I said shut up, not stop!”
Kuroo had to resume his petting as if dealing with a grumpy big cat.
“I was talking with Bokuto, and we fell asleep.”
“On me?”
“Yeah.”
God, how drunk was he exactly? He could even remember falling asleep.
“Okay.”
Silence fell.
“Did you and Tsukki fight?”
“No.”
He sighed.
“Well, kind of. Nothing serious, he pisses me off.”
“Okay.”
They both fell silent.
As he was about to speak again, Kōtarō moved. He opened one eye, then the other. He smiled at Kuroo, still disoriented from sleep.
“Hey,” he whispered.
“Hey,” the brunet replied.
Kōtarō sat up to kiss him and lay back down on him. He eventually met Yamaguchi's gaze.
“Oh! You're still here! Hey!”
“Hey.”
“Feeling better?”
Yamaguchi just nodded. Bokuto smiled at him. Yamaguchi said nothing and buried his head between Kuroo's side and his futon, emitting guttural rumblings close to growling, but too strange to be named as such, which made the other two laugh.
“Food!”
Kōtarō immediately sat up, crushing his boyfriend's lungs in the process, and rushed out of the room. It took Tetsurō some time to recover from it. Once he caught his breath, he detached himself from Yamaguchi to get up.
“Coming?” he asked the younger one.
He responded with a nod, and Kuroo offered him a hand to help him up.
They made their way to the kitchen: no one was there. They realized the voices were coming from outside and went through the door. There, they found Sugawara, Sawamura, Iwaizumi, and Bokuto seated at the wooden table. They greeted each other, and Kuroo sat down next to his boyfriend.
“Coffee?” Sugawara offered, holding a coffee pot.
He nodded and gratefully accepted the sacred brew. The other four resumed their conversation, and Kuroo joined in. Yamaguchi, sitting across from him, remained silent.
“I need to run some errands. I was thinking of getting stuff for a barbecue tonight,” Sugawara said after a while.
“Good idea, but isn't it a bit early for that?”
“It's eleven o'clock, Kuroo.”
“Oh...”
Kuroo, Bokuto, and Yamaguchi volunteered to go with him. Once they were all ready, they left together and drove to the nearest shopping mall.
“Go ahead, I'll join you,” Sugawara said once inside, “I need to stop by the pharmacy, I'm almost out of suppressants.”
They nodded and Suga left.
“Oh wait, I’ll go grab a cart,” Yamaguchi said, “I’ll meet you there.”
And one less person.
“Let's race!” Bokuto exclaimed before darting off at full speed.
Well, looks like it was just him then. And even for the love of all the stars above, he wasn’t going to run.
“Kōtarō, wait!”
The latter, already far away, turned around but didn't stop running. As expected, he eventually ran into someone. Kuroo rolled his eyes but couldn't help but laugh.
He saw Kōtarō apologize to the person he had bumped into. However, his apologies didn't seem to please the individual in question. He couldn't see his boyfriend's face, but he noticed his posture change. Even from this distance, he saw his limbs stiffen. Something was wrong. Worried, he ran in his direction. Once he reached him, he indeed found that his concern was not unwarranted: Bokuto had his head down, in a posture more indicative of submission than politeness. He was petrified, his hands trembling.
Alarmed, Kuroo took his arm:
“Kō?”
“Who, I see ! Getting yourself fucked by a beta, uh? You’re pathetic. Not surprising, look at yourself, no wonder no alpha wants to breed you.”
I beg your fucking pardon?
He turned his eyes in the direction of the person facing them. He wasn't much taller than him, but he had the build of a dining room dresser, and his hostile, dominant posture gave him an aura of danger. His deep onyx eyes burned with spiteful contempt, repulsed by what stood before him.
Kuroo was so stunned by the violence of his words that it took him some time to react.
“Whoa dude, what's your problem...”
“I'm not talking to you, shut the fuck up.”
Excuse me? This guy seriously had the audacity to... Just as Kuroo was about to confront him, ready to start a fight with a belligerent alpha in the middle of a shopping mall, he was cut off: Yamaguchi had just grabbed him by the arm to prevent him from initiating anything.
“Well, well, well, who do I spy with my little eye,” he said with an overly sweet tone. “Keisuke, still a little bitch I see? What are you doing out of the territory without your babysitter?”
“Tadashi,” his counterpart growled.
“Is it not finding any omega willing to take you that made you so stupid? Not that it was better before, but I think we've hit rock bottom now.”
As Yamaguchi was about to continue, the alpha in front of him intervened:
“Shut up and look down!”
His voice thundered, and Kuroo shivered. He saw Yamaguchi stiffen. Without being able to offer any resistance, he obeyed: he fell silent and lowered his head. The alpha in front of him seemed to be satisfied, a twisted smile forming on his lips. Kuroo too was unable to react, not really understanding what was happening. He saw Bokuto take advantage of the diversion to run away.
“Good to see commands still work on you. Not so proud now, are we? You can tell whatever you want, I know what you really are, you filthy piece of shit. Do us all a favor and just jump off a bridge already.”
This time Kuroo was really going to give him a piece of his mind!
“Keisuke.”
Sugawara had intervened. He stood tall, his face stern. His aura had metamorphosed: it was heavy, imposing, almost chilling. Kuroo stepped back. He saw Yamaguchi finally raise his eyes and step back to stand behind the prima, next to Bokuto.
The alpha raised an eyebrow, and looked at Bokuto, still standing behind Sugawara.
“Oh, boohoo, crying to your mama, are we? That sorry excuse of a prima, disgusting.”
He let his head sway nonchalantly, glaring at the silver-haired, his eyes lit with contempt.
Sugawara said nothing, just maintaining eye contact.
“I see you're still as pitiful as ever. Luckily the clan got rid of you...”
“I left of my own accord,” Sugawara interrupted with a low, thundery voice.
Keisuke raised an eyebrow.
“They would have done it anyway, no one would have wanted a failure like you as a leader. Tell me, do you still get fucked by betas? Fucking disgrace...”
“Leave,” Sugawara intervened.
His voice thundered, deep, cold, imperious. Its resonance made Kuroo shiver. The alpha in front of him maintained eye contact. Sugawara didn't flinch, and his aura became increasingly imposing. He saw Bokuto and Yamaguchi eventually lower their eyes.
Sugawara stood firm, unshakable.
“Leave,” he repeated.
Keisuke couldn't maintain eye contact any longer. He let out a grunt but still lowered his eyes. He finally turned around and left. Sugawara remained motionless, still in a defensive stance, until the alpha disappeared completely from his field of vision. Kuroo felt his aura lighten, and his features softened. He let out a sigh and turned to Bokuto and Yamaguchi:
“Are you both okay?”
They nodded.
“Who was that jerk?” asked Kuroo.
“Technically... our brother,” Sugawara replied.
Kuroo's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
“Woah, great family!”
“Isn't it? “
“Kōshi, I want to go home.”
Yamaguchi had spoken in a whisper, his gaze fixed on the ground.
Sugawara's face fell a little more.
“Okay,” he whispered.
They headed back towards, not really in the mood for grocery shopping anymore.
Kuroo moved closer to his boyfriend to whisper to him:
“Are you okay?”
Bokuto met his gaze. He tried to smile, but Kuroo wasn't fooled. He could see that he was pretty shaken off. Kuroo was about to speak when Bokuto's phone rang:
“I'm fine,” he said directly as he answered. “Yes... I'm with Tetsurō, Yamaguchi, and Sugawara... I'll explain when we get back.”
He hung up and put the phone back in his pocket.
“Who was it?” asked the brunet.
“Kenma and Keiji, they wanted to know if I was okay.”
“How did they know?”
Bokuto continued walking without looking at him. He placed his hand on his chest and replied:
“They felt it.”
Oh... Yes, they were bonded after all.
They all remained silent until they got back into the car. They resumed the journey. No one tried to break the silence. Yamaguchi was sitting in the front seat, his head resting on top of the glove compartment. Kuroo heard him trying to control his breathing, but it was getting quicker with every passing second.
“Suga, I think you should stop.”
The latter met his gaze in the rearview mirror before lowering his eyes to Yamaguchi. He pulled off the road at the first opportunity. As soon as the car stopped, Yamaguchi opened his door and jumped out. Sugawara got out too, and he ran after him. Yamaguchi was pacing back and forth like a caged animal. As soon as Sugawara reached him, the younger one started screaming. They were too far away for Kuroo to hear what they were saying, but he didn't need to. Sugawara tried to reassure the younger one, approaching him gently to avoid startling him.
Kuroo understood that something had happened that he hadn't fully grasped. It wasn't hard to guess that the relationship between his two friends and their "brother" wasn't the most cordial, but there was something more. Kuroo turned to his boyfriend; he was looking out the window. His eyes, his features, everything betrayed the painful sympathy he felt for what Yamaguchi had just experienced.
“What happened?” murmured Kuroo.
Kōtarō turned his eyes to him.
“I'm not sure, the guy started insulting me...”
“What a jerk... “
“Yeah, but nothing new... You arrived and then Yamaguchi... I didn't think that...”
His speech was disjointed, memories still too foggy to piece together their narrative.
“I thought it would be fine... I didn't expect him to do that to him...”
Kuroo grabbed his boyfriend's hand.
“Do what to him?”
Bokuto met his gaze.
“It was a command.”
“A command?”
“An alpha's command.”
Tetsurō frowned. Kōtarō sighed.
“It's just... It’s awful. It feels like your body... I don't know, like losing control of your own body. And you obey without being able to defend yourself and…”
He felt all his muscles tense up, the words getting lost in his throat, and he was unable to continue.
“Did he do that to you too?”
“No.”
“Okay...”
“No, but even if the command wasn't directed at me, it shook me up.”
Tetsurō pulled his boyfriend into a hug. He felt helpless in the face of what Kōtaro might be feeling, frustrated that he couldn't act as he should have. But it wasn't up to him to take up so much space. Not now. He felt Bokuto tighten his grip around him. "I love you," he murmured. "Me too," his lover replied. He felt his embrace loosen, and he let him go.
Kōtarō pulled away from him to slump in his seat, looking up at the ceiling.
“I didn't think it could work on another alpha...”
Kuroo frowned.
“Really?”
“You can force another alpha to submit, that's what Suga did. But for the command... I don't know.”
Kōtarō didn't continue further. He looked up at the window. Kuroo did the same. Yamaguchi had stopped pacing, his anger had dissipated, and he had burst into tears. Sugawara was talking to him, but their voices were still too distant for them to understand what they were saying. The younger one collapsed. Tetsurō saw his face contorted with sorrow, with hatred too, with a painful acceptance. Yamaguchi squatted on the ground, and Sugawara did the same. Kuroo watched them. Maybe he shouldn't intervene, maybe it was better for him to stay out of it. But he didn't give a damn.
He opened the door and, without even taking the time to close it, rushed in their direction. He sat down next to Yamaguchi, and without a word, he hugged him. His friend's tears redoubled. Sugawara joined them.
The three of them turned their heads when they heard the car door slam shut. Kōtarō approached them. His gaze met Yamaguchi's. Something passed between them. Without a word being exchanged, they understood each other. They let go of Yamaguchi, who turned to the omega standing in front of him. Kōtarō's aura had changed; Tetsurō could feel it. He squatted in front of Yamaguchi, their gazes still locked.
Bokuto closed his eyes and approached the younger one, resting his forehead against his. The contact overwhelmed Yamaguchi, who let out another wave of tears. They had lost their corrosive nature; they were now just a heavy flood finally released. They stayed like that for a few seconds. Bokuto eventually broke the contact, but his eyes didn’t leave him. Yamaguchi lowered his head:
“Thank you,” he whispered.
They returned to the car and drove back to the resort. Tsukishima was the first one to notice their return. The moment his gaze found his mate's, he rushed towards him. Yamaguchi met him halfway. Keiji and Kenma noticed them too and came to meet them as well. They immediately hugged their mate, who returned their embrace. Akaashi detached himself from Bokuto to turn his gaze to Tetsurō. He took his hand in his and squeezed it tightly. Kōtarō told them what had happened, minimizing the events as much as possible to avoid worrying them.
Once the initial commotion passed, they regained their dynamic. The event, on the surface, was completely forgotten. They still managed to get what they needed for their barbecue in the evening. Their typical cheerful atmosphere returned, laughter erasing the last traces of lingering worry. At one point in the evening, Tsukishima came to find Kuroo, who had slipped away to the kitchen to grab more beers.
“Thank you.”
“I couldn't do much, you know...”
His response annoyed the blond. Kuroo let out a smile:
“Don’t mention it.”
Tsukishima held his gaze for a few seconds before nodding.
“Babe, can you take...”
Bokuto fell silent upon noticing the blond. Their eyes met. They didn't need words to understand each other either. A smile played on Bokuto's lips, and he vaguely nodded. Tsukishima in front of him bowed to thank him, then they went back outside.
They left the next morning. Yamaguchi made the journey with them again. He sat next to Kōtarō. Kuroo watched them interact. The stay had allowed them to forge a tender bond, of a nature similar to the one that existed between Kenma and Hinata, strengthened by what they had experienced together.
Kuroo smiled to himself and turned his eyes to the road. The sea was gradually fading behind the horizon line. He watched it disappear, comforted by the thought that it was never far away.
Ebb-tide:
everything we stoop to collect
slips through our fingers ...
Kaga Chiyo-ni
Notes:
Next chapter “Hanabi”
Life was strange sometimes, even a little creepy. Oral myths, books, and now the internet were full of stories like that: a shadow lurking in a dark alley, a creaking noise in an empty house, the rustle of wind through a sinister forest. Japanese folklore, the same lore that shaped Tetsurō as he grew up, had fueled his imagination with strange creatures—Yokai and other mysterious entities. He wasn’t usually one to believe in these ghostly tales, but now, those childhood stories were creeping back into his thoughts, as he faced an utterly surreal experience: he was alone on a subway platform. In Tokyo. Was that even possible?
Chapter 30: Hanabi
Summary:
Life was strange sometimes, even a little creepy. Oral myths, books, and now the internet were full of stories like that: a shadow lurking in a dark alley, a creaking noise in an empty house, the rustle of wind through a sinister forest. Japanese folklore, the same lore that shaped Tetsurō as he grew up, had fueled his imagination with strange creatures—Yokai and other mysterious entities. He wasn’t usually one to believe in these ghostly tales, but now, those childhood stories were creeping back into his thoughts, as he faced an utterly surreal experience: he was alone on a subway platform. In Tokyo. Was that even possible?
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Life was strange sometimes, even a little creepy. Oral myths, books, and now the internet were full of stories like that: a shadow lurking in a dark alley, a creaking noise in an empty house, the rustle of wind through a sinister forest. Japanese folklore, the same lore that shaped Tetsurō as he grew up, had fueled his imagination with strange creatures—Yokai and other mysterious entities. He wasn’t usually one to believe in these ghostly tales, but now, those childhood stories were creeping back into his thoughts, as he faced an utterly surreal experience: he was alone on a subway platform. In Tokyo. Was that even possible?
He had been waiting for a train for about ten minutes now, alone in this deserted station. After leaving Oikawa's place, he took the bus to the nearest subway line. He wanted to avoid a long and overly eventful journey, deciding that adventure and exploration would suit him better. Unfortunately for him, it was starting quite poorly.
He glanced down at his phone’s black screen. His battery had died earlier, and he didn’t know his current location. He sighed, dismayed. He knew it would probably be wiser to leave and take the route he knew best, but the idea that the train might arrive anytime soon prevented him from turning away. He sat down, waiting for the universe to decide for him on what to do.
Suddenly, Kuroo jumped, hearing footsteps nearby. He looked around, but no one was there. He heard the footsteps again. It wasn’t coming from the platform but from the depth of the tunnel.
A rat maybe?
Of course, Tetsu, a very obese bipedal rat! He chuckled to himself. However, he was soon overcome by terror: what if it really was a huge mutant rodent thirsty for blood?!
No, no, come on... Even though he could well guess the delirious nature of his thoughts, the fact that he couldn't find a logical explanation made his amygdala go into overdrive, his reptilian brain triggering his fight or flight instinct. Of course, he didn't take it into account and stood up to approach the tunnel. Maybe it was a maintenance worker for? In that case, he could certainly ask them if the service was going to resume any time soon. His heart was pounding in his chest.
What if it was Teke-Teke? This young woman whose legs were cut off in a subway accident and who, as a vengeful spirit, imposed the same fate on anyone unlucky enough to cross her path! What was he supposed to say to her again?
The footsteps were getting closer; it was now too late for him.
“I need my legs!” he blurted out as a silhouette began to emerge from the darkness.
The person who had just appeared, whom he could now clearly see, didn't even glance at him; the headphones on their ears had probably protected them from the nonsense the brunet had just let out. Kuroo was just deeply relieved to see that it wasn't a monstrous creature, just a human being. However, he was forced to admit that it was certainly not a person in charge of maintenance. He knew that clothes didn't make the man, but there were limits. The person emerging from the tunnel did not look like someone working on track maintenance at all: long bleached blond hair tied in a loose bun, piercings, a long black skirt falling over a pair of blue Doc Martens, oddly matched with a long shirt adorned with pastel-colored dinosaurs.
They finally looked up, surprised to see him here.
“What are you doing here?”
The familiarity unsettled Kuroo. Did they know each other?
Kuroo often doubted his abilities as a physiognomist; once again, it failed him.
“Uh... What are you doing here?”
“I was taking pics,” declared the mysterious individual, pointing to the camera hanging around their neck.
Kuroo frowned. He glanced towards the tunnel.
“In there?”
“Yes.”
Ok...
“You know that the station is closed, right?”
Ah, he did not know that.
“How did you get in?”
“Through the… stairs.”
“Ah, my bad, I must have left the gate open.”
The trespasser, though they were clearly breaking the law, didn’t seem phased by it. They approached the edge to climb back up.
“Can you hold this for me?” they asked, handing him their camera.
Kuroo complied without asking further questions.
The stranger climbed back onto the platform without any trouble, apparently used to this kind of acrobatics. Once back on the platform, they readjusted their skirt and took back their camera.
“You should go before you get caught here.”
“Uh... same goes for you.”
Kuroo was caught off guard by the sound of the camera flash.
“Dude, did you just take a photo of me?” he asked, slightly annoyed.
The individual facing him grimaced:
“Ich, I'm not a dude.”
“Oh, sorry,” replied Kuroo, genuinely sorry for misgendering them.
“It's okay.”
“But you still took a picture of me without my consent! You know, consent?”
“It's art”
Kuroo was completely taken aback by this remark. He tried to reply, but nothing intelligible came out.
“And you used the flash, I don't see how that can be art! I'm going to look awful.”
The trespasser smiled and turned their camera so he could see the screen. Well okay, he didn't look half bad, he even looked pretty stylish, handsome even. That was surprising considering his been trapped in there for a while now.
“So?”
“Ok, it’s not that bad.”
However, this little trickery was not forgiven.
“See! Plus, the subject is pretty photogenic, so I don't get all the credit.”
Kuroo frowned: was that a compliment? A flirting attempt? Why was this person, wandering in a closed station, complimenting him? Kuroo still wasn't sure if he was safe; a meeting with a serial killer could happen so quickly after all! Politeness might save him.
“Uh, thanks.”
He received a vague nod in response.
Should he return the compliment? Surely etiquette would require it in this context, right? After all, it could only benefit him.
“Um, I like your style.”
He saw a smirk form on his counterpart's lips.
“Sounds gay.”
Kuroo almost choked on his saliva.
“What?”
“Didn’t say it was a bad thing.”
Kuroo blinked several times.
It was becoming completely surreal. Not that the remark was off base, not at all, but the context was.
“You just said you're not a guy, so it's not gay.”
“I'm not a girl either, so it's still gay.”
The brunet frowned.
“Well, technically no.”
“What do you mean, technically?”
“Well, since hetero comes from the Greek word for "other," if you're not a guy or a girl, it's always hetero, right?”
Was he really debating labels with a perfect stranger in an empty subway station?
His remark seemed to deeply displease his counterpart:
“How dare you!”
“I'm just stating the truth!”
“Okay, but if we assume that in this context the use of the term ‘gay’ refers to ‘queer’, then it’s always queer, so always kinda gay, you know?”.
Kuroo chuckled.
“If you say so.”
“I do say so.”
Silence.
“You're really bad at flirting.”
Kuroo was once again completely taken aback:
“I wasn’t trying to…”
New smirk:
“You think I’m gonna believe that?”
What was he supposed to say to that exactly?
He didn't have time to think about it any longer; the trespasser had just walked away, retrieving their bag hidden a little further to store their camera. They came back to him and gestured for him to follow. Kuroo complied.
“Well, there's a bus over there, or else the next subway station is a ten-minute walk in that direction” the subway stranger indicated once they emerged from the station.
Kuroo simply nodded. They exchanged a bow and finally parted ways. Tetsurō chuckled to himself: sure, he hadn't lost his ability to find himself in impossible situations. But he almost came to bless the universe for this form of misfortune that sometimes put unlikely encounters on his path.
-//-
August was already ending. The air was hot and humid, almost stifling, clinging like a second skin to the damp epidermis. Kuroo had grown up in the north and wasn’t acclimated to Tokyo’s summers yet. That would surely come with time, but for now, the only thing he could do on hot days was to wait for nightfall, trying to make as few movements as possible to conserve his energy in the meantime. Time seemed to slow down, which was astonishing in this buzzing capital where everything was constantly in motion.
A storm had eventually broken out during the night. The rain had continued to fall all day long. Yet the temperatures hadn't dropped much. It was heavy and muggy. Kuroo was sprawled on Akaashi's bed, in his boxers, stranded like a shrimp washed up on the sand at low tide. His lover was beside him, reading the book he had in his hands out loud, talking in a language that eluded him. Kuroo had made this request; he didn't necessarily want to understand, listening to the music of his voice was enough. He let it lull him, carry him into a state of ataraxia, lost between sleep and wakefulness. As the minutes passed by, he sank deeper into this paradoxical state, diluting time and sensations.
He suddenly snapped back to reality when the door swung open. Keiji fell silent. Tetsurō turned his head to see who had dared to burst their little bubble: Kōtarō stood in the doorway.
“Can I come in?”
Akaashi shook his head, Kuroo let out a plaintive groan, still vexed at being brought back to reality. Kōtarō didn't mind, he even dared to chuckle. As he approached the bed to join them, Kuroo grumbled:
“No! It’s too hot!”
“Come on, move over, make room for me!”
He did no such thing.
“Tetsu,” Akaashi intervened to persuade him.
The concerned one sighed, exasperated. He moved to lie down on Keiji, resting his head on his chest. The brunet set his book down at the foot of the bed and ran his hands through his hair. The caresses calmed him down a bit.
“Are you done sulking?” Bokuto asked, lying down beside them.
“No.”
His childish attitude only amused his boyfriend, who leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.
“Gross,” muttered the brunet, not yet ready to give in.
Unfortunately, Kōtarō was already far too accustomed to this kind of behavior to really care, he just smiled at him.
“You asked, I said no, you still came in , that’s rude. Why am I surprised, it’s not like you care anyway.”
Bokuto smiled, amused, but frowned, not necessarily understanding where he was going with this.
“Why do you say that?”
“Babe, you chatted with Kenma for ten minutes last time when…” he choked on his own words, “Damn it, I'm not going to draw you a picture!”
From the look Bokuto gave him, he understood that, maybe, a drawing would indeed be necessary…
“What?”
“You don't remember?”
“...No.”
“You don't remember what you had in your hand?”
Kōtarō seemed to search his memory quite intensely.
“A pillow?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“Oh well, nothing, just my dick.”
He saw his eyes widen:
“Oh…”
He burst out laughing:
“Oh yeah, that's right.”
Apparently, the event hadn't been recorded in the same way by both parties. Kuroo remembered it as a moment of extreme solitude. Even Akaashi didn't offer him a shred of comfort, laughing at his misery.
"Well, sorry babe, but it was too funny, I had to tell Kenma! Oh wait, Keiji, I have to tell you!"
Kuroo had overlooked this detail.
"No !" he protested.
"In short, he..."
Tetsurō placed his hand over his mouth to prevent him from continuing. Keiji, as the traitor that he was, took his hand to release Kōtarō from his grip.
"He thought he was going to accidentally get me pregnant."
“I wasn’t thinking! I panicked!”
Akaashi looked down at him, surprised. Kuroo buried his head in his hands. The brunet chuckled.
"You panicked?"
Yes, he panicked. His brain, already engulfed in hormones, had failed to take certain details into account. In his defense, he had never had the opportunity in his life to sleep with people who could get pregnant. There were plenty of stupid things he could catch, but not babies. The question was rather: why had his brain chosen to derail at that moment? Life was full of mysteries...
The extent of his stupidity had become apparent to him afterward: the existence of an estrus implied that outside of it, except in very exceptional cases that Kuroo was physically incapable of triggering, there was absolutely nothing that his little soldiers could conquer... Kuroo was a scientist, his psychological structure should have absorbed that, but it hadn't...
"You've watched too much porn again..."
"I didn’t!”
“Then I told Tadashi and…”
“You told Yamaguchi?” Kuroo cut in.
“Yeah, he said he had already explained it to you.”
Kuroo squeaked, overcome with shame. He leaned to the side to hide behind Akaashi. Bad move, he almost fell. Fortunately, his lover caught him just in time to prevent the fall.
“Already?” Akaashi insisted.
Tetsu really didn't want to answer that question. He was saved from this torture when he heard a knock on the door. They turned their eyes to the door, Kenma entered before they could respond. He didn't bother to look up from his phone and asked:
“Yūji is asking if we want to come see the fireworks tomorrow. Apparently, there's a nice spot where we can watch it from. Are you in?”
“Definitely,” Kōtarō replied.
The other two nodded. Throughout the month, they had only managed to see fireworks reflected in the windows of buildings, giving up each time on the idea of being able to see anything properly.
"Okay," they said in unison.
Kenma, who had resumed tapping on his phone, turned on his heels to leave. Before he could close the door, Bokuto called out to him:
"Cuddle?"
The request pulled the blond out of his bubble; he finally raised his eyes and turned his head in their direction. He considered the request for a second. Finally, he approached, set his phone on the bedside table, and threw himself onto them.
"Tetsurō, you were telling us that Yama-kun gave you sex education lessons, could you elaborate?"
Damn it.
He let out a sigh of pure distress. The other three burst into laughter.
-//-
Kuroo was standing in front of the Fukuro. He had to pick up Akaashi after his shift so they could join their other two boyfriends later. Kenma and Bokuto had gone shopping, in preparation for the evening. Kenma had suspected that if Kōtarō and himself ended up in a supermarket together, they would end up buying everything except what was on the list. Wise indeed.
Kuroo hadn't been back to the Fukuro for a long time: partly because he no longer needed to go there to see Akaashi, but also because he feared running into Konoha-san again, whose icy gaze still sent shivers down his spine.
The coffee shop was already closed. He leaned in to see if he could spot his boyfriend. He saw him behind the counter, probably busy counting the cash. He gasped in surprise when he noticed that the person busy cleaning the tables was none other than Konoha-san. He startled and took a step back. The blond eventually looked up, and their eyes met. Damn. He clung to the shreds of social courage he had left to smile at him and offer a wave. His discomfort was not difficult to guess.
He saw Konoha roll his eyes. He began to seriously panic when he saw him approaching. He cast a desperate look in Akaashi's direction. Unfortunately, the brunet still hadn't noticed his presence. Too late, Konoha was already there. He turned the lock and opened the door.
"Uh, hey," Kuroo said, unsure.
He was already mentally preparing for the vehement response.
"Hey," said Konoha.
Tetsurō blinked several times. The blond had spoken to him without a hint of animosity in his voice. He hadn't greeted him joyfully either, but the neutrality of his tone was surprising.
"Well, come in," Konoha urged impatiently.
Kuroo complied.
"'Kaashi, your goofball’s here."
Kuroo felt deeply honored: he was part of the "goofballs." No greater honor could be bestowed upon him!
His lover finally looked up. Kuroo forgot about Konoha's presence and maintained eye contact until he reached him. Tetsurō leaned on the bar, tilting his head, adopting the charming attitude he had often displayed towards Akaashi in the early days of their relationship. Keiji smirked. Kuroo continued his little game:
"Excuse me, I know we've never met, but I have to tell you that you are the..."
Before he could say anything more, Akaashi grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him into a kiss. He let him go and immediately returned to his cash register as if nothing had happened. Tetsurō was left dumbfounded, completely caught off guard.
"Keiji," he murmured in a choked whisper.
The addressed one smiled.
"It is just us and Konoha-san. I doubt he minds..."
"It does bother me!" interjected the concerned party.
Akaashi turned towards his colleague, raising an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
"He is use to it," Akaashi said.
Konoha clicked his tongue but said nothing more.
Kuroo smiled to himself: the young man's diva attitude could rival that of his dear Oikawa. Putting them in the same room would be a... unique experience. Terrifying? Intriguing perhaps? He didn't really want that to happen anytime soon, but the idea was worth exploring.
"Here, for you.”
Kuroo blinked several times, incredulous:
"For me?”
Konoha looked at him, almost exasperated with his response.
"Well, I just told you. A latte with oat milk, that's what you usually get, right? Anyway, I'm cleaning the machine now, so if you don't like it, tough luck."
Kuroo lowered his eyes to the cardboard cup he had placed in front of him.
"Oh... thank you."
He raised his eyes, still amazed by the young man's attitude towards him.
Konoha raised an eyebrow:
"What?"
"Nothing…"
"Good."
"I'm just not used to you being nice to me..."
Akaashi chuckled.
Konoha crossed his arms:
"I'm always nice."
Kuroo didn't know how to respond to this brazen lie.
"Really?" Keiji intervened, amused.
"You kidding? Remember who told you to give him a shot!” he turned to Kuroo “ I was on your side, you know! It's him who played the stubborn alpha! I was just being a loyal friend.”
Kuroo raised an eyebrow, very unconvinced.
"I swear! It was 'Kaashi who thought you were a clueless beta, not that I didn't think so too, but hey."
"Uh... thanks for believing in me?"
"Don't push it, I wasn't there yet... Drink up!"
Kuroo complied, unable to suppress a smile. Konoha rolled his eyes but said nothing more, returning to his cleaning. Ten minutes later, they were kicked out of the coffeeshop by the blond armed with a bucket of water and a mop, claiming that their presence was only slowing him down.
Once outside, Kuroo cast a final glance inside before turning to Akaashi.
"I never thought I'd see this day but, does that mean I have Konoha’s blessing now? What an honor," he declared, placing a hand over his heart.
Akaashi rolled his eyes.
They simultaneously received a message from Kōtarō in their group chat. He informed them that he would pick them up in a few minutes.
"Do you know where it is?"
His boyfriend nodded.
"Um, so how is he like?"
"Terushima-san?"
"Yeah."
Akaashi posed.
"Very friendly."
Kuroo frowned, not quite sure if the comment was positive or not. He'd have to figure it out on his own.
“Actually, I have to mention that…”
Keiji was cut short, startled by a car horn. Kenma and Kōtarō were here.
“Never mind, you will find out soon enough.”
“Find out what?” Kuroo insisted.
Keiji didn’t answer, already settling in the back of the car. Kuroo followed him, and they set off.
Without really explaining why, Kuroo felt a hint of stress starting to creep in. It didn't take him long to identify the source: he wanted to play it cool, but meeting someone new was stressing him out. It was nothing he couldn't overcome, of course, and certainly nothing he couldn't hide with finesse.
"Do you know where Yūji is taking us?" Kōtarō asked the blond.
"No idea."
The remark elicited a sigh from Keiji, but he didn't add anything more.
"They just told me to wear good shoes," Kenma finally added.
They? Multiple new people! Oh no!
“Who’s going to be there?” Kuroo couldn't help but ask.
Kenma caught his gaze in the rearview mirror:
"Well, just us and Yūji."
Okay...
Kuroo felt like he had missed something and didn't like that very much. He didn't inquire further. They eventually arrived in the Asakusa district, on a narrow street lined with old buildings from the seventies with faded facades. They parked in a small outdoor lot squeezed between an old building and a construction site. The street was so narrow that the twilight struggled to penetrate. He helped carry the groceries and followed his boyfriends.
They finally arrived in front of a ten-story building, much less outdated than the rest of the neighborhood's buildings but with small white tiles on the facade that perfectly imitated the floor of an old municipal pool. They entered and went up to the sixth floor. As they were about to arrive, Kuroo remembered that he had forgotten to ask if their host was aware of their relationship, or if he should play the card of "just a very good friend." Kuroo tended to forget that the rest of the world existed and that he still lived in Japan, where the subject was still taboo (no, not taboo, it was downright uncharted territory). Keiji rang the doorbell before he had time to ask. The door opened, and as Kuroo was about to politely greet their host, he froze, instantly recognizing the person facing him: blond hair, piercing, a flower dress matched with a baseball polo?! (seriously, who had the idea to match a flower dress with an old baseball polo?), No doubt, it was the subway trespasser. His eyes widened and he saw his counterpart's eyes do the same:
"It's you!" they exclaimed in unison.
"Do you know each other?" Kenma asked.
"Uh... We crossed paths," Kuroo replied, following the rest of his boyfriends inside.
Yūji closed the door behind them and replied:
"Crossed paths? He totally hit on me in the subway!"
"No, I didn’t"
"Typical," Kenma casually interrupted, which made Bokuto chuckle.
"No, but he... she... uh...," he paused, turning to the person in question, unsure of the pronouns he should use.
Yūji smirked.
"I use she and they, but no sweat.”
"Oh, okay, um..."
"He called me straight," Yūji interrupted.
Kenma and Kōtarō gasped.
"I had arguments!"
"I don't see what argument you could possibly have," Kōtarō retorted.
"Doesn't matter, it's forgiven..."
Kuroo rolled his eyes.
"Pleased to finally meet you, Terushima Yūji," the subway stranger introduced themselves.
"Kuroo Tetsurō."
"The famous Jiji," they glanced at Kenma, who rolled his eyes.
" How did you meet? Knowing you two, I’m sure it’s something impossible again," Kenma remarked, placing the grocery bags on the small kitchen table.
"Hmm, I was taking pics in the subway, the station was closed but he managed to get in, so..."
"Yū, you're going to end up in jail one of these days, I need you, you know..."
"Barely, you'd manage just fine without me. And don't worry, they already know me pretty well down there, they practically all follow me on Insta, real fans."
"Hmm," Kenma responded, not very convinced.
"Okay! I'm just going to change, it'll be easier to climb with pants on, and then we can go."
“Climb?” asked Keiji.
"We're not eating here?"
"No, we'll take care of it there, it's starting to get dark, it would be stupid to miss the beginning!"
"We went through all this trouble to bring everything up, and now you tell me this!"
"Yeah," and they disappeared behind a door.
Yūji reappeared a few minutes later in an outfit more suited for "climbing": black jeans under their flower dress. Kuroo couldn't understand how this attire had the audacity to look good on them. Yūji grabbed her camera bag, and once all their provisions were gathered, they went back down to the car. Kōtarō, Keiji, and himself had to squeeze into the back of the car so Yūji could sit in front and guide Kenma. Unfortunately for them, their co-pilot was only moderately qualified: the directions were vague, and they had to reverse down one-way streets several times, abruptly change direction, or make U-turns to find the hypothetical path to their destination as quickly as possible. Kuroo was impressed by Kenma's calmness, who followed the somewhat crappy directions without complaining. Well, at least at first; he finally cracked after about ten minutes. However, this had the merit of refreshing Yūji's memory. They finally arrived in an old deserted industrial area.
“We’re here!”
Kenma parked the car in front of an old, dilapidated building towering over twenty stories.
"Seriously?" the blond asked. Disheartened, he turned to his friend, who simply responded with a smile.
"What is this thing?" Kuroo murmured to himself.
"It's an old textile factory! Cool, huh? It burned down in 1923 during the Great Kantō Earthquake. They started renovation work, but they were never completed, and no one ever bought it."
"Is it safe?" Bokuto asked.
"Um... yeah, it's fine. I've taken pics here before, and I'm still here, so it's okay."
They fell silent, collectively not very convinced by this argument.
"Are we allowed to be here?"
Yūji turned to Kenma.
"It’s a grey area"
"So, no."
"Grey area."
Kenma rolled his eyes.
"Okay, let's go."
They got out of the car, and once all their belongings were retrieved, they embarked on their journey. Yūji led them around the side of the building; all the doors they passed were locked with heavy chains and padlocks. They arrived at a pile of metal and debris that Yūji meticulously moved to reveal a breach in the wall for them to enter. Kuroo’s three boyfriends collectively sighed, apparently all too accustomed to this kind of plan. However, they did not comment and ventured inside. Kuroo followed them, his body stirred by a mix of anxiety and excitement. The night had completely fallen, and he couldn't properly make out what was inside; only a few moonbeams revealed a faint glow of a vast desolate expanse, littered with rubble, dust, and broken glass. Yūji turned on their flashlight, revealing a bit more of the surroundings. However, there wasn't much else to see besides walls blackened with almost century-old soot.
Their guide invited them to climb a miraculously still-standing spiral staircase. The iron had held, but some places were eaten away by rust. Their footsteps producing metallic echoes bounced throughout the building, amplifying the already strange atmosphere enveloping the place. They avoided speaking, as the slightest voice crack reverberated ominously around them, and simply followed Yūji in silence. They had to cross several floors, still inhabited by some old offices, overturned shelves, and broken chairs. Kuroo tried to push far, far away in his brain the idea that it could resemble a map from Resident Evil and that a monster could emerge at any moment. They climbed more stairs until they finally reached the top of the building. They stopped in front of a service ladder leading to a hatch in the ceiling. Yūji went up first and opened the hatch. The night air and city sounds reached them: they had reached the roof. Yūji helped them bring up the cooler they had already dragged through all the floors, and they finally emerged.
"Ta-da!" Yūji exclaimed, opening their arms.
Kuroo let out a sigh of wonder. The roof stretched over hundreds and hundreds of square meters; all around them lay the city, illuminated by thousands of colored hues.
"Not bad," Kenma conceded.
"Isn't it?"
They heard an explosion sound: the first fireworks had been set off. The sky in front of them lit up in red, then silver, green, and blue. Down below flowed the Ara River, where the fireworks were launched. The colors danced in the water; above, the sky exploded before their eyes, torn by lights and noise. Kuroo stepped closer to the edge, looking up, watching the fireworks fall like rain just above their heads. He snapped out of it when he heard a clicking noise to his left. He rolled his eyes look when he realized it was Yūji once again deciding to take his picture without his consent. "It's art," was their only defense. She approached him to hand him the camera.
"Hmm, not bad."
Really not: Kuroo had his head tilted back, golden and garnet light beads dancing around him, their glow reflecting in his eyes.
Yūji smiled at him.
"Damn, I'm talented."
"Pff, ego much?"
They didn't even respond, grinning stupidly at her camera.
"Mind if I post it on my Insta?"
Kuroo raised an eyebrow, surprised by the request.
"If you want."
"Yes!"
And they went off to chat with Kenma. Kuroo watched her go, then turned his eyes back to the sky. He crouched down. Soon, he felt a presence behind him: Akaashi had just sat down behind him. They smiled at each other; Keiji planted a brief kiss on his cheek and rested his head on his shoulder. Kuroo leaned back against his chest and welcomed his embrace.
Damn, life wasn't too bad these days.
-//-
Two days later, Kuroo was awakened by the incessant vibrations of his phone. He wasn't the only one to be woken up: Keiji grumbled, and Kenma threw his pillow at his face. The brunet mumbled a vague "sorry" before grabbing his phone. With half-open eyes, he unlocked it, finding his screen overflowing with Instagram’s notifications. He nearly choked when he opened the app.
"What the hell," he murmured.
"What?" Kenma asked.
"650 people who just followed me, like in ten minutes!"
"What?" Kenma exclaimed, panicked.
He sat up and grabbed Kuroo's phone.
"You're not private?"
"... No."
"Shit."
Shit?
"You don't have any photos of me, or the goofballs, right?"
"Um, not of you, but of Kōtarō and Keiji, yeah... But there's not much. My mom follows me, I try not to out myself."
"Damn. Well... Okay, that's fine," Kenma said as he scrolled through his profile.
Kuroo took back his phone, scrolling through his notifications, trying to find the source of his sudden popularity. He found the first notification: "DRel'ik mentioned your name." He clicked on it, not recognizing the name of the person who mentioned him at all.
"Oh, the idiot…" the blond said, reading over his shoulder.
"Who is it?"
"Yūji."”
"Oh?"
Indeed, although their face wasn't visible anywhere, he could recognize their style: the old, abandoned buildings, empty metro stations, and dimly lit narrow alleys. He recognized himself in the last post: it was the photo taken on the night of the fireworks. Somehow Yūji had found his username, and he was tagged as "Ji the black kat." Kuroo was impressed by the number of likes on the photo; his ego was even more flattered when he scrolled through the comment section: apparently, people collectively didn't find him too repulsive, and that wasn't unpleasant. He found the moment when things went haywire: some people had made the connection between his username and his Twitch account. "Isn't he Applepie's friend?" "OMG, Yes!!" "I knew Drel' worked with him, but I hadn't thought they knew each other," and so on. Kuroo smiled, flattered indeed, but still bewildered by this sudden fame.
He shrugged; all these people would eventually lose interest in him after a while anyway. He put his phone on silent mode, placed it at the foot of the bed, and went back to sleep; he was far from having had his share of morning cuddles.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Next chapter : parenti aquisiti
“Kuroo took a deep breath.
“Are you okay?”
Tetsurō looked up at Bokuto. "No!" he thought.
“Yes... just a little, um... anxious I guess.”
His boyfriend smiled at him.
“Don't worry, it'll be fine.”
"L.O.L," he thought to himself, trying to smile back, with little to no success.”
See ya
Chapter 31: Parenti aquisiti
Summary:
“Are you okay?”
Tetsurō looked up at Bokuto. "No!" he thought.
“Yes... just a little, um... anxious I guess.”
His boyfriend smiled at him.
“Don't worry, it'll be fine.”
"L.O.L," he thought to himself, trying to smile back, with little to no success.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Kuroo took a deep breath.
“Are you okay?”
Tetsurō looked up at Bokuto. "No!" he thought.
“Yes... just a little, um... anxious I guess.”
His boyfriend smiled at him.
“Don't worry, it'll be fine.”
"L.O.L," he thought to himself, trying to smile back, with little to no success.
As he looked up, he caught Kenma's gaze in the rearview mirror and saw the mocking smile on his lips. He saw him glance towards Akaashi sitting beside him, and they chuckled discreetly.
Well, thanks for the moral support!
Kuroo readjusted the two cardboard boxes on his lap, no way was he going to show up with two completely squashed cakes, his honor depended on it!
Why was he even here exactly?
No, he knew why he was here, but why had he agreed to come?
Because Kōtarō had asked him to, and damn he couldn't resist his damn little owl face...
He was that weak.
It was Sunday, September 20: Bokuto Kōtarō's birthday, aka his beloved boyfriend, whom he loved dearly, but who had the brilliant idea of asking him to come with him to celebrate with his family.
They had celebrated it together the day before, precisely because he would celebrate it the next day with his family. Tetsurō had known this for several weeks already, and it was completely fine by him. After all, they had only been together for a very short time, certainly not yet the time to meet his family, he thought. What a grave miscalculation: he was also dating his mates, who were obviously going. So it was only natural that Kōtarō had asked him to join them.
The step of “meeting the in-laws” was universally known to be one of the most stressful things one can experience, but for Kuroo, the trial was infinitely more strenuous than what people were facing most of the time: he didn’t have to make a good impression on two parents, not even three, but all four of them. Gosh, he was going to faint for sure.
He had bombarded his boyfriend with questions the day before to establish a quick profile of each of his parents. Still, he had only managed to obtain a few rudimentary pieces of information which he then had relentlessly repeated to himself to memorize perfectly. The task had proven more challenging than anticipated: polygamy and same-sex marriage not being legal, his parents and siblings did not have the same last name, only being recognized as a family unit under a special amendment of the T.O.P (or so he was told). He would have to learn on the field for the rest of it.
“We’re here.”
The car had just stopped, pulling Kuroo from his thoughts. He looked up and almost choked as he swallowed: they had stopped indeed, but not in front of a charming little family house as he had imagined, but in front of a mansion. A damn, real life mansion. A small mansion maybe, but a mansion nonetheless. Kuroo knew that Kōtarō came from a rather wealthy family, but he certainly hadn't imagined this. The estate must have dated back to the early 20th century, built in a Western style, the ashen stones of the building contrasting with the foliage of the centuries-old maples and cherry trees planted all around. Kuroo remembered seeing a similar structure in the garden of Kyū-Furukawa, but he certainly didn't think this kind of place could still be inhabited...
“Ji?”
The concerned one returned to reality: his three boyfriends had already exited the car, Kenma had opened the door for him and was waiting for him to get out. It took him a few extra seconds to regain control of his legs. The other three had resumed their discussion, Kuroo was far too absorbed in the contemplation of the garden to listen to them. They arrived at the door, Kōtarō rang the bell, and Tetsurō felt his stomach knot.
“Oh! Must be the kids!” they heard from the other side of the door.
The door opened, and a woman in her fifties appeared, disheveled chestnut hair perfectly complementing her ethereal aura, dressed in a large colorful dress. Kuroo had no trouble identifying her: Yūma Maeda, 52 years old, an art professor at the prestigious Tama University of Fine Arts, a great pottery lover, and an herbalist in her spare time.
“Kōtarō, baby, happy birthday!” she tenderly exclaimed upon seeing her child before taking him in her arms.
“Thanks, mom.”
“Kenma-kun, Keiji-kun, I'm so happy to see you again,” she continued, pulling them in a hug.
Her gaze finally fell on Kuroo. She readjusted her large round glasses, the movement causing the dozens of bracelets she wore on her wrist to jingle.
“And you must be Tetsurō, what a delight! I'm Kōtarō's mom, you can call me Yūma.”
“Nice to meet you, Yūma-san,” Kuroo leaned in to greet her, completely forgetting the two cake boxes he still had in his hands that he almost dropped.
“Oh, no need for formalities, come on in, kids.”
“Are Nobu and Nao home?” Kōtarō asked once the door closed behind them.
His voice sounded strange, laced with a mix of fear and enthusiasm...
“Yes, they're upstairs they...”
“Is that ugly face I hear?” a voice shouted from the top of the stairs.
“Ah, there they are.”
Two young men appeared, thundering down the stairs. He saw Kōtarō stiffen, and pedal back a little. Before he could even say a word, the other two had pounced on him, lifting him into the air as if he were as frail as a tiny twig.
Yes, Kōtarō Bokuto, half-god stature, a tiny twig...
Kōtarō eventually burst into laughter, managing to break free from their grasp. He put his arm around one of his brothers' necks to try to make him stumble, but the other one tripped him up.
“Nobuyoshi Bokuto, 27 years old, dog trainer,” Kuroo began to mutter to himself, “Nao Ogawa, 25 years old, studying art and communication at Business...”
He fell silent as he realized Kenma had heard him muttering.
“What?” asked the brunette.
“You're a psychopath...”
“No, I’m just. No!”
He found no further arguments for his defense.
Kenma raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile forming on his lips.
“We forgot the flowers in the car,” Kenma intervened.
“Did we take flowers?” Keiji asked.
His mate didn't answer him and went back through the door.
“We'll leave them be,” Yūma said. “You can put those down next to… boys! Wait” she told them, “Keiji-kun, you know where the kitchen is, right?”
Keiji nodded
“I will show you,” he said.
Before they could even turn on their heels, they heard someone shout "Keiji!". Kōtarō had managed to extricate himself from the melee, grabbing his mate by the arm, hoping that the latter would come to his aid. Unfortunately for them, they were both swallowed up by the chaotic scrum. Kuroo was the only one left.
“Ah, they're impossible,” Yūma-san said, a smile playing on her lips, “come with me I...”
A crashing sound rang out behind them.
“Watch out, boys... Not there, I...”
She detached herself from him to try to save her furniture from the wild animals serving as her children. Kuroo found himself alone, standing in the entrance hall with his two cake boxes. He turned his eyes towards the adjacent room, spotting a large table. As he was about to open the door, placing his two boxes in one hand to facilitate the action, he detected movement in his peripheral vision. He jumped and almost dropped the boxes. A childish laughter reached him. Turning his eyes, he discovered that what had startled him so much was nothing but a child standing in the shadow of a corridor. They looked at each other silently, like two animals crossing paths in a forest. Kuroo had no trouble determining who it was: Shin Bokuto, the youngest of the siblings.
"You're funny," the child said to him.
"Uh... thank you. Um, I really like your hat," he continued, pointing to the little frog bob Shin was wearing.
The child chuckled, flattered by the compliment, and disappeared into the shadow of the corridor.
Okay...
Kuroo returned to his primary task, which was to go into the next room so he could finally set down his cakes before they were ruined for good. The room was cozy, the rustic style contrasting with the apparent grandeur of the mansion. Just as he was finally about to set down his two boxes, he jumped, almost dropping them once again. The running gag was starting to get old. The armchair in front of him had just turned around, and Kuroo could see that a man in his early fifties, dressed in an elegant three-piece suit, with a stern and austere look, was seated in it. His black hair was slicked back, and his equally dark eyes scrutinized him severely. There was no room for doubts: he was in front of Naruhito Nakayama. Kuroo shivered. Nevertheless, he gathered his courage and bowed to greet him.
"Pleased to meet you, Nakayama-san. I'm Kuroo Tetsurō..."
He fell silent: the man in front of him had just stood up. Although he was shorter than him, his aura was so imposing that it silenced him. Nakayama took a step forward and examined him from head to toe, a hint of disdain in his gaze. Kuroo swallowed hard.
"A beta..."
"Uh... yes," Tetsurō simply replied, bowing again to show his respect.
But even that didn't seem to soften his interlocutor.
"Oh, Naru, the leeks and zucchinis have grown so well!"
Kuroo turned his eyes towards the person who had just entered the room through the door opposite to the one he had taken. It was a man with dark chestnut long hair tied in a messy bun, wearing a checkered shirt over an old denim overall stained with grass and dirt. No doubt, it was Hiroshi Bokuto.
Hiroshi finally noticed his presence:
"Oh hey, look who's here!"
"Hello, I'm..."
Tetsurō didn't have time to finish his sentence, as Bokuto-san had crossed the room to approach him. He immediately took him in his arms, squeezing him so tightly that he lifted him off the ground.
"Ah! You must be Tetsurō, it’s so nice to meet you, my boy," he said once he had kindly put him back on the ground.
"Nice to meet you too, Bokuto-san."
He offered him a radiant smile before turning to his mate:
"Naru, don't tell me you were playing the big bad wolf! - he turned back to him - Don't worry, he looks scary like that, but he's actually a softy."
"Hiro..." growled Nakayama-san.
"’tô-san!" shouted a small, feeble voice.
Nakayama-san's severity mask completely broke when his youngest appeared. The child rushed to his dad who immediately took him in his arms. Shin hugged his father and turned his eyes toward Kuroo:
"Oh, it's you!"
The brunet smiled at him and waved.
"I know him, he's funny," Shin pleaded to defend his case.
Nakayama-san turned his eyes towards him again. There was still a hint of disdain in his gaze, but it had softened. However, he didn't speak to him and turned back to his mate:
"I hope you'll change before lunch."
Hiroshi didn't bother with a response and waved off his mate’s remark.
"All right, let's go join the others," he said, putting his arm around Tetsurō's back to guide him along.
The puppy fight was still going; Keiji had managed to extricate himself somehow, now waiting seated on the first steps of the stairs. Kuroo approached him, laughing at the state he was in: disheveled, wrinkled clothes, and a look of deep despair painted on his face.
"I see you managed to get out alive."
"Barely," commented Akaashi.
"Hiroshi, there you are," said Yūma, approaching her mate, four vases in hand.
The man burst out laughing at the chaos his children had caused.
"They gave you a hard time?"
"Nothing too serious, I'm just happy to see them like this."
Hiroshi chuckled again. He whistled, and the fight immediately broke out. The three brothers finally split up, out of breath. Kōtarō came back to them, completely disheveled but with a radiant smile on his lips, purring so loudly that he was certain the floor was trembling. He caught Kuroo's gaze and smiled at him.
"Babe!"
As he approached, presumably to kiss him, Kuroo instinctively step back; he wasn't particularly keen on PDA in front of his family, it was a bit too soon for that. Kōtarō seemed surprised but understood what it was about when he looked up, finally noticing his two dads. He smiled and went to meet them.
"Dad! ‘tô-san!"
"Happy birthday, son," said Hiroshi.
"You could have made an effort, Kōtarō, what's with this outfit?" remarked Naruhito.
The concerned party lowered his eyes, detailing his attire: an old gray sweatshirt and canary yellow jogging pants.
"What's wrong with it?"
Nakayama-san sighed but didn't insist further.
Akaashi stood up to greet his in-laws.
Kōtarō's brothers finally noticed his presence and rushed towards him. Although they looked alike: raven black hair, onyx eyes, and similar noses and lips, the energy they individually radiated was quite different. Nobuyoshi had that kind of “golden retriever” vibe, while Nao was more of an emo boy kind of guy (yes, his categorizations were pretty shitty, but it worked for him).
"Oh, you must be Tetsurō, right?" greeted Nobuyoshi.
"Yes, I..."
He fell silent; Nobuyoshi had just grabbed his arm to feel his biceps. Kuroo jumped when he leaned in to... sniff him. Kuroo remained petrified for several seconds, not knowing at all how he should react. However, the olfactory scan seemed to delight the young man who stepped away from him, offering him a radiant smile:
"Pleased to meet you!"
"Uh, likewise..."
"Are you a beta?" intervened Nao, who hadn't spoken to him yet.
"...Yes."
Nao smiled:
"Cool."
"Nao, don’t ask that !" scolded his elder.
"What?"
"It's not polite."
Oh, because entering someone's bubble to sniff them was?
"Oh, um, sorry, I'm Nao, hi," he said, correcting himself before nodding.
"Tetsurō."
"And I'm Nobuyoshi, but you can call me Nobu."
"Or the idiot," his brother interjected, it's the same.
The said idiot didn't seem too pleased with that title and pushed his brother, which made him laugh even more.
The front door swung open, drawing the attention of everyone gathered in the hallway. A middle-aged woman with shoulder-length black hair and the look of a successful businesswoman entered: Etsuko Ogawa. She was accompanied by a young teenager with short blond hair and rosy cheeks: Megumi Nakayama.
"Hey, look who I found in the field across the street," laughed Etsuko.
She stepped aside from the door, giving the others a clear view of Kenma standing in the doorway, holding a sad bouquet of wildflowers in his hand. Kuroo chuckled, realizing there had never been a bouquet in the car.
"Oh, they're wonderful," exclaimed Yūma as she approached, genuinely charmed by the impromptu bouquet.
Kenma handed it to her, and she took it as if it were a fragile artifact.
"Look, Mom, I brought some too!" Megumi pulled out four crushed flowers and a sprig of wild wheat from the front pocket of her overalls, which she handed to her.
"Beautiful, my darling, I'll put them with the others in a vase."
Kuroo didn’t know if he should feel moved or just laugh: the bouquet was very ugly, which made the enthusiasm for it quite funny, but Yūma’s sweetness and sincerity were disarming, gentle parenting 101.
As Etsuko approached to greet her two elders, still standing next to Kuroo, her gaze finally fell on him. She initially seemed surprised to see him there, but soon a smile of tender friendliness formed on her lips.
"Well, a newcomer!"
"Kuroo Tetsurō," he introduced himself again.
"Nice to meet you, kid. I really didn't expect to see you this soon."
Kuroo frowned, not really sure how to interpret her words. She put her arm around his shoulder and leaned forward, pulling him with her so he was at her height.
"Tell me, they brought you here against your will, didn’t they?" she whispered to him.
Detecting the humor in the exchange, Kuroo responded:
"A bit, yeah..."
Etsuko seemed surprised by his frankness but quickly let out a hearty laugh.
"Ah," she exclaimed, giving him a big slap on the back, "you're a funny one, I like you, kid. Don't worry, we're not that bad, you’ll see!"
Tetsurō smiled and nodded. Etsuko smiled at him one last time before straightening up.
"Kōtarō, happy birthday, little monster," she said, grabbing her son by the arm to kiss him on the temple. "Naru, leave that kid on the floor, he has legs, remember?" she said as she walked away, "what do you have to do to get a drink around here? We’re celebrating!"
The whole group began to move towards the next room. Kuroo followed suit. He was soon joined by Kenma and Keiji.
"There was never a bouquet, was there?" Kuroo murmured to the blond.
"No."
"You just didn't want to get caught up in the puppy fight, right?”
"Yep."
"Poor Keiji, he got dragged into it and you weren't even there to rescue him."
Keiji nodded.
"Why should I have rescued him?"
"Out... of love?"
Kenma chuckled.
"It's every man for himself."
"Charming," commented Keiji.
"You're the alpha, you should like that kind of thing," the blond retorted, openly mocking his mate.
Akaashi raised an eyebrow, not particularly appreciating the tone.
Kenma noticed and chuckled, smiling at him, and discreetly kissed his hand. That seemed enough to cheer up the brunet, who rolled his eyes but said nothing more.
"Is Suki here?" Kōtarō asked his parents.
Kuroo understood that he was referring to Suki Nakayama, Kōtarō's older sister, and the only person he hadn't met yet.
"She didn't tell you?" Yūma asked, visibly sorry. "She had to leave; her classes start tomorrow."
"Oh... okay."
Kōtarō looked saddened by the news. Tetsurō approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder to support him.
"That's your big sister, right?"
"Hmm... She's studying in Sapporo."
Kuroo eyes widened:
"Your sister lives on my turf, and you didn't tell me!"
That managed to bring a smile to his lover's face.
"Your turf?"
"Exactly."
Bokuto chuckled.
"She's starting her thesis this year."
"Cool, in what?"
"Economics."
"Nice! My sister also studies eco in Sapporo... Well, eco and something else... I’m not sure actually…"
"Hmm..."
Kōtarō wasn’t really paying attention anymore; he still looked upset about his sister's absence. Tetsurō leaned in to rest his forehead on his temple for a second, conveying his support.
"Disgusting," he heard murmured behind him.
Kuroo didn't need to turn around, recognizing Kenma's voice very well. He didn't bother to turn around and simply gave him the finger.
"Whoa, okay, is that how you treat your brothers-in-law!"
Kuroo jumped and turned around, realizing Nobu and Nao were standing directly behind him. Mortified, he apologized in a squeaky voice. Kenma chuckled to his right, and the two brothers seemed more amused than offended by the situation. Nobu took the opportunity to step forward beside him, putting his arm around his shoulder, and Nao did the same, pushing his little brother in the process.
"So Tetsu, can I call you Tetsu?" Nobuyoshi didn't bother to wait for his response and continued, "Where are you from? What are you doing in Tokyo?"
"Um, I..."
"How did you meet ugly face there?" Nao interrupted.
They bombarded him with a dozen questions, never really waiting for him to answer. Kuroo had expected to be able to endure an interrogation, but the questions piled up so fast that he couldn't answer any of them.
They finally arrived in a huge veranda where a large table had been set up. Towering plants with foliage ranging from apple green to emerald or violet intertwined to form a dense forest. The sliding doors had been opened, offering a grand view of an immense Japanese garden contrasting with the style of the mansion. A pond dotted with water lilies stretched almost to the foot of the house, bordered by lush bushes and twisted trees.
Kuroo didn't have much time to indulge in further contemplation; Nobu had already dragged him along.
"Come sit with us !"
Kuroo knew he had no say here, so he found himself sandwiched between the two eldest siblings of the family. He attempted a silent plea for help to his boyfriends, but none of them deigned to react. He would have to survive without anyone's help.
-//-
Kuroo wasn't proud of him, but he had to do what he had to do, for his own good; for his survival. At first, lunch went well: after surviving another round of questions from his "brothers-in-law", the conversation had started without much difficulty. Nao and Nobu shared with their younger brother a love of the absurd, and Kuroo knew how to work with that. It hadn't taken him more than ten minutes to be completely accepted by the two oldest siblings. That's when things went south: bored with the adult discussions, the two youngest got up from the table. The resulting empty seats led to a game of musical chairs which, by some unfortunate miracle, landed him face to face with Nakayama-san.
Then began a strange interrogation that was a little too close to his boundary for his comfort. He knew he owed Nakayama-san a certain respect, but the intrusiveness of his questions became increasingly uncomfortable. He could understand the curiosity, he probably didn't have a lot of beta in his family, but he wasn't an endangered species either!
He took advantage of a moment of commotion to escape, pretending to go to the toilet. Well, pretend was a strong word, because that's exactly what he was doing. However, considering the size of the mansion, it took him a long time to find what he was looking for. He didn't mind the little adventure, as long as he was in the corridors, he wasn't at the table facing trial for whatever reasons. He finally found it by going upstairs.
At the foot of the toilet was a step stool to reach the bowl, which was decorated with hundreds of colorful frogs, all nestled in a jingle-themed decoration, where pelicans and other birds of paradise watched him judgmentally. He hurried, certain that he had to get out as soon as possible to avoid trouble. He opened the door and stepped back a few inches: he had been spotted! Shin was standing in front of him, a frog hat on his head and a giraffe stuffed animal in his hand. Their eyes met.
"Oh sorry, did you want to go?" Kuroo asked.
The child looked at him for a long time, without bothering to answer. The eye contact lasted for several more seconds before Shin replied, "No."
"Oh, okay."
Shin didn't move, still standing in front of the brunet.
"Um..." Tetsurō hesitated, trying to formulate the sentence correctly in his head.
"Do you want to see my room?" the child asked, unprompted.
Kuroo was a bit surprised by this request and didn't answer right away.
"I have a tepee," the younger one added.
A convincing argument.
"Um... okay."
Shin nodded but didn't move. Only a few seconds later, he held out his hand. Kuroo looked at it for a few seconds before finally taking it in his own. Shin seemed satisfied. He turned on his heels and pulled him along. They didn't have to go far; they had barely taken two steps before Shin stopped in front of a door. He had to let go to open the handle. The door opened into a small, dreamlike and charming universe. The wallpaper on the wall resembled the Amazon rainforest, and on the floor was a large carpet decorated with colorful frogs. Kuroo noted that if he ever had to give this child a gift, something with a frog theme would be a safe bet. Shin took his hand again and led him to a small white tepee with golden stars and pillows underneath. Shin went in first, grabbed a pillow, adjusted it, came out and invited him to sit down.
"Oh, um, thank you."
Kuroo entered the teepee, bending carefully not to destroy the tepee’s structure. He settled on the pillow that Shin had prepared for him and waited. The latter entered as well and sat beside him. Silence stretched for long seconds. Tetsurō hadn't been in such a young company for a long time: what exactly does one talk about with a child of this age?
"Um... nice teepee," he finally commented.
"Before, it was Megumi’s, but now it's mine," Shin replied.
"Oh... uh... cool."
The child vaguely nodded. Without adding anything else, he got up again and left the teepee, leaving a puzzled Kuroo behind. He quickly returned, carrying a large metal box in his arms. He placed the box in front of Kuroo and opened it. Inside was a whole bunch of neatly arranged cards.
"Choose one," he was told.
Kuroo hesitated but eventually looked at the cards, randomly picking one out of the box. He was surprised to see that it was a technical sheet listing the characteristics of exotic wild animals.
"Oh, I got... the gharial."
Shin nodded but made no additional comment.
"Gavialis gangeticus, the Ganges gharial, is a species of crocodilians in the family Gavialidae. It is the only living species in the genus Gavialis," Kuroo read.
Shin nodded again.
"Um... it is recognizable by its particularly narrow and elongated jaws. In males over 4 meters long, the length of the spongy protuberance under the snout can reach up to six times its width. The Ganges gharial has 29 teeth on each..."
"Who are you?" Shin interrupted.
Kuroo was surprised by the question. A legitimate question, indeed, but the timing was a bit off. He had invited him into his tepee without knowing his identity: that was surely a sign of great kindness, he thought, and of a certain hospitality.
"Um... I'm Tetsurō."
Shin nodded.
"Um... your big brother invited me for his birthday."
"Oh."
Silence.
"Are you his boyfriend?"
Kuroo didn't know how to respond. Most of the time, when he met his boyfriends' families, he had to lie about his true status; he had rarely answered this kind of question honestly. He hesitated.
Ah screw it! The kid had four parents; he was sure his answer wouldn't shock him too much:
"Yes."
"Oh, okay."
Silence. Kuroo looked down at his card again.
"In males over 4 meters long, the length of the spongy protuberance under the snout can reach up to six times its width. The Ganges gharial has 29 teeth on each side of its lower jaw and carries bony plates on the sides of its neck and back."
"And also Kenma-oni?" Shin interrupted once again.
"Um... yes."
"And Keiji-oni?"
"Uh... yes, him too."
Shin nodded, apparently satisfied with his answer.
"Um... so, 29 teeth on each side of its lower jaw and carries bony plates on the sides of its neck and back."
"When I grow up, I'll have lots of boyfriends and girlfriends too."
Kuroo looked up.
"Oh, uh... Sounds nice I guess."
"Yeah... then I'll have lots of hugs."
"Ah yes, that's..."
"And more gifts for my birthday too."
Kuroo chuckled; here was one who didn't lose sight of the big picture.
"Good plan," he commented.
"What's your favorite animal?"
"Um... I don't know, I like cats and..."
"No."
"No?"
"Your favorite flying animal?"
"Oh, a flying one? Um... owls."
Not long ago, he would have said crows. But since the crow thief incident, they had greatly fallen in his esteem.
"I like eating chicken, sometimes with mushrooms."
"Oh yeah, I like chicken too… and mushrooms."
"Yeah."
"Um... so is chicken your favorite animal then?"
"Chickens don't fly."
A completely valid comment.
"Oh... so which one is your favorite then?"
The child sighed, grabbed his feet, and began rocking back and forth, clearly lost in his thoughts.
"I also like stingrays or whales."
"Oh... yeah, they're beautiful."
"Yeah."
As Kuroo was about to comment on his favorite marine animal, he heard footsteps in the hallway.
"Ji, are you there?"
He was relieved to hear Kenma's voice.
"Yes!" he replied, pushing his voice to be heard.
He stuck his head out of the tepee. Kenma entered, followed closely by Megumi. The youngest seemed annoyed to see all these people entering his lair.
"Shin, I found the Barbie's shoes, if you want them."
The youngest's face lit up:
"The blue ones?"
"Yes."
He rushed out of the tepee, went to get his doll, and approached his sister, who then handed him a tiny pair of blue high-heeled shoes. Kuroo smiled, touched by the exchange. Kenma approached and joined him inside the teepee.
"Wow, you've been invited into the teepee, you're popular."
"Yeah! See that?."
They kissed, and Kenma settled beside him.
"At least someone likes me in this family."
Kenma raised an eyebrow.
"I think everyone likes you here."
"Hmm? You think so?"
"Yeah."
Kuroo sighed.
"I'm not sure Nakayama-san is a big fan."
"Naruhito? Why do you think that? I saw you two talking. That's a big deal you know; I think the first three times I saw him, he didn't even speak to me."
"Really?"
"Yeah..."
"Well… he bombarded me with some... intrusive and weird questions... I'm not sure he's too fond of his son dating... a beta."
Kenma frowned.
"What kind of questions?"
Kuroo leaned back, sprawling across the cushions.
"Let's see... He asked me at what age I knew I was a beta... I didn't know what to answer; I don't have an answer to that since I've always known... But well, I think I said puberty or something... Then he asked how my family reacted; imagine the look on his face when I told him my whole family is betas too!"
Kenma giggled.
"Don't laugh, I was super uncomfortable! Then he asked if I was fertile! Bro, I guess, but what kind of question is that? He insisted on asking if it was continuously fertile !"
Kenma's laughter intensified.
"That's not funny!" the brunet replied, although he was starting to laugh.
"In his defense, Ji, you did the same to us."
"How so?"
The blond caught his gaze, raising an eyebrow.
"Remember the time you thought you were going to get Kōtarō pregnant?"
Tetsurō blushed furiously and looked away.
"It's not the same."
"How is it not the same?"
"I didn't know, I mean, I didn't realize."
"Well, it's the same for him."
Kuroo muttered a response but didn't press further. He crossed his arms and looked away, his gaze falling on Shin and Megumi playing with dolls together.
"Don't take it personally," Kenma continued.
"Easier said than done."
Kenma rolled his eyes, but Kuroo could see a tender smile creeping onto his lips.
Kuroo frowned.
"Naruhito comes from a very old-fashioned Yamakita clan... Not only did he not grow up surrounded by betas, but he also grew up somewhat outside the world..."
"Why, did he live on a deserted island? I mean, there is a lot of us out there!"
Kenma gave him a look.
"Seriously, is that your argument?"
"Fine, okay, but you see what I mean."
"Hmm…"
Silence.
"Tetsu, do you know why the T.O.P was originally implemented?"
"I have no idea, stemmed from patriarchy? To assert dominance over a minority group? Just to mess with everyone?"
"Ugh, if you want, but…"
"But?"
Kenma sighed.
"Fifty years ago, omega births accounted for less than one percent of births in Japan, it was very rare. Registered births, anyway."
"Really?"
"Hmm... It's not called ‘Treaty for Omegas Protection’ for nothing."
Kuroo looked at him for a long time. He had never heard of it. The extent of his ignorance sometimes overwhelmed him.
"Oh... I didn't know that."
"When Naruhito was born, no Omega births had been registered in the region for years. For this reason, he was raised outside the world to protect him and the descendants of his clan. So I understand the prejudice he might have."
"Hmm... I didn't know…"
"And also…"
"Yeah?"
"Megumi is starting to grow up, Shin is probably their last child, I think he's just preparing for the possibility that one of them might be a beta, that's probably why he's asking you all these questions. He just wants to be a good parent."
Kuroo sighed. That made sense, he could understand that.
"That doesn't explain why he asked me if I was good at cooking because, and I quote, ‘he wasn't sure of my efficiency in the main nest'..."
Kenma chuckled.
"Ouch, okay, that’s a bad one."
"See!"
"If it makes you feel any better, I'm not very efficient in the main nest either, and I don't necessarily know how to cook."
Kuroo turned his eyes, Kenma's look was mischievous.
"Ace joke?" he asked.
“Ace joke." confirmed the blond.
The brunet laughed, and his lover's laughter quickly joined his.
Their laughter died down, and silence fell again. Kuroo turned his eyes towards the top of the teepee. He sighed.
"Are you okay?" Kenma asked.
"Hmm, yeah... I just feel a little bad for judging Nakayama-san too quickly."
"Hmm..."
"And I'm thinking... I don't know, there are so many things I've ignored for years, and I realize how much it affected the lives of people I love, and I... I don't know, I feel stupid and powerless. I never realized before the extent of the privileges I have, and... well, there you go."
"Wow, okay."
Kuroo turned his eyes to the blond:
"Is that all?"
"Hm... I don't know what to tell you, Ji, I didn't expect it to affect you so much... But... I don't know, um... You don't have to feel guilty about it, it's not really your fault. All you can do is, learn I guess... Um... And you can always use these privileges..."
"Use them?"
"Yeah, to, I don't know, to help. I'm speaking for myself but... I know I have certain privileges, I'm just trying to see how I can use them to benefit those who have less than me, I see what I can leverage to help... What?"
A mischievous smile had crept onto Kuroo's lips.
"I didn't picture you as an altruist, guess I was wrong.”
Kenma rolled his eyes, grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. The attack was not very effective and Kuroo burst out laughing. He retaliated and threw the same pillow back at Kenma.
"You tire me," the blond commented.
"You started it."
"Oh, wow, really mature..."
"He says after throwing a pillow at my face, be careful, I think Kōtarō is rubbing off on you."
"As long as I don't end up with his fashion sense, it's okay."
Kuroo chuckled at this remark.
The silence fell again.
"I didn't realize the T.O.P was so young, fifty years, it's not that old... Considering the content, I thought it was like... a centuries old."
"Oh, here we go again," Kenma complained... "Well, rest assured, originally it was lighter than today. In the meantime, it was forgotten for almost twenty years, only to resurface twenty years ago... And it got worse with the change of the president of the F.C.M.A.O.M about five-six years ago..."
“The FC what?"
"The F.C.M.A.O.M."
Kuroo blinked. Kenma did the same.
"You have zero political knowledge, do you?"
"Hey!" Kuroo wasn't sure why he was so offended by this comment, since, indeed, he had none.
"The Federal Committee for the Management of Alpha and Omega Minorities, the F.C.M.A.O.M."
"Oh... never heard of it."
"You are a disgrace," commented Kenma.
Kuroo pouted, trying his best not to laugh:
"But I love you..."
"I love you too, but you tire me out."
A childish smile formed on the brunet's lips; he approached his lover to ask for a kiss. Kenma moved away from him to prevent him from reaching his lips.
"Come on! Give me a kiss!"
"No."
"Come on!"
"And I’m the one badly influenced by Kōtaro.”
"Kiss," murmured Tetsurō.
"No," the blond replied in the same tone.
This time, he went on the offensive and began to sprawl over Kenma. The latter burst into laughter but continued to struggle. Tetsurō eventually stopped, simply wearing a defeated look. Kenma let out a light laugh, and finally took his face in his hands to plant a kiss on his lips.
"Ew!"
They separated, turning towards the voice that had just reached them. Megumi was looking at them with a look of profound disgust.
"Kisses are gross," she added. "And in my tepee too!"
"It's my tepee," her younger brother intervened.
"It used to be mine."
"Yes, but now it's mine and I decide if we can kiss or not!"
"Ugh... no one understands me anyway," complained her older sister.
Kenma and Kuroo chuckled.
Suddenly, the door flew open. Keiji rushed into the room and closed it behind him. He was out of breath, and his eyes betrayed his panic.
"Are you okay?" Kuroo asked.
Keiji shook his head and hurried towards the teepee. Kenma and Tetsurō moved aside to make room for him between them.
"Not in my tepee!" grumbled Megumi.
"It's mine!"
"What's wrong?" Kenma asked.
"They started fighting again," Keiji whispered.
Kenma chuckled.
"How? Don't you want to join them? It's so exhilarating, I'm sure you don’t feel like it now, but once you're in it, you'll love it."
"I do not find that amusing at all," Keiji replied.
Kuroo and Kenma giggled.
"You can kiss if you want," Shin told them.
"No!" his sister exclaimed.
The door opened again, startling Keiji. Kōtarō came in, completely disheveled, with a radiant smile on his lips.
"Here you are!’
“Puppy fight’s over already?”
"Hmm... Dad made us stop."
"Oh, I'm really sorry to hear that," Kenma said sarcastically.
"Oh, by the way, Babe, Dad is looking for you."
A sense of pure panic engulfed Kuroo.
"Which one?" he managed to articulate.
"Well... Dad."
"Hiroshi," Kenma clarified.
Kuroo sighed, deeply relieved.
"What does he want?"
"I don't know, he probably wants to ask you something about his garden."
Tetsurō frowned.
"What do I know about gardening?"
"I don't know, biology, plants..."
"I'm not a biologist, I'm a biochemist! And I know nothing about gardening!"
Kōtarō shrugged.
"Oi, kids!" they heard Etsuko shout. "Come down for the cake!"
They reluctantly left the tepee to join the rest of the family. Hiroshi called out to Tetsurō the moment they reappeared on the veranda. Fortunately for him, Yūma immediately called him, as well as Keiji and Kenma, to go to the kitchen with her. Kuroo was relieved to see that the cakes he had been in charge of had suffered no major damage. Once the candles were lit, they headed back to the veranda, their voices mingling together to sing Happy Birthday. The candlelight danced in Kōtarō's eyes.
Tetsurō smiled, happy to be there after all. The candles were blown out, and everyone applauded and cheered.
Kuroo had to tear his gaze away from his lover when he felt a tapping on his thigh. Shin stood before him. Once he had his full attention, he opened his arms. Tetsurō had no trouble understanding his request; he leaned down and picked him up.
"Are you okay, little one?"
The child simply nodded, running his little hands through his hair, laughing out loud when he stood it up to form two little horns on his head.
Feeling observed, Kuroo turned his head and realized that Nakayama-san was looking at him. At first, he shivered, a little afraid. Then he remembered what Kenma had told him earlier. He gave him a warm smile. Nakayama-san frowned, but Kuroo could see that any animosity he might have had towards him was gone. Nakayama-san finally looked away. Kuroo's smile remained. Kōtarō had been right... After all, everything had gone well.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
"What are you doing?"
Kuroo looked up from the computer. Too engrossed in his research, he hadn't even noticed that Keiji had come to sit across from him.
"Uh... I'm looking for an internship... or rather an idea..."
"Oh? Already? I thought internships would start next year?"
"That's what I said! But Oikawa and Kōtarō stressed me out and told me that I was already behind!"
"That seems a bit exaggerated to me, but I am not sure if I have all the keys to understand the urgency."
"Ah, there you go! Apparently, companies are already looking and making funding requests, and that's why I need to get moving... I can understand that, but I haven't thought about what I want to do yet, and then..."
Kuroo went into a long monologue, following the twists and turns of his reflection. Keiji listened patiently, nodding every now and then.
"Can I come to your place tonight?"
Chapter 32: Back to school
Summary:
"What are you doing?"
Kuroo looked up from the computer. Too engrossed in his research, he hadn't even noticed that Keiji had come to sit across from him.
"Uh... I'm looking for an internship... or rather an idea..."
"Oh? Already? I thought internships would start next year?"
"That's what I said! But Oikawa and Kōtarō stressed me out and told me that I was already behind!"
"That seems a bit exaggerated to me, but I am not sure if I have all the keys to understand the urgency."
"Ah, there you go! Apparently, companies are already looking and making funding requests, and that's why I need to get moving... I can understand that, but I haven't thought about what I want to do yet, and then..."
Kuroo went into a long monologue, following the twists and turns of his reflection. Keiji listened patiently, nodding every now and then.
"Can I come to your place tonight?"
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Alas, the summer had come to an end. It was now time to go back to spending hours locked up in poorly ventilated lecture halls. Kuroo’s day had started beautifully with Nobishi-san, a charming man who had the gift of making all his students feel like a bunch of illiterate fools, and whose nasally voice had the insane ability to pierce through the eardrums of his audience. Kuroo’s only consolation was that he was finally reunited with his favorite classmates: Chris and Oikawa.
"Have you already thought about where you want to do your internship?" Oikawa asked once they were out of class.
Kuroo adjusted his backpack and turned to his friend.
"Not yet, but we still have time, right? It's not until next year, there's plenty of time."
"You know, for once, I think Nobishi is right, we should start looking for one now.”
"But it's not until April or May next year, there's plenty of time, relax!"
"Relax? Come on Kuroo, use your head a little. Companies start asking for funding for interns as early as September, and the competition is tough, especially for international programs. It's better to get started as soon as possible to be at the top of the list. Anyway, I'm telling you this for you, since I already know where I'm going to apply," he said, raising his chin to strike his usual sophisticated pose that Kuroo knew so well.
The brunet let out a smirk.
"Really, and where are you going to apply?"
" NASA, of course," Oikawa said proudly.
Kuroo chuckled, barely managing to contain his laughter.
"NASA, really?"
"Hmm, the NASA Astrobiology Institute to be exact."
"Wow, ok," Kuroo replied, still holding back his laughter. "I didn't know they had branches in Japan."
"Don't be stupid, Kuroo, the institute is in California."
"Are you planning to go to California for your internship?"
"Of course... Although I'm not sure... They have research sites all over the planet, the one in Australia is not bad... Or in Canada."
Kuroo stopped in his tracks, stunned.
"Seriously?”
"Of course."
Kuroo nodded and turned his attention to Chris:
"Do you already know where you want to do yours?"
"Not yet... I'm torn between academic research and industry. Naturally, I lean more towards research, but I think getting to know the business world a bit more would be good for my curriculum..."
"Wow... you guys did think that through.”
This time Kuroo didn't find it funny at all. Oikawa might be right, he was already behind and had pull himself together... Damn, but he had no idea where to apply... But if he procrastinated too much, he would end up with no choice at all...
"You're stressing me out now!"
"Well, good, then you'll get moving."
They went to sit at one of the picnic tables in front of their classroom building. They still had an hour before they had to go back to class. As soon as they were settled, Oikawa pulled out his laptop.
"Here, you could apply to Takeda Pharmaceuticals," he announced. "They’re looking for interns."
"You're still on about that?"
"I'm doing this for you, Kuroo... Do you have a Lancers profile?"
"A what?"
"Kuroo... put some effort into it, please," he turned his computer screen, "look, you create a profile with your background, so companies can look you up if they're searching for someone, and you can also do targeted searches... you click here and..."
"Hey, what are you guys doing?"
They all turned to see that Bokuto had joined them. He leaned over to kiss his boyfriend's cheek and sat down next tpo him.
"Honestly, I'm not sure," Kuroo said.
"I'm explaining to this blockhead how to make a Lancers profile."
"You don't have a professional profile?" Bokuto asked, almost outraged.
"Haha, very funny."
"I'm not joking, it's super important for visibility, and for professional searches. It’s always a plus you know. There are other platforms too, actually, it’s better to choose something a little bit international, it’s good for networking"
Kuroo was stunned.
"How do you know all that?"
Bokuto frowned, genuinely puzzled.
"Babe, I'm getting a master’s in international business, does that surprise you that much?"
Kuroo didn't know how to respond. He ended up shaking his head negatively.
"Oh yeah, that's right, have you already started looking for an internship for next year?" Oikawa asked.
"Yep, I've actually already submitted quite a few resumes. None of them got back to me yet, but yeah.”
Oikawa turned to him, slightly exasperated.
"Do you still think I'm exaggerating?"
"You haven't even started looking yet, Babe? You know it goes fast, you have to hurry!"
"Yes, okay! I got it! Stop stressing me out like this!"
Bokuto and Oikawa exchanged a look, surprised by his reaction. Finally, a slightly mocking smile appeared on their lips.
"Bokuto-san, happy birthday. It was this weekend right?" Chris intervened.
"Oh yes, yesterday! Thank you!"
"Oh, happy birthday," said Oikawa.
"Thank you."
"Did you do anything special?" Chris asked.
"No, we just went to my parents' and..."
He was interrupted by Oikawa’s loud gasp.
"You met your in-laws?"
"Uh... yes... Well, in-laws no, I..."
"And you didn't tell us!?" Oikawa slumped onto the table, placing his hands under his chin, "I want to know everything!"
Damn it. He didn't want to talk about it at all. I guess the cat was out of the bag now, damn it. At least they weren't talking about internships anymore, that was something.
-//-
Kuroo couldn't believe that his return to school had been spoiled like this... No one would be surprised to learn that he was naturally anxious and that the slightest thing could send him spiraling. Fortunately for him, he was used to it, and over time he had almost learned to take it with a bit of nonchalance. Sure, part of his mind would drift off and spin endlessly, creating the most atrocious scenarios, but another part of him managed to put things into perspective. Sure, the balance was fragile, but it still worked.
He was still battling with his tortured mind when the classes ended. It was still early in the afternoon when Kuroo found himself alone after his two friends abandoned him to go to their microbiology class. He had briefly considered going to the library but ultimately decided against it. In the end he decided that hanging out with his boyfriends would cheer him up. Unfortunately, Kōtarō was still in class until 6.30pm, Kenma was unreachable, and Keiji had already left for Fukuro... He had hesitated to go straight home, but the idea of being alone in his gloomy and tiny apartment didn't appeal to him much. He had started to taste the luxury of living in a house and having company at all time. It was difficult now to fully appreciate the cupboard in which he lived and its lukewarm showers.
So in the end he decided to head to the Fukuro. He could still hang around while waiting for Keiji to finish his shift. Besides, now that Konoha could tolerate his presence, he was safe to return to the coffee shop again. After a quick chat with Keiji and Konoha at the counter, he finally settled at a table near the window with a steaming latte. While he initially wanted to reorganize his notes, the internship spiral swallowed him again and he started looking for opportunities on line.
"What are you doing?"
Kuroo looked up from the computer. Too engrossed in his research, he hadn't even noticed that Keiji had sat down across from him.
"Uh... I'm looking for an internship... or rather an idea"
"Oh? Already? I thought internships would not start until next year?"
"That's what I said! But Oikawa and Kōtarō stressed me out and told me that I was already behind!"
"That seems a bit exaggerated to me, but I am not sure if I have all the keys to understand the urgency."
"Ah, there you go! Apparently, companies are already looking and making funding requests, and that's why I need to get moving... I can understand that, but I haven't thought about what I want to do yet, and then..."
Kuroo went into a long monologue, following the twists and turns of his reflection. Keiji listened patiently, nodding every now and then.
"Can I come to your place tonight?"
Akaashi had interrupted him in the middle of his sentence. Kuroo fell silent, surprised by the sudden request and its degree of politeness.
"At my place?"
His boyfriend nodded.
"Uh, okay, if you want..."
"Perfect!"
"But I don't have much to eat, though... Well, I have instant ramen... Or we can stop by the Konbini before..."
"Ramens are just fine. My shift ends in twenty minutes," Keiji interrupted him again.
Tetsurō frowned, surprised by his attitude. He completely forgot his confusion when his lover smiled at him. He was not hard to convince.
"Okay, I'll wait for you here then."
Keiji nodded and went back behind the counter. Kuroo watched him go, still troubled by the... spontaneity of this exchange. That thought eventually dissolved completely, replaced by the simple euphoria of being able to spend time with his lover. After twenty minutes, Keiji came back to him with his things and they left together.
When they arrived at his place, the night had completely fallen. They found themselves in his small apartment, lit by an orange light, eating instant ramen, sitting on the floor, talking, and laughing. Keiji’s laughter had silenced his anxiety. The only downside for Kuroo was that his ramen supply had seriously depleted, as once the first bowl was finished, Keiji's stomach growled as if it hadn't been fed for days. They laughed about it once, and then again when the episode repeated itself after the second bowl.
"You were famished, for heaven's sake," Kuroo finally remarked.
"Oh, sorry... To be honest, I did not have time to eat lunch today, and I am not sure my body absorbed anything from what I ate yesterday."
"Don't apologize, it’s nothing... Yesterday at Kōtarō's parents' house?"
Keiji nodded.
"Can I tell you something?"
Kuroo frowned, concerned.
"Yes, of course."
"Nakayama-san terrifies me," murmured his lover.
Kuroo burst out laughing, not expecting that kind of confession at all.
"Don't laugh, it's true!"
"No, I believe you, he terrifies me too."
"Really?"
“Phew, what a relief! I thought he was only like that with me because I’m the new guy—and, well, you know, a beta. Guess not. Sorry for you, though... but I can’t lie, that does make me feel a bit better.”
"Worry not, I am not sure that weighs much in the balance."
Kuroo burst out laughing again.
"I thought they spent your childhood trying to pair you with Kōtarō, he must be thrilled to have you in his family!"
"No, absolutely not... The rest of his parents maybe, but Nakayama-san? He has never been thrilled... I suppose I should be And yet I should be satisfied he tolerates me now. The second time I came to his house as Kōtarō’s official boyfriend, he told me he did not even expect me to give him worthy offsprings. I was fifteen."
Kuroo couldn't help but snicker.
"Ish, that's brutal."
"It is.”
"If it’s any consolation, yesterday he asked me if I knew how to cook because he wasn't sure of my efficiency in 'the main nest'."
It was Akaashi's turn to burst out laughing.
"That is worrisome, since he is not very certain of my efficiency either, considerinf my 'scrawny and unimpressive' physique."
"He really said that?"
"Yes... But I was seventeen at the time, which was not far from the truth. He has not made that remark in a while though. I suppose, I should probably be satisfied with that..."
“Hmm... Seems like Kenma’s the only one on his side, then.”
"It' is only natural, he is the one who put a roof over his son's head. Nakayama-san would not dare to say anything negative about Kenma.”
"Hmm, you have a point..."
"And yet, you are lucky you did not meet his grandmother. Nakayama-san's mother is the matriarch of the clan. An exceptional woman indeed, but far from easygoing. Nakayama-san's attitude certainly comes from her, and she is less... gentle than him."
"Ooh... I'm really not looking forward to meeting her then..."
"I also hope for your sake that it will not happen anytime soon."
They laughed together.
Keiji finished his third XXL bowl of ramen, this time his stomach seemed satisfied. He got up to get his bag. Tetsurō watched him, and saw him take out two orange pill bottles that he recognized immediately. He frowned:
"Uh, Love?"
"Yes?"
"Sorry to... well... Didn’t you take your suppressants earlier? Do you need to take them again?"
Akaashi stopped, his gaze lost focus, and it took him several seconds for him to come back to himself.
"Oh, no... I just forgot... Thank you for reminding me."
Kuroo simply nodded. Keiji put his bag back down but remained standing where he was.
"Hmm... Do you want to watch something?"
"Oh, yes, with pleasure."
"Okay! I have to show you the drama my sisters and I started, they're about to release season 2 so we could watch it together! It takes a little time to get into it, but once you’re hooked, I promise it’s amazing!”
Kuroo set up his futon and they settled on it, placing the computer in front of them. He couldn't help but spoil half of the first season before starting the first episode. Tetsurō sat down and let Keiji lie on him, his head resting on his chest. He got caught up in the series from the first few minutes, only really coming back to himself at the end of the first episode when he heard Keiji sigh.
"Are you bored?”
Keiji raised his eyes to find his gaze.
"I have to admit that yes, a little."
"Oh..."
A somewhat mischievous smile spread across Akaashi's lips.
"But only because I have a better idea in mind."
"Oh? I wonder what that could be?"
He knew perfectly well what it was.
Keiji smiled at him. He straightened up, closed the computer, and placed it further away. Kuroo watched him come back to him. Their eyes never left each other. Keiji leaned towards him, straddling his hips. He ran his hands through his hair and pulled him in for a passionate kiss.
-//-
Akaashi opened his eyes. Turning his head, he noticed that Tetsurō had fallen asleep, his relaxed features resting on the pillow. He let out a smile, still not taking his eyes off his lover.
His smile slowly faded as the heavy silence of the room settled, the turmoil within him echoing loudly in the stillness. Keiji took a deep breath, trying to shake off the weight pressing on his diaphragm. He gave up.
He glanced toward his bag, left on the floor just inches away, and stared at it for a long moment before sighing, defeated by his own conscience. Carefully, he extricated himself from Kuroo's embrace, unfolding his limbs as slowly as possible to avoid disturbing the blanket. Suddenly, he froze at the sound of Kuroo groaning.
Realizing that Tetsurō was still sound asleep, Keiji let out a sigh of relief. He quickly put on his underwear, grabbed his bag, and headed toward the bathroom. As he was about to close the door, Kuroo's voice startled him:
"What are you doing?"
The brunet's voice was so sleepy that he wasn't sure if he was fully awake.
"I'm going... to the bathroom."
Silence.
"Okay... watch out for the snails."
"...okay."
Only a sleepy groan answered him. Keiji waited a few seconds and then closed the door. He was alone.
He took the time to breathe deeply, two, then three times, and finally opened his bag. He pulled out two pills bottles.
He just had to hang on a little longer, just long enough to find a solution. Just a little while, nothing more. He opened the first bottle and slipped a pill into his hand... then another. He did the same with the second one. He looked at the four small white pills in his hand in the harsh neon light of the bathroom.
Just for this time.
He swallowed the pills in one go and turned on the faucet to take a big gulp of water. As he straightened up, he found his own gaze facing him in the mirror. He quickly looked away.
Just for this time.
-//-
Kuroo couldn’t deny it anymore: Keiji was acting weird. And he was starting to worry.
He had initially thought it might just be his imagination, or that he was overreacting. But the facts were becoming increasingly hard to overlook...
It all started about ten days ago. At first, it could have looked like fatigue, Keiji seemed to be completely detached from reality from time to time, standing still in the middle of the hallway, the kitchen or the street, staring into space as if the world had never existed at all, or as if his internal system had completely crashed. Each time, he would quickly snap out of it and act as if nothing had happened. Then he began to display a series of... strange behaviors, so subtle and fast that Kuroo sometimes wondered if he was hallucinating them.
One of the most alarming events by far was when Kuroo started finding pebbles under his pillow in the morning when he slept in Kōtarō's old room. At first, he thought it might be a rodent hiding somewhere in the walls and deciding to make its nest under his pillow... every night... That hypothesis was ruled out when he woke up in his own bed, in his own apartment, with pebbles under his pillow. He then considered the idea that it was the work of a serial killer; he even spent several hours on the Internet, reading old articles and dark forums, trying to find out if this was a distinctive signature of a lunatic killer still on the loose. Except for some information about penguin courtship displays, he found nothing on the subject, not a single mention of a "pebble killer" online. So he went back to the rodent hypothesis; perhaps it was common in Tokyo at this time of year for these little animals to seek shelter for the winter all over the city?
Finally, he discovered the real culprit, and it was no less alarming. One afternoon, while walking with Akaashi in Ueno Park, the latter had suddenly left him, only to return ten minutes later to thrust a pebble into his hands... Don't get him wrong, the gesture was touching; it was a nice pebble, smooth, colorful... but still a pebble. Kuroo had stared at the mineral for a long time, realizing then that there had never been any rodents or even a serial killer, just his boyfriend who had decided to offer him pebbles, and that was far more alarming than anything else. He had looked up and noticed that Akaashi had the same look he had when he woke up too early in the morning and wasn't connected to reality yet. Kuroo had not said anything at that time, and simply thanked him for the gift. Keiji had smiled at him and gone back to his mineral hunting. He had tried to talk to him about it later, but Keiji had acted as if nothing had happened.
Kuroo then started considering dissociative identity disorder, which might explain the sudden personality changes and the black outs... He had tried to look into it, but gave up, as reading the DSM played too much with his hypochondriac nature. So, he turned to the people who probably knew him better than he did, and who, as a bonus, had a "neurophysiological" connection with him: his mates.
Unfortunately, they weren't much help: Kenma was completely focused on his streaming marathon and hadn't seen the light of day for a while, only coming out of his room to restock on food and maintain basic hygiene. As for Kōtarō, between his classes, his internship and job search, and helping Kenma with the stream moderation, he wasn't much more present either. Kuroo had tried to ask him if he had noticed anything strange about Keiji lately, but Kōtarō had simply replied, "Not really... I feel like he's a bit distant, but he must be stressed with his classes and his application for the master's program, don't worry." Tetsurō hadn't pressed.
The "a little distant" remark caught his attention. Keiji was many things, but he wasn't "distant" at all, at least not with him. Let's just say that his "appetite" was insatiable. He didn't complain about it, but he had to admit that sometimes it became too much for him.
The strangest event by far was when Kuroo, who had entered Keiji's room to ask him something, found him kneeling in front of his bed, stuffing a sweatshirt underneath it.
“Isn't that mine?”
Of course, it was his sweatshirt; he would recognize it anywhere, and it had been missing for a while now.
Keiji had turned to him with a look of pure panic painted on his face. He quickly regained hiscomposure. Strange... But maybe he was just surprised by his sudden appearance. After all, he had come in unannounced.
“Oh, uh... Yes, I found it, I thought I'd put it away to wash it later”, Keiji explained.
“Under you bed?”
Keiji just nodded.
“Yes, I... I was going to put it there for now... with the rest of it.”
“The rest of it?”
Panic once again crossed Akaashi's eyes.
Alarmed, Tetsurō had entered the room and leaned over to see what was under the bed. He wasn't disappointed when he discovered a tangle of sheets, pillowcases, blankets (so that's where they went!) and a lot of clothes that he was sure didn't belong to Akaashi at all. It was even more strange because Keiji wasn't the type to leave his stuff lying around, let alone someone else's...
"I put them there... for now. I'll bring them down... later."
Even Keiji didn't seem very sure of his explanation.
Kuroo frowned Something was definitely amiss. He was about to confront him once and for all, but Keiji cut him off before he could say anything:
“Sex?”
The sudden question caught him completely off guard.
“What? Now?”
“Hmm,” Keiji confirmed.
Did he really think he could charm him like this?
Of course, and it was very effective.
A rather mixed result for Tetsurō, who ended up with a good shot of dopamine but with far more unresolved questions than at the beginning of his day.
-//-
Kuroo had tried to find a logical explanation for Keiji's behavior, but unfortunately for him, his knowledge was still too limited, and the internet was once again of no help. It was quite alarming to realize that every time he tried to research non-betas, the only content he found was pornographic. It was getting tiresome. He had formulated a hypothesis, though, but he had no real way to verify it. So, he decided to turn to those who had educated him much more on the subject in the past than the internet: his CATO gang.
He took advantage of a lull between arguments and a card game to ask:
"Hey, I was wondering, for my um... personal knowledge..."
Oikawa turned to him with a bored look:
"What now? Seriously, you need to stop watching weird porn..."
"What! No! Why does everyone keep saying that?!"
"Because it's true..."
"No... But... It's not my fault if there are so few reliable resources outside of... Never mind."
"What do you want to ask?" Sugawara intervened much more kindly than Oikawa.
"I... I was just wondering, can alpha nest?”
Oikawa looked at him from head to toe:
"Why do you want to know that?"
"Just curious..."
"Hmm, yes, some do," Sugawara replied.
Oh... Interesting.
"Oh... okay... I thought it was only omegas."
"Hmm... I think all omegas nest during their pregnancy and when they have newborns, but not necessarily in estrus. Wait, Noya!"
"No, wait!" Kuroo murmured in panic.
He didn't necessarily want to draw everyone's attention to the question. Too late, Nishinoya had already turned his head.
"Question: do you nest in estrus?"
Kuroo buried his face in his hands when Noya approached them. He only answered the question once he reached their height.
"Uh... No, but Azumane does... He messes everything up every time by moving all the blankets... And I spend days looking for my clothes because he hides them everywhere."
Kuroo looked up, intrigued.
"Now that I think about it," Sugawara intervened, "I'm not sure that alphas make nests... it's not called the same... Wait... a burrow?"
"A bower," Kageyama translated for Hinata.
“A bower?"
The brunet nodded.
"Okay... But how is it different?" Kuroo asked.
"Hmm... It's more about courtship behaviors... nests are more functional than bowers, I think," Sugawara replied.
"But bowers are prettier," Kageyama translated for Hinata.
"I think Azumane's nests are cute," Nishinoya commented.
"Yuu..." the concerned party lamented, deeply mortified.
For Kuroo's taste, there were a few too many people involved. Hinata started signing quickly, so much so that no one but Kageyama caught the content, and he just added:
"No comment."
Sugawara turned his eyes towards Kageyama:
“I didn't know you made bowers, Kageyama.”
Hinata seemed delighted by this opening and took the opportunity to pull out his phone. As he approached them, Kageyama tried to intercept him, but the redhead dodged swiftly and turned his phone towards the small assembly.
“Oh shit!” exclaimed Nishinoya, leaning over Oikawa's shoulder who also seemed equally astonished.
“I didn't know you had a degree in architecture,” Sugawara joked as he took the phone.
Tanaka and Daichi approached, intrigued. Sugawara handed them the phone, Kageyama looking devastated.
“Oh, Kageyama, look at that! You must be so proud of it! As you should!” said Daichi with disarming seriousness.
“It’s Dubaï my guy, how did you manage to build that seriously?!”
Kageyama didn't react at all, too mortified by what was happening to do anything about it. He eventually turned, but unfortunately for him, Sawamura and Tanaka followed him, continuing to shower him with compliments. Hinata took back the phone and chased after his mate before Kuroo even had a chance to catch a glimpse of the picture.
The excitement eventually died down, and Kuroo found himself again with Oikawa and Sugawara, who had resumed their childish squabble.
“Tell me, Suga-mama...”
“Stop calling me that!” protested the addressed one, putting an end to the ongoing puppy fight once and for all.
He was about to continue but changed his mind upon catching Kuroo's gaze.
“What's up?”
Kuroo hesitated. It wasn't too late to back out and keep all this to himself.
“I don't know... I'm worried about Keiji.”
“How so?”
“I don't know... He's been acting weird lately...”
Kuroo leaned in to speak more quietly:
“He keeps bringing me rocks and... I found him the last time hiding my sweatshirt under his bed and... Fuck, he's horny all the time !”
Sugawara and Oikawa chuckled in unison.
“Stop it! It's not funny!”
“Pfft... Is that why you asked us that? The nest thing?”
“Yeah…”
“Don’t worry, it’s probably nothing bad. He might just be in pre-rut.”
“I don't know... It's not the same as... When Oikawa was, well, you know.”
“It’s not the same for everyone and...”
“Did Bokuto and Kenma notice something?” Oikawa interrupted.
“No... I asked them, well, Kōtarō, but he didn’t notice anything.”
Oikawa's gaze darkened, he let himself fall back on the couch and crossed his arms, visibly worried.
“And you haven't noticed any changes with them?”
“Not really. Why?”
“Yes, why?” Sugawara insisted.
“Well... If he was in pre-rut, they would have noticed, and it would have triggered their cycle too...”
“Oh yes...”
“Shit...” Oikawa muttered. “It’s the suppressants.”
Sugawara frowned:
“What do you mean?” asked Sugawara. “We’re all on suppressants.”
“No, he’s overdosing.”
The silvered one seemed to now share Oikawa’s concern.
“What? Wait, what do you mean?” Kuroo intervened.
Oikawa leaned forward, catching his gaze:
“Kuroo... I think you should talk to him, and quickly.”
“Hmm... okay, but I don't know if I should get involved in that…”
"If he's doing what I think he's doing, he's putting his health at risk. Suppressants lower pheromone and hormone levels, but they're not supposed to block entry into the cycle. If he starts acting like this, he's probably entering the pre-rut... But if no one has noticed, it's because he increased the doses to block it."
Kuroo was speechless. It took him several seconds to be able to speak again:
“But why would he do that?”
“I have no idea, but if he keeps on doing it, it’s going to trigger a reactive rut.”
“A... what?”
“It’s when your body takes over,” Sugawara finally intervened.
“And it doesn't do it gently,” the chestnut haired finished. He seemed to hesitate, glanced on each side, and finally resumed in a low voice: “it happened to me before, twice actually and…”
Sugawara seemed shaken by the news.
“Really? Tōru...”
“Yes, I know, it sucks...”
“When was that?”
“A long time ago, when I started living with Hajime I... well,” he turned his gaze back to Kuroo, “it was a stupid mistake, and it can be dangerous. Especially with two omegas, it can trigger a reactive estrus for them too, and it's not really pleasant.”
Kuroo was disarmed; he felt his throat tighten with distress.
“What do I do?”
“Talk to him... If it's really that, reason with him. He probably has his reasons, but whatever they are, I swear it's absolutely not worth it...”
-//-
It didn't take long for Kuroo to make up his mind. He tried to convince himself that it wasn't that serious, that he probably overreacted... After all, Kōtarō might be right; Keiji might be acting like this because of stress. But as the days passed, the evidence supporting Oikawa's hypothesis became more and more overwhelming. Akaashi had become more and more distant, even with him, as if he tried to spend as little time as possible with them in the same room. As if he was hiding something...
Kuroo wondered if talking directly to Kenma and Kōtarō about it wouldn't be better, but he quickly changed his mind. If Oikawa was right, he needed to talk to Akaashi directly.
It was time for him to face him.
-//-
Keiji heard his phone vibrating. He didn't immediately pay attention to it, deciding that he had already struggled enough to focus on this chapter of contemporary literature to turn his attention away from it. He continued reading, but quickly the words started to tangle in his mind. No matter how hard he tried to reread the same paragraph, the words were eluding him. He gave up trying to read further and let himself fall back onto his chair. He sighed and massaged his temples. His body and his mind were about to give in.
He had to hold on a little longer.
He grabbed his bag from the floor and took out the pill bottle from one of the inner pockets. He shook it. It was almost empty. Already. His prescription wouldn't be renewed for several weeks... Yet, he still had to hold on... Just a little longer.
His phone vibrated again. Akaashi put the medicine back into his bag and took out his phone. He frowned when he saw that Tetsurō had texted him twice. He had seen him in the living room barely an hour ago, he must still be in the house, why hadn't he come here directly if he wanted to ask him something? He opened the texts:
"Can we talk?"
"It's important."
His breath quickened, anxiety rising within him. It wasn't the time, not right now, not here.
He might be worrying for nothing... It was very unlikely that Tetsurō... well. It was probably something unrelated, and it would be unfair of him to refuse to talk to him... Refusing would also seem suspicious.
"Yes if you want," he finally replied.
"Ok, grab the laundry and meet me downstairs."
Although deeply perplexed, Akaashi complied. He retrieved the laundry basket from the bathroom and went downstairs to the basement. As he opened the door to the laundry room, he found Tetsurō waiting, leaning against the washing machine.
"What do you..."
Tetsurō gestured for him to be quiet, and he complied. The brunet took the laundry basket and began sorting the colors. He eventually loaded the black laundry he had collected into the machine, closed the drum, added detergent, and finally started the cycle.
"Did you... want me to come here for this?" Akaashi asked.
"No, it was just so no one would hear us."
Akaashi frowned, alarmed by his answer.
"I wanted to talk to you, and keepit between us, at least for now."
"Oh."
Keiji adjusted his posture and clasped his hands together, trying his best to regain his composure.
"What did you want to talk about?" he asked.
Kuroo leaned back against the washing machine once again.
"About you."
"About me?"
Keiji focused on his breathing, counting the rhythm of his breaths in his head to prevent himself from panicking.
"Keiji... Are you okay?" Kuroo asked.
"Oh... Yes, yes, I am perfectly fine?” he lied. "Why do you ask?"
"Because it doesn't seem like it."
"Yes, no, I just... have a lot of classes and I... It is nothing serious, you do not need to worry."
Keiji attempted a smile to reassure him and quickly looked away.
"By the way, I still have work to do, I should..."
"Hmm, ok, so you're not harming yourself or putting your health at risk, right?" Kuroo interrupted.
Akaashi turned his head, his boyfriend's gaze instantly locking onto his own. In his eyes danced a mixture of anger, sadness, and concern...
Keiji lost count of his breaths, but he could still hold on.
"Tetsurō, no, I can assure you that everything is fine and that…”
"Okay. So you're not overdosing on suppressants to avoid going into rut then, are you?" Kuroo retorted, his tone cutting the air sharply.
Akaashi was taken aback. He remained stunned for a while.
Kuroo held his gaze.
Kuroo saw the moment Akaashi gave in, when all the weight he had been trying to bear for weeks finally crashed down on him, heavy and dense. Keiji's mask fell, and Tetsurō's shattered at the same time.
Akaashi sighed and sat down on the floor. He had lowered his defenses. He could no longer lie, to himself, or Kuroo. He looked up and offered Kuroo a sad smile.
"I did not think you would be the first one to notice," he murmured.
The anger had completely left Tetsurō, only concern, fear, and tenderness could be seen in his eyes now.
"Oh... Love..."
He squatted in front of Keiji and took his face in his hands. The physical contact and the resonance of his voice overwhelmed Keiji, who felt tears welling up in his eyes.
"Why are you doing this, Keiji?" he murmured.
Keiji couldn't answer, feeling a huge lump forming in his throat. He closed his eyes and placed his hand on Tetsurō's, feeling like he was falling and hoping that the contact would slow down his descent.
"Maybe I shouldn't get involved... I don't know... Is it me? I swear it doesn't change anything... I'm here for you. I'm here for you, Keiji."
"No, it's not you..."
Silence stretched for long seconds.
"Do you want to talk about it? You don't have to, but I want to help. I don't want you to harm yourself like that, you understand ?”
Keiji's hands began to tremble. Kuroo took them in his own, trying to reassure him.
"I... It is really stupid... But..."
"But?"
"Well... About six months ago, we... decided to share our cycles together for the first time... all three of us."
"For the first time?"
"Yes... Before we lived together, they tended to be out of sync, and... Kenma always had difficult cycles... both physically and psychologically, that's why he wanted to be alone. We... We thought that maybe this time... The doctor even told us that staying with us might make things easier for Kenma..."
"And I guess that wasn't the case?"
Keiji nodded.
"What happened?"
"I am not really sure... I do not remember exactly what happened... But I remember how I felt. I remember his distress, mine, Kotaro's... I remember my helplessness because I felt their distress and could not do anything about it..."
Keiji burst into tears, but he wasn't trembling anymore, his voice wasn't choked with the suddenness of his tears. Still, Kuroo had never seen such pain in his lover's eyes.
"We never really talked about it again... None of us could really remember what had happened... We tacitly decided to keep it silent, I think. I know it would eventually come back, but I hoped to find a solution before... I just wanted a little more time..."
"Oh Love..."
Kuroo pulled him close, holding him in his arms, not knowing what else to do to soothe him.
"I understand, Keiji, but it's still really stupid..."
"I know..."
"So, you are going to stop this, right?"
Keiji hugged him back.
"Yes..."
"Good..."
He kissed his burning temple.
"We'll find a solution, okay... But you can't hurt yourself like that…”
He felt Keiji shudder.
"It'll be okay..."
"Okay..."
They hugged like that for a long time, Kuroo rocking his lover in his arms to calm him down. He only let go when he felt him regain his courage.
"Well, come on, we should go back upstairs."
Akaashi nodded and straightened up. He took a deep breath and took Tetsurō's hand.
"Thank you."
He smiled at him.
Keiji let go of his hand and turned to open the door. However, he didn't step through the threshold and remained completely frozen in front of it. Alarmed,Kuroo tilted his head to see what was going on. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Kenma standing in front of the door, arms crossed. His face was completely closed off, revealing nothing of his emotions, but Kuroo could see that his eyes were still red and his skin wet with tears.
"Are you mad?" Keiji eventually asked.
"No."
"You kinda look mad," Kuroo commented.
This time, Kenma looked truly angry. He turned his eyes to Kuroo.
"Yes, I'm a little mad. But I'm mostly sad."
He turned his gaze back to Keiji.
"I'm sad to learn that my mate would rather harm himself than talk to me."
"I just wanted to protect you," Akaashi tried to justify himself.
Kenma didn't seem to like it much.
"Akaashi Keiji, I've already told you and I'll say it again, I don't want you to lie to me anymore. I love you deeply, but you seriously need to stop with your bullshit!”
Kenma's voice was icy. He spoke clearly, enunciating each of his words clearly. Keiji and Tetsurō shuddered, intimidated by Kenma's voice. Keiji lowered his eyes and nodded.
Kenma seemed to calm down, he sighed and continued:
"We'll talk about this later. In the meantime, we need to make a doctor's appointment, understood?"
Keiji nodded.
"Good... I'll let you talk to Kōtaro then."
Kenma stepped aside to let Keiji pass. The brunet walked past him, trying to catch his gaze, but Kenma ignored him. Keiji sighed and left for good. The blond raised his gaze to Tetsurō.
"Don't be so hard on him..."
"What else can I do?"
The blond entered the laundry room and closed the door behind him.
"I'm sorry you're getting caught up in this..."
Kuroo frowned.
"It's nothing, and it's really not what bothers me..."
He stopped. Kenma had just burst into tears.
"Shit," muttered the blond before sliding down against the door.
Tetsurō remained speechless, not expecting things to turn out this way at all. He didn't know what to say anymore, so he stayed silent. He simply sat in front of the blond.
Kenma cried silently for a few more minutes. Kuroo said nothing. If he had locked him up in with him, there must have been a reason.
Kenma finally raised his head, briefly catching Tetsurō's gaze before looking away.
"It's my fault," he finally said, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.
"Why do you think that?"
"Because it's true. It's my fault..."
Kuroo didn't say anything, he just moved closer to Kenma.
"I... I don't remember what happened either, but it wasn't... I think... I think I reacted badly and that... I abandoned them, I... I felt like… I felt that he felt abandoned. I think he..."
He let out another burst of tears, each word seeming painful to him.
"I think he went into torpor, or he almost did..."
"A torpor?"
"It's when all organ function slows down, like a deep hibernation. Alphas can die from it... It can be fatal, it could have killed him! I could have killed him, Tetsu!"
This time, Kuroo threw himself at him to embrace him. Kenma clung to him, holding him so tightly that the embrace was almost painful. Kuroo didn't know what to say, overwhelmed by what he had just learned, unable to know what he should do. Helpless.
"It'll be okay, Kenma, we'll find a solution," he began to whisper to him.
He repeated his words in loops, hoping they would eventually reach Kenma. The blond finally calmed down, loosening his grip on Kuroo but not letting go of him.
"I screwed up... I shouldn't have talked to him like that... I should have reassured him instead of... Well..."
"It's not too late to fix it..."
The blond finally let go of him. He wiped his eyes again.
"Damn... I can't believe he thought it was a good idea to... Damn, sorry, Jiji," he finally met Tetsurō's gaze, "I'm sorry you got caught up in our mess."
Kuroo smiled at him.
"It's nothing... I kinda signed up for it..."
He smiled at him. Kenma raised an eyebrow.
Kuroo leaned in to kiss him, kissing his tear-streaked lips, heavy with his guilt, anger, and sorrow.
"I need to apologize and figure out what to do."
"You wanna go back?"
Kenma nodded. They got up, and although their legs were still shaky, they made their way back upstairs. Keiji was sitting on the living room rug, and Kotaro was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, busy talking on the phone.
"He's calling the doctor," Keiji simply said.
Kenma nodded, but didn't respond. Kenma and Keiji looked at each other for a long moment.
"Sorry for talking to you like that," Kenma finally said to him.
When Keiji turned his eyes to the blond, Kuroo noticed that he was on the verge of tears. The blond approached his mate, and Keiji followed him with his gaze. He sat in front of him and hugged him.
Kotaro hung up. He came to Tetsurō and rested his head on his shoulder.
"So?," the brunet asked.
"We need to go to the hospital for a check-up and blood test..."
"Okay."
Kotaro raised his head and kissed him on the cheek.
"You should go home."
Kuroo turned his eyes, surprised. He understood when he caught Kōtaro's gaze.
That was where his place ended.
He felt his heart tighten but just nodded.
"Okay... let me know when you get back and if everything's okay."
Kotaro nodded. He turned and went to report to his mate what has been said on the phone.
They went to the hospital, and Kuroo went home.
He didn't sleep at all that night.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Next chapter: “Parai Kuklos 1”
Tetsurō was now on the verge of tears. He didn't think it was possible to cry out of embarrassment. Kenma's eyes were fixed on the floor, visually clinging to the carpet patterns as if his life depended on it.
"Oh, by the way, how stupid of me, I didn't ask, Kuroo-san, will this be your first time, or have you maybe helped someone in this situation before?"
"No, um, first time..."
"Great! You have a lot to learn, make sure you are well informed!"
Megi-san opened her desk drawer and took out a pile of small brochures, which she handed to him. Kuroo just nodded before taking them.
"Thank you..."
Chapter 33: Parai Kuklos I
Summary:
Tetsurō was now on the verge of tears. He didn't think it was possible to cry out of embarrassment. Kenma's eyes were fixed on the floor, visually clinging to the carpet patterns as if his life depended on it.
"Oh, by the way, how stupid of me, I didn't ask, Kuroo-san, will this be your first time, or have you maybe helped someone in this situation before?"
"No, um, first time..."
"Great! You have a lot to learn, make sure you are well informed!"
Megi-san opened her desk drawer and took out a pile of small brochures, which she handed to him. Kuroo just nodded before taking them.
"Thank you..."
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Around six in the morning, Kuroo had finally managed to fall asleep. He had waited all night, expecting a message from his boyfriends. He had tried to reassure himself by thinking that they must have just gone to bed and, exhausted from their day, had forgotten to update him on the situation... But every time he was about to fall asleep, his anxiety woke him up immediately. It was not until the first light of dawn that he was able to find sleep. He emerged an hour and a half later, and his first reflex was to grab his phone: still nothing.
Yet Kōtarō should have been awake by then. He decided to text him:
"Everything’s okay?"
He waited.
After about ten minutes, his phone finally rang: Kōtarō was calling him. He answered immediately.
“Hello?”
“Hey.”
His lover sounded exhausted.
“Did I wake you up?”
“No...”
Silence.
“Is everything okay?”
Bokuto sighed.
“It's... okay... We avoided the worst, t.. He had to have a blood test... We'll have the results next week.”
“Okay...”
“Sorry, babe, for not updating you sooner.”
Kuroo smiled weakly.
“It's okay.”
Silence. He heard Kōtarō sigh again, hesitating to continue.
“Tetsu?”
“Hmm?”
“I... I shouldn't have told you to leave.”
Kuroo frowned.
“It's okay, I understand...”
“What do you understand?”
“Well... That thing is between you three and… well… I understand that I’m not there yet.”
He sighed.
“That you're not there yet?”
“Yeah... well... you guys are mates, and I'm... well, I'm just your boyfriend, and not for that long either... I understand that... I'm not included in... that.”
“Oh, babe, no! It's not... it's. No, it's not that. No... It's precisely why I said...”
“Kōtarō, it's okay.”
He sighed. Silence stretched for a few seconds.
“I wish you were there.”
Tetsurō let out a surprised gasp.
“I don't think I was the only one.”
“Oh...”
“Sorry... I didn't want you to get tangled in this but ... it's complicated... It’s selfish maybe, but... it was strange not having you with us. And... I wish you were there...”
Tetsurō nodded but said nothing. Kōtarō waited but received no answer for several seconds.
“Babe?”
“Hmm...”
“Sorry if it's a bit contradictory, I only said that because...”
“I would have wanted to be there too, but I understand.”
Another sigh.
“There's nothing much to understand, really, I... I want... and... more than that... I... By the way, we talked about it, and...”
He didn't finish his sentence. He exhaled as if to give himself courage.
“Hmm... Can you come this afternoon? I think we should talk.”
“Oh...”
He was afraid to understand. Or afraid of being terribly wrong.
“Okay... I'll try to get some sleep and I'll come this afternoon.”
“Okay... See you later.”
“See you.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too.”
Kōtarō hung up.
Tetsurō stared at his phone for a moment before looking up. A myriad of conflicting emotions stirred his body. He was...relieved that Keiji was okay... Happy to realize that he had been missed, that he had his place by their side. But he was afraid to understand what that would mean.
He had always known this moment would come - committing to these relationships meant accepting it. But he hadn't expected to face it so soon.
From what Kōtarō had told him, it seemed that they... would eventually ask him. Ask him if he wanted to share their cycle with them. And Kuroo wasn't sure he was ready for that just yet. Weird, considering he had spent the night feeling sorry for himself because he wasn’t there yet. But now, he wasn't so sure he was able to handle what that meant.
Ultimately, he rather agreed with Kōtarō's father: he wasn't quite sure of his ‘effectiveness’ in the main nest. Whatever that might entail. After all, he had only a vague idea of what that meant, and not necessarily from the most reliable sources.
But he was true somehow… He wasn’t sure that he could commit to that now.
But one thing was certain: he still wanted to be there for them.
He would find an alternative.
He grabbed his laptop and opened Google: it was time to do some research.
-//-
Kuroo stopped in front of the gate of the small house. He took a deep breath and rang the bell. The door opened without him having to announce himself. Standing in front of the stairs leading to the living room, he put on his slippers and heard voices coming from upstairs. The conversation was interrupted when he opened the door: Kenma and Kōtarō were sitting in the living room. They smiled when they saw him. They looked exhausted. Bokuto got up to come to him and Kuroo automatically opened his arms when he reached him. His lover fell into the embrace and sighed deeply before planting a kiss on his cheek. Finally, he let go and sat back down on the couch. Kuroo joined them and leaned in to kiss Kenma before asking:
"Are you okay?"
“I'm okay... I'll be okay,” the blond replied, trying to smile to reassure him.
Kuroo's lips responded, forming the same joyless smile.
“Where is he?”
“In his room,” Kenma replied.
“Sleeping?”
“...No, I don't think so.”
Kuroo nodded.
“OK.”
He looked up at the corridor.
“I'll go check on him.”
The other two nodded, and he headed towards Akaashi's room.
Once in front of his door, he held back a sigh, then knocked.
“Come in.”
Tetsurō cracked the door open and peeked inside: Keiji was sitting on his bed. Their eyes met immediately.
“Hey love…”
“Hey…”
Keiji let himself fall on his side to lie down, and Kuroo settled beside him.
“Are you okay?”
"Hmm... Aside from the crippling shame, the pounding headache, and the overwhelming feeling that I might spontaneously combust, I am fine."
"So... not fine."
"Not even close."
Tetsurō opened his arms, and his lover sought refuge in his embrace, resting his head on his chest. Kuroo closed his arms around him and ran his fingers through his hair. Silence stretched for a while before Keiji finally spoke again:
“I feel so stupid for doing this... I am so sorry...”
“Hmm...”
Akaashi raised his head to meet his gaze.
“I won't lie, wasn’t your best job there.”
Keiji grimaced.
“Yes...”
“But what's done is done, no need to dwell on it... I guess. You're fine... Everybody is fine. Well, relatively fine.”
Akaashi nodded.
Silence.
“Thank you...”
“For what?”
“For being there... If you had not told me anything, I would probably have persisted.”
Kuroo vaguely nodded but didn't say anything, unsure of how to respond. His boyfriend sighed:
“We will have to go to the doctor next week... Her consultations are never very pleasant, but this time, I am afraid it will be much worse than usual.”
Kuroo let out a light laugh. He felt Keiji move his head, and he tore his eyes away from the ceiling to meet his gaze. The brunet was looking at him.
“Will you come?”
Kuroo felt his pulse quicken, but he tried to keep calm.
“Where to?”
“To the doctor's office.”
“... If you want me to be there, I'll be there.”
Akaashi nodded, visibly reassured.
“By the way...”
Kuroo felt his heart race again, anxiety beginning to creep in. He tried to shake it off as best he could.
“Yes?”
“Um... We talked about it and... We... need to talk.”
Tetsurō held back a sigh.
“I figured as much…”
Akaashi frowned.
“Kōtarō called me this morning.”
“Oh...”
He didn't add anything else and lowered his eyes. The silence stretched between them. Minutes passed, and Kuroo was about to fall asleep when he felt Akaashi move again. He blinked awake when Akaashi sat up.
“What motivation,” Kuroo remarked.
“I'm impressed with myself too.”
They smiled at each other. Silence lingered for a few more seconds before Akaashi asked:
“Shall we?”
The brunet nodded and they stood up. They joined the other two who were still sitting in the living room. Kōtarō sat on the couch, Kenma on the floor across from him. They fell silent when they heard them arrive.
"Hey," the blond said when his eyes met his mate's.
"Hey..."
Keiji stepped forward first and sat down next to Kōtarō. Kuroo hesitated, then finally sat down next to Kenma. The conversation had continued in low voices. Kuroo barely registered the words, his focus was elsewhere, his thoughts circling the decision he’d already made. His pulse was steady, his mind clear... more or less, the weight of fear had lifted. He was ready. He hadn't had much time to think about it, but he had made up his mind. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was the most reasonable one, and it felt... right.
“Hmm...”
His boyfriends fell silent and turned their attention to him.
“You wanted to talk to me about something, right?”
They seemed surprised. Kōtarō and Keiji exchanged a glance before turning their attention back to him.
"Oh, uh, yes," Kōtarō began.
Kuroo nodded to encourage him to continue.
"Um... We talked about it and... it might be too soon, I don't know, maybe, but... We talked about it, and we thought that... well, we... I don't know what you'll think, or... anyway..."
Kōtarō was starting to lose track of his own words. He sighed, unable to continue his sentence.
"Yes?"
Kōtarō met his gaze again. He finally took a deep breath and asked:
"We wanted to know if... if you wanted to share this cycle with us. In the main nest."
The question fell, and Kuroo fell silent. He had guessed right. He wasn't surprised, but hearing it threw him off for a moment. Kuroo turned his gaze to Kenma:
"What about you?"
The blond was surprised that the attention had turned to him, but he finally replied:
"I'll be there, but not in the main nest."
He saw Kōtarō and Keiji slightly grimace in his peripheral vision, but they didn't comment.
Kuroo nodded and turned his attention back to the other two. They smiled at him, still waiting for his response. Kuroo smiled back at them, but the tone was different. They understood, and their smiles faded immediately.
"Sorry... But I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet."
"Oh..."
Kōtarō looked down, Keiji turned his gaze away, and Kuroo felt Kenma's eyes on him.
"I understand..."
"But... I want to be there."
His three boyfriends turn their attention back to him, surprised.
"I... I'm not sure if... I fully understand everything, but... I, I've been thinking about it, and I... For example, I know that alphas' daily food intake can triple or even quadruple during their cycle and that it's difficult to eat properly under those conditions, and omegas tend to under-eat as well... I can be there to take care of that! Or that it's difficult to, um, to maintain hygiene or keep a clean environment and..., I can help with that, or whatever. I also know that it's difficult, if not almost impossible, to communicate when there's a problem, I can be there for that... And finally... If something happens, like last time, I can be there..."
Silence fell. They all seemed deeply surprised.
"Well... um... there you go," Kuroo concluded, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Wow," Kōtarō said, wide-eyed. "You really thought this through, huh?"
Kuroo gave a sheepish smile.
"Um... I kind of suspected when you called this morning that you'd, uh, bring this up."
"You only started thinking about it this morning?" Kenma asked.
"Yes, no—well, mostly yes," Kuroo admitted, his voice faltering.
The others nodded slowly, exchanging glances.
"So," Kuroo added, clearing his throat, "What do you think?"
"Hmm..."
They exchanged a glance.
"Sounds... good to me", Keiji replied.
Kōtarō and Kenma nodded.
"If it is your choice but..."
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
"But?"
Keiji glanced briefly at Kōtarō:
"I... I just wanted to make sure that..." he leaned in, "You are not doing this because of... what Nakayama-san said, right?"
Kōtarō jumped at the mention of his dad:
"My father?"
"Yes. And no, it's not because of that... Well, maybe, but not in a bad way."
"What did he say?" Bokuto insisted.
"Um... That he hoped I could cook well because he wasn't sure about my ‘efficiency’ in the main nest."
Kenma and Keiji chuckled, and Kōtarō buried his face in his hands, mortified.
"Babe, sorry! You didn't believe him, did you? You're not doing this because of what he said?"
"No... Well, maybe a little, but... it just made me think, and I don't think he's wrong."
"Yes, he is! That's bullshit!" Kōtarō interjected.
"No, I don't think so. I'm not sure about my ‘efficiency’ either... I had to look up the definition of 'main nest'! By the way, Yamakita or Sô-kita omegas don't nest during their cycle, right? Isn't it more like a bower?"
The comment somewhat puzzled his audience.
"Um, well, yes," Kōtarō began.
"It's a generic term," clarified Kenma.
"That's what I thought. Anyway, I don't care if I'm efficient or not, that's not the point. It just made me think, I don't think I'm ready for... what you asked me to do... I still wanted to find a way to be there for you, and... Well, I think what I suggested might work best for me... Again, if it works for you.”
Kōtarō finally calmed down, as did Kenma and Keiji.
"So?"
"Okay," Bokuto replied.
Akaashi nodded in agreement.
Tetsurō turned to Kenma:
"OK for me. I'm alone anyway, but... I don't think it would hurt to have someone with us who is at least somewhat in control of their faculties.
Keiji nodded:
"Yes... I would feel safer too"
"Hmm..."
"So, that's settled right?"
The other three nodded.
"Alright. Now, I just need to find a good cookbook because I'm not that great in that department either."
"Are you kidding? Your curry was amazing last time!"
"That's right. By the way, is there any left? I'm starving!"
"No, we finished it, but there must be some left..."
And so the conversation changed completely. The rest of the weekend passed peacefully, everything seemed to go well. At least for the moment.
-//-
The MD had finally contacted them on Monday and informed them that she had received the results of Keiji's blood test and had scheduled a consultation for the next day. Her tone wasn't particularly alarming, but the urgency of the appointment was unsettling.
So Tetsurō found himself in the car with his boyfriends on a Tuesday afternoon, skipping his biochemistry class. For a brief moment, he wished he were crammed into a crowded lecture hall instead. Considering he'd chosen to be here, it wasn't fair. Still, the anxiety growing inside him was crushing his lungs, and the heavy air lingering in the car wasn't helping.
At first, he didn't want to tell his friend because he wanted to keep it between the four of them. But he finally decided to talk to Oikawa about it. He had planned to just ask him if he could give him his notes, but ended up spilling everything. He had feared Oikawa's reaction, knowing his dramatic and extravagant nature. But he was pleasantly surprised: Oikawa had listened calmly and simply replied, "I think it's a good idea, you did the right thing. I'll send you the lesson." Kuroo was speechless. He did not doubt that the information must have leaked out as soon as he left the room, but no one had bothered him about it, which he was glad about.
They finally parked in front of the clinic. Keiji turned off the engine, but no one moved.
“I really don't want to go,” murmured Kenma.
“Me neither,” replied Keiji and Kōtarō in unison.
The silence lingered for several more seconds.
“Well, come on,” Kenma finally said before opening his door.
They followed him. They entered the building and headed towards the reception. The young woman on the other side of the counter recognized them quickly and greeted them warmly.
“Ah, no need to go through the waiting room, Doctor Megi is waiting for you.”
They went up to the first floor and stopped in front of a door, on a golden plaque was written: "Dr. Megumi Megi". Kenma knocked.
"Yes! I'm coming," came a light voice in response. A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal a woman in her fifties with graying hair tied back in a loose bun, wearing a white coat over a kaleidoscopic colored dress (not recommended for anyone with epilepsy).
"Ah, gentlemen, hello! I'm glad to see you again!"
Her three friends didn't seem to share her enthusiasm. They greeted her politely, and Dr. Megi stepped aside from the door to let them in. However, she stepped back into the entrance when Kuroo was about to enter.
“What do I see? A newcomer! Fantastic, fantastic!” she exclaimed while adjusting the huge glasses perched on her nose.
“Uh... Kuroo Tetsurō,” he introduced himself before politely greeting her.
“A beta!”
Kuroo blinked several times.
“Fantastic, nice to meet you, come in, come in.”
Kuroo complied and the doctor closed the door behind him.
“Please, take a seat, take a seat.”
They obliged, and Kuroo had to get a chair from the back of the room to sit next to his boyfriends, who didn't seem to have relaxed much despite the doctor's apparent friendliness. Megi-san walked behind her desk, her coat flapping like a dress from 1870, before sitting down in her chair.
“So...”
She typed frantically on her computer without taking her eyes off the screen. She paused for a moment, resumed the crazy dance of her fingers on the keyboard, as if she were performing Beethoven's Fifth Symphony on the piano allegro, stopped again, fixed her screen, played some more, and finally stopped.
She turned her eyes to her patients, intertwining her fingers on the table as she looked at them one by one.
“So.”
No one said anything, neither did she.
As Keiji was about to speak to break the awkward silence, Dr. Megi cut him off without ceremony.
“So.”
“Um, about the blood test...” Keiji timidly asked.
“Ah, yes yes, I have the results.”
She added nothing more.
“And ?”
“We’ll get to that later. First things first, I’d like to know how you plan to organize things this time around. I understand from our last consultation that the previous arrangement wasn’t to your satisfaction.”
“Yes. Um,” Kenma started, shifting uncomfortably.
“Kozume-san,” Dr. Megi interrupted, her tone brisk, “What would you like to do?”
Kenma blinked, momentarily thrown off. “Yes, um. I’ll be there, but I won’t share the main nest, and…”
“Ah, fantastic,” Dr. Megi interrupted again, her voice bright.
Kenma froze, clearly baffled by her sudden enthusiasm. Dr. Megi didn’t seem to notice and turned back to her computer, typing rapidly.
“Fantastic,” she repeated, with the same level of cheerfulness.
The group exchanged confused glances, struggling to understand what exactly was fantastic.
“Bokuto-san, Akaashi-san,” Dr. Megi continued, glancing up, “As usual, yes?”
“Yes, we...”
“Oh, but wait, Kuroo-san, what about you?” She focused her gaze on him.
“Um... I'll be there too, but not in the... main nest either.”
“Oh? With Kozume-san perhaps, a secondary nest?”
“No, not that either. I'll just be around to... help.”
His response almost sounded like a question.
Megi-san looked at him without reacting, her face betraying nothing of her thoughts. She finally smiled at him:
“Oh, fantastic! What a great idea!”
She turned her eyes to his boyfriends “Free labor for you, am i right?
Kuroo nearly choked on his saliva.
“You should see the prices for assistance in cycle centers these days, it's insane! What a rich idea, I might consider looking for a beta mate myself, what a fantastic idea!”
Kuroo didn’t know whether to laugh or bash his head against the nearest wall. The absurdity of the moment hung in the air like a bad joke no one was ready for. Kōtarō to his right seemed so embarrassed that he was on the verge of tears.
As if nothing had happened, she turned her eyes back to her computer and started typing again: was it Vivaldi's Four Seasons this time?
“Well, perfect, fantastic. Kozume-san, how about if I don't prescribe you contraception this time?”
“I beg your pardon?”
The idea didn't seem to please him.
Megi-san tore her eyes away from her screen.
“But I have to warn you,” she continued, her tone suddenly more serious, “No foolishness. Make sure to protect yourselves properly in case of intercourse. We wouldn’t want to end up with a little bun in the oven, now, would we?”
She winked at Tetsurō, who could feel the heat rising in his cheeks.
“Kuroo-san, I trust you on this one,” she added, turning to him with a knowing smile.
Tetsurō was now on the verge of tears. He didn't think it was possible to cry out of embarrassment. Kenma's eyes were fixed on the floor, visually clinging to the carpet patterns as if his life depended on it.
"Oh, by the way, how stupid of me, I didn't ask, Kuroo-san, will this be your first time, or have you maybe helped someone in this situation before?"
"No, um, first time..."
"Great! You have a lot to learn, make sure you are well informed!"
Megi-san opened her desk drawer and took out a pile of small brochures, which she handed to him. Kuroo just nodded before taking them.
"Thank you..."
He heard Keiji let out a strained sigh, Tetsurō didn't dare to turn his eyes to see what he face looked like.
“I don't know if you've already talked about this, you see, Akaashi-san and Bokuto-san have rather standard cycles, without complications, although I'm not 100% sure if that will be the case this time around, given the current situation... But Kozume-san has a history of quite severe complications, you see?”
“Yes, we hav...”
“Let me explain!” the doctor exclaimed without giving him the chance to continue.
“Oh no...” murmured the blond.
Megi leaned over her desk and pulled out... a plastic anatomical model of what Kuroo recognized (thanks to Yamaguchi's drawing talent, and a little common sense too) as those of an omega male.
“You see, at the beginning of the cycle, the uterine lining forms.”
“Hmm hmm,” Kuroo escaped with a strained voice.
“Well, see, Sô-kita’s cycle is so compressed in time that this step only takes a few hours, and in Kozume-san's case, let's say the job is done poorly, nothing against you, my dear, I understand perfectly well that it's not your fault.”
Kenma just let out a short, high-pitched moan in response.
“After that, yadda yadda yadda, ovulation, yadda yadda yadda, and finally, the endometrium is absorbed, I must specify Kuroo-san, don't expect to see endometrial lining all over your bathroom floor like with betas.”
We were now on very, very shaky ground... Gosh, could someone just put him out of his misery ?!
“Well, during the absorption process as well, the job isn't fantastic either, which doesn't help you either, Kozume-san.”
He didn't even bother to respond this time.
“We have tried numerous times to find a solution for this, but apart from morphine...”
“Morphine?”
“Yes, well, you get me.”
No, Kuroo didn't!
“Well, contraceptives usually involve blocking ovulation, but I was thinking that for this time, triggering it naturally might do you some good.”
“Ah, yes,” said Kuroo, seeing that the other three were too lost in the contemplation of their discomfort to say anything.
“Kozume-san.”
She waited until he looked up.
“I'm counting on you to trigger ovulation, remember, it's mechanical.”
“Hmhm.”
“Kuroo-san could even help you with that, how wonderful !”
“Hmhm, wonderful,” replied Kuroo, who still didn't quite understand what he was getting into.
“I think it'll be okay,” Kenma managed to say.
“I'm saying this for you, my dear. Kuroo-san, remember: it’s mech.a.ni.cal”
She then proceeded to give a small demonstration of her anatomical model using way too many fingers for it to be reasonable.
“You see, it's the mechanical pressure normally obtained during mating that triggers ovulation.”
“Ah, hmhm, yes, I see.”
“But be careful, one word: pro.tec.tion. But I am guessing you’re pretty familiar with this already.”
What was it supposed to mean ?!
He heard Kenma beside him starting to breathe loudly as if he were suffocating.
“Well, that's about it, I think.”
“Hm... Doctor, about the results,” Keiji ventured.
“Ah yes, the results. Well, first of all, I don't congratulate you, you were lucky this time that it didn't lead to any major complications, but let's say you got what you wanted. You've reset your pre-rut.”
“Reset?”
“Yes, you've restarted the machine as if nothing happened. So you have to start your pre-rut again. I predict two weeks before your cycles triggers naturally.”
“I... have to go through it all again?”
“Do you see another solution? It's not an exam, Akaashi-san, you can't choose to finish it in a make-up session.”
The tone had started to rise. Akaashi remained silent, just nodding.
“I see. And for the suppressants, do I keep the same dosage or do I...”
“The suppressants? Sorry, but no.”
“No?”
“No. No suppressants for this time.”
Kenma and Kōtarō finally looked up. Kuroo sensed panic creeping into Keiji.
“You mean I will have to go through my entire pre-rut... Off suppressant?”
“That's exactly what I'm saying, yes.”
Akaashi was taken aback.
“But I have never...”
"Too bad, you should have thought of that before, Akaashi-san. As for you two," she turned to Kenma and Kōtarō, "if you didn't notice anything, I guess you were on pretty high doses yourself! I'll prescribe you the suppressants, but I'll lower the doses."
Kuroo saw their eyes widen.
“Well, that's about it. I'll see you in ten days for the contraceptive injection.”
She smiled at them.
“Well, that be all for today.”
She printed out her prescription and handed it to Kenma. Megi-san finally got up and escorted them to the door:
“Have a great day, and see you in ten days.”
The door closed, and they all stood there in front of it for a long moment. None of them spoke until they were all seated in the car.
“Well... that was weird... as usual,” finally commented Kōtarō.
They all nodded.
Silence fell again.
“Do you want me to drive,” asked Kenma, noticing that his mate still hadn't started the car.
“No, there is no need.”
The silence stretched again.
Keiji finally let out a heavy sigh. Looking up, Tetsurō could see in the rearview mirror that he was on the verge of tears. He saw Kenma crumble at the sight of his mate in this state, as did Kōtarō.
“I'm so sorry, Keiji,” whispered the blond.
"It is not your fault. It is mine. Megi-san said no suppressants, so I will do without. I must accept the consequences of my actions. I am deeply sorry for the situation I have created... And for what it will bring."
"Keiji..."
Kenma knelt on his seat and leaned forward to hug him. Keiji hugged him back with a desperation that bordered on despair. He heard him sigh, heavy with tears. They stayed like that for a long moment. Kōtarō had tears in his eyes as well, he turned his eyes to the window. Kuroo watched them and felt his heart ache. He struggled to understand all the details and why it was so painful for them. But to see them like this was devastating.
Keiji finally let go of the blond. He turned the key and started the car.
Once they arrived home, Kuroo waited for Kenma and Keiji to enter the house and grabbed Kōtarō's arm. His lover turned, surprised:
“Babe,” whispered Tetsurō.
“What?” he whispered back.
“I... can I ask you something?”
Kōtarō nodded, and Kuroo let go of his arm. The brunet looked over his shoulder to make sure they were alone before asking:
“I gather that the situation is… pretty bad. But I don’t get why. Is it that bad? Being off suppressants?”
Kōtarō grimaced. He stepped forward to confide in him in a low voice:
“Keiji has always been on suppressants, even during his cycle.”
“Oh...”
“I think he's afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Of himself.”
Kuroo felt silence.
Kōtarō tried to smile at him:
“Don't worry... It'll be okay.”
Nothing was reassuring in his tone.
Tetsurō still nodded. Bokuto nodded back and turned before he went inside.
It took Kuroo a little longer to recover.
Afraid of himself?
Notes:
The call was immediately cut off. Kuroo moved his phone away from his ear and looked at it for a long moment, deeply disturbed.
“What's wrong?” asked Oikawa, without moving closer.
“I... I think my boyfriends are drunk in the middle of the afternoon.”
Oikawa seemed equally shocked.
“Uh... Sorry, I need to check on them… See you tomorrow!”
Chapter 34: Parai kuklos II
Summary:
The call was immediately cut off. Kuroo moved his phone away from his ear and looked at it for a long moment, deeply disturbed.
“What's wrong?” asked Oikawa, without moving closer.
“I... I think my boyfriends are drunk in the middle of the afternoon.”
Oikawa seemed equally shocked.
“Uh... Sorry, I need to check on them… See you tomorrow!”
TW: panic attack/ verbal abuse **
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
After the chaotic encounter with Doctor Megi, Kuroo was expecting the worst. However, he was pleasantly surprised by how well the following week went.
So far, Keiji was doing okay. Sure, some of his pre-rut behaviors were now showing up in full force, but nothing to worry about really. He still had moments of disconnection from reality, though they now stretched to about twenty minutes of pacing around, compared to barely five minutes before. His appetite was… gargantuan, to say the least, but now he wasn’t trying to suppress it and pretend to eat reasonable portions.
And then there were the rocks. Keiji still brought them back as pieces of offerings but now Kuroo wasn’t the sole recipient, everyone could enjoy… a good rock.
Well, and he was horny all hour of day and night.
But now that his pre-rut had restarted naturally, it had triggered his mates’ cycle as well.
While Kenma didn’t seem to have changed much, apart from some mood swings from time to time, Kōtarō was another story. It was less obvious than Keiji, but he also had mood swings, going from laughter to tears in the blink of an eye; he also ingested an insane amount of food too (which was understandable since Kuroo had learned that he would practically stop eating altogether once in estrus). And finally... he was pretty horny too, matching his mate’s appetite. All in all, that last one wasn’t that bad, now that they could balance each other out, Kuroo could take a break.
Tetsurō had adapted to this new situation quite easily. However, he quickly realized that there were some negative aspects to it: with Akaashi being off suppressants and instinctively wanting to show to the whole world that this was the case, he tended to, subtly, mark Tetsurō whenever he had the chance. He would never forget the day he went to class after what seemed like a simple innocent morning cuddle session. At first, he didn't quite understand the avoiding glances and the crowds of students moving away from him whenever he passed by. Oikawa quickly made him understand why: apparently, the alpha’s pre-rut scent wasn't necessarily to everyone's liking, as his friend kindly pointed out to him, after giving him a beautiful rendition of Edward Cullen meeting Bella Swann for the first time in biology class.
In the end, Kuroo had to sit at the other end of the lecture hall. Even there, one of the students had to open the window to catch their breath.
That's how Tetsurō discovered the existence of pheromone-blocking shower gels, capable of quieting down the "my boyfriends are super horny and Akaashi Keiji will come to pick a fight with you if you get too close” sent.
Oikawa could tolerate being in his presence, even if he had to cover half of his face with his scarf to have a conversation with him. Needless to say, Tetsurō had given up on going to the CATO meetings, not particularly wanting to inflict that on all his friends. Fortunately, he still had Chirs, who stuck with him despite everything, both of them basking in their beta olfactory ignorance.
Even though it wasn't exactly pleasant for him to be in this situation, he wasn't to be pitied either: despite Akaashi's attempts to mitigate the olfactory effects of his condition by all means, he wasn’t very successful. Eventually, he had to stop going to class, as he no longer could stay in the presence of so many people, and reciprocally, his presence wasn’t pleasant to everyone around. He still worked at the Fukuro, but now Kenma had to drive him there and pick him up every day, and he was relegated to the kitchens. The task, normally assigned to Komi-san, had fallen to him because his presence at the counter not only disturbed his colleagues, but also tended to drive away customers.
All in all, they were doing okay.
For the time being, at least.
-//-
“No, Oikawa! Did you listen to anything I said?! What the hell is your carbon doing there all alone!”
As Kuroo leaned over the sheet to point out the mistake to his friend, the latter held his breath as if he were about to dive into the Pacific Ocean. He buried his face in his scarf and moved as far away from Kuroo without changing his position. Kuroo sighed and rolled his eyes.
“Don’t be dramatic.”
“I’m not! I’m doing my best there.”
Kuroo pouted:
“Yes you are! I haven’t seen him for two days, I have clean clothes, and I washed with that damn thing that stinks and cost an arm, you’re being dramatic!”
Oikawa took a breath, but quickly regretted it, feeling dizzy.
“I’m not you… Where the fuck did you wash your clothes?”
“What?! Oh, come on! It’s fine, I washed everything at…” he glanced down at his T-shirt “Oh... at Kenma's. Ok, but they were hanged in the basement, and I...”
Oikawa raised an eyebrow.
“Maybe I left them unattended for a while...”
Oikawa rolled his eyes.
“Great.”
“Come on, don't be ridiculous!”
“I'm not! It's not my fault !”
“Okay, fine, I'll sit at the picnic table over there and yell while waving pieces of paper!”
“Good!”
“I was kidding, I'm not going to... Oh, okay, give me that!”
Oikawa handed him his biochemistry exercise sheet and Kuroo went to sit at the neighboring table. As he began jotting down explanations on a separate draft, he stopped when his phone vibrated. It was a text from Keiji, that made no sense at all.
“What?” he murmured to himself.
He received a second text, just as cryptic as the first one.
“What's up?” Oikawa asked, raising his voice so Kuroo could hear.
“I don't know... Keiji is sending me weird texts... But he's supposed to be at work... wait, I'll call him.”
He hoped that a gang hadn't kidnapped Keiji. Maybe he had tried to call for help by tapping on his phone with his hands tied up behind his back? He could be trapped in the trunk of a car headed for the desert! The desert? What desert?!
Well, all things considered, in his condition, the desert would be more pleasant for him than Tokyo... He decided to call nonetheless. Even if he would be better off living in the desert right now, if he was tied up in the trunk of a car, he certainly did not consent to it (as far as he was aware).
He relaxed when his boyfriend picked up on the second ring:
“Love? You’re okay?”
“Oh...”
The sound of his voice had just done some strange loops.
“Yeah, I'm fine!”
Kuroo frowned.
“Aren't you at work?”
“Nope... No, not at all.”
Okay... if he didn't know him better, he might think that Keiji was drunk at... 4 pm on a weekday.
“Keiji... Are you drunk?”
“No... Drunk? No. Tipsy, maybe, but drunk? No.”
“What? Why did you start drinking in the middle of the afternoon like that?”
“To celebrate.”
“To celebrate what ?”
“They suspended me until the end of the month...”
“Oh...”
“So I'm celebrating!”
“...Okay... where are you now?”
“At home.”
“Okay, are you alone?”
“Is that Testu? Babe! Where are you? Come over!” Kōtarō yelled through the receiver.
Kuroo had to move the phone away from his ear to protect his eardrums. Kōtarō's voice didn't sound sober either.
“Kō... what's going on...”
“And bring more drinks!” Kenma shouted.
The call was immediately cut off. Kuroo moved his phone away from his ear and looked at it for a long moment, deeply disturbed.
“What's wrong?” asked Oikawa, without moving closer.
“I... I think my boyfriends are drunk in the middle of the afternoon.”
Oikawa seemed equally shocked.
“Uh... Sorry, I need to check on them… See you tomorrow!”
He grabbed his bag and ran as fast as he could to the nearest subway station. When he arrived at Kenma's, almost an hour had passed, and Kuroo was worried about the amount of alcoholic beverages his boyfriends had managed to consume in the meantime. As requested by Kenma, he had brought some beers, but he still wondered if it was really wise. Should he be the responsible one? Yes, it was early, but they were all grown-ups, he didn’t really have to intervene, right?
Shouts of joy erupted as Kuroo stepped into the living room. He chuckled, detecting the boozy enthusiasm of their welcome. Kōtarō sprawled across the couch with a beer in hand, as was Kenma sitting between his legs, and Keiji slouched in his armchair, cradling yet another beer? Judging by the number of empty bottles scattered around, Kuroo could guess that their impromptu party had started a while ago.
"What the heck are you guys doing?"
"Having a little drink," Kōtarō replied.
"From what I can see, it's more than just a little drink…" Kuroo retorted, picking up a few bottles that had rolled onto the floor.
"Pfft," Kenma replied, waving his hand as if to dismiss his deceitful words, "did you bring the booze?"
“Just beers.”
“Lame…”
The brunet sighed and took the beers out of his backpack, placing them on the coffee table. Kuroo grabbed one, deciding to “celebrate” with his boyfriends as well. He was about to speak again when Keiji called out to him. Turning around, he saw his boyfriend's pupils dilate as their eyes met. Keiji began to purr loudly and opened his arms wide. Tetsurō chuckled but joined him nonetheless. He soon found himself in a rather uncomfortable position as Keiji insisted on squeezing him tightly against his chest, all this in a slightly too narrow single-seat armchair in which Keiji was already sitting askew. He didn't mind and managed to accommodate himself. Yes, half of his body was hanging in the air and he would most certainly have a horrible backache very soon, but he would deal with it. For now, he was just enjoying a nice embrace with his very drunk boyfriend.
With a few contortions that would surely give hil a stiff neck, Kuroo managed to lift his head to meet his lover’s gaze.
"Are you okay?"
"Hm... I'm drunk in the middle of the afternoon," he simply replied.
Using contraction? Good grief this man was very drunk!
"Why did they suspend you?"
Keiji raised an eyebrow. The reason was indeed quite obvious.
"I'm sorry Love.”
The brunet shrugged.
"Well," Kenma intervened, "it was about time. He's insufferable!"
"Kenma..." Kuroo interjected, not entirely sure if rubbing salt into the wound was the most delicate thing to do.
However, to his surprise, the remark made Akaashi laugh.
"No but wait, I went shopping, I thought it would be fine since there was almost no one inside the kombini. Guess what? He managed to growl at the four poor guys inside."
Kuroo frowned. Akaashi Keiji, growling at someone in public? Using contraction and growling in public? Something was definitely very wrong.
The remark made the concerned party laugh again.
"They were looking at you," the brunet tried to defend himself.
"They were looking at me?" insisted the blond. "Oh well yes then, what a terrible thing to do!"
"No, but they were looking at you inappropriately,"
Kuroo guessed from his expression that he wasn't entirely sure of his argument.
"Inappropriately, my ass. It's not me they were looking at, it was you!"
Kōtarō chuckled, and Keiji rolled his eyes.
"The nerve, really," Kenma continued. "The guy fucks my boyfriends shamelessly and has the audacity to act jealous!"
Kuroo almost choked on his beer, shocked by the content of his words. However, once again to his great surprise, the other two burst out laughing.
"Someone's got to do it," muttered Akaashi.
The situation was becoming increasingly surreal. Kuroo turned to see Kenma's reaction, but the latter seemed amused by his answer.
"Oh, the nerve! For your information, I'm doing just fine, thank you."
Keiji and Kōtarō seemed to agree with this statement.
"Don’t look so surprised," Kenma interrupted when he saw Kuroo's expression. "At least I focus on my task. I'm not the mastermind behind many projects, but when I am, I know how to get the job done."
What a strange metaphor.
How much alcohol had they ingested for Kenma to become lewd? Don't get him wrong, he didn't see anything wrong with it, but coming from him, it was rather…unusual.
"Oh no, I see through your game now, sir. You're playing it cool, but you're secretly building your little omega harem and jealously guarding it to yourself," the blond continued.
"Well... what about me?" Kuroo intervened.
"You don't count!"
"What do you mean I don't count?"
"No, it's not the same, you're a beta, you get me."
He did not.
"Of course," Keiji said, rolling his eyes. He didn’t seem particularly inclined to come to Kuroo’s defense either. "Jealously guarding? Are we really sure about that one? I mean, we all remember Kōtarō’s first year of college. ‘Jealously guarding’ isn’t exactly how I’d describe it."
"Oh yes, the infamous 'hoe phase.'"
Keiji and Kenma chuckled in unison.
"Hey!" Kōtarō finally intervened.
"I’m not judging, it’s fact, that’s all.”
"Hoe phase?" Kuroo finally asked.
"When Kōtarō started college, he was… insatiable."
"How many people did you end up dating in the end?" Kenma asked, leaning against Bokuto's chest, looking up to meet his gaze.
"I don't know... Officially? Four, five?"
"And unofficially?"
"Oh... I don't know anymore..."
"You don't know?"
"I don't know, like... seventeen?"
"Seventeen!" exclaimed Tetsurō, more for the sake of drama than genuine shock.
"It's not that much!"
"No... But the quality wasn't there either," Kenma commented.
"Oh, don’t be like that, it was fine. Remember Aki? He was cute..."
"Hmm... that's true... And he was a good cook too... But he was a pain in the ass and super jealous."
"Hmm... It was complicated... Oh! Mayumi!"
"Yeah, ok, she was cool," Kenma conceded. "What's she up to now?"
"She married the drummer from her band, she's expecting a kid."
"Cool. How many months?"
Kuroo frowned, the information just sinking in. He interrupted their conversation.
"You've dated a girl?"
Kōtarō looked up at him, staring as if he had just said the most absurd thing ever:
"Well... Yeah... Several actually."
"Several?"
Kenma and Kōtarō looked at each other. Kōtarō met his gaze again.
"Well... Babe... it's... it's not that surprising. You... you know I'm pan, right?"
Kuroo fell silent...
"No, I didn’t know."
"Oh well, there you go."
Kenma burst into laughter:
"Like his momies and daddies, so cute."
The remark amused Kōtarō. He pinched his mate’s hip and Kenma almost choked on his beer.,
"Anyway, see Keiji, at least Kōtarō tried to diversify a little!" Kenma continued. Kuroo could still see the mischievous gleam in his eyes; he wouldn’t let go anytime soon. "I'm sure you've never hooked up with another alpha before."
Akaashi seemed to consider it.
"Hmm... Yes I did."
"Really? Come on, don’t make shit up!"
"Oh no, it's true, I can confirm it," Bokuto intervened.
Kenma frowned.
"You can confirm it?"
"Yeah, I was there."
"You were there?"
"Yeah... Do you remember Keigo?"
"Yes."
"Well, there you go."
Kenma chuckled.
"You even hook up with your mates' boyfriends, that's saying something."
Akaashi rolled his eyes, a smirk eventually forming on his lips.
"You’re all talk, you're the one who threw a fit in the car because I was just flirting a tiny bit with that one "
"Me?" Tetsurō asked.
"It's not the same!"
"How is it not the same?"
"Because it's Jiji!"
Kuroo smiled.
"Well, you too, Kenma, with Yūji," Bokuto intervened.
"You dated Yūji?" Kuroo asked.
"No, not at all, what about Yūji?"
"Well, I don't know, remember when I found you too tied up like a roast beef?"
"Oh, what! They were teaching me bondage!"
"You do bondage?"
"A bit, I'm not too bad at it either..."
"Hmm... Good to know."
The blond raised an eyebrow, a smile forming on his lips.
"If you get robbed, you can tie up the thief artistically, that’s something," the brunet added.
The other three chuckled.
"And you, babe?"
"Me, what?"
"How many people did you date?"
Kuroo thought about the question.
"Officially?"
"Hm?"
"Hmm... Let's see... Four, five."
"And unofficially?"
He paused.
"Like, if I count one-night stands and everything?"
"Well, since we're at it."
He fell silent. He wasn't really sure he wanted to reveal this information now.
"Um... let's say I also had my 'hoe phase' when I started college."
"How many?" Kenma insisted.
Kuroo muttered something inaudible. Only Keiji heard his response and almost choked on his beer.
"What did he say?" the blond hastened to ask.
"Eighty!"
Kuroo found himself with two pairs of additional eyes fixed on him.
"No, I'm maybe over-estimating it... sixty... maybe less. Wait... two... three... times, how many weeks is there in a year?”
“52 weeks. Three different partners per week would be… around 150 I guess.” Kenma said.
“See, I’m definitely below that… I think. It’s fine.”
The blond burst into laughter. Bokuto still looked at him, torn between shock and admiration.
"Oh yeah, premium hoe phase!"
Kōtarō and Keiji chuckled in unison.
"Yeah, okay... But well, given that it greatly deteriorated my relationship with intimacy for years after, not sure it was the best idea I've ever had..."
His boyfriends nodded in agreement.
"But you know, even if I had the opportunity, I've never tried bondage," Tetsurō chimed in.
"I could teach you if you want," Kenma offered.
"With pleasure!"
Kuroo couldn't help but smirk.
He looked up to catch Keiji's gaze.
"Would you be interested?"
"Hmm..."
He glanced into his beer.
"No."
He replied almost childishly, the spontaneity of his response made Tetsurō laugh.
"Really?"
"No."
"Why?"
He pondered, but Kuroo could tell he was about to give him a silly answer.
"Because I want you to remain pure for our marriage."
Kuroo chuckled.
"Well, darn it, I think it’s too late for that.”
"Hmm..."
"But don't worry, apparently it doesn't count because I'm a beta."
"No, you count," Keiji murmured.
He wrapped his arms around him, like a child clutching his favorite teddy bear. He really needed to stop drinking.
"Oh, you see Kenma, Keiji said that..."
He turned but discovered that the blond wasn’t going to respond any time soon since he was busy passionately kissing Kōtarō.
"Hmm."
Keiji rested his head against his.
"I love you," he whispered.
"Pfft, me too."
Tetsurō managed to contort himself enough to turn, now facing the brunet. He placed his hands on his face and leaned in to kiss him.
"Are you going to be okay?" Kuroo asked.
"With?"
"Work, school... You."
"Hmm, yes... I have some catching up to do with my reading, it will be an opportunity. If my brain decides to cooperate."
"Hmm, sounds good to me."
"Onanism also seems like an interesting pastime."
Kuroo burst into laughter.
"Much more fun than Goethe, that's for sure."
"Indeed. Although, you might be surprised."
Tetsurō raised an eyebrow.
"Really, perhaps we could find a common activity: you with bondage, while I read you Faust," Keiji suggested.
"Hmm, I can't wait!"
They chuckled in unison.
As they were about to kiss again, they jumped at the sound of Kenma shouting.
"Oh! I just remembered we have Whiskey!"
And he dashed off to fetch said beverage.
Kuroo sighed... He wasn't quite sure he'd be able to wake up the next morning for his eight o'clock class.
"Ji? A shot?"
And screw it, to hell with that awful Nobishi.
"Fire it."
It won't surprise you to learn that he bitterly regretted it the next morning.
-//-
Although starting on a festive note, Keiji didn't seem to appreciate his forced quarantine. He managed keep up appearances, but when Kuroo interacted with him, he could see that it was beginning to weigh on him. It wasn't loneliness that was causing his distress, though: Tetsurō tried to come over as often as possible, Kōtarō also came straight home after his classes, and Kenma was home most of the time.
Akaashi was frustrated. He was frustrated at not being able to do anything interesting with his days because of the restlessness of his body and mind. He could go out into the small garden behind the house, but he didn't allow himself any excursions beyond that perimeter. He became more and more irritable, but never expressed his feelings explicitly. He could abruptly shut down in the middle of a conversation, claim that everything was fine, and then not speak to anyone for hours. The causes of this agitation, however, were understandable and often legitimate.
For example, he had asked Kōtarō several times to bring him something from the university bookstore and each time, Kōtarō had replied that he had forgotten. The third time, Akaashi had simply closed his eyes, taken a deep breath and gone back to his room. He didn't talk to anyone until the evening. Kuroo had finally "come to his rescue" by going to get what he needed once and for all, but the damage had already been done..
However, no major events had occurred that day, which was rather a good sign.
"Did you check if there was a passage downstairs?"
"Where?"
"There's a wall, but maybe you can break through it?"
"Hmm, maybe."
Tetsurō and Kenma were slouched on the blond's bed, in the dark. Only the light from the console in Kenma's hands illuminated the room. Tetsurō enjoyed these moments. It reminded him of the weekends they spent together as children. The only difference now was that this activity involved much more cuddling than it did back then, which he didn't mind at all.
"We need to find a way to break through."
"Hmm... well, go back into the tunnel and see if we can find something."
They simultaneously looked up upon hearing Kōtarō and Keiji bickering in the kitchen. They chuckled as they understood that the argument had to do with how to cut leeks and the potential addition of kombu. It wasn't unusual for them to argue over such trivial matters, so they returned to their main activity.
"Maybe we can come back later..."
"Yeah, but where do we continue from here?"
The tone was gradually escalating between their other two boyfriends, who were now discussing cooking times.
Suddenly, Keiji's voice snapped, "Shut up and stop."**
Kuroo shudder. Turning his eyes, Tetsurō found the blond almost out of breath, his eyes wide with panic. He quickly regained composure, jumped up, tossed his console onto the bed, and rushed out of his room. Tetsurō followed him, equally concerned. He was afraid to understand what had just happened.
When he arrived in the kitchen, he found Kōtarō crouched on the floor. His breathing was erratic, his eyes vacant, stunned by the shock. Keiji stood in front of him, repeating his apologies over and over, tears streaming down his face. Kenma walked past Keiji, pushing him without using any force. He crouched down in front of Kōtarō.
"Kōtarō, look at me..."
He had to take his mate’s face in his hands for his gaze to refocus.
"There you go, good, breathe Kōtarō, breathe. Look at me, it's going to be okay."
"Kōtarō, I did not mean to..."
As Keiji approached, Kenma turned, raising his hand to prevent him from taking another step. His gaze was devoid of animosity or rage, only concerned. Keiji halted, and the blond returned to Kōtarō, embracing him this time. His lover welcomed the embrace, shaking and in tears.
Keiji's features contorted with the pain of his guilt. He abruptly turned and rushed away, leaving the front door open, and bounding down the stairs.
Kuroo stood there, for a moment. He briefly met Kenma's gaze and understood.
He ran after Keiji.
He raced down the street, his head heavy and his body agitated. He remembered Kōtarō's words when they returned from the doctor's office:
"I think he's scared."
