Chapter Text
As the sun’s rays fell on Tetsurou as he walked out of the shade to cross the street, he snarled slightly. He pulled out a notebook from his bag and used it to shield himself.
“Honestly the sun needs to chill.” He groaned out loud. “Why can’t there be an eclipse all year round?”
The boy accompanying him clicked his tongue as he walked besides him, his attention on the game rather than Tetsurou. “You really don’t have to be here as a normal human. You’re only killing yourself this way.”
Tetsurou sighed as he put his arm around the shorter boy and steered him away from a ditch towards the large trees on the sidewalk. “Nah. I’ll be killing myself if the Brotherhood found out I wasn’t mingling in with society. The last thing they want is a mad vampire. A lone vampire is a threat.”
He looked ahead and saw the building where his next class was in. Soon he would be inside, in an air conditioned environment, away from that big ball of doom.
Tetsurou wasn’t really getting killed by the sun. Vampires didn’t really disintegrate when exposed to the sun. It was just a rumor which the Brotherhood spread way back in the 17th century so that the humans wouldn’t be too vary about their surroundings for ‘blood suckers’. Truth be told, vampires only had this awkward skin condition which caused them to have some sort of allergic reaction to the sun’s rays. It was just very, very annoying.
They had entered the building and Tetsurou tutted as he noticed the red splotches on his arms. “Ah shit. I thought that sunblock would work.”
Kenma looked up from his game and gave him a look.
Tetsurou crossed his arms. “What? It said SPF 50! I spent so much time and money to find it! And it’s branded!”
“Why am I with you anyways?” He heard Kenma mutter under his breath.
“Well, that is a good question.” Tetsurou agreed with a smirk. “Why indeed.”
(It had been seven years since he had known Kenma. He remembered that fated night when he had been waiting for prey when he saw a little boy with dark hair walk alone on the streets. He remembered lunging for the boy only to find him very skinny for which he let him go. But that resulted in a few complications when Kenma had seen his pointed teeth.
And for some reason hypnotism didn’t work on the kid.
Which then led to Tetsurou visiting Kenma more often with apple pies in hand at night because the boy needed to eat and not just play his video games all the time. When the Brotherhood wanted him to mingle with the humans, Tetsurou had realized that Kenma would be great company.
And now here they were, Tetsurou in his third year and Kenma in his second year in the same university.)
“We’ll meet at lunch. Also don’t play your game while climbing the stairs.” He scooped up the PSP from Kenma’s hand and stuffed it in the boy’s bag. “Last time you nearly fell and got me in trouble.”
“You got yourself in trouble.” Kenma stated.
Well, he wasn’t wrong. Kenma had missed a step and lost his balance. He would have ended up with a broken chin had not Tetsurou used his unearthly speed to catch him.
(That resulted in a lot of confused people on the stairway and in the hallway. Kuroo didn’t blame them. He was there in a matter of less than seconds. But then for the next week he remembered hiding from the vampire hunters who had decided to inspect the university for signs of troubling creatures.)
They exchanged their farewells and Tetsurou made his way to his History and Ideas class. He looked forward to that class. He knew everything in it, from major events to the political approaches in every era. He also knew a few extra things because… he had been there at the time.
He may or may not have been one of the reasons why Hitler didn’t get into art school. He didn’t want to think about it.
“Heads up!” Tetsurou caught the pen which had been thrown at his direction and he grinned widely at his attacker.
“Yo, Bokuto.”
The boy with spiked up hair and bright gold eyes grinned at him. Bokuto Koutarou. A human Tetsurou met in his first year in this university and whom he considered as his ‘best friend’. It had been decades since Tetsurou really found worthwhile humans to stick around with. Bokuto just turned out to be one of the best company he had in a long time. They both had different majors; Tetsurou was an Anthropology major while Bokuto studied law but they had this one common class.
Tetsurou sat in the seat besides his friend and handed the pen over.
“Bro, I have to tell you something.” Bokuto turned to him, his features looking as owlish as ever with his spiked horns and excited eyes.
Tetsurou leaned in, with his hand on his chin as he studied his friend more closely. Bokuto looked delicious today. To be honest, Tetsurou admitted Bokuto looked tasty every day. Humans who were active in sports and exercise always had a wonderful smell to them. Fresh and well circulated blood. But of course he couldn’t say that out loud… actually he could, Bokuto would play ‘along’. But he would never drink Bokuto’s blood.
Tetsurou found it rather awkward to satisfy his hunger through friends. He couldn’t really face his victims after he would drink their blood and then hypnotize them in forgetting his face and the incident. It might not be awkward for his victims who never remembered the occasion, but it was sure as hell uncomfortable for him.
