Chapter 36: Kuklos II

Kuroo was awakened the next morning by the first light of dawn. The house was silent, everyone still asleep. He smiled, relishing the few minutes of calm graciously granted to him. Eventually, Kuroo grabbed his phone: 6:32 AM. The date caught his eye. He knew they had said they wouldn't do anything until next week, but he still wanted to try to do something special for the occasion. Unfortunately, he hadn't brought much with him, and he was in the middle of nowhere. He checked his location on his phone: yep, nothing around. It would take him more than an hour to get to the nearest shopping area on foot. He sighed, disheartened... But wait! It was only 20 min by bike!

Damn, if only he had a bike… or even a car…

Wait! He had a car! Well, ok, it wasn't his car, but still, he was sure that Kenma wouldn't mind if he took it for such a short drive. He often lent it to Keiji, so there shouldn't be a problem. Hell, he even let Kōtarō drive it, with his adventurous interpretation of traffic laws, surely, he was good to go!

He could certainly ask, but wouldn't it be cruel of him? Kenma had slept so poorly last night that it would be very ill-advised to wake him up for such trivial matters. And besides, it would ruin the surprise for sure! Kuroo got up and crossed the hallway stealthily. The car keys were still on the coffee table. His plan had absolutely no flaws; everything was perfect. He returned to his room, this time with less caution, and hastily threw on the first clothes he could find and set off to the entrance. As he was about to put on his shoes, a sudden thought struck him: he was trapped in a house with an alpha in rut and two omegas in heat, and he wasn't quite sure if the scent he was carrying with him would be tolerable, or even bearable, for the rest of the world. He grabbed his T-shirt and sniffed it: yep, he could even smell it.

He sighed, feeling briefly discouraged, but quickly shook off the feeling. He wasn't about to let something that trivial stop him!

With a new resolve, he returned to his room, grabbing his shoes and the car keys. He retrieved his backpack and locked himself in the bathroom. Alright, it was time to stay focused. He had to act methodically. He opened the window and tossed his shoes outside. . .ly.

Almost half an hour had passed when he made his way through the window as well, after making sure that every pore of his skin, every inch of his epidermis, and every hair follicle had been scrubbed clean. There he stood, outside at seven in the morning, his hair still damp, wearing a purple shirt with yellow checks, green jogging pants, and mismatched pastel socks. He sighed. These were Kōtarō's clothes. He had brought them with him originally to return them, as his boyfriend had the irritating habit of scattering his wardrobe around his apartment. Ironically, these were the only clothes he hadn't taken out of his bag, and therefore, the only ones that hadn't been exposed to the... very "charged" air lingering in the house.

But he quickly regained his composure. At that hour, he wasn't likely to encounter many people anyway. He put on one shoe and had to hop to retrieve the second one, which he'd thrown a bit too far. Once fully shod, he grabbed the keys from the window sill and headed toward the car.

As he sat in the driver's seat, it took him a moment to figure out how to start it. Kuroo had learned to drive on an old car from the last century, with a gear lever that squeaked every time he changed gears. So, facing Kenma's state-of-the-art automatic car left him a little disoriented. He stared at the gear lever, unsure how to interpret the letters on it. Since it was automatic, he assumed the car would manage without him having to do anything.

He turned the ignition. Instinctively searching for the clutch pedal, his foot groped around until it found the first pedal it could: the accelerator. The car suddenly lurched backwards. He panicked, his feet searching desperately for the pedals, and his hand grabbed the lever to his left while he tried to shift into first gear. The gearbox let out a groan, and his feet simultaneously hit the accelerator and brake pedals. The vehicle stalled abruptly, and Kuroo's head jerked toward the windshield before slamming back into the seat.

Once the car had stopped, he let go of the steering wheel. Adrenaline and fear had sent his heart rate into overdrive, and it took him several long seconds to catch his breath.

Okay, bad start... But he wasn't ready to give up.

His years of dealing with anxiety had at least taught him to react quickly in these situations. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He was okay, and the car was too. He just needed to think a little, and analyze the situation. The last time something like this happened, he had stopped driving for months. But he'd finally decided to take the bull by the horns when he got tired of wasting two extra hours every weekend going from his parent's house to Sapporo. There was no way he was going to let himself be beaten so easily.

After a meticulous examination of the gear lever, Kuroo finally noticed the "Drive" mode he had stupidly missed earlier. With a timid press of the accelerator, he was met with the miracle of the car moving in the right direction. Satisfied, he quickly stopped again, fastened his seatbelt, activated his GPS, and finally set off.

After two or three impromptu stalls and several unexpected bursts of speed, he had managed to somewhat master his driving. He arrived at his destination twenty minutes later, still in one piece. Unfortunately, the place seemed completely deserted. A glance at his phone revealed that most of the stores wouldn't open for several more hours. He had become so accustomed to Tokyo's 24/7 lifestyle that he had forgotten it wasn't the same everywhere.

