“She’s too cute!” The other whispered blissfully, hiding his face, “She’s an angel.”

“That’s true. Absolutely lovely,” Bokuto agreed enthusiastically, “She even helped me when I accidentally bumped into the basket with the balls and knocked it over!”

“But the other crows are demons from hell.” Kuroo darkened again.

“Don’t be dramatic, they’re not-”

“On Monday, I tried to ask her if we could eat together, but Shrimpy jumped on her and dragged her away shouting she had promised to eat with them. Obviously, Kageyama followed the two. You should have seen the way he glared at me,” Kuroo shuddered.

“They’re really close, uh?” Bokuto chuckled.

“That damn Tsukki is getting in my way too,” he continued his ramblings, “And every time he manages to snatch her away, he smirks, the little shit! I’m sure he’s the one pushing Yamaguchi to stay close to Yachi, but I can’t even try to intimidate freckles-boy, or his stupid boyfriend will murder me in my sleep.”

At this point, Bokuto was loudly cackling.

“The small libero and Tora’s ‘brother’ are even worse. They build a human wall as soon as I try to greet her, shouting embarrassing things.”

“Well, you know how they get with their managers!”

“Obviously, all of them are nothing when compared to the Papa Crows,” Kuroo met his friend’s eyes, with an overly-serious, terrified face, “I swear, Suga has tried to kill me with his eyes. And he was smiling, he was smiling as he stabbed me mentally, over and over. I never witnessed anything more terrifying.”

“Kuro, you’re really pitiful right now,” Bokuto tried to hug him, but the boy smacked his arms away.

“You’re not very convincing if you keep laughing.”

“Aw, don’t be sh-”

“Kuro you should man up.”

The two captains jerked, startled by the sudden third voice.

“Kenma!” Kuroo called, noticing his best friend seated by his side, playing with his console, “when did you arrive?”

“I’ve been here from the start. You forgot.”

“You weren’t here,” Kuroo argued.

“I was.”

“You weren’t.”

“I was.”

“You weren’t.”

The setter shrugged.

“He’s too silent,” Bokuto whispered in reverent fear.

The blond let out an imperceptible sigh, “Weren’t you speaking about something more important?”

Kuroo nudged him lightly, “Oh yeah, man up, uh? As if it was that easy.”

“Are we speaking about Kuroo’s hopeless crush?” Akaashi asked, reaching them with an almost invisible smirk on the lips.

“Keijiiiiiii!” Bokuto wrapped the arms around the boy’s leg, as the other patted his head.

Kuroo, on the other side, threw him a dirty look.

“What’s with you setters today?” Kuroo grumbled

“I didn’t want to hit a nerve, Kuroo-senpai,” Akaashi innocently replied.

“If I didn’t know you,” Kuroo scoffed, “I could almost believe you.”

“KEEEEEIJI! You’re smart! Can’t you help Kuro?” Bokuto interrupted their banter, fixing his puppy eyes on the boyfriend, “Pleeeeeease. I feel sorry for him!”

That earned him a smack from Kuroo.

Akaashi chuckled, “Ah, thank you, but I don’t think being smart could help this time. However, I believe I could ease things for him…”

Kuroo perked his head up, suddenly focused and sharp.

“Elaborate.”

“Taketora-san is training outside with Tanaka-san and Noya-san. Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san went out to buy popsicles for their team,” Akaashi quickly described the situation, “If you’re ready to do it now, I can go and ask Kageyama if he wants to practice some tossing with me.”

That…that sounded perfect. It was exactly what Kuroo needed. The blueberry boy looked up to Akaashi, he would have never refused, but…

“And Shrimpy?” He narrowed the eyes.

“Kenma can practice with him. He won’t say no.”

Kuroo turned to gaze at his childhood friend with expectant, pleading eyes. The boy grimaced, quickly glanced at him and returned to the console.

“…I want three apple pies.”

Kuroo scrunched his nose.

“Two, or you’ll get diabetes.”

“Three.

“Two and a box of chocolate milk.”

Kenma seemed to ponder it, before nodding slightly. He knew Kuroo, the boy would have never let him eat all that pie ever again. Not after the incident of the last time…

Kuroo exhaled. A strange nervousness tickled his stomach, and he fidgeted, nervously. It could work. He could really have the chance to ask Yachi out.

