Kuroo, to the poster on his wall: "Oh Ariana, we're really in it now."
Sorry for the delay! I moved, to a new state! And I'm also reading for my own comp exams, so naturally I've wanted to crawl into a cave to live with the worms. Enjoy more of Kuroo's suffering!
Contrary to what most of Kuroo Tetsuro's friends would tell you, he isn't stupid. He might make spur of the moment decisions, relish a little too much in chaos, and blurt out the first thing that comes to mind, but he isn't stupid. He liked to remind his friends he was getting a doctorate, after all. And because Kuroo isn't stupid, isn't oblivious to his surroundings or the subtle expressions and gestures of others, he noticed something weird going on between Sonoda and Miya.
The game between the MSBY Black Jackals and EJP Raijin was good. It was fucking fantastic volleyball. But it would have been a lot better, in his opinion, if Kuroo's attention hadn't been divided between brilliant plays on the court and the ludicrous way Miya stared at Sonoda's hands; like he was desperately searching for something. Maybe Oikawa's palm reading was part of a larger fad I'm not aware of.
In the end, it kind of meant that Kuroo spent a decent amount of the game looking at her hands, too.
When all was said and done, the Jackals walked away with the win, and Kuroo got a front row seat to a flushed and excited Sonoda Ema as she celebrated from the stands. As they filtered through the crowd towards the guts of the arena, nearing the hallways that led to locker rooms and training facilities, Osamu lightly grasped Ema's wrist. Slowed to a stop, she looked at him in confusion. Kuroo paused alongside Akaashi while Kageyama barreled on forward, full of intention.
Unaware of the attention he'd drawn, Osamu glowered down at where his hand connected with Ema's wrist.
"Where's yer ring?"
Before he could process the question or even get a sense for how the air had shifted, Akaashi had pushed himself behind Kuroo, maneuvering the pair towards the MSBY locker room and the overeager shouts of the victorious Jackals. Kuroo craned his neck over Akaashi's narrow shoulder to peek back at the scene between Sonoda and Osamu, but couldn't make out much of their conversation over the sound of...was that hooting?
The locker room door burst open revealing one ecstatic Bokuto Koutaro. There was a lot of shouting and babbling: 'Kaashi did you see me spike that cross shot?, I saw you in the stands, 'Kaashi you look amazing as always, etc. Kuroo was positive that Akaashi Keiji was purposefully forcing him to bear the brunt of MSBY's most energetic spiker under the guise of giving Sonoda and Osamu privacy. Kuroo didn't appreciate that one bit. Though, he had to admit that it was all too easy to get entirely wrapped up in Bokuto's energy.
"'Kaashi, who's your friend? I haven't seen you at a game before. Do you like volleyball? Do you play? Aw man, we need to have a pick-up game soon so I can hit some of your tosses again 'Kaashi." Bright gold eyes quickly scanned Kuroo's frame, taking in his height and lean build.
"Oya?" Kuroo turned to catch Akaashi's face shift from fond amusement to a natural state of detached annoyance. "Didn't know you used to be a setter."
"We haven't spoken since the match started." He replied.
"'Kaashiii? You ignored your friend? That's kinda rude. Though I guess I can forgive you if the game was too good to look away from." What a pure-hearted simp, Kuroo thought fondly. Yeah, he was going to get along with Bokuto.
"Kuroo." His head whipped around at the sound of Sonoda's snap. Osamu was no longer in the hallway. She was visibly flustered, but she seemed to be slowly rebuilding a mask, pink slowly receding from her face and ears. "Ah, you've met Bokuto-san, then."
"Kuroo Tetsuro, I'm Sonoda's friend, actually." He shook Bokuto's hand and yelped in surprise as the spiker immediately pulled him into a tight hug.
"Nice to meet you! It's so cool that you're here! Sonoda-san never brings anyone to our games. Did you have fun? Oh man you have to come out with us after, it's going to be a blast and Sonoda-san knows all the best places." Bokuto gushed all the while still clutching Kuroo's shoulders. He was not surprised in the least that Bokuto was a hugger.
"Bo, let him breathe. And yeah, I already invited him to the after party, though we're just going to Carl's so don't expect anything fancy." Ema tutted before being dragged into a hug herself. More voices and commotion began spilling out of the locker room, attracting Kuroo's attention. In particular, he could make out Kageyama's voice. Weird that they would just let him into the locker room.
"When are you going to get a service ace off of Komori-san, boke?"
"Hah!? When was the last time you scored one off of him, Bakayama?" A second voice squawked.
"Did Myaa-sam leave already?" Bokuto quirked his head like an owl in Sonoda's direction, recapturing Kuroo's attention. She returned a hesitant smile.
"Ah, he went to see Sunarin." She provided, tone clipped.
Conversation swirled around the group, most of it going over Kuroo's head. Some names he recognized, some he didn't. Occasionally he managed to keep up with Bokuto's enthusiastic play-by-plays, only to have them mercifully cut short by a short but sweet, yes Bokuto-san, you played very well from Akaashi. Kuroo had the distinct feeling that they were waiting for something—someone?—and not simply standing around playing catch-up. Eventually their talk led them back to Bokuto's original interest in Kuroo's presence.
