This is a chapter of me being purely selfish. I'm sorry. Enjoy the fluff. Alternate title: The Author gives you enough sugary TetsuHaru fluff for you to get cavities. I've been wanting to write this one for ages, though xD Enjoy!

Chapter 28: The monthly curse

Saying goodbye to the group of volleyball players, even for a week, was quite bittersweet. Within the span of a few days Haru had come to love each and every one of them almost like family. She found herself tearing up as Hinata hugged her multiple times, begging to exchange numbers. Somehow, she found her way into the awaiting arms of Bokuto next, who picked her up and squeezed her gently, swaying her side to side, much to Kuroo's displeasure.

"Put her down, you're gonna squeeze the life out of her," the captain told the Fukurodani ace. "I think I can see her soul leaving her body." Bokuto immediately did, checking her over in panic.

"Did I squeeze you too hard, Harucchi?" Akari's nickname seemed to have caught on. The girl shook her head as the odd ace apologized numerous times.

"Jealous idiot," Haru slapped Kuroo's passing back softly, making him chuckle coyly at Bokuto, which in turn made the ace explode at the Nekoma captain.

"Haru-chan!" The next two people to grab her were Noya and Tanaka. They'd seen Hinata hugging her and had decided to go in for the same treatment. Haru ended up trapped in between hugging one, then the other, then oddly Yamamoto, then the first one again. "We will see you next week, beautiful Goddess!"

"I will see you at school, wonderful exotic Goddess!" Yamamoto joined in, all three of them crying for some reason. All Haru could do was smile at their odd antics, giving them even more hugs. They seemed more than happy about that.

"Be careful, Sakurano," Shimizu told her from her spot next to the Karasuno van. "You give them a small taste and they won't leave you alone. Ever." Haru laughed at that, leaving the boys to join the two female managers instead.

"That's alright," she grinned at them. "I can handle it." Hitoka looked up, jumping when she noticed that the older girl had joined them.

"S-she you nexsht week, sempai!" Haru smiled at the nervous first-year, reaching over to ruffle her hair.

"Don't let the boys chase you away, Hitoka-chan!" She encouraged. "They might be overbearing at times, but they're all good boys." Hitoka smiled back at her, seeming to relax a tad. "Besides, if they give you trouble, I'll spank them!"

"Please do!" Noya, Tanaka and Yamamoto were on a roll, much to Haru's amusement and Hitoka's shock.

Haru groaned after she woke up, feeling the telltale pain in her stomach. It was there. It had come. The abomination of the female gender. The girl reached over to her nightstand and grabbed her cellphone, texting Akari that she wouldn't come to school that day, telling her the reason. Then, without waiting for the reply, she headed to the bathroom to take care of the battlefield in her body.

Breakfast wasn't a cheery meal with music that morning. It was heating up whatever leftovers she had in her fridge in order to be able to take the pain meds that would lessen her anguish. Then, Haru dragged herself back upstairs. She had to wash out her sheets and pajamas by hand before she tossed them into the laundry. With strength that she didn't think anyone in this day and age should need to have, Haru forced herself to do so. Then, she tossed fresh sheets onto her bed haphazardly, pulling on a shirt and socks only, before crawling back into bed, curling into a ball. The medicine she'd taken hadn't started working yet and she felt like she would die. Her phone rang.

"Harucchi, do you need anything?" Akari didn't wait for her to say her hellos before she spoke.

"A change of gender?" Haru asked dejectedly.

"Humor is a good sign," Akari laughed. Haru could tell that she was walking by the breathlessness in her voice. "Don't worry about school, I'll take notes and get them to you today. Also, ping me if you see you do need something. Get drugged up and sleep it off!" And the girl hung up. Haru, oddly enough, planned to follow that advice to a T. She turned over to her side in her bed and promptly went back to sleep, despite the discomfort in her guts.

She wasn't sure how long she slept for. When she woke up it was late, though. Haru didn't glance at her phone, but went straight to the bathroom, checking the situation in her pants. It was like the battle of Sekigahara. She groaned, reaching for the cabinet under her sink and pulling out more pads. She found a single packet there, though, with only one inside. With a groan, she changed the current one, washing her hands and walking back to her bed hunched over.

