Read on Twitter
it's valentine's day. not that it matters to yaku. he's never gotten anything in all his years as a student, and it's unlikely that that fact would change this year.
it's not like he's bitter about it. not at all.
it's not like he's bitter about it. not at all.
however by the time school's ended, he can't help but feel the tiniest bit dejected. hope was hope after all, even as futile as it was.
there isn't anything lying in wait for him in his shoe locker, so he doesn't bother to linger for long and heads for the club room.
there isn't anything lying in wait for him in his shoe locker, so he doesn't bother to linger for long and heads for the club room.
he swings open the door, spotting kai with a couple of their underclassmen who were already there.
"yo."
kai gives him a wave, amiable as always. fukunaga spares him a brief nod while kenma merely glances his way, attention immediately going back to his phone.
"yo."
kai gives him a wave, amiable as always. fukunaga spares him a brief nod while kenma merely glances his way, attention immediately going back to his phone.
"yaku-san!"
oh brother.
"hey, lev." yaku spots the bag on the bench next to him; full to bursting, a pink-wrapped box sticking out of an opening.
"aren't you popular," he comments offhandedly.
lev blinks at him owlishly. "isn't this the standard amount for valentine's day
oh brother.
"hey, lev." yaku spots the bag on the bench next to him; full to bursting, a pink-wrapped box sticking out of an opening.
"aren't you popular," he comments offhandedly.
lev blinks at him owlishly. "isn't this the standard amount for valentine's day
though?"
this tall fucker.
this tall fucker.
yaku tries not to let his irritation get the best of him.
he fails.
"must be nice to be good looking and ridiculously tall to boot," he seethes.
"aw yaku-san, you think i'm good looking?"
"that's not the point."
"you're not half bad yourself, yaku-san!"
he fails.
"must be nice to be good looking and ridiculously tall to boot," he seethes.
"aw yaku-san, you think i'm good looking?"
"that's not the point."
"you're not half bad yourself, yaku-san!"
inuoka and shibayama step into the clubroom, bringing in a gust of cold air with them, just as lev's face takes on a contemplative look. "but hey yaku-san, even though you're super cool, why aren't you popular?"
he can sense his other teammates freezing, hears the subdued
he can sense his other teammates freezing, hears the subdued
"idiot," mumbled under kenma's breath.
"isn't it about time we start practice?" kai steps in before yaku can so much as lunge forward to demolish lev's kneecaps.
"that's a good idea, kai-san!" shibayama chimes, eager to avoid witnessing a bloodbath.
"isn't it about time we start practice?" kai steps in before yaku can so much as lunge forward to demolish lev's kneecaps.
"that's a good idea, kai-san!" shibayama chimes, eager to avoid witnessing a bloodbath.
"let's go." kai pulls yaku out of the club room and into the cold. yaku falls into step beside him as they make their way to the gym, resigned and still slightly fuming.
"that punk. i'm gonna put him through extra receiving practice, just for that."
kai lets slip a wry smile.
"that punk. i'm gonna put him through extra receiving practice, just for that."
kai lets slip a wry smile.
"don't be too hard on him. lev's just... like that."
"it's /because/ he's like that that i have to be hard on him."
despite himself, kai chuckles. "poor kid."
"hey hey who's side are you on."
"i would never do something like picks sides for something as petty as this."
"it's /because/ he's like that that i have to be hard on him."
despite himself, kai chuckles. "poor kid."
"hey hey who's side are you on."
"i would never do something like picks sides for something as petty as this."
yaku sniffs. "touche."
it's only when they're sliding open the doors to the gym that it occurs to him.
"hey, where's kuroo?" usually he was always the first one to get changed in the clubroom, already there by the time yaku steps in.
it's only when they're sliding open the doors to the gym that it occurs to him.
"hey, where's kuroo?" usually he was always the first one to get changed in the clubroom, already there by the time yaku steps in.
"ah. he received a letter during break, someone asking to meet him after school. so he'll probably be a little later than usual." kai shoots him a sideways glance and shrugs. "valentine's day," he says, like it's self-explanatory.
