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Kenma was supposed to play video games all day, wasting all the hours in his room with nothing but his console as company. But his plans were ruined by someone dragging him out of the comfort of his bed.
His nose scrunched at the smell of sweat and noise of shoes hitting the floor. He was hiding behind Kuroo, obviously not pleased with being out of his comfort zone. He knows that he can easily walk away from the unnecessary physical activity he was going to be forced in. But the way that Kuroo’s eyes sparkled made him want to stay even if it’s just a little bit.
“Did you see that?! He hit that ball so hard that it made a,” he smacked his hands together, “sound!”
Kenma nodded slowly, it was cool but it looked like it would hurt after some time. The thought of it made him wince.
Kuroo looked like he would burst with how he was shaking with excitement. “I want to do it like that too!”
“Good for you… I’ll just settle down on these sidelines and watch.” Kenma already took a step back before Kuroo caught him by the arm.
“I didn’t invite you here just to watch! Let’s try it out together!” Kuroo whined, shaking Kenma’s arm.
“But it looks tiring, I don’t want to get tired.” Kenma made no move to remove Kuroo’s hands from his arm.
“It’ll be fun! If you don’t like it after today I won’t bother you with this again, I promise!” Kuroo put his hands together in a pleading pose with a small pout on his face.
Kenma looked away for a few seconds before grumbling, “fine.”
That made Kuroo jump with happiness. “Yay! Let’s go, let's go!”
'It’s not bad to try different things once in a while.' That’s what Kenma thought as he followed an energetic Kuroo.
Once they got in line Kuroo was already gushing about how he was going to hit the ball, Kenma nodded mindlessly not really processing what the other was saying. He was quite worried how he would hit the ball when he didn't have enough energy to jump as high as the other kids.
When it was Kuroo’s turn to hit the ball he jumped as high as he could, swung his arm as hard as he could, only for the ball to fall on the floor. He didn’t get the timing right, but that was fine, there’s always another try.
Kenma slowly moved forward, the instructor already threw the ball and he jumped as high as he could. As expected he couldn’t even reach near the ball, he wasn’t cut out for all these physical activities. He just sighed before returning to the back of the line.
“I didn’t know you could jump that high, Kenma! That was so cool!” Kuroo gushed once he got to him.
“It wasn’t even that high,” Kenma interjected.
“Even so! That’s the highest I’ve seen you try!”
“I don’t see any reason why I would try to jump that high before this.”
“Formalities aside-”
“There’s nothing formal about practicing volleyball.”
“Don’t ruin the vibes!” Kuroo groaned. “Anyway, do you want to try again?”
If there’s anything that Kenma hates the most is not being able to beat a particularly hard obstacle that hinders him from progressing in the story. This is just the beginning, a necessary step in leveling up in order to fight stronger opponents.
“Sure.”
After that day Kuroo always urges Kenma to practice volleyball with him.
“Kenma!” Kuroo shouts as he slammed Kenma’s bedroom door open.
Kenma, who was getting dressed, looked at him silently.
“Let’s go play volleyball!” Kuroo said as he held the volleyball above his head like it was a trophy.
“I’m still getting dressed.” Kenma deadpanned.
“I know! Finish up quickly so we can play a lot!”
Kenma sighed before quickly putting on his pants. “I’m already done.”
“Great!” Kuroo shouted as he grabbed Kenma’s arm and dragged him out of the room and their house. He was already talking his ear off about the different ways they can practice setting and spiking.
“I can walk on my own, you know?” Kenma tried shaking off Kuroo’s hand from his arm but Kuroo only tightened his hold on it.
“But I like holding your arm whenever we go anywhere, so we’re always together!” Kuroo smiled at him brightly after saying those words. Damn it.
“Whatever.”
Kuroo just laughed before letting go of him. “We’re here anyway so your complaint is short-lived.”
Kenma nodded before following Kuroo to the volleyball net. “What are we going to do first?”
“Try setting it to me! I’ll throw it to you first then you set it to me so I can spike it!” Kuroo moved a few steps away from Kenma.
Kenma tried to remember how high Kuroo’s jump was but before he knew it Kuroo already threw the ball to him. In a fit of panic he set the ball straight, not upwards, so it hit Kuroo’s head.
“I’m so sorry!” Kenma apologized, running towards Kuroo who was sat on the ground.
“It’s fine! It didn’t hurt at all!” Kuroo laughed before standing up and dusting himself off. “Mistakes happen and we can always try again.”
Kenma nodded, feeling guilty about what happened. “Okay, I’m sorry.”
“Hey, it’s okay. You have no reason to say sorry, accidents happen.” Kuroo patted his head gently before retrieving the ball. “Do you want to practice receiving instead?”
“Sure, I guess.” Kenma then reluctantly got ready to receive, the guilt of hitting Kuroo still eating at him.
“Here it goes!” Kuroo then throws the ball before spiking it. “Sorry I hit it too high!”
