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Koushi had never been this embarrassed in his entire life, not even the time when Daichi had slipped on his dropped homework and tangled them both up in an ungainly pile of limbs on their classroom floor, practically kissing in front of more than half their class. This situation, though ultimately much more innocent, is also exponentially more embarrassing. And Koushi wasn’t really one to get embarrassed, aside from that incident early in high school, but even now he could feel his face going bright red. He’s torn being smushing his face into Kuroo’s neck, and keeping it as far away from Kuroo’s skin as possible, which, at the moment, isn’t very much.
He can hear the chattering of students around them as they cross the campus towards the school’s clinic, and he knows that they can’t all be talking about them, and that it’s more than likely that most of them don’t even notice them, but he can’t shake off the feeling of being stared at. It wouldn’t be a surprise really, since he’s sure that they make quite the sight. Tall, dark haired Kuroo, still dressed in a sweaty tank top and shorts, fresh (or not so fresh) from the gym, bag bouncing against his hip even with his arms full. Significantly less attractive (and less intelligent, apparently) Koushi, also from the gym, still in workout clothes, embarrassingly piggybacking Kuroo thanks to an entirely dumb accident in the locker room that has his ankle swollen and throbbing.
It was a completely stupid accident, too, and Koushi really, really hopes that he doesn’t have to mention what happened too many times. It’s embarrassing enough as it is, and Koushi already knows he’s going to hear it for ages from his roommates, and from Daichi, too, even though he’s at his own school who knows how far away. Only Koushi could get so distracted by Kuroo stretching as they got ready to change that he’d trip over Kuroo’s bag and completely twist his ankle. Not to mention the super smooth (not that Koushi would tell him) way that Kuroo had managed to catch Koushi before he concussed himself on the locker room bench as well.
Honestly Koushi is surprised he hadn’t had some sort of aneurysm at the sudden onset of pain followed by the strong muscled arms wrapped around him in rapid succession. He hears a melodic laugh drift from someone a few feet from them, and Koushi finally gives up and buries his face against Kuroo’s neck, praying for his death to be swift and hopefully less pain than he’s in now. Kuroo has his hands under Koushi’s thighs, and he shifts a little as he walks, trying to keep Koushi as comfortable as possible in the awkward situation.
Koushi can’t wait until this is over, but it proves to be too much to hope for it to be quick when they walk into the clinic finally, only to hear a loud yell of excitement at their appearance. Koushi mentally braces himself before looking up, only to find an overly excited Bokuto hovering only a few feet away, clearly in fine health. Iwaizumi, the current nurse on duty, stands a few feet further back, looking over Koushi and Kuroo amusedly. One of these days Koushi is going to invest in new, better friends than the ones he has now.
Luckily Kuroo is an expert at handling Bokuto, and after carefully depositing Koushi on the table, maneuvers them both out of the room to give Koushi and Iwaizumi some peace and quiet. Koushi sighs, and Iwaizumi grins at him before turning to Koushi’s swollen ankle, the obvious cause of the impromptu visit. “How’d it happen?”
Koushi can’t help the groan he lets out, especially when Iwaizumi presses on his ankle gently, trying to determine what kind of injury it is. “I tripped.”
“You tripped. Okay. I can tell there’s more to this story,” and he looks toward the door, through which they can still hear Kuroo and Bokuto laughing down the hall, before he continues. “But I’m sure I’ll hear it all eventually.”
“Ugh.” Koushi covers his face with one hand.
“Well, luckily it doesn’t seem too bad, but you do have to stay off of it for at least a few days.” Iwaizumi has his nurse voice on, the one that Koushi knows means business, and he pouts. “I’m serious. Completely off of it. Get some help.” He wraps Koushi’s ankle carefully in a bandage, adn then hands him a little bottle of painkillers that Koushi slips into his bag.
Kuroo and Bokuto come back in then, and Bokuto drapes an arm over Iwaizumi’s shoulders. “How is it, doc?”
Iwaizumi turns just the slightest bit pink and mumbles, even though he doesn’t make any effort to shake the arm off. “I’m not a doctor.” He clears his throat and continues, in a much stricter tone. “He has to stay off of it completely for a few days, if not longer. Come back and let me check in later in the week.”