"Do you play, Kuroo-san?" He asked, eagerly awaiting an answer. Though, from the knowing glint in his gold eyes, Kuroo felt that Bokuto already had an inkling.
"Mmm, sure did. Care to guess what position?" Kuroo cocked a dark eyebrow upward, a cheshire grin spread across his face. He liked Bokuto; liked that he was open and honest, unafraid to show the world just how much he cared about the things that pleased him, though from his limited experience with the guy, it seemed that the two front runners were volleyball and Akaashi. Bokuto turned his entire bulky frame to face Kuroo, two-toned grey and black hair freshly spiked from his post-game shower. Kuroo could feel his entire being examined under eyes that reminded him of a predatory bird. He could see that underneath the himbo, Bokuto had razor sharp instincts.
"Definitely middle blocker. You're a noodle! Long arms perfect for," Bokuto raised his much thicker arms in the air and waved them around, "getting in the way of spikes."
"Bokuto-san, don't be rude." Akaashi chastised lightly.
"I'm not 'Kaashi! Noodle is a compliment. I meant it like a thick noodle, ya know? Besides, everyone likes noodles. Oh man, we should get udon after this." Kuroo couldn't suppress his laugh, the ugly one that Kenma said reminded him of a hyena. The loud noise startled a few of the players mingling in the hallway outside the locker room, but Kuroo didn't mind. He was sort of used to it.
"I like that. You can call me noodle-san. And yeah, I was a middle blocker in high school. Should have played in college, but I was too busy." He flashed a cheeky grin and heard Sonoda's amused snort from behind him.
"Well, noodle-san, we're going to be friends, I can tell. Any friend of Sonoda-san's is already a friend of mine, and you like volley. Double win!" The spiker hooted and jumped with excitement.
Kuroo thought about how these people are all part of Sonoda's world—that she brought him here, and he smiled. It's exciting, he thought, to be pulled into something new and yet familiar. It's still volleyball, but it's different. A good different, he decided. Kuroo's thought process was brought to a screeching halt as pounding footsteps echoed off of the block-concrete walls of the hallway, terminating in a running, jumping hug from a 183cm flash of blond onto Sonoda's small frame.
"'Tsumu get off, holy shit you're heavy." She squeaked from under a broad back and large arms.
"That's not what ya said last night." A lilting voice teased as the man stood up to his full height. Kuroo recognized him as Miya Atsumu, MSBY Black Jackal's starting setter, and worryingly, twin brother of Miya Osamu, who Kuroo met and immediately got off on the wrong foot with. His brain slightly short-circuited at Miya's retort.
Sorry had a friend over last night and lost track of my phone.
He recalled her text from that morning and paled. Was Sonoda seriously dating/hooking up with Miya fucking Atsumu? If so, then this outing was the final nail in the friend-zone coffin. How the hell does one compete with a professional athlete? Wait, compete for what? The crushing realization of what he hoped this outing with Sonoda meant collided with the reality of what it really was: what he convinced himself it was only six hours ago. You fucking idiot, it never was a date. Followed by, when the hell did you start thinking it was a date?
What did Osamu mean by 'ring'?
Ah. I'm an idiot.
"Ya feelin' any better?" Atsumu asked, twirling the strings hanging from Sonoda's hoodie. The smile she gave him in return unconsciously forced Kuroo to shrink even more.
"Yeah, I am. Thanks for everything, 'Tsumu."
Kuroo felt like an outsider intruding on an intimate moment. He hated it; hated the weight that seemed to materialize on top of his chest, cementing feelings he wasn't even aware of until this moment. He took a small step back and inhaled through his nose with as much of a smile as he could muster. He was a good friend. He fully supported Kenma's decision to not apply for college and pursue streaming full-time. He admired and cheered on Yaku as he channelled his love of volleyball into training and coaching. Hell, he even made sure to have Lev's back as he worked as a bartender, figuring out what to do with his life, always with a smile and unstoppable energy. If he could do all that, he could be a good friend to Sonoda, too. He could smile and feel happy for his friend, watching as she cheered for her professional athlete fiancé. He could do it and push those ugly feelings aside. That's what Kuroo told himself.
He wanted to call Kenma to scream a little—just enough to reorient himself—before rejoining the world around him. Instead, he grinned, shook Miya Atsumu's hand, and introduced himself as 'Sonoda-san's friend who likes volleyball.'
Things got a little blurry after that. He knew he was on a train at some point; he could feel the sway of the carriage moving over curved tracks, the hissing of the pneumatic brakes, the tapping of shoes moving on and off of the platform. If asked later if he could remember the train line and station where their group alighted, Kuroo would probably be able to answer 'yes,' but only in order to avoid questions of just what exactly he'd been thinking about the whole time. When have I ever felt so dramatic, what the hell. Their small group consisted of himself, Sonoda, Bokuto, and Akaashi, the rest of their friends and teammates opting to stop by the hotel first before joining them at Carl's.
