Warmth found comfort on your face, tickling your nose to wake you up the next morning. Birds chirping outside the window of the classroom you girls were all staying in gave you a clue as to what time it was. Sunlight ghosted over your face and blinded your eyes when you opened them.
Keeping your eyes closed just a few more minutes longer, you clutched at your pillow and thought about how today might go for you. Kuroo already texted to tell his dad someone broke into the car this morning. Claiming he must've missed it for a day or two since he's been so hung up on camp. Then the bruises will have come from his morning run where he fell and landed face first into a garbage bin.
You guessed everything would be back to normal again.
"(Y/N)-chan..." a small voice poked at your cheek.
"Good morning, senpai." Your voice croaked out the morning tiredness. You yawned as you stretched your achy muscles.
"Today's a big day. We have to make sure our stuff is ready before the boys' so we can go..." Kiyoko then started to list off the days schedule. You were only half listening, trying to reset your body.
"Yes, senpai. I can be ready in 20 minutes, then we can go start breakfast." You said, grabbing your toilet tree bag to go to the girls restroom.
Once you opened the door, you were shocked to be met with most of the other team managers with a speaker and more energy than you could dream of in the morning.
"If it isn't the legend herself!" Yukie started, pushing her toothbrush to the side of her mouth. You just let out a breath out of your nose and smiled lightly, you didn't know what she meant yet.
"So? How was it?" Eri asked, grabbing your shoulder.
"How was what?" You returned confusion, simply scrubbing your face with cleanser without a concern.
"Stop, we saw you walk out of Kuroo's car late at night.. you have to tell us!" Eri squealed, "Is he just as tall, handsome, and mature as everyone says?"
"As just his friend for the last three years I can tell you I've never seen Kuroo act mature around Bokuto. They suddenly share one brain cell when they're together." Yukie rolled her eyes and Kaori nodded in agreement.
"Well, tall and handsome are pretty obvious." You said, nervously. Shit. What lie can you prepare yourself with now? Had anyone else seen you two get out of the car so late at night?
"I'd be careful with him (Y/N), he's got a pretty bad reputation for dating." Kaori interjects.
"Of course, but can you just tell us how big he is?" Yukie held up her hands as measurement and your face suddenly became more red than a stoplight.
"No! No, I don't know we didn't do anything!" The blood drained from your face only to be replaced by a blush so hard it felt like you were glowing. You hadn't thought about.. that.
"Really? Because if you did you can tell us. No judgment, seriously." Kaori laughed off the tension.
"Really! Nothing happened! We just drove around and talked. Two of the my team members got into a fight yesterday and I had to split them up. After I sent them to bed I ran into him and we just ended up talking all night." You finished this explanation in one breath, amazed you were able to leave out incredibly important details.
"That's so sweet!" Eri swooned, "Being a new manager is really overwhelming. Kuroo has always kind of been one of us this year though since he doesn't have a team manager. He's probably a good person to talk to."
"He is." You smiled, butterflies flooding your stomach at the thought of how Tetsu's forehead met yours, or the way he held your hip when he bandaged it. "He is such a good friend to me."
At the same time, all three girls looked at you and away from the mirror.
"Friend?" They all made the same reaction of disbelief.
"Yeah, we're friends!" You smiled. Then Kiyoko walked into the bathroom.
"Who's gonna tell 'er?" Yukie asked, looking at her other two friends as you skipped over to your senpai.
"Kiyoko! Can I talk to you on our way to breakfast?"
You and Kiyoko walked towards the food pantry to collect your morning ingredients. The sun poking through mountains in the distance and into the large windows of the hallway. Your bright shining faces being lit a warm orange light.
You informed her of the fight Hinata and Kageyama had last night. She listened to it quietly. You hadn't told her yet and didn't want her to hear it from someone else. This was an important piece of Karasuno's crazy bubble.
"Interesting." That was all Kiyoko said, rubbing her chin gently. Her lack of response made you sweat.
"I'm sorry, I should've informed you last night." You bowed your head, Kiyoko smiled softly. She patted your head with the lightest, most comforting touch.
"I understand. You're doing great, (Y/N). Better than we expected, I was rereading your notes from our Nekoma matches and you are so thorough in your notes." Kiyoko smiled, "I want you to have the confidence to handle those spats alone, With those two there's plenty. I won't be here next year to do it, but someone always will. And the fact that you fit in so well when it's only been a few days is incredible."
Tears just started flowing. You had no idea how stressed out you were over trying to impress her. How scared you were to not gain her approval or that you were doing things wrong.
"Oh no! Please don't cry!" Kiyoko nervously grabbed your shoulder and you just laughed, letting your tears freely fall and your eyes change to its reddish color. You felt so comfortable. So happy.
"It's good. It's a good cry." You happily accepted the feeling of relaxation. You didn't know the next time you'd have this.
Kiyoko smiled softly, pulling you into a hug she sighed into it. "I'm glad we found you."
"Me too."
***
"What the hell is up with your face?" Yaku plainly asked Kuroo, pointing at the sleepy head Captain's bruise. Kuroo looked at the dark misshapen bruise in the mirror, it had darkened overnight.
