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Kenma’d always been a kid with a poor health. Kuroo had known this since the day they met. He got sick and exhausted easily and it usually happened if he had to participate in tiring activities. That was the reason why Kuroo was carrying him back home on his back after the Sport Festival in their kindergarten.
”’M sorry, Kuroo,” Kenma mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut.
”For what?” Kuroo asked, peering back at him. ”You were so cool out there, Kenma! You won the obstacle race with flying colors!”
Kenma blushed and hid his face in Kuroo’s shoulder. He mumbled from there, his voice muffled by the other boy’s T-shirt.
”You’re embarrassing,” he said, feeling his ears heating up as well.
”’Am not. Even our sensei recorded it!” Kuroo said and Kenma groaned, wanting the ground to swallow him. ”I’m gonna tell your mom how cool you were,” Kuroo said with a smile, ”I bet she would bake you an apple pie as a reward.”
Kenma felt his mouth watering to the thought of the sweet. Then a thought popped up in his head.
”Will you stay and eat it with me?” He asked timidly. Kuroo’s smile widened and Kenma’s small heart jumped in his chest.
”I wouldn’t miss it for the world!”
2.
Usually Kenma didn’t have any problems with traveling. He had never felt sick in a car or a bus. In his fifth year in elementary school, however, he felt his stomach toss and turn after two hours of traveling. Unfortunately, they had another half an hour until they would reach their destination.
”Kenma, are you okay?” Kuroo asked his friend, who was sitting hunched over, breathing through his nose. Kenma nodded stiffly, but Kuroo frowned. ”You aren’t. I go and talk with sensei,” he said, but Kenma grabbed the sleeve of his T-shirt, shaking his head frantically. Of course, it didn’t help with his nausea.
Kuroo pulled his T-shirt out of Kenma’s grasp and hurried to the front of the bus, where they teacher was sitting. Kenma closed his eyes in resignation. The vehicle came to a halt and soon after the black haired boy felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.
”M-motion sickness,” Kenma whispered and the woman looked at Kuroo.
”He had never had it before,” the sixth grader said, then looked back at his friend. ”Would you like some friesh air, Kenma?” He asked and Kenma nodded.
Kuroo stretched his hand out towards the other and Kenma wrapped his own around it. They walked to the door of the bus. Kuroo was the one leaving the bus, then reached up his arms towards the other. Kenma grabbed his shoulders and Kuroo lifted him off of the vehicle. As soon as fresh air filled his lungs, Kenma took a deep breath. He leant his back against Kuroo’s chest and closed his eyes in relief.
3.
Kuroo felt horrible about the situation he was in right now. He was so absorbed in his training to his last competition in middle school that he didn’t even realized that Kenma was gone. It was at the end of the practice when he realized that the other boy was nowhere to be found.
”Coach, have you seen Kenma?” He asked, walking up to the man.
”Kozume didn’t feel well, so he asked my permission to leave earlier,” the man answered and Kuroo felt guilt squeezing his heart. He should’ve seen that coming! Kenma had worked so hard in these last few days… ”Don’t worry, Kuroo. I asked him if he needed assistance to get home and he said he would be fine,” the coach tired to reassure him, but it didn’t work.
That’s how he ended up in front of Kenma’s hous with a slice of apple pie in hand. He pressed the doorbell and the door was opened by Kenma’s mom only a few seconds later.
”Ah, Tetsu-chan!” The woman greeted him with a smile. It only made Kuroo’s guilt grow.
”H-how is Kenma, auntie?” He asked on a small voice, then reached his hands out to show the apple pie. ”I brought him some treats.”
”Awe, it is so sweet of you, honey,” the woman said, petting Kuroo on the top of his head. He took the slice away from him, then spoke up again. ”Kenma has a light fever, but nothing too serious. Right now, he is sleeping upstairs.”
Kuroo didn’t ask for permission – which was disrespectful for him, but he only thought about that later – only walked in the house, then quickly took his shoes off and darted up on the stairs. He opened Kenma’s door quietly and saw the Kenma-formed shape in the bed.
