A drabble based on a post by cutiepiehinata on tumblr:

'sometimes when Kuroo and Hina kiss Kuroo notices that Hina has his eyes open so when he asks him why he does that Hinata gets all flustered before he answeres "I love you I love you so much I want to look at you all the time" What Hina doesn't tell Kuroo is that he never wants to miss the moment when Kuroo opens his eyes right after they kiss that moment when his gold is clouded with heavy emotions only slowly clearing up till there is nothing left but his gentleness'

Hinata's heart feels light and fluttery in his chest, like a tiny bird beating its wings too fast to see as it flies toward the sun. He can feel more than hear his breathing hitch as Kuroo leans in, coming closer and closer until their lips touch.

It's warm.

Warm and soft, safe and familiar by now – but still Hinata can never remember that fact well enough to get over his reaction to Kuroo's kisses. It's like that first time all over again, when constant, wide-eyed stares became too frequent daydreams, and dreams became reality.

The kiss breaks, a tiny breeze drifting through the small space between them. Hinata's eyes cross as he keeps them glued to Kuroo's face; it's a flawless canvas made of honeyed tones, from blinding white teeth to sun-kissed, unmarked skin to the gleaming gold of Kuroo's eyes. Hinata could stare all day.

"Hey, Shouyou," Kuroo murmurs, breath fanning across Hinata's face. He nods, shivering a little at the sound of his name on Kuroo's tongue and distracted as he almost subconsciously leans back in to close the unwanted gap. Kuroo's low laugh is gentle, almost silent, "Why are your eyes sometimes open when we kiss?"

Hinata freezes as the question breaks through the slow haze of his thoughts. It's like being dunked into a cold bath, he thinks, as mortification makes something like icy lightning strike his spine only to be followed by a hot spike. Both run down his back and leave him uncomfortably embarrassed.

"Uh," he starts intelligently, his face heating up. Kuroo keeps gold eyes fixed on him, patient as he waits for an answer but with a spark of amusement in their depths. His mouth quirks upward in one corner and Hinata's eyes dart down at the movement before refocusing on a less distracting feature. He wets his lips nervously, "I, uh –"

"Yeah?" Kuroo lifts a hand to very gently draw a line down the back of Hinata's neck. The touch is soft and light as a feather and leaves a trail of goose bumps in its wake. Hinata can hear his heartbeat thunder in his ears. This is so unfair, he thinks, especially when he realises that Kuroo is fully aware of his effect on him. That little grin says it all. "You keep your eyes open because…?"

Hinata opens his mouth to speak – and nothing comes out. It's like his voice has died and decided to lodge itself in his throat like some unhelpful lump instead of behaving like normally functioning vocal chords. It really is grossly unfair, he thinks as Kuroo's grin widens to show white teeth, it's not fair that he can make him feel like this, so frequently embarrassed and warm and fuzzy and so full of gwaah. It's almost as good as, if not even better than, volleyball.

That thought shocks him back into reality and Hinata frowns, nose scrunching up.

How can anything be better than volleyball?

Kuroo clears his throat, nearing again until his mouth is so close to Hinata's that he can feel the moisture. Hinata burns; he wants to touch.

"Shouyou…" Kuroo whispers, not moving even as Hinata silently begs him to just kiss him again, dammit. But it's clear Kuroo has no intention of giving in to his plea even though Hinata wants.

"Because-!" he finally bursts out, face almost brighter than his hair. His arms flail. "I – I love you so much, I wanna look at you all the time!"

Hinata is pretty sure the colour of his face is permanently altered to that of a traffic light; it feels much too hot. He really, really hopes he won't explode because then he couldn't play volleyball ever again, or look at Kuroo, or kiss him –

Kuroo is silent, gaping a little. And Hinata isn't sure he can believe what his eyes are seeing but it slowly becomes more obvious the longer he looks. Kuroo is blushing a faint pink, a much too delicate shade for the usually confident, sassy captain of the Nekoma volleyball Hinata has come to know. It's a sight so unusual and strangely beautiful, like everything about Kuroo from the tips of his ridiculously wild hair (not that Hinata can talk) to the way his limbs and muscles twist and stretch in the air when playing volleyball.

"Uh," Kuroo says, sounding about as intelligent as Hinata did not too long ago. Hinata grins, feeling a little less stupid now. Who would have known that someone like him could shut up the master of smirks and volleyball strategy himself? Kuroo then clears his throat, looking strangely bashful and a small smile growing on his face. It's about as strange on him as a pink blush or shocked silence. Hinata squirms at Kuroo's eyes on him; the gold is liquid, warm and gentle and…he can't even describe it but Hinata feels like he now knows what the expression of 'one's insides doing somersaults' means. "That's the first time you said it."

Another bolt of icy lighting strikes Hinata, his eyes go wide and his mouth forms a surprised 'oh'. He doesn't have time to embarrass himself more though, because Kuroo has finally taken mercy and kisses Hinata again. It feels even gentler than before, its nature altered by something so intangible that Hinata can't describe it. It's not just gwaah anymore but gwooaah. Maybe even better than gwooaah, his brain fuzzily supplies before sinking into oblivion as the kiss deepens.

Another thing that's unfair, because Kuroo makes Hinata's self-control fail too often. If he could stare at Kuroo all day, he would but he can only manage to sometimes stay aware enough to keep his eyes open during these golden, warm kisses.

Kuroo breaks the kiss again and Hinata is about to complain about it because that's one break too many, but stays quiet because Kuroo steals his breath with an "I love you too" and by coming back to him. Hinata tries hard to keep his eyes open but they slide shut against his will as he melts.

Definitely better than gwooaah, he decides.

What Kuroo doesn't know is that Hinata keeps his eyes open for a different reason than that he loves him. Hinata's heart jolts as it is jostled by golden bubbles of joy rising upward in his chest. It's because what they've only confessed to each other just now was so visible in Kuroo's eyes right after he opens them after a kiss. It's because they swirl with some deep emotion which make Hinata feel heavy and light at the same time, which make his pulse race even more than kisses do, which make him feel like his heart could burst out of his chest. It's because they make him feel like the Little Giant, like he can see past the wall, like he's on top of the world.

And, as Hinata finally realises, it's love. It gave Hinata enough courage to realise it about himself too, so really, it should have been him to have said 'I love you too' because Kuroo said it every time they kissed, not just the times Hinata had his eyes and ears open enough to see and hear it.

But now it's his heart which has finally understood the message, past its burning passion for volleyball. This time, and Hinata hates himself for it, he's the one to break the kiss.

"Keep your eyes open," he tells Kuroo who looks momentarily confused before Hinata closes his and stretches upward a bit to reach for a kiss. It's over too fast for his liking but it will be worth it, he's sure. Hinata opens his eyes slowly, thoughts as hazy as the grin on his face. His voice comes out like a secret. "Did you see it?"

And again, Kuroo is silent for a bit, eyes full of wonder. Then he smiles and it's gentle and – Hinata can't stop grinning – full of love.

"Yeah," Kuroo whispers a secret back, "I did."

They seal it with a kiss.