Kuroo was tired. But then again, he was always tired. That’s why he had a car to drive to work, a nice air-conditioned sedan that the company had afforded him. He didn’t have to pay for gas even, and traffic wasn’t too bad, he’d make it there in twenty.
And yet, he’d decided to take the metro today.
Like an idiot.
The tall man stood in the crowded compartment, trying his best not to lean too far left or right onto any unsuspecting old lady, shooting apologetic looks every time his briefcase whacked somebody when the train stopped.
It had been a while since he took the train. It used to be a regular thing back in school and maybe he missed it- either way, he was regretting it now as he stared back at the digital sign.
Two more stops.
Dear god..
He very nearly groans out loud- but he’s got so much more patience than that. So he sighs quietly instead, barely noticing when the man enters through the doors and stands next to him. Kuroo gives him a cursory once-over.
Shorter than he is, strong by the looks of his arms.. pleasant face. He had a sling bag that bumped against Kuroo’s thigh when he stood close.
The man looks up at him, and it seems it takes him a few seconds to give a polite smile before he turns to the window and the city whizzing past them outside.
It was the longer than average look-over that got Tetsurou interested. His eyes were pretty, big and brown. It didn’t take him long to decide he wanted to look into them again.
A curious pair of gold regarded his face- the man who was paying close attention to the telecom tower they were passing by, but he couldn’t peruse for long- they were passing through a tunnel.
For some reason, this pleased Kuroo- a small little smile of satisfaction building on his lips.
Fuck that telecom tower.
It was so silly.. he was being silly. But he didn’t care, he’d look if he wanted to- in the dark, his gold eyes would take in as much as they could of his outline.
And he would look till they passed out of the tunnel, his eyes blatantly fixed on him as was evident in the bright sunlight. But color him surprised when he finds that those pair of chocolate were trained on him too.
It was barely a second that they met, before he looks outside again abruptly. Kuroo felt it, the little thrill of knowing he had been watched.
One more stop..
One more stop?
It had him sighing again, morose. His eyes suddenly losing their lustre, and zeroing in on the doors in front of them as he reflexively tightened his grip on the handle of his bag.
“Getting off?”
The man spoke, nodding as he enquired this simple thing of him.
“Mm-“, Kuroo nodded back- using this opportunity to the fullest, like the greedy, whorish man he knew himself to be. He doesn’t drop his gaze, an exchange that was supposed to be polite surely must’ve turned awkward by now. Several seconds ticked by, but the other man didn’t budge either.
“You..?”, he finally managed to say, something to make his behavior more civil- something to mask the fact that he really just wanted to look at his face, as long as he possibly could in this short, short frame of time.
He looked cornered, the poor guy. He probably thought he was some kind of creep, or looking for a fight- he simply shakes his head no- eyes still patient and pleasant as ever.
Kuroo’s done. It’s time to go, it’s time to leave his two-minute reprieve from his real life. His manner seems to change in seconds as the train comes to a stop- politely smiling and making his way through the crowd to the doors.
And just as they open- just as he steps outside, he hears a
“Have a nice day at work-“
His head turns so fast, so fast towards the voice- to see his face, and a smile. A soft little up-turn of his lips, and he barely catches it but those eyes are flicking ever so slightly lower, climbing back up- lingering on his face as the doors close… before the train takes him away down the line, to whichever mysterious land.
Kuroo stands there on the platform, unwilling to move for a while. Another big sigh.
As he walks to his office, his mind is spinning.
He’s.. a painter.
No, he’s a server in a café.
No, he’s a writer, he had a sling bag with some sheets peeking through it.
All day, he sits in his swivel chair, clicking away at his computer- and every so often he looks up like lightning struck him-
A script writer?
Maybe he wasn’t even on his way to work?
He takes the metro home, takes the same compartment- much emptier at this hour. No sign of him of course. He finds himself sinking in his seat, staring out the window, exhausted after the long day.
Maybe he was visiting his partner.
Maybe he was going to the airport..
At 8 am the next day, as Kuroo is brushing his teeth and watching the clock in his bedroom- he suddenly runs. What compels him, he doesn’t know- pulling his trousers on, his shirt buttons mismatched, his hair looking more dishevelled than was strictly normal. But he’s on the train again at 8:10 am, smiling apologetically at the old lady he saw yesterday and standing by the door.
He watches that door till the stop comes, watches it carefully.
Who’s to say it wasn’t a dentist’s appointment for fuck’s sake. Who’s to say he wouldn’t just get on a different train at 8:15 instead.
Who’s to say he wouldn’t climb into the compartment just next to his.
And yet, there he was- the same man, the same sling bag, and those big, brown eyes finding him as soon as he sets foot on the train.
