Work Text:
i. i fell in love, next to you
tetsurou doesn’t know when it started.
was it when they started having extra practices? during the start of training camp? or at their first practice match?
when did this feeling of warmth whenever he was around tsukishima kei start?
tetsurou watched as kei drank from his bottle as they took a 5-minute break from their extra night practice. he watched as sweat dripped at the side of his face and the blonde just rubbed it off with the back of his hand. he watched as he unconsciously wiped the sweat with his towel making the first year flinch away.
"kuroo-san?" kei said, shock evident in his voice. "what are you doing?"
"you should properly wipe your sweat glasses-kun or else sawamura would berate me if you get sick," tetsurou replied as an excuse cause even he didn't know what he was doing.
kei stared disbelievingly at him before shaking his head thinking that it must be another way the nekoma captain harasses his juniors making tetsurou grin at him.
tetsurou doesn’t know when it started but he's sure this feeling isn't going away anytime soon.
ii. burning fires in this room
kei knows when it started.
he’s always been aware of kuroo tetsurou ever since their first practice match but then again who wouldn’t be? the older teen seemed obnoxious and arrogant at first but then anyone can see that he has the skills to back up his arrogance. kei would sometimes find himself watching him and remembering how he used to watch his brother play volleyball.
kei sighed as he did not like where his thoughts lead him, he must be really tired from their training today. maybe it was from keeping up with the new first years as they were too excited in playing against various schools in this summer's joint training camp, or maybe it was the fact that the former third years decided to visit today and of course tetsurou and koutarou were loud as always.
“tsukki!” he heard someone call him that annoying nickname (tadashi was enough damn it.)
“yes kuroo-san?” kei replied not even bothering to look at the other as he started packing up for the day
"so, this is like your second summer at tokyo, right?" tetsurou started and kei could hear the slight nervousness in his voice making him raise an eyebrow because when was tetsurou ever nervous? "and all you've ever seen is this gym, right?"
"yeah..." kei replied cautiously as he looked up, he didn't know where the other was going with this.
"then maybe i can show you around?" tetsurou asked, looking at the court instead of at him. "maybe i can take you out?"
"like a date?"
"like a date." tetsurou stated, as he stared at anything besides kei's face.
kei stared at nekoma's former captain trying to figure out what the other was playing at, but as he saw the other's ears turn red and eyes that didn't dare to meet his he figured that maybe the other wasn't playing and that maybe he would like to go on a date with him.
(also, he found it amusing and cute but kei would never admit that, how the usual confident kuroo tetsurou seemed so flustered asking him out.)
"yeah sure," kei shrugged, making tetsurou finally look at him with disbelief. "we're free tomorrow anyways."
tetsurou's face then lit up into a genuine smile at the other's answer making kei give a small smile back and as they made plans for the next day, kei figures that an excited and at the same time nervous tetsurou would be something he would like to see from now on.
iii. it just fits, light and smooth, like my feet in my shoes
it was around the time they started living together, when kei started college in tokyo, did tetsurou realize how perfect kei is for him.
they were walking home to their apartment after eating dinner outside and tetsurou was listening to kei talk about how one of his class’ professor seemed to have a favoritism towards girls with him nodding to show that he was listening. most of the time tetsurou was known as the loudest person in the room but it was during these rare times when kei was in a mood for talking will you find him to be actually quiet and listening simply because he loves to hear his boyfriend talk. tetsurou finds it as one of the most relaxing activities ever.
actually, he finds just being with kei relaxing. sure, he finds volleyball therapeutic or hanging out with friends as a non-stressful activity but being with kei, just knowing that the other is in the same room as him or is waiting for him at home brings a sense of security and comfort tetsurou knows he won't feel with anyone else.
"kuroo-san?" kei said snapping tetsurou from his thoughts. "are you still listening?"
"yeah i am," tetsurou replied. "i just thought about how perfect you are for me and my life would probably be shit if you leave."
"what?" kei stuttered and cheeks turning red, clearly taken aback by the other's words.
"it's true," tetsurou smiled as he intertwined his fingers with the other's, a perfect fit.
