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CHAPTER 37
I Can't Think of A Title, But I Guess "New Year" Will Do
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You tapped your index finger irritatedly on the counter you were leaning on as you glanced at the wall clock again, seeing it was already past 9 and the person who's supposed to change with you still hasn't arrived. You've been on shift since morning, so you were really tired and annoyed already. Your other co-worker already left, leaving you and a timid girl of the same age whose shift started a couple hours ago.
"U-Uhm... (L/N)-san... I-I think it's okay for you to leave... I-I can probably handle this place by myself until Yamamura-san arrives..." The girl uttered, flinching when your eyes darted towards her direction. She averted her gaze nervously and continued restocking the shelves.
Just as you were about to speak, the chime sounded as a sign of a person entering, and a frown instantly formed on your face when you saw the person you've been waiting for, waltzing in with an apologetic smile.
"I'm really sorry, (L/N)-san! There was an emergency, sorry! I'll make it up to you!" Her voice just sounded so grating and you wanted to release your irritation at her then and there, but you stopped yourself.
Yeah, right. You clicked your tongue in annoyance, frowning even more when you saw her boyfriend waving at her from outside, whom she waved back at.
The time was already 9:30, so you didn't bother interacting with her and just turned over what you had to before hurrying to get dressed in the staff room. You swore you heard her uttering how rude you were, but you decided to ignore that.
As soon as you checked your phone, it was filled with missed calls and messages from Kuroo mostly asking where you were, or if you were still coming. You sent him a quick explanation before hurrying out of the convenience store and towards the station. You looked like a mess, and even after a short trip to the station's comfort room, you still couldn't fix yourself to look more presentable. You tied your hair up in a neat ponytail, but your face looked so stressed and heavy bags were under your eyes.
Few people were in the train when you boarded so you were able to sit down to rest, the tiredness of your body making you feel sleepy that you desperately fought against. Kuroo didn't reply to your text, but it was marked as read so you wondered if he was angry. It would be reasonable if he was, but you hoped otherwise since you didn't really have much energy left.
Before long, you reached your stop, and standing up gave you a momentary black out that made you lose your balance as you walked out of the train. If it weren't for someone grabbing you by the arm, you would've fell down.
"Are you alright?" A somewhat familiar voice asked, helping you regain your balance as he held you on either side of your shoulders.
"Y-Yeah, thanks." Looking up, a look of surprise crossed both of your faces as soon as you recognized each other. "Oh, you're... Akaashi-san." You've met him a few times already, so you were able to remember who he was along with his owl-looking partner.
He nodded, giving you a small, gentle smile. "You don't look too good. Where are you heading? I can accompany you."
"(Y/N)!"
A stern yell surprised you, making you both turn to the source of the voice. Kuroo stood there with an obvious frown, his eyes darting from Akaashi's face, then to his hands that still held your shoulders. He didn't walk towards where you were, and simply remained there as he glared. It was unusual of him to act that way, and it made you nervous.
When your gazes met, it was only then when you realized the situation and you softly brushed Akaashi's hands away. You looked up at him, giving him a small appreciative smile. "Thank you for helping me. I'll get going now."
He simply nodded, looking quite unbothered. "Take care. Happy new year."
"H-Happy new year."
You walked towards Kuroo, who didn't even say anything as he started walking while you quietly followed. His expression was unreadable, as he didn't look mad anymore but he still felt cold.
Taking a deep breath, you matched his pace and clung on his arm as you looked at him. "Are you angry?"
When he didn't say anything, you sighed and removed your hand from his arm. "Sorry." You uttered quietly.
Kuroo then grabbed your hand, interlocking your fingers with his as he also heaved a sigh. "I'm just conflicted." He sounded frustrated, but there was no hint of anger.
"You worked two shifts so I know you're tired, and when I saw you almost stumble earlier, I just thought maybe I should've just let you rest instead of making you come all the way here."
