Chapter Text
Daichi was rarely nervous; he had a firm confidence that could carry him and others through any kind of difficult trial. But he breathed deeply to shove down the jitters floating around in his stomach as he wandered through the campus of his new university. His shoulders were aching under the weight of his bags, and vague dizziness had settled in his head from his eyes flickering all over the place as he tried to locate his dorm. His parents had been upset that they wouldn’t be able to help him move in, but with his twin siblings, it was difficult to get away. Daichi didn’t mind, but despite his independent and understanding nature he would have felt better having them there.
Luckily there were many University staff members milling around to help lost first years find their way through the chaos and confusion. Once he entered his dorm building, a whole new bout of nervousness settled on him thinking about his roommate. He had no idea what sort of person he might be, and he knew the dynamic between them could completely affect how that year would go.
When he finally arrived at his dorm room, his luggage slipped off his shoulders into a heap. He frantically patted his pockets, looking for the key that the check-in lady just gave him. When his pockets proved to be empty, he dropped to the floor to search through his luggage when the door swung open and he was face to face with a set of long legs. He heard a chuckle above him, and he glanced up to see a face he recognized and certainly didn’t expect.
“Kuroo?”
“Well, well, Sawamura! Looks like I hit the jackpot for roommates. Here let me help you.” With his signature grin on his face, Kuroo swooped down and picked up half his luggage and brought it inside.
“Thanks. I had no idea you were going here.”
“My thoughts exactly! What’s your major?”
“Physical therapy, though I’m dabbling with the idea of going into coaching.” Another chuckle rumbled out of Kuroo as he gently set Daichi’s stuff next to his bed.
“I could definitely see you doing that. I’m a Chemistry major myself.”
Daichi paused in his gazing around the cozy room to look at Kuroo in surprise. “Wow! I didn’t expect that.”
“Didn’t expect me to be such a nerd?”
Daichi laughed and shook his head. “No, I didn’t expect you to choose such a difficult major. Are you going to try out for volleyball as well?”
The smirk faded a little, and Kuroo’s shoulders dropped an inch. “No, I won’t have time with how much work I’ll have to do. What about you?”
“No, I have to get a part-time job while I’m here, so I won’t have time either.”
“Oh, I see. You should check out the University jobs first, they work around your class schedule better and you can stay on campus.”
“That’s a good idea, thanks!” They stared awkwardly at each other for a moment, before they both snorted with laughter.
“I still can’t believe of all the people you’re my roommate. What a relief,” Kuroo said as he fell onto his already made bed. Above him were various posters of Japan’s best volleyball players and an already filled out calendar.
Daichi began pulling his luggage apart to put his side of the room together. “You’re relieved?”
“Yeah, can you imagine if I got put with someone like Bokuto? I’d never get any work done.”
Daichi laughed. “That’s true, though I can think of worse people to room with than that.”
“Yeah, for real. It’s gonna be weird hanging out with you and it having nothing to do with volleyball.”
“Hey now, I have more in my life besides just volleyball.”
“Oh?”
“... I’ll think of something.”
Kuroo let out his obnoxious laugh, and for Daichi so many of the nerves he’d been holding onto melted away like an ice cube on a hot summer’s day. He had only just walked into his new dorm room, and he already had a friend and a little nugget of familiarity.
It was only a couple months into the semester, and Kuroo was beginning to think he had made a horrible mistake. It was a Friday night, and he was holed up in his room while his vision grew blurry and his brain was aching from overuse. Even his mouth hung open because his jaw was so tired it didn’t have the strength to shut. It was no surprise that his major was hard; that was common knowledge. But he didn’t realize it would be an all-consuming struggle as he was dragged into an abyss of misery.
His belly emitted a groan so loud it sounded like it was echoing within the empty cavern of his stomach walls. He was overwhelmed by all his bodily needs on top of the mountain of work he still needed to complete in the next couple of days. I wonder if crying would make me feel better, he thought but decided the effort would take too much energy.
There was a sound across the room, and his head drifted to the side to see Daichi coming in the door.
“Whoa… you need a break.”
Kuroo whined, dropping his head into his textbook. “I don’t have tiiiiiiiiiiiime,” He sobbed. Daichi’s footsteps drew near as he struggled with a plastic bag and a container. He stuck the container under Kuroo’s nose and steam filled with a delicious aroma wafted over his face, his mouth instantly watering like a Pavlovian response. He nearly dropped his face into it when Daichi pulled it away. His chair swung toward his roommate while his hands grappled at air, trying to find the treasure-filled take-out container. Daichi held it just out of his reach and used his other hand to slip his glasses from his face.
“Break now. Food and rest will help you focus better, trust me.”
Kuroo sighed and rubbed his face vigorously as he lifted his creaky body from his chair. “I guess you’re right.”
With a chuckle, Daichi handed him the container with a set of chopsticks. While Kuroo stuffed his face, he set up a couple fold away tables they used since the room was so tiny. By the time he set the other food out and sat down on his bed, Kuroo had finished the one in his hand.
“Get over here, I’ve got some tea for you as well.”
“Have I ever told you that you’re an angel?”
“Yes, quite frequently lately,” Daichi smirked as he dug into his own share and Kuroo plopped down next to him to pick through a new container.
“I feel like you’re constantly taking care of me.”