He sighed, feeling disheartened, and decided to leave. He couldn't afford to wait for the stores to open; he wanted to be back by the time his boyfriends woke up. As he drove around the parking lot, a brightly lit sign caught his eye. Hooray! He was saved... by a drugstore ?

Well, it wasn't exactly cause for celebration. He stared at the place for a long moment, considering his options. Finally, he shrugged and decided to give it a try anyway.

Fifteen minutes later, Kuroo emerged with three overflowing bags and a substantial hole in his bank account, but a wide grin on his face. Who would have thought a simple drugstore could offer so much! Note to self: shop here more often. He stuffed the bags onto the back seats, got back in the front, and started the car without any trouble this time.

He even allowed himself the small indulgence of turning on the radio on the way back. As the current hits played, he sang along, though he hadn't bothered to learn the lyrics. His gaze wandered over the endless horizon; the trees around him had taken on their autumnal reddish hue, and the sun's rays filtered through the canopy, creating a kaleidoscope of color dancing before his eyes. He rolled down the window, letting the fresh air rush in, relishing the sensation of the wind against his skin, his hair tousling in the breeze. He smiled to himself, feeling at peace.

He eventually arrived not far from his starting point, congratulating himself for managing to retrace his steps despite never having bothered to note the exact location of where he'd started. He was getting better at this, darn it! But his joy quickly faded when he found himself face-to-face with a huge black gate, padlocked; clearly something he hadn't encountered earlier.

"Okay, no big deal," he muttered, "just took a wrong turn." He turned around and continued his way.

It was only ten minutes later, after narrowly avoiding three crying fits, that he finally spotted a path he recognized—well, kind of. The vegetation looked familiar. As he passed a green expanse, trying to make out the distant houses, he spotted a small dirt road. There! He made the turn, now convinced he was on the right track. A sigh of relief formed on his lips... until two pick-up trucks suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blocking his path.

He swerved sharply, braking hard, but the car came into contact with an unidentified obstacle and stalled.

Kuroo, at first a little shaken, turned off the engine and hastily got out of the car, feeling his anger spike. He walked confidently towards the two pickup trucks, trying to be threatening.

"Hey, what's the big idea?! You're not..."

He fell silent. Two behemoths had just stepped out of their vehicle. One of them was a head taller than him, and the second one was twice his weight, all muscle.

"Oh... Hello, gentlemen."

In these situations, Tetsurō had learned that it was better to play it safe.

"This is private property here," said the one who seemed to be the elder of the two.

"Oh, uh, yes, I know, but..."

"If you know, then get lost!" the younger one snapped sharply. He began to approach him, assuming a threatening posture.

"No, but I'm here with..."

"Don't give a damn about your excuses, move!" the younger one snapped, becoming increasingly agitated.

"No, but I'm just trying to explain..."

He was cut off by a honking sound. All three of them were startled.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" shouted a voice at them.

Leaning over, Kuroo noticed a young woman stepping out of the car stop behind the two pickups.

"What the hell are you guys doing?"

She was three heads shorter than them and swimming in a black sweatshirt far too big for her, but the other two almost seemed scared to see her approaching.

"Wari, we're just trying to..." the younger one tried to reason with her.

As the two men were being scolded by the young woman, Kuroo couldn't help but study her more closely. She had short black hair that framed her face, there was something about her, something familiar… As if...

"We're just trying to do our job, Wari," the younger one managed to say, pointing at Kuroo.

He froze as three pairs of eyes turned to him. The young woman looked him up and down, her expression stern.

"What are you doing here?"

"Uh, I... I was... invited."

"Invited?" the brunette repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, invited, I don't know if that's what we call it... Anyway, uh... I'm with Keiji... Akaashi Keiji."

The explanation deeply disturbed the small gathering. The young woman looked at him once more before her face lit up with a broad smile.

"Oh! You're Tetsurō?"

"Uh... yes..."

"Oh, fantastic!" she stepped forward and took his hands in hers.

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Himawari, Akaashi Himawari, Keiji's big sister."

Tetsurō froze. That's why she looked familiar!

"Wari, do you know him?"

"Yes, yes! Well, no! But he's Keiji's boyfriend."

The young wild dog frowned.

"Your brother is paired with a beta?" he declared, sounding a little disgusted by the idea.

"Uh, we're not..."

"You got a problem with that, Ken-Ken?"

The one called Ken-Ken suddenly lost his bravado.

"No."

"Alright, perfect." Himawari turned her gaze back to him. "Ah, it's great to meet you!"

Kuroo tried to smile.

Yes, great to run into his "sister-in-law" at eight in the morning, with his hair all disheveled and in a more than dubious outfit, caught red-handed trespassing.

"Kenma told me you'd be here."

"Uh, yeah... I just went out shopping, I didn't mean to bother you"

"Well, don't worry about it, these two are just a pain in the you know what" She turned to the two other men "Come on, get out of here, move along, there's nothing to see here!"

"Wari, don't talk to us like that, we're just trying to do our job!"

The elder of the two behemoths placed a hand on his younger counterpart's shoulder. The latter instantly fell silent. The elder waved goodbye before turning to get back into his pick-up truck. The aforementioned "Ken-Ken" grunted one last time before returning to his car as well. Soon, Tetsurō and Himawari found themselves alone.

