supernatural themes, dream sequences word count: 1323
If you asked, Kuroo would say he was only attracted to the temples because they were close to his house, and sometimes you want a little bit of extra luck on your side for exams or games or what not.
The real answer though, Kuroo would never ever admit. After all, his family was never a big temple-going one, and it's not like he's the whimsical type to believe in fairy tales and myths of old. He prefers to bury his face in science textbooks or talking video games with Kenma. But the temples are across from each other down the street from his home just affront a park, and they've been there longer than any of Kuroo's family. They are a pair of complementary temples facing each other right where the park starts - To the right, a home for spirits of the wind and sky and to the left, for the trees and the earth.
Kuroo remembers the first time he went as a child, when he thought he could run away from home with Kenma after their parents were being mean about lending them extra allowance so they could get ice cream. He doesn't remember how old he was, but he does remember when the sky cracked open and the rain started pouring, leaving him drenched until he ran inside, panting for breath and shivering. For such an old place, it didn't shake, didn't let in a drop of water, and Kuroo was endlessly grateful for it as he tried to wring water out of his shirt and found a comfortable place to curl up against the wall.
"Stupid storm." he mumbled to himself. "Stupid temple."
"I take offense to that."
The voice is deep, but playful, and Kuroo doesn't recognize it at all. Actually, wasn't he alone in here? He jumps to his feet, terrified, only to find an adult wearing weird clothing across from him.
"Are you lost?" The adult asks again, softer this time.
"N-No." His brow furrows, wanting to run, but it's still pouring rain and he'd rather not run home in it. "I'm fine."
"Hm, I don't know. It looks like to me you want to get home."
Kuroo's eyes go wide.
"Stay here." The man says, clasping his shoulder. "I'll see what I can do."
Do what, Kuroo wants to ask, but the man is already walking out the door and outside toward the other temple.
"Wait--" He doesn't have to do that, Kuroo, can wait, there's no need for him to get wet too, but all of that freezes in his throat.
The rain doesn't touch the man's shoulders. It halos around him, keeping him completely dry. He says something, but Kuroo doesn't catch it through the pattering - he only sees a second man show up out of thin air. He even looks like he's floating, which wouldn't be weird with the look of wings at his back, silver hair framing his face so Kuroo can't make it out.
He sits there, slackjawed, watching the two of them and their odd robes talking about things he doesn't understand. He doesn't know how long it is before the man from the temple turns to face him with a smile.
"Okay, you should be set to go home now."
Kuroo jolts awake. He has no idea when he fell asleep, or how much of it was a dream, but what he does know is that the rain is stopped, and neither of the men are there.
He runs home.
It'd be one thing if he could just leave the temple alone after that, but he can't. Curiosity's got him by the scruff and he ends up going back as often as he could. Sometimes he'd leave gifts, sometimes he'd just hang out in the shade, wondering if one of them would show up.
Years pass, and little else. Kuroo's starting high school now, and he should really forget about the weird incident and write it off like a dream like anyone else.
Still, he makes one pass by the sky temple before school starts, figuring going one last time can't hurt.
Then the first gift arrives.
Kuroo drops his backpack on the floor of his room, wondering if it's some sick joke Kenma's pulled. But when he steps closer, he knows it's not because no way Kenma would take the time to wrap anything in leaves, nor does he own such fine looking parchment for a note.
"you left these last night."
He doesn't know what to think about that, peeling away the delicate leaves, feeling the strange tingle that touches his fingers as he brushes over the wrapping. Inside is his pencil case, the one he hides his lunch money in.
"Oh." is all Kuroo can say.
He starts going to the temples again.
The gifts he gets are small, things at random in various packages of leaves and twine and feathers, never the same thing twice. They're odd little trinkets, and he saves every single one.
Kuroo's munching on his ice cream sandwich on the steps of the earth temple this time, looking at the stars above his head. Even though the view isn't that different than the one from his room, Kuroo feels like the stars are clearer here, the full moon a little brighter. Maybe it's just the warm, easy feeling that settles into his chest when he's at this temple, like he's safe, that everything is going to be alright.
