Can Quinn pretend to be in love with Rachel just to get out of Lima? Can Rachel pretend to love Quinn so she's not so lonely in New York? And what happens when both girls realize they're no longer pretending?
This fic is fucking INSANE (affectionate). It’s one that, for me at least, I had to get a ways into before I learned its language. It’s just so unique and the way the characters were written is sooo…deranged? (lmao!) But it was constantly laugh out loud funny, the angst was very much believable and bearable, and more than anything, and most importantly, - it was able to capture the ooey gooey faberry feelings. You know what I’m talking about with that? Some fics just have it, you know what I mean? They just wrap around your heart and squeeze. This one does that. And at the same time, it was just soooo silly goofy ridiculous stupid - and perfect. Kind of a masterpiece tbh.
Synopsis: after high school, you don’t see Kuroo as much as you used to, and not nearly as much as you would like. The only exception is when he calls you up at 3AM to go for a drive—an offer you never turn down; and tonight’s events are exactly why you don’t.
Rating: PG
Warnings: some kissing, nothing you haven’t seen in the movies before kids. A little angsty if you squint?
As far as you knew, it was just another Friday night you would be spending at home alone, which you didn’t mind in the slightest. As much as you enjoyed going out just as much as the next person, you still knew how to appreciate a quiet night in by yourself.
Scrolling through your phone, the bright, white light illuminating your face in the otherwise pitch black room, you glanced up at the corner of the small device in your hands and took noticed of the time. 3AM.
Letting out a yawn, almost as if in response to realizing just how late it was, you shifted in bed a little, trying to decide if you should try to get some sleep or keep mindlessly prowling social media for a little while longer.
Before you could make up your mind, however, a notification for an incoming phone call took over your entire screen, startling you a little more than you would like to admit. A small smile toyed at the corners of your mouth as you read the caller ID and answered the call.
“Hello?” You pressed the phone to your ear and sighed, body ready to climb out of bed. You already knew why he was calling . . . it was the only reason he called anymore.
“Hey.” His voice was smooth and casual over the phone, indicating that he hadn’t just woken up, meaning he hadn’t slept at all yet; which wasn’t exactly uncharacteristic of Kuroo. “Did I wake you?”
You shook your head instinctively, even though he couldn’t see it. “No,” you answered. “Just lying in bed.”
There was a short pause before he spoke again. “Wanna go for a drive?”
You had already known before you answered the phone that you would be saying yes to his proposition, but instead of responding right away, you hummed softly, pretending to think about it—pretending you weren’t as eager to see him as you actually were.
“Sure.” You swung your legs over the side of your bed and started searching for some clothes in the dark, unwilling to turn on the bright overhead light and ruin the late-night trance that you enjoyed so much.
“Meet you in ten,” he said before hanging up.
“Yeah,” you sighed, even though he was no longer on the other line. Thankfully, you knew this was just the way that Kuroo was—he was just bad at talking over the phone—but you still wished he sounded even a little excited to see you after so long.
Pulling on the same outfit you had been wearing that day, purely because they were sitting at the end of your bed and had been easy to find, you tucked your phone into your pocket and fixed yourself up a little before heading out the door.
Like always, you waited at the street corner for Kuroo to drive up and pick you up. When he arrived almost exactly ten minutes after he had ended the phone call, you jumped into the passenger’s seat of the incredibly expensive and lavish car he drove. That vehicle was his pride and joy and sometimes you were honestly surprised he even let you inside of it considering how little he seemed to care about you lately.
Before you could even get your seat belt on, he was speeding away from the curb and heading out of your neighbourhood. Glancing over at the man you used to consider your best friend, you noticed the creases between his brows and the way his lips stretched into a thin, tight line. Something was bothering him, but then again, he didn’t ask you to accompany him on mindless cruises at 3AM when all was well in his life.
Knowing that it would be a couple of minutes before he warmed up to your presence and wanted to talk, you turned up the radio and watched the scenery pass by out the window. In the distance, you could see the glowing lights of downtown Tokyo, the bustling hub of the city that you usually avoided due to how busy and crowded it was.
