Kenma has been part of the Covenant families since he was a tiny child. Since his parents realized his bond to Tetsurou was all that kept him somewhat social and active. His father had hated it, had often muttered about 'making other people's choices', but Kenma had never seen it that way.
His grandparents on his fathers' side roll their eyes when his father rants and raves. Kozume Kimiko had been born two months after her husband, and had been intended as his partner and best friend. Like a high number of pairs, they had taken their relationship to a sexual level.
Given that two of the four families involved in the Covenant claimed direct descent from ninja clans and the other two families were so related as to make it impossible for beliefs to be kept from bleeding over, most were okay with how things played out. For example, much prejudice, such as homophobia had been eradicated from their ranks after several pairs had fallen in love with each other. Most of the others who held Covenants were of the opinion that you fell in love with a persons' spirit and personality than their body parts.
For himself, Kenma was certain that he'd been born to love Kuroo. Bokuto- his distant cousin- had a similar relationship with his own setter, Akaashi. They'd been lucky enough that the men they loved were either bisexual or also gay.
All of this flew his mind as Nekoma's bus rolled toward Teppodama Nagano for the volleyball camp. He'd see Bokuto and Kuroo of course, but also Shouyou, because Sugawara, Shimizu, and at the last minute, Karasuno's former ace and Captain had been recruited by the school.
So the Covenant families had founded the university to educate the family and their friends, it wasn't like they didn't accept people who applied. It was just very selective of who they recruited. And if the coordinators had anticipated that having his former senpai around would control Kageyama when he was ready for University, well, they were good at what they did.
Kenma huffed as he stowed his DS. Having been voted in as Captain before Kuroo retired, he had work to do. Fukunaga, his vice captain, and Taketora, the current Ace, were snoring, as were everyone else except Naoi and the driver. Clearing his throat, Kenma prodded Tora awake and requested
"Get everyone's attention." Tora obliged, roaring
"Oi! All of you, Captain has something to say!" the first years, slightly intimidated by the way Kenma commanded the other players (tall, tall Lev, big, energetic Inuoka, boisterous Tora) all straightened up, obviously afraid that Kenma-taichou (Tora and Lev especially insisted on the honorific) would get angry. Shibayama blinked, elbowing Inuoka, whose yelp woke Fukunaga. Kenma shook his head, sighed and informed them
"We're almost there. We'll be greeted by all the players of the Teppodama team and any teams that hung around because they got there before us." Golden eyes narrowed before he finished
"Embarrass Nekoma at your peril. Last years' captain, Kuroo Tetsurou, is not only attending Teppodama as a middle blocker, he'll assign punishments." Mostly because Kenma was lazy, but it shut up the first years.
Other than Naoi and old man Nekomata, Kenma disembarked first, flanked by Tora and Inuoka, then the first years, shepherded by Shibayama and a slightly more graceful Lev. Fukunaga brought up the rear, grinning when he saw that Teppodama, Fukuroudani, Karasuno and Shiratorizawa had arrived ahead of them. Team Teppodama wore blue and gold, Kuroo and Yaku were no exception, both splendidly decked out in sea blue tracksuits. They waved, grinning when Kenma tersely ordered Tora to maintain order while he conferred with the other captains. Like said other captains, Kenma wore his jacket draped over his shoulders, though only he wore a brand new jacket, white with red details, 'KOZUME' in neat red kanji on his left breast, 'CAPTAIN' on the other. It had been a gift from the club members who voted him in as captain, the collection taken up by Tora and the design chosen by Shouhei. Ennoshita, Akaashi, Bokuto, and the Shiratorizawa captain raised their brows at Kenmas' attire, but Kuroo grinned as Yaku fought his giggles.
Shouhei had to fight his own snickers when he saw the other teams eying up Kenma's captain tracksuit. Tora had decided that the captain who was the backbone, brain and heart of the team needed the best attire, and the rest of Nekoma who hadn't retired had all agreed. Kenma needed something cool but understated.
Waiting for the other teams to get in, Fukunaga put his vice captain skills to work. Anyone with eyes knew Kuroo and Kenma were involved, so he had to make sure the first years didn't disturb the captain too much.
