Chapter Thirty-Two: Kuroo III
Waiting for Shouyou to arrive in Tokyo put an unbearable weight on his shoulders, five days to subtly convince Kenma to cancel. Five days until everything fell apart. Kuroo is certain of one thing, he's also frightened of that truth, Oikawa would follow Hinata like a shadow. He'd done the same thing to Kenma, had almost lost control and smashed the runt for even looking at Kenma. "Five days." Muttered into still air as he glances over all of Oikawa's messages, reading over nearly endless lines of text describing their first kiss put a bitter taste in his mouth. Trying to convince himself that he wasn't jealous was a futile effort, not jealous of Oikawa or of Shouyou, just envious of their dynamic, kissing Kenma in a forest would be his happy ending.
He tries not to count each minute that passes but ends up calculating every second he gets to spend with Kenma before hell arrives in Tokyo. Careful not to let his nervousness show, he spends every possible moment he can with his precious person. Hours upon hours are filled with silence, he's not sure how ever found comfort in it, his ears wouldn't stop ringing and he was beginning to wonder if his leg always shook like that. Kenma pretends not to notice, hates that he's put concern where it should never be.
"Kuro." The younger boy vocalizes when the shaking starts vibrating Kenma's bed frame. "Yes?" He asks, raising the pitch of his voice to feign confusion. Kenma's hand, too cold yet burning, lands on his leg and he jerks away from the touch without meaning to. "You're upset." He's not sure it's an observation, worry is reflected in the other boy's tone but also curiosity. "Is this about Shouyou?" He shakes his head, feels his vision start to spin as he denies it. "I can tell him to not come." Kuroo hates himself for almost begging for just that.
Swallowing dread, he opens his eyes and stares into inquisitive gold; as much as he wants to keep that brat as far away from Tokyo as possible, he knows that Kenma would be upset without his new friend. He still finds it endearing that Kenma would send someone away to make him comfortable, yet another reason for him to love the smaller boy. Restraining himself from doing anything out of character, he shakes his head, offers the best smile he can manage while shoving thoughts of Oikawa and Shouyou out of his head. "I just- I don't know about that kid." In truth, he knows a lot about that kid, bruised neck and molested by Oikawa. He pretends not to notice Kenma's blinking, a tick of his processing. "He's nice." Too nice, he knows that to be true.
"Is that because he made you pie?" He teases, like he knows he should. Kenma huffs, but there's a color in his cheeks that wasn't there, "Maybe." The younger boy admits. "Maybe I'll get some pie?" Kenma's eyes light up at that, "I need to go to the store." Then he's jumping out of their shared space, tugging on socks and pants in rapid succession. "For?" Kuroo knows that his precious person would make him happy, the time frame for those moments are eventually. "Pie." A crooked fox grin is lost in half-dyed bangs.
"Pie?" He asks for the third time, they're on a train to Shibuya, towards the too crowded shopping district. Kenma is leading them, a strange occurrence in itself made worse when the half-blond decides that playing on his phone is a great way to divide his attention. Kuroo snatches onto his precious person before they're both flattened on the ground by oncoming traffic, "Maybe I should lead?" He suggests, because he always leads and Kenma always follows when they walk around the city. He expects a sigh, then compliance, not for Kenma to whirl around in his grasp and give him a hard stare. Golden rings are almost misty in Shibuya's rain and bright lights, allows him to ignore the foreigners talking about them.
"I'm leading." Hypnotizing gold is banished with a flick of two-toned hair, then they're walking again. Kenma's phone is placed back in his pocket, a squarish bulge in the younger boy's back pocket; it's the first time he's ever felt alone in Kenma's company, like he's being left behind, even when Kenma's hand tugs on his sleeve. They're led into a too familiar bakery, he lets his eyes glance over patterned tiles and gleaming glass cases. He usually comes here alone, picks something up for the both of them after long tests or special occasions. Kenma has never joined him here, that knowledge makes him feel even more lost. His precious person knowing something without him makes his stomach squirm, spices and sugar mock his nose, he's pretty sure he's going to be sick.
Kenma walks up to the counter and starts a conversation with little hesitation, he thinks he should be proud, his usually shy and blunt friend interacting with a stranger without making them groan in frustration. Kuroo can still see the little boy who made a girl cry during a school trip. It'd be Kuroo who taught him manners and what not to say to people's face, he should be very proud, but he's frightened instead. He glances down and stares at his body, wondering if they'd someone switched personalities while he wasn't looking, Kenma had always been the one reluctant to talk to people, standing by the door and away from others. Now it was him and it felt like Kenma didn't need him.
