Work Text:
This day couldn’t get any worse.
Everything that could have gone wrong at work had gone wrong. Fuck Murphy’s Law. Because of it, you’d ended up staying late, and now it was nearly nine o’clock by the time you finally left the office.
The city was dark aside from the harsh glow of streetlights and neon signs burning against your tired eyes. Usually, you loved the city at night, but tonight the lights felt painfully bright. You blinked hard as you stumbled toward the train station.
At least the trains would be quieter.
Sighing, you stepped onto the correct platform and pulled your bag tighter against your shoulder.
Plop. Plop.
You frowned.
Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop.
“Oh, fuck off.”
Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop.
Rain suddenly hammered down against the concrete, heavy enough to bounce back up in misty sprays. The station shelter barely counted as cover, but it was better than nothing. You hurried beneath the metal awning, wrapping your arms around yourself as the wind carried cold rain against your side anyway.
Kneeling down, you shrugged your bag off your shoulder and dug through your belongings. Somewhere in there was the rolled-up piece of clothing you carried around for situations exactly like this. Half the reason your bag was always so annoyingly big. Your fingers brushed against familiar fabric. You pulled it free.
A black and red Nekoma volleyball hoodie.
You hadn’t even gone to Nekoma. Hell, you’d only played volleyball casually a handful of times with friends. And yet the hoodie was probably your most prized possession. You didn’t let yourself think too hard about why.
Still, the second you pulled it over your head, some of the tension in your body eased. The fabric was worn soft with age, carrying a comfort you hated yourself a little for still needing.
“Attention please. The next train at platform four is delayed by thirty-four minutes due to a fault on the line caused by the weather. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
The announcement echoed through the station. There were only a few people scattered across the platform, but after hearing the delay, several groaned and turned back toward the station entrance, probably trying their luck with another route or giving up and calling a taxi. If only you had that luxury.
You rubbed at your eyes and exhaled through your nose, trying not to cry from sheer frustration. Honestly, how could this day get any worse?
Your gaze drifted across the nearly empty platform. At least there was someone else still waiting with you. A man stood further down beneath the shelter, dressed sharply in a suit and dark trench coat, a large black umbrella held lazily above his head. Even from here, something about him felt familiar.
Then he looked up.
You knew those cat-like hazel eyes anywhere.
A dozen swear words immediately flooded your brain, though thankfully you had enough self-control not to say any of them out loud. Of course karma had to get you somehow. You asked yourself how this day could possibly get worse, and apparently the universe had taken that as a personal challenge. Because now you were stuck on the same platform as your ex-boyfriend, waiting for a delayed train while wearing his stupid hoodie that you absolutely should have either returned or thrown away months ago.
What were the chances he wouldn’t notice you within the next thirty-four minutes? Slim to none. Still, you weren’t above trying. Maybe if you stayed perfectly still he’d somehow miss you entirely. Maybe the rain would blur his vision. Maybe he’d get distracted. Slowly, you reached up and pulled the hood over your head, trying not to make any sudden movements that might draw attention to yourself.
As you adjusted the fabric, you couldn’t help but wonder what he was even doing on this train line. Kuroo lived much closer to the city centre, near his office, which meant he normally took a completely different route home.
Honestly, it had been one of the few blessings after the breakup. Even though you both still worked in the city, you’d somehow managed to avoid running into each other entirely. No awkward sightings across crowded stations. No accidental eye contact on platforms. No painful reminders during your morning commute.
Until today, apparently.
There had been a time when you’d both talked seriously about moving into his apartment together. It was bigger, closer to work, and made more sense financially. You’d spent nights curled up together on his couch discussing furniture, arguing jokingly over where bookshelves would go, what colour to paint the kitchen walls. Then you broke up before any of it could happen.
Maybe he was on this line because he was going to see a new girlfriend.
The thought hit like ice water straight through your chest, sharp enough that you almost doubled over from it. But you didn’t have the right to feel that way anymore. He wasn’t yours anymore.
The breakup had been mutual, but that somehow made it worse. Neither of you had fallen out of love. It just had simply stopped working.
You were both too passionate about your careers. Ironically, that ambition had been part of what drew you together in the first place. You understood each other in a way nobody else really could. But somewhere along the line, you both became married to your jobs, and being together started to feel like an affair. A distraction. Something you had to squeeze into the gaps between meetings and deadlines. You barely saw each other anymore. And in the end, loving each other hadn’t been enough to fix that. So you’d let each other go.
You pulled yourself out of your memories and rubbed at your tired eyes again. They felt raw, like there was a layer of salt coating them. God, they hurt. When your vision finally focused properly, you glanced back toward where Kuroo had been standing.
But he was gone.
Your head whipped around instinctively, searching for him, only to nearly jump out of your skin when you found a tall figure standing right beside you instead, holding his umbrella over both of you with an infuriatingly familiar smirk tugging at his lips.
Damn him and his stupid cat-like reflexes.
You startled hard enough that your shoulders jerked, but quickly tried to play it off like you absolutely had not just almost had a heart attack. Kuroo’s grin widened slightly. With a deep sigh, you resigned yourself to your fate.
