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"Today? Not again..."
"Yeah, I still have to finish two essays, I don't have time for this."
"Aren't they like for next month or something?" Kenma asks him as he keeps his eyes on the small tv screen of his room, his thumbs moving quickly every time he presses the buttons of his controller.
"You know I like to be prepared. Where do they want us to go this time anyway?"
"Judging by the name of the place I think it's a café, your weakness."
"That sounds good, but what if it is another cat café? I almost died that time. All the cats were coming for me." Akaashi says next to him, his arm brushing his every time he moves the controller to try to beat him without success. Although Kenma has to admit that he is getting better and better at this.
"That was cute, you should be happy that you were the chosen one."
"I'm more of a dog type of person."
"You can't say that in front of my cat, it's rude."
"She is not even here," Akaashi says with a defeated sigh as he rests his head against the wall. "How do you even do that?"
“Years of practice,” he answers proudly when he sees his undefeated character on his tv screen. “Uh, you wanna play another or…?”
“Yes, but help me choose another character, this one is too weak.”
Kenma just moves his right hand to Akaashi’s lap where his controller is to look for the best option “Okay, I think this one suits your style better.”
“I have a style?” Akaashi tilts his head to look at him and Kenma meets his eyes with a teasing smile on his face.
“Yeah, the same that Kuro has. The run and hide style.”
Akaashi rolls his eyes as his lips slightly curve upwards, sharing his smile. “I swear I will beat you one of these days.”
They keep playing a few rounds but the notification tone from their phones indicating that they have new messages from the same group chat was a bit distracting. “It must be them,” Akaashi comments. “We already said no last week, I don’t think they will let us escape from it a second time.”
“I can already see Kuro barging in to try to make me go so I guess I'm down if you are.”
Akaashi grunts in frustration as he loses for the hundredth time today. "Okay, I’m in. Free coffee is something I can't really say no to."
He pats Akaashi’s shoulder a few times. “Don’t worry, at least you are better than Kuro.” He smiles again when he sees those murderous gunmetal blue eyes. “I will tell them that we will be there in an hour.”
Kenma noticed that his best friend and his new roommate were trying to set him up with Akaashi since a couple of months ago. It was kinda sweet actually, Kuroo and Bokuto are in college now, and they didn’t want for them to feel lonely. Kenma had mentioned to his best friend over the phone how he would go straight home after volleyball practice and how he would separate from the group at the training camp.
And Akaashi said the same thing to Bokuto.
They must have had the brilliant idea to set them up when he also mentioned how many practices matches Nekoma and Fukurodani were having.
It was pretty awkward when he and Akaashi noticed it to be honest. Especially because they were already dating.
So all the times he said to his best friend that he was alone, he was actually with Akaashi. He hid it from Kuroo on purpose because he wasn’t sure about his feelings for the Fukurodani setter, but once they began holding hands as they walked to the station waiting for the next train just because they wanted to spend more time together or having a hiding spot at training camp where they would talk for hours, and even turning their captain’s meetings into makeout sessions, Kenma promised himself that he would tell Kuroo the next time he would visit home.
But when he did, he came with Bokuto to ask them to hang out… at a fancy restaurant where suddenly both had to go because they remember they had an important exam the next day… on a Sunday.
He and Akaashi ignored their friends’ weirdness but then they would do the same thing every weekend.
And maybe they just didn’t say anything because they like the fact that they don't have to pay most of the time and they don’t have to plan their dates now since they have Kuroo and Bokuto for that.
They agreed they would let Kuroo and Bokuto play matchmakers until one of them said something to them. He is actually surprised that Kuroo doesn’t suspect anything yet especially because he and his boyfriend aren't the most subtle.
He can see the “We are almost there” message that Akaashi is sending on his phone. Today is actually a good day to go out, the bright rays of the intense sun danced their way through the window, a wave of its heat reaching half of his face making him want to hide from it.
“The day is kinda nice, we can go take a walk after, maybe go get ice cream and the video game store it’s close, we can go there too. Only if you want of course.”
“That sounds like a good idea. You see? They are not the only ones who can plan a good date.” Kenma says as he intertwines their fingers together, leaning his head on his boyfriend's shoulder.
He can feel Akaashi taking a deep breath probably due to not being used to him being affectionate in public. Not that he likes it either, he prefers when they are both alone but he always enjoys Akaashi's flustered reaction.
“You think they will notice I'm wearing your jacket?” He asks him as they walk to the café, their hands still intertwined.
"Bokuto-san has seen me wearing it before but I doubt he can connect the dots."
Even if they are still a bit far from the café, they still can hear Bokuto's laugh, his snort soon increasing into full-blown laughter. From the café window, they can see Kuroo and Bokutoo seated in front of each other, Kuroo is watching Bokuto with a silly smile on his face as the former ace of Fukurodani talks and talks and talks.
“Maybe they just do this for an excuse to spend more time together,” Akaashi whispers, their hands losing the warm hold as they walk to their table.
“Hey,” Kuroo greets them, making Bokuto turn his head right away.
“Hi! You are here!”
“We would have received countless phone calls otherwise, right Bokuto-san?”
