Work Text:
"C'mon Bo, you've gotta give it to me harder ," Kuroo whined playfully from across the gym. Keiji's mind seized up entirely, unfortunately mid-set. As Bokuto folded over himself in laughter, Lev let out a yelp as he narrowly dodged a volleyball that had been sent in his direction with much more force than intended.
"Akaashi-san, that was headed for my face!!" the gangly underclassman cried as his feet landed back on the floor. Keiji apologized quietly, bowing in front of the taller boy with embarrassed respect. That embarrassment grew tenfold when the Nekoma captain laughed good naturedly at the botched set. He could feel warmth spreading through his cheeks and up to his ears as how obvious he had been hit him. When Konoha snickered across the net from him, Akaashi sent out an atypical glare in the blocker's direction. He knew he looked far too pathetic to manage any venom, and Konoha's smug grin punctuated that notion clearly. He was pathetic because Kuroo flirted with all of his friends, especially Bokuto. He was pathetic because he was jealous.
Keiji had managed to keep himself together until lunch. Kuroo had announced they were going out to sushi as the teams were cleaning up, and the process had gone much quicker after that. By the time the Nekoma and Fukurodani teams were walking down the street to the restaurant Kuroo had suggested, Keiji had nearly forgotten about his mishap earlier. That is, until the boy fell to the back of the group and directly into stride with Akaashi.
"Hey there 'Kaashi," Kuroo hummed conversationally, glancing over at the setter with a teasing glint in his eyes. "I was thinkin' about earlier. I give that kinda shit to Bokuto all the time but you know…" he paused to raise a suggestive eyebrow in Keiji's direction with a nudge to his arm before lowering his voice to almost a purr, "I could always give it to you too. All you gotta do is call." Akaashi could feel the shade of bright red his face went this time, eyes wide as Kuroo winked with a grin as he jogged to join Bokuto at the front of the group.
Keiji stumbled over his own feet a few times in his attempt to shamble through the shock of the past minute on the way to lunch. He'd seen Kuroo flirt with Bokuto and- hell, all of Nekoma, but it'd never been like that. He'd never lowered his voice so intimately, or not made fun of a blush that resulted of one of his lines. Not to mention-
"Oh my God, he knows I'm jealous," Akaashi said quietly to himself, rubbing his hands over his face in shame.
"I think the only person who doesn't know you're jealous is Bokuto. Maybe Lev," Konoha pointed out thoughtfully from beside him, and Keiji just about lept out of his skin. When did he get there? It didn't matter, because he was probably right. The setter groaned, covering his face with his hands once again. "What did he even say to you? He got really close, and you went like- as red as his game jersey," Konoha snickered unhelpfully. Ignoring the fact that his cheeks darkened a little as he was forced to recount the situation, Keiji dropped his hands and repeated Kuroo's words.
"It wasn't like when he play flirts with Bokuto-san, or Kenma-san, it was different… Almost like-" he paused, not sure if he should indulge that thought.
"Like he meant it?" Konoha supplied. "I dunno, it kinda sounds like he's trying to get you to make a move," he shrugged, staying by Akaashi's side as they walked to the restaurant.
Keiji sat shyly in the only open spot at the table once he got to it, right next to Kuroo. He stayed characteristically quiet through the meal, trying not to think about how close he was to the captain. He startled slightly when Kuroo held up a plate in offering to Bokuto.
"Hey Bokuto, do you like top or bottom better?" he asked, clearly referring to more than the nigiri on his plate. His tone was light, as though he really were just asking about the fish. So much different than earlier.
"Oh top, definitely," Bokuto grinned, winking as he quickly stole the piece of fish from the rice bed below on the plate. Kuroo pulled the plate back, laughing as he finished the rice. Akaashi stared down at his food, frowning because he was still jealous . He didn't want ambiguity, or to be treated like everybody else, he wanted Kuroo to flirt with him.
"You look like somebody pissed in your cereal," Kenma whispered from beside him, a hint of amusement in his tone. Akaashi quickly reigned in his expression, flushing with the embarrassment of being caught.
Bokuto, naïve as ever, frowned.