Koushi throws a curt little salute Iwaizumi’s direction, and he’s about to figure out how to get himself home when Kuroo stops in front of him, leaning down enough that Koushi should be able to get on his back again easily. “What are you doing?”
Kuroo looks over his shoulder but otherwise doesn’t move. “Taking you home?”
“Why?”
“Well, it’s my fault you got hurt, so I’m going to help you until it’s better.” Kuroo has his determined ‘I’m the captain’ voice on, and while Koushi is used to hearing it from Daichi, there’s something different about it coming from Kuroo.
Koushi blushes again, and he can practically hear the interest from Iwaizumi and Bokuto’s corner of the room. “It’s not your fault I tripped over your bag, it’s mine. You don’t have to.”
“It’s fine, I want to. Hop on, Suga, I’m sure you should be relaxing already.” Kuroo wiggles his fingers where his hands are waiting to brace Koushi’s legs, and Koushi sighs before sliding forward and wrapping his arms around Kuroo’s neck again.
The walk to Koushi’s apartment is just as embarrassing as the walk to the clinic, except this time it’s obvious, with Koushi’s ankle wrapped in a bright white bandage, that there’s a reason for Koushi to be draped against Kuroo’s back like a limpet. Not that college students really make a lot of sense anyway, but still. Koushi tries to stay as sane as he can, especially with the people he surrounds himself with.
It’s a struggle, when they finally do get to the apartment, for Koushi to dig around in the bag against his own back to find his keys without losing his balance and tumbling straight to the floor regardless of Kuroo’s hands tight around his thighs. He does manage, eventually, to dig them out, and tries to maneuver to unlock the door before he realizes it’s pretty much impossible in his position. Kuroo chuckles as he slides one hand from under Koushi’s leg to take the keys and do it himself, and then they’re inside, where it’s entirely silent.
Kuroo tosses the keys into the dish on the table by the door, and slides off his shoes carefully. “Bedroom?”
And that’s something that Koushi wishes he was hearing in a different context, can feel his face turning red again at the unbidden thought. He just manages to squeak out a response. “Please.”
Then he’s being dropped gently onto his own bed, and he tosses his bag to the floor before he flops backward and covers his eyes with his arm. He listens to Kuroo shift around, probably readjusting his messed up clothing thanks to Koushi. There’s a slight noise that comes from somewhere else, and Koushi realizes his roommates are home. “Okay, well I have class in like an hour, and I really need to shower, so do you need anything before I go?”
“Nope. Oikawa can help if I need it. See you later.” Koushi sits up and smiles. “Thanks.”
“No problem. Catch you later.” Kuroo gives a goofy little wave, and then he’s gone.
Unfortunately he’s replaced fairly quickly by Oikawa, who smirks at Koushi like he’s caught him doing something particularly lewd. “Finally get the cat in the bag, Kou-chan?” Koushi groans and flops backwards again. “Oh? I guess not, then.”
“Oikawa.”
“Yes, darling?”
“Could you do me a favor?” Oikawa hums questioningly. “Help me to the bathroom, please? I sprained my ankle.”
Oikawa does help him off the bed, an arm around his waist, and on the way uses the chance to tease. “And how’d you do that, my little bird?”
“Tripped, that’s all.”
“That’s all, hmm? I have a feeling it isn’t. Was our darling Tetsu-chan involved, by any chance?” A glance out of the corner of his eye just gives Koushi a view of Oikawa’s smug face, clearly knowing that he’s right. Koushi just grumbles in response, and Oikawa laughs, the same melodic sound that Koushi had heard earlier on campus. “Have fun on your little ride, did you?”
“Whyyy.” Koushi whines, and he knows it only makes Oikawa laugh harder but he can’t help it. His friends are the worst. They make it to the bathroom, finally, and Koushi gingerly places his foot on the floor only to realize that it is a Very Bad Idea. “Fuck.”
“Such language, Kou-chan.” Oikawa just grins at Koushi’s glare. “Need some more help, hmm?”
Koushi grits his teeth and nods. “Yes.”
