In Autumn the Smell of Your Sweat
Theme: Seasons
Imagine a mid-October evening, the chill of the waning season only recently having begun to push back the lingering summer heat. The monsoon rains have long since cleared, and the clouds, thick cumulus and wispy cirrus, stretch like pulled cotton across the indigo sky keeping the blood moon at bay. Far below partygoers – their tabi and stocking clad feet shifting in whispers across tatami mats, some in warm silk kimono and others in casual modern dress – all gathered before a shimmering lantern lit pond wherein Showa koi in orange and black splashed white attired mingle amongst the Shiro and Hi Utsuri their two colored dress paling only to the lone Karasugoi's all black affair. Streamlined bodies dancing gracefully through the still pond, fins setting gentle ripples across the surface.
Laughter abounds on warm tea and sake stained breaths, munching and on dango and the local confectioners' special harvest inspired wagashi – so beautiful, subtly sweet delectable pieces of art. The taste of reverence and gratitude. To the far end of the courtyard a group has taken to a game of hanafuda, and in drunken mirth the cards go scattering off the deck into the well-kept garden below. Apologies to the host, but their folly is taken in stride. One woman skilled at the biwa is encouraged to play. One song. Just one song. One become two and two becomes four, the quiver of her bow and the song of her strings singing lofty melodies into the evening sky.
By evening's end, the clouds have parted and the moon at last had risen to her peak, pleased perhaps by the offerings upon her alter of lush blush-orange persimmons and soft lavender tufted susuki grass. The chatter dies to murmur as all eyes turn to behold, with melancholy tinted awe, the clearest moon of the year. Otsukimi. To appreciate with revered hearts the view of the moon in all her majesty.
xXx
It had already been over six months since Kenma had graduated from Nekoma and had joined Kuroo in Chuo University's Institute of Health and Sports Science. A good number of their acquaintances had ended up going to Chuo, some to Tsukuba and others to Tokai and Jutendo. If he wasn't mistaken Shiratorizawa's Ushijima had even gotten into the Nippon Sport Science University in Setagaya ward. What all these schools had in common was notable and repeat achievements in the All Japan Intercollegiate Volleyball Championship – the largest scale amateur sport event in the country. Kuroo had naturally made his choice because of his love for volleyball, Kenma however had made his choice because of his love for Kuroo. Not exactly the best determinant for such an important life decision perhaps, but a university was a university to him, he could study what he wanted practically at any one of them, and by virtue of the competitive nature of educational institutions all the programs were of a fairly high caliber.
Looking at the call number on the paper in his hand, Kenma picked out the first few numbers and began scanning the spines of the books, finding it on the top shelf. Of course it would be. Reaching up he frowned, fingers barely grazing the shelf, let alone the book. Glancing up and down the aisle and peering into the two neighbouring ones, he released a huff as he returned to the shelf looking up to the book that was just a couple of inches past his reach.
Lips pursing together, he laid a hand against a lower shelf to support himself, reaching for it again, index and middle finger brushing the bottom edge of the spine. Falling back flat on his feet, he released a sigh of frustration.
The shelf in front of him became shaded, as an arm reached over him, pulling the book free. Turning Kenma found the owner of the hand to be none other than his roommate, childhood friend and lover, who was now holding the book out to him.
"This the right one?"
"Un, thanks," Kenma said taking the offered book, feeling mildly embarrassed for trying so adamantly even though he knew he couldn't reach.
"You know you could have just dragged one of those step stools over," Kuroo grinned as he ruffled Kenma's hair.
"Too much trouble," Kenma muttered instinctively leaning into the touch, Kuroo's hand sliding down to cup his cheek.
"Kuroo, here is…"Kenma trailed off as a thumb swiped across his bottom lip, gently parting them as Kuroo ducked down for a kiss. Kenma moaned softly into the kiss, saddened when Kuroo pulled away."
"Wow getting a little frisky for so early in the day aren't you Tetsu-chan?"
Two pairs of catlike golden hued eyes turned to the voice, Kuroo's brow twitching in annoyance, a light hint of red cresting on Kenma's cheeks at having been seen.
"What do you want Oikawa-san?"
"What a normal person wants when they visit the library," Oikawa grinned gesturing to the book still in Kenma's hands. "The cute kitty you always keep to yourself seems to get it."
Kenma bristled a bit at the statement but said nothing.
