[ 09 ]

With their timing in perfect synch, it was just as Kageyama returned triumphant with a delicious smelling bowl of goodness that the movie’s title screen had begun to play. Although, it wasn’t until after snuggling into his favorite spot, his head resting comfortably against Kageyama’s shoulder, that the movie was allowed to start.

They didn’t manage to get far, only about halfway through the opening credits when a loud crunching noise began sounding in Sugawara’s ear. Glancing up at his partner, the silvette had to contain a giggle after taking in the absorbed expression painted upon Kageyama’s features; though he had a sneaking suspicion it wasn’t the movie that had so tightly held the darker haired boy’s interests, but rather a certain salty snack.

The movie itself wasn't bad, he decided, as time progressed. His attention had, admittedly, wavered once or twice, distracted by Suga laughing or shifting next to him to find a more comfortable spot on his shoulder. Some of the more subtle details relating to plot were somewhat lost on him—they were in love and everything was great, but Allie's family didn't approve, even though they thought Noah was a nice guy? So then why?—and required the other's explanation to make things clear to him. 'Wait, who's that guy again?', 'How does the old guy know all of this?', 'How much is 40c an hour?', 'Am I asking too many questions? I'll stop, sorry', 'Wait, one more...'.

By the end of it, with all of his questions answered and a somewhat firm grasp on the overall story achieved (many thanks to Suga's gracious explanations), Kageyama could appreciate what the movie was getting at, though he hadn't been as moved as his companion seemed to be by the time credits began rolling. Reddened eyes (no tears though, as far as Kageyama could see), and fingers that had wrung themselves so tightly into the fabric of Kageyama's shirt that it'd take a week of ironing to remove the creases; obviously affected by the film. He should probably comfort him, though how... He had no idea. 'There, there,' was half-assed, even for him.

"Popcorn?"

Currently distracted, humming a tune about pork buns to himself, it was at this precise moment that Kageyama had decided to speak again; this time insisting that he be the one to do the purchasing today. However, just as the Suga was about to voice his disagreement, the younger male gave his arm an assertive squeeze. He wasn’t quite sure why Tobio was so adamant about the matter, but the look on his face alone was enough to make Suga cave to his will. No matter how bad he was at dealing with others, the elder setter had and would probably always be weak to seeing a Kageyama with an expression of thoughtful determination.

                          ✧ "Ummmm.. alright, I guess. But you owe me for this~”

He stated, accompanying the comment with a cheeky wink. Luckily for him, before the other could make too much of an argument about it, the pair arrived at the proper shop. Eager to make their purchase and to return home so he get back to helping with the unpacking, Suga released his partner’s arm and hurried in to make his selection.

It was a task that had suddenly become a difficult one upon his entrance into the store. This was because even the chime of the little bell located above the door was ascetically pleasing to Suga, who was feeling now, more then ever, like a kid in a candy store. His face had been pressed up against the glass, eyes gazing over every goodie located inside the display, by the time Kageyama had caught up to him. 

With a sheepish glance back at the other, the elder setter informed the store keeper what they would be purchasing for the evening, even though it wasn’t really a surprise to anyone anymore. After the expected exchange of buns for cash had been completed, with Kageyama keeping to his insistance of paying for them, the boys headed back on their way to the place they both currently called home. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far of a walk; one which Suga spent the entirety of the time clutching the bag of buns enthusiastically.

With a sigh of relief as they finally reached the doorway, Suga watched as Kageyama turned his new key into the lock and the door swung open. It took some rather skillful maneuvering for Suga to make his way through the clutter and into the kitchen, but somehow he managed, plopping the bag down directly onto the counter. Yet, before either of them could dig in, Suga’s conscious urgently reminded him that he had not properly thanked his partner for the treat. Knowing this was incredibly rude of him, the shorter male sought to close the space between himself and Kageyama, all the while kicking himself for not thanking him yet. 

It was in this moment that Suga tightly embraced his partner, clutching the smooth fabric of the other’s shirt between his fingers and wedging his face in his favorite spot between Kageyama’s neck and shoulder for a while. In addition to the affection, it happened that the slightest of blushes also managed to creep across his cheeks before Suga could finally manage the words..

