Chapter Thirty-One: Kuroo II
As much as he loathed to admit it, he and Oikawa had a lot in common. They both had best friends they would die for, people who they would kill for. Special, precious people that if they lost, the world would burn until those people were returned. Kuroo wanted to hate Oikawa Tooru, wanted to finish what he started when he threw that first punch. But he couldn't, not when he almost respected the other captain. Oikawa was so in love he almost beat up his best friend for it, he laughed, his best friend and the person he loved were the same person but even he felt the urge sometimes.
Oikawa liked space, but the fascination was different than his own. Grand King, as my chibi-chan calls me, wants to find life outside of earth. Kuroo just wants to relive that moment in Odaiba everyday until he and Kenma die, staring at stars through amber film, sharing warmth and lips. He doesn't tell Oikawa about Odaiba, it's too special for others to know about. The other boy is like an open book, though, spilling his every thought about his favorite orange haired brat.
"Did you say anything?" He asks, sipping at a weirdly flavored coffee. Kuroo makes an idle mental note to never purchase coffee in Miyagi again as he waits for Oikawa's answer. "I think I scared him." The other boy admits after he finishes staring into the abyss of brown water. He snorts, recalling his meeting with Hinata Shouyou, tells Oikawa how he almost made the kid piss his pants. The Seijoh captain laughs, things are a little easier after that.
They share numbers quietly, ignoring the omnipresent stares both of them are getting from every person in the cafe they're stationed in. "Is this normal?" He half whispers, taking a glance at a particular girl who has Oikawa's face printed on her shirt. Oikawa follows his gaze, Kuroo watches as the other boy swallows a laugh and offers the girl a smile. She faints, Oikawa turns back around without moving. "Pretty normal, at least they put the markers away this time." He can't help but express his curiosity when Oikawa shudders.
"I had to sign so many body parts... Not all of them pleasant." He cackles at the other boy's expense, ignoring the half glare he's receiving from the captain and every female in the store. "I can never look at a breast again." Oikawa says, horrified but resolute. "Never?" He asks, because even if his sole purpose in life was to protect and love Kenma, he still looked around. Oikawa shrugs, "I don't mind as much, now that I have my chibi-chan." There's something cheerful in Oikawa's face, but also something he can't identify.
"What do you like about him?" He asks, staring down into his empty cup, "Specifically." He says, hoping that Oikawa will hold back another rant on the runt's amazing hair. The other captain taps his chin in thought, Kuroo can see his brows are furrowed under curved bangs. "There's just something about him. Something that pulls me in, like, hey I'm short and cute, please love me and dominate me." He blinks. "Dominate?" Oikawa blinks, his cheeks are red. Oh god. "You mean you-" He can't say it. Oikawa Tooru, a pervert.
"I've never- Not before... Only for him!" The other boy splutters indignantly, blushing hard. Kuroo is pretty sure he hears more bodies hitting the ground. "I think I kind of see it." He says after a while, explains himself slowly while the other boy glares at him suddenly. "You're what- like, twenty centimeters taller than him. You look more like his dad than-" Kuroo doesn't finish the sentence, not even sure how to describe Oikawa's relationship with Hinata Shouyou.
"I'm not a pervert!" The other boy squeaks, hiding his face in his hands like a child. Kuroo shrugs, smirks down at the hunched over captain. "I'm sure in twenty years, you'll fit the role perfectly." He chuckles at Oikawa's pained groan. "More importantly," he says almost reluctantly, as much as Kuroo liked hanging out with the other captain, he had things to do. "Why are we here, Oikawa-san?" He says the words quietly, a sign to make the conversation more private. They had a deal after all.
Oikawa perks up, leans forward on their shared table until he can see specks of not-brown in the setter's omniscient eyes. "Of course, down to business, then." The setter's smile is gone, along with the color in his cheeks. "We made a deal, protect each other's property when they're in each other's city." Kuroo's brow tightens slightly at the way Oikawa phrased his words. Kenma wasn't his, let alone his property. He nods anyway, "Anything else?" Because he knows he should ask. Kuroo could be manipulative, work things in his favor easily, but Oikawa was something else. Dangerous.