"Oikawa," Kuroo said pointedly.
"Fine, fine, can't a guy make conversation with his friends? I was going to call but I saw you walking this way. I just wanted to know if you were coming tonight."
"Koutarou already asked and I said I would."
"Wait Ko-chan's coming?"
"Yeah, Iwaizumi-san invited Akaashi," Kuroo said with a shrug.
"Ah no fair, leaving me out of the loop," Oikawa pouted. "Is Kenma-chan coming?"
"Coming where?" Kenma asked looking up at Kuroo.
"There's a moon-viewing thing later tonight that the astronomy club is hosting. A bunch of the guys from the volleyball club are going," Kuroo shrugged before glancing to Oikawa. "Who was it who invited us?"
"I did."
Kuroo's brow twitched. "Okay, who invited you?"
"I'm friends with some of the girls in the club and they said I should definitely come and to bring my hot friends."
"You're going out tonight?" Kenma frowned.
"Hmm? Yeah, I didn't think you'd want to go so I didn't ask."
"Oh what's this? Not planning to cheat on Kenma-chan are you Tetsu-chan?" Oikawa teased.
"What dumb shit are you going on about? I'm perfectly content with Kenma, so I'd appreciate if you didn't say crap like that."
"I want to go." Kenma said suddenly, lips pursing and brows dipping in thought.
"He was just joking Kenma, I'm really only going to hang with Koutarou."
"You don't want me to come?"
"No, that's– I mean if you want to."
Kenma nodded, "I do."
"Okay! It's settled, see you both tonight!" Oikawa grinned happily as he ran off, completely forgetting about the book he'd come to get.
"You sure you want to go? You know campus gatherings are just an excuse to drink and be obnoxious. It could get pretty rowdy even though it's just something like otsukimi. Especially with Oikawa and Koutarou both being there."
"I'm happy you don't pressure me into going to those kinds of things..."
"I sense a 'but' coming."
"But I don't like that you just assume and don't ask me."
"Oh? That's rare. Sounds like it's something you actually want to go to. You like moon watching? I don't recall you ever being interested in that stuff."
"It's not the moon…" Kenma mumbled.
"What was that?"
"It's not the moon that I'm going for."
"Then wha- It's not because of what Oikawa said is it? About the astronomy club girls?"
Kenma averted his eyes to the bookshelf at his side.
"It is?" Kuroo asked with a smirk. "What are you jealous? You know you're the only one for me."
"So what if I am? Aside from our friends, no one knows we're together, so people are always hitting on you, right? Like those girls at the campus coffee house the other day… Or that cute guy in your physiology of exercise class. Because you're attractive and good at volleyball you really stand out. I don't like when other people look at you like they want you."
Kuroo stared dumfounded. Kenma had always been blunt when he had something to say, but to say something like that had been beyond Kuroo's expectations, and though he knew Kenma loved him, he found it surprisingly heartwarming that Kenma was jealous even of people that Kuroo didn't even notice existed.
"You're just too cute Kenma," Kuroo grinned, snatching Kenma up into a hug and nuzzling into the crook of his neck, nipping teasingly at the flesh there.
"Kuroo, stop that! Not here!" Kenma whispered harshly.
"But if people come by and see us, they'll know I'm taken."
"I'm not into exhibitionism, Kuroo. I don't want to do it in the stacks surrounded by dusty old books that no one has taken off the shelf in a decade."
"Do it? Haha who said anything about doing it?" Kuroo smirked slyly. "Someone's mind is in the gutter."
Kenma's cheeks flushed crimson, pushing Kuroo away and storming off in a huff.
"Ah wait, Kenma. I'm sorry," Kuroo said though he couldn't repress the smile on his lips.
"Tonight…" Kenma said pausing in his stride to look at Kuroo. "Escort me?"
A fond smile softened Kuroo's features as he nodded, following Kenma down to the checkout desks.
xXx
"I said you don't have to," Kenma flustered as Kuroo happily strolled down the street to the old teahouse the astronomy club had rented out for the night, fingers laced with Kenma's in broad view of anyone who happened to look their way.
"But I want to, don't you?" Kuroo asked a challenging grin tilting up the corners of his lips. "After all you want them to know we're together don't you?"
"You're not being fair," Kenma frowned, his cheeks reddened – from embarrassment or the chill of the October air Kuroo didn't know.
"Then what would you have me do?" Kuroo asked releasing Kenma's hand, the grin fading.
