➶ fluff, slight angst but everything ends well, and one swear word lmao
➶ this is an entry for @neoheros‘ and @coophi‘s summer contest! married under 25 prompt!!!
Kuroo finds himself in front of yet another door. This one says '25' on the dull gold plaque. He leans forward, head turned at a slight angle. There's no noise coming from the other side. Strange. Kuroo knocks lightly.
There's a rustle. "Yeah?"
He smiles absentmindedly at the voice. "Hey, it's me."
"Tetsu?" Lots of shuffling noises follow. "Wait, you can't come in here."
"Yeah, I can,” he frowns. He tries the door handle, but it doesn't budge.
He can hear you sigh in relief.
"Oh, I forgot I locked it. Good."
"Good?” His voice comes out strained. “Why can't I see my own wife?" The knob is jiggled again experimentally.
A few of the staff bustle around, clutching clipboards, floral arrangements and the like. They give him a curious once-over before returning to their work.
"It's bad luck. And technically-"
"Don't say that you're not my wife yet. I was ready to do this last month." He rests his head on the door with a light ‘thud’.
“You’re so dramatic,” you mutter. The clack of your heels gets his attention.
“We had exams, Tetsu. There’s no way we could’ve managed both.”
“Okay, and the reason I can't see you now is?”
“Because it’s bad luck to see me in my dress before the wedding. Apparently.”
“I bet you look so stunning that it cancels out the bad luck,” he says, grinning at the door. He’s aware that he must look like some sort of lunatic but it doesn’t matter because it’s his wedding. He’s allowed to look as loony and lovestruck as he wants to.
“Oh no-” He hears you groan. “Am I going to be stuck with ‘Mr. Cheesy Pick Up Lines’ forever?”
His mouth twists into a pout. “You signed up for this, you know?”
The sweet strains of music reach his ears. Ah, most of the guests must have arrived. The realization slowly sets in. The wedding’s really happening.
His tie feels tight despite the pleasant weather and the smell of freshly cut flowers. He hooks a finger through the knot and tugs as gently as he can. The thought that he's messed up the neat tie still lingers at the back of his mind.
He clears his throat. “Where’s everyone else then? I half-expected to fight my way through your cousins and aunts just to get a glimpse of you.”
You’re probably giggling at the mental image of nice and courteous Kuroo Tetsurō, jostling past your doting family to reach you.
“They’ve gone to get the veil.”
“Ah.” He runs his hand through his hair, forgetting about the entire hour that it required to gel it down. It was one of his friends’ ideas. Probably Bokuto.
He practically yelps. “I hope you’re not hiding from me so Bokuto can come out in a wedding dress instead. I’ve seen videos like that online and-”
He hears you burst out laughing at that mental image as you say, “I should’ve thought of that. The look on your face would’ve been priceless.”
Kuroo laughs a little, in spite of himself. He still pulls out his phone and shoots a text to Kenma, asking for Bokuto’s whereabouts. Just in case. Then he rakes his fingers through his hair again. It feels unnatural. Sticky and awkward.
He suddenly recalls an interaction he had earlier.
“Oh um, one of my dad’s colleagues asked me how we decided to get married this early. I think he wanted to ask me ‘why’ but ‘how’ sounded more polite.”
You groan behind the wooden door that seems too much like a blockade at the moment.
"Reminds me of the time when that cousin said something about us being ‘young and stupid’ and you responded with ‘Young, stupid and soon-to-be-married, baby!’," you snicker.
"Yeah, I just laughed it off this time too,” he chuckles, an uncharacteristic nervousness bubbling beneath the surface.
The familiar melody of the piano regresses into a repetitive tune. He shifts his feet, unsure about… Well, he's unsure about what exactly he's unsure about.
“I really wish I could see you though.” It comes out soft, unbearably soft.
He breathes in- one, two, three - and out. But it’s only when he catches the sound of you walking towards the door, does he finally breathe a little easily.
“Hey, what if I opened the door a tiny bit? I could show you my face.”
“Okay. Yeah.” He can barely put it into words but he’s beyond relieved.
There’s the distinct click of the door unlocking and your head peeks out from behind it.
“Hi,” he sighs. “You look…”
You smile brightly, with your head seemingly floating at the rim of the door. It looks like a scene straight out of a horror movie. His heartbeat quickens, but it's not out of fear.
“You can’t even see me properly. So don’t say anything yet,” you state. So he nods with a growing smile.
Someone walks past and pats his back warmly, as you mouth "Professor Andō". You both smile politely as the professor turns to walk towards the main hall, before Kuroo turns his attention back to you.
Your hand makes an appearance as you reach out to point to Kuroo’s neck.
“Your tie’s a little loose.”
“It looks nice on you like that.”
He thinks his heart might burst. The music rises to a crescendo before relapsing into the melody, and you’re looking at him with a twinkle in your eyes.
You continue. “Your hair looks weird though. I wanna fix it.”
He instantly squeezes his eyes shut when you move to open the door.
There’s a light tug on his tie and he takes it as a sign to stoop down.
Your fingers thread through his hair, grazing his scalp and he melts under your touch. You run your hands through a few more times, tidying the mop of dark hair, before it becomes more of a gesture to soothe him. He wants to stay here forever. He has a whole life ahead, a whole life with you, but he’d much rather stay in this moment, in your arms.
“I really do love you,” he blurts out. And he’s afraid that he’s ruined the moment so he adds, “I can’t stay quiet, you know that.”
You hum. The corridor seems to buzz with sudden activity. He almost opens his eyes to check before he hears you whisper, “I know.”
Your fingers leave his head and you slip back into the room. When Kuroo does open his eyes, he notices a small crowd of ladies, hurrying down the hallway. He knows that he needs to leave before he catches sight of your incoming veil. He almost doesn't realize that the door is still slightly ajar.
Your head pops out again. "I know that and I love you. I really do."
Kuroo stands, rooted to his spot. He thinks he might be even more in love with you than he originally thought.
“Babe, I think a second wedding might be due. Maybe after our finals and graduation, then-”
"Tetsu, go. There's yelling in the hallway about how you're not supposed to be here." You try to sound serious but a muffled laugh escapes. “Let me get dressed completely, with the veil and all that jazz, so I can look as good as you do right now,” you tease.
"Sure, Mrs.'Cheesy Pick Up Lines'. Whatever you say," he grins and moves towards the main hall.
Kuroo is young, stupid and ready to marry the fuck out of you.
