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His cat Valentine is making a ruckus inside her carrier, and Kenma is ducking his head, letting the pieces of his hair cover his face, embarrassed at the attention she’s drawing to them as they’re making their way towards the vet’s office. It sounds like he’s kidnapping her or otherwise torturing her with some kind of medieval torture device. Not like she’s sitting inside an overpriced plush carrier or anything.
He’s relieved when they finally make it inside, and the receptionist sends a sympathetic look his way.
“Appointment or walk-in?” She smiles from behind her desktop.
“Appointment. My name is Kozume Kenma.”
She types something then says, “And your pet’s name?”
“Lily Valentine.”
“Alright. You’re checked in. Have a seat, and Dr. Kuroo will be right with you.” She smiles at him sweetly.
At this, his cat releases another string of meows in protest. Kenma sighs as he sits down on the waiting chair. He peers down and looks at her through the mesh of the carrier, frowning.
“We’re here for you, you know.” Her round, gold eyes look back at him, as if begging for him to reconsider. She’s a grey, British shorthair cat. He has only had her for a few months, but he thinks he’ll probably die for her. That’s why, although she isn’t enjoying this outing at all, he wants to get her checked out.
They don’t wait long. Another girl comes out to escort them into a room. She asks him a few preliminary questions before leaving them alone. Valentine uses this opportunity to plead to Kenma again, but he chooses to ignore her this time, opening a game on his phone as he waits.
Minutes later, the door swings opens and a man who he can only presume is Dr. Kuroo walks in. Kenma isn’t sure who he is expecting to meet—all Akaashi said about him is that he “really knows what he’s doing” when he recommended him—but he is struck at how hot he is. And he is also immediately embarrassed about having that first thought.
Maybe it’s okay that Akaashi, who is in a loving, committed relationship, doesn’t mention how hot other men are. But still, it’d be nice to get a warning. Kenma would’ve come here in clothes other than his sweats if he knew. Probably.
Dr. Kuroo is tall, about a head or two taller than Kenma. He’s wearing a white lab coat with his name stitched above the left chest pocket, but Kenma can still see the contour of his broad shoulders underneath the layers. He has a bright face and a smile that he can imagine girls swoon over. His only flaw is probably his haphazardly styled black hair, sticking up at odd angles. Even so, it makes Kenma’s heart flutter just looking at him. He really needs to get out more if this is all it takes.
“Good morning,” the doctor says smoothly, still smiling. “Thank you for waiting. Who do we have here?” He directs this question towards Valentine, who meows at him as her own form of introduction. He laughs, reaching to open the carrier to get to her.
“That’s Valentine.” Kenma is choosing to ignore the fact that Dr. Kuroo is even more attractive with his cat in his arms. “She loves attention.” Right on cue, she starts purring, nuzzling her face against his hands as if she wasn’t just complaining the whole way here.
He’s looking at her with such adoration in his eyes. Kenma can see why he’s chosen this profession.
“I’m Dr. Kuroo Tetsurou, by the way.” He reaches one hand to shake Kenma’s. It’s a firm shake, warm. Kenma doesn’t understand why he feels tingly when they touch. “You can call me Kuroo. All the Dr. stuff makes my head way bigger than it needs to be.”
Kenma snorts, unable to help himself. Then he clears his throat and says, “Kozume Kenma. But Kenma is fine.”
“Hm. Kenma.” Kuroo smiles as he says his name, as if he’s testing how the syllables feel in his mouth. Kenma feels his face beginning to flush. “So, what brought you in here today?” Kuroo is still holding Valentine in his arms (she looks so small compared to how big his arms are, and Kenma is choosing to ignore this fact too) but he’s looking now at Kenma. His eyes shine under the light.
“She’s been acting kind of strange. She isn’t eating a lot if anything, and she’s always running around screaming at all hours of the day. I don’t know if anything’s wrong, but I’ve never had a pet before, so I just want to make sure she’s okay.” He tries not to sound too worried, because odds are she is absolutely fine, but it wouldn’t feel right if he doesn’t at least try to get her some help.
Kuroo muses, looking at the cat in his arms. He lays her down to weigh her, then listens to her with his stethoscope.
