Summary: "What are you doing?" asked Oikawa.

"I have something to take care of..."

Suddenly, the bird broke eye contact and darted away at full speed.

Kuroo ran down the stairs and rushed toward his feathered nemesis."

Chapter 16: The Violence of the Trade Winds

Kuroo always had the odd ability to navigate life's most improbable statistical paths. A simple action, like walking down the street, could quickly turn into an encounter with a gang of pigeon thieves armed with nuclear missiles (this hadn't happened yet, but it didn't mean it couldn't). The trajectory of his life seemed ethereal and quantum in nature. However, he had learned to deal with it, consoling his anxious nature by telling himself he would always have good stories to tell at parties. After all, he had met wonderful people thanks to the story of his crab suitcase sent to Moscow!

Even knowing this, he was always surprised when such an unlikely sequence of events unfolded, with no warning signs to anticipate them... This day was no exception...

He was awakened, as usual, by the sweet symphony of the Tokyo morning orchestra: the ringtone of his cellphone as the strings, the train horns from the station as the winds, the beating of the pavement and the traffic noises as the percussion. It took him a moment to realize that the instrumental ensemble had been complemented by a new sound unknown to his ears. He focused on this new resonance: high-pitched, grating, and deeply unpleasant. It sounded a bit like... a badly tuned violin played by a dying cat... or perhaps... a doorbell... A doorbell? A doorbell! It was his doorbell. He jumped out of bed and rushed to the intercom.

"Yes?"

"Good morning, postal service. I have a package for 'Kuroo Tetsurō'."

"Yes, I'll come down."

He hung up. He quickly searched the room for something to wear; he couldn't go down in just his underwear and a loose tank top! A pair of pants would do. He hastily put on the garment and rushed out of his apartment to run down the stairs. It was only halfway down that he realized he hadn't put on pants, but a t-shirt that reached the top of his thighs over his tank top. He hesitated to go back up but thought against it. When he swung open the door, the postal worker flinched imperceptibly. He saw him eyeing him for a moment but remained polite and greeted him while handing over the package. Kuroo signed the receipt, greeted the postman like a socially normed person, and closed the door behind him.

Well, that's one thing done!

He set about deciphering the sender's address. He didn't remember making any compulsive online purchases, but his memory could play tricks on him... He smiled as he recognized the address of his family home. It took him a few more seconds to remember that his mother had called him to say she was sending him a package, and a little longer to remember that he had asked her to add something very important to it. A radiant smile spread across his face, and he raced up the stairs to his apartment. Once inside, he tore open the cardboard box and pulled out its contents: multiple boxes of cookies, a pair of new socks, a box of herbal tea, charming underwear adorned with blue otters, medication, his trusty old bright red Doc Martens that he had forgotten in Hokkaido, and... Kuroo made a face when he discovered that his mother had once again sent him a whole crab. It had been vacuum-packed this time, but the oozing crab trauma was still fresh and he wasn't ready to revisit seafood cuisine just yet.

He plunged his hand back into the box, trying to find what he asked his mother to add, but couldn't find it. Perhaps she hadn't found it? The weight of his disappointment began to rise in his stomach. Finally, amidst the bubble wrap, he felt it, and the weight of disappointment imploded into sparkling bubbles of euphoria. He picked up the small plastic box decorated with dinosaurs, which he caressed with his fingertips. He opened it, and a shiver of tender joy ran up his spine. Its contents were still there: little notes passed in class with disastrous spelling and childish handwriting, a bouquet of dried daisies, small white stones, an old disposable camera. Kuroo found a small Kodak pouch containing old photos. Most were blurry or overexposed, but he easily recognized that they were of the little beach below his hometown. Only one of the photos was clear, and his heart tightened as he looked at it. It was a photo of him, aged between eight and nine, smiling at the camera. Next to him, he recognized Kenma, his brown hair flowing down his shoulders, his eyes turned towards Kuroo. He recognized the green dinosaur sweatshirt Kenma was wearing in the photo. He chuckled. He remembered that shirt very well. It originally belonged to him, but Kenma liked it so much that he gave it to him. Kenma had spent the next two years wearing it constantly, and he had worn it until it became nothing more than a faded rag.