Now that the time had come, he felt less confident than what he would have liked. He couldn’t believe he was that agitated as if she was his first crush ever.

“Fine,” Akaashi gave him an amused glance that made clear he knew what Kuroo was thinking, “Kenma-san and I will go. Yachi is outside, hanging the laundry.”

Kenma stood up and tailed Akaashi. He just nodded in Kuroo’s direction.

“Good luck with the final bosses.”

Kuroo and Bokuto watched as the two setters vanished outside the gym.

“It’s your chance,” Bokuto encouraged him, jumping on his feet and helping him up, “Go and steal her heart!”

Kuroo smiled jittery, a little unstable; he felt as if his legs were made of jelly. He took a big breath. He had to try. It was his only chance, and Yachi was worth the shot.

“Ice-cream and Disney movie, right?” He asked his best friend, slowly walking towards the door.

Bokuto’s expression softened, “Obviously, you know I’m always here!”

The raven nodded and finally found the strength to leave the gym too.

“I’ll wait here!” He heard Bo screaming as he ventured to search for his lovely angel.

As Akaashi predicted, Yachi was hanging the laundry near the dormitory.

The problem was that she had company.

Kiyoko, the manager beautiful enough to be almost scary, was helping her out.

Obviously.

“Shit,” Kuroo cursed, stopping in his track.

What now?

“Are you going somewhere, Kuroo-san?”

Kuroo’s blood curdled.

From bad to worse.

He turned slowly, just to find a creepily close Sugawara. Few inches away from Kuroo’s face, he was smiling again in that way that made him want to flee as fast as he could.

Setters were really scary creatures.

“Kuroo,” Daichi greeted him from behind the demon. From his expression, he was more exasperated than anything.

“Daichi, Suga,” Kuroo forced a polite smile. He wasn’t even surprised they had managed to sense his movements and came to rescue their daughter. That was the power of the Papa Crows.

“So, Kuroo? Why are you here?” Suga prodded his chest with a finger, eyes narrowed.

“Uhm,” Kuroo gulped.

“Suga,” Daichi sternly said, “What did we say?”

Suga frowned, refusing to back off. Clicking his tongue, Daichi wrapped an arm around his boyfriend’s waist and pulled him back.

“Daichi!”

“You promised to behave,” the captain scolded him, in that nice scolding voice he used only with Suga. He tried to be firm, but his face was soft and adoring as usual.

Had he been in a better situation, Kuroo would have laughed his ass off at them, but he wasn’t exactly in the position to piss them off.

“I don’t want to!” Sugawara pouted, now openly glaring at Kuroo.

“We’ve agreed on that…” Daichi reminded him.

“I hope you’re not talking about my death,” Kuroo joked jittery, “Because I don’t know if I could agree to that.”

Daichi chuckled, even if there was something in his eyes that told Kuroo he was serious.

“Not really, we just want to ask you a question,” he explained calmly.

Sugawara cursed under his breath and crossed the arms.

Kuroo felt his heart stopping but nodded.

“What?”

“What are your intentions toward Yachi?”

Shit.

“I-” he stuttered, helplessly. He could feel his face burning and his hands sweating. Was it that moment? The dreaded “meet my parents” moment? He’d thought he would have had the chance to go on a first date before that!

“I’m waiting,” Sugawara reminded him in a sugarcoated tone.

“I-I- Well, she’s- you know-” Kuroo would have liked to slam his head against a wall and faint. Instead, he decided to man up, at least to make his friends proud.

“I want to ask her on a date.”

Daichi didn’t miss a heartbeat, didn’t even blink.

“Why?” His expression was unreadable. Sugawara, on the other side, was clearly annoyed. He had gone full Mother Hen Mode.

Kuroo scraped the back of his neck, embarrassed.

“I…think I have a crush on her.”

“You think?” the setter hissed.

“I have!” Kuroo corrected himself promptly, “I have a crush on her and would like to know her better. If she’s fine with that, obviously.”

A beat of tense silence.

“Then, we should leave her the choice.”

The voice came from behind Kuroo, and he jumped for the surprise.

