Work Text:
Bokuto sighed as he looked at the notifications that popped up on the screen. He was an online fanfiction writer who focused mainly on slash and AUs for his favorite animated series ever, Voltron: Legendary Defender.. One could say he was quite famous on Tumblr. However, not only for his stories. Under the screen name of HootHoot, Bokuto shared the smallest detail of his comical personal life, somehow still withholding the vital details that kept his identity a secret. Overall, he had amassed quite the fanbase over the couple of years during which he had been writing. Fans loved him not only for his fiction writing, but also for the way he portrayed his daily happenings with the utmost sincerity while keeping them interesting and hilarious. The grand majority of the feedback he got was positive, but there were always days in which his eyes drifted to the negative comments pouring into his askbox. It was one of those days.
'Learn how to write!'
'I've never read something so stupid in my entire life'
'It's sad really that just because you don't have a love life you have to come up with imaginary ones for non existing people'
'You are so unoriginal even your characters aren't your own'
Along with those came several others that did not mention Bokuto's writing whatsoever, focusing instead on the fact that he was openly gay and asian. He bit his lip and started answering them.
Bokuto had records for fan interaction. His askbox was almost always empty because he made sure to answer every single ask he received, even the negative ones. He had set a standard no other fanfiction writer of his caliber would be able to reach with ease. Still, he got harassed online by anonymous idiots hiding behind keyboards. Well, Bokuto was also hiding behind a keyboard but at least he wasn’t doing any harm. He could, of course, not answer to their provocative comments, but he didn't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing they hurt him enough for him to stay silent about it. So he answered them with his happy façade, which so easily convinced those around him.
'Working on it!!!'
'Yeah but have you read Twilight?'
'Well, when you find my soulmate for me please let me know!'
'Sweetie, it's called fanfiction, look it up."
The homophobic and racial slurs he received were responded with witty comments and sarcastic remarks. Usually Bokuto was pretty talented at not taking the comments to heart, thinking these people had nothing better to do. Sometimes, however, Bokuto had bad days and became vulnerable. After all, he was a human, and humans aren’t made of steel. Bokuto was almost at his limit when he noticed a submission that was not on anon.
nekuroo
“TFW you are a sad fool who has nothing better to do with your life so you go after hoothoot on anon…... pathetic”
~ Neko anon
Bokuto snorted as he looked through the gifs. This person was a meme master. He was about to type a reply when he noticed something odd. The person has signed as ‘Neko anon’ but he was off anonymous mode. This could only mean it had been an accident. Then it finally hit Bokuto. ‘Neko anon’ was all over his blog. He opened his tumblr on another tab and searched #nekoanon. He always tagged his anons who named themselves so it would be easier to keep his blog organised. He was not disappointed. There were several asks from him Bokuto had already answered. Most were compliments to his writing, but he was also quite supportive of his day to day life. When Bokuto complained about how hard it was to get his straight right Nekuroo had replied with “Maybe cus you’re not…. Straight? jk i hope u get it.” Bokuto remembered how much that one ask had made him laugh. Scrolling through more of nekuroo’s asks Bokuto realised just how many moments of laughs and smiles he owed this person. He had to know who nekuroo was.
Upon clicking on his username Bokuto found what he would easily describe as one of the best blogs in the whole of Tumblr. The profile picture was of a cat (which didn't surprise him given the username) and the bio was comprised of a few words that intrigued him:
'Kuroo Tetsuroo / Nekoma High Volleyball captain / King of Memes'
Bokuto knew he had found his soulmate. The user, Kuroo, was true to his description, his entire blog filled to the brim with memes of all kinds from many different cultures. It offended Bokuto because somehow this boy knew more memes than him and that was unacceptable! Along with memes the boy had many post about Voltron: Legendary Defender. How hadn’t Bokuto noticed this intriguing person before? He had to do something about the recognition this Kuroo guy deserved, so he replied to his submission.
“I don’t think you meant for this to be off anon but nice finally knowing who you are lol.”