“Do tell, I’m all ears.”
Bokuto shook his head as a smile danced on his lips. He ran his fingers through his hair and broke out into tiny chuckles.
Tetsurou shook Bokuto’s shoulder playfully. “Don’t leave me hanging! Tell me!”
Bokuto covered his mouth with one hand and then placed the other on Tetsurou’s shoulder, pulling him closer.
“I think I’m in love.” He whispered ever so softly that for a second Tetsurou wondered if this was really his friend and not some impostor. Bokuto never whispered.
“And who is this?” Tetsurou raised his brow at which Bokuto put his head down on the table, his ears red.
“I didn’t get his name…” he mumbled and Tetsurou patted his back.
“There there, you’ll know soon.”
Bokuto looked up at Tetsurou, his smile now replaced with a frown. “But you know what Kuroo? He was so pretty. Like gorgeous! He was an angel I tell ya. Plus he switched to this place from his previous college so he’s new here!”
“All the more for you to put on your game face right? Impress him with your charms.” Tetsurou offered at which Bokuto straightened up in his seat.
“Yeah you’re right!” he flexed his arm. “I mean no one can resist right?”
The professor entered the class and before he began his lecture, Tetsurou whispered to his friend,
“You look delicious Bo, so yes, no one can resist you.”
He got an enthusiastic thumbs up and a hoot in response from Bokuto.
If anyone asked Hitoka how she was doing, she would really not know how to answer. She was good? Okay? Tired? Was she settled yet? Not really? Did she have friends? Not many?
Her friend Shouyou from high school was with her here, but he was in the engineering department. He was a really good friend and, despite being an airhead at times, he was really good at advice. He always had this aura of intensity and Hitoka would normally wonder how on earth they became friends.
Shouyou had told her a really important thing on their first day and that was to always trust your instincts and jump. The jumping part was crucial. Jumping away from people with an intimidating aura to beautiful girls to avoid potential fan attacks, Hitoka thought she was doing a pretty darn good job.
Just yesterday she had tactfully jumped away from Shimizu-san, imagine the trouble she would get if she was in such a perfect woman’s way. She shuddered at the thought. Potential bullies that’s what. She might be overreacting but maybe there was a fan club for her. Or maybe she was just tired of the piles of art assignments. Who knew?
So was she doing well? She wondered about it from time to time.
She yawned as she made way to the gym where Shouyou had called her. He had asked her for a favor to make the banner for the volleyball club.
(From what she recalled, Shouyou had told her their old banner had been found nearly shredded, as if sharp claws had ripped through them.
“I’ve been hearing crazy things like we’re in vampire and werewolf territory. That’s why the banner is like that.” Shouyou laughed as he scratched the back of his head uneasily.
Hitoka and Shouyou, along with Shouyou’s friend Kenma, were having lunch in the courtyard on a nice breezy day.
“Well, they don’t exist. It’s just some rumor the seniors found cool right Kenma-san?” Hitoka turned to the second year whose roots needed to be dyed.
The boy looked up from his PSP and paused a bit. He seemed to be thinking.
“Yeah it’s a rumor. Vampires don’t exist. Weirdos do.” He said finally before returning to his game.
“Any who, Kageyama seemed really shady okay, like he avoided any conversation involving the banner. I think he’s behind it.” Shouyou said in a whisper.
“Why are you whispering Hinata-kun?” Hitoka asked, looking around. They were the only people present at the time.
“Ah, sorry, it’s a reflex. Man he’s so scary, I think he can hear me talk about him behind his back. But his tosses are amazing.” Shouyou smiled. “So will you help us in the banner?”
“S..sure why not.” )
She shouldn’t have agreed to it. Why did she think it was a harmless idea? As soon as she entered the gym, she found herself in front of three very tall men who towered over her. All of them looked very intimidating. One had a shaven head, the other a Mohawk and the third one (who didn’t seem too thrilled to be standing beside the other two) had spectacles and a judgmental look as he studied Hitoka.
She whimpered a bit. She had been with Shouyou and Kenma for a long time and had forgotten that the other volleyball players would actually be much taller. She needed an escape plan pronto.
“I…I’m here for the banner?”
She couldn’t even jump away. Their long arms could probably catch her right there and then.
The shaved hair guy and the Mohawk guy gawked at her.
“Woah you’re super cute! Do you have a boyfriend?” The shaved hair guy asked her.
Hitoka stepped back. Nope. Not today. She was going to run. These people were way too scary. The spectacled one could probably see through her soul. He must have found her pathetic since he walked away. At least one scary stranger had left.
