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Kuroo took a deep breath, smoothing the front of his shirt down as he glanced at the apartment numbers along the hall. He flinched when he realized his armpits were a bit damp and he raised his arm, checking to make sure it wasn’t showing through.
Damn it, there’s no reason to be nervous. It’s not like this is a date. It’s literally two old friends just catching up with each other. No pressure…
Except there was a lot of pressure for Kuroo. It was difficult keeping up with friends when time and circumstances separate you, and even harder when you never had the chance to get as close as you’d like. The time he and Sawamura had spent his third year of high school was miniscule, each meeting filled with potential that was lost in the chaos of trainings, games, and sheer distance. Then they graduated and lost track of each other.
He could remember their final moments together at Nationals, the pain of losing still weighing heavily on them both. Hardly any words were said between them; what could either of them say? They both did the best they could, which was damn awesome considering how far they came, and yet it felt hollow that they could no longer meet on the court.
His arms itched to hug him again, but he was too afraid that the moment would turn awkward. Another handshake or fist bump? Neither went far enough for the unspoken bond that had gradually formed over the past year. In the end, all he could do was reach out and grab Sawamura’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
His smile in return was radiant. Instead of squeezing his shoulder back, he reached even higher to cup the back of Kuroo’s neck, his fingertips stroking across the bottom of his hairline. Kuroo allowed the touch to bring his head lower, closer to Sawamura’s. His heart was pounding as he saw the question in Sawamura’s eyes, a question neither of them had dared to ask yet.
Do you want me?
The answer was an emphatic yes but Kuroo remembered how hard it was to muster up any words. He could only smile and nod, but their intimate moment was shattered at Sugawara and Yaku’s voices calling for them. They blinked and stepped away from each other, and Kuroo felt his chances disintegrate into a fine dust.
He could have pursued Sawamura further, kept in touch. But there was so much that was never said or acknowledged between them that his self-doubt ended up getting the better of him. Then life carried him further and further away from all the what ifs , leaving Sawamura as nothing but a tender memory he kept locked away for good.
Until earlier in the day when he randomly ran into the guy at a grocery store not far from Kuroo’s apartment. It was confusing, seeing Sawamura as a grown man, hair nicely styled and mouth-watering body wrapped up in a suit. He was like a walking sexual fantasy, one Kuroo never even dared to imagine and he felt like his tongue had swelled up to twice its usual size.
Luckily Sawamura’s unwavering confidence was still intact, and he did most of the talking. He invited Kuroo to his place for dinner, bashfully mentioning that it’s not often he gets to cook for someone else. Not only was Kuroo’s tongue completely incapacitated, but then Sawamura had to pelt his heart with a thousand of cupid’s arrows.
Kuroo sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, standing outside Sawamura’s apartment. No wonder he was nervous. Finally, he had his chance to start something with Sawamura, yet the self-doubts were plaguing him more than ever.
He glanced down at the bottle of wine in his hand, checking the label and wondering if he should have gone with a pricier one. It was one of his favorites though, good quality without breaking his wallet. Hopefully, Sawamura would like it too. Kuroo groaned, wishing he knew anything about the Sawamura of this time period, rather than the eighteen-year-old captain of a high school volleyball team.
This is ridiculous. Tetsurou, you can do this, it’s just dinner with an old friend. Have no expectations and you won’t be disappointed. Okay… here I go.
Licking his lips, he rapped a cute tune against Sawamura’s door and bounced on his toes. He startled when he heard something clatter on the other side and grinned when he heard Sawamura swear.
Gasp, I heard that, naughty Sawamura.
Chuckling, he suddenly felt a calm wash over him, thinking that maybe Sawamura was just as nervous about this meeting as he was. But when Sawamura opened the door wearing nice dark jeans and a tight V-neck shirt, all that calm disintegrated. His clothes revealed how nicely built he was underneath, grown even more from his high school days, but his warm smile and the bashful way he rubbed the back of his head was unmistakably Sawamura.
“Hey, you made it.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t too hard to find. I’m not late, am I?”
