tepidity | (no subject)

[ it's nothing new, this sort of teasing. nisaka has been on the brunt end of it many times before, and he himself has doled it out a fair few times. still, there is a moment where he falls for it, where just the very thought of kuroo forgetting all about him steals his breath.

then logic grabs a hold of his heart again, squeezing the air out of it. his expression quickly flattens, a soft scoff leaving him. ]

Your first week you wouldn't stop texting me till way past midnight. You know I had 6 AM shifts, right?

[ not that he's complaining or anything... besides, it's not like he'd tried to stop kuroo at any of those nights.

in any case, his point stands. ]

If you spoke to my brother at all, it was only during the times I couldn't text back.

So you kept telling me every time you texted me back.

[ Busted.

Kuroo's hands play around on the table, his usual trick when he's focusing intently on someone without making it obvious - he turns his head away, does something with his hands, does anything to make his attention less overwhelming for the victim under it's large weight. He usually only does this for his conversation partners sake.. when underclassmen are trying to get advice from him but can barely breathe from how intimidating he is, for Nisaka when he gets in those moods where he'd rather be a part of the scenery than a person in the conversation... and, more rarely, when he's nervous.. when the only thing he can do to displace the energy he might force on a person otherwise, is to expel it by fiddling.

With his fingers toying with the little shovel dipped in the small bowl of chilli flakes on the table, he grins placidly at Nisaka. ]

I still can't believe you've done 6am shifts. How did you do it? Did you have to leave your phone over the other side of the room to force yourself awake?

[ He chuckles.. Nisaka's laziness is no secret, but even Kuroo sometimes struggles to get himself up for his runs before school, so he can't fathom how someone as perma-lethargic as Nisaka managed it. ]

[ the early shifts were one in a list of many issues that nisaka had had regarding taking up that job in the first place. it certainly wasn't the easiest routine to fall into, especially when he would have an opening shift following a closing shift, but his parents were pretty adamant about the new responsibility...

and he's only one more paycheck away from saving up enough money to get kuroo a pair of those sneakers he'd been eyeing before school ended. it'll be pretty early for a birthday gift, but nisaka thinks he can make it believably casual enough. a clearance sale online, perhaps. something like that. ]

I changed my alarm to one of my mom's old songs, [ he says, completely straight-faced. his mom's past life as an idol is one of many things that cause him quite a lot of embarrassment and grief. it's pretty plausible he'd drag himself out of his coma-like sleep just to turn off a song.

iwata's voice rises then, and nisaka turns just in time to see the cheery old man greet another pair of customers wander in. when he looks back, his eyes fall first to the flutter of hands across the table. he feels his own twitch over his knees, suppressing the urge to reach out and calm them. ]

I was supposed to have one tomorrow, but Watabe said he would cover for me.

[ Honestly when Kuroo heard about the early shifts Nisaka had to do the first time round he didn't believe it, the second time he felt not for the first time that although the camp he'd been accepted into was a pretty big deal and would do excellent things for his team and for his own personal gain, that he'd much rather be at home experiencing his best friend flourishing in new and interesting ways that Kuroo had previously never thought possible. It's like the Nisaka sitting in front of him is more grown up, somehow, or simply just different in a way that Kuroo hasn't experienced alongside him. It makes him feel weird.

But luckily Nisaka's explanation makes him laugh so hard that he forgets all about the nights he'd spent unable to sleep, petrified that the miles that lay between him and Nisaka might be mirrored in a strange distance to their relationship once he got back.. ]

That's genius. [ He laughs, that horrible cackling laugh when something particularly nasty tickles him. ] I'm sure your mom loved hearing that through the walls, eh?

[ Kuroo twists the soy pot just a bit, so that the lip of the jug section is faced toward himself. Then he twists the chilli oil pot to match. ]

Watabe? Doesn't ring a bell. Does he go to our school, too?

[ nisaka doesn't feel any different. he knows far more than he cares to about the different types of coffee that can be made under five minutes' time, but as far as he's concerned, the person who's changed here is kuroo. his physical changes are just testament to that, each ab another reminder of a part of kuroo's life he can never quite reach.

he's happy for his friend, though. he always is. that kind of passion... he can only ever imagine what it must be like to care about something so much that he'd want to dedicate his entire life to it.

his answer comes first in an offhanded shake of his head. he leans a cheek against his hand, propping it up onto the table now. his other reaches out, absently turning the little jugs the other way around. giving kuroo a little more to do. ]

He moved here from the next town over, so he'll be starting this year.