"valentine's day," yaku echoes, with significantly more venom. he slides the gym doors shut behind him a bit too hard.
so maybe he /is/ bitter about it. but who can blame him?
so maybe he /is/ bitter about it. but who can blame him?
yaku throws himself into practice, going even more out of his way than usual, to lunge for receives and stop the ball from hitting the ground.
by the time practice is over, he's aching all over, already able to feel the beginnings of new bruises forming on his skin.
by the time practice is over, he's aching all over, already able to feel the beginnings of new bruises forming on his skin.
most of his initial frustration has already been abated, but he doesn't feel like lingering to spend time with his teammates. all he really wants to do is go home.
once he's finished changing, he grabs his bag, about to step out.
there's a tap on his shoulder.
once he's finished changing, he grabs his bag, about to step out.
there's a tap on his shoulder.
"yakkun." kuroo's still in his practice clothes, hair mussed with sweat. "do you mind waiting for me? i had to go through some things with coach."
yaku quirks an eyebrow up at him. "can't you ask kenma to wait for you?"
"he can't. says there's a limited event going on today for
yaku quirks an eyebrow up at him. "can't you ask kenma to wait for you?"
"he can't. says there's a limited event going on today for
some game. he's already gone. see?"
it's true. kenma's nowhere to be seen, the clubroom already half empty. most of the volleyball club members were already getting ready to head out, just like yaku moments prior.
"you wouldn't leave little old me to lock up on my own,
it's true. kenma's nowhere to be seen, the clubroom already half empty. most of the volleyball club members were already getting ready to head out, just like yaku moments prior.
"you wouldn't leave little old me to lock up on my own,
would you?"
"little my ass."
kuroo looks imploringly at him, going so far as to bat his lashes.
"/fine/, fine. but make it quick, would ya?" he sets his bag back on the bench and takes a seat, settling back against the wall.
kuroo grins. "i knew i could
"little my ass."
kuroo looks imploringly at him, going so far as to bat his lashes.
"/fine/, fine. but make it quick, would ya?" he sets his bag back on the bench and takes a seat, settling back against the wall.
kuroo grins. "i knew i could
count on you, yakkun."
"yeah, yeah. hurry up and change."
they're the only ones left by the time kuroo's done and they've locked up the clubroom, sky already dark.
yaku shoves his hands into the pockets of his blazer. despite the impending coming of spring
"yeah, yeah. hurry up and change."
they're the only ones left by the time kuroo's done and they've locked up the clubroom, sky already dark.
yaku shoves his hands into the pockets of his blazer. despite the impending coming of spring
making the air a bit more bearable, less bite and frost, it's still too cold for yaku. he's never been good with the cold.
kuroo, walking furnace that he is, has his blazer slung over his shoulder. his school bag is slung over the other.
"you wanna borrow my blazer?
kuroo, walking furnace that he is, has his blazer slung over his shoulder. his school bag is slung over the other.
"you wanna borrow my blazer?
"nah, i'm good."
but kuroo's already pulling his blazer off, leaning over to drape it over yaku's shoulders.
"quit treating me like a girl. i'm getting goosebumps." he makes no move to give it back. might as well make use of it it kuroo insisted.
but kuroo's already pulling his blazer off, leaning over to drape it over yaku's shoulders.
"quit treating me like a girl. i'm getting goosebumps." he makes no move to give it back. might as well make use of it it kuroo insisted.
"yakkun, i'd never mistake you for a girl. i'd be disrespecting girls everywhere if i were to do such a thing."
"well you clearly know all about them, /mr.casanova/." yaku glances down at the paper bag that kuroo's gripping in his left hand. it's filled to the brim
"well you clearly know all about them, /mr.casanova/." yaku glances down at the paper bag that kuroo's gripping in his left hand. it's filled to the brim
with chocolate and it bumps against his thigh every so often as they walk back home.
"those girls have no eye for men," yaku says despondently with a slow shake of his head.
"oh? then what sort of men should they be going after?"
"those girls have no eye for men," yaku says despondently with a slow shake of his head.