The brunet went to get his phone and took a picture of the photo, which he quickly sent to Kenma with the simple caption "You were so cute back then."

The blond replied almost instantly:

"You already had your little ferret face"

The brunet chuckled.

"You really loved that sweatshirt, I remember what a drama it was when your mom had to throw it away"

"Yeah, but I got over it, don't worry"

Kenma sent him a photo of himself, and Kuroo gasped in delighted surprise when he discovered that he was wearing an oversized dark green sweatshirt adorned with a cyan brachiosaurus.

"Oh my god! I love it! I want the same one!"

The two friends chatted for a few minutes, discussing the magnificence of the garment. Finally, Kuroo returned to his original activity. There wasn't much left in the box, except for a small bracelet made of large colorful beads, whose chromatic harmony was not recommended for anyone with epilepsy. As he turned over the beads, he discovered that some of them had letters, which together formed his childhood nickname: kuro neko no Jiji. He laughed as he remembered the rainy afternoon when Kenma and he had played with his little sister to make jewelry. The one he held in his hand was a relic of that day, a treasure given to him by his childhood friend and whose existence he had dared to forget. He put it on his wrist and took a selfie which he sent to his friend:

"I can't believe you still have that," the latter replied.

"Honestly, I completely forgot I had it."

"I still have the Kiki's Delivery Service keychain you gave me."

Kuroo smiled.

"I thought you threw it away because you didn't like me calling you that!"

"I still don't like you calling me that"

"I know, Kiki"

Kenma replied with a very rude emoji.

"Kuso neko no Jiji"

The brunet burst into laughter. He sent back a photo of himself blowing kisses at the camera.

He glanced at the time: he still had plenty of time before his first class but leaving early wouldn't hurt. So, he got ready to leave and put on the beaded bracelet before stepping out of his apartment. He checked the time when he exited the subway and smiled upon discovering that he had 45 minutes to spare: enough to quietly enjoy a good coffee under a tree. Delighted with this plan, he headed towards the small mobile shop at the entrance of the campus, which, although modestly set up, served the most exquisite latte. Judging by the quite substantial line he found in front of the shop, he wasn't the only one who had had this idea. He joined the line and waited. He couldn't stop looking at the bracelet on his wrist, the sight of this object continuing to delight him every moment.

He took his phone out of his pocket to send a text to Oikawa and Chris to see if they wanted him to get them something as well. He smiled as he received an enthusiastic response from his two friends.

He finally arrived at the counter and ordered the three large lattes. The barista invited him to wait aside for his order. Kuroo complied. His gaze fell again on the bracelet on his wrist. More and more memories were rushing back to him. He now clearly remembered that afternoon. He had begged Kenma to come and play with him, a refined technique to trick the latter into joining the volleyball club with him. Unfortunately for him, the weather had not been on his side, and they ended up confined indoors. Seeing them idle like that, his mother had invited them to play with his little sister Kasumi. Kenma had been initially reluctant but had eventually joined in their artistic activity. If he remembered correctly, Kuroo had made him a necklace, also made of horribly mismatched beads. He highly doubted that Kenma still had that horrible thing. He began to fiddle with the bracelet, then eventually took it off his wrist to roll the beads between his fingers.

As the merchant called out to him to pick up his order, he dropped the bracelet. His executive functions were briefly short-circuited, not knowing which task to prioritize. He decided to retrieve his order first, after all, the bracelet wouldn't fall any further down. He picked up the three cups, a delicate task which he managed with skill, while not realizing it was indeed the task he should have undertaken last.