"Scared of what?"
"Of himself."
-//-
Kuroo had searched for Keiji for an hour, maybe more, mapping all the streets around the house and then further, but he couldn't find Keiji. Finally, he had given up, but he had not yet returned. Instead, he had wandered the streets, embraced by the softness of the night. He had walked to the park and taken the time to catch his breath and clear his mind.
When he came back to his boyfriends' house, he found the keys left behind the gate so he could come in. He was greeted by a grim silence when he opened the front door. He went up the stairs and arrived in the living room. It was dark and silent. The atmosphere inside had lost some of its electric dread, but heaviness still lingered, so dense that it was almost suffocating.
Kuroo eventually made his way down the hallway. He stopped in front of Kenma's room, seeing light filtering through the door. Kenma’s voice reached him before he could knock:
"You can come in."
He didn't reply but lowered the handle. He was greeted by the golden glimmers of the fairy lights coursing through the room when he entered. The atmosphere inside was quite different from the rest of the house, soft and comforting.
Tetsurō stood in the doorway, not wanting to break the invisible bubble that had formed all around.
"Come," Kenma said.
He approached cautiously, and Kenma watched him come without saying anything. As he got closer, Tetsurō noticed that Kōtarō was curled up against Kenma's side. The blond had wrapped his arm around his mate, keeping him close, protecting him. Kōtarō seemed asleep, but Kuroo could hear his purring echoing Kenma's. However, it was nothing like the purring he knew: it was a deep, restless sound, not expressing contentment, but rather dispelling anxiety and soothing himself. Kuroo's heart ached at the sight. He knelt at the edge of the bed, waiting for Kenma to invite him closer.
The blond blinked slowly and nodded. Kuroo instantly recognized the gesture and leaned in to rest his forehead against Kenma's. He finally lay down next to his lover.
"How is he?" the brunet murmured.
Kenma looked at Kōtarō, tightened his embrace, and met Kuroo's gaze again.
"Better, I think..."
He nodded. However, he couldn't shake off the worry weighing on his chest.
"Will he be okay?"
"Yes... it just shook him."
Silence stretched for a few moments.
"Was it a command?" Kuroo eventually asked.
Kenma nodded, his gaze still fixed on the omega nestled against him.
"Oh..."
"It wasn't even meant for me, but it..."
"Shook you pretty bad?"
"Yeah."
Silence.
"And Keiji?"
"Hm?"
"Are you mad at him?"
He had spoken in a whisper.
Kenma sighed.
"No... I don't know. Yes. I know he probably didn't mean to... He’d never done this before... I know it must be related to stopping the suppressants and all but… I'm having a hard time letting it go... If I go to him now, I'd be much more hurtful than I wish to be..."
"Okay..."
"Tetsu?"
"Hmm."
Their gazes met.
“He’s not doing too good either. I’m angry, but I don't want him to be alone."
Kuroo had no difficulty understanding what he was asking of him.
"I looked for him but... I don't know where he is."
"He came back before you did, he's in his room."
Kuroo nodded. He straightened up, ran his fingers through Kōtarō's hair, kissed Kenma's temple, and turned to leave. As he was about to cross the threshold, the blond called out to him:
"If he says he want to be alone, insist... Please."
"Okay... Goodnight, love you."
"We love you too"
He closed the door behind him.
He found himself alone in the hallway, engulfed in its heaviness. He felt like he had entered another dimension. He turned his eyes toward Keiji's room: no light. He breathed in and headed there. He didn't know what he was feeling either, a strange mix of emotion he couldn't unravel.
He brought his fist to the door to announce his presence but stopped, relaxing his fingers to let them slide on the door. Long seconds passed, heavy. Before his consciousness had time to catch up, he regained his composure and knocked.
No response.
"Keiji?"
Still no response.
"Love?"
He spoke softly, with a tender and caressing tone.
This time, a sound between a hoarse growl and a whimper answered him.
"I'm coming in," the brunet announced, before following through.
The room was draped in darkness, and there was a heavy smell in the air. Kuroo recognized it as Akaashi's scent, tinged with a sour, dense note. The bed was empty, but he found on the floor a tangle of blankets rolled together. He let out a sad smile. The growling ceased. The brunet approached, examining the pile of blankets to determine which way Akaashi was facing.
"Keiji?"
The sound he emitted in response indicated that he was facing away from him. Kuroo circled around and crouched in front of the pile of blankets.
"Love..." the brunette murmured.
Keiji lifted a corner of a blanket, revealing his face. He seemed to have calmed down, but Kuroo could still read the pain in his features.
He smiled tenderly at him.
"You've made yourself a nest?"
"It's not a nest," he retorted.
"Oh, what is it then?"
"A cocoon."
"Oh... it looks comfortable. Can I come in?"
Akaashi seemed to consider it. Finally, he burrowed deeper into the cocoon and lifted the blankets as much as possible. Tetsurō slipped inside, making sure to rearrange the blankets so as not to disrupt the structure of the cocoon too much. Despite the darkness, Kuroo had no trouble discerning the curves of his lover’s face, and the intensity of his gaze. Their eyes met, communicating silently.
Tetsurō placed his hands on Keiji’s face, letting his fingers explore his skin: his eyelids, his cheeks, the outline of his lips... He stopped at the curves of his jaw. Kuroo smiled and leaned in to kiss him. He felt the atmosphere around them lighten.
"Are you okay?" he finally asked in a low voice.
"Can I say no?"
"Of course."
"Then no."
He kissed him again.
"Tetsurō..."
"Yes?"
Keiji said nothing more, but his face spoke for him. He saw his features distorted with remorse and sorrow; he felt the anger and disgust, the guilt, the helplessness he felt at that moment. And finally he gave in to tears, like a burst of stormy rain, violent and tormented.
"His face, Tetsurō... his face... it was as if I had stabbed him with my own hands. As if I had betrayed him... I did not intend to do that. I never meant to..."
His voice trailed off into sobs.
Kuroo listened, adding nothing, squeezing his hands in his.
"It was horrifying... I felt the anger rise. It was... brutal. I felt it was too much, and I did not know how to handle it. It slipped away from me..”
He gasped, and finally caught his breath.
"The worst thing is that... I felt so relieved. Then I saw Kōtarō's face and I understood..."
He was shaking, overwhelmed by guilt and grief. Tetsurō wiped away his tears.
"And Kenma... He is mad at me, again... rightfully. I am a bad person... I am a bad alpha..."
Kuroo frowned.
A bad alpha?
Keiji's rarely considered his secondary, it was strange to hear him say that…
Oh...
Kuroo understood.
"I think he's scared."
"Of what?"
"Of himself."
No.
He wasn't afraid of "himself."
He was afraid of the alpha.
"Keiji... Yes, Kenma is angry... but he knows it wasn't intentional."
"An unintentional manslaughter is still a manslaughter," the brunet retorted.
"Yeah, ok... but... I don't see a bad person or a bad alpha."
"You will have to explain that to me then."
He took his lover's face in his hands again; Keiji averted his eyes.
"First of all, I see someone terrified. Terrified of himself, and who has always lived in fear. The fear of losing control; of hurting those he cares about by losing control."
"Too bad, that is exactly what just happened!"
"Maybe... But we have to move forward. It might be hard, yes. But you are in control, and you won't lose it, you have to learn to tame it, Keiji."
They eyes met again.
"There's not you, and the alpha. There's just you."
Keiji looked terrified.
"It means that yes, you can't blame it for what happened. Yes, it's certainly not nothing. But it also means that it can't take control over you, he can't push you aside. It means you can do something to learn, to not be afraid anymore, so it doesn't happen again."
Tears started streaming down Keiji's face again.
"Love... You are one of the most gentle, tender, and caring person I have ever met. These things are part of you. This anger too, this impulsiveness, they are also part of you, even if it's scary... And you can do something about it. Tame it... tame yourself."
His lover let out a heavy sigh.
"It is quite hard to hear..."
"Maybe... But am I wrong?"
"I guess not."
They remained silent for a long while, until Keiji's tears dried up, and the pain left him. He caught his breath.
"Thank you, Tetsurō."
The latter smiled at him. He placed a kiss on his forehead and rubbed his nose against his. Keiji smiled. But worry soon found it’s way back into is heart.
"I need to apologize... I need to talk to him..."
"He's sleeping right now, he's with Kenma. Will talk tomorrow."
Keiji nodded.
"I do not know how I am going to face them tomorrow..."
"Firstly, you're not going to 'face' them, they're not gladiators in an arena."
His counterpart chuckled.
"And then we'll talk together, and we'll see. Okay?"
"Okay."
They continued to talk for a long time, embracing tightly there, in that strange cocoon on the floor. Tetsurō stayed awake until he heard Keiji finally fall asleep. Once he heard his breathing calm down and his body grow heavy with sleep, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep himself.
-//-
Kuroo opened his eyes. Keiji had just wrapped himself in the blankets, leaving him lying on the cold floor. The sunlight streamed through half-closed shutters, painting the room in the soft hues. Tetsurō groaned and sat up, understanding immediately why Akaashi had hidden: Kōtarō was standing there, in the doorway.
He closed the door behind him and approached. His gaze met Kōtarō's: his face showed no discernible emotion, only his eyes pierced through him.
They held each other’s gaze in silence.
Kuroo watched as he approached and sat beside him Without a word, Kōtarō leaned in, rubbing his head gently against Kuroo’s, and turned his gaze towards the cocoon. Kuroo moved aside to make room for him as Kōtarō lay down, resting his head on the pile of blankets. He let out a small sound, a mix of chirping and purring. Keiji seemed to understand. He lifted his head from the cocoon, and their eyes met. Neither of them spoke, but they understood each other. Keiji was on the verge of tears again. He broke eye contact, looking away.
Bokuto moved closer, pressing his forehead softly against Keiji’s.
"I forgive you,"
Keiji understood his gesture, his silence. He closed his eyes, tears streaming down heavily. Kōtarō opened his arms and held him tightly. Only the rustle of fabric and their breathing broke the silence.
Kuroo allowed himself a small smile, but the sound of the door creaking open drew his attention. Kenma entered quietly, his presence commanding without a word. Keiji sat up, the cocoon collapsing around him. They locked eyes for a long moment, yet both remained still. Finally, Kenma approached and sat facing Keiji. He glanced at Kōtarō, who had also sat up, holding Akaashi's hand in his. The blond nodded, then turned his gaze back to Keiji. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a few seconds, then knelt down. Akaashi followed his movement with his eyes. Kenma cradled Keiji's face gently in his hands, and his mate immediately closed his eyes. The blond pressed his forehead against his, before drawing him into a firm embrace.
For now, no words were necessary.
For the moment, no words were necessary.
Outside, the sky was gray.
Notes:
Happy new year !
Next chapter : Kuklos I
It was 5:12 in the morning when Kuroo received the following text from Kenma: "It's time." A rather cryptic message to receive while rolling out of bed. The situation became clearer, or rather its urgency became clearer, when he then received, "We're on our way, we'll pick you up in 15-20 minutes."
Chapter 35: Kuklos I
Summary:
It was 5:12 in the morning when Kuroo received the following text from Kenma: "It's time." A rather cryptic message to receive while rolling out of bed. The situation became clearer, or rather its urgency became clearer, when he then received, "We're on our way, we'll pick you up in 15-20 minutes."
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It was 5:12 in the morning when Kuroo received the following text from Kenma: "It's time." A rather cryptic message to receive while rolling out of bed. The situation became clearer, or rather its urgency became clearer, when he then received, "We're on our way, we'll pick you up in 15-20 minutes." Kuroo jumped out of bed, disoriented. He kicked everything he had left lying on the floor and knocked over his mug. The sound made him come back to his senses. He took a deep breath to regain control. He needed to focus.
After what happened with Keiji, they decided to sit down to talk. Eventually, they each expressed their feelings about the past few weeks, the shortcomings, and the needs that emerged from it. Keiji couldn't do much to rid himself of his frustration; only time would unravel it. However, his mates made it clear that he needed to learn to manage his emotions, however brutal they might be. Under normal circumstances, Akaashi was quite a level-headed person, so Kuroo figured it wouldn't be too difficult a task. He was wrong, and he quickly realized it. They had decided to implement some sort of "safe word" that Keiji could use at any time to indicate his emotional state and allow him to step back quickly without the situation escalating. Kuroo wasn't entirely convinced by this solution: he saw its usefulness, but it didn't address the underlying problem, and he sensed that it would eventually escalate anyway. And that's exactly what happened.
Strangely enough, the "safe word" chosen by Keiji was, originally at least, "Pliny the Elder." Quite original indeed. Especially since it was quickly shortened to "ploup," which led to rather extravagant situations where Akaashi would shout "ploup!" in the middle of a conversation before leaving the room. At first, Kenma and Kōtarō carefully respected its use, but it quickly became a bit overused, which inevitably annoyed them in turn, knowing that they weren't in the most stable emotional state either. So they too started throwing around "ploups!" left and right, the situation escalating to the point where everyone would repeatedly storm out shouting "ploups!", usually leaving Kuroo behind.
He eventually decided to take the lead on that one. He wasn't an expert in psychology, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve. Well, he didn’t really do much and just ended up gentle parenting his boyfriends and teaching them some meditation. Surprisingly enough, it did work, and over time, they found some way to deal peacefully with their situation. No major incident occurred since, and his boyfriends had returned to their MD a few days earlier for contraceptive injections.
All in all, Kuroo knew that their cycle was about to begin, he knew this text would come. He just didn't expect to be notified so abruptly.
He looked at his phone again, he only had approximately 10 minutes now to take a shower and pack to leave.
He jumped into the shower and hurried back after a few minutes, taking the opportunity to mop the floor with all the water he brought back when returning to the main room. He spun around several times before remembering what he was looking for: his backpack. He wasn't completely out of it and had already packed some essentials. Once he had packed the last necessities, he inspected the contents of his bag one last time, making sure he had brought the latest purchases he had made, as well as his little "guide" notebook where he had noted all the information he had gathered during his erudite reading of the dozens of brochures Dr. Megi had entrusted to him.
He rushed to the bathroom to brush his teeth. As he was packing his toiletry, he received the following text: "We're downstairs." He almost dropped his phone reading the message, he hadn't had time to put on his socks yet! A quick check revealed that, no, he hadn't had time to put on anything at all. He cursed and put on whatever he could find, put on his shoes, grabbed his bag, and threw himself out of the apartment.
The sun hadn't yet risen when he stepped out of the building. He recognized Kenma's car parked on the other side of the road and headed straight for it. He stopped in his tracks when his gaze fell onto what had been attached to the roof of the car: a huge shell made of... bamboo slats. Wicker perhaps?
Kenma rolled down his window and chuckled at his boyfriend's appearance:
"I think your T-shirt is inside out," he remarked.
Kuroo glanced down to discover that, indeed, in addition to daring to wear sky blue sweatpants with a neon yellow T-shirt - most likely belonging to Kōtarō - he hadn't noticed that he had put his shirt on both backward and inside out. He dropped his bag and pulled his arms through the T-shirt to straighten it out, revealing a design just as unattractive as the color of the garment.
"What's on the roof?" Kuroo asked.
"The structure for Keiji's bower."
"Oh..."
"Come on, get in."
Kuroo nodded and circled the car to sit in the front. He had to maneuver his legs between crates filled with food that had been stored under his seat. Barely had he sat down when Kenma dumped two boxes onto his lap. He didn't even have time to fasten his seatbelt before the car started moving again.
"Sorry for the rough wake-up," Kenma said. "Keiji woke me up an hour ago trying to get his thing down the stairs."
"Ok, and they..."
Kuroo didn't finish his sentence, finally noticing his other two boyfriends sitting in the back. He chuckled at the sight of their little owl faces.
"I thought you were sleeping," he greeted them, and the other two waved at him.
"They can't talk already?" Tetsurō asked, turning around.
"Not really... Keiji a little, but not Kōtarō."
"Oh... and are you, how are you feeling ?"
"I’m ok. My cycle won’t start before tomorrow I think.
"Oh, ok."
Kuroo watched the road for a few moments, still trying to wake up completely.
"Where are we going?"
"To Keiji's family's territory... There's a house where we can stay."
"Oh... cool... hmm and what are we going to do with all this stuff? Decorate the trees?" he joked, looking at the boxes of fairy lights and fabric butterflies on his lap.
His remark made Keiji grunt, amusing Kenma.
"It's Keiji's decorations, he likes to put them on his bower, right?" Kenma replied, looking up to catch his mate's gaze in the rearview mirror.
Kuroo turned to face him directly.
"Sorry, Love, your butterflies are beautiful."
Keiji sighed and rolled his eyes, tightening his grip on the pillow he held in his hands.
They fell silent again, and the journey continued in a peaceful silence. Kuroo eventually fell asleep and only woke up again nearly 45 minutes later. Looking out the window, he saw that the city had disappeared, replaced by fields bathed in the light of the dawn stretching to the horizon.
"Are we almost there?" Tetsurō asked.
"Yeah, like ten minutes, I'd say."
"Ok..."
The silence fell again.
Kuroo got lost in his thoughts but was quickly brought back by a terrifying idea:
"Are we going to meet his family?"
Oh crap, he hadn't thought about that earlier! If they were going to their "territory," they would surely meet them! Kuroo was really, really not prepared to meet his second "in-laws" now, especially not dressed like this! Kenma turned his eyes and chuckled.
"Relax, his parents aren't there anyway. Besides, it's hundreds and hundreds of acres, we probably won't see anyone... And they know we're coming, they'll let us through without any problem."
"They’ll let us through without any problem"? Who were “they”? What? They needed a visa to go there?! He thought.
Kuroo instantly calmed down when he felt Kenma's hand on his thigh. He turned his eyes, and while the blond didn't take his eyes off the road, he smiled at him.
"It'll be okay."
The brunet smiled back and nodded. Kenma was right: he needed to relax a little.
"Where are his parents?" Tetsurō asked.
Kenma seemed surprised by the question.
"He never told you? Keiji's parents moved to South Korea with his little brother about two years ago."
Kuroo blinked several times. He looked up, hoping to catch Keiji's gaze in the rearview mirror. He didn't seem to have listened to their conversation. He had his face pressed against the window, looking tiredly at the passing landscape. He turned his attention back to Kenma.
"I didn't know..."
"If they were around, we would have seen them a long time ago," commented the blond. "But his sisters might be around though..."
"Oh..." said Kuroo, not particularly enthusiastic about this possibility.
His discomfort made Kenma chuckle.
The silence settled again, and the rest of the journey passed peacefully. They eventually turned onto a little road cut through a wide expanse of wild grass. Kuroo closed his eyes, dazzled by the light of the rising sun. When he opened them again, they had arrived at their destination. He looked up at a charming minka, an old traditional house. The roof, which had originally been thatched, had been replaced with tiles, indicating the fairly recent renovation of the house.
He looked away upon hearing the trunk door open: Keiji had thrown himself out of the car without bothering to close the door behind him and was now busy filling his arms as much as possible with sheets, duvets, and other blankets that had been piled up in the trunk. With his arms full and his view practically obstructed, he headed towards the house, holding the key to the front door with great difficulty.
"What are you doing, Keiji? Give me that !" Kenma grumbled.
His mate reluctantly gave him the keys. As soon as the front door was unlocked, Keiji darted inside.
"Your shoes, damn it! Ugh..."
Kuroo chuckled.
"He can't wait four seconds, damn it..." complained the blond, returning to the car. Despite everything, he couldn't help but smile at Kuroo's amused expression.
"You think that’s funny, ha? Come on, move!"
Tetsurō nodded. He turned his head, noticing that Kōtarō had fallen asleep. He smiled, and decided to leave him alone a little longer. He got out, grabbing everything stored in the front before heading towards the house.
He then discovered the interior of the house. It had indeed been modernized, with the space opening up into a large living room. The floor remained elevated, covered with light wood flooring that matched the exposed beams around it. He took off his shoes and stepped up. He found the kitchen to his left, separated from the living room by open panels. He headed towards it, being careful not to trip down the two small steps leading to it. He shivered when the cold tiles touched his feet. He finally placed the box of food on the floor. As he was about to start unpacking its contents, Keiji suddenly appeared so abruptly that he jumped in surprise.
"What do you want?”
Keiji didn't reply and simply leaned forward, nearly dropping the already substantial cargo he had in his arms. Tetsurō noticed that he was clumsily trying to retrieve the decorations left in the crate.
"Love, you don’t have enough arms to get all of that, let me help.”
Kuroo leaned in to take them, but Keiji was still trying to grab them from his hands.
"I'll carry them for you, Keiji, just wait."
The brunet let out a gruff sound but resigned himself. He pulled Kuroo by the arm to make him follow, once again nearly dropping the mountain of pillows he held.
"I'm coming, I'm coming,"
Keiji sighed and turned, heading towards the back of the house. He guided him into a room with a tatami-covered floor. For the moment, aside from the mess brought in by Keiji, the room was empty.
"Are you going to set up your bower here?"
Keiji nodded, immediately grabbing the treasure Tetsurō had brought. The latter let him be, and let his eyes wander around the room. A large window let in the sunlight, offering a view of the green expanse surrounding the house. Kuroo continued his visual exploration, finally stopping when he noticed that large gold-colored rings had been fixed to the floor at each corner of the room.
"What are those for?" he asked.
Keiji looked up to see what he was talking about.
"For tying."
His voice was rough and scratchy as if the sound had struggled to escape from his throat. Tetsurō didn't quite grasp what he was going to tie up; he just hoped his plan wasn't to stretch one of his boyfriends across the room. He didn't want to force him to talk more and decided he would know soon enough. Keiji hurried out, most likely to retrieve the rest of his loot. He also exited, and as he walked back down the hallway to return to the entrance, Kenma called out to him.
"Ji!"
Kuroo followed his voice and found himself in a small bedroom, simply furnished with a bed and a small brown wooden shelf.
"It's the only room with a bed, do you mind if I take it? There's another room where we can set a futon.."
"No problem, whatever you feel more comfortable with."
The blond nodded. He crossed the hallway to show him a small room separated from the hallway by a sliding door, also covered in tatami.
"It's not very spacious, but it will do, right?"
Tetsurō nodded.
"Okay, so you have this here, and next to it you have the restroom," he said, stepping out into the hallway, "then on the other side is Keiji and Kōtarō's room, hmm... the bathroom is opposite, and you've seen the living room and kitchen already."
Kuroo nodded, flashing a smile to try to reassure Kenma, who seemed to be starting to lose his calm.
"Okay, um, I..."
He didn't finish his sentence and headed back to the car. Tetsurō chuckled and followed him to continue unloading. The task was quickly completed, thanks to Keiji, who was almost running back and forth. There were some difficulties getting the shell into the house, but all in all, no walls had suffered from the transport. The second Kuroo put the shell in the room, Keiji closed the door in his face. The brunet didn't take offense, just let out a chuckle, quickly turning away, deciding that it was probably time to wake up his still-sleeping boyfriend in the back of the car.
"Babe," he murmured softly as he opened the door.
He had to call out several times before Kōtarō truly emerged. He stretched, let out a small moan, then opened his eyes. He made a cooing noise upon seeing Tetsurō, and a blissful smile spread across his lips. He reached out his arms, extending and then tightening his fingers successively to indicate that he wanted him to come to him. The brunet smiled, touched, and leaned in to kiss him.
"Can you walk?"
Kōtarō nodded affirmatively but didn't move.
"Carry," he signed eventually.
"Do you want me to carry you?"
Kōtarō nodded.
"But you said you could walk? I don't know if I'll be able to carry you inside."
His boyfriend didn't care and simply waited with open arms.
"Alright, okay."
He bent down to pick him up, and Kōtarō immediately wrapped his arms around his neck. Kuroo struggled to lift his boyfriend, who was no lightweight in any regard, but managed to carry him inside. Kenma chuckled when he saw him enter and shifted his position on the couch to make room for them. Kōtarō, delighted to be reunited with his mate, immediately wrapped his arms around him. Tetsurō smiled at the sight.
"Oh, wait!"
Tetsurō went back to the room that had been assigned to him to retrieve his backpack.
"Love, can you come here for a second?" he called out as he walked back to the living room.
He dropped his bag on the carpet and rummaged inside.
"I found something, I thought it might help maybe, ah, here it is!"
Keiji arrived just as he found the object of his quest. All eyes turned to Kuroo as he pulled four small whistles from his backpack.
The room fell silent.
"What's this? We're not dogs!" Kenma protested.
"No, no, I thought it would be easier to call me if needed, and vice versa."
He blew into one of them to demonstrate.
Silence stretched for several seconds, and Kuroo feared that his idea wouldn't be well received. Finally, Keiji leaned in to take one, quickly blew into it, and turned back, returning immediately to his main task. Kōtarō shrugged and finally leaned in to take one too. Kenma sighed but did the same.
"Okay, maybe it's not a bad idea..." Kenma reluctantly conceded.
Then Kōtarō began to blow into his whistle with all his might. The sound was painfully piercing. Kuroo clapped his hand over his ears, his eardrum begging for an end to their suffering. Yet, Kōtarō did not stop, and blew in the whistle again, longer and louder this time.
“Please, for the love of—stop!” Kuroo groaned, half laughing as he snatched the whistle away.
"Okay, I take back what I said, that’s a terrible idea," Kenma commented.
Yeah, on second thought, maybe it wasn’t such a good idea.
-//-
"It's been years since I last saw this movie, and you know what, I still love it!"
Kenma nodded, yet his eyes remained fixed on the ending credits of "Kiki's Delivery Service." Tetsurō, Kenma, and Kōtarō were piled up on the couch, their gaze fixed on the small screen of the computer placed on the coffee table in front of them.
"Only now I find it a bit strange to let a thirteen year old girl go across the country with her broom... At that age, I couldn't even walk to school by myself without getting completely lost".
Kenma chuckled.
"You still can’t go anywhere without getting lost.”
"Hmm... true."
They watched the credits roll for a few seconds in silence, and then Tetsurō spoke again:
“Hum, I guess you're not really Kiki in the story.”
He turned his head to catch the blond's gaze. The latter raised an eyebrow, already expecting the nonsense he was about to burp out. Tetsurō smiled mischievously:
"Actually, you're the other cat, the white cat!"
Kenma chuckled.
"Nonsense."
"Oh yes you are! Miss snotty cat !"
Kenma kicked him, smiling nonetheless.
"And me, who am I?" signed Kōtarō, still cuddled against his mate.
"You're the dog," replied the latter.
The remark did not please Kōtarō. He pouted, which made his two boyfriends laugh.
"You don’t like the dog? He's super nice though!" Kenma continued sarcastically.
Kōtarō vehemently denied the accusation, which only fueled their hilarity.
Kuroo smiled, watching his two lovers interact, not even attempting to intervene.
"Well, I'll let you guys start something else," he finally declared.
He got up from the couch and headed towards the kitchen. He checked the cooking of his Nikujaga, turned up the heat under the pot where his miso soup was simmering, then decided to go start the rice cooker. Finally, he grabbed his notebook, making sure he had the rest of the recipe in mind.
Tetsurō had fully invested himself in the task. Perhaps Nakayama-san's words had affected him more than he cared to admit, but it was for the best. He had planned out all the meals he would have to make in the coming days; he had meticulously noted down each recipe, taking care to calculate the number of calories, the nutritional value, and the benefits of each ingredient. He had taken this task to heart, not knowing at all how this week would unfold, but at least he had planned this well. He even had his plan checked by Dr. Megi, who praised his dedication to the task. He passed on the list of all the necessary ingredients to Kenma, and the blond then took care of ordering the food so that everything would be ready when it was time to leave. He had spent more time playing nutritionist lately than studying, and he was sure to come out of this experience with cooking skills much more impressive than his ability to remember the life cycle of archaea.
As he busied himself serving the soup bowls, he nearly dropped the pot when he heard a loud noise coming from the back of the house, as if the ceiling had violently crashed to the ground. He turned around. Kenma and Kōtarō had lifted their eyes from the screen, but didn’t seem concerned and quickly turned back.
"What was that?"
"I think it's Keiji who..."
Another crash.
"Who can't hang the shell."
Seeing Kuroo starting to head towards the bedroom, Kenma added:
"He'll kick you out if you go there."
"He won't kick me out if I have food, right?"
Kenma shrugged:
"You might have better luck."
The brunet nodded. He retrieved the soup bowls he had just served to give them to his two boyfriends and picked up the tray he had prepared for Keiji before heading to the bedroom. He placed the tray and knocked. No response.
"Keiji?"
Only a grunt reached him.
"Um... Food."
Silence.
He finally heard footsteps approaching and the door opened.
Kuroo smiled upon seeing him. He proudly presented the tray to him. Keiji didn't move a single facial muscle, but his eyes spoke for him.
"Um... do you need help?"
Keiji frowned but eventually stepped aside to let him in. Kuroo entered and placed the tray on the floor. He held back a laugh when he saw the mess Keiji had made in the room. He had filled the bower’s shell, but failed to suspend the structure, the repeated falls having undone the efforts he had put into his preparation. Keiji sighed, dejected.
"What happened here?"
"Too high, too heavy," his boyfriend signed.
"Yes, you should have hung it before putting stuff in it. How do you usually do it?"
"Step ladder. Forgot."
Kuroo approached. He tried to reach the ring fixed on the ceiling, but even if he were to stand on the tip of his toes, he wouldn't be able to suspend it properly either.
"If I carry you, would that work?"
The brunet seemed to consider it, then finally nodded.
Kuroo thought that if he continued to have to carry his boyfriends all day long, he would come out of this week not only skilled in cooking, but also as muscular as a Greek god. Or with monstrous back problems. He bent down for Keiji to climb onto his shoulders. He thought he would never manage to straighten up. Fueled by a strength he didn't know he possessed, he eventually pushed enough with his legs to stand up. Here he was discovering new talents left and right! Maybe if he failed his master's degree, he could try to enroll in the Cirque du Soleil?
"Rope," his lover managed to tell him.
Kuroo looked down, finding the rope hanging on the edge of the bower. He had to bend down to grab it, being extra careful to not drop Keiji. Once he had the rope in hand, he handed it to Akaashi. Akaashi took it and busied himself tying it through the ring to suspend the shell, not even impressed by Tetsurō's impeccable performance. Tough crowd, but the judges at his Cirque du Soleil audition would be much more so, he had to get used to it...
He set aside his whimsical thoughts when he felt Keiji tap his shoulder to signal that he was done.
"Okay, I'll bring you down, wait."
Easier said than done, as soon as he began to bend his legs, he started to sway, he tried to regain his balance, but Keiji ended up tipping to the side. Before he could do anything, they both fell to the ground. He who had harbored hopes of moving on to more technical lifts...
"Shit, are you okay?" Kuroo hurried to ask his boyfriend.
Fortunately, the latter had landed on the pile of blankets stacked on the floor. Their eyes met. After the initial surprise, Keiji giggled. Tetsurō found in his eyes the sparkling and tender gleam that he knew so well. He felt relieved of a burden he wasn't even aware he had been carrying until then. The heaviness on his chest had lifted. He realized that although he had wanted to hide it from himself, to distance himself by clinging to all the little things he could barely control, he had been afraid. He had been afraid of what might happen, he had been afraid of being too much, inadequate, useless. He had almost forgotten the reason why he was there: for them.
Keiji stretched his arms and wrapped them around his neck, urging him to come closer. Tetsurō let himself slide into the embrace, closing his eyes as his head rested on his lover's chest.
-//-
In retrospect, Kuroo should have made a "watch list" before coming here. After all, he wasn't quite sure what he was going to do with his time in the coming days, and he had already gone through his entire list of favorite animations in one day. Yes, he could always study, read the notes sent by Oikawa, and make some revision cards, but he wasn't going to do that while others indulged in much less intellectual pleasures. There had to be some balance!
The night had fallen an hour ago, he had spent the afternoon lounging on the couch with Kenma and Kōtarō, which he didn't mind. However, with the night came back his anxieties.
He glanced over, Kōtarō had fallen asleep, still nestled in Kenma's arms who absentmindedly stroked his mate's hair. His gaze fell on the blond. He was looking at Kōtarō tenderly. Now that he thought about it, he didn't really know how Kenma's cycle would go, he knew the theory for sure, but he wasn't sure if Kenma matched it much.
“Kenma?”
The blond signaled that he was listening but didn't look up.
“Can I ask you a question? It might be a bit intrusive, you don't have to answer.”
The blond frowned and looked up;
“What do you want to know?”
Kuroo hesitated.
“I just wanted to... I was wondering...”
“Yes?”
He let out a sigh.
“I was just wondering... how does it go for you, um, the cycle? We talked about before and after but not... not during. I just wondered if... since you are, you know... well, I wanted to know if it was any different?”
Kenma listened to his question, however convoluted it was. He didn't seem bothered by it, which reassured Kuroo.
“You mean, how is it different because I'm asexual?”
“Uh... yeah.”
Kenma sighed, he thought about it for a moment before answering.
“ I don't really know how it's... different. It's not because I don't feel sexual attraction that I don't have a drive... I'll grant you it's not really high most of the time, but in the cycle, it's... the case.”
“Oh, okay.”
“It's just... not directed to anyone specifically or... concrete, if you know what I mean.”
He could roughly imagine what he meant. Sexuality was a complex thing, he knew that, he had experienced it himself to some extent.
“That's why I thought it would be okay...”
Kuroo met his gaze again, concerned about the resonance his voice had taken.
“You mean... last time?”
The blond nodded.
“It had been... difficult for me, before.”
His eyes had once again settled on Kōtarō. He could sense through his gaze the sadness and heaviness in his heart.
“But... I had thought about it enough and... I thought that... sharing this moment with them... That it would be okay, because I love them, because I trust them and because... Anyway.”
Tetsurō felt his heart tighten. He grabbed Kenma's hand and squeezed it. The blond looked up. He smiled, but Kuroo could tell it was only a facade.
“I’m afraid, of what might happen... And I'm sorry that it's so complicated because of me.”
“Kenma... It's not your fault you know... I don't think Kōtarō and Keiji think that either...”
He felt like his words hadn't quite conveyed what he truly felt, he didn't know how to articulate his thoughts, his feelings.
“Whatever happens, I'm here.”
Kenma nodded.
“It may be selfish but... it feels safer to have you here.”
“How is that selfish?”
“To... rely on you to potentially solve problems that were there long before you entered our lives, that you end up with that on your plate.”
Tetsurō smiled at him.
“It's not selfish. We've talked about it, I know what I'm getting into, I chose to be here, with you. I'm not in your lives just for the good sides. I'm here for you.”
Kenma nodded again.
“Thank you Tetsu...”
“It’s normal, really.”
As he leaned in to kiss the blond, he was taken aback by a whistle coming from the back of the house.
“I think Keiji’s done with his bower.”
“Shall we?”
The blond nodded. He gently moved from his mate's embrace, being extra careful not to wake him. He let out a sigh of relief once he was out of the couch, noticing that Kōtarō didn't seem to have woken up. Keiji blew again in the whistle, and they understood that they had to hurry before Keiji truly lost patience.
They knocked on the door, and Akaashi opened it a few seconds later, but remained in the doorway.
“Are you done?” Kenma asked.
The brunet nodded.
“Do you want to show us?”
Keiji looked worried, he glanced around. Eventually, he met Kenma's gaze:
“Kōtarō?” Kuroo understood, recognizing the sign for his boyfriend’s name.
“He's asleep.”
Akaashi nodded.
“Close your eyes.”
They complied. Kuroo heard the brunet open the door. He took their hands to lead them inside. He heard the door close and Keiji turned off the light. A quick whistle indicated that they could open their eyes again.
Kuroo did so.
The room had been plunged into darkness, dozens of fairy lights projected a soft golden light through the room. In the center, now suspended a few centimeters above the ground, stood the bower’s shell that Kuroo had helped install. It had been dressed in a huge white canopy falling in large folds all around. On the fabric ran clouds of butterflies whose wings reflected the golden hues of the fairy lights cascading all around.
“Wow...”
The shell had also been attached to the four golden rings on the ground, which was not stupid considering the main use that would be made of it. Indeed, a swinging bed would be quite dangerous in this situation.
Through the veil, Kuroo could discern the interior of the bower, where duvets, pillows, and other fluffy materials had been meticulously installed. The den looked welcoming, cozy and warm. Kuroo wasn't an expert in bowers and didn't know the criteria for judging this work, but he imagined that whatever they were, Keiji had largely respected them. Amazed, Kuroo tried to get closer. Before he could take a step, Kenma grabbed his hand. He found his lover's gaze as he turned his eyes, and he understood: Keiji had built this for a reason, it wasn't just a simple cocooning decoration, it meant a lot to him. Approaching it too closely would signal to him that he was willing to join him, he knew what that implied.
Kuroo returned to his original position. He turned his eyes to the brunet, crouched on the floor behind them, spying on their reaction. His features were neutral, and Tetsurō couldn't discern if his refusal to get closer had hurt him or not.
“It's pretty Love,” Tetsurō commented, still a bit embarrassed, “I'm sure Kōtarō will love it.”
Keiji didn't respond, but Kuroo could hear him starting to purr, which made him smile. He turned his eyes to Kenma. The blond was also smiling, but he felt it was heavy with a deep-seated sadness, insurmountable guilt, and a lot of love too. The blond approached his mate. The latter watched him come to him, patience and fervor shining in his eyes. Once he reached his height, Kenma cupped his face in his hand.
“Yes, it's beautiful,” he heard him murmur.
A heavy silence stretched out, the light around seemed to weaken.
“Coming?” signed the brunet.
“No Keiji, I’m sorry...”
His mate burst into tears. They were tears devoid of any heaviness thought. Keiji knew the outcome of this discussion, he had known it from the beginning, but that didn't diminish the pain it caused him.
“ I don't want you to be alone.”
“I'm not alone, Tetsurō is here, with me, with us.”
The alpha looked up. His gaze caught Kuroo's who smiled at him. Keiji calmed down. He turned his eyes back to his mate, then rested his forehead against his. They stayed like that for a while.
“Do you want to make a mini bower for me, in my room?”
Keiji looked away.
“Already done.”
“Really? Come show me then.”
Kuroo watched as they left the room. As he was about to do the same, he heard footsteps coming back to him. Keiji had returned at full speed, opening his arms and throwing himself on top of him to hug him tightly. Kuroo chuckled but let himself be hugged. Keiji kissed him on the cheek before letting go to run away again. Kuroo stood in the middle of the room for a moment, disoriented by the sudden change in his boyfriend's behavior. He shrugged, he had to get used to it. He left the room and took a last look at the bower before closing the door.
The rest of the evening passed strangely, as if this time, for real, the countdown had started. Kuroo ended up alone, Kenma had gone to his room, Kōtarō and Keiji to theirs. He busied himself with the household chores that had fallen to him. He was somehow grateful for it, as it provided a welcome distraction from the gnawing edge of his anxiety.
It was late when he went to bed. His heart fluttered as he entered his bedroom, and all the heaviness he was carrying was suddenly lifted. A few fairy lights were hanging on the walls, creating a warm and tender atmosphere. Kuroo chuckled, deeply moved, when he discovered the butterflies that had been placed around his futon. He felt his heart lighten. He moved the fake insects to lie down without moving them away from him. He didn't bother to turn off the light, and their warm hue accompanied him to sleep.
-//-
“All these things have thus found an end; but do thou hearken as I shall tell thee, and a god shall himself bring it to thy mind. To the Sirens first shalt thou come, who beguile all men whosoever comes to them. Whoso in ignorance draws near to them and hears the Sirens' voice, he nevermore returns, that his wife and little children may stand at his side rejoicing, but the Sirens beguile him with their clear-toned song, as they sit in a meadow, and about them is a great heap of bones of mouldering men, and round the bones the skin is shrivelling. But do thou row past them, and anoint the ears of thy comrades with sweet wax, which thou hast kneaded, lest any of the rest may hear.”
Homer. The Odyssey, book 12.
According to Google, that was the first historical reference to earplugs. Without realizing it, Kuroo had ended up in that odd rabbit hole when searching for the price of these little balls of happiness he missed so much. In his case, he didn't have to escape the "clear-tone song" of the sirens, like Ulysses on his Homeric ship, but the sensation must have been quite close to what he was feeling at this moment: a strange mix of temptation and dread. He hated himself for not having thought of bringing earplugs...
He was in a room with ridiculously thin walls, right next to his boyfriends in their cycle, of which he had absolutely no doubt about the current activity. Honestly, their "activity" at the moment wasn't necessarily the problem; Tetsurō wasn't naive or stupid, he knew very well what he had embarked on, or at least that's what he thought... No, it was the frequency that was the problem; the pain mainly came from his cruel lack of sleep. He had the meager chance to find the sweetness of sleep for a short hour before being awakened for the first time. Since then, he had not had a moment's rest. As soon as he started to fall asleep, the two rascals were at it again. He now hoped to get used enough to the "noises" for his brain to detach completely and let him fall asleep.
He sighed, deciding to let go. At least the pillow he had stuffed over his head somewhat muffled the noises... Maybe with a bit of luck, he would end up suffocating with it, which at the moment was not a negative thought at all. He almost jumped when he heard the calm return; never had silence been so gloriously salvatory! He smiled and let himself heavily fall into the arms of Morpheus. He was quickly forcibly ripped from it, but this time, it took him a few seconds to understand what it was: a wet sound and... as if...
A moan reached him, a moan of pain, tears, and suffocation.
"Kenma," he thought. He got up in one leap. He had trouble gaining control of his limbs again, and he clumsily staggered to the door before he could fully regain his balance. He rushed next door; the toilet door was wide open. Kenma was bent over the bowl, shaken by spasms of tears between two bouts of vomiting, his body trembling with pain.
“Kenma!” he exclaimed before approaching.
The blond didn't even react; his skin was sweaty, his feverish eyes were rimmed with tears that had been forcibly ripped from him. Kuroo sat beside him, unable for the moment to do much except hold back his boyfriend's hair and stroke his back to soothe him.
“Fuck, damn it...” he heard him murmur, still shaken by painful spasms.
The blond eventually lifted his head, closed the toilet bowl, and flushed. He let himself slide to the floor, curling up on himself, every muscle seeming to tense with pain. Kuroo approached to stroke his hair. "It hurts," the blond repeated like an infernal litany, squeezing his knees tightly against his chest to try to crush the pain.
“I'll get you a glass of water, I'll be back,” Kuroo said softly.
Kenma nodded, and the brunet ran off, not wanting to leave him alone for too long. He returned a few moments later with a large glass of cold water in hand. He helped Kenma to sit up, having to hold him in his arms so that he wouldn't collapse again. The blond drank in small sips, and Kuroo had to hold the glass for him as his hands were shaking.
“There...” he murmured, “breathe...”
He inhaled and exhaled deeply to guide him, all while gently rocking the blond in his arms. The latter eventually began to follow his breathing and calm down.
"Feeling better?" he asked.
"...No.”
"Okay..."
He continued to rock him slowly. Kenma eventually muttered something to him. He asked him to repeat, and the blond did, pointing a finger at the sink in front of them.
"Your medication?"
His lover nodded.
Kuroo left him to retrieve the small box placed on the edge of the sink. He turned it to see the composition: acetaminophen and opioid. He gasped in surprise at the concentration. The blond reached out for him to give it to him.
"You've taken some already?" the worried brunet asked.
Kenma nodded.
"How long ago was that?"
The blond sighed but didn't answer.
"Was it a while ago?"
Kenma shook his head and showed him one finger.
"An hour?"
He nodded.
Kuroo looked at the composition one last time. The instructions weren't there, but he had enough pharmacology knowledge to know that it was a very bad idea to give him more now. As torn as he was to see him in this state, opioid overdose was not the solution at all.
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait a bit before you can take more..."
Kenma let out a long, frustrated groan. He eventually breathed slowly.
"Okay..."
The blond got up using the wall for support. He staggered to the door.
"Where are you going?" Tetsurō asked in a whisper.
"Trying to sleep..."
He didn't have time to pass through the door before he lost his balance. Kuroo caught him just in time. He began to panic when he realized Kenma was on the brink of passing out.
"Kenma?"
The blond opened his eyes, and after a few seconds, his gaze focused again.
"Damn it..." murmured his boyfriend, frustrated and still in pain.
Kuroo helped him up and back to his room. Kenma didn't seem as distressed anymore, but his limbs were still shaky, his facial features twisted in pain.
"Do you want something? A hot water bottle?"
The blond seemed troubled.
"I don't have a hot water bottle."
Tetsurō frowned involuntarily. No hot water bottle? Sure, he didn't have a uterus, but he had grown up surrounded by people who had one, and he had involuntarily learned that it was an indispensable accessory; it was actually his only way to minimally help his sisters when he noticed they weren't feeling well. He felt a bit helpless.
"Don't worry, Tetsu, I'm used to it, I'll be fine..."
"A hot bath?" the brunet interrupted.
Kenma seemed to find the idea unexpected but very tempting. He shook his head.
"I'm not going to take a bath in the middle of the night!"
"Why not?"
"I don’t want to…"
He was cut off because it undoubtedly sounded like a cry of ecstasy.
"To wake them up?" Kuroo added finally, a little weary.
Well, look at that, he had gotten used to it.
After the initial surprise passed, Kenma chuckled.
"No, you're right."
"Okay, I’ll take care of that then."
Kuroo left the room and headed to the bathroom. It took him a few seconds to find the control panel for the ofuro, which was in a very usual place, above the bathtub. He started the automatic filling, sat down on the floor, and let his head rest on the brown wood surrounding the tub. He sighed... He was so tired... He eventually dozed off. He returned to reality when the small voice from the control panel alerted him that the ofuro was filled. He returned to Kenma's room, gently opening the door not to wake him up if he had fallen asleep. His eyes immediately met Kenma's when he fully opened the door. Kenma opened his arms, and Tetsurō understood the request. He approached, letting Kenma wrap his arms around his neck, and slid an arm around his back and under his legs to lift him. Compared to Kōtarō, Kenma was light as a feather !
He set him down at the entrance to the bathroom.
"Are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah, I think I can manage," Kenma replied.
The moment he said that while attempting to remove his t-shirt, he swayed and nearly fell.
"Never mind,"
Kuroo chuckled. He took off his pajama pants to avoid getting them wet and joined Kenma to help him undress. He had to help him sit on the wooden stool next to the bathtub to wash himself and then helped him step into the tub. He saw Kenma relax the moment his skin touched the warm water.
"Oh that’s good…"
"Good idea, right?" Kuroo asked.
"Hmm..." Kenma closed his eyes and let his head rest against the wall. Kuroo crossed his arms on the edge of the bathtub and rested his head on them. He watched his boyfriend for a few seconds, whose condition had visibly improved. He fell asleep in ten seconds.
He only woke up nearly an hour later when Kenma ran his hand through his hair to wake him up. Kuroo opened one eye.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better. The hot water helped and the meds finally kicked in. I'll try to sleep."
Kuroo nodded. He helped him out and dry off, then let him return to his room. When he found his bed again, the sirens' song had resumed, but there was no need for "sweet wax" anymore; he fell asleep the moment his head found his pillow.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Next chapter : Kuklos II
He turned the ignition. Instinctively searching for the clutch pedal, his foot groped around until it found the first pedal it could— the accelerator. The car suddenly lurched backward. He panicked, his feet searching desperately for the pedals, and his hand grabbed the lever to his left while he tried to shift into first gear. The gearbox let out a mechanical groan of annoyance, and his feet simultaneously hit the accelerator and brake pedals. The vehicle stalled abruptly, and Kuroo’s head jerked toward the windshield before slamming back into the seat.
Once the car had stopped, he let go of the steering wheel. Adrenaline and fear had sent his heart rate into overdrive, and it took him several long seconds to catch his breath.
Okay, bad start... But he wasn’t ready to give up.
Chapter 36: Kuklos II
Summary:
He turned the ignition. Instinctively searching for the clutch pedal, his foot groped around until it found the first pedal it could: the accelerator. The car suddenly lurched backwards. He panicked, his feet searching desperately for the pedals, and his hand grabbed the lever to his left while he tried to shift into first gear. The gearbox let out a groan, and his feet simultaneously hit the accelerator and brake pedals. The vehicle stalled abruptly, and Kuroo’s head jerked toward the windshield before slamming back into the seat.
Once the car had stopped, he let go of the steering wheel. Adrenaline and fear had sent his heart rate into overdrive, and it took him several long seconds to catch his breath.
Okay, bad start... But he wasn’t ready to give up.
TW: trauma flashbacks, life-threatening situation
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
---
Kuroo was awakened the next morning by the first light of dawn. The house was silent, everyone still asleep. He smiled, relishing the few minutes of calm graciously granted to him. Eventually, Kuroo grabbed his phone: 6:32 AM. The date caught his eye. He knew they had said they wouldn't do anything until next week, but he still wanted to try to do something special for the occasion. Unfortunately, he hadn't brought much with him, and he was in the middle of nowhere. He checked his location on his phone: yep, nothing around. It would take him more than an hour to get to the nearest shopping area on foot. He sighed, disheartened... But wait! It was only 20 min by bike!
Damn, if only he had a bike… or even a car…
Wait! He had a car! Well, ok, it wasn't his car, but still, he was sure that Kenma wouldn't mind if he took it for such a short drive. He often lent it to Keiji, so there shouldn't be a problem. Hell, he even let Kōtarō drive it, with his adventurous interpretation of traffic laws, surely, he was good to go!
He could certainly ask, but wouldn't it be cruel of him? Kenma had slept so poorly last night that it would be very ill-advised to wake him up for such trivial matters. And besides, it would ruin the surprise for sure! Kuroo got up and crossed the hallway stealthily. The car keys were still on the coffee table. His plan had absolutely no flaws; everything was perfect. He returned to his room, this time with less caution, and hastily threw on the first clothes he could find and set off to the entrance. As he was about to put on his shoes, a sudden thought struck him: he was trapped in a house with an alpha in rut and two omegas in heat, and he wasn't quite sure if the scent he was carrying with him would be tolerable, or even bearable, for the rest of the world. He grabbed his T-shirt and sniffed it: yep, he could even smell it.
He sighed, feeling briefly discouraged, but quickly shook off the feeling. He wasn’t about to let something that trivial stop him!
With a new resolve, he returned to his room, grabbing his shoes and the car keys. He retrieved his backpack and locked himself in the bathroom. Alright, it was time to stay focused. He had to act methodically. He opened the window and tossed his shoes outside. Me.tho.di.cal.ly.
Almost half an hour had passed when he made his way through the window as well, after making sure that every pore of his skin, every inch of his epidermis, and every hair follicle had been scrubbed clean. There he stood, outside at seven in the morning, his hair still damp, wearing a purple shirt with yellow checks, green jogging pants, and mismatched pastel socks. He sighed. These were Kōtarō’s clothes. He had brought them with him originally to return them, as his boyfriend had the irritating habit of scattering his wardrobe around his apartment. Ironically, these were the only clothes he hadn’t taken out of his bag, and therefore, the only ones that hadn’t been exposed to the... very "charged" air lingering in the house.
But he quickly regained his composure. At that hour, he wasn’t likely to encounter many people anyway. He put on one shoe and had to hop to retrieve the second one, which he’d thrown a bit too far. Once fully shod, he grabbed the keys from the window sill and headed toward the car.
As he sat in the driver’s seat, it took him a moment to figure out how to start it. Kuroo had learned to drive on an old car from the last century, with a gear lever that squeaked every time he changed gears. So, facing Kenma’s state-of-the-art automatic car left him a little disoriented. He stared at the gear lever, unsure how to interpret the letters on it. Since it was automatic, he assumed the car would manage without him having to do anything.
He turned the ignition. Instinctively searching for the clutch pedal, his foot groped around until it found the first pedal it could: the accelerator. The car suddenly lurched backwards. He panicked, his feet searching desperately for the pedals, and his hand grabbed the lever to his left while he tried to shift into first gear. The gearbox let out a groan, and his feet simultaneously hit the accelerator and brake pedals. The vehicle stalled abruptly, and Kuroo’s head jerked toward the windshield before slamming back into the seat.
Once the car had stopped, he let go of the steering wheel. Adrenaline and fear had sent his heart rate into overdrive, and it took him several long seconds to catch his breath.
Okay, bad start... But he wasn’t ready to give up.
His years of dealing with anxiety had at least taught him to react quickly in these situations. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He was okay, and the car was too. He just needed to think a little, and analyze the situation. The last time something like this happened, he had stopped driving for months. But he’d finally decided to take the bull by the horns when he got tired of wasting two extra hours every weekend going from his parent’s house to Sapporo. There was no way he was going to let himself be beaten so easily.
After a meticulous examination of the gear lever, Kuroo finally noticed the “Drive” mode he had stupidly missed earlier. With a timid press of the accelerator, he was met with the miracle of the car moving in the right direction. Satisfied, he quickly stopped again, fastened his seatbelt, activated his GPS, and finally set off.
After two or three impromptu stalls and several unexpected bursts of speed, he had managed to somewhat master his driving. He arrived at his destination twenty minutes later, still in one piece. Unfortunately, the place seemed completely deserted. A glance at his phone revealed that most of the stores wouldn’t open for several more hours. He had become so accustomed to Tokyo’s 24/7 lifestyle that he had forgotten it wasn’t the same everywhere.
He sighed, feeling disheartened, and decided to leave. He couldn’t afford to wait for the stores to open; he wanted to be back by the time his boyfriends woke up. As he drove around the parking lot, a brightly lit sign caught his eye. Hooray! He was saved... by a drugstore ?
Well, it wasn’t exactly cause for celebration. He stared at the place for a long moment, considering his options. Finally, he shrugged and decided to give it a try anyway.
Fifteen minutes later, Kuroo emerged with three overflowing bags and a substantial hole in his bank account, but a wide grin on his face. Who would have thought a simple drugstore could offer so much! Note to self: shop here more often. He stuffed the bags onto the back seats, got back in the front, and started the car without any trouble this time.
He even allowed himself the small indulgence of turning on the radio on the way back. As the current hits played, he sang along, though he hadn't bothered to learn the lyrics. His gaze wandered over the endless horizon; the trees around him had taken on their autumnal reddish hue, and the sun's rays filtered through the canopy, creating a kaleidoscope of color dancing before his eyes. He rolled down the window, letting the fresh air rush in, relishing the sensation of the wind against his skin, his hair tousling in the breeze. He smiled to himself, feeling at peace.
He eventually arrived not far from his starting point, congratulating himself for managing to retrace his steps despite never having bothered to note the exact location of where he'd started. He was getting better at this, darn it! But his joy quickly faded when he found himself face-to-face with a huge black gate, padlocked; clearly something he hadn't encountered earlier.
"Okay, no big deal," he muttered, "just took a wrong turn." He turned around and continued his way.
It was only ten minutes later, after narrowly avoiding three crying fits, that he finally spotted a path he recognized—well, kind of. The vegetation looked familiar. As he passed a green expanse, trying to make out the distant houses, he spotted a small dirt road. There! He made the turn, now convinced he was on the right track. A sigh of relief formed on his lips... until two pick-up trucks suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blocking his path.
He swerved sharply, braking hard, but the car came into contact with an unidentified obstacle and stalled.
Kuroo, at first a little shaken, turned off the engine and hastily got out of the car, feeling his anger spike. He walked confidently towards the two pickup trucks, trying to be threatening.
"Hey, what's the big idea?! You're not..."
He fell silent. Two behemoths had just stepped out of their vehicle. One of them was a head taller than him, and the second one was twice his weight, all muscle.
"Oh... Hello, gentlemen."
In these situations, Tetsurō had learned that it was better to play it safe.
"This is private property here," said the one who seemed to be the elder of the two.
"Oh, uh, yes, I know, but..."
"If you know, then get lost!" the younger one snapped sharply. He began to approach him, assuming a threatening posture.
"No, but I'm here with..."
"Don't give a damn about your excuses, move!" the younger one snapped, becoming increasingly agitated.
"No, but I'm just trying to explain..."
He was cut off by a honking sound. All three of them were startled.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" shouted a voice at them.
Leaning over, Kuroo noticed a young woman stepping out of the car stop behind the two pickups.
"What the hell are you guys doing?"
She was three heads shorter than them and swimming in a black sweatshirt far too big for her, but the other two almost seemed scared to see her approaching.
"Wari, we're just trying to..." the younger one tried to reason with her.
As the two men were being scolded by the young woman, Kuroo couldn’t help but study her more closely. She had short black hair that framed her face, there was something about her, something familiar… As if...
"We're just trying to do our job, Wari," the younger one managed to say, pointing at Kuroo.
He froze as three pairs of eyes turned to him. The young woman looked him up and down, her expression stern.
"What are you doing here?"
"Uh, I... I was... invited."
"Invited?" the brunette repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, invited, I don't know if that's what we call it... Anyway, uh... I'm with Keiji... Akaashi Keiji."
The explanation deeply disturbed the small gathering. The young woman looked at him once more before her face lit up with a broad smile.
"Oh! You're Tetsurō?"
"Uh... yes..."
"Oh, fantastic!" she stepped forward and took his hands in hers.
"Pleased to meet you, I'm Himawari, Akaashi Himawari, Keiji's big sister."
Tetsurō froze. That's why she looked familiar!
"Wari, do you know him?"
"Yes, yes! Well, no! But he's Keiji's boyfriend."
The young wild dog frowned.
"Your brother is paired with a beta?" he declared, sounding a little disgusted by the idea.
"Uh, we're not..."
"You got a problem with that, Ken-Ken?"
The one called Ken-Ken suddenly lost his bravado.
"No."
"Alright, perfect." Himawari turned her gaze back to him. "Ah, it's great to meet you!"
Kuroo tried to smile.
Yes, great to run into his "sister-in-law" at eight in the morning, with his hair all disheveled and in a more than dubious outfit, caught red-handed trespassing.
"Kenma told me you'd be here."
"Uh, yeah... I just went out shopping, I didn't mean to bother you"
"Well, don't worry about it, these two are just a pain in the you know what” She turned to the two other men “Come on, get out of here, move along, there's nothing to see here!"
"Wari, don’t talk to us like that, we’re just trying to do our job!"
The elder of the two behemoths placed a hand on his younger counterpart's shoulder. The latter instantly fell silent. The elder waved goodbye before turning to get back into his pick-up truck. The aforementioned "Ken-Ken" grunted one last time before returning to his car as well. Soon, Tetsurō and Himawari found themselves alone.
"Ah, I swear... Don't blame them, they're doing the best they can, but yeah, they can be a bit much."
Kuroo nodded, his eyes wandering into the distance, not daring to meet the young woman's gaze.
"Uh, thank you for your help, Akaashi-san."
The addressed one let out a nasal laugh:
"Save your manners for someone else, call me Himawari."
"Okay, Himawari-san..."
"Himawari."
Kuroo simply nodded.
"You seem like a good kid, you should come over to the house sometimes! I'm sure my parents would be love to meet you too!"
Kuroo felt his blood drain down to his socks. He thought Keiji's parents weren't home?! Had they finally returned?
"Uh, yes, but, I mean, I wanted to get back before they woke up and..."
"No, but relax, I'm not saying right now!" Himawari intervened.
"Oh, okay."
"By the way, Keiji told me what you decided to do, it's really nice," she said, smiling at him. "You're a good guy."
Had he made a good impression without even trying?
"Thank you..."
Kuroo wasn't quite sure where to put himself.
"But seriously, it's surprising that you managed to sneak out incognito, and I don't mean to offend you, but dude, what's with this outfit? Did you steal Kōtarō's clothes or something?"
"Uh... Yeah."
Not expecting this response at all, he saw the young woman's eyes widen before she burst out laughing.
"Ah! I thought so! Well, come on, I'll let you go now, see you later!"
Kuroo nodded and waved goodbye. He went back to the car. Himawari watched him, seemingly undecided whether to return to her own vehicle. The brunet waved one last time before starting the engine again. The car roared to life before stalling. Great! He tried the operation again, but with the same result. Himawari approached, and Kuroo rolled down the window :
"Um, I think I'm stuck."
Himawari burst out laughing:
"Okay, wait, let me see."
She went around the car, Kuroo saw her inspecting the wheels carefully before she returned to him:
"It's nothing, you're just in a little hole, if you accelerate enough, you can get out of it, no sweat!"
Tetsurō nodded. He tried to start again, but the car gave up on him almost immediately. He heard the young woman laugh again. She came back to him and opened the door:
"Alright, get out, I'll get you out of there!"
Kuroo nodded and got out of the car. Himawari took the driver's seat.
"Ah, automatic... Is this your car?"
"No... Kenma's."
"I thought so, well, here we go."
Hardly had she finished speaking when she gripped the steering wheel with both hands. The engine roared to life, and with a sudden surge of acceleration, she had the car out of the hole in no time. She made a sharp turn and then reversed abruptly, the car scraping against a branch. Himawari, oblivious, continued to move forward. Through Kuroo’s stunned gaze, he saw the branch scratch along the entire side of the car.
"Kenma's going to kill me," Tetsurō murmured to himself.
Himawari got out of the car.
"Oh shit... Well, no, it's nothing," she said, circling the car.
She came back to him and tossed him the keys.
"Well, it's nothing, if Kenma says anything, tell him he can swing by the garage anytime for a quick touch-up."
Kuroo nodded, his gaze still fixed on the scratch on the car.
"Uh-huh, okay," he replied in a strained voice.
"Alright, I'm off, nice to meet you Tetsurō. Say hi to the guys for me!"
Kuroo nodded. Himawari returned to her car, she waved goodbye one last time before speeding off. Kuroo stood there in the middle of the road. It took him a few seconds to properly process everything that had just happened. Finally, he got back into the car. He looked around:
"Damn... I should've asked her which way to go..."
Finally, after some detours in the middle of nowhere, Kuroo eventually found his way back home. As he walked around the car once it was parked, he noticed that the scratches weren't as visible as he had feared... Perhaps he could hide them long enough for Kenma to think they came from someone else, like a mischievous tanuki hungry for blood and destruction attacking the vehicle in the middle of the night!
He imagined all sorts of elaborate and more or less extravagant scenarios, leaning on the kitchen counter. The water started boiling before he could come up with a conclusive story. He had to face the truth: whatever he said, he was going to get caught anyway... Once all the necessary preparations were done, he grabbed his grocery bags, took his tray, and headed towards Kenma's room. He hesitated to knock; maybe the blond wasn't awake yet? Eventually, the sound of his Nintendo reached him: of course, what else could he be doing? He felt quite helpless when he realized he couldn't knock, perhaps he could try banging his head against the door? He looked at the whistle he was wearing around his neck... with no way to retrieve it. So, he resigned himself to banging his head against the door.
"Come in," Kenma invited him.
Another challenge: opening the handle without using his hands. He managed to do it with a combination of elbow and shoulder, entering with as much grace as a bulldozer.
"Hey..." he murmured once inside. Kenma stretched his arms and yawned. Tetsurō took it as an invitation and approached. He smiled when he saw his lover's face, still heavy with sleep. The blond stretched his arms out again, and he put the tray at the foot of the bed so he could lean over and kiss him. Kenma wrapped his arms around him.
"Hey," the blond finally replied.
"Happy birthday," he whispered tenderly.
"Hmm, thanks, I feel like I'm going to have a great day," the blond replied sarcastically.
It was true that these weren't the best circumstances for celebration, but Kuroo still wanted to make this day special.
"Feeling better?"
"Meh..."
"Hmm..."
Kuroo kissed his temple.
"I brought you some tea, and this," he announced proudly, pulling out of the bag an owl plushie.
Kenma grabbed it before the brunet could finish his sentence:
"It's warm!"
"It's a hot water bottle."
He saw stars light up in his boyfriend's eyes. He seized it without further ado and placed the owl under the covers to put it on his stomach. He sighed in relief as he felt the warmth already taking effect.
"Oh, damn..."
Kuroo smiled.
"And since I didn't want it to be alone, I found it some friends."
Tetsurō pulled out three more plush toys from the bag, including a cat, another owl, and a charming octopus, which he gently placed all around Kenma. The blond chuckled as he watched him.
"And that's not all!"
He grabbed the last two bags and took out three fluffy pillows and two velvety blankets.
Kenma chuckled but accepted the gifts enthusiastically.
"Did you raid the 'nesting materials' aisle or something?"
"Uh, yeah... But I've never seen an aisle like that before! In a drugstore, no less! I'll definitely go there more often now!"
"To stock up on nesting materials?"
"Wait, did you feel that? It's super soft, I want one just like it!"
Kenma chuckled but still touched it.
"I have to admit, it's really soft."
"Ah! See?"
The blond smiled at him. Eventually, he grabbed him by the collar of his shirt to pull him into a kiss. Kuroo went along with it without any resistance.
"Thank you," the blond whispered when they finally parted.
He shifted and tapped the space beside him to invite Tetsurō to join him. The brunet complied, snuggling against his lover who covered him with a corner of the blanket.
"Um, sorry, I used your car to go there..."
"Okay, no problem, thanks. Did you have any trouble?"
"Well... When I was leaving, I struggled a bit to figure out how to drive it, but it was fine... It was when I was coming back that things didn't go as planned..."
"Go on..."
"Well, you see, as I was about to come back, I got blocked by two huge cars and two big guys who weren't happy to see me."
"Oh... Yeah, they're patrolling the area."
"Yeah, well, it kind of, uh, surprised me. But then someone arrived and helped me get out of that mess."
"Someone?"
"Yeah, Keiji's sister."
"Oh, okay... Which one?"
"Himawari."
"Hmm... and then?"
"Well, it was a bit of a strange encounter, but she's nice."
"Okay, but I meant with the car."
"Oh... well, um, while trying to avoid the pickups, I ended up in a hole... I couldn't get out, so Himawari-san helped me... get out. She did but…"
"But?"
"A branch slightly scraped the side of the car..."
Kenma sighed and let his face fall into his hands.
"Um, she said you could go to the garage for paint if needed..."
Kenma sighed.
"You should never leave a car with Wari..."
"Oh..."
"She has a knack for messing them up... And by the way, the garage she mentioned isn't hers but one of her partners', whom she met because she kept getting her parents' cars repaired, which she used for illegal street races..."
"Wow... that's kind of cool, though..."
"Yeah, well, not when it comes to my car..."
"Sorry..."
"It's fine... I guess it'll go with the dent Kōtarō made at the back when he hit the pole at the supermarket..."
"Oh, so that's where it's from! I thought it was me when I accidentally reversed..."
"What?!"
"Never mind, it's fine now, nothing serious. Here, do you want some tea?" Tetsurō hastily asked, thrusting the steaming cup into his boyfriend's hands.
"Mmm, yeah... let's say that..."
Kuroo chuckled.
"Happy birthday again."
Kenma rolled his eyes but said nothing more, simply taking a sip of tea. The beverage seemed to soothe him so much that he forgot everything else.
So Kuroo had managed to get out of trouble with minimal damage, a bit of tea, a hot water bottle, and some blankets: and voilà, problem solved!
-//-
Kuroo allowed himself barely half an hour of rest before getting back to work. Kenma had fallen asleep again, clutching the crowd of small animals that the brunet had brought him. He had taken the time to snap a photo of the adorable scene before leaving. Armed with his trusty nutritionist notebook, he busied himself preparing Keiji's breakfast. "Breakfast" was a bit of a euphemism; he was sure he could feed an entire synchronized swimming team with all the food he had to prepare. It was around 10 a.m. when he finally made it to the room armed with his super tray and a plethora of victuals. He hadn't been caught off guard this time and had brought his whistle. He whistled once as he arrived at the door. A deeper whistle responded, signaling that he could enter. He managed to get in without too much trouble this time, using his elbow and shoulder. He first caught Keiji's gaze waiting for him to enter, and then he was hit by the heavy, camphor-scented air in the room. Why was he so surprised?
He coughed.
"Wow, we need some fresh air in here, guys!"
He set down his tray and went to open the window. Turning back, he found Keiji, who had left the bower, standing naked in the middle of the room, eyeing the tray like a hungry owl.
"Go ahead, it's for you," he said.
He didn't need to repeat himself; Keiji didn't waste a second before sitting down to eat. Tetsurō couldn't help but let out an amused smile.
"Oh, wait,"
Keiji seemed annoyed to have to interrupt his meal.
"That's for Kōtarō," Kuroo said, pointing to a large steaming bowl. "And this," he added, handing him a handful of green pills.
Keiji frowned. "What's this?"
"His supplements. Can you give them to him?"
The brunet nodded, took the pills and the bowl, and disappeared into the bower. Kuroo heard Kōtarō wake up, letting out a disgruntled groan, then Keiji reappeared, returning to his meal without delay.
"Well, I'll leave you to it, then."
As he headed for the door, Keiji grabbed his leg to stop him from leaving.
"Stay," he signed.
"Uh... okay, if you want." He sat back down opposite his boyfriend. Keiji began to purr but didn't take his eyes off the food in front of him. The sound attracted Kōtarō, who stuck his head out of the bower. He let out a chirp when he noticed Tetsurō.
"Hey," said Tetsurō.
Kōtarō began purring loudly, continuing to sip his soup in small sips. Kuroo stayed with them, simply waiting. It's not like he could really chat with them anyway. But their presence was comforting. Tetsurō finally noticed that Keiji was looking at his empty bowls with dismay.
"Are you still hungry?" he asked.
His lover nodded, giving him a pleading look.
Kuroo chuckled.
"Okay, okay, I think I still have some rice, I’ll make you another bowl"
He turned to Kōtarō' : "Do you want to take a bath? A nice hot one?"
The addressed one nodded, visibly delighted. "Okay, great, I'll be back then."
Kuroo stepped out, went to the bathroom to start warming up the water, and then headed back to the kitchen to make the rice bowl. When he returned to the bedroom, Kōtarō had come out of the bower. He was sitting next to his mate. He smiled as he saw him come back and stretched out his arms. Kuroo first thought he was asking for a hug, which he complied with without resistance. However, it didn't seem to completely please his boyfriend.
"What?"
" Can’t. "
"Can't what?"
" Walk ."
Kuroo frowned and turned his head to Keiji, who blushed.
" Not my fault ," he signed, still avoiding eye contact.
"Hmm... Alright, come here."
And there he was, off to another performance of the Cirque du Soleil!
"Keiji, in the meantime, can you take out the uh... used sheets? I'll wash them, there are clean ones prepared."
Keiji nodded, and Kuroo left the room carrying Kōtarō. Fortunately for him, the bathroom wasn't far away, and at least he didn't have to struggle with a rebellious T-shirt since Kōtarō was already naked.
He sat him on the stool and quickly realized that the latter wouldn't do anything more than watch the flies go by. So, he set about soaping him up and rinsing him off, which allowed him to do his laundry and personal hygiene at the same time, thanks to his boyfriend who found it very amusing to tap the showerhead to splash water back on him. Finally, he helped him into the ofuro. He sighed, thinking he was finally out of trouble. Far from it, now he had to play the water mill for the sake of Kōtarō's whimsical desires. Kuroo rested his head on the edge of the bathtub, continuing to splash in the water. He eventually turned his head, catching Bokuto's smile. After a moment, he saw his boyfriend's eyes widen before turning towards his lower abdomen. Kuroo followed his gaze: oh, look at that, they had a guest!
"Already!" he exclaimed involuntarily as he sat up.
Kōtarō shrugged. He flashed a mischievous smile before grabbing his hand and plunging it under the water. Kuroo immediately broke free of his grip.
"Hey, Babe!"
The latter seemed surprised by his reaction.
"Don't look at me like that, never heard of consent or what?!"
Kōtarō gave him a puppy-dog look.
"Don't look at me like that, you have hands, don't you? And not in the bath, dude, it's going to mess up the water and..."
He fell silent. Now Kōtarō was looking at him like a poor abandoned kitten. He still nodded, looking sorry, and averted his eyes. Kuroo sighed.
His boyfriend found his gaze again, offering him the same lewd smile as before and started to purr.
Kuroo returned a bored look.
"Do you think that's how you'll get what you want?"
Kōtarō's smile widened, and he nodded.
Kuroo chuckled and rolled his eyes.
"You’re impossible, you know that?"
He still plunged his hand under the water.
All these practices weren't very eco-friendly, nor very economical considering the price per square meter of water. But what can you do, when you love someone, you don't count, right?
-//-
After bringing Kōtarō back to the bower and erasing all traces of the incident, it was Keiji's turn to clean up. This time, no need for him, the brunet went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him before Tetsurō could enter. Returning to the bedroom, he found the sheets thrown in a ball in a corner of the room. He sighed before picking them up and went to start the washing machine. This time, no accidents or excessive use of fabric softener, he had tamed the washing machine now! Finally, he went back to his new hideout: the kitchen. He reheated Kenma's lunch before bringing it to him. The latter was visibly better but still seemed exhausted. At his request, he stayed by his side.
They spent a long time together, nestled against each other, watching cartoons on Kenma's computer. After a while, Tetsurō felt the blond's body become heavier, his skin warmer, his breathing irregular. Finally, Kenma pressed the space bar on his computer before closing it. Intrigued, Tetsurō turned to him: his gaze had become distant and feverish.
"Are you okay?"
The blond nodded slowly, still trying to steady his breathing. He opened his mouth, then finally gave up.
He signed : " It's starting."
"Oh... um..." He hesitated. "Do you want me to stay with you?"
The blond seemed to consider it. Finally, he shook his head negatively.
"Okay... Um... I'll leave you then."
He kissed him on the cheek and got out of the bed. He retrieved the whistle and brought it closer so that Kenma could reach it.
"Call me if you need anything, okay?"
"Okay."
Kuroo nodded slowly, standing in front of the bed for several seconds. Finally, he made his way to the exit.
"Love you," he murmured before closing the door. He found himself alone in the hallway. He phased out for several seconds. He finally came back to himself upon hearing the beep of the washing machine. It was time to go back to work.
-//-
Though it was an exceptional situation for Kuroo, he had managed to invent a little routine for himself, and he quickly got used to it. He had even managed to sleep rather well the previous night, which was saying something! Well, Kōtarō had pulled the bathtub trick on him again that very morning, closely followed by Keiji who also found it to be a fun activity. Kenma was relatively "well-behaved" as he simply fell asleep in the bathtub. Keiji still consumed the equivalent of a banquet served at a charity gala, but nothing surprising there. Cooking and doing the dishes constituted the main activities of his day, along with laundry... Nothing particularly exciting, but he had gotten used to it. In the meantime, he had given up on trying to catch up on his classes and ended up watching Netflix instead.
The sun was already beginning to set, and Kuroo was preparing his special dinner for an Olympic judo team. His phone vibrated while he was chopping carrots, so he didn't bother to answer, partly because his hands were busy, but also because he wasn't sure if his background noise was suitable for all audiences. He only decided to check his phone once the carrots were thrown into the water: Oikawa had tried to call him. He frowned and opened his messages to ask him what he wanted. Before he could write anything, his friend had already sent him a text:
"Answer, you big shit!"
Lovely.
"I had my hands full."
"Gross!"
"... I was chopping carrots."
"Sure, I'll believe that."
"You stink."
"No, you stink."
"Besides, you know where I am, I'm not going to answer!"
"I don't care, get your fat ass outside, answer!"
His phone rang again. Tetsurō sighed, lowered the heat under the pot, and headed for the front door. He only answered once he was outside.
"So, what's up?"
" Well hello to you too, politeness isn't exactly your strong suit, you big shit," came the reply.
The brunet just chuckled.
"Good day to you, Your Highness, to what do I owe this honor?"
"First of all, fuck you. Second of all, I just wanted to tell you that I took Nobishi's class for you, but I'm missing the final diagram, I'll ask Chris to send it to you... And for your physics classes or whatever, I saw that it had been posted on the group chat..."
Tetsurō furrowed his brows.
"Thanks, Oikawa, but you already told me that by email. You called me for that?"
"Yes."
"Hmm hmm?"
He heard him sigh.
"Ugh, I just wanted to know if you were okay."
"Ow, how cute!"
"Shut up."
"I stand by what I just said."
"Well... and since you weren't at CATO, I have to tell you what happened last time, well first off, Kōshi was pissing me off, and..."
They talked for hours. Kuroo had eventually returned to finish his preparations, but his friend had insisted on staying on the line. He would leave the phone from time to time to complete his tasks, but every time he returned, Oikawa was still online, starting to chatter the moment he picked up his phone again. They ended up talking late into the night.
"Well, I'm going to let you go, Hajime just got home."
"Ah, okay, so you're abandoning me."
"Yes, because I don't like you."
"That’s great, ‘cause I don't like you either. Anyway, I'm almost out of battery."
"Okay, so good night, you stinky rat."
"Good night."
Oikawa hung up. Tetsurō put his phone down. He smiled to himself. Damn, he loved his diva...
-//-
He opened his eyes, suffocating. Only darkness greeted him. Darkness and this heaviness, this scent invading all around, sweet and overpowering. It completely engulfed him, he felt his body obeying, submitting without being able to resist. The oxygen rushing into his lungs burned, corroded him entirely, and paralyzed him. His already heavy head became even more painful. He recognized this smell, it alerted every fiber of his being. He knew that something was there, and that it was there for him, that he was in danger. Mom told him he was in danger, that he shouldn't be found. He had to move, to escape, to survive, but his limbs refused to obey him. They refused to obey him while panic screamed at him to flee as quickly as possible. He wanted to scream, to call for help, but his voice was nothing but a raspy breath. It's everywhere, it's getting closer. He must move now, now, now! His heart constricted under the weight of fear. He must flee now, or it will come for him! Mom said he shouldn't be found, that it would take him, attack him. He felt like he was dying but his limbs still refused to obey him, they were like paralyzed, burned raw!
Adrenaline and despair eventually became powerful enough within him that he could finally sit up. He fell out of bed and the fall reverberated throughout his body, but fear completely numbed him. Move, move! The alarm bell screamed in his head. He crawled, forcing his arms to drag the weight of the rest of his body that still refused to obey him. His nails dug into the wood, scraped, he forced them even if it meant tearing them off. Finally, he stumbled against the steps. As he lifted his head, he saw the light filtering through the door. He's saved! He's saved! Mom will come to get him! The hope of deliverance guided him, and he managed to climb to the top of the stairs, the door is right there! Despair enables him to stand up, he presses all his weight against the door and lowers the handle. It remains closed. He collapses again, having already given everything he had to try to open it. No, no, no! It has to open! He has to leave now! The smell reaches him again, crushing his lungs in his chest. He wants to scream! To alert! He begs Mom to come get him! He pounds on the door desperately over and over again!
He feels hope overwhelm him when he hears footsteps in the corridor behind the door: he is saved! He hits harder, desperate. Mom is there, so close, right there, she will save him! He tries to call her, but only a raspy whimper escapes him.
"Baby," his mother's voice murmurs to him. He knocks again. She will open to him, he will make it! "Baby, I can't open the door for you, you know that..."
He stops. "You can't come out, baby, you have to stay there."
No! No! He wants to scream to warn her, but too little air is entering his lungs.
"You have to stay there, you know? Otherwise, they'll find you." They've already found him. "They'll find you otherwise, and you don't want them to find you, baby, do you?"
No, no, no!
"You know what will happen if they find you, I just want to protect you, stay there."
Panic tears shake him, he feels like he's suffocating, the danger is very close!
"You don't want them to find you, do you? Because if they find you, they'll take you, you know. You don't want that? If they find you, they'll take you. You don't want to have babies, if they find you, they'll do that to you, you don't want babies. So, stay there then."
No, no, no! He hears his mother get up, and despite his desperate attempts at calls, her steps move further and further away. He's alone, she left him alone. He no longer has the strength to knock, to defend himself, to fight. They're very close, he feels it, he feels it, he feels it! They're here for him!
Kenma opened his eyes. The sweet and overpowering scent was all around.
-//-
The oceanic horizon stretched out to infinity, the water caressing the prow of the boat with its gentle ripples. Tetsurō scanned the blue expanse through his spyglass, the sea air sweeping through his long hair.
"Captain? Still nothing in sight?"
He turned.
"Still nothing, my friend," replied the sailor with a toucan head.
"Good thing the sirens are behind us,” said the cat, rubbing against his leg.
Suddenly, a thunderous sound echoed, tearing through the angry waves. The sky darkened, torn by a fiery red lightning flashing so loudly that his heart skipped a beat. He felt his whole body weigh down. The wheel spun wildly, no longer responding to his control. The boat keeled over more and more, the sky now completely black, and the thunder of the storm echoed in his chest.
"It's time to come back," he heard whispered behind him.
He turned. From the raging ocean emerged two enormous tentacles that crashed onto the aft deck. The wood gave way with a terrible crack, and the stern of the boat sank beneath the water. The storm thundered louder, and he had to cling to the helm to keep from being thrown overboard. The monster surfaced, its immense yellow eyes piercing him with their deadly intensity.
"Come back," the voice murmured again.
"Kenma..." murmured Kuroo, scanning around him. No one was there anymore.
The beast brandished a third tentacle, then a fourth, which came to encircle the rest of the boat. A shrill sound resonated, mingling with the thunder of the storm, echoing terribly all around. The boat suddenly capsized, and he found himself swallowed by the waters.
Kuroo woke up, his breath short and his heart pounding. It was just a dream, but he still felt like he was on that boat dragged into the ocean depths, still felt like the pounding of the storm was echoing all around him. It took him several seconds to fully regain consciousness, his limbs refusing to release from the grip of sleep. The pounding still echoed, and he realized that it was no longer just a product of his mind. Still shaken, he got up hastily and went to the bedroom’s entrance. He flung open the door and stepped into the corridor, the pounding having grown even louder. His eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, and he finally understood where the noise was coming from: Keiji was in front of Kenma's room, pounding violently on the door. Kuroo rushed towards him.
"Hey, hey, Keiji, what are you doing?"
Keiji turned his eyes towards him, they were filled with fear, with paroxysmal anguish. The pounding resumed.
"What's going on, Keiji?" he asked, now truly worried.
He didn't listen, continuing to pound on the door. Kuroo finally grabbed his arm to make him stop.
"Keiji, calm down. What's going on?" he murmured calmly to soothe him.
The brunet was short of breath. His gaze was lost.
"Not okay," he finally signed.
"What's not okay?"
"Kenma. I can feel it."
He tapped on his chest to emphasize his words.
"Kenma?"
He nodded, his eyes filling with tears of panic.
"He locked... He doesn't want me to help. But I can feel..."
He resumed pounding. He tried to call out to him, but his voice died in his throat, only a muffled and shrill whimper escaping him.
His panic had now spread to Tetsurō. Keiji finally stopped and slid down against the door, shaken with tears of distress. Kuroo crouched in front of him and took his face in his hands.
"I'll go check on him, okay? Don't worry."
Keiji nodded vaguely and let go of his boyfriend's grip to let his head fall back against the door. Kuroo let out a breath, he didn't have time to panic, he had to figure out how to make sure Kenma was okay. He finally left Keiji to head towards the front door. He stepped out into the night, the cold seizing him instantly. He didn't pay attention and went to join the window of Kenma's room. He had aired it out earlier in the day and didn't remember locking it again. And indeed, he managed to open it by pushing on it.
"Kenma?"
No response came to him.
He climbed onto the windowsill and finally managed to slip inside. He was struck by the heavy smell lingering in the room, he felt his heart tighten painfully. Something was really wrong... He gasped in surprise as he turned his eyes, finding that the bed had been overturned on its side.
"Kenma?" he whispered.
He fell silent and finally managed to hear the blond's breathing.
"It's me, don't worry," he said calmly, following the sound of his breathing. He circled the bed. He felt his chest crush when he finally found him.
Kenma had taken refuge all the way in the back, hiding between the wall and the bed, he had piled all the blankets around him to protect himself. He was shaking, his body wracked with anxiety.
"Shit," Kuroo muttered to himself.
The blond looked up, and despite the darkness, Tetsurō could sense his panic. Kenma, upon seeing him, let out a whimper and tried to back away, although he was already cornered against the wall. Tetsurō didn't tried to approach. He crouched down and spoke in a soft, calm voice:
"I'm here, it's just me."
The blond seemed to calm down, no longer attempting to flee. His gaze met Tetsurō's, and Tetsurō felt his heart pierced. Kenma seemed disconnected from reality, like a frightened wild creature. He saw him clutch the blankets he had piled on the floor around him, pulling his knees to his chest.
"Kenma, look at me..."
The blond focused his gaze on him again.
"Breathe, like me, breathe."
He took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.
Kenma didn't listen, just turned his gaze to the door, looking scared. He tried to sink further into the wall.
" There, there," Kenma signed.
Kuroo turned his eyes to the door.
"Keiji?"
" Alpha," the blond signed.
Kuroo frowned.
"Yes, Keiji..."
Kuroo signed Keiji's name, followed by "alpha." Kenma didn't seem to pay attention.
"Alpha," the blond repeated.
He saw that his eyes were filling up with tears of sheer panic.
Tetsurō's eyes widened when he finally understood: he was afraid of Keiji.
" Alpha, Keiji, mate," Kuroo signed several times, repeating it aloud as well.
This did nothing to improve the situation. For him, it wasn't Keiji anymore, his mate had become a threat.
"Make it leave."
"He just wants to know if you're okay, Kenma, he doesn't want to hurt you."
Kenma shook his head.
"Kind alpha," Kuroo tried, unsuccessfully.
"Leave," the blond repeated over and over.
Kuroo tried to reassure him again, but nothing worked. Kenma burst into tears again, distress contorting his features.
"Don't want..." he signed repeatedly.
"You don't want him here?" Kuroo murmured as calmly as possible.
"Leave... I don't want..."
He felt the blond lose even more touch with reality as he descended into panic.
"No baby, I don't want a baby, no baby..."
Kuroo was left breathless, understanding even more where his anxieties came from, and that it had touched something deeply buried, a visceral fear. Nothing he could say would calm him down as long as "the alpha" was there. Kuroo bit his lip: he didn't want to leave him alone... And given Keiji's condition, he wouldn't want to leave him alone either.
"Okay, I'll make him leave, alright."
He saw Kenma panic when he saw him getting up.
"I'll be back, I'll make him leave, okay? I'll be back, Kenma."
The blond nodded, and Kuroo reluctantly left him. He went back through the window.
"Shit, shit, shit," he repeated over and over.
He went back inside and returned to the hallway.
Keiji seemed to have calmed down, he was just sitting in front of the door.
Kuroo approached slowly.
"Keiji..."
He didn't know how to tell him... He didn't know what to do to make him leave without hurting him.
"Keiji, are you okay? We'll leave, okay, we'll go see Kōtarō, I'll stay with Kenma and..."
He fell silent. Keiji wasn't listening.
Tetsurō crouched down next to him: his eyes were empty, completely out of light. His breathing was slow, much too slow.
"Keiji?"
"I think he went into torpor, or he almost did..."
Kuroo shuddered as he touched his skin: it was icy cold.
"Keiji..."
"It's when all organ function slows down, like a deep hibernation.”
Kuroo clasped his lover's wrist. The beats of his heart were nothing but a faint murmur.
"Alphas can die from it..."
His face was so pale now.
Tetsurō felt his heart ache painfully.
“It can be fatal, it could have killed him! I could have killed him, Tetsu!"
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Oups…
Next chapter: Kuklos III
“No… Keiji.”He held him, trying to bring him back and warm him.
The brunet didn’t react.
“Keiji… come back…”
He had to find a solution; he had to do something!
But what should he do exactly?
Chapter 37: Kuklos III
Summary:
“No… Keiji.”
He held him, trying to bring him back and warm him.
The brunet didn’t react.
“Keiji… come back…”
He had to find a solution; he had to do something!
But what should he do exactly?
TW: panic attack, mention of physical and psychological abuse/sequestration, life-threatening situation
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
---
"I think he went into torpor, or he almost did..."
Kuroo shuddered as he touched his skin: it was icy cold.
"Keiji..."
"It's when all organ function slows down, like a deep hibernation.”
Kuroo clasped his lover's wrist. The beats of his heart were nothing but a faint murmur.
"Alphas can die from it..."
His face was so pale now.
Tetsurō felt his heart ache painfully.
“It can be fatal, it could have killed him! I could have killed him, Tetsu!"
He felt his eyes fill with tears.
“No… Keiji.”
He held him, trying to bring him back and warm him.
The brunet didn’t react.
“Keiji… come back…”
He had to find a solution; he had to do something!
But what should he do exactly?
He stood up.
“Shit, shit, shit,” he murmured to himself.
He forced himself to breathe deeply so that his heart rate wouldn’t spike and he could stay at least somewhat lucid, but the effort only worsened his state. He had to warm him up; if his body temperature dropped any further, he would fall into a coma. He rushed into his bedroom and grabbed his blanket before returning to the hallway. He crouched in front of Keiji and wrapped him in the blanket. The brunet still didn’t react, his gaze lost in the void.
If he couldn’t move Keiji, Kenma wouldn’t calm down, and if Kenma didn’t, Keiji probably wouldn’t come out of his torpor.
“Think, think, think, damn it!”
His own consciousness was starting to collapse, only panic and anxiety swirling in his head.
“Come on, Tetsu, do something!”
He stood up, headed towards the bathroom, and then turned back. He stopped in the living room, turning in circles, unable to make a rational decision.
“Think, damn it, think…”
His mind screamed all the tragic outcomes that could happen without offering any solution; the compression of his chest made him suffocate, and his heart beat so rapidly that he wanted to tear it out to silence it. He spun around, still searching for a solution. Before he could take another step, he collapsed, crushed by the weight of terror.
He crouched on the floor. Instinctively, he buried his head in his knees and wrapped his arms around his head, and began to rock back and forth, consumed by panic.
“Breathe, Tetsu, breathe,” he murmured to himself. “It’s going to be okay, it’s going to be okay, we’ll find a solution… we’ll find…”
He let out a distressed whimper but continued to control his breathing, repeating these words over and over.
“Okay, okay… get up, we’ll find a solution, we’ll find…”
His phone! He had to get help, he had to do something!
He managed to get up quickly, rushed into his bedroom, and dove to the floor to retrieve his phone. He finally found it and tried to unlock it: the screen remained black: out of battery.
“Shit, shit, shit!”
He threw his phone and ran out of the room, heading back to the living room.
“Okay, okay, it’s going to be fine,” he kept repeating.
He knew that Kōtarō and Keiji had left their phones here, but where? The entryway table! He rushed to it and yanked open the top drawer; both phones were there. With trembling hands, he grabbed the first one: dead. The second one was still on, Keiji's. He unlocked the phone, still not knowing who he should call.
Without thinking, he opened the call log and found the last number dialled. Tetsurō, still shaken with panic, pressed the call button without a second thought. He sighed in relief when he heard the other person answer.
“ ‘Kaashi, why the fuck are you calling me in the middle of the night? Are you drunk or something ?! I swear if you…”
“Konoha-san…”
His voice was trembling.
Silence.
“Kuroo?”
Silence.
“What’s going on?”
Konoha's tone had dropped, mirroring his concern.
“I’m sorry for calling in the middle of the night, I… I don’t know why -” he let out a muffled sob - “I saw the number and I… sorry.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay Kuroo, what’s going on?”
He tried to reply but his voice caught in his throat.
“Is something wrong with Akaashi?”
Kuroo answered with a muffled sound, nodding frantically.
“Can you tell me what’s happening?”
The gentleness and calmness of his voice reassured him as much as it overwhelmed him. He burst into tears and curled up, starting to rock again, keeping the phone pressed firmly to his ear.
“He…” the voice died in his throat.
He took a deep breath and continued:
“I think he… he went into torpor.”
He heard Konoha gasp in surprise. The blond took a breath and replied.
“Okay Kuroo, we’ll find a solution, don’t worry. Do you know what triggered it?”
“Yes…”
“Can you tell me?”
“Kenma…”
“Kozume?”
“Yes… he… he’s not himself… He’s panicking and… He… he’s afraid of… of Keiji and… he’s not himself, he doesn’t recognize him…”
“Where is he now?”
“In his room… He’s trying to hide… but Keiji is in front of the door, he won’t move…”
He heard the blond take a deep breath.
“Okay, Kuroo… We’ll find a solution. Do you know if Kozume has started nesting yet?”
“Yes, I think… I don’t know…”
He heard him sigh, but he quickly regained composure.
“Okay, we’ll figure it out. First, we need to prevent Akaashi's body temperature from dropping too much.”
“I put a blanket on him…”
“Okay, that’s good, but let's try to do more, okay?”
“Okay…”
“Okay… um… there must be a first aid kit somewhere, or a bag prepared in case of an earthquake, there should be a survival blanket inside. Can you get that? I'll stay on the line.”
“Okay…”
Kuroo got up, trying to locate the item in question. He went to check in the kitchen; he remembered stumbling upon a survival kit when he had inspected all the cupboards earlier in the week. He found it, rummaged inside, and finally came across a survival blanket.
“I found it…”
“Okay, great, go put it on Akaashi now.”
Tetsurō nodded and complied. Keiji still didn't react.
“It’s done… But he still doesn’t react.”
“It will take some time for him to come around, but it will be okay… Now let's try to calm down Kozume.”
“Okay…”
“It must be Akaashi's pheromones that put him in this state… Bokuto?”
“He’s still asleep, I think…”
“Okay… Let’s try not to wake him up for now, it's better this way. Okay… um.”
Tetsurō heard him sigh. He finally continued in a composed voice:
“Kuroo, if you have clothes you can give him, that you’ve worn recently, go give them to him; having a familiar scent in his nest could help.”
“Okay… I have to go outside, the door is locked,” he said.
“Okay, go ahead.”
Without hanging up, Kuroo went back to his room and grabbed as many clothes as possible; he rushed back, losing half of them on the way. He went back outside and returned to Kenma's window. He placed the phone on the windowsill and threw the pile of clothes inside before climbing onto the windowsill.
“I’m in the room,” he whispered as he picked up the phone.
“Okay, go give them to him.”
He nodded without replying aloud. He picked up the pile of clothes and went around the bed.
“Kenma, it’s me.”
When he finally completed the circle, he found Kenma again. He had surrounded himself with anything he could get his hands on. He caught his gaze. It was still filled with panic, shaken with fear.
“I’m just giving you this, okay? For you.”
He saw him try to sign something but his limbs were too jittery to articulate anything.
“It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay,” I'm here, the brunet murmured, not sure if he was trying to reassure Kenma or himself.
"I’m going to get closer, alright?"
Kenma recoiled and began to growl when he saw him come closer. Tetsurō stopped.
“I’m just going to get a little closer, to give you this. Is that alright?”
The blond relaxed and finally nodded.
Slowly, Tetsurō straightened up and approached. He stopped a few steps away from Kenma, sat down, and pushed the clothes towards him. The blond looked at the pile before leaning forward to pick them up, immediately arranging them all around him.
“Okay, It’s done,” he said, taking back the phone. “What now?”
“We'll wait a little…”
Kuroo didn't reply but kept the phone against his ear.
Kenma finally seemed to calm down, but fear was still lingering in his eyes.
He heard a whistle: Kōtarō had woken up.
Kuroo could hear him trying to call out, he could hear him crying.
“Kōtarō woke up…”
“Oh… “he heard murmured at the other end of the line. “Okay… um…”
A beep sounded several times, and Kuroo moved the phone away from his ear to see what it was. He felt his body shaken by a new wave of panic when he realized that the phone had only a few per cent of battery left.
“Damn it… I'm almost out of battery… Fuck…”
Konoha took a deep breath.
“Okay, Kuroo, I'm going to hang up, okay?”
“No, no, no!”
“It'll be okay, turn off the phone to save the battery. Go get Bokuto and bring him to see Kozume, that should calm them down, okay?”
“Yes…”
“Go back to Akaashi quickly afterwards, keep the phone. If he hasn't come around in ten minutes, call an ambulance, okay?”
Kuroo closed his eyes, trying to prevent his breathing from escalating.
“Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Okay, I'm going to hang up, you'll be okay. Everything's going to be okay.”
“Okay.”
“Send me a message as soon as you can. It’s going to be okay.”
And he hung up. Kuroo felt his heart ache, but he still followed the instructions and turned off the phone.
The whistles had started up again, which didn't help Kenma's state at all; he now had his hands pressed against his ears, firmly shutting his eyelids.
“Kenma, I'll be back, I'll be back.”
The blond didn't react; Kuroo waited a few seconds but eventually left. He went back outside and ran. He stopped for a moment in the hallway to check on Keiji. He hadn't fully come around yet, but his condition seemed stable. Tetsurō rushed into Kōtarō's room. He swung the door open and found his gaze immediately. He was right at the edge of the bower, his face torn by tears and panic. As soon as he saw him, he stretched out his arms and Kuroo rushed towards him to hug him. He held him fiercely, and Kuroo had to pull him away to face him.
“I need you, Babe, I need you.”
The latter nodded.
“Can you walk?”
He shook his head negatively.
“Okay, um…”
Kuroo was starting to think a bit more clearly. He went to get some clothes from his boyfriend's luggage and came back to him. He grabbed a blanket to cover him and finally asked him, presenting his back:
“Get on.”
Kōtarō wrapped his arms around his neck and climbed on. With the adrenaline helping, he straightened up and left the room. He made a first stop near Keiji to spread around him all the clothes he had taken from the room, as well as the few clothes he had dropped earlier. Kōtarō approached his mate, distraught to see him in this state. He ran his hands over his face before letting his forehead fall onto his mate's, shedding another wave of tears. Tetsu leaned over and stroked his back to reassure him.
“It's going to be okay, Kō, it's going to be okay… We're going to see Kenma, okay?”
His lover detached himself from his alpha and nodded, extending his arms to be carried. Kuroo let him wrap his arms around his neck and circle his legs around his waist. Securing him, he straightened up and headed back to the front door. He felt Kōtarō shiver when they came into contact with the night air. He tightened his grip around him and continued. They finally reached the window. Tetsurō set his boyfriend down so he could sit, went in, and picked him up once inside. He heard him struggle to breathe; the smell of fear in the room was overwhelming.
“Kenma, look who I brought back with me,” murmured the brunet.
He saw the Kenma's eyes widen when he saw Kōtarō. Their gazes locked instantly. Kōtarō tapped him on the shoulder to signal him to put him down, and he complied. Once on the ground, he approached the blond directly. He stopped when he heard him growl as he sank into his nest. He stopped and sat down facing Kenma. He began to purr loudly without coming any closer. Kuroo stayed back. He felt the atmosphere in the room begin to lighten as Bokuto's scent spread around, gradually dissipating the heaviness of panic. He saw Kenma calming down.
Sensing this change,Kōtarō approached him. Kenma allowed him to enter his makeshift nest, letting him lean in to hug him. Kuroo sighed in relief. Kōtarō turned his eyes and nodded: the situation was under control. Tetsurō nodded back, and left.
He hoped with every fiber of his being that Keiji was okay.
Once back in the living room, he tilted his head to catch sight of him in the hallway. Fear continued to tie knots in his stomach as he approached.
“Love?”
When he saw Keiji turn his head in his direction, he felt his heart rise in relief.
“Oh damn it,” he let out.
He rushed towards him and collapsed in front of him.
“You’re okay! You’re okay!”
He took his hands in his own, tears welling up in his eyes as he felt their warmth. Pinching his wrist, he noticed that his heartbeat had stabilized. Finally, he let go of their hands and cupped his face in his own. Their gazes locked.
“I was so scared,” he whispered breathlessly.
He saw tears filling his lover's eyes. His relief was not shared, and he saw it right away. Keiji was still in distress. Fully regaining consciousness only brought him face-to-face with what had happened, awakening the pain. He felt abandoned, inadequate, and guilty. Tears began to stream down his cheeks in a torrent of silent violence.
“My love…” murmured Kuroo, deeply pained.
He pulled him closer, holding him tightly.
“I'm sorry, Love… I'm so sorry…”
He felt his arms wrap around his back and hold him tightly.
“Come here,” he whispered after a moment.
Kuroo knew he needed to settle him elsewhere, but he wasn't sure if returning alone to the bower was a very good idea. He lifted him up, Keiji accompanying the movement without resistance, and brought him to the living room where he laid him down on the couch. His tears had not yet dried up, but they had lost some of their heaviness. As Kuroo was about to leave to give him some space, his boyfriend reached out to him, desperate. Tetsurō felt his throat tighten, overwhelmed by his vulnerability. He reciprocated the embrace and lay down beside him, holding him as close to his chest as possible.
Keiji eventually calmed down and fell asleep.
Kuroo took out the phone from his pocket and turned it on.
"I'm fine," he typed. The phone immediately shut off again.
Tetsurō tightened his grip around his lover and fell asleep.
-//-
He awoke a few hours later, at dawn, and felt a hand stroke his hair. He opened one eye, then the other, and found Kōtarō's face close to his own. The tender smile of his lover greeted him, bathed in the light of the morning sun.
“Kōtarō?”
Kōtarō leaned his forehead against his. He immediately felt enveloped in a veil of infinite softness, tenderness rolling over his skin, through his body, into his veins, soothing his entire being. He closed his eyes, overcome with dizziness. He felt his lover's lips press against his own. He opened his eyelids, his vision blurred with tears.
“You're okay…”
It wasn't a question, just a poignant observation. Kōtarō nodded.
“Kenma?”
He nodded to indicate that he was fine.
He took a deep breath. They were okay…
“I'll bring Keiji back,” Kōtarō signed.
“Okay… Can you walk?”
His lover nodded affirmatively. That was a good sign... Just a few more hours until he could speak again as well.
Kōtarō leaned over his mate, kissed his temple, and slid his arms under his back and legs to lift him up. The alpha didn't fully wake up. Kōtarō rose without much effort, his lover in his arms. He gave him one last tender look, nodded, and left.
His sudden solitude felt strange… He no longer needed to be strong. In the distance, birds were singing; the world had kept turning.
The pressure that was building up within him exploded all of a sudden.
He burst into tears.
He fell asleep, drained of tears.
-//-
Tetsurō woke up again several hours later. The sun was already high in the sky. Without thinking further, he got up and began his routine, trying as best as he could not to think about anything. For now he just needed to exist in the present moment.
It took him another good hour to finish breakfast. Once he was done, he left with his tray. He first stopped outside Kenma's room.
He hesitated, but hearing no noise, he tried to turn the handle. The door opened without resistance.
He sighed in relief. The bed had been set up again. The nest was still there though, reconstructed on top of the bed, Kenma sleeping inside. He tiptoed forward, placing a bowl of soup and a bowl of rice on the bedside table. Kuroo sat on the edge of the bed, watching the blond sleep for a few seconds. Kenma was breathing deeply, calmly... Yet, the folds of his fears and anxieties still lingered on his face. But he was okay. Everything was okay. He leaned over to kiss his temple and left.
Once back in the hallway, he picked up his tray and headed for the room at the end of the hall. Every step echoed in the rest of his limbs. He finally stopped in front of the door, tension knotting in his throat. He whistled briefly. He waited a few seconds.
Finally, Keiji responded to his call, and he felt his heart lift.
He opened the door. As usual, Keiji came down the bower and sat on the floor. Kuroo put the tray down and sat beside him. He watched the brunet pick up the chopsticks. He briefly joined his hands, bowed his head, and began to eat.
Tetsurō watched him.
"He's okay, he's okay, he's okay,"
All the dreadful scenarios his mind had played for him last night came back to him.
"He's okay, he's okay, he's okay."
He felt the tears welling up in his eyes again. Keiji eventually caught his gaze, deeply surprised to find him in this state. Tetsurō smiled at him, but he could hide his distress.
Keiji noticed. He set down the bowl he was holding and turned, taking his face in his hands.
“I was so scared…” murmured Tetsurō.
Keiji pulled him close, holding him tightly.
“Everything is okay…” he whispered to him.
Hearing his voice for the first time in days deeply moved Tetsurō, who surrendered to tears once again. Keiji wiped them away before pulling him into a kiss. A deep, longing, desperate kiss.
They finally parted, and Keiji pulled him close once more. Tetsurō buried his face in his lover's neck, taking in his scent, his presence, his breath, and the sound of his betting heart. He eventually calmed down, cradled by Keiji. They only parted when a little chirping reached them: Kōtarō was awake. He smiled at them, and Kuroo felt his lips instinctively respond. Keiji let go of him to join his mate. Once in the bower, Kōtarō let out another chirp and signed to him:
“Come.”
He hesitated and turned to Keiji. He nodded.
“Cuddles,” he told him.
Kuroo didn't move, watching each of them in turn. He knew what joining them meant. He knew that...
To hell with everything, he needed to be held, he needed to feel loved now. He needed it.
He straightened up and approached the bower. As he was about to enter, he heard Kōtarō growl. He turned, surprised. Keiji laughed.
“No clothes,” he explained.
“Oh...”
Kuroo stepped back, complying before returning to the nest. This time, Kōtarō welcomed him with open arms. The inside of the bower was comfortable, fluffy, and cozy. Kuroo allowed himself to be cuddled without offering any further resistance, feeling his heart lighten. Time had no meaning at all in this cocoon of softness; it stretched and intertwined endlessly. He felt safe now. Fear gradually stopped roaring within him, and he fell asleep.
-//-
The sun had already begun to set when Tetsurō opened his eyes again. Kōtarō was still asleep; Kuroo watched him wriggle in his sleep, eventually burying himself in a pile of pillows, with only a few strands of his hair visible. He chuckled.
The light was fading, it was probably time for him to leave.
As he was about to get up, he felt a hand hold him back. Turning around, he met Keiji's gaze.
“Stay,” he murmured.
He hesitated. He could see in his lover's eyes what he wanted. Tetsurō felt like gravity had intensified, and he let himself fall backwards. His own body shivered with the same desire, with that warmth, strangely mixed with the lethargy of sleep. He just wanted to surrender to him completely. He welcomed his lover's caresses and shivered as he felt his body respond to his. He sank into this state of ataraxia, mingled with pleasure and inertia.
Finally, he felt the climax approaching, completely engulfing him, numbing all his limbs, swallowing him whole.
But just as ecstasy reached its paroxysm, a sharp pain abruptly brought him back to reality. He let out a groan of pain and instinctively tried to pull away. Keiji stopped him by holding him tightly in his arms.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” he murmured but didn't release his grip.
This did nothing to calm Kuroo and only fueled his anger.
“The fuck, Keiji, let me go! You're hurting me!”
“I can’t.”
“What do you mean you can't,” he felt another painful stab “pull out, damn it!”
Silence.
“I cannot do that”
Confusion joined this joyful mix of anger and pain.
“What do you mean?!”
Silence.
“Kuroo... san...”
Oh yeah, of fucking course!
“Kuroo-san? Seriously?”
“Tetsurō,” corrected Keiji.
Kuroo frowned, hearing the genuine embarrassment in his voice.
“Um,” began the brunet, “do you know what a knot is?”
“You knotted me?!” Tetsurō exploded.
Silence.
"You're kidding, right?!"
Still no answer.
“Keiji!”
“Sorry..." he murmured.
He kissed him on the neck to calm him down, which obviously didn't work at all.
“You're a pain in the ass, literally! Damn it! Why you...” he couldn't finish his sentence, as the pain flared up when he tried to move even a little.
“I didn't mean to...”
“What do you mean you didn't mean to?! You could have... Fuck you!”
“Sorry...”
He planted another kiss on his neck, and this time Tetsurō calmed down a bit.
He sighed.
The pain had stopped, leaving only discomfort. It was still unpleasant but much more bearable. He sighed, jaded.
At least Keiji was feeling better now, since all his "motor functions" were working just fine. He sighed again.
“And how long does it last?”
Silence.
“Keiji?”
He mumbled an inaudible response.
“What?”
“About an hour and a half...”
“An hour and a half!”
“Sorry...”
“Stop apologizing! An hour and... Why the hell does it last so long?!”
“I am at the end of my cycle...”
“Great news,” Kuroo quipped.
“Sorry...”
He covered him with kisses, which didn't really help his situation.
“I love you...” Keiji murmured.
“I love you too, but you're really pissing me off.”
Keiji continued to cuddle him in an attempt to calm him down, which had very little effect at first. Tetsurō eventually stopped grumbling, finally accepting his fate.
“Try to go back to sleep,” the brunet advised him.
Easier said than done!
Minutes passed. He felt Keiji fall asleep. The audacity of that guy really! Kuroo tried to do the same but without success. After about an hour, he heard Kōtarō starting to wake up. He saw him poke his head out of his pile of pillows, hair all messy and eyes sleepy. Tetsurō let out a smile. His lover turned his gaze, finally catching his eye. He smiled back.
“Hey...”
After all this time, he could finally hear his voice again.
“Hey.”
His lover approached to kiss him.
“You're still here,” he whispered to him in a tone of infinite sweetness.
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
“It's not like I could go anywhere...”
Kōtarō frowned.
“He knotted me,” his boyfriend clarified, nodding towards the sleeping Keiji behind him.
Once the surprise passed, his boyfriend chuckled, particularly amused by the situation.
“It's not funny...” the brunet complained.
“It's kinda funny...”
“No, it's awful!”
“Nah, we don't say ‘it's awful’, we say ‘I don't like it.’”
“Well, I really don't like it...”
Kōtarō laughed again. He planted a kiss on his forehead and let his head fall close to his so he could look him in the eyes. The softness of his features eventually transformed, and a mischievous smile slid onto his lips.
“I'll cheer you up.”
And indeed, he did cheer him up.
In the end, Tetsurō came away from this first experience under the bower with a somewhat mixed impression, but not a bad one.
Everything was okay now.
-//-
Tetsurō had managed to leave the bower a little over two hours after the knot incident, just after Kōtarō promised to see him again in about twenty hours. He cared deeply for them, but he wasn't ready to be immobilized for so long, knowing he would never manage to sleep that long.
He stumbled out when he left, struggling to regain the sensation and use of his legs, which fortunately returned fairly quickly. He retrieved his tray from the foot of the bed and returned to the living room. He had hesitated to go back to see Kenma, but ultimately decided against it. Not only because he didn't want to wake him up, but also because he didn't know how to face him right away.
He had no idea how to react... Keiji had been in a critical situation but was now okay without any major physical or psychological consequences, the same with Kōtarō. But for Kenma... he knew that he hadn't reacted like that by chance... There was something much heavier, a fear so deeply rooted in his mind that it caused such a violent reaction in him as if his life depended on it. He was afraid to find out what it was or to accidentally trigger his defense mechanism again.
He didn't have the chance to dwell on it any longer. As he was doing the dishes, a noise from the living room made him instinctively turn his eyes. He immediately found Kenma's gaze, who was standing at the end of the hallway. They looked at each other for several seconds, neither of them moving a muscle, only the sound of water flowing from the tap filling the silence.
The blond took a step forward, slowly, then a second. Kuroo turned off the tap, still not taking his eyes off his boyfriend. Finally, Kenma started running towards him, and his lover opened his arms to welcome him. He sighed in relief as he felt his body collide with his, feeling his warmth close to him. He held him tight, as tight as he could.
“Ji...” he heard him murmur.
He rested his head on his and began to rock him in his arms.
They stayed like that for long minutes, without saying anything, without moving.
“Is it over?”
“Hmm,” the blond vaguely replied.
Kuroo continued to slowly stroke his boyfriend's back.
“How do you feel?”
Kenma sighed.
“Okay... Not great, but I took my meds, it's bearable...”
They fell silent.
Finally, Kenma pulled away from him to catch his gaze.
“Something happened again, didn't it?”
Tetsurō held his breath, he looked up. He didn't really know how to respond without upsetting him.
“Please answer me...”
Kuroo nodded.
Kenma breathed in.
“Okay...”
He didn't add anything more.
“You don't remember?”
“Not really... But well...”
He moved away from him.
“I woke up in a nest, I guess it's not for nothing...”
Kuroo grimaced.
“I think half of your wardrobe is in there,” the blond remarked, his tone indicating that he was trying to downplay the situation.
Tetsurō chuckled despite himself.
“I didn't steal those clothes from you, did I?”
“Pff, no, I gave them to you...”
“Oh... hmm... okay...”
Silence...
“I'll have to wash them before giving them back to you.”
“It's okay, don't worry, I...”
“No. I'll wash them, I swear you want me to wash them.”
Tetsurō frowned... oh. He understood when he met Kenma's disheartened gaze.
“Oh.” Kuroo burst out laughing despite himself “Glad they could... be of help.”
Kenma momentarily looked away, embarrassed. Tetsurō laughed, and the blond found his gaze again, smiling tenderly at him.
Between the two of them, it wasn't necessarily him who needed to be comforted...
The blond finally took his hand and led him to the couch. He sat down and invited him to sit across from him. The brunet complied. Kenma took his hands in his and caught his gaze. Kuroo held his breath.
“Can you please explain what happened?” the blond asked.
Kuroo felt his heart lift. He turned his head, but Kenma leaned in to catch his gaze again.
“Do you really want to talk about it now?”
Kenma nodded.
“Um, okay...”
He sighed.
Kenma waited, patiently. The brunet could clearly see from his posture, his gaze, and his breath, that he was only pretending to be in control. He needed to be in control, to know the details, to rationalize as best as he could.
“It was last night...”
Kenma nodded.
He didn't know how to explain the facts to him...
“Um... I woke up hearing some noises... Keiji was in front of your room, he was panicking because he felt that you weren't okay but you had locked the door... I managed to get in through the window and you... you were terrified.”
Kenma had started to curl up, holding his knees tightly against his chest, he continued to maintain eye contact.
“Of what? What was I scared of?” he insisted.
He let silence linger for long seconds. Kenma didn't look away.
Did he really not remember anything?
“Of Keiji...”
He saw the blond's eyes widen.
“What?”
“Um... I think that... you didn't recognize him... You were afraid of "the alpha." That's what you told me... You were afraid he would... well... Konoha said that...”
“Konoha?”
“Uh... I called him... I was panicking, I didn't know what to do and I thought that... well, no, I didn't really think... but...”
“It's good that you asked for help, Ji... What did he say?”
“That you reacted like that because... of Keiji's pheromones...”
Kenma frowned.
“Pheromones but I'm used to...”
He stopped. Tetsurō saw in his eyes the moment something clicked in his mind.
“Oh...”
The surprise quickly dissolved, and something much heavier rose. Kenma closed his eyes. When he opened them again, tears rolled down his cheeks. There was no shock, no tumultuous storm. They were just abandoned tears, carrying an omniscience they were never meant to bear.
“Shit...” murmured the blond.
He hugged his legs tighter against his chest and buried his head in his knees, continuing to cry in silence.
“No, no, no... shit...”
He sniffled loudly, finally lifting his head.
“I thought I was done with this, that it was...” his voice broke with tears.
Tetsurō approached and slowly stroked his back. He was afraid, terribly, of understanding, of knowing. He felt helpless.
“Kenma... has Keiji ever... um... given you a reason to be afraid of him?”
“No, no... oh no, nothing like that... But...”
“But?”
He hid his face in his knees again.
“Shit... I really thought I was over this...”
The grief silenced him again.
He cried for a long time, silently. Tetsurō said nothing, trying to comfort him, to accompany him. Finally, his tears dried up.
Kenma unfolded his limbs slowly, his gaze drifting into the void. He finally let himself fall back, and Tetsurō couldn't see the emotions surfacing on his face anymore.
“Tetsu...”
“Yes?”
“I know where it comes from... Well, I think...”
“Oh...”
Tetsurō could hear his heart starting to race, his heartbeat echoing throughout his body. He said nothing, waiting for Kenma to confide in him, if he wished to.
“Do you know what chemical pacifiers are?”
“... No.”
“They're... diffusers of artificial pseudo-pheromones meant to mimic those of a rutting alpha... They're often prescribed to young unpaired omegas to facilitate their cycle.”
“Oh... okay.”
“When I was younger... um... I was prescribed that... I always had difficult cycles and it was supposed to help...”
It took him a few moments to speak again.
“My parents... I can't believe their bullshit is still fucking me up, that it... well... um... They... When I was on my cycle, they locked me in the basement, telling me I couldn't go out, that I shouldn't be found... They told me that if I left, I would be attacked, I would be... assaulted, and if I didn't want that, then I had to stay locked downstairs... with their damn pacifiers. They kept doing that even after I went to high school, even after I started dating Keiji and Kōtarō... especially after... Until I was eighteen actually...”
Kenma had just turned twenty-two. Only three miserable little years had passed since then.
Tetsurō remained stunned, paralyzed, horrified. Within him boiled a whole bunch of emotions: rage, dismay, affliction, helplessness...
“Growing up I... realized that... what they were making me go through was nothing but psychological violence... I'm not even sure they realized it... I thought that... realizing that would... shield me. That I wouldn't have to suffer the consequences of their action”
He sighed.
“No, not really actually... I... knew... or thought I knew that there had been consequences... I spent my adolescence with an overwhelming fear of intimacy... For several reasons but let's say that was the main one... For so long I convinced myself that if I didn't feel attraction, it was because of that... It took me so much time to unravel it all, to understand that... who I am isn't just the result of trauma... I'm still sure of that but... I thought that knowing that would solve things... Apparently, I haven't solved shit! I'm back at square one...”
Kenma fell silent.
Eventually, he straightened up, though his gaze didn't meet his boyfriend's.
“Kenma...”
He didn't react.
Kuroo approached and took his hand in his.
"Kenma... I... don't really know what to say or if... or if I'm entitled, or skilled enough, to say this, but... And I'm not in your head or... well... Considering how you're able to talk about it, I wouldn't say that you haven't solved anything at all... Or that you're back to square one..."
Kenma turned his eyes. His lover instantly caught his gaze.
“To me, it looks like the progress you've made is already huge! And in such a short time too, I... It's impressive the progress you've already made... So yes, maybe everything isn't behind you yet, and it will take more time, and probably a bit of help to get there. But you will get there, you're already getting there.”
He saw Kenma's face twist with a mix of relief and guilt.
“Tetsu...” he sighed “I know Keiji went into torpor... again... I could have killed him... I could have... because of... me, because of my reaction... I should have been more... I should have stayed alone...”
Kuroo fell silent... It was true that Keiji had been in danger, he couldn't deny that. But... Even though all the worst scenarios had crossed his mind, somewhere deep down he knew it would never have happened...
He sighed...
“Kenma... First of all... Know that you are in no way responsible for... what you've been through, and how much it may have affected you.”
The blond closed his eyes, forcefully holding back his tears.
"And then... I... I'd rather relive what happened a thousand times than leave you alone. I'd rather relive it a thousand times than not be there when you need me... And I think it's the same for Kōtarō... and for Keiji too..."
Kenma slowly nodded, before surrendering to tears again. He leaned onto Tetsurō and the latter hugged him as tightly as he could. They stayed like that for a long time, calming each other. Kenma eventually pulled away from him, sighed, and wiped the tears that had rolled down his cheeks. Kenma closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to refocus, then finally opened them again.
“How is he?” he asked, his voice filled with apprehension and guilt.
“Well, I guess he's okay.”
The blond frowned at the sarcastic tone, which he certainly had not expected. Kuroo met his gaze with a bored expression, which only confused Kenma.
“Considering he knotted me, like, two hours ago, I guess he's not too bad.”
It took Kenma several seconds to process the information.
"He what?"
"You heard me."
Kenma burst into laughter.
“That's not funny, damn it!” Tetsurō retorted.
“It's a little funny...”
He pouted.
“Kō said the same thing...”
“He's right...”
“You guys are monsters,” Kuroo sulked.
The blond just chuckled.
“It hurts like hell...”
“Poor you,” Kenma replied, his voice devoid of any compassion.
Kuroo continued to sulk, which had the merit of making Kenma smile, who leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. The brunet smiled back.
Kenma was back to being himself.
“I guess I won't see them until tomorrow...”
Kuroo nodded.
“Yeah, they're sleeping now.”
The blond nodded vaguely.
Silence fell once again.
“What would you like to do?” Kuroo asked. “We can... watch something or... take a bath, or go for a walk?”
“Hm... I wouldn't say no to getting some fresh air, I haven't been out for days...”
Kuroo nodded.
“And then I'm up for a bath.”
“Sounds good.”
“And a movie.”
“Okay, let's do that then.”
They went outside first. Feeling the twilight air filling his lungs, Kuroo calmed down. He felt his body lighten, and his mind calm down. They walked for about twenty minutes before they stopped at the top of a small hill, sitting side by side to watch the sunset. Tetsurō turned his eyes to his lover: the setting sun illuminated him with orange rays, rolling like golden pearls on his hair and skin. He smiled.
He didn't think it was possible to fall in love more than he already was, but he had to face the facts. He was loving more than ever before. The events of last night had strengthened their bonds... They were stronger, and deeper than ever. He felt it in every fiber of his being, in every convolution of his brain, through every pore of his skin. Kenma turned his eyes to him. Their gazes met, and Kuroo knew how reciprocal what he was feeling was.
-//-
“I swear, he wouldn't stop! Every time I put him in the water, he thought it was a good opportunity!”
Kenma burst into laughter, which of course prompted Tetsurō to exaggerate even more.
Kenma and he had spent the rest of the evening together. They had originally planned a movie night but had fallen asleep within the first few minutes of the movie. They slept until late the next morning.
They were currently sitting at the small garden table for breakfast, braving the morning chill for a little sunshine. Kuroo quickly noticed that the blond seemed to be preoccupied, sensing a certain anxiety in his gaze: he knew that his mates would wake up soon. He hadn't seen them since the incident the day before and he certainly dreaded the reunion. So Tetsurō had taken it upon himself to cheer him up by telling him how the last few days had unfolded on his side, with a little extra comedy, a touch of drama, and voilà!
“Don't play the victim, come on,” remarked the blond, “he wouldn't have kept doing it if you hadn't given in the first time.”
“What kind of argument is that?” Kuroo interjected. “Just because I said yes once doesn't mean it's yes forever!”
The blond raised an eyebrow.
“Don't put words in my mouth, you're not going to tell me he forced you to jerk him off in the bathtub.”
“No...”
“Well then own it” he flashed a mocking smile “Max-sturbator.”
He burst out laughing.
“Max-sturbator?”
“That's your title now.”
“Charming,” pouted Kuroo.
His attitude only amused Kenma.
“Not to your liking? Lord Max-sturbator then?”
“That's worse! It sounds like the title of a bad porn”
The blond chuckled.
“You know, if you want to get into this industry, I'll support you.”
“Whoa, that means a lot to me. Applepie studio presents ‘Lord Max-sturbator, conqueror of all dicks.’ How did you know it was my dream?”
Kenma was caught off guard and almost choked on his sip of tea as he burst out laughing.
“Plus, thanks to Yūji, I'm starting to have a little community, I didn't think I'd become a content creator, but it might just happen after all.”
“You're right, a little OnlyFans account, and you're on the road to fame.”
“Good idea! I was stressing about finding an internship, but not anymore!”
“You see, nothing but good sides.”
Kuroo nodded slowly, pretending to think about it seriously. He met his lover's gaze as he looked up and they burst out laughing together. They finally heard movement behind them. Kuroo saw Kenma looking over his shoulder:
“Speak of the devil...”
Tetsurō turned his head, a smile forming on his lips when saw Kōtarō approaching them. He let his head fall back, watching his boyfriend come to him. The latter smiled at him.
“Hey babe,” Bokuto murmured as he reached him.
“Hey.”
Kōtarō's smile widened and he leaned in to kiss his lips. They split up and Kōtarō approached the blond. He slumped lazily in front of his chair and rested his head on his thighs. Kenma's features softened even more, and he ran his hand through his hair.
“I missed you...” his mate murmured.
“Missed you too...”
They stayed like that for a few seconds before Kōtarō finally sat up again. He kissed him before pulling the chair between them to sit on.
“Slept well?” Tetsurō asked.
“Hmm,” his boyfriend replied as he poured himself a cup of coffee, “I feel like I've been run over by a steam train but I'm okay. Were you talking about me?”
“Hmm, Max-sturbator over here was telling us about your ‘aquatic’ adventures,” explained Kenma.
Kōtarō grimaced, not understanding where Kenma wanted to lead him with that.
“About what?”
“You don’t remember?” asked Kuroo.
Kōtarō contemplated emptiness for several seconds.
“No...”
“What? Really?”
Kenma burst into laughter.
“Quite an unmemorable performance, my dear Max-sturbator. You need to up your game if you want to make a name in this field.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Kōtarō asked, yawning.
“You really don't remember? When you were taking your bath?”
Kōtarō grimaced again.
“The bath?”
“Yes... in the bathtub.”
“What ? You know it's quite blurry, I...”
He paused. Finally, Kuroo saw his eyes widen, he blushed slightly and chuckled.
“Oh yeah, now I remember...”
“Ah, there we go! I was worried!”
“Worried about what?”
“That you wouldn't remember his superb Max-sturbator skills,” Kenma chimed in, teasing.
“Yeah, yeah, it was nice,” remarked Kōtarō before taking a sip of his coffee.
“It's even worse when you say it like that...”
“What? I'm just acknowledging your talents... Max-sturbator.”
The blond burst into laughter.
“No! Not you too!”
Bokuto smiled.
“I also remember when you came under the bower... Your face, I'll never forget it” he turned to Kenma “he told you that Keiji knotted him?”
The blond nodded and they laughed together.
“It's not funny damn it!”
“It's a little funny...”
“No! I'd like to see you in that situation,” he retorted without thinking.
Kōtarō and Kenma both raised an eyebrow, a bit unimpressed.
“Yeah, well okay, bad argument, but still!”
“It wasn't cool not to warn you...” Kenma admitted.
“Yeah, see !”
“Weird…Normally he does, it's even annoying sometimes,” Kōtarō chimed in, “he waves his hand in front of my face like ‘okay I got it!’”
Kuroo frowned.
“He waves his hand in front of your face?”
“Yeah, he signs it.”
“How do you sign it?”
Kenma and Kōtarō answered him at the same time, the sign consisting of rotating the fist.
Kuroo recognized the sign. Maybe Keiji had "waved his hand" somewhere in his field of vision, but honestly, Tetsurō was already too far gone to bother figuring out what it meant at the time.
“Oh... He might have tried to tell me then, I just didn't catch it... But he could have just told me! He could talk at the time!”
“Hmm, maybe we should've briefed you on the special terms beforehand,” Bokuto said.
Kenma nodded.
“For example, there's this one, super important”!
Kōtarō formed a small circle with his left hand, and without warning, he passed half of his right forearm through it. Kenma burst into loud laughter.
“What does that mean?" Kuroo asked in a low voice, fear settling in his stomach.
“What do you think?” Kōtarō replied, raising an eyebrow, a lewd smile forming on his lips.
The blond was bending over laughing now.
“No... What does it mean?”
“I think it's pretty self-explanatory.”
“Kenma... what does it mean?”
Kenma struggled to catch his breath. He wiped away the tears that had started to well up in the corners of his eyes and finally answered him:
“Nothing, he's just messing with you...”
“Yeah, I am”
“The real sign is this one.”
He made the same gesture as Kōtarō, except he made sure to put his entire arm through it.
“Kinky,” commented his mate before bursting into laughter himself.
“Stop!”
“Alright... But this one is important.”
Kenma showed him a sign that looked much more innocent. However, Kōtarō's hilarity only increased.
“Stop messing with me...”
“No, no, this one is a real sign.”
Bokuto nodded.
“What does it mean?”
“Double penetration,” Kenma translated for him.
His two boyfriends burst into laughter seeing his reaction.
“You guys suck,” sulked Kuroo.
“What, we're just trying to teach you things and you react like that,” the blond replied.
Kōtarō hadn't stopped laughing, and it infected Kenma again who lost his seriousness. Eventually, Kuroo joined them.
Kenma looked up, his laughter immediately fading. He stiffened and his smile disappeared. The atmosphere around them shifted, and time slowed down.
Tetsurō followed his gaze: Keiji stood there at the door; his face painted with the same troubled expression as the blond. They didn't break eye contact, remaining like that for several seconds. Kōtarō and he stayed silent, watching as mere spectators what was unfolding before their eyes.
Without taking his eyes off of Keiji, Kenma's eyes filled with tears, he sighed and straightened up.
Keiji took a step back.
Kenma ran to him, and his mate let out a relieved gasp and opened his arms to embrace him. They met in a powerful hug, overwhelmed by the warmth of the other after what had happened. Kenma murmured something, and Keiji burst into tears.
The blond placed his hands on his face, gently caressing his skin. His hands gradually slid, and he interlocked his fingers with his mate's, and he guided him inside. Tetsurō watched them leave and finally turned his head to Kōtarō. The latter had tears in his eyes, his facial features twisted with a mixture of sadness and relief. Tetsurō took his hand, and their eyes met. His boyfriend tried to smile at him, but his lips couldn't sustain that expression for long, the muscles of his face twitching under the pressure. He looked away.
“I... I remember... what happened.”
“Oh...”
He took a deep breath.
“I remember that Keiji fell into a torpor... I remember the panic on your face and...”
His voice choked with tears.
“Hey, it's okay, everything's okay,” his lover murmured tenderly, stroking his hand to soothe him.
Kōtarō nodded. He let out a shaky sigh and wiped the tears that had rolled down his cheeks.
“Kenma... did... did he talk to you about it?”
Kuroo nodded.
“It was the pheromones that... um, put him in that state, right?”
“Apparently...”
He sighed.
“I don't know what to do...”
“I'm not sure if there's much you can do...”
He saw his lips start to tremble.
“I... yes but... damn it... I tried to tell him that... that... well. He thought it would be okay, that he had overcome it, that it was behind him... But... It's not as easy as that. I wanted to trust him but... I should have insisted. I knew he needed help and...”
“Babe, it's not your fault, you did what you could... If Kenma wasn't... ready to face it, you wouldn't have been able to force him to do it anyway... But I think now, he knows... All we can do is support him."
Kōtarō nodded.
“I just don't want it to happen again… I don't want to leave him alone, but I don't want it to happen... And Keiji, he...”
He let out a distressed groan and Kuroo stepped forward to take him in his arms. His lover slid into the embrace.
“It's okay... everything's fine, everything's fine,” he murmured to reassure him.
It took several minutes for Kōtarō to relax. Kuroo felt him loosen the embrace and he separated from him. His lover cupped his face in his hands, his gaze meeting his. He smiled at him, genuinely this time.
“I'm glad you stayed with us...”
“Me too...”
He rubbed his nose against his. Finally, he pulled away from him and settled back into his chair.
“Well… All things considered though…I think I've rarely had such a... chill time.”
“Chill?”
Tetsurō frowned. Chill? He had shed his yearly quota of tears in just 48 hours and his body had produced so much cortisol that his cardiomyocytes were struggling to recover from it but that was... chill?
“Yes, well apart from what happened,” added Kōtarō seeing the look on his face.
“That's a big chunk of it though.”
“Yeah, but if we had added to that the fact that if you hadn't been there, I probably would have woken up in hypoglycemia, soaked in sweat and old dried sperm, frankly it's not so bad...”
“Oh shit Kōtarō,” Kuroo cut in between disgust and amusement.
“What, it's true, it didn't happen.”
“Hmm...”
“Thank you, brave Max-sturbator.”
Kuroo glowered at him, which only made his boyfriend laugh.
Still, he smiled, overwhelmed by a powerful wave of pure tenderness as he saw his lover's features light up like that, deeply reassured to see him return to the Kōtarō he knew so well.
The rest of the day went by peacefully. Kenma and Keiji spent most of the day together and finally reappeared together in the evening. Kuroo had feared that the events had broken something between them, but that was not the case... On the contrary, they seemed to have grown closer, they understood each other and the mutual fear of losing each other had brought them closer than ever before.
The next day, they had to start cleaning and tidying up the house and finally left in the late afternoon. Something had changed between them, Tetsurō could feel it. He could feel it deep inside himself and he knew that it was mutual. This feeling remained even after they returned to their normal daily lives, and it would not fade away.
However, the nickname "Max-Sturbator" also persisted, much to Tetsurō's dismay.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
This chapter marks the end of the "Kuklos arc", I don't know what has become of my publication scheduled...
Next chapter : "Jishin desu"
"Japan: an archipelago with no less than 440 volcanoes, 111 of which are active to this day. A tiny piece of land hosting 10% of the world's volcanoes due to its rather inconvenient location at the convergence of four continental plates—the Pacific, the Philippine, the Eurasian, and the North American Plate.Kuroo often wondered why his ancestors had decided to settle in such a risky place. Sure, the view wasn't too bad, but still, what a strange idea to settle here, knowing there are plenty of places on the planet that don't experience thousands of earthquakes every year! The worst part might be that neither his ancestors nor his own experience had accustomed him to such occurrences. "
Chapter 38: Jishin Desu
Summary:
"Japan: an archipelago with no less than 440 volcanoes, 111 of which are active to this day. A tiny piece of land hosting 10% of the world's volcanoes due to its rather inconvenient location at the convergence of four continental plates—the Pacific, the Philippine, the Eurasian, and the North American Plate.
Kuroo often wondered why his ancestors had decided to settle in such a risky place. Sure, the view wasn't too bad, but still, what a strange idea to settle here, knowing there are plenty of places on the planet that don't experience thousands of earthquakes every year! The worst part might be that neither his ancestors nor his own experience had accustomed him to such occurrences. "
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
--
Japan: an archipelago with no less than 440 volcanoes, 111 of which are active to this day. A tiny piece of land hosting 10% of the world's volcanoes due to its rather inconvenient location at the convergence of four continental plates—the Pacific, the Philippine, the Eurasian, and the North American Plate.
Kuroo often wondered why his ancestors had decided to settle in such a risky place. Still, it probably had to do with humanity's stubborn resilience, this "resilience" being the tendency to settle anywhere, whether it's -30°C or 45°C, volcanoes or not. Sure, the view wasn't too bad, but still, what a strange idea to settle here, knowing there are plenty of places on the planet that don't experience thousands of earthquakes every year! The worst part might be that neither his ancestors nor his own experience had accustomed him to such occurrences. Forget the videos where his brave compatriots continue shopping as store shelves threaten to fall on their heads or carry on with other activities calmly while their house threatens to collapse on them: no, Tetsurō was not of the nonchalant type.
Even though it had happened to him countless times, even the slightest tremor could throw him into a panic attack. Unfortunately for him, the past few days had been punctuated by small quakes. Although he had only felt a few minor tremors, each one put him in a state of advanced panic. His only consolation was that thanks to his very rich lover/sugar daddy, he was now the proud owner of a kotatsu. Kenma bought it as a gift for him after he complained that he didn’t even have a table to hide under in case the quakes were getting bad. Kuroo was now spending more time under the kotatsu than in his own bed.
He had noticed the electricity and gas in his apartment automatically shut off whenever a tremor was felt, which was a good thing for Tetsurō. This meant that in the event of a larger earthquake, he wouldn't end up in an explosion due to an unfortunate gas leak. So yes, maybe every time the power was cut, he couldn't cook or turn on the lights for an hour, but at least he hadn't died in an explosion, and that was already pretty good.
Kuroo might have an overactive amygdala trying most of the time to protect him from nonexistent threats, but perhaps for once, he should rely on it more than usual.
-//-
First Tremor:
After weeks of forced exile, Kuroo was finally back at CATO. His heart soared with joy as he went down the stairs leading to their headquarters, the voices of his friends starting to reach him. He opened the door and took a deep breath, letting the familiar scent wash over him (a scent that was essentially a vast bath of alpha pheromones and dusty basement odor, but he cherished it nonetheless). Everyone greeted him as he arrived, and he responded with a wave. He quickly spotted Oikawa, Sugawara, and Yamaguchi sprawled on a couch and went over to join them. Oikawa and Sugawara straightened up when they saw him approaching, an oddly pitiful smile forming on their faces.
"Hey," Sugawara softly greeted him, as if trying not to startle him.
Kuroo frowned. "Hey."
"How are you?" Oikawa asked, in the same controlled tone.
Oikawa? Minding how his words can affect others? This was starting to get pretty weird!
"Uh, fine..."
Silence stretched between them, only deepening Kuroo's unease.
"How are they?"
It took Tetsurō a few seconds to realize the question was about his boyfriends.
"They're fine..."
His obvious discomfort must have been manifest because Sugawara clarified, "Um... Yamaguchi told us what happened..."
"Kōtarō mentioned it to me," the younger one added.
Oh, yes, his boyfriend's near-death experience! That explained his friends' concern.
"Oh... that... yeah, it's fine, just shaken up, but everyone is fine... I didn't know you knew."
"Sorry, I told them... Kō said I could but I should have checked with you," Yamaguchi admitted.
"No problem, um... but it's fine, don't worry... Yeah, I mean... That was a lot for a first... or like, well... But it's fine."
Oikawa and Sugawara nodded.
"Yeah, looks like you recovered quickly."
Tetsurō looked up and met Yamaguchi's gaze. A mischievous gleam danced in his eyes and he flashed a suggestive smile. Oh boy...
"Max-st..."
Tetsurō threw himself at him to shut him up, pressing his hands over his mouth. This only amused his friend and piqued the curiosity of the other two. He shook his head, silently begging the younger one not to say a word of it. Yamaguchi chuckled again. He raised his hand, closed his fist, and shook it, forming a sign that Kuroo had recently learned to recognize. He felt blood rush to his face, deeply embarrassed. Sugawara and Oikawa obviously noticed and stared at him. Damn, he needed to tell Kōtarō to stop talking about their sex life, especially to that little pest Yamaguchi Tadashi. Sugawara giggled, and Oikawa gave a knowing smile.
"Oh, I see, you're not too bad then," the diva commented.
"Damn it, Yamaguchi..."
"Sorry," he replied, not looking sorry at all.
As Tetsurō was about to continue, he felt the ground vibrate beneath his feet. He immediately dropped to the floor and placed his hands over his head. No major tremors followed.
"What are you doing?" Oikawa asked.
"I thought there was an earthquake."
Kuroo stayed on the ground.
"I didn't feel anything," Oikawa raised an eyebrow.
"We would have received an alert," Sugawara commented while checking his phone.
"I... I felt the ground vibrate."
"Oh, no, that's the subway construction," Noya said as he walked by.
"Oh..."
Kuroo got up and sat on the edge of the couch. Yamaguchi placed his hands on his shoulders, gently massaging him to help him relax.
"Don't freak out like that; it happens all the time."
"Are you afraid of earthquakes?" Sugawara asked.
"Of course I am!"
"Well, damn, not the best phobia to have over here!" Oikawa exclaimed, rolling his eyes.
They all proceeded to laugh together. Say what you want, but to Kuroo, it didn't seem unreasonable that an event like "Oh my God, the earth is shaking, maybe we'll die, maybe not!" would trigger such a reaction in him.
He crossed his arms and sank onto the couch, completely forgetting that Yamaguchi was still behind him.
"Kuroo, you're squishing me a bit here buddy..."
"Good, it’ll train you for when you end up buried under the rubble while I’ve reacted correctly."
Caught off guard, the youngest laughed.
"That's not nice... you won't come to rescue me if I'm buried under the rubble?"
"No."
"Traitor."
"I would," Suga interjected.
"You'd be buried too!"
"Oh..."
Yamaguchi extended his arms and wrapped them around Kuroo, trying to hug (or restrain) him as best he could despite their respective positions.
"Ok, ok, sorry for upsetting you..."
Kuroo rolled his eyes but tried to reciprocate the hug.
"Max."
Jerk.
-//-
Second tremor:
Kuroo had procrastinated on something he should have prioritize the moment he came back: thanking Konoha-san personally for his help. He had yet to do it, not because he had a good reason, but because he didn't know how. He didn't know Konoha all that well after all, and he didn't know how to express how grateful he was Konoha was there when he needed help. Surely a simple "thank you" wouldn't be enough!
Once again, Kuroo Tetsurō found himself swimming against the tide, beginning to realize that his rudeness knew no bounds. While searching for gift ideas on the internet, he had quickly discovered that he hadn’t absorbed the proper etiquette at all. He ended up on tourist websites explaining the gift-giving rules of his own country, and he learned a lot! Since when was he supposed to give gifts in return for receiving them? Should he have been giving thank-you gifts to Kenma for everything he had given him? He hadn’t given anything to Oikawa to thank him for taking his classes either... He already knew that he wasn’t the most refined person out there, but this was too much!
He decided to head downtown right after class to search for his lost politeness—specifically, a gift that would convey his gratitude to those who had helped him. Finding a gift for Oikawa had been surprisingly easy; it took him only about ten minutes to find a pair of flashy pink heart-shaped sunglasses: diva glasses for his diva, perfect!
For Konoha, however, the task was a bit more challenging. He didn’t know Konoha well enough to choose a personalized gift, but he also didn’t want to settle for something generic. He decided to use his joker: Kozume Kenma.
“What’s up?” his boyfriend said upon answering his phone call.
“Hello to you too light of my life, apple of my eye.”
He heard Kenma chuckle.
“Hey, what do you want?”
“I’m looking for a gift for Konoha.”
“Ok... cool, and?”
“And I don’t know what to choose. Do you have any ideas?”
“Why would I have an idea? I don’t know!”
“You know him better than I do!”
“Yeah, no, Keiji would know better.”
“He’s working.”
“I’m working too.”
“Kenmaaaaaa, please! Wizard of my heart, please help me!”
“Wizard of my heart? Seriously?”
“You don’t have any idea?”
“Hum... I don’t know... Oh! If you find stuff to make voodoo dolls.”
“What?”
“He likes to make them for people he doesn’t like.”
Kuroo fell silent. That wasn't quite the kind of information he was expecting... He wasn't sure that providing sorcery materials for torture was a fantastic gift idea. And he didn't know enough about vodoo culture to make an enlightened choice, which would be in very bad taste.
"Any other ideas?"
“Hmm... toys for his dungeon?”
Another piece of information he couldn’t verify and didn’t want to judge for accuracy. Not that it cared; everyone has their guilty pleasures, but he wasn't certain that a whip or a love swing would make a good gift.
“Kenma!”
“What? I’m just suggesting.”
“You’re not helping at all…”
He heard the blonde snicker on the other end of the line.
“Okay, okay... Hmm... He likes tea.”
“Tea?”
“Yeah.”
Well, that wasn’t a bad idea...
He decided to go with that option.
The problem now was that he knew very little about tea. Yes, yes, his ancestors were probably giving him stern looks from wherever they were, but what could he do? He had transitioned from hot chocolate to coffee without dabbling in other beverages and, alas, had never shown any interest in it. A quick search on the web led him to a small tea shop nearby.
He walked into the shop, immediately feeling out of place in the very sober, traditionally decorated place, where the walls were entirely composed from floor to ceiling of thousands of different teas, stored in large, dark metal jars. Only the names written on them distinguished one from another. He pretended to look at them with interest, but panic was starting to rise within him. Between "Autumn Breeze" and "Sweet Whisper," which was more appropriate? And then, was there a special language of teas? There surely had to be one, like with everything: flowers, colors, wallpaper patterns! Damn, the symbolism was nice, except when you didn’t know the codes. If he wasn’t careful, he could end up expressing condolences or declaring a passionate sexual desire to Konoha-san without even realizing it!
"Hello, welcome to our shop."
Kuroo jumped when he heard the voice so close to him. The young woman who had approached pretended not to notice. She greeted him politely, and Kuroo did the same.
"Are you looking for something in particular?"
"Tea."
Kuroo saw the saleswoman concentrating hard not to react to this completely idiotic response since they were both standing in front of a wall filled with tea boxes, in a shop that exclusively sold... tea.
"Is it for a special occasion?"
"A gift..."
"Oh... In that case, I can suggest the 'Nightingale's Song' for a professional occasion, or perhaps the 'Whispering Field' for a more personal one."
"Oh, um..."
"The 'Paradise' is also an excellent choice, maybe more for a birth."
"Um, it’s to thank... someone who possibly saved the life of someone dear to me..."
The saleswoman quickly blinked, looked at her wall of tea boxes, and finally turned toward the displays in the center of the shop. She eventually presented him with a complete white porcelain tea set with very sleek shapes, beautifully presented in a black box.
"I can offer you this. These are the last pieces of this model."
Kuroo almost fell over when he saw the price.
"As it's the last set, I can give you a 40% discount."
Even with a discount, it far exceeded his budget. Despite this, he nodded.
If this perfect stranger thought this was what he needed to show his gratitude, then so be it. They headed to the cash register.
"Since these are the last pieces, no refunds or replacements will be possible. Would you like it gift-wrapped?"
Kuroo nodded. The employee chose a furoshiki made of a simple purple cloth bordered with gold. She politely presented him with the final result and told him the price. Kuroo nodded and handed over his bank card, his hands trembling, praying the payment would go through. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the card did not decline the purchase. The saleswoman thanked him politely, and Kuroo returned the greeting before turning away, attempting to reach the door with confidence. However, just as he was about to pass through, his phone, along with those of everyone else inside, started emitting a sound he knew all too well. Startled, he dropped his freshly wrapped package, which made a painful crashing sound as it hit the floor.
“Jishin desu, Jishin desu.”
Tetsurō froze, mortified. He turned his eyes to the other customers who had the audacity to continue their shopping as if nothing was happening. Only the saleswoman left her post quickly to head towards the display of teapots near the register. Unfortunately, the tremors began before she could reach them.
Instinctively, Kuroo fell to his knees and closed his eyes, which wasn’t necessarily the best reaction to have in this kind of situation: if the ceiling were to fall on his head, he wouldn’t even see it coming. He simply heard the clinking of metal boxes shaken by the quake, the heaviness of the wooden shelves lifted by the tremors, hitting the floor with a resounding crash. Then, silence returned. Kuroo slowly opened his eyes. Apart from some minor breakage, the shop seemed relatively okay. Everyone had resumed their activities as if nothing had happened. Some customers looked at him with concern, but no one came to his rescue either. Kuroo stood up, trying his best to breathe normally again. He looked for his package, which was at his feet. Timidly, he picked it up and untied the knot. He let out a heavy sigh, disheartened: the entire set was in pieces. Sheepishly, he returned to the cashier.
"Um," he said to get the employee's attention.
He didn’t provide any further explanation and showed her the extent of the damage. The saleswoman gave a twisted smile, embarrassed but still trying to maintain her professional sweetness.
"Sorry, but no refunds are possible, and since it’s the last piece, no exchange either."
"Oh...
Tetsurō looked at his package, disheartened.
"If you’d like, I can offer you this discovery set; it contains about twenty different samples, and the box is sleek and elegant."
Tetsurō looked at the box, then at the saleswoman, then at the box again.
"I can give you a 20% discount on it."
Bargaining out of pity, he didn’t know if that made him happier or more depressed. He vaguely nodded and handed her his card once again.
Cursed be this volcanic land.
-//-
By the time Kuroo arrived at the Fukuro, night had fallen. The air was cool, and the early nightfall was disorienting. The door was closed, and Kuroo looked around for his boyfriend before knocking on the door. Keiji, sitting behind the bar, heard the knock and immediately came to meet him. Kuroo had a crappy day, but as soon as he met his lover's gaze, all his troubles faded away. Akaashi smiled at him and opened the door.
"Hey."
"Hey."
Keiji stood on his tiptoes, and Tetsurō met him halfway for a kiss.
"I thought of you when I got the alert."
Kuroo nodded.
"Hmm, it was awful."
His lover's eyes sparkled mischievously.
"Oh, my poor friend."
He took Kuroo's hands in his and brought them to his lips.
"Don't make fun of me..."
"Never.”
Tetsurō, not entirely convinced, smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
"And here, no problems?"
"Some tea set broke but other than that, everything is fine."
Kuroo nodded and let his boyfriend detach from him to finish his work. As he approached the counter, he stopped upon hearing a familiar voice:
"'Kaashi, I don't know what we're going to do, we'll have to serve with mismatched plates and cups like animals! Even if I order some new set now, it won't arrive before..."
Konoha fell silent upon seeing Kuroo. The brunet felt his heart tighten. Their gazes locked. Kuroo was troubled by the emotional turmoil he fell, and he believed it was mutual. They stood there, facing each other in silence. Finally, Kuroo bowed deeply, conveyingall the gratitude he felt without verbalizing it. He stayed like that for a few seconds and then straightened up, catching Konoha's gaze again. Konoha nodded, then turned his eyes towards Akaashi.
"I...um... I'll take care of that... If you're done counting the register, you can go."
Keiji nodded. He removed his apron, grabbed the bag he had already placed at the foot of the counter, and headed towards Kuroo.
"Thank you, see you tomorrow, Konoha."
"See you tomorrow."
Kuroo caught Konoha's gaze again. Finally, the blonde turned back to resume his work. Tetsurō turned, Akaashi was holding the door for him. Kuroo moved forward, but before he could step through the door, a small detail came back to him.
Damn, the gift!
He spun around:
"Konoha-san!"
He intervened so abruptly that the latter jumped. Kuroo didn't pay attention and rushed towards him. He took out the purple furoshiki-wrapped package from his tote bag and presented it to the blonde with both hands, bowing politely for him to accept the gift. Konoha was so taken aback that he accepted it without a word. Kuroo immediately straightened up, bowed again, and hurried towards the door. Akaashi watched him return to his side, a bit surprised.
"Lll good, we can go."
Akaashi smiled at him. He nodded and started walking, Kuroo following suit. After a moment, Kuroo glanced at his boyfriend. He was looking at the ground, a smile hanging on his lips.
"What's so funny?" Kuroo asked.
Akaashi looked up, trying his best to adopt a neutral expression. His eyes, however, betrayed him.
"Nothing, why?"
Akaashi was a good liar, an excellent one even, so if Kuroo could clearly hear the lie in his voice, it meant that Keiji was obviously making fun of him.
"It was super awkward, wasn’t it?" he finally asked.
"No..."
Exaggeration, lie: did this man have no respect for him?
"Keiji!”
His lover chuckled.
"Well, maybe a little..."
"I knew it..."
"It is the thought that counts."
Tetsurō raised an eyebrow.
"And it is adorable."
Kuroo continued to pretend to pout like a child.
"Will you tell me what he said tomorrow?"
"Certainly. Unless he says something horrible... Which unfortunately happens quite often."
"Hmm... Well, lie to me then."
"Noted."
"No! I was joking! I'll never know if it's true or not!"
"That is too bad then."
As they continued to banter like this, Kuroo noticed that his boyfriend was desperately trying to fit his umbrella into his bag, which clearly wasn’t going to work. Kuroo, still maintaining his playful antics, handed him the tote bag he was carrying on his shoulder. Akaashi took it. Realizing that his umbrella would only fit properly by reorganizing the inside of the bag, he pulled out the box inside.
"After all, I am used to it, that's also why I..."
Akaashi fell silent as he discovered what the black box contained.
"Tetsurō, why do you have a shattered tea set in your bag?"
-//-
Third tremor:
"Do you want me to fix it for you?"
Tetsurō turned to Kōtarō, who was carefully examining the broken pieces of his shattered tea set spread out on his kotatsu. They were both at Tetsurō's apartment, having decided to have an impromptu "pajama party."
"Really?"
"Hmm... The pieces are pretty big, it shouldn't be too difficult... I have a kintsugi set my grandma gave me, guess I can try to work with this."
"Your grandmother gave you a kit to repair broken bowls?"
"Artistically! It's a whole philosophy, you know! Transformation, embracing imperfection, all that stuff."
Kuroo raised an eyebrow, not entirely convinced.
On the list of things he had planned to do with Kōtarō for the evening, he'd thought about eating junk food, watching silly movies, and maybe more if they felt like it. He had not anticipated a conversation about the philosophy of broken things. Kōtarō was always full of surprises, after all, and that was part of his charm.
"Can I take it with me?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
Kōtarō nodded, gathered all the porcelain pieces back into the original box, and carefully placed it in his backpack. Carefully! Kōtarō Bokuto handling something delicately? Wonders never cease! He didn't have much time to dwell on it because his phone buzzed on the table, interrupting his thoughts.
"Oh, that must be the food..."
"I'll get it!" exclaimed Kōtarō, who jumped up and rushed to the door.
Tetsurō chuckled as he heard his boyfriend rush down the stairs with the grace of an elephant. He returned a few moments later, proudly holding up big paper bag.
"The food!" he declared solemnly.
He chuckled and placed the bag on the table, eagerly unpacking its contents.
"Here, this one's yours, I think."
He set a cardboard box in front of Kuroo, who felt his stomach rumble with anticipation upon seeing the dish he had ordered: katsudon, his katsudon... He had discovered this restaurant a few weeks ago and had been ordering from there non-stop ever since, never getting tired of the amazing flavor of their dish. Naturally, he jumped at the chance to have his new favorite food when Kōtarō suggested the pajama party.
"You're right, they look delicious, babe!" his boyfriend.
"See?"
He grabbed a pair of wooden chopsticks. As he tried to separate them, they didn't split correctly, and one of them ended up shorter than the other.
"Crap!" complained the brunet.
His boyfriend giggled:
"Ah! You know what that means! Bad luck in your love life!"
Kuroo looked up at his boyfriend.
"What?"
"Yes, it means your love will remain unrequited."
Let's clarify things again: his boyfriend said this while giggling, his boyfriend.
"You don't love me anymore?"
"No."
Kuroo pretended to sulk.
"You stink."
Kōtarō chuckled and finally gave him a genuine smile.
"Or it could mean that you'll have ugly babies."
Tetsurō burst out laughing, caught off guard by the remark.
"I don't care, even if my children are ugly, I'll still love them, and I know they'll go far in life!"
"Aww, so sweet."
"Look, I'm dating you and your owl face, doesn't stop me from thinking you're valuable and that you'll go far in life."
Kōtarō looked outraged.
"Take that back right now!"
Tetsurō giggled childishly.
"Nope."
His boyfriend walked around the table and grabbed his arms.
"Take it back!"
"But I'm not lying."
He tipped him backwards until he was on the floor, holding him down.
"Take it back!"
"But it's okay to have an owl face."
"Say I'm the most handsome! Say, 'The most handsome boyfriend is Bokuto Kōtarō.'"
"The most handsome boyfriend is..."
"Bokuto Kōtarō."
"Akaashi Keiji."
"No!"
Kuroo burst into laughter. Kōtarō finally let go, and the brunet took advantage of it to wrap his arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss.
"I never said I didn't like your dumb owl face!"
"You're dumb."
"No, I'm not."
They met for another kiss.
"But my mom always told me that breaking chopsticks is bad luck..."
"Jishin desu, Jishin desu."
Tetsurō froze instantly, panic flooding through him. Kōtarō's expression changed immediately. The tremors arrived a few seconds later, the floor, walls, ceiling, and everything around them began to shake violently. They split up, and without waiting a second longer, Kuroo took refuge under the kotatsu. He closed his eyes and pressed his hands against his ears like a panicked child. He felt Kōtarō's hand on his shoulder.
"It's going to be okay, babe, it's going to be okay," he murmured. "It will be over soon. Breathe."
Kuroo remembered to take a breath.
"It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay."
He heard something shatter nearby, the tiles of his small window vibrating, the wooden floor trembling and creaking as if it was going to split.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the tremors ceased. Kuroo opened his eyes again and came out from under the table, breathless. His boyfriend immediately embraced him to soothe him. The brunet scanned the room: there were no major damages to report, except for a glass that had shattered on the floor. He looked at the table; their entire meal was scattered across it.
"Oh damn it, my katsudon... I really shouldn't have broken those chopsticks."
Kōtarō chuckled, relieved to see that his lover was well enough to joke.
Kuroo smiled despite himself. He looked up: the bulb hanging above them was still on.
He frowned.
The light was still on...
"Kō, did the light go out?"
The latter followed his gaze.
"Uh, I don't think so."
That meant the electricity hadn't been cut off, and the gas likely hadn't either.
"We need to get out," he urged.
"What?"
"I might be overreacting, but we need to get out. This isn't normal."
Detecting his concern, Bokuto nodded. They grabbed their backpacks and quickly left the apartment. They encountered other residents going down as well and finally found themselves outside. About ten people were waiting on the sidewalk across the street from the building, and they crossed over to join them. Apparently, he hadn't been the only one worried that nothing had been cut off during the earthquake. Once outside, Kuroo glanced around: there didn't seem to be any major damage. The earthquake hadn't been that violent after all...
"Well, I guess that's it," he finally declared.
Kōtarō nodded.
“Better be safe than sor…”
Suddenly, a huge explosion sounded behind them. Instinctively, they ducked and covered their faces.
Kuroo was unharmed, and so was Kōtarō. He straightened up and gasped in shock as he turned his gaze back to his building: the apartment just below his had caught on fire, the windows had blown out in the explosion, and flames were already stretching inside. He heard someone next to him calling the firefighters. Kuroo stood in front of the disaster, unable to react. He felt Kōtarō take his hand. Helpless, Tetsurō watched the flames spread. Soon, they spread to the upper floor.
His phone vibrated, and he finally looked away: it was Kenma calling.
He answered, his voice sounding weirdly calm.
"Are you okay? Are you both okay?" panicked the blond.
Kuroo didn't respond, staring ahead with empty eyes.
"Ji, are you okay?"
"Uh, yeah... We're okay."
"Good, that's a relief, I..."
"But my apartment is on fire."
"What?! Did you manage to get out?!"
"Oh yes, we're in front of..."
"...Alright, okay, I'm coming to get you."
Kōtarō, who must have heard the response, took the phone from his hands:
"No, Kenma! Don't take the car! If there's an aftershock... and he hung up, fuck.”
By the time the firefighters arrived, three floors were ablaze.
By the time Kenma arrived, his apartment had finished burning.
"I swear, I’ll never break chopsticks again.”
Black cats bring bad luck. Kuroo Tetsurō didn't earn the nickname "Jiji the black cat" for nothing.
But they were okay. Kōtarō was okay.
So once again, Tetsurō Kuroo lost his entire wardrobe... and much more this time.
But they were okay.
The sound of the explosion echoed in his ears for days afterwards.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Next Chapter: Mugi Urushi
Oikawa Tōru had two passions in life: astrobiology and fashion. As a child, he dreamed of becoming the first intergalactic fashion designer.
Over time, he realized he would never reconcile his two passions, but that didn’t mean he had completely given up either! He chose biology, yes, but at least he was the most stylish nerd of all, and that alone, was very precious to him.
“Look at that one,” he thought, having noticed someone entering the lecture hall wearing a hideous two-tone shirt in purple and candy pink with fluorescent yellow stripes. Hideous. The abomination of a shirt was paired with canary yellow pants, Oikawa swore he’d never seen something that horrendous before.
He squinted. The strange bird was getting closer and closer; it was clear he was coming straight towards him now: the audacity! He certainly didn’t want this individual to sit near him, no way he… Oh…
“Kuroo?”
Chapter 39: Mugi Urushi
Summary:
Oikawa Tōru had two passions in life: astrobiology and fashion. As a child, he dreamed of becoming the first intergalactic fashion designer.
Over time, he realized he would never reconcile his two passions, but that didn’t mean he had completely given up either! He chose biology, yes, but at least he was the most stylish nerd of all, and that alone, was very precious to him.
"Look at that," he thought, having noticed someone entering the lecture hall wearing a hideous two-tone shirt in purple and candy pink with fluorescent yellow stripes. Hideous. The abomination of a shirt was paired with canary-yellow trousers, Oikawa swore he'd never seen anything so horrible.
He squinted. The strange bird was getting closer and closer; it was clear he was coming straight towards him now: the audacity! He certainly didn’t want this individual to sit near him, no way he… Oh…
He finally recognized the person in question:
“Kuroo?”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
-
To whom it may concern,
I am writing to inform you that my apartment, located at 5 Chome-6-3 Nishinippori, Arakawa City, Tokyo 116-0013, Japan, was completely destroyed on the night of October 28th due to a fire caused by a gas leak following the earthquake that occurred on the same day at 8:41 PM. The damages affect the entirety of the apartment.
I am sending you the fire department's report, photographs taken a few hours after the fire, as well as a detailed list of the destroyed material possessions, and the corresponding invoices.
I remain at your full disposal, as well as at the expert's so that an assessment of the damages can be made and your insurance company can proceed with the compensation.
Sincerely,
Kuroo Tetsurō
-//-
Kuroo had made a list of the items lost in the fire. It wasn’t much really… He managed to save his computer and his phone. He didn't lose much really: clothes, kitchen utensils, his brand-new kotatsu... The photos of Kenma and him when they were kids, the little note his mother had slipped into the package she had sent him a few weeks ago, the half-dead begonia that Keiji and he had found on one of their dates, his notes, the hideous t-shirt that Kōtarō had given him with a rat playing the banjo, a few books...
Looking at his list, Kuroo thought he had been lucky. He hadn’t come with much, he hadn’t accumulated much... It wasn’t that bad in the end... He was fine, Kōtarō was fine too...
His boyfriends had taken him in, of course, and he had a place to stay. He was used to spending time there, so there were already a few clothes, his toothbrush, his hairbrush... His situation wasn’t so terrible after all, he had just been a bit shaken up. Right?
-//-
“Yes, Mom everything is fine! I already told you so yesterday!”
“I’m just worried about you, baby. It’s very kind of Kenma to let you stay with him for now. Are you sure it’s not bothering him?”
“No, Mom, don’t worry.”
“But he doesn’t live alone, does he? He has roommates, right? Maybe it’s a bother for them, you know…”
“No, don’t worry.”
“Do you know them well? Do you get along with them?”
Kuroo held back a chuckle: considering he was in a romantic and sexually fulfilling relationship with them, yes, he could say they got along well. Kōtarō, half-sprawled on him on the couch, didn’t bother to hold back a laugh.
“Yes, I know them well, and I get along with them.”
“Well… But you need to find a solution, you can’t stay there indefinitely.”
Kuroo met Kenma’s gaze, who was sitting on the carpet in front of him.
“Don’t worry, Mom, I…”
“Is Kenma there? I want to talk to him.”
“Yes, he’s here but…”
“Okay, wait, I’ll call you on video, so I can see you and Kenma too.”
“No, wait, I…”
Too late, his mother was already starting the video call. Panicked, Kuroo scrambled off the couch, accidentally kneeing his boyfriend in the head, tripped over another one, and ran down the hallway. The camera started, and he finally saw his mother’s face… or rather, her mouth in extreme close-up.
“Mom, move your head away from the phone.”
She complied, and he finally saw her whole face. Tetsurō couldn’t help but smile, despite everything, he was glad to see her.
