A quick update before school today, so you guys will have to wait till tomorrow for another chapter, if I manage to write it out in time :D Hope you enjoy!

Btw, congrats to us all! We're officially ruling the KurooxOC category on the website hahhaahah

Chapter 23: Coping mechanism

The final whistle blew, once short once long, signaling the end of the match. Kuroo put his hands on his hips, head falling back, sweat pouring down his face and neck. He stood there, for a second, breathing in the scent of the court. The salonpas. It was the smell of the tournament. He closed his eyes shut, tight, making sure that he wouldn't let himself cry. The Inter-High was over for Nekoma.

"We need to line up." Kai's voice was somehow lower than usual, his hand on Kuroo's shoulder. "Hold it together, man." The captain nodded, opening his eyes and then leading the Nekoma team to line up and greet the Jindai players. They had barely lost. Just by a few points. It had been neck and neck, for three sets. In the end, the other team had just been better.

"Thank you for the match!" Kuroo shouted, leading the Nekoma boys to do the same. Then, they walked to the back line, greeting the people in the stands who had come to cheer. Kuroo caught sight of Akari, looking absolutely heartbroken next to Lev's sister. She was crying. "Thank you for the support!" The third-year bowed, tears finally falling from his eyes. When he straightened, he made sure to wipe them on the sleeve of his jersey before heading to the bench. He didn't look at Haru, only focused on Nekomata and Naoi. He couldn't look at the girl. He had broken his promise to himself. They hadn't won. He couldn't face her.

"You played a good game," Nekomata praised them, despite the loss. "All we can do is simply be the better team at Spring High. Let's go, meeting will be when we get to the school."

Kuroo chose to sit next to Kenma on the van, welcoming the setter's silence and dedicated focus on his game. Though, he seemed to be dying in it more than usual. There was silence, stifling, depressed silence all the way to the school. Throughout the meeting, Kuroo didn't say a thing. He didn't trust his voice not to wobble. He spotted Akari taking Kenma's hand after the meeting, just holding it as they waited for the whole team to gather. Nekomata had promised to take them for food, like he always did after a match, regardless of its result.

"Are you okay?" Haru was standing next to him, looking up at him. But, Kuroo couldn't stop watching the way Akari held Kenma's hand in comfort. He shook his head, sighing. "Are you going to be okay?" The girl asked again, making him nod and then quickly walk away.

The meal at the barbeque restaurant was rather silent. At some point, Yamamoto and Lev started goofing off, but their hearts weren't in it. The depressed atmosphere seemed to have stifled them all. Kuroo focused on eating, even though he couldn't taste anything. He was glad that Haru had chosen to sit next to Yaku, instead of next to him. She was far enough so that he didn't have to actively avoid looking at her. He couldn't look at her. He had broken his promise, after all.

"We're staying." Kuroo said, making the whole table's attention turn to him.

"Are you sure, Kuroo?" Nekomata asked. "With the exams, it's going to be a lot of work." Kuroo was glad that Kai answered.

"We can do it." The vice-captain told the team.

"Of course, if you want us to leave, we will. But, we want to stay. We want to go to Nationals." Kuroo spoke up again.

"Then, Nationals during Spring Tournament." Yamamoto said in a low tone. "C'mon guys, stop being so down! We can do it!" Trust Yamamoto to always keep the spirits high. He really was the emotional backbone of the team. "With the Fukurodani Group Camp, we can get some good practice in and then get our revenge on Jindai November!"

"Yeah, and you'll have me!" Lev piped up confidently. They had ended up with Inuoka playing the most of the match that day.

"What, to help them score some points?" Yaku remarked, making the rest of the team laugh and Lev balk.

"No! I'm going to become the best ace this team has ever had!" The first year wouldn't be deterred.

"Then, you'd better fix your banzai block." Kuroo smirked at him smugly, causing even more laughter.

"Not to mention those receives," Yaku nodded sagely. "It looks like you're trying to catch a baby, not dig for a ball."

"It doesn't!"

"And that spike, it's too irregular." Kenma dealt the finishing blow in his usual monotone, making the whole table go into chaos. Kuroo laughed, for the first time after the match, from his heart. Maybe, they would recover from the crippling loss much faster than he thought they would.

