#happily played the rest of recess like!!!! i know we’re teaching them how to use words and communicate and be respectful but man

[essentiallychaotic]

was a recess monitor substitute today and let me tell you, there’s a lot to be learned about life from kiddos happily running across a playground screeching with their friends

[therainroguefanfiction]

⍚ HaikWeek!! 2020 ⍚ Day 4 (Kuroo & Kenma) Best Friends

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Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Slice of Life, Slight Angst

Word Count: 3,225

Pairing: Kuroo, Foreign Reader, Kenma

World: Haikyuu!!

Prompt: Favorite Pair/Duo + Childhood Friends  

Author’s Note: Here is the next entry for @haikyuuweek2020​~ Huge shoutout to @lanaaize​ for informing me that Kenma was seven and Kuroo was eight when they first met! I wasn’t sure of this information since the wiki just says “when they were kids” and I was thinking seven but a friend was thinking five, so I was originally gonna go with six!

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Being the new kid was never an easy task, but it seemed even worse when you came from a foreign country. Everyone knew you were different – they could tell from the way you looked and the way you talked. You were just a kid and, while you were doing your best to learn Japanese, you were clearly a beginner.

The other kids tried to interact with you but you shied away from them because people made you uncomfortable and because you couldn’t understand what they were saying. Even when they purposely talked slow, practically screaming into your ear, you only caught a word or two. The lessons were also hard because you struggled to understand what the teacher was saying.

All of this led to you being fairly isolated in your new home. You had no friends, which you weren’t too fussed about, but learning the language was hard. Even if you didn’t want to interact with others, you still wanted to be able to understand what they were saying. Without friends to hang out with, you had more time to study the language and to read your favorite books.

The teacher was concerned about you, though, constantly trying to include you and encouraged you to interact with the other kids. You weren’t alone, though, she did the exact same thing to another kid in your class, a boy named Kozume Kenma. This boy had black hair that stopped at his chin, bangs straddling his eyes like a curtain, those cat-like golden eyes that were always observing.

He was a quiet boy, always keeping to himself and playing on his portable gaming console. After months of trying to get the two of you to participate with the rest of the class, she finally gave up, much to the relief of the two of you.

The first time you interacted with Kenma was when the teacher paired the both of you for an assignment one day. It was fairly simple – both of you had to choose a subject and then draw what the other person chose. You ended up choosing a library while he chose a gaming console.

Neither of you had much talent when it came to drawing and the items you had drawn didn’t even resemble what it was supposed to. You had both tried so hard at it, too, but the scribbled mess had you both giggling. For the first time, Kenma had found someone that he felt comfortable around.

After that, the two of you started to spend time together. You wouldn’t classify each other as friends, but you certainly felt comfortable in each other’s presence. There was no need to talk between the two of you – he would sit and play his game while you sat and read. Things were peaceful and the two of you were content.

“Class, please welcome Kuroo Tetsuroo! He’s just moved here, please treat him kindly,” Aiko-sensei smiled kindly, her hand on the boy’s shoulder.

You tilted your head as you observed the boy. His hair was as black as night, sticking up in multiple directions like a bunch of weeds, and his eyes were a beautiful shade of dark brown. He was fidgeting beside the teacher, his cheeks a soft pink as his eyes settled on the ground.

Honestly, you felt for him, really. Just a few months ago you were that awkward kid at the front, everyone’s eyes on you. It certainly wasn’t a fond memory and you felt bad that he was going through it, as well. You wanted to reach out to him, to let him know that it got easier, but you were far too shy to do so.

The first week that he was at school, he did better than you in the respect that he could actually speak with the other kids, but his replies were short and soft-spoken. You often found yourself observing him, too scared to approach him yourself so watching him was enough. Even if you did have the courage to approach him, you doubted he would understand your broken Japanese.

It was recess and you and Kenma had been forced outside, leaving the two of you to curl up in the shade of a nearby tree, shoulders resting against one another. He was playing on his game system, some fighting game that you had tried and failed at, while you were reading a book about witches and wizards that he found boring. It was just another day for the two of you, until Kuroo slowly approached, his hands clasped behind his back and eyes trained on the system in Kenma’s hands.