"Kuro?" His now confident, precious person asks after an eternity of observing. Kuroo blinks away memories of what just happened along with the itching in his eyes, "Kenma." He gasps out, surprised at his own breathlessness he calls the boy's name again once they're back on the streets. "How did you-?" Wanting to know why was almost just as important, but Kenma's eyes make his tongue too fat in his mouth. "Shouyou said he's never had pie." The younger boy lifts up two bags, exposing piled white boxes. Choking down more questions, he forces his gut to settle. "Never, huh?" He muses, the younger boy's eyes are too warm and bright from city lights and mirth.
He makes small talk while they ride the train back, "You've never bought me seven pies, I thought I was your best friend?" Kuroo whines, flicking at the pie boxes between them. Kenma hums instead of responding, he's pretty sure it's his dismissive hum, but he continues talking, asking about flavors, avoiding the recent event and the ones about to unfold. "He's never had pie, Kuroo." It's the only answer the smaller boy gives him, but that only makes him more curious. He's known Kenma since they were the same height, he'd never once seen the younger boy talk without something bad happening. Because of Hinata Shouyou, Kenma was able to do something, talk to someone without making them cry and without having Kenma in a bad mood afterwards.
Kuroo plays it down to the pie, Kenma's love for it evolving him to get fulfill a purpose. A necessary change. It doesn't explain why he hates it so much, or why he's jealous of Shouyou, but it's what he's sticking with. The train ride is short, they're the only ones that get off and he manages to squeeze past too many people getting on. Kenma is right behind him, can feel the younger boy's presence without looking back, he leads them with back home easily enough, but each step fills him with dread, like someone was pouring cement into his blood stream every time he moved forward.
Hinata Shouyou would be in Tokyo tomorrow, he's not sure why three days without Kenma ruins him. He's not even sure it'll be three days, just long enough for Shouyou to get used to both him and Tokyo. Kuroo prays that that will only take an hour, but his heart tells him otherwise. Setting the pie on Kenma's counter, he prepares his goodbyes, it shouldn't be forever because he knows it won't be; he can save Kenma from Shouyou, even if that meant he had to save Shouyou from Oikawa. He wishes there was more time, wishes the last few days hadn't passed in a blur of video games and silence, he doesn't know how to help anyone. Telling an adult would be the sensible thing, but there were too many risks, he knew that Oikawa was dangerous, had seen glimpses of it in the man's eyes, but he's not sure what the other boy capable of or how far he's willing to go.
Oikawa texts him after a long period of staring at nothing, the bright screen almost convinces him to stop reading but he perseveres, reads about how Shouyou was teasing him with fake innocence. Suppressing the need to vomit, he asks Oikawa for more details, a grim determination to protect someone he respects. There's a sigh of relief when Oikawa begrudgingly admits that only his hands had explored Shouyou. Only. It makes him sick, but he's thankful that Shouyou wasn't... It's a hard word, one that clogs up other thoughts until it's all he can think about.
It could have been Kenma. As much as he doesn't want to believe it, there's people like Oikawa out there, people that can get around people like him and straight towards Kenma. The retching and head-pounding numbness ease the thoughts away until there's nothing to think about except the burning stench of bile; porcelain is cools his overworked head, freezes the countdown and his puts his stomach at ease. Sleeping pills buy him time to process, Shouyou would be in Tokyo by the time he woke up, he wonders if Oikawa would follow.
The sun is absent the next day, an often happenstance in Tokyo, but there's a weird sense of dread that settles in his gut when fat drops of water start pelting down from the sky. He hopes that brat took a look at the news before getting on the train, then scolds himself for thinking about a now forbidden subject. Unfortunately, with the door now open he runs through every interaction they've had, stupid texts and hard stares. His instant dislike of the boy for talking to his precious person, his hatred and eventual respect for drawing multiple smiles out of Kenma. He tugs out summer homework, griping at himself for continuing to think about stupid orange hair and too bright smiles.
All four subjects takes him all day, and he's thankful for the distraction and even more thankful that it's finally over. "Two more days." He mutters, taking a look through his window to catch a glimpse of his precious person. Kenma's room is still under his gaze, his legs itch as well as his hands, he needs to know that the younger boy is fine, but he also agreed to stay away. Kuroo settles on texting the younger boy, a casual askance about how Shouyou is. The middle blocker is a safe topic, he and Kenma want one thing but for different reasons; Kenma's reply is almost instant, like he was expecting the question, but he's sure that isn't the case. Kenma tells him that everything is fine, but Shouyou has bruises on his neck.
Kuroo knows that, but he's not sure why reading the information surprises him, he expected the orange haired boy to at least cover up the hickies before leaving Miyagi. Cursing the boy's stupidity, he tells Kenma to tease the younger boy on his behalf and decides to settle his stomach with dinner. He stares at the rice and ends up thinking of Shouyou again, taking a bite assures him that it's not chalky, and that Shouyou didn't bring a rice famine upon Tokyo.
