"Okay...the future. Post college."

Bokuto laughs and Kuroo can feel it where their shoulders are pressed together as they sit back to back. "You mean when I go pro, right? With millions of fans screaming my name at every game and parties afterwards, even if we lose." He grins at Kuroo's ceiling and pumps his fist excitedly. "Everyone's gonna know who I am. I can't wait!"

Kuroo laughs too, jostling Bokuto with the movement. "Just remember the little people when you get there, okay?"

"Don't worry your pretty little bedhead, I'll make sure to mention you at every press conference." Bokuto snakes an arm behind him to tickle Kuroo in the side and instantly regrets it, his resulting spasm almost sending his phone flying out of his hand and across the living room floor.

It's a simple game they often play when television is too boring and they're too exhausted to do much of anything else. One of them would throw out a scenario, an experience, a random word more often than not, and the other would have to tell them what they thought about it. The conversation usually went anywhere and everywhere, and in the process they found out some interesting things about one another. Like that Bokuto wanted two girl children. Or that Kuroo would rather spend hours in a room full of snakes than five minutes in one with a single spider.

After a few minutes of silence, Kuroo speaks. "Oi, it's your turn you know."

He resists the urge to poke Kuroo in the side again and instead slides his own knees up to his chest and hugs them. "I know, I have to think of something."

"Oh god, we're gonna be here all day."

With narrowed eyes, Bokuto aims a jab at Kuroo's side and smiles at his resulting groan of pain. He waits for Kuroo to quiet down before saying his next topic. "The future, but while you're in college."

Kuroo groans again, but for an entirely different reason. "Thank you for making me think about the thing I have been trying not to think about for the past year."

He shrugs, regretting his choice only slightly. College wasn't really something either of them spoke about often, and when they did it was in the vaguest of terms. At this point, Bokuto wanted to hear at least something about the way his best friend felt about his immediate future. "You're welcome. Now, go on."

Kuroo heaves a sigh and closes his eyes. "I'll be in a small university hopefully, not too far from home. Gonna have more friends than I'll want and get less sleep than I'll need. Hopefully I'll be on a team that works well together, though I probably won't end up with another team like Nekoma's. Hell, I hope I'll stay in contact with the team when I leave..."

Bokuto can tell that this is a sensitive topic, that there's more to the story that Kuroo's holding back. He doesn't push it though, he'll ask again another day. "Don't worry, I don't think they'll let you forget about them that easily. Your turn?"

Bokuto can't see it, but Kuroo's smile is tinged with gratitude. "My turn. Tell me what you think it would be like to actually kiss the last person you thought about kissing."

Bokuto is thankful that Kuroo is facing away from him, so he can't see the blush that is slowly lighting up his face. "Pretty extreme change of topic, huh?" His voice is slightly higher pitched than normal, but Kuroo doesn't call him out on it.

"Oh please, like we haven't asked each other weirder things. Now spill."

He starts talking immediately, getting rid of any chance he has to make things awkward for the both of them. "Well, I guess it'd start out gentle or whatever. And I'd wrap my arms around his neck to pull him closer, and he'd wrap his arms around my waist and pull me closer until we're chest to chest." He presses his face into his knees and continues. "He'd be the one to take charge of the kiss , pressing in harder and sliding his hand under my shirt and oh god this is embarrassing..."

He ignores Kuroo's chuckle and forces himself to keep talking. "And I'd try to run my fingers through his hair, but it'd probably get tangled and I'd break the kiss to tease you about your bedhead and..." Bokuto's eyes widen as he catches his slip mere seconds after he makes it, but it's already too late. He can feel the sudden stiffness of Kuroo's shoulders against his, and he wonders how badly he's fucked up.

They sit there in silence, and shame settles heavily onto Bokuto's shoulders like a blanket. "On a scale of one to invading Russia in the winter," he starts, a weak attempt to break the tension, "how big of a mistake did I just make?"

Kuroo ignores him completely. "The last person you thought about kissing was me?"

"Mhm..." His voice is thin and laced with embarrassment.

"You didn't make a mistake," Kuroo says, and Bokuto can't tell if his calm is real or not. "Just go, it's your turn."

"Well, since we're already on this topic," Bokuto mumbles into his knees, "Us. Together. As boyfriends."

Kuroo stiffens up again, what little tension that left his body returning in an instant, and a chill sweeps through Bokuto's body.

"Just pass on it if you've never thought about it." Bokuto can feel himself slipping into a gloomy mood. He seriously considers grabbing his stuff and leaving, right then and there, and trying to avoid Kuroo for the next few days. Or even forever. He's not sure what he's looking forward to the least: the rejection itself or the awkwardness that's bound to color every single interaction from this point on.

The sound of Kuroo's voice breaks his train of thought and stops his avoidant thoughts in their tracks. "No, that's not it..."

Kuroo turns to face Bokuto, shoving at his shoulder until they're face to face. "Well... it'd be a lot like our friendship. Fun. Comfortable. Easy. Except, you know, with a lot more making out. And cuddling maybe, I feel like that would be a big thing with you."

Bokuto's blush returns to his face full force and on display for Kuroo to see. He hadn't expected a response at all, much less one so... sincere. He can't bring himself to look Kuroo in the eye. "Yeah?" He manages to mumble.

"Yeah, yeah. I, uh...actually wanna find out what that'd be like."

It takes him a moment to process what Kuroo says, and even when he does he can't quite believe it. "Wait. Are you trying to say..."

"That your feelings are mutual? Yeah, something like that."

Relief smooths out Bokuto's features and he smiles brightly at Kuroo. "Is this the part where you ask me out like the gentleman you aren't?"

Kuroo laughs, low and smooth, and leans in close to Bokuto. "Only if this is the part where find out if our first kiss goes how you thought it would.