Archive of Our Own ^beta

Kuroo thinks his college major sucks.

It’s not a field where his finances will be secure in the future. The standards are high, especially that of his professors. There may be a lot of room to grow, but that also means there’s always room for pressure. It’s draining the life out of him, like a leech that’s attached to his creative soul, sucking it dry until he’s nothing but a shell of a man who once dreamed.

When he looks at the prints he just had gathered from the darkroom of his studio, he lets out a deep sigh.

He doesn’t, really.

He doesn’t hate his major. He loves it with his whole heart. But being stuck in an artist’s block for five whole months now has been dreadful to him. Sure, his grades have managed to stay afloat somehow and he’s still hearing praises from his classmates and professors. But he has never felt the breathtaking amazement and curiosity, his exhilarating love for the world and its beauty, just like he did the first time he took up photography.

He can still remember that very day. His uncle, who was a photographer himself, had just come home from his expedition to the Caribbean. With him was a leather-bound album full of the photos he took and two models of cameras: one that looked worn with use and a newer-looking camera.

When he asked his uncle about his cameras, his uncle happily explained to him about the cameras he had in hand, which were a point-and-shoot camera and a new digital SLR camera. He listed out the differences and the advantages and disadvantages of using both, but Kuroo was transfixed on the point-and-shoot camera, which he had just found out was a Nikon L35AF. It's the fact that it has been used for so long that enthralled Kuroo the most. He could only wonder what memories had been captured in there. That's what sparked his interest in photography.

Memories. Beautiful memories—all saved in a little chip which he can reproduce in prints that he could hold with his own hands. Memories that he can view over and over again until his eyes were strained. The everlasting appeal of these photos drew Kuroo in, a child who already fell for the beauty of the world, and now he had found a way to keep it?

His uncle happily lent him his Nikon camera, the start of the best day of his life as he, a complete beginner, stumbled around the beautiful parts of his neighborhood and shot photos after photos to his heart’s content.

He still has the stash of the photos he took that day in an album he kept on his work desk. The quality of pictures he took was way less than the ones he did now, but it remained to be the happiest time he ever held the camera.

Not that there weren’t any days like that one since then. There were tons of it, tons of days where beautiful memories he had experienced are now imprinted into photographs that either decorated his walls or were collected in albums. He cherished all of those days, cherished how his love of photography grew as more days like that passed by.

He could only hope those days would return soon.

No, he’s desperate for it to return soon. His graduation was only a year away, and while he has no problems academically, if he doesn’t get out of this creative rut, he’s not sure he will have the will to pursue a creative career in an ever so challenging field. It almost feels illegal for him to chase his dream when he’s losing interest in it; it doesn’t seem fair to others who continued being honest and genuine to their passions.

With a sigh, he stacked the fresh prints he brought outside neatly together before setting them aside, pulling his phone out to check his messages.

He opens one from his best friend, Bokuto, who was from the other department. He has known him since high school, and they have remained friends ever since. Bokuto was inviting him out for dinner tonight with his boyfriend, Akaashi, tagging along. Some people might find being the third wheel taxing, but Kuroo truly enjoyed the company of the couple. He shoots out a quick text of affirmation, before he heads to the shower to freshen up.

He's not that religious, but he steals a glance at the setting sun outside his window to whisper a quick prayer.

Send me the inspiration I need soon.

Bundled up in a jacket, a scarf around his neck, and an outer coat, Kuroo still felt the cold bite of the oncoming winter. Leaves crunched below him with every step he takes, the last of the orange leaves has already adorned the streets as the end of the autumn crept in. His eyes wander, like they always do, finding the beauty of his surroundings calming the inner turmoil that has been raging nonstop within him.

Autumn was his favorite season and so was winter. The period between autumn and winter was usually the time where his inspiration was at its height, but now he couldn’t think of anything but the cold breeze that’s starting to permeate through his clothes.

The newly opened local bar that Bokuto told him they will be having dinner at was only a walking distance from his studio apartment, so he chose to brave the cold and walk instead of commuting. He's starting to regret it now, not only because the walk seemed longer than he thought, but the cold was only getting harsher, especially since it's nearing nighttime.

While distracted with the thoughts of being cold and whether walking back to the bus stop is worth another walking trip, his foot hits a wallet that’s lying right on the side of the road he was walking in, making him stop in his tracks. He bends down, picks the wallet up, and immediately starts to look around for its owner.

A few people were walking along with him, so it made it hard to point out which one was the wallet owner. He flips the wallet open, looking for some sort of identification, and finds a picture of a blond man with glasses, who was more like glaring into the camera instead of posing for it.

