Chapter Text
Kuroo fluttered his eyes open, slowly gaining awareness of their room bathed in morning light, his arm dead as a log with the most beautiful face he’d ever seen resting on it. In his sleep, Daichi had turned around to face him and decided his arm was a better pillow than his pillow. Kuroo smiled serenely, his eyes soaking in every aspect of Daichi’s sleeping face, from his sleep-mussed hair, the old scarring across his cheek, his perfect lips.
A war raged within Kuroo as he tried to keep his lips from pressing against Daichi’s, wanting to continue watching him sleep. In the end, his lips won and he kissed him gently first on the lips and then peppered them across the rest of Daichi until he heard the other grumble morning gibberish.
“Good morning, Handsome,” Kuroo cooed in his ear and Daichi shivered in response.
“Is this how you’re gonna wake me every morning?”
“Would you like me to wake you up every morning like this?”
Daichi’s lips curled up, even though his eyes had yet to open. “I would if you ever woke up before me.”
A little thrill sparked through Kuroo as he eyed the dimple on Daichi’s right cheek, and before it could fade away he snuck down and kissed it. The gleeful giggle that tumbled out of him was enough for Daichi to open his eyes cautiously.
“What’s that for?”
“I’ve been wanting to do that forever.”
“What? Kiss my cheek?”
“Your dimple. Well, both of them, but I can’t get the other one right now.”
Daichi groaned and buried his head into Kuroo’s chest. “You’re so embarrassing,” He groaned, his voice slightly muffled by Kuroo’s shirt.
Chuckling darkly, Kuroo slipped his long limbs around Daichi and gave him a full body hug. “I know, but you chose me!”
“Ugh, you’re like an octopus.”
“Yup, you’re not getting free. I hope you don’t have to pee or anything.”
Daichi didn’t answer right away, only wiggling a little bit and Kuroo assumed he was testing his grip. Suddenly he felt a finger rub against his nipple and the subsequent shocking sensation. He flailed off Daichi and scampered away with his arms crossed in front of his chest for protection.
“You thought I forgot about that, didn’t you?” Daichi taunted as his eyes danced with mirth.
“I can’t believe you would stoop so low as to use my oversensitivity in my nipples against me!”
Daichi laughed as he stretched up toward the ceiling. “I doubt it’ll be the last time.”
Time seemed to stop for Kuroo as he stared at his boyfriend, his legs still tangled in sheets with his bare chest flexing as he stretched. He was bathed in pure morning light, the fragments of dust caught in the beams hanging in the air around him like fairies.
Click
“Did you just take a picture of me?”
“Yeah, let me get closer. I think I have the perfect filter for this.”
Daichi stuck his hand in front of the phone and gave Kuroo a little shove with his foot.
“Hey, have you contacted your professor yet?”
Kuroo groaned and collapsed into a heap. “No, why’d you have to spoil our first morning together as boyfriends? It was perfect!”
Daichi hovered over him, his hand slipping through Kuroo’s messy locks and kissed his forehead. “It’s still perfect. But the sooner you talk to him, the better.”
“I know.” With a heavy sigh, Kuroo slid onto his stomach and opened his phone to send his professor a text. The faculty and students in the Chemistry program at his school were unusually tight-knit and often communicated informally. He spared a quick glance at Daichi’s back as he lumbered to the bathroom, scratching his head sleepily. His phone chimed, pulling his attention back to the important task at hand.
“I’m meeting him in his office this afternoon!” Kuroo called, loud enough that Daichi could hear him from the bathroom. He was relieved they could meet that day so they could get things settled, but his stomach began to knot up with stress predicting how angry his professor would be.
For the rest of the morning, they lazed around the apartment, but Kuroo hardly enjoyed it. Even when Daichi made lunch he could only nibble a bit before putting the rest away. Daichi noticed but said nothing, pursing his lips as he left Kuroo to his thoughts. They settled down for a movie to distract him, but he ignored all the action on the screen as he mentally ran through the worst-case scenarios. Daichi glanced at Kuroo’s foot nervously tapping on the floor and reached out to wrap his hand over his knee, calming the movement and drawing Kuroo out of his turmoil.
“I know you’re worried, but you’re gonna be okay. Just breathe.”