"Don't tell either of them about this, we don't even know each other." He nods expectantly, "And, do keep your paws off of my toy." Kuroo holds back a flinch at the term, wondering if Oikawa actually realized that Hinata Shouyou was a person, even if he was short and an easy target. "At least for now." He feels his gut dropping at the words.
"For now?" Kuroo echoes, swallows hard when Oikawa's gaze hardens significantly. "You said you liked him too, right, Kuroo-chan?" Tries to recall an instance where he hadn't insulted the brat. "I don't think-" He's cut off by Oikawa's manic grin, "Nothing brings people closer than a little... trauma." Kuroo is pretty sure he can feel his blood stop pumping when he hears the other boy laugh. Trauma. "Just nothing too rough, he's still mine after all."
He's in over his head. He's pretty sure that Oikawa Tooru would actually hurt someone over Hinata, hurt someone bad. "Right." Lowers his voice to an almost growl, "Just don't lay a hand on Kenma." Oikawa's nod doesn't reassure him as much as he'd like. "I only have one thing on my mind." Another laugh Kuroo can only describe as evil has his gut squirming. He almost feels bad for Hinata, but remembering why he's even here ignites more anger than sympathy.
"I think that about covers it, then." Oikawa leans back, smiling at the people around them. "Wait- What... What do I get from this?" Curses the way he's stuttering over stupid words, Oikawa's smile lands on him, eyes hard and almost threatening. "You only want him, right?" He nods, Kuroo would take Kenma over anything, but he planned on doing it honestly. Legally, as well. "Then I'll make sure you get your wish." Something about the other captain's words set him on edge, leave him frozen while Oikawa stands up.
Oikawa leaves without another word, taking dread and a crowd of girls with him. Kuroo sits there, staring into an empty cup and wondering if he's doing the right thing. For Kenma, he promises. He'd do anything for the younger boy, if that including traumatizing Oikawa's toy, he thinks he could manage it. His stomach is not so sure, Kuroo blames it on Miyagi's watered down coffee. Throwing his empty cup away, he decides to head back to Tokyo. Miyagi was too much for him, he mused on that thought, wondering if Kenma was overwhelmed by the farming town as much as he was.
The Seijoh captain texts him as soon as he sits back on the train, he wonders if that's by coincidence, but quickly opens the message. A picture of Hinata and Kenma sitting together, he's pretty sure there's a window distorting the image. This guy is fucking crazy. Tucking his phone in his pocket, he contemplates Oikawa's words. He knows that crazy people don't rationalize their feelings, but Kuroo can't help but wonder if Oikawa is crazy or just infatuated. He'd done some crazy things to get Kenma's attention, like jump off of the boy's roof, but he's never stalked Kenma through his window with a camera phone.
It's almost dark by the time the train pulls into Nippori station, Kuroo is tired but anxious, unsure how to process any of the events that just happened. He takes his revenge out on the court, slamming balls down onto the empty court until the ball cart is empty and his eyes are itching. Tries not to think about anything except where all the balls went, sighs loudly and a spike of loneliness sets in when the sound echoes across the empty gym. He should warn Kenma, if not Hinata, but his body stops responding when he glances at his phone.
A deal. Oikawa would get Kenma for him, but won't hurt him. He's not sure that's possible, Kenma's only been fond of him, but would never love him in return. Admitting it hurt, something he could never say out loud, but he wishes it could be true. Oikawa would help him, in a sick twisted way, he's sure of it. The backlash wouldn't even hurt if he could hear Kenma say those words to him. "I love you." He whispers to the picture of Hinata and Kenma.
A room with a lock was a blessing, a barrier between everything that was real. His bedroom had been his sanctuary for as long as he could remember, a place that wasn't filled with Kenma, even when it was. Pictures of them growing up, his favorite is the hardest to see, Kenma would probably kill him if he knew he had this. The streak of blue is taunting him, calling to him, if he stare hard enough he's certain he can see stars reflecting off Kenma's hair. The image is makes him disconnect further from what is real, pulls him into a back to Odaiba. Memories start to drift together, stars set in amber start to drift under his eyelids, there's music, the same piece Kenma played last year in middle school. Kenma's hair had been dark and short then, starry night Kenma starts to blur as he tries to recall three version of the younger boy.