Kuroo's head lifts again to look for any blond man within his vicinity. It takes some time before his eyes catch a glimpse of light, golden hair, who was walking faster and way ahead than he was, spurring Kuroo into a light jog to catch up.

This man surely had long legs, not only because he was at least a head above the people he was passing by, but also with how he’s continuing to gain distance despite Kuroo already jogging to meet him.

Kuroo was tempted to yell for the person to catch his attention, but he didn’t know his name nor did the wallet contain any cards for identification. He was debating whether he should break out into a sprint when, finally, the man stops by a bench under a tree of the local park they just entered.

He stops to catch his breath, wondering why he exerted so much effort for a stranger when he could’ve just handed his wallet to a patrolling officer and reported this as a lost-and-found case. He’s sure that the park was much further than the bar he was originally headed to, but since he’s here now, he might as well finish the deal and hand the blond man his wallet.

Kuroo takes his time to walk this time since the blond man was staying put. As he continued to walk nearer, the blond’s face slowly became clearer as well. He was only a few steps away when the blond’s face was finally in full view, who just met his eyes with his striking gold ones.

The raven again stopped in his tracks, lips slightly parted not for catching his breath anymore, but for holding it in, because he had never seen a human so beautiful until now.

Sure, that’s a topic up to debate, but the blond’s picture did no justice to the ethereal being that is now in front of him. His blond hair was close to gold with the way it shines from the glow of the sunset, his eyes equally gold behind his glasses, sending a shiver directly down Kuroo's spine. His skin was fair, which highlighted the golden quality of his hair and his irises. Kuroo could go on describing all the features he found attractive about the blond, but apparently, he was staring longer than socially acceptable, because the blond was now starting to glare at him, his expression completely like the picture in his wallet.

Kuroo couldn’t help but laugh. He wonders how such a person with angelic features could look so mean, but then again, it was his fault for standing there, gaping at him like a creep. The raven clears his throat, shaking his head to regain his senses as he takes the remaining steps closer to hand the blond’s wallet to him.

“Uh, here. Sorry for that creepy stare, by the way. I was just making sure if you were the person in the picture.” He sends the blond a semi-apologetic grin, rubbing the back of his neck in an awkward gesture to disarm the tension of the situation.

The blond continued to glare at him—or was that just how he looks at people?—and snatched his wallet off of Kuroo’s hand, stuffing it into his pocket before looking away like nothing happened.

Kuroo was waiting for a ‘thanks’, or maybe for the blond to give his name. Maybe Kuroo should introduce himself first after all.

“My name is Kuroo Tetsurou, but you can call me Kuroo. I study at the university nearby. I’m guessing you go to the same university as I am, don’t you? Since we were both walking in the same direction.” The raven casually takes the space on the bench beside the blond, trying not to get caught from stealing too many glances at him.

The blond still hasn’t said anything. Kuroo guesses he wasn’t very sociable, but still, it couldn’t be that hard to say thanks to someone who just found your wallet, right? He jogged for it, too!

“I’m going to this local bar that had just opened, with a few friends. You seem like you’re new here. You want to come along? It doesn’t hurt to have acquaintances in college.”

His attempts at a conversation gain a reaction this time, even if it was still a glare that was aimed at his direction. At least the blond wasn’t ignoring him anymore. “I get that you found my wallet, but you already returned it. What do you want from me? A reward?”

The blond's voice is as cold as the breeze that rendered Kuroo's coat useless, but it somehow excited Kuroo to hear him finally talking. He nonchalantly shrugs, leaning back to meet the blond's golden eyes as he flashes him what he hopes was a friendly smile.

“Not a reward, necessarily. You could say thanks though. Or since you made me jog for it, you can also buy me a drink at the local bar I mentioned.”

The blond scoffs, avoiding his eyes again as he turned his head the other way. His behavior seemed like that of a huffy child’s. Kuroo couldn’t help but smile fondly at this. “I’m waiting for someone.”

Ah. That kind of stung to hear. But Kuroo should’ve known better. How could someone so beautiful remain single, after all? Surely, someone has already taken his heart. “I get the grumpy attitude now. I’m not trying to hit on you, though! So your boyfriend or girlfriend don’t have to worry!” Well, not right away. He was planning to get his name first. And certainly not anymore after he told him he has a partner. “I swear, I just thought it would be… nice to see you around.” That sounded awfully like he’s hitting on him. Kuroo shakes his head and tries again. “Because I’m a photographer! And you could be a good model or muse, you know?”