Mulling over the meaning of it all—not reaching many conclusions, regrettably—once Sugawara had darted ahead into the shop, the younger setter had almost missed the sheer glee practically oozing from the other's aura as he eyed the variety of snacks on offer to them. He managed to catch it, just a small glimpse but it was enough, before Sugawara became aware of his own zealous excitement and reined his senses back.

He paid, as promised, after asking if there was anything else his companion wanted. Suga declined politely, as expected, though Kageyama grabbed a bottle of flavoured milk for himself and a bottle of chilled water for Sugawara before handing the appropriate money across the counter.

The walk home was uneventful, mostly quiet sans some easy chatting, mostly consisting of the elder boy's humming and general enthusiasm about their snacks. What did it matter that it was the middle of the summer and probably far too hot for steamed buns?

After the door swung open to welcome the pair home, Kageyama toed off his shoes and left them quasi-neatly in the genkan, before slipping on a pair of indoor shoes and bringing a pair in from the hallway for Suga, should he wish to wear them, since he apparently forgot about them in his haste to get to the kitchen.

Before even having the chance to ask if the elder setter wanted his pair of slippers, Kageyama was met with an unexpected hug; freezing up from the suddenness of it, unsure what had warranted the hug in the first place, and partly from not knowing how to respond right away. It took a moment—a few moments for the gears to click into place, though Sugawara's eventual 'thank you'—for the buns, he assumed—cleared everything up in an instant. Perhaps predictably, a rush of warmth began pooling in his cheeks as he started stammering out a typical response.

"T-Thanks," he began, instantly feeling his face grow even warmer when he realised he used the wrong response, before scrambling to correct himself, pulling back in his panic though without breaking the hug. "I'm s—!!" Try again; third time's a charm. "Welcome ho—" Definitely this time, for sure. "You're welcome..!"

Until his embarrassment lessened, Kageyama let his head fall forward, dropping his forehead down onto the top of Suga's shoulder with a soft bump; his stiff stance from before now relaxing somewhat. It was completely delayed by the time his free hand was raised and placed around the other's back, finally returning the embrace after remembering that hugs were usually a two-way thing. His other hand was kept limp by his side, fingers hooked into the heels of the indoor footwear that he picked up a few moments beforehand. "I brought your slippers in.." he eventually reported, voice small and meek.

Perhaps it was the look on his face, or the way his voice had gone up in pitch ever so slightly when he used the word ‘please’, but for whatever reason, Suga couldn’t keep a small blush from creeping over his cheeks. However, he hid it well, feigning to glance over some of the videos before selecting the one he’d already had in mind.

Ah, the reminder of the last time; of the thin clouds of smoke that seeped from the microwave, and the unpleasant charred smell that lingered in the small kitchen for days later. He'd done well up until this point not thinking about it, though the image was unavoidable now, shoulders sagging meekly at the thought. "Got it." Three minutes. Not thirty-three, or thirty, or thirteen. Just three. The last time was unlucky but this time— this time it'd be a success.

And it was just that, a success, as he emerged from the kitchen approximately four minutes later with a warm bowl of popcorn in hand; trying not to look as accomplished as he currently felt.

Not only was the ‘feel good’ quality of these movies enjoyable for Suga, but Kageyama’s overall confused reaction to them was also an added bonus as well. Typically, this resulted in the darker haired male asking questions, before, during, and after the film. While most would have found this incredible annoying, Sugawara actually really enjoyed hearing the other’s involvement in the movie. 

                        ✧ “Do we ever not make popcorn..? Maybe I should just say no~”

The enthusiasm in his slightly raised voice over the traditional movie snack surprised even himself. Generally, he'd never think about or even want popcorn, but it was just a necessity when watching movies. The only thing better than being absorbed in the action unfolding on screen before your eyes was being absorbed in the action unfolding on the screen before your eyes while shovelling handfuls of popcorn in your mouth. Dropping a few wayward pieces down the front of your shirt was optional, though tended to add to the overall experience.

“Right, sorry… I’m Kuroko Tetsuya. As for your question earlier, um…” he glanced up to think about his answer. Explaining himself wasn’t always easy the first time, but if one knew their sports and fundamentals then it didn’t take long to figure out.

“I can try and show you when playing basketball, but it’d be better with a team. Do you understand misdirection?” he took the basketball out of the others hands and started to lead the way so that they could play a small basketball game.