Kenma watched the trajectory of the ball before moving forward to receive it, passing it back to Kuroo. “Got it.”
Kuroo’s eyes widened before receiving it with an overhand. “Kenma!”
“What?” Kenma asked as he got ready to receive it again, this time his reaction was slower than earlier but he still got the ball.
“How are you so good at receiving already?” Kuroo exclaimed as he missed the ball by a few centimeters.
“I’m not, I just watch the ball and anticipate where it’s going to land,” Kenma exclaimed. “Like when you’re playing FPS games, you have to watch the opponent’s moves carefully and determine their position. You only have a few seconds to react but it’s cool once you get the hang of it.”
Kuroo stared at him with his mouth hung agape. “Kenma you’re so cool!”
“Huh?!” Kenma exclaimed, his cheeks warming up at the sudden compliment. “You’re the cool one here, you keep up with the other kids in the volleyball group.”
“Eh?! You think I’m cool?” Kuroo shouted. Kenma kind of regretted saying that, but only a little, Kuroo’s smile makes it better though.
“I guess.” Kenma looked away before he was tackled into the ground by Kuroo. “Why?!”
“I don’t know! I was so happy that you called me cool!” Kuroo laughed, his arms wrapped tightly around Kenma.
“Good for you. But please get off me. I'm having trouble breathing.” Kenma pushed him away before trying to stand up.
“Sorry! Let’s continue playing?” Kuroo asked as he picked up the ball.
“Sure.” Kenma walked towards the volleyball net, ready to receive the ball going his way.
It started pouring when they decided to stop playing. Kuroo was clutching the ball with one hand while the other was dragging Kenma with him.
“Come on! We need to go back!” Kuroo’s laughter rang through the almost empty streets.
“Slow down! If we both slipped we’d get injured!” Kenma hissed, almost slipping from the forming puddles on the street.
“But we’d get sick if we stayed any longer so we need to go faster!”
“That doesn’t make sense! There’s a larger possibility of slipping right now!”
Well, both of them did get back to the Kozume’s household safely. Unfortunately, they're bedridden because of high fever.
“You two should’ve gone back as soon as you saw the dark clouds,” Kozumama sighed as she set down two bowls of soup for them.
“We did! But the rain clouds were faster than us!” Kuroo piped up before taking a huge bite of the soup. The soup that’s freshly cooked. “OW!”
Kenma, who was silently sniffling the whole time, bursted into laughter. Kozumama sighed before smiling.
“You two better finish your food when I come back.” Kozumama sent them a warning glare before leaving the room.
“Kenmaaaa.” Kuroo whined. “It hurts.”
“You need to blow on it before eating,” Kenma said as he blew on his spoonful of soup before feeding it to Kuroo quite forcefully.
“See?” Kenma smiled while Kuroo swallowed the soup.
“Mmm, it tastes better when you feed me!” Kuroo exclaims.
“Sure, eat your own food before mom comes back.” Kenma hid his embarrassment by eating a spoonful of hot soup, forgetting to blow on it. “OW!”
Now it was Kuroo’s turn to laugh.
During rainy days, they weren’t allowed to play outside, especially after that incident where they got sick, so they usually stayed in Kenma’s room. Kuroo busied himself with books and magazines while Kenma played video games.
“Kuroo, you’re heavy,” Kenma groaned, his body already leaning to the left due to Kuroo’s weight on his right side.
“But you’re comfy!” Kuroo whined as he continued to snuggle to Kenma’s side.
Kenma just huffed before adjusting his arm to play comfortably with Kuroo by his side.
“Should we watch volleyball games after you play?” Kuroo asked, flipping through the volleyball magazine he saved his allowance for. “I want to learn more techniques we can use during tournaments once we join a volleyball club.”
“Who is ‘we’?” Kenma asked, his eyes never leaving the television.
“We! As in us! The both of us! Kuroo and Kenma and vice versa!” Kuroo exclaimed, finally leaving Kenma’s side and waving his arms around. “Who else would I play volleyball with if not you?”
“I don’t think being in a volleyball club is on the list of things I want to do in my life.” Kenma continued pressing the keys on his controller, trying hard to defeat the final boss.
“But it will be fun!”
“Playing volleyball with five other people is different from playing with just us two.”
“You can be the setter! Setters are strategic and they don’t have to move around a lot!” Kuroo is playing all the cards in his hand right now so he can get Kenma to say yes.
“There’s a position like that?” Kenma asked, his eyes leaving the screen to look at Kuroo.
“Yeah! That’s why I was always asking you to set for me!”
“Huh, I’ll think about it.” Kenma turned his attention back to the screen only for it to flash ‘game over’ in red bold letters.
In the end, Kenma joined Kuroo in their middle school volleyball team. His mornings now started with extensive exercises in order to keep up with the rest of the team, even if it’s just barely.
“How long do we have to do this?” Kenma asked, his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath.
“A few more laps then we’re done!” Kuroo exclaimed, slowing down to a walking pace. “Do you want to go back now?”
