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Kuroo couldn’t help but think that his luck was absolutely shitty. Everything seemed to be going well from Sunday to Tuesday. No incidents, no nothing. Just living his normal life, going to practice (even though the season was already over), working his ass off in school, helping tutor people as he usually does and working on his university application.
Wednesday ruined his comfortable streak of days where nothing happened. It was just ten at night, and he was going to sleep after finishing the last homework assignment he was due the next morning, and everything seemed fine, until his phone buzzed, getting an incoming call from Kenma.
“Hey, what’s up? You never call me-”
“What are you doing?” Kenma interrupted suddenly.
“Just going to sleep.”
“Check the news. Channel five.”
“Okay? Bye.” Kuroo hung up and walked to the living room. “Hey dad, can you turn on channel five?”
“Uh, yeah. Why? Shouldn’t you be going to bed?”
“I will in a moment, apparently something’s going on.”
Kuroo’s father moved to the channel, where a live report was happening.
“This what you wanted to see? There’s some robbery going on, not far from here. Apparently the robbers are holding people hostage.”
Kuroo’s mouth went dry as his plans for sleeping early faded. “Wow.”
“Yeah. You should sleep, Tetsurou.”
“I know, I will. Goodnight dad.”
“Goodnight.”
Kuroo walked back to his room, knowing he wasn’t going to sleep any time soon. He looked around his room and quickly changed. Lucky for him, his father never questioned why he needed more nomex clothes as he grew, as it was his only way to do what he does.
He started doing this kind of superhero work when he was twelve. It was mainly because he and Kenma thought it was just so awesome, as neither of them knew how he got these powers (he had some vague memories of his mother being related to it, but nothing concrete enough to form a real theory). All they both knew is that when Kuroo was seven years old he knew how to turn himself invisible, and by the time he was ten he knew how to emit a small fire from his hand. As children, nothing seemed cooler than the idea of being superheroes, so Kuroo started helping people once he could control his powers better. It started with smaller things, like helping find missing items of people, and stopping pickpockets. As he grew up and grew stronger (both his powers and physical strength) he started messing with actual criminals, and often found himself in situations like that. To his misfortune, Tokyo was a big city, and many people needed his help.
If you asked Kuroo, he was more of a vigilante than a superhero, but he never stayed around a crime scene long enough for someone to ask him anything. If he ever got caught doing anything like this, the amount of trouble he’d get into with legal authorities and his father would make everything else in his rich life seem tiny. There was a small group of people who knew his little secret, and helped him protect it.
Kenma knew, of course. He provided Kuroo with all the intel necessary, and assisted him on missions many times before.
Yaku found out on his own, in the end of their first year of high school. He recognised Kuroo’s voice while he was on a mission, and swore to keep the secret for as long as he lived. So far he kept up his promise, and Kuroo was extremely thankful.
Bokuto was the last person to find out, and Kuroo was the one to tell him. During their second year, Bokuto and Kuroo grew rather close despite being on rival teams. Kuroo enjoyed Bokuto’s company, and lying to his friend hurt both of them, so against his common sense he told Bokuto. He hasn’t regretted that decision even once since that happened. Bokuto was there for him for emotional support when the aspects of his life mixed together and became overwhelming. Bokuto was the person Kuroo trusted to help him in those hard times, and he was the person Kuroo turned to when he was too injured. Bokuto never berated him, or got involved when he shouldn’t have. He listened and helped however he could, and Kuroo couldn’t help but think he was lucky to have a friend like Bokuto.
Kuroo felt lucky again when the mission went smoothly. He got in without any issues, and quickly managed to disarm the robbers. He sat with the hostages for a little longer until the police arrived, then fled the scene as quickly as his legs carried him. He eventually made it home at midnight, got changed and crawled into his bed, falling asleep immediately as his head rested on his pillow.
If there was one thing Kuroo Tetsurou valued, it was getting a good night’s sleep. He tended to wake up at the early AMs every day. Sleeping for at least eight hours was necessary, even if it prompted his friends (mainly Kenma and Yaku) to call him an old man. Especially after a mission. Trying to balance extracurriculars, school, preparing for university entrance exams, volleyball, and having a whole secret life in which he defends Tokyo from all kinds of criminals was exhausting, though no one could really know, aside from a select few.