"god you're cheesy," kei said as he looked away from a grinning tetsurou but nonetheless squeezed his hand a little as he pulled him to start walking again towards their apartment.
kei's not as romantic as his boyfriend so he's not gonna say that he's not planning to turn his life into shit anytime soon.
iv. little one, lie with me. sew your heart to my sleeve
“told you i was still growing,” kei said with a smirk when he got home one day after classes just to find tetsurou lazing on their bed.
"what are you talking about?" tetsurou asked as kei just handed him his latest health exam results.
tetsurou looked at his boyfriend skeptically cause the blonde was already 1.5cm taller than him, what does he mean he was still growing? he then quickly scanned the results to look for the other's latest height measurement only to see the numbers 190.3cm glare at his face.
"2cm," tetsurou said in an audible whisper. "you outgrew me by two centimeters. are you a fucking titan?"
"you're watching too many anime," kei said as he grabbed the papers back and hit the other with it. "the doctor did say that should be the last time i grow since i'm already 22."
"can't believe you outgrew me," the older grumbled into the pillow he was hugging.
"sucks to be the shorter one in a relationship huh," kei smirked. "maybe i should be the one topping you."
kei had the decency to laugh at his boyfriend's scandalized look cause of his words. tetsurou quickly regained his composure though and grinned as he suddenly pulled the blonde by the arm towards their bed making him scream soundlessly at the sudden action.
"kuroo-san!" kei cried as he faced his boyfriend ready to yell at him only for the other to peck his nose leaving him speechless.
"you may be taller but you're still gonna be the little spoon when i cuddle you like this~" tetsurou practically sang as he wrapped his arms around the other successfully muffling any protests into his chest.
although if tetsurou would ever bottom he figures he’d bottom for his tsukki (and maybe koutarou but only if they were really really really drunk and only if kei and keiji were in the same room and gave their blessing.)
v. we'll stay quiet underneath shooting stars if it helps you sleep
“kuroo-san,” kei whispered. “are you awake?”
“have been for a while since you keep turning,” tetsurou replied.
“sorry,” kei said guiltily.
“something on your mind?”
“i just can’t sleep,” kei said in frustration. “and i don’t know why.”
“do you want me to sing you a lullaby?” tetsurou teased and although kei can’t see it he knows the other is grinning.
“i want to sleep, kuroo-san not wake up the neighbors,” kei deadpanned. “can i just… just hold your hand? my brother would hold my hand when i couldn’t sleep when i was younger, he says it helps you feel safe enough to sleep.”
“give me your hand then,” tetsurou said as he interlocked his hand with the other’s.
“sorry for the bother.”
“tsukki please,” tetsurou started. “you are my boyfriend, holding your hand to sleep is like the least bothersome thing.”
“thank you,” kei whispered and silently thanked that the lights were off cause he’s sure his face is as red as nekoma’s jersey.
“now sleep before i do,” tetsurou practically ordered as he scooted closer to the other.
it wasn’t long though until tetsurou fell asleep first but that was okay cause the sound of his even breathing and the feel of his hand locked to kei’s is the perfect lullaby for him to get a good night’s sleep.
vi. teach my skin those new tricks
tetsurou sat next to kei on their couch who was busy listening to music when he got curious and asked "what are you always listening to?"
"hmm?" kei sounded as he hung his headphones around his neck. "did you say something kuroo-san?"
"i asked you what you're always listening to?"
"mostly indie and some pop rock," kei replied simply.
"oh, okay," tetsurou replied awkwardly as he didn't know how to continue the conversation, he didn't listen to any of those genres.
kei is genuinely curious when he asks "what music do you listen to kuroo-san?"
"whatever i hear on the radio i guess..." tetsurou replied. "it's not really anything you'll listen to."
"i might like it though," kei replied as he scooted closer and removed his headphones from his neck. "give me your phone."
tetsurou gave it to the other with a raised brow as he didn't know how their conversation lead to his phone being confiscated. kei then dug into his pockets for his earphones and then plugged it into the phone then gave tetsurou one of the earbuds.
"pick a song," kei practically demanded. "then i'll judge if i like it or not."
i wanna listen to what you listen to goes unsaid but tetsurou hears that loud and clear.
