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The last night of training came and everybody went nuts. They didn’t have to go to sleep early as they had no matches the next day so of course there bound to be trouble. The teams had their own fun planned.
Akaashi told Kuroo after the barbeque Fukurodani was doing Truth or Dare. The game was always fun with Bokuto present, because he chose dare every time without fail. The team always made him do some stupid shit, like running around the third gym butt-naked. It wasn’t like Bokuto couldn’t refuse a dare, he just… well, didn’t want to.
And Akaashi may seem like an innocent little lamb, but he was the devil incarnate and some of the most risky dare ideas came from him. And then when someone asked for Truth he grinned devilishly and proceeded to destroy the person with only a few words.
Yes, Kuroo knew from experience.
He stayed with his team for most of the evening, playing poker and betting their cleaning duties back and forth. It was the first time Lec played poker and first Kuroo actually reminded his team, Yaku especially, to go easy on him, but as soon as Lev asked to be treated equally after he got the hang of it, everyone, Kuroo included, made him regret it. To no one’s surprise Kenma was winning and he won three months of going home from practise early, before he decided he wanted to go to sleep.
The party gradually wrapped up after that, no one wanted to bother Kenma. He really had them wrapped around his little finger, huh.
Some of Nekoma went to sleep, others left to entertain themselves with other teams.
Kuroo, as the ever kind and responsible captain that he was, came over to check up on the other teams. He really hoped they weren’t doing anything stupid and no one had the genius idea to bring alcohol to this training camp. Kuroo didn’t want to repeat the fiasco from his first year. Some third year asshole from then-Shinzen Team brought a few beers and dared the first year to drink a can in one breath. Fucking stupid idea.
Every team, whether they were involved or not, had an over 6 month ban from attending any training camps. They missed all the spring and summer seasons, because of him.
Kuroo still fumed at the thought. He remembered the thoughts forming in his mind. If I was their captain I would never let that happen. He would report the asshole to the coaches.
That’s why maybe he was a bit paranoid now. He was kind of a host of this training camp or at least he felt the crushing responsibility to make sure everything and everyone were alright.
He really hoped no one will get yelled at tonight. Kuroo was too stressed about it as it was. He could only relax tomorrow, when they would say goodbye to everyone. Then he could go back to stressing about only his team and Lev’s serves. Lev deserved his own mention.
First was Karasuno. He knocked on the door and with a apologetic smile he stuck his head into the room. There was a lot of people there, mostly Karasuno in their pyjamas all in a circle. The futons were pushed in all directions, so there was not much space if someone wanted to lie down.
There was the Taketora twin, Tanaka if Kuroo remembered correctly. And oh, Taketora was there, just next to Yaku who was talking with Nishinoya and Sugawara. Then Sawamura and Azumane, the Shrimpy, Lev and the black-haired setter who had eyes half-open and was leaning onto the new freckled kid who shook Kageyama briefly to wake him up.
Kuroo narrowed his eyes. One missing.
“Hey, Kuroo, you wanted something?” Sawamura asked at once.
“Just checking up if everything’s alright and to remind you about lights-out at midnight.
Everyone go back to their rooms,” he said, glancing pointedly at three of his own teammates.
“Aye, aye, captain!” Taketora saluted him.
“Go back after you check on everyone, Kuroo-san, we’re playing Twenty Questions.” Sugawara smiled sweetly. This guy reminded him a bit of Akaashi, in a sense that he looked entirely too innocent for his personality.
“Yaku-san just asked about the dumbest thing we did in front of our crushes!” Hinata shouted excitedly and everyone shushed him immediately. He only laughed at the synchronization.
Yaku smiled his most evil smile. “Yeah, Captain, why don’t you say what was the dumbest thing you did in front of your crush.”
Kuroo just stared. The only thing going on a loop in his mind was how the day before in Third Gym he snorted water from his nostrils and almost choked himself on absolutely nothing, when Tsukishima made snide comment under his breath at Hinata. He remembered the absolute mortifying silence as five people stared at him blankly before Tsukki snorted a laugh, which was followed by Bokuto’s booming laugh and Akaashi’s quiet chuckles, while Lev and Hinata stared at each other in confusion.
That was absolutely not one of his best moments. And he prided himself in being cool and smooth and sexy. Kenma would laugh, but that was the truth. People said that about him all the time. Well, mostly people that didn’t know him well, but still.