“Anything for you, my darling.” If it weren’t for the fact that he’d had a full workout and no shower afterward, Koushi wouldn’t bother with it at all, but as it was, he was still sweaty from the gym, and he could only take it for so long, especially if he was going to be cooped up in bed for days. Oikawa knows an opportunity when he sees one, and this is no different. “Shower, then?”
“Yes, please. I didn’t get a chance at the gym.” Koushi cringes as he quickly realizes that it’s near impossible for him to hold onto Oikawa and get himself undressed at the same time, especially since any weight on his ankle at all causes it to throb painfully. He hisses under his breath, and Oikawa winces in sympathy.
“Don’t be stubborn, Koushi. Let me help.” He moves them over a little, so Koushi can brace himself on the sink instead, and then he strips Koushi quickly and efficiently, being extra careful near Koushi’s injured foot. Then he’s pulling off his own shirt and leading them over to the tub, helping Koushi easily over the edge. He manages to brace Koushi’s ankle up on the edge of the tub and flip the water on at the same time, and Koushi wonders how often he helps other incapacitated people shower. It’s when Oikawa’s halfway through scrubbing Koushi clean with a soapy loofah that he starts teasing again. “I bet you’d prefer I were Tetsu-chan.”
Koushi turns red, he can feel the heat in his face that they both know isn’t from the shower, though Koushi is going to try to pretend it is anyway. He wonders if there’s anyone who doesn’t know about Koushi’s crush on Kuroo, besides Kuroo himself. Even Daichi had found out somehow, and he doesn’t even go to school with them. Koushi certainly hadn’t told him, hadn’t told anyone, in fact, and yet they all use it as an excuse to tease him mercilessly. “I’d prefer a lot of things, but we can’t always get what we want.”
Oikawa laughs at him and moves the shower head forward so he can rinse off, and then he helps him sit up a little more so he can wash Koushi’s hair without making him overbalance. It’s a little tricky to get him back up from there, what with them being on wet tile, but they manage, and then Koushi’s all wrapped up in a warm towel as he leans against the sink and waits for Oikawa to finish drying himself off. Ten minutes later Koushi was dried and redressed and lounging on his bed, intent on not moving for anything except the bathroom for at least two days.
About an hour or so later Oikawa returns to Koushi’s room with a bottle or water, some crackers, and a walking stick for Koushi to use if he absolutely needs to get up. Then Akaashi calls from the living room and Oikawa leaves with a wave and a laugh, and Koushi just knows that they’re going to make out on the couch again. He finds out he’s right when he leaves his room to pee a while later, when he has to walk past the couch where they’re tangled together to get to the bathroom. He makes an obnoxious gagging noise as he walks by and Akaashi flips him off without even pulling away from Oikawa’s mouth. Koushi just laughs and goes on his way.
When he gets back to his room he pulls out the painkillers, takes a couple of them with the water Oikawa left, and then settles on his bed again, heeding Iwaizumi’s warning that they would probably make him sleepy. It turns out that he’s right, because the next thing Koushi knows, he’s blinking groggily into the dark of his bedroom, only barely conscious because of the incessant screaming of his bladder. He manages to hobble his way to the bathroom and take care of it, but it’s on the way back he runs into trouble. He doesn’t quite realize what the issue is right away, at least not beyond the pain in his ankle, and it takes a minute for him to remember the walking stick, still leaning against the nightstand in his bedroom.
There’s a singular moment in which he knows that he is not going to get back to his room without help, and he refuses to be such an invalid that he calls for either of his roommates to help, even if it means that he’ll be in pain the whole way back. He pauses, leans one hand on the wall and breathes heavily for a minute, preparing himself to endure what he needs to in order to make it down the hall. His breath comes out in a loud steadying exhale, and then he almost yelps when there’s a sound like a cat being stepped on echoing in the space around him.
Kuroo is there, in the doorway to the kitchen, with something in his hands that he turns and puts down somewhere behind himself, and the expression on his face when he turns back is something of a mix between concerned and stern. Koushi shakes his head, and mumbles to himself as he wonders if he took too much medication. “Oh fuck and now I'm hallucinating. Lovely.”
