Afternoon was one of Kuroos favorite times. The shadows were now twice as long as themselves, the air hang hot fading to cool fast, and smelt faintly of cars exhaust fumes.
The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting the landscapes in soft pinks and yellows, falling into golden hour.
Kuroo walked along the street as he headed home from the convenience store, a popsicle pinched between his fingers, the sweet stickiness overrunning the stick and dripping onto his tan skin.
He took a bite, tired but content with listening to the sounds of nature settling in as he passed through the suburban area.
He listened at the small chirp of a cricket, the rushing of wind rushing through branches and leaves, causing the trees to sway and the passing of an occasional car.
In fact, this could be even considered a normal day for him.
Finishing practice and immediately heading to the nearest corner store to fill himself with unnecessary junk food before he got home, avoiding being berated by his mother for eating before dinner.
But the melon pan he had just brought sat so good in his stomach.
Today wasn't going to be normal, was it.
He could say that at least as he spotted a boy up ahead, blonde roots faded from black charcoal, long eyelashes batting against the golden light as he stood in front of the coffee shop Kuroo usually worked at.
He stopped in his tracks, popsicle half in his mouth as he looked on.
Kenma was just standing there, hands in his pockets and eyes clearly unfocused as he stared just above the shops entrance.
Kuroo looked around. Bokuto wasn't there to harass him.
He could easily slip by, overlooking the fact that he had supposedly agreed to ask him out.
Besides, wasn't the promise that the next time Kenma came i n t o the shop was the time he'd own up to his side of the deal.
And neither of them were any where near inside the premises of the building, so really he could just-
Suddenly Kenmas head swiveled to the side, making direct eye contact with Kuroo.
Well shit.
Kuroo pulled the ice block from his mouth and smiled weakly as he made his way over.
"Looking for someone? I'm almost certain that i'm not working here today, so there must be some other reason" Kuroo grinned, coming to a stop by the boy, who looked phlegmatic and throughly unmoved by his teasing.
"How do you know I wasn't looking to see if you were in there so I could avoid you?" Kenma cocked an eyebrow, face still stern.
"Oh" Kuroo sucked on his popsicle as he looked over to the coffee shop, which looked close to closing up for the day.
"Ouch. Guess i'll try not to take that to heart" Kuroo shrugged, and made a move to proceed past Kenma and start on his way home, but he was stopped.
"Where...uh... where were you?" Kenma asked, shyly.
He suddenly looked diffident and totally at loss with his usual apathetic expression.
Kuroo stopped, leant back on his heels and popped the ice block from his mouth.
"Why does it matter?" he asked.
"It wasn't half as fun ordering when there wasn't a flustered employee tripping over himself to do his job" Kenma gave a half snort.
"I don't know whether to be taking that as a compliment or if you're just saying i'm bad at what I do" Kuroo grinned, finishing the last bite of his popsicle.
"Well" Kenma tilted his head upwards, and his hair fell back, revealing more of his face, round cheeks and long eyelashes, soft as silk and light as a feather, but still thick, framing his almond eyes.
Fuck this guy's pretty.
"Where were you?" he asked again.
"Got a few days off for volleyball training" Kuroo shrugged, sucking the remainders of juice from his fingertips, and he walked the two steps to the trash can, depositing the stick.
Kenmas eyes followed him.
"Why, miss me?" Kuroo huffed a laugh.
"How is your friend with the soul mate problem?" Kenma asked, shuffling his weight to the other foot.
"Hmm?" Kuroo hummed, momentarily confused.
"Oh, he's doing fine and all. He decided that it doesn't matter if he has a soul mate or not, because he's found something he really likes. There's more to it but" Kuroo hesitated. "It's complicated".
"Do you think soul mates are real?" Kenma asked, expression neutral, not curious at all.
Kuroo wondered why he even asked at all. Why were they standing here having this conversation.
He looked down at his hands, his arms, eyes following the places he had wrote countless words.
But for what.
"I'm pretty sure I have no soul mate, so hard to believe in what you don't have" Kuroo sighed.
"They passed away?" Kenma asked, eyebrows scrunching slightly.
Kuroos mouth twisted around as he sought out an answer.
"I'm not particularly sure...but it doesn't mean everything is lost. I'm undoubtedly a hopeless romantic, and perhaps there could be something one day. But for now i'm just content with playing volleyball and getting up my grades" he laughed weakly.
"So you have a phobia of never being as important to other people as they are to you. You're scared to fall in love" Kenma stated.
Kuroo blinked in bewilderment before it quickly morphed to anger.
His eyebrows drew together, and his mouth fell open, looking for words.
But where was the fault. It was all truth. He didn't like it at all.
The sun held at the edges of the sky, threatening to fall from the red and into darkness.
"I don't want to be something someone settles for. How could I fall in love when I know there's someone else waiting out there for them, perfect in every way?" Kuroo muttered, scowling at the sidewalk.
"You choose not to care" Kenma spoke softly.
The trees that lined the street stood as black statues, silhouetted against the darkening sky, slowly their shadows melted away and merged into the blackness of night.