Kuroo lost himself in Daichi’s deep, soothing voice and obeyed. He kept his gaze on the warm brown eyes as he filled his lungs deep and released the air slowly.
“Better?”
“Better. I don’t think it would be so bad if I didn’t already have a good relationship with this professor. He was really rooting for me.”
“I’m sorry… are you regretting it?” His voice was oddly timid, his eyes sliding away from Kuroo nervously. Kuroo slid his hand up to his cheek and pulled it towards him, not allowing Daichi to see anything but him.
“Of course not. I’ll never regret it. The stress I’m feeling now is nothing compared to how I felt when I thought we were going to be separated.” Kuroo’s eyes fell to Daichi’s lips as they turned up slightly, the worry etched across his face faded completely. Like a tractor beam, Kuroo’s face eased down and Daichi was there to meet him in a tender kiss. He closed his eyes, inhaling Daichi’s scent as he pushed in deeper. The nervous thoughts flashing across his brain like an unnerving strobe light were softly muted until he could think of nothing but the softness of Daichi’s lips, the heat of his tongue or the firm grip of his fingers slipping through his hair. Daichi moaned seductively into his mouth and he felt his libido switch all controls to On.
He leaned forward, his arms wrapping around Daichi and easing him back onto the sofa. Knowing how easily Daichi could use his strength to stop him or shove him off, feeling how compliant he was only made Kuroo hungry for more. With Daichi laying underneath him, he moved his lips down his chin and onto his throat. He heard Daichi gasp as he sucked down, his hands keeping busy as he mapped out every one of his muscles he’d long since admired.
“Tetsu?” Daichi breathed into his hair.
“Hmm?”
“You haven’t even taken me on a date yet.”
Kuroo snorted and buried his face into Daichi’s neck. “You’re right, I’m sorry. Damn, I’m such a cad.” He lifted his face, admiring the lovely flush across Daichi’s cheeks and sighed. “Sorry, I guess I got a little excited, it’s just I’ve wanted this for so long.”
Daichi blinked and cocked his head. “How long have you wanted this?”
“Uhhh, that’s not an easy question. There’s how long I’ve known I wanted this and then there’s how long I’ve actually wanted this.”
“When did you realize?”
“I think I got my first clues when you started dating Michimiya. I knew for certain when I saw her kiss you.”
Daichi winced. “Is that when you burnt yourself? I wish I realized back then…”
“It’s okay, I kinda wanted you to end things with her first before realizing my feelings. Less complicated.”
Daichi nodded, his face pensive as he observed the details of Kuroo’s face, letting his fingers glide over his cheekbones and down to his chin. “Honestly, if our roles were reversed I probably would have felt the same way. I think I was falling in love with you before I started dating her. If I had realized it back then, I wouldn’t have ever agreed to date her.”
Kuroo gripped Daichi’s hand and pulled it to his lips, kissing his palm. “It’s in the past. You’re with me now, no more dating random chicks, got it?”
Daichi chuckled, his radiant smile doing crazy things to Kuroo’s heart. “Deal.”
Professor Ogawa sighed and shook his head as he studied Kuroo in the chair across from his desk.
“I think it would be an understatement to say how disappointed I am, Kuroo-kun. Out of all my students, I would have thought you the least likely to pull something like this. After all your hard work, how can you give up this opportunity? We’ll probably have to postpone your internship until next year, but even then you may be turned down. But this isn’t like you at all! You’re reliable and passionate about your work. I’ll understand if in the documentation you only want to mark down personal reasons for why you didn’t go, but that’s not gonna cut it with me. Why won’t you go to Osaka?”
Kuroo’s lips parted but could say nothing for a moment. He knew how it would sound to his older professor who was respected throughout the community with a lengthy career in the field. He was worried he’d sound childish, even if the reason didn’t feel childish to him. This wasn’t just some person he was dating frivolously, this was Daichi.
“I know I owe you a better explanation, and I’m sorry that I’ve put you through all this, knowing how much you’ve done for me already. The truth is I couldn’t bear to go and leave behind the person I love. I know it’s only a year, but there wouldn’t be any time for either of us to visit each other, and the thought of that was just pure agony. I’ll accept whatever outcome you see fit, I’ve prepared myself for that much.”