What a rush, what a mad fix this was turning out to be.
Kuroo’s mouth was hanging open a little, marvelling perhaps, at his sheer luck.
“Were you.. expecting me?”, the man says with a warm little chuckle. Warm enough to melt ice he’d reckon.
“No.. actually..”, he manages to choke out, looking embarrassed as hell. “Hoping.. more like it-“
Trust him to say something stupidly bold like that as he looks back at his face.
The man gives him a shy face, another chuckle, and a flutter of his eyes- before turning them to the window again.
That damn.. telecom tower..
“Work sucks huh?”
“Oh yeah.. sucks the life out of me-“
The tunnel was coming. He couldn’t wait, he could hardly contain himself when the compartment got dark- the pair of gold flitting over his form, his face, the outline of his hair, like a thief stealing his keep in the dark.
Seconds later, light floods back in to reveal his dark brown eyes doing much the same- bolder today than yesterday as they fall over his shoulders, then climb back up his neck and his chin.
It was such a mad feeling this, to be watched by this man. To want to be watched by him. He didn’t know who he was, his name, or where he came from. All he knew was that every time he glanced away from him, Kuroo felt this fiery urge to capture his gaze again.
He hoped now, that he couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
One more stop.
One more stop?
Well crap, he was sinking again. He didn’t want to go- did he have to go, couldn’t he just ride this train longer, stand in this slowly shrinking space between him and this man,
just a little longer.
“Getting off?”
Why did he ask. Why did he have to look at him with those big brown eyes and ask, like he had a choice.
“Mm yeah-“, he answers, looking at his feet, a dog who didn’t want to be done with his walk for the day, didn’t want to admit that it was ending.
Kuroo looks up as the train comes to a stop, exhaling slowly, fingers clenching tighter on his bag. There’s a lump in his throat as he desperately wills himself not to give himself away, failing miserably with a ‘See you tomorrow?’
He holds his gaze, waiting to see him falter- expecting him to give him an awkward little smile and sever his ridiculous new obsession right away.
“Yeah.. same compartment?”, he answers casually, nodding at him like it was a business deal they’d just agreed to.
Kuroo nods back hurriedly- eyes widening just a little at what had passed, he steps out the doors and onto the platform- turns around to catch his gaze.
And he smiles, this man, right up to his big, beautiful brown eyes, “Have a nice day..”
The train carries him away, pulling Kuroo’s neck in a long, slow swivel as he watches it go- his heart banging obscenely against his chest.
The next day, and the next, Kuroo runs to the platform, takes that compartment and waits in his spot. For his brown-eyed man. And he comes, as promised, giving him a little smile which grows bigger as the days go by.
Names are exchanged. Sawamura Daichi, who likes to take the train instead of driving to work, who likes to stop where he can get the best breakfast bagel in town and walk the rest of the way to his office, who has a pet raccoon called Meimei, and who has Kuroo’s heart in a buttery, warm vice every time he looks back at him..
Daichi wasn’t even surprised when Tetsurou came out of the shower with only a towel wrapped around his waist. The cocktease. Well, at least his name was back on their nameplate. At least he wasn’t going anywhere.
He took his time appreciating the tanlines, the way his muscle flexed as he moved, the way he looked positively younger with his hair wet and down. Frustrated at his own reaction, Daichi turned the other side so he could read his book facing the wall. There. Now that he couldn’t see Tetsurou, he wouldn’t be affected –
“Dai-chan~”
But of course Tetsurou never ever did what Daichi wanted, crawling onto his bed and leaning over his shoulder to see what he was reading. The single bed creaked at the additional weight it was not meant to carry.
“Astrology? Never thought you were the type to believe in this kind of thing, Dai-chan.” Tetsurou flops down on the bed then, a loose arm hooping around Daichi’s waist, and Daichi could feel the unmistakable feeling of a bulge between his pants. Not good. He attempted to shove Tetsurou away, his very real irritation helping. And why do you think I’m even looking at astrology in the first place?
“Go put on clothes! On second thought, dry yourself properly first!”
Daichi’s aware of how he let himself be manhandled and turned on his back so Tetsurou was above and looking down at him, the all too familiar smirk completing his sly look. Daichi’s wrists were relax under Tetsurou’s gentle hands, giving him the control he wanted.
“One. You’re the one wearing too much clothing, Dai-chan. Secondly, I’m sure after tonight, you’ll be the wetter of us two.”
Daichi couldn’t help his flush at those words. He wasn’t used to it, this kind of thing. “Are you saying you want to do it, Tetsu?”