“We look out for each other. You got me a job at the rec center.”
“Oh yeah, how’s it going?”
“Good, I nearly got in a fight today.”
Kuroo nearly choked on his ramen. “What? You, Mr. Reliable, almost got in a fight? What happened?”
“This guy on the basketball team was getting cocky, saying it was the manliest sport and showing off how strong he was for a bunch of girls. And he’s surrounded by guys from other teams working out and they’re looking pissed. So, I figured we could avoid a big fight if I just challenge him to arm wrestle, saying that I played volleyball in high school and I bet I could still beat him. There’s no way he can back out of it, so we arm wrestle. No contest, I smack his arm down so quick I thought I was gonna break it. All the other guys were cheering, and he said I cheated and wanted a rematch. I told him I didn’t have time for that, but if I could interest him in the free weights section, it might help him out next time he wants to talk shit about other sports.”
Kuroo slurped up the last of his ramen, his eyes wide as he listened to Daichi’s story with a few chuckles here and there. “So, what happened next?”
“Well the guy gets in my face like he’s trying to intimidate me, but then suddenly we’re surrounded by all the other guys who had been watching and you would’ve thought he was gonna wet himself. He ran away to the showers and I didn’t see him after that.”
“Nice… how many phone numbers did you get?”
Daichi paused in his chewing to look at his roommate. “Huh?”
“Numbers, there were girls watching the whole thing, right?”
“Oh… yeah, I think they were there still, but I just went right back to work. We were short staffed, and I couldn’t goof off any longer.”
Kuroo had to sit his foot container down as he barked out his maniacal laughter. “Only you, Sawamura, would miss such a golden opportunity.”
Daichi shrugged. “It’s not why I did it. I don’t really have time to date anyway.”
Kuroo snorted and resumed his eating. “You’re telling me. I hardly have time to sleep or eat.”
Daichi gave him a playful shove with his shoulder. “It’ll get better, especially when midterms are over.”
Kuroo groaned and hung his head. “I hope you’re right. But for now, I must be a slave to my work.” He stood with a stretch, releasing a groan and a yawn mixed together. Every muscle in his body was screaming at him to not sit down at his cheap office chair and hunch over his desk, but he knew he had little choice. The sooner he cranked out his work, the sooner he could get a little sleep. He slipped his glasses back on and immediately settled back into his groove with a little more energy than before.
He paused after a while when it felt like his eyes were going to shrivel up from not blinking. He rubbed his eyes and craned his neck around, releasing a series of cracks, when he noticed the rest of the room was dark. The clock on his laptop said it was already 2 am, and he knew it was time to concede. He blinked in the harsh light of his desk lamp and swirled in his seat, wondering how Daichi could stand to sleep with it on, and froze. Daichi was laying on his back, sound asleep, with a pink eye mask Kuroo had bought him as a gag gift with the word Princess across the front. Kuroo had to pinch his nose from laughing out loud, though he felt like his head might explode from the pressure. Frantically he patted his pants until he located the pocket that was holding his phone and slid it out. He took deep breaths to keep his composure as he crept over to Daichi’s bedside and snapped a few pictures. They weren’t the best quality with the darkness of the room, but it was clear enough to see that it was Daichi with the most perfect adornment imaginable on his face. With an overflow of giggles he couldn’t hold back, Kuroo saved his work and shut everything off, falling into bed and burying his face in his pillows.
The refreshing spring faded into the sweltering heat of summer. Despite the rise in temperature and their heavy workload, Daichi and Kuroo were able to reconnect with enough old friends to play volleyball in their spare time. It was their first time playing together on the same side of the net, and they both kept glancing at each other and laughing at the strangeness of the situation. It didn’t take them long to sync up as they worked through the game. Kuroo became aware of Daichi’s position behind him, and Daichi was easily picking up on Kuroo’s body language to know what kind of a block he was attempting. Like a dance they moved together, trusting each other to have their back as they focused on the game.
“Are you guys sure this is your first time playing on the same team?” Konoha asked as they took a water break.
Kuroo shrugged, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. “Yeah, and even as rivals I played against you way more.”
“Crazy, you’re both really aware of each other on the court.”
Daichi laughed. “We share a shoebox of a dorm room. If we weren’t aware of each other I’d probably end up sitting on him or something.”
“It’s true, I’ve probably stepped on him like five times already.”
Konoha smirked and gave his arms a stretch. “Ah, must be so hard. I was able to snag a single room myself.”
Daichi shared a smirk with Kuroo and rolled his eyes. “The extra space would be nice, but I feel like that would be too lonely.”
“And think about what my poor country bumpkin roommate would do all alone in Tokyo? The tears he would have wept not having me by his side to guide him.” Kuroo covered his eyes with the back of his hand, sighing dramatically. Daichi narrowed his eyes and gave a playful punch right into Kuroo’s stomach.
“I take care of you more than the other way around.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Kuroo wheezed as he tried to recover his breath. “Well, looks like they’re starting back up. You coming, Princess?” Kuroo called as he backed away toward the court. Daichi tried flicking his sweaty towel at him, but Kuroo just laughed and hopped away.
“Princess?” Konoha asked.
“Ugh, don’t ask.”
