tepidity | (no subject)

[ That breaks the tension a little, because Kuroo can't not laugh, and nudges Nisaka with an elbow. ]

You're two months early, but thanks.

[ He bows to Tanabe-san, still holding his precious box close to him, and then elbows his way out of the door, holding it open at the last for Nisaka to follow him. Tanabe-san tells them to behave and to keep her updated, and Kuroo is for a moment confused about what they could possibly keep her updated with... and then he flushes, and closes the door behind them. He wonders if maybe he should pay Tanabe-san a visit by himself.

The walk home is reasonably uneventful. Kuroo makes a show of sniffing at the folds of the box, commenting on how just the smell of sugar is enough to make him hungry again since the only sugar he got at camp came in the form of electrolyte drinks and fruit, and points out only when they're almost back to Nisaka's house that maybe he should have gotten something for Nisaka's mom and dad, to thank them for letting him stay over.

Once in the Nisaka home, he pads through the house like it's an extension of his own and shoves the chocolate monster in the fridge for later, dumping the eclair out onto a plate though he's entirely ready to just eat it with his bare hands. ]

I'm gonna regret this, [ He says proudly as he makes his way back upstairs. ] I'm looking forward to elastic waistbands already. [ He should probably wait to change into his pajamas, though, considering how that went last time. And the fact that he's probably going to get cream and chocolate all down himself. ]

You know you already wear elastic waistbands every day, right? [ it's an inconsequential comment, but one that nisaka felt necessary to point out regardless. he leads the way up to his room, despite how easily kuroo navigates his way around the house, which is pretty much the boy's second home at this point. (and thus why the mild worry over not bringing his parents any baked goods is brushed aside with a wave of his hand.) ]

Don't get any crumbs on my bed, [ is all he says once the door is quietly shut behind them. he's already begun to move towards his drawers, pulling out his own sleepwear to change into. he'd been getting way too hot in that long-sleeve, and he's eager to slip into something thinner and looser. he lingers by the dresser, folded clothes in his arms. not for the first time, he finds himself overthinking his next move. it would be better, he's certain, if he stepped out and changed in the bathroom. offer them both some privacy or something. it's courteous.

but they've known each other for so long that courtesy doesn't really factor in their day-to-day, so doing so would only be weird, wouldn't it? it's definitely not something they usually do, their level of familiarity with each other going so much more past regular boundaries between friends. and yet... after the day they'd just had... he chews on his lip, eventually turning back around to eye the other boy. he's mildly disappointed to find kuroo hadn't yet finished his treat. ]

Sure, but I'm not wearing an elastic waistband right now.

[ Better not to dwell on that right now, though, since doing so would mean Kuroo would have to shed light on the fact that he stupidly wore jeans on the uncomfortable ride home for one reason and one reason only.

Kuroo finds his spot again on the bottom of Nisaka's bed, though he refrains from flopping back for the moment as doing so would make it incredibly difficult to eat his eclair. Which he does. The first bite did exactly what he expected and got all over his face, but he hardly cares because it tastes so good, so when Nisaka chastises him for eating on the bed, his response is muffled by the pastry in his mouth. ]

I'm not gonna-- I wouldn't waste any.

[ Is Nisaka lingering for any reason, he half-wonders, distracted as he is by how good his sweet treat tastes. They've got changed in the same room before, albeit at the same time and facing away from each other. Right now it feels.. kind of like a show, the way Nisaka is standing before him with his clothes in his arms. Kuroo looks down at his eclair, only half eaten, and swallows. There's still cream on his lip, though. ]

What, want me to close my eyes? I know I put you to shame shirtless but you don't have to make a big deal out of it.

