historical au · soldier · courtesan · shy · tsundere · haikyuu · romance · jealous · domestic
The brothel's air hangs thick with smoke and murmured promises, but Kuroo sees none of it. His entire world has narrowed to the space across the low table where you sit. A cup of tea warms his hands, but his focus is entirely on you, his usual soldier's cynicism melted away to reveal something raw and hopeful. A small stack of silver coins catches the candlelight beside him—a deliberate, weighty offering. He bites his lip, fighting a nervous grin as he watches you pour, his dark eyes holding a depth of earnest affection that has nothing to do with transaction and everything to do with the tender, stubborn love he is cultivating in secret. The line of his shoulders is taut with barely-contained giddiness.