Archive of Our Own

Kuroo is in his room, staring up at the ceiling and bored out of his mind, when his phone beeps with a notification.

He raises an eyebrow, reaching blindly for it. He wonders who would be texting him at this time—it's almost midnight. He doesn't usually stay up this late, but his recent graduation and subsequent celebration with his friends messed up his sleep schedule a little bit.

He assumes it's Kenma, the only one he knows to be awake, even if it's odd that Kenma would pause his gaming for him, but he is proven wrong the moment he picks his phone up and looks at the screen.

Kuroo shoots upwards, groaning at the light spin in his head from the sharp movement. He opens the message, or rather email, blinking a few times to make sure he isn't dreaming.

The email is from none other than Karasuno's volleyball captain, Sawamura Daichi.

It's not that it's odd, exactly, for Daichi to send him a message. They were decently close, both their schools' volleyball teams and themselves, and they're definitely on friendly terms. However, since stepping down from the club and graduating, they no longer have a reason to continue keeping in touch, so Kuroo kind of assumed that their contact would slowly disintegrate with time.

Besides, Karasuno is so far away. It's not like Fukurodani or another school within their prefecture—Kuroo sees Bokuto and Akaashi at least twice a month. He doesn't get that with Karasuno, and definitely not with Daichi.

Okay, whatever. He's thinking too deeply about the concept of distance.

Kuroo settles into a more comfortable position, leaning against his pillows, and begins reading the message.

To: Kuroo Tetsurou

From: Sawamura Daichi

Subject: Tokyo Graduation Trip

 

Hello, Kuroo. Sorry for messaging so late. It's a trivial matter, so don't worry about replying immediately. We haven't spoken in a while, how are you doing?

See, my friends and I are planning a weekend trip to Tokyo to celebrate our graduation! Just a small group (Suga, Asahi, Shimizu, and Suga's annoying boyfriend). We haven't planned anything specific yet, so I thought to ask someone more familiar with the area. Do you have any recommendations? We're not too picky, but we agreed on wanting something more relaxed.

Speaking of graduating, I heard from Tanaka who heard from Hinata who heard from Kenma that you did well—congratulations to you too! Time flies so quickly, huh.

Anyway, thanks in advance. Hope to hear from you soon. Cheers!

Kuroo stares at the email for so long that he swears he burns the words into his retinas. Vaguely, he finds amusement in how polite the email is. It feels like Daichi embedded his trademark peaceful smile into it.

It's not a ridiculous request. Kuroo can think of three different places that would be suitable already. It's a smart decision too, to ask someone like him, so why—

Why is his stomach doing these weird flips?

Oh well, whatever. Perhaps he's just delighted at being the one trusted with such an important task, instead of someone like Yaku. Although, he can hear Yaku in his ear telling him that it's not that serious and that he's not special, to which he tells him to shut up.

Sighing, Kuroo glances at the clock. The long hand just struck twelve.

Well, he doesn't have school or morning practice anymore. He can afford to burn some midnight oil.

He gets up, heading to his desk and turning on his desk light. Ruffling through drawers he has yet to clear, Kuroo pulls out a scrap piece of paper, a pen, and gets to work.

He realises that he doesn't actually know Daichi and the rest well on a personal-level. What do they do in their free time, other than volleyball? Are there any destinations that are a hard-no? What if he suggests an amusement park and one of them is actually deathly afraid of rollercoasters like Yamamoto pretends he isn't? Then—

Who even is Sugawara's annoying boyfriend? Kuroo didn't know he was dating.

Groaning, Kuroo buries his face in his hands. Okay, he can do this. It's just suggestions, not an itinerary. He can come up with a vague list and send it off, easy.

As Kuroo writes down a list of places, another question forms in his head. He wonders if they would be alright getting around on their own. They're all technically adults, yes, but Tokyo is a huge and complex city. The places he's suggesting are also relatively far from one another, and it could get confusing for small-town Karasuno.

Maybe he's thinking too lowly of them. Either way, it wouldn't hurt to extend a helping hand. Because Kuroo is so generous.

He drafts up his own reply about half an hour later.

To: Sawamura Daichi

From: Kuroo Tetsurou

Subject: re: Tokyo Graduation Trip

 

Welllll if it isn't Sawamura!!! Coming to me for my expertise? And here I thought you crows could finally fend on your own!

Anyway, because I'm so kind, I compiled a list for you to look through. It's attached below. You're welcome!! [cat smirking sticker]

By the way, would you guys need a guide? Tokyo's complicated. I'm free and bored as hell at home, so I don't mind chaperoning you all around. 

Congratulations on graduating to you too. Feels like yesterday since I watched you do ten laps of diving drills in one day, HAHA! Have a good night, Sawamura.

P.S. I didn't know Suga-chan was dating?

After Kuroo sends the email, his eyes begin to feel heavy. He shuts his phone off, deciding that whatever odd feeling there is in his chest, he can figure it out when he is more awake. Kuroo crawls back into bed, tucking himself in, and gets a peaceful night's sleep.

Daichi's reply is the first thing he sees when he wakes up.

It's much shorter and more informal than the first. Mostly, he agrees to the plan, pointing out ideas he likes, as well as accepting Kuroo's offer. He tells Kuroo the tentative dates for their trip and attaches a screenshot of the inn they've booked. At the end of it, Kuroo sees a vaguely familiar name and raises an eyebrow.

"Oikawa Tooru," he mumbles. "The guy in Monthly Volleyball? That's who Suga-chan is dating?"

As he continues musing to himself, someone knocks on his bedroom door. Judging from the strength and pace, he guesses that it's Kenma.

Indeed, the door opens, revealing his best friend. Kuroo mumbles a reminder about not slouching that Kenma thoroughly ignores as he walks in, flopping onto his floor. His console is held in one hand, the screen showing that his game is paused.

Kenma doesn't usually come over to his without warning, even though he does basically have free access to his room whenever he wants. Kuroo finishes up a reply to Daichi before looking up, making eye-contact with him. "Hey. What's up?"

Kenma squints at him. "I was gonna tell you that Ma invited you over for lunch to celebrate your graduation, but you're talking to yourself like a weirdo again."

Kuroo bristles at the direct callout. "I was not being a weirdo! I was making educated guesses!"

That only makes Kenma frown harder. "Okay… But you had a weird look on your face, too. You looked dumb."

"You are so mean to me."

Kenma shrugs. His eyes drift down to his console and Kuroo knows he's about to lose his attention soon, so he hurries to correct himself. "I'm gonna be bringing some crows around next weekend. They're coming over for a graduation trip. The beach, probably, and some other chill stuff."

Kenma makes a small noise of acknowledgement. "They invited you?"

"Uh-huh. Did you know that Suga-chan is dating Oikawa of Seijoh?"

"Huh? Yeah. I heard it from Shoyo."

"'Cause I wasn't awa— and you didn't tell me? I'm betrayed, Kenma!"

"I don't see why I would," Kenma says with a shrug. "Why do you care?"

Kuroo huffs, crossing his arms and leaning back into his chair. "Okay, I don't really. But Oikawa is coming along on the trip. So I wonder what he's like."

"If he's anything like what Shoyo says, then I wouldn't want to meet him."

At that, Kuroo snorts. "A guy that the Squirt doesn't speak positively about? There's no way."

Kenma shrugs again. "I guess you'll see in a week's time."

"Guess I will." Kuroo looks up to the ceiling, trying to imagine it. He suddenly registers Kenma's words from earlier and jumps up. "Oh, shit! Your mom's waiting!"

Before Kenma can say anything else, he dashes out of the room, ignoring his tired call for him to slow down. He's always loved the Kozume household's cooking.

Kuroo taps his foot against the floor, checks his suitcase, glances at his phone, double checks his suitcase, makes sure he's at the right train station, triple checks his suitcase—

Man, if Daichi and the others don't show up soon, he might go crazy from the nerves.

After settling some of the more boring details, Kuroo had agreed to pick them up at the train station. It's almost eight in the evening on a Thursday, and their train should be arriving very soon, but spring showers are still going strong, so there was a bit of a delay.

It's literally not that serious. Kuroo just wants this to be perfect.

He had told Yaku and Kai about this a few days back, who were over at his house playing video games. Yaku had laughed and asked if he was really fit to be a tour guide, to which Kuroo responded by hitting him with a red shell in Mario Kart, to which Yaku physically kicked him but accidentally kicked Kai too, who—

Yeah. It was chaotic. But then they helped him pack, and Kai also added his own suggestions into the plan, so everything should go smoothly. As long as the train doesn't delay further, or they won't be able to catch the bus to the inn. That would suck.

Finally, as Kuroo considers checking his suitcase for the fourth time, a group of people exit the gantries, talking among themselves. They're all wearing varying colours, plus most of them tower over the crowd, so Kuroo spots them easily.

He makes eye contact with Daichi first, who is leading the group. Kuroo lifts his hand up in a wave as the group comes over, greeting him.

"I see you all finally made it. I was beginning to think I was being stood up," he jokes, shifting his weight to rest on one leg.

Daichi smiles. "Hello, Kuroo. Thanks for picking us up."

The rest of them echo their gratitude. Kuroo's eyes do a quick sweep through them, landing on one person he doesn't recognise.

"Kuroo Tetsurou," he introduces, holding a hand out to the brown-haired boy standing at the edge of the group.

"Oikawa Tooru," he responds, shaking his hand smoothly. "Nekoma's captain, right?"

Kuroo raises an eyebrow. "Yeah. Seijoh?"

"Yup! Nice to meet you."

Huh, he's pretty normal so far. Maybe Kenma and Hinata were exaggerating. 

Kuroo leads them out of the station, giving them a brief rundown on the route to the inn. He eyes the comically large suitcase in Asahi's hands, wondering if he should ask what's inside, but decides that it is not a can of worms he wants to open in the middle of this crowd.

Once they're on the bus, squeezed in a corner with their bags placed on the overhead compartment, they spend the time catching up with each other on what they've been doing so far—Sugawara is halfway through a one thousand-piece puzzle set, apparently. He shows Kuroo a photo of the progress, who whistles, shaking his head.

"You've got a hell lot of patience, Suga-chan," he says. 

Beside him, Oikawa visibly bristles. Kuroo notices it, but he doesn't point it out.

Sugawara laughs. "It's helpful to pass the time!"

Once they reach the inn, all of them painstakingly get off the bus, dragging their bulky bags with them. They climb up a few stairs, heading down a short street with dozens of tourist shops at the side. It's late, though, so all of them are closed, and there aren't any street lights here. Kuroo uses his phone's flashlight, mumbling about being careful as they walk up the bumpy road.

Finally, they reach the inn. Kuroo turns back, asking whose name they're registered under, to which Daichi raises his hand.

"'Kay. I'll take your bag," Kuroo offers. 

"Ah? No, it's fine, I can—"

"Just give it, Sawamura," he sighs, though it comes out more amused than anything. He tugs Daichi's suitcase over with narrowed eyes and Daichi relents.

As Daichi is speaking to the owner, the rest of them wait in the lobby, sitting on some couches. Kuroo does another check through with the rest. Asahi looks like he's going to fall asleep, Kiyoko is staring blankly ahead like she's dazing out to conserve energy, and the other two—

"I said it's not a big deal, Tooru," Sugawara huffs, pushing Oikawa's hand away gently. 

Oikawa glares back. "That's what you said about your fever last time, and you ended up missing three days of school because it was so bad."

"I— that's different!"

Oikawa snatches Sugawara's hand, massaging his wrists until he finally gives up on pulling away. Kuroo watches the entire interaction in slight amusement. He didn't know Seijoh's terrifying ex-captain was fussy.

"Everything okay?" he asks, mostly directing the question at Sugawara.

Oikawa answers for him. "Suga-chan strained his wrists because he studied too hard and didn't get it checked until after final exams."

Kuroo's eyebrows knit together. "And it still hurts?"

"It doesn't," Sugawara insists with an eye roll. "He's just fastidious."

"Ooh, big word coming from the guy who doesn't know when to quit it and rest."

"You don't know when to quit it!"

Wow. Kuroo wonders how long they've been dating if they're already acting like an old married couple. Maybe he'll ask Daichi later.

Speaking of which, Daichi comes over to them, swinging a key around his index finger. "Got it. They'll help us with our bags. Let's go."

They stand up, bowing to the owner and heading to their inn. Daichi opens the door, holding it for them as they walk in one by one.

For how dark the streets were, the inn is surprisingly bright and airy. The wooden floors are a light brown and the walls are white, decorated with minimalistic gold decor. There's a dining room, a kitchen, a living room covered with green tatami mats, and a bathroom on this floor. 

It's split into two floors, so Kuroo climbs up the stairs, taking a look. There's another bathroom here, a large empty space for them to sleep at, and sliding doors that lead out to a small balcony. Six futons are stored in a shelf at the side. They'll have to take those out later.

"Wow, it's a lot more spacious than I expected," comes a voice from behind him. Kuroo turns around, seeing Daichi looking around with an appreciative smile. 

"Yeah, you picked a nice place," Kuroo agrees. Daichi's arm brushes against his as he walks in, checking the bathroom.

"Anyway," Daichi says, gesturing for Kuroo to come closer. Kuroo goes. "I'll keep one of the keys. I want you to have the other."

"Really?" Kuroo asks. He looks down at his palms, where Daichi just pushed a key into. "I thought you'd ask Suga-chan, or even Shimizu."

"Well, you know this place best," Daichi reasons with a shrug. "Besides, I trust you."