“Did she throw up?”
“No.”
“Is she still going to the bathroom just fine?”
Kenma isn’t sure how he’s supposed to answer this. “I mean, I guess?”
“Hmm.” He’s looking at Valentine with his eyebrows scrunched together. She brings her face to bump into his nose, making him laugh.
Kenma wants to roll his eyes. This kind of behavior is what got her into his care in the first place, but he can’t believe how easy it is for her to be all over someone. In her defense, Kenma wants to be all over Kuroo, too.
“She checks out okay on physical exam, but I can draw some labs and have an x-ray done if you want to be sure.” He arches his brows at Kenma.
“Yes, please.” He nods.
“Alright. You wait here, I’ll take her to do a few tests. We’ll be right back.” He puts her back into her carrier. Kenma doesn’t know if Kuroo has magic hands or what, but she doesn’t start to meow even as he carries her away. Before he disappears behind the doors, though, he sends Kenma a look. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her.” His warm, gold eyes are the last thing he sees as the door swings shut.
His heart races, and Kenma thinks, fuck, because developing on a crush on his cat’s vet was not something he mentally prepared for when he left this morning.
~
Kuroo comes back half an hour later, smiling, and no one delivers bad news smiling, so Kenma feels the stress starting to leave his body. But first, he still has to confirm that it’s true.
“So? Is she okay?” He looks at her through the mesh opening again as Kuroo lays her down on the exam table. She blinks her wide eyes at him, as if trying to ask where he’d been this whole time.
Beside him, Kuroo says, “Oh, she’s 100% healthy!”
Kenma breathes a sigh of relief. He turns back to him. “But why was she acting so strange?”
Instead of answering, the other man says, “Have you been busy at work lately? Working late hours and all that?”
Kenma pauses to think. He just finished a 24-hr stream event for charity. He’s also trying to plan out content for the coming months as well. And Bouncing Ball is about to launch their new project.
“Yeah, I have been busy. I work from home, but it requires me being on my computer a lot.”
Kuroo nods thoughtfully. “I see. Well, like I said, there’s nothing wrong with her physically. She’s probably just acting out because she wants your attention.” He says this like it’s obvious, but Kenma has to ask him to clarify.
“What?”
“She’s being dramatic on purpose because she knows you’ll pay more attention to her. I guess since you’ve been too busy to play with her, she resorts to—er—throwing a bit of a tantrum to get you to notice her.” He chuckles, clearly amused.
Kenma pinches the bridge of his nose. He’s really questioning his life decisions right now.
Kuroo laughs.
“I’m happy you find my pain amusing.” Kenma says. In his mind, he’s trying to see how he’s going to keep her occupied from now on. More toys probably. To be fair, all she’s interested in are cardboard boxes, so maybe he’ll just have to keep the ones he gets for PR.
“Oh, absolutely. I think it’s great that your cat wants to hang out with you all the time. I probably would too if I was her.”
Maybe Kenma is delusional. Or maybe this hot vet is flirting with him. His cheeks pink up either way.
“I’ll try to play more with her. When I first got her, I was less busy, so I think she’s used to that level of attention from me.”
“Where did you get her from? She’s beautiful.”
Kenma doesn’t know if he should lie or tell the truth. It really doesn’t matter. But he finds himself wanting to tell Kuroo about himself.
“I did an interview where they had a bunch of kittens you can play with. She fell asleep on my lap, and I felt bad leaving her.” He smiles at the memory. Her claws were digging into his shorts, but she made up for it by looking so adorable.
Kuroo’s voice turns up a few octaves, intrigued. “Oh, are you a celebrity?”
Kenma shrugs. “Not really.” He doesn’t think he’s at that level of fame yet.
“Well, Buzzfeed doesn’t interview just anyone.” Kuroo is looking at him in a way that makes Kenma feel too exposed. He should be used to the attention on himself now, being a public figure or an “influencer” or something, but he’s still not really thrilled by it. But on the other hand, it feels different to be looked at by Kuroo. He doesn’t feel prodded at, just studied, like he wants to know him. To understand him.