Waking up on Saturday is unreal, he doesn't remember going to sleep and wishes he could return to that state. Hinata Shouyou left Tokyo tomorrow, and he'd take the looming shadow of Oikawa with him; the other captain wouldn't stop texting him about the small middle blocker, asking him questions and requesting pictures of his property. He glances through his window, reels back at the sight and rubs at crusty eyes hoping he was just imagining things. Glimpses of orange settled on the not quite right blue of Kenma's pajamas, Kuroo isn't sure how Kenma can sleep peacefully when danger is using him as a pillow. He finds the moment oddly personal, can feel everything from their perspective as if it were his own. The warmth of Shouyou's head, the deep rhythm set in shared air, hearts pounding together; snapping the picture fills him with sorrow, sending it to Oikawa fills him with regret. It feels criminal, revealing a moment that isn't his, and wouldn't be unless Oikawa's deal worked out.
The curtains are pulled shut right after his realization, feels like a pervert for even taking a look at the moment. "Gone." He mutters as he pulls away from the window and finding his way onto the floor, Hinata Shouyou would leave Tokyo today but he had a feeling that story had only just begun. There's noise coming from downstairs by the time he finds his way down there, if he had known one of his parents would be home he might have put on more than underwear. "Good morning." He mumbles, trying to sound as tired as possible so no questions would be asked about anything more than his sleeping pattern.
"Good morning, Tetsu." His dad calls from around a too big coffee cup. "You're looking... dressed." The older man remarks, Kuroo rolls his eyes pretending not to hear the smirk in his dad's words. "Not everyone wears a suit to breakfast, dad." The older man chuckles quietly, "All lawyers wear a suit to breakfast, son." He ignores the statement, pretends that his father isn't trying to put in good words for law schools that he won't enroll into, and pours some coffee into a mug with whiskers on it. A gift from Kenma after the younger boy got accepted to Nekoma.
"Coffee makes you short." The older man says cryptically, but offers him sugar and creamer when he makes grabby hands for them. He wonders if Hinata Shouyou was addicted to coffee, it would explain both his height and energy, but dismisses the thought because he doesn't want to think about Shouyou when he's only wearing underwear and his dad is staring at him. "I think I'll be fine." With over one-hundred and eighty centimeters to work with, Kuroo was pretty sure that one cup of coffee wouldn't affect his growth. "How goes lawyer-town?" He asks once there's caffeine burning his throat; he watches his dad's brows furrow in poorly concealed frustration and misery, the number one reason he didn't pursue law school. "Hard case." Is the redundant answer he gets. Offering a nod in sympathy, he finishes his coffee in silence.
"Breakfast?" He offers on a whim, pulling their rice bowl from the dishwasher. "Proper language." The older man chides, he hides another eye roll in the fridge. "Do you want breakfast?" He asks flatly, regretting not keeping his mouth shut. "Yes, thank you very much." His sigh is hidden in the rice cooker's hissing, another one in as he looks for the soybeans. "On top of the fridge." His dad calls from the sofa. Silently cursing the older man, he drags the heavy jar from its hiding place and pours a scoop into the bubbling rice cooker. Forgetting about everything is made easier by the noise that surrounds him, crime reports and the rumbling bass that is his father allows him to forget about the danger that is Shouyou. The rice cooker sings to him all too soon and everything pulls back into focus, he pulls eggs from the fridge and pulls the shells apart over a bowl of rice and soy.
His father thanks him again, informally this time, and continues staring at the screen in front of him while he stirs his provided meal. Ignoring the urge to correct the older man, he returns to the rice cooker and begins scraping soy off the leftover rice and prepares an actual breakfast while falling back into his feel nothing state. Hinata Shouyou would leave Tokyo today, everything would be fine. He's not sure why he can't make himself believe it. A clatter of dishes what he presumes is their coffee table pulls him away from doubt, he glances back only to find the front door slamming as well. "Bye." He says to the shadow of his father, then the house is quiet again.
The TV is turned back on, changing it from murder reports to music with a wave of the remote. Knowing neither of his parents will show up to see their son's junk bouncing around to Morning Musume is a blessing, Kuroo cleans up the lonely house and loses himself to soft beats and fast tempos, ignores the squad of dancing girls on TV because he knows he'll fall into sync with them and even when alone the idea is too embarrassing. He drags dust away from outdated family pictures and sorts a too big pile of mail, allows himself to find a different meaning of lost through a series mundane tasks.
Noon flies by too quickly, punctuated by the fact that he still hasn't put on pants. Kuroo heats up dumplings and prepares fresh rice, finds himself smiling for the first time since Friday in between crispy bites and sips of green tea. Shouyou would be out of Tokyo in a few hours and he would have Kenma all to himself. He tugs on shorts to celebrate, finding his way to the school gym to practice until he was certain that the brat was out of his hair for at least a week.