The Kuroo apparition grins. “I'm really here and you should really be in bed.” Then he walks over and scoops Koushi up, not bothering with the piggybacking anymore, just hefting Koushi in his arms like a wayward maiden.
Koushi’s arms find their way around his neck easily, and a tiny thought pops into his head, of how nice it is that they can do this. Then he frowns at Kuroo as he thinks, wonders how much he can get away with under the guise of the strong medication. “Fine, but only if you stay and give me cuddles. I'm injured you know.”
The laugh Kuroo lets out is gorgeous, and it rumbles through Koushi too, with how close together they are. “I was staying anyway since Oikawa and Akaashi went home for the weekend, but sure. I can cuddle too, your highness.”
And then they’re off to the bedroom again, where Kuroo very gently places Koushi on the bed to get comfortable while Kuroo gets ready for bed. It doesn’t take that long, and Koushi listens to Kuroo humming as he wanders around the apartment, the click of the tv being turned off, the soft noise of the fridge closing. By the time Kuroo is very, very carefully climbing into the space next to Koushi, his back to the rest of the bedroom, Koushi’s almost back to sleep again. He waits for Kuroo to get settled and drag the blanket over them both, and then he’s curling a hand in the hem of Kuroo’s shirt and pressing his face into Kuroo’s chest. The last thing he processes before he drifts off is Kuroo’s arm draped across his back, holding Koushi comfortably tight against him.
The next day dawns bright, and Koushi is even warmer than he usually is, wrapped up snugly and almost starting to get too warm. There’s something a little off about it all, the warmth, the tightness around him in a way the blankets usually aren’t, the feeling tickling of his nerves that he usually only felt when he was being watched in a game. Something soft brushes against the tip of his nose just as he slides his eyes open, and he goes a little cross eyed trying to look at it. He can feel his nose scrunch up in the effort, and then his brain tries to process what he’s seeing.
What he’s seeing turns from a pinkish blur into Kuroo’s mouth, and then, as Kuroo moves backwards, realizing that Koushi’s awake, his wide golden eyes and messy dark hair. Koushi’s first reaction is to jerk back, and his hands, braced against Kuroo’s chest, push reflexively even as he speaks. His voice is still sleep rough and confused, and his brain is still mostly off, so what he says really isn’t all that detailed or intelligent. “What the fuck.”
He barely manages to get it out when he realizes that he’s falling along with Kuroo off the edge of the bed, pulled by the blankets twisted around them both, and they land with a heavy thump that has Koushi wincing in sympathy even as he has the air knocked out of him by the force. Kuroo has his arms tight around Koushi, though, keeping him from sliding off and hitting the floor himself, and luckily his ankle doesn’t get anything worse than a brush against one of Kuroo’s legs.
Kuroo huffs out a breathless laugh, something winded and maybe a little pained, though he doesn’t complain. “You requested that I cuddle with you, little prince.”
Koushi can feel the flush that covers his cheeks at the nickname, and he considers telling Kuroo to knock it off. He looks pleased though, pleased and something that Koushi thinks might be fondness, and so he lets it go. It’s kind of nice, anyway, to hear Kuroo call him something cute like that, especially in that tone of voice that Koushi wants to hear more of. He remembers, a little fuzzily thanks to lingering sleep and the effects of the painkillers, agreeing to Kuroo’s assistance in the hallway in exchange for cuddling, remembers Kuroo being so careful as he crawled in to Koushi’s bed next to him. “Yes, I know that. I meant why were you kissing my nose?”
“Because you’re cute.” Kuroo’s voice is low and still sleepy, completely serious in his conviction, but he at least has the grace to blush as he answers Koushi, like he hadn’t quite meant to be so honest. “And noses don’t count, but I try not to actually kiss people without their permission.”
Koushi has to look away from his gaze, as intense as it is, now that it seems like Kuroo’s decided that if he’s going to be honest he might as well go the whole way with it. He can’t help licking his lips, and he takes a grounding breath as he looks back into Kuroo’s eyes again. “And if you have their permission?”
“Then I’ll do whatever they want me to.”
There’s a heavy thudding in his chest, and Koushi can’t quite tell if it’s his own heart, or Kuroo’s, or both. “Kiss me?”