“Huh? What? Are we talking about the super chill Kuroo-san?” Lev asked and Yaku snorted.
“He was never chill in his entire goddamn life. Just ask Kenma.”
“Do you guys have to throw me under the bus like that?” Kuroo winned.
“Well, now you got us all curious. Spill, Kuroo,” Daichi commanded with his best captain voice. Not fair. Kuroo was a captain, too. How was he even dragged into this?
“Who even told you, Yaku you traitor?” There was definitely not a whine in his voice. It had to be Lev, right? He could never keep a thought only in his mind, he had to talk about things out loud. Even Bokuto, who was even louder, could keep a secret.
Yaku’s brows furrowed. “Uh, you did? You don’t remember?” Now Kuroo was really lost. So he wasn’t talking about yesterday? Yaku turned to Karasuno and smirked. “So basically, Kuroo-san was a cute not-so-little first year and there was this third year girl, long black hair, legs for days, perfect skin, a softball player. He followed her with his eyes like a puppy every time she passed. We all thought he was going to put a wig on and join the girl’s softball team just to be closer to her. And then he...”
Everyone was leaning closer to Yaku, all eyes on him. Kuroo had only a moment of recognition, too slow, before Yaku yelled through his laughter, “He stole her bag!” and Kuroo groaned.
“What?” Hinata asked, confused just as the rest of them. “In front of her?”
“What? No. He stole her bag just to give it to her back and say he found it.”
“I didn’t steal it, it was just laying on the ground, she forgot it. Besides, I got a kiss on the cheek for that, so fuck you,” Kuroo huffed, crossing his arms and leaning on the doorframe.
Yaku was almost crying by this point. Was taking the piss out of Kuroo really that funny?
“And then you said… you said to her… I’m not looking for anything serious right now! ”
“Well, that’s…” Sawamura said before letting out a chuckle, followed by Sugawara’s loud snort and then everyone was dying laughing on the floor.
“Glad I could be your entertainment, guys. Seriously, fuck you,” Kuroo said without heat. To be perfectly honest he could never keep a straight face when someone was laughing, and especially so many people. Every person had a different laugh and Kuroo always found the way some people laughed too funny.
He powered through, though, with a mock-serious expression.
“I’ll leave you to it.” But before he turned around he had to ask. “Freckles.”
The kid, Yamaguchi was his name now that Kuroo thought about it, but the nickname suited him better, had wide eyes when he looked up at Kuroo.
“Where’s Glasses-kun?” That nickname was on the other hand pretty shit, but then Kuroo didn’t want to call Tsukishima by his full name and it wasn’t probably a good idea to call him Tsukki in front of all his teammates. Kuroo had no idea what he thought so deeply about it, but he had a feeling Tsukki wouldn’t like it.
“Oh! Uh, he, he -- someone cornered us in front of the vending machines and dragged him back to their room. I couldn’t do anything to stop them, they were so fast!”
“Poor Tsukishima,” Tanaka said, shaking his head sadly.
“Rest in peace, Kei-kun!” Nishinoya shouted, before he and Tanaka burst out laughing. Sugawara and Sawamura swatted both of them on their heads at the same time.
Kuroo nodded and headed out to find out if Bokuto and Akaashi didn’t kill him. He had a feeling it was those two. His third eye never failed him yet.
He checked in Shinzen room next. Some of the guys were playing board games, they were a mish-mash of other teams. He could even see Inuoka and others from Nekoma, too.
Ubugawa had lights out completely, they all gone to sleep - Kuroo checked as quickly and quietly as he could, just to make sure. There were about five people there.
Fukurodani had their door open, Kuroo peaked inside, hidden enough so Bokuto or Akaashi won’t spot him and drag him into the game. He could never refuse when they asked something of him and with Bokuto’s persistence it was twice as hard.
He scanned the room, most of them were talking and laughing, there was an empty water bottle discarded in the corner. Bokuto was sitting there without a shirt for some reason talking to Akaashi, whose eyes immediately snapped to Kuroo. That boy was more of a hawk than an owl with those eyes of his.
Kuroo put a finger to his mouth and begged him with his eyes to not say anything. Akaashi nodded, which of course caught Bokuto’s eyes and he was turning around, but Akaashi slapped both his cheeks with his hands and forced him to look at him.
Tsukishima wasn’t there, Kuroo double checked, even with the few people sleeping in the corner, despite the noise. Before Kuroo turned around he let out a silent chuckle and his friend’s faces who were tomato red as Akaashi let his hands fall from Bokuto’s face.