Kenma greets him quietly as he sits down next to Kuroo, wasting no time to look for what he could order on the menu. He hears how Bokuto tries to nervously give an excuse on why he wanted to meet so badly today.
“I couldn’t help noticing you came together, did you take the same train?” Kuroo interrupts them with a loud voice, making him look up to his face to see that big cocky smirk of him smeared across his face.
“Yes,” he simply answers as his eyes go back to the menu. A short glance in his boyfriend’s direction is enough to make him roll his eyes. There is a 99% chance that Kuroo and Bokuto have their “fist pump face” on as if taking the same train was a huge step in their relationship. Please! They went through that months ago.
“We should order,” Akaashi comments to try to rush it.
Kenma asked for an apple pie and he highly suggested to Kuroo to do the same. Kuroo and Bokuto talked about how their classes were going and how it is for them to live together, just one word: chaotic. He feels Akaashi’s eyes on him as his mind fills with the same questions. What are they going to do after graduating? They still have time before thinking about that, but Akaashi likes to have everything planned, so probably that conversation is soon to come.
But now their date is much more important.
“A little bird told me that you guys had another training match last Friday.”
“Was it Lev?”
“No, I said little.”
“We did, Kuroo-san.”
“Did you win?” Bokuto’s eyes widened even more waiting for the answer as if he was the one playing on the court.
“Of course,” Akaashi answers. Maybe they have been hanging out too much because he just mirrored Kuroo’s annoying smirk.
“We won last time though and the time before that, but who's counting?”
“Clearly you because we agreed not to do it.”
“You started it…”
“Guys, guys, playing volleyball is to have fun! Who cares about winning!”
“Really, Bo?”
“Anyway, I think we should have another practice match. Maybe in two weeks?”
“I have to check my schedule but if I remember correctly we are free that day. I will let you know, Kozume.”
“That’s right, don’t fight. Make love, not war.”
“Really, Kuro?”
“Try to kick their owl’s asses though.”
“Don’t let them, ´Kaashi! You are better,” Bokuto whispers not so discreetly.
“I’m glad you are friends, I had the impression that the rivalry between you two would develop outside the court. But you seem to get along even better than Bo and I in our times.”
“You mean last year?” Akaashi says, his eyes widening and mouth falling open as he yelps in surprise “Bokuto-san… did just kick me under the table?”
“Uh, no?” Bokuto’s eyes shift between Akaashi and Kuroo. The taller just shrugs before his whole body jump, most likely because he received a kick too.
“Okay, I’m going to the bathroom.” Akaashi is either asking for help with his eyes or trying to murder him for leaving him alone with those two. But Kenma just keeps walking because he was the one who stayed with them last time as they asked embarrassing questions.
He waited a couple of minutes there to give them enough time to flee. He re-does his ponytail for the fifth time that day, his hair is longer to be tied in a ponytail but not long enough for the strands of hair not to fall on the sides and his forehead every five seconds.
The only reason why he wears it like this is because his boyfriend likes it.
“What was their excuse this time?” He asks as he sits down next to Akaashi. Kuroo and Bokuto are nowhere to be seen.
“None, they just left.”
“They left? Just like that?”
“Yep,” Akaashi is too busy eating the food that Bokuto ordered for him.
“Wow, they're getting sloppier.” He winces when he savors the coffee Kuroo asked for. “Ugh, take this one, it’s so bitter. What did they tell you before they left?”
“That they are the best matchmakers ever and we will be thanking them in our wedding speech."
“Sure,” he snorts before finally taking a bite of his apple pie. “We have to tell them soon, maybe they would finally do something about their own situation.”
“You know what we should do, babe?” A small, subtle blush makes its way onto his face because of the pet name.
“What?”
“We should try to set them up,” he says, totally unaware how much a simple word made his heart race.
“I’m down, I prefer a much straightforward strategy though.”
“I agree, we could just lock them in a small closet and force them to confess.”
“Jeez, Keiji, have mercy on them. It’s not that easy, you should know it. Don’t you remember what was it like? How you invited me over to your house with the excuse of helping me study and how you whispered in my ear how much you liked me because you were scared of saying it out loud? You were so clumsy that you kissed my nose and then you invited me on a date the next day because you said you couldn’t wait? You even-”
“What the hell, Kenma?!” His now blushed boyfriend has his hand covering his mouth to prevent him from talking. “T- That was you!”
Kenma licks Akaashi’s hand and he quickly pulls it away. “Exactly, I was the one to confess because someone had to! And you were taking so long, ugh! If I hadn’t, probably we would keep staring at each other hoping that one of us would have the balls to do it.”
He just remembers a glint in Akaashi’s eyes as they stare at each other before feeling his boyfriend’s lips on his. Kenma’s breath hitches into the soft kiss as his boyfriend's hand gently plays with his hair.
Kenma felt a delicious shiver when Akaashi pulled back and ran his tongue over his own bottom lip, his pink lips curved into a tiny smile after. “You are right, I’m glad you did that. Thank you for being braver than me.”
His warm breath is teasing his lips, Kenma just moves a few inches to steal a short kiss from him just because he felt like it. “That’s fine, I guess. Now… let’s keep talking about the plan. How small do you think the closet has to be?”