The temperatures dropped just as summer ended as if someone had flicked a switch on the weather once October rolled in. Kuroo had finally worked out a good system of studying so he could eat and sleep as well, and though Daichi picked up more hours at the rec they still had time to eat several meals a week together. It was almost becoming a tradition between them, and if one of them were too busy to meet dinner felt a little lonely that night.
As October wore on, the temperatures kept plummeting to a record low. One night Daichi came back to the dorm to find all the lights in the building off. Using the flashlight on his phone, he made his way up the staircase and down the hallway among students doing the same thing. It was difficult fiddling with his room key and the phone, but luckily Kuroo opened the door at that moment.
“Oh good, it’s you. Get in quick!” His long arm reached out and gripped Daichi’s coat and yanked him inside, slamming the door shut behind him. It was pitch black in the room except for what little light their window allowed through from the moon and far off street lamps on a different grid.
“What the hell, Kuroo?”
“I couldn't let what precious warm air we have loose in that drafty hallway! Did you hear anything new?”
“I haven’t heard anything at all. How long has the power been off?”
Kuroo was silent as he checked his phone. The light illuminated his face for a moment, and Daichi could see he had a blanket draped over the top of his head and around his shoulders.
“It’s been 45 minutes already. Eeeerrrggh, why did it have to happen when it’s so cold?”
Daichi snorted and tossed his bag to the floor while he slipped off his shoes. “That’s the only time something like this happens.”
“Well, at least I got most of my paper done, but I was on a roll.”
“I’m sure they’ll get it fixed. How bad could it be?”
Really bad according to the RA who stopped by ten minutes later.
“But we’re gonna freeze to death! Isn’t there any way of hurrying it along?” Kuroo whined at their upperclassman.
“No, they’re doing their best. Just go back inside, maybe stack your clothes on top of your bed and sleep naked.”
“Huh?”
Daichi sighed, “It’s a survival technique, your body heat warms the area faster that way.”
“Oh.”
“Anyways, I got a lot of rooms to visit. They’ll try to have it up before morning.” Daichi and Kuroo both winced as they shut themselves back up into the room.
“At least I brought some extra hoodies with me from home, they’re kind of heavy.”
Suddenly Kuroo gasped, and Daichi heard his footsteps going over to his bed. “I’ve got an idea! Help me strip your bed.”
“What?!”
“Just trust me! Stack them all on my bed, and then we’ll try to put all our clothes on top of that, make a heap.”
“Why should you get all the covers?”
“Don’t you get it? We’ll both sleep in my bed under all the covers. Then we’ll have double the body heat with extra covers. We should be warm in no time!”
“You’re insane! We can barely fit one of us in these beds, let alone two.”
“We’ll just have to get creative. Think about it, would you really rather sleep alone in this freezing cold room than with me?”
“No, I guess you’re right. Wait a minute, you’re totally missing the bed.” He helped Kuroo straighten his own bed coverings on top of Kuroo’s. Then they each pulled out whatever clothing they could find and draped it all over the bed.
“This is gonna take forever to clean up,” Daichi groaned.
“Relax, your outfit is already laid out for the morning.”
“Ha, yeah I guess so. What are you doing?” He asked when he heard Kuroo shuffling around.
“Taking my shirt off.”
“Why?”
“Didn’t you tell me we should?”
“Should what?”
“Sleep naked.”
“Sleep naked?!”
Kuroo cackled, just imagining how red Daichi’s face was. “I’m not getting completely naked, just down to my underwear. Come one, you big baby.” Daichi had no idea how he knew where he was, but somehow his long fingers found his side and tickled him in that sensitive area Kuroo found by magic.
“Cut it out. Fine, but only for survival purposes.”
“What other purpose would we have, Sawamura?” Kuroo’s voice was suddenly low and dripping with suggestion.
Daichi just rolled his eyes as he began stripping off his clothes. “Just get in the bed, you idiot.”
“Yes, your majesty. Oh hey, you don’t need your eye mask tonight!”
Daichi could just see the outline of Kuroo’s back as he lifted the sheets to slip in. He reached his own hand out and pinched some of his exposed skin. He yelped and dove into the bed to escape Daichi’s rough fingers. Daichi chuckled darkly as he gripped the edge of the sheets himself.
“Serves you right.”
“Sawamura, you sound downright sinister in the dark.”
“I do? There’s no way I sound more sinister than you. Now scooch over.”
“I’m already all the way over!”
“This is going to be a disaster.”
The dark room was filled with the sound of the bed creaking as two large university students cramped into it, breaking out into giggles and grunts whenever one elbowed the other in the face. Like an intense game of Tetris, they maneuvered their bodies so both of them fit without falling off.
“I haven’t slept on my side in ages,” Kuroo said quietly as they tried to settle down. Daichi could feel his hot breath on his neck, but already he could tell they were warmer being squished in such a tight space, so he tried to remain grateful.
“How do you normally sleep?”
“On my stomach with my head stuck between two pillows.”
Daichi was silent for a moment while he pictured it and suddenly burst out laughing. “Is that why your hair is the way it is?!”
“Shut up! It’s a great style!”
Daichi didn’t retort, continuing his chuckles as he let out a yawn.
“Oh man, this is cozy… we should do this every night.”
“What, sleep together?”
“Yeah! Did anyone tell you you're like a furnace? How are you so warm?” Kuroo wiggled just a little closer, and Daichi flinched as he felt cold feet slide against his legs.