“Hello,” he called out softly, shifting his weight. “Whatcha playing?”

Kenma glanced up, debating on whether he should ignore the boy or not but, finally, he answered. “Kombat of Mortals III.”

Kuroo’s eyes lit up. “I love that game! I have it at home, it’s lots of fun.”

“Yeah…”

The ravenette squatted down in front of you both. “My name’s Kuroo Tetsuroo. What’s yours?”

“…Kozume Kenma.”

“Nice to meet you, Kenma-san!” Kuroo looked at you expectantly and you bit your lip, eyes shooting to Kenma who sighed in frustration.

“This is L/N Y/N.”

He smiled at you softly, “Nice to meet you, Y/N-san!”

You nodded, managing out a “You too,” in broken Japanese.

He tilted his head, observing you for a moment before settling down across from you, a kind smile on his face. When he spoke this time, he was speaking in heavily accented English. “Do you speak English?”

Your eyes lit up and you nodded frantically, closing your book to give him your attention. “Yes, I do!”

“I can help you with your Japanese if you want.”

“I-If you don’t mind,” you smiled shyly, feeling your cheeks heat up. “I’d like that.”

Something changed for the three of you that day, shaping the future to properly handle the three of you together. It wasn’t long before the three of you became inseparable.

Something that Kuroo loved to do was play volleyball. It made him happy like Kenma’s games or your books, but it was a sport that simply couldn’t be played alone. Because of this, you encouraged him to join the school’s volleyball club which he did without hesitation. While he still made time for the two of you, he spent a lot of time with the club.

Kenma wasn’t really bothered by this, but you were. What if he found new friends and left the two of you behind? He had become an important person in your life and the main reason you had advanced so well in learning Japanese. You couldn’t imagine your life without him in it, or without Kenma. They were your best friends, your only friends.

When you brought this up to Kenma, he told you that you were worrying for nothing. Kuroo wasn’t the type to just abandon his friends because they didn’t share his interests. You still worried, though, because that was what you did best.

You weren’t sure if Kenma had relayed this information to him, but Kuroo started to try and get the two of you to play with him by teaching you the basics of the game. You tried desperately to enjoy it, but you had no athleticism in your body. You hated the experience, but you plastered on a fake smile and never complained.

Kenma also didn’t enjoy the experience, but he was much more vocal about it, constantly complaining about how it was too much effort and he didn’t like how tired it made him feel. Despite this, the three of you continued to play volleyball together, well into your middle school years.

Kuroo convinced the two of you to try out for the team.

It was frustrating for you, really. Kenma didn’t try at all, yet he was so good at the game, able to read the slightest movements of those around him. They happily accepted him onto the team which he was visibly unhappy about. Meanwhile, you did your absolute best to keep up but you didn’t have Kenma’s observational skills or Kuroo’s intelligence and athleticism.

While they weren’t allowed to turn students away who wanted on the team, the captain did ask you if you wanted to be their manager instead. It was obvious to you that you were terrible at the game and stood no chance of standing on the same court as your two best friends. You had heard the older kids snickering behind your back at how bad you were.

In the end, you decided not to join the team.

Kuroo was sad by this and he asked multiple times if you were sure about the decision, but you assured him that you had given it a lot of thought. Sports just weren’t for you, you’d rather be reading and learning instead of running around chasing a ball. Kuroo accepted this answer, but Kenma knew better. He could see it in the way you were subtly pulling away from them.

Although Kenma wasn’t really one to confront people, he knew he had to in this case. He skipped practice one afternoon, heading to the roof where he knew you liked to hide and read.

You were surprised to find him there, knowing that he was supposed to be at practice. “Ken-chan? What’s wrong?”

He settled down across from you, scooting closer until his knees bumped against your own. His chin was propped up against his palm, eyes scanning yours. “Why are you pulling away from us?”