“No! Right on time. Come in,” he said, stepping aside to give him room. Kuroo gazed around him as he entered, noticing the sparseness of the apartment.
“Did you just move in?”
“A couple of months ago. I lived with someone else before that, but they recently moved on with their life, so I had to find a new place.”
“Oh, an ex?”
Sawamura chuckled as he folded his arms across his chest. Kuroo found it difficult tearing his eyes away from his flexed biceps and the bit of chest poking up from his shirt but somehow managed to meet his gaze.
“No, I’ve never lived with a significant other. This was just a friend I went to college with who finally decided to take the next step with his boyfriend.”
“Ah, I see. Do you approve?”
“Of the boyfriend? Definitely. They’re a good match. Come on in and make yourself comfortable.”
“Thanks. Oh, this is for you,” he said, handing over the bottle of wine.
Sawamura beamed at him. “Thank you, you didn’t have to do that.”
“I felt like it was an adultish thing to do.” Kuroo smirked as Daichi let out a deep laugh and gestured for him to follow.
“I’ll go ahead and pour some out. Dinner is almost ready. I hope you like it.”
“I’m sure I will. It’s impressive that you know how to cook.”
“You don’t?”
“Just basics. Nothing I would subject someone else to eat.”
“Ah, I see. Well, I’m no chef but considering I own a few restaurants, it’s important that I know a few things, at least.”
“I’m sorry, did you say you own a few restaurants?” Kuroo asked, peering around Sawamura to get a glimpse of his face as he led him toward the kitchen. He couldn’t see much, just the edge of his pursed lips and a bit of pink in his cheeks.
“They aren’t much, not yet anyway. My degree was in business, but I’ve always had an interest in culinary arts. So, I specialized in that while making a lot of connections with young chefs. Once I’m certain of their skills and work ethics, together we work on a proposal to pitch to investors with a complete menu and naturally a tasting session. When we’re able to snag an investor, we start up a small establishment in a good location. It gives chefs just starting out a chance to prove themselves, as well as giving customers the opportunity to try something new for a change. It’s going well, but as I said, they’re small.”
“What kind of restaurants are they. Is it a chain?”
“No, they’re all different. My first one was a basic ramen shop but with a few twists. That roommate I told you about, he’s the one runs it basically. I have one cafe that specializes in baked goods in particular, and a seafood place.”
“Seafood?! Sounds like my kind of restaurant.”
“Well, if you’re interested, maybe I can take you there sometime.”
Kuroo hovered in the doorway of the kitchen as he watched Sawamura flutter about the kitchen. His pulse was fluttering with the prospect of having another date with set with Sawamura already, not that what they were doing was a date. Nope, not getting his hopes up. It was difficult keeping that distinction whenever Kuroo’s heart skipped a beat every time Sawamura turned and smiled at him.
“I look forward to it! Although, it’s hard to imagine any food in the world smelling better than whatever is happening in this kitchen. My stomach’s growling like a monster.”
Sawamura chuckled. “I hope it’s as good as it tastes. I forgot to ask if you’re a picky eater.”
“Not really, though I do have quite a refined palate.”
“Oh, is that so?” Sawamura glanced up from the pot he was stirring and smirked at him. “You know, I do special things for those with refined palates.”
Kuroo gulped. “What kinds of things?”
“Nothing too complicated, just a special taste testing scenario. I wonder how well you would do at it.”
The mischief forming in Sawamura’s eyes made him nervous but there was no resisting that challenging grin of his.
“Sure, I’m game.”
“Really? This should be fun. I was going to serve you at the dinner table, but I think the sofa would be better for this. Would you mind clearing off the coffee table? You can set the books on the end table next to the lamp. Oh, don’t forget this,” he said, handing Kuroo a glass of wine with a wink.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Kuroo left Sawamura in the kitchen to prepare as he slipped into the main living space. He let out a low whistle at the plush leather sofa and focused on clearing the coffee table as he was instructed to do. They may have been in their late twenties, but Kuroo was suddenly self-conscious about the state of his own apartment, sports posters still littering the walls along with the patched-up sofa he used in college.