[ Kuroo watches Nisaka so closely, has and always will, that even the slightest change to him seems monumental; His slightly too long hair is distracting in the way it curls and lies flat in certain places, the way it touches his shoulders and embraces his face more on either side.. His slight height increase, the subtle sight of muscle along his forearms presumably from lifting milk jugs or similar at work, even the slight shadow under his eyes that's amplified by that half lidded look he casts around.

Kuroo has always had a front row seat and has been able to study all these changes first hand... and now? The possibility that while he couldn't someone else did bothers him more than he cares to admit. More than he should admit. More than he wants to admit. ]

So he's just your coworker so far. Is he nice?

[ He hates himself for asking that. He doesn't want to know. ]

He must be if he agreed to take your shift.

[ He prays for Nisaka's bluntness now, to give Kuroo something to believe to stop this little green monster setting up shop in his stomach. ]

[ his finger lingers over the lip of the soy sauce pot, actually pausing over the question. he's had a few shared shifts with the other boy, shifts that he usually tried to keep mostly to himself. in a small cafe, however, that can be kind of hard, when lags between customers would get easily filled up by idle conversation, but nisaka can't recall any that had really stood out to him... just the sheer number of them, he supposes.

his nose wrinkles slightly. ]

He's friendly. [ which might be high praise coming from literally anybody else, but in nisaka's voice it sounds like something wearisome.

his finger begins to trace around the jug now, head leaning a little heavier on his hand. ]

In any case, it's not like it was a selfless favor. I'll probably have to cover one of his own shifts later.

[ "you owe me," watabe had joked. nisaka could only assume the accompanying wink meant at least another opening shift or two somewhere down the line. ]

[ Watching Nisaka fidget is strange. To Kuroo, it always seems like it's the pay off from his brain struggling to figure out what to say and what to keep for himself, the concentration needed so precise that his hands move absentmindedly. He can't be sure, of course, because no matter how well he knows Nisaka there are still some walls around him that even Kuroo's brute force can't break down, but that really is all part of the fun of it, for him.

He's trying not to relate the way Nisaka's head is resting on his hand, the way he idly toys with the lip of the jug, as anything other than boredom. He's desperately trying not to think of how at first glance it looks kind of wistful, kind of dreamy. He already doesn't like the sound of this guy, so instead of dragging things out and asking as many questions as he can so he can know everything like he normally would, he quickly changes the subject. ]

It's going to be weird going back to school. Two months felt like forever at camp, but now it feels like I've only been gone five minutes.

[ Oh, look at that, their food is conveniently arriving before Kuroo has the chance to get sappy. ]

[ the movements are idle, unconsciously mimicking the man in front of him. he'd noticed he'd begun to do it since kuroo had left, as if his body saw fit to fill in the void the taller boy had left behind. half the time, he doesn't even realize he's doing it. but the movements stop abruptly at kuroo's sudden shift in subject. he blinks a few times, lifting his head to glance over at him.

he takes too long to respond, brain sluggish to adjust. kuroo doesn't often brush things off, usually drilling and drilling and drilling until he managed to pick everything apart. maybe he doesn't like hearing about the cafe? his work? nisaka resolves not to bring it up again, if he can help it.

he nods to iwata who drops their food off with a happy chirp, shifting to sit a little straighter in his seat. his tonkatsu remains untouched for the time being. ]

Aren't you excited? You've been dreaming about being captain for years.

[ It's Kuroo's turn to rest his chin on a hand, mind wandering slightly from whats here and now, his other hand idly breaking apart his chopsticks with skilled and strong fingers. He normally makes a show of that one handed party trick but something, something green and twisted, has him distracted. ]

Thank you for the foooood.. [ He mumbles, stabbing his fish right in the face. ] Yeah, I'm excited. I feel like I need another month or two to prepare, but....

[ Ah, doubt doesn't suit him. He knows that. The last thing he wants to do is disappoint, and with so much hanging in the balance and so much weight on his shoulders, even the most sturdy of foundations might crack.. But then he looks up, giving Nisaka an almost dangerous grin as he shovels fish into his mouth. ]

It's a good thing I've been worked to the bone for two months. Now I know how to do it right.

[ it's not like nisaka hasn't been witness to that particular party trick enough times in his life, enough so that he has come to expect it. but that's not to say he doesn't miss the lack of flourish when it comes. it's strange... but not odd enough to warrant bringing up, he thinks. especially not when he starts to hear an unfamiliar tone in his best friend's voice, quickly taking up the rest of his attention. ]

You always have, [ he huffs, keeping kuroo's gaze for three, four seconds too long before he looks down. works his blunt thumbnail against the crease between his own chopsticks to break it with a lot less grandeur. he frowns a little at the splinters along the end of one stick, continuing to speak as he picks it clean. ]

You were practically born for volleyball. The only reason you weren't captain last year was because the third years wanted to send their oldest off respectfully. [ them's the facts, kuroo. ]

You'll be great. They're lucky to have you.