Okay, so Tsukki wasn’t with those two idiots. He also wasn’t with his team and his best friend. And he also also wasn’t in any of the locker rooms and bathrooms.
Kuroo started to get anxious.
Was Tsukishima the kind of person to go for a walk in the middle of the night? He seemed to enjoy silence, even more than Kenma did. But then again, Kuroo didn’t know him very much. Most of what he knew were speculations. Tsukishima Kei was a tough nut to crack and he liked to keep his shell tight around himself.
It didn’t take for Kuroo to find him. He was sitting on the hill just outside the main gym, the same one they used for penalty running. He was hugging his knees and was looking up at the stars.
Well, not exactly the stars, mostly just on polluted Tokyo sky with maybe a few dim lights shining. Kuroo could bet they had a nicer sky in Miyagi. And yet, Tsukishima seemed absolutely captivated.
Since the day they met… or even before that, really - when Tsukishima was just The Tall Kid With Glasses From Karasuno he always looked some kind of grumpy, irritated or pissed off. Kuroo remembered thinking, Wow, does this kid ever relax? And on the beginning on that training camp Kuroo had his answer - which was no. Tsukishima Kei was always scowling, if not at others then to himself, he was wound so tight, like a string just about to break.
Of course, the kid had some issues. Issues that didn’t concern Kuroo at all. Issues that probably should concern his teammates, because, to be perfectly honest, this was not how a sixteen year old kid was supposed to act. Yeah, there were some exceptions - Bokuto had the energy and sometimes a brain of a hyperactive 8 year old and Akaashi or Kenma liked to act like a cranky grandpas. Tsukishima was a quiet and a shy boy, which was perfectly fine.
But then there were reactions Kuroo couldn’t quite understand. He sometimes flinched when someone got angry and started to yell or when someone got too close to him too fast. He could never keep eye contact with a person for more than 2 seconds. He avoided confrontation as a plague. Even if he had an idea or a complain, he always kept it to himself. His eyes would widen when he said anything remotely personal, like he was looking for any negative reaction. He said he often got headaches - from loud environments, from bright lights, from other things Kuroo couldn’t know about. He had no appetite at all. He got tired easily. His hands were cold all the time.
Kuroo wouldn’t dream to presume what it all meant, he wanted to help. Maybe it was his protective personality or a habit from being Nekoma’s captain for two years. Maybe he had a hero complex - like Akaashi once told him. Whatever the case, he wanted to get closer to the kid, close enough to see if he needed any help, close enough to get a smile out of him.
And while he did all that. He knew Tsukishima had a peaceful home life, he was living with his mother while his older brother was away at the university. He never mentioned another person living with them.
Kuroo teased and prodded and smirked just enough to see Tsukishima’s competitive side that wanted to crush enemy under his thumb. Kuroo has seen his narky side that left Kuroo dying with laughter at everything he said under his breath. Has seen him warm up to Akaashi and Bokuto - and himself, he supposed - so it felt like they all had been friends for years, not met just a few days before. He has seen him smile - not an ear-to-ear smile like Bokuto’s, but small ones, when he thought they couldn't quite see.
He has seen Tsukishima’s shell to crack just a bit, to show how proud he was of his freckled friend. How insecure he was, always comparing himself to the Shrimpy and his crazy skills. How he had a strained relationship with his brother.
He never said any of that in so many words, though. Kuroo was just good in reading in-between the lines.
The point was - Kuroo has gotten to know Tsukishima Kei as much as those few days allowed. And he liked what he found.
Him wanting to save the kid started to become something else. He wanted to hang out with him, just like that, to play volleyball, make him smile and maybe even hold his pale soft hand for a bit. That kind of surprised him. But then again, he wanted to kiss Bokuto that one time and while it would be a horrible decision, Kuroo never panicked or anything, just kind of shrugged and went on with his life. If he actually let his worries get to him, he would never had a time for anything else. And potentially liking boys as well as girls wasn’t even in the Top 15 of Things Kuroo Probably Should Worry About More.
That’s why it didn’t really surprise him that his heart did a flip when he saw Tsukishima sitting on that hill, face as relaxed as Kuroo had ever seen. His pale skin white in the moonlight.
Kuroo felt like a heroine in a shoujo manga or one of those western rom-coms he and Bokuto watched sometimes huddled close on Kuroo’s couch with a pack of tissues on the coffee table. That’s one of the things Akaashi and Kenma could never know about them, otherwise they would never let them forget that.
