Chapter Text
Bokuto winced as he woke up, rubbing his forehead.
“I guess I really did get drunk last night.” He blinked, looking around. He sniffed his shirt, “Ew..”
His door burst open, Kuroo chucked a couple bottles of water at him.
“Sober up, afternoon classes.”
“I still have to go?” He covered his head, grabbing one of the bottles and pulling open the cap.
“Yep. Unlucky you, I don’t get drunk.”
“Lies. I’ve seen you get black out drunk.”
“Not in a while, so, I’m still right. Drink, get up, get showered, and go, go, go.”
“Alright, mom .” Bokuto mocked, pulling his shirt off.
Kuroo smacked his head, “I’ll act like a mom if it gets you to stop stinking.” He scoffed, walking out of his room, “Get showered! I’m heading out with Kenma soon.”
“Why?”
“He needs get more medication. But I’m going to raid the pharmacy of their lollipops at the counter.”
“Oh.”
“Yep. So, when I get back, I want you to be dressed.”
“Alright, Mom!”
Kuroo snickered, slipping his shoes on.
The hallway was an absolute mess from the night before. But Kuroo was more focused on meeting Kenma.
Outside of the building, Kuroo shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Stuck in the ice again?”
“I think my wheelchair is losing its grip.”
“You got it like, 2 years ago, it’s fine. You just have terrible grip strength.” Kuroo pushed him off the patch of black ice near the edge of the path, only thing keeping him from going into the road was the dip just before the curb.
“When is spring, again?” He looked up to Kuroo, following beside him.
“Not yet, Kenma.” He laughed, looking down to Kenma briefly before speaking again, “You know, you fell asleep on the sofa last night.”
Kenma huffed, “I don’t even remember what I was doing. I think I crawled cuz I got hungry, but then I fell asleep.”
“I had to carry you into your bed.”
“You didn’t have to, but you did.” Kenma huffed.
“Why’re you wearing a mask today, Kenma? You look pretty all the time, are you sick?”
“I’m not sick, I’m breaking out.”
“And? Like I said, you’re always pretty.”
Kenma scoffed, “Whatever..”
Luckily, the pharmacy was only a couple minutes from the college.
His anxiety was bad, but medication from the pharmacy was good enough for him.
“What do you need?” The woman behind the counter asked, looking down to Kenma.
“Uh.. I-I’m here to pick up my anxiety medication.”
The woman nodded, “Kozume, right?” She strayed from her spot, heading behind a divider.
Kuroo looked away from her. He grabbed half a handful of lollipops from the small bowl on the counter.
“Kuroo.”
“What? It’s fine.”
“Those are for kids.”
“What? You want me to get down on my knees and dress in overalls just for a lollipop?”
Kenma snorted, readjusting his mask, “That’d be funny.”
“Wouldn’t it?” Kuroo said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
“Here you go, Kozume.” The woman rolled the top of a paper bag down, handing it over to him.
“Thank you.”
She eyed Kuroo’s full hand of lollipops, “Take as many as you want, no kids come in here. Don’t even know why we still have it.”
Kenma grabbed Kuroo’s hand, shaking his head. “Nope, c’mon, you’ve got afternoon classes.” He tugged him gently.
“Ah, you’re no fun.” Kuroo shoved them in his pocket, following Kenma out. “Are you gonna sleep all day?”
“Probably, finished my morning classes then had to immediately grab my meds. So, I’m pretty tired.” He nodded.
“Right, course.” Kuroo ruffled his hair.
“Stop, I actually brushed it this morning.”
“You did?”
“Yes.”
“Couldn’t tell.”
Kenma kicked his leg, “Shut up, I’m actually trying to get out of this slump.”
“Sorry, you know I love you.”
“Right, right.” He looked off to the side.
“Have you even had breakfast yet?” He asked, looking down to Kenma as he lifted his head again.
“Not yet.”
“I got some money, and the café’s ahead, wanna grab something there?”
Kenma dug through his pockets, grabbing a few coins and notes, “I don’t know if this is enough, but you can use my money.”
“I offered, I’m buying.”
