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"Eggs, pork, rice, onion," Bokuto read aloud from the shopping list in his hand, peering into his basket and mentally checking off each item as he saw it. His roommate, Hinata, had sent him out to gather missing ingredients for dinner and Bokuto wanted to make sure he had everything. While he was always willing to run errands if it meant he didn’t have to cook, he was tired after a long day of training and wanted to complete everything in one trip so he didn’t have to leave again. He looked from the list to the basket and back, nodding to himself as he confirmed the accuracy of his shopping. The essentials were there, nothing on the list was missing, and if a couple of snacks had snuck their way into the basket, no one would complain.
He rolled out his shoulders and began walking in the direction of the cash register, planning his evening. He would pay, head home, and finally relax. Maybe he could get in some time on a new video game or watch the recap of the last match against the Adlers… he stopped suddenly, as a wave of cinnamon hit his nose. He blinked as he realized he was nowhere near the checkout counter, and quickly assumed that in his tired state he had been following the scent subconsciously.
His inner alpha voice spoke to him then, urging him to keep going, but he shook his head. He had a mission, he was tired, he was paying for the groceries and going home. He took a step, and another, fully intending on heading to the register out but his stupid alpha brain won out.
The cinnamon scent grew closer and stronger, and he began to notice an underlying layer of citrus and…a touch of vanilla? He closed his eyes, focusing on the delightful scent radiating from somewhere in the store, moving, following, stalking…
CRASH
Bokuto felt his feet tangle with a basket on the ground and he went down, eyes opening wide to a vision of tousled black hair, smirking grin showing sharp alpha fangs, and sparkling grey eyes looking over him.
"What’s an angel like you doing, crashing from heaven?" the vision asked with a chuckle, reaching his hand out to Bokuto.
Bokuto couldn’t help but grin as he firmly took the offered hand. He felt a spark at the contact, the cinnamon citrus scent spiking as his own wood smoke scent began flowing. He suddenly realized he’d never replaced his scent patch after leaving the gym, but it was too late for that now.
"Looking for another fallen angel, of course," he returned, allowing himself to be pulled back to a standing position by the other alpha, who laughed harder. "Bokuto Koutarou," he continued, gesturing to himself with his free hand.
They stood for a moment, Bokuto staring curiously at their clasped hands, his inner alpha screaming at him to move his hand up, scent the other, make a claim.
"Kuroo Tetsurou," the other man supplied while letting go of his hand, though Bokuto couldn’t help but feel that he did so reluctantly. "You okay, man? You seem pretty out of it. Did you hit your head when you went down?"
"Ah, yeah." Bokuto laughed weakly, moving his hand to rub the back of his head. "Sometimes you just get caught up in things, ya know?" Like delicious scents floating through a store.
Kuroo grinned, "I know what you mean. Sometimes it feels like you’re not the one in control, right?"
Bokuto dropped his hand and vigorously nodded his head. "You got it!" Just then, Bokuto felt his phone vibrate and looked to see an incoming message from Hinata asking what was taking him so long. He suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be bringing home the rest of the ingredients for dinner and took another look in his basket to check that everything was there and nothing had fallen out in the crash.
He took a deep breath to inhale another hit of cinnamon before saying, "Hey, I have to get going, but can I get your number?" Kuroo looked briefly shocked, then delighted, as he pulled out his phone.
*ੈ✩*ੈ✩*ੈ✩
Hinata was silent when Bokuto finished his story while he put the finishing touches on dinner. He reached over to turn the burner off and looked contemplatively to his side where a collection of spices sat. He finally picked up a bottle, opened it to give it a smell, before turning to level his gaze at Bokuto. "So, you smelled cinnamon," he emphasized with a wave of the bottle, "and decided to… what? Stalk some alpha through the grocery store? I thought alphas didn't usually like other alpha scents?"
Bokuto groaned and dropped his head on the table. "I dunno. It was just… cinnamon-y and citrus-y and so strong and… and…"
Hinata set the bottle on the table next to Bokuto’s head, purposely leaving the cap open. "Intoxicating?" he suggested with a laugh.
Bokuto’s head shot up, narrowly missing hitting Hinata who, having spent years working on his reflexes, knew to step back just in time. "Yes! See, you do understand! And I’m sure if you’d been there, you also would have wanted to follow him!"
"I’m sure," Hinata agreed, still laughing, and decided not to remind Bokuto that betas usually couldn't smell pheromones as he began plating their dinners. They fell into silence for a few moments, Bokuto lost in thought while Hinata brought dinner over to the table. Hinata watched Bokuto carefully and just as he was set to take his first bite, asked, "So, are you going to see your dream alpha again?"