Kuroo made his way up the hill and he planted himself next to the blonde. Tsukishima flinched, which in turn made Kuroo freeze. He thought he was loud enough to announce himself, but apparently Tsukishima was too engrossed in the sky and his thoughts to notice him.
When he’d seen it was Kuroo sitting next to him Tsukishima visibly relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. Kuroo felt his cheeks getting hot. When did they become so close that Tsukishima not only didn’t mind Kuroo’s presence, but welcomed it? Tsukki didn’t have any mercy over Kuroo’s poor heart that night, huh?
For a while they were just sitting there, none of them knowing how to break the silence. Kuroo’s mind was seriously blank. And he thought one of his strengths was talking. For some reason his mouth failed him this time.
Until a light wind blowed past them and Kuroo was sitting close enough to feel Tsukishima shiver.
“Are you cold?” Kuroo asked already halfway in shrugging off his jacket.
Tsukishima let out a sound of protest, but Kuroo already was putting the jacket over the other boy’s shoulders.
Kuroo’s hand brushed over Tsukishima’s bare arm, and yep, it was really fucking cold - or Kuroo’s hand was just that warm. Tsukishima shivered again, goosebumps making their way over his skin. He was glaring at Kuroo for some reason, like he was the one making him that cold. But it was just the fault of his poor circulation and his pyjamas that consisted of shorts and a t-shirt.
After a while Tsukishima sighed, and proceeded to put his arms into the sleeves, he hugged his knees more and then zipped the jacket over them - now he looked like a red bundle with only head sticking out and glaring at nothing in particular.
It was simultaneously the weirdest and most adorable thing Kuroo has ever seen in his life. Seriously. Tsukki didn’t even hesitate, he just went for it like it was the usual thing for him, sitting with his knees up, drowning in a hoodie or a jacket too big for him.
Kuroo had to say something, before he blurted out one of his embarrassing thoughts. Quick.
“Um, so, Tsukki.” Tsukishima muttered a half hearted: don’t call me that , which made Kuroo chuckle. “I totally get the need for some peace and quiet, but still, it’s kinda dangerous to go outside alone so late, you know.”
“I’m not alone,” he mumbled and Kuroo finally understood why he talked so slowly and quietly. He was just that sleepy. Karasuno’s room was probably too loud for him to rest. He probably could rest with Ubugawa, but then Kuroo doubted Tsukishima was the person to be comfortable sleeping next to complete strangers.
“You could’ve taken Freckles with you at least, he looks like the type to follow you everywhere.”
“He was having fun,” came the simple explanation.
“And you were not?”
“Bokuto-san started undressing and I didn’t want to see that.”
Kuroo laughed. “Yeah, he has a tendency to do that. With being so hot all the time and all.”
He frowned when Tsukishima let out a chuckle for some reason. “Like a body temperature hot or…?”
Kuroo eyes widened. “Yes! Yes, that’s what I meant. I mean not that he’s not… You know, I’m just going to shut up.”
“Oh no, please continue.”
Kuroo pouted. “You’re being really mean, Kei-kun.“
“Oh god, don’t call me that.”
“You knew what I meant since the beginning, Tsukki.”
“Don’t call me that, too.”
“Then how do you want me to call you?”
“Tsukishima.”
“But that’s so boring!”
Tsukishima send him a glare, suddenly more awake. “My name is boring?”
Kuroo was equally frustrated and impressed. Tsukishima liked to make things difficult, huh.
“It’s just… boring for what we are, you know.”
“And what exactly are we?” Tsukishima met his eyes squarely before averting them again.
Kuroo hummed, he backed himself into a corner there. “If you asked I’d let you call me Tetsurou.”
“Why?” Tsukishima sputtered and Kuroo chuckled.
“No reason, I just wanted to see you flustered. Besides only my parents, and Kenma’s, call me that. I’m just Kuroo to everyone else. Maybe I’ll let you call me my name without the honorifics…” He mused. “Akaashi insists on them, because he’s just like that., but don’t listen to him too much, okay?”
“And how is it relevant to my name being boring?”
“What? Oh! Yeah, I got side-tracked there. It’s because Tsukki just fits you so well, you know. And it makes me feel special that you let me call you that.”
Tsukishima snorted with disbelief. “I didn’t. I specifically told you and Bokuto-san, multiple times, that I don’t want to be called that.”
