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Kuroo had only just learnt when Kenma’s birthday was 5 minutes before he was invited over to the Kozume household for dinner. He felt slightly betrayed that his new friend didn’t even tell him of this important news and now, Kuroo was panicking on finding him a gift before he was supposed to go next door.
With time running thin, Kuroo dashed for his room, hastily grabbing some markers and a piece of paper before he started scribbling. In 5 minutes, Kuroo had managed to haphazardly made Kenma a messy birthday card and ran straight over next door.
“Kenma! Happy Birthday!” Kuroo struggled to keep his breathing even while his hand stretched out with his messy birthday card in hand. “S-Sorry if it’s messy… You didn’t even tell me it was your birthday so I didn’t have enough time…”
“I don’t see a reason why I should tell you.”
“You’re a friend and it’s important to celebrate your special day!” Kuroo huffed up as Kenma retrieved the card. He gave the card a quick read through, though it was proving a challenge with Kuroo’s chicken scratch. “Don’t laugh at my handwriting. You gave me a time limit.”
Kenma narrowed his eyes, looking up. “How did you know what I was thinking?”
“You’re easy to read.” Kuroo flashed him a grin.
It was that night when Kuroo had learnt what Kenma’s favorite food was. He didn’t expect it at all when he saw the huge pie in front of him and how fast Kenma had demolished the slice that was given to him. He had never seen Kenma so excited about eating before and watching him eating so enthusiastically with such a bright sparkle in his eyes, something in Kuroo changed.
When Kenma’s next birthday rolled around, Kuroo immediately began planning on his birthday gift weeks in advanced. When he knew Kenma was out with his father, Kuroo sneaked into his house and confronted his mother that Kuroo sometimes looked up to as his own as well.
“You don’t want me to make apple pie for his birthday?” She blinked in surprise, “Tetsu-kun, you don’t like it?”
“N-No!” Kuroo shook his head rapidly, his hands shaking along. “I-It’s not that! I just thought…” He lowered his gaze and began fidgeting. “I-I want to make one for Kenma…” He whispered and she blinked before a smile sketched on her face. Kuroo flinched when he felt her putting her hand on his head.
“That’s completely fine, sweetie.” She smiled at him fondly, “I’ll give you the recipe. Make sure you have someone watching and helping you, okay?”
Kuroo immediately beamed, smiling widely and nodded a bit too enthusiastically. She couldn’t help but to grin back, ruffling his already messy hair before standing up to grab the recipe. Kuroo began practicing almost immediately after.
When Kenma’s birthday came once again, two things were off for the young gamer. One, when he invited Kuroo to sleep over at his house for the night, the older boy had refused and secondly, he woke up with no smell of apple pie to greet him. He felt his mood sour and decided to drown himself in his video game world.
Until his father came up and had to carry the young boy down for dinner after he had refused to do so, still very much in a foul mood.
“Kenma!” Kenma looked up to see Kuroo by the door, his hands hidden behind his back. From all the months Kenma had known Kuroo, he could tell Kuroo was nervous. Why was he nervous? And what birthday card did he haphazardly throw in this time? Judging by his nervousness and hidden hands, it must be bad.
“I did not make any poor effort birthday cards, thank you very much.” Kuroo hissed as if reading his mind once again.
“Stop being an alien.”
“I’m not an alien!”
“You’re right, a hyena can’t really be an alien with a laugh like that.”
“Kenma!” Kuroo squawked as a snort could be heard from Kenma’s father beside him. Kuroo huffed, pouting slightly but remembered the item behind his back. “But anyway… I made you something for your birthday! Hope you’re not mad I didn’t sleep over yesterday.”
“I’m not mad.” Kenma furrowed his brows.
“And I don’t know what docosahexaenoic acid is.”
“You just said it aloud, nerd.”
“You know what, I’ll admit it.” Kuroo nodded before pulling his gift out from behind his back. “I’m a nerd who decided to bake his best friend something for his birthday!” He grinned and Kenma stared at the apple pie in front of him. He could smell the familiar cinnamon wafting through his nose and stared up at Kuroo in disbelief.
“You made this?”
“I had my grandma helping but yeah!”
“Tetsu-kun was the one who told me not to make you one since he wanted to surprise you with it.” Kenma’s mother walked out, smiling. “How about we eat dinner and enjoy the pie Tetsu-kun made?”
Kenma nodded and took the plate from Kuroo’s hand. He stared at the pie for a bit before walking over to the kitchen but Kuroo could see the bright sparkle, the excitement in Kenma’s eyes on the aspect of trying it once they finish dinner.
“I’ll cut you a slice, okay?” Kuroo carefully lowered the knife down and gave Kenma a good portion. Though he was nervous that Kenma would be trying something he made, he was confident that Kenma would like it. He had spent a month trying to perfect it for nothing.