“… Hi,” you said.
“Hi.”
“This is weird.”
“Extremely.”
Despite everything, you couldn’t help the small grin that tugged at your lips. You shook your head.
“Out of every train station in Tokyo, it had to be this one?”
Kuroo snorted. “I was thinking the same thing.”
The awkwardness still lingered between you, but at least it wasn’t quite as suffocating anymore.
“You okay?” he asked after a moment. “You look tired.”
“Fantastic, actually,” you lied.
You felt his eyes scanning your face, searching for any sign that you weren’t. Unfortunately, Kuroo knew you far too well to believe that answer. Still, you weren’t about to give him the satisfaction of admitting it. It wasn’t his job to care anymore. It hadn’t been for eighteen months.
Then his gaze dropped down to the hoodie.
“That’s my hoodie.”
You closed your eyes briefly. “I am aware.”
“Didn’t think you would still have that thing.”
“Don’t start,” you muttered before sighing. “I can explain.”
“Then explain.”
“It’s raining.”
He chuckled beside you. “Not a good enough explanation.”
“I’m already having a terrible day, Kuroo. Don’t make it worse.”
His expression softened almost immediately.
“...That bad, huh?”
You ignored the question entirely.
“Surely you can afford a taxi,” you said instead. “Why are you still standing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
So he didn’t know. Oddly enough, that was comforting.
“I...” You swallowed. “I changed jobs. That place was making me miserable. The pressure, the stress... it was too much. Where I work now is a lot better, outside of today anyway. But it means I don’t exactly have spare taxi money anymore.”
“Same.”
You blinked at him. “What?”
He shrugged. “I changed jobs too. The corporate career nearly killed me, especially after you. I got in too deep. Work became everything to me, and I kinda lost myself in it. Bokuto and Kenma noticed before I did.” A faint smile crossed his face. “So now I work for Volleyball Japan. I still get the career stuff, but I also get to stay close to volleyball and actually see my friends again.”
You couldn’t help smiling back at him. “That’s amazing, Kuroo. Seriously... I’m really happy for you.”
Especially after you. The words lingered stubbornly in your mind. Heat crept into your face before you could stop it, and you sank deeper into the hood, praying the dim platform lighting and rain would hide it from him.
“Thanks,” he smiled. “I’m happy for you too. So what do you do now?”
You filled him in on your new job role, your lovely work colleagues, and your boss. How everything was starting to feel lighter again. By the time you finished explaining, you couldn’t help but notice the cold and rain seeping through the hoodie. You shivered, rubbing your arms.
“You’re cold,” he said simply.
“I’m fine,” you replied automatically.
His eyes lingered for a second longer than necessary. “Doesn’t really look like it.”
You pulled the sleeves down over your hands. “Just drop it.”
That familiar look crossed his face, the one you used to see right before he decided to call you out on something you didn’t want to talk about.
“You’re still terrible at taking care of yourself.”
“Don’t do that,” you snapped.
He raised an eyebrow. “Do what?”
“That thing where you act like you know me.”
“I did know you.”
“Not anymore,” you said sharply.
He closed his mouth, swallowing whatever he was about to say. Still, he shrugged out of his coat.
“I already told you, I’m okay,” you said, taking a step away from him.
“Yeah, yeah, I heard you,” he replied, clearly ignoring the distance you were trying to put between you.
Before you could protest, he leaned in and draped the coat over your shoulders, simultaneously taking your bag. You tried to argue, but the overwhelming warmth and familiar scent of him made the words die on your tongue. Before you could stop yourself, you sank into the coat with a quiet sigh of relief.
“…Thanks,” you muttered.
“Don’t mention it,” he said, slinging your bag over his shoulder before adjusting the umbrella back over both of you.
“At least let me hold that,” you said, reaching for it.
He looked down at you for a moment, then apparently decided it wasn’t worth arguing. He handed it over. You stepped a little closer to keep him covered properly, suddenly aware of just how tall he still was beside you.
“You still haven’t told me why you kept it.”
The hoodie. Of course.
“Why does it matter?”
“Because you left,” he said, sharper now.
“So did you,” you shot back.
“I didn’t leave because I didn’t care.”
“No, you just stopped fighting for it.”
Annoyed, he ran a hand through his hair, spiking it back up. But the rain dragged it down again almost immediately, dark strands falling over his forehead, making his eyes look even brighter against his skin.
“This is ridiculous,” you admitted. “We haven’t been together for eighteen months. We should leave this in the past. It doesn’t matter anymore. You’ve probably moved on.”
He bristled beside you.
“I’m not the villain here. I fell apart after you, I just told you. I’ve only just got back on my feet.”
“Then why are you on this line?!” you snapped. “Volleyball Japan’s headquarters are still in the city, and you’d be on a similar wage, meaning you wouldn’t have needed to move this way. So where are you really going?”
It was none of your business. You knew that, and yet his avoidance of the question was making your thoughts spiral out of control. He wasn’t yours anymore. You hadn’t seen him in over a year, and still here he was, looking just as handsome as the day you left him, refusing to answer where he was going. You were convinced it was to see someone else. A new girlfriend. You just wanted him to admit it already so you could get the hurt over with.