He admits, “I’m a Youtuber and a streamer.” He leaves out his username. If he’s honest, he doesn’t need more marketing. Also, the idea of Kuroo looking him up online after this feels…odd. He wants it to happen so badly.
“Ohh. What kind of things do you stream?” Kenma is now wondering if all vets are this nosy about their patients. He feels like they’re not even talking about Valentine anymore. Not that he’s in a hurry to leave.
“Me playing video games mostly. Sometimes I have guests come on and we play together.”
“That’s awesome! I bet you’re really good too.” Kuroo grins, looking so sure of himself. Kenma feels like he’s doomed because the sight of him makes his heart flutter inside his chest again. Fortunately, Kuroo saves them both an embarrassing moment. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Kenma. I have other patients to attend to, but please call us if you have any questions.”
“Thank you, Kuro.” And he notices his mistake a bit too late, the extra ‘o’ not making it out of his mouth. His eyes round, mortified.
Kuroo notices it too, but he’s already half-way out the door. He doesn’t reprimand him or even correct him. He does something worse—he winks and walks away, a small smirk on his lips.
Kenma sits down on the chair, staring at Valentine hopelessly as his heart pounds inside his chest.
Yup. He thinks as they lock eyes, one pair of gold reflecting off the other. Absolutely doomed.
~
Kenma thinks that he should re-think his choice of friends. First, Akaashi doesn’t warn him about the hot vet—totally a foul. Then, when he tells Shoyou about said hot vet, and his first response is,
“Can I meet him?” His brown eyes light up as he leans closer to Kenma, almost as puppy-like as his actual puppy.
“No.” Kenma says curtly.
“Why not?” His friend whines, slumming back into Kenma’s couch.
“Because you already have a vet for Meatbun.” Meatbun is Shoyou and Kageyama’s newest family member. The Shiba Inu is just as excitable as Shoyou, and apparently the three of them all go on morning runs together every day. And sometimes evening runs too. Kenma is content with his hang-out time with his cat—Valentine napping on his lap (as she is doing right now) as he plays video games.
“Ugh, but I want to meet your hot vet. Oh! Is he single? We should totally get his number for you!” Shoyou’s mind is already racing a mile a minute. His movement causes Valentine to open one of her eyes, but she keeps her head down, not willing to move from her comfortable spot.
Kenma doesn’t want to encourage him by saying he so badly wants to know whether Kuroo is single and what the fastest way he can get his phone number is. He’s dying to know just that, but he needs to keep his dignity intact. Just a little.
“Isn’t that going to be weird though? I mean, isn’t there a rule against doctors dating their patients?”
Shoyou rolls his eyes. His orange hair bouncing as he shakes his head. “You’re not his patient. I’m pretty sure that only applies to human doctors.”
Kenma isn’t totally convinced. But maybe Shoyou has a point. And maybe he should come with him when Shoyou brings his dog in for a visit. Because, well, his friend doesn’t have a car and that would be more convenient for him. Kenma is nothing but a good friend.
“Fine. You can see him. But don’t say anything I wouldn’t say.” He warns, already seeing that Shoyou is jumping in his seat. “And I can drive you.”
“Oh, this is going to be great! Let me tell Tobio.” Shoyou giggles. Then, he pulls out his phone to shoot a text to his boyfriend.
Maybe he’s getting too ahead of himself, but if all goes well, maybe Kenma can have someone like that too—someone he can tell good news to. He can’t help but feel a warm sensation throughout his body at the thought even as he tries not to get his hopes up too much.
~
Kenma doesn’t know if he’s lucky or not because even before he accompanies Shoyou to his vet appointment, he’s already making his way to see Kuroo on his own. He leans heavily on the unlucky because the reason is that his cat has been throwing up a lot.
For the past two days, it’s not just random hairballs, but he can see pieces of food as well. There are also some red spots throughout the mush that he’s praying isn’t blood.
Kenma is rushing to get her to the office, in such a hurry that he doesn’t even realize the time. They’re closing in ten minutes when he barrels in, frantically catching his breath while trying to force the words out of his mouth.