“I’m happy to see you. You look like you’re doing well.”
“See! I told you so, everything’s fine.”
“Well, show me Kenma now.”
“Okay, okay.”
Kuroo returned to the living room and sat on the carpet, keeping Kenma out of the frame so he could choose not to be on camera. He caught Kōtarō’s eye on the couch, who was still rubbing his head.
“Sorry,” Kuroo muttered.
Kōtarō rolled his eyes and finally got up to leave the room, giving them a bit more privacy.
“What?”
“Nothing, uh…”
Kenma leaned into the camera’s view.
“Hello, Hatsuko-san.”
“Kenma-kun, my boy! Nice to see you again, too bad it’s under such circumstances. Thank you so much for letting Tetsurō stay with you, I’m extremely grateful.”
“No problem.”
“If you need anything, let me know. Oh! And give me your address so I can send you some supplies.”
“Mom, there’s no need to…”
“Who is it?” interrupted a second voice.
Natsume appeared in the camera’.
“Your brother and Kenma-kun. He’s going to host him for a while.”
His sister looked at the camera again. She gave a knowing smile.
“Oh… I see. How generous.”
Tetsurō frowned, pretending not to understand what she was implying.
She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. She stopped when their mother turned her head towards her:
“Will you help me do some shopping to send to your brother?”
Natsume pouted.
“No, it’s boring.”
“Natsu!”
“Okay, bye losers.”
“Oh… sorry for her attitude, Kenma-kun.”
“It’s fine,” reassured the blond, more amused than offended by the teenager’s behavior.
“ Well, all good then. Tetsu, I’ll send everything quickly. Take care of yourselves, boys. If you need anything, I’m here.”
“Okay, Mom, talk to you later.”
“Kisses!”
“Bye, Mom.”
He hung up and let out a long sigh.
A few seconds later, his phone rang again. This time, it was a message from his younger sister in their group chat:
"And they were roommates."
Kuroo rolled his eyes. Poor girl, she thought she was teasing him! He wasn’t going to blush over something so trivial.
He did blush stupidly nonetheless.
“Ji,” Kenma finally called.
“Hmm?”
“Hmm… we talked about it with Kōtarō and Keiji, but you know… um, you can, well if you want…”
Kuroo frowned.
“What?”
“Stay here indefinitely. Well, if you want to.”
Kuroo felt a surge of conflicting emotions. Strangely, he hadn’t really thought about it. He hadn’t considered the possibility that his situation could be permanent… Heck, he wasn’t even sure he had fully grasped his situation yet… He thought hearing this would simply fill him with joy, but the feelings inside him were far more complex: joy, yes, but also fear, anxiety, and a whirlwind of emotions he couldn’t yet name. He snapped out of his spiral when he felt Kenma take his hand. He looked up: the blond was smiling at him.
“Oh… um. I…”
“You don’t have to answer now… And of course, you don’t have to say yes. It’s a big step, I understand that… But know that if you want to, you can. Okay?”
“Okay…”
Kenma nodded. He leaned in to kiss him and then stood up.
“I’m going to work for a bit.”
“Okay, see you later.”
“See you later.”
And he left. Kuroo found himself alone in the living room, still a bit stunned by what had just happened. He looked down at his phone again:
"And they were roommates."
-//-
Oikawa Tōru had two passions in life: astrobiology and fashion. As a child, he dreamed of becoming the first intergalactic fashion designer.
Over time, he realized he would never reconcile his two passions, but that didn’t mean he had completely given up either! He chose biology, yes, but at least he was the most stylish nerd of all, and that alone, was very precious to him.
"Look at that," he thought, having noticed someone entering the lecture hall wearing a hideous two-tone shirt in purple and candy pink with fluorescent yellow stripes. Hideous. The abomination of a shirt was paired with canary-yellow trousers, Oikawa swore he'd never seen anything so horrible.
He couldn't help but make a face of disgust and disdain. He wondered who this individual could possibly be associated with, dressed like that: no one would want to be seen in the presence of such an eyesore.
The 'eyesore' in question was coming towards him.
He squinted: he had forgotten his contact lenses and wouldn’t put on his glasses until the lecture started, so he couldn’t quite make out the face of this fashion heretic. The strange bird was getting closer and closer; it was clear he was coming straight towards him now: the audacity! He certainly didn’t want this individual to sit near him, no way he… Oh…
He finally recognized the person in question:
“Kuroo?”
“Yo,” greeted his friend before sitting down next to him.
Oikawa watched him unpack his things, deeply dismayed.
“Everything’s okay?” his friend finally asked, noticing the look on his face.
“Okay? You’re asking if I’m okay, what the hell are you wearing?”
The brunet looked down at the offending attire.
“Oh, these are Kōtarō’s clothes, he’s the closest to my size. I don’t have many clothes left, so…”
“Just because he’s the closest in size doesn’t mean you… wait, what do you mean, you don’t have many clothes left?”
“Oh… my apartment burned down this weekend, so I don’t have many clothes left and no apartment.”
Oikawa stared at him, stunned.
“What? Your apartment burned down?”
“Yeah, after Saturday’s earthquake, the apartment below mine exploded because of a gas leak.”
“It exploded ?! What! Kuroo, you… what?! Why didn’t you tell us anything?”
“Oh… I forgot.”
“You forgot to tell us your building exploded?!”
“Not the whole building, just the apartment below mine, the rest burned down.”
“Just brurn d… Kuroo!”
Oikawa looked at his friend from head to toe:
“Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt?”
“Yeah, I’m fine… Kōtarō was with me, we managed to get out in time.”
He indeed didn’t seem to have any physical injuries, but he must have taken a serious hit on the head!
“Don’t worry, I’m fine…”
“But… Kuroo!”
“I didn’t want to worry you guys. And with the insurance claim and everything, I kind of forgot…”
Oikawa's eyes softened.
“I understand, but you could have told us… Are you okay? Do you need anything? Tell me if you need anything…”
“Don’t worry… I’m at Kenma’s for now.”
Oikawa fell silent, though he kept a concerned eye on him.
“Hi,” greeted Chris, putting his things next to Kuroo’s.
His two friends turned to look at him, and the blond quickly realized something was wrong.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s fine…” started Tetsurō.
“Kuroo’s apartment burned down this weekend and he didn’t tell us!”
“What?”
“Oikawa…”
Chris looked at him, deeply shocked.
“Don’t worry Chris, I’m fine.”
“I’m a little worried…”
“No, I… it’s fine… Oikawa, what are you doing?” asked the brunet when he noticed that his friend was frantically typing on his phone.
“I’m letting the group know, if you won’t do it, someone has to…”
“No, wait!” intervened Kuroo, trying to take his phone away.
Oikawa still managed to avoid him.
“Done,” he declared, placing his phone back on the table. “After class, you’re coming with me, I can’t let you walk around like that!”
Kuroo quickly realized he had no say in the matter... The class was about to start anyway...
His phone kept vibrating throughout the next two hours. Great, now the entire CATO gang was yelling at him, exactly what he had hoped to avoid. After a while, he decided to take a look.
He smiled, noticing that everyone had sent warm messages of support… after promising to give him a proper scolding once they saw him again.
-//-
Tetsurō stepped out of the fitting room and was instantly met with four pairs of eyes. He sighed:
"Someone’s going to have to explain to me why you all decided to play fashion critics today..."
Oikawa raised an eyebrow and lowered his glasses.
"Excuse me? You would have preferred I let you walk around dressed like that?"
"Not you, Oikawa... But I do wonder what the rest of you are doing here."
Sugawara looked genuinely surprised:
"I just work here..."
"Yeah, and I'm assisting. You owe me for not even telling us!" Yamaguchi pleaded.
"I'm here to make fun of you," Tsukishima replied.
At least that was honest...
"Turn around," Oikawa ordered.
Kuroo sighed but complied. His jury scrutinized him, collectively satisfied with the outfit.
"Next," Oikawa commanded.
Tetsurō returned to the fitting room to try on the next outfit.
"Did you manage to get the insurance to work?" Sugawara asked from the other side of the curtain.
"Yeah... but to be clear, I didn't have much to begin with. I managed to save my computer and my phone... The rest wasn't worth much..."
He stepped out again, and his little group seemed pleasantly surprised by the outfit.
"This one is nice, killing ass, love it," Yamaguchi complimented him. "Are you staying at Kenma’s?"
"Thanks. Yeah, I'm staying with them for now."
"Are you planning to get another apartment?" Sugawara asked.
As he was about to return to the fitting room, Kuroo gave up. He sighed and replied:
"Honestly, I don't know... I need to talk it over with them but..."
"But?"
"Kenma offered me to stay... indefinitely."
The news left the little group momentarily stunned.
"Oh really? That's great!" Yamaguchi commented.
Kuroo forced a smile.
"You don’t look thrilled," Sugawara noted.
"No, it’s not that... I don't know but..."
Kuroo gave up on returning to the fitting room and turned around. He sat down on the floor.
"I don't know..."
"Oh... Is everything okay between you guys?" Sugawara asked.
"Yes, everything's fine! Perfectly fine!"
"You're not used to living with people, is that it?" Yamaguchi tried to guess.
"No... it's just... I don't know... It feels a bit rushed, right? Maybe it's going too fast... We've only been together for a few months..."
"And? There aren't really any rules. If you all want it, what's the problem?"
"Plus, it saves you rent."
A pertinent remark by Tsukishima... Indeed, at least three-quarters of his scholarship would no longer be needed for rent.
"Yeah... I don't know... Maybe it's too fast... I thought we'd be further along when this might potentially happen..."
"Honestly, you've already shared a cycle with them. That's a much more significant step, living together isn't that monumental, right?" Yamaguchi observed. The rest of the group seemed to agree with him.
"Exactly... It's a lot all at once, right?"
"...No. But it's up to you to decide..."
"No, but... And then... It didn't happen... consensually. I mean, it just sort of fell on me without me seeing it coming... I don't want them to... I don't want them to agree to this because they think they have to... Maybe it's not the right time..."
"Hmm, I see what you mean..."
"See, I…"
"But... I don't know if I'd go as far as to say it's not the right time... Sometimes life pushes you, and... it's not necessarily a bad thing... Honestly, Tsukki and I started living together because I got kicked out of my clan and would have ended up on the street otherwise, and it's fine, I still think it was a good decision and I regret nothing."
Tsukishima gave a tender smile and took his mate's hand in his.
"Don't say that Tadashi, I wouldn't have let you end up on the street," Sugawara intervened.
"You weren't far off yourself, I'd never have let you bear that burden and..."
"You're never a burden to me, Tadashi, and..."
"It doesn't matter, that's not the point," Yamaguchi cut him off. "What I mean is... sometimes things happen for a reason and that's not a bad thing either..."
"What do you mean? My apartment had to catch fire for me to live with my boyfriends?" Kuroo remarked sarcastically.
"No... not like that... But... You sometimes have to take what comes."
"Hmm... When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, all that shit?"
"Kind of yes… And if you’re not ready, I don't see what stops you from taking your time," Oikawa interjected. "You can always get another apartment and see how things develop later... You can choose to go at your own pace, right?"
"Hmm... Yeah..."
"Well, take the time to think it over and trust yourself. Now, go back in, we still have work to do!"
Kuroo nodded and returned to the fitting room.
Sure, he could go at his own pace... but he also didn't know what tempo to set: allegro, moderato, andante? He didn't want the dance he had started to overtake him without him learning the right steps first.
-//-
Kuroo came back home with a properly refreshed wardrobe... as well as a significant hole in his budget. More importantly, he came back with a slew of doubts, a heavy burden weighing on him that he couldn't shake off.
The rest of the week went by without him taking the time to reflect further. He let the days pass through him without offering any resistance. His boyfriends hadn’t brought up the subject either, probably waiting for him to come to them once he had made a decision… which he avoided doing. In short, he was stuck in inertia.
Bokuto had summoned him this Saturday afternoon for a bit of manual activity: repairing the tea set he had shattered during his last, rather justified, case of seismophobia.
They were seated at the dining table, surrounded by all the ceramic shards, an odd disastrous puzzle they had decided to solve. Kōtarō was busy polishing one of the fragments, while Tetsurō tried to mimic his movements to handle his own little pile of broken ceramic.
"Um... How long is this supposed to take?" the brunet finally asked.
Kōtarō looked up.
"Not too long, don't over-polish it, just enough to glue the pieces back without too much trouble."
"No, I mean the whole repair?"
"Oh..."
His boyfriend leaned back in his chair, calculating the time they would need to finish this task.
"Um... between twenty days and a month, I’d say..."
Kuroo widened his eyes.
"Really?"
"Hmm... yeah... It takes about a week for the mugi urushi to dry completely... Then we have to apply the sugi urushi... wait for it to dry... um... paint with black... then red, and finally add the gold powder... so yeah, a month I’d say..."
"That's super long!"
Kōtarō caught his gaze again.
"A bit, yeah..."
He smiled.
"But healing takes time..."
Tetsurō frowned: now he had to heal inanimate objects ?!
Kōtarō simply nodded. He pulled a small glass square from a little box and placed it in front of him.
"My grandmother told me when I was younger that kintsugi is a bit like a journey... It’s the beginning of a new cycle, a new life."
Bokuto carefully sprinkled a few grams of flour on the glass square, then, in a detached and controlled gesture, formed a few drops of water around it with a pipette. He then took a white tube from the small black box next to him and squeezed out a thick brown paste.
"What is that?" Tetsurō asked, watching each of his boyfriend's movements attentively.
"Urushi sap. We use it to make the 'Mugi Urushi' which will glue the pieces back together."
"Oh... okay..."
Tetsurō watched him start mixing everything with a wooden spatula. Each of his movements was slow, calculated, and precise, which fascinated the brunet. It was strange to see Kōtarō like this, in such a calm and peaceful trance... Tetsurō didn’t expect him to be able to pull that off. To his defense, he had seen him just a few hours earlier attempting to pour rice into a jar: half of the rice ended up on the floor.
"It takes ten years from the planting of this tree to the harvest… About 200 grams can be harvested..."
"Not very economical," remarked the brunet.
Bokuto let out a chuckle.
"Maybe..."
The paste had now become brown and elastic. He handed Tetsurō a wooden spatula, which he took without really knowing what he was supposed to do with it. Kōtarō took a portion of the brown paste and applied it to the broken parts of the ceramic. The brunet watched him attentively, before imitating his movements.
"Sometimes it takes time..."
Tetsurō looked up but Kōtarō's eyes remained on his work, continuing to apply the mugi urushi on each break.
"Kintsugi is about repairing objects by highlighting their scars, acknowledging the time that has passed, and the impact it has had on us, on the objects..."
Kōtarō put down the spatula and picked up the shards, placing each one back in its original position so the cup could regain its original shape.
"How these cracks have changed the object... There’s no point trying to erase what has already happened..."
He cut a few pieces of marking tape and placed them across the cracks.
"What matters is what we do with it afterwards. So yes, it takes a bit of time..."
Kōtarō moved to sit beside him. He guided his hands, and Tetsurō felt all the pieces fitting back together, finding their original place.
"It takes time for all the pieces to come together, for the cracks to close... It takes time to identify and recognise the marks made, to remember them so that we can improve them as much as possible".
Kuroo turned and finally caught his boyfriend's gaze. He smiled, and Tetsurō felt his heart lighten. They stayed like that for a long time. Finally, Tetsurō leaned in to kiss him, Kōtarō closed his eyes and welcomed his lips.
They eventually parted and Kōtarō returned to his original place to retrieve the freshly repaired cup. Earlier, they had prepared a box, lined the bottom with paper, and placed a damp towel around the edges; Bokuto placed the cup inside and invited the brunet to do the same.
"It needs a temperature between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius and high humidity for the paste to dry properly," he explained before closing the box. "Now we wait."
Tetsurō looked at the box, then at his boyfriend. The storm inside him had quieted... Kōtarō had strangely found the right words when he didn't even realise that was what he needed to hear all along.
Everything that had happened recently: Keiji's overdose, the command, Kenma's bad episode, the torpor, his apartment... All of it had affected him more than he dared to admit, none of it was trivial. So yes, maybe he had the right, even the duty, to take some time, to let everything calm down, for the pieces of himself, the little fragments, to find their original places. For him to regain his unity before moving forward.
"Come on, we need to take care of the teapot before the paste dries."
-//-
"Here you have a small kitchen with an oven, you don't see that everywhere, I can tell you that! On your right, the bathroom, the water thermostat is just at the entrance, and the control panel for the ofuro is right here".
Tetsurō vaguely nodded, sweeping his gaze across the room. The real estate agent kept talking, but he was already tuning out his words.
Earlier this week, he had received a phone call from his mother. Full of good intentions, she had started looking for apartments for him. Not wanting her efforts to go to waste, and still wanting to give it a try, Kuroo had contacted the agencies to arrange a few visits. One of the agencies had agreed to start the visits that very afternoon. He had gone directly after his classes. He hadn’t told anyone. No need to bother anyone, right?
This was already his third visit. The apartments on offer were relatively close to each other, uni was just around the corner, in a much nicer neighborhood than his old one. It was even quite close to the CATO! The apartments were small, sure, but not much smaller than his previous place, and the standard was much higher for a reasonable price: new, clean, with hot water… Perfect in every way.
However, none of them completely thrilled the brunet. Throughout his visits, a heaviness had settled within him, a deep-rooted melancholia. He was pulled from his reflections when the real estate agent's phone rang.
"Oh, I'm really sorry, I have to take this call. Feel free to look around, I'll be back shortly."
He bowed and left the apartment, leaving Kuroo alone.
He had always found solitude pleasant, relaxing even. So why did it feel so suffocating today? He returned to the main room, his footsteps echoing around. He sat on the floor, letting his gaze drift over the small place, over and over.
"It's not too bad," he thought, still trying to convince himself.
"No," his mind screamed in response.
He sighed.
Without realizing it, he had gotten used to it—to not being alone. He had gotten used to them.
Waking up with them every morning. Going for a run with Kōtarō. Meeting Kenma in the evening to pick up Keiji from the Fukuro. Kenma grumbling about the slow internet, Keiji reading in the living room, singing horribly off-key with Kōtarō while cooking…
It had grown on him over time. He was profoundly happy to live with them.
He had always thought of himself as a lone wolf. Turns out, he needed his pack too.
He thought that this fear that had been with him for some time was born of the abruptness of his situation.
He thought he was just afraid of rushing things, of missing the bit, of losing the rhythm. He was afraid that living with them would change their dynamic, or so he thought. But their dynamic had already changed: their bonds were stronger, deeper.
Somewhere deep inside he knew it. He knew that he liked the idea of staying with them.
No.
He was sure of it, from the beginning, he knew it: he wanted to stay at their side. It didn't matter that it had only been a few months, he didn't care. He was sure now, and he didn't doubt for a second that it was the right decision.
So, where did this fear come from?
His phone vibrated and he looked down. It was a text from his mother.
"So, how are the visits going?"
Tetsurō felt his heart tighten.
"How am I going to tell them?"
Kuroo widened his eyes, surprised that this was the first thought that came to him.
Oh...
What if he wasn't afraid of making the wrong decision? What if he was actually scared of making the right one? He knew that if he agreed to live with his boyfriends, there would be no turning back.
He wasn't scared of losing everything.
No.
Living with them would mean that he would not be able to hide anymore, that was what he was afraid of. He couldn’t really hide anymore... Of course, he could still keep silent. After all, there was nothing suspicious about living with three grown men, especially in a city as densely populated as Tokyo, where people lived on top of each other. He he wouldn't be able to lie forever.
He had long understood that, despise coming out to them years ago, his parents, while not rejecting him, had tacitly decided never to bring up the subject again. Kuroo had come to terms with it, but it was still painful. Painful because he couldn't share with them what he was experiencing, what he was going through, whether it made him happy or not, as if he was living a secret life that had to remain untold.
He was aware that he was in a privileged environment, in the sense that he had surrounded himself with people who understood him, who supported him, who loved him. It wasn’t the case for everyone, he was aware of that.
The return to reality was brutal...
He knew that most people wouldn't understand, but he had made peace with it years ago...
What he hadn't prepared for, what no one could really prepare for, was the rejection of his family.
Would his parents understand?
Probably not.
Would he have to lie to them for years and years?
Would they eventually find out?
And if they did, would it change the way they saw him, the way they loved him?
He thought he had gotten rid of these questions; now they were resurfacing.
Back to square one.
Tetsurō felt tears welling up in his eyes.
And his sisters... They were open-minded, and had fully supported him until now, but would they continue to do so if they knew? If it completely changed the way they saw him?
He didn’t want to lose them. He didn’t want to have to choose between his family and his lovers...
He couldn't just wait; time wouldn't fix anything. Maybe he was foolishly in love, but he wasn't ready to part with his boyfriends, he wanted to continue his journey with them as far as he could. He would never fit into the neat little boxes that his parents, his grandparents, and everyone would have liked. He already knew that, nothing new, but... it had never seemed so real to him before...
He realized it very young, long before he was ready to face it. He had to mourn all the idyllic love stories he had been fed since childhood, stories that promised a future he would never have. In their place, a deeply defeatist and pessimistic nature had spawned. He remembered when he had his first boyfriend in high school; even though he was madly in love and truly happy, there was always a little voice in his head whispering, "It won't last anyway.
He knew that eventually he would be abandoned, that eventually, the other person would come back to reality, would want to fit into the mold, would want to live in peace. In lies, yes, but peacefully.
It unfolded just as he expected: he got dumped, exactly for that reason. If it was going to end anyway, there was no need to talk about it, no need to argue, no need to introduce anyone to his family, and no need to risk losing them.
And today?
Today, the voice had fallen silent. He didn't need to listen to it anymore; he no longer feared being abandoned. Not by them.
He knew what this silence meant.
Tetsurō straightened up, grabbed his things, and left the apartment. He passed by the real estate agent, still on the phone. He quickly greeted him without giving any further explanations and hurried down the stairs. Finally, he passed through the entrance door, feeling the fresh wind whip his face. He set off, trying to distance himself as quickly as possible.
His mind was looping, unable to find any solutions.
It finally dawned on him with a sense of fatalism: he didn't have a choice, and he never truly did. The only choice he had was between living miserably or not, and he had chosen not to live miserably. No matter the cost, he would remain with them, even if it meant being disowned by his family.
In the end, he had only delayed the final verdict.
His legs refused to carry him any further. He stopped in the middle of the street, surrounded by the crowd, watching the world go by around him. He managed to sit down on the edge of a wall. He took out his phone and stared at the last message his mother had sent him.
He replied, "Sorry, Mom."
Sorry, but I've made up my mind.
Tetsurō burst into tears.
-//-
Tetsurō looked down at his phone: 6:45 PM. No one was home yet; Kenma had probably already left to meet Keiji at the Fukuro and Kōtarō was probably still at the library working on his group project.
Perfect, that gave him some time to collect himself. He grimaced when he saw his reflection on the phone screen: he had cried so much, his eyes were swollen and his face irritated. Yes, he didn't need anyone to see him like this; he wasn't really in the mood to talk right now.
When he looked up, he noticed two figures standing in front of the gate of the house. He squinted, trying to determine who they might be. He gasped as he recognized them: it was Yūma Maeda and Naruhito Nakayama, Kōtarō's parents.
He froze. Damn it! What were they doing here?
He could just... turn around, right? He wasn't really in the mood and...
Who was he kidding, of course he couldn't.
"I told you we should call them Yūma; they're not here," said Nakayama.
"I know my dandelion, but it wouldn't have been a surprise if we’d called beforehand, right? It's okay, we can come back another time," replied her mate.
Kuroo sighed.
He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and stepped forward.
"Nakayama-san, Yūma-san."
The two turned around. A sunny smile spread across Yūma's lips when she recognized him.
"Oh, Tetsurō-kun, there you are!"
Nakayama-san didn't seem particularly thrilled to run into him. Nevertheless, he remained polite and greeted him with a bow. Kuroo did the same before speaking again.
"Um... I'm sorry, Kōtarō isn't here... No one's here yet, actually..."
"Oh... That's alright, you're here," Yūma replied.
Nakayama-san nodded.
"Oh, uh..."
Silence hung in the air for several seconds.
"Do you still want to... come in?"
"With pleasure, Tetsurō-kun."
He nodded adwardly and walked past them to unlock the gate. No words were exchanged until they were finally inside.
"Kenma and Keiji shouldn't be too long, but I'm not sure when Kōtarō will be back. I'll send him a message, but... well, that's it," he said.
"It's alright. We also wanted to see you," Yūma replied.
Tetsurō blinked, surprised.
"Me?"
"Yes. Kōtarō explained to us what happened to you. We wanted to make sure everything was okay."
He was speechless, moved by their kindness.
"Oh, yes, I'm... I'm alright," he said to his "parents-in-law," his eyes swollen with tears. Very convincing, Tetsu! He stood there, saying nothing.
"We brought you some clothes if you need them. They belonged to our elders, but they're still in very good shape," Kōtarō's mom said, sliding the large shopping bag off her shoulder and handing it to him.
He took it, unable to respond, overwhelmed. He glanced inside the bag; a bunch of clothes had been neatly folded. No way! They shouldn't have done this while he was still so emotional ! Don't cry, Tetsu, don't cry! He felt tears welling up in his eyes, but he held them back.
"Thank you very much," he finally said, bowing.
Maeda-san smiled at him. She handed him a second bag.
"We also brought you some groceries. There's some fresh stuff; you should put it in the fridge soon," she indicated.
Kuroo nodded, took the bag, and headed towards the kitchen. He turned back before reaching his destination, remembering that he still had to play host and make a good impression.
"Would you like some tea?"
"With pleasure."
He nodded and went off again. He put the water on to boil and started unpacking the groceries. He was touched to see that most of the items had been bought for four people. It was a small gesture, but he felt recognized and included. This indicated that he had been fully accepted, and it moved him.
Damn it! Now he had tears in his eyes again! Damn it, Tetsu, stop! Where's toxic masculinity when you need it? Fuck!
He regained composure when the kettled whistled. He prepared some green tea and three cups, which he placed on a tray and carried to the main room.
He stopped: Nakayama-san and Yūma-san were standing in front of the buffet under the window in the living room, where there were many picture frames. Yūma had her arm around her mate, and they were talking in low voices. Nakayama-san turned to her and gave her a tender smile. He planted a kiss on her temple before turning his eyes back to the photo.
How long had they been together? At least twenty-five years, right? They still looked in love. Tetsurō smiled, touched and at peace.
He finally looked away, walked over to the table and set the tray down, trying to clink the china to get his guests' attention without having to call them out.
It was effective; upon hearing it, they separated and came towards him. As Kuroo busied himself with setting the cup on the table, Nakayama noticed the cardboard box at the end of the table and walked over to it. He opened the flaps of the box and took out one of the cups that Kōtarō and he had repaired. He turned it over, examining it closely.
"Oh, um... Kōtarō is teaching me Kintsugi at the moment," he explained, more to fill the silence than anything else.
Nakayama-san glanced at him before looking away again. He nodded and finally said, "It's a beautiful piece."
Maeda-san turned her eyes to her mate.
"Wow, I didn't know he could do that. Did you teach him?"
Nakayama shook his head.
"No, my mother did."
"Oh."
Nakayama placed the object back, carefully closed the box, and came to sit next to his wife.
Kuroo served them, trying to be as delicate as he was physically capable of, which wasn't much, but still presentable.
Yūma started the conversation, obviously trying to calm him down. It worked, and Tetsurō finally relaxed. It didn't last long, though, and he tensed up again when Nakayama-san spoke:
"Kōtarō told us that you spent their cycle with them."
Tetsurō couldn't quite tell what Nakayama-san was really thinking from his tone. He didn't know how to respond, not feeling quite comfortable discussing the subject with his in-laws, especially with Nakayama-san.
"Oh, um, yes," he said.
"I didn't expect it to happen so quickly," Nakayama-san said.
What was that supposed to mean exactly?!
"Me neither," he replied, surprising his interlocutors.
"But, uh, in a good way," the brunet tried to justify.
"Good."
Yūma turned her gaze towards her mate, insisting. This visibly upset Nakayama-san, who tensed noticeably.
"Kuroo-san."
The soberness of his tone surprised Kuroo, who almost jumped.
"Yes?"
He tensed.
"I apologize for my words during our first encounter; they were uncalled for. "
Kuroo raised an eyebrow. Had Kōtarō talked to him about it or had he realized it himself? Either way, he nodded vaguely.
"I have to say it bothered me a bit at first, but I don't think it was unreasonable."
His remark surprised his interlocutors.
"I thought about it and I realized that yeah... I couldn't bring the same thing to the table, that's just the reality of it, I guess... But it allowed me to see what I could do on my level. Um, well, that's it. Thank you."
He bowed.
His intervention seemed to have deeply surprised Nakayama-san, positively he hoped... Yūma smiled at him.
"I think it's very mature of you."
Tetsurō didn't know what to say.
"I am glad you're by my son's side."
Phew, stop! Not now, when he was so emotional! Don't cry, Tetsu, don't cry!
Why were these people, whom he did not know so well, whom he had seen only a few hours before, so kind to him?
He let out a smile and nodded, not quite sure what else to say.
"I understand you moved in here after the incident," Maeda-san began.
"Yes."
"Oh, and what would you like to do? Find another apartment? We have an acquaintance who works in that field” she turned to her mate, “ Yumiko-san, right?”
Kuroo tensed, but he tried to keep up appearances.
"Naru, do you have her number? Oh, you'll see, she's very good and..."
Her gaze landed on Kuroo.
"Oh..."
Kuroo tried to remain as neutral as possible, but he was already caught.
A smile spread across Yūma's lips.
"That's not what you want, is it?" she murmured.
Her gaze met his. Tetsurō felt his throat tighten. He looked away and nodded.
"I think so."
His eyes welled up with tears. He shook his head to try to regain his composure.
He leaned in to apologize.
"I'm sorry, I... I'm a bit... um..."
He didn't bother to finish his sentence.
The two exchanged a look.
"Oh, it's normal to feel a little overwhelmed, it's a big change, but I'm sure everything will be fine."
Kuroo glanced at them. He hesitated.
Well, now that he was here, what could go wrong really?
"Yes, maybe but... I have confidence in us, it's just that..."
Thoughts started to jumble in his head.
"Um... My parents aren't really aware of... my situation. I'm not exactly from the same world, I'm not sure if they would understand... I don't plan on telling them anytime soon, but... But I realized that... eventually it will happen... I'm just afraid of... their reaction and... losing them".
He suddenly felt so small. So fragile and tiny in front of the two of them.
"Oh... Tetsurō-kun... I'm really sorry, it must not be easy to live with. I don't know your parents, but I know one thing: if they love you, they will eventually understand, even if it may take some time. Believe me, even if you think you don't come from the same world, I can understand what you're feeling."
She turned her gaze towards her mate. The latter looked at her with infinite tenderness. Kuroo didn't know what they had been through together, but he knew that indeed, they understood.
She met his gaze again.
"And even if that's not the case, know that you will always be one of ours now."
Oh... Here came the final blow!
Tetsurō's vision became blurry, clouded with tears.
Luckily for him and his dignity, the door opened, and Kenma and Keiji appeared.
"I'll make some more tea," Kuroo said, getting up to disappear into the kitchen.
"Oh, Maeda-san, Nakayama-san," Akaashi greeted upon noticing his in-laws.
"Keiji-kun, Kenma-kun, nice to see you," Yūma said.
Kuroo heard her steps echoing on the parquet as they approached them.
"Kōtarō, move, your parents are here," Kenma shouted from the staircase.
Tetsurō chuckled as he heard Kōtarō stomping up the stairs like an overweight elephant.
"Oh, ‘to-san, ‘ka-san, what are you doing here?"
"We just came to say hello, baby."
Kōtarō let their conversation become nothing more than distant sounds. He took a deep breath.
He smiled. The fear was still within him, but it was now wrapped up in a soft, soothing blanket.
He snapped back to reality upon hearing the kettle.
He made a new teapot and joined everyone.
Kōtarō's parents stayed for another hour.
When they left, Tetsurō joined his boyfriend to see them off at the gate.
"Oh, and 'ka-san, can you tell Daddy to resend me that guy's link?"
"That guy's link?"
"He'll know, just tell him."
"Got it, see you later, my dear. Tetsurō-kun, it was a pleasure to see you again."
Kuroo smiled at her and nodded.
"Likewise.”
"Good. Naru, I'll go get the car, I'll come pick you up."
His mate nodded, and Maeda-san walked away, waving enthusiastically.
Kōtarō continued to talk with his father, childishly grumbling when the latter gave him a bunch of recommendations to maintain a good lifestyle.
The car finally arrived.
"It was nice to meet you again, Nakayama-san," Tetsurō greeted politely as he bowed.
"Naruhito."
Kuroo looked up, startled.
"Sorry?"
Had he misheard him?
"You can call me Naruhito."
Though deeply shocked, Kuroo bowed again.
"Okay... Naruhito-san."
He just nodded.
He bid them farewell and finally turned on his heels.
Kōtarō also seemed deeply shocked by what he had just witnessed.
"Damn, what did you say to him, he never... are you crying?"
"No...," Kuroo lied with tears in his eyes.
Gosh, what an exhausting day it had been.
-//-
Tetsurō looked up from his phone.
The timing was perfect: all four of them were in the living room, each one minding his own business as they sat together in peaceful silence.
If Kuroo wanted to talk to them, he had to take the chance now. He had already waited for two days, he couldn't delay the conversation any longer.
He also hadn't replied to his mother since his cryptic melodramatic text... Not ideal, sure, but he figured he'd find a way to make it look trivial, as he didn't want to raise any suspicion.
He would deal with that later.
As he was about to speak, Kōtarō got up from the couch yawning and headed to the kitchen.
Of course. Just when he'd finally summoned the courage to talk to them, they were scattering!
Hope rose again when Kōtarō came back from the kitchen and sat behind Kuroo to hug him.
Even better! Come on, Tetsu, be brave.
"Hmm," he began.
This caught the attention of Kenma and Keiji, who looked in his direction.
"I... Kōtarō, what are you doing?"
The latter began to sniff loudly and finally sneezed like a tiny poodle.
"It's your sweater, it smells like Nao's...
He sneezed again...
“Your parents said he hasn't worn it in a long time, and I rewashed it, how can it smell like your brother?"
"I have no idea."
"Well... um, I wanted to talk to you guys about something. Babe, what are you doing?"
Kōtarō had started rubbing his head against Tetsurō's back. Tetsurō wasn't fooled; he knew exactly what his boyfriend was trying to do: he wanted to mark his clothes to replace the smell of his brother with his own. However, Tetsurō wasn't a fan of this territorial marking technique, especially since he did not consider himself a "territory" to be marked.
"Nothing, I just wanted to..."
"I don't care, stop that," he cut him off.
"But I want to give you a hug, I..."
"If you want to hug, just hug, but I'm not a carpet, don't do that!"
"What does that have to do with the carpet?"
"I'm not a piece of furniture, stop! And it smells like laundry!"
"No babe, I swear! I..."
He was interrupted by a growl from Kenma. Sheepishly, Kōtarō finally fell silent. He stopped his rubbing and simply rested his head on his shoulder.
"You wanted to tell us something?" Keiji finally intervened.
"Yes," he tapped on Kōtarō's hand, which had begun rubbing his wrist against his side, "I...," he took a deep breath, "I went to visit some apartments last Wednesday."
The announcement took everyone by surprise.
"Oh... And... What did you think?" Keiji ventured to ask.
His gaze shifted from Keiji to Kenma, Kōtarō tightened his embrace.
"I... um... it felt weird, to be honest."
"Weird?"
He nodded, before averting his eyes.
"Yes... I think I've gotten used to... living here. I felt... lonely. And..."
His gaze found the blond's.
"Kenma, about what you told me before, I... I think I want to stay here... indefinitely. Well... if you all agree of course."
Silence stretched between them.
"Well, maybe it'll be a bit cramped, but... it's up to you. I... well, I think that..."
Kuroo trailed off. Kenma was smiling at him.
He stood up, and Tetsurō’s eyes followed him, unsure of what to expect. Kenma crouched in front of him, his hands gently cradling his face. Their eyes met.
"Stay," Kenma murmured.
Then he leaned in to kiss him. Kuroo smiled into the kiss. Kōtarō tightened his grip around him, chirping, also apparently delighted with his decision. Tetsurō met Keiji's gaze.
Keiji smiled and straighted up. Kenma moved aside to make room for him, and Keiji came to sit in front of him. Keiji pressed his forehead against Kuroo's, and he murmured:
"Of course I agree..."
He hugged him. Kenma did the same.
There, in the arms of his lovers, Tetsurō knew that he had made the right decision.
No matter what the future held for him, he was sure that he had chosen the right path.
"Your sweater kinda smells like Nao," Kenma commented.
"Ah, see, I told you!"
"Okay okay, enough, I'll wash it again! But stop doing that!"
That's what he had chosen to get himself into.
Once their routine was back on track, Tetsurō took out his phone and opened the conversation with his mother. She had been worried about his response, and he hadn't taken the time to reassure her.
"Don't worry," he typed. "I've already found my home."
Their home.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Thanks for reading :)
Next chapter: “Under water”
"Hey."
Tetsurō looked up from his biochemistry book and turned his eyes to Kōtarō. The latter was barricaded behind a mountain of open books and scribbled notes. He gave him a tired smile.
They had begun studying together in the middle of the afternoon.
Night had fallen hours ago. Keiji had fallen asleep on his books.
"Hm?" was all Kuroo could answer.
"Happy birthday."
Chapter 40: Underwater
Summary:
"Hey."
Tetsurō looked up from his biochemistry book and turned his eyes to Kōtarō. The latter was barricaded behind a mountain of open books and scribbled notes. He gave him a tired smile.
They had begun studying together in the middle of the afternoon.
Night had fallen hours ago. Keiji had fallen asleep on his books.
"Hm?" was all Kuroo could answer.
"Happy birthday."
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
--
"Don’t worry. I’ve already found my home."
At the time, the dramatic message he sent to his mother had greatly pleased him.
It was only afterwards that he regretted it: ‘dramatic’ wasn't the right register if he wanted to stay under the radar. He then tried to sidestep the issue by selling his mother on all the merits of his new situation:
- He didn't have to pay rent! Who could pass up such an opportunity?
- He didn't have to buy back everything he lost in the fire. It wasn't much, but if he could avoid buying a rice cooker, utensils, and pots, it was all for the best!
The economic argument didn’t necessarily convince his mother: opportunism? Certainly not! Not in this family!
So, he decided to play a different card, a bit more emotional:
- He had company. Understand, mother! Solitude weighed heavily on him! Alone, lost in this huge city, left to fend for himself!
- He was living with his childhood best friend, and if you remember well, dear mother, that was his wish since he was but a mere child!
This time, it was hard to argue against this logic! His mother eventually accepted the situation.
She also found it a good excuse to call him several times a week to ask how he was doing. Tetsurō was fine with it; it was true that lately, he had forgotten to keep in touch with his family, and this was an opportunity to make up for it.
“Your birthday is coming up, do you have an idea of what you want?”
“Not really... But I’ll think about it and let you know if I come up with something...”
“Hmm, alright. How are you settling into your new room?”
Kuroo had now officially moved into the upstairs bedroom. Kōtarō had given it up without much remorse since he hadn’t really been sleeping there for some time, and all his belongings were already in the master bedroom downstairs. Given that he had spent many nights there for months, the acclimation hadn’t been difficult.
“Very well.”
They continued to talk for a few more minutes, Kuroo answering his mother’s increasingly odd questions: why was it important to know if there was a dog groomer in his neighborhood? Tetsurō started to wonder where she was going with that.
“Well then...”
Uh-oh.
“We don’t talk about it much but... Is everything okay in the love department?”
Kuroo froze.
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
Fuck, fuck, fuck! She usually avoided this subject! What exactly had gotten into her all of a sudden? Did his mother suspect something after all?
“No…”
Technically, he wasn’t lying -he didn’t have a boyfriend, but rather three!
“Hmm, okay, okay... And... a girlfriend?”
Tetsurō rolled his eyes and sighed. Well, no, his mother didn’t suspect anything… And she was still in denial!
“Oh no, don’t think that I... that I... Well, don’t sigh.”
“Mom, do you really think I would have a girlfriend?”
“I don’t know, baby.”
“You already know that’s not the case...”
He didn’t really want to confront her about it, but he was starting to get tired of this attitude.
“I know, I know, but... But since you told us, you’ve never introduced anyone to us. You’re almost 23 years old, and you’ve never talked about anyone... I’m just wondering.”
Tetsurō frowned. Did she really want to talk about this with him? It was strange to think that because he never mentioned his boyfriends to her, he would suddenly become straight! And that he would hide it from her! What a ridiculous idea!
“Just because I’ve never told you doesn’t mean it’s never happened!”
“Oh... You... you’ve had a boyfriend before?”
“Yes Mom, several.”
“And you’ve never told me!”
She seemed genuinely upset about it.
“Well, given that you just asked if I had a girlfriend, I wonder why that is!”
“I don’t know, I’m just asking, I wouldn’t want you to feel bad about telling me if it’s the case.”
What? Where was she getting this idea from? What about the ‘I just moved in with three adult men’ made her think he had a hidden girlfriend? Was that really the conclusion she had drawn from this?
“Mom...”
“I don’t know, you could be bi or pansexual.”
Tetsu nearly choked on his saliva, hearing those words from his mother’s mouth. He burst out laughing:
“No, Mom, I’m not bisexual or pansexual. Where did you get that idea from?”
“Your sisters! They keep correcting me. ‘Yes, maybe Mr Tanaka is married to a woman and has children, but he could be pansexual.’ I can’t keep up... I’m just trying to understand, that’s all.”
Kuroo was speechless. Since when had his sisters decided to advocate for the queer community and take the initiative to educate their mother? Even he gave up on that!
“Well, it’s a valid argument, and if my sisters are trying to show you not to assume everyone’s heterosexuality, I guess that's a good thing, but no, I’m not bisexual or pansexual... Not that I know of. But if that changes, I’ll let you know.”
“Okay, okay, I was just wondering. I thought maybe they insisted because you couldn’t tell me something.”
Well, sure, but we were still far from what he was really hiding from her!
“No, I don’t think they’re trying to cover for me, don’t worry.”
If it wasn’t to cover for him, it was a bit surprising that they had decided to take the lead and bother to educate their mother on the subject... What were they trying to do?
He shrugged. Well, he wasn’t going to be offended by that. After all, it could only bring positive outcomes.
“Okay... And so you’d tell me if you had a boyfriend?”
Fuck.
“Yes.”
Again, he wasn't lying: if he had “a” boyfriend, she said, he would tell her, yes. That wasn’t the case. It was just about asking the right questions, that’s all!
He eventually managed to steer the conversation elsewhere. He did, however, end the call with the promise of receiving an entire crab soon, to his great dismay. At least he hadn’t been caught.
As soon as the conversation ended, he sent a message to the group chat with his sisters.
“What have you been telling Mom? She just asked me if I’m bi or pan!”
Unfortunately, he never got a real answer; his very serious question was brushed aside with a few emojis and recorded laughs, which only deepened his confusion.
He quickly forgot about the event as mid-semester exams were around the corner, leaving him with no time to worry about that nebulous situation. He forgot a lot of things, his head completely buried in books. The days flew by at a breakneck pace; between the last classes of the semester and the beginning of study sessions, he barely came up for air.
“Hey.”
Tetsurō looked up from his biochemistry book and turned his eyes towards Kōtarō. The latter was barricaded behind a mountain of open books and scribbled notes. He gave him a tired smile.
They had started studying together in the middle of the afternoon. Night had fallen hours ago now. Keiji had fallen asleep between his books.
“Hm?” was all Kuroo could manage to respond.
“Happy birthday.”
Tetsurō’s eyes widened in surprise. He unlocked his phone: November 17, 12:03 AM. It was indeed his birthday. He let his head collapse onto his books. He finally turned his head, meeting his boyfriend’s gaze.
“Thanks…”
Kōtarō smiled at him.
“I have an exam in 8 hours,” added Tetsurō.
“Me too.”
He sighed again. Silence stretched on for a few more seconds.
“We should go to bed.”
“Hmm... I won’t be able to continue anyway…”
“Must be old age catching up with you...”
He laughed.
“Hmm, must be.”
“Okay, I’ll take Keiji to bed, otherwise he’s going to spend the night here… We’re leaving at 6:45 AM tomorrow, ok?”
“That early?!” Tetsurō complained.
“Hmm... I think Kenma needs the car during the day, so we’ll have to take the subway. And we need to get there a bit early.”
Kuroo let out a moan of despair.
“I know, I know.”
“This is a crappy birthday,” he complained like a child.
“I know, I know... I promise we’ll make up for it.”
Kōtarō leaned in to kiss his temple, which calmed Tetsurō.
“Go to bed, I’ll take care of the rest, babe.”
He vaguely nodded, packed up his things, and left the room.
Waking up the next morning was brutal.
“Happy birthday, Tetsu,” he murmured to himself.
A biochemistry exam at the break of dawn was definitely not on his wish list... The universe was so cruel sometimes…
-//-
This is how the next ten days unfolded: falling asleep in the middle of the living room table on his revision notes, waking up at dawn to head to the university. By the time he finished his exams, it was already dark; he hadn’t even had the chance to see the daylight. The temperatures had dropped too, which made this nefarious routine even more challenging.
Eventually, he made it through. He had tried to celebrate the end of the exam session with his friends the previous evening, but none of them lasted more than an hour, all completely exhausted by the two weeks they had just lived through (even those who didn’t have to take exams, for that matter).
He woke up the following Saturday, engulfed in soothing warmth.
“Wakey, wakey, babe.”
He opened one eye, then quickly closed it again. He let out a muffled groan, his body still glued with sleep. He felt arms wrapping around him and kisses on his face.
“Tetsurō...”
He finally opened his eyes completely. Kōtarō was sprawled on top of him and smiled as soon as their eyes met. Keiji was lying to his right, Kenma to his left, purring softly.
“Oh, you’re all here,” the brunet noted, a blissful smile spreading across his lips. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“Hmm, happy birthday,” murmured Kenma before planting a kiss on his neck.
Tetsu stretched, letting out a sleepy groan as he felt his body slowly waking up.
“It’s already passed, stop reminding me of my old age...”
“Here,” said the blond, handing him a steaming cup.
Kuroo discovered with infinite joy that it was a good cup of coffee. He eagerly took the first sip.
“Wow, I needed this so much, thank you...”
“And here,” said Kōtarō, shoving three gifts neatly packed under his nose, “from us.”
“Oh, you guys are too sweet...”
“Just open them already, they might be crap!”
“No, I don’t believe that for a second!”
“Open them!” urged Kenma and Kōtarō.
“Okay, okay!”
He took the first one. It was the most voluminous: a square box wrapped in a blue furoshiki. As soon as he untied the knot, he guessed what was inside. His eyes widened in pleasant surprise, and he quickly unwrapped it completely.
“No way! It’s the headphones we saw together!” he exclaimed, turning his eyes to Keiji.
The latter nodded with a smile.
One of the losses in the fire had been his earbuds. They were too old and worn out to mourn, but their loss had made Tetsurō consider investing in proper headphones. He had spotted one a few weeks ago during a window-shopping session with Keiji, but decided against buying it. His expensive taste had led him to fancy a headset with a price tag too astronomical for his modest budget. So he was more than delighted and moved to find it in front of him.
“I love it.”
“Open the next one,” pressed Kōtarō, handing it to him.
He did as he was told and chuckled upon seeing the contents: a cream-colored T-shirt depicting two children playing junior scientists in a vintage advertisement style, accompanied by the slogan ‘finding a cure for stupid people’.
He chuckled.
“Thanks. Is that what you think I do for a living?”
“We hope so,” commented Kenma.
He moved on to the third gift: a simple yet elegant silver chain. Kuroo let the links slide through his fingers, recognizing it as a piece of jewelry his three other boyfriends already owned. He felt his heart swell.
Deciding to inject some humor before getting too sentimental, he said:
“Whoa, this feels like I’m part of a Yakuza gang.”
His comment had the desired effect: making his boyfriends laugh.
“We're part of the same gang now,” he continued, losing his comedic tone.
Kenma extended his hand, and Kuroo handed him the chain to clasp around his neck. Kuroo held the chain to examine the details.
“Thank you...” he murmured.
A few seconds of silence followed. Kuroo felt perfectly at ease, right where he belonged.
Keiji leaned in, their lips brushing and caressing each other. They parted briefly before meeting again in a kiss that quickly deepened. Kuroo heard Kenma take the gifts and place them at the foot of the bed. He felt Kenma's breath against his skin and then his lips on his neck. He slid out from under the covers, feeling Kōtarō's hands move under his T-shirt and his lips kissing his stomach. Tetsurō let himself melt into their embraces.
It was quite rare for all four of them to be in the same bed, and the occurrence only heightened his desire. Just as he felt a hand slip into his underwear, they heard the downstairs door open.
All four of them froze.
“Didn’t you lock the door downstairs?” murmured Kenma to no one in particular.
“I did,” replied Kōtarō, not very reassured either.
Tetsu pulled the duvet over them, a flimsy attempt at protection. They all remained still for several long seconds, each on high alert.
Finally, a voice reached them.
“Yo, is anyone home?! Ugly face, where are you?!”
Kōtarō poked his head out from under the covers.
“Nao?!”
“What’s your brother doing here?” pressed Kenma.
“I don’t know!”
“Maybe he's not here?”
The sentence was spoken in a small, childlike voice.
“Shin?”
“Nah, don’t worry mosquito... Where are you guys?”
“Maybe they’re sleeping?”
“Oh yeah,” said Nao, trying to lower his voice. A failed attempt since all four of them heard perfectly.
“Well, we’re not sleeping now!” yelled Kōtarō, grumpy.
He got out of bed and approached the door.
“Kōtarō,” the blond called before he opened it.
“What!”
Kenma motioned for him to look down at the prominent erection that his poor boxers barely concealed. This only worsened Kōtarō’s mood, who muttered something unintelligible, clearly annoyed. He approached the bed, yanked the blanket, and wrapped it around himself, leaving the other three exposed to the cold. Kōtarō stomped to the door and flung it open:
“What are you doing here?!”
“Yo ugly face, is that how you greet us?”
“You’re a pain in the ass!”
His older brother didn’t seem very receptive to his anger.
“Hm, hm, where is everyone?”
“Here!” answered Kenma.
Silence stretched for a few seconds.
“Oh, you’re all upstairs! Am I interrupting something?”
“No!” Tetsurō, Kenma, and Keiji quickly said.
“Yes!” Kōtarō retorted, tightening the blanket around him, vexed.
“Oh, sorry! Come on, you can mess around later, get down here!”
They heard Kōtarō stomp down the stairs, continuing to grumble. His tone changed drastically when he saw his little brother.
Tetsurō finally caught the gaze of his boyfriends, and they chuckled together.
“Well, I guess we have to go,” announced Kenma. “Are you presentable?”
Kuroo looked down at himself.
“Well, let’s just say that cooled me off.”
“I can confirm that as well,” added Keiji.
“Alright, let’s go then.”
The blond was the first to get up and leave the room.
Kuroo sighed heavily and buried his head in Keiji’s chest. The latter let out a light laugh and held his face to kiss him.
“Shall we?”
He nodded.
“I’ll get dressed first.”
“Okay.”
Keiji got out of bed and disappeared as well. Tetsurō sighed again but finally got up. He threw on the first hoodie and sweatpants he found and went downstairs.
As he was walking through the hallway towards the kitchen, Kōtarō blocked his way.
“Don’t wear that, go change!” he insisted.
This didn’t sit well with Tetsurō.
“Kōtarō, this is my body, I do what I want with it, and I wear what I want.”
Seriously! The guy was wearing canary yellow crop tops, and he dared to comment on his outfits?
“Sure, but not my brother’s clothes... when he’s here.”
Not this again!
“Kō, it’s not really…”
“Oy, oy, ugly, there’s no need to be difficult, it’s not your fault your boyfriend likes to wear my things. It’s my natural musk…”
“You see why now…”
“Yes… I’ll go change…”
Before he could turn around, Akaashi, now fully dressed, handed him one of his sweaters.
“Thanks…”
Kōtarō didn’t let him go until he had removed his older brother’s sweatshirt and put on their boyfriend's. He finally turned around, and they entered the living room together.
“Nao… san…” hesitated Kuroo, seeing his "brother-in-law."
He bowed, unsure of how polite he should be. After all, it was only their second meeting, yet he had invited himself into their living room without warning.
“Yo Tetsu! Sorry for the interruption.”
He could only respond with a mumbled sound, not knowing what to say.
“Ah! It’s you!”
He looked down and a genuine smile spread across his face when he saw the youngest of the siblings.
“It’s me, Shin-kun.”
The child smiled at him and extended his arms. He bent down to lift him into his arms, delighted by the affection the child showed him. However, once in his arms, Shin pointed to the high stool set up at the bar. A bowl of what he guessed was steaming hot chocolate awaited him there.
“Oh, you want me to settle you there.”
Shin nodded. Tetsu complied, setting him on the stool but staying close to react quickly in case he fell.
“Yeah, sorry to barge in like that,” said Nao as he walked around the bar to sit next to Kenma.
“You don’t seem very sorry,” grumbled Kōtarō, still bitter.
“Hmm...” Nao turned to Kenma. “At least I know you weren’t up to anything freaky.”
Kenma let out a slightly lewd smile.
“No, but I do like to watch.”
Kuroo’s eyes widened in surprise, while Nao burst out laughing.
“Hmm, I should have guessed, plus Yūji told me they were teaching you bondage.”
“That’s right.”
Kuroo blinked several times. He didn’t realize Kenma and Nao were... well, so...
“What’s bondage?” asked the youngest.
“It’s like jump rope, but for grown-ups,” his older brother replied.
“Whoa, that sounds so cool!”
Nao snickered.
“Don’t tell him that,” grumbled Kōtarō.
“So you know Yūji?” asked Kuroo, trying to change the subject.
“Hmm, we went to high school together.”
“Oh, okay.”
“We met through Nao,” Kenma clarified.
“Nice!”
“So what are you doing here?” Kōtarō interrupted, crossing his arms.
Tetsu smiled to himself, amused to see his boyfriend so grumpy. It was rare to see him in such a bad mood, and his pettiness was somewhat endearing.
“Folks went away for the weekend, Nobu is at his girlfriend’s, Suki’s still in Sapporo, and Megumi, I think, is at a friend’s...”
“Why did they ask you to babysit?”
“Because apparently, they had so many kids to avoid babysitters... And I’m the only one around... and single... Damn, that sounds like a sketchy dating site tagline...”
The comment made Kōtarō laugh.
“So it was just the two of us and the shrimp wanted to see you.”
“Hmm... And sending a message was too hard?”
“No, but it wouldn’t have been a surprise then!”
Nao walked around the bar to approach his little brother, who had already taken a defensive boxing stance.
“Come on, smile, ugly, admit you’re happy to see me!”
Without a warning, he grabbed his little brother by the waist to tip him forward. Kōtarō didn’t let him and immediately countered the attack.
“Oh no...” lamented Kenma.
“Hmm, I agree,” Shin chimed in.
The child was sipping his hot chocolate like a gentleman from a good family, watching his brothers squabble with a bit of disdain in his eyes.
“I think it’s not very polite.”
Kuroo smiled to himself. Nakayama's genes were strong in this one.
“I do not like this kind of activity either, Shin-kun,” added Keiji, addressing the child as if he were a man of the world.
“Hmm... I would never do that...”
“What do you mean you’d never do that?” exclaimed his older brother, ruffling his hair.
He picked up the child, making him laugh heartily, tousled his hair, and lifted him into the air, which, though terrifying to watch, greatly amused the little one who let out a scream of pure joy. Nao finally secured his little brother in his arms, laughing with him. Kuroo smiled at the scene. Turning his eyes, he found Kōtarō, his hair all tousled and his features much more relaxed than a few seconds ago, purring loudly without seeming to realize it. He chuckled: it wasn’t hard to tame him, his older brother knew that well.
“So, did you have plans for today?” Nao asked, looking at Kenma and Keiji.
“Hmm, we were planning to celebrate Tetsurō’s birthday.”
Nao turned his eyes in his direction:
“It’s your birthday?”
“No, it was ten days ago...”
“Oh, there you go.”
“We were in the middle of exams, we thought we’d celebrate it today, just the four of us.”
Grumpy Kōtarō was back.
“Come on! You’re always together! Look, you can’t say no to this little face!” exclaimed Nao, taking the youngest’s face in his hand to emphasize his point.
Tetsu turned to his boyfriends, indicating that the persuasive technique was quite effective on him.
“Shin-kun, what would you like to do?”
“Go to the aquarium!”
The idea seemed to appeal to everyone.
“I suppose we could go to Sea Life Park, it’s quite big and…”
“No!” the youngest interrupted.
They turned, surprised.
“Not there.”
“Why not ?”
The child didn’t respond, simply burying his face in his older brother’s neck.
“Pfft, okay, so where do you want to go?” his older brother asked.
“Sumida.”
“You want to go to an aquarium in a shopping mall?”
“Yes… And then we can go to the stores, and eat ice cream.”
“Honestly, it’s not a bad plan.”
“Hmm… Plus, there are a lot of things in that shopping mall,” Kenma noted, phone in hand. “There’s even a planetarium.”
“Woah! Can we go there too?” Kōtarō asked, having regained his usual enthusiasm.
“Ji, what do you think?”
“Sounds good.”
“Alright, mall aquarium it is then.”
-//-
“Why are you turning here? We’re not parking here! There’s a parking lot at the mall!” Kōtarō intervened.
“Yeah, but here it's free.” Kenma grumbled.
Kōtarō rolled his eyes.
“Gosh, why are you so cheap when you don't need to be...”
“I'm not cheap, I'm... frugal.”
Shin, sitting on his brother’s lap, burst out laughing:
“Frugal, hehe.”
Nao chuckled.
Kuroo, though squished against the window for nearly half an hour, also let out a smile.
“That's not what frugal means, and you know it,” said Kōtarō.
“Whatever, we're staying here. Alright, everyone out,” announced the blonde after parking the car in a tiny corner of an isolated alley.
Shin scrambled off his brother’s lap to climb over him and open the door.
“Shin-kun, wait, you’re going to…”
Too late, the child had already jumped out of the vehicle. Kuroo quickly unbuckled his seatbelt upon seeing the child running up the street at full speed.
“Hey, mosquito, stop!” his older brother yelled.
Shin obeyed immediately.
Kuroo quickly got out to join him.
“Hey, don’t run off like that…”
“Sorry,” the youngest apologized, “hold my hand.”
Tetsurō looked at the small hand extended toward him and took it. Once he did, Shin wasted no time and started running again, dragging Tetsurō behind him.
“Hey, wait!”
They finally reached the end of the street. Shin had stopped. He was looking up at the sky with amazement.
“Whoa, it’s the Tokyo Tower, look!”
The brunet turned his eyes in the indicated direction: in front of them, stretching up to the sky, was indeed an immense metal tower. Tetsurō chuckled.
“That’s not the Tokyo Tower, Shin.”
“Oh…” the child responded, disappointed. “Are you sure?”
“What are you talking about? You’ve already seen the Tokyo Tower, it doesn’t look like that.”
Nao had just caught up with them.
“Oh… right… So what is it? “
“Skytree.”
“It’s not the same thing?”
“… No.”
“Hmm… and what is for?”
“Hmm… broadcasting TV or radio,” Tetsurō explained.
“Oh, okay… Well, come on, I want to see the fish!” the youngest exclaimed, pulling on Tetsurō’s arm.
“Okay, okay,” the brunet relented, seeing that everyone was out of the car now.
The youngest’s determination, however, was fleeting. Once inside the mall, his goal became less urgent and clear. He stopped in front of every shop window, touching the glass with his fingertips, looking inside the stores with amazement. They had to promise to return once the aquarium visit was over for the child to finally move on.
They finally arrived at their destination. It was still early in the morning; the aquarium had just opened its doors, and very few people had arrived yet. The entire floor was bathed in a bluish dim light, and Tetsurō smiled to himself as he heard Shin marvel at the colors of the neon lights and LEDs installed on each step of the staircase.
His enthusiasm quickly waned up when Shin discovered that the floor was mainly inhabited by small rectangular fish tanks. School of little fishes were swimming peacefully through lush and ethereal settings.
"The fishes are tiny" the youngest pouted.
"So what? You're tiny too," commented Nao.
"And look, Shin, the background is pretty!" said Kōtarō.
The youngest approached and looked at what his brother was pointing out. Kōtarō began narrating fantastic tales, voicing all the fish in the tanks, which made his little brother laugh. Kuroo watched them travel from tank to tank, continuing the magical epic of an imaginary aquatic adventurer. He finally turned away from them when he felt a hand brush against his. Turning his eyes, he found Keiji beside him.
"Hey," he said, smiling.
"Hey..." his lover murmured.
They both turned their eyes to the tank in front of them. Tiny grey fish swam in schools through green valleys, moving across the lush expanses as if they were flying.
"I know ethically," Keiji began, "I should not enjoy seeing living beings taken from their natural habitat and confined in small glass boxes..."
"Hum," Kuroo conceded.
"But I still really enjoy aquariums..."
Tetsurō chuckled.
"When you put it like that..."
His shoulder brushed against Keiji's.
"Maybe we'll be reincarnated as aquarium fish as punishment," Tetsurō hypothesized.
"Hmm... Maybe."
He sighed.
"On second thought, if I were to be reincarnated as a fish, I would prefer to be in an aquarium."
"Really? What about your ethics?"
“If you think about it, there are no predators, and food is free. There are worse things in the world.”
"You're saying that because you're a human; maybe your needs would change as a fish..."
"Maybe all the fish here are reincarnations of human beings..."
Kuroo grimaced.
"This got dark very quickly."
Keiji laughed softly.
"Maybe... Seems like the goth teenager I was is still somewhere inside."
Kuroo widened his eyes.
"What?"
"Shall we move on?"
"No, Keiji, wait! You were, you... Oh my god, I want to see photos! Why didn't anyone tell me, Keiji!"
The sly one had already disappeared among the tanks.
"Yo, what's goi..."
"Did you know Keiji went through a goth phase?"
Tetsurō had just abruptly interrupted Kōtarō. The latter jumped, surprised by his intensity.
"I've known him since he was two and a half days old, of course I know. But I'd say it was more grunge than gothic..."
"Oh... that's even better! And you didn't tell me!"
"Was it really necessary?"
"Absolutely yes!"
Kōtarō chuckled.
"If you want, I have pics," Kenma offered, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
"Oh my, yes !"
"You would not dare..." murmured Keiji, reappearing behind them.
"I didn't keep them all this time for nothing!" retorted Kenma, quickly scrolling through his photo gallery.
"How come you have photos? We were not dating at that time," Keiji noted.
Kuroo saw the blonde start to blush.
"You remember wrong darling, you went into your dark academia stage eons after we started dating. But yeah, some of the pics were taken before we got together.”
"So… you were taking creepshots of Keiji." said Tetsurō, snickering
"I think the word you're looking for is 'candid pictures'."
"'Tis not"
"That's..."
"Adorable."
"Creepy."
Keiji and Kōtarō spoke at the same time.
"It is a bit creepy, yeah," Kenma conceded. "But it's okay, we were friends at the time. It’s not like I was some stranger lurking in the school corridors, taking photos of your underwear."
The three of them laughed together.
"Still, it's a bit creepy," Kōtarō muttered.
"Jealousy does not suit you, my dear." Keiji joked.
"I'm not jea..."
"I never said I didn't take pics of you too," Kenma cut him off.
That effectively silenced him instantly.
"Oh..."
"Here, I found one."
Kenma handed them the phone. It was a photo of Keiji and Kōtarō sitting across from each other in a park. Their faces still had their youthful roundness. Kōtarō had an even more improbable hairstyle than the one he wore today, defying the laws of gravity even further. The rest of his outfit was less extravagant than his current style, as he was simply wearing jeans and a sports jersey. Keiji, on the other hand, oh... Keiji was marvelous. He took the phone to examine it more closely: he was wearing a large black t-shirt over a purple and black turtleneck. He wore a myriad of chains around his neck, rings on each finger, and large glasses resting on his nose, secured by a silver chain. Through the holes in his black pants, Tetsurō could make out the distinctive crisscrosses of fishnet stockings.
He blushed.
"I... it's grandiose... Okay, I'm sending this to myself."
He managed to do it before Keiji could take the phone back. In the end, Kenma had the last word: he took the phone and stuffed it into his sweatshirt pocket. Kuroo retrieved his own phone and immediately opened the photo he had just sent to himself.
"I'll cherish it until the end of my days," he murmured.
Is this what they call the Stendhal syndrome?
He was brought back to reality by Nao's voice.
"Hey, move it!"
All four of them turned: Nao and Shin were waiting for them in front of the stairs leading to the lower floor. They hurried to join them.
"I have plenty more," Kenma confided to him. "I'll show you if you want."
"With great pleasure!"
Once downstairs, they immediately came across a large tank where dozens of penguins were resting and swimming.
"Penguins!" the youngest marveled, immediately pressing his face against the glass separating him from the animals.
Not satisfied with the view he had, he turned to Tetsurō and raised his arms. The latter understood his request and lifted him up, which offered quite an elevation for the toddler, who could now see the entirety of the tank.
"Oh! Awesome, bi penguins!" they heard Nao exclaim.
Turning his eyes, Kuroo discovered he was looking at a large panel.
"Oww, bi penguins!" Shin exclaimed.
His enthusiasm made Tetsurō laugh.
"Can we go see?"
"If you want."
They headed towards the panel where Nao was still standing. It was a diagram summarizing the relationships among each of the penguins. Well, the penguins seemed to have a thriving social life given the complexity of their relationships, enough to make several seasons of a young adult Netflix series.
"Which one?" Shin asked, still interested in the complicated love lives of these birds.
"There," his brother said, pointing at the diagram.
Indeed, the sign indicated that two males had been in love for a while. Their story, however, had already ended, and each had found a new female partner, who also seemed to have tumultuous relationships with the rest of the colony.
Kuroo chuckled, remembering the conversation he had with his mother recently. He took out his phone to take a picture and sent it to his sisters.
"I thought penguins were monogamous," Nao commented.
"Apparently not."
"No... Oi ugly!" Nao yelled, spotting Kōtarō behind him.
"Stop calling me that!"
Tetsurō and Shin stayed together in front of the sign, detailing all the colony's relationships. Kuroo eventually put the child down so he could see the bottom of the sign.
"They really get along well," he heard Keiji comment behind them.
"Hmm, beta stuff, they understand each other," Nao said, amused.
"Nao, stop that," Kōtarō scolded.
Tetsurō didn't really react to the intervention. But since he was completely silent, Kuroo turned his eyes to Shin: he seemed to have heard what was said behind him and he didn't seem to like it at all. He saw his face completely close off. Finally, he spun around:
"Stop saying that!" he yelled.
Finally, he rushed at his elder brother, kicked him in the shins, and ran off.
"Shin, I..."
Kuroo looked up at Nao and Kōtarō.
"Tetsu, he didn't mean..." Kōtarō began.
"I'll go get him," he interrupted, walking past them.
"Tetsu..."
He didn't bother to respond and headed in the direction he had seen the youngest go. He quickly found himself in front of an immense tank. Inside, schools of multicolored fish and a few small sharks swam together in dark blue water dotted with pearls of light. The water's convolutions reflected on the ground.
Shin was slumped in a chair facing the tank, his eyes filled with tears, looking upset. Kuroo came and sat next to him. He turned his eyes towards the tank and said nothing, waiting to see if Shin would accept his presence.
"I don't like it when they say that," the child finally said.
Kuroo eventually turned his eyes to him. He just nodded, waiting for him to continue.
"I... they can't know, nobody knows, and it annoys me, I..."
He didn't continue.
Kuroo understood that he wouldn't say more.
He found it strange that something like this could distraught him so deeply. He realized that the environments he grew up in and the one Shin was growing up in were vastly different. If it turned out that he was a beta, it would make him a minority in his own family, in his world, which had never been the case for him, at least not like that. But he understood. It was not a pleasant thought for such a young child.
"You're right, Shin, they can't know."
The child sniffled loudly.
"Yes..."
Shin no longer seemed angry but was still very much upset.
"But you know... um... even if it's the case, uh, it's not a big deal."
"What?"
"Being a beta."
Shin crossed his arms.
"Um... you know, there are plenty of people who are, it's not a big deal. I'm a beta, and... well, it's okay."
The child turned his eyes to him, genuinely surprised.
"Really?"
"Yes."
The youngest sniffled again.
"You know... whatever happens, it doesn't... it doesn't define the person you're going to be... Well... we're not there yet... But you're right, they can't know. And it's not important to know right now. But Shin, whatever happens, you’ll be okay, I promise, okay?"
The little one nodded vigorously. He eventually fell against him, which brought a tender smile to Tetsurō's face.
He turned his eyes to the tank.
A large ray passed in front of them.
"Look, Shin, a ray, it looks like it's flying!"
"Cool!" the youngest yelled, genuinely amazed.
He stood up to press his face against the glass.
"And look there! Do you see that one? So pretty!"
"Yes, I see, I see."
Tetsurō sat quietly, watching the child captivated by the wonders swimming in the tank.
"Hey."
Tetsurō turned his gaze away from the tank. Nao had just arrived. He simply nodded to greet him, then finally turned his eyes back to the tank.
He heard the young man sigh.
Eventually, Nao sat down next to him.
"Um," he began to get his attention, "sorry about earlier."
"It’s nothing. I’m fine. You didn’t say anything particularly offensive. Shin was upset, but he's fine now."
Although nothing overtly hurtful had been said, Kuroo clearly understood the implications of the comments and recognized what had deeply upset the youngest. In his experience, when someone commented on his secondary... or about any secondary in general, it rarely came as a compliment. Instead, it often aimed to reinforce outdated stereotypes. But well, he could overlook it.
"It’s not for nothing that the kid got upset, that was uncalled for, I'm sorry about that."
"Hmm..."
Kuroo didn’t quite know what he truly felt.
"Sorry, it was stupid of me. I wouldn’t like it if someone did the same to me. And trust me, I know how it feels like to... whatever, that was stupid."
Kuroo just vaguely nodded. Now he just wanted the conversation to end without going south. He didn’t necessarily want to confront his brother-in-law when they knew each other so little.
In his peripheral vision, he saw Nao glance at him before quickly looking away. He nervously rubbed his neck and finally spoke again:
"I have to admit that... I... I realize that I had a lot of prejudices, stupid things... Well, now I see it's stupid. And..."
"Nao, it’s okay really, it's fine. I'm used to it, my friends call me 'clueless beta' all the time, and for a good reason, believe me." Tetsurō cut him off, wanting to escape this conversation as quickly as possible.
Nao didn’t seem to agree. Apparently, he was also here to challenge his social conceptions. Frankly, Kuroo wasn’t in a position to judge.
"It doesn’t matter if you’re used to it or not... I mean, I’ve faced so much of this kind of crap in my life, I don’t necessarily want to repeat the pattern."
He sighed again.
"I get it you know, it's okay. Like I said, I've been called a clueless beta countless times since I got here, and I mean, yeah that's fair. I can't deny that. I know what it's like. Betas are kind of clueless and ignorant in general because we don't feel like we need to understand, because most of the time we don't have to. And I’m not going to deny the systemic discrimination that exists in this country, and I benefit from it most of the time... And I must have participated in it, and probably still do, despite myself. I also had a lot of stupid stereotypes and... well, there you go. "
"Whoa, you went really deep real fast there," Nao noted.
It was true that for someone who didn’t want to participate in the debate, he had certainly put his foot in it.
"Sorry..."
"No, don’t apologize."
Silence fell between them.
"I also had a lot of stupid stereotypes in my head until... well until I got here really, in Tokyo."
"Well... you’re still a queer guy in a quad with two omegas and an alpha, so I’m not too worried about your deconstruction," Nao commented.
“When you put it like that..."
"Still... sorry... I... well, when Kōtarō told us he was dating a beta, I... um... I admit I was real judgy, like ‘who is that idiot,’ no offense."
"None taken."
"But... now that I know you a bit more, I have to admit, well, you're a pretty cool guy."
"Uh... thanks?"
"And... in a way, it reassures me."
"About?"
Nao let out a long sigh.
"That you're around. My parents… especially my dad, were starting to lose it, freaking out that one of their children might be a beta... Um... I feel like it's getting better… and I think it’s partly thanks to you..."
"Oh… uh… okay."
Tetsurō nodded. Even he could see that something had changed. The first time Tetsurō met Naruhito-san, he was cold and stinging towards him. The second time was... well, he was warmer, still very sober yes, but something had definitely changed. Tetsurō didn't understand what he had done to bring about this change, he didn't know how he had gained the goodwill of Kōtarō's parents. In the end, he could only be happy about it.
"Thanks."
"For?"
"I don't know..."
"For not being an idiot? You're welcome, I guess."
His comment made Nao chuckle.
"Look at the big fish!" Shin yelled, pointing to an empty corner of the aquarium's tank.
"What big fish?"
"There!"
"There's nothing there, Shin..."
"No, it's a big fish. Come here!"
"Well... I guess I have to go look then," muttered the eldest.
He patted Tetsurō's shoulder and stood up to go to his little brother. Kuroo watched them interact. Shin was back to being just a happy kid apparently.
"Hey babe..."
He turned his eyes to Kōtarō. He smiled, and his boyfriend sat down beside him.
"Sorry... My brother can be an idiot sometimes..."
"It's nothing. We talked about it. Your little brother was upset earlier, but he seems fine now."
Kōtarō turned his eyes to his younger brother. He let out a smile.
"Yes..."
"Did you talk to him?"
"To whom?"
"Shin?"
"Briefly... But I didn’t have to say much... He was upset because he said no one could know yet..."
"Hmm... Good. Thanks."
He sighed.
"What did you talk to Nao about?"
"Um... he apologized to me... which wasn't really necessary, but still."
Kōtarō nodded.
"Maybe my brothers will be better this time around."
"What do you mean?"
"Um... Honestly, they were really shitty to me when I was younger."
Tetsurō frowned, turning his full attention to his boyfriend.
"Oh..."
"I... um... when I was like, eleven, maybe twelve years old... I had to get an X-ray and I don’t remember what else, an ultrasound or something."
"Okay..."
He didn't quite see where this was going.
"Nothing serious, I had just swallowed some safety pins."
Kuroo's eyes widened, horrified.
"It was closed! I mean, I didn't know that when I swallowed it, which is why I went to the hospital, but... nothing serious in the end."
"A potential perforation isn’t exactly what I would call 'nothing serious'! Why did you swallow a safety pin in the first place?!"
"It was an accident! I was just playing with it!"
"With your mouth?!"
"Oh come on, It was ten years ago, I was young!"
"Unbelievable!"
"Okay, but do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?"
"Yes, go on."
"So... anyway, the exams... I hadn't had any before and, well... We could have known earlier, but my parents didn't really want to know... It's kind of a family tradition, let's say. Anyway. That's how they found out, well, I found out too, but anyway, that's how they found out about my secondary."
"Oh... uh... okay."
"My parents were thrilled! After three alphas, they finally had... me. But honestly, I took it really, really badly... I made my parents promise not to say anything, at least until... until my presentation... I guess I was hoping it was a mistake, that it wasn't really the case..."
"Uh... And... why did you take it badly?"
"Well, it’s sad but it’s kind of a 'hello shitty life' sign."
"Oh..."
"And then... I had many prejudices in my mind; things I had heard at school or on TV. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to hurt my parents, especially 'ka-san and 'tto-san. But honestly, it didn't sit well with me at first..."
"Hmm..."
"Let's be clear, it still bothers me, but I realized a long time ago that it has nothing to do with my secondary, the system is just fucked up. Besides... well, it's a part of me, and I... I like that about myself too... Anyway."
Tetsurō nodded.
"My brothers were really shitty about it... Honestly, at that age, I didn't get along with them much anyway, but then... One day we were at a fair, I was doing bumper cars with my older brothers and sister, and I remember Nao saying something like 'Enjoy it, later you'll have to ask your Alpha's permission to do that', and the other two just laughed their ass off.”
Tetsurō made a face.
"Ew... Yeah, that's pretty bad."
"Yeah. I could have killed them! My parents were angry too. Man, they yelled at them for so long, I still remember it to this day. But yeah... I don't know what my parents told them in the end, but they changed. I think I went into a cycle shortly after that and... they stopped bothering me... They were actually really sweet, and... it's also thanks to them and their support that I feel relatively good now... I get along with them now, but that wasn't the case before. Anyway... What I wanted to say is that Nao can be a bit slow sometimes... But I don't think he means any harm or... I think he just doesn’t realize the impact his word can have."
"I think he gets it now... "
"Hmm..."
A small shark weaved between the rocks.
"Like, eight months ago, I think, Shin had to go to the hospital because of a stomach ache or something... They did ultrasound test and everything and... Well, we don’t know his exact secondary, but we know he’s not an omega."
"Oh... Okay."
"We’ll see... I just hope my older brothers won’t repeat the same mistakes... But well... I guess it's gonna be fine," he said, turning his eyes towards his brothers. Nao had picked Shin up and they were examining the fish swimming a few centimeters away from them together.
"Yeah... And besides..."
"Hmm?"
"Now you’re the big brother too."
Kōtarō smiled at him.
"That’s true..."
"Ni-san!"
Kōtarō turned to his little brother, who ran to him. Kōtarō stood up and opened his arms to lift him up.
"Hey, little mosquito."
"I saw all the fish!"
"Hmm, really all of them?"
"Yes, really."
"And did you name all of them?"
"No... But I’m hungry! I want ice cream."
"We might eat something else before we have ice cream."
This statement didn’t seem to particularly please the youngest.
"I’m starving too," declared Kenma, who had just arrived with Keiji.
"Oh wait, I want to see the shop first!" exclaimed Shin. "Nao, give me my money!"
"Give me my money, what?"
"My money... now?"
"And the 'please'?"
"Please."
"Much better... I’ll come with you, hold on. Hey, we’ll meet you outside," Nao said, taking his little brother by the hand and heading towards the souvenir shop.
"So, what are we eating?"
In the end, Tetsurō didn’t have a say in the matter. As soon as the little one reappeared, he solemnly declared that he was fine with eating something other than ice cream, but he refused to eat anything other than chicken nuggets.
In the end, the deal wasn't that bad, and they ended up eating giant burgers at the only restaurant in the mall that served decent chicken nuggets. The food was delicious, yes, but the aftermath was brutal. They ended up scrolling through the mall like a pack of postpondial spleed deprived zombies, trying to contain Shin fully boost up, running around and yelling every time he spotted a shop (which, and you guessed it, was every two seconds).
They finally made it to the planetarium, where none of them really enjoyed the visit, as they all fell asleep as soon as they settled into their seats. Tetsurō vaguely remembered seeing a nebula projected on the dome above his head before he dozed off. Still, he had to admit that he had one of the most pleasant naps of his life in that planetarium, the perfect birthday present of all. After one last round of window shopping, and seeing that Shin was finally starting to tire, they decided to head back.
The return trip was peaceful. Tetsurō sat in the back of the car, his head resting lazily against the window. He watched the urban scenery pass by as the last rays of the sunset reflected off the glass facades of the towering skyscrapers, casting an orange glow over them. A smile spread across his face: it had been a good day.
"Do you want me to drop you off at the train station?" Kenma asked.
"Hmm, yeah," Nao replied, looking up from his phone. "There's a train in ten minutes. Do you think you can make it in time?"
“Yep.”
“How are you getting home from the station?” Kōtarō intervened.
“I have Mom’s car.”
“Okay…”
They finally arrived at the station. Nao had to wake up his little brother. They said their goodbyes and thanks before turning to enter the station.
But before they could even start the car, they saw Shin running at full speed in their direction, trotting with a panicked expression on his face.
"Shin, did you forget something?” Kenma asked, opening the window.
The youngest didn’t respond and instead went around the car to the door where Kuroo was sitting. He knocked, and Kuroo opened it.
“Shin?”
The little one was out of breath.
“I forgot!”
He handed him a small bag with the logo of the aquarium they had visited earlier in the day.
“Happy birthday.”
Tetsurō blinked several times, surprised by the gesture.
“Oh, you didn’t have to, Shin-kun, that’s very kind but…”
“Shin!”
Nao reappeared, completely panicked.
“He’s over here,” Kenma yelled through the window.
“I’m here!” the little one shouted to indicate his position. “Open it when I’m not here,” he specified. He politely waved goodbye and ran to his brother.
“You can’t just run off like that, there are cars!” Nao scolded him.
“Sorry, I forgot something.”
“Don’t run off like that again, okay? Come on, we’re going to miss the train.” Nao picked up his brother and hurried towards the station, waving goodbye one last time.
Once they had disappeared for good, his three boyfriends turned towards him.
“What is it?”
“A gift.”
“Yes, but what's inside?”
“Go on, open it!”
Tetsurō complied. When he unwrapped the paper, he discovered a mug. A smile spread across his face, warmed by the thoughtful gesture. As he examined the cup, he noticed it was decorated with dolphins and various fish in an incredibly kitschy art style. It was truly marvelous, and he wasn't being sarcastic.
“It’s beautiful...” he murmured.
Kenma snickered.
“I’ve never seen something so ugly.”
“That’s what makes it so endearing!” Tetsurō argued.
Akaashi smiled.
“Look, there is something written on the back.”
Tetsurō turned the mug in his hands to see what it was. He felt his heart tighten, overwhelmed with tenderness when he finally discovered what was written.
“What does it say?” Kōtarō asked, leaning in.
“Big brother,” Tetsurō murmured, smiling tenderly.
The other three smiled as well.
“It’s a nice gift,” Kenma said, a smile playing on his lips.
Tetsurō nodded. He placed the mug back in the small bag, which he held close to his chest.
Yes, it was a very nice gift.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Hope you liked it 😊
Next chapter: “Parenti acquisiti 2”
"Am I the only one who heard that, or am I just tripping?" Kenma muttered.
The other three nodded.
"I'm sure I locked the door," Kōtarō said.
"Sure sure?"
"Positive."
Silence. Panic began to rise.
"Maybe it's Nao again?" Tetsurō suggested.
"I doubt it, we would have heard him scream by now," Kōtarō replied.
"Hmm..."
"So it's a burglar!"
"Who is stupid enough to break in at nine in the morning!" Kenma replied.
"I don't know..."
"Tetsu, go check!"
"Why me?" he whined.
"You're the tallest one!"
"So what! Why not Kōtarō? What's the point of hitting the gym so much if you won't even defend us! Kenma, go get your ropes to tie him up, don't let those bandaging skills go to waste".
Keiji laughed nervously.
"Stop, this is not funny at all," he said, tightening his grip on the blanket.
See you!
Chapter 41: Parenti Aquisiti 2
Summary:
"Am I the only one who heard that, or am I just tripping?" Kenma muttered.
The other three nodded.
"I'm sure I locked the door," Kōtarō said.
"Sure sure?"
"Positive."
Silence. Panic began to rise.
"Maybe it's Nao again?" Tetsurō suggested.
"I doubt it, we would have heard him scream by now," Kōtarō replied.
"Hmm..."
"So it's a burglar!"
"Who is stupid enough to break in at nine in the morning!" Kenma replied.
"I don't know..."
"Tetsu, go check!"
"Why me?" he whined.
"You're the tallest one!"
"So what! Why not Kōtarō? What's the point of hitting the gym so much if you won't even defend us! Kenma, go get your ropes to tie him up, don't let those bandaging skills go to waste".
Keiji laughed nervously.
"Stop, this is not funny at all," he said, tightening his grip on the blanket
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce."
-Karl Marx
Kuroo knew what this quote meant: humans are volatile, foolish creatures, doomed to repeat their mistakes, never looking back and never learning from their own downfall.
Kuroo hadn't realized before that this pattern not only applied to the great cycles of history stretching over decades but could also manifest itself more modestly, with cruel precision, in the quiet anonymity of a single life.
Yes, sometimes stories repeated themselves, and the irony of it was very hard to disregard.
It was December 5th, the sacred day of Akaashi Keiji's birth, and he and his boyfriends had organized a daring mission: a surprise breakfast in bed.
The operation was risky: their target wasn't exactly a morning person. One wrong move could ruin everything. But they didn't come empty-handed, far from it: caffeine, sugar, gifts, and cuddling were their main weapons.
Victory was inevitable.
They sent Kenma to the front lines first, the bravest among them. At first, the beast protested, gutturally growling like an angry cat. The blond, no stranger to such situations, quickly appeased him and invited them to join. Their assets had made the difference, and the beast retreated, letting their delightful lover resurface.
Once his gifts were unwrapped, he willingly let himself be cuddled. A blissful smile spread across his lips, his eyes still heavy with sleep, and he was now chirping like a sparrow seeing spring arrive.
Suddenly, they heard the living room floorboards creak.
They froze.
The noises started again: no doubt, someone was in their living room.
Instinctively, they hid under the blankets.
"Am I the only one who heard that or am I just tripping?" Kenma muttered.
The other three nodded.
"I'm sure I locked the door," Kōtarō said.
"Sure sure?"
"Positive."
Silence. Panic began to rise.
"Maybe it's Nao again?" Tetsurō suggested.
"I doubt it, we would have heard him scream by now," Kōtarō replied.
"Hmm..."
"So it's a burglar!"
"Who is stupid enough to break in at nine in the morning!" Kenma replied.
"I don't know..."
"Tetsu, go see!"
"Why me?" he whined.
"You're the tallest one!"
"So what! Why not Kōtarō ? What's the point of hitting the gym so much if you won't even defend us! Kenma, go get your ropes to tie him up, don't let those bandage skills go to waste".
Keiji laughed nervously.
"Stop, this is not funny at all," he said, tightening his grip on the blanket.
"Come on Ji! We've established it's not a burglar, go!"
"No!"
"Maybe it's an animal, like a raccoon."
"There are no raccoons! And I've never seen a raccoon move furniture!"
"... A tanuki?"
"Just go! Don't show yourself, just go and check, then come back."
"Here," Keiji said, handing him a baseball bat.
"Why do you have this under your bed!"
"Just in case!"
"No, wait, let's not move and call the police!"
"Yeah..."
Tetsurō, on the verge of fainting, decided to play the gallant knight and protect his lovers at the peril of his life. He took a deep breath and grabbed the baseball bat.
"Ji, wait..."
"I'll just check, I'll be right back."
The other three nodded.
"If I shout, come save me."
"Okay."
Stealthily, he made his way to the bedroom door and opened it discreetly. He crept out into the hallway.
His heart was pounding so hard that his head was spinning, and he tried desperately to control his erratic breathing so as not to be detected. He gathered all his courage and moved along the wall. He stopped halfway and leaned over to look in the living room mirror. His heart almost exploded when he saw someone in the mirror. Panicked, he turned around and returned to Akaashi's room, hiding under the covers.
"Someone’s here!" he blurted out.
"Okay... okay. Stay quiet, we'll call the police," Kenma reassured them.
"We can't stay here! What if they're armed!"
"Who are 'they'?"
"No one breaks into a house alone at nine in the morning!"
"Nah, I think it’s just her."
"Her?"
In his panic, he hadn't had time to detail the intruder, but now he could recall a few more details.
"Yeah... I'm not even sure if she was a thief... Nobody breaks in wearing a suit and high heels. It's not very practical if you want to run with a TV and a chest full of jewelry".
The other three also seemed puzzled by this detail.
"What did she look like?" Keiji asked.
"I don't know... Classy, long black hair... Maybe she got the wrong house."
"Or it's a ruse! Next, she'll tie us up and gouge out our eyes!"
"Why would she tidy up the place for her future victims ?"
"Maybe that's her modus operandi..."
"That's stupid, she'd leave fingerprints everywhere!"
Keiji seemed lost in thought. Finally, he asked,
"Kōtarō, please get me my phone."
"Are you going to call the police?" Kōtarō asked, handing him the phone.
"No..."
He unlocked the phone, sighed, closed his eyes, and without further explanation, he got out of bed and left the room.
"Keiji, wait! It's dangerous!" Kōtarō whimpered.
All three got up to follow him. Keiji didn't seem scared, just angry. He walked back down the hallway and entered the living room.
"Tsu, what are you doing here exactly?"
Kōtarō and Kenma sighed, relieved.
"Who’s that?" Kuroo asked.
"His sister..."
"You cannot just barge in like that without announcing yourself! We were about to call the police, you scared us to dea..."
They finally saw the young woman appear. She took her little brother by the shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. The intruder seemed even more frightened than the four of them put together.
"They're coming..." she murmured, fear in her eyes.
Her panic quickly spread to Keiji.
"What's going on?" Kenma murmured.
They entered the living room.
"Hello, Tsubaki, what's..." Kōtarō started cautiously.
"Here," she simply replied, handing him a duster, "you dust."
"Um, okay but..."
"Quick! We don't have much time!"
"What are they doing here? They haven't been back in months," Keiji said.
"It's a surprise for your birthday, and some paperwork thing, I don't know, but we need to move fast!"
"But who?" Kenma asked.
"Our parents. Here, wash the windows," Tsubaki ordered, handing him a cloth.
Kenma sighed but complied.
"Don't just stand there, you..."
The young woman finally looked up.
"Who are you?"
"Uh... Kuroo... Tetsurō."
"Oh... okay. You, vacuum."
"Uh... okay."
"I'll make a bucket of hot water to clean the floor!" Keiji announced, rushing into the kitchen.
"Yes! And then take care of the bathroom!"
"Alright... How much time do we have?"
"One hour... maybe a bit more... But we can't waste a second!"
"We will not make it!" panicked Keiji.
"The vacuum cleaner! Hurry!"
Without further resistance, Tetsurō went to fetch the vacuum cleaner.
"I need to change the lock on the door, damn it," grumbled Kenma.
-//-
Tsubaki didn't let them be until every corner of the apartment was clean, every crevice dusted and every inch of the floor polished. After that, they had no moment to rest as she urged them to get ready as quickly as possible. Tetsurō even had to shower with Keiji to save time. He had thought about using this moment to ask him what was wrong. But Keiji kept mumbling, lost in his thoughts and unresponsive, so he gave up. After that, they had to go through an outfit inspection where they couldn't exercise their free will again: white shirts and black pants for everyone. They were now ready to receive the Akaashi family or to work in the nearby Michelin-starred restaurant.
They were all now waiting silently in the living room.
"I will prepare some tea," Keiji declared, getting up.
His sister grabbed his wrist before he could take another step.
"No! They'll suspect something!"
"Do I have to pretend to be surprised too?"
"Yes! That's the point!"
"But I..."
"Do what you can, Keiji!"
"Excuse me, Tsubaki," Kenma intervened, "but won't they suspect something if you're here?"
"Oh... yes! Shoot! I have to go!"
As she grabbed her things, the doorbell rang.
"Oh shit, shit!"
"We can say you came to visit me for the occasion," Keiji suggested.
"Okay, okay, that could work."
The doorbell rang again.
"Keiji, move it! Go!"
"Just me? Come with me!"
"I'm not supposed to be here!"
"Come!"
His sister shook her head negatively, but Keiji grabbed her wrist and headed towards the front door. Tsubaki tried to resist, in vain.
Kenma sighed.
"Not quite how I envisioned my morning..."
"Me neither..."
Silence fell between them.
"Um... Are they... that scary?" Tetsurō hesitated.
"No! Well... maybe a bit..."
Kōtarō awkwardly gestured.
Kuroo looked at him, puzzled.
"A bit what?"
"Intense."
"That’s a way to put it," Kenma remarked.
They fell silent upon hearing footsteps on the stairs and voices approaching. Instinctively, they lined up.
Tsubaki was the first to enter the room, followed by her younger brother.
"The traffic here is always a nightmare,!"
A tall woman in her fifties had just entered the room. Kuroo was immediately struck by her elegance and towering height. She adjusted her suit and removed her sunglasses, surveying the apartment, seemingly unaware of their presence.
"Ûme dear, I don't think the traffic in Seoul is much better," her wife said, coming in behind her. She too exuded an impressive aura, dressed in a splendid light blue kimono with a bright red obi adorned with golden flowers.
"Oh, children, you're here," she calmly acknowledged them before smiling.
"Torishima-san, Suzuki-san, nice to see you again," Kenma greeted politely.
Kōtarō and himself followed suit, bowing to greet the matriarchs.
As they prepared to return the greeting, heavy footsteps echoed in the stairwell. Odd, Kōtarō was already with them...
Suddenly, bursting in like a cannonball, came the last of the matriarchs.
"I'm so excited! It's so good to be back home!" She bumped her two mates aside. Her hair, tied up in a bun secured by two wooden sticks, had come loose. She wore a bright pink floral shirt and loose black pants.
"Akaashi-san."
"Kozume-kun, Bokuto-kun, how wonderful to see you again!" She rushed over to them, taking each of their hands. Finally, her gaze found Tetsurō.
"Oh, and you must be Kuroo-kun."
As he was about to reply, she lunged at him and took his hands in hers.
"I've been looking forward to meeting you! Oh, this is wonderful! Oh, oh! Where are the flowers?" she asked, turning to her wives.
"Yuu was supposed to have them, where is he? Yuu?"
They heard someone trudging up the stairs. Then appeared a teenage boy, thirteen or fourteen years old, clearly not thrilled to be here.
"Well, well, where are your manners, Yuu? Say hello to your brothers-in-law."
The teenager rolled his eyes, leaned over lazily, and handed over the bouquet half-heartedly.
"Oh... Thank you, Yuu-kun, I'll take care of this," Kenma volunteered, seizing the perfect opportunity to extricate himself from the situation.
The woman in the suit cleared her throat and turned to her second son. She raised an eyebrow and remarked,
"Don't you think you forgot some introductions, Keiji?"
Tetsurō tensed up and clasped his hands behind his back.
"Oh... um, Tet... Kuroo-san,"
Tetsurō twitched but did not comment.
"Let me introduce you to Suzuki Kyoshi-" he began, referring to the woman in the kimono, "Torishima Ûme-" he continued, pointing to the businesswoman, "and Akaashi Atsuko-" the cannonball, "my parents. Mothers, this is Kuroo Tetsurō... um, my... our... boyfriend."
Extremely awkward, which did nothing to calm the anxiety starting to bubble up in Tetsurō’s stomach. Nonetheless, he leaned forward again and introduced himself as solemnly as possible.
"As I was saying, nice to meet you, Kuroo-kun," Atsuko intervened. "And happy birthday, Keiji! Are you surprised to see us?"
"Oh, very."
"Perfect!" Kyoshi said with a smile.
"Um, please," Tsubaki finally intervened, inviting her parents to sit on the couch. Kōtarō also followed suit, starting the conversation with Atsuko.
Tetsurō was left in the doorway with Keiji and Yuu.
"Um... Nice to meet you, Yuu-kun."
The youngest of the Akaashi family looked him up and down, muttering something in a language Tetsurō couldn't understand, likely Korean. Unfortunately for the teenager, he had forgotten that his older brother was a polyglot. His remark didn’t go unnoticed. Keiji replied sternly in the same language. The teenager maintained eye contact for a few seconds before he sighed. Finally, he bowed and politely greeted Kuroo in Japanese before leaving to join his parents.
Tetsurō watched him go and turned his attention back to Keiji, who was now smiling mischievously, clearly pleased with his comeback.
"What did he say?"
"Nonsense..."
"Oh... And what did you say to him?"
"I corrected his conjugation. And I told him that if he wanted to be disrespectful, he should do it properly."
Tetsurō chuckled, "Whoa, burn."
"Indeed. Shall we?"
Kuroo nodded and followed him. He settled onto the couch and felt his anxiety slowly subside. Keiji's parents were too engrossed in recounting their lives in the Korean capital to pay attention to him.
"You should come visit us kids! You'll see, the garden is beautiful!"
"Speaking of which," Suzuki-san said, turning to her eldest daughter, "where is your sister?"
"Oh uh, home Oka-san."
"Oh, she should join us !" Akaashi-san said cheerfully.
Torishima-san had risen, apparently off to inspect the cleanliness of the kitchen joints.
Looking over, Tetsurō noticed that Keiji was watching his mother, worry painted on his face. a worried look.
"Keiji, how’s school?" Akaashi-san asked enthusiastically.
"Great, I just need to finalize the paperwork for..."
"Perfect," Akaashi-san cut in, "and you, Tsubaki?"
"It’s okay, well, there just some issues with the..."
"Fantastic!" Atsuko cut her off. "Oh, I haven't told you about the gallery yet, have I? Oh, it's really..."
She stopped when her mate placed a hand on her thigh.
"Atsuko, dear, listen to what the children have to say."
"Oh yes, sorry, I'm getting carried away. Kuroo-san, Keiji told me you're studying biology, that's wonderful!"
"Oh um..."
Without waiting for his answer, Akaashi-san rummaged in her bag and handed him a stone... Clearly not precious or semi-precious: just a pebble.
"I found this on the beach the other day, maybe you can tell me what it is."
"Mom, I am not sure that is his area of expertise," Keiji intervened.
"Oh," Atsuko seemed genuinely disappointed to learn that.
"But if I had to guess, I would say it's probably... a pebble," Tetsurō suggested.
"A pebble! Wonderful! See, he does know a thing or two after all!"
Her remark brought a smile to his face. Suzuki-san finally turned her attention to Tetsurō.
"So, what is your specialty, young man?"
"Um, biochemistry... I'm doing my master's in..."
"Oh, chemistry yes! Kyoshi, do you remember our friend, what was her name again? Himiko-san?"
The conversation then turned to this Himiko-san, and Tetsurō didn't get a chance to say anything else (which he didn't mind, honestly). Suzuki-san managed to regain control of the conversation and made sure that everyone who spoke wasn't interrupted again. This seemed to only moderately satisfy Atsuko, who stopped listening, her eyes darting around the room without settling on anything for more than two seconds, her legs shaking with excited anticipation. Her mate subtly tried to calm her down by placing a hand on her thigh.
"Oh, I'm starving! Let's go eat!" Atsuko finally exclaimed in a moment of silence.
"Oh, um, but it's only... 10:15," Tsubaki pointed out.
"So? Brunch! Perfect!"
Silence fell, as no one had much of an argument against that.
Kyoshi exchanged a glance with Ûme.
"I suppose we can do that..."
"Keiji, do you have any idea where you'd like to go? It's your birthday after all."
"Um, I..."
"No need, I already have an idea," declared Akaashi-san.
She leaned in to whisper to her mate.
"Um... I suppose that's a good idea. I'll call to see if they have room for us."
Akaashi-san clapped her hands happily.
"Perfect! Tsubaki, call your sister, and tell her to join us."
"Okay, join us where? Here?"
"No, no, over there!"
"Over there... where?"
"Oh, you're right, I'll spoil the surprise if I say it! Wait, I'll send her a message myself." She waved her hands towards Torishima-san. The latter rolled her eyes and rummaged in her handbag to retrieve a phone, which she handed to her mate. Akaashi-san took it and after typing at an incredible speed, handed it back to her.
"Done! Alright, let's go!"
"Um, okay... Should we take the car?"
"Of course, I'm not planning on taking the subway," remarked Kyoshi.
"I'll ride with you boys," declared Atsuko, "that way I can show you the way."
"We have GPS though," Keiji remarked.
"Yes, but this way the destination remains a surprise."
Keiji sighed, "Alright, mom."
And so, for the second consecutive Sunday, Kuroo found himself squashed against the back window of Kenma's car. Keiji was driving, listening to his mother's directions from the passenger seat, who was as bad a navigator as Yūji. After thirty minutes, they parked in the Chiyoda district. As soon as the car stopped, Atsuko jumped out and stood in front of a massive glass tower.
"Ta-da!"
The audience wasn't quite sure how to react.
"It's..."
"The New Otani!"
Silence.
"Isn't that a hotel?" Kenma murmured.
"Come on, come on, let's go!"
"Shouldn't we wait..."
"Oh, there they are!" Atsuko exclaimed.
Turning their heads, they saw the rest of the Akaashi family walking toward them. Atsuko waved enthusiastically to them. Tsubaki detached herself from the group to quickly approach them, casting worried glances at her younger brother. Once beside him, she leaned in to whisper:
"Something’s fishy..."
Keiji returned her worried look.
"I know... But what could it be?"
"I have no idea, but it stinks."
Keiji nodded solemnly.
"Hurry up!" Atsuko yelled at them.
They finally entered the hotel. The interior was sumptuous: the black marble floor reflected light as if studded with gold flakes. In the ceiling, set in an alcove of white marble, hung a large chandelier made out of golden cubes, blending traditional aesthetic codes with modern touches. Kuroo had never set foot in such a prestigious place in his life.
Atsuko trotted over to the reception desk, exchanged a few words with the person behind the counter, and then headed towards the corridor leading to the elevators.
They all found themselves in an elevator that was almost as big as Kuroo's old apartment.
"Top floor," Atsuko announced before pressing the corresponding button.
Silence fell among them. Eventually, Keiji's parents started talking to each other, but the "children" remained silent.
The elevator doors finally opened, and Tetsurō lost his breath: the entire rooftop was glass-walled, with the city stretching out in all directions as far as the eye could see.
"So beautiful!" Kōtarō exclaimed, rushing towards the nearest window.
Tetsurō smiled and joined him. They were so high up that it almost made him dizzy. Below them stretched an immense park designed in a traditional style. Halfway up, an artificial waterfall had been constructed, cascading into a basin dotted with aquatic vegetation below.
"Not bad, huh?"
They both turned and found Atsuko standing with her hands on her hips, proudly gazing at the horizon.
"It's splendid, Akaashi-san!"
"See? Come on, come, we're seated over there."
She led them to a huge table that was set up in the back of the room, right in front of one of the windows. They all sat down, and Kuroo found himself sitting between Keiji and his elder sister.
"You'll see, this place is marvelous," Atsuko assured them. "It's a buffet, so you can take whatever you like, as much as you like!"
Kuroo looked around, and although he had passed by a few moments ago, he finally discovered the various counters set up all around. Each one promised wonders: cooked fish, beef, chicken, noodles, or Italian spaghetti, everything seemed wonderful. Even though it was only eleven in the morning, he felt his digestive system waking up vigorously, clamoring for food.
"Go ahead!"
"Wait, maybe we should wait for Himawari," Kyoshi suggested.
"Oh yes... Ah, there she is!" Atsuko exclaimed, waving.
Turning around, Kuroo could indeed see Himawari Akaashi approaching them.
"Sorry I’m late, they didn't want to let me in... Happy birthday, shrimp!" she declared, approaching her younger brother to vigorously ruffle his hair, which only moderately pleased Keiiji.
She then approached her parents to greet them.
"You could have made an effort, Wari, what's with this outfit?" Ûme remarked.
Himawari looked down at her clothes: a black sweatshirt and loose gray jogging pants.
"So what? You're the one who taught me that gender stereotypes are bullshits, Mom," she replied.
Her mother raised an eyebrow.
"Language. And your torn jogging pants have nothing to do with that."
"Are you sure?"
Her mother didn't retort, and Wari continued around the table.
"Kenma, Kōtarō!" she exclaimed, raising a hand for them to fist bump, which they did promptly. Her gaze finally fell on Tetsurō.
"Hey, hi there! How have you been since the last time I saw you?" She turned to her younger brother, "You know he got nabbed by the pups last time, I had to yell at Ken-Ken to get them to leave him be!"
"I heard, yes." Keiji responded.
"Thanks again, Himawari-san," Kuroo thanked politely, bowing his head.
"Drop the 'san' and we're good to go, cupcake! Yo, Yuu, you still wearing that frown, good to see you again bro!"
The youngest didn't bother to look up from his phone. His older sister didn't mind at all, on the contrary, she smiled and sat down between Yuu and her twin sister.
"By the way, Kenma, I'm still waiting for you to come by with your car! So I can apologize for last time!"
"It's really nothing, Himawari, no need," Kenma replied.
"Wari, I thought we were done with these," their mother scolded.
"I didn't do anything! I swear! Tetsurō fell into a hole with Kenma's car, I just helped him out, and well, I got a scratch, no big deal!"
Ûme slumped back in her chair and crossed her arms.
"Uh... I can confirm," Kuroo intervened.
"Ah, see!"
"Ken-Ken? You were on the territory?" Akaashi-san finally intervened. Her tone didn't seem judgmental, just surprised.
Tetsurō saw Keiji visibly tense.
"Yes," he answered vaguely.
"Don't worry, he told me. It was just to use the gray house, as usual. It's not like he's going to visit his sisters," Himawari added, looking at her younger brother as she said the last words.
He gave her a stern look.
"The gray house..." Atsuko began.
Everyone seemed perfectly aware of what this "gray house" meant.
"All four of you?" Ûme finally asked, turning to her son.
Keiji nodded vaguely. Tetsurō soon found himself with three pairs of eyes on him. He smiled, terribly embarrassed. Keiji's parents exchanged a glance.
"Oh..."
"I didn't know it was that ..."
"That what?" Keiji insisted, slightly defensive.
"That serious," Akaashi-san concluded. She offered him a tender smile, and Kuroo instantly relaxed. "I'm delighted! Aren't we, Ûme, Kyoshi?"
The other two nodded in turn.
Keiji grabbed her hand on the table and squeezed it furtively.
"Yes."
Tetsurō blushed; he didn't dare look directly at Keiji's parents. He met Kōtarō's gaze, who smiled at him.
"Great, let's celebrate!" Atsuko exclaimed. "A carafe of your best fruit juice," she said, catching the eye of a passing server.
The elders Akaashis exchanged a knowing glance.
"And you, Tsubaki, still nothing?" Atsuko continued.
The remark seemed to only moderately please the young woman.
"No."
"Oh, don't worry honey, it'll come."
"My happiness doesn't have to depend on that; I'm perfectly happy as I am, thank you for your concern." She sighed and stood up. "I'll go get some food," she announced before leaving the table.
Atsuko seemed embarrassed by the commotion her words had caused.
"Oh, um... go ahead too, you'll see, there are plenty of good things."
Keiji didn't wait a second longer and got up from the table; Tetsurō followed suit, not wanting to linger either. They found Tsubaki standing in front of a buffet exclusively featuring fried fish, glaring sternly at the chef behind the counter dunking pieces of cuttlefish into hot oil.
"Tsu, You know she means no harm by saying that," her younger brother tried to comfort her.
The young woman sighed and turned to Keiji.
"Sorry for killing the mood like that."
"It is not your fault, and besides..."
He couldn't finish his sentence as Kōtarō bumped into him shouting, "Oh, there you are!"
"Damn, people have asked me three times if I work here," Kenma declared as he caught up.
Tetsurō glanced down at Kōtarō's tray, already containing a steak that was practically the size of his head and a slice of pizza.
"You're going to eat all that?"
Kōtarō looked down, surprised.
"Yeah, like an appetizer."
"An appetizer?!"
"Yeah, I saw they also have pasta, and the desserts look really good too! Why are you looking at me like that? I can give you some pizza if you want, but there's more over there!"
This man, whom he loved dearly, was a bottomless pit...
"...Okay."
"Oh, there you are!"
Himawari had just arrived next to them.
"What are you doing here? Don't leave the parents alone!"
"It's okay, Yuu's here."
Keiji and Tsubaki vaguely nodded. They exchanged a glance and chuckled together, very unconvinced of their youngest sibling's social skills.
"Oh, takoyaki!" exclaimed Kōtarō.
Himawari stood between her younger brother and twin sister, the three of them facing the glimmering eyes of mackerels.
"There's really something wrong," Himawari murmured.
"I agree," confirmed Keiji.
"Yeah... but what could it be?" asked Tsubaki.
"Hmm... maybe they're planning to move back here?" Himawari suggested.
"No... Mom wouldn't have talked that much about her garden if they were coming back..."
"Hmm..."
"Maybe they met someone?"
They considered this hypothesis.
"No... they would have already brought them home if that were the case..."
"Hm... maybe Yuu has found someone?"
Keiji frowned.
"Yuu is thirteen; he is not going to announce his engagement! I doubt we need to call the press for that."
"Okay, okay, no... well..."
The twins and Keiji seemed to have the same realization at the same time.
"No..."
Silence fell between them.
Wari laughed nervously.
"No... no, it's definitely not that! Not at their age... Right? I mean, it's not impossible, but..."
Silence.
"No, no, it’s not that, relax. Come on, let's go back to the table."
"But !" Keiji complained.
"Well, hurry up! Come on, Keiji," she shoved a plate of fried fish into his plate"Come with me!"
"I do not like this, I..."
"Here, some salad, and fish is very good for you; now come!"
She pulled him by the arm to follow her.
The whole group returned to the table; Yuu shot a dark look at his elders. He leaned towards Wari.
"Seriously, you left me alone with them!"
"You're always alone with them, what's the problem?"
"I had to entertain them!"
"Come on, it's fine! "
"Alright, let's go!" exclaimed Akaashi-san. "Yuu, are you coming?"
She didn't wait for her son's consent before pulling him by the arm to follow her. The teenager glanced at his elders, pleading with his eyes. Wari simply waved at him; no one else reacted. Silence fell over the table. Tsubaki had her eyes fixed on her parents, looking concerned.
"They're definitely hiding something from us," she said, continuing to watch them. Her right leg started jittering, and she began nervously biting her nails. Keiji and Himawari exchanged a worried glance, seeing how unsettled their sister was.
"Um... Tsubaki, how's work?" Himawari intervened, trying to divert her attention.
"Frankly, not great..."
"Oh..."
Silence settled once again.
"Um... What do you do?" Tetsurō asked.
Tsubaki turned her attention to him.
"I run an after-school care center; I work mainly with deaf and hearing-impaired children who are struggling in school."
"Oh, I didn't know such facilities existed; that's nice."
"Yes, but... I don't know if I can continue. The grants I got to open up ran out a while ago, my colleague went on maternity leave, and she told me two weeks ago that she's quitting... I can't find anyone to replace her full-time; it's a mess... I don't know how long I can stay open..."
"Oh..."
Clearly, when Kuroo attempted small talk, it didn't yield much. He looked down, embarrassed by the atmosphere he had inadvertently created.
"I didn't know you were struggling like this, Tsu. You should have told me," her twin sister said, concerned.
"What could you have done?"
"I don't know, I..."
"Hey!" Kōtarō suddenly shouted, cutting off Himawari. "We know someone that could help!”
A glimmer of hope lit up in Tsubaki's eyes.
"Really?"
Kuroo frowned and turned to his boyfriend.
"Who?"
"Sugawara!"
"Oh yes!" - he turned to Tsubaki - "Yes, I have a friend who's been looking for a job for a long time, and..."
"He would be great!" Kōtarō cut in.
His enthusiasm about their friend's job search surprised him. Perhaps he should hire Kōtarō to help him find an internship.
"I know he has a teaching degree, and he signs perfectly," Kuroo clarified.
"Oh... if he's available, his profile could interest me. But in the middle of the school year like this, I'm not sure that... And I have a temp until next January..."
"I don't think that would be a problem for him..."
"What's his name?" Tsubaki asked, pulling out her phone.
"Sugawara Kōshi."
"Oh... Sugawara? Miyagi’s Sōshi clan, right?"
Kuroo frowned.
"I... I'm not sure..."
"Yes," Kenma cut in.
This did not seem to bother Tsubaki at all; she continued tapping on her phone.
"Is this him?"
She turned her phone to Tetsurō; it was a page from a professional networking site. On the profile picture, he recognized his friend.
"Yes, that's him."
She scrolled through the page, "his resume is pretty good... But there's like a three-year gap..." Tsubaki looked up, "What's he been doing lately?"
"He... works at a Seven-Eleven... and a coffee shop... and a clothing store too."
"Oh... No experience in the field then?"
"I... I'm not sure; he'd better tell you... But... I know he didn't pass the teacher's exam."
"I can see that... But he completed all his coursework...”
She frowned, suspicious.
"He wasn't arrested or anything, right? I can't put him with children if that's the case; I can't really take that risk..."
"No! No, not at all! I mean, I don't think so..."
"You don't think so?"
"No, no, that's not it!"
"Not what?"
"Well... I'm not sure if it's really up to me to talk about it, or if it's even important, but..."
"He is a prima," Keiji intervened.
This did not seem to surprise Tsubaki much.
"Oh... and?"
"You know how those juries can be biased in such matters," her younger brother continued.
"Hmm, they're really shitty about that... Just because they don't want to get involved in political issues... They gave me the same crap when they saw my last name... That's why I started my own thing."
"Does that bother you?" Kuroo asked.
"Why would it bother me? He can't help it, can he?"
Tetsurō had nothing to say. He slumped back into his chair and let out a smile.
"No..."
"Kids this age, alpha or not, prima or whatever, they don't care anyway... And parents are mostly betas... And if they're not happy, they can always put their kid somewhere else! I have his contact; I'll send him an email. Thank you."
She smiled at him, and Kuroo genuinely smiled back, happy for her and Sugawara. He couldn't wait to see his friend's reaction!
"What were you talking about?" Atsuko asked as she settled back into her seat with two well-filled plates.
"Kuroo-kun and Kōtarō-kun found someone for the job! " Himawari replied.
"Excellent news," commented Kyoshi.
"Speaking of good news..."
Everyone turned to Atsuko, who had just settled back in, looking impatient.
Her mates smiled at her.
"Atsuko, we agreed to discuss this later," Kyoshi said.
"I know, I know! But I can't wait any longer! Should we tell them?"
The two women exchanged a glance, then nodded together.
"Tsubaki, Himawari, Keiji, Yuu," Ûme began, a hint of emotion in her voice.
"Damn it," Tsubaki muttered under her breath.
Tetsurō saw Keiji tense up.
"We're expecting!" declared Atsuko, proudly placing her hands on her belly.
The news didn't trigger the excitement they expected.
"Expecting what?" Yuu asked, raising his eyes from his phone.
"A baby, I'm pregnant darling," Atsuko clarified.
Yuu dropped his phone.
"Oh..."
Atsuko looked at each of her children, her face gradually falling as she saw their expressions.
"Well, I gather you're not as thrilled as I'd hoped..."
"Oh, no, yes!" Keiji intervened. "We are just... surprised." His tone was so fake that Kuroo shivered.
"Oh yes, it's just the surprise, we're just... in shock! But it's really great news," Himawari added.
"Yes, yes, it's really fantastic!" Tsubaki chimed in.
-//-
“That’s freaking shitty news, yeah” Tsubaki let her head fall back against the glove compartment.
The rest of the meal unfolded in this atmosphere of forced cheerfulness, and despite everyone's best efforts to revive the conversation and lighten the mood, the heaviness persisted until they parted.
"No need to exaggerate, Tsu," commented Akaashi, driving.
Kuroo turned to Kenma and Kōtarō to his left; they didn't look very comfortable either.
"Exaggerate? I'm exaggerating?! Please, I know you think the same! Having a baby? At their age? No sorry, that’s just… What were they thinking damn it?!"
"You know how they are. I am sure Mom has an army of MDs monitoring her. And as for her age, well, you know that omegas have fewer complications in that regard."
“Oh whoa, really? Thanks, I really needed an alpha to explain to me how my own body works.” Tsubaki replied sharply.
“You know I did not mean it like that…”
Tsubaki rolled her eyes.
"Ok, but still! And you don't remember, you were a kid, but when she was pregnant with Yuu, things didn't go so well! In fact, it was pretty terrible! Don't you remember how shitty things were after Yuu was born?"
"That was thirteen years ago. Things are different now."
"Different? How?!”
"Tsu... we cannot do anything about it, it is their decision."
"Fuck..."
Tsubaki let her head rest against the window, watching the landscape roll by for a few minutes before speaking again.
"And on top of that, their whole 'oops, we didn't mean to' excuse, come on, most of the people at this table had uteruses, we don't see our kids running around everywhere, that's a lame excuse... No, they're just having a midlife crisis, they thought 'hey, having a kid at this age is a great idea', I swear..."
"Tsubaki..."
"I know, I know... I'm just worried, that's all..."
"Me too... but it will be okay."
"And on top of that, this kid will be 26 years younger than me... I'll see him once a year, he won't even know what his big sister looks like..."
"All the more reason for them to visit more often... or for you to visit them..."
Silence fell once again.
"I barely even know Yuu already... I don't even know what he likes or dislikes, what music he listens to..."
"Do you know what music I listen to?"
"That's not the point, Keiji, you stink."
The remark made Keiji chuckle.
Looking up at the rearview mirror, Kuroo caught sight of Keiji. Despite his words, his expression seemed to reflect the same emotions as his older sister. The journey continued in silence. Although it was cold outside, the sun beat down on the window. Tetsurō rested his head against it. He was trying so hard to survive the awkwardness that he felt like he had swallowed a week's worth of food. A little post-meal nap would do him good. He closed his eyes and let himself drift to sleep.
"I hope we have a little sister, I’m tired of brothers," Tsubaki finally commented.
The sentence ringed in Tetsurō’s half-asleep mind. It was almost 100% certain that it was a sister... How could it be otherwise? He opened one eye, his gaze landing on Keiji. Wait, how could it be otherwise?
"What's wrong?" Kenma asked, seeing the bewildered look on his face.
Kuroo didn't respond. Something glitched in his understanding. He knew alpha females could... well, manage that. But...
"Tetsu?"
"Where does the Y come from...," he blurted out without really thinking.
"What Y?"
"The chromosome..."
All eyes turned to him.
"Whose chromosome?"
"Yours?" he said to Keiji. "If you have one."
"Yes, I suppose."
"Where does it come from?"
Keiji and his sister exchanged a glance. His elder burst out laughing.
"Gosh, your boyfriend is clueless, isn't he?" she remarked.
An amused smile persisted on Keiji's lips.
"Where do you think it comes from? From my mother."
"She has one?"
"... Yes."
That answer was enough for Tetsurō.
"Oh... okay."
He fell asleep about three seconds later.
"Tetsurō..."
His name was spoken in a whisper. He opened one eye; Keiji smiled at him and leaned in to kiss him. Tetsurō groaned, stretching out his limbs. Instinctively, he reached out his arms, and his lover came to embrace him. It was dark around them; it took Kuroo a few seconds to realize they were still in the car. It had been parked in the garage; the others were probably already upstairs.
"Did I sleep long?"
"No, about twenty minutes."
"Hmm, okay," he replied with a yawn.
It took him a few more moments to fully come to his senses.
"What a day..."
"Hmm," Keiji agreed.
"I honestly didn't expect to meet your entire family when I woke up this morning."
"Neither did I, to be honest."
" I have to admit that I was a bit scared this morning when I saw your reaction, but in the end, your moms aren't that scary..."
"They can be."
"Hmm... Your sisters are nice too... I didn't get to talk to Yuu that much."
Keiji chuckled.
"Well... and a new family member in a few months..."
"Hmm..."
"Your sister seemed worried."
"Yes."
His lover turned to rest against him.
"My parents had... bad experiences in this regard... My sisters' births were already difficult for Oka-san. Then there were a lot of complications... Eventually, they told her that she could not bear any more children... I was not there yet, but I know it was a difficult time for them."
"Oh..."
"As for my mom... it was okay for me, but for my little brother, there were a lot of complications, they almost lost him... And then when he was born, she went through a postpartum depression... I was still young at the time, it took me a while to understand, and honestly, I do not remember it very well. Tsubaki and Himawari remember it well... That is why they are worried..."
"Oh... I'm sorry for her..."
Keiji nodded slowly.
"Everything will be fine," he murmured. His tone wasn’t certain, he simply hoped.
"I hope so too..."
"For now, everything seems to be going well."
"Hmm..."
Tetsurō kissed his lover's temple.
"Do you want a little brother or a little sister?"
Keiji sighed.
"Honestly, I do not care."
"Really"
"Yes... And our parents raised us rather... neutrally when we were children. They operate under the principle that nothing is set in stone... and that it can fluctuate...”
"Oh..."
Keiji turned his head to catch his gaze.
"You seem surprised."
"A little, yes... They just seemed very... traditional."
"For many things, yes... but not for this... My mother started her transition when she was almost twenty-five; I know she suffered as a child, and she did not want us to go through the same thing."
"I see..."
Silence gently stretched between them.
"Sorry for what I said earlier... it was stupid."
"You did not know, no need to worry."
"Hmm, still... It was... very cisgender of me."
Keiji chuckled; he turned again. They smiled at each other.
As they were about to kiss, they jumped at the sound of a knock on the window. They turned to see Tsubaki waving a bottle of alcohol.
"Drinks, come on!"
They watched her walk away.
"She is going to end up drunk on the couch."
Tsubaki reappeared and knocked again.
"Come on!"
"Hmm..."
After one last kiss, they finally got out of the car.
They all ended up drunk on the couch that night.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
That’s it for this week, hope you liked it!
Next chapter : “What binds us”
“I… wanted to ask you something.”
“Hmm?”
“Um… it might be a huge mistake… but I want to try.”
Tetsurō frowned.
“Wha… what is it?”
Kenma sighed. He stood up, disappeared into his room, and returned a few moments later. On the coffee table, he placed an object that looked like an essential oil diffuser, wrapped in plastic.
“What’s that?”
“A chemical pacifier.”
Tetsurō’s eyes widened.
“What are you doing with that?”
Chapter 42: What binds us
Summary:
“I… wanted to ask you something.”
“Hmm?”
“Um… it might be a huge mistake… but I want to try.”
Tetsurō frowned.
“Wha… what is it?”
Kenma sighed. He stood up, disappeared into his room, and returned a few moments later. On the coffee table, he placed an object that looked like an essential oil diffuser, wrapped in plastic.
“What’s that?”
“A chemical pacifier.”
Tetsurō’s eyes widened.
“What are you doing with that?”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
A student's life was tedious in many ways: exams, competition, stress, financial insecurity, the list was long. All of these greatly contributed to the mental health degradation of the young minds, destined to enter the job market, already worn down, ready to be persecuted by companies with toxic management.
Yes, there was that, but Kuroo had no such worries on this Monday afternoon. What was weighing heavily on his mental well-being at this very moment was having to listen to his microbiology class as he bravely fought against sleep. Here he was, lazily scribbling illegible chicken scratch on paper, adding notes here and there for his future self to do the extra work for him.
How much longer would this torture last?
He looked up at the clock above his professor and felt his heart sink in horror when he saw that only a few minutes had passed since he last checked.
He would have cried, but he was way too tired for that.
Tetsurō let himself fall back and his eyes landed on Oikawa's computer screen next to him: 5:48 PM. He sighed in relief, realizing that the clock had shamelessly lied to him, only a few more minutes and he would be free.
His gaze stayed on the screen. his friend didn't seem very absorbed in the lecture either, refreshing his email inbox every five seconds. After a while, a new email finally appeared. Oikawa held his breath and opened it. Tetsurō couldn't read what it was about, but judging by his friend's expression, it must have been important.
"And we will be happy to welcome you in one of our units in… Yahoo!!"
Oikawa had stood up from his seat and shouted the end of his sentence. Tetsurō and Chris looked at him, dumbfounded. Their professor reprimanded him, but their friend didn't care at all :
"I'm off to NASA, baby, goodbye losers!"
He bent down, grabbed Kuroo's lecture notes, and threw them festively in the air.
"Sir, I would ask you to please sit down and stop disrupting the class…"
"I don't care! Yahoo!"
Gosh, he had completely lost it. Microbiology classes were definitely dangerous for one's health.
Oikawa turned around and climbed up the amphitheater, stepping over tables. He tumbled over the last one, fortunately empty, but quickly got back on his feet and shouted, "I'm going to live forever!" before finally leaving the room.
Silence fell.
"Uh… Sorry," Kuroo said, feeling all eyes on him.
Turning his head, he found Chris's gaze, who looked just as stunned as he was. They burst into laughter together.
Oikawa had left all his things behind, and Chris and Kuroo had to pack them up to bring them to him. Leaving the building, they found their friend outside, out of breath. Kuroo chuckled.
"Why are you out of breath like that?" the brunet asked, handing his friend his things.
"Thanks… Sorry, I couldn't go back after that grand exit… I had to run a bit to calm down."
He smiled at him.
"Damn… I'm going to do my internship at NASA."
"Well done," said Tetsurō.
He opened his arms and Oikawa, for once, made no comment and accepted the hug.
"Yes, congratulations Oikawa," added Chris.
"Do you know which site you'll be going to? When?"
"No, not yet, everything still needs to be organized, but… it's…" He started jumping around again, "Ohh, I have to tell Iwaizumi… and Kōshi… Oh, he must be at Karasu right now… I'm going to go tell him." He turned on his heels and started heading for the subway.
He turned back, noticing no one was following him:
"You’re coming?"
Chris and Tetsurō exchanged a look and finally followed their friend.
When they reached their destination, Sugawara, who was busy taking an order behind the counter, immediately noticed their presence. His face lit up with a smile and he left his customer to run towards them.
"Did you already tell him?" Kuroo asked, surprised by his reaction.
"No..."
"Then what's..."
Sugawara had just thrown himself at Tetsurō like a cannonball, hugging him tightly.
"Oh, hello to you too," the brunet began, returning the hug. "What have I done to deserve this greeting?"
"Don't play innocent, my profile didn't end up in Akaashi Tsubaki's sights by accident."
"Oh, she contacted you already?"
"Yes! This morning! I can't believe it, it's..."
He tightened the hug, and Kuroo lost his breath for a moment.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you..."
"I'm not really the one you should thank you know."
He didn't listen and continued his affectionate suffocation attempts.
"What's going on?" Oikawa finally asked.
"Akaashi's sister... She’s his sister, right?"
"Yes."
"Akaashi's sister offered me a position in her after-school care program."
"Seriously? That's awesome!" Oikawa exclaimed, sincerely happy for his friend, opening his arms to hug him as well.
"I didn't have to do much, Tsubaki-san wasn't hard to convince."
"Congratulations, Sugawara," Chris interjected. "A lot of good news today."
"What do you mean?" the silver-haired asked.
Oikawa smiled at him.
"What?"
"You're looking at a future intern at... NASA."
Kuroo saw Sugawara's eyes widen.
"Seriously!"
Oikawa nodded. It was his turn to endure the affectionate suffocation, and he didn't seem to mind at all.
"That's amazing! Have you told Iwaizumi yet?"
"Not yet, I got the answer barely an hour ago."
"You should have seen the scene he made," Tetsurō commented.
"Well, you'll tell me all about it later. I still have some work to do... And then let’s celebrate"
Five hours later, Kuroo found himself completely tipsy in Kenma's car. Waking up the next day was painful, and his two hours of organic chemistry even more so. Yes, student life wasn't always easy. Maybe he wouldn't remember a single word from his classes in a few years, but he was sure he'd remember this much longer.
-//-
And then, it was the weekend: the perfect opportunity to do a little gardening, learn a new language, or start painting the roof of the living room Sistine Chapel style, the possibilities were endless!
Tetsurō could have used his time in a billion different ways, but no, he chose to rot on the couch and watch TV.
As he started drifting off, Kenma came to sit beside him. He opened one eye to see what he was doing: just sitting there, watching the awful show with him. Eventually, Kenma caught his gaze:
“Weren’t you supposed to study?” asked the blond.
He grimaced.
“Yeah… but I don’t feel like it…”
“Don’t you have a test on Monday?”
“No… Why? Did I say that?”
Kenma raised an eyebrow:
“That’s what you told Keiji and Kōtarō.”
Oops. Well, maybe he... twisted the truth a little. His two boyfriends had decided to spend the weekend with their respective families, and maybe he had lied a little to avoid leaving the house... Not that he didn't like their families, no. But after meeting Keiji's parents a week ago, he had to admit that the idea of facing not only Keiji's parents but also Kōtarō's, along with their whole parade of siblings, had left him a bit winded. Maybe another time, but right now, he needed some rest...
“Ok, I lied… Well, not really… I did need to study, but I’m just tired right now.”
“Hmm…”
Tetsurō propped himself up on his elbows.
“And you? Weren’t you supposed to work too?”
“Tonight.”
“Oh… okay.”
“I had an appointment with my therapist this afternoon.”
“Oh… okay. Do you want me to come with you? Well, not with you, like in the room, I mean, in the car and…”
Kenma shook his head.
“I’m not going…”
Tetsurō sat up.
“Kenma… are you sure that’s a good idea?”
He didn't want to force anything on him, but they had talked about it. Kenma knew that he needed help. Help that his mates and he might not be able to provide.
“I know, Ji, I know. It’s just that…”
“That?”
The blonde sighed.
“It makes me anxious and... I don't have the energy to explain myself.”
“To explain what?”
“Ji… I’m an asexual omega in a relationship with three men, do you think many therapists get that?”
“You know, you don't have to explain yourself, and besides, it’s…”
“I’ve already changed four times,” Kenma cut in, “each time I get either borderline homophobic comments or invalidating ones, or… well, I'm just tired."
“I get that, but…”
“But what? I don’t have the time or energy for that.”
“Kenma…”
“The last one is… not too bad, but… I feel like I have to justify everything about myself, or she says things that are off the mark, and that…”
“Okay, okay… But it might take some time to find someone that works, you know. I know it’s not easy right now, but once you find the right person, it will really be worth it… Kōtarō says the same…”
“I know, I know, I know… I really don’t need this right now, Ji.”
“Okay… Okay, I understand, no worries. Take your time.”
Kenma nodded. He shifted to lie down next to him. Kuroo ran a hand through his hair.
“I… wanted to ask you something.”
“Hmm?”
“Um… it might be a huge mistake… but I want to try.”
Tetsurō frowned.
“Wha… what is it?”
Kenma sighed. He stood up, disappeared into his room, and returned a few moments later. On the coffee table, he placed an object that looked like an essential oil diffuser wrapped in plastic.
“What’s that?”
“A chemical pacifier.”
Tetsurō’s eyes widened.
“What are you doing with that?”
“Um… I read a few things and I thought it might be a good idea…”
“I have to say, right now, it doesn’t look like a good idea, Kenma…”
"I know, but listen. These things are connected to my traumatic memories; if I can... reconsolidate these memories differently, by reactivating them and adding positive emotions, I think it might... improve things... I'm not saying it will magically solve everything, but..."
Tetsurō made a face. It was well wrapped, he could give that to Kenma, but still, it didn't sound like a good idea at all.
“Kenma, I’m not sure that…”
“I know, I know, it doesn’t sound great… But I’m not in my cycle, I react much better when I’m in my normal state… And I’ll be with you…”
“I…”
“I was going to do it anyway, I just thought it would be easier with you.”
Kuroo was torn; he was absolutely, positively sure this was a bad idea. Kenma seemed determined… And if he was going to make a huge mistake, he’d rather be there for it.
“Okay… what do I need to do?”
“Nothing… just hold me.”
The blonde held his gaze for a moment.
“Okay,” Tetsurō finally said.
The silence stretched for a few seconds.
“Do you want to do this now?”
Kenma nodded slowly.
Tetsurō didn’t comment and sat up. He grabbed the pacifier from the table.
“What are you doing?” asked his boyfriend, seeing him head to the kitchen.
Kuroo didn’t answer and simply showed him the scissors he had just retrieved. He opened the thick plastic surrounding the device.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Kenma asked quietly.
He caught his gaze and held it for a long moment. Finally, Tetsurō sighed.
“It’s fine with me… I’m not sure it’s a good idea, but I trust you.”
Kenma looked away, nodding vaguely.
They found themselves side by side in the hallway.
“Why don’t we go to my room instead?” Kuroo interjected as the blond was about to open his bedroom's door.
“Why?” Kenma asked, confused.
“Well, if we set this up,” he pointed to the pacifier “the smell will linger in the room for a while. It’s better if it’s in my room; I can’t smell it anyway.”
Kenma seemed to consider this.
“It doesn’t bother you?”
“No, I wouldn’t have suggested it otherwise; it’s fine with me.”
Kuroo quickly picked up on the unease in his lover’s voice. Kenma was determined to go through with it, but he wasn’t doing so without apprehension.
“Okay… I’ll join you upstairs.”
Tetsurō nodded and complied. Once in his room, he left the pacifier near the electrical outlet and did a quick scan of the room with his eyes. He tidied up the clothes scattered around and piled the rest into a corner. Kenma finally appeared, bringing his speakers and his patchwork duvet. They pushed the bed against the back wall, and Kenma spread the duvet on the floor. Tetsurō watched him. He waited. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do or what to expect; he just needed to be there for Kenma, so he waited. Relaxing music mixed with the sound of wind, a torrent, distant singing, and tinkling filled the room.
“Okay.”
Kenma took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and remained still for a few seconds. Finally, he turned and went to plug in the pacifier. Tetsurō watched him, feeling his heart tighten in his chest. It really didn’t seem like a good idea; he wasn’t sure that accepting this would actually benefit Kenma. What if he was making a huge mistake? He calmed down as he met his lover’s gaze, who smiled at him. Kenma undressed, just keeping his boxer on. Mimicking him, Tetsurō did the same.
“Sit cross-legged,” Kenma instructed him.
He complied. Their eyes locked, and Kuroo watched as his lover approached him, sitting on his legs and wrapping his own around his waist. Tetsurō felt Kenma’s hands on his back, his own hands followed the same path. They ended up with their foreheads touching, their eyes never leaving each other. The blonde began to breathe deeply, and Tetsurō followed suit until their breathing rhythms were completely synchronized.
As time slowly seemed to become static, the music around them filled their minds so much that it became inaudible.
There was only the two of them, their gazes, their breaths, which gradually blended as they merged into one another, becoming inseparable. Kuroo felt like his body was evaporating, becoming light.
Yet he was aware of every inhale, the air filling his lungs, Kenma’s, his gaze on him. There were two of them, but the two entities they formed interwove so perfectly that they became almost insubstantial. There was no longer a “me,” a “him,” or a “us”: just “this,” immense, overwhelming, yet so gentle.
They reached a state of ataraxia, their resonance becoming so perfect, so harmonized that it formed a single unit, vibrating to the rhythm of their breaths. They remained like this for a long time, perhaps hours; Kuroo no longer knew.
He finally came back to himself when Kenma broke eye contact. He closed his eyes, struggling. His breath had begun to quicken, and he was shaking. Tetsurō took a deep breath, and Kenma followed, exhaling together, and then starting again.
Heavy tears streamed down Kenma's face. Tetsurō detached his hands from behind his back to wipe them, gently caressing his skin. The contact seemed to soothe him.
“Do you want to stop?” he murmured.
The blond shook his head.
“No, I'm fine.”
He let his head fall back against his neck, his arms holding him tightly.
“Hold me.”
Kuroo complied, tightening his embrace until nothing separated them, until Kenma’s heartbeat rolled under his own skin, until their rhythms mingled and resonated together, until the matter that made them each blurred, until every atom of their beings no longer felt alone.
The blonde’s hands began to travel over his back, caressing it with the tips of his fingers. Tetsurō did the same. Each contact sent tiny electric shivers under his skin, the charge surging up to short-circuit his brain. Their hands eventually came to rest, satisfied with their mapping, soaked in tenderness, and they lost themselves once more in their ataraxia.
Eventually, Kenma raised his head. Their gazes met again. The blond’s eyes were once more filled with tears, but they had lost their heaviness. He ran his hands over his face and kissed him. To Tetsurō, it felt like no kiss between them had ever held so much meaning.
The blond loosened the embrace, smiling at him. Kuroo felt his lips respond. His lover sat up, went to the other side of the room, unplugged the pacifier, and then turned off the music. Kenma opened the skylight, and the fresh air immediately poured in. Tetsurō watched him, his skin already feeling terribly lonely. He watched him move through the room without fully processing what he was doing. He felt like a thread had been stretched between them, holding their hearts at either end.
He had fallen in love with him long ago, and yet it felt like something new had just been created, something even more powerful. He had experienced his breath like never before; their soul had met to greet and embrace each other. Becoming imprisoned in his flesh again, so far from him, was both heartbreaking and beautiful. For knowing him to be different, separate, other, appeared as a blessing.
Kenma met his gaze again. He chuckled:
“Still high?” he asked with a smirk.
It took the brunet a second to regain the ability to talk:
“Yes… I… Whoa…”
The blonde chuckled again.
“Yeah, it does that.”
“What?”
“That…”
Silence.
“That what?”
“That… I don’t know what we can call it, tantra?”
“Oh…”
How was he so high? On what? Endorphins?
“And… did it work?”
Kenma shrugged.
“I don’t know… maybe.”
He moved closer and sat between his legs, resting his back on Kuroo’s chest.
"At first no, but... I ended up disconnecting from it... I think it's a good thing. I'll see if it changes things when I'm in cycle... I'm not going to believe in miracles, but... We'll see in a few months. Normally we'd have to do it several times, but... We'll see."
“Hmm.”
The blond let his head fall onto Tetsurō’s neck. The latter smiled at him before planting a kiss on his lips.
“Thank you… for trusting me.”
“Thank you for being here.”
They hugged again.
“Yeah, so, we might want to take a shower pretty soon, 'cause believe it or not, artificial pheromones stink"
"I'll have to take your word for it"
“Well, I’m telling you, you stink”
“You’re hurting my feelings.”
“How unfortunate, darling.”
Kuroo burst into laughter.
“Are you stealing Keiji’s lines now?”
“It’s not just his lines I’ve stolen…”
“Hmm, what else?”
“Well, his lovers, for starters.”
Kuroo snickered.
“It’s not stealing; it’s sharing.”
“Marxism, a real plague. What would my poor mother say.”
They laughed together.
“Well… Let’s shower and then we can watch a movie or something.”
“Weren’t you supposed to stream tonight?”
“Nah… I don’t feel like it anymore.”
Kuroo shook his head, and they left the room.
They spent hours on the couch, slumped against each other. Tetsurō couldn't remember a single detail about the movies they watched, and so did Kenma.
After a while, Tetsurō looked up, taking the time to look at his boyfriend.
Is this what it means to be bound to someone?
He smiled at this thought. He let his head fall back on Kenma’s chest and fell asleep.
-//-
Tetsurō looked up from his phone when he heard a car stop in front of him. A broad smile spread across his face as he recognized Keiji at the wheel of Kenma's car. He quickly opened the door and threw himself across the seat to grab his lover’s face in his hands.
“Hey love,” he murmured before kissing him.
He felt Keiji smile against his lips.
“Hello to you too,” Keiji replied, “you’re in a good mood.”
“I missed you,” Tetsurō exclaimed, leaning in again to kiss him.
Keiji turned off the engine so he could return the kiss properly.
They both jumped when the car behind them honked. Without further ado, they pulled apart, though not without chuckling like a couple of idiots, buckled their seatbelts, and Keiji started the car again.
“How was your weekend?” Tetsurō asked as he adjusted his seatbelt.
“Good. A bit tiring, but pleasant nonetheless. Did you have any trouble without the car?”
“Nah… I think Kenma actually liked having an excuse not to leave the house."
Keiji rolled his eyes.
“I am not sure he needs excuses for that."
“Yeah… And Kōtarō? Any news?”
“He did not have class today, so he stayed a little longer. His parents are dropping him off tonight.”
“Okay.”
Silence fell between them. Kuroo couldn't take his eyes off his lover. It had only been three days since he'd last seen him, but damn, he missed him.
Damn it, he loved him.
Feeling watched, Keiji briefly turned away from the traffic to glance at Tetsurō. The latter was smiling softly, his gaze overflowing with tenderness.
Kuroo raised an eyebrow when Keiji let out a soft laugh.
“What?”
“Nothing…”
“You’re judging me! Am I not allowed to be thrilled to see you? I love you and I missed you”, he leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, “You didn’t miss me?”
“Of course I did.”
“Well then.”
“Behave yourself, we are going to visit kids,” Keiji said, still smiling. “Did you manage to find Tsubaki’s things?”
“Yep” Tetsurō opened his backpack, “a green notebook and a black sweater, was that all?”
His boyfriend let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you… I thought she would strangle me when I told her I forgot to bring them with me.” he made a face, “if it was that important, she should not have forgotten them in the first place…”
“The ravages of alcohol.”
“Hmm…”
“So, are we going to where she works at?”
“Yes, she should be finishing soon.”
Kuroo nodded.
“Sugawara leaves nearby, right?”
“Hmm, yeah, I think so. Why?”
“We could pick him up on the way, he could meet Tsubaki and see where she works. It is not very… formal, but still.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to ask your sister first?”
“She is the one who suggested it in the first place when she texted me earlier. Not sure if she was serious though, but still.”
“Well, okay then! I’ll call him, see if he’s around”
Tetsurō pulled out his phone and searched for his friend’s number in his contacts. It took Sugawara less than ten seconds to pick up.
“Kuroo?”
“Hey, are you home?”
“Yeah, why?”
"We have to drop some stuff off at Keiji's sister's. We thought we could pick you up on the way, just to get to know each other, nothing formal, but..."
“Really! Uh… Okay, okay! Yes! I… Wait.”
He heard sounds of clattering and commotion on the other end of the line.
“Okay, okay, we’ll come pick you up, but chill, it’s all really informal” he hung up
“Well, I think he’s up for it.”
“Perfect.”
After a brief detour, they stopped in front of their friend’s apartment building. Keiji parked on the side of the road.”
“I’ll ring the bell to let him know we’re here, just wait,” Kuroo said as he got out of the car.
It took him a moment to find the doorbell, but his gaze quickly found the label with the names “Sugawara/Sawamura,” and he pressed the small button next to it.
“Yes?”
“It’s me.”
“Oh, uh okay, wait… Well, come up, the code is 541236.”
“Wait, I’ll wait for you…”
He waited a few seconds but quickly realized he might as well go up directly to find him. He entered the code and went inside. Once on the 3rd floor, he began to question his notoriously bad memory: was it 34 or 36? He didn't have to rack his brain for long, instantly recognizing the "Please, fuck off" doormat in front of apartment 34. A gift from Oikawa. He chuckled and knocked on the door.
“Come in, it’s open! “
“Ojama shimasu…” Kuroo announced as he opened the door.
“Is this okay? Does it look too formal?”
Sugawara had just burst into the entryway, his hair disheveled, dressed in an elegant white shirt and dark gray dress pants.
“Uh…”
“No, you’re right, too formal, wait…”
He went back, already unbuttoning his shirt.
“And this? It’s better, right? It looks professional but not too much, what do you think?”
He reappeared, this time wearing jeans and a white shirt with a round collar embroidered with flowers.
Kuroo smiled.
“It looks very good on you.”
“Really?”
“Hmm… You look like a preschool teacher. In a good way.”
“Perfect, that’s what I was going for.”
He fixed his hair and studied his reflection in the mirror.
“Okay, well, we can go. I just need to put on my shoes.”
Tetsurō moved aside.
“Oh wait, my bag.”
He took off his shoes and went back to his room.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door.
“Damn it, who’s that? Can you open the door?”
“It might be Keiji who...”
He trailed off: Oikawa was standing in front of him.
“Oh… Kuroo, I didn’t expect to see you here.”
The brunet frowned. His friend's voice was weak, dejected.
“Oik…”
“Who’s that?” Suga reappeared with his bag, “Tōru? What are you doing here?”
“Oh, you were about to leave… Sorry, I’m dropping by unexpectedly, I…”
Okay, things were starting to get weird: Oikawa was apologizing?
Something was very wrong.
“I’ll come back later.”
Just as he turned to leave, Sugawara asked:
“Tōru, what’s going on?”
Oikawa stopped. Without turning to them, he said:
"Um... Nothing, it's... I'll be back, don't worry."
"Tōru?"
His shoulder dropped and he turned around, keeping his eyes down and rubbing his arm nervously.
"Tōru... Look at me."
He complied.
“What is it? Are you ok?”
Sugawara looked deeply concerned. Oikawa held his gaze for a few seconds before bursting into tears.
“Oh…”
Oikawa threw himself at his friend, and Sugawara opened his arms to hug him.
“He doesn’t want to come with me… He won’t come…”
“Oh…”
“What if I don’t want to stay here forever?! What does that mean?! What should I do?”
“Tōru, it’s just for a few months…”
“No, damn it Kōshi, it’s going to kill me!”
His voice broke into a new wave of tears.
“It’s going to kill me, I’m going to freaking die, damn it !”
“No, no… Shh…”
Sugawara tightened his embrace, rocking his friend in his arms. He looked up and caught Kuroo’s gaze.
“Sorry, I… I’ll stay with him… Um… thanks. Sorry.”
“It’s nothing… I’ll leave you two then… Keiji’s waiting for me downstairs.”
“Okay… Tell him I’m sorry.”
He nodded. He squeezed Oikawa's shoulder to convey his support. The latter detached himself from their friend, and squeezed his hand for a second, before hugging Sugawara again.
“Take care.”
Kuroo left the apartment, unsure of how to process the situation. Once back on the street, he got back into the car.
“Is he not coming?”
“Um… No. Not this time.”
“Oh… alright.”
The car started up again.
“Did something happen?”
“We were about to leave, but Oikawa arrived, and Suga stayed to comfort him.”
“Comfort him?”
“Um… I told you he’s doing his internship at NASA, right? I don’t know exactly where, but it’s far away… He wanted Iwaizumi to follow him, I guess, but he said no apparently.”
“Oh…”
“I mean, I get it, he has a job here, he can’t just leave! That doesn’t mean he’ll never move... Well, I think, I don’t know, I don’t have the whole story. But still… He’s being a bit of a drama queen, I think… He kept saying he was going to die. It’s romantic but come on. I understand it hurts… But isn’t it a bit dramatic?”
“Maybe… But…”
“But?”
Keiji sighed; his gaze fixed on the road.
“But not impossible.”
Kuroo frowned.
“A broken heart has never killed anyone… Well, maybe indirectly, but… it’s not that bad… I mean, he didn't dump him! He just... He's not gonna die if they stay apart for a few months, right?”
“Maybe not, but…”
“But what?”
Keiji sighed again.
“You know what happens when an alpha feels abandoned…”
Tetsurō’s eyes widened:
“A torpor…”
He hadn’t thought about that.
“Oh…”
Now he could understand why Oikawa was so shaken.
“Especially with this kind of bond,” Keiji added.
Kuroo frowned again:
“What kind of bond?”
“His mate is a beta, right?”
“Yes, and?”
“Well, it is more... delicate.”
“How so?”
“Um… In this case, synchronization is more complicated and a bit more one-sided. It does not change anything else, but… in this kind of situation, I imagine it can cause distress.”
Kuroo’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected to hear this from his boyfriend.
“Oh…”
One-sided?
Tetsurō had ended up forgetting something crucial: betas can’t be bound. Not like that. That’s what he’d always been told.
So yes, it would inevitably be one-sided…
He hadn’t thought of that before…
He felt as if his body, terribly heavy, was collapsing on itself.
He hadn’t thought about that.
He was a beta.
He turned his gaze to Keiji.
What did that mean for him? For them?
He felt his throat tighten.
He knew. He had known from the beginning that what his boyfriends shared with him and with each other was different. And that was only natural because they were different. After all, they were just at the beginning of their stories. Building a relationship took time, it wouldn't happen in the blink of an eye! To compare their relationships would be stupid!
He felt a tremendous weight fall upon him.
He hadn’t thought he would ever feel this: was he… jealous?
But there was no point in being jealous!
He shouldn’t compare; it was neither comparable nor measurable!
Yet there was a difference between knowing that he wasn’t there yet, and knowing that he would never be…
He would never be able to share that with them. And even if his boyfriends bonded with him, it would only cause them distress in the long run.
Realizing it was brutal.
He felt so small now… And he felt so selfish: his friend was in pain, and this was the only thing that he could think about?!
He wanted to cry. The pain in his chest was unbearable.
“Is everything okay?”
“I…”
Shh, keep it to yourself, a voice in his head commanded.
"I just worry about Oikawa. I hope everything will work out in the end."
Keep it to yourself.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Do you like drama? ‘Cause I do ;)
Next chapter : Back Home 2
"Hmmm?"
Tetsurō chuckled at the sound of his sister's sleepy voice.
"Katsu-Katsu, it's 10 a.m., time to wake up!"
"Oh, shut up."
His sister opened the door a few moments later, wearing fleece pajamas and a faded sweatshirt, her hair a mess and her eyes still heavy with sleep. He chuckled at the sight of her. Just as he was about to comment, Kasumi let out a long, sleepy groan and hugged him.
"A hug! What did I do to deserve such an honor?"
"I'm just happy to see my big brother, isn't that allowed?"
Chapter 43: Back home 2
Summary:
"Hmmm?"
Tetsurō chuckled at the sound of his sister's sleepy voice.
"Katsu-Katsu, it's 10 a.m., time to wake up!"
"Oh, shut up."
His sister opened the door a few moments later, wearing fleece pajamas and a faded sweatshirt, her hair a mess and her eyes still heavy with sleep. He chuckled at the sight of her. Just as he was about to comment, Kasumi let out a long, sleepy groan and hugged him.
"A hug! What did I do to deserve such an honor?"
"I'm just happy to see my big brother, isn't that allowed?"
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
--
Keep it to yourself.
Tetsurō looked up: It was night outside.
Night came so quickly these days.
The house was quiet, only the water running in the sink broke the silence around him. At least, that was all he could hear.
December 26th
His mind began to wander, and with it, the dark thought reappeared.
His heart tightened.
For a short while, he could forget about it, distance himself from it. After all, why should he think about such things? He was happy with his lovers. Happy as he was. He didn't need more, did he?
But he was lying to himself, and he knew it. He wanted more. Or rather, he wanted to be able to have more. He had become greedy, and he hated himself for it.
With exams, the end of the semester, and the winter holidays approaching, he had managed to stop thinking about it. The night before, he and his boyfriends even went out to see the illuminations, they even went through Shiba Park market. Everything was stunning, and for a moment, overwhelmed with euphoria, he had forgotten about it. But out of nowhere, the darkness reappeared, and from that moment on, everything around him felt distant and unreal. He had tried to shake off the feeling, but it had clung to him as if he were wearing the skin of that monstrous beast. He had pretended that everything was fine. In vain.
The water was still on, running over his hands, but he could no longer tell if it was warm or cold.
He came back to himself when he felt arms around him.
Akaashi kissed his neck.
"Are you okay?" he murmured.
"Hmm..."
"What were you thinking? You look worried."
Keep it to yourself. Kuroo tried to tune out the darkness.
"Don't worry, it's nothing. I was just... thinking about my internship. It's coming up and I still haven't found one, so..."
"You still have three months left, there is still time."
"Hmm... I'll take care of it when I get back."
Kuroo turned off the faucet. He turned around to face his boyfriend. The latter hugged him again and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
"It will be fine," he whispered to him.
"Hmm… When are you and Kenma flying to Seoul?"
"Tomorrow evening."
"Hmm… How are you getting there?"
Keiji looked confused:
"We are flying there."
Kuroo chuckled.
"No, I mean to the airport!"
"Oh... Could you drive us there with Kōtarō?"
"Okay."
Keiji smiled at him and they kissed again.
" What about you? When are you leaving?"
"The day after tomorrow."
"Okay…"
"At 7:30 a.m."
Akaashi gmade a face.
"Departure time?"
"Yes…"
"Oh… How are you getting there? Is Kōtarō taking you?"
"Nah, I’m not going to make him get up at the crack of dawn. I'll take the train, the first one leaves at 4:30, that's fine. Besides, you know it's not much longer by train, right? "
"Yes… But Kenma does not like the train."
"Rich people's problems."
Keiji chuckled.
"He can afford it."
"True, and honestly, he lives far below his means. I'm sure he could take all his trips in a limousine with a chauffeur without burning a hole in his pocket.
"Oh no, that would mean having to ride with a stranger, he would not risk it."
They laughed together.
"You know I can hear you, right?"
Keiji and Tetsurō jumped at the sound of the blond’s voice. Kenma was sitting at the bar, typing on his phone. He didn’t seem particularly offended; quite the opposite.
"Did we say anything wrong?" Tetsurō asked.
"No."
"Well, there you go."
Kenma rolled his eyes. He got up to lean against the counter next to them.
"When are you coming back?"
"On the third."
"So soon?"
"We’re coming back on the third too, Kenma."
The blond grimaced.
"So soon?"
"Classes start again after that."
"They're really stingy with holidays"
Keiji and Tetsurō nodded in agreement.
"So, what’s for dinner?" Kenma asked.
"Pesto pasta!"
Kōtarō suddenly appeared out of nowhere to shout his response.
Everyone fell silent, surprised by his sudden outburst.
"Yeah, okay," Tetsurō replied.
He parted from Keiji to get the pot, Keiji went to grab the spaghetti, and Kenma fetched the pesto. The four of them stayed in the kitchen, chatting lightly. Kuroo felt his heart lightened. He knew those dark thoughts were still there, somewhere, but right now, he couldn't hear them anymore.
"So what's for dinner?" Kenma asked.
"Pesto pasta!"
Kōtarō suddenly appeared out of nowhere and shouted his request.
Everyone fell silent, surprised by his sudden outburst.
"Yeah, okay," Tetsurō replied.
He separated from Keiji to get the pot, Keiji went to get the spaghetti and Kenma got the pesto. The four of them stayed in the kitchen, chatting lightly. Kuroo felt his heart lighten. He knew that those dark thoughts were still there, somewhere. But right now, he couldn't hear them anymore.
-//-
Kuroo's head leaned against the window as he watched the landscape pass by. He sighed and buried his head in his puffer jacket, drowsiness weighing heavily on his body. He had managed to sleep during the flight, but it hadn't really made up for the disastrous effects of his early awakening (3:42 a.m., to be exact). Tetsurō had dawdled a bit, almost fallen asleep in the shower, and emerged twenty minutes later. As a result, he had to rush through his morning routine, scribble a quick note to Kōtarō wishing him a happy holiday with his family, and rush out of the house.
To make matters worse, he even had to run to catch the train to the airport. In the end, he made his flight without any problems, but the early morning and the sprint in freezing temperatures had seriously dampened his mood. He looked down at his phone, 9:22 a.m., still no reply from Kasumi.
He was supposed to meet his sister in Sapporo, but he hadn't heard from her yet. He sighed and put his phone back in his pocket: no big deal, he knew her address and as long as she let him in, there was no need to bother her for now. It was almost ten o'clock when Tetsurō arrived near the university. He smiled as he recognized the buildings and streets. It must have snowed during the night because a layer of white powder covered the rooftops, sidewalks, bus shelters, and bare trees. He had to check the address on his phone again, but his familiarity with the area allowed him to find his way without trouble to the student's accommodation where his little sister lived. He found the studio number Kasumi had texted him and rang the bell.
“Mmmm?”
Tetsurō chuckled at the sound of his sister’s sleepy voice.
“Katsu-Katsu, it's 10 a.m, time to wake up!”
“Oh shut up.”
As soon as the front door was unlocked, Kuroo stepped inside. He smiled, recognizing the entrance hall: he had attended many parties in that kind of complex. It was strange to return to the "scene of the crime" after so long. When he reached the apartment, he knocked. His sister opened the door a few moments later, wearing fleece pajamas and a faded sweatshirt, her hair a mess and her eyes still heavy with sleep. He chuckled at the sight of her. Just as he was about to comment, Kasumi let out a long, sleepy groan and hugged him.
"A hug! What did I do to deserve this honor?”
Truth be told, his little sister had probably hugged him maybe three times in his life, so the occurrence was certainly surprising.
"I'm just happy to see my big brother, isn't that allowed?"
"Sure."
Tetsurō returned the hug and they stayed like that for several seconds. The brunet felt his body relax, and his heart lighten. It was good to see her again.
"Come on in", Kasumi said, letting go of him.
He stepped into her tiny apartment. Although small, the room was cleverly designed and Kasumi had decorated it tastefully, making it warm and inviting.
"Didn't you have class this morning?"
"At noon... Coffee?"
"Yep. Thanks."
She poured him a cup and they sat down at the small table. Kasumi sighed as if the weight of existence had become too much to bear.
"I’m exhausted..."
"Tell me about it, I had to wake up at 3.30 a.m."
"3:30?! What is wrong with you? What are you doing taking flights so early?"
"It was cheap."
"Yeah, but still, that's brutal!"
They chatted for a bit until Kasumi had to get ready for class. Kuroo lingered, sipping his coffee as he gazed out at the city stretching beyond the small apartment’s window.
"Well, I should get going soon. Let’s meet up this afternoon for coffee, and then we’ll see? I know a nice place that just opened, we can meet there… What?"
Only then did Kuroo realize that he was smiling like an idiot.
"Nothing… I’m just happy to be here… You look nice like that."
Kasumi blinked a few times in surprise and then looked at her reflection in the mirror.
He couldn’t help it, really. He remembered his sister in yellow overalls playing in the garden with her plastic bucket, and it was strange to see her like this: makeup done, well-dressed, hair neatly styled. It felt strangely disorienting. It made him feel old.
"Uh… thanks. But you, on the other hand, look like a sack of potatoes. Do you have anything else to wear? Because I’m not going out with you like that."
"What? I’m just wearing jeans and a sweatshirt."
"Hmm… Remind me that one of these days we need to go shopping together."
"Oh wow, thanks, that was uncalled for."
She smiled.
"Well then!"
She downed her coffee in one gulp and continued:
"I’m off. I’ll leave you the keys. You can take the bed if you want to rest a bit."
She leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek, taking Tetsurō completely by surprise. Since when had Katsu become so affectionate? She didn't seem to think anything of it, grabbing her things before stepping out of the door.
"See you later!"
The door clicked shut. He smiled.
"See you later."
-//-
Tetsurō stopped in front of the coffee shop. He glanced up at the sign, then checked his phone: yep, this was the right place. He pushed open the glass door, and a small bell jingled as he stepped inside.
He smiled as he took in the interior; the atmosphere had something familiar about it: light wooden tables, climbing plants along the walls, the lingering smell of coffee, and the overall vibe reminded him of the first time he had walked into Fukuro. He sat down at a small table in the back, near a bookshelf. He pulled out his phone:
"I'm here."
"Ok! I’ll be there in like 5-10 minutes."
"Want me to order you something?"
"A biiig coffee, please!"
"Okay! I’m sat in the back, near a bookshelf."
"Got it, see you soon!"
Tetsurō smiled to himself.
Even though Kasumi had started university while he was still here, they had never really spent much time together in the city. They had occasionally traveled home together, but they had never really taken the time to get together like that. It had taken him moving more than 1,000 kilometers away for them to finally meet for coffee.
Tetsurō stood up to go to the counter.
"I’ll be right with you," the barista said, busy finishing a drink.
He waited patiently, checking out the barista - a cute blond guy.
"Alright, here we go. What can I get you?"
Their eyes met, and Kuroo had the unsettling feeling that the barista recognized him. He tried not to look too confused. Maybe their paths had crossed back when he spent most of his free time in the only two gay bars in town, back when he was getting his bachelor's degree.
"Oh, Tetsurō?"
Oh, okay... So not just anyone, since he knew him by his first name.
"Uh… Sorry, do we know each other?"
The barista raised an eyebrow and smirked:
"Hmm, not really… But I do remember the beauty mark on your right butt cheek."
Tetsurō blushed furiously. He had almost forgotten that he must have slept with three-quarters of the gay, bi, and pan men in town… His libertine past was finally catching up with him.
"Oh… uh… Hello."
The young man burst out laughing.
"Hmm, I’m not offended that you don’t remember me… You were pretty popular back then."
He winked, and Kuroo had a powerful urge to disappear from the face of the earth.
"Tetsu, the legend of the Red… So, what can I get you?"
"Uh, an Americano and a latte, with plant-based milk?"
"Oat, almond, rice? It’s been a while since we last saw you there, by the way. Did you switch teams?"
"Oat. Hmm, no, I haven’t… I just slowed down a bit, I guess. Oh and I moved."
"Hot or cold? Moved? Where to?"
"Hot… Tokyo."
"Whoa, you became a city boy!"
Kuroo blushed.
"I love that city... I should go back sometime... Have a seat, I'll bring your order when it's ready."
Tetsurō nodded vaguely and returned to his seat. Once back in his spot, he sighed and buried his face in his hands. Damn, 'the legend of the Red', more like 'the gigolo of the Red.'" He chuckled. It hadn’t all been great, but that period of his life had been pretty fun… Nothing to be ashamed of.
"Sorry, I'm late! Did you already order yet?"
He looked up at Kasumi.
"No worries, yeah, it’s on its way."
"Good, I really need a coffee."
The brunet watched as his younger sister put her things away. He raised an eyebrow. She was out of breath, her movements awkward. It looked like she was... stressed about something.
"Are you okay?"
Kasumi looked up, surprised.
"Uh… Yeah, I’m fine."
"Okay, uh…"
"Here you go, an Americano and an oat milk latte."
The barista had just set down their drinks. He caught Kuroo's gaze as he straightened up, flashing another mischievous smile.
"It's on me, for old times' sake. Nice to see you again, Tetsu."
He winked at him and walked away. Tetsu felt his cheeks burning... Oh God, and in front of his sister!
When he turned his head, he saw the knowing look his little sister was giving him.
"Uh, do you know him?"
"Hmm… Yes, uh… We met when I still lived here."
"‘Met,’" his sister said with air quotes
Now his entire face was on fire.
To make things worse, Kasumi leaned in and whispered,
"Did you fuck him?"
"Katsu!"
He really wanted to disappear now, for the gods to take him away on the spot!
"Oh, come on, you can tell me!"
"I don’t want to talk about my sex life with my little sister!"
"Oh, come on, I’m an adult, you know! Go on, tell me!"
"There’s nothing to say."
"Nah, anyway, I can tell already, it’s obvious…"
"If you know, then why are you asking?"
"To mess with you…"
He rolled his eyes.
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
What had gotten into her?
"No."
He wasn’t lying either; he didn’t have "a" boyfriend. But he wasn’t going to elaborate on that.
"And you, do you have a boyfriend?"
The question seemed to catch her off guard.
"No."
He sensed a certain unease creeping over him. He frowned, not quite understanding her reaction. Why was she acting like this if the answer was no... His eyes widened: multiple boyfriends?!
Kasumi quickly took a sip of her coffee and continued,
"Isn’t this place nice?"