“If you remember from earlier when you were confused as to how long I’ve been here, it’s… something like that.” he decided to explain himself anyway, hoping to give the other a basic idea. Honestly, Kuroko was surprised that he could do his misdirection even in volleyball. He wouldn’t mind playing volleyball every now and then, but it’s not like he was looking forward to become a decent player. Basketball was something he was going to stick with, there was no way someone would talk him into changing sports.

“Are you alright?” he stopped to turn around and look at the other to see if they were following. They were acting a little strange since he’s served the volleyball.

Misdirection. He'd spoken to coaches and fellow teammates on the topic many times when discussing strategies for matches, made himself familiar with the concept and how to use it. Like many sports, misdirection was a basic tool when it came to offensive strategies in volleyball that he, as a setter, was sure to make use of; especially handy for situations where the team was in a pinch and needed to break the flow of the game.

However, while it was technique that could be easily utilised by setters and spikers, he hadn't seen it being applied to a serve before, leaving him a little stumped. "Yeah, but..." he began, intent on explaining what was confusing him, though he trailed off quickly, blinking a few times as he cleared his mind of the thoughts that clouded it. He'd just let the other boy show it to him, like he said he would.

After zipping up the jacket he was wearing, Kageyama began following after the one he could now identify as 'Kuroko'—when did he start walking away, anyway?—only to stop in his tracks when he was checked on. "I'm fine, yeah." Fine but addled. When reminded about his bottle, Tobio's lips formed a small 'o' shape, he'd forgotten about it, before he set off in a jog to retrieve the almost-forgotten item and hurrying back.

It seems he hasn’t grown out of that habit yet. Teasing his old teammate was still as fun as it has always been, though, the expression was not what he was expecting. Well, it didn’t matter. If this was the same Kageyama he knew, there had to be some way to make him react.

"Nobody cares about any of that stuff anymore, y'know?" That was how these things usually worked, wasn't it? People only cared to rile you up for as long as you'll provide them with a reaction; if you let it slide, they'll stop eventually. That had been the plan, though Tsukishima seemed to have more persistence than Kageyama had patience, made clear by the small flickers of irritation that began appearing on his face; eyes more narrowed, brow drawn taut in a frown.

Once an exchange of awkward glances and mumbled commentary from the boy had occurred, Namie signaled her dismissal of the matter by simply resuming her attention back on her work. She probably should have said something, an apology for her own rude mistake, but that would have been completely out of character for the so called ice queen. Thankfully, the boy moved on rather quickly, ordering a plethora of beverages from the overly friendly barista, before attempting to figure out how he was going to carry them all (obviously he hadn’t thought of this before hand).

With a sigh, Namie gathered her things and told herself that she was going to such lengths simply because she could not stand to witness good coffee be wasted on the floor when the obviously clumsy teenager dropped it because he was trying to carry too much.

                          ❆ “Let me help you with that.”

He'd attempted stacking the trays of takeaway cups on top of one another in a combination of different structures. They were steady enough when sitting flat on the end of the counter, though the stacks quickly became unstable as soon as they were picked up. He considered resting the top tier against the top of his chest as an option, though didn't want to risk having the hot beverages spilling on him; earning himself a scalding as well as never hearing the end of it for returning to the gym with coffee stains all over his clothes.

However, Lady Luck decided to smile upon him, granting him a much needed extra pair of hands.

"Th... Thanks." It was such a tricky word sometimes, not made any easier by her very clear hostility to the situation. In his defence, he hadn't actually asked her to help him and she was under no obligation to do so, though he was silently thankful that his problem had now been solved. Another problem was created, but he wasn't aware of it until he got outside and realised that he had no idea what to talk about once they exited the little café.

Flowing, natural conversations definitely weren't his forte and she didn't seem to be the kind of person who enjoyed small talk. Or talking, in general. But they had a bit of a journey and to spend it all in total silence was a bit... Usually, it wouldn't the kind of thing that would bother the young setter too greatly, though this lady was, honestly, a tad intimidating. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, really. Grit his teeth and bear the thick silence, or dare open his mouth and run the risk of receiving more sharp, biting comments? Neither was ideal, but help was help, he supposed.

☽Boring… Nothing to do… No one to tag along with if he felt like it.

"This sucks"

Tsukishima grumbled as he was aimlessly walking the streets in search of something that could spark some interest in him. Too bad that didn’t seem like the case. He already ate. He studied what he felt he needed to study for all his classes. Anything he considered entertaining before, he already got bored of it. Just one thing that could entertain him. That’s all he wanted.

