The library had always been a safe haven for Tsukishima, going so far as to take up a part-time job at a local library near his university. The hours were flexible, the workload was simple enough for him to juggle with his own assignments, and there was minimal social interaction. The perfect job for him if he had to say so himself. Wheeling the trolley over to one of the shelves, Tsukishima began sorting out the books, rearranging the messed up order that was probably caused by some imbeciles who didn't know how to return them to their proper place.

With headphones snug round his neck, Tsukishima was just about pull them over his ears when he heard a faint 'whoops' coming from a table behind him and from personal experience, that was usually not a good sign.

Kuroo let out a silent yawn as he stretched his limbs out like a cat in his seat, utterly tired of his thesis research he had been working on for the past four or five hours. Deciding it was due time for some very late lunch or early dinner, he swung his hands back down on the table to shut the book, only to smack his cup of tea and toppling it. "Whoops…" Thankfully the cup was mostly empty, spilling only a few drops onto the page he was at. Discretely glancing around the area, he hoped that with any luck, no one had seen him— …Shit. His gaze directly met with a pair of fiery amber hues glaring back, the pair of dark-rimmed glasses adding on to the intimidation factor. Trailing his gaze lower— not to ogle of course—, Kuroo caught sight of the lanyard hanging from the tall and very pissed stranger's neck, and he knew he was screwed. Not only had he been caught, but by the king of the library, the librarian. Well, at least he was cute.

"Don't wipe it so hard, you're making it worse damn it!" Tsukishima quietly hissed, lacing as much venom as he could into his words when Kuroo started frantically wiping the liquid away with the sleeve of his jacket.

Play it cool, just be smooth! "Ah uh… I uh… Sorry? It was an accident! I swear! I'm so sorry!" Nailed it. Not quite, but Kuroo was sincerely hoping it would dispel some of the librarian's fury though clearly his charm wasn't working very well that day.

Thoroughly unamused and unimpressed, Tsukishima kept the scowl on as he stormed over to Kuroo's table, deliberately looming over the lone seated figure. Good grief, that nest that he called hair was absolutely ridiculous. "Do you really think an apology is going to cut it? This is the problem with people nowadays; they don't take care of books and throw them out like trash so easily! Do you even feel the slightest remorse over the desecration of this text?! And this belongs to the library so you should have been even more careful!"

A passionate speech on books was not on the list of what Kuroo was anticipating, but somehow he got over the shock of it all and ended up tuning out the contents of the Cute Angry Librarian's rambling to listen to how pleasant his voice was. Not to mention how attractive it looked with him trying to keep his volume down while ranting.

"Are you even listening to me?!" Tsukishima finally spoke up in his regular voice when he noted there wasn't anyone else in their proximity and that the stupidly dazed look the man had was really starting to irk him.

"Uh, not really. I was just thinking about how adorable you look. Can I just say you've got a really nice voice?..." His eyes flickered over to the lanyard where Cute Angry Librarian's name was. "Tsukishima!"

You have got to be fucking kidding me. Tsukishima looked no less exasperated and his level of annoyance was rising steadily. "Your shallow flirting isn't going to get you out of this mess."

With hands raised in defeat, Kuroo nervously chuckled under the intensified glare. "I'll make it up to you! I can get a brand new book for the library! Or two!"

"The damage is already done, there's nothing you can do to atone for your terrible sin!"

"Then… Let me take you out for coffee or tea or something?" Probably wasn't the best suggestion seeing how that particular beverage got him into trouble in the first place. "Okay, okay. How about lunch? Dinner? Cake?" The change in Tsukishima's expression was ever so minute but Kuroo caught on, a swell of excitement rising up his chest. "Cake it is!"

"Don't you dare bribe your way out of this!" Tsukishima knew he had already risen to the bait with his response but he still had a sliver of self-preservation to resist the temptation.

"Mm, chocolate cake? Blackforest cakes are nice too, or how about strawberry cakes?"

"I— You're not getting away with this!..."

Ooh hesitation! "There's this café near the station that sells the best strawberry shortcake in town. Pricey but totally worth it, plus it'll be my treat. How about that? And because I'm so kind, I'll treat you to dinner as well!"

Tsukishima found his self-control waning and it just made him even more disappointed in himself. Tempted by cake. Incredible. "… F-Fine. But you're still not off the hook!"

There was nothing less than the widest grin plastered across Kuroo's features as he jumped out of his seat and into Tsukishima's personal bubble to clasp his hand in between Kuroo's own. "Great! Oh, I'm Kuroo Tetsurou by the way and I'll wait for you outside once you're done with work! See you later!"

Tsukishima barely registered what had just happened as he watched Kuroo grab his laptop and bag and dashed off with a spirited cheer. His hands felt unusually warm after that, and he wondered if the heater was turned on too high. Picking up the book that had been left on the desk, Tsukishima's gaze wandered over to the stain left behind at the bottom of the page and as he noticed how the smudge resembled a heart shape, it suddenly dawned upon him. "Oh my god he just asked me out on a date."

Epilogue – two months later

"Sorry my room's a bit of a mess, I've been busy with exams and all!"

Tsukishima glanced over the opened textbooks and papers around him, a brow raised in a mix of horror and mild amazement. How could someone manage to leave liquid stains over almost every surface? "Kuroo, I'm breaking up with you."

Padded footsteps thundered down the hallway till Kuroo came stumbling into the room. "Tsukki?! Why!— Oh. OH. Wait, I uh, I can explain!"

I accidentally spilled a drop of tea on my library book so this happened lmao.