Ogawa’s eyebrows raised up at his explanation and observed Kuroo curiously. “It’s interesting you said the person you loved and not the person you’re dating. This isn’t just some passing fancy, Kuroo-kun?”
“No, I know it might seem silly, but I have no doubt that I’ll spend the rest of my life with that person.”
An odd look flickered over Ogawa’s face, and his expression turned somber. His eyes drifted to a picture frame on his desk, facing away from Kuroo so he couldn’t see. “My wife passed away… five years ago now. We’d been married since I was 18 years old, she was 17. Oh, people used to say we had a horrible relationship, always bickering and making fun of each other, even in public. The truth of it was our relationship was exactly what we wanted it to be. We shared the same sense of humor; she could make me laugh at myself in a way no one else could and I wouldn’t let her get away with it for long. When she passed, it was like the light of the world had been turned off, leaving me in the dark. They say time heals all wounds but… I guess it sort of patches it up in a way. Eventually, I relearned how to breathe, eat, laugh, carry on and survive, but nothing was as great as I knew it could be. Air doesn’t smell as fresh if it isn’t filled with her perfume. No five-star restaurant can taste as good as her cooking, and I expect til my dying day I’ll never laugh as hard as I used to. Even colors seem muted without her presence in my life. Love… it isn’t just a silly thing to me.” Ogawa paused and looked away from the picture frame to Kuroo who had been silently listening. A couple stray tears had fallen and slid down his cheeks, his dark eyes staring back with understanding exactly how Ogawa felt without having to live through it himself.
With a nod, Ogawa lifted himself from his chair. “I need to make a phone call, I’ll be right back.” He slid his phone from his pocket and thumbed through the list of his student’s phone numbers until he found the one he was looking for. Before his office door shut behind him, he glanced back at Kuroo, who had opened his phone as well and seemed to be staring at a picture.
“Hello? Ogawa-sensei?”
“Ah, Sato-chan! I know this is extremely late notice, but I was wondering… how would you like to switch internships with another one of my other students? It’s in Osaka.”
Ogawa grinned as he heard the excited shriek through the phone.
Daichi wiped the sweat from his brow as he turned the heat down on the burner. He was relieved he had managed to finish dinner just before Kuroo was set to walk through the door, knowing he was probably famished from hardly eating all day. Right on schedule he heard the door swing open and shut behind him.
“I’m home,” Kuroo’s fatigued voice announced.
“Welcome home! I’m just about done,” Daichi called over his shoulder as his arms moved quickly over the steaming pans. He was completely subdued, however, when Kuroo draped himself completely over him, letting his weight rest entirely on Daichi.
“I’m so glad that’s over with,” Kuroo groaned into Daichi’s shoulder.
Daichi snickered and fluffed his hair with his fingers. “Go on, have a seat. Dinner’s ready.”
Kuroo’s eyes flickered open as he caught a whiff of the heavenly scent. “Is that… mackerel?”
“Yup! I thought it was just the thing to perk you up. Now sit.”
“Yes, sir!” Kuroo stretched his legs out and with a lunge, he was instantly seated like a good boy at the table. Daichi laughed and set a plate in front of him, enjoying the way Kuroo was literally bouncing in his seat.
“I can’t guarantee how good it is, I’ve never cooked it before.”
“Mmmm, it’s delicious! Seriously, it tastes exactly how my mom makes it.”
Suddenly Daichi looked very guilty and tried to disguise it as he shoveled food into his mouth.
“Daichi?”
“Hmmmm?”
“Are you hiding something from me?”
“Ummm, so don’t be mad. I wanted to surprise you, but I didn’t know how to make mackerel, so naturally, I called your mom. I didn’t think about the fact that she believed you were already in Osaka. Your mom’s the sweetest, I couldn’t lie to her, I’m sorry, Tetsu.”
“Wait, so she already knows I ditched my internship to stay here?”
“Yeah…”
Kuroo heaved a dramatic sigh of relief. “That’s awesome! I was dreading that phone call, and you did it for me! I should get you to deliver bad news to them every time!”
Daichi buried his face in his palm, but Kuroo could see his shoulders shake slightly with chuckles. “And here I thought you were gonna be furious.”