Tetsurou rubbed their growing erections together, and Daichi groaned. Even through the fabric, he could feel Tetsurou.
“And if I said I did?” It was the same tone he’d used earlier. The one that reached all the way to Daichi’s groin, which throbbed. He’s certain Tetsurou felt it, and flushed further. If Tetsurou really wanted to do it, Daichi would be more than willing. However –
“You said you weren’t sure whether you liked me, that it might be the influence of alcohol” Daichi deadpanned, a little bitterly, when what he really wanted was to grab Tetsurou by the back of his neck so their lips could crash and their tongues could mingle and they could taste each other. Turned out he didn’t need to do that, because Tetsurou’s the one who initiated this time, the one who brought their lips together, and oh, Tetsurou had taken the effort to make himself taste like mints.
How was it possible to not like him?
Tetsurou’s hands slid upwards, till they found Daichi’s fingers and they interlaced in a tight lock and the kiss got fiercer, wilder, more needy than all their previous kisses.
“…Shouldn’t you know by now,” Tetsurou parted only long enough to whisper, sounding almost embarrassed by his own words, “that when I say I’m unsure, I’m really leaning towards your side?”
This time it’s Daichi that brought his hips up to grind against Tetsurou, and took the chance as his chin tilted in contentment to suck at his neck. Damn this man, always pushing at Daichi’s buttons. The right buttons. Because Tetsurou was so right when he said Daichi was overclothed.
“Undress me,” he demanded, already feeling out of breath. This was really happening. They were going to have sex – make love. Wordlessly, Tetsurou untangled their fingers and in one swift motion pulled the hem of Daichi’s shirt up and over his head. Now they’re equal. Almost. Daichi needed his pants off, needed his briefs off, needed Tetsurou’s towel off.
Their lips met again, this time their hands free to roam. Daichi slid his down Tetsurou’s sides, enjoying the feel of his curves, as well as how tough he felt. Tetsurou’s own remained in Daichi’s hair, grasping it tightly as their mouths parted, another caressing his cheek. Like he was something important.
Tetsurou straightened his back to pull down Daichi’s pants, who was more than willing to comply, followed by his briefs so he was stripped naked. He wasn’t alone for long – Tetsurou’s own towel came off immediately after and was tossed away from the bed, years of wing spiking allowed him to get it where he wanted on the table.
“Nice spike,” Daichi joked and they laughed, a success in easing the awkwardness that hung in the air until then. Tetsurou didn’t waste any time coming back down on Daichi, kissing his forehead, his eye, his nose, both cheeks, a quick peck on the lips, purposely avoiding his sensitive ears and down to bite down on the skin by his neck.
“Shit, Daichi. I want to mark you,” he breathed against the wet patch of skin.
“Do it,” Daichi answered without pause and there was throbbing pain as Tetsurou’s teeth sank into his flesh and drew blood, and he hissed as the wound was licked with exaggerated care, shifting on his overly cramped bed and crumpling the sheets. That was one mark that’d stay for at least two weeks, a mark that told the world who he belonged to, and he felt a strange thrill in knowing that.
“Mine,” Tetsurou growled in a voice so unlike him. The cat was now a territorial tiger, biting where he could see – Daichi’s shoulder, collarbone, teasing a nipple as he nibbled on other before switching, giving the man beneath him no chance to do anything but moan and gasp. The sensations were so different compared to that night; he was sober, and he could feel exactly what Tetsurou was doing, and savoring every second of it.
It felt so good.
Tetsurou went lower, kissing down his chest, stopping to tease at his bellybutton until he tugged at his hair, a silent plea for him to get on with it. For once, Daichi was thankful that Tetsurou always delivered, because his mouth slid low, lower, and even lower, lifted a thigh to kiss it and leave another mark there, then finally, finally his attention was brought to Daichi’s cock.
“…You’re so hard,” Tetsurou whispered, his breath tickling Daichi. He tentatively reached out to wrap his hand around it, and Daichi jerked. Fuck.
“Yeah, because someone was being a fucking tease,” Daichi chuckled and Tetsurou slid his hand down his length, effectively shutting him up.
“A tease, huh? Bet I could change that.”
Then abruptly the hand left his cock and Daichi didn’t even find time to protest before he was tugged forward, legs bent back so his hips were in the air and his knees touched his chest, his most embarrassing parts completely and utterly exposed.
Even as his body gave an honest reaction to how he felt about being so exposed, Daichi found it in himself to smirk as he heard Tetsurou’s breath catch.
“Dai-chan, this… What…”
Daichi knew what Tetsurou was referring to. His pucker most likely looked raw from a fresh fuck, complete with lube leaking from it. He wrapped one arm around his legs and pulled them back even further, his daily stretches coming into play.
