Chapter Text
Oikawa grabbed him off the bus stop as he arrived and went straight to the main entrance to join the queue of all the fans and sport's enthusiasts that headed towards the stairs. No need to be quick, Oikawa had said, because the two seats next to the penalty box he had reserved for them would not be given to any guests. When they reached the entrance and every guest showed their ticket, the staff just waved Oikawa and Kuroo through.
"We're special guests. Well, I am. And today you are as well," Oikawa said when Kuroo looked at him with a frown.
"You always get in for free?"
"It started at some point and no one complained, so I'm not going to be the one starting it."
Which was fair enough, Kuroo thought and followed his friend down the familiar hallway. Music already blared insanely loud from the hockey rink and people pushed from left and right for no particular reason. He knew why he didn't usually attend such events. Too loud, too full, too many people. And the fact that he didn't really care for hockey. At least until today. Maybe this was going to be some sort of revelation.
As soon as they entered the big stadium-like hall through one of the four double doors that were right next to each other the crowd dispersed a little while everyone went looking for their seat. Kuroo just followed Oikawa down the stairs and around the whole rink to the other side, where they sat down right next to the penalty box. Some other people were already there and greeted them.
Apparently these seats were really popular. That's what he gathered from a man in the row in front of them that had his young son sitting right on the seat next to the plexiglass that surrounded the box. The boy seemed really excited and told them that this was his first ever game to visit.
"Oh? It's his first game as well!" Oikawa said with a grin and looked at Kuroo, who still felt insanely out of place.
"Are you excited as well??" The boy didn't really wait for an answer before he told them what he was excited about most, what he liked about hockey, what he liked about the Jackal mascot most, who his favorite player was…
"Who's your favorite??" The excitement in the boy's eyes shone brighter than the floodlights on the ceiling.
"Oh, that's a good question. Mhhhh…"
Kuroo looked at Oikawa who had the audacity to act like he was actually thinking about this question. Iwaizumi would scoff at him and not pay for Oikawa's dinner, if he knew.
"I think Iwaizumi Hajime. He's the captain, so he's pretty cool!"
The boy agreed and looked expectantly at Kuroo who just blinked back at him for a moment.
"Uh… I don’t know, actually. I don't think I have a favorite–"
"What about Bokuto?" Oikawa interfered before Kuroo could finish the sentence and the disappointment settled on the boy's face. There was a weird expression in Oikawa's eyes, as if he wanted Kuroo to admit that he liked Bokuto. Kuroo frowned at him.
"I guess he's alright," he finally said. Probably not exactly what Oikawa wanted to hear, but what else was he supposed to say? Bokuto was an alright guy and Kuroo hadn't even known the rules of this game until last night when he thought it might be smart to at least read some articles about it in preparation. To not be absolutely clueless. Although, he still felt absolutely clueless.
They hadn’t seen each other for practice last night. Kuroo really didn't want to risk injuries on Bokuto's side, even though the other had insisted. For Kuroo. Because he wanted them to make progress, while Kuroo was still hesitant to be optimistic about each little step they made in the right direction. Kuroo hadn't even told Bokuto that he would be here today, watching his first ever hockey game because of him. Somehow, he could imagine the bright smile on the other's face if he had told him, though.
Soon the players were on the ice, warming up and getting ready. Fans were still pouring in through the big doors. Loud pop songs still screamed down at them from the speaker setup, but he couldn't make out which song it was through all the chatter around him.
At some point, Oikawa waved at the players and one greeted him back with a small hand gesture. Probably Iwaizumi, Kuroo thought before the other man turned around to present the name on his jersey and confirmed Kuroo's suspension.
Fans and players of the Jackals alike were dressed in black, yellow, and white while the opposing team wore white and blue. Easy to keep them apart.
A small commotion happened when two players of the Jackals hit each other on their helmets with their sticks. Fans cheered and laughed at the gesture, as Atsumu patted Bokuto's shoulder afterwards, both of them also laughing.