The simple statement shouldn't take Kuroo's breath away, but it does. He blinks in surprise, an odd feeling rising up his throat and getting stuck there. Kuroo struggles to find a response that doesn't make him sound stupid. "O-oh. Hah, you really shouldn't, Sawamura. What if I have bad intentions and lead you all astray?"

Daichi gives him a deadpan look. "Don't make me take it back."

"Okay, okay, sorry." He raises his hands in mock defence. "I'll be your trustworthy key-keeper."

At that, Daichi laughs. "Thank you. And you can just call me Daichi, you know."

"Aw, but your last name is so fun to say. Sawamura-san. Sounds authoritative."

Daichi snickers, heading towards the futons. He begins laying them out, still smiling as he keeps up an easy conversation. 

Now that they're at their destination, all in one piece, Kuroo begins to relax. His shoulders drop, not that he noticed they were tensing at all. The familiarity of Daichi being here also helps, probably, and when Daichi finishes laying out the futons, he stands up, stretching. "Okay. What time is it?"

Kuroo glances at his phone. "Almost ten."

"Hm, maybe we'll leave unpacking for tomorrow, then. We all need to shower and head to bed."

Kuroo whistles. "So responsible, even on a trip? You impress me."

Daichi rolls his eyes. "We can be irresponsible when we're not all exhausted from travelling. Come on."

Kuroo laughs under his breath, following Daichi down the stairs. There, they find Sugawara in the midst of slapping Asahi's shoulder, telling him to take a shower before he falls asleep on the couch. Kiyoko is sitting cross-legged on the other side of the room, digging through her suitcase for her pyjamas. Oikawa is… looking through the drawers in the kitchen?

Kuroo heads up to him, peering over his shoulder. "What are you looking for?"

Oikawa yelps. He gives Kuroo a lighthearted glare, shutting the drawers. "I'm taking stock of what they provide. You walk so fucking quietly, dude, it freaks me out."

"Oh, sorry," Kuroo says with a shrug. He's gotten that a few times. He never thought it was that big of a deal, though. "Carry on."

He takes a few steps back, wondering what he should do. Daichi just entered the bathroom on this floor and Kiyoko is climbing up the stairs with her own clothes, so the showers will be occupied for a while. He sees Sugawara dragging Asahi up the stairs too out of the corner of his eye, probably trying to wake him up with movement. That leaves just the two of them.

"...So," Kuroo says, "how long have you and Suga-chan been dating?"

Just like earlier, Oikawa bristles. He glances back with narrowed eyes. "Why?"

"Whoa, defensive," Kuroo mutters, raising his hands placatingly. "Just curious. I don't keep up with Karasuno lore enough to know about you."

He realises that that doesn't sound very nice, but somehow, Oikawa relaxes, taking no offence to it. "Eh. Three months, give or take."

Kuroo stares at him. He can sense the faux nonchalance in Oikawa's words. 

Sure enough, after a few seconds of silence, Oikawa sighs, correcting himself. "Fine. Ninety-six days, okay? You're so pushy."

"I didn't even say anything!" Kuroo laughs. "I knew you'd be the type of guy to count."

"Oh, so you think you're an expert on reading people, huh," Oikawa replies, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Kuroo gets the feeling that they'll get along well. He grins, leaning back against the dining table. "Yep. It's okay, you guys are so cute! Suga-chan looks so smitten with you."

Again, Oikawa's shoulders tense. Kuroo smiles to himself. He's beginning to understand the issue.

"Yeah, well," Oikawa mumbles. He picks up a water bottle provided by the inn, opening it. "Suga-chan is mine, so…"

He sounds so petulant that Kuroo cannot help but prod. Maybe he's being a dick, but in his defence, Oikawa is being childish, and it amuses him. "Uh-huh. Is 'Suga-chan' also a special little nickname that you call him, or are you just being jealous for no reason?"

At that, Oikawa whips around with a glare. It's not very intimidating when it's paired by his slowly reddening cheeks. "Shut the hell up! You're doing this on purpose!"

Kuroo's grin widens even more. "Perhaps if you just told me in a mature, calm way… How was I supposed to know, anyway?"

"You clearly know now, so you're just trying to be annoying—"

"Tooru, no instigating fights!" Sugawara calls from upstairs. 

Oikawa jumps, lips twisting into a pout. "Kuroo started it!"

Sugawara's response is even sharper. "Then be good and don't fall for his provocations."

Oikawa mutters something under his breath, taking a large swig from his water bottle, but he deflates obediently. Kuroo lets out a long snicker, shaking his head. "Damn. You are whipped, my dude."

Oikawa coughs, choking on his water. His cheeks are burning. "I don't want to hear that from you, you hypocrite."

At that, Kuroo blinks in confusion. "What?"

Oikawa stares back at him. Understanding dawns on his face and he presses his lips together, looking away. "Oops. Never mind."

"Wh— what's that supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing," he insists, walking past Kuroo. He pats his shoulder on the way. "You'll figure it out. Bye."

He disappears upstairs before Kuroo can say anything else. Kuroo watches him go with a frown, but before he can debate any further, the door to the bathroom slides open, and Daichi walks out, still towelling his hair dry.

Daichi nods at him, gesturing to the bathroom to signal that Kuroo can go next. Kuroo grabs his clothes and heads in, his mind still stuck on what Oikawa said.

Once all of them have finished showering, it's reaching eleven. Kuroo looks through the route for tomorrow—they're going to a beach about an hour away. It's still spring, so it shouldn't be too hot even if they go in the afternoon, but there's a risk of rain.

Asahi, Sugawara, Daichi, and Oikawa are already asleep. He's downstairs, sitting at the dining table. Kiyoko is just a bit away, sitting in front of the couch and doing some stretches.

Kuroo looks away from his phone, rubbing his eyes. He's beginning to get a headache.

He looks towards Kiyoko, wondering if he should get a second opinion. He feels a little awkward—he's never talked to her before, plus she's much closer to the others from Karasuno than he is.

Still, this might be a good time to bond with those he's unfamiliar with. Getting to know people is a skill he picked up from being captain of his team, anyway. 

"Shimizu?" he asks. She freezes, looking up warily. "Uh, are you free?"

She nods wordlessly. Kuroo stands up, going over to her and showing her his phone. "I'm still thinking between these two routes for tomorrow. The train station is farther away from here, but it's overall a faster journey. The bus is the opposite, and we'll have to change buses too, but it's much less walking. Which do you think is better?"

She tilts her head to the side. "Train."

Kuroo nods. "Alright."

The responding silence makes him a bit uncomfortable. He knows not everyone likes to talk, and Kiyoko's answers are always so simple. She reminds him of Kenma, a little bit, except Kuroo can't read her the way he can read Kenma, so he doesn't know how she's feeling either.

He looks at what she's doing. The stretches are pretty familiar, and so he risks a guess. "An old injury?"

Kiyoko's eyes widen in surprise. "...Yes. You can tell?"

Kuroo shrugs. "Yaku injured himself in first year during training. I watched him do the same stretches that you were doing."

"Oh." She nods. "I see."

Kuroo nods back. He keys in the confirmed route into his notes app, then stands up with a groan. "Um, I'm gonna go to bed. Don't stay up too late?" He winces at how hesitant that sounds.

To his surprise, Kiyoko breaks into a small smile. "You're very similar to Daichi, you know."

Kuroo blinks. "Really?"

"Mhm. He's always trying to care for others, even if he isn't sure how to approach them." She snickers when Kuroo flushes at the direct call-out. "But I appreciate it. Thank you."

Kuroo nods hurriedly. "Of course. I want you to enjoy this trip too, so, uh, feel free to let me know if you need anything."

She laughs again. "I will."

At that, Kuroo heads up the stairs, quietly pumping his fist in victory.

When Kuroo wakes up and heads down the stairs the next day, he's surprised to find Daichi already awake, stirring a cup of tea. 

"Oh, good morning!" Daichi greets. "You're up early."

Kuroo raises an eyebrow, walking closer. "So are you. Aren't you tired?"

"Eh, it's alright. Want some tea?"

Kuroo shrugs, nodding. Daichi pours him a cup, pushing it over. Kuroo takes a sip, pleasantly surprised at the strong fragrance. 

"...By the way, I overhead you and Shimizu last night."

Kuroo stiffens. "You weren't asleep yet?"

"No," Daichi admits, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I wanted to thank you. For trying to be inclusive. I was worried that she'd feel awkward with you around."

Kuroo huffs, crossing his arms and leaning back on his seat. "It's nothing. I'm just doing my duties as your responsible and fun tour guide."

Daichi regards him with an amused look, his eyes twinkling. He looks much too smug for Kuroo to handle. "Sure. Your generosity is striking all of us in the hearts."

"Is that sarcasm, Sawamura?"

"No," he answers, sounding decidedly sarcastic.

The rest of the morning passes peacefully. Slowly, the rest of the group come down the stairs, all rubbing sleep out of their eyes and mumbling their good mornings. They laze around until about ten-thirty before Kuroo is standing up, clapping his hands.

"Okay! Let's go pack our things, and then we'll head to the beach for the afternoon. Did everyone bring their swimsuits?"

"Yes," they all chorus. Kuroo snickers in amusement. It's like leading his volleyball team again.

They move quickly, grabbing things and stuffing them into backpacks that they've brought along. At one point, Kuroo and Oikawa stand to the side in awe and slight fear, watching the other four weave around each other like a well-oiled machine, tossing things to each other with barely any verbal communication. It's both admirable and scary, how well they know each other.

Once everyone has packed their things in a bag, they leave the inn together, nodding at the owner on the way out. The train station is about a twenty minute walk, so they take their time, glancing through different stores on the way. 

"Hey, Azumane—" Kuroo begins while they're waiting for the train to arrive.

"Ah, just Asahi is fine," he says. Then he apologises for interrupting, glancing down.

"Oh, right." Kuroo clears his throat. "I have to know. What the hell is in that bag?"

Asahi, like his suitcase, is carrying a comically large haversack on his back, but he also has an additional duffel bag by his side. He looks like he's going on a week-long camping trip with so many things, but Kuroo kindly does not say that.

"Oh! Lots of things. I've got my swimsuit in here, an umbrella, an extra umbrella, a mat, an extra mat—"

"Do you just carry double of everything?" Kuroo asks, flabbergasted.

Asahi nods. "You never know."

"That's why you're going to get early onset back pain," Sugawara chimes in, slapping his shoulders. Asahi yelps.

"Oi, the train is here," Daichi calls, and they drop the conversation.

The train ride is filled with more banter and laughter. They have to split off 3-3 as there aren't too many seats in a row. Asahi and Sugawara talk among themselves while Oikawa has his headphones on, though he's fiddling with Sugawara's fingers again.

On the opposing side, Kuroo sits in between Daichi and Kiyoko, desperately holding in his laughter when Daichi recounts the story of Hinata breaking into Shiratorizawa's training camp. Kiyoko mutters her own comments under her breath that only Kuroo manages to hear, and they're surprisingly sassy that he struggles even harder to remain quiet.

Eventually, they reach the station they need. They follow a few signs until the smell of sea salt fills the air. The ocean breeze ruffles by as they walk closer until they see the shore, to which they quicken their pace in excitement.

They stop by a beachside restaurant first to grab some food for lunch. After that, they head to a nearby bathroom to get changed, and that's when the fun begins.

Kind of. First, Sugawara and Kuroo get on all their asses about applying sunscreen, then Kuroo points out how the three guys from Karasuno are wearing matching white tank tops, and Oikawa laments about being left out, then they head down the beach where Kiyoko has already begun setting up.

Kuroo jogs over to help her in laying out a few mats. It's not too hot, but she still takes out a massive umbrella from Asahi's bag, passing it over. Kuroo opens it and almost hits Daichi in the face.

"Oops," he says with a grin as Daichi sends him a playful glare.

"Are you trying to kill me, Kuroo?" he asks, taking the umbrella from him and digging a spot in the sand to place it in.

"Yep," Kuroo answers. He draws a small box in the sand with his finger, writing his initials below it. "See, and I'll bury you right here so everyone knows it was me."

"What kind of conversation is this?" Asahi mumbles from next to them.

On the other side of the mat, Sugawara is wrangling Oikawa in place, a bottle of sunscreen in one hand. Oikawa whines about how mean he's being while Sugawara threatens to cut his fingers off if he doesn't apply sunscreen properly, and then Oikawa makes a flirty comment about how Sugawara should do it for him instead, to which he receives a smack to the shoulder and a bottle of sunscreen tossed in his face.

Kuroo laughs at him, completely unfiltered, and Oikawa threatens to shove sand into his eyes.

Just as they've all settled down, a familiar rambunctious cheer draws Kuroo's attention further down the beach. He doesn't have to look to know who it is.

"Is that Bokuto?" Daichi asks anyway, squinting in the distance. 

"And Akaashi! No way," Sugawara adds. 

Kuroo feels a sense of childlike glee fill his body as he leaps up, dashing over and meeting Bokuto mid-sprint. They crash into each other and Kuroo stumbles back from the force, laughing wildly.

"You almost knocked him over," Akaashi says with a sigh, walking up to them, much more like a normal person would. "Hi, Kuroo-san."

"What the heck are you doing here?" Bokuto asks. His hair is down, wet strands plastered to his forehead, and he's only wearing blue swimming trunks, so it's clear he was in the water before this.

"I'm with—" Kuroo begins, but Bokuto looks past his shoulder and spots them before he can finish his sentence.