“Eh?” you quickly flicked your gaze back to the book in your lap, hoping that if you didn’t look in his eyes, he wouldn’t be able to read you. That was a pipe dream, of course. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“You think we’re going to leave you,” he stated, pausing to observe your expression. “So you’re pulling away from us slowly thinking we won’t notice. You think it will hurt less if you’re the one that pulls away.”

You lowered your head in shame, slowly nodding. “I’m sorry, Kenma. I just…”

“You’re negative like me,” he shifted closer, settling down beside you until his shoulder bumped yours. His head tilted back to look up at the blue sky, squinting at how bright it was. “You’re my best friend, though, so you won’t be losing me anytime soon. I don’t like speaking for others, but I’m sure Kuroo feels the same.”

“Feels the same about what?”

Both of you snapped your heads toward the roof entrance where Kuroo stood, panting softly as he wiped sweat from him chin, eyes narrowed suspiciously at the two of you. Kenma exchanged a look with you before nudging you in the side, a silent sign to tell him how you were feeling.

Taking a deep breath, you explained your feelings to them, putting your heart onto your sleeve. “I love you both so much, you’re my best friends, my only friends but… I’m scared that you’re going to leave me behind. I tried so hard to get better at volleyball but I’m just not good at it and I don’t enjoy it. You seem so happy out there, Kuroo. And even you do sometimes, Ken. I didn’t mean to but… I guess somewhere deep down I thought it would be easier on me if I pulled away from you instead of waiting for you to leave me…”

Kuroo frowned, squatting down in front of you just as he had the day you had first spoken, and he took your hands into his own. “You and Kenma are my best friends! How could you think I’d ever abandon you? No matter what happens, I will always be by your side! You too, Kenma!”

Kenma jumped, nose wrinkling. “Why are you including me?”

“You’re part of this, too!” Kuroo grinned, dropping one of your hands so he could take one of Kenma’s. “No matter what, the three of us will be together forever. That’s a promise!”

“You… you really mean it?” you questioned softly, feeling tears sting at your eyes.

“Yup!”

Using your free hand, you scrubbed at your eyes to get rid of the tears, smiling brightly. “Thank you, Kuroo!”

“You can use my first name, you know,” he stuck his tongue out, poking you in the side.

“Tetsuroo,” you tested his name before nodding. “I like it!”

He giggled, throwing himself forward with one arm around each of you. “My best friends~”

You returned the hug without hesitation, rubbing your cheek against his while reaching out your hand to take hold of Kenma’s. “My best friends!”

Kenma sighed, not into the overly sappy expressions of love but he eventually gripped your hand, free hand lightly patting the older boy on the back.

The house was silent, the lights turned off to blanket the living room in darkness. Everyone was waiting with bated breath for the teenager to return home – his family, his volleyball team, and, of course, you and Kenma. The two of you were at the back of the room, sharing the large charge sitting in the corner and holding party poppers.

Today was Kuroo’s birthday and he would be returning home from a shopping trip with his grandmother any moment now. The cake sat on the table, the candles just waiting to be lit. Surrounding it was several plates of grilled salted mackerel, his favorite dish.

The front door clicked as the handle was turned and everyone held their breath, preparing to jump out at him as soon as he stepped through the door. His tall silhouette appeared in the doorway, followed by his confused voice. “Why are the lights off?”

On cue, his mother flicked the lights on and everyone chorused, “Happy birthday, Tetsuroo/Kuroo!!”

His wide eyes scanned the room, feeling his heart jump within his chest at the sudden screaming. His face heated up, brow furrowing as he tried not to cry at how happy he felt to be surrounded by his friends and family. After hugging his parents and grandparents, he headed straight for the two of you.

You jumped off the chair, throwing your arms around his waist. “Happy birthday, Tetsu!”

“Thank you, Y/N,” he pecked your cheek before smiling at Kenma.

“Happy birthday.”

“Thank you, Kenma. Come on, it’s time for cake!”

“Aren’t we supposed to eat the food first?” Kenma’s brow furrowed as the older boy tugged him toward the table.

“That’s no fun!” Kuroo grinned in reply, watching his mother lighting the candles.