Kuroo snorted and went back to eating. “Why would I be furious? It would take a lot more than that for me to be mad at you.”
“So, not to change the subject, but I can’t stand it anymore. What did Ogawa-sensei say?”
“Oh! So, ends up a student from his other class has family in Osaka, but she came here for school because of the program. He knew she was missing them, so he switched our internships.”
“Can he do that?”
“I’m not sure, but he’s going to regardless. I think he said he was gonna blame it on misfiled paperwork or something. So, my new internship is right here in Tokyo. The company isn’t as lucrative as the one in Osaka, but they’re a solid company so it should be a good experience. And I get to stay here,” He finished with a grin.
“I’m so relieved, I was worried you wouldn’t get an internship at all.”
“Yeah, me too. Honestly, I owe Ogawa-sensei a lot. Literally, many of my weekends might be taken up by slaving away on menial office work for him.”
“If I get to keep you here, then I’d say it’s worth it.” Daichi paused in his eating to slide his hand across the table, and Kuroo’s fingers eagerly threaded through his. “Oh, but you still have to call your mom. By the way… I feel like she already knows about us.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, she seemed really giggly when I was explaining how I wanted to cook your favorite meal for you, and how relieved I was you were staying. She said she was glad things seemed to be working out for us.”
Kuroo choked on a piece of fish and drank down the rest of his tea to push it down. “Ahem... so about that, she actually does know about us.”
“What?!”
“Well, not us exactly, she knows how I feel about you.”
“You told her?”
“Over Christmas, I was down in the dumps, completely depressed you weren’t there. I was also worried your relationship with Michimiya would progress and soon you’d be talking about marriage. It was pretty stressful, and Mom, as usual, saw right through it.”
“Oh, I see. Considering how gleeful she sounded on the phone, I take it she was okay with it?”
“With me being in love with you? Yeah, she was fine, just worried about me being brokenhearted. She actually predicted we’d get together the Christmas before when she met you.”
“You’re kidding, how could she know something like that?”
“She thought you were perfect for me, and let’s face it, even back then we were closer than just typical friends.”
Daichi huffed out a laugh as he ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah… I guess you’re right. Is your mom psychic?”
“I’ve wondered the same, but to this day she still thinks it was our dog who broke the screen door, but it was definitely me.”
“How did you break the screen door?”
“I was running late and just ran right into it.”
Daichi laughed as he pictured it in his head and suddenly gasped. “You had a dog?!”
“Yeah, but she died my second year of high school.”
“Oh… I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, she was a good dog but really old.”
Daichi bit his lip as he focused on his food, though the way his chopsticks failed to pick anything up gave Kuroo a hint that something was on his mind.
“Do you think you might want to have another one? Someday?”
“Another dog? Hell, yeah, I’d love one.” Kuroo nearly slipped his phone out of his pocket to capture the radiant smile that crested Daichi’s face.
“Great, me too! Of course, by then we’d have to get a bigger place, maybe in a few years.”
Kuroo didn’t answer; there were no words to say as he basked in Daichi’s cheerful glow as he made plans for them spanning the indefinite future. His mind wandered back to his mother’s words about how troubles had a way of working themselves out. He wasn’t sure if they would every time, but this time everything seemed to be just right.
“Dai?” Kuroo called from the bathroom doorway as Daichi stuffed a load into the washing machine.
“Yeah?”
“I have a problem. Can you give me some advice?”
“Sure, what is it?”
“I need to take my boyfriend on our first date and I want it to be special, but I have no idea where to take him.”
Daichi chuckled as he closed the lid and pressed start. He turned around to face Kuroo, who maintained a look of complete sincerity.
“I see… your boyfriend is a poor college student as well, right?”
“Destitute.”
Daichi narrowed his eyes, and Kuroo slightly broke his composure with a smirk. “I see… well, I’d keep it simple. Save the fancy dates for when you’re both in your careers.”
“Got it. What about coffee?”
“That’s kind of normal for a first date, but he’s already your boyfriend, right? You might need to step it up.”
“A lovely walk in the park?”
“Cheesy, and I expect you’re both in the park all the time since you run there.”