"I don't believe that there is a perfect person for everyone. I think that having a soul mate is propaganda and that nothing so perfect exists. It's bizarre to even think that way. People are so desperate to find the perfect one that they're glad the universe has it all lined out for them" Kenma frowned.
"It's pathetic" Kenma spat out the words.
"Wow that's a little condescending, don't you think" Kuroo snapped.
"I know how I sound. I tend to try keep my opinions to myself" Kenma muttered, tilting his head.
Hair fell down to cover the edges of his eyes as he tried to hide away, tried to refrain himself from bursting out.
The dark night air hung over them, tense and foreshadowing.
Kuroo looked on with anger. It wasn't if he was wrong, and even so, people were still entitled to their own opinion.
But just the way he had said it, it sounded as if he thought it was disgusting.
That people who wanted to be with the one that would make them the happiest, was disgusting.
"You try keep your opinions to yourself? Then how come you're lecturing a random stranger on the street, huh?" he asked, gesturing to himself with a flick of the wrist.
"You're...you're not just some random stranger" Kenma mumbled.
The street lights illuminated his face. He looked distraught and concerned beneath his strands of hair.
"Yea you sure do seem to know me. Do you always stand out here and wait to see if i'm working. You're asking where I've been as if we were friends. Is that what's happening. You're trying to get something from me?" Kuroo seethed.
He couldn't help it. The words just flew from his mouth.
"Stop" Kenmas voice came out broken, and his posture slumped. "Kuroo, you're hurting me".
Kuroo stopped in his anger and he unfurled his brows, leant back on his feet, and sighed, although his teeth still kept clenched.
He grinded them as well as clenching and unclenching his fist.
"I don't disagree with you. Soul mates...they're not everything. There's so many things in this world that matter. But they all matter just as much as writing dumbly on your wrist or your leg or anywhere. It gives hope" Kuroo muttered.
"So you agree with me?" Kenma tilted his head back up, looking more certain.
"Unconventionally. I believe you can be with whoever you want, soul mate or not. But i'm just saying, if there is the supposed perfect person for you out there, wouldn't you want to at least give it a shot" Kuroo sighed, carding a hand through his hair.
He watched as Kenma shuffled on the spot, gaze glancing up to meet Kuroos, reluctantly.
"Your soulmate..." he started, biting his lip.
Kuroos gaze softened. Maybe all this was Kenmas way of trying to reassure him that soul mates weren't everything and that even if Kuroo didn't have a soul mate it would be okay.
Although admittedly, it was a very weird way of going about it.
"It's fine" Kuroo shook his head. "Look" he began, patting his pockets.
Kenma watched, curious to as what he was looking for. When Kuroo pulled out a pen, his eyes widened.
"Kuroo-" he gasped, reaching out a hand, but it was too late. Kuroo had drawn a long stripe of pen down his arm with ease.
He looked up at Kenma who looked panicked and small underneath his baggy hoodie.
"What? See I can do whatever I want" Kuroo shrugged, and he drew another line down the other arm. He could see how anxious Kenma was.
"I see, just stop" Kenma pleaded.
Kuroo narrowed his eyes. Was he not getting it. Kuroo was fine! Absolutely fine!
Why did his face look so concerned, as if Kuroo hadn't had enough pity and thrown out condolences.
"Kenma, it doesn't matter really. Just look" Kuroo brought the pen up to his face and swiped it against his cheek.
"Its literally-" he paused.
Oh.
And his heart dropped, because he watched as Kenmas eyes widened, hands scrambling to find purchase on his cheek...where a curve of ink lay against his cheekbone, prominent and blue.
Kuroo stared for another few seconds before he dropped the pen to the ground, hearing the small clatter.
But all he could register was the sound of his own shaky breathing, his hands beginning to tremble.
He took a wobbly step back, his mind whirring in the dizziness as Kenma slowly pulled away his hands from his cheek and looked into Kuroos eyes.
"Y-you knew" Kuroo pointed at him, accusingly.
Kenmas mouth dropped open.
"Kuroo I didn't-".
"You knew all this time!" Kuroo choked out, hands dropping feebly to his side.
Kenma seemed to give a heavy sigh before he was standing up straight.
"I think that once you began to think you had no soul mate, you decided it was okay to write whatever you wanted on yourself" he mumbled, eyes sliding to the ground.
"Reminders, what classes you needed to bring homework for, random numbers or times that I didn't understand. It wasn't...it wasn't hard to figure out who you were".
Kuroo couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it.
He was so...so relieved! But so...angry...and sad. And oh god he was so sad.
Because his soul mate was Kenma. And Kenma had been so actively avoiding him.
"Why" he breathed out, quiet.
Kenma seemed to hesitate, eyes darting to Kuroos face and away a few times.
"My parents aren't soul mates and they're happy. It was the way I was raised. I just wanted to figure out if my own soul mate cared about that stuff. I thought maybe they would hate my mindset. Some people...their only views are that their soul mates are the only one for them. What if I wanted to date other people beforehand" Kenma talked on.
"What if I wanted to...I just. I didn't want to be constricted. I wanted to at least have some time before I found out who they were. Because then- then I would be trapped".
