Chapter Text
OCT 10th, 2:36 PM - Kuroo, Bokuto
"I ruined everything, man!"
"Hello to you too."
Kuroo took off his jacket and hung it over the back of his chair. It had been freezing outside. He already regretted forgetting his scarf at home when he left his office to meet Bokuto during his lunch break here in the restaurant to eat lunch together - an offer Bokuto had made him after they haven't seen each other in weeks, and Kuroo's best friend had made it clear he wouldn't accept a no.
Now Kuroo was slowly realizing why it was so urgent.
Bokuto looked like a doused poodle - his hair half drooping, half sticking out, a large plaster covering half of his left cheek - an collision with a volleyball was everything he knew about that incident -, and he looked pretty drained and sleep deprived. At least he was wearing his hoodie the right way round.
But Kuroo couldn't help but grin.
“There's nothing to grin about! - and nothing to laugh about either, man! After all, this is about my life!” Bokuto grumbled, and buried his head in his arms.
Kuroo shook his head laughing, unable to hold back. A waitress were already standing at their table to take their orders, and even after two more minutes in which Kuroo had already placed his order, Bokuto seemed unable to think of anything else.
Sighing, he tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the menu card in front of him: “Before you make a scene here, I would suggest you to actually look at the card and tell the nice lady here what you want. - and then we can talk about what you've already screwed up in your life, which today leads to you acting like Ebeneezer Scrooge."
"If I were that grumpy, old man, then I would definitely insist of you taking the bill, and I would complain about the terribly noisy children at the table over there in the corner, and this happy atmosphere here-"
"Bokuto."
"Yeah, yeah, man."
Bokuto grumbled and glanced at the menu card in front of him. The waitress was still waiting patiently for his order, but Kuroo noticed the constant tipping of her feet, as if she was waiting to finally be able to flee towards the kitchen.
In Bokuto's current mood this was expectedly unsurprising.
Kuroo gave her a charming smile: “My friend here isn't always that theatrical. Only when it comes to volleyball or because his favorite yakiniku restaurant has shut down. Or when owls are mistreated.“ The waitress gave him a slightly disturbed look while Bokuto told her what he wanted. “So don't forget to donate something for battered owls, my buddy is very fond of them. Thanks!” He called after her before she was completely out of his view.
“No wonder you're attracted to Kenma. Women all escape from you.“ Bokuto stuck out his tongue when Kuroo shot him a death look in return.
"I'm not quite sure what to worry about more: that you know who Ebeneezer Scrooge is or that you listened to me to finally shut your mouth when necessary or that you are making fun of my attractiveness."
Bokuto grimaced: “First of all: you're as good-looking as a rat - I mean, there must be a reason all of our friends are calling you a rooster." Kuroo rolled his eyes in annoyance. "And secondly, my mom always made me read this stupid story to my sisters at Christmas. Every damn time. You can chase me with it. To this day I still don't understand how one can like the story of such a damn selfish, egocentric man who came to his senses at Christmas of all times and feels like a world peacemaker when he was quiet the obnoxious one before.” The very thought seemed to give him a shiver over his spine.
Kuroo didn't remember exactly how many sisters Bokuto had - were they three? Or were they four? Two for sure - but he could well imagine that it was quite exhausting. Even if he was convinced that Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol was a masterpiece.
“Hey, there's much more to the story than just an old man's contemplation! It's about the fact that bad people can also change, or that your deeds and actions in the past have consequences in the future!"
"Don't remind me ...," Bokuto interrupted him and let out a loud sigh. He propped his face on one arm, his fingers playing with the paper pad that laid on his place.
If Kuroo had thought he had seen his best friend in all emotional states, then he was definitely wrong.
Because he never had seen a seemingly desperate, sleepy, worried Bokuto in the ten years that he have known him.
Before he could talk to him about it, however, the waitress from earlier came back and brought them their drinks and food. Surprised by this speed - after all, they weren't by far the only guests in this restaurant - he wanted to thank her, but she was gone faster than he could count to three.
She may still be a little upset by the donate-for-abused-owls comment.
Kuroo almost expected Bokuto to make fun of him again. However, the only sad look he gave was to his yakiniku dish. The chopsticks next to his plate remained untouched.