“Oh, that’s a good point. Hmmm….” Suddenly Kuroo gasped, his entire body bolted upright with a surge of energy. “I got it! Thanks for your help!” He yelled over his shoulder as he sped out of the room, hopping into his shoes and slipping outside. Daichi wandered into the living room and could hear Kuroo just outside the door, talking to someone on the phone, but his voice was too muffled to understand. Daichi laughed quietly and shook his head, wandering back to the bedroom to do a little organizing he hardly had time for during the week. While his upper body was embedded in the closet, his phone chimed in his pocket. He emerged from the clutter and slipped his phone out to see he had a text from Kuroo.
Hey how you doin?
Daichi snorted and started typing back.
Good, how are you?
Great! Are you free tomorrow?
Maybe… why?
I’ve got a fun date planned for us. Meet me at 6?
Your place or mine?
I’ll pick you up at your place
What should I wear?
Your sexy jeans, of course
Daichi’s cheeks were beginning to hurt from smiling. He shoved his phone back in his pocket and went back to his work in the closet. In the past, he had never concerned himself with dating, school and volleyball taking up most of his time. Even if he did think about it, he had no idea it could be so much fun, but maybe it was just because he was dating Kuroo.
The front door opened and shut, and a moment later Kuroo’s presence was slinking up against him.
“Hmm, loving this view,” Kuroo purred in his ear and Daichi shivered as goosebumps fluttered across his skin.
“Yeah? I put it out there just for you.”
Kuroo snorted into his shoulder. “I appreciate it. And thanks for your advice earlier.”
“I’m glad it worked out. Where are you taking him?”
“Not telling.”
“Why not?”
“Cuz you’re just gonna tell him! I want to surprise him.”
“Are you sure he’s the type to like surprises?”
“Hmm, maybe not usually, but he’ll like this one.” Kuroo wrapped his arms a little tighter around Daichi’s waist and kissed his temple. “I guarantee it.”
The next evening it took a while for Daichi to put the clues together, and it wasn’t until they were entering the gym at Bokuto’s university that he realized they were going to watch his volleyball game against a rival school.
“You’re kidding! It’s been forever since I’ve been to a game!”
“I know! See? Perfect first date!”
“Shhh. Please tell me you’re not going to embarrass me?”
“I’ll try not to, but no promises.” He gave Daichi a wink before rushing up the stairs to find a good spot in the stands, and Daichi hoped anyone else around didn’t notice the way he admired Kuroo from behind.
He had to admit it was perfect. He missed playing volleyball, but this was the closest they could get currently. They also knew they needed to be more supportive of Bokuto’s blossoming career, especially since he was one of the top contenders to join the national team next year. They whistled and shouted when Bokuto came out onto the court, and he waved wildly at them when he noticed the excess of cheering just for him. The game was gripping, both sides extremely skilled and succeeding in complicated plays that made Daichi’s head swim. Bokuto was on fire with his spikes, and both Kuroo and Daichi were impressed with his personal growth since the last time they played against him. By the end of the game, Daichi’s voice was hoarse from cheering and excess energy was thrumming through his veins.
“That was amazing! It’s been so long since I’ve watched a good game.”
“I know, right? Did you wanna wait around and say hi to Bokuto?”
“Sure, it’ll probably take him a while to take a shower, right?”
“Yeah, hey I’m gonna run to the restroom. Wait for me here?”
“Sure,” Daichi replied as he leaned against the wall in the hallway outside the gym. He let his gaze wander through the crowds, his mind replaying certain plays with an itch to try them out himself when he felt a tap on his arm.
“Hi, do you go to school here?” A girl asked with a smile. Beside her, another girl giggled into her hand.
“Oh, no. I go to a different school.”
“That’s a pity. Listen, we were gonna go to this club afterward. Did you wanna come with us?”
Daichi flinched when he realized they were flirting with him. “I’m sorry, I’m actually seeing someone.”
“Why didn’t you bring her? We only saw you with your friend.”
Daichi’s mind went frantic, trying to come up with an excuse when he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders and an atmosphere of frigid air seeping past him.
“That’s because he’s dating that friend,” Kuroo replied in a cool tone, leaning forward with sharp intimidating eyes, and with a yelp, she and her friend scurried away. Kuroo sighed and ran a hand through his mess of hair.
“Tch, I can’t leave you alone for two minutes. We’ve gotta do something about those pheromones of yours.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was so desirable.”