She took another step back but found herself bumping against someone.
“Hiyeeeeehhh!!! I’m sorry!!” She yelled and as she looked up she screamed once more. “Yaaaaahh!! I’m so sorry I’m dumb and well!!”
The man before her was also very towering. He was taller than the other two! Not to mention he looked so shady with that messy hair and scary look. He seemed like a gang boss. What if he actually was one? Hitoka was so very dead.
“It’s okay I mean, please calm down.” The man held his hands out as if to show he wasn’t armed.
Hitoka gulped. Where was Shouyou?
Tetsurou did a double take when the girl screamed. A lot of thoughts had flashed in his mind; were his fangs showing? Was there a mirror? Did Inuoka follow him again?
(Inuoka was a werewolf who Kuroo had the bad luck of running into before the colonization of Japan and considering he had taken care of him, the werewolf was hard to get rid of. He had followed Kuroo many a times in the past. Like in that one wedding…that wasn’t pretty. How did one tell a werewolf to let go of the groom’s leg?)
“I’m Kuroo Tetsurou.” Tetsurou said softly, offering the nicest smile he could muster up. “I’m part of the volleyball team. How can I help you?”
“I’m l…looking for Hinata Shouyou sir! And I’m…I’m Yachi Hitoka!”
“Sir?” Tetsurou questioned. He shrugged. “I’m no sir, but Shorty isn’t here. What’s your business with him Yachi-san?”
Yachi seemed to scan her surroundings before looking up at Tetsurou. “I’m here for the banner.”
“Oh!” Tetsurou snapped his fingers as he remembered Hinata had mentioned calling an art student for the torn banner.
(The story behind the banner went like this: that Kageyama kid was smarter than Tetsurou had thought. At first he didn’t believe that the first year was a ‘gifted’ engineering student but that trap was really effective. Tetsurou had to claw himself out of the banner Kageyama had used as a net. Why a vampire hunter was here and active, Tetsurou had yet to find out. But Kageyama hadn’t seen his face so it was all good. But where did he get that blood from? It not only smelled delicious but he was able to get a taste and wow. A delicacy.)
“I’ll show you to the supplies if you want. Shorty will be here in a while.” Tetsurou offered to which Yachi nodded.
He pushed past Tanaka and Taketora who were still trying to get Yachi’s attention. He scowled at both of them who dragged their feet unwillingly away from the girl.
Practice wouldn’t start till half an hour when everyone would be off from their classes so the court was empty. He motioned to the corner where Daichi had kept the banner cloth and paint. Yachi nodded and walked briskly to the supplies and took out the banner cloth.
“Can you help me spread it Kuroo-san?” she asked to which Tetsurou nodded.
They both spread the cloth and Yachi stepped back to study it, her face scrunched up in concentration.
Cute. Tetsurou thought inwardly.
Yachi was about to say something when the door of the court opened and a tall boy entered.
“Kuroo-san!” Lev shouted enthusiastically. “Look here at my arm! I’ve got the weirdest mosquito bites!”
Kenma followed from behind. “Stop making a ruckus Lev.”
“Kenma-san!” Yachi exclaimed.
“Oh, Yachi.”
Tetsurou looked at both of them. “You know each other?”
Kenma nodded. “The banner right?”
“Yes!”
“Woah are you a first year?” Lev asked, crouching a bit to talk to Yachi. She began to stammer as Kenma walked to Tetsurou and nudged on his sleeve.
“Please don’t tell me you drank his blood.”
Tetsurou scrunched his nose. “You that saying about thick headed people? He has thick blood. It wasn’t the tastiest to be honest.”
“Of all people, Haiba Lev.” Kenma shook his head in disappointment.
“I was hungry!” Tetsurou whispered back. “Also we need to save Yachi-san.”
Yachi was already inching away from the tall Russian who kept on asking her questions. She gave Tetsurou and Kenma a worried glance and it was then when Tetsurou pulled back Lev from his collar.
“Okay give her space Lev. Go do your warm ups.” Tetsurou ordered to which Lev nodded.
“Yes Kuroo-san.”
He ran off to Ryuu and Taketora. Tetsurou gave Yachi a shrug. “He’s very loud and invasive. Sorry.”
Yachi shook her head. “Ah it’s fine. I’ll just start on the banner now… I guess.”
“Yeah you do that. I’ll be here if anyone annoys you.” Tetsurou mockingly saluted to which Yachi smiled.
Tetsurou grinned. At least she wasn’t on edge now. Hinata had interesting friends.