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kuroo’s face is no better ; heat rising to his cheeks and flowing to the tips of his ears , hand reaching out for the card with a soft ,   “   thank you.   ”

he clears his throat , if just to calm the storm beginning to wake in his chest , and quickly busies his hands with the envelope. he thumbs open the card , catching the tickets before they slide out and reading over the admission with a shy grin taking place.   “   no no , shimizu , this   ---   this is great. really.   ”   he lifts his gaze , twinkling a bit as he looks at her , mingled with the same feeling of admiration rolling over and over again like a boat riding a tidal wave.

he watches the nervousness start to fade , and her smile grows with a bit more confidence at his words. proud. 

he looks back down again , because if he doesn’t he thinks his chest might just combust , and spots the kanji written out under the tickets. holding them out , he reads over the neat handwriting , heart beating faster and faster , before he eventually has to stop , exhaling a slow breath ,   “   wow ,   ”   and it’s all he really can say. his senses are going a bit haywire right now : shimizu , the gift , the words , all her own   ---   kuroo tucks them back into the envelope.

he thinks he’s probably a bit in love with her , after this. or rather , he has been. for a long time. and this has only solidified it. how she’s been with him through so much this past year ; with his studies and his mom and caring for him in ways kuroo didn’t think he could be cared for. how he’s been nothing but so appreciative , so happy , being with her like this. how he’s been able to put so much trust in her , opening up more than he’s ever done with anyone else , and how she’s allowed him to do the same. to hold her trust in his hands and carry it with pride.

the smell wakes him first ; a savory scent that leaves him disoriented for a moment as he blinks through the groggy haze. he shuffles under the covers , looking around once before slowly sitting up and staring down the hall. he doesn’t remember having guests last night , or that he was expecting anyone at all , so the noise that echoes in has him a little on edge as kuroo stands and quietly leaves his room.

the clattering gets louder the closer he gets , and when he reaches the end of the hall , kuroo peeks his head around the corner , just to be safe.

“   tooru ?   ”   he startles , eyes growing wide as he meets the sight of his boyfriend hovering over the stove and topping a lid over one of the pots. the other turns , surprised , before it sweeps off into a bright grin.   “   tetsu ! you’re up !   ”

kuroo waddles in , palms pressing the sleep from his eyes and takes a look around the kitchen. it’s a bit of a mess ; ingredients spread about , dishes filling the sink , and bags tossed to the side filled with scraps. oikawa at least has been cleaning as he goes , because he can see the dishes have been rinsed , ready to be thrown in the dishwasher.   “   what . . . what is all this ?   ”

the brunette beams at him , stepping in close to wrap his arms around kuroo’s neck , brushing his nose against his , already well dressed and ready for the day ,   “   happy birthday ! i made food.   ”

kuroo looks at the stove again , then back down at oikawa and , oh , right. it’s his birthday today. he almost forgot. his chest swells then , heart skipping a beat as he brings oikawa into him and huffs a soft laugh into his shoulder. he can’t believe he forgot. he’s been so wrapped up with his latest assignments the past couple weeks he hasn’t had much time to think of anything else. so the fact oikawa wanted to surprise him like this to celebrate . . . makes his lungs bloom and his chest ache , happy happy happy. 

arms squeeze tight around his boyfriend’s waist , loosening as he lifts his head ,   “   thank you. smells good. you really didn’t have to do all this , though.   ”   oikawa gives him a look , pinching the back of his neck and kuroo squirms with a laugh.