The brisk walk from the station to the bar, combined with the humid early-summer air, snapped Kuroo back into his senses. He chastised himself and made a promise to be a good friend, at least for tonight, and figure out his head later that night in the comfort of his own bed. Bokuto's infectious optimism and bright laughter helped, too. Upon entering the bar, the low lighting and cheesy oldies music playing through busted overhead speakers gave the place a cozy home-away-from-home vibe. Sure, Kuroo had never been to Carl's, but that wasn't because of the atmosphere, the clientele, or even the price of drinks. No, Kuroo usually avoided this place like the plague because this bar, in particular, was where Lev worked. And, because he was walking in with a large and rowdy Bokuto, Kuroo was guaranteed to be spotted by his roommate.
"Kuroo! Thank fuck!" Lev shouted from behind the shallow bar along the left wall, freakishly long arms in the air as if he were lost in a large crowd. He wasn't. There were only a handful of other, now startled, patrons at the bar.
"You know the bartender here?" Sonoda asked.
"Unfortunately." He laughed and strode over to get the awkward interaction over with. "Lev, what do you mean 'thank fuck'? Aren't you always happy to see me?" He leaned forward, forearms crossed and pressed against the wood of the bartop. Kuroo could sense the eyes of his group on his back, confirmed by an impressed sounding noise from Bokuto.
"Gah! He's so tall, what the hell." Bokuto stage whispered.
"Woah, Kuroo, who are your friends? Oh, hey I know you!"
"Hi tall bartender." Sonoda smiled, then slowly her face fell into a grimace. "So you're Lev. Kuroo's roommate Lev. Oh, Jesus." Fuck, this is awkward. Ema was desperately trying to maintain her composure, but the realization that her moaning and complaining over the last year and a half was overheard by Kuroo's roommate, coupled with the fact that Kuroo had definitely overshared about Lev, meant that there was no way she could walk into Carl's the same way ever again. She could only hope that Kuroo's penchant for gossip didn't extend to relaying all of her business to his roommates. Not that she had given up anything super important, but still. It's the principle.
"I'm going to grab a table for the group." Akaashi broke the awkward silence with his clean logic and managed to drag Bokuto away by whispering something in the taller man's ear which made his entire face burn red.
"I didn't know you were friends with Kuroo! And I'm glad you finally got him to visit me at work!" Lev flashed a megawatt smile at Sonoda, who could only laugh nervously in response.
"It's a long story."
"Oh, Kuroo, I texted you but you weren't responding. I left my wallet at home...again." Lev cringed at his friend, hoping a lecture wouldn't follow.
"I'll be sure to relay that message to Yaku." Kuroo snickered.
"No! He doesn't need to know! Anyway I texted Sawamara instead and he should be bringing it soon."
"This is nice and all, but can we order some drinks now?" Sonoda interrupted. Lev flushed, embarrassed, but quickly got to work filling a pitcher with beer. Just as Sonoda was sure the prevailing awkwardness of the evening was tapering off, the front door swung open, inviting inside a new group of people, all of whom were essentially agents of chaos.
"Suga? Oikawa, Yachi?" Why is everyone I know in Tokyo congregating in the same bar? Why God why. Sonoda couldn't restrain the incredulous laughter that bubbled out from her throat at the thought of her normally segregated lives crashing into one another. It's not that she had actively taken steps to keep her Tokyo life away from her connections to Osaka, but she didn't exactly encourage their intermingling, either.
"Em-chan! Look who I ran into while I was closing up the shop, Mr. Refreshing-kun and Yacchan!" Oikawa beamed. As the closest café to their department building, it was no surprise that her cohort friends frequented Sips and had become familiar with its eccentric owner. "Oho? And what's this, a night on the town with Rooster-chan?" Kuroo visibly cringed upon hearing the nickname.
Sonoda stoutly ignored Oikawa's insinuation and greeted Suga and Yachi with a hug, introducing them officially to Kuroo.
"Oh! This is Chemistry Idiot. Nice to finally meet you." Yachi gave him a feral grin while Suga barely restrained a snort. Kuroo had the decency to look wounded.
"Sonoda, please tell me you don't actually call me that?" Cackling, she held up her phone to show his contact name. He let out a hideous squawk and tried to snatch the phone from her hands. The ensuing struggle nearly knocked the freshly poured pitcher of beer from Lev's hands, Kuroo twisting his upper body to avoid the collision. Unable to fully regain his balance amid the cluster of barstools, he felt his feet slide out from underhimself, body falling in slow motion, taking Sonoda down with him. To complete the nightmare, her phone flew from his hand in an arc (what he would have considered to be a frankly beautiful A pass) towards the front door—and into the ready and waiting hands of a very confused Miya Atsumu, flanked by Miya Osamu, the rest of the MSBY Black Jackals, and a few friendly members of EJP Raijin.
"What the fuck?"