okay, a few things:

sorry i haven't updated in actual months! i started college (rip me) and life's been difficult. to make it up to you guys, here's a really really cute, fluffy chapter!

beware, this party has a little bit of alcohol (because of the new year's eve party) and everyone's a bit tipsy. nothing bad happens, and of course, they're all of drinking age. just a warning, if anyone hates alcohol.

THIS CHAPTER IS SO CUTE please cry with me

Scratch

Chapter 21:

Small Act of Courage

Waking up with a crick in his neck and sprawled out on a couch wasn't the best way for someone to wake up, but Kuroo had woken up in worse places. Much worse. He sat up slowly, twisting his neck and cracked his back. The past night slowly came back to him. He had went to Kenma's apartment, they had a heart to heart and then… what? Did he fall asleep? Apparently so. Maybe he had needed the rest.

After blinking the sleep crust from his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that he had been covered by a blanket. Kenma. Of course it had been Kenma. The second thing he noticed was that there was an amazing smell coming from the kitchen. He leaned sideways and could make out Kenma bustling around the kitchen, cooking something.

Kuroo glanced his phone. Apparently it was only four in the morning. Weird. He stood up, stretching once more before wandering over to his boyfriend. In order not to startle Kenma, he coughed once to announce his presence. "Pancakes at 4am? You're my hero."

"It's not a big deal," Kenma shrugged, "I couldn't sleep anyways."

Kuroo carefully watched Kenma, making sure to catch any small gesture. Something was obviously wrong if Kenma was cooking something at 4am, and his only excuse was that he couldn't sleep.

"Are you sure that's what's wrong?"

Kenma paused in the middle of flipping a pancake. He sighed, a small smile creeping onto his face. Flipping the pancake, he turned to Kuroo. Even in the dark of the night, with a hazy light from the kitchen, it was obvious he was blushing. He cleared his throat once and explained, "I … wanted to do something nice for you."

"Oh. Well," Kuroo stumbled over his words.

"I don't have much to offer," Kenma continued, turning back to the pancakes in embarrassment, "But I can still try… Even if I'm depressed, making someone else happy makes me … happier."

Kuroo came up behind Kenma and paused, allowing Kenma the time to protest, before wrapping his arms around the smaller man. He rested his chin on Kenma's shoulders and watched with mild interest as he continued making breakfast. Burying his face into the crook of his boyfriend's neck, he mumbled, "You don't realize it, but you make me so happy. I'm glad I met you, Kenma."

"Good," Kenma huffed, "Now let go, I don't want to burn these pancakes."

Laughing, Kuroo obliged and sat down at the table. Within minutes, Kenma had sat down with him, putting a plate of delicious looking pancakes in front of him. They didn't bother making conversation, they both felt comfortable enough sitting in silence. It was weird. Kuroo had never liked silence, he would rather fill it up with random comments and boisterous laughter. Yet, when he was with Kenma, he was fine with not saying anything at all.

It was nice, not having to try hard to be with someone.

They took their time and finished eating, watching the sunrise through the window of the apartment. All of the cats were still asleep, and the only sounds were the soft hum of the electronics. Kenma sighed happily.

He was content with where he was in life. Both of them were.

[To: me

From: Kuroo

Received at 8:23pm

hey, you're still coming tonight, right?]

[To: Kuroo

From: me

Sent at 8:24pm

yes. I promised, didn't I?]

[To: me

From: Kuroo

Received at 8:26pm

well you don't have to come if you really don't want to. i dont want you pushing yourself if you can't come, you know?]

[To: Kuroo

From: Me

Sent at 8:28pm

kuroo. shut up. i'll be there.]

Kenma glanced inside the veterinary office. He'd put this off for way too long, showing up fashionably late. There were an insane amount of people inside, and it was making him anxious. It figured there would be this many people, Kuroo was a charismatic person. Kenma liked him, so why wouldn't everyone else?

"Hey, it'll be fine," Shouyou reassured him, wrapping a welcomed arm around his friend. He led them both inside, the bass-heavy music getting exponentially louder. "If anything happens, we can go home, okay?"

Kenma nodded, and followed his friend into the crowded office. Hanging around the front of the office, he watched as Shouyou darted around and went to find something to drink. It wasn't a surprise when Shouyou was instantly pulled aside by someone that recognized him. Shouyou was the opposite of him, befriending anyone and everyone. Suddenly, his view of his friend was blocked. He blinked, confused.

Then he understood when he heard the curious chuckling.

He should have known he would've been pounced on the second he walked in. After all, it was a known fact he was Kuroo's boyfriend. But still, he wasn't prepared for three giant men to corner him immediately. It didn't help that he recognized only one of them: Oikawa. The other two men were complete unknowns to him. One had slick, silver hair, and the other had wild salt-and-pepper look going on. He looked like an owl with their feathers ruffled.