“Kuroo.”
“Kenma.”
“My hand is locked up.”
“Are you that cold?” Kuroo took the money out of his hands, shoving back into his pocket. He blew on his hand, rubbing it between his.
Kenma’s hands often locked up during the winter. His body wasn’t capable of regulating its temperature, so, his legs and arms got cold easily.
“C’mon, let’s warm you up.” Kuroo pressed his hands on the back of Kenma’s wheelchair, pushing him forward.
Kenma used his foot to push the café door open, immediately flushed with a hot wind.
He breathed out, rubbing his hands, “That’s a lot better..” He mumbled.
Kuroo laughed at Kenma. He didn’t get cold easily, but when he did, he cuddled with Bokuto, since the dude was never, ever cold. Like, at all.
“Oh! Look, Hajime!”
Kenma tensed at his loud voice, hoping no one payed any mind to them.
“Hey, Kuroo.” Iwaizumi waved to him, “Come over here.”
“Oh, gods, please do not..” Kenma covered his face, pulling his mask up.
“It’s only Hajime, Kenma, it’s fine.”
Iwaizumi looked from the pair back to Oikawa. His sister had gotten a new job, meaning she was unavailable to pick up Takeru, and he had gotten sick.
And Oikawa was the best little brother in the world, so of course he picked up Takeru for her.
But he was currently on the verge of slipping into a depressive episode, and Takeru knew better than to tease and poke at him today, so he was sat quietly on Oikawa’s phone.
He looked up from watching Takeru on his phone, “Ah, Kenma-kun, good morning.” He said with a smile, disregarding how tired he sounded.
Kenma waved his hand, his other still covering his eyes.
“Are you sick? Why’re you wearing a mask?”
“No, I’m breaking out.”
“Me too, I keep forgetting to wash my face.” Oikawa wiped his face, closing his eyes for a moment.
“You look so tired.” Kenma commented, sliding into the booth seat.
“I’m in a slump, the worst one I’ve had in a while because I’m on new meds.”
His head tilted to the side as Iwaizumi ruffled his hair, “What do you want to eat? I’m getting you a hot chocolate, but you need to eat too.”
Oikawa shrugged, “I don’t know..” He mumbled.
Iwaizumi nodded. He knew Oikawa sometimes better than he knew himself, he knew what Oikawa wanted even if he didn’t.
“Uh.. What new meds?” Kenma asked, tapping his fingers on his thighs.
“For my bipolar.” Oikawa feigned excitement, holding up his signature peace sign.
“I didn’t know you were bipolar.”
“That’s because my meds worked really well until two weeks ago.”
“What happened two weeks ago? Meds usually don’t just stop.”
Oikawa shrugged, “No, idea, but these new ones aren’t working yet, they said they should work soon, but I’m feeling worse than ever.. I feel bad too, Iwa-chan’s been nonstop checking on me..”
“Yeah, I get that..”
“Hm?” Oikawa gave him a confused look, as far as he was aware, Kenma took care of himself.
He shook his head, “Never mind..”
“Anyway, how’s college doing? Anyone bugging you about your wheelchair?”
“Well, I can’t sit at the front of the class and when Akaashi and I are together, he doesn’t like to leave me, so he suffers because he needs glasses. I got a weird feeling from my literature teacher, so, that’s something..”
“He still works there?”
“You know him?”
“Heard of him, Iwa-chan gets spam texted by Kuroo a lot.”
“Oh.. It’s the only class Akaashi and I share, so at least there’s that.. No one else has mentioned my wheelchair, but I keep locking up. I hate winter.”
“Locking up?” Oikawa gave him a puzzled look.
He lifted his hand, it was scrunched in a kind of claw position, “Locking up.”
“Looks painful.” He winced at his hand, reaching out to hold it.
“Only if I try to move it.”
“I know it’s chocolate, but you have to eat something, you haven’t in ages, ‘Kawa.” Iwaizumi said as he and Kuroo returned.
He set a cup of hot chocolate down and slid it toward Oikawa, and a chocolate pastry. Oikawa loved chocolate pastries.