He looked down to see where his bracelet had fallen, and his heart skipped a beat when he realized it was gone. He scanned the floor, perhaps it had landed a bit further away? He felt relieved when he spotted it a few steps away from the shop. As he approached to retrieve it, he heard a croak. Looking up, his eyes met those of a large crow. The animal was a few steps away from his bracelet, and its cunning gaze signaled to Kuroo that the bird was up too no good. The brunet stopped to analyze the animal's behavior. The crow lowered its gaze, Kuroo followed it. The bird was looking at his bracelet.

"No!" exclaimed the brunet.

Too late, the corvid had seized the bracelet in its beak.

"Give it back!"

Kuroo rushed towards the bird. It darted away at full speed and the brunet chased after it. The animal didn't even have the grace to fly, and instead taunted him by zigzagging through the student crowd. Just as he had it within reach, Kuroo violently collided with an obstacle. Two dramas unfolded simultaneously:

The first one: all three coffees spilled on him

The second one: the crow flew away with his precious bracelet.

Kuroo dropped to the ground, crestfallen.

"Are you okay?"

"Damn it! You almost ruined my clothes!"

Looking up, Kuroo found Oikawa and Chris facing him, one of them undoubtedly constituting the obstacle he had encountered earlier. Chris helped his friend to get back on his feet. Deeply disoriented, Kuroo took several seconds to reconnect with reality. He handed the cups he still had in his hand to his friends. Both looked puzzled. Kuroo realized he had indeed handed them the two cups, but they had been completely crushed and twisted during the collision. Oikawa sighed, visibly annoyed.

"What happened to you?" asked the blond.

"Uh... a crow stole my bracelet."

Oikawa chuckled, his friend's misfortune lifting his spirits.

"Did you burn yourself?" asked the chestnut-haired.

It was only then that Kuroo assessed the bodily damage he had suffered. Indeed, the torrent of hot coffee that had spilled on him was burning his thighs, stomach, and nipples.

"Uh, yeah, a bit."

"You're soaked. Do you have spare clothes?"

"No."

"I have spare shorts in my bag," said Chris.

Oikawa sighed again.

"I have a t-shirt," he finally added, "we still have some time before class starts, let's go to the bathroom so you can change."

Kuroo nodded and followed them. Once there, he locked himself in a stall to get rid of his soiled clothes. He ended up with his wet pants and t-shirt in hand. He couldn't just put them in his bag like that! They would soak everything... So he decided to wrap them in toilet paper. As he undertook this task, which proved more difficult than expected since the paper instantly absorbed coffee upon contact with the fabric, Chris passed his hand over the stall to hand him a gray sports shorts. Kuroo placed the soiled clothes on his bag and took the shorts. The garment was severely lacking in fabric!

"Uh... Isn't this short too small for you?" the brunet asked.

"Yeah, I ordered it too small," Chris explained, "I was going to return it to the store, but if you need it, I'll lend it to you."

"Uh, thanks."

So Kuroo proceeded to put on the tiny shorts. The garment in question barely reached his thighs.

"Is it okay?" Chris asked.

"A bit short, but it'll do, thanks."

"Here!"

Now it was Oikawa's turn to make his offering. Kuroo's eyes widened as he saw it what it was.

"Uh... Oikawa, what are you doing with a 3XXL Godzilla t-shirt?"

"It's Iwa-chan's."

Kuroo raised an eyebrow.

"And what are you doing with it?"

Silence.

"Oikawa?"

"I'm hiding it! I'm tired of him wearing that thing! I'll get him a new one in the right size, but this is just not working anymore."

Kuroo chuckled.

"Ah, okay, so what about me then?"

"You're not my boyfriend, I don't care! Do you want it or not?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine, thanks!"

"Okay! But make sure to take it off before going to CATO tonight!"

"Okay, okay, your secret's safe with me."

Kuroo reluctantly put on the t-shirt. Or rather, the Quechua tent considering how loose it was. The sleeves, supposed to reach his shoulders, ended up at his elbows, and the whole thing fell to his knees. Kuroo sighed but accepted his fate. He packed the rest of his clothes into his bag and opened the cabin door. Oikawa laughed at the sight, and Chris couldn't help but smile.