“My body says yes, but somehow my mind thinks I can do more!” Kenma groans before standing straight.
Kuroo laughs at his best friend. “Then let’s finish this before your mind gives up too.”
“Fine, but I’ll be complaining the whole way.” Kenma started to jog at a slow pace.
“I’m used to it so complain all you want!”
“Kenma jump higher!” Their coach shouts, startling everyone.
Kenma turned his back away from their coach and made a face. “I’m already jumping as high as I can.”
“Don’t mind,” Kuroo whispers. “Just do what you do as our strategist.”
Kenma rolls his eyes before getting back in position.
Seeing a lot of people everywhere makes Kenma anxious. He hangs his head low while it’s only the opening ceremony for the middle school volleyball tournament. He participated in practice matches but being in a place where people are always watching sends shivers down Kenma’s spine.
“You okay?” Kuroo nudges him softly.
Kenma can only nod, afraid of his voice shaking, especially with Kuroo listening. A few seconds later he felt his right hand engulfed with warmth. He looked at Kuroo beside him who smiled before squeezing his hand softly.
The whistle blows, signaling the official start of the tournament. Together, hand-in-hand, Kenma and Kuroo walked towards the court.
With his head hung low, Kenma tried to ignore the prickling sensation on his skin. It’s only natural that people are going to stare at the teams playing, it’s a tournament! He can hear Kuroo’s encouraging words, relieving the tension that their team felt.
When Kenma heard the ball being served, he looked up and met Kuroo’s eyes. His eyes told him everything he needed to know and before he realized it, his body moved on its own.
He reached the net just in time to be able to set the ball towards Kuroo who immediately struck with a strong spike. While the opponents gawked at Kuroo, Kenma was looking at the scoreboard. A point was given to their team.
Kuroo’s eyes were shining, looking at his hand before at Kenma. He slowly raised his hand and pointed at it, still shocked. Kenma laughed softly before smiling so wide that his jaw hurt.
They’re in the middle of a match, everything comes after. So the game continues.
‘Maybe it’s not so bad to get tired once in a while.’ Came Kenma’s thought as he sat on the sweaty gymnasium floor. Their third match ended in defeat yet none of them looked defeated. The coaches were seen talking to each other so both teams took the time to chat with each other.
“This match is fun!” Kuroo exclaimed from behind him. “Too bad we’re eliminated on the first day already.”
“Stuff happens,” Kenma said shortly, still catching his breath. “I thought you were going to talk with the other team?”
“I can always ask the others about it.” Kuroo shrugged before noticing that Kenma is getting red.
Kuroo offered his hand to him, to which Kenma held before falling back down. He hissed in pain at the fall while Kuroo panicked. “Kenma are you alright? You felt so warm!”
“I’m fine.” Kenma tried to stand up but his legs gave out under him, slowly his vision started going blurry.
“Kenma? Kenma, can you hear me?”
Those were the last things he heard before he lost consciousness.
“It’s so bright,” Kenma mumbled as he opened his eyes. “Did all those late night gaming finally catch up to me?”
“KENMA!” Kuroo shouted before he tackled him on the bed, he’s all snotty and tears are still falling from his eyes. “I thought you were dead! WAHHHHH!!”
“Nope, not dead. Just a fever,” Kuropapa said as he grabbed Kuroo who was hanging on to Kenma tightly. “Tetsurou let go of Kenma, please.”
“NO! I want to stay here!” Kuroo wailed and Kenma couldn’t breathe.
‘This time I might die for real.’ Kenma thought before Kuroo was successfully dragged off of him.
“Give him space to rest. He’s probably tired from playing all day.” Kuropapa sighed, holding Kuroo by the neckline of his shirt.
“I’ll be fine. Sorry for worrying you,” Kenma said as he bowed to Kuropapa and Kuroo, who was still crying.
“See? Let’s go visit Kenma tomorrow, okay?” Kuropapa said.
Kuroo finally nodded as he wiped his eyes and nose, before waving at Kenma. “Let’s play video games tomorrow?”
“Sure-”
“Absolutely not. Get some rest Kenma.” Kozupapa already opened the door and Kozumama brought him food and medicine.
Kenma huffed and crossed his arms. “Fine. But Kuroo still gets to visit me.”
Kuroo smiled at that and prepared to tackle Kenma in a hug again but Kuropapa held him back. “Nope, not today Tetsurou. I’m sorry, Kenma’s supposed to be resting but he wanted to see him.”
“No worries. Kenma gets lonely without Kuroo around,” Kozumama said.
Kenma was horrified at what his mom said. He didn't want anyone to know that, especially Kuroo.
“I think I need to rest now, good night everyone!”
Kuroo was made captain in his last year, which didn’t surprise Kenma. Countless matches later, both won and lost, Kenma still stuck around. He doesn't know why either but he doesn’t hate volleyball, he doesn’t like it either. It’s something that he does because he got used to it.