Kuroo doesn't know if his excuses were received well since the blond glared at him as usual. He's starting to think that glaring was a natural thing to the blond, but now he doesn't know how to read his reactions. The raven finds it endearing, however, and gives himself a mental kick for thinking that, because the dude just said he was taken.

“What do you mean boyfriend or girlfriend?” The blond huffed, a light tint of pink dusting his cheeks. “I… I don’t have one. It’s just a friend coming to take me out to dinner with his girlfriend, who’s a friend of mine as well.”

Kuroo doesn’t know which fact to celebrate first. The fact that the blond is starting to ease into the conversation with him, or that he just announced that he was single. The wide grin that appears on his face shows that he’s celebrating both.

“So you’re a third wheel, too. I am, as well!” Kuroo’s grin was maybe way too cheerful that he gained a confused look from the blond, so he tries to be subtle and brings his energy down. “I mean, I know it’s like the third time I mentioned the local bar now, but that’s where I’m headed to with my best friend and his boyfriend. By chance, are you heading there with your friends too?”

The blond’s glare has toned down as Kuroo started to speak calmly, nodding at his question. “I guess. I got lost so I just told them I will be waiting here.”

This was it. The chance for Kuroo to know him more! There was no way he was going to let such a chance go. He stands up from the bench, gaining the attention of the blond again. “Well, want to go there together? I know the way, so you could tell them you found your way there eventually. It’s better to wait in an establishment with a heater than in this park surrounded by cold air, right?”

The blond looked like he was debating it like it actually pained him to consider the option of going with a stranger like Kuroo, but in the end, he nods and stands up as well. "Okay."

Kuroo did a happy dance in his mind.

The two of them walked back to the side of the road and out of the park with a good distance between them. Kuroo continued to steal glances from the blond, who, true to his nature, remained quiet. As much as the raven wanted to engage with the blond more in a conversation, he didn’t want to stretch his patience to its limit, so Kuroo kept his mouth shut as well.

They were nearing the bar when the blond tugged on his sleeve, halting Kuroo from his steps and turned his head around to see what the blond wanted.

With his head down, the blond looked away again, taking his hand off from the raven’s sleeve, adjusting his glasses. “Thank you. For the wallet. And for leading me here. I’m sorry for the attitude earlier. I don’t like being stared at.”

Kuroo must be breaking a Guinness world record for the fastest man to fall in love because his heart was already thumping at an irregular speed. The way it beats is familiar, and the moment the realization hits him, he looks away this time to raise his arm to cover half of his face, not wanting the blond to see how pathetic he is for blushing like a boy in middle school having a crush.

What he is feeling right now was like the very first time he took photos and fell in love with photography.

He remembers his prayer just a few hours ago. It might just be a coincidence since Kuroo was in no way a virtuous man who deserved to get his prayers granted, but if this was the inspiration that will help him get back on his feet, then he’ll surely clasp onto it tightly.

"No worries, I found it kind of cute." Kuroo says once he regained his senses. When he realizes what he said, he figures only half of his senses were at work and immediately follows up his words. "I mean, objectively. Because I'm a photographer."

The blond looks amused, as if he could see right through Kuroo’s excuses, and Kuroo’s heart almost stopped beating when a grin appears on the blond’s face as well. “Ah, you mentioned that two times now. You also mentioned how I’d be a good muse. Does that mean you find me attractive? From a photographer’s standpoint, of course.”

The blond was mocking him. The blond, who barely spared him any words, was teasing him. Kuroo finds it exhilarating, and he knew that if this was going to continue, he might break another world record.

"Professionally speaking, yes. Very much." He makes sure to make direct eye contact as he says that, and he hopes that the blush on the blond's cheeks is because of him and not the cold. "You know, I actually have a project coming up where we need to have a human subject. If you're up for it," Kuroo rummages for his business card he jokingly printed out once with Bokuto, but he's glad he kept it since it sure did come in handy now. "Give me a call."

The blond takes the card and runs his fingertips over the embossed letters. It almost felt sensual when he did that, especially when right after, he flashes Kuroo the most beautiful smile he has ever seen. It looks like the blond was breaking world records as well for his beauty.

“I did mention I don’t like being stared at.”

“Well, the audience will be staring at the photo. Only I would be staring at you directly.”

“Oh? From a photographer’s standpoint?”

“Sure, from a photographer’s standpoint.”

This exchange made Kuroo feel like a teenager falling in love again, and the way the atmosphere was charged with tension, he knows that the blond could feel it too.

Before the blond could form another retort, someone yells a name from behind, and the boy immediately turns his head to the caller.

“Tsukki!”