Kuroo pulls back before the song ends, knowing that the last notes would break him. The picture frame is set back down with shaking hands, hidden in the corner with the older ones, the precious ones. He pulls sheets and blankets, settles his head between two pillows because he's vaguely aware that the music will start again once his guard is down. There's shaking and sobbing that he's certain isn't his own, he can barely hear the noises but he can feel the vibrations that make his lungs convulse.
Tears settle into the fabric under his face, he can smell the salt in them, pulls him back to endless practices where Kenma uses him as a chair. Can remember the coarseness in the sweaty locks as easily as he can breathe. It's hard to pulls memories that aren't revolved around Kenma, snorts at the poetic nature of his thoughts, nobody else could see Kenma as the sun. Most people didn't even see Kenma as anything more than a stuck-up, snob. Or the quiet kid with murderous expressions. Some didn't even get a glimpse past two-toned hair and a game. Kuroo has seen it all, knows the other boy like he knows himself. So why? He asks himself, Is he hanging with that little shit? There's a lot of feelings that surround Hinata Shouyou, none of them are clear as they are for Kenma. He loves Kenma, simple as that; but Hinata Shouyou was annoying, a fearful runt who could soar above a net.
Shook his head, wiping away thoughts with the sound of his hair scraping against a carapace of pillows. Hinata Shouyou's athletic ability had no importance. Hinata had stolen his friend, had Kenma wrapped around his underdeveloped finger. He could crush Hinata in every way, but he had to be discrete; Kenma would know if something changed, could read everyone but him apparently. Couldn't see how hard he'd been working for the younger boy's affection. I love you. Hearing the words in Kenma's voice weren't as meaningful without endless gold to look into.
He should breathe easier without tears and sobs, but something weighs down his lungs, fills them with hate and dread. Kuroo feels bad for Hinata, getting caught by Oikawa's attentions, pulling in his hated because he stole Kenma, if only for a few days. There's no forgiveness, he resents the orange haired boy as much as he feels sorry for him. He wonders if the runt can see what he sees, can see how bright and amazing Kenma is. Tries not to think about it further, he wanted nothing in common with Hinata Shouyou, the boy who tempted Oikawa.
His phone vibrates after he finally puts a stopper on his emotions. Another message from Oikawa. Kuroo thinks about not opening, ignoring it until Kenma is back in Tokyo. Another vibration rips his reluctance out from under him, both of the messages are from Oikawa but only one of them has a picture.
Ignoring the wave of unease that the image gives him, he takes in every pixel, the image is blurred by what he assumes is a curtain. Feels his face morph into a cringe at the realization, but almost smiles when he spots Kenma. The half blond in gifted pajamas, a gift from him almost a lifetime ago, a warm blue that pulls out that night in Odaiba. Dark as a spring night, and he's able to take in the form of his precious person. Hinata's attention draws him away like a too bright light, stretches of pale skin and a too large hoodie.
"My Shouyou is so perfect!" Oikawa's message states, littered with Emojis that make the psychopathic setter seem a little more human. He agrees in his reply, careful to seem as disinterested as possible, even if he does save the image to his phone and memory. Kuroo can see why Oikawa likes the small boy, but he knows there's more to it to love than appearances. Doubts that Grand King could ever love Hinata, not in the way he loves Kenma, or even remotely similar. The Seijoh captain might not even like Hinata, but he was obsessed. And that made him dangerous.
The next two days pass in agony, filled with long silences and a lot him staring at a wall. It's hard to remember a time when he was truly alone, Kuroo had always had Kenma to bother. Never feeling lonely even when it took the younger boy hours to reply to his message. Now he couldn't even form a text to Kenma that didn't revolve around Oikawa and his deal. The Seijoh captain sends him picture after picture, all of them feature the two younger boys interacting with each other, playing volleyball or eating meat buns. The last one arrives midday on Sunday, both of the younger boys are in button-ups and formal pants. Church. A religion that Kenma admits to hating, but practices frequently. He thinks he understands now.
That night Oikawa messages him, he knows that there will be no pictures of Kenma, can see the younger boy's bedroom light from his window. He hates how curious he gets, but he opens them, reads the text with horrified interest. Hinata Shouyou texted Oikawa, he almost prays for the small, orange haired boy. "A death certificate would have been easier." He muses, tugging curtains away to get a glimpse of his precious person. Tokyo seems quieter when Kenma is in it, peaceful even, the sounds of rain and car horns further away. His breath hitches when he spots a sliver of blond, a smile tugs at his lips before his phone takes it away.
