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DAY 2: COURT
There was truly no denying it: Lev sucked at spiking.
How he planned on becoming the Ace with such terrible spikes was anyone’s guess, really. He had somehow managed to improve his receives (with some help from a reluctant Kenma and Yaku), but he couldn’t seem to spike the ball consistently. Every time he tried, he would always either miss the ball completely or it would go in the complete wrong direction, even when he managed to hit it properly. Even with Taketora’s help, he seemed to be a lost cause.
“Dammit Lev, how many times do I have to tell you to hit it with your palms! You’re using your fingertips; of course it won’t go where you want it to!”
“Sorry Yamamoto-san, I’ll get it this time for sure!”
But, alas, try as he might, he could only hit roughly 10 spikes per hour that they practiced. Coach Nekomata had told Kenma and Taketora to stay and help him for a while during practice; however, by the time practice had finished, they were both exhausted and had gotten little done.
Finally, the Coach had mercy on them and told them to go home for the day- it was becoming clear how tired and completely done Kenma was with Lev (and volleyball in general).
Kenma walked home with Kuroo as he usually did- today was a Friday and Kuroo was staying at Kenma’s place for the weekend; their journey, however, was taking much longer than it normally did. Kenma was so tired and worn out that they had barely made it home, even with Kuroo practically carrying the poor boy half of the way.
When they did get home-finally- they both breathed out a sigh of relief; Kenma’s mother still wasn’t home. Kuroo helped Kenma take of his clothes and sit in some warm bath water before hopping in with him. He was no masseuse, but his back rubs were to die for (he had given some to Bokuto, Akaashi, and Tsukishima, who had all begrudgingly agreed).
Later that night, after having dinner, the duo retired to bed early. Kenma lay with his head on Kuroo’s chest as he massaged his scalp, drawing random patterns on his bare chest.
“You know, when you put your mind to it, you can do anything.”
Kenma huffed. “That’s the most cliché thing you’ve said to me in years.”
“But it’s true! I’ve seen it happen a lot- Bo, Akaashi, Tsukki, even Shrimpy-““It’s Shoyo.” “When they put their minds to things they accomplish them-“
“But I’m not them, Kuro.”
“Dammit, let me finish. I was trying to say that I’ve never seen anyone as determined as you when it comes to these things. I have an idea- think of it as a game. How many points you get is based on how good your toss is, whether the ball is hit or not, how good of a spike it was, how good it was overall, stuff like that.”
“…I’m listening.”
~
Everyone was pleasantly surprised when practice began that Monday. Lev was actually hitting more than 50% of his spikes, and most of them went in their intended direction, even without Tora’s help. Even the Coach was shocked. What on earth could have happened over the weekend that would make such a drastic change? Even Lev himself called Kenma a miracle worker.
Little did anyone notice Kuroo in the background, smirking and chuckling to himself occasionally as he watched Kenma’s lips move after another perfect set.
1000 points for perfect hit. 50 points for style. 200 points for audience surprise. 3000 points for Underdog win. Bonus level unlocked.
~
EXTRA
A few days later, the team walked through the city together, occasionally slipping into shops but never really buying much. They did, however, buy anything that Kenma asked for. He had made the unthinkable happen- how else could they thank him for doing the impossible?
Kenma, of course, was using this to his advantage; in the few short hours that they had been out, he had gotten four new games, a bag full of candy, an upgrade for his gaming systems, a whole apple pie, and some free dinner. Sure, he was running the team dry, but he wasn’t about to pass up such an offer. At some point, he even decided to get Kuroo some books (he’s such a nerd), some owl shirts and a math book for Bokuto (not so much of a nerd), and some little trinkets for Akaashi, Tsukishima, and Shoyo (he had begun bonding quite a bit with Tsukishima and Akaashi by talking about the stupidity of their teammates and captains).
Finally, his bank fund had run dry, and Kenma, along with Kuroo, parted from the group, telling Lev to continue practicing- he may be a “miracle worker”, but Lev still needed the practice. Their walk home was quiet, though at some point, Kenma had begun heavily leaning on Kuroo’s shoulder whilst lazily playing some game on his phone and simultaneously texting Shoyo. His eyes were obviously becoming heavy, and Kuroo eventually took pity on him when he began stumbling over the smallest of cracks. Kenma rode piggy-back on Kuroo’s shoulders the rest of the way home.
This time, Kenma stayed over at the Kuroo household, though they had gotten home so late that the entirety of the home was still and silent when they walked in. Kuroo attempted to put Kenma down, only to find that Kenma was fast asleep on his back. Smiling gently, he took off a groggy Kenma’s shoes and put him in his nightwear before doing the same to himself and pulling them onto his couch together (he really didn’t feel like going upstairs.)
He turned on the TV and let it play softly in the background, knowing that he probably wouldn’t sleep for a few hours himself. He looked down at Kenma’s sleeping figure, breathing in the delicious scent of vanilla shampoo that Kenma always used. He smiled down at Kenma, eyes closed, and whispered out one final sentence before drifting off into a peaceful sleep.
“See, I told you you could do it.”
FIN.