"Ah, I swear... Don't blame them, they're doing the best they can, but yeah, they can be a bit much."

Kuroo nodded, his eyes wandering into the distance, not daring to meet the young woman's gaze.

"Uh, thank you for your help, Akaashi-san."

The addressed one let out a nasal laugh:

"Save your manners for someone else, call me Himawari."

"Okay, Himawari-san..."

"Himawari."

Kuroo simply nodded.

"You seem like a good kid, you should come over to the house sometimes! I'm sure my parents would be love to meet you too!"

Kuroo felt his blood drain down to his socks. He thought Keiji's parents weren't home?! Had they finally returned?

"Uh, yes, but, I mean, I wanted to get back before they woke up and..."

"No, but relax, I'm not saying right now!" Himawari intervened.

"Oh, okay."

"By the way, Keiji told me what you decided to do, it's really nice," she said, smiling at him. "You're a good guy."

Had he made a good impression without even trying?

"Thank you..."

Kuroo wasn't quite sure where to put himself.

"But seriously, it's surprising that you managed to sneak out incognito, and I don't mean to offend you, but dude, what's with this outfit? Did you steal Kōtarō's clothes or something?"

"Uh... Yeah."

Not expecting this response at all, he saw the young woman's eyes widen before she burst out laughing.

"Ah! I thought so! Well, come on, I'll let you go now, see you later!"

Kuroo nodded and waved goodbye. He went back to the car. Himawari watched him, seemingly undecided whether to return to her own vehicle. The brunet waved one last time before starting the engine again. The car roared to life before stalling. Great! He tried the operation again, but with the same result. Himawari approached, and Kuroo rolled down the window :

"Um, I think I'm stuck."

Himawari burst out laughing:

"Okay, wait, let me see."

She went around the car, Kuroo saw her inspecting the wheels carefully before she returned to him:

"It's nothing, you're just in a little hole, if you accelerate enough, you can get out of it, no sweat!"

Tetsurō nodded. He tried to start again, but the car gave up on him almost immediately. He heard the young woman laugh again. She came back to him and opened the door:

"Alright, get out, I'll get you out of there!"

Kuroo nodded and got out of the car. Himawari took the driver's seat.

"Ah, automatic... Is this your car?"

"No... Kenma's."

"I thought so, well, here we go."

Hardly had she finished speaking when she gripped the steering wheel with both hands. The engine roared to life, and with a sudden surge of acceleration, she had the car out of the hole in no time. She made a sharp turn and then reversed abruptly, the car scraping against a branch. Himawari, oblivious, continued to move forward. Through Kuroo's stunned gaze, he saw the branch scratch along the entire side of the car.

"Kenma's going to kill me," Tetsurō murmured to himself.

Himawari got out of the car.

"Oh shit... Well, no, it's nothing," she said, circling the car.

She came back to him and tossed him the keys.

"Well, it's nothing, if Kenma says anything, tell him he can swing by the garage anytime for a quick touch-up."

Kuroo nodded, his gaze still fixed on the scratch on the car.

"Uh-huh, okay," he replied in a strained voice.

"Alright, I'm off, nice to meet you Tetsurō. Say hi to the guys for me!"

Kuroo nodded. Himawari returned to her car, she waved goodbye one last time before speeding off. Kuroo stood there in the middle of the road. It took him a few seconds to properly process everything that had just happened. Finally, he got back into the car. He looked around:

"Damn... I should've asked her which way to go..."

Finally, after some detours in the middle of nowhere, Kuroo eventually found his way back home. As he walked around the car once it was parked, he noticed that the scratches weren't as visible as he had feared... Perhaps he could hide them long enough for Kenma to think they came from someone else, like a mischievous tanuki hungry for blood and destruction attacking the vehicle in the middle of the night!

He imagined all sorts of elaborate and more or less extravagant scenarios, leaning on the kitchen counter. The water started boiling before he could come up with a conclusive story. He had to face the truth: whatever he said, he was going to get caught anyway... Once all the necessary preparations were done, he grabbed his grocery bags, took his tray, and headed towards Kenma's room. He hesitated to knock; maybe the blond wasn't awake yet? Eventually, the sound of his Nintendo reached him: of course, what else could he be doing? He felt quite helpless when he realized he couldn't knock, perhaps he could try banging his head against the door? He looked at the whistle he was wearing around his neck... with no way to retrieve it. So, he resigned himself to banging his head against the door.

"Come in," Kenma invited him.

Another challenge: opening the handle without using his hands. He managed to do it with a combination of elbow and shoulder, entering with as much grace as a bulldozer.

"Hey..." he murmured once inside. Kenma stretched his arms and yawned. Tetsurō took it as an invitation and approached. He smiled when he saw his lover's face, still heavy with sleep. The blond stretched his arms out again, and he put the tray at the foot of the bed so he could lean over and kiss him. Kenma wrapped his arms around him.