“Ahhh, get your cold, nasty feet away from me.”
“But they’re freezing! You obviously have plenty of heat for the both of us. Please?”
Daichi groaned. “Fine, but you owe me if you keep me up all night.”
“Deal.”
From working all afternoon and the physical exertion he’d spent on redoing their beds, it didn’t take long for Daichi to ignore the giant icicles sliding against his leg and fell asleep. Kuroo soon followed behind and wrapped up in their blanket igloo on Kuroo’s tiny dorm bed they were so sound they didn’t even hear the power come back on around 2 am.
The harsh December wind slammed against Kuroo like a sledgehammer and he wrapped his arms tighter as he leaned against the oppressive zephyr. He felt like a mountain troll beneath his many layers and topped with a coat that reminded him of marshmallows. Despite the distasteful whether surrounding him, Kuroo’s feet had a lightness to them as he made his way back to the dorm with a feeling of freedom and elation. Behind his warm, wool scarf he smiled broadly as his mind calculated all the work he had completed and shoved away so he could thoroughly enjoy the upcoming holiday. As much as he hated the cold, he loved Christmas. And as much as he loved college life and his independence, he missed the comfort of his family. Just another couple of days and he’ll be back with them again, and just the thought sent another quiver of excitement across his clammy skin.
Cheerfully he popped into his room to find Daichi already back from his own exams. He perked up and was about to greet him when he cocked his head as his roommate. Daichi hadn’t even realized he was back, staring a hole through his computer screen though it seemed like he wasn’t quite focused on it. His forehead was creased, and his lips were pressed into a tight line. Kuroo entered quietly, racking his brain why Daichi wouldn’t be as excited as him. He wondered if perhaps he bombed one of his tests, but that wasn’t like him. Even after Kuroo had peeled off layer and layer and slipped off his clunky boots, Daichi still hadn’t acknowledged his presence.
“Sawamura?” He asked cautiously and Daichi flinched and finally jerked his head towards Kuroo.
“Oh, hi. Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.”
Kuroo snorted and plopped on top of Daichi’s bed, his long legs stretched out in front of him. “I’m surprised, I wasn’t exactly quiet. Are you okay?”
“Yeah… I’m fine,” Daichi said in a bland voice, his eyes shifting away from Kuroo and back to his computer screen.
“Wow, somehow I’m not convinced at all. Come on, Buddy, what’s troubling you? Where’s your Christmas spirit?” Daichi flinched when he mentioned Christmas, and the look on his face about broke Kuroo’s heart.
“I’m just bummed I can’t go home. I can’t really afford the trip back and forth, and my parents are really short right now. My sister got sick a couple months ago and the bills kinda strapped them.”
Kuroo’s heart was officially obliterated. “You can’t go home? How much does it cost, maybe I can--”
“No way, you don’t even work! It’s fine, the dorms will remain open, I’m sure I’m not the only kid who can’t go home for the break.”
“You’re staying here the entire break?!”
“Well, what else can I do?”
Kuroo pursed his lips, not moving while his brain flitted about like a hummingbird. Suddenly he lifted his legs in the air and snapped himself forward, landing on his feet.
“I’ll be right back,” He muttered as he rushed out into the hallway, slipping his phone from his pocket and immediately pressing his top contact. He closed the door quietly behind him as he waited for the other person to pick up.
“Hey, Mom? Yeah, I’m doing great! Just finished my last exam. Listen, could I ask a big favor?”
Daichi wasn’t sure what he was feeling as they walked toward Kuroo’s house from the train station. He was incredibly relieved that he didn’t have to spend the holidays alone in his dorm room, but he was also a little nervous to spend it with someone else’s family. Kuroo assured him they were a lot like him, so he had nothing to worry about, but Daichi wasn’t sure if it was reassuring or not. More than anything, though, he was grateful Kuroo’s parents were so hospitable, and he hoped the gift he was bringing would be to their liking.
“Don’t tell me you’re still nervous?” Kuroo chuckled as he playfully shoved his arm against Daichi’s.
“Just a little,” He grumbled, shoving Kuroo back. “I’ve never spent Christmas with anyone else’s family. I didn’t think I’d have to do that until I was married and visiting my in-laws.”
Kuroo barked out a laugh. “Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure you’re the spitting image of what my parents would want as a son-in-law.”
Daichi rolled his eyes but couldn’t help laughing with him. “You’re ridiculous.”
“So, I’ve been told. Here we are!” He announced jovially as he skipped up the steps. Daichi glanced up to appraise it before following behind. It was a well-crafted home, almost a mixture of traditional and modern architecture. The whole neighborhood seemed to be a nice community filled with older homes and new builds, so the house strangely fit perfectly amongst them. He drew in a breath and climbed the steps just as the front door opened to reveal a middle-aged woman who could only be described as lovely. Kuroo Mayako’s long hair fell down her back in waves and looked immaculate in its wildness as much as Kuroo’s looked a disaster. Her smile dimpled her cheeks as she stood on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around Kuroo’s broad shoulders.
“Oh, I missed you, sweetheart! My goodness, are you still growing?”
Daichi observed quietly as Kuroo curled his long arms around her frame, his smile soft as he chuckled. It was strange seeing Kuroo so tender and docile, and it made him realize there were probably many sides to his roommate he had yet to see.
