How We Began

The morning might have gone as planned if both of them hadn’t slept through their first alarm. And the second. Of course, they’d fallen asleep around 1am, finally having worn themselves out. Exhausted, but sated, they collapsed in a heap on the bed, Tsuki half on top of Kuroo, and neither bothered with a blanket. It wasn’t until around 5am that Kuroo was awake again, partially because he was cold (Tsuki had moved off him at some point), but also because he had a challenge to complete.

Nevermind that he also woke up from a particularly hot, sexy dream… featuring Tsuki. Who was also awake and staring at him…

By 6am, they fell asleep again.
And Tsuki would have a mark on his neck, much like Kuroo’s.

At 7:30am, when their third alarm sounded, Kuroo groggily rose from the bed, and woke up Tsuki (normally, thank you very much). He was tempted to invite Tsuki to join him in the shower, but they’d never leave their room if that happened. Best to save it for Sunday. Which reminded him of the hot tub they’d yet to take advantage of…

Definitely time for a shower. An icy, super cold shower. He glanced back at Tsuki, who’d attempted to burrow under the quilt, and smiled gently.

“Come on, love. We gotta get a move on.”
“Mmmph.”
“If I call down to room service, will you be awake enough to answer the door?”
“.... trick question…”
“Just think… tomorrow, we won’t have to worry about waking up early.”
“.... fast forward 24 hours…”

Kuroo couldn’t help laughing, then. He reached over to peel down the quilt from Tsuki’s face, and leaned in to kiss him.

“Come on. One more day of sight-seeing, and then a whole day to do whatever we want.”
“.... very persuasive…” One eye opened, albeit narrowly. Progress!
“It’s a gift.”
“How modest of you.”
Kuroo laughed softly. “I’m going to call room service, and then take a shower.”
“Fine. I’ll get up.”
“Good idea.”

When Kuroo was finished, he left the bathroom half dressed, and hungry. Tsuki was at the table, sipping his coffee, a plate with a half-eaten strawberry danish in front of him, and another on a plate where Kuroo normally sat. A large, steaming cup of coffee was next to the plate, and there was a plate of bacon that appeared untouched. Scrubbing the towel through his hair, Kuroo walked over and settled down behind Tsuki, wrapping him up in his arms.

“Good morning,” he murmured in Tsuki’s ear.
“Morning,” Tsuki settled back against him. “I saved you some.”
“Generous of you.”
“I’m always generous!” Tsuki playfully protested.
“Unless strawberry cream cake.”
“Priorities.”

Kuroo nuzzled into his neck, and Tsuki shivered.

“I could stay this way forever.”
“Me too.”
“Something to look forward to for tomorrow,” Kuroo said, gently kissing above the mark he left earlier. “The shower is yours.”
“Did you leave any hot water?”
“Bold of you to assume I used hot water.”
“Did you leave any cold water?”
“The reserve tank might be at a dangerously low level.”
Tsuki snorted, then chuckled. “Let me go so I can use what’s left.”
“Do I hafta?”
“Now you’re the one who doesn’t want to move?”
“Can you blame me?”
“No. I don’t want to, either. But if we’re going to do all that sight-seeing we planned…”
“Fine,” Kuroo slowly let go of Tsuki, and checked the time. “Almost 8am.”
“I’ll hurry.”

They made it to the Golden Pavilion just in time to buy admission and be one of the first inside. Since it was the weekend, and a Saturday besides, it didn’t take long for it to get crowded. Tsuki already had his headphones on, held Kuroo’s hand, and was as close as he could be without being directly on top of him. Kuroo knew it was time to leave by the strength of Tsuki’s grip. Luckily, by then, they’d admired nearly all there was on all three floors of the pavilion, so they weren’t too upset about being chased out by the crowd.

They spent a little time wandering around the grounds, and taking pictures (as directed by Auntie Yui, of course) until Tsuki was calm again, and then hailed a cab. Their next destination was Tenryu-ji, the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, and Okochi-Sanso Villa.

