24-4-2028

"kuroo, what're you working on?" yaku asks as he glances over the ravenet's shoulder, looking at kuroo's work. he doesn't answer, however, and yaku leaves.

three hours later, kuroo emerges, storming off towards the elevator, an unreadable expression on his face. yaku frowns and follows closely.

"oi, kuro—"

"...we replace it, the solid mass needs to be taken out, so—"

"kuroo!" yaku exclaims, snapping the ravenet out of his train of thoughts. "what is it?!"

kuroo looks down at him. "i did it," he whispers, "i think i did it, yakkun, i think i found a way to do it."

"do what?"

"replace the valve."

"what..?"

"tricuspid atresia patients miss a valve, right? i just made one," kuroo says breathlessly, face blank, probably due to his own surprise. "i think i did it."

25-8-2028

oikawa calls kuroo for the forth time just as he storms inside after forty-eight hours in the lab, running over to him end scooping him up. oikawa laughs, clinging on to him.

"what is it, tetsu?" he asks, smiling.

"i did it!" he shouts, jumping until oikawa makes him put him down. "i made the valve. i replaced a valve. oikawa, i just made a heart valve from scratch."

oikawa looks up at him. "does this..."

"yes!" kuroo shouts, pressing a kiss against his lips, "tooru, i did it! i found it! oh my god, i can't believe it! i may be able to fix it!"

oikawa cries and wraps his arms around kuroo's neck. his cry is a cry of relief, kuroo feels it.

kuroo cries too.

"you think you can do it?"

"yeah," kuroo whispers. "a normal life for you. no more holding back."