nothing more than this | tetsurou kuroo ♡

hockey problems

"kuroo, let me talk to you" coach nekomata asks.

the black haired boy came over to coach, already knowing he was going to get lectured. he groaned in his mind.

"what's up with you?" he asks.

kuroo gulped. the thought of it all didn't spare him enough time to think through before glowering right at coach.

the truth was, coach already knew.

"listen, i need you to get yourself together. aren't you the best at 3v3s? you're our center for a reason. our game depends on you" nekomata explained.

kuroo's eyes sharpened, going dark.

"now get your head in the game."

coach does not get a response.

"okay?" his voice is sterner than usual.

"okay."

coach nekomata gave kuroo a knowing look before kuroo skated away.

kuroo skates over to the center of the rink, swaying left to right. it's almost like he doesn't really care at this point.

crouched down, he places his stick on the right side of him. the other player, nobuyuki kai, was right in front of him.

he locked eyes with him, kai giving him a sharp grin.

just from his presence, kuroo already felt the weight on his shoulders. he was already so exhausted, and the last thing he needed was another face-off.

                                    yaku

        fukunaga kuroo              inuoka

VS

yamamoto              kai           lev

                             shibayama

the puck was dropped by a first year.

just my luck, scratching the ice and arbitrarily moving my stick got me the puck. immediately, i glided over and looked over at fukunaga who was skating close to the goal. he had lev somewhat tailing behind him.

i was preparing to shoot the puck over to fukunaga with all the strength i had left in my body.

but kai was coming my way.

i knew what he wanted.

the puck.

obviously.

i pushed the puck between my legs and then drifted it off to my left, dodging kai who was coming by the right side.

i was halfway to the goal. all i needed was a scorer.

he was right in front on me, again.

kai locked eyes with me, fighting with me for the puck. our sticks clashed with each others. exactly like one of those lightsabers fights in Star Wars when they would collide but never catch either person wielding the weapon.

we were spinning around, orbiting, fighting.

it was like the sun and we were those planets that would rotate around that.

but one world was overpowering the other.

my arms tensed up. i had almost gotten the puck, but i tripped.

falling onto the ice, losing the puck.

my vision blurred and i almost hit my head on the tough cold ice. thankfully, i caught myself with my right arm.

i can't even get up anymore. all i can do is look up. i can see is kai dashing across, getting right past inuoka.

gliding right past yaku and into the goal.

i can see the defeated looks of my team as the opposing one rejoices.

i see it through the netted visor of my helmet.

someone glides on up to me, reaching out a hand.

"it's like i could almost replace you, kuroo" kai lighthearted jokes as his eyes squinted into little lines.

he threw his stick on the icy floor and reached out a hand to kuroo, who grabbed his hand back with a firm grasp and stood up.

"stick to scoring, nobuyuki" i threw the hockey stick back to its owner.

"ay ay captain" he grabbed it, using his other hand to salute.

that was the final game for practice, so everyone got off the ice and started packing up.

i still needed to recollect myself after everything that had happened today. i got off the ice last.

i knew it. i could feel coach nekomata staring me down.

i knew.

i was someone who faced everything head-on. always looking forward, and nowhere else.

but for once, i looked down. i looked down at my feet, and at my stick that couldn't even score me one goal today. i skated right past him.

"good game, kuroo-san" is what he says to me after every practice.

but that wouldn't really describe today, now would it?

things were never the same ever since last month.

i don't stop looking down until i pack my bag, i wipe down the blades on my skates with a towel. i chuck them in my bag. i zip it up.

my stick is held in my hand as i walk out the door.

...

to see kenma standing outside the door. who's looking right at me.

"kenma!" i jogged over to the boy "you waited?"

"it's not like i don't know the time training ends" kenma remarks. as usual, the snark of his comment doesn't show up on his face. he just looks indifferent.

"that is right." i concludes, but it just doesn't sit right with me. it doesn't feel right.

we walk in silence.

not in an awkward silence, at least not now.

but it's for awhile till we exit the school.

"so how was training?" kenma asks.

"it was good" kuroo lied.

kenma acknowledged, nodding his head.

they both take the lie differently.

now we both shut our mouths. i admit it's kind of my fault, and what i'm about to say is gonna make everything even weirder. but i look over at him.

"you were always beside me" kuroo explains.

kenma, for once, looks up from the ground and looks at me, shocked.

"you were always the brains of nekoma. you're sharp and you take directions perfectly. if the others weren't listening to me or kai, they would be listening to you." i place my hands in my pockets. "you know that, right?"

i look at kenma's face after i speak.

"come back." i say.

he thinks for a bit.

then he shrugs.

i try not to let out a sigh.

-

kuroo - center

kenma - ???

inuoka - defenseman (right)

kai - winger (right) / center

lev - defenseman (left)

yamamoto - winger (left)

yaku - goaltender

shibayama - goaltender

fukunaga - winger

<3 here are all their roles for all my hockey baes