"Hey," the blond finally replied.

"Happy birthday," he whispered tenderly.

"Hmm, thanks, I feel like I'm going to have a great day," the blond replied sarcastically.

It was true that these weren't the best circumstances for celebration, but Kuroo still wanted to make this day special.

"Feeling better?"

"Meh..."

"Hmm..."

Kuroo kissed his temple.

"I brought you some tea, and this," he announced proudly, pulling out of the bag an owl plushie.

Kenma grabbed it before the brunet could finish his sentence:

"It's warm!"

"It's a hot water bottle."

He saw stars light up in his boyfriend's eyes. He seized it without further ado and placed the owl under the covers to put it on his stomach. He sighed in relief as he felt the warmth already taking effect.

"Oh, damn..."

Kuroo smiled.

"And since I didn't want it to be alone, I found it some friends."

Tetsurō pulled out three more plush toys from the bag, including a cat, another owl, and a charming octopus, which he gently placed all around Kenma. The blond chuckled as he watched him.

"And that's not all!"

He grabbed the last two bags and took out three fluffy pillows and two velvety blankets.

Kenma chuckled but accepted the gifts enthusiastically.

"Did you raid the 'nesting materials' aisle or something?"

"Uh, yeah... But I've never seen an aisle like that before! In a drugstore, no less! I'll definitely go there more often now!"

"To stock up on nesting materials?"

"Wait, did you feel that? It's super soft, I want one just like it!"

Kenma chuckled but still touched it.

"I have to admit, it's really soft."

"Ah! See?"

The blond smiled at him. Eventually, he grabbed him by the collar of his shirt to pull him into a kiss. Kuroo went along with it without any resistance.

"Thank you," the blond whispered when they finally parted.

He shifted and tapped the space beside him to invite Tetsurō to join him. The brunet complied, snuggling against his lover who covered him with a corner of the blanket.

"Um, sorry, I used your car to go there..."

"Okay, no problem, thanks. Did you have any trouble?"

"Well... When I was leaving, I struggled a bit to figure out how to drive it, but it was fine... It was when I was coming back that things didn't go as planned..."

"Go on..."

"Well, you see, as I was about to come back, I got blocked by two huge cars and two big guys who weren't happy to see me."

"Oh... Yeah, they're patrolling the area."

"Yeah, well, it kind of, uh, surprised me. But then someone arrived and helped me get out of that mess."

"Someone?"

"Yeah, Keiji's sister."

"Oh, okay... Which one?"

"Himawari."

"Hmm... and then?"

"Well, it was a bit of a strange encounter, but she's nice."

"Okay, but I meant with the car."

"Oh... well, um, while trying to avoid the pickups, I ended up in a hole... I couldn't get out, so Himawari-san helped me... get out. She did but…"

"But?"

"A branch slightly scraped the side of the car..."

Kenma sighed and let his face fall into his hands.

"Um, she said you could go to the garage for paint if needed..."

Kenma sighed.

"You should never leave a car with Wari..."

"Oh..."

"She has a knack for messing them up... And by the way, the garage she mentioned isn't hers but one of her partners', whom she met because she kept getting her parents' cars repaired, which she used for illegal street races..."

"Wow... that's kind of cool, though..."

"Yeah, well, not when it comes to my car..."

"Sorry..."

"It's fine... I guess it'll go with the dent Kōtarō made at the back when he hit the pole at the supermarket..."

"Oh, so that's where it's from! I thought it was me when I accidentally reversed..."

"What?!"

"Never mind, it's fine now, nothing serious. Here, do you want some tea?" Tetsurō hastily asked, thrusting the steaming cup into his boyfriend's hands.

"Mmm, yeah... let's say that..."

Kuroo chuckled.

"Happy birthday again."

Kenma rolled his eyes but said nothing more, simply taking a sip of tea. The beverage seemed to soothe him so much that he forgot everything else.

So Kuroo had managed to get out of trouble with minimal damage, a bit of tea, a hot water bottle, and some blankets: and voilà, problem solved!

-/-

Kuroo allowed himself barely half an hour of rest before getting back to work. Kenma had fallen asleep again, clutching the crowd of small animals that the brunet had brought him. He had taken the time to snap a photo of the adorable scene before leaving. Armed with his trusty nutritionist notebook, he busied himself preparing Keiji's breakfast. "Breakfast" was a bit of a euphemism; he was sure he could feed an entire synchronized swimming team with all the food he had to prepare. It was around 10 a.m. when he finally made it to the room armed with his super tray and a plethora of victuals. He hadn't been caught off guard this time and had brought his whistle. He whistled once as he arrived at the door. A deeper whistle responded, signaling that he could enter. He managed to get in without too much trouble this time, using his elbow and shoulder. He first caught Keiji's gaze waiting for him to enter, and then he was hit by the heavy, camphor-scented air in the room. Why was he so surprised?

He coughed.

"Wow, we need some fresh air in here, guys!"

He set down his tray and went to open the window. Turning back, he found Keiji, who had left the bower, standing naked in the middle of the room, eyeing the tray like a hungry owl.

