New chapter~! I have a few chapters of advance and I wrot ethe first real smut, so I hope you'll enjoy it~ Soon, soon~! ;)

Thnks to everyone who followed, favorited and reviewed~!

lapizlazulijavi : Kuroo and Akane are going to be like that the entire time "acting like a cat after a bath", taking one step forward and two backwards but always side by side~! I wouldn't say that Ushijima is "intimidating" to write, but I get why you're sayig taht. He's a complicated character, which makes it difficult to perceive him and write him; but this sort of characters is also the most interesting! ;) (but in haikyuu the n°1 interesting/complicated to write is Oikawa! :3)

FANFICTION

HAIKYUU! : BEAUTIFUL DISASTER

CHAPTER X : Sweet Attention

"This is love… isn't it? When you notice someone's absence and hate that absence more than anything? More, even, than you love their presence?"

— Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything Is Illuminated

"You don't walk away if you love someone. You help the person."

— Hillary Clinton

"I live my own life and nurse my own wounds. It's not the best way to live. But it's the way I am."

— Jeffrey Eugenides, Middlesex

"I found him carefully studying me, his lips in a thin line. "Has anyone ever taken care of you?" he asked quietly.

"No." I'd long since stopped feeling sorry for myself about it."

― Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses

"Finding someone you can really connect with is like winning the lottery — It happens basically never, but if it does, you really shouldn't blow it."

— Jessica Verdi, What You Left Behind

"There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate."

― Linda Grayson

"That's when you know you've found somebody special. When you can just shut the f*ck up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence."

— Pulp Fiction, Dir. Quentin Tarantino

"Loving is wanting to be with someone even when you don't like them."

— Sandra Lidell

"My alone feels so good, I'll only have you if you're sweeter than my solitude."

— Warsan Shire

"That's the curious thing about love, isn't it? It makes very ordinary things seem special. It makes them seem so much more valuable than they really are."

— Alexander McCall Smith, Trains and Lovers

"I want to be with you,

it is as simple,

and as complicated as that."

— Charles Bukowski

Tetsurou had expected to see Akane pretty quickly at the university. But when he went to classes, she wasn't here. He initially thought she was late, then he looked around frenetically thinking that maybe, she had sit somewhere else because she was still angry at him. But there was no Saito Akane anywhere to see.

It was a day off from practice, but he still met Bokuto at a café and after about ten minutes of monologue from the owl boy and of Kuroo nervously tapping his foot against the floor, he finally seemed to catch up on the wild state he was in:

"You're okay?" Bokuto asked suddenly.

Kuroo almost didn't hear – he had stopped listening half-way through it.

"What?" He asked, staring back at his friend.

"Are you okay? You're acting… weird…" Bokuto said, raising an eyebrow.

"…I don't know…" Kuroo admitted, shaking lightly his head.

Bokuto had learned about Akane helping out Kiku baking during the training camp. Now that Kuroo knew about his feelings for Akane, things might have been awkward.

"Is it because you saw Akane at class? You didn't do anything creepy?" He asked.

"I wouldn't do anything creepy, who do you think I am?!" Kuroo hissed, even though he had acted creepy when he had seen her again by trying to kiss her and then pulling away, "She wasn't here today… that's why it's weird."

"Maybe she forgot there was class today? I missed my first class this morning anyway." Bokuto said, shrugging it off almost proudly.

"Ayaka is going to kill you if she learns you skip classes and… Akane? Saito Akane? Forgetting about a class? Missing it? Who do you think she is? No, there's something wrong."

"Don't tell Ayaka!" He exclaimed, suddenly frightened, "And… maybe she's just sick?" He proposed with a shrug.

Kuroo couldn't imagine the wild Akane down for just feeling sick but… He remembered that back in middle-school and high-school she was often missing several days of classes in a row. It never stopped her from being annoyingly better than him, though. She didn't seem to be sick, or to have a weak health but… he hadn't expected her to show such fragile and kind sides either like she had recently.

"You should go and check on her, if you're that worried…" Bokuto said smugly, casually sipping his drink.

Kuroo whipped towards him with wide eyes:

"What? NO! I can't do that! That would be creepy!"

"Checking up on your friend who has been missing school? In the best case scenario, you're going to save her from a severe fever and she'll confess her endless love for you in a state of feverish delirium."

"You're the delirious one."

