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Kuroo is walking between classes when he gets the text. His economics professor let them out early, and he'd taken advantage of it: the econ building was small and poorly lit, he always felt a bit claustrophobic in there. His arms are stretched wide to the sides, careless of the other students filing past him, and his yawn is almost so loud he doesn't even hear his phone when it chirps in his pocket.
Of course, his phone vibrates in tune with the chime, so he reaches into his pocket to fish it out, ready to be vaguely annoyed if it's another phantom vibration.
But it's not, it's a text from Kenma, and he shifts his backpack more securely over his shoulders as he taps it open.
kozy ken: You're coming over today.
Kuroo smiled at his phone, typing out a quick "of course" in reply and pressing send. He slides his phone back into his jacket, knowing better than to expect a reply. Kenma probably wasn't even demanding a reply from Kuroo – it was more of a statement than an invitation or question, anyways.
He's just starting to mentally rearrange his homework plan when he feels the first drop on his face.
"Eh…?" He lifts a hand to wipe his forehead, coming away wet. He's confused, at first, until he sees the sidewalk in front of him quickly darkening, first with shadow, then with quickly falling rain.
"Ah, shit," he curses, looking up at the sky to see it darkened with clouds, and harsher ones rolling in fast. He starts running towards his next class, cursing the fact that it's across campus.
And not a second to spare, either – it starts raining even harder, and Kuroo's resigned to being mostly-drenched before he even gets close to the psych building.
…
When Kenma opens the door of his apartment three hours later, it's to find a sopping wet Kuroo on his doormat.
"Sorry," Kuroo says as Kenma lets him in, immediately shedding layers once the door is closed. "It's cats and dogs out there."
Kenma just grunts in disapproval, holding out a hand to keep Kuroo from stepping further into his apartment. Kenma steps away once he's certain Kuroo won't leave a puddle in his entire front room, and ducks into the bathroom, returning with a dry towel and a pair of too-big sweatpants Kuroo had left last time he was over.
"Dry off before you start puddling," he instructs, flipping the towel over his best friend's face so he doesn't have to see the shit-eating grin he knows is there as Kuroo chirps out an over-the-top thank you.
He looks weird with his hair plastered to his face, Kenma decides, walking the five steps it takes to reach his kitchen and plugging in his popcorn popper. He picks at the edge of an old Fire Emblem sticker that's peeling off, listening contentedly to the loud hum it makes as it warms up.
Sometimes he likes the fact that it's old, and nearly-deafening. It almost drowns out the winds outside.
Kuroo sneaks over and pokes his head over Kenma's shoulder at the same time as the first kernels start to pop, and he jumps in surprise. Kuroo's bare chest is warm against his back, and when he looks down Kenma can see his socked feet framed on each side by a pair of bigger, bare ones.
"What're we gonna watch tonight?" Kuroo asks, and Kenma wrinkles his nose at the feel of wet strands of hair that are definitely not his sticking to his face.
"I just got my DVD of How to Train Your Dragon," he says, ducking under Kuroo's arms under the guise of getting the salt for the popcorn. "Thought we could watch that."
Kuroo's smiling brightly at him when he turns around, and for a moment he's taken aback by how ridiculous his best friend is. He's standing there, in nothing but a pair of baggy sweatpants, and looking like he's heard the best news of his life. How to Train Your Dragon isn't even his favorite movie – but he knows that it is Kenma's.
The fact that his hair is only half dry, standing up in every which direction while other spots are still damp from the rain and sticking to his cheek probably doesn't help the silliness factor. Kenma snickers a little at the thought, and starts salting the popcorn while the last kernels pop.
Kuroo pulls the plug out with an expert tug, and lets it hang from the side of the counter like a tail. "Sounds great," he beams, walking toward Kenma's bedroom with a cheery, "I'll get the blanket!"
Kenma shakes his head at Kuroo's antics, following him into the bedroom with their snack, stopping along the way to grab his phone charger from where he'd left it on the top of the counter.
Kuroo's already comfortably nesting in his bed, pillows piled against the headboard and blankets curled around his waist, with a spot to his side left invitingly open. Kenma sets the popcorn there, ignoring Kuroo's pout as he plugs his charger in, pulling the cord so it sat easily within reach for later.
Kenma grabs his laptop and flaps his hand a Kuroo, who picks up the popcorn bowl and scoots over to the side, letting him crawl in comfortably with him.
Kenma wastes no time in booting up his computer, anxious to start the movie and drown out the noise of the storm outside. The wind is still howling, and rain is beating down against his window, just beyond the tightly drawn curtains.
Kuroo must read the tension in his shoulders, because next thing he knows, Kenma is pulled back against Kuroo's side, his arm wrapped tightly around Kenma's shoulders. It's a little cramped, but the closeness does help him feel a bit better. He pulls the blankets up around their waists, and clicks around until the movie is playing on the laptop at their feet.
Kuroo leans forward, plugging in his headphones, the ones with the extra-long cord, and offers Kenma an earbud with a reassuring smile.
…
Each time the thunder booms, Kenma feels like it was rocking him to his core, and he just curled up tighter against Kuroo's side, focusing on listening to his favorite movie, anxiously playing a simple matching game on his phone.
When the lightning flashes outside of the window and he flinches, Kuroo just shifts the popcorn bowl, now empty, out of the way, and pulls both arms around his best friend, holding him securely.
When the movie ends, Kuroo doesn't say anything, doesn't ask what they should do next, simply presses play again, and Kenma curls up underneath the blankets, folding himself behind a protective fort of pillows, blankets, and Kuroo's knees.
When Kenma finally drifts off to sleep, hours later, Kuroo gently pulls his phone from his hands, safely plugging it in one-handedly, not wanting to move too much and jostle the exhausted young man awake.
He closes the laptop lid, carefully placing it on the floor next to the empty bowl, and shifts so that he can lay down a bit more comfortably.
Kenma starts to stir, but Kuroo wraps his arms around him, gently rubbing a comforting line up and down his back, laying his best friend across his chest and pulling the blankets up around their ears.
When the storm starts to pass, the winds calming down and the harsh raindrops slowing to a gentle patter, Kuroo pulls his best friend's head close and presses a gentle kiss to his crown.
A quiet sigh escapes Kenma's lips, and he relaxes into Kuroo's side.
When morning comes, it only finds two young men, comfortably curled up into each other, sleeping soundly.