“As I said, someone was being a fucking tease, so I played with myself while you in the shower, taking your own sweet time. If you were faster you would’ve seen me on my hands and knees with three fingers inside myself moaning out your name.”
Impossible how those dirty words slipped from his lips so easily when he couldn’t even find it in him to look into Tetsurou’s eyes after confessing.
“Fuck,” Tetsurou hissed, the words reaching his cock and making it impossibly harder. Daichi’s smirk widened. That’d teach the man to not try to play tricks with Daichi.
“Where’s the lube, Dai? If we wait any longer I’ll come before I even get my dick inside your pretty ass.”
Now Daichi couldn’t have that happening, could he? He reached under his pillow and grabbed the bottle of lube there, handing it to Tetsurou. It was already half gone, despite only been in use twice – that night, and earlier when he fucked himself. Tetsurou was still generous in the amount he squeezed out, warming the liquid between his fingers before he rubbed them around the area of Daichi’s entrance.
“Can’t believe you were fucking yourself and I wasn’t there to see it,” Tetsurou muttered with his head stuck in Daichi’s ass, and the latter couldn’t help but give a soft laugh at how disappointed his boyfriend sounded. Boyfriend. That’s a nice word. They’re both each other’s boyfriends now.
“Maybe I’ll treat you to the sight next time. You know, if you’re still a good fuck sober.”
A finger slipped inside and Daichi let out a gasp. Another person’s finger was different. Tetsurou’s was more slender, but longer, reaching deeper. The way it moved inside of him so slowly, teasing, exploring. So unlike the way he gave it to himself, quick and urgent. So different from that night, when they were drunk and near desperate. Now, they had the entire night, and knowing that, Tetsurou grinned.
“Well, looking at how you react to my finger in your ass, bet I’d be an even better fuck than anyone you ever had.”
“Only you,” Daichi grunted out as another finger joined the first, easily, because he was still so loose.
“What?”
“You’re the first -- You’re the only --” Daichi cursed how good he was feeling, how experienced Tetsurou was, how he was unable to form coherent sentences. He wondered briefly whether this wasn’t Tetsurou’s first time with a guy. “My first love.”
The fingers inside him fumbled at his words and found a sweet spot he’d never reached with his own, and Daichi came with a shocked cry, the only warning before warmth covered his own torso, his face. Fuck. That was definitely unintentional on Tetsurou’s part, but it felt so damn good and Daichi needed him to reach that spot again. So his hips shifted when Tetsurou’s fingers didn’t move, and then he’s rewarded with a third finger, and, unexpectedly, a rough fuck unlike the gentleness he’d been treated with thus far. Daichi let out wanton cries in sync with the thrusts, abandoning whatever pride he might have in other situations.
“Fuck, Dai,” Tetsurou’s voice was hoarse, far, Daichi’s own moans drowning out the much softer voice. “You have got to stop riling me up.”
“...Or... what?” Daichi panted out. Still trying to push Tetsurou. Wanting to untangle the man as much as he untangled Daichi. He convinced himself that it was a success as the fingers were withdrawn in a single action and he was flipped onto his stomach, his hips pull up against Tetsurou, a flaming heat rubbing at the crack between his buttcheeks.
“Or this,” Tetsurou returned, leaning in to chew on Daichi’s ear, simply because he was weak there. “I’ll fuck you raw, Daichi, if you don’t behave.”
The rubbing at his back continued, and he shivered, pushing back with his hips because this wasn’t where he backed down. Daichi was so close to getting what he wanted. He’d beg if he needed to, if that was what would get Tetsurou inside him, for their bodies to be joined. So Daichi turned his head so his lips could find Tetsurou’s for another kiss, to bite down on his lips in an affectionate manner and to hear the man make gross but sweet sloppy kissing sounds.
“Yes,” Daichi gasped when Tetsurou’s cock pushed at the entrance, before slipping upwards to his disappointment. His mouth hovered around Tetsurou’s exposed neck. “Fuck me raw. I want it. Want all of you.”
Then he bit like how Tetsurou had bitten him, sinking his teeth into tensing flesh with the intention to mark. To claim. Tetsurou jerked back with a hiss and their eyes met as they shared predatory smirks. Now they had matching bite marks. The only thing still lacking was...
Daichi felt it. The tip, impossibly warmer than his body heat, pushing inside him. It hurt, hurt a ton more than it had; proof that he was sober, that they were sober, that this was real. He dug his nails into the sheets, face twisted in discomfort at the unfamiliar intrusion. A gentle hand came to rest in his hair, stroking it as Tetsurou whispered sweet nothings in Daichi’s ears. They stayed like that for a while, unmoving, fingers linked, the only sounds audible that of their hot breaths as they tried to get used to the feeling of being joined.