The first year awe of the high school teams was broken by Bokuto pulling out an iPad with a high-volume speaker and blasting the latest Burnout Syndromes album. Kenma, Kageyama, Kinoshita, Sugawara, Shimizu, Bokuto, and three Teppodama guys- one with black frosted tips in his blond hair, the other two with short cropped dark mops- got in a line and started dancing. It was… an experience, watching his captain smile and bounce around to the rock music. Kuroo's dropped jaw was probably why he'd done it in the first place, but damn. Kenma could work it, and so could every guy in the line, including Kageyama.
The crazy people danced for the next half hour, through the arrival of Aoba Johsai, Datekou Tech, Nohebi, Johzenji, Ubugawa, and Shinzen.
Bokuto led the procession once all the teams were present through the courtyard, and down a covered walkway to another, open courtyard, this one paved with dyed terracotta tiles. The speaker had kept playing, was now transitioning to a mellow piano piece, and Konoha took hold Suzumeda's hand, waltzing her around as they all came to a halt in front of a huge castle.
Even the coaches stared at the towering structure in front of them. Bokuto slung an arm around Akkashi's shoulders and remarked cheerfully
"It looks huge, but you'll get used to it. C'mon, Fukuroudani, you're all in the Bokuto family wing." Kenma sighed and raised his voice enough to be heard
"Nekoma is in the Kozume no Mitsurugi wing." Kinoshita squared his shoulders and called
"Karasuno is split between the Shimizu and Kinoshita wings." The shorter of the dark haired guys who'd danced waved and announced
"Datekou's bunking in the Kazamagata wing." The taller one snorted and barked
"Aoba Johsai, you're in the Kagari wing." Black-frosted blond shrugged and walked away, calling
"Shiratorizawa is in the Genbu wing." Ubugawa, Shinzen, Johzenji and Nohebi were left staring at the teams walking away, and then a feminine voice called for their attention. Assuming it was someone settling lodging for them, Fukunaga headed for this 'Kozume no Mitsurugi wing'.
It was interesting, to say the least. It was a suite of traditional Japanese rooms. A heavy shoji door locked the area, but the area itself had been divided into several rooms. Kuroo and Yaku already slept in what Kenma said was the 'Daimyo's room' and the 'Chief guards' station. Naoi and Nekomata, once the players were situated, were quietly directed to the Daimyo's Tower, the rooms that had been used to house diplomats and the like.
Shouhei liked this setup. It promoted unity within the bounds of privacy. The best part of staying at Teppodama Nagano, Kenma had informed him lazily after voicing that thought, was the food. Everything Japanese was on offer from the best cooks the families had access to. He frowned, as did everyone else, and asked what Kenma meant. Rolling his eyes as he unpacked a scarlet yukata, and then a red haori and a pair of black hakama, the current captain of Nekoma said easily as he passed the hakama and haori to Kuroo
"My family, generations back, founded Teppodama U to educate our people, friends and family alike. Although it's possible for an outsider to get in, it's easier if a family member makes your case to the admissions crew. We don't do anything, just bring possibles to the attention of the recruiting staff." Wrapping himself in his yukata and tying the obi, Kenma walked out, calling back
"Be ready for more dancing. It's a family requirement, since most of us are music obsessed athletes."
That sounded… well, strange. But whatever, Nekoma's flexible like the blood in their veins for a reason.
PICK OPEN THE LOCK
Sheppard's Geronimo was blaring from the hidden speakers when the teams arrived back at the courtyard, members of the founding families of Teppodama University dressed in traditional clothing and belting out the lyrics as they danced. Bokuto, to the surprise of all who knew him, was clapping the beat and bobbing his head as Kenma and Kinoshita danced easily beside him, the three of them nodding when their female cousins joined in the singing.
Semi Eita, dressed only in ink black hakama, stood to the outside of the ring of Teppodama dancers, striding forward to jerk red-haired, green eyed Azusa into his arms as Geronimo gave way to an older Japanese love ballad.
Iwaizumi, also dressed in hakama and nothing else, slipped over to Shizuha, his breath catching when her deep gold hair caught in the fading sunlight, her deep green furisode swishing as she moved.
Moniwa Kaname and Konoha Akinori, too, were caught up in the women they held, Kazama Naomi's nimble fingers threading in Kaname's rumpled dark locks with a laugh, Kaori's soft smile tripping up Akinori's heart.