“I doubt I’m still growing, maybe you’re shrinking?” Kuroo didn’t even flinch when his mother slapped him on the back of the head. She leaned back and gave his nose a pinch before glancing behind him.
“You must be Sawamura-kun! Come on in here, it’s freezing out here!” She waved Daichi in cheerfully and he hopped inside and gave her a shallow bow.
“Thank you for having me, Kuroo-san.”
“Oooh, so polite! I hope you’re rubbing off on Tetsurou.”
“I’m polite.”
She snorted as she shut the door behind them.
“Is Bedhead back?” A rough voice echoed from another room. Daichi grinned as Kuroo’s cheeks flushed a light pink.
“Dad, I have company, don’t embarrass me!”
“I don’t think you need any help from me though?” Kuroo’s father, Kuroo Junpei, teased as he stepped out into the hallway, and Daichi knew he could have recognized him anywhere. From his lanky figure to his rotten grin, it was obvious which one of Kuroo’s parents he took after more. He reached his long fingers out and ruffled Kuroo’s hair, chuckling as Kuroo groaned pathetically. His eyes fell upon Daichi, and the teasing grin softened as he appraised him.
“Wow, he looks wholesome! It’s about time you make some better friends.”
“I had great friends in high school!”
“They looked like a bunch of delinquents.”
“They were not, they all played volleyball. And what about Kenma?”
Junpei shrugged. “Kenma doesn’t count. Anyways, nice to meet you, Sawamura. I am sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
“For Tetsurou, for whatever pain he’s caused you. As compensation, we’d like to treat you like royalty over the holidays and make Tetsurou wait on you hand and foot. Does that sound okay?”
Kuroo’s mouth hung open as he absorbed his family’s betrayal, and Daichi had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.
“Yeah, that sounds good to me!”
Junpei released an obnoxious laugh, which also sounded familiar, and clapped Daichi on the back. “This is gonna be fun. An extra person to tease my son merciless.”
Kuroo narrowed his eyes as he glanced between them. “I’m starting to think this was a bad idea.”
Daichi’s first night in the Kuroo household was exhausting, but not in a bad way. It was a house filled with laughter and witty banter, and by the end of dinner Daichi’s cheeks were hurting from smiling and his sides aching from laughing so much. He could only imagine what it was like for Kuroo to grow up there with no other siblings to alleviate some of the teasing, and he was quickly putting together many of the pieces that have formed most of Kuroo’s personality. While Junpei a salesman with a wicked grin and a dark sense of humor, Mayako had a Ph.D. in Psychiatry and had a steady schedule of seeing patients as well as teaching at a local university. And though she was a very sweet, even-tempered woman, she adored seeing her husband say just the right things to get people flustered. It didn’t take long for the initial politeness and hospitality were thrown out the window, and they turned their glittering eyes of mischief towards Daichi.
“So, Sawamura-kun, do you have a girlfriend?” Mayako cooed, wiggling her eyebrows up and down.
“No, I don’t. I haven’t had much time for dating.”
Junpei set his chopsticks down, folded his hands and gave Daichi a stern look. “Sawamura, your grades and your job come first… naturally. However, you are a handsome young man on a university campus with probably a whole flock of beauties just waiting for you to ask them out. These special years were tailor-made for you to lightly experiment with drugs and alcohol and have as much sex as you can possibly have. Do not let these precious years pass you by without experiencing any of it! Otherwise, you might not have any regrets later on after you knock a few girls up and check into rehab.”
Daichi chuckled with Mayako and Kuroo during Junpei’s inspiring speech and nodded thoughtfully once it was finished. “Thank you, Kuroo-san, I’ll definitely consider it. Did you give the same speech to Kuroo when he left for college?”
“Him? No way, he’s a nerd. Pfft, Chemistry major,” He mocked as he locked eyes with Kuroo to observe his son’s reaction. He looked disappointed when Kuroo only rolled his eyes and continued to eat. “By the way, Sawamura, it’s confusing when you keep calling him Kuroo. You should call him by his first name.”
Both Daichi and Kuroo stopped eating and paused in a moment of contemplation. They looked at each other, and Daichi forced his mouth to move.
“Tetsurou?”
Immediately they both looked away from each other, their cheeks flushing from the awkwardness. Mayako and Junpei burst out laughing and didn’t stop until the tears were running down their cheeks and Kuroo looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole.
“That was so cute! Look how self-conscious they are! This would be a perfect observation for my thesis!”
“What?!” Kuroo squawked.
“Yes, currently I’m doing an in-depth study on the learned social behaviors of young men as they relate to each other. Oh! I’ll go get my notebook. Don’t say anything until I get back!” She yelled over her shoulder as she rushed out of the dining room.
“She can’t actually use her own son for a study, right?”
“I doubt it, but I’m sure she’ll get plenty of inspiration from you both while you’re here.”
Kuroo and Daichi finally escaped his meddling parents to relax up in his room. The futon for Daichi was already laid out next to Kuroo’s bed, and they both reclined on it and decided to play video games before bed. It had been a while since they were rivals in anything, and immediately that pleasant thrill snuck up their spines as they faced off against each other.
“Did you seriously just drive off another cliff?” Kuroo snorted.