It's similar in the other temple, but not - there's more a sense of excitement, of things to come, and Kuroo's not good enough in literature to describe it. But he likes it, knowing that they're both there for him and both give him that odd sense of peace.
He misses it. College has taken him far enough away he can't come back more than once every few months.
The temples aren't going anywhere, Kuroo tells himself, they've already been here for ages, and they'll probably be around long after he is.
"What a kind sentiment."
After all these years, Kuroo recognizes the exact tenor of that deep voice. The man sits down beside him on the steps, and it's strange - last time they met he was so much taller, seemed so much older, but now they look the same age.
"Daiiichi, you didn't tell me our old friend was back!"
This voice he doesn't recognize, but when he turns, he recognizes the silver hair and the fading breadth of wings.
"You're..."
"Oh good, you remember me!" he laughs, and the other one, Daichi apparently, shakes his head. "You thought he forgot even though he visits all the time?"
"Oh hush." He reaches around Kuroo to slap Daichi on the arm, before turning his focus back to Kuroo. "Anyway, I don't think we've properly met, I'm Koushi! And that's Daichi, but you can ignore him."
"Hey!"
Kuroo feels out of his depth, blinking and looking between Koushi to his right and Daichi to his left wearing the same old robes as he remembers and smiles to match the stares. It doesn't make sense. It's been ages since he last saw either of them, so why now? Why haven't they said anything to him sooner? Why the gifts instead of just talking?
There are so many questions, so many things he wants to know about them and their temples and stories he's heard and researched and everything.
None of those questions pass his lips.
"Uh, you know, last time I saw you guys, I was asleep, and if I fell asleep again in the middle of eating ice cream, I'm gonna be kinda miffed to wake up with it all over myself."
It's Daichi's and Koushi's turn to stare with slackjaw surprise at him, before busting into full blown laughter, hard enough to shake the steps.
Kuroo joins them not long after, and it feels like home.
Fill: Team Azumane Asahi/Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, G
word count: 1323
If you asked, Kuroo would say he was only attracted to the temples because they were close to his house, and sometimes you want a little bit of extra luck on your side for exams or games or what not.
The real answer though, Kuroo would never ever admit. After all, his family was never a big temple-going one, and it's not like he's the whimsical type to believe in fairy tales and myths of old. He prefers to bury his face in science textbooks or talking video games with Kenma. But the temples are across from each other down the street from his home just affront a park, and they've been there longer than any of Kuroo's family. They are a pair of complementary temples facing each other right where the park starts - To the right, a home for spirits of the wind and sky and to the left, for the trees and the earth.
Kuroo remembers the first time he went as a child, when he thought he could run away from home with Kenma after their parents were being mean about lending them extra allowance so they could get ice cream. He doesn't remember how old he was, but he does remember when the sky cracked open and the rain started pouring, leaving him drenched until he ran inside, panting for breath and shivering. For such an old place, it didn't shake, didn't let in a drop of water, and Kuroo was endlessly grateful for it as he tried to wring water out of his shirt and found a comfortable place to curl up against the wall.
"Stupid storm." he mumbled to himself. "Stupid temple."
"I take offense to that."
The voice is deep, but playful, and Kuroo doesn't recognize it at all. Actually, wasn't he alone in here? He jumps to his feet, terrified, only to find an adult wearing weird clothing across from him.
"Are you lost?" The adult asks again, softer this time.
"N-No." His brow furrows, wanting to run, but it's still pouring rain and he'd rather not run home in it. "I'm fine."
"Hm, I don't know. It looks like to me you want to get home."
Kuroo's eyes go wide.
"Stay here." The man says, clasping his shoulder. "I'll see what I can do."
Do what, Kuroo wants to ask, but the man is already walking out the door and outside toward the other temple.
"Wait--" He doesn't have to do that, Kuroo, can wait, there's no need for him to get wet too, but all of that freezes in his throat.