Haru snuggled back into her warm sheets and grabbed her phone, texting Akari to pick up some pads and something for the pain on her way over. Her friend called her back quickly, though.

"Haru?" She called out as soon as the line got picked up. "Feeling any better?"

"Like Ieyasu."

"Why do you always resort to your worst subject when in pain?" Akari giggled, then let out a strange strangled sound, followed by a light slap on her end of the line. "Hang on," Haru swore she heard her whisper through her haze of pain and drug-induced mist.

"You okay, Akari?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah, just peachy," then there was shushing and scolding, "Actually, Kuroo-sempai asked to bring the notes to you today after practice. So, you'll have to call him to tell him what to pick up. He was worried sick when I told him you weren't feeling well, you know?"

"You let him take the notes?!" Haru complained, her face flushing. She couldn't imagine dealing with Kuroo while on her monthly problem. It would be hell.

"Yeah, he just wanted to see you and make sure you were alright," there was another strangled sound and more scolding. Haru was sure she heard Akari say Kenma's name and everything became clear to her. They were fooling around while on the line with her. "Give him a chance, Harucchi."

"Sure, thanks Akari," the girl groaned, then curled even more into herself. "I'll call him. Bye."

"Bye, bye!" And the line cut off. Haru felt evil, wanting to make sure that Kenma knew that she knew what he'd been doing while she was on the phone with Akari and quickly texted him. Then, she scrolled through her contacts, finding Kuroo's name. She clicked on it, apprehension building up in her stomach next to the pain.

"Haru?" Kuroo picked up after a few rings, sounding a bit winded. "How are you feeling? Akari told me you were sick, I'm on my way to your place now. I'm sorry I didn't come earlier, I was dealing with Kinoshita." Haru wondered how to break the situation to him, then decided to be as blunt as possible. It seemed to bring the best results with the third-year.

"Kuroo, um," he hummed, asking her to continue. "Can you stop by the pharmacy on your way here? I'll give you the money when you come over, of course. I just need some stuff."

"Oh, sure, what do you need?" Stage one was clear. He seemed almost eager to do it, in fact. "Something for fever?"

"No, well, um, for pain," Haru stumbled over the words. "Like, ibuprofen or loxoprofen." She heard him go 'aah' in understanding instantly. God, she was glad that he was such a biology nerd. At least he caught on quick.

"Need some chocolate, as well?" He asked in a gentle tone.

"Sure, but, I need pads." She was blushing like hell, she was certain. It was beyond embarrassing. She'd just started officially dating him and was immediately asking him to go and get her some pads. God, that was mortifying.

"Oh, okay," he seemed… alright with it? "Do you have a brand or size preference?" And, he was rather knowledgeable, too. Through the haze of the pain medications Haru forced herself to think and give him further instructions.

"I'm not particular about the brand, but one package of the day ones and one of the night ones would be great," she instructed, amazed at how well her brain was working. "With wings."

"Alright, I'll get them," Kuroo reassured her. "Do you want to toss me your key through the window so you don't have to walk downstairs?" What in the world had she done to deserve him? He was too good for her.

"My key is in the door," she told him. "I'll go open the door in a bit."

"Okay, I should be there in about ten to fifteen," Kuroo said and then hung up with a short see you soon. Haru ended up lying in her bed for the next few minutes, though, unable to move. Then, she finally forced her legs to work and pulled herself up. The walk down the stairs was a gruesome trip of stopping and groaning. She finally managed to reach the front door and unlock it before looking up the stairs again.

"To hell with it," she murmured to herself, dragging her limp body into the living room instead and curling up on a couch. Despite the warm summer weather, she felt cold somehow, but couldn't force herself to go and grab a blanket. Her phone rang after some time, Kuroo's name appearing on the screen. Instead of picking up, she chose to yell. "It's open!" The sound of the front door opening could be heard just as her phone stopped blaring.

"You look dead," Kuroo told her, coming up to the back of the couch with a small, almost pitying grin. He seemed to have stopped by his house, as he was out of his uniform.

"Just what a girl wants to hear," Haru groaned up at him with a glare. Kuroo put his hands up in a defensive motion, despite the bags around the wrists.