“That match was fun!” Kuroo exclaimed as he let himself fall on Kenma’s bed, ignoring the other’s grumbling about no outside clothes on the bed. “Did you enjoy, Kenma?”
“It was okay, can’t say that it’s enjoyable though.” Kenma shrugged off his bag and left it on the floor, immediately starting up his console.
“Aren’t you going to shower first before playing?” Kuroo questions as he rolls around Kenma’s bed.
“I’ll go wash up after dinner,” Kenma answers, his attention now on the television screen. Kuroo nods as he watches Kenma play, making side comments here and there about random stuff he notices.
They ate dinner way past midnight, careful not to make any noise. Kenma was slowly falling asleep not even halfway through with his food.
“Kenma?”
“Hmm?”
“You go wash up, I’ll clean up here,” Kuroo said, only a few bites left on his plate.
“I’ll wait for you,” Kenma answered drowsily, pushing his plate away.
“It’s fine, you need to rest already.” Kuroo took a bite of his food.
“You’re the one who needs rest, you’ve done more than enough to make sure that I didn’t get tired today,” Kenma said as he stood up. “Listen to me for once, Kuro.”
Kuroo almost choked on his food before he nodded. “Okay.”
Kenma nodded before getting cold water for both of them. He sent a glass in front of Kuroo before drinking his own.
“Something’s different about you today,” Kuroo blurted out mindlessly.
Kenma glared at him before putting his dishes in the sink. “Nothing’s different.”
“You usually would head straight to bed after matches. Is something bothering you? Are you sick again?” Kuroo asks worriedly.
“Nothing’s bothering me either. I'm completely fine too. Is it weird for me to do something nice for my best friend?” Kenma asks. “Now give me your plate so I can wash the dishes.”
Kuroo handed him the plate cautiously. “Alright, if you say so. I’ll head up to wash now.”
Kenma just hummed before washing the dishes, listening to Kuroo’s footsteps getting quieter before he held out the breath he didn’t know he was holding. “What’s happening to me?”
When Kuroo started high school, Kenma expected that he’ll get at least 30 minutes of extra sleep in the morning.
“Kenma, wake up!” Kuroo whispered as he shook him awake.
“Aren’t you supposed to be leaving for school?” Kenma groaned as he smacked Kuroo’s hand away.
“I had to make sure you go to school on time.” Kuroo put both his hands on his waist. “Get your ass ready for school!”
“My school is 20 minutes away on foot!” Kenma ripped off his comforter and glared at his digital clock. “It’s literally 6:30 in the morning and classes don’t start until 8!”
“I know, you move so slow that you’d end up getting late everyday.” Kuroo sighs before messing up Kenma’s bed hair even more. “I have to catch the train now, see you later.”
“Mmm, have a safe trip.” Kenma grumbled, then flopped back to bed. “This is so annoying.”
He stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before getting ready for school. “Stupid Kuroo, stupid school, I could’ve slept more if it weren’t for them.”
It was a quiet walk to the school, most times Kuroo would talk his ear off about random things that Kenma always remembers. He shook his head to get rid of any more thoughts about Kuroo. He wanted this peace to last as long as it could, or maybe not.
The day went on uneventfully, he liked that he can game every break but there’s a nagging voice in his head, probably Kuroo’s, telling him to eat before he collapses somewhere. Against his will, he headed to the cafeteria to buy lunch so the voice in his head could let him be.
When volleyball practice commenced that afternoon Kenma felt like he was dying. ‘Was it always this intense?’
He felt like their coach was getting him to do more since Kuroo is not here to cover for him anymore. Honestly, he’s just going to do what he always did to get by practice. Kuroo’s not here to scold him for his bad habits nor was he here to push him past his limit, so it’s weird that he’s still here.
His thoughts were broken by a ball hitting him on his face, sending him to the gymnasium’s floor. The whole world is spinning no matter how much he blinked, he thinks that made his dizziness worse. There were muffled voices around him and it took him a lot of energy just to sit up.
“Let’s go to the infirmary,” one of his clubmates said, their hand out for Kenma to take. He nodded slowly and took their hand. He swore he heard Kuroo’s voice but it must’ve been his imagination.
“Thanks.”
Kenma was advised to rest in the infirmary before he headed home. Now he’s staring at the ceiling thinking how he can walk home alone, his head still hurts and he doesn’t want to bother his parents. Whenever these kinds of accidents happen Kuroo’s there to take care of him, but now he's alone.
“So annoying,” Kenma mumbled before he slowly got up from the bed. He took his bag and bid farewell to the nurse, making his way out of the campus.
“Kenma!” A familiar voice called out to him. He looked around to see that his teammate who brought him to the infirmary was running after him. “How’re you feeling?”
“Good.”
“Heading home already?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, that’s good. I’ll tell the coach that you’re okay now, take care!”
“Thanks, you too.” Kenma watched as his waving figure slowly turned small, until he could no longer see him. He then continued his way home.
His trip wouldn’t be complete if he didn’t stop to pat the stray cats on the way. Sometimes Kuroo would buy treats to feed them, further delaying their way home. Kenma smiles at that, softly petting the black cat as a goodbye.