The rain doesn't touch the man's shoulders. It halos around him, keeping him completely dry. He says something, but Kuroo doesn't catch it through the pattering - he only sees a second man show up out of thin air. He even looks like he's floating, which wouldn't be weird with the look of wings at his back, silver hair framing his face so Kuroo can't make it out.
He sits there, slackjawed, watching the two of them and their odd robes talking about things he doesn't understand. He doesn't know how long it is before the man from the temple turns to face him with a smile.
"Okay, you should be set to go home now."
Kuroo jolts awake. He has no idea when he fell asleep, or how much of it was a dream, but what he does know is that the rain is stopped, and neither of the men are there.
He runs home.
It'd be one thing if he could just leave the temple alone after that, but he can't. Curiosity's got him by the scruff and he ends up going back as often as he could. Sometimes he'd leave gifts, sometimes he'd just hang out in the shade, wondering if one of them would show up.
Years pass, and little else. Kuroo's starting high school now, and he should really forget about the weird incident and write it off like a dream like anyone else.
Still, he makes one pass by the sky temple before school starts, figuring going one last time can't hurt.
Then the first gift arrives.
Kuroo drops his backpack on the floor of his room, wondering if it's some sick joke Kenma's pulled. But when he steps closer, he knows it's not because no way Kenma would take the time to wrap anything in leaves, nor does he own such fine looking parchment for a note.
"you left these last night."
He doesn't know what to think about that, peeling away the delicate leaves, feeling the strange tingle that touches his fingers as he brushes over the wrapping. Inside is his pencil case, the one he hides his lunch money in.
"Oh." is all Kuroo can say.
He starts going to the temples again.
The gifts he gets are small, things at random in various packages of leaves and twine and feathers, never the same thing twice. They're odd little trinkets, and he saves every single one.
Kuroo's munching on his ice cream sandwich on the steps of the earth temple this time, looking at the stars above his head. Even though the view isn't that different than the one from his room, Kuroo feels like the stars are clearer here, the full moon a little brighter. Maybe it's just the warm, easy feeling that settles into his chest when he's at this temple, like he's safe, that everything is going to be alright.
It's similar in the other temple, but not - there's more a sense of excitement, of things to come, and Kuroo's not good enough in literature to describe it. But he likes it, knowing that they're both there for him and both give him that odd sense of peace.
He misses it. College has taken him far enough away he can't come back more than once every few months.
The temples aren't going anywhere, Kuroo tells himself, they've already been here for ages, and they'll probably be around long after he is.
"What a kind sentiment."
After all these years, Kuroo recognizes the exact tenor of that deep voice. The man sits down beside him on the steps, and it's strange - last time they met he was so much taller, seemed so much older, but now they look the same age.
"Daiiichi, you didn't tell me our old friend was back!"
This voice he doesn't recognize, but when he turns, he recognizes the silver hair and the fading breadth of wings.
"You're..."
"Oh good, you remember me!" he laughs, and the other one, Daichi apparently, shakes his head. "You thought he forgot even though he visits all the time?"
"Oh hush." He reaches around Kuroo to slap Daichi on the arm, before turning his focus back to Kuroo. "Anyway, I don't think we've properly met, I'm Koushi! And that's Daichi, but you can ignore him."
"Hey!"
Kuroo feels out of his depth, blinking and looking between Koushi to his right and Daichi to his left wearing the same old robes as he remembers and smiles to match the stares. It doesn't make sense. It's been ages since he last saw either of them, so why now? Why haven't they said anything to him sooner? Why the gifts instead of just talking?
There are so many questions, so many things he wants to know about them and their temples and stories he's heard and researched and everything.
None of those questions pass his lips.
"Uh, you know, last time I saw you guys, I was asleep, and if I fell asleep again in the middle of eating ice cream, I'm gonna be kinda miffed to wake up with it all over myself."
It's Daichi's and Koushi's turn to stare with slackjaw surprise at him, before busting into full blown laughter, hard enough to shake the steps.
Kuroo joins them not long after, and it feels like home.