"Don't kill the messenger," he chuckled, then walked around the couch. "C'mon, let's get you upstairs." Haru glared again, in too much pain to be self-conscious about her choice of attire.

"Don't you think I'd have gone upstairs if I could've already?" She didn't want to be so rude. He was doing her a favor, after all. He didn't need to be there and he certainly could've denied her request of going to the store for her. Yet, she couldn't stop her irritation from flowing over, despite being grateful. The curse of hormones. Kuroo seemed to brush it off, though, smiling at her as he bent down.

"That's why you have me, silly," he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, the girl sighing at the warm contact. Then, he placed the bags down next to the couch and gently, as if not to jostle her too much, wriggled his arms under her body. Haru felt weightless for a second, before she was enveloped in his warm embrace. Then, the embarrassment set in.

"A-ah, you don't need to- I can walk on my own…" She tried to reason with the third-year, but he shook his head.

"You look like you're about to either die or puke, and I'm not really eager to see either," Kuroo chuckled, going up the stairs and towards her room like he was in his own house. "Just let me take care of you, alright control freak?" Haru frowned, but she didn't have the energy to fight back. Instead, she chose to snuggle into his warm neck, breathing in the fresh scent of his aftershave.

"Okay," she agreed, her mood swinging a full hundred and eighty once more. Kuroo brushed it off, yet again, instead focusing on his task. He placed her on her bed, carefully tucking her in and then ruffling her messy curls.

"I'll be right back," and he was gone. Haru felt out of her element, her phone still downstairs. She wasn't sure if she drifted off or not, but she opened her eyes to see Kuroo opening her room door with his elbow and closing it with his foot, hands full. "Can you sit up?"

"I think so," Haru looked away from him in order to force her noodle-like arms to push her up, but failed. She heard him hold in his laugh and come over once he'd placed the items from his hands on her desk and nightstand.

"Here, let me," and then he pulled her up in a seated position gently, settling behind her and drawing her into his arms. Kuroo's legs joined hers under the covers, on each side of her body, enveloping her in his body heat and the fresh sandalwood scent. Haru relaxed back into his chest with a content sigh. He was a human heater. "Do you feel up to eating a little bit? You can't take loxoprofen on an empty stomach."

"Just a little," she hoped that she could keep whatever food he'd brought up down, as she was feeling like she was going to hurl despite the dull ache of hunger in her stomach.

"Okay," Kuroo reached over, the muscles against her back moving with the motion. It made her feel hot all over in a telltale way. Haru cursed her hormones for the tenth time that day. "I'm not as good as you, but I can put together a mean chicken broth." The smell of it made a weird reaction in her body. Haru felt like she would either hurl or die to eat it.

"Thanks," she whispered to him, taking the bowl from his hands, fingers brushing. She felt numb, but she could still feel the heat of the porcelain under her skin. It was nice. Taking a deep breath and smelling the comforting food that made her flash back to all the times she'd been sick as a child, she forwent the spoon and chose to sip it instead. "Really, thanks." Her brain seemed to catch up with the fact that Kuroo had just gone to buy her pads, and on top of that had cooked for her.

"My pleasure," the third-year grinned from behind her, his hands working on braiding her hair into a single long fishtail. "I'm glad that I finally have the chance to take care of you, considering how you're always the one to be making sure we're all in top form."

"But, it's my job to do that." Haru replied with a frown, glancing back at the boy. He had a peculiar expression on his face. It was somewhere between content and a smile, warming her up inside, more than the soup had.

"But, I also want to take care of you sometimes," that made her blush and look down into the half-empty bowl. "Eat, eat." Kuroo encouraged, his arms circling her gently as she complied. When Haru was done, her full stomach instantly making her feel a bit better, Kuroo handed her the medicine and a glass of water from the nightstand. Then, he grabbed something else from there and Haru was honestly eager to see what other items he'd gotten. He gave her a chocolate bar, without any additions of fruits and flavors, but only dark cacao.

"Why did you-"

"Dark chocolate has magnesium, potassium and iron," Kuroo explained, tucking a stray lock behind her ear. "They help to relax muscles and balance out the increased production of estrogen and progesterone. But, this is just one theory," Haru couldn't help watching his face as he worked to open a packet of something else in his hands. "The female body is quite the biological mystery, still." Kuroo looked up, noticing her watching him. "What?"