"It's their ritual, for good luck," Oikawa explained to the confused expression on Kuroo's face.
"Doesn't it hurt?"
"No, not their thick skulls at least," Oikawa said, tone playful and teasing, as if the two could hear him and answer to his provocation.
But to be honest, maybe Oikawa was onto something here. Bokuto's pain tolerance was something Kuroo had been worried about during their practice as well and all the time. But he really wasn't prepared how aggressive Bokuto was on the ice. He played like lives depended on it, like it was a fight to the death. They all did.
Their speed was fear inducing and Kuroo questioned if it was really necessary to hit the puck this hard. Especially at the poor person guarding the opposing goal. Bokuto engaged more with the other players than he did with that damn black disc to be honest. Like he wanted to distract, cause some chaos, always on the other side of the rink where Iwaizumi did the same, although their captain was even worse. He was the first to visit the Jackals' penalty box and now Kuroo understood why this was Oikawa's usual spot.
The moment Iwaizumi sat down and took one of his gloves off Oikawa's full attention was directed to the box and the man inside it. Whatever the people cheered about didn't matter. A goal? A fight? Men speeding past them and bumping into the sides on the rink? Oikawa didn't care anymore. Iwaizumi at least pretended that he cared, before he turned to his boyfriend who formed a heart with his hands. They grinned and smiled at each other, until Iwaizumi was allowed to leave again.
When Oikawa's attention was back with the outside world he met Kuroo's eyes for a brief moment.
"He looks hot in his gear, what am I supposed to do?!"
Kuroo just chuckled before he flinched as two players bumped violently against the barrier in front of them. They were gone again before he could make out who they were. The opposing player was sent to the penalty box this time. What the hell was going on? This time Oikawa chuckled at Kuroo's confused expression before he pointed in Bokuto's and Iwaizumi's general direction.
Hockey was such a fast paced game. Kuroo lost the puck more than he could count and was confused on what was going on even more. The players were even interacting and trying to hinder each other when that small black disc was nowhere around them. Penalties were not exactly given very often, but they were definitely happening quite a lot…
Iwaizumi was a regular guest, as it seemed. The time showed the middle of the second third of the game and this man had already scored his fourth penalty. And since Oikawa was immediately back to flirting after Iwaizumi sat down, Kuroo didn't even dare to ask if this was normal behavior. It was also a little concerning to him how progressively more provocative their flirting became with each penalty. A child sat right in front of Oikawa and Kuroo, yet his friend decided to almost lick the plexiglass and then pressed his tongue into his cheek when Iwaizumi grinned at him.
Kuroo decided to let them be for the five minutes they had together like this and looked out for the Number 12 that was speeding over half the rink and yelled something. The puck was passed to Bokuto and he only kept it for what felt like 0.2 seconds before Kuroo had lost the damn thing again. But instead of letting the frustration set in, he just kept his eyes locked on Bokuto. At least he couldn't lose the big guy as easily as that tiny black thing. He was even bigger than usual in his protective gear. Almost scary. Especially with this… sparkle in his eyes.
But as much as Kuroo didn't want to be the one in Bokuto's way when he had this look on his face, everyone else on the field seemed to match his energy. Which was even scarier than just this really nice and easy going man Kuroo had come to know who kept charging towards the puck and people like a predator ready to kill, because everyone seemed to be out for blood, some even in the literal sense of the word.
While Iwaizumi still waited for his penalty to count down, Bokuto tried to protect his teammates as they started an attack. One of the opposing players sped up and seemed to go straight for the shortest players of the Jackals who had passed the puck just a moment before. Kuroo and probably a lot of other fans anticipated the impact, some already booing and whistling, but Bokuto was quick to react and caught the bodycheck before its force could hit his teammate. The smaller man was already following the other players, not even looking back at Bokuto who looked mad, pointing at the opponent who bumped into him hard a second ago. They yelled at each other, Bokuto more agitated than the other one, yet both completely engulfed in their argument. The audience was a cacophony of boos, whistles and cheers. Suddenly Kuroo felt worried as Bokuto closed the distance between them and pushed the other man hard.