That’s why, when he woke up at one in the morning to a loud knock, Kuroo was pissed to see the face of his close friend and secret crush out of his window.
“What ?”
“Gee, don’t be like that! Can I come in?” Bokuto ignored his friend’s clear anger with a goofy grin plastered across his face.
Kuroo sighed. “I’ll sneak you in through the front door. But be quiet!” He warned.
“Of course, of course. Thanks!” Bokuto soon disappeared from sight.
A few minutes later, they finally made it safely to Kuroo’s room without waking up his family.
“So what prompted you to come here at one in the morning on a school night? Also you saw that I was on a mission earlier!”
“Oh, I was bored.”
“YOU WERE BORED?!”
“Shhh!”
“Right. But seriously?”
“Seriously! I couldn’t sleep and got bored and I thought maybe you’d wanna go and do something fun.”
“It’s late, I have morning practice tomorrow. Don’t you too?”
“Yeah, so?”
“So we’ll be tired and lack energy!”
“And?”
“You really see no flaws with this?”
“Bro. We are teens. Hell, we’re graduating in three months! Stop overthinking things. So what if we’ll be tired one time? Time isn’t slowing down for us. In a few months, you’ll be in university, doing superhero things in Osaka and I’ll be playing volleyball professionally. When will we have time for stuff like this?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“Exactly! What do we have to lose?”
“Nothing, I guess.”
“So what do you say?” Bokuto looked up at Kuroo, smiling widely. The latter was sure Bokuto knew he already had him in his back pocket.
“Fuck it. We can take my dad’s car, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
“That’s what I’m talking about! I’ll leave you to get dressed then we can go.” Bokuto walked to the hallway, and Kuroo closed the door, leaning on it and sighing.
What the hell are you doing to me…?
He shook off the thought and got dressed quickly, so they could leave.
About fifteen minutes later, Bokuto was driving them somewhere in Kuroo’s dad’s car.
“So where are we going?”
“Oh, I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?!”
“Relax! I know where we are, I just don’t know where to go.”
“Then why’d you come to my house in the middle of the night to drag me outside?”
Bokuto shrugged. “I thought it’d be fun to go somewhere together!”
The tension in Kuroo’s shoulders melted, and his face softened. “Oh. Okay. Wanna get food?”
“Yes! See, this is why I invited you. You have the best ideas.”
“Thanks. Let’s get Mcdonalds?”
“Sounds great.”
Kuroo pulled his phone out. He knew there was one person who was awake and would be willing to support him (and maybe not, he could never predict it).
Kuroo: Help
Kenma: you’re usually not awake at these hours. what happened?
Kuroo: Bokuto Koutaro is going to be the death of me.
Kenma: oh my god
Kenma: are you two fucking?
Kuroo: NO!
Kuroo: ffs
Kuroo: He woke me up in the middle of the night to go somewhere
Kenma: and you agreed because you’re a fool in love even though you’ll regret it in the morning?
Kuroo: and I agreed because I’m a fool in love even though I’ll regret it in the morning
Kenma: that’s so you
Kenma: what do you need from me though?
Kuroo: To be gay
Kenma: back off i have a boyfriend
Kuroo: No you don’t, you hate people
Kenma: shh, your husband is waiting
Kuroo: HE’S NOT MY HUSBAND
Kenma: your diary says otherwise
Kenma: i’m busy, you can rant all you want tomorrow
Kuroo: See you tomorrow :’)
Kuroo slipped his phone back into his pocket.
“Kenma?”
“Yep. Just had to check in about something and I know he’s always up at these hours playing video games.”
“That’s a really unhealthy sleep schedule.”
“And yet we’re going to Mcdonalds at two in the morning.”
“I- okay fair.”
“I know. We’re getting close, yeah?”
Bokuto checked his GPS. “Just a couple more minutes. What do you wanna get?”
“I don’t know,” Kuroo shrugged. “Like… Fries and a milkshake.”
“Don’t tell me you dip your fries in the milkshake.”
“It tastes good!”
Bokuto shook his head. “Disgraceful.”
“I bet you have something like that. Do you like pineapples on pizza?”
“Dude I’m allergic to pineapples.”
“Oh, right.” Kuroo ignored Bokuto’s roaring laughter. “Well I bet there’s something. Do you drink pickle juice out of the jar?”
Silence.
“Bokuto?”