"You never cease to amaze me," Haru smiled, making him blush and fumble with the packet even more, backtracking. However, she leaned in, kissing him on the mouth despite the awkward angle and the pain in her abdomen. His lips were familiar already, moving against her own gently and slowly, despite her trying to rush the kiss into something more heated. Curse her hormones. By the way he hugged her, not touching her in the intimate way she was used to him doing, Haru could tell that Kuroo wouldn't let her get her way. She gave up, opting to simply enjoy the slow kiss instead.

"I quite like this Haru on whacky hormones," Kuroo told her with a chuckle when they finally separated, a little breathless. She grinned, pecked his lips, and then snuggled into his chest not bothering to press her back against his front that time. Instead, in her sideways position which she'd moved to in order to kiss him better, she just snuggled as close as she could to the human heater. "Here you go," Kuroo made her look to his hands, where he'd finally opened the packet he'd had before. It was a kairo heat pack, which made her want to kiss him yet again.

"You're amazing," Haru told him, reaching one hand up, but her numb fingers ended up missing the pack. Kuroo pulled her arm back under the covers, intertwining their fingers, then pulled the pack under the blanket, then under her shirt, the skin on skin contact on her stomach making it do a few flips. Curse those hormones. The warmth of the pack on her skin was pleasant, though, and Kuroo's hand holding it in place even more so. Haru sighed in content. "You're perfect boyfriend material." The third-year laughed at that, before moving the heat pack over her shirt as it warmed up even more.

"I am, aren't I?" He cheekily told her. "I'm just perfect, what can I say?"

"Except for the ego," Haru teased, the medicine finally taking effect.

"Shut up and eat your chocolate, woman." Kuroo grumbled.

Haru woke up in a haze. She could instantly tell that she'd taken a nap and not had a good night's rest. The next realization was that her stomach wasn't hurting as badly as it had been before. The final thing that popped up in her misty brain was the fact that she was hot. So, naturally, she dealt with the last issue first, kicking the covers off herself. That made her surprisingly hard pillow shift, hopping up with a groan. Then, pain exploded in Haru's head.

"Ouch, damn," Kuroo groaned from under her, shifting to rub his sore forehead with one hand. "Sorry," he told her in a very husky tone. They were still oddly entangled on her bed, but they had switched their positions around, so that they were aligned, instead of her legs being tossed over one of his thighs to the side.

"That was my bad," Haru laughed, feeling much better. "Brain hadn't caught up with the reality and I reacted on instinct." She sighed, relaxing back into his arms when he hugged her to him.

"Feeling any better?" Kuroo pressed a kiss to the side of her head where they'd bonked their skulls together.

"Much," Haru felt good. She actually felt good on the first day of her period. It was amazing. "I need to move a bit, though. Do you want to watch something downstairs?" Kuroo seemed to consider it for a moment, then nodded.

"I just need to text my mom that I'll stay over."

"Okay," despite saying that, however, Haru didn't move from her position in his arms.

"Weren't we going downstairs?" Kuroo asked after a few minutes of the girl just snuggling into his embrace.

"In a bit." She whispered back.

"Alright," Kuroo smiled to himself, head falling back onto her pillows as he drew her in even closer, if that was possible.

"Chips?"

"There's a snack drawer to the right of the fridge, at the bottom."

"Oya, oya, Pringles!"

"Should be some spicy wheat crackers, too."

"Why does it always have to be spicy with you?"

"I don't see you complaining when it's spicy."

"Only when it tastes spicy."

"That's what she said."

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Cut me some slack, I'm high on loxoprofen."

"Sixty milligrams is not high."

"Losing blood here, too."

"Okay, I concede, have your win of banter, Miss-I'm-Losing-Blood," Kuroo walked back into the living room, hands full of snacks, smirking coyly at the girl in front of the TV. Haru glared back at him half-heartedly, picking through the numerous movies the Sakurano family owned.

"Are you going to whine if I pick a girly movie?" She switched topics easily, looking back to the selection. Kuroo plopped down on the couch, making himself comfortable.