“Shut up, I hate this one. Can’t we pick one with fewer cliffs?”
“Nope… it’s too entertaining. Aw shit.”
“Serves you right,” Daichi snickered as he focused, determined to kick Kuroo’s ass. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to catch up and Kuroo beat him again. Daichi glowered at him as he swerved his body around in a makeshift victory dance, complete with an obnoxious tune.
“Ok, next time we’re doing one with fewer cliffs, and we’ll see if you can beat me then!”
Kuroo barked out a laugh and picked his controller back up, immediately sifting through their choices of racetracks. They were just about to begin the next race when Kuroo’s bedroom door opened and Kenma slipped through, shutting it immediately behind him.
“Hi, Daichi-san,” He said softly, his lips turned up in a whisper of a smile.
“Hey Kenma,” Daichi greeted back, and he watched in amusement as Kenma made himself at home on Kuroo’s bed. He stretched out and in the blink of an eye had his hands busy on his own handheld game.
“He doesn’t look surprised to see me,” Daichi whispered as he leaned in towards Kuroo.
“I sent him a text that you were gonna be here. He’s not too fond of surprises, even if they’re good ones.”
They continued their playing with an additional accompaniment of Kenma’s game echoing from behind their heads. As soon as cliffs were taken out of the equation, Daichi finally was able to win several games against Kuroo.
“You realize this is like bowling with the bumpers up. It hardly takes any skill!”
“And since you can’t beat me now, what’s that say about your skills?”
“Oh, ho ho… those are some fighting words, Sawamura.”
“Why do you get to call me Sawamura when I have to call you Tetsurou?”
“Cuz I’m not around your family. Aw, dammit!”
Daichi chuckled darkly as he swerved his car easily around Kuroo’s crashed one.
“If you don’t equal the playing field I’m gonna embarrass you in front of your parents.”
There was silence except for the clicks of their controllers and the goofy sound effects from their game. Finally, Kuroo sighed, sounding as if he were surrendering a long and bloody war.
“Considering I can think of five humiliating stories you could tell them right off the bat, I think it’s safer to just call you Daichi.”
Daichi smiled, pleased he was won and that Kuroo couldn’t draw out his given name in a teasing manner the way he could with Sawamura. “That’s probably a wise decision since I can think of at least ten.”
Half an hour later they dropped their controllers exhausted from the continuous banter and the throbbing headaches from focusing too much on the busy screen.
“Oh shit,” Kuroo muttered, and Daichi turned to see what the problem was. Kenma, as small and slender as he was, was stretched out across Kuroo’s bed, sound asleep.
“Can’t you just wake him up?”
Kuroo’s lips curled up in a smirk, and Daichi was beginning to wonder just how many secrets that wicked expression held.
“Why don’t you give it a try?”
Daichi frowned as he battled between his common sense telling him that it was a trap and the twitch in his muscles that reacted whenever he was given a challenge. The taunting gleam in Kuroo’s eyes always had a way of throwing out his common sense. Daichi knelt by the bed and cautiously gave Kenma a little nudge.
“Kenma?” He called, his voice low and soothing. Kenma didn’t budge, his breath soft and shallow as it escaped his small lips. Daichi gave him a little shake. “Kenma?” He called a little louder to no avail. He spared a glance at Kuroo who was resting his chin on his propped-up hand with his face full of amusement.
“At this point, you could probably fire a gun next to his head and he won’t wake up until his energy levels have replenished.”
“So, what’re you gonna do?”
Kuroo’s eyes slid from Kenma to the futon, and he started to laugh. “Looks like I get another dose of that SBH!”
“SBH?”
“Sawamura Body Heat.”
“Wha-- You acronymed my body heat?”
“Yes, it’s that special.”
“Why not sleep with Kenma? He’s your best friend, isn’t he?”
“Okay, so I hope this doesn’t come off as weird, but you’re kind of a joy to sleep with. This cute little creature on my bed is basically your antithesis. He’s a demon who will steal the covers and try to bite and scratch you if you try to take them back, and for being so small he takes up all the room. When he’s awake he’s lazy when he has no interest in something and has very little stamina, but subconsciously he becomes the incredible hulk. I’m actually surprised the scars have healed from our nightly altercations.”
By the end of Kuroo’s dramatic speech complete with wild hand gestures, Daichi wasn’t sure he believed him entirely and yet it was enough to be sympathetic to his plight. “Alright, hopefully after a bath your feet won’t be so damn cold.”
They were, and Daichi clenched his teeth as they latched onto Daichi’s calves. And despite the futon being larger than Kuroo’s coffin-sized dorm room bed, Daichi felt the lanky man sidle up behind him to steal the heat from his body.
“I thought you liked to sleep on your stomach? You’ve got plenty of room to do so.”
“Not with you here. Mmmmm, Sawamura Body Heat…” Kuroo sighed dreamily, wiggling a bit closer.
“You’re such a parasite.”
Daichi heard Kuroo’s breath suck in as he was about to refute his statement and then pause. “Actually, from a scientific perspective you’re totally right, I can’t deny it.”
Daichi chuckled and they both went quiet, their breaths deepening and deepening as they relaxed.
“No!” Kuroo gasped, startling Daichi as he was just about to doze off.
“What is it?!” He hissed, flopping to his back so he could see Kuroo’s face, which was so elated he would have thought he discovered a new element.