He started wondering if there was a sudden zombie apocalypse what would he do? He looked around to see if there’s any makeshift weapons he could use, a question supposed to entertain him quickly became serious. Upon further thought, anything is a weapon if you’re brave enough.
Kenma stopped in front of his house where a familiar figure is waiting.
“Kuro.” Kenma himself was surprised by the name that left his lips.
“Kenma, you’re back!” Kuroo opened his arms, welcoming Kenma with a bright smile.
Kenma took a few steps forward before rushing into Kuroo’s embrace. “I’m home.”
“Welcome home.” Kuroo patted Kenma’s head gently. “Let’s go inside to eat?”
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
-
“I’M TAKETORA YAMAMOTO, I PLAY WING SPIKER, NICE TO MEET YA!”
Kenma flinched at the loudness, curling towards himself once he realized that it’s his turn to introduce himself.
“Kenma Kozume, setter.”
He’s here again. In a new but familiar environment where he’ll be forced to work more than he bargained for.
“Our freshmen players seem promising! Now get ready for practice in 5 minutes.”
All of them shouted as confirmation except for Kenma. Kuroo immediately went to Kenma and patted him on the back. “Nice to see you here.”
“What do you mean nice to see you? You asked me to join the volleyball club with you.” Kenma hissed but it didn’t hold much venom.
Kuroo laughed before pushing him towards the net, “I didn’t ask you but if that’s what floats your boat then sure.”
If their middle school training almost killed Kenma then their high school training will really kill him. The other members returned to the gymnasium already but he’s still running a few extra laps. It’s unfair.
It didn’t help that Yamamoto was shouting like crazy about willpower or something like that earlier. The sun’s heat is weakening him, he’s not a vampire but a normal person will get weak under the sun, especially while running.
“Once I finish this I’ll level up my stamina, then maybe my strength after?” Kenma said to no one in particular, so he can distract himself from the fatigue weighing him down.
“Should I play the new video game I bought or should I finish the game last night?”
“You should finish training first before playing games,” Kuroo piped up from the gym’s door. “Congratulations on completing your run.”
“I’m done? Finally!” Kenma finally felt the fatigue, his legs collapsing under him but Kuroo caught him by the arm.
“Done with the laps. We still have receiving drills, you know?” Kuroo then dragged Kenma inside the gymnasium.
“Noooo!” Kenma whined, weakly hitting Kuroo’s arm before he was pushed to sit on a chair.
“Drink water first then join us after before the captain sees you.” Kuroo put a finger to his lips and winked before running to the rest of the team doing drills.
Kenma sighed and quickly drank water, but not too much because he might throw it up while playing. He stretched his legs and arms before joining the others.
Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, but thrice is a pattern.
It’s always Kenma who has to do all the extra training but he had no authority to say no to his seniors so he had to do it. It’s getting irritating that the thought of quitting is a sweet release from this hell he’s experiencing.
After a particularly tough practice day, Kenma stayed silent the whole way home. His nose is all scrunched up and he has a tight hold on his bag. He’s not even playing any game which is so weird.
“Do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?” Kuroo’s question seemed to snap Kenma back to reality.
“Yeah, I want to quit playing volleyball.” Kenma’s statement surprised Kuroo but he stayed silent, waiting for Kenma to continue talking.
“Our upperclassmen keep singling me out every training session, adding extra laps to my routine. I’m tired before the drills even start and it’s annoying me,” Kenma spat out at a speed that Kuroo didn’t think he’d be capable of. “I’m pissed off that I can’t even say anything.”
Kuroo nodded along to Kenma’s story and waited patiently for him to finish. “You’re an amazing player Kenma. I’m not saying this because we’ve been friends since forever but we can’t execute our plans without you. Only a few months more and they’ll be off your back.”
Kenma huffed and crossed his arms. “I guess, but I’m still really pissed off.”
“Yeah, I understand where you’re coming from. The upperclassmen before were also like that so that’s where they got the idea to pick on you, I guess.” Kuroo shrugged, sighing at the unpleasant memories of last year’s team.
“Well, they’re assholes.”
“They sure are.”
Kenma learned to ignore his upperclassmen, they were bearable at least compared to a certain someone.
“Without guts you won’t be able to succeed!” Came Taketora’s shout as they were running uphill. “Come on Kenma keep up!”
Kenma groaned and ignored him, continuing to run at the pace he always ran ever since middle school. A few seconds later, Taketora is already a few meters in front of him.
‘There’s no sense in going the extra mile if you don’t know how to conserve your energy.’ Kenma thought to himself as the members passed him by easily, leaving him behind as always.
During a practice match, some of their spikes and receives weren’t doing well. Their serves also went off bounds. Kenma can’t be bothered to run after the ball, it’s tiring. He held no strong emotions during that match but it definitely affected Taketora.
“You could try to relax your shoulders a bit.” Kenma didn’t have time to stop himself from speaking.