“Thanks…” Kenma reached for the plate before something caught his eyes. He immediately set his plate down and grabbed onto Kuroo’s wrist, turning his hand around and stared at the healed cuts on his palm and fingers. He furrowed his brows, grabbing Kuroo’s other hand to see the same injuries but also, an additional burnt mark as well. “Kuro-“
“It’s nothing!” Kuroo snatched his hands back, “see?” He wingled them around. “Sure I got hurt but they’re healing. None of them were from today.” He reassured the younger boy.
“But you got yourself injured…”
“They’re worth it if I can make you happy, Kenma.” He grinned and Kenma feel himself blushing. He could hear his parents gasping and snickering beside him but he ignored them and opt to try the apple pie Kuroo made to hide his blush. He took a small piece and raised it to his mouth. One small bite and he was chewing carefully. Usually he’d felt conscious that people, that Kuroo was watching him eat, gauging for his reaction. But Kenma didn’t mind as the taste spread through his mouth and his eyes widened by a fraction.
“It’s good.” He murmured before taking another bite. And then another. Completely aware of the huge smile on Kuroo’s face. His love for apple pie grew significantly after that day.
It became a tradition for them at that point. Kuroo would often come over and help Kenma’s mother with baking pie for his birthdays. But when he felt like it, he’ll just bake Kenma one just because. Sure maybe he’s spoiling him a bit too much but how could anyone blame Kuroo? He loved seeing how bright Kenma’s eyes would light up when he was eating the dessert.
“I-I have something for you.” Kuroo handed Kenma a small box one day and Kenma stared at it before looking up. He took a sniff and could tell immediately that it was apple pie.
“It’s not even my birthday, Kuro.” He paused his game to hold the box in his grasp. Bless him. Kuroo really felt privilege that he was important enough for Kenma to pause his game just for him.
“I know… But it’s valentines and I-“ Kuroo choked on his words and Kenma blinked. He glanced at the calendar hanging on his wall and back to the small box in his hand.
“Kuro… Are you confessing to me? On Valentine’s Day?”
“And what if I am?” Kuroo’s face was definitely beet red and he hated it. His hands felt clammy and he knew it was cliché. But Kenma was worth all of this. He was worth the butterflies in his stomach, the nervous ticks in his hands. The burnt scars he received back when he was only 8 and how he’s about to go under cardiac arrest with how fast his heart is beating. Kenma was worth everything and Kuroo was willing to sacrifice anything just to see him smile.
“You’re a sap.”
That wasn’t a rejection. Right…?
“So what if I am…?” He asked again and Kenma glanced up at him.
“You know you could just ask me out like a normal person, right? You don’t need to have it be valentines to confess to me.”
“And you need to accept my confession like a normal person instead of going on a roundabout way and scold me for being cliché.”
“Bold of you to assume I’ll accept your confession.”
“So you are rejecting me?”
“I didn’t say that either.” Kenma hummed, “I’ll need to do a poison test on your pie first before I get my answer.” He opened the box, revealing the apple turnover Kuroo had made. Kenma hummed, taking a small bite and enjoying how Kuroo was lowkey suffering in his peripheral.
“Oi, stop playing with my feelings-“ Kuroo stopped when Kenma had grabbed his tie, pulling him in for a quick kiss. Kuroo blinked once. Then twice as he stared at the amused smirk growing on Kenma’s face. The taste of cinnamon lingered on his lips. “So is that a yes?”
“Interpret it how you see fit.”
“Oi, I need confirmation! Stop playing with my poor heart, Kyanma!”
The apple pie tradition continued on for years and was still present even after they had moved in together and got married. Tetsurou could confidently say that he had mastered the skills and techniques on making apple pie and its many variations. Fortunately for Kenma, when their son was born and came into their lives, he also inherited Kenma’s sweet tooth and was crazy for Tetsurou’s homemade pie.
“And you want to surprise your father…” Tetsurou glanced at his nervous son standing by his office desk, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt with his head low. Tetsurou was lucky that he was facing him could see his face though one of his eyes were hidden behind his bang.
“Since papa likes apple pie and you always make it for his birthday… I just thought I could try too…” He murmured and Tetsurou couldn’t help but to feel nostalgic looking at him. Tetsurou was just as nervous over 20 years ago, asking his now mother-in-law to let him surprise Kenma with an apple pie for his birthday. He then closed his computer and stood up, walking over to his son.
“Sure, let’s go make that pie.”
“W-Wait-“ Kouichi looked up, “y-you were working.”
“I was. And now I’m not.” Tetsurou pushed him outside of his office. “And now that I’m not, we’re going to be making that pie.”
Kouichi came out with three new cuts on his fingers and a burnt tray mark on his arm but with a very beautiful apple pie. It would be an understatement if Tetsurou had said Kenma was mad. No, he was fuming when he saw the bandages around Kouichi’s arm and fingers but when he saw how his son was protecting Tetsurou, saying it was his fault that he got hurt, Kenma couldn’t really stay mad. But at least the pie was good and Tetsurou’s life was fortunately spared.