The Galaxy is Endless (I thought we were, too)

Chapter 16

Kenma glanced at the watch on his wrist. It was nearly 10P.M, a decent time to stop working. He closed the lid of his laptop, putting it on the small table next to Kuroo's bed.

He'd spent more of his time lately at the hospital than not, often opting to sleep there instead of going home to an empty apartment. There wasn't an exact moment Kenma could pinpoint when this hospital room had become more of a home to him than his actual home was, but he didn't mind. Not when it meant being close to Kuroo.

He lifted a hand to the window by his seat, tugging at the curtains. The clear night sky stared back at him, an array of stars filling the sky.

It gave Kenma an idea almost as brilliant as each star that dotted the sky. He turned his head over to Kuroo, who was idly watching something on his own laptop, eyes unmoving. "Kuro, do you remember that promise we made one time?"

Kuroo turned to look at him in tandem, confusion evident on his face. "Which?"

"You said we'd go stargazing one day," Kenma said matter-of-factly. "Back when--" Kenma had to cut himself off from adding a 'back when everything was normal'. "Back when we were under the dome for the first time."

It had felt so long ago now. Kuroo, albeit still confused, nodded anyway. "Yeah?"

"Do you want to go stargazing now?"

Kuroo's eyes widened in surprise for a split second, before a smile crossed his face instead, reaching his eyes. "I'd like that a lot."

That was all the encouragement Kenma needed. He pushed himself up from his seat with a groan, taking a moment to stretch. He had a plan now, he just had to execute it. "Wait here, I'll be back in a second."

Kenma quickly exited the room and began to navigate the maze that was hospital corridors, hellbent on reaching his location. He had always hated the corridors, they were all almost identical. For the first two weeks of Kuroo staying here, Kenma had entered the incorrect room at least five times, leaving him in some awkward situations.

He'd learned since then, though. He may as well be a resident himself, he knew where just about everything was. That was how he managed to reach the front desk of the ward with minimal effort and no wrong turns.

As he approached, one of the nurses on duty looked up and smiled at him. He'd gotten to know her over the last few months, her name was Ito Akari, and she had grown attached to Kuroo within five minutes of meeting him (as many people often did). Kenma was relieved to know that Kuroo was in good hands here.

"Good evening Ito-san," Kenma greeted her, leaning against the desk.

"Good evening, Kenma. I didn't realise you were still here, heading home?" Her voice was sincere, she gently pushed the paperwork she had been doing prior, a show she was engaged in the conversation.

Kenma, however, shook his head. "I'll stay here tonight."

Ito's smile widened. "That boy of yours loves when you do that you know, always talks about you like you hung the stars in the sky the next day."

Her comment made Kenma remember why he'd come here in the first place. "Do you have a wheelchair we can use for a little?"

She pursed her lips at Kenma. "Where are you thinking of going?"

"There's a park just down the road from here, I thought I'd take him stargazing." Kenma felt strange having to explain himself to somebody else, but he'd say anything if it meant achieving his goal.

Ito, however, sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Kenma, sweetheart, he's a bit too fragile to take out at an hour like this. He'll get cold." She pressed a palm against her forehead before she spoke again. "I'm sorry."

"It's Summer, Ito-san. The weather is good right now, it's warm outside. We can take blankets too." Kenma had never been the argumentative type, but he certainly was stubborn. He clenched his teeth to set his jaw.

"Does Tetsurou want to go?"

Kenma vigorously nodded. She'd really never been able to say no to Kuroo.

"I suppose, then, just for a little bit will be okay. Maybe fresh air will even do him some good. Just promise to be careful with him. Do you want me to come and unhook him from the machines?"

Kenma gave her a brilliant smile. "I think we can manage just fine, thank you though."

She directed him to where they kept the wheelchairs a few moments, Kenma grabbing the closest one and wheeling it back to Kuroo's room, thanking her again as he passed. Unhooking all of his tubes was more of a challenge than Kenma had anticipated, he almost regretted not accepting Ito's offer to help. But between the two of them, they managed, and before either of them knew it, they were off.

Along the way, Kenma stopped outside the storeroom to grab a handful of blankets, putting one over Kuroo's lap and another draped over his shoulders. Kuroo had joked that he'd 'prettied up' for their date.

"I could probably have walked, you know. The park isn't too far," Kuroo mused as Kenma rolled him down the footpath. The only illumination came from the streetlights, Kuroo's skin glowing pale under the fluorescents.

Kenma hummed. "I'm sure." He wasn't technically sure, but there was no point in disagreeing.

Within ten minutes of walking, they reached the park. It was almost pitch black, the only light coming from the scattered streetlights on the outskirts, as well as the moon glowing overhead. Kenma pushed Kuroo to the centre, stopping when he decided they had the best possible view of the sky.

And they did. The stars were an infinite expanse into the horizon, stretching for countless miles, each a diamond embedded into the sky. Kenma's eyes widened in wonder as he looked up. He hadn't expected stargazing to warm his heart in the way that it did, to fill him with the sense of belonging as it did.

They didn't exchange any words, but Kenma stole a glance at Kuroo. He was looking up too, eyes reflecting the stars, illuminating the warm browns until they appeared gold.

Oddly enough, it made Kenma reminisce about when they had been children. Kuroo had spent hours and hours explaining the chemistry of stars, their life cycle, and every other fact there was to know. His eyes had lit up back then, too. As though the stars hadn't been in space, but chose to reside in Kuroo's eyes.

Kenma wished he could rip the stars from the sky and put them back into Kuroo's veins.

"Hey Kenma?" Kuroo asked, voice trembling. Perhaps he had been just as emotional as Kenma.

Kenma nodded before he realised he was still standing behind Kuroo, outside of his field of vision. "Yeah?"

"Thank you for this."

"Thank you for agreeing to come," Kenma retaliated. This was as much for him as it was for Kuroo. This was the closest thing they had to their usual date nights in a long time, restoring a sense of normalcy back to their lives, albeit slightly warped.

"C'mere." Kuroo patted his lap. Kenma thought if he sat there, he might accidentally crush him.

So he voiced his concern. "It might hurt you."

"It won't."

Sometimes Kenma wondered how they had ever gotten anything done. Kuroo was just as stubborn as Kenma, after all.

Kenma stepped around the wheelchair, lowering himself in Kuroo's lap, conscious to keep one foot plastered firmly to the ground to carry the majority of the weight. It wasn't uncomfortable, if anything, he was an extra layer of warmth for Kuro.

He cupped his hands around Kuroo's face. Even now, he looked ethereal under the moonlight. His dark lashes stood out against his bright eyes, his cheekbones glowing under the starlight.

Kenma couldn't resist pressing a kiss to Kuroo's lips, the million stars in the sky their only witness.