“Huh?! Why would I listen to a gutless brat like you!” Taketora looked at him angrily.
“All that extra training isn’t guts, it’s just self-satisfaction!” Kenma shouted and that made Taketora stomp towards him, grabbing him by his shirt’s collar.
“Then what about you?! There were so many balls you could’ve gone after!” Taketora shook him angrily.
‘I didn’t want to bother since they were going to be outside anyway.’ Kenma thought but didn’t voice it out. He just pushed Taketora’s face away from him.
“I don’t want to hear anything about guts from someone like you!” That made Kenma pissed off.
“All you talk about is guts! You know, guts isn’t the only thing you need in playing!” He shouted, trying to widen the space between them. “How can you continue playing if you only have one hit point! It’s not going to help you stay alive!”
“What the hell are you talking about!?”
“I’m telling you that it won’t help you beat the game!”
“What’s a game got to do with this!”
Kai and Yaku looked at each other before turning to the fighting freshmen in front of them.
“Should we break it up?” Asked Kai.
“Nah, let them talk or punch it out,” Yaku said as he waved his hand. "Free entertainment."
“It reminds me of when we were first years,” Kai added. “You and Kuroo used to butt heads all the time.”
“That’s because he’s a butthead.” Yaku and Kai laughed at that before hearing water splashing on the gym’s floor.
“Mr. Freeze… said you need to chill out,” said Fukunaga while holding a now empty water bucket.
Taketora and Kenma stopped fighting and looked at Fukunaga. After a few seconds Kenma started laughing.
“Really? That made you laugh?” Taketora asked a still giggling Kenma.
“What? It’s funny!” Kenma said in between laughter while Fukunaga smiled at them.
“Woah, what’s all this mess?” Kuroo asked as he entered the gymnasium.
“Taketora and Kenma were fighting but Fukunaga stopped them,” Kai recalled the story to Kuroo while Yaku was laughing beside him.
“Yeah, you two better change clothes before you get sick. I’ll help Fukunaga clean this up.”
Kenma nodded and headed to the club room with Taketora.
“Can’t believe Kenma’s leaving his shell already.” Kuroo hummed as he mopped the water with Fukunaga.
“He’s bound to leave sooner or later. Taketora forced him out of it though,” Yaku stated before laughing again.
Kai just sighed at Yaku before helping Kuroo and Fukunaga clean up. “I swear Yaku won’t let that live down.”
“He probably won’t.” Kuroo laughs before smiling to himself.
-
Now Kenma doesn’t know why he’s getting all these flashbacks in the middle of a match. Maybe his brain is getting so muddled that it reverts to memories that are comforting. His lungs felt like it’s going to burst, it’s already the third set against Karasuno and up until the end Shoyo and the rest of Karasuno never fails to surprise him.
‘I need to breathe.’
Kenma’s thoughts were immediately cut off, he needed to set the ball.
‘Quickly, quickly, get the ball.’
His body can no longer keep up with his brain. The harsh sounds of the ball were the only things he relies on, his sight is going black.
Spike.
Block.
Receive.
Set.
It’s a never ending rally, both sides unwilling to let up. Someone needs to fold already but it sure as hell won’t be Kenma.
“YOU IDIOT! THE BALL HASN’T DROPPED YET!” Kenma shouted, surprising his members from Nekoma and their opponent, Karasuno.
This feeling, Kenma never wants this to end, if only they could keep playing like this.
His hair is sticking to his face, some blocking his vision but he relied on instinct. His legs are giving up on him but he makes the extra step to set the ball.
‘Faster. I need to go faster.'
After Yaku passes him the ball, Kenma sets, but the ball slips from his hands and to the floor.
Ah.
It’s covered in sweat, a collection of their hard work and effort to keep the ball up.
A few seconds pass, the whistle blows and screams resound through the whole gymnasium. The Karasuno members from the sidelines immediately ran to the members on the court.
Kenma slumped to the floor, catching his breath. It’s finally over, the match that can’t be remade.
It’s fun. He had fun.
He saw Kuroo approaching him from his peripheral vision. “Kuro.”
Kuroo stared at him as he sat up. “Thanks for getting me into volleyball.”
“Huh? Sure.” Kuroo blanked out before Kenma’s words registered. “STOP! Don’t make me cry!”
Kenma laughed, his heart overflowing with unbridled happiness. “I’m tired. Carry me.”
“No can do this time, my legs feel like they’re going to break.” Kuroo stretched out his hand towards Kenma. “I’ll help you up.”
“Thanks.” Kenma gripped his hand tightly before pulling himself up. They almost fell together but they laughed it off, bumping shoulders as they walked.
Kuroo then went to gather the rest of the members, immediately grouping with Kai and Yaku. He saw how they hugged each other, tears threatening to fall from their eyes. They had a great match, they fought well.
Taketora and Fukunaga interrupted Kenma’s thoughts, slinging their arms on his shoulders. Kenma scrunched his nose but didn’t make any move to remove it. "What's up?"
