Work Text:
Tetsurou found it a bit odd that Tadashi’s gaze on Kei’s backside seemed firmer than usual as the blond left the room to go buy something nearby. But the suspicion becomes a bit more anticipatory when Tadashi’s eyes immediately snap to him as soon as the door’s clicked closed.
“Tsukki’s got a total crush on you, you know.”
The sound of Koutarou spitting out his drink behind him seemed like a perfect description of how he felt hearing that.
Out of everyone there - Koutarou, Keiji, Tadashi and Kei up until moments ago - Tetsurou was admittedly the least close with Tadashi. It seems feasible, the first-year had been up to his own solo training during the camp, and they had only had small conversations whenever he and Kei came to visit Tokyo. He was, overall, a nice guy - with a bit of mischievous snark that made Tetsurou realize how he got along with Kei so well.
A mischievousness that led to throwing his best friend under the bus and revealing his feelings directly to his apparent crush.
“Wait. Me? Seriously?” Tetsurou asked, pointing a finger at himself as Akaashi patted Koutarou’s coughing backside behind him. “Tsukki has a crush on me?”
Tadashi takes a sip of his drink. “Yep.”
“He—” Tetsurou points at the closed door Kei’d walked out of not even thirty seconds before “—likes me?”
“Mm,” Tadashi hums, eyes drifting off somewhere above him in recollection, “for about a couple of months now, yeah. I only started noticing stuff recently.”
Stuff? Stuff? What the hell does he mean by stuff? Kei acting like someone with acrush? Now there’s a thought that’d definitely get him smacked with a volleyball if he ever voiced it out loud around him - but what the hell does that even mean!?
He must’ve articulated his flabbergasted curiosity in some form or another because Tadashi’s set down his drink to elaborate on the subject.
“I would only tease him about you two texting at first, and he would only get annoyed about it.” He puts a thoughtful finger on his chin, delving into more specific memories. “But then he’d start getting more agitated - embarrassed, I guess - somewhere along the line. He’d start reaching for his phone a lot quicker during study sessions. Sometimes he makes a fuss over what souvenirs he brings you.”
All of those situations seemed pretty suspicious, but Tetsurou isn’t completely sold. Still, the thought of Kei caring about him to that degree is pretty … comforting, to say the least. Some of it was actually kind of cute.
“I even asked him about it once - he couldn’t even look me in the eye.” Tadashi laughs a bit to himself at the thought. “He’s just having a hard time admitting it to himself, trust me.”
“… Why are you telling him this?” asks Keiji from somewhere behind him.
Keiji and Koutarou haven’t said anything up until this point, mindfully staying out of the conversation despite hanging onto every word - which Koutarou will no doubt be retelling to his pals back at Fukuroudani next week.
Tadashi shrugs. “He’d never admit his feelings to me or himself - much less actually ask you out himself.” He turns to Tetsurou. “And it’s not like you’re a bad guy, I think you’d be good for each other.”
This time it’s Koutarou’s turn to interject. “Of course, my bro can get anybody on the planet!” Although it’s much less helpful this time around.
“Mm. So, how do you feel about this?” Tadashi asks, sending a look in Tetsurou’s direction.
“Wh-me?” He’s probably said that word far too many times at this point, since everyone’s looks simultaneously scream ‘Yes, you.’ at this point. “I dunno. He’s a nice guy I guess? Never kinda expected him to, you know, like me, though.”
“Do you like him, though?” inquires Keiji.
“Well, I just said that—”
“No, no. You and Tsukishima are both friends - bros and stuff - and you’re, like, cool with that and all. But are you down for like, ‘relationship’ stuff?” Koutarou adds in clarification. Despite how layman it sounds, it gets the point across - a good descriptor for Koutarou’s inputs in general, actually.
“I…” Tetsurou ponders the thought for a while. He definitely would like to spend more time with Kei in general. Holding hands, kissing, and other couple-y stuff? That’s… “I guess that’d be pretty cool…”
At his pseudo-confession, a certain spark goes off in Tadashi’s eyes. “Really? You’d be fine going on dates and being in a relationship with him?”
Tadashi seems glad - which is good, at least he’s not lying. Tetsurou’s too far gone at this point to take it all back if he was lying.
“Yeah,” Tetsurou confirms, and he could’ve sworn he heard Koutarou gasp in reaction to it, “Tsukki’s a really nice guy once you get down to it. It’d be pretty nice going on dates with him. Watching movies, holding hands walking down the street. Cuddling and k-kissing and … and—”
Fuck. Now he’s done it.
There’s an immediate outcry and a chorus of “ooh!”’s that follow his far too intrusive ramble - mostly from Koutarou, the bastard. Tetsurou immediately takes to staring hard at his lap. God he could feel his palms sweating - and he’d done so well at keeping his voice even too.
“You okay, Kuroo? You’re blushing a lot harder now.”
Wait, blushing harder? He could feel it now but has he been red this entire time!?
Koutarou bursts out laughing. “You’re totally right! I couldn’t tell because of the lights and stuff but oh my god he’s so embarrassed!”
Tetsurou shoots him a weak glare, indirectly giving Keiji a better view of his visage.
“Ah, you’re right,” he comments, making Tetsurou instinctually turn his head back. Damn this is so embarrassing.
Tetsurou falls back against the cushioned back of the sofa, running a hand through his hair and closes his eyes with a long sigh. “Shit, I guess I do k-kinda like him.”Christ, he’s so uncomfortable right now - but who wouldn’t be when you’vejust developed feelings for one of your friends while three others watch you do it with amusement?
It takes a while for him to cool down, and his friends - Thank God - give him enough silence to do just that. When the uncomfortable tightness in his stomach has loosened up a bit and his heart’s stopped slamming against his ribcage, he opens an eye at Tadashi.
“All right, you got me.” Is it him or is Tadashi smirking a bit? Hard to tell in this light - the sneaky bastard. “But now Tsukishima’s gonna get back here and it’s gonna be awkward as hell.”
“He’s only at that hat shop we passed by next to the Family Mart. You can go talk to him right now.”
Which was probably Tadashi’s intention all along, now that he thinks about it. How cunning of him.
“You really think he’d say yes at this point? In the middle of the street after a friendly round of karaoke?”
“Absolutely. Absolutely. Now go hurry up, we have some time for a couple more songs before we catch up.”
“Good luck.”
“You can do it, bro!”
Tetsurou was out the door not more than twenty seconds later.
“I hope they get back soon, we still have to meet up with Kenma after this.” remarks Koutarou, still too buzzed about the turn of events to get started on picking the next song. “But whoa, I didn’t think Tsukki was that lovestruck for our Kuroo.”
“Well, I might have exaggerated just a little bit.” Tadashi shrugs. “But it’s not like Tsukki was the only one with a crush, right?”
Both Keiji and Koutarou hum in agreement. Right now the atmosphere doesn’t feel right to continue singing, they’ll probably just order more drinks and talk until Tetsurou and Kei get back, or their time runs out - whatever comes first.
Tadashi smirks, oh Tsukki totally owed him for this one.