"Ohh! Karasuno!" he cheers, jogging over. His shoulders shake like he's brimming with excitement and physically unable to contain it, going to greet the rest of them. 

Kuroo looks towards Akaashi, whose eyes are pinned on Bokuto's bareback. His expression gives nothing away, but Kuroo is certain his eyes are focused on the rippling muscles of Bokuto's back and arms as he high-fives the others, squatting down to talk to them. He very kindly does not call him out.

"So, why are you two here?" Kuroo asks.

Akaashi snaps out of his stupor, looking at him. "For fun. Bokuto-san's been bored out of his mind since graduation, so he's been dragging me to places to fill his time, I suppose."

"Pfft. And you're letting him? You have school, don't you?"

At that, Akaashi's cheeks flush lightly. "I guess I don't mind."

"Sure," Kuroo says teasingly. They join the rest, where Bokuto and Oikawa are locked in an argument about who would be able to beat the other in arm wrestling, already acting like old friends. Kuroo raises an eyebrow.

"Actually," Daichi says, breaking their conversation, "now that there are so many of us, I've got an idea. Asahi brought something fun to do."

"Oh!" Asahi reaches for his duffel bag, which Kuroo had completely forgotten about. He unzips it, revealing—

"You brought a volleyball?" Bokuto asks, his eyes shining. 

"And a net! What the hell!" Kuroo laughs.

"There's a spot over there. Let's go set up," Asahi says. And because none of them are responsible enough to think about watching their things, save for Kuroo, who hesitates just the slightest amount, they dash off together.

After the net is set up, they split off into teams of three. Akaashi offers to referee with Kiyoko, and Bokuto gives an overdramatic speech about how he can't play without his favourite special setter boyfriend, and Kuroo snickers at Akaashi struggling to keep down a strong blush.

Then, Oikawa argues about how Daichi, Sugawara, and Asahi aren't allowed to be a team, because they know each other too well and have an unfair advantage. 

"I think you just want to be on a team with Sugawara," Kuroo mumbles. Oikawa sends him a sharp glare. 

"That won't work, we should have a setter on each team," Bokuto muses. 

"I want Kuroo and Asahi on my team, actually," Sugawara says. They all cast him a suspicious look at the straightforward request.

"Eh? But—"

"Alright, alright," Kiyoko interrupts with a shake of her head. "Sugawara and Oikawa can act as team captains. Each of you pick one by one."

"Thank you," Daichi sighs.

Eventually, the teams are: Oikawa, Daichi, and Asahi, versus Sugawara, Bokuto, and Kuroo. Kuroo huddles up with his team, trying to think of a plan that would work with their skills, along with what he knows about the other team.

"Daichi is great at defence," Sugawara says, "so I say we focus more on attack, hard enough to break it. They're all tall, but so are you two, so I'll let you fight it out in the air."

"Okay!" Bokuto agrees easily. "Toss me plenty of balls, okay? I'll hit 'em all!"

"Sugawara isn't Akaashi, Bokuto," Kuroo reminds. "He's not gonna do whatever you want."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

Kuroo chuckles, ignoring his question. He glances over at the other team, where Oikawa looks uncannily serious as he speaks. "I've never played against Oikawa before. I've only watched some of his matches."

"Oh, he's got really good serves, right?" Bokuto asks with an empathetic nod. "Kuroo, you better receive them all."

"Wh—" he begins, but a stupid idea forms in his head, and to be honest, he never claimed to be a fair player. "...Sugawara?"

"Yeah?"

"How confident are you in your… distraction skills?"

Sugawara's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "My… what? I don't think I'm a particularly noticeable presence on the court, actua— ohh."

"Your boyfriend is head over heels for you, plus you're clever. I'm sure you can figure something out." Kuroo pats his shoulder and Sugawara rolls his eyes, but he's smiling fondly.

"I didn't take you for a dirty player," Bokuto says, visibly holding back a smirk. 

"A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do." He grins, holding his hand out, and the other two place theirs over his before they let out a cheer.

Once they get into position, Akaashi claps his hands in replacement of a whistle, and the game begins.

Oikawa serves first, sending the ball over the net with a wild grin. Kuroo straightens his arms to receive it and winces at how heavy the serve is, his wrists tingling for a few seconds after. Sugawara's eyes are focused on Bokuto, who is running towards the net, and he sets the ball with a soft huff.

Bokuto jumps, his arms swinging in practised ease as he spikes the ball down. They successfully score the point and Bokuto lets out a victory cry, pumping his fists in the air.

"It was only one point," Akaashi says.

Bokuto turns to him with a pout. "Akaashi, you're supposed to support me!"

Kuroo snickers, catching the ball that Kiyoko throws at him. He walks to the back of the line of their makeshift court which they drew with a stick, looking past the net to see where the others are.

His eyes land on Daichi, who has his knees bent and eyes up, laser-focused on the ball in Kuroo's hand. He looks up just at that moment, making eye-contact, and Kuroo jumps from the intensity. His throat suddenly feels terribly dry.

"Nice serve, Kuroo!" Sugawara calls, snapping him out of it. He redirects his focus, tossing the ball into the air and sending it over. The moment his palm hits the ball, he bites back a wince. That didn't feel very good.

Luckily, the ball still crosses over the net, but it falls right into Daichi's arms, who smirks as he receives it. Kuroo's stomach does a weird flip and he's beginning to think that he should've accounted for this during his plan—feeling a little bit… sick?

Maybe he just hasn't played volleyball in too long, and he's nervous against people who are familiar with his tactics. Right.

The game carries on. The other team gets into the flow quickly, specifically Oikawa, who adapts to the other two's style like it's nothing. They rack up points after that, and after Kuroo almost breaks his neck diving for a ball—he forgot that sand isn't like the court—they call for a small timeout.

"Are you okay, Kuroo?" Daichi asks, peering around the net, where he's drinking some water.

Kuroo thinks about the sand getting under his clothes and the twist in his stomach that hasn't quite faded, and answers in his head, not really.

Still, he smiles, lifting his head. "Yeah. Are you worried about me, Sawamura?"

Daichi scoffs. "Of course. That fall looked rough."

"Hm, not the kind of impression I want you to have of me."

Daichi laughs, rough and unfiltered, and the twisting in Kuroo's gut intensifies. Perhaps he's really getting sick. "I'll see if I change my mind after the game."

After that, they resume the game, Kuroo's team at fifteen points and the others at seventeen. Kuroo finds that his limbs aren't working the way they used to, or rather, that his mind isn't keeping up with the game. His body is moving instinctually, which is the only reason he hasn't majorly fucked up yet, even though his head is stuck somewhere else.

Kuroo bites his lip in frustration as Daichi receives his spike, passing it over to Asahi. He sends a victorious smirk over and Kuroo almost trips over his own feet on his landing, stumbling back unsteadily.

Bokuto catches him with a hand on his back, giving him a concerned look that he brushes off. The game's almost over. Both teams are at twenty-two points, so he just has to keep this up for the next three minutes or so.

Just then, Kuroo notices Sugawara pulling his tank top off out of the corner of his eye. He jogs over to pass it to Kiyoko, saying something about not wanting sand on his clothes, even though in Kuroo's opinion, it's much too late for that. However…

Kuroo looks over to Oikawa eagerly, whose eyes drift over Sugawara's body, completely unsubtle. Seriously, at least Akaashi has the decency to pretend he isn't thirsting over his own boyfriend. 

Bokuto seems to have completely forgotten about the plan, going over to wrap an arm around Sugawara's shoulders, asking him to toss the last few balls over to him so he can finish the other team off. Sugawara laughs, playing along, but Kuroo notices a mischievous glint in his eyes as he glances back at Oikawa, the edges of his lips tilted up in a coy smile.

He's good at this, damn. As Oikawa's eye twitches, Kuroo gets the feeling that these last three points are going to be much easier to score. 

"Hey, Kuroo!" Bokuto exclaims, waving him over. "Join us in getting that tan!"

"Ah, I don't tan well," Sugawara sighs. "I'll have to reapply sunblock later."

"Yeah?" Kuroo asks, pulling his shirt off too. He smothers a shitty grin behind the fabric. "I can help you with that later."

"Oh, thanks!"

"Can we just start the game?" Oikawa calls, his voice a bit on-edge. 

Just as he had hoped, they win another two points with ease. At their match point, Kuroo lifts his arms, flexing at the other team. "Looks like we're gonna win!"

Daichi gives him an unimpressed look. "With one of our teammates out of commission, I can see why."

"Oh? Sounds like you're just jealous of these guns." He flexes again with a giggle.

Daichi rolls his eyes, looking away. "Sure, whatever floats your boat."

Kuroo pouts a bit. He didn't even acknowledge his hard-earned muscles! How unappreciative.

Eventually, Kuroo's team scores the final point they need and the game ends. They share a victorious group hug, their skin a mess of sweat and sand, but the thrill of winning cancels the discomfort out. Bokuto bounces off to Akaashi, already in the midst of an excited ramble that he entertains, and Kuroo watches the familiar scene play out with an eye roll.

They return to their bags together, and their belongings seem untouched, thankfully. Kuroo flops onto a mat with a groan, looking at the bits of sand on his arms. "This is more uncomfortable than I thought it'd be."

Daichi joins him, reaching out to brush off a bit of sand from his body, and Kuroo stiffens. "Yeah. I think you have it the worst. It's all over your chest."

Kuroo's heart stops when Daichi's fingers creep closer to his chest as he gestures, but he pulls away before any contact is made. He lets out a sigh that he isn't sure is from relief or disappointment.

Asahi is laid out on a mat, hands behind his head as he closes his eyes—seriously, how much does this guy sleep? Kiyoko and Akaashi are talking, apparently having bonded just from refereeing a match together, and Bokuto is drawing mindless shapes in the sand as he listens. Oikawa has his arms wrapped around Sugawara's body, resting his chin on Sugawara's shoulder with a pout, probably about the earlier incident. Kuroo looks away, not wanting to see all that.

"It's getting a bit hot," Daichi says absently, fanning himself with the front of his shirt. 

Kuroo eyes the movement. "Mhm. I think the water would cool us off."

"Sure. Wanna go?"

At that, Kuroo blinks, hesitance bleeding into his voice. "Just us?"

Daichi shrugs, pulling off his shirt, and Kuroo has to hold back a choke at the sudden exposure of a lot more skin than he's ever seen. Daichi regards him with an unreadable expression as he folds up his shirt, stuffing it in his bag, before standing up and holding out a hand in offering.

For just a moment, Daichi's body is shading Kuroo from the sun. The light bounces off his skin, his muscles outlined by defined shadows that Kuroo struggles to look away from.

Right, but it's totally normal to look at another guy's body. It's admiration. He's an athlete, so he knows how to appreciate hard work and its results. No big deal.

Kuroo takes Daichi's hand, letting him pull him up, and the two of them jog over to the ocean. The tides are currently low, waves sweeping past the shoreline gently, caressing their ankles when they enter. Kuroo wades into the water until it reaches his hips before glancing back, where Daichi is watching him.

"It's cold," he says, bending down so the water washes over his entire body. The sand slides off easily as he resurfaces, and he sighs as a refreshing breeze hits his skin, cooling him down.

Daichi's expression gives nothing away as he creeps closer. He stops just a few steps away from Kuroo, looking up at him, and Kuroo stiffens in anticipation. 

Daichi begins squatting down, hands dipping into the water. Kuroo's eyes follow the movement as he warily takes a step back, and Daichi's lips split into a wide grin and—

Splash!

Kuroo coughs in surprise, water droplets running down his face and dripping from his hair. Daichi bursts out laughing, slapping his thighs in delight. "Got you."

"What the hell," he says, blinking. "You..!"

Daichi is already stepping back, clearly about to run. Kuroo understands the game he's offering now. He grins, bending his knees and getting ready to strike back. "Get back here, Sawamura!"

At that, Daichi's legs kick into action. Kuroo chases after him, scooping up water and shoving it in his direction. It splatters everywhere, barely any of it actually getting on Daichi, but he persists anyway, yelling about revenge and fairness.

The water makes it difficult to move as quickly as usual, fighting against their steps. Daichi seems to know it too, for he turns, kicking a bit of water at Kuroo to distract him. He begins racing out of the water and towards the shoreline. With that head start, Kuroo wouldn't be able to catch him once he's out of the water, so—

Kuroo leaps, his arms outstretched. He catches Daichi by the shoulders, tugging him back, and the two of them go crashing down.

Kuroo coughs as his face is dunked in water and Daichi's weight pushes against him, keeping him down. His hands find the sand as he pushes himself up in a sitting position with a gasp for air. Daichi is in a similar state, sprawled over Kuroo's body and struggling to run off.

"Oh, no you don't," Kuroo says with a laugh, wrapping his arms around Daichi's waist to keep him locked in place. Daichi fails to twist out of it and he gives up, sitting between Kuroo's legs with a huff. He turns back, eyes glittering with childish delight, and Kuroo finds himself smiling back.

"Fine, you win," he relents. 

Kuroo hums in satisfaction. "I know! I—"

He's cut off as Daichi splashes him with water again, giggling to himself. Kuroo screeches indignantly, tussling until Daichi has fallen onto his back, still laughing while Kuroo hovers over him, threatening to drown him right there and then.

Like this, with Kuroo's arms pinned by Daichi's side, he's suddenly taken aback by how intimate this position is. Their faces hover over each other's, their knees knocking against the other's, and they are so close that Kuroo can count every eyelash on Daichi's eyes at this distance. His heart skips a beat.