"Oh? What's happening?" Both Oikawa and Iwaizumi had turned their attention towards the ice again as the first blow hit Bokuto's face. Cheers and boos alike erupted around them, as both Kuroo and Oikawa cursed as another, now ungloved fist, landed straight in Bokuto's face. Still, Kuroo believed he could hear Bokuto roar and in a blink of an eye the two men were on each other's throat. Immediately a whistle sounded and two referees went between them. Both earned a penalty for that.
"Woooow…" Oikawa quietly said as Bokuto turned and approached the Jackals' box, one glove off his hand and carefully touching his nose. Kuroo could already see some red running onto his upper lip as well as a split in his lower one, that Bokuto licked at.
"Shouldn't he see a medic or something?" Kuroo asked.
"Nah, probably just popped a small vessel," Oikawa said nonchalantly, but Kuroo couldn't rid himself of the worry at the sight of Bokuto sitting down next to Iwaizumi while dabbing and smearing the blood around his nose and lips with his fingers, still looking like he wanted to rip the other player's head off.
Iwaizumi turned to him, said something and Bokuto's eyes darkened even more. Kuroo couldn't hear what they were talking about, but it was obvious what Bokuto thought about the situation. His gestures were big and agitated. He nearly ripped his helmet off his head, revealing the messiest hair Kuroo had ever seen on him. Bokuto would have looked so cute if there wasn't blood dripping from his nose and him probably calling the other guy a son of a bitch. But this "wild" Bokuto was interesting to watch. Fast, furious, righteous. Very different to the childish, soft and bright guy that had always made him smile so far. Interesting and… Kuroo couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something inside him stirred.
Bokuto was still smearing the blood all around his nose, until a referee came by and handed him a paper towel into the box after Iwaizumi had waved at their coach. He was still (probably) cursing the other guy out and his captain listened to him quietly, only indicating with his hand where he had missed a spot of red. Not that the dry paper was doing a good job at cleaning Bokuto's face.
Then, in a moment where Bokuto calmed down a bit and most of the blood flow seemed to have stopped, Iwaizumi nudged his side. Bokuto looked at him, brows still furrowed, as his captain pointed in Oikawa's and Kuroo's general direction. Oikawa waved at him before leaning to the side when Bokuto waved back, so he could get a clearer view of the other figure skater.
Bokuto blinked at him, clearly surprised to see him, but his face relaxed immediately and a bright smile split his face, just as his split lip started bleeding again. Kuroo couldn't help but snort out a quiet laugh at this stupid grin the other gave him, yet he smiled and waved at him as well. There he was again. His cute, big guy. This time with bloody teeth and red smeared around his nose, fresh blood only dripping slowly out of one nostril now.
Iwaizumi leaned toward his teammate and said something quietly in his ear, as if anyone around them could hear his words over the intense noise of the game still going on. But whatever he said, Bokuto's hand stopped mid-motion and a blush crept onto his unreadable expression. They exchanged some more words, much calmer than before, and Iwaizumi got up to return from his penalty.
Bokuto looked back at Kuroo, who wondered what this exchange between the hockey players had been. But whatever Iwaizumi had said to him, Bokuto blushed more noticeably now as Kuroo smiled and mouthed "good job" at him. The other smiled a little back, before averting his eyes and clearly avoiding any more interaction through the remainder of his penalty, before he rushed back on the ice with one last wave in the two figure skaters' general direction and a shy smile.
"What was that about?" Kuroo asked, surprised and worried about this sudden avoidant reaction. Bokuto seemed so happy to see him initially. Did Kuroo do something wrong?
"Nothing. You probably just make him a bit nervous," Oikawa said, a knowing smile almost splitting his face in half. Did he know something Kuroo didn't? Bokuto had asked him out, so Kuroo knew that the hockey player was interested, but why would he be nervous with Kuroo being here? And what had Iwaizumi said to him? Somehow he felt like these two were plotting something, although that was more Oikawa's and less Iwaizumi's thing.
