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“Dude, this is like the best movie I’ve ever seen,” Kenma said, his eyes lit up with glee.
“I know,” Kuroo said, amusement in his own.
He got Kenma’s attention by motioning that he was going to throw and Kenma opened his mouth. Instead of just tossing one M&M into his mouth, he launched a whole handful pelting Kenma in the face and littering the couch with them. Kenma, as one does, started to throw them back. Soon enough, the movie was almost entirely forgotten as they whipped the candy back and forth at each other. It ended up escalating into a half-assed fight, Kenma attempting to force-feed Kuroo the extra M&Ms while Kuroo used his long arms to keep Kenma away from him. Punches were thrown.
The only thing that ended up catching their attention was the loud shift in the movie’s soundtrack to cheesy porno music and they looked up to see a man in a Speedo seductively washing a car.
“Hey Kenma?” Kuroo started.
“You want a bet, too?”
“Damn right I do.”
“Stop looking at me like that and let me tie your tie,” Kuroo said with a laugh.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kenma said, his nostrils flaring, “I can tie my tie perfectly fine on my own.”
“Right, but you can’t figure out how to tie it like mine and you can’t nonchalantly look it up because you left your phone in the office,” Kuroo said, crossing his arms with a most egregious smirk on his face.
Kenma refused to say anything, but walked over to Kuroo in defeat. He really wanted that cool knot. Kuroo grinned as he used Kenma’s tie to pull him in for a kiss and then started in on the eldredge knot. He messed it up the first time. He’d literally just looked it up before Kenma walked in, not like he was going to tell Kenma that.
“You know,” Kenma said, trying to look down at how Kuroo was doing it, “I think I figured out our bet.”
“Did you now?” Kuroo asked, taking a step back to look at his work. He frowned and readjusted it.
“Yeah, so, I was thinking,” he said, clearly amused with himself, “How about we see which of us can sneak more hors d'oeuvres out of the gala? I’ll get you swipe access to a nearby room and then we can sneak up to the roof and eat it all after the event’s done?”
“Lord in heaven,” Kuroo said, rubbing his finger over Kenma’s engagement ring, “I could marry you right now. You’re the best person. Did you know you’re the best person? Just like in the entire world.”
“Not true,” Kenma said, equal parts blush and smile, “You’re going to be the best person when you’re washing my car in a Speedo.”
“Cocky, are we?” Kuroo asked, raising his eyebrows, “I was already planning on bringing a stool outside so you could actually reach the top of my car. I’m expecting it to be spotless.”
“You’re so fucking on right now.”
Kenma was really good at networking. It seemed counterintuitive due to his severely introverted nature, but his ability to size up the other person and figure out exactly what approach would get him what he wanted more than made up for that. Regardless of his talent, he still hated it. This bet was a godsend for that reason. He could get his networking done as was called for, but he would also be able to multitask, doing something significantly more fun during the event.
He made his way through the crowd, looking for a semi-familiar face to strike up conversation with. He’d of course gotten the guest list. The charity networking event was co-hosted by Bouncing Ball so he had the opportunity to do some research beforehand about who was who and how he could form new allies in the business world. He hated that when he first became a CEO, but as time went on, he began to just think of it as nothing more than a game of chess. It put his nerves to rest.
Upon spotting someone he recognized as the head of a local pediatric mental health group, he slid his way over to her. Based on his research about her, she seemed to be lighthearted and had an air of comfort around her. He opened the conversation with a joke of sorts and then maneuvered the conversation from there.
The only time he faltered was when he looked over her shoulder. He had to hide a laugh. Kuroo was grabbing multiple crostinis from a server. He was clearly playing hard. Kenma would have to make sure he was on his game in order to keep up.
Kuroo watched as Kenma waved a goodbye to whoever he was talking with and strode over to him. They both started talking at the same time.
“You first,” Kenma said with a small bow.
“Why don’t you go?” Kuroo asked, “I’m sure a CEO’s thoughts are more important than mine.”
“Well,” Kenma said, handing Kuroo the champagne flute he was planning on hiding at his home base, “I was going to say that I seem to have the most attractive significant other here. Silk suits and intricate ball gowns everywhere and yet my eyes are only drawn to you.”
“Can hardly say I’m having a different experience,” Kuroo murmured, “Who needs emerald velvet and diamond necklaces when your eyes shine like they do?”
“They only shine for you,” Kenma responded, “So what was it you were going to tell me?”
“I was going to explain that the JVA is starting a new initiative where we’re providing knee pads to children of all ages ago might need them,” he explained, “I was wondering if perhaps Bouncing Ball wanted to co-sponsor the effort.”
“So that’s why you’re here on business and not on my arm,” Kenma said, “Why don’t you put something on my calendar? I think this can be arranged.”
“Sounds like a date,” Kuroo said, flashing a winning smile.
“Sounds like business,” Kenma said with a click of his tongue, “Which speaking of, I should probably get back to.”
“Keep me in your thoughts,” Kuroo said, handing him a business card from his pocket.
“Oh, my love,” Kenma said, turning to find his way back into the crowd, “I have no idea how I couldn’t.”
He only got a few steps away before his fiancé brushed up behind him, just so slyly squeezing his ass in the process. Kenma rolled his eyes but his smile gave him away.
“Champagne?” a waitress asked Kuroo as he walked by.
“Yes, please,” he said, “Actually, do you mind if I grab one for my lover while I’m here?”
“Help yourself,” she said with a smile.
He nodded his thanks and took two drinks from the tray. He then carefully weaved his way into the hallway, taking a left, then a right to find the small focus room he had swipe access to, but he wasn’t alone.
“I can take those for you if you’re on your way out,” a man in catering attire said, gesturing at the champagne. Kuroo panicked.
“Oh, no thank you,” he said, feeling like he was caught robbing a bank, “I uh was just taking a breather.”
“Of course,” he said, “Have an excellent night, sir.”
He bid the man goodbye before slipping into his home base. He set the two flutes in the box next to the other appetizers he had already smuggled into it. He was proud of his work so far, but he knew Kenma was going to put up a good fight, so he would need to make sure he was on his game.
He made his way back into the ballroom, significantly more preoccupied with the fact that Kenma was talking to an extraordinarily beautiful woman than either the bet or the fact that he was actually at the event on business. He wasn’t just Kenma’s plus one for once. He was immediately thankful that Kenma wasn’t