Time gets lost in between spikes, it feels like it's only been seconds since his first spike, but the sluggishness in his limbs tell him it's been too long. The sun, hidden by too many clouds, is kissing the horizon by the time he cleans up and closes the gym doors. He's glad for the distraction but hopes that he didn't miss any time with Kenma, he catches the train back to Nakameguro and ends up on Kenma's porch instead of in his shower. He doesn't knock, doesn't stare at the door for another minute. He'd return tomorrow, when he wasn't tired and he was sure that Tokyo is back to normal.
His mother is downstairs this time when he finds his way down there, can feel her gaze on his messy hair and sweat stains. "Morning, mama." He offers around his whiskered mug, filled with tea and steam. "Isn't it summer break?" She asks with a disgusted frown, he nods, sips more bittersweet liquid. "It is." He confirms, watching her eyebrows raise steadily. "You remember Hinata Shouyou?" His throat clamps shut around a swig of tea, the liquid ends up on the floor between them. "W-Why do you ask that?" He splutters, irritated that another one of his precious people are caught up in this situation, he had only briefly mentioned the other middle blocker to his mom. Kuroo watches his mother shrug, "Came into my shop yesterday." He pulls on her confused look, silently asking for more information without admitting that he wants it.
"Kenma brought him." She's tugging on the rice cooker and the distraction allows him to get his throat under control. "What for?" She knows that Kenma is his best friend, but that doesn't explain why she's talking about Shouyou. "Got rid of his orange, is that natural, do you think?" He wondered the same thing once or twice, but hums his ignorance. "Turned it black, I almost refused. He looked so cute with all that color! Do you think he and Kenma are uh- together?" Kuroo Tetsurou can feel his heart stop in his chest and almost loses his grip on his mug. "Why?" He asks almost harshly.
"I've never seen him smile before." She answers, even when her words are anything but. He urges her on with another noise, "Plus all those marks on his neck, brings back memories." His retching isn't as forced as he would like, can practically feel bile working against his throat. "I always thought he'd find a cute girl to be with," His mother admits with a flick of a knife, "But that kid is pretty cute, almost like a girl, I suppose." She barks out a laugh, the same one he inherited from her, but he can't share it, can only feel rage at her words. Knowing that the marks came from Oikawa doesn't help the film of rage covering his eyes, "They're not together." He huffs out, then sips at his tea to let out his irritation. "Ah- Don't be jealous Tetsu, I'm sure you'll find a wife one of these days!" His mother chirps, looking back at him with the same eyes as him. He nods, bites down the admission that he only wants to marry Kenma, and that anybody else wouldn't be good enough.
They share breakfast, salad and rice, along with conversation. Kuroo tries to avoid anything that would bring up Shouyou while his mother is very insistent on talking about the orange-now-black haired boy. "I think it's nice." She says after she's asked for every piece of information he had about Hinata Shouyou, he carefully avoids the hickies and Oikawa, "What do you mean?" He asks, trying not to reflect how offended he is. "That he has another friend, I always thought it was kind of sad that he only had you." He's not sure how to feel about his mother's words. Am I not good enough? Why does he need more? Kuroo stabs at his salad harder than necessary and chews it slowly to avoid snapping at his mother. "I gotta get to work." She says after period of silence where he pretends not to glare at her. "Bye." He mumbles, as he's left alone in a too quiet house.
Only you. Tries to wash the words away with too rough strokes of a washcloth, tries to tell himself that he's good enough, that he was good enough for Kenma. Tugging on clothes is harder when all he can think about is being replaced, he knows that it would never happen, Shouyou was too small to protect his precious person. Like a girl. Shouyou lived in Miyagi, in the dangerous grasp of Oikawa Tooru. Logic quells his irritability, but doesn't stop his haste as he rushes out of the front door and straight into Kenma's. He supposes it would give the younger boy a shock, and he'd probably get scolded, but he's met with silence.
He checks the kitchen, finds it empty. Checks the piano only to find it silent, then darts up the stairs and into Kenma's bedroom. It's practically the afternoon and Kenma doesn't usually sleep that late, even in the summer. "Yo, Kenma." Kuroo calls out, hating the desperation that resonates in his words. Kenma is in his room, leaning against the wall with too much black in his lap. His mood turns foul in half a second, Shouyou was supposed to leave Tokyo yesterday. "Kenma?" He asks shortly, giving the younger boy a questioning look.
Kenma's eyes pull up from his PSP and narrow at him. "Shouyou's staying here." The words sound almost sad, "Why?" He mutters, knowing the boy was a danger asleep or not. Kuroo's eyes fall onto the mass of wild black hair, takes in the pale face of Hinata Shouyou. The middle blocker looked odd when not proclaiming his desire to be the best ace ever, or contorted in fear, or showing any emotion. "He got kicked out." Kuroo flinches back before he can help it. "N-What?" He gasps, taking another look at the smaller boy. He steps forward, then climbs onto the bed and takes a better look at Shouyou. "Why?" He repeats, letting his eyes fall onto his precious person again. "The rice." Is Kenma's answer. Kuroo isn't sure how chalky rice gets someone kicked out. "Drugged." He swallows another gasp, leans forward for more answers, for once absorbed in not only Kenma's too gold eyes.