A freckled boy comes running up to the blond, stopping in front of him to catch his breath with his hands on his knees. A petite blond girl came running from behind him as well, equally as spent. There’s a guilt that flashed behind the blond’s eyes, but Kuroo decided to insert a quick query first.

“Tsukki, huh?”

Tsukki, the blond, whips his head to Kuroo with the same glare he had first given him, although it has mellowed out by now and the faint pink on his cheeks dulled the blade of his supposed intimidating glare. “I-It’s a nickname! And you aren’t allowed to call me by it!”

“Who’s that, Tsukki?” The freckled friend, who finally managed to catch his breath, turns to look at Kuroo. Not with any negative emotions, but genuine curiosity behind his eyes.

“Looks like Kei bagged himself a ho—”

The blonde girl was talking when Tsukki stepped in to cover the girl’s mouth with his hand, the smile on his face threatening. Kuroo found that bit amusing as hell. “He’s Kuroo Tetsurou, a photographer. We are not friends or anything. We’re just talking professionally.”

Sure. Kuroo could definitely tease the blond right back, but the blond shot him a glance with pleading eyes, and who was he to refuse that?

“Nice to meet you. You can call me Kuroo, and I was scouting your friend here for a school project. He’s quite attractive to be my muse, isn’t he? From a photographer’s standpoint.”

Their little inside joke made Tsukki blush more, which his freckled friend found suspicious, a small teasing smile appearing on his lips that he tries hard to keep from his blond friend.

“Ah, you’re right, Kuroo. My friend here does have the characteristics to be a model, but he’s always been shy. Since he’s actively engaging in a conversation with you, I think he’s interested to be in your project indeed. This is a first time!”

Tsukishima finally took his hand off the poor blonde girl to flash his freckled friend with his on-brand glare, who just raised his arms in defense. “One more word, Yamaguchi.”

Things were getting interesting, and he’s itching to get Tsukki’s full name, but the world seemed like it had enough of giving him luck because he heard his own name being called this time.

A bundle of energy came crashing on him, huge, muscled arms enveloping his body into a bone-crushing hug. After he hit his ever energetic friend’s chest and pleaded to get the air back into his lungs, it was only then he was released, immediately greeted with a wail.

“Kuroo bro! You didn’t answer my call or read my texts! I thought you died or got kidnapped!” Bokuto grabs on his collar like he was going to punch him, but knowing the big softie he is, he knows his friend was just about to bury his face into his chest and continue to whine.

This was quite embarrassing, and he knows he’s the receiving end of Tsukki’s amused stares this time.

“I apologize for my boyfriend’s behavior.” Came the calming words of his savior, Akaashi, who gives a little bow to Tsukki and his friends. “He’s… energetic. And loving. He thinks we are on the brink of death if we do not reassure him instantly.”

Akaashi rubs Bokuto’s back, who had just released Kuroo from his hold, so he could hound Akaashi with affection this time. “I was just worried about Kuroo! You know he doesn’t have other friends than us, so I didn’t know he’d be—”

Kuroo subtly stepped on his best friend’s foot, smiling just as threateningly as Tsukki did. “One more word, Kou bro.”

Tsukki’s blonde friend piped up with her hands clasped together, smiling brightly. “Wow, this is such a lively affair! I didn’t know how good of an opportunity it was to finally bring Tsukishima outside, when he’s already gathered quite a number of friends!”

“We’re not friends!” Both Tsukishima (finally, he got his full family name) and Kuroo argued, although Kuroo was pretty sure his tone meant differently from Tsukishima’s adamant denial.

Tsukishima Kei, huh. Kuroo smiles dreamily, but he quickly drops his expression knowing that there are a lot of people around him at the moment to witness this and might hound him for questions on it.

“Nice to meet you, Kuroo, Bokuto, and-” Yamaguchi stops and turns to Akaashi, who gracefully filled in his name. “Akaashi. Truly, it’s nice seeing Tsukki interacting with people outside the two of us. I am Yamaguchi and this is Yachi, my girlfriend.” The freckled friend and his girlfriend waves amicably, gaining an enthusiastic wave back from Bokuto.

“The situation from my side is the same. I am happy to see Kuroo talking to other people too, outside of projects, that is.” Akaashi says, waving his hand back as well.

“Ah… but they said Kuroo here is a photographer and he’s approaching Kei for a project.” Yachi says that with a teasing grin, making Kuroo freeze up in his position and trying his best to avoid their eyes.

“He did say he found me attractive. From a photographer’s standpoint.”

Kuroo couldn’t believe it. Tsukishima is joining in the teasing! What happened to the shy boy who barely spoke a few words a while ago?