Bokuto snorted to himself, knowing the ironic ‘lol’ in the end would be appreciated. He closed his computer and went to bed, deciding he had had enough asks for a day and he had to sleep well to keep up his volleyball performance. As he laid underneath his covers Bokuto couldn’t stop thinking about the incredible memes in Kuroo’s tumblr.
**
The next morning bokuto woke up late for school. On a normal day he would check his Tumblr first thing in the morning, but it slipped his mind since he was running around the house with his shirt inside out and his pants down his ankle, a slice of toast in his mouth. The doorbell rang and he finished getting dressed before grabbing his bag and sprinting outside, toast still in his mouth.
“Bokuto-san… Good morning,” said Akaashi, eyeing his best friend suspiciously.
“Morning, Akaaaaasheeeee,” Bokuto squealed as he tried to untangle himself from the strap of his bag.
“Were you up late again?” the setter questioned as they started their journey to school.
“Only a little bit. This trailer came out for this really cool movie…” and so Bokuto slipped into his daily routine. The amazing anon from the day before was completely forgotten, as if it had been a dream, too good to be true.
It was late afternoon when Bokuto finally decided to go online again. He had come back from practice, showered, eaten, and done his homework. He was surprisingly responsible when it came to school. He opened up Tumblr and went to his askbox. He suddenly remembered the night before and the anon who had accidentally come off anon. He immediately went to the search bar and looked up nekuroo, clicking the follow button as it showed up before going to the boy’s blog.
The very first post took bokuto by surprise. Not really, he should have expected it. He hadn’t thought his reply would have made such a difference in Kuroo’s life. He was wrong.
Nekuroo:
I am officially dead. Hoothoot replied to me and i don’T KNOW WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON AND WHY I JUST GAINED 300 FOLLOWERS WHAT IS LIFE
Bokuto shook his head fondly at the post and bit his lip. He had to talk to this guy. He clicked on the message icon and pondered for a while. Should he start with a normal ‘hey?’ That would be so common. Maybe his signature ‘Hey hey hey.’ No, it would be too impersonal. He looked back at the blog and the sheer amount of memes sparked an idea into his mind. Instead of sending his a message Bokuto opened up photoshop and got to work. Around 15 minutes later he sent Kuroo his masterpiece.
Bokuto cracked his knuckles and appreciated his talent at meme creation. For some reason he felt he had to impress Nekuroo. The guy had always been such a fierce appreciator of his writing the very least he could do was show that he appreciated his appreciation? Bokuto wasn’t sure and his trail of thought was a mess. In order to get his mind off the whole nekuroo thing Bokuto got to answering other asks. However, it didn’t last long because before he knew it there was a notification for his messages. He hesitantly clicked on it and burst out laughing at what he saw:
Nekuroo:
Hoothoot:
Are all of our interactions gonna happen through memes?
Nekuroo:
u started it!
Hoothoot:
It was an ice-breaker!
Nekuroo:
ure a writer!
u should be able to properly greet a person online!
Hoothoot:
uRe a wRIteR u sHUD bE abLE 2 propErLy grEeT A PUrsON oNLinE
Nekuroo: Im offended
Hoothoot:
don't make me use the meme again
Nekuroo:
who would’ve known a writer could be so vile
Hoothoot:
excUSE YOU
Nekuroo:
lol
sorry, I guess?
Hoothoot:
I shall never forgive you. Thou art banished from my kingdom until the day the Sun freezes!
Nekuroo:
u don’t hv a kingdom
Fyi the Sun will explode b4 it freezes
Hoothoot:
IT’S CALLED POETIC LICENSE!
Nekuroo:
if that helps u sleep at night
Hoothoot:
Omg, why am I even talking to you?
Nekuroo:
definitely bc I’m the meme king
Hoothoot:
lol no
I’m about to dethrone you.
Bokuto paused to take a sip of water. Talking to Kuroo was surprisingly easy. He looked back at the screen and blushed at his own smile being reflected on it. He was like a silly teenage girl.