"Come on guys!" Kuroo complained, devastated by his friends' reaction and the reflection the mirror was showing him.

"No, but." Oikawa burst out laughing again, "it's stylish."

"It looks like I'm wearing a dress!"

"So what?" Chris asked.

Kuroo calmed down. It wasn't that tragic after all. The outfit had a certain... charm to it. It more or less matched his... his Doc Martens.

"It's fine, with the girl dressed like a Victorian widow in our lecture hall, no one will notice! Anyway, we're out of time, time to move people!"

Resigned, Kuroo followed his friends out of the bathroom. As he was barely out of the bathroom, a group of young students passed by, and one of them shouted:

"Nice dress!"

"No! I have shorts underneath!" Kuroo exclaimed.

His two companions stared at him, surprised by his intense reaction.

"I have shorts underneath," Kuroo repeated.

Oikawa laughed and wrapped his arm around Kuroo's shoulders.

"Come on, embrace it, it's not that bad."

Kuroo muttered something but followed along.

Fucking crow!

-/-

Finally, this day of misfortune was coming to an end. Kuroo could now go home to change and permanently erase the humiliation of this day from his memory. He and Oikawa were leaning against the iron railing of the outdoor staircase, watching the students below while waiting for Chris to join them. A group of young women passed by, and one of them called out to him:

"Nice dress!"

"Thanks..."

Kuroo had heard this so many times throughout the day that he no longer bothered to try to justify himself.

Oikawa watched the group of students walk away.

"No one seems to be mocking you, quite the opposite actually," observed his friend. "It actually suits you quite well."

Kuroo turned his gaze towards his friend, looking indifferent. Oikawa seemed serious.

"Thanks..."

The brunet turned his gaze away again to look into the distance. He caught sight of a black mass in his peripheral vision. When he turned his eyes in that direction, he was shocked to see a crow. Not any crow: the vile bracelet thief. The bird met his gaze. Kuroo noticed vivid spots of color around the bird's neck. His eyes widened: the creature had dared to put on his bracelet around its neck. Kuroo narrowed his eyes. The crow seemed to almost do the same. He stared at the crow. The crow stared back at him. Slowly, without breaking eye contact with the animal, Kuroo grabbed his bag.

"What are you doing?" asked Oikawa.

"I have something to take care of..."

Suddenly, the bird broke eye contact and darted away at full speed.

Kuroo ran down the stairs and rushed toward his feathered nemesis. The crow taunted him even more, stopping every ten steps to wait for him. Once the bird was within his reach, the cunning animal cawed before darting away at full speed. Kuroo cursed but didn't give up! Now the crow was even hobbling forward, most likely to mock him! Soon he had run through the entire campus and arrived at the edge of the pond. As he stepped onto the grass, the cawing of his black nemesis was joined by that of dozens of its kind.

Kuroo stopped. He knew full well that crows were clever animals, and vengeful... He would face severe retaliation if he got into a fight with the entire flock. Damn, it wasn't called a "murder" of crows for nothing! The corvid stopped and looked at him. Perhaps it had taken pity on him? Hope arose within him when the crow approached. The bird stopped a few steps away from him. Kuroo hesitated but eventually approached slowly. He came so close that he could almost touch its feathers. Maybe he had simply misunderstood the situation. Perhaps the crow had been panicked to find itself with the jewelry around its throat, and now that it felt safe near its peers, it was letting Kuroo approach to help it get rid of it. Kuroo approached the bird. It didn't move. Slowly, the brunet reached out his hand and managed to retrieve the bracelet.

"Look, I've taken it off," he said, presenting the bracelet to show the animal that it was now free.

The crow looked at the bracelet and raised its head. Its eyes seemed filled with gratitude. Kuroo let out a smile.

"You're not so ba—"

The crow cawed and snatched the bracelet from the brunet's hand with the tip of its beak before darting away again at full speed.

"You little...!" Kuroo growled, running after the damn bird.

His hope vanished when he saw the crow take flight.

"Ah, damn it..."