“M... Move,” Daichi finally turned his head to say. “It’s okay to move.”
“Are you sure?”
Daichi rolled his hips because if the groan that escaped his lips weren’t affirmation he didn’t know what else would. “If you don’t, I’ll found some other guy to do your job.”
It was an attempt to lighten the mood, because Tetsurou looked even tenser than Daichi, worry creasing his brows. Tetsurou was supposed to laugh at Daichi’s poor sense of humor, give a lamer comeback, then they’d be back to usual. Instead he felt a snarl rise from Tetsurou’s throat as he pulled his left arm up to bite down on his ring finger, sucking on it lewdly afterwards.
“Just try it,” Tetsurou growled, Daichi’s finger still in his mouth. “Not that I’d allow it. I’ll mark you all over so everyone knows you’re already taken.”
This guy is definitely more possessive than I thought, Daichi concluded. But he didn’t mind it, not really. Not when Tetsurou began light thrusts while bringing his free arm down to twerk his perked nipple. It was so much but it wasn’t enough. He searched for Tetsurou’s rhythm so he could meet his thrusts, wanting him to hit the sweet spot every website he consulted stated guys had.
A particular thrust had Daichi falling forward, his entire body jolting as he came, staining his sheets with a hoarse cry. That must’ve been it -- the prostate. The descriptions given didn’t even come close to how good it felt --
“Dai, don’t tell me you came?” Tetsurou sounded a mix of surprise and amusement as his hand came in contact with Daichi’s oversensitive cock, smearing his hand in thick, hot come. “Holy shit, you really did. Dai, you came without me even having to touch you.”
Yeah. Yeah, he did. And it wasn’t fair that only he came and Tetsurou was still rock hard inside him. Knowing the man he’d likely pull out like he had down that night after pushing Daichi to the peak, ask him to jerk him off and the darn man would come silently into pre-prepared tissues. That wasn’t going to happen tonight. Daichi was going to get Tetsurou’s come inside him if it’s the last thing he did. With that in mind, he used whatever strength he had left inside him to pull Tetsurou’s entire weight down as they kissed, aware that some of his come most likely smeared that lean back. He climbed above Tetsurou, easily sinking back down on him before he could allow himself to miss the feeling of being filled.
“Wha --”
This position is really bad, Tetsurou’s cock reaching even deeper inside Daichi than it had earlier, mercilessly hitting every spot left unexplored without fail. When a pair of hands came to rest on his hips, Daichi ripped them away, holding them tightly in place with his own.
“Daichi, what --”
“No. I’m going to make you come now, Tetsu. Just stay like this and watch.” Daichi lifted himself and lowered back down, an almost painfully slow process as he took control of the situation. He made sure to squeeze down on Tetsurou, giving purposeful gasps of pleasure here and there, staring into those lust filled eyes all the while. Tetsurou just laid there obediently, watching where they were joined. Daichi could get used to this.
His dominance didn’t last long -- he flinched when calloused fingers found their way up his sides and thumb over his nipples.
“No touching --” His hands went to cover over Tetsurou’s own, but the pinching continued. It distracted Daichi from his goal, and his hips halted, unable to find strength to continue while he’s teased in other areas.
“Don’t get me wrong, you look perfect from the view down here,” Tetsurou breathed, pushing his hips upwards in a harsh thrust with a tug on two hardened pebs, the lewd sound of lube being pushed further in Daichi, “But tonight I think I want to focus on fucking you.”
Then his hands went to Daichi’s back and grabbed his asscheeks so tightly it’d leave marks, and fucked him. Really fucked him. Every time Daichi dropped it was with the intention to be fucked, and every time Tetsurou raised his hips it was for the sole purpose of aiming for Daichi’s prostate, his lover’s moans driving him on, bringing him closer to climax.
“Daichi, Daichi, Daichi...”
“Are you close, Tetsu?” Because he sure felt like it. Daichi’s own cock was rock hard again, shamelessly bobbing along with his entire body; there’s not way it wouldn’t be with so much stimulation at his sweet spot.
“Yeah -- I --”
Daichi rode him faster. Faster than Tetsurou’s hands on his ass. “Come. Come inside me.”
That managed to finally drive Tetsurou over the edge. The final thrusts were almost animalistic, the actions only to stimulate the man’s own climax. Daichi felt it -- the release, the heat driving deep inside him, and he fell forward, damp hair resting against Tetsurou’s chest as he twitched with every release. It was so hot and made him feel impossibly fuller -- Daichi didn’t ever remember feeling like this when he did it alone, and he came again at the new sensation, finding pleasure in that fact. His warmth stained his own abdomen and Tetsurou’s, and the smell of sex intensified in the small space.