Nekuroo:
lol you can try
my servants are faithful to me
they will never serve a tyrant king
Hoothoot:
I bet they will when they realize that I’m better suited to be the King of Memes.
Nekuroo:
u only say that because u didn’t meet 2011 me
Hoothoot:
But you see, that’s the problem!
2011 is gone and so is your popularity.
The people want a new king, a more modern king!
Nekuroo:
u think too highly of yourself
Hoothoot:
Can u hear the people sing?
They’re singing about wanting a new king.
Nekuroo:
shut up
Bokuto snickered at their conversation. It had been a while since he had last properly had an online conversation with someone. It was impressive how Kuroo, despite appreciating Bokuto so much, managed to talk to him like a normal person. Most of his fans couldn’t hold a conversation because they were “startruck” or thought Bokuto would only want to talk about his stories. Bokuto wanted to be talked to like a normal person. It was part of the reason he had chosen to remain incognito. Kuroo seemed to understand that. Even better, maybe he never really had to think about it, he simply saw Bokuto as an equal.They maintained their conversation for hours, sliding with ease from one subject to another, never really running out of things to talk about. Bokuto only realised how late it was at 2am. He cursed loudly and quickly typed to Kuroo.
Hoothoot:
Crap! It’s already 2am!!!! Wtf!
Nekuroo:
shit
ure right
how tf did it get so late?
Hoothoot:
I really don’t know but I have to sleep NOW! If I’m late tomorrow Akaashi will kill me!!!!!
Nekuroo:
akaashi sounds more like ur nanny than ur friend
not criticizing just pointing it out
Hoothoot:
OMG TRUE! HAHAHAHA
I’m gonna tell him you said that.
Nevermind, he will punch me for staying up late. Thus, this never happened and I’ve been in bed since 10pm!
Nekuroo:
i’ve screenshotted the whole convo to use as blackmail
Hoothoot:
You are evil!!
Nekuroo:
go to sleep already
Hoothoot:
SO MEAN! T_T
Nekuroo:
hush
goodnite
Hoohoot:
Night!
Bokuto hesitantly closed his computer and climbed into bed. It had been a long time since he had last stayed up late for anything other than writing. Bokuto felt his face heat up as a smile made its way onto his face. He turned around and buried his face into a pillow, unable to make the stupid smile go away.
**
Bokuto slipped once more into his routine, but this time it was different. Everything remained the same except for his online interactions. He would still wake up, go about with his daily routine of class and practice, come home, and get online. What truly changed was that when he got online the first thing he did was open his chat with Kuroo. Sometimes he would message first and sometimes he would come home to a message from Kuroo. It felt natural so it slipped into his routine. Months went by with them talking, their friendship developing slowly into a strong bond.
Conversation was easy, effortless. Nothing in their lives changed. Bokuto still wrote and published his stories and Kuroo still sent asks to tell him how great they were and what his favorite parts were. It was fun. To Bokuto it seemed that Kuroo and Nekuroo were different people. One was his friend and the other was his fan. It was hard to imagine both of them as one. Not that it was an issue since Kuroo seemed to be okay with Bokuto only talking about his stories in public. All was going great when the shift happened.
Hoothoot:
I’m just saying it’s suspicious that you look like a cat and you go to a school called Nekoma. I mean, COME ON!
Nekuroo:
and im saying i dont look like a cat wtf
Hoothoot:
Yes you do! You have fricking slit pupils, Kuroo!
Nekuroo:
at least I am better looking than you
wait
bro
bro
Hoothoot:
What is it, bro?
Nekuroo:
bro
i dont know what u look like
wtf
Hoothoot:
Shit, bro. You’re right.
Nekuroo:
well…
lemme see what u look like
Bokuto bit his lip and stared at the screen. He had spent his entire Tumblr existence in anonymity. Showing a picture of himself to Kuroo would mean his identity would finally be revealed. If Kuroo was as into volleyball as he claimed he would definitely have seen Bokuto’s classification as one of Japan’s top 5 High School spikers. They had also probably played each other at some point but Bokuto had no memory of Kuroo whatsoever. What would he think of him? Kuroo probably had this image built of of Bokuto Koutarou that would come crashing down. Any admiration Kuroo had for him would simply disappear. It was a scary prospect. What if Kuroo revealed to everyone that the famous Hoothoot was actually an even more famous volleyball player? What would people think of him if they found out he wrote slash? No team would want him. His friends would surely be freaked out by it. He couldn’t let that happen.
