Chapter Text
Keiji got used to Tokyo’s nightlife faster than he imagined.
He wasn’t the type of man to go out and party every night in any bone in his body, so he knew it was going to be a rough adjustment. The need to give up on pleasant evenings on his couch, hurdled up in a warm blanket as he drank his chocolate milk and read an interesting book was the worst of it. Keiji really liked those evenings, and somehow, the promise of loud music and obnoxious people in its stead wasn’t very appealing to him.
His best friend Kou, on the other hand, has always been a party animal. Koutaru was a ball of sunshine, and he exploded on anyone who asked to be enlightened. That’s exactly how he fit on the dance floor as well, he danced with everyone and the movement of his body was magically enchanting, drawing thicker and thicker crowds into any club he worked for.
It pays well, Keiji knew that fact for a really long time. Kou never missed anything, and when in good moods about one thing or the other, his friend showered him with presents that Keiji had to work pretty hard to earn himself. Being a barista in a small shop wasn’t the top of his ambitions, and the routine of it made Keiji feel a little rusty around the edges, the everyday motions wearing him out. Every time exams season came around, Keiji found himself sinking deeper into the mud that was his life, having more struggles even in normal parts like taking showers or getting out of bed. Being a working university student was never easy. It’s just that Kou never seemed worn out, and Keiji just slightly envied that.
Of course they were different people with different likings, and Kou just happen to fall on the more profitable half of their difference. Because Keiji knew he’ll never fit in like Kou, he allowed himself to be amused by the idea of getting into the nightlife himself, maybe as a bartender. How different could it be from his current job anyways? Coffee had to be harder to make then cocktails. These thoughts amused him for a while, but the real troubles began when he accidently mentioned it once to Kou when they were drinking wine in the safety of Keiji’s home.
The last thing Keiji was expecting was to be taken so seriously by Kou. He didn’t think his friend could even be this serious about anything besides the volleyball they played together in high school.
That’s when the convincing began. Koutaru couldn’t stop talking about it, not even for a second. He asked Keiji to come and try it out, since men as pretty as Keiji are always a plus. Honestly, Keiji never heard the word ‘pretty’ so many times in his entire life put together. About a week into the constant blabber, Keiji decided to actually show up and try making it work, even if it meant he’ll fail just to shut Kou up.
Surprisingly, he didn’t fail. He stood an entire night on his feet, sending smiles and trying to be as charming as he could to the clientele, and it worked like magic. Not like Kou’s magic, of course, Keiji still didn’t dance out there for everyone to see. Still it worked for him. Some of the men and women he served came back to see him again, every evening he worked they were there, joined by many. Kou told him it was good, that Keiji was doing great service to the club by spreading it around like that.
Staying up most of the night and studying during the day made Keiji feel like he had some kind of a secret life, even though he never got to do anything outrageous with it. It was way easier than working at the coffee shop, and he could even not go to work all days of the week and make more room for studying with the salary raise this little fix got him. It got easier, even when exam season came around. Keiji felt a little more like Kou with each day passing, flirting more and throwing brighter smiles around; he began feeling important.
And he wanted to feel especially important every time Kuroo Tetsuru came around. Kuroo didn’t come for him, of course. He was friends with Kou, and Keiji watched them many times curl around each other in a fiery dance that made the crowd go halfway insane. Kuroo was a handsome devil, sending smirks and pulling bodies against his own. His hands were daring and sometimes, on especially hot days, Keiji caught sight on Kuroo’s tongue on other people’s skin. Which was highly unsanitary, and that was the reason Keiji’s stomach shifted, obviously not because of how hot that was.
Of course, Kou had to catch Keiji’s eyes on Kuroo once to know how far watching the raven haired man affected him.
