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“Oi, Kenma! Hurry up,” Kuroo called back toward his best friend, who was a few steps behind him. The taller man chuckled as Kenma’s shorter legs increased their pace to almost a light jog just to contend with his long strides. “C’mon, shorty. Can’t you keep up?”
Kenma gave him a placid look. “I’m not short, I’m average. You’re the freakishly tall one.”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s just hustle. I’m starving,” Kuroo said when his stomach let out a perfectly-timed growl that proved his point.
The pair had just left Kuroo’s single-room apartment in Kichijoji and were heading toward the dark-haired man’s choice of restaurant for the night. It’d been a while since the last time they were able to have dinner together. The two childhood friends led different lives as adults now, so the small slivers of free time in their schedules rarely lined up.
Kenma bought a house over in Ebisu, which was about a 45-minute train ride away from Kuroo’s place, and his hectic streaming lineup forced him to adopt a sleep cycle that was more nocturnal in nature. The world-famous YouTuber, also known by his online handle Kodzuken, spent most of his nights entertaining his multitude of fans, but that meant he was usually asleep during the day.
Kuroo, on the other hand, was barely managing to keep up with all of the off-site meetings the Japan Volleyball Association was sending him to. Typically, his daily agenda had him running from the office to a meeting, followed by a lunch break before two or three more meetings, and then finally ending back at the office. By the time the raven-haired man got home, he’d pass out from sheer exhaustion fairly early in the evening.
This was the first time in a long time that they were actually able to meet up, and Kenma was curious about the location Kuroo picked for their reunion that night. He was about to ask, but his dear friend beat him to the punch.
“You’re probably wondering where we’re going,” Kuroo said suddenly, as if he could read minds. “I found this awesome pub nearby.”
“Heh, that’s funny. I was just about to ask. Are you psychic now?”
“Hey, we may not see each other all the time like we used to, but I still know you, Kenma,” Kuroo teased with that wicked smirk of his.
“What’s so great about this place?”
“They have the best salt-grilled mackerel.” Kuroo’s mouth watered at the thought of his favorite dish. He couldn’t get enough of the stuff. Back during high school, their teammates used to always pick on him about it, saying Kuroo was an old man trapped in a teenager’s body. Boy, did he make them eat their words, though! Just before the end of his senior year, an 80-year-old man was interviewed on television, stating that he ate canned mackerel for lunch every day and hadn’t caught a cold in over 40 years. Kuroo immediately recorded the interview and shoved it in his team’s face. “See! It’s delicious and good for you,” he shouted at them in gleeful victory.
“You really do love that stuff, huh,” Kenma asked, bringing Kuroo back from his reverie.
“Yeah, plus this spot is within walking distance from my apartment, so it’s perfect!”
The two men now found themselves standing at the entrance of Izakaya Honda-Ya. The pub had a bit of an old school feel to it. Dark, wooden walls were dotted with windows, through which it could be seen that the interior was quite lively with happy, dining patrons at the moment. Red lanterns hung across the double-door entrance, casting their glow on the pavement below. The savory smell of charcoal-grilled meat made its way outdoors, seducing unsuspecting passersby to enter.
A cool, evening breeze brushed against Kuroo’s skin. “Let’s get some grub,” he said while he pulled open one of the heavy doors.
The pair entered and quickly found a vacant booth to sit at, and Kuroo watched Kenma study over the menu for a few moments. The taller man didn’t even bother with the laminated sheet of paper since he already knew what he wanted.
“You’re staring at me, Kuro,” Kenma said nonchalantly without even looking up.
“No, I’m not,” Kuroo lied swiftly, and shifted his hazel eyes to the Daily Specials flyer posted on the wall instead.
An energetic, young woman came over and greeted them, introducing herself as their server for the night before she placed a couple glasses of water on the table. “Are you ready to order,” she asked politely. A notepad and pen were held ready in her hands.
“I’ll have the saba bento ,” Kuroo beamed, flashing a wide grin at the restaurant employee. He definitely got excitable about his favorite food.