“Let’s do better next year,” Taketora said to which Fukunaga nodded.
Kenma groaned but he replied, “sure.”
During the team dinner everyone was recalling all the events from the court. Kenma listens earnestly to everyone’s story to the best of his abilities.
“How’re you feeling?” Kuroo whispered beside him. Kenma jumped a little but slowly relaxed.
“Tired, but I feel good. It was fun.” Kenma smiled before eating a spoonful of rice.
Kuroo laughs softly before wiping the corner of his mouth. “That’s good, I’m happy you had fun.”
“Thank you, really.” Kenma looked at Kuroo with a sincere smile. “For introducing volleyball to me and for giving me the opportunity to play with you guys against stronger opponents. I feel like I leveled up more than I thought, yeah?”
Kuroo nodded as he slung an arm around Kenma. “You did well. Thank you for playing with me until my last year. I’ll be watching you, okay?”
“Sure, I’ll do my best.” Kenma leaned closer to Kuroo’s side, wrapping an arm around his waist.
“I’m so proud of you.” Kuroo pressed a soft kiss to Kenma’s forehead that shocked not only them but everyone at their table.
Just like that, their sweet and peaceful moment was broken by screaming.
-
Kenma was lying down beside Kuroo, a fever relief patch on his forehead. He’s currently staring at the ceiling since Kuroo took away his phone and handheld so he can rest. “Kuro, I’m fine.”
Kuroo rolled his eyes before turning to his side to look at Kenma. “You’re warmer than normal, just rest.”
Kenma turned to his side too before looking at Kuroo’s eyes which held so much more emotion than what he can express. “Kuro?”
“Yeah?” Kuroo whispered back. The rest of their team are asleep already except for the both of them.
“I think I want to spend every day like this.” Kenma then hid his face with his hair before adding, “with you.”
Kuroo stared at Kenma before suppressing the urge to scream because why now of all times?! “Huh?”
“Good night, Kuro.”
Kuroo felt like he’s going to explode. He carefully threaded his fingers through Kenma’s hair, pushing it back so his face is now visible. Kenma is silently suppressing a laugh. “Kenma, don’t sleep yet.”
“Fine. Why are you so obsessed with me?” Kenma whispered and scrunched his nose. “Only two questions from the press before I go to sleep.”
“Kind of unfair considering I’m not part of the press, I’m your best friend. I'm allowed more than two questions,” Kuroo whispered before leaning towards Kenma’s face. “Why did you say that?”
Kenma looked at him with a smile. “It’s because I do want to spend everyday with you. We’ve been together since forever and I don’t think anyone would know me the way you do, and I don’t want anyone else to know me that way. I want to always be there the way you always did for me. Even if it’s going to be exhausting I feel like it’s always worth it if it’s with you, Kuro.”
Kuroo had to bite back a sob. “Kenma, please, don’t make me cry here.”
Kenma stifled a giggle as he placed his hand on Kuroo’s cheek. “It’s fine, I’ll be here to provide you comfort.”
“Can I kiss you?” Kuroo whispered softly, as if Kenma’s going to break if he was louder than that.
Kenma answers by pressing his lips to Kuroo’s in a gentle kiss before quickly backing away. “I don’t know, can you?”
“You- what am I going to do with you?” Kuroo groaned before he kissed Kenma carefully, just like the way he was with him all these years. His hands cradle Kenma’s cheeks, showing him how much he loves him instead of just saying it.
Kenma smiles before he breaks away from the kiss. “Okay, I only said you can ask two questions. Good night Kuro.”
“Fine. Let’s talk tomorrow.” Kuroo then intertwines their hands together under their shared futon. Kenma squeezes his hand tightly and Kuroo does the same.
Suddenly, everything fell into its rightful place.
-
“What’s up everyone, Kodzuken here.” Kenma adjusted his microphone so it wouldn't cover his face. “Are you ready for another day of streaming?”
ilovekodzuken: have u eaten yet?
kodzurocks: don’t forget to eat!!!
“I already ate lunch,” Kenma answered a question while opening his Valorant account. “Thanks for asking.”
bballinballin: new merch when
kkenmaa: pls i need to save up money don’t release anything yet plsplsplspls
forfeitallpossessionstokodzuken: take my money
“When will I release new merch?” Kenma sat in silence for a few seconds. “I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this but stay tuned for announcements.”
brokeplssendmoney: hahahaha ice soup sounds nice today
knksupporter: where’s kuroo!! is kuroo in the room today
“Is Kuroo here? No he isn’t. I’m already here, why are you still looking for him?” Kenma asked as he scrunched his nose. “Forget about him and focus on the game.”
kodzurocks: guys don’t ask too much about kuroo-san. respect their privacy.
ilovekodzuken: yeah :(( don’t ask too much abt personal matters
knksupporter: i’m sorry, I won’t do it again!!
yakuniku: bet Kodzuken doesn't mind talking about Kuroo
“Forget about who?” Kuroo asks as he opens the door to Kenma’s gaming room. “Oh, you’re streaming. Hi everyone! Don’t forget to eat your lunch today!”
knksupporter: oh shit wtf
yakuniku: speak of the devil and he appears
bballinballin: he’s here!?
bestboikai: where kenma goes, kuroo follows.
tamateshi: always been that way, huh?
