So... I got a sudden spurt of enthusiasm towards writing, so I FINALLY got around to writing and editing another chapter of this. We are almost at the end of this story. Wow. Please enjoy, I am rather proud of this chapter ;)
I posted this a lot earlier on AO3, don't know why I waited so long to put it on this website.
"Slow down, you're going to choke," Kenma's monotone voice was a bit louder than usual, giving away his uncharacteristic smirk.
Kuroo gasped around his mouthful of heaven as tears sprung to his eyes. "I can't. It's just too good!" He reached out to hug his slightly amused friend but his arms were batted away.
"You're drooling. Gross."
The taller boy feigned hurt before he swallowed the huge bite of pancake he had taken and dropped the act. "But seriously, Kenma. Those were the best pancakes I have ever eaten. No lie."
Kenma ignored his praise, setting himself to work on the mess of pots and pans and bottles and dishes that were scattered around his parent's kitchen. Kuroo didn't miss the faint pink dusting his cheeks, however, but he decided not to comment on it.
Kuroo had finally convinced Kenma to let him come over in the morning so they could walk the full way to school, and although it would mean Kuroo had to get up earlier, it also meant he got to spend more time with his friend. And that was a fair price to pay, Kuroo reasoned. He hadn't been expecting pancakes to be waiting on the table for him when he arrived though, and he had internally thanked himself for not eating breakfast at home this morning. Although the elder knew that Kenma valued their friendship, he rarely showed it, so even just the thought of him making Kuroo pancakes could have brought him to tears. Not to mention the flavor.
"Seriously. What did you PUT in these things?" he nearly wailed.
A huff of breath escaped the faux-blonde's lips. "I literally just used the powder you can buy at the store and added eggs and milk. There is nothing special about these pancakes," he insisted.
Kuroo got to his feet and padded over to the sink to help Kenma where he was currently perched over the sink scrubbing syrupy dishes. Kuroo could see the profile of his friend's face from this angle; the straight set of his nose, the little line off concentration between his brows, and his long eyelashes that formed curved shadows over his cheeks. It was quite lovely.
Those cat-like eyes shifted up to meet Kuroo's, but he quickly returned his gaze to the sink where pile of dishes looked just as threatening as earlier. "What are you looking at?"
Kuroo fought back a smirk unsuccessfully. "Nothing."
Kenma snorted, shaking his head, but didn't reply.
The gentle hum of water from the tap and the occasional sloshing were the only things to be heard as they worked quickly and diligently. They only had a little time left till school began, after all.
As if reading Kuroo's thoughts, Kenma spoke. "We need to leave or we're going to be late."
"Gotcha."
Kuroo jogged to the other room and picked up both of their backpacks, nearly dropping Kenma's from the surprising amount of weight.
"Hey, what do you put in this thing?!" he called to the other room.
The younger boy soon joined him in the front hall, wiping his hands against his uniform pants unconsciously. "Textbooks. And DS games." Kenma snatched his bag from the taller boy and stalked out the front door after struggling with the stubborn lock for a few moments. It was a little cool outside, enough to raise goosebumps on his clothed arms. He suppressed a shiver as a gust of wind found it's way past the collar of his uniform but didn't retreat back to the warmth of his home.
Kuroo soon followed him outside, joining Kenma's side and adapting to his slightly lumbering pace automatically.
"So..."
Kenma tensed at his tone. He knew this tone.
"Relax! I just wanted to know how you're feeling today."
Kuroo's sharp eyes didn't miss the way Kenma's lips twitched slightly before his mask was reassembled. He nodded slightly. "I'm... okay. Thanks for asking."
His eyes remained fixed on the ground but his shoulders softened slightly and Kuroo knew that his friend was telling the truth.
"Good."
"You have to work in groups of two on this assignment. I'll pair you up individually if you can't find a partner."
Kuroo automatically looked towards Kenma, and his eyes widened when he saw the way his shoulders were hunched slightly and he seemed to cave in on himself.