"You're awfully quiet." Akari told Kenma as they walked to his house, holding hands. The setter nodded, but didn't reply. He unlocked the door and they both greeted his parents. Kenma let go of her hand, going upstairs alone.

"Did they lose?" His mother asked the girl in a low tone. Akari nodded solemnly.

"I'm going to try and cheer him up a bit, or at least get his mind off of it," the girl told them. "Can I take some food up to his room?"

"Of course, dear," Mrs. Kozume replied going to the kitchen and fixing two plates quickly. "Thank you for taking care of him. We don't really know what to do when he goes so quiet."

"It's alright, I can handle it." Akari offered a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she took the plates, following Kenma upstairs. She found his room empty, the boy already in the shower. Akari made herself at home in the meantime. She placed the plates on Kenma's desk and then dug out some of his things which he could wear when he was done. Then, she also picked out a shirt and shorts for herself, knowing that she would be staying over, by his state. She had changed and was texting her parents that she would sleep over at a friend's when Kenma walked into the room, still very quiet. He walked over to the dresser, then changed directions and took the clothes she'd picked out in silence. But, he didn't get dressed. He just stood there, in silence.

"C'mon," Akari stood up from the bed, taking the shirt from his hands. "You'll catch a cold." She helped him get into the shirt, then into his boxers and shorts, taking the towel that he'd had around his waist and putting it to dry. "Sit here." She instructed and he did so in silence. Akari towel-dried his hair and then also put that towel to dry. She took his comb and slowly worked her way through his long locks, finishing by pressing a kiss to his hair. "Are you thinking about the match?" Kenma nodded.

"I should've dumped more balls," he said slowly. "Gotten more points."

"You did the best thing you could at the time."

"That last set should've gone to Yamamoto, not Kai." The boy said in the same tone. Akari sat in front of him, hands going to his face to pull it up, catching his eye.

"You did the best thing you could at the time." She repeated with conviction. "Next time, you just have to do better, and that's all." Kenma nodded. His hands came up to hers, holding them. Together, their intertwined fingers slid to his neck.

"Akari," he murmured in such a sad tone that she wished she could just take all of that pain onto herself. "Distract me. My head is too busy," he told her with a morose look. "Make it all go away. Please, make it all go away."

"Okay." Akari leaned it, kissing him. He didn't respond at first, but then his hands let go of hers, going to pull the girl closer to him. Their lips danced to a familiar tune, somehow slower than usual, though. Nothing was rushed. Her fingers in his damp hair were a slow, steady mix of tugging and raking. It was like she was breathing his sadness in through the lip lock and Kenma felt himself feeling oddly at peace, his mind going completely blank. When they broke apart, taking a second to breathe against each other's mouths, he spoke again.

"I need you." He told her in that same low tone.

"I'm not going anywhere." Kenma nodded, pulling her in closer, hugging her slight body to his form. Akari's head landed on his shoulder. He wasn't sure how long they sat like that, but at some point, the girl ended their embrace, pulling him deeper onto the bed, making him lie down and then settling behind him, arms around his middle, covers over their intertwined bodies. Kenma caught her fingers into his, holding onto them like a lifeline.

"Thank you." He murmured as he finally managed to drift off, hoping that the way he was feeling would be gone in the morning.

Kuroo ended up seeing Haru home, despite wanting to be as far away from the girl as he could that evening. But, she didn't let him. She was the one who asked him to see her off. And, he couldn't refuse. He couldn't refuse her such a small favor. They walked alongside each other, but at arm's length. For once, Kuroo wasn't tempted to break that zone of comfort and walk closer. They arrived at the house in silence, Haru going to the door. Then, she seemed to gather her courage and quickly turned around just as he was getting ready to leave.

"Would you like to come in?" Haru asked, looking at Kuroo pleadingly. He stuffed his hands in his jersey pockets, looking to the side.

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea." He admitted, wanting for nothing else than to go back home and lie down in his bed, mind blank. He wasn't in the mood for company that evening.

"Come in anyways." Haru pressed and when he looked up at her, he saw the desperation on her face. She was worried about him, he realized.