[ Ah yes, just diffuse it by being your asshole self, Kuroo. That definitely won't backfire. ]

[ he is struck, at first, by the sight of kuroo on his bed. sitting there so casually, like he belongs, despite being too handsome and extravagant to fit in with all of the plain, spartan decorations of his room. he traces the way his best friend's thighs seem to strain against those dark-wash jeans when he spreads his legs just so, how his shirt clings to the hard angles of his body like some kind of obscene pin up poster.

the messy way he eats such a simple treat shouldn't be as endearing or alluring as it winds up being, which really just adds to nisaka's overall frustration with himself. how he stands there now wishing he'd had the foresight to rub one off in the morning, so as to maybe avoid how dry his mouth suddenly gets at the sight of that bit of cream lingering along his lip...

for better or for worse, though, kuroo opens his big fat mouth again, and for a brief second nisaka's brow furrows in confusion. a thought he hadn't even considered.

and then he's scowling faintly, clutching the clothes a little closer to his chest. ]

I can see your food baby from here, [ he mutters, aggrieved. it's a total lie, kuroo is as fit and perfect as he had ever been, but it still makes nisaka feel a little better having said as much anyway. he turns in his spot, determined to just get it over with. like kuroo said — it's not a big deal.

first go his shirt, the dark material drawn up and over his head, mussing up his hair briefly. a light sheen of sweat clings to his back still, but the cool central air is working wonders on cooling him down from the summer heat. he's tugging on his sleep shirt after that, some oversized tee that the school had given away for participants of a charity clean up around the town. it's about a size and a half too big for him, and hangs just low enough over his hips that only a slight peek of his dark grey underwear can be seen even when he bends down slightly to finish removing his jeans. he slips on a pair of old gym shorts then, too warm to wear anything longer. ]

[ Kuroo feels a little vindicated when he sees Nisaka frown like that and clutch his clothes tighter, like he's defending himself against more of Kuroo's teasing, when both of them know that it's a hopeless effort. He does mock gasp at Nisaka's comment, though, putting a hand over his stomach like his words caused a wound.

And then... ah. He almost feels bad using Nisaka's jealousy against him so that Kuroo can ogle him like some kind of underhanded pervert, but as a drop of sweat runs down Nisaka's bare back, right down the perfectly sculpted line of his spine.. Kuroo feels his entire body go tight for just a few torturous seconds, and he can't gather up enough will to be too guilty about it. He wants to follow that trail back up with his tongue, and that seems to be the only thought his head has room for.

Moments like this are what fuels him, what makes pretending to only have platonic thoughts easier and so much harder all at the same time, because in his weakest moments he can at the very least recall back on the times he'd caught a glance he shouldn't have, or let his gaze linger when better men would have looked away. He feels dirty, but dirty feels good and so he watches as Nisaka dresses in an oversized shirt that hangs off his shoulders, concealing way too much of that porcelain skin that Kuroo loves, but in a way that's more appealing than he could have ever imagined. Nisaka looks soft, comfortable, appealing in the pure kind of way that just makes Kuroo want to ruin him all the more. It's bad, he knows it's bad, he knows that he needs to stop otherwise he's going to have a hard (no pun intended) time of changing in front of him in return, but he can't look away, because Nisaka's legs are this slender stretch under the cling of his shorts and it's practically making Kuroo drool to watch him bend to shuck his pants off of his legs.

This is like a fantasy he's had, his brain inconveniently reminds him, where Nisaka slowly stripped off his school clothes one by one, with the same flat expression and steady matter-of-factness he shows with most things.. only to then climb into Kuroo's lap as naked as the day he was born, lithe hands sliding up into his hair, balling into fists and pulling his head back so he could whisper dirty things into his mouth.

He wolfs the remainder of his eclair in his mouth to stop him doing something embarrassing like moaning, tearing his eyes away from his best friend's body now that he's dressed for bed. He's... pressing his thighs together too. Shit. ]

Mm, better than I remember.

