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Kenny’s alone before the match. It’s how he prefers it, the ability to focus and ready himself without distractions. That’s how it’s supposed to be.
He opens his hand on his knee where he’s sat on the bench staring down into his palm. It’s been so long since he’s not been alone, when his hand wasn’t empty, when before a big match he’d get asked Are you nervous . Kenny would always say No and get laughed at, Then why is your hand so sweaty?
Now it’s silent. Kenny clenches his fist and stands leaving the room for his match.
Kota runs his hands over his thighs, tapping his knee, pulling his hood farther over his head. He feels weird sitting in the audience especially since they haven’t seen each other in a while but that’s also the exact reason he’s even there.
He wants this to be a surprise, he could have called someone, gotten backstage, but Kota would've found Kenny immediately and probably wouldn't have let go for a while. He didn't want to distract him before this match, he knows Kenny's nervous. He can practically feel the strength of his grip and the slight sweat when he held his hand before and it makes him fidget more.
Kota sits up from his seat in the back corner and then he sees him, Kenny.
Kenny's fucking exhausted as he holds the title over his head. He wishes he had someone to lean on that'll hold an ice pack to his shoulders and hug him around the waist while he says he's proud of him. Maybe even put the title on him like he's done before. He wants Kota.
He leaves with the title over his shoulder, still breathing heavily as he accepts congratulations. He feels bad for being somewhat absent with these people he loves but his mind is on Kota.
His title drags on the floor as he pulls himself away, surprisingly easily, and walks backstage, playing old conversations in his head,
See, there was nothing to be nervous about.
I said I wasn’t nervous. He’d softly chuckle and smile at him.
Right.
“Hi, Kenny.” He snaps his head up and stares down the hall.
Kota smiles behind his mask as he pulls his hood down, it was fairly easy to get backstage if pounding on the door until a backstage member opened the door and he had to explain quickly he wasn’t an insane fan.
But all of that fades away when the title hits the floor and Kenny is in his arms. He exhales heavily and shuts his eyes as their arms tighten around each other. Kenny’s sweaty curls are in his face and he turns his head to leave a mask-clad kiss to his head.
“I missed you.” Kenny finally says after a while of just holding each other, feeling the reality of being together again. Their hands find each other’s, as they pull back ever so slightly to look at each other. How a hand can miss another they don’t know but it feels so much better than being empty. Kenny squeezes as their fingers lace together and Kota runs his thumb along the side.
“I missed you, too.” Kota says, still smiling behind his mask until Kenny reaches up and takes it off to see him fully. “You were nervous before the match.” He doesn’t ask, he already knows especially when Kenny scoffs.
“No.”
“Right.” Kenny shakes his head and it’s as if he catches up with reality. He cups Kota’s face bringing him in closer as his heart swells. He missed this.
“You’re here.” There's disbelief and happiness in that statement but it seems almost obvious that he's here tonight.
Kenny's always been the best because of Kota.
"Of course. I wanted to be here for you. I wanted to watch you win." Kota doesn't know why, it's like he can't help it any longer, it's been so long since Kenny's been in front of him. And it's been so long since he's kissed him. He surges forward maybe too forcefully by the way Kenny stumbles back slightly until he wraps his arm around his waist, their joined hands resting on Kota's shoulder.
Despite their conversation flowing easy, just like normal, this kiss is desperate, both of them starved for the other's touch and savoring every feeling they can get.
Kenny wills his legs not to fall out from under him, not wanting this to end any time soon as he opens his mouth just a bit with a satisfied hum when Kota slides his tongue between his lips.
He's won so many titles, so many matches but there's something so beautifully fulfilling about having Kota in his arms. So right. So–
“Kenny?” Kota holds his face as Kenny quickly wipes at his eyes.
“Sorry, I–” Kota cuts him off with another quick kiss before he’s smiling and Kenny notices through his tear-soaked eyes the way Kota’s have also watered. “I wish you could have come out with me… and been with me before the match.” Kota bites his lip to keep in another quip about Kenny being nervous and just says what he really means to, what he knows Kenny means.
“I love you, Kenny.”
“I love you, too Ibu-tan.”
There’s been people moving around them, his title is still somewhere on the ground behind him, but Kota’s hand is still in his and he pulls him into the locker room to sit with their hands clasped just like before.
For the moment neither of them think about the moment they’ll have to let go.