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"He gets really embarrassed around you, y'know. He gets mad when I point it out, but I think he actually likes you more than he says so."
Kenma felt heat rise to his cheeks, quickly averting his gaze down to the floor. Shouyou's eyes were too intense, sometimes it was hard to even look near them; when he was talking about stuff like this, it was much worse. He didn't want to talk about Karasuno's setter... about Kageyama.
"Don't get all shy!" Shouyou laughed, the sound lifting a bit of the weight in Kenma's chest. "I'm not saying it's anything serious... I just noticed it."
Kenma raised his eyes back up to his friend, who was laying on his back, legs propped up on Kenma's bed as he ate a bright red popsicle. It stained his lips and made them look painted, and Kenma's own lips twitched in amusement.
There were only a few days left of Karasuno's visit to Tokyo. They should have been staying with the rest of the team at the training camp, but Kenma had felt a bit sick from the heat earlier in the day, and was allowed to go home. He had been resting up when Shouyou showed up at his door, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, carrying a bag full of melting popsicles and a container filled with leftovers.
"I don't know... why would he like me..?" Kenma leaned back against the wall, knees drawn up against his chest and phone clutched in his hand. Not for any particular reason, he just liked it there.
"If anything, I think he hates me... he was giving me a really scary look the other day and mumbling to himself..."
Shouyou laughed suddenly, kicking his feet. A few drops of juice flew off his popsicle and Kenma watched it hit the floor. He'd have to get that later. "That doesn't mean anything, he does that all the time! He was probably wanting to know how you got so good as a setter."
Kenma fell quiet again, playing with a loose string on the hem of his track pants. He didn't know if he should thank Shouyou or what, so he just stayed quiet.
"Well.." Shouyou swung his feet around so he could sit up properly, licking some of the popsicle dripping on his sticky hand. "What if he confesses, huh? What if," Shouyou's eyes widened, practically sparkling, "what if he gives you chocolates and confesses and *kisses* you?"
"What..?!" Kenma's face was lit up a burning red now, pressing his back against the wall as Shouyou leaned in. "D-Don't say stuff like that..!"
"Hm.." Shouyou sat back again, looking thoughtful. "Well, I guess it wouldn't be so bad if you dated Kageyama... but I would have to make sure he was really nice to you, and beat him up if he's not. But what if, when you start dating, you spend more time with him instead of me..? Kenma, you can't abandon me for Kageyama! He's dumb, and he smells sometimes!"
"Shouyou..!" Kenma was a bit dizzy from all of that, "I-I'm not dating Kageyama! I mean.. I don't know if I will, even if he does confess, so... don't talk like that.."
"Well, if he does confess, you have to tell me about it, okay?" Shouyou smiled brightly, his entire mouth stained red. "Promise!"
Kenma was quiet for a moment, hesitant, before he finally nodded. It couldn't hurt to agree, especially considering it was never going to happen.
- --
"Take this!"
A small black lump was thrust towards him, and Kenma startled as if he was going to be struck. His eyes were wide, leaning back cautiously as he examined the situation at hand.
Kageyama had sort of cornered him after the day's practice matches had ended, looking at him with this terrifying expression and a red face. He was sure that he was going to be yelled at, or punched, or worse, but instead... a plush toy keychain of a cat was handed in his direction. It was cute, and Kenma could imagine putting it on his backpack, but why was Kageyama giving it to him? It didn't make sense. His mind went back to his and Shouyou's conversation the other day, and his cheeks lit up red. Was this it? Was he actually being confessed to?
"U-um... I don't understand.." Kenma didn't look as scared anymore, but now he looked embarrassed and uncertain.
"I.." Kageyama's face screwed up strangely, as if the words were a bitter stickiness on his tongue that he couldn't get out, "I.. think you're a good setter! And I want you to have this! From me!"
"..." Kenma's fingers twitched, not sure how to proceed. He couldn't believe that Shouyou was right.. Kageyama was giving him a gift, and essentially confessing to him, albeit in a very awkward and stilted manner. "Is this... um... are you... confessing? To me?"
Kageyama's face turned three shades darker, and Kenma was almost worried that he might pass out. "Y..Yes! So.. take this!" He pushed the keychain out further, looking like he wanted to dissolve into the ground.
"..." Kenma slowly reached out, closing his fingers around the gift and taking it from Kageyama's calloused hand. He examined it up close, admiring the embroidered face before looking back up. "..Thank you... it's.. really nice.."
"Uh," Kageyama stammered, as if not expecting that Kenma would actually take it, "you're.. welcome!" That constipated expression returned, "Next time.. next time we come to Tokyo, we can play volleyball together!" He was saying everything in a loud voice, like he was angry that he had to actually say them.
"..Okay... I'd like that," Kenma murmured, giving a tiny smile. He had never been confessed to before, so.. he was feeling a little confident, and he closed his fingers tightly around the small black cat. "Next time... uh, Tobio?"
- --
"Oh my Gooooooood! I can't believe he actually did it! Kenma, do you know what this means?"
Kenma was sitting on a bench outside the gym, playing a puzzle game on his phone while Shouyou drank a carton of juice. It was their last night at training camp, so of course Shouyou wanted to spend it together.
"No.. what does it mean..?" He spared a glance over to his redheaded friend, who was grinning from ear to ear.
"This means that you guys are practically dating now! Right? Because you accepted the gift, you know? Kenma, you might get your first kiss! But it'd be from Kageyama, so I'm not really jealous that I've never kissed anyone," Shouyou explained simply.
"Dating.." Kenma's cheeks burned, and he paused his game to lower his phone. He chewed the inside of his lip for a moment before speaking, "I don't think we're dating.. but.. I guess I wouldn't mind talking to him a little more.."
"Aww! Kenmaaaa!" Shouyou wrapped an arm around his shoulders, hugging him awkwardly and squeezing the juicebox in his hand hard enough to send a spray into the air. Kenma winced as it barely missed landing on him, but he couldn't help being a bit amused.
He supposed that being confessed to by Tobio wasn't the worst thing that could happen, and he found himself actually excited for 'next time'.