Bokuto choked on his mouthful of rice. "Hinata, you did that on purpose! " Hinata smiled but didn’t deny it. Bokuto took a gulp of his water and shoved another bite in his mouth. "I’d like to," he admitted sulkily, after carefully chewing and swallowing. "I got his number before I left the grocery store, but what if he doesn’t want to see me? "
Hinata rolled his eyes and took a bite of his own rice. "I’m sure he wants to see you again. What’s his name, anyway?"
Bokuto sighed and pushed some food around on his plate. "Kuroo Tetsurou."
This time, Hinata was the one who choked on his food. Bokuto, alarmed, jumped up and ran around the table to pound Hinata’s back. "Are you okay, Sho?" Bokuto asked, eyeing him for any further signs of distress.
Hinata waved him away. "He’s that JVA guy who’s been hanging out at our matches!" he shouted, his voice hoarse. "He’s been watching you like a hawk lately. You seriously haven’t noticed?"
Bokuto thought back to their recent matches, trying to place him. "No?"
And that was how Bokuto found himself on the couch after dinner, watching their most recent game. Hinata pointed out Kuroo each time the man was in the background of a shot and Bokuto had to admit, he did seem focused. "Do you think he’s interested in recruiting me for something? Isn’t that what he does? Recruit players for promotional things?"
Hinata rolled his eyes at Bokuto before his attention was grabbed by a particularly impressive play. "Maybe, but you should reach out anyway. Can’t hurt to try, you know?" He grabbed Bokuto’s phone from the table and threw it in his lap, eyes focused on the game.
*ੈ✩*ੈ✩*ੈ✩
Kuroo’s phone chimed and he jumped up when he saw the new number flash across the screen. He tapped Kenma on the shoulder, and waited until he removed his headphones before exclaiming, "Kenma! He texted me!"
"I told you he would," Kenma muttered, groaning when his character died on screen. He put the controller down in his lap and turned to his best friend-turned-roommate with a blank stare, his nose wrinkling at the overwhelming scent of cinnamon in the room. "What did he say?"
"‘Yo, what’s up?’" Kuroo read. He was focused on his phone and missed the incredulous look Kenma shot at him.
"That’s it?" Kenma asked in disbelief.
Kuroo hissed, "It’s a conversation starter!" as he hunched over his phone and furiously typed a response.
"I guess." Kenma started a new round of his game while Kuroo began a back and forth text conversation. "This is that alpha you’ve been stalking at the matches, right?"
Kuroo looked up from his phone, offended. "I haven’t been stalking ! You should see him! The way he lights up the room with his passion for volleyball is electrifying. You’d watch him, too!" He returned his gaze to his phone, missing Kenma’s eye roll.
"Oh! He asked if I wanted to hang out. Do you think he means as friends? Or as a date? Because I definitely think we had chemistry. Should I ask for clarification?" Kuroo flopped his head back against the couch, dropping his phone next to him. "Am I thinking too hard? I don’t want to ruin this."
Kenma growled when his character died again. He glanced over at Kuroo who had his eyes closed, emitting a bitter citrus scent that was starting to overtake the cinnamon. He was definitely thinking too hard and starting to make it Kenma’s problem in more ways than one. Kenma sneezed before deciding to grab Kuroo’s phone and sending a flurry of texts.
"It’s a date. You two will meet at the festival Saturday afternoon. You’re welcome," Kenma said abruptly a few minutes later. He then threw the phone at Kuroo’s head before picking up his controller to restart the match. He moved his headphones over his ears, effectively muting Kuroo’s cries of distress while he refocused on his game. He’d thank him later. Probably.
*ੈ✩*ੈ✩*ੈ✩
Kuroo did eventually thank Kenma later, especially when he found it easier to text Bokuto over the course of the week once he had clarification that it was a date. Kuroo was even the one who suggested that since it was a date, they should do things properly and wear yukata. He could have given the excuse that it would be hot outside and yukata were cool and traditional but truly, he had one selfish reason: Bokuto was exceptionally good looking and Kuroo simply wanted to see him in a yukata.
Call him shallow, but he knew what he wanted, and that was Bokuto. He couldn’t believe that after all this time of attending his volleyball games but never getting the chance to talk with him, he had literally fallen into his life at the grocery store. Fate could be funny. If one believed in fate, that is, and Kuroo did, even if Kenma gave him a hard time about it.
So Kuroo stood by the entrance of the festival, decked out in his red yukata, and resisted the urge to play with his sleeves, determined to project an air of cool, relaxed confidence. He was just a few minutes early since he wasn’t sure if Bokuto was an early, on time, or late kind of guy. Sure he was always on time to his games, but that didn’t always carry over into outside life.