“Emergency—I think—she threw up—blood maybe—don’t really—” He’s heaving. His lungs hurt. He doesn’t remember the last time he felt this desperate.
“Please slow down.” The receptionist tries to calm him, but Kenma is having none of it. “We’re about to close, so it’s—"
“I don’t think you understand—” He insists.
“What’s going on?” A voice says behind one of the doors. Kuroo appears, his brows scrunched together in worry.
Kenma feels tears forming in his eyes. Maybe he’s being dramatic, but he remembers how weak his cat felt in his arms, he thinks that his reaction is only appropriate. He explains everything to Kuroo in a rush, not really registering the words even as he’s saying them, but he knows that something is getting out because Kuroo keeps nodding and saying, “Okay. Okay.”
He takes the carrier from Kenma’s hand and says something to the receptionist. She takes Valentine and vanishes behind the doors.
Kenma wants to go after her, but firm hands on his arms stop him in his tracks.
“Kenma?”
He blinks, feeling a teardrop roll down his cheek. He tries to focus his attention back to the man in front of him.
“I’m going to take care of her, alright? You wait here.” Kuroo’s voice is calm, and it almost makes Kenma forget that everything is not alright. “Do you need anything? Water? A snack?”
He shakes his head. He doesn’t think anything can come down his stomach now even if he wants to eat.
Kuroo’s hands trail down his arms to his hands. He squeezes them reassuringly. “I’m going to go see what I can do for her, okay? I’ll do everything I can. Everything. I’ll take good care of her.” The gentleness of his voice makes Kenma want to cry again, but he stops himself. It’s embarrassing enough that he has to be comforted. He can’t do anything that’ll keep Kuroo here and not back there like he so desperately needs to be.
So he just nods again.
Kuroo releases his hold on his hands and walks away. Kenma sits down on one of the chairs and tries his very best not to unravel completely.
~
Kenma is about to lose his mind with worry when finally, Kuroo appears in front of him again. He isn’t smiling this time, but his face is perfectly neutral, giving nothing away. Kenma suddenly feels nauseous.
He’s about to open his mouth when Kuroo speaks first.
“She’s okay.” The words lift a thousand tons of rocks off his chest. He sags back down to his chair, clutching his heart as Kuroo continues. “I think she ate a few leaves off a fake plant you have. The pieces got stuck in her digestive system and caused her to throw up. I had to do surgery on her to remove the pieces, but she’s okay now. She needs a few weeks to fully recover but—ooh!”
Kenma surprises them both by flinging his arms around Kuroo’s shoulders. His relief is leaking out of him, uncontrolled. He feels a gentle hand pat his back.
“Thank you.” Kenma whispers, not able to articulate what he feels. It doesn’t seem like enough yet there’s nothing else he can say.
“You’re welcome.” Kuroo’s soft voice comes close to his ear, sending shivers down his spine.
Kenma breaks from him, feeling Kuroo’s arms fall away. So much for not being inappropriate and keeping his dignity.
Fortunately, Kuroo’s too nice to comment on Kenma’s behavior.
Kenma is too busy yelling at himself anyways. How could he not notice that she was eating the fake plants? He thought she was just licking at it. How could he not see the chunks of leaves missing if they ended up in her stomach? How—
“You did good bringing her in. Don’t be mad at yourself, okay? You can’t control what she does.” It’s as if he can read his mind.
“I should’ve seen it, though.” Kenma shakes his head. “She was always circling the plants I had. I should have—”
“How could you have known she would be into eating plastic? And when you saw that she was acting strange, you brought her in.” His eyes bore into Kenma’s. Kind. “She’s alive now because of you. You did good, Kenma. Don’t beat yourself up too much, okay?”
His words cover him like a warm blanket. Kenma nods because he doesn’t trust himself to say anything else anymore. They sit in a comfortable silence for a while when Kuroo speaks again.
“I’m glad I was able to save Valentine. Otherwise, I would have the entire Kodzuken nation on my back.”
Kenma whips his head at him, his mouth agape. “You—you looked me up?”
Kuroo smiles sheepishly, a hand rubbing the back of his head. “Many, many Buzzfeed interview videos later, I finally found your channel. Sorry if you didn’t want me to know. Sometimes I’m too curious for my own good.”