"He asked me do you look and act nice or are you mean and look nice. How do I respond?" Kuroo sighs, longer than necessary with no Kenma to question his distress. He's certain that Oikawa is fucking with him, playing games sicker than what he's used to. He's pretty sure that sudden changes in personalities is indicative of something.
"Tell him that you're always nice" The phone is quiet again, allows him to sit in the dark and stare out of his window. Doesn't admit that the action is only taking place so he can look into another window, but every distant flash of yellow and black have his heart pounding. Kuroo thinks he can see a math book in Kenma's hands, he smiles fondly, wishing the distance didn't feel so great. The vibration makes the distance even greater, like waves that send him flying one way and Kenma the other.
"He says that Kenma looks mean and is really nice, is that true?"
"Of course it is! Kenma is the best." Replying as fast as he did felt like a mistake, Oikawa would definitely gather something from his defensive message. He can almost hear the other captain's chuckle, the imaginary sound makes him cringe.
"My little chibi-chan has never dated anyone!" He's not sure what to make of that, thinks he would be happy for Oikawa if they were actually friends instead of deal-makers, the information seems useless in his head.
"He thinks it's a bad idea if we date, what do I do?" Accept it and leave me alone. Kuroo can feel his fingers itching to type out just that, but he doesn't. Instead, he tries to think of something that might be helpful, but he's drawing a blank, he's never someone as strange as Hinata, both scared and excited to talk to everyone. Two things at once, maybe they're meant for each other. Scoffs at the prospect but tells Oikawa that he should offer to train him or something. Manipulate almost gets typed out, but he's not sure where his boundaries with Oikawa are yet.
"You're a genius!" More lines of just emojis. The irritation makes him more regretful of this decision than how immoral it is. Assuming the plan worked, he sets his phone down for the night, and looks towards Kenma's bedroom. Sighs when he notices that the math book has been replaced with a controller, it's cute, something he loves about Kenma, but it's also frustrating. Kuroo's not sure if he'd be closer or further away from the younger boy if he didn't tutor him. Settling against the windowsill, he watches his precious person until they both fall asleep.
Kenma's doorbell is under his finger before he can help himself, he's still surprised that he even waited all night to visit the younger boy. "Ah, Kuroo-kun!" Kenma's mother is the one that answers the door, he's surprised she's up this early. "Kenma's asleep." She says, but she opens the door. "When is he not." He muses back, she smiles, then offers him tea and a bar stool. "You're up early." He swallows the lump in his throat, cursing how Aki could draw connections from almost nothing. "Long night?" She asks, he hears the sink running but can feel her eyes scanning his soul.
"Something like that." He admits quietly, finding interest in his fingernails. She hums and he tries to remember if it was her that started the bad habit all of them have. "Ah, we're running low on sugar." There's scribbling, then steam rising into his face. "Thank you very much." He says as formally as possible, a habit that hasn't died despite their long history. "Did you go to Miyagi as well?" He chokes on an awkward sip of tea, staring at the woman with wide eyes. "I- What?" He asks, trying to sound both confused and casual.
The quirk of her eyebrows tells him what he needs to know, "Kenma went to Miyagi, I assume you know his new friend?" He wants to deny everything, including the existence of the Miyagi Prefecture. Kuroo nods, sipping at his tea to at least hide half of his face. "Are you going to tell me who it is?" His neck twitches as he tries to say no, but what Kozume Aki wants she gets. Kuroo sighs into the liquid, "Hinata Shouyou." She hums around the name as she repeats it.
"What's he like?" A dead man. He shrugs, "Short. Orange hair. Almost looks Western." She nods into her tea, "Is he?" Once the cup is pulled from her lips. Frowning, he shrugs again, he's pretty sure that a Westerner would move into Tokyo instead of Miyagi, like they all did. "Anything else?" She presses. "Middle blocker." Kuroo can see her hiding a laugh into another sip of tea. "Of course." She's smiling, he thinks it looks a little more at ease.