[ He's definitely talking about the eclair, definitely talking about the eclair to distract from the fact he'd just been drooling over his best friend getting changed after literally just saying how big of a deal it wasn't. ]

[ he finishes gathering up his old clothing to toss into a nearby hamper by the time kuroo finishes up his treat, turning just in time to hear him mutter something his mind only makes filthy by noting how low and rough his friend's voice suddenly gets. his jaw works faintly, teeth gritting, but eventually he's able to swallow back the thoughts that start to stray towards what else kuroo could sound like. needless to say, these gym shorts aren't nearly enough defense should his body decide to betray him. ]

Don't cry to me if you wake up and discover you suddenly have love handles. [ in retrospect, he wishes he'd chosen a different turn of phrase, but what's done is done.

he moves back towards the bed but refrains from sitting just yet. somehow the idea of sitting at the same time kuroo is feels slightly... scandalous. but he recognizes it is again his mind taking him to places he really has no business being. instead he attempts to keep up the levity in the conversation, poking a finger at the corner of is friend's lips, pulling away with a bit of cream. ]

If Tanabe-san saw you eating her pastries this messily, she'll be scandalized.

[ Nisaka staying standing is possibly worse than having him sit would have been, because like this all Kuroo can think about is his inconvenient fantasy and how dangerous it is to have him close by considering the growing implications of his current situation. When Nisaka leans in and thumbs the cream off the corner of his lips Kuroo is sure his body almost has to resist the automatic urge to let his nose start bleeding.

The subtext is just too much at this point that if Nisaka wasn't so steadfastly disinterested and defensive to every pass made at him, Kuroo might have thought he was fucking with him on purpose. As it is, though, he's sure that his best friend is just doing what normal guys do, and it's Kuroo's shitty luck and stupid pervert brain that's making everything... more difficult. ]

Probably. Good thing she's not here.

[ Kuroo does his best to lick the cream off his lips. ]

[ he doesn't do a very good job. either he can't feel it, or he's too lazy to make the reach, but a little dollop stubbornly remains on the corner of his lips and nisaka finds himself unable to look away from it. before he can even think about it, his hand reaches forward again, thumb dragging lightly to wipe the stain away... if his hand lingers, it's nothing he notices.

when he does draw his hand away, he's struck by the sudden urge to bring it up to his mouth, lick the remaining cream off himself but — no no, that's stupid. at the last second, he reaches forward once more, wiping his finger clean on kuroo's sleeve. ]

You're a mess. [ he may as well be talking to himself, though. ] If you take too long to get cleaned up, I'm going to sleep without you.

[ If he's honest he probably did it badly on purpose without realising it; just another instance of his mind working against him to make this situation more messy - literally - than it needs to be. He watches with intense concentration as Nisaka draws his hand back because there's a moment that looks like he's about to lick it away and Kuroo feels something in his chest drop suddenly into his stomach at the mere thought of it, at the thought of him cleaning up the rest on Kuroo's lip with his mouth when he leans forward again--- but then he reaches for his sleeve, and Kuroo is visibly disappointed for a moment or two before he forces his expression back to neutral. ]

Sure, sure. I'll be quick.

[ Kuroo's brain is trying to come up with something funny to say about wanting to sleep with Nisaka but it's walking on such a fine line that he's almost afraid to actually say it. Instead, he stands and awkwardly side steps because, wow, Nisaka was standing a lot closer than he'd thought, and moves over to where he'd dumped his bag. After rooting around and tugging out a vest shirt and a comfortable pair of pants, he quickly decides to change there and then, turning away at the very last moment before he shoves his jeans down just in case his body's betrayal is overly visible. ]

[ he looks, because he forgets to catch himself, and immediately regrets it. it's a little unfair how quickly his eyes hone in on the dip in the other boy's lower back, the dimples that mark the slope of his spine into his underwear and—

nisaka forces himself to turn away, fussing with the covers on his bed. it's a light blanket due to the heat of this summer, but he musses with it anyway like it's giving him problems. leaning over, he props a knee onto the mattress and starts to shove up the window, trying to get more air circulating in the room that once again feels all too oppressive. ]

Do you want the wall or the edge?

