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Kentarou couldn't stop the words that had tumbled past his lips and into the open air ahead of them, he could see the words dissipate and travel off as if nothing had happened; yet it still felt like they hung heavy and hot in the cool air. They had been standing outside the front gates to the school, not waiting for anything.
Just enjoying their time as Yahaba was adjusting the thick polyester strap on his gym bag after a grueling afternoon practice. It being middle Autumn, leaves adorned the ground like carpet, and the crisp smells that came with it assaulted your nose like a sharp knife.
Kyoutani could see out of the corner of his eye that Yahaba Shigeru was standing stiff now, arms like poles that ended in tight fists. And Kentarou could also see the exact moment Shigeru was going to speak, but he didn't give him the chance, just continued walking like their brief stop and the utterance hadn't happened. As far as Kentarou was concerned it hadn't.
He didn't hear the familiar crunch that accompanied Shigeru's calculated- pristine as Kentarou would have called them- so he figured that Yahaba would wait until he was gone until starting his own venture home in the same direction. Though it would be dark by then, it wasn't Kentarou's business.
So as he walked, pressing an earbud into one ear he raked his mind violently for the reason he said that. Sure he had thought the other was attractive, even before they became friends, and even before they had been enemies. He had thought the other was cute when he laughed (causing dimples that would make Kentarou's knees weak to form), he thought it was hot when Yahaba focused on something whole heartedly like in Volleyball or when he was scolding Ken; in fact those were the times he found the other most alluring. But never in his mind had he thought he would utter the words "You look pretty" to anyone, and surely not Yahaba Shigeru. From enemies to friends to somewhere in between friends and something else, something Kentarou couldn't name. Couldn't conceive.
It started with walking home together under the excuse that they went the same way, then turned into afternoon's spent studying (albeit very close together), but as study afternoons turned into movies nights on the weekend. Kentarou found himself subconsciously wanting more, wanting more of those fleeting looks and touches where Shigeru would look sincere or nervous or both, wanted more time alone with him amd wanted to run his hands through that silver-hued brown hair, but that's not what friends do. They don't touch eachothers faces just to scope out the skin, and they don't stare at eachother across the room as if to say "Come over, i want you beside me", and they most certainly don't call one another pretty.
Kentarou could blame it on the setting sun before them, that had painted the other boy's face a shade of orange that matched the fire he so loved in the other's eyes, he could blame it on the way girls around the school would giggle and send whispers about Shigeru saying the exact same thing, and he could blame it on-
Yahaba Shigeru, standing right in front of him. Somewhere along his thoughts Kentarou had stopped walking, giving the other time to get in front of him. And Kentarou wanted to try and tell him that those words meant nothing, and couldn't possibly mean anything, but the look on Shigeru's face sent that thought out of his head where it drifted to the ground like a leaf.
Shigeru's nose and cheeks were red (something Ken couldn't determine if it was because of the cold or not), his eyes trained on Kyoutani's- usual fire still there and flicking wildly, and his mouth hung open the slightest bit, soft puffs of breath escaping through parted lips, almost reaching ken's face; it took him a moment but he soon realized that Yahaba had spoken.
"Wha-t?" Kentarou's voice drew out, and he would have cursed himself if his mind hadn't drawn a total blank. Shigeru looked so desirable as he usually did, but that look in his eye had Ken a whole new kind of speechless.
"What did you mean?" There was an air of uncertainty that didn't fit Shigeru's usual proud tone, and Kentarou didn't like it. Shigeru had his fists still in balls and Kentarou wondered briefly if telling the truth would get him punched. But the aching in his solar plexus didn't seem to give a shit.
"I mean you look pretty. You are pretty. What the fuck else would it mean?" He asked raising an eyebrow at the other boy, who was currently sucking in the deepest breath he had ever seen, as if it filled Yahaba's entire body and not just his lungs.
They stood there at a stalemate for a few moments, both blushing and both wondering what would happen next. Kentarou keeping his usual glare on his face with just a twist of what could only be anxiety, but Shigeru looked wrecked. Like he was unraveling.
He looked scared, and Kentarou couldn't place why.
The frozen silence was broken only by Shigeru lowering his lead until Kentarou couldn't see his face and a bitter, almost choked laugh from said boy. There was a step back and a turn on the heel and Yahaba was walking away, shaking his head, biting deep marking into his lip.
And Kentarou stood, still frozen in time, one of his favorite songs blaring unbearably loud in his ear. What the fuck just happened? He asked himself, watching the other walking away this time. It took him a moment to process but when he saw Yahaba's fists still by his sides shaking, he decided that maybe, just maybe; Shigeru wanted more too.
So what did he do?
Well he stomped as fast as he could after him, glare on his face deepening with determination as he grabbed the other boy by the shoulders and forcing him to turn around. Shigeru had a look of surprise on his face and a bottom lip chewed to hell but Kentarou be damned if he didn't find the other just as beautiful as always. He could tell there were words seconds from spilling out of the other's slightly swollen and pink lips so for the second time that afternoon he cut him off, this time by pressing forwards with a closed mouth kiss.
It hadn't been a peck, having lingered much longer than that. Nor was it a wet and greedy tongue kiss. It was simple and deep in it's own way, lips slotting together like this wasn't the first time. There were no fireworks, no sparks, but there was warmth that spread throughout both of there bodies and an astonishing feeling of familiarity and belonging that made Kentarou imagine that time had stopped.
When they pulled away, a soundless smack or their lips that could only be felt giving way to even deeper blush. Kentarou held Shigeru's shoulders still but he could feel a slight shake to the usual confidence they held.
"I figured you thought it meant nothing." Shigeru said as his hands found their way to Ken's wrists, wrapping long fingers there but not trying to push him away.
"I tried to convince myself that, but when i saw you turn i knew it meant more for us." Kentarou confessed, not all too sure where these words were coming from. But the look on Shigeru's face had him realizing they were true.
The other was smiling, wider than he had ever seen, with crinkles next to his eyes. And Kentarou couldn't stop himself from putting their foreheads together to whisper.
"You look pretty."