For everyone who needs just a bit more from these two today, here it comes…
Many thanks to eunoiapaint from AO3 for the support – here's a quick update for you!
Enjoy!
12 ways: Sleeping
Chiharu was shocked when Yaku cornered her in the second-year corridor, eyes wide and voice lower than usual. He waved her over, looking around, as if he were conducting some kind of a one-man conspiracy. Then, in a hushed tone, he explained the situation to her. There is an emergency meeting going on. A secret, Mens' Volleyball Team emergency meeting. Why secret? Well, their Captain is being excluded.
The gathering looks like some kind of a war meeting. Everyone is sitting in a round circle on the roof, faces grave and lunches in front of them. Except Kenma. Kenma looks as pokerfaced as usual.
"So…" Yaku begins. "We have gathered here today to discuss the problematic topic of-"
"Kuroo is failing classes again." Kenma butts in, making Yaku's frown deepen. Everyone starts talking at the same time, some of them freaking out. Chiharu raises a hand to her mouth, forefinger on her lip, thinking. True enough, Kuroo doesn't look like the studious type. But, he always seems to slide by with some kind of trick or another. For him to be failing…
"So…" Yaku tries again, ignoring the chatter which immediately quiets. "The problem here is-"
"If Kuroo needs to take supplementary lessons he can't play matches." Kenma deadpans once again, making Haru chuckle. Is he irking Yaku on purpose, she thinks. Another outrage runs through the group.
"So!" Yaku quiets it again. "We need to do something!" The third-year quickly says, glaring at Kenma, daring him to interrupt. Kenma seems either oblivious or impervious to the death stare of his demon senpai.
"So, that's the gist of it." Kai agrees, nodding. "Operation 'motivate Kuroo to begin studying in order to play matches' is a go!" He claps his hands.
"Too long!" Someone complains. "That title is too long!" But the chatter which is already raging through their council of volley elders is too loud and messy for anyone to properly rename the 'operation'. Chiharu tilts her head to the side. Is there anything Kuroo would want, she wonders. Probably. If there is a person who would know about it it would have to be… Her gaze falls onto their stone-faced setter, who has pulled out his PSP, judging their discussion not important enough.
"We could bribe him with mackerel!" Shibayama pipes up. "A carrot thing! The donkey carrot thing!"
"More like a fish cat thing." Someone grumbles, causing a round of chuckles to ring out.
"Or a free treatment at the beauty parlor!" Lev's hand goes up, like he's answering a question in class. "For his hair, his hair." He adds.
"A massage?" Yamamoto sounds unsure of himself.
"No." Kai stops their discussion, the chatter dying out. "No. It has to be something… Something really motivating!" The chatter goes wild again, making Haru sigh.
"Sakurano-san could go on a date with him." Fukunaga speaks up, making Haru whip around to stare at him. When she's done glaring, she realizes that everyone is expectantly staring at her. Even Kenma. There is a telltale game over sound which rings out from his PSP making Haru sigh.
"Absolutely not." Chiharu grumbles.
"Well, I still think that Chiharu-chan should be the one to talk to him." Yaku speaks up. Chiharu feels her cheeks go even hotter.
"W-wait! Why?!" She gasps.
"Isn't it obvious?" Yaku raises an eyebrow at her.
"Because you're married!" Almost everyone chimes in. Haru facepalms.
"We're not!"
"Like mom and dad." Kenma deadpans, making everyone burst into laughter.
"We're not!"
"Alright, alright." Kai claps his hands together, calling for order. "Let's take a vote!" The boys calm down for a moment. "All in favor of Chiharu bribing Kuroo…"
And this is how Chiharu finds herself looking for Kuroo at the end of classes. Those damned traitors had just voted and wished her luck, unanimously. It was annoying, to say the least. But, Chiharu would do it. For the good of the team! So, she opens the door of the third-year classroom which Kuroo's in and walks up to his desk like she owns it.
"Haru-chan?" Kuroo asks, startled to see her there. Chiharu plays it cool, despite the telltale heat on her face. She leans against the desk in front of Kuroo's.
"Kuroo…" She trails off. "You're failing classes."
"Ack!" The reaction is immediate, Kuroo's body slumping down in his seat.
"Hey, hey, Kuroo's being scolded." Someone from the class whispers rather loudly.
"By his girlfriend!"
"No, it's their team manager."
"An underclassman is scolding Kuroo! This is gold!" Chiharu feels her cheeks going completely red.
"S-so the point is…" She coughs awkwardly, focusing. "You need to stop sleeping in class, Kuroo!" She slams her hand against his desk. Kuroo lazily looks up eyes trailing from her fingers, up her arm and finally onto her face, making her head feel like it's going to explode.
