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After weeks of agonizing over how to ask him, Kenma had finally popped the question to Hinata in private at a training camp. It was obvious when he had, one moment the Shoyo was bickering with Kageyama about some secret quick attack, and suddenly he was planning out their next trip to Tokyo for Nekoma’s Prom. The Karasuno kids had gotten excited too, as did Fukurodani's team who's prom fell on the same night.
Which had led them to the gymnasium of Nekoma High tonight, where teal blue and bottle green streamers covered the walls and hung down from the ceiling, transforming the room into a Night Under the Sea. The gymnasium was packed with teenagers dancing to an upbeat pop song.
Kuroo scanned the crowd to check on the Karasuno kids that had come all the way to Tokyo for the weekend. Tsukishima was at a table with Yamaguchi and Yachi, Hinata was having the time of his life with Noya and Tanaka on the dance floor. The first few notes of Mr. Brightside blared over the speakers, Kuroo smiled at the trio's uncoordinated bouncing to the beat and Hinata howling with joy at Yachi rushing over to join them. And Kenma-- his eyes surveyed the room for a pudding haired boy. If he wasn't with Hinata or the Nekoma team, and he wasn't at a table hunched over his Nintendo switch, he must have left the gym.
Kuroo knew Kenma's hiding spots around the school by now, he decided to check the swimming pool first. Surely enough, Kenma sat at the bleachers next to the pool. The bright red handheld console that served as an extension of his limbs nowhere to be found. Instead, his hands gripped the metal bench as he stared into the still turquoise water, wearing an expression that was familiar to Kuroo.
“Hey stranger,” Kuroo called out to him. “thought I’d find you here.” Kenma’s gaze didn’t move from the softly rippling water. The muffled sound of The Killers broke through the thick concrete walls that separated the pool from the gym.
“Shoyo loves this song,” he said, plainly. He let go of the bench and clasped his hands in front of him. Red lines from the grooves of the bench marked his palms. Kuroo resisted the urge to take his hands in his and soothe them. Kenma would probably rather he didn't acknowledge it. Kuroo looked back up at Kenma’s face, obscured by a curtain of blonde hair.
“He’s having a great time with the same idiots he gets to see at school everyday,” Kuroo said gently. “Not the guy he drove all the way down to Tokyo to see.”
Kenma turned to face him at last, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. His neutral expression gave him the aura of indifference, but Kuroo had been around him long enough to know when something was off. Even when they were kids, Kenma had never been good with his words. He's learned how to mask his anxiety for apathy, this discomfort for boredom, and the older he got, Kenma had learned to build his walls even higher. Luckily for him, Kuroo was well versed in reading the slightest changes to Kenma's expressions. The twitch of his nose as he concentrated, the hollow in his cheeks when he was embarrassed, the corner of his mouth quirking upwards whenever Hinata was in the room. It was the only time Kuroo wished he wasn't fluent in the unspoken language of Kenma Kozume. The rare smile used to give him butterflies, but knowing Shoyo was the reason for it sent his heart to the pit of his stomach.
Kenma lightly tugged at his hair, giving away just how nervous he was.
“He seemed excited about coming to Tokyo with his teammates. He seemed excited for the prom. But-”
“Kenma.”
“I know how it sounds-”
“So you’re aware it sounds stupid," Kuroo cut him off again. "Because he’s so into you it’s sickening" And it was sickening to him. Kenma came out to him quietly at the start of high school. Kuroo thought he took it well; he couldn't say he was surprised. Kenma had always seemed more interested in his games than girls, but as they got older he noticed that his attention shifted. He saw the way Kenma’s eyes lingered on boys they passed on the street. His sudden interest in tagging along to high school sports games with Kuroo on weekends was another glaring sign. It made no difference to him when Kenma came out, nothing had changed between them.
Kuroo had always been protective of Kenma, so it confused him at first, the awful feeling in the pit of his stomach when Kenma started cozying up with Karasuno's redhead decoy. It made his stomach turn watching them talk, as if there were no one else in the room, hands intertwined at every chance until they became the talk of the training camp. Their mutual feelings for each other became apparent and it made him furious. Angry when he had to see it, angrier at himself for feeling that way. He certainly didn't have such a visceral reaction when Bokuto and Akaashi first got together, and they had been much more explicit in their public displays of affection. He eventually talked to Bokuto about it, and only then did he realize the word for his feelings weren't anger or disgust. He was upset by their blossoming relationship for one simple reason. Tetsurou Kuroo was in love with his best friend.
