WARNINGS: Food mention, poor eating habits (unrelated to EDs)
It was the third day of training camp, and Kenma could not find anything Good.
Sure, he was never a big eater in the first place. There was no particular reason for it, he simply just, didn't eat often. But this was different. Normally, he could eat when he needed to. At least one meal a day during the volleyball season, and a meal and a snack at training camp (which Kuroo made sure he ate). Even in the offseason, he ate at least every other day, usually more than that.
Except when his sensory issues acted up.
It was no surprise, of course. He was 9 when he was diagnosed with autism, and his eating habits and sensory issues were a big reason he was tested to begin with. He was much better at eating than he used to be, but that didn't get rid of the fact that he had bad days, like anybody else (even neurotypicals). But to happen when he was at training camp, of all places? It didn't help that only Kuroo, who had been there when he was diagnosed, and his coach, who had access to his medical records, knew that he had these issues at all. The rest of the team knew he was picky, but they didn't know why.
"Kenma, you need to eat! I didn't see you with anything more than an apple yesterday, and that is not enough!" Yaku had been pestering him for the last ten minutes, and frankly he wished practice would start soon. It wasn't that he didn't want to eat, but he just, couldn't. The only thing he could really stand to eat right now was apple pie (which had been his samefood for the last 8 years), but they didn't serve that at the camp (obviously, considering it wasn't exactly "good" for the average athlete). He managed to eat an apple for breakfast the day before, and Kuroo had some crackers in his bag that he ate the first day of camp, but he had had a meltdown late the night before from all of the sensory input, so previously Not Good things were more Bad and Bad things were even worse.
Practice was long, filled with games and hunger (goddamn he was hungry but he couldn't stomach anything, he tried to eat half of Kuroo's sandwich with lunch but started gagging at the smell before he even took a bite. A shame, normally the sandwich would look really good), and more nagging from his teammates (and Shouyou) before Kuroo distracted them. Finally, it ended, but with it came dinner. His senses were even more overloaded, the earlier meltdown plus the constant games, plus the nagging of his teammates, plus his hunger, and he knew he couldn't bear to try going to dinner with everyone else. Before he could even attempt excuses to get away from Yaku, Shouyou, and Yamamoto, Kuroo saved him.
"Kenma! I got permission from coach to go for a drive for a bit! Wanna come?" He subtly put his left fist in his right hand, signing "help." Despite the lack of PDA between the two, it was always the small things that reminded Kenma how much Kuroo cared (and vice versa), and this was no exception, the smile on the tallers face showing he wasn't needing, but giving help.
"Sure," he shrugged, heading to the parking lot to stand by Kuroo's car, feeling too tired to say goodbyes, especially for such a short time. Kuroo quickly followed after, and as soon as they stepped outside the door, the elder put his arm over his boyfriend's shorters, letting Kenma lean into him (he knew his scent was one of the things that surely calm Kenma, and some DPT wouldn't hurt either). As they got to the car, the rooster headed captain revealed his true plan.
"I was planning on getting a salad from McDonalds, you can get an apple pie from there and take mine, since I know you haven't eaten anything I didn't force feed you," he said, reaching over to help Kenma adjust his seat, since Bokuto moved it from his ideal position when he rode here last, and his boyfriend looked exhausted, not just socially and physically (to be expected from training camp), but also mentally. "There's an extra free-for-all game tonight, I know you wouldn't be going anyways so I begged coach to let Nobuyuki take my place." He reached over at a red light to brush Kenma's hair from his face, knowing that touch was Ok, and from him even Good, because he'd been particularly clingy today. He moved Kenma's face toward him, not enough to make eye contact (which Kenma hated and wouldn't make anyways), or even make him look at his face (which was also difficult today, considering how his eyes were more downcast today than normal), just so that he could make sure Kenma knew he would say something important, but also that he had a choice.
"Do you want to have a care night?"
Kenma hated feeling infantilized, like he wasn't able to take care of himself, especially because of his autism. He didn't even let his parents dote on him all that much, even if they didn't mean harm. But Kuroo was different. After Kuroo witnessed a particularly bad meltdown at Kenma's first high school game, the worst he'd ever experienced (at the time), and the younger's parents were out of town, he took it upon himself to pamper his boyfriend. Kenma was nonverbal, craving some types of stimulation and completely sickened at the idea of others, hurting (physically and mentally), and tired, so Kuroo bathed, clothed, made food (apple pie, perhaps the easiest food to find in the Kozume household), and watched Let's Play's while snuggling his boyfriend, all the while asking Kenma what was or wasn't ok, assuring him he wasn't a burden, and surprisingly, enjoying himself. Kenma was usually the one to help, the one who iced bruises and wrapped scrapes from practice (though mostly because Kenma didn't often get hurt), but Kuroo thoroughly enjoyed caring for his boyfriend, especially when he was in distress and so vulnerable. The next day, Kuroo confided how much he enjoyed it, and Kenma (embarrassedly) said the same. Since then, they did "care" nights whenever Kenma or Kuroo felt they needed it (especially after particularly hard losses).
Kenma nodded, before circling his fist over his chest, signing "please."
They soon pulled through the drive through (which provided the least unfamiliar stimuli and put no stress on Kenma because they both knew, he was one wrong move from breaking), Kuroo getting a salad for himself, a plain burger meal for Kenma (one of his safefoods, and something he most likely could also eat, even if Kuroo had to take the fries), and two apple pies. Kenma tore into one and inhaled it, hunger getting the best of him, and saved the other one for when they were back at the dormitory they were staying in. Finally feeling contented, knowing he wouldn't have to force himself to eat something Bad but could stop being so goddamn hungry, he leaned into Kuroo's shoulder for the remaining ride, rubbing his cheek into his boyfriend's sweater in what him and his parents call his "sleepy stim," knowing he could completely unmask (no one would be at the dormitories for the next two hours or so) and let his boyfriend take care of him. He tapped Kuroo's fingers in a pattern of 3 (as opposed to his usual 2 or 5), and got three shoulder squeezes back as they pulled into the parking lot.
[A/N - These oneshots are really just me projecting onto my comfort characters and it shows. Also, I'll probably write about their first care night, maybe even today (don't bet on it).]
