Work Text:
Kuroo sat alone at the kotatsu, sipping his coffee as he thought back to earlier that morning. Kenma had been unusually slow to wake up, hitting snooze no less than four times before finally getting up. He'd just barely gotten dressed and out of the house before risking being late.
Kuroo was enjoying a rare day off but, unfortunately, Kenma had a full day of classes, a meeting for his company in the afternoon and, to top it all off, it was raining, so he was feeling achey and tired. He'd glared at Kuroo all morning, as if it was Kuroo's fault that his day would be busy while Kuroo would be able to relax and do nothing.
Little did Kenma know…
Kuroo smiled to himself and downed the rest of his coffee.
He had work to do.
The rain let up just long enough for Kuroo to make it to and from the store without getting soaked, and he hoped Kenma enjoyed the same luck and made it to class dry.
He placed his groceries strategically around the counter then rolled up his sleeves. He melted some butter in a pot, whisked in some flour, then water and sugar. He continued whisking the simmering mixture for a few minutes before finally turning the stove off and moving the pot away.
Kuroo picked up one of the beautiful, tart apples, giving it a little toss and catching it. He tossed it one more time then grabbed a peeler, setting to work peeling all of the apples. He'd just finished coring them and was getting ready to slice when his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and brightened when he saw Kenma's name.
"Hey, kitten," he greeted, putting the phone on speaker and setting it off to the side. He sliced into the first apple with a small thunk.
"Kuro," Kenma returned, sounding confused. "What was that sound?"
Kuroo laughed and moved on to the next apple. "Just getting some work done around the house. "Whatcha need?"
"Uh-huh," Kenma deadpanned on the other end. "What kind of work are you doing?"
Kuroo hummed, slicing another apple. "Did you call for anything in particular or did you just want to hear my voice?"
The silent on the other end of the phone was telling.
Chuckling, Kuroo slid the apple slices into a bowl. "I miss you, too, Kenma," he said, truthfully, and sprinkled cinnamon into the bowl. "I wish you didn't have tests today and could be home with me."
"Me, too," Kenma grumbled. Kuroo carefully poured the sauce into the bowl, giving it a stir, being careful not to make too much noise.
"You don't have much longer, right?" Kuroo asked, glancing at the clock. Everything was moving right on schedule. "Just your meeting?"
"Yeah," Kenma muttered, and Kuroo could just imagine the expression on his face as he thought about the meeting. "At least the rain stopped."
"Did it?" Kuroo asked, a bit absent-mindedly, as he spread some flour down on the counter. He placed a ball of pre-made dough down, and began rolling it out, careful to keep his pressure even, grinning in triumph when he finished.
Kenma's sigh crackled over the phone, and Kuroo heard what sounded like people in the background. He must be on the move. "I need to go," Kenma finally said, sounding regretful.
"You'll be home before you know it," Kuroo told him as he dumped the apple mixture into the crust. "I love you."
Kenma let out a little breath, just barely audible. "Yeah. You, too," he said quietly before the line went silent.
Kuroo smiled. He knew Kenma loved him, even if the words for hard for him to say. He carefully arranged a lattice pattern onto the pie and slipped it into the oven. Time to wait.
After one of the longest days of his life, feeling tired, sore, and still very much like a wet cat, Kenma opened the front door of his home with Kuroo, and was immediately hit with the scent of apple cinnamon goodness, his eyes falling closed in relief. When he opened them, he was met with the sight of Kuroo standing in the doorway, smiling crookedly, flour speckled through his hair, a bit of dough still on his cheek, and holding out a plate with a fresh slice of apple pie, just begging for him to dig in. He felt his shoulders relax, and he gave Kuroo his first genuine smile of the day.
"I'm home."