one shots of the haikyuu breed {on-going}

Irusu: Ikigai Prologue Excerpt

AN: Self-promo? I feel zero shame

Kuroo Tetsuro whirled his white wine around in his glass, dragging his thumb across the dewy condensation on the surface. He observed the tiny bubbles rising to the surface as the liquid swirled in the base of the glass. As soft, upbeat Italian music played in the background, his lover's equally soothing voice blanketed his ears, the syllables of Japanese greatly contrasting with those of Italian. Not only that, he noted on the sharp, feminine quality of the soprano voice before him, and the deep alto of the artist gracing all of those surrounding them in the restaurant.

He almost had to laugh at himself, unconsciously comparing music and Akaashi's voice, something a musical genius like Kuroo might do often. Before lifting his glass to his lips, he rose his dark, golden brown eyes focusing completely on Akaashi and his voice. His lips touched the rim, and he parted them, upending the glass swallowing the wine in one gulp without his eyes moving. He slowly replaced the empty glass, a gentle thud muffled by the white table cloth. The dim lighting elaborating the soft light emitting from the unscented candle separating he and his beautiful lover, the occasional puff of smoke lifting off from the flame.

He beamed, teeth pearly, as he listened to Akaashi gush about his new works, and things he noticed that interested him. He had angled himself slightly to the side with his hands spread apart, explaining his long visit to the art museum that day. His bright eyes were focused on the empty space between his hands, animatedly describing a specific painting by a French man as if he was staring right at it.

"The hand stroked and colors were just perfect! It was very hard to believe it wasn't the original work, but y'know, Monet has his own style that is so hard to get just right. The strokes were literally just off..." Akaashi's eyes gleamed with joy, his smile covering his face, and he side glanced to Kuroo, who was smiling. "Oh, uh, I'm sorry, heh, you know me and my babbling... I just get so carried away when I get excited sometimes..." He glanced down, his smile now sheepish and framed by rosy cheeks.

He lowered his hands, rubbing the back of his neck. He shifted his thin frame in his seat, his shoulders squared out and facing Kuroo fully. Kuroo didn't mind at all. In fact, he relished in Akaashi's voice, and could listen to the soft chime of his voice forever. At night, it lulled him to sleep like a lullaby. So times like that, in restaurants and in public or on the subway, Akaashi drowned out anything irrelevant, and cast a light over everything, adding a distinct beauty. He realized that it's what real love was like. After months and months of being together, Kuroo never tired of Akaashi like he did of past, dried out lovers.

"It's okay, Keiji. You know I love to listen." Kuroo softly said, leaning back in his seat. "So, you went to the museum and library for inspiration. What exactly would they inspire you to do for your manga? I mean the library is just a library, and maybe looking at paintings give you ideas for backgrounds and characters, but a plot?"

"Ah, well, this chapter is supposed to be like a filler. You know how when you read a book, or watch an anime, and it starts out happy and introduces a problem?" Akaashi asked, receiving a nod in understanding. "Well, that's how they build you up. They're building you up higher and higher, making you think everything's over and the climax has occurred, and maybe they're just going to give you filler? Then, they cut your legs out from under you and make your heart ache for those happy times? That's what I'm trying to accomplish, and I need a date for the peak of my manga. The happy part where it seems like nothing could go wrong, until I shatter my readers hopes and dreams."

Kuroo burst into a hearty laughter, lifting up his water next to his wine, taking a small sip. "How morbid, Keiji." He teased, shaking his head, receiving a knowing grin from his love. "That's actually a great idea. Make them happy, wanting more, then crush their hearts, and they just can't stop cause they're in to deep." Kuroo glanced back up at Akaashi, who had sat back with a calculating smirk. "I like how dark you are sometimes, it's quite lovely. Makes things interesting..."