Kuroo bit his lip. Maybe he was too presumptuous. Maybe they weren’t so close as he thought.
“If you don’t want me to call you that, then I can stop. I was just messing with you.”
Tsukishima mumbled into his knees, and then turned to Kuroo. “Why do you like to mess with me so much? You shouldn’t care about me at all.”
Well, that certainly was a surprise. “ Shouldn’t? Why?”
“Because you’re from rival team, a powerhouse school and from the city and I am just… just Tsukishima.”
Kuroo hummed. The kid was even more insecure than he thought. To think Kuroo was just messing with him for the fun of it? Or what?
“Remember the morning after we met, when at breakfast Bo asked you how to spell your first name?” Tsukishima frowned but nodded reluctantly. “He got your email from Freckles and he probably gonna text you a shitton after you leave. Remember when Akaashi asked you what your favourite dessert was? It was because he was planning where to take you, if you come to visit. Kenma asked me a few times about the games your brother makes. Lev keeps on calling you and Shrimpy his best friends in the entire world. And I…” Kuro hummed again, a bit self-conscious now, but deciding to power through. “I don’t exactly go around to bother other team’s members. I usually just bother my own, and not even that much. So, you know. You’re not just Tsukishima.”
Tsukishima halfway through that little speech hid his face in his knees. “You guys are so weird,” he mumbled.
Kuroo shrugged and let himself fall backwards on the grass. “Yeah, I know. The weirdest.”
“Why are you here, Kuroo-san?” Tsukishima asked after a brief moment of silence. He was still tucked into the red jacket and mumbling into his knees. Kuroo was lying on the grass and looking at the back of the blonde’s head and the “Nekoma” sign on his back.
“You weren’t with everyone,” Kuroo answered, but that wasn’t the whole truth, was it.
“And why did you stay with me, then? Instead asking me to go back.”
“I don’t know. Does everything have to have a reason?”
“Yes,” was a lightning fast answer.
“Well, then because I enjoy your company, Tsukki.” Tsukishima snorted and Kuroo sighed.
“Well, you asked for the reason. S’not my fault you don’t believe me.”
“Shut up.”
“Now he’s asking me to shut up!” Kuroo sighed dramatically, placing his hand on his heart.
“Tsukki is really cruel, isn’t he? Breaking my heart into a thousand pieces? A few hundred thousand pieces!”
“Shut up!” Tsukishima said, rolling onto his knees and shoving at Kuroo’s arm while he kept shouting random numbers.
“A million! A billion even!”
“Oh my god, why are you so damn dramatic?” Tsukishima was whining, while still shoving at Kuroo, who was trying his hardest to to laugh.
Then a few things happened. Tsukishima jabbed his fingers into Kuroo’s ribs, that was one of his ticklish spots no one knew about and he let out a undignified squawk of a a laugh and jumped back from the offending fingers. Kuroo’s hand slipped on the grass and he felt his heart going into his throat before he started rolling down the hill.
For a few moments he was too surprised to do anything, he just kept rolling down, then he heard Tsukishima shout. He finally got himself out of his stupor and stopped himself with his hands just outside the gyms.
When Tsukishima finally run up to him, he probably saw Kuroo lying like a star-fish on the grass with the dumbest expression imaginable and thought he had a concussion or something. Then the best thing he could come up with, apparently, was to touch Kuroo all over his face and hands, while his voice shook on the questions, “Oh god, Kuroo-san? What the fuck? Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? What the fuck just happened? You didn’t hit your head on a rock anywhere, right? Say something, please!”
And the desperate please got to him. His soul returned to his body and he sat up so suddenly his head collided with Tsukishima’s. They both flinched back, hands coming up to clutch their foreheads. The impact made Tsukishima fall back on his butt.
“Fuck!” Kuroo hissed, his head in his hands. And mostly because he could feel his face warming up rapidly and it was definitely not because of the forming bruise on his forehead. Or not only. Maybe he really had a concussion. Then he could blame everything on this. He was concussed all night - yeah that seemed plausible.
Kuroo was wrenched out of his thoughts by the sobs he heard coming from next to him. Kuroo felt his heart stop.
“Oh god, of fuck! Tsukki, are you okay! You’re obviously not okay, I don’t know why I asked. Come on, we’ll go the coaches and they can fucking yell at me, but they’ll treat your head and maybe let you sleep in one of the nurse’s beds. Just please, don’t cry!”