"Or, in the worst case scenario, she won't be home, or you'll just leave her your notes and she'll realize how sweet you can be!" He continued, teasingly.

"How is it the worst case scenario? That's the best scenario, that she wouldn't be here to see me so embarrassed."

"So, you are going to check up on her!" Bokuto concluded cheerfully.

"No, I won't!"

"Whatever you do, don't be creepy," Bokuto continued, putting down the empty glass and standing up, "I have to go, I have my driving lesson soon and then I'll go to Fukurodani."

"Fukurodani? Why?" Kuroo asked – he had gone only once to Nekoma High since he had started university and it had been to check on his former teammates and how was doing the new Captain.

"Reason number one: checking on the team and how Captain Akaashi is doing! Reason number two: seeing Ayaka. We're spending the night together at her place considering I don't have class tomorrow." He explained with the usual soft expression he got whenever he mentioned Ayaka.

"Didn't you spend the week-end with her already?" Kuroo mumbled.

"It wasn't enough! I miss her!" He exclaimed dramatically, "When you'll be dating Akane you'll realize that twenty-four hours a day aren't enough time to spend with your loved one!"

"Not gonna happen…" Kuroo grumbled, narrowing his eyes at Bokuto.

He laughed as answer, as if he knew something Kuroo didn't. He patted his shoulder, waved at him then left.

Kuroo quickly finished his drink, pretended he was busy reading his notes but when he re-read the same sentence for the fifth time, he realized he couldn't focus. Not that he was worried for Akane, just… curious about what had happened to her. A curiosity that was slowly driving him mad. He shook his head, putting everything away and standing up to go home. He didn't have anything better to do anyway, without practice.

He was determined to ignore Bokuto's suggestion of checking on Akane but the moment he arrived near her door, he went to a stop. He stared at the door, lips thin. Two more steps and he was home and he didn't have to think of her. Two more little steps forward…

Growling and sighing, he turned around and knocked at the door. Not hearing any sound, he leaned forward to press his ear against the door. He knocked again and decided to raise his voice:

"Aka– erh, Saito? You're here? It's um, me… Kuroo." He started awkwardly.

"There's no one!"

He stared at the door. There definitely was someone and even if the voice had been smothered, it was Akane's.

"You're okay?" He asked loudly, finding her voice strange.

"Go away!"

"I uh… have today's notes if you need…" He continued, "Can I enter? Really quickly, to give it and then, you won't see me again?"

The fact that she must have heard everything just proved once again how thin these walls were. But this time, there was no answer. No answer meant no "no don't enter" so he considered it was as good as a "yes please enter".

He turned the handle down and let his head through, scanning around the room. A few pairs of shoes at the entrance, the kitchen corner, a desk covered in books and a closed laptop, darkened space because of the pulled curtains… And the bed where Akane was curled up. The bed against the wall connecting with his.

"Eeeh… you're okay?" He asked, starting to take out his notes to let them on her desk.

"Fuck off." She said, voice smothered by her pillow.

"You're welcome," he grumbled.

She said something she couldn't understand. He watched from afar, not daring to take another step closer to her when she obviously seemed to be in pain. He hesitated, almost leaving before stepping closer to her bed. She was curled up in her bed, under the covers and pressing her head against her pillow.

"You don't look okay… do you need a doctor?" He asked hesitantly.

Her cheeks were red – from fever maybe? And her hair was a mess, falling all around her head. She turned her head just enough to see him and even with her dry lips and teary eyes, Tetsurou felt his heat squeeze. He didn't find her particularly beautiful, but he couldn't help but feel… compassion. And maybe more than just compassion for another human being in pain. It felt more, probably because he had a crush on said human being and he didn't want to see her in pain.

"A doctor can't help with that… it's natural…" She mumbled, looking away.

"…Are you on your cycle?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, feeling a little awkward for leaning above her with his hands on his knees.

"Like I said… natural… so fuck off…" She said, closing her eyes. Perhaps to hold back her tears, perhaps to not see him any more, perhaps to ignore the pain.

Tetsurou hesitated, glancing around. A glass of water, some pain medication and a tablet of little pills he recognized.

"Your periods are always this painful? Or is it because you started taking the pill recently?" He asked, straightening up.

She turned her head to him once again and despite her frown, he could see that she was confused as to why he was asking such things, and how he seemed to know so much. Tetsurou shrugged lightly.

"My mom was in terrible pain when she started taking the pill." He explained quickly.