"Akaashi? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly, watching his setter with curiosity. That, plus the knowing snicker from Kuroo beside him made Keiji feel like his face was just about to go up in flames. Konoha rubbed his temples tiredly beside his captain, only opening his eyes to look dead ahead at Akaashi for a moment before leaning over and whispering an explanation in Bokuto's ear. The golden eyes across from Keiji went wide with discovery before one closed in an unsubtle wink. Kuroo huffed a quiet laugh, rolling his eyes, but he was fairly unbothered. Akaashi couldn't help but notice that the taller boy seemed to have moved just a little closer to him after that, although he tried to turn away that notion as being too hopeful. As the meal ended, and the teams began the walk back to Nekoma, Keiji found himself once again at Kuroo's side.
"What do you have planned for the rest of our joint practice time, Kuroo-san?" he asked timidly, looking up at the captain beside him. Keiji had almost managed to resist the urge to fidget with his fingers nervously, but when Kuroo turned towards him, he finally gave in.
"I'm glad you asked, setter-san," the taller boy teased gently. "But if I tell you, will you call me just Kuroo?" he asked, nudging Keiji carefully with his arm. The boy nodded, tugging on his index finger absentmindedly as he glanced away.
"Alright, Kuroo," Akaashi said softly, smiling a bit when he was given one in return.
"Awesome. Well, for now, we have about four hours of free time to socialize and goof off, and then I scheduled some practice matches. Coaches are gonna figure out dinner, and we've gathered up enough futons to sleep in the gymnasium," Kuroo explained proudly, having put most of the event together himself. Akaashi nodded thoughtfully, biting his lip in indecision. When he caught Kuroo's eyes trained intensely on the motion, he could instantly feel his cheeks and ears going pink. Keiji made a clumsy attempt to step away, but an eavesdropping Konoha "accidentally" walked into him then, shooting the setter a glare that said simply, "what did I say about making a move?"
Keiji sighed nervously, turning back to Kuroo with a tiny smile.
"Would you like to hang out for some of that free time, Kuroo-sa- Kuroo?" he corrected himself, cringing at his misstep. "Bokuto can come too, if you like," Keiji added quickly, trying to ignore how Konoha groaned from nearby. Kuroo snorted subtly at the blocker's frustration before smiling at Akaashi warmly.
"My house is nearby. Wanna come hang out there? Bo can come too, I know he likes my video games," he suggested, earning a relieved exhale of breath from Keiji. He hadn't expected that to go very smoothly. As happy as he was to spend time with Kuroo, he couldn't help the returning pang of jealousy at the notion that Bokuto had hung out at the boy's house before. Brushing that aside, they quickly exchanged numbers, Kuroo sending a text with his address for them to meet up after talking to their coaches.
When Keiji arrived at the address he'd
been given, he was scared he was in the wrong place. All of the lights were off inside, and as the silence after knocking on the door grew longer, Akaashi began to grow nervous. Luckily, before he could think about it too much, the door opened, and Kuroo's stood in the doorway. In a contrast to his practice clothes, the boy was now wearing a black sleeveless t-shirt with grey sweatpants. He smiled widely, stepping aside to let Keiji in.
"I'm guessing Bokuto got distracted on his way out?" he chuckled, shutting the door behind his guest. Akaashi nodded slightly, looking around the space. It wasn't dark exactly, with sunlight streaming through a few windows, but it was certainly dim. Noticing the boy's confusion, Kuroo gestured to the unused light fixture. "My mom likes to keep the lights off during the day in the warmer months. She says it keeps the house cooler for when she gets home from work," he hummed, a fond smile growing on his face that Keiji couldn't help but mirror. "You're welcome to get yourself a drink or snack, the kitchen's all yours," Kuroo added politely, smiling warmly. "It's really cool to have you here."
"Thank you," Akaashi said softly. "May I make myself some tea?" he asked a moment later, trying to find something to fill the awkward alone time until Bokuto arrived.
"Of course, third cabinet on the right, top shelf is the kettle, middle shelf is the tea," Kuroo hummed, gesturing to the kitchen before excusing himself to set up the games they were going to play.
