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One year ago, a man named Tetsurou Kuroo had decided to start a band. Today, the four-member band was one of the biggest breakout artists in the American music scene.
Nekoma, as it was named, had been invited to perform at a music festival a state away. Rather than take a tour bus like they usually do, lead singer and bassist Tetsurou Kuroo had suggested they go on a road trip instead.
“It’ll be cheaper, faster, and more fun than taking that nasty ass bus,” Kuroo had argued.
“What’s fun about spending a five hour car ride trapped with Lev,” Kenma Kozume, the band’s keyboardist, grumbled.
“It’s team bonding!”
“Sounds insufferable.”
In the end, Kenma had been dragged along, the other members agreeing shortly after. To most of Nekoma, the car ride hadn’t been that bad. They talked about all sorts of things, got fast food twice, and played a variety of dumb road games. It did, however, leave Kenma feeling irritated. Lev Haiba, the group’s guitarist, had insisted they all do a carpool karaoke-esque performance for the last hour of the trip. Taketora Yamamoto, their drummer, had made it into a competition of who can sing the loudest. Kuroo had also stolen Kenma’s headphones halfway through the trip, spouting some bullshit about how Kenma needs to get along more with his band. Naturally, the introverted keyboardist had gotten pissed off pretty easily.
“I can’t wait to get a nap,” Kenma muttered, watching the sign for their motel draw closer.
They pulled in the parking lot a few moments later. Kenma exited the car almost immediately, making a beeline for the trunk where his luggage was held.
“Wow, Kenma, you must really be excited to be here!” Lev exclaimed, bounding up beside the keyboardist.
Kenma furrowed his brows. “I’m just ready to get away from all of you,” he explained. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other two members’ running to catch up with them, large duffel bags slug over their shoulders.
Speak of the Devil, Kenma thought, slowing his pace. Maybe if I pretend to care now, they’ll let me rest later.
“Welcome to paradise, Nekoma!” Tetsurou cheered, slinging his free arm around Kenma’s shoulders.
The keyboardist’s eyes narrowed. “This is a three-star motel.”
Taketora busted out laughing, much to Kenma’s delight. “The rating doesn’t matter, man!” He exclaimed. “What’s important is the quality of what’s on the inside.”
“Exactly!” Lev nodded. “I sure hope there are not any roaches or bed bugs.”
Taketora shot him an odd look. “I’m talking about babes,” he explained, pointing at a sign that read: Indoor Pool and Hot Tub . “You never know who you’ll meet.”
Lev’s mouth formed an O -shape. “Does that mean you are going to the pool first?”
“Hell yeah I am,” the drummer grinned. “You wanna come with me? Ladies love tall men like you.”
“Of course!” Lev smiled. “We should hurry, then.”
“If the love of your life is at a motel pool I think that says a lot about you as a person,” Kenma quipped, pushing the front door open. Taketora opened his mouth to argue, but was interrupted by the receptionist calling them over.
“Are you here to check in?” She asked, eyeing the foursome with awe. Kenma pulled himself out of Tetsurou’s grip, shrinking behind him and hiding in his bangs. It’s not that he hated being recognized, he just didn’t want to snap at a fan right before a big event.
Tetsurou signed them in, with Taketora flirting with the receptionist. Based on the high-pitched giggles, Kenma assumed she was enjoying it.
God, I can’t wait to take a nap.
“Two rooms for Nekoma, all set,” she chirped, handing Tetsurou their keycards. “Thank you for staying with us!”
They arrived at their rooms a minute later, roommates already predetermined. Taketora would be in room 204 with Lev, and Kenma would share room 205 with Tetsurou. The first pair had already busted in their room, eager to get to the pool as soon as possible.
“You’re not going with them?” Kenma asked as Tetsurou pulled the keycard out of its pocket. The bassist shook his head.
“Nah,” Tetsurou said, sliding the key into the card reader. “I’ve got my favorite person in the world right here with me. Why would I go look for anyone else?”
The sensor flicked green. Tetsurou turned the doorknob, stepping inside the room.
“Kuro, I-”
Kenma froze. He blinked once, then twice, staring at the scene before him.
What. The. Fuck.
“There…” Kenma began, door slamming shut behind him.
“There is only one bed.”
Kenma turned to Tetsurou, wanting an explanation. Though upon seeing his expression, he didn’t really need to.
The lead singer wore a devilish grin. He seemed completely unfazed by the state of their room; in fact, he seemed almost proud of it.
Kenma’s eyebrows twitched in irritation. “You did this on purpose didn’t you,” he observed. Tetsurou shrugged.
“If that’s what you wanna believe,” he said, plopping onto the bed with a sigh. “Man, driving sure wore me out.”
“I’m the one that had to deal with you morons for five hours straight,” Kenma snapped. “If you want to sleep, you’re either switching our rooms or taking the fucking floor.”
Tetsurou laughed, not threatened by the keyboardist’s words whatsoever. “Come on, Kenma, we can just share,” he said, patting the open space beside him. “It’ll be just like old times, you know? God, you were the clingiest sleeper, it was kinda cute. I wonder if you’re still like that now.”
Kenma gritted his teeth, fists clenching at his sides. See, this wouldn’t have been an issue if they were still children. Hell, it wouldn’t have been an issue a year ago, back before Nekoma existed. But ever since their band debuted, Kenma has seen a side of his childhood friend that he never had before. As two became even more close, feelings had started to develop. Kenma tried his hardest to keep them at bay, as homosexual relationships in the music industry are still widely frowned upon. For the sake of the band, Kenma had chosen to ignore the pining, hoping his attraction would fade eventually.
