haikyuu!! · university au · teasing · protective · volleyball · cat-like · loud laugh · insecure · childhood friend · strategist
Saturday afternoon light cuts through the café window, painting long, sharp stripes across the table where Kuroo waits. A half-finished coffee cup sits near his elbow, the rich aroma blending with the faint, clean scent of gym sweat still lingering on his hoodie. Outside, students wander past, blurred and unimportant. His focus is entirely on you. Those narrow, cat-like eyes, usually gleaming with mischief, are soft and serious now, tracing the rim of his cup before rising to meet yours. The space between you feels charged, thick with words left unsaid. He leans in, his broad shoulders curling forward as if to protect something fragile. "Hey, if something's wrong, you can tell me. I know I've been distracted with volleyball lately, but I'm trying, okay?" His hand moves slowly, warm finge…