"I invited him over." He can tell from her stare that she's gauging his reaction. He offers an awkward smile in place of the grimace, having Hinata Shouyou in Tokyo would no doubt bring Oikawa too. "Why?" Her smile thins into nothingness, "Kenma said he had a panic attack... It interested me." He blinks at the information, stares curiously at Aki, looking for anything else. "Did Kenma tell you why it happened?" He asks as neutrally as possible, silently curses his nosy nature, especially in matters relating to Hinata Shouyou.
Aki shrugs one shoulder, but he knows it's anything but casual. "Kenma said he was scared of something, didn't ask what of." Kuroo thinks he knows, doesn't let his face reflect the thought, desperately wanting this deal and whole situation to just be over. "Strange." He comments without meaning to, Aki makes a noise. "Is it?" He sighs into half-warm tea, wets his lips for the explanation he's going to give regardless of his feelings about it. "Doesn't seem like the type." He says shortly, scared but excited seemed all there was to Hinata Shouyou, it was weird getting to know something more personal.
"Type?" He notices her eyes are on him again, can see the interest in the golden irises. "I mean- I scared him when we first met, then when we played he wouldn't shut up about being the best ace. I dunno, he's just odd, I guess." Kuroo is pretty sure he can Aki scribbling notes inside of her head. "Do your teams play often?" He can almost hear the disappointment when he shakes his head. "Maybe you could offer a game once he's here."
His brow raises now, "Why?" A loaded question, but being friends with Kenma means giving explanations in as little words as possible. "Put him at ease, make sure he's not scared, alone in a big city. Or something." Or something doesn't help and he's pretty sure that's only an excuse. "Ease." He repeats, watches her lips quirk in almost guilt. "Well, I don't need you scaring off Kenma's new friend." He didn't expect such a blunt answer, but he's not sure why, Kenma's family had a bad habit of speaking in that manner.
Kuroo shrugs, "He was probably just distracted by my good looks and amazing hair." It's meant to put the topic to rest, but she just laughs while walking off. His plan worked, but he doesn't feel like he's won anything. Finishing his tea and dropping the empty cup into the sink, he climbs up the stairs to Kenma's room. His chat with Aki has surely given the younger boy enough time to recover after a long weekend with a hyperactive runt, who apparently has panic attacks.
The door is already open when he makes it up the stairs, he pushes it out the way to slide in, and pauses. Kenma's room is far from silent, but it is serene and beautiful. The boy is spread out on the floor, blanket only half dragged from the bed and barely managing to cover half of the younger boy's chest, he glaces at the sight as he cleans up around his precious person. Allowing himself a reward between each task eases stress off of his shoulders, forgets everything about deals and panic attacks, lets himself just exist. Getting the half-blond onto his bed is a challenge he didn't prepare for, but it gets done, just like every time his neighbor games himself out. Stray chips are picked from the floor and deposited into an overflowing wastebasket, he wonders how long he has left to do this. Sneaking into the younger boy's room had brought him peace, filled him with purpose because he was helping someone he loved.
Games were organized, filling in dark gaps between others, he likes the way the room looks when it's clean. A den of alone but not lonely, perfectly suited to the younger boy, even if the walls weren't their school colors. Instead a deep blue, not quite the same as the sky in Odaiba, but close enough to make his cheeks flush and heart ache. His precious person was close, could hear him breathing, but unable to touch. Tucking the younger boy in eased the need as much as it made him want to lean forward, impossibly closer until he sees stars.
Plugging in the younger boy's phone is his last task, it lights up when it surges with power, catches a glimpse of a notification. Shouyou. His throat is tight, his fingers itch in desperation. Kuroo wants to know, but he won't pry, because getting to know Hinata Shouyou was a mistake, something he wish he could have prevented Kenma from doing. Oikawa knows about Kenma, and he's not sure he trusts the other captain's word to not do anything.
He doesn't wake Kenma up, doesn't allow himself to watch the younger boy sleep, as much as he wants to. Grabbing onto Kenma's controller, worn from long hours of use and almost warm, he dives into adventures not his own. Interacts with demons and can't help but think that Oikawa resembles the one asking for his soul right now. It's cleaved in two, right down the middle and he revels in the imagery of it. His adventure continues for hours, Kuroo is pretty sure he hasn't blinked since he's started but he doesn't mind until his phone vibrates and he has a difficult time reading the words.