"Depends on the girliness of the movie." He shrugged, opening different bags of snacks and pouring them carefully into bowls. He didn't want to make a mess, as he'd already seen how Haru was with crumbs. Very similar to himself, she hated them. Especially stepping on them.

"RED?" Haru asked, picking out the CD and showing the cover to him. Kuroo squinted from the couch. With a giggle, the girl got up and walked over, giving him the case.

"This… doesn't seem that girly," he frowned at it, then looked up at her, seeing her in a completely new light. "Is guns and airplanes girly to you?"

"It's a comfort movie, alright?" Haru huffed, reaching for the CD and tugging it, but Kuroo tugged it back.

"No, no, you have me curious now," he didn't let her take it. "Is it American? It looks American."

"It's American," Haru confirmed, making him groan.

"I hope it has subtitles." He finally let her take the CD and she bounded off to the TV, feeding it into the player and not bothering to put the mess she'd made away.

"It does, don't worry slacker," Haru chided. "You do know that if you just try to pay more attention and listen to the language you will improve faster?" She walked back, grabbing a bag of spicy crackers on her way to the couch.

"Sure, sensei," Kuroo blew her a raspberry and spread his legs to that she could sit in between them.

"No, I wanna be the big spoon," Haru pouted, still standing.

"But, I'm taller?" Kuroo complained. While he could see the perks of giving up his position of a big spoon, he also didn't want to be unable to see her while watching the movie. He couldn't resist playing with her hair either, and he wasn't ready to give that up.

"But, I want to be the big spoon," Haru pouted again.

"No, I want to."

"But, you're always the big spoon."

"Okay," Kuroo looked at her, completely serious. "Let's settle this like true warriors."

"Janken?" Haru eagerly suggested.

"Janken," Kuroo agreed. They squared off for a split second before the volleyball captain led the game. "Starting with rock!" Both papers. "Janken pon!" Two rocks. "It seems like a tie!" Two rocks. "It seems like a tie!" Another set of papers.

"It seems like a tie!" Haru joined in on the next verse, putting down paper while Kuroo had rock. "My win! I'm the big spoon!" She cheered instantly, motioning for him to move forward on the couch.

"I can't believe I lost," Kuroo whined, but still moved forward on the couch, letting the girl sit behind him. Then, he leaned back, instantly seeing the perks of the new position. If he extended his long legs under the coffee table just right, he didn't have to feel like he was sitting in a box. And, to top it off, his head was nestled right at Haru's chest, making it more than a good position. "Oh, I don't mind that I lost actually." He smirked, looking up at her, watching the blush spread across her face.

"I changed my mind, you be the big spoon," she started pushing him, but Kuroo would have none of it, centering himself like he was going to receive a ball. He was a rock that she couldn't move. "Kuroo!"

"Haru!" A moment of pushing, tugging and pulling passed, before the girl finally gave up. "Can you start the movie now that this is settled?" With a huff, the girl pressed play. However, she couldn't help but still be happy with her position. It allowed her to mess with Kuroo's hair with the hand that wasn't picking crackers out of the joined bowl, which the third-year seemed to be avoiding with passion.

"Hey, Kuroo," Haru spoke as the opening credits rolled.

"Hmm?"

"How're you so good at this?" The question had been on her mind since he'd accepted to go buy pads for her without any protest or embarrassment.

"Janken?" Haru laughed at that.

"No, you suck at janken," she told him, making him huff childishly at her. "I mean, dealing with… you know…" He seemed to catch on quickly.

"I live only with my mom, remember?" He gave her a bright smile from his spot between her legs. And, with the way his eyes looked at her so openly, Haru couldn't help but feel utterly and completely loved.

"I see…" she replied, the whole thing making more sense. She bent down, pressing a kiss just below his ear, which made him shiver. "Thanks, for everything." She meant more than just that day, and by the way Kuroo squeezed her thigh gently, he knew it, too.

"Anytime."

I'm sorry that this chapter came so late, my silly brain decided to make me watch Shokugeki no Souma and then insisted that I write something for Kuga, because there's like 0 stuff in the fandom for him and he needs more love. I'm writing drabbles for him now xD Anyways, hope yall enjoyed the chapter!