Kenma blinked, staring down at his now free hand, the cold seeping into his fingers quicker than he could ever imagine. Lips drawing tight and brows burrowing Kenma stuck his hand out silently recanting his decision.
A slightly pinched smile, creased Kuroo's brows together as he took the offered hand in his again. "Isn't it you who's not being fair right now? Can I touch you in public or can't I? Will you get angry if I casually kiss you or hug you when we're around everyone else? Will you get irritated if I don't?"
"It's not that I don't, and I won't get mad… just embarrassed."
"You have a tendency of getting very hostile when you're embarrassed."
"I-"
"Say Kenma, I was going to make sure to be back before midnight, but since we're going together we don't have to rush, right?"
"Huh?"
"I wanted to be first to congratulate you for your birthday."
Kenma's eyes lit up as he looked up at Kuroo.
"What? Did you think I had forgotten?"
"…Well you were planning to be out tonight and you never even mentioned it to me, what was I supposed to think?"
"It hurts that you don't have more faith in me, you know."
"Well I'm just stupidly in love with you okay, so I can't help it that I feel awkward and insecure when it comes to you!" Kenma bristled tugging his hand out of Kuroo's to walk ahead in vain attempts to hide the radiant flush that colored his skin to his ears.
Shocked silent Kuroo stared at Kenma's back, yellow ocher eyes roving over every detail from the tense shoulders evident despite the thicker autumn jacket he'd already taken to wearing, and the hands fisted at his sides. Then in a fluid movement he caught Kenma around the waist in a tight embrace, the most natural unassumingly happy grin splitting his features.
"Promise you'll never stop!"
"What are you going on about? Get off me," Kenma grumbled, squirming and flailing indignantly.
"Not until you promise."
"Promise what?"
"Promise me you'll never stop loving me so much that you get stupidly insecure and awkward."
"I don't want to. It'd be bad for my heart if I didn't eventually get over it."
"I'll buy you a pacemaker."
"Idiot, that's not going to help!"
"And here I thought we were the idiot couple in our merry little group," Iwaizumi muttered startling the two out of their self-contained little world.
"Yahoo! Tetsu-chan, Kenma-chan! Glad you could make it~" Oikawa grinned slinging his arms around their shoulders with casual familiarity. "It's pretty cold out but you two seem to be as hot as ever!"
If it was physically possible there'd have been steam coming out of Kenma's head he was so red. Throwing Oikawa's arm off, Kuroo tugged Kenma away from Oikawa, just as Iwaizumi yanked him back by the collar of his shirt.
"Quit being a pest, we're already late," Iwaizumi huffed.
"Aw Iwa-chan, I was just being friendly~"
"Too friendly, now get your ass inside. You two as well! If you catch cold and can't make it to practice coach will have a fit."
Kuroo sighed but didn't protest, hand settling against Kenma's lower back, gently guiding him inside the teahouse they had unwittingly ended up making a scene in front of.
Upon entering they were escorted down through the halls to a large room overlooking the open garden. Several unknown girls were hustling about with drinks and snacks, one seemingly already inebriated – or merely just asleep – in the corner of the room, and Bokuto, bouncing about like an over excited puppy, with Akaashi and a couple other familiar faces from Karasuno and Dateko sitting around talking.
"Kuroo!" Bokuto beamed running over to greet his friend. "You came! You came! And Kenma too!"
"Why are you so excited, I said I was coming."
"Don't mind him," Akaashi said sanding and walking over. "He already had a beer and two cup of sake."
"Already? Didn't this thing just start? Did it even start yet?" Kuroo asked incredulously, Kenma nodding his greeting before walking over to the other, less rowdy people to say hello.
"The clouds are pretty thin tonight, but it won't be another couple of hours before the moon is in full view," one of the girls called as she went to set the telescope up on the deck.
"She means that now's just the party, so make yourselves at home," another girl said in passing as he ran over to greet Oikawa, gushing excitedly and thanking him for coming and bringing so many people."
"Do they know he's seeing you?" Kuroo asked Iwaizumi as said male left Oikawa's ego to inflate.
"I have no idea what they think. The dumbass kissed me in front of them the last time they had something like this and they still act like that. If anything they might have been even more excited after that… I don't know. I have no clue how women think."