"They crushed his medication into it." He nods, glances down at the small middle blocker, ignores the fact that Shouyou is wearing a Nekoma jacket. "Why's he sleeping?" Kenma shrugs, "He slept all night, then took his pills. Fell asleep almost instantly." Kenma's tone is worried, it makes him bristle with rage, wishing the smallest of them would wake up so he could put him in coma. "You know what he has?" Kenma frowns, another thing he wishes he could beat Shouyou up for. "Anxiety disorder is all his mom said, then banished us." The younger boy snorts, tucking completely blond hair behind his ear. "You re-dyed." He comments, not sure what else he can say. Kenma hums quietly, starts playing with too black hair. "He kind of looks like your dad with that hair." The younger boy huffs, leaning over to look at Shouyou's face. "Kind of." He admits with a shrug, the action makes Kuroo smiles for reasons he can't explain. "Just need a gut and a controller." Kenma smiles. His heart stops.
"He calls him teacher, so it could happen." Kenma huffs out a laugh, he laughs quietly, wishing that his precious person wasn't so amazing. "How long are you keeping it?" He asks after a too long moment of watching Kenma stroke messy black hair. "He's not an it." The younger boy glares at him, then sighs. "I can't keep him here, but he has nobody." Kuroo hates that Kenma chooses now to be nice and considerate, but finds himself nodding in sympathy. "He'd be good on the Nekoma team, I guess." He quips, leaning back until his he can smell Kenma on the sheets. The younger boy makes a soft noise, neither agreeing or disagreeing. "It'd be exhausting having him on our team, though." They share a laugh, but their attentions are pulled in by an unconscious middle blocker.
"What're those bruises?" He asks, feigning interest because he wants to see what Kenma knows. "Do you remember Oikawa?" His precious person asks. "Aoba Johsai captain." He admits with enough uncertainty, Kenma nods and Kuroo allows himself to gape. "That's... unexpected." Not sure how someone would respond if they didn't know everything about the situation. Kenma hums again, "I think he's scared of him." Kuroo swallows a too big lump.
"Of Oikawa?" Looks down at the blond with confusion, watches Kenma bite on his lip with half-interest. "I'm probably just seeing things." Kuroo doesn't pry, as much as he wants to, just settles into the mattress and takes in the sight of his precious person taking care of another person. "Is he precious to you?" He asks almost bitterly, scolding himself for using that wording. Kenma frowns, "I think so." He nods, tries not to add Kenma's frustration as another reason to hate Shouyou.
"I don't know what to do, Kuroo." It's been a long time since Kenma has used his full last name. He frowns, stares the younger boy down until they're both avoiding gazes. "If he's precious to you, you should be there for him. Always." Kenma's golden gaze is on him again too soon, and he sits up to escape it. "Make sure he doesn't have to be strong if you're there." Kenma makes a noise that he ignores. "Keep him safe." Kuroo wipes imaginary dust off of his shirt as he stands. "It'll be hard work." His eyes catch on too orange bottles on Kenma's nightstand. "But it'll be worth it."
He doesn't say goodbye, too caught up in his own head to say anything else. Kenma would always be his best friend, and his precious person, but he's not sure how important he'll be with Shouyou in the dynamic. Kenma had his own precious person to care for now, someone who was alone with nothing more than a backpack full of belongings and a bottle of pills. He knows that Kenma will take care of Shoyou, he had taught the blond hair boy himself, he'll be proud of his teammate no matter what happens.
Kenma texts him the next day, along with Oikawa. He opens the latter's first, knowing it would be easier on his heart to deal with the other captain's ordeal than Kenma's. As he predicted, Oikawa asked the whereabouts of his chibi-chan, begging the captain for information. Kuroo stared at the message for a long time, wondering if he'd start something he couldn't finish if he lied. He tells Oikawa that he'd seen the younger boy getting on the train to Miyagi; he can practically feel the other captain's pout as he responds, thanking him for responding. Kenma's text is almost something to look forward to, even though he's certain that he won't like the context of the message.
"He's still sleeping." Kuroo is a little taken back by that, he's never seen Shouyou not jumping and screaming. Not exactly sure what to do, the Nekoma captain ends up making a pot of soup and drags the too hot container all the way to Kenma's house, not bothering to knock before he enters. Bowls and spoons are pulled from a kitchen that mimics his own, dispensing the too hot liquid he balance them up the stairs and into Kenma's room. "Make sure he eats." He commands, depositing the two bowls onto Kenma's nightstand then leaving as quickly as he came. Ignoring the multiple texts that Kenma sends him, he tries to find distraction in university applications and surfing random internet articles.