“Fine! I do drink pickle juice out of the jar. It tastes good! My sisters used to do it.”
“Heathen.”
“Shut up mister fries in the milkshake.”
“Oh you wanna talk, pickle juice?”
They continued bickering, but after several minutes it turned into more laughter than a real argument, until Bokuto pulled up beside the drive-thru and ordered their food.
They sat on the curb in the parking lot, eating and chatting together.
“It’s hard to watch this.” Bokuto shook his head.
“There’s no wrong way to eat fries!”
“Yes there is, this.”
“Shut up, don’t knock it till you try it!” Kuroo argued.
“Fine, give me a fry.”
“Wait, really?”
“Sure, why not? I trust your taste mostly.” Bokuto grabbed a fry and dipped it in the milkshake, a sour expression was left on his face after he ate it.
“So what’s the verdict?”
“It tastes good.”
“Ha! I told you!” Kuroo started laughing, Bokuto slowly joining him.
“Man, you were right. This is the life.”
“You asked me why I came to wake up earlier,” Bokuto said.
“Yeah, and you told me.”
“I may have lied.”
Kuroo furrowed his eyebrows. “You seem nervous.”
“I am, kinda. I wanted to tell you something and finally got the courage.”
“Go ahead…”
Bokuto took a deep breath. “I think I might be in love with you.”
“What?”
“You heard me.” Bokuto looked directly at Kuroo. His voice was shaking, and his eyes were wide as he fidgeted with his hands.
“What does ‘I think’ mean in this context?”
“It means I’m not brave to just say it. Stop leaving me hanging!”
“Sorry, sorry. This is just a lot to process.”
“I knew I shouldn’t have told you! But Akaashi said it was a good idea, and I made this whole plan and now everything is ruined and-” Bokuto’s quick stream of words was cut off when Kuroo firmly grabbed his shoulders.
“You really need to shut up and listen sometimes.”
“Okay…”
“Because who said I don’t feel the same way?”
“Do you?” Bokuto’s face was flushed with dark red.
“Maybe…” Kuroo smiled shyly, feeling his own face heat up.
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“So what now?”
“I dunno. We could be like, boyfriends or something.”
“Boyfriends. I like that.” Bokuto cracked a smile.
“Me too.”
“So, boyfriend ,” he said gleefully, “would you mind if I kissed you?”
“Not at all.”
Bokuto hesitantly leaned in, kissing Kuroo. For a minute, they stayed close, figuring out where to place their hands and how to move together, before pulling away.
“That was nice…”
“Yeah.” Kuroo reached over and held his hand. “It was.”
They finished their food in an unusual yet comfortable silence.
“We should go back,” Bokuto said.
“Yeah, I’ll drive this time.”
“Why?”
“So I can drop you off.”
“You don’t need to, I can walk back from your house.”
“I insist.”
“Fine.” Bokuto got up, putting his hand out for Kuroo who took it and pulled himself up. They walked to the car and began the drive home, getting to Bokuto’s house in a matter of minutes.
“Good luck with sneaking back inside.”
“You too, thanks for the ride.”
“It’s the gentleman thing to do,” Kuroo joked.
Bokuto started laughing. “Yeah. Text me when you get home, kay?”
“Sure. I’ll see you soon?”
“Of course. By the way, this was like the best first date ever.”
“Oh, agreed.”
Bokuto kissed Kuroo’s cheek briefly and got out of the car. “Bye.”
“Bye.” Kuroo waited to see Bokuto walk back into his house and drove off again, unsure if he’ll be able to sleep again after the events of the last two hours.
Fifteen minutes later, he was laying back in bed after successfully sneaking past his dad and grandparents and changing. He suddenly remembered his promise to Bokuto, and rolled over to grab his phone
Kuroo: I got home safe
Bokuto: Good!
Kuroo: Thanks for dragging me out tonight, I really needed it
Bokuto: No worries, we should do it again!
Kuroo: Agreed
Kuroo: We should probably sleep now
Bokuto: Yeah
Bokuto: GOODNIGHT! <333
Kuroo: Goodnight
Kuroo: <3
He put his phone, burying his flushed face in his hands.
“God, what are you doing to me…?” He asked no one in particular. The thought that Bokuto was his boyfriend now completely shocked him somehow. He finally went to sleep, knowing he’d have to tell Kenma everything tomorrow.