Work Text:
It was silly really, that look of pure wonder shadowing his best friend’s face. If Daichi’s heart wasn’t attached to his insides, it might have just leapt right from his body whole, and without regret.
Kuroo stood before him, bright eyed and gleaming, as if he had just won the lottery.
Daichi wasn’t sure what the big fuss was about, after all, it was just a friendship bracelet.
Kuroo had gifted it to him a mere thirty seconds ago with so much excitement that Daichi couldn’t help but feel a little confused when he opened it up.
Inside the brown paper bag, was a small handmade bracelet, beaded in black and crimson red. Somewhere along the string, he had looped two silver beads, etched with a TK.
Daichi knew immediately what the initials had stood for, but he wasn’t sure why Kuroo was giving him this. They were just friends, nothing more, unfortunately.
“Look, I have a matching one!” he said between giggles, holding up his wrist to display a matching band, only in the colors of his own volleyball jersey. The pair of metallic beads sporting a simple DS , made his heart flutter.
Just friends, Daichi, just friends.
“Do you like it?” Kuroo asked suddenly, breaking Daichi from his gay crisis. He straightened, flashing his signature smile, “Of course, Tetsurou. I think they are lovely.”
Kuroo rolled back and forth on the balls of his feet, clearly pleased with himself, “I thought it would be cute to have something to remind each other of one another, when we aren’t together, you know? Since we live in different cities-”
“Cute?”
Kuroo paused, raising a bushy brow, “Uh…well, yeah. It’s like friendship bracelets but for boyfriends.”
Daichi gasped, nearly choking on his own saliva. That was not the answer he had expected, not even close.
“B-boyfriends?” Daichi stammered, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. His face was surely beet red at this point. He was failing to understand how any of this made sense, because frankly- it didn’t.
Kuroo was not his boyfriend.
Kuroo’s eyes widened ever so slightly, a sudden ache in his chest. How stupid could he have been?
“Oh…I thought…Nevermind, you don’t have to wear-”
“Kuroo, what did you mean by boyfriends?” Daichi asked abruptly.
Kuroo lowered his gaze to the concrete pavement below them. How could he be so naive? Daichi wasn’t his boyfriend. Kuroo had just been living his own weird narrative this whole time. That was obvious now.
“I thought we were dating,” he whispered, barely audible over the sounds of the nearby children at the park. They had come here for a picnic and a chat. They hadn’t seen each other in over two weeks and Kuroo had claimed he was falling restless.
The two hadn’t even made it to their usual spot before Kuroo handed him the gift bag. He had been so excited only a few moments ago, but now, he felt only a sad realization of embarrassment.
“Why did you think that?”
Kuroo sighed, turning to leave. He couldn’t do this. Being broken up with by a guy he wasn’t even dating was painfully pathetic.
However, before he could move, Daichi had reached out for his hand.
His was smaller than Kuroo’s, not by much, but still smaller. Both coated in a nervous layer of sweat, Daichi laughed, “Hey, now, don’t you dare ditch me on our first official date.”
Kuroo turned swiftly, nearly pulling Daichi into him.
“Wait, so you aren’t breaking up with me?” he asked, eyes expectant and full of so much hope. Daichi knew at that moment he would be a fool to fall for anyone else. Not that he would ever want to, but that was besides the point.
“Of course not. I mean, I don’t think we were ever dating, but if this is your way of asking me out, I accept.”
There was a moment of silence, before Kuroo’s arms were being snaked around his thin waist, gently lifting him off the ground. Daichi looked down to see Kuroo grinning from ear to ear, his cheeks flushed the prettiest of pinks.
As odd as it all had been, Daichi honestly wouldn't trade this moment for the world, and if he wore that bracelet to his grave, well, that was his business.