From that point on, Kou did his best as their own personal cupid. Even though Keiji asked him to stop, more than once, but all of his pleas went way over Kou’s head. He initiated coffee meetings, asked both of them to help him with arrangements together, he even brought Kuroo into their weekly movie nights every once in a while. Keiji was always polite about this, admitting even if it were just to himself that he liked having Kuroo around.
He may even be well into developing a little crush.
“Keij,” Kou waved his hand in front of Keiji’s face, snapping out of his thoughts. Keiji blinked as he caught the dirty amused look on Kou’s face. “Are you thinking about Tetsuru again?”
“No, Kou,” Keiji pinched his friend’s shoulder, huffing before he took another sip of his coffee. The feeing on Kou’s eyes weighted heavily on him, like tiny rocks that fell from the ceiling to distract him farther into embarrassment. “Alright, yes, Kou. I was thinking on how you keep pushing us together.”
Kou made an excited little sound, almost vibrating in his seat. “You’re thinking about him when he's not even around! It must mean something.”
“That I have the ability to think about something I can’t see?”
“That you’re falling for him,” Kou returned the pinch, much softer then Keiji gave him.
Keiji sighed and curled his hands around his coffee, not letting go even if it burned a little against the coldness of his fingers. The truth was, Kuroo was way too charming for his own good. When he was around Keiji found himself smiling more, and the response he got for those smiles made his insides warm even on the colder of days. Kou may not be so wrong after all. "Can you read him as well as you can read me?"
"I can't read anyone as good as I can read you," Koutaru's hand found its way to hold Keiji's shoulder, giving it a tiny squeeze. "But I know Kuroo likes pretty, polite boys, and you're it. Besides, he obviously has some kind of lust for you. You never saw the way he gets to stare at your ass."
Keiji's wide eyes shot to Koutaru, "He stares at my ass?"
"Hungrily," Koutaru wiggled his eyebrows and if Keiji's stomach didn't feel like someone let loose a hive of bees in there, he would have punched him right in the face. "Like the best kind of candy to sink his teeth into."
Keiji groaned and let his head fall on the table, hoping that Koutaru won't catch the flush on his cheeks from above him.
But of course he did.
*
Keiji entered his shift at the club with an uneasy heart. Koutaru looked like he made a sweet deal with the devil throughout the rest of their time together earlier that day, even when Kuroo said he won't be able to join them that look never lessened. Keiji knew him long and well enough to know he has a plan, and it's going to be embarrassing, since all of Koutaru's plans are embarrassing.
The other bartenders smiled at him in greeting as usual, and Keiji took his place at the cash register, beginning to organize everything for the night ahead of them. The bottles behind him were lined up perfectly, the cash register ready for action, and from the corner of his eye he could already see people coming in. One of his classmates was among them, and when they recognized each other Keiji gave him a beer and he stayed close, holding a light conversation about the latest non harmful rumors that floated around campus.
As the crowd got slowly thicker, Keiji had to halt their conversation to tend to other customers. He found his regulars and gave them all the dazzling personality he had in him, getting smiles and extra fat tips in return. He almost forgot he had to act suspicious to the world around him, waiting for Koutaru's plan to unfold on him.
It didn't take long to catch him with his pants down, though.
It started with one of the bartenders asking him for a favor. He had to deliver a whole bottle of Whiskey to the customers occupying the table farthest from them. Keiji knew that the one who asked him twisted his leg a while ago and took pity on him. It wasn't a secret that when you're holding glass-made bottles and moving across a battlefield – aka, the dance floor – you put your life on the line. Keiji couldn't send an injured man into war, now could he?
He rounded the bar to its exit, looking around to maybe find an easy way through. The paths he found quickly shifted as bodies moved like maze walls, making Keiji realize pretty quickly the only way through is by strength, not smarts. That's how he found himself pushing dancing men and women aside as he clutched the bottle tightly against his chest, not even bothering to scream apologies over the loud music.