"Hmm?"

And he got it…

Looking in the other’s direction, he watched their pose carefully and nodded slightly, but still kept his concentration. At least he had his wristbands on, those did help his accuracy a little bit more. A tennis match… he did watch a few games since nothing else was on TV, so he had a basic idea of what he was talking about. He didn’t want to use his energy by jumping, so he figured staying on the ground would be easiest.

“We’re just hitting the water bottle though. Then… I’d hit like this?” he tried to do what was shown to him. He wasn’t Kise, so he wasn’t able to copy his exact moves, but he was able to get the basic idea of how to handle the ball. He used the palm of his hand; that’s what he was best at. Soon as he did and managed to hit the ball in the air, even if he didn’t realize it, he probably (most likely) made the ball disappear in front of the other’s eyes. Kuroko wasn’t sure if he was trying to spike or serve, but at least he tried.

The ball landed on the other side, but it missed the water bottle. This was harder than he thought it would be.

“This is a lot different than basketball…” he went over to get the volleyball so he can hand it back to them. At least it was fun, and this person really seemed to like playing their sport. That was good; Kuroko liked it when others enjoyed what they’re best at.

But this guy was so... small and ordinary, it didn't really make much sense.

"How did you do that?!" he eventually remembered how to form words when he had finished gaping, talking to the stranger's back as he went to nonchalantly retrieve the ball, as though nothing had happened. Who the hell was this guy?

Nevertheless, Kageyama accepted the ball as it was handed back to him a little dumbly, still in shock, exchanging it for the basketball that he was still clutching.

“I’ve been here, though…” he tilted his head, the other appeared to be examining him. Were they thinking what position he’d be good in volleyball? Kuroko was barely good at playing basketball other than passing, but he didn’t want to admit that right away.

Seeing the ball coming his way, Kuroko decided to catch it. At least he was able to do that. He watched the other and blinked, wondering if it was a good idea to do a simple toss so they can hold onto the ball. It shouldn’t hurt, it’s not like they were practicing his passing. Besides, this boy probably couldn’t catch his pass without hurting his hand in the first place. He tossed over the basketball normally, then held onto the volleyball with both hands.

“No… can you hit it or toss with your palms? That’s what I’m good at. You don’t dribble it, right?” he looked the volleyball over. The markings were different than that of a basketball, even if they were both round. The feel was a little different, too. It was the grip; something about the grip was new. It wasn’t exciting as basketball, but it was a ball that he could hold in his hands.

"Your palms? Yeah, you can serve or spike with your palm or your fist," he supplied once he was no longer distracted by making detailed comparisons, stepping off to the side slightly to give the other more room on the court. He watched him quietly, observing his form, which was admittedly a bit out of whack, but he'd seen worse.

Eventually it struck him that help was being sought from him. He didn't fancy himself as much of a coach, but he'd at least try.

It was around night time, which sounds about right. The sky was getting darker, anyway—it looked peach. At least Kuroko was still able to see. He held onto the basketball in his hand while looking at his surroundings. This seemed to be a …park. Or at least, the park was nearby, and this was some sort of court. It wasn’t for basketball, but someone else was using it. Maybe he could watch for a while.

They appeared to be playing volleyball by themselves. Wasn’t that hard, especially with what they were doing? Were they passing? Kuroko didn’t know much besides basketball, so it was different. He had a hard time registering. Whatever the case, this boy seemed strong, even if they were playing alone.

He'd mainly focused on practicing serves by setting up a few water bottles at the opposite side of the court and aiming to knock them over from a serving position. It was simple but effective, though not what he had wanted to spend all of his time practicing. If he had a partner, he could practice tossing, receives, or ever blocking.

The sudden voice at his side, however, had shocked him enough to cause a flinch and a surprised yell of no word in particular. The ball that he was just about to serve ended up being caught by the net, thanks for his sudden fright. "What the hell?!" It was an instinctual reaction, really, to spin around and shout senselessly at somebody who had snuck up on you. It was usually somebody you knew, but Kageyama couldn't remember ever laying eyes on the boy in front of him before. "Don't just sneak up on people like that!" His voice was still raised, waiting for his heart rate to return to that of something more normal.