Kuroo turned back towards the game, ignoring the smug little laugh erupting from his friend. While Oikawa kept giggling next to him he watched Bokuto back in his element. The shyness was already gone. He was back to being fast and dangerous. Maybe, if one squinted, there was still a blush creeping up from his neck and flushed his cheeks. But maybe that was just exertion.
But he looked wild; wilder than before. The red smear of remnant blood added onto that challenging twinkle in his eyes. The duality of this wild and angry man on the ice, and the brightly smiling shy boy after he noticed Kuroo… was intriguing and suddenly very inspiring. Now he understood what Oikawa had meant by saying that he should see Bokuto in action. Kuroo finally got it. He knew what Bokuto was on the ice, now he just needed to find a way to utilize it and–
The horns announced the end of the match and the deafening eruption of cheers left little room for error that the Jackals had won this match. Iwaizumi met with each of his teammates on the rink and patted them on the helmet, praising them for a job well done. Kuroo didn't see much as the people around them jumped up, cheering and celebrating the team's win, but through the bodies in front of him he could make out that Bokuto's nose was bleeding again.
Oikawa tugged on the sleeve of Kuroo's jacket.
"Come. We'll wait by the back for them. They'll probably go out for dinner afterwards," he said and got up, expecting Kuroo to follow him. And he did, after one glance back on the ice, where Bokuto was once again dabbing his nose, but laughing this time. He wasn't angry like before.
He was really cute like this.
* * *
He was even cuter when he emerged from the back entrance with his teammates. Each of them smiled, chattered and laughed, freshly showered and packed with their gym bags and skates. None of them seemed surprised when they saw Oikawa waiting for them, Kuroo might have been a different story. At least Bokuto looked surprised.
Big eyes met his the moment Bokuto walked through the door. If the blonde guy behind him hadn't already been pushing him through he would have probably stopped in his tracks to stare at him. His hair laid pretty flat in a middle part with strands hanging in his eyes. Very different from his usual messy spikes.
"Good game, you guys!" Oikawa said and was met with cheers from the other men. "Have you decided where you wanna go celebrate?"
"Onigiri Miya," Iwaizumi said before stealing a kiss from his boyfriend.
"My brother's keepin' the shop open just for us. Let's hurry!"
"I'm starviiiiiing!!"
As everyone started to move, following Iwaizumi, Oikawa and the blonde guy; Kuroo waited for Bokuto to close the distance between them before joining the party. The other had waited until everyone else was in front of them, so they were walking in the back.
"Uhm, hi."
"Hi," Kuroo answered, and Bokuto's signature bright smile grew on his face as they walked side by side.
"Didn't expect to see you here, like… at all." Bokuto spoke rather quietly, as if he didn't want the men in front of them to listen in.
"Oikawa said I should come and watch. I don't have a clue about hockey…" Kuroo shrugged, hoping not to disappoint the other with his honesty.
"Was it still fun?" The question sounded curious. When he turned to look at the other, Bokuto was already watching him for his reaction.
"Yeah, it was a good game! Especially when you got smacked in the face," Kuroo teased with an impish grin that made the hockey player laugh shyly. "Was that usually how it goes?"
"Haha, no. I just get too aggravated sometimes and then someone decks me. Either someone from the other team during the game or Iwaizumi after."
"Wait, really?! He just punches you unprovoked?!" This time Bokuto grinned and laughed at Kuroo's shocked reaction, pranked by his own methods.
"No. I also usually don't get smacked around on the ice like this."
"What happened, then?"
"That guy targeted Hinata from the start of the game, the referees did nothing and I got angry. So I went between them and gave him my two cents. And got my response." Bokuto shrugged, aware that this might not have been the best way to intervene, but Kuroo nodded slowly. The hockey player had seen how his friend got targeted and wanted to defend him. Exactly what it had looked like during the game. "I'm not regretting it though. Even though my face still hurts."