Kuroo gets closer, pauses with a breath of air between them. “As you wish, little prince.” And then Kuroo’s lips are on his, softer than Koushi had thought they’d be, and even gentler, too, though he wouldn’t admit to having given thought to how Kuroo would kiss. (He wouldn’t admit it, but he has thought about it, and the reality is much better than anything he could have imagined.) Kuroo pulls back, and smiles, a soft, happy smile that Koushi could get used to seeing. “Ready to get up now? You’re kinda squishing me.”
Koushi splutters, and Kuroo laughs, and then he untwists the blankets so that Koushi can roll off to the side and sit up. Kuroo makes quick work of the rest of the blankets and hops up, scooping Koushi up again as soon as he’s stable. Koushi can’t help the tiny squeak he makes, and he glares at Kuroo, though there’s not much heat in it. “Can you stop doing that?”
“Nope!” Kuroo’s answer is cheery, and he punctuates it with a kiss to Koushi’s closest cheek. “Bathroom then couch?”
Koushi considers pouting and decides not to give Kuroo any more ammunition for the moment. “Yes, please.” He raises his chin and holds one hand aloft. “Onward, valiant knight.”
They get settled on the couch after a bit, and Koushi takes more painkillers before he settles down, stretching out with his head in Kuroo’s lap, injured ankle resting on a pillow on the arm of the couch. They watch some movie that Kuroo’s found on tv, and Koushi doesn’t quite fall asleep, but he drifts a little, warm and comfortable. At least, until there’s a tickling on his hurt ankle that Koushi slides his eyes open to see is Kuroo laying gentle kisses just above the bandage.
“What’re you doing?”
Kuroo glanced at him, but he doesn’t stop any longer than to answer. “Kissing it better.” And then he keeps going, trailing tiny, light kisses down Koushi’s shin, making him laugh. Koushi wiggles himself out of Kuroo’s lap, and he’s giggling so much that he nearly knocks Kuroo off the couch. “Not this time!” Kuroo stops the kisses and repositions, adjusting them so that he’s behind Koushi on the couch, his arms wrapped tight around Koushi’s waist. Koushi’s giggles finally taper off, and he relaxes easily in Kuroo’s hold. At least, until Kuroo starts planting kisses to the back of Koushi’s neck, causing more giggles and a little squirming, though Kuroo just tightens his grip to make sure Koushi doesn’t slip away.
“Okay, okay.” Koushi just manages to wave a hand in the air as he speaks. “That’s enough, you. Nap time.”
They settle back down, and Kuroo tucks his nose behind Koushi’s ear. “Hey.”
Koushi hums in response, eyes already closed. “Yeah?”
“I really like you, Suga.”
His eyes snap open, and Koushi could swear that his heart wants to thump right out of his chest. He’d wanted to know if the kisses meant something more, but he’d been afraid to ask, afraid that Kuroo would just tell him that permission wasn’t the same as liking, that he’d had a little fun with Koushi and that was all. A confession wasn’t what he expected, and now he was scared that he’d have a heart attack before he could even respond. Kuroo starts to pull away a little, and Koushi lets his arms loosen enough that he can turn over to face Kuroo properly.
Koushi looks over Kuroo’s face, the red cheeks and his bottom lip between his teeth. He cups Kuroo’s face in his hands, uses one thumb to get Kuroo to let go of his lip even as he looks into Kuroo’s wide golden eyes. “I really like you too, Kuroo.”
And then they’re kissing again, this time with all their feelings in it, and Koushi lets Kuroo take his breath away again and again. When they separate Koushi knows his face is red, his lips redder, but Kuroo just smiles down at him, expression fond. “Be my boyfriend?”
Koushi nods once, decisively. “Yes.” Kuroo presses one last kiss to Koushi’s forehead, and then he’s pulling him in tight again, and Koushi listens to the beating of Kuroo’s heart as he falls asleep.
The last thought he has is that maybe almost breaking his ankle in front of his crush wasn’t the worst thing he’s ever done. Not when it ends with them as boyfriends, anyway. And now he’ll have all the time in the world to admire without almost killing himself. It’s a good thought, and Koushi smiles and nuzzles his face into Kuroo’s chest and lets himself drift off.