“And, the karaage bento for me. That’s all.” Kenma’s quiet voice could barely be heard over the bustling ambience coming from the other occupied tables, as well as the overhead music.
“Alright, you got it!” The server hastily jotted down the brief order before heading back to the kitchen.
The two young men spent some time catching each other up on current events in their lives while they waited for the food to come out. Kuroo told Kenma about the record high number of meetings he had to tackle this week, including both with athletes as well as potential vendor sponsors. In turn, Kenma told Kuroo about the Let's Play series he’s been working on for a new horror game.
Soon after, their friendly server returned and placed two piping hot bento boxes in front of the duo. “Itadakimasu,” they chorused before chowing down.
Kuroo’s face lit up, and he genuinely savored his meal. He smiled joyfully as he chewed salty bites of fish, almost seeming to dance in his seat while he ate. Even just the smell of the charred mackerel evoked old memories from years long past. It reminded the hazel-eyed man of when he still lived with his family and all the times his dad prepared his favorite meal with no complaints, even that time when Kuroo requested it for dinner three nights in a row. He was so glad he found a restaurant that served such delectable saba , and the best part was that it’s so close to his apartment, too.
Kuroo looked up to check if Kenma was also enjoying his food. The partial-blonde held a piece of steamy fried chicken between his chopsticks and blew on it several times. Finally satisfied that it was safe enough to eat, he popped the morsel into his mouth.
He still eats like a child, Kuroo mused to himself. It’s kind of cute.
“You’re staring at me again, Kuro.” Golden eyes locked with hazel ones for a millisecond before the taller man tore them away, pretending to look at other patrons in the pub.
“Nu uh,” Kuroo said childishly, then deflected. “So, how do you like the food?”
“It’s okay, I guess.”
“There you go again, just saying ‘It’s okay.’”
“But, it’s the truth,” Kenma deadpanned with a stoic face.
As soon as the two were done eating, their attentive server returned, asking if there’s anything else she can get for them.
“I’ll take a large beer, please,” Kuroo said with a small smile. Exhaustion was starting to catch up with him, and he could feel his energy level dropping a little.
“Oh, you’re getting a drink,” Kenma asked curiously.
“It’s been a long week at work.”
“In that case, I’ll have hot sake,” Kenma said to the server with a cheerful grin on his face before the young woman stepped away to retrieve the beverages.
Kuroo’s eyes drifted over to the shorter man yet again. Geez, I wish he’d smile at me like that sometimes, he thought as his eyes lingered on his friend’s lips a breath longer than they should have.
Kenma looked over at his dark-haired companion. “Seriously, Kuro. Something wrong? You’re actually glaring at me this time.”
Kuroo dodged golden eyes and feigned ignorance once more. “Huh? What are you talking about?”
“Whatever,” Kenma sighed quietly.
At that, Kuroo suddenly realized what his partially-blonde friend had ordered. Memories of Kenma’s behavior the last time they drank together came back to him in flashes. During that outing, he only had one sip of beer, and he was already much louder and expressive than his usual self. Maybe colorful was a better way to describe it. Kuroo had to admit, it was entertaining to see Kenma loosen up like that, though. He even enjoyed referring to this opposite persona as Drunk Kenma, in his head. However, this time sake seemed to be on the menu, which had a significantly higher alcohol by volume percentage compared to beer. The hazel-eyed man wasn’t sure what to expect from Drunk Kenma tonight.
The server returned with their drinks and set them on the table. “Enjoy,” she chimed hurriedly before attending to other diners. Kuroo poured his beer into a chilled glass, and Kenma did the same with his heated sake into the provided shot glass.
“Kanpai,” they cheered in unison. Surprisingly, Kenma downed his sake and emptied the cup in one go. Kuroo sipped on his beer carefully and continued to observe his best friend.
After a while, the raven-haired man felt the skin on his cheeks warming up as he started getting buzzed. He glanced over at Kenma, and sure enough, his face had become quite flushed. Those golden eyes of his now glazed over.