"oh? then what sort of men should they be going after?"
kuroo's grin is crooked, amused to no end.
"i don't know. nice, smart guys, who don't look like they deal weed under the school bleachers maybe? just a thought."
"didn't you just describe me though?"
"oh please. you're gonna make me puke."
"i don't know. nice, smart guys, who don't look like they deal weed under the school bleachers maybe? just a thought."
"didn't you just describe me though?"
"oh please. you're gonna make me puke."
kuroo laughs, breath coming out in wisps.
"then should they be going after guys like you, then?"
"don't you start with me. i've always been out of the running since the start."
"and why's that?"
yaku spares him a sideways glance. "you know why."
"then should they be going after guys like you, then?"
"don't you start with me. i've always been out of the running since the start."
"and why's that?"
yaku spares him a sideways glance. "you know why."
"they don't know what they're missing out on." for the first time in that whole evening, kuroo actually sounds serious. yaku jostles him with a shoulder, scoffing.
"what are you getting all serious for?"
"well-"
"the right person will come around
"what are you getting all serious for?"
"well-"
"the right person will come around
at the right time." yaku shrugs. "and when they do, well. i'll be here i guess."
the look on kuroo's face is indecipherable, and he takes yaku by surprise when he stops abruptly.
"what the-" yaku backtracks as kuroo sets down his bag of valentine offerings to rifle
the look on kuroo's face is indecipherable, and he takes yaku by surprise when he stops abruptly.
"what the-" yaku backtracks as kuroo sets down his bag of valentine offerings to rifle
through his schoolbag. finally, he pulls out a package. it's a slim box, wrapped in red paper and adorned with a white ribbon. he thrusts it out towards yaku.
"here."
yaku eyes it warily before taking it from him. "what is this, pity chocolate? extras from your
"here."
yaku eyes it warily before taking it from him. "what is this, pity chocolate? extras from your
fangirls? if it is, i don't need it."
"it's not." for some reason, kuroo refuses to meet his gaze, eyes flitting everywhere other than yaku's face. the streetlamp they're under casts kuroo's profile in shadow, making it even harder to read his expression.
"it's not." for some reason, kuroo refuses to meet his gaze, eyes flitting everywhere other than yaku's face. the streetlamp they're under casts kuroo's profile in shadow, making it even harder to read his expression.
"then what is it?"
kuroo shifts between feet, before finally looking up to face him head on.
"it's valentine's chocolate."
yaku's forehead scrunches, perplexed.
and only then does he understand.
kuroo shifts between feet, before finally looking up to face him head on.
"it's valentine's chocolate."
yaku's forehead scrunches, perplexed.
and only then does he understand.
the furrow is wiped from his face, expression going slack. he thinks his mouth might be agape.
"you- towards me?" his voice catches on the end, going squeaky.
"...yeah."
in the three years that yaku's known him, he's seen many sides of kuroo. kuroo triumphant over
"you- towards me?" his voice catches on the end, going squeaky.
"...yeah."
in the three years that yaku's known him, he's seen many sides of kuroo. kuroo triumphant over
a victory during a practice match, bright and exuberant; kuroo passed out from exhaustion on the school van, drool trickling down his cheek; kuroo stubborn and livid, looking down at him as they argued over the most banal things like mountains and dogs and cats and /volleyballs/.
he's never seen this kuroo: gaze hesitant and almost... bashful, ears red from either cold or embarrassment. yaku can't tell. maybe it's both.
kuroo, waiting for a response.
how was he supposed to respond?
"why?" he asks instead.
"wha-" kuroo frowns, hand coming to rest
kuroo, waiting for a response.
how was he supposed to respond?
"why?" he asks instead.
"wha-" kuroo frowns, hand coming to rest
on the back of his neck. "way to put someone on the spot, yakkun."
when he doesn't say anything back, kuroo falters, hand falling back to his side. he opens his mouth. closes it. tries again.
"...it's because i like you."
when he doesn't say anything back, kuroo falters, hand falling back to his side. he opens his mouth. closes it. tries again.
"...it's because i like you."