It makes Kenma feel unbelievably tingly inside knowing that he had spent time searching for him. But maybe he would’ve done it for any other semi-famous person. Curiosity and all that.
“Well? What do you think?” Kenma doesn’t know why he wants to know his thoughts. Kuroo doesn’t seem like a gamer, not by a long shot, and asking for someone’s opinion of himself is something he really tries to avoid as much as possible. He wants to do his own thing, and if people like it, then cool. If not, they can move along.
“I was right. You are cool.” He grins. Kenma feels his face flushing again. “And the kitty headphones? Very cute.” He winks.
Oh. Kenma wants to die. He wants to crawl into a hole and never comes out.
There is no way Kuroo has seen him in pink headphones and calls him cute. Maybe this is what people mean when they say be careful what you put on the Internet—it’s out there forever. And Kenma doesn’t understand why millions of people can see him in those headphones, and it’s perfectly fine, but the thought of Kuroo seeing it makes him feel like his insides are being flipped ten times over.
“Oh God. That’s perfect. Just perfect.” He mutters under his breath, putting his face in his hands. He can’t look at him right now or else he’ll risk Kuroo seeing his every thought.
“You did look perfect. Like a little kitten.” There’s no mistaking it now. He’s really flirting with Kenma. His voice is dripping with it.
Kenma doesn’t know what to do with himself. He stands up quickly. “So—um—how much do I owe you? And when can I take her home?” He winces at himself at the abrupt turn of the conversation, but his heart feels like it can’t take anymore tonight. Even the good things.
Kuroo lets it go, smiling softly. He remembers where they are and who they are after all. But as he explains to Kenma what will happen and how to take care of Valentine post-surgery, Kenma is having trouble following. His head is still spinning with everything.
However, when Kenma leaves that night, he promises to himself that when he sees Kuroo again, he’ll ask for his number.
~
Kenma doesn’t know who is more excited to see Kuroo—Shoyou or his overly friendly dog. His friend is practically bouncing in his seat as they wait for Kuroo to come in, and if he isn’t holding on tight to his leash, Meatbun would be jumping from wall to wall, trying to sniff everything and everyone in sight. Kenma wonders how Kageyama handles the two of them at home. Maybe he’s more patient than Kenma gives him credit for.
The door swings open and Kenma can feel his heart in his throat. It’s embarrassing how happy the thought of seeing Kuroo again makes him. It’s so silly. He feels like a teenager, not at all like someone who is in their mid-twenties. But he can’t help it. When Kuroo’s too-messy hair pokes inside the doorframe, a smile tugs at his lips.
Kuroo grins when he sees Kenma. Though when his eyes scan the rest of the room, settling on Shoyou and his dog, who is pulling at the leash to get a sniff at him, they seem to change, so subtly that Kenma is convinced he made it up.
“Oho, who do we have here?” He walks in further, leaning down to be eye-level with Meatbun. He uses this opportunity to scatter kisses all over Kuroo’s face. Kenma would never allow that on himself, but Kuroo looks like he’s enjoying it, laughing as his kisses tickle his skin.
Shoyou laughs. “That’s Meatbun. He doesn’t have any manners, unfortunately—”
“Takes after his dad,” Kenma mumbles under his breath. Kuroo glances at him with a quizzical look in his eyes.
“—and I’m Hinata Shoyou. Nice to meet you, Dr. Kuroo.” He holds out his hand.
Kuroo stands up to shake it, smiling although it looks a little less bright than before. “Very nice to meet you. Are we here for a particular reason or just for an annual check-up?”
And instead of answering the question, Shoyou leans over to Kenma and says, “You’re right. He is hot.”
Kenma is not fast enough to cover his mouth, so he goes for a jab to the side, hopefully rendering Shoyou speechless for a while as he winces in pain.
“Sorry about my friend.” He laughs, hoping that Kuroo didn’t catch any of that. Although, the twinkle in his eyes and the knowing smile on his face show that he did, in fact, hear him perfectly fine. “He just says crazy things sometimes, you know? He’s here for an annual check-up.”