Because they were still rather early, they took their time exploring. It was somewhat calmer at Tenryu-ji, despite the slowly growing crowd. Tsuki kept his headphones on, but Kuroo knew he was doing fine. More pictures were taken, especially after they arrived at the Bamboo Grove. Kuroo often joked about it being a photo shoot, and Tsuki was the perfect model. After that remark, Tsuki would pose weird, or make funny faces, any time he caught Kuroo taking a picture. When Tsuki was photographer, Kuroo rarely made a serious subject. Only a few times would he be serious, and only because those few pictures would be Tsuki’s alone.

They saved their tickets because, as a bonus, they were able to get a free cup of tea and a sweet treat at the villa. They found a table that was semi-private, and were able to admire the garden while sitting close and relaxing. Tsuki had taken off his headphones, and grabbed Kuroo’s phone, quickly taking a selfie before Kuroo could do anything about it. Then Kuroo took back his phone, and took another picture, this one with him kissing Tsuki’s temple, and Tsuki leaning into it with his eyes closed.

“Send that to your aunt,” Tsuki suggested, smiling up at Kuroo. “I think she’d like it.”
“She’d love it,” Kuroo agreed. “But, let me hang onto it for a little while, okay?”
“Why?”
“I want to keep you all to myself for just a little while longer. As soon as I share this pic with her, she’ll absorb you into the family so fast, you won’t even know what hit you.”
“I think I could handle that.”

Kuroo smiled, happy to hear that. Even so, Tsuki sounded a little wistful, as if being part of a family was something he hadn’t really experienced. Curious, but not enough to ruin their day by asking, he suggested they walk around a little bit, and then head back. It was getting close to lunch time, and he had an idea of where to go, according to a conversation from a pair of fellow tourists that he’d overheard.

They took their time going back through the grove, and took a few last pictures at the temple. Catching a cab, they stopped at Nijo Castle, for a quick tour, and Kuroo discovered Tsuki’s love for history. Once they were finished (he literally had to drag Tsuki away from the Boshin War exhibit), they walked to the little gyoza place he’d heard about, not far from the Palace. Taking their dumplings to go, they found a secluded part of the Imperial Gardens and enjoyed their lunch, and each other.

They took their time walking to one of the last two destinations on their itinerary, Chion-in temple. It was smaller, and took a back seat to the two greater temples nearby, so it almost felt like they had the place to themselves. Which suited them perfectly.

They found the main hall under construction, so they settled for exploring the grounds. There was a pretty little pond and bridge to cross. Kuroo, seeing the perfect opportunity, took several pictures of Tsuki while he wasn’t looking. Each shot was better than the last, in his opinion. Especially when the late afternoon light hit Tsuki’s hair just right, making it appear like strands of gold. He snapped one more, while they stood on the bridge, seconds before Tsuki caught him and made a face.

“Beautiful,” he said softly, showing that last pic to Tsuki, who blushed.
“You take good pictures,” Tsuki admitted.
“I had the perfect subject.”

He reached up and traced his fingers alongside Tsuki’s face, threading through his hair around the ear. Tsuki’s eyes fluttered closed, and leaned into Kuroo’s touch. Bringing up his phone, he snapped another photo.

“The best one yet,” he said as he made the picture his phone’s home, and lock screen. “I need to upload all of these to my laptop.”
“You’ve taken so many of me. It’s my turn.”
“Sure. Can’t guarantee I’ll look near as good as you, though.”
“Well, not if you keep making faces and posing weird.”
“Says the one who made faces and posed weird.”
Tsuki squinted at him, and took out his phone. “Smile!”
Just as Tsuki took the pic, Kuroo made a face.
“Right now, I don’t know if I want to kiss you or shove you off this bridge.”
“Can I pick?”

