Kuroo and Tsukishima

Summer training camp was always noisy. Loud shouts from the court, the sound of balls hitting the floor, the constant squabbles between teams—all of this has long since become a familiar background.

Kuroo Tetsuro looked too calm amidst all the chaos. A cold gaze, a straight posture, a stern captain's voice that sometimes made even Yaku roll his eyes and still do as he was told. He was respected almost unconditionally at Nekoma. Kuroo rarely joked during training, and when he spoke, everyone listened.

• Lev, if you miss another serve, you'll be running in circles until lights out.

Calm down. Without raising your voice. But this only made it more scary.

Tsukishima watched this from the Karasuno court, wiping his neck with a towel.

“He has a face like a mafioso,” Tanaka muttered quietly.

“More like a teacher who hates children,” Nishinoya added.

Kay just chuckled. He'd noticed for a long time that Kuroo was changing around him. So drastically that it was almost irritating.

Because as soon as the training ended, he immediately headed towards him.

• Tsukki.

Here we go again. This tone. Much softer than with all the others.

Kuroo stopped next to him, handing him a bottle of cold water. He looked down at the others with his usual sternness, but now he seemed a little tired and somehow too calm.

• You reacted late to the quick attacks today.

“Thank you for your valuable comment, Captain,” Kay replied dryly.

Tetsuro chuckled softly. Only for him did he have such rare smiles left.

• I'm serious. You're too distracted.

• And you follow me too much.

For a few seconds, they simply stared at each other. The noise of teams was all around them, someone was arguing over food, Bokuto was dramatically falling to the floor for the hundredth time, but here, it seemed quieter.

Kuroo sighed and suddenly placed his hand on the top of Kei's head, slightly ruffling his hair.

• Because you're still little.

— We are only two years younger.

• Exactly. Small.

Tsukishima frowned in displeasure, pushing his hand away, but Kuroo was already smiling—barely, almost lazily.