“Well, I’ll be happy to check out his cute puppy here. I’m not just a pretty face.” Kuroo winks at the both of them. Kenma is now wishing that he hadn’t come with. But if he didn’t, then who knows what could’ve come out of Shoyou’s mouth without him knowing.
The rest of the visit is uneventful with Kuroo asking the appropriate questions and Shoyou responding in kind. Kenma glares at him the whole time just to make sure he isn’t saying anything else that would make him regret ever having friends. He’s so preoccupied with it that he almost forgot he’s supposed to ask Kuroo for his number.
Before he knows it, the visit is over and Kuroo is saying,
“Alright, like I said, if he needs shots, you can schedule that out front. Otherwise, just call if you have questions and I’ll see you next year!” He pets Meatbun behind his ears before standing up.
As Shoyou gets his dog’s leash back on, Kenma walks over to Kuroo, heart pounding. The other man spots him, flashing a grin in his direction.
“Hey, how is Valentine doing? She’s taking her pain medication okay?”
Kenma nods. “She’s doing well. She still isn’t eating as much as before, but I think you said that’s still normal at his point.”
“Yes, completely. And you? How are you doing?”
It takes Kenma by surprise. Kuroo looks like he wants to know too, so earnest with it.
Kenma manages to say, “I’m good. Still worried about her, but I know you did a great job, so it’ll just take time and she’ll be okay.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that.”
He looks up at Kuroo’s soft golden eyes. The words are right there on the tip of his tongue, but somehow, he isn’t brave enough to force them out. What if he’s just overthinking it? Kuroo is just a nice doctor who cares about his patients and their owners. It would just be weird to ask him out, jeopardizing this great thing he has here for Valentine’s care.
Kenma feels his resolve melting the longer he stands here, but he wants to try anyways.
“I—” He starts to say but is cut off.
“Listen,” Kuroo smiles apologetically. Kenma feels his heart sinking. “I have to go. Other fur babies to examine and all that, but I’m glad to see you again today, Kenma. I’ll see you soon.”
I’m glad to see you again today, Kenma. It’s enough to make his head spin, dizzy with the weight of the words and the look in his eyes when he says them.
And
I’ll see you soon. What exactly does he mean by that?
Kenma doesn’t have time to ask because he is already gone.
~
Kenma doesn’t spiral about an innocent comment. Absolutely not. He doesn’t let it consume his every waking moment at all. He’s so normal about it that he calls Akaashi the very next day, getting his second opinion because seriously, what does he mean by I’ll see you soon?
Akaashi laughs on the other end of the line and Kenma knows, for sure, that he does need new friends. After he calms down, he says, “He probably means he will see you soon, Kenma.”
“Gee, thanks.” He says, deadpan. He’s about to hang up, regretting everything he has ever done, when his friend says,
“Next weekend is Kou’s party, remember?”
Even though he doesn’t see how these two things are connected, he hums the affirmative anyways.
“Well, your hot doc is going to be there.” Akaashi says, nonchalant as if he didn’t just deliver the biggest news of his life.
“WHAT?” Kenma hopes that his shock is transferable over the phone because he isn’t hearing what he thinks he’s hearing. “How did that happen?”
Akaashi explains, “I usually take Owl to the vet, but I was busy last week, so Kou took her instead. Anyways, long story short, they got along really well, and Kou invited him to his party. You know how he is.”
Kenma does know exactly how he is. He isn’t sure if he’s also in love with Bokuto right now or extremely mad at him.
“You’re joking.”
“You know I’m not.” Akaashi laughs again. “But I don’t see the problem. You like him, don’t you? Now this is your chance. You should come to the party!”
“I was already planning on coming.” He lies.
“Sure, you were.” He can practically hear the eyeroll. “Well, now you can dress slutty to flirt with him.”
“I will not be doing that.”
“Dressing slutty or flirting with him?”
Kenma sighs. “I’m going to hang up now.”
“See you there! Wear your see-through shir—”
Kenma clicks the red button to end the call, heart racing like he’s running a marathon. He’ll get to see Kuroo again. In a more casual setting this time.