"Okay." With a small nod, Kuroo followed her into her home, not able to resist smiling back when she grinned widely at his forfeit of the argument. The Sakurano house was empty when they came in. Haru started turning on the lights, dropping off her things on the shoe cabinet in the hall. She went to Kuroo, grabbing his hand when he placed his own next to hers, pulling him to the kitchen.

"Let's make some food," she pulled him behind the counter, clicking the lights on as she went. Kuroo pulled back on their connected hands, trying to get her to stop.

"We just ate, Haru." He complained.

"It has nothing to do with eating," she told him, letting go of his hand finally and taking out pots and pans that they would need. "It is all about the process." She turned to him, a smile on her face, and then went around him to the stereo, plugging in her phone. "It's all about the salsa." A song started playing with a relatively familiar tune. Kuroo had heard it before.

"I'm not really-" he tried to decline, but she seemed adamant, for once.

"You can either help me, or watch me, either works." Kuroo conceded, like he usually did with her, and accepted the apron she slipped over his head. He watched her tie back her own hair and then get an apron for herself. "This is Chiki Chiki Ta, it's one of the best songs." Haru told him, getting ingredients from the fridge and started setting them out. "We're gonna make Spanish kenken and rice."

"Haru, I-" the girl turned to him and he dropped his argument instantly. "Alright, your rules. Let's do it your way." She smiled brightly at him and started explaining the recipe, leading him into what he should do to get the whole dish ready.

Kuroo didn't think he would, but he felt his mind drifting away from the devastating loss, focusing on the food in front of him. The music in the background was a tad too upbeat for him to be able to feel down, and soon, he found himself nodding along, chopping ingredients and helping Haru with all the work. She had started singing somewhere down the line, swaying her hips and dancing circles around him as they worked. Kuroo was surprised how a simple act of cooking could manage to cheer him up that much. Soon, he was smiling, even laughing, at the girl who goofed off to the best of her ability.

The playlist circled around as they were finishing up, coming to the same song they had started with. He didn't expect Haru to catch his hand, pulling him away from the stove he had been checking on and to her already swaying body.

"Dance with me!" She didn't ask, but demanded, not even inquiring if he could. Before he could object, she was already swaying, pushing his legs with hers to make him move to the beat. Kuroo laughed, arm going around her waist to stop her.

"Haru, I'm a master of many skills, but dance isn't one of them." The third-year grinned. "I hate to deny my perfection, but it's a fact." The girl didn't let that deter her, but instead slowed down her steps.

"Your arms go here," she positioned them both to hold hers, as if he would kiss the back of her hand. "Or, in the traditional way, here," she moved one to her shoulder blade, her arm over his, and kept the other the way it was. "The steps are really easy, you go forward, starting with the right foot." And Kuroo was left powerless to her insistence, following the instructions she kept giving. "This arm sways to the beat," she told him again, then stopped completely, looking up at him. "Ready to give it a go?"

"As ready as I can be, I suppose." And Kuroo stepped forward, just like she had told him to, letting her set the pace of the movement.

They ended up cooking a large dinner, leaving it to cool down before storing it in her fridge and packing some up for his own family. Kuroo found himself delighting in the way Haru would drop the spatula from time to time, pulling him in to dance with her in the small space that the counter and the stove provided. It was a tad awkward in the beginning, but he got the hang of it as they went. She would laugh and praise him, tease him about his steps sometimes. Kuroo, on the other hand, joked how she was doing all of that just to be able to be close to his body, which she responded to with her own flirtation. All in all, the evening turned out to be quite cheery.

Finally, legs tired and cheeks hurting from all the laughter, the duo went to the living room, to sit down for a while and take a break. Kuroo lazily flipped through channels, Haru's body next to his on the cushions, legs draped shamelessly over his own. Kuroo finally chose a channel, letting a documentary about animals play in the background. He glanced at the girl next to him. Really, it had surprised him just how much she had managed to change his mood in such a short time. Typically, he dealt with those kinds of slumps on his own, in his room, brooding. But, this was a nice change of pace. He liked it.

"Tired?" He asked her and she nodded, smiling still.

"Exhausted, but the good kind." Haru admitted with a happy grin directed at him. God, her smile was contagious.

"Maybe you just lack stamina?" Kuroo smirked at her, making her swat his arm playfully.