"I thought you were dead" Kuroo spat out. His hands hadn't stopped shaking, and he was biting his lip to hold back the tears he was for sure not going to cry out.
Kenma had the decency to look guilty, sorrow showing on his face.
"I'm sorry" he mumbled.
"And so you've just been watching me from afar then" Kuroo shook his head, disbelievingly.
"I'm really not a stranger to you".
"No" Kenma admitted.
"But once I found out it was you it...was hard to stay away. Trust me, I would of stayed away if I could of. Maybe". He seemed to contradict his words as he took a step closer to Kuroo.
"How long were you going to wait until you told me. Were you going to tell me at all" Kuroo asked, sadly.
"I was" Kenma tucked a strand behind his ear. "As I said... I couldn't seem to stay away". Suddenly his eyes flashed up to Kuroos in confidence.
"But i'm not saying that I want to be with you just because you're my soul mate! I can't help how my body reacts" Kenma stated.
Kuroo sighed.
"Of course not, I wouldn't want to be with you just because your my soulmate either. I would want to know you first of course".
Kenma bit his lip as he held back a smile. He looked rather relieved.
"I really am sorry" he apologized again.
Kuroo gave a weak smile.
"Its fine. Everything is fine" he said to himself, more than Kenma standing in front of him.
"But well now that all this has happened...do you want to give it a shot?" Kenma asked, reusing Kuroos previous words.
"I don't know" Kuroo argued, hesitantly.
"We can take it slow" Kenma said softly.
"I thought you didn't want to be restricted. Am I not the snake in your basket. The rope around your neck, the something holding you back?" Kuroo asked, grasping at random words.
He was so tired.
Kenma seemed to ponder this for a moment, before he was shaking his head.
"It's been messy up to this moment, but this is the one thing thats clear to me. I just want a chance to fix it".
"Only because you've hurt me" Kuroo counters.
Kenma seemed to coil in on himself.
"I know" he grumbled. "I messed up".
There was a moment of silence.
"You were right before y'know. I have slight trust issues" Kuroo scratched the back of his head.
"But if we can start off as friends...I feel like that'd be a lot better" he suggested.
Kenma licked over his dry lips.
"...Y-yea okay" he sighed with a smile, eyes flickering back to Kuroo.
"But for now" Kuroo looked around. It was completely dark by now, the only light sourced from the street lamps illuminating their faces.
He was going to be late home and get the ass beating of his life.
"For now why don't we just exchange numbers and head home. And don't blame me if I don't text back in the morning. My parents might of killed me".
Kenma gave a short laugh, hiding it behind a fist as he tried to hide it as a cough.
Kuroo clicked open his phone to look at the time before handing it to Kenma to input his number.
"Yea sorry, this was unexpected" he handed the phone back.
Kuroo smiled.
"Are you alright walking home?".
"Yea" Kenma gave a small smile back.
"Hey, Kuroo do you think we could" he played with his hands in front of him, looking towards Kuroo, and his arms seemed to twitch.
Oh. He wanted a hug.
Kuroo suppressed a laugh as he stepped forward and embraced him. Kenmas arms hesitated before reaching out and wrapping themselves around Kuroo.
He gave a short sigh, leaning his head on Kuroos chest.
And yep that was the sound of Kuroos heart skipping a beat right there.
Because he felt so small in his arms, like he needed protecting. But he was so warm as well, and he fit just under Kuroos chin and ...yea he really was a hopeless romantic.
When they pulled away, the tops of Kenma cheeks were tinted.
"Goodbye, Kuroo" he mumbled.
"Night, Kenma" Kuroo nodded.
"Thanks for drawing a massive dick on your face a day ago by the way" Kenma deadpanned, even though there was a spark to his eyes.
Kuroo froze, and then began to laugh.
And then the small boy was walking past him, shooting him one more look over his shoulder before stuffing his hands in his pockets and pacing away.
Kuroo waited until he was out of sight before sighing heavily, feeling content.
He had a soul mate....HE HAD A SOULMATE!
Kuroo could literally leap for joy right now.
But instead he focused on getting back on track, walking home. It really hadn't been a normal day.
He fished his phone out his pockets, fingers flying to tap out a message to Bokuto.
NEKO NEKO NEE:
Bro txt me RIGHT AWAY. Like literally I dnt care if youre on the toilet. SeNd me a text. I have so much to tell you!
Five minutes later and he still hadn't replied, which was weird for his over zealous best friend.
Frowning, he texted again, and was met with no reply. Switching over to a new chat, he began to type a message to Akaashi.
Devil Kuroo:
Hey Kash, hv you hrd from Bokuto?
He's not replying at allllll
Aakkaasshhii:
No he has not replied to me either.
Something feels very wrong.
Can you call me?
Kuroo looked down at his phone, incredulously. Shit...this was bad?
.
.
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Not yal roasting me last chapter just because I used a large vocabulary 😵
Sorry my mama raised me knowing how to spell the word restyaeunt.
...
Resturant. Restaurant? Restront. Yea. 😠😡😡