Akaashi perks up at that information, and his smile only meant danger. “He did get me to be his model once, but he never expressed out loud about my attractiveness, even from a photographer’s standpoint.”

“Oh?”  Tsukishima’s eyes shines with a mischievous glint. This conversation was treading into dangerous territory, and as much as he wanted to stay more within Tsukishima’s presence, the last thing he wants right now is for things to go south and for the blond to see him as less cool than what he was trying to show all along.

“I’m starving!” He exclaims, taking both Bokuto and Akaashi’s arms, pulling them towards the bar. “Hey, it was nice meeting you, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and Yachi. But we have to get going now!”

"Already?" Yachi pouts like she was truly enjoying the spectacle before her. "Okay, have fun you guys!"

Tsukishima only gives him a smug smirk, like he knew that he won, but Kuroo is down bad. He still found that attractive, and it made him feel all sorts of things once again.

“Don’t forget to call me, okay? If you agree to be my model, that is!” Kuroo calls out to Tsukishima, who is already heading to a different part of the bard together with his friends.

The blond looks at him one more time, the teasing grin already gone, but the corners of his lips were still turned up a little bit. He raises his hand in a wave, before fully walking away.

He certainly hopes he gets that call sooner or later.

A full week has passed and Kuroo gets no calls.

Maybe he had made a wrong impression on Tsukishima. Maybe he was reading the air wrong all along. Maybe hearing from his friends that he was a sad, lonely human lessened his appeal. Or he was not Tsukishima’s type of guy or he’s not even into guys at all.

Kuroo was anguished with these kinds of thoughts all this week and he has hit an even deeper slump. He hasn’t touched his camera at all these past few days, save for the times he’s just viewing through the old pictures he has taken. Other than that, his inspiration has gone down to zero, and maybe his prayer wasn’t even heard in the first place.

While he tortured himself with his anxiety and loss of motivation, his friends had been coming over, trying to get him to get up and kick him back into shape. Akaashi was particularly harsher to him, nagging on how he shouldn't let himself be that affected with a boy who he just met or that he should be patient because sometimes things like this take time, which Kuroo truly understood, but he's always been impatient and stubborn.

The deadline to his project was nearing soon, though, so he really has to get up and start taking photos again. Admittedly, it would've been quite an experience to have Tsukishima as his muse. He knows it will go well, and on the night after he met the blond boy, ideas came flowing right back to him, which got him so excited about the project with Tsukishima until the realization dawned upon Kuroo that he's not calling.

Even if Tsukishima was going to refuse to model for him, he still wanted him to call. Kuroo, as a matter of fact, knew his department, his major, and where he's staying right now, all thanks to his friend Yachi, who managed to keep in touch with him. Yachi, however, doesn't tell him why Tsukishima isn't calling. She wouldn't agree to give Tsukishima's number as well or send a message to him for Kuroo, because she said that she wanted her friend to get his act together and make a move himself. Kuroo is amazed at Yachi's trust in her blond friend, but really, he just wanted to see him again.

With his uncle’s old camera in hand, miraculously still working after all these years thanks to his constant care and maintenance on it, he decides to take a walk. The beginning of winter starts to become apparent as the sky is filled with grey clouds, snow lightly falling and beginning to mark the streets with its powdery blanket.

He trains his camera to the trees, void of any leaves and stood in stark contrast against the grey skies, trying to get a good shot of it that would mean… something. He doesn’t know what meaning to put into his work when he’s just clicking away, his mind not able to spur out any ideas.

In the middle of his wandering around, he suddenly finds himself at the park. It was just days ago but he already feels nostalgic, continuing to snap photos without any purpose to it, just going with the flow his hands take him to.

He arrives at the tree with the bench underneath its shade, the one he once shared with Tsukishima, heaving out a deep, fogged sigh as he reminisces the meeting that had occurred between the both of them. A beautiful blond boy who catches his eye. A nervous, trying-to-be suave raven who tries to win the blond’s attention. It sounds cute in theory, but sadly, in the reality he is in right now, the raven never managed to win over the blond.

Kuroo takes a seat on it, raising his camera so he could take a photo of the entrance of the park this time, which was an old rusted metal gate with vines crawling around its bars in a tight hug. He was taking his fourth picture when someone walks in, hastily maneuvering his camera to delete the photo of the unaware civilian when he sees the blond hair of the man who stepped in and just as quickly lifted his head to search for him.

Right before his eyes, Tsukishima stops in his tracks too, eyeing the camera that was still in Kuroo’s hands. Tsukishima must’ve seen him take his photo on accident, which might look like it wasn’t an accident on the blond’s side, so Kuroo gets up and walks over to the blond to explain.