Kuroo watched as Tsuki tried so hard not to laugh. But he failed miserably. His laughter echoed around them, drawing attention from the few other tourists who were in the area. And Kuroo felt himself falling even more in love. Putting his phone in his pocket, he gathered Tsuki up in his arms, and they spun around a little, almost dancing. They were both laughing, and so happy.

When they slowed down to a stop, so did their laughter, and then they were kissing. Tsuki had his hands on Kuroo’s neck, fingers tickling the hair at the nape of his neck, making him shiver. Kuroo snaked his hands up under Tsuki’s clothes, settling them on the heated skin of his hips, and then moving them slowly around to the small of his back.

Kuroo felt the strength of Tsuki’s shiver, felt it in the way his hands tightened, in the way his fingers curled and the nails bit into his skin. He felt the way Tsuki kissed him just a little more wildly. With just the slightest bit of pressure, Kuroo pressed Tsuki against him, slid his hands upward just a smidge. Another violent shiver, the nails dug deeper, and Tsuki suddenly gasped, breaking their kiss.

“What did you do to me?” Tsuki asked breathlessly.
“The same thing you do to me,” Kuroo panted.
“Impossible.”
“Here,” Kuroo reached up to lightly grasp Tsuki’s wrist. “Feel.” He gently brought Tsuki’s hand down to his neck to feel his racing pulse. “And here,” he moved Tsuki’s hand down to his heart, which was beating hard. Finally, he moved his hand further down his body, until he reached the evidence of his desire. “Definitely here,” he said, his voice rough. “This is what you do to me.”
Tsuki managed to look amazed, and aroused, at the same time. “But it’s only been two weeks,” he said, still trying to figure things out. “Well, two and a half. But still! How is that even enough time?”
“This coming from the one who basically got us started last night.”
“Did not.”
“Did too.”
“How so?”
“And I quote, ‘Oh, I bite.’ ”
“Hhhmmm.” Tsuki’s eyebrows scrunched up over his suddenly troubled eyes.
“Okaaayyy. Now what’s going on in that head of yours?”
“Two weeks, or two days… I want more.”
“Tsuki…”
“I want as much as I can get.”
Kuroo caught a note of desperation in Tsuki’s voice, and not just for sex.
“Tsuki?”
“Don’t ask. Please. Not now.”
“Okay, but…”
“I want this to last as long as possible.” It sounded like a prayer.
“Alright,” and Kuroo reached up to gently cradle Tsuki’s face. “Why don’t we just go back to our room? We can eat and get some rest. We still have the Inari shrine to visit.”
“Yeah. Okay.”

They were walking back toward the main hall, when a tall man with sandy blonde hair approached them, and he looked vaguely familiar. Kuroo nodded politely, and would have continued, but Tsuki had suddenly stopped. He was staring at the man, his face had gone pale, and his eyes were wide with fear. Kuroo calmly took Tsuki’s hand, and stood between Tsuki and whoever this person was.

“Are you okay, Tsuki?” he asked over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off the man in front of them.
“F-fine,” Tsuki answered, sounding anything but fine.
“Who is this guy?”
“Tsukishima Akiteru,” the man in question finally spoke up. “I’m his older brother.”
“Wait. What?”
“W-what are you doing here, Aki?” Tsuki asked. “Why?”
“Can I not say hello to my little brother?”
Tsuki’s face twisted into something between anger and… sadness. He squeezed Kuroo’s hand tighter. He took a deep breath and spoke.
“You haven’t bothered to ‘say hi’ to me for the last several years. Why now?”
Akiteru glanced at Kuroo, and then back at Tsuki.
“Are you sure you want to discuss this here? In front of him?”
“Gimme a sec,” Tsuki said, pulling Kuroo back, and then walking to the other side of the bridge. He turned so that he was facing his brother. “I know you have to have about a million questions right now.”
“Well, yeah.”
“I’ll answer as many as I can soon, but I really do need to talk to Aki.”
“Okay. We can take him back to our…”
“No! That room is ours. I don’t want anyone else to…”
“Right. Well, then, there’s another temple nearby. We can go there.”
“Kuroo,” Tsuki said firmly. “I need to talk to him alone.”
“At any other time, I might have agreed,” Kuroo replied, just as firmly. “But I’m not going to leave you alone with him, even if he is your brother.”
“Why not?”
“The look on your face, and in your eyes. You were scared, and I’m not about to leave you like that.”
“I’d kiss you right now, if I didn’t know he was staring at us.”
“So, we’ll go to that temple?”
“Yeah. Sounds good.”

