Chapter Text
“So…… Tsukishima.”
“Bokuto, don’t. We’ve been over this."
Bokuto flung his hands into the air dramatically, as if he’d never been more inconvenienced than by what Kuroo had just said. It really doesn’t suit a cop to be pouting so childishly, but that never seemed to stop him. “We have been over this, but you’re lying! There is no way you can’t like him, not with how easy it is for you to compliment him and stuff!”
Kuroo shook his head in disagreement as Bokuto spoke, frustrated that people repeatedly asked him about this very topic. Couldn’t he be close to someone without it being assumed as romantic?
Even if there was literally every indication to those around him that it was romantic.
Whatever.
They should take his word for it regardless.
“I obviously like the guy, he’s part of the team and an amazing friend. It’s not like he’s actually flirting with me, it’s just what we do. What we’ve always done.” He shrugged his shoulders, re-adjusting his hands on the wheel. They were finally on their way back to Tokyo after a successfully completed case, headed straight to the office to complete paperwork before they could finally go home for some shut eye.
But of course, when the choice came up of who would ride in each of the three cars they’d taken, Bokuto had jumped at the chance to get Kuroo alone and interrogate him over his (nonexistent) romantic life.
So much for completed cases meaning things would be peaceful.
“You just said he’s not actually flirting with you.”
Kuroo felt like his eyes would start twitching in annoyance any second now. This was getting into dangerous territory for him, and he didn’t need it, didn’t need this. They weren’t together, so what, why did everyone feel it was their mission to make it so they were?
“I did, thank you for listening.”
Bokuto grinned, his lips parted smug and proud, as if he’d discovered something remarkable. A dangerous look on a dangerous, dangerous man. “You didn’t say anything about your flirting being fake.”
Well, shit.
Kuroo had no clue what part of his vocal chords were used to make the sound of a dying animal, but clearly something had to have produced the noise that emerged from his mouth. He just wanted to get home and go to bed. “Bokuto, please.” He wasn’t above begging to get back to a discussion about literally anything else. He’d spent a long time in self-denial to get to this point, he’d like to stay the way he was, thank you.
“I knew it!” The volume of Bokuto’s voice caused Kuroo to wince, barely restraining the urge to let go of the wheel to cover his ears. The taller man clicked his tongue in annoyance, the road winding enough that he couldn’t risk to look away for even a moment to glare at his passenger.
“You know nothing. This never happened, I don’t like him, and if you bring this up again I’m blabbing every single thing you’ve ever gushed about regarding Akaashi while in my presence.” And he had a lot of ammo, considering how often the topic of the pathologist emerged.
The squawking noise was satisfying, even if Kuroo knew it wouldn’t stop Bokuto for long. He wasn’t that naïve, he could tell when someone just wouldn’t quit. Soon enough, there’d be people meddling into things and attempting to play matchmaker as if they didn’t have anything better to do.
Kuroo really didn’t need someone digging up his buried feelings, especially when they were a mere half hour away from when he’d have to interact with the person they were for.
“So… Kuroo-san is hot.”
If Tsukishima didn’t love his best friend dearly, he would currently be putting to use his unfortunately extensive experience with the many differing ways in which individuals could be murdered. Kuroo had been a constant topic since the day Yamaguchi had gotten to meet his co-worker and witness with his own eyes the outrageous way they interacted on a daily basis.
“Well I’m not sure how, considering he always neglects to wear clothing that is appropriate for the weather outside. I’m not sure he even owns a jacket that isn’t used as a futile attempt to look cool.” Maybe if he just diverted the conversation with blatantly obvious and purposeful misinterpretation… It’s not like Yamaguchi could see the hint of embarrassment blooming on his face while they talked over the phone, so hiding any of it in his voice was the only important factor.
“I literally watched you lick your lips when his shirt rode up last week and you saw his abs. Which are really unfairly defined and solid looking, just, by the way.”
Ah. Tsukishima remembered that little slip up. Though it stuck more in his memories because of him replaying the cause of the slip up in his mind’s eye, rather than the actual mistake itself.
It was seriously unfair to be so utterly homosexual and have such an off limits and simultaneously extraordinarily attractive co-worker.
“I have no clue what you’re talking about. My tongue is gone from constant years of biting it around idiotic people that I’m obligated to respect. Clearly that had to be someone else.” Tsukishima wasn’t going down without a fight. If he was stubborn long enough, Yamaguchi would drop the topic in sheer frustration. For a day at most, but he would still drop it and therefore buying Tsukishima more time to shove everything down further into the abyss. He had too much pride to admit how smitten he was for the dumb, kind, considerate, beautiful ass-hat that was Kuroo Tetsurou.