They remained like that, catching their breaths and coming down from their high, gasping between soft kisses on their hot skin. Tetsurou’s grip on Daichi’s ass loosened to a caress to soothe the prints left there.
“You okay?” Tetsurou murmured, sleep already heavy in his voice. Daichi managed a tired smile of his own as he answered.
“Best I’ve been in three days.” They both laughed at that, then there was a gasp as Tetsurou’s cock slipped out of Daichi, and he felt the come trying to leak out. He blushed when he saw Tetsurou smirk knowingly.
“C’mon, I’ll wipe you, Dai ~ chan.”
“Shut up.”
Tetsurou did it anyway. Daichi enjoyed it anyway. And he hoped that never changed.
Prompt: as long as its university!au and angst w happy ending ye
Smutty sequel here.
(written in exchange for a drawing from my friend!)
Daichi turned the doorknob only to pause as the nameplate entered his peripheral vision. Where there were two names, now only one stared back.
“Sawamura” was written in a handwriting that didn’t belong to him, on a fresh slip of paper, white and… new. “Kuroo”, the name of the other resident of their shared dorm, was nowhere to be found.
The world seemed to slow to a stop, and in that moment everything was grey. Daichi could only hear his own heartbeat, thudding in his ears like a siren. The door creaked open and his eyes looked into the dark apartment.
The empty apartment.
The fact didn’t hit hard enough, and Daichi stumbled his way to the living room in darkness, dropping his bagpack onto the sofa. A second later, his body weight fell onto the soft cotton and the object jumped a little at his force. His hands automatically went to the blinking on the telephone and pressed. A long beep sounded.
One message. 11:36pm. December 15th. Now replaying.
It’s the 18th. Three days. He’d been gone three days.
A short beep.
“I’m sorry, Dai. I need some time.”
End of message. Followed by a long beep, one that reminded Daichi of the horrifying, never ending beep from a person whose heart had stopped beating.
Except, in this case, the heart belonged to him. The use of his first name, a fond nickname, like how Daichi begun to call him Tetsu by the second half of their first year rooming.
Tetsurou most likely regretted it – No, Daichi was certain he regretted it. He regretted that night where they both got drunk after a Friday night party and came back with dirty jokes spilling from their lips. Regretted making the dare about kissing each other without getting sick afterwards and actually going for it. Regretted taking it further when they had the chance to stop. The chances to stop.
A one night stand.
When Daichi had woken up the next day he was alone in bed and Tetsurou was nowhere to be found around the house. It wasn’t typical on a Saturday, but at the same time it wasn’t uncommon either, so Daichi had thought nothing of it. He’d just eaten his share of breakfast, resumed packing and written a note with a text to Tetsurou before he left for home to spend the long weekend with his family that afternoon.
And he came back to this.
Biting down on his lower lip so hard he tasted copper, Daichi reached for the phone and dialled Tetsurou’s number, a number he’d spent hours staring at even while he finally managed to meet up with Koushi and Asahi. A number his thumb had hovered over the Call button over a dozen times the past two days he was away. The number he never dared to dial.
The ringing went on, and on, and on, until finally there was a click. In that second Daichi didn’t breathe, not knowing whether it would be the voice operator or…
“–Hello?”
It wasn’t the voice operator, but it wasn’t Tetsurou either. Daichi spent a moment too long considering the possibilities of what this could meant and he heard the person repeat his greeting and said he’d hang up if it was nothing.
“No, wait!” Daichi hated how desperate he must have sounded, his body physically responding by stiffening as he stopped himself from leaning forward. “I… I’m looking For Te– Kuroo.”
“Ah, great! I take it as you’re a friend of his? Man, do you know happened to Kuroo? This guy suddenly crashed at my place two nights back saying he wants to stay here without telling me why, and now he’s dead drunk and I don’t know what to do.”
Daichi was eerily calm as he replied for the person to give him the address. It was another dorm. Tetsurou had moved to someone else’s dorm. His name was on the name plate of someone else’s room. And he was there now, drunk. Drunk. The moment he set the phone down, Daichi was out of the apartment and jogging down the stairs, forgetting his gloves and scarf on the sofa. They stayed on the 3rd floor of Dorm A, and Tetsurou had moved to the 5th floor of Dorm C. Every step he took was with the intention to drag Tetsurou’s ass back to their dorm.
Out of breath by the time he knocked on the stranger’s door, Daichi tried to keep a calm expression. When the door opened, however, his voice that came out was sharp, cold. Tetsurou was drunk, his face the flush that had appeared in Daichi’s mind just about every five minutes, an arm slung over the shorter man’s shoulder for support.