[ Kuroo doesn't really expect Nisaka to peek at him, so once he's got his pants situation sorted - opting for thicker sleepwear than his thinner ones in the hopes that it'll help hide what the guilty fantasy left behind, even if he'll have to sacrifice comfort in this clammy heat for the sake of it - he dawdles a little before pulling his shirt over his head. There are dark tan lines on his biceps where his practice shirt sleeves fall, and a similar one on his collar, but they're faded just slightly from where Kuroo eventually gave up wearing a shirt with sleeves or sometimes at all in the last few days of camp. It really has been unfairly hot for a guy who likes sports. ]

Edge.

[ Kuroo says, suddenly across the room and doofing Nisaka on one of his shoulder blades so that he goes tumbling down into the bed. Chuckling, Kuroo drops down beside him, lifting the leg closest to him up so that aforementioned issue isn't as prominent. ]

For when I inevitably need to pee. I don't wanna have to climb over you.

What, suddenly you worry about inconveniencing me?

[ he tuts and he grumbles, shifting around on the bed so he isn't face down (ass up) and instead settling onto his back with as much distance between them as possible. turns out, it isn't much.

the blanket is bunched up beneath them, but nisaka doesn't really bother to reach for it. he can already feel the warmth clinging to his skin, radiating off of kuroo's. his eyes absently trace lines on his ceiling, mapping out the faded tanlines on kuroo's taut skin.

his hands clench at the sheets. ]

With my luck, you've picked up a new annoying habit over summer. Like snoring.

[ Kuroo grins shittily. ]

I never inconvenience you on purpose. I always have your best interest in mind.

[ There is absolutely no room for Kuroo's stupid gangling limbs in this bed, which is probably why when they were kids they'd sprawl on laid out blankets on the floor of Nisaka's room, sleeping-bags ending up as nothing more than pillows as Kuroo strong armed them both into making a kind of nest out of every soft thing in Nisaka's room. Being much older, it'd probably be even more uncomfortable to try to relax on the floor, so Kuroo is willing to give this a shot.. for now. His other leg might be hanging off the bed, and there might not be a lot of room for him to shift his arms, the one closest to Nisaka in imminent danger of just pressing right up against him... but he's persevering.

Kuroo doesn't look at the ceiling; he looks aside at the floor of Nisaka's bedroom instead, remembering how they'd wait till Nisaka's parents had checked on them both before constructing their intricate pillow disaster. Kuroo can remember them both falling asleep like starfish amongst it, and can remember waking up to find his head on Nisaka's chest a few times, can remember watching him breathe slowly, expression a rare kind of soft Kuroo never saw during his waking hours which only made it more special.. The tumultuous feelings he feels for Nisaka felt so much easier then, simpler at the very least.. now there's a sexual element to them, clear attraction he can't ignore or write off as affection for a dear friend.. ]

No need to worry. My nasal cavity is clear. [ He yawns and then shifts his head again to look at Nisaka instead. ] I'll probably end up stealing your pillow, though.

[ sleepovers these days are fewer and further between; as they got older, it became less practical, less appropriate, even if most of what makes it inappropriate remains silent between them. like everything else they aren't saying right now, all the dreams nisaka has had starring the other boy on this very bed that wound up ruining more than just a few pairs of underwear in these last few years. if he were a better friend, he would have tried to opt for a sleeping bag, even though history shows it never worked. he isn't, but he hopes he can at least be a good enough friend to make it through the night without leading into some really embarrassing accidents.

he blows out a puff of air between his teeth, feeling his eyes begin to strain from how much he determinedly avoids meeting kuroo's glance. it'll be a long night... he'll be lucky if he can get even an hour's sleep, to be honest. ]

I wish I could say I'm surprised... How did you ever manage to make it through two months with just one pillow at camp?

[ Damn, it's hot. Kuroo is almost certain the thick jersey of his sleep pants isn't helping, but the way the faint but balmy breeze from the window tousles Nisaka's hair a little, the way the light catches the curve of his chin and the tips of his eyelashes.. that definitely doesn't help either.