The crow performed a few acrobatics before landing on a tall oak tree. Kuroo hesitated to turn back, starting to feel defeated. He lowered his eyes, looked at his bare wrist, thought back to the joy he had felt that morning when he found the jewelry, and... No! No, he couldn't give up! Kuroo resumed his run, heading straight toward the tree. Some branches were low enough for him to grab onto. Without further ado, he embarked on the adventure. He jumped to reach the nearest branch and managed to pull himself up. He continued his ascent. Finally, he managed to almost circle the tree, gaining a few inches in height. Eventually, he spotted the animal hidden among the branches.

"Ah, there you are!"

The bird turned its gaze in his direction. Noticing its presence infuriated him. It cawed and spread its wings. Equally irritated, Kuroo mimicked its cry. The bird fell silent and turned its head to observe him better. Deciding it had seen enough, the crow darted towards the human nuisance threatening its nest and took flight just inches from his face. Startled, Kuroo completely let go of the branch. His backside met the ground all too quickly for his own comfort.

"Fuck," complained the brunet, feeling the impact on his buttocks.

"Are you all right?" came a concerned voice.

Kuroo looked up, mortified to recognize the person in front of him.

"Kuroo-san!"

"Akaashi... san."

The two looked at each other, surprised to find themselves in such a situation.

"Are you okay?" Akaashi asked.

"Yeah, I think so. What... um... what are you doing here?"

"I am working... and yourself?"

"As surprising as it may seem, I was chasing after a thieving crow."

Akaashi frowned, skeptical, but eventually let out a light laugh.

"Of course."

He reached out to help his friend up. Once Kuroo was standing and steady on his feet, he looked up. Akaashi discreetly scrutinized him without letting his gaze betray the extent of his judgment.

"Um... It's not a dress, just an oversized T-shirt with shorts underneath... Some friends lent it to me, I, um... I spilled three coffees on myself..."

"Oh... Chasing after the... the crow, I suppose?"

"Yes..."

Akaashi laughed again.

"Despite its accidental nature, I think it suits you rather well."

Kuroo felt the blood rush to his cheeks.

"Oh... um, thank you."

Seeking to avoid eye contact at all costs, Kuroo shifted his gaze towards the tree and discovered that Akaashi had set up a small cloth at its base scattered with dozens of books.

"Charming workspace."

Akaashi followed his gaze.

"Thank you"

The brunet nodded. And... he continued nodding, for far too long to seem natural. He kept staring at the cloth on the ground and... nodding. He mentally forced himself to stop so his body would follow suit. He could sense Akaashi's puzzled expression in his peripheral vision but didn't look away from the cloth.

"It's a nice cloth."

"Yes."

And silence fell again. Akaashi chuckled. Kuroo turned his gaze towards him.

" Would you like to join me?"

Kuroo smiled and nodded. Akaashi returned to sit under the tree, and he followed. They settled down side by side and remained silent for a moment, occasionally exchanging smiles. The situation was becoming awkward, but the brunet had absolutely no idea what to do to fix it. It was Akaashi who took the initiative:

"So, I you had… a feud with a crow?"

Kuroo smiled and began telling him about his misadventures. The further he got into the story, the more he animated it with grand gestures and theatrical caricatures. Seeing Akaashi relax more and more and laugh at his story encouraged him to add even more frivolity, never getting tired of the gentle sensation his laughter evoked in him. The conversation eventually digressed, and they talked for a long time, enthusiastically exchanging whatever came to mind. The sun was beginning to set, its golden rays filtering through the foliage of the trees to fall in fine golden beads in Akaashi's hair. And every time he heard him talk, Kuroo was intoxicated by his voice, by his presence. Everything about him was so musical. While nature buzzed around them, nothing but a cacophony of chirps and caws, Akaashi had the majestic harmony of a symphony.

They fell silent. The silence between them this time was no longer awkward. It was gentle and calming. The sun had almost disappeared behind the horizon, painting the sky with a sumptuous palette of pink and orange hues.