The kitchen was even darker than the living room, but that wasn't the problem Keiji was facing. He'd found the kettle just fine, he just wasn't tall enough to reach it. His pride was warring between asking for help and making his tea, while admitting in an odd way that Kuroo was the better volleyball player, because he was taller. Keiji was glaring at the offending kitchenware when a gentle, warm weight against his back knocked the breath from his lungs as he was enveloped by the strong smell of Old Spice deodorant in the dim kitchen. Kuroo reached up and carefully grabbed the kettle from the top shelf around Keiji before setting it in the shorter boy's now shaky hands.
"You could have asked for help you know, setter-san," Kuroo whispered, so close to Keiji's ear that he could feel the captain's breath on his neck. Akaashi's breathing shuddered slightly as large hands settled over his own on the kettle. He could feel the vibration of a silent laugh against his back, and suddenly the heat between the two of them felt like it could cook him.
"I-I'll keep that in mind," Keiji said quietly, practically inaudible once the thumb against his left hand started moving gently.
"Hey hey hey, is Akaashi here yet?" Bokuto suddenly shouted from the living room as he threw open the door unceremoniously. The pair in the kitchen jumped apart as though they'd been shocked, the mood completely broken by their friend's entrance. Keiji steadied himself before responding, careful not to let his voice give away how flustered he'd become.
"I'm here, Bokuto-san," he called out, setting the kettle down carefully before reaching up to grab some teabags and pointedly looking anywhere but at the boy behind him. By now, he was thankful for the semi-darkness. His face had gotten so warm, it almost hurt. Kuroo hesitated for a moment before making his way to the other room to greet his fellow captain. The younger boy took the opportunity to fill the kettle, setting it on the stove to heat up.
"Akaashi!! Have you met the cat??" Bokuto called, padding into the kitchen with a black and white cat in his arms a moment later. Keiji couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head.
"Does 'the cat' have a name, Bokuto-san?" he asked, glancing up at Kuroo when he trailed into the kitchen a few seconds later.
"Lauren? Isn't that a bit…" Akaashi trailed off, trying to figure out a way to phrase his question so it didn't sound like an insult. Kuroo just nodded, laughing as he scratched behind his cat's ear.
"Western? Yeah, my mother named her after a year abroad, just before I was born," he explained fondly, flashing a smile in Keiji's direction that made something in his chest just melt. "I'll take care of the tea, go pick your character with Bo. Just stay away from Rosalina, she's mine always," Kuroo said sternly, gently nudging Akaashi to follow his captain to the living room.
"You and Rosalina, what is it with her?" Bokuto called out, gently laying Lauren onto the couch before sitting on the floor in front of her.
"She's got awesome hair!!" Kuroo scoffed defensively, earning a laugh from Keiji as he sat next to the cat on the couch. After sniffing his hand, she didn't hesitate in curling up in his lap, looking up at Keiji with friendly curiosity.
"Hey there Lau," Akaashi cooed quietly as Bokuto laughed at his bedheaded friend. "Can you wish me luck with your dad? I think I might need it," he whispered, stroking the cat gently as she mewed in appreciation. He smiled softly, moving her carefully from his lap so he could slide to the floor a few feet away from Bokuto and choose a character.
Kuroo soon appeared with tea and some mochi his mother had made the night before. He laid the tray on the coffee table in front of his Fukurodani friends before sitting between them, pressed slightly up against Keiji's side. Bokuto and Kuroo made inane chat about which of the Mario universe characters was best, but all Akaashi could do was chew quietly on some mochi as he focused on the way Kuroo's muscles relaxed underneath him when he leaned experimentally into the taller boy. They stayed like that for the entire afternoon, and Keiji made sure of it. He even went as far as asking Bokuto to take care of their cups, not wanting to make Kuroo move away from his side. Needless to say, Keiji didn't win a single game the whole time they played.
After seeing how passionately and smartly they played the practice games that evening, a group of begrudging coaches bought takeout for both teams, making them sit outside the gym to eat. As Keiji sat on the front steps of the gymnasium, he shivered, cursing the subtle night chill that had begun to settle and cool the sweat on his skin. He figured he could also be cursing himself for forgetting his jacket, but on a hot day full of practice, he hadn't thought he'd need it. He could curse himself, but the moment a large Nekoma jacket settled over his shoulders, he found it unnecessary. Kuroo and Kenma sat down beside him with food, followed shortly by Konoha and Bokuto.