“Kuroooo,” Kenma slurred.
Well, that was fast.
“Scoot over! Let me sit next to you,” he insisted while he hurriedly vacated his side of the booth and maneuvered his way around the dining table.
Not sure that he could even stop him, Kuroo moved over to allow Kenma enough room to sit next to him. The booth they had chosen was actually meant for a maximum of two people, so the bench seats were quite short in length. The two men together barely fit on the cushioned seat, and their solid thighs were firmly pressed against one another. Now in Kuroo’s face, Kenma beamed an inebriated smile at his tall friend while tucking a few pudding-colored locks of hair behind his ear.
The gesture did not go unnoticed by Kuroo. His hair looks really soft today, he mulled. I wonder if it smells like strawberry shampoo again.
“Kuro! Kuroooo!”
The hazel-eyed man hadn’t even realized that his friend was calling out to him. Kenma shifted on the small seat they shared so that his shoulders were now perpendicular to Kuroo’s. Two small hands were decisively planted on top of the taller man’s thigh, and the pressure there only increased as Kenma used the position for leverage to reach his companion’s towering height in an effort to get his attention.
Drunk Kenma is pretty handsy, Kuroo thought. He gazed down to where Kenma’s palms and fingers were awfully close to his groin and felt an involuntary gulp go down his throat. A semi-hard erection started to tent the black slacks he wore that night.
“Kuro, are you even listening to me,” Kenma asked too loudly. With an annoyed scowl, he lowered his now half-lidded eyes to see what Kuroo was looking at.
In a shockingly quiet volume for Drunk Kenma, he whispered directly into his friend’s ear, “You know, Kuro, I’ve always been curious…” His voice trailed off while his hand moved over to the growing bulge. “Just how big are you?”
“What the hell are you doing,” Kuroo snapped. The two men now stared at each other, and burning hazel eyes glowered at golden ones.
“I mean, we always got naked in the locker room before volleyball practice back in the day, but I never really got a close look before.”
“Kenma, you need to knock this off,” Kuroo said sternly as he swatted the hand away from his crotch. “You’re taking your joke too far.”
“Boo! Fine, you’re no fun anyway.” Kenma stuck out a defiant tongue at the dark-haired man. “I’m going to the toilet,” he announced before skipping toward the back of the restaurant.
Kuroo tried to process what had just happened, but he was still feeling a bit fuzzy from the beer. He sat there, puzzled by the actions of his best friend.
What the heck is Kenma doing?! He’s definitely joking around just to get a reaction out of me. That’s got to be it! God, he always acts up when he drinks, but this time he really did a full 180.
Pulling out his cell phone, Kuroo scrolled through some Instagram posts to kill time. By the time he finished the rest of his drink, Kenma still hadn’t returned yet.
It’s been a while since he left. Now what is he up to? Maybe I should go check on him. I hope he didn’t pass out in the bathroom.
Kuroo left enough cash on the table to cover their bill before he headed to the men’s room. He was drunker than he thought, and it hit him when he stood up. The tall man had to be careful not to stumble on his trek through the pub.
Successfully making it to his destination in one piece, Kuroo opened the door only to find the bathroom completely empty. Fluorescent lights shined harshly from above, and the only sound that could be heard was the same J-rock playlist that blasted throughout the whole restaurant. Seeing that none of the urinals were occupied, Kuroo went to check the stalls.
Sure enough, he found Kenma there sitting fully-clothed on a toilet, albeit haphazardly. The YouTuber was visibly upset and pouting up at him.
“Took you long enough.”
“Kenma, what are you doing?”
“I was waiting for you to come find me, baka .”
“Look, you’re being ridiculous. Let’s go already, and you can crash on my couch for the night,” Kuroo said as he leaned down to help his friend get up.
“No, you’re being ridiculous!”
Lithe arms wrapped themselves around Kuroo’s neck and pulled him down. The sudden sensation of soft lips being pressed against his own shocked him, his eyes widened in bewilderment.