"…My periods can be painful at times, but it's been awful since I started taking the pill… It's a new one and I'm not used to it yet…" She mumbled, avoiding looking into his eyes.

"If it gives you such pain, you might need to see your doctor again to change it." He said.

"No joke." She growled, hiding her face in her pillow once again.

Tetsurou noticed a plushy he recognized. A Simba plushy she had gotten a few months ago at a summer festival near Nekoma High-school. He had been there when she had won it and it was one of these cherished memories that should have told him "hey, you might feel something for her" if he hadn't been so stubborn for so long…

It made him smile fondly at the memory and knowing she still had this plushy made him strangely happy because he had the Nala one on his bed.

Akane caught sight of his smile and misinterpreted it:

"If you're going to make fun of me, just go away…"

"No! I wasn't, uuh…"

His voice trailed off and he rubbed the back of his neck:

"Have you even eaten anything? Do you need something? I could–"

"Kuroo… please… just go away…" She murmured, eyes tightly closed, "I… don't want you to see me like that… just go…"

His lips fell open, suddenly feeling awkward. He nodded and turned around, putting on his shoes but before he could leave, he turned around once again:

"If you need anything, just call me. You don't have my number but, uh, just knock at the wall and I'll hear. Or just, tell Kiku and she'll tell Oikawa who will tell me… or something…"

Akane didn't answer and considering that she kept her eyes close and seemed a little less tense, he hoped she had fallen asleep to rest a little. He swallowed hard and closed the door behind him. Tetsurou stared at the floor, knowing he was just… being stupid again. He didn't want anything with her but after seeing her in such pain because of her menstrual cycle…

"I can't believe I'm doing this…" He mumbled to himself, rolling his eyes at his own stupidly tender heart.

Instead of going directly to his place, he turned around, pulling out his phone from his pocket.

Akane had drifted off to sleep at some point during Kuroo's visit, but she was awoken, partly because of the pain pulsing through her middle once again, and partly because she heard some weird noise. She opened her eyes, not feeling good, a little dizzy and not seeing clearly as the door opened. She blinked and saw the familiar silhouette of Kuroo.

"What…" She mumbled, forcing herself to sit up a little, "You're entering my place like you own it now… I'm gonna call the cops…"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," He answered, taking off his shoes before freezing and frowning at her from afar, "Oi, I'm here to help you out, don't accuse me like that!"

Not understanding what he was doing here, partly because it was Kuroo Tetsurou, and partly because she was still feeling too feverish to understand what was going on, she just stared as he opened the curtains, invading the space with light. She covered her face with her hands to escape the blinding light.

"I'm borrowing your kitchen." He just said.

"What…"

She let her hands go away from her face, sitting up, putting her chin on her knees and looking at him as he moved around, a little hesitant because he didn't know the place. He apparently started cooking something, all the while exploring her fridge and cupboards, tongue clicking in annoyance in regular rhythm.

"You don't have anything else to eat? You should eat more vegetables – no wonder you get sick if all you do is warm up all-made stuff. It's bad for the health that shit, y'know."

She smiled lightly, amused by his strange righteousness, his unexpected kindness… He glanced over his shoulder and she quickly erased her smile, hiding her mouth against her knees.

"You're feeling better after sleeping a little?" He asked curiously.

"…Did you… how long… what are you doing here?" She asked instead of answering his question.

Tetsurou made a weird face, she almost laughed as he scrunched up his nose, lips turned into a pout of despair.

"Heck if I know…" He mumbled in a low voice but she heard, "I just took pity on you, I suppose. I hate seeing my mom suffering like that, so… I got used to take care of her when she needs. And you definitely need someone to take care of you…"

His voice trailed off, as if he himself couldn't believe the words escaping his lips. Akane was certain she was hallucinating at this point. There was no way Kuroo Tetsurou would be worried about her, that he would go for groceries and back to her just to… take care of her? When was the last time someone did that for her?

Heart beating warmly, Akane stared at Tetsurou from afar as he seemed to struggle with his pride and self-consciousness.

"Anyway! You need to quickly be back in class, in front of me, I have no one to tease and it gets boring." He continued, finding the best excuse he could at the moment.