"Thank you, Kuroo-san," Keiji said politely, habit getting the better of him with the honorifics. He pulled the jacket tight around himself, inhaling deeply against the fabric as Kuroo tsked at his formality. He began a playful lecture towards Akaashi about how he feels old when his friends use honorifics as they all began to eat. Throughout the meal, Keiji couldn't help but notice the looks shared between Kenma and Konoha around an oblivious Bokuto.
-
Akaashi always felt calm after showering. Getting the sweat and grime of the day off of his skin and relaxing his muscles in the hot water was one of his favorite rituals. However, walking into Kuroo Tetsurou while half naked with wet hair? Probably about number three on the list of least calming ways Keiji could imagine the evening going. He quickly crossed his arms over his chest, flushing his usual bright pink all the way down to his collar. Kuroo, on the other hand, stepped closer after a moment, angling himself so that Keiji would have to take several steps back to get around him. The taller boy let his eyes shamelessly drag over the exposed torso in front of him, and Akaashi reveled in the fact that heat was beginning to show at the tops of the boy's cheeks. Any other thoughts about that speculation were quickly taken over by the light touch of fingers slowly caressing up his bare arm.
"Keiji, will you meet me in the club room in fifteen minutes?" Kuroo asked quietly, sending chills straight down Akaashi's spine at the whisper of his given name. "If you'll excuse me, I have a very cold shower to take," he added, glancing downward to drive his point home as his fingertips came to rest on Keiji's shoulder.
Akaashi practically tackled Konoha in a frantic attempt to get his attention while simultaneously pulling his grey pajama shirt over his head.
"Dude, what the hell is up with you??" Konoha laughed, straightening out Keiji's shirt for him and smiling at the Purin printed across the front. "I forgot you had so many Sanrio shirts."
"Now is not the time to talk about my pajamas , Konoha-san, I need your help," Keiji pleaded breathlessly. "Kuroo asked me to meet him in the club room- alone, in the club room at night, after seeing me in just a towel-" Akaashi rambled, until Konoha raised a hand to silence him.
"First of all, nice, dropping the "san." Second of all, take a deep breath. This isn't something to freak out about, you're getting an opportunity we've all only dreamed of," Konoha insisted, putting a hand on Keiji's arm to help ground him before gesturing to the room full of highschoolers getting ready for bed. "Your crush just saw a lot of you, liked what he saw, and then asked to see you where you guys can't be walked in on. It sounds like you're gonna get some action, Akaashi-kun," he concluded with a grin, watching Keiji in a way that made it obvious he was worried about his words scaring the second year again. Akaashi just sighed, nodding slightly before groaning in realization.
"Konoha-san, I don't have pants!" he exclaimed, gesturing to the light blue boxers he had intended on sleeping in. "I only brought my practice shorts, and I can't wear those- I'm gonna show up in my underwear!"
"I'm going to be honest with you--" Konoha clapped a hand onto Keiji's shoulder this time-- "That's a good thing. If the way you described his reaction to you earlier was anything to go off of, your current attire will be a perfect mix of awkward, endearing, and enticing," he assured the younger boy. "Now go brush your teeth, and go get 'im, tiger."
Keiji stepped up to the door of the club room with his heart thrumming nervously in his throat. He was a few minutes later than Kuroo had asked, but it was either tardiness or running the risk of bad breath, and that seemed like an obvious decision in Keiji's eyes. Another string of nervous thoughts ran quickly though his head as he reached for the doorknob, but the memory of Kuroo whispering his given name sprang forward, stopping every one of those thoughts in their tracks. Yeah, he definitely wanted more of that. Just as he'd resolved to open the door himself, the handle fell away from him, leaving a very surprised Nekoma captain in its place. Normally, Keiji should have stepped back, if no other reason than a startle reflex, but neither of them had moved, just staring into each other's eyes from a few inches apart.
They stood like that for several seconds, until finally Kuroo grasped Keiji's wrist with a gentle hold, pulling him inside the room and shutting the door. A heavy silence settled over them both before the taller boy spoke.
"You- I'm guessing you know why I asked you to meet me here?" Kuroo asked timidly, earlier confidence dimming momentarily. Akaashi rolled his eyes, knowing that this moment of insecurity was when Kuroo needed someone else's confidence to confirm all of his assumptions. He took a step forward, hesitantly ghosting his fingertips over the collar of Kuroo's t-shirt. He was wearing pants at least.