Then there was a choking sound and even louded sobs. Tsukishima’s whole frame was shaking like a leaf and he sounded like he had trouble breathing.
But something didn’t feel right.
Kuroo got on his knees and gently took Tsukishima’s hands in his own, before pulling them away from his face only to find out he was, in fact, not crying.
He was laughing .
An ear-to-ear smile made his face light up, his cheeks ruddy and eyes shining and there was a huge fucking red mark on his forehead, that probably matched Kuroo’s own.
Shit , Kuroo’s poor heart whispered, before promptly dying on the spot.
“You were… Oh my god , Kuroo-san… That was t-the dumbest thing… I have ever seen…” Tsukishima said between laughing and Kuroo couldn’t help but join, even if the joke was at his expense. Well, he kind of deserved that.
And it was definitely the dumbest thing he had ever done in front of his crush. Yaku would have a field day with that, he could never know. And Akaashi. Oh dear god, Akaashi would make him suffer to the end of days.
Right now, though, he laughed right along with Tsukishima in their last night together, willing his heart to slow the fuck down, but not managing at all.
***
Kuroo slept exactly two seconds, before he had to wake up again. He would have lazed around a bit, but Karasuno would be leaving in a few minutes and as one of the captains he had to see them off and thank them for coming.
And then maybe say bye to a certain blond in glasses, who he made was a bit fond of. Or had a bit of a crush on.
He came up to Karasuno just as Bokuto was clapping Sawamura’s on the back. Then he yelled something to the rest of the team - or just one person who was hiding behind Freckles - and Akaashi had to drag him away.
“Thanks for coming. How do you feel about another training camp soon?” Kuroo asked Sawamura, who smiled at him with a challenge.
“Bring it on, Kuroo.”
“How many penalties are you planning for next time?” Kuroo smirked, he really couldn't help himself with that guy, he was so easy to rile up.
“No penalty,” Sawamura said with all seriousness he could muster and shook Kuroo’s hand.
Then Sawamura shouted for everyone to pack themselves into the bus.
Kuroo hovered, uncertain. He sighed with relief, when Tsukki made his way over to him, with his bag slung over his shoulder and doing that adorable finger wringing thing that showed he was nervous.
He came to stand in front of Kuroo and then fished something out of his bag and shoved it into Kuroo’s chest. Kuroo automatically took it, before exclaiming, “Oh yeah! I completely forgot you still had it.” It being the Nekoma jacket Kuroo gave him.
“So…” Kuroo prompted, because it seemed like Tsukishima really wanted to say something.
Most of the Karasuno team was already in the bus and they shamelessly watched the both of them through the windows. He chuckled.
Then Tsukishima said, “Give me your phone, Kuroo-san, please,” in the most polite voice Kuroo had ever heard anyone else speak and he bowed deeply.
Kuroo fished his phone out of his short’s pocket and scratched his hair, before yawning. He was curious what it was about.
“Thank you.” Tsukishima gave him back his phone with a new contact - Tsukishima Kei and his number and email under it. Kuroo was sure he was smiling like a maniac.
Tsukishima bowed again and quickly made his way to the bus, while the Taketora lost twin and Nishinoya were cheering loudly and whistling.
Kuroo and the other captain, that were looking at him curiously, made their way closer and all of them waved at Karasuno.
“You are so going to tell me what that was about, bro,” he could hear Bokuto, but he ignored him, instead looking at Tsukishima who was sitting close to the window.
Kuroo quickly texted him, Your forehead looks more like a mosquito bite today . He could see Tsukishima peering into his cell phone and then scoffing, before replying with, And yours matches your team colors, just like your face , which had to be one of those famous insults that only Tsukishima Kei could understand, because Kuroo had no idea what that meant. Still, he laughed out loud to himself, before waving Tsukishima goodbye as the bus passed by. He swore he could see him smiling back. But that could be just wishful thinking.
Bokuto flung an arm across Kuroo’s shoulders and asked, “Bro, what’s up with that smile? It’s too early!”
Kuroo shrugged, or at least tried to with Bokuto’s massive arm weighing him down. “Why wouldn’t I be smiling, bro? Today's gonna be a good day, I feel it.”
“Oh, I bet,” Akaashi said on Kuroo’s other side, smirking knowingly.
Kuroo flicked him in the side and didn’t dignify that with a response.
Today was a good day, indeed.