“Uh, I’m sorry for that. I was just taking random pictures when you walked in. I’ll delete it right now—”

“You don’t find me attractive enough to be your model anymore, Kuroo?”

Kuroo’s finger stops from reaching the delete button, eyes once more engrossed with Tsukishima’s alluring golden ones. “Uhm… I…”

Tsukishima holds his own hands in front of him, twiddling his thumbs which Kuroo noticed was a nervous gesture of his, looking down as he released a deep sigh. “I’m sorry for not calling you. I just… I wasn’t sure if you were serious. I don’t… think I’m attractive enough to be a model, you know? I’m just tall. And fair. I don’t think that’s enough to become a model for your project, you really seem like you’re into your craft and I don’t want to refrain you from bringing creativity into your work.”

Kuroo takes in the fact that Tsukishima has said quite a number of words first before the actual meaning of his words. Once he gathered his senses together, he met the blond’s eyes with determination and sincerity screaming behind his own ones, bravely reaching for the blond’s hand and taking it in his.

“You are beautiful. From a photographer’s standpoint or not, I do think you’re attractive and it’s a shame to hear that you believe you are anything but beautiful. Is that why you have glasses? Because you can’t see how clearly attractive you are?”

Tsukishima hits his arm for his remark, making him laugh, which the blond mirrors as well. The same feeling of exhilaration he felt on the day he met Tsukishima mellowed out into something warm and blissful, enveloping Kuroo’s chest. His thumb runs over the blond’s knuckles, whose hand was as cold as the breeze that blew past them.

“For someone who kept hiding under the guise of being a photographer, you’re oddly honest and direct right now. Too direct, at that.”

Kuroo shrugs. He should have let Tsukishima’s hand go by now, but the blond isn’t pulling it back either, so he continues to savor the feel of his hand in his. “I was ghosted for a week. If I continue dancing around you, you might slip away from me.”

The blond avoids his gaze, just for a few seconds before he meets his eyes again, with a fire behind his eyes this time. “I will be your model then, Kuroo. But I have a favor to ask.”

Kuroo blinks, nodding without thinking much since he was too happy registering the fact that Tsukishima has finally agreed to be his muse. "Go ahead, shoot."

Tsukishima looks like he wanted to avoid his eyes again, but he stands his ground. There is something enchanting with the way the blond was looking at him with his golden eyes brimming with passion, and if Kuroo hadn’t already fallen for him, he’s diving into an endless pit willingly this time.

“I don’t want to be your muse only once. I want to be your only muse until you find a better one, or at least until you graduate.”

The way Tsukishima said those words felt like it held a double meaning, and Kuroo had to use twice the amount of brain cells he usually does just to avoid any misunderstanding.

“What if the subject was about landscapes though—”

“Kuroo!”

Kuroo's aware that he was stalling, but he really is trying to make sure that Tsukishima meant it the way he interpreted it as. Tsukishima looks both eager and anxious to hear his response, though, so he damns it all. If he misunderstood it, the best-case scenario will be a slap to his face, and in the worst-case, a restraining order. But he has to take this leap of faith because Tsukishima didn't seem like he's going to be more direct if he asked him to be.

Using the blond's hand he held in his, he tugs on it and pulls him close, until their lips meet together softly. He thanks the gods and goddesses above that their lips met quite smoothly. It would've been funny if they ended up in a weird angle, but the kiss was perfect. Both of their lips were cold due to the winter atmosphere, but it soon grew warm as Tsukishima started to respond to the kiss.

Yes, no slap or a restraining order! Kuroo happily wraps his arms around the blond's waist, pulling him even closer, indulging in the sweet kiss they two shared.

Tsukishima’s glasses are kind of ruining the moment though as it hits Kuroo’s nose.  He had to pull back to let out his laugh. “W-What? Was I a bad kisser?”

Kuroo shakes his head no, slowly pushing the blond’s glasses up his head, displaying the stunning, golden eyes behind it all for him to see. Tsukishima looked more beautiful with his face bare like this, making Kuroo feel like he broke another world record with how fast his heart was beating right now.

“You need better glasses.” He whispers, stealing the words right off Tsukishima’s lips before he could form a retort as he kisses him again.

Inspiration did take any forms, shapes, and sizes. It could be inspiration from loving the world and its beauty. It could be from the excitement of discovering a new passion for the first time. But this time, Kuroo takes his inspiration not from the person himself, but the way he made him feel.

Love.

Kuroo thinks it might be the most beautiful form of inspiration yet.