Kuroo checked the time on his phone: 6:12 PM. He needed to leave soon if he wanted to join his friends at CATO's. He glanced at Akaashi. His gaze was fixed on the sky, a slight smile playing on his lips. Kuroo didn't want to leave. A twisted and strange feeling welled up inside him, and he had to look away. He knew this feeling well, having experienced it recently. This sense of urgency and imperativeness. He let his head fall back onto his knees and delved into himself. Even though he tried to get rid of this feeling, it kept spreading in his body. Perhaps he was being too capricious? Perhaps he was being foolish? But he wanted more. He wanted to explore this sensation lurking within him, to see if he could make it bloom, redefine it, and reshape it. What was it already? "Testing the waters" ?

He felt like he was standing before this expanse, between water and mist, between two physical states to define. He wanted to step forward, to run his fingers through it, to understand it, to know if venturing into it was too dangerous. He shivered, and the sensation threw him out of himself. He resurfaced. The air had cooled, and the wind swept over his bare legs.

"Are you cold?"

Kuroo turned his gaze. Akaashi was looking at him.

"A little, but I'll be fine. I didn't plan on walking around bare-legged all day."

Akaashi nodded and turned to retrieve his bag. He pulled out a scarf and handed it to Kuroo. The latter recognized it instantly. It had served as his pillow for almost a week, and with the washing machine disaster, he wasn't about to forget it anytime soon.

"Oh! Is this the scarf you lent me when we met?"

The brunet nodded. Kuroo thanked him and unfolded the fabric to cover his legs. He rested his head on his knees again and discreetly sniffed the scent of the fabric. It had regained its original fragrance: lilac and petrichor. He chuckled.

"You managed to get rid of the cotton candy-matcha smell."

Akaashi frowned, not following.

"The fabric softener."

"Oh! Indeed."

Kuroo chuckled again.

"Sorry about that... Did I ever tell you that story?"

"I do not believe you did."

"Seriously?"

Kuroo launched into yet another one of his disaster stories, a tale only he could tell. When he finished, Akaashi was laughing so hard that tears welled up in his eyes.

"I swear! Well, I didn't go back too often after that, partly because I was a bit embarrassed, and because my best friend pointed out that it might be a front for a Yakuza gang to launder money."

Akaashi laughed again.

"That would not be so surprising indeed."

"No."

They continued their conversation, more calmly this time. Kuroo's gaze found the scarf again. He detached himself from it to watch Akaashi. It only took a few seconds for him to avert his eyes again. He went back and forth several times, now unable to listen to what the brunet was saying. He kept thinking about the discussion he had with his friends at Karasu, and the thought started looping in his head, so much so that soon he could only hear that thought.

"Kuroo?" Akaashi asked.

"Did you mark your scarf when you lent it to me?"

Kuroo widened his eyes, mortified to have dared to ask the question so bluntly. Akaashi was startled. They looked at each other like two disoriented owls. Finally, Kuroo saw his friend starting to blush. Ashamed, Akaashi buried his face in his hands.

"Um, sorry for asking, I... "

"I am deeply sorry Kuroo-san," Akaashi interrupted. "I am sincerely sorry for doing that without your consent. I..."

The shift to a more polite language amused the brunet. Akaashi put his hands on the ground and leaned forward to bow.

Kuroo let out a smile.

"Hey."

He took his hand to help him up. Akaashi let him but seemed surprised.

"Relax, it's okay... it just caught me off guard when I... when I realized."

Akaashi's face twisted with embarrassment, and he plunged his face back into his hands.

"I acted on impulsiveness, I should not have, but... And I did not think you would notice... I... it does not excuse anything but..."

"To be honest, I didn't really notice... I just saw a friend do that to annoy another friend and uh, they explained to me what it meant..."

"Oh..."

Oh great, Kuroo thought, You really ruined the mood there, what are you going to do now, idiot?

"But... but why? I mean, we had just met?"

Well done dumbass!