Edited 2018-03-09 20:10 (UTC)

[ He was.. talking about the brutality of a leader, about knowing a thing or two now about forcing his team through the meanest of tasks should they lose their practice matches, should they fail to improve their time, should they turn up late for practice.. But the way Nisaka speaks so clearly, so honestly, without any of the bluster he has when he talks about any kind of feelings, but all of the bluntness that's so Nisaka it's like taking breath after being submerged underwater.

His best friend really knows him well, and really it's quite amazing to know that out of everything Nisaka could choose to put his precious energy into, Kuroo is one of them. He smiles, bashful for a few moments and then as sleazy as ever. ]

Aww. That's sweet. [ He's probably ruining it for himself, but he has those words now locked somewhere safe in his head for later, for the first day back, for his first club meeting after classes. All his previous drawbacks are gone, even the little green monster is quietened. ] Thanks.

Edited 2018-03-09 20:44 (UTC)

[ nisaka has already broken eye contact by now, turned his attention towards his meal almost immediately after he'd spoken. he expects but still wrinkles his nose at kuroo's response. genuine as the gratitude may be, thickened with the saccharine tone teenage boys would tend to play up to prevent things from getting too sentimental. ]

Don't let your fish get cold, [ is all he says in response, already stabbing into his piece of breaded pork. ] That's the only one you're getting tonight.

[ Kuroo snickers under his breath, stuffing his face again like a happy cat getting treated to people food. If his legs weren't so long he'd probably be kicking them under the table as he sucks the salt from his chopsticks. ]

Sure, sure. I wouldn't dream of expecting any more from you. I know you wouldn't want me to get spoiled... Or fat.

[ Is that a comment on earlier, when Kuroo saw Nisaka getting... jealous? Looking, at the very least, at the hard work he's been doing over the summer. It might be. His expression goes pinched again as he smiles. ]

How's the food?

[ with kuroo watching so intently, he would be able to notice it: the slight flicker of nisaka's eyes as he pauses. drawing up towards the other boy, but pausing midway as if catching himself. the moment lasts only a second, maybe two, before movement shudders over his body again, jaw chewing patiently around his piece of pork before swallowing. ]

Good. As usual. [ he looks towards the side to see iwata wiping off a nearby table, humming softly to himself as he works. ]

Is this the first real meal you've had in months? [ he keeps his tone casual, but he is looking back at kuroo now. eyes never straying from his face. ] They must have been really strict in that camp to get you so, [ the briefest of pauses. barely a millisecond, ] prepared.

[ God, he's never felt his breath catch so suddenly and so completely in his throat before. The almost look that could have been explained as a glance at his food, but Kuroo's brain knows better than to take the easiest assumption, and is much too indulgent to accept it. He'd been chancing a look at exactly what Kuroo had been alluding to, only he'd been caught and spooked, and even though a meeting of their eyes might have been just as breathtaking, the attempt says so much more and ends up being just as interesting.

But that isn't what makes him risk choking on his fish... Prepared. Nisaka had called him prepared, and such a particular choice of words has Kuroo reeling. He's looked, he's understood, and perhaps jealousy isn't the most logical answer after all. He might even be blushing, just a bit, but he manages to keep his grin concrete. ]

Mm. Meat and greens. Lots of rice. I haven't had anything sweet since I left.

[ God.... He's hardly even trying to be subtle now. ]

[ kuroo isn't exactly known for his subtlety. in fact nisaka is certain he only ever uses it as a weapon, far too addicted to the reactions he can provoke using other means. so it's really no surprise that his best friend be pretty void of it now, and, okay, they're teenage boys. i's pretty part and parcel of their humor that most things tend to be coated in double-entendres. sex jokes are not exactly uncommon, nor is the occasional teasing on a personal level (though some take it too far, matoi, you asshole).

still. still. it's too much. this is too much. what are they even talking about anymore? nisaka's mind is reeling from fevered recollections of kuroo's abs, off-handed conversations about meat, and now they're talking about sweet things...? he very nearly puts his chopsticks down. ]

Guess I have to get you dessert after all.

[ it's fine. that's fine. that's what they talked about before, after all. nothing conspicuous about that. ]

[ Here or home, he wants to say, he almost says.. but this isn't the training camp where he can say outrageous things to the kids he might not ever see again, won't have to see on a daily basis... doesn't have a history with that he could put in danger of damaging with said outrageousness. It's Nisaka, and though Kuroo figures he could probably get away with being as upfront as he possibly can be and still manage to diffuse it with a laugh and a wave of his hand, he wonders if it's really worth that risk... just because he's giddy with how it feels to be beside him again. ]

Mm, good. You remember what I like, right?