Change of subject? Kuroo still took the bait.
"Yeah, really nice... reminds me of where Ke... my roommate works."
The word felt strange in his mouth.
"Oh, that’s right, you have roommates now, with Kenma, right?"
Kuroo pretended to look at the books as if the conversation was casual.
"Yeah, that’s right."
"What are their names again?"
"Bokuto Kōtarō and Akaashi Keiji."
"Hmm, are they nice?"
"Yeah..."
"Okay... okay."
He turned back to Kasumi. Her tone had changed again. She was nervously fiddling with her phone, unlocking and locking it repeatedly, then staring blankly at her screen.
What was going on with her?
"Is everything alright?"
She jumped.
"Yeah, yeah, I’m fine."
He raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
"Um… you know, if… if something’s wrong, you can talk to me, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, but no, don’t worry."
She rested her head in her hands and turned away, her leg bouncing nervously. She took a deep breath, sighed, looked at her phone again, and finally locked eyes with him.
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."
Now he was beginning to get worried.
"Yeah, no problem, I’m listening."
Kasumi turned to him. She placed her fists on the table and didn’t take her eyes off her hands. She exhaled heavily.
"Whew, um..."
Silence.
"Yeah?" her older brother prompted.
"Okay... okay um... Tetsurō… I have something to tell you… I’m not sure, but… well, not really… I can’t deny it now… But… um…"
She groaned.
"Ugh, how do people manage to do this?"
"Do what?"
"Wait, wait!" she took a deep breath, "Okay… Okay. Tetsurō."
She had raised her head and was now looking him straight in the eyes.
"Tetsurō..."
"...Yes?"
"I... whew... I think that... well..."
Kuroo felt his heart start to race: what was she about to tell him? That she had cancer? That she was moving to the other side of the world? That she had decided to retreat to a temple? That she had cancer?!
"I’m bi."
His racing thoughts came to a halt.
"Oh... Okay."
Katsu raised an eyebrow:
"That’s it?"
"Well, damn, you scared me! I thought you were going to tell me you had cancer!"
"Cancer? No, but… ugh…" she rolled her eyes.
"I don’t know, you were being all dramatic and everything!"
"Hey, it’s not easy! You should know that!"
"Yeah, yeah… But…"
"Plus I… I wasn’t sure how you were going to react..."
Tetsurō raised an eyebrow:
"How I was going to react?"
"I don’t know, like maybe you’d say something like ‘oh, it’s just a phase,’ ‘no, but that doesn’t exist, it’s either one or the other, can’t you just choose’ or um…"
Kuroo blinked:
"You thought I was going to say something biphobic? Me?"
"I don’t know! I was just scared!"
He smiled and placed his hand on hers, and their eyes met again.
"Thanks for telling me. And uh… I’m happy for you."
"Hmm..."
"And welcome."
"Welcome? Where?"
"The alphabet mafia."
She chuckled.
"Thanks..."
Kuroo leaned back.
"Have you told Mom and Dad yet?"
"No, no… You’re the first person I’m telling… It’s all very new… And I saw how they reacted with you, I’m not risking it just yet..."
"They're not that bad."
Katsu shot him a disbelieving look.
"The last time you came, Dad asked you in the car if you had a girlfriend."
"Hmm… But Mom asked me if I was bi, it’s a start."
"Not much of one."
"And then put it into perspective, next time Dad asks, you can answer ‘he doesn't, but I do'. It doesn’t have to be t... Katsu?"
Kasumi was staring at the floor, furiously blushing.
"No, don't tell me... Do you have a girlfriend?" Kuroo asked with excitement.
"No, no… but..."
"But?"
"Nothing, nothing..."
Tetsu raised an eyebrow, still unconvinced.
"I don’t have a girlfriend, but..."
"But?"
"Okay, okay… but I have a crush… a little crush… no, a massive crush on this girl."
Tetsu chuckled, euphoric.
"This girl?"
"Yeah... she... it's... you know how I... got into the tutoring program this year and, um... she's my tutor. She's a student! Don't think that I'm like, into professors or like! No!"
"Ok, ok... But she's older than you, right? Nice."
"A bit… she’s like… a year, or two older than you, I’d say, but… she" she buried her face in her hands and let out a muffled scream "she’s just… she’s so…"
"She’s got you head over heels?"
"Completely!"
Tetsurō couldn’t stop smiling now.
"Um… And what about her, does she...?"
"I... I don't know... maybe it's mutual... But I don't know, maybe it's just friendly... I don't know..."
"Oh..."
"Okay... And..."
Katsu's phone buzzed:
"I might have asked her to meet up with us here."
"What?"
"And she might already be here..."
"What... Katsu!"
"Sorry..."
She looked in the direction of the entrance and tensed up.
"Okay, she's here, be cool, okay? Cool!"
"Okay..."
He followed his sister's gaze.
His eyes landed on a young woman, tall with long black hair cascading down her back, wearing loose black pants and a cape. The black Doc Martens she wore contrasted with her elegant style but complemented it perfectly. Tetsurō had to admit that she had a striking presence. She turned her head in their direction.
"Suki! Over here," Kasumi called out.
The young woman caught his sister's eye and started walking towards them. Kuroo frowned... Something was strange, she seemed... familiar. But he was sure that he had never met her before.
Who did she remind him of?
"Tetsu, uh, this is my tutor... Nakayama Suki."
Tetsurō's eyes widened.
Nakayama!
Nakayama Suki, Kōtarō's older sister!
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
He leaned forward to greet her politely.
"Suki, this is my brother."
He was so fucked.
The young woman returned his greeting.
Fuck! The last thing he wanted was for his sister to know . She couldn't find out!
Relax... maybe Nakayama didn't even know he existed... Or maybe she hadn't made the connection?
"Nice to finally meet you, Kuroo Tetsurō."
Their eyes met.
Yep, she knew exactly who he was, and likewise, she knew he had recognized her.
He was in deep shit…
-//-
Tetsurō turned off the faucet and stared into the sink for a moment.
"Damn it, Tetsu, you’re an idiot! What are you doing?!"
Suki's presence had awakened a dark, unexplored side of him: the overprotective, and incredibly annoying, big brother.
It took Tetsurō about five minutes to realize that the relationship between Suki Nakayama and his sister was far too flirty to be classified as just 'friendly.' The tension between them was suffocating, and it brought out a side of him he wished he had never encountered.
He'd tried to control himself, but he couldn't help it! Snide remarks slipped out before he could stop them, fueling the tension.
He didn't recognize himself. He hated himself for being such a jerk A part of him that he couldn't control didn't want Suki in his sister's life at all. It was beyond him, but she gave him a feeling of danger... For him, because she knew too much about him, and for his little sister... Was she really the best person for his sister to grow and explore with? He knew it was stupid and that he had no right to interfere, but... This was all new to his sister, and he already knew Suki's secondary, and... All the old stereotypes and prejudices came back to him and made him feel like shit. He was ashamed that such thoughts had even crossed his mind. He was openly challenging the Alpha, fully aware of what he was doing... And it didn't help the situation at all. He had tried to calm down; he was the one who had suggested that they go out for dinner together... But of course, he had decided to ruin everything... Poor Katsu-Katsu...
He took a deep breath and came out of the restroom. His composure didn't last long, and his bad mood returned when he saw his sister and Suki talking, gazing into each other's eyes like lovestruck teenagers. He sat back down, making sure to bump the table to announce his presence.
"Are you okay?"
Kasumi looked worried. She could tell that he was angry. He knew that she trusted him, that she looked up to him. She confided in him and trusted him to be nice to her love interest. And here he was, blatantly betraying her.
"I'm fine."
"I took your meat off the grill, it was about to overcook."
Kuroo looked at his plate, the pieces of meat were even neatly arranged and she had added some salad for him.
“Tetsu, you're such a jerk,” he mentally scolded himself.
"Thanks..."
“Hold it together, for Katsu. Come on Tetsu, get a grip!”
"Here, Kasy, this one's ready."
Suki had just picked up a piece of beef and brought her chopsticks close to his sister's mouth:
"Open up."
Kasumi obeyed and ate the piece of meat the brunette offered her.
They smiled at each other.
"Oh wait, you have some on your face."
She wiped the corner of her mouth with her napkin.
Fuming, Kuroo gave the table a sharp kick. It stopped their little show, but the table shook so much that Kasumi's drink spilled on her.
"Damn it Tetsu!"
"Sorry, sorry!"
“Just stop, damn it!”
He grabbed a napkin and began to wipe the tablecloth.
"It's okay, stop it!" his sister pushed his hand away. "I'll take care of it."
She was angry.
Damn it!
He stood there for a few seconds, shameful, napkin in hand.
"I'll be back."
Kuroo grabbed his coat and rushed outside.
"Damn it, Tetsu! What's wrong with you?! Just stop it!"
He kicked a stone and hit the edge of a street planter.
"Ouch, damn it!"
"Hey man, got a problem with me?"
He spun around. Suki had followed him. She was pissed. Her look made him snap again.
"Leave me alone!"
"Oh, no I'm not leaving. If you've got a problem with me, say it, what the fuck is wrong with you man!"
Hello? Critical thinking? Nope, there it went!
"A problem?
He stepped forward, defiant and hostile:
"Yeah, maybe I do have a problem with you!"
"Dude, we don’t even know each other, what could possibly be your problem with me?"
"Don't play dumb, damn it, you know exactly who I am, and I know exactly who you are!"
"You know who I am? Damn, do you even hear yourself? You know nothing about me, and clearly, you don’t want to!"
"I know what you are!"
He instantly fell silent, surprised by his own words.
Suki's eyes widened, appalled.
"What I... am? Whoa... that's pretty offensive, dude..."
"Yeah, I know... I heard myself... Sorry."
"And now you're apologizing? You're killing me, seriously! And what does that even mean 'what' I am?"
Kuroo started pacing around.
"Does Katsu know about your secondary? I... she's not ready for that, and... she's young and... I don’t even think concepts outside of monogamy have crossed her mind yet and... it’s all new, I don’t want... And she’s a beta, you know she can’t be..."
"Hey!"
Suki had grabbed him by the arm, forcing him to face her.
"I don't know why I'm telling you this, because it's really none of your damn business, but first of all, I don't know where you're getting this. Just because my parents are poly doesn't mean I am. Monogamy works just fine for me, and even if it didn't... Second, seriously? Who the hell do you think you're kidding? Don't you realize how massively hypocritical you are? What the fuck, man!"
This time, Suki's anger snapped him out of it.
"I know... It's stupid... But..."
"But?"
"She's my little sister, I just want to protect her."
"Protect her?"
Suki burst out laughing:
"No, but seriously, who do you think you're kidding? Who do you think you are? Your sister is an adult; she can handle herself! And you apologizing is rich, considering you're sleeping with my little brother and I'm not giving you hell for it!"
Kuroo rolled his eyes:
"I'm not giving you hell..."
"Pathetic... What exactly are you accusing me of here?"
She was practically stomping with rage. She turned away and took a deep breath.
"I can't believe my brother has such shitty taste! Keiji and Kenma would never have put on such a shit show, that's for sure!"
Kuroo's anger had dissipated. Suki was right... And he was ashamed of himself.
"So now, if you could stop projecting onto your sister, that would be nice. 'Cause seriously, it's a shitty thing to do!"
The comment hit him hard.
Oh... That was what he was doing, right? Projecting.
He was projecting onto her all the demons that were currently choking him.
He wanted to spare his sister...
Save her from the burden that society suddenly imposes when you step out of line.
Spare her from the fear, like when Keiji went into a torpor, and thought he would lose him. He wanted to protect her from the ugliness of the world, the fear of rejection, the fear of never being enough... Of not being able to give those you love what they need... Of being nothing more than a sterile link...
"She’s a beta, you know she can’t be can't be bounded,"
That's what he was about to say earlier.
The realization struck him hard. Without even realizing it, he burst into tears.
"Oh no, don't start weeping. You're almost making me feel sorry for you now."
"Sorry, I didn't get much sleep..."
"That's a lame excuse..."
The remark triggered another wave of tears.
"I know!"
Tetsurō sat down on the planter, disarmed, disgusted with himself.
"Sorry... that was shitty of me..."
"Yeah, no kidding!"
"I just don't want her to go through what I had to go through..."
He heard Suki sigh. She sat next to him.
"You know there's not much you can do about that, right?"
Her voice had softened; her anger had finally worn off.
"I know..."
He sniffed loudly.
"Oh, come on, here, you're making me feel bad," said Suki, handing him a tissue.
Tetsurō thanked her and wiped his eyes, sniffing as he continued:
"Sorry."
"I get it, it's fine..."
They sat in silence for a moment.
"Sorry too..."
"Why?" Kuroo asked.
"Hmm... I did try to piss you off with flirting and all..."
"Oh..."
They chuckled.
"But it was sincere?"
"100%. Just a bit... forward."
"Hmm..."
"Kuroo..."
"Hmm?"
"You know, I want to protect Kasumi just as much as you do, right?"
"Hmm..."
Silence.
Finally, Tetsurō laughed to himself. Suki looked at him, curious.
"I was just thinking, your father is going to be thrilled."
"My father?"
"Naka... Naruhito-san. He wasn't too happy with one Kuroo in the family, now too... He's gonna be livid."
"Since when do you call my father by his first name? "
"He asked me to."
"Hmm, and you think he would have asked if he didn’t like you at least a little?"
"I don't know..."
"He adores you... He was talking about you on the phone with me just last week."
"Really?"
"Hmm... I have to say, after your shit show, I don't get why, but oh well."
"Sorry... Hmm, we didn't really get off on the right foot... Let's start over: nice to meet you, Kuroo Tetsurō, overprotective brother who was way out of line."
He held out his hand.
Suki chuckled but eventually shook it:
"Nakayama Suki, your sister is the most amazing woman I've ever met in my life, and sorry, but I'm not going to let her go."
Her words managed to bring a smile to Tetsurō's face.
"I understand... Your brother is pretty amazing too; I'm not letting him go either."
"Hmm... He's an idiot... I don't know what you see in him. I can get the others, but Kōtarō? That kid has no taste, it's pathetic..."
"Are you kidding? Have you met your brother? He's a catch! And he makes me laugh."
Suki let out a laugh:
"Okay, okay, I get it, we'll avoid that kind of discussion from now on. Come on, Jessica Rabbit, Kasumi's going to start wondering what's going on."
They stood up.
Kuroo's anger had completely faded.
"Nakayama... Hmm," he murmured, "can we keep this between us?"
"Keep what?"
"You know what."
"Hmm... But you know it's going to come out sooner or later."
"Maybe..."
They walked on.
"So, are we still pretending we don't know each other?"
"No need."
Oops.
With crossed arms and an unmistakable glare, Kasumi stood in front of them, blocking their way".
And there it was again: panic. Something Kuroo hadn't missed. He froze.
"Oh… Kasy, you... have you been here long?" Suki asked.
"For a while, yes."
Tetsurō felt the blood drain from his legs, his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach.
Damn.
"Oh," Nakayama simply replied.
Kasumi sighed, losing her hostile posture, and asked, clearly hurt:
"Why didn’t you tell me you knew each other?"
"Um... Well... We don't really know each other, this is the first time we've met," Tetsurō tried to justify.
"We just have dirt on each other… I’ve got more dirt on your brother than he has on me, but still."
Instinctively, Kuroo nudged her in the ribs with his elbow.
"Hey !"
"I just asked you to..."
Kuroo couldn't finish his sentence.
"Tetsu, I confide in you and you…"
He turned to Kasumi, who had tears in her eyes, feeling betrayed.
"And you're acting like crap!"
"I know, sorry, it’s just that…"
"Just what? I’m not five years old! I know Suki is an alpha, I know where she comes from, I know about her family, and… and about the rest, I’ve thought it through enough, and I know what I’m getting into! I’m not a kid!"
"Sorry, it’s just…"
"What you're getting into?" Suki cut in.
Kasumi turned her eyes to her. Tetsurō had never seen such intensity in her gaze:
"Well… I… if you want… But I mean… You already think I’m the most amazing woman you’ve ever met, so…"
She tried to sound confident, but her vulnerability caught up with her by the last words.
"Right?"
Suki smiled at her.
"True."
"Well… then I think it would be silly to let that go, don’t you think? I mean it’s…"
Suki didn’t let her finish and threw herself at her, wrapping her in a tight embrace. Kasumi hugged her back. Finally, Suki took her face in her hands and, with unprecedented fervor, kissed her.
Kasumi let out a euphoric laugh when they pulled apart.
"Suki, we’re in the middle of the street!"
"So what? I can’t kiss my girlfriend?"
Kasumi smiled foolishly. She cooed and hugged Suki tightly. As her girlfriend leaned in to kiss her again, Kasumi stopped her, unable to hide a blissful smile:
"My brother’s here."
They both turned their attention to him.
"No, no, don’t mind me! Uh… I’m going to go pay, I… I’ll be right back."
And he went back inside. He smiled to himself. It had been hard to let go, but to see such joy on his sister's face made him deeply happy... He had been an idiot. Luckily, everything seemed to have worked out...
He gathered all their belongings from the table, paid, and walked back outside.
Suki and Kasumi were sitting on a bench, talking while gazing into each other’s eyes, blissful smiles on their faces. He rolled his eyes: they hadn’t wasted any time! He smirked and joined them.
"Here, I got everything."
His sudden appearance seemed to bring them down from their little cloud. Kasumi adjusted her position, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Kuroo chose to look away, busying himself with repacking his bag.
"Tetsu…"
His sister's tone had changed: disappointment, sadness, surprise. Tetsurō looked up:
"Yes?"
"Why didn’t you tell me you were dating Suki's brother? Why didn’t you tell me you were dating anyone at all? I even asked you earlier!"
Kuroo glared at Suki:
"I didn’t say anything! She overheard us earlier."
Kuroo sighed:
"It’s complicated…"
Katsu frowned and turned to her girlfriend:
"You were talking about your little brother, right? The one who’s like 20 years old?"
"22, yes."
"Her other little brother is five, I’m not a predator!"
"How should I know?" Katsu grumbled.
"Yes, Kōtarō," Suki confirmed.
"Oh…"
Katsu fidgeted with her hands, deep in thought.
"Didn't you tell me his bounded already?"
Tetsurō’s eyes widened. Oh no! Oh no!
Suki wore the same shocked expression.
"Uh…" they stammered in unison.
"Were you talking about my brother?"
Tetsurō sighed… He was kind of backed into a corner now. Lying wasn’t really an option anymore… He took a deep breath.
He met Suki’s gaze. She was waiting for him to decide what he wanted to do. She would back up his lie if needed.
Tetsurō nodded; it was time to put down his weapons. His sister had taken a big step towards him today; it was his turn to do the same…
"No... she wasn't talking about me."
The answer didn't seem to clarify the situation for Kasumi. She had a moment of clarity that Tetsurō wished she hadn't had.
"Wait, your brother is Bokuto Kōtarō? I hadn't noticed since you don't have the same last name, but... It's him, right?"
"Yes."
Katsu turned her eyes to her older brother:
"Isn’t he the one you live with, Kenma’s roommate?"
"Yes..."
Katsu’s face went blank as she struggled to grasp the situation. She slumped down on the bench:
"I’m confused..."
"Kenma isn’t my brother’s roommate," Suki clarified.
Kuroo started to feel like he was drowning.
Kasumi frowned.
"They’re mates."
Kasumi's reaction was in three stages: First, her eyes widened so much that Tetsurō thought they would pop out of her head. Then her mouth opened wide and finally, she let out a cry of surprise. She covered her mouth with her hand.
She fixed her eyes on her brother.
"Tetsu... Don’t tell me you..."
She let out another cry of astonishment.
"You’re having an affair with someone? He’s cheating on him with you?!"
"No, no, I... nobody is cheating on anyone, I..." Tetsurō tried to explain, waving his hands around.
"If he doesn’t know, and, well, it kind of looks like it, especially under their own roof! No wonder you wanted to hide this from me..."
"No, he knows, but..."
"Kenma knows about it!?"
"Yes, everyone knows."
"Well, not me... Suki, did you know about this? And it doesn’t bother you!"
"Yes, I knew, and no, it doesn’t bother me... But Kasy, I think you’re missing the point here."
"What point? That my brother is having an affair with his best friend’s boyfriend! No, worse than that! His best friend’s mate!"
"Yes, that’s not it."
Suki and Tetsurō exchanged a look.
"Kasumi, you know, I told you about it. For example, my parents have three mates."
"Yes, yes, you told me that, but..."
"Well, Kōtarō has Kozume Kenma, Akaashi Keiji..."
"Akaashi Keiji? Kenma’s other roommate?" Katsu interrupted.
"Yes, still not his roommate."
“What?!"
"Let me finish! So, I was saying: Kozume Kenma, Akaashi Keiji, and—" She turned her eyes towards him, her gaze filled with a kindness he absolutely didn’t deserve, "and Kuroo Tetsurō."
Tetsurō gave a sheepish smile.
Kasumi went blank again.
"Well, I’m not his mate, just, uh, we’re not... boun..."
"I... don’t understand," Kasumi interrupted.
Now it was time for Tetsurō to explain.
"I told you I didn’t have a boyfriend."
"Yes, but apparently you lied to me!"
"No."
"Yes, you did!"
"Not really", he lowered his eyes, nervously rubbing the back of his neck, "I have three."
Kasumi was stunned.
"Three... what?"
Kasumi closed her eyes.
"Oh, oh, okay... I... wasn’t expecting that..."
She opened her eyes again and looked him up and down. Tetsurō felt his heart stab as he saw a hint of disgust in his sister’s gaze.
"I didn't think you... could do that," she said curtly before looking away.
"Do what, fall in love?"
Suki cut off, a hint of severity in her voice.
Kasumi looked at her, surprised by the intervention. Suki held her gaze. This seemed to calm Katsu, who turned her eyes back to Kuroo, remembering it was her brother in front of her.
"I see nothing wrong with love, whether it’s one person or several," Suki continued. "Don’t you agree?"
Silence.
"Yes..."
"Well, there you go."
Silence.
"Come on, how about we go get a drink? I think we have things to talk about," Suki said.
Kuroo sighed.
Everything had happened so fast...
He put his hand on his chest. He had been afraid. He was still afraid. But an immense weight had just been lifted.
"You're coming?"
Kuroo looked up.
Suki Nakayama.
Less than an hour ago, he hated her... He never thought he would find an ally in her.
In the end, he was happy that his sister and she had found each other.
-//-
Kasumi burst out laughing, her voice echoing off the many glasses scattered across the table.
"Oh my God! I’d pay to see the look on your face at that moment! Ah! Your story is like a weirdly written rom-com!"
What started as a serious discussion gradually loosened up as the drinks flowed. Tetsurō eventually found himself recounting the epic and outrageous adventures of his romantic escapades.
"I freaked out! So I just left."
"You left?!" Suki interjected.
"Yep... I left them there."
Kasumi laughed again.
"And then?"
"Then… I almost got run over by Kenma when I stepped in front of his car, I told them I was willing to give it a try."
"Hmm… And then?"
"Well, I had three dates in one day."
"So more than in your whole life combined…"
"Hey!"
"Shush, Suki, and then?"
"And then I said yes."
Kasumi clapped happily.
"Ah, I love happy endings like that!"
"You got turned down so many times, it’s a miracle it ended well."
Katsu chuckled.
"True."
Katsu rested her head on the table. Her older brother gave her a tender smile:
"You’re wasted."
"No…"
What a liar…
He saw his sister’s eyes well up with tears.
"What’s wrong?"
"Well… I just think... I regret how I acted earlier... I said some mean things to you, and I thought some mean things... But I love your story, it’s so sweet, and I’m so happy for you!"
He smiled.
"I’m really happy for you too."
"Tetsuuuuu"
"Hmm?"
She stood up, nearly knocking over all the glasses, which Suki expertly caught. Kasumi extended her arms to hug her brother.
"I love you."
"Okay, okay, I love you too."
He planted a kiss on the top of her head.
The fraternal love demonstration didn’t last long; Katsu lifted her head, bumping into her brother, and with great solemnity, she declared:
"I need to pee!"
And she ran off.
Suki and Tetsurō watched her leave and burst into laughter together.
Their eyes met.
Kuroo smiled.
"What’s up with you?"
"Nothing... I just think... I couldn't stand you... two hours ago, but you, you're actually nice..."
"You're nice too... Well, I had to dig a bit to get to you, but, huh, I'll let you have that".
"Hmm... Really, thank you."
"For what?"
"I don’t know, for existing?"
"Pfft... Are you wasted too?"
"I’m fine. Can you imagine?"
"Imagine what?"
"Well, you’re like... twice my sister-in-law..."
Suki burst out laughing.
"And you’re twice my brother-in-law."
They smiled at each other.
"Oh wait! Let’s take a picture! I’ll send it to Kōtarō."
Without waiting for a reply, Tetsurō turned on his phone camera and didn't even bother to frame the shot before sending it to his boyfriend.
Less than a minute after his text, he got a video call from Kōtarō. Tetsurō answered, smiling like an idiot when he saw his lover's face.
"Babe? Are you okay?"
"Hmm? Yeah!"
"Oh, you’re just drunk... With that blurry photo, I thought you’d been kidnapped or something!"
"Oh, but that’s the case."
Suki moved into the camera frame.
"Hey, ugly."
"Suki! What are you doing here?!"
Tetsurō caught Suki’s eye:
"Should I tell him?"
She smiled and nodded.
"Oh! Who’s that!"
Nao and Nabu appeared in the camera frame, sandwiching their little brother between them.
"Oh! Tetsu, what are you doing here? Suki! What are you doing here?!"
"If you hadn’t cut me off, I could have found out," Kōtarō complained.
Kuroo smiled:
"Well, turns out,I know your sister’s girlfriend."
"Her... Suki! You didn’t tell us!" Kōtarō exclaimed.
"It’s all new."
"But who is she?" Nao interjected.
"Suuukiiii!"
Kasumi had just returned, not noticing the camera, and collapsed on top of Suki. Without warning, she grabbed her by the neck and kissed her. Good grief she wasn't shy on the PDA.
"My sister," Kuroo replied.
The three brothers were left speechless.
"Seriously ?"
Kuroo nodded.
Kasumi finally regained some awareness and realized she was being filmed.
"Oh hi," she said, waving wildly. "Who’s that?", she then whispered very loudly.
"My brothers," her girlfriend answered.
"Ohhhh…"
She rolled onto her back to face the camera completely.
"Hi!"
The three others returned her greeting.
"Tetsu, which one is your boyfriend?"
The question caught Kōtarō off guard, which prompted him to give the camera his best owl expression.
"The one in the middle."
"Oh—" she waved at the camera again—"hello Kōtarō!"
"Hello..."
"Well Suki, nice to see you in good company!"
"Yep, bye!"
Nao and Nobu left the camera frame. Kōtarō could finally settle in comfortably.
Kasumi studied him. Eventually, she turned her head towards her older brother:
"Nice, you always had good taste Tetsu." she commented.
"Uh… thanks," Kōtarō replied. "Babe, did you...?"
"Shush!" Katsu interrupted.
She let out a long groan. Gosh, this child was so drunk.
"And where are your other lovers?"
"In South Korea."
"South Korea! But why?"
"Keiji’s family lives there."
"Oh… But I wanted to see them."
"Later, later. Okay, Babe, I’m going to hang up."
"Oh wait! I need to know everything!"
"I’ll tell you when I get back."
"Okay, but don’t forget! Have fun, love you."
"Love you too."
"See you later, ugly."
"Kisses, Suki, oh wait!"
Suki hung up before he finished his sentence.
"Your boyfriend is so cute, Tetsu…"
Kasumi grabbed Suki’s cheeks and squeezed them in her hands:
"You’re cute too… What a family!"
"Okay, okay, you’re completely drunk! I think we should go home," Suki concluded.
"Hmm…"
Kuroo's head was starting to spin.
"Okay, I'll go with you, in your condition I don't know where you'll end up if I don't take you home myself," Suki explained.
"No, I'm fine..."
The next morning, he woke up, still dressed, lying on the floor. When he opened his eyes, he found his sister and Suki cuddling together. He smiled. He checked his phone, struggling to adjust his vision: it was getting late.
"Katsu-Katsu!" He poked her foot to wake her up.
"What?"
"Get up, we have a long drive ahead, Mom will complain if we arrive too late."
"Just five more minutes..."
They left two hours later.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Next chapter: “Hatsuinode”
“Tetsu!”
The latter groaned, not bothering to open his eyes.
“Come on, Tetsu!” Kasumi insisted.
He sighed, grabbed his phone, and unlocked the screen.
“Katsu, it's 6:30 a.m for fuck’s sake!”
“Exactly.”
“What do you mean, exactly?”
“Hatsuinode.”
Hatsuinode. The first sunrise of the year.
See ya,
Chapter 44: Hatsuinode
Summary:
“Tetsu!”
The latter groaned, not bothering to open his eyes.
“Come on, Tetsu!” Kasumi insisted.
He sighed, grabbed his phone, and unlocked the screen.
“Katsu, it's 6:30 a.m for fuck’s sake!”
“Exactly.”
“What do you mean, exactly?”
“Hatsuinode.”
Hatsuinode.
The first sunrise of the year.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
--
“Tetsu!”
The latter groaned, not bothering to open his eyes.
“Come on, Tetsu!” Kasumi insisted.
He sighed, grabbed his phone, and unlocked the screen.
“Katsu, it's 6:30 a.m for fuck’s sake!”
“Exactly.”
“What do you mean, exactly?”
“Hatsuinode.”
Hatsuinode.
The first sunrise of the year.
It was a tradition they had followed since childhood. They would go to the temple at dawn and watch the sunset from the cliff.
“Mom and Dad said we weren't going... that we’d go to the temple with Grandpa and Grandma.”
“I don't care if they don't want to come, I do.”
“You want to go to the temple of your own free will?”
“Yes. Are you coming?”
Tetsurō weighed the pros and cons. Cons: he wanted to sleep. Pros...
“Please,” she pleaded in a dragging voice.
He sighed but eventually gave in.
“Okay... let me get dressed.”
“Nice!”
She jumped out of the bed, and the bounce nearly made him fall to the floor. It took Kuroo a few more seconds to fully wake up. Finally, he got up, put on some sweatpants and a sweater and left his room. His sister cornered him as soon as he appeared in the hallway.
“Wait, I need to brush my teeth.”
“Can’t you do that when we get back? Come on, let’s go.”
“I wouldn't want to offend the Gods with my bad breath.”
Katsu giggled. Tetsurō headed to the bathroom and had to hurry so his sister wouldn’t complain.
“Alright, I'm ready, let's go.”
Katsu threw his shoes and coat at him.
“Oh, how kind of you, thank you very much.”
He got ready and joined his sister.
“Wait for me, I’m coming too!”
Natsume had just burst into the entryway. Her two older siblings nodded.
"You were really going to leave without me? With all your whispering and shit..."
"Whispering?"
"Don't play innocent, Tetsu. I've seen the two of you! Since you came back, you've been in your own little world, giving each other knowing looks and giggling and... Whispering and all."
“Not at all.”
“Like I’ll believe that. Well, I’m coming.”
“We didn’t say you couldn’t come.”
“Perfect, let's go then, or we’ll miss the sunrise.”
The air outside was freezing, and everything around was covered in snow. They walked in silence, only the sound of their footsteps in the snow and the distant gurgle of the sea breaking the stillness. As they reached the edge of the forest, they soon found themselves facing a torii gate rising among the trees. Its crimson color contrasted beautifully with the surrounding white, enhancing its mystical aura. They bowed to the gate and passed underneath it.
They climbed all the way to the top, and another torii signaled that they were near the temple. The water in the small purification well had frozen overnight. They finally reached the temple, which looked like an old wooden hut built by a fisherman a century ago (which it most likely was). Tetsurō approached the honden and dropped in three small coins. He went to the bell installed under the small wooden awning and pulled the rope to make it ring. Finally, he rejoined his sisters. Together they bowed twice, clapped twice, and began their prayer.
Tetsurō wasn’t particularly religious, but he loved these moments. He savored the silence and the serenity of the place. Natsume was the first to stop; he heard her footsteps on the small gravel of the path. Eventually, he made a quick prayer, opened his eyes, and bowed. Katsu did the same a few seconds later.
When their eyes met, they smiled.
“Hey, are you coming?” Natsume called out. She was already on the path leading to the cliff.
They set off.
Tetsu raised an eyebrow when he saw the peaceful smile on Kasumi’s lips.
“What?” she finally asked.
“What did you wish for?”
“It’s not Santa Claus, I didn’t ask for anything!”
Tetsu chuckled and leaned over to whisper in a sappy voice :
“Kami-sama, please let me always be with my lovely girlfriend, whom I love very much!”
Kasumi shoved him.
“You’re blushing.”
“I’m cold.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Bet you did the same thing.”
“Me? No, I prayed for the prosperity, safety, and happiness of my family.”
“Sure, like I’d believe that.”
“I’m not lying!”
“Kami-sama, please let me always be with my lovely boyfriends, whom I love very much,” Katsu repeated with the same overly satiric tone.
“That’s ridiculous...”
“Oh, here we go again with the whispering!” Natsume complained.
“We’re not whispering!”
“Oh yeah? So what were you talking about?”
“About the soup Grandpa’s going to make for us, and how he’ll put who-knows-what in it again because he’s going blind and hasn’t had any functioning tastebuds since 1952,” said Kasumi.
The other two laughed.
“Alright, come on, let’s move it.”
They finally reached the edge of the cliff. The sea breeze brushed their faces. In the distance, beyond the waters, the sun spread its first rays, casting hues of orange and pink into the atmosphere. They sat together and watched the sunrise in silence.
The first sunrise of the year.
-//-
The rest of his vacation passed in the blink of an eye. Thankfully, he hadn't booked a flight at the crack of dawn this time around. His parents didn't accompany him to the gates; the goodbyes were done at the drop-off. His mother babbled a long list of recommendations, tears in her eyes. But Tetsurō was far too cold to really pay attention. He said goodbye to his sisters and parents before heading for the airport entrance.
“Wait! I’ll come with you!” Kasumi called out to him.
He turned around when he heard his sister’s voice. She got out of the car and retrieved her things from the trunk.
“Aren’t we driving you back to your apartment?” Hatsuko asked.
“No need. I can take a train from here.”
Their mother reluctantly agreed, and their father waved goodbye again and started the car. Kasumi and Tetsurō waved vaguely, and Natsume shot them a sulky look from the back of the car, which they pretended not to notice. Finally, they were alone.
“So, you want to see your big brother off on his plane?” Tetsurō teased.
His sister elbowed him.
“Don’t give yourself so much credit. I’m just taking the train from here; it’s less of a hassle.”
Tetsurō rolled his eyes and made no further comment. That didn’t stop his sister from following him to the security gates.
“You know the train station is on the other side, right?”
“Oh, shut up, I’m just here to say goodbye. You’re such a pain; I should’ve just left you behind.”
Tetsurō smiled.
“Well, work hard, see you next time.”
“Yeah, you too.”
Neither of them moved. Finally, Tetsurō opened his arms. Kasumi rolled her eyes for show but accepted his hug.
“I’m going to miss you, jerk.”
“I'm gonna miss you too.”
Silence settled for a few seconds.
“Take care of her,” the brunet murmured.
Kasumi tightened the hug.
“Take care of them.”
His heart clenched, deeply moved.
“Well, see you soon.”
He broke the embrace and turned.
“Yeah, see you.”
And he passed through the security gates. He turned one last time; Kasumi had already left. He smiled and kept walking.
-//-
“You just need to find what he's interested in, but once you've tamed him, he's a pretty nice kid,” commented Kenma, sprawled out on the living room rug.
Keiji, sitting next to him, raised an eyebrow.
“Nice? Maybe to you. He barely spoke to me...”
“Keiji, you have to understand that you can be intimidating; it's not always easy to talk to you.”
The remark surprised him.
“No one has ever told me that before... Kōtarō, Tetsurō?”
The ones concerned, slumped over each other right next to him, turned their attention to him.
“Not them; they could talk to inanimate objects. They aren't a good example.”
“Hey!”
“Am I wrong?”
Kōtarō mumbled an inaudible response.
“The same could be said about you, Kenma. Honestly, at first, you’re hard to talk to,” continued Bokuto.
“Really?”
“Well, then again, you couldn't stand me back then, so it wasn't easy...”
Kenma chuckled.
“Times have changed,” Kōtarō went on, raising an eyebrow, seductive.
The blond rolled his eyes but agreed before turning to kiss him.
“I get that, but he is my little brother; he should not feel uncomfortable around me,” said Keiji, bringing the conversation back to its original topic.
“Well, make sure he doesn't feel uncomfortable, then...”
Keiji sighed.
“I tried... When we went to the gallery, I did try to...”
“That’s what you were trying to do?” the blond interrupted, genuinely surprised.
Kuroo shifted his attention when he heard his phone buzz. He unlocked it and smiled when he saw the photo his sister had sent him of her and her girlfriend. At the bottom of the picture, she had written, "Reunion!".
Tetsurō raised his phone to take a picture in return. It was a bit tricky to get all four of them in the photo, but it was good enough.
“What are you doing?” Kenma asked.
“My sister sent me a photo of her and her girlfriend, so I'm doing the same,” he replied, still typing on his phone.
“Oh, let me see!”
Kuroo opened the picture again and handed his phone to Kōtarō.
“Hmm, they're cute,” the latter commented, passing the phone to Kenma.
Kenma and Keiji smiled as they looked at the photo.
“I agree...”
“It's crazy that they met, I mean, what are the chances?!”
“Hmm... Although I wasn’t really thrilled about it at first.”
“We kind of figured that out,” the blond commented.
“Oh, come on... I still have one sister left. She's almost the same age as your brother, Keiji, you never know,” joked Kuroo. “Well, now it’s not ideal, but in 10 years, 27 and 23 is fine... 20 years? 37 and 33?”
His boyfriend didn't seem amused by the comment.
“I wouldn't wish that on your sister...”
“Oh, Keiji, stop being so mean to Yuu...”
The latter rolled his eyes.
It was Kōtarō's phone that buzzed this time. He sighed.
“Oh crap, I forgot about that...” he said, checking his text.
"What?"
He turned to Kenma and Keiji.
“It’s my dad letting me know we have the New Year’s ceremony at my grandmother’s next weekend.”
The other two sighed in turn.
“Oh crap... Do we really have to go?”
“You know we do...”
“What's that about?” asked Tetsurō.
"It is a rite to honor the new year and the matriarch of the clan. It's customary for her entire holy lineage to attend with their mates to, I don't know, honor the clan's prosperity or something. Basically, it's a drag."
“Oh... It doesn’t sound that bad. Sounds a bit like Obon.”
“Except his grandmother is alive and a lot less cheerful than a corpse,” Kenma commented.
“Hey! Come on, she's not that bad!” Kōtarō retorted.
The other two didn't seem to share his opinion.
“It’s just... it's long, it's boring, there are a ton of boring protocols, the vibe sucks, and we’re always waiting around forever...”
“I’m gonna have nightmares,” Kenma complained.
“Same,” added Keiji.
“Stop being so dramatic you two!”
“You're lucky you don't have to go, Tetsu...”
The remark caught him off guard.
Oh...
He had almost forgotten.
He wasn’t their mate...
He had no reason to go.
He tried to hold himself together:
“Yeah, sounds like it, I’m dodging a bullet there.”
He then distanced himself from the conversation, texting with his sister. Eventually, he pretended he had to go make dinner to get out of the situation.
“Shut up, keep it to yourself, keep it to yourself,” he repeated to himself over and over.
-//-
And just like that, after a meager week of vacation, they were back on the benches of the university. It was hard to get back into the swing of things. The nights still came early, it was cold, and Tetsurō just wanted to sleep, not listen to lectures...
Above all, he needed to take naps as much as possible. In spring and summer, he could settle outside, but falling asleep outdoors in the middle of January was practically suicidal.
A few months ago, he discovered a sanctuary after meeting Keiji following one of his classes. On the top floor of a building in the Faculty of Arts, just behind an auditorium, there was a small hall with a couch. He wondered what it was doing there, how it had gotten there, and who had brought it. He had no answers to these questions, but he knew one thing: it was far more comfortable to sleep on that couch than on the steps leading to the roof of the university library. He had only shown this hideaway to a select few people: Oikawa, Chris, and Kōtarō.
Wanting to start his year off on the right foot, he had decided to take a nap there right after lunch. Kōtarō had insisted on joining him there. He had hesitated, wanting to savor the peacefulness of the silence for a bit, but now that he was sprawled out on the couch in the arms of his boyfriend, who was gently stroking his hair, he could only be delighted with the decision he had made. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard footsteps on the stairs leading to their hideout. Tetsurō suddenly sat up and moved away from Kōtarō, pretending to read the textbook he had brought with him. His boyfriend chuckled. Finally, a figure appeared.
“Keiji, you scared the shit out of me!”
“What are you two doing here?”
“Napping. How did you find us?”
“I asked Oikawa,” he came to sit down beside them, “Kōtarō, you should check your phone from time to time. Kenma has been trying to call you for a while.”
The latter frowned and pulled out his phone.
“Shit, it was on silent mode... What does he want?”
“Your parents are there and want to see you.”
Kōtarō frowned.
“What are they doing there, why didn’t they call me directly?”
Keiji shrugged.
“Well, hang on, I'm calling Kenma.”
The ringtone didn't even have time to ring once before Kenma picked up:
“Kō, come on, I’ve called you three times already!”
“Sorry, my phone was on silent mode. What's up?”
“I...”
Kenma didn't have time to finish his sentence.
The voice on the other end of the line changed.
“Kōtarō, what is this I hear?”
“’'tto-san? What... What? What are you talking about?”
“You were planning to come this weekend without Tetsurō-kun?"
Kōtarō looked confused. He raised his eyes to the brunet facing him. The latter was far more confused by the use of 'Tetsurō-kun' than anything else.
“Uh... Well, I don’t know, 'tto-san... Can he come?”
“Of course he can come!” Bokuto-san chimed in.
“Daddy, you’re here too? Uh, but I don’t know, Grandma...”
“It doesn't matter,” Naruhito cut him off.
The interruption seemed to deeply trouble his son.
“What do you mean, it doesn't matter? Kenma had to wait two years before... I had to complain for Oba-san to let us come together.”
“It doesn't matter, it's settled. But there’s still a lot to prepare. Is Tetsurō-kun with you?”
“Um...”
Kuroo straightened up so they could hear him.
“Yes, I’m here. Hello, Bokuto-san, Nakayama-san.”
“Hello, my boy!” Hiroshi greeted him.
“Hello...”
“Ah, at last. What time do you finish?”
Kuroo, completely caught off guard by the way they were addressing him, took several seconds to process the question.
“Um, I still have two hours of classes this afternoon. I finish at 4:30.”
“Perfect, we’ll come to pick you up then.”
“Pick me up?”
“Wait for us by the north gate, we’ll meet you there,” added Hiroshi.
“Uh, oka...”
“Perfect.”
And he hung up.
“What the fuck was that about?!”
“Honestly, I don’t know,” said Kōtarō.
“I think you have dethroned Kenma as Nakayama-san's favorite,” Keiji remarked.
“Uh... I still don’t quite understand why, but...”
“Don’t get too excited just yet,” Kōtarō interjected. “We’ll see after this weekend if you still think it’s so great.”
-//-
Tetsurō arrived at the north gate right on time. Since Kōtarō and Keiji still had classes, he had to go alone, which only increased his stress. He stood in the middle of the parking lot, feeling his heartbeat quicken each time a car slowed down in front of him to go over the speed bump.
"Tetsurō-kun," he finally heard from behind him.
Turning around, he saw Bokuto-san waving enthusiastically.
He sighed, throwing off as far as he could the anxiety that was beginning to rise, and smiled politely.
When he reached Bokuto-san, he bowed to greet him. But before he could see it coming, Bokuto-san stepped forward and hugged him.
"My boy, there you are! "
"Uh, yes... um, hello, Bokuto-san."
The man nodded and gave him a big smile.
"Hiroshi, hurry up, I don't want to be late."
Tetsurō turned: Nakayama-san was behind the wheel, wearing sunglasses even though it was about 5°C outside. Kuroo held back a grin: Damn, the man had style.
"Nakayama-san, good afternoon," the brunet greeted him, bowing.
The man clicked his tongue, making Kuroo look up. Nakayama lowered his sunglasses to meet his eyes. It took Tetsurō a few seconds to understand:
"Oh, um, Naruhito-san."
The latter nodded, satisfied with the correction.
"Get in, we have to go."
Kuroo obeyed and sat in the back of the car.
"Hey, how come you get to be 'Naruhito-san' while I’m just 'Bokuto-san'? " the latter noted as he got into the car.
"Because I asked," Naruhito replied, starting the car.
"Oh!"
Bokuto-san suddenly turned around, startling Kuroo, who was busy fastening his seatbelt.
"Tetsurō-kun, you can call me Hiroshi if you'd like!"
Kuroo was stunned for a few seconds, seatbelt in hand.
"Uh… okay… Hiroshi-san."
A bright smile appeared on the man's face, and he nodded, satisfied.
Honestly, Kuroo had trouble understanding Kōtarō’s parents' enthusiasm for him, but he wasn’t going to complain either.
"Tokami-san knows we’re coming, right?" Hiroshi asked his mate.
"Of course. I informed him earlier. He's expecting us."
"Do you think he’ll be able to finish on time?"
"He assured me he would."
Kuroo was completely lost. He hadn't dared to ask, but he had no idea where Kōtarō's parents were taking him. Naruhito must have seen his confused expression in the rearview mirror because he said:
"We’re going to get your measurements taken at the tailor’s."
"The tailor’s?"
"For the kimono."
The kimono? What kimono?
"Did you really think you could attend the ceremony in jeans and sneakers?"
"To be honest, I didn't have time to think about it..."
Really, when he got up this morning, he was far, far from imagining he would end up in this situation.
Nakayama-san nodded.
"It’s for the new sun celebration."
"The new sun?"
"Hmm, for the new year. "
"Oh… uh, Kōtarō mentioned it."
Naruhito nodded.
And nothing... Naruhito-san didn't give him more ample explanation. And again, Kuroo didn't dare to ask.
"We’re here."
Kuroo turned him to the window. All around him, tall glass towers stretched into the sky. Naruhito and Hiroshi got out of the car and Tetsurō followed them.
They walked between the glass towers, quickly reaching narrow, winding alleys. Night had already fallen, and the bright signs and lantern lights obscured any view of the night sky, their glow reflecting off the wet pavement. Eventually, they stopped in front of a small building made of brown wood, swollen with humidity and time, squeezed between the concrete of the neighboring buildings. Naruhito entered first, followed by Tetsurō, who closed the door behind him.
In the small shop, kimonos, fabric scraps, and obis were spread out everywhere, neatly arranged on rickety shelves. Naruhito stepped up to the counter and rang the little bell that sat there, the sound echoing all around.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," a small voice called out.
Then appeared a little old man, easily around eighty years old, with a bent back and a balding head, wearing a white montsuki kimono. His eyes had turned almost blue with age. A polite smile formed on his lips.
"Nakayama-san, Bokuto-san, it's been so long. I'm glad to see you again," he greeted, bowing.
They returned his bow.
"Tokami-san, we thank you for providing your services on such short notice."
"Oh," he dismissed their words with a wave of his hand, "it’s never a problem. Have your little ones grown that much since last year?"
"They're growing so fast, yes, but I think they're good for this year."
"We've had a new addition to the family," added Bokuto-san.
The old man's eyes found Tetsurō, and he bowed again.
"Oh, that's a color I'm not used to seeing," Tokami-san commented.
Tetsurō frowned.
The old man smiled again.
"I’ll see what I have," Tokami-san announced, heading to the back of the shop.
"A... color?" Tetsurō ventured asking, turning to Bokuto-san.
"Traditionally, the color and style of the garment depend on the secondary of the person wearing it," Nakayama-san explained.
Hiroshi smiled at him.
"Omegas wear blue, alphas wear red, and for betas..."
"Here’s what I have to offer," Tokami-san announced.
He held out a piece of purple fabric: a delicate blend of blue and red.
Naruhito took the fabric to feel its texture.
"Good, we'll take this one then."
He gestured with his hand, inviting Tetsurō to join him. He handed him the fabric, and the brunet mimicked his movements, feeling the texture. He simply nodded, unsure of what opinion to have on a piece of fabric.
"Perfect, we can move on to the measurements now."
They moved to a corner of the store. There was an alcove with a large mirror.
"Please young man, remove your shirt and pants so I can take accurate measurements," the old man instructed.
Tetsurō felt his cheeks flush. He turned his eyes to Bokuto-san and Nakayama-san, terrified. But they showed him no sympathy, continuing to chat. Reluctantly, Tetsurō complied. Standing there in nothing but his penguin-print boxers in front of his in-laws had not been on his agenda for the day. He stood there, his discomfort oozing from every pore of his skin.
Tokami-san returned with a small stool and measuring tape in hand. He settled next to the Tetsurō and began to unroll his tape.
"Now that we're here," Naruhito began, "we had a few questions."
Tetsurō tensed up. What kind of trap had he fallen into?
"Don’t worry, we just want to talk," Bokuto-san added with a smile.
What was going on here? Were his in-laws playing good cop/bad cop with him now?
"Yes?"
"Please, stand still," Tokami-san ordered.
"Sorry."
Naruhito cleared his throat. That was not a good sign.
"We heard that our daughter, Suki, has met someone."
"And that you know the person in question."
Oh crap... Was it because of his stupid sister that he was in this situation now?!
"Ah really? Suki, uh... I..."
"No need to lie to us, we already know."
If they already knew, why were they trying to squeeze information out of him?
"Oh, um, yes... Uh..."
"Kasumi, is that right?"
Tetsurō held his breath. After a few seconds, he nodded. Damn it, he should never work for the secret service; he'd give away all his accomplices in less than 10 minutes. Honestly, he wasn't sure if even the most experienced and hardened spy could last long facing Naruhito-san.
"I see... And how old is she?"
"... 20."
Naruhito raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.
"So young."
"Weren’t you 17, Naru, when you met Yūma?" Hiroshi commented, amused.
Naruhito brushed off his remark with his hand.
"That’s different; we were practically the same age."
Bokuto-san let out a chuckle. Naruhito-san remained unfazed.
"And tell me, Tetsurō-kun, what does she do?"
"... The same as Suki."
"I see... Does she have a good academic record?"
"Uh... yes, I think so. I... haven't really checked, but I know she's always been studious."
"Hmm... First relationship?"
"Uh... no..."
Naruhito seemed surprised.
"But it’s her first girlfriend."
Really, Tetsurō wouldn’t have lasted five seconds against the KGB.
"Oh..."
Naruhito didn’t seem pleased with that. His mate laughed again, giving him a teasing look.
"I was your first boyfriend, too."
The comment threw Naruhito off, completely knocking him out of his bad cop role.
"Hiro, please, you’re not helping me here."
"Hmm, hmm," the latter conceded, amused.
"And... is she like you?"
"Like me?"
Naruhito insisted with his gaze.
"Oh... well... yes... beta. Like me and... the rest of my family."
Nakayama instinctively made a face but quickly got over it.
"I see..."
"Naru..."
"I have no problem with that."
Hiro raised an eyebrow. Naruhito crossed his arms again.
"I've changed."
His mate smiled at him, and Nakayama quickly averted his eyes.
"I think we're done here."
"Okay..."
"Well, I think I’m done too," announced Tokami-san, rolling up his tape.
Tetsurō jumped at the sound of the tailor's voice; he had almost forgotten he was there.
"Perfect."
"I should have it ready by Saturday, just in time. If there are any adjustments, I’ll make them on-site, but I’m afraid I won’t have time to finish before then."
"That’s not a problem," Nakayama assured him, standing up. "Thank you so much for taking this order on such short notice."
They all went to the counter and Kuroo quickly got dressed again.
He barely remembered the way back, too absorbed in his thoughts.
What had just happened?
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Very tiny chapter this week, the next one is... gigantic compared to this one (about 4 times longer). I probably won't be able to finish it in just one week, we'll see 😊 Next chapter: "The Sap" As he turned to ask Kōtarō something, Keiji fell silent: "Are you seriously going to wear that?" he finally remarked.
Kuroo turned to Kōtarō and giggled when he saw that he had put on a canary-yellow puffer jacket over his traditional outfit.
"But I'm freezing!"
"Do you really think you'll be able to escape your father's wrath with that?" Kenma observed.
"Isn't that why we parked here, so he wouldn't find us?"
"Your father is here, Kōtarō," Keiji informed him.
When they turned around, they saw that Naruhito was indeed walking towards them.
"Shit..."
Chapter 45: The sap
Summary:
As he turned to ask Kōtarō something, Keiji fell silent:
"Are you seriously going to wear that?" he finally remarked.
Kuroo turned to look at Kōtarō and snickered when he saw that he had put on a canary-yellow puffer jacket over his traditional outfit.
"But I’m freezing!"
"He’s going to tear you apart," Kenma pointed out.
"But I don’t have anything else!"
"Do you really think you’ll be able to escape your father with that yellow thing?" Kenma observed.
"Isn’t that why we parked here, so he wouldn’t find us?"
"Your father’s here, Kōtarō," Keiji informed him.
As they turned, they saw that Naruhito was indeed striding toward them.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
--
"Okay, we’re here."
Kuroo looked up. They were parked in the middle of the forest.
"Here?"
"The manor is just around the corner, It’s a pain to drive up there. Plus, we’re less likely to run right into Naruhito this way."
All four of them got out of the car.
"Dammit, my obi," Kenma grumbled.
As he tried to adjust it himself, Keiji came over to tie it for him. The scene was ordinary, but something about it caught Kuroo's eye.
Kenma wore a long cyan kimono, with sleeves that fell to his elbows. Around his waist was a wide white Fukuro obi embroidered with golden arabesques. His hair was pulled up into a loose bun, held in place by a tama kanzashi adorned with a simple golden pearl. He wore a cape the same color as his garment, which fell in his lower back, with a thick white faux fur collar around his shoulders. The look was giving him an ethereal, dreamlike aura.
Tetsurō let out a smirk. Before they left, he heard Kenma grumbling that he looked like his grandmother in this outfit. The cut of the garment was indeed quite feminine, but it suited him perfectly. Kōtarō wore the same outfit and had complained about feeling like he was trussed up. Indeed, the outfit on him was... borderline indecent, but Tetsurō certainly wasn’t going to complain about that.
Keiji and Kuroo wore kimonos topped with long hakama and plain-colored haori. Keiji’s was a vivid poppy red. Even though it wasn't a color he usually wore, it suited him wonderfully. Kuroo himself wore a similar outfit in deep purple. Unlike his boyfriends, the sleeves of his haori fell to his hands, making him feel like he’d borrowed Slender Man’s clothes, but he’d manage.
"There," Keiji said once he’d finished tying the knot. "Not too tight?"
"It is, but otherwise I'll be naked in ten minutes, so whatever."
Keiji nodded before going back to the car. He opened the trunk to get his poppy-colored cape lined with brown fur, which he tied around his neck.
As he turned to ask Kōtarō something, Keiji fell silent:
"Are you seriously going to wear that?" he finally remarked.
Kuroo turned to look at Kōtarō and snickered when he saw that he had put on a canary-yellow puffer jacket over his traditional outfit.
"But I’m freezing!"
"He’s going to tear you apart," Kenma pointed out.
Kōtarō pouted.
"But Tetsurō’s wearing a coat too!" he argued, pointing at him.
Indeed, Kuroo had put on a black coat over everything. The garment was generously lined, but not enough to roam around without anything else in the dead of winter.
"But I don’t have anything else!"
"Do you really think you’ll be able to escape your father with that yellow thing?" Kenma observed.
"Isn’t that why we parked here, so he wouldn’t find us?"
"Your father’s here, Kōtarō," Keiji informed him.
As they turned, they saw that Naruhito was indeed striding toward them. He wore the same cyan kimono as Kenma and Kōtarō, which didn’t seem to be helping his pace. His arms were quite full, which wasn’t helping either.
"Shit... Hey, ‘tto-san, I..."
"What are you wearing Kōtarō?" Naruhito exclaimed.
Without waiting for more explanations, he unzipped the puffer jacket and hurriedly took it off him.
"But I'm cold!"
"Where's your cape? And..."
He trailed off, looking at his son from head to toe, wrapped up in his kimono with his chest half exposed.
"You should have told me; it's starting to get too small for you Kōtarō..."
"It’s fine ‘tto-san, it fits just fine."
"You could have worn something underneath... Where’s your cape?"
His son sighed and went to get it from the car. He handed it over nonchalantly to his father, who ignored his mood and tied the cape around his neck.
"I don't want to see you wearing that eyesore, understand? Leave it in the car."
"Okay..."
Naruhito sighed and ran his hand through his son’s hair to smooth it back. Without another comment, he moved on to Kenma, straightening the hem of his kimono and tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear. Kenma didn’t even try to resist. Kuroo saw Nakayama nearly have a heart attack when he noticed Kenma’s sneakers.
"I’ll go change them..."
Naruhito nodded, his stress starting to show. He moved on to Keiji, who underwent the same inspection and passed much more easily than his mates. Finally, it was Kuroo's turn, and things started poorly as Nakayama sighed at the sight of him.
"Just as I feared..."
What? What did he mean?
Kuroo looked down at his outfit. He’d put everything on in the right order!
Without asking, Naruhito approached and took off his coat.
"But I don’t have..."
"Here."
Kuroo fell silent. Nakayama-san had just handed him a cape, the same deep purple as the rest of his outfit, with a collar lined with black faux-fur.
"Oh... thank you."
Kuroo bowed to thank him and grabbed the cape, quickly draping it over his shoulders. As he went to tie it, Naruhito took over to make the knot.
"That’s better..."
He looked them over once more, one by one.
"Relax, Dad, we’re good.”
He didn’t pay attention to what he said.
“Good. Stand up straight.”
“Are we really staying outside again this year? I'm already freezing!” complained Kōtarō.
“It's just for the presentation. Stop whining.”
Kōtarō sighed but didn't say anything else.
“Remember how to enter: Keiji-kun always in front, Tetsurō-kun behind, and don't say a word unless you're spoken to. Keiji-kun, I trust you.”
“It's fine, ‘tto-san. Don't worry, we've got this.”
That did nothing to reassure his parent, but he nodded anyway.
“Oh, I almost forgot.”
He pulled out of his bag four spools of silk thread, each wrapped around a wooden cylinder. The color of each spool matched the color of their respective outfits. He handed them each one, still visibly tense.
“Alright, I'll meet you on the other side,” Naruhito told them before heading back into the forest.
His three boyfriends all let out sighs of relief as they watched him leave.
“What’s that?” Tetsurō finally asked, pointing at the spool of thread in his hand. “Don’t tell me I’ll have to do something with this; I suck at this sort of thing!”
Kōtarō snickered.
“No, no, you won't have to do anything. It’s for my grandmother.”
“Oh... okay.”
A rather strange offering…
“Alright, let's go so we can get this over with,” Kenma grumbled.
They set off. Just when Kuroo thought they would simply head deeper into the forest, he managed to catch sight of a large wooden gate among the tree trunks, tall enough that it nearly reached the top of the canopy. The path became more defined, and soon they found themselves on a trail of small white stones.
The closer they got, the more the manor revealed itself behind the wooden gate. As they entered the estate, Kuroo gasped at its vastness. What initially looked like a small traditional house began to take on gargantuan proportions. The main buildings rose several dozen meters above the ground, built in a traditional, elegant style. Numerous smaller annexes spread out around, sprawling and massive. Kuroo had to stop, breathless.
“Are you coming?” Kōtarō called out to him.
The other three were waiting for him in front of the door of an annex.
He hurried to catch up with them, and they entered. They walked along a hallway, the wooden floor creaking under their feet. Eventually, they found themselves on a wooden covered walkway, crossing a pond where carp swam, weaving through the water lilies.
“Alright,” Kōtarō said as he stopped. “Let’s get into position.”
“Into... position?”
The other three didn't listen to him and took their places. Keiji was at the front, with Kenma and Kōtarō standing on either side behind him. Kōtarō turned around, grabbed Kuroo by the shoulders to move him, and he found himself behind them, facing Akaashi.
“Alright, babe, just stay behind us, lined up with Keiji, okay?”
“Okay…”
“Once we’re inside, first bow, saikeirei of course, then three steps forward, then bow again. From there, without raising our heads, we sit. Just follow us, and you get up once we're standing... Try not to make eye contact with her.”
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
“Why, will I turn into a stone if I do?”
Kenma snickered, but Kōtarō didn’t find the comment as amusing.
“Babe! I know it’s weird, but just follow along, okay?”
“Okay, okay, I get it.”
“Good.”
They got into position, and Kuroo did his best to follow Kōtarō's instructions. They eventually arrived at another wooden door. They stood in front of it, staying still.
“What are we waiting for?” Kuroo whispered.
“To be instructed to come in.”
Tetsurō simply nodded.
Finally, the door opened slightly, and two young women in simple gray kimonos appeared. They bowed and slid open the shōji doors to let them in. Kuroo could feel his blood pounding so hard that it drowned out the sounds around him. They entered a vast room with a floor covered in tatami mats. In front of them, an enormous window spanned the entire wall, with cherry trees, bare for winter, stretching out as far as the eye could see just beyond it. Kuroo almost missed the cue for the first bow but caught himself just in time.
He counted his steps, stopped after the third one, and bowed again. At this point, he wasn’t even sure who he was bowing to. He glanced around the room. He was snapped back to reality when he felt a tug on the hem of his hakama. Kōtarō was giving him a stern look, signaling him to sit, which he quickly did. Keiji was the last to sit, and Kuroo could finally make out the silhouette of the person sitting in front of the window. Kōtarō motioned for him to bow again, which he did. He raised his eyes discreetly to catch a glimpse of the person in front of them. It was an elderly woman, dressed in a sumptuous white kimono trimmed with gold. Her expression was calm and wise, far from the terrifying monster Kuroo had imagined.
Keiji greeted her aloud. The old woman simply nodded. Finally, she turned and presented them with a large wicker basket, already overflowing with various spools of thread. Keiji bowed to her again, straighten up, and turned towards them. He extended his hands, and Kōtarō and Kenma placed their spools in them. Tetsurō hurried to do the same. Keiji turned back around and placed the spools in the basket. He bowed again, and without raising his eyes, stood up.
Kuroo waited for Kenma and Kōtarō to stand before he did the same. The women in gray kimonos appeared again and opened a panel to their right. Kuroo followed the others and found himself outside once more. Once the panel was closed, Keiji stopped. He turned around and let out a sigh of relief.
"You did well," Kōtarō reassured him before pulling him into a hug.
The alpha settled into the embrace and let out another sigh.
"She still terrifies me."
The comment made his mate laugh.
"That was so intense," remarked Tetsurō. "Fun times with Grandma, huh?"
Kōtarō rolled his eyes.
"It’s only like this here. Otherwise, it’s more chill... The hardest part is over."
"Speak for yourself," Kenma muttered. "It's what comes next that worries me the most."
"Nah, come on, let's go," Kōtarō said, taking the lead again.
Kuroo felt like he had been transported back to the Edo period, the historical leap was enough to be disorienting. He quickened his pace to catch up with them so he wouldn’t be left behind. They crossed another covered walkway that stretched over the water. Kuroo approached the edge to watch the fish swimming below. The water had begun to freeze, creating frosty patterns on the surface that reflected the sunlight. He looked up when he heard fragments of voices reaching him. The closer they got, the louder the sounds became, the voices blending and buzzing together. They eventually arrived at another annex. This time, they stood before a large wooden door, its edges and handles carved with floral designs.
"Ready?" Kōtarō asked, placing his hands on the door.
"No," Kenma muttered.
"Here we go!"
The door swung open to reveal a vast room filled to capacity. Hundreds of people were gathered inside, with the shōjis on all sides opened wide, allowing the crowd to spill outside. The ceiling was adorned with intricately carved wood, painted in gold, turquoise, and red, creating a lavish contrast to the simplicity of the surrounding walls.
"Kōtarō!" they heard someone yell.
Turning their heads, they spotted a group of young adults waving enthusiastically in their direction. Kōtarō responded with excitement.
"I’m just going to say hello to my cousins; I'll be right back," he said before rushing in their direction.
Kenma and Keiji at his side didn't look too thrilled by the crowd.
"Well, I’m gonna hide outside," Kenma declared.
"We will join you; I am just going to get us something to drink," Keiji told him.
"Something to drink? It’s barely 11 a.m.!"
"So?"
Kenma didn't wait any longer and headed toward the garden. Kuroo followed Keiji, who seemed determined to start drinking so early. Someone bumped into him, and they both apologized. When Kuroo looked back at Keiji, he had vanished into thin air. He stood in the middle of the room, trying to spot him. He soon noticed the sideways glances directed at him.
He didn’t immediately understand why he was attracting so much attention. He caught the gaze of a woman in her forties, dressed in a red hakama, who looked him up and down before whispering something to the man standing next to her. He looked down at himself. There was nothing particularly remarkable about his outfit, except… when he looked up, he noticed the room was filled with cyan and red hues. He then realized that he was the only one dressed this way, the only beta, which probably explained all the stares. He caught the woman’s eye again, and when she saw that he had noticed her, she stopped whispering. Since she wasn't polite, he decided to be polite for both of them and he greeted her.
The brunet tried to make his way to the back of the room, attracting more and more curious stares along the way. Where had his boyfriends disappeared to? Why did he have three of them if it was just to end up alone in this situation? He chuckled to himself and continued his search. As he scanned the room, he was bumped again. He almost fell face-first to the ground but was caught at the last moment.
"Whoa, calm down! I just wanted to say hi!"
Kuroo turned and smiled as he recognized the young woman beside him.
"Suki! What are you doing here?"
She raised an eyebrow.
"What am I doing here? It’s my grandmother’s house; what are you doing here?"
"To be honest, I have no idea..."
She chuckled and patted him on the back.
He smiled back. She was wearing a red hakama, and her hair was adorned with golden pearls and artificial flowers.
"Why are you smiling like an idiot?"
"Nothing… I’m just happy to see you. I’ve been left all alone, as you can see."
"Yeah, I can see that," she said before bursting into laughter.
"You look very pretty like this," Kuroo complimented her.
"You don't look bad either."
He gave a small bow, twirling his hakama around, a skillful ruse to hide his embarrassment.
Kuroo looked down and noticed that the sleeves of Suki’s haori also reached the bottoms of her hands.
"Are you also in slender man mode?"
"Slender man?"
Kuroo waved his sleeves around.
"Well, I’m not mated, so..."
"Is that what it means?"
She nodded.
"But look!" she said, showing her hands full of rings, "My parents wouldn't have let me wear them if they noticed.
"I’m surprised Naruhito-san didn’t catch that; you should have seen his face when he saw your brother in a yellow puffer jacket. "
She rolled her eyes.
"It's because he's not good at it. I know how to outsmart my dad."
Kuroo chuckled.
"You’ll have to teach me then."
"I don’t give away my secrets so easily, you know."
"Hmm... Speaking of secrets, did you know that your parents played good cop/bad cop with me to investigate you and Katsu?"
"Really?"
"Yes... and I couldn't hold my tongue and spilled everything. Sorry, but I was terrified."
Suki's eyes narrowed.
"Who?"
"Your dads"
She sighed.
"They’re being ridiculous; what did they ask you?"
"Not much... How old she is, what she's studying..."
Suki raised an eyebrow.
"They could have just asked me!"
"Honestly, I think they just wanted to torment me."
Suki chuckled and gave him a playful rub on the head.
"Oh, just to torment you, poor kid."
As he tried to free himself from her grip, something collided with them, nearly knocking them both to the ground. When they turned around, they discovered that it wasn't something, but someone: Nao, who was grinning at them, obviously pleased to have almost knocked them down. Suki turned to push him back, but that only made him laugh harder.
"Yo Tetsurō, don’t let yourself be bullied like that!"
"I’m not bullying him! Tell him I’m not bullying you!"
"No, not at all," Kuroo replied, nodding affirmatively while his eyes suggested otherwise. He stopped when Suki elbowed him.
Just as Nao was about to speak again, he sighed and rolled his eyes
"Ugh, here we go again..."
Surprised, they followed Nao’s gaze. Nobu was walking toward them, a young woman dressed in cyan at his side.
"Nao, where have you been?"
"I just wanted to say hi to our brother-in-law,"
Only then did Nobuyoshi seem to notice Kuroo. He gave him a sincere smile.
"Oh! Tetsurō! I didn't expect to see you here, that’s great!"
He bowed to greet him, and the brunet did the same.
Kuroo's gaze met that of the young woman next to Nobu. They exchanged a polite bow.
"Ah, let me introduce you to Makoto, my mate. Mako, Tetsurō, my little brother’s boyfriend."
"Nice to meet you," the young woman said, bowing again.
"Uh, same here…"
As Nobu was about to speak again, his brother interrupted:
"Oh, Auntie is calling you!"
Nobu frowned and turned to the crowd:
"Auntie who?"
"Auntie..."
Nao waved frantically in the air until someone responded.
"Auntie Himari, there she is."
"Oh!", Nobu greeted his aunt in turn, "I'll be right back; I’m just going to say hello."
Nobu and Makoto then left.
Nao let out a sigh of relief.
"Pfft, why did you do that?" Suki asked.
"Why? Be grateful, I just spared you a twenty-minute rambling about how great his mate is. Blah blah, youngest parachutist in the country, and she won who knows what, and she’s beautiful and intelligent,” Nao complained.
Suki chuckled.
"Don’t be so jealous."
"I’m not jealous! It’s just annoying!”
"Stop it, she’s really nice! I like her!"
Nao crossed his arms.
"Yeah, okay, she's nice and all. But let's be real, Himawari was way more fun."
"That was ages ago; you need to let it go!"
"Himawari… like Himawari Akaashi?" Kuroo ventured to ask.
The siblings nodded.
Kuroo’s eyes widened in genuine surprise.
"Nobu dated Himawari?"
"Hmm, didn’t you know?"
" … No. So, it’s like a family tradition to date the siblings of your little brother's boyfriends."
The others chuckled.
"Speaking of the devil, look who’s here," Suki said.
Kuroo followed her gaze and saw Keiji approaching them with two glasses in hand.
He stopped next to his boyfriend. As Tetsurō was about to thank him for the drink he had brought, Keiji downed the first glass in one go, then the second. Tetsurō stared at him, stunned, but his lover did not seem to notice.
"What were you talking about?"
"Hello to you too, Keiji."
"Hello."
How many glasses had he already downed?
"They were telling me that Nobu dated your sister."
"Oh…"
Keiji frowned.
"That was ages ago! We weren’t even together with Kōtarō back then."
Kuroo stopped Keiji from grabbing a glass from a passing tray. He had already lost three-quarters of his social skills; it would be wiser to leave it at that. This annoyed Keiji, who frowned like a sulking child.
"Stop drinking," Tetsurō simply replied.
"It’s for Kenma! Keiji argued."
Tetsurō raised an eyebrow, not entirely convinced, but took a glass just in case Keiji wasn't lying.
"Yeah! Where are Kōtarō and Kenma?" Nao asked.
"Kōtarō hmm," Keiji answered with a shrug, "Kenma's outside."
"Nice, let's go outside then, I wanna mess with him for a bit," Suki declared.
"Same," Nao agreed.
The two older siblings headed toward the garden, followed by Keiji and Kuroo. It took them several minutes to find Kenma, but eventually, they were alerted by the jubilant screams of children and found him amidst a crowd of them. The blond was teary-eyed, exhausted, and exasperated.
"What are you doing here?" Kuroo asked.
"I got ambushed."
"Oh!"
As Kuroo was about to continue, he felt a weight against his leg. Looking down, he saw Shin clinging to him. The child was dressed in a navy-blue kimono and a long coat with a hood lined with white faux fur.
"Hey there!"
The child smiled at him with all his teeth.
"And me, not even a glance," Nao remarked, addressing his little brother.
The child pouted.
"I see you before!"
"Oh, okay then…"
Keiji navigated through the crowd of children to get Kenma. He lifted him under his arms like a big cat and carried him away while Suki and Nao followed. Shin stayed with Kuroo.
"Hey, I’m going to let you play, is that alright? I’m going with them."
"But… you’re not staying?"
Clearly, Tetsurō didn’t want to stay with a mob of hyperactive children.
"I’ll come back later, okay?"
The arrangement didn’t seem to please the youngest.
"Shin! Come play with us!"
His older sister, Megumi, also dressed in navy blue, had detached herself from the group of children to retrieve her younger sibling. Tetsurō 's gaze met the little girl’s, who didn’t seem to care much about his presence. She merely greeted him with a vague nod.
"There you go, Shin, go play with your big sister, alright?"
The little one pouted.
"I don’t want to…"
"We’re going to play tag," Megumi declared.
The argument seemed to win the younger one over. He extended his hand to his sister, which she took. Before letting go, Shin turned to Tetsurō.
"You come back?"
"Hmm, sure, if you want."
"Promise?"
"Yes, I promise. But it’s not fun with the grown-ups; it’s better with the other kids, right?"
The child nodded, vaguely convinced. He released his grip on Kuroo and was guided by his sister towards the rest of the children.
Kuroo watched him go. Looking back towards the estate, he noticed several adults keeping an eye on the group of children, so he went to rejoin his boyfriends.
His small group hadn’t gone far, gathered around an old stump at the back of the garden. Keiji seemed to have already plunged into the depths of alcohol; he stared blankly ahead and remained seated only because Kenma was keeping him upright. The others chatted cheerfully around him as if Keiji had become a mere garden ornament. Akaashi’s attention refocused when Tetsurō approached them. He chuckled upon recognizing his night owl face.
"Gosh, you're in the stratosphere, is anybody home?"
Keiji said nothing, turning his head to blankly stare into the nothingness. Kenma glanced at his mate.
"Is he always doing that?"
"Yeah," Suki and Nao chorused in agreement.
"So we hide while we wait for him to come down. It's a tradition," Nao explained.
Tetsurō raised an eyebrow.
Keiji turned to him again and patted the grass beside him. Curious, Kuroo came closer, and Keiji pulled the edge of his hakama to make him sit next to him.
"Still no news from Kōtarō?"
Kenma unlocked his phone to check but shook his head. Nothing yet.
At that moment, the euphoric cries of the children grew louder, and they all turned to see Kōtarō in the middle of the kids, visibly delighted to be in their company. Kenma smiled fondly as he watched Kōtarō lean down to talk to his younger brother. Shin scanned the surroundings before pointing in their direction. Kōtarō's face lit up upon spotting them, and he made his way over.
"Oh, you’re here!" he exclaimed when he reached them.
"Don’t act like you missed us," his older brother retorted.
Kōtarō wrinkled his nose.
"Yeah no, I wasn't talking to you,"
The remark amused Nao.
"Oh, is he already gone?" Kōtarō asked, pointing at Keiji.
"Hmm…"
Kōtarō leaned over and waved his hand in front of Keiji’s eyes.
"Hello? Keiji?"
The one addressed said nothing but turned his attention to him.
"You've reached Akaashi Keiji, I'm currently unavailable, but leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible," Suki scoffed.
"Please leave your message after the beep… beep!" Nao added.
Kōtarō pushed his brother’s head back to silence him, which only made him laugh harder. He knelt in front of his mate and pulled out a tote bag from his back. He reached inside and pulled out… a meat bun.
Everyone let out a delighted cry upon seeing it.
"Nikuman!" Suki exclaimed, "I want one too!"
"Me too!” Nao chimed in.
"I know, I know, just wait."
Kōtarō stuffed the bun into Keiji’s hand before reaching into the bag again, pulling out more nikuman, which he handed out to each of them. Kuroo watched the two older siblings bite into their buns, their eyes nearly filling with tears of bliss once they took the first bite. He took a bite of his own and understood the joy they were experiencing. They were delicious.
"There's food already?" Kenma asked.
"No, shh, I stole them from the kitchen."
"Cool, do you have more?" Nao asked.
At that moment, Tetsurō's phone vibrated. He looked down and saw that Kasumi had sent him a message. When he opened it, he found a photo of himself, likely taken just seconds ago. He had no doubt who had sent the photo to his sister.
“Are you with Suki?”
“Yes,” Tetsurō simply replied.
“Send a photo! I asked her, and she sent me your face.”
Feeling mischievous, Tetsurō took a photo of his meat bun and sent it to his sister. After all, she hadn’t specified what he should send.
“You’re a pain in the A, I wanted a photo of Suki!”
“What an impolite child you are, demanding things without giving anything in return. Not even a comment on my outfit!”
“Yes, yes, you look very pretty, now come on!”
Kuroo decided to comply, he raised his phone and took a quick photo. He smiled; he would keep this one for himself too. In the interest of speed, he hadn’t really focused on his sister’s girlfriend, so you could see Nao trying to dig into Kōtarō’s bag while Kōtarō pushed him away as best he could, with Suki laughing. He sent it. He frowned when Kasumi replied with three dots.
“Well, what, I took the photo?!”
“Yes… it’s just.”
“Just?”
“She’s stunning…”
Kuroo rolled his eyes.
“Gay.”
“*Bi.”
“By the way, you owe me 20 bucks for the photo.”
“Too late, I already have it, you can stick your 20 bucks up your nose.”
“My nose?”
"Babe?"
Kuroo looked up.
"We need to go, come on!"
"Where to?"
Kōtarō simply pointed to the other end of the garden. Over there, people started to gather. Everyone stood up to leave, except Keiji, who still seemed completely phased out of reality. Kuroo helped him to his feet and let him lean on him to move forward. They joined Kenma who was waiting a little further away.
"Damn it! I forgot my phone!" Tetsurō realized. "Take Keiji, I'll just go grab it, be right back!" he said to Kenma.
The blond nodded and took Keiji’s arm. Tetsurō went back to the end of the garden where they had been earlier. It took him a few moments to locate his phone in the grass.
"There you are!" he exclaimed when he found it.
He tucked it into his obi and turned around. Oh... misery. No one was there... Where did everyone go?
He went to the annex and entered: empty.
"Damn it," he muttered.
He walked through the room, his footsteps echoing off the walls. Where was everyone? Turning around, he finally noticed a door on the opposite side of the room. He walked over to it and carefully slid the panel aside. Inside, there was nothing but a corridor, and still, no one in sight.
Suddenly, he was startled by the sound of a shōji opening behind him. He turned around to find Etsuko Ogawa, Kōtarō's mother, who looked as surprised to see him as he was to see her.
"Ogawa-san."
His gaze fell on what the woman was carrying: a bottle of sake, a couple of glasses, and a good dozen meat buns barely hidden in a tote bag. She burst out laughing.
"Well, I got caught red-handed! What are you doing here, mosquito?" she asked jovially.
"Uh… I'm lost."
Etsuko laughed again.
"Oh, well, come here, you’re going to help me carry this!"
She handed him the bag, which Kuroo took on without protest.
"Here, you go, but shh" Etsuko said as she poured him a glass of the illicitly obtained sake.
The brunet hesitated to take it.
"Uh, I…"
"Come on, I’ll join you," she poured herself a glass as well. "Kanpai!"
And she downed her glass. Though bewildered, Kuroo followed suit.
"Come on, let’s go," Etsuko exclaimed, putting an arm around his shoulder to guide him forward.
Tetsurō followed her without trying to resist.
They went outside again and found themselves on the other side of the estate. They approached the forest, and only at the last moment did Tetsurō see the Torii standing between the trees. Behind it, a stone staircase seemed to disappear between the pines. Ogawa-san passed under the gate without a greeting. Kuroo hesitated but finally bowed quickly and followed her. As they climbed the stairs, Kuroo finally spotted some people making their way up as well.
They reached the top of the hill. There, a large plateau overlooked the forest that stretched in all directions around them; even the nearest towns seemed swallowed by the treetops.
"Phew… I’ll never get used to this climb," Etsuko said, catching her breath. "I'll tell you, it’s not nice to get old."
Kuroo vaguely nodded, his attention fixed on scanning the crowd for a familiar face. Everyone seemed to be there, yet he couldn’t spot his boyfriends.
"Ah, there you are!"
Kuroo turned his eyes to see Yūma Maeda, stunning in her cyan kimono, followed closely by Hiroshi Bokuto, dressed entirely in red. Yūma's eyes finally met his; she seemed surprised to see him at first, but then broke into a tender smile.
"Ah, there you are Tetsurō-kun!"
As he bent to greet her, Maeda-san approached to hug him.
"You look lovely like this," she commented.
"Thank you…"
Bokuto-san had just pushed his mate aside to face him.
"Bokuto-sa…"
He didn’t get the chance to finish; Bokuto-san had already pulled him into a hug before he could react. Truly, he was dealing with the most tactile family in the Land of the Rising Sun. He knew it well, yet it never failed to catch him off guard.
"I already told you to call me Hiroshi!"
"Stop it! You’re gonna suffocate the kid!" Etsuko intervened, taking her mate by the arm to pull him away. "Is Naru here?" she asked, scanning the surroundings.
"He’s in the front with his siblings," Yūma replied.
"Perfect!"
Etsuko turned to Tetsurō and gestured for him to hand her the bag where she had hidden all her loot. Tetsurō handed it to her, and Etsuko discreetly revealed its contents to her mates. They initially looked up in astonishment before bursting into childlike giggles.
"No, ‘Tsuko, it's wrong!" Yūma whispered, though she seemed pleased with her partner’s mischief.
"You’re amazing!" Hiroshi exclaimed, pulling Etsuko in for a kiss on the cheek before diving into the bag to pull out a meat bun that he devoured in one bite.
Kuroo raised an eyebrow, amused. Apparently, stealing food was a family trait. Unfortunately, since most of the guests belonged to the same family, Kuroo wasn't sure how much food would be left.
Yūma hid behind her mate to eat her share, and Hiroshi handed Kuroo a bun. Kuroo accepted, even though he was starting to lose his appetite.
He looked around again, trying to find a familiar face. Nothing. Then he remembered he had something particularly useful in this situation: his phone. Who knows why he hadn’t used it earlier; it would have likely allowed him to avoid being abducted by this gang of thieves known as Kōtarō’s parents. He opened the group chat he had with his boyfriends and asked where they were.
“Tetsurō, kiddo, come have a drink with us," Bokuto-san invited.
"Uh, I…"
He had no choice but to accept another glass of sake. Good grief, if someone had told him he’d be getting drunk with Kōtarō’s parents, he never would have believed it.
His phone vibrated. Kenma had replied.
"Almost in front of the temple, on the right."
The temple? What temple?! He hadn't even noticed! He looked around and managed to spot a small wooden building on stilts at the edge of the cliff in the distance.
"Kenma says they’re in front, I’m going to join them," Kuroo informed the adults accompanying him (Yeah, he knew he was an adult too, but those were premium adults).
"Alright," replied Etsuko.
As he turned to leave, she grabbed his arm.
"Hold on, not yet, it’s starting."
Looking around, Tetsurō noticed that most of the guests had joined hands and bowed their heads in respect. He saw Nakayama-sama, in her splendid white kimono, walking onto the wooden promontory. Kuroo quickly fell back into line, imitating the rest of the guests.
Eventually, everyone raised their heads again.
Nakayama-sama slowly sat down in front of the temple, bowed, and turned to the crowd to greet them as well. She stood up and opened her mouth to address the crowd and... Kuroo couldn't hear a thing!
"Oh, great, we can’t hear anything," commented Etsuko.
"For what it’s worth…"
"Hiroshi!" Yūma scolded him.
Kuroo continued to stare straight ahead, having given up trying to understand anything. Then, to his great dismay, Nakayama-sama proudly presented them with... a rope? A beautiful rope, indeed, colorful and well made, but still a rope.
His confusion must have been obvious because he heard giggling to his left. Turning his eyes, he found Etsuko looking particularly amused.
"It’s a kumihimo," she explained softly. "Each strand represents a member of the family."
Oh… So that’s why he had to bow to hand over spools of thread earlier!
"The thicker the rope, the greater the clan’s prosperity. This one was braided last year," Yūma continued, to his right.
He nodded.
Nakayama-sama delicately placed the braided rope in front of her. In a series of skilled movements, she began to tie the rope around itself.
"At the beginning of the year, the old kumihimo serves as mizuhuki; it is tied in such a way that it can no longer be untied," Etsuko explained.
"It means that the past year was good, but it must give way to an even more prosperous one. They are all carefully preserved to testify to the clan's prosperity," Yūma concluded.
Oh…
Tetsurō was starting to understand. All those bows and strict codes had seemed rather excessive and frankly old-fashioned to him. But he now understood.
In his world, it might seem outdated, but in their world, continuing to exist and prosper was worthy of celebration. He knew that only a handful of Yama-kita clans persisted in Japan. Most had diluted or completely disappeared.
He understood now.
So, when the rest of the guests joined their hands in reverence, he followed suit, not out of mimicry this time, but with a genuine desire to honor and align his thoughts with theirs.
Finally, Nakayama-sama stood up, presenting the new mizuhiki, and after yet another unintelligible speech left the stage. The crowd began to stir again.
"Finally! We can really start celebrating!" Etsuko said, rejoiced, "Hiro, sake?"
"Not yet, my love, I'll never be able to climb back down if I do."
"Come on! Don’t be such a spoil-sport!"
Kuroo let out a smile.
"I’ll try to catch up with the others," he warned.
Only Yūma heard him and nodded, while the other two were still debating on the effects of sake on their motor skills.
Without further ado, Tetsurō made his way through the crowd, scanning the area to find his boyfriends. He eventually locked eyes with Kenma.
"He’s here," he heard him say to Kōtarō and Keiji behind him.
Kōtarō pushed through the crowd to throw himself at him.
"Babe! Where have you been?"
"With your parents."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Huh?"
"I ran into your mom stealing stuff from the kitchen and had to play the mule to get her loot back."
Kōtarō looked mortified to hear this, but the story had Kenma bursting into laughter. He finally caught Keiji’s eye. The latter seemed to have fully regained his composure now.
"Ah, you’re back! I thought I’d never see you again!" joked Tetsurō.
Keiji rolled his eyes.
"I am sorry, but I do not plan to stay in this state of consciousness for long."
Kuroo chuckled.
"I would prefer you to stay with us a little longer."
"Do not count on it.
"Come on now! Let’s eat, I’m starving!" Kōtarō exclaimed.
"Still hungry after everything you’ve eaten?" Kenma asked.
"More than ever, let’s go!"
He grabbed Tetsurō by the arm and rushed ahead. Turning his head, Kuroo saw Naruhito-san talking with his family. He stopped.
"Babe, wait, I just want to say something to your father."
"My father?"
Tetsurō detached himself from Kōtarō and walked over to his parent.
"Nakayama-san,” he called out as he reached him.
Five heads turned in his direction, some less than thrilled to see him. Oops, yes, too many Nakayama-san around to be so vague. Naruhito finally turned around, surprised to see him standing there.
"Tetsurō-kun?"
Now that he had so many pairs of eyes on him, he wasn't quite sure what to say.
"Did you want to talk to me?"
His gaze refocused on Naruhito.
"Hmm… yes. I… I wanted to thank you for allowing me to be here today."
He bowed deeply. When he looked up, he saw that Naruhito was smiling at him. A discreet smile, but definitely there. He nodded but said nothing more. He then turned around to continue the conversation he had interrupted, and Kuroo rejoined his boyfriends.
-//-
It turns out Grandma Nakayama knew how to throw a party! After the formalities were over, everyone could finally enjoy the real celebrations. While there weren't any disco party lights on the dancefloor, the drinks flowed freely, and there was an almost unreasonable amount of food. Kuroo had been wrong to worry about that.
The weather had warmed up; the cold outside was no longer so biting. Or maybe Kuroo had just gotten used to it, thanks to the alcohol. They had quickly found Nao and Suki, who were soon joined by Nobuyoshi and his mate and the countless other cousins. There were so many that Kuroo had given up trying to remember their names. They all seemed charming though, but Kuroo spent most of his time talking with Nao and Suki, the three of them having their little party on the side.
Suki was recounting one of her disastrous dates before she met Katsu, but Kuroo was struggling to focus. His bladder had been threatening to burst for a good ten minutes, yet he couldn't bring himself to interrupt her story.
Finally, he had to give in:
"Wait, sorry to interrupt, but I need to go."
Suki fell silent and raised an eyebrow.
"Go where?"
"To pee."
"Well, there are plenty of trees around," Nao pointed out.
"I'm not going to pee in your grandmother's garden!" Kuroo retorted.
Nao shrugged, unconvinced by his argument.
"Well, there are some bathrooms in there.” He said pointing at the main building. “If you go to the east wing, there's one on the right. You'll see it's a bit more modern than the other part of the manor."
"Okay, thanks! Be right back!" said Kuroo, leaving his cape with them.
And he hurried inside.
Unfortunately for Kuroo, and as you know very well, he was terrible with directions. He did find the west wing, but the rest was an adventure. After wandering through corridors for a good ten minutes, he ended up in an inner courtyard, with four new directions to choose from. Damn it! At this rate, he was going to have to resign to relieve himself in the koi pond. He looked around. Which side seemed more modern? He decided to head towards a new wooden door. Opening it, he found himself in a corridor.
"Is this modern?" he wondered.
He had to try; the wood seemed a bit more recent here, and the floorboards appeared to have been laid this century. As he moved down the corridor, trying to find any sign that he was on the right track, he stopped. His gaze had landed on a display case in the middle of the corridor.
Inside were dozens of porcelain bowls, vases, and teapots. They were decorated with delicate hand-painted floral patterns.
Some were chipped, others seemed to have lost a few pieces, but all bore golden veins that Kuroo recognized immediately.
"Kintsugi..."
"Correct."
Tetsurō jumped and his heart skipped a beat when he heard the voice right next to him. He almost had a heart attack when he realized who it was.
"Nakayama-sama."
He bowed as politely as he could. The fact that she had found him wandering the halls was not in his favor.
"I wasn’t snooping, I just got lost, I was looking for…"
"I don’t doubt it, young man," the old lady replied calmly.
She gave him a calming smile, which helped Kuroo relax. Nakayama-sama stepped close. The only sound was the soft rustle of the fabric against the wooden floor as her movements were so graceful. She paused in front of the display case.
"It’s beautiful, isn’t it?"
Kuroo nodded. He suddenly felt very small in her presence. Nakayama-sama opened the display case.
"Did you know, young man, that our clan first prospered thanks to the manufacture of china?
He shook his head.
"I didn’t."
Nakayama-sama carefully picked up one of the bowls, as delicately as if it were a sacred relic. She turned it around, allowing Tetsurō to read the inscription.
“House Nakayama, 9th year of the Bunka Era”
Kuroo wasn’t an expert in calendar conversion, but it must have dated back to the early 19th century.
"Although the clan has persisted, this knowledge has unfortunately been lost over time. Nevertheless, the art of restoring and enhancing these objects has survived."
She traced the golden veins on the bowl with her fingertips, then finally returned it to its place.
"It is a delicate art that requires patience and highly precise chemistry. To properly join the pieces together, one must use the sap of a tree with unique properties. Do you have any idea which one?"
"Urushi?"
Nakayama-san seemed genuinely pleased with his answer. She offered him a polite smile.
"Impressive. That is indeed correct."
She then closed the display case.
"You must understand then the importance of the sap. Not just any sap will do."
Kuroo felt his blood run cold. He forced himself not to react.
He had the impression that the discussion had gone beyond porcelain bowls or even trees or anything else.
"On the surface, the result might be satisfactory... However, it will never quite seal the cracks."
Kuroo turned to face her. Nakayama-sama held his gaze.
No, she was actually talking about him, his presence here, his legitimacy to be here. His legitimacy to stand by her descendant’s side.
The eye contact ended when she squinted and smiled at him.
"You seem like an intelligent young man; I'm sure you understand."
Tetsurō felt his heart sink in his chest.
But he wasn’t about to give in. Maybe he wasn’t the right kind of sap, or whatever, but he knew he didn’t need to seal anything, that he had nothing to repair.
He bowed politely to the old woman.
"I understand."
"Good."
"But if I may… There’s no need to repair something that was never broken in the first place."
Take that! He wasn’t usually good at double talk, but this time, he felt he had outdone himself. With a final bow, he turned and started to leave.
"Oh, wait, young man."
He turned around.
Nakayama-san approached and extended her closed palm.
"Don’t leave empty-handed."
Intrigued, Kuroo opened his hand. Nakayama-sama placed something in it and closed his hand before he could even tell what it was.
With a final nod, she turned and left the room. Tetsurō watched her walk away, feeling disarmed. Once he was alone, he opened his palm to reveal the purple spool of thread, the very one he had given her upon his arrival. The message was clear and painfully obvious: she did not accept him and would never welcome him into her family.
His initial reaction was anger. He refused to let an old woman who believed herself to be a powerful guru get the best of him! What could she possibly know about his relationship with Kōtarō?
He stormed off, slamming the door behind him.
He didn't care anymore; if he had to piss on her magnolias, he would do it without hesitation! The scene replayed in his head, imagining all the ways he could have reacted, or rather the one that would best allowed him to process his anger.
He returned to the annex, ready to tell his boyfriends about the incident. Once again, he attracted numerous stares, sideways glances, inquisitive looks, disapproving glares, indifferent, hostile. He clenched the spool in his hand and continued scanning the room. Her words echoed in in his mind in endless loops.
He eventually spotted Kōtarō, Keiji, and Kenma, chatting at the back of the room.
As he moved to join them, he paused.
What if she was right?
Suddenly, alone amid this sea of sideways glances, and malicious whispers, he felt so distant from them.
She was right.
There was no point in lying to himself. Maybe he had nothing to fix, yes. But he knew it. He knew that he would never be enough, that he could never give them what they really needed.
He could be as angry as he wanted; it didn’t change the fact.
She was right.
He just had to stop lying to himself.
“Hang in there, Tetsu, be quiet, keep it to yourself, it will be okay.”
He took a step forward, but his courage quickly faded. Turning on his heel, he rushed outside. He crossed the covered walkway and, without thinking, made his way to the back of the manor.
Why was it suddenly so cold?
His face was red, and his legs were numb. He went into the garden, where only the pines retained their foliage. The other trees stood around, bare and sorrowful.
He wandered until he reached a small wooden bridge arching over a pond. Below, large orange and black koi swam through the water.
If the family wasn’t in the porcelain business anymore, they had apparently turned to koi breeding.
Perfect, he wanted to piss on these koi earlier; he finally had the chance! He stood over the water, his reflection staring back at him. He was alone. He was alone, and he was cold, and his bladder was still threatening to explode.
And he wanted to cry.
He opened his hand, still looking at his reflection, and watched the image of the spool appear on the water's surface.
He burst into tears.
Well, at least the water could drain away from somewhere now...
He let out a bitter, breathless laugh. He didn’t have the strength to fight anymore.
He sat on the bridge, letting his legs dangle over the water.
"Tetsurō?"
He flinched when he heard his name. He turned around.
Keiji was there.
"Oh, Keiji," he quickly wiped his tears with his sleeve, "what are you doing here?"
"I was worried."
His boyfriend approached and handed him his cape, which Kuroo hurriedly put on.
"Thanks... but don't worry, I'm just with my fish friends, everything's fine."
Keiji saw right through his outrageous lie. He sat down next to him.
"Are you sure?"
"Of what?"
Keiji held his gaze.
"That everything is okay?"
"Hmm," Kuroo replied vaguely.
Keiji made it clear that he wasn't fooled. Tetsurō felt his face twist with tears again.
"Oh Tetsu…"
The warmth in his lover's voice shattered the last of his defense. Tetsurō broke down, and he broke into tears once more. Keiji embraced him, and he allowed himself to be held.
He let out a tearful laugh: damn, he was pathetic.
"What is going on?" Keiji asked tenderly.
"Don’t worry, I… I think I’m just tired, I…"
Tetsurō pulled away from the embrace to wipe his face again.
"Damn it, I shouldn’t let myself get into this state over the words of an old, bitter hag. I… pfft…"
Keiji frowned.
"Nakayama-sama?"
He nodded.
"What did she say to you?"
Kuroo looked away.
"Nothing surprising. That I didn’t belong here… Something about the wrong tree’s sap… And then…"
He opened his hand. He saw Keiji’s eyes widen as he realized what it was.
"I hope you are not taking her words seriously…"
"But she’s right…"
Keiji was completely caught off guard by this statement; he looked at him, deeply surprised. Kuroo pulled his knees to him and rested his head on them. He felt his lips stretch into a sad smile.
"She’s right…"
"Tetsu,"
"But she is! I can try to deny it as much as I want, it's a fact! I could never have what you three have… Or give the… same thing.”
The remark only deepened Keiji's confusion.
"What we have?"
"Yes, you and Kenma, and Kōtarō…"
Keiji blinked several times, incredulous.
"Of course."
Kuroo was momentarily taken aback by the lightness of the response, which, quite frankly, was enough to break his heart. He let out a strained “ah.”
Keiji panicked when he saw his reaction.
"No, you misunderstood, of course, yes… I… Well… I do not have the same relationship with Kōtarō that I have with you, or with Kenma… It is..."
"Yes, yes, no, not that… I… Sorry, it’s stupid," Tetsurō quickly cut him off.
He felt stupid.
He should have just kept quiet.
He turned his head back to the pond, averting his eyes.
Keiji took his hand and leaned in to catch his gaze.
"Tetsurō, please. Talk to me…"
Kuroo got caught in his gaze, tender and calm.
He struggled to catch his breath.
"I… I’m happy as it is, I… think… Well, it’s just… the idea that I could never…"
He sighed.
"I will always be just a boyfriend."
Keiji frowned.
"Just a boyfriend?"
Kuroo waved his hands as if to brush away his words
"I know it’s stupid! And… I don’t want to complain… It’s normal… I mean, we’ve been together for what? Six, seven months? It’s really nothing… You’ve been together for several years and… But it’s the thought that it will never go any further, it…" he felt tears welling up again, "Sorry, It's selfish, I feel so dumb."
"Tetsurō, first of all, you do not have to apologize for what you are feeling; it does not make you selfish at all, and… why do you think that?"
"You told me yourself… I can’t be… bound… And even if you do, it will only hurt you... I don't want that!"
"Oh…"
Kuroo felt so shaky, disarmed… The last sentence had slipped out of him despite himself. He had wanted to keep all of this to himself.
"Yes… oh…"
Keiji looked off into the distance for a moment, lost in thought. Then he turned his gaze back to him.
"Is that… why you have been like this lately? Because of what I told you?"
Kuroo nodded.
"Tetsurō… Um…"
"You don't need to say anything. It's not your fault!", he hurried to reply.
"No."
The words were spoken so firmly that Kuroo was shaken. He looked at him, surprised.
Keiji winced, sighed, and then continued:
"I...Sorry… I was not thinking when I said that... I was just repeating things have been told and I should have... Sorry."
"Don't be. It's just how it is."
"No… I should not have... I was stupid and…"
"Keiji… it’s okay."
He took his lover’s face in his hands to catch his gaze.
"It's okay...you can't help it...I can't help it either. I understand."
"Tetsu..."
"It's just like I said, don't worry, really, I'm just being an idiot. It's okay! Well, no, but it will be. I just have to deal with it... I mean, my parents aren't mated, and they're still married, like all the betas really. I... I know I shouldn't compare myself to you guys, but... I don't know what to do with these feelings. I guess, I just have to acknowledge them and move on... That's why I didn't want to talk about it... It's just that... And if it means making you suffer, then I'll give it up without regret. I don't want that. I don't want to make you suffer..."
Keiji's eyes were wide open, following every movement of his pupils.
Keiji took a deep breath. Tetsurō let his hands fall, sensing his emotional state. Despite his words, Kuroo could see that Keiji felt guilty. He didn't want that. That was why he didn't want to talk about it! He was the one who had to deal with it!!
"You don’t have to feel guilty for anything Keiji, it’s not your fault."
"You should have told me sooner…"
"Sorry."
His lover clasped his hands together. Kuroo frowned when he noticed that he was shaking.
"Keiji?" he asked, worried to see him like this.
"Tetsurō… I was not entirely honest either, I…"
Panic began to rise within Tetsurō.
"What do you mean?"
Keiji sighed.
"I did not see it coming either," Keiji began without looking at him, "Well… yes… but not like this… At least, maybe not so quickly… even though it never really took me long, to be honest…"
Kuroo frowned.
"Keiji, what are you talking about?"
He caught his gaze again and was struck by its intensity.
"In light of this conversation... I... do not know if I should talk about it now or... I do not want to alarm you. But you need to know."
"Know what?"
Keiji was now on the verge of tears. He smiled at him.
The wind whistles around them.
"Tetsurō, I am not suffering."
His words took him completely by surprise.
His lover seized the moment to continue:
"I could not say precisely when it started... But... I remember when it first really hit me…"
Tetsurō held his breath.
"When… I came out of my torpor… I remember seeing you. Your eyes were the first thing I saw. And in them… I saw everything. How much you had worried about me. How much you cared. How deeply you understood what I was going through…"
He trailed off, his voice unsteady.
A breeze passed, sweeping their hair before slipping away to stir the pine branches.
"I remember feeling… from every fiber of my being, that you were one of mine… one of ours."
Tetsurō was at a loss for words. A myriad of messy emotions surged within him, indistinct, bubbling, volcanic.
"You mean that…"
Keiji smiled. A tender and timid smile.
He nodded.
“It is already happening; I am already bonding with you. I was wrong. It is not 'one-sided' at all, far from it. I feel you. And yes, it is different… almost like a new language. But you know how much I love learning new languages."
Kuroo was left speechless.
"And no, Love, I am not suffering."
Tetsurō was still in disbelief. Tears welled up in his eyes again, this time devoid pain, only a deep, visceral emotion that engulfed him entirely. He pulled Keiji into a tight embrace. Keiji chuckled but joined in the hug.
They remained silent for a long time.
"I don’t know what to say…" Kuroo confessed.
"Neither do I."
Their heart rhythm fell into resonance.
"I love you," murmured Tetsurō.
The embrace tightened.
"I love you too."
Silence settled, harmonious, and symphonic.
"Keiji…"
"Hmm?"
"We… should talk about this more, but… I don’t mean to ruin the mood, but I’m gonna pee myself if I don’t move."
His lover was caught off guard and chuckled.
"Yes, we should go then."
He didn’t move though.
"Keiji?"
The brunet reluctantly agreed to separate. They smiled blissfully when their gazes met again.
"Can you come with me? I keep getting lost, and I don’t really want to have another bad encounter."
Keiji nodded. He stood up first and offered his hand to Tetsurō to help him up.
They walked away, hand in hand.
-//-
Tetsurō and Keiji eventually returned to their boyfriends.
Kuroo felt lighter. The turmoil in his heart had subsided.
The sidelong glances still followed him around, but they now slid off him. He almost forgot his unfortunate encounter with Nakayama-sama.
Dusk was starting to fall when they got ready to leave. Keiji, Kenma, and he were now standing in front of the gates, waiting for Kōtarō, who was saying goodbye to his cousins. Tetsurō’s gaze eventually fell on Nakayama-sama’s, standing in front of the manor, bidding farewell to her family.
He sighed.
He shoved his hands into his cloak's pocket and pulled out the spool of purple thread. He smiled to himself. He hadn’t yet earned his place in the matriarch's eyes, but he didn’t mind. Not anymore.
"What are you doing with that?!"
Kuroo looked up, surprised to see Kōtarō staring at the spool in his hands.
"Uh…"
In the end, Tetsurō hadn’t told his boyfriend about his misadventure, not wanting to ruin the rest of his day or turn him against his family. That did not account for his lack of discretion.
"Babe?"
"Uh, it’s just that…"
"Nakayama-sama gave it back to him," Keiji clarified.
Kōtarō looked between them, stunned.
"Why didn’t you tell me babe?"
"I… didn’t want to ruin your day with your family, it’s nothing. "
"Nothing? No, it’s not nothing!" his lover protested.
"Kō, I don’t want any trouble, it’s fine."
Kōtarō took the spool back into his hand.
"Babe!"
"Don’t worry."
Before he could stop him, Kōtarō walked away with the spool towards his parents. Kuroo saw him talking to his father. Naruhito took the spool, and their gazes met when he looked up. He saw his expression harden. He said something to his son before detaching from the group and walking toward the matriarch. His steps were so solemn that they drew the attention of the remaining guests.
Naruhito stood before his mother, standing tall, proud, and unshakable. In a voice loud enough to be heard by everyone, he said:
"I think you have forgotten this one, Mother."
He opened his hand to show the spool of thread. The matriarch did not comment, but her mask began to fall.
"It’s a color I like," Naruhito concluded.
Feeling all eyes on her, Nakayama-sama eventually extended her hand. Her son placed the spool on it, gave her a polite nod, and turned, walking purposefully toward the estate’s exit. As he passed by Kuroo, he patted his shoulder, gave him a nod, and without saying anything more, continued, soon followed by his mates.
Kuroo couldn’t believe it. He looked at Nakayama-sama. She met his gaze and scrutinized him harshly.
Kuroo smiled.
She no longer intimidated him.
He greeted her politely, but his gesture was undeniably insolent. He turned and headed toward the gate. His boyfriends quickly joined him.
He had finally remembered something crucial.
He was loved.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Tetsu didn’t honor his promise to Shin, shame on him.
Next chapter: “Grieving hearts”
“How did you do that?”
“I’m not sure... I just tried to recreate the feeling I had when I was with Kenma and we tried this thing with the pa...”
He couldn’t finish the sentence, a pillow hitting him right in the face.
He turned toward Kenma, who had thrown it, glaring at him.
Crap, he wasn’t supposed to talk about that!
Chapter 46: Grieving hearts
Summary:
“How did you do that?”
“I’m not sure... I just tried to recreate the feeling I had when I was with Kenma and we tried this thing with the pa...”
He couldn’t finish the sentence, a pillow hitting him right in the face.
He turned toward Kenma, who had thrown it, glaring at him.
Crap, he wasn’t supposed to talk about that!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
---
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“Bok choy?”
Tetsurō locked his phone and looked up:
"Hmm?”
Akaashi, standing in the kitchen across from him, turned around:
"Would you like some bok choy in the soup?”
“Fine by me,” replied Kenma, lying on the couch.
“Okay, but not too much!” added Kōtarō, sitting next to the blond.
Akaashi nodded and met his gaze:
“Tetsu?”
“Uh, yeah, it’s fine for me too.”
“Perfect.”
And he turned around again.
Kuroo crossed his arms on the counter and rested his head on them, continuing to watch his lover. They hadn’t talked about what had happened at the Nakayama manor. Kuroo had imagined it would be something grand, something that would change things between them forever. He wasn't sure it was the case. He had imagined that despite what he had been told, despite knowing that betas couldn't form such bonds, he thought that maybe, just maybe, he would be the exception...
Given the mediocre results he had obtained during his online research, it was easy to conclude that science hadn’t really delved into the topic. In any case, that wouldn’t stop him from continuing his investigation.
He had tried telepathy, staring straight into Keiji’s eyes while silently reciting random words in his head. Aside from alarming his lover, it hadn’t produced any conclusive results.
“Did you add cilantro?” asked Kōtarō.
“No, it’s disgusting!” Kenma proclaimed.
"You’re such a baby, come on!”
Kenma kicked him in the shoulder.
"It tastes like soap! You know I have the gene! I'll put some dish soap in your soup, you’ll tell me if you like it!"
His mate snickered.
“A little dish soap to flavor the soup has never hurt anyone.”
“Okay, okay, no cilantro then!” Keiji cut in “I will chop some on the side if someone wants to add some.”
“Don’t forget the dish soap for Kōtarō.”
The comment earned him a knee jab.
Tetsurō smiled. Kōtarō had been on edge for the past few days, ever since the stay at his grandmother’s place.
He seemed to have returned to his insolent, bratty attitude, which was a good sign.
To hell with what the internet might say.
The tiny insects fluttering in Tetsurō’s stomach were still there; there must be billions of them now. He was truly hopeless...
He smiled... Hopeless, but utterly in love. He hoped with all his heart that they knew that.
He didn’t really have the right words. He just hoped he could somehow convey everything he felt to them.
He looked up again, watching Keiji as he added the bok choy to the boiling water.
That fear still lingered in the back of his mind: despite what Keiji told him, that it was just different, and not one-sided, that he wasn’t suffering, Kuroo still felt... skeptical. He just wanted him to know that it was in no way one-sided. He continued watching him, unconsciously trying to convey everything he felt to him.
He remembered the sensation he felt when Kenma and he had… um, conducted some rather dubious experiments with the chemical pacifier. He remembered that feeling, the sensation of an invisible link forming, following him everywhere. He still felt it sometimes. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on that sensation, to imagine a thread running between them, tightening, linking, knotting, and sending along everything he felt.
He opened his eyes again at the sound of metal clattering. Keiji had just dropped the ladle. He was still facing away, motionless. The water in the pot was starting to spill over.
“Uh, Lo…”
He fell silent as Keiji turned around abruptly. He fixed his gaze on him, looking utterly astonished. He blinked several times, incredulous.
"Uh...”
Keiji’s gaze shifted behind him. Kuroo followed it, finding Kenma and Kōtarō both staring at him with eyes wide as saucers.
“Uh... are you guys okay?”
He turned back to Keiji, who stared at him before asking:
“Was… that you? Did you do that?”
"What?”
"That!”
Silence fell.
Keiji tried to mime something incomprehensible with his hands.
“Uh… I don’t know... yes... But I didn’t think that… it would work.”
Keiji placed a hand on his chest.
“I felt it.”
“Me too,” Kenma declared.
Kuroo looked around at his boyfriends.
Kōtarō nodded as well.
Kuroo’s gaze moved back and forth between his three boyfriends.
“Stop it you guys! I feel like I just discovered a superpower.”
No one commented.
His eyes met Keiji’s again.
“How did you do that?”
“I’m not sure... I just tried to recreate the feeling I had when Kenma and I tried this thing with the pa...”
He couldn’t finish the sentence, a pillow hitting him right in the face.
He turned toward Kenma, who had thrown it, glaring at him.
Crap, he wasn’t supposed to talk about that!
“The passion fruits.”
“The passion fruits?” Keiji repeated.
“Yep, exactly.”
Kōtarō and Keiji both looked confused.
“What did you do with it?”
“Nothing.”
Kōtarō turned his gaze toward Kenma.
“What’s this about?”
Kuroo shuddered at the sudden shift of the atmosphere around them.
Kōtarō’s tone had changed, sharper than usual. He held Kenma’s gaze for a few seconds before the latter looked away.
“Do we really have to talk about this now?"
“I don’t know, Kenma, do we?”
Kuroo frowned. Kōtarō’s assertiveness was surprising given the oddness of the conversation.
Kōtarō wasn’t letting it go
The blond averted his gaze.
“Okay, they weren’t any passion fruits.”
“I figured.”
Kenma grimaced.
Tetsurō had never heard Kōtarō’s voice snap with such severity.
“Kenma?” Keiji asked, concerned.
The blond looked at each of them in turn. Kōtarō crossed his arms, impatient.
Kenma sighed.
“Okay… But don’t get mad, okay?”
No one responded.
He took a deep breath.
“Okay… You know how the reactivation of a traumatic memory can allow for the association of a new emotion, uh… Well… I tried to do that… using chem pacifiers.”
Keiji’s eyes widened.
“I beg your pardon?”
Tetsurō shivered at Kōtarō’s tone.
“You promised you wouldn’t get mad.”
“I never promised.”
“It’s fine, everything turned out okay Kō...”
Kōtarō turned slowly toward Kuroo.
“And you went along with it?”
His blood ran cold when Bokuto’s gaze landed on him.
It really wasn’t a pleasant feeling, he suddenly felt incredibly small.
“He was going to do it anyway. I didn’t want him to be alone,” Kuroo tried to justify himself.
“It’s fine Kō,” Kenma said, rolling his eyes.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me Kenma. You think messing around with your mental health is fine? I must have missed the memo that you had a PhD in post-traumatic stress disorder.”
This time, Kōtarō was really, really mad.
The atmosphere had become tense, almost suffocating. The sudden shift had created a cyclone between them.
“Kōtarō, don’t worry, I’m fine,” the blond tried to reassure him, sensing the storm approaching.
“When did you do this?” his mate cut in.
“Um… After Keiji’s birthday, when you guys were away for the weekend.”
“You waited for us to leave?! You knew you were doing something stupid, and you wanted to hide it.”
This time, Kenma had had enough and switched to a different tone:
"I knew you’d freaked out or you’d be super dramatic about it.”
“Dramatic ? You’re right, not wanting you to mess up your health is so dramatic of me, sorry.”
“Exactly.”
Kenma was now being openly provocative.
Kuroo regretted not having the ability to disappear on command.
Kōtarō took a deep breath, trying not to respond aggressively to his mate.
“Did you talk to your therapist about it?” he asked in a controlled voice.
“I’m not seeing her anymore.”
“What do you mean you’re not seeing her? Who are you seeing?”
“No one.”
“Seriously?”
Kenma crossed his arms and stared straight ahead.
Bokuto let his arms fall, looking deeply disheartened.
“You promised, Kenma…”
“Kōtarō, seriously, drop it! It’s my life, my choice. And why are you freaking out now? What happened between the bok choy and the passion fruits that made you lose it like that?!”
The remark threw Kōtarō off and only fueled his anger.
“Are you serious? I know you sometimes struggle to believe it, but I’m not stupid Kenma. I know you. Oh, and when it’s me, I absolutely must do something! But when it’s you, we should just get along with it.”
“Kōtarō…” Keiji tried to intervene.
“No! When my mental health was affecting you two, you made it clear that I had to do something about it, so I did!”
“It still affects us...” Kenma muttered.
“Oh, shut the fuck up!” Kōtarō snapped.
Kenma held his gaze but didn’t speak back.
“How is it just your life? You think it doesn’t affect us? You’re right, I absolutely love watching my mate slowly self-destruct...”
Kenma rolled his eyes again.
“There we go again! What does that have to do with this? It’s my job, you know that! It’s why you have a roof over your head!”
Kōtarō looked like he was about to explode. Kenma wasn’t willing to back down. Tetsurō and Keiji stayed silent, neither daring to intervene nor able to slip away quietly.
“Whoa, manipulation now? Great Kenma! You’re right, it has no impact on our lives, not at all. It’s not like your inability to take care of yourself almost killed our mate!” he yelled, pointing Keiji.
Kenma looked like he’d been stabbed. He immediately averted his gaze, guilty.
“Kōtarō,” Keiji said warningly.
“What?! Am I wrong? What are you going to do? Yell a command? Or go overdosing on suppressants maybe?!”
Keiji fell silent, breaking eye contact.
“You’re all pissing me off,” Kōtarō exploded.
He stood up, seething with rage, grabbed a pillow, threw it against the wall, and stormed out.
Silence finally fell.
The three of them stayed still; no one spoke for a long time. The water started boiling over from the pot again. Keiji turned off the heat.
In a fit of anger, Kenma threw a pillow as well before punching the armrest of the couch. It seemed to diffuse his rage a little, as he suddenly burst into tears.
“Damn it,” he muttered before letting his head fall back onto the couch.
Keiji and Kuroo approached him.
Tetsurō was still reeling. He’d never seen Kōtarō so furious before. Even when he’d chased him around the gym to yell at him, it had been far less intense than what he’d just witnessed. He couldn’t say that Bokuto’s anger was unjustified, it was completely legitimate, but he’d never seen him like that before.
Keiji placed a hand on Kenma’s shoulder. The blond immediately straightened up, wiping his face with his sleeve.
“It’s okay, it’s okay...”
Keiji pulled back his hand but sat down in front Kenma.
“He should not have spoken to you like that…
"Pfft... Yeah, he should have. He's right to be angry."
“Sorry, Kenma, I didn’t mean to. It just slipped out. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, Ji… I shouldn’t have asked you to keep it a secret… It’s on me, I messed up.”
He fell silent.
“Um… sorry, I need to be alone for a bit…” Kenma said.
The other two nodded. Kenma gave them a terribly fake smile and got up to go to his room.
“I… I’m going for a walk,” Keiji said without making eye contact.
“Okay.”
The brunet didn’t reply and stepped out the front door, leaving Tetsurō completely alone.
He lay down on the couch and stared up at the ceiling.
Great job, Tetsu. Way to ruin the mood!
His stomach growled. And he was hungry! Couldn’t he have messed things up after dinner?
He sighed.
He understood Kōtarō’s anger… He just didn’t expect it to escalate like that. He felt anxiety rising, whispering a stream of irrational thoughts that he tried to push away.
He was exhausted.
After a good ten minutes, he sat up and thought about cleaning up the food that was still scattered around the kitchen. But he quickly gave up; he needed to rest. As he crossed the hallway, he changed his mind: he couldn't just leave everything like this, could he?
When he reached the kitchen again, he stopped. Yes, but it wasn't like he was the one who left everything like that, was it? And then he turned around again!
He sighed… Maybe, but he also lived in this house, and he had chipped in for the groceries to buy all the ingredients; it would be stupid to let them go to waste.
With much less enthusiasm this time, he returned to the kitchen, grabbed the ladle and let it clatter limply into the sink, moved the pot, and covered it… Just as he was about to throw away the carrot peels, he stopped… Screw it! Everyone else had left; he could just do the same! Goodbye, carrots!
And with that, he headed back towards his bedroom, battling every urge to turn back. Now that he was standing in front of his bedroom door, there was no turning back! To hell with the bok choy and the carrots!
With that thought, he opened the door.
He froze… Oh, on second thought, he probably needed to turn back. All things considered; the carrots definitely needed him! After all, they had no legs, or arms, they were completely at his mercy, all alone on the kitchen counter! He needed to turn back, just out of altruism, that’s all, and not at all because Kōtarō was sprawled on his bed, and he wasn’t ready to face his wrath head-on!
Bokuto didn’t seem to have noticed his presence yet. Maybe if he left quietly, he could get away without too much damage.
He turned and began to tiptoe away.
“Tetsu…”
Damn, he’d been caught!
He slowly turned back.
Just as he was about to mumble some excuse about the cabbages, turnips, and carrots in the kitchen, he fell silent. Kōtarō's face was streaked with tears.
“Babe…”
“I’m mad at you too, you know.”
Kuroo had to suppress a smile. The attack was a lot less effective now that his cheeks were reddened from crying. He sighed.
"I know…"
"Then what are you doing here?"
"Uh…"
He pointed at his own bed with a timid gesture.
"Oh… crap. Uh," Bokuto wiped his face with the back of his hand, "Sorry, just a habit, I… I’ll go, I…"
"You can stay here if you want," Tetsurō interrupted. "If you need to be alone, I'll go downstairs... unless you need something... or..."
He trailed off.
Kōtarō shook his head slowly and let his head sink back into the pillow.
"Okay… I’ll go, then."
Just as he was closing the door, Kōtarō called out to him:
"Tetsurō…"
His heart tightened; his lover’s voice had softened. The anger had morphed into a quiet, almost suffocated vulnerability.
"Yes?"
Kōtarō caught his gaze, looking desperate. He opened his arms. That was all his boyfriend needed to jump onto the bed and hold him.
Kōtarō hugged him tightly, so tightly that he felt his spine crack.
"Oof, wait, you’re going to crush me, babe!"
"Sorry…"
Bokuto loosened his grip a little but didn’t let go. Tetsurō allowed himself to be held. He didn’t know what to say or what to do to comfort him, to reassure him. So, he stayed silent.
Kōtarō broke down into sobs again.
The brunet ran a hand through his hair, stroking it gently.
"You’re all a pain in the ass, seriously…"
"Sorry."
Bokuto sniffed loudly.
"Who the fuck gave me mates with such a little sense of self-preservation… And that includes you!"
"Me? Since when?"
Kōtarō caught his gaze, raising an eyebrow:
"Do we remember when you threw yourself in front of Kenma’s car?"
"Oh… that, yeah, but…"
"And when you crossed the railroad tracks at the station!"
Kuroo snorted:
"It was the way to get to the other platform!"
"Yeah, right, my ass! The train arrived three seconds later!"
"Okay... okay, I'll be more careful next time," he promised.
Silence stretched between them.
"I'm sorry I got so upset... I don't like getting mad like that."
"You have every right to be angry, Kōtarō."
"I know..."
Silence settled between them.
"Seriously, what were you thinking, letting him go through with that?!"
"I… I know it was stupid, but…"
"But?"
"If he was going to do something reckless anyway, I’d rather he did it with me."
"Hm…"
Kōtarō lowered his gaze. He was fidgeting with his boyfriend’s t-shirt absent-mindedly, which gave him an excuse not to look him in the eye.
"And as for the therapist, I’ve told him already, but… He has a hard time finding someone he feels comfortable with."
"I know… it’s not easy… but damn it…"
"I know."
The small skylight showed the starry night sky outside.
"Did it really go that well?"
"Yes… it was even kinda… nice."
"Nice?" Kōtarō finally raised his head, catching his gaze "What could be nice about locking yourself in with chemical pacifiers?"
"I don’t know… we did that thing… Um, what was it called again?"
"Fucking?"
Kuroo rolled his eyes.
"Haha, very funny. No… tantra?"
"Oh…" Bokuto let his head fall back on his lover’s chest, playing with the fabric of his t-shirt again, "Yeah, he’s pretty good at that."
"Hm…"
The silence stretched for a few seconds. Kōtarō's anger was completely gone now.
"I just want him to care a little more about his well-being," murmured Kōtarō.
"I know...he promised me he would...well, sort of."
"I… I can’t take it anymore… Right now, it’s okay… kinda. But there were times, especially when he was living alone, when…"
He held back another round of tears.
"I know it's his job, but... but you don't know what it was like. It was terrible! I saw him so thin sometimes, he wouldn't eat for days, he wouldn't sleep, and... You can't imagine how many times I saw him collapse from exhaustion! When he didn't respond for days, I didn't know if it was because he was too busy or if he had collapsed; I couldn't take it anymore. When he fainted and hurt himself when he..."
He didn’t finish, unable to hold back his tears any longer. He pulled away from Tetsurō, rolling onto his back.
"It’ll be okay, babe…"
He sniffed again.
"I don’t know why he…" he caught his breath, " Damn it! I know! I saw it! I don't get why he... Fuck this..."
Kuroo wanted to comfort him, but he was starting to make less and less sense to him.
Bokuto continued mumbling.
"What?" the brunet finally asked.
"Nothing… he just pisses me off, that’s all… And Keiji too… "
He pressed a pillow to his face and screamed with all his might. When he pulled it away again, he looked more exasperated than ever.
Tetsurō chuckled:
"Feel better?"
"Meh."
"Come here."
He opened his arms. Kōtarō hesitated for a second but finally fell into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around him and rested his cheek on the top of Tetsurō's head. Kōtarō kept grumbling softly, which made his boyfriend laugh. Finally, he relaxed and even began to purr when Tetsurō stroked his hair. The tense, electric atmosphere vanished, replaced by a sense of comfort and peace. It was so comfortable that they finally fell asleep.
Tetsurō woke up several hours later, his body overwhelmed by unpleasant sensations. It took him a moment to sort them out. Was he feeling cold… or hungry? Both? He turned around and noticed that Kōtarō had wrapped himself in the blanket, leaving him out in the cold. Tetsurō sighed. They might have fallen asleep on good terms, but he wasn’t going to risk provoking him by trying to take the blanket back. Resigned, he grabbed his fluffy gray throw that had fallen to the floor and wrapped himself in it. He closed his eyes again. Four seconds later, he opened them again: okay, he was definitely hungry… but too lazy to get up. He thought he could wait until morning… but it felt like his stomach was staging a rebellion and stabbing him repeatedly. Now his bladder began to protest as well.
Defeated, he let out a long sigh and stood up, wrapping the throw around his shoulders like the cloak of a mighty Viking. He quickly discovered that wearing a cape and trying to go to the bathroom didn’t mix well, but he managed.
Step Two: Find Something to Eat. When he got to the kitchen, he noticed that someone had already taken care of the carrots, because there was nothing left on the counter. Perfect. He opened the fridge to see what he could find to calm his mutinous stomach.
"Hey.”
Kuroo jumped at the sound of the voice behind him, so much so that he dropped the packet of surimi he had just grabbed. Alarmed, he turned around and let out a sigh of relief when he saw Kenma.
"You scared the hell out of me!"
"I just said hey… What are you doing up?”
"I was hungry."
"Mm."
"You?"
"I was streaming… I just finished."
"Oh… okay."
They stood there for several seconds. Kuroo finally noticed that Kenma was wearing his oversized puffer jacket.
"Going somewhere?"
"Nah, just going outside to get some fresh air."
As he continued to study him, Kuroo finally noticed the object in Kenma's hand.
"You vape?"
"Oh…"
Kenma looked down at what appeared to be a multicolored pen in Kuroo's eyes.
"Yeah… I guess."
"Since when?"
"I don’t know, tonight… I had it on hand… and I felt like having some nicotine."
"Ah, okay."
Silence stretched between them.
"Wanna join me?" Kenma asked.
Kuroo considered his options for a few seconds. Eventually, he agreed.
"Okay, take the surimi," Kenma said, opening the door and walking out.
Tetsurō grabbed the packet and headed down the stairs. He put on his coat, slipped into his sneakers, wrapped the blanket around his neck like an oversized scarf, and opened the garage door. The icy night air hit him mercilessly.
“Damn, it’s freezing!”
Kenma chuckled. When Kuroo turned around, he found him sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall of the house. He inhaled from his colorful pen and a thick cloud of white smoke, smelling like blueberries and other wild berries, escaped from his lips.
“You can go back up if you want.”
“Hmm, it’s fine, I’ll get used to it…”
He sat down beside Kenma. The grass was damp, and his pants soaked up the moisture, making the fabric cling unpleasantly to his skin. He just sighed, defeated. He unwrapped a piece of surimi and swallowed it in one bite.
“Want some?” he offered the blond.
Kenma accepted and took the packet from his hands. In return, he handed him the smoke pen. Too curious to resist, Tetsurō took it.
“How does it work?”
“Just press the button in front and inhale.”
He followed the instructions and took a long drag of the vape. The vapor filled his throat, burning as it went down. He choked, coughing up small clouds of sweet-smelling smoke.
“It hurts!”
“Don’t suck on it like a madman!”
Still coughing, Kuroo handed the pen of doom back to Kenma and reached for more surimi. Kenma gave a small, amused smile. He took another puff from his smoke pen and exhaled a white cloud. They watched the tendrils of smoke rise and swirl before disappearing completely.
“Were you with Kōtarō?” his boyfriend finally asked.
Kuroo nodded.
“Still mad?”
“Hmm… But mostly sad, I think… He's worried about us.… Especially about you.”
The blond sighed but nodded.
“I kind of messed up…”
“Well… I can’t really talk, it’s kind of my fault too…”
“No… not really… I wasn’t doing much to improve my health even before this…”
Kuroo didn't answer. It was true that Kenma didn't have the healthiest routine - he didn't exercise, his sleep schedule was chaotic, and Tetsurō was sure that if he, Kōtarō, and Keiji weren't around, Kenma would be eating instant ramen every day... But they were around, so the damage was under control.
"It's a little selfish of me, but... I didn't really think that... it... affected him that much."
“You mean… the pacifiers?”
“No…”
“What happened last time? Or… before that?”
“Both…”
He nodded. Honestly, they had all been affected by what happened during their last cycle, but he didn’t want to reopen old wounds either.
"Did he open up to you about it?"
"About what?"
Kenma didn’t specify, simply maintaining eye contact.
"Uh... yes, well... he just told me that he worried a lot about you, even before you three started living together..."
Kenma nodded. He broke eye contact and turned his gaze to the sky.
"Yes... it's true that things... weren't great."
"Yeah..."
"But that's not what I meant..."
Kuroo glanced at his boyfriend. He remained silent for a few seconds, letting small clouds of white smoke escape from his lips.
"He's the one who came to get me that day..."
The brunet frowned.
“That day?”
“Yeah… uh… I was seventeen, almost eighteen. We were already bonded, just barely, so I was still off-balance… I went into my cycle and, uh… my parents… well, you know, I’ve already told you about it.”
The brunet nodded but stayed quiet, not wanting to interrupt.
"Keiji and Kōtarō knew that I was in bad shape. Kōtarō was already in college, and... Well, Keiji called him one day, crying, because he didn't know what to do to help me. I had told them that it was useless to do anything... I was underage and... well, yeah... Kōtarō kind of lost it. I'm deeply grateful that he did."
Silence.
Kenma gave a sad smile.
“What happened?”
"He drove to my parents' house. He rang the doorbell and when they opened, he just walked in," he let out a laugh. "My parents totally freaked out; they even called the police, but uh... Kōtarō broke down the basement door and... he's the one who got me out... I was in really bad shape... I won't get too graphic, but I was locked in the basement for several days, with the pacifiers..."
Kuroo's heart skipped a bit.
“Holy shit…”
"Yeah..."
Even though Kenma tried to tell the story lightly, Kuroo could hear the trembling in his voice. His throat tightened with fear and his body shook.
“Hmm… Well, we didn’t get very far in the end; the police caught up with us at the end of the street.”
“Really?!”
"Yeah... Luckily he managed to make sure I didn't have to go back to my parents... I had clear signs of abuse and, uh... I was in the middle of a panic attack, so it wasn't hard to convince them. His parents came to get me... But the cops still held him for two days..."
Kuroo’s eyes widened.
“He… went to jail?”
“No, not jail, just held in custody. He did break into my parents’ place to abduct a minor.”
“Oh… right.”
"Luckily, it was just a few days before I turned eighteen, and my parents realized they'd get in more trouble if they sued, so they dropped the charges. I saw them at the judge's office when we got the final report from the coroner. Keiji and Kōtarō were there... Kōtarō's parents too... The T.O.P. is messed up, but this time it actually helped me, since Keiji had more rights over me than my parents... That was the last time I saw them..."
Kenma fell silent, and Kuroo let out a heavy sigh, feeling disoriented. He was aware that Kenma hadn’t been in contact with his parents for a long time, but he hadn’t realized it had ended so violently. No wonder all three of them were traumatized. No wonder Kenma still carried the scars from that experience. It was clear why Kōtarō worried so much about him.
“Wow… that’s… heavy…”
“I know…”
He turned his eyes to Kenma. His voice was no more than a broken whisper. He smiled, but his eyes were filled with tears.
“Are you okay?”
Kenma nodded, but his eyes told him otherwise.
“It’ll be okay… It’ll get better…”
“Come here,” Tetsurō offered, opening his arms.
His boyfriend came closer, and Kuroo hugged him tightly.
“I need to talk to Kōtarō… I need to apologize for what I said to him…”
“No need…”
They both jumped at the voice. When they turned around, they found Kōtarō leaning against the wall.
“Oh… Kō, how long have you been here?”
“A while, yeah…”
“Oh… okay.”
They didn’t say anything for a few seconds.
“I’m sorry,” murmured the blond.
Kōtarō choked, tears welling up in his eyes. He rushed over to his mate and pulled him into his arms.
“I’m the one who should be apologizing… I shouldn’t have gotten so mad.”
Kenma wrapped his arms around Kōtarō's neck and in an almost choreographed movement, they stood up, holding onto each other. Kenma wrapped his legs around his mate’s waist to keep clinging to him.
“You had every reason to be mad…”
“I just want you to be okay, Kenma.”
“I know… I’ll be more careful… I promise I’ll do something about it…”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
The blond lifted his head to meet his gaze. They smiled at each other, and Kenma leaned in to kiss his lips.
Tetsurō smiled. He stood up: as heartwarming as it was, he could tell he would be the third wheel here. As he tiptoed away, Kenma called out:
“Where are you going?”
“Uh… I’m heading in… You probably need some time together, and...”
“Shut up,” Kenma cut him off. “Come here.”
He released one arm from around Kōtarō to beckon him closer. Tetsurō hesitated but eventually joined them. Kenma completed the embrace around his neck, trapping him between Kenma’s chest and Kōtarō’s shoulder.
“I love you both a lot, but this is the most uncomfortable hug I’ve ever had.”
“Shush!” Kenma scolded, tightening his hold.
He sighed but eventually surrendered to the odd embrace and wrapped his arms around his lovers.
He smiled to himself.
Sure, he was freezing and practically suffocating, but he wouldn’t trade this moment for anything in the world.
-//-
The discovery of his almost superpowers had been somewhat overshadowed by everything else that happened, so Kuroo hadn’t brought it up again since. He did try to repeat the trick once or track, in vain. The suppressants weren’t helping, so he only had a very small window of time to act, which he couldn’t always capitalize on. However, he hadn’t lost hope and kept it in the back of his mind.
“What about that one?”
“Nah, I already watched it.”
Kōtarō sighed and continued to scroll through the movie thumbnails. They had been trying to agree on a movie for over fifteen minutes, scrolling through Netflix without coming to a consensus.
“How have you seen so many?”
“I watched most of them while you guys were in cycle; I had to pass the time somehow!”
“That was months ago! There’s been a bunch of new stuff since then!”
“I suggested new ones, and you said no,” Tetsurō replied.
"Because it's four hours long! Keiji?"
The one addressed looked up from his book.
“Hm?”
“Any ideas?”
“Not really. As you wish.”
Kōtarō sighed again and clicked on the first thumbnail that appeared to display the summary.
“What about this one?”
“No,” Keiji cut in.
“You said we could choose!”
“Yes, but I am not going to watch a movie about a fairy falling in love with a werewolf!”
“Oh come on!”
“We could find a series instead,” Kuroo suggested. “We still haven’t finished wa...”
He was interrupted when Kenma suddenly burst out of his room.
“Uh… are you okay?” Kōtarō asked.
The blond didn’t respond, stumbling forward towards them. He nearly dropped his phone but caught it just in time and held it out to Kōtarō.
“What?”
“Read!”
"Due to its overwhelming popularity, the Overlord Land Fantasy Tournament Semifinals and Finals will be held as an in-person event for the first time at the Nova Max Arena in Seoul, South Korea on April 26th... oh..."
“Yeah, oh ! Fuck…”
Kenma started pacing around.
“This is bad, this is really, really bad... I can’t go! I can’t just face reveal like that, no way!”
"OLF fans have done the impossible and propelled this once obscure title onto the world stage. This dark horse of the gaming world, which flew under the radar of major companies, is making its big debut this year. The funds, raised almost entirely through fan donations, have not only secured the Nova, but also offer the Grand Champion a prize of up to... Oh, holy shit!
“What?!”
Kōtarō sat down to read it over several times.
"The chance to win up to 2 billion won, which is more than $1.5 million.”
Silence fell between them.
“Let me see that,” Keiji intervened. “You always struggle with n...” Keiji froze in front of the screen.
Kuroo’s turned to double-check the figure.
“Yep, 1.5 million… What’s that in yen? Like 210 million?”
Silence.
“No, but I’ll find a way,” the blond said. “The selections and initial rounds are online... I’ll figure something out.”
The other three nodded.
Silence stretched out for a few seconds. Kenma turned, a smile forming on his lips.
“Holy fuck, we’re going to be millionaires,” he murmured.
“Weren’t we already?”
“Not for a while…”
Kōtarō raised an eyebrow.
“What did you spend it on?”
Kenma rolled his eyes.
“I don’t know, maybe I bought a house with it!”
“Oh… right…”
“There is still the whole tournament first,” Keiji pointed out.
The blond waved off his comment, unimpressed.
“Pfft, it’s nothing, I’ll crush them, as always!”
Kōtarō straightened up, facing Kenma with a stern look.
“Okay, but no messing around this time, this isn’t an excuse to not take care of yourself and...”
“But Kō, I need to...”
“Tete-te! Five hours a day for practice, with at least two breaks, and two days off.”
“Eight hours, no days off.”
“Six hours and two hours of streaming, one day off.”
“I'm not gonna stream only two hours!"
"Why? You do it all the time!"
"Yeah, but I try not to! Four hours.”
“Three.”
“No, four, from 8 pm to midnight.”
“8 pm to 11:30 pm.”
“Fine.”
“Three balanced meals a day! And at least seven hours of sleep per night.”
“Kō…”
“And jogging three times a week.”
“Once a week.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Okay, fine, once a week, but you have to go out for a walk at least once a day. Deal?”
Kenma rolled his eyes.
“Kō, that’s a lot, I’m not sure I can…”
“Deal?”
The rest of the negotiation was done solely through their eyes. Kenma was the first to give in.
“Okay, fine, deal!”
All the sternness melted off Kōtarō’s face.
“Perfect!”
A huge grin spread across his lips.
“We’re going to be millionaires!”
Kenma let out a laugh filled with pure joy, and the four of them began jumping around like excited kids.
“Million-dollar baby!”
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Next chapter: Game on
"The microphone!" he finally shouted.
The other two widened their eyes, and Kenma hastily pressed the mute button on his deck.
"You didn't mute it!"
"I did!"
"Well, obviously you didn't!"
"Fuck!"
Chapter 47: Game on
Summary:
"The microphone!" he finally shouted.
The other two widened their eyes, and Kenma hastily pressed the mute button on his deck.
"You didn't mute it!"
"I did!"
"Well, obviously you didn't!"
"Fuck!"
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
--
Some concepts are universally known, and every language has its own version of it.
“Die ruhe nach dem sturm”: The calm after the storm.
How did Kuroo manage to remember that? He wasn’t quite sure; Akaashi had that kind of influence on him. Who knows, he might even end up trilingual thanks to Keiji?
Surprisingly, he preferred the German version to that of his native language: “Ame futte jikatamaru.”
After the storm, the ground becomes firm.
Now, that saying was more ...agricultural.
However, the meaning was there: the storm they had just weathered had brought about calmness, while also fostering "fertility": they could move forward together on a more stable ground.
Kenma had struggled a bit with the routine set by his mate, especially when it came to “morning jogging” out of it. The weather outside was ruthless, and even Kuroo had given up on joining Kōtarō for his morning run.
As an alternative, Kōtarō had thus suggested an indoor activity: yoga. It wasn't considerate of him, but Tetsur ō had to admit that watching Kenma attempt the camel pose in the middle of the living room was hilarious. All fun, until karma caught up with him, and he found himself roped into the yoga session as well. Needless to say, he could now appreciate the fact that he was in fact way more terrible at it than Kenma.
On Kōtarō’s recommendation, the blond had also found a new therapist he seemed to be adjusting to quite well. Kōtarō had also reminded Tetsurō and Keiji that they weren’t exempt from this condition. Tetsurō, although the first to praise the benefits of psychological self-care, found it somewhat difficult to comply himself, the idea bringing back memories of the darker times in his adolescence. He decided to pass on that for now and keep a low profile.
The restrictions on streaming had proven much more challenging for Kenma to adhere to. Since the blond hadn’t exactly started training yet, Kōtarō let it slide, falling asleep before he could even notice that Kenma had exceeded his "allocated" time anyway.
Despite having watched multiple streams, Tetsurō still didn’t understand the rules of the game and wondered how what he saw on the screen could translate into tournaments. This didn’t stop him from diligently following the nebulous exploits of his boyfriend online.
He was sprawled on his bed, watching the Kenma’s stream without really understanding what was going on.
A knock on his door broke his concentration, and he looked up:
“Yes?”
“It’s me,” he heard Kōtarō from the other side of the door.
“Come in.”
Kōtarō obliged. Kuroo watched him enter, waiting for him to say what he wanted. Kōtarō did nothing and remained standing in the doorway.
“What are you doing?” he finally asked.
“I’m watching Kenma’s stream.”
“Oh… okay.”
Silence fell.
“Did he kick you out of his room? You usually stay with him.”
“Hmm, he said he needed to focus… And I wanted to lie on my bed anyways"
“Oh, okay…”
Silence stretched between them again.
“Did you need something?” Tetsurō eventually asked.
“Hmm… a hug.”
The brunet raised an eyebrow.
“What kind of hug?”
“A hug-hug!”
Tetsurō chuckled and opened his arms.
“Come here.”
That was all it took for his boyfriend to snuggle against him. Tetsurō adjusted his position and moved his computer to continue watching.
“It’s crazy, no matter how much I watch, I still don’t understand anything about this game,” he eventually admitted.
His comment made Kōtarō laugh.
“Kenma never explained it to you?”
“He did… but I didn’t get it, something about… I don’t remember, a whole bunch of letters…”
“Letters?”
“No, but like weird acronyms. I pretended to understand so I wouldn't look too stupid, but didn't get anything. Plus, I don’t understand how what he does translates into a tournament. No offense, I just don’t get it! What is it? Who kills the dragon the fastest?!” Kuroo exclaimed, emphasizing the tragi-comic nature of his situation.
This had the desired effect, as Kōtarō laughed.
“It’s because he’s playing in an open map right now.”
"Oh, but of course! That makes much more sense!"
“Pfft… the game is pretty hybrid; you can play in an open map, explore, and do quests, but there are arenas where you can have team battles.”
“Team battles?”
“Mm-hmm…”
“Does he... have a team?”
“No.”
The confusion only deepened.
His boyfriend laughed again.
“Wait a sec.”
He took the computer and typed in the chat “Battle!”. Almost immediately, hundreds of other viewers echoed his words, soon making it the only thing visible in the chat.
They heard the blond sigh.
“Okay, okay, I get it!”
Kenma finished off a band of belligerent gnomes before satisfying the request of his community. The command page appeared on the screen, and the character was teleported to a combat arena. Kuroo was almost disappointed to see that it wasn’t a coliseum, with hundreds of gladiators ready to fight to the death. Far from it, as it was more of a wasteland scattered with a few trees and some rocks. No gladiators in sight…
“Basically,” Kōtarō continued, “there are three teams of five players competing against each other. The goal is pretty basic, classic 'Capture the flag' game. You simply need to conquer your enemies' base as quickly as possible. Pretty standard. Teams usually have like... two attackers, two defenders, and one healer.”
Kuroo frowned:
"Ok... But you said he doesn't have a team..."
"Yeah... So, there is an additional role: the necromancer. The necromancer doesn't have a team, and his goal is to kill the most players, and he wins when he has conquered the three bases."
"Okay... pretty intense."
"Yes! But that's not all! Ok, so normally when your character dies, you're just spawned back at your base and can rejoin the game after a cool-down, as long as the base hasn't fallen.”
"Okay."
"Well, when a character is killed by the necromancer, they spawn back to their base, but the necromancer can now take control of it and attack.”
"Neat!"
"Yeah, pretty cool, right?" Kōtarō commented, "At first, it wasn’t very popular; the role is so hard to play that nobody wanted to take it… and it’s totally optional to have one in each game."
A proud smile formed on his lips
"Guess who made it popular?"
Kuroo didn’t need any further clarification.
The battle began slowly, with Kenma simply loitering around the base, analyzing the actions of his opponents. It was only after about ten minutes that he launched his first attack, taking down three opponents in a matter of seconds. Although he still didn’t understand much, Kuroo got swept up in the action.
Kenma was already at seven kills, the positions on the screen changing so rapidly that it was almost impossible to follow the action. The first base fell, attacked by its own defenders, closely followed by a second one. The third base was now on the verge of tipping. Tetsurō had transformed into a true supporter, he and Kōtarō shouting louder and louder with every passing second to cheer for their favorite.
When the last base fell and the necromancer was declared the winner, they jumped up and began bouncing with excitement on the bed, the slats starting to creak. Thankfully, before they could completely destroy the bed, they were called to order by Keiji. They calmed down and settled back in.
"So?"
"That was insane!" Kuroo exclaimed.
Kōtarō winked at him and settled back into his arms. The blond hadn’t wasted any time and was back to his quests, now discussing good deals with a mountain dwarf named Rubeone. They followed the rest of the adventure more calmly but eventually fell asleep after about twenty minutes.
Kuroo resurfaced a few hours later. The computer had slipped further down the bed. He picked it up to keep it safe. Looking at the screen, he noticed the stream was still ongoing. Kōtarō awoke with a long, sleepy groan.
"What are you doing?" he murmured.
"We fell asleep with the computer, but no damage, it’s fine."
Kōtarō opened one eye.
"Is he still streaming?"
"Yeah."
The information seemed to trouble him for a moment, but ultimately, he turned over, burying his head in the pillow.
"What time is it?"
"3:35."
"What?!"
He sat up, grabbing his phone from the bedside table.
"He's been streaming for six hours! Am I a freaking joke to him?! He promised me to stop at midnight!"
"He probably lost track of time, babe…"
"He's fucking with me, that's what's going on!"
Kōtarō got out of bed, furious, and stomped down the stairs. Kuroo didn’t hear from him until he heard Kenma stop talking. There was a distortion noise followed by a metallic clink before the blond's voice was heard again.
"You just turned off the screen, you know."
"I wasn’t going to unplug it; that thing costs an arm and a leg, but you get the message."
Kenma sighed.
"Do you even know what time it is?!"
"No."
"Don’t mess with me!"
"You were sleeping! Why do you care?"
They continued to bicker, which brought a smile to the brunet’s face. His eyes fell on the chat, which was reacting to what was happening. It was then that he realized that if he could hear them, so could the rest of the chat. In a panic, he typed "Microphone, microphone!" into the chat, but remembered that the screen must still be off. He jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs. He flung open Kenma's office door, and his two boyfriends fell silent upon seeing him, confused. He tried to sign something to avoid speaking out loud, but it only added to their confusion.
"The microphone!" he finally shouted.
The other two widened their eyes, and Kenma hastily pressed the mute button on his deck.
"You didn't mute it!"
"I did!"
"Well, obviously you didn't!"
"Fuck!"
Kenma shoved Kōtarō to turn the screen back on. The chat was still reacting gleefully to this little happening, but it didn’t seem to please the blond at all.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck…"
"Sorry, I really thought I muted it!"
"You didn’t say my name, right?"
"No… I don’t think so; I don’t remember…"
Kenma’s phone vibrated, and he grabbed it to see who was calling in the middle of the night.
"Who is it?"
"Yūji."
He picked up. Yūji on the other end burst out laughing.
"Damn, not funny Yū!"
"It’s a bit funny"
"I could have gotten caught!" Kenma retorted, glaring at his mate.
"Relax, you didn’t say anything bad, and at this hour, there probably aren’t many Japanese speakers anyway, don’t worry."
Kenma let out a sigh.
"You’re a pain in the ass seriously!"
"I told you to stop at midnight!"
"And you’re not my mother!"
"Oh my go... here we go again! Will you stop with that already?!"
Kenma sighed.
"Well, get out so I can try to fix this mess."
Kōtarō didn’t seem to agree.
"I promise I’ll stop soon, but I at least have to do some damage control before I wrap it up!"
"Okay. "
They left the room. Kōtarō turned his eyes sheepishly toward Tetsurō.
"Fuck... I messed up!"
Kuroo couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
-//-
Kōtarō did not sleep.
His head hurt like hell, and he was miserable.
Since the incident with the microphone the night before, he had been spiraling.
He lied, he slept for maybe thirty minutes before the sun woke him up and plunged him back into his despair.
He was now sitting at the dining table, staring into nothingness. He absentmindedly took a sip of his coffee, which was cold by now. He didn't even notice it.
He turned around when he heard footsteps approaching.
"Hey," he said weakly as he saw Tetsurō appear.
Tetsurō looked surprised to find him there.
"Hey! You're done with your run?"
Kōtarō shook his head.
"No… I’m bit"
Kuroo frowned, concerned.
"I couldn't sleep," Kōtarō clarified. "Well, not really."
"Oh…"
Kuroo came to sit next to him.
"Because of what happened last night?"
"Yes…"
"You mean when you three screamed like animals in the middle of the night?"
They turned to Keiji, busy pouring himself a coffee.
"Worse…" Kōtarō lamented, letting his head fall back onto the table.
"Sorry about that Love," Kuroo replied, "we got a little carried away."
Keiji raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. He leaned against the bar, not bothering to sit with them. After a first sip of coffee, he asked:
"What is going on?"
"I fucked up!" Kōtarō whined before letting out a pathetic groan.
"Hum, Kenma and he fought, while Kenma was on stream... and not muted"
Keiji’s eyes widened, genuinely alarmed. Before he could ask anything, Kuroo clarified:
"They didn’t say anything serious! It's fine!" nothing serious.
"It's not fine! You don’t know the internet; they’re monsters!"
"Don't be dramatic babe, I'm sure no one noticed."
He pulled out his phone and opened Twitter*:
"No one cares, and…"
He didn’t finish his sentence, stunned.
"Babe? Don’t do that! It’s not funny!"
Kuroo didn’t react. In a panic, Kōtarō circled the table and stood alongside him, both stunned as they read what was displayed on the screen. Soon, Keiji joined them and quickly found himself in the same state of shock.
"It didn’t go unnoticed…" Bokuto noted.
"What are you doing?"
Three pairs of eyes turned to Kenma, who had just entered the room. He hadn’t chosen the right day to wake up early. Sure, it was already 10:38 a.m., but it was still early for his standard.
"Um…"
As no one answered him, Kenma stepped closer. On the right panel displaying the most used hashtags, “Applepie” was in third place. Kenma quickly grabbed the phone.
"Damn it! Fuck..."
He moved away, scrolling through the tweets that mentioned him. The other three stared at him intently, trying to guess the content by looking at his face. As he read, the blond’s features softened. Finally, a smile slipped onto his lips, and he chuckled.
"What! What is it? What are they saying?" Kōtarō rushed to ask.
Kenma didn’t answer immediately, continuing to scroll.
"Kenma!"
"It’s fine, it’s fine," he laughed,"someone translated our convo and..."
"And what?"
"My community already knows that I don't live alone, so in the end they weren't that surprised, but um... it's become a bit of a meme."
Kōtarō completely froze, unable to determine whether it was a good or bad thing.
Kenma turned the phone around. Someone had reused a meme showing a young man running away, ‘Applepie’ written across his face, trying to escape another young man floating menacingly behind him, the text reading ‘His concerned roommate’.
"And this one."
This time it was a drawing of a warrior brandishing his sword in front of a gigantic monster. “Applepie streaming in the middle of the night” was written on the knight, while “GO TO SLEEP” was in capital letters on the monster.
Tetsurō took the phone to continue scrolling through the images, while Keiji and Kōtarō positioned themselves next to him to follow along. The monster theme was recurring, with Kōtarō being depicted in turn as a terrifying creature, a dragon, a giant spider, always accompanied by affectionate comments contrasting comically with his appearance. Kuroo and his boyfriends were almost in tears from laughing now, except for Kōtarō, who found the situation less funny.
"Oh, there’s one with me!" Kuroo exclaimed.
In the image, two people were fighting while a third one stood behind them, looking disheartened. “Apple pie and Sandy” was written on the two fighting while his username, “The black kat,” was written on the third one.
"Who's Sandy?" Kōtarō asked.
"That’s you. I think they started calling you that".
"…Why?"
"Sandman."
Kōtarō stepped away from the phone, dejected, which only added to the hilarity of his boyfriends.
"Don’t worry, it won’t last, and it’s not mean," Kenma tried to reassure him.
"And look, you have your little fandom now!" Kuroo said.
Kōtarō read out the comment that Kuroo had designated:
“Honestly, I ship Applepie with TBK, but I might change my mind,” who is TBK?
"The black kat, it’s Ji," Kenma specified.
"Oh…"
"Is it not worrying that people are starting to ask questions about your… relationships?" Keiji asked.
"Not really… And I’d rather they ship me with one of my mates than a complete stranger, or worse…"
"Oh yeah… I remember when we came across that fic where you were dating Nitro."
Kenma made a face, deeply disgusted.
"Who’s Nitro?"
"A Russian player; I crushed him in the finals two years ago."
"Um… enemies to lovers, a classic," Kuroo commented, "do you still have the name of the fic?"
Kenma elbowed him, amused, nonetheless.
"How can they write fics? They don’t even know what you look like?"
"That doesn’t stop them."
"Oh my, I really want that fic… Wait, I’ve never searched your name on AO3; I’m going to see what comes up," Tetsurō exclaimed.
Kenma took the phone back.
"Nope, don’t. For your own sanity, don't. And how do you know about that website? "
"…My sisters."
Kenma raised an eyebrow.
"Well, okay, I read fanfic in high school… What?! It’s not my fault there’s so little queer representation in mainstream media! I mean, how do you think I learned English exactly?"
"By reading smut?" Kenma asked sarcastically.
"Not just that!"
"Um… which fandom?"
"Um, I don’t remember."
"Ji, which fandom?"
Kuroo pretended not to hear and turned.
"Oops, did you see the time? So late!"
"Ji! Which fandom, which pairing? Ji!"
There was no way he was going to answer that. Some things had to stay hidden for the greater good.
-//-
While they had hoped that the wave of memes would die down quickly and that this unfortunate story would soon be behind them, this was absolutely not the case. Ten days had passed, and the situation had grown to gargantuan proportions, with fans continuing to expand their theories and the parodies they spawned.
This did not affect Kenma's work much. Most of the time, he didn't comment on it or ignore the questions that popped up in his chat from time to time.
Alas, his discretion had only fueled the curiosity of the fans. This did not please Kōtarō, whose mood visibly worsened every time he stumbled upon such comments.
The four of them were settled in the living room, each doing their own thing. Kenma, busy exploring Twitter, stifled a laugh, pretending that nothing had happened.
"What now?"
"Nothing."
"Is it about me again?! Come on! Enough already! It's not funny anymore!" Kōtarō complained.
"Oh, come on, that's fine, they're not mean about it."
Kōtarō sighed. As he began to defend himself again, he grabbed his sweatshirt and tried to put it on. However, the task proved to be more difficult than expected, and he found himself trapped in the garment, his head caught between the hood and the collar. This did not prevent him from continuing to speak, even though his words were now unintelligible.
Kuroo, who had his phone in hand, instinctively turned on the camera and started recording his reaction before switching to the rear camera to film Kōtarō still struggling with the sweatshirt. He finally managed to pull his head out of the collar, his hair disheveled and covering half of his face. Kuroo snickered, which got his boyfriend's attention.
"Are you filming me?"
Kuroo quickly switched back to the front camera.
"No."
Kōtarō grabbed his phone to check if Kurro was telling the truth. When he saw his face on the screen, he looked up and gave him a suspicious look but finally handed the device back.
"Hmph…"
Kuroo burst out laughing and stopped recording. He eagerly watched the video. When he heard his own voice, Kōtarō grabbed the phone again:
"I knew you were filming me!"
"Sorry, I couldn't help it."
Kōtarō pouted. He crossed his arms and sprawled back on the couch.
"Let me see!"
Kuroo complied and handed the phone to Kenma, who let out a tender smile while watching the video.
"Come on, don't pout, you look cute, look Keiji."
The latter, who was far too engrossed in his reading to follow what was happening, finally looked up from his book. Not knowing what was going on, he also smiled once the video ended. However, he didn’t comment and handed the phone back to Tetsurō, who quickly watched it again.
"Oh! Can I post it in my story?" he asked eagerly, turning to Kenma.
The latter seemed to think it over but eventually raised his eyebrows.
"I’m not in it, so do what you want."
"Hey! I’m the one in it, not Kenma! You should ask me!"
"Can I?"
"No."
"But why? You look cute!"
"No!"
"Come on, no one will see it except my friends, and even if they do, I just want to show people that you're cute, not at all like they think you are, maybe that will make them stop with the memes?" Tetsurō tried to convince him.
Kōtarō frowned, not very convinced. Kuroo made a little kitten sad face, which eventually made his boyfriend give in.
"Fine, okay…"
"Yes!"
"But don’t tag me!"
"Okay, okay, okay," the brunet replied, already preparing his story.
He posted the video in full, with simply the caption “not so terrifying that Sandy.”
However, he had given himself a popularity that was far out of proportion to reality. In a small corner of his mind, he had truly hoped to prove to the whole world that his boyfriend was far from the raging dragon they had imagined him to be. Unfortunately, even though he obsessively checked his phone in the following hours, only a few of his friends saw his story. Sugawara, Hinata, and Katsu had left him a heart, and Suki had replied to make fun of his little brother, who was apparently unable to put on a sweater at his age. He was satisfied with that: not everyone could be an influencer after all. So he put his phone away for the rest of his Sunday afternoon and didn't think about it again.
It was not until the next morning that he realized the extent of what his "innocent" action had caused.
-//-
Tetsurō looked up at the clock hanging above the board: 8:30 AM.
He sighed, wondering how time could feel so distorted. It seemed to him that millennia had passed since he last looked at it, while in reality, only a handful of minutes had gone by. He tried, despite everything, to refocus on... the regulation of ethylene in Arabidopsis thaliana .
After a few seconds of listening, he zoned out again, letting his gaze wander around him. He eventually lowered his eyes to Oikawa, sitting next to him. The latter didn’t seem interested in the class either... which was surprising coming from him. Perhaps he expected to catch up on the lesson using Tetsurō's notes? Unfortunately for him, he wouldn’t have much to recover. Tetsurō saw Oikawa leave his messaging app, probably ready to concentrate again. That wasn’t the case, and instead, he watched him open Twitter.
Kuroo rolled his eyes, and just as he was about to tease him, he heard his friend mumbling "What the fuck" under his breath. Oikawa looked up, his gaze instantly finding Tetsurō’s. The diva looked deeply dismayed, and Tetsurō had to insist with his eyes for him to stop staring as if a third eye had suddenly grown on his face.
His friend slid his phone across the table, and Tetsurō could finally see what was going on. Apparently, someone had taken screenshots of his story and translated what they were saying, which had sparked yet another frenzy around his boyfriend. Tetsurō smiled, oddly proud.
Goodbye monsters and dragons; now he was a god among men. The nickname "Sandy" had become "Morpheus," the Greek god of sleep and dreams.
Tetsurō chuckled as he scrolled through the mostly light-hearted comments and tinged with hilarious absurdity. He could certainly recognize there the worthy offspring of obscure Tumblr posts.
This even managed to make Oikawa laugh.
He eventually came across a tweet featuring a screenshot from the video at the moment Kōtarō had managed to pull his head out of his sweater. Kuroo, innocent as he was, clicked on the image to enlarge it: instead, an extremely kitschy montage video started playing with cheerful music echoing throughout the auditorium. Panicked, Kuroo tried to stop the video, but ended up closing the page, which, to his greatest misfortune, didn't stop the music. Oikawa grabbed it in a panic, muted it, and tossed it to the bottom of his bag.
Looking up, Kuroo realized that all the students in front of him, as well as his professor, were staring at him.
"Uh… my alarm clock... I forgot to turn it off," he tried to justify himself.
His professor crossed his arms, clearly unpleased with his attitude.
"Sorry for interrupting your beauty sleep, young man. Please don't disrupt the class again, or I'll have to ask you to leave."
Beauty sleep, beauty sleep: it was only 8:45 AM, a reasonable time to get up. A little common sense, please! 10:15 AM maybe, that would be a nice time to wake up, but not 8:45 AM.
"Did I make myself clear?" his professor insisted.
Kuroo simply nodded, then lowered his gaze, picking up his pen, and waiting for the class to resume.
Once his professor's attention, and that of the other students, was diverted from them, Oikawa leaned in to whisper:
"You suck!"
"Sorry!"
The ruckus they had caused at least forced them to focus on the class, which they followed religiously to the end.
-//-
"Never do that again! I almost had a heart attack!" Oikawa exclaimed once they were done with their morning classes.
"Sorry! I didn't know it was a video."
Oikawa pouted, which made Kuroo smile. He grabbed his friend by his arm to pull him closer.
"Don’t sulk."
Just as he was about to ruffle up Oikawa's hair, the latter, sensing the impending attack, tried to push him away.
"I swear, if you mess up my hair!"
He struggled until the brunet let go.
"Stop! I already couldn’t pay attention to class because of you!"
"Because of me?! Dude, you were doing nothing from the start, you were on Twitter stalking my boyfriend!"
"I wasn’t stalking your boyfriend!"
Just as Kuroo was about to reply, they were interrupted by Chris, who had followed them since their exit from the auditorium.
"Speak of the devil."
They looked up to see Kōtarō walking toward them. Noticing that he had caught their attention, he waved at them. The other three returned his greeting.
"What's up?" Kōtarō asked when he reached them.
A teasing smile appeared on the brunet's lips.
"Good day to you, oh Morpheus!"
Tetsurō bowed to him, which made Oikawa snicker. Kōtarō, on the other hand, looked perplexed.
"Oh no... What now?"
"You didn't see?" Oikawa asked.
"See what?"
Before Kuroo could answer, Chris handed his phone to Kōtarō. When latter saw his face everywhere on the feed, he looked completely flabbergasted.
"What! It’s not mean!"
Kōtarō sighed.
"I just want them to leave me alone... How did they find this?"
"Someone took screenshots of the story I posted yesterday and reposted it."
"I told you!"
"You gave me your permission! How could I have known it would turn out like this?"
Kōtarō sighed again, defeated.
"Come on, it's fine!" Tetsurō exclaimed.
He put his arm around his boyfriend’s back to pull him closer. Kōtarō let him but continued to pout.
"Don’t sulk," Kuroo insisted, gently tugging at his boyfriend’s cheeks.
"Well ok, I'm dying there, let's eat." Oikawa interjected "Are you coming with us Morpheus?
Kuroo chuckled.
"Don’t call me that too!"
The other three laughed.
Kōtarō followed them eventually.
It took him no more than ten minutes to get used to his new nickname.
-//-
The Morpheus craze eventually quiet down. This was both the advantage and the disadvantage of the Internet: everything moved quickly. But that didn't stop Kenma's community from digging deeper into their private joke, and for four days straight, at least twice per stream, the entire chat would erupt in excitement over Morpheus, whom they now considered worthy of worship alongside Amaterasu.
Oikawa, Chris, and Kōtarō were settled in the university library, vaguely reviewing their lessons for the week, trying to pass the time wisely before heading to CATO.
While they started packing their thing to leave, Kuroo's phone vibrated.
“Where are you?”
“Library, but we’re about to head to CATO.”
“Wait for me, I’m coming with you.”
