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“Ah, damn it…” the boy hissed, grabbing at his leg as the nurse wheeled him into the emergency department waiting room. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the shooting pain. “Fuck…” he mumbled under his breath once she had walked away.
“Ooh… looks painful,” came a voice directly next to him. “What happened to you?”
“Uh… shin splints, I think. Probably. I guess I’ve been careless with my training lately… It’s not a big deal, it just hurts like a bitch,” the boy replied, voice obviously strained.
“I see, I see… what are you training for?” the other boy asked.
“Oh, uh, volleyball. I’ve been running extra hard lately, on top of non-stop jumping during practice... I know I shouldn’t overwork myself, but… y’know.”
“You play volleyball!? I play volleyball!”
“Really? Nice… I’m Kuroo, by the way,” Kuroo offered with a smirk and an outstretched hand.
“Bokuto,” the other smiled back. “But uh… can’t really shake hands right now. Dislocated shoulder,” he frowned.
“Damn, what happened?”
“Volleyball,” Bokuto replied, smile back on his face. “Guess I just hit the ball in a bad way.”
“Ah, I see. Wing spiker?” Kuroo asked.
“Yupp! I’m the ace,” Bokuto said, puffing out his chest. Kuroo couldn’t help but smile. He liked this guy. “What about you?”
“Can’t say I’m the ace, but I am the captain,” Kuroo responded smugly.
“What!? No way, bro! I’m the captain!”
“Really!?” Kuroo asked, excited for some reason to have this much in common with someone he’d randomly met in the E.R.
“Yeah!”
“Well… guess we should be more careful, huh? Can’t let the team down. Especially since this is my last year.”
“Wait, wait… you’re a third year?”
“Yeah.”
“Me, too!”
Kuroo smiled. He really liked this guy.
“I uh… I like your hair, by the way. How it’s all spiked up like that. Do you use hair gel, or…”
“Oh, thanks!” Bokuto said. “Yeah, I do. A lot of it! Every morning!”
Kuroo chuckled at Bokuto’s seemingly endless enthusiasm. He couldn’t help but wonder, though, what Bokuto’s hair would look like without product…
“That’s a lot of effort every day. Though it seems you’re an energetic guy,” Kuroo teased.
“Well what about you? Your hair is spiked up, too!”
“Bed head.”
“What!?”
“All natural. Couldn’t tame it if I tried.”
“Can I… can I touch it?” Bokuto asked hesitantly, voice laced with genuine curiosity.
“Sure,” Kuroo replied, leaning a little towards Bokuto who then ran his fingers up through the black strands, free from hair gel, as Kuroo had said. Kuroo had to admit that he liked the feeling of Bokuto’s hands in his hair.
“Whoa… cool.”
Kuroo couldn’t help but smirk at the compliment.
“Well, hey, do you play around here? Maybe I could check out one of your games. Or you could come see ours. Or maybe we could try to set up a practice match or - ”
“Are you trying to ask me out, Kuroo?” Bokuto asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
“No way. Would you even be interested if I did?”
Bokuto was silent for a moment, staring at Kuroo as Kuroo stared back, desperately fighting to keep his composure and not relay any nervousness.
Then Bokuto laughed, a big, loud laugh, grabbing around his stomach with his good arm as he tried to catch his breath. If Kuroo wasn’t so embarrassed and frustrated by the whole thing, he definitely would’ve found it adorable – heartwarming, even.
“I thought you were a coolguy, Kuroo.”
“I am cool.”
“Yeah.”
“What?”
“Yeah, you are cool! But you’re not cool guy cool.”
“I have no idea what you’re saying anymore.”
“Basically… if you are interested in going out sometime…”
“Really!?”
“… dork.”
“Pfffftttt. You’re a dork.” Kuroo then reached out and ruffled Bokuto’s spiky hair – he couldn’t resist.
“Hey! My hair isn’t like yours, it took a long time to get it like that!”
“I know,” Kuroo smirked. He laughed, and Bokuto laughed, too.
Maybe a minor injury wasn’t the worst thing that could happen.