Daichi doesn't seem to have noticed his sudden silence, or maybe he just doesn't care. He flops back, arms splayed out like he's surrendering, and that doesn't do good for Kuroo's heart either. "Ugh, now there's sand in my hair. It's gonna be a pain to wash off."

"...Right," Kuroo says, swallowing. A droplet of water falls from his wet hair, landing on Daichi's cheek.

"Anyway!" Daichi sits up, forcing Kuroo to move back naturally, placing some distance between them. "I forgot I had some sandwiches packed in my bag. Better eat them before it's too late."

He stands up and Kuroo watches the water trail down Daichi's body, down his toned chest and smooth muscles, and his fingers twitch with an urge to touch. Daichi offers a hand out again, and this time when Kuroo takes it, his fingers are trembling. He's not sure from what exactly, but he hopes Daichi doesn't notice his loss of composure.

Yet, when Daichi's smile morphs into something a little more knowing, Kuroo gets the feeling that he's been found out anyway. 

They spend the rest of the afternoon there messing around and relaxing. Kuroo, Bokuto, and Oikawa get into a sandcastle competition that becomes a lot more intense than any of them would have expected. They get the others to judge, aside from Sugawara and Akaashi, who are cut out for being biassed. 

Kuroo wins because he found the most extravagant shell to decorate his sandcastle with, and he rubs it in the other's faces for as long as he can.

The rest of them take a dip in the water once or twice. It delves into yet another mindless water fight that Kuroo stays out of this time, simply watching it play out with a content smile. 

When the sky begins to dim and it looks like it's about to rain, they decide to take their  leave. Before that, though, they gather close to the shoreline, where the sand is wet and soft beneath their toes. Each of them takes turns writing their names in the sand with a thin branch, just far enough for the waves to barely kiss the tip of the characters.

They will wash away eventually, either by the ocean or the incoming rain, but they leave a mark anyway. It solidifies the memory, a gentle imprint to prove that they were there, and that they had fun.

Bokuto raises his phone for a selfie. They struggle to all fit in the frame, and multiple photos come out with at least two of them blurry. Still, they do their best, and one photo comes out decent.

After that, they head back to take a quick shower and change into dry clothes. Kuroo hangs a towel around his neck when he's done, walking out of one of the cubicles and bumping into Daichi on the way.

"Oh, hi," Daichi greets. "Nice shirt."

Kuroo glances down at the red shirt he's wearing. It has a small graphic of a cat's buttock on it.

"It was a joke gift from Yaku," he explains with an eye roll. Honestly, he didn't think twice before packing this shirt along with the others. 

Daichi laughs as they walk out of the bathroom together. They wait outside, the first ones done. "It's cute. By the way, thanks for this. We had a lot of fun today."

Kuroo smiles, a wave of warmth running through his body. "It's only the first day, Sawamura. Don't get too impressed yet!"

"Yeah? I wonder what else you have planned, then."

"Mm, I just planned for shopping and simple stuff tomorrow. There's an arcade at the mall we're going to."

Daichi raises an eyebrow. "I've never been to an arcade."

"I— never?" Kuroo's voice fills with glee. "Then it's going to be even more fun!"

"Somehow, that doesn't sound very comforting." 

"The first time is always the best experience," he assures, unable to help the wide grin on his face as he recalls an old memory. "Yamamoto broke the ceiling when we went as a team."

"...That's not possible."

"Oh, but it is." Kuroo sighs. "We got kicked out, though, and had to pay the repairs. That wasn't too fun. But Kenma still has the videos, I think."

Daichi casts him a weary smile. "It sounds like something my team would do too, so I suppose I can't judge."

Just then, the rest of their friends filter out of the bathrooms, talking among themselves. Bokuto and Akaashi are getting picked up by Bokuto's mother, so they wave goodbye to the rest, with Bokuto promising to send over the photos and giving them each a heartfelt hug. Kuroo rolls his eyes, but it's a classic Bokuto-move after a hangout, so he lets it happen.

(Oikawa doesn't seem as pleased, almost getting squashed from the strength of Bokuto's grip. Kuroo swears he did it on purpose.)

"Well," Daichi says, glancing at the sky. "Let's catch the train back, and we'll find somewhere for dinner?"

They chorus an agreement, heading back to the train station just as the sun begins to set.

They sleep-in a bit the next day, all of them having exhausted themselves at the beach and needing more time to recharge. Even Kuroo, who rises early out of habit, sleeps in until nine. He's one of the last to wake up, actually, save for Asahi.

As Kuroo stumbles down the stairs, rubbing sleep out of his eyes, he finds a warm cup of tea already set on the table. 

He blinks, looking around. Oikawa and Sugawara are on the couch, with Oikawa's head on Sugawara's lap, but both their eyes are closed like they're still fading in between being asleep and awake. The bathroom upstairs was occupied, and Kuroo had assumed it was Kiyoko, so only one other person could've gotten up and made tea.

Maybe Daichi forgot his cup? 

Kuroo walks closer and notices a sticky note under the cup. When he picks it up, he sees his name written in quick but precise strokes.

Huh. 

Kuroo looks into the sink, where only one other cup is there, still unwashed. When he checks the coffee table in the living room where Oikawa and Sugawara are, he finds that the table is empty.

So… the cup is just for him, then? 

The idea that Daichi only made tea for Kuroo doesn't make any sense, but Kuroo's heart flutters at the generous gesture anyway. He doesn't know where Daichi is, actually, but he'll have to thank him later.

Kuroo drags out a chair, careful not to make too much noise, and takes a sip. The tea is just as strong as it was yesterday. He hums in delight, opening his phone to reply to a few messages from Bokuto, Kenma, and Yaku. 

When he's done with the tea, he washes the cups at the sink and leaves them at the drying rack. Kuroo goes to get changed, running into Kiyoko as he's grabbing a fresh set of clothes, who nods tiredly in greeting, her glasses on the top of her head. 

Kuroo gets dressed in a dark green shirt and black pants, then decides to head out for a quick walk since no one's really awake yet. He leaves the inn, heading to the lobby, when he runs into the very person he was wondering about.

"Oh, Kuroo!" Daichi greets from where he's talking to the inn's owner, holding a box of something. "Good morning."

Kuroo's eyes widen as he approaches them. He gives a quick bow to the owner before looking at Daichi. "I was wondering where you were. What's that?"

Daichi lifts the box, white and wrapped with a blue bow. "A complimentary gift from Haruka-san over here! Homemade spring rolls and onigiris."

Haruka sends them a thumbs up, gesturing to a basket of oranges at the edge of the desk. "You can take some of these too. They're all free—we always have too many."

"Oh, thank you," Kuroo says, taking three. They're large, about the size of his palms. Definitely enough to share with the others.

"Are you enjoying your stay here?" she asks.

"Yeah!" Daichi replies. "It's so peaceful. One of my friends is sleeping a little too well here."

Kuroo snickers under his breath. "Asahi is still asleep, by the way."

"See? Point proven."

Haruka chuckles. "That's good. Let me know if there's anything you need."

They nod, thanking her as they walk back to the inn. Daichi looks over at Kuroo, a relaxed smile on his face. "Did you like the tea?"

"Oh." Kuroo stands up a little straighter. "Yeah, it was great. Uh… thank you, but you didn't have to."

Daichi huffs. "I wouldn't if I didn't want to. Why are you being so shy now, huh?"

He flushes at being called out. "I was taken aback by the gesture, okay? I appreciate it!"

"You better!"

They enter the inn together, still bickering, and find that the rest of them are downstairs now, all of them awake and changed. They chorus their greetings, eyes zeroing in on the food in their hands.

"We brought breakfast," Daichi says, taking off the box's cover to reveal the food. Kuroo marvels over how perfectly-shaped they all are, and how much there is too. It could feed an entire village.

Their friends cheer as they gather around the coffee table, digging in the moment Daichi sets the box down. 

Kuroo finds himself seated next to Daichi—he always seems to be close by, recently—their knees knocking against each other's as they eat. Once Kuroo has had his fill, he picks up one of the oranges and begins to peel.

It's a methodic, repetitive movement. He's always liked peeling oranges, has been told that he was particularly good at it because he doesn't get juice everywhere the way his father does. His fingers dig under the skin, smoothly unwrapping the orange. When it's just the flesh left, he splits it up into its slices, handing them around the table.

Kuroo gets to work on the next, one ear on the conversation, though his focus is mostly on the orange. When he's done with that, he does the same thing, splitting them up and passing it around before reaching for the last orange. He pauses when he realises that it's not there and looks around in confusion.

"Here," Daichi says, passing him half an orange. Kuroo stares.

"...You took the last orange," he states.

Daichi regards him with an odd look. "I did, yes. To peel."

When Kuroo doesn't move, he presses the half into his hand a little more insistently, "You haven't had any. Take some."

Kuroo swallows, something thick rising up his throat. "...Oh. Thank you."

With a bit of hesitance, he plucks out a slice and pops it into his mouth, and he finds that it tastes much sweeter than he expected.

When they're all ready to go, Kuroo brings them to Harajuku. 

It's about a forty minute train ride from Nerima station, where their inn is closest to. Once they're there, they're greeted with a wide variety of stores along a bustling street. It's a busy day, being a Saturday afternoon and whatnot, and Kuroo warns them to stay close so they won't lose each other.

They spend a bit of time just window shopping—Kuroo had picked this place thinking Kiyoko might enjoy it, but he realises after a while that it's Asahi and Oikawa who seem the most hyped, and lets them subtly lead the group.

They explore different styles—Harajuku is known for their streetwear, as seen from a lot of people in the crowd. Kuroo feels a bit underdressed, actually, and he voices this out to Sugawara, who laughs.

"Maybe Asahi can dress us all up, then," he jokes, just as they enter a store that had caught their interest.

The store is filled to the brim with baggy clothes—wide-legged jeans, puffy jackets and vests, chunky boots and jewellery. Kuroo marvels at the selection, drawn over to the accessories section. He picks up a pair of black cat-eye sunglasses and slides them on, turning around with a grin to the closest person. "Do I look cool?"

Daichi scoffs. "You look like a wannabe hipster."

"Mean. I think I'd be a good hipster."

"I can see that!" Asahi chimes in supportively. "It goes well with your bag."

Kuroo glances down at his sling bag. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah! I think you suit these kinds of jewellery, too." He comes over, picking up a variety of silver rings and pushing them into his hands. 

Somehow, in the next hour, Kuroo accidentally becomes Asahi's dress-up doll. It's not like what Oikawa is doing to Sugawara, putting silly hats and sunglasses on his face while giggling, no, Asahi is serious. But he keeps complimenting Kuroo whenever he thinks something looks good, so Kuroo preens and goes along with it.

He leaves the store with a few thick rings around his fingers, a black graphic bomber jacket, and feeling ten times cooler than when he entered.

"Wipe that smug smile off your face," Daichi comments with an eye roll.

"Huh? Sounds like someone's jealous of my stylish fashion," Kuroo says. He strikes a peace sign that Daichi only laughs at, slapping it away.

They continue exploring, stopping by a crepes stall at some point to get some sustenance. After that, Kuroo leads them to the rooftop of some popular mall, where he knows it is a popular hangout spot. They climb up the stairs, breaths coming a bit short once they're at the top, but they manage to find a decently-sized table with a parasol shading them. 

Kuroo eats his chocolate crepes in peace, being careful not to get any sauce on his new jacket. He sees Sugawara eyeing Daichi's strawberry crepes, and a mere few seconds later, the ex-setter reaches across the table and steals a bite.

"Hey!" Daichi gasps, tugging his food away and placing a firm hand in between them. "What the hell, Suga!"

Sugawara grins in victory, chewing. He swallows. "Eh. It's not as sweet as I thought it'd be."

Daichi grumbles under his breath, shifting a millimetre closer to Kuroo to get away from Sugawara's newfound activity. Kuroo cannot help but laugh. "Does he always do this?"

"Since our first year," Daichi huffs, sending Sugawara a glare that doesn't hold that much heat. 

"You'd think he'd learn by now," Sugawara stage-whispers over to Asahi, who has already finished his own food, and maybe that's a good thing now that he's the next closest to him. 

Once they're all done—and with no more food-stealing incidents, to Daichi's relief—they clear their trash and head back down. Kuroo announces that they'll be going to the arcade just a mall away, and together, they begin their journey to their next destination.

As they walk, Kuroo finds Oikawa next to him, the other four having fallen into their old habits of moving together like a flock of birds. Kuroo glances back occasionally to make sure that they are still keeping up, but overall, he keeps his eyes straight ahead. 

On their way, Oikawa hums, nodding his head in the distance. "My sister used to work here. That's where she met her husband and everything."

Kuroo raises an eyebrow. "You have a sister?"

"Yeah, older. And I get stuck babysitting her shitty kid more often than I should." Oikawa huffs, but his voice is light and lacking any irritation.  

"Oh. I have an older sister, too. She's in France right now, though. Studying abroad."

Oikawa snorts. "Of course you're an annoying little brother. I see that."

"I— hello?" Affronted by this very rude, very incorrect assumption, Kuroo whips his head around, pointing at the others. "Guys! Do I have 'annoying little brother' vibes?"

"Yes," Daichi answers immediately, followed by Sugawara's, "Maybe. Tooru has it more."

"Suga-chan!"

"For sure," Kuroo huffs. "Sawamura, I'm ignoring what you said."