[ Is Nisaka determinedly not looking at him on purpose? Kuroo might have been frustrated like that under other circumstances, but now he only feels... teased by it. ]

And don't tell me you've forgotten. You'll hurt my feelings.

I don't know if that's even possible.

[ forgetting, or hurting kuroo's feelings? he doesn't elaborate. just like he continues not to look back up at the other, determindly working his way through his plate so as not to let iwata's hard work go in vain. or something like that. whatever the reason, his gaze doesn't lift any higher than kuroo's own plate. ]

We'll have to stop by the bakery on the way home. At the rate you're going, they'll be closed by then.

[ That manages to snap him out of it for a moment or two. The mention of the bakery almost disappoints him, but it's not often Nisaka wins in this weird vague gay chicken thing they usually find themselves toing and froing in, so really it was to be expected. What really catches his attention though, is Nisaka mentioning his food, and as Kuroo looks down to see he's still got a fish and a third left to eat he's suddenly reminded of the days when Nisaka would come over for dinner at his house after school when they were younger, and Kuroo would be so excited by the company of a friend he had so much care for that he'd often spend most of the time he should have spent eating blabbering away to him or muttering to him when his mom caught wind and told him off. The softness of that memory softens Kuroo's sharp smile, too, and much like his younger self might have, he scoffs down the rest of his meal with just as much enjoyment had he eaten it slowly.

Plate clear, sucking on his chopstick again, he sits back. ]

You're spoiling me today, huh? You must have really missed me.

[ the shift in position tears down nisaka's guard. he makes the mistake of looking towards the movement, just in time to see kuroo's cheeks hollow out around the pair of chopsticks and nisaka thinks it's the lewdest thing he's ever had the misfortune of seeing. it's an image that instantly burns itself into his mind, has him stalling for a second too long.

it's fortunate he still had a bit of food left in his mouth, otherwise the rough swallow to follow after would havd been way too suspicious. ]

...Don't get used to it, [ he says, eventually. he resists the urge to tug on the collar around his neck. long-sleeves were definitely a bad idea. ] I'm just being a good host.

Ah- [ He brandishes the chopstick he'd just had his mouth all over, waving it at Nisaka. ] I'm not your guest till I'm in my jammies. You don't have to host me at all for at least another half hour or so. You're doing this because you missed me. You wanna welcome me back, make sure I don't decide I like summer camp better than hanging out with you~

[ He's using that sing-song certain voice he uses when he knows he's being an asshole and is doing so proudly. The warmer, softer feeling in his chest had lowered his concentration, so he didn't see Nisaka glance up at him, distracted as he was by the fact that Nisaka hadn't exactly denied that he missed him. He knew he had, but there's something addictive and enticing about hearing Nisaka say these things out loud. Kuroo has a small collection of moments like that stockpiled in his memory bank. ]

Maybe I'll have you buy me two pastries. Since I was gone two months. I think that's fitting.

If you scarf down two pastries, it'll be your uniform that won't be fitting.

[ he's quick to toss that little barbed comment back, feathers ruffling defensively in an instinctive response to that tone. no, he won't deny missing kuroo, because doing so would be lying, and he lies enough to his best friend on the regular. shifting, his foot nudges against kuroo's beneath the table, but it's hardly a sweet gesture. ]

Maybe. I'm willing to take the risk, though. Free food always tastes better.

[ Being a competitive person means that Kuroo often finds competition where there is none, so when Nisaka's foot nudges him he takes it as a move being made on his honor and catches the offending foot under his own with ridiculous speed and agility. He smiles serenely, faux-innocent.

He doesn't relent even when Iwata-san circles on by again, asking if there's anything else they'd like. Kuroo shakes his head and after he's given the bill and slides it over to Nisaka the little old man responds with surprise, wondering aloud what Kuroo might have done to deserve such a treat.. which Kuroo finds hilarious. ]

He missed me. [ Kuroo points out, all too loudly and much too proud, so even some of the people dotted around at the tables around them glance up. ] While I was at camp. This is my welcome home present.

He's dying, [ nisaka cuts in, but it's already too late: iwata-san is already looking between the two boys fondly, and his cheeks are already bright red. ] This meal was his last wish.

[ he's grumbling at this point, but it's light-hearted. once he finishes paying, he politely thanks iwata-san and his wife for the good meal, in a tone must softer and quieter than before. getting to his feat, he holds his arms up high over his head to work out the kinks that had somehow settled onto his shoulders. standing for hours at a time in his new job hasn't helped his posture much, and the added tension of having his best friend around (who somehow managed to become even hotter in the two months he'd been gone) certainly isn't doing wonders either. ]

Ready?