"My stamina is just fine, I'll have you know." She retorted and he couldn't help himself.

"Maybe you should show me?" He teased, making her quirk an eyebrow at him.

"I don't think you could keep up, otherwise I would," Kuroo never knew she had it in her to flirt like that, if he was being honest. She kept surprising him. "Then again, I suppose I could find someone who's got more energy. Maybe Bokuto?" That made him groan at the image in his head, head falling back on the couch. Haru could help but laugh at her victory in their banter, yet again.

They bickered for a bit longer, absent-mindedly watching the documentary about cheetahs on the TV, Kuroo commenting about it every once in a while. Soon enough, though, a silence stretched. Haru noticed the third-year's head drifting away from the TV program and retreating into the memories of the previous match. She took the initiative and reached over, grabbing his hand and intertwining their fingers together. That made him look at her.

"You'll win next time," she told him with conviction.

"What makes you say so?" Kuroo asked, an unreadable expression on his usually smug face. Haru didn't miss a beat.

"I believe in you guys," she said. "You're good and you know your stuff. You're always learning from your losses. I'm sure you'll do even better next time." Kuroo sighed, head falling back onto the couch as he stared at the ceiling.

"Honestly, I'm not even that mad about the game," his voice sounded strange from that position, somehow deeper and strained. "We did everything right. Simply, we were the weaker team this time round."

"Then, what's bothering you?" Kuroo's head came up, the look in his eyes making her hold her breath. He looked so serious.

"I made a promise with myself," he told her. "I promised that if we won…" he trailed off.

"If you won?" Haru prompted, curiosity killing her.

"I would ask you out." She stopped breathing. The look in his eyes, the expression on his face, the way his hand felt around hers, the heat of his legs under her own, Haru suddenly became aware of all of it. She gaped. "Don't look so surprised," Kuroo laughed. "I mean, I've been quite forward, haven't I?" He shrugged. "We've even got Fukurodani yelling at us to just hurry it up and get married already."

"But-er, I-um-" Haru couldn't quite get her mouth to connect to her brain.

"Would you say no?" Kuroo asked.

"No!" Haru shook her head. "No, I mean yes!"

"Which is it?" He was shaking with laughter at that point.

"Don't laugh at me after you spring something like that on me!" She scolded half-heartedly, smacking his chest gently, which got him only to laugh harder. "I would say yes." Kuroo finally managed to collect himself, nodding.

"Alright," he told her. "Then, I'll ask you sometime, when we win." Haru frowned.

"Why does it have to be after a win?"

"Because it would be lame otherwise." Kuroo shrugged. "I mean, it should be big, right? After a win is a perfect time." Haru couldn't help giggling at that.

"You're such a sappy dork." She moved closer to him, snuggling into his side. Kuroo threw an arm over her shoulders, pulling her to his warm form.

"So, I've been told."

"No balls either."

"Hey, don't discuss my balls until you've seen them."

"How can I see them if you have none?"

"I have plenty I'll have you know!"

"I'm home!" Haru sat up on the couch, startled at the deep voice resounding through the house. She looked at Kuroo with glee on her face, despite his questioning look.

"Papa!" She yelled out and jumped up, leaving the third-year to panic on his own on the couch.

Kuroo walked into the hall when his legs finally started cooperating and he almost wished they hadn't. At the door stood an absolute bear of a man. He was dark-skinned, but not black. His hair was short, falling in curls around his face. Everything about him was big. The height, the shoulders, even the neck and his face which seemed somehow harsh. Yet, there were two eyes shining with glee from that face. Haru had thrown herself onto the man, hanging around his neck like some kind of a monkey at the jungle gym. He hugged her with his huge arms, like two tree trunks, squeezing, swaying the girl left and right. The usually tall and curvy Haru looked like a tiny plush toy in his arms.

"Papa, this is Kuroo, my sempai from the club!" the girl introduced with glee when she was back on the ground, not seeing how Kuroo attempted to shake his head and then retreat into the house. But, there was no escape. The bear stood in between him and the door.

"It's nice to meet you, sir." Kuroo bowed politely, forcing his panic down and kicking into the manners his mother had scolded into him. When his head rose, he saw the bear glaring at him, then shrugging.