Nekuroo:
where’d u go bro?
Kuroo’s message snapped Bokuto out of his thoughts. He felt silly. This was Kuroo. He would never, ever do anything to harm him. Kuroo would never tell anyone who he was. Above all else, Kuroo would never judge Bokuto. He knew him better than most people he went to school with. Kuroo knew him and still liked him. Bokuto knew he didn’t have to be worried. He took a deep breath and grabbed his phone, opening the front camera. He styled his hair and made a funny face, sticking out his tongue before snapping the picture. He looked at it and bit his lip. Deciding it looked decent enough he sent it to Kuroo through the Tumblr app on his phone.
Hoothoot:
Stop pestering!
Nekuroo:
funny
now show me u
Hoothoot:
?
Nekuroo:
dont play innocent
that’s Bokuto Koutarou
one of the top 5 spikers in japan
u thought u could fool me
smh
Hoothoot:
Kuroo, bro, no.
That is me. This is me. I am Bokuto Koutarou.
Nekuroo:
i dont believe u lol
Hoothoot:
Why not?
Nekuroo:
what would The Bokuto Koutarou be doing on tumblr?
Hoothoot:
Dude, it’s me. I promise.
Nekuroo:
prove it
Hoothoot:
How?
Nekuroo:
hm
okay i know
send me a picture with a serious face while holding up three fingers
Bokuto groaned and sighed. He was expecting a lot of things to happen when he sent Kuroo his picture and this was not one of them. He pulled out his phone and took the selfie the way Kuroo demanded.
Hoothoot:
Satisfied?
Nekuroo:
no
now same selfie but holding up one finger
Hoothoot:
Dude, wtf?
Nekuroo:
do u want me to believe u or not?
Hoothoot:
Fine!
Bokuto took one more selfie and sent it to Kuroo.
Hoothoot:
What about now?
Nekuroo:
one more picture and i’ll believe you
Hoothoot:
Are you kidding me?
Nekuroo:
just do it bro
Hoothoot:
What is it this time?
Nekuroo:
duck face
and peace sign
Hoothoot:
bro, I don’t think you’re still trying to assert my identity…
Nekuroo:
do it or i’ll never believe in you
Hoothoot:
FINE!
Bokuto sighed and opened the selfie camera, cringing at how disgusting it looked when he pulled the duck face.He felt ridiculous, but it was what Kuroo wanted so he sent it to him.
Hoothoot:
Good?
Nekuroo:
perfect,
Bokuto Koutarou
now i have blackmail material lol
Hoothoot:
Bro, why?
Nekuroo:
why not?
Hoothoot:
Do you believe me now?
Nekuroo:
yeah
it’s just a bit surreal ya know?
dude
ive admired u for like the longest time bro
its crazy
Bokuto turned his face away from the computer at that. He placed his hands on his cheeks. They felt warm underneath his fingertips. Kuroo admired him but not only for his writing, he also admired him for his volleyball skills.
Hoothoot:
Thanks?
Nekuroo:
so
does this mean i can call u Bokuto-san?
Hoothoot:
Nah, bro.
Bokuto is fine.
Nekuroo:
cant believe i’m in close terms with BOKUTO KOUTAROU
Hoothoot:
stfu
Bokuto typed hurriedly to hide his blush. Kuroo was cute. He knew in real life the guy was probably far from cute. He had seen pictures of how tall he was, how strong he was, and the spark of determination in his eyes was everything but cute. Still, when it was just the two of them talking, no labels or expectations, Bokuto felt like Kuroo let his guard down. He liked that because he had also let his guard down around Kuroo.
