I Can't Live Without You (Sequel)

Chapter Five

  The pollen-scented breeze swept through a family friendly park, rustling the newly grown buds on its way. The playground was covered with crawling toddlers and running kids. Mothers and fathers watched over their children with love and care. The families spent the afternoon in the warm sunlight taking advantage of each other's presence. On an isolated bench beneath bending branches sat Kuroo in the shadow of the foliage. Despite the pleasant weather he had a scarf wrapped around his neck, a cap lowered in front of his face, and sunglasses covering his eyes. He watched the kids run around with melancholy and sadness. He recollected some moments he had spent with his mother and father in a playground such as this one. For one week now he had come to the park and sit alone with his thoughts as only companions.

  The middle blocker hadn't contacted Kenma ever since they were separated by force that night. He wanted to ask him if he was okay, he wanted to explain to him that they were going to be alright. However he couldn't manage that. He himself was not alright. He had always valued his parents opinions no matter what. The fact that they were against something for the first time in his life really beat him down. He was even more devastated by the fact that they could not allow him to love someone.

  There were so many things he needed to tell his boyfriend—if they even were in a relationship anymore. Kuroo hadn't called or texted Kenma but the younger hadn't either. He was afraid that because of the blowup during the dinner he wouldn't want to be with him anymore. Not only did his parents hate him he was afraid Kenma would too. The one thing he probably couldn't bear would be losing Kenma again. After everything he had done to make it up to the boy after his breakdown, he couldn't let themselves be separated once more.

  His feelings were clear to him. He knew what he had to do. He needed to talk things through with his parents, with Kenma's parents, and with Kenma himself. Even though he knew all that, he couldn't bring himself to actually do it. There was something so stressful, so terrifying of confronting the adults who had the most impact in their lives, and tell them what they wanted and what they would do. Kuroo was a captain, he knew how to get around a challenging circumstances, he knew how to surpass a difficulty, but right now, volleyball techniques seemed impossible to apply in his situation.

  The faint whisper of his name led his mind back to the lively play area around him. Just as he looked up to where the murmur came from an overjoyed screeched startled him.

  "Kuroo, bro!" shouted an all-too-familiar voice. The said boy watched as Bokuto ran toward him to greet him. He quickly tipped his cap over his bruised face before standing up and holding a hand out. It was met with another at full speed. They grasped firmly and waved their arms down, jumping on their left leg and tapping their right foot together, then repeating with the opposite leg. They turned to the side and hip-bumped each other. Their arms tangled around the other's neck as they rubbed their knuckles against one another's scalp. With one last double-sided hand slap and fist bump they chuckled as their handshake was complete.

  Kuroo bent down to pick up his hat that had fallen during their reunion. He pressed it back on his wild hair and forced a friendly smile. "Hey Bokuto. What are you two doing here?" he inquired as Akaashi finally caught up with his hyper partner.

  "We came to see a museum before school starts again! Akaashi and I aren't in the same universities, even though I begged him to come with me," added the silver-haired boy with a sorrowful pout, "so we have to see each other during weekends or vacation."

  The dark-haired setter smiled politely at Kuroo and stuck to Bokuto's side, afraid the boy would fly off somewhere without him.

  "And what are you doing here man, with your sneaky sunglasses and your suspicious hat? Watching young children too! What are you, a perv?" joked Bokuto slapping his best friend's back. "And what's with all the cans dude?" he added noticing the lying beer cans under the park bench. Kuroo cringed and a crooked smile crossed his face. He lowered his head and raised the scarf hoping it would cover the reddened skin under his eye.