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Kuroo had no idea when it started. Every time he saw Bokuto, his smile grew larger and his heart began pounding behind his ribcage. It was like it had always been there, and no matter how hard he tried to pinpoint when it started, he couldn't.
It wasn't like he minded, though. Along with the thump, thump, thump of his heart came the persetivness of seeing and appreciating his friend. He always knew Bokuto was attractive, any one could see that. Well, maybe not blind people. But, that was besides the point.
Now, Kuroo could see the beauty in that dumb smile he made whenever he hit a spike. And the way he'd cutely scrunch together his eyebrows whenever he was trying to figure something out. Or how, whenever he jumped for a spike, his shirt road ever so slightly to reveal the pale skin underneath. And how-
Kuroo was fucked.
~~~
They sat in Kuroo's room, sprawled out on the floor and staring at the ceiling. "What do you want to do?" Kuroo asked, glancing at the lazing Bokuto.
Bokuto shrugged. "I don't know. What do you want to do?"
Kuroo snorted. "You're so helpful in deciding plans, Bo."
"Welcome," Bokuto replied. He turned to look at Kuroo and cracked a toothy grin. Kuroo scoffed and looked away, hoping he was only imagining the blush rising up from his neck.
Bokuto sat up, stretching his arms high above him. Kuroo's eyes watched from his position on the floor, his eyes sliding down to where his shirt pulled up and revealed his torso underneath.
"Let's go get ice cream," Bokuto piped up, turning around to look at Kuroo. Kuroo drew his eyes from Bokuto's middle to look him the eye.
"It's Winter," Kuroo pointed out.
"Dude," Bokuto said, giving Kuroo the fiercest look ever. "It's always time for ice cream."
Kuroo stayed silent for a few seconds, debating silently. "Alright fine, but I'm not paying for your triple decker waffle cone this time," Kuroo stated. He stood and stretched, his bones creaking in protest. How long had they been chilling on the floor?
Bokuto pouted, and jutted out his lower lip. "Come on, Kuroo! My best bro, dude, home slice, bread slice, amigo, chum pal!" Kuroo shook his head. "I'll share it with you!"
Kuroo stilled at the thought, but then he turned thoughtful. That was a pretty romantic thing, right? Maybe if the mood was right and he plucked up the courage, he'd just tell Bokuto how he'd like to hold his hand and maybe sometimes kiss that stupid grin off his face.
"Alright," Kuroo agreed.
"HELL YEAH!" Bokuto cheered, jumping up and down excitedly.
"Get your stupid ass out the door, I wanna get ice cream," Kuroo called from the hallway. Kuroo heard Bokuto's heavy footsteps pick up the pace once he knew he was being left alone. Soon enough, the man himself caught up with Kuroo getting ready to exit the house.
"That was cold, dude," Bokuto complained.
"You know what's colder?" Kuroo asked.
"What?"
"Ice cream," Kuroo said. Bokuto tried to hold his angry expression, but it failed and he burst into laughter. Kuroo felt his smile turn smug. Bokuto suddenly cut off his laughter and returned Kuroo's smug smile with a smirk.
"Know what else is cold?" he asked. Kuroo hummed in response. "Your heart."
Kuroo gasped and held a hand to his chest, mocking betrayal. "Bro, I can't believe you'd say such a thing," Kuroo said, pretending to wipe away a tear collecting at the corner of his eye.
Bokuto grabbed his hand and held it. "Don't worry, bro. I was only kidding, I'd never say such horrible things to you in earnest."
Kuroo stared at Bokuto for a second, nearly hundred percent sure his cheeks were as pink as cherry blossoms. He smirked. "Prove it, then!" he challenged. "Show me you're the broest of them all!"
Bokuto went along with his shenanigans, ignoring the weird looks they were getting at passerbys. "I will! I'll show you I'm the ultimate bro! That I'm your bro."
"And how shall you do that?" Kuroo asked, watching as Bokuto puffed out his chest as best as he could behind his winter jacket. It made him look like a giant marshmellow. An adorable giant marshmellow, albeit a dumb one.