Meanwhile, Sawamura had a nice apartment, several restaurants, and a real leather sofa that felt like heaven once Kuroo took a seat. Sure, he was successful too. He couldn’t think of any coaches in all of Japan whose team had more wins in their division. Of course, that division was elementary school, but that was beside the point.
“Comfortable?”
Kuroo glanced up to see Sawamura leaning in the kitchen doorway with a secretive smile playing on his lips. Kuroo frowned, suspicious of the way his hands were hidden behind his back.
“Extremely. I’m pretty sure you stole this sofa from the gods. I hope you’re prepared for their vengeance.”
Sawamura laughed and, as a result, Kuroo’s frown melted away. He was just too cute.
“I assure you, that’s the most extravagant thing that I own. All the other stuff was from my previous place, leftover from college.”
“Ah, that does make me feel better.”
Sawamura snorted and sauntered toward him, still keeping his hands behind his back. “I’ve actually been pretty poor the last few years. Starting new businesses, especially restaurants, is particularly difficult. I’m glad you like the sofa though.”
“It’s surprisingly supple,” he said, dragging his palm across the cushion next to him. “I bet it would feel great sitting on it naked.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Kuroo cringed. Sawamura’s eyebrows shot up, but his expression was at least one of amusement, rather than horror. “Sorry, can I blame that statement on the wine?”
Sawamura eyed the nearly full glass resting on the coffee table and smirked. “Sure, I’ll let that one slide. Dinner is ready, are you prepared for your challenge?”
“Prepared and a little scared.”
“Don’t be, I’ll take good care of you.”
Kuroo couldn’t hold back his pleased smile at the idea. “Well then, I’ll be in your care.”
“Perhaps you should have a bit more wine before we get started.”
“Sure.”
As Kuroo picked his glass up and took a sip, Sawamura removed his left hand from around his back, revealing the wine bottle. He was perplexed why Sawamura was hiding it until he brought his other hand around to the front, a long silk blindfold dangling from his fist. Kuroo sputtered a little bit in his wine and coughed as he set the glass down for safety.
“You okay?” Sawamura chuckled.
“Yeah, fine. Um, what’s that for?”
“For the challenge, of course. I’d like to see if you can tell the flavor of what you’re eating but I can’t have you cheating by looking at it. I do this with all my clients with such lofty tastes.”
“You blindfold them?”
“Yes, but not with this one in particular. I’ve been holding onto it for, um, safekeeping.” This time, the blush was unmistakable as it blossomed across his cheeks. Suddenly Sawamura’s confidence seemed nonexistent as he wound the black silk between his fingers. Kuroo watched him closely, feeling his hope surge that perhaps he wasn’t the only one that wished they had taken a chance all those years ago. “Of course,” Sawamura continued as he hid the blindfold behind his back again, “if it makes you uncomfortable, we can just call the whole thing off. I can set dinner on the table and we can—”
“No! It’s fine,” Kuroo said quickly, standing up from the sofa to grasp his arms gently. “Seriously, I’m looking forward to it. I’ve never done anything like this and I’m looking forward to tasting your food. Besides,” he murmured as he slipped his hands down, grazing his fingers over Sawamura’s wrists until they came in contact with the blindfold, “I bet I’d look pretty sexy in black silk.”
Sawamura blinked up at him and then laughed. “Except this will be covering up your face. That wouldn’t say much if that makes you sexier.”
“Hey!”
“You’re the one who said it.”
“Ugh, fine, that was stupid.”
“No, it was cute. And I do think you’d look good in black silk. Are you ready to try it out?”
Sawamura’s voice was as rich as hot fudge, pouring over him until his skin was on fire. Kuroo’s heart raced as he bobbed his head up and down.
“Sure. Let’s do this.”
“Have a seat. We’ll keep your clothes on to start,” he added, unable to hold back his teasing smile.
“Ha, Sawamura, you’re funny.”
“You think I’m bluffing?”
Kuroo settled back into the sofa, refusing to break the heated gaze between them. “I’m not sure but if that’s how the night’s going to go, I wouldn’t complain.”