"Never mind that let's play!" Bokuto grinned, grabbing Kuroo and Iwaizumi by the wrists and dragging them out into the garden. "Hurry up Keiji! Grab the ball from my bag!"
"Ball? What the heck are we playing?" Iwaizumi asked as he noted Akaashi reluctantly heading over to a duffle by the wall.
"Volleyball of course!"
"Haaa? Here?"
"Yeah, there's one, two, eight of us! So we can play four on four!"
"What? What?" Oikawa asked popping over.
"This idiot wants to play volleyball in the garden," Akaashi said dully walking up with the volleyball in hand.
"Oh, I'm on Iwa-chan's team!" Oikawa beamed sticking his hand up.
"I don't think the ochaya's onee-san's will be too happy with us stomping around in their garden," Daichi said walking over with Kenma and Futakuchi.
"Don't worry about it, this is my aunt's place," one of the girls from earlier pipped up as she took up residence on the deck with a cup and three tokkuri.
"I still don't think-"
"Sawamura, be on my team!" Bokuto said as he took the ball from Akaashi and began volleying it lightly into the air. "Kuroo too!"
"Kenma-chan~"Oikawa sang hugging Kenma from behind. "Be on my team?"
Kuroo stiffened in irritation, knowing Oikawa was being extra familiar with Kenma just to get a rise out of him.
"I don't really care either way," Kenma sighed, not seeing a way out of the insanity.
Noting the tenseness in Nekoma's ex-captain, Futakuchi also waltzed over slinging and arm around Kenma's shoulders. "I'd like to be on Kenma's team as well."
Kuroo was practically livid on the inside, though he kept a schooled appearance of calm. Hi irritation might have not even been observable had his smile not been so tense.
"Then Akaashi you're with us."
"Yes yes," Akaashi sighed, giving up on the hope that the girls might have protested their activities, when it seemed they were all gathering with their booze to watch the show.
"Were we called out here to be the in house entertainment?" Daichi muttered to no one in particular as Bokuto volleyed the ball over to Oikawa without warning. And so the games began.
xXx
Two hours later, with the moon at its highest peak, everyone lay sprawled in various places across the tea room, deck and garden chests heaving and clothes sticking to sweaty – quickly cooling skin.
"You guys suck," Futakuchi groused as he tried to squeeze the water out of his shoes after having been knocked into the koi pond.
"It was your own fault," Kuroo said wiping the dirt from his face after having been trampled into a patch of mud by Bokuto jumping for the ball.
"Keiji help~ Get them out~" Bokuto whimpered as he shook his head.
"Then stop moving!" Akaashi snapped, proceeding to remove the burrs that had gotten stuck in Bokuto's hair when he had gone rummaging through the bushes for the ball.
"The garden's a mess," Daichi said idly shaking sand and pebbles out of his shoes – why there was a stone garden behind the hinoki cypress in the corner of the garden, he couldn't fathom.
"Oi, has anyone seen Tooru?" Iwaizumi asked running his fingers through his hair to remove the twigs and leaves from his ball in tree retrieval mission.
Kuroo glanced around. "Kenma?"
"What's with that expression?" Bokuto asked grinning. "Miss him already?"
"Hey, what time is it?"
"About five after midnight," Daichi said glancing at his phone. "Why?"
"Nothing… Just had something to do," Kuroo frowned.
xXx
"You didn't have to come with me," Kenma said as he washed his hands.
"But it's lonely going alone, isn't it?" Oikawa asked leaning against the bathroom's doorframe.
"It's normal for people to go to the bathroom alone."
"But in a creepy old teahouse like this, there might be ghosts~" Oikawa said slapping his palms against his cheeks in a poor imitation of The Scream.
"If there were any ghosts, our game in the garden would have surely scared them away."
"Hmm, you seem pretty calm when Tetsu-chan isn't around. Is it only him that can make you flustered?"
"Huh?" Kenma blinked in surprised meeting Oikawa's deep burgundy gaze.
"I'm glad though, that you decided to come," Oikawa went on. "Tetsu-chan gets all flustered when you're around too. Or more like when you're around other people."
"Is that so?" Kenma said disinterestedly.
"The reason you came tonight. It wasn't because I made that joke about him cheating on you. You know he would never do that. So why?"
Kenma paused, thinking seriously for a moment. "Probably the same reason you organized this and invited us all here."
It was Oikawa's turn to be surprised. Though he knew Kenma's observation skills were sharper than that of anyone else he knew, he was still taken aback to be seen through so easily.