The city in the middle of the night was a completely different story, however. Maybe it was the way the many colourful advertisements and store signs illuminated the dark night sky, or maybe it was the way the streets emptied out enough for the overwhelming aura to dissipate just enough, but driving through the streets at night brought you a sense of euphoric calm that simply couldn’t be obtained during daylight.
Looking back at Kuroo, you took note of how his face had relaxed, even if just a little. You watched his hands tense around the steering wheel, griping tight before relaxing and tapping his fingers against the leather. Feeling your eyes on him, he finally looked over at you and acknowledged your presence.
“How have you been?” he asked seemingly out of nowhere, as if he just realized he would have to make conversation with you eventually.
Your heart fluttered slightly, joy spreading through you at the thought that he genuinely cared about how you were doing. “Fine, thank you,” you told him. “And you?”
“Okay,” he lied. You knew it was a lie, because even though he had changed drastically since high school, he was still just as bad at bending the truth, especially when it came to you.
“That’s good.” You rested your head against the window and observed the passing buildings and how they grew taller and taller the further into the city Kuroo drove.
As silence consumed the inside of the car once more, you became keenly aware of the music playing in the background; so, when a certain song that brought back a lot of memories started playing, you noticed it before Kuroo.
Your eyes widened a little as you looked from the radio to Kuroo, waiting to see if he remembered it as well—hoping he remembered it.
Feeling your eyes on him once more, he cocked a dark brow in your direction. “What?”
“This song.” You gestured lazily to the speaker. “Do you remember it?”
Kuroo chewed on his bottom lip as he listened, and for a moment, you thought he had actually forgotten. Then, a wondrous smile spread across his dimly lit face and he nodded. “Yeah, course I remember.” His spirits seemed to have increased ten-fold. “You always insisted we play it, and every time we did, you would sing every single word. Without fail. Every. Single. Time.”
A soft chuckle escaped your lips. “What can I say? It’s a good song.” You turned up the volume a couple more notches.
This time, when the conversation ceased, the vehicle wasn’t filled to the brim with thick tension. Instead, you found yourself thinking back to your days in high school—those incredible three years that you would give anything in the world to return to. Back then, you and Kuroo had been nearly inseparable. Back then, you hadn’t had to fight for his attention.
Back then, you genuinely felt like he wanted to be around you.
Looking to your former-friend and now casual acquaintance, you watched him carefully as he drove, his eyes glued to the road in front of himself. You wondered what had happened. What had gone so wrong that he felt the need to distance himself from you? Had you done something to push him away . . . or was that just the way high school friendships played out?
The question as to what series of events had taken place to get you to where you were now was one that you were unable to answer. The only thing you knew for sure was that you missed Kuroo . . . more than you probably should, but you missed him nevertheless.
Feeling a sudden burst of confidence, either from the inspiring city lights or the nostalgic song, or maybe both, you shifted in your seat to face the man beside you and cleared your throat.
“Are you going to tell me what’s been bothering you?” you asked matter-of-factly.
Kuroo glanced over at you for a split-second, blinking a few times in response. He was clearly taken aback by your sudden and direct inquiry, and you completely expected him to ignore you altogether or change the subject. What you didn’t expect was for him to turn into the nearest parking lot, park the car, and let out a long, exasperated sigh.
Worry and curiosity coursing through your veins, you sat silent and still, waiting for him to speak or move or do anything.
“I feel lost,” he finally said, his line of sight falling to his lap. There was a pause, and you were unsure if he was going to elaborate more or leave it at that. When you opened your mouth to respond, however, he continued. “Work takes up all of my time . . . so much so that I’m starting to realize I’ve cut ties with everyone I used to know without even noticing it; not until it was too late. And the worst part is, work isn’t even going well. This corporate ladder bullshit is way harder than I ever imagined. I feel stupid for throwing away everything I had for something I might not ever be able to obtain . . . for something I don’t even enjoy. It feels like it’s all for nothing.”
Your jaw dropped slightly. Kuroo had never been that open about his feelings with you before; not unless you had pried for days-on-end or he was plastered drunk.