Kuroo was finishing up his final year of high school now, captain of the volleyball team and at the top of his class. He was headed to one of the top universities in the country and he couldn't allow petty feelings to ruin everything he had been working towards. He certainly couldn't confess his feelings to Kenma and ruin a decade long relationship in the process. Kenma was his best friend in the entire world, he would rather suffer in silence than ruin the most important bond he'd ever made.
Kenma sighed deeply and closed his eyes. Kuroo broke out of his spiralling thoughts.
"Im awkward enough at… and now he has to see me at my first dance ever." he tugged at his hair again.
“Kuroo how do you do this?" Kenma raised his voice in exasperation. "When you like a girl, you sweep her off her feet and make it seem so effortless.”
“Can I be honest with you?” Kuroo asked. It wasn’t a question, as much as it was a statement.
"It's hard. It's a lot harder when it's someone you really care about. And you don't want to screw things up, or ruin a great friendship for a fling," Kenma's honey gold eyes were burning into his now. Kuroo shifted his gaze nervously "Trust me, I get it." he grumbled.
Kenma didn't inquire what he meant by that. Kuroo certainly didn't offer an explanation. Sometimes he wondered if Kenma had noticed the changes in his behaviour over the past few months. Even Bokuto thought he was being obvious. But surely Kenma wasn't cruel enough to act oblivious if he suspected Kuroo had feelings for him.
"So what should I do?" Kenma asked him.
“What's making you nervous, right this moment?" Kuroo asked.
“I’m scared to ask him to dance.” Kenma admitted. "If he thought I was awkward before-"
"Stop saying that." Kuroo cut him off. "We can practice now, no one's here to see us."
“Practice dancing?" Kenma repeated. Kuroo took Kenma's hands in his and started swaying to the muffled sound of Taylor Swift from the gym.
Kenma despised the touch of overfamiliar acquaintances and teammates. But he eased into Kuroo's touch like it was like an extension of his own body. This was a kind of intimacy that few others had ever known with Kenma, Kuroo had gradually earned it with years at his side: hands putting bandaids on his bloody knees, hands tucking hair behind his ear, hands brushing against his like they had on a thousand walks home from practice. Just like that, all of Kenma’s anxiety seemed to have melted away.
"I like this song," Kenma mused with a smile as he moved his body to the music. "Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter, and my daddy said "stay away from Juliet" he sang. Kenma allowed Kuroo to lift his hand for a goofy twirl they'd perfected as kids whenever Kenma's parents put on their favourite CDs.
"Remember when it used to play on the radio all the time?"
Kuroo shrugged.
"I'm not a big fan of hers," Kuroo said distantly, far too focused on Kenma's wide eyed smile and impromptu karaoke to pay attention to the muffled music.
"How are we friends?" Kenma said with fake exasperation just as the song switched. The drums and electric guitar faded away to a romantic swell of gentle piano keys and cello strings.
Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
"Time to practice something you might actually use tonight," Kuroo said, taking Kenma's hand in his again, sliding his other hand around his waist to the small of his back this time. Kenma suddenly stood stiff as a plank again.
How to be brave
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall
"It's not dancing if you're not moving, Kenma." Kuroo said, as casually as he could when he was three inches away from Kenma's face. "Don't think too hard."
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt, suddenly goes away somehow
One step closer
They started swaying together silently, in time to the soft music. Kenma relaxed against Kuroo, letting the taller boy rest his chin on his head.
I have died every day waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you, for a thousand years,
I'll love you for a thousand more
"Kuro?"
"mhm."
"If you repeat these words to anyone outside this room I'll deny it," Kenma started. Kuroo smiled against Kenma's hair, precedent suggested Kenma would finally say something nice about him to his face. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you next year.”
"You know I'm just a text away right? And I'll be home on the weekends." Kuroo reassured him. "Nothing's going to change between us.”
Kuroo was trying to convince himself as much as he was Kenma. In the past few weeks, Kenma seemed more preoccupied with Shoyo than ever. He didn't want to think about how much more could change when Kuroo moved away.
"It better not," Kenma said. There was so much more to be said, Kuroo didn't think he had the language to say it. Kenma pulled away from Kuroo just far enough to meet his eyes again, saying more with his eyes than words ever could.
I will be brave
I will not let anything, take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath, every hour has come to this
"We should get going before you miss another slow dance with your date." Kuroo said. Kenma smiled.