"Like this," Bokuto proclaimed. He leaned down and picked up a ball of snow. A second too late, Kuroo realized what he was doing. Before he could turn and run, a snowball came flying straight at his face. Kuroo swiped the mess off his face and narrowed his eyes at Bokuto.
"I'll show you who's the broest of them all!" Kuroo said, picking up a handful of snow and compacting it. Bokuto flashed a cheeky grin at him before he turned and sprinted in the opposite direction. Chasing after him, Kuroo threw the snowball at Bokuto, but it missed completely. Bokuto turned around and stuck his tongue out at Kuroo.
But, all too quickly, Bokuto slipped on a piece of ice on the sidewalk. And, too fast for Kuroo to even try to stop, he tripped over Bokuto's fallen body. His knee banged against the ground painfully and he's pretty sure he knocked his head against Bo's chin, too.
"Ow," Bokuto said.
"'Ow' is an understatement," Kuroo commented, checking his head for blood. Thankfully, there was none, but he was sure a bruise would be on his forehead and knee in the next hour or two.
He looked up at Bokuto and that's when he noticed the position he was in. He in between Bokuto's legs. It's not like he didn't want to be, but not like this. Kuroo coughed akwardly after Bokuto just kept looking at him, his head cocked to one side.
Bokuto shook his head. "Oh, sorry, Kuroo."
Kuroo shrugged, getting to his feet and holding out his hand towards Bokuto to pull him up, too. "It's fine, you just spaced out there. Thought you clonked your head pretty good there," Kuroo joked.
Bokuto nodded, still in thought. "Hey, Kuroo, step closer for a second."
Kuroo blinked a few times. "Ah, alright." Kuroo took a step forward. "This good?" Bokuto nodded.
Bokuto took another step so only a slim space was left between them. Kuroo's cheeks instantly flamed from the intimate proximity, but his eyebrows still furrowed in confusion.
Then, in one step, Bokuto leaned up and connected their lips together. Thousands of thoughts ran through Kuroo's brain. This is a dream. This is a joke. This can't be Bokuto. What's happening?
Kuroo eased into the kiss after a few stiff moments. He hesitantly wraped his arms around Bokuto's neck. The kiss was slow, smooth, nice. His lips were rougher than Kuroo imagined, but maybe that was just from the frisk wind blowing harshly.
Bokuto pulled away and smiled, dazed. "That was good," he said.
Kuroo nodded, a lump in his throat. He wasn't too sure, even if the lump in his throat restricted him from saying anything, he'd be able to make anything other than gibberish.
Kuroo touched his lips, not believing what just went down. Bokuto laughed and Kuroo snapped his attention to his dumb, hot friend.
"Come on, let's go," Bokuto said, grabbing Kuroo's gloved hand in his bare one.
"Wait a second," Kuroo spoke up. Bokuto looked at Kuroo expectantly. "Why?"
Bokuto furrowed his brows together in thought. "You just looked really cute, so I thought 'why not?'" He answered.
Kuroo stared at Bokuto, blinking in confusion. "Alright."
He started walking with Bokuto once more, Bokuto swingin their intertwined hands between them.
"Does that mean we're like together together?" Kuroo asked to the open air.
"If you want," Bokuto said, giving Kuroo an award winning smile. Kuroo couldn't help but smile back. "I mean, I know I want to." Bokuto added.
"Yeah, so do I," Kuroo said.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Bokuto cheered. "I'll be the best brofriend ever, just you wait and see!" Bokuto shot at him.
Kuroo raised an eyebrow at Bokuto. "Brofriend?"
"I'm still the broest of them all," Bokuto answered. He gripped his hand tighter. "Anyways, let's go get ice cream! Come on!" Bokuto dragged Kuroo along behind him.
Kuroo laughed heartily, smiling so brightly at the black and white haired dork pulling him along.
Kuroo guessed he didn't have to wait for the right mood to confess after all. Bokuto beat him to it.