Short glossary of the odd words I used here:

the battle of Sekigahara – One of the bloodiest samurai battles in history
(Tokugawa) Ieyasu – The person who led the battle of Sekigahara, and won
Kairo heat packs – an amazing invention, really popular in Japan; heat packs of all sized that go hot after you shake them. Can heat up up to 40C or so
Janken – rock paper scissors, a popular dispute solver all across the world (I translated the Japanese verse into English, so it seems a bit unnatural)

Reviews:

Potato-Faye:
Thanks for the review! What can I say, I live to amuse you guys? xD I had too much fun writing these last two chapters xD

Valen Goncalvez:
Thanks for the comment!
I'm glad that you enjoyed that bit xD I had too much fun writing it xD I swear I was laughing my arse off in a buss while I typed it xD

Rosto'sGirl:
Thanks so much for the review!
I'm glad that you liked my balance act with the sweet, spice and everything (not) nice? xD TetsuHaru dynamics are like, one of my favorite things to write, I swear xD I've got this urge to write so much about them xD Hope you enjoyed this fluffy chapter xD
KenAri is the ship. I'm going with it shamelessly xD
Best to you!

Bookdragonslayer:
Thanks for the comment!
I'm glad that you enjoyed that! I had a blast writing both the spicy bits and the funny bits xD I couldn't resist the humor, though hahahhaha

hibi-no-baka:
Awwww thanks so much! Both for the review and for the nature of it! Yall make me so happy with feedback :D

Omake:

Akari sighed as Kenma's hands went under her shirt, unhooking her bra with ease. He'd gotten too good at that. It seemed that it was all just levels to him. Passing levels and gaining skills he used expertly on the next one. She reached up, pulling him in for an open-mouthed kiss unashamedly. He'd gotten much better at that, too. Now, all of his kisses were executed with precision and intent, making her tingle all over in excitement as to what he would learn how to do next.

He phone buzzed in her pocket, breaking the moment.

"Leave it," Kenma whispered, his mouth trailing from hers to her neck, hands going up her stomach and pulling the bra off her shoulders, despite her shirt still being on.

"It could be Haru," Akari said in a strangled tone, interrupted by a gasp as Kenma's fingers skimmed over the underside of her breasts. He'd quickly learned where she was sensitive and what got her excited. "She's not feeling well."

Despite his silence, Akari knew that he protested the fact that she took out her phone from her pocket, looking at the text. It was Haru, asking her to pick up pads for her on her way to bring the notes. Akari let out a gasp as teeth pulled on the most sensitive part of her chest through the shirt.

"Is it Haru?" Kenma asked, those cat eyes looking at her, analyzing, from his place above her.

"Mhm," Akari told him. "I'll call her real quick." Kenma sighed, letting the girl sit up and dial the number. As they talked, though, he got bored and decided to urge Akari to hurry up and finish so that he could get back to his game. He scooched forward, legs circling around the girl at the edge of his bed, and kissed her neck, enjoying the sigh she gave. She scolded him, but Kenma wouldn't be deterred. His hand went around Akari's waist, before vanishing into her skirt and underwear. At that, she gasped. Then, she moved the phone to press it to her chest and muffle the scolding.

"Kenma, not there while I'm on the phone," she gave him a half-hearted glare and he knew that he was clear to continue, despite her protests. "I'll be just a second." As she continued to talk to her friend, Kenma continued to ask for attention. He kissed her neck, shamelessly leaving a hickey, while his fingers never kept still. They made her gasp and try to keep her voice steady while talking to Haru. Finally, after what seemed like an hour to him, she hung up, tossing her phone onto the floor, next to their forgotten homework.

"You're in big trouble, mister." Akari looked at him with that coy glare he'd come to love, as it always promised something more than just trouble.

"Am I?" Kenma asked with a small smirk.

"Big trouble." She told him. Then, his own phone buzzed and he groaned, taking it out. It was Haru.

Please refrain from doing indecent stuff while I'm on the phone with Akari. I know you were doing stuff. Next time I'll use it as blackmail.

The two huddled, looking at the message, then burst out laughing. Soon enough, though, Kenma's phone joined Akari's on their forgotten textbooks and they returned to more pressing matters.

That's all folks!