"no dude, you don't understand i'm freaking out."
"...are you okay, kou?"
"no."
kuroo laughed over the phone, and bokuto wanted to throw it across the bedroom wall. "i'm serious, i can't do it!"
"it's just a date?" bokuto wanted to strangle his friend in that moment.
"no?? i want to ask akaashi keiji out. THE akaashi-"
"oh, you hormonal teenagers. i'm pretty sure he likes you just as much as you like him?"
"but what if you're wrong? what if he hates me and i get embarrassed and we end up being awkward around each other forever and-"
"calm down."
"I CAN'T."
"hey- y'know what? why don't i just ask him?"
"what- DUDE-"
"i promise i won't say it was you, i'll just talk to him and ask, 'hey are you madly in love with your captain?'"
"i-"
"it's a good idea??"
"it's really not..."
"i'll be right back, okay?" kuroo sounds happy with himself, amused- he sounds almost sinister.
"your voice just gave me anxiety."
"sorry sweetie, i'll be right back."
"i know, you just said-"
beep.
---
bokuto waited five minutes.
eventually that turned into ten, eleven, twelve...
that number became anger and he nearly ripped his little owl pillow in half, waiting for kuroo to call again.
until eventually he heard his ringtone and scrambled for his phone, only to shout "whAT TOOK YOU SO LONG" as soon as he picked up.
"jesus christ-"
"sorry- what did he say?" bokuto was almost bouncing up and down on his bed- _almost,_ but he was just a little too tall. he ended up almost hitting his head on the light fixture.
"i'll tell you when you're calm."
"i am calm. calm as a cucumber."
"that- what?"
"just tell me, you dumb."
"well... i asked him who he liked-"
"yeah?"
"and..."
"yeah??"
"well, he said..."
"whAT?"
"okay, he gave me a kind of complicated answer- first he said 'why does it matter?' so i told him it was for research, and he said 'research for what?' and i told him it was for konoha, so he totally roasted him and it was great, but then he just admitted that he used to like oikawa a little but he moved on and now-"
"what?? oikawa?"
"nevermind that, he said he likes you!!"
"wait, really?"
"yEAH."
"oh. my god."
"right?? it was pretty damn obvious, but he flat out told me- i wasn't expecting that. he just said, 'i sort of have a crush on bokuto-san.' it was so cute."
"dude. i'm crying."
"wait, really?"
"y- yeah, i have tears in my eyes."
"oh my god-"
"tell him i like him! please?"
kuroo sighed, but it didn't have the usual amount of exasperation in it- to be honest, it sounded like he was just trying not to laugh. "can't you do it yourself?"
"i'm too scared!!"
"fine! but we can't go the indirect way forever. you've gotta be brave, bro."
