Wingless (KuroTsuki)

11

Okay so heads up / TW — the second half of the chapter is super angsty, and includes stuff to do with suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide
Tsukishima Akiteru was surprised, to say the least, when he met Kuroo Tetsurou, the teen that his brother spoke so fondly of. He had figured something was between them after the things that his brother had said, not that he had a problem with that, but from the way Kuroo was described he had a very different picture in his head.

Akiteru imagined someone more like Yamaguchi or Sugawara, who were kind and supportive and undyingly loyal. He expected a guy who was smart (he was a chemistry nerd, as Kei had said) and calm, patient and gentle, someone who would comfort his brother whenever he needed, and probably someone quite obviously dorky. He guessed that whoever it was probably liked oversized jackets, as the red Nekoma jacket Kei was still wearing fit him quite well, if not a little baggy.

Needless to say, when Kuroo made his way out to the both of them to let them know it was time for lunch, Akiteru's jaw went slack. Here was this tall guy, taller than Akiteru yet shorter than Kei, with some extreme bed hair and well defined muscles. He was clearly a third year, and had this confident air about him in the way he carried himself, and along with that sly grin that looked so natural (Akiteru wouldn't be surprised if the guy was born with it), he was the polar opposite of what he'd expected to see from any of Kei's friends. He was actually intimidated by the teen in front of him, and he hoped that maybe he was just sent out to get them and that this wasn't actually one of the people Kei spoke so fondly of (because he couldn't imagine his brother hanging out with a guy who looked like he rode a motorcycle and probably got drunk off his ass at some party). Akiteru stood up before the younger did, greeting the guy with a smile that he hoped didn't reveal how intimidated he was. "Hello, I'm Tsukishima Akiteru, Kei's brother. It's, uh, nice to meet you."

The guy's eyes widened in recognition, and he began watching him more intently, an unknown emotion in the gaze of those hazel eyes. "Hey, my name is Kuroo Tetsurou," he said stiffly, shaking the hand that Akiteru had offered. "It's nice to meet you too, Tsukishima Akiteru. I hope we can get along."

The warning was silent, but not unheard. 'You hurt Kei, and I won't care if you're his brother. I won't forgive you.' Akiteru let go of his hand, slipping it into the pocket of his hoodie. "I hope we can get along too," he said with a smile, praying to any and every god that they would take mercy on him and that this wasn't really the guy his brother was smitten with. After he'd nodded though, Kuroo seemed satisfied with that and his expression was more friendly. In a way it was nice that he seemed to be protective of him, and perhaps he'd gotten the wrong idea if Kei had said he thought he hated him. Still, imagining any of the kind and gentle attributes on this guy just seemed impossible. Yet, as Kei stood up behind him, and Kuroo's eyes met his, there was a complete shift in demeanour.

Tetsurou's expression softened into a gentle and loving one, and it was so painfully obvious that those feelings were genuine. This bad boy, punk looking guy was completely and utterly in love with Kei, and the way his brother looked back at him made it clear he felt the same way too. As if it hadn't been enough, no more than a second later Kei was in those arms, hugging him tightly. Kuroo kissed his head, and gave him a loving smile, and in that moment Akiteru understood that his brother hadn't lied when he'd described Kuroo. Perhaps he looked intimidating, but he also had that caring and supportive side too, and that wasn't just an act either, he was even willing to show that side around other people if it meant Kei was happier.

Kei leaned and whispered something in Tetsurou's ear, and the male nodded, sending an apologetic look towards Akiteru. Kuroo pulled away a bit from the hug and then wrapped one of his arms around Kei's waist.

"Um, yeah, so this is Tetsu," Kei said with a shy smile, glancing between his brother and the third year. "And this is Akiteru, my big brother. He's not making me go back like I thought, which is good, but I'm sorry for worrying you."