"Go ahead, it's for you," he said.

He didn't need to repeat himself; Keiji didn't waste a second before sitting down to eat. Tetsurō couldn't help but let out an amused smile.

"Oh, wait,"

Keiji seemed annoyed to have to interrupt his meal.

"That's for Kōtarō," Kuroo said, pointing to a large steaming bowl. "And this," he added, handing him a handful of green pills.

Keiji frowned. "What's this?"

"His supplements. Can you give them to him?"

The brunet nodded, took the pills and the bowl, and disappeared into the bower. Kuroo heard Kōtarō wake up, letting out a disgruntled groan, then Keiji reappeared, returning to his meal without delay.

"Well, I'll leave you to it, then."

As he headed for the door, Keiji grabbed his leg to stop him from leaving.

"Stay," he signed.

"Uh... okay, if you want." He sat back down opposite his boyfriend. Keiji began to purr but didn't take his eyes off the food in front of him. The sound attracted Kōtarō, who stuck his head out of the bower. He let out a chirp when he noticed Tetsurō.

"Hey," said Tetsurō.

Kōtarō began purring loudly, continuing to sip his soup in small sips. Kuroo stayed with them, simply waiting. It's not like he could really chat with them anyway. But their presence was comforting. Tetsurō finally noticed that Keiji was looking at his empty bowls with dismay.

"Are you still hungry?" he asked.

His lover nodded, giving him a pleading look.

Kuroo chuckled.

"Okay, okay, I think I still have some rice, I'll make you another bowl"

He turned to Kōtarō' : "Do you want to take a bath? A nice hot one?"

The addressed one nodded, visibly delighted. "Okay, great, I'll be back then."

Kuroo stepped out, went to the bathroom to start warming up the water, and then headed back to the kitchen to make the rice bowl. When he returned to the bedroom, Kōtarō had come out of the bower. He was sitting next to his mate. He smiled as he saw him come back and stretched out his arms. Kuroo first thought he was asking for a hug, which he complied with without resistance. However, it didn't seem to completely please his boyfriend.

"What?"

"Can't."

"Can't what?"

"Walk."

Kuroo frowned and turned his head to Keiji, who blushed.

"Not my fault," he signed, still avoiding eye contact.

"Hmm... Alright, come here."

And there he was, off to another performance of the Cirque du Soleil!

"Keiji, in the meantime, can you take out the uh... used sheets? I'll wash them, there are clean ones prepared."

Keiji nodded, and Kuroo left the room carrying Kōtarō. Fortunately for him, the bathroom wasn't far away, and at least he didn't have to struggle with a rebellious T-shirt since Kōtarō was already naked.

He sat him on the stool and quickly realized that the latter wouldn't do anything more than watch the flies go by. So, he set about soaping him up and rinsing him off, which allowed him to do his laundry and personal hygiene at the same time, thanks to his boyfriend who found it very amusing to tap the showerhead to splash water back on him. Finally, he helped him into the ofuro. He sighed, thinking he was finally out of trouble. Far from it, now he had to play the water mill for the sake of Kōtarō's whimsical desires. Kuroo rested his head on the edge of the bathtub, continuing to splash in the water. He eventually turned his head, catching Bokuto's smile. After a moment, he saw his boyfriend's eyes widen before turning towards his lower abdomen. Kuroo followed his gaze: oh, look at that, they had a guest!

"Already!" he exclaimed involuntarily as he sat up.

Kōtarō shrugged. He flashed a mischievous smile before grabbing his hand and plunging it under the water. Kuroo immediately broke free of his grip.

"Hey, Babe!"

The latter seemed surprised by his reaction.

"Don't look at me like that, never heard of consent or what?!"

Kōtarō gave him a puppy-dog look.

"Don't look at me like that, you have hands, don't you? And not in the bath, dude, it's going to mess up the water and..."

He fell silent. Now Kōtarō was looking at him like a poor abandoned kitten. He still nodded, looking sorry, and averted his eyes. Kuroo sighed.

His boyfriend found his gaze again, offering him the same lewd smile as before and started to purr.

Kuroo returned a bored look.

"Do you think that's how you'll get what you want?"

Kōtarō's smile widened, and he nodded.

Kuroo chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"You're impossible, you know that?"

He still plunged his hand under the water.

All these practices weren't very eco-friendly, nor very economical considering the price per square meter of water. But what can you do, when you love someone, you don't count, right?

-/-

After bringing Kōtarō back to the bower and erasing all traces of the incident, it was Keiji's turn to clean up. This time, no need for him, the brunet went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him before Tetsurō could enter. Returning to the bedroom, he found the sheets thrown in a ball in a corner of the room. He sighed before picking them up and went to start the washing machine. This time, no accidents or excessive use of fabric softener, he had tamed the washing machine now! Finally, he went back to his new hideout: the kitchen. He reheated Kenma's lunch before bringing it to him. The latter was visibly better but still seemed exhausted. At his request, he stayed by his side.