Tsukishima, a few hours ago

"This is an intervention." Yachi announced like she had been waiting to do this for all of her life. Yamaguchi mirrored the same enthusiasm, who had his arms crossed like he was ready to judge Tsukishima.

“I don’t think I’ve done anything that demands an intervention.” Tsukishima tried to get up, only to be stopped by Yamaguchi pushing him back down on his seat. He didn’t know when and how his friend had gotten stronger than him, but it looked like he won’t be getting out of this as easily as he thought.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Kei. A hottie is waiting for your call and you’re not doing anything about it. You need this intervention, trust me.” Yachi put on a voice as if she was going down on some serious business, taking the pen on the desk to use it to point at him accusingly.

“You mean, the hottie I met for just a day? Yeah, no, I think I’m doing fine.”

Yamaguchi shook his head like he was a disappointed father, lacing his fingers together as he propped his elbows on the desk and leaned his chin on his intertwined hands. “You’re clearly missing the point here, Tsukki. Yes, it might have been just for a day, but in the years I have known you, and we’ve been together since we were toddlers, I have never seen you look at a person like that in my entire life.”

“With contempt?”

“With sexual tension!” Yachi slapped her palms on the desk, standing up. “You were basically eye-fucking him!”

The blond leaned back in horror, giving his friends a questioning look. “What in hell are you two talking about?”

Yamaguchi threw Yachi a quick shake of his head, before crossing his arms again. “Yachi’s right, but that wasn’t my point here. Besides sexual tension, you clearly are interested in the guy. You know how many years it took me to get you to open up and actually start joking around with me? Me, your best friend? Who you have met since we were in diapers? We became close in middle school, Tsukki. A decade! It took a decade whereas it took Kuroo only, what, five minutes?”

Yamaguchi was making a point, but Tsukishima didn’t want to acknowledge it anyway. He has had similar thoughts, yet he managed to push them in the back of his mind for a week now. He was not going to succumb to… whatever he and Kuroo shared. It's just not… possible.

He shook his head to regain his calm and detached demeanor, attempting to get up again. “There’s no point. Like you said, he’s a hottie. It’s impossible he’ll turn his head for someone like me for something serious. He was just probably bored and was playing around.”

Yachi took her turn this time to send him back to his seat, who surprisingly held just as much strength as Yamaguchi despite her stature. “I don’t think someone who’s just playing around would constantly text me to ask how you were, Kei, and why you’re not calling. He’s dying to see you. Even his friends told me that he refuses to go outside because he’s too dejected about you ghosting him!”

“You’re texting Kuroo? And meeting his friends?” Yamaguchi asked her, a look of amazement on his face. Yachi proudly grinned, flashing her phone to Yamaguchi’s face. Tsukishima felt tempted to look at her phone too, but that would mean they had won, so he backed away instead. “Okay, impressive, but anyways back to the topic—how would you know without actually talking to him, Tsukki? Look, we’re not him, and we’re not you. We don’t know what you two are thinking, so if you want clarity, the best thing you could do is talk this out with him. Why are you running away from something that’s just starting?”

Tsukishima looked away this time, having a hard time forming a response to that question. He did feel bad about making Kuroo wait for his call all for nothing. He knew that Kuroo wouldn't mind if he rejected his offer to become his model, but that would mean they would spend time with each other outside of that project, and he might form an attachment that might break him if he read all the signs wrong that day.

He didn’t know whether he was hoping too much or he has nothing to hope for at all. But after hearing Yachi talk about keeping in touch with Kuroo who was actually affected by what he's doing, his guilt turned into something more. Something close to yearning, and it's still kind of scary.

The blond suddenly felt warm hands covering his, and he looked up to see both Yachi and Yamaguchi holding his hands with comforting smiles on their faces. “You don’t have to overthink it by yourself, Tsukki. There’s nothing wrong with hoping. If it turns out that there was nothing more with what you two had that day, then we’ll be here to comfort you and give you all the sweets you demand. But with what you’re doing now, you’re forming a regret that will surely eat you away in the future. You’re digging your grave if you let this become a what-if, Tsukki. Like they say, you’ll never know until you try.”

Yachi nodded, squeezing his hand. "Tadashi is right. I'm confident that Kuroo feels the same, Kei. You haven't allowed yourself to meet new people nor even have new friends in so long. You're content with having just us around, but will that truly be enough? Aren't there nights where you wish someone could hold you?"

At that moment, Kuroo’s golden eyes flashed in his mind. He looked down to gather his courage before facing his friends again.

“This is ridiculous. I feel like I’m in a teenage romantic comedy and I’m already in college.”

