Work Text:
When Kuroo met Kenma, it was summertime. He was nine years old. He was mouthy, athletic, and already too tall for his age.
It was at the public pool. The one where he and his friends went to almost everyday because it’s August and Tokyo is muggy. As he and his friends somersault off diving boards and play chicken until someone almost drowns, Kuroo spots another child at the shallow end, submerged in water and bobbing up and down.
He knows it’s not possible to drown in water that’s three feet deep. It’s just that this kid was doing such a good job at looking like he’s a floating corpse that Kuroo couldn’t help but wade over and make sure. When he gets closer, he can see his black hair fanning out beneath the surface. He waits for the kid to go back up, which doesn’t take much longer. “Hi,” Kuroo says.
The kid turns around to see if he was talking to anyone behind him. When there was no one, he replies. “Hello.”
“I thought that maybe you were dead.”
That makes him smile. “Still alive.”
“Why were you pretending?”
The kid looks off to where some parents were sitting and quickly looks away. “My mom’s watching me.”
“Huh?”
“She wants me to swim. She wants me to be into sports and stuff, and this was the only one that didn’t sound horrible.”
Kuroo laugs. “Well, you’re not really doing a good job. Bending your legs doesn’t count.”
The kid looks down. “Yeah. I wanted to practice holding my breath first before doing the real thing.”
“And you did it!”
“I guess.”
“So come play with us!”
He sinks down the water, with nothing but his eyes peeping out. He shakes his head.
Kuroo rubs the back of his neck. “Hmm. How about I teach you? I’m really good.”
With most of his head still underwater, he shook his head again.
“Aw come on! It’ll be great.” He grabbed his arm and tried to pull him up, but the kid flinches and backs away from him. This makes something in Kuroo’s gut twist. He immediately withdraws his hand, putting both up like he was confronted by police. “I’m sorry.”
The kid had backed up enough that the water was barely two and a half feet. The water was down to his navel, despite his best efforts of lowering further.
Kuroo tries again. “Can I sit with you?” When he nods, he wades over and sits down. Most of Kuroo’s body is now above water, with only his crossed legs still wet. “Will you teach me how to breathe underwater for as long as you do?”
This seems to surprise him. “I guess.”
“Great!” He smacks him in the back. “I gotta go back to my friends. Will you be here tomorrow?”
“Yeah.”
“Great!” Kuroo repeats. “I’ll see you tomorrow, coach!” He salutes. He stands up, runs around the pool, and catapults into the deep end.
Kuroo doesn’t learn Kenma’s name until lesson three.