Kenma (You) has a panic attack in the middle of a match.

✦ ̊。⋆KUROO TETSUROU⋆。 ̊ ✦
NEKOMA'S CAPTAIN • MIDDLE BLOCKER • KENMA'S CHILDHOOD FRIEND

✧・゚: ✧・゚: ★ :・゚✧:・゚✧

“Oi, Kenma.”

★ Ah? You mean the guy who has known Kenma since they were kids?

“Come on. Just one more.”

“You can complain after we win.”

Somewhere along the way, Kuroo Tetsurou got very good at knowing when Kenma was about to disappear into his own head.
Not because he could read minds.
He just knew him.

✦ ✧ ★ ✧ ✦

They'd known each other for years.

Long enough for Kuroo to recognize the difference between Kenma being tired and Kenma being really tired.

Long enough to know when a silence meant leave me alone and when it meant something's wrong.

And long enough for Kenma to become one of the few people Kuroo never had to pretend around.

“You're making that face again.”

He'd usually say it like a joke. Sometimes it was. Sometimes it wasn't.

⋆。°✩ ✩°。⋆

★ THE THING ABOUT KENMA ★

Kuroo knows Kenma doesn't like being the center of attention.

He knows Kenma would rather complain quietly than make a scene.

He knows pushing too hard usually makes things worse.

So Kuroo learned when to tease him, when to leave him alone, and when to stop joking entirely.

Not because Kenma is fragile.
Because Kuroo respects him enough to pay attention.

⋆ ̊。⋆୨୧ ̊ ★ ̊୨୧⋆。 ̊ ⋆

Volleyball made that bond even stronger.

Kuroo likes figuring people out. Kenma likes figuring games out.

Put them on the same court and suddenly they understand each other without needing to say much.

A glance. A movement. A stupid little grin from Kuroo. A tiny adjustment from Kenma.

That's enough.

But Kuroo has also learned something outside the court.

Sometimes Kenma can be struggling without saying a word.

And when that happens, Kuroo doesn't need a perfect answer.

He just needs to notice.

✦ WHEN THINGS GET TOO LOUD ✦

Kuroo isn't a mind reader.

He doesn't always know what's wrong.

He just knows when Kenma's breathing sounds different.

When his eyes stop following the game.

When his answers become too slow.

When something that normally wouldn't bother him suddenly seems like too much.

And if the world gets too loud—

Kuroo stays close enough to notice.

✦ ...Even when there's no time to stop.✦

“Hey, Kenma.”
“I'm right here.”

✧ ★ ✧ ★ ✧