"Camping!?" Both Bokuto and Akaashi say at the same time. Akaashi's voice is drowned out by Bokuto's, but Kuroo sees the shorter boy turn his head into the webcams view.
"Yeah, it'll be fun." Kuroo shrugs, trying not to let the panic in his stomach hear the panic in both of his friend's voices.
The back of Bokuto's head takes up the full screen of Kuroo's laptop. Bokuto is probably sitting at their kitchen table while Akaashi cooks dinner. That's how Kuroo's conversations usually go with the two. All three are enrolled at the same university, so one would think they'd actually get to see each other more often than when they were in high school. Instead, Bokuto and Akaashi's apartment is on the other side of the city, opposite of Kuroo's.
"Yah, what are you two talking about, Bokuto's big head is in the way." Kuroo leans left and then right like he's sitting across from Bokuto in their apartment and can easily see around the head with a slight movement.
He can hear the muffled voice, Bokuto must be covering the mic. He video-called them to help calm his nerves, not make them more on edge. Maybe he should have called Kenma... or Yaku...
"Have you ever been camping?" Akaashi asks, pushing Bokuto's head out of the way. The legs of Bokuto's chair aren't ready for the movement. Kuroo hears the scraping against the floor and then a thud. Bokuto nowhere to be seen.
Kuroo looks down, again, like he's in the room with them. Akaashi looks like he's petting a dog on the floor; leaning slightly forward, arm reaching underneath him. Face as straight as ever.
It's a good question. One that Kuroo tries to muddle the answer to to make himself sound better.
"I went camping with Kenma's family once."
He hears Bokuto's cackle and then another thud. Akaashi must have silenced him with his foot.
"I'm not sure that counts." Akaashi makes himself comfortable in front of the screen. "Go stir the noodles," Akaashi motions behind him and all of the sudden Bokuto pops up near their stove.
"Why doesn't it count?" Kuroo leans down, closer to the camera.
"Because, Kenma's family probably drove to a cabin or rented one of those big house cars and called it camping," Bokuto yells in the background, stirring the noodles like a good boy.
Akaashi nods, "are you staying in tent?"
"I..think so," Kuroo scratches the back of his head.
"What did Tsukishima tell you to bring?"
"A sleeping bag, warm clothes to sleep in, water proof jacket..." Kuroo reads off his phone from the message Tsukishima sent him a few days ago.
There's another glance between BokuAka, "you're definitely staying in a tent," Akaashi clarifies for him. "Did you tell him you've never been camping before?"
"Tsukishima doesn't seem like a camper, definitely not a happy one," Bokuto cackles at his own joke.
"Do you even have a sleeping bag?"
"I bet he's going to leave you stranded. See how long you last in the wilderness."
"Is your jacket going to be heavy enough? Is it waterproof?"
"Dude, if a bear attacks you you're definitely first choice. Tsukki's too bitter."
Kuroo's head is down, defeated, but the two still keep talking. Questions about socks, boots, walking sticks. Worst case scenarios all ending with Kuroo dead or missing.
When they're finally finished talking Kuroo lifts his head, both boys are now seated and have plates of noodles in front of them. They're waiting for Kuroo to retort.
He glances at the clothes laid out on his bed: a few pairs of thicker socks, his winter jacket (wool, not waterproof), and a few sweaters. He does NOT have a sleeping bag or really any idea of what to expect on this trip. He's lived in Tokyo all his life, cut a guy break! It's true, Kenma's family did rent a cabin. That didn't stop Kuroo from bragging to Yaku that he had been 'roughing it' all weekend. That's what he heard Kenma's father say they were doing at least.
Kuroo shrugs, again, "it'll be fun."
"I wonder if Tsukishima knows you've never been camping," Akaashi ignores Kuroo's positivity.
"I wonder if Tsukki has ever been camping," Bokuto, again, laughing at his own joke.
Kuroo had been quite surprised when Tsukishima brought it up. Kuroo had been bugging Tsukishima for weeks about the next time he would come to Tokyo to visit. With Tsukishima being in his 3rd year of high school and Kuroo being fully immersed in his university studies, finding free time even on the weekends was becoming an issue. It's not like the two are dating or anything... just good friends. Really good friends. Like the best of friends. Friends.
Don't get Kuroo wrong, he wants to be more than friends. More than you can imagine. But the blonde has made it more than clear that he's not interested in Kuroo in that way. Actually the blonde has made nothing at all clear. That's Kuroo's problem.
It's always Kuroo reaching out to the younger boy. Kuroo messages, Kuroo calls, Kuroo invites. He's tried to read between the lines, try to pick up on any shy clues that Tsukishima might leave, but he can't find a single speck of interest outside of friendship, which the interest there is minimal if that. All of his friends know his frustration and would love to assure him that yes, Tsukishima does have feelings for you, but when it comes down to it Kuroo seems to be the only one that knows Tsukishima well enough to make that judgment call. And Yamaguchi, but Kuroo has a feeling that boy's mouth is a steel trap when it comes to Tsukishima.
So when Tsukishima came back with 'why don't you come here for the weekend, we can camp or something,' there were no thoughts about it. Kuroo immediately agreed.
"I'm sure he has, they live pretty far out there," he hears Akaashi saying in between slurps.
"I heard they used to run up these steep hills during practice like, everyday. No wonder they didn't mind Shinzen's penalties all those years," Bokuto reminisces, "good thing you didn't get fat or else you'd be screwed."
Kuroo never thought about the terrain, "you think?"
"I think you're still screwed, now-OW!" Bokuto yelps. All Kuroo can see is a slight movement from Akaashi, still comfortably seated, and Bokuto grabbing for something under the table, probably his ankle.
"Thank you Akaashi, glad to know you have faith in me," Kuroo winks at the younger boy on the screen.
"I didn't say that, Kuroo," Akaashi stands to clear the dishes, "Bokuto is kind of right." Bokuto howls in victory while Akaashi's face turns sour, like admitting Boktuo being right leaves a bad taste in his mouth.
Bokuto must have caught the expression in the tiny window showing what they look like to Kuroo and pouts. Akaashi rolls his eyes and gives Bokuto a quick squeeze on his side. Kuroo can't hear everything that Akaashi whispers to Bokuto, but he hears 'cute' and 'pout' and 'ice cream'. Bokuto takes the bowls from Akaashi's hands and kisses the shorter boy sloppily on the cheek.
Akaashi casts a glance towards the screen and Kuroo smirks back. He knows he was forgotten about, but he loves seeing the rare occasions Akaashi shows his emotions. It gives Kuroo hope for Tsukishima.
Akaashi takes his seat again, clearing his throat, "back to what I was saying..."
"That I was right?" Bokuto's voice calls from the sink.
Kuroo and Akaashi exchange looks, but neither give Bokuto the satisfaction of acknowledgment.
"...I would just make sure you're well prepared, that's all."
Kuroo searches sleeping bag prices and nearly falls out of his seat.
"It'll be fun." Kuroo's voice cracks while Bokuto cackles from the sink.