If Nisaka wasn't so attractive, Kuroo finds his sleepy brain garbling, then this wouldn't be a problem. Would he still have these feelings if Nisaka wasn't attractive, he then wonders, but before he has any time to consider it his brain is offering him all the times Nisaka has done or said something surprisingly sweet to make him feel better or to boost his confidence, or just because the situation calls for some brutal honesty and that's often the only thing that falls out of Nisaka's mouth.

Mouth... ah, fuck. He moves his head again, turned up to the cieling but with his eyes determinedly closed as he tries to think about anything but Nisaka's pouty lips... and all the nasty things he's thought about them doing. ]

I won bets after dinner and took pillows as my prize. [ He murmurs, smile vague, betraying how hard he's focusing on something else. ] Arm wrestling, mostly.

[ the heavy breath he releases when he feels kuroo's gaze slip away causes his entire body to slacken, but unfortunately the tension remains. it's there between his shoulderblades, pinched and taut like a coil about to snap from being overworked. he wants kuroo to just sleep, to stop being so god damn present so he can go on pretending it wouldn't be so easy to just roll over and curl up against his body. he must be so hard now, nisaka thinks, packed with all that muscle. and then of course his mind wonders what he really would feel like hard, and he swallows so loudly he's certain even the neighbors could hear it.

of course it would be arm wrestling. of course. he can see it so vividly, biceps bulging in the fading sunlight, cocksure grin lighting up his features, making him look like the bad boy in ever jdrama you've ever seen, but deep down softer and kinder and warmer than any protagonist—

nisaka sits up suddenly, hands splayed out on either side of him, fingertips just nudging against the skin of kuroo's hip. he can't stay in there much longer. ]

I forgot to brush my teeth.

[ he climbs out of bed, all awkward limbs and tripping over himself, knees and elbows knocking over kuroo's bent leg but he makes it to the floor and to the door soon enough. could he possibly stay in the bathroom long enough for kuroo to knock out? surely he must be tired from a long day... maybe if he prays hard enough, some deity will hear him and have mercy on his soul. ]

[ Kuroo is right in the middle of considering how ridiculous it is that all brains seem to do when told strictly not to think about a certain thing is hyper focus on that thing, exploring it in lengths that not even day dreams or absent fantasising can achieve - like how a little pink tongue might look when lapping up come that clings to his lips in thick, hot loops.. how those lips might look kiss-bruised and glossy from their efforts, or stretched over something bigger, or locked tight around desperate fingers, bit back by teeth when it all gets too intense...

It's both a blessing and a curse when Nisaka clambers over him, because it breaks him out of his reverie enough that he opens his eyes and focuses on something other than his own perversion, but in opening his eyes he does so to the sight of Nisaka clambering over his lap and very nearly brushing his knee somewhere particularly dangerous that has Kuroo sucking in a quick breath.

When he's alone he pushes a hand through his hair, mind racing with the memory of what just happened, trying his best not to let himself hyper-focus on the memory of pressure across his legs that has his skin tingling, but knowing full well that ultimately he's going to fail. It'd probably be better if he took a bathroom break too, to deal with this, but that would be a little hard to explain and honestly he doesn't like the odds of standing up right now. Instead he turns inward, facing the wall, and folds his pillow in half over his head in the faint hope that it'll have him quickly fall asleep so he can stop feeling quite so hot and bothered. ]

[ nisaka doesn't know how long he actually stays in there. after splashing his face with cold water a few times he kind of zones out. stares at the empty sink for longer than necessary, till the white of the porcelain gets so ingrained into his retinas that he still sees a bit of white when he closes his eyes to fend off the dryness.

in the end, he doesn't end up brushing his teeth like he'd meant to in the first place, having completely forgotten about his excuse anyway. his entrance back into the room is marked by the quiet creak of his door, betraying his attempt to be subtle. he startles at the sight of kuroo's back, and while he's grateful he doesn't have to answer to him now, he's worried what he will have to face when he gets back onto the bed.

it just doesn't seem possible... how is he possibly going to be able to handle being that close? in the dark? hearing the other 's breath... ]

Kuroo, [ he says into the room. it's quiet, as if he's hoping the other won't hear him. ] Are you awake...?