They spent a long time together, nestled against each other, watching cartoons on Kenma's computer. After a while, Tetsurō felt the blond's body become heavier, his skin warmer, his breathing irregular. Finally, Kenma pressed the space bar on his computer before closing it. Intrigued, Tetsurō turned to him: his gaze had become distant and feverish.

"Are you okay?"

The blond nodded slowly, still trying to steady his breathing. He opened his mouth, then finally gave up.

He signed : "It's starting."

"Oh... um..." He hesitated. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

The blond seemed to consider it. Finally, he shook his head negatively.

"Okay... Um... I'll leave you then."

He kissed him on the cheek and got out of the bed. He retrieved the whistle and brought it closer so that Kenma could reach it.

"Call me if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay."

Kuroo nodded slowly, standing in front of the bed for several seconds. Finally, he made his way to the exit.

"Love you," he murmured before closing the door. He found himself alone in the hallway. He phased out for several seconds. He finally came back to himself upon hearing the beep of the washing machine. It was time to go back to work.

-/-

Though it was an exceptional situation for Kuroo, he had managed to invent a little routine for himself, and he quickly got used to it. He had even managed to sleep rather well the previous night, which was saying something! Well, Kōtarō had pulled the bathtub trick on him again that very morning, closely followed by Keiji who also found it to be a fun activity. Kenma was relatively "well-behaved" as he simply fell asleep in the bathtub. Keiji still consumed the equivalent of a banquet served at a charity gala, but nothing surprising there. Cooking and doing the dishes constituted the main activities of his day, along with laundry... Nothing particularly exciting, but he had gotten used to it. In the meantime, he had given up on trying to catch up on his classes and ended up watching Netflix instead.

The sun was already beginning to set, and Kuroo was preparing his special dinner for an Olympic judo team. His phone vibrated while he was chopping carrots, so he didn't bother to answer, partly because his hands were busy, but also because he wasn't sure if his background noise was suitable for all audiences. He only decided to check his phone once the carrots were thrown into the water: Oikawa had tried to call him. He frowned and opened his messages to ask him what he wanted. Before he could write anything, his friend had already sent him a text:

"Answer, you big shit!"

Lovely.

"I had my hands full."

"Gross!"

"... I was chopping carrots."

"Sure, I'll believe that."

"You stink."

"No, you stink."

"Besides, you know where I am, I'm not going to answer!"

"I don't care, get your fat ass outside, answer!"

His phone rang again. Tetsurō sighed, lowered the heat under the pot, and headed for the front door. He only answered once he was outside.

"So, what's up?"

"Well hello to you too, politeness isn't exactly your strong suit, you big shit," came the reply.

The brunet just chuckled.

"Good day to you, Your Highness, to what do I owe this honor?"

"First of all, fuck you. Second of all, I just wanted to tell you that I took Nobishi's class for you, but I'm missing the final diagram, I'll ask Chris to send it to you... And for your physics classes or whatever, I saw that it had been posted on the group chat..."

Tetsurō furrowed his brows.

"Thanks, Oikawa, but you already told me that by email. You called me for that?"

"Yes."

"Hmm hmm?"

He heard him sigh.

"Ugh, I just wanted to know if you were okay."

"Ow, how cute!"

"Shut up."

"I stand by what I just said."

"Well... and since you weren't at CATO, I have to tell you what happened last time, well first off, Kōshi was pissing me off, and..."

They talked for hours. Kuroo had eventually returned to finish his preparations, but his friend had insisted on staying on the line. He would leave the phone from time to time to complete his tasks, but every time he returned, Oikawa was still online, starting to chatter the moment he picked up his phone again. They ended up talking late into the night.

"Well, I'm going to let you go, Hajime just got home."

"Ah, okay, so you're abandoning me."

"Yes, because I don't like you."

"That's great, 'cause I don't like you either. Anyway, I'm almost out of battery."

"Okay, so good night, you stinky rat."

"Good night."

Oikawa hung up. Tetsurō put his phone down. He smiled to himself. Damn, he loved his diva...

-/-

He opened his eyes, suffocating. Only darkness greeted him. Darkness and this heaviness, this scent invading all around, sweet and overpowering. It completely engulfed him, he felt his body obeying, submitting without being able to resist. The oxygen rushing into his lungs burned, corroded him entirely, and paralyzed him. His already heavy head became even more painful. He recognized this smell, it alerted every fiber of his being. He knew that something was there, and that it was there for him, that he was in danger. Mom told him he was in danger, that he shouldn't be found. He had to move, to escape, to survive, but his limbs refused to obey him. They refused to obey him while panic screamed at him to flee as quickly as possible. He wanted to scream, to call for help, but his voice was nothing but a raspy breath. It's everywhere, it's getting closer. He must move now, now, now! His heart constricted under the weight of fear. He must flee now, or it will come for him! Mom said he shouldn't be found, that it would take him, attack him. He felt like he was dying but his limbs still refused to obey him, they were like paralyzed, burned raw!