"I'm nervous about my date, Kuro-chan!" There's contemplation in his cramping fingers, wants to travel back and send Oikawa a picture of a bisected demon. Nervous. There had never been a moment with Kenma where he wasn't nervous, was scared of hurting the blunt boy's feelings, of being rejected and pushed away. His quest pulls him back as he thinks of something to say, only a little upset at how fast Oikawa worked.
"Don't call me that." He replies, putting his phone on silent, then on the ground. It's almost noon, and Kuroo is pretty sure he can hear Kenma shifting in his sleep. Quelling the numerous questions he has, he decides to remain silent for at least a minute after Kenma woke up. He's not really sure what to talk about, if not Hinata or Miyagi, but saying nothing would be weird too. Years of experience taught him that his precious person only played himself into a mini-coma when he was thinking too hard to notice the time. He's still not sure if he should ask if the younger boy is alright or not, something might slip, I accidentally followed you to Miyagi and then made a deal with could-be-Satan.
He wonders what Kenma would think of that, if there would be one of his rare yelling sessions where Kuroo only wanted to die, he could count those times on his hands and would like to keep it that way. Worry makes his knee shake against the ground, he needs to tell Kenma something. Enough to keep him safe without giving away too much. He could ask about Hinata, Aki had asked him about the smaller boy, could use it as a way to broach the trouble he's in.
"You're in my house." There's an almost laugh that makes his throat tingle. Pausing the game, Kuroo turns to face his precious person, "Sorry." He says without sentiment, listens to Kenma sigh. "Why?" He resumes the game, something to keep his hands away from Kenma's hair and his eyes from wandering. "Your mom wanted to ask me something." Kenma's breath stops at his words, but resumes with a spiteful snort. "What did she ask?" There's a tired lilt in Kenma's words, something he only gets to hear when he sneaks in. It lacks boredom and bite, but isn't monotone in the way Kenma talks to others.
Shoulders tensing at the question, he glances at the dark screen of his phone wondering if Oikawa had already done horrible things to a too short middle blocker. "She asked about Shouyou." Using the given name of the younger boy sent chills up his spine. Kenma makes a soft noise, "What did you say?" He shrugs, forcing a normal reaction, "Said he almost pissed his pants then lost four games in a row." Kenma makes a noise of disapproval, but no words come from the bundle of blankets behind him.
"He was acting strange." Kenma explains eventually, he makes noise of recognition. "Oh yeah?" He asks with sarcastic interest, "I thought you had family stuff." Kenma is silent except for the shifting of blankets, "I lied." Kuroo makes an offended noise, pretends that he had no idea about anything in Miyagi. "You went to see shrimpy?" The nickname is easier but it still leaves a bad taste in his mouth, Kenma grunts quietly, "Yeah, he made me a pie."
"I could have made you a pie." He chides, like he's upset at Kenma for buying a ten-thousand yen ticket for food instead of getting caught up in an orange-haired trap. "Was it good?" He asks after another bout of silence, he can hear typing and a tinge of curiosity. "Very. His first time making one too." He snickers into his arm, trying to remember the last time he washed his face. "If you need a doctor, I'll make sure he gets the bill." He quips but it is met with silence.
"She invited him here." Kenma states after six demons and thirty-nine clicks from Kenma's phone. "Why?" She's interested. Kenma grunts, and Kuroo can tell he's considering keep his new friend's privacy. "I dunno, but there's something weird about his mother." Kuroo doesn't have fake interest in that, he hadn't even known that the runt had family, "Like what?" There's a more comfortable silence as they share the unknown, can feel Kenma's brainwaves like a breeze.
"She's odd. Strange. Like she was threatening me..." There was brief consideration to ride the train and fight Shouyou's mother, but figured that that might look suspicious. "Rude." He offers, and Kenma makes a noncommittal noise, neither agreeing or disagreeing. "He made me toss to him, it was exhausting." Kuroo is certain the words are supposed to express Kenma's irritation, but they sound more fond than annoyed. His grip tightens around the controller for reasons he can't explain.
"Also-" There's a pause, a noise that only Kuroo can identify as frustration at his inability to speak properly, "There's something wrong with his rice." He stifles a laugh poorly and can feel Kenma glaring at him, "Nothing like Tokyo rice." There's no relief in his tone, but he feels it, a reason for his precious person to never return to Miyagi. "No, just his rice." The game pauses again, and the quiet makes the roomy stuffy. "How do you mean?" He looks back at Kenma, who's already staring at him, trying to absorb him in taunting golden rings.