[ The window is doing absolutely nothing, and in the time it takes for Nisaka to finally return Kuroo has wriggled out of his sleep pants and tucked his lower half under the light sheet instead. It's probably a dangerous move considering the fact that his underwear isn't exactly loose, but he figures the sheet should be a big enough distraction (and, essentially, lighter than his sleep pants) that it won't come back to bite him in the ass too badly.

Kuroo does hear him, but he's concentrating so closely on trying to build up some of the self control his sleepiness has made a ruin of that he figures it's better to just pretend for the moment. If he pretends then maybe Nisaka will just climb into bed, turn away from him and try to focus on doing the same.. and the two of them will wake up in the morning feeling cooler, with more composure in Kuroo's case. The way he's behaving, the tangents his mind is going down, almost make him feel guilty because of all people Nisaka should be able to trust him and be safe around him.. Kuroo's dirty mind and wavering intention kind of puts a sour taste on all of that. ]

[ nisaka hasn't noticed the change in kuroo's attire. he can't really see much of anything once he steps in and closes the door behind him, blocking off the faint hallway light. he had been ready to tell the other boy he was calling it quits, going to sleep on the living room couch instead. but with kuroo asleep, he doesn't feel right just leaving without any warning, and so he finds himself stuck.

the worst part is a large part of him isn't even all that sorry for it.

slowly, he wanders back to the bed, each step quiet as he does. he lingers by the edge of the bed, close enough to see the side of kuroo's face, but most of it hidden in shadow. he's close enough to touch, too, if nisaka were to just reach out, let his fingertips brush against the sharp angle of a cheek...

he pulls back on a quick intake of breath. burned before even making contact.

as swiftly but as carefully as he can, he tries to climb back over into his spot. he somehow manages to only touch kuroo once — the inside of his leg sliding up against the curve of kuroo's back, drawing on the thin material of his shirt. he's quick to tuck himself under the sheet as well, hoping the extra layer might somehow be like a balm to the hot coals of his desire. he curls up on his side, back to his friend, staring at the wall closeby and hoping against hope he can just. let the thoughts drown themselves out and go to sleep. ]

[ The sound of the door closing, oddly, has Kuroo's heart suddenly feeling large in his chest, beating so fast and loud that he's sure it's audible in the quiet and darkness of the other boy's bedroom. If it is, Nisaka seems to be ignoring it, as Kuroo listens through the dimness for the sounds of soft feet padding quietly closer. He sounds tentative, Kuroo kids himself by thinking, like he might be just as nervous as he is in Kuroo's head.

The slide of a slim leg along his back is somehow worse than a knee to his inner thigh or a hand close by his chest... It's so much worse than any of it because it's so fleeting, over so fast that Kuroo barely manages to register what's happening before it's over and his skin prickles a little, crying out soundlessly for more of that touch that had set it alight.

Kuroo swallows while Nisaka settles down, and then once they're both still.. he finds that now he's more charged than he was before. The air seems thick and electric between them, like Kuroo has personally charged it with just how alive his brain is feeling, sleep suddenly tossed by the wayside to make room for the bountiful offerings his imagination conjures up when he opens his eyes and looks at the outline of Nisaka beside him. He can imagine shuffling closer, tucking his nose at the nape of Nisaka's neck, wrapping an arm around him to pull that slim frame close and feel what it feels like to have him against him. It's torture, really, to be so close and yet feel so far away, to know the space between them could be crossed if Kuroo could only reach out a hand and run his fingers soft down the line of Nisaka's spine.