Daichi smirks. "Really? As a certified older sibling, I think I am qualified to say that you have annoying little brother vibes." His voice tilts upwards in a lame attempt to mimic Kuroo's voice.

"You're not very good at impressions."

"No," Oikawa laughs, "that's exactly what you sound like."

"Man, fuck you!"

"Can't. I have a boyfriend, unlike you!" Oikawa sticks his tongue out. Kuroo thinks about saving his dignity for approximately 0.2 seconds before sticking his tongue back out.

"Who said I was even gay? You're making so many assumptions about me today. That's not very progressive of you."

Oikawa's mouth drops open. "Who said? Well, when you look at—"

He cuts himself off. A vague, suppressed noise leaves his throat, as if he physically swallowed back his reply. He grimaces, giving Sugawara a pleading look, who firmly shakes his head and holds a finger to his lips. Kiyoko sighs. 

When Kuroo tilts his head, gesturing for him to carry on, Oikawa lets out a laugh that sounds more like a dying whale, in his humble opinion. "Uh! Takes one to know one?"

"Real smooth," Sugawara mutters. 

Kuroo purses his lips, pretending to turn his nose away in irritation. He isn't actually annoyed, plus it's not like he isn't gay, he's just more confused than anything. He sneaks a glance at Daichi, hoping he'd give him a clue on what's going on, but Daichi looks just as lost as him.

Well, whatever. They're reaching the arcade soon. So Kuroo shrugs his shoulders and turns his attention back to the path they're walking, continuing to lead the way. Sugawara and Oikawa can keep their secrets to themselves.

The arcade is so distinct that they hear it before they see it while they ride the escalator to the third floor.

Neon purple and pink lights flash at them as they walk past the entrance and into, as what Kuroo would like to call it, sensory hell. He loves the arcade and frequents it with his friends, but even he can admit that staying in here for too long would give anyone a headache.

Varying music from the different machines blast in their ears—the quick zips from shooting games, the banging of squeaky hammers against a surface, the roaring engine from racing games, and most of all, rambunctious laughter from the arcade's patrons. 

Kuroo walks up to the cashier, getting two cards to split among themselves, and once that's distributed, he puts his hands on his hips and asks, "Okay, team. What's the goal here?"

"Get as many fucking tickets as possible," Sugawara answers immediately. 

Kuroo grins, sending him a thumbs up. "Exactly. Do your best 'cause this is business, don't sweat it, cheat if you have to—"

"Really?" Daichi interrupts with an eye roll. Kuroo shrugs, holding a card between his fingers and dancing off. He goes straight to a machine he knows he excels at—Taiko no Tatsujin.

"Oh, Shimizu is pretty good at this one!" Asahi says when Kuroo comes to a stop in front of one of the drums. Kuroo raises an eyebrow, gesturing to the machine next to him. She hesitates, but after a gentle nudge from Sugawara, she goes, taking up the spot.

"You like rhythm games, Shimizu?" Kuroo asks, sliding the card through the reader.

She shrugs. "I can keep up a rhythm, I guess."

"Now, that's not confidence! You should say that you'll utterly thrash this machine!" Kuroo cackles, letting her pick a song. She goes for one of the harder ones—not any he finds impossible, but one that definitely requires a certain level of experience to be able to play well. 

The music boots up and Kuroo feels himself sink into the familiar atmosphere. His hands out in front of him, a thundering beat in his ear, the thrum in his veins—it's a special kind of high only found here. He's vaguely aware of the others crowding behind them to look, but his eyes are laser-focused on the small flashing screen.

Kiyoko seems a bit stiff at first, but after a bit, she finds her groove, keeping up with the music in no time. Together, they slam their hands against the drums, watching as the numbers climb higher and higher with every precise hit, until—

In the end, Kuroo wins by a mere few points.

He exclaims in victory, pumping a fist in the air. Kiyoko steps back gracefully, though there's an excited smile on her face that widens when Asahi gushes about how cool that was. Kuroo turns to her, holding a hand out, and she high-fives him with barely any hesitation. 

"Nice, Shimizu!" he compliments. "Oh, there's the tickets."

After collecting their tickets, they tuck it in a little basket provided by the arcade and search for their next game.

They split off after that, sticking in smaller groups as they weave through the massive arcade. Asahi and Oikawa play the basketball hoops and Sugawara mutters about how they're cheating with their height. He's proven wrong a bit later when Oikawa somehow misses half his throws despite the hoop being barely a few feet away from his hands.

"Never step on a basketball court, my dude," Kuroo tells Oikawa, patting his shoulder.

Oikawa squawks in offence, but he doesn't deny that he's better suited with volleyball. He still pouts, though, and Kuroo sends a grumpy Oikawa off for Sugawara to deal with.

They find out that Sugawara has an uncanny knack for claw machines, managing to get three prizes without breaking any sweat. Kuroo is not convinced he isn't cheating somehow, actually, but when he asks, Sugawara simply replies, "A magician never reveals his secrets."

So, yeah. But Oikawa now holds three different plushies in his hands, and the lovesick smile on his face is so sickening that Kuroo feels like throwing up, so he doesn't dwell on the topic any longer.

Throughout their adventures, Kuroo notices one thing: Daichi hasn't played much.

He joins them for the team-based games when they need it, mostly the shooting ones, and he's always stuck by Kuroo's side, so he didn't notice his lack of participation at first. Now that he did, though, it's all Kuroo can focus on.

He wonders if it's because Daichi is unfamiliar with these machines? He did say he's never been to any arcades before this, Kuroo supposes, but then again, he doesn't strike Kuroo as the type to shy away from new things.

Still, Kuroo wants Daichi to enjoy this experience as much as anyone else. He'll just have to find a game that Daichi is sure to excel in and have fun with, then he can—

"They have one of those!"

His train of thought is interrupted by Oikawa pointing in the distance, wide eyes filled with mischief and determination. Kuroo looks at what he's pointing at and feels that same energy transfer over to him.

A big punch machine.

This will be perfect. It's a one-hit, individual game that focuses on strength and strategy. Perfect for someone like Daichi, but also perfect for Kuroo to show the fuck off.

Yeah, yeah. Call him immature. He's worked hard for these guns.

Kuroo and Oikawa share a look and before they know it, they're rushing over to the unoccupied machine with a laugh. Kuroo glances at the high score of the day, a whopping 811, and decides that he can definitely beat it.

"I'll go first," Oikawa says, rolling up his sleeves. 

"You just want to show-off in front of Suga," Kuroo points out. Oikawa's head snaps towards him with a glare.

"Okay?! And who are you showing off for, huh? No one else is watching."

As the rest of the group catch up to them, Daichi's elbow brushes against Kuroo's, and he thinks that despite what Oikawa says, someone worth it is definitely watching. 

He ignores the question with a shrug, swiping the card through the reader. Immediately, the machine lights up, the round boxing bag descending and hanging there. It's right at Oikawa's chin-level, and the ex-setter stares at it straight on, taking a few steps back. 

Kuroo does the same, not wanting to get caught up in this punch. Despite their training, using your muscles for volleyball is much different from punching something, so there's no indication about how well Oikawa will do. 

"This one's for you, Suga-chan," Oikawa says, turning to his boyfriend with a wink.

Beside him, Sugawara sighs, crossing his arms. 

In just a few seconds, Oikawa draws his arm back and shoots out a fist. It slams into the boxing bag, sending it up, and the numbers go flying. 

They wait with bated breath as the score climbs higher and higher until it slows, coming to a stop at 828.

"Haha!" Oikawa cackles, turning around with gleeful eyes. "High score!"

Once he collects the tickets, he bounces over to where Sugawara is looking away, trying to keep on a faux air of nonchalance. Oikawa whines, shaking his shoulders and asking him to acknowledge his strength, and the two delve into a pointless bit of banter that Kuroo tunes out.

He walks up to the machine, swiping the card again. As he does so, he manages a glance at the screen and realises that there isn't any more money in this card, which means this would be the last game. Hesitating, Kuroo looks back at the rest.

"Sawamura," he calls. Daichi jumps. "You do it. This is the last one."

"M-me?" Daichi stutters out. "Uh, are you sure? You can play it, I don't mind."

"Now, don't shy away from the challenge!" Kuroo waves his hand in dismissal. "Give us a good one and break Oikawa's high score, won't you?"

"Hey!"

At that, Daichi chuckles, taking a step forward. "Alright."

Kuroo rejoins the group and waits. Daichi is a bit shorter, so the bag is at his eye-level instead. However, that might make scoring easier, for you have to punch the bag at a slight upwards angle rather than straight on, so if Daichi is looking at it from a lower angle, then—

All of Kuroo's thoughts fly out of the window when Daichi pulls up a sleeve, rolling his shoulders. A determined, cool gaze fills his eyes. He clenches a hand into a fist, drawing it back steadily, and Kuroo can see the way his back muscles tense through the loose fabric of his t-shirt.

Daichi takes a deep breath, his chest puffing outwards. Without further ado, he swings, his fist colliding with the bag and producing a devastating bang!

The score flies. It flies and flies and flies and doesn't stop, and they all watch in anticipation as it shoots right past Oikawa's score, right past the 800th mark, even, ending at…

947.

Kuroo's throat goes dry. 

Daichi steps back, a pleasantly surprised smile on his face. "Oh, nice."

"This is why Daichi scares me when he's mad," Asahi mumbles. Kiyoko snickers.

Daichi collects the tickets, folding them up and handing them over to Kuroo, who had forgotten that he was holding the basket. He flinches, taking them with shaking fingers, desperately trying not to think about that casual display of strength that he did not know Daichi had up his sleeves.

"Wow, we won a lot!" Daichi comments, peering into the basket. 

Kuroo clears his throat, scrambling to seem unaffected. "Yep. Let's go see what we can trade them for."

He rushes off to the ticket counter machine before anyone can call him out. One by one, he feeds the strings of tickets into the slot, keeping his eyes on the numbers rather than anything else. 

Kuroo doesn't know why his heart is beating so fast. Maybe the lights and noises are making him nervous? Or maybe he's just not used to not being the strongest in the room—not that he gets intimidated by stuff like that! He was just taken by surprise, yes, so he's still reeling.

After a bit of discussion, they choose to get a packet of lollipops. It comes in six per packet, so it's a perfect coincidence. They keep the rest of the tickets that they didn't use under Kuroo's name.

"Those prizes didn't seem very worth it," Daichi says with a frown as they're heading out and Kuroo distributes the lollipops. 

"Well, you pay for the experience. The prizes are just an extra thing, I guess," Kuroo replies. He holds out the two remaining lollipops, letting him choose the flavour. Daichi tilts his head before going for the strawberry with a mumbled thank you.

"Eh, it's so late already!" Sugawara says, pointing to the sky. Kuroo looks up, where it indeed is marginally darker than it was when they entered the mall. "It feels like a different dimension in there. I completely lost track of time."

"I'm not really hungry. The crepes were very filling," Oikawa says.

"We can head back to Nerima first before finding something to eat?" Kuroo offers. Once everyone choruses their agreement, they start making their way back to the train station.

As they walk, Daichi ends up next to Kuroo again. He struggles to unpeel the lollipop's wrapper, so Kuroo holds his hand out, offering help. Once he succeeds, he passes it back to Daichi, who smiles at him, his eyes crinkling at the sides. "Thanks."

Kuroo watches, suddenly transfixed, as Daichi's lips part around the lollipop, wrapping over the pink candy. With his lips puckered, he begins to suck. 

Kuroo hastily tears his gaze away, his cheeks burning. 

"...You okay?" Daichi asks, lips still around the candy. His eyes don't give anything away, but Kuroo feels like he's being searched, somehow. As if Daichi was stripping down his walls, deciphering exactly what he's thinking without breaking a sweat. 

"Yes," Kuroo lies through his teeth, grimacing at how weak his voice sounds. "Just tired."

Daichi shrugs, accepting the answer, and Kuroo lets out a sigh of relief.

Together, they return to Nerima, grab a quick bite from a convenience store, and head back to the inn to rest.

Later at night, when Kuroo is lying in his futon and staring up at the ceiling with wide eyes, he realises that he cannot get the image of Daichi's arms or lips out of his head. 

He drags a hand down his face with a quiet groan. Something is very, very wrong with him, and if he doesn't figure it out soon, he's going to drive himself mad until he explodes. 

On their third and final day in Tokyo, Kuroo takes them sightseeing. 

He makes a joke about showing them the Sky Tree that earns him numerous glares, but truly, where he's taking them is to a festival. It's held at Nakameguro, and at this time of the year, the quiet neighbourhood comes to life for its annual cherry blossom festival by the river. 

Bundled up in one of his warmer, maroon jackets, and hand-me-down boots from his father, Kuroo feels a bit overdressed. He's doing so in preparation for the night, as they plan to stay out late, but he supposes he should have kept his jacket in his bag instead of just donning everything on. At least the heat isn't too unbearable for now. 

They reach the train station at about two in the afternoon, and when they arrive at the park, it's already crowded, bustling with people waiting for the festival in the evening. Together, they grab some sandwiches for a late lunch and head to an empty spot in the park. Asahi had brought a picnic mat, which he generously lays out, and they gather on it together, eating their food.

"It's been a while since I've been to one of these," Asahi says, looking around. 

Once they finish their food, Kiyoko takes out a deck of cards, and they entertain themselves for the next few hours. They get into a few intense rounds of bluff and find out that Asahi cannot lie for shit, that Sugawara is a scheming bitch, and that Kiyoko is an impressively good actor when she tries to be. 