Akane lowered her head just enough to hide her growing smile. He turned around and didn't seem to notice it as he walked to her. She lifted up her head curiously, his hand quickly going against her forehead. He didn't say a thing as he felt her fever and he disappeared in her bathroom. She blushed but didn't say anything as he came back with a wet towel. She didn't move, unsure of what she should do as he sat on the edge of her bed, as far away from her as possible, barely steady on the very edge of the bed. He gently patted her forehead and face until she felt a little better. She opened her eyes to meet his and they stared at each other for a moment. The patting of the wet towel against her forehead became slower, almost like a caress, his fingers brushing her skin…

The sudden ringing of his phone startled them both, especially Akane. Tetsurou put down the towel on a side then went back to the kitchen part, preparing something in a bowl for her.

"What is it?" She asked with furrowed brows when he came back with the warm food.

"Soup, it's good for your uterus." He said, grabbing a chair and sitting next to her.

"How do you know what is good for my uterus?" She mumbled, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously.

"Just eat the goddamn soup." He answered with the same tone.

He tried to feed her but she pulled away and grabbed the bowl.

"I can eat myself, thank you very much." She mumbled, settling herself against her pillows to be more comfortable, "But I'm not hungry, you know."

"You still need to eat." He answered, staring at her until she'd start eating some of the soup.

It was a struggle, but it did make her feel a little better. Not like she had any choice with him waiting that she ate everything.

"If you're a good girl and eat all your soup and take all your medicine, you'll have a treat," he said for encouragement, lips trembling in amusement.

She couldn't help but smile a little as well.

"Now that's more interesting. What sort of treat?"

"Depends on what you wish for." He answered in a surprisingly gentle voice.

She stared at him for a moment before quickly finishing her bowl of soup. She tried to put it on her night table but he took it from her hands before she could put it down and was already standing up to clean it.

"…What if I wish… for the exact same thing you asked me… as reward for you joining the Junior team?" She asked hesitantly, heart speeding up in her chest.

She could only see his back and his arms moving around. She thought he tensed a little before acting casual, gestures slow and reassuring…

"You just have to ask."

"You're saying something pretty dangerous." She continued, still smiling.

He turned his head to look at her from over his shoulder, an amused smile on his lips:

"You're a pretty dangerous girl."

He finished cleaning then walked back to her with a glass of water and some medicine in the palm of his hand. She gave him a long look but he stared back:

"Be a good girl, and you'll have your treat."

"I'm not a good girl," she answered, cheeks red.

He flushed but she still took the medicine from his hand and the glass of water. As she took it all, he glanced down at his hand, now empty. He had never realized how tiny her hand was next to his. He blinked, forcing himself to move and grab the groceries bag.

"Good girl," he said, patting her head until she growled and tried to pat his hand away which made him laugh, "Now… I hope you like chocolate."

"Chocolate? You bought me chocolate?" She asked, turning towards him with stars in her eyes.

"I'll take that as a yes." He chuckled, pulling out a tablet of chocolate and handing it to her.

Her smile immediately dropped when she saw it, then she looked back up at him, intensely, accusing.

"What's this?"

"Chocolate. 80% pure cocoa. You're losing blood, you need some iron. The other kinds of chocolate full of sugar and bad stuff won't do you any good."

"Are you aware that I'm craving the most sugar-filled chocolate to exist at this moment and that this tastes terrible?" She asked, shaking the disappointing chocolate.

"Think of your iron." He said, eyes twinkling.

He remembered a day in high-school after Valentine's Day – he had observed from the corner of his eyes Akane eating some chocolate before pulling a face at the sour taste of pure chocolate and putting it away. He had known since then she disliked it. And well, between her need of iron and this knowledge, he couldn't let go of the possibility of annoying her – even if it might be a bad idea when she was overwhelmed by hormones and was glaring at him for buying her the wrong chocolate.

"I feel betrayed. By you and chocolate."

"Now, now, be a nice girl, eat your iron in the good chocolate and then… you might get some of the other chocolate I bought."

Her eyes lit up again as he took out more chocolate from the bag. Her hands reached for it but he pulled away, keeping it out of her reach with his long arms. She clicked her tongue in annoyance and he laughed softly. She went up on her knees, giving herself more height for attacking him. He pulled away, almost falling off the chair but just as she was about to reach and grab the chocolate, pain shot through her body and she curled up with a cry, almost falling over if he hadn't caught her around the waist.

"See? Stop fighting and rest," he said, turning her over to help her lay down, covering her body with the covers even if she glared at him.