The couple laughed, Yachi reaching out to touch his cheek warmly. "You missed that opportunity in high school, so the world is making it up to you. A handsome, tall, kind, and humorous man who takes wonderful pictures? That sounds like a dream guy to me."

Yamaguchi nodded, reaching out for his other cheek just so he could make the situation between them look more ridiculous. “I could agree to that. If you’re not snatching him up, Hitoka and I will get him into a polyamory with us. We will make you the fourth wheel and watch you suffer.”

Tsukishima rarely breaks out into laughter, but when he does, it rumbles his chest in a way that takes him back to the times when he was still young and carefree. His friends laughed along with him, and as he wiped the stray tears away from his eyes, he has already steeled his resolve.

“I’ll go talk to him. Now.”

Yachi smirked, touching her heart as a proud mother would. "Didn't know we only had to threaten you with stealing your man. Go get him!"

Tsukishima stood up for the third time, and finally, his friends weren't stopping him. He didn’t know where he could find Kuroo at this time, nor he could ask his friends since he has already run out of the café and his phone was low on battery. Something tells him he will find him in the park, though—where they first met. That's where his feet took him.

The blond never ran to chase anything he wanted, but for the first time in his life, he considered jogging a little.

“Stellar work, Kuroo! And my, who is your muse? I must say, he’s a very handsome man! Like he’s sculpted by the gods himself!” His teacher says with her eyes trained on the portrait Kuroo has printed out to present in the walk-in gallery his class has prepared for. A couple of people had flocked around his section, who were all in awe of the biggest portrait that held a photo of Tsukishima’s side profile, a little snowflake on the tip of his nose, as he stood like a prince in the middle of a healthy snowfall that glittered around the blond man like freshly made, pure white blankets.

“I would have to agree with that statement, Ms. Okumura. My muse is from the history department, Tsukishima Kei. And he’s my—”

Just as he was about to finish his sentence, Tsukishima arrives, taking his hand in his and greeting him with a kiss on his cheek. The blond smiles at him so sweetly, like he doesn’t notice the crowd around them, which tugged on Kuroo’s heartstrings. When he finally notices, however, he immediately turns around, covering his face from the crowd and taking his hand away.

Kuroo chuckles, wrapping his arm around the blond’s shoulder to pull him in, proudly showing him off to his professor. “And he’s my eternal muse and boyfriend.”

A part of the crowd choruses ‘awww’s while the other part sighs as if defeated. His professor glows in interest, congratulating them as she offers her hand to Tsukishima to introduce herself and start to hound him with questions about their relationship. It was an amusing sight to see, one he couldn’t have fathomed three months back if he didn’t meet the blond who he can now call his.

After Ms. Okumura had her fun with grilling Tsukishima for details, he saves his boyfriend from more questions and leads him to where their friends are. Another outcome of their relationship is that now they were able to form a bigger circle of friends, Yamaguchi and Bokuto instantly hitting it off and Yachi and Akaashi becoming best friends. It's funny how such an insignificant encounter, a wallet dropping, had led to something as beautiful and warm as this is.

He turns to look at Tsukishima, who looks at their friends with the same fondness in his eyes. Kuroo smiles as he holds his boyfriend’s cheek, turning his face to meet his and gives him a loving kiss on the lips, humming in content.

“It’s a beautiful sight, isn’t it? From a photographer’s standpoint.”

Tsukishima recognizes the inside joke, which made him chuckle, before pretending to look closely into their group of friends. “Objectively, I think it’s not too… aesthetic.”

“Are you calling our friends ugly?”

“I’m just saying they need to pose a bit better if they want to be models.”

Kuroo laughs heartily, one that Tsukishima shares as they hold each other. “You know, my prayers have been granted ever since I met you. You sure you’re not a god yourself?”

Tsukishima leans his forehead against his own one, a small smile gracing his lips. "If I were a god, I'd give myself a 20/20 vision. You think I like it whenever my glasses cockblocks us?"

The raven snorts, stealing a quick peck from the blond’s lips. “I don’t know, it’s kind of charming. Reminds me every time of our first kiss.”

“Not when I’m trying to be seductive, it’s not charming anymore.”

They spend a few more laughs together as lovers, and a couple more together with their friends as the moon slowly starts to replace the sun in the sky. It’s a long night ahead, a warm one despite the cold winter breeze. Now that they have each other, they do not have to worry about having cold hands.

It’s a giant plus that they could make endless beautiful memories as well, one where Kuroo could proudly store in his albums, display on his walls, and hopefully, one day, in a huge art gallery for other people to witness the same kind of love that his heart has been filled with.

What a way to get over an artist’s block, huh?