“I’m not a parasite. It’s symbiotic! We give to each other!”
Daichi stared at him, his eyebrows knitted together, long enough that Kuroo had the decency to look uncomfortable under his gaze.
“Okay, so I give you my body heat. And you’re good for… what?”
Kuroo pursed his lips, wondering how far he should poke Daichi seeing that he was teetering on a dangerous mood. “My charming personality?”
To Kuroo’s relief, Daichi snorted. “Okay, I will call this a symbiotic relationship.”
“Really?”
“When you develop a charming personality.”
As Daichi heard Kuroo gasp, he closed his eyes with a grin on his face. Despite the interruption from his dozing, he enjoyed finishing the day when he can have the last word against Kuroo.
The morning sun poured through the blinds, falling across Kuroo’s face in strips of gold. He scrunched up his face from the obtrusive beams and inhaled a long breath. It smelled comforting and familiar, like being surrounded by fragrant pines in a lush forest, and it was warm. There was a strange clicking noise from somewhere in the room, and when he cracked his eye open he could see Kenma leaning over him with his phone out, an impish smirk curling on his face.
“What’re you doing?” He mumbled as he stretched his limbs and realized he wasn’t sleeping on the futon… he was sleeping on Daichi. His face had been resting on Daichi’s delightfully plush chest, and the rest of his limbs were snaked around his body at various points. He hated to admit it, but he probably was a parasite.
“You two looked so cozy I had to capture the moment. Besides, no one would probably believe me if I told them,” Kenma answered, smiling at his phone as he flipped through the incriminating evidence.
“Ugh, don’t tell me you’re gonna send them to anybody.”
“I’m not going to send them to anyone.”
“Good.”
“Cuz I already have.”
“Kenmaaaaa!” Kuroo groaned and dropped his face back onto Daichi’s chest, forgetting the other man wasn’t awake yet. He heard Daichi groan and stretch as he roused himself from sleep.
“Mmmm, Tetsu?” Daichi’s voice groaned softly, and Kuroo’s head jerked up in surprise. Most people called him Kuroo, and the few people who called him by his given name would say the entire name. No one had ever shortened it before and hearing it from Daichi’s adorably sleepy voice made his chest tighten and his jaw to drop. There was another click, and he shot Kenma a lethal glare.
“I’ve never seen you make that face, you’re actually blushing. This was fun, you should bring him home more often.”
“Kenma, you better delete that picture.”
Kenma’s large, amber eyes shot up from his phone to Kuroo’s face, blazing with defiance.
“No.” Before Kuroo could unlatch himself from Daichi, Kenma slipped off his bed and ran out of his room.
“Dammit.”
“What’s wrong?” Daichi asked.
“Kenma took some pictures of us sleeping together.”
“Oh, well that’s not so bad.”
“He’s already sent them to people, and I’ll bet you Chibi-chan was on the list of recipients.”
Daichi’s eyes finally shot open, and he was wide awake. “Hinata? So…”
“Yeah, you can bet everyone at Karasuno has already seen it.”
“For this, Kenma must suffer.”
“Agreed.”
Christmas proved to be difficult for Daichi, missing his own tight-knit family. He wondered how his parents were getting along without him, since he was always the best at keeping his rambunctious twin siblings, Asami and Asao, in check. When Christmas morning came, however, Kuroo set up his laptop so Daichi could use the webcam to chat with them and open some presents together despite being far away. Luckily, they had enough time before Christmas to mail their gifts beforehand, so Daichi could laugh as he watched them all unwrap the gifts he had sent prior. He missed most of the action as the twins threw the colorful wrapping paper into the air like confetti and obscuring most of his view, but he could still hear their musical laughter and his parents griping in the background. It felt good to spend that time with them, and even Kuroo stuck his head in front of the laptop to say hello to his family. They had seen him from several of their chatting sessions before, and the twins were always excited to talk to nii-san’s city friend with the crazy hair. Asami especially loved Kuroo, her cheeks turning pink whenever he’d give her his sly grin. After he cooed a particularly breathy Merry Christmas Asami-chan, she gave a dramatic sigh and nearly swooned, and Daichi’s protective nature began to take over as he swatted his roommate away with a venomous scowl.
“But Nii-san, I love him!” Asami cried through the laptop speakers, and Kuroo halfway out the bedroom door nearly collapsed in a fit of laughter.
“You’re not allowed to marry him and that’s final,” Daichi scolded her, trying to keep a straight face.
“But Nii-san!” Kuroo whined from the doorway, and Daichi picked up a hideous stuffed cat off Kuroo’s bed and tossed it at his head, laughing as Kuroo squawked and ran out the door.
“Alright you two, say goodbye to Daichi so we can talk for a bit,” Daichi’s mother said with an eye roll.
Asami already seemed over her thwarted love and put her lips up to the webcam and smacked them together in a simulated kiss. “Thank you for the gifts, Nii-san!”
“Yeah, thanks Nii-san!” Asao echoed as he ran out of the room, his arms full of presents he was dying to play with.
“I’m so glad you weren’t alone for the holidays, Sweetheart,” His mother sighed once things calmed down in the absence of the twins.
“Yeah, me too. I miss being home, but the Kuroo’s have been very kind.”