“And for you.” Kuroo shoved Kenma over the seat to sit down himself, a hot chocolate and a couple brownies. “You’ve only had a banana today, so eat.”
“Are you my mom? Calm down.” Kenma mumbled, grabbing the hot chocolate.
“You’re the second person that’s called me a mom today, what is up with that?”
“You act like a mom, you carry bananas for Kenma-kun all the time.” Iwaizumi said, scoffing at Kuroo’s obliviousness.
“Yeah, because he doesn’t take care of himself.”
“Mom friend, who woulda guessed?” Oikawa smiled, feeling a little happier than he did at the start of the day.
“I would’ve thought Akaashi before anyone.” Iwaizumi shrugged.
“I hate you. I genuinely hate you.” Kuroo stared at Iwaizumi, who only responded with an amused laugh.
Kenma stretched his hand out, the claw position it had been stuck in loosening ever slightly. “I’m unlocking now..” He mumbled, glancing at Kuroo.
“It’s cuz you’re warm, you’re body can’t regulate its temperature for shit.”
“My body is doing its best.”
“And it’s failing.”
“Just like my grades in high school.”
“Mhm.”
“Kenma got bad grades? I thought he was like, super smart?” Iwaizumi tilted his head in confusion.
“Emphasis on the was.”
“It’s not my fault, I was very depressed, I couldn’t play for my third year volleyball unless I was on the bench a majority of the time. So, y’know, I was not in the best mindset.”
“Fair enough.”
“‘Kawa was like that when he got diagnosed, sent him right into a depressive slump and he couldn’t do anything.” Iwaizumi nudged Oikawa’s shoulder gently with his own, looking at him.
“My current mood is an exact replica. I only came out cuz I had to pick up this little bastard.” Oikawa knocked Takeru’s head, “He just had to go and get sick.”
Takeru slapped Oikawa’s hand away, wiping snot from under his nose.
“That’s gross, use a napkin at least.” Iwaizumi shoved it into his face.
Kenma took his phone out, still sipping his hot chocolate, “Kuroo, it’s almost time for your classes, you gotta get going.”
“I’ll skip.”
“You aren’t skipping.”
“You skipped.”
“I had a legitimate reason.”
“I do too.”
“And that is?”
“I was hungry.”
“You’ve had all morning to eat.” Kenma gave him a look of disbelief.
“I was busy was studying.”
“I don’t think the professors really cares who skips their classes.” Oikawa shrugged.
“They don’t, but I’d rather not have Kuroo skipping class and getting even stupider than he already is.” Kenma looked at him, putting his phone down.
“I’m smarter than you, Kenma.”
“Sure you are.”
“Disrespected. Every day.” Kuroo placed his hand on his chest, shaking his head, “I do everything as a mother, and this is what you give me in return?”
Kenma snorted, pulling his mask back up, “I give you all my love, Mom .” He grabbed Kuroo’s arm, pulling him into a side hug.
“Good.”
Oikawa stuck his tongue out, “Ugh.”
Iwaizumi snorted, “Kuroo acts just like my mom.”
“Your mom berates us every time she finds us on the sofa.”
“That’s because you always make out on the sofa and never know when she’s going to return, so you get caught.” Kuroo said.
“Iwa-chan, must you rant to Kuroo about everything we do.”
“Excluding the sex, yeah.”
Oikawa seemed unfazed by this, he just looked to Kuroo.
“He tells me sometimes.” Kuroo took Kenma’s hot chocolate from his hands, sipping it.
“I figured.”
“Gross.” Takeru spat, glaring at Oikawa and Iwaizumi.
“C’mon, Kuroo, I want sleep anyway, so move it.” Kenma shoved his side.
“You always wanna sleep.” Kuroo groaned, sliding off the booth seat.
“I deserve it.”
“Mhm. Let’s get your sleepy ass back to the dorms, maybe Akaashi’ll make you some food.”
“Akaashi doesn’t make me food.”
“He should, you don’t take care of yourself. Maybe I’ll start coming over before your classes and make you breakfast.”
“Mom friend.”