“Funny. Can you please just stop pretending you don’t like him? I think I’m getting phantom blue balls in sympathy to your plight. That’s not even entering the whole ‘feelings’ part of this, because we both know you’d just hang up on me if I went there. I know a long time ago you told me to not get your hopes up, but please for the love of god. That man is so in love with yo-”
Tsukishima would apologize to Yamaguchi for hanging up on him later. The team was supposed to be back in twenty minutes and frankly he wasn’t prepared for having that internal struggle with the problem standing two feet from him.
If he ignored his shaking hands, the tremors would be gone by the time everyone walked into the building.
Kuroo took a deep breath, purposefully keeping a slower gait than his coworkers to get some last few seconds to prepare himself.
It was the same as usual, just flirty comments and witty banter with a beautiful, brilliant man.
(A man who just happened to be the one of his dreams and one he wished he could hold at sleep at night.)
All of the team shuffled their exhausted bodies into the office as soon as they entered the chilly and overly modern government operated building. They’d been getting the minimal sleep needed to function for the past week and a half, and it was noticeably wearing on every single one of them. With those efforts they had stopped a serial murder case though, so there was still a lingering pride in their step, some happiness in that they did their job and saved everyone they could.
Kuroo got knowing looks from two of his coworkers when he jolted, surprised to see Tsukishima outside of the room containing all his computers and equipment.
Even more surprised to see the tall man was seated at his desk, curled in on himself to allow his arms to fold on the desk and create a pillow for his head. He’d clearly meant to only rest his head for a moment, considering his glasses which were skewed on his face, and the rumpled creasing in his normally pristine dress shirt.
Also considering Tsukishima would rather be caught dead than be seen so utterly vulnerable. It seemed being a criminal hacker gave you a rather tough shell, but that made these moments all the better, when Kuroo was allowed a tiny peek at Tsukishima without his guard up.
The criminologist could clearly hear people snickering around him, mummers likely commenting on the adorable quality of the situation, how maybe they had finally gotten together. He rolled his eyes at them all, walking to his desk quietly as to not disturb the sleeping blonde.
Just because it was frankly the most adorable thing he’d seen in years, doesn’t give them the right talk about it. He didn’t need the gossip in his life, not any more than it already was.
He gets it. He too, is a gossipy little bitch at times. But at least do it outside of his range of hearing.
He hesitated at his desk, considering reaching out to touch the man’s hair in a gentle gesture that could wake him slowly. But he changed his mind at the last moment, carefully pulling the hackers crooked glasses off with a grin before carefully placing them delicately on the bridge of his own nose.
He made sure to look only above the lenses. He didn’t need to hurt his own vision, he’d made that mistake once before and learn the hard way that Tsukishima’s eyesight was very very poor.
And he knew he shouldn’t be considering doing what he was. He knew people were already talking, that everything he did was watched and would only increase the pressure from others. But he looked at the soft lashes creating shadows on the younger man’s cheeks and he decided he just didn’t give a fuck.
His hair was soft against Kuroo’s lips as he kissed the crown of his head, and he had never wanted to run his fingers through it more. Not even that time he’d neglected to get it cut for a few weeks, his hair becoming a mess of the fluffiest waves to ever be seen, could hold a candle to the utter compulsion Kuroo was currently feeling.
“Good morning, lovely.” He kept his voice low, and he found the low volume had it coming out raspier than intended.
The man’s head burrowed further into his arms in a futile attempt to escape waking. A groan was heard from the blonde before he lazily lifted his head, his eyes slowly blinking in confusion. The blinking continued, the sleep slowly fading from his eyes, but the confusion lingered. Eventually the blinking turned into squinting, an attempt to view his surroundings. Kuroo took pity on him, and leaned in so he could see his face more clearly.
“Good nap? You could have seriously broken these, you know?” Kuroo grinned, tapping the side of the frames with his pointer finger. “The case is over, and I know you’ve already finished all the loose ends on your side. You should have just headed home.”
It took a while for the words to register in Tsukishima’s brain, but when they did he scoffed, holding a hand out for his spectacles. Kuroo took them off without a fight, handing them over before he went a bit too far in irritating him.
“You are shit at paperwork. And you type like a pecking bird. I’m just here to make sure everything gets finished. You know the former criminal on the team would be the first person they’d blame.”
Kuroo chuckled at the blonde’s tone, the man clearly not a morning person by the rough texture to his words and what could almost be considered slurring. “Always taking care of me, such a good husband.”
Tsukishima looked up at him with his glasses back in place, his expression unreadable before he made a noise of confirmation, pushing away and standing from his seat.
Kuroo wasn’t sure if seeing a newly woken Tsukishima was the best thing that’s happened, or if it’d screwed him royally.