"Okay, before we continue this very unusual philosophical conversation about Charles Dickens' thoughts transitions and it’s worrying me even more ... What's wrong? You look like you have a face as long as a riddle. And that’s so not like you, the epitome of energy.” Kuroo grabbed his chopsticks and began to eat the noodles, his gaze still fixed on the sad owl.
"I totally screwed up."
“This is nothing new anymore. The question is more, what did you screw up?"
"Everything. My life no longer makes sense anymore."
“Is it possible, perhaps, to narrow down everything? I can't really help you like this, Bokuto. And I’d like to avoid you jumping off of the next bridge."
"I think Akaashi doesn't love me anymore and I'm the reason for it."
Kuroo stopped moving. Of course, that should have been clear to him. Bokuto's desperation could only have something to do with a special person if it wasn't volleyball, yakiniku, or owls.
He picked up a spoon to eat some of the soup while he asked, “Why do you think so? You've been inseparable since high school. It was really disgusting just to look at you because I constantly had to endure those amorous glances between you - and sorry bro, but constantly having to come up against rose-colored glasses is quite exhausting in the long run. And, you know, Akaashi knows what he's got into. He’s not blind and especially no dumb, dude. So it probably won't be as bad as you make it out to be."
However, the look Bokuto gave him, along with his appearance, seemed to point to the exact opposite.
"... right?", Kuroo asked carefully.
Bokuto buried his face in his hands: “I really screwed up a lot, Kuroo. And not just once."
"... which would bring us back to my original question: what exactly did you do, what would be a reason for Akaashi after six years of relationship-"
"Five years, seven months, twenty days-"
“Man, I didn't want to know the exact date!", Kuroo rolled his eyes," - well, what would be a reason for your beloved Akaashi to pack his things and leave after these five years and goddamn knows what time, huh?"
Bokuto rubbed his chin while he was thinking, trying to remember everything. "There are a few things ... Starting with a few missed dates I didn't remembered or because I was too tired from training that I couldn't make it. I wasn't even in town for our anniversary, but I knew Akaashi would have been looking forward to it if we had celebrated."
"Why didn't you just celebrate afterwards? That wouldn't have been a big deal.”
Kuroo and Kenma had done this every year since Kenma graduated because they never really had time on their anniversary, and so far it had always worked just fine without any of them complaining.
"We wanted to too.” He suspected that there was another but following. "But so far we haven't made it, which is mainly my fault." There it was.
Kuroo grimaced and Bokuto ran wildly through his hair, the despair standing on his face: “And when we wanted to go on vacation during my off-season - to Italy! Akaashi liked the food there when he was there with his family and the architecture and whatever else is written down in his five tons of guidebooks at home. He even took some days off - Akaashi never takes days off, it was really scary to watch - or to hear him saying he would do that.“ He shuddered again. ”But then one of my teammates asked me if I would like to fly to Taiwan with them to improve the team atmosphere even more. And of course I, the idiot, agreed immediately without thinking about my planned vacation!”
“That's why you posted pictures from Taiwan while Akaashi was in Italy with Kenma. Now it makes sense, of course, why Kenma didn't tell me the reason for the impromptu vacation.” Kuroo fished a noodle out of his bowl. Bokuto nodded wildly: “He was so mad! I was afraid for my life - you should have seen him! When I came back from Taiwan, he didn't speak to me for almost two weeks."
“And what has now brought the barrel to overflow? After all, he was still with you after that, so it can't be a big break-up criterion."
"My birthday."
"Didn't you celebrate that with your teammates?"
"Mhm."
Kuroo sighed: "Okay, what happened there?"
“In my defense first, I didn't know my teammates had planned a surprise party for me! - although I should have known that something was up because nobody had congratulated me! That's why I told Akaashi I would be home on time and that we could celebrate ... and I came home very late because of that damn party."
He could imagine how that might have turned out.
“Let me guess: He wasn't too happy about that because he thought you would celebrate your birthday on a relaxed evening. Right?"
“Well, he said it was my birthday and I could do whatever I want, but - well, you know Akaashi. He never says it, but always thinks about it while being quiet for the rest of the world. Or, in my case, pretend I don't exist anymore. Or at least not play a large part in his life."
"Oh, it's definitely not as bad as you think." Kuroo knew Bokuto's way of making everything more dramatic than it actually was. This man was born with an overhang on the theatrical.