The exhale that leaves him is shuddering, more like a breathy sigh than it is anything else. Just in case it sounded a little too awake, Kuroo shifts where he lies, turning onto his back a little more just so that he has something to look at other than that tempting silhouette. ]

[ sleep eventually came to them both. not easily, mind, but eventually. the following morning carried on as per usual, some of the lingering tension between the mitigated by nisaka's dad crawling out of his self-imposed writer's exile to get some fresh air and actual human contact. he (and eventually nisaka's mother) wound up taking up a huge chunk of kuroo's time, all the curiosity and excitement that nisaka himself seems physically unable to express.

next thing they know, kuroo is back in his own home, on his own bed. nisaka tries not to think about how empty his own suddenly feels, or that any of the lingering warmth in the sheets could possibly be his.

a day passes, but it feels like a day too long. kuroo gets settled back into his home and his life, and nisaka is waking up obscenely early to make coffee for people who could definitely use a little less caffeine in their lives.

the early morning rush only lashes for about an hour, an hour and a half, and by the time 9:30 hits, there's enough of a lull that the manager has slipped into the back to crunch some numbers, and watabe is trying to convince nisaka there's merit in learning how to perfect latte art to no real avail. instead he keeps glancing up at the clock every now and then. wondering when kuroo's text of see you later will be now. ]

[ It took Kuroo's mother doing what Kuroo's mother does best, being sneakier and more precise about it than Kuroo could ever hope to be, and successfully worming the cafe schedule out of an unsuspecting and flustered cafe manager, for Kuroo to be here at exactly the right time when the cafe is in a lull and when Nisaka is on shift. Specifically when Nisaka is on shift. Kuroo's mom said it was so he could deliver a souvenir she bought him from her trip away, and Kuroo won't complain since it serves his needs just fine.

He pushes open the door with an elbow, present bag swinging on the other as he makes his way up to the counter. He doesn't even see the other guy, which is probably quite telling, but honestly he's kind of stopped paying attention to his own 'huh, that was pretty gay' moments. It's easier to just accept them as a part of himself now. ]

Wow, what a flattering apron. You look ravishing. Is that a whipped cream stain? It's not even 10am yet.

[ Kuroo grins, then looks up at the board, scanning it for a moment before.. ]

What the fuck is a chococcino..

[ to be honest, he had perked up the moment he caught sight of kuroo on the other side of the door, though for nisaka "perking up" is really more like a little more light and attentiveness in his eyes. to be fair, he looks up from his spot by the cappucino machine, ignoring the rest of watabe's instructions as foam starts to build up in his cup. both boys are wearing the cafe's standard uniform — black pants with a dark red shirt and a long black apron. watabe is wearing a cap with the cafe's logo on it, but nisaka has opted without it, though given the length of his hair, most of the long tresses is drawn back into a neat little ponytail.

he notices the little giftbang swinging from kuroo's elbow, but doesn't really think much of it outside of the fact it's on his elbow. his entire attention rests on the boy himself, even if his expression has barely changed from seconds prior. so much for a "customer service smile." ]

Something your waistline won't appreciate. [ he tips his head. ] Are you here for a discount? It's only 5%.

Will you quit poking at my weight? You're gonna give me a complex.

[ Says the guy who's been out since eight on a morning run... Like he's not guiltily pushing himself just that little bit harder since he's more than a little paranoid about the two ridiculously lavish baked treats he stuffed into his face in as many days when he got back to his hometown. Kuroo's fringe is sticking to his face and the spiked roughness of his hair seems just that extra bit wild from his efforts. His skin is slightly damp, sweat beading on his arms, which are visible since he's wearing a ridiculous no-sleeves-was-tshirt with a garish tiger on the front, and running down the side of his face to nestle in the towel around his neck. ]

5% is pretty weak. You can't shove an extra shot of syrup in there while no-one's watching? Just for me?

[ He's joking, just because he has no idea what kind of syrup he'd go for if he had the option. He's kind of a weak latte no frills kind of guy. Unless it was latte art, because he's always kind of quietly impressed by extraneous but deceivingly complex shit like that. ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

https://i.imgur.com/uoji2yT.jpg

no subject

no subject

no subject