“It’s that reason alone I have to worry about you all the time.”
Daichi smiled up at Kuroo and gave the front of his shirt a tug. “Between the two of us, I would have thought you would be more popular.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, you’re tall, handsome, and you’ve got just enough of a bad boy vibe to be alluring… without actually being a bad boy. In fact, you’re quite the nerd.”
“Thanks, Dai. So nice being appreciated.”
“Hey, hey, hey!! There you guys are!” They turned to see Bokuto bounding towards them with straggling spectators just barely hopping out of the way. “Did you guys see that game? I killed it!”
“You did, that was great, Buddy!” Kuroo held out the hand that wasn’t around Daichi and gave him a high five.
“I can’t believe you’ve gotten even better since the last time I saw you! I hope we can make it to more games,” Daichi added, and they snickered when Bokuto puffed out his chest with pride.
“I hope you can too. Hey! What’re you guys doing now? Wanna do something?”
“Uhhhh,” Kuroo began and shared a look with Daichi who shrugged. “I was gonna take Daichi out to dinner, just the two of us actually.”
“Isn’t it always just you two though?”
“He has us there,” Daichi muttered.
Bokuto’s phone let out a series of hoots, and his eyes flickered over the text. “Oh, hey, sorry guys, I’m gonna have to take a rain check.”
“Oh? Got a better offer?” Kuroo teased and Bokuto’s cheeks flushed slightly.
“Um, maybe. I’ll tell you about it later. I’m glad you guys could make it. Don’t be strangers!” He gave them both a playful, but jarring, pat on the arm and ran off the other direction.
“Well that was interesting,” Daichi mused, wishing they could have pried a bit more.
“Yeah, I wish I knew what was going on, but at the same time I feel like an ass.”
“Why?”
“Because I never told him about us.”
Daichi gave him a nudge. “Maybe you can hang out with him some time, and then you guys can talk about it.”
“Yeah, that sounds nice. So, to dinner?”
“Oooh where are we going?”
“I…. have no idea.”
Daichi snorted. “I thought you had this date all planned?”
“There’s nothing wrong with winging it a little bit. Come on, let’s go scavenge. We are a crow and a cat, right?”
“Hopefully we find somewhere better than a garbage heap.”
Their walk back to the apartment was pleasant, the evening breeze refreshingly warm since the temperatures had finally risen. They stopped by the park on the way back, the path lit by the warm glow of lamp posts (which Kuroo maneuvered around cautiously), and with it being so late and virtually empty Daichi reached out his hand to let his fingers curl into Kuroo’s. The lullaby of cricket song accompanied their light chatter, and the fragrance from the blossoming flowers filled their lungs every time they drew a breath. Kuroo glanced down at their hands entwined, committing the vision to memory. He wondered if when they were older he’d look down again to see their hands still threaded together, only with more wrinkles and maybe a shiny ring on that one finger.
“What’re you thinking about?” Daichi asked.
“Getting older… with you.”
The smile on Daichi’s face was so tender it hurt Kuroo’s heart. “That sounds nice.”
They finally wandered out of the park and down the street to their apartment, releasing their hands in case their nosey neighbors were watching with their noses pressed against the windows. As Daichi inserted the key in the lock, Kuroo leaned against the brick wall beside the door.
“So, I had a nice time tonight.”
Daichi opened the door, but Kuroo made no move to go inside, so he hovered in the doorway in confusion.
“Yeah, so did I.”
Kuroo leaned in toward him, his eyes glittering and lips slightly parted as he raised his hand to cup Daichi’s cheek. Instinctually, Daichi leaned in as well, his heart pounding as their lips brushed against each other gently. Before the kiss could warm up, Kuroo was pulling away.
“I’ll call you later.”
“Okay?”
After a quick wink and a grin, he turned and walked down the steps of the apartment building. With a roll of his eyes, Daichi walked into the house and shut the door, locking it for good measure. He slipped off his shoes, flopped down on the sofa and flipped the TV on, not really watching anything in particular as he waited. A minute later he heard Kuroo’s key in the lock.
“Hey, sorry it’s late.”
“That’s okay, how was your date?”