Still, part of him remained self-indulgent. Plus, it would seem even more suspicious if Kenma had declined, especially since they had done this type of thing before- even if it was over five years ago. It’s not like I can do anything about this, anyway, he thought.
Slowly, Kenma made his way to the bed.
“I hate you so much,” the keyboardist muttered, crawling into the bed beside Tetsurou.
“Your blush says otherwise,” the bassist teased, poking Kenma’s cheeks. The latter swatted at his hand weakly, head smushing into the pillow.
“Stop it,” Kenma grumbled, his heart rate speeding up. “Go to sleep. You said you were tired.”
A pair of arms suddenly wrapped around Kenma’s waist. Panicking, he kicked Tetsurou’s shins, face heating up more than it ever had before.
“Ouch, what was that for?” Tetsurou complained. “You don’t have to wound me, Kenma. We’re only cuddling.”
“You don’t have to cuddle me either,” Kenma mumbled. “I agreed to share a bed, not be tortured.”
“Aww, come on,” Tetsurou said, grip tightening. “You used to beg for sleepovers! I know you’re secretly enjoying this.”
“Am not,” the keyboardist protested.
“Are too.”
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
“Am not. ”
Tetsurou sighed, hands absentmindedly rubbing circles on Kenma’s abdomen. The latter squirmed, weakly elbowing the bassist’s sides.
“Geez, Kenma. With the way you’re acting, I almost think you have a crush on me.”
Kenma froze. His pulse quickened, and his mouth went dry. He searched his brain for a flimsy excuse, anything to convince his bandmate that his jab was incorrect. He failed to come up with anything that wasn’t an obvious lie, though. Kenma opted to remain silent, quietly praying that his crush wouldn’t think anything of it. Of course, one of Tetsurou’s many talents is reading Kenma like a book.
“Wait,” he said, grip loosening slightly. “ Do you have a crush on me?”
Kenma didn’t know what to say. He laid still and silent, not trusting himself to speak. A million possibilities raced through his mind. Some pleasant, some not so much; all nearly deafening. His throat felt tight, and he began to tremble.
“Kenma,” Tetsurou said, voice noticeably softer than before. “Can you please talk to me?”
He didn’t want to, fearful of a negative response. It’s just Kuro, Kenma attempted to reason. No matter what, he’s still your best friend. If you speak as if it’s no big deal, things won’t be as dramatic.
Deciding to take his own advice, Kenma took one deep breath and turned to face Tetsurou.
“So what if I do?” Kenma said, attempting to sound nonchalant. For a moment Tetsurou looked slightly taken aback, but whatever emotion that flashed was replaced instantaneously by a soft smile.
“It would be a good thing, I think,” Tetsurou said, “especially since I feel the same way.”
Kenma’s eyes widened. Sure, he had considered the possibility before. It’s not like Tetsurou acts purely platonically with him. The older male is always taking him out to nice places, holding his hand regardless of whether there’s people around, and he even kisses Kenma’s forehead a few times when he gets upset-
Oh.
“How long?” Kenma asked, the realization that he’s probably been nothing less than an idiot this past year finally settling in.
Tetsurou hummed thoughtfully. “I don’t know, probably since I was like, a sophomore in high school maybe? But I didn’t realize until I was a senior.”
“Why did you never say anything?”
“I thought I was just overthinking,” Tetsurou shrugged. Kenma resisted the urge to facepalm himself.
“We are both idiots,” Kenma mumbled. “I didn’t have feelings for you until we started Nekoma, though.”
A sly grin made its way to Tetsurou’s face. “That means I win.” Upon receiving a puzzled look from Kenma, he continued, “I liked you first. Therefore I’m the winner.”
Kenma rolled his eyes. “Since when was pining over each other a competition?”
“Since I decided it was.”
Kenma opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by a loud yawn escaping from his throat. “Can we figure things out between us later? I’m exhausted.”
“Of course,” Tetsurou said, pressing a gentle kiss to Kenma’s forehead. “Can I ask you something first, though?”
“Sure.”
“Will you be my boyfriend?”
The corners of Kenma’s lips curved into a small smile. “Yes,” the keyboardist answered, his heart warming at the title. “That doesn’t mean you get to kiss me yet, though.”
“Aww, why not?” Tetsurou pouted. “I just wanna shower my boyfriend in affection.”
Ignoring the warmth that rose to his cheeks, Kenma answered, “It’s your punishment for not confessing sooner.”
“Fair, I guess,” Tetsurou said between a yawn.
Kenma wrapped his arms around Tetsurou, slotting their legs together and nuzzling his face into his neck. The older male relaxed against him, one hand threading itself into Kenma’s hair. It felt the same as it had the thousands of times before, but also different; because now they weren’t in the arms of their best friend, but in the warm embrace of their boyfriend. Though they still had much to talk about regarding their newfound relationship, for now they were at peace, feeling at home in each other’s arms.
When the two were nearly asleep, a thought entered Kenma’s mind.
“Does this mean you’re gonna be even more annoying from now on?” Kenma whispered. Tetsurou emitted a soft chuckle, pressing a chaste kiss to the crown of his boyfriend’s head.
“ Insufferable. ”