"Alone at night, in a room where nobody's going to walk in? No, I have no clue," Keiji hummed sarcastically, chuckling at Kuroo's blank look of confusion. He took a deep breath and dropped his hand, looking to the side to avoid the taller boy's focused gaze. "I have my hopes for what you want--" Keiji's eyes jumped back to Kuroo's as a hesitant hand cupped his jaw-- "b-but I'd rather hear it from you," he breathed out, mirroring Kuroo as he leaned closer until he was close enough to feel shaky breaths against his own. Akaashi slowly let his hands rest on the captain's chest in front of him, letting his eyes flutter shut.
"I'd like to kiss you, is that alright?" Kuroo whispered, tracing the younger boy's jaw with his thumb gently.
"Very alright," Keiji shuddered, closing the gap between them as he grasped the fabric of Kuroo's shirt.
It was Akaashi who dragged the pair to the wall. His back hit it a little harder than he'd expected, but when Kuroo's hand hit the plaster next to his head, he found he didn't mind a bit. Keiji let a small noise of appreciation slip into the taller boy's mouth, pulling him by the shirt into a much deeper kiss. He was quickly rewarded by a groan against his own mouth, and an experimental tongue tracing his lower lip. He wasted no time parting them, practically moaning as Kuroo took his time mapping his mouth with an exploratory tongue. Keiji whined quietly as a knee slipped between his legs against the wall, giving him just a tease of friction at an increasingly sensitive spot. Kuroo grinned, finally pulling away to catch his breath.
"God- Akaashi, you let out the prettiest noises I've probably ever heard," he panted, tracing the shorter boy's cheekbone lovingly with his thumb.
"Keiji," the boy practically gasped out, flushing at the praise and close attention. "Please, call me Keiji again," he begged. Kuroo smiled, much more gently before.
"Tetsurou, then," he compromised. "Now, unless you're satisfied calling it a night, I'm pretty sure I have some business to get back to with you, Keiji," Kuroo whispered with a smirk, leaning close once again. He wasn't given the chance to provide another snarky remark, because Akaashi quickly brought him back by the shirt into a needy, passionate kiss.
--
Waking up on Tetsurou's futon in the morning was a greater feeling than any dream Keiji could have come up with. Better yet, having the middle blocker's arms wrapped protectively around him made the scene almost surreal. What brought him back down to reality was a foot in his back.
"Hey. Lovebirds. I thought you might want to know that the coaches are supposed to come wake us up in ten minutes," Konoha grumbled above them. Tetsurou whined sleepily under Keiji, which was endearing to him, but quickly earned the older boy a pillow to the face from Kenma. All of the boys that were awake laughed at the yelp that followed.
"Kenma, you ass!" Kuroo scolded indignantly. Keiji turned his head to plant a gentle kiss to his " companion 's" chest in an attempt to soothe his hurt pride before sitting up. Tetsurou had insisted that Keiji wasn't allowed to call him a boyfriend until he'd been taken on a proper date.
"Also-- for when the coaches show up --Akaashi, your sister had an allergic reaction and you couldn't find Bokuto, so that's why you went with Kuroo for time alone last night," Konoha said with a grin, prompting a similar beam and two thumbs up from Bokuto. Keiji smiled, nodding in thanks. After placing one more gentle kiss to Tetsurou's forehead, the two parted ways for the morning.
Keiji slipped behind the team bus under the pretense of having something else to put in the storage compartment, but Kuroo was there waiting for him. The setter smiled brightly, jogging over and pulling the taller boy into a hug.
"You promise I'm gonna hear from you again?" Keiji asked gently, giving a little pout for good measure. Tetsurou just laughed, nodding as he rubbed the younger boy's back.
"Hell, I'll probably text you while you're still on the bus," he mused, burying his face in Keiji's hair to whisper, "We can plan our date. Because I'm gonna take you on a date."
"Hopefully more than one," Akaashi hummed, picking Kuroo's head up to kiss him gently. "I'll miss you Tetsurou," he whispered sadly.
"I'll be back before you know it, Keiji."