"Hey. Kenma." Kenma stiffened slightly and turned around to face him. "Let's be partners."
A short pause, and then a sharp nod. "Okay."
It was so simple, yet so odd. Just something little like that felt important. They were partners. They had each other's backs. Lately, Kuroo had been paying closer attention to his shorter friend than ever before. And in doing so he realized that things that used to hold no importance to him took on a new meaning. Every time he proved Kenma's self doubts wrong; every time he knocked down one of his insecurities, it wasn't pity he felt, or even pride. It was something soft and fuzzy, flitting around in his chest and bringing a stutter to his heart. A feeling like comfort, with a spark of something else around the edges. It felt dangerous, but it also felt warm. He liked it. He wanted to feel it more. And every time he saw that ghost of a smile light up Kenma's face, it burned again, brighter than fireworks. It was magical.
After that moment they stuck close for the rest of the day, never touching and yet always feeling eacother's presence. When he saw that Kenma felt uncomfortable with a conversation he was having, he always jumped in, but he also let Kenma have enough independence to drive himself out of those awkward situations. After all, Kuroo wouldn't always be there for him. Kuroo shook his head. He didn't like that thought. He pushed that thought away.
Kenma's agile fingers picked the ball up and Kuroo ran forward, detecting where it would end up in front of him, and slammed his flat hand down. The sound on the other end of the court ricocheted and nearly deafened everbody in the room. That prideful smirk climbed it's way onto Kuroo's face and at the sight of it Kenma rolled his eyes.
"You can't tell me that wasn't amazing," Kuroo jived at his shorter companion.
Kenma's eyes glided to Kuroo's face, looking over his expression, before returning to the ball he held in his hand. "It was not perfect."
Kuroo rolled his eyes at his friend's tone but decided to let his argument go, striding over to ruffle Kenma's hair. The captain yelled out that practice was finished and the two walked with each other towards the locker room. Halfway there they were joined by a noisy teammate. He slung an arm around the blondie's neck and steered him toward the locker room more quickly, leaving Kuroo to follow close behind them.
"I keep telling them, Kenma, I see you playing and you're getting better every day! How are your tosses so perfect?" The setters sharp eyes fixated on the other boy's face, absorbing his tone of voice and facial expression. Kuroo noticed him do that alot when people talked to him. Maybe it was so he could be sure they weren't being sarcastic, or maybe so he could attempt to mimic their mood. Nobody seemed to notice much besides Kuroo himself.
"Thanks. It would be nice to be able to play in a game some time."
Kuroo nearly stopped in his tracks. Never had his friend showed any interest towards excelling in his sport, and most certainly he never had shown interest in playing competitively. All this time Kuroo assumed he had been dragging Kenma along, but now it was apparent that he was not the only one set on improving.
"You definitely will. Kuroo and you together? You guys are a perfect match." The boy left Kenma's side to go to his bag and change, and Kuroo regained his former spot next to him. Kuroo absorbed his teammates words with wide eyes, trying to ignore the way his pulse quickened at the suggestion. He shook his head.
Kuroo watched as his friend leaned over, hair in his face and rifling through his sports bag, and reached out a finger to poke his shoulder. His head tilted almost imperceptibly and those sharp golden eyes narrowed. "What?" It took Kuroo a minute to register that there was a faint blush on his friend's face, too.
"Did you hear that? We're a perfect match, you and I."
Kenma's blush deepened, and he straightened up with tense shoulders. "No need to repeat it. I heard what he said loud and clear." He cleared his throat before returning to choosing clothes.
"Yep." Kuroo couldn't think of anything else to say, so he simply left it at that, turning to his own bag to freshen up.
"Ready to go home?" A few moment later Kuroo looked up to see his friend standing above him, bag slung over his shoulder and his posture relaxed.
With a grin, "Always."
I don't know, I liked it... did you? Let me know in the reviews ;;;;DDDD
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