The next week he finds himself staring at Shouyou's twitching eyelids too often for his liking. Kenma expresses his concern about the smaller boy's nightmares over more soup, he offers comfort in through Shouyou, telling the blond that his precious person would just need time get better. He pauses in his tirade when his phone vibrates, and blinks at the unfamiliar name. "The Karasuno captain just texted me." He comments as he unlocks the phone to read it. Kenma makes a weird noise around a spoonful of soup.
"Hinata Shouyou, number 10, ran away from home. Please keep an eye out. Thank you very much." He stares at the words for a long time, too long if Kenma's curious hum is anything to go by. "Chibi-chan ran away from home." He starts to laugh but stops at how awkward the sound is, glancing up at Kenma's frown forces one to spread across his face. "That was fast, I thought there would be more time." The subject of time is starting to become a bitter one. Thinking he had more time with Kenma only needing him, time before Shouyou ended up in Tokyo, time to figure out what to do before Oikawa found out. Kuroo prays for a long moment that Daichi hadn't texted Oikawa about this, but he knows that effort will be futile in the end.
"Is he eating?" He's not sure why he asks, other than the fact that he can see the curve of Shouyou's hip bone more clearly than he should be, along with the bruise from Oikawa's hand. Kenma nods, "He falls asleep right after." Not sure why he cares, he ends up frowning at the revelation. "Maybe he should stop taking those?" He suggests with a nod towards the too orange containers, Kenma frowns, "He needs them." Kuroo nods his resignation, still not sure why he bothered with advice and his concern.
"Don't tell anyone." Kenma insists after he's turned to walk away. He glances over his shoulder, offers the younger boy a nod. "Just take care of the shrimp, can't have kidnapping and murder charges against us." Kuroo is pretty sure he can hear his precious person laughing as he walks down the stairs. His house is empty and cold when he returns, swallowed in darkness that he's become accustomed to; taking careful steps, Kuroo finds himself deposited into his bed, curled up between two pillows that hide his too big smile.
Trying to hate Shouyou is becoming a useless effort, the smaller boy is practically comatose but despite that, the black haired boy still forces Kenma to smile. Kuroo can't find it in himself to hate it, but not through like of trying. He and Kenma spend time together in long silent stretches, both of them staring down at the younger boy, watching his body squirm under their ministrations. It's something new and he's not sure how he can miss something new, but watching Kenma smile for more than a breath of time is something he falls in love with. He silently thanks Shouyou for that, the younger boy just snores in return, and he leaves. Kuroo is pretty sure that spending two weeks sleeping isn't healthy, but Kenma's mother insists that he'll be fine.
Another weeks passes, he tells both the Karasuno and Aoba Johsai captain that he'll keep an eye out for chibi-chan, insists that the situation will be fine. He finds reluctance in returning to Kenma's house, feeling almost guilty about knowing where the lost boy is, and knowing that he wasn't able to walk or sleep as he would like. Kuroo isn't sure what to do about it except for have confidence in his precious person to help the younger boy through this. He ends up smiling each time Kenma updates him on the shorter boy's condition, wonders if they should celebrate when he learns that Shouyou can finally walk again.
His phone vibrating pulls him out of his stupor, drags the stupid device from his pocket and almost cackles in excitement. Kenma tells him they're having a hotpot and he's invited, he gets dressed in someone that isn't gym clothes and attempts to comb his hair while he waits for the sun to disappear. The door is heavy in his grip, he's not sure how he's supposed to act around Shouyou, the younger boy didn't seem to know that he had been there during his long recovery from what Kenma had told him. Not exactly sure what normal friend of a friend behavior, Kuroo knocks on the door, deciding that he would wing it.
Haruo answers the door, the older man proceeds to hug him and ruffle his hair, he can't help but think of Shouyou. That the middle blocker would grow up to be exactly like the man crushing his spine right now, "Kuroo-chan! It's been so long since I've seen you! Did you get taller? Your hair is so messy!" The older man giggles at his own words, he smiles at the sound. Haruo had seen him less than a week ago, he's not sure why the older man is so excited. Taking off his shoes, he answers all of Haruo's rapid questions, then the man is gone suddenly. Kuroo stalks the older man into the kitchen, grabs bowls for the hotpot and heads towards the dining room, ignoring the two adults flirting in the kitchen. He almost comments, but refrains from doing so when he spots a knife in Aki's hand.
The dining room is where it always is, Shouyou and Kenma are already sitting on the far end of the table. He offers them a smile that he hopes doesn't say I've been watching you sleep for an entire week, "I heard a pretty interesting rumor about you, chibi-chan." He's not sure where the words come from, but offers a wink when Shouyou's cheeks turn red. Teasing the boy is cut short when he senses people behind him, moving into the room he takes the seat across from Shouyou and gives the boy a friendly look. They share small talk, all of them asking how the smallest boy is in separate instances.