Adrenaline and despair eventually became powerful enough within him that he could finally sit up. He fell out of bed and the fall reverberated throughout his body, but fear completely numbed him. Move, move! The alarm bell screamed in his head. He crawled, forcing his arms to drag the weight of the rest of his body that still refused to obey him. His nails dug into the wood, scraped, he forced them even if it meant tearing them off. Finally, he stumbled against the steps. As he lifted his head, he saw the light filtering through the door. He's saved! He's saved! Mom will come to get him! The hope of deliverance guided him, and he managed to climb to the top of the stairs, the door is right there! Despair enables him to stand up, he presses all his weight against the door and lowers the handle. It remains closed. He collapses again, having already given everything he had to try to open it. No, no, no! It has to open! He has to leave now! The smell reaches him again, crushing his lungs in his chest. He wants to scream! To alert! He begs Mom to come get him! He pounds on the door desperately over and over again!

He feels hope overwhelm him when he hears footsteps in the corridor behind the door: he is saved! He hits harder, desperate. Mom is there, so close, right there, she will save him! He tries to call her, but only a raspy whimper escapes him.

"Baby," his mother's voice murmurs to him. He knocks again. She will open to him, he will make it! "Baby, I can't open the door for you, you know that..."

He stops. "You can't come out, baby, you have to stay there."

No! No! He wants to scream to warn her, but too little air is entering his lungs.

"You have to stay there, you know? Otherwise, they'll find you." They've already found him. "They'll find you otherwise, and you don't want them to find you, baby, do you?"

No, no, no!

"You know what will happen if they find you, I just want to protect you, stay there."

Panic tears shake him, he feels like he's suffocating, the danger is very close!

"You don't want them to find you, do you? Because if they find you, they'll take you, you know. You don't want that? If they find you, they'll take you. You don't want to have babies, if they find you, they'll do that to you, you don't want babies. So, stay there then."

No, no, no! He hears his mother get up, and despite his desperate attempts at calls, her steps move further and further away. He's alone, she left him alone. He no longer has the strength to knock, to defend himself, to fight. They're very close, he feels it, he feels it, he feels it! They're here for him!

Kenma opened his eyes. The sweet and overpowering scent was all around.

-/-

The oceanic horizon stretched out to infinity, the water caressing the prow of the boat with its gentle ripples. Tetsurō scanned the blue expanse through his spyglass, the sea air sweeping through his long hair.

"Captain? Still nothing in sight?"

He turned.

"Still nothing, my friend," replied the sailor with a toucan head.

"Good thing the sirens are behind us," said the cat, rubbing against his leg.

Suddenly, a thunderous sound echoed, tearing through the angry waves. The sky darkened, torn by a fiery red lightning flashing so loudly that his heart skipped a beat. He felt his whole body weigh down. The wheel spun wildly, no longer responding to his control. The boat keeled over more and more, the sky now completely black, and the thunder of the storm echoed in his chest.

"It's time to come back," he heard whispered behind him.

He turned. From the raging ocean emerged two enormous tentacles that crashed onto the aft deck. The wood gave way with a terrible crack, and the stern of the boat sank beneath the water. The storm thundered louder, and he had to cling to the helm to keep from being thrown overboard. The monster surfaced, its immense yellow eyes piercing him with their deadly intensity.

"Come back," the voice murmured again.

"Kenma..." murmured Kuroo, scanning around him. No one was there anymore.

The beast brandished a third tentacle, then a fourth, which came to encircle the rest of the boat. A shrill sound resonated, mingling with the thunder of the storm, echoing terribly all around. The boat suddenly capsized, and he found himself swallowed by the waters.

Kuroo woke up, his breath short and his heart pounding. It was just a dream, but he still felt like he was on that boat dragged into the ocean depths, still felt like the pounding of the storm was echoing all around him. It took him several seconds to fully regain consciousness, his limbs refusing to release from the grip of sleep. The pounding still echoed, and he realized that it was no longer just a product of his mind. Still shaken, he got up hastily and went to the bedroom's entrance. He flung open the door and stepped into the corridor, the pounding having grown even louder. His eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, and he finally understood where the noise was coming from: Keiji was in front of Kenma's room, pounding violently on the door. Kuroo rushed towards him.

"Hey, hey, Keiji, what are you doing?"

Keiji turned his eyes towards him, they were filled with fear, with paroxysmal anguish. The pounding resumed.

"What's going on, Keiji?" he asked, now truly worried.

He didn't listen, continuing to pound on the door. Kuroo finally grabbed his arm to make him stop.

"Keiji, calm down. What's going on?" he murmured calmly to soothe him.

The brunet was short of breath. His gaze was lost.

"Not okay," he finally signed.

"What's not okay?"

"Kenma. I can feel it."

He tapped on his chest to emphasize his words.

"Kenma?"

He nodded, his eyes filling with tears of panic.

"He is locked... He doesn't want me to help. But I can feel..."

He resumed pounding. He tried to call out to him, but his voice died in his throat, only a muffled and shrill whimper escaping him.

His panic had now spread to Tetsurō. Keiji finally stopped and slid down against the door, shaken with tears of distress. Kuroo crouched in front of him and took his face in his hands.