"And if I do as you say…" Kuroo smirks. "What do I get?" Of course, he wants something. Of course, it has to be a fish cat situation. Damn him.
"What do you want?" Chiharu already knows that she'll regret that question.
"A date~"
"Like hell!" Kuroo laughs at her outrage.
"It's a joke. A joke." The Nekoma captain focuses on her, analyzing her. He lets out a sigh, standing up, towering over Haru. "Alright. No more sleeping in class." He agrees and Haru knows that this is going to end badly with that single sentence. "I guess I'll have to find a new way to catch up on my sleep~" Kuroo muses as he leaves the classroom heading towards the gym, Haru in tow.
And, boy, does he find a new way to catch up on his sleep. Unfortunately, it involves Haru, as expected. It's the next day when Kuroo saunters into Haru's classroom like he owns it and plops down in the seat in front of her, the wrong way around in the chair, knowing that it would annoy her. From there, he offers her a smirk, takes her left hand and proceeds to snuggle up to it as he settles for his lunchtime nap. It's annoying, she can't focus on her lunch or her book and he keeps lightly snoring in a position that she can't help but cringe when she looks at. It seems too uncomfortable for sleeping! Yet, Kuroo looks peaceful and content. She wakes him up just as the bell rings and he walks away with that familiar annoying smirk and a wave.
After the time when he steals her lap during one of their home gatherings for a nap, pulls her closer to lean on her shoulder on the train trip and ends up snoozing pressed back to back with her during practice while he's subbed out Haru catches onto his game. Kuroo is being his annoying self, though, and she refuses to give in.
Yaku informs her a week of stiff joints and flushed cheeks later that Kuroo's grades are back up and that he's actually awake in all of his classes, participating. He thanks her for her courageous sacrifice with a knowing smile that makes her want to slam a book over the short libero's head and yell at him that she hopes he loses a few centimeters with each smack. But, she doesn't. Because, while Chiharu might be annoyed with Kuroo and his idiotic behavior, she can't help but enjoy it slightly.
Kuroo makes her feel comfortable. Snuggling his head on her lap, leaning against her shoulder or back, he is completely content and relaxed, snoozing. And, to Chiharu, who knows that Kuroo isn't 'all that' this is the greatest compliment that she can receive. The Nekoma captain, a prideful man with a wicked mind in every sense feels comfortable enough around her an insignificant second-year and seeks her out as his Zen garden for afternoon naps.
So, overwhelmed with the scent of aftershave and sandalwood clinging to her clothes from Kuroo's constant body contact, Haru allows herself a small grin and the opportunity to mess with his hair while he's snoozing. It's soft, just like she remembers, and it keeps returning to its original position of a constant bedhead. Haru can't help but giggle as she allows Kuroo to use her as a pillow once more, on the bus, heading to one of their matches. If that's the price she has to pay for him to play in games, it's alright. At least he's quiet.
Sleeping – your cat will seek you out for naps, feeling comfortable, as another sign of their affection
And my favorite Omake to this day is:
Omake:
"What the heck is that!?" Yamamoto explodes, pointing his finger at Kuroo's head and guffawing. The entire team turns to look and starts practically rolling on the floor with giggles. Kuroo raises one hand, raking his fingers through his hair. They get caught in something.
"Here." Kenma offers his PSP, screen turned off, so that it could serve as a makeshift mirror.
"Seriously?" Kuroo is a bit amazed at the image he sees, to be honest. There are about two dozen tiny braids in his hair, secured with the smallest, and also the most flamboyant, hair ties he's ever seen. Each of them has a little plastic addition to it. He's pretty sure he spots a strawberry, a cherry and a pear. Also, a watermelon piece.
"Pwahahahaha!" At this point, almost the whole volleyball team is in shambles, screaming with laughter.
"It's still sticking up! Look! Look!" Lev yells out, pointing. True enough, Kuroo's bed hair is still bed hair, despite the tiny braids. They just seem to accessorize it additionally, complementing.
"Oh well." Kuroo shrugs. "Let's play!" The mock 3 on 3 games go horribly during that practice, whenever Kuroo is subbed in, as neither the opposite team nor his own can hold a straight face.
"Maybe we should do this for official matches?" Kenma asks.
"Secret attack: Flashy bed head!" Yaku joins in, and there is another round of rolling on the floor with laughter, their captain included.
Well, I hope that ya'll enjoyed :D I took a bit of a different route with this one, aiming for the funny stuff… I feel like I failed :') The Omake saves the day in my opinion hahahhaha