He is definitely grateful of the friends he has. Even if they are sometimes insufferable, they do come up with great ideas.
~
Kenma doesn’t wear his see-through shirt (although he did stare at it for a considerable amount of time). He goes with a nice, deep red blouse and a pair of flowy black pants. He’s aware that he’s putting more effort into his appearance than he normally would have, but he’s too nervous and excited to care. He can’t remember the last time he was looking forward to a party. Probably never. But as he is checking out his reflection in the mirror, seeing the way his long, blond-tipped hair falls on his shoulders delicately, he finds himself pleased.
Maybe Kuroo will be happy to see him too.
Half an hour later, Kenma gets the answer to his question. He enters Bokuto and Akaashi’s apartment, somehow packed almost wall-to-wall with people. He can’t imagine knowing this many friends. Well, this many friends plus their vet.
He spots Kuroo almost immediately. He’s talking to someone unknown to Kenma. Of course, he would be a social butterfly, completely fine with striking up conversations with people he just met like it’s nothing.
And it’s almost sinful how Kuroo looks outside of his lab coat and business attire. His simple black shirt and pants make him look sexy pretty, even though on anyone else, they would’ve looked too plain. In short sleeves, his lean, muscular arms are now on full display.
Across the room, Kenma’s mouth runs dry.
“Excuse me.” He pushes through the crowd of people to get to Bokuto’s bar cart. He pours and downs the first thing he sees, just so he has something in his system.
Unfortunately for him, it’s whiskey. Too strong for his taste. But it warms him up fine, loosening the knots that are making home inside his stomach. He shouldn’t be too drunk either, so he stops there after chasing the taste away with some water.
With slightly more courage than before, Kenma makes his way towards Kuroo. Half-way there, he catches his eyes, and Kuroo practically glows when he sees him. He excuses himself from the conversation and starts towards Kenma too.
It feels impossible to say this, but the living room has truly never been this huge before. Kenma feels like he’s walking forever until he finally is close enough to Kuroo to say a proper hello. Before he can speak though, he spies Atsumu and his unsteady feet.
Kenma reaches out to pull Kuroo close, saving him from the liquids in Atsumu’s glass, tipping over just seconds after.
“Oops, sorry about that!” Atsumu grins, not looking at all sorry. Behind him, his twin brother rolls his eyes and whacks him in the back of the head.
“Sorry about him.” Osamu nods, pushing him away before a fight inevitably ensues between the two of them. It’s still early. They’ll have time to build up to it.
Kenma draws his attention back to the man in front of him, realizing that he’s still holding on to his arm. He gingerly pulls away, already missing the heat of his touch.
“Atsumu after a few drinks is really clumsy.” He motions towards the disappearing boys. “You should probably steer clear of his path.”
“Thanks.” Kuroo smiles. God, he looks more beautiful up close.
Kenma shrugs. “I’ve been to enough of these to know who to avoid.”
“Oh yeah?” He arches a brow. “Guess I need to stick by you tonight. You can show me the ropes.”
That sounds like a fantastic idea. “Sure, if your idea of a good time is sitting down and making sure no one makes eye contact with you.” He blinks up at him.
Kuroo doesn’t seem fazed. Instead, his grin spreads even wider. “My idea of a good time is being as close as possible to this really cute guy. So I think I should be good.”
Kenma feels the blood rush to his face. His heart is threatening to burst. How can Kuroo just say things like that? Isn’t he embarrassed?
“Do you flirt with all your patients like this?” He rolls his eyes, turning his head slightly.
“Hmm. Technically, Valentine’s my patient, not you.” He points out. Then he says, “Also, no.”
Kenma is grateful that he is already looking away because he is sure that his expression will betray him. It will show exactly how Kuroo’s words make him feel, and it’s entirely too early for him to be that vulnerable. And he isn’t sure he can handle looking at Kuroo’s face either—he already feels too much as it is.
“Well, I’m going to get a drink. You coming?” He turns fully, walking away without waiting for a response, but the heat and movement behind him lets him know that Kuroo is following him. Warmth spreads from his chest outwards, making his fingers and toes all tingly.