"then maybe you can let me listen to the songs you listen to," tetsurou said with a small smile as he scrolled through his playlist.
"of course."
vii. warm me up with your lips
“tetsurou,” kei said in an audible whisper and tetsurou swears his heart almost stopped as he almost dropped his spoon filled with food before lowering it on his plate.
“did you say something tsukki?” tetsurou knows what he heard but he wants to hear it again.
“tetsurou,” kei said louder this time as he looks at him. “can i call you that?”
tetsurou didn’t know what to say, he’s heard his first name said by his family so many times now that sometimes he doesn’t react to it but hearing his boyfriend say it for the first time in that soft tone of his with his eyes looking at him making tetsurou feel warm and loved, so very loved.
“kei,” was the only thing tetsurou can say back.
kei then smiles at the other and tetsurou falls in love all over again.
viii. heart to heart
despite tetsurou being one of the most romantic and sappy persons ever, he and kei don’t really say the words i love you very much.
they do say it in their own words though.
“text me when you get there,” tetsurou would say when kei has to leave for his morning classes.
“i cooled it down for you,” kei would say when serving freshly cooked food because tetsurou has a cat’s tongue.
“there’s some tea in the kettle,” tetsurou would say whenever kei pulls all-nighters for his reports.
“you’re an idiot,” kei would say almost every day when tetsurou would suggest something ridiculous like adopting a 3rd cat (by their 7thanniversary they have 4 cats in their house.)
“good night,” tetsurou would whisper to a sleeping kei who falls asleep with a book in hand and as he turns off the bedside lamp.
their words aren’t exactly i love you but they mean just the same.
ix. melt me down it's too cold in this town
tetsurou should be used to tokyo’s winters by now. he’s lived all his life in japan’s capital and has lived through all of its harsh winters and yet tetsurou could never get used to the cold. it wasn’t his fault summer was just better for him, laying on his bed as the sun keeps him warm but the electric fan keeps him cool enough and just lazes the day away.
he then shook the thought of summer away because it was making him hate the cold more. he then starts to walk faster as he sees his apartment complex is just a block away, tetsurou could see the light on from the window of his unit meaning his boyfriend was already home so the thought of kei and a warm house makes him practically sprint for home.
tetsurou enters their apartment only to find the blonde wrapped up with blankets on their couch with their cat cinnamon, a white and brown ragdoll cat, purring on his lap as he pets its silky fur.
“welcome home,” kei says with a small smile looking at his boyfriend when he noticed him.
“i’m home,” tetsurou replies with a smile of his own as he starts feeling warm already.
x. close your eyes lean on me
“welcome home,” tetsurou greets as kei closes their front door but instead of a reply kei walks straight to him and practically falls on top of him who was lying on the couch. “did something happen?”
kei just grunts in reply which tetsurou deciphered as i had a horrible day.
“do you wanna talk about it?”
kei just grunts again and hides his face into the crook of tetsurou’s neck. tetsurou just hums in understanding as he starts rubbing his hands into a soothing circular motion on kei’s back, kei closes his eyes as he feels some of the stress from the day leave him as tetsurou hums a little tune.
xi. face to mouth, lips to cheek
“you said you were just going to buy cake,” kei deadpans as his boyfriend walks into their living room with a cakebox in one hand and a gray and white scottish fold cat in the other.
“i did buy a cake,” tetsurou replies, raising the cake box.
“then what? the cat was a freebie from the bakery?”
“kinda,” tetsurou started as he placed the cake box on their coffee table. “he was in a box that said free outside the bakery so of course i had to take him home.”
“we already have cinnamon,” kei stated.
“and now we have pepper,” tetsurou replied, making kei sigh, he already named it.
kei was supposed to say something but the other decided to practically shove the cat into his face until they were centimeters apart, kei just stared at the cat until it licked his lips making tetsurou pull it back.
“oh no no no pepper,” tetsurou said as he faced the cat to kei. “those are mine.”
the cat of course didn’t understand yet what was his and instead licked tetsurou’s lips instead.