But Kuroo Tetsurou didn't see any of that. Didn't even see Bokuto's gleeful grin when Akaashi consented to dance with him. All he saw was the burning scarlet of Kenma's yukata, the fall of caramel yellow hair on his cheeks, the glitter of amusement in catlike eyes.
The distance between them has never been so narrow and yet seemed so vast. He loves Kenma, loves his smile and intelligence and even his discomfort from being around too many people.
But in the time since he arrived at Teppodama Nagano, he's learned something about the Kozume family, and Covenants in general. Aside from Kenma's father, Kenta, there hasn't been a Kozume in recent history to leave the Family. Even then, he knows Kenma was raised much like the son of any other traditional family.
And yet, he knows that the Covenant families are the most accepting of homosexual relationships. The Clan History class Bokuto had recommended he take had illustrated all kinds of relationships between partners.
That word alone fills him with dread and wariness and hope. Because though most Covenant children are reared with the person most likely to be best for them- Miyamoto Shizuha had moved in with the Iwaizumi family at eight!- many choose another partner down the road to love romantically.
Still, enough same-sex pairs had fallen in love, recorded their stories, that the Covenant protects their members equally, viciously, never faltering in their drive to nurture and protect.
He loves Kenma, fiercely, achingly, adoringly. Tetsurou would give him everything he is and not regret it for a moment. But Kuroo is the ordinary son of ordinary people, and Kenma…
The Kozume family traces back to the Kagami family, the people who built and govern, to this day, a secluded, hamlet like village in Miyagi. The Kozume, Nanase and Kageyama families are just a few of the branch families that have sprung from the mighty tree that is the Kagami bloodline, just as the Kagari, Kazama, Konoha and Kinoshita are descended of the Genbu.
And hadn't that been a surprise! Konoha, Shimizu, Bokuto, Kenma, and so many more descended from brave warriors and rich merchants. Maybe they weren't ostentatious in their personal residences, but all the families (and their friends and students) enjoyed the rich magnificence of Teppodama Nagano, the Teppodama Kanto compound (where, supposedly, the basketball team was based), Kagami Village, and Teppodama Kyoto, the swim teams' stomping grounds.
That didn't do justice to the other properties he'd seen photos of. The elegant tower in downtown Tokyo, the onsen in Hasetsu, the manors in Osaka and Okinawa.
Kenma's his best friend. And they're standing here in this beautiful courtyard, barely a foot from each other, and the distance feels as vast as it does when Bokuto and Konoha accidentally confirmed that their personal pockets, though deep, don't compare to the Covenant coffers.
"Kuro." The quiet reproach of Kenma's tone is almost lost to the music around them, or it would be, if Kuroo hadn't acclimated to the eclectic tastes of his dorm mates, who insist music is necessary to a good life.
"Kenma?" The way he speaks is polite, murmured in a pitch that will reach Kenma's ears but not carry.
With a snort, Kenma grabs his wrist and walks away, his surefooted manner marvelling Kuroo, since he took weeks to learn the layout of the castle.
"Kuro, what's wrong? Has the castle staff not looked after you properly?" The furrow in Kenma's brow and the confusion in his voice startle Kuroo. Clearing his throat, he hastened to reassure Kenma
"I'm fine, the staff are great, Bo and Sawamura and the others are awesome training partners, it's just… Bo told me to take this introductory history course. So I did, and…"
For all the things his tone implies and of all the reactions Kenma could have to this statement, he wasn't prepared for a dry chuckle and an exasperated
"Kuro, you idiot."
After that, it takes an hour of bickering and reading each other, but they're finally on the same wavelength again, Kenma's wealth and bloodline no longer an obstacle to overcome.
Kuroo enjoys his life at Teppodama even more after that. Kenma visits more, once they been put down on the clan rolls as a pair, like Keiji and Koutarou, and Kaori and Konoha, and that makes it even easier, because now Kuroo only has to be back in Teppodama for the occasional practice, all his classwork be filed online and he can spend the rest of his time helping with the Nekoma players and crosstraining at the Kantou compound.
Kenma enjoys having Kuro home more often, enjoys the occasional trip up to Miyagi and to Kagami Village, where he and Kuro eat and dance and in Kuro's case, play volleyball as much as they like.
No life is perfect, but theirs' looks close to it.
Okay, so about teams/clubs: Teppodama has clubs at every location, but the actual teams are based on different campuses, and it is recommended you attend school at the campus that is best for you.