You looked up at your boyfriend's face again, seeing a worried expression painted all over that made you realize how he was still thinking of you. You were already late, you couldn't answer his calls, and he even saw you with another guy, but he was still thinking about your well-being. That realization made your face heat up, and your heart fluttered happily. As if a sudden boost of energy coursed through you, you pulled out a happy smile.
"What are you saying? I'm totally fine! This is going to be my first time celebrating new year so I'm really looking forward to it, you know?" You gave him a reassuring look, hoping your somewhat cheery tone would dissolve his frustration. "If anything, I'd be upset if you made me stay at home to sleep." You added.
"Really? I'm pretty sure you'd choose sleep over anything."
You chuckled, knowing he was quite right. "Today's an exception."
Because I want to welcome New Year with you.
A smile finally appeared on Kuroo's lips, and his hold on your hand tightened gently. In his heart, he felt the same way. He wanted to welcome each coming year with you, this year, the next year, and the following years after that.
His grandparents both expressed their excitement and happiness to see you, and it really made you feel warm and happy. They even gave you a late Christmas present, and the way they all made you feel so welcome and belonged gave you enough energy to celebrate with them.
Kuroo's father was pretty chill, letting you drink a few glasses of wine when he noticed you looking at it. Not like it was your first time drinking, but you pretended that it was.
"Tetsuro, you should try it too! When you enter college there'd be a lot of drinking parties, you know?"
"I'm good. I'd rather look after this silly girl."
"Who are you calling silly?!"
Laughter and chatters filled the night, and by the end of it, you were really exhausted and could barely keep your eyes open. His father laid asleep on the couch, while his grandparents had already slept in their bedroom hours ago. Your boyfriend was cleaning up while you laid your head on the low table, asleep despite the uncomfortable position.
He was really happy for various reasons, and that despite the things that happened to you recently and how busy you've become, he was glad he could still make you laugh and enjoy.
Kuroo crouched down beside you, carefully moving you to his arms in a bridal carry position as he brought you to sleep in his room. You two probably won't be able to watch the first sunrise together, but he was already contented with being able to welcome the new year with you.
He gently settled you down on his bed, then placing a blanket over you before he went back to finish cleaning up. Kuroo also placed a blanket over his deeply asleep father on the couch before going back to his room, deciding to go to sleep as well.
When you felt movement from beside you, you forced your eyes open and recognized Kuroo carefully laying down next to you despite the blurriness of your vision.
"Kuroo...? What time is it?"
He was a bit surprised from your sudden voice, but still answered softly while he turned faced you. "It's past 4."
"Ah... Almost time for the first sunrise..."
"It's alright, we don't have to watch it so just go back to sleep, okay?" He cupped the side of your sleepy face, gently caressing it with his thumb.
"But..."
"Shh... Let's sleep, love."
"Mhm... Okay..." With your sleepiness and the comfort of having him beside you, you easily agreed and closed your eyes. "Good night, Tetsuro..."
It was because you've been hearing his family call him by his name for hours that you also accidentally did the same, but you had no idea how much his heart fluttered upon hearing that, and how hard he resisted his urge to suddenly kiss you. You were easily back to sleep since you were barely awake anyway.
He looked at your peacefully sleeping face, thinking back to the first time you two met. It was in Kenma's room when Taketora screamed as if he saw a dead body, but your first official meeting was when he mistook you for Kenma while he was jogging. He was only curious about you that time, and he didn't really expect his curiosity to bloom into deep feelings of love.
But he was happy it did, and that you felt the same towards him. He never knew it was possible to hold such feelings until he met you, since he never really had serious relationships before. You were his first, and he truly wished that you'd also be his last.
With the sentimental thoughts he had, Kuroo placed an arm around your waist and pulled you close, placing a soft kiss on your forehead before he closed his eyes.
"I love you." He whispered, before finally letting himself fall asleep.
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To Be Continued
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