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There were a lot of things Kuroo knew about Yaku, ranging from his birthday to the drawer dedicated to his horrible collection of funny patterned socks. Or how he'd sneak out through the window in his room to walk to Kai or Kuroo's place when things got too heated and angry at home. Or, again, how his favorite ice cream flavor was hazelnuts, and how he had a thing for catching on tiny details that no one would think about twice. After all, they've known each other for years, and Kuroo thought that there couldn't be much more for him to learn about Yaku when it came to regular stuff like his passions or fashion sense, and his hair or eye color.
But for summer break, they had decided to get their old team together for a week or so in this little quiet beach town’s house Kai’s parents owned. This was gonna be fun, this was gonna be a moment for the three oldests to realise that their baby juniors were actually finishing up high school and growing up. A week for them to laugh and have fun and lay everything out in the open and leave anything complicated behind for a few days. Kuroo really didn't expect for things to get complicated for him. Because that's week is when he saw them. When they appeared.
Yaku had freckles .
It's something Kuroo had seen before, actually, but they had always been way fewer and paler. The sun this year had been harsh and the fact that he'd been exposed to it the whole week had made all of them pop up wildy. It's not something anyone had pointed out, and Kuroo didn't really know why he was so fascinated by them - and Kai's inquisitive look when he caught Kuroo staring made him flush, embarrassed at his own actions. Why , though, it was only innocent curiosity.
Right ?
He didn't know. Didn't really want to think about it, to be honest. Didn't really want to stir up the fact that his whole chest seemed to warm up when Yaku was talking to him, or how he would fire up whenever they were close enough to touch. Didn't want to think about the fact that he had observed Yaku's face enough to see how light and long his eyelashes were, and how the color of his eyes changed slightly with the weather. So like most things Yaku related, he tried to ignore it.
Except he kept catching himself staring. These little spots decorating his face from his applecheeks to the tip of his nose, that seemed to shine when he smiled, and how everytime he looked they seemed to have moved spots. He wanted to reach out and-
"Okay. What's your problem."
Kuroo jumped. It shouldn't have surprised him to hear Yaku's voice, after all he was just in front of him. He had been looking at the smaller man for the past few minutes. He vaguely recalled the others going either to the sea or to the rocky area where they could climb a bit, and saying he just wanted to chill in the shade for a bit. Yaku had just sat down on the table with him and Kuroo had been- well. Busy.
"What ?" Kuroo's voice was weak. And guilty.
"You've been staring at me all the time these past few days. Like, without saying anything. It's kind of creepy," a hand came up to hide his cheeks, instinctive but barely there. "Do i have something on my face ?"
Kuroo didn't really think when his fingers reached for Yaku's, gently pulling the smaller hand away, revealing constellations on Yaku's skin. He just let the taller man touch him, knowing he was trying to come up with something to say.
"Your freckles."
"Uh." Eloquent.
"They look. Uh. Really cute."
Yaku knocked his foot against Kuroo's knee, under the table, as he looked away, retracting his own hand as he became aware of how his friend had been holding it for the past minute. "Shut up." Kuroo smirked. "Shut up !"
"I didn't say anything."
"You were going to !" Yaku too, does know how Kuroo works, the quick quips coming naturally, malicious or pleasant, it was a coin's toss, really. Though Kuroo only ever had hidden compliments for his friend. Especially Yaku.
"I mean it, you know ?" Across the table, Yaku glared at him. Ah. "Alright, maybe not cute, since you don't like that word. But they look very pretty."
His voice died down as he said the words, suddenly embarrassed, aware of what he had just declared. Another knock on his knee, but think time Yaku just looked away. "I don't like them."
Of course he doesn't. "Why ?" He gets brave, leans forward, and finally gets to touch the object of his persistent distraction. "They're like a map of stars."
There is no quick, easy banter after that, and for a brief second Kuroo regrets his words. But then he feels the soft skin under the tip of his fingers burning up, and Yaku's eyes are glazed over, focused on Kuroo, but at the same time he can feel him slightly panicking, an error in the system. He lets himself smile the moment Yaku seems to get ahold of himself, when he doesn't stop Kuroo's hand caressing his face, closes his eyes gently.
"They're not the only things that are pretty here, by the way." He feels like he's gonna burn, an Icarus to Yaku's sun, Yaku who could burn and destroy him with a word, a look.
"Shut up." Of course. "I'm gonna kill you." Kuroo laughs.
"You're really, really pretty."
And it's said with such sincerity that Yaku can't help but still, words on his tongue but no sound leaving his throat, and he knows how Kuroo's teasing voice sounds, how he'd smirk and his eyes would lit up with a familiar malicious glimmer. But none of it is here. His voice is small but high when he speaks up. "Where did that even come from ?"
"What, not used to being called pretty ?" There it is, the smirk, the slight tilt of his voice. "I should have said it earlier, you deserve to know the truth." Yaku kicks harder under the table, and Kuroo laughs.
The sun is glaring at him but it feels as if even if he tried hard enough he wouldn't be able to burn Kuroo's wings. Like years of friendship and harsh banter had glazed them over with a veil Yaku's flames couldn't burn, a gentle acceptance and an awareness that this , whatever it is, is there. Them. Their shared trust. The endless affection neither would ever want to admit. The quiet moments where they’re so aware of each other. The late nights shared together after having fallen asleep watching a movie. How easy it was for them to meld into each other’s side. And for the first time, they both seem to acknowledge it, Kuroo's hand on Yaku's sunkissed skin. It feels like it's the first time they've touched each other with how they're both burning up, and it's endless and Yaku feels like he can't catch his breath-
"Oh- There you are. Aren't you gonna go swim ?"
It's too soon when Kuroo retracts his hand in surprise, but Yaku is thankful, having already enough to deal with in his heart to add Kai's knowing smile and curious eyes to the mix. Kuroo doesn't look better.
"Ah. Yes. Uh. We were just taking all the shade in while we could uh-"
Words. On the other side of the table, Kuroo stands up with a natural nonchalance, as if these past few minutes hadn't affected him at all - which Yaku knows is wrong from how he refuses to look at him.
He gets up, following his friends.
They’ve known each other for more than five years. They could spare a few more hours before addressing the fact that if he asked Kuroo, he’d trace constellations on his skin and would leave gentle presses of his lips in their wake.