Tetsurō smiled as he read the message; it had been a while since one of his boyfriends had joined him for the occasion. He informed his friends, and they waited for Kōtarō in front of the library, who finally appeared after a few minutes.
"Yo!"
All three of them greeted Kōtarō in return; he reciprocated and then pulled Kuroo by the arm to kiss him on the cheek. The brunet pretended to fall backward as if he was about to fall asleep. His boyfriend rolled his eyes.
"Enough with that joke already!"
Tetsurō chuckled. He may have stretched the joke about "the kiss of Morpheus" a bit too long, pretending to fall asleep instantly every time his boyfriend's lips would touch his skin.
"Okay, okay, I’ll stop. I thought Kenma was picking you up."
"Yeah… But I changed my mind, it's been ages since I last saw the whole crew, so. I already texted him; he was still home."
They continued chatting for a few minutes before setting off. As they exited the university grounds, Kōtarō’s phone vibrated.
"Oh! Kenma says he'll join us at CATO," Bokuto said as he tucked his phone back into his pocket.
"Cool! It's been ages since he came! I didn't think he'd come, especially now that he's started training."
"Training for what?" Oikawa asked.
"For the OLF tournament, the dates have just been announced"
Oikawa and Chris nodded.
"At least Tadashi and Kei won’t bother us," Oikawa remarked.
Kuroo nodded, unable to suppress a smile. It was true that whenever Kenma was around, the two of them were as quiet as lambs, hanging on every word the blond said as if it were a holy sermon.
They arrived at CATO fifteen minutes later. When they reached the basement, they were surprised to find Kenma already there, surrounded by Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, who were hanging on his every word. Kuroo, Kōtarō, and Chris greeted everyone before heading to the couch;
Oikawa on the other hand, couldn't avoid Sugawara and they ended up having their ritual puppy fight.
Kuroo looked at them. Sugawara was beaming. He had started working with Tsubaki a few weeks ago and the radical change in his life, having finally access to what he had always dreamed of, had changed him.
This did not help Oikawa's case, who found himself burdened by a pumped-up Suga every time he accidentally made eye contact with him. The brunet smiled before turning his eyes to the couch.
Kōtarō was already sprawled across it, or rather, on Kenma, who was absentmindedly running his fingers through his mate’s hair while continuing to discuss combat techniques with Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. Kenma fell silent as Kuroo approached them. The brunet leaned down to kiss him and then sat on one of the bean bags in front of the couch.
"What were you talking about?"
"Way too technical for you," Yamaguchi replied.
The slightly haughty remark made Kuroo snicker, though he didn’t press further.
"I didn’t think you’d come," Kuroo said, addressing Kenma.
"Me neither," Kōtarō added.
"Hmm… I was starting to get frustrated, so I stopped before ending up smashing my keyboard. "
"A wise decision."
"I’ll just stream for a bit when I get back. One hour, maybe two."
"One hour?!" Bokuto gasped, dramatically. "I’ve never heard you say that before."
Kenma smirked.
"See? Sometimes I do listen to you…"
They exchanged a smile.
"How are you doing? You seem a bit concerned," Kōtarō asked his mate.
As Kenma was about to reply, Tsukki interjected:
"Concerned? I doubt Applepie is concerned!"
His mate nodded vigorously.
"Chaos doesn’t concern itself with the battlefields it decimates!"
They quickly came down to earth, realizing they may have overdone it.
"Sorry…" they apologized in unison.
Kenma offered a warm smile. He turned his gaze back to Kōtarō:
"I’m a little anxious I guess, but I’m okay."
"Really?" Yamaguchi interjected, genuinely worried.
The blond sighed.
"Thank you for believing in me, but…"
"But?" Yamaguchi and Tsukki asked.
"I know you think I’m a giant, but… that's not really the case. I’m a faceless streamer who plays niche games in the dead of night. I’m nothing compared to pro players in leagues. That’s fine with me; I don’t want to depend on anyone, and I want to manage myself as I see fit, but…"
"Wait," Kuroo interrupted, "you have millions of subscribers; that’s not nothing!"
"I'm not saying it's nothing, I'm just saying I'm not that big compared to actual pro players. "
"You're a pro too," Yamaguchi pointed out. "I mean, you still make a living out of it and all. Don’t you have a company or something?"
"Only for software development… and to manage the people helping with the channel, like Yūji. But…" Kenma hesitated. "I’ve managed so far because OLF was pretty low-key, not really seen as a major game. But now… I don’t know if I can handle this on my own."
Nobody really knew what to say.
"And if they start tightening the rules… I’m screwed if they only allow sponsored players. They’ll probably start checking IDs too. What do I do if they don’t want any trouble and just decide not to accept me?"
"Why wouldn’t they accept you?" Tetsurō asked.
Kenma sighed and rolled his eyes.
"It says ‘omega’ on my ID."
"Kenma… you’ve won the last three tournaments. You’re probably why the game’s getting so much attention. I seriously doubt they’d reject your application," Tetsurō said.
That seemed to reassure the blond, who sank back into the couch.
"Hmm…"
"And for sponsorship and the league, even though I’m sure it’s not a criterion for them, can’t you do it alone?" Kōtarō added. "A league isn’t that hard to create, right?"
"No… but for sponsorship, I can’t just invent money to give myself, right?"
"Well… I don’t know… you could probably find a brand to sponsor you. I don’t think you’d have any trouble with that. And if you really want to stay completely independent, maybe you could… I don’t know, do a bit of rebranding for the occasion? Sell some merch to help fund the tournament."
Kenma looked at Kōtarō, stunned.
"What? Don't you think it's a good idea?"
"Yeah, no, it's actually a great idea..."
"You seem surprised… I study marketing, I have skills you know!"
Kenma smiled at him.
"You could sell me anything, and I’d buy it," Yamaguchi emphasized.
"You could sell me paper clips, and I’d buy them," Tsukki added.
The remark made Kenma chuckle. He looked at his mate.
"So are you hiring me?" Kōtarō asked, smiling back.
"Yep."
"Cool. What's my commission?"
"Lodging and food, does that work for you?"
"Pfft… ok"
"You can pay in kind," said Kenma, wiggling his eyebrows.
Kōtarō burst out laughing.
“Coming from you, I’m guessing you mean that you want me to start a vegetable garden. Not exactly easy in winter, you know.”
"I want tomatoes in a month."
They both giggled foolishly before kissing, having clearly forgotten that they had an audience. Yamaguchi and Tsukishima exchanged a glance, confused.
Kuroo watched them interact, smiling to himself.
Now all that was left was to make sure everything was in place for the machine to start.
Game on.
Kuroo couldn’t yet imagine that he’d soon be roped into the whole thing.
Friday night, 10:15 PM.
While some were out enjoying their youth, getting drunk in noisy bars, Kuroo had opted for a quiet evening and a reasonable bedtime. After dinner, he, Keiji, and Kōtarō had watched a movie, then each retreated to the comfort of their respective beds.
Tetsurō was half-lost in some obscure YouTube video (he hadn’t quite grasped the concept, but it was strangely captivating) when a knock sounded at the door.
Kenma opened it before he even had time to respond, with Kōtarō on his heels, clearly pulled from sleep and still struggling to reconnect with reality.
“Come on, let’s go!” Kenma ordered.
The brunet blinked.
“Weren’t you streaming?”
“Yes, that’s why! Come on, move!”
Kuroo frowned and shot Kōtarō a questioning look. Kōtarō shrugged, equally clueless.
“But… why?”
Kenma sighed, stepped inside, and yanked Kuroo’s blanket off.
“I just got paid 40.000 yen to hear your voices. I’m not letting that slip. Move!”
Kuroo followed without further resistance.
So much for a reasonable bedtime, he was now a surprise guest commentator on his boyfriend’s channel.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
* I’d like to clarify that we are talking about 2016 Twitter here (post tumblr new policy and user migration to Twitter, that was something gosh) (which is mostly area appropriate for the time set in this story but well). Also, I never used it, so I don’t really know what I’m doing, sorry.
Next chapter: New skin
“They froze when they heard a creak coming from the ceiling. Slowly, Kenma lifted the flashlight. There, above them, stood the monster: a skeletal creature with eight disjointed limbs and eyes as dark as the deepest pit of hell. The beast twisted its head 360 degrees and let out a piercing scream as it spotted its victim.
“Run, run, run!” screamed Kōtarō.”
Chapter 48: New skin
Summary:
“They froze when they heard a creak coming from the ceiling. Slowly, Kenma lifted the flashlight. There, above them, stood the monster: a skeletal creature with eight disjointed limbs and eyes as dark as the deepest pit of hell. The beast twisted its head 360 degrees and let out a piercing scream as it spotted its victim.
“Run, run, run!” screamed Kōtarō.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
--
“It's here, it's here!” squeaked Kōtarō, anxiously eyeing the red light blinking on the ceiling.
“It’s fine! I just need to grab the tape. We’ll need it for later,” said Kenma, continuing to move forward in the room, scanning his surroundings with his small flashlight.
“A.P, he’s right, hurry up!” emphasized Kuroo nervously.
The blond ignored them and kept exploring. He opened the drawer of a small cabinet, discovering an old recording tape inside.
“There, got it. Now let’s head back downstairs, and we can sta...”
The light went out abruptly. The music quickened, its sharp tones intensifying, signaling the monster’s presence.
“Shit…”
Kenma spun around, lighting the ominous, seemingly empty surroundings with his flashlight.
“I think it’s just in the next room, if we don’t go there, we should be safe, no need to...”
They froze when they heard a creak coming from the ceiling. Slowly, Kenma lifted the flashlight. There, above them, stood the monster: a skeletal creature with eight disjointed limbs and eyes as dark as the deepest pit of hell. The beast twisted its head 360 degrees and let out a piercing scream as it spotted its victim.
“Run, run, run!” screamed Kōtarō.
Kenma finally took off, sprinting out of the room and down the stairs. Tetsurō and Kōtarō let out screams of pure horror when the blond turned around and saw that the beast was still chasing them. Kenma kept running, eventually flinging open a door and entering a bedroom.
“Close the door! Close it, or the monster will get in!”
No time. The creature was already there! Unfazed, Kenma ducked under the bed for refuge. The music faded, but the monster’s guttural sounds were still echoing around, and its shadow loomed on the floor it in front of them.
“Oh god, god, god…” muttered Kuroo.
Kenma stayed calm, waiting patiently for the monster to lose interest in him. Finally, they heard it retreat, and the bedroom door creaked as it left.
“Damn it… Almost shit my pants there,” confessed Kōtarō.
Kenma looked over at them and burst into laughter.
“That’s not funny!”
“Yes, it is.”
The blond crawled out from under the bed, laughing again when Kōtarō grabbed his arm to stop him.
“It’s fine; it’s gone.”
Kenma finally glanced over at the chat window on his left, everyone celebrating hearing stoic Applepie laugh out loud, forgetting the terrifying event they’d just witnessed.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I laugh sometimes, you know…”
The chat kept celebrating, but he paid no more attention to it, continuing to explore the room. After a while, his eyes landed on the number of viewers currently on his stream. He smiled, thrilled to see he’d broken his weekday stats.
He’d been really hesitant to break away from his routine, venturing into new territory with his content. But in the end, his fans had embraced the change enthusiastically, and he’d even gained several hundred new followers in the process. Of course, some conservative geeks hadn’t appreciated this shift away from what they liked, accusing him of selling out for more mainstream content, but the results spoke for themselves. It was working incredibly well, even though he only did this kind of night once a week so far. And he was having fun, so who care.
He smiled, glancing briefly at his two boyfriends who were commenting on everything happening on screen as if they were truly there. He’d also worried about getting them involved. Firstly, because involving them felt a bit opportunistic, and because he knew that the more he revealed about his private life, the more he risked being unmasked. He was aware of the risk, but for once, he didn’t really feel like dwelling on it.
“Alright, there’s nothing here. We need to go listen to the tape.”
“A.P, wait!”
Kenma opened the door, barely paying attention to his two companions. He quickly regretted his decision when he came face to face with the monster. The creature opened its massive mouth and pounced on him to devour him. All three screamed, and the screen went completely black. As they recovered from the shock, Kenma chuckled.
“I told you to be careful!”
“Alright, alright, fine, I’ll be more careful,” promised Kenma as he respawned at the last saved point. “Shall we keep going? It’s already late.”
“Of course! We can’t just stop now!” Kōtarō replied eagerly. “We have to listen to the tape!”
“Alright, alright, but after this, we’re stopping.”
The other two nodded absentmindedly.
They didn’t stop. They kept playing until they finished the game entirely.
-//-
The following week, Kōtarō and Tetsurō were greeted like real celebrities at CATO. Word had quickly spread that they were now joining Kenma's horror nights, and the whole crew had found it very entertaining to watch them freak out at indecent hours of the night. Everyone shared their own comments, recalling the moments that had stuck with them in a joyful and sparkly atmosphere.
Luckily for Kuroo, whose sleep deprivation had been following him around like a shadow for days, the attention quickly shifted away from them, allowing him to sink comfortably into the coach and recharge before initiating any new social interaction.
Kōtarō, seemingly revigorated, was chatting loudly with Noya and Tanaka. Kuroo smiled to himself and scanned the room. His eyes landed on Yamaguchi who was sitting in a corner to his right. The younger man frowned when he noticed that Kuroo had spotted him and crossed his arms. Kuroo chuckled.
Yamaguchi was green with envy. The guy would sell his organs just to spend a stream with Kenma.
Deciding to let him stew for a bit, Kuroo shifted his attention away. He pulled out his phone and began scrolling lazily through social media.
He eventually looked up as he felt the couch sink beside him: Daichi and Iwaizumi had just taken seats on either side of him, bringing the worn-out cushions nearly down to floor level.
“The Beta crew, finally reunited!” Daichi exclaimed.
Kuroo smiled and locked his phone. Feeling energized enough, he began to make light conversation with him. Eventually, a natural silence fell, and the three of them simply observed the interactions unfolding around them.
Daichi eventually noticed Iwaizumi looking at his mate. Oikawa was talking with Sugawara in a corner of the room.
“Hey, man,” he eventually called out.
Iwaizumi turned to him.
“So, how are things going with Tōru? Kōshi told me what happened.”
The brunet’s expression didn’t change much.
“It’s fine…” he glanced at Kuroo.
“I was there when he went to see Suga,” Kuroo said, understanding the unspoken question Iwaizumi was asking.
“Okay… Well, we talked it out, and it’s fine…”
The other two nodded. Silence fell again. Iwaizumi looked over at his mate again, then turned back to them.
“It’s not crazy, right? I wasn’t gonna follow him to the other side of the planet for four months!”
Kuroo was a little surprised that he was actually looking for validation from them.
“No, I don’t think so,” Daichi confirmed.
“Right!”
“But I get why he was worried.”
Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and sighed, understanding where the conversation was heading.
“But I’m not abandoning him, come on… He’s just being dramatic…”
Tetsurō made a face. He vividly remembered the conversation he’d had with Keiji in the car on the way back from Sugawara’s place that day, and even though he’d initially thought the same thing, his boyfriend’s comments had been pretty on point. Torpors are pretty bad after all.
“Maybe… but torpor is still a risk,” Sawamura noted.
Kuroo sank a little deeper into the couch. The discussion was bringing up bitter memories. He wouldn’t wish what he’d experienced when Keiji went into a torpor on anyone.
He understood Oikawa; if he was to go in rut, far from home and his mate, he didn’t even want to imagine how it could end…
“I know…” Iwaizumi replied. “That’s not what I meant,” he clarified. “But I’m not abandoning him! he can survive four months without me. I’m not thrilled about it either, but he’ll be okay. It’s mostly a risk during cycles, outside of that, he's fine. And I told him I’d be there if he goes into rut.”
The other two nodded, somewhat convinced.
“My point exactly. He's being dramatic”
“Well, that’s Oikawa for you,” Tetsurō remarked.
Iwaizumi smiled at that.
“I suppose so.”
He remained silent for a few moments.
“And his GP… what an idiot,” Iwaizumi blurted out, annoyed.
His sudden remark made the other two chuckle.
“And why is that?” asked Sawamura.
Iwaizumi sighed, exasperated.
“With their one-sided bond theory, that's bullshit."
Kuroo adjusted his position, genuinely interested. He’d been mulling over this issue for a while now, and getting his peers' perspective could only be beneficial. Why hadn’t he turned to them sooner?
“Yeah, right,” emphasized Daichi.
“Really?” Kuroo ventured, not wanting to dive into the matter too bluntly.
“Of course…”
Iwaizumi turned his gaze to them, waiting without moving a single muscle or uttering a word. Ten seconds later, Oikawa arrived.
“Did you want something?” he asked his mate.
Kuroo was left speechless. Iwaizumi wore a victorious smile, before turning to Oikawa.
“When are you flying again?”
“April 14… Why?”
“Kuroo was asking, and I couldn’t remember.”
Oikawa looked over at him.
“Well… I already told you.”
“I… forgot.”
Oikawa raised an eyebrow but didn’t press the matter.
“Okay…”
“Okay,” his mate replied.
“Okay… so I’ll… go, then.”
“Hmm…”
Oikawa seemed puzzled by the interaction but didn't comment further and returned to Sugawara’s side.
“How’d you do that?” Tetsurō eagerly asked.
“He’s my mate,” Iwaizumi replied.
“But…”
“It’s a bit of a myth, really,” Daichi cut in.
“What,”
“That betas can’t form bonds. It might not be the same, but still, it’s bullshit.”
It then was Daichi’s turn to show off his ‘telepathic’ skills. He smiled mischievously and turned to his mate, who was facing away. After a few seconds, Sugawara seemed to react to something. He looked around, instinctively seeking out his mate. Daichi simply smiled and waved at him, which Sugawara reciprocated before turning back around.
“You can do that too?!”
“Of course…”
“Too?”
Now both betas were looking at him intensely.
“Well, I… it’s a long story, but, um, I managed to do something like that accidentally… with Keiji.”
“Really?”
“Hmm… Kōtarō and Kenma felt it too, but I’m not sure if it was me or through Keiji…”
The other two nodded.
“Hm… I suppose it’s more complicated in your case.”
“Yeah… and besides, I haven’t been able to pull it off again since… How do you guys do it?”
“Do what?”
“That!”
“Hm… I don’t know… I imagine it’s like a sound wave, I guess? Like little homing signals, and when they find him, they sync up with his.” Iwaizumi explained.
“Oh, Iwa, I didn’t know you were such a poet,” Daichi teased.
Iwaizumi gave him a deadpan look. Four seconds later, Oikawa looked over in their direction.
“And you? How do you do it?”
“I don’t know… I just think about him.”
He demonstrated his abilities again, and Sugawara turned to them.
“Oh… that’s adorable,” Iwaizumi scoffed.
Daichi and Iwaizumi maintained eye contact playfully until Sugawara and Oikawa both looked over at the same time. Exasperated, the alphas walked to them.
“What are you two up to exactly?” Oikawa asked, visibly annoyed.
“We’re just teaching him a few things,” Iwaizumi explained, nodding at Kuroo.
“Teaching him what? How to piss me off? Trust me, he’s already quite skilled at that!”
“Kuroo managed to call Akaashi,” Daichi revealed.
It was Sugawara and Oikawa’s turn to stare at him, with eyes the size of saucers.
“Really?”
“Uh… I think so.”
“And you didn’t tell me!” Oikawa exclaimed.
Sugawara crouched down to Tetsurō's level. With sparkling eyes and a voice full of with excitement, he asked quietly:
“Does that mean…”
“Mean what?”
“You know…” and he laced his hands together to illustrate his point.
Kuroo blushed despite himself.
"Keiji said... it was... a... ongoing"
"That's amazing, but..."
"And you didn't tell me!" Oikawa interrupted.
His friend elbowed him to quiet him down.
“And what about Kenma and Bokuto?”
Kuroo was caught off guard by the question. Part of him was happy to have shared this with his friends, while another part wished he’d kept it secret until he’d had time to get used to the situation. It was too late for that now.
“I don’t know… um… I just know that when I managed to… call? Is that what we’re calling it?”
The small group nodded in unison.
“Okay… anyway, I know Kenma and Kōtarō also… felt it? Heard it? But I don’t know if it was me or through their bond with Keiji.”
“Hm…”
“And to be honest, I haven’t really been able to do it again since.”
“Oh…”
“Well, try again! Now!” Oikawa urged, nodding toward Bokuto.
“Now?”
“Well, then we’ll know for sure.”
“Okay… um…”
Kuroo turned toward Kōtarō, then closed his eyes to focus on his senses, trying to recreate the sensation he’d tried to synthesize before. This link between them, invisible yet unbreakable. He reached deep within himself, aiming to bind the threads of his mind to those of his lover. But after almost a full minute, nothing happened. He didn’t feel that resonance within. Opening one eye, he saw that Kōtarō was still chatting with Noya, completely oblivious to his boyfriend's attempt to call him. Kuroo lowered his hands, a little disappointed.
“Hmm...”
The atmosphere around him had shifted, just like his mood.
“Maybe it just doesn’t work the same way with omegas,” Daichi suggested.
“Why wouldn’t it?” asked Oikawa.
“I don’t know…”
“I really don’t think it’s the case,” Sugawara said.
The four of them weren’t exactly experts on this topic after all.
"I don't know... I'm not sure. I managed to do it with Keiji by recreating a sensation I'd already felt with Kenma..." Kuroo confessed.
“Oh… so it works with Kenma?”
“I don’t know…”
Silence fell again.
“Sometimes it just takes longer, you know. It’s not the same for everyone…”
“I know…”
Everyone quieted, uncomfortable with the awkwardness that had crept in between them.
“It’s okay. Heck, two weeks ago, I didn’t even think it was possible, so that’s already something!”
“Mhm…”
Kuroo tried to believe his own words. Yes, everything couldn’t progress at the same pace for everyone; they were their own person after all. And it didn't change his feelings for them.
But now that he knew about it... a part of him feared the hierarchy it might impose between them, or within himself. Did this mean that at least Kenma and Keiji were beginning to see him as their mate, while Kōtarō didn't? What did it all mean? Did he really know what being "bonded" meant to him?
Of course, he was “connected” to them. Even though they hadn’t been together for years, they had managed to build something that Kuroo had never been able to build before. He shook his head, dismissing these thoughts: Whatever, he knew his feelings for Kōtarō. He loved him deeply, and it wasn't going to change anytime soon. It wasn't up to him, and there was nothing he could do about it anyway.
Sensing the attention directed at him, Kōtarō finally turned his eyes to them. At first, he looked a little confused, but then his gaze found Tetsurō's. He smiled and suddenly, the world, the words, and everything else didn't matter anymore.
-//-
"Hey."
Tetsurō looked up, turning to Kōtarō walking alongside him. They’d left CATO around 9 pm. They’d opted for a subway ride instead of asking one of their boyfriends to come pick them up. Now, they were walking side by side through the quiet streets, under the yellow glow of the streetlights.
"Hmm?"
Kōtarō's eyes were still glued to the floor. He hadn't been very talkative since they had left. Tetsurō had just assumed that he was tired. But now, his boyfriend seemed troubled.
"Everything's alright?" the brunet asked.
Kōtarō just shrugged, making Tetsurō frown, worried.
"What’s going on?"
Kōtarō didn’t answer right away, continuing to walk while staring at his feet.
"Um… I know… I mean, I think I figured out what you guys were talking about at CATO. You know, with, uh… when it was the five of you."
Kuroo felt his heart tighten.
"Oh…"
He didn’t add anything, unable to find the right words. Eventually, Kōtarō stopped, and Tetsurō did too.
When Kōtarō finally lifted his head, Tetsurō saw something heavy, almost desperate, dancing in his lover's eyes.
"What's going on babe?" he asked softly.
"You tried, didn’t you?" Kōtarō asked.
Kuroo was completely caught off guard.
"Tried what?"
"To call me?"
Silence fell.
Kuroo nodded.
"Did… did you feel it?"
His boyfriend looked away.
No, just as he thought. But why did it upset him so much?
"Uh… Babe, it’s okay, I… I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, if it's…"
"Could you try again?" Kōtarō cut him off.
"Uh… "
"Please."
"Now?"
His boyfriend nodded eagerly, then sat down on the sidewalk and gestured for Kuroo to join him, which he did.
"Kō, I’m not sure that…"
"Try," Kōtarō repeated, taking his hands in his own.
"Okay."
Tetsurō held his boyfriend’s hands in his, closing his eyes. He searched within himself, reaching out towards Kōtarō. He tried to summon that feeling again, to manifest it within and around him, to embrace Kōtarō without moving his body. Once again, nothing happened. He tried for a few more seconds until he felt his boyfriend’s hands slip from his grasp. He opened his eyes to find Kōtarō resting his head on his legs, staring at the pavement.
"… so?"
Kuroo shook his head. He was disappointed, yes, but far more concerned about the tears that began to fill his lover's eyes.
"Babe, it’s okay, it’s… maybe I’m just not doing it right, really… it’s okay."
"I’m sorry…"
The words caught Tetsurō off guard.
"You don’t need to apologize, babe. It’s okay."
"But I… it’s just that… I don’t understand… it’s not that I don’t want to, quite the opposite actually, but…"
"Hey, hey, babe, it’s okay."
"I don’t want to lose you…" Kōtarō whispered.
"You’re not going to lose me, Kōtarō. That has nothing to do with it."
"Yes… it does."
"No it doesn't. I love you, and if it doesn’t happen now, it’ll happen later, or never, but that won’t change how I feel."
"Me too…"
"What?"
"I love you, and it won’t change but…"
"Kō, a few days ago, I didn’t even know this was possible. And besides, I know… it’s maybe a bit different with me, you know…"
Kōtarō hiccupped.
"I don’t understand… I felt it the first time though Keiji, but… I thought… I don’t understand…"
"There’s nothing to understand. You told me that. It’s not a matter of will, yours or mine."
He nodded.
"I love you…"
Kōtarō wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly. Tetsurō returned the embrace with just as much fervor, and they stayed like that for a long time.
"Come on, let’s go. I’m starting to freeze here."
Tetsurō stood up, ready to head home. He held out a hand to help Kōtarō up.
"Can I stay with you tonight?" he asked softly.
"If you want… but get up, or I’m going to end up with hypothermia."
Kōtarō nodded and finally got to his feet.
As they walked home, Kōtarō slipped his hand into his pocket and intertwined his fingers with Tetsurō's, not letting go until they arrived.
-//-
"Who are you texting with?" asked Kuroo, not even bothering to lift his head from the table.
Kenma, sitting across from him, didn't answer and continued texting. Kuroo knew that he wasn't ignoring him on purpose, he was just filtering everything out right now. He didn't insist.
Kuroo watched him take a sip of his coffee and set it back down on the table.
The brunet let out a big yawn. These late-night commentary gigs were starting to wear him down. How did Kenma manage to maintain this lifestyle seriously?
He decided to summon some energy and try to be a little more present. After all, these one-on-one moments with his boyfriend had become rare lately, so he might as well make the most of it. Besides, the place Kenma had chosen was charming. So he sat up, forced his eyes open, and took a sip of his coffee, feigning complete readiness for conversation. The blonde across from him looked up from his phone and grinned. His attempt to look like a socially functional human had clearly missed the mark, though Kenma didn't seem particularly bothered by it.
"Whoa," Kenma said, pausing his typing.
"Hmm?"
"Did I tell you about the illustrator I got in touch with?"
"You didn't, but that's great! For the channel, right?"
"Yep, and to design some merch too."
"Nice!""
"Yeah, she seems great! I was texting with her and apparently, she's around. I'm gonna ask her if we can meet right now."
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
"Here?"
"Hmm… does that bother you?"
Kuroo wanted to say yes, but wasn’t exactly keen on admitting it.
"You’re inviting her to our date?"
Kenma raised eyebrow, amused.
"Since when is this a date?"
"I don’t know… we’re in a coffee shop… you bought me a latte..."
The blonde rolled his eyes.
"I found you half dead on a uni bench. It's my fault you're exhausted like that, I wasn't gonna leave you there!"
Kuroo frowned.
"So, it’s a pity coffee?"
Kenma chuckled.
"Sure, if you want to call it that. Don't make that face, you've been this close to passing out on the table for the last twenty minutes."
Kuroo pouted. But he capitulated quickly.
"Fine, fine… But do I have to be social? Because I really don’t feel like it."
"No you don't have to. You don't even have to talk if you don't want to."
Tetsurō sighed again.
"I'll get you another latte."
Now, that was tempting.
"Pfft… okay, she can come to our date."
Kenma grinned and promptly went back to his phone.
"All right… she’ll be here in twenty minutes."
"Okay, I’ll take a nap in the meantime."
It didn’t take him more than four seconds to fall asleep. He woke up about fifteen minutes later, blinking when he noticed Kenma was no longer sitting across from him. Had he left him here? At the mercy of the world and everyone in it? Traitor! He couldn’t believe Kenma had abandoned him like this!
"Don’t panic, I’m right here."
"I wasn’t," he lied.
His boyfriend placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of him and sat down next to him.
The scent of caffeine lifted Tetsurō's mood, and he felt like a new man. Life was beautiful, the world was perfect, and he was lucky to be walking on the same earth as Kenma and his latte money.
"What about your illustrator?"
"Hmm… she should be here any minute now."
Kenma scanned the room.
"Oh… wait, I think that’s her over there."
Tetsurō looked up, but it took him a moment to identify who Kenma was referring to. Kenma stood up and went to meet a young woman standing at the counter.
She looked relatively young. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and wore a light blue dress over a white turtleneck. She seemed surprised when Kenma approached her and began signing. The young woman responded enthusiastically and followed him over. Kuroo straightened up as they approached. The illustrator stood in front of him, and they greeted each other. Just as Kuroo was about to sign in return, the young woman rummaged through her bag, pulling out her phone. Bewildered, Kuroo watched as she tapped quickly on the screen and then held the phone out while bowing slightly in greeting. She looked flustered when nothing happened at first and hurriedly pressed another button.
"Hello," said an artificial voice. "I’m Yachi Hitoka. Nice to meet you."
It took Kuroo a moment to process the situation.
Noticing his confusion, she quickly typed on her phone.
"Sorry."
She typed again.
"Are you the Black Cat?"
It took Kuroo a second to realize she was referring to his nickname online. He smiled and nodded, then introduced himself more formally in sign language. Yachi blushed, clearly taken aback, and greeted him a third time. Kenma caught her attention and asked in sign language if she had brought her work with her, inviting her to sit down across from them. The young woman nodded vigorously. Just as she was about to sit, she got up again, waving her hands apologetically.
"I can hear."
"Oh, sorry, I hadn’t realized," Kenma replied. "Um… how would you like us to communicate?"
Kuroo didn't even process the question, surprised that Kenma was able to address someone so politely. Knowing him, he wouldn't be able to keep it up for long.
"You talk, I sign," Yachi replied.
The young woman took a seat across from them. She started signing while rummaging through her bag, which didn’t result in anything very coherent. She finally found her tablet and oriented it for them to see.
Tetsurō sat back a bit. He didn't want to interfere, but his interest was piqued.
Yachi started by showcasing the various visual boards she had composed. Kenma expressed his preferences and offered new ideas, which Yachi quickly adjusted on her tablet to give them a preview. Soon, Kenma seemed satisfied with her work, and they began discussing his new avatar for his profile picture. The illustrator then proudly presented the creative board she had assembled.
"I wanted to keep the cat theme, but combine it with new elements. I was thinking of a more... mysterious, even monstrous design to go with the horror theme," she smiled shyly and looked up, "By the way, I really like the horror night, I'm a big fan!"
"Thank you," Kenma replied kindly.
The attention she had attracted quickly made her self-conscious and she returned to her work.
"I was also thinking of maybe adding some deer antlers, like in some mythologies where deer are seen as messengers of death, guiding souls to the other world. I felt like that would fit the character of the necromancer."
She stopped signing, nervously awaiting her client’s reaction.
"Great idea," Kenma finally replied.
She turned to Kuroo, who hadn’t expected to have a say in the decision.
"I like the deer idea," he said.
She beamed.
"Perfect !"
She presented them with the illustration of a four-legged monster with a hunched back, clawed paws, and a frame somewhere between a wolf and a reptile, with twisted antlers on its head. Its face was hidden behind a cat mask inspired by traditional mask designs, a style that contrasted with the creature's monstrous body. The drawing was simplistic yet dark, with childlike lines that clashed with the horrific theme.
Tetsurō and Kenma stared at the drawing, flabbergasted.
Their lack of immediate reaction made the young woman anxious, and she began signing quickly, flustered, promising to come up with something better. Just as she reached for her tablet, Kenma stopped her.
"I love it!"
Hitoka paused, surprised by his reaction. She set the tablet down and studied his face to see if he was sincere. Once she confirmed that he was, she let out a bright smile and continued to enthusiastically discuss her work. After another solid twenty minutes of conversation, they developed a clear vision for the final look they wanted. Yachi-san promised to complete the final draft as soon as possible, and after saying their final goodbyes, she left.
Kuroo caught Kenma’s eye when he returned to the table after seeing Yachi out.
"She was great, wasn’t she?" Kuroo asked.
He saw a spark of excitement in the blond’s gaze.
"Great? She’s amazing! Hold on, I took pictures, I'll send them to Kō and Keiji."
Kuroo smiled and casually unlocked his phone.
"Damn! It’s already 5:12!"
"And?" Kenma asked nonchalantly, watching as Kuroo began hurriedly gathering his things.
"I had a class at 4! Fuck!"
"You’re already over an hour late… Just don't go."
Kuroo paused, considering the proposition.
"Will you buy me another coffee?"
"…if you want."
Kuroo sighed, letting his bag fall to the floor.
"Okay."
-//-
And just like that, February came to an end.
With the launch of the OLF selections, Kenma introduced the new designs he and Yachi had worked on. Although Kenma felt that it wasn't much, his fans loved the update, and it helped build excitement in the community for the upcoming tournament.
Kenma had entered competition mode and was now spending most of his days training and watching previous matches to analyze his opponents’ techniques. Kōtarō had taken on the role of his 'life coach", making sure that his mate could train without ruining his health before even making it through the selections.
Kuroo, on the other hand, felt like he was just drifting along with the current. With all these events, exams, and the end of his first year of his master’s approaching, he still hadn’t found an internship. And it wasn’t for lack of trying; he’d sent out plenty of resumes everywhere but had no luck with it.
All his friends had secured placements already; Oikawa had even finalized all the details for his move to the U.S., Chris had landed a spot at a startup specialized in artificial skin production, and even Kōtarō had found something ages ago.
Kuroo had to face the truth: he was seriously falling behind on that one.
He was desperate. He’d probably say yes to being a janitor in a mall at this point. Well, maybe not, since he wasn’t sure his advisor would approve of that... He could always ask Kenma’s company as a last resort, but he doubted the experience would benefit his curriculum at all.
Once again, he found himself back to square one, stuck at a dead end.
He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.
Keiji and Kōtarō were chatting in the bathroom, but he wasn’t paying attention to their conversation.
"Babe?" Kōtarō called out to him from the bathroom.
"Hmm?"
"What time do you have class tomorrow? We're leaving at 6.30."
The brunet sighed heavily.
"My first class is at 10, so don't wait up for me."
Keiji’s poked his head into the doorway.
"You should sleep upstairs tonight if you want to sleep in tomorrow."
Kuroo made a face: he didn’t want to sleep alone upstairs tonight.
"Nah… if I feel like it, I’ll come with you guys. If not, I’ll just sleep in, don't worry."
His two boyfriends nodded and resumed their conversation.
Kuroo rolled over lazily in bed, letting his gaze drift aimlessly around the room. His eyes eventually settled on the orange pill bottles sitting on the nightstand.
With no particular purpose in mind, he picked up one, turning it over in his hands. At the bottom, the name of the company was printed: Toribishi Pharmaceutical.
He sighed. In his academic environment, working for a pharmaceutical company was practically seen as a deal with the devil. But he felt backed into a corner, and the devil's song was tempting.
He placed the bottle back on the nightstand and googled the company's name, quickly landing on the official website. After a few minutes of browsing, he clicked on the recruitment tab and found the email address listed.
He paused for a moment, then copied it. Opening his cloud storage, where he kept all his draft cover letters and his resume, he swiftly edited one of the letters. He was so accustomed to this process by now that it required little thought: change a name here, tweak a sentence there, and it was done. Riding a wave of desperate momentum, he composed a professional-sounding email, careful not to sound too desperate, attached his resume and cover letter, and hit send without even checking for typos. He watched the email disappear and placed his phone back on the nightstand as if nothing had happened. He didn’t have much hope, but at least he could say he tried.
When he woke up the next morning, the sun was just starting to peek through the window. He instinctively patted the bed around him: empty. He frowned. His boyfriends had already left… He hadn’t even heard them. He lingered for a few more minutes, mustering the courage to open one eye.
He grabbed his phone and unlocked it.
9.32 am.
He didn't register the information right away, staring blankly at the screen.
Then the realization hit him hard: God dammit he was freaking late!
He sprang out of bed, sending his phone flying across the room, and rushed into the bathroom. In his panic, he splashed cold water on his face (half of which ended up on his feet), hastily fixed his hair, brushed his teeth at lightning speed, and dashed back out. He threw on whatever clothes he could grab, retrieved his phone, and hurried down the hallway, grabbing a stray sock along the way and slipping it on just as quickly.
He put on his coat, grabbed his backpack and rushed out. He sprinted to the subway station and slip into a car just before the doors closed.
Even though there was nothing he could do about it now, he spent the ride counting down the stops to campus, silently praying the conductor might speed up a little and help him make it on time.
Once he arrived, he shoved his way through the passengers to get out of the car, then weaved through the crowd to exit the station. Outside, he broke into a run toward his lecture building, still hoping to be on time.
He checked the time on his phone.
9:12 am.
He froze.
What kind of sorcery was this? Had he brushed his teeth so fast he’d become the first human to travel back in time? Since when was there a time difference between his bed and campus? Or had he actually fallen back asleep for another 23 hours and missed an entire day without realizing it?
No, no… someone would have woken him.
Although… he hadn’t heard Kōtarō or Keiji leave that morning. Or maybe it was the morning before?
He shook his head; he was spiraling out of control.
Just to be sure, he checked the date. No doubt about it: he hadn’t missed an entire day.
He’d just misread the time.
How he’d managed to misread a digital clock completely eluded him. But well...
He sighed: now he was way too early! And he didn't have time to properly get ready, no doubt Oikawa would comment on that!
Anyway, he had to accept his fate, there was nothing he could do about it now.
He decided a consolation coffee would do just fine. He walked to his classroom, thinking he might as well sit down with his coffee, only to find that it was still occupied. Dejected, he sat outside, in the cold.
As he watched students pass by, sipping his coffee with his hands trembling from the cold, his phone vibrated: he had received an email. Opening his inbox, he noticed there was indeed a new message. He frowned when he realized it was from Toribishi Pharmaceutical.
So soon? No, it had to be an automated reply, surely. Just as he was about to open it, he stopped.
"Just open it, you big bag of saggy noodles."
Kuroo jumped at the sound of Oikawa’s voice behind him. He turned to find his friend standing there, reading over his shoulder.
"I sent the email last night in a rush! There’s no way they’d already be replying, right?"
Oikawa sighed, exasperated, and snatched the phone from his hands.
"Let’s see..."
He began reading with feigned indifference, but a genuine smile eventually broke across his face.
"They want to see you for an interview next week!"
"Seriously?!"
"Hmm... They must be desperate."
Kuroo didn’t pick up on that. Then again, considering they’d responded so quickly to his half-assed application, Oikawa was probably right about them being desperate.
"Well done. But Toribishi? Seriously?"
"I was desperate."
"Yeah." Oikawa grinned. "You better sneak us some suppressants to make it worth it."
-//-
Tetsurō lifted his gaze, his eyes drawn to the enormous sign emerging from the towering glass structure before him. In bold steel letters, the name "Toribishi" glinted in the morning light.
Lowering his gaze, he caught sight of his reflection in the door. For the occasion, he had pulled out all the stops, donning a newly purchased, elegant grey suit paired with a long, straight-cut black coat that accentuated his figure. He almost didn’t recognize himself, and maybe that was a good sign. His stomach churned, and anxiety tightened his chest, but he fought to maintain his composure, or at least the appearance of it. Quietly, he rehearsed the points he had practiced for this interview, having memorized answers to typical job interview questions. Taking a deep breath, he tried to fully embody his clever cosplay of a responsible and confident adult. He ran a hand through his hair and stepped inside.
He was greeted by a vast lobby surrounded by large windows, with an enormous steel chandelier hanging above, spelling out the company's name. He forced himself not to pay it too much attention, walking purposefully toward the reception desk. There, a young woman in a pale pink suit was on the phone. Just as he was about to introduce himself, she waved a hand to shush him, slumping back in her seat.
"Seriously? He said what?"
A crackling voice responded on the line.
"Come on, dump that idiot already!"
Kuroo struggled to keep his face neutral, waiting patiently for the secretary to finish her call. Seeing that he wasn’t about to leave her alone, she glanced at him sideways, then covered the phone's receiver.
"Yes?"
"Uh, I have an interview with Suzuki-san?"
"Which one?"
"Uh… Suzuki Hitoshi."
It sounded more like a question than an answer.
She sighed and typed swiftly on her computer.
"Kuroo-san, is it?"
He nodded.
The secretary wedged the receiver between her ear and shoulder, rummaging through the chaos in a drawer beneath her desk. Eventually, she handed him a badge on a blue lanyard.
"Third floor, to the left."
Understanding he wouldn't get more from her, Tetsurō politely bowed to the young woman and took the badge.
He made his way to the turnstiles to the right of the front desk, watching a few people pass through to get the gist of how it worked, then followed suit. Seeing the employees crowding into the elevator, he opted for the stairs.
He arrived on the third floor, finding himself in a wide corridor carpeted in grey and lined with office doors. He turned left, stopping at each door to read the name displayed. At the end of the corridor, he took another left into a hall that looked exactly like the previous one. There were no lab rooms in sight, just more office doors. Eventually, he found himself back where he’d started.
A little disheartened, he tried the corridor to the right this time, navigating the same labyrinthine layout as before. Finally, he spotted the elevator again and, continuing his improvised scavenger hunt, followed the next left turn. With a surge of relief, he finally located the office he was looking for.
After checking the time, he knocked. No response.
A voice finally invited him inside on the second try.
Gripping the handle, he opened the door, his heart pounding hard in his chest.
Inside, he was met with a man in his fifties, hastily organizing a chaotic spread of papers on his desk.
"Yes?" asked Suzuki-san, trying to appear professional as he scrambled to gather his papers, like he was catching butterflies.
Tetsurō greeted him and introduced himself.
"Kuroo Tetsurō. I'm here for the interview. Thank you for seeing me."
"Oh, yes, the student. Go ahead, have a seat."
Kuroo complied, waiting while the interviewer finished his paper chase. Suzuki disappeared from Kuroo’s view for a moment, reaching for stray documents on the floor. He finally emerged victorious, seemingly ready at last to address him. Instead, he took a moment to align his papers into a neat, symmetrical stack before him.
"So?" Suzuki-san finally asked.
After a few beats of silence, Kuroo began speaking, outlining his academic background and the reason for his visit. Just as he was about to elaborate, Suzuki-san cut him off.
"Yes, yes, all right, I remember."
Okay… Kuroo fell silent. He hadn’t run this scenario in his mind, which threw him off a little.
"Uh… I brought the documents outlining the legal framework for the internship, along with my proof of..."
"Do you have to be paid?" Suzuki-san interrupted, glancing vaguely at the documents Kuroo had handed him.
"…No."
"Perfect!"
Kuroo could easily understand why free labor delighted the man, though he didn’t exactly share the sentiment. He had vaguely hoped he might be able to negotiate for something; he’d convinced himself that a multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical company might find it within its means to pay him a little. He’d been quite mistaken. Anyway, he was desperate. He wasn’t going to fight for it, he didn't really have the luxury to do so anyway.
"Great, we were looking for someone anyway. When can you start?"
Woah… That had been surprisingly easy. Maybe too easy?
"Around April 20th, at the beginning of the university term."
"Woah, so late! Fine, okay. I’ll be in touch by email then."
"Understood."
Silence settled. Suzuki-san had resumed hunting for stray documents. After a few moments, he finally looked up at Kuroo.
"You’re dismissed. Thank you."
Caught off guard, Kuroo stood up swiftly.
It had all happened so fast; he hadn’t even had time to take off his coat. He grabbed his things, bowed to Suzuki-san, who didn’t even glance at him, and left the room. Once in the hallway, he let out a sigh of relief, glad the interview was finally over and that it had gone well.
Well… had it?
In the end, he barely said anything and left with a strange feeling in his chest.
He hadn’t asked the right questions. He didn’t even know what project he’d be working on… but it didn’t matter, he told himself. He had what he came for. He’d landed the internship. Well, he hoped he had.
Damn, he hadn’t even asked for details! Maybe Suzuki-san didn’t even know…
He figured the man would probably just pass him off to someone else who’d decide what to do with him.
Yeah, that was probably it, right?
With that, he made his way to the exit.
When he passed by the front desk to return his badge, the secretary, who was still engrossed in her phone conversation, didn’t pay him any more attention than when she’d handed it to him earlier.
He stepped out of the building, feeling more unsettled than he had when he walked in, less than ten minutes before.
Just as he was about to pull out his phone to message Kenma, a car horn made him jump. He looked up and spotted the blond parked just a few meters away.
"That was quick. How did it go?" Kenma asked, rolling down the window.
"I don’t know."
"You don’t know?"
"Yeah... It was weird."
Kenma frowned, worried.
"But they said yes… I think," Tetsurō clarified.
Kenma gave him a sincere smile.
"Well, all good then. Hop in."
Tetsurō did so. As soon as he was seated, he removed his coat and jacket, then unbuttoned his shirt: the responsible adult skin was already suffocating him.
"All right, let’s go then."
"Where to?" Kuroo asked, confused.
"I’ve got an appointment with the artist who's doing the mask."
"The mask?"
Kenma nodded.
"Yeah. It was Hitoka’s idea. We’re making one for the tournament, so I don’t have to face-reveal at the final."
"If you make it to the final," Kuroo teased.
Kenma just laughed at that.
"Yeah, right. Anyway, we’re meeting up with the artist."
"Nice, okay... So... why are you taking me? Won’t I be in your way? I don’t want to impose, and I won’t be of any use to you two."
"No time to drop you off, and no, I’m not leaving you in the car like a dog."
"You know it’s illegal to leave pets in a parked car..."
"All the more reason."
"Okay… but if I’m in the way, I can just keep myself busy, walk around the block, grab a coffee or something."
"No, it’s fine. I want you to be there."
Tetsurō smiled.
"And I think it’ll make Hitoka feel more comfortable to have a familiar presence with us."
"What do you mean?"
Kenma sighed, eyes still on the road.
"I’ve noticed she’s not really comfortable around alphas… and I know the artist we’re meeting with is one."
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"I don’t know, I didn’t ask. But she did. And when I told her, I could tell she wasn’t thrilled about it."
Kuroo stayed silent, puzzled.
"What?" Kenma asked.
"I don't know... Isn't it a bit weird?"
"How?"
"Like... kind of sexist? And is it even okay to ask people about their secondary like that?"
Kenma made a face and rolled his eyes.
"You try living your life as an omega and we’ll talk about it then."
The connections finally clicked in Kuroo’s brain.
"Oh, I didn’t get it! Sorry!"
Kenma rolled his eyes again and gave him the look, the one that meant 'gosh, how is he so clueless?'.
Wanting to break the awkwardness of the situation, Tetsurō blurted out the first thing that came to his mind:
"Actually, you’re just taking me so I can be your pheromone blocker!"
That at least made Kenma chuckle.
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, you’re using my beta scent to cancel everything out!"
"Cancel what?"
"The pheromones."
"Pfft... You’re not canceling anything, Ji. Quite the opposite actually."
"What do you mean?"
"You’re a sponge. I can tell who you’ve been around in the last ten hours just by breathing near you. And coming from me, that’s something."
Kuroo frowned and discreetly sniffed his shirt. Nonsense! He smelled like fresh laundry!
"It’s not my fault Kōtarō and Keiji keep marking my clothes!"
"No, you’re just imagining that. I seriously doubt Oikawa’s been marking your clothes."
"What? But I saw him last night! I showered this morning! And changed clothes!"
"Yeah. That’s what I’m telling you. You’re a sponge."
Tetsurō opened his mouth to argue, but… nothing. He couldn’t think of a single counterpoint. Frustrated, he crossed his arms and slumped back into his seat like a sulking child.
Kenma laughed. Just as he was about to respond, he pulled the car to a stop.
"Alright, out you go, SpongeBob."
"SpongeBob? Seriously?"
Kenma just smirked.
Kuroo tried to defend himself, but all he got were more teasing remarks from his boyfriend.
"Come on, hush now. We’re here."
Looking up, Kuroo saw Yachi-san patiently waiting for them. She wore a lovely pink dress paired with a black cape with white embroideries. When she spotted them, she smiled. Kuroo bowed to greet her, and she returned the gesture. Kenma, as usual, simply waved.
“Did you bring all the prototypes?” he asked.
The blonde nodded eagerly and held up her tablet.
“All right, let’s go then.”
Only then did Kuroo realize where they had stopped in front of what appeared to be a tattoo shop. A wooden board above the door read: 'Bermude: Tattoo and Curiosities' .
As they stepped inside, they were met with the roar of metal music, mingled with the buzz of tattoo machines. The main room was an eclectic mix of odd things: glass domes housing swarms of butterflies, human skulls, jars of strange creatures, marble busts looming over mystical chimera taxidermy, all of it arranged in a surprisingly elegant Victorian style.
They made their way to the counter, where Kenma rang a little golden bell perched on its edge. The chime echoed through the space.
Looking up, Kuroo noticed that Yachi was staring at the display case behind the counter, visibly distraught. He turned to see what she was looking at and found that the cabinet was full of jars filled with bizarre things, each labeled with more disgusting names than the last: toads, slugs, pig hearts and goat tongues. That was all it took for his expression to match Yachi’s. Where on earth had they found that?
Kenma rang the bell again, and this time, they heard the buzzing of the needles stop. From the adjacent room, much more sober and sterile looking than the one they were in, emerged a young man dressed entirely in black and covered in tattoos from head to toe. He greeted them with a friendly smile and, in a calm tone, asked politely:
"Welcome to Bermude, how can I help you?"
"Hi, we have an appointment with Raven," Kenma replied.
"Oh… Kiyo!" the artist called toward the tattoo room. "You've got clients here."
Then, a young woman with long black hair appeared. Kuroo was taken aback by her aura: both her arms were completely tattooed, and she wore a long black T-shirt over a red tartan kilt. She walked toward them, the metal of her Demonia boots clinking with each step and bowed as she reached their height.
"Welcome. I’m Shimizu Kiyoko, thank you for using my services," she introduced herself politely.
"Thank you for having us," Kenma replied.
She simply nodded. When the artist's gaze met Yachi’s, Kuroo noticed the young woman tense up. Shimizu stared at her for a moment before signing a greeting. Kenma must have briefed her before they came. Yachi was caught off guard and awkwardly signed back, having to repeat herself several times to indicate that she could hear.
Shimizu-san simply nodded calmly and, without adding anything more, motioned for them to follow her toward a door at the back of the shop. Upon opening it, they found themselves facing a staircase leading down to the basement. She turned on the lights and invited them to go first.
Kenma was the first to head down, followed by Yachi and Kuroo.
During their descent, Tetsurō noticed the state of the blonde in front of him: she seemed tense and was struggling to breathe normally, which worried him. He might not have fully grasped the seriousness of what he and Kenma had discussed in the car, Yachi didn’t look alright at all.
He moved closer to her, hoping his presence might help appease her; at this rate, she was going to have a full-on panic attack. Kenma didn’t seem to have noticed anything was wrong.
They finally reached the bottom of the stairs and found themselves in what appeared to be a workshop. Hundreds of artworks were displayed all around the small room. Traditional designs were mingled with masks sculpted with ethereal and beautifully horrific features. Kuroo was astonished by the craftsmanship of each piece.
Shimizu entered the room as well and took a seat on a highchair, grabbing her tablet to take notes. She invited them to sit, and Kuroo and Kenma sat on an examination table placed in the middle of the room, while Yachi remained frozen in place.
"I'm all ear," said the artist.
Yachi flinched and stepped forward, her hands trembling as she tapped on her tablet. Tetsurō watched her with concern, noticing her rising panic. The blonde struggled to present her work to the artist while signing. Shimizu-san invited her to sit beside her, and Yachi complied, placing the tablet on her lap to continue signing. However, the tablet began to slide off her knees, unstable, but Shimizu caught it just in time, holding it steady so Hitoka could continue her explanations. The sudden contact seemed to increase Yachi's distress, though she tried to act as if nothing had happened. Kuroo turned to Kenma, who didn't appear to be as concerned as he was. Yet, Yachi's condition seemed to worsen with each passing second.
Tetsurō grabbed his phone to text Kenma:
"Are you sure Yachi’s okay? She really doesn’t look well."
Kenma pulled out his phone. After reading his text, he turned to him, raising an eyebrow in question.
"Why do you say that?" he texted back.
"Have you seen her? She looks like she's about to have a panic attack! Shouldn't we do something about it?"
The blonde looked up at Yachi. To Kuroo's surprise, Kenma just chuckled discreetly and replied:
"I don’t think it’s a panic attack."
The brunet was puzzled by his reaction. He looked up at Kenma, and the latter tilted his head, nodding in Yachi's direction.
The blonde was on the verge of hyperventilation; she was red from head to toe and very stiff and... she was staring at the young woman beside her as if her entire world had just crumbled, and she was now facing a living goddess.
Oh... okay...
Tetsurō hadn't read the situation correctly at all: she wasn't panicking, she was just very flustered.
Kuroo chuckled, relieved.
After carefully listening to the illustrator, Shimizu began sketching on her iPad, asking Yachi’s opinion on it now and then. The blonde leaned over to look at the drawing but blushed even more when she realized how close she was to the other woman. Shimizu, for her part, didn’t seem to mind it at all, but it was impossible that she hadn’t noticed the effect her presence had on the young woman beside her.
Eventually, Yachi regained her composure and was able to convey her ideas clearly again. The artist listened calmly, adding details to her sketch as the blonde explained. Shimizu eventually allowed herself a small smile, which didn’t escape Kuroo’s notice. His heart leaped with hope as he realized the chemistry between the two women was definitely starting to develop. Once the sketches were done, Shimizu stood up and presented the result. The design was already stunning. It reflected the spirit of Yachi’s original work, capturing the graphics of the creature’s mask that she had designed, with a few additional details added. Kenma nodded in satisfaction, having little else to add.
"Alright," Shimizu said, "For the mask to fit properly, I'll need to take a facial mold."
Kenma nodded.
Soon, he found himself lying on the examination table, his hair pulled back, while Shimizu smeared purple silicone over his face with a large brush. The seriousness of the young woman contrasted sharply with Kenma’s ridiculous appearance, but Tetsurō tried to keep his hilarity under wraps. He didn’t hold out for long and burst into laughter when the artist began applying plaster strips to his face. Kenma tried to retort, but Shimizu firmly reprimanded him: there was no way he was going to ruin her work.
Kuroo, however, took full advantage of the situation and snapped a bunch of photos, sending them to the group chat with his boyfriends. He calmed down when he caught a sideways glance from the artist, who wasn’t too fond of the distraction. Kuroo put his phone away.
As his gaze wandered around the room, he eventually caught Yachi staring intensely at the brunette. She jumped when she realized he was watching her. He gave her a knowing look, which only worsened Yachi's state, causing her to vigorously shake her head to deny the unspoken allegations. Kuroo raised an eyebrow, showing that he wasn’t fooled. He shifted to make sure Shimizu couldn’t see, mimed a phone call, and nodded toward the artist. Yachi blushed even more this time, and she waved her arms around, strongly against that idea: that was way too bold for her! Kuroo nodded affirmatively to contradict her.
"Alright, I’ll start the molding process now," Shimizu said.
Yachi seized the opportunity to escape the awkward interaction and moved closer to Shimizu, doing her best to avoid Kuroo's gaze.
After a few more minutes, Kenma was finally freed from his plaster mask. The first thing he did was glare at his boyfriend, which made Kuroo giggle like an idiot.
"Alright, I’ve got everything I need for now, we'll stay in touch, and we will need to make a second appointment later on for the final touches" Shimizu announced.
They nodded, and the young woman led them back upstairs. Kenma had to pay part of the service. Just as they were about to leave, Shimizu stopped them.
"You have my contact in case I need more details regarding the project."
While the statement seemed generally addressed to all three of them, the brunette handed a card only to Yachi. The illustrator nodded enthusiastically before turning on her heel to head for the door. Kenma and Tetsurō both bowed goodbye to the young woman before leaving. Yachi had walked all the way to the end of the street, but she had stopped, visibly out of breath. The two others exchanged a glance but went to join her. Once they were by her side, they noticed she was staring intently at the card in her hands.
"Yachi-san," Kenma started, "I gather you didn’t have a bad time. I can leave the rest of the work to you in that case."
The blonde denied firmly. In her panic, she dropped the card she was holding. Kuroo bent down to pick it up. It was simply the shop's card with the address and phone number on it. Tetsurō turned it over and couldn’t help but smile when he saw what was written on the back.
"Well played," he said, showing the side of the card to Yachi and Kenma.
"Call me" was handwritten, followed by a cell phone number. Yachi blushed furiously, hiding her face in her hands. Kenma took the card and slipped it into the young woman’s purse.
The blonde struggled to compose herself but eventually revealed her face again and asked:
"Is it time for a drink already?"
Kenma checked the time on his phone.
"Not really, but we can make it work."
"I need a drink..."
Kuroo and Kenma chuckled.
"Come on, it’s on me."
They didn’t let Yachi go until she promised to contact the artist again.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Hope you enjoyed this chapter 😊
Next update in two weeks!
Next chapter: “Mnesic necromancia”
“You didn’t even let us choose! You promised!”
Keiji did not so much as glance at him and continued placing items on the belt. Pouting, Kōtarō tugged on his sleeve and gave him his best puppy-dog eyes. With a sigh of defeat, Keiji finally relented:
“I did not promise anything, Kōtarō… And if we do not hurry, we are going to miss the start.”Tetsurō and Kōtarō exchanged a wary glance. Simultaneously, they glanced down at their phones: 7:45 PM.
“Damn it!” they exclaimed.
“We are going to miss the start!”
Chapter 49: Mnesic necromancia
Summary:
“You didn’t even let us choose! You promised!”
Keiji did not so much as glance at him and continued placing items on the belt. Pouting, Kōtarō tugged on his sleeve and gave him his best puppy-dog eyes. With a sigh of defeat, Keiji finally relented:
“I did not promise anything, Kōtarō… And if we do not hurry, we are going to miss the start.”Tetsurō and Kōtarō exchanged a wary glance. Simultaneously, they glanced down at their phones: 7:45 PM.
“Damn it!” they exclaimed.
“We are going to miss the start!”
---
CW: Scars, mention of human trafficking, physical and mental abuse, derealization, eating disorder, child abuse, Dysmorphia, mild body horror (*)
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
---
“Look! Black truffle Pringles!”
Tetsurō looked up, shifting his gaze to Kōtarō.
“Oh sure, great idea. Didn’t find any caviar-flavored ones while you were at it?”
His boyfriend failed to catch the sarcasm and replied,
“No, I didn’t.”
Tetsurō sighed.
“Babe no! Truffle seriously? Sounds disgusting!”
“How do you know? Have you ever tried truffle Pringles?”
“No.”
“Then how do you know it's disgusting?”
“I don't need to..." Tetsurō inhaled deeply, "You don't even like truffles, why do you want to buy those?!"
“What? Nah, I don't think so. I don't remember having truffles like, ever.”
“What are you talking about? Remember that time at the Italian restaurant? You ordered pasta with truffles, and you ended up trading your plate with Kenma.”
Kōtarō scrunched his nose, remembering that he indeed didn't like truffles at all, and put the pringles back.
“Okay, okay… How about this one then?”
He grabbed another bag from the shelf and showed it to Tetsurō, who made a face.
“Cheetos… pizza-camembert-curry? That’s worse! Where did you even find this monstrosity?”
“Uh… right there,” his boyfriend answered seriously, pointing to the shelf.
“No, but… Seriously, do you honestly think that sounds good?"
Kōtarō looked at the bag of Cheetos.
“Not really.”
“Then don’t suggest it!”
“But maybe someone else will like it!”
“No, I don’t think so.” Tetsurō snatched the bag and returned it to the shelf.
“Look, they have plain curry chips here.”
“But I don’t like those!”
“What do you mean you don’t like curry? We ate curry yesterday!”
“Yeah, but not like that.”
“You just picked pizza-camembert-curry! Why would you suggest curry chips if you don’t like them?”
“Because I thought the camembert would mask the flavor.”
“That’s worse!”
“I’m just trying to find something different for once! Stop complaining and help me!"
“I’m not complaining!”
“Yes you are!”
“Because you have disgusting taste, is that my fault?"
“At least I’m trying!"
Their voices were starting to rise when Keiji suddenly appeared behind them. Without sparing them a glance, he stepped between them, extended his arms, and swept five random bags of chips from the shelf into his arms. Without a word, he turned and walked away.
Kōtarō and Tetsurō stared at him, dejected. Keiji tossed the chips into their cart and headed for the checkout. Midway, he backtracked, grabbed a bottle of wine, stuffed it into the cart, and rolled away. He stopped again, abandoned the cart in the middle of the aisle, and went back for a second bottle before heading back to the checkout line.
Kōtarō and Tetsurō exchanged a look, bewildered by their boyfriend's behavior. Out of options, they abandoned their quest for the perfect snack and followed him.
By the time they reached the cash register, Keiji was already unloading the groceries onto the conveyor belt. Kōtarō didn’t hesitate to voice his dissatisfaction:
“You didn’t even let us choose! You promised!”
Keiji did not so much as glance at him and continued placing items on the belt. Pouting, Kōtarō tugged on his sleeve and gave him his best puppy-dog eyes. With a sigh of defeat, Keiji finally relented:
“I did not promise anything Kōtarō… And if we do not hurry, we are going to miss the start.”
Simultaneously, Tetsurō and Kōtarō glanced down at their phones: 7:45 pm.
“Damn it!” they both exclaimed.
“We are going to miss the start!”
“That is what I was just trying to tell you. I..."
They didn’t even let him finish. In the same rushed movement, they shoved all the items into Kōtarō’s backpack. When the total was announced, Keiji pulled out his wallet, performing each gesture with his usual elegance. Unfortunately for him, his boyfriends were in no mood to savor the poetry of his presence: Kōtarō snatched the wallet from his hands, pulled out his card, and tapped it on the reader. As soon as the machine confirmed the payment, the two goofballs bolted out of the store. Keiji watched them leave, exasperated. He sighed, politely bid the cashier goodbye, and hurried after them. He only caught up with them when he arrived on the subway platform. Both his boyfriends were hopping anxiously around.
He walked to them, very openly fed up with them.
"Keiji!" Kōtarō shouted when he spotted him, "Hurry up! We already missed the last train waiting for you!"
Keiji crossed his arms.
"I sure hope you waited for me."
He tapped his foot, waiting for an apology from his boyfriends, but abandoned the idea when he saw they weren’t even looking at him. He sighed. Just as he was about to speak, the train arrived, and he found himself shoved inside by force.
"We're going to miss the start," Kōtarō whined, checking the time.
"That wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t spent twenty minutes choosing snacks! Camembert-curry my ass!" Kuroo retorted, annoyed.
As Kōtarō was about to reply, Keiji growled, low enough so that only his boyfriends could hear him.
The other two finally looked at him, realizing they had upset him. They lowered their eyes, looking sheepish, and apologized. Keiji rolled his eyes.
"Kenma does not play until the third match. We still have some time."
This took the other two by surprise.
"Oh!"
"Really?"
"Yes..."
Kōtarō and Tetsurō exchanged a glance, then shrugged simultaneously.
"Well, I guess we can relax," Tetsurō said, taking a seat.
"You could’ve told us earlier!"
"When? When you two left me in the middle of the store?"
Kōtarō didn't even pick up on that and sat down next to Kuroo.
When they arrived at CATO, everyone was already there. The couches had been moved to the center of the room, and everyone was crowded behind the projector, watching the OLF game stream projected on the wall in front of them. The voices of the commentators blared through the speakers, barely audible over the chatter.
"Oi, there you are!" Sugawara exclaimed when he saw them.
"You missed the first match," Oikawa added.
"We had to wait for Keiji at the station," Kōtarō explained.
"Seriously?" Keiji said dryly.
"Yeah..."
Keiji rolled his eyes and walked past them to sit on the couch.
Kuroo and Bokuto sat on the floor beside Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, both of whom were fully geared up in Appelpie's mech, watching the screen intently.
"Who won?" Kuroo asked.
"The Russians," Iwaizumi replied.
"Nitro’s team," Yamaguchi clarified, eyes still glued to the screen. "But hush, the second match is about to start!"
"Who’s playing now?"
"Shhh!" Yamaguchi and Tsukishima hissed.
The silence lasted a few seconds.
"No, but seriously, who is it?" Kōtarō whispered.
"I think it’s the Japanese against the French... and the Brazilian teams," Nishinoya answered.
"Kenma’s not playing yet?" Oikawa asked.
"No, next match."
"Oh, okay."
"Shhhh!"
Everyone tried to stay quiet. It lasted approximately two minutes before the chatter started again. Kuroo tried to follow the game, but not knowing any of the teams, he quickly felt lost. Instead, he listened to Oikawa and Sugawara talking behind him. Sugawara was talking about one of the kids at his job, and the conversation was far too entertaining for Tetsurō to be able to focus on what was happening on the screen.
They finally fell silent again when Yamaguchi growled. From then on, he and his mate tolerated only questions directly related to the game.
The French team won, and everyone started talking again during the recap, much to Yamaguchi and Tsukishima's dismay.
However, they were all quickly silenced when the third match was announced.
“The next match already promise to be epic! Titans will face off in the arena! First up, we have the US team Vitenzi, and let me tell you, they're not here to kid around," announced the first commentator.
“Tell me about it! Vitenzi has been steadily rising this season, climbing to the top of the rankings with their phenomenal performance last week,” added the second commentator.
“They literally bulldozed their way to the top! But they’re not alone up there, and this match might be their toughest yet since they’re going up against Massacre. And let me tell you, when it comes to these Scots, that name is anything but an exaggeration.”
"Yeah, that's for sure. But let’s not forget they’re facing Thailand’s team Holo, who aren’t playing around either. They’re absolutely merciless."
A 60-second countdown appeared on the screen.
"But let's not forget who's the real threat here, folks. For that, we have a necromancer in this game. And not just any necromancer, mind you: the demon prince of the arena, the crowned king of the last three seasons. You guessed it, it's Appelpie."
Everyone screamed at the mention of their favorite.
"And let me tell you, he didn't earn his triple world champion title by baking pies!"
"Will he qualify and possibly go for a fourth victory? We're about to find out, it's starting now!"
The countdown hit zero, and the virtual arena finally appeared on the screen.
As usual, Kenma kept a low profile during the opening minutes of the game, analyzing the strategies of his opponents. Commentary buzzed rapidly, and both the audience and the players seemed to forget the necromancer's presence in the arena.
“Come on, come on, come on,” Yamaguchi muttered, nervously tapping his thighs.
At the bottom of the screen, the kill counter for each team was growing. Kenma’s count was still at zero.
Suddenly, Kenma made his first move, and a collective shout erupted when Applepie landed his first kill, immediately followed by a second.
“The reaper has awakened, and his wrath promises to be devastating!”
Kenma’s screen started changing rapidly, switching between different characters so fast that even the commentators struggled to keep up. Four kills, still fewer than his opponents, but for Kenma, this meant he now controlled four players.
His victims tried everything to stop him from wreaking too much havoc, but their efforts were in vain. The American team made the critical mistake of leaving only one player to defend while focusing entirely on offense. Though the defender was skilled, Kenma easily overpowered him, attacking with one of his kill from the Thai team's.
The American attackers couldn’t retreat to defend their base in time, Kenma had already left it in ruins.
“Yes! The first base is down! Things are looking good for our necromancer.”
“But he needs to hurry to take down the other two. Holo is on the verge of defeating Massacre, which would immediately end the game.”
“It’s a race against time for our triple champion! Will he secure a spot in the finals for the fourth time, or are we witnessing the end of his reign?”
“Unfortunate for Vitenzi, who bet everything on brute force. They clearly underestimated the power of our triple champion.”
The other two teams didn’t make the same mistake and focused all their efforts on blocking the necromancer. Unfortunately for them, this only gave Kenma more time to build his forces. Massacre fell first. It was now four against one, with everyone determined not to give Kenma the upper hand.
With the defeat of the other teams, Kenma had far fewer pieces to control. The relentless frontal attacks from his opponents significantly slowed him down. The necromancer's health bar was critically low. If he died now, he wouldn’t respawn after the cooldown, handing victory to his adversaries.
Kenma managed to escape their line of sight. Once out of their attack radius, he finally made his move. As his pursuers closed in, two players simultaneously lost control of their avatars, turning on their teammates and leaving the base undefended.
The action on-screen became nearly impossible to follow. The necromancer emerged from the chaos, pursued by his enemies. Kenma stopped near the enemy base, and just as the attackers aimed their strikes at him...
“And it’s the final blow! The final blow! This is it!”
Nothing. The attack didn't even have time to launch; the last base had already fallen. The action unfolded so quickly that no one had fully grasped the outcome
"What the fuck happened?! Did we win?!" Yamaguchi pressed eagerly.
The arena disappeared, and the screen announced the necromancer's victory. Everyone around shouted and whistled, basking in their euphoria.
"And there we have it! Another win for Appelpie! He’s not giving up his title that easily!"
"Appelpie qualifies for the fourth consecutive time, securing his place at the Nova Max Arena! And with the necromancer's victory, we are now heading straight for the finals, the last opponent will be decided with the next game."
Tsukki and Yamaguchi jumped to their feet, shouting and hopping around. Yamaguchi finally stopped, tears in his eyes, as his mate grabbed him, lifting him off the ground and spinning him around, both laughing uncontrollably.
"I didn't understand a thing, but that was great!" Sugawara exclaimed.
"We need to celebrate! Guys, tell Kenma to come!" Nishinoya yelled.
"There’s still one more game before the end," Iwaizumi warned, visibly engrossed in the game.
Unfortunately for the remaining three teams, the general euphoria had distracted them too much to follow the final game. They only turned their attention back to the screen when the South Korean team was declared the winner. With three teams qualified and a necromancer in the mix, this meant there would only be one final sudden-death match to crown the tournament’s champion, set to happen in just a few weeks.
"Alright, let’s go celebrate!" Yuu repeated.
"We’re not staying here?" asked Tanaka.
"No way. I don’t want to get yelled at by the neighbors, and we’re out of everything anyway!"
Kuroo finally turned toward the couch, noticing the astronomical number of empty chip bags scattered everywhere and the glass bottles cluttering the coffee table. His eyes landed on Keiji, holding a wine bottle. Keiji smiled at him, raised his bottle, and took a large gulp. Kuroo stared, exasperated. Keiji noticed.
"I haven’t finished this one!"
Kuroo raised an eyebrow. Judging by Keiji’s tone and the outrageously out-of-character way he addressed him, he’d likely downed the first bottle already. He mentally noted that he’d need to keep an eye on him.
Unfortunately, while the intention was noble, the execution was poor. Within an hour of resolving to stay sober, Kuroo was in an even worse state than Keiji. After Kenma’s victory, the group had descended on a poor little bar whose staff hadn’t anticipated the chaos that awaited them when they let them in. Kenma joined them shortly after they arrived, and they celebrated him like a living god.
Kenma initially struggled with being the center of attention, but he quickly warmed up to it. He was now standing on his chair, arms open wide to receive the boisterous cheers of the crowd.
"To your victory, demon prince of the arena! May you crush them in the finals!" Yamaguchi declared solemnly, like a Viking honoring the military feats of his warriors.
Kenma smiled.
"Oh I fully intend to."
The crowd cheered again. Their revelry was interrupted when the owner of the bar appeared.
“Gentlemen, we are closing. Please finish your drinks promptly.”
Silence settled. They checked when they arrived, the bar wasn't set to close for another two hours. They were simply being politely thrown out.
Accepting their fate without protest, they downed the rest of their drinks and left.
"So, what now?" Yamaguchi asked.
"We... call it a night?" Sugawara suggested.
His idea was met with loud boos.
"Alright, alright, but where do we go then?"
"I don’t know. We’ll figure it out."
As they prepared to set off, Yamaguchi stopped them.
"Wait! We didn’t pay, did we?"
"Too bad for them," Tsukishima muttered.
"We can’t just do that... "
"Already took care of it," Kenma said, walking past them and holding up his credit card.
"No! It was supposed to be our treat!" Yamaguchi whined.
"All the more reason to keep going," Kenma replied.
Having long since abandoned all sense of decorum, Tetsurō cheered loudly, thrilled that his boyfriend was in such an extraverted mood (a rare occurrence). In a joyful burst, he rushed to embrace him. Kenma chuckled but returned the hug. He pulled away when the group finally began to move.
And so, they wandered the streets of Tokyo, chattering like children on a school trip.
Kuroo had bounced ahead to the front of the group to join Kōtarō.
Kuroo attention eventually drifted out, his gaze wandering to the storefronts around them. It was still early, barely 10:30 pm, and Tokyo's nightlife was starting to come alive. Lights twinkled everywhere, cutting through the haze of smoke rising from food stalls. The air was thick with smells and sounds.
As they passed by a restaurant, Kuroo stopped, thinking he'd spotted a familiar face through the glass. Kōtarō, walking behind him, didn’t notice and bumped into him.
"Why did you stop?"
"Look!" Kuroo pointed at the figures inside.
"What about it?"
"Isn't that Yachi?"
Kōtarō squinted, trying to focus on the silhouettes behind the window.
"Pfft, I dunno. I never met her in real life before."
Before they could confirm, the young woman Kuroo had noticed moved out of sight. He sighed, disappointed.
"Never mind. Guess I was wrong."
"All right, let’s keep moving, then!"
As they resume walking, the restaurant door swung open, and this time, Kuroo clearly recognized Yachi. He waved excitedly when she noticed him, like a child spotting a classmate on the playground.
"Yachi!"
The young woman smiled and bowed politely to greet him.
Thrilled, Kuroo trotted over to her but almost tripped.
"Oops, sorry, I’m a bit tipsy."
His confession seemed to amuse the blonde.
"Kenma won!"
"I saw," she signed, "I texted him earlier."
He smiled warmly.
"It’s thanks to your hard work too. Thank you."
He bowed clumsily to express his gratitude, but nearly toppled over again. Luckily, Kōtarō caught him just in time. He didn't comment and simply introduced himself to Yachi.
As Kuroo was about to speak again (to try and salvage the little dignity he had left), the restaurant door opened again.
To his surprise, and then delight, he recognized Shimizu-san, the artist who had created Kenma’s mask. Kuroo’s gaze flitted back and forth between Shimizu and Yachi, which made the blonde blush.
When Shimizu finally noticed them, she greeted them politely.
Kuroo didn’t respond right away, too busy scrutinizing the pair in front of him. A smile slowly spread across his face, and having long since abandoned any sense of social etiquette, he chirped:
"Oh! Are you two... you know?" He clasped his hands together to clarify.
Yachi turned bright red, hiding her face in her hands. After a moment, she nervously shook her head to deny it.
Just by looking at her, the answer was clear enough. Kuroo couldn’t understand why she was trying to lie to him! Seeing her glance nervously around, he hypothesized that she felt that way because she didn't know how he would react. This logic was obviously flawed and borderline absurd, but he lacked the tact to realize that. Nevertheless, he decided to make it clear that he was not, in fact, homophobic, and the way he went about it was as absurd as his train of thought:
"Oh, wait, I’m... Look ! " he grabbed Kōtarō by the shoulders, presenting him with a badge of honor. "He’s my boyfriend!"
That only seemed to confuse Yachi.
"And him too," Kuroo added, pointing to Keiji, standing a few steps behind them.
Yachi blinked several times, perplexed.
"I probably should've said so much..." Kuroo muttered.
The blonde waved her hands, trying to stop him from derailing further.
"No, no! I'm just surprised, I thought that you and Kenma were..."
"Oh, yeah, Kenma too!"
Kōtarō enthusiastically nodded in agreement.
Their childlike cheerfulness made the two women in front of them smile kindly.
"I see, I’m sorry, I didn't realize that..."
Yachi trailed off, her hands falling limply to her sides. Her expression drastically shifted.
She was frozen, paralyzed in a cold look of shock and fear.
Startled, Kuroo followed her gaze.
Behind them, Sugawara had stopped, staring at Yachi as though he had seen a ghost.
Sensing Yachi’s distress, Shimizu immediately stepped in front of her, standing defensively between her and the prima. Sugawara didn’t react. He didn't back away or try to diffuse the tension. He just stood there.
"Hey! Why don't we go to the karaoke? " Yamaguchi said as he reached Sugawara, his eyes glued to his phone. "There’s one just around the corner."
Just as he was about to pass by, Sugawara grabbed him by the wrist.
"What? I thought you liked karaoke?"
Yamaguchi finally noticed Sugawara's expression. Confused, he followed his gaze, frowning when he noticed Shimizu standing in front of them.
Yachi leaned forward briefly before retreating behind the brunette. The second Yamaguchi spotted her, he froze.
His eyes widened.
"Hitoka?"
After a brief moment of silence, the blonde leaned forward once again. She placed a hand on Shimizu's wrist, and the latter stepped aside.
Yachi was now standing in front of them. She looked composed, but her breath was erratic.
The shock subsided, and Sugawara covered his mouth with his hand, stifling a gasp that almost sounded like a sob.
"Is it really you?"
Yamaguchi’s voice was choked, his eyes glistening with tears.
Yachi inhaled deeply before nodding.
"Oh," Yamaguchi choked out, tears streaming down his face.
He rushed toward her, and Yachi opened her arms. They met in a fierce embrace.
"Oh my God, oh my God, I..."
Yamaguchi pulled back to look at her, gripping her shoulders as though she might disappear.
"I thought you were dead. I thought he..."
He didn’t finish, instead pulling her into his arms again.
Yachi let him hold her before gently pulling away.
"I’m fine."
Yamaguchi watched her closely, and the blonde tried to reassure him again. Yamaguchi looked at her sign. A grim expression slipped onto his face.
"What did he do to you?"
It wasn’t really a question; the tone was far too heavy and grim for it to be one. It was more like a dreadful statement.
Yachi gave him a sad smile. Slowly, she pulled her hands away from his and took a step back. She reached up to the collar of her sweater and slid her fingers underneath, revealing a swollen, pink scar circling her neck. She quickly covered it again.
Kuroo shuddered, unable to fathom what could have caused such a brutal injury.
Yamaguchi gasped, fresh tears welling up in his eyes.
"That bastard, I... I can’t believe it, I swear I’ll..."
Yachi cut him off.
"He didn’t get me."
Yamaguchi's face twisted with grief and bitterness.
"Why didn’t you... we could have... I should have been there. I’m sorry, I should have..."
The blonde shook her head firmly. She stepped forward and placed a hand on Yamaguchi’s stomach. Their gazes locked, and they both knew what it meant.
Yamaguchi choked on another sob as Yachi pulled him back into her arms.
Finally, she looked up and met Sugawara’s gaze. His face was streaked with tears. She smiled at him and waved softly. Without hesitation, he rushed over and joined the embrace.
-//-
The turmoil had sobered Tetsurō completely, and the same could be said for the rest of the group. The effervescence died down. Some decided to call it a night and go home, while others settled into a quiet bar.
Sugawara and Yamaguchi stayed with Yachi, the three of them sitting on a bench on the edge of a park near the bar, catching up on the time that had been stolen from them.
Tetsurō stayed outside, keeping company to Shimizu-san, or trying to anyway, somewhat feeling guilty for "ruining" her date like that.
He tried to strike up a conversation at first, but Shimizu only responded with short sentences and vague noises, too focused on the interaction unfolding before her as she kept an eye on what was happening.
He gave up on trying to lighten the mood and said:
"I didn’t know they knew each other..."
Shimizu vaguely nodded.
"From what I gathered, they were raised by the same pack... at least for a while," she replied.
"Oh..."
Silence settled again.
Finally, the young woman turned to him.
"Kuroo-san, thank you for staying here with me. I'm afraid I wasn't the best company, but I appreciate the gesture. Thank you."
Kuroo nodded.
"I don't know how much longer this will take. You should head back home, it's getting late."
He nodded again and bid her goodbye.
He glanced one last time at his friends sitting in the park and turned.
He found Keiji and Kōtarō waiting outside the bar.
"You okay?" Kōtarō asked as he approached them.
"Hmm, I think so..."
The other two nodded.
"What are you doing out here?"
"Everyone left."
"Hmm... what about Kenma?"
"He went to get the car," Kōtarō replied.
About five minutes later, headlights illuminated the street, and Kenma stopped the car in front of the bar. They all quietly settled inside, and no one spoke for a long while, letting the silence blend into the night.
"I didn’t know they knew each other," Kenma eventually said.
"Me neither," Kōtarō replied.
"They grew up in the same pack, apparently," Kuroo clarified.
He suddenly found three pairs of eyes on him.
"Really?"
"Yeah... is that so shocking?"
No one responded. Each looked away.
"Yachi isn’t a Sô-shi, so... yes, it is a little surprising," Kenma finally said.
"Oh, I hope it is not... no," Keiji murmured under his breath, drawing the attention of his boyfriends.
Kōtarō and Kenma seemed to understand immediately what he was thinking, which only deepened Tetsurō’s confusion.
"And? Why is that a problem? I mean, Yamaguchi isn't a Sô-shi either, and he was raised in the same pack."
Kuroo saw Kenma frown in the rearview mirror.
"Really?"
"Yeah..."
The blond raised his gaze, catching Kōtarō’s eyes in the mirror.
"You knew?"
The latter simply nodded.
"Oh... Let us hope it is not... what we think it is then."
"Yeah..."
Silence fell, heavy and thick. Kuroo was starting to lose track of the conversation.
"And? What is it that you think it is?" he pressed.
The silence thickened.
"Well?"
Kenma exhaled deeply.
"Hum... well, at some point, Sô-shi packs were known to... well..." he sighed, "make deals with other clans."
Tetsurō frowned.
"What kind of deals?"
"Omega trades," Kōtarō replied, something bitter and glum lingering in his tone.
"What do you mean by 'trades'?"
"It means human trafficking Ji. Omegas were sold when the birth rate dropped too low. To make them... reproduce." Kenma explained grimly.
Kuroo’s eyes widened, deeply shocked.
He thought of Yachi, all smiles in her long light blue coat, and the scar that curled around her neck.
His heart tightened painfully.
"I do hope that is not it..." Keiji murmured.
All three of them nodded, but none could say a word.
The night swallowed them whole with its stillness, and the grimness followed them home.
-//-*
He remembered the wind.
More than anything, he remembered the wind.
It blew through the wild grass and glided peacefully across the wheat field as far as his eyes could see.
He remembered the solitude too, his only solace some days.
No one ever came here.
Well, almost no one.
Even if he knew the exact boundaries of the territory, at the edge of the forest, when his eyes lost themselves in the vastness before him, he could feel free for a fleeting second.
"Eat."
The voice was cold, stern, and imperative.
The child looked at the food in front of him. His throat tightened.
The alpha sitting in front of him narrowed her eyes, her expression growing more somber.
He picked up his chopsticks and turned the food in his bowl. The rice made a wet, heavy sound that turned his stomach. He couldn't bring himself to swallow anything, he felt too sick.
The alpha sighed, exasperated.
"I can wait you know... eat."
The child didn't move, paralyzed with fear, feeling increasingly nauseous.
"Eat, damn it! Do you see yourself? Look at yourself! You're useless. You won't be able to carry children if you stay like this... pathetic, look at you!"
That was the idea...
He didn’t look up, frozen by the alpha’s crushing stare.
He felt the back of his throat itch as he fought back tears.
"Come on, be a good little boy and eat."
She spoke in a soft voice, making it even more terrifying. He couldn’t hold on much longer and, shaking, let a few tears slip.
"Stop crying."
The child held his breath, far too aware that his sobs echoed around.
"It’s not that hard, damn it! Eat!"
He let out a squeak, releasing the few tears he had weakly tried to hold back.
He knew he wouldn’t win this battle.
He had already lost. He’d never had a chance anyway.
He just had to obey.
He picked up his chopsticks and took a small portion of rice.
"There..."
His hands were shaking so badly that he couldn’t bring the food to his lips, and the rice scattered across the table.
He cautiously looked up and saw that the look in the young woman’s eyes had changed; now, they were filled only with anger. He had crossed the point of no return.
Instinctively, he hid his face behind his arms as he saw her sit up, but the alpha hit him with such force that his arms slammed against his face, and he fell off his chair, his head hitting the floor.
Stunned and dazed, he didn’t have time to recover before the alpha had circled the table. She now towered over him, threatening.
The child tried to sit up, tears streaming down his face. She crouched down in front of him and whispered, like a rumble of thunder:
"Stop crying, damn it."
She slapped him again, and his head hit the floor once more. Without sparing him a glance, she grabbed the bowl from the table and dumped its contents onto the floor.
The anger had disappeared from her eyes, leaving only a chilling coldness.
Maybe she was finally going to give up?
"You're disgusting, you know that? You disgust me."
She pulled his hair with one hand and grabbed food scattered on the floor with the other.
She squeezed the ball of food in her fist and forcefully shoved it into his mouth. His initial reaction was to spit it out, but she stopped him by pressing her hand against his mouth.
"Swallow."
She pulled on his hair harder, but he resisted.
"Swallow."
This time, the voice had growled deeply.
His body, subdued by the command, could no longer resist.
He swallowed.
He felt the bile rise in his throat, mixing with the disgusting taste of the food she had forced into him.
The alpha’s voice became gentle, she patted his head kindly and murmured:
"Good, good boy."
He sighed, thinking it was finally over. The alpha sat back up in her chair. Just as he was about to sit up as well, the young woman’s voice sliced through the air:
"Oh, I think you didn’t understand. Sit."
He obeyed; his body crushed under the weight of the command.
"I didn’t want to come to this, but you didn’t give me a choice."
The little boy raised his eyes, trying as best as he could to free himself from the grip of the command.
"Lower your eyes."
His body obeyed.
"Eat."
Possessed by the command, unable to resist it, he complied. He saw himself take a handful of food and shove it into his mouth. He swallowed.
It was pointless to fight anymore.
He took another bite, his consciousness sinking, leaving his body empty.
"That’s enough."
The grip ended.
The alpha stood up and, as she left, gave him one final order, this time without using force:
"Clean up this mess and go feed the rest to the chickens."
She turned and left the room.
Once he was sure she wouldn't come back, the child straightened up.
His mind had gone silent.
His body felt distant, out of reach now.
He picked up the food scattered on the floor and put it back into the bowl. He poured its contents into the bucket for the chickens, swept the floor, and scrubbed the wood with a damp brush.
His breathing was slow and controlled.
He took the bucket and stepped outside. As he crossed the yard, he heard voices jeering at him and calling him a name that didn't belong to him. That shouldn't belong to anyone.
He finally reached the enclosure, entered, and walked toward the pigsty, knowing the chickens spent most of their time there.
He dumped the contents of the bucket onto the ground, and the chickens rushed toward it. He watched them shove their heads into the remains of peels and rancid food and greedily consume the meal he couldn’t swallow.
He raised his eyes. In the back of the pigsty, a sow who had recently given birth lay on her back. Her litter suckled hungrily as she collapsed from exhaustion.
It was probably her last litter.
No animal stayed here for long. They all ended up meeting the fate they were born to face: slaughter and being eaten.
This one was one of the oldest, spared for her high fertility. She was a meat factory; that was her only worth. Soon, she would be too old.
He pitied her, lying in her own filth, nursing young that would soon be taken from her.
He pitied her, just as he pitied himself, for in the end, their fates were the same.
In the eyes of the pack, both she and he served the same purpose.
They had fattened her enough for her to carry her piglets to term, for her to feed them...
They were just doing the same with him.
His body broke free from its anesthesia, and all sensations rushed back to him. His guts twisted with nausea, and the acidity of his stomach burned up his esophagus. He felt his body inflate, grow, and bloat. He felt like he was morphing into the sow.
He felt like he was about to collapse and burst open, leaving his entrails scattered on the ground for the litter to feast on.
He felt himself swell and puff up. He was on the verge of exploding.
He stepped outside, haunted by the sensation. He passed behind the pigsty, where no one could see him. He dug into the earth with his bare hands and crouched in front of the hole.
Tears streamed down his face, but he forced himself to make as little noise as possible.
He took a deep breath, pushed his hair behind his ears, and leaned over the hole. Trembling, he shoved two fingers into his throat. Out of reflex, he pulled his fingers out, stifling a groan, and tried again. This time, his stomach contracted, and its contents rushed up his esophagus in a painful spasm. Another followed. He wiped away his tears and tried again.
He continued until the sensation faded, until it lifted from his skin, and until his body became numb again.
Finally, when he was done, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve and covered the small hole, which was too full to be covered completely. Then he stood up. His head was spinning, and his body was numb. He walked to the faucet in the middle of the enclosure and rinsed his mouth and hands with cool water. He stood up and looked at the house, but decided not to go back inside. He sat on the edge of a feeder and watched the chickens peck.
In the distance, the sun began to set behind the forest.
Soon, it would all begin again.
The wind picked up, rustling the leaves of the trees and the wheat.
Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he held his breath.
A silhouette had appeared at the edge of the forest.
Someone was there.
A few rays of sun pierced the clouds, and he could make out that it was a child. He squinted to make out more details.
"Hey!"
He jumped and turned around. He let out a sigh of relief when he recognized the little boy beside him.
The boy was still in his school uniform.
"I knew I'd find you here."
The little boy in the school uniform smiled at him, and his mole followed the movement of his plump cheeks.
He nodded and turned his gaze back to the forest: the figure had disappeared.
"What’s wrong?"
The wind picked up again.
"I thought I saw someone."
The child in front of him frowned and followed his gaze.
"They’re gone now."
"Hmm, yeah... There's a house just behind the forest."
He said nothing, his gaze still fixed on the distance. The little boy leaned forward to catch his attention.
"Are you okay?
"Hmm."
"Did you cry?"
"No," he lied.
The boy in the uniform frowned, concerned.
"What did you do today?" he asked before the other could ask more questions.
"Oh! I'll show you, wait!"
The boy took off his backpack and sat down beside him. He rummaged through his things and pulled out his school notebooks.
"We did some math again, I’ll explain it to you later, and some Japanese... Science too."
"Oh yes, I did the exercises in the notebook you lent me."
The child beamed at him:
"Perfect! That way, we can work on it tonight! Anyway, as I was saying, we saw this in science, wait, I'll show you!"
He smiled to himself, listening in silence.
For a moment, he forgot. He forgot that he was not home here, forgot that he was no one, just a commodity.
Just for a moment, he was him, just him.
Tomorrow, the sun would rise again, and he would have to get up once more.
-//-
Eventually, he stopped fighting.
He ate when he was told to and did what he had to without offering any resistance.
At least, that's what he wanted everyone to think: that they had won.
He was behind the pigsty, throwing up his last meal.
He was used to it by now, it was just a part of his routine.
He straightened up, covered the hole, and went to wash his mouth and hands, then sat down among the goats and chickens.
In the distance, the figure of the child appeared again. He saw him every day now. Every time he came down here, the boy was there.
He never came closer.
Maybe now was the time.
He stood up, keeping his eyes on the figure, and walked toward the edge of the forest.
It was a little boy. He did not move as he saw him approach, simply watching him come closer. They must have been about the same age.
"Hello," said the little boy when he reached him.
He didn’t answer.
Silence stretched between them.
"Uh, I... " the little boy said, readjusting his glasses on his nose.
"You shouldn't be here," he said sharply.
The little boy in front of him blinked, surprised.
"I didn't cross the boundary."
"If they see you, they might..."
"No one will see me, they never do. Just you, you see me. I wanted to see you."
"Me?"
The little boy with glasses nodded vigorously.
"Why?"
"I don't know. I see you there all the time. You look sad, so I wanted to give you this."
The boy from the forest slid his backpack off his shoulder. He opened it and pulled out a dinosaur figurine, which he held out to him.
He took it, stunned by the gesture.
"It’s a diplodocus."
He examined the object, still not understanding why the boy from the forest had given it to him.
"Me, I have this one," said the little boy, pulling a T-rex figurine from his bag.
"Why?"
"What?"
"Why are you giving me this?"
"So we can play together. You can keep it, it's a gift. But if you have one already, you can use yours instead."
He frowned.
"You want to play with me?"
The forest boy nodded eagerly. He sat down on the ground, being careful not to cross the invisible boundary. He invited the other boy to sit down as well and started setting up the scene for his imaginary story.
"By the way, my name is Kei, and you?"
He hesitated.
He had already let his guard down anyway.
"Tadashi..."
"Okay, Tadashi... Well, you see, diplodocuses are herbivores, but they are still very cool, and they..."
He opened his eyes.
He recognized the ceiling of his room.
Kei was still asleep beside him.
He felt tears welling up in his eyes.
He didn’t hold them back but tried to stay silent.
Why had his mind brought back these memories?
In the end, he knew why.
He slipped his hand under his t-shirt, gently caressing the scar that ran across the flesh of his abdomen. It had almost disappeared now; it was just a thin white line, nearly invisible, almost undetectable to the touch. Soon, maybe even he wouldn’t be able to find it, as if none of this had ever happened.
But he wouldn’t forget. He couldn't forget.
He choked back another wave of tears, and a faint whimper escaped his lips.
"Tadashi?"
He turned to his mate:
"Sorry, I woke you up."
"Are you okay?"
Yamaguchi nodded.
His face twisted with tears.
No, he wasn't okay, not at all.
His mate immediately cradled him in his arms.
"What's wrong? What is it?" he whispered.
Tadashi's throat was too tight for him to answer. He cried for a long time.
Eventually, he pulled away from his mate so their eyes could meet.
"I should never have left her. I should have stayed."
"You had to save yourself."
Yamaguchi wanted to reply, but his words were lost in his throat, choked with grief.
"Shh. Come here," whispered his lover, pulling him back into his arms.
His mate gently rocked him until he fell asleep again.
Outside, the wind rose.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
I am deeply sorry for that.
I listened to one hour of “girl harmonizing with her kitchen fan” while working on this chapter.
Next chapter will be mostly fluff, I swear!
Chapter 50: “Ten fragments of us”
“It’s been almost six months,” Kenma interrupted, meeting Keiji’s gaze.
Keiji was caught off guard and fell silent.
“Already…” Kōtarō murmured.
Kuroo glanced between his lovers, still unsure what they were talking about.
“What?” he ventured to ask.
The three of them briefly turned their eyes to him but didn’t answer.
“I can’t afford for this to happen while we’re in South Korea. It’s too dangerous.”
“We will have plenty of time after. It would be unfortunate, yes, but I do not think this...”
“No, I can’t risk it.”
The ticking of the clock filled the silence.
“You want to trigger it chemically?” Kōtarō finally asked.
Kenma met his gaze and nodded.
Oh. Six months. Kuroo finally understood what they were talking about: their cycles.
Chapter 50: Ten fragments of us
Summary:
“It’s been almost six months,” Kenma interrupted, meeting Keiji’s gaze.
Keiji was caught off guard and fell silent.
“Already…” Kōtarō murmured.
Kuroo glanced between his lovers, still unsure what they were talking about.
“What?” he ventured to ask.
The three of them briefly turned their eyes to him but didn’t answer.
“I can’t afford for this to happen while we’re in South Korea. It’s too dangerous.”
“We will have plenty of time after. It would be unfortunate, yes, but I do not think this...”
“No, I can’t risk it.”
The ticking of the clock filled the silence.
“You want to trigger it chemically?” Kōtarō finally asked.
Kenma met his gaze and nodded.
Oh. Six months. Kuroo finally understood what they were talking about: their cycles.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
---
Fragment No.1:
"I wanted to talk to you three about something."
Everyone turned toward Kenma, who had just broken the silence. Kōtarō and Tetsurō were slouching on the couch while Keiji was reading in his chair.
Kenma was standing in the middle of the living room, waiting for them to respond.
Keiji glanced at Kōtarō and Tetsurō, then set his book down.
“We are listening,” he said.
The blond nodded but didn’t speak right away. He walked over to them, sat cross-legged on the carpet, and leaned his back against the coffee table.
“Is everything okay?” Keiji asked.
“Yeah, don't worry.”
Silence settled.
“Is there something bothering you?”
"It's been almost six months," Kenma interrupted, meeting Keiji's gaze.
Keiji was caught off guard and fell silent.
"Already..." Kōtarō murmured.
Kuroo frowned, still unsure what they were talking about.
“What?” he ventured to ask.
The three of them briefly turned their eyes to him but didn’t answer.
“I can’t afford for this to happen while we’re in South Korea.”
"It is scheduled for less than a month from now. We will have plenty of time afterward. It would be unfortunate, yes, but I do not think this..."
“No, I can’t risk it.”
The ticking of the clock filled the silence.
“You want to trigger it chemically?” Kōtarō finally asked.
Kenma met his gaze and nodded.
Oh. Six months. Kuroo finally understood what they were talking about: their cycle.
He couldn't believe that almost six months had already passed. Time seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye, and now the end of the year was just around the corner. Everyone had just completed their exams a few days earlier, and vacation was only a week away. It truly was the perfect time.
"It's risky, Kenma."
"But it's the best option."
No one argued with him about that.
“Sorry, it’s probably going to ruin your vacation, but it’s the safest choice, though.”
Kōtarō nodded. "That's true, I guess. All right."
Kenma nodded and shifted his gaze to Keiji, who seemed reluctant about the idea. Understandably so, as the last time had been tough on him; on all of them.
Kenma didn't miss that.
"We can't avoid it anyway. I'd be more comfortable being able to plan for it."
Keiji took a deep breath. Finally, he said:
"Alright."
Silence stretched between them for a few seconds.
“So, how do we plan to do this?” Kōtarō eventually asked.
“We just need to stop by Megi’s, and that should trigger our pre-cycle within a few days, and… well, that’s it,” Kenma said, maintaining eye contact with Keiji. "It'll be fine. You'll be able to stay on suppressants this time. Now that you're done with school, it should be easier."
Keiji nodded again.
"No, I meant for when we're over there," Kōtarō clarified.
"Oh... I don't know," Kenma admitted, glancing at Kuroo. "Like last time?"
The other two turned to him as well.
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine with that," said Tetsurō.
“Are you sure? I know last time it was more for… well, it’s not exactly fun for you.”
Kuroo raised an eyebrow. He wasn't convinced that it was "fun" for the three of them either. Sure, it looked fun on paper, but he knew that in reality, it was an entirely different story.
“No, I'm fine with it."
The other three nodded in agreement.
“Ok... So... are we doing this?”
They all agreed.
“I will ask Himawari if the grey house is available two weeks from now," Keiji said, picking up his phone.
“Okay… Depending on her answer, I’ll schedule the appointment with Megi,” Kenma added.
He rose onto his knees and moved toward Keiji.
“Hey.”
The brunet looked up from his phone. Kenma extended a hand toward him. Keiji hesitated but finally set his phone down and took it. Kenma squeezed it tightly. When their eyes met, Kenma smiled warmly.
“It’s going to be okay… I promise.”
Keiji didn’t reply. He wasn’t sure Kenma could truly promise that; this was all far beyond their control. But Kenma’s gaze radiated confidence, tenderness, and love.
So, he believed him.
Fragment No.2 :
Kuroo didn't have much experience with the matter, but he didn't need to be an expert to see that things went a lot more smoothly when no one was trying to ruin their health by overdosing on suppressants.
They all went to Megi's a few days ago, and although the appointment had been once again painfully awkward, it still went way better than last time.
As long as he didn’t overdo it, Keiji was allowed to keep taking suppressants and gradually lower the dosage until his rut began. This time, he was free to enjoy his autonomy as he pleased.
In the end, though, he didn’t go out much. Aside from going to work, he mostly stayed indoors, partly because of the “schedule” Kenma had imposed on him.
For the past few days, the blond had been acting like a baby koala, clinging to Keiji at every opportunity. He had explained that, to avoid any complications (as much as possible, at least), he needed to gradually get used to Keiji’s pheromones, hoping to acclimate his body to them and prevent the kind of reactions he’d had in the past. It was definitely a better alternative than locking himself away with pacifiers, so no one objected.
And to be fair, it was deeply endearing.
Well, it was at first at least.
They would spend their afternoons curled up together, Keiji reading quietly while Kenma lay against him, listening peacefully to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
However, as time went on, what began to trouble the alpha was that, although his sexual appetite had increased dramatically (which wasn’t all that surprising), he couldn’t always indulge it the way he wanted. Not just because they’d end up spending the entire day at it, but also because Kenma was always around. This created a rather peculiar dynamic: it became nearly impossible for Keiji to be alone in the house without feeling tempted to seize the moment to partake in some carnal pleasure. Kōtarō was in a similar state, and the two of them managed to regulate themselves reasonably well. That is, until Kenma, who had sharpened his tracking abilities, began shadowing them both whenever they dared to have even a single idle minute to themselves.
Kuroo had to resort to locking his door at night just to avoid being woken up by one (or sometimes both) of the two goofballs prowling the house like a pair of horny nocturnal owls. Sure, he could sleep in as long as he wanted, but the gremlins didn’t quiet down just because the sun came up the next day.
Eventually, Kenma understood that he was unwittingly getting in their way. He assured them that they only had to tell him to step out and leave them alone.
It did work... At first.
Gradually, the blond became increasingly impatient, waiting outside closed doors like a kitten that hadn’t yet grasped object permanence, bursting inside the room the moment he had the chance. He eventually abandoned the idea of waiting outside altogether. This wasn’t exactly a rare occurrence: although Kenma rarely had any intention of participating in anything, he occasionally joined them.
The problem didn’t stem from that.
The real issue was his infuriating habit of turning into a chatterbox (odd, yes), launching into monologues out of nowhere as if nothing was happening. And it was hard to "stay in the mood" when Kenma suddenly showed up in the room to ramble about improbable military strategies in video games or the evolution of artificial intelligence.
This would inevitably result in one of them bursting into laughter or getting annoyed enough to remind Kenma to stay quiet, sparking minor arguments because the blond would retort that he wasn’t doing anything wrong. He eventually gave up on trying to hold structured conversations; instead, they simply had to expect to hear the sudden startup sound of his Nintendo at random intervals, a noise just as likely to send them into fits of laughter.
Fragment No.3:
One of the major problems Kuroo had been facing since moving in with his boyfriends, was the daily ritual of spending an hour tracking down the objects he had misplaced during his wanderings: his school bag, his keys, his phone, his headphones, almost everything was fair game. At least when he lived in his tiny apartment, it didn’t take him long to find his stuff. But now, it was an entirely different story, having to play a scavenger hunt across the house.
He could have spent the beginning of his afternoon doing something productive: learning ceramics, practicing German, or just lying like a rotten fish on the couch. Instead, here he was, dedicating his oh-so-precious time to hunting for his phone. "Why don’t you just call it?" Yeah, right! He wasn’t stupid, of course, he’d tried that. His theories so far included theft by a wild tanuki or, more likely, that he had left it on silent mode. Or maybe it was out of battery, wedged behind a piece of furniture.
He threw open the door to the large bedroom and found Kōtarō sprawled out on the bed.
The latter sluggishly turned his head in his direction.
"Have you seen my phone?" Kuroo asked, scanning the room, expecting to spot it abandoned in some corner.
His boyfriend blinked slowly.
"Yeah."
"Oh, cool!"
He waited for Kōtarō to elaborate, but his boyfriend just stared at him without adding anything.
"Uh... where?"
Kōtarō sighed and turned on his side, stretching his arm between the bed and the nightstand. After some rummaging, he sat up, holding the phone out to him.
"Oh, thanks!"
Kuroo walked over to retrieve it, only then noticing the exhausted look on his boyfriend’s face.
"Wait... did I wake you up?"
"Hmm... no," Kōtarō groaned.
Kuroo frowned as he sat down on the bed and put his phone on the nightstand.
"You okay?"
Kōtarō sighed again.
"My stomach just hurts..."
"Oh... did you eat something bad? I told you not to eat that leftover rice. It wasn’t exactly fresh, and..."
"No, it’s not that," Kōtarō cut him off.
"Oh... what is it then?"
Kōtarō tapped his lower abdomen, and Kuroo realized the culprit was none other than his uterus.
"Oh... crap. Do you need me to get you something?"
"It’s fine... I already took my meds. Just gotta wait for them to kick in."
"Okay..."
"It’s nothing... Probably just the meds to trigger my cycle, I don't know... My body's not a fan apparently," Kōtarō muttered, tapping his lower abdomen again.
Kuroo nodded, leaning in to stroke his hair, checking for any signs of fever.
"Want a hot water bottle? I’ll ask Kenma if he can lend you his."
As he started to get up, Kōtarō grabbed the pocket of his pants and pulled him back, and Kuroo toppled onto the bed. Before he could do anything, he found himself trapped in Kōtarō’s arms.
"Stay."
"Okay."
Kuroo settled in, and Kōtarō wrapped his arm over his hips to pull him closer. He rested his head in the crook of Tetsurō’s neck and let out a contented sigh. The brunet closed his eyes, syncing his breathing to his boyfriend’s, lulled by the sound of his heartbeat.
Long, peaceful minutes passed like this. As he drifted to sleep, Kōtarō’s touch brought him back, feeling soft kisses on his neck. He shivered, welcoming the butterfly kisses. Kōtarō’s hand stirred, stroking his stomach before slipping under his shirt.
Kuroo turned to catch his boyfriend’s gaze.
"Now?"
Kōtarō smiled mischievously.
"Better than meds."
Kuroo chuckled, and before he could say anything, his boyfriend cupped his face and pulled him into a kiss.
Tetsurō melted into it, letting Kōtarō guide him. Before long, he found himself lying on his back, Kōtarō straddling his hips, fervently claiming his lips and mapping every inch of skin his hands could reach.
Kōtarō deepened the kiss, slowly rocking his hips back and forth. Tetsurō let out a soft moan against his lips, feeling the heat rise within him.
They broke apart when Kōtarō pulled off his shirt, but their lips quickly reunited.
As Kuroo’s hands ventured into the waistband of Kōtarō’s sweatpants, the door swung open.
"Yo," Kenma greeted casually as he walked into the room, eyes on his phone.
Kōtarō immediately sat up, rolling his eyes.
"What is it! What do you want?" he huffed, exasperated
"Nothing... I'm just bored. Keiji fell asleep..."
"If you’re bored, go... I don’t know... don’t you have a final to train for or something?"
"Kō... he didn’t know, and even if he..."
"Of course he knew," Kōtarō cut him off. "You know that’s what he does." He turned back to the blond. "Hey, no!" he snapped, seeing Kenma step toward the bed. "I swear if you brought your Nintendo, I..."
"Hey," Kenma interrupted, "just because I’m ace doesn’t mean I can’t, you know... Rejecting me like that, it hurts you know!"
Kōtarō raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
The theatrics tone Kenma had adopted to say that made it indeed hard to take him seriously.
"Don’t put words in my mouth! I know you. It’s painted all over your face!"
He paused, scrutinizing the blond, starting to doubt.
"You really want to?"
Kenma stared back, looking indifferent. Eventually, he shrugged.
"Not particularly."
"There you go!"
"Not particularly doesn’t mean no."
"Kinda yes. I don't call that enthusiastic consent."
Kenma smiled, and Kōtarō didn't fail to catch the mischievous glint in his eyes.
"If you want to see dicks, go online!"
"Why would I go online when I have some right here? Would you rather I look at strangers’ dicks instead of yours?"
"I don’t care. Maybe they’d be more receptive to your doppelganger theories." Kōtarō growled, pushing Kenma back as he tried to climb onto the bed.
The blond fought back, more amused than anything, confirming he wasn’t serious about his earlier claim.
Their scuffle continued under Kuroo’s increasingly exasperated gaze as he endured a few sharp knees to the ribs. It finally ended when Kenma grabbed Kōtarō by the collar of his shirt and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Kōtarō instantly abandoned all resistance, wrapping his arms around Kenma’s neck as he returned the kiss.
The blond climbed onto the bed, and Kōtarō didn’t stop him. Kenma smirked against Kōtarō’s lips, pleased with his victory.
Kōtarō didn’t seem to care, kissing him with just as much fervor.
The sight didn’t bother Kuroo, but he was starting to feel like he’d been forgotten.
Kenma ran his hands through Kōtarō’s hair, pushing him down so he straddled Kuroo’s hips once again. The blond followed, not wanting to part from Kōtarō’s lips, crushing Kuroo’s hand in the process, solidifying that they’d indeed forgotten about him.
"Ouch! I’m still here, you know!" Tetsurō complained.
That didn’t stop them. Kōtarō blindly groped for his belt, managing to unbuckle it.
"Hey, Kō, stop!"
Kōtarō paused, letting his hand drop while still gripping the ends of the belt. Kuroo wasn’t entirely sure he was happy with the outcome of his intervention. Sighing, he nudged Kōtarō’s hand away and finished removing the belt himself. If he played along, maybe they’d pay attention to him again.
"Dude, you’re losing so much hair!" Kenma exclaimed, abruptly pulling away from Kōtarō’s lips.
He pulled his hand away from Kōtarō's hair, revealing a handful of hair in his hands.
Kōtarō’s eyes widened.
"Don’t pull my hair like that!"
"I’m not!"
"But…" Bokuto took the strands from Kenma’s hand, looking at them like a child taken too soon.
He gasped, deeply upset, and rushed to the bathroom to examine his hair in the mirror. Kenma followed him.
Kōtarō was frantically running his hands through his hair.
"I’m going bald!"
"You’re not going bald! It’s nothing serious…"
"Yes, I am! This is how it starts… Oh no, oh no!
"You're not balding Kō! I'm sure you don't have the gene, look at your parents and grandparents. Your grandfather passed away with all his hair, you're safe!"
Kōtarō spun around.
"Bullshit! Grandpa Kairo died bald, super mega bald, I'm doomed."
"... Naruhito's father?"
"Yes! And from what I heard, he started losing his hair at 25!"
Kuroo saw Kenma raise an eyebrow in the mirror’s reflection.
"What... Kō… Look, I don’t want to give you a lecture on genetics here, but you’re not going to," he sighed. "It’s not baldness, it might just be…"
"What?! Oh no… I have cancer!"
"No, chemotherapy is what makes your hair fall out. You haven’t started chemo, have you?"
"No… but it’s not always chemo, you know. It depends where…"
"You don’t have cancer. Maybe it’s from the meds Megi gave us to trigger the cycle."
"You think?"
Kōtarō’s eyes shimmered with tears.
"Are you losing your hair too?"
"Uh… a little," Kenma lied. "It’s not a big deal, Kō."
"Yes, it is! I don’t want to go bald!"
Kenma decided to switch tactics.
"It’s not a big deal if you're balding. We’ll get you a wig or pay you a trip to Turkey."
"Stop it!"
He whined and grabbed his brush, flattening his hair before lowering his head so Kenma could examine his scalp.
"Do I have any bald spots?"
"Uh… no, I don’t see anything."
Kōtarō dashed out of the bathroom to show his scalp to Tetsurō.
"Well?"
"Hmm…"
The brunet ran his hands through Kōtarō’s hair, inspecting the damage. Indeed, a few small spots were visible; microscopic, sure, but still there.
"Uh…"
He saw Kenma frantically shaking his head from the corner of his eye.
"Uh, no, I don’t see anything…"
Kōtarō sighed, dejected.
"I don’t want to go bald…"
"And you keep bleaching your hair too. It damages it over time, you know!"
"You do it too, and you’re not losing your hair!
"I haven't bleached mine for ages; look," Kenma argued, letting his hair down to show that the blonde dye was only at the tips now.
"Pfft… don’t flex your perfect hair at me like that! My hair is my identity! I can’t… No!"
"Then ease up on the bleach if you don’t want to go bald!"
"But…" he whined like a child and flopped back onto the bed.
Seeing that he wasn’t getting anywhere in reassuring his mate, Kenma tried again.
"It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s probably nothing. Maybe I pulled a little too hard earlier."
He sat down next to him and reached out to stroke his hair. Kōtarō stopped him.
"Don’t touch it! You’ll pull more out!"
"Okay, okay, I’ll stop."
Kōtarō muttered something unintelligible and wrapped his arms around Kuroo, resting his head against his side.
"Here, do you want to watch funny cat videos?" Kenma offered, pulling out his phone and holding it up.
"Yes," his mate whimpered.
"Okay, okay, here you go."
Tetsurō could have spent his afternoon learning oil painting, German, or Chinese, but, in the end, cuddling up with his boyfriends and watching silly videos was probably the best use of his day.
Fragment No.4:
On that morning, Tetsurō was awakened by a deafening noise rumbling through the house.
Alert, he sat up immediately and asked:
"What was that?"
Oh no! Not an earthquake again!
Kenma, lying next to him, let out a sleepy groan, unbothered:
"Hmm… don’t worry."
Tetsurō jumped when the deafening noise returned and the wall around him shook.
Okay, so it definitely wasn't an earthquake, but he had no idea what it could be.
"What is it?!"
The blond sighed:
"It’s Keiji… well, probably."
Another loud crash resounded.
"Hmm… yeah, it’s him."
"What is he doing?!"
"Trying to drag his thing up the stairs."
"The bower's shell?"
"Hmm…"
Oh… It was time.
Reassured, Tetsurō flopped back onto the bed.
His boyfriends had gone back to Megi’s a few days earlier for a final check-up and their contraceptive injections. It was finally time.
"Didn't we leave the shell downstair last time?"
Kenma turned over, rubbing his eyes, still struggling to wake up.
"Doesn’t matter… He always wants to drag it back up anyway…"
"But why?"
"I don’t know… To show us, maybe…"
"But... That's stupid!"
"No one ever said an alpha in rut was very bright… There’s nothing we can do. He’ll drag it up and then back down, no matter what we tell him."
A crashing sound echoed again; the shell must have tumbled back down the stairs.
"No, no no, that's dumb! Hold on, I’m not letting him do this! He’s going to hurt himself!" declared Kuroo, getting out of bed.
"Good luck," Kenma replied, rolling in the blanket.
Tetsurō left the room and hurried to the front door. When he opened it, he found the shell stuck halfway up the staircase.
"Keiji! What are you doing?"
Keiji tilted his head, and Kuroo finally caught sight of his owl-like face. He said nothing, and after a few beats, resumed pushing the shell.
"Hey, hey! Stop! Wait!" the brunet snapped.
Keiji complied, tilting his head again.
"Okay, okay, I’ve seen it. It’s very pretty. We’re gonna go soon, alright? Just bring it back down."
His boyfriend hesitated for a few seconds and then resumed pushing.
"What are you doing?!"
This time, Kuroo intervened, gripping the shell tightly to stop its ascent while being careful not to send it tumbling backward. Keiji tried to answer by freeing one hand, but his explanation made no sense, which frustrated him. Kuroo grabbed the shell with both hands to let him sign properly.
"I’ve got it, just tell me now."
Keiji rolled his eyes. Pressing himself against the wall, he signed:
"It won’t fit."
"No shit..."
"No."
"No?"
"Downstairs door. Too tall."
"Yeah but it'll fit through the garage door."
Keiji blinked, genuinely surprised.
"Where exactly where you trying to fit this thing?"
"Window."
"Through the window? It won't fit! It's way too high; it would crash onto the ground!"
Once again, Keiji seemed startled by the soundness of this reasoning.
"What do you normally do?"
After a few moments of hesitation, Keiji, sheepish, lowered his gaze:
"Garage."
"There you go. Alright, move, I'll bring it back down... Actually, no, help me, we're gonna lift it."
The brunet complied, though visibly miffed.
Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Kuroo put down the shell, but his boyfriend kept dragging it. Now, he was trying to lift it onto the car.
Kuroo sighed: here we go again.
Apparently, Keiji had no short-term memory anymore. Good grief! It was going to be a long morning.
He grabbed his boyfriend’s arm to stop him.
"No, Love, not now. It won’t fit through the door if you do that. We have to move the car out first. Don't worry, we're not going to forget it."
The alpha nodded, then rushed to the front of the car, trying to open the driver’s side door. Tetsurō stopped him:
"Oh, no no. I'm not letting you drive in this state. We'll do that later, ok?"
His boyfriend growled, annoyed, but stepped aside.
"Don't look at me like that... You know I'm right, come on! Let's load up the car for now, okay?"
Keiji nodded and began fetching the crates. After loading just two crates, he started to grow agitated again, pacing in a panic.
"What’s wrong now?"
The brunet ignored him, frantically rummaging through the packed crates.
"Hey, what is it?"
"The things."
"What things?"
"New."
Kuroo stared at him, slightly exasperated. He could at least try to form proper sentences, couldn’t he?
Keiji signed “new” and “store” repeatedly until Kuroo finally understood.
"Oh! The stuff we bought?"
Keiji nodded enthusiastically.
How could he forget that? Last Saturday, Keiji had dragged them from store to store to find new decorations for his bower. Since he hadn't been able to go out the last time, he hadn't had the opportunity to restock or gather new ideas. So, he was particularly excited about his new purchases.
"It's upstairs. I'll go grab everything, just keep loading the rest please."
With that, he went back upstairs and found Kenma sitting at the kitchen bar, sipping tea.
"You actually got him to leave the shell downstairs? I’m impressed."
"He was going to take it through the window!"
Kenma chuckled.
"Do you know where his new decorations are?"
"Hmm… no. We left them here. He must have stashed them somewhere. Probably under his bed."
Kuroo sighed and set off to continue the treasure hunt. As he passed by the door to the big bedroom, it opened, and Kōtarō greeted him with a cheerful chirp. Kuroo smiled.
"Hey, babe."
Kōtarō smiled back. He probably couldn’t speak anymore, but at least he could still walk, which was a good sign. He pulled Kuroo into a tight hug.
“I’m happy to see you too," he kissed him on the temple, "I need to grab a few things for Keiji. Kenma is in the kitchen."
Kōtarō kissed his cheek and let him go. At least he was less restless than Keiji.
Kuroo continued down the hall and entered Keiji’s room. At first glance, everything appeared perfectly organized.
Yeah, right. He wasn’t fooled.
Bending down to look under the bed, he found the chaotic mess hidden there: piles of blankets, stolen clothes, and questionable fabric scraps. And there were the bags containing their recent purchases. As he began pulling everything out, another loud crash sounded.
He sighed and rushed out of the room, speeding down the corridor. When he reached the kitchen, he glanced at Kenma, silently asking for an explanation. The blond simply motioned toward the door.
Opening it, Kuroo found Keiji, who had dropped an entire crate on the stairs.
"What are you doing?"
Keiji just looked at him like a deer caught in headlights. Giving up on getting an answer, Kuroo stepped forward to pick up the items.
"You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?"
His boyfriend shook his head.
"What were you even doing with this?"
Silence.
"Ugh, fine. I found your stuff. Do you want me to grab everything from under your bed?"
Keiji’s eyes widened in panic. He tried to push past Kuroo to hide his stash, but Kuroo stopped him.
"No, I’ve seen it already. Do you want me to grab everything or not?"
Keiji hesitated but finally nodded.
"Alright."
Kuroo took the crate and stood up.
"I’ll take care of it. Sit down and go take a shower."
"Already."
"Oh… Well, go grab a coffee then. Kenma and Kōtarō are in the kitchen."
Keiji gave in and nodded. Kuroo climbed the stairs and set down the crate next to the door, ready to go back to Keiji's room and get the rest of his stuff. Hardly had he turned his back when he heard a clattering sound. He turned around and found Keiji heading back down the stairs with the box that had been left by the door. He rushed down the stairs like a rodent eager to bring his loot back to the nest.
"No!"
Too late.
Kuroo sighed.
"You know you can’t win, right?" Kenma said, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
Kuroo rolled his eyes and returned to the room. When he came back with a blanket, Keiji appeared once more and snatched it from his hands, leaving as quickly as he had arrived. Defeated, Kuroo sat down with Kenma and Kōtarō, and the three of them watched Keiji's frantic ballet. They knew it was time to finish getting ready when Akaashi stood before them, tapping his foot on the floor.
Twenty minutes later, after a rushed shower because Keiji had decided he had already spent too much time getting ready, Kuroo found himself in the car. The sun was just beginning to spread its first rays when Kenma started the engine.
Fragment No. 5:
As soon as the car had stopped in front of the grey house, Keiji had rushed out, grabbing everything like a cataclysmic flood was about to take it all away. Tetsurō had given up on helping him carry anything; he had quickly understood it was completely useless. He only came to help him hang his shell (which was much easier now that they had a step ladder). Keiji had kicked him out of the room afterward anyway.
Now, hours later, Kōtarō and Kenma were sprawled on the couch. Kuroo had joined them for a moment, then, seeing the time ticking by, decided to go prepare lunch. He gave up on trying something new and stuck with the same week plan he had established last time.
He was busy chopping carrots when Kenma came up and hugged him from behind. He smiled.
"Hey."
The blond only responded with a mumble, his head buried in his sweatshirt. Kuroo didn’t mind and said:
"The soup will be ready soon. I added some Shintake, is that okay?"
"Hmm."
The blond sniffed loudly, breathing in his scent as if he were snorting cocaine, which made Kuroo chuckle.
"You’re the best," Kenma finally said.
"That's nothing really, don't mention it."
Kuroo moved to get the bowls, and Kenma followed his motion, still clinging to him.
The silence stretched between them. The only sounds breaking the stillness were the soft bubbling of water on the stove and the sound of the television in the living room.
Knowing that soon no one would be able to talk, Kuroo decided it was the perfect time to strike up a conversation before he could no longer ask whatever was on his mind.
"I was just wondering..."
"Hmm?"
"How did you manage before? Like for food and, I don't know, like, everything else."
The blond sighed and pulled his head out of his sweatshirt to answer:
"Mostly ready meals. But well... I’d often forget, or like, you know, it’s not easy to cook when walking’s already a struggle, so… yeah, I’d usually lose a few pounds each time."
"Really? Kenma, that’s not..."
"It’s not my fault! And it’s pretty common, you know."
"Oh..."
'Way to ruin the mood again Tetsu.' he thought.
He spoke before he could come up with another subject:
"And you were staying at your apartment?"
"Hmm... yes."
He made a face but didn't comment. It sucked yeah, but he was here now. He was glad he could be there for Kenma now, for all three of them. He threw the freshly cut carrots in the wok and covered it. He grabbed the pot to start serving the miso soups.
"Watch out, it’s hot,” he warned."
Kenma stepped back to give him more room to move.
"And Kōtarō and Keiji, was it always just the two of them?"
"Huh, yeah," Kenma replied, as if he’d just told him something as obvious as the sky being blue.
"I don’t know, I’m just asking. Kōtarō mentioned he had dated other people before. I imagine Keiji did too. I was just wondering, it’s not that inconceivable, right?"
He turned, holding two miso bowls. Kenma was looking at him as if he’d just announced he was an alien from Sigma 13 in the Centaurus constellation.
"What?"
The blond rolled his eyes. He grabbed the two bowls and finally replied:
"A cycle is serious, you know. You can't just spend it with anyone, especially if you don't plan on becoming their mate."
And with that, he turned.
Kuroo watched him, dumbfounded.
His arms fell limply by his sides. The effervescence in his stomach spread to all his limbs, sending a warm, soothing sensation through him, making him dizzy, to the point that he almost lost his balance.
He watched Kenma hand the bowl to Kōtarō before sitting down beside him.
A smile spread across his lips.
"Don’t forget to eat too," Kenma reminded him, before turning up the volume on the TV.
Kuroo nodded slowly. He reveled for a few more seconds in the deep sense of tenderness and well-being that engulfed him and turned back to the stove.
Fragment No. 6:
"Damn it," Kenma muttered through clenched teeth. He twisted again and let out a long groan.
Night had fallen hours ago now.
After carefully crafting its bower during the afternoon, Keiji showed them just before dinner. Not even one of his new decorations had been overlooked. It was stunning, and welcoming.
Just as the sun was about to set, he had invited Kōtarō to join him in the bower.
When it was finally time for bed, Tetsurō asked Kenma if he wanted him to stay by his side, knowing that it would be a tough night for him.
Initially, Kenma objected, arguing that he didn't want to keep Tetsurō awake all night at his bedside. Tetsurō didn’t insist and went to his room. However, after an hour, Kenma sent him a text asking him to join him.
Kenma let out a shaky breath, gripping his little hot water bottle tightly on his stomach.
Kuroo felt deeply helpless. There wasn’t much he could do to help him.
He had suggested a nice warm bath again, but the idea hadn't met the enthusiasm it had before.
Kenma’s eyes were glistening with tears; his face twisted in pain.
Kuroo gently stroked his hair and kissed his temple.
"Go to sleep," Kenma said.
"Do you want me to leave you alone?"
"You're not going to sleep if you stay here."
"I won't sleep any better in my bed, you know..."
The blond made a face.
“Do you want me to leave you alone?” Tetsurō repeated.
Kenma shook his head. No, he didn't.
“Okay...”
The blonde grabbed the clothes beside him, the ones he stole when he went to check out Keiji's bower.
He pulled them over his head and inhaled their scent deeply. Despite the situation, his behavior made Tetsurō laugh.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting high on pheromones.”
The brunet laughed again.
“And does it work?”
“No...”
Kenma pulled his head out of the pile of clothes:
“A little.”
“Do you think it would help to be with them?” he murmured.
Kenma looked up at the ceiling, considering the question.
“I don’t know... maybe.”
Just as Kuroo was about to respond, Kenma cut him off:
“But I can’t, Ji.”
The brunet frowned:
“Why?”
“Because...” he sighed, “they’re busy right now and...”
“They’re not ‘busy’ right now,” Tetsurō noted, “We’d hear them if they were.”
“Hmm...”
Silence settled.
“No, I can’t... I can’t go under the bower and just leave after. I don’t want to... no. And I’m not on contraception, and I can’t...”
Kenma was speaking increasingly fast, his words fragmented with panic.
“Kenma, Kenma,” Kuroo called to soothe him, “I’ve done it before. I went out, and there were no problems.”
“It was at the end of the cycle!”
“Well, now it’s at the beginning.”
Kenma sighed.
"I don't know what your plans are, but they're not going to make you do anything you don't want to do. You’re safe. If you want, I’ll grab some condoms. I don't know. . .”
“But I don’t want to,” Kenma interrupted, sounding a bit childish, tears in his eyes.
“Well, okay then, that’s fine.”
The blond sniffled loudly:
“I’m not going to bother them now; it’s a very important moment, and...”
“You’re important too, Kenma. You’re bonded. They know. If you need them, I’m sure...”
“They don’t seem to mind normally,” the blond mumbled.
“Kenma...”
He turned to him.
“Do you want to go or not?”
The blond hesitated but finally nodded.
“Okay...”
“But come with me.”
“Okay, but if you...”
“And stay.”
Tetsurō smiled warmly.
“Okay.”
He stood up, went around the bed, and helped Kenma get up. Then, they left the room. Just as he was about to whistle to warn Kōtarō and Keiji, a short whistle sounded. They already knew they were there.
Kuroo lowered the handle, and they entered. Fairy lights cascaded over the bower's canopy, bathing the room in a soft golden glow.
Kōtarō and Keiji were sitting on the edge of the bower waiting for them.
Kenma stopped a few steps away from them. After waiting a bit, he finally detached from Kuroo and signed:
"I just want to be held."
Kōtarō nodded.
“Sorry...” the blonde said quietly.
Keiji waved off his apology and extended his arms toward him. Kenma hesitated but eventually stepped forward. His mates helped him get inside the bower. Just as Tetsurō was about to step back, Kōtarō grabbed his arm.
Their eyes locked: he was inviting him inside.
He pulled him toward him, and the brunet followed.
Keiji lay on his side, and Kenma snuggled up to him. Kōtarō also lay on his side and moved closer to the blond. Kuroo watched them, letting out a smile.
He stayed seated behind Kōtarō, unsure how to position himself. Eventually, Kōtarō rolled onto his back and gave his arm a gentle tug, guiding him closer before resting a hand on his head to nestle it against his chest. The brunet let himself be guided, and he heard his lover let out a contented sigh once he was settled. Kenma shifted closer, and Keiji followed, his hand gliding over the sheets until it found his.
Kuroo smiled, his body heavy with tenderness.
Then he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
"Ji."
The latter opened an eye, disoriented, his body still heavy with sleep.
His gaze immediately found Kenma's.
"Hmm?"
Kenma smiled.
"I think it's time to go."
The brunet didn't immediately understand what he meant. He looked up: Keiji's gaze was feverish, and he was breathing quickly. Kōtarō's chest, where his head was still resting, was also rising and falling rapidly, his uneven breath brushing his neck.
He immediately sat up:
"Oh, sorry!"
Kōtarō shook his head negatively and sat up to plant a kiss on his shoulder.
"Unless you want to stay," Kenma offered.
Kuroo rubbed his eyes:
"Nah, I need to get more sleep."
He saw Kōtarō and Keiji exchange a look, deeply embarrassed.
Tetsurō chuckled:
"Don’t worry, I brought earplugs this time."
"Oh cool," Kenma said enthusiastically, "Can you lend me some?"
Keiji let his hand fall back over his face, mortified.
A laugh rumbled in Kuroo's throat, and he moved closer to kiss the alpha’s lips.
"No big deal, we'll manage."
He turned to kiss Kōtarō, then finally pulled himself out of the bower. Kenma waved goodbye to his mates and followed him out.
Kenma seemed okay now.
As Kuroo was about to enter his room, Kenma stopped him.
Surprised, he turned:
"You told me you'd stay with me..."
He smiled.
"Okay... Let me just grab the earplugs."
His lover nodded. He waited for him in front of the door until he came back out, and then they went to Kenma’s room.
"Fuck..." Kenma exclaimed once the door was closed. "I forgot my hot water bottle!"
"Oh... Do you need it now? 'Cause I’m afraid it might be too late..."
Kenma chuckled.
"Nah, it’s fine."
"I'll take it back tomorrow."
"Please wash it before I get it back."
They both laughed.
They lay down and, still intoxicated by tenderness, they fell asleep almost immediately.
Fragment No.7:
A pillow smacked him right in the face, making Tetsurō tip forward and nearly drop the bowls he was holding.
“Ouch! Stop!”
He turned around and his gaze met Keiji’s, who had been watching him from the bower. He sighed, starting to get slightly irritated by Keiji's attitude.
His boyfriend smiled mischievously, settling into what he thought was... an erotic pose. Tetsurō rolled his eyes:
“No,” he said flatly.
At Kōtarō's request, he accompanied him to Kenma's room during lunchtime. When he went to clear the dishes about twenty minutes ago, he found the two omegas asleep, curled up next to one another.
Kuroo now understood why Kōtarō had abandoned the main nest this early afternoon: he just wanted some peace, a little rest, because Keiji was honestly being a pain in the a.
Keiji made not-very-subtle sexual advances to him as soon as he had finished his lunch, just because he happened to be in the room with him.
Keiji maintained eye contact, making it blatantly clear what he wanted.
Since Tetsurō wasn't receptive to it, he insisted:
"You."
"What?"
"Want."
"No you don’t. I just happened to be here.”
"No!"
"Yes!"
Keiji pouted.
"I said no. So, I don't know, say hi to your right hand, or go take a cold shower, but no."
The alpha immediately dismissed his suggestion.
"No. You."
Seeing that his charm alone wouldn't be enough to convince him, Keiji tried something else. He closed his fist and rotated it, a sign that Tetsurō immediately recognized:
"Don't even think about it!"
Kuroo wasn't ready to relieve the knot experience anytime soon.
Keiji seemed deeply surprised that his proposal was not as successful as he had hoped. He thought for a moment and signed again, indicating that he was open to versatility.
Tetsurō sighed. He understood that it wasn’t really Keiji’s fault and that he didn’t have the emotional capacity right now to understand why Kuroo was so against it.
"Sorry Love. I'm just tired right now and not in the mood. I’ve been up since 6:30, and I still haven't showered. I stink, and my head hurts like hell."
"Don’t stink no," Keiji retorted, "I can help with the headache."
Tetsurō looked him dead in the eye. He wasn't playing around anymore.
"Sorry."
"You just ate, don't you want to take a nap instead? Don’t pout, I’m not saying no forever, just not right now."
It was ridiculous that he felt the need to justify himself at all! Without waiting for a response, he turned, grabbed the tray, and left the room. He sighed and finally went to the kitchen to do the dishes.
While he was washing a bowl, a strange sensation rose within him.
He jumped and dropped the bowl he was holding. He blinked several times, not understanding what had just happened.
It was as if... as if someone had embraced him, but inside... In his mind, under his skin.
He picked up the bowl, which fortunately was still intact, and continued washing.
The second hand of the clock had made a full revolution when the same sensation overtook him again. This time, he didn't jump, only shivered. He turned off the faucet and stared absently at the bottom of the sink.
How strange.
He was certain he had never experienced anything like this before, yet it felt so familiar.
He wiped his hands and slowly walked down the hall and went back to Keiji's room.
Surprised, Keiji peeked his head out from the bower.
"Was that you? Did you do that?"
Keiji’s eyes widened.
"Felt it?"
"Yes..."
They both stared at each other, neither of them quite understanding what had just happened. A bright smile spread across Keiji’s lips, so sincere and tender that Tetsurō felt his heart flutter. He shook his head:
"I haven't changed my mind you know... But how did you..."
He was interrupted by a short whistle: Kōtarō was awake.
He didn’t take the time to finish his thought; he wasn't sure how to express it anyway and left. Upon entering Kenma's room, he immediately noticed a pair of eyes turned toward him. Kōtarō smiled and stretched his arms out toward him, clenching and unclenching his fists.
"Okay..."
Kuroo circled the bed and leaned down so his lover could grab hold of him. Kōtarō kissed Kenma's temple, still asleep by his side, before he wrapped his arms around his neck, and Tetsurō slid his arms under his leg to lift him.
Oh damn, he was heavy! He had to carry him several times a day, but he still couldn’t get used to it!
Once he entered the room, Kōtarō’s gaze met his mate’s. He raised an eyebrow, surprised by what he could read in his eyes.
Keiji looked up at Kuroo, then turned his gaze back to Kōtarō. The latter glanced at Kuroo, then back to Keiji. The alpha nodded slowly, and his mate agreed.
Kuroo was far too focused on not dropping Kōtarō that he didn't notice what the two were scheming.
The brunet finally managed to bring Kōtarō to the bower.
"There you go." he said.
He tried to straighten up, but the omega still had his arms around his neck.
"Kō, you need to... "
He fell silent. Their gazes had locked.
Kōtarō stroked his neck and ran his fingers through his hair, holding his head in place to keep him from pulling away. He gently pressed his fingertips against Kuroo's head until their lips finally met. Kōtarō placed his other hand behind Tetsurō's neck, and he surrendered, letting himself slide into the kiss. Without breaking the kiss, Kōtarō slowly fell backward, and Tetsurō followed. He felt Keiji’s hands follow his movement. Before he realized it, he found himself under the bower. He allowed himself to fall, eventually sinking completely.
When he surfaced again, he was naked and lying under the bower. He was out of breath, and his lovers were curled up against him.
"Damn it," he murmured.
Keiji groaned, wrapped an arm around his hips, and started to purr softly.
Good grief! Why was he so weak?
He sighed.
His body was numb, bathed in love... and hormones. Mostly hormones.
He closed his eyes and smiled.
His head didn't hurt anymore.
Fragment No. 8:
Tetsurō was staring at the darkness before him. His eyes were wide open, and he felt as if the darkness were staring back at him. However, there was nothing in front of him, only his fears.
His heart was restless, and he felt as if his chest were being crushed by the silence filling the house.
He tried to wrestle with his demons. And when he couldn't anymore, he tried to reason with them.
But he could not sleep.
The house was silent, and his demons sat by his side, whispering in his ears. Their breath wrapped around his throat and choked him.
Every fiber of his being could still remember everything from that night, almost six months ago. He remembered the loud and desperate knocking on the door, the panic in Kenma's eyes.
He remembered the feeling of Keiji's heart slowing to a whisper under his palm, the light fading from his eyes. He remembered the distraught tears devouring Kōtarō’s face.
He couldn't win.
He finally gave in to his fears, knowing he could never silence them. He got up, taking his blanket with him, and left his room. The moonlight illuminated the hallway.
Kuroo wrapped himself in his blanket and slid against the wood, staring at Kenma’s door across from him.
If he couldn’t sleep, then he would keep watch.
He stayed like that for about an hour, motionless.
Nothing happened.
At one point, he fell asleep, but fear woke him up immediately.
The following hours were filled with nightmares, silence, and waiting.
He was so tired that he couldn’t think clearly. His heavy eyelids closed on their own, only to reopen a second later. His limbs felt so heavy that he felt like he had turned to stone.
Perhaps at some point during his nightmares, he had locked eyes with a Gorgon.
Little by little, the darkness began to fade. Outside, the colors of dawn painted the sky in orange and pink hues.
He jumped when he heard the door in front of him open. He looked up and found Kenma’s gaze.
"It's okay."
Tetsurō didn't respond. He couldn’t distinguish between reality and dreams anymore.
Kenma came and sat in front of him.
"Everything’s fine."
And he believed it.
Something popped inside him, exploding in his chest and flooding his veins. He felt the weight of fear lift from him.
He burst into tears.
Everything was fine.
Kenma approached and cradled his face in his hands.
He wiped away his tears and kissed his eyelids.
Finally, he pulled him into his arms, holding him tight against his heart.
Everything was fine.
He was okay.
They were okay.
Outside, the birds sang.
Fragment No. 9:
"Hey, I made you some soup, and there is some rice if you..."
Tetsurō fell silent.
Kenma's room was empty.
He turned, tray in hand, wondering where he had gone. He had just come from the kitchen and hadn't seen him there. The bathroom door was ajar, but the lights were off. Just twenty minutes ago, he had seen him in his room to give him his medicine. His cycle was ending; he could walk, but the pain made it difficult for him to move.
As he was about to leave the room, he jumped, struck by a strange sensation. It felt as if an invisible thread had wrapped around him and was pulling tightly against his back. After a few seconds, he turned around, determined to follow the path of this invisible thread. It led him to the door of Keiji and Kōtarō’s room, and suddenly, the sensation dissipated, evaporating inside him like an effervescent swirl.
He didn't even announce his presence and opened the door.
He chuckled when he saw Kenma slumped under the bower, Nintendo in hand, wearing his loose shorts and oversized t-shirt. Kōtarō and Keiji were asleep, cuddled up against him.
Their eyes met, and they smiled.
It was mundane, so ordinary, so simple. Yet something warm buzzed beneath Tetsurō’s skin.
"I made you something."
"Thanks, but I'm not hungry right now."
"It's gonna get cold..."
"No worries, I'll heat it up later. Thanks."
The brunet nodded, placing the tray on the floor, understanding well that now that Kenma was settled under the bower, he wasn’t planning on getting out anytime soon.
As Kenma moved, Kōtarō woke up. He turned his head, and Tetsurō giggled: his hair was a mess, and his eyes were glued shut with sleep.
"Hey, babe."
Kōtarō let out a long groan, stretching his arms like a big cat. He yawned loudly and flopped back down. He sighed with contempt and opened his arms wide. Kuroo raised an eyebrow:
"You want me to come?"
Kōtarō and Kenma both nodded.
He moved closer. As he was about to climb in, Kōtarō growled.
"Hey! Kenma’s fully dressed!"
Kōtarō looked over at his mate, surprised to find him fully clothed.
"No," Kenma replied sternly.
His mate rolled his eyes and let Kuroo climb in.
Even though he was bothered at first, Kōtarō opened his arms and hugged him tightly again. Tetsurō rested his head on Kenma's shoulder. Kenma set down his Nintendo and wrapped his arms around him as well.
After the terrible night he had just gone through, Kuroo was finally able to rest.
When he left the bower, his heart swelling from tenderness, night was beginning to fall.
Tomorrow, they would have to get back on the road.
Fragment No. 10:
The landscape passed quickly behind the window.
After packing everything up and cleaning up the house, they left in the middle of the afternoon.
Silence had come with them, gently settled by their side, peaceful. Kōtarō was the first one to talk.
"That went by fast..."
He seemed surprised by the realization. No one replied out loud, but they all nodded in agreement.
"And... I don't know... It went really well, no?"
Kenma caught his gaze in the rearview mirror and let out a smile.
"Yes."
The blond cracked open the driver's side window. The wind whistled gently as it passed through the frame, sweeping Kenma's hair.
"Actually, I think it never went that well for me," he finally admitted.
His lovers smiled.
"I am glad to hear that," Keiji whispered, his voice thick with tenderness.
"I think we’ve found a good balance," remarked Kōtarō, and everyone seemed to agree.
Kenma looked up again into the rearview mirror. He caught Keiji’s gaze. Kenma smiled, and a silent "I love you" slipped across his lips. "Me too," Keiji replied without raising his voice.
Tetsurō, who had watched the interaction, smiled as well. He knew what they had gone through. It had happened to the four of them, but they were the two who had fought the most. They had fought the wind and the tide, but here they were still afloat. The storm was over now.
Kenma, having caught his glance, grabbed his hand to hold it for a moment before resting it back on the steering wheel.
"Hmm... Keiji, when do you have to go back to work?" he asked.
"Next week. Why?"
His mate didn’t respond and instead asked:
"Does anyone have anything urgent to do?"
They all shook their heads.
A mischievous smile stretched across Kenma’s lips.
"Perfect."
He abruptly swerved, driving down a narrow path at the edge of the road. Everyone was violently thrown to the side, then forward, as the blond sped up in reverse to turn around and head in the opposite direction of their destination.
"Kenma!"
He let out a laugh, ringing like crystal.
"The house is the other way!"
"I know."
He cleared his throat.
"We don't have to go back now, we can still enjoy our time for a little bit more."
"Don't you have a final coming up? We're on vacation, but you..."
Kenma waved off his remark.
"It's okay, there's still time."
They smiled, pleased with the last-minute change of plans.
"Where are we going?"
"I don’t know... We’ll see."
-//-
"Alright, we're all set, just need to go through security." Kenma said, glancing at the departures board.
Kuroo nodded.
Kōtarō and Kenma were standing facing their mates. They stayed silent for a moment, swallowed by the chaotic bustle of Narita International Airport.
Kōtarō stood beside him, fighting back the tears glistening in his eyes. Tetsurō was struggling as well, a heavy lump lodged in his throat. But he couldn’t cry, not now.
After their cycle, Kenma had taken them to Hakone, located west of Tokyo. They spent a few days at an onsen nestled in a national park, tucked away in a forest at the foot of the mountains. Their room overlooked rolling hills adorned for the season with hundreds of cherry blossoms.
The air was so pure up there.
Coming back to reality was hard.
Their vacation was coming to end, and Kōtarō and Tetsurō were to start their internship in just a few days.
The competition wouldn't start for another ten days. But since Kenma couldn't leave the country on his own (damn T.O.P.), he and Keiji decided to make the best of it and spend some time with Keiji's family.
"We really have to go now," Kenma said quietly.
Tetsurō felt his heart tighten. They were in public, so it was difficult to make a dramatic goodbye. Kenma waved his hand goodbye.
"Oh, screw it," muttered Bokuto, before throwing himself into Kenma's arms.
While taken aback at first, Kenma's face softened. He smiled and embraced him.
That was all it took for Kuroo, who hugged Keiji, then Kenma.
"Take care of yourselves," Akaashi said as they pulled apart.
Kōtarō and he nodded, and after one last wave, Kenma and Keiji set off, for real this time.
They watched them go, standing in the middle of the hall. They watched until they passed through the security doors and finally disappeared.
"Oh, and there it goes, damn it, here we go again," Kōtarō muttered, hit by another wave of tears.
"No, Kō, you're going to..."
Too late, now they were both crying in the middle of the airport, drawing a few looks, some sympathetic, others less so.
"It's okay, they'll be back soon," Tetsurō said, not quite sure if he was trying to comfort Kōtarō or himself.
Ignoring the looks, they hugged each other.
"Alright, come on, let’s head home," the brunet said, pulling away from his boyfriend.
Kōtarō nodded.
"Can we order takeout at Sukiya?"
"Okay, good idea, come on."
Once in the car, they remained silent for a long time, watching the planes take off and trying to figure out which one was going to Seoul.
After the departure time had long passed, they started the car and drove off.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Did you like the fluff? Well, there's not a single drop left I’m afraid.
Chapter are getting longer (like crazy), may take more time to update.
Next chapter: “Dusk’s fights”
“Ladies, gentlemen and non-binary friends, he’s here to defend his title! For his first public appearance, please make some noise for our reigning champion: Applepie!”
Chapter 51: The dusk's fights
Summary:
“Ladies, gentlemen and non-binary friends, he’s here to defend his title! For his first public appearance, please make some noise for our reigning champion: Applepie!”
Chapter Text
--
“Ready?”
Kuroo took a deep breath.
“I think so.”
The time had finally come: they were starting their internship.
After a rushed orientation ceremony, they were thrown in at the deep sea.
"Well, it's happening anyway. You?”
"I guess."
"Don't worry. Look at you! I bet you’re gonna impress them right away!” joked Kuroo.
Joked? Well, not really. Kōtarō was stunning, to say the least. Since he was interning at a major company, he had gone all out with the polished look of a successful businessman: suit and tie. Tetsurō had never seen him dressed so elegantly, and he certainly didn’t mind. As for himself, he had chosen a more casual yet professional outfit; after all, suits weren’t exactly practical lab attire.
"Careful, they're gonna mistake you for the CEO," he commented.
"Pfft, you’re an idiot."
A laugh rumbled in his throat, but his lips captured his lover’s before it could escape.
"Come on, get out, I'm going to be late," Kōtarō urged him when they pulled apart.
Kuroo nodded. He grabbed his bag and stepped out of the car.
"Have a good day," he said.
"You too."
He waved goodbye, shut the door, and the car drove off. He watched it disappear, suddenly feeling anxiety rising within him.
He took a deep breath and made his way to the entrance.
Once inside, he walked confidently toward the reception desk. He recognized the secretary. She was on the phone again, like she was the first time he met her. But when she spotted him, she hung up and waited for him to approach.
"Hey, I know you, right?"
The familiarity caught Tetsurō off guard.
"Uh, yeah. I... I came for an interview a while ago... I’m starting my internship today."
"Hmm, you’re in for some fun, "she replied sarcastically.
Tetsurō wasn’t quite sure what to make of that comment. Before he could say anything, the young woman asked:
"Was that your boyfriend?"
Tetsurō froze. He hadn’t even been there for a minute and was already outed. He felt his cheeks heat up, though he tried to keep his composure.
"Relax", said the secretary.
She raised her right arm, pulling back her sleeve to reveal a bracelet with the colors of the bisexual flag. Kuroo relaxed but didn't reply either.
"I saw you kiss him, not exactly subtle."
He really needed to learn to be a bit more careful in public!
"You’re here for Suzuki-san, right?" she continued before he started to melt from embarrassment. "I’ll call him."
And she did. However, she set the receiver down after a few seconds of silence.
"He’s not available at the moment. You'll have to wait for a bit."
"Oh..."
At that moment, a man in his forties entered the building.
"Good morning, Miwa," he greeted politely as he passed the reception desk.
As he was about to walk through the security doors, Miwa called out:
"Oh, Sukiya-san!"
The man turned, surprised.
"This is Kuroo-san," she said to introduce him, "He’s a student from Todai."
The two men exchanged polite greetings.
"Oh, a student! What are you studying, if I may ask?"
"Biochemistry."
"He’s starting his internship today," the secretary added. "Suzuki-san isn’t available right now, would you mind giving him a quick tour while he waits?"
"Oh... with pleasure."
She opened the security door, and Kuroo followed the man inside the building.
"Hum, here there are only offices."
The brunet nodded and followed his guide in silence.
"Kuroo-san, so you’re studying biochemistry, right?"
"That’s right."
"I work in the chemistry lab myself."
They entered a long glass corridor that crossed a small garden.
"Oh, we might get the chance to work together then," Kuroo replied, playing the confidence card as much as he could.
"Oh, yes, perhaps," Sukiya-san responded with restrained enthusiasm. "Hum, this wing is dedicated to the labs."
They passed through another corridor with windows on either side that looked into various labs. Some scientists in lab coats worked at benches while others worked under laminar flow hoods. Kuroo was excited at the prospect of joining them and doing real work here.
“Here, we handle synthesis and formula development. This floor is for non-toxic compounds. The upper floors are more secure. I don’t think I can show you those right now. Over there, we have the mass spectrometers and the chromatography platform, but they’re not interesting to look at."
Quite the contrary! Tetsurō was dying to meet that spectrometer!
They entered another glass hallway overlooking the surrounding wings. The size of the facility was gargantuan! The brunet was already eager to explore the wonders hidden inside.
"Across from us are the biology labs," Sukiya-san explained, "The animal facility is on the basement floor."
Kuroo nodded.
"Hm, the microscope facility is over there. It's one of the most advanced in the country! We're open to visitors from public and private labs. Hmm... It's quite impressive, though I have to admit I don't venture over there often. I think that's all I can show you for now."
"Oh... hmm, thank you very much." Kuroo thanked him with a polite bow.
Sukiya nodded.
"Do you already know what project you will be working on?"
"Oh... hmm, no, they haven’t told me yet."
"Oh, that's surprising. Maybe they assigned you to one of our latest projects. They're very secretive about those."
"I hope so; I’d love that to be honest."
The chemist smiled at him. A few seconds of silence passed before he spoke again.
"Well, it’s probably time to head back down. Suzuki-san might be waiting for you."
They made their way back to the main hall, where they indeed found Suzuki-san.
"Oh, Kuroo-san, there you are !"
"Suzuki-san," he greeted politely.
"I was giving him a little tour," said Sukiya-san.
"Very well," Suzuki replied, visibly in a hurry. "Well then, let’s go."
Without waiting to see if Kuroo was following, he started walking. Caught off guard, Kuroo quickly bid his guide farewell and trotted after the short man in a suit.
"With all these new technologies emerging so quickly, we were really looking forward to having someone like you help us catch up," Suzuki-san told him, not even glancing his way.
Tetsurō didn’t quite grasp what that implied, but the prospect was exciting!
"You’ll be handling some very important information, you know! We’re counting on your discretion."
"Of course."
Kuroo frowned: they had just come down to the basement floor. No more windows overlooking lovely gardens, just concrete walls and neon white lights. Was Suzuki-san leading him to the animal facility?
His initial enthusiasm quickly faded.
Eventually, they reached a dark blue door, its paint faded and chipped. Suzuki-san knocked, then opened it without waiting for a reply.
Inside, a disheveled man in his fifties slowly lifted his head. A dull expression hung on his face.
Wow. How long had it been since this guy had seen daylight?
Kuroo tried not to be judgmental, but the man looked like he’d been buried down there for decades. His nearly lifeless eyes were rimmed with deep, dark circles.
"Ah, Yutaka-san!" Suzuki exclaimed, as if he'd just bumped into him in the hallway. "This is our new intern, Kuroo-san. He’ll be giving you a hand for a while!"
Yutaka-san glanced at Tetsurō for a second, emotionless, then turned back to his superior and gave a slow nod.
"Perfect, I’m counting on you to show him the ropes in that case. Kuroo-san, I’ll show you to your office."
They stepped out and walked down the hallway. Suzuki opened a heavy door, revealing a vast room shrouded in darkness. He pressed an old switch, and a few dim neon lights flickered on, illuminating rows of shelves crammed with cardboard boxes and dusty old binders.
"We’re almost there," Suzuki-san announced enthusiastically.
Almost? Was he planning to take him all the way down to the depths of hell?
Still, Kuroo followed him diligently to a small door tucked away at the back. It led to… a closet. It was, without a doubt, a closet. Sure, there was a small desk inside, but it was undeniably a closet.
Kuroo’s morale plummeted. He couldn’t believe what was happening. This was a joke, right? It had to be! Any moment now, Suzuki-san would laugh, take him back upstairs to a brand-new lab room, and introduce him to a dynamic and passionate team who would take him under their wing… right?
"And here we are! You even have your own office! Not bad, huh?"
Kuroo didn’t answer, completely dumbfounded.
"We really needed someone like you, truly. We need to get all our data digitized, it’s crucial for our company."
Kuroo struggled not to make a face. No matter how he spun it, it wasn’t exactly appealing to him.
"Suzuki-san, I thought that… I mean, I’m a biochemist, I thought that..."
"Yes, yes, later. First, you need to familiarize yourself with all this. Then, we can talk about it," Suzuki-san quickly cut in. "Well, I'll leave you to it then. Yutaka-san will explain everything."
Before Kuroo could respond, Suzuki-san left. Defeated, the brunet let himself sink into the chair. How had he ended up here?
He adjusted his posture when he heard someone approaching. Ah! So it was just a joke after all! A little prank to welcome him, right?!
All his hopes were crushed in an instant when Yutaka-san appeared in the doorway. He didn’t even spare him a glance before handing him a thick stack of papers.
"The passwords for the computer are on here, as well as the encoding procedure. Suzuki-san will send you the login details for your email."
Kuroo nodded and took the documents. This joke was starting to drag on.
Yutaka left, only to return seconds later with a box filled to the brim. 'March - February 1975' was scrawled across the top, the marker faded from black to brown over time.
"Here’s where you start. You need to encode all the data by experiment, by day, and by scientist. You know where to find me."
And with that, he left.
Kuroo was speechless.
Seriously?
He had promised himself he'd stay dignified and composed on his first day, but apparently, he was going to end it crying in a dusty closet.
Still, despite the tedious task he'd been assigned, he decided to make the best of it and get to work.
-//-
Tetsurō quickly understood why his mentor, Yutaka-san, seemed to have lost all faith in life long ago: being stuck in a windowless hole day after day would wear anyone down. Was it even legal to make people work in such conditions? Apparently, yes. Kuroo was starting to realize that his country’s labor laws left much to be desired.
As soon as his watch read noon, he got up to head back to the surface. The sun, so dazzling outside, burst into view at the top of the stairs, instantly flooding his body with a wave of warm relief. Damn, that felt good! That was it: he was going to soak up some sunlight! His body was screaming for it.
He passed through the secured doors to leave the building. As he approached the exit, the secretary called out to him. Surprised, he turned around. He was invited to step up to the front desk.
"I’ve got your temporary access card here," she said once he reached her, handing him the card.
Kuroo thanked her and took his pass.
"Running away already?" the young woman added with a grin.
"If only… No, I just need to see the light."
The secretary raised an eyebrow.
"They stuck us in an aquarium, and you need more light?"
"Trust me, where they’ve put me, I really do," Kuroo replied, matching her level of familiarity.
"Oh yeah? Where’s that?"
"A storage closet in the archives…"
"The archives? What the hell are you doing down there?"
"Honestly, I have no idea."
"Hmm… quite the downgrade."
"Yeah… But, well, I’ll make do."
She let out a laugh.
"Welcome to the team."
He forced a smile.
"Alright, I’ll give you a tip, because I pity you. If you take the right-hand staircase to the fourth floor, go through the outer door, and follow the path along the building, you’ll reach the garden between the passages connecting the different buildings. It’s a nice spot."
"Got it, thanks for the heads-up… uh…"
"Miwa. Kageyama Miwa."
Kuroo blinked, incredulous. The young woman raised an eyebrow, surprised by his reaction.
"You good?"
"Uh… You wouldn’t happen to have a brother… or a cousin… Huh, Kageyama Tobio?"
Now it was Miwa’s turn to look stunned.
"Yeah, my little brother. How do you know him?"
"We’re friends, we’re… in the same club."
"Oh! Seriously? Then you must know his mate too, right?"
"Hinata, yeah."
"Fourteen million people in this damn city, and you happen to know my brother! Well, tell him I said hi when you see him. Not like that blockhead would ever message me to check in, anyway."
"Noted!"
"Alright, get lost now, I’ve got work to do."
Kuroo gave her a final nod and headed back inside, determined to find the little paradise she had described.
He followed her instructions as best as he could. But his uncanny ability to get lost in any situation quickly caught up with him. Eventually, he had to retrace his steps, realizing his left-right coordination was severely lacking. He even had to use his hands to confirm he was heading in the right direction. Finally, after a solid fifteen minutes, he arrived at his destination.
Smiling, he pushed open the door leading outside. He stepped into the suspended garden nestled within the vast glass structure. He followed the small, paved path winding through patches of tall grass and flowers, all meticulously maintained; too perfect to look truly natural, but the illusion was almost convincing.
At the center, long wooden benches were arranged in a square, mirroring the shape of the garden itself.
Once seated, he took a moment to enjoy the sunlight on his face, the air rich with the scent of flowers, and the silence. The hum of the city was just a distant murmur here.
Finally, he pulled out the bento Kōtarō had prepared for him the night before. He smiled when he saw it decorated with little bear-shaped ham and heart-shaped rice balls.
He took out his phone, scrolling through Insta's stories. Oikawa had been in the U.S. for several weeks now. He had moved his departure date forward to travel across the country with Iwaizumi before starting his internship.
Kuroo felt a pang of jealousy every time he opened Oikawa’s stories, yet he couldn't help checking them multiple times a day. He and his mate had visited some of the most iconic cities: New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco… His feed was flooded with photos of all the wonders they had encountered along the way.
He had called Oikawa a few days ago, after Iwaizumi had returned to Japan, and had listened for hours as Oikawa recounted his adventures.
Smiling, he spotted his latest post: a massive sign reading “Ames Research Center: NASA Research Park” , with the caption “Here we go” , geotagged in Mountain View, California, USA.
Kuroo sent him a message of encouragement before scrolling back through his profile, revisiting his recent posts. Sure, maybe he was stuck playing secretary in a broom closet, but thanks to his friend, he could at least see a bit of the world.
He looked up when he heard a door open. Two people, roughly his age, had entered the garden. The taller one, a young man with dark hair and thick eyebrows, immediately noticed him. Kuroo gave him a polite nod.
"Oh, Makki, looks like our spot’s been taken."
His friend, a young man with bleached brown hair, followed his gaze.
"Oh, for fuck’s sake…"
"Hey, you," the brunet called out.
Tetsurō glanced around. Nope, they were talking to him.
He gave a vague nod.
"What are you doing here? Never seen you around before."
His tone wasn’t particularly aggressive, but rather playful.
"Oh, I just started this morning… Came to get some sun before I shrivel up like an old prune."
His remark caught the brunet off guard, who burst out laughing. The two of them walked over, and the taller one sat beside him.
"Started this morning, and they’re already letting you wander around?" the bleached-haired guy across from him noted.
"They dumped me in a basement closet. I doubt anyone would notice my disappearance."
The other two chuckled.
"A closet?" the brunet asked.
"Yeah… They stuck me in the archives. I think I’m supposed to be digitizing stuff."
The bleached-haired guy exchanged a glance with his friend, both shrugging.
"Didn’t know they were hiring librarians here," he quipped with a smirk.
"I’m actually a biochemist."
"Oof. Yeah, that’s quite a downgrade," the brunet commented. "Alright, listen, you’re kinda pathetic, so you can stay, but no snitching."
"What?"
The brunet pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, putting one between his lips and offering the pack to his friend.
"We’re not supposed to smoke on-site," the bleached-haired guy noted, taking a cigarette.
He offered him one, but Kuroo declined politely.
"Your secret is safe with me. As long as I can enjoy the sun for a bit, I’m good."
"Deal?"
The brunet held out his hand. Kuroo smiled and shook it.
"Deal."
They each took a drag from their cigarette, and Kuroo found himself engulfed in a cloud of smoke. He struggled not to cough.
"Matsukawa Issei," the brunet introduced himself.
"Hanamaki Takahiro," followed his friend.
"Kuroo Tetsurō."
"Nice to meet you, Kuroo. Welcome to Toribishi Institute."
Kuroo made a face, making the two companions laugh.
"What do you guys do here?"
"I work at the microscopy platform, Makki's is working in the biology department," Matsukawa replied.
"I’m already jealous..."
"Come on, chin up, you’ll be fine."
"Maybe if you stay in the dark long enough, you’ll develop night vision," Hanamaki chimed in.
"Can’t wait," Tetsurō replied sarcastically.
"Alright, we should get back before we get caught," Matsukawa announced before putting out his cigarette and tucking it into his pocket ashtray.
He stood up, and he and Hanamaki started walking away.
"See you around! You know where to find us!"
"Enjoy your bat cave."
Kuroo waved them goodbye. He smiled to himself; maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. He lingered in the sunlight for a few more minutes before dragging himself back to his closet.
-//-
Tetsurō woke up with a jolt. His heart pounding, he asked:
“What the hell is that?!”
Kōtarō, lying beside him, let out a long, sleepy groan.
“Your phone,” he replied.
Tetsurō fumbled blindly on the nightstand. He knocked his phone down, and it kept ringing on the wooden floor. Its vibrations echoed all around. The brunet leaned over to pick it up.
“It’s Oikawa.”
“I don’t care, just shut that thing up!” Kōtarō grumbled, wrapping himself in the blanket.
Kuroo declined the call. If Oikawa had something to say, he could wait for a decent hour to tell him. Now that silence had returned, Kuroo let out a sigh of relief and snuggled back into bed.
Barely a few seconds later, the phone rang again.
This time, Kōtarō lost patience and threw a pillow at his face.
Kuroo huffed, gathered the little energy he had left, grabbed his phone, and left the bedroom.
“Oikawa, it’s 2:30 in the morning here. This better be important…”
“Kuroo! Sorry, time zones, but I really needed to talk to you!”