**
After Bokuto revealed to Kuroo their relationship started changing quite rapidly. Sharing selfies become something common for them, when they got home from practice or when they just woke up. They also migrated to WeChat because it was easier than having to go on Tumblr all the time. Their pictures were innocent enough in the beginning, but Bokuto changed all that one night when he got home from extra practice. The heat was unbearable so he took off his shirt and snapped a selfie.
Kuroo:
bro
why u shirtless bro?
Bokuto:
To show you how much I’m sweating.
Kuroo:
bro…
…
nah dude
u did it on purpose
Bokuto:
???
Kuroo:
ur hot
Bokuto wasn’t sure how to reply to that. Was Kuroo joking? Kuroo was almost always joking but for some reason he seemed serious about this. Maybe it was his hesitation to typing. It was normal, right, for bros to compliment one another? It was totally masculine and platonic… Right?
Bokuto:
Thanks? :/
Kuroo:
np
gtg ttyl
Bokuto frowned at that. Kuroo always used abbreviations but he wasn’t usually this condensed. Something was off but he couldn’t tell what.
Bokuto:
Okay, bro. Talk to you later.
Bokuto put his phone away and went to take a shower. When he came back the small string of hope in his chest broke when he saw Kuroo hadn’t messaged again. With a sigh he typed back a goodnight message and got into bed.
He did not sleep well that night, unable to keep himself from tossing and turning. The night was hot and Bokuto was unable to relax, especially due to the fact that Kuroo had simply stopped responding. Kuroo never went to bed without texting him goodnight. At least he hadn’t in the last… 5 months or so? It was the middle of the night and Bokuto sat up at his realization. They had been talking for five months, every day without fail. This was not normal, Bokuto decided. He saw Akaashi everyday and the boy was his best friends but they rarely talked during the weekends. Now that he thought about it, what kind of friends talked every single day? This was absolutely not normal.
Collapsing back into his bed bokuto doomed himself to a sleepless night along with his anxious thoughts. Maybe he was the one pushing Kuroo. Maybe the boy felt obligated to respond to his messages and that was not okay. When Bokuto got out of bed the next morning he was decided to wait for Kuroo to contact him this time around.
**
A week passed and Bokuto didn’t hear from Kuroo. He didn’t try messaging him of course but that was only because he was weary of being pushy. He wanted to give Kuroo space to see if the boy really wanted to talk to him. As it turned out his suspicions were right. Kuroo didn’t want to keep talking to him. Bokuto would have been worried about Kuroo’s wellbeing with not hearing from him for a week. However, and this was the most heartbreaking part, he was still posting and reblogging actively.
It was a Friday night when Bokuto decided to do something about it. He was scrolling through his last conversations with Kuroo, trying to figure out when things had gone wrong. His face heated up, cheeks reddening. He felt the familiar burn of tears in the corners of his eyes so he looked up and blinked them away. What had he done to deserve this? What had he been to Kuroo? If he didn’t care about Bokuto why did he put so much effort into maintaining daily talks for months? Had he only wanted to discover Bokuto’s true identity? None of this sounded like things Kuroo would do, but neither was not messaging for a week. Maybe it was and Bokuto didn’t even know Kuroo that well.
All those thoughts were hurting Bokuto. They made his heart ache and his head pound. He felt a spark in his chest and anger surged through his body. It wasn’t fair that this was happening to him. He had dedicated so much to this friendship and to be thrown aside like that was in the very least fucking rude. He was angry at Kuroo for throwing him away, but mostly angry at himself for getting close enough to someone to get hurt. He should never have trusted him. Bokuto wanted to make sure Kuroo knew he was hurt, and he wanted to do it publically.
Starting a feud was never good, especially when Kuroo was the only person on Tumblr who knew his true identity. Still, bokuto couldn’t hold back. Therefore, he posted:
Bokuto wasn’t sure what he was expecting. He was starting to regret it when he got a notification saying Kuroo had posted something. Yes, Bokuto had notifications on for Kuroo.