Kiyoko, impassible, was standing behind him with an intense gaze.

“She’s right. If he’s serious, we don’t have the right to interfere. Especially since he’s a friend,” Daichi added, offering Kuroo an encouraging smile.

“I am serious. I’ve been from the start.”

“Happy, Suga?” Daichi softly nudged the boy caged at his side.

The other shrugged, still sporting a cute pout.

“Whatever. She tells me everything, by the way,” he said, “So you better watch out. If you mess up, I’ll know.”

Kuroo nodded, trying to smile in a reassuring way.

“I won’t.”

Daichi seemed satisfied, “Then we are off, for now. Good luck, Kuroo.”

“Thanks,” The raven replied, infinitely relieved by the outcome of the whole conversation.

“I hope she rejects you,” Suga stuck out his tongue, childishly, and Daichi smacked him lightly on the head. Kuroo laughed: he could feel it from the tone that Suga wasn’t being honest.

“Let’s go, troublemaker,” Daichi chuckled, dragging the boy way.

“You were as worried as me!”

“But luckily less dramatic.”

Kuroo watched them go away, divided between amusement and longing. It must have been nice having a relationship like that. He wondered if one day, he and Yachi…

A slight tap on the shoulder interrupted his thoughts.

Kiyoko was still there, face blank as ever.

“Yes?” Kuroo felt nervous, knowing how strong the bond between the girl and Yachi was.

“Please, take care of her. She’s shy, timid and gets scared easily, but she’s the kindest, most selfless and cheerful girl I’ve ever met. She deserves to be treasured,” she told him earnestly.

Kuroo’s eyes widened, in surprise. Her words sounded so heartfelt…

“I know,” he replied quietly, “That’s why I’ve fallen for her.”

Kiyoko showed him a little smile and moved to leave him. However, she stopped after few steps and threw him a glance over the shoulders.

“Ah, Kuroo-san. If you ever hurt her, you’ll pay for it.”

Kuroo stilled.

“U-understood,” he muttered under her intense stare. If someone had revealed him Sugawara and Kiyoko were actually serial killers, he wouldn’t have been surprised. At all.

Content, the manager finally left, and the boy breathed a sigh of relief.

He was royally fucked.

The girl he liked was more guarded than a princess.

A wrong move could probably kill him.

That brief encounter had literally exhausted him.

Why Karasuno’s guys were that close? Couldn’t they be a normal team?

Fuck it!

“Kuroo-san?”

The boy spun so fast he nearly fell on the ground.

Yachi was looking at him, curiously. She had the basket with the clean sheets in her hands, the blonde hair styled with cute cat hairpins, and a delicate blush graced her cheeks.

Kuroo felt his heart swell at the sight.

“Is everything alright?” she asked, stuttering a little bit as always when she got flustered.

He found himself smiling without noticing.

“Yeah, I was searching for you,” he said with an airy chuckle, trying to swallow the anxiety that was trying to choke him.

“For me?” she repeated, surprised. Her eyes widened, and she tilted her head like a small animal.

“Yes, but first let me help you with that,” he offered, stretching out his hands.

“No, no!” she refused, shaking her head, “It’s light, I can do it!” she reassured him, before flexing an arm. “I don’t seem so, but I’m actually pretty strong!”

Kuroo chuckled amused, hiding the mouth behind a hand, “Don’t steal my line.”

Yachi giggled back.

“Then, let’s take one side each. How does it sound?” Kuroo suggested, “This way we’ll both protect our honor.”

Yachi grinned and nodded with rosy cheeks, “I-I think it’s a good idea!”

Kuroo immediately grabbed one of the handles, and the two of them started walking slowly, with only a laundry basket in between.

“S-so, K-Kuroo-san,” Yachi was the first one to speak, visibly flustered, “Why were you looking for me?”

Kuroo swallowed his agitation back.

The heart in his chest was ready to leap out. But he couldn’t say anymore if out of fear or excitement. Because he was finally there, with her, ready to ask the decisive question, ready to bare his heart. And he was so ready, oh, he could merely wait. He wanted to know. He wanted to know what she really thought of him in her pretty, creative mind. He wanted to know if he had the chance to hope

“I would like to ask you something.”