"My date." Kenma said, incredulous. Kuroo snorted in good humour, and tried to ignore what was starting to feel like a black hole had taken up residence inside his ribcage.
"If Nishinoya hasn't swept chibi-chan off his feet yet," Kuroo said. Kenma scowled as they headed towards the gym.
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Kenma and Kuroo made it to the gymnasium as the familiar notes of a pop song came on the speakers. They spotted the shock of orange hair before he saw the two of them.
"You got this Romeo," Kuroo said, bumping fists with Kenma. "Knock 'em dead.” Kenma grinned. His expression quickly turned apologetic as Hinata rushed towards him. He turned, but Kuroo had already disappeared into the crowd.
"Oh, you're okay," Hinata said, visibly relieved. He wrapped his arms around Kenma. "Did something happen? You just disappeared on me"
"I was, um, nervous," Kenma said quietly. Hinata opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it. "But I'm okay now. I just want to dance with you."
"Okay, good." Hinata said, grinning. "I really don't want to slow dance with Noya again. He keeps stepping on my feet" Hinata took Kenma's hand in his, leading him towards the dance floor.
"Yachi's not a bad dancer, but I think she prefers someone else who can dance too. And she's in high demand because they’re too scared to talk to the Nekoma girls”
“Poor Yachi,” Kenma smiled. “At least she doesn’t have to deal with you anymore”
“Hey!” Hinata protested, fighting a smile. Kenma grinned.
"What were you nervous about?" Hinata asked "You don't have to say if you don't want to"
"I don't really like crowds and music and the lights and… all of that" Kenma said,
"I thought you wanted to come to the dance?" Hinata asked, confused.
"Not really," Kenma said, shrugging. He averted his eyes from Hinata’s, suddenly very fixated in fixing the crooked boutonniere in Hinata's pocked.
"Thanks," Hinata said as Kenma brushed off his lapel. "So why did you ask me to come?"
"I just," he let out a breath and met Hinata's gaze. " I wanted an excuse to see you again"
"Oh," Hinata said, going quiet for the first time all night. They swayed to the music until Hinata cleared his throat.
"Sorry if- oh I interrupted you." Kenma said.
"No, you go ahead," Hinata said, blushing.
"Sorry if I worried you when I left," Kenma said.
"You're here now, that's all that matters to me." Hinata said. Kenma smiled.
"So what were you saying?" Kenma asked. Hinata took a breath.
"So the thing at Bokuto's house," Hinata said, finally. "The Nekoma guys and their dates are going later." Kenma nodded.
"Tanaka and Noya will be there all night at least. I don't know about the others, they’ll probably head home early? But we're all hanging out with Fukurodani again Sunday before we leave," Hinata gulped. Kenma raised an eyebrow, confused by his nerves and the sudden summary of Karasuno's weekend itinerary.
"and the thing is, I came all this way to see you. Not for, you know, beer pong training camp. So I was thinking" Hinata said as his face turned the same tomato red of his hair. He cleared his throat.
"I was thinking we could head out a little earlier than planned. Um, we don't really get a lot of time, just the two of us. We can go back to your place and, I don't know, we can play super mario. Or we can just talk, or not talk, or whatever-"
"I'd like that a lot," Kenma said softly.
"Oh," Hinata said again. "That's good. I'm glad." He rested his head against Kenma's shoulder as they moved to the music.
Across the room Kuroo had found his date again, a pretty upperclassman who he'd asked as his date the week before. Kenma had seen them together in the hallways, she seemed to be one of his closest friends outside of volleyball. This must have been the girl he meant when he was talking about a friendship too strong to throw away on a fling. The same way he'd felt about Kuroo for years and years, feelings he'd bottled up too deep to ever open up again. She stood up on her tiptoes to whisper something in Kuroo’s ear and he laughed earnestly. Kenma smiled to himself.
"When do you wanna get out of here?" Hinata asked, bringing Kenma's attention back to the beautiful boy in front of him, whose smile gave him butterflies from the very first time they'd met. A beautiful boy who he liked very much, who could like him back in the same way.
"We got our dance, I don't see a point in staying for much longer" Kenma said. "I'm ready when you are, Shoyo.” Hinata grinned.
“Let’s get going then,” Hinata said, linking their hands together and waving goodbye to the Karasuno gang. Kenma caught Kuroo’s curious expression and tipped his head towards the door. Kuroo gave him a thumbs up as they headed out the door. Kenma smiled to himself as they stepped out into the night. The night had barely begun, but he knew he’d carry it with him for a long time.