Bokuto’s blood boiled at that. So Kuroo had time to make memes to retaliate but he didn’t have time to send a fucking text. That’s how it was going to be, then? Bokuto immediately got to work, bouncing back with yet another meme:
Bokuto knew it was a shit meme, the wording was too proper and it wasn’t funny. He didn’t care, though. If memes were the only way Kuroo would give him answers he was taking it. It didn’t take long for him to get a response.
This was the last straw for Bokuto. Kuroo was the one who never contacted him again and suddenly he was the asshole. Fucking perfect. Bokuto made one last post before turning off his computer and phone and going to bed.
Hoothoot:
@Nekuroo Fuck you.
**
Bokuto spent the week off the internet. He kept his phone off and his computer in a drawer. He told Akaashi he had lost his phone, a complete lie, and got scolded by him, but he didn’t mind. He would much rather get scolded by Akaashi than deal with Kuroo. Bokuto knew he was running away from his issues, but he also needed some time to himself, to calm down before he made any harsh decisions such as getting a fake identity and moving to Poland. He did not, however, take a break from writing, using the old fashioned pen and paper instead. Writing and volleyball were his refuges, he would never give them up. It was Thursday night and Bokuto was so ready to go to bed early. When he stopped with Akaashi in front of his house the boy looked at him.
“Don’t forget we have a practice match tomorrow,” he said.
Bokuto frowned and looked back at him. “We do?”
“Yes, so be well rested,” Akaashi turned to leave.
“Akaashi, who is it against?”
“Another Tokyo team, Nekoma I think. Goodnight Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said and walked away.
Bokuto did not reply. His blood went cold and he had to lean against the door to support himself. He pulled himself together and got in, taking a shaky breath. With his hands balled up in fists he made his way to his room where the first thing he did was throw a punch at his bed. In any other circumstances he would have been ecstatic, but the last thing he wanted was to see that asshole. Bokuto took a shaky breath and stood up straight, a newfound determination in his eyes. He was going to crush Kuroo tomorrow.
**
Akaashi was staring at him and he knew it, he could feel the stare burning against his back. He was aware he was not talking as much as usual. The team had mistaken it for tiredness when in reality it was determination. Akaashi, on the other hand, could see something the others couldn’t. Bokuto ignored him, however, not really needing any sort of sermon. All Bokuto wanted was to prove that he never needed Kuroo in the first place.
The team poured out of the school bus, buzzing with excitement. Bokuto could hear balls hitting the floor and shoes squeaking against the gym floor. Nekoma was already warming up. They made their way to the changing room before going to the gym. Bokuto was the last one to arrive and as soon as he did he locked eyes with Kuroo. Their eyes met and the boy started making his way to the newcomers, stopping right in front of Bokuto.
“Welcome to Nekoma,” he offered his hand to Bokuto. There was a smirk on his face Bokuto wanted to wipe out.
“Thank you for having us. Let’s have a good game,” Bokuto looked into his eyes, sparks of hatred flying between the two.
Akaashi watched from the side as the two captains squeezed the other’s hand impossibly tight. He turned to face the small boy by Kuroo.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Akaashi Keiji, the vice-captain,” he extended his hand to the boy who took it.
“Kozume Kenma, nice to meet you,” the boy with hair that looked like pudding replied so quietly Akaashi barely caught it.
Once they finished exchanging “pleasantries” both teams started warming up together, running, stretching and running drills. When Bokuto spiked he made sure to aim close enough to Kuroo to startle the boy. Kuroo responded with the same behaviour, smirking when he got startled yelps from the loud owl. Kuroo and Bokuto were glaring at each other when the whistle blew for them to line up and start the game. As Bokuto looked into Kuroo’s eyes he became certain he wasn’t the only one with the overwhelming will to crush the other.
**
Fukurodani beat Nekoma. It was far from an easy game to the owls, but they took two sets from the cats who fought with teeth and claws. The first set was 25-21 and the second set was 30-28. At the end of the games Fukurodani was jumping around and screaming while Nekoma retired to a corner to have a small team meeting. Once everyone was done Fukurodani helped clean up the gym. Bokuto grabbed one of the net poles to take it to the supply room and almost froze when Kuroo grabbed the other one, not having noticed Bokuto there. They locked eyes, a silent decision that neither would back off. The took the net to the supply rooms in absolute silence.