"I'll go check on him, okay? Don't worry."

Keiji nodded vaguely and let go of his boyfriend's grip to let his head fall back against the door. Kuroo let out a breath, he didn't have time to panic, he had to figure out how to make sure Kenma was okay. He finally left Keiji to head towards the front door. He stepped out into the night, the cold seizing him instantly. He didn't pay attention and went to join the window of Kenma's room. He had aired it out earlier in the day and didn't remember locking it again. And indeed, he managed to open it by pushing on it.

"Kenma?"

No response came to him.

He climbed onto the windowsill and finally managed to slip inside. He was struck by the heavy smell lingering in the room, he felt his heart tighten painfully. Something was really wrong... He gasped in surprise as he turned his eyes, finding that the bed had been overturned on its side.

"Kenma?" he whispered.

He fell silent and finally managed to hear the blond's breathing.

"It's me, don't worry," he said calmly, following the sound of his breathing. He circled the bed. He felt his chest crush when he finally found him.

Kenma had taken refuge all the way in the back, hiding between the wall and the bed, he had piled all the blankets around him to protect himself. He was shaking, his body wracked with anxiety.

"Shit," Kuroo muttered to himself.

The blond looked up, and despite the darkness, Tetsurō could sense his panic. Kenma, upon seeing him, let out a whimper and tried to back away, although he was already cornered against the wall. Tetsurō didn't tried to approach. He crouched down and spoke in a soft, calm voice:

"I'm here, it's just me."

The blond seemed to calm down, no longer attempting to flee. His gaze met Tetsurō's, and Tetsurō felt his heart pierced. Kenma seemed disconnected from reality, like a frightened wild creature. He saw him clutch the blankets he had piled on the floor around him, pulling his knees to his chest.

"Kenma, look at me..."

The blond focused his gaze on him again.

"Breathe, like me, breathe."

He took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.

Kenma didn't listen, just turned his gaze to the door, looking scared. He tried to sink further into the wall.

"There, there," Kenma signed.

Kuroo turned his eyes to the door.

"Keiji?"

"Alpha," the blond signed.

Kuroo frowned.

"Yes, Keiji..."

Kuroo signed Keiji's name, followed by "alpha." Kenma didn't seem to pay attention.

"Alpha," the blond repeated.

He saw that his eyes were filling up with tears of sheer panic.

Tetsurō's eyes widened when he finally understood: he was afraid of Keiji.

"Alpha, Keiji, mate," Kuroo signed several times, repeating it aloud as well.

This did nothing to improve the situation. For him, it wasn't Keiji anymore, his mate had become a threat.

"Make it leave."

"He just wants to know if you're okay, Kenma, he doesn't want to hurt you."

Kenma shook his head.

"Kind alpha," Kuroo tried, unsuccessfully.

"Leave," the blond repeated over and over.

Kuroo tried to reassure him again, but nothing worked. Kenma burst into tears again, distress contorting his features.

"Don't want..." he signed repeatedly.

"You don't want him here?" Kuroo murmured as calmly as possible.

"Leave... I don't want..."

He felt the blond lose even more touch with reality as he descended into panic.

"No baby, I don't want a baby, no baby..."

Kuroo was left breathless, understanding even more where his anxieties came from, and that it had touched something deeply buried, a visceral fear. Nothing he could say would calm him down as long as "the alpha" was there. Kuroo bit his lip: he didn't want to leave him alone... And given Keiji's condition, he wouldn't want to leave him alone either.

"Okay, I'll make him leave, alright."

He saw Kenma panic when he saw him getting up.

"I'll be back, I'll make him leave, okay? I'll be back, Kenma."

The blond nodded, and Kuroo reluctantly left him. He went back through the window.

"Shit, shit, shit," he repeated over and over.

He went back inside and returned to the hallway.

Keiji seemed to have calmed down, he was just sitting in front of the door.

Kuroo approached slowly.

"Keiji..."

He didn't know how to tell him... He didn't know what to do to make him leave without hurting him.

"Keiji, are you okay? We'll leave, okay, we'll go see Kōtarō, I'll stay with Kenma and..."

He fell silent. Keiji wasn't listening.

Tetsurō crouched down next to him: his eyes were empty, completely out of light. His breathing was slow, much too slow.

"Keiji?"

"I think he went into torpor, or he almost did..."

Kuroo shuddered as he touched his skin: it was icy cold.

"Keiji..."

"It's when all organ function slows down, like a deep hibernation."

Kuroo clasped his lover's wrist. The beats of his heart were nothing but a faint murmur.

"Alphas can die from it..."

His face was so pale now.

Tetsurō felt his heart ache painfully.

"It can be fatal, it could have killed him! I could have killed him, Tetsu!"

-end of the chapter-

Oups…

Next chapter: Kuklos III

"No… Keiji."

He approached to take him in his arms, trying to bring him back and warm him.

The brunet didn't react.

"Keiji… come back…"

He had to find a solution, he had to do something!

But what should he do exactly?"