Kuroo made a frustrated sound under his breath.
“You’re too smart for your own good sometimes.” He sighed. “Alright, fine. I was planning on going to that ramen place we used to go to near your apartment because it reminds me of you. Okay?!”
Neither of you spoke. The rain pounded harder against the platform roof, filling the silence between you. You stared at him.
“… I don’t believe you,” you said.
His hazel eyes glowed amber beneath the harsh station lights, burning with annoyance and something you couldn’t name.
“If you’re so done with me, why are you still wearing my hoodie?!” Kuroo snapped.
Shit. You wanted to scream. You couldn’t dodge the question anymore. Your day had already been terrible, so why not just admit it? Admit that you were still hopelessly in love with your ex-boyfriend and missed him so much you couldn’t bear to part with the things that still reminded you of him.
“I tried to throw it away,” you admitted quietly, lowering your head. “But I couldn’t do it.”
A shaky laugh escaped you.
“When you first left, I wore it constantly. I hated you for leaving, but I still couldn’t take it off.” Your voice cracked slightly. “I just missed you so much.”
Tears blurred your vision, though you barely cared if they fell. The rain would hide them anyway.
“At first it still smelled like you,” you whispered. “Then after a few months it faded, but... wearing it still made me feel safe. Loved.”
Slowly, you looked back up at him. The fight had vanished from his expression completely. Whatever anger had been burning there moments ago had gone out like a flame in the rain.
“You really didn’t move on, huh?” he asked softly.
You shook your head.
“No,” you admitted. “How could I?”
Kuroo stared at you for a second longer before reaching over and gently taking the umbrella from your hand. You frowned in confusion as he lowered it to the ground beside your bags, abandoning the weak shelter it gave entirely. Rain immediately soaked through both of your clothes, cold droplets running down your skin.
“Don’t hate me, okay?” he murmured.
“Why would I—”
His mouth crashed against yours before you could finish.
The kiss was desperate and possessive and messy, far too full of eighteen months’ worth of feelings neither of you had ever managed to bury properly. His arms wrapped tightly around your waist, lifting you slightly so he could pull you closer, like he was terrified you might disappear if he loosened his grip for even a second.
Your fingers tangled instantly in his damp hair, dragging him impossibly closer as the rain poured around you. Eventually, the relentless downpour forced you apart. Rain battered against your face hard enough to make your already freezing skin sting. At least it hid the blush burning across your cheeks.
You slipped Kuroo’s coat from your shoulders, trying to hand it back, but he immediately shook his head. His suit was completely soaked now. Unfortunately for your sanity, the white dress shirt beneath had turned almost translucent from the rain, clinging to his athletic frame in a way that made your face grow even hotter. You quickly looked away. Kuroo smirked like he knew exactly why. He bent down to grab both your bags and the discarded umbrella before pulling you back against his side.
“The train is now approaching platform four. Please stand behind the yellow lines. We apologise again for the delay and wish you a pleasant journey.”
As soon as the announcement ended, the train rolled into the station. Kuroo nodded for you to board first. You both stepped into the carriage, then stood in the vestibule dripping like wet dogs. The sight of each other was enough to make you both giggle.
“So there’s really no one else?” you asked quietly once the train finally pulled away from the station.
Kuroo wrapped the umbrella closed before glancing down at you with a soft smirk.
“There’s only ever been you, sweetheart.”
Your stomach flipped violently at the nickname.
“You should talk to Bokuto sometime,” he continued. “You’re basically all I’ve talked about for the past eighteen months. He got real tired of telling me to stop being an idiot and ask you to get back together with me.”
“Why didn’t you?” you asked softly.
Something sad flickered briefly across his face.
“Because I thought I’d already lost my chance.” He looked down at the floor for a moment before continuing. “I saw you once, in the city. You were at a restaurant with some coworkers. You looked happy.”
His jaw tightened slightly.
“There was a guy sitting next to you who wouldn’t stop looking at you. I thought...” He exhaled quietly. “I thought you’d moved on.”
The memory clicked instantly into place. It had been a work celebration after your team landed a huge project. The man beside you had been your manager, excitedly talking about your promotion while his husband sat across the table teasing him for acting like a proud parent.
“Oh.”
That was all you managed through your chattering teeth. Without a word, Kuroo took the coat back from your shoulders, shrugged it onto himself, then immediately pulled you against his chest and wrapped the fabric around both of you instead. You melted into his warmth with a quiet sigh.
“Maybe I’m the one who should be asking if there’s someone else,” he murmured.
He tried to make it sound teasing, but you still caught the thread of genuine worry underneath it. You wrapped your arms around him tightly.
“No,” you whispered. “It’s always been you, Tetsuro.”
You felt Kuroo catch his breath. Then he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head.
“We’re gonna get so sick after this,” he muttered.
You laughed weakly against his chest.
“We can dry off at my place,” you said.
The low purr Kuroo let out against your ear was almost unfair.