"So, how does this thing work?" The dark haired boy asks, tapping at the electric burner between them. Kuroo finds himself swallowing giggles and comments on Shouyou's country background, feels weird that Shouyou's background was something he could never return to. Kicked out. He ends up offering the smaller boy a smile, the least he can do for someone in his situation; the younger boy's eyes dart away from his and he almost feels bad, not sure if Shouyou is completely scared of him or just really shy. "Something wrong, Hinata-kun?" Aki asks from beside him, it seems they're all taking notice of Shouyou's inability to hold onto his chopsticks. He wants to offer assistance, but is certain that it would do more harm than good.
Shouyou looks at him for a second, he pretends to haven't been staring. "Side effect, I guess." The youngest mumbles, and Kuroo feels unknown guilt thrust into his heart. "Don't worry, chibi-chan, I'll feed you." He cringes to himself as soon as the words come out of his mouth. Kuroo wonders when he turned into such a weirdo, but offers the boy a smile and a wink. Why am I like this. He really wishes that he could just stop, but Shouyou just smiles at him. "Thank you, Kuroo-chan." He glares at the younger boy, wishing him a swift recovery so he could break his legs for real.
Praying takes his mind off of his own weirdness, the table dissolves into small talk between the two adults and leaves them to talk almost privately. "You haven't been to school in a while, Kenma." He comments all too casually, ignores the glare from his blond friend as easily as breathing. "It's summer." He laughs, "But we always practice in the summer, Kenma." He whines, offering the younger boy a compelling smile. "I never practice in the summer, you know that." Kenma looks like he sees through him, but Kuroo isn't even sure what he's doing and is certain that Kenma couldn't if he, himself, did not.
"You'll never improve with that attitude, isn't that right, chibi-chan?" He's being weird again, but he feels the need to include the youngest in the conversation and he's not sure why. "I-I guess..." Comes the mumbled reply, then Shouyou is staring down at the table, his gaze follows down to trembling chopsicks. He frowns, knowing that this isn't the middle blocker should be acting. "You guess?" He almost snaps, "I thought you wanted to be an ace, it takes a lot of work, you know." Manipulating Shouyou hadn't been his intention. "You need breaks to improve as well." He's almost irritated that Kenma is stopping him from pushing Shouyou, but he knows there's fight buried in there somewhere.
"I suppose you're right, another time then, maybe the shrimp can join us?" He prays that nearly a decade of sharing brain waves that Kenma will finally be able to read his thoughts. Kenma sighs loudly and he knows he's won, Kuroo almost sighs in relief, "That's up to him." The blond boy mutters, sounding mutinous despite giving in; Kuroo's about to convince the youngest boy to drop by the gym but Haruo's announcement draws his attention, the meal begins with calls of thanks and clapping chopsticks. He watches dolefully as Shouyou fumbles with his chopsticks, until Kenma grabs him a plate and starts plucking from the pot between them. Smiling at his precious person, he allows himself to dig into the hotpot, plucking meat and vegetables with ease.
He knows he's making Shouyou uncomfortable, but he can't find it in himself to stop staring at the dark haired boy, not that he tries too hard. Kuroo watches as his precious person practically hand feeds his own precious person with a half wistful mood settled over his brain. He's glad that Kenma has a person to help, glad that they can share yet another experience, he's not sure how he'd feel if Shouyou ever decided to leave Tokyo. If Kenma felt towards Shouyou the same way he felt towards Kenma, he's almost certain that the blond boy would break. He makes it his mission to ensure that Shouyou's stay in Tokyo is extended as long as possible.
The hotpot is empty by the time he makes up his mind, his stomach is lifted from happiness and cramping from too many spices, an odd sensation overall. "Thank you for having me, Kozume-san, Haruo-san." He offers to his hosts, clutching at his churning gut; Aki stops him before he can make it to the door, "Won't you stay for dessert, Kuroo-kun? We have pie." He's pretty sure that those pies, the ones that forced Kenma all the way to Shibuya, were bad after two weeks of sitting on the counter.
He cackles at Kenma's expense, "Safe to assume it's apple then?" He coos to his precious person, then settles back down on his cushion, ignoring the burning slosh of meat inside of his gut. "Not quite, someone decided to purchase seven pies for reasons I do not know." He forces his face into a condescending one as he looks down at his precious person. "Seven? Kenma, what were you thinking?" He asks, shaking his head in disappointment. "You know how he gets around that stuff." Aki confides, giving her son another frown as she disappears through the door. Too familiar boxes are placed in front of them, reminding of times when he resented Shouyou, he smiles at the younger boy at the memory.