“Why me…? Couldn’t this wait?”
“No! I tried waiting, but I... I’m literally having a mental breakdown right now!”
Kuroo sighed.
“What’s going on?”
“Okay... I just got here, and they just told me they opened a new research site, and they want to send me there!”
“Hmm… well, sounds great. What’s the problem?”
“It’s in Brazil! In the middle of nowhere!”
Kuroo took a few seconds to process the information.
“So?”
“So?! I can’t go!”
“Why not?”
“Because I... I don’t have the right paperwork!”
“They must know that. They’ll probably handle that for you. They wouldn’t have assigned you there if you really couldn't go.”
“Yeah, but... Hajime already booked his tickets for next month, and... and I don’t speak Portuguese!”
“Well, he can change his flight. And you’ll be with a NASA team; they must speak English. Worst case scenario, you’ll learn…”
“I have nothing to wear! I don’t have the wardrobe for this!”
This time, Kuroo chuckled.
“Now you’re just making up problems. You’re in California, the weather’s not that different, right? And you knew they weren’t going to keep you stuck in an office.”
“Yeah, but…”
“I really don’t see the issue here. This is great news!”
“No! I’m totally panicking! This isn’t what I planned at all!”
“I get it… And I can hear that you’re panicking, but it’s okay. They’re not sending you there alone, you won’t be by yourself. They must have everything planned out, so don’t worry. And honestly, Brazil is amazing! Working on this kind of site is your dream, I know it is. It’s going to be fine. You’re going to love it; it’ll be an incredible experience.”
He heard Oikawa sigh.
“You really think so?”
“I do. When are you supposed to leave?”
“Next week.”
“Then you have a week to get everything in order. You’ll be fine.”
“Okay…”
“Okay.”
“Um… And you? How’s your internship going?”
“Oikawa, I’d love to chat, but it’s 2:30 am. I just want to go back to sleep.”
“Oh… okay.”
“We’ll talk later, alright?”
“Okay. Kuroo?”
“Hmm?”
“Thanks.”
The brunet smiled.
“You're welcome… Good night. Or, well, good afternoon, or morning, I don’t know.”
“Yeah… Bye.”
And he hung up.
“I swear…” Kuroo muttered to himself.
He smiled, nonetheless.
When he went back to bed, Kōtarō had completely cocooned himself in the blanket. Resigned, and not particularly keen on facing his wrath or sleeping in the cold, Kuroo climbed into bed anyway.
When he woke up again, Kōtarō had somehow ended up curled up beside him.
They both nearly ran late that morning.
-//-
“And then Kageyama just replied 'Oh, okay', like... Ok, that's not that surprising from him, but I mean, come on! Miwa told me that... Are you listening?" “
Kōtarō kept wiping the dishes absentmindedly. Tetsurō raised an eyebrow: Yeah, no, he wasn't listening.
Bokuto had been acting this way for a few days now. At first, he would give a completely off-topic reply. Whenever Kuroo pointed this out, Bokuto would force a smile and ask him to repeat what he had just said.
And it wasn't all, he would drop everything if he wasn't careful enough, trip over furniture, collide with door frames... And he was sleeping a lot more than usual.
This kind of thing would happen when he was tired, but it would eventually resolve itself with rest. They were both tired from their new routines and the internship, but... It was something else. Kōtarō was emotionally drained, as if he couldn't hold it together anymore.
Tetsurō's features morphed into a look of anxious sadness. He could tell that something was wrong. He had already tried to ask Kōtarō multiple times if everything was okay, but he would just give him a fake smile and lie about it.
He tried again:
"Hey babe, are you okay?"
He put his hand on Kōtarō's shoulder to get his attention.
Kōtarō jolted and snapped back to reality.
"What?"
"Hm, are you okay?"
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Don’t worry."
Yeah...not very convincing.
"You wanna watch a movie? Oh, and I think we still have some chocolate left! Or..."
Kuroo slid his arm around Kōtarō and pulled him closer.
"We could do something more fun," he whispered in his ear.
Kōtarō turned and gave a weak smile. He placed his hands on Kuroo’s chest and gently pushed him away.
"Sounds tempting but..."
"But?"
Bokuto sighed.
"I'm sorry, babe. Not tonight."
"That's all right. You don't have to apologize."
"I'm just exhausted, you know? I think I'm just gonna go to bed early."
Kuroo looked at the clock. 8:30 p.m.? Seriously? He didn’t argue further and pulled away.
"Okay, goodnight," he said, kissing Kōtarō on the temple.
Kōtarō turned and put the last of the dishes away in the cupboard. Then, he kissed Kuroo on the cheek and left. The brunet watched him disappear down the hallway.
He frowned.
Yep, something was definitely wrong with him.
-//-
The situation didn’t improve by the end of the week, and Tetsurō was starting to feel like Kōtarō was trying to avoid him. That was quite the challenge, considering they were living in the same house, but that’s exactly what was happening. He would avoid conversations and would go to bed as soon as they were done with dinner. Because he didn't want to disturb him, Kuroo would just go to sleep in his room. He would eventually see him for a few minutes in the morning, if he didn't leave early, and that was it.
Now that the week was over, Tetsurō thought it would be harder for Kōtarō to avoid him. That would give them an opportunity to talk. It couldn't go on like this any longer.
Kuroo was waiting at the bar. He had made coffee for two and had even gone out to buy breakfast. Kōtarō finally showed up, but just as Tetsurō was about to speak, Kōtarō cut him off.
“Hey babe, I’m going to the gym. I’ll be back in two hours, I think.”
Without saying anything else, he put on his coat and left.
Kuroo was dumbfounded.
Okay, something was definitely wrong, and this couldn’t go on. Luckily, Tetsurō had an idea.
-//-
"I’m home..."
Kōtarō froze when he saw his boyfriend waiting behind the door.
"Uh... Babe?"
The brunet just smiled and helped him with his bag and coat. As he turned around, he finally noticed the sheets stretched between the coach and the TV, held up by the coat rack and a stack of old cardboard boxes.
"What's that?"
Tetsurō smiled:
"A nest! Well, a blanket fort... both I guess."
"What? Why?"
"For you."
Kōtarō looked up to catch his gaze. Before he could ask anything, Kuroo extended his arm like a gentleman and asked:
"Shall we?"
His boyfriend took his arm. They walked toward the fort and crouched down in front of it. Kuroo lifted the sheet to reveal the inside, which he had filled with all the nesting materials and blankets he could find. He had also gotten one of Keiji’s fairy lights, which lit the fort with a soft, golden glow. Kōtarō stepped inside and examined every corner of the strange setup.
“Make yourself comfortable.”
Kuroo stepped out and returned a moment later with two mugs of hot chocolate. He handed one to his boyfriend and sat down beside him.
"Why did you..."
"I told you. I made it for you."
Kōtarō raised an eyebrow.
"But why?"
"Well... I don’t know. I’ve noticed things haven’t been great lately. And sometimes, it’s okay to just... let yourself feel it. You know, sit with it. Wrap up in a nice blanket, watch something dumb, maybe eat something nice. It doesn’t fix everything, but... it helps. A little."
"I’m fine, you know."
Kuroo tilted his head to the side:
"No, babe, you're not. I know that."
Kōtarō held his gaze.
"I don’t want to bother you with it...”
"Babe, your well-being doesn’t bother me."
He saw Kōtarō’s eyes fill with tears, but he held them back. He vaguely nodded and looked away.
"We don’t have to talk about it, we can just... chill for a bit, okay? I have my laptop here, we can watch something."
"Okay..."
"Wanna watch 'Dancing birds'?"
Kuroo knew it was one of his favorite movies. Odd maybe, since it was a BBC documentary about paradise birds' mating dances, but well, it always cheered him up.
"Okay... Can we watch 'Brooklyn 99' after?"
"Yep, if you want."
Kōtarō nodded, and Kuroo started the movie.
They stayed under the fort for hours, curled up in front of the computer. The evening light had begun to fade, barely slipping through the draped sheets.
Kōtarō sat up and closed the laptop, and just like that, the room fell into silence.
"You're right. Things haven't been great lately," Kōtarō said.
Kuroo waited for him to continue, but after a long silence, he asked:
"Do you want to talk about it?"
His boyfriend let out a long sigh.
"I... you can’t really do anything about it."
"I... maybe. But I'm still here if you want to talk about it."
Kōtarō sighed again and sank into the blankets. He turned his eyes to the sheets above him. He took a deep breath and said:
"I'm just tired... I can't take it anymore."
Tetsurō nodded, inviting him to continue.
"I don’t know, it’s just... the more I move forward, the more I realize how... I don’t know... Maybe it's just me... I mean, Keiji has been working for years, Kenma too... Sorry, it doesn't make a lot of sense but... What I'm trying to say is... Well, I know I don't really need money, which is great, but like..."
He sighed.
"I've tried to find part-time jobs before. But like... Every time, I would either get straight up fucked up comment to my face or like... they would never call back, even if I felt like the interview went well..."
Kuroo still didn’t understand exactly where he was going with that, but he stayed quiet, letting him continue:
"All I have to do is hand over my ID card, and poof, gone! No one ever calls me back. No one wants to deal with me, with the T.O.P. They’d rather pass me over than deal with the paperwork. I know it’s not like that everywhere… Konoha’s a manager, and his secondary hasn’t been an issue. All the omegas I know are doing fine. So why not me?"
Oh...
Kuroo's heart sank.
"Maybe I'm the problem after all..."
"Kō... I don't think that's the case at all."
"Ugh... I’ve sent hundreds of applications, sat through dozens of interviews for that damn internship, and it always ends the same way. I was so happy when Kotoga International finally took me. They’re big, and I mean, yeah, huge! They hire all kinds of people. And they seem to handle the T.O.P. compliance stuff just fine. When the HR guy interviewed me, he didn’t even mention my secondary. I know the bar is ridiculously low, but still... I really thought it’d be okay. It’s stupid, but I figured if I mostly worked with betas, it wouldn’t be a big deal..."
Kōtarō was right, the bar was on the floor.
Kuroo made a face. He reached out his hand, lightly caressing his boyfriend's hand with his fingertips.
“Except, bingo! They put me on a team full of corporate alpha supremacists! They’re the worst! They treat me like their maid or secretary, and I know it's not the typical thing they make the newbies do. There’s a guy from my class who was hired, too. They gave him a real project. They barely acknowledge me. Which is fine, because when they do, it's to make remarks. But, well, I can't really say anything."
"Woh, Kō... I'm sorry… Have you talked to your supervisor about it? Maybe you could change departments or... I don’t know."
"Yeah, but he said there’s not much he can do."
"Can’t you contact the HR person who interviewed you? Maybe he can..."
"No," Kōtarō cut him off, "I can't. That's exactly what they want, they want me to whine and give up. I'm not going to give them that satisfaction."
Kuroo didn’t really know what to say.
"There’s a woman in the team who’s omega too... I thought at least she’d be on my side... Yeah, right, she’s almost worse than the others… I get it, she’s just trying to climb the social ladder, it's just shitty that she feels like she has to shit on me to get there. I’m an omega guy, and I don’t really fit the norm of... of how I’m supposed to look, it tends to upset people, but... I’m tired of being treated like this, like... like a..."
"An Outcast?"
"Yeah."
Silence settled for a moment.
"Babe... I'm sorry this is happening to you, I..."
"There's nothing you can do about it Tetsu..."
He didn’t continue. He was right, there wasn’t much Kuroo could do.
"But it felt good to talk about it... Thank you."
Tetsurō nodded.
"It's normal. You know, I’m... I’m not in the best position to give advice, but... But if you’re going to be an outcast, make them regret it. Show them what you're made of!"
"Pfft... yeah... full CATO mode."
"Full CATO mode."
Kōtarō’s expression softened, and he gave a small smile.
"Besides, you don't have to put up with their crap. It doesn't mean you lost or anything. Talk to your supervisor and see if there's really nothing you can do, okay?"
"Okay..."
Kōtarō met his gaze for the first time since they started talking.
Kuroo could tell that the problem hadn’t been solved, but he could also see in Bokuto's eyes that something had changed; a weight had been lifted.
His boyfriend leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. He closed his eyes and hugged him.
They stayed like that for a long time. Eventually, Kōtarō pulled away from him. He opened the computer again and restarted the Brooklyn 99 episode that they had paused.
That night, they fell asleep in the fort.
-//-
"I’m soaking wet! And I have to stay like that, like a damn... soup! It's awful!"
Kuroo let out a laugh.
"You told me it's like... super hot there. It should dry quickly, right?"
Oikawa made a face.
"It's also super fucking humid, nothing dries... Everything is so... sweaty!"
"That’s the life of a field scientist.”
"Meh..."
"Aside from... the sweatiness, how is it? Cool stuff?"
"Yeah it's amazing, but..." Oikawa froze "Fuck, I just heard something!"
He turned his phone to light up his surroundings: it was already pitch dark where he was, and he was clearly in the middle of nowhere in the mountains.
"God, I'm going to get eaten by...some creature..."
"What kind of creature?"
"I don’t know, a snake, or... ah, shit!" he exclaimed. "No, it’s just my arm... phew..."
Tetsurō burst out laughing again.
"It’s not funny, damn it, shit! I..." he didn’t continue, staring straight ahead, eyes wide open.
Kuroo frowned, starting to genuinely worry. Had Oikawa really been spotted by a monstrous creature?
"Kuroo, you..."
"My, my, who do I spy with my little eye."
Kuroo turned around, finding Matsukawa and Hanamaki right behind him.
"Oh, hey!"
They waved back at him and stopped in front of him.
"Kuroo, I don't see shit!"
Matsukawa and Hanamaki froze for a second, surprised.
"Oh, sorry, didn't know you were on the phone,' said Matsukawa.
"Hold on, I know this voice!" exclaimed Hanamaki.
He looked down at Kuroo's phone, a smile forming on his face when he recognized the individual on his screen, an expression of delighted surprise painted on his face.
"Oi, Tōru, is that you?"
The latter jumps and turns to the camera. His eyes widened:
"Takahiro, Issei..."
Kuroo looked back and forth between his phone and his two friends.
"You guys know each other?"
"Uh..." Oikawa stuttered.
"Of course, he’s his ex," Matsukawa explained, pointing to Hanamaki.
Kuroo was left stunned.
"He’s not my ex!" Oikawa and Hanamaki exclaimed.
"He’s my future husband," Hanamaki continued, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
His intervention earned him a weary look from Oikawa.
"Stop that! He’s gonna believe your bullshit now!"
The two others snickered.
"Wh... what?" Kuroo looked at Oikawa, fishing for answers.
"Don’t look at me like that..."
"I’m not making this up, I was promised your hand. Sure, you ran off with some handsome brunet, but I’m still waiting!" Hanamaki insisted comically.
Whoa. Kuroo now remembered this story. Oikawa had told him he had escaped an arranged marriage when he was younger and ended up running away with Iwaizumi. By the look of it, his escape had worked out for both parties.
The world was so small.
Seeing Oikawa looking genuinely uncomfortable, the two companions burst out laughing.
"I’m just messing with you, relax! And given how much of a pain in the a you were, I dodged a bullet there."
"Hey!"
"Yeah, he still is," Tetsurō chimed in.
"Kuroo!"
"Small word, heh? I didn't know you guys knew each other," Matsukawa said.
"We're in the same class at Todaï."
"Oh, okay."
"Tōru, where are you right now? Why is it dark?" Hanamaki asked.
"In Brazil," Oikawa replied.
"What the hell are you doing in fucking Brazil?!"
"I’m on a NASA research site."
"Whoa... well, sounds nice," Hanamaki said, "Iwaizumi?"
"Not here."
Matsukawa and Hanamaki exchanged a look.
"Makki, I think you’ve got an opening!"
The interested party burst out laughing.
"No, he’s just in Japan," Oikawa quickly clarified.
"Rahhhh, what a shame!"
Makki smiled.
"That's awesome, you've always dreamed of working with NASA."
"Hmm..."
"Alright, I'm done torturing you," Hanamaki said." 'was nice seeing your stupid face again Tōru!"
And with that, Hanamaki waved Oikawa and Kuroo goodbye and headed back to the building. Matsukawa bid them farewell as well and followed Hanamaki inside.
Slowly, Kuroo turned his gaze to Oikawa.
"No comments. Well, it’s getting late, I’m going to bed."
"Hmm, yeah, run away, you coward."
Oikawa rolled his eyes and hung up.
Kuroo stared at his phone’s wallpaper for a few seconds. A smile finally formed on his lips.
What a small world, really.
-//-
DRel’ik - public story - posted 1 hour 45 minutes ago
#Ji the black kat #Morpheus
“Add the chocolate sauce now, pairs well with the vanilla ice cream,” suggests Kōtarō.
“No, No, caramel!” retorts Kuroo.
The two of them turned to the camera:
“Which one do you prefer?”
“I dunno, both.”
Kuroo and Bokuto nod before adding a generous amount of caramel and chocolate sauce to the blender. The mixture that had originally looked quite appetizing now resembles a soup of mud.
"That looks disgusting," the voice behind the camera chuckled.
"Maybe, but I bet it tastes amazing, only good stuff," Kōtarō replies, "Ok, let's go.”
And with that, he presses the start button. After a few seconds, a shrill metallic sound comes from the machine, and the lid bursts open, spilling the muddy soup all around.
The three companions scream, the camera shakes, and the recording stops abruptly.
Appelpie - public story - posted 1 hour 42 minutes ago
Photo of a large, light gray metallic building with futuristic rounded curves, bathed in golden light.
"Looks like a spaceship WTF"
Location: Lotte Mall, Gangnam District - Seoul, South Korea.
Yamaguchi Tadashi - public story - posted 1 hour 30 minutes ago
Photo of Yamaguchi and Tsukishima, posing in front of the entrance sign of the “Nebula Max eGame Arena.”
Location: Lotte Mall Nebula Max Arena, Gangnam District - Seoul, South Korea.
DRel’ik - public story - posted 1 hour 15 minutes ago
Kuroo and Kōtarō are in the kitchen, the mud soup has been recreated in the blender. They look at the machine warily. Kōtarō hesitates, then gathers his courage and presses the button. After a few seconds, the metallic shriek returns.
"No!" the three friends shout in unison and rush to the blender.
Kuroo manages to stop it before another explosion.
The video stops abruptly.
KodzuKen - private message, 1 hour 12 minutes ago
Kenma walks through the crowd gathered in the entrance hall of the Nebula, people are talking loudly, and some are dressed in the best cosplay of their favorite characters. No one notices him. The camera turns, and for a second, we see Keiji walking beside him.
"Nobody’s noticing me, I love it"
Ji the black kat - public story - posted 1 hour 10 minutes ago
Photo of the completely dismantled blender. Kōtarō in the background is holding a screwdriver, trying to reattach the blender's propeller.
Kimiya Izu - public story - posted 1 hour 8 minutes ago
A perfect stranger and her protein milkshake, fresh out of an intense jogging session.
KodzuKen private message, 1 hour 05 minutes ago
Yamaguchi breaks through the crowd and charges towards the camera like a cannonball.
"I got spotted. Gotta hurry to get backstage."
Tsukishima Kei - story for close friends, 1 hour 02 minutes ago
Yamaguchi is standing in the middle of the crowd, properly distraught:
“I swear, I just saw him! Where is he?”
“We’ll see him in an hour, it’ll be fine.”
Yamaguchi sighs and throw his arms in the air.
The video ends.
Akaashi Keiji private message - 1 hour ago
Keiji faces the camera, clearly bored. In the background, Kenma is dressed in black pants and a black turtleneck, his hair is pinned to his head with hundreds of clips. He’s holding a black wig.
"He is worried he is overdressed for the occasion."
DRel’ik - public story - posted 32 minutes ago
"Last attempt"
Kuroo and Bokuto in front of the blender again, which has been reassembled, and their mixture has changed density but still look as awful as before. Both have pulled their hoodies over their heads to protect their faces. They take a step back, and Kuroo grabs a long ruler to turn on the machine from a distance.
The brunet takes a deep breath and presses the start button. This time, the machine complies without a fuss.
“Oh! Let’s go baby, it’s working!”
The video ends.
Yamaguchi Tadashi story - posted 31 minutes ago
"We made it!"
The main stage of the arena is visible on the picture. A platform is set up at the back. Behind it, two giant curved screens stretch the length of the wall. A fixed camera is set up in front. In the center, four round tables, as futuristic as the venue, are arranged in circles. Each has five computers, real battle machines ready for the final fight. Above the stage, four massive screens emerge from an inverted dome, lined with red and blue LEDs. The stands, which extend all around, are starting to fill with fans.
Ji the black kat story - posted 12 minutes ago
"We did it!”
The three brownish milkshakes are placed on the coffee table. In the background, the flat screen shows a live Twitch stream of the Nebula arena. The two giant screens display "Grand Final Overlord Land Fantasy." The countdown is visible: 12 minutes and 43 seconds left.
Bokubro Kotabro - public story - posted 11 minutes ago
Kōtarō proudly takes a photo of his milkshake. In the background, Tetsurō and Yūji are sprawled on the couch, talking together.
"It looks like old diarrhea, but it’s delicious!"
Katsu-Katsu - private message, 5 minutes ago
Kasumie and Suki pose in front of the camera. Behind them, the laptop is streaming the match. The countdown shows 5 minutes and 53 seconds.
Akaashi Keiji - private message, 4 minutes ago
We see Kenma from afar, now wearing a black wig, the hair falling to the middle of his back. Half of his face is covered by a black fabric mask. He’s looking up, stressed but determined. Around him, the opposing teams are busy reviewing their strategy one last time before the grand finale. To his right, through a black curtain, the red and blue neon lights flash across the arena from the other side.
5
4
3
2
1
The arena fell into darkness. The music began, and with a sudden jolt, the giant screens all lit up at once. A video began, recounting the history of the game, its rise to popularity, and all the games that had led up to this arena. It was almost like watching the trailer for the next big blockbuster.
The room went dark again. A new video began, announcing the name of the Russian team, Halo. Then the courtyard of a Korean royal palace appeared on the screen, lit by soft red lights. The team members appeared on the screen, and the crowd cheered. They stood with their arms crossed, staring at the camera as if they were about to actually take up arms and fight. The players' usernames appeared as the camera zoomed in on them. The focus shifted to a short blond man with round glasses perched on his nose. His username appeared on the screen: Nitro.
“No way, that’s Nitro,” Tetsurō exclaimed.
"Yeah..."
“I mean... he looks twelve, I didn’t expect that.”
“Don’t underestimate him," Kōtarō commented.
"What did you expect? Viktor Nikiforov?" Yūji remarked.
“Kinda, yeah.”
Yūji burst out laughing:
"I didn’t expect you to get the reference."
“Who do you think I am? Of course I watched Yuri on Ice.”
Just as Yūji was about to respond, Kōtarō urged them to be quiet.
The Russian team’s intro ended. After a few seconds of darkness, all the lights in the arena came on at once, revealing the team members, alive and in the flesh, standing on the stage at the center of the arena. The players waved to the crowd and descended from the platform to their war machines (aka, their computers).
As soon as the Russians were seated at their PCs, the lights dimmed again, and the arena fell silent as the presentation of the second team began on the big screens. The same courtyard of the palace appeared, and now it was the turn of the French team to be introduced. The team appeared on the stage after the sequence, and they went to take their seats. Kuroo couldn't remember any of their names. It didn't matter to him anyway; there was only one person he was really interested in.
Finally, it was the turn of the South Korean team to be properly introduced. They had made an effort compared to the previous two teams. No fierce poses, they had opted for the elegance of traditional garments. After all, they were on their home turf, and they had their honor to defend. Unfortunately for them, like the other two teams, they would be facing a true legend on the battlefield.
The music faded, and everyone held their breath. The courtyard of the palace reappeared on the screen, a pedestal facing the great door in the foreground.
The music resumed, faint as a murmur, mysterious.
The most feared of all appeared: the Necromancer.
Despite themselves, Kuroo, Kōtarō, and Yūji couldn't help but gasp.
Kenma was barely recognizable. He wore a long black cloak that flapped in the wind, like a powerful mage ready to bring destruction in his wake. He was surrounded by a halo of black smoke, CGI imagery worthy of a 2010 movie, but effective nonetheless. His face was hidden behind the cat mask designed by Kiyoko. Dozens of eyes were sculpted into the mask, giving the otherwise friendly animal a malevolent, deity-like appearance. The user name "Applepie" appeared on the screen, and the crowd screamed with joy.
The camera moved behind the Necromancer, and he was seen slowly approaching the pedestal. The music whispered, and his footsteps echoed across the palace courtyard. The shot turned back to him. The necromancer stretched out his hands, and then the great trophy appeared, hovering in front of him. The music rose in an epic breath, and Applepie grasped the trophy with both hands before placing it on the pedestal. And suddenly darkness fell.
When everything lit up again, Kenma was standing at the center of the stage. Cheerful screams saturated the air. Kōtarō, Tetsurō, and Yūji were screaming too, their heart brimming with pride.
Kenma stood on the platform, his face hidden behind the mask, impassive to the crowd's cheers. Finally, he took off his mask, which only made the crowd cheer louder.
He wasn't much more recognizable, though: half of his face was hidden behind a black fabric mask, black hair cascading down his back, and his eyes had taken on a cerulean hue. He was there, but still anonymous, still faceless.
“Ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary friends, he’s here to defend his title! For his first public appearance, please make some noise for our reigning champion: Applepie!” the Japanese streamer translated a few seconds after the announcer’s call.
Shouting erupted from all directions, causing the commentators' microphones to crackle. Kenma waved quickly before leaving the stage to sit alone at his table, facing his 15 other competitors.
"My God, he must have hated every second of it..."
"Luckily, it didn't show."
"Nah, he's used to it. Years of suppressed emotions."
Kōtarō chuckled, surprised by the darkness of the comment. Yūji turned their eyes to him, a mocking smile playing on her lips. They both burst out laughing.
"Shh, it's starting!"
The four screens lit up again, this time showing the in-game arena. After a short countdown, the real match began. The Nebula arena faded from view, replaced by the live broadcast of the game, with the feed alternating between player perspectives.
The teams quickly started setting up their strategies: the faster they won, the less time their opponents would have to turn the situation around. As usual, Kenma tried to stay under the radar at first, exploring the arena to analyze his opponent's strategies. He quickly realized that trying to stay on the down-low while being the most feared competitor in the arena wasn't compatible. One of the Russian attackers spotted him and started chasing him down for a confrontation. Caught off guard, Kenma pushed him away as best as he could; he didn't have the upper hand for the moment and could only rely on his basic abilities. Fortunately for him, the rest of the Russian team was scattered across the arena, so no one came to support the attacker.
Kenma's face was visible for a moment on the bottom of the screen, as well as the Russian attacker after him. The necromancer was quite pissed; his strategy being disrupted. Unfortunately for the other player, Kenma wasn't going to let someone throw him off his game.
Applepie quickly retaliated and managed to defeat the attacker, now becoming the first pawn he could bend to his will. But as soon as the opponent was defeated, another member of the Russian team, Nitro, began attacking him.
Kenma, who hadn't had time to recover from the previous attack, tried to defend himself but was quickly overpowered: back to square one for him.
On the bottom of the screen, Nitro was seen smiling victoriously. Kenma looked annoyed, but his expression soon changed: he was starting to enjoy himself, and he wasn't going to give up any ground. The Russian player was already waiting for him near his spawn point. Kenma quickly noticed and took off in the opposite direction. He soon found himself in the South Korean camp. He ran into a player who happened to be alone at the moment and engaged in combat, defeating him quickly.
Nitro was still after him, having abandoned his teammates to harass him personally. The strategy made sense: Kenma really was the most advanced player, so it was only natural to keep an eye on him.
The captured Korean player wasn’t about to let things slide either. After respawning his new pawn, Kenma tried to lure him in, but the player didn’t fall for it: as soon as he had a moment of control, he immediately moved in the opposite direction.
Deciding to switch gears, Kenma finally came to him. As soon as he found his pawn, the latter began attacking him, forcing Kenma to take control again to stop it. One of the Korean defenders quickly noticed the situation and came over to help. Even more surprisingly, he started attacking his own teammate. The attacks only affected him when the necromancer was in control, so the latter had to release his hold to avoid losing his pawn. Fortunately, no one else had arrived yet. But Kenma knew Nitro was still on his tail, and he wouldn’t hesitate to favor the enemy team to block his path. Unfortunately for the necromancer, a second attacker arrived, helping his teammate and the ally captured by the necromancer.
"Damn, they're really onto him," Kōtarō remarked.
Tetsurō nodded, not taking his eyes off the screen for a second, nervously following the ongoing battle.
For a moment, they lost sight of the battle at hand as the focus shifted to another part of the arena, where the Russians and the French were also in full confrontation.
Yūji chuckled, drawing the attention of the other two. They hadn’t taken their eyes off the screen either, and a predatory smile slid onto their lips.
"Don't worry guys. I'd be more concerned about the others. Pissing him off like that, they're just asking for trouble. It's going to be a bloodbath, mark my words."
And as they predicted, when the focus returned to Kenma, he had finally repelled one of his opponents: he now had two paws at his disposal. While he usually preferred to stay hidden and spread his pawns across the battlefield, he quickly realized that no one would give him enough room to play that strategy. So, he remained exposed, surrounded by his pawns, forcing them to stay by his side, rapidly decimating any enemies who stood in his way to grow his ranks.
"I present to you the 'Wolf Pack' strategy," Yūji announced.
"I’ve never seen him use it in competition," Kōtarō whispered, worried. "It’s super hard to maintain, he won’t be able to keep this up for the whole game."
"Don’t worry, he’ll manage, look at him."
The camera caught Kenma's expression for a moment: he was more determined than ever, his eyes following every movement on the screen with precision, his fingers moving at lightning speed across the keyboard.
"He doesn’t use it often because he’s lazy, but he’s going to do just fine,"
When attention shifted back to him, his ranks had grown. He was now attacking the territory of the Korean team.
The commentators were ecstatic, and the crowd was cheering loudly.
"Eventually, the Korean team’s base fell. The camera cut to the Nebula arena, and a large X appeared across the four screens showing the Korean players: they were definitely out of the game."
Kenma didn’t waste any time and moved on, he had lost many of his pawns taking down the Korean base. He only had two pawns left by his side, one for each remaining team he had to defeat.
When he reached the French team's territory, the Russians had already taken advantage of the situation to attack their base. But Kenma wasn’t about to give them any ground! If the territory fell into their hands, the game would end immediately, signing his defeat. Some Russian attackers diverted their strike to target the necromancer, not ready to give up either. Kenma had no choice but to stop attacking and defend himself. The Russians were gaining ground: one more well-placed strike, and victory would be theirs.
On the screen, Kenma was starting to sweat, but the determination still shone in his eyes. At the last second, Kenma managed to take control of one of the Russian players near the base and launched his attack simultaneously with another Russian player. Luckily for him, his strike hit its target first, and the base finally fell into his hands.
The giant screens displayed his new conquest: they had entered the final stages of the battle. Now, every move could be decisive for whoever wanted to claim victory.
Almost no one was under the Necromancer's control, but he quickly managed to take control of two Russian players as he moved up the map to reach the nerve center of their territory. His opponents didn't make it easy for him, focusing their attacks on the members of their team who had fallen into Kenma's hands to prevent him from gaining ground. Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain. The blond had kept all of his special attacks in reserve and began to unleash them one after the other, decimating his opponents in his wake.
Only two Russian players were still out of his control. Nitro, his nemesis, was one of them.
It was a battle of egos that had just begun: who would fall into the hands of the other?
Unfortunately for the Russians, now that Kenma had made it personal, they didn't stand a chance.
Without hesitation, Kenma launched his attacks one after another, alternating between the players under his control. Nitro fell. As soon as he respawned, Kenma took control of his avatar and launched an attack on the Russian base.
Silence fell in the Nebula arena, as well as in the living rooms of all the spectators. On the giant screen, the cross appeared on the last territory. The music exploded from the speakers, and the crowd screamed at the top of their lungs. The Nebula's screens, which had turned black for a moment, finally announced the necromancer's victory.
For the fourth consecutive time, Applepie had won. He remained unbeaten.
He didn’t seem to have realized it yet. When the crowd chanted his name, he finally looked up from his screen. His opponents applauded him. Turning his gaze, Kenma met his nemesis's eyes. The two players smiled at each other, still pleased with the fierce challenge they’d given each other.
The epic music grew louder. The Korean host climbed onto the podium, officially announcing Applepie’s victory. He stepped forward to invite the player to follow him. Kenma had trouble moving properly, adrenaline coursing through his veins, and the host had to help him onto the stage. Kenma stood upright, out of breath, his skin slick with sweat. He waved to the crowd, and they cheered him on.
Tetsurō, Kōtarō, and Yūji, meanwhile, screamed at the top of their lungs, jumping around, joining in with the crowd’s cheers. Kōtarō grabbed a pillow to scream into. When he threw it aside, his face was flushed with euphoria.
The trophy was finally brought to Kenma. He looked at it for a moment: it was the first time he could hold it; the first time he had tangible proof of his victory. He took it with both hands and presented it to the crowd.
The commentary resumed, and the broadcast was cut short, with the streamers beginning their analyses. However, one could still see Kenma set down his trophy when his opponents came to congratulate him, all thrilled to have participated in such an epic battle.
In Tokyo, the three friends debriefed the match, no longer paying attention to the screen. When their attention returned to the TV, the broadcast was over.
“Well, we can call him now,” Kōtarō said, tapping on his phone. It rang.
The other two leaned in to see his screen. When Kenma answered, they shouted in unison, “Congratulations!”
Kenma nodded to thank them. Keiji was also in the camera shot, hugging his mate, smiling proudly. In the background, the crowd’s cheers could still be heard.
“Thanks.”
“Man, they really gave you a hard time!”
Kenma sighed. He lowered his mask: he was backstage and wasn’t at risk of being seen for the moment. His face was still flushed and sweaty.
“A bit, yeah... But I did say I was going to crush them.”
Tetsurō chuckled, euphoric.
Suddenly, they heard screams coming from the back of the backstage. Kenma quickly put his mask back on, and Keiji pulled away from him. In the background, a figure appeared. The intruder was immediately intercepted by security.
“Am I tripping, or is that Yamaguchi?”
Kenma sighed.
“Yeah, it’s him…”
Yamaguchi was now being held back by three security agents, but the guy wasn’t backing down.
“No, it’s fine, I know him… I know him, it’s okay ,” Kenma said to the security.
The agents, initially incredulous, eventually let the young man go, who then charged at Kenma.
“Damn it, I should have said I didn’t know him.”
Yamaguchi threw himself at Kenma. The camera tilted, and the phone fell, cutting the call.
The other three stared at the screen, stunned.
After a few seconds of silence, Yūji finally asked:
“So, are we going out to celebrate?”
-//-
"Kanpaï!"
The glasses clinked, half of their contents splashing around. The three friends, now borderline drunk, gulped down their drinks in one go.
"My throat’s on fire," Kōtarō said before chuckling childishly and heading back into the crowd.
Yūji and Tetsurō watched him leave. They exchanged a look and burst out laughing together.
"Should we get another round?" Yūji asked immediately.
"Whoa, wait, let me catch a break first, I'm gonna end up on the floor if we don't slow down. And someone has to take that guy home," Tetsurō said, pointing at Kōtarō dancing shirtless on the dance floor, a pink boa around his neck.
"Where did he find that boa?"
"I don’t know. But no way we’re leaving with it. I'm not sweeping feathers tomorrow morning."
"Not sure you have a say in the matter."
The music echoed around them, so loud that the floor shook, the vibrations reverberating through Tetsurō’s body.
After Kenma’s victory, and after a pre-drink at home, they decided to head out into the Tokyo night. And they didn’t hold back: glitter and silver crop tops, they went all out.
Jealous of the full makeup Yūji managed to do in record time, the other two had eventually begged for some glitter and vivid colors around their eyes. They could say with certainty: they were the most fabulous ones to go dancing.
"Here,"
Yūji handed him a drink.
"I told you I’m taking a break!"
"Relax, it’s lemonade."
"Oh..."
Kuroo raised his glass, and they clinked again.
"Damn, tastes amazing, I didn't realize before, but I think my internal organs are melting from the alcohol"
Yūji nodded, letting out a tender smile. They looked around the room. Kuroo leaned against the bar, glancing at Kōtarō to check on him. He seemed still pretty lucid, so he turned his gaze back to his friend.
"Today was nice, we should hang out together more often."
"Amen," replied the other with a raised glass that was already empty.
They smiled foolishly at each other, and eventually, both turned their eyes back to Kōtarō. They both chuckled as they saw him, dancing with a young woman who was spinning him around like Cinderella at the royal ball. In a half-turn, he finally caught their gaze. He waved and turned to his dance partner, whispering in her ear. She glanced toward them and smiled, waving her hand. Kōtarō and the young woman hugged before Kōtarō pulled away, rushing in their direction.
"Drinks!" he cheered as he reached them.
Yūji turned to the bartender and ordered another round of shots.
Kōtarō, struggling to stay upright, leaned on Tetsurō, giving him a tender but definitely tipsy smile. Tetsurō returned the smile, and they kissed.
"I see you found yourself a dance partner," Kuroo said, "She's cute."
Kōtarō sighed and rubbed his head against Kuroo’s chest. He finally straightened up and let his head fall onto his shoulder.
"Hmm, yeah, she's a lesbian. Look around, I don't stand a chance. She's fun, I like her."
"What's her name?"
"I don't know..."
"Hmm, too bad, looks like you’ll have to go home with me, I’m afraid."
A childish smile appeared on his boyfriend’s lips.
"Hmm, too bad," he said before bursting into laughter.
Kuroo snorted and grabbed his face with his hands, shaking it left and right, before ruffling his hair, which made his lover laugh again.
"You little shit..." the brunet muttered before kissing him on the forehead.
As soon as the shots were placed on the counter, Kōtarō grabbed one and downed it in one go.
"Hey, wait for us!" Yūji scolded.
"You’re too slow! And we can just get another round, who cares, we’re rich!"
Tetsurō raised an eyebrow.
"Your mate’s rich, not you."
"That's the same! And you, your boss is rich, it’s time to ask for a raise!" he said to Yūji.
Yūji chuckled:
"You're right! I'll think about it."
Tetsurō burst out laughing, drawing the attention of the other two.
"Nothing, it's just...pfft... I just remembered the first time I came to your place. The morning after I told you something like 'Woah, so Kenma's your Sugar Daddy' and you replied 'our Sugar Daddy''," he said to Kōtarō.
The latter shrugged.
"Yeah, well, that's the truth."
"Yeah... He's kinda my Sugar Daddy too," commented Yūji.
"Gosh, he has a network of sugar babies... He's like... a pimp or something at this point."
Tetsurō raised an eyebrow.
"Well, not really, we don't have... we don't check the... requirement for the job title."
"You don't know that," Kōtarō replied, "maybe he’s paying me to sleep with you."
Taken by surprise, Yūji’s spat out her drink and burst out laughing.
"Stop! That’s awful!" Kuroo replied, amused nonetheless.
"I’m kidding," Kōtarō said, dragging out each syllable. "Anyway!"
He grabbed both Yūji and Tetsurō by the arm and let himself flop backward.
"What are you trying to do?"
"Take you both with me."
"Woah, epic fail then."
"Come on! Let's dance!"
They eventually gave in and followed him to the dance floor. They let their bodies soak in the music until every fiber of their being was fully immersed, until reason and time completely evaporated.
About two hours later, Yūji, who had disappeared at some point to chat with strangers, returned to find them in the middle of the crowd.
"Yū!" Kōtarō exclaimed, falling onto them.
"Kō! Well, love you guys but I'm gonna call it a night."
"Already!" the other two exclaimed.
"What already, it's 4:30!"
"At least wait half an hour, the subway will be running by then."
"Nah, I’ll go. Besides, I wasn’t planning on taking the subway at this hour, I’d rather get home in one piece."
Kuroo made a face.
"Don't worry, I'll take a taxi."
"Okay, be careful, text when you’re home."
"Will do!"
" 't was fun!" Kōtarō cheered, "let’s do that again soon!"
"Totally!"
They both kissed Yūji on the cheek, and she left.
"I adore them," Kōtarō commented as he watched them leave, his arms still swinging in a lazy dance.
"We should get going soon too, you're falling asleep."
"Nah, I'm fine!"
"Mhm..."
"Come on! One more hour!"
Tetsurō rolled his eyes but eventually agreed. Kōtarō, ecstatic, screamed with joy and started dancing again.
After about half an hour, he received a message from Yūji saying they had gotten home safely.
"Yū’s home," he said to Kōtarō.
"Okay..."
"You're okay?"
"Hmm, I'm starting to get tired actually."
"Wanna go home?"
"... Yeah."
"Okay, let's grab our things and go then."
Kōtarō nodded. They grabbed their things and left the club. Outside, the air was fresh. The night sky had turned lapis lazuli with the awakening of dawn. The streets were quiet, caught between two fires, with early risers heading to work while others still wandered the night before it ended. Tetsurō and Kōtarō chatted lightly, walking towards the subway.
"Oh! Fuck!" Kōtarō suddenly exclaimed, "I forgot my bag!"
"Your bag?"
"My fanny pack! I left it on the counter when I put my coat on, damn it! It has everything! My phone, money, everything!"
Tetsurō rolled his eyes.
"You're hopeless. Well, let's go back then."
They ran in the opposite direction. Once they were a few yards from the club, Kōtarō asked him to wait and ran to grab his belongings.
Kuroo was relieved to stop running, already out of breath. He leaned against a sidewalk barrier and waited.
He started getting impatient after about ten minutes of waiting: What was taking him so long? He sighed. Knowing Kōtarō, he probably found someone to chat with...
As he pulled out his phone to text, he suddenly felt a violent sense of panic overcome him. It felt as if the space around him was compressing and suffocating him, as if the sky had collapsed. His heart raced and his chest tightened painfully. He looked up.
Instinctively, he knew.
Without missing a beat, he ran toward the club. The closer he got, the more fear welled up inside him. Panic reached its peak when he arrived at the corner of a narrow alley. Without hesitation, he entered. His heart exploded when he spotted Kōtarō.
*He was on the ground, his eyes convulsed in panic, completely paralyzed. In front of him, three men stood, snickering viciously. One of them crouched down in front of Kōtarō. Just as he was about to touch him, Kuroo shouted:
"Kōtarō!"
The three men turned in his direction. The one who had been crouching straightened up and glared at him, taking a threatening stance. Anger rose within Tetsurō, and his body moved instinctively. He lunged at them, throwing his fist forward, aiming at the first attacker in his path.
One of the accomplices intercepted his attack and punched him square in the face. Kuroo was thrown backward.
"Get lost, you piece of shit,"
"It's ours, get out of here!" one of the attackers shouted, ready to throw another punch at his face.
This time, Tetsurō managed to avoid the punch by ducking. However, just as he straightened up to counterattack, a second assailant struck him in the face and then kicked him in the stomach. Tetsurō fell backward, crashing to the ground and temporarily knocking the wind out of him.
He took another kick to the face, and the three attackers laughed.
One of them spat at his feet, and they turned away from him to approach their victim again.
Kuroo looked at Kōtarō, who was still lying paralyzed on the ground. Normally, Kōtarō would have been able to defend himself without any problems.
These dirty dogs knew it, they knew it well, and they hadn't hesitated to use fucked up tactics to subdue him.
He had to do something, and fast. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, each frantic heartbeat pounding violently against his chest.
His vision started to blur.
Panicked, he scanned the area around him. Just a few inches in front of him, a metal pipe lay on the ground. Without thinking further, he rolled onto his side and grabbed the pipe. He jumped up, desperation fueling his rage, blood rushing with adrenaline, and struck one of the attackers in the skull. Slightly dazed, the man he had attacked turned toward him, ready to retaliate. Before he could do anything, one of his accomplices stopped him, grabbed his arm, and the three of them ran off.
Kuroo screamed from the top of his lungs, still holding the pipe. He had managed to scare them off enough to make them leave.
At least, that’s what he thought.
Arm still raised, out of breath, body trembling, he turned his eyes towards his boyfriend.
"Kō, are you okay? It’s me, I’m here... Can you hear me? Kō?"
Kōtarō didn’t respond; he remained paralyzed, his gaze lost in the void. Suddenly, the adrenaline drained away, and the pain he had been able to ignore until now flooded his senses. He could taste blood in his mouth, and every breath he took was painful.
"Kō?"
A beam of light hit him in the eyes, and he instinctively shut them.
"Police!"
He turned his eyes, forcing himself to look toward the light: three police officers were pointing their flashlights at him. A sigh of relief escaped him. They were safe.
The police officer approached him cautiously, and Tetsurō realized that, as it was, everything incriminated him. He was armed with a pipe in front of someone in clear distress lying on the ground.
He dropped his makeshift weapon. Bad idea. The metal clattered on the floor, putting the officers on edge. They quickly approached and surrounded him.
"I was defending him... There were three of them, they left," he tried to explain, his voice still raw from the shock, "I think they used a command to..."
Before he could say anything else, one of the officers grabbed him and pushed him to the ground, holding his hands behind his back. He didn't resist, wanting to avoid making the situation worse. Two officers then lifted him to his feet while still restraining his arms behind his back, and they dragged him out of the alley.
"Wait, I..."
He tried to turn and look at Kōtarō. The third officer was crouched beside him, speaking to him calmly.
He was safe now. That was all that mattered to him.
He relaxed, letting go of any resistance. Kōtarō turned his eyes toward him, and their gazes finally met.
Kōtarō turned his eyes toward him, and their gazes finally met.
Tetsurō smiled, trying to reassure him.
His face hurt, his lungs were burning, but he smiled.
"It’s going to be okay, Kōtarō. I swear, everything's going to be okay."
He saw panic flare up in his lover's eyes. But he didn’t speak, nor did he move. He still couldn’t.
"It’s going to be okay, babe, I promise," he whispered.
Kuroo let himself be led out of the alley by the officers. Their car was parked at the corner, lights flashing. One of the officers opened the back door and Tetsurō bent down to get in, remaining as docile as possible.
All he wanted was for Kōtarō to be safe. For the moment, his own fate was of little concern to him.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Fun, fun fun fun... Sorry ‘bout that.
Next Chapter “The storm dew”
" The moment he leaned in, a scream pierced the air, so violent that the canvas of dawn tore instantly. Kuroo felt his heart sink deeply within his flesh. He turned his eyes toward the alley. Kōtarō kept screaming, one of the officers holding him firmly in place. He was struggling with all his might. His eyes found Tetsurō’s: he was panicked, upset, devastated, and filled with fierce, fractious rage.”
Chapter 52: The storm dew
Summary:
The moment he leaned in, a scream pierced the air, so violent that the canvas of dawn tore instantly. Kuroo felt his heart sink deeply within his flesh. He turned his eyes toward the alley. Kōtarō kept screaming, one of the officers holding him firmly in place. He was struggling with all his might. His eyes found Tetsurō’s: he was panicked, upset, devastated, and filled with fierce, fractious rage.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
--
"It’s going to be okay, babe, I promise," he whispered.
Kuroo let himself be led out of the alley by the officers. Their car was parked at the corner, lights flashing. One of the officers opened the back door, and Tetsurō bent down to get in, remaining as docile as possible.
All he wanted was for Kōtarō to be safe. For the moment, his own fate was of little concern to him.
The moment he leaned in, a scream pierced the air, so violent that the canvas of dawn tore instantly. Kuroo felt his heart sink deeply within his flesh. He turned his eyes toward the alley. Kōtarō kept screaming, one of the officers holding him firmly in place. He was struggling with all his might. His eyes found Tetsurō’s: he was panicked, upset, devastated, and filled with fierce, fractious rage.
A second officer rushed toward him to restrain and try to calm him down. The officer next to Kuroo urged him to get into the vehicle. Kōtarō kept trying to free himself, but the officers kept restraining him, urging him to calm down.
"Kōtarō, it’s okay, it’s okay, they’re not going to hurt me," Tetsurō tried to reason with him.
"No! No! No!" Kōtarō repeated over and over.
"Sir, please calm down."
"No! He’s my mate, he’s my mate, let go of me!"
Caught off guard, the policeman holding him loosened his grip.
Kōtarō freed himself and lunged at Tetsurō. They collided so violently that Kuroo's head banged the car door frame. Kōtarō held him tightly against him.
"Kō, it's okay, I swear," the brunet whispered.
His boyfriend didn’t listen, continuing to scream at the top of his lungs.
One of the officers tried to separate them, but Kōtarō pushed his arm away and turned, positioning himself defensively in front of Tetsurō.
"I invoke Article 127, Paragraph 12 of the Treaty for Omega Protection, you cannot keep us apart."
The officers exchanged glances. Dozens of people had gathered around them, watching the scene, some taking out their cell phones to film. Noticing this, one of the older officers signaled to his colleagues to release Kōtarō.
They got into the patrol car together.
-//-
"This is insane,” Tetsurō muttered. He was at the end of his tether.
Kōtarō and he were sitting in an office, facing the policeman who had been holding them for the last twenty minutes, arms crossed, glaring at them sternly.
Kōtarō hadn’t said a word since they got in the car.
He was staring blankly at the table in front of him.
“Do you have a problem, sir?”
“Yeah, I do have a problem! We were assaulted, my mate was assaulted, and you are treating us like criminals!"
At first, Kuroo tried to be as cooperative as possible. But once he realized the police officer in front of them wasn't there to get their statement but rather interrogate them like they were the ones at fault here, he lost his shit.
Acting like a brat wasn't the best strategy, but playing nice wasn't an option anymore.
“Please, check your tone, sir.”
“This is insane,” Kuroo muttered, falling back into his chair.
"Again, we split up because he went to get his stuff at the club we were at, and when I found him again, three guys were..."
The words slipped out of his mouth, his throat tight with anger and pain.
"They were..." He held his breath, his heart sinking into his chest. "They were... they were attacking him. I tried to stop them, but they attacked me. I found the pipe and used it to defend us. They left when you showed up."
The policeman raised an eyebrow.
“That’s quite convenient.”
"What?" he inhaled deeply, irritated, "Look at me? What do you think happened? I banged my own head against a wall for fun?"
Not sure if sarcasm was the best course of action here, but Tetsurō was too fed up to try to be reasonable.
“Bokuto-san could have tried to defend himself."
Tetsurō rolled his eyes. Yes, sarcasm would not do. It was noble of the officer to try to prevent domestic violence, but that was far from being the case here.
"He was clearly under the influence of an alpha command! I can't do that! What's your theory here exactly?"
“It’s not hard to have accomplices.”
“But… I can’t believe this… He told you, I’m his mate, why would I have done that? With accomplices? Come on! That makes no sense!"
The officer narrowed his eyes. He finally turned his attention to Kōtarō.
“I don’t see Bokuto-san corroborating your story.”
“He’s clearly in shock!” Tetsurō retorted vehemently. “What did you expect?!”
The officer, Kuriyama, as indicated by the plaque on his desk, sighed. He then focused on the computer in front of him and began tapping on his keyboard.
“I don’t see your name registered in Bokuto-san's file.”
“I’m not registered.”
“Which is once again quite convenient.”
Kuroo sighed, exasperated.
“You must have his alpha registered, Akaashi Keiji.”
“Indeed.”
“Then call him!”
“We’ve already tried that, no answer.”
Kuroo sank back into his chair. Fuck... Keiji was probably still asleep, and he usually kept his phone in airplane mode at night.
“What were you doing in the presence of an unaccompanied omega?”
Kuroo blinked, completely caught off guard by the question. Anger rose again within him.
“Unaccompanied... are you kidding me? He’s an adult, he can do whatever he wants! This is insane.”
“You haven’t answered my question.”
“I told you, his… Akaashi-san is in South Korea with his… our other mate. We went out together in the evening, we were about to head home, and… I’ve already explained this.”
“Sir, this…”
“I went to get my things.”
Kuriyama fell silent. Kōtarō had just spoken. He was still staring at the table in front of him. His voice was weak, monotone.
“When I came back out, I was approached by three individuals. They tried to get my attention. I ignored them, but they didn’t like that."
Kuroo’s throat tightened, terrified. He felt tears well up in his eyes.
“Can you describe the individuals?”
Kōtarō closed his eyes, his breath erratic, fighting with all his strength not to collapse.
“Male, alphas, around 1.85m to 1.90m, two had black hair, one of them was wearing a gray beanie… I don’t have a clear memory of their faces.”
Kuriyama typed the details into his computer.
“And then?”
Kōtarō breathed deeply.
“One of them grabbed my arm to hold me back, the one with the beanie, I think... I tried to defend myself, but they… used a command to… to subdue me. After that, the only thing I remember is seeing Kuroo-san, then you. That’s it.”
Kuriyama finished typing what he had just said.
“If Kuroo-san wasn’t with you, how is it that he found you so easily?”
“I called him.”
“You called him?”
Kōtarō nodded slowly.
“How did you…?”
“I told you he’s my mate,” Kōtarō interrupted.
Kuriyama looked at the two young men in front of him, one after the other. He sighed and finally added:
"Well... I'll need more details. That doesn't explain why you were unaccompanied at such a time. And dressed like that... No wonder you got into this mess, look at you."
Kōtarō looked down, closing his jacket, deeply ashamed.
Okay, Tetsurō was now two seconds away from smashing Kuriyama-san's computer monitor against a wall. What the fuck was that?
“Seriously! What does that even have to do with anything?”
He fell silent as Kōtarō finally turned his gaze toward him for the first time since they had arrived. Kōtarō maintained eye contact, and Tetsurō understood that he had said enough.
“Can we leave now?” Kōtarō asked.
“I’m afraid not, this doesn’t explain why you were unaccompanied. I need confirmation from your alpha to finish the procedure.”
And here we fucking go again!
Kuroo was beginning to lose the little faith he had in his country’s judicial system.
As the officer continued spewing nonsense, Kuroo turned his eyes toward the window, looking into the adjacent hallway. He couldn’t believe what was happening!
A uniformed officer passed by the window, and their eyes met briefly. Both of them widened their eyes when they recognized each other. The officer turned around and opened the door to the office.
“Kuroo, Bokuto, what are you doing here?”
“Daichi!”
He was saved! Japanese justice wasn’t so terrible after all! An angel had been sent to him!
Kuroo let out a sigh of relief.
Kuriyama turned to his colleague:
“Sawamura, do you know them?”
Daichi seemed to realize he had barged into his superior's office a bit abruptly. He straightened up and greeted Kuriyama-san more formally. He turned to them again:
“Guys, what happened to you?”
“Kōtarō was assaulted… I just tried to defend him and... And instead of taking our statement, they treat us like we are the guilty ones here!"
“Bokuto-san was not accompanied by his alpha. He claims that Kuroo-san here is his mate.”
Kuroo looked up at Daichi.
“Uh, yes, I can confirm.”
This statement seemed to trouble Kuriyama:
“We can’t do anything until we get confirmation from the alpha registered in the system.”
“Yes, Akaashi Keiji, I know him too. He’s out of town right now with their third mate. I can vouch for them if necessary."
“Sawamura, you…”
The door opened again, and a young woman in uniform entered. She leaned casually against the door:
“Boss, we’ve got the footage of what happened. Apparently, these two are well-known on social media. Someone filmed the whole thing live.”
What?
Kuriyama seemed just as surprised as Kuroo.
“Well…”
“Can we leave now?” Kōtarō asked again.
Kuriyama turned his attention to Daichi again.
“Sawamura, do you confirm? I don’t want any trouble.”
Sawamura nodded.
Kuriyama sighed.
"In that case, I don't see any reason to hold you any longer, you can leave."
“Wait, you didn’t even file a report and…”
Kōtarō grabbed his arm to silence him. Kuroo looked surprised. Kōtarō had his head down, avoiding his gaze. He shook his head.
“I’ll escort you out,” Daichi offered.
They followed him, finally leaving that hellish office. Kuroo had a strong urge to turn around and flip Kuriyama-san off. He refrained, not wanting to be detained any longer.
“I can’t believe what just happened, I’m really sorry, I’ll see what I can do to…”
He didn’t finish. Kōtarō had leaned forward to politely bow.
“Thank you, Sawamura-san,” he said. “We need to go to the hospital, Tetsurō is hurt.”
He spoke in a controlled voice. This wasn’t like him at all. Tetsurō felt his heart sink. Sawamura nodded, understanding that Bokuto’s calm was hanging by a thread, and he couldn’t do anything to help him.
Kōtarō straightened up and walked away.
As they crossed the lobby, they were called again:
“Wait!”
As they turned their eyes, they spotted two young women sitting across from the desk of the officer who had intervened earlier. The women stood up and hurried toward them. They were both wearing glittery dresses and high heels, indicating that they were likely at the club they had been to earlier.
“I’m sorry... We saw your Insta's stories and recognized where you were, we just wanted to say hi.” said the first woman with midnight blue hair.
The second woman, roughly the same age as them, with candy pink hair and perched on canary yellow heels, caught up with them. She nodded to confirm her friend's words.
“We weren’t planning to do anything... I was live when it happened, we didn’t know what to do and... sorry, I couldn’t stop the recording and...”
“Were you the ones who called the police?” Kuroo interrupted.
The young woman fell silent and nodded.
“I didn’t know what to do and...”
Kuroo bowed, which caught the woman off guard.
“Thank you, thank you so much."
He straightened up.
“I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there to help us.”
The two women nodded, tears welling in their eyes.
Kōtarō stepped forward to face them.
“Thank you so much.”
They nodded. They moved aside to let them pass. Kōtarō lifted his head, grabbed Kuroo by the arm, and they left the station.
-//-
Tetsurō opened the camera on his phone. He winced when he saw his face: it was swollen, bruises spreading their colors onto his right eye and cheek. The scratches on his face and body had been disinfected and bandaged. Now that the shock and anger had subsided, the pain was numbing his entire body. He had been given painkillers, but they had not taken effect yet.
He didn't care about the pain, though.
It wasn't the most difficult thing he had endured.
He had been terrified. He still was, somehow.
His heart tightened painfully. He wanted to burst into tears but held back. Kōtarō was with the nurses to get checked out.
He couldn't break.
Not now, and certainly not here.
Even though he just wanted to forget, to silence his thoughts for a moment, the whole scene kept playing over and over in his mind.
Almost obsessively, he grabbed his phone again, connected to the hospital’s Wi-Fi, and opened Twitter, searching for his username in the search bar. Hundreds of tweets appeared, but he ignored them, scrolling through until he finally found what he was looking for: the link to the clipped video of the young woman’s live stream he had met at the station. He started it.
In the foreground, he recognized the two young women he had crossed paths with at the station. They were ecstatic at the thought of getting a chance to approach them, repeating imagined scenarios they thought might grab their attention. They burst into laughter in unison, fully aware of how ridiculous their fantasy was.
"Hey, look, isn't that Morpheus over there?" the pink-haired woman exclaimed.
Her friend let out a small, excited scream and turned the camera.
He did recognize Kōtarō coming out of the nightclub.
"Oh shit! Yeah, it's him!"
"I think he's leaving though. Makes sense, it's like, super late. What should we do?"
"I don't know, we're not going to chase him down like psychopaths."
"Okay, okay. He’ll probably walk right by, we could just stop him for two minutes, that’s not weird, right? Applepie just won, we can just... I don't know, say that."
"Good idea."
As they approached the club, three men appeared in the camera frame, approaching Kōtarō.
Kuroo froze. He zoomed in as much as possible, trying to make out the details. The video was too pixelated and dark for him to clearly see their faces.
He let the video play again, hoping to find a different angle. He watched as the three attackers approached Kōtarō, shouting to get his attention. Kōtarō shot them a quick glance and quickened his pace to distance himself from them. One of the attackers, the one wearing a gray beanie, grabbed his arm to stop him.
Kuroo felt his heart tighten, as if someone were trying to crush it like a walnut.
Kōtarō easily shook off his attacker’s grip. He flipped the man off and started to walk away. However, the man in the beanie quickly caught up to him and yanked him back. A second man seized his arm, and they shoved him against the wall. Kōtarō tried to fight back, but when one of the three attackers shouted something at him, he stopped resisting, his body going limp as if he had turned into a rag doll.
All of this happened in the span of a few seconds.
Behind the camera, the two streamers let out a scream of horror.
"Shit! We need to do something!"
"I’ll call the police," her friend replied.
The camera angle shifted, the image becoming blurry. The streamer was running, shouting for help, trying to stop passersby to get someone to help them. Next to her, her friend was on the phone with the police.
"There!” the young woman holding the phone exclaimed.
A police car appeared in the frame.
"Wait! Wait!"
She threw herself into the middle of the street, waving her arms, the image becoming completely blurred. The recording became clearer just as the camerawoman extended her arms to stop herself from falling when the police car slammed to a halt right in front of her.
"Help, please, help!"
Tears began blurring Tetsurō's vision, but he kept watching.
"Tetsurō?"
He looked up. Kōtarō had just come out of the examination room. His face was drained of all emotion.
"They threw themselves at the police car," the brunet blurted out, still in disbelief. "They threw themselves at the car to help us."
Kōtarō stared at him for a second, emotionless. Finally, he sat down beside him.
They both looked at the phone, the video continuing to play.
"Isn't that TBK?"
"Yes! No, wait, it's not him, wait!"
They ran towards the car, now parked at the side of the road, as the police were holding Kuroo to take him away.
Kōtarō's screamed and he appeared again on camera, rushing toward Kuroo.
Kōtarō clicked the screen, stopping the video.
Silence fell.
"I want to go home."
Kuroo, caught off guard, turned his eyes towards his lover. He was staring ahead, impassive, drained, empty. The brunet sniffled loudly and wiped his eyes.
"Okay, okay, let's go."
Once everything was settled, they finally left the hospital. The sun had been up for hours now. As soon as they stepped outside the building, once they regained phone signal and 4G, their phones started ringing non-stop, notifying them of dozens of missed calls and messages. Kōtarō looked at the screen, still unresponsive:
"Kenma and Keiji tried to call me."
"Me too."
Just as Kōtarō was about to put his phone away, it vibrated in his hands. He stared at the screen for a long time.
"It's Kenma."
After a brief pause, he finally picked up, but remained silent.
"Kōtarō! Oh shit, shit! Finally! What's... wait, I'll call you back."
Kōtarō looked at the screen, then went to sit on a bench under a small shelter. Tetsurō followed him.
The phone rang again, it was a video call from Kenma. Kōtarō answered, leaving the phone facing him.
"Kōtarō, are you okay?"
Kenma and Keiji were on camera; their faces were wrecked with tears and panic.
"I... Keiji muffled a sob, I am sorry, my phone was on airplane mode, I did not get the calls, I should have..." his voice cracked into another sob.
"We... We saw the video, I got tons of messages from Sugawara and... Kōtarō?"
Kōtarō nodded vaguely.
"Talk to me, please, are you okay? Are you both okay?"
Kuroo leaned against Kōtarō's shoulder, and his face appeared on camera.
"We’re okay now."
He saw his two boyfriends' eyes widen in shock upon seeing him.
"Shit Ji!"
Keiji pressed his hand to his mouth, stifling a gasp.
"I’m fine, I’m fine, it’s nothing," Tetsurō tried to reassure them.
"Nothing? Have you seen yourself? Nothing?! Kō, Ji, what the... I’m so sorry, so sorry... I..."
"It's not your fault Kenma, don't worry it's..."
He fell silent as Kōtarō broke down in tears. He had finally reached his breaking point. For the first time since everything he had experienced, he allowed himself to break down. The release was violent, overwhelming, and torrential. Kuroo held him close, gently kissing his temple.
"I’m sorry," he whispered in a choked sigh. "I’m sorry, sorry..."
Kenma’s gaze softened, disarmed, deeply shaken.
"Don’t be, it’s not your fault Kōtarō, there’s no need to apologize," Kenma said, his voice thick with tenderness and sorrow.
"I’m sorry... They filmed us, I... I didn’t mean to, sorry... I don’t want this... I don’t want it to fall back on you, I’m sorry..."
"Kōtarō, I don’t care about that, I don’t care at all, and it pisses me off that that’s the first thing that comes to your mind. I should be the one apologizing. I don’t care at all, I just want you two to be okay. Do you understand? We don’t care about that, it’s really not important."
Kōtarō nodded. He hiccupped, letting out another round of tears.
"I swear... We’ll find them and they’ll pay for this, they’ll regret..."
"No."
Kenma and Keiji jumped, surprised by the boldness of his response.
"No?"
"We can’t do that..."
"Of course we can, I’m not going to let those maniacs roam free!"
"We can’t..."
Kenma fell silent.
"It’s my word against theirs," Kōtarō continued.
"Everything has been recorded, I doubt that..."
"I was alone... well," he wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt, "Keiji wasn’t there. If they decide to play that card, he could be charged with abandonment and reckless endangerment. I don’t want that falling on him. What do we do if they take his guardianship away?!"
Kōtarō caught his alpha's gaze. Keiji was devastated, terrified to realize Kōtarō was right, that there was nothing he could do.
"They already didn’t want to let us leave because of this..."
No one replied, deeply helpless.
"I’m really sorry," Keiji whispered, guilt and pain trembling in his voice.
"It’s not your fault..."
Everyone fell silent, unable to find anything to say.
Kenma was the first to speak again.
"Okay, okay, but... We’ll talk about it later, for now I..."
"Kenma, there is a flight in 3 hours to Narita," said Keiji, phone in hand.
"Okay, perfect, we’ll take it," the blond turned his eyes back to the camera, "we’re on our way, okay? I'm gonna hang up now, but I promise will be there soon."
They nodded.
"Okay, I love you, we'll be there soon."
And the call ended.
Silence stretched, stabbing them with an immensely painful emptiness.
The sun continued its journey toward the zenith, cars honked, and passersby went about their business. The world continued to turn as if none of this had happened.
Tetsurō and Kōtarō turned to face each other. In a desperate motion, they embraced fiercely. They were like two shipwrecked souls who had survived the storm, yet the sky above them had lost its former colors.
-//-
The brain was something truly peculiar.
Just a few hours ago, Tetsurō had gone through one of the most traumatic episodes of his life, yet here he was, safe and sound in his house, eating junk food and watching funny cat videos.
Kōtarō and he had set up the pillow fort in the living room again, where they took refuge. It felt as if they had pressed pause on time itself.
Kōtarō was okay now, he was safe. They were laughing together, fueled by a desperate and overpowering breath: they were together, and they were safe.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Tetsurō still felt like this wasn't real. Like he would wake up at any moment in this alley. For now, he tried to bury that feeling deep down; he tried to exist only in the present, averting his gaze from the abyss looming beneath his feet.
The brunet took out his phone and checked for any updates from Keiji and Kenma, but there was still no news. They shouldn't be long now. His screen was once again filled with notifications. The entire CATO gang had reached out in a panic, and his Instagram DMs were overflowing with messages from strangers asking about their well-being. So far, he had only replied to Yūji; they had learned what happened from Kenma and contacted him immediately. As for the others, he hadn’t responded, as he wasn't keen on talking about what had happened just yet.
He recognized one of the usernames in his private messages. It was the streamer who had come to their aid. She was also asking for their news. He decided to reply; after all, he owed her that much. Once he was done, he stared at his overflowing inbox. It was strange, but it felt almost comforting. They weren't alone.
He sighed and turned on his camera. He winced when he saw his face, but still made a peace sign.
"What are you doing?" Kōtarō asked.
"Taking a picture, just to show people I'm still in one piece."
"Oh..."
Kōtarō leaned on his shoulder and appeared in the camera frame. Tetsurō took the picture and posted it to his story. He made sure to exclude his family so as not to alarm them. Then he immediately put his phone on silent.
Silence fell. He had definitely ruined the light atmosphere that they had worked so hard to create. Everything came back to him, and the scene replayed in his head. It was bittersweet, yet distant, as if it belonged to a dream, as if it had happened centuries ago.
He sighed.
"Are you okay?"
"I guess... I don't know. I can't believe it was just a few hours ago."
Kōtarō nodded, turning his eyes.
"Yeah... Same. I'm fine now, but... I think tonight's going to be another story."
"Keiji and Kenma will be there by then... we'll be fine."
His lover nodded. Finally, he chuckled and leaned back. Kuroo raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding what was so funny about their situation.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Oh, nothing... I just remembered... 'I invoke article my ass, paragraph whatever of the Treaty for Omega Protection,' I can't believe they bought that!"
Kuroo turned toward him, confused.
"What?"
"I made it up! I don't know the T.O.P by heart, I could never quote it like that!"
Kuroo was stunned, struggling to process the information:
"You lied?!"
"Yeah, I did. I didn't want them to take you away from me."
"Oh... I didn't realize."
"I noticed they were all betas, so I figured I could tell them whatever I wanted."
"Oh, well, that explains the weird interrogation."
"Yeah, if they weren't betas, they would've called my bluff on the spot."
"How so?"
"They would've known you're a beta, too."
"And?"
"Betas can't be registered as mate, it wouldn't have worked."
Oh...
Kuroo knew that...
He just thought that...
It wasn't the time to dwell on that, but he couldn't help but think that... Well...
Tetsurō leaned back against the pillows. His whole body felt like limp rags, and his heart felt heavy, like a thousand little pebbles sinking into his flesh. He wanted to burst into tears. But he held back. This wasn't the time to think about it; it wasn't the time to make things about himself.
But he had just thought that...
"What's wrong?"
Kōtarō had spoken softly, his voice so gentle that Kuroo had to fight desperately against tears. He turned his eyes, trying his best to appear neutral.
"Nothing, why?"
Kōtarō looked him straight in the eye. He wasn't fooled at all.
"You know I know you're lying, right?"
Kuroo immediately averted his gaze. He wouldn't be able to keep up the act for much longer.
"Tetsu..."
"It's nothing really."
He sighed.
"It's just that... I thought... Did you really make it up? All of it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing... I don't know."
Silence stretched between them for a bit.
"Forget it, it's not a big deal anyway."
He heard Kōtarō take a deep breath. He looked up at the roof of their fort, still avoiding his gaze.
"Babe."
"Hmm?"
For fuck's sake, why was he so bad at lying?! he couldn't even fool himself!
"Babe I... sorry I wasn't clearer, I should've realized."
"What?"
"Babe."
The torture was dragging on, and Kuroo wasn't sure his tear ducts would stay under control much longer if he kept this up.
"Yes?"
Kōtarō smiled.
"I called for you, and you heard. You came. Do you really think I would lie about that?"
Tetsurō turned to him, and their eyes met. Kōtarō's smile widened. His limp body came alive again, and his heart started racing. In his belly, a knot formed, made of apprehension and tenderness.
"Does that mean that..."
"That?"
"Are... are we like... mates?"
Kōtarō nodded.
"I'm afraid so."
The knot within him exploded, flooding him with a torrent of emotions: deep tenderness, love, and confusion. The wave washed away everything else: the fear, the bitterness, and the pain.
He chuckled, no longer resisting the tears welling up in his eyes. It was the first time he had said it out loud, the first time he truly acknowledged it. Though it felt unsettling and strange, it was also so obvious. He surrendered to his tears.
"Whoa, sorry, I..."
He couldn't finish because Kōtarō leaned in to kiss him. He welcomed his lips with fervor. Their kiss tasted of salty tears, but they no longer held the bitterness of sorrow and fear.
For a moment, they forgot everything, and the world didn't seem so terrible, far from it. Everything was grand.
He wouldn't let fear consume him anymore; he felt ready to conquer the world.
Kōtarō broke off the kiss and hugged him tightly. His presence was everywhere: in his chest, in all his neurons, in all his cells, and in all the atoms that made him up.
He heard Kōtarō struggle to catch his breath. Surprised, Tetsurō pulled away and took his lover's face in his hands to examine him. Kōtarō was crying, too, but his face was tinted with bitter pain.
"What's wrong?" he whispered.
"Just... I'm sorry..."
"Why?"
His lover... his mate, let his cheek fall onto his hand, his tears rolling on Tetsurō's skin.
"I'm sorry. I activated the bond out of panic. I don't want this to be how we remember it. I'm sorry."
"Oh, babe..."
He hugged him.
"Oh, no, no, I'll remember this, now... And... Yes, I won't forget what happened to you, what happened to us. But..."
He didn’t really know what to say to comfort him.
"I'll remember everything that brought us together here. I'll remember the first time I heard your voice, singing at the top of your lungs in the gym locker room. I'll remember the night we really met, when you made me crawl into a trash container and rolled me down the street, when we danced all night like Cinderella at the ball."
Kōtarō chuckled.
"I'll remember the first time we kissed in that movie theater, where we were kicked out."
Kōtarō laughed.
"I'll remember when you asked me 'So, do we have a boyfriend?' and I said yes. I'll also remember the first time we made love and the first time I said, 'I love you.' I'll remember when you opened the kitchen cupboard and hit me in the face, almost breaking my nose."
"Not that," Kōtarō retorted, though he couldn’t stop laughing.
"Yes, that too. I bled all over the kitchen floor. I won't forget that anytime soon. I'll remember the first time I went under the bower. I'll remember your dirty, slutty look when I tried to bathe you."
"Stop it!"
"And yes, I'll also remember all the times I was scared out of my mind for you. I’ll remember what happened yesterday, well, this morning, rather, for the rest of my life. But it’s okay, babe. For better or worse, that’s what love is about too. But what I’ll remember most is the first time you told me I was your mate. I’ll cherish that forever."
"I didn't say that, you did."
"You yelled it in the street."
"That doesn't count!"
"What do you mean it doesn't count?!"
"I mean it doesn't count."
"Then... what are you waiting for?"
"Pfft."
Kōtarō wiped his face with his t-shirt and straightened up. He was now kneeling in front of Tetsurō.
"Kuroo Tetsurō."
"Hmm?"
"I would have asked you, but I think it’s too late now."
"I give you my informed consent."
"Thanks. So, Kuroo Tetsurō."
"Bokuto Kōtarō."
"You were my bro, then my bo."
Tetsurō burst out laughing.
"Would you be my mate? It's a very private club. But I have to warn you, you're not the first member to join."
"Yes, I'm aware."
"Right. So?"
"Well, damn it! I feel like you're proposing to me."
"Nah, it's worse."
"Worse?"
"With marriage, you can always get a divorce, but here, I'm afraid you'd have a harder time getting rid of me."
"Deal."
"So?"
"Yes."
"That wasn't a question."
"It was a question!"
"You know it wasn’t."
"Oh, shut up."
He grabbed him by the neck and pulled him close. Kōtarō laughed against his lips and finally gave in to the kiss.
The shadows loomed around them. They would be imprinted on their minds forever and haunt their nights for a long time. But for now, they were safe; nothing could catch them.
-//-
It was late in the afternoon when Kenma and Keiji texted to say they had arrived at Narita Airport. Their flight had been delayed by several hours. Kenma was so angry that they almost got kicked off the plane before takeoff.
Kōtarō and Tetsurō waited. They had tried to watch a movie, just to kill time before they arrived, but none of them really paid attention to it. Their boyfriends had insisted that they stay home and wait, saying that they would manage to get back from the airport on their own. This ended up working out well since neither Kōtarō nor Tetsurō felt like facing the outside world just yet.
Kōtarō suddenly lifted his head, snapping back to reality. He jumped to his feet and bolted out of the fort, nearly causing its already unstable foundations to collapse. Kuroo didn’t understand at first, but then an urgent feeling filled his chest. He stood up and followed Kōtarō, who had just flung open the front door and was now racing down the stairs at full speed.
Relief washed over Tetsurō the moment he stepped outside and saw them. Kenma and Keiji had finally arrived. Their taxi had just pulled away, leaving their luggage scattered across the sidewalk.
Keiji was the first to turn around.
Kōtarō leaped over the gate, and Keiji immediately dropped everything he was holding, opening his arms wide. The two of them met in a tight embrace. Kenma joined in as well.
Turning his gaze toward Kuroo, who had chosen the safer route through the gate, Kenma reached out a hand. Tetsurō quickly ran the last few steps and threw himself into their embrace.
Kōtarō broke into sobs with his face buried in Keiji’s neck, while Keiji tenderly stroked his hair, tears streaming down his own face. Tetsurō closed his eyes, feeling the last of his barrier crumble.
-//-
"Listen! It's a good plan. First, I'll find them. Then, I'll carefully remove all their organs and stuff them."
Kōtarō made a disgusted face but ended up bursting into laughter.
The four of them were lying under the fort. After an hour of talking and recounting everything that had happened in painful detail, crying like babies all over again, Kenma had finally shifted into full gore mode. He began fantasizing about increasingly graphic revenge scenarios.
His ideas were terrifying, but voicing them was incredibly cathartic.
"Why?" Kōtarō asked between fits of laughter.
"To make puppets! I could put on a show, we could tour the whole country."
This time, even Keiji and Tetsurō couldn't help but laugh.
"But your puppets are gonna rot!"
"No, listen, I give them a little chemical treatment, and it’s fine. I’m sure I can find how to do it on the internet," the blond added, pulling out his phone.
"Don’t Google that!" Kōtarō said, snatching the phone away.
"I thought you were going to stab their eyes out with needles?" Keiji chimed in.
"Yes, exactly! That way, I can swap them for glass eyes! It’ll look more realistic that way. Keiji, your sister did taxidermy, right? She could help us!"
"Oh, that is disgusting..." Tetsurō muttered, laughing anyway.
"Ji, you’re the scientist of the group, we need you."
"Oh, so I’m involved in this now?"
"Of course, it’s a family business."
"Wait, it’s a business now?!"
"You're laughing now, but you'll be glad I had this idea when we make millions with our hyper-realistic puppet shows."
"Oh my god, stop!" Kōtarō pleaded, struggling to breathe through his laughter.
His reaction was definitely over-the-top, considering the content of their conversation, but his laughter was infectious.
"Naha. I’m giving you a brilliant business plan, and you’re not even considering it!"
"But we’re already rich!"
"Hmm, all the more reason to invest my fortune into something useful. We could be filthy rich!"
"Or in prison," Keiji pointed out.
"We just have to not get caught, that's all."
"Hmm..."
"Then again, you already make money killing people online; stopping now would be a shame," Kuroo remarked.
"See! Finally, someone who believes in me!"
"And then Netflix can buy the rights to the story, that wouldn’t be too bad," Kōtarō added.
"Yeah, and with all that money, we could have anything we want in prison." Tetsurō joked.
"All three of you are disgusting," Keiji muttered, though he was still laughing.
“You’re laughing now, but when we make millions with our hyper-realistic puppet shows, you’ll be glad I had this idea.”
They laughed again, feeding off the desperate energy between them.
Eventually, silence settled in. It was heavy and suffocating, despite how desperately they had tried to keep it at bay. Kōtarō’s face shifted, and his expression turned serious.
"But seriously... what are we gonna do?"
Silence.
"I don’t think there’s much we can do," Kenma murmured.
No one spoke for almost a minute.
"We should at least... I don’t know, try to fix things, since the video is everywhere and..."
"I don’t think there’s much we can do about that either... It’s already going viral."
"Sorry..."
"Don’t apologize, Kōtarō."
"But your image, your reputation? Everything?"
"I don’t care... It’s fine."
Kōtarō sighed.
"I could always say I lied. Someone’s going to realize I was lying to the cops anyway."
"But you didn’t."
"Oh, so you know the exact wording of article 123, subsection whatever? Anyone can tell I was bullshitting by way out of this."
"Maybe, but for the rest... you weren’t lying. And it’s obvious."
Kōtarō fell silent. He and Tetsurō exchanged a look.
"Are we ever gonna talk about it?" the blond finally asked.
The other two glanced at him.
"Talk about what?"
"Oh... I know you didn’t want to bring it up because of me, but... I guess we can now," Kōtarō admitted.
Silence settled.
"Talk about what?" Kuroo asked again.
A strange warmth sensation washed over Kuroo, coursing through his veins. Instinctively, he turned his eyes toward Keiji.
Keiji smiled.
"This."
He remained speechless for a long moment.
He knew. Deep down, he had known for a long time. Their last cycle had only confirmed it. He just never dared to put a name to it.
His body turned into a rag doll once again, and tears welled up in his eyes.
"Oh, come on, stop it, I can't keep crying like this. Let me hold onto a bit of my toxic masculinity, please."
The other three stifled their laughter.
Tetsurō didn’t know what to say or do anymore. Finally, he asked:
"But since when?"
Kenma sighed.
"Since… the pacifiers, I think."
The brunet's eyes widened.
"That was ages ago! I tortured myself over it the whole time. That’s not fair!"
"Sorry," Keiji replied.
"At least you told me."
He pinched his lips together.
"I was not fully honest, either. I told you it was... under process. Well, it just... It was already the case really."
Kuroo gaped like a fish, unable to come up with anything coherent. He forced himself to close his mouth and held his breath for a few seconds before blurting out:
"You guys need to stop leaving me out of the loop like that! I'm just a clueless beta, you know! You need to tell me these things explicitly!"
So much for keeping his cool: there he was, sniffling again.
His lovers moved closer to hug him.
His mates.
Sometimes, the most devastating nights led to the most beautiful mornings.
Sometimes, the fiercest battles gave birth to the most precious things.
They weren't out of the woods yet. But at least they were together.
-//-
The fort had become their main headquarters. It was barely holding together, but Kuroo couldn’t bring himself to leave it. He would stay until it collapsed if he had to.
He tried to leave it though; they all tried. After staying up late the previous night, he tried to go back to his own bed. He felt better, his skin still warm from tenderness.
But love can't cure everything.
Anxiety doesn't easily subside, and shadows can't easily be dispelled.
The moment he was alone, anxiety crept back in, enveloping him like a heavy cloak and weighing him down like a rain of lead. He couldn't sleep; nightmares emerged in his mind as soon as he dozed off. Defeated, we went back downstairs and returned to the fort, hoping its comfort would appease him.
When he went back into the living room, the fairy lights under the fort were still on. And when he lifted the blanket covering the entrance, he found his three mates curled up inside.
The moment he lay down beside them, the anxiety lost his trail.
He resurfaced at the first light of dawn when Keiji had to get up for class. He had almost forgotten that life outside awaited him and that he was supposed to return to his basement hellhole and spend his days filling out forms. The mere thought of it nearly sent him into a panic attack.
There was no way he could go back. Not now, not with his swollen face and dark circles under his eyes that matched the color of his bruises.
He sent an email to his superiors, simply stating he wouldn’t be able to come in, then buried his phone under a pile of pillows.
Kōtarō ended up doing the same. There was no way he was going back either: “Especially not to deal with that bunch of idiots,” as he put it.
He had spent the morning on the phone, repeating the same story over and over again. Oikawa had called as soon as he regained internet access. Sugawara and Yamaguchi contacted him right after that. Kasumi, who had heard about the situation from Suki, had harassed him for hours, demanding answers.
At first, Tetsurō had been reluctant to talk to her. He didn’t want his family to know what had happened. Ultimately, he sent her a message to let her know he was okay, but only after making her promise not to tell his little sister or his parents what had happened. It might have been selfish of him, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
It didn't matter that much anyway. They would find out eventually anyway. Luckily for him, their names hadn’t been mentioned anywhere, and the footage was too grainy for anyone to identify him. Only those familiar with his online alias could make the connection.
He couldn't function properly anymore. His mind was too restless to focus on anything.
The worst happened when a group of alpha supremacists hijacked the story for political gain, fueling their twisted ideology. Most of Kenma’s community rose up against the supremacists, leading to an improbable battle: radical far-right extremists versus a bunch of geeks.
It would have been kind of funny if they weren't at the center of it all.
Still, Kuroo found some solace in it. Even though people now knew about Kōtarō’s secondary and their relationship, their small fan community hadn’t abandoned them. Quite the opposite. They were the most vocal, fighting tooth and nail to defend their honor.
Exhausted, he dropped his phone onto his chest. A few seconds later, it vibrated. A message had popped up in the group chat with his coworkers. Matsukawa had sent a picture of their usual hangout spot, now empty, and was gesturing at it as if trying to prove to Amazon that his package never arrived.
“I’m disappointed to see you’ve abandoned us. Have you officially turned into a bat, living in the institute’s basement?”
Kuroo chuckled and quickly replied.
“Nah, I just didn’t want my beauty to intimidate you.”
“Your beauty blinds us every day,” Hanamaki replied. “What’s gotten into you, denying us the blessing of your graceful face all of a sudden?”
Tetsurō laughed.
“If you insist.”
He snapped a picture of his face, now as colorful as a three-year-old’s drawing, and sent it to them. Their responses came almost immediately:
“WTF, dude?!”
“Fuck! What happened to you?! Did you fight a tanuki? You know you can’t win, they’re unbeatable.”
“You guys really haven’t heard about it? Feels like it’s everywhere…”
“No, what happened?”
He sighed, unsure if he wanted to give them more details. Ultimately, he sent them a link to an article about what happened with the least embellishment but still reporting the facts.
He didn’t hear anything for ten solid minutes. Then, his phone rang. Resigned, Tetsurō stepped out of the fort and picked up the phone.
“What the fuck, man! Are you okay?!” Matsukawa shouted as soon as the call connected.
"We found the video too, holy shit dude, that's awful!"
"Don't worry, I'm okay, thanks guys."
Tetsurō winced. He hadn’t realized how raw his voice still sounded.
“I’m really sorry, man,” Matsukawa added.
“Hmm, thanks, I… yeah. I don’t know what to say, it just wasn’t a great experience. One star on Yelp.”
“One star is already generous.”
“Why did they arrest you though?”
“Well, when the cops arrived, I was the only one there, holding a metal pipe, kinda sus I guess."
"A pipe?! You fought with a pipe?!"
"It was the only thing I could grab."
His two friends burst out laughing.
"That's kinda badass. And, what did they do then? Were they able to find them?"
"Nah, I don't think they did anything. Apparently, we were the problem."
Silence settled for a second.
"Well, that's fucked up..."
"Yeah."
“And your mate, is he okay?”
Tetsurō held his breath for a moment, taken off guard by the question, and his heart skipped a beat.
He could lie and say that it was just an excuse Kōtarō used to get them out of that mess. That was the story he had prepared in case his family ever connected the dots.
But he gave up on the lie.
“Yeah, he’s fine. Just shaken.”
"Good, well, not good, but I'm glad he's okay."
"Yeah."
Tetsurō smiled.
"Well, we have to get back to work. But we're there if you need anything."
“We can even set up a Finnish anti-depression lamp in your office if you want,” Hanamaki said.
“A what?”
“You know, those light therapy things!”
He chuckled.
“That would be amazing, but I’ll be okay. Thanks, guys.”
“No problem.”
The call ended.
Kuroo smiled, feeling a little lighter.
There was still some good left in this world.
Now that he was out of the fort, he decided to take advantage of it and went to the bathroom. He locked the door, undressed, and stepped into the shower. However, his natural urges caught up with him before he could turn on the water. Gravity had revived his intestinal functions, and he was ready to deliver the fruit of its labor. He sat on the toilet with his phone in hand and absentmindedly opened Twitter. It was a very bad decision: He had been avoiding it ever since the Alpha-SS found his story, and for good reason.
He lost his composure when he came across a vile tweet. Someone had reposted a post from a media outlet that had shared their story and had the audacity to comment: "This is exactly why it is imperative to strengthen the T.O.P. to prevent such incidents."
Despite having sworn not to get involved, he broke his resolution and responded:
"Yeah, sure. Taking away even more freedom and autonomy from a minority that already has as many rights as a garden chair, that’s the solution."
"The problem is not the lunatics wandering around attacking people with impunity."
"And the system that crushes them under the guise of 'protecting' them."
"And this is not an 'incident'; it’s an assault, you piece of shit."
Seething with rage, he typed the last sentence, sent it, and tossed his phone onto the pile of clothes in the corner of the room.
After all, it felt good to tell off idiots like that, and he sighed in relief. Taking a deep breath, he decided not to let imbeciles like that ruin his day, and finally took his shower.
He emerged from the bathroom feeling fresh and calm. He even managed to smile sincerely. What if he cooked something? It was getting late, and they hadn't eaten in a while. When he walked into the kitchen, he found Kōtarō sitting at the bar, having come out of the fort. Just as he was about to ask if he wanted anything to eat, he stopped. His mate looked up from his phone and stared at him as if he had grown a second head.
“What’s going on? Did you...”
He fell silent again when he heard Kenma's door fly open. The blond stormed in, looking both deeply terrified and amused.
"Ji! Don't tell me you just said that to Ushijima Wakatoshi, you're insane!"
"Who?"
Kenma handed him his phone and showed him the tweets he had just sent.
"That idiot! Yeah, sorry, but I couldn't let that slide. But don't worry. I did it from my private account. No one knows it's me, except for my friends and you guys. What?!"
"What the fuck babe..." Kōtarō commented, still stunned.
"What?!"
Kenma burst out laughing hysterically.
"Do you know who he is?" He finally managed to articulate.
Kuroo was caught off guard by the question: was he supposed to know every idiot roaming the earth like a bunch of cockroaches?
"No," he admitted finally. "A jerk?"
"He’s the son of Utsui, the leader of the Hongo Dentou party!"
Tetsurō was left speechless.
"It’s the party in charge of the F.C.M.A.O.M. They’re in the middle of a campaign for the elections in July, are you crazy?!
Tetsurō decided to completely miss the point:
"There are elections in July?!"
"Oh my god! Where have you been?! Yeah there are elections in July! For the presidency of the committee."
"The committee?"
"The Federal Committee for the Management of Alpha and Omega Minorities!" Kenma and Kōtarō replied in unison, slightly annoyed.
Tetsurō jumped, not expecting such intensity.
"And... is this serious?"
"Well, you just exposed him in public, it’s not nothing."
"Oh..."
His phone buzzed. He glanced at it, hoping to escape the conversation. Unfortunately for him, it was a message from Yamaguchi on the CATO chat. He had taken a screenshot of his tweet and commented, "TBK: Tetsu the Bloody Kamikaze." The rest of the group quickly chimed in, seeming just as caught off guard as his mates. Keiji even responded for the first time in the chat, writing his full name followed by several exclamation marks. Keiji was a lover of literature and punctuation, so the excessive use of exclamation marks didn’t bode well.
"Uh... oops."
Kenma burst out laughing again, and Kōtarō let his head fall back onto the table with a sigh.
As a result, his Twitter thread went viral, reigniting the debate and angering alpha supremacists who felt insulted. On the positive side, it finally caught the attention of the right people. Dozens of activists of all kinds reacted: omega rights, feminists, and queer activists - finally, some decent people. The debate took up so much space that even betas much more clueless than him started paying attention. Some discovered the existence of the T.O.P for the first time in their lives and were scandalized by what they had just learned.
However, Kuroo never intended to be at the center of a political battle, and he didn't know how to handle his sudden fame. Now, he was lamenting, his head resting on the dining table. He sighed.
"Whoa, you were even retweeted by Goshiki Tomiko," Kenma commented.
"Who’s that?!"
"The leader of the party opposing Utsui... Not bad. She’s for the abolition of the T.O.P and the protection of PFUs."
"What? PFUs?! Please stop, I don't know what's happening..." Tetsurō moaned.
Kenma smirked.
"Protected family unit, that's good."
"Woah, even Chaotic Justice reacted," added Kōtarō.
"Who?!"
"You know, the pirate journalists."
"The pirate journalists?"
Was it even a thing?!
"Yeah, you know them! The Shinagawa gate, that was them."
Kuroo lifted his head:
"The businessman who was involved in human trafficking?"
"Yep."
Kuroo nodded. Well, that was something.
The only good thing was that the internet now seemed to have lost interest in them. At least the distraction had allowed him to forget that he had spent the previous morning at a police station with a face like a supernova. Maybe it was resilience or denial. Who knows?
-//-
Eventually, they had to return to their lives.
Tetsurō wasn't enthusiastic about going back to his basement at the Toribishi Institute, but he had to be realistic. He couldn't spend the rest of his life under the pillow fort, avoiding social media like the plague.
Yes, it was bitter. He had tasted life as a hermit, and, if he was honest, it wasn't so bad. He could live like that forever. He could live somewhere in the forest, away from civilization, with his mates and a vegetable garden. Maybe they would raise sheep, rabbits, a llama, twelve cats, and three dogs too. Kenma could work, managing his gargantuan wealth remotely (it didn't quite fit with the hermit philosophy, but compromises had to be made); Keiji would be a successful writer, he and Kōtarō would take care of the land and their animals. And together, they would lead happy lives, far from the hustle of the city, far from Twitter debates, discrimination, the T.O.P., and all those idiots.
That didn't sound half bad.
But, in the meantime, Kuroo needed to return to his active life.
Why, though? Now that he knew he wanted to raise sheep, what use would a degree in biochemistry be?
Well, maybe it would come in handy with the vegetable garden. Then again, maybe he didn't really want that; maybe he just wanted to escape. But the thought was comforting.
Luckily for him, no one at work seemed to know what had happened to him, except for Matsukawa, Hanamaki, and Miwa, that is. Or maybe they didn't care.
His skin was still purple and yellow, the bruises slowly fading.
No one had commented on it...
As if nothing had really happened.
Kōtarō had also returned to his internship. On the surface, everything seemed fine. He was still complaining about his terrible work environment, but aside from that, he seemed like himself again.
However, Tetsurō could see the cracks.
Kōtarō was constantly exhausted, both physically and emotionally. He didn't leave the house after dark and hadn't gone running or to the gym since what happened to him. That was understandable. He just needed time to recover, and that wouldn't happen overnight. Tetsurō, Keiji, and Kenma did what they could to support him, but love doesn’t solve everything all the time. They couldn't change the world. So, they did what they could to support him.
-//-
Kuroo climbed the stairs, sorting through the mail.
"Yo, I'm back," he said, entering the apartment.
"Yo," Kenma replied from his room.
Tetsurō looked up; the house was quiet.
"You're alone?"
"Yeah, they went out for takeout. Kōtarō wanted to order from Sukiya."
"Nice!"
“How was your day?" Kenma asked from the other room.
"Hmmm," Kuroo replied distractedly, opening one of the pieces of mail addressed to him.
It was an advertisement for a phone brand. They were sending him personalized ads now? What a strange marketing tactic.
"And you?" he finally asked, continuing to sort through the mail.
"Fine."
Tetsurō nodded, unaware that Kenma could see him. (As far as he knew, Kenma couldn't see through walls.)
He eventually came across a big envelope addressed to Kenma. His name was written out in full in a handwriting he didn't recognize. He didn’t think much of it and said:
"You've got mail."
"Oh, thanks. What is it?"
“Should I open it?"
“Yeah, go ahead.”
Kuroo complied, not expecting much.
He frowned when he discovered what was inside. There were no letters, just a print sleeve. Did Kenma decide to get his photo developed? What on earth could he have been photographing? His bedroom carpet? Oh, maybe it was from their trip to South Korea with Keiji.
Out of curiosity, he opened it and slid his hand inside, feeling the texture of the photo paper. When he pulled one out, his breath caught sharply when he saw what was on it. It was a photo of Kenma, barely recognizable with his hood on and a mask obscuring his face. But it was definitely him. Kuroo’s heart began to race, but he stayed silent, deeply stunned. He grabbed the second photo. It was another photo of Kenma. This time, Keiji was by his side. The photo must have been taken in Seoul, but they didn't seem aware of the camera.
Panic washed over him, swallowing everything around him. The next photo showed Kenma sitting in his car, parked on the side of the road.
Along with the photos was a small business card. Kuroo held his breath and grabbed it. There were only two letters on the card: "CJ," written in black ink on a white background. He flipped the card over, and his heart skipped a beat when he read the message on the back.
"Is this you?
We have a proposal for you."
The message was followed by a date, time, and GPS coordinates. A red cherry blossom stamp was placed at the bottom as the card.
"What the fuck..." Kuroo muttered, stunned.
"What is it?" Kenma asked.
His voice snapped Kuroo back to reality.
"Uh, nothing. Just a phone ad," he lied, keeping his voice under control.
Kenma couldn't find out. He couldn't know. Not after everything that had happened.
Tetsurō heard Kenma get up from his chair. Tetsurō hurriedly stuffed the photos and the card back into the envelope addressed to him. He spun around so suddenly that Kenma jumped.
"Here," he said, handing Kenma the ad he’d received.
The blond raised an eyebrow and took the mail.
"Well, it's just an ad," he said.
"Yeah, that’s what I said."
Kenma looked up at him. Kuroo smiled, doing his best to appear natural. Kenma ripped the ad and threw it in the trash.
“Anything else? I should be getting a letter from the tournament organizers soon."
Kuroo quickly shuffled the mail in his hands.
"No, the rest is for Keiji and Kōtarō."
"Hmm, it should be here soon."
The blond turned and headed back to his room.
"I’ll work a bit more. Maybe you can look for a movie to watch tonight?"
"Okay!"
Kenma closed the door behind him.
Kuroo let out a heavy sigh. He went upstairs to his room and took out the contents of the envelope. The date on the card was just a few days away.
What the hell did they want with Kenma?
Maybe he shouldn't have lied... But it was too late now. His mates had gone through enough already. He had to take care of that by himself.
He definitely shouldn’t have lied... But now it was already too late. He would deal with it himself, his partners had done enough for now. There was no way he was letting Kenma get involved in this.
He took a deep breath, his body shaken with fear, anger, anxiety, and determination.
"It's just you and me then, CJ."
He closed the envelope and hid it in his bag.
"Bring it on."
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
This story is just an endless rollercoaster now. Enjoy the ride
Next chapter : “CJ”
He took a deep breath. He had no idea what he was walking into.
He had decided to meet this blackmailer, this so-called "CJ", without breathing a word of it to any of his mates. He knew it was a terrible idea. He hesitated at first, afraid he might be getting himself into something far more dangerous than anticipated. In the end, though, he pushed those worries aside.
There was no way Kenma could find out about this, not after everything that had happened. He would handle this alone. He would do whatever it took to protect Kenma, to protect them.
Chapter 53: CJ
Summary:
He took a deep breath. He had no idea what he was walking into.
He had decided to meet this blackmailer, this so-called "CJ", without breathing a word of it to any of his mates. He knew it was a terrible idea. He hesitated at first, afraid he might be getting himself into something far more dangerous than anticipated. In the end, though, he pushed those worries aside.
There was no way Kenma could find out about this, not after everything that had happened. He would handle this alone. He would do whatever it took to protect Kenma, to protect them.
T: mention of suicide
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
--
Kuroo already established he would make a terrible spy and an even worse cartel member. He was far too clumsy and absent-minded to be trusted with anything serious. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut, and he’d end up getting caught in no time.
However, there was one thing he was particularly good at: pretending. He knew he could appear far more intimidating than he actually was, and he decided to rely on that ability.
He had racked his brain trying to find the perfect attire that would give him an aura of power and control. At first, he considered leather: the perfect attire for a cartoon villain, but quickly dismissed the idea. He didn’t want to look like he had just walked out of a BDSM party.
Instead, he found something much better: a suit. It was the perfect embodiment of modern evil. Nothing was more terrifying than corporate power. With a crisp white shirt, tailored suit pants, and a matching jacket, just like that, he had become a billionaire at the head of a multinational corporation, running a drug cartel on the side.
He took a deep breath. He had no idea what he was walking into.
He had decided to meet this blackmailer, this so-called "CJ", without breathing a word of it to any of his mates. He knew it was a terrible idea. At first, he hesitated, afraid he might be getting himself into something far more dangerous than anticipated. In the end, though, he pushed those worries aside.
There was no way Kenma could find out about this, not after everything that had happened. He would handle this alone. He would do whatever it took to protect Kenma, to protect them.
At first, he had been relieved to see that the meeting place was just a coffee shop and not some abandoned warehouse in the middle of nowhere. At least he wasn’t about to get kidnapped or shot in public, certainly not at the "Flower Kopi."
And besides, “CJ”? Not exactly the most intimidating alias. The fearsome “Charles Jonathan” or the terrifying “Christina Janice”? Yeah, no, this probably wasn’t as bad as he was making it out to be. Right?
He glanced down at his watch. 6:27 p.m.
6:28 p.m.: He stepped into the coffee shop.
He swept his gaze across the room. The blackmailer hadn’t given him any indication of how to recognize them. Kuroo already had a hard time recognizing people he actually knew, this was going to be a nightmare! He was going to look like an idiot if he sat down at some random table, playing the tough guy in front of some poor guy just waiting for his Tinder date.
He started spiraling, but forced himself to keep it together, maintaining as much dignity and mystery as he could physically muster.
Then, his eyes found him.
In one corner of the room, part of the wall and ceiling were decorated with hundreds of artificial cherry blossoms.
Cherry blossom: the design of the stamp on CJ's mysterious business card.
Beneath the cascade of pink petals sat a figure. A young man with wavy black hair, the lower half of his face hidden behind a black mask.
“CJ,” Kuroo murmured.
He puffed out his chest, steeled himself, and strode toward the man.
He nearly lost his composure as he got closer.
CJ had completely outclassed him in terms of outfit: navy blue suit, turtleneck... all he was missing was a cat to complete the perfect movie villain look.
Shit.
He was seriously starting to second-guess his decision. If it turned out he'd just run headfirst into Yakuza-level bullshit, he wasn't sure he'd make it out unscathed.
Sure, the coffee shop covered in flowers didn’t exactly scream evil lair , but what if it was just a front? What if the moment he sat down, the entire room turned against him, pulling out guns, including that ten-year-old currently eating a cupcake? What if that kid was in fact a trained assassin, raised from birth to kill?
It was too late anyway; he was now standing in front of the man.
He pulled out the chair, keeping his posture steady.
CJ lifted his gaze, their eyes meeting for the first time. He raised an eyebrow, the two small beauty marks above his eye following the arch of his brow.
“Who are you?” the man asked in a monotone voice.
Kuroo didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled the business card from the inner pocket of his jacket and slid it across the table.
CJ recognized it.
Kuroo sat down, unnervingly calm, even to himself. The man across from him followed his movements, unimpressed.
Once seated, Kuroo pulled the envelope from his jacket, the one containing the photos of Kenma, and placed it on the table.
CJ glanced at it, then at Kuroo. With a sigh, he slipped on a pair of leather gloves, picked up the envelope, and inspected its contents. After a moment, he looked up.
He seemed... mildly annoyed.
“You’re not Kozume-san.”
“I'm afraid so.”
That’s it! Assert your dominance Tetsu!
CJ sighed, utterly unimpressed, throwing Kuroo off his game for a moment.
Then, the blackmailer pulled a tablet from his bag and began typing on it.
“I see...” he muttered. “You’re the one who responded to Ujishima-san… and you were involved in that... incident a few weeks ago…" His eyes flicked to Kuroo. "Tetsurō Kuroo.”
Kuroo felt his composure slipping.
How the hell had he found his name that fast?
He said nothing. CJ studied him for a moment.
“Yes, that seems about right.” He continued typing. “If you intercepted this letter, that means you have a connection to Kozume-san. A friend?”
He scrutinized Kuroo again.
“No… a lover.”
Kuroo took a slow, deep breath, struggling to keep his heartbeat steady.
CJ was watching him, analyzing his reaction.
“Oh, I see.”
Alright, enough! What was he, a blackmailer or a fortune teller?!
“You’re his mate.”
Kuroo stopped breathing.
The game was over.
His gaze darkened, boiling with cold rage.
“What do you want from him?”
“Hmm... so I was right.”
“I asked you a question. What do you want from him?”
The blackmailer sighed.
“I believe I was clear. We simply have a proposal for him.”
“I swear, if you're trying to blackmail him or threaten him in any way, I”
He was cut off by CJ, who let out a heavy, exasperated sigh.
“We’re not trying to blackmail him.”
Kuroo was completely thrown off. He sounded sincere, annoyed, sure, but sincere.
“ … Then what do you want?”
“We just want to make him an offer.”
“I’m sorry, but that still sounds like blackmail to me!”
“It’s not!”
What the fuck was happening exactly?! The two of them had completely lost their wannabe movie villain aura. They were just two guys in suits, sitting under plastic flowers.
“Then what is it?!”
“You are so irritating! I told you, we just want to make him an offer.”
“You’re the one who's irritating!”
The blackmailer, who apparently wasn’t one, rolled his eyes.
“If I understand correctly, I won’t be able to get rid of you so easily.”
"Oh yeah, you got that right!”
Of course he could; he could always pull a Beretta out of his bag and put a bullet in his head.
Yep he could very easily get rid of him.
"Fine, fine. You’re insufferable,” CJ muttered, standing up.
“But you’re the one who...”
“Follow me,” he cut him off, already heading toward the exit.
“Where to? I’m not following you just like that! I don’t know what you’re planning to do to me!”
“I’m not going to do anything! Hurry up!”
“But where are we going?!”
“You’ll see! Just follow me!”
“No.”
CJ spun around.
“Do you want to know more or not?”
“Yes.”
“Then follow me. It’s not that complicated!”
Kuroo sighed, exasperated, but complied.
He immediately regretted his decision.
CJ might have seemed friendly, but... Well, no, he didn't look friendly at all, and that was exactly what worried Kuroo, as he followed him through narrow alleys, getting further and further away from the main streets. Maybe this was a trap. Maybe he was being led to some isolated place to be kidnapped and tortured. Maybe the cupcake-eating kid he'd seen earlier would suddenly jump out of a corner and put a gun to his temple... maybe not his temple, Kuroo was too tall for a kid to reach his temple... Unless the kid had a stool. Or tripped him to make him fall...
“Hurry up, will you?!” CJ grumbled.
Kuroo glared at him. CJ just sighed and walked on, no longer paying any attention to him.
They finally arrived in front of a wasteland. Gods, Kuroo was going to die here!
They crossed it and reached the other side. Kuroo was still in one piece. He found himself in front of what seemed to be a garage. He looked up and saw that the sign above read "Miya Garage." He frowned, running out of improbable scenarios for his own murder.
They stepped inside. It was indeed a garage, confirmed beyond a doubt by the smell of tires and gasoline, as well as the dozens of cars propped up on hydraulic lifts. CJ walked through the garage, and Kuroo followed. In the back, he spotted a door, likely leading to the rear of the building. The closer they got, the more voices they could hear. CJ sighed but kept moving forward.
Kuroo could finally make out two male voices, shouting at each other. When they reached the back, CJ pushed the door open without bothering to announce himself.
The two men inside, caught off guard, fell silent as the door swung open.
Kuroo blinked: either he was starting to hallucinate from the gasoline fumes, or he was standing in front of two identical people. Well, maybe not entirely identical, one had blond hair, the other gray. Twins, then, Kuroo thought to himself, slightly embarrassed by his own delayed realization.
"Omi?" the blond twin said.
"I brought someone," CJ responded.
The twins turned their gaze toward Kuroo, just as surprised by his presence as he was by theirs.
"Who's that?" the gray-haired man asked.
The so-called “Omi” (which, by the way, had absolutely nothing to do with “CJ”) sighed before answering in a monotone voice:
"Kozume-san’s mate."
The twins turned their attention back to Kuroo.
"And what the hell is he doing here?"
"He was worried we were threatening Kozume-san."
"Huh?"
The blond one looked genuinely surprised.
"I told you not to worry," his blackmailer said to him.
"You sent me creep shots of my mate with an incredibly threatening message, then dragged me to some shady garage, and I’m not supposed to worry?!" Kuroo snapped.
"What’s shady about my garage?" the gray-haired twin interjected.
"What?" his brother exclaimed at the same time.
He stepped closer to Kuroo, gesturing for him to hand over the so-called “evidence”. Kuroo, who had retrieved the envelope earlier, handed it over. The young man inspected it, as if seeing it for the first time. He opened it to examine its contents. After a moment, his eyes widened in sheer shock.
"Omi, what the hell is wrong with you?!"
The accused one frowned, clearly offended.
"You asked me to make contact, that’s exactly what I did."
"Yeah, but I meant like, a message or something! I don’t know! Not playing psycho stalker by sending him pictures of himself in his car!"
"A message? He would never have responded. Don’t be stupid."
"Oh, I’m stupid?! You’re insane! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
“You asked me to do something, and I did!”
The argument escalated, leaving Kuroo speechless. He turned to the gray-haired twin, who looked as stunned as he was, and slightly exasperated too.
After a few more minutes, the argument finally subsided. The blond let out a long sigh before turning back to Kuroo. He bowed in apology.
“I’m sorry for his behavior. We didn't mean to threaten anyone."
He straightened up.
"We just wanted to make contact to... ask for a favor."
"A favor"
"Hmm, more like… a partnership, if you will."
Kuroo remained skeptical. It still sounded like gang business to him. The blond seemed to notice and sighed again.
"Alright, let’s start over. My name is Miya Atsumu, my brother here is Miya Osamu, and the psychopath who sends you creepy letters is none other than Sakusa Kiyoomi."
"Maybe we shouldn’t just throw our names around like that," Osamu pointed out.
"After his crazy move, I think he has the right to know, don’t you?" his brother shot back.
"Why is this suddenly my fault? You should’ve given me clearer instructions from the start!" Sakusa defended himself.
"Oh, so now this is on me?! Whatever. Sorry about that. Welcome. Uh… introductions aside… All three of us are..."
The blond crossed his arms, taking on a more confident stance. A smirk appeared on his lips.
"Chaotic Justice, at your service."
-//-
Kuroo climbed the stairs. He was too caught up in his thoughts and had switched to autopilot, barely registering his journey home.
His day had taken a turn he could never have imagined when he decided to go to that mysterious meeting.
He opened the door. Kōtarō was sprawled on the couch, scrolling on his phone, while Keiji was cooking. Both of them turned their eyes to him as he walked in.
"Tadaima," he said, closing the door behind him.
"Okairi, you're back late," Kōtarō remarked.
He tensed but tried to appear as neutral as possible.
"Hmm, I had to take care of something in town."
His two lovers nodded and returned to what they were doing without asking further questions.
"Is Kenma here?"
"He is in his room," Keiji replied.
"Streaming?"
"No."
"Okay."
Tetsurō dropped his bag near the couch and headed toward Kenma’s room. He stood in front of the door for a few seconds, hesitating. He wasn’t sure how Kenma would react… He didn’t expect to be welcomed with honors and bows, he just hoped to be able to explain and convince him.
Before he could announce himself, Kenma invited him in. He stepped inside. Kenma was sitting at his desk, working on his laptop, typing obscure lines of code. He finished what he was writing and turned to him.
"Do you need something?"
"Uh… can we talk?"
Kenma raised an eyebrow, surprised, but turned his chair, inviting him to sit on his bed. Kuroo complied, fiddling with his fingers, unsure of how to begin.
"Is everything okay?" the blond asked, concerned.
"Yeah, it's fine. Uh…"
He let the silence stretch for a few moments. Finally, he took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and said:
"I… met some… interesting people today."
Kenma examined him carefully, waiting for him to go on:
"Okay… Who was it?"
"Uh… Chaotic Justice."
Kenma blinked several times, stunned.
"The journalists?"
"Yeah."
"Uh, why?"
Tetsurō sighed.
"Okay, um… I…"
No, he definitely wasn’t going to start from the very beginning. He wasn’t planning to lie, just to frame the events to his advantage.
"They wanted to contact you. Um… I didn’t know what they initially wanted from you, but…"
"Contact me?"
"Uh… okay. Don’t panic, but… they managed to figure out your identity. I mean, they know you're Applepie."
Kenma held his breath, his eyes starting to reflect the anxiety rising within him.
"Don’t worry, they don’t mean you any harm or want to hurt you in any way. They just… uh, want to propose… an idea."
"An idea?"
"Yeah… uh… okay. Since the election for the F.C.M.A.O.M. presidency is coming up, they’re trying to run an awareness campaign to… get more people to weigh in on the balance."
Kenma grimaced, clearly unconvinced.
"They’re getting into politics?"
"Yeah, makes sense, I guess they were always political, I mean, in their line of work, you have to be, no? I... sorry, not the point. It’s not a bad idea, the omegas are a minority, some can’t even vote because of the T.O.P, and most betas don’t even know it's a thing, which is really convenient for the alpha supremacists who get to do whatever they want… And I mean, it’s not a bad idea, I didn’t know anything about it either before… before I met you guys. If they can get betas to take part in the debate and the election, it could positively influence the results, maybe even lead to the total abolition of the T.O.P in the long run. I mean… it might sound a bit far-fetched, but… well, it’s not a bad idea."
Kenma looked skeptical.
"Okay... And why do they want to get involved in this?"
“Well, they’re not called ‘Chaotic Justice’ for nothing. And... it also has something to do with their... personal experience, let's say.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, um… two of their members are… identical twins with secondary dysmorphia. It’s when, uh…”
“When the secondary sex is different, I know… that’s pretty rare.”
“Yeah. But anyway, for them… and rightly so, it’s absurd. They were born at the same time, but their rights are vastly different. One of them is under the guardianship of the other, even though… anyway, they understand the issue particularly well, which is why they’re involved.”
The blond gave a vague nod.
“And what do I have to do with it?”
“Ok… uh… their idea isn’t to… it’s not huge, but as a start, it’s… well, yeah. They just want to publish testimonial videos on their channel first.”
“I still don’t see how that concerns me.”
“Well… you’re quite famous, especially after the tournament and everything… so.”
“They want me to face reveal and... talk about my secondary.”
“Yes, that’s part of it.”
Kenma’s face closed off completely. This didn’t sit well with him.
“Remind me how they got in touch with you again? Why you?”
Kuroo made a face
“Uh… okay, um… I may have… not… well. You remember that letter addressed to you? And uh… it was a phone ad.”
Kenma nodded, his face growing stern.
“Well, it wasn’t a phone ad… I lied, sorry. I… I was worried, and I didn’t want you to worry after… after everything that had happened. I’m sorry.”
His mate looked calm on the surface, but Kuroo could feel his anger rising beneath his neutral expression. Kenma held out his hand.
“Show me.”
“Uh…” he ran his hand through his jacket pocket “okay, it doesn’t look… it looks kind of… shady, but it was more of a… miscommunication. I swear they mean no harm, and they respect your anonymity no matter what you…”
Kenma insisted. Kuroo complied and handed him the envelope. The blond examined it before checking its contents. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he saw what was inside.
“I know, it doesn’t look… well it looks bad, hence why I got worried, but… it’s fine!”
"It’s fine?! Ji, are you out of your mind?! Not only did you lie to me..."
“Sorry…”
“Don’t interrupt me! Not only did you lie to me, but this could have been incredibly dangerous! Are you crazy? And without even telling us!”
"Dangerous? Nah, come on! I don't think a criminal mastermind would choose a streamer as a target." Kuroo tried to play it down, even though it was far from his original thought.
"I also developed data encryption software for banks and large corporations. That could have been dangerous!"
“Oh… yeah, I didn’t think about that… Anyway, it wasn’t the case, far from it, and uh… sorry.”
His boyfriend sighed but nodded.
“You should have told me.”
“I know… sorry, I didn’t want to worry you.”
Silence.
“And about their proposal?”
Kenma turned back to his computer, resuming his typing. Kuroo could tell he was still angry but was trying not to react impulsively. He didn’t answer the question.
“So?”
“No.” the blond said firmly.
“Ok…”
Just like that?
Kuroo didn’t say anything, but he remained seated. Kenma groaned and suddenly turned around, making Tetsurō jump.
“I can’t believe you’re the one who’s angry!”
What? How…
“I’m not angry.”
"Oh, don’t fucking lie to me!”
After two seconds of introspection, Kuroo realized that, indeed, he was a little angry. Kenma had sensed it. Now that he was fully aware of it, it spread through his body, turning in his stomach and throat, fueled by the anger he could feel rising in Kenma.
“Yes, I’m a little pissed. You have the opportunity to do something to change things, and you won’t even consider it!”
“Are you fucking kidding me? Since when is this any of your business?”
“What do you mean, my business ?! You guys are my mates!"
“Seriously? Don’t make me laugh...”
Okay, now Kuroo was really pissed.
“What the hell does that mean? That my opinion doesn't matter? That I’m just some clueless fucking beta who can’t do anything and…”
“Yeah, sure, if you want.”
Phew! This was really starting to get hard to swallow. He didn’t want to escalate the situation either. He was angry, but he knew that trying to talk things out now wouldn’t do any good. Without further ado, he stood up and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
He heard Kenma get up and head toward the door. As he made his way down the hallway, determined to reach the front door, Kenma flung the door open and grabbed his arm before he could get far. Anger surged through his body again, making his head spin, fueled even more by Kenma’s frustration.
"Let me go!" Kuroo snapped as he pulled free from his grip.
"You’re not just walking out like that!"
"What? What am I supposed to do? I got the message loud and clear you know! I get it, you don't give a shit!"
"What?! You..."
The blond took a deep breath, exasperated.
"Kenma, Tetsurō," Keiji intervened.
Kenma raised a hand, signaling him to stay out of it.
"You’re unbelievable. What do you mean I don’t give a shit?"
"I don’t know, just stating facts here," Tetsurō shot back, insolent and provocative.
Kenma let out a sharp laugh of pure anger.
"All right, if that's how you want to play it. And what about you? Do you care? Let me remind you of something, underneath all your noble justice bullshit, our lives are at stake! Have you thought about that? You don't understand a tenth of what Kōtarō and I have to deal with all the time, and yet you think I don't give a shit? Fine, make me the villain in your story, I don't fucking care. But for your information, if I fall, we all fall. That's the reality of it, and I can't let that happen because I have to stay standing. Because if I don't, everything goes to hell. But you don't understand that, do you? Maybe take a second to check your privileges and stop trying to be the hero here. This isn't some fantasy world, it's real life! It's our lives! So get your head out of your ass for five damn seconds!"
Kuroo took a deep breath.
"Okay," he spat.
Without another word, he grabbed his backpack and walked to the front door, slamming it shut behind him. He stormed up the street, muttering under his breath, feet stomping in frustration.
Soon enough, however, his anger subsided. Suddenly, he felt a wave of cold wash over him.
He stopped in the middle of the street. Rage had morphed into something else, the adrenaline draining from his body. Suddenly, he felt heavy, his throat tightening.
He shouldn’t have lost his temper like that.
He turned back, looking at the road. No one had followed him.
He felt tears well up in his eyes. The anger that burned in Kenma's eyes... He had never seen him so angry, and it struck him like a dagger to his heart.
Kenma was right, who the hell did he think he was?
No. He didn’t think he was wrong either. He shouldn’t have reacted that way, but… he still stood by what he said.
Well, most of it anyway.
It was true that there wasn't much he could do. He knew he had never been through what they were going through. But if there were any way he could help build a better world for them, he would do it. He wouldn't apologize for that.
By now, he had reached the park. Night had fallen.
He sat down on a bench with a sigh.
What was he supposed to do now? He really, really didn’t feel like going back home just yet. Not after what had happened.
He glanced at his phone.
He thought about calling Oikawa to vent a little… but at this hour, he was probably at work. Sugawara? No, strangely, he needed someone a little more… blunt.
He sighed and opened his messing app.
"Can I call you?"
He sent it and switched to another contact.
"Don’t wait up for me." He texted to Keiji.
Just as he was about to put the phone down and wait for an answer, it rang. He checked the caller ID and answered.
"Kuroo? Are you okay?" Yamaguchi asked.
"I’m… not great, honestly. Uh… can I ask you a favor? I need to talk… and I also need a place to crash tonight."
-//-
“Well, yeah dude. You kinda suck.”
This was the bluntness Kuroo had asked for, and now that he was getting it straight to his face, he wasn’t so sure he had made the right decision.
He had arrived at Yamaguchi and Tsukishima’s place earlier in the evening, bringing food for dinner. At first, neither of them had asked any questions, understanding that he needed to clear his head before talking about anything. And they had done a great job: after two solid hours of laughter, Tetsurō had almost forgotten why he had come to crash on their couch in the first place.
But once they had finished getting ready for bed, Yamaguchi had brought him a small cup of tea, a kind gesture that only served as the prelude to a much harsher interrogation. In the end, he told them everything.
“Yeah.” Tsukishima added.
Kuroo winced.
“I know...”
“You know what?"
“That I shouldn’t have asked him that… I get where he’s coming from, it’s just that...”
He didn’t finish his sentence.
Yamaguchi sighed.
“I get your point of view too. It’s noble of you, and... it’s not entirely a bad idea, but you can’t just ask him that out of nowhere. He’s right. If he gets exposed, it’s not necessarily you who’s gonna suffer the consequences.”
“I know.”
“And besides, you don’t even know those guys.”
Kuroo didn’t answer right away.
“Yeah, I know… they might be a little weird... but I want to trust them.”
Silence.
“I know I just barge in, acting like I can save everyone, as if this is my fight when it hasn’t even affected me personally in the first place...”
“Bit of a savior complex,” Yamaguchi pointed out.
Kuroo let out a short laugh. He wasn’t wrong either.
“I know... But... I can’t live knowing all this and just do nothing about it, it... I just can’t accept living in a world that treats the people I love this way and stay silent! I don’t know, I... Not after all this... I can’t accept that... You guys can’t imagine how scared I was for Kōtarō when... well, you know... and then seeing how he was treated, how normal it is for people to just let it happen, it makes me... it drives me insane!”
His anger resurfaced, much to the misfortune of the pillow that happened to be in his line of sight.
Yamaguchi and Tsukishima exchanged a look.
“Kuroo, trust me, we… we really get what you’re saying.”
Tsukishima’s voice was calm, completely devoid of his usual sarcasm.
Yamaguchi shot him a brief glance before letting out a faint, sad smile.
“Yeah... but you can’t ask him to expose himself like that."
“I know... I didn’t mean to get mad, and I understand his decision. It’s just that...”, he sighed, “if there’s anything I can do to change things, I will.”
His two friends nodded.
Silence settled for a bit.
The anger had subsided once again, leaving behind a poignant bitterness. Tetsurō felt his throat tighten with sorrow. He really screwed up, didn't he?
He hugged the pillow tightly to his chest. It felt like his body was nothing more than a deflated balloon that had just popped, lying pathetically in his chest.
“Ugh, man, don’t snot all over the cushions!” Tsukki grumbled.
“Kei,” his mate scolded him.
Kuroo laughed, which made him burst into tears.
“Sorry... it’s just that... I fucked up.”
“No, no...” Yamaguchi reassured him.
“Yes, I did! Especially now that...”
“Now that what?”
The brunet tightened his embrace around the poor pillow, which was already threatening to turn into a pile of stuffing.
“Now that... they told me they are bound to me... like, really, I... but I just screwed it all up...”
The other two stared at him wide-eyed.
“Really?”
Tetsurō nodded.
“You’re mates?”
He nodded again.
“Damn, you didn’t waste any time,” Tsukki remarked.
“Oh!” Yamaguchi moved forward to hug him, “Congratulations!”
“No, not congratulations! I messed everything up! I ruined everything...”
“Oh Kuroo, no, it’s okay, it’s just an argument, it won’t change things.”
“I don’t know...
“I do, it’s going to be okay.”
“But what do I do?”
“There’s not much to do. You’re going to talk to him, explain what you just told us, calmly... Maybe it won’t fix everything, but at least you’ll be able to discuss it more calmly.”
Kuroo nodded eagerly.
“Okay...”
His friend smiled at him.
“Thanks for listening, and for the couch,” said Tetsurō.
"It's nothing... Speaking of which, we're going to bed soon. I love you, but I need my beauty sleep."
“Okay... Good night.”
“And don’t get snot on the cushions!” Tsukishima exclaimed, which made Kuroo laugh.
A few minutes later, he was in the dark, lying on the couch. He looked up at the ceiling. He hadn’t expected his day to end like this, far from it. He wanted to believe what his friends had told him, that it would get better... For now, there was nothing more he could do anyway. So he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
He was jolted awake the next morning when the doorbell rang. Kuroo nearly rolled off the couch, but he managed to catch himself at the last second. Tsukishima chuckled, leaning against the kitchen counter a few steps away. Kuroo, deciding to start his day with the attitude of a five-year-old, stuck his tongue out at him.
“’coming!’
He glanced over at Yamaguchi, already fully dressed, who walked down the hallway to open the door. He spoke softly with the person on the other side and finally stepped aside. Kuroo almost fell again when he recognized who it was.
“Keiji?”
The latter gave him a calm smile.
For some reason, Kuroo pulled the blanket tighter around himself, as if he had been caught red-handed cheating.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to pick you up.”
Kuroo blinked.
“How did you know I was here?”
Yamaguchi made a face and eventually confessed:
“I told him.”
Tetsurō frowned: Traitor!
Anxiety rose within him. Great, a bit of anxiety to start the day, always fun! Just before coffee, perfect! He lowered his eyes and replied:
“Okay, uh... give me five minutes.”
His mate nodded.
“Alright. Meet me downstairs when you are ready.”
He bowed goodbye to Yamaguchi and Tsukishima before leaving. His friend closed the door and had the audacity to smile at him.
“You couldn’t have given me five minutes of peace!”
“Nah, come on, move.”
“I knew it, you don’t actually like me at all.”
“If you know it, why are you still here?” Tsukishima said with a smirk.
“Okay, okay, I get it.”
He didn't make it down for another ten minutes. There was no sign of Keiji. He was only five minutes late, and already he had been abandoned!
“I’m here.”
Kuroo turned: Keiji was walking toward him, holding two coffees. He handed one to him:
“Oat milk latte.”
“Thanks.”
Tetsurō lowered his eyes. He wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to say, or where to start... Or even if he should say anything at all.
"Shall we go for a walk?" suggested Keiji.
Kuroo nodded and they started walking. They didn't say anything for a long time, walking silently side by side. Eventually, they reached a small park and entered it. They sat down on a bench by a small path. In front of them, children played in a small playground, filling the air with their laughter. Tetsurō sighed. Finally, he looked at Keiji and asked:
“Did Kenma tell you?”
His lover nodded.
“Oh...”
Silence settled.
“And...What do you think?”
The brunet sighed.
“I agree with Kenma.”
“Hmm...”
“But I understand your intentions.”
“Oh... okay.”
"And I share what underlies them."
Kuroo looked up, and Keiji met his gaze.
“I understand what you feel, and what you want to do... Sure, the execution is not... optimal.”
“Yeah, I know...”
Keiji nodded.
Kuroo turned his eyes back to the children in the park.
“Kenma understands too... His anger also comes from the fact that you put yourself in danger...”
“I know...”
“On that point, I am not sure I am the person to lecture you.”
Tetsurō looked at him, not immediately understanding where he was going with this.
"Put yourself in danger with the intention of protecting. I know that. And I know it is not ideal. You taught me that."
He smiled at him, and Kuroo felt his lips mirror it.
“Hmm...”
Silence.
"I shouldn't have gotten so angry either. In my defense, I...I didn’t want to talk about it right then. It's just that," he waved his arms around, remembering the pure rage he had felt at the time, "it just spiraled out of control! I wasn’t planning on saying anything, but Kenma sensed it, which made him angry. Then, I sensed it, which made me angry, and everything went awry.”
Keiji laughed softly.
“It’s not funny!"
“It is a little funny... And...”
“What?"
“Well, you really have no filter at the moment, and that can be... unsettling.”
“No filter of what?”
"You constantly let your emotions flow through the bond, and that can be disorienting. It does not allow you to take a step back and temper them. I understand that it can be overwhelming.”
“I do that?! Sorry! I didn’t realize!”
“I figured as much.”
“Oh, sorry...”
“No need to apologize, it is fine. Anyway, I understand what you felt, because I felt it too.”
Kuroo let his head fall into his hands.
“Sorry. I will try to... filter... more.”
“It is fine, we will deal with it later. It is not important right now.”
The silence stretched between them again. Calm and soothing.
“I don’t know how I will face him.”
His mate smiled at him.
“You will not, it is not a gladiator in an arena. You will talk about it, and then we will see.”
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
It was almost word-for-word what he had told him months ago.
"Gosh, please, don’t use my own words against me...”
Keiji laughed. Finally, he turned his eyes to him, smiled gently, and extended his hand. Kuroo hesitated but took it. It was time to go home.
-//-
After lingering a bit in the park together, Tetsurō had to accept that it was time to head back.
Kuroo climbed the stairs leading to the apartment, his stomach doing flips, repeating over and over in his mind what he was going to say to Kenma. Once in front of the door, Keiji looked at him to make sure he was ready. He nodded, and they entered the apartment. Kōtarō and Kenma, sitting on the living room couch, looked up when they heard them.
“Tadaima...”
He couldn't finish his sentence. Kenma had already tossed his Nintendo onto the couch and got up to leave the room, immediately heading to his bedroom. The door slammed.
The three others exchanged glances.
“Uh... hey,” Kōtarō finally said.
Tetsurō sighed. Well, this was an excellent start, a great day ahead. Kōtarō gave him an apologetic smile and shrugged. The brunet sighed. Well, it was time to set aside his ego and talk to Kenma. He apologized to his mates for the drama, and headed toward Kenma's bedroom.
He hesitated but eventually knocked.
No answer.
“Kenma?”
Silence.
He opened the door. The blond was sitting in front of his laptop, clearly pretending to write something.
“I believe I did not allow you to enter," he said coldly.
Ouch.
Kuroo sighed.
“Can we talk?”
Kenma didn’t answer.
Tetsurō hesitated but finally entered, closing the door behind him. He sat on the bed and waited. Kenma continued to ignore him.
“Kenma... I... I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have reacted like that.”
Still no response.
"I understand your anger, I really do. I shouldn't have asked you that, and I shouldn't have gotten angry.”
Kenma stopped typing but still didn’t turn around.
"And I'm also sorry that I put myself in danger. I knew it could be potentially dangerous, and I didn't say anything, that was stupid. But... I'm not going to give up either. If I can do anything... even just a little bit to help change things, I will. You said it yourself and I know it, I have certain privileges, and I plan to use them if I can... I don't know yet how or if... damn it, maybe I do have a savior complex, but well... that's it. I'm not going to apologize for it, and I... well, yeah."
He stopped and waited. After a few seconds, his mate sighed and finally turned toward him.
“Sorry for getting angry too.”
“You were right to get angry.”
“So were you.”
Taken aback, he fell silent.
Kenma sighed.
“Listen Ji, I understand your frustration. And I also understand your intentions. But you can’t ask me to put myself in danger like that.”
“I know.”
“You know... it frustrates me too. But I...”
“Kenma, it’s alright, I...”
“I’m just scared Ji.”
Kuroo looked up, surprised.
“I’m scared. Because I know that what I have, what we have, is fragile.”
“You just won 210 billion yen, that’s not fragile.”
He rolled his eyes.
“I know that... But I have to maintain my image online, or I’m afraid it will end badly... You don’t know how cruel the internet can be. Hmm... ever heard of Sasaki Himiko?”
“No...”
Kenma sighed.
“She was a YouTuber a few years ago, one of the first, she was quite famous. One day, she revealed her secondary, um... omega. And it was... brutal...”
“Oh...”
“She killed herself a few months later.”
Kuroo's throat tightened.
“Oh... shit.”
“Yeah.”
The silence stretched for long seconds.
“I really don’t want to end up in that situation... I need to remain in control. Especially now with the elections coming up and the political climate... I... Sorry, but I mean what I said, even if it’s hurtful, I mean it. Well, no, I don’t think... But... You can’t understand what it’s like for us. Well... you can see it, but...”
“I know.”
Silence.
“Kenma... I understand why you’re scared... and again, I get it now. I won’t ask you to do anything again, I was wrong to try to push for it, to impose my will. But I’m not giving up either, on my side, I mean.”
His mate nodded.
“And if it makes you feel any better, you’re not alone. We’re here, we’re all here, even your community. They’re really great! They literally threw themself at a police car to help us, that's not nothing!”
Kenma chuckled.
“Maybe, yeah...”
“I’ll tell CJ...”
“CJ?”
“Chaotic Justice.”
“Oh...”
"I will just tell them that you are not on board. And I swear they'll respect that. I don't think they're the type to mess around, not with that. But I'm still going to tell them that I'd like to stay involved if that's okay with them.”
Kenma nodded.
They stayed silent for a while.
“Where were you, by the way?”
“At Yamaguchi’s.”
"Oh... Ok. Please, never do that again. I couldn't sleep last night not knowing where you were."
“Sorry... but I’m not sure staying would’ve made things better.”
“I get it, but you should have told us where you were. Or you have a room, you know? You don’t live in a closet.”
“Keiji knew where I was.”
“He only found out this morning!”
"Sorry, I promised if I ever ran away again, I'd tell you where."
“Pfft, you’re dumb.”
He smiled.
“Let’s order takeout, I’m starving.”
-//-
A few days had passed since the argument, and things seemed to have settled down.
Kuroo reached out to the members of Chaotic Justice again to inform them of Kenma’s decision. He emphasized that they had better not mess around with the information they held. Thankfully, they accepted Kenma's decision without objection. Everything was back to normal.
Kuroo had finally come to understand that, despite his expressed desire to help, they were probably not going to contact him again anytime soon. Rightfully so, as he had no real weight or significance in their eyes.
So, he resigned himself to come back to his life, and his closet in Toribishi's basement.
Kōtarō was still struggling to recover from what had happened to him, and the absurd debates continued to fuel the internet, without ever leading to anything positive.
Back to square one, back to the helplessness and frustration.
What could he do about it anyway?
One evening, a week later, Kuroo was walking home when his phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Yamaguchi.
“Hey! What’s up?” he asked as he picked up.
“Hey.”
Tetsurō frowned. He quickly checked that the call was indeed from his friend. Yamaguchi’s voice sounded so strange that Kuroo barely recognized it.
“Is everything okay?”
“Hmm, yeah, it’s fine. I was just wondering...”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think you could give me the contact info of the journalists you mentioned last time?”
Kuroo stopped in his tracks.
“Why?”
“I’ve... got something to propose to them."
Tetsurō frowned again, skeptical. He hesitated.
“Uh... okay, if you want.”
“Thanks.”
And just like that, Yamaguchi hung up.
Kuroo stared at his phone for a bit, unable to fully comprehend what had just happened.
He kept his promise though, and sent the number he had saved on his phone. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to give out that kind of information. The group of journalists had stayed anonymous for a reason; they weren't exactly clean in the eyes of the law. They had also dragged some big names into their mess, people who wouldn't think twice about paying them back. But he did it anyway. He trusted Yamaguchi, even though he knew nothing about his intentions.
A few hours later, while putting away the dishes, his phone buzzed. It was a text message from Sakusa:
"Thanks for the contact.
Thursday, 6 p.m.
35°40'27.0"N 139°42'21.7"E.
We will be waiting."
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Next chapter: Chorus voices
"I don't know where to start..."
"From the beginning, or not, as you wish."
He nodded, and his gaze returned to the camera.
"We’ve framed the shot just below your face. You don’t need to look at the camera if that’s stressful."
Yamaguchi nodded but kept his eyes on the camera.
"So, can I... Hm..."
"Whenever you're ready."
Chapter 54: Chorus voices
Summary:
"I don't know where to start..."
"From the beginning, or not, as you wish."
He nodded, and his gaze returned to the camera.
"We’ve framed the shot just below your face. You don’t need to look at the camera if that’s stressful."
Yamaguchi nodded but kept his eyes on the camera.
"So, can I... Hm..."
"Whenever you're ready."
TW: mention of physical, psychological and sexual abuse, unconsented medical mutilation, bigotry, harassment.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Kuroo checked his phone: 5:50 PM.
Yamaguchi shouldn’t be long now.
He looked up. The sky was beginning to glow with the colors of dusk.
He was in a residential area of Shibuya surrounded by bleak, soulless buildings from the '70s. Some streetlights had already turned on, their yellowish glow swallowed by the last rays of sunlight hitting the buildings' façades. The GPS coordinates he had been given weren't precise enough to help him find the exact meeting point, so he just waited.
A damp anxiety engulfed his body, numbing him as if he were in the middle of a dream. He had gone to the meeting point without knowing why he had been asked to be there. Earlier in the afternoon, Yamaguchi texted him to say he would meet him there.
He looked up when he heard footsteps behind him. He spun around so abruptly that the woman walking her dog was startled. He bowed and hastily greeted her.
"Hey."
He jumped at the sound of the voice behind him. Recognizing it immediately, he turned around.
"Babe?"
Kōtarō smiled and walked toward him.
"Why are you here?"
Determined not to make the same mistake twice, Tetsurō informed his mates of his whereabout and gave them the meeting point this time (so they would find his body if something were to happen to him.)
“Kenma asked you to come, right?”
His mate shrugged.
"Yeah, but I wasn't gonna let you go alone anyway. We all know the kind of mess you usually end up in."
Kuroo nodded vaguely.
The light continued to fade. The dampness of his anxiety began to subside.
"What are we waiting for?" Kōtarō asked.
Just as he was about to answer, Kuroo heard footsteps approaching. He turned and spotted Yamaguchi further down the street. The latter stopped when he spotted them. He waved at them and came to meet them.
Yamaguchi turned to Kōtarō:
"I didn't know you would be here too."
His voice sounded so strange.
"Well, I didn't either." Kuroo added.
Kuroo had never seen him like that before, which worried him. Neither of them said anything, but Kōtarō moved closer to Yamaguchi, hoping his presence would calm him down.
“What are we waiting for, exactly?” Kuroo asked, hoping to break the strange tension between them.
"Someone's going to pick us up," the younger one replied.
"Oh..."
The tension lingered, thick like a damp fog.
"What are we doing here then?" Bokuto asked.
"Not sure", Kuroo replied.
Yamaguchi took a breath.
"They asked me to give my testimony... Well, I offered."
Bokuto and Kuroo turned to him, surprised.
Kuroo wasn’t sure why he was there. Although he had insisted on being involved, he couldn’t see how he could be of any use to them at that moment. Should he give a testimony, too? About what?
CJ had entrusted him with the project, yet he struggled to understand how he could contribute anything concrete. He suddenly felt very inadequate.
“I asked them if you could come with me,” Yamaguchi said.
Tetsurō frowned.
The younger one had picked up on his discomfort. But that didn't clarify the situation.
"Sorry. I just...I didn't feel like being alone. Since they already know you, I figured... But, well, I should have told you about it sooner. I'm sorry."
Kuroo shook his head, signaling that he didn't need to apologize.
"Oh, sorry!" Kōtarō quickly added, "I didn't mean to impose. I just wanted to make sure Tetsu wouldn’t get into trouble. I didn't know you’d be here. "
"It's okay," Yamaguchi said with a smile, though something heavy lingered on his lips. "I'm glad you're here, too."
Kōtarō nodded.
"Tsukishima?" Kuroo asked.
"I... didn't tell him yet… Later." Yamaguchi said.
The other two nodded. They didn't really know what to say.
"Oh and... It's... it's going to... Maybe you will…"
Yamaguchi fell silent abruptly when they heard voices behind them. They all turned around. The metal gate of a small garden nestled between two ivy-covered buildings had just opened. Tetsurō recognized Atsumu Miya, who a young woman accompanied. Miya greeted the woman politely, who then left. Looking up, Miya seemed surprised to see them all there. He smiled and came to meet them.
"Nice to meet you, Yamaguchi-san. Thank you for coming."
Yamaguchi returned the greeting, and Atsumu turned to them.
"Kuroo-san, thank you for coming as well. And..."
"Kōtarō Bokuto, his mate."
Tetsurō had to stop himself from smiling like an idiot when he heard that. Unintentionally, he let a hint of tenderness pass through their bond, which was reciprocated.
"I see. Nice to meet you."
Atsumu studied Kōtarō for a moment and seemed to recognize him.
"Oh, you were involved in..." His eyes lit up. "I'm glad to meet you! We had planned to focus on Yamaguchi-san’s testimony, but we can make room for..."
"I'm just here to support him, nothing more." Bokuto interrupted politely.
Atsumu straightened up, caught off guard.
He nodded, his lips stretching back into a friendly smile.
"Well... Come in."
He turned and crossed the narrow gate again, closing it behind them.
He took the lead again, opening an emergency door that revealed a concrete staircase leading to the basement of the building. Atsumu continued talking, but Tetsurō wasn't listening anymore. They ended up in a garage. Yamaguchi followed Miya, keeping his eyes down and nodding vaguely when Atsumu addressed him.
They followed him to a small door in the back. Atsumu opened it to reveal a small studio. In the center of the room, there was a chair surrounded by large studio lights and reflector panels. The chair was positioned in front of a large roll of white paper. There were two cameras, one in front of the chair and one on the left.
Kuroo recognized Osamu Miya, who was busy adjusting the cameras. The twin turned when he heard them enter, gave them a quick nod, and then returned to his adjustments. Kuroo scanned the room; Sakusa wasn’t there. Good. He wasn't in the mood to deal with him now. He wasn't a people person, so it was probably best to leave him out of this.
Atsumu gently invited Yamaguchi to sit on the chair in the middle of the room. Then he fetched two more chairs for Tetsurō and Kōtarō and placed them in the back of the room.
"Hmm, sorry it's a bit rustic. We had to improvise."
Kuroo nodded, and Atsumu let them settle in before returning to Yamaguchi.
He brought Yamaguchi a glass of water and sat down across from him. He calmly explained what to expect during the interview, speaking in a soothing tone.
Yamaguchi listened attentively, taking small sips of water and never taking his eyes off Atsumu. His twin brother was busy adjusting the cameras. Osamu moved closer to Yamaguchi to set up a microphone, then quickly returned to his station. After checking the video feed to make sure everything was in place, he gave the green light. They were ready to start rolling.
Y amaguchi looked up at them, panicked. Kuroo smiled at him, hoping it would help him feel more at ease. However, he quickly realized that Yamaguchi wasn't looking at him but at Kōtarō, who smiled back at him with a tender expression painted on his face.
Yamaguchi took a deep breath. His hands, which were resting on his knees, had been trembling ever since his cup of water was taken away. Atsumu followed the younger one's gaze and noticed the interaction unfolding before him. Then, he shifted his attention back to Yamaguchi.
"You can stop at any time if you want. You're in control here, okay?"
Yamaguchi nodded, and Atsumu gave the cue to start rolling.
Yamaguchi looked at the camera in front of him; his breathing beginning to quicken. He turned his gaze back to the journalist.
"I don't know where to start..."
"From the beginning, or not, as you wish."
He nodded, and his gaze returned to the camera.
"We’ve framed the shot just below your face. You don’t need to look at the camera if that’s stressful."
Yamaguchi nodded but kept his eyes on the camera.
"So, can I... Hm..."
"Whenever you're r e ady."
"Okay, um... Hello, I am... I don't think I want to state my name. Can we skip that?"
"Yes, don't worry. Your anonymity will be maintained. We can also modify your voice in post-production if you'd like."
"Okay...so... Hum... I'm 21 years old, I think. Well, hum."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"I was born about 20 years ago, let's say."
"In a nursery, is that right?"
Yamaguchi nodded.
Tetsurō heard Kōtarō hold his breath. He glanced at his mate. Kōtarō's eyes widened, and Tetsurō could feel his anxiety and dread flooding through their bond. Bokuto quickly severed all communication, preventing any of his emotions from passing through the bond. But Kuroo didn't need that to sense what his mate was going through. He took Kōtarō's hand and turned his attention back to Yamaguchi.
"Could you explain to us what nurseries are?"
"Um, yes... Officially, they are shelters for isolated omegas. But, in reality, they were just used to collect omegas when the birth rate was low. They were supposedly meant to protect them, but that wasn't really the case."
Atsumu nodded, inviting him to continue.
"I was born in the Shiroishi nursery in Miyagi Prefecture. I... I don’t know who gave birth to me or if that person is still alive. I’ll probably never know."
Yamaguchi lowered his eyes, clenching his hands together to stop them from shaking.
"I was later placed in a shelter with other children who were also born in the nursery. I don’t really remember much. I just have a few vague memories of my childhood there. But I know that... it was relatively normal. I went to school and had friends my age. Nothing terrible really, for an orphan, I mean."
He sighed.
"It all changed when I turned 10. I... I had to go through a series of medical exams, to... make sure I was healthy, and to determine my secondary."
Yamaguchi looked up at them. He suddenly looked so vulnerable. The eye contact broke when he closed his eyes.
"I was... identified as an omega."
Tetsurō widened his eyes, caught off guard. Kōtarō squeezed his hand so tightly that his bones creaked.
Kōtarō had already started to piece things together.
"And then?" Miya asked.
"And then I was sent away... At the shelter, they told me they had found me a foster family. I... I’d always been told that I was abandoned at birth, so I was happy to... I was glad they had found me a new family."
He sighed again.
"I was sent to the north of the prefecture, to a Sō-shi clan. They told me I’d have a big family, that I’d live by the sea, and that everything would be fine. I quickly understood why I was really there."
He sat up:
"The clan hadn't registered any omega births in years. I didn't know at the time, but... I... It happened to a lot of kids like me back then. I wasn't sent there to find a family. I was sold."
Tetsurō felt the bond between him and Kōtarō snap open again, confusion, dread, and distress reverberating between them so intensely that he almost felt suffocated.
"To them... I was just a commodity, an animal. I was sent there for one reason, and one reason only: to produce omega offsprings. I knew it, they never hid it from me. They... I wasn’t necessarily abused, physically at least, well... I was valuable to them. But, I couldn't go anywhere, I couldn’t go to school or... Well."
Yamaguchi smiled sadly. He had completely let go. He wasn’t shaking anymore.
"It wasn't all bad, you know. They promised me a family, and I did find one. It was in this clan that I met someone I still consider my brother."
Sugawara.
"And I... I owe him everything; I wouldn’t be here today without him. And if... if I had never been taken there, I wouldn’t have met my mate either, but... They couldn’t save me..."
His expression darkened again.
"I knew what would happen to me when I entered my first cycle. They wouldn’t wait; they would pair me with the alpha of their choice, and... well, I suppose you can imagine the rest. I remember praying with all my strength to every gods, begging for it to never happen. But it did. Eventually, I entered my first cycle. And maybe my prayers were answered, I don’t know."
The silence settled for a bit, only broken by their breathing and the hum of the cameras.
"When I was... about fourteen, I went into my first cycle. But it didn't go as planned. I didn’t go into oestrus, but into rut... Um... the cycle alphas go through."
Everyone held their breath.
"Although I was born with... um, an omega reproductive system, I... I presented as an alpha. I was... I was born with secondary sex intersexuality. Or, well, a 'disorder of sexual development' according to the MDs."
His last words were laced with dark, bitter anger.
Yamaguchi let himself fall back into his chair, catching his breath. He shook his head, losing track of his thoughts for a moment.
"It's... sad, but when it happened, I just thought I was lucky."
Kōtarō exhaled deeply, trying to control his breathing.
"They lost interest in me after that. Um... I no longer had any value in their eyes. Thankfully, I was able to go back to school. I didn’t have much trouble catching up. Even though I had been out of the system since I was ten, I had never really stopped learning, thanks to my brother, who taught me everything. Anyway, I had peace for a few years. I was still legally recognized as an omega, and under the T.O.P., they couldn't get rid of me."
Yamaguchi's face contorted in pain, and his lips began to tremble.
"When I was seventeen, I was sent to the doctor. He gave me hormone blockers to inhibit my omega traits and conceal things that I naturally produced. I didn't understand right away. They told me it was for my own good. It’s silly, but I believed them. One day, they sent me to the hospital and said I needed emergency surgery. They said everything would be better afterward."
His voice faltered in his throat, choked by the weight of buried tears, distress, and anger that he was still trying to tame.
"I underwent a... hysterectomy... and... other 'corrective' surgeries as well, without ever giving my consent for... anything... I was still a minor and under guardianship, technically, nothing illegal, but..."
Tetsurō closed his eyes, his heart swollen with violent sympathy for his friend.
"To be clear, I didn't have any medical issues. I was perfectly healthy. I wasn't sick, and I wasn't saved. I was simply mutilated. I will bear the scars of that forever. I still suffer the consequences because I experience chronic pain and will always be dependent on hormonal treatments. I’m far from being the only one in this situation. We are still invisible. It suits everyone to keep us silent.
Yamaguchi struggled to catch his breath. His hands started shaking again, trembling with anger, pain, and despair.
"That's all it took for them to get rid of me. Legally, they weren’t obligated to take care of me anymore since I hadn’t been officially adopted in the first place. I escaped, I was free. But I lost a part of myself to gain that freedom. I thought I was lucky. I know it’s terrible to call that luck. I realize that now. But I was free. I am free.”
Yamaguchi fell silent for a bit. He closed his eyes, trying to regain some composure, exhaled, and spoke again:
“ I... just before I left the clan for good, a girl arrived... I’m here for her too. She asked me to be her voice, and I will.”
Tetsurō quickly understood who he was talking about: Yachi.
He remembered her smile the first time he met her.
He felt like his organs were collapsing on each other, crushed by the realization, and he could barely breathe.
“She was sent to the clan for the same reason I was when I was younger. And what I had desperately prayed would never happen to me, happened to her.”
Yamaguchi closed his eyes, struggling with all his might to keep his voice steady under the weight of the tears of rage and despair that were choking him.
"She got pregnant at 16, but she managed to escape. Aside from nurseries, there are real shelters that take care of omegas in need. They took her in, and despite it being illegal, she was able to have an abortion. She was also able to get help so that she wouldn't have to go back there."
A grim expression slid onto his face.
“But eventually, they found her. The alpha she was assigned to found her, and he didn’t hesitate to… try to get rid of her, to make her disappear.”
Yamaguchi’s lips were shaking with grief and rage.
“It was easy for him. Had he succeeded, we would have been able to get away with it easily. No one would have looked for her or sought justice for her, especially if it meant standing against powerful clans. But he did not. She survived… She is free now, but the price she had to pay for it… for all of it… is simply inhuman.”
Kōtarō’s eyes were glistening with tears, his face buried in his trembling hands. Tetsurō, on the other hand, was simply in shock.
Facing Yamaguchi, Atsumu seemed composed, but the rise and fall of his chest betrayed the turmoil inside him. His brother, standing beside him, had looked away.
Yamaguchi took a deep breath, then exhaled, tilting his head back and tapping his chest, as if trying to ease the crushing weight within. He straightened, his gaze finding the camera once more. His voice did not waver for even a second when he spoke again:
"The Treaty for Omega Protection doesn't protect anyone. It enslaves, persecutes, and kills. It was never intended to protect anyone, and it never will. As long as it exists, there will be stories like mine, like hers, like ours. And this has to stop.”
Silence fell heavy on them.
“Cut.” Atsumu finally said.
Yamaguchi slowly nodded. He let out a quiet “thank you” and got up, stepping out of the camera’s frame, moving on autopilot. But he only managed two steps before stopping. With a final, broken whimper, he gave in and burst into tears.
“Sorry, I…”
Kōtarō immediately jumped to his feet, knocking over his chair, and threw himself at Yamaguchi, enveloping him in a tight embrace. Caught off guard, Yamaguchi took a few seconds to react. Eventually, he returned the embrace. Kōtarō pressed a kiss to the top of his head, murmuring comforting words. He allowed the younger one to rest his head against his chest, holding him tightly.
Tetsurō finally managed to shake off his paralysis and stood up, his legs feeling unsteady. He walked toward them slowly. When he reached them, Kōtarō loosened his hold, allowing Yamaguchi to step back.
Their eyes met.
Yamaguchi’s gaze was devastating: deeply vulnerable yet fierce, resilient, disarming.
Kuroo was left speechless; he struggled to find words that could convey what he wanted to say.
Perhaps there were no words at all.
So, he held him as tightly as he could.
-//-
Kōtarō and Tetsurō were on their way home. It was pitch dark by now. They stayed with Yamaguchi until he calmed down. Then, he asked to see his mate, so they accompanied him home.
They hadn’t exchanged a word since. The anger and empathetic sorrow still churned within them.
They finally made it home.
"Tadaima," Kōtarō said weakly as he opened the front door.
"Okairi!" came an enthusiastic response.
Without further ado, they were showered with a rain of multicolored confetti. Keiji looked particularly proud of his grand welcome, while Kenma held two champagne flutes in one hand and a bottle in the other.
"I just got the tournament money! We’re rich, bitches!" Kenma shouted proudly.
Neither Kōtarō nor Tetsurō reacted. Kuroo looked at the sea of confetti at his feet. Their two other mates quickly picked up on their emotional state.
"Are you okay?"
"Pfft… No," Kōtarō admitted after a few beats of silence.
"Oh…"
Keiji dropped his bag of confetti to the ground and rushed to his mate. Kōtarō stifled a whimper and then burst into tears again when his alpha pulled him into a hug. He turned his eyes to Tetsurō, questioning him silently, alarmed. Kenma was equally surprised.
"What happened? Are you guys alright?"
A ridiculous question: clearly, they weren’t.
"I knew you shouldn't have gone. I don't trust those guys. I swear, if..."
"No," Kōtarō cut in. "It has nothing to do with them. I mean, it does, but it’s not their fault."
Kenma fell silent. He locked eyes with Tetsurō, waiting for an explanation. The brunet held his gaze but said nothing. He knew full well that their two mates could sense what they were going through, which only deepened their concern.
"Come here," Keiji murmured, guiding Kōtarō to sit on the couch.
The other two joined them.
Kenma quickly poured champagne into a flute and handed it to Kōtarō as if it were a miraculous remedy.
"Here."
"I’m not sure this is the right time..." Kuroo remarked.
"Thanks," Kōtarō murmured as he took the glass and gripped it as if it held a warm, comforting drink.
Silence settled. Kōtarō was still sobbing. Eventually, he downed his drink in one go and managed to calm down a bit. He slumped back onto the couch.
"What happened?"
"Nothing, nothing… well, no, sorry, it’s not nothing, it’s just…" Kōtarō trailed off.
Kuroo spoke up.
"We… we were there for the video shoot, like I told you. And, um, Yamaguchi…"
"Yamaguchi?"
"Yeah… he was the one they interviewed."
"Wait… then, why were you there?"
"He requested for me to be here, and well, Kōtarō joined me."
Silence. Kenma turned his eyes to Kōtarō.
"And?"
"… it was worse than I thought."
"Oh…"
"Worse than you thought?"
Kōtarō nodded.
"You knew?" Kuroo asked.
"No… not really, but I… I suspected something."
"What do you mean?"
The moment the question left his lips, the conversation they had in the car the night Kenma made it to the final resurfaced in his mind.
The night Yamaguchi and Yachi reunited. They had indeed suspected something back then, but Kuroo hadn't understood what it was really about.
"Alphas aren’t receptive to commands. And Sō-chi clans don’t adopt children from other clans unless…"
"No…" Keiji murmured, piecing it together just as quickly.
Kōtarō nodded.
Silence stretched between them.
In the end, they told them everything. Yamaguchi had given them permission, and the interview would soon be publicly available anyway.
Twenty minutes later, they were all more or less in the same state: stunned, staring at the floor without really seeing it. Kōtarō sighed and poured himself another drink. The other three held out their glasses at the same time.
So there they were, glasses in hand, staring into the void.
"Fuck…"
Silence stretched once more.
"I don’t know what to do…"
"There’s nothing to do…"
Five long minutes passed in silence.
"Um… so… what are you going to do with the money?" Kuroo asked, desperately trying to shift the conversation.
Kenma didn't answer right away. Eventually, he said:
"Um… invest it, mostly. I was thinking of buying an apartment."
The conversation felt surreal. Their gazes remained lost in the void, their voices devoid of any real inflection.
"An apartment? But what about the house?"
"It’d be on the side, the rent would give us stable income… Tokyo’s real estate prices are skyrocketing, so I was thinking of looking elsewhere… Kyoto? Or maybe something by the sea, to rent out… and use in the summer, I don’t know."
"Hmm…"
Silence.
"Maybe a car."
"We already have a car."
"Hmm… a second one would make things easier."
"That’s not very eco-friendly…"
"And we don’t have room to park it."
"We could take a trip too… Um… when does the video come out?"
"I don’t know… a week, maybe more, I don’t know. "
"Okay."
Silence.
Kenma took out his phone. He started typing but then stopped.
"What are you doing?"
"I wanted to text Yamaguchi… but I don’t know what to say."
No one answered.
The blond sighed, typed something quickly, and set his phone down.
"What did you send?"
"A heart."
"Hmm…"
A few minutes later, his phone buzzed.
"What did he say?"
"He sent me a heart too."
Once again, silence stretched out, filling every bit of space around them.
"We should clean up the confetti, it’s everywhere."
They all nodded, but no one moved.
"Champagne? I still have two more bottles."
They all held out their flutes.
-//-
A week had passed since the interview.
The political climate on Japanese social media had been spiraling out of control for a while. Alpha supremacists had launched an offensive, gradually crushing any discourse that opposed them. They flooded social platforms with increasingly hardline propaganda to capture as large an audience as possible. Their original strategy of keeping most betas in the dark so they couldn't weigh in had failed. Now, they were trying to influence them by spouting lies to saturate the media and drown out any other voices.
Kenma asked Yūji to moderate his streams more strictly because debates continued to rage in his chat. The discussion was on everyone’s lips everywhere.
No one had seen Yamaguchi since the interview. Kuroo tried to find him on campus but couldn't. Yamaguchi hadn't shown up at CATO either, nor had Tsukishima, and none of them were responding to their phones.
Even at CATO, the ataraxia of their little bubble had been pierced; everyone could feel the rising tension.
Everything was starting to catch fire.
-//-
Tetsurō, Kōtarō, and Keiji were sprawled out on Tetsurō’s bed. They were all listening to an online radio show playing on Tetsurō’s computer.
Kenma had agreed to his first interview on a well-known radio station. However, he decided to do the interview remotely from home. He didn't go through all the trouble just to show his face to the press.
Kenma had strictly forbidden them to listen to it, hence why they were all hiding in Kuroo's room, listening intently to the broadcast like a group of resistance fighters waiting for a coded radio message to spur them into action.
Let's be honest, the comparison to resistance fighters here was borderline indecent: they weren't resisting oppression, they were just being all mushy about their boyfriend. The three of them sat there grinning like a bunch of idiots at the sound of their mate’s voice, answering interview questions like the true star he was.
Tetsurō was certain none of them were actually listening; their brains were too clouded with pride to function properly. Not that they had missed much anyway. The journalist had only asked lighthearted questions so far: how did Kenma feel after his fourth victory? What did he think of the tournament’s organization? What was his impression of the audience’s reception? How was the air quality in the South Korean capital city? Kenma answered simply, without elaborating too much.
Since their main guest could not be there in person, the journalists also invited the leader of a rival league. As the interview progressed, he inserted himself into the conversation more and more.
Despite being eliminated early in the competition, he had the audacity to interrupt Kenma just to throw in his own two cents, his massive ego practically dripping from his voice.
Although they couldn’t see him, all three could perfectly picture Kenma’s half-bored, half-annoyed expression at that moment. Eventually, he took up so much space that Kenma couldn't talk anymore. The journalist didn't pick up on that and Egoman kept steering the conversation in his favor.
"Who the fuck is this guy?! Can he just shut up already?!" Kōtarō burst out.
"Yeah, who does he think he is? Seriously, he's unbearable. He sounds like a douche."
Keiji crossed his arms, clearly irritated as well.
Of course, their complaints went unheard, and the egomaniac continued spewing nonsense at full speed. Kenma hadn’t been able to get a word in for several minutes now.
Keiji grabbed his phone, typing furiously.
"What are you doing?"
"Research. If I find him, I swear…"
Kōtarō snorted.
"What? You're gonna find him and break his teeth?"
"Worse..."
His words sounded menacing, but it was such a contrast to everything they knew about Keiji that they couldn’t take him seriously. So they just laughed, while Keiji remained dead set on his mission.
Then, the moment they had dreaded finally came: the debate slowly took a turn for the worse. What started as a discussion about the downsides of the e-sports industry quickly derailed into the recent controversies surrounding the T.O.P.
"Well, I mean, I think they actually have a point," Egoman said, "It's just facts, it's biology."
"Oh my fucking god, here we go..." Tetsurō said, rolling his eyes. He hated it when bigots invoked the 'biology' argument as if they knew anything about biology.
"Omegas aren't built for that. They need protection. It's not discrimination; it just is. There are just some spaces where they don't belong. This industry is brutal, right? Even normal guys like me struggle to find a foothold, so yeah, for omegas, it's pretty much impossible right now."
"What a massive piece of shit..."
All three of them were fuming.
"Did you find his address yet?" Kōtarō asked, sounding dead serious about finding him and breaking all his teeth.
"Working on it."
"Are they really letting him say that on live radio? What the fuck!" Tetsurō shouted.
Suddenly, the egomaniac fell silent. Kenma had just burst into a laugh that was somewhere between nervous, acidic, and downright demonic.
"Would you like to add anything?" the journalist asked with a hesitant voice, very much aware of the fact that his show had gone completely off rails.
Kenma kept laughing.
"What?! It's just facts! I know nobody has the guts to say it, but that's exactly what it is!" the living pile of trash fire shot back. He even had the audacity to sound offended.
Kenma’s laughter only intensified.
"Yeah, sure." Kenma's voice was deep, acidic. "And yet, that didn’t stop me from absolutely annihilating you ass four times in a row."
The broadcast went completely silent.
"Idiot. Alright, bye losers."
Keiji closed the laptop.
Kōtarō and Tetsurō both turned their attention to him. All three of them had eyes as wide as saucers, barely registering what had just happened.
“Did he just say what I think he said?” Kōtarō asked.
The other two slowly nodded.
They heard Kenma’s bedroom door swing open downstairs. They scrambled off the bed and rushed to the door. Kenma was in the hallway, pacing in circles, clutching his head, and cursing under his breath.
“Kenma?”
The blond looked up, panic written all over his face.
“I think I fucked up.”
-//-
Keiji knocked on the bedroom door.
Only silence followed.
Kōtarō and Tetsurō, standing beside him, exchanged a look.
Keiji sighed, then knocked again.
"Kenma?"
Still nothing.
"Kenma, you can't stay in your room like that forever." Kōtarō tried.
After the interview, what Kenma had tried desperately to keep under wraps for years spread like wildfire, and what he had feared most happened.
He had been locked in his room for days. It was time to do something about it.
The three of them exchanged glances. Finally, Kuroo pressed down on the handle.
There was a soft click, and they gasped as the door opened.