When Kuroo walked up to the bed, he saw that the boy’s chest rose and fell evenly. He brushed a lock of brown hair out of his forehead, then leaned close to his ear.
”Sorry for not being there for you, kitten,” he mumbled as quietly as possible.
”Hmm itskay,” Came the answer and Kuroo chuckled. Kenma said that without waking up even for a moment.
4.
The cracking sound was the first thing Kuroo registered – after that it was as if time stopped. He saw the blond boy falling to the ground on the other side of the net, but he was frozen in place.
”Kenma!” Bokuto’s voice rang through the gym as he ran to the blonde, kneeling down beside him. ”You okay, buddy? You had a nasty landing there.” Kenma peered up at him with a scowl. If the situation weren’t so serious, the two toned boy would have felt embarrassed.
”Do I look okay to you, Koutarou?” Kenma asked while grabbing his ankle.
They had only met a few days ago in Kenma’s first summer training camp, however, the hyperactive boy had grown on him real quick.
”I think it is a sprawled ankle,” Kenma’s other new friend, Akaashi, spoke up as he climbed under the net to their side and knelt down as well. ”Does anything else hurt besides your ankle, Kenma-kun?” He asked on a calm voice and Kenma shook his head. ”We need to take him to the infirmary,” Akaashi announced, then turned his head back to the direction he came from. ”Pain-in-the-ass-Kuroo-san!”
That irritating nickname that his best bros’ crush used brought back Kuroo to reality. He was by their side in an instant, lifting Kenma up in his arms while scanning him for other possible injuries.
”I’m okay, Kuroo. I can walk on my own,” Kenma said, which made Kuroo growl in annoyance, but other thant that, he paid the complaints no mind.
It was only when he heard footsteps following him when he turned his attention away from the road leading them to the building the infirmary was in.
”You don’t have to come with us,” he said to the two Fukurodani player, making Bokuto pout.
”Like hell we have to, man!” The other second year insisted. ”Kenma was in my team in the two-on-two when the accident happened!”
”I have no idea how you two can persuade me to play in the first place,” Kenma mumbled under his breath and heard Akaashi chuckle.
”Bokuto-san’s smile can be really persuading at times.”
5.
Their first mach during the Nationals in his second year in Nekoma was really tiring, but Kenma didn’t hold back the bubbling adrenaline in his body, even with Kuroo’s arm around his shoulder and his goofy grin he could see from the corner of his eye. He knew he might have seen annoyed by it, but deep down, he was really content with how the mach turned out – even Lev showed some development.
After their brief meeting with Karasuno, they headed back towards their hotel. It was only a 20 minutes walk from the stadium, but Kenma felt as if it was more than an hour away. He felt his knees wobble, when two long arms were wrapped around him. He peered upwards and saw his annoying, but beloved kouhai looking down at him with worry.
”Are you okay, Kenma-san?” Lev asked, tightening his hold around the smaller boy involuntarily.
”Just tired,” Kenma said, hoping the other would drop the topic. Instead of that, Lev let him go, then walked in front of him and knelt down. ”Lev-”
”Climb up to my back, Kenma-san!” He asked and sounded so eager Kenma didn’t want to hurt his feelings. ”Hold on tight!” Lev said before standing up. Because of the quick change of height, Kenma let out a half-loud squeak. Lev only laughed at that. His senpai could be so cute sometimes!
Neither of them was aware of the dagger like glares Kuroo was sending to Lev’s direction – until Yaku didn’t elbow him in the ribs.
”Stop being a child and lead us back to that fucking hotel already!”
+1.
When Kenma returned from feeding the strays near to their house, he found Kuroo resting his folded arms on the kitchen table with his head on them. He was sleeping soundly which brought a smile to Kenma’s lips.
”Exam periods always take out a lot from you,” he said and Kuroo let out a long humm as an answer.
Kenma walked in the living room, then returned with a fluffy blanket. He draped it over Kuroo’s shoulder to keep him warm. After that, he leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.
”Sleep tight, Kuroo! You did well!”