Kuroo's footsteps were quiet when he finally came in, the sound of the door clicking softly behind him making your stomach knot even though you'd been expecting it. You kept your breathing steady, forcing yourself to stay perfectly still as he moved around the room. The faint shuffle of clothes, the splash of water in the sink, the creak of the floorboards as he padded closer it all made the silence between you somehow louder.
You felt the bed dip when he climbed in, the warmth of him radiating toward you in the darkness. Every muscle in your body tensed, your face angled toward the wall as though pretending sleep could shield you from the storm inside your chest.
And then… you felt it.
His fingers brushing lightly against your hair. A delicate touch, so careful you almost thought you'd imagined it. But then he tucked a strand behind your ear, slow, deliberate like he'd wanted to for a while now.
Your breath caught.
And just when you thought he'd stop there, his weight shifted closer. You felt his warmth right at your back, the steady heat of him making the air suddenly too thin to breathe. Then his voice, low and unguarded, ghosted against the shell of your ear:
"I know you're not asleep, Y/n."
Your eyes flew open, heartbeat thundering so loudly you were sure he could hear it. For a moment, you couldn't move, couldn't even think, only process the sound of his voice so close, soft, amused, but laced with something heavier.
You slowly rolled over to face him, your gaze colliding with his in the dim light. His smirk was there, faint and teasing as always, but his eyes… His eyes told a different story. One that made your chest tighten, one that wasn't just about rivalry or banter.
"Y-you—" your voice cracked, and you quickly looked away, clutching the blanket tighter to your chest. "You're insufferable." Kuroo chuckled under his breath, the sound rumbling low in his chest as he propped his head up on his hand, still watching you. "Maybe," he said softly. "But at least I'm right."
You turned back, glaring halfheartedly at him, but the heat creeping up your face betrayed you. He was too close. Too smug. And yet… something softer lingered in the way he was looking at you, a question unspoken, hanging heavy between you in the quiet room.
You squeezed your eyes shut, willing yourself to drift off, but the faint sound of him shifting closer made your breath hitch.
Then the mattress dipped again. The blankets shifted. And before you could even protest, his arm slid around your waist, pulling you back against him in one smooth, easy motion.
You went stiff in his hold, heat flooding your cheeks, every nerve alight at the feeling of him pressed against your back, his breath warm against your hair.
"Kuroo—" you started, but the words died in your throat when his chuckle vibrated against you.
"You know…" his voice was low, teasing but softer than usual, like he was treading the line of something dangerous, "you're lucky I didn't kiss you earlier."
Your heart stopped.
Your throat went dry.
"…Wh-what?" you croaked, trying to keep your voice steady, but it cracked in the middle, betraying you completely.
He hummed, his chin brushing lightly against your shoulder as though he was testing how close he could get away with being. "Don't act so surprised," he drawled lazily, but there was something under it, something that wasn't all play. "You really thought I didn't notice? You staring at me like that?" You buried your face deeper into the pillow, mortified, clutching at the blanket like it might shield you from his words. "You're imagining things," you muttered weakly.
He only laughed again, but this time it was quieter. Warmer. His arm tightened just slightly around you, not letting go. And then his tone shifted, serious now so much so it made your chest ache.
"But when I do kiss you…" His voice was barely above a whisper, brushing against the back of your neck like a secret. "…I don't want it to be a joke. Or an accident. I want it to matter. To be something you'll remember."
The world stilled.
Your pulse thrummed in your ears, the air too thick, too charged, like everything in you wanted to turn around and face him, demand he follow through with those words. But you didn't. You couldn't. You were frozen caught between the terror of what this meant and the longing you couldn't quite bury.
Kuroo didn't say anything else. He just stayed there, arm around you, holding you like he wasn't planning to let go. His warmth seeped into you, steady and grounding, even as your thoughts spun recklessly out of control. And beneath the covers, with your heart racing so hard it hurt, you realized that no matter how much you told yourself this was still just rivalry… it wasn't. Not anymore.
His arm tightened around you, drawing you even closer until there was hardly any space left between your body and his. You could feel every shift of his chest against your back, the steady rise and fall of his breathing tangled with the uneven rhythm of your own.