Most of the people he shoved aside didn't show much resistence, air ran a bit short in his lungs, but he's close. The lights above the tables that were his target shone brighter, giving him hope and strength to move on. When he finally emerged from the other side of the horror, he almost stopped to pray for his safe passage. A woman danced his way from the table, taking the bottle away before kissing his cheek softly with a smile.
Keiji smiled back, turning his back to her only to stare again into the dancefloor. He has to go through again to make it back to the bar, there was no other way.
This time he kind of found a path, the one he created with his own blood, sweat and even a smidge of tears. He started walking back, barely noticing that this time around he was watched closely. Halfway through the crowd Keiji spotted the lights ahead again, feeling slightly relived at how close he is. In a blink of an eye, a hand wrapped around his wrist, another around his middle as he was pulled back and away from his target into a warm body.
His breathe left him as he felt the other body move against his, blush creeping quickly to his face. Keiji wasn't used to being touched so intimately, he haven't felt another pair of hands on his other than his own since he broke up with his boyfriend in the last year of school. The hand on his hip settled against his hipbone on top of his jeans as it guided him to move against the other body, the other one becoming looser around his wrist. Keiji turned around, pushing forward to put some distance between them only to get pulled right back against a firm chest.
If he thought he was breathless so far, Keiji sure wasn't expecting the slam of air leaving his lungs when he looked up and recognized Kuroo's features, this time much closer to his own face.
"Hi," Kuroo more mouthed then said, his single word getting swallowed by the noise around them. He flashed Keiji a warm smile, wrapping the arm around Keiji's waist better as he shifted them even closer than they were.
"What are you doing?" Keiji was kind of glad that Kuroo couldn't hear him since he really couldn't trust his own voice right now.
Kuroo leaned in, moving his lips dangerously close to Keiji's ear, close enough for Keiji to feel the smirk form those lips took. His body froze against the sudden closeness. "Koutaru told me I should dance with you tonight. Just, for no reason."
He should know better. Keiji should know not to let Kou jump him with weird, probably not thoroughly explained plans. He should know to stop and tell Kou off strong enough so his white haired friend would get it, loud and clear. Maybe than Keiji wouldn't have had to find himself in a situation where he should push his hips back because he's not sure in which was the excitement that came out of the position would show.
Keiji couldn't find words to say, deciding it would be best to just dance with Kuroo until he's humored enough to find another victim. He closed his eyes briefly and let go, trying his hardest to ignore the amused look Kuroo gave him. Kuroo's hands traveled across Keiji's body, mostly in gestures Keiji found to be more reassuring then sensual. He paused for a second, returning his eyes to Kuroo to find this actually wasn't how he usually danced with others on the dancefloor. Kuroo was being gentle with him.
The smile Kuroo gave him this time was a calm one, an understanding look in his eyes. He leaned in again, and this time Keiji expected it, allowing his body to remain calm and even sneaking an arm around Kuroo's shoulders so him whispering in his ear won't be as hard. "I'm actually dancing with you because I wanted to, Kou just gave me the heads up you really want this too."
The arm Keiji had around Kuroo's shoulder kept him from moving too far away as Keiji turned his head to reach Kuroo's ear, "Want what, exactly?"
Kuroo chuckled before Keiji felt a hard moving softly against the back of his head, Kuroo's nose dragging slowly across Keiji's cheek until his mouth reached his ear again, "Whatever it is you want. If it's sex, sure. Romance, even better. Wherever your line crosses, I'm game."
Keiji smiled, leaning his forehead against Kuroo's cheek so the taller will hopefully miss the blush on his cheeks. He pulled Kuroo closer, and the raven haired fit his body against Keiji, growing a little bolder with the way his arms held Keiji against him. Kuroo's nose moved to Keiji's neck, slowly dragging down as Keiji could feel him grinning against his skin.
"I'd like to find where my line crosses with you too," he replied, his head back to boop his nose against Kuroo's, their eyes holding each other captive for the night.
And if they were lucky, for many nights to come.