Thankfully, he didn’t have long to wait before he heard a boisterous "hey hey hey!" He turned in time to see Bokuto waving as he lightly jogged to catch up to Kuroo. Kuroo fought to keep his trademark smirk on his face as the sight before him threatened to take his breath away. He knew Bokuto would look good in a yukata. He stood grinning, wearing a golden yukata that brought out the color of his eyes, the fabric draping off his broad shoulders, and sash emphasizing his waist.
"Looking good," Kuroo whistled, giving him what he was sure appeared to be a lecherous up and down.
Bokuto gave Kuroo an appraising look of his own, a flash of fang showing in his grin. "You, too. Red is a good color on you." Kuroo nodded in acknowledgement and they entered the festival together, taking in the sights around them.
"Oh, look!" Bokuto suddenly exclaimed, grabbing Kuroo’s sleeve and pulling him off the main path. A water table stood in front of a stall, brightly colored balls floating along the surface, a blower creating a moving current. "It reminds me of goldfish scooping. I loved that game as a kid! Never won anything though…" he pouted, before giving a shake of his head and handing some money over to the attendant.
Kuroo watched in fascination as Bokuto gripped the net and stared with intense concentration at the water. "Dude, they’re just bouncy balls. They’re not moving like goldfish. Why the serious look?"
"It’s a serious game," Bokuto responded simply and moved the net over the water. He held a bowl in his other hand, also placing it into position. Kuroo barely had a chance to blink when Bokuto finally decided to move, letting out an exclamation and dunking the net quickly into the water under a large group of bouncy balls. He lifted up to bring them to his bowl, but the paper net broke, letting the balls slip through.
"Oh," Bokuto said dejectedly, staring at his broken net and empty bowl. At this point, Kuroo’s alpha had been quiet, calculating, but seeing Bokuto looking so disappointed made his inner voice yell at him to do something and fix it.
So, Kuroo quickly handed the attendant money and moved to bend down next to Bokuto, his own net and bowl in hand. "You need to be gentle and careful," he said calmly, demonstrating by gliding the net into the water. He scooped a couple of balls on the edge and moved them into the bowl. "You’ve heard of slow and steady, right?" Kuroo teased, scooping a few more balls into the bowl to Bokuto’s delight. Kuroo was able to scoop a small pile before his net finally broke. "See?"
Bokuto nodded and purchased another round. Seeing the other’s mood improved appeased his inner alpha, so Kuroo stepped back, but stayed behind Bokuto. Just before he brought the net into the water, he murmured, "Slow and gentle" into his ear as a reminder. He smirked when he saw a shudder run through Bokuto.
"Right," Bokuto choked out and gently dipped the net into the water, successfully scooping a couple of balls into the bowl. "Yes!" he exclaimed quietly and continued scooping, ending up with a pile similar to Kuroo’s by the time his net broke.
They exchanged their balls for prizes, and Bokuto held up a larger bouncy ball emblazoned with a smile triumphantly. "This is so awesome!"
Kuroo couldn’t help but smile, though he refrained from holding up his own prize. "I’m glad you’re happy," he said and gestured for Bokuto to follow him as he moved back to the main pathway. "Now let’s let the kids play and go get some food, I’m starving."
Bokuto agreed and moved to stand next to him. As they were walking along the path, scoping out the snack stands, Kuroo felt a bump against his shoulder and looked sideways at Bokuto, who was grinning. Kuroo smirked and gently bumped against him, taking care not to jostle too hard and risk sending him into ongoing walkers. They continued playfully bumping against each other for a few moments until they finally settled, not quite touching, but walking as close to each other as possible.
They eventually found a stall selling takoyaki, which they enjoyed before exploring the rest of the festival. They passed stalls with other treats, games surrounded by kids, and vendors selling traditional festival items. The energy surrounding them was jovial and Kuroo couldn’t stop smiling. Then he turned to his right and spotted something that made his heart race with the thought of competing.
"Ring toss," Bokuto and Kuroo said at the same time, stopping at another game.
"I bet I can score more points than you," Bokuto taunted with a laugh, already reaching for his money.
"Dream on," Kuroo snapped back, handing his money to the man behind the counter. He placed a small pile of rings before the two, and they began taking turns tossing the rings over the bottles, all previous signs of slow and steady long gone.
"Got one!" Bokuto called, throwing a celebratory fist in the air.
Kuroo bit back a snarl in frustration that he had gotten one first, but then one of his own rings landed on a bottle neck. "Gotcha," he murmured.