Bokuto turned around and was about to leave when the door closed right on his face. Kuroo made his way to the door and tried to open it, but it wouldn’t. He knocked on the door.
“Hey! Let us out!” he yelled, knowing someone was responsible for this.
“Only when you two make up,” said a calm voice from the other side.
“Akaashi! What are you on about?” Bokuto finally spoke.
“You two obviously have some unsolved issues so we aren’t leaving until you make up. Kozume-kun agreed with me,” Akaashi said.
“So did I!” called Yamamoto from far away.
“This isn’t funny. Let us out!” Kuroo insisted.
“No,” Kenma replied.
“Kenma! Come on!” Kuroo whined but got no response.
Both boys tried their best to open the door or to get their friends to open it but it was to no avail. Kuroo sighed in defeat and ran his hand through his hair, walking over to one of the corners, sliding down against the wall, and burying his face into his hands. Bokuto rested his forehead against the door.
“This is your fault,” the owl boy said at which Kuroo looked up.
“My fault? How is any of this my fault?”
“You’re the one who ruined it all.” Bokuto turned around to face him.
“Fine. Yes I fucked up our friendship. But you’re the one who couldn’t deal with it,” Kuroo said.
“Deal with you being an asshole? Yeah, I couldn't.”
“I understand I offended you but you don’t have to call me an asshole for that!” Kuroo stood up.
“Right! Because what you did makes you so much of a nice person!”
“It’s who I am, okay? I know I should have kept it to myself but it slipped out! You were never meant to find out!”
“Great! So you wanted to keep pretending to be my friend while feeling something way different. I’m glad you never told me your true intentions then!”
“I’m sorry for what I said, okay!” Kuroo yelled “But you are the one who couldn’t deal with it! You could have said it made you uncomfortable but you simply never contacted me again!”
“What are you on about? You are the one who never messaged me again!”
“I wanted to give you some space. You were clearly uncomfortable!”
“Where on earth did you get that from?” Bokuto frowned and tilted his head to the side.
“What do you mean where I got that from? Clearly from you saying ‘Thanks?’ after what I said! Look, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable but you handled it horribly!” Kuroo raised his voice.
“What are you on about?! You are the one who suddenly had to go and so I gave you space! It was obvious something had made you want to stop talking to me! I didn’t want to be pressuring you!”
“What is going on? I am so confused!” Kuroo groaned and slid back down against the wall.
Bokuto let out a whine and did the same, sitting down in front of him and looking down. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. They sat in silence for a few minutes until Kuroo spoke up.
“Why did you stop messaging me?”
Bokuto looked up at him. “You said you would talk to me later and you went to bed without saying goodnight. You had never done that ever before so I thought it meant you wanted some space.”
Kuroo sighed once more and nodded. “Why did you attack me online out of nowhere?”
“I was pissed. I felt like I was the only one who had invested in this relationship. It felt unfair. If I don’t message you then you won’t message me? I felt left out.”
“The only one invested in this relationship? I am almost always the one to start conversation! Or at least… was…”
“I was the one who always got home and told you about my day!”
“Yeah but I was the one who constantly tried to get to know you better! I was always asking questions like what movies you liked and stuff.”
“Yeah but I was always the one to say hi first!”
“Only because you got home first! I was-” Kuroo stopped himself and rubbed his face with both hands, sighing again. “You know what? This is dumb.”
“Okay. Now you know why I stopped talking to you, but why did you never message again?” Bokuto asked.
“Because I thought you hated me.”
“Why would I have thought that?”
Kuroo looked up at him and finally had the courage to look into his eyes. “Because I confessed that I liked you.”
Bokuto stared at him blankly. What was Kuroo talking about? There was a lot to unpack from that statement. First was the fact that Kuroo liked him. Second was the fact that he had apparently already confessed. Bokuto knew he could only focus on one or his brain would stop working.