It took some more convincing but she did eat some of the good chocolate, her face pulled in an expression of disgust at the sour taste. Once she had eaten enough, he gave her a little bit of the chocolate she was really craving, this time a little smile on her face. He made some tea he forced her to drink. He checked her temperature with the back of his hand as she was drifting off to sleep once again. He sighed in relief when he realized her fever was gone…

"Why are you doing this for me…?" Akane asked in a low voice, looking up at him.

"Aren't you glad I did this, though?" He asked instead of answering, looking down at her with a little smile.

She stared at him, trying to figure out why he had been so nice, so suddenly… but she really wasn't surprised. The surprise had been that he'd check on her but she knew very well that he was kinder than his appearance led to believe – he wouldn't let anyone suffer if he could help in some ways… And after everything he had done, she felt very good. Almost no pain, her body warm and rested…

"I am…" She said, voice a little tight from emotions – it was the first time in years someone watched over her and took care of her when she was feeling bad, "Thank you, Kuroo…"

The honesty in her voice, which made it sound more fragile and prettier than usual, sent waves of warmth through Tetsurou's body. The smile she gave him, her sparkling eyes, made his heart speed up and he was almost out of breath. He couldn't help but smile back and there was a moment of true tenderness and warmth they both felt just for being together. They didn't dislike it, if anything, they felt a craving for more of this feeling…

But Akane couldn't hold back sleep and she eventually turned on her side, smiling as she fell asleep. Tetsurou observed her for a little while longer, a comfortable silence surrounding them, interrupted only by her steady breathing. He approached his hand to her face, fingers trembling. He wanted to push away some of her hair to look at her face more closely but in the end, he couldn't do it, too afraid it'd wake her up and he'd have to explain himself. Explaining why he had tenderly pushed away some of her hair, why he had come to check on her, why he had been so worried, why he had done so much…

Reassured to know she was feeling better and was resting, he grabbed his stuff and left the apartment to go back to his, just next door. He let himself drop on top of his bed, head into his pillows. He glanced up, at the Nala plushy right next to him. Then he turned his head to stare at the wall, knowing that Akane was at the other side. His hand rested against the cool wall, wishing for a little more time watching over her, feeling a little more of this comfortable warmth together…

"You'll realize that twenty-four hours a day aren't enough time to spend with your loved one!" Bokuto had said earlier.

Tetsurou pondered this for a moment, deep down wishing for more time with Akane, but not admitting it to himself…

He thought back on Akane's lovely smile and sparkling eyes and his heart sped up, body warming up. Feeling himself blush and overwhelmed by a weird tickling sensation throughout his entire body, he shook his head against his pillow, legs hitting the mattress from how flustered he was.

Guh, I have it bad. It's terrible. He realized, hiding his face against his pillow at the realization.

But in the end, he was smiling.

BONUS

[When Kuroo went to the groceries store for everything he'd need for Akane…]

Flushed in embarrassment, he desperately tried to ignore the women passing by him and glancing at him suspiciously. It was one thing spending an awful long time trying to figure out what chocolate was her favorite, it was another trying to figure out what she used for her periods. Did she use pads? Did she use tampons? Did she even need some? Wouldn't it be creepy if he showed up and offered her a box of pads?

More suspicious glances from the women around him. Blushing he grabbed the first one he could reach and hurried away.

It wasn't the first time he was buying pads considering his mom always asked him to buy some for her… but it was the first time it was embarrassing him. Probably because it was for Akane. And that he knew very well what the people staring at him in the women's hygienic hall were thinking.

He tried to hide the box of pads under the chocolate and soup and everything, even though he knew it was useless and nervously waited for the cashier to pass everything. The girl blinked at the box of pads and glanced quickly at him before passing it. As he was filling the plastic bag, she smiled.

"It's so nice of you to take such good care of your girlfriend." She remarked.

"No, she's– it's not, um…"

Damn it, here he was blushing like a middle-schooler – it was exactly what he knew people had been thinking, he had just hoped no one would voice it out.

The girl stared at him weirdly because of his stammering, which made him blush even more.

"U-um y-yeah… my… g-girlfriend…" He mumbled, closing his eyes.

"What a lucky girl," she said, glancing at the sweet attentions and his appearance.

He held back from rolling his eyes, quickly paying and running off, still nervous and blushing. Akane really was driving him crazy.

Not much happen in this chapter but slowly, something is building between them~!

NEXT CHAPTER : COUP DE FOUDRE

Yours Truly,

May