“Kuro!” Kenma shouts, his stream chat going crazy over Kuroo. He wouldn’t be surprised if the chat malfunctions from the hundreds of messages sent.
“What? I want to make sure everyone is doing well!” Kuroo said, leaning against the doorframe.
“I know that! But you need to leave now!” Kenma turns his chair around to face Kuroo. His arms are crossed and he has that signature pout on his face that Kuroo always adores. “I don’t want them all over you.”
“Is Kenma jealous?” Kuroo mouthed to him before walking towards him. He held the back of Kenma’s chair and turned it so Kenma’s facing the camera. “Sorry everyone, Kodzuken’s angry so please take care of him for me, okay?”
Kuroo reads some of the comments before nodding. He leans towards Kenma and kisses him on the lips then winks to the camera. “Have fun baby, I love you.”
When Kuroo left the room he heard Kenma’s scream. He laughed to himself before heading to the kitchen to tidy up.
Kenma’s face was covered by his hands while his moderator is separately trying to calm the chat down because words are flying on Kenma’s screen. “I swear he’s going to be the death of me.”
knksupporter: my parents fr
haimynameislev: did they really do that on camera?
bballinballin: gonna change my name to bawling real quick
taketorawr: they never changed huh!?
ilovekodzuken: WDYM THEY NEVER CHANGED
He finally started the queue but he looked at the camera smugly. “Sorry everyone, Kuroo’s taken and I’m not sharing him so don’t ask for him anymore!”
fukufukupowpow: Kenma looks like this
fukufukupowpow: *gif of angry cat*
forfeitallpossessionstokodzuken: u’re so real for that
shibalyaaaa: sometimes it’s a bad idea to watch Kodzuken’s streams it’s giving me diabetes ugh
inuinuoka: please they are flaunting their relationship around
“Okay, I see my friends flaming me in the chat.” Kenma sticks his tongue out playfully at the camera. “Come fight me here!”
taketorawr: I literally have so much blackmail material don't test me!!
shibalyaaaa: sooo disgusting honestly
Kenma focuses on sniping the enemy before putting up his left hand where a gold band rests on his ring finger. “Honestly, I’ll let them flame me all they want, I married my best friend and they’ve always been there for us.”
knksupporter: holy shit they r married
ilovekodzuken: me and who fr
yakuniku: Kenma’s so expressive and open now compared to when I first saw him
kodzurocks: I came for the gameplay and now I’m staying for their love story
nobukai: things are just different when it’s the two of them
taketorawr: you guys should’ve seen Kenma pine over Kuroo when he thought no one was watching
“I THINK THAT’S ENOUGH KODZUKEN STORY!” Kenma shouted, shooting enemies at the same time. It'd be embarrassing if he's sniped both in game and in real life. "Guys please have mercy on me!"
fukufukupowpow: Bang! Goes Kenma’s heart
haimynameislev: Kenma-san always looks so in love when it comes to Kuroo-san
forfeitallpossessiontokodzuken: I think I’m forfeiting my soul too
shibalya: Kuroo cared for Kenma more than anyone could
inuinuoka: He really did everything so Kenma can function the best
tamateshi: And in turn Kenma did everything so Kuroo’s efforts aren’t wasted
knksupporter: They are so sweet what!!
kodzurocks: I love how Kodzuken's old teammates are all here
taketorawr: we'll take any chance to embarrass Kenma LOL
“Guys, come on. I’m trying to stream here!" Kenma tries his hardest to fight back a smile. "Also Taketora watch your back!”
kozumetetsurou: come on guys lay off of him
kozumetetsurou: i’ll fight them for you so continue streaming baby. You got this!
“Yeah, lay off of me- oh come on.” Kenma sighs defeatedly. “Kuro, I love you, but please go back to work.”
kozumetetsurou: I'm at work! Working as Kozume Kenma’s full-time husband! You’ll never catch me slacking.
yakuniku: get a room honestly
nobukai: yep. Had to deal with that for years!
Kenma laughs at Kuroo’s chat before turning his attention to the game where he’s currently winning. Imagine winning both in game and in real life? Only Kenma could pull that off.
forfeitallpossessionstokodzuken: time to pine for my bestfriend <3
knksupporter: bye guys I can die peacefully now
kkenmaa: when you’re in a who’s the most luckiest person competition and your opponent is kodzuken
bbawlinbawlin: life’s a game and kodzuken has cheatcodes
ilovekodzuken: user knkskodzuken is winning again
Kenma looks straight at the camera with a smile. “Honestly, I already won the moment I met Kuro.”
Now it was Kuroo's screams that can be heard from Kenma's room.