"I Japanese, no understand." The bear rumbled like some kind of a mountain moving. But, Haru laughed and smacked the man's chest lightly, an action so familiar to Kuroo. The bear did nothing but tilt his head at it and gaze at her lovingly.

"Papa, you can't be starting with that old thing again." The girl laughed.

"But I don't want to talk to the boys you know, little spitfire." The bear pouted. What a child, Kuroo sighed on the inside. Suddenly, he realized why Haru was so good at dealing with him. She already had a pouty and childish man at home whom she handled all too well.

"Tough luck, cause I'm gonna marry him!"

"What?!" Both men balked, Haru's father going into a whining and disbelieving speech about not giving up his daughter in clear Japanese, while Kuroo attempted to tell him that he had no intentions of marriage yet.

"What do you mean you don't plan to marry her?" The bear noticed him finally, straightening and walking forward to tower over Kuroo. "Is she not the best wife material a man could find in this country of tiny people?" Kuroo knew that there was no way out of that one. But, his mouth and brain didn't seem to have a thread connecting them due to panic, which seemed to be flashing in red huge letters in front of everything.

"No, no, she is perfect, I would marry her in a heartbeat!" Kuroo said, making Haru try to hold in her laughter desperately.

"No." The bear said, glaring down at him. "I'm not giving my daughter to you." Haru finally lost it, laughing from her belly, unable to stop the guffaws.

"Oh, God," she gasped, "Stop, papa, stop scaring him. Oh, God." And she was laughing again, unable to compose herself. The bear's paw, no hand, it was definitely a huge hand, dropped onto Kuroo's shoulder and the third-year found himself looking into sympathetic eyes.

"She's a cruel woman, that one. I'm sorry for you, boy." The bear rumbled. Kuroo felt himself release that sigh of relief, muscles relaxing.

"They say you can't help who you love," he shrugged. The bear nodded.

"Indeed, indeed," he grabbed Kuroo in a side hug, dragging him towards the kitchen. "Let's get us a glass of rum and share our stories of pain together." The third-year didn't have enough strength to resist the man who was pulling him like a strong river current to the liquor cupboard, pulling out two glasses and a bottle of rum.

"Papa, the official drinking age here is twenty." Haru seemed to have composed herself a tad, entering the kitchen. The bear nodded.

"True, true," he placed Kuroo into a kitchen chair and sat down opposite of him, opening the rum. "Get him some milk then, spitfire." Kuroo looked to Haru for help, but she simply smiled at him encouragingly, which didn't give him any courage at all, and went to fetch the milk. "And a bowl of cubanelle that we keep for special occasions."

"Papa, no," Haru put her foot down, turning around with the milk in her hands. Though, Kuroo figured that he would better get this over with now that it was there, hitting him in the face.

"No, it's alright, Haru." He told her, making her frown.

I've been wanting to write Kuroo and Dari together for ages! Let me know what you thought about it :D

Reviews:

Mixie18:
Welcome to reviews!
I'm glad that you think it's getting good ;) I'll do my best to keep you guys on your toes :D
Cheers!

Rosto'sGirl:
Tease? What tease? But, they lose? I mean, it's legit. They lose and he can't ask her out MWAHAHAHHAHA Does that even count as a tease? xD
Awwwww take care of yourself! I hope that your stomach bug passes quickly :D I'll try to keep up the writing and give you something to look forward to :D
KenAri is THE ship. Like, omg, I didn't know it would be this perfect, to be honest xD They're super cute!
I'm having the time of my life writing Kuroo in misery with blue balls xD It's giving me life xD Glad you enjoyed it too :D
Best!

Omake:

Yaku caught Haru's elbow as they were leaving the restaurant, stopping her. She turned to him with a questioning look.

"Hey, Kuroo's unusually silent, even for a lost match," the libero told her gently. "Can you keep an eye on him tonight?" Haru mulled it over for a second and then nodded.

"I'll do my best." The libero gave her a bright smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"No matter how much he protests, just keep him doing something, please." And Yaku bounded off. Haru started thinking of what she could do to help the captain, realizing that she maybe didn't know him as well as she thought she did. Back then, though, she didn't think that the evening of 'cheer Kuroo up' operation would end up as it had in the end. With her father crashing it.

That's all folks!