Sawamura’s smile deepened and Kuroo felt like a champion, victorious in moving past his self-doubts to take a risk. He prayed that the risk would be worth it in the end. The last thing he wanted was to lose Sawamura again.
Sawamura slipped a knee onto the cushion next to him, hovering over Kuroo with the blindfold outstretched. He paused just before covering Kuroo’s eyes, cocking his head curiously as he gazed down at him. Kuroo wondered what he saw. Could he hear how crazy his heart was beating? Or did the words I love you please get me naked just appear on his forehead. As humiliating as that would be, it had the potential to save some time.
Regardless of what his face looked like, Sawamura hummed and slipped the blindfold over his eyes, plunging him in complete darkness. The silk felt luxurious against his skin but Kuroo immediately realized some issues with the situation. For one, he couldn’t read Sawamura’s expressions like he usually could. He would have to rely on the tone of his voice, if he said anything at all.
“How does it feel?”
Kuroo gasped as Sawamura’s voice flowed into his ear, his warm breath washing over his skin. “G-Good, very nice.”
Sawamura’s chuckles rumbled over him, inciting goosebumps to flutter across his skin. “I’m glad. I want you to be comfortable for this.” Sawamura’s fingers slipped over Kuroo’s hand, pulling it off his lap. “I’m going to get the food. Here’s your wine glass.”
Kuroo felt the stem slip into his palm and he gripped it tightly, hoping he didn’t do something stupid like spill it. “Thanks.”
“Be right back.”
Sawamura touched his arm gently before moving away, his footsteps fading into the background. Kuroo took a deep breath and carefully tipped the glass against his lips to sip his wine. He felt strangely exposed having his eyes covered even though he was completely clothed. He didn’t enjoy being at a disadvantage but at the same time, it was exciting to put himself at Sawamura’s mercy.
“I’ve got everything we need,” Sawamura said, announcing his presence. Kuroo listened to the soft padding of his socked feet across the floor, the gentle clink of plates on a tray. He smiled as Sawamura hummed a tune absentmindedly while he set everything down on the coffee table.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Good. Ready to try your first bite?”
“Ready.” Kuroo opened his mouth obediently only to be met with Sawamura’s laughter. “What’s so funny?”
“You’ll have to open wider than that.”
“Oh? Got a mouthful for me, Sawamura?” He didn’t mean for it to sound as filthy as he came out, but he regretted nothing as he heard an audible gulp.
“I certainly do. Let’s see if you can take it.”
Shit.
Kuroo opened his mouth wider, his breath hitching as Sawamura’s fingers grazed under his jaw to guide it. He felt the heat from the food before it touched his lips, the aroma of orange tickling his nose before the flavor exploded on his tongue. Grazing his teeth over the chopsticks, he pulled the piece of chicken completely off it and hummed.
“It’s sweet with the orange, but it really has a kick. Delicious.”
“Nicely done! I’m glad you like it.”
He could see Sawamura’s cheeks brightening in his mind, obvious from his bashful tone. It was a joy of his to poke fun at him, but he never considered what enjoyment he could have when lavishing Sawamura with praise.
“I really did. What’s next?”
As Kuroo continued being fed little bits at a time, he could easily see why this was something Sawamura enjoyed doing with clients. It was a fascinating experience, savoring food based only on taste and texture. When he mentioned it, Sawamura explained that it was beneficial, especially for grabbing people’s attention. But it was also extremely important to have attractive presentation. If the food didn’t look good in the first place, it wouldn’t make it anywhere near a customer’s mouth.
“Personally, I think I’d take anything you give me, Sawamura.” Kuroo winced as a piece of food bumped the corner of his mouth.
“Oh, sorry! What you said, uh, caught me off-guard. Here, I’ll get it.”
Sawamura’s thumb wiped the glob from his lip, and Kuroo’s mouth dropped open when he heard a sucking sound.
“Did you just eat that?”
“Yeah, why not?”
“But that was mine! Not fair.”