When the clock hits five, they pack up their things and begin making their way to Meguro River. 

Truly, nothing compares to the pictures.

Dozens of sakura trees line the massive river, its branches long and hanging. On the branches, from bud to bloom, soft pink sakura flowers decorate the masses. Against the pale blue sky, the magical feel of spring finally sets in.

For the festival, lamps have been placed alongside the railings, lit with a reddish hue. Gentle, festive music is playing in the background, as if it's only the start to a long night filled with fun and celebration.

"It's so beautiful," Sugawara gushes, tugging Daichi and Asahi along. "There's a bridge there, we can get closer!"

They follow along, where an overhead short stone arch bridge lies ahead. It's not too crowded yet, so they climb on. Kuroo puts a hand on the railing and looks over and into the water, which flows quietly down the river, reflecting the masses of cherry blossoms in its pristine surface. 

He picks up one of the petals lying innocently on the bridge's railing and flicks it into the water. It flutters down, landing on the surface, so light that it barely disturbs it. Kuroo watches it float until it's out of sight.

"Kuroo," Daichi calls, tugging on his sleeve. He jumps, turning. "We're taking pictures, come on!"

Kuroo doesn't get much time to think before he's being dragged over to where the rest have crowded together. A stranger holds on to Kiyoko's phone, patiently waiting.

Once Kuroo has joined them, Daichi wraps an arm around his shoulders. Kuroo yelps as he's forced to bend down, but Daichi just shakes with laughter beside him, holding his other hand out in a peace sign. As the stranger takes a few pictures, he finds himself relaxing, his smile growing more genuine.

His cheeks feel a bit hot. Perhaps it's because the temperature hasn't dropped enough yet. The weather is always a dramatic, unpredictable mess during spring, and Kuroo knows that it'll turn chilly sooner or later. He readjusts the jacket around his shoulders with a light grimace.

Maybe he should have taken a leaf out of Daichi's book, who is wearing nothing but an airy t-shirt and jeans, although he has no clue how. He probably runs warm or something. 

After the photos, they follow the sound of music towards the entrance of the festival's street market. Walking in feels like walking into an entirely new dimension—it's as if the walls are closing in on them with the way they are surrounded by trees and stalls alike. Still, everything is lit up in hues of pink and gold, and when the sun sets, it is sure to amplify the magic tenfold. 

"That looks so good," Daichi says, tugging on Kuroo's sleeve. Kuroo takes a moment to be confused about why he's doing that before reasoning to himself that it's because he's the nearest one. 

So that spike of happiness at the idea of being special is squashed away immediately by his own hands, yup. Nothing to see there.

Kuroo follows along as Daichi heads up to a stall selling a variety of seafood. He orders a comical number of sticks of octopus and squid, and a set of those sticks look noticeably redder than the rest. When Kuroo asks about those, Daichi gestures to where the others are fawning over some artworks hung up on display. "Suga's spice tolerance is out of this world. If I didn't get him this option, he'd complain that his taste buds feel nothing for hours."

"I don't know why, but that doesn't surprise me at all." 

Daichi laughs in agreement. Once he receives the food in various plastic bags, they thank the stall owner in sync and hurry to join the rest again.

"Here," Daichi says, distributing the food. "Ooh, what did you get?"

He's pointing at the box in Oikawa's hands, who opens it to reveal dozens of balls of takoyaki. With a toothpick, he takes one out and offers it to Sugawara, who grins like he's just been granted the entire galaxy. Kuroo rolls his eyes and turns his sights away from the lovey-dovey couple, only to come face-to-face with Daichi holding out a stick of octopus, a quiet smile on his face.

When Kuroo reaches out to take it, Daichi swerves his hand away, snickering. "I'm not giving you the whole thing! Take a bite. I want to try it too."

"Oh, okay." Kuroo brings a hand up, holding his hair away and bending down to eat straight from—

…Straight from Daichi's hand. Daichi, who is feeding him the exact same way Oikawa did to Sugawara a mere few seconds ago.

Right. Haha. That's not awkward at all. Kuroo braves through the sudden crisis hitting him like a freight train, biting onto the octopus. Gritting his teeth, he struggles to tug off a piece, wincing at how hot it is as well, still fresh from the grill.

Daichi snorts when he pulls back. "You're a damn messy eater, you know?" He reaches out, his thumb landing on the corner of Kuroo's mouth, wiping away at the excess sauce that he didn't even realise was there.

Kuroo's stomach does an entire gymnastics routine when Daichi brings his thumb back to his own lips, licking. He hums at the taste, turning his attention back to the food, focus amplified like a crow to shiny things. 

"My god," someone mumbles from behind him. Kuroo kicks them mentally. 

Kuroo rubs at his cheeks, trying to get them to cool down. He desperately searches for something else to distract them from whatever the fuck that was, eyes landing on a few festival game stalls up in front. Pointing, he bursts out, "Let's check out the games there!"

Their group flocks over and Kuroo does his damn best to forget about it, but his brain just doesn't want to cooperate. If you told him that Daichi is secretly a wizard who just cast a spell on him, he would one hundred percent believe you. 

He's granted a bit of mercy, at least, as Oikawa challenges him to one of the games, and to see who can get the largest prize in one round. Kuroo manages to shift his focus, though he's sure it's only temporary relief.

The night carries on. The sun sets, the streets only grow more lively, and Kuroo sinks into the atmosphere. With everyone in high spirits, it's hard not to be, too. 

"I'm going to the bathroom," Kiyoko says as they are doing their second loop around this stretch of the festival because Asahi saw a hat that was just so cool but he didn't get to actually check it out yet. 

"Oh, me too," Oikawa pipes up. 

Kuroo glances at where Asahi is, with Sugawara trailing behind him and laughing at something he's saying. "Okay. Text us or something so we can regroup. Do you know the way?"

"Yeah. See you in a bit."

The two of them leave. As Kuroo watches them, making sure that they're actually going the right way, Daichi nudges him with his elbow. "I saw a sign saying that they were selling milk pudding somewhere. I want to get some."

"Has anyone ever told you that you have an endless, bottomless pit for a stomach?" Kuroo asks with no bite. "Sure. I think I know where it is."

"Awesome! Lead the way."

Kuroo hesitates for the briefest of seconds. But if Oikawa and Kiyoko are together, as are Sugawara and Asahi, then none of them are alone. It'll probably be okay to separate for a bit.

He shouts out where they're going to the two still looking at fucking hats, and Asahi hums an acknowledgement. With that, Kuroo places a hand on Daichi's shoulder, guiding them through the bustling crowds.

It's filled to the brim with people, such that Kuroo doesn't feel safe letting go of Daichi, the chances of getting lost much too high for his comfort. Because of this, he keeps his hand firmly on Daichi's body, and he senses a slight shiver from the other boy.

Ah, right. The sun has already set. Here comes the fresh spring cold. 

"You didn't bring a jacket?" Kuroo asks.

Daichi glances at him, shaking his head. "No. I'll be fine, I can dea— what are you doing?"

Kuroo is already shrugging his jacket off. Before you laugh, it is because he is a gentleman, and he doesn't want one of his friends to be shivering when he can do something about it. Besides, the shirt Kuroo is wearing has long sleeves, so he is truly the most prepared for a situation like this.

"I'll be fine," Kuroo echoes as Daichi stares at him, his mouth agape. "It would suck if you caught a cold at the end of the trip. It'd make me feel like a bad tour guide."

"Are you guilt-tripping me?" Daichi asks with a laugh. "Really, you don't have to."

"You're so damn stubborn, Sawamura. Just take the nice gesture!"

"Or maybe I'm suspicious. You're never so nice without any intent." Still, he obliges with a bow, lifting the jacket out of Kuroo's hands and sliding it on. When that's done, he zips it up, such that he looks much cosier and softer, and Kuroo—

Kuroo bites his inner cheek, tearing his gaze away. Maybe Daichi is correct—he does actually have an intent behind the nice gesture, that intent being the chance to see Daichi warm and toasty in Kuroo's clothes. 

Eventually, they reach the stall that Daichi was looking for. He heads up to order his cup of milk pudding and Kuroo stands by the side to wait, watching the blur of people pass by and simply taking a breather.

When Daichi is ready, holding a small cup and spoon in his hands, he knocks his elbow against Kuroo's, peering into his food. He tears the plastic spoon out of its wrapper with his teeth, digging in and taking a bite. 

They stand huddled together, and Kuroo finds himself transfixed by Daichi's… everything.

His hair reflects the softness of the market lights, just a tad bit lighter than it is, and his eyes are aglow with serenity. Kuroo watches, mesmerised, as Daichi lifts the spoonful of pudding up, offering it to him with a simple smile.

He doesn't realise he's staring until someone bumps into him, pushing him closer to Daichi. Kuroo grimaces, shuffling to the side so they don't hog up the street. He redirects his focus to the food in Daichi's patient hands, swallowing down the nerves spiking up his throat.

"Go on," Daichi says, and it's barely audible over the bustling market and its festive music, but to Kuroo, he still sounds melodic. His voice has always been warm, yet in this moment, Kuroo feels like his heart is being set on fire, matching the heat in his cheeks when he leans down and allows Daichi to push the spoon into his mouth. 

The taste isn't very strong, but the subtle flowery scent goes surprisingly well with the sweetness of the milk. Kuroo hums, nodding in approval. "It's nice."

Daichi takes another bite of his own as they continue weaving through the market, looking through the stalls, taking glances at the different performances, and overall just soaking in the atmosphere. Everywhere they go, cherry blossom trees dance over them, swaying in the light wind. Pink petals adorn the cobblestone road and it's like walking through paradise.

Just as Daichi finishes his milk pudding, the two of them come across one of the largest sakura trees yet. Its flowers hover over a vast, empty section of the park. Just a bit to the left, there is a short queue of people in groups of two to four.

"What's that?" Daichi asks, pointing in the distance.

Kuroo squints over the sea of people. He spots someone holding a calligraphy brush, talking to one of the patrons as they write on a piece of paper. "Oh, I think they're hanging lanterns on that tree."

"Really? That's so cool!" Daichi grins, and Kuroo barely gets a second to breathe before he's looping his arm around his own, tugging him over. "Let's go do that!"

"A-ah, okay." Kuroo bites his tongue about how they should regroup with the others and do this activity together, because it's typically something done between friends or—

…Or a couple.

He stamps down a strong blush as they join the queue together. If he tells Daichi this now, it would be too awkward, right? Kuroo looks to the front, where a couple is holding their lantern together. Once they've successfully hung it on one of the lower branches, they share a sweet kiss and take a photo together before leaving.

Right, there's no way for Kuroo to back out of this now. It's fine. They're doing this as friends anyway, so it doesn't have to be a big deal.

Even if using lantern lights to appreciate the cherry blossoms at night has a romantic connotation to it and even if Kuroo has watched countless of movies where a heartfelt confession happens under a dimly-lit sakura tree and even if—

Nope. He can't do this. Daichi may be oblivious to the implications, but Kuroo is not, and if he stays here any longer he is going to feel like walking into the ocean for the entire night without really understanding why.

Unfortunately, Kuroo doesn't get much longer to have this internal crisis before they've reached the front of the line.

"Hi," the worker greets. Her fingers are stained with ink and she seems tired, but she smiles at them anyway. "Just the two of you?"

"Yeah!" Daichi answers. 

She nods, taking out a flattened lantern, the shade of soft peach with a few flower prints on it, and picking up a brush. She asks for their names, which Daichi once again gives with ease. Kuroo keeps his eyes fixed on her brush strokes, the practised motion as she writes their names on the lantern, and tries not to think about how nice their names look together.

When the ink dries, she unflattens the lantern, and it reveals itself to be a long, oval shape. She ties the string to the top, passing a lighter over to Kuroo, who moves on autopilot. "Light the candle and find a spot to hang it on. The higher the better."

Daichi snorts. "Kuroo, it's finally time to put your ridiculous height to good use."

"Who are you calling ridiculous?" he bites, doing as told. Once the lantern is lit, it gives off a rosy glow. They thank the worker and head to the back, where the sakura tree is steadily filling up with lanterns.

They find a particularly empty spot and Kuroo reaches for the highest branch he can manage, getting up on his tiptoes. Once he tugs a branch down, he loops the string around, knotting it tightly. He lets the branch rise back to its original height and spends a moment admiring it.

It reminds Kuroo of a tiny firefly—ones he'd used to chase at a park when it was late at night and he didn't want to go home, didn't want the night to end just yet. It sticks out amongst the rest even though there's no great difference between theirs and the others. To him, at least, it is the highlight of the night. 

"Wow," Daichi whispers, lifting an arm to brush against the base of the lantern, like he cannot believe that it's real. Kuroo gets it. The magical feeling surrounding them is otherworldly.

He looks down, where Daichi is still busy admiring the tree, his eyes wide and bright. Like this, it's like he's holding a galaxy of stars within his irises. Kuroo feels lost in the cosmic sight.

He knows he's a bit of a dramatic guy. Kuroo would love to wax poetic about just how enchanting Daichi looks right now, pink and gold hues flickering over sparkling eyes, but every time his brain tries to form a coherent thought, it just fizzles out. 

It's as if someone poured a bucket of freezing water over Kuroo, putting out that fire that's been building up hotter and hotter. Kuroo thought he would melt under the heat, but instead, he's rooted to the spot as a cold shock washes over him, forcing him to acknowledge what's been burning this entire time.