“When did you confess?” Bokuto’s eyes were wide.
“What do you mean when? One of my last messages!” Kuroo said.
Bokuto shook his head and shrugged. “I didn’t see it.”
“Of course you did!” Kuroo said and pulled out his phone, scrolling through a few things before shoving the phone onto Bokuto’s face. “Right there!”
Bokuto read the message on the screen over and over again before turning back to look at Kuroo. “IS THIS WHAT YOU CALL A CONFESSION?!” Bokuto’s voice was high pitched and uneven.
“WHAT ELSE WOULD IT BE?” Kuroo yelled back at him.
“A HARMLESS COMPLIMENT! ‘UR HOT’ DOES NOT COUNT AS A CONFESSION, KUROO!” Bokuto looked at him incredulous.
“What do you mean? You’re gay and I’m bi! I called you hot! That should be enough of a confession!”
“What the heck, Kuroo? NO! That is not how it works! I don’t assume every person who likes men and calls me hot is confessing to me!”
Kuroo groaned and buried his face into his hands. Bokuto could see the tips of his ears turning red.
“Wait… so was all of this a misunderstanding?” asked Bokuto and Kuroo looked up at him.
“So… I thought you rejected my confession and stopped speaking to me because of it…”
“And I thought you were tired of me so I didn’t bother reaching out in order not to bother you…”
“Bro…” Kuroo whispered.
“Dude…”
“WE ARE SO FUCKING DUMB!” Kuroo yelled and threw his head back.
“What is wrong with us?” Bokuto groaned and shook his head.
They looked at each other and burst out into laughter. They were so stupid in their worries and miscommunication. They laughed for a while, unable to get over their own stupidity. They would stop laughing but as soon as they looked at each other burst into laughter once again. Somehow they ended up tangled up on the floor, panting.
“Stooop. My abs hurt!” Bokuto whined.
“You’re the one who won’t stop laughing!” Kuroo chuckled then groaned.
They laid panting in each other’s presence, stupid smiles on their faces. After some time Bokuto looked up at Kuroo. There was still a matter they had to resolve.
“So… about that confession… Do you still like me?” Bokuto asked, bold as always.
“Yeah.. I do…” Kuroo whispered and looked away, a blush rising to his cheeks.
“Well, that’s good because I like you too…” Bokuto whispered and crawled up to him so their faces were inches apart.
“It sounds to me like we should do something about that…” Kuroo whispered and Bokuto shivered as he felt the boy’s hot breath against his own lips.
“Is that so?” Bokuto smirked and raised an eyebrow.
“Yes… I think so…”
Kuroo barely had time to react as Bokuto leaned up and pressed their lips together. The press of the lips was gentle and lasted only for a few seconds before they pulled away, stupid smiles once again upon their faces.
“Something like that?” Bokuto asked in a whisper, to which Kuroo responded by leaning in and pressing their lips together once more.
This time it was more demanding and they parted lips, mouths sharing warmth and desire as they moved together in their own rhythm. Bokuto slid the tip of his tongue into Kuroo’s mouth and was met with eagerness as the latter caressed bokuto’s tongue with his own. Bokuto brought his hand up and tangled his fingers in Kuroo’s hair, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss, exploring Kuroo’s mouth with his tongue. Kuroo brought a hand up to Bokuto’s waist and slid it underneath his shirt, loving the feeling of the boy’s skin underneath his. Bokuto pulled away and started trailing soft kisses down Kuroo’s jaw. He felt the boy’s hand tense up against his hip and he knew he was having the desired effect upon him.
The door opened and they broke apart. Kuroo’s hair was everywhere and Bokuto’s shirt was half raised. Their legs were intertwined and they looked like an utter mess. Both of them turned to the door with wide eyes only to find Akaashi standing there.
“Oya?” said the setter.
“Oya oya?” Bokuto smirked.
“Oya oya oya?” Kuroo said, his face blank.
Akaashi sighed and closed the door at which the couple on the floor burst out laughing.