Tsuki and Kuroo walked back together, and stood in front of Akiteru.

“The Shoren-in temple is right next door,” Kuroo said without preamble. “We’ll go there, and you can talk. Work for you?”
“I don’t mind,” Akiteru seemed to relent. “If my brother doesn’t mind, either.”
“Considerate of you,” Tsuki snorted derisively. “That’s a first.”
“I’ve always been…”
“Stop lying!” Tsuki whisper-shouted. He started walking, with Kuroo at his side. “Let’s go get this over with.”
“Fine.”

They didn’t speak, just walked the few minutes it took to get to the second temple. They passed through a small forest of camphor trees, and made it to the main gate just in time to pay for admission before they stopped for the day. Tsuki smiled and asked if there was a map, and if the lady knew of any quiet pretty gardens to look at. She pointed to one that wasn’t too far, and politely reminded them that the temple would be closing in another hour. Tsuki bowed and thanked her, and the three of them walked along the route she’d given them.

When they stopped, they were in a pretty little garden with a pretty little pond. If this had been any other time, Kuroo would have loved to take pictures of Tsuki here, too. But as it was…

“Okay, Aki. Why are you here?” Tsuki demanded.
“Grandmother decided Tokyo wasn’t far enough,” Tsuki’s brother answered.
“So, she sent you to tell me that?”
“She didn’t send me. Mom did.”
“Mom? But she…”
“Grandmother doesn’t trust her. You know that.”
“Yeah, but you…”
“She didn’t know I was coming to visit,” Akiteru spoke over his brother. “Not until just before I left.”
“You were followed?”
“Yeah. I think I managed to lose them, but it won’t be long before they find me again.”
“Shit.”
“Exactly.”

Kuroo hadn’t said a word, but he listened. He kept his attention on both men, and began to suspect Tsuki wasn’t necessarily mad at Akiteru, as their meeting at Chion-in indicated. He was more angry at the situation, whatever that was, than with his brother. Even so, there seemed to be some tension between them.

Tsuki ran an agitated hand through his hair, and gave Kuroo an apologetic look. Whatever was next out of his mouth wouldn’t be good.
“I need to talk to my brother, Kuroo.”
“That’s what we’re here for,” he replied. He knew he was being stubborn, but he didn’t trust Akiteru any more than he could throw him.
“No, I mean, alone.”
“Tsuki…”
“Look, I know you’re trying to protect me, and I love you for it, but please… let me talk to him alone.”

Kuroo looked deep into Tsuki’s eyes, knowing he heard the three words he’d been aching to say himself, but also seeing that Tsuki hadn’t realized he said them. He also searched for some reassurance that Tsuki really would be okay, and found it.

“Fine. I’ll just go over there,” he pointed to an area just up the path that was flush up against the pond. “It’s far enough away that I won’t hear you, but still within sight.”
“Thank you.”
He stared a little longer into those golden brown eyes. “Are you really sure about this?”
Tsuki smiled shakily. “Yeah. I’ll be fine. I promise.” Tsuki leaned in to kiss him softly and rest his forehead against Kuroo’s. “I won’t be long, okay?”
“Okay.”

Kuroo left at the same time Tsuki walked over to his brother. He was already curious, and worried, about everything that transpired just in the last half hour. But, all he could do was watch over the man he loved from an infuriating distance, and wait.

He had a bad feeling about this.