Every twist of his stomach, every jump in his heart, every single time when Kuroo's tongue tingles after saying Sawamura —it's a crying shame that he's only put a name to those feelings now.

Daichi makes eye contact with him just at that moment and the fire ignites all over again. His lips stretch out into a wide, toothy grin, as he wishes, "Happy spring, Kuroo."

Oh no.

"Happy spring," Kuroo whispers back, and his earth shatters with the weight of his realisation, "Daichi."

Daichi smiles even harder, and at this moment, Kuroo thinks that he looks brighter than all the lanterns combined.

They meet up with the others at the same spot in the park, and they find them holding cups of sake with sakura petals in them. Sugawara raises two cups at them in an offering, which Kuroo takes with a bit of surprise.

"How the hell did you get these?" he asks them.

"Funny story," Sugawara answers, the corners of his lips turning up as he side-eyes Asahi, who groans. "I wanted to try some, so I sent Asahi to get them, and just as I hoped, they didn't bother asking for his ID! It was so funny!"

"It was not," Asahi huffs. 

"Pfft, okay." Kuroo has only drank once before this occasion—when he was in his second year of high school, and in the safety of Kenma's room, who he had made promise to knock him out the moment he started saying anything stupid. Thankfully, it seems like Kuroo can hold his liquor somewhat, so that wasn't necessary. 

Daichi sits down next to him, brushing against his knees as he does so, and Kuroo is suddenly hyper aware of everything about him. Every shift of his jaw when he speaks, the way his hair flutters slightly in the light wind, and the distance, or rather lack of distance between them—it's all in his face, and the intensity only seems to heighten the longer this drags on.

Kuroo bites his lip, tearing his eyes away and keeping it on his drink. He stares at the petal swirling inside the clear liquid, trying to think of literally anything else, but it just reminds him of the cherry blossoms again and how beautiful Daichi looked under the lights and how fast his heart was pounding—

Fuck. Kuroo needs to kill Spring with his bare hands. He'll never be able to look at it the same way.

"Man, I can't believe this trip is ending already," Asahi sighs, leaning back on his palms.

Sugawara scowls. "Don't start getting sentimental on us. I think alcohol makes you emo."

"But I'll miss everyone!" Asahi defends. "It won't be the same not seeing you all almost every day."

Kiyoko kindly takes out a packet of tissues from her pocket and hands it over to Asahi. Kuroo chuckles at the exchange, but deep down, he gets it more than anything.

Sure, Kenma lives just down the street. Yaku and Kai are only a few bus stops away. But when they inevitably go down different paths—when Kuroo attends university, when his friends pick up their own careers far away from home, when Kenma gets busy in his third year—how will they keep up with each other?

Well, Kuroo's not too worried about his friends from Nekoma. He knows they'll all keep in touch and that they have the means to. It's this group of friends that he is worried he'll drift away from. 

And of course, people come and go, and Kuroo will still be able to look back on this trip with a fond smile. But…

Daichi says something he doesn't process, his chest shaking with laughter along with the rest of the group. Kuroo misses the joke, lost in his own thoughts. It's as if someone placed a bubble around his head, putting a barrier between him and the others. He loses his connection with his surroundings as his thoughts swirl around his mind.

Even if it's an inevitable outcome, Kuroo doesn't want to drift away from the boy sitting next to him, the one who laughs like the sun and whose eyes twinkle under the lantern lights and who says his name with just a bit more cheek than anyone else.

Kuroo finds that he wants to stubbornly cling onto Daichi, to keep him in his life as they continue to grow up even though it's almost impossible. He doesn't know what Daichi's plans are for the future, but they already live in different prefectures, and the chances of them attending the same university are slim. Besides, Daichi will probably move on to something more respectable—Kuroo knows he's clever and does well academically. He'll leave behind his life of volleyball in high school, the only piece of connection they have.

It doesn't feel right to want to keep Daichi, especially when this is their maybe-sixth time hanging out, but Kuroo has claws that aren't willing to let go just yet. As selfish as it sounds, he wants to dig his nails into his skin and leave behind scars, if only for the certainty that his presence has made an impact on Daichi at all.

"Kuroo?" A gentle voice nudges him out of his head, popping the bubble. He flinches, glancing at the source, and is met with concerned brown eyes. "You're spacing out. Are you okay?"

"Just tired," Kuroo answers with a weak smile as he's hit with a sense of deja vu. 

"It is getting late," Sugawara agrees. Oikawa also looks ready to knock out, his head lolling onto Sugawara's shoulder, an empty cup hanging from his hands. 

"Wait," Kiyoko says, pulling out her phone. Her lips twitch as she asks, "Let's take one more photo?"

She raises her phone as high as she can, trying to get all of them onto the tiny screen. Kuroo shuffles in closer so that he won't be left out, and in doing so, his shoulders brush against Daichi's again. And perhaps he's dreaming, but he feels Daichi lean into the touch as he holds up a peace sign.

Once Kiyoko has snapped a few photos, she tucks her phone into her bag and stands up. "Done. Let's go back."

And so they do.

Kuroo steps out of the shower, towelling his hair dry, and sees Kiyoko sitting on the tatami mat of the living room, doing her usual stretches once again. He nods at Asahi, who enters the bathroom after him for his own shower. No one else seems to be around.

"Where are the others?" he asks. She looks up, squinting just a tad bit. Her glasses are a few feet away from her.

"Suga and Oikawa went out on a walk," she says, pointing to the door. "Daichi is upstairs. He might've fallen asleep already."

"Oh, okay." Kuroo feels a bit of disappointment in his gut. A small part of him wants to spend just a few more moments with Daichi, however measly it might be, but he also doesn't want to interrupt his much-needed sleep. "I'll head up too, then."

Kiyoko nods. Kuroo heads for the stairs, lifting his aching feet. Right before he disappears out of sight, Kiyoko calls for him. "Kuroo."

He pauses. "Hm?"

"You know already, don't you?"

The question makes his head spin. He automatically thinks about the feelings he's been harbouring, but he's kept those entirely to himself, so there's no way—

"Took you long enough," she sighs. "Oikawa and Suga keep talking about how oblivious you are, and Asahi has already planned a celebration even though we told him it isn't necessary. It's about time you make the final move."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about?" he stutters out, but even from this distance, Kiyoko's gaze is piercing, like she's looking right into his soul and right through his lie. He grimaces, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Won't it be too late?"

She frowns, chewing on her bottom lip for a bit. "...I'd say better late than never, you know?"

Of course. That makes the most sense. Kuroo takes a deep breath, nodding. "Yeah, you're right. I'll see."

"I'll make sure not to head up there until you give us the go," she teases, her eyes twinkling with mirth, and Kuroo can only huff out a laugh.

He heads up the rest of the stairs, searching for the boy that's been inhabiting his mind for far longer than he even realised. At first, he doesn't see Daichi anywhere, and wonders if he's in the bathroom, but then a rush of wind hitting his body draws his attention to the balcony.

The doors are cracked open just a tad bit. Kuroo walks up to them, sliding them apart so he can slip past, stepping out barefoot onto the balcony. He shivers at the breeze hitting him like a freight train, but this is exactly where he needs to be.

Daichi is standing with his back facing Kuroo. He is leaning his elbows onto the railing, looking up at the night sky. When Kuroo joins his side, he gives him a quick smile in greeting, and he doesn't look the least bit surprised at Kuroo's presence.

"Hi," Kuroo greets back, turning around so his back rests against the bars. He still puts his elbows up for support and crosses one leg over the other, but like this, from this angle, he can see Daichi's face easier. "What are you doing out here? It's kind of cold."

Daichi shrugs, dragging his eyes away from Kuroo's hair, which must look a little silly since it's still wet. Yaku tells him he looks like a wet puppy after a shower. "I don't know. Thinking?"

Kuroo isn't sure if he should ask more. He does not want to pry, but Daichi has a faraway look in his eyes as he stares out in the distance. Kuroo feels like he is being given a lock with no key—just missing that extra little something to grab what he wants. 

"Hm," he says, leaning back further so that his hair sways in the wind. He shivers at yet another gust of wind. "What about, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Eh, it's nothing of high importance," Daichi says, like he's simply brushing it off. 

"The look on your face says you've been plagued by this, actually."

"You spend a lot of time looking at my face, Kuroo?" he jokes. Kuroo shoves him with a grumble, the heat in his cheeks a drastic juxtaposition to the chilly night. 

Daichi sighs again, leaning down such that his chin rests on his flattened palms. Kuroos eyes trace over the bend of his spine and the brush of hair against his nape. It's getting long. 

"Aren't you scared?" Daichi whispers. He says it like he's confessing to an unforgivable sin, the way his voice is kept low, tapering off at the end. 

"…Of what?"

"Of what's next." From this angle, Kuroo cannot see Daichis face properly, but he can imagine his expression—eyebrows pinched together in a way that will have Sugawara joking about premature wrinkles, teeth digging into the inner corners of his cheeks relentlessly. "This trip has been so much fun, but now that it's ending, I can't help but feel like there's some sort of impending doom upon me." 

Kuroo thinks he knows what Daichi is getting at. He's been feeling the same thing himself this entire trip, after all.

"I mean, Asahi already mentioned something similar earlier. It got me thinking, I guess. It won't be the same once we're all in university."

"It won't."

"And it's kinda childish, but I guess I hate change. I've always preferred stability. Right now, it feels like the ground beneath my feet will give out at any time, and I'll fall through and lose everything I've ever known."

"Yeah," Kuroo agrees. No point in sugarcoating it. "We might never talk again."

Daichi lets out a weak chuckle. "Maybe I'll finally know peace, then."

He shifts, resting on his cheek instead so that he's peering up at Kuroo. Kuroo returns the look with a ridiculously fond smile of his own, unable to help it. "Rude! I know you'll miss me, Sawamura!"

They both pause. The name Sawamura doesn't feel right rolling off of Kuroo's tongue anymore. It feels unnatural, like he replaced the wall between them that they've both worked hard to break. Kuroo digs his teeth into his bottom lip, tearing his eyes away from Daichi and looking down at his own feet. 

"Well," Kuroo says once the silence is too awkward to bear. "Got any future plans? Any regrets?"

"What are we, fifty?" Daichi huffs, but he entertains the questions anyway. "I haven't thought about it. For regrets, well…"

Kuroo feels his throat close up when Daichi reaches out, brushing a few fingers over his exposed arm. He shivers again, and this one definitely isn't from the cold but he'll tell himself it is anyway. "None, also?" he dares to ask.

"Maybe just a few."

"Better get to fixing those, then. Nothing's ever too late." He feels like the biggest hypocrite in the world, but Daichi laughs anyway.

"Awesome advice. You should look into becoming a businessman."

"Very funny."

"Aren't I?" Daichi smirks, and Kuroo wants to cup his cheeks and kiss it away, wants to hold Daichi close and reassure him that it'll all be okay and that they won't lose each other because how can Kuroo bear it, if they do? How could he even begin to stomach the idea?

Daichi finally stands back up, drumming his fingers against the railing. Kuroo stares at the movement, his fingers twitching with the urge to take his hand and slide their palms against each other's. 

"Thank you, by the way," Daichi says, snapping Kuroo out of his stupor. "For the trip."

"Huh?"

He snickers. "You said I could thank you once it was over. I've been impressed. Thank you, truly. I'm really glad you joined us."

"Oh." Kuroo feels a warmth spread through his chest, his body tingling like a livewire. "Of course. I'm… I'm glad, too. I had a lot of fun."

When Daichi smiles again, Kuroo feels like he's been struck by a lightning bolt, rooted in place despite the electrifying sparks in his stomach. "Let's keep in touch, okay?"

"I thought you said my lack of presence in your life would bring you peace?"

"Come on! I was only kidding. You're a precious friend."

A burning disappointment fills Kuroo's gut. He isn't even sure what he wants from this exchange, he just knows that whatever stalemate they're at right now, it isn't enough to satiate him.

Surely, this must mean that Kuroo should make a move, but how? He feels like he's been backed into a corner even though Daichi isn't doing anything remotely threatening. In fact, the only thing keeping Kuroo stuck is—

Himself.

He can't seem to reach out, to take that final leap, to let the words I like you or I want more spill out from his throat. He feels like a bird in a cage, except he flew into this trap in the first place, and now he can't get himself out. 

Kuroo feels like a fucking idiot. He probably looks like one too, with how he's staring at Daichi, whose expression grows more and more concerned the longer time passes without a response. 

"Um…" Daichi says, his smile becoming strained. "Well, I guess we better head in soon. We should get some slee—"

"You're a precious friend of mine, too," Kuroo rushes to say. Daichi's eyes widen in surprise at his sudden outburst, and Kuroo feels even more stupid, but if he lets this conversation end here, he doesn't think he'll get another shot at something more. "And I… I want to keep in touch, too. I like talking to you, and I like listening to your stories, and I—"

The words get stuck in his throat yet again. Kuroo isn't sure if he should choke or laugh.

"I won't go anywhere," he finishes lamely. "You said… Uh, I mean, you won't lose me. I'll always be here. For you. 'Cause…"

God, what the fuck, Kuroo Tetsurou. Kuroo needs to tape his mouth shut or something. He doesn't know what he's saying anymore, he just feels like he is shooting an arrow in the dark, the target only a mere figment of his imagination.

Daichi lets out a huff of air, sounding suspiciously like a laugh. "Has anyone ever told you that you're really bad at this?"