“Kenma, that’s enough! Stop kidding around already,” Kuroo yelled, suddenly standing back up again.
“I’m not kidding around! I’m serious, Kuro.” Kenma huffed a small sigh that almost sounded frustrated and peered up with golden eyes. “Isn’t this what you want?”
“W-what? What are you talking about,” Kuroo asked, almost choking on the words.
“I know you’re attracted to me. You’re always staring at me, and it’s not subtle at all.”
“Yeah, but… Kenma, c’mon. We’re just friends. We’ve been friends almost our whole liv-”
“Kuroo, it’s okay,” the partial-blonde interrupted with that sweet, gentle voice of his. “I’m attracted to you, too.”
“Come again?” Kuroo wasn’t sure if it was the exhaustion from work, all the beer he drank, or the music blaring over the sound system, but he couldn’t believe his ears.
It was true, though. Kuroo found Kenma irresistible. There had always been something special about him; Kuroo knew it from the moment they met. That’s why he always insisted on hanging out when they were kids, and once they were in high school, he’d stop at nothing to convince his best friend to join the volleyball team with him. Kuroo wanted to spend as much time together as physically possible because Kenma meant everything to him.
“Arghhh, how are you this slow when you had such good grades in school,” Kenma asked impatiently. “I. Like. You. Kuro.” His addictingly tranquil voice emphasized each word. “Why do you think I’ve stuck around for this long? Why do you think I’d even be here drinking at some pub with you when I don’t even like drinking?”
The raven-haired man didn’t really hear anything after “Kuro.” He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Kenma’s lips as he was talking. Hazel eyes carefully watched the way the small mouth formed its words, a nimble tongue doing acrobatics from behind even teeth.
“C’mon, Kuroo. I thought you knew me.” Kenma had returned to teasing his tall companion, mocking the bold statement made earlier that night.
At that, Kuroo’s focus returned to the conversation. “Alright, now I know you’re making fun of me.”
“Well, you-”
This time, Kuroo did the interrupting. He promptly crashed his mouth down against Kenma’s in a rough kiss. Without breaking contact, the shorter man stood up from the toilet in an attempt to make the position more comfortable for the both of them. The duo somehow managed to maneuver themselves in the narrow space so that Kenma now had his back against the closed stall door, all while continuing to make out. Gentle fingers snaked their way behind Kuroo’s neck and started twisting in the waves of his raven hair. His own needy hands slipped beneath the hem of Kenma’s shirt and roamed over soft skin, gently grasping at the small waist.
Kuroo couldn’t get enough. His sharp teeth scraped against sake-flavored lips before they parted to grant him access. His deft tongue explored Kenma’s mouth, tasting the remnants of the sweet alcohol. The passion-fueled embrace left the taller man feeling lost in heady bliss. He began leaving a trail of wet kisses across Kenma’s jawline before traveling down along the tender flesh of his neck.
“Kuro…” The needy moan escaped Kenma’s lips and echoed off bathroom walls.
At the sound of his own name, Kuroo abruptly stopped his assault on his friend’s sensitive collarbone.
“What’s wrong,” Kenma asked softly. He was concerned by the taller man’s sudden halt, but his traitorous voice was still wanton.
“We should get out of here.”
“Why? There’s no one else in this bathroom anyway.”
“Oh, kitten,” Kuroo said gently. Hazel eyes locked onto golden ones as he gently caressed Kenma’s cheek with the pad of his thumb. Leaning in close again, he reached past the partial-blonde to unlock the stall door and whispered directly into his ear. “The things I’m going to do to you really shouldn’t be done in public.”
Kenma’s entire face flushed bright red faster than he could say “Game over.” He immediately exited the tiny stall and walked over to the restroom door, leaving Kuroo to mull over the events of the evening.
Wait, this is really happening , the dark-haired man mused.
Pausing just before he reached the door, Kenma looked back over his shoulder and called out to his best friend who was more than just a friend to him. “Oi, Kuroo! Hurry up,’ he said with his own wicked smirk.