They threw the rest of their rings, each landing one more.
"It's a tie," Kuroo grumbled when their rings were gone, but Bokuto grinned.
"I'll beat you next time," Bokuto promised.
"Sure you will," Kuroo rolled his eyes. He thanked the attendant who handed them both small plushies as their prize. They stepped aside to let others play, but Kuroo could sense that Bokuto wanted to say something, so he stood silently, waiting.
Bokuto looked away momentarily and then met Kuroo’s gaze. "I know we tied and all but, I want you to have this. Something to remember our first date by," he thrust his plushie, a small owl, at Kuroo.
Kuroo stared at it as the words clicked. First date? That implied there would be others. He gazed at Bokuto's bright expression and nodded. "Yeah, alright," he agreed and took the owl, holding out his own plush, a small black cat. "Trade?"
Bokuto shook his head, stunning Kuroo. "W-what?" His alpha voice screamed at him, wondering why he was suddenly being rejected, which he tried to rein in quickly, hoping his scent didn’t give away his emotions.
Bokuto smirked and gestured in Kuroo’s direction. "Scent it for me, first?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
Kuroo was dumbfounded, but then laughed in relief as he realized he wasn’t actually being rejected. "What are you, an omega looking for nesting materials?" he snarked, but he obliged. He felt himself blushing at the sudden intensity on Bokuto’s face as he watched him bring the toy to his neck, and then to his wrist for good measure, running it along the glands. Kuroo suddenly felt like he was prey to Bokuto's predator with the way his eyes dilated while watching.
Bokuto moved close to whisper so only Kuroo could hear. "You smell delicious."
Kuroo nearly dropped the cat but regained his composure as he tried to subtly take a breath to ground himself. "Here," he said stiffly as he held the cat out to the other alpha, who took it with a sincere smile that warmed something in Kuroo's chest.
"Thanks," Bokuto chirped, all previous intensity gone, and tucked the cat into the sleeve of his yukata. A part of Kuroo considered asking him to do the same with the owl plushie, but he felt the moment was lost when a group of kids ran by, jostling them while yelling about fireworks, so he quickly tucked it away. There would probably be time for it later.
Bokuto looked at Kuroo questioningly, who nodded. "Let’s go watch some fireworks," Kuroo agreed. As they began to walk away from the stall, he felt Bokuto lean into him and wondered if he was going to start their shoving game again when he felt a hand slide down into his.
He noted the callouses on the other’s hand, signs of his many years of playing volleyball. He imagined his own might have felt the same had he not taken the JVA route. Sure, he still played recreationally, but how did his hands feel compared to Bokuto’s? Would he notice similar callouses? Would he see a connection they both shared? The love of a sport that could bind them together? He glanced down at where their hands met, but when he looked back up, his breath caught when he saw the expression on Bokuto’s face.
"Is this okay?" Bokuto asked. He looked genuinely concerned, like he was worried he had done something wrong. Kuroo swallowed back his emotions, suddenly feeling more nervous than he had expected, and nodded.
They walked along the path, hand in hand, until they came to a patch of grass by the water where others were already gathering for fireworks. They found a spot by themselves and Bokuto sat on the grass, pulling Kuroo down with him.
They had barely gotten settled when the first round of colorful fireworks burst across the sky, eliciting a cry of oh’s and ah’s from the crowd. Bokuto reached out and put an arm around Kuroo’s shoulder, gently pulling him closer to his side. Kuroo’s inner alpha briefly protested the action before he silenced it, resting his head on Bokuto’s shoulder, and enjoying the feeling of comfort, protection, and above all, warmth.
Eventually, the fireworks came to an end, but they stayed leaning against each other, letting the crowd move away. Kuroo found himself nuzzling against Bokuto’s neck, the smell of wood smoke surrounding him, enticing him, making him feel safe.
"Kuroo," Bokuto murmured after a few moments, and Kuroo couldn’t help but smile as he felt the timbre of his voice so close.
"Hm?" He responded, stopping his nuzzling, but refusing to move away. If he focused, he could almost swear he heard what sounded like purring coming from the other man.
"I had a really good time today. Do you think," Bokuto trailed off, and the vibrations Kuroo had been feeling faded. Kuroo pulled back, watching Bokuto carefully as he seemed to be trying to work out what he wanted to say. "Are you okay if I court you? Like, officially?"
Kuroo chuckled and smirked. "We’re on a date, and you already had me scent something for you. I think we might already be in the courting stage, Bo. But yeah, I’d be okay with that."
He leaned forward and Bokuto met him halfway for a kiss as one last firework bloomed overhead.