"Rude! I am— wait, what?"

"You're terrible at this, actually," Daichi corrects. Kuroo has no idea what he's talking about, but he doesn't have much time to think about it before Daichi is stepping closer, crowding him against the balcony railings. 

He sucks in a harsh breath at the distance, or the lack of distance between them. Their knees knock against each other and Kuroo leans back in a lame attempt to keep his breathing even, and Daichi glances up at him through his eyelashes, and the moonlight is hitting his cheekbones just right—

"Go on," Daichi says, his voice filled with mirth. "What were you going to say?"

Kuroo's heart will not stop pounding. An odd, staggered noise leaves his throat, and now Kuroo really needs to sink into a hole and disappear from Earth forever because what the hell was that, Daichi probably thinks he's a lame ass idiot. 

"You're doing this on purpose," Kuroo chokes out. 

Daichi shrugs. "Maybe I just want to hear you admit it."

"If you're saying that, then that must mean you already know!" Kuroo whines. He thinks of Kiyoko's words earlier, how she mentioned that everyone in the group already knew of his pathetic crush before he even figured it out for himself. He didn't think 'everyone' extended to Daichi, though, but it seems like that's the case. "You could've said something!"

Daichi laughs again, not looking the least bit guilty. "And pass up the opportunity to watch the fierce Kuroo Tetsurou fumble over his own feelings? Sorry. It was too tempting."

Kuroo makes a wounded noise, placing a hand out and pushing Daichi's face away gently. If Daichi says his name like that again, all while staring into his eyes, he might just explode. "You're the worst, Sawamura. You weren't this evil when we were playing volleyball. At least you pretended to be nice back then."

"Pfft, sure." Daichi circles his fingers around Kuroo's wrist, tugging it down. "...You don't have to do anything you don't want to. I'm just messing with you."

"No, no." Kuroo rapidly shakes his head. "Just— give me a second. You're making it a bit hard to think, that's all."

Daichi's responding grin is so blinding that Kuroo isn't sure how he's still alive, his heart leaping into overdrive. He feels like his face is going to melt off with how hot his cheeks feel. 

He takes a deep breath, reaching down to grab Daichi's hand. He brings them together and clasps them between his, as if he was holding the world in his palms. Daichi's hands are cold, as expected out here at this time, so Kuroo brings them up to his mouth, letting hot air fan out from between his lips.

For the first time, Kuroo watches as Daichi's cheeks grow red. Whether it's because of the cold or something else, that's his secret to keep, but Kuroo can't help the victory he feels anyway.

"Sawa—" he begins, but he's cut off by Daichi wrinkling his nose, giving him a look. Kuroo laughs, correcting himself. "Daichi."

"Yes?" he plays along, visibly suppressing a smile. 

The ground beneath his feet does indeed feel like it's crumbling. An inevitable change, but that sort of evolution can only lead to something new, something brighter, better. And with Daichi in his hands, Kuroo feels that there isn't a single free fall in the world that he'd be afraid to take anymore, as long as they are falling together. 

"Throughout this trip, I have done a little bit of soul searching and discovered something vital, something you absolutely must know." A few giggles escape Daichi's lips, and Kuroo can't help but grin back. "Your charm has bewitched me. Like the blood flowing through our veins—"

"Oh my God."

"—shh! Like the blood flowing through our veins, my affection for you spills out of my heart without ceasing. I'm afraid I can't stop it no matter what I do. So, Daichi…" 

Kuroo still feels his nerves sparking like electricity, but this time, Daichi gives him a reassuring nod. Kuroo tightens his hold on his hands, like an anchor to ground himself, and dares to take that final leap. "I really, really like you. And I would really like to get together with you. Will you go out with me?"

There. The million dollar question. Kuroo internally pats himself on the back.

The night sky is a blank canvas, light pollution from the city making it such that not a single star is visible, but it doesn't matter—Daichi's answering smile puts all the galaxies to shame with how beautiful he looks. 

"Yes," he answers simply, and Kuroo feels like his life has ascended, that he has reached a higher plane of existence. "I like you too, Kuroo, I really, really do. I'll go out with you."

When Kuroo first began to fall, he expected to hit the ground with a bone-crushing splatter, the kind that scars you for months and leaves your head ringing. But the impact never comes—instead, Daichi’s reciprocation makes his heart soar. 

Kuroo isn't falling anymore. He's flying. 

He reaches out, hands moving on his own accord, and wraps his arms around Daichi's frame, hugging him tightly. Daichi lets out a surprised laugh, but his arms come up to encircle Kuroo's body, squeezing him twice as hard.

"For a moment," Kuroo mumbles into his hair, "I forgot that I didn't know whether you liked me back or not. I froze for a millisecond."

"You still couldn't tell that I liked you too, even after all that?" Daichi asks, incredulous.

"I didn't want to assume! You did say you were just messing with me!"

"Do you take me to be a cruel, heartless monster?" Daichi pulls back, his lips downturned into a frown, and Kuroo wants to kiss him so badly it is practically killing him. "Oikawa said you were oblivious, but I didn't think it was this bad."

"Oikawa should shut the hell up," Kuroo mutters. Vaguely, he recalls an old conversation in the kitchen downstairs and scowls. "That know-it-all bastard. I hope Suga doesn't kiss him for a week."

Daichi snorts. "The worst punishment."

"Yep." At the mention of kissing, Kuroo very unsubtly eyes Daichi's lips, desire coursing through his veins. He doesn't want to hesitate any longer. 

"Can I…" He swallows, clearing his throat. "Can I kiss you?"

Daichi's answer is yet another blinding grin and a hand around Kuroo's neck, tugging him down so that their lips may meet in the middle. 

At that moment, a chorus of words rush through Kuroo's head. They're not very decipherable, but one particular word sticks out among the rest. His brain sings it as a sweet melody, like it's the oxygen he breathes, going Daichi, Daichi, Daichi, and it expresses itself in the desperate movement of his lips and the urge to pull him close enough for their souls to meld together.

Daichi could do anything right now—stab him in the back, set him aflame—and Kuroo might not mind. Not with the way he's melting under his lips, the way his world seems to close in on Daichi and Daichi only, like he's his centre. 

Kuroo drags his hands up Daichi's back, pressing them chest-to-chest. He wants to savour every bit of this moment, from the innocent smile interrupting the kiss to the heady touch of fingers sliding under his shirt.

When he has to pull back for air, Kuroo takes a small moment to curse his lungs for not being able to hold more oxygen, forcing him to part with Daichi too early. He drops his forehead on Daichi's, panting softly, his skin buzzing with excitement.

Daichi smiles, his fingers rising just a tad bit higher, and Kuroo shivers. "Fuck. That's cold."

"Sorry," Daichi replies, sounding decidedly not sorry. "We should probably head back inside to warm up."

"I can think of other ways to warm us up," Kuroo blurts before he can stop himself. 

Daichi groans. "I hate you."

Kuroo smirks, internally patting himself on the back. He's so funny. He deserves an award for being so smooth. "No, you don't! You just kissed me, remember?"

"That doesn't make that any less lame." Daichi pulls his hands back, lacing his fingers with Kuroo's, and Kuroo's heart leaps with joy. "Stop making that smarmy face. You're not funny."

"You're so very rude, Daichi! Oikawa would find it funny."

"Because he would say the exact same thing! And that doesn't disprove my point!"

Kuroo bursts out laughing, cupping Daichi's cheek and pulling him in for another fond, sweet kiss. He doesn't think he'll ever get used to this, being able to just reach out and kiss his boyfriend, the person he's head over heels about. It's a high he's going to ride for a long, long time. 

"Come on," Kuroo whispers against his lips. "Let's get back inside."

With their hands still interlocked, they leave the balcony together, hearts feeling fuller and souls feeling wholler. 

("Do you think they're actually gonna do it?" Oikawa asks as he and Sugawara take their fourth walk around the area, their linked hands swinging in sync. "Get together, I mean."

Sugawara scoffs. "It's so fucking cold out here. Besides, we practically planned for them to have all the time in the world together and alone. It was basically a date! If they haven't gotten their shit together by the time we go back, I'm going to have blood and murder charges on my hands."

"...You're not serious, right?"

Sugawara gives no reply.

"Suga-chan! Right?")

"Good morning," Daichi greets as Kuroo stumbles down the stairs, still rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "I made tea."

A steaming hot cup sits quietly on the table, waiting to be held by loving, warm hands. The last dredges of tiredness seep out of Kuroo's body, replaced by the sappiest stab to his heart. He smiles, an extra spring in his step as he goes over, sliding into a chair.

Unlike how it usually goes, Daichi walks around the table, dropping onto the chair right next to him. Their knees knock against each other's as they sit in comfortable silence. Kuroo looks out the window, watching the trees sway in the gentle morning breeze and listening to the soft chirping of the birds, basking in the air of serenity. 

As he sips his tea, he can't help but think about how much he'll miss this. Once Daichi and the others leave, Kuroo will be left with precious memories and the daunting feeling of distance keeping them apart, and perhaps the uncertainty of when can I see you again?  

 A subtle bit of yearning clouds his thoughts—he can already feel it sinking into his bones, as if he was borrowing this ache from the future, mourning something he hasn't lost yet.

Daichi picks up on it almost immediately, and with a scoff, he knocks Kuroo's wrists, breaking him out of his stupor. "You better not be thinking that this is the last time we'll ever be together like this again."

Kuroo gapes. "O-of course not!"

"Good. Because I expect many visits and phone calls from you."

"Oh? Am I in high demand?"

Daichi gives him a deadpan stare. Kuroo holds on for approximately five seconds before he breaks, shoulders shaking with the force of his laughter.

"Come here," Daichi sighs, fisting Kuroo's shirt and dragging him in for a kiss. He tastes like tea and the slight mint of toothpaste. Kuroo sinks into it, lets himself relax.

His worries all dissipate away. Every press of Daichi's lips against his is another reassurance, one that says don't worry, I'm here, we'll be okay. And as time ticks by, Kuroo finds himself believing it more and more.

Eventually, the others come down. Asahi says something about packing up their things before he pauses, eyeing the two of them rapidly. "...Are we interrupting?"

Much to Kuroo's delight, Daichi's cheeks are tinged pink as he replies, "Not at all. Sorry."

Smothering a grin behind his palm, Kuroo hooks his leg around Daichi's ankle under the table teasingly. Daichi sends him a glare that is completely weakened by the flush on his face and Kuroo absolutely relishes in the sight.

"We've still got about two hours before we have to check-out," Kuroo says once he's managed to somehow pull his eyes away, granting Daichi a bit of reprieve from his embarrassment. "Is there anything you guys want to do?"

"I have an idea," Sugawara says. His lips are pulled into a casual, innocent smile, but the twinkling glint in his eyes hint that his intentions are anything but. "You two can tell us what happened last night that led to this!"

"Absolutely not," Daichi groans, covering his face with his hands.

"Come on! I told you my story!"

"Against my will. I recall saying that I did not want to know about Oik—"

"—I spent all night outside, freezing my cute butt off so that you guys could have more time alone to figure things out, and this is the thanks I get? And here I thought we were friends. I'm betrayed, Daichi. So very betrayed."

"You didn't have to wait outside! You could've had some common sense and waited in here like Shimizu and Asahi apparently did!"

As the two of them continue bantering, with Asahi's frown growing less concerned and more exasperated by the minute, Kuroo leans back on the chair and tilts his head back, making eye contact with Oikawa. "Dude. Your boyfriend is evil."

"Don't I know it," he sighs, sounding disgustingly in love. 

"You don't have to sound so smitten about that."

"I don't want to hear that from you. You've got literal hearts in your eyes. It's revolting—"

Before he can finish that sentence, they are interrupted by Sugawara physically hauling Daichi out of the chair and dragging him up the stairs. Kiyoko shrugs, turning on her heel to follow them up, and Asahi lets out a pained sigh before following suit. 

Kuroo and Oikawa stare at each other, a quiet solidarity forming at the moment—the acknowledgement that they're the ones who 'married into the family', and that whatever Karasuno has going on, they simply do not want to know or get involved. 

"Uh…" Oikawa says. "That's gonna take a while. Suga-chan is a determined individual."

"I believe you," Kuroo snorts. "Hey, how did you two get together, anyway?"

Oikawa's expression pinches, flashing between an embarrassed frown and a fond smile. He takes over Daichi's seat, dropping his face onto his hands with a sigh. "Right. So…"

Kuroo steps off the train at Sendai station, adjusting his scarf and running a hand through his hair in a lame attempt to calm the sudden frizz. Autumn has always been colder here in Miyagi.

He searches over the sea of people, looking for a familiar pair of warm brown eyes. When he finds him, Kuroo breaks out into an uncontrollable smile, hurrying over to his waiting partner.

Kuroo greets him with a chaste kiss and excitement buzzing under his skin at finally being able to touch Daichi again—to cup his cheek or interlock their fingers or simply breathe the same air. Judging by the hurried way Daichi tugs him out of the station, the sentiment is shared.

Once they're out in the open, getting hit with the mid-autumn chill, Daichi turns to him, sporting a soft grin with a hint of mischief hidden underneath. "So," he says, "shall we head somewhere to warm up?"

A giddy feeling spreads through Kuroo's chest. Bundled up in a scarf, hand laced with Daichi's, and the thought of spending the weekend with him, is already more than enough for him to feel as warm as can be. 

Still, he grins back, nodding in agreement. "I can think of a few suggestions. Let's go!"