Sands of Time [Kuroo Tetsuro X FemOC]

Let Them In

When Kuroo reached eight he heard the unmistakable sound of wings unfurling. His heart leapt in his chest, eager in its own way to see the secret displayed before him. And though he wanted nothing more than to open his eyes he refrained and continued counting at his even pace. "...nine-" he shifted into his Fae form before he could second guess himself "-ten."

Jade was worrying at her lip when Kuroo opened his eyes slowly. More than that he took in the pointed ears poking through her hair; the soft features of her face were sharper; her wings glittered a brilliant blue in the light cast from the kitchen. He recognized the coloring immediately: Water Fae.

Her eyes snapped open suddenly, startled. A look of bewilderment creased her brow. "What did you say?" She breathed.

Had he spoken? He wasn't sure, but he must have. What other reason would she have for asking him to repeat himself. But what had he said? Kuroo's throat constricted, his tongue dried up. Any coherent thought he'd had previously left his mind completely. He could only stare at her, his lips parted in awe.

"Water Fae." Jade prompted in a whisper. "You said Water Fae. How di-" her voice caught in her throat when she finally looked at him. Really looked at him. Her feet left the ground when her wings fluttered in shock. She swallowed the shout that begged for escape. There was a moment of hesitation before Jade glided closer, her hand raising, halting him when he got to his feet.

Beneath the mess of his hair she saw the pointed ears, the most defining feature of their species. Kuroo let Jade dust her fingers over them, confirming further that she wasn't seeing things. This was real. He was real. He lacked wings which told her he was an elf. His dark hair would suggest Moon or Shadow elf, though his height pointed more towards the former.

She laughed. A strangled sound that could've been mistaken for a sob if not for the smile that broke across her face. Jade fluttered her wings again, zipping across her living room quickly with her hands to her cheeks. Her mind was racing. How long? Had he been suspicious this whole time? How had she not been able to put the pieces together herself?

Jade spun around, worry replacing her excitement in a flash. "Tell me this isn't a dream," she pleaded. The demand shocked Kuroo, she could see the evidence of it on his face even from across the room. "Please, Tetsuro. I can't lose you again."

"It's not a dream," Kuroo murmured. "I promise you, everything you see is very much real. I'm Fae, too."

She dashed into his arms with a sob of relief, hugging him as though he would disappear at any moment. "I've waited and hoped and prayed to any god that would listen that someday you would be born Fae and that we'd find each other again."

"I'm sorry if I kept you waiting long," Kuroo murmured into the crook of her neck. He breathed her in, the scent of fresh rain filling his nose.

It was a scent he had been drawn to for as long as he could remember. Oftentimes, when he was growing up he was found out in the middle of rain storms, soaked to his core and shaking from the cold. If his folks were successful in dragging him back inside it wasn't uncommon for him to sit in an open window, wrapped tightly in an afghan with a warm mug in hand, listening. Listening as rain filled the pot just outside his window - a reluctant gift from his mother; as squirrels scurried up trees and across the roof seeking shelter; to birds chirping happily in the puddles as they bathed.

Even now when it would rain he found himself drawn to the window in his and Kenma's dorm room. It hadn't taken much persuasion on his end to be able to have his desk in front of the window - even if he barely used it with as often as he preferred to do his school work in the common area - but it allowed him the ability to sit on it and bask in the comforting sounds and smells of a rain shower.