"Did (Y/N)-san do that? Be honest." Yamamoto suddenly arrived, observing the bruise close to Kuroo's face. Kuroo put his while hand over Yamamoto's face to push him away.
"Why would (Y/N)-chan do that?" He grumbled, yawning confidently.
"I saw you two walking away together last night. I couldn't sleep until you got back." Yamamoto said honestly, "If you did anything to my Goddess I swear—"
"She didn't punch me, dumb ass." He sighed, "I tried riding her skateboard and I fell off. That's all."
Wow, his first fight he's won and he can't even brag about it. Of course now most of his team is laughing at him, his grumpy and tired face weighing his shoulders down.
"Did she at least... ya know... kiss it and make it better?" Inuoka chuckled and a few of the other guys in the guys shower room started to become involved with the conversation.
"Oi, leave it alone. You guys are vultures." Kuroo rolled his eyes. Beginning to change into his volleyball uniform.
"It's just odd behavior is all. You're normally very upfront about when you find someone you like or when you don't like." Kenma said matter of fact, "Why are you suddenly... a simp?"
A chill went down Kuroo's spine, "I am not! We're just... friends."
Closing his locker, the memory of how your hip felt in his hand and the way your forehead felt against his radiated in the spots you connected. He cursed himself for not closing that gap last night. You were the most badass chick he's ever seen. He turns to look at his teammates who have all been suddenly silent. They all lightly join their hands together in a prayer.
"Today we send a prayer for our brother, Kuroo Tetsurou. He's fine, just friend-zoned."
"I'm just being respectful! Maybe you guys should take some notes!" Kuroo growled, marching out of the room. Kenma followed him closely. It bugged Kuroo because he himself was growing embarrassingly impatient.
He told himself he'd take this one slow. It's definitely why it never worked out with anyone else that he's kissed upon first meeting. When he saw you on that train it was like you had stepped out of his mind on what type of girl he dreamed of. He's now officially waited a week since then but it's felt like years with how truly perfect you were turning out to be. Everything you did made him want to kiss you and call you his more and more.
But he has to remind himself he wasn't going anywhere. After this week or the next, he needed to prove it to you. He just needed more confirmation that you actually liked him back. You had flirted with him in the past only to be smacked with the friend title. He needed to know if you still had an attraction to him.
***
After you and Kiyoko finished cooking the morning meal, serving it behind the window your heart was pounding the whole time. Waiting to get a glimpse of him. Serving meals was the worst, it was just a queue to get hit on by every team member that passed through.
"You look beautiful this morning, (Y/N)-chan!"
"Kiyoko-san, please marry me."
You ignored most of them, certainly used to these passing comments by now. You've hung with much worse men than these boys. You were just smiling and letting them be pushed away by their friends, giggling to Kiyoko every now and then.
"Good morning, pipsqueak." The voice came as a shock to your automatic muscle memory. You looked up to make eye contact with none other than Kuroo Tetsurou. His bedhead messy as ever, eyes just as bright and sleepy and easy to fall into.
"Good morning." The corner of your mouth pulled into a smile, your heartbeat racing and voice cracking just a little. You looked down at the serving platter in front of you. You were supposed to only give everyone one egg. But you couldn't help yourself. You gave him two and slid it across the counter.
"Thank you for the food." He smiled back. You nodded your head in understanding. Your eyes found the dark bruise on his face.
"It doesn't look that bad.." You said out loud before you could stop yourself.
"Oh, yeah. Next time you show me to skateboard I'll try not to make a fool of myself. Promise." Kuroo said, winking at you in a way that made your cheeks feel warm. You understood it was the new lie for the reason he had a bruise. He did this to you so easily.
"I thought it was kinda cute." You teased back, giving it your all to stay calm and keep your cool under pressure of this new lie he's put on you. "We can try again later?"
"I'd like that, thanks pipsqueak." He said with a smug look, being able to get you to give him this much attention in front of all these guys who want your attention so bad is so thrilling to him. His eyes dip down your body obviously, you weren't sure if he was checking you out or what, "How are you doing?"
"Oh!" You made the connection, he was talking about your hip wound, "I'm good this morning."
"Teach me to skate too, (Y/N)-chan!"
"Oi! Stop holding up the line!"
"That's my cue. I'll see you later?" Kuroo decided to stop while he was at the top before you called him buddy or something. As he started to back away you became suddenly very aware that you were leaving today. You were going to be leaving this small bubble you got so comfortable in.
"Tetsu! Wait, uh, save a seat for me?" You asked while serving a dish to Kenma.
"O-of course." Kuroo stuttered, not expecting the sudden invitation. He got so giddy but hid it so well.
As he walked away with Kenma at his side, normally its quiet when they walk together. Or just Kuroo talking, normally having to keep Kenma from distractedly running into others while he games. He trusted Kenma, on and off the court. So when they walked away to find a table and Kenma, his master strategist, told him: "You still have a chance, I think. Just by the way she talks to you, I don't think you were ever really friend-zoned by her."
Kuroo felt a tsunami wave of confidence flood his entire body. That was all the confirmation he needed. He was going to be doing things a bit more upfront from now on.