"So you're a protector, hm?" There was a blush creeping back onto Bokuto's face that Kuroo couldn't help but smile at as the other denied his observation. Apparently his duty on the ice was to deflect and keep the opponent busy, maybe stir some trouble. Some kind of "aggressive defense." Kuroo wasn't entirely sure if he got the concept, but it made a little sense with the ways Bokuto had behaved on the ice. Fast, taking up as much space as he could, trying to dominate whoever entered their attacking zone, protect their own players from harassment. He was protective, even if he denied it.
Like he was with Kuroo, even if the "threats" were wildly different.
The smile on Kuroo's face softened as he listened to Bokuto explain a little more, and asked questions where he didn't understand a single thing the other was talking about with an enthusiasm one expected from a kid. And slowly but surely something clicked. Bokuto's facets finally fell together into a picture Kuroo was able to understand, also as an artist.
Reckless and wild – things Kuroo wasn't. Elegant and calm – things Bokuto wasn't. But things that were interesting to combine…
Bokuto pulled Kuroo out of his head by holding the door open to the restaurant they had been heading to. It was so close to the stadium, yet he had never been here before. The atmosphere was nice. It looked a bit like a café with a self-service counter. No one was here but the staff thanks to the closed sign on the front door, yet no one told them to leave as they entered.
"Good game everyone!" A man behind the counter, looking a lot like the blonde Jackal, greeted them, his hands forming onigiri and plating them. He and his team had prepared some of the flavors they offered in the store, and had arranged them in a pile-like assortment that everyone could grab their favorites from after they sat at the biggest table in the shop.
The guy who looked like the blonde Jackal joined them after a while of cleaning the kitchen and sending his staff home for the night. As he sat next to him, he reached over Bokuto on his other side to shake Kuroo's hand.
"Heya, name's Osamu. I'm Atsumu's brother," he said and nodded his head in the blonde's direction. Kuroo nodded and introduced himself after Osamu announced that he was the owner of this place.
"Ya new in the group? Are ya his boyfriend?" He asked and pointed at Bokuto with his now free hand.
Suddenly it felt like half of the group went quiet as if to listen in. Kuroo knew that this was at least true for Oikawa who immediately turned his head towards them in great interest. Bokuto next to him, on the other hand, looked a bit panicked.
"Miya-sam–"
"Oikawa took me to watch the game," Kuroo avoided the question. He saw Oikawa slump in disappointment in the corner of his eye, while Bokuto seemed to relax a little.
"Ah, so ya one of the figure skaters? The one this guy is trying to help?"
"You know a lot," Kuroo chuckled as Bokuto tensed up again at the sound of Osamu's questions.
"Well, my brother talks. A lot."
"Hey!"
As a small fight between the brothers erupted, Bokuto turned to Kuroo. He still looked a little uncomfortable as he smiled apologetically. Kuroo just smiled back at him and shrugged.
"I mean, you did ask me out, didn't you?" He asked quietly with a teasing grin. Bokuto's eyes widened and the first thing that came to Kuroo's mind at this sight was cute. Bokuto looked cute with his hair down and the surprise in his big eyes.
"I, uh.. I'm sorry, I–"
"Don't worry about it so much," Kuroo chuckled before he slowly got up. "You know… who knows? Maybe…"
Even though Kuroo didn't say anything specific, Bokuto's expression grew softer again as he looked up at him.
"Where are you going?" Oikawa chimed in when he saw Kuroo stand.
"I'll go home. I have a choreography to change for tomorrow. I think I finally have a good idea," he said before he turned to Bokuto once more and winked. "See you tomorrow, big guy."
"Yeah." Bokuto's voice was soft, almost as if he was lost in thought, but his eyes followed Kuroo until he was out the door. Before it closed Kuroo could hear Atsumu holler something about "getting some." Kuroo just smiled cheekily. He acted like he didn't know what Atsumu tried to imply.