As Kuroo pushed his bottom lip out in a pout, he savored the sound of Sawamura’s chuckles. He hoped that staring at his lips so much was putting ideas in his head.
“My apologies but considering I made the food, I should be allowed to taste it. Are you ready for another one?”
“Yes, and it better be good for stealing that sauce. I have a feeling it was delicious.”
“It was. Open wide.”
The food entered his mouth clumsily, coating his lips with the sauce. Before Sawamura could act, because Kuroo knew he did it on purpose, he snatched the food into his mouth and pulled back while collecting the sauce with his own thumb.
“Ha! Not this time, Sawamura,” he mumbled over the food in his mouth and lifted his thumb to his mouth. He flinched when another hand grabbed his and yanked it away from his mouth. “What—” he started to say but nearly choked on his tongue as the pad of his thumb was pressed against a pair of soft lips.
They were warm and wet as they sucked on his skin, cleaning away every bit of sauce. Kuroo groaned before he could stop it, imagining those sexy lips of his on other parts of his body. Before pulling away, Sawamura hummed with pleasure and Kuroo winced at how tight the crotch of his jeans were becoming.
Sawamura’s lips finally popped off Kuroo’s thumb, but he didn’t let go of his hand as he murmured, “Delicious. I hope you’re not mad at me for beating you to it.”
Kuroo opened his mouth to retort, but not even he could make any sense of the partial words that spilled out of it. Honestly, he was lucky he was functioning at all under such circumstances.
“I’m sorry, were you speaking Japanese just then?” Sawamura snickered.
“Ahem, um, what you have to understand is that you just did literally shut down my brain. It currently has no functionality whatsoever. My dick, on the other hand, is at one hundred percent at the moment, if that counts for anything.”
He could feel Sawamura bend forward next to him as he laughed loudly, the unrestrained kind where tears leaked out of your eyes. He beamed at the warm sound but wished he could see Sawamura with his own eyes. The mystery was sexy but he knew the real thing was even better.
“Thank you for your honesty,” Sawamura finally managed to say between chuckles. He breathed deep, trying to calm down as he leaned into Kuroo’s side. “For that, I think you deserve a treat.”
“Yes! I do deserve a treat, don’t I?” Kuroo purred, trying to ease his face closer to where he imagined Sawamura’s to be. “What do I get?”
“Another piece of food.”
Kuroo’s body sagged with disappointment. “Don’t get me wrong, Sawamura. Your food is amazing, to die for. But how is it a treat when you’ve been feeding me this whole time?”
“The food itself is not the treat, it’s how I give it to you.”
“Huh? What do you meanmph?” His final words were muffled as another piece of chicken coated his whole mouth with sauce. Sawamura didn’t even bother waiting until he opened his mouth and once he did, the chicken suddenly disappeared. “Hey! What the hell? I was going to eat that.”
He stilled as a warm hand cupped his jaw, guiding his face to the side. It was impossible to imagine he looked sexy with whatever kind of sauce was smothered over his lips, but that didn’t matter as Sawamura’s breath shuddered over his face. Kuroo froze, his heart drumming against his chest in anticipation.
“Sorry,” Sawamura said suddenly as he shifted on the cushion next to him. “This is stupid, I’ll get you a napkin.”
“No, wait.” Kuroo reached out, his hand bumping into Sawamura’s stomach. He gulped and spread his hand around Sawamura’s waist, hoping that he didn’t mind the touch. More than anything, he didn’t want Sawamura to run away. “Whatever you were about to do, trust me, I wouldn’t mind it. I’m really enjoying this.”
“You are? Really?”
Kuroo smiled as Sawamura leaned closer to him. “Of course. Now, how much longer are you going to make me sit here with sauce on my lips?”
The hand returned to Kuroo’s face, a thumb stroking across his cheek. The silence was intense with his blindfold on, causing him to focus even more on the light touch and Sawamura’s steady breaths that once again fluttered over his lips. He fought the desire to lick his lips as he curled his fingers into Sawamura’s shirt.
“Don’t worry, Kuroo. I’ll take care of it.”