They were met with darkness and the room's suffocating atmosphere, which was heavy with the scents of fear, guilt, and helplessness.
Kenma was curled up in his bed, buried under a pile of blankets. Kuroo swallowed; a lump had formed in his throat.
Kōtarō was the first to step inside. He walked over to the bed, softly nestling against his mate and resting his head on the small lump from the blankets.
Keiji and Tetsurō joined them, surrounding their lover with their bodies, forming a shield of tenderness to protect him from the world.
Kenma remained silent until a sob suddenly shook him.
Gently, Keiji lifted the edge of the blanket, revealing Kenma's face, streaked with tears and despair.
"Oh, my love," he murmured.
Kenma closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face.
Keiji leaned in to kiss his mate’s temple.
"I really, really fucked up. Shit... I should never have done that."
"It's done. There's nothing we can do about it now," Kōtarō murmured.
Kenma's throat tightened under the weight of his sobs, releasing a strangled whimper of despair.
"I know. I fucking know that, dammit!"
"And I don't think you fucked up. You just stood up for yourself."
"Maybe, but I shouldn't have. I ruined everything."
"It’s going to be okay…"
"No!" he shouted. "It's not going to be okay!" He turned to face the ceiling and threw his arms in the air in anger.
"I lost 100k followers in two hours! I had to deactivate my public Insta because I kept getting threats! Threats, for fuck's sake! Lunatics telling me they're going to find me and hurt me and... What the hell am I supposed to do? Ignore it? Sure, but I can't! I feel fucking terrible, I feel in danger, exposed, and... I just can't."
His voice broke on the last words, and he began to sob again.
Tetsurō closed his eyes, fighting against the tears welling up. He felt so powerless.
He had no answer, no magic words that could solve everything. He didn't know what to do, either.
"Kenma…"
Kōtarō’s voice, raw with tenderness and strength, pierced through the darkness.
"Can I show you something?"
The blond nodded. His mate handed him his phone.
When Kenma saw what was on the screen, he gasped. He sat up cross-legged and stared at the phone in his hands. Tetsurō and Keiji finally caught a glimpse of the screen.
Kuroo’s eyes widened as he realized what Kōtarō was showing him.
Kenma may have lost 100k followers on his stream channel in two hours, but he gained 250k since then. Kōtarō tapped on Kenma's profile and opened the chat. Despite not logging in since his secret was exposed, the chat was overflowing with messages. Messages of support, loyalty, and love.
Kenma’s eyes widened.
Kōtarō took the phone back and, after a few moments, handed it to him again. It was a Twitter thread under the hashtag #ThanksApplepie : hundreds and hundreds of people had posted messages of support, explaining how he had impacted their lives in one way or another, how he had influenced their daily routines and made their days brighter over the years. How what he had revealed had resonated with them; even those who had never heard of him before.
They all spoke with the same voice: “Don’t give up, we’re here for you.”
Kenma watched the messages scroll by, his eyes welling with tears.
They had lost their bitterness, their pain, their fear. These were no longer tears of despair but of pure emotion. He sat there, utterly disarmed and overwhelmed by all the love being returned to him.
"Kenma, I know it doesn’t feel like it right now," Kōtarō said softly, "but it’ll get better."
The blond locked eyes with him.
Kōtarō smiled.
"Don’t forget that you are loved."
Kenma smiled back, tears glistening in his eyes.
"And if it doesn't get better, well, you're loaded now anyway. We could move to a house in the middle of nowhere on a remote island and raise goats and alpacas."
The remark managed to make them laugh.
"But it's going to be okay."
And Kenma believed it.
They all did.
Kōtarō wrapped his arms around Kenma. Tetsurō and Keiji joined in, holding him close.
"Don't forget that you are loved."
-//-
But love is not a magic cure.
Sometimes, the embrace of darkness is far more seductive. It seeps into one's body and mind, tightening its grip until breaking free becomes nearly impossible.
Kenma left his room, yes, but he couldn't leave the house. He stayed locked inside, nuzzling in the warm embrace of darkness.
He was so consumed by fear and guilt that everything felt unbearable. And his mates couldn't do anything about it.
Meanwhile, the fire kept spreading all over the internet and on media. The discourse around the T.O.P was becoming increasingly extreme, polarized, and divisive.
The first testimonial video from Chaotic Justice was released the following week, fueling the flames with a new breath. Voices that had long been silenced began to rise: boiling, burning. They seeped into every corner of life.
The world kept turning, but the voices were everywhere:
As the sun rises over the damp pavement, the crowd marches along the streets and rushes into the subway tunnels.
"I was twelve years old. They took me away from my parents, and I never saw them again. I was forced to carry my abuser’s child to term. I was trapped."
Trains speed past the level crossings.
"I couldn't do anything. I had nowhere to go. They pulled me out of school when I was eleven, and I needed his permission to get a job. Even if I had managed to run away, I would have ended up starving to death somewhere. He swore he would find me no matter what."
In supermarkets, the beeping of scanned items fills the air.
"I feel incredibly lucky to have her. I love her dearly. But she can’t change the world. She can’t change the world we live in. It’s every day, all the time, no matter where I go or what I do."
"Next station: Ikebukuro. The exit is on the right. Please be careful when leaving the train."
"Of course, it was hard for me to find a job. I was lucky to be able to go to university. But it doesn't matter. Even if I have the same qualifications, I will always struggle. Nobody wants to deal with people like me, like us. Many companies simply don’t want to bother with the treaty, so they don’t hire us. We're left to choose between agreeing to be treated like pets and baby factories or struggling in poverty."
Children in uniforms hold hands as they cross the street. Bicycles rush past on the roadside.
"He put a knife to my throat and told me that if I didn’t follow him, he would kill me in front of my daughter and that no one would ever find me."
The rain keeps falling, beading on the leaves of the trees in Ueno Park.
"My mate is also an omega. Our families disowned us completely, but we managed to get by. My best friend agreed to act as a substitute alpha, so we've been able to live relatively normal lives. But if anything were to happen to her, we would lose everything we have built together."
At nightfall, neon lights blind the nocturnal wanderers, their glow reflecting off the starless sky.
"She told me that if I couldn't even give her children, I might as well sell myself so I could be of use. I begged her on my knee, but she opened the truck door and threw me to the wolves."
An elderly woman sits on a park bench, tossing crumbs to the ducks.
"He grabbed me by the hair, shoved the knife into my mouth, and told me that if he couldn't have me, no one would. Then he pressed until the blade cut through my cheek."
Advertising panels line the underground tunnels. The shops just before the exit have run out of umbrellas, and it's pouring outside.
"My mate and I have three children together. Since he’s a beta, we can’t be registered as a protected family unit. And since we’re both men, we can’t get married either. If something happened to me, he would lose custody of our children and have no parental rights over them."
Between dusk and dawn, a cat hisses, and a dog barks.
"No one wants to listen to us! We can’t do anything without permission. Clearly, in this country, we're worth no more than furniture or pets. This can’t go on! That's just fucked up!"
A family sits down for dinner. From the street, they appear as silhouettes under the warm glow of the kitchen light.
"When I presented as an omega, my parents were devastated. They called me worthless, they called me a whore, for simply existing, for something I never chose in the first place. They sold me to a clan when I was fourteen. The only reason I escaped was because I found allies willing to risk everything to save me."
Drunken voices echo through the streets, shouting at the top of their lungs as the dawn begins to break.
"We don't even have to do much. Sometimes it feels like just existing pisses people off. Like they’d rather we weren’t here at all. That we just disappear. That we stop making waves."
"This can’t go on! We can’t let this keep happening!"
"The Treaty for Omega Protection doesn't protect anyone. It enslaves, persecutes, and kills. It was never intended to protect anyone, and it never will. As long as it exists, there will be stories like mine, like hers, like ours. And this has to stop.”
Kenma closed his laptop.
He looked up and took a deep breath, swallowing back his tears.
It was time.
The chorus of voices resonated in his mind.
He couldn't stay silent either. He didn’t need to do much: he just needed to move forward. He just needed to exist, to be seen.
He was lucky, and he knew it. He wasn’t going to let himself fall apart over something so small.
If they wanted to talk, then he was going to give them something to talk about.
-//-
Tetsurō looked up from the TV screen when he heard footsteps behind him. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Kenma: he was dressed. Like, actually dressed, in clean clothes, not in the old, oversized sweatpants he had been wearing for the past week.
Even more surprising was that his hair was brushed and loosely tied in a bun.
"Where are you going?" he finally asked.
His question caught Keiji and Kōtarō’s attention, and they also turned to Kenma. The blond raised an eyebrow and leaned against the kitchen counter.
"Nowhere," he replied before taking a sip from the glass of water he had just poured himself.
Silence stretched between them.
They kept their eyes fixed on Kenma, and Keiji turned down the volume of the TV.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing... It's just..."
Kenma followed their gaze and looked at himself up and down.
"Seriously? I just decided to wear something nice. You're not going to complain about it, are you?"
"No, of course not..."
Silence settled for a bit.
"And... you're really not going anywhere?"
Kenma sighed.
"No I'm not. It's just for... motivation."
"Motivation?" asked Keiji.
Kenma nodded.
"I'm just going to stream for a bit, that's all."
His declaration took the other three completely by surprise.
"That's all? Kenma, that's huge! I'm proud of you!" Kōtarō declared.
Kenma rolled his eyes, but a smile slipped onto his lips.
"Well, yeah, you were right. I can’t stay hidden forever. I won’t be silenced. I won’t give up."
Although surprised, the other three nodded slowly.
"That is... good to hear. I am proud of you too." Keiji said.
"Do you... want us to be there?" Kōtarō asked.
"Why?"
"I don’t know... moral support?"
Kenma thought about it and then shrugged.
"If you want to," he said, filling another glass of water before walking to his room.
The three of them looked at each other, then jumped up and rushed to Kenma's room. When they arrived, they saw that he was ready to start the stream. None of them said anything, and they sat down on the couch in the back.
"But shush, okay?"
They nodded slowly. They could feel something was brewing; an odd feeling hung in the air. Kenma continued setting up, opening his Discord and quickly typing something:
"Yo," Yūji’s voice finally greeted him. "You ready? I did what you asked me and increased the moderation. I doubt anything will slip through."
"Perfect, thanks... Can you make the chat subscriber-only, just for now?"
"...Okay, yeah, no problem."
The silence stretched for a moment.
"Okay, done. We’re good to go."
Kenma turned to his mates and smiled.
"It’s going to be okay."
I’m not scared anymore, his eyes said.
He settled in and started the livestream, launching OLF on an open map as usual, like nothing had ever happened.
Even though he hadn’t announced the stream, the viewer count shot up within two minutes, the chat quickly filling with comments. He didn’t pay much attention, simply narrating his actions without responding to anyone.
He tapped on the stream deck to his right. As he continued playing like nothing was wrong, the camera feed switched to show his face on-screen.
His mates' eyes widened in shock.
Keiji leaned to the side, sliding off the couch. It was impossible to tell whether he had done it on purpose to avoid being caught on camera or if he had literally fallen out of sheer shock.
Kenma kept going for a moment as if nothing had happened, then tapped on the deck again to mute his microphone. Once muted, he turned to them and said:
“You’re off-camera, relax.”
Now sure they couldn’t be heard, they all burst out at once:
"Kenma!"
Even Yūji’s voice joined theirs.
The blond chuckled, a smile spreading across his lips.
"What? They want to talk about me? Well, I'll give them something to talk about."
"You're out of your mind! What?!"
Kenma's face softened, and with an unwavering determination, a resilience they had never seen before, he said:
"No more hide and seek, I’m done with that."
That was enough to pull a smile from them.
Kenma unmuted his microphone and continued to play.
No more hiding.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Not an easy one this one.
Next chapter :"Breaking point"
“Oh, will you two stop already!”
“Shhh! You’re going to get us caught!”
“Oh, I’m the one who’s going to get us caught? Caught doing what? Existing? Right, because the undercover idol look is super discreet.”Kenma, sitting beside him, wore a cap and hood, his face hidden behind black sunglasses and a mask. He raised his eyebrows so high Kuroo could see it even through all the gear.
“How exactly do you plan to drink with that mask on?”
The blond pulled a metal straw from his bag, stuck it into his drink, and slipped the other end under his mask.
“Wonderful,” Kuroo muttered, rolling his eyes.
Chapter 55: Breaking point
Summary:
“Will you two stop already!”
“Shhh! You’re going to get us caught!”
“Oh, I’m the one who’s going to get us caught? Caught doing what? Existing? Right, because the undercover idol look is super lowkey.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
---
“Will you two stop already!”
“Shhh! You’re going to get us caught!”
“Oh, I’m the one who’s going to get us caught? Caught doing what? Existing? Right, because the undercover idol look is super lowkey.”
Kenma, sitting beside him, wore a cap and hood, his face hidden behind black sunglasses and a mask. He raised his eyebrows so high Kuroo could see it even through all the gear.
“How exactly do you plan to drink with that mask on?”
The blond pulled a metal straw from his bag, stuck it into his drink, and slipped the other end under his mask.
“Wonderful,” Kuroo muttered, rolling his eyes.
Kenma’s face reveal had the expected effect: it had wiped out, even obliterated, discourses about his secondary. The initial reactions had been quite positive.
Usually, in these kinds of situations, the backlash was pretty harsh, most people being disappointed to discover that behind their idol was actually just an ordinary human being. That hadn’t been the case here. It had long been established that Kenma’s most dedicated fans were supportive and always ready to stand by him. They proved their worth once again, welcoming the reveal with enthusiasm. There were some haters yes, but they were both rare and drowned out by the flow of positive and supportive comments.
Many of his fans had already had an idea of what he looked like after the OFL tournament, so most weren’t too shocked. And let’s be real, despite the attention he had garnered in recent months, he wasn’t exactly an internationally famous superstar, so the general public couldn’t care less about what he looked like. That’s precisely what Kuroo had tried to make him understand when he suggested going out.
Kenma already struggled with public spaces before all this, so the current situation certainly hadn’t improved things. But Tetsurō had no intention of living in hiding. To hell with that, if he couldn’t even go grab a coffee with his mates, what was the point?!
“Come on! Cut it out!”
“What? It works”!
“Great idea,” Keiji chimed in quietly, starting to use Kenma’s method to drink.
Keiji had also decided to play the undercover superstar. In his case, however, it looked more like a very clumsy spy disguise.
“I get why Kenma’s doing it, but Keiji, what’s your deal?”
“I do not want to be recognized either!”
"Recog… Pfft! No one's going to recognize us! That's why we picked this corner! And even if they did? People know Kōtarō and me, and it's not like we're being harassed by the paparazzi. Kōtarō, what are you doing? Don't start either!"
The one addressed was hunched over, head hidden under the table.
“We look like a bunch of idiots!”
“My stomach hurts…” he whined.
“Oh… crap, again? Do you need something? Let me see if I have anything on me, hold on.”
“It is precisely because people can recognize you two that I am trying to stay anonymous,” Keiji replied.
“But so what? People will just realize that Kenma’s got a stunning entourage, big deal!”
The not-so-subtle compliment managed to make Keiji smile, though he quickly composed himself.
“It is not the issue here. I do not want people to know about Kenma’s... romantic situation. “
“We’re just sitting here having coffee, not making out! And even if we were, what’s the big deal?”
“I don’t want to reveal my orientation or my status either.”
To be fair, Kuroo also preferred to keep that information under wraps. But he was stubborn, and he wasn’t about to let Kenma get away with that argument so easily. If anything, he was perfectly willing to come up with the most ridiculous counterpoints just for the sake of it.
“Yeah, sure. People took one look at you and thought, ‘ Now, that's a 100% heterosexual man.’ ”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Maybe most people don’t share your backward stereotypes!” Kenma shot back.
“What? That’s not what I meant at all!”
“Then explain yourself.”
“You’re gonna have a hard time arguing your way out of this one,” Kōtarō added, still hiding under the table.
“I don’t need to argue! Babe, are you sure you’re okay?”
“Shhh! Not in public!” Keiji and Kenma reprimanded him.
“No, I’m not okay! I've been telling you that!”
“We’ll stop by the pharmacy on the way home…”
“Kō, you chose to have milk. You know you're lactose intolerant."
"That's not it!"
“Well, it can’t be helping either, babe.”
“Shhh!”
“What? There’s no one here! And even if there were, people already know about me and Kōtarō.”
“Which is exactly why we should stay under the radar…"
“Pfft… Most people don’t even think twice when they see four guys having coffee! But when two of them look like an idol on the run with his bodyguard, that draws attention!”
“Good idea, I could totally pass as your bodyguard,” Keiji said enthusiastically.
“No one’s going to believe that! Why would I even have a bodyguard?”
“They’re more likely to believe that than anything else!” Kuroo retorted.
"My secondary is public. People probably assume I have an alpha."
"And I’m the one with backward stereotypes?"
"It’s not a stereotype if it's the law!"
"Tell that to Nishinoya and Asahi!"
"What? What does it have to do with them!"
"Subs exit, you don't have to be in a relationship with them."
"People don’t necessarily know that!"
"Stop, you’re giving me a headache," Kōtarō groaned.
They fell silent.
"We’re in Japan. We’re known for being discreet and… I don’t know, respecting people’s personal space."
"What are you talking about? People live on top of each other, and one of our biggest social issues is old men secretly taking photos of women’s underwear."
"Okay, but at least they're discreet..."
"That's fuck up, and you know that."
"I'm just trying to be positive!" Tetsurō shot back.
"What's positive about that?!"
"I'm not saying it's okay to do that, they're just discreet, we won't see it coming."
"And that's supposed to make me feel better?!"
"Hey."
They all fell silent and turned to see who had just approached them.
"Shimizu-san, Yachi!"
The two young women waved hello, and they waved back.
"Uh… how are you?" Kenma asked, caught off guard. He removed his sunglasses to speak to them. "Oh, would you like to sit down?"
Yachi politely declined:
"We were passing by and just wanted to say hello."
"Oh… okay."
Silence fell again.
"I was planning to contact you soon. Now that the tournament is over and with... the recent changes, I thought it might be nice to work on new visuals together."
"I'd love that!"
A gentle smile spread across Yachi’s lips. Her hands hovered in the air for a moment. Finally, her hands moved to form another sentence.
"Thank you for the text."
Kuroo glanced discreetly at Kenma. He had no idea what text she was referring to. He noticed Kōtarō and Keiji doing the same, just as clueless as him.
Kenma and Yachi held a gaze for a moment. Kenma nodded. He didn't talk out loud, but he signed:
"You gave me strength."
Yachi’s smile widened.
"You did too."
That deeply moved Kenma. He nodded again, still looking at her.
Yachi was the first to break eye contact, turning to the brunette beside her. She looped her arm around hers, and the two exchanged a tender smile.
"I'm afraid we have to go, our movie is about to start," Shimizu announced before bowing quickly to say goodbye.
They waved at them, and they left.
Kenma looked at them until they disappeared from his field of view.
He set his cup down, and a smile stretched across his lips.
"I had almost forgotten why I chose to do this. I promised myself that I would stop hiding. I just needed to remember why."
With that, he pulled down his mask and cap and took a sip from his mug as if nothing had happened.
The three others smiled, and none of them commented.
Keiji pulled down his mask as well and pushed his sunglasses up into his hair.
The warmth of the moment wrapped around them.
At last, Kuroo turned his eyes toward Kōtarō, who was sitting stiff as a board in his chair, his face drained of color, pale as a ghost.
"Uh… Kō, you okay?"
Kōtarō took a deep breath.
"I… wow… I really shouldn’t have had that much coffee. I… I’ll be right back," he blurted out, suddenly jumping to his feet and rushing toward the restroom.
The other three watched him go, concern written across their faces.
"He really needs to stop eating things he can’t digest," Kenma said.
-//-
Tetsurō sighed.
Again.
He had been sighing a lot lately.
Despite the rollercoaster that had been his life these past few days, or months, his day-to-day hadn't really changed. It wasn't particularly grand, locked away in the archives, buried beneath Toribishi Institute.
Tetsurō lowered his eyes to the large crate he had dragged next to his desk earlier that week. Inside was a pile of old files stuffed into worn-out binders and yellowed envelopes. The marker writing on the front of the crate had nearly faded away, but he could vaguely make out the words: “Miscellaneous 1994.”
He sighed. Just two more decades to go, and he’d be… almost caught up. At this rate, there was no way he’d be setting foot outside to start the internship Suzuki had promised him anytime soon.
Still, he wasn't deterred. Driven by a resilience he hadn’t known he possessed, he reached into the crate and pulled out a canary-yellow binder. As he lifted it, something slipped from the binder and landed at his feet.
He frowned, not entirely sure what it was. He picked it up and held it under the light of his desk lamp. It was an old Sony floppy disk labeled “Medical report, file 3456AJ8.”
He raised an eyebrow. After sifting through hundreds of handwritten lab notebooks and paper files, he finally stumbled upon some technology! This might actually make his job easier!
He leaned over to inspect his computer tower. It wasn’t exactly state-of-the-art, sure, but not old enough to still have a floppy disk drive.
He decided to go to Yukata-san to ask what he was supposed to do with it. The door was already open, and Kuroo knocked on it to announce his presence. The older man slowly lifted his head, like a very old tortoise, but he didn’t say a word, just stared at him with an empty expression.
Tetsurō bowed politely, and after a brief silence, he asked:
"I… I’m making progress on the data entry, and I’ve started coming across floppy disks."
Yukata-san looked at him for a few seconds, then turned his attention to his computer again.
"Hm... Is there a way I can read it so I can encode the data?"
Yutaka-san kept typing. Eventually, he let out a long sigh and continued typing.
Tetsurō had to wait over two minutes before finally receiving a response.
"All the data should have been recorded on paper. Those need to be encoded first."
Okay...
He nodded. After another awkward pause, he bowed and went back to his desk. Well, not a very useful interaction, but what was he expecting?
Intrigued nonetheless, he turned the floppy disk around but ultimately decided to put it back inside the crate.
Sighing once again, he sat at his desk and opened the yellow binder to go through the documents stored inside.
He frowned when he realized the binder contained documents about a Phase I clinical trial. He wasn't sure if he had clearance to process them. Until now, he had only been tasked with encoding daily researcher logs about laboratory experiments.
He shrugged. He wasn’t paid enough to ask too many questions. In fact, he wasn’t paid at all. So, he decided to just encode whatever he could.
Eventually, he found the right sections to encode the data. They were a little different from the ones he was used to filling out, but it was nothing he couldn't deal with. He created a new entry and entered the file number, "3456AJ8."
However, just as he was about to confirm the entry, the system flagged an error: the file number already existed in the database.
Tetsurō double-checked the number, certain that he had typed it correctly.
He searched for the file number in the database and found that the file already existed. He clicked on the entry to see if he needed to encode any additional information. It was a report regarding a phase I clinical trial for something called "Dehydrataze-Prolystatin." He vaguely remembered seeing this name before.
However, many fields were still empty. He tried to fill them in, but the system refused to accept any new entry and blocked the submission.
He sighed. This wasn’t the type of data he usually had to input, so he wasn’t about to waste too much time on it.
Setting the binder aside, he reached for another one. It was a navy-blue binder titled "June 1995".
God, his life was dull.
His eyes flicked to the time displayed on his computer screen: 4:40 p.m. He was almost free.
So he started typing again.
As soon as the clock hit 6:00 p.m., he shut down his computer and bolted out.
It wasn’t until he stepped outside that he realized he had no idea how to get home. Kenma usually picked him up, but he hadn’t heard from the blond all day.
As he typed out a message, he heard a car slow down in front of him.
He looked up instinctively and smiled when he recognized Keiji.
He opened the door and slid into the passenger seat.
“Hey.”
Keiji smiled back at him.
"Hey."
He leaned in to kiss him, but just as their lips were about to meet, Keiji gently pushed him away.
“Someone is here,” Keiji murmured, alerted.
Kuroo turned around, panicked. He immediately relaxed when he recognized the young woman standing before him.
“Oh, don’t worry, it’s Miwa,” he said, waving at her.
A knowing smile appeared on her lips as she greeted them in return.
“Kageyama-san’s older sister?” Keiji asked, nodding briefly in greeting.
"Yep... I don’t know how she does it, but she always busts me."
Keiji raised an eyebrow.
“Well, it is not like you are trying to be discreet either.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“That you are not trying to be discreet. Am I wrong?”
Kuroo winced.
“Yeah okay, but it’s not a crime.”
The comment caught Keiji off guard. He chuckled and rolled his eyes, and Kuroo took advantage of the distraction to lean in again. There was no way this car was starting before he got his kiss! His lover welcomed the kiss, smiling against his lips. Then, he pulled away and started the car.
"So, how come you’re the one picking me up?"
"Kenma is busy with interviews."
"Interviews?"
"Yes, for the video editor."
"Oh, right yes, I forgot about that!"
With his recent face reveal and everything surrounding his public life, Kenma ended up stirring up a lot of attention and decided to take the leap and ride the wave of his newfound popularity.
He had spent the past few weeks figuring out how to improve his channel, diversify his content, and start taking his YouTube channel more seriously. Up until now, it had basically just been a dumping ground for his stream replays. If he wasn’t streaming, he was editing videos to make them more digestible and impactful, since Yūji couldn’t handle everything on their own anymore. He’d also met up with Yachi again to cook up a brand-new visual identity for the channel.
His mates were the first to advise him to recruit someone new to help with the workload. Tetsurō was happy to hear that he had listened to them. The "Applepie Corp.," as they jokingly called it, was about to expand.
"How's Kō doing? He was supposed to see the MD today, right?"
Keiji sighed.
"He is fine, nothing too serious apparently. He just needs to follow a simple diet until his digestive system recovers."
"All right, so we're eating plain rice for the next two weeks?"
Guilt slipped onto Keiji's face as he looked away.
"What?" Kuroo asked, amused.
"I need to pick up takeout from Karayama on our way back."
"What? Again? We ordered from there two days ago!"
"I know. I am just following Kenma's orders."
Kuroo rolled his eyes and chuckled.
He didn't know what the deal was with their chicken. Maybe they were feeding them cocaine or something. Either way, they were all completely addicted to it now and couldn't go more than 48 hours without ordering from there.
"But Kō won’t be able to eat it."
"They have plain chicken too…"
"That’s cruel."
Keiji pinched his lips.
"Okay, fine. Karayama it is. But we seriously need a detox from this one day or another."
"Hmmm..."
Neither of them seemed particularly determined to do anything about it, though.
Tetsurō finally took in his surroundings and realized that they weren’t on their way home or to the Karayama.
"Where are we going?"
Keiji sighed.
"I just need to drop something off to Tsubaki. She should be finishing work soon."
A beaming smile spread across Testurō's lips, ecstatic. Sure, Keiji's sister was charming and all, but what excited him was the chance to see Sugawara, since he and Tsubaki were now kind of a package deal.
"Great! Did she forget something? What do you need to bring her?"
"The gray house's keys."
"Oh, does she need them?"
Keiji made a face like a disgusted five-year-old, which made Tetsurō snicker.
"I don’t know! And I don’t want to know!"
Caught off guard by his tone and familiarity, Kuroo burst out laughing.
"I forgot to give them back last time. She is the one who is supposed to keep them."
"Okay, okay," Kuroo replied, trying to stifle his laughter as best he could.
Keiji shot him a sideways glance but didn’t say anything.
Eventually, they left the highway and re-entered the city. After a few minutes, they parked. They knew they were close when they started hearing the light chatter of children. Soon, they passed by a few parents with their little ones, confirming they were almost there.
They finally made it to the daycare. The entrance door was open, and a mother was waiting patiently in the hallway. They greeted her politely as they stepped inside. Kuroo immediately scanned the room to see if his friend was there.
Sugawara was kneeling in front of a little boy, signing something to him before helping him put on his coat. Once done, he took the child’s hand and led him to the entrance. The boy’s eyes lit up when he saw his mother, and he ran into her arms. Sugawara gave a polite bow, and the woman left with her son.
Sugawara finally noticed them. After the initial surprise, a wide smile spread across his lips.
"Kuroo, Akaashi, what are you doing here?"
"Keiji needs to see his sister," the brunet replied.
“Oh, she’s in the back,” Sugawara told him.
Keiji nodded, removed his shoes, and walked inside in his socks.
Sugawara turned his attention back to Kuroo. They smiled foolishly, just happy to see each other.
“Don’t just stand there. Come in!” Sugawara said as he handed Kuroo a pair of slippers.
Kuroo took off his shoes, put on the slippers, and followed Sugawara inside. A handful of children were still there, sitting at small tables and busy with drawing or playing.
“It’s good to see you!” Kuroo said. “Now I get to see you in your natural habitat!”
Sugawara chuckled at his remark. A smile escaped him.
"My natural habitat? Don't know if we can call it that."
"More than the Seven Eleven anyway. Even if your personal shopper skills are unprecedented."
"Pfft, if you say so… Hey, Sochiro!"
Following his friend’s gaze, Tetsurō noticed he was addressing a child at the back of the room. The infamous Sochiro had been caught red-handed trying to snatch a doll. The little girl he was attempting to take it from had no intention of letting go.
"Don’t just grab it from her hands. If you want to play, you have to ask."
"But I already did! She’s not listening to me!" the child complained. "Give me Ayumi!"
The boy sighed. He let go. Ayumi returned to her dolls and continued the game Sochiro had interrupted. The boy looked up, clearly frustrated, but Sugawara held his gaze. The boy sighed again, then gently tapped his playmate on the shoulder. The little girl looked up, and Sochiro signed:
"Can I have one to play with?"
"With me?" the little girl signed back.
Sochiro paused but finally nodded.
Ayumi smiled and handed him one of the dolls so they could play together, settling the dispute once and for all.
"Wow, what a negotiation expert. "
"Hmm, I read some of Daichi’s police academy books. Turns out they helped."
Kuroo snickered.
"Isn’t he worried you're gonna replace him on the field? At this rate, they’ll call you in for hostage situations."
"Oh, he loses sleep over it."
"Well, I get that, it's tough to live in your shadow."
They burst into laughter.
They chatted lightly for a few more minutes before falling silent. Kuroo had a question on the tip of his tongue, but he wasn’t sure if now was the right time or place to ask it. Eventually, his gaze landed on Keiji talking with his older sister at the back of the room. Tetsurō took a deep breath, catching Sugawara's attention.
"Hey, um... I was just wondering..."
"What's up?"
"Have you heard from Yamaguchi recently?"
Sugawara was caught off guard. A sad smile escaped him as he leaned against the wall.
"Yeah."
"How is he?"
"He's...fine, don't worry."
Kuroo nodded. He wanted to ask more questions, but figured it might not be the right time.
"It's just that it brought a lot of things to the surface. Things he never really had time to process before. It's not pleasant, but I think it's necessary."
"Hmm…"
"But he's gonna be fine, don't worry."
"Okay. I just kinda miss his stupid little freckled face."
"Pfft, don't worry. He'll be back soon enough. But with everything going on, you know... It's tough on him."
"I know..."
Silence settled for a bit.
"Thanks, by the way," Sugawara said in a hushed tone.
Silence stretched between them for a few seconds.
"What for?"
"For being there for him."
A lump formed in Tetsurō's throat. He inhaled deeply.
"It's nothing really, I didn't do much."
"It was enough."
Kuroo gave a small nod.
The back of his throat was beginning to itch, tears welling at the corners of his eyes. He breathed deeply again.
"He… told me he thought Bokuto had figured something out."
"Oh, uh… He suspected something, but not… not everything."
"Hmm…"
Sugawara turned to him, a soft smile playing on his lips.
"Really, I mean it, you don't need to worry."
"I'm not. Not really. I just hope he's okay. I know he's tough and that he's not alone. He has Tsukki."
He turned to look at his friend:
"And a big brother who would do anything for him."
The comment made Sugawara smile; a tender smile, full of quiet vulnerability.
"Just tell him if you can that we're thinking about him. And that we miss him and that we'll be waiting for him."
"I'll make sure to tell him that."
"Thanks."
They exchanged smiles, but the moment was abruptly interrupted by a child's cry. Sugawara turned his head to see a little girl scribbling on her playmate's face with a marker while the other screamed.
"Hey! Aiko!"
He rushed over to the kids to resolve the conflict.
At that moment, Keiji came back. Kuroo finally caught Tsubaki’s gaze from across the room, she looked exhausted. He gave her a small wave and a sympathetic smile. She returned the smile and greeted him back.
"Suga, we'll be on our way then! I'll leave you to your negotiations."
"Yeah, okay! It was nice seeing you two, see you at CATO!" Sugawara replied, holding a handful of markers as the kid tried to snatch them back.
And with that, they left. Kuriyama and his devilish, cocaine-filled chicken bites were still waiting for them, after all.
Still, Kuroo promised himself he’d come back more often if he got the chance. He was pretty sure he’d never get tired of watching Sugawara play crisis negotiator.
-//-
"Move, move move! We can't stay here!" Kenma roared.
He tried to snatch the controller from Kōtarō’s hands, but the latter lifted it to keep it out of Kenma's reach.
"We can't just leave! The psycho is right behind the door with his chopper!"
"No! He's gone! If we stay here, he's gonna find us idiot!"
Tetsurō snickered, which was enough to pull him out of the fear that had paralyzed him since they were chased to the back of the basement.
He glanced down at the chat window, barely managing to read a few of the messages scrolling at full speed.
It was their first horror night since Kenma's face reveal, and viewers seemed absolutely thrilled to have the three of them back to get their asses wrecked by a cannibal maniac.
Tetsurō knew he would regret his lack of sleep the next morning and that this game would haunt him for days. Still, it was definitely worth it.
Kenma and Kōtarō were still bickering beside him. Eventually, the blond emerged victorious, successfully reclaiming the controller.
"Come on, let's go!"
Kenma stepped out of their hiding spot and carefully climbed the stairs.
"Watch out, watch out, watch out!" Kōtarō squeaked.
"Shh!"
His mate immediately fell silent. He shrank into himself, pulling his sweatshirt up under his eyes.
Kenma slowly pushed the door open, scanning the surroundings. The coast was clear. They found themselves in a hallway; their character was panting in fear, and the floor creaked with every step. Sounds echoed from the kitchen, just a few steps away.
"It’s him, shit, run!"
It was indeed their captor. He spoke loudly to intimidate them, gleefully describing how he was going to cut them into pieces for stew. Kōtarō whimpered in fear, and Kuroo wasn't doing much better. However, Kenma was waiting patiently, strategizing and trying to find a distraction that would allow them to move forward without getting caught.
They all jumped when a phone started ringing in the game. They heard their kidnapper curse before finally answering the call.
"Okay, here's our opening, let's go," Kenma said, stealthily slipping past the kitchen door.
"Run, run!"
The blond complied, and they managed to reach the back of the house. They ended up in a large living room, too exposed for their liking. Kenma turned the camera around, trying to find an exit. At the top of the screen, their mission still read: "Escape."
"There! There's a door!" Kōtarō exclaimed.
"Where?"
"Behind you, in the back!"
Kenma finally spotted the door Kōtarō was pointing at and rushed toward it.
"Oh hell yes, we’re getting out of here!"
Kōtarō’s enthusiasm deflated the moment Kenma tried to open the door :
"Shit, it’s locked!"
The mission objective changed, now reading: “Find the key to escape.”
"Damn it, where’s the key?"
"Okay, Okay, look around, there are plenty of drawers," Tetsurō said.
The blond nodded and started opening every drawer he could find. As they moved, they got a better view of the room they were in:
"This house isn't bad! The exposed beams look nice!" Kenma commented.
"Not the time AP!"
"Oh come on, relax. Look! Lovely bay window, oh and look! There's a sunroom!'
Kuroo let out a nervous laugh.
Now that he was set on buying a property, Kenma had spent the past week buried in real estate listings. Apparently, it had gone to his head.
“How can you think about that right now? Human limbs are hanging on the walls, and that’s what you’re focusing on?"
"Okay, but just visualize the room without the...decoration. You have to admit, it's pretty nice! I wonder if the developers got their inspiration from a real place!"
"You're out of your mind! Come on, we have to hurry if we don't wanna end up part of the 'decoration'"
"Oh, relax, he's still on the phone."
Tetsurō rolled his eyes but gave up on trying to reason with Kenma and turned his attention to the chat window again.
"Oh! Chat is saying the key is..."
"No backseating!" Kenma cut in.
The brunet pouted, painfully aware that the key was in the first drawer of the sideboard near the door they had come through. Frustrated, he continued reading the messages, unable to do anything while his mates moved farther away from the key.
After a while, one message caught his eye:
Y_Gucci-bae: So happy to see you guys playing together again!
Kuroo couldn’t help but smile, recognizing the ridiculous username.
"Yama’s in the chat!" he announced enthusiastically.
"For real?"
"Yeah!"
Kuroo waved enthusiastically at the camera, smiling from ear to ear.
"Oh, hey!" Kōtarō greeted. "We miss you!"
"Yeah! Miss you!"
Y_Gucci-bae: I miss you guys too!
Tetsurō and Kōtarō moved closer to form heart shapes with their hands, smiling at the camera.
"Hey, move! I can't see the screen!"
"Oh, come on," Kōtarō huffed. "You just played real estate agent, and now you want to focus? We just want to say hi!"
"Killjoy!" Kuroo chimed in.
"You didn't even say hello!"
"Now's not really the time!"
The floorboards creaked behind them.
"Shit… is it just me, or did he stop talking on the phone?"
“Little one, little one, come out now,” a sinister voice cooed.
"Shit! Shit! We need to hide!"
"Where!"
“Under the table,” Kuroo accidentally read aloud from the chat.
The door suddenly slammed open. The cannibal was only a few steps away.
"Under the table, under the table!" Tetsurō shouted.
Kenma rushed to the table to crawl underneath it, but it was already too late.
The cannibal grabbed them by the legs as they tried to hide. They were violently dragged out, and the chopper came down on them.
"Roh, damn it," Kenma muttered, barely shaken, while his mates cried out in sheer horror.
The next scene was a gruesome cut scene showing their captor cheerfully preparing a stew with their dismembered bodies scattered across the kitchen. "Game Over" flashed on the screen.
"See? Now we're dead just because you wanted to say hello!
Hello, by the way, Yama."
"If you had reacted faster and hidden, he wouldn't have found us!"
They respawned in the basement.
"Then you do it!" Kenma said, shoving the controller in Kōtarō's hands.
"No way!" Kōtarō squeaked, thrusting the controller toward Kuroo.
"Why me?"
"You haven’t played in forever!"
"So what? No!"
"Come on, Ji. Your turn." Kenma said firmly.
Tetsurō looked at him pleadingly, but Kenma’s decision was final. Tetsurō gulped nervously and grabbed the controller, hoping they wouldn’t end up in the stew this time.
At least he knew where the key was...
-//-
Tetsurō sat down at his desk again.
The light from the computer screen burned his retinas.
He sighed and rubbed his eyes to shake off the unpleasant sensation.
He tried to focus again, to no avail.
He checked the time: 1 p.m.
He sighed again.
He had spent his lunch break with Hanamaki and Matsukawa at their usual meeting spot. Their company was one of the few things keeping him afloat. That, and the few minutes of sunlight he was allowed each day.
Spring was finally there: trees were regaining their foliage, flowers were blooming everywhere, the sky was clear, and the weather was warm and pleasant. A brief respite before the air turned heavy with hot, unbearable humidity. A truly suspended moment, and yet, Kuroo was still stuck in his rat hole.
Why was he doing this to himself? Whose code of honor was he following?
Certainly not his own.
Driven by a desperate resilience, he rummaged through the crate at his feet. He was nearly done with “Miscellaneous 1994,” which had taken far longer than expected due to how badly everything had been organized. Only one old folder remained. Inside, he found two reports listing entries into the chemical stock… What was it doing here? Was he really supposed to deal with that kind of document?
He sighed and continued digging through the crate and discovered yet another floppy disk, wrapped in a blank envelope.
This was getting ridiculous. Who managed these archives in 1994? Were they high all the time? They had no work ethic whatsoever!
He signed again.
Why was he even thinking about that? Work ethic? About archiving? He was a biochemist for fuck's sake, not an archivist! What was he even thinking about!
He sighed again, then got up and headed to Yukata-san's office with the floppy disk and the chemical bunker registry.
The door was already open when he arrived. He waited for his superior to glance up before offering him a polite nod.
"I found another floppy disk, and this."
Yukata-san lazily extended a hand, and Kuroo handed over the documents.
His superior frowned and looked irritated when he saw the registry. Without another word, he tore it up and threw it away. Problem solved.
He examined the floppy disk in his hands closely. Then, he opened the top drawer of his desk, took out a small key, stood up, and unlocked the key box near his desk. He took out a key with a small orange tag, opened the bottom drawer of his desk, and casually tossed the floppy disk inside.
Kuroo caught a glimpse of what was already in the drawer for a split second. He couldn't help but frown when he recognized the bright yellow binder.
Yukata-san locked the drawer, put the key back in the box, and closed the box. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed Kuroo.
Kuroo complied and left. At least he was finally done with "Miscellaneous 1994."
Back at his desk, Tetsurō glanced at the crate. The yellow binder was indeed missing, and the floppy disk too. That was odd. He hadn't given it to Yukata-san, nor had he asked for it; it had just disappeared. As he flipped through the stacked files on his desk searching for the missing binder, his phone rang.
It was Kenma.
"Hey, is everything okay?"
"Yeah, why are you asking that?" Kenma replied.
Kuroo frowned.
"'cause it's 1 pm, so still early for you, I'm working and you're calling me out of the blue."
"Pfft, you’re working, sure. You should be grateful I'm calling you to distract you."
Kuroo snorted.
“What do you want?”
"I’m looking at houses. I found a nice one and wanted to see what you think. Hold on, I’m sending you the link."
A few seconds later, his phone vibrated. He opened the link. Tetsurō's eyes widened.
"That's not a house, Kenma! It's a mansion! It's huge!"
"Yeah, okay, and so what? You're not going to complain about having too much space, are you?"
"I'm just thinking about the electricity bill for that thing!"
"Oh... didn't think about that. Well anyway, we need the space, I mean, we need at least like four bedrooms."
"Yeah, and there are eight of them!"
"Well, we could switch rooms every now and then."
Kuroo rolled his eyes, amused.
"It's your money. Do whatever you want with it, but still. If we're only going there on the weekends or on vacation, we don't need that many rooms. I mean, two is fine."
"Only two?"
"Come on, we can survive sharing a room a few days a year!"
"Pfft… yeah, but…"
"But?"
"But look! There’s a sunroom with an ocean view!"
Kuroo rolled his eyes. That was the real reason. Kenma didn't want to buy a mansion for the sake of luxury; he simply wanted a sunroom like the one he had seen in a horror video game, where their character was brutally murdered and eaten.
"Seriously?" Kuroo asked, laughing.
"Yeah, I like it!"
"Kenma, I'm sure there is plenty of houses with sunroom, you don't need to but a castle!"
"You’re such a buzzkill!"
Kenma’s irritation made Kuroo chuckle.
"What about this one?"
Kuroo received another link just a second later.
"What the... It's another mansion! And it's in California! California?!"
"Yeah, so we'd have a pied-à-terre there."
"In California? I thought you weren't a big fan of the U.S."
"Yeah, ok, but look at it, it's beautiful!"
The house was indeed charming: built in a colonial Victorian style, with large bow windows, ochre brick walls, and a lovely garden surrounding it.
"It kinda looks like the house in Charmed."
"It's on the same street."
Kuroo burst out laughing.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you want to buy the house from Charmed , I think you're going to be a bit short on money."
"Oh, come on! You're no fun!"
"Okay, okay, just buy the house from Charmed if that's your dream!" Kuroo teased.
"Ugh, whatever. I’m hanging up. I’ll keep looking."
"Okay, okay. Love you."
"You suck."
He hung up.
Kenma kept sending him house listings throughout the afternoon. Fortunately, the options were starting to become more reasonable. Kuroo spent the rest of his day playing real estate expert instead of working.
-//-
“Are you sure you two are going to be okay? ” Keiji asked again.
He stood in front of the door, holding Kenma's backpack in one hand and his small suitcase handle in the other.
Kuroo smiled and stepped closer.
"Yeah, don't worry, we'll be fine."
His lover gave a vague nod.
"There's nothing we can do anyway. I'd rather stay here with Kōtarō, just in case. It's fine."
Kenma walked into the living room and came to Keiji to put his Nintendo into his backpack.
"How long is the drive to get there?"
"About six hours."
"Ish, couldn’t you have picked somewhere closer?"
"I am afraid that was not really up to me."
"Oh, boo-hoo! We're going to visit beach houses. What a burden!" Kenma interjected sarcastically.
"I am not complaining, but it is not exactly next door either."
"Well, it's closer than California, at least," Tetsurō remarked.
The comment brought a small smile to Keiji’s face.
"When are the visits?"
"We have two in the late afternoon and one tomorrow morning. We're on a tight schedule so we need to get going!"
Keiji rolled his eyes but said nothing. He leaned in to kiss Kuroo and slid the backpack onto his shoulder.
"Okay, let's go!" Kenma said.
He grabbed Kuroo by the collar of his T-shirt for a quick kiss.
"We'll send you videos!" He added before going down the stairs.
"Alright, drive safe!"
Keiji nodded and pressed one last kiss on Kuroo’s cheek before following Kenma out.
Tetsurō stood there for a moment, waiting to hear Kenma’s car leave the garage. When the electric door finally closed, he walked over to the window and watched Kenma’s car disappear at the end of the street.
The house fell silent.
He made his way to the kitchen, filling the kettle with water before setting it on the stove.
Leaning on the counter, he took a deep breath and savored the calm of the early morning. The chirping of birds outside blended with the gentle bubbling of water heating up on the stove. When the kettle began to whistle, he turned off the stove, poured the hot water into a mug with an Earl Grey tea bag, and dropped an effervescent tablet into a glass of water. He placed both on a small tray and headed to the master bedroom.
A small voice answered when he knocked on the door.
He gently pushed the door open, peeking his head inside first. Kōtarō’s eyes met his instantly. His head was barely visible under the pile of pillows and blankets on the bed.
"Hey babe, how are you feeling?"
"Meh..."
Kuroo stepped into the room and set the tray on the nightstand. He sat down beside his lover.
"You’re still burning up," he noted after pressing a hand to Kōtarō’s forehead.
"Hm... My head’s spinning."
"Here."
He handed him the glass, the tablet fully dissolved by now.
"Thanks..."
Kōtarō sat up, leaning against the headboard before downing the glass in one go. He handed the empty glass back to Kuroo.
"Sorry, it sucks that you had to stay here with me..."
"It's not your fault you're sick babe."
"Yeah, but it still sucks. You could've gone you know. I'm not great, but I'm not that bad either."
"I wasn’t gonna leave you alone, Kō."
"But..."
"But nothing. They said they’d send us the videos anyway."
"Hm... Where is it again?"
"Near Wakasa."
"What prefecture is that?"
"Fukui."
Kōtarō nodded slowly.
“Hm. I don’t know why I’m even asking. I don’t know where that is.”
He grabbed his phone and leaned back on the bed.
"Ah, it’s above Kyoto. Okay."
Kuroo leaned back as well, resting his head beside Kōtarō's and glancing at his phone screen.
"Not bad," Kōtarō commented, scrolling through Google Images.
Kuroo gave a vague nod.
“You shouldn’t get too close to me. We don’t know if it’s contagious!” Kōtarō warned, pulling the blanket over his face.
His childish tone made Tetsurō smile.
"I don't care," Kuroo replied, pressing a kiss to his burning forehead.
"No, you’ll get sick!"
“Don’t care,” Kuroo repeated, nestling his head into the crook of his lover’s neck.
"I warned you," Kōtarō grumbled, though he was clearly happy to be cuddled.
They stayed like that, curled up together, for a long while. Eventually, Kōtarō squirmed, cursing under his breath.
"My stomach hurts like hell."
"The meds should kick in any moment now. You want a hot water bottle?"
His mate nodded eagerly.
"Okay, I'll be right back," Kuroo said as he got up.
"Babe?"
"Hm?"
“Can you bring your laptop, too?”
"Why?"
"To watch Dancing Birds."
Tetsurō couldn’t help but chuckle.
"Yeah, I can do that."
"And cookies, too!"
"I'm not sure it's a good idea if you have a stomachache, babe."
Kōtarō gave him puppy eyes, and Kuroo gave in immediately.
-//-
"Damn it, look at that view!" Kenma exclaimed, turning the camera towards the bay window.
Through the window, the wild vegetation stretched out until it blended with the deep blue of the sea in the distance.
"Yeah, ok, it's amazing."
"And look!"
The blond raised the camera, revealing the light wooden beams. Kuroo rolled his eyes but smiled.
It was charming, yes... but something was... fishy.
"You haven't shown me the house from the outside yet... And I feel like we went through a lot of rooms..."
"Yeah, not yet."
The blond continued moving through the room, trying to distract Tetsurō by pointing out a bunch of insignificant details. Eventually, he returned to the entrance hall. Kuroo heard the door slide open, and Keiji appeared on camera. The latter waved at the camera and stepped closer.
"I hadn’t noticed this door. What’s behind it?"
"The bedrooms."
"Well, show me!"
"Later, later! We're not done here yet!"
Tetsurō saw Keiji raise an amused eyebrow.
"Kenma... How many bedrooms are there?"
"Enough."
Odd really; Tetsurō was under the impression that Kenma was shamelessly hiding something from him.
"Kenma?"
"Hmm."
Keiji appeared on camera again and held up six fingers.
"Six! Kenma!"
"What?!"
So he hadn’t given up on his mansion fantasies after all!
“Why six?”
"It's not my fault there are six bedrooms! They're not even that big," the blond replied, turning his phone so Keiji couldn't tell on him again.
“How many square meters is it?”
“I don’t know. Probably not much more than the house in Tokyo.”
"Five hundred," Keiji answered.
"Five hundred?!"
"Traitor," Kenma muttered.
Tetsurō got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen, putting the kettle on the stove.
"It's gigantic! It's going to be a nightmare to heat in the winter."
"Who cares if we come in the summer? Besides, it’s my money. I’ll do what I want with it!"
Kuroo burst into laughter. True, it wasn’t his money, and he wouldn’t complain about vacationing in a mansion. But Kenma’s sudden obsession with huge houses just because of a horror game was entertaining.
"Come on! Six bedrooms?"
"Okay, get over it! We have friends, too! If they want to come, they can have a room instead of sleeping on the couch."
"Hmmm, of course."
"Oh, come on! It's not that much different from what we already have!"
"Are you kidding me?"
Tetsurō grabbed the kettle and two cups from the cupboard. As he began to pour the water, Kenma continued to defend his case:
"And there's already four of us! Two more is not that big of a deal... well, one, if we want a master bedroom we can share. See, you're just being dramatic! It can be a guest bedroom."
Kuroo chuckled.
"Still! We don't need that much room if we're only going to visit twice a year!"
"Who said we're only going to visit twice a year? We can convert it into a library or an office!"
"There are already two additional rooms that can be used as offices," Keiji interjected.
"Keiji!"
Tetsurō and Keiji laughed together.
To be honest, Tetsurō didn't really care. Kenma could do whatever he wanted with his money. But teasing him was always fun.
"Besides, who knows? If we have kids, they'll need bedrooms. Maybe we should go for even more rooms!"
Tetsurō jolted, nearly scalding himself in the process. His eyes widened in shock.
He had never thought about that before...
Well, he had, but not in a while. It hadn't come up in a long time.
He really hadn’t expected a comment like that from Kenma.
Kenma was probably just joking, but...
They hadn't really talked about that before.
Then again, maybe they hadn’t been together long enough for it to come up. But they were mates now.
Damn it! Tetsurō hadn't realized before that, given their current situation, they could easily have biological children if they wanted to! He hadn't thought he would end up in that kind of situation, so he hadn't thought about it.
He was stunned by the realization.
"Ji?"
Kenma’s voice brought him back to reality. He had to come up with a response quickly.
“And you want to leave them in the cold during winter?!
"What kind of argument is that?"
“You’re the one who said you wouldn’t heat the place in the winter!”
“But I will if we’re here in the winter!”
"Oh, that's new!"
"But..." he sighed. "Anyway, one day we’ll have four salaries. Maybe you’ll be able to pay for the electricity."
"For your mansion?"
"For our mansion."
Tetsurō burst out laughing.
"Come on! Just look at the view! And the kitchen!" the blond exclaimed, spinning his phone so fast that Kuroo couldn’t make out anything.
Kuroo smiled fondly.
"Kenma, I’m just teasing you. If you want a mansion, buy a mansion."
"Thank you. Well, it’s a bit... over budget, but not by much... If I win again next year, we’re good."
"I liked the second house you guys visited yesterday; it was charming!"
Kenma switched to the front camera.
"Hmmm... It was small, wasn't it? More like a cabin. And the view wasn't as nice as this one."
"Oh, yes. The view of the gigantic private park was awful," Tetsurō replied sarcastically.
Kenma rolled his eyes.
"Think about Kōtarō for a second."
"What about him? He said he liked the second one yesterday too."
"Yeah, but he says that and... You know he grew up in a house twice this size. He’s holding back now, but he won’t last long. He needs space. Like a golden retriever."
The comment made Tetsurō chuckle. He heard Keiji laugh too. Kenma smiled, clearly pleased with the joke.
"How is he doing?" Keiji asked, stepping behind Kenma so he could be seen on camera.
"Not that great, to be honest. I gave him his meds, so he's going to be okay... He's really tired though."
Both of his mates looked concerned.
"I tried to show him the house earlier, but he was asleep. I didn’t want to wake him."
"We'll take plenty of pictures anyway. We'll be back soon. We should be home by the end of the day."
"Okay, okay, good. Now that the cat is out of the bag, could you please show me the bedrooms?"
"Okay, okay. I'll start with the bigger one. We can see the sea from the window!"
Kuroo smiled, happy to see his lover's face light up with enthusiasm.
-//-
"Babe?"
No response.
Kuroo gently pushed the door open. He didn't want to wake Kōtarō, but he was starting to get worried. Kōtarō had been asleep for about fifteen hours.
"Babe?"
He heard a long groan. He smiled, feeling reassured.
“Are you hungry?"
He heard another groan and took it as a yes.
"All right, I'll make you something. I'll be right back!"
When he came back thirty minutes later, Kōtarō hadn’t moved. The air in the room was heavy, almost suffocating.
"Babe?"
Another groan.
"You should really eat something and drink the soup too. You need to stay hydrated."
Kōtarō just sighed.
"All right, I'll just put this here for now," Kuroo said as he set the tray on the nightstand.
He hesitated, waiting for Kōtarō to react. Eventually, he ran a hand through Kōtarō’s sweat-damp hair and stood up. He decided to let Kōtarō go at his own pace.
“I’ll leave the door open. I'll be in the living room. Call me if you need anything, all right?"
Three hours passed. Tetsurō woke up from his nap, still groggy.
The television was still on. He checked the time and got up to see how Kōtarō was doing.
The door was still open, but the air inside was unbearably dense and tinged with an acrid, sickly-sweet scent. The tray was still on the nightstand, untouched. A heavy weight settled in Tetsurō’s chest, prickling him with an unease he couldn't explain.
"Babe?"
Still no response.
It was only at that moment that he heard his breathing: deep, yet quick, laced with shaky gasps and high-pitched wheezing.
Panic shot through him as he rushed to the bed.
"Kōtarō?"
He placed a hand on Kōtarō’s shoulder and gently rolled him onto his back. Kōtarō’s eyes were wide open, but his gaze was distant and feverish. When he finally focused on Kuroo, he parted his lips to speak, but only a strained whisper escaped. His breath quickened.
“What’s wrong?” Kuroo asked hurriedly, sitting him up to examine him as best he could.
Kōtarō’s eyes drifted out of focus again.
Helpless, Tetsurō cupped his face.
“Kō, what is...”
He stopped abruptly.
He knew that look, that smell.
Kōtarō didn't look sick, not exactly. It was more like...
But that was impossible!
If this was what he thought it was, then something was really, really wrong.
Frantically, Tetsurō looked around, searching for a solution, searching for something to help!
"Okay, babe. Okay. It's going to be fine. I promise. It's going to be fine," he murmured.
He carefully laid Kōtarō back down.
"You're going to be okay. It's okay," he repeated.
He bolted out of the room and rushed to grab his phone in the living room. His hands were shaking so badly that he struggled to unlock it. He panicked when he couldn’t find his contacts list or pull up the keypad to dial. Desperate, he opened his messages and called the last number he had contacted.
"Tetsurō?" Keiji’s voice answered.
"Keiji!" he choked out, his voice tight with distress.
"What is it?" Keiji asked urgently. "Hold on, I am putting you on speaker. It is Tetsurō."
"I heard," Kenma said. "What’s happening?"
"I...I don't really know. It’s Kōtarō."
“What’s wrong with Kōtarō?”
"I...I don't know. He's having trouble breathing, and he looks...I don't know. He looks like...but that's impossible! It can't be that. It's like..."
"Like what, Ji?"
"Like... I don't know. Like when..."
"When what?"
"Like he's going into heat, and I... I know it's not possible, but... It's the same; I recognize it."
Silence fell.
"Kenma?"
"Are you sure?" Keiji asked gravely.
"Yes! No, I mean, I don’t know!"
“Did you call an ambulance?”
"Not yet. I panicked and called you first."
"Okay, it's okay, Tetsurō. Call the ambulance." Kenma said calmly but firmly. "Explain the situation. He’s probably not in immediate danger, but you need to call them now."
"Okay..."
"I’m hanging up, but we’re on our way, all right? We’ll meet you at the hospital. Just text me where you are."
Kuroo’s heart clenched at that word.
He nodded, even though they couldn’t see him.
"Okay?"
"Okay."
"All right, it's going to be okay. We'll be there soon."
Kenma hung up. Without skipping a beat, Tetsurō dialed as fast as he could, his hands shaking.
"119, fire and ambulance. How may I help you?"
— end of the chapter —
Notes:
Were you expecting a fluffy chapter? Sorry ‘bout that then.
And with that, I'm afraid I will have to take a short hiatus. I’m having top surgery next week, so I'll need more time than usual to work on the next chapter.
We're entering the final arc of the story too! It's going to be a hell of a ride, and I hope you'll enjoy it!
Chapter 56: Rising waters
Summary:
1,2,3,4,5...
Tetsurō counted the passing seconds, his gaze fixed on the clock in front of him, his breathing naturally synchronizing with the countdown. He felt as if he had been plunged underwater and was slowly sinking into the depths.
Kōtarō had been admitted to the emergency department over an hour ago. Tetsurō held his hand the entire ambulance ride, speaking tenderly to him. His heart crushed with fear as he watched his lover’s gaze grow more distant with each passing second.
Chapter Text
--
1,2,3,4,5.
1,2,3,4,5...
Tetsurō counted the passing seconds, his gaze fixed on the clock in front of him, his breathing naturally synchronizing with the countdown. He felt as if he had been plunged underwater and was slowly sinking into the depths.
Kōtarō had been admitted to the emergency department over an hour ago. Tetsurō held his hand the entire ambulance ride, speaking tenderly to him. His heart crushed with fear as he watched his lover’s gaze grow more distant with each passing second.
They were separated when they arrived at the hospital. They took Kōtarō away, leaving him alone. Not knowing what was happening and feeling helpless tore him up inside.
Now, something had imploded within him, and he felt numb. It felt like he had been thrown out of his own body. No matter how much he replayed what had just happened, it all felt distant and almost unreal. Part of him still hoped to wake up.
Maybe he had dozed off on the couch.
Maybe this was just a dream.
Any minute now, he would wake up. He would find Kōtarō in the kitchen, telling him he felt much better and that it was nothing serious after all.
He would wake up any minute now. He just had to wait.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
"Tetsurō-kun!"
He tore his eyes away from the clock. He barely reacted when he noticed that Kōtarō’s parents had arrived. He could see the panic in their eyes as they searched his for proof that their worry was unfounded and that the situation wasn’t that serious. Tetsurō stood up; the sensation of returning to his body was so unpleasant that he felt even more detached from himself. He greeted them calmly, still not speaking. His attitude did nothing to reassure them.
"Do they know what happened? What is it? Is he okay?" Etsuko asked, gripping his shoulders.
"I," the sound scraped his throat, "I don’t know... They haven’t told me anything. I... They just told me to wait here... But they won’t tell me anything anyway."
"Why?"
Kuroo looked at Bokuto-san. He gave a weak smile and replied,
“I’m not registered as his mate; they won’t tell me anything.”
"What?! That's bullshit!" Etsuko fumed. "I'm going to give them a piece of my mind. Let's see if they still refuse to tell us anything!"
She spun around and stormed toward the reception desk, furious, her wife following closely behind, trying to calm her down.
Kuroo watched them walk away. To his left, Hiroshi let out a deep sigh and dropped into the chair beside him. The plastic creaked under his weight, the sound sending a shiver down Tetsurō's spine.
Tetsurō turned toward Etsuko and Yuma, who were harassing the poor nurse behind the counter. He sat down again.
Naruhito walked up to him.
"What happened?"
Tetsurō lifted his eyes and held the man's gaze for a moment. He quickly summarized what had happened.
As the words left his mouth, the memories resurfaced; the images in his mind no longer carried the hazy colors of a dream but became vivid and raw.
It all came back to him, the memory, the emotions, the fear. Especially the fear.
He felt himself being violently pulled back into his senses, so suddenly it hurt. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he fought to keep them at bay.
He couldn't break down.
Not now.
It all felt like déjà vu. He had been in the same hospital not that long ago. He felt guilty, as if he had brought misfortune to Kōtarō.
He had failed to protect him twice.
"Sorry," he whispered, his voice choked with tears.
"It’s not your fault," Naruhito replied. "You did everything you could."
The tone of his voice shattered all of Tetsurō’s defenses. He felt his face twist with tears. He tried to fight back again with all his strength.
"I couldn't do anything. I... I’m sorry."
“I know. There's nothing more you can do. You are not to blame. All we can do now is wait."
Kuroo nodded slowly.
"Maybe it's not that bad. Maybe we overreacted. He'll be okay," Hiroshi said.
"Maybe. How are you feeling?" Naruhito asked.
"I...I don't know."
Empty.
He felt empty.
And powerless, and vulnerable.
He was angry too; at himself, at the universe.
And he was scared.
He saw Naruhito step closer to him in his peripheral vision.
Before he could react, Naruhito wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in gently.
"It's going to be okay..."
Naruhito's voice was quiet.
He held Tetsurō as one would comfort a small child, and Tetsurō found himself utterly defenseless against it. His last walls crumbled, and he broke down in silent tears.
He had run out of words anyway.
Nakayama pulled away when they heard footsteps approaching. Kuroo quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve and looked up. Etsuko and Yuma were back.
"Well?" Naruhito asked.
Yuma shook her head. Etsuko was furious.
"Unbelievable! They won't tell us anything! Not even to his own parents! This is insane!"
“There’s nothing we can do now,” Yuma said, trying to calm her down.
Her mate held her gaze for a moment. Finally, Etsuko sighed and collapsed into one of the chairs in front of them. Yuma quickly joined her, as did Nakayama. Together, they sat in the shattered silence of the waiting room.
“Do we know when Keiji and Kenma will be back?” Etsuko finally asked.
"I'm not sure. But they're on their way."
Everyone nodded and fell silent once more.
An hour passed like this.
"Tetsurō!"
His heart leaped when he looked up and saw his two mates entering the waiting room. He jumped to his feet, rushed toward them, and pulled them into a desperate embrace.
"What is it? What did they say?" Kenma asked immediately.
"Nothing. They won't tell us anything. They’ll only talk to Keiji."
"Damn it..."
Without another word, Keiji stepped away and ran toward the reception desk. Kenma and Tetsurō watched him go, and then their eyes met again, heavy with anxious uncertainty.
They went to sit with Kōtarō’s parents, but their only companion was silence.
Tetsurō glanced at Kenma, who was trying to read the lips of the nurse talking to Keiji. Feeling his gaze on him, Kenma turned.
"What are they saying?"
The blond shrugged.
"I don't know, I can't make anything out from here..."
"Oh..."
Silence fell.
“Do you have any idea what could have caused this?” Tetsurō whispered.
"A reactiv e oestrus like that? I don't know. Maybe something related to suppressants. But he hasn't changed the dosage in a long time. I hope it's nothing, but..."
"But?"
The blond took a deep breath as tears welled up in his eyes.
"I don’t know..."
Tick, tick, tick went the clock.
"We should have done something sooner," he finally said.
“What could we have done?”
“I don’t know. We should have noticed something was wrong."
"Kenma..."
He took another deep breath.
“He’s been complaining of headaches and stomach pain for weeks... Even before that, he was constantly exhausted. During our last cycle, he said he was in pain, but I dismissed it. We should have acted sooner.”
Kuroo wanted to say something, to find a way to reassure him, but he didn't know what to say.
Keiji finally returned.
"Well?" Etsuko asked urgently.
Keiji looked at her but didn’t answer right away. His gaze traveled over the small gathering in the corner of the waiting room. He took a deep breath.
"Reactive oestrus "
Silence lingered between them.
They already knew that; they wanted to know why it happened.
Tetsurō knew what reactive oestrus was, but he had thought that it only occurred when the natural cycle was blocked by suppressants. That wasn’t the case here, though. It couldn't be natural either, not that soon.
"Do they know why?"
Keiji shook his head.
"No. They still need to run more tests. But he is stable now... We should be able to see him soon."
They all let out a sigh of relief.
After that, they waited a long time. Minutes fell into the hollow abyss of their wait. Kenma rested his head on Tetsurō’s shoulder and Keiji was holding his hand. Meanwhile, Hiroshi held Yuma close; Etsuko stared at the clock, her legs bouncing anxiously; and Naruhito stood straight as a ramrod, looking into the distance.
A nurse finally approached them, and they all turned their attention to her, desperately hoping she was bringing good news.
"Uh..."
Glancing at the file in her hands, she blinked, taken aback by the number of family names listed.
"Hm, Bokuto family?"
"Yes," they all answered in unison.
"Can we see him?!" Etsuko pressed.
"Yes, yes. He’s been transferred back to this unit, but..."
Etsuko jumped to her feet and grabbed the nurse by the shoulders.
"Which room?"
"Uh, 125, to the left..."
"Thank you!"
With that, she bolted in the indicated direction. The rest of the family followed behind her, resisting the urge to run through the hospital corridors. By the time Tetsurō reached the room, Kōtarō’s parents were already inside. Etsuko was hugging her son tightly, and Yuma was holding his hands.
Tetsurō smiled, deeply relieved.
Kōtarō looked exhausted, but the smile on his lips warmed his heart. Finally, he turned his eyes toward his mates, and his lips curved with tenderness. He reached out a hand toward them.
His parents stepped aside to let them through, and they approached.
Keiji sat on the bed and ran a hand through his mate's hair. Kōtarō rested his head on his palm. Kenma sat at his feet and took his hand in his own.
Kuroo stayed back.
"How are you feeling?" Keiji asked softly.
"I've seen better days, but I'm okay."
Kuroo took a shaky breath.
Kōtarō was fine; he was just there. He was speaking and smiling. He was okay.
Kōtarō caught his gaze and smiled at him. Kenma let go of his hand, and Kōtarō reached out to Kuroo. Without hesitation, Tetsurō stepped forward and took his hand.
"Sorry for the scare, babe. I'm okay now."
Kuroo's throat tightened, and tears welled up in his eyes. He nodded.
"We’ve spent more time in this hospital than at the arcade. We really need to fix that..."
"Deal."
They smiled.
Kōtarō turned to Keiji.
“What did they say? When can I leave? Today?"
"Probably not today, sorry."
Kōtarō sighed and fell back onto his pillows.
"But I feel fine!"
"Kōtarō," Kenma murmured.
"They just want to keep you for a little while longer to run some tests. If everything goes well, you will probably be able to leave tomorrow."
Kōtarō sighed again, annoyed.
"Okay..."
"It'll be okay," Tetsurō said.
He wasn’t sure if it would be. After all, it was beyond his control. He just hoped so.
Hours passed, calm yet weighed down by an anxious tension that they couldn’t shake. Eventually, Kōtarō’s parents left. The sun had begun to set, and they had given up on turning on the lights, even though they were starting to struggle to decipher the cards in their hands. Kōtarō was shamelessly cheating, but everyone let him get away with it, amused by his ridiculous excuses.
They were pulled back to reality when a nurse entered the room.
They all squinted when she abruptly turned on the light.
"Gentlemen, visiting hours are over."
"Oh..."
They looked at Kōtarō, reluctant to leave him alone for the night.
He smiled at them.
“Go home. I’ll be fine.”
They nodded, crestfallen.
"It's okay. And I’m afraid it’s non-negotiable," Bokuto added, glancing at the nurse.
She nodded.
"All right. We'll be back tomorrow, I promise."
“I hope you’ll be back. I don’t want to walk all the way home!”
They smiled.
The nurse was still standing in the doorway, which irritated Kenma.
“We’re leaving, all right.”
She didn’t move, only offering a polite but insistent smile.
"I swear...” Kenma muttered.
"See you tomorrow."
"Love you."
And with that, they left.
None of them were able to sleep that night.
-//-
"The scans revealed the presence of several ectopic masses on both your ovaries."
The news struck them like lightning. No one reacted immediately, paralyzed, terrified at the thought of understanding what it meant.
"That’s likely what triggered the pseudo-cycle and the other symptoms you reported."
Silence settled, unnerving and heavy.
"Do we know what they are? Cysts, maybe?" Keiji finally asked.
The doctor sighed and adjusted his glasses.
"I'm afraid we don't know yet."
They turned their eyes to Kōtarō, who was staring blankly at his hands. Kuroo felt panic rising within him. He tried to contain it, though, and think rationally.
They all thought about it, even for a split second, even if they tried to dismiss it, they all thought about that.
The mere thought was terrifying.
It made no sense, right?
Not at this age. Not so young.
The night before, Tetsurō spent hours Googling symptoms and reading articles. Everything pointed to that.
But this diagnosis was so rare in people under fifty.
It was probably something else, something benign.
Everything would fall back into order quickly as if nothing had ever happened.
Right?
"So, what's the next step? Biopsy?" Tetsurō ventured to ask.
The MD turned his eyes to him, weighing his words carefully before responding:
"I'm afraid not. The intervention could worsen the prognosis. It would be risky since we don't know yet what it is and...."
"So what do we do?" Keiji cut in.
Kenma remained silent, glancing at Kōtarō from the corner of his eye, monitoring his expression, his breathing, every movement.
"We need to wait for the results of the blood test. I've scheduled another MRI for this afternoon. After that, you can be discharged,” he said, turning to Kōtarō. "The results should be available in a few days. We'll contact you as soon as the results are in."
Kōtarō didn't react. He didn't even look up.
Kōtarō was indeed discharged in the afternoon.
They were all sitting in the car in silence.
A heavy, suffocating silence.
The only thing they could do now was wait.
It was going to be a difficult wait, agonizing even.
Kōtarō chuckled, startling his mates.
He leaned back in his seat.
"Come on, I'm only 23. It's definitely not that, right? It's probably nothing. It's fine. Just a big scare."
No one said anything; frozen.
No one knew how to react or what to say. They didn't want to unnecessarily alarm Kōtarō. They nodded vaguely. Kuroo turned his gaze to the window, fighting back tears.
"Yes, probably..." Keiji finally muttered.
-//-
"Tea?" Kōtarō asked while rummaging through the tea boxes.
His tone was so natural it was unsettling.
Kōtarō acted like nothing had happened, like it was just another afternoon.
Keiji and Kenma turned to look at him, sharing the same alienating feeling.
"Uh, yeah, ok," Kenma replied.
"For me as well, thanks,"
When Kuroo didn't reply, Kōtarō turned around.
"Babe?"
Tetsurō was brought back to reality.
"Uh, yeah, thanks."
His mate nodded and grabbed four cups from the cupboard.
Tetsurō couldn't sense anything through their bond. Kōtarō had shut off all communication. Judging by Keiji and Kenma's expressions and the confusion radiating from them, they were as disoriented and unsettled as he was.
Nothing betrayed what Kōtarō was really feeling. His gestures, voice, and face gave nothing away. It was like watching a puppet show, uncanny and disturbing.
That strange, weightless feeling settled between them, swallowing everything around them, trapping them in a warped bubble of time.
Kōtarō returned from the kitchen with the teapot and four cups, setting everything down on the coffee table. He poured tea for everyone, focusing on it far too intensely for it to feel natural. But no one commented.
Kōtarō sat down on the couch, ignoring the worried glances of his mates. He took a sip of his tea while scrolling on his phone.
"Wanna watch something?" he asked. "It's early, but since we're all here...I saw a trailer for a new show on Netflix, seemed nice. I just need to remember the name. Hold on."
He kept searching in silence, occasionally taking a sip. Kenma and Keiji exchanged a look; the blond urging his mate to say something. The latter hesitated, unsure if this was the right moment. Kenma frowned and insisted. Tetsurō was caught in the crossfire, fighting against the urge to curl up into a ball and cry. The silent exchange between the other two intensified.
Kōtarō sighed.
"I'm not blind, I can see you two, you know."
Kenma and Keiji froze.
After a few seconds, they turned their attention to him.
"Kōtarō... Maybe we should talk about it, about what happened and..."
Kōtarō loudly sighed, his eyes still glued to his phone.
"Why?"
Just as Keiji was about to respond, Kōtarō cut him off.
"No, but seriously, why? There's nothing we can do about it now, is there? The only thing I can do is wait. So yeah, I could collapse on the floor, scream, cry, and lose my mind over it, but that wouldn't change anything. I don't know what it is, and I don't want to think about it right now. Can we just not talk about it? Is that too much to ask?"
His tone was sharp, and anger vibrated in his voice.
"I just need a fucking break, okay? So, can we just shut up and watch this stupid show, please?"
The air shifted, and no one felt like arguing with him.
Keiji took a deep breath.
"Alright."
"Brilliant," Kōtarō said flatly.
Despite all the supposed searching, Kōtarō turned on the TV and clicked on the first show that popped up.
No one spoke, all pretending to pay attention to what was happening on screen.
Kuroo didn’t register a single second of the show.
The warped time had become a monster, swallowing minutes, devouring the silence, and gnawing at the anxiety clawing at all four of them.
Tetsurō couldn't sleep that night.
-//-
"It's cancer."
The news struck them like thunder.
So violently that the fabric of time and space tore.
So violently that the walls cracked and the earth started to shake.
It felt like the world was on the verge of collapse.
They had all thought about it at least once. Tetsurō did at least. But he tried to reason with himself, pushing that thought as far away in his conscience as possible.
Now the ground beneath his feet was crumbling.
He quietly turned toward Kōtarō. The latter seemed composed so far. He stood upright and breathed deeply, steadily. Unlike the rest of them, he wasn't breaking down; he was thinking, strategizing, mentally mapping out all the emergency exits he could think of.
Kenma slumped back in his chair, diverting his gaze and pressing his hand to his mouth. His chest heaved with stifled sobs. Keiji’s hands began to shake.
"At his age?" Keiji managed to say.
The doctor turned his attention to him, adjusting the hem of his white coat.
"It is rare indeed but..." He turned to Kōtarō. "Any family history of ovarian cancers?"
Kōtarō didn't understand right away that the question was meant for him.
"No... well... I have an aunt who had breast cancer a few years ago, that’s all... I think."
The oncologist nodded, eyes on the small tablet in front of him.
Kuroo watched as the cracks spread across the walls around him.
"The good news is that we caught it in time, and a simple surgery should do the trick. The bad news is that I doubt that simply removing the tumors will prevent any relapse."
"What does that mean?" Kōtarō asked.
The doctor inhaled, composing himself.
"I believe proceeding with complete ovariectomy would be the safer path here."
The cracks spread up to the ceiling, endangering the building's stability.
"In your case, I believe this is the best way to avoid the risk of it spreading. In other situations, it wouldn't have been my first recommendation. Since this won't affect your fertility, I believe we can bypass T.O.P. regulation to ensure your well-being. It's minor surgery; a laparoscopy would suffice. It's minimally invasive and leaves only a few small scars. You can go home the same day, and you should be fully recovered within a month. Of course, we’ll need to ensure that no other tissue has been affected. Regular annual checkups and possibly some genetic testing will be necessary to anticipate any future complications. Apart from that, everything should return to normal. After all, you’re still young."
Tetsurō, Keiji, and Kenma nodded. The cracks had stopped creeping across the ceiling above their heads.
"Or?"
Kōtarō's voice sounded strangely distant.
The doctor was taken aback, not expecting his reasoning to be questioned.
"I honestly believe this is our best option. However, we could consider removing the tumors, but this may weaken the surrounding tissue and potentially worsen the situation. Chemotherapy would be necessary, which is a heavy and lengthy treatment. Several cycles would be required, potentially lasting about six months. In addition to the expected side effects, this treatment could lead to more complications, including total infertility in your case."
Kōtarō focused his gaze on him.
"But...There's a possibility that I'll recover without having to undergo the ovariectomy, right?"
"In theory, yes... But..."
"Okay," Kōtarō cut him off.
The earth started shaking again. The floor flooded, and the waters rose, turning the office into a raging ocean.
"I insist, I think the first option would be the safest and quickest way to go, but..."
"But I can choose, right?"
"Of course."
Kōtarō nodded, looking at his hands.
"Okay... Can I have some time to think about it?"
"Yes of course. But please, the decision should be taken swiftly to avoid any complication and...
"I just need a few days, that's all," Kōtarō pressed.
The doctor nodded. He grabbed his calendar.
"Let's meet again next week, then. I have an opening at 6 p.m. next Thursday. Would that work for you? I'll take care of everything else so that we can proceed quickly, regardless of your final decision."
Kōtarō slowly nodded. He had remained calm throughout the consultation, but he was on the verge of breaking down. He had held his emotions in check until now. His walls were starting to lose their integrity. For a moment, Kuroo sensed the painful turmoil gripping him through their bond, the storm raging beneath his skin.
"Alright then, thank you very much."
With that, Kōtarō stood up. He grabbed his bag, bowed politely, and left the room.
Everyone else froze, unable to process what was happening.
The doctor seemed just as stunned as they were. Tetsurō and Kenma apologized and left, while Keiji stayed.
When Tetsurō made it to the corridor, it was empty.
"Where did he go?" Tetsurō asked, knowing full well that Kenma didn’t have the answer.
"I don't know. Maybe he went to the car."
About five minutes later, Keiji came out of the office. Tetsurō wanted to ask him what the doctor said, but he refrained, sensing Keiji's fragile emotional state.
They left, carrying with them the raging waves, the cracks, and the silence.
"He's not here," Kuroo said when they finally made it to the car.
Keiji took the keys from Kenma’s hand and unlocked the doors.
"Yes, he sent me a text. He went for a walk. He will meet us at home later," Keiji said as he sat in the driver's seat.
Kenma and Tetsurō nodded and got in the car quietly.
The engine started, and they left.
Kuroo felt as if the water was still rising. The angry ocean they had brought with them could barely fit into the car.
The water pressed against the windows, building up so much pressure that the glass began to crack.
The consultation kept looping in his mind, each word getting louder and louder. He tried to map out every scenario, searching for the perfect ending. Honestly, he couldn't foresee a perfect ending, but some were happier and more luminous than others.
Still, Tetsurō couldn't understand.
He couldn't figure out why Kōtarō was torn about what decision to make. Why didn't he choose the safest and quickest option? What was there to question?
Tetsurō was scared and devastated, and he couldn't understand.
"I don't get it," he murmured.
No one said anything.
"I don't understand why he... What is he thinking about, exactly? If there's a way he can avoid chemo, why is he thinking about it?"
His voice wavered with turmoil. The water had risen to his neck, and the salt from the foam burned his skin.
"I mean, he can do whatever he wants. I just don't understand why he would put his life at risk like that. Why would he choose the hardest path?"
Silence settled in for a moment.
Kenma rested his head on the window and looked into the distance. His arms hung limply on his knees.
He took a deep breath.
"Kōtarō has always wanted children." Kenma finally said.
Kuroo was completely caught off guard.
"To bear our children."
Tetsurō felt his chest crushed under the pressure of the water.
The pressure was so intense that it felt as if the water wanted to seep through his skin and drown him from the inside. It mixed with the blood pulsing in his heart and veins.
The discussion never came up, at least not with him. They hadn't had the time yet.
"Oh... I... I didn’t know."
No one said anything.
The water kept rising.
Kuroo refused to surrender, not now, not here, not so soon.
"I understand, but... I mean, is there a way out of this? He could freeze his eggs, and if the rest is healthy, he could..." He spoke in one continuous breath, panicking. "I mean, I'm not an expert or anything, but I think you can still bear children if the uterus is functioning properly. It would require IVF, of course, but it's totally doable."
Waves crashed onto his face.
Kenma inhaled deeply.
"It doesn't work for omegas. We need a special hormonal treatment. I don't think it's worked so far. Not yet, at least. And frankly, given the freaking shit show we’re living through, it's probably for the best."
The breaches closed up. The cracks seemed to have reached Kuroo's organs, slicing through his flesh.
"Oh, so... "
“So it’s not an option."
The car took a turn, throwing Kuroo to the side. Keiji had just exited the freeway.
“Where are we going?” Kenma asked.
Keiji didn’t answer. Kuroo turned his gaze to the window.
Keiji had taken them to a small rest area on the side of the road. Keiji swerved to park and stopped the engine so abruptly that they were thrown forward.
“Love?”
Keiji crossed his arms on the steering wheel, collapsed, and broke into tears. The storm rumbled beneath the ocean.
-//-
Tetsurō unlocked the front door, his mates on his heels.
The ocean followed them too, and it spread everywhere around them.
Kuroo stepped in, sloshing through the water, his footsteps echoing on the surface.
"Babe?"
Only silence answered.
"I am not sure he is home yet," Keiji said.
"Kōtarō?" Kuroo insisted.
He crossed the living room and opened every door in the house. Kōtarō was nowhere to be found.
Crestfallen, he came back into the living room. His mates had settled in. Keiji was sitting in his chair, and Kenma was on the couch. The teapot sat on the coffee table, along with four cups
Tetsurō looked down at the water up to his ankles. He sat by the coffee table. The water splashed.
Trying to ignore the cold that was starting to numb his limbs, he poured the tea.
No one spoke.
The cracks had traveled with them too, reflecting the ripples of the salty water all around.
Half an hour went by before they were pulled out of their dull silence. The basement door slammed shut, the noise reverberating through the fragile walls.
Kuroo sat up, listening to Kōtarō’s footsteps on the stairs.
The front door opened.
Kōtarō stood on the doorstep, looking at them in silence.
They said nothing.
His eyes were red, flushed with tears, but his face was drained of all emotion.
Finally, Keiji grabbed the teapot and poured Kōtarō a cup, sliding it across the table toward him. Kōtarō hesitated, then approached, gently closing the door behind him.
He didn’t sit with them. Instead, he took the cup and remained standing. They watched as he paced the living room.
"How do you feel?" Keiji finally asked. His voice was so timid that it didn't sound like his own.
Kōtarō stopped in the middle of the room.
"What do you think, Keiji?"
The sharpness in his reply sent heavy waves beneath his feet.
The brunet looked away.
Kōtarō sighed and stepped forward, passing between Tetsurō and Kenma to sit on the couch.
Keiji sank deeper into his chair, turning his gaze away. His eyes shimmered with tears, but he avoided eye contact with his mate.
Still, he couldn't help but steal a glance when he thought Kōtarō wasn’t looking.
No one said a word. They waited. They waited for Kōtarō to speak again, for the silence to suffocate them, for the water to rise.
"For fuck's sake, please stop looking at me like that," Kōtarō said, not even looking at the alpha.
Kōtarō’s voice was drenched with bitterness and acrimony. He turned his eyes to Tetsurō and Kenma, and what he saw only fueled his anger.
"I know what you're all thinking, okay! I know! But I have the right to take a step back and think, it's my body, my rules."
"Of course," Keiji replied.
"But?"
"Nothing. I just... I want you to..."
Keiji couldn't hold his composure:
"I cannot lose you, Kōtarō..."
The wavering in his mate’s voice only fueled Kōtarō’s irritation.
“I can do it! I can totally survive chemo. Lots of people go through it and recover. I could also die during the surgery. We don't know. I...damn it!"
"I am just scared, Kōtarō.”
"Great, and I'm not?"
His voice was breaking.
The cracks widened, and the windows shattered.
"The decision is yours, of course. I just want what is best for you. I just want you to be okay," Keiji added.
"But I'm not okay!"
Tetsurō lowered his eyes, watching his fingers relax and tense on his palm.
"You heard what the doc said. It's still early. Surgery is the quickest and safest option now. You could make it through without facing any major complications."
"Oh, and removing organs is not a major complication?"
Bokuto looked away.
"Kō..."
The latter sighed. He leaned back on the couch and tilted his head upward to look at the ceiling.
The water settled again. But it still swirled far beneath the surface.
Kōtarō’s chest rose and fell with his breath. Tetsurō's breath had instinctively synchronized with his.
The light dimmed for a few seconds when a cloud passed in front of the sun. Then, the rays filtered back into the room.
Kōtarō whispered:
“If I have the surgery... I’ll never be able to have children. We won't be able to have children. I... I didn’t think I’d have to think about this so soon. I thought I had at least ten more years, but I don't know. It's driving me crazy. It’s eating me alive, damn it!"
In the distance, the low hum of traffic drifted in.
Kōtarō still had his eyes fixed on the ceiling. His chest heaved, and tears welled in his eyes.
"I... I just can't... I don't want to..."
His voice broke, crushed with despair:
"I don't want to give that up. If I can make it through without renouncing it, then I want to... I just can't."
He struggled to catch his breath, tears rolling down his face.
"It's just... it was my thing, my job to... whatever, I was supposed to... That's what we talked about, that's what I always..."
His voice shattered into shards, and the water beneath his feet swirled.
Tetsurō lowered his eyes.
The fact that Kōtarō prioritized that over his own well-being infuriated him. He couldn’t understand how it was 'his job.' He wanted Kōtarō to choose himself, not hypothetical children, while his own life was in danger.
He did his best to keep his anger in check, not allowing his emotions to flow through their bond.
"I just can't..."
Keiji leaned toward him. He extended his hands but backed off immediately.
He spoke softly:
"I know, Kōtarō... I understand... but..."
Kōtarō leaned forward, lifting his back off the couch, his head swaying slightly. He wiped away his tears with the back of his hand and let his arms rest on his thighs as he stared down at the floor.
"I know, I know... I just can't see any other way out of this... I can't give up."
Silence filled the room. The water had risen to their knees. The coffee table, now afloat, drifted and tilted between them like the wreckage of a ship washed up at sea.
"It is not what we envisioned, but adoption is still an option," suggested Keiji.
Kōtarō's expression darkened again;
"Yeah right, a quad of queer men, don't think it's an option."
Kenma sniffled. Tetsurō turned to him for the first time since the conversation began. His face was carved with sorrow, his eyes reflecting the storm of emotions swirling within him: grief, a deep empathy for his mate, pain, and guilt.
Kenma stood up and knelt in front of his mate. Taking his hands in his, he looked up at him with fervor and sorrow in his eyes. He looked up at his mate as if he were an idol to be worshiped until his last breath.
"Kōtarō... we don’t have to give up. I can still have them."
Kōtarō rolled his eyes, averting his gaze.
"No."
His voice snapped like a storm at sea.
"I know you don’t want to."
"Not now, of course, but... later, yes, obviously yes."
Kuroo felt his heart sink, his chest collapsing on itself.
He could never forget the look in Kenma's eyes the night of Keiji's torpor, what he kept repeating over and over.
The mere idea of getting pregnant terrified Kenma to his core.
He wasn't lying though; he was sincere.
But Kōtarō was right. He knew it was something he didn’t want, something he had never wanted, and something he would probably never want.
Kōtarō knew that.
Keiji and Tetsurō did too.
Kenma was just willing to give up everything for him, to face anything, so he wouldn't suffer.
"Stop that."
"Kōtarō. I..." his eyes filled with tears. " I would do it for you, for us. I would do anything for you, Kōtarō."
His voice was but a breath. He rested his face on his mate's hands, still holding them tightly in his.
Kōtarō couldn't look at him. His eyes started to reflect the tumultuous anger raging within him.
"Don't fucking lie to me, please."
"I'm not."
"Please, Kenma."
"I'm not, I swear, I..."
Kōtarō pulled his hands away from his mate's grip, and Kenma had to straighten up.
"Stop! You're just saying that! And even if you're not lying, I won't let you do that. I know you."
"I wouldn't say that if it wasn't genuine Kō."
Kōtarō laughed; a bitter, acid laugh.
“It doesn’t make me feel any better, you know? Maybe you’re not lying, but I know you, Kenma. I know.”
He scoffed with disdain.
“Damn it, for all we know, you can’t have kids either. We don’t know, you’ve never done anything to make sure you’re okay.”
He lowered his eyes, locking onto his mate’s gaze with piercing rage.
“And even if you could, when I see how you neglect your own body, I wouldn’t trust you with someone else’s life if you were to get pregnant.”
His words struck like a whip. The cruelty stunned everyone.
Kenma recoiled, his eyes filling with terrified tears.
"Kōtarō," scolded Keiji.
"What, I’m wrong?!"
"Yes, you are. I know you are upset, and I know it is immensely hard, but you do not have to be cruel like that. You are being unfair."
“ I ’m being unfair?!”
Kōtarō stood up abruptly, shoving Kenma aside. He turned to face Keiji, towering over him with raw hostility. Keiji did not flinch, simply holding his gaze.
“I’m being unfair? Oh, sorry, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve just been diagnosed with cancer at 23! That’s unfair! That’s fucking unfair! So go fuck yourself, Keiji! No, you know what? Fuck all of you actually!”
He kicked the footrest of the chair and stormed toward the front door, slamming it so hard the walls shook.
A few seconds later, the garage door slammed shut. The vase on the TV stand toppled over, shattering on the floor.
Once the silence settled again, Kenma buried his face in the couch and broke down in tears.
Keiji took a moment to gather himself. He finally tore his gaze away from the door and turned to Kenma. Tetsurō remained frozen in shock.
Keiji sat down beside his mate, gently stroking his back.
"He is just upset, Kenma, he did not mean to..."
"I know," Kenma interrupted, "I know. That's not why I'm crying. I'm just... so scared. I don't want to lose him... I don’t want him to... have to go through all of that."
"Me neither..."
Tetsurō wanted to go to Kōtarō. He didn't want to leave him alone in this state, but he understood that Kōtarō might need space. So, he moved closer to Kenma. The blond turned and embraced him tightly in his arms.
-//-
Kuroo ended up walking up to the park near the house. Without thinking, he went straight to the pond. He knew he would find Kōtarō there, and he was right. Kōtarō was sitting on a wooden bench facing the water.
He hesitated to approach at first, unsure how his presence would be received.
His lover already knew he was there; he could feel it through their bond.
So, he waited, quietly, for permission to move closer.
Kōtarō eventually looked up, his gaze locking instantly with Tetsurō’s. That was his green light. Tetsurō stepped forward, never breaking eye contact.
He stopped just a few paces away.
"Hey."
"Are you here to lecture me too?"
His tone was no longer filled with rage. He was simply exhausted.
"Of course not. Can I sit with you?"
Kōtarō sighed but patted the empty space next to him, inviting him to sit down. He did.
They remained silent for a while.
The ocean and the storm hadn't followed them there.
In the pond, a crane had come to fish, dragging its long legs through the water as it searched the bottom. A Mandarin duck swam peacefully, its blue and green feathers shimmering under the last rays of the sun.
Kōtarō was completely closed off, not allowing any of his emotions to be perceived through the bond. Tetsurō pushed against his resistance, letting all the tenderness he felt for him flow through. Kōtarō fought it but eventually gave in, allowing everything he felt to run between them: the anger, the despair, the fear; all mixing in a heartbreaking cacophony. Tetsurō squeezed his hand, and the cacophony quieted down. Kōtarō closed the bond again, leaving only a thin thread of awareness between them. Kuroo didn't insist.
A female duck entered the water, followed by her ducklings.
"What do you think?" Kōtarō finally asked.
Tetsurō turned toward him.
"You didn't say a word earlier." Kōtarō continued.
Kuroo couldn't hear the anger in his voice anymore. He took a deep breath.
"I don't know. I feel like I don't have a say, which is why I didn't say anything. It's your decision."
"Okay, but what do you think?"
Kuroo sighed, looking at the ducklings. He didn't know how to respond. He didn't want to lie, but he couldn't say what he thought either. Kōtarō stared at him, analyzing his features.
"I agree with Keiji... I just... I want you to be okay, to be safe. But I also want for you to be able to choose what you want to do, not be coerced in something you'll end up regretting later."
Kōtarō nodded slowly. He turned his gaze toward the pond as well.
Silence settled for a while before he spoke again.
"I know the surgery is my best shot. I... I feel like my own body has betrayed me. It's awful. I swear, I can feel the tumors inside me, eating me alive..."; he clenched his fists, shaking with frustration; "Damn it, I just want to... I just want to tear my skin open and rip them out with my bare hands. It's driving me crazy!"
Kuroo's eyes widened. He turned toward him, genuinely concerned.
Kōtarō sighed.
"I'm not gonna... I just want to get rid of them as quickly as possible... I want this to end as quickly as possible too."
Kuroo nodded.
"But."
Tetsurō held his breath.
"Maybe I shouldn't think about that. Maybe it shouldn't be my priority, but... It's a lot to give up. It's just hard."
Tetsurō squeezed his hand.
"I know. I'm sorry."
Kōtarō looked down at his feet and began to swing his legs. He sighed.
"And... I know Kenma wasn't... lying. I know he was sincere... It just pissed me off, because it doesn't change what I feel, what I have to face. I’m just frustrated and angry."
Just as Tetsurō was about to respond, Kōtarō spoke up again.
"And I know it’s fucked up, and really, really ugly but... it drives me crazy that I have to give up something he gets to have, but never even wanted. I know he can’t help it, and I know it’s fucked up and ugly..."
"You don’t have to feel only pretty, politically correct things, Kō. You know that, right?"
"Yeah, but... I know I shouldn't have said that to him. Keiji was right; it was cruel and unfair. I just didn't know how to manage my anger."
Kuroo didn’t reply. He told him that he wasn’t there to lecture him, and he had no intention of doing so.
His mate took a deep breath, trying to sort through the flood of emotions rushing within him.
Two joggers passed by on the other side of the lake.
"Apart from the pregnancy, it would also mean that I would never cycle again."
Tetsurō remained silent, unsure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"I can't abandon Keiji like that."
"Oh..."
Tetsurō frowned.
"I don't think it's really a priority for him right now, you know? I think he wants you to prioritize your health over his comfort."
"It's not about comfort really... And... I mean, it means a lot for me too."
The wind picked up.
"I’ll miss it..."
The brunet nodded.
“Well,” Kōtarō said, “on the other hand, I could live without having to go through that shit again... I mean... I could walk, that’s a plus.” He gave a weak smile; “It means I can just piss off when he’s being a pain in the ass. And hey, you won’t have to carry me around anymore. You’ll live longer.”
His mate chuckled.
"Oh my god, the food! I'll be able to fuck and eat like a goddamn pig. Sounds amazing."
The brunet laughed again, this time a little nervously. Kōtarō picked up on his discomfort.
"I'm just trying to be positive!"
"Yeah, yeah, okay, that's... good I guess."
"Hum... The only thing is, I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up with him with my normal drive. We'll have to play as a team on that one, you and I. We don't wanna have to deal with a sex deprived alpha in rut, believe me."
"Kō!"
He smiled mischievously.
"What?! You know how he can be!"
"It's your mate, come on!"
"Our mate, and I'm right, admit it."
Tetsurō rolled his eyes, still laughing. He couldn’t say he was wrong either.
And then, Kōtarō smiled.
The sky had changed color, with orange hues reflecting on the surface of the pond.
Silence settled again, filled with tenderness.
Kōtarō’s smile faded. The pain gripping him hadn’t dissipated; it had only quieted for a moment.
He let himself fall back against the bench, placing a hand on his stomach, watching the ducklings swimming in the pond. One had gotten too adventurous earlier and lost sight of its mother. It chirped, turning in circles to find its siblings. The mother responded, setting off to search for the lost duckling.
"Hey... We've never talked about this before, but... Do you want kids?" Kōtarō asked.
Tetsurō was completely caught off guard.
He turned toward Kōtarō, speechless for a few seconds.
"I um... To be honest, it's not what is really on my mind right now, you know?"
"I know, I know. It’s just... we’ve never really talked about it before. I just want to know where you stand."
Kuroo looked at him for a few more seconds before turning his gaze away, leaning back against the bench.
He sighed.
"I... To be frank, I just... stopped thinking about that kind of thing a long time ago."
"Okay... so, no," Kōtarō whispered
"No, that’s not what I said. It’s just... I kinda gave up on the idea when I was younger. I mourned it, and I made peace with it. It wasn’t until, like, two weeks ago that I realized I, I mean we, could actually have biological kids. I knew I,t but like... didn’t fully realize it, don’t know if it makes sense. Blame my clueless beta ass for that, but... yeah. So I haven’t really had time to fully reconsider the question."
"Hmm..."
"But... I could be a parent, I guess. I'd raise kids with the three of you, no second thoughts. But I'd also be okay with not having kids at all. Both paths are okay with me. I don't know."
"You don’t know?"
"I don't."
Silence fell again. Kuroo could feel Kōtarō’s gaze on him. Eventually, Bokuto turned his eyes toward the pond again, and they sat in silence for a few minutes.
"You know... maybe I never really gave up on the idea..." Tetsurō said, "Sure, I told myself otherwise, but...I don't know if I ever really gave up. I mean, life is a fucking mess."
"Tell me about it..."
"Yeah, but I'm talking about hazard, or like, serendipity."
"Serendipity?"
"Yeah. I mean, you never really know what will happen next or where your path will lead. Nothing is set in stone. Hell, if you'd told me a year ago where I'd be today, I wouldn't have believed you."
"You mean, with me, mopping in the park because I feel like my whole world is about to collapse?"
"With three mates I love more than anything in the world... My brain would’ve literally exploded."
"Hmm..."
"So yeah... we can't really predict anything. We could have kids, or maybe not. The world is changing, and science is advancing every day. IVF doesn't work for omegas right now, but that might not be the case in a few years.
And even if we don't go that route, Kenma could have them, or not. We could find a surrogate. I don't know. But it's not game over.
I'm not going to live under the illusion that it's guaranteed to happen, but it's not hopeless either. Because when given the choice, I choose to trust life and its fucked up logic. I'll take a leap of faith every time. I'll roll the dice again, no matter what.
And yeah, I haven't always thought like that, but that's where I'm at now.
So... to answer you. Do I want kids? Hell yeah. But I know it's not an absolute."
It took Kōtarō some time to process everything that had just been said. He blinked a few times, then leaned back on the bench.
"I... haven't thought about it that way."
"That's normal, you have other fish to fry right now, I get that."
Their breaths synchronized.
"Babe, I know this sucks. And maybe this isn’t what you need to hear right now, but... it’s going to be okay. Everything will be fine. You’ll see."
It wasn’t a promise. Just hope.
"You'll get through this."
Kōtarō smiled at him. He was exhausted and scared, and he was still mad at the universe. But he knew now that he wasn't alone.
"And, by the way, one of your mates is a necromancer, do you really think he will let that slide?"
"A necromancer in a video game."
"I'm sorry, have you met Kenma? He'd master dark magic in record time and summon every demon in existence just to serve your will."
Kōtarō chuckled.
"What?! You know how he can be!" Kuroo repeated.
"It's your mate, come on!"
"Our mate, and I'm right, admit it."
Kōtarō smiled.
The last rays of the sun slipped through his hair and tinted his skin with shades of gold.
"Shall we go home?"
Kuroo nodded. Their eyes locked for a few seconds. They stood up and left as the dawn fell upon them.
-//-
Tetsurō opened the front door, Kōtarō on his heels.
Kenma and Keiji were still there, curled up together on the couch.
Everything seemed to have settled down, but Kuroo noticed the carpet was rumpled in places, the table had been pushed to the side, and a second vase lay shattered near the TV. Water had risen to the very edge of the couch.
Kenma straightened up, glancing over Kuroo's shoulder to try to catch Kōtarō's gaze.
Tetsurō stepped aside and Kōtarō walked in. The water receded under his feet, evaporating in his wake and forming a warm mist around him. Finally, he sat cross-legged in front of the couch and turned his gaze to his mates.
"I'm sorry..."
"No need to apologize, Kōtarō," Keiji murmured.
"I mean it." He turned to Kenma, "I'm sorry for what I said earlier, it wasn't fair. I am angry, but it's not your fault. I shouldn't have lashed out like that."
Kenma slid off the couch to sit in front of him. He took his hand and kissed his knuckles tenderly. Kōtarō eagerly welcomed the touch of his lips and pulled him into an embrace. Kenma let him, nestling his face into his neck.
"I know."
Kōtarō turned his head, ruffling his lover’s hair while searching for his skin, finally pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek.
Kōtarō lifted his head again.
"Keiji..."
The latter shivered at the sound of his name.
"You don't have to feel guilty. It's not your fault."
Keiji could try to build the highest wall around himself, but it still couldn't stand against Kōtarō. He knew what Keiji was feeling. He could feel it.
Keiji didn’t say anything. His face contorted as he struggled to hold back tears.
"It's not your fault. It's no one's fault."
Keiji nodded slowly.
Kōtarō took his hand, gently caressing his skin with his fingertips. He brought it to his face, holding it against his cheek.
Kōtarō locked eyes with him and held his gaze. In a tender whisper, he said:
"My alpha..."
This was all it took to shatter the last of Keiji's resistance. He broke down in tears. He threw himself at Kōtarō, holding him close.
Kōtarō caressed his hair gently.
He tried to straighten up, but his mates didn’t let go: Keiji tightened his grip around his neck, and Kenma clung to his hips, burying his face against his stomach.
Kōtarō managed to turn just enough to catch Tetsurō’s gaze. He smiled at him and reached out a hand.
Kuroo didn’t hesitate for a second. He threw himself forward like a cannonball. The collision was so strong that all four of them collapsed to the floor.
Kōtarō let himself be held, keeping his mates close as they clung to him like a lifeline.
He was the one on the brink of drowning, about to sink into dangerous waters, and yet somehow, he was the one keeping them afloat.
They stayed like this for a long time.
It was Kōtarō who broke the embrace.
"I'm sorry, but I still need time to process everything and think things through. I'm going to stay with my parents for a while. I sent Nao a text earlier. He should be here to pick me up any minute now."
Kuroo felt his heart twist painfully at the thought of having to part with him. Yet, he didn't say anything.
"Oh... I understand. When do you think you will be back then?" Keiji asked.
"I don't know. I just need a few days. I'll be there for the appointment next week."
"Okay."
Kōtarō smiled at them, stood up, and disappeared into the hallway. A few minutes later, he came back with his backpack ready.
They heard a car honk.
"He's here."
He caught their gaze one last time and smiled.
Then, he opened the door and left.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Hey, I’m back. I swear I’m going somewhere with that, sorry
Next chapter: Against All Odds
"Tetsurō had always wondered what happened during the ellipses in movies. What happens when the detective tracking a terrible serial killer returns home, waiting for the results that will help him catch his nemesis? What happens between all the episodes of a rom-com? Characters must continue living; life isn't full of plot twists. There must be some trivial scenes in between. What happens when you've just learned that your mate has cancer and the doctor's appointment to decide the course of action is in four days, yet you haven't heard from him in days? The answer was simple: if he were in a TV show, the cameras wouldn't be on him right now. Nobody makes a story out of nothingness."
Chapter 57: Against all odds
Summary:
Tetsurō had always wondered what happened during the ellipses in movies. What happens when the detective tracking a terrible serial killer returns home, waiting for the results that will help him catch his nemesis? What happens between all the episodes of a rom-com? Characters must continue living; life isn't full of plot twists. There must be some trivial scenes in between. What happens when you've just learned that your mate has cancer and the doctor's appointment to decide the course of action is in four days, yet you haven't heard from him in days? The answer was simple: if he were in a TV show, the cameras wouldn't be on him right now. Nobody makes a story out of nothingness.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
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Tetsurō had always wondered what happened during the ellipses in movies. What happens when the detective tracking a terrible serial killer returns home, waiting for the results that will help him catch his nemesis? What happens between all the episodes of a rom-com? Characters must continue living; life isn't full of plot twists. There must be some trivial scenes in between. What happens when you've just learned that your mate has cancer and the doctor's appointment to decide the course of action is in four days, yet you haven't heard from him in days? The answer was simple: if he were in a TV show, the cameras wouldn't be on him right now. Nobody makes a story out of nothingness.
Tetsurō felt like that was the only thing he had ahead of him: empty time, made of the same matter as the ellipses.
That morning, he woke up, like every day since his birth, took a shower, brushed his teeth, then got dressed, like his world wasn't on the verge of annihilation. He tiptoed down the hallway, drank his coffee, alone, and left. He took the subway, surrounded by all these strangers going through their own ellipses. When he arrived at Toribishi’s, he chatted with Miwa, as if nothing had happened. Then went to bury himself in his closet to encode January 2002.
The ellipse time had the power to silence everything; you can’t function properly if every second of existence is filled with turmoil, you need emptiness, dissociation, auto-pilot, nothingness.
He was sitting on a bench in the rooftop garden, absentmindedly eating a sandwich, scrolling through Insta, filling the emptiness with nothingness. He was just waiting for the end of the ellipse, really, his head and limbs numb.
"Here’s my vampire king!"
Kuroo looked up, recognizing Matsukawa’s voice.
"Your Majesty," Hanamaki said with a bow.
He forced a smile.
"Vampire king? Hmmm, I'm not so sure about that. I would have burned in the sun by now, wouldn't I?"
Matsukawa smirked. He placed his foot on the edge of the bench and lit his cigarette.
"Nah, it’s like in Twilight, bro, you don’t burn, you shine. And that’s what you do, you shine!"
Kuroo chuckled, caught off guard by the remark.
"Or like, your mom was a vampire, and your dad was a forest elf, so you know how to do photosynthesis," Hanamaki chimed in.
This time, the brunet burst out laughing.
"What?!"
"Makki, your genealogical theories sucks!"
"What? At least I’m innovating."
"Hmm, well..."
"Your theory isn't better, shining? Nah."
The two companions continued discussing the validity of their respective scenarios. Kuroo listened as they continued this unlikely conversation, occasionally chiming in.
Interacting with the outside world had awakened the turmoil within Tetsurō. He tried to ignore it, pushing it deep down inside. But it became increasingly harder to silence it. He kept smiling and pretended to listen.
"Dude, are you okay?"
Kuroo’s gaze refocused. Hanamaki and Matsukawa were looking at him, concerned.
"Uh, yeah, I’m fine."
Matsukawa raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.
"Like a Monday,"
The other two looked even more concerned.
"Resorting to clichés, no way!" Matsukawa sat down beside him, leaning on his shoulder. "What is it my dude?"
"Nothing, I'm fine!"
"You can't drop a 'like a Monday' and pretend everything is fine!" Hanamaki retorted, crossing his arms.
Was he really that bad at small talk? Or lying?
Yeah, kinda, he already knew that.
He forced a smile.
"Don't worry, it's fine."
"Nah, come on, tell us everything!"
Kuroo hesitated, his gaze traveling between his two colleagues. He sighed and gave in.
"It’s just, um, my... my mate..."
"Which one?" Hanamaki cut him off.
The question completely caught Kuroo off guard. He never mentioned...
"Miwa talks, you know," Matsukawa confessed.
"And Oikawa too."
"You’re talking to Oikawa?" Matsukawa asked.
"Yeah," his counterpart shrugged.
"Woh, okay. Let's backpedal there, you too are really in contact?"
"Yeah. I mean, we've known each other for most of our lives. I tease him 'cause it's fun, but I actually like him. Even more now that he's on the other side of the planet, and off the market."
"You know he's going to come back, right?"
"I don't care. Where were we? Ah, yeah, your mate. Which one?"
"Wait, wait, wait. You're talking to your ex-fiancé again, and the only thing you two talk about is another guy's love life?"
"Come on, you know what he's like! He's a big gossip. Of course, I know about the love life of everyone who has the misfortune of crossing his path."
Tetsurō really needed to ask Oikawa to stop disclosing his private life.
"To be fair, he didn't do it on purpose; it just slipped out, and I insisted," Hanamaki said. "Anyway, so to summarize, we have the fairy tale prince,"
Kuroo snickered:
"Akaashi."
"Noted. The Rich geek."
"Kenma.”
"And the gym bro, built like a demi-god who's kinda into UFOs. Watch out, I think Oikawa has a crush on him,"
Kuroo rolled his eyes:
"Bokuto."
"Do I have everyone?”
"Yeah."
"Well, dude, that doesn’t sound too bad.”
Kuroo rolled his eyes, blushing like an idiot.
"And so, your mate, which one?"
Tetsurō had completely forgotten how this conversation started.
"Oh, um, it's about Bokuto." "
“What about him?”
"Uh..."
He fidgeted with his fingers. He didn’t really want to talk about it. He didn't want to ruin the mood. He could lie or change the subject. The ocean in his stomach stirred, and he could only tell the truth:
“Uh, he’s just been diagnosed with cancer.”
As expected, it ruined the mood.
"Whoa, um... damn it, I didn't expect that," Matsukawa said, "Sorry, that, uh, sucks, not great."
Kuroo forced a tight-lipped smile:
"No... not great.”
"Sorry for insisting and... fuck, sorry."
Kuroo nodded, continuing to watch his fingers twist together.
"Of what?"
"Makki!" his friend scolded him.
"What? I’m just asking!"
Kuroo looked up:
"Uh... ovaries."
"Oh, that’s okay! The chances of recovery are pretty high. Especially if he’s young!"
"Whoa, Makki!"
"What! I’m trying to cheer him up! If it were like, pancreas, oh, I wouldn’t have said anything!"
Matsukawa sighed:
"Please, excuse him, apparently he was raised with dogs. And Oikawa, that didn’t help..."
Kuroo smiled despite everything.
"Is he on suppressants? I mean, I assume so, but you know, you can always sue the company that makes them, it’ll get him some money for treatment and everything."
"Makki, oh my god!"
"What?! I’m giving him tips! What are you doing, other than being sorry?"
"Sorry... again."
Matsukawa looked deeply mortified.
Kuroo nodded. He still turned his attention to Hanamaki, intrigued.
"Why are you saying that?"
Makki shrugged.
"Well, what they’re putting on the market often doesn't have well-known long-term consequences. It’s such a huge market that they want their share anyway. Let's face it: They don't really care. They just don’t want a scandal, so they throw money at the problem even when there’s no solid proof against them. If he’s around your age, I’m not saying that's definitely the case, but it would be easy to prove in court. I have a cousin who did this, and it worked like a charm. She drives a Lexus LFA now. Oh, and she’s doing great! She's in great shape and has all the time in the world to enjoy her fortune.”
"Makki..."
He was determined not to listen:
"Do you know the company that makes his suppressants?"
"Toribishi."
"Oh... well, make them cough up their cash, as a revenge for sending you to their basement."
"Yeah, or they could sue him for defamation... and forget about the internship!"
Kuroo raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t saying he was going to do it, but between winning a huge amount of money and staying in a broom closet, he knew which one he’d choose!
"You’re right, you lose nothing, and you’ll get some cash."
"Yeah, exactly."
Kuroo chuckled. The method was certainly unconventional, but effective: he felt a little lighter. The idea of ruining a multinational pharmaceutical company had something cathartic about it.
Maybe the ellipses weren’t made of so much emptiness after all.
-//-
"What's on your mind?" Tetsurō murmured.
Keiji, lying next to him, sighed. He didn’t answer right away, continuing to watch their intertwining and untangling fingers. Tetsurō waited. He could feel his agitation growing, but it was vague, a heavy shadow hanging around them that no one wanted to name.
"I...am not sure."
Kuroo nodded, caressing the tip of each of his fingers, continuing the strange waltz they had begun. Keiji sighed again.
"He’s right, you know... You don’t have to feel guilty; it’s not your fault," Tetsurō finally said.
He slid his fingers between Keiji’s.
"I know, but..."
"But?"
Keiji sighed. He slid his free hand under his head.
"I cannot... I..."
He paused.
"I still feel like I failed him. Maybe it is not..."
He exhaled, struggling to organize his thoughts. Kuroo waited.
Keiji spoke so softly that his voice was almost inaudible.
"I am his alpha. I am supposed to protect him."
Kuroo, despite himself, raised an eyebrow. Keiji noticed.
"I know... I know what it sounds like. But... Every time something happened to him, I was not there, I could not react in time and..."
"Well, he was with me both times. I feel like I'm the one who failed him."
"It was not your fault. And you did what you could."
"You did too."
Keiji looked up and met his gaze for the first time since they started talking. He broke eye contact when he rolled over onto his back.
"I... cannot leave him alone anymore; not again. But, he... is not here. I feel like he is too far from my reach."
"He’s with his family. He’s safe."
"I know..."
Tetsurō moved closer to Keiji. They separated their hands, and Keiji opened his arms so that Tetsurō could curl up against him. They both looked up at the ceiling.
"I am scared."
"Me too, Love."
Silence fell. There was nothing more they could say.
-//-
Tetsurō was awakened by the sound of running water in the shower. He opened one eye and noticed that the bathroom light was on. He grabbed his phone from the nightstand: 6:45 a.m.
He sighed. What was Keiji doing up so early?
He got up anyway and entered the bathroom. His head still groggy from sleep, he grabbed his toothbrush and started brushing his teeth mechanically. He heard the water stop, and Keiji stuck his hand out of the shower, fumbling around for his bathrobe. Kuroo noticed that it was still hanging on the door behind him. He grabbed it and handed it to Keiji.
"Thanks,” Keiji said as he emerged from the shower.
Tetsurō smiled at him, toothbrush still in his mouth.
"Should you not brush your teeth after breakfast?"
The remark caught him off guard. He hadn’t chosen the right sequence of actions. He shrugged and rinsed his mouth.
"Well, I'll just brush them twice. Let's just say that one was for kissing you," he said, moving closer to his lover.
Keiji chuckled, but he let him come closer for a kiss.
"You’re up early today."
"Mmm... they moved a class to 8."
"Damn, that's early."
"Mmm..."
Keiji grabbed his headband and slid it onto his head to keep his hair back.
"Do you need a ride?"
"You have the car?"
"I do, yes."
He stepped aside so Keiji could wash his face at the sink.
"Lucky you! Nah, don't worry. It's not on your way. Besides, I don't want to get to my closet too early."
The brunet let out a light laugh, continuing to massage his face with lotion.
"Okay, I will come to pick you up then."
"Cool, thanks."
Keiji nodded and leaned over to rinse his face. Kuroo leaned against the door and watched his lover’s reflection in the mirror. Keiji looked up and dried his face before grabbing his moisturizer. He caught Tetsurō’s gaze and raised an eyebrow when he noticed he was being watched.
"What is it?"
Tetsurō moved closer to Keiji, wrapping his arms around him.
"What? I can't contemplate my mate now?"
"Contemplate?"
"Yeah, that's right."
He rested his head on Keiji's shoulder. His hair was still slightly damp at the tips, and his skin was warm.
Kuroo took a deep breath, inhaling his scent. Keiji fell into the embrace, resting his head against Tetsurō’s shoulder. They stayed like that for a minute, listening to their hearts beat in unison. Tetsurō placed one last kiss on Keiji's neck and pulled away when he felt him move. Keiji turned completely, took Tetsurō's face in his hands, kissed him, and then headed back to the bedroom.
"What time are you leaving?"
"I don't know. Around 8:30."
"Are you sure you do not want me to drive you there?"
"No, it's okay. Thanks. I’m going to take a shower, too," he said, closing the door.
"Oh, wait," Keiji interrupted before he could shut the door completely, "I just need to take my suppressants."
"Oh... um..."
Kuroo turned. He scanned the edge of the sink and spotted two pill bottles. He grabbed them and handed them to Keiji.
"Thank you."
His mate read the labels and handed one back to him:
"This one belongs to Kōtarō."
"Oh, um," Kuroo turned again, spotting a third bottle he hadn't seen earlier. He grabbed it and gave it to Keiji.
"Thanks."
“Are you sure those are Kōtarō’s? Not Kenma’s? Didn’t he take his when he left?”
“He is the only one who takes those. He probably has a spare bottle; well, I hope he does.”
"Hmm... I’ll ask him anyway."
He left the bathroom to grab his phone. He took a photo of the bottle, making sure the label was clearly visible, and went back into the bathroom without bothering to close the door this time. He set the bottle and his phone down, took off his pajamas, then picked up his phone again to continue typing his text.
“Do you need this?”
Sent.
He watched the message appear in his inbox and made sure it had been sent properly. He took a closer look at the photo, having not taken the time to do so earlier. He frowned when he saw the name written on the bottle. He clicked on the photo to enlarge it.
“Dehydrataze-Prolystatine 25 mg.”
His heart skipped a beat.
He knew that name. He had seen it before, hadn’t he?
But where?
It came back to him in a flash: the floppy disk, the yellow folder.
The last time he’d seen it was when Yukata-san opened his locked drawer.
He remembered the message that had appeared on his screen the first time he tried to access the file to input data: Access denied. The file cannot be modified.
What did that mean?
He snapped back to reality when he heard Keiji call his name.
"Oh, sorry, I spaced out, what were you saying?"
"I was asking if you sent it already."
"Yeah, I’ll let you know if he replies."
"Okay, thank you."
He nodded vaguely.
He was probably overthinking things.
But...
He shook his head. Hanamaki had really put some twisted ideas in his mind.
He set his phone back on the edge of the sink, finished undressing, and stepped into the shower.
He was just overthinking...
-//-
"What time is it?" Kenma asked.
Kuroo looked up. The blond was pacing the empty waiting room anxiously.
"5.57pm"
Kenma sighed, glancing down the hallway.
"What is he doing?!"
No one knew, so they stayed silent.
6:00 pm.
Kōtarō was nowhere in sight.
They hadn’t heard from him since the night before, when he wrote in the group chat that he would join them at the hospital right away.
"Damn it, where is he?!" Kenma muttered quietly.
The door to the oncologist's office opened, and a couple in their fifties came out, the man holding his wife by the shoulders, speaking to her softly. Kuroo watched them leave, the door closing behind them.
A few minutes later, the oncologist, Dr Hasegawa, finally appeared:
"Bokuto-san", he called out while scanning the room.
He politely greeted them, recognizing them.
"I'm sorry. He won't be much longer."
"I'm here!" they heard yell from down the hallway.
They turned around and spotted Kōtarō running up toward them.
Tetsurō smiled. The situation wasn’t ideal, but seeing his mate for the first time in a week filled him with a deep sense of calm and affection. The tension that had been building between them since they met that afternoon completely disappeared when Kōtarō locked eyes with them. He smiled, sending a wave of deep tenderness through their bond. They didn’t know the decision he had made yet, but he seemed confident.
"I’m here! Sorry, I’m late."
He caught his breath and greeted the doctor politely.
The four of them entered the office and took their seats. Hasegawa sat at his desk and retrieved Kōtarō’s file. Kuroo looked down. The ocean had dried up, but the floor was still damp.
"Well!" Hasegawa finally said. "The last time we met, you were hesitant. Have you made a decision? "
"Yes," Kōtarō answered with confidence.
Tetsurō held his breath. He saw Kenma and Keiji do the same out of the corner of his eye.
"I’m going to have the surgery."
Tetsurō held back a sigh of relief. But he quickly felt the water rise within him, weighing heavily on his organs.
He knew.
Although Kōtarō seemed confident, Tetsurō knew how painful this choice must be for him.
"Good. I truly believe you made the best decision. As promised, I’ve taken care of everything on my end to make it happen as soon as possible."
Kōtarō nodded.
"As I explained last time, the surgery will be quick, and you should be able to leave on the same day. We will also perform a quick biopsy of the surrounding tissues to ensure they haven’t been affected. We will adjust the procedure accordingly. But don’t worry; it shouldn't take more than an hour. Dr. Isakawa will perform the surgery. She’s an exceptional surgeon; you’re in very good hands."
Kōtarō nodded. Kuroo analyzed his features and posture out of the corner of his eye: he was standing straight, breathing deeply, composed. Only his trembling hands on his knees betrayed his inner turmoil.
Kōtarō clasped his hands together tightly, trying to stop them from shaking.
"Of course, we'll need to meet again beforehand, but you're in luck! A spot has opened up for you on the 28th. We just need your final decision to book it. You also need to meet with the anesthesiologist. You can schedule an appointment when you..."
“June 28th?” Kōtarō cut in.
"May 28th."
Kōtarō paused.
"In... like, ten days?"
"Yes, you’re really lucky! Does that work for you?"
"Uh... yes, yes, that’s fine."
"All right. Perfect! As I was saying, you'll need to meet with the anesthesiologist. The service is on the second floor. You can schedule an appointment with Dr. Sato for next week. We also need to schedule several follow-up appointments to make sure everything is back in order after the surgery, and..."
Kōtarō stopped listening. He stared at the floor and nodded vaguely from time to time. Tetsurō watched him out of the corner of his eye. He seemed so distant, almost unreachable. Tetsurō didn’t listen to the rest of the consultation either. At his feet, the water had started to rise again.
-//-
"How are you feeling?"
Kōtarō turned his head away from the window. He met Kenma's gaze in the rearview mirror. He nodded and turned his eyes away again.
He sighed.
"I'm fine. It's just... I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.”
He fell silent. Only the sounds of the engine and wheels on asphalt filled the cabin. Tears welled up in Kōtarō's eyes, but he held them back.
“It’s too fast. I don't have time to..."
He didn’t finish. But they understood.
He didn't have time to process; to grieve.
"You can always ask to postpone the surgery if... you want to take some time," Kenma suggested.
"No, it's fine. The sooner, the better. I just didn't think it would be so fast."
Silence fell.
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted, and a massive wave of overwhelming emotions crashed over them, stealing their breath for a few seconds.
Instinctively, Kōtarō looked up at Keiji. The latter turned and met his gaze.
Keiji suddenly unbuckled his seatbelt, ready to slide into the back of the car. It caught everyone off guard. Kenma reacted quickly, extending his arm to push Keiji back into his seat.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
Keiji turned toward Kenma. He had acted on instinct, driven by an innate sense of urgency. The determination in his gaze was unsettling. Kenma understood.
"Sit down, please."
Keiji obeyed.
"Okay, okay..."
The blonde took the first exit. He stopped in the parking lot of a gas station.
As soon as the car stopped, Keiji rushed out and walked around it. They followed him with their eyes until he reached the rear door. Kōtarō pulled his head away from the window, surprised by Keiji's behavior. The brunet opened the door and stood there.
He was facing his mate.
No.
There was something even deeper than that, something ingrained in his flesh. It was so embedded in him that it made all his defenses crumble. It gathered his "self" from days and nights, from all the hours and reflections of his being. It was something that words could not fully contain. They could feel it through their bond.
Keiji stood there, facing his first mate.
His first friend. His first love.
The person with whom he had shared most of his first times.
The one who had been with him through every cycle since adolescence, for whom he had built so many bowers.
The first person with whom he had envisioned building a future.
The one who had taught him how to love.
There would never have been a "us" if there hadn’t been Keiji and Kōtarō. They were the foundation of the thousands of threads that bound them together.
He was his original agape.
They didn’t need words. They knew.
Keiji knelt and took Kōtarō's hands in his. Then, he rested his head in Kōtarō's lap.
Kōtarō choked up. Bursting into tears, he lowered his head onto Keiji’s and buried his face in his hair.
Kuroo met Kenma’s gaze. Their eyes were glistening with tears, too.
They understood.
Kenma unbuckled his seatbelt and moved to the back to join the embrace. Kuroo leaned forward and held Kōtarō tightly.
Kōtarō felt as if his world were collapsing, as if he were crumbling down.
They were shouting at him that they wouldn’t let him sink.
That they would hold on,
That they would pour all their strength, all their soul into it.
They wouldn’t capsize.
That they would stay afloat, no matter what.
No matter the cost.
-//-
Some things aren’t said about grief. A blissful ignorance for all those who haven’t had to go through it. A soothing illusion, the idea that this entity, birthed by shock, gradually dissolves on itself, following a specific sequence in a well-defined order.
1- Shock.
2- Denial.
3- Anger.
4- Bargaining.
5- Depression.
6- Acceptance.
A neat, precise list.
But it wasn't really that linear.
It was just a chaotic spiral, looping on itself again and again.
An incessant back-and-forth, an endless litany.
Perhaps it had to do with the accelerated nature of the process Kōtarō had to go through. Tetsurō doubted it.
Kōtarō constantly oscillated between stages until he reached a certain point where everything started over again. He would rise in denial until the pain invaded his neurons and anger exploded. Then, the anger would dissipate.
Sometimes this process took hours, sometimes seconds, and sometimes days. Then, he would try to negotiate with the universe. He would throw up his hands, aware of his helplessness, and the cycle would begin again.
His mates would follow along, gathered around their bond, powerless before what Kōtarō was going through.
At first, Kōtarō tried to maintain his routine and keep living as if nothing had changed. But it didn't last more than two days. He abandoned the idea of returning to his internship and stayed locked in the house, pacing around like a prisoner, trapped by his own mind, finding no rest anywhere.
Denial, anger, bargaining, and it all started over.
Yet, he moved forward little by little, the loop stretching out.
Then it froze.
The surgery was in three days.
Kōtarō remained stuck in denial, burying everything else deep inside and resisting with all his might to maintain the inertia.
He was on the verge of imploding.
-//-
"Are you two doing anything right now?"
Kōtarō and Tetsurō looked up from their phones. Kenma was standing there, in front of them.
"Uh... no..."
“Perfect.”
He went to get his car keys and asked :
"Shall we go then?"
Kōtarō and Tetsurō looked at each other, confused.
"Where?"
"First, we're going to pick up Keiji from work, and then you'll see."
Tetsurō blinked, confused. He was really comfortable on the couch and didn't want to go anywhere. He was under the impression that Bokuto felt the same way.
"Come on!" the blonde insisted.
"Uh... do we need to change?"
Kenma looked them both up and down. They were both wearing old, faded sweatpants and loose T-shirts. Perfect for a pajama party but not particularly suitable for a night out.
"No, it’s fine, come on, let’s go."
They had no choice but to comply.
As promised, they made their first stop at the Fukuro. Keiji shared their collective confusion when he saw that they were all in the car. He sat in the back and silently questioned Tetsurō. Tetsurō shrugged. He was unable to provide any explanation either.
The car got on the highway and headed in the opposite direction of their house. As the sun set behind the horizon, the city slowly faded away. Kuroo looked down at the GPS, trying to guess their destination, but to no avail. They gave up on asking questions; Kenma only responded with monosyllables whenever they tried to ask anything.
Eventually, they veered off the main road and entered a roundabout in the middle of nowhere. They took small, dimly lit roads built below the highway. Suddenly, at the end of the road, they saw the silhouettes of old prefab buildings. The farther they went, the more blocks appeared, their white metal surfaces reflecting the headlights. After one last roundabout, they drove into a field of old prefabricated buildings.
The parking lots were empty and the signs were dilapidated. Some of the buildings were barely standing. Kuroo had to remind himself that he blindly and completely trusted his mate. Even though he thought the place would be perfect for a series of murders, he knew that Kenma probably didn't bring them there for a manhunt.
Sure, the GPS now indicated that they were only two minutes away from their destination, but Kenma wasn’t a bloodthirsty killer; at least not in real life.
The car drove deeper into the heart of the commercial zone. The GPS showed that they had only one minute left until they arrived. Kenma turned into an empty parking lot. The car eventually stopped.
They jumped when a human figure appeared in front of them, illuminated only by the headlights.
They finally recognized Yūji, who was waving and smiling enthusiastically at them.
"What are they doing here?" Kōtarō asked. "What are we doing here?"
Kenma smiled mischievously and got out of the car.
Tetsurō, Keiji, and Kōtarō shared one last confused glance before getting out, too.
They stopped in front of Yūji, who was wearing blue work overalls and had a pair of goggles perched on her head.
What on earth were they doing out there?
"Yo guys, ready?" Yūji asked cheerfully.
Their enthusiasm was met with skepticism.
"For what?" Kōtarō asked.
"Are we even allowed to be here?" Keiji added.
Yūji winced.
"It's a grey area. I'd say we're not not supposed to be here."
Conclusion: they were definitely not allowed to be there.
Yūji slid the heavy bag off her shoulder and began rummaging through it. They pulled out four pairs of safety glasses and handed them out.
"Safety first!"
"What are you two up to?" Kōtarō muttered as he took his pair of glasses.
"And gloves!" Yūji added, handing them work gloves. "Come on!"
She turned and walked toward one of the stores. The security doors were wide open.
"This place was abandoned a few years ago when the owner of most of the shops ended up in prison for embezzlement," Yūji explained. "It's scheduled for demolition next week."
They nodded vaguely, continuing to examine the surroundings. They had just entered a porcelain shop, and the shelves were crammed with old teacups, plates, and very tacky figurines.
Yūji walked over to the counter, where five baseball bats were neatly placed. They grabbed one and walked toward Kōtarō.
"Sponsored by Applepie Corp!"
Kōtarō took the bat. Spinning it in his hands, he noticed the Applepie logo printed on it. He looked at his mate, confused.
"There was a discount if I ordered them in bulk," Kenma said with an enigmatic smile.
Yūji returned with a large porcelain vase painted with a blue dragon. She placed it on a shelf at Kōtarō's height.
Yūji took a step back and held out the vase as if offering it to the gods.
"If you'll do us the honor," they said.
Kōtarō didn't understand right away that the cue was for him.
"Seriously?"
Kenma nodded and smiled confidently at him. Kōtarō held his gaze for a moment before turning his attention back to the vase. He stepped forward and gripped the bat with both hands.
He took a deep breath and swung with all his might at the vase.
The porcelain shattered into a thousand pieces under the force of the blow, sending fragments flying everywhere. Only the base of the vase survived the impact; however, it was thrown so violently that it exploded on the ground. A sharp crack rang out, and silence fell. They all stood there, stunned.
Kōtarō chuckled.
Yūji placed another vase, and Kōtarō smashed it without hesitation. Then, driven by a destructive fervor, he began smashing everything in his path.
They all joined in, destroying everything in their path. Crashes erupted everywhere, crackling furiously like summer fireworks. Their blows shattered everything in their path, unleashing a furious spray of porcelain as they released their rage and frustration. Everything was destroyed, from small dessert plates to tacky animal figurines, bowls, and salad plates. Keiji had abandoned his bat and was tossing anything that touched his hands to the ground. Kuroo burst out laughing, almost hysterically, energized by the destructive pleasure. Kōtarō smiled, his lips stretching wider each time he saw porcelain shatter. It was utterly absurd, grandiose, and definitely illegal. Their bonds had opened up, resonating in unison with the euphoric ecstasy running through their veins and the almost orgasmic joy shaking their limbs.
Finally, when everything around them had been reduced to rubble, they calmed down. They were out of breath but smiled, their brains muddled with dopamine.
"Is there anything left?"
"Yep."
They turned their eyes toward Kōtarō, who had just brought in a massive leopard statue. Everyone applauded, awaiting the grand finale.
Kōtarō raised his arms and spun around as if he were about to face his fiercest battle. He saluted the cheering crowd. Then, staying in character, he asked his audience for a few seconds of silence so he could focus on his task. He took a few steps back, never taking his eyes off the porcelain beast.
A carnivorous smile spread across his lips.
He cracked his neck, spun the bat in his hand, and swung it down onto the animal with all his might. The back cracked, and the structure imploded. The remaining pieces shattered on the floor with a deafening crash.
He had defeated the beast, and the crowd cheered his victory. The champion dropped to his knees, arms raised, screaming with all his might and celebrating his triumph with the fury of a warrior.
The clamor faded, and silence finally returned. Kōtarō remained on his knees, gazing at the fallen beast before him. He turned his gaze to his mates and smiled tenderly at them.
"Thank you," he murmured softly, meeting Kenma's gaze.
His eyes were filled with tears.
Kenma slowly nodded, smiling.
Kōtarō lowered his head, took a deep breath, and gave in to the tears.
His mates approached and knelt beside him, embracing him gently.
Kōtarō continued to cry, releasing everything that had been trapped inside him.
He had already won.
He was ready.
Ready to face whatever lies ahead.
-//-
And just like that, the day had come.
Kōtarō had been admitted to the hospital early that morning. He left the recovery room when the sun was barely at its zenith. The surgery had been a true success. Preliminary histopathological analyses conducted during the procedure showed no signs of spread to the surrounding tissues. He was safe.
The door to Kōtarō's room was open. Tetsurō stood in the doorway, waiting. Kōtarō’s parents were seated around their son, waiting for him to wake up. His older siblings were there, too, leaning against the wall.
Keiji was in the hallway talking with the oncologist while Kenma sat by the window.
Everyone fell silent when Kōtarō opened his eyes. He seemed disoriented as he looked around, still struggling to grasp reality. His mother, Yuma, leaned over him and tenderly stroked his hair. Their eyes met, and she smiled gently at him:
“Hello, my little one. How are you feeling?”
Kōtarō didn't answer.
He lifted the blanket. His hospital gown covered his stomach, so he couldn't see anything yet. He placed his hand on his stomach and gently traced the edges of the bandages beneath the fabric. He stopped suddenly, startled by an overwhelming urge to cry. Before the tears could escape, his parents moved closer to offer their support.
Kuroo felt his throat tighten. He was deeply relieved, yet the sorrow hadn't left him. It surged through his limbs, rising sharply from the pit of his stomach to his throat.
"We should give them a moment," Nao murmured.
Although he was addressing his brother and sister, Tetsurō complied anyway. He walked to the end of the corridor and stopped in front of the large window overlooking the parking lot below.
He didn't want Kōtarō to see him cry; he didn't need that right now.
He shivered when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder.
Suki smiled when their eyes met.
“I don’t think Nao was talking about you when he said we should step back.
"I know."
The young woman nodded. She lowered her hand and took a step to stand beside him. Together, they watched the cars below in silence.
"Are you okay?" she finally asked.
Tetsurō shrugged, but he couldn't hold back the tears burning in his eyes any longer. Suki pulled him into a hug.
"Everything's going to be okay," she whispered.
Tetsurō pulled away from her, smiling to reassure her.
"I know," he said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "I’m happy the surgery went well, but..."
"It’s not going to be easy."
"No."
They hugged again.
"You should go back," Suki finally said.
He nodded and turned around. Kōtarō’s parents were leaving the room as he approached the door. Once inside, he found Keiji and Kenma sitting at their mate's bedside.
Tetsurō took a deep breath and entered. He couldn’t collapse yet. He walked to Kōtarō. His mate's eyes were lost in the distance, his hand resting on his stomach. Tetsurō leaned over, kissed his temple, and sat by his side.
The four of them went home together in the afternoon.
Kōtarō hadn't said a word since he woke up.
He had stopped talking altogether.
The days passed like this, bathed in his silence and mute pain.
He had lost his voice.
-//-
Kuroo stared at his phone, waiting for a response. He had sent the text about 30 minutes earlier. Since then, he hadn't lifted his eyes from the screen, his heart pounding in his chest.
He was probably about to make a monumental mistake.
He opened his messaging app again and stared at the text he had sent earlier.
"We need to talk. When are you free?"
The phone buzzed, and a new message appeared in his inbox.
CJ.A: "Tomorrow, 6 p.m. garage."
Kuroo smiled, and his heart stirred in his chest.
He deleted the conversation and tucked his phone into his pocket.
He was probably about to do something stupid and dangerous.
But he had to do it anyway.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Next chapter:
"You said you wanted to talk to me about something. I'm all ears."
“Yeah, but first, can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“Do you have anything on Toribishi?”
Atsumu’s eyes widened in surprise. He burst out laughing with a deep, joyless laugh. He crossed his legs on the table and leaned back in his chair.
"Oh yeah, I do. You'll have to be more specific."
Chapter 58: Ocean breeze
Summary:
"You said you wanted to talk to me about something. I'm all ears."
“Yeah, but first, can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“Do you have anything on Toribishi?”
Atsumu’s eyes widened in surprise. He burst out laughing with a deep, joyless laugh. He crossed his legs on the table and leaned back in his chair.
"Oh yeah, We do. You'll have to be more specific."
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
---
Kuroo glanced down at his phone: 5:58 pm.
He took a deep breath and looked up at the front of Miya’s garage.
He adjusted his jacket, he stepped inside. The air was thick with the smell of tires and oil, and the hum of a machine echoed off the walls. He walked further in and looked around to find the source of the noise. He eventually spotted Osamu Miya, working under a car. The noise stopped, and just as Kuroo was about to speak, Osamu slid out from beneath the vehicle. He barely reacted to his presence.
Kuroo gave him a polite bow. Osamu nodded in return.
"He’s in the back," he said at last, nodding toward the back door.
Tetsurō bowed again to thank him and walked away.
As he was about to knock on the door, he paused when he heard voices on the other side.
He winced when he recognized Sakusa's voice. Kuroo wasn't a fan of that guy, but the three of them were unfortunately a package deal.
He sighed and knocked.
No answer.
He knocked again: still nothing. The deafening hum of the compressor had resumed. Tetsurō stood there, unsure of what to do. He waited for someone to open the door. No one did.
Maybe they hadn’t heard him? He cracked the door open and called out to announce his presence.
He had just interrupted Sakusa and Atsumu in the middle of their conversation. Judging by their expressions, it hadn't been pleasant. Kuroo noted how close they stood to each other: oops, maybe this wasn't the best moment to walk in. Atsumu was holding the other man’s wrist and murmuring something to him. Sakusa pulled away and replied sharply under his breath before heading for the door. Kuroo quickly stepped aside to let him pass. Sakusa barely acknowledged Kuroo, pulling his mask back up over his nose as he left. Atsumu sighed, annoyed.
"Uh, sorry, bad timing hum... Osamu said you were in there so..."
Atsumu glanced one last time at the door.
"No, no, it’s fine, he’s just being dramatic."
He sighed again and finally looked at Kuroo, smiling affably.
"Kuroo, long time no see. What can I do for you?"
He tied the sleeves of his jumpsuit around his waist and went to sit at the table in the middle of the room, propping his feet on the edge. He motioned to the chair across from him for Kuroo to sit down.
"You said you wanted to talk to me about something. I'm all ears."
“Yeah, but first, can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“Do you have anything on Toribishi?”
Atsumu’s eyes widened in surprise. He burst out laughing with a deep, joyless laugh. He crossed his legs on the table and leaned back in his chair.
"Oh yeah, We do. You'll have to be more specific."
Tetsurō inhaled deeply.
"3456AJ8."
Atsumi raised an eyebrow:
Yeah, maybe Kuroo had been a bit too cryptic there...
“Okay... And what is that?”
“A project number.”
"I figured."
"Dehydrataze-prolystatin, ring any bells?"
Atsumu eyes widened again. A smirk formed on his lips:
"Of course.”
"What do you know about it?"
He studied Kuroo for a moment. Finally, he uncrossed his legs, put his feet back on the floor, and folded his arms on the table.
"Don’t take this the wrong way, but... why are you looking into this?"
"A hunch."
Atsumu held his gaze for a few more seconds. Kuroo didn’t look away, though his determination was starting to falter. What the hell was he doing here? He’d promised not to put himself in danger again, and now he was diving in headfirst like an idiot. And Miya wasn’t just going to hand over information. That was a dumb idea, thinking he could just show up like that and ask!
His train of thought was interrupted when Atsumu sighed.
"Hmm, but I think I’m going to disappoint you. I don’t have much...yet. Uh... wait."
He stood up to grab his tablet. He sat down and began tapping on the screen.
"Kazuki Kijima, sounds familiar?"
Tetsurō frowned... It did sound vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t place it.
"Not really."
Atsumu turned the screen toward him, showing the face of a perfectly ordinary man in his fifties. Kuroo shook his head. No idea who that guy was.
"He was in charge of the clinical trials. He left Toribishi overnight before the trials ended, with a generous check from them. Very generous, way more than he would have received if he had just been fired."
"...what does that mean?"
"Hmm, not sure, but if you ask me, Toribishi paid him off. Wouldn’t be that surprising."
"Oh..."
"But other than that, nothing. The study is publicly available, it went through the PMDA*, and on paper, everything’s by the book."
"On paper."
"Yeah."
Silence settled.
Tetsurō leaned forward. Curious, the blond did the same, never breaking eye contact.
"Okay... I... If I told you I had access to confidential documents on this case that I could share with you, do you think you could take a look?"
Atsumu’s eyes widened in surprise.
"What kind of documents?"
"Hmm... I don’t know, they might not be that relevant but... I have a hunch it... something's fishy."
"Whoa, uh... where did you get access to that? Knowing them, it must be locked up tight and..."
"They’re a lot more careless than you think..."
"What do you mean?"
Kuroo leaned back in his chair.
"I have access to their archives. They’re behind on archiving old files and thought it’d be a good idea to stick an intern on it."
"Whoa... okay, um..."
His expression darkened.
“Just to be clear Kuroo, you are aware that what you are suggesting is illegal and...”
"I know."
"And if they trace it back to you, you’re definitely going to court, and trust me, their lawyers don’t mess around."
"I know."
He just hoped he was smart to pull it off.
The blond raised an eyebrow.
"But you still want to go through with it."
"Yeah."
Atsumu sighed.
"What do you think?" Tetsurō asked.
"That you’re crazy."
A smile spread across Atsumu’s face.
"Anything else?"
"This is brilliant. But you’ll need to be clever about it, make sure you don’t get caught," he warned, tapping the table with a finger.
Kuroo nodded. He held out his hand.
"Deal?"
Atsumu hesitated. Eventually, his smile widened, and he shook Kuroo’s hand.
"Deal."
-//-
The operation wasn’t all that complicated. Kuroo wasn’t planning on robbing a bank, but his caution would determine whether he could pull it off without ending up behind bars.
He promised Kenma that he wouldn’t put himself in danger again. He wanted to honor his promise, but he needed to do something. And he wasn't in danger... as long as he didn't get caught.
In theory, it was easy. He just had to be smart about it.
The building was completely inaccessible at night, and attempting a nighttime break-in was far beyond his skill set. So he would have to act during the day.
The entire building was under constant video surveillance. Cameras were installed everywhere, except in the basement. There, cameras were only installed next to emergency exits and the entrance to the animal facility. That was gold to him. It meant he could operate under the radar.
Mission No. 1: Scouting.
He already knew how to access the documents he was looking for. They were in the bottom drawer of Yutaka-san’s desk. The drawer was locked, but it wouldn't be hard to get the key. He knew where it was: the key box near his supervisor’s desk. The desk was locked with a key that he left in the top drawer. It wouldn't take him more than a few seconds to retrieve it.
He knew that aside from Yutaka-san and him, no one ever ventured down the corridor leading to the archives. It only took Kuroo a few days of scouting to figure out his supervisor’s exact schedule. Fortunately for him, the man was like clockwork. He arrived at 7:30 a.m. and left at 6:30 p.m. sharp every day. He almost never left his office during the day. He ate lunch alone at his desk between 12:25 and 12:45 p.m. The only time he ever left was to buy lunch from the nearest convenience store. He usually left around 12:05 p.m. and returned just in time for his break. This gave Tetsurō a window of about 20 minutes, between 12:05 and 12:25, to sneak inside and steal the folder. The only problem was that Yutaka-san locked his office door every time he left, and only his security key could open it.
Mission No. 2: Find a way to unlock the door, without forcing it or raising any suspicion.
-//-
"Tadaima!" Tetsurō said as he stepped into the living room.
"Okaeri," Kenma replied.
Kōtarō locked up and smiled, but didn’t say anything. He was sprawled on the couch, hugging the pregnancy pillow Kenma brought him before his surgery.
Kōtarō was dragging that thing everywhere! Tetsurō was used to sharing his mate’s attention, but being outshone by a pregnancy pillow was more frustrating than he cared to admit.
Kenma was sitting on the floor, his back resting against the couch.
"Keiji isn’t back yet?"
"He’s closing tonight."
"Oh, okay."
Tetsurō dropped his bag and stepped into the living room. The TV was on. Kuroo smiled when he saw birds on screen:
"Oh, watching Dancing Birds again? A classic!" he noted.
"Nope," Kenma corrected him. "It's a new one! It's about the birds of the Galapagos."
He had forced a hint of enthusiasm into his tone.
"Nice!" replied Kuroo, a bit sarcastically.
Kōtarō frowned, catching the undertone.
"I like birds," he signed.
Tetsurō smiled. He wasn’t talking. Not out loud, but he still communicated with them, which was already something. He walked over to his mate:
"I know you like birds, babe," he said gently, before leaning down to kiss his temple.
Kōtarō pouted but didn’t comment; his eyes were glued to the screen. Kuroo sat down on the floor next to Kenma and immersed himself in the Galapagos birds' adventures.
"Oh! There's a new documentary about penguins on Netflix," Kuroo said after about ten minutes.
He looked up at Kōtarō.
“Sounds nice, huh?”
Kōtarō shook his head quickly, his eyes almost tearing up.
"Oh no, we watched the beginning of it. It’s too overwhelming for now," Kenma explained.
"Oh..."
"The dad..." Kōtarō signed, eyes shimmering with tears.
"The dad?" Kuroo asked, turning to Kenma.
"Yeah, there’s a dad penguin who ends up alone with his chicks."
Kuroo turned again at the sound of Kōtarō sniffling behind him.
"The mom... got eaten."
"Whoa, okay..."
He kissed Kōtarō's hand.
"Sorry, we’re definitely not watching that one then. Look Kō, baby birds!"
Kōtarō looked up and saw the baby birds on the screen. He smiled, softened, and nodded.
Phew, that was close.
With the physical and mental aftermath of the surgery, Kōtarō was still a little fragile. The death of a penguin mom was more than he could handle right now. The three of them quietly watched the documentary.
Their peace was disrupted when the doorbell rang. Kuroo jumped, startled by the noise. Gosh, he hated that doorbell!
“Who’s that? Are we expecting someone?”
"No... Don’t tell me he forgot his keys again...”
“Keiji? It’s too early, it can’t be him if he's closing tonight.”
Kuroo got up, choosing to spy through the window instead of picking up the intercom. He moved the curtain just enough to see without being seen.
"Who is it?"
Someone was indeed at the gate. He didn’t immediately recognize who it was.
It had been raining all afternoon; the ground was saturated with water, and the asphalt had darkened. Beams of sunlight broke through parts of the gray sky. One shaft of light landed on the figure at the gate.
The person lifted their face and pulled down the hood of their raincoat. Kuroo recognized them immediately. His eyes widened, and his heart jumped.
"Ji?"
Without another moment of hesitation, he bolted to the door and ran down the stairs. He rushed out barefoot, instantly soaking his socks. The person smiled when they saw him approach.
"Holy shit," he breathed.
He jumped over the gate and threw his arms around them.
"Holy shit, where the hell have you been?!"
"Sorry, I had some stuff to take care of," Yamaguchi replied.
He pulled back to face him. His friend smiled. His hair was shorter now, down to his shoulders, and something had changed in his eyes. He seemed... older? Wiser maybe.
"Damn it," he muttered, hugging him again.
Yamaguchi laughed.
"I missed you too."
"What are you doing here?"
"Well, I just got back and... it’s been a while."
"Yeah. Where were you?"
“Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything.”
His smile faded. He looked up at the window.
"Uh, I heard for Kōtarō..."
"Oh... yeah."
"I... can I see him?"
"Yes, of course."
Yamaguchi nodded. He looked down, noticing Tetsurō’s soaked socks. He didn’t say anything, though. After a short pause, he asked:
"How’s he doing?"
Kuroo winced, then shrugged.
"As well as he can... but he’s hanging in there."
His friend nodded.
"Uh... just so you know... he doesn’t really talk. He signs now, but..."
"Okay."
Kuroo nodded. Since he had left without his keys, he and Yamaguchi had to climb the gate.
Kuroo tossed his wet socks near the washing machine, grabbed two pairs of slippers, and they headed back upstairs together.
"Hey, look who’s here," the brunet announced as he opened the door.
He stepped aside, revealing the young man behind him.
Kenma and Kōtarō’s eyes widened when they recognized him.
Kōtarō straightened up.
Their eyes met.
Silence settled for a few seconds.
Eventually, Kōtarō sighed and burst into tears. Yamaguchi rushed to him. Kōtarō opened his arms, and Yamaguchi threw himself into his embrace.
Kōtarō held him tightly as Yamaguchi murmured something softly to him.
Tetsurō felt a lump form in his throat. He instinctively turned to Kenma, who looked as moved as he was.
Their stories were vastly different, yet Yamaguchi was the only one who could truly understand what he was going through.
The only one who shared a fraction of what Kōtarō was going through. They understood each other.
Kenma and he could feel it through the bond they shared with Kōtarō; they felt the chaotic flood of emotion that overwhelmed Kōtarō when his eyes met his friend’s, the deep relief when he hugged him, the profound connection they shared.
“Uh... we'll make some tea.”
Kōtarō caught his gaze. He nodded, not letting go of Yamaguchi.
Kenma stood up, and they headed to the kitchen, giving them some space.
They stayed away for a while until Yamaguchi asked what had happened to their tea.
Both Kōtarō and Yamaguchi looked calmer now. They had let go of each other but were still standing close together, comforted by each other's presence.
Kōtarō had withdrawn a bit when they brought up his operation, but they quickly steered the conversation away after sensing his discomfort.
“So, where were you?”
Yamaguchi sat up straighter. He turned his eyes to Kōtarō, who smiled at him, inviting him to continue.
“Shiroishi.”
Kuroo tensed up. He recognized the name. It was the name of Yamaguchi’s hometown, where the nursery where he was born was located.
“Oh...”
His friend smiled.
“Hmm... The nursery shut down about five years ago. I just wanted to, uh, make sure it was the case.”
“Oh, that’s good news.”
Yamaguchi nodded. A smile spread across his lips.
“And, uh, and I needed to see someone. Well, meet someone to be exact.”
Kuroo frowned. He exchanged a quick glance with Kenma sitting beside him, then turned his attention back to his friend.
“I found my mother.”
Yamaguchi spoke with a voice full of tenderness and relief.
Tetsurō's eyes widened.
“Seriously?! Whoa!”
Yamaguchi nodded, tears in his eyes. The brunet leaned forward to hug him.
“That’s... whoa, that’s huge!”
“Yeah...”
“But uh, how did you find her?”
“The Miya twins and Sakusa found her. After the interview, they started tracking her down and, uh, they found her. She still lives there. She made it out.”
“Whoa.”
Yamaguchi adjusted his position.
“Her name is Kazumi, she’s 38, and um... she runs a little grocery store in a village a few miles from Shiroishi. And, uh... she’s amazing! When I first saw her, it was... weird but... somehow, it felt like we recognized each other... She only saw me for a few minutes after I was born, but... Well, she knew I was coming; I didn't just show up out of the blue like that, but still, it was...whoa.”
He sniffled, wiping the tears from his cheeks with the back of his hand. His tears didn't reflect any pain; they were like a summer rain. Kōtarō squeezed his hand and leaned against him.
“Um... She invited me to her place. She has a small house in the countryside. She’s married; her husband is great too! And, uh, she has two kids now, Minori and Hoshi. They’re still young, Minori is 8, and Hoshi is 4.”
The light shifted, turning golden and soft, flooding the living room. Yamaguchi looked down at his hand, his fingers laced with Kōtarō’s.
“Um... She was still a minor when she had me... And... she stayed in the nursery until she was twenty... She... she got pregnant again not long after me, but... she lost the baby. She couldn’t have children anymore after that, and since she was no longer ‘useful’ to them, she was able to leave. At first, she struggled a lot. She was angry and, well, traumatized. Then she met Toshiaki, who is now her husband. With his help, she was able to find closure and start anew. When the nursery closed, many children were left with nowhere to go. Some found their biological parents, but many were orphans. That’s how they met Minori and Hoshi. They adopted them, and now they’re a lovely family."
“That’s a beautiful story,” Kenma said softly.
A terrible story, with a very beautiful ending.
“Yeah.”
Yamaguchi looked up, and turned his gaze toward the window. The light reflected on his face, casting golden specks on his skin.
“All these years... I was leaving just a few miles away from her... I... I’m so happy I got to meet her.”
“See her again?” signed Kōtarō.
"Yes, yes, I... I think I’ll go back this summer. And they already invited me to New Year's Eve. I want Kei to meet them, too.”
His eyes met Tetsurō’s. He smiled.
“Thank you.”
Kuroo frowned.
“I... you’re welcome, but I didn’t do anything.”
“You’re the one who introduced me to CJ. I never would’ve found her without them. And I... I wouldn’t have been able to move forward, I think. So thank you.”
Tetsurō nodded. He still felt like he hadn’t done much. He had stumbled into this whole situation through a series of poorly thought-out decisions. In the end, though, only good things had come of it.
"Well, shall we celebrate then?" Kenma announced as he got up.
Kōtarō threw his arms up in the air, delighted.
"Don't get too excited. No alcohol for you."
Kōtarō's enthusiasm vanished in an instant.
-//-
“Hey Miwa!”
The young woman looked up from her computer to greet him.
“Hey Tetsu!”
The brunet waved hello and pulled out his card to go through the speed gate.
“Oh, I listened to the first episode of the podcast you recommended.”
“Seriously! Nice! I love to listen to it just before bed, it’s perfect to fall asleep!”
Kuroo took a step back to catch her gaze:
"You... listen to true crime podcasts to fall asleep?"
"What! Don't judge me! The host has a soothing voice. I could listen to her telling me about gruesome murder for hours, and I do."
Kuroo chuckled.
"Hmhm, alright then."
"Woah, didn’t think you’d be so judgy!"
"Me? Never. Who am I to state that Ted Buddy's murders aren't bedtime story material?"
He looked at the card in his hand, held his breath, and swiped it over the gate’s pad. The pad lit up red and beeped for a few seconds.
"Damn it..."
"Not working?"
"Nah..."
He pretended to rub the card on his t-shirt and swiped it again. The red light blinked once more, and the gate refused to open.
"Let me take a look,"
Kuroo turned to head toward the counter.
"It was working just fine yesterday..."
Kuroo handed the card to Miwa.
"It must’ve gotten demagnetized."
"You think? Shit..."
What a pity! How come? It’s not like he spent the evening rubbing it on fridge magnets? Strange really...
No time to gloat, he had to keep up appearances.
"Pfft, what did you do?"
"Nothing! It was just in my bag!"
"Hm..."
"Whoa !" he leaned over the counter to peek at her computer, "You're gonna do a magic trick?"
"Yeah, you'll see, it's mesmerizing."
She slid the card into a small device on the edge of her desk, probably a magnetic chip encoder.
"Ladies and gentlemen, before your very eyes, the great, the one and only, the amazing Miwa Kageyama!"
The young woman smiled, amused. She turned toward her computer. Kuroo could barely make out what was on the screen. He managed to spot the software icon she had just opened. A window appeared, and a list of names popped up, probably of all the institute’s access holders.
"I can't find you on the list... Ah, wait, you don't have any special access."
She clicked on "General" and launched the encoding.
"Abracadabra!"
The encoding machine blinked red for a few seconds before turning green.
"There we go!"
She pulled the card out of the machine and cupped it in her hands. Then, she held them out.
"Blow on it."
Kuroo chuckled but complied anyway.
"Ta-da!” Miwa exclaimed as she revealed the card.
"Woah, impressive skills!"
"See? Alright, off you go, time to work now."
"Okay, okay, thanks for the magic trick! You're making my day shine like a glitter spray."
Miwa frowned, confused, and laughed.
"You're an idiot, you know that, right?"
"Of course I do,"
"Alright, back to your closet mister."
"So cruel, but alright. Don't get too bored without me!"
He turned to head toward the security gates.
"I'll do my best, see ya."
He smiled and swiped the card on the pad. This time, the gate opened.
"It works! See you later!"
Miwa waved at him. He waved back and walked through the gate.
Once he was out of her sight, he stopped and took a deep breath.
Phase one complete.
He felt bad about involving Miwa in his schemes, but he hadn't found another way.
He started walking again, heading for the basement stairs.
Now, he had to access the encoding machine without being seen.
-//-
Tetsurō handed Keiji the damp gauze.
His mate took it and glanced at Kōtarō.
The latter was sitting on a stool, breathing deeply, eyes closed.
The blue vase on the windowsill scattered light, creating colorful rays that danced around to the rhythm of the wind rustling through the leaves.
Keiji gently applied the gauze to the scars to clean them.
Blue rays of light danced across Kōtarō’s skin.
Kōtarō would always close his eyes when his scars were exposed.
In the first days, Keiji had to help him bathe, and Kōtarō would comply like a docile doll, keeping his eyes closed.
The stitches had been removed a few days earlier. His skin had begun to heal. Two symmetrical scars formed thin pink lines on his lower abdomen.
Once the scars were cleaned and dry, Tetsurō handed the healing cream to Keiji.
By now, Kōtarō could wash himself and move more freely again.
But he couldn't look, not yet. He was postponing this moment, the moment for his consciousness to face his new reality.
"Kōtarō, I am going to apply the cream now. It might be a bit cold," Keiji warned.
He nodded.
Just as Keiji was about to squeeze the cream tube, Kōtarō stopped him. Surprised, Keiji and Tetsurō looked up.
Kōtarō had opened his eyes.
He stopped breathing for a few seconds and then inhaled deeply.
Keiji straightened up, stepping back to give him space.
Kōtarō slowly lowered his gaze.
For the first time since his surgery, his eyes landed on his scars.
A shadow passed through the room as the sun disappeared for a moment, then returned.
Kōtarō didn’t react right away; he just looked at his stomach.
He inhaled deeply, then exhaled, watching his stomach rise and fall with his breath.
When he saw him trying to get up, Tetsurō moved closer to let him lean on his shoulder. Keiji helped too, never taking his eyes off their mate.
Once standing, Kōtarō turned toward the mirror. He stepped back until he was pressed against the far wall, where he could more or less see his full torso.
Kōtarō studied his reflection for a long time.
Keiji and Tetsurō remained silent, watching him closely.
"Small," Kōtarō signed at last.
Since he started communicating again, Kōtarō had been signing without mouthing the words or showing any expression, which made it a bit harder for them to understand him.
"Yes, they are pretty small."
Silence fell again. Only their breath and the murmur of the wind outside could be heard.
"Touch?"
The alpha nodded.
Kōtarō watched his reflection as he lowered his hand to his abdomen. He gently brushed the right scar with the tips of his fingers and trailed his hand along his stomach. By the time he reached the scar on his left side, he had lowered his eyes to look at it directly.
He lifted his head to face his reflection again.
His eyes were glistening with tears by now.
"Oh, my love," Keiji whispered.
When Tetsurō moved closer, Kōtarō halted him with a simple wave of his hand.
"Okay."
He repeated the sign several times, then continued caressing the scars.
He stepped away from the wall and returned to the stool. Tears streamed down his face, but he remained calm.
Tetsurō felt helpless. He closed the distance between them, leaning in to kiss his temple. Kōtarō tilted his head and rested their foreheads together for a moment before pulling away.
His eyes found Keiji’s again, who was still holding the tube of cream.
"Can? Show me."
Keiji nodded. He took some cream and applied it to the first scar, explaining softly how to do it. Kōtarō listened attentively. He took the cream and applied it himself, gently massaging his scar.
The twilight sun shifted the hues of blue cast around the room.
6 – Acceptance.
-//-
"Yo!"
Miwa looked up from her computer screen and stared blankly in Tetsurō's general direction. He snorted.
"What's up with you?"
Miwa sighed and slumped back in her chair. She spun around completely and flopped onto the desk.
"That bad, huh?" commented Kuroo.
"Ugh, I'm so done with that shit already..."
"What kind of shit, if I may ask?"
"Pfft, some of my friends are getting married soon."
"Oh, that's nice!"
"No, it's not! Why did they all decide to get married just a few weeks apart from each other? I can't afford that! I can't give money to all of them. I can't take care of four brides! Come on! I'm looking for alternatives."
"Alternatives?"
"Yeah, like handmade stuff. I don't know."
"Hmmm..."
Kuroo leaned over the counter to see her screen.
"Got any ideas yet?"
Miwa sighed again, scrolling through the web page.
"Man, I don't know. I was looking into Oshie Craft, but let's face it, even if I had a million years, I'd never be able to do that! Seriously, look at this!"
She showed him an Oshie depicting a couple in traditional wedding attire that was made entirely out of fabric.
"You're picking the most complicated ones! Surely there are some simpler designs, right?"
"Yeah, no, I can't do that. It's entirely outside my skill set. Maybe embroidery?"
"You know how to embroider?"
"No, but it looks easier."
Miwa clicked on a page showing an example of embroidery.
"I'm in denial... I can't pull that off either!"
Kuroo chuckled, and Miwa threw her pen at his face.
"Don’t laugh!"
"Alright, sorry!" he leaned farther over the counter, "Wait, on the right, that looks nice! And not too complicated."
"Where?"
"There, no above, no!"
Miwa sighed.
"Just come over here, I don’t get what you’re pointing at!"
"It’s just there," Kuroo insisted.
"Come here !"
He complied, walking around the counter through the small gate to get to her computer. He grabbed a chair and sat beside his coworker.
"Here, look."
He clicked on a picture on the right side of the screen. The page loaded, revealing a relatively simple oshie design of flowers arranged in a beautiful bouquet.
"That one looks easier, right?"
"I can't do that!"
"You haven't even tried yet!"
"I don't need to try. I know my limits, dude!"
Tetsurō rolled his eyes, amused.
"Okay, then, maybe you can recreate this design with origami flowers. Just use different colors and glue them onto a frame."
Miwa blinked, surprised.
"What?"