“Sorry for the trouble. I’m Kuroo’s roommate, Sawamura. I’ll bring him back now.”
The man swallowed, intimidated, and with a squeak he handed Tetsurou over with his bag. Daichi’d apologise to the man some other day. Now, he’s getting his roommate back to their room.
“Tetsu,” Daichi said in a gentler voice once they were far, far away from the stranger’s room and another step closer to their own, “Are you okay?”
Tetsurou grunted something in reply, his eyes still closed. The change in posture was subtle, but Daichi knew instantly he needed the bathroom. He picked up the pace, just a little.
“We’re reaching home, Tetsu. Can you hold on till then?”
Those eyes that always promised mischief opened them, clouded and slightly unfocused. They wandered and finally landed on Daichi. He watched as those pupils widen, his irises sharpening in alert.
“Dai-chan?” His voice was hoarse, deeper than usual without the teasing tone, and it reverberated down Daichi’s spine. This was the same Tetsurou that dared Daichi into doing something that made him realise his love for Tetsurou.
Oh. Love. Did he love Tetsurou? Daichi’s entire body warmed at the thought, the possibility having been hovering at the back of his mind the past two days – Scratch that, the seed had been planted way before, perhaps ever since that first meeting in high school. The seed had long since planted its roots deep, and the answer that came to him naturally, was yes.
Yes, Sawamura Daichi loved Kuroo Tetsurou, and he didn’t care that he was a darned cliche for realising only after their one night stand. He loved the funny side of him, that always cracked him up even if he didn’t really feel like laughing. He loved the kind side of him, that never hesitated to give advice to anyone in need. He even loved the geek side of him, that could go on for hours about the science behind something.
So this is the love Koushi is always boasting to me about.
“Yeah, Tetsu. It’s me. I’m here.”
Abruptly Tetsurou wrapped his other arm around Daichi in a koala hug so the latter had to support his entire weight. He loved how Tetsurou had a naturally high body temperature. Loved how his skin felt against his own.
“Daichi.”
Loved how his name sounded on those lips. Loved his voice.
“I missed you.”
The door banged open and Daichi managed to get them both inside the apartment before slamming Tetsurou against it and finally kissing him. Those lips that tasted mostly like the cheap alcohol from the convenience store a five minute walk away, but as their tongues mingled Daichi was able to taste him. And when Tetsurou kissed him back, their arms wrapped around each other, Daichi knew he could taste the blood from where he had torn the skin of his lips, their breaths hot enough that they could see their breaths as they parted, misty eyed. The only thing Daichi could make out in the darkness was Tetsurou’s eyes, so he kept his trained on them.
“Daichi.”
“Tetsurou.”
Daichi leaned in, resting his chin on Tetsurou’s shoulder, and took a whiff. Thank God, Tetsurou still smelled like Tetsurou. Not like anyone else. Not like anything else. Unconsciously Daichi started nuzzling against him, a hand teasing the hem of his shirt. Then suddenly the man before him tensed and two strong, lean palms pressed against his chest and kept him at arm’s length.
“We – We can’t. We can’t repeat the same mistake from that night, Dai-chan.”
A jolt from the word mistake. Tetsurou really thought so, after all. Daichi couldn’t hide the hurt from his face, so he lowered it, fearing Tetsurou might have the sight of cat’s in the dark, fists clenched.
“…It’s not a mistake for me,” he forced the words out, because there was no point in hiding them now. He felt Tetsurou shift, and there was the need to continue before he could reply. Reject Daichi.
“It’s not a mistake for me,” he repeated, finding strength in those words. He finally looked up to meet a pair of wide eyes, staring back in surprise, shock, perhaps something else.
“I – I may not have known it then, but I wanted that. I wanted you, Tetsurou.”
Tetsurou did interject then, with a shake of his head that sent daggers flying straight towards Daichi’s heart.
“You can’t be sure of that, Dai-chan.” The daggers found their mark, and it took all of Daichi’s strength to simply keep standing upright.
“I am,” he insisted, because he was. “After that night, even after I returned to my hometown, even when I could finally spend time with my friends and family, my mind was filled with you. Every moment, your face, your smile, even your lame snarky remarks replayed in my head. It physically hurt thinking about you.”
Daichi took a hold of Tetsurou’s wrists with his own hands and squeezed, aware of how they trembled. He didn’t remember being this scared, the last time perhaps being when he thought it was the last time he would be able to play volleyball on a competitive level. “You can reject me, but don’t reject my confession, Tetsurou. I love you. I’ve probably loved you since our first meeting.”