However, he shook his head: “Yes, Kuroo. It's fucking bad and I don't want this anymore! I want to apologize five thousand times over, but every time I try to talk to him, he blocks me off or says he's about to fish a Nobel Prize out of the fridge, like he invent something really important."
"What?" Confused, he looked at him.
Bokuto waved him off: “Oh, long story. - I just want everything to be the same as before."
“ Have you ever tried flowers or other little things? I don't know about Akaashi, but whenever I've screwed up something at Kenma he's angry about - which thankfully doesn't happen very often - I always buy him the latest game or something for his equipment - whatever I once noticed I have absolutely no idea about this whole stuff, but in any case he has always calmed down and stopped being angry at me."
When Kuroo just thought about it, a chill ran down his spine. Kenma's propensity for violence was significantly higher when he was pissed off or mad - and Kuroo couldn't afford to be sneakily stabbed at night.
“I've already tried it. Nothing has changed, except that we now have a large bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table.” He shook his head.
"Invitation to dinner? That you don't forget for a change or miss it for other reasons?"
"He always canceled at short notice because something always came up with him at work." Another shaking of his head.
"Pooh. What about cinema? Aquarium, something like that?"
"Do you really think if I don't even get him in something like McDonald's or that I can persuade him to the supermarket where they sell his favorite variety of onigiri, I get him to watch a movie with me or looking at fishes?" An incredulous look.
"So Akaashi is more of the I-make-you-insecure-with-my-silence-and-then-destroy-you variant."
Now it was Bokuto who looked at him confused: "The ... the what?"
"Oh, forget it.“ Kuroo ate the last bite of soup that was still in his bowl. “ But from the way it sounds, it seems like you really screwed up. At least I wouldn't have seen him ignore you for more than a week. So you seem to be setting a new record."
"Oi! That was because of the girl I thought Akaashi would like back in high school! - before he told me girls weren't his thing. Not really. But it doesn't matter at all!"
Bokuto slapped both hands on the table, making the glasses shake. Kuroo held onto his glass and the flower vase, startled. Because of the noise, people around them glanced at them and he gave them an apologetic look. Of course, Bokuto didn't care: "Kuroo, I beg you, dearest Bro, please help me out of this misery!"
"Okay, okay. I'll think about it and then figure out how we can get you out of there. Don't worry, it'll be fine. Maybe Akaashi will come back to his senses and talk to you about it so you know where you're standing."
“And what if my fears come true? Oh god, I'm getting really sick just to think about that... "
Oh no, oh no.
“No more theatrics: first calm down and finish your plate. Leave that to your buddy Kuroo and you will see, everything will soon be the same as before! " He pointed to the actually still untouched plate that stood in front of Bokuto's nose. The meat had to be cold by now and the rice was no longer steaming. But Bokuto grabbed his chopsticks and began to stuff the food into himself as if he hadn't eaten in days.
Kuroo made a face.
"I hope you're right, and speak not for nothing so clever stuff", he talked with his mouth full.
"You will see. Akaashi hasn't given up on you yet, even if you're a pretty hopeless case, in my opinion."
"Oi!"
Kuroo left the restaurant after half an hour, Bokuto in tow, who finally disappeared in the opposite direction, but still made sure everyone within a mile knew Kuroo's name as he waved his arms wildly, wishing him another fine day.
The cold bit at him. He swore softly into the collar of his jacket, as he could only forget his scarf. But who could have guessed that it would be so cold in October? Before he even got to the pedestrian lights, his face was flushed from the cold.
The people next to him didn't seem particularly bothered by it, or at least they didn't let it be seen. Kuroo had to look like a living icicle compared to them, but he has never really been able to stand the cold, and why didn't that damn traffic light go faster-
His gaze caught on a poster that he had almost missed under the large number of advertisements on the billboard across the street.
The grinning pumpkin head had caught his attention somehow.
When the traffic light finally turned green and the crowds started moving, Kuroo let them pull him along and headed for the billboard with the pumpkin head poster. At first he thought it was an advertisement for a new movie when Halloween was just around the corner.
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He stared at it for a few minutes. What he thought was a great idea just forming in his head. As if stung by a tarantula, he rummaged in his jacket pockets for his phone until he got hold of the cool surface and hastily dialed a number.
It rang three times before his call was received with a confused “Kuroo? “.
“Hey, Bokuto. I think I just came up with the perfect idea. "