Akaashi started to stutter something. He eventually regained his composure, took a deep breath, and continued more calmly:

"Well... It was probably inappropriate of me, but when you told me where you were going and given what happened to you, I thought it would be wiser, just in case..."

Kuroo waited but quickly realized that he wouldn't finish his sentence.

"Where was I going?"

His interlocutor squirmed, uncomfortable.

"The Asakusa district."

"Oh... and?"

"It's a place known for... hosting a lot of despicable alpha-supremacist communities... And since you told me that your encounters of the day had not been the most peaceful, I thought... well, I thought... Well..."

"You wanted to protect me from the bad alphas, is that it? Disguise the sheep so it doesn't get eaten by the nasty wolves?"

Akaashi relaxed and let out a slight laugh:

"Yes, that was the idea..."

Kuroo smiled tenderly.

"Thank you."

Akaashi turned his gaze towards him, surprised by the gratitude.

"It probably helped."

The brunet across from him nodded.

"Not very elegant maybe but... I understand. I get that you did it without any ill intent."

"Thank you for your understanding."

Silence fell.

Now! a voice inside him shouted, and Kuroo almost jumped, surprised to hear it so loud. The mist had lifted, the pond he could see behind didn't seem so hostile. He felt like approaching it... Maybe the water temperature would be pleasant there?

Now!

"But... I'm a little disappointed..."

Okay, not bad, keep going...

Akaashi turned his head, looking panicked.

"Oh!"

"Disappointed that it was only to protect me..."

Hmm, a bit cavalier but...

Akaashi raised an eyebrow.

Damn.

Kuroo dropped the weight of his previous comment for the lightness and honesty of humor:

"Oops, I was just trying to flirt, I'm a bit rusty I guess."

It was still a bit clumsy, but it could work. After all, it was a game they both enjoyed, and now it was up to him to make it clear that he wasn't just playing around anymore.

The remark had the merit of amusing Akaashi, who let out a smile.

"Given our previous interactions, I would say that you are far from rusty"

"Really?" Kuroo asked innocently, though he couldn't help a mischievous smile from escaping him.

Akaashi blushed slightly.

Kuroo was getting closer to the water's edge, and it was becoming clearer and clearer.

"A great example of putting theory into practice, do you practice often?"

Kuroo ventured to bring his hand closer to the surface:

"Um, not really, we don't see each other that often."

His hand was almost touching the water.

"It must come naturally to you, then."

It was now time to take the plunge.

"Um, but I think I might need more practice, something more intensive, what do you say?"

Akaashi chuckled. He smiled and turned his eyes to his interlocutor. Kuroo caught his gaze and held it. He wanted him to understand that he wasn't playing around anymore. Akaashi quickly understood. His smile faded, and Kuroo saw with horror his features take on an expression of embarrassed regret.

"Oh..."

"Oh?"

"Kuroo-san."

The use of "-san" didn't amuse him much this time. He still tried to keep up appearances:

"Akaashi-san?"

The attempt at humor had little effect.

"I am sorry."

Kuroo attempted a smile, but it faded quickly.

"Oh, sorry, I misinterpreted... I... sorry..." Kuroo stammered.

Akaashi turned his head. He closed his eyes. After a breath, he opened them again.

"No need to apologize. I might have sent some signals that led you to think that... I apologize for that."

Kuroo remained silent.

"You are someone dear to me Kuroo-san, but…"

"But?"

Kuroo made eye contact, only to have it immediately broken.

"There are certain things you do not know, and... well, I cannot risk it. Although I enjoy the time we spend together, I am afraid that is where it ends."

Kuroo had just fallen headfirst into the water and it was freezing cold!

"Oh... okay, I understand."

The silence settled in.

"Sorry..." Akaashi apologized.

"No, it's really nothing! Don't worry about it, let's forget it, it's... really nothing!" Kuroo spoke too quickly for it to sound believable.

Silence.

Kuroo suddenly got up and grabbed his things.

"If you don't mind, I'll go then."

"Oh... yes."

Kuroo didn't leave right away, and the two looked at each other for a long time without saying anything.