“Make a wish, darling,” she spoke softly, resting her hand on his shoulder.

He nodded, closing his eyes. He could feel the warmth of you on his right and the warmth of Kenma on his left and he couldn’t help smiling. He knew exactly what he wanted to wish for. ‘I hope we stay best friends forever, even when we’re old and wrinkly.’

Sucking in a breath, he blew as hard as he could, extinguishing the flames in one go. Everyone cheered him on before his mother handed him a knife to cut the cake with and he cut a large slice, sliding it onto the plate she offered him. He then stepped backward, holding the plate between the three of you.

His mother handed the three of you a fork each and, together, you took a bite of the delicious cake his mother had made. The rest of the afternoon was spent with the two of you, though he didn’t ignore his other guests, he just forced you both to follow him as he thanked them for coming and caught up with them.

After opening his presents, minus the ones that you and Kenma had gotten him, and saying goodbye to the group, he asked his mother if the two of you could spend the night. She forced you both to contact your parents who gave the okay and the three of you headed up to his room, the presents tucked under his arm.

Kuroo plopped onto his bed, setting the two boxes in front of him before tapping his chin. “Which one should I open first?”

Feeling a bit nervous about your gift, you decided to put Kenma in the spotlight first. “Open Ken’s!”

Kuroo snapped his fingers, giving you a grin. “Okay~ I’ll open yours first, then, Y/N.”

You pouted as you crawled onto the bed, settling down across from him. “Cheater~!”

He snickered, tugging at the ribbon that you had tied around the box. Your heart raced as he tugged off the lid, pushing aside the tissue paper before pulling out the necklace inside. The chain was a thin black rope, holding a black cat with golden eyes. Held between its tail and its back was an amber gem in the shape of a volleyball.

You rubbed the back of your neck, feeling the tips of your ears heating up. “It’s, umm… it’s not much but I saw it and thought of you…”

Kuroo’s expression softened as he unclipped it before placing it around his neck. It hung down just beneath his collar bone, settled in the center of his chest, the metal cold against his skin. He smiled softly as his fingers brushed over the pendant. “I love it, thank you so much, Y/N.”

Pride swelled within you and you nodded cheerfully. “You’re welcome!”

“Okay, your turn, Kenma!” Kuroo grinned, grabbing the larger box and pulling the lid from it. “No way! You got me a Mikasa volleyball!”

Kenma nodded, scratching at his cheek. “You said they were your favorite…”

“Aww, you remembered.”

“You said it every single day for the past two months…”

Kuroo ignored that comment, reaching for his laptop. “How about we spend the rest of the night watching movies?”

“Ooo, can we watch horror?” you questioned, eyes gleaming.

Kenma’s nose wrinkled at you. “I vote for anime.”

“Horror anime?”

“Shounen.”

“Eh~ that’s no fun,” you pouted.

Kuroo laughed loudly, sounding more like a hyena than a teenage boy. “We can watch both!”

You stifled a yawn as you stepped out of your house, finding Kuroo and Kenma waiting outside for you, just as they did every morning. Your mood instantly brightened upon seeing them and the tiredness you were feeling seemed to melt away. With a smile, you ran over to them, throwing your arms around their bodies.

“Morning, guys!”

“Good morning, darling!” Kuroo pecked your cheek before ruffling your hair, laughing when you swatted at his hand.

“Morning,” Kenma glanced up at you before turning his gaze back to the gaming console in his hands.

You threw your arm around his shoulder and Kuroo took up your other side, his hand slipping into yours. To outside parties, it may seem like you were dating one, or both, of them, but that’s because they didn’t understand the bond that the three of you shared. There was a strong love between you three that couldn’t be expressed with words and that was fine.

From the very beginning, you didn’t need words to enjoy one another’s company or to express how deeply you cared for each other.  You smiled happily as you turned your gaze to the rising sun, tightening your grip on the two boys. Life just seemed so much brighter with these two by your side and they felt the exact same way.

━━━━━━༻⍚ 🏐 HaikWeek!! 2020 🏐 ⍚༺━━━━━━

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