He catches Akaashi’s eyes across the room and he winks at him. Kenma chooses to pretend he doesn’t see him. He’ll have to face him later anyways.
Kenma and Kuroo both take a beer from the fridge, settling into a corner of the room where there aren’t many people around. They begin to talk about little things (their jobs, their friends, things they enjoy doing, food they like to eat) and big things (why they choose the career they did, which of their friends they’re worried about, why it’s been so long since they do things they enjoy, why it’s scary to try new foods).
He listens to Kuroo as he rambles about things he finds interesting (hydrophobic sands, animal evolution over the years, cooking vs baking). Kuroo listens as he talks about his games (how it’s so hard to pick a favorite, which ones are bad, but he plays because it’s nostalgic, which ones he truly can play again and again).
Kenma takes his role seriously. He tells Kuroo who to avoid, who he would like to talk to, and exactly how many drinks in he should expect Bokuto to come over and start kissing his face (five).
Kuroo takes his role seriously. He stays by Kenma’s side all night. Even when strangers come up to him to talk, he always keeps Kenma in the loop while being mindful that he doesn’t want to engage in the conversations.
It’s the best night Kenma has had in a long time. The spot beside Kuroo feels comfortable, although he has only had it for a few measly hours. When he feels his energy starts to drain, he’s disappointed that it means he has to leave. He fears that if he stays, Kuroo is going to see a very not-fun side of him.
“I think I’m going to head out.” He smiles at Kuroo. It’s not a date, but it almost feels like it. Even though there are so many people in the room, for the most part, it feels like it’s just the two of them. He touches one of his hands to Kuroo’s arm, feeling his skin warm underneath his touch. They’ve been doing this all night too. Stealing touches. Brushing arms. Leaning against one another too close for it to be friendly. It’s addictive. “I had fun tonight.”
Kuroo gives him a smile back, though he seems a bit sad too that Kenma has to go. “Me too.” He bites the bottom of his lips and then says, “Can I give you my number? I mean, just in case you have some after-hours questions about your cat or something.”
He almost looks shy with it. It’s so endearing to see that Kenma doesn’t correct him that usually you ask for the other person’s number, not give your own.
Kenma knows this now because he’s been spending the last few hours talking to Kuroo about science and animals and other nerdy things but this shows that he really is just a dork behind his cool-guy exterior.
“Is that all I can use it for? Questions about Valentine?” He blinks at him through his lashes, enjoying the blush that is now forming on his face. It’s nice to see that he can make Kuroo flustered too not just the other way around.
“Ah, um. Maybe if you want to go get dinner or something sometimes, I wouldn’t be opposed to that either.”
Kenma is still keeping his hand on Kuroo’s arm, so it’s easy for him to step just a bit closer, bringing their bodies together. Almost flushed against one another but not quite. He doesn’t know where this newfound courage comes from, but he does know that Kuroo is just as breathless as he is. Just as impatient for the moment to come but also wanting to drag it out a little while longer to make it last.
“Well, I gotta eat sometimes, right?” He cocks his head. He can see Kuroo’s breath hitches and his eyes traveling down to his lips. Kenma laughs internally to himself. Kuroo can flirt but being flirted back? He’s not quite as cheeky now.
His gold eyes linger on Kenma’s lips as he rambles. “Yes. Absolutely. I like eating fish. I told you that earlier, remember? You probably do because it hasn’t been that long. But did I tell you why? It’s actually so good for your cholesterol and—”
Kenma shakes his head, chuckling. “Just shut up and kiss me.”
“Got it.” Kuroo grins, as if saying This part, I’m really good at.
And boy is he right. When their lips touch, Kenma feels like he finally understands what people say when they talk about seeing stars or feeling explosions inside their chest. He feels everything all at once. He tips his head back, letting Kuroo’s lips consume him.
Somewhere in the background, Kenma hears someone wolf-whistles, but he doesn’t—can’t—care. He’s having the best kiss of his life.
Somewhere even farther away, Valentine curls up into a tighter ball against herself, dreaming of happy dreams. She’s been quite busy these past few days after all. In her dreams, she’s nestled comfortably between two lovely humans. She purrs in her sleep, knowing that everything good is just about to come.