“oh,” tetsurou smiled at kei. “that was like an indirect kiss, i guess he does know that you’re mine.”
kei just sighed in defeat.
xii. feeling numb in my feet, you're the one to help me get to sleep
kei opens his eyes in the middle of the night because he is freezing.
he thought winter in miyagi was bad but winter in tokyo is horrible, he then pulls the covers up to his chin and curls into the fetal position only to feel something warm on his back.
“oh,” kei sounds as he remembers he has his own personal heater lying beside him, he then turns around and practically snuggles his face into tetsurou’s broad back as he wraps his arms around the other’s waist.
kei feels the other’s warmth seep into him and soon enough he is back to sleep.
tetsurou, who was actually awake, tries his best not to squeal like a girl due to the cuteness of his boyfriend.
xiii. it's only been one night of love
kei started living with tetsurou today.
they spent the whole daytime getting kei’s things into nekoma’s former captain’s home so the two of them were understandably tired when night time came around and yet the blonde was hesitant in going to bed.
it’s not that it will be the first time the two of them will sleep together they’ve already done, countless of times, both in the sexual sense and the innocent sense and yet kei felt nervous just thinking about lying together with tetsurou now and he didn’t know why. maybe it was because this whole thing just feels so domestic and to kei, who has been afraid of commitment, it feels so new and weird and yet so nice.
“let’s go to sleep,” tetsurou suddenly said, pulling kei out of his train of thoughts. “would you want to sleep next to the wall or not?”
“i’m fine with either side,” kei replied.
“i’ll take the wall then,” tetsurou announced as he lay on their bed and into the covers, he then turned to the other and waved the covers as if trying to seduce the other. kei just rolled his eyes at his idiot but nonetheless got into the covers with the other. tetsurou then pulled him closer and pecked kei quickly on the lips then let their face just be inches apart.
“this is nice,” tetsurou whispered.
kei couldn’t help himself as he closed the distance between their lips making tetsurou smile into the kiss, before it got any longer though kei ducked down and rested his forehead on the crook of his boyfriend’s neck.
“i wanna sleep,” kei muttered, and tetsurou just smiled as he reached over to turn off their bedside lamp.
“good night,” tetsurou whispers and just because he can’t help it he adds a quick. “love you.”
“me too.”
(and during this whole moving thing tetsurou couldn’t help but smile at the thought that this apartment was no longer his but theirs.)
xiv. and maybe that is not enough
kei woke up the next morning to the sunlight on his face and tetsurou’s arms wrapped around him.
kei opens his eyes only to be greeted by tetsurou sleeping face and messier bed hair, he couldn’t help but laugh a little as he brushed his fingers through the other’s soft black hair, making him stir awake.
“morning,” tetsurou whispers as he opens his eyes and grins lopsidedly at the other.
“sorry,” kei says as he retracts his hand. “did i wake you?”
“no,” tetsurou mumbles as he snuggles into kei’s chest. “it felt nice.”
kei took that as a signal to brush through the other’s hair more and as he did he soon heard the soft snores of his boyfriend.
“just like a cat,” kei smiles as he closes his eyes and falls back to sleep too.
xv. and hold me tight, don't let me breathe
“tetsurou,” kei wheezes. “i can’t breathe.”
“i haven’t seen you in a week, kei,” tetsurou reasoned as he clung onto his boyfriend by the waist.
“i invited you to come over, you know,” kei replied.
“but i’d feel like i’m intruding,” tetsurou whined as he squeezed the other’s waist a little tighter. “it’s your brother’s engagement party, not mine what right do i have to come? i’d be a party crasher.”
“no, you won’t,” kei reasoned. “you’re practically family now anyways, mom actually thought you were coming so she had the futon ready.”
“aw auntie’s so sweet,” tetsurou said happily. “i feel like i should visit them now to make up for it.”
“you should,” kei replied. “we could go over the next time we both have a day off.”
“and we could also visit my family,” tetsurou suggested. “my parents miss you.”