“You look like you’re having fun,” His dad quipped, his smile poking dimples into his cheeks. His parents were always firm on Daichi with grades and responsibilities, but they usually worried more when he didn’t have any time to relax with friends.
“I am having fun. I don’t regret going to Tokyo if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“We wondered, but we’re relieved you don’t. I think Kuroo-kun’s been a good influence on you.”
“He--what? It’s hard to imagine him being a good influence on anyone.”
His parents chuckled but didn’t push the subject. After a while, they decided it was time to say goodbye, and with a heavy heart Daichi closed down Kuroo’s laptop. A heavy silence filled the room, and his body jerked up off Kuroo’s bed and trotted out of the room. There was no way he’d be trapped by melancholy on Christmas Day, and before he even made it to the stairs he could hear the Kuroo’s voices teasing and laughing beckoning up toward him, automatically melting his icy shell of loneliness.
The rest of the break passed by quickly with days of laziness and relaxation. Toward the end of their break, however, Daichi found himself being taunted a little too much by both Junpei and Kuroo that he nearly begged Mayako to let him help with dinner. After an initial refusal, she noticed the desperation in his brown eyes and laughed.
“You know there was a time when I couldn’t stop baking things just to give an excuse to escape. It’s fun when Junpei and Tetsurou are adversaries, but when they team up it can be lethal for their poor victim.”
Daichi chuckled, “How have you handled it all these years?”
“I’d say having thick skin, a good sense of humor, an occasional escape route and my motherly voice of doom. Once that comes out they’re as docile as kittens.”
“Kittens can be pretty obnoxious, though they’re cute.”
Mayako sighed as she continued chopping her vegetables. “I know, I can’t have everything.”
Daichi laughed. “It’s been fun meeting you both. It finally makes sense how Tetsu became the person he is.”
Mayako bit her lip to keep her smile from spreading too high. She’d been sneaking notes like crazy on the interactions between her son and his new friend and hearing him call Tetsurou by an even shortened version filled her heart with warm, fuzzy feelings.
“How so, dear?”
“Well, it always bewildered me how intelligent he was for being so rotten. Did you ever worry that the combination of your personalities might make the perfect mixture for a comic book villain who desires to take over the world?”
Mayako had to set her knife down as she laughed. “I’m afraid we hadn’t considered that, but you’re right. Perhaps that’s why I’m so happy you befriended him Sawamura-kun. You seem like the perfect hero to keep the villain grounded.”
Daichi smirked as he handed her the last of the vegetables he had freshly scrubbed clean. “Hmm, hero. I like the sound of that.”
As if going back to the grind of school and work wasn’t bad enough for Kuroo and Daichi, they were in for a bit of a rude awakening when it came to their dorm assignments for next year as they met with their RA.
“Can we request to stay together next year?” Kuroo asked as his eyes flickered down the form.
Their RA shrugged. “You can request, but they almost never honor them. You’d think it would be easier to just keep roommates together, but I think they get too many requesting not to be with the same person, so it ends up being more of a lottery.”
Daichi scrunched up his face but gave a polite nod to their RA as he moved on down the hallway to hand out more forms. They shut the door behind them and stared at each other and back down at the papers in their hands in a heavy silence.
“If we don’t get put with each other, you think they’d let us switch?” Daichi suggested hopefully.
“Hmm, they may look down on that, like we’re not giving the new person a chance.”
“Oh, that’s a good point. And we would be, wouldn’t we?”
“Yeah, but I don’t care,” Kuroo whined as he took two steps and fell into a heap on his bed. “We have a good set-up, why change it? Next year’s gonna suuuuuuck.”
Daichi rolled his eyes, but his smile was warm knowing Kuroo wanted to room with him as much as he did. The deadline for turning in the forms was one week, but the next day Daichi received a different kind of news that changed everything.
He burst into the door and slammed it behind him, causing Kuroo to flinch and his pen to fly up and hit him in the face.
“What the hell?! What is it?” He asked as he stared at Daichi, whose face looked like it was shining, his cheeks firm and pink above his smile.
“You won’t believe it. So, this morning my boss at the rec decided to make me a manager, which means I get a significant pay raise!”
“No way! That’s great!” Kuroo cheered as he launched himself out of the chair. His arms were open wide to wrap Daichi up in a hug, but Daichi stretched out his hand to stop him in his tracks.
“I’m not even finished. My sports program just received a giant donation from a sponsor granting certain qualified students scholarships, and I got one!”
“You’re rich!” Kuroo cheered as he bypassed Daichi’s hand and picked him up.
Daichi laughed and kicked his legs as he tried to get free. “I’m not rich, just not dirt poor. And anyway, the dorms aren’t cheap to live in, so I had a thought--put me down for a sec,” He wheezed, and Kuroo complied, setting him down but not completely releasing him. “If we move out of the dorms we could probably afford a tiny apartment not too far away. Even a tiny apartment would give us more space. We could even have a kitchen!”
Kuroo’s mouth dropped open as his mind quickly ran through the possibilities. “Are you allowed to live off campus with your scholarships?”
“Yeah, I checked. What about you?”
“They didn’t say anything about it, so I think it’s ok.”
“So… you wanna do it?” Daichi asked, his eyes dancing as he stared up hopefully at Kuroo.
“Hell yes, I do!”