And then his lips brushed the barest ghost of a touch against the shell of your ear. Not a kiss. Not really. But enough to make your entire body jolt, a shiver rippling through you so sharp you gripped the blanket tighter just to stay grounded.
His breath was warm against your skin, soft and deliberate, like he knew exactly what he was doing to you.
"See?" he murmured, voice husky with sleep, but the weight of his words dug into you. "Even this… and your heart's already going crazy."
You squeezed your eyes shut, willing yourself not to make a sound. But your chest betrayed you, rising and falling too fast, your pulse hammering so loudly you were certain he could feel it through the arm he had wrapped around you. "Kuroo…" you whispered, barely audible, not even sure if you meant it as a protest or a plea.
His hold only tightened, fingers curling at your waist in a way that was protective and possessive all at once. He lowered his voice further, his lips so close to your ear now that each word felt like it was written across your skin. "That's why…" he whispered, slow and careful, "when it happens… it has to be right. You deserve that."
The sincerity in his tone nearly unraveled you. It wasn't teasing, it wasn't playful, it was Kuroo, stripped down, raw in a way you'd never heard before.
You couldn't breathe. You couldn't think. All you could do was feel the steady strength of his arm around you, the heat of his body pressed against yours, the quiet intensity of every word he spoke sinking deep where you couldn't ignore it anymore. And you hated how much you wanted to turn around. To look at him. To close that sliver of space his words had opened.
But you didn't.
Instead, you stayed very still, your heart thrashing against your ribs, and let his warmth swallow you whole.
Kuroo didn't push further. He just let out a low breath, like he'd already said more than he should, and nuzzled the slightest bit closer into your hair. His hold around you never loosened, though it only settled, grounding, as though he'd decided he wasn't letting you slip away tonight.
And you? You lay wide awake, pulse racing, cheeks burning, caught somewhere between terror and something far more dangerous: the ache of wanting him to mean it. But even as the room settled into silence, you knew there was nothing calm about it. Not with the way your heart refused to steady. Not with the heat radiating from him, wrapping around you like another blanket you couldn't push off.
You could feel the press of his chest at your back, the faint brush of his nose against your hair, every tiny movement amplified until it was all you could think about. The steadiness of his breathing lulled like a rhythm, but you knew, knew he wasn't fully asleep yet.
Neither of you were.
Because if he had truly been asleep, his arm wouldn't still be holding you so firmly, as though he was afraid you'd slip away the second he let go. And maybe you would have.
But you didn't.
You stayed. Wide awake, your thoughts racing faster than any sprint across the court, every word he'd whispered replaying in your mind on an endless loop. When it happens… it has to be right. You deserve that.
No one had ever said something like that to you before. No one had ever made you feel so… seen. And that was what scared you most.
Your lips parted, caught between the urge to say something back and the absolute terror of what that might mean. You almost turned in his arms, almost let yourself search his face in the dark but the weight of the moment was too much.
So you stayed frozen. Listening to his breaths even out at last, until you were sure he had finally slipped into sleep. Except you couldn't. Not with your skin still tingling where his lips had barely brushed your ear, not with your chest too full of something you didn't have a name for yet.
It was a long time before exhaustion finally dragged you under.
Morning came too fast.
You woke to the faintest ray of sunlight cutting through the blinds, your body stiff from lying tense all night. But what startled you wasn't the light it was the warmth still wrapped around you.
Kuroo hadn't moved.
His arm was draped lazily across your waist, his hand splayed against your side like it belonged there. His face rested close enough that you could see the slow rise and fall of his chest, strands of his messy black hair falling over his forehead.
Your breath hitched. The room was so quiet, you swore he'd hear it.
Carefully, carefully, you shifted only for his grip to tighten instinctively, holding you closer even in his sleep. And your entire body betrayed you, flushing hot from head to toe. Oh, this cannot be happening.
You tried again, slipping just far enough to escape, but his arm didn't budge. It was like wrestling a stubborn cat, except this one was over six feet tall and had you pinned effortlessly without even waking up.
Your pulse hammered. Because in the quiet of the morning, with his warmth surrounding you and the memory of last night still etched in your skin, you realized one terrifying thing.
You weren't sure you wanted him to let go.