"Wait, that's a good idea."
She opened a new browser tab and went on YouTube to find a flower origami tutorial.
"Doesn't look too hard, hang on."
She grabbed some blank paper from her desk drawer and handed one to Kuroo.
"Wait, do I have to do it too?"
"Shh! Come on!"
Kuroo chuckled. It was two p.m., and here he was, making origami instead of working. Actually, the deal wasn't too bad.
"Okay, okay."
Miwa started the video on mute so they wouldn't get caught. To her surprise, Tetsurō was doing rather well. She, on the other hand, was torturing that poor piece of paper.
"No, fold it the other way."
Miwa sighed and redid the fold. Still not getting it, she replayed the video again. Frustrated, she eventually unfolded the whole thing.
"Wait," Kuroo took her piece of paper, "You take this bit here, and then fold like this," he said, demonstrating the fold.
"Okay, okay."
She restarted the video.
As she continued trying to follow the instructions, Kuroo noticed that she was starting to squirm in her chair.
“What’s up with you?”
Miwa didn’t take her eyes off the screen, tracking every move closely.
"I really gotta pee..."
Her bluntness made Kuroo burst out laughing.
"Then go pee!"
"No, I have to finish this!"
“Just pause it!”
Ignoring him, she continued folding the paper without following the instructions.When she didn’t get the result she expected, she got frustrated and unfolded it again.
"Screw it! I can't focus! Be right back, hold down the fort for me!"
She got up and ran to the restroom. Kuroo chuckled.
He was now alone behind the reception desk. No one was around.
He glanced down at the computer screen.
"Now!"
The thought hit him so suddenly, he jumped. He looked at the drawer just inches away. He knew what was inside: blank access cards. His heart started racing. The timing was perfect. It was now or never. He glanced at the corridor leading to the restroom. He didn't have much time, and a lot was on the line. He couldn't get caught doing what he was about to do.
"Sorry, Miwa," he whispered under his breath.
Without missing a beat, he opened the drawer and grabbed a blank card. He minimized the browser and opened the software he had seen Miwa use before. The card engraver was already on. He shoved the card into the reader as the software launched. A small green light came on.
He quickly scrolled through the list of names on the screen, trying to find his superior's name to copy his access. Unfortunately for him, his stressed-out brain was terrible at reading. Why was he so bad at this?!
He heard the restroom door open at the end of the corridor. He had to hurry! Desperate, he scrolled back up and finally spotted “master key”. Footsteps were approaching. He clicked on it, and the machine began encoding the card.
Miwa would be back any second!
"Task completed" flashed on the screen. He snatched the card, stuffed it into his pocket, closed the software, and returned to the YouTube page.
"Hey!"
He jumped at the sound of her voice. Had she seen anything?
"Wait for me!"
He held back a sigh of relief. That was a close one.
"I was just looking for an easier tutorial since you’re struggling with that one."
He scrolled through the page.
"Here, look, this one seems easier."
Miwa returned behind the counter, sitting back down and checking what he’d found.
"Easier? Really?"
His heart was still pounding like crazy in his chest, but he tried to remain calm.
"Okay, let's try it."
Luckily, even though he’d picked it at random, the tutorial turned out to be simpler. About ten minutes later, Miwa finished her first flower. She smiled proudly.
"Man, I'm actually good at this, look at that! Maybe I should start a business or something."
"Pfft, try to make a second one first, then maybe you can start a business."
"Look," she said, snatching the flower Kuroo had just made. "I already have two."
"I don't get to keep mine?"
"Hey, it's my paper. I get to keep it!"
"Technically, it's the company paper, but sure."
He glanced at the clock.
"All right, I should go. Someone's eventually going to figure out that I'm not in my den anymore."
"Okay, okay," Miwa replied, already starting to make another flower.
Tetsurō smiled and stood up.
"Alright, see ya," he said with a wave.
"Yeah, see ya, thanks!" Miwa replied distractedly.
Kuroo walked back down the hallway.
Once he was back at his desk in his dark little office, he finally allowed himself to breathe. He looked at the card he’d slipped into his pocket. He wasn’t sure it would work. He felt bad about going behind Miwa's back to get it, but he had a mission and wasn’t about to give it up.
Next step: retrieve the documents.
-//-
"Damn it, Keiji! You're being insufferable! Stop that."
"Oh, so now I am the insufferable one?"
Kenma clenched his teeth and slumped back into his seat. To Kuroo's relief, he didn't bark back, and silence fell again.
Earlier in the afternoon, they decided to go to the mall to buy Kōtarō some more comfortable clothes. It was also an opportunity to take him out of the house since he hadn't been outside much since his surgery.
However, things went south pretty quickly.
Kōtarō was still mute and barely signing, which frustrated everyone a bit and raised tensions.
"I can’t believe this! Seriously!"
And off they went again.
Tetsurō sighed as the argument flared up again. He couldn't even tell what they were fighting about, and they probably didn't know either.
He’d given up on intervening a while ago. He glanced at Kōtarō, who was staring at the road ahead, seemingly unfazed by the chaos raging inside the car.
"Why can't you just admit that you're being an ass and we're done with this?!'
Keiji briefly took his eyes off the road to glare daggers at his mate.
"I am not the problem here."
"Oh, so I’m the problem now?!"
"Given the circumstance, I would say you are, yes."
"Oh my fucking God! Seriously?!"
Tetsurō just wanted to scream at them to shut up. Was he going to?
Of course not.
Suddenly, Kōtarō straightened up, grabbed Keiji’s shoulder, and shouted:
"Stop!"
Caught off guard, Keiji slammed on the brakes The sudden stop flung them all forward before they slammed back into their seats.
The car stopped in the middle of the road. Luckily, they had taken a quiet road, so there were no cars behind them when they stopped.
Everyone sat dazed for a few seconds, except for Kōtarō. He quickly jumped out of his seat and went to the front of the car. They lost sight of him when he knelt in front of the hood.
"What’s up with him?" Kenma asked.
"Did you hear that? He spoke!" Kuroo noted.
Kenma and Keiji’s eyes widened, and they sat there for a few more seconds, processing the realization. They finally got out of the car all at once. Kōtarō was crouched in front of the car, loudly crying.
He raised his head when he heard them approach, and they finally saw what he was holding: a duck.
They froze, staring in disbelief.
"Kōtarō... What are you doing with that?"
He was still crying, hugging the animal tightly.
"You almost killed it!" he shouted, his voice breaking.
"I am sorry, I did not see it, but" Keiji tried to justify.
"You almost ran him over! You should have been paying attention to the road instead of arguing like a baby!"
He sniffled and buried his head into the duck’s feathers, rocking back and forth as he sobbed.
"It looks fine," Kenma said to reassure him.
"No! He's not fine! You hit him!"
The duck seemed to be in good health, though. Maybe a little dazed: no wild animal would allow itself to be held like that in its normal state.
"I am sorry, Kōtarō..."
As they didn't really know how to react to what was happening before their eyes, they just stood there.
"And look! He's just a baby!"
They raised an eyebrow.
Okay, maybe the car had slightly bumped the animal, and maybe it was a little stunned, but it was far from being a poor injured duckling!
No, no, Kōtarō was holding a fully grown adult duck in his arms.
"That’s not a baby, Kō..."
"Yes he is! Look at his beak!"
No one thought to argue back. Kōtarō had watched enough nature documentaries by now to have them blindly trust his analysis on the duck's age.
"Okay... if it's a baby, then its mom must be around, right?"
"No, he's too old, but he is a baby, and he's all alone, and hurt."
He burst into tears again and tightened his grip around the poor animal.
Kenma sighed.
"Okay, okay, he's a baby, right. But what do you want us to do about it?"
Kōtarō looked up, locking eyes with his mate, his eyes shimmering with tears.
And this is how they ended up with a duck.
-//-
12:05 PM.
It was time for Tetsurō to set his plan in motion.
He was waiting in the doorway of the archives room.
Finally, he heard Yutaka-san close the door to his office. After listening to his footsteps disappear in the distance and counting to ten once the silence had settled, he stepped into the corridor.
After making sure he was alone and completely out of sight, he walked to his superior's office. He took the master key out of his pocket, took a deep breath, and swiped the card over the magnetic lock.
He let out a sigh of relief when he heard the lock click open and saw the pad flash green.
He gently opened the door. Although no one was there to hear him, he tiptoed into the office and made his way to the desk.
He opened the top drawer and immediately found the key to the small wall cabinet. He took it and tiptoed to the cabinet. Inside, he found the key he was looking for, the one with the orange keychain.
He smiled. He was really going to pull it off without a hitch!
He took the key and returned to the desk. The key fit into the lock of the bottom drawer and turned: his second victory.
His heart raced in his chest.
He was so close! He couldn't believe he really did it! It wasn't that hard, either. He really...
The drawer was empty.
"Shit."
He was sure the floppy disk and binder were in there. He saw them with his own eyes.
"Shit, shit!"
He frantically opened the rest of the drawers but found nothing but papers and pens.
“Damn it, fuck...”
Of course, they weren't going to leave it there forever! Why was he so stupid? Who knew where the files were now? With Suzuki? It would be a whole other operation if he had to dig through Suzuki's stuff. Or maybe there was nothing to find now? Had they already disposed of everything?
Damn it!
He slid down the wall, defeated.
He had been so close...
Why the fuck did he want to do that in the first place? Revenge?
Maybe.
He was angry with the universe and wanted someone to pay.
No, not really.
He knew something was fishy about all this. He just waited too long to do anything. The frustration was eating him alive.
He exhaled deeply and locked the drawer.
12:10 PM. Fifteen minutes left, and he was completely stuck.
The computer! he thought.
He moved the mouse, and the screen lit up again, giving him a small flicker of hope. He was met with the login screen; the session was password-protected. He tried the password from his own computer, hoping the security was so lax his superior had made the mistake of using the same password twice.
It didn't work, and he only had two more tries. He couldn't risk locking the session, and there was no way he could find the password in time. Even if he did find it, he wouldn't have time to properly look into the computer. He still glanced around, trying to find a Post-it with the password on it. After all, he could try his luck again the next day.
Nothing.
He had to face it, it was game over.
Tetsu: 0, Corporate: 1.
Defeated, Tetsurō put everything back in its place, locked the door behind him, and made it back to the archive.
He had just played his hand wrong.
12:18 PM , Yutaka-san would be back any minute now.
He sat at his desk. He couldn't believe he failed.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
He wanted to either burst into tears or throw his computer across the room. He did neither. He just sat there, staring at his feet. His head was spinning, going over everything again and again, trying to find alternatives, but there were none.
He had lost.
He wanted to play detective, but fucked up.
And Miya... He was so confident that he could do it. What was he going to tell him?
As he replayed his conversation with Atsumu Miya in his head, details came back to him.
He mentioned a name, right?
What was it again?
Kiri… Ka…
He rewound the memory tape in his head, trying to decipher the fragmented sounds.
He opened his eyes wide: Kazuki Kijima.
The scientist in charge of the clinical trial phase, the one who had suddenly left the institute.
He remembered seeing that name somewhere before, but where?
Think, Tetsu!
Miya told him Kijima left Toribishi just before the end of the clinical trials. When was that again?
Come on! He knew it was stored somewhere in his memory.
The year he was born: 1994 .
He sprang up and rushed into the archive room. He knew the contents of these shelves by heart and how to navigate them.
Finally, he reached the section he was looking for. On an old label, it read: "Year 1994." He scanned the shelf, quickly reading the spines of the old lab notebooks and binders piled there. Looking up, he saw the boxes stored above. On one of them, he recognized the label: "Miscellaneous 1994."
He grabbed a chair to reach the box, and dug through it until he found what he was looking for: an old lab notebook.
He smiled as he read the words written on the spine:
Kazuki Kijima, February–March 1994.
Bingo.
He grabbed the notebook and looked up at the shelf. There had to be more. He just had to find them.
Something lit up inside him again.
Game on.
-//-
No new messages.
Kuroo winced, frustrated.
He had dropped off the documents at the Miyas' a few days ago, and after that, radio silence. It wasn't surprising; he had done his part of the bargain. What they did with the documents was now out of his control. Still, not knowing what was going on was frustrating. He had offered to search the archives for more, but Atsumu dissuaded him: one misstep, and it would all fall apart.
So, Tetsurō just had to go on with his internship without a grand theft master plan, just so he could lie low and stay under the radar.
So dull...
He was starting to realize that he had used the "mission" he had assigned himself as a distraction. He was deeply upset, furious, and heartbroken at what was happening to Kōtarō. He just didn't know how to deal with the helplessness.
He could have chosen a more peaceful activity to cope with his feelings: pottery, painting, or cross-stitching. Instead, he chose to try to ruin the biggest pharmaceutical company in the country.
Now that it was over, he felt empty.
He looked up when he heard a quacking. It was Kōtarō’s duck, very originally named “Duck”, waddling in circles in the living room.
Nearly two weeks had passed since they had unintentionally taken in the animal. Kōtarō poured all his energy into nursing Duck back to health. The accident hadn't badly injured it, just left it a bit dazed. Still, Kōtarō treated it as if it were on the verge of death. Apparently, Duck had a fractured wing and was suffering from complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Tetsurō deeply respected his mate's assessment, but he wasn't sure he was qualified to treat PTSD in a wild animal. The poor creature was quite endearing, but it was clearly starting to feel miserable. After all, a Tokyo living room wasn't its natural habitat.
Still, Kuroo had to admit that he was starting to grow fond of the animal. It wasn’t very timid and let itself be carried and cuddled without resistance. Kōtarō slept with it at night, and more than once, Kuroo woke up with Duck comfortably settled on his stomach or sleeping between him and his mates. With every passing day, the thought of setting it free became more bittersweet.
"Ji?" Kenma called out from the bathroom.
"Yeah?"
"Can you get Duck?"
"Yeah, coming."
He put his mug down on the kitchen counter and walked over to the duck. The animal quacked when he approached but didn’t try to run away. Its docility was adorable, though not necessarily beneficial to him in the long run. Tetsurō crouched down, slid his hands under the duck's legs, and picked it up. The duck didn’t budge; it just quacked happily. Kuroo walked to the bathroom. The door was already slightly ajar, and he nudged it fully open with his foot.
Kenma and Kōtarō were inside. Kōtarō was in the bathtub, head tilted back, letting his mate wash his hair.
Tetsurō smiled.
Kōtarō still wasn't very talkative yet, but he was speaking again nonetheless.
"Duck delivery!" he announced.
Kenma nodded toward the tub, and Kuroo put the duck in the water. Duck quacked with joy and fluffed its feathers.
It wasn't the most hygienic thing to do, especially since Kōtarō's scars were still fresh.
Kōtarō met his surgeon again a few days ago, and everything was healing well.
He still had to avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activity, but otherwise, things were back to normal. Kōtarō had also undergone a few more tests, and he received the oncologist’s report with immense relief: he was safe and sound. He wasn't completely out of the woods yet. He still needed to schedule regular checkups and had to book an appointment with an endocrinologist to help his body transition smoothly. But aside from that, things were starting to fall into place.
The flood was over, the storm had passed.
Tetsurō fetched the small stool tucked in the corner of the room and sat by the tub. The duck was splashing around happily, spraying them when it flapped its wings. Kōtarō smiled, at peace, letting Kenma massage his scalp, his eyes fixed on Duck.
"Time to rinse," Kenma said.
Kōtarō straightened up and handed him the showerhead. Kenma carefully rinsed his mate's hair, being careful not to get soap in his eyes. Once he was finished, Kōtarō leaned back again and rested his head on the edge of the tub. He looked up and met his lover's gaze. Kenma smiled and leaned in to kiss him. After getting what he wanted, Kōtarō sat back and traced small circles in the water to play with the duck. A sad but peaceful smile formed on his lips.
"I think it's time for him to go home."
Kenma and Tetsurō exchanged surprised glances.
"Are you sure?"
Their mate nodded.
"Yeah... He can't stay with us forever. I have to let him go."
Kenma’s gaze softened.
"Alright then."
It was time to say goodbye.
-//-
The afternoon was well underway when the four of them made it to the pond in the park near the house. Duck was in Kōtarō’s arms, calmly observing his surroundings. Kōtarō petted the animal, having a hard time letting him go.
Finally, he asked:
“Anyone want to say something?”
“Like what?” the blond asked.
“I don’t know, a speech, whatever.”
“We’re not giving a eulogy! He’s not dead!”
"I didn't say a eulogy! just... a tribute, I don't know!"
The situation was absurd: just the four of us, standing in circle, with a duck.
Tetsurō was the first to speak up:
"Okay, I'll go first," he said, turning to the animal. "Duck, you were a good friend. I enjoyed the naps with you, and...well, yeah. But please, don't let any humans catch you again. Stay away from them. Make lots of duck friends, and thank you for everything. Have a good life. We'll come visit you, I promise." Silence settled for a bit, "Was that good?"
Kōtarō nodded, his eyes already glistening with tears.
“Kenma?”
The blond muttered,
"There's no way I'm doing a tribute for a duck, Kōtarō!"
"Yes, you are," the latter said firmly.
Kenma sighed.
"Okay, okay. Um, Duck... Thanks for shitting on the rug. That was really grand of you.”
"Kenma!"
"Pfft, but... I hope you find other ducks and start a lovely little duck family. Thanks for being there when we needed you, and sorry for almost running you over. Are we good now?"
His mate rolled his eyes, not entirely convinced, but didn't comment further.
“Keiji?”
The brunet straightened up. He put his hand behind his back and turned toward Kōtarō. He leaned forward politely.
"Duck," he declared solemnly, miming the gesture of removing an imaginary hat like an English gentleman from the Victorian era, or a character from Mary Poppins.
This was so absurd that it caught everyone off guard, and no one commented.
"Okay... um. Well. I think we're done." Kōtarō said.
"You don't want to say something?"
"Oh..." Kōtarō stroked the duck’s feathers. “He knows what I want to say. He knows.”
A tender smile spread across his lips.
Finally, Kōtarō crouched down and set the duck on his feet. Duck quacked, looked around, and stood there for a few seconds.
“Hasta la vista.”
Duck finally spotted the pond. Without another glance, he turned and waddled cheerfully over toward the water.
Silence fell as they watched Duck blend in with the pond fauna.
"Hasta la vista? Seriously?" Kenma remarked.
Kōtarō didn't respond. He sat on the grass. Tears streamed down his face, but he was smiling.
"I can't believe it's already over."
The other three exchanged a glance, eyes shining with emotions.
Kōtarō was letting go of far more than just a duck.
They sat down beside him and watched together as Duck returned to his life and the sun sank behind the horizon.
-//-
"I already told you, Mom. It's fine. We don't need any crabs... or bread. Don't worry."
"Are you sure? I still want to send something, just to wish him a speedy recovery."
Tetsurō rolled his eyes.
Although he had kept his romantic relationships a secret, he eventually told his mom what Kōtarō was going through. She instantly sympathized and couldn’t stand the idea of doing nothing to help.
"Oh! I know! Maybe I could send him flowers!"
"Flowers? He’s not dead, you know?"
"I know, but flowers are always nice to receive."
"Hmm..."
"I'm sorry Tetsu. I'm a mom; I can't help but worry."
Kuroo smiled, softening.
“Don’t worry, Mom. He’s not alone. We’re here, and his family is here too. Everything’s fine.”
"Alright..."
She still didn’t sound entirely convinced.
"I’ll send flowers anyway, will you give me your address? Oh... I can't believe I don't have your address!"
"Yeah, okay, Mom, I'll text you our address. You can send flowers, I'm sure he will like them."
That seemed to satisfy her. But after a few seconds of silence, she spoke again:
"Since I'm sending flowers, do you need anything else? I can send you a package before we leave."
“You weren’t planning on sending flowers all the way from Hokkaido, were you? Just contact a florist nearby. Wait, leaving? Are you going somewhere?"
"Oh! I didn't tell you? Your father and I are going away for a week, to lake Tōya. There's a wonderful onsen over there!"
Her voice lifted with glee as she said that.
She sounded truly delighted.
"It was my birthday gift, but we didn't have time before to go."
"Nice! But what about Natsume? Will Kasumi be there?"
"No, no, your sister is in Sapporo. She’s very dedicated to her studies, you know."
Kuroo raised an eyebrow. Suki's name was "studies" now? How strange.
"You’re leaving Natsu alone?"
"Oh, no, no, she’s staying with a friend. She’s on summer break. And she’s a big girl now, you know. She will be fine."
It sounded like his mother was trying to convince herself of that, but he didn't comment.
"Oh... so the house will be empty for a week?"
"Yes, yes. I’m a bit worried about the plants, but it should be fine."
The information settled in his mind.
Kuroo smiled.
"Forget about the flowers. I have a better idea."
-//-
Kuroo burst into the living room at full speed, drifting across the wooden floor before nearly faceplanting as he caught his foot on the rug. Kōtarō and Keiji instinctively stepped forward to steady him, while Kenma just snickered.
Tetsurō quickly regained his balance and asked enthusiastically:
"Are you guys free next week? How about a week in Hokkaido?"
This took everyone by surprise.
"What do you mean?"
"My parents are going away for a week starting next Saturday, and my sisters won’t be there either. We’d have the house all to ourselves!"
Silence fell.
Tetsurō winced. This wasn't the enthusiastic response he'd hoped for, so he insisted:
"Come on, it’s perfect! A change of scenery! It’s summer break! Plus, it's dry in Hokkaido, if we can escape this soggy hell for a week, wouldn’t that be amazing? No?"
The pitch was tempting.
Objectively, it was the best time for a trip: Keiji and he were on break, Kōtarō was... still in the process of dropping out of school, and Kenma… well, Kenma could go wherever he pleased.
"It’s not a bad idea... could be nice... I haven’t been to Hokkaido since I was a kid," Kenma said.
"Oh yes! I wanna see your childhood homes and everything! Count me in!" Kōtarō declared, excited.
They all turned their attention toward Keiji:
"I am working next week."
They sighed, disappointed.
"Oh come on Keiji! Just take a few days off or something! Tetsu's right, this is the perfect time."
Keiji looked over at Kōtarō. The latter was overflowing with genuine enthusiasm. After everything he’d been through these past few months, he really did deserve a break.
“The schedule for next week is already set. I am not sure Konoha will agree, especially on such short notice.”
"Oh, please. There's no one around these days. I'll talk to him; don't worry. He can't say no to me," Kenma said.
Keiji smiled. That was all it took, after all.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
He nodded.
Kōtarō stood up on the couch, arms raised high:
"Yeah baby! Let’s go!"
Kuroo smiled, thrilled to see him acting like his old self again: radiant and full of energy.
In the end, the negotiation hadn’t been all that difficult.
And just like that, they were off on a getaway to Tetsurō's hometown.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
Note: PMDA (Phamaceutical and Medical Devices Agency)
Next chapter: “Back home 3”
"Yo, I’m back!”
Natsume?
What the hell was she doing here? Wasn’t she supposed to be gone for another week?
He heard his sister coming down the hallway toward his room. He looked down: oh, shit! There was no doubt she was heading straight here. She knew perfectly well he was home, and she had no concept of privacy. She was going to barge in and find him lying in bed with three half-naked men piled on top of him. No!
Chapter 59: Back home 3
Summary:
Yo, I’m back!”
Natsume?
What the hell was she doing here? Wasn’t she supposed to be gone for another week?
He heard his sister coming down the hallway toward his room. He looked down: oh, shit! There was no doubt she was heading straight here. She knew perfectly well he was home, and she had no concept of privacy. She was going to barge in and find him lying in bed with three half-naked men piled on top of him. No!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
---
The house was plunged into darkness. The night wind blew gently against the windows, and the refrigerator hummed quietly. Outside, a Ural owl hooted, and crickets sang softly.
"Turn on the flashlight! I can't see shit!"
Behind the door, the voices were still muffled.
“Turn the phone toward me!”
“That’s what I'm doing!”
“No, there... Okay, got it.”
The keys turned in the lock, and the door unlocked.
Keiji, Kenma, Kōtarō, and Tetsurō let out a sigh of relief as they entered the house.
“Damn it! I thought we’d never make it!”
Tetsurō had to lean against the wall to catch his breath before taking off his shoes.
Kenma nearly tripped forward but was caught in time by Keiji.
They were exhausted.
The evening had started out so well, though.
They landed in Sapporo in the late afternoon and picked up their rental car right away. Kenma and Tetsurō knew full well that if they wanted to explore or do some grocery shopping during their stay, a car was a must.
They decided to follow the coastline, even though it was a longer route, and damn it, Kuroo had almost forgotten how breathtaking his homeland could be. There were no skyscrapers or crowded views; just the wilderness and the sea stretching toward the horizon. Eventually, they stopped by the roadside and walked out to the cliffs a bit farther on, where dusk met saltwater. The view was magnificent.
This is when their ordeal began: as they hopped on the car again, it refused to start.
Kenma was furious. The company was going to hear about this! After ten solid minutes of swearing and trying to find a solution, they decided to call the rental agency. Of course, it had closed hours ago, and they hadn't paid for the 24/7 service.
They tried calling for a tow truck but quickly realized that no one would come to their rescue on a Sunday evening in the middle of nowhere. Their only option was to leave the car where it was and walk to their destination. The first two kilometers weren’t so bad; the view was beautiful, and they could still see the road in the dusk light.
Then, things started to get rough. The road became steep, their luggage felt heavy, and Kōtarō, unable to walk long distances, walked very slowly. He stopped every few seconds to catch his breath and desperately tried to hitchhike whenever he heard an engine. To ensure his safety, they decided to carry him to prevent injury. Though they had planned to take turns, only Tetsurō could carry Kōtarō, which slowed them down even more. A mile from their destination, Kōtarō finally started walking again when he realized that Kuroo couldn’t go any further carrying him. Tetsurō had never been so happy to see his house.
After taking off his shoes, Tetsurō took a few steps inside, his legs shaking. He didn’t get very far before he collapsed on the floor, out of breath. Keiji slid down the wall. Kenma couldn’t make it past the doorway and crumpled in the entryway. Kōtarō was the only one who remained standing. He turned on the lights and enthusiastically commented on the house's architecture and decoration. Encouraged by his cheerful tone, the other three eventually stood up and began to relax little by little. After a quick tour of the house, they settled into the living room and chatted for a bit.
Finally, Kenma stood up and headed to the kitchen.
"What are you doing?" Tetsurō asked.
Kenma had his face buried in the cupboards. Despite not having set foot in the house in a decade, he knew it like the back of his hand.
“Checking if your mom kept her hiding spot.”
“Her hiding spot for what?”
Kenma didn’t reply. Kuroo watched him open one of the cabinets and dive inside, rummaging around.
“Ah! For this!”
He stood up, turned around, and held out a bottle of sake in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other.
Kuroo snorted.
"Yeah!" Kōtarō exclaimed.
Keiji stood up and walked to the kitchen to join Kenma, who had already begun setting out glasses. He placed a hand on the Kenma’s shoulder and caught his gaze.
"I have never loved you more than I do in this exact moment."
The blond chuckled, then lifted his head to kiss him.
Kuroo stood up as well.
“You were what? 13 the last time you came here? How come you know where the booze is?”
“I just figured it would come in handy one day. Guess I was right. Kōtarō, come here,” he said as he finished pouring the drinks.
The latter joined them, leaning against the kitchen island. They each took a glass.
“To our trip. Kanpai ,” said Kenma, raising his sake glass.
“ Kanpai ,” the other three replied in unison.
They downed their drinks in one go.
-//-
By the time they stepped outside again, the evening was well underway. After enjoying the meal that Tetsurō’s mother had left for them, they decided to take a walk. Sure, they had already walked for hours, but the whiskey bottle deserved a proper tour of the village after spending so much time in a cupboard
Kuroo and Kenma shared the memories they had made together in this place. The night helped bring the past back to life before their eyes. Their mates followed along, sometimes asking questions, eager to hear about their childhoods.
Eventually, they decided to head home. Just a few steps from their destination, they came upon a narrow path cut through tall grass.
Kenma stopped in front of it. Kuroo glanced at him discreetly. He knew exactly where that path led; he just didn’t know if the blond was ready to walk it again. Maybe he didn’t want to take that trip down this memory lane. Maybe it was better left in the past.
Kenma smiled.
Kuroo smiled too.
“That’s where my house used to be,” Kenma finally said.
Keiji and Kōtarō turned around immediately.
“Oh! Can we go see it?!” Kōtarō asked eagerly.
The blond nodded and stepped onto the path, followed by his three mates. Small stones rolled and crunched beneath their feet. Eventually, the outline of the house appeared in the night. While most houses in the area were wooden and fairly traditional, this house was an oddity. It was just a strange white concrete block, clashing with the surroundings. A 70s artist’s fever dream that had remained unsold for years. Kenma’s parents must have bought it for next to nothing.
“I forgot how ugly it was,” the blond chuckled.
No one disagreed.
“My parents had such a hard time selling it...I can see why now.”
Kuroo burst out laughing.
“Yeah, I still don’t get what it’s doing here.”
"Honestly, they should have just demolished it and kept the land. Is anyone still living here?”
“I don’t know,” said Kuroo.
“What do you mean, you don’t know? They’re your neighbors!”
"Yeah, I know, but I haven't lived here for years. I don't ask about the neighbors. I have no idea.”
Kenma took a few steps, scanning the garden.
"Well, anyway, it looks like no one is here. No car.”
"Maybe they don't have one?" Kōtarō suggested.
Kenma and Tetsurō turned toward him, raising their eyebrows: No car in a place this remote? Not very likely.
"I mean, there's no car in front of Tetsu's house either."
"Yeah, right. Maybe their car broke down in the middle of nowhere, and they had to walk all the way here," Kenma said sarcastically.
“Maybe.”
“No, there’s no light either anyway, no one’s here.”
“Maybe they’re on vacation,” Kuroo suggested.
Kenma nodded. He looked around one more time, then opened the small gate that led into the yard. It wasn't surprising that it wasn't locked; no one locked anything around here.
“What are you doing!”
“Shh, come on!”
Though skeptical, the others followed, tiptoeing behind him.
They circled behind the house. There stood an old metal ladder, leaning against the wall.
“Jackpot!”
Kenma was the first to climb it. The others followed, their footsteps clanging against the quiet night. They reached the rooftop, just flat concrete against the darkness of the night.
"This is the only decent thing about this house," said the blond. "Look."
They looked up.
Above them, the night sky unfolded in all its glory. Thousands of stars glittered as far as the eye could see, untouched by light pollution. The sight was breathtaking.
Keiji was the first to sit down, eyes locked on the sky. A smile spread across his lips. Kuroo sat beside him, resting his head on his shoulder. Kenma sat to their right, and Kōtarō walked around the rooftop, pointing out stars and constellations.
"There, look, it's Lyra!" he said, pointing at the sky.
"Where?"
"There!" he insisted, "Over there, it looks like a diamond with a tail."
"A diamond with a tail?"
"Yeah! See, the bright one is Vega. Oh! And below it's the eagle, the brighter one is Altair, and just above it's Vulpecula!"
"Vulpecula? Never heard of that one..."
"It means 'little fox' in Latin."
"I do not see anything that even remotely looks like a fox," said Keiji.
"You just need a little imagination... I mean, I don’t really get why it’s called that either, but whatever."
Tetsurō smiled, happy to see his mate so animated.
"I didn't know you knew so much about constellations, babe."
"Hm... I’ve forgotten a lot of them... You can’t see anything in Tokyo."
Still staring at the sky, he went to sit behind Kenma, stretching his legs on either side so the blond could rest against him.
"I’m going to hurt you if we sit like this, Kō..."
"No, you won’t!"
He gently pushed Kenma back so that he could lean against him. Kenma obliged, adjusting so that his head rested on Kōtarō’s chest without putting pressure on his stomach.
Silence settled, filled only by the symphony of the night, the whistle of the wind, and the stars.
"You know..."
Kōtarō spoke softly.
"When I see all this, I think about everything that had to happen to get us here. I think about the stars that were born and then died, and how their dust clumped together to form planets and galaxies. I think about how all the carbon that makes up everything comes from those stars that exploded eons ago."
Kuroo turned to look at him.
"And you know, sometimes I imagine that maybe, we're made from the dust of the same star, that something deep in our matter connects us, and that's why we ended up together... Because we're made of the same matter, of the same star, like gravity pulled us together."
Tetsurō was deeply moved by the beauty of what Kōtarō had just said. He knew he could be poetic, but what struck him most was how peaceful he looked.
Kenma burst out laughing, shattering the gentle mood Kōtarō had created.
"Dude, it didn't work back then, you think it's gonna work now?"
Kuroo raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"Wait, what?"
Kenma laughed again. Kōtarō didn’t seem offended; he rested his head in his mate’s hair, trying not to laugh too.
"What did I miss? What’s the story?" Tetsurō asked.
When neither of them answered, he turned to Keiji, who was also smiling.
“When we were in high school, we went on a school trip with some friends,” Keiji began. "We had already told Kenma how we felt."
"But stubborn little Kenma refused to be romanced so easily, so I had to be creative. I told him what I just said one night while we were stargazing," Kōtarō added.
"And it didn’t work."
"It did work. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here."
Kenma smiled, melting into his mate’s embrace.
"That’s really sweet," Kuroo said. “How long ago was that?”
“I’m not sure. Five years ago, maybe.”
"Then you'd better hurry up."
"Why?"
"All of your body’s cells are renewed every seven years. Statistically speaking, the carbon might not be from the same star anymore.”
Kōtarō looked crestfallen, and Kenma burst out laughing again. His mate raised an eyebrow.
"Pfft, I don’t care," he kissed Kenma's neck, "I don't need gravity or whatever anymore."
Kenma just smiled.
"Still, what a lame move. Do you even believe your own bullshit?"
"Hmmm, it worked. I don't care. I had to come up with something, since my enticing smell sure wasn't going to work on your funky nose."
Kenma snorted; Keiji did too. A mischievous smile slid across Kōtarō’s lips.
Kuroo looked at each of them in turn. What was he missing here?
"Your enticing smell? Funky nose? What are you even talking about?"
"Well, yeah, I couldn’t really rely on that, you know."
"On what?"
"Pheromones."
"Why would you rely on those in the first place?"
"It's just a means of communication, babe. Well, I guess I couldn't do it with you either. It's not the point. I just couldn't rely on that because, well, you know."
Kuroo absolutely did not know.
Kōtarō blinked, incredulous. Kuroo blinked back, equally baffled.
Keiji turned toward Kenma.
“You never told him?”
The blond rolled his eyes.
"Why would I? It's not like he would've noticed."
"Kenma, that's so mean!"
Okay, Kuroo had no idea what was going on.
"Never told me what?"
“What difference would that make for him?”
"What? I'm... Please don't leave me in the dark like that! What is it?"
Keiji turned to Kenma, silently asking if he could elaborate. Kenma rolled his eyes but nodded to give him permission. Keiji turned his attention back to Tetsurō.
"Kenma is dyspheromic."
Silence.
"Huh... What's that?"
"See? It doesn't change anything for him. Why would he care?"
"Oh, come on. It's still kinda important to know."
"No, it's not!"
Seeing that no one was going to explain further, Kuroo pulled out his phone and googled "dyspheromic". His eyes widened when he read the definition:
"You can’t smell pheromones?!"
Wait, that didn't make sense! Given how many times he'd seen Kenma sniffing all kinds of things, including people, just for a pheromone shot, it didn't add up!
"No, I can."
"He just can’t interpret them. It's like being colorblind, but for pheromones."
Kuroo was stunned. He couldn’t believe it had taken him this long to find out.
"I can do it now."
"Hm, that's because we trained you well," Kōtarō murmured in his ear. "And don't act like you never mess up people's secondaries unless they tell you directly."
Kenma elbowed him, but the blush on his cheeks didn’t go unnoticed.
"I can’t believe you never told me!"
"What difference would it have made? You can’t either, as far as I know."
"Yeah, but...whoa! I just didn’t know!"
"Okay, okay, and now you know, are we done?"
Kuroo didn't say anything but still felt a little vexed.
Kōtarō chuckled.
"Now that I think about it, it's kinda funny. Like, you always say Tetsu's clueless, but you were just as bad."
"It's not the same! It's a genetic condition; I can't control it! Besides, I can handle it just fine now."
"You should’ve seen him back then. It was...wow. It was something."
"Shut up..."
"I want to know everything!" Tetsurō said.
"Like, the first time we met was at high school volleyball practice. And like, I told him, 'Whoa! So happy we have another omega on the team,' and he was furious! Like, he thought I had stalked him or whatever and outed him on purpose."
Keiji and Kuroo chuckled.
"Keiji had to tell him that I wasn't a creep and that it was just something we knew."
"I never realized before!" Kenma tried to plead his case.
"Keiji was the one who told him he might be dyspheromic."
"Yeah, okay. Hah hah, I'm disabled, how fun. My parents are betas. How would I have known before it was a thing?"
"It is not a problem, Kenma. We still love you," Keiji said playfully.
"Asshole."
"Oh, and that other time, we were..."
He stopped suddenly. A car had just turned onto the path leading to the house.
"Fuck... Didn't you say no one was there?"
"I said I didn't know, and no one was here when we arrived!"
They dropped to the ground, lying flat to avoid being seen. The car parked in the yard. They didn’t move a muscle until they heard the front door open and then close again.
"Go! Now!"
They scrambled down the ladder, the metal clanking loudly with each step. Once they reached solid ground, they bolted.
"I can’t run! Stop!" Kōtarō whined, trying to keep his voice down.
"Hurry up, or we're gonna get caught!"
They raced back down the path as fast as they could. They only allowed themselves to stop once they reached the main road.
"Holy shit, that was close!"
They were all out of breath. Slowly, they looked up as the adrenaline started to fade.
"Shit! I left the whiskey bottle on the roof!" Kenma exclaimed.
After a moment of silence, they all burst out laughing.
-//-
Tetsurō was jolted awake by the sound of the front door slamming shut.
"Yo, I’m back!”
Natsume?
What the hell was she doing here? Wasn’t she supposed to be gone for another week?
He heard his sister coming down the hallway toward his room. He looked down: oh, shit! There was no doubt she was heading straight here. She knew perfectly well he was home, and she had no concept of privacy. She was going to barge in and find him lying in bed with three half-naked men piled on top of him. No!
Kuroo shook Kōtarō, who was sleeping on his right. The latter jolted awake.
"Quick! Move!" he whispered urgently.
The other two woke up as well.
"What the hell’s going on?" Kenma mumbled.
"My sister’s here! Come on, let's hurry!"
Kenma and Kōtarō quickly grasped the situation and leapt up, scrambling around to figure something out.
"Are you guys up yet?"
"Shit!"
Kōtarō, running around like a headless chicken, banged his foot on the edge of the bed. The dull thud echoed through the room.
"Shhh!"
"Are you in there? Are you up Tetsu?"
Her voice was getting closer.
Kōtarō threw open the window and climbed out. Leaning back in, he grabbed Keiji’s arm, and the latter hurriedly followed him outside. Kenma decided to hide under the bed.
"We don't have our clothes!" Kōtarō whispered.
Tetsurō turned toward the window and discovered that his two boyfriends were outside wearing only their boxers. He hastily grabbed a pile of clothes left by the bed and tossed them out the window.
Realizing that his hiding spot was too obvious, Kenma scrambled back out from under the bed.
Natsume knocked on the door.
"Uh, yeah!" her brother replied.
No! What did he do!
The doorknob began to turn. Still half under the bed, Kenma grabbed a nearby book and pretended to read. Meanwhile, Kōtarō and Keiji hid behind the outside wall, and Kuroo flung himself onto the bed, trying to look as casual as possible.
The door finally opened.
Natsume stood in the doorway. She frowned, immediately noticing that something was up.
"Oh, hey, Natsu! What are you doing here?" Tetsurō said, trying to act as naturally as possible.
"Uh…"
She looked down at Kenma. The blond gave her a small wave.
"Oh hey, Kenma!"
The latter smiled awkwardly.
"Mom said you wouldn’t be back till next Monday. I thought you were staying with friends?"
"No, I said I'd be back on Monday , like today. I just had a party. Mom misunderstood."
"Ooh, I see, okay."
An awkward silence settled between them.
"Am I interrupting something?"
"No, not at all."
"Oh… okay."
Kuroo smiled at her. It was completely fake, but he hoped she wouldn't notice.
"Weren’t there supposed to be four of you?"
"Uh, yeah… K… Bokuto and Akaashi just... went for a morning walk."
"Hmm, okay."
Kuroo held his breath. His sisters looked around the room and finally asked:
“Where did you make them sleep?”
"Uh, on the floor. On the guest futons. We already folded them back up."
"Already?"
"Yeah. We wanted to wake up early and get the car back."
"Get it back?"
"Uh, it broke down in the middle of nowhere yesterday. We had to walk all the way here."
"Damn."
"Yeah."
Silence.
Natsume could tell that something was up. But she didn’t comment on it.
“Okay, I’m going to make breakfast. Mom left us a ton of stuff."
“Uh, okay. We’ll come help.”
"Cool..."
With that, she left and closed the door behind her. Tetsurō waited until he heard her walking back up the hallway, then let out a huge sigh.
Kenma climbed out from under the bed and got back on top of it. Kōtarō and Keiji reappeared at the window.
"Sorry! I genuinely didn't know she would be here!"
"No problem."
Tetsurō sighed again.
"Damn it! I wasn't planning on sneaking around like a teenager. Sorry."
"It's fine, babe. We'll manage."
As Kōtarō tried to climb back in, the brunet stopped him.
"No! I told her you guys were outside! You can’t just climb back in like that!"
"What?! Then what do we do?"
“I don’t know. Go for a walk and come back through the front door!”
Keiji started growling. He’d been yanked out of bed and was now standing outside in an old T-shirt and shorts. Now he had to walk around, too? Nah, he was not having it!
"I'm sorry, Love! Be back at the front door in five minutes, and we'll have breakfast, okay?"
Keiji rolled his eyes but nodded.
"Okay, thanks! Love you!" Kuroo said, closing the window again.
He met Kenma’s gaze.
He was so screwed… How could he spend a whole week with his mates and sister under the same roof without getting caught? That was Mission Impossible.
"What are you gonna do?"
"I don’t know. I’ll improvise."
Kenma gave a faint nod.
"Wouldn’t it just be easier to tell her?"
Kuroo's eyes widened:
"Are you insane?! No! I can't do that!"
"Okay, okay, fine, whatever."
Tetsurō sighed again.
"Alright, let’s go."
They stepped out of the bedroom and were instantly greeted by the smells of cooked rice and hot miso soup.
Kuroo entered the kitchen, with Kenma right behind him.
"Damn, you weren’t kidding when you said you were making breakfast!"
His younger sister turned around.
"What do you mean?"
"Humm, I’m just not used to that kind of breakfast anymore... I usually just have coffee."
He smiled.
Still, the smell of cooking in the morning reminded him of home.
"Need help with anything?"
"Hmm, Mom left us some fish from the market. We could grill it, but I’m not sure there’ll be enough for all of us."
"We'll share, and we can go and buy some more once we get the car back."
"Okay… Are your roommates eating with us?"
"Uh, yeah, they should be back any minute now."
Speak of devil, they heard a knock on the front door.
"Ah, here they are,"
Tetsurō hurried over to let them in.
"Oh, Bokuto, Akaashi, there you are!" he said far too enthusiastically to sound natural. "Sorry," he muttered under his breath.
Kōtarō waved off the apology.
"Oh, Kuroo! We had a lovely walk," he replied in an equally fake tone before winking at him.
Keiji looked very unamused by the whole situation. Kuroo tried to cheer him up with a smile, to no avail. Glancing back quickly to make sure no one could see him, he stepped forward and pressed a kiss on his mate's temple.
"Sorry... Come on in, let's have breakfast."
Keiji relaxed a bit, and Kōtarō cheered with delight. The three of them headed into the kitchen. Tetsurō held his breath as his sister turned to face them, dreading the interaction. He did want her to like his mates, even though she had no idea who they really were to him.
"Oh! Kuroo-chan!" Kōtarō said enthusiastically. "I'm Bokuto Kōtarō! That’s Akaashi Keiji," he added, pointing to him. “Don’t mind him; he’s just not a morning person. I didn’t think I’d get to see you! It's nice to meet you!"
"Uh, nice to meet you too."
Natsume glanced at Keiji, who leaned forward to greet her politely. She returned the gesture with a nod.
"Whoa, I love your t-shirt, Kuroo-chan!"
She looked down at the print on her shirt. It showed a woman wearing a Victorian dress and holding a fan.
"That’s Ada Lovelace, right?"
Natsume’s eyes widened, genuinely surprised.
"Uh, yeah, you know her?"
"The first computer programmer! Of course I know her!"
Tetsurō was stunned. He only knew about Ada Lovelace because his sister was a big fan. He had no idea that Kōtarō knew about her. This man never ceased to surprise him.
Natsume gave a sincere smile.
"So, cooking breakfast, are we? Need any help? Oh! If you got eggs Kuroo-chan, I could make us omelets!"
"Uh, yeah; I think we have that," she turned to fetch those, "And you can call me Natsume."
"Okay, Natsume-chan, I think I’ll need five eggs."
Tetsurō smiled. He’d worried for nothing. He hadn't accounted for Bokuto Kōtarō’s absurdly effective charm.
"I can make us some tea." Keiji offered.
They soon began working together to prepare breakfast, chatting lightly as they moved around the kitchen. They eventually sat down at the table. His little sister was smiling and chatting effortlessly with his mates, who looked completely at ease. Tetsurō smiled: maybe he’d been worried for nothing. Maybe this week wouldn't be so bad after all.
"Can you pass the salt ba..."
Tetsurō kicked Kōtarō under the table and shot him a warning glare. There was no way he was going to call him "babe" in front of his little sister!
"Ba...Barbie girl, in a Barbie world!" he sang instead.
Kuroo winced.
Maybe this week wasn't going to be that easy after all.
-//-
Two days had passed since they arrived in Shakotan. Tetsurō didn’t want to jinx it, but so far, they had managed not to get caught by Natsume. That was something, since she hadn't given them much of a break.
She hardly left their side when they were home. It wasn't all that bad, they played cards in the evening together, which was pretty fun. But she was also glued to them during the day and tagged along whenever they went out. They managed to get another car, and Natsume tagged along when they hiked the Shakotan Peninsula and visited Cape Kamui. Tetsurō had to admit that she was relatively good company, but he was still frustrated. What he had envisioned as a romantic walk in the wilderness turned out to be quite different, with him, his sisters, and his three "roommates".
Tetsurō was glad to see his little sister getting along well with his mates, but he wanted some time alone with them.
Kuroo sat in the garden. It had been hours since night had fallen. He turned toward the house. The living room lights illuminated the darkness with a soothing glow, and he could hear the voices of his loved ones inside.
He smiled.
In the end, it wasn't a big deal. Of course, he had imagined the trip would go differently, but it wasn't that bad.
He rested his head on his knees, listening to the sounds of the night around him. Eventually, he heard footsteps behind him. When he turned around, he saw Kenma.
"Hey."
"Hey."
The blond came and sat beside him.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing. Just stargazing."
They both looked up at the sky.
"I missed it, you know."
"Missed what?"
"This place," Kenma answered.
Kuroo smiled.
"Me too..."
The blond leaned against Tetsurō, resting his head on his shoulder.
"I never imagined it would turn out like this, you know?"
"Like what? Like your sister liking Kōtarō so much? Not surprising, really. The guy is the human version of a capybara."
Tetsurō chuckled.
"Pfft, no. Us."
"Us?"
"Mmh."
He rested his head on Kenma’s.
"Yeah. Us, here, now. I remember when we used to play in this garden as kids. All the silly adventures we used to make up..."
The wind rustled through the leaves.
"When you left, I really thought we would never see each other again. I was just a kid, but I was heartbroken. I’d lost my best friend, and I thought it was forever."
Kenma took his hand and squeezed it tightly.
"I never would've imagined that, nearly ten years later, we'd be here together, as mates. Life can really suck sometimes, but on that one, it did pretty well."
He turned to his lover as he felt him pull away slightly. Kenma was smiling.
"Me neither."
It felt like the stars had lit up just for them that night.
Their foreheads touched. Kuroo opened his eyes and immediately locked gazes with his mate.
"I love you," he mouthed. Kenma wrapped his arms around Kuroo's neck and pulled him in for a kiss. They pulled back for a moment.
"I love you, too," Kenma whispered softly.
They kissed again.
They broke apart suddenly, startled by a racket in the bushes.
"Shit, what was that? That scared the hell out of me!"
"Probably just some animal... There's probably an owl nearby, I heard one yesterday."
"Yeah, maybe."
Silence fell between them.
"So... Any idea for tomorrow?" Kenma asked.
"I'm not sure. There are still plenty of hikes we can do around here, but Kōtarō is still recovering. I don't think it's wise to push him too much."
"Fine by me. I didn't come here to suffer."
Tetsurō chuckled.
“I don’t know. We could go to Otaru,” the blond suggested.
"Oh, yeah, good idea! We should also go to Sapporo. It's not that far away."
"Yeah, right. It's only an hour and a half from here, right?"
"Yeah."
They turned around when they heard footsteps behind them. Kōtarō had come out to join them.
"Yo!"
"Yo."
Kōtarō sat down next to Kuroo, wrapping his arms around him.
"Man, I’m suffering from hug withdrawal! It’s exhausting having to play secret agent like this!"
"Secret agent?"
"Yeah, like we're undercover, for your sister."
"You’re doing fine, she adores you."
Kōtarō pouted.
"I like her, too. But I wish I could hug you without having to sneak around like this."
He cupped his mate's face. “I’m sorry to put you in that situation. Thank you for sticking with it."
He kissed him gently.
"So, what were you guys talking about?"
"Just planning for the rest of the week. There's a town nearby that we could check out. It's about an hour's drive from here. There's a canal and some good restaurants. It's a nice place."
"Sounds good. But I saw the forecast; it's supposed to rain tomorrow."
"Ah, damn it..."
"No big deal. We can spend the day here," Kenma offered.
"Fine by me. Honestly, I could use a break."
"Okay, let’s do that then."
Once again, they turned as footsteps approached. This time it was Keiji.
"Hey love."
The brunet smiled at him.
"Is Natsu inside?"
"Yes, in her room."
"Fiou!"
"Oh come on babe, she's cool!"
"Hmm"
They lay down in the grass and looked up at the Milky Way stretching above them.
Gradually, the sky darkened, and the lights dimmed. By the time they went back inside, thunder rumbled in the distance.
-//-
"God! How long is it gonna last?!"
Kuroo stood by the window and watched the relentless rain pour over the dull, gray landscape. The air was warm, humid, salty, and sticky. It clung to their skin, slowly dragging them into a fuzzy, sluggish state. They had played all the board games in the house and were bored with them by mid-afternoon.
Tetsurō leaned against the windowsill and sighed heavily. His little sister sprawled on the couch, and Kenma sat on the carpet. Both vaguely watched TV. Kōtarō and Keiji had gone for a nap twenty minutes earlier.
"I’m so boooored," Natsume complained.
"Yeah..."
"Yeah..."
They turned when they heard footsteps in the hallway. Kōtarō reappeared.
"Sleep well?"
"Yeah! Feels refreshing!" He said as he stretched his back.
"K... Is Akaashi still asleep?"
Damn, Tetsurō was going to slip up pretty soon at this rate. It was so strange having to call his mates by their last names again. He wasn’t even sure his sister would catch on, but now that he was committed to the whole charade, he felt like he had to stick with it.
"Hmm, no, he’s reading."
"Hmmm..."
Silence fell again.
Rain tapped against the windows.
“What are you guys doing?” Bokuto asked.
"Nothing..."
Kōtarō sat down on the floor between Kenma and Tetsurō.
"Maybe we could watch something?"
"Yeah, good idea. I'm not sure we have anything to watch, though. We have some old DVDs somewhere."
"Or..."
Tetsurō sighed, half amused, and half resigned, already knowing what Kōtarō was going to suggest.
"No, we're not watching Dancing Birds again!"
"It's just an idea," the bird-lover said.
"What's that?" Natsume asked.
"It's a documentary about the courtship of paradise birds. We've seen it a million times, so no!"
"Hmm, or, I downloaded the latest Marvel movie on the TV, haven’t watched it yet," Natsume offered. "You guys seen it yet?"
"No, but I’m down."
The other two nodded in agreement.
Natsume nodded and began flailing around like a fish out of water as she tried to get off the couch. Meanwhile, the TV started flipping through channels.
"Natsu, you're sitting on the remote."
"Oh, crap..."
She tried to retrieve it, still wiggling around. This time, a dropdown menu opened, and settings started scrolling by with every move she made.
"Stop! Just get up!"
"Alright, alright."
By the time she managed to sit up properly, the screen format had changed, the colors had gone all screwy, and the audio description had turned on.
"Natsu!"
"Okay, okay, relax!"
Finally, she stood up, cranked the volume nearly to the maximum, and grabbed the remote. She tried to reset the settings, but each attempt only made things worse. Tetsurō and Natsume started arguing, which further messed up the TV. Now, it cycled through dozens of settings that no sane person had ever discovered.
"Natsu!"
"It’s fine, look, I got it!"
Natsume pressed buttons again. Not only did it not fix anything, but now all the dropdown menus were written in German.
"Natsu come on!"
"I’m trying! But… I don’t speak German..."
She pressed more buttons, and now the image was so wide that it didn't even fit on the screen. The audio description had also switched to German. Natsume started to panic.
"Shit! You do it!"
"No!"
"We’re not leaving it like this!"
"You're the one who messed it up, fix it! Ugh..."
He took the remote from his little sister and tried to fix the TV, but he soon got frustrated.
"Keiji!" he finally called out, slipping up for good and using his first name.
The latter appeared a few seconds later, alarmed. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of the four of them standing in front of a TV blaring German audio descriptions.
"What is it?"
Kuroo handed him the remote, and the brunet joined them.
"Natsume messed it up."
"Hey!"
"You did!"
The youngest crossed her arms and sank into the couch, sulking.
“Real mature Tetsu...”
The latter did pick up on that and turned toward Keiji.
"We can’t figure out how to reset it, and now the whole menu is in German!"
"I noticed."
Keiji sat down on the couch beside Natsume. He studied the remote and navigated calmly through the settings. In under two minutes, everything was back to normal.
"There you go," he said, handing the remote back to Tetsurō.
"Thanks!"
Natsume hadn’t taken her eyes off Keiji since he began trying to reset everything. She was speechless.
"Did you memorize every TV setting, or do you speak German?" she finally asked.
Akaashi, surprised by the question, replied:
"I speak German."
"And English, French, Korean, Italian, and Spanish," Kuroo added, puffing out his chest with pride.
Keiji turned to him, raising an eyebrow. What? Wasn’t he allowed to be proud of his mate?
"Oh!"
Without another word, Natsume leapt off the couch and ran off.
"What’s up with her?" Bokuto asked.
Tetsurō shrugged.
She came back a few moments later, holding a children’s book stuffed with sheets of paper. She sat cross-legged in front of Keiji, presenting the book to him with both hands. Kuroo raised an eyebrow, surprised, when he noticed that the book cover was in German.
"I'm trying to teach myself German. I thought I could start by translating this book, but it's too difficult on my own.".
“You’re learning German?” her older brother asked, sounding genuinely surprised.
"Yeah, well, I'm trying."
"But why?"
“My poor brother, all the greatest scientists speak German!”
"I'm not sure that's true. At least, not this century.”
She dismissed him with a wave of her hand. She turned her attention back to Keiji and clasped her hands together.
“Akaashi-san, do you think you could teach me? Just a little?"
The brunet looked up, studying each of his mates one by one. His gaze lingered on Kuroo the longest before he turned his attention back to the young woman before him.
"I can try, yes."
"Yeah!" she exclaimed, springing to her feet.
Keiji smiled, clearly pleased by her enthusiasm.
"Okay, wait, I’ll get my notebook! And pens!"
She turned and bowed to thank him halfway through the kitchen before disappearing into the hallway to grab her things.
"Well, you’ve just been promoted to German teacher."
Just as Keiji was about to respond, Natsume reappeared and tossed all her supplies onto the dining table. She chatted excitedly as she did so. Visibly happy to teach her what he knew, Keiji joined her.
Tetsurō turned to his two other mates.
"Well, we’re not going to watch the movie without her... So what now?"
Kōtarō grinned mischievously.
"No! Not 'Dancing Birds' again!”
They indeed ended up watching 'Dancing Birds', again.
-//-
Keiji ended up playing language teacher well into the evening. Natsume, apparently never growing tired of the gentle melody of the language, spent dinner asking for the translation of everything she saw, much to Keiji’s delight. After dinner, everyone went their separate ways, and Natsume finally released her teacher.
A storm burst outside, the melody of thunder rumbling through the distance.
Tetsurō entered the living room, ready to ask if everyone was ready to watch the movie Natsume had downloaded. As he walked in, he saw his little sister standing just a few steps from the doors leading to the small porch outside. He frowned when he saw Keiji and Kōtarō outside, and a wave of anxiety surged within him at the thought that Natsume might have seen something she wasn't supposed to.
All his fears dissolved when she turned around, a bright smile lighting up her face.
"Hey..." Tetsurō hesitated.
"Hey!"
Her enthusiasm brought a smile to his lips.
"So, did you learn anything today?"
"Yeah! It was awesome!"
"Nice! Hmm, it's supposed to be sunny tomorrow, we're going to Otaru. Wanna tag along?"
He could already envision the day filled with translations of every object unfortunate enough to cross their path. However, his sister looked so genuinely happy that he didn’t even consider taking that joy away from her.
"Nah, I think I'll sit this one out and stay here," she replied.
"Alright."
Kuroo had to fight hard not to grin too widely. He adored his little sister, but the thought of spending the day with just his mates secretly thrilled him.
"We're gonna watch the movie. You're coming?"
"Yep, okay."
At that moment, the window opened, and Keiji and Kōtarō stepped back inside.
"Movie?"
"Yeah, okay!" Bokuto replied.
Keiji nodded. His gaze landed on Natsume, and he said:
"Gut gemacht heute."
Natsume beamed:
"Danke, Lehrer Akaashi!"
"I'm glad you're learning a new language and all, but please, no German during the movie." Tetsurō said.
"Oh come on, can’t we just put the subtitles in German?"
"Nope. We can put them in English. English is great too."
Natsume huffed:
"But I already speak English!"
"Even if you do, it's still good to keep practicing, right Lehrer Akaashi?"
Keiji raised an eyebrow, though a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Kuroo fought the urge to pull Keiji into his arms and whisper sweet nonsense in his ear. He held back, though; he was still undercover after all. Besides, it gave him more time to plan all the ridiculous things he was going to say to him as soon as they were out of sight.
"Hurry up or we’re starting without you!" Kenma called out.
"Okay, okay, we’re coming."
They all settled in front of the TV. Although he had to maintain a "respectable" distance from his mates the entire time, Tetsurō had to admit that being here, in this living room with members of both the family he’d grown up with and the one he had built, filled his chest with a warm kind of softness.
He smiled to himself.
He was almost disappointed his sister wasn’t coming with them the next day.
Almost.
-//-
Tetsurō loved his little sister. He truly did. But he had to admit that spending a day without her, only with his mates, felt almost magical.
Otaru wasn't the most romantic destination; it was an old port town that used to trade with the U.S. and England. The dark brick buildings could be downright depressing, but Tetsurō was delighted by their romantic walk. He found charm in the old Western industrial warehouse vibe.
They returned in the early evening to have dinner at home with Natsume. Tetsurō smiled to himself, half-listening to the conversations around him.
"Ji?"
The latter snapped back to reality:
"Hm?"
"How long is the drive to Sapporo? Like an hour and a half?"
"Hm, yeah, something like that."
"Oh, can I come?" Natsume asked quickly. "Just drop me off. I want to do some shopping. I basically have nothing left to wear. Mom gave me some cash."
"Sure thing, no problem, as long as you keep me updated by text and don’t disappear off the face of the earth."
His little sister rolled her eyes.
"I’m not twelve, Tetsu, I can handle myself," she grumbled, collecting the stacked bowls from the table to take them to the kitchen.
"I know! I'm fine with you going off on your own, I just wanna know where you are."
"Ugh, okay, fine, if you must."
Tetsurō watched her go. She looked sincere; it was probably not some elaborate ploy to elope with a thirty-five-year-old crack addict.
"Oh! I should’ve thought of it earlier! If we're going to Sapporo tomorrow, I'll text Katsu to see if we can meet up. We could have lunch together!"
Kuroo spoke so quickly that he hadn’t had time to think it through. He was already struggling to hide his relationships from his sister; there was no way he was dragging Natsu into that mess, too. He’d seen her with her girlfriend; pretending to be just "friends" with Suki was nearly impossible.
"Oh, great idea! I can’t wait to meet her!" Kōtarō jumped in.
"And we could see your sister too," said Kenma.
"She was part of the plan," Kuroo clarified.
"Katsu isn’t in Sapporo this week," Natsume announced as she came back to the table.
"What? Where is she?"
"Didn’t she tell you? She’s in Tokyo."
"Tokyo?! What the hell’s she doing there? She didn’t even tell me!"
"I don’t know, she went with her best friend..."
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
"Her... best friend?"
"Yeah, Suki Nakayama. She never told you about her? She never shuts up about her."
"Ooooh," they all replied in unison.
Their reaction clearly confused Natsume, but her brother didn’t give her time to question it.
"Still, why didn’t she tell me?"
"I don’t know... But we could still go see your sister," Natsume offered, turning to Kōtarō. "I don’t mind."
"Well, she’s not there either."
"What do you mean?"
"Katsu’s best friend is his sister," Kuroo explained.
"Seriously?"
Both Kōtarō and Kuroo nodded.
"Whoa, what a crazy coincidence."
"Hm..."
"I wouldn’t have guessed. You don’t have the same last name."
"No," Kōtarō simply replied, clearly a little disappointed.
"Where are they staying? We could've let them have the house, right?"
Tetsurō said, turning to Kenma.
"Don't know. I think they're with Suki's family."
Kuroo turned to Kōtarō, his eyes wide.
"They’re at your parents’?!"
His mate shrugged.
"Looks like it."
Oh my... Tetsurō had to hold back a dumb laugh. He couldn’t stop himself from letting out a juvenile giggle. He knew exactly what all this meant.
He cleared his throat and said:
"Excuse me, I’m gonna call her. I can’t believe she didn’t tell me!"
And with that, he jogged off toward his room. He closed the door behind him, grabbed his phone to dial his sister’s number, and climbed out the window into the garden. After three rings, she picked up.
"Katsu! Were you planning on keeping secrets from me forever?!" he asked
"Hello to you too, what the fuck are you talking about?"
"Yeah hello, but, what the fuck, you're in Tokyo! Why didn't you tell me?!"
He heard her sigh.
"You're not there, what does it matter?"
"Are you trying to avoid me?!"
"No, it just kind of happened that way..."
"Ok, ok, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt on that one. But, you're at your in-laws’ and didn’t even tell me!"
"Technically not my in-laws', they’re just Suki’s parents, we’re not married," Kasumi replied, sounding exasperated. But Tetsurō caught the anxious excitement in her voice.
"Yeah, yeah... Can't believe you didn't tell me!"
He laughed.
"Damn, I would’ve given anything to see that!"
"And you wonder why I waited until you were gone to come."
"Ah! So you admit it!"
"I'm not!"
He laughed again but quickly quieted down when he realized that she wasn't laughing with him.
"So... how is it?"
"Good. Her parents are really nice... I haven’t seen her brothers and little sister yet, they’re not home right now, except for Shin, who’s adorable!"
"Right?! But wait... they’re all nice you say?"
"Yeah... Honestly, I expected the worst, but it’s been fine."
"All of them? Kuroo insisted."
"Yeah."
"Even Naruhito-san?"
"Nakayama-san? Yeah."
He nearly choked on his saliva.
"Yeah?! What do you mean 'yeah'?!"
"Yeah, he's nice. He seems stern at first, but he's actually really nice."
This was one of the most unbelievable things he had ever heard. Not that Naruhito-san wasn’t kind; he was. And he had been warm and supportive lately. But at first? Nice? Nah, he couldn't believe that.
"What?!"
"What what? He seems to like you too. What’s your problem?"
"No, but... Oh come on! He wasn’t like that with me at first; it took work! He scared the hell out of us in the beginning!"
“Us?"
"Yeah, Kenma, Keiji, me... He’s always kinda... intense at first..."
This time, it was Kasumi’s turn to laugh.
"Hm. Man, who knows, maybe I’ve outshone you."
"Pfft, I doubt it!"
"Oh my, are you jealous?"
"No; I'm not!"
"You are jealous!"
"Pff, no! I... no," Tetsurō tried to argue. "Whatever, tell me everything!"
"Hmm, well... I don’t know. We got here Sunday morning and... oh my god, the house, I almost fainted!"
"I know, right?!"
"Yeah! And then..."
Tetsurō smiled, listening to his little sister, occasionally chiming in with his own anecdotes.
It felt so good to be able to speak openly with his family. He remembered the panic he felt when Kasumi first found out about him... it had felt like the end of the world. But in the end, everything had turned out fine.
Maybe it was time to tell Natsume, too...
She was smart, and open-minded.
Maybe he would, yeah...
He and Kasumi chatted for quite a while. An hour later, he finally hung up. He went back inside, still smiling. As he was about to head to the living room, he ran into Kenma in the hallway. Unable to hold back the urge to spill everything he'd just learned any longer, he jogged over. But he slowed immediately when he noticed that the blond looked a little down.
"Is everything okay?"
"Hm… How’s your sister?"
He raised an eyebrow. He couldn’t quite read what Kenma was feeling, not even through their bond. He tried not to worry about it, Kenma tended to withdraw a little when he was tired… maybe it was just that.
"She's fine. Wait, apparently everyone welcomed her with open arms. Everyone , even Naruhito! Can you believe that?"
"Hm, he’s always been really kind to me too."
"Oh, come on, don’t act like you’re all special now!"
Kenma chuckled. Tetsurō smiled at him, but the smile quickly faded when he noticed his mate's expression.
"Are you sure you’re okay?"
"Yeah, yeah… it’s just… I think Kōtarō’s really disappointed he can’t see his sister… And it kinda got to him…"
"Oh…"
"He doesn’t look like it, but he’s still not… doing great…"
"I know... It's gonna take time."
"Yeah…"
Kenma had tears in his eyes but quickly looked away.
"I really hate seeing him like that…" he whispered, voice trembling.
"Me too…"
He pulled Kenma into a hug, and Kenma clung tightly to him.
"Where is he?"
"Outside."
"Okay…"
Kenma nodded and pulled away. He needed space, which Kuroo understood.
He left and walked into the living room. Looking out through the patio doors, Kuroo spotted Kōtarō’s silhouette in the garden. Tetsurō took a deep breath, then stepped outside to join him.
Kōtarō sat in the grass with his head resting on his knees. He had heard Tetsurō coming but said nothing. Tetsurō sat down next to him. He lowered his head, trying to catch Kōtarō's gaze: his eyes were red from crying.
"Oh babe…"
He saw more tears welling up. Before they could fall down, he wrapped his arms around him.
"I’m sorry we missed your sister…"
"Hm…"
They stayed silent.
Tetsurō knew that wasn’t really the problem.
He released his grip but rested his head against his shoulder, his eyes turned toward the starry sky. Long minutes passed in silence, filled only by the sound of their breathing and the quiet of the night.
"Sometimes, I feel like everything’s back to normal, like it used to be. But it’s not. It will never be the same."
Kuroo felt his face crumple. He hoped his mate wouldn't notice.
You can't just get over something like that in a few weeks. It takes time, sometimes years, and there was nothing Tetsurō could do about that. Nothing except be there. Hold him close, and remind him that he wasn’t alone.
So that’s what he did.
-//-
Tetsurō's checklist for the day wasn't that hard in the first place: he just wanted to have a good time. Apparently though, it was already too much to ask.
To start, he spent the entire trip to Sapporo sandwiched between Kōtarō, who was still feeling down (well, it wasn't his fault, and Tetsurō decided to make it his mission to cheer him up a bit), and his little sister, who was overly irritable for no apparent reason.
He hoped the mood would improve a little when they finally arrived in Sapporo. After all, the city was nice, the weather was good, and he had plenty of funny anecdotes to share.
In hindsight, he probably should have talked to someone about why he felt responsible for regulating everyone's mood. But now wasn't the time to think about that.
Unfortunately for him, and his propensity for people pleasing, neither his charms nor the city’s seemed to work.
They were walking up to the higher part of town through Nakajima Park. Maybe some greenery would cheer everyone up?
It was starting to work, at least for him, so he began to recount stories from when he studied in the city. Keiji was by his side, listening calmly.
They hadn’t heard any heavy sighs behind them for a while, which probably meant that the other three were far behind, but they didn’t really care.
Suddenly, they jumped when a shout, followed by a loud "plop," echoed behind them. Keiji and Tetsurō immediately turned around.
They found the others still standing at the edge of the river. Kōtarō was holding Kenma’s arm. The latter had fallen on his butt just a few steps from the water, and Natsume stood behind them. Tetsurō hurried over to check on them.
"Is everyone okay? What was that?"
"My bottle fell in the water."
"Okay... but what happened?"
"Nothing, he slipped," Natsume said sharply.
Kōtarō and Kenma glanced at his sister. Kuroo could clearly sense their confusion about her comment, but he didn't press further. She was so closed off that one wrong word might set her off, and he wasn’t willing to risk it.
"Okay, uh, be careful, it's slippery near the edge."
"Apparently," said Kenma.
Tetsurō hesitated to push further, but gave up:
"We should get going if we want to arrive early enough," he said before turning on his heel.
His little sister sighed and started walking again, passing in front of them. Tetsurō caught up to her:
"Hey, if you want to go shopping, you can go, we'll meet up later..."
"No. I’m fine,” she cut him off. “I want to see the museum."
Kuroo raised an eyebrow, finding it strange that a seventeen-year-old teen was so eager to come with them to the sake museum instead of going shopping unsupervised.
"You know I’m not going to let you drink, right?"
"I don’t care, I just wanna come! Why do you want to ditch me like that?"
He did kind of want to ditch her. But that wasn't what he suggested. He didn't know why she was in such a bad mood. He wanted to be considerate, but her mood was starting to weigh on everyone. Besides, he wasn't sure that the sake museum would cheer her up. That and he wanted to spend some time alone with his lovers.
"No, it's just that... you don't look all that excited about the program so... I'm just saying, you don't have to stay with us if you don't want to, you can..."
"No, I’m coming."
With that, she sped up to take the lead, stamping her feet.
Okay…
Tetsurō watched her leave. His eyes met Keiji's, who shrugged. He sighed and resumed walking.
Kenma caught up to him. When he was close enough, he asked, his voice full of frustration and anger:
"What’s your sister’s problem with me exactly?"
"What problem?"
The blond raised an eyebrow:
“Seriously? She’s been giving me dirty looks all morning! I didn't slip earlier; she tried to push me in the water!"
Tetsurō raised an eyebrow, glancing at his sister.
He tried to defuse the situation.
"Are you sure? I know she's in a bad mood, but I'm not sure if you have anything to do with it. She probably just wanted to catch you when she saw you slip. She can be a bit rough sometimes."
Kenma’s face shut down completely.
"If you say so," he said sharply, then sped up to walk ahead of him.
What was going on with all of them?!
He sighed. He turned around to see if Kōtarō had gone off chasing ducks. Seeing that he was still following, he resumed walking.
That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the day. No matter what he did, Tetsurō couldn’t improve the mood. Initially, he had thought they would stay out for dinner, but he gave up on that idea and suggested they go back earlier than planned. No one objected, and they headed back home in the late afternoon.
The atmosphere in the car was so heavy that Tetsurō had trouble breathing. Once again, he tried to lift everyone’s spirits, doing his best to fill the silence. Keiji was genuinely trying to help to no avail.
After that awful day, Kuroo was glad to be home. Everyone went their separate ways as soon as they arrived, each needing a moment to catch their breath.
Night was beginning to fall when Tetsurō finally decided to leave his room. It was getting late, and he was seriously starting to feel hungry. When he made it to the kitchen, he noticed Kenma and Natsume were already there.
Finally! Maybe the evening wouldn't be that bad after all. There was still time to turn things around!
Just as he was about to announce himself, he was taken aback by what he witnessed. Kenma had just poured himself a glass of water, but when he turned around, Natsume suddenly lunged at him and slapped his wrist. Kenma managed not to drop the glass, but he ended up soaked with half its contents nonetheless. The scene was so surreal that Tetsurō didn't react immediately.
This time, it was too much for Kenma:
"Seriously, Natsu, what’s your problem exactly?"
"What’s my problem? What’s my problem?!"
She let out a harsh, contemptuous laugh. Then, in a voice that her elder brother didn’t recognize, she continued:
"Yeah, don't play that game with me, you know very well what I'm talking about. You're disgusting."
Kenma blinked, completely caught off guard by the sharpness in her voice.
This time Tetsurō couldn’t let it slide.
"Hey! Natsu!" he grabbed her arm to pull her away from Kenma and face her, "Don’t talk to him like that! Seriously, what’s your problem?"
Natsume looked surprised at first. Her face quickly hardened, and she shoved him away.
"What’s my problem?! You don’t know what I know, Tetsu, and it’s not pretty. I didn’t want to tell you at first, but it can’t go on like this!"
"What are you talking about, Natsu?"
"What am I talking about? Sure, Kenma, would you do us the honor?"
She lifted her eyes to look at the blond, shooting him a glare so full of venom that Kuroo shivered.
Kenma turned his gaze to Kuroo. He was hardly fazed by his sister’s attitude; he was just confused. Tetsurō didn't understand either.
"What are you talking about, Natsu?"
"Really? Don't want to talk about it, Kenma?"
"Talk about what?"
Natsume stepped almost right in front Tetsurō, taking a defensive stance, still glaring at Kenma.
"You're really gonna play it like that? It's game over, you know."
What the heck was going on?
"Fine, I'll tell him myself then."
She turned back to her brother, locking eyes with him. In a serious voice, tinged with anger and worry, she said:
"Tetsu, I think there’s something you need to know."
-//-
Three Days Earlier
Natsume was on a mission to find out who her brother's boyfriend was.
When her mother told her that he would be home with his three roommates, Natsume
dropped all her plans without hesitating for a second to devote herself to the task. It might
have been nosy of her, but she needed to know.
Tetsu was supposedly still single. She didn’t believe that for a second. Not after all the
ridiculous snickers and half-whispered conversations he and Kasumi had shared the last
time he was here.
Her money was on Kenma. He was his childhood best friend who had miraculously
reappeared in his life after ten years and invited him to live with him after a tragic
accident. The perfect rom-com scenario! The classic "and they were roommates"! It was
almost too obvious!
The other two were potential candidates, sure, but she seriously doubted it...
Her suspicions intensified in the first minute of her first day on the job when she found her older brother and his "friend" in a suspicious position as she entered the room.
But she couldn't stop there. As a scientist, she needed tangible proof. She was patient and
relentlessly spied on them, analyzing each of their interactions.
Finally, her patience and dedication paid off.
She knew she had an opportunity when she spotted them both outside on the evening of
the second day.
Sure, she had to hide in a bush, her legs getting scratched up by nettles while bats flew above her head. She thought she was going to get caught several times, but she finally had her irrefutable proof: a kiss under the stars!
Mission accomplished!
She’d left as discreetly as possible and spent a good ten minutes hopping joyfully in her
room. She was thrilled to have confirmed her initial hypothesis.
She hadn’t planned to continue at first, but she was almost certain that Bokuto and
Akaashi were an item. She got her confirmation the next day. After her impromptu German
lesson, as she passed by the patio door, she stumbled upon Bokuto and Akaashi sitting on
the back porch, watching the storm tear through the sky. Just as she was about to walk on by, she saw Bokuto lean into Akaashi and bury his head in his hair: a gesture far too
intimate for their relationship to be solely platonic. Akaashi then turned to Bokuto and offered a tender smile before leaning in to kiss him.
Jackpot! Two for two!
Satisfied, she decided to give them a break and let them breathe for now on.
But everything changed the next day.
After dinner, she decided to step out for a bit and read in her room. After a while, she heard whispers coming from the hallway.
Curious, she crept to the door, opened it, and peeked out. Kenma and Bokuto were standing there, talking in low voices. She strained to hear but couldn’t make out a word. She did notice how close they were standing to each other. Still, she didn’t dwell on it. Bokuto looked upset, and Kenma was probably just trying to cheer him up. After all, they lived together, so it made sense that they’d be close.
But just as she was about to close the door, she saw something that shook her to her core:
Kenma rose onto his toes, cupped Bokuto’s face in his hands, and leaned in to kiss him.
Caught off guard, she went back to her room and pressed herself against the door, holding
her breath until the voices faded away.
She couldn't believe it! Not him! Not Kenma! How could he do that to her brother?
Once the initial shock wore off, she began to grasp the magnitude of the situation.
They all lived together, meaning that Kenma was cheating on his brother right under his
nose. In their own house!
She was devastated. Tetsu's boyfriend, his childhood best friend, the person he probably
trusted most in the world, had betrayed him.
It was despicable.
Now that she knew, she wondered what she was supposed to do. Was she supposed to tell her brother? She couldn't! Tetsu would be devastated!
If she told him, he would probably end up homeless, alone, and heartbroken.
But she couldn't leave him in the dark either! She vowed to tell her brother as soon as
possible.
As she was planning out how to tell him, she heard her brother's bedroom door open. The
crept open the door again.
Tetsu was now in the hallway talking to Kenma. She couldn’t believe it! Kenma didn’t
hesitate at all to betray him so blatantly while Tetsurō was just a few steps away and could
walk in on them at any moment!
It was downright perverse. Disgusting.
She couldn't hear what her brother and Kenma were talking about. She didn't need to. It
could only be lies!
When she saw them both leave, she decided to catch up with her brother. She needed to
act fast! But as she headed toward the kitchen, she had to hide again. After holding her
breath for ten seconds, she quietly turned to see what was happening in the living room.
This time, she saw Akaashi talking with Kenma. She felt her heart tighten as she
remembered that not only had Kenma and Bokuto betrayed her brother, but they were also
betraying Akaashi.
Kenma acted innocent, but she could see through his lies. She knew his true colors now.
Just as she was about to slip quietly into the hallway and go outside, she witnessed
something that froze her in horror. Kenma wrapped his arms around Akaashi’s waist, stood on his tiptoes, and Akaashi leaned in to kiss him.
She felt like her heart exploded inside her chest: him too! What was going on?! Kenma had
truly no shame!
At this stage, it was organized crime!
She couldn’t believe Akaashi was involved in that sham too! Not her teacher! What a disgrace!
Her gaze hardened.
She knew Kenma must be behind all of it. He had trapped them all, manipulating them so he could have the three of them at the same time without paying the price for his betrayal.
The situation was far worse than she had initially thought.
She was so terrified and disgusted that she felt bile rise in her throat. They all lived under Kenma's roof. He was probably keeping them like pets, ready to take advantage of them whenever he wanted.
She started hyperventilating, and dark thoughts clouded her mind.
She had listened to enough true crime podcasts to know that she should be alarmed by the situation.
She had to get her brother out of there as soon as possible. Sure, it would scar him for life, but at least he would be safe.
Feeling helpless, she returned to her room. She spent the next few hours racking her brain, trying to find a way to help her big brother out of this mess. She knew that victims of this kind of psychological manipulation were often in denial and unwilling to face the truth. Even if all the proof of the abuse was presented, the brain couldn’t process it all at once. Often, denying everything was easier than facing the harsh truth.
But if she did nothing, she feared the situation would worsen, making it even harder to confront Tetsurō with reality. She couldn't sleep all night as the scenarios in her head grew darker.
While she had planned to spend the day in Sapporo alone, she couldn’t bear to leave her brother with his abuser.
Natsume knew she had to act before it was too late.
She had spotted an opportunity to get rid of the blond while they were in the park. Kenma had moved closer to the water to join Bokuto. Gripped by desperate anger, she lunged at him to push him into the water. Her plan was to take advantage of the commotion to escape with her brother. Unfortunately, just as Kenma was about to topple into the water, Bokuto grabbed his arm. The blond simply dropped his bottle into the water and fell back on his butt. The noise alerted Akaashi and Tetsurō, ruining her chance to get her brother out of here. All eyes turned on her, and suddenly, she felt cornered.
But she couldn't give up like that!
Her brother’s reaction at that moment confirmed her worst fear: he was under Kenma’s influence.
Bokuto and Akaashi must be too. No matter what she said or did, they wouldn’t believe her.
Clearly, she needed to change her tactic. Isolating her brother wouldn’t work. She had to focus on Kenma. If she could force Kenma to confess, then maybe, just maybe, Tetsurō could be jolted into reality and escape that toxic situation.
She waited for the perfect moment to strike. She knew she had to be careful, though. One wrong move could cause things to spiral out of control and become dangerous. Who knew how Kenma would react once he was exposed? He might even become violent!
How long would it take someone to notice if he decided to kill them all and bury their bodies in the garden?
Even as fear crept in, she held firm.
She waited until Kenma was alone. When she saw him go into the kitchen, she followed him. Just in case she needed evidence later, she activated her phone recorder.
She approached him quietly and made no sudden moves. She spotted the knife on the counter and kept its location in mind in case the confrontation turned violent. She almost chickened out when she noticed how calm That was worse than she had expected. If she wasn’t careful, he could easily catch her off guard. There was no way she was going to let that happen!
She waited, her muscles tense. After glancing at the knife one last time, she stepped forward. The blond didn't react, only raising an eyebrow when he noticed how close she was getting.
She decided to strike first, pulling the rug from under him before he could counter. She slapped Kenma's wrist, but her attack had much less impact than she had imagined. Kenma held onto his glass, and water splashed around.
“Seriously, Natsu, what’s your problem exactly?"
His tone was far too casual for the gravity of the situation. She was boiling inside. She couldn't believe how little remorse he had!
"What’s my problem? What’s my problem?!"
She let out a harsh, contemptuous laugh. She couldn’t afford to crack!
"Yeah, don't play that game with me, you know very well what I'm talking about. You're disgusting."
Kenma blinked, clearly taken aback by the sharpness of her voice.
"Hey! Natsu!"
She jumped. She hadn’t realized her brother was there. He grabbed her by the arm and pushed her back.
"Don’t talk to him like that! Seriously, what’s your problem?"
The poor soul had no idea what was happening! Kenma was going to make her look like the bad guy! There was no way she was going to let that happen.
She pushed her brother to make him let go.
"What’s my problem?! You don’t know what I know, Tetsu, and it’s not pretty. I didn’t want to tell you at first, but it can’t go on like this!"
"What are you talking about, Natsu?"
"What am I talking about? Sure, Kenma, would you do us the honor?"
She held Kenma's gaze, giving him no way out and making it clear that she wasn’t going to be fooled. She saw him glance at her brother, pretending not to understand. He could play innocent all he wanted; she wouldn't let him get away with it. She would defend her family no matter what.
"What are you talking about, Natsu?" her brother asked. He was clearly still not understanding the urgency of the situation.
"Really? Don't want to talk about it, Kenma?"
"Talk about what?"
She stepped in front of Tetsu and adopted a defensive stance while continuing to glare at Kenma.
"You're really gonna play it like that? It's game over, you know."
Kenma looked up at Tetsurō again.
"Fine, I'll tell him myself then."
She turned to Tetsurō and caught his gaze. It was going to be difficult, but she had to do it. In a serious voice, she said:
“Tetsu, there’s something you need to know.”
She saw her brother raise an eyebrow. She faltered, losing some of her confidence. She knew she had to start gently. If she revealed the full extent of the deception now, she wasn’t sure he’d believe her.
"You probably won't believe me, but I promise it's the truth. It's going to be hard, but I can't leave you in the dark."
Tetsurō looked at Kenma. She couldn’t believe that he trusted him more than her. That had to stop!
“Kenma is cheating on you.”
The other two looked at her, deeply surprised by what she had said.
"What? But Natsu, we..."
"I know you two are together, I saw you, but..."
She shot Kenma a dirty look.
"That’s not the only thing I saw."
She took her brother’s hand, hoping to soften the blow.
“I...I’m sorry, Tetsu. He betrayed you. They all did. I know it's hard and that you'll probably need time to process this and face the truth. I can't even imagine what they're trying to do to you!"
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes. But she had to stay strong.
"Wha... Natsu, what are you talking about?"
"I saw it! With my own two eyes! Not only is Kenma cheating on you, but he’s cheating on you with both Bokuto and Akaashi! You... I know it’s hard to accept, but it’s true. I saw it with my own eyes! Kenma is manipulating you, and you don't even see it!"
Her brother said nothing.
She frowned, surprised by his lack of reaction.
He winced, looked at Kenma, and swallowed hard.
"No, Kenma, really?"
She winced at the fake tone in his voice. No...
She turned to Kenma. No.
Kenma sighed, mildly annoyed.
She had thought that revealing his secret would at least trigger a reaction, that he would panic or do something worse! But he didn't. He didn't do anything, and she was completely caught off guard.
"Nope, not dealing with that. The cat's out of the bag, Ji. It's up to you now." Kenma replied before turning on his heels.
Natsume was left speechless. She had imagined thousands of scenarios, but not this one.
She turned to face her brother. He didn’t look shocked, just anxious. She released Tetsurō's hands, letting her arms drop limply to her sides.
Tetsurō inhaled deeply.
"Natsume, come, let’s sit down."
He walked to the table. He sat down and pulled out the chair next to him, then invited her to join him.
Natsume couldn’t believe it. She saw Bokuto appear out of the corner of her eye, but he was quickly pulled back down the hallway by Kenma.
She hadn’t seen that coming. Maybe things were even worse than she had imagined.
Tetsurō tapped the seat of the chair beside him. She joined him but didn’t sit right away.
"You knew?"
"Sit down, please."
This time, she obeyed, scrutinizing her brother’s face and analyzing his expression. Tetsurō sighed. He looked deeply anxious.
"Yes, Natsu, I know."
Her eyes widened.
She couldn’t believe it. Kenma had manipulated him that much! He had made him swallow all of it, just like that! Just as she was about to speak, her brother interrupted her:
"They were already together when I met them. Well, I didn't know at first, but that's another story."
No. No, no, no! She had to say something!
“I don’t understand. Tetsurō, you can’t just let this slide. Are you even aware of the situation? You don't, do you? You can't... He's manipulating you into..."
"He’s not manipulating me, Natsu."
He spoke calmly, without his voice cracking or showing any sign of trouble. Tetsurō took a deep breath, and she watched his every movement. She was frozen.
"Okay, hmm, where to start? Have you ever heard of polyamory? Damn it, I can't believe I'm talking about this with my little sister!"
He let his head fall into his hands.
“Come on, just one more day,” he muttered. “I only needed to keep this up for one more day.”
Natsume was afraid to understand.
"What... what do you mean?"
Her brother sighed again. He stood up straight, his eyes on the table as he avoided her gaze.
"Natsu... Thank you for worrying about me, but... I... Kenma doesn’t manipulate me, no one is."
"But he's cheating on you! With your friends, right under your nose! And you know about it?! You must realize that something isn't right."
She was cut off mid-sentence.
"I...I told you... He’s not cheating on me or manipulating me. I know they’re together, and so am I."
She frowned.
“What are you saying?”
"I'm... with them... like, romantically."
She felt like the air had thickened, falling on her like a lead weight and crushing her lungs.
"What... are... I thought you were dating Kenma?"
The scenarios she had imagined began clashing and canceling each other out. Her mind went blank.
"Yes, I’m dating Kenma... And Kōtarō, and Keiji..."
Her breath caught. Tetsurō gave a timid smile.
"What?"
The more she looked at him, the less she recognized him. What exactly did this mean?
She could no longer recognize him. Not her brother, not him... It was...
A strange feeling of discomfort and disgust overwhelmed her. Everything she had projected onto Kenma had taken on a new form and clung to her brother’s skin, making him unrecognizable. She could see in his eyes that he understood the emotions she was going through. She saw how it hurt him. But she couldn't pity him; he had caused too much dissonance in her mind for her to feel remorse.
"I didn't think you could do something like that."
Her elder brother sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Oh my fucking god, here we go again..."
"What?"
He sighed once more.
"Katsu said basically the same thing when she found out."
"Because she knows?!"
"Yes."
"Woah, okay, and she's okay with it?!"
Bitterness and anger began to show on her brother's face.
"Of course she is! And let me be clear on something: what I do with my life isn't something you or she has to be okay with! And I have better things to do than listen to a moral lecture from a seventeen-year-old brat. Damn it! What's your problem anyway? I’m still the same person. I didn’t kill anyone! I don't see what your problem is!"
She felt the anger boil inside her, flood her blood, and spread through her. Ultimately, she didn’t know what her problem was either. It was a visceral, automatic and learned reaction, and she didn’t have time to question it before she answered sharply:
"It's far worse than I feared. You don't even realize it, do you?"
"There's nothing to realize."
"Yeah, right."
"Natsu..."
“Yeah, I’m gonna leave before I end up barfing on the table. To think I lost my mind over that… over you!”
She stood up abruptly, knocking the chair over. Tears welled in her eyes, and her body shook with anger, disappointment, disgust, and confusion. Without saying anything else, she left. She crossed paths with Bokuto, Kenma, and Akaashi in the hallway. They had probably overheard the entire conversation. She didn't glance at them and went to her room. She threw the first thing she saw when she entered. There was no way she was staying there any longer. She needed to get out of this place!
-//-
The amount of time Tetsurō had to "come out" in his life was absurd. However, he never really got used to it. He was still struggling with it and never really knew how to deal with it.
To him, it was like earthquakes: he was terrified of them, but couldn't avoid them, and had to experience them quite often in his life.
Sometimes the ground barely shook; other times, everything around him would collapse.
Something had definitely collapsed that evening, and Kuroo didn’t know if he could ever rebuild it.
Fortunately, he knew where to find shelter from the crumble: with his mates.
The three of them overheard his conversation with his sister. As soon as she left, they rushed over to support and comfort him.
He was now sandwiched between them on the couch, suffocating in the heat, but he had no intention of moving. His lovers were doing their best to lift his spirits and keep him from falling into the bottomless pit he felt opening beneath his feet when his sister left the room.
Kenma was trying to cheer him up with his peculiar brand of dark, absurd humor, though it was a bit softer this time. Indeed, Tetsurō was shaken by what Natsume had told him, but he still loved her and didn't feel like gouging her eyes out and running off on a puppet show tour.
"What exactly did she think? That I was holding you prisoner in a brothel?"
"Pfft. I don't know."
"Well, no. I mean, isn't it like drug dealers? Like, I mean, you don't touch what you sell, right?" Kōtarō remarked.
Good lord, how did they end up talking about that...
"I am not sure if both businesses operate the same way."
Everyone vaguely nodded.
"Now that I think about it... Why do people always compare me to criminals? I mean, before we dated, we had that running joke that I was a drug lord." Kenma said, addressing Kuroo.
"I don't know... Maybe you just look the part." Kōtarō suggested.
"What do you mean, I look the part?!"
In retaliation, he grabbed Kōtarō by the hips and tickled him. Kōtarō pulled away as quickly as possible, still laughing. He tried to free himself, pleading his injury as a reason for immunity.
"Anyway, if I were in that business, I wouldn't need to resort to prostitution. In this country, people pay absurd amounts of money just to get a hug or have someone blow in their eyes with a straw. Why would I risk anything when I could do something legal that's much more lucrative?"
"Kinda upsetting how you already seem to have thought about that."
"I get bored sometimes... You know, maybe that's why. It can spark jealousy. I can see why."
"What are you talking about? Your blow-in-the-eyes-with-a-straw business?"
"No, like, some people spend their entire salaries just to get hugs, but you get plenty for free. That can certainly spark jealousy."
The comment genuinely made Kuroo laugh, which made his mates smile. He could feel the warmth of tenderness floating between them, through their bond.
However, they were abruptly pulled out of their little bubble when they heard footsteps in the hallway. They immediately separated, each keeping a respectable distance from each other.
Natsume appeared in the hallway for a split second as she headed toward the door, obviously dressed to go out for the evening.
Even though she had deeply hurt him, and her presence in the house only fed his anxiety, Tetsurō still had to play the adult here:
"Natsu?"
She didn't answer.
Tetsurō stood up and headed toward the entrance. He found his little sister putting on her shoes.
"Where are you going?"
She didn’t answer or look at him. Tetsurō could clearly see that each of her movements betrayed her boiling anger, but he insisted anyway:
"Natsume, where are you going?"
"None of your business,” she replied sharply.
Tetsurō tried to stay calm; getting angry would only make things worse.
"Of course it’s my business. I’m not going to let you leave like that in the middle of the evening. I need to know where you're going. And you don't look like you're just going for a stroll in the garden."
He spoke in a firm but calm and controlled voice.
"Whatever."
“No, not whatever! I’m not going to let my seventeen-year-old sister run off like that. And you’re not going out dressed like that, are you? It’s nighttime and..."
Natsu stood up abruptly, almost making her older brother jump back. She shot him a glare, her eyes burning with rage. Tetsurō held her gaze, not wavering for a second.
"What do you mean, 'dressed like that'? Like what? Are you slut-shaming me right now? That's ironic, considering the situation. I'm not the one living in basically a brothel."
Kuroo felt his breath catch and his throat tighten.
"Okay? Just let me go and go back to your pimp or whatever."
As she was about to open the door, Kuroo abruptly slammed it shut. He knew she was just trying to get to him. He wanted to stay calm, but it had gone too far.
"That’s enough now."
He spoke in a deep, stern voice that unsettled Natsume. She turned to face him again. The fiery intensity in her eyes had dissipated, blown away by her older brother’s attitude.
"You can say whatever you want to me, be as mean and graphic as you want, but leave my mates out of this. Think what you want Natsume, I'm the adult here, and I'm responsible for you. And no, I'm not let you run off in the middle of the night to I don't know where."
Natsume held his gaze, her entire posture and facial features showing contempt and defiance.
"Oh, you can look at me like that if you want. It won't change anything. Now, you're going to listen to me."
He spoke to her without aggression but with a cold severity that disarmed Natsume.
"I'm not stopping you from going out. And no, I'm not 'slut-shaming' you. It's cold outside, and I doubt your summer dress is appropriate for the weather. You're just going to freeze. Please take your jacket."
Natsume complied without arguing. She lowered her eyes, beginning to calm down and realize what she had said in a fit of anger.
"Now, please tell me where you're going and who you're going with. I’m not going to let you wander around alone in the middle of nowhere at night."
"I'm just going to Maki's."
“Where does Maki live?”
"It's not far. It's only about ten minutes. I'm used to it! I'm not ten!"
"Okay. Do I need to come pick you up?"
"No."
"No, what? Are you staying over tonight?"
"Yes."
"Is there an adult at Maki's?"
"Yes, her parents."
Natsume still avoided his gaze.
"Alright. Now listen. I want you to send me a text when you get there."
She sighed, but not with much hostility. She had simply returned to being a moody teenager.
"It's not negotiable. Send me a text when you arrive with the address and Maki's parents' phone number."
"Tetsu, come on!"
"Like I said, it's not negotiable. If I don't hear from you in fifteen minutes, I'm taking the car to pick you up. Understood?"
She didn’t answer, pretending to adjust her shoe strap.
"Understood?"
Natsu nodded, still not looking at him.
"Okay, yeah, I heard!"
Tetsurō stepped back and turned around.
"Good night then."
He spoke coldly. He stood straight with his back to her and his arms crossed until he heard the door close.
He let out a heavy sigh and dropped his arms limply to his sides. The confrontation had drained him of all his energy, and he felt like he was about to collapse. He dragged his feet to the living room, immediately catching his mates' gazes.
"Are you okay?" Kenma asked, even though he already knew the answer was no.
No, he wasn't okay.
They all knew it; they could feel it.
He was shaking, his whole body wracked with anger, shame, and sorrow.
Despite everything, he tried to maintain his composure. He took a deep breath.
But this time, he couldn’t push away the dark thoughts rising within him. They overwhelmed him all at once, repeating the hateful things his little sister had said to him.
His worst fears had come true.
He was terrified that he had lost her forever.
"I'm... fine, It's just that..."
He felt tears welling up. His throat tightened.
"Ouch! Damn it, that hurts!"
"Oh, Ji."
He burst into tears. His mates all stood up at once to hug him.
He let out a tearful laugh:
"You were right, she does think you're a pimp."
No one was amused. His mates tightened their embraces.
Maybe he had lost her forever...
Natsume texted him when she arrived at her friend's, then radio silence. The morning after, she texted him again just to inform him that she wasn't coming back and was staying with her friend for another day.
Tetsurō left to get back to Tokyo before he could talk to her again.
Before they could make up.
Maybe he had lost her forever.
-end of the chapter-
Notes:
... Sorry 'bout that.
Natsu was harsh, but she's really just a kid. And, gosh, the "running wild, anxiety-ridden brain" is a genetic trait at this point.
Next chapter: “Hope”
He looked up at the city outside and frowned when he recognized the massive Shibuya Crossing.
"What are we doing here?"
"The bridge is closed, and there is roadwork on Route 9," Kenma grumbled. "I'm not thrilled that we have to go through here either."
The roadwork must be serious if the GPS thought this route through the busiest intersection in the city was a better option. Tetsurō turned toward the giant screens and neon lights polluting the night with their brightness.
He frowned when he noticed several of the massive displays were broadcasting the news. Sitting up, he squinted to read the scrolling text at the bottom of the screen.
“What the hell...”
"What?"
"Look at the screens."
Chapter 60: Hope
Summary:
He looked up at the city outside and frowned when he recognized the massive Shibuya Crossing.
"What are we doing here?"
"The bridge is closed, and there is roadwork on Route 9," Kenma grumbled. "I'm not thrilled that we have to go through here either."
The roadwork must be serious if the GPS thought this route through the busiest intersection in the city was a better option. Tetsurō turned toward the giant screens and neon lights polluting the night with their brightness.
He frowned when he noticed several of the massive displays were broadcasting the news. Sitting up, he squinted to read the scrolling text at the bottom of the screen.
“What the hell...”
"What?"
"Look at the screens."
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
---
When Tetsurō arrived in Tokyo, he didn't experience the usual soft, warm feeling of being home. His heart was still cold and petrified.
He sat in the back of the car with his head resting against the window, watching the rain pour down over the skyscrapers.
No one was talking.
Keiji sat next to him, holding his hand, his fingers gently caressing the back of Tetsurō's hand.
Tetsurō watched the raindrops speed away from the window like shooting stars.
They had left to escape the rain, but now it was there to welcome them back.
It rained on the city as it rained in his heart.
"Who said that?"
He had spoken out loud without realizing it.
Keiji’s voice was soft and deep, rolling over his skin like a caress:
"Who said what Love?"
"It rained on the city as it rained in his heart."
Keiji smiled.
"It rains in my heart
As it rains on the town,
What languor so dark
That it soaks to my heart?
Oh sweet sound of the rain
On the earth and the roofs.
For the dull heart again,
Oh the song of the rain,"
Kuroo turned toward him, charmed by his words and the soothing tone of his voice.
"Verlaine." Keiji added.
The brunet nodded and turned his gaze back toward the window.
His lover gently squeezed his hand.
"Everything is going to be okay, Tetsurō."
Kuroo winced. He knew it wasn’t the end of the world. He was just being dramatic, really.
But still.
It rained in his heart.
He sat up straight and slipped his hand out of Keiji’s. He saw Keiji watching him from the corner of his eye, but he pretended not to notice. He pulled out his phone and opened his text app.
"Are you still in Tokyo?"
The reply came in less than a minute:
"Nah, we went back home last night. How was your week?"
Grief tightened his throat.
"Meh, okay. Hum, didn't really end well, let's say."
"What happened?"
"Natsu knows about me."
Katsu didn't text back for several minutes.
"Seriously? How did she take it?"
"Not very well."
"Oh..."
"Well, I didn’t have Suki to help me this time around. We didn't really get a chance to talk again before I left, so..."
"She'll come around. Don't worry."
"I’m just scared she’ll tell Mom and Dad."
"Nah, she won't. Do you want me to talk to her?"
Kuroo paused.
“Yeah, maybe.”
"She’s still Natsu, you know. It'll be okay. Don’t worry, I've got this ;)."
"Thanks."
"It's not the end of the world, Tetsu. You’ll survive."
He smiled despite himself. The raindrops weren't as corrosive to his heart as before.
He looked up at the city outside and frowned when he recognized the massive Shibuya Crossing.
"What are we doing here?"
"The bridge is closed, and there is roadworks on Route 9," Kenma grumbled. "I'm not thrilled that we have to go through here either."
The roadwork must be serious if the GPS thought this route through the busiest intersection in the city was a better option. Tetsurō turned toward the giant screens and neon lights polluting the night with their brightness.
He frowned when he noticed several of the massive displays were broadcasting the news. Sitting up, he squinted to read the scrolling text at the bottom of the screen.
“What the hell...”
"What?"
"Look at the screens."
All three of them turned to look.
“Soichiro Toribishi under investigation: pharmaceutical giant collapses.” was written everywhere.
"What the hell?!"
Kōtarō pulled out his phone. After a simple search, he gasped loudly.
"Scandal just broke of... after a report by Choatic Justice."
Kuroo felt his heart start to race.
"What does it say?" Kenma asked.
"There's a lot. We're talking about embezzlement and falsified data. There's evidence of bribery to fast-track clinical trials and of massive payments to private individuals. Apparently, these payments were made to cover up serious mistakes. It’s all pretty vague. I’d have to read more, but it apparently involves a large portion of their products."
"Like which product?"
Kōtarō didn’t answer right away.
"Kō?"
He had to catch his breath before responding:
"Like dehydrataze-prolystatin."
Silence fell.
"Shit…"
Kōtarō sank into his seat, beginning to grasp the magnitude of it all and realizing that it could have affected him directly.
"What else?"
He let out a sigh.
"I...I don't know. CJ's report is probably much more detailed, but it's huge. We'd really need to read through it."
Oops...
Kuroo couldn’t help feeling a little bit victorious.
He knew something was fishy. And he was right.
What he did was dangerous... and kinda reckless, yes. But it paid off.
"Hum... okay, don't get mad."
Kenma glanced up, catching his gaze in the rearview mirror.
Tetsurō quickly looked away, fidgeting with his fingers.
"It's probably not a big deal... maybe..."
"Tetsu?"
"Okay, okay. Hmm. It's possible that... I might have something to do with the report and the fact that it's blowing up now."
"What?!"
-//-
"Let me get this straight. You willingly handed extremely confidential documents to a group of hackers purely out of... what? Revenge?"
Keiji was starting to lose his composure. His voice was sharp. He clearly wasn’t amused. Kōtarō didn’t look amused either, even if, in some way, Tetsurō had done it for him.
Tetsurō lowered his eyes.
"I wouldn't say it was out of revenge, per se..."
"Do you grasp the magnitude of what you did? If the authorities trace anything back to you, you could be in serious trouble!"
Tetsurō forced himself not to roll his eyes, even if he thought it was a bit extreme.
"Yes, I'm aware. I knew it could be dangerous. But I couldn’t just do nothing. I knew something was off, but I didn't have proof until now. I couldn't just ignore it."
Keiji let out a heavy, exasperated, and anxious sigh. He turned toward the window, doing his best to stay composed.
“Tetsurō, what were you thinking? If this were for me, I swear it wasn't worth it. I... I never wanted you to put yourself in danger like that! We don't know if it was... what got me sick."
Kōtarō was angry, too. He looked completely thrown, stunned.
“Kōtarō, I couldn’t just let it slide. I...I don't know what to tell you. It's done now anyway."
He didn’t seem convinced. He slumped onto the couch, his features closing off.
Tetsurō felt his heart tighten and turn to stone, crushing his lungs as it dropped miserably in his chest.
Maybe he shouldn't have talked about it and should have kept everything to himself.
Maybe they were right.
Maybe he should never have gotten involved in this.
No.
He couldn't forget why he did it in the first place.
But the timing wasn't ideal, he knew that.
Kōtarō was still recovering. Learning that his life had been turned around by something that could have been avoided, by something completely out of his control, was a new blow.
Tetsurō looked up and met Kenma’s gaze.
He had assumed that Kenma would be the most furious one, but surprisingly, he wasn’t. The blond had remained relatively calm and said almost nothing.
Eventually, the others noticed his lack of reaction. Soon, all eyes were on him.
"What?"
"You really have nothing to say?"
Kenma rolled his eyes.
"I do. Seriously, I think you’re all overreacting."
"Kenma! I really do not think we are, considering the situation!"
He sighed.
"Oh, come on, chill out."
"'Chill out'? Really?"
“Guys, this is Chaotic Justice we’re talking about; they’re not amateurs. And come on, whatever Ji did, a couple of photocopies isn’t gonna shake up the court.”
"What do you mean?"
"They're hackers!"
None of them seemed to follow.
"Yeah. So, first things first, that means they can't be traced that easily. Besides, if justice is involved, which it will be, they're the ones who'll take the heat, not some rando informant, no offense Ji, who handed over three notebooks. I'm not saying it didn't help or that Tetsu isn't involved. I'm saying they probably have better fish to fry. We're probably talking months or even years of tracking, data theft, and breaches of personal and classified information. So chill out. He’s not going to jail. He's very unlikely to even step foot in a courtroom."
Silence hung in the air for a few seconds. Eventually, Keiji and Kōtarō resumed their argument, outraged by how lightly Kenma was taking the situation. Kuroo stopped listening, his focus shifting to Kenma.
He was way too calm...
The blond noticed him watching and met his gaze. His expression was unreadable, but Tetsurō had the nagging feeling that something was off.
Kuroo never mentioned the notebooks.
Something wasn't adding up.
Kenma looked away, still composed.
No, he was probably imagining things. He must’ve said that by chance... Right?
Eventually, Keiji and Kōtarō ran out of arguments. They were resigned to the situation, knowing they couldn’t undo what had already been done. Kenma ended the discussion himself, saying he had better things to do. He promised to visit Kuroo every week if he ended up in prison. The comment took everyone by surprise, effectively shutting down the conversation.
As Kenma headed to his room, Tetsurō decided to follow him. But when he reached the door, he stopped, surprised to find Kenma standing right there.
“I never mentioned notebooks.”
Kenma didn’t react much. But something shifted between them.
Kenma was impossible to read.
He shrugged.
"I just said that randomly."
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
"Uh-huh."
"Uh-huh," Kenma echoed, opening the door.
"Uh-huh."
"Uh-huh," the blond repeated as he slipped inside, shutting the door behind him.
Something was definitely up.
Tetsurō didn't know what yet, but he knew something was up.
-//-
Tetsurō tilted his head to the side. His heart sank when he spotted Kōtarō sitting outside with his back leaning against the house's wall, watching the rain fall. The air was humid, heavy with the scent of the coming storm and petrichor.
For a second, the night sky flashed with bright light, and thunder resounded.
Tetsurō approached his lover silently and sat next to him.
They watched the storm together in silence for a few minutes.
“Did you know?”
Kōtarō's voice rose softly.
Tetsurō didn't understand right away what he was asking.
"What?"
His question was met with silence.
Tetsurō inhaled.
Ah.
"No, not really. Just a hunch."
Kōtarō nodded.
The rain intensified for a few minutes before settling again into a steady rhythm.
"Four people died during the clinical trials. All omega men. And they just... erased them. Like they never existed. Like they were nothing, no one."
Tetsurō's throat tightened.
"This shit has been on the market for years! Who knows how many people...how much it... Fuck! I took that stuff for six years!"
His voice caught in his throat.
Tetsurō gently rested his head on his mate's shoulder. He didn’t know what else to do or say.
Was there even anything to say?
"I'm angry and... upset, I don't know what to do with what I'm feeling..."
Tetsurō took Kōtarō hand in his own.
"Yeah, I mean, it's a good thing it came to light. I mean... Yeah, no one else should have to suffer because of it, but..."
Kōtarō sighed.
"I keep thinking that if I had known earlier in life, everything would have been different. I wouldn't be in the situation I'm in now. I wouldn't have had to go through that. It's just not fair."
Tetsurō heard him sniffle.
"It’s just not fair."
He let out a choked sob, his tears falling in sync with the rhythm of the rain.
Tetsurō pulled his mate into his arms.
There was nothing more to say.
Kōtarō was right.
It was unfair.
-//-
"Is there roadwork again?"
"No" Kenma replied.
"Then... why are we here? The house is the other way."
Kenma didn’t answer.
The blond had dragged him out to go grocery shopping. Usually, they wouldn't need to go into the city center for that, yet here Kenma was, driving them right into Tokyo traffic for unknown reasons.
"Kenma?"
"We just need to drop by somewhere before we go home, it won't be too long."
Tetsurō didn’t press further and tried instead to guess where Kenma was taking them. Eventually, Kenma parked in an underground garage. Without offering further explanation, they found themselves back on the surface. Kenma walked ahead calmly, clearly knowing the way. They turned down several narrow alleys, and every now and then, Kenma glanced at the surrounding surveillance cameras.
Okay, this was getting seriously weird.
"Kenma, seriously, where are we going? We’ve got frozen food in the car and you..."
"Relax, we’re almost there."
Kuroo fell silent. They eventually emerged onto a main road. Tetsurō began to recognize where they were. His confusion deepened when Kenma stopped in front of a place he knew very well: the Flower Kopi.
"Kenma, why are we here?"
The blond just smiled mysteriously. Before opening the door to the coffee shop, he met Kuroo’s gaze.
"This stays between us."
The brunet nodded slowly, genuinely concerned.
They entered the coffee shop. Tetsur ō stopped in his tracks when he spotted two familiar figures sitting under the fake cherry blossom tree: Kyoomi Sakusa and Atsumu Miya.
Both of them smiled when they spotted them.
Freeze frame: first things first, Sakusa was physically capable of smiling, which was unsettling, to say the least. Second... they weren’t smiling at Kuroo; their gaze was fixed specifically on Kenma.
Kenma was smiling, too. It was a strange smile, the kind a mercenary might flash when reunited with his comrades. Once they were close enough so that he could speak without being overheard, Kenma nodded respectfully and greeted them:
"Teach. Bonnet."
"Ringo," Sakusa replied with a nod.
Kenma smiled again, pulled out a chair, and sat down as if the situation were nothing but casual. Kuroo stood frozen, staring at him with wide eyes.
"Ringo?"
"That's my handle."
Kuroo was speechless.
“Aren’t you going to sit down?”
Still stunned, he obeyed without another word. The attention turned back to Kenma.
“We wanted to thank you in person for your help. We would have gotten there eventually, but not nearly as fast," said Miya.
“It’s sweet of you to think that you could’ve bypassed the security systems without me.”
The two across the table smiled, clearly enjoying the confident challenge in his voice.
"But no need to thank me. It was a pleasure. And it's not every day you get to meet in person for a case like this."
Kuroo started to piece things together.
Maybe he was overthinking it, but...
"Oh my god..." He hunched over and whispered, trying not to be overheard. "Your handle... I'm so stupid!" He whipped around to face Kenma. "You're a hacker?!"
Kenma smiled.
“How do you think I ended up doing freelance data encryption? You’d be surprised at how much people are willing to pay once you prove them you can access anything. Tried and true marketing strategy."
"Kenma!"
"What?"
He didn’t know what else to say.
"I... What's going on!"
Kenma sighed. He glanced at the two men across from him, who gave him a nod.
"I told you about the encryption program I developed, didn't I?"
“The one that paid for the house? Yeah, I remember. I didn't think it came from ransomware!"
"Here you go with your fancy words. Anyway, turns out that one of my client is... or rather was, Toribishi."
I beg your pardon?
Tetsurō blinked, incredulous.
"I’d noticed for a while that someone was trying to breach the system. I just hadn’t figured out who... until I did find out."
Sakusa smiled again. It was starting to get creepy.
"We’d managed to bug a few phones, did some social engineering here and there... We just needed a little push," Miya explained.
Kenma's smile grew larger.
"All I did was open the door. That's it."
"What?!"
Kenma shrugged.
Tetsurō stared at him, stunned. Then turned to the two across the table, looking equally stunned. And back to Kenma:
"Why?"
The question seemed to throw Kenma off.
"I don’t know... Maybe something you said got to me. I just... didn’t want to sit around doing nothing either. I wanted to help in my own way. Plus, it was fun."
Tetsurō raised an eyebrow:
"Taking down a pharmaceutical giant is your idea of fun?"
"Pfft… yeah. But I meant, you know, getting back in the game."
"Glad to see you haven’t lost your edge," Sakusa commented.
Kenma smiled, a bit smugly. He turned toward Kuroo again:
"And you’re one to talk. You were the one who dove in headfirst. I didn’t even leave my room, while you were forging passes and swiping confidential files left and right."
Kuroo blushed and glanced around to make sure no one had heard.
"I didn't even get to use them properly! And wait... How do you know that? Never mind. It probably didn't help much anyway."
"Oh, no, don't sell yourself short," Miya interjected. “We couldn’t use much of what was in Kazuki Kijima’s notebooks, but we did find old access codes and a ton of information that helped us track him down.
"That's how we found his bank records," Kenma added.
"And some intel on the file you mentioned. It helped point us in the right direction. We would’ve taken longer otherwise."
Oddly, Tetsurō still felt proud of himself.
"Good teamwork," Miya concluded. "Ringo, you know how to reach us now."
"I do."
Atsumu smiled.
"We’d love to work with you again sometime."
Kenma hadn’t dropped his mischievous grin.
"We'll see. All right," he said, turning toward Kuroo. "We should get going. Otherwise, the goofballs are going to start asking questions."
With that, they said goodbye to the two web pirates and left like nothing had happened. Kuroo didn’t speak again until they were back in the car.
"Ringo, huh?"
Kenma rolled his eyes.
"Not a word to Keiji and Kōtarō, okay? This stays between us."
"You don’t think they’ll figure it out eventually?"
"Nah, though I don't think they're completely clueless either."
Silence filled the car, buzzing faintly with adrenaline.
“By the way, Ringo, Applepie? What's with you and apples?"
Caught off guard, Kenma burst out laughing.
"Seriously, I’ve never even seen you eat one! Do you even know what it tastes like?"
"Of course I do! What?!"
"I don’t know, Applepie. This is starting to look like a full-blown obsession."
"I just like apples, got a problem with that?"
"How can you like apples? You've never even eaten one in your life!"
"Oh fuck you," Kenma chuckled.
-//-
The sudden collapse of Toribishi triggered a tidal wave that crushed everything in its path. The market was collapsing, and the consequences of its downfall would reverberate through countless lives. Although Toribishi wasn't the only company producing suppressants, it was the main market operator in the country. Many people had depended on their product for years. In the long run, it was for the best, but for now, the shortage was causing widespread anxiety.
On the other hand, the scandal had reignited public debate with renewed intensity. But this time, it wasn’t the most putrescent voices leading the charge; the wind had finally changed direction.
The first round of elections for the F.C.M.A.O.M was only days away. The air everywhere felt thick with tension, tinged with hope and anxious anticipation.
Things could definitely change for the better now, or they could get worse.
Tetsurō hadn’t voted since he turned eighteen. Back then, voting had felt distant and unimportant. When he arrived at the polling station with his mates on the day of the first round, his palms were sweaty.
The room was busy when they arrived, which reassured him.
Historically, only a minority of citizens participated in the election; most people were unaware of the committee's existence, which favored the voices of the supremacists.
Maybe, just maybe, things would be different this time.
He felt his anxiety melt into hope as he slipped his ballot into the box. He knew his mates felt the same way.
Now, all they could do was wait.
The CATO group chat had come back to life, excitement buzzing through every word.
Tetsurō’s life had undeniably taken a strange turn. He used to think that ending up in a quad relationship was the most improbable thing that had ever happened to him, but, on second thought, what truly baffled him was finding himself genuinely interested in politics.
Life could truly be unpredictable.
-//-
“It's still early. Do you think they're here already?” Kōtarō asked as the four of them arrived at the CATO HQ.
As soon as Tetsurō pushed the door open, a wave of laughter and voices reached them.
“Yeah, I think they're here.”
For the occasion, the CATO crew decided to gather after the election and wait for the results together.
Excitement buzzed around, and no one noticed their arrival at first.
Kuroo smiled like an idiot when he spotted Oikawa chatting with Sugawara. He didn't know he was back from Brazil, and seeing his friends for the first time after months launched a wave of childish excitement within him.
The two finally noticed them and stopped talking. Without hesitation, they rushed over, arms wide open. Kuroo mirrored the gesture, ready to receive the unexpected yet very welcome affection from his friends.
And then they walked right past him without a glance, heading straight for Kōtarō.
“Well okay, guess I’m chopped liver then...”
Oikawa cast him a look, scanning him from head to toe with his canonical disdain.
Believe it or not, Kuroo had missed it.
“I didn’t want to say anything, but clearly you already know.”
Kuroo chuckled.
“You’ve changed since you got that perfect tan, you know.”
“Pfft, perfect?”
He let go of Kōtarō and turned to Kuroo:
"Look at this disaster!" he said, rolling up his sleeve to reveal his pale skin underneath.
“This isn’t even salvageable!”
Kuroo laughed again.
“You didn’t even tell me you were back!”
"I just got back yesterday! Like I was going to miss this? I would've never forgiven myself!"
“Hmm, how long are you staying?”
“'Til August, I think.”
“Awesome,” he grinned, thrilled to have him back.
After spending most of his time with his diva last year, he wasn't shy to admit that he missed having him around now that they were doing their internship.
“So what? No hug for me then?”
Oikawa winced.
“Ew, no!”
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, Kōtarō gets one, but not me?"
"You can have one when you've had cancer," Kōtarō chimed in.
Sugawara and Oikawa were completely taken aback and unsure how to react. Tetsurō just shot him a deadpan look.
For a few weeks now, Kōtarō had been playing that card at every opportunity.
It was his way of coping with the trauma: dark humor. It was probably effective. Still, they hadn’t made any decisions in a while. No matter what it was: picking a movie, an activity, or a restaurant, Kōtarō always used the same argument, and they always let it slide. Rightfully so.
His mate's face softened into a smile. He burst out laughing, which eased the tension for Sugawara and Oikawa a bit.
"You know you can't use that forever, right?"
"Eh, as long as it works, I'm good."
"Kō!"
They were interrupted when Yamaguchi charged toward them at full speed, arms wide open. Once again, he bypassed Kuroo to go straight for Kōtarō.
"Unbelievable. None of my friends feels the need to show me affection, I guess.”
"Yeah, well, you still have all your organs. I'm not touching that."
Kōtarō burst out laughing again.
"Not you too!"
The younger one laughed and finally broke away from Kōtarō to come to Kuroo.
"Back for good?"
"I think so, yeah."
Kuroo smiled.
"Cool."
The four of them chatted for a while before going their separate ways.
Kuroo greeted everyone. He hadn’t seen some of them in months, so finally being with the CATO gang again warmed his heart. His mates had scattered as well. Kōtarō stayed with Yamaguchi and Tsukishima; Kenma found Hinata and Kageyama right away; and Keiji chatted with Chris, who had just returned from Kyoto as well.
After chatting with everyone, Tetsurō returned to Sugawara and Oikawa, who were lounging on the couches, talking about Oikawa’s internship.
“What about your internship?” Sugawara asked eventually.
He winced.
"Not great. I’ve rarely been this bored in my life.”
"Well, you don't really have an internship anymore, do you? What are you going to do? Do you think they’ll let you find another one in the middle of the school year just like that?”
He frowned.
"What do you mean? I have an internship. I'm just on summer break like you."
Oikawa blinked.
“Uh, Toribishi is going under. Isn’t it... kind of over?”
Tetsurō's eyes widened. Crap! He hadn't even thought of that! Technically, yeah, he didn't have an internship anymore. And in the middle of the year?
The worst thing was that he had actively helped bring the company down and, by extension, torpedoed his own academic year.
"Shit... I didn't realize before... What the fuck am I gonna do?!"
“Not sure there’s much you can do. You’ll have to talk to the professor, but...”
“Damn it...”
Sugawara sighed.
"This is going to be a mess. Suppressants are already in short supply everywhere. Last time, I had to go to five pharmacies to refill my prescription.”
“Given why they're going down, it's probably best to find alternatives. But still, it sucks. And you? You couldn’t have snuck out some for us before? Rude.”
"I was in a basement the whole time. How could I have snuck anything out?"
"Dunno! Use your imagination!"
"Shh! Quiet, everyone!" Nishinoya called out.
“Are the results in?!”
Everyone got up and crowded around Nishinoya, who was clutching his phone anxiously in his hands.
“It’s in,” he breathed out.
Everyone held their breath.
“Oh! 25.3% for Hongo Dentou, 23.15% for Shinpoteki Shakai. We’re through to the second round!”
Cheers erupted all around, bouncing off the walls, reverberating through their bodies, and sending a wave of euphoria through the group.
“With a record turnout! The highest in the last two decades!”
“I just hope there’s even more for the second round...”
“Yeah... but Dentou is still in the lead...”
The comment brought the mood crashing down in an instant.
“No! Not the time! We made it to the second round, that’s already something! There’s still hope! We’re not giving up!”
Another round of cheers broke out, this time thunderous and filled with determination.
“That’s the spirit! Okay, let's go out to celebrate!” Nishinoya suggested. “If we stay here, the neighbors will sue us.”
The idea was met with unanimous enthusiasm.
-//-
"Kanpai!"
Everyone cheered back, their joyful voices echoing around. Glasses clinked and drinks spilled over, forming droplets that refracted the bar's colorful lights.
“To making it to the second round! And fuck the T.O.P!”
Everyone greeted the declaration with loud, euphoric cheers.
The excitement slowly settled, dissolving into scattered conversations. The electric tension that had hung over them for months now had finally burst; all that remained was the warm, lingering feeling of a victory that now felt within reach.
Kuroo felt lighthearted, floating from one conversation to another, laughing with his friends, raising his voice to be heard over the music.
While talking with Tanaka and Nishinoya, he suddenly had to excuse himself; his bladder was about to explode. He tried to hold it in, wanting to continue the conversation as if nothing were wrong, but nature had other plans.
On his way back from the bathroom, he weaved through the crowd packed around the bar and spotted a couple of familiar faces. He raised a hand and called out loudly:
"Oi, Matsukawa! Hanamaki!"
The two men turned toward him and smiled when they recognized him.
"Well, well, well, if it isn’t our majesty the Vampire king.”
Kuroo pushed his way through the crowd to reach them.
"What are you doing here?” Matsukawa asked, “Are you alone?”
"Nah, I’m here with some friends," he replied, gesturing in the general direction of the CATO crew.
Matsukawa craned his neck to look.
"Ah, I see. You're with the group that's been blasting our eardrums for the past hour. We thought you were a rugby team or something."
There was no real malice in his tone. Tetsurō chuckled.
"Yeah, sorry about that. We’re just... happy. We just wanted to celebrate, you know?”
"Celebrate what?"
"The election results. Shinpoteki made it to the second round."
He didn’t need to elaborate; his two friends understood immediately.
"Huh, yeah, same here, I guess," Hanamaki said, taking a sip of his drink.
"I didn’t think you were into politics," Matsukawa remarked.
Tetsurō shrugged.
"Two of my mates are omegas, so, you know." He said it without hesitation, completely at ease around them.
"Fair enough."
"By the way, how’s Bokuto?"
Kuroo was taken aback by the question and by the kindness in Hanamaki’s voice.
He quickly scanned the room, finally spotting his mate in the crowd, laughing heartily, lights playing over his skin.
He smiled.
"He’s doing better now."
"Good to hear."
"Yeah..."
The conversation lulled for a few seconds.
"Well," Hanamaki eventually said, "now that we don’t have to sneak out for smoke breaks anymore, we’ll still need to make time to hang. Without my dose of vampire king, I’ll waste away! But hey, guess it’s time to jump ship. Nothing left for us there."
Kuroo blinked. He’d been so wrapped up in his own problems that he hadn’t considered the bigger picture. If Toribishi was going under, that meant that hundreds of people, including his two friends, were out of a job now.
“Shit, I didn’t even think about that. Damn. What are you guys gonna do?"
“We’re good, you know. We found something else already.”
“Seriously?”
"Yeah, we have a senpai from uni who started a biotech company. He’s working on artificial skin grafts and biological prosthetics. His startup has really taken off, so he was hiring. The timing worked out great."
“Yeah, I don’t feel like I’ve sold my soul to Satan anymore,” Hanamaki added. "It’s refreshing.”
"Awesome! Sounds like it worked out really well."
"It did. What about you? Are you happy to be done playing the archivist?"
Tetsurō sighed.
"I would be, but now I'm out of internship, and I might have to repeat the whole year because of it."
"Oof. Yeah, that’s rough, buddy."
"Yeah..."
Way to ruin the mood.
"Hey, wait! You could ask our senpai if you need another internship. He’s still hiring, and I doubt he’d turn down free labor.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yeah. And hey, if it works out, it might lead to a full-time job. Who knows?"
Kuroo blinked, stunned.
"Seriously? That would be perfect!" he replied, barely containing his excitement.
"Sure, I'll send you his contact info. We can recommend you, too."
"You guys are literally saving my life right now! You know that, right?"
“Don’t get too excited. Nothing’s done yet.”
"Thanks, guys!"
They both smiled.
"No problem."
Hanamaki took another sip of his drink and scanned the room idly. Suddenly, he froze, his eyes wide as he choked on his drink.
"Am I tripping or is that Oikawa over there?" he asked, coughing.
Tetsurō followed his gaze. Sure enough, it was Oikawa, chatting with Sugawara while holding his mate's arm.
"Yep, that’s him. He just came back from Brazil for the summer."
A wicked, mischievous grin spread across Hanamaki’s face.
"Oh... I’m so going to mess with him."
He finished his drink in one go, slammed the glass on the bar, and dove into the crowd like a man on a mission.
Kuroo hadn’t thought he’d be blessed with such a sight in his life, but the furious blush that bloomed across Oikawa’s face the moment he saw Hanamaki was probably worth its weight in gold.
Matsukawa and Tetsurō exchanged glances and burst into laughter. Then, they plunged back into the crowd and joined everyone.
-//-
They had eventually left the bar, and they were now wandering the streets of Tokyo in scattered little groups, lost among the neon lights and the clamor of the night.
No one really knew where they were heading, probably off to invade another bar.
Kuroo was properly hammered by now, as were most of his friends. He was chatting with Oikawa and Sugawara. To the three of them, the conversation felt deep, philosophical even. In reality, it was probably bullshit, but they were too drunk to notice or care.
His mates were still there, although he had more or less lost sight of them. He didn’t need to see them; he could feel their presence through their bond.
"I don’t know if you can really say that, I mean..."
Kuroo stopped abruptly, completely thrown off by a scream that tore through the night. A warped call for help that jolted him back to reality. Sugawara and Oikawa reacted instantly as well, immediately on high alert.
"That was Hinata’s voice," Sugawara said, worried, before sprinting toward the source of the voice.
Oikawa and Kuroo took off after him.
Sugawara stopped in front of an alley just off the main road.
"Hey!" he barked, his features morphing with rage.
When Tetsurō made it to the alley, he spotted Hinata, completely panicked, trying to stand his ground against two men who were easily twice his height and three times his weight. Oikawa quickly assessed the situation and joined Sugawara to stand by his side.
Tetsurō sobered up instantly. He was about to step forward and join them when he froze in place upon hearing Sugawara begin to growl. The sound was chilling and profoundly threatening. The warning worked; the two men turned their attention away from Hinata to try and challenge the prima. Soon, Oikawa started growling as well. The raw aggression and intensity of the confrontation sent shivers down Tetsurō’s spine.
What the heck was going on?!
Sugawara moved forward, maintaining eye contact as he stepped protectively in front of Hinata. Oikawa flanked him. After one final hostile growl, the two attackers lowered their eyes and bolted, roughly brushing past Tetsurō on their way out.
Sugawara immediately calmed down, and Kuroo finally met his eyes again.
They all stepped into the alley.
"Whoa," Sugawara said, instinctively raising his elbow to shield his face.
Oikawa did more or less the same thing. Hinata stepped aside as well, and Tetsurō finally noticed someone lying on the ground, breathing heavily. Instinctively, he rushed forward to help. It was a young man around his age lying on the pavement, hyperventilating and gripping a small plastic bag whose contents had spilled out around him.
"Hey, are you okay? Can you hear me?" Tetsurō asked, panic rising in his voice.
"Reactive estrus," Oikawa said, his shirt pulled up over his nose. "We can’t leave him like this!"
The three alphas stood around him, guarding the entrance to the alley.
Tetsurō turned his eyes to the person on the ground. The guy’s gaze was hazy, his expression feverish. The thick scent in the air confirmed Oikawa’s assessment of the situation.
"I... I’m calling an ambulance, just hang on..."
He pulled out his phone, but just as he was about to dial, the young man slapped his wrist, making him drop his phone.
"No! No! I’m not... I’m not an omega!"
His voice was raw, teetering on the edge of a full-blown panic attack.
"It’s okay, it’s going to be okay," Tetsurō tried to reassure him.
"I’m not an omega..." the young man repeated.
"Denial only gets you so far!"
"Oikawa!"
"What?!"
Tetsurō didn’t press it further, realizing his friend was just as panicked as he was.
"Whatever’s going on, you can’t stay like this! We have to call an ambulance."
"No! No! No!"
The young man was beginning to lose consciousness. They had to do something, and fast.
"What’s going on?!"
Tetsurō immediately turned around and saw his mates arriving. They must have sensed his panic and come right away.
"We need an ambulance, but he won’t let me call one!"
He saw the three of them hesitate, startled, before stepping further into the alley. Keiji instinctively covered his nose with his sleeve, staying back. Kenma and Kōtarō rushed over as soon as they pieced the situation together.
"What the... Yaku!" Kenma exclaimed.
"What?!" Kōtarō echoed, equally stunned.
"It’s Yaku, damn it!"
Kenma dropped to his knees beside the young man, shaken and panicked.
"You know him?"
"We were in high school together... Yaku, can you hear me? It’s Kenma, can you hear me?"
Kōtarō dropped down beside him, too.
"What the hell... Yaku?"
The young man’s eyes met theirs, but he was on the verge of fainting.
"He won’t let me call an ambulance! He keeps saying he’s not an omega!"
"Well, last time we saw him, he wasn’t," Kōtarō noted.
"Well, he sure as hell doesn’t look healthy now! We need to call now!" Tetsurō snapped.
"No... no," the young man whimpered again.
The young man, Yaku, as his mates called him, tried to sit up, but his arms gave out. He collapsed against Kenma. The latter adjusted quickly, cradling his head on his knees to comfort him.
"It’s going to be okay, I promise. You’re going to be okay."
The young man tried to speak again, but only a rough, broken whisper came out.
Without another second of hesitation, Kuroo grabbed his phone and dialed emergency services.
-//-
Tetsurō unlocked his phone: 4:28 AM.
He sighed, feeling exhausted.
Outside, the sun was rising, its orange light mingling with the harsh neon glow of the hospital waiting room.
This wasn’t the same hospital where Kōtarō had been admitted before, but it didn’t look that different. The dull white of the waiting room, the bright white lights, and the rows of plastic chairs. It stirred up some bad memories Kuroo didn’t want to revisit.
His mates sat silently beside him. All four of them were exhausted.
“I still don’t get it...”
The other three turned their attention toward him but didn’t comment.
"I mean, I get why I wasn't able to tell back in high school. But did you suspect anything?” Kenma asked, meeting the gaze of Kōtarō and Keiji.
Both shook their heads.
“It’s probably... a late onset... I don’t know.” Kōtarō said.
“At 23 years old?!”
“I guess yeah.”
They nodded vaguely.
“So... You went to high school with him, right?” Tetsurō asked.
“Yeah, we were in the volleyball club together.”
“Oh... okay...”
"I guess it's karma. I mean, I liked him, but damn, he could spew some really awful bullshit sometimes,” Kōtarō commented.
He was so tired that his blinking was totally out of sync.
“Kōtarō, I am not sure now is the time for that kind of comment.”
"What? Just saying. Don’t tell me I’m making things up! He had a problem with omegas and was sexist as hell sometimes. He was okay with us because we were friends, but man, it was pretty bad sometimes.”
“Yeah...” Kenma added before Keiji could say anything.
"I would never have wished this on him, but...karma. I hope we get some news soon, I just wanna go to sleep already."
Keiji rolled his eyes, baffled by Kōtarō’s lack of empathy. In his defense, he had become somewhat numb to certain things over the past few months, so they couldn’t really blame him for that.
Kenma lifted his eyes and scanned the waiting room. He stopped and frowned when he spotted a figure standing across the reception desk.
"Is that Lev over there?"
Keiji and Kōtarō looked up as well.
“Are you sure?”
“Oh, I don’t know, do you know many giant Nippo-Russians?”
“None, but I guess there’s more than just him in all of Japan,” Kōtarō said.
The young man finally turned toward them, fully revealing his face.
“That’s him, damn, Lev!”
The man turned to face them. His eyes widened when he recognized them.
"I forgot they were together," Kenma said quietly, just loud enough for them to hear. "Maybe we should have called him..."
In two quick strides, Lev was already there.
“Oi! Kozume, Bokuto, Akaashi!” his gaze landed on Kuroo “Uh... you.”
Tetsurō frowned, caught off guard.
“What are you guys doing here?”
“We came with Yaku.”
“Oh, were you guys with him? What happened?”
“Uh, no, not really, we ran into him by chance. Sorry, we didn’t think to call you.”
“Oh, it’s fine.”
Lev gave a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his neck before answering:
"We haven't spoken in two years, so... He probably forgot to remove me from his emergency contact list.”
“Oh... I... sorry, I didn’t know.”
“It’s fine.”
No one really knew what to say anymore.
Lev kept sneaking glances at Kuroo, struggling to place him. The brunet decided to put him out of his misery.
“Uh, Kuroo Tetsurō, nice to meet you.”
“Our mate.” Kenma added.
“Oh! Haiba Lev,” he quickly averted his eyes “Uh... good thing you’re... expanding your collection.”
Tetsurō’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, as did Lev’s when he realized what he’d just said.
“Uh, sorry, didn’t mean that.”
The tension was finally broken when Kenma burst out laughing.
“Still as awkward as ever, I see.”
“Sorry...”
“Nah, it’s okay, don’t worry.”
The young man nodded, mortified.
“Uh... so, do you know what happened?”
Kōtarō, Kenma, and Keiji exchanged glances. They weren’t sure if they could share that kind of information, especially since the two weren't in touch anymore. On the other hand, they did find Yaku alone, and his only emergency contact was his ex, so he probably didn’t have much support.
At the risk of upsetting their old friend, Kenma clarified:
“Reactive estrus, apparently.”
Lev’s eyes widened, stunned.
“Oh... oh. Okay... I see.”
“Gentlemen?”
They all turned to the doctor.
“Is he okay?”
The doctor adjusted his glasses before answering:
“Stable. Everything will be fine.”
Although he had been blunt earlier, Kuroo heard Kōtarō sigh with relief.
"I apologize for the inconvenience, but we're in a rather unusual situation. There are no medical records on file, which makes things a bit complicated. We'll need someone close to him to help complete some paperwork. It's nothing serious, just some formalities for now."
Lev glanced at his old friends, hesitant.
“Uh, I’ll see what I can do.”
“Alright, please follow me.”
The doctor turned and headed toward the reception.
“Lev... we’re going to head out,” Kenma said before the young man turned to leave.
“Oh... okay... thanks for everything.”
“Sorry to leave you like this...”
“No problem, you’ve already done a lot... I don’t really know what I’m doing here either... but I’ll see what I can do.”
“Okay... um... keep us posted.”
“Alright...”
He turned to leave.
“Oh and...”
“Hmm?”
“Not the best circumstances, but it was nice meeting you again.”
Kenma gave a genuine smile.
“Likewise.”
-//-
They could have simply gone back to their lives since they had no reason to stay involved. However, Kenma, Kōtarō, and Keiji wanted to make sure their high school friend was recovering properly, especially if he was indeed isolated. Tetsurō followed his mates, equally determined to make sure their friend was doing well.
They made it back to the hospital reception desk 48 hours after their high school friend’s first admission.
"We're here for a visit," Kenma told the receptionist. "Yaku Morisuke."
The nurse behind the desk sighed, mumbling while typing on her computer.
“He’s no longer here... He was transferred yesterday morning,” she replied in a monotone voice.
Kenma frowned.
“Transferred? Where?”
The nurse shrugged nonchalantly.
“That’s confidential.”
“Yeah, right,” Kenma muttered.
“Transferred? Where?” Kōtarō pressed.
“You heard the answer just like me!” Kenma snapped, annoyed.
“Maybe we should contact Haiba,” Keiji suggested.
"Yeah, right. Good idea." Kenma pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I think I still have his number. Let's hope he hasn't changed it since high school."
Kenma dialed the number and put the call on speaker.
“Hey, hi! Kenma?”
“Yeah, Hi Lev. Um, sorry to bother you, um... we’re at the hospital, they’re telling us Yaku isn’t here anymore. Do you know where he is?”
“Yeah, yeah, I do. I was the one who requested the transfer.”
Kenma frowned:
“Why?”
“Well, they managed to reset the cycle so... I mean, he’s not sick, I just didn’t think leaving him at the hospital was a good idea.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to just let him loose like that either. He needs support!”
“No, I know, I know. He’s not loose, he’s safe, don’t worry.”
Kenma paused. He glanced up at his mates and finally asked:
“Ok, where is he then? Is he with you?”
“No, um, it’s a care center, well, it’s...”
“A care... Lev, please don’t tell me you sent him to a nursery!”
“No, no, not at all! It’s like a family planning center, my big sister works there! I just thought he’d be better off there. Don’t worry, it’s safe and they know what they’re doing.”
“Okay... Um, where is it? Can we visit?”
“Yeah yeah you can visit if you want. I can’t go myself, they don’t really let alphas in you know.”
“Oh, okay um...”
Kenma looked at Keiji. The latter nodded.
“Okay, we’ll go then. Can you text me the address?”
“Yeah, yeah, no problem, I’ll do that right away.”
“Okay, thanks, Lev. I... Let’s keep in touch.”
“Alright, see you guys!”
“See you.”
And Lev hung up.
“Okay... family planning? For a cycle? That’s... weird.”
“Yeah, might as well check.”
Kenma’s phone vibrated in his hands.
“Okay, got the address,” he quickly typed on his phone to google it. “Hum, the name kinda sounds like a nursery, but... let’s trust Lev on that one.”
“He said his sister works there, it should be fine, right?” Keiji said.
“Yeah... Okay, it’s only a short drive from the house. Keiji, can we drop you off on our way?”
Keiji nodded.
“Wait! We’re going now?!” Kōtarō whined.
“Yeah, I still wanna make sure he’s okay. If you don’t feel like coming, you can stay home; it’s no problem.”
Kōtarō sighed and rolled his eyes.
“No, it’s fine. Let’s go then.”
-//-
Ten minutes after dropping off Keiji, Kenma, Kōtarō, and Tetsurō arrived at their destination. The building was old and worn down, with vegetation covering part of the façade. Despite its cold exterior, the atmosphere inside was quite different: warm and reassuring, far from the sterile environment of the hospital. They walked up to the reception desk at the entrance. The receptionist, a woman in her forties wearing a floral blouse, smiled warmly when she saw them, her calming presence warming the air around.
“Welcome to the Cherry Blossom. How may I help you? Do you have an appointment?”
“Uh... hello... no, not really. It’s... we have a friend who was admitted yesterday. We just wanted to visit. Yaku Morisuke?”
The woman nodded and looked at the register, calmly flipping through the pages.
“Yes, we did admit him yesterday,” She looked up, “But I’m afraid it’s a bit soon for visits...”
“Oh, okay, um...”
“Oi! Kozume-san! Bokuto-san!”
They turned toward the voice and spotted a young woman with blonde hair and cerulean eyes waving at them. Tetsurō guessed that she was probably Haiba-san's older sister.
"Haiba-san," Kenma greeted her.
She smiled, radiating warmth and serenity.
"Lev told me you were coming. Thank you for being here! Don't worry, Tori-san. I was expecting them."
The young woman’s gaze landed on Kuroo, and she smiled again.
“Haiba Alisa, pleased to meet you,” she introduced herself politely.
“Kuroo Tetsurō,” he replied. “Um... I’m their mate, I... I was there when it happened. I just wanted to make sure everything’s okay.”
"Oh, I see. No problem, Kuroo-san." She turned her attention to Kōtarō and Kenma. "I'm glad your family has grown."
That was a bit more delicate than the "expanding the collection" thingy.
“Akaashi-san?”
"He's fine. Lev told us it would be better if he didn’t come with us.”
"Oh, yes. It's not forbidden for alphas to come, either. It's just that many of our residents don't react... very well to their presence. But it's not a problem if we're informed. I told Lev that so he could give him some space.”
“Oh, okay, I see.”
The blonde smiled at them:
“Come on, follow me, I’ll show you the way.”
With that, she turned, and they followed her.
They crossed the entrance hall. Posters were plastered on the walls. Some were for sanitary campaigns, while others were about parenthood and health. There was also a board showing scheduled activities and services offered at the center. As they turned down a corridor, Tetsurō noticed a bay window that led outside to a garden.
“I didn’t know about that place before, especially one so close to our house,” Kenma told the young woman as he studied the names on the doors around them.
“We were worried it might be a nursery,” Kōtarō blurted out.
Alisa looked horrified.
“Oh my god, no! We try not to imprison people, and we’re not really into child trafficking either, not our thing.”
“That’s... good to know. Sorry.” Kenma said.
The young woman burst out laughing.
“Don’t worry, we’re used to that... If you want, I could show you around later.”
They nodded.
“How is he doing?” Kenma finally asked.
Alisa’s expression grew serious again.
"Better. Physically, at least. Mentally, that’s another matter. He’s angry and lost... We offer therapy sessions here, but he refuses to talk to anyone for now.”
“Hmm, I see.”
They turned down a corridor lined with small doors. Some were ajar, allowing a glimpse inside. It was rooms, or more like a small studio. They were cozy and well furnished, a far cry from the sterile hospital rooms.
Alisa stopped in front of one door.
“He’s in there. He knows you’re coming... Well, I’ll let you be now. But I’m around if you need me.”
They nodded, and the young woman gave them one last smile before leaving.
“Well, let’s go.”
Kenma knocked on the door. A voice inside invited them in.
Before Kenma could lower the handle, Tetsurō said:
"Uh, I think I'm going to stay here. He doesn’t know me, and I don’t want to impose and cause him more stress.”
The others were surprised, but they didn't insist.
“Okay, we’ll catch up later, then.”
Tetsurō nodded. Kenma nodded, too, before opening the door. Kuroo saw Yaku sitting on his small bed. He looked up as the door opened.
"Hey," said Kenma.
His friend gave a vague wave. Tetsurō stepped away and Kōtarō and Kenma entered and closed the door behind them.
Kuroo leaned against the wall and waited for a few minutes. Finally, he decided to explore the halls and find a place to sit. In one studio, he heard two young women chatting cheerfully. He passed by a large room with glass walls looking out onto the outside. Children were playing and laughing loudly while adults sat around a table playing cards, their voices mingling with the children’s.
Kuroo smiled to himself. Although there were seats inside, he didn’t want to disturb the residents, so he turned back to where he had left his mates. Only then did he notice two armchairs at the end of the corridor. He sat down and casually flipped through the brochures on the small table between the chairs
He was startled when one of the doors suddenly swung open.
It was Kōtarō. He slammed the door behind him, irritated. He met Kuroo's gaze and stomped over.
“Are you okay?” Tetsurō asked.
“Yeah, just pissed.”
He exhaled and let himself fall into the armchair opposite Tetsurō.
“I get that it’s... hard to swallow, especially at his age, but damn it, he can shove those shitty remarks where I think. Not a shred of gratitude or respect, it pissed me off. I’m starting to remember why we lost contact after high school.”
“You said it yourself, it’s not easy... People don’t always react... well, sometimes it takes time,” Tetsurō said, trying to appease his mate.
“Yeah, no, I’m done. I don’t have to put up with that. He doesn’t want help? Then he can deal with it on his own.”
Tetsurō didn’t press further. He could understand Kōtarō, it certainly wasn’t his job to carry the world’s misery.
“Fuck... And how did he even get into that mess? You don’t get reactive estrus just by thinking about it, and who knows what he did to get suppressants without a prescription. You’ve got to be out of your mind. What level of denial is that?! And what the hell is the point anyway?”
“Kō...”
“Yeah okay, okay. It just pisses me off.”
“Yeah, I noticed.”
Kōtarō sighed.
He looked up, anger written all over his face. But suddenly, his features softened into surprised tenderness.
Tetsurō followed his gaze. At the end of the hallway, a father was holding an infant, gently rocking the little one while softly singing a lullaby.
When he turned his attention back to Kōtarō, he saw silent distress in his eyes. Tetsurō felt his heart tighten. He reached out and took his lover’s hand, squeezing it firmly and letting a wave of tenderness flow through their bond. Kōtarō met his gaze, and the brunet smiled.
“Wanna go for a walk?”
Kōtarō nodded. They both stood up. They walked down the hallway. Tetsurō noticed that Kōtarō was still looking at the father and his baby, but something had shifted in his eyes. When they passed the father, Kuroo’s eyes met his. He gave a polite nod, which was returned. As Kuroo moved on, he realized that Kōtarō wasn’t following. He was standing still, watching the father and his baby.
The father finally noticed. At first surprised, even alarmed, he relaxed when he detected no threat in Kōtarō’s presence. A tender smile spread across his lips.
“Hello.” He said in a calm voice.
“Uh, hello.”
No one moved.
“I’m Keisuke, nice to meet you.”
Keisuke shifted his baby position toward Kōtarō.
“And here’s Nozomi.”
Nozomi, Hope.
Tetsurō smiled.
Kōtarō stepped forward timidly, his eyes filling with a tender wonder as he saw Nozomi’s face.
“She’s so tiny!”
“Haha, yeah, she’s only a week old.”
Kōtarō smiled, amazed.
“Ah, uh, yeah, I’m Kōtarō,” he finally introduced himself with his first name, as did Keisuke.
The brunet stepped closer.
“Tetsurō.”
Keisuke smiled and nodded.
Kuroo wasn’t very interested in babies that young and didn’t know how to interact with them. Still, the scene was touching.
Keisuke looked at them both, then finally asked:
“Do you have children?”
A dark shadow crossed Kōtarō’s eyes, and he looked away.
“Uh no,” Tetsurō answered.
“I see, yeah, you’re still young.”
Silence fell. Kōtarō nervously rubbed his arm.
“Um, is this your first... baby?” Tetsurō asked, hoping it was a suitable question.
“Oh no, I have a little boy too. He’s four years old.’
Following Keisuke’s gaze, they spotted a group of kids playing together in the playroom.
“That’s Kenta over there in the yellow overalls.”
Just as they looked toward the child, he turned to them, waving excitedly. He seemed to remember something important. Kanta warned his playmates and left the playroom, trotting over on his little legs to his father.
“Dad! We want to get the helicopter, it’s too high!”
“The helicopter?”
The little boy pointed intensely at a shelf inside the playroom.
“Are you sure you’re allowed to take it?”
“Yes, Ali said yes, but it’s too high now!”
“Oh... okay, wait,” Keisuke said, adjusting Nozomi in his arms, trying to free one hand.
"I'll get it for you if you show me where it is," Kōtarō offered.
The child seemed to just notice his presence. He stared at him for a few seconds, saying nothing.
At that moment, Tetsurō’s phone rang: Kenma was asking where they were.
“Will you show me?” his mate repeated gently.
The child nodded vigorously.
“Uh, it’s there!” he said before trotting off.
As Kōtarō was about to follow, Tetsurō called out:
“Kō, I’m just going to check on Kenma, he’s looking for us. Be right back.”
“Yeah, okay;”
With that, he nodded politely to Keisuke. Kōtarō entered the playroom, and Tetsurō turned to go find the blond.
He found him soon enough, wandering the halls looking for them.
“Oh, there you are! Damn, don’t just leave me like that! Where’s Kōtarō?”
“He found some kids to play with.”
Kenma chuckled,
"Hm, okay, I see," he said with a smile.
"How is Yaku doing?"
The blond sighed.
"I'd say he's doing as well as he can. We talked for a bit. We haven't seen each other in years. It's not the best time to meet again, but still.”
"Kō was pissed.”
"Yeah, I get why."
They resumed walking, with Tetsurō leading them back to where Kōtarō was.
"Obviously, Kō doesn't have to deal with it, but I also understand why Yaku is acting like that and how he's feeling. He also comes from a beta family. He...has some backward, prejudiced ideas stuck in his head. As shitty as it is, I kind of understand how he feels. He’s alone right now. He doesn't have many friends and no longer talks to his family. I just couldn’t leave him like that.”
Tetsurō nodded. Kenma could seem cold at times, but he was almost always willing to help when people were in trouble.
They made it to the playroom, where Kenta was finally able to play with the helicopter toy. He waved it excitedly and making up scenarios with his playmates, who were also flying all sorts of objects. Tetsurō had never seen a flying digger before, but apparently, that was a thing in a four-year-old’s imagination, and it was wonderful in its own way. Meanwhile, Kōtarō sat on the play mat, chatting with Keisuke, who was rocking his baby in his arms.
Tetsurō glanced at Kenma. He smiled tenderly at his mate. Kuroo felt that emotion's warmth through their bond. But he quickly felt a pang of guilt, and deep sadness arose within Kenma. Understanding Kenma's feelings, Tetsurō grabbed his hand and squeezed it.
Finally noticing their presence, Kōtarō smiled and waved at them. Kenma let go of Tetsurō’s hand to wave back. Their mate said goodbye to Keisuke, nodded politely, and went out to join them. He seemed calmer.
“Sorry for ditching you like that.”
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing, I get it. Let's go?”
Kōtarō nodded. He turned once more to Keisuke and waved when the man caught his gaze.
“What were you talking about?” Tetsurō asked as they walked away.
"Not much. He hasn’t had an easy life. He gave birth here, alone. But he’s well cared for. There are other families here, and the staff is nice. He feels safe. I mean, yeah, this place is nice."
"Hmmm... I really didn’t know there was a place like this here. I wish I’d known earlier. I don't know."
Kōtarō studied his mate’s face carefully and finally nodded slowly.
As they reached the entrance hall, they ran into Alisa again.
“Hey, how did it go?”
The young woman nodded and continued to smile.
"Does the offer for a tour still stand?" Kenma asked.
Kuroo was surprised by the question since he had suggested leaving earlier.
"Oh, yeah, totally! Okay, so this wing is more of a living area. We try not to make it look too much like a hospital, it's not anyway and, let's be honest, it’s just nicer this way. We have a cafeteria, as well as a playroom. Oh, and we even have a gym!" “
“Do people stay here all year round?” Kenma asked, seriously interested.
"Oh, no, not really. Some stays can be quite long, but we focus more on follow-ups. We have a social worker who holds office hours twice a week. We really try to push for autonomy.”
They kept walking through the hallways.
“What else do you do here?” Kōtarō asked.
Kuroo had the feeling the visit was turning into an inspection.
"Oh, um, we have a therapist on Monday afternoons and Fridays, as well as some support groups. We used to have workshops too, but we don’t have anyone to run them anymore, so they're on standby for now.”
As they continued talking, they made it to a new wing of the building.
"Hm, here we have the health services. We have two midwives and a gynecologist working with us full-time. Sorry, it's not actually that interesting."
Kenma and Kōtarō shook their heads, reaffirming their interest.
They had just arrived at what appeared to be a waiting room. A young woman was sitting there, waiting, and gently stroking her round belly. A teenager, around 15 years old, sat in one of the chairs, nervously bouncing his legs.
They made their way back to the main hall and paused in front of a large bay window. Alisa continued speaking, animated and passionate about her work.
Kenma finally glanced behind her. The doors leading outside were sealed shut. Alisa quickly followed his gaze.
“Oh, yeah, we use to have a little garden over there, but we can’t really use it anymore.”
The garden, which must have once been charming, was in pretty bad shape. It was littered with debris, the concrete was cracked, the vegetation was overgrown, and the back wall had collapsed.
"Yeah... A year ago, a tree fell on the wall over there during a storm. No one was outside when it happened, and nothing else was destroyed, so it's okay. Well, we did have some water damage, but nothing serious. Still, it’s a shame. We are trying our best to offer adequate care for free when we can, but it’s not easy to make ends meet, so we focus on the essentials. We tried asking for funds, but we weren't really able to get much... And we're short-staffed. Consultations can still run, but there are only four of us working full-time here, so we haven't had time to take care of that yet. I love working here, but it can be overwhelming at times. Yeah, and like, we don't really have an accountant anymore. Tori tries to handle it, but it's not her job. So, we would like to restore the garden, but it's on hold for now."
She seemed to realize that she had just unloaded a lot without meaning to. She looked mortified and tried to backtrack.
"Uh, sorry. It's really not... Sorry. I shouldn't have said all that. Sorry for venting. I didn't mean to bother you with that. Like I said, it's okay!"
“Um, you know, if you need some help, I can help.”
All eyes turned toward Kōtarō.
“I mean, I studied accounting and management, I only have a bachelor’s degree, but, I don’t know, I can help.”
Alisa blinked in disbelief.
Kenma looked at his mate, surprised.
“I’m kinda free for the rest of the school year and... I don’t know if I really want to finish my master's degree anyway.” Kōtarō said, addressing Kenma. “Well, you know, I’m just saying,”
Alisa was speechless.
"Seriously? I mean, yeah, um, I’m not in charge of hiring. Taro is taking care of that, but I know we’ve been looking for a while, and we have an open position that has been vacant for some time. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but great!"
“Okay, then... I can send you my CV, and I can talk with Taro hum, do you have an email address or something?”
“Uh, yes, yes... I can give you that. But, are you sure? I might have oversold it, but... “
“I’m sure,” replied Kōtarō with a smile.
“Okay, then um, well, I’ll give you the email and... Okay!”
“Thanks!”
Alisa had a hard time believing what was happening. She stood there, blinking, not knowing what to say.
"How much would you need to fix the garden?" Kenma asked.
Alisa blinked again.
"Um, well, I don't know. We would need to do major repairs, but like I said, no worries. We're really trying to focus on our essential services for now."
Kenma wasn’t listening anymore. He rummaged through his bag, took out a piece of paper and a pen, and started writing.
“Really, it’s okay” Alisa insisted.
Kenma ripped the page out and handed it to Alisa.
“Would this be enough?”
The young woman’s eyes went wide, almost popping out of their sockets.
“What! Seriously!”
Kenma nodded, determined.
“Is that... in yen, like, a real amount of money?”
The blond smiled, amused, and nodded again.
“Kozume, that’s too much!”
“Would that cover the repairs?”
Alisa looked at the number written on the page again, astonished.
“Yeah, yeah, that would largely cover it, we could do a lot more, but it’s way too much!”
“It’s okay. I can transfer the amount within a day.”
“Kozume, it’s too much!”
“Just take it as an anonymous donation.”
“But I’ll know it’s you!”
She looked down at the piece of paper.
“Are you sure?”
The blond nodded.
“I...”
She opened her arms and stepped forward to hug Kenma.
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing, really.”
She pulled away from him.
“It’s far from nothing! You’d literally be bailing us out.”
“Good, then.”
After that, they returned to the reception desk, Kōtarō giving his contact information and Kenma retrieving the details to send his “donation.” Alisa hugged them goodbye, her embrace lingering with genuine gratitude, and with that, they left.
“Well… guess I landed myself a job… maybe. Still, that’s something,” Kōtarō said once he was seated in the car.
He smiled, feeling genuinely happy and lighthearted. It had been a while since Tetsurō had seen him like that: full of hope and looking forward to the future.
He could have gone for a lot more. He could have built a big career and played the businessman. That's certainly what he had in mind when he started college. But he was giving that up; it wasn't for him anymore. He had grown. This time, he wanted to follow his heart. Those new colors suited him well.
“Nice,” Kenma replied, sincerely happy for him.
Kōtarō nodded vigorously and settled back into his seat, and they drove off.
Kenma was still smiling, his eyes not leaving the road. Kuroo kept looking at him in the rearview mirror. He was deep in thought, and something was lingering in his eyes, beneath the surface.
“Everything’s alright?”
Kenma blinked back to reality.
“Yeah, yeah, everything’s alright, why?”
Kōtarō had also noticed his behavior. He kept watching him, trying to gauge his state. They had trouble reading the mixed feelings they sensed through their bond: a moved but calm confusion, like a fire that had just gone out gently.
“Hey, about what you said earlier,” Kōtarō started.
“Mmmh? What?”
“You said you would have liked to know this place existed sooner.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Kenma inhaled deeply.
“Because I meant it.”
The engine hum filled the silence for a bit.
Kōtarō was still looking at Kenma, though not insistently. He was just waiting, sensing that there was more to be said. The blond sighed again.
“I don’t know, I mean... I never liked that kind of place, you know I’m not a fan of all kinds of medical professionals. I wouldn’t say it comes from nowhere, I just... Didn’t have a lot of good experience with them.”
Kōtarō nodded.
“My mom used to take me to a clinic like that when I was younger. My parents already treated me like something was wrong with me, and it didn’t feel that much different there. I just... I don’t know if you can understand Kō, but...”
He rested his elbow on the window, letting his head fall into his hand, holding the wheel with the other. He hadn’t taken his eyes off the road once, avoiding the looks he felt on him.
"It was like... I don’t know. It was like... It's like when you take your cat to the vet to get neutered because they're yowling all the time, and it's annoying. It's like you're just an animal that has to be managed so that you won't be a nuisance to the people around you."
Tetsurō's heart sank. It was a cruelly sad parallel.
"My parents didn't choose to use pacifiers themselves. They didn't even know what they were."
Tetsurō closed his eyes, clenching his teeth.
“I... Kenma, sorry, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t feel like it...” Kōtarō whispered gently.
“It’s okay... it’s just that...”
He struggled to catch his breath.
"I constantly felt ashamed just to be there, just to exist. I don't really talk about it because, well, I don't know. Maybe I still am. But I don't want you to think I feel the same way about you."
“I know you’re not ashamed of me, Kenma.”
The latter nodded slowly, still avoiding eye contact.
“I know I have health issues, I’m aware, but it really doesn’t help. I know I can be careless and that it can put you all in danger down the line.”
Kōtarō closed his eyes, breathing deeply, guilt tightening his throat.
"Kenma, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said last time. I was just angry."
“What last time? You've told me that several times already. I know you were mad, but that doesn't mean you...” He sighed, “I know I’m careless. It’s just that... I hate it. It..."
He adjusted his position, placing both hands firmly back on the steering wheel.
"Realistically, I know that going to the doctor won't kill me. It's just a tough moment to get through. But... Even if I try to rationalize it, and I know Megi isn’t that bad, I still can’t stand her. It feels awful. I know I won’t die, but it sure feels that way to me. So, if I can avoid it, I will gladly do so.”
Kōtarō’s features withered.
“You should have told us sooner, we would have found someone else, you know...”
"Pfft, no. I just didn’t think it would make a difference. Whether it was her or someone else. It's not fun for anyone anyway."
No one could argue with that.
“But... I didn’t get that feeling here, it felt... different, safe... I don’t know.”
No one spoke for a moment. Silence sat by their sides inside the car.
"Earlier, when you left, a nurse came to check on Yaku. The way she talked to him... it felt warm and reassuring. I know it’s hard for him, but at least he will be well cared for there. No one will treat him like there's something deeply wrong with him just because he's an omega. We stayed...what? An hour? But I already know that won't be the case. So, I just... I wish I had known about that place earlier. Maybe things would have been different. Like, maybe things would've been a little easier, you know?"
He fell silent, his voice replaced by the hum of the engine and the sound of passing cars.
"I know what you mean. I felt the same way, too,” Kōtarō admitted. "Maybe that's why I offered to help. Well... I just really asked them to give me a job but, you know.”
“Hmm...”
No one spoke, but something gentle and peaceful passed between them.
“You know, if you don’t wanna go to Megi’s anymore, we could just switch practitioners. I mean, yeah, transferring the files again would be annoying, and I know change can be hard for you, but… if you wanna switch, I’m totally fine with it.”
“Hmm... Yeah, ok, I think I would like that.”
“Good, let’s talk about it with Keiji when we’re home then.”
Kenma nodded, and silence fell again. Twilight melted into the colors of night. The streetlights began to light up and the city lights started to awaken. Kenma turned on the car’s headlights.
After several minutes, Tetsurō decided to break the silence.
“So, how much did you offer to donate?”
“8 million yen*.”
Tetsurō almost choked on his saliva, and Kōtarō's eyes widened so much that they almost fell out of their sockets.
"What?!" they exclaimed in unison.
“Kenma!”
“What?”
"What do you mean, 'what'?" Kōtarō exhaled, trying to recover from the shock. "I know it's your money, and you can do whatever you want with it. And like, it's for a good cause, but it's still a lot of money."
“Yeah, I know. But it’s okay. It’s not that much, I can afford it.”
“Not that much?! What about, like, the houses you visited with Keiji?”
The blond shrugged:
“Like I said, it’s fine. And you were right, we don’t need a mansion or whatever. But I could still afford it if I wanted.”
“Still...”
“It just makes more sense to me to give it to someone who needs it, rather than spending it on something trivial. And we still have more than enough.”
"All right, then..."
Kenma smiled, completely at peace.
They didn’t think of him as a philanthropist, but maybe he was one after all. These new colors didn't suit him that badly either.
Notes:
*8 million yen: 46,600 euros/54,176 US dollars
Only two chapters to go! (But it’s like almost 100 pages to go, so a lot can happen)
Next chapter: “Blood ties”
"Damn it! What am I doing here?" Tetsurō muttered to himself.
It was a valid question: How had he ended up half-asleep on the deck of a ferry in the early morning hours?
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