You were unsure how to respond at first, so you did what you usually did when people came to you with a problem; you tried to put yourself in their shoes and then give the advice you thought you would want to hear.
“Well, I’m sure it’s not all for nothing,” you told him. “You didn’t get into business because you hated it. Sure, maybe the spark is a little dimmer right now or you’re going through a really rough patch . . . but don’t doubt yourself over one little bump in the road.”
Slowly, Kuroo turned his head toward you, his dark eyes landing on you for more than a few seconds for the first time that night. “But how do I know if it’s worth throwing everything else away over?”
“It’s not,” you said simply. “No job is worth throwing everything else in your life away over. But the best part is, you don’t have to choose between a career and a social life, and anyone who says you do is just plain lazy or insanely bad at time management.”
Kuroo cracked a smile at that and a puff of air that could be interpreted as a soft laugh passed his lips.
“So my advice is just try to do better from here on out.” You smiled back. “Everyone has a hard time every once in a while. If the people in your life truly care about you, they will understand.”
“Do you understand?” he asked.
This time, you didn’t hesitate at all. There was no need to play coy or pretend like you cared less than you really did. “I do.” You nodded. “I’ve missed you.”
Kuroo’s eyes softened and his small smile faltered for half a beat. “I’ve missed you too.”
Before you knew what was happening, Kuroo’s large hand was caressing your cheek and his lips were pressed against yours. Even though it was the middle of the night, you swore your entire world lit up at that moment. You had known you had wanted your best friend back, but this was so much better. This was more than you could have ever hoped for.
“I’ve been horrible to you.” Kuroo whispered against your lips, his fingertips trailing down the side of your neck and sending shivers up your spine. “I know this is a lot to ask . . . but can you ever forgive me?”
“Just promise to call me more than once a month . . . and maybe during the day sometimes,” you chuckled.
He laughed, his hot breath warming your face. “I can do that.”
Kageyama wasn't sure what had led to him getting hit in the back of the head with a volleyball, but it happened and now he was furiously and also slightly disoriented-ly, turning to find the perpetrator.
His eyes rounded on the server, a short fellow with bright orange hair
"Hinata?" he whispered, the server didn't hear him nor see him, his eyes were shut tight. His face a bright red rivalling his own hair and partly covered by his arms coming up to protect his face lest the victim of his serve decide to throw it back at him.
Something a certain setter used to do during his high school days.
"Hinata!" Kageyama called out louder, now knowing who it was, his patience had doubled but had also worn even thinner, how he could feel so forgiving and murderous simultaneously he didn't know.
"Kag-Kage-KAGEYAMA!" The server sputtered, his hands coming down and a familiar bright grin replacing the fear in his face, which quickly returned to fear as he realized.
"Kageyama." he said solemnly.
The setter approached him, the volleyball long forgotten and his arm outstretched ready to grab his hair.
"HINATA BOKE," he yelled, but lacking malice and more playful than Hinata remembered. Laughing he started to run off, a chase like old times.
"Mean-yama, mean-yama," he teased as the other boy caught up, grabbing on to Hinatas hair.
"Whyre you running?" he asked between pants.
"Because you remember me!"
This seemed to have stunned Kageyama, why would he not ?
"Of course I did dumbass," he ruffled his ex-teammates hair once more for good measure, "I'd never forget you."
Description: You don’t smoke,” Eddie said dumbly, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
She straightened her shoulders as she sat up, and Eddie watched, dumbfounded and like a deer in headlights as she reached for the pack of Lucky Strikes laying on the concrete between them. “Yeah, well — today I do.”
Tags: waitress!chrissy, linecook!eddie, diner au, Alternate Universe - No Upside Down (Stranger Things), Alternate universe- no vecna, Friends to Lovers, Coworkers to lovers, Mutual Pinings, light angst, Fluff, Chrissy Cunningham Needs a Hug, Eddie Munson is Soft for Chrissy Cunningham, smoke breaks as a plot device, dumb amount of restaurant slang, benny’s diner is poppin and argyle makes the best pancakes in town, idiots in love, post-high school, Alternating POV, Two-shot, Status: Completed