"It was chalky." Kuroo's eyebrows clench at the younger boy's explanation. "That's really weird." Kenma continues to stare at him, he almost gets the impression that the younger boy is asking for his opinion. "Could be a Miyagi thing?" He offers but Kenma's head shakes, "He would have eaten it if it was a Miyagi thing." He nods, Kenma did have a point, but he doubts the situation warrants the attention Kenma is giving it. "He didn't eat at all?"
"Anything but rice, his caretaker was very insistent that he eats it." He's not really sure what to draw from that, "Caretaker?" Kenma hums quietly, eyes back on his phone. "She's nicer than his mom." Kuroo almost points out that it's her job to be nice but can tell that Kenma wants to say something more, "His sister has the same eyes as her." He thinks it over, "It's not unusual." Kenma nods, but his lips are trembling. "I think there's something wrong in that family." Kuroo wants to bring up the panic attack, and stuff that Aki mentioned, but can't.
"You should tell your mom about it." Kenma's face is less than pleased, but there's resignation and fear in his eyes. He hates Shouyou for making Kenma scared, hates himself for not stopping the middle blocker from getting close to his precious person. "Yeah, I guess." The younger boy concurs, but doesn't move. There's half a smirk on Kenma's face despite the tense topic, it's concerning and he might be a bit jealous, as kids he could never get the younger boy to smile.
They were fireworks and fried fish the first time it happened, he'd been at his breaking point, too stubborn to give up on his cause but could feel it ruining him. He watched the first one, it was blue, then looked down at his neighbor. A barely there quirk of the lips, Kenma's cheek had fish skin on it, reflected the next red explosion. He liked to think that Kenma's smile was brighter than any firework.
"Do you want me to help you?" He offers, staring through Kenma and at a young boy with grass stains on his yukata. "No." Then the younger boy is gone, he tries not to reminisce, too much in Kenma's absence, but there's so much Kenma in his life he feels like he might explode. He couldn't share Kenma with another person, the older boy is certain that it would hurt too much to let go. His attention is pulled back into real time when his heart starts to hurt with each beat, wonders how he can feel heartbreak without sharing a mutual love.
His phone has too many messages, all of them from Oikawa all but bragging about dragging that runt around. Grand King, he wonders if the nickname gave Oikawa a too big ego and he finally snapped. Kuroo is rather fond of that theory, undoubtedly less morbid that anything else he can think of. It doesn't make it any better, there's still dread filling his lungs every time he thinks about Oikawa ruining someone, especially someone who can make Kenma smile. Respect. He almost respects Hinata, if only for that.
The younger boy returns quietly, looking relieved but still scared and irritated, he almost hates Hinata Shouyou all over again. "Everything okay?" He asks, locking his phone even though he's certain Kenma would never go through it. Wouldn't know about his deal unless he spilled. "She said she'd talk to him." Wincing, he almost feels pity for the kid, having to go through a talk with Aki was never fun, especially a serious one. Kenma sits down next to him, can feel the shorter boy's body heat like his own. He traces the worried frown of the younger boy's lips, feels his own contorting match it.
"He's coming this weekend?" Kenma nods, "Should I-?" He's not sure what he's asking, but he wants to make Kenma smile like Shouyou can. "I'd prefer not to have him pee on the floor." He laughs, and he can almost see a smile in Kenma's lips, nothing flashy and not like the one Shouyou had pulled from the half-blond. They sink into silence and button-mashing, sharing space and breath but not words. It's what Kenma is comfortable with, so Kuroo remains silent, even when the urge to spill everything start to hurt.
"Maybe when everything is settled." Kenma blinks up at him, looking almost confused. "You want to be friends with Shouyou?" Almost happy, like Shouyou can make Kenma happy with just a name. He shrugs as noncommittally as he can manage, he's scared of and scared for the tiny middle blocker, but he does respect him. "Any friend of yours is a friend of mine." The younger boy just stares at him until he cracks, "Except Yashihiro- I'm sorry, but he's just... weird." Kenma smiles now, sudden and bright, gone within in the second, focused on the TV in front of them.
Kuroo feels his heart start beating again, hurting but a good hurt.