There's an odd satisfaction that fills his heart as he watches Shouyou try something that Kenma is passionate about, remembers that the younger boy had baked a pie just for his precious person. Dessert allows him an escape from Oikawa and he's surprised to find himself enjoying the dark haired boy's quiet company. The glee he's experiencing is ripped out from under him when his precious person starts moaning into what can only be apple pie. Rolling his eyes, he allows his gaze to fall onto an unsettled Shouyou. "Don't like nuts, chibi-chan?" What the hell is wrong with me. Kuroo allows himself to observe the younger boy's emotions flicker across a too tense face. "I think I'm done with pie for a few months." Shouyou admits with an odd look. He laughs, scoops the pie away from the younger boy, "Understandable." He agrees, and proceeds to consumes what's left of the dessert.
He follows the younger boys up the stairs, too much food makes moving uncomfortable stomping the desire to help Kenma carry the weight of his precious person. Watching the boy pant heavily makes him feel guilty, wishing he could have done something to help, he speaks up instead of standing around like a creep. "You know," Pauses as Kenma moves to settle on the bed next to the younger boy, "When I heard from the Karasuno captain that Number Ten ran away from home, I was actually pretty shocked." Shouyou's neck turns into an ugly color with his words, "Daichi told you that?" He confirms with a nod, staring down the smaller boy evenly. "I already told him." The stammering makes him think otherwise, decides to push a little. "Told him what? That you ran away from home to join the rival team?" His tone is harsher than he intends, but the words are already out there. A nervous laugh escapes him before he can stop it.
"No! I didn't run away, I-" Kuroo grins brightly, not expecting to find an opening this soon. "You?" He prompts. Shouyou glares as he responds, "I'm- Visiting Kenma, summer break. Didn't run away." He almost rolls his eyes, finding the younger boy's quick thinking almost irritating, even if he's glad that Shouyou's spirit isn't damaged. He hums pensively, "Seems like you've got more stuff than just for a visit, chibi-chan." Points at the two bags in the corner that aren't Kenma's. The younger boy smiles tensely, "Oh you know- Middle blockers always come prepared." He barks out a laugh before he can help it. "They sure do." He agrees, stalking forward to stand in front of Kenma's precious person.
"You wanna fight?" The younger boy squeaks out, and he's laughing again, "Fight? You can barely move your legs!" Kuroo knows that his words are harsh, but he knows that pushing him will do him good. "I can still take you!" He fights a grin trying to smother his face at the declaration; Kuroo raises his hands in surrender, "Now now, I didn't come here to fight-" Kenma cuts him off before he can explain, asking him to explain. He holds back rolling his eyes, and stares down at his precious person. "Like I said, keeping an eye out, getting some answers before reporting back. You know how middle blockers are, right." Shouyou looks offended that he stole his words, "What more answers do you need?" The youngest boy huffs. He grins, flicks a finger towards Kenma's nightstand, "Just about those orange little containers, speaking of orange, what happened to- this?" Kuroo takes a handful of inky black hair, tries not to frown at the flinch he receives. "Kenma doesn't take medication, last time I checked." He's not sure what his endgame with the questioning, he knows he passed a boundary the moment he made a physical connection with the boy in front of him.
"But I do like the color, it suits you." He praises, hoping that his words will put the smaller boy at ease. Kuroo feels himself breathe a little easier when Shouyou's face flushes at his words, "Thanks... I guess." The middle blocker stammers, he finds it satisfactory and removes his hand from the younger boy's head. "Shouyou got kicked out." Kenma announces, Kuroo almost laughs at the way Kenma fell back into a bad habit of saying things at inappropriate times. Faking surprise is simple enough when Shouyou isn't looking at him, "Who would kick little chibi-chan from his home?" he half teases, trying not to crush his precious person's precious person in his arms. "Don't you think Karasuno captain deserves an answer?" The smaller boy huffs, "I'll tell him right now!"
"Don't worry about it, consider it a favor, middle blocker to middle blocker." He almost offers another wink, feels weird for only half completing the action. "Well, Daichi knows I got kicked out of my home, but if you want to tell him that I'm in Tokyo, feel free." He most certainly will not, and Shouyou won't either, he doesn't need Oikawa coming after him if he ever finds out that Shouyou was hiding in Tokyo this entire time. "I'll make sure Karasuno captain gets the message." A lie, but Shouyou is yelling at him, telling him that his captain has a name and that he's a much better captain than he'll ever be. He makes a note to write that down, but leans down until his face is too close to Shouyou's. "We'll see about that, shrimp." He wonders if he's pushing too far but can't find it in himself to stop. "Let's see how well that captain of yours taught you then?" Watches from too close as Shouyou blinks too brown eyes, "Anywhere, anytime!" The middle blocker demands. "We'll make a bet then." He decides, surprising both of them. "Winner decides what to do with the loser." He's smiling, but praying that Shouyou would decline the challenge.
"Deal!" Kuroo tries not to let memories flood him as he explains the conditions. Deal.