“we’ll plan it.”
tetsurou then hugged kei a little tighter before getting pinched into letting him go.
xvi. feeling like you won't believe
sometimes kei can’t believe he’s actually dating kuroo tetsurou.
it’s not that kei is insecure with his looks he knows he’s good looking from the confessions he got from the girls he never talked to and just liked him for his looks it was just that tetsurou was his exact opposite.
tetsurou was a social butterfly who could walk into a room of twenty strangers and in ten minutes he is friends with 7 of them while kei is the quiet kid at the back of the class who only has 3 friends in the class. tetsurou would go out of his way to encourage people to do their best while kei would call you pathetic to your face. tetsurou is the type of person who is already talented but would continue to practice to perfect his craft while kei is the type of person who will only give as much effort as a passing mark will get.
the two of them were so different from each other and tetsurou can literally get anyone he wanted, he saw how the girls will look at him and he saw how guys would too when they go out, so kei sometimes wonder why tetsurou would pick him of all people.
“i love you,” tetsurou suddenly said from across the couch they were lazing on shocking kei out of his thoughts.
“what?” kei said in surprise as he blushed.
“i just felt like saying it,” tetsurou grinned. “you looked like you were thinking about something so deeply.”
“not really,” kei lied as he grabbed a pillow and buried his face into it to hide his smile and blushing face.
“oi, why did you hide?” tetsurou asked as he reached out and tried to tug the pillow out of the other’s hands.
kei would have doubts sometimes but tetsurou can take them away without even knowing it.
xvii. there's a firefly loose tonight better catch it before it burns this place down
tetsurou now remembers when it started.
it was at their first practice match when a snarky blonde first year from the opposite team first caught his attention. he could see how disinterested the other was in their match but could also see him get a bit frustrated whenever he missed a block and that puzzled him making him think about the blonde known as tsukishima kei more than he should throughout their game and their bus ride home.
tetsurou couldn’t figure why the blonde lingered in his mind so much, it wasn’t like he did anything amazing like the weird duo’s quick or their libero’s receives, the tora look alike even blocked better than him and yet he remembers his name out of the rest.
so when nekomata-sensei announces that karasuno will join their joint training camp he couldn’t help but grin at the fact that he will meet the boy who managed to stay in his mind.
xviii. and i lie if i don't feel so right but the world looks better through your eyes
being with tetsurou has to be one of the greatest things that has happened to kei.
the older male although annoying at first, has done so much for him since they met. before meeting him kei took volleyball as something to do because he was good at it but after meeting tetsurou kei got why his team mates got so hyped up for the sport, why his brother continued playing despite the setback he experienced in high school and although at first he strived to better at volleyball because that mean he could be better than tetsurou soon enough it was because he wanted to be better he came to love the sport. it was because of tetsurou that kei learned to rely on others and to not look down on someone who tries their best.
it was also because of tetsurou that they were going to be late for his brother’s wedding.
“i swear to god tetsurou if you don’t come out of the bathroom right now i will break it down and drag you to the taxi,” kei practically growled in irritation.
“i’ll be right out,” tetsurou’s muffled reply came and kei was now on the verge of kicking the door down if not for the occupant to open it himself. “what do you think?”
“woah,” was all kei could say as he looked at his boyfriend in a neat formal suit and hair slicked back making him look dapper. “how did you get it to stay like that?”
“an hour and different hair products,” tetsurou said in exasperation but grinned at the look the other was giving him. “you like it?”
“it’s nice,” kei complemented. “but i like your bed head more, it looks more you.”
“and it takes less effort,” tetsurou grinned. “you know what you’re gonna say for your best man speech later?”
“no,” kei almost whined. “how do you even start a speech?”
“just think about this,” tetsurou said in seriousness as he placed his hands on the other’s shoulder. “what would tetsurou do?”
“you’d drink a glass of wine then wing it on stage,” kei deadpanned.
“right,” the other grinned. “which is why you shouldn’t do what i would do and just say what you wanna say to your brother, embarrass him if you want.”
“maybe i will,” kei said with a small laugh.
“there you go,” tetsurou smiled. “you’re not nervous anymore?”
“no,” kei replied honestly. “thanks, tetsurou.”
sometimes kei wonders what his life without tetsurou would be like but then tetsurou holds his hand and lead him out of the door to the taxi that was waiting for them making kei forget his previous thought because he’ll never separate from tetsurou anyways.