His voice cracked towards the end, but he didn’t care. Didn’t care about anything but the way Tetsurou’s expression changed from shock to confusion, to realisation, and how the flush returned to his face, except it wasn’t from alcohol this time.
“Daichi, I… I….” Tetsurou stammered, and Daichi gave a dry laugh. It was rather unlike him, and that in itself was as good as his answer.
So, this is it. This is where Tetsurou would reject him, and most probably leave for good. And this time, Daichi wouldn’t have any reason to stop him from doing just that.
Daichi’s grip on Tetsurou’s wrists loosened as he waited with his head hung low for the words to come. But they didn’t. He waited and seconds, minutes passed, but no matter how long he waited, Tetsurou just didn’t say anything.
He finally raised his head to object, to question why wouldn’t he just say the darn words, when a large, calloused hand came to rest upon his flushed cheek, prompting him to look at Tetsurou. Daichi cursed the fact that in that moment all he felt was affection for the man with something between a smile and tears on his face.
“You finally looked at me, Dai-chan.” Tetsurou’s attempt at a teasing voice cracked as his thumb smoothed Daichi’s cheek, then pinched the muscle there, chuckling at how dumbfounded he looked.
“Idiot.” But his tone was affectionate, and Daichi’s heart swelled. He managed a smile of his own, and gave his chest a light shove.
“You’re the idiot. Why didn’t you just say something?” Tetsurou’s index finger rested upon his lips, gently shushing him. His hand dropped to wrap around Daichi’s own, a tentative gesture, but the latter squeezed back with confidence, savoring the way they were behaving almost like lovers.
Next came Tetsurou’s forehead, leaning forward until it lightly bumped against Daichi’s, and he nuzzled similarly to how Daichi had done earlier. Then he sighed before speaking, the first hint of his real feelings.
“I’m… unsure, Daichi. Of my feelings for you.”
This was where he should’ve felt disappointment, should’ve let go and ended his first love before he sank too deep, but instead Daichi felt a new planted seed, this time in his chest, this time called Hope. He nuzzled back with a chuckle.
“What’s that supposed to mean, you idiot?”
A squeeze of their now laced fingers. “I think I like you. But I don’t know whether… whether it’s real, or whether it’s the alcohol screwing me over. Shit, Dai. Even now, it may be my drunk self saying all this. I don’t want to hurt you like that.”
Tetsurou lowered his gaze so their eyes met, and Daichi felt, without words, that this was where he was supposed to make a choice. Did he pursue Tetsurou, or drop the issue and get on with their lives?
Was Tetsurou even being serious? Daichi leaned back, just a little because he already missed the feeling of the touch, and knocked his forehead, enough for the taller man to feel it but not for it to actually hurt. He’d never do that to Tetsurou.
“Then, what can I do to help make this easier for you?” It was a risk, a big one, he knew that, but Daichi was all in. He’d been all in since he took Tetsurou’s hand that day four years ago and introduced himself as Karasuno Volleyball Team’s captain. Tetsurou was open about the surprise he felt at the response, clearly expecting something else, and Daichi would find another time to tease about how he managed to get the rare expression out of the sly man so many times in a night.
Tetsurou seemed to ponder for a moment, and suddenly the air around them changed to something more… intimate.
“Maybe… if there was something to help me.” His voice was laced with something thicker. Almost suggestive, but not crossing the line.
Daichi raised an eyebrow in mock amusement even as his heart thudded at the possibility of this going where he thought it might be going. “Oh? Please, do go on.”
Their positions were reversed then – Tetsurou easily pulling Daichi who’d let his guard down, and now Daichi was the one pined to the door, his hands on either side of his head as a face drew dangerously close. If he inched his face just a little, Daichi would be able to capture those lips again. But because he had more self control than that, he didn’t, and instead chose to hold his gaze on those intense eye staring at him.
“For example,” Tetsurou whispered in his ear, and Daichi shivered, felt his knees go weak. His ears were a weakness, and Tetsurou was taking advantage of that, he just knew it. “…I could really use a shower right now.”
With that Tetsurou drew back and when he saw Daichi’s expression, gave a low chuckle and released the hold on his hands, reaching for the light switch instead. He turned to leave and Daichi took the opportunity to kick at his ass, not feeling even the least apologetic. “Asshole.”
Tetsurou laughed but in the light Daichi was able to see the red on the tip of his ears and the back of his neck. He smiled too, his first genuine smile since returning here.
For now, he told himself. For now, this was enough. This distance he knew one day they’d cross and find each other. Then he’d get back at Tetsurou.
“And put your damned name back on that nameplate!”