"Are you going to be okay?" Akaashi finally asked.

"Yeah, no problem... um, well then, see you later."

"See you later..."

And Kuroo turned to leave. He went to catch the train, congratulating himself on his composure. He wouldn't be caught crying on public transportation again. And really, it wasn't that bad, he wasn't making a big deal out of it, he felt perfectly fine. Yes, perfectly fine. That's what he repeated to himself over and over again on his way to the CATO: that he was perfectly fine, that he would have a great evening with his friends, and that it would completely take his mind off things because he was going to have such a good laugh. After all, he had that crow story to tell them! He managed to believe in that until he arrived. Everyone was there, and the bustling atmosphere of the place instantly delighted him. Sugawara was the first one to notice him.

"Nice dress!" he remarked.

Oikawa beside him seemed less pleased to see him in that outfit. He rushed over to him and whispered, "Dude, seriously! I told you to change, I'm going to..."

He didn't finish, his eyes scanning Kuroo.

"Are you okay?" the chestnut-haired asked.

"I'm fine, are you okay?"

"Um, yeah..."

Oikawa didn't take his eyes off him.

"Where did you find that? It's... Are you okay ?"

Sugawara approached him, also instantly sensing that something was wrong.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

The lie didn't stick.

"Sure?" Sugawara insisted.

Ah! Not that voice! It had always been his biggest weakness!

Kuroo's face twisted from the turmoil of tears he had tried so hard to hold back.

"Not really. But… that's fine, I'm okay, that's nothing really."

"I've heard that somewhere before," Oikawa said.

"What's going on?"

Not that voice! Please!

"Nothing… well, I shot my shot and missed, that's ok, I'm fine."

"Oh no... I'm sorry," Sugawara said in his softest voice.

Kuroo shrugged, clinging to the few shreds of composure he had left.

"Hug?" Sugawara suggested, opening his arms.

The brunet nodded and let his friend wrap his arms around him. Kuroo finally relaxed and let the meager barriers he had tried to erect collapse.

"You suck at your Bachelor game" commented Oikawa.

Kuroo chuckled.

"Pfft, shut up."

"I'm just stating the facts."

At that moment, Yamaguchi, passing behind Suga, caught his eye.

"Are you okay?"

The brunet shook his head negatively.

"Oh shit? What's going on?" asked Yamaguchi, approaching.

"He got turned down," explained Oikawa.

"Shit! By who?"

"Akaashi," answered the brunet.

"Oh phew!"

"What "phew"!" Sugawara scolded.

"Well, I'm team Kenma, so it's okay."

"Since when are there teams?"

"Doesn't matter, a little empathy here!"

Kuroo noticed that Sugawara had completely answered his question.

"I'm sorry for you," Yamaguchi finally said before joining their hug.

Kuroo already felt better. But he knew what would lift his spirits even more.

"Yama?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you purr, please?"

Yamaguchi chuckled but immediately complied. The sound instantly soothed Kuroo.

"Thank you."

"Isn't that my T-shirt?" came Iwaizumi's voice, making Kuroo jump.

"Oh crap..." Oikawa muttered.

-end of the chapter-

Next chapter : "The death of stars"

"Kenma, I won't hold much longer!"

"I almost got it..."

"Uh, Ken..."

Kuroo wavered, feeling Kenma start to tilt. Realizing the fall was inevitable, Kuroo tried to shift their balance. He managed to grab Kenma's thighs, but the momentum pulled them both down. Kuroo landed hard on his back, the impact reverberating through his chest. Kenma fell on top of him, knocking the breath out of his lungs.

"Are you okay?"

Kuroo opened his eyes. Kenma was okay. He wasn't sure how, but when he fell backward, Kuroo must have wrapped his arms around Kenma, which undoubtedly dragged him into the fall with him.

"I'm fine, you?"

"Yeah."

They looked at each other before bursting into laughter.

"You always have the must fuckup ideas," the blonde commented.

"What! It was your idea!"

See you!