Kuroo’s breath hitched as the tip of Sawamura’s tongue grazed against his upper lip. It picked up a little of the sauce and then it was gone, much to Kuroo’s overwhelming disappointment. Just that one lick was one of the sexiest things he’d ever felt, but he could tell Sawamura was still nervous. He wanted to beat that nervousness into submission.
Openly begging for Sawamura to lick him, however, probably wasn’t the best way to go about it. Instead, Kuroo smirked and pulled Sawamura closer, relishing the soft sigh he heard close by. The tongue returned to his lips with more vigor than before, activating every sensitive nerve around his mouth. Before he was completely cleaned up, however, he felt Sawamura’s plush lips encase over his upper lip and sucked lightly against it. The pleased hum that reverberated into it sent a shiver all the way down Kuroo’s body.
He couldn’t stand it any longer, being so passive while Sawamura did sexy things to his lips. Tightening his grip around Sawamura’s waist, he pulled him onto his lap as he slipped his tongue out. It grazed against Sawamura’s bottom lip and he obediently opened his mouth wider, allowing Kuroo equal access to his lips and tongue. There was no sauce on his mouth, but that didn’t matter one bit to Kuroo as he explored it gently and thoroughly.
Kuroo groaned as Sawamura adjusted himself on his lap, pressing their bodies together. He always fantasized about a moment like this, holding him in his arms and soaking in the heat of his skin. There was no comparison to the real thing, his senses being overwhelmed with every aspect of him. A light aroma of the food clung to Sawamura’s clothes but underneath it was the fresh scent of soap and a hint of cologne. His mouth tasted like wine and every curve of his body had a tantalizing hardness beneath a layer of cuddliness.
The hesitant exploration of lips quickly descended into messy kisses broken only by a gulp of breath and a murmur of encouragement. Kuroo’s fingers raked across Sawamura’s back, wishing he could feel his heated skin instead of his shirt. He hummed with pleasure as fingers gripped into his hair.
After so many years wondering what could have been or if he just imagined the mutual attraction between them, Kuroo was overwhelmed. Sawamura was finally in his arms, kissing him feverishly as he pressed the bulge in his jeans against Kuroo’s. He wanted to remove every piece of clothing separating them, to taste every bit of his skin. But first, he wanted to see him.
“Sawamura,” he gasped, tipping his head back to catch his breath.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
Kuroo licked his lips, keeping a firm grip on Sawamura’s waist. “Can I please take the blindfold off?”
“Oh! Yes, of course… if you want to.”
“You don’t want me to?”
“No, it’s not that. I’m just—” he paused to sigh heavily, his hands rubbing down the length of Kuroo’s chest. “I’m scared that once we take it off, you’ll change your mind about me.”
Kuroo laughed as he reached up, slipping the silk off his eyes and blinking at the sudden exposure to light. There Sawamura was, cheeks bright and hair mussed and trumping any fantasy Kuroo could have conjured himself. He was stunning, and he was gazing down at Kuroo as if he was a gift from God.
“Sawamura, there’s no chance in hell I’m going to let you go again without telling you how I feel. In high school, I thought you were amazing and what brief moments we had together are some of my favorites. Back then, I didn’t think you could get any hotter but,” he snickered as he glanced over Sawamura’s entire body perched on his lap, “I stand corrected.”
Sawamura beamed, the expression an adorable mix of bashfulness and pride. “Yeah? You’re not so bad yourself, Coach . As if that wasn’t hot enough, you teach cute elementary schoolers. That’s top-notch daddy material if I’ve ever seen it.”
“Oh ho? One kink at a time now, Sawamura,” Kuroo purred as he leaned back in, kissing him gently. “Of course, we have ditched the blindfold already. Naked time on the sofa?”
Sawamura laughed, already reaching for the hem of his T-shirt. “Well, you aced the taste testing challenge. You deserve the ultimate prize.”
Kuroo grinned, watching Sawamura pull his shirt off slowly and exposing his beautiful body for Kuroo’s complete enjoyment. “I am a champion among men.”