He sighed heavily as he plunked down next to Daichi, stretching his legs out across the room. “It was great! I took him to a volleyball game, and I think he really enjoyed it.”
“Good! I’m glad he liked it… it’s not the most romantic first date but if you guys had fun, that’s all that matters.”
Kuroo’s bottom lip puffed out. “I thought it was romantic.”
“Did you walk him to the door like a gentleman?”
“Yup, and we kissed goodnight!”
“Ooooh that’s a good sign. Though… I take it he didn’t invite you inside? Maybe he just wants to be friends?” Daichi could hardly finish the last statement without snickering and Kuroo grinned at him.
“Nah, it’s not like that, I think he’s just shy. You know, Dai?” He asked, slumping a little so their faces were close pressed up against the back of the sofa. “I know it sounds crazy, but I think he’s the one.”
No longer able to contain himself, Daichi burst out laughing and snuck his hands to Kuroo’s ribcage so he collapsed back onto the sofa in hysterical giggles.
Six months later-
Daichi’s temple throbbed as he stared at his laptop screen. The apartment was deathly quiet since Kuroo was still working at the lab, which was perfect because he needed to concentrate. Yet the more he tried to focus, the blurrier his vision became. His third year had proven to be more difficult than the previous two, and he even had to work fewer hours at the rec center to make up for it.
As if fate was telling him he needed a break, there was a knock at the door. Since he wasn’t expecting anyone, Daichi gazed suspiciously at the door as he crept toward it and glanced through the peephole. It looked like a regular delivery man, so Daichi opened the door to sate his curiosity.
“Ah, Sawamura-san?”
“Yes?”
“Delivery for you, could you sign here?”
“Oh, sure.”
“We’ll just bring it all up, might take a couple trips. Is the bedroom clear?”
“Clear? For what?”
“For the bed.”
“What?! Why am I getting a bed?”
The delivery man looked startled at his confusion and rechecked the clipboard. “It says right here for Sawamura-san. Purchased by Kuroo Tetsurou.”
The realization that Kuroo had bought them a bed (one bed) behind his back caused a mixture of frustration and an internal squeal of excitement to war within him, but luckily Daichi was mature and kept his face professional. “Ah, I see. I’ll clear the room, just give me a moment.”
He left the door open, so the delivery men could come right in since they would probably have their hands full and glanced around the bedroom. The second futon had been put away a long time ago, so it really wasn’t a bit deal that Kuroo only ordered one bed. It was an old joke from so long ago he could hardly remember when it normal sleeping alone. As he hovered in the doorway and watched them set up the bed, there was another knock at the door.
“Several deliveries for Sawamura-san!”
“That’s me,” Daichi answered in a deadpan voice, not surprised to see a mountain of boxes next to the man. He set to work dragging them into the kitchen and tearing them open to find new pillows, a comforter and sheets in each of the boxes. From the way the comforter was rolled up, he couldn’t quite tell what the picture across it was. The base color was a midnight blue with inky black pictures strewn across it. As he unraveled it and spread it out, he saw it was an evening scene of a tree. Upon closer inspection, he saw the silhouette of a crow in the tree and a black cat underneath it. The men putting the bed together popped into the kitchen to make sure he was okay since he was laughing so hard.
“Goodnight, Kuroo-kun! Good work today!”
“Thank you, Ito-san!” Kuroo whistled as he adjusted his bag on his shoulder and walked out of the building. He wasn’t pleased the temperatures had begun to drop, but at least he could go home and warm up again with Daichi. His phone chirped in his pocket, and he slid it out to find a text from Daichi.
I can’t believe you bought us a bed
Kuroo chuckled maniacally as he typed out a return message.
It finally came? Do you like it?
Actually, it’s amazing, fits the space well. Where on earth did you find a comforter with a cat and a crow?
Through my expert sleuthing while shopping online
Well, it’s very comfortable
Before Kuroo could reply he received a picture with the last message. He paused his walking to stare at it a bit closer. He recognized the comforter, and on top of it was a part of Daichi’s body, but it was a close-up and he could hardly--
“Oooooh,” Kuroo said out loud, his eyes growing wide. One more message popped underneath the picture.
Hurry home
Kuroo began sprinting toward the train station, and in his fervor to join Daichi on their new bed he was suddenly relieved the night air had grown cool.