"There's a story, you know," Oikawa said as they walked back towards the tea room. "Says that there's a rabbit on the moon and he pounds rice cakes. Really weird story, right? See the shadows on the moon? It's cause that's supposed to resemble a rabbit, but I totally don't see it... Still, even if he were the only one able to do what he does, don't you think he's lonely up there all by himself?"
"That's why we gather, isn't it? The offerings and the sake… though our lot is as rowdy as a bunch of drunkards without ever touching a drop."
Oikawa's eyes teared up dramatically as he launched himself at Kenma. "Iwachan~"
"I'm not-oomph."
Once the stars had cleared from his vision, Kenma frowned, finding himself staring up at the ceiling from the flat of his back, head throbbing from the impact with the wooden hall floors, and the older, taller brunet, nuzzling him affectionately.
"Get off Oikawa-san," Kenma said dully.
"Kenma?" Golden eyes widened in mild horror at the thought of Kuroo seeing him in such a compromising state.
"It's your birthday today right?" Oikawa whispered against Kenma's ear. "Here's my present for you. Possessive sex is really the best. Have fun."
Kenma stared in complete shock as Kuroo yanked Oikawa off him, eyes dark with anger and warning.
"Easy there, no harm done, mild lapse in judgment is all," Oikawa winked, sticking his tongue out and bonking himself lightly on the head.
"That better be all that it was," Kuroo growled, pulling Kenma up and leading him away.
"Hey you found- oi you guys leaving?" Iwaizumi asked as Kuroo stalked past him without a word, Kenma trailing after.
Iwaizumi turned to Oikawa with an accusatory stare. "What did you do?"
"Nothing. Just a little present for Kenma-chan's birthday~" Oikawa sang as he pranced over to Iwaizumi, draping himself over him with the most sultry come hither gaze.
"Hmph, ditching your own party is a pretty crappy move even for you," Iwaizumi said hand hooking behind Oikawa's head to drag him forward into a kiss.
"Hmm… who said anything about leaving?" Oikawa mumbled breathily against Iwaizumi's lips.
"There's a word… for you… you know… incorrigible," Iwaizumi said between kisses as Oikawa led him back down the hall to the bathroom.
xXx
"Kuroo, I said stop! It's not polite to leave without saying anything," Kenma said pulling his hand out of Kuroo's after having been pulled along for a good ten minutes, body trembling in the cold, their jackets still back at the teahouse.
"What were you doing with Oikawa?" Kuroo asked turning on Kenma, brows pinched together and jaw tense with anxiety. Kenma was surprised to say the least. Kuroo had never looked so… so… desperate before.
"I wasn't doing anything, he…"
"Why was he on top of you?"
"A hug gone wrong?" Kenma offered lightly.
"Shit, and I was all joking around earlier because you were getting jealous for no reason, and here I am totally losing my cool over that idiot's games. He knew I was there didn't he?" Kuroo sighed once he'd cooled down a bit.
"Yeah."
"Damn it, even knowing that, I still want to drown him in the pond."
"Don't do that, I'm not waiting for you if you do something stupid and get thrown into prison."
"You damn well better wait for me, it'd be your fault if I ever did something that stupid."
"I may look it, but I'm not all that patient Kuroo," Kenma said eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "I won't stand for being left alone for so long."
"For tonight at least, I won't leave you alone at all," Kuroo said, pulling Kenma forward, lips hungrily pressing against his. Kenma's nose twisted at the scent of cooled sweat and top soil clinging to Kuroo's skin. It was strangely comforting. That smell of uninhibited exuberance, surrounded by autumn colors and the serenade of tens of chirruping crickets.
End
A/N: Hey there, so don't get upset, I'm not leaving you high and dry completely. I'm saving the aforementioned possessive KuroKen fun for #kurokenmonth's upcoming touch theme on tumblr. But first the last of the season fics, winter! I'm going over to a friend's house to marathon Kara no Kyoukai tomorrow, so with that being like eight hours of nonstop anime, I don't know if it'll be up by tomorrow, but I'll get to working on it right after I bake a cake or something… Can't go over to someone's house without bringing anything, that's poor manners :P
So anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this little romp. I look forward to writing about more of the Haikyuu cast in the future, everyone is just so fun!
As always thanks for your time, all comments are very much welcomed and appreciated :)