"Ohh, so you're Kuroo's little boyfriend, huh?" The owl-man said, looking Kenma up and down. He must be Bokuto. Kuroo had mentioned this guy several times, that he looked like an owl, but Kenma had never met him. As he shied away from the arm Bokuto tried to wrap around him, he now knew why. This guy was ridiculous. He was hyper and really touchy-feely, which Kenma definitely did not appreciate.

"Leave him alone, he doesn't like to be touched," Oikawa drawled, watching with amusement. The third man, the silver-haired guy, was just bouncing up and down in excitement. His cheeks were pink, too. Why he was excited, Kenma didn't know. "I've met Kenma before, he's pretty cool. So don't be weird around him, alright?"

"Me? Be weird?" Bokuto scoffed, "Never."

"But Bokuto, you're always weird!" The third man chimed in, earning a comedic glare from him.

"Shut up, Lev!"

The group began to bicker, and Kenma felt stranded. He was in the center of the little group, and couldn't find a way out without alerting any of them. At least they were giving him space. The three men crowded around him, their drinks sloshing in the tell-tale red plastic cup. Kenma blanched, realizing they were all drunk. Or, if they weren't, they were well on their way. He heard a noise and he looked up. Bokuto had turned to him for some input on something he wasn't paying attention to. He froze, trying to come up with a vague answer that would work.

Thankfully, he didn't have to.

"Come on guys, I don't need you guys putting Kenma off," Kuroo interjected, saving Kenma from any answering. Always such the hero. He winked at Kenma, and slung an arm around Bokuto. "I do that well enough on my own. It's a surprise he stays with me!"

The group laughed and easily dispersed, Oikawa to go bother the guy with the dog (Iwaizumi, Kenma remembered), and Lev went to find Yaku, leaving Bokuto and Kuroo with him.

"I never formally introduced you two, did I?" Kuroo asked no one in particular, before continuing, "Anyway, Kou, this is Kenma. Kenma, this is Koutarou Bokuto. He's my best friend and partner in crime."

"Oh, joy," Kenma said, causing Kuroo to laugh. Bokuto just raised his eyebrows and turned to whisper something in Kuroo's ear. Kenma tensed. He hated whispering. When Bokuto looked at him and laughed, he tried not to feel anxious. So what if they were whispering? It didn't mean anything. He told himself to relax, New Year's Eve wasn't the time to be irrationally anxious.

Bokuto smiled mischievously and left. Kuroo ran a hand through his hair and stepped forward, "Sorry about him. He's just excited that I finally got a boyfriend that I'm serious about and he's trying to embarrass me. Though I do that well enough by myself. He's also, uh, protective in his … own way, I guess."

Kenma smiled slightly and nodded, feeling his anxiety slowly melt away. That explains the whispers. It wasn't anything bad, like he knew, but it still felt better to be told rather than wonder about it. Kuroo opened his arms, asking for a hug, and when Kenma nodded, Kuroo grinned and scooped him up into a big hug.

"I'm glad you came," he murmured into Kenma's hair.

Kenma huffed out a chuckle, burying his face into Kuroo's jacket. He shook his head and said, "It's your coupon, you know. I definitely didn't come for you or anything."

Kuroo laughed, finally releasing his boyfriend from the hug. He slipped his hand into Kenma's and grinned when he didn't pull away. Squeezing once, he pulled him into the fray of the party without any resistance. For once, Kenma didn't seem reluctant to be surrounded by people.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that Kuroo was there.

Just maybe.

The couple walked around together for a while, Kuroo showing Kenma everything he knew already. All of the TVs were changed to New Year's Rockin' Eve, a countdown to New Year's. The timer in the corner of the screen said there was a little over an hour left to go. It was muted, of course. Even if it wasn't, the music was so loud it would have drowned the sound out anyways.

There was several speakers located around the veterinary office. In the corner, by the reception desk was a table with a bunch of drinks. Alcoholic ones included. There were cups and bottles everywhere, along with misplaced bags of chips. The chairs were pushed to the walls, leaving a wide area for dancers.

"How long have you been throwing this party?" Kenma asked Kuroo as he poured himself a sprite with (maybe) a little bit of vodka. He told himself it was okay. Just a way to help get him through the night.

"Since I got the office to myself. So only two years, this would be the third one," Kuroo answered. He had gotten himself a beer. Kenma wrinkled his nose. Out of all the alcohol, Kenma thought beer was the worst.

They sat down on one of the couches on the wall and watched everyone else. They talked and they drank. They drank and they talked. After a while, Kenma found himself curled up under Kuroo's arm. He also felt a little tipsy.

(He never was good at holding his alcohol. One reason he didn't like drinking. The other was the crash after the high. He felt more depressed after he drank than if he had stuck with a soda. But he didn't tell people that. He just said 'no thank you' and went along with his life.)

Kuroo, on the other hand, seemed to be perfectly fine. Kenma wondered what type of drunk Kuroo would be. He thought about it for a minute and decided, with ease, that he would be a cuddly drunk. His point was proven when Kuroo snuggled closer to him and mumbled, "You look extra cute tonight."

"Thanks," Kenma said, blushing slightly. He wondered again if he'd ever get used to compliments. He hoped not.

Suddenly, Kuroo stood. Kenma felt himself lean against air and caught himself. He looked up at his boyfriend, and when he saw the puppy eyes and a grin, he knew what was happening. Kuroo held out his hand and bowed.

"May I have this dance?"

Admittedly, it sounded more romantic than it actually was. A loud, bass-heavy dubstep sound was blasting from the speakers. Kuroo was tipsy and his bow was kind of slouched. There would be no room on the dance floor to be comfortable. People would be in Kenma's personal space.

And yet, Kenma found himself taking Kuroo's hand.

He was pulled up and out onto the dance floor, while Kuroo expertly dodged people to find them a relatively open space. (Of course, it wouldn't stay open, but it's the thought that counts.) Kenma glanced at the timer on the TVs, surprised that there was only twenty minutes left until New Years.

The song ended, but was replaced by an equally loud, but different thumping song, and everyone around them began to jump. Everything was in slow motion and fast paced at the same time. He didn't understand how. It didn't matter, because Kuroo was standing in front of him with an expectant look on his face.

And so, they began to dance.

They danced.

And they danced.

And they danced.

Even with the bass of the music giving him a headache, even with the office filled to the brim with people and their sweaty bodies, even though it was hot inside and freezing outside, and even though Kenma hated parties, he couldn't bring himself to hate it there. Not while Kuroo was still holding his hand, while Kuroo was pulling him closer, while Kuroo's arm snaked around his waist and they danced together.

Kenma felt the music inside of himself. Like the bass was his own heartbeat, it was that loud. It was thrumming through his body, lifting him higher and higher. He danced with Kuroo for what seemed like ages.

When he looked around, he saw Shouyou break dancing in the middle of the crowd. He saw Yamaguchi and Tsukishima in the corner, half dancing and half laughing at everyone else. He saw Oikawa grinding on Iwaizumi who was turning red, but wasn't doing anything to stop him. He saw more people he recognized, both from the vet offices and his offices. They were all laughing and smiling, having the best time. They were all happy.

Kenma threw his head back and laughed. A bright, life-changing laugh. Kuroo lifted an eyebrow in curiosity, yet he seemed pleased at the same time. Kenma had the worst migraine he'd probably ever had, and he was sweating like a pig, but he didn't care.

He was happy.

He was happy, and suddenly, people around them were yelling. They were yelling numbers. Counting down to New Year's. On the TV, the timer was counting down from thirty seconds. The music was turned down, if only to hear people screaming.

Kenma heard someone yell twenty-three! too early and people laughed.

He saw Aone from across the crowd, the crowd yelling twenty-one! while he waved.

Kuroo gazed at him fondly, mouthing nineteen! with the rest of the group.

Bokuto jumped on Kuroo's back, hooting fifteen! and laughing, falling down.

Oikawa punched Kenma in the arm lightly, shrieking ten! and running away.

Yamaguchi had bounded over to Kenma out of nowhere, shouting seven! and disappearing again.

Shouyou appeared and hugged Kenma, whispering four! into his ear.

All of the people he knew and cared about were there, counting down to the New Year. Everyone he loved. Kenma never thought he'd have this many friends. He never thought he'd go to a party like this willingly. He had always thought he'd grow old on his own, with his cats as his only company. The crazy cat-lady-man-person. Even Shouyou, his only friend, had other friends than him. But Kuroo?

Kuroo, the man that he allowed in his personal space. Kuroo, the veterinary that told him Sugar was perfectly healthy, besides being pregnant. Kuroo, the dorky, completely infuriating guy he was dating.

The person in front of him, right then, staring into Kenma's eyes as he counted down with everyone in the office. Three! Two! One! The person, instead of screaming Happy New Year! at the top of his lungs like everyone else, just watched Kenma with a soft, content smile.

Kenma huffed and stepped forward, fueled by the incredible emotions all around him, and probably a little by the alcohol. He grabbed Kuroo's shirt and pulled him down, kissing him full on the lips. A hand went around his neck, pulling him closer to Kuroo. They kissed, the sounds from the party drowned out by Kenma's heartbeat. Kuroo grinned into the kiss, causing Kenma to laugh and break the kiss.

"Happy New Year, Kuroo," Kenma said, blushing and looking away. Now the embarrassment had caught up, but at least he was brave enough for a kiss in the first place. For years, he had seen movies and tv shows that glorified the New Year's Eve kiss. Now he knew. An accomplishment, if he did say so himself.

"Happy New Year, Kenma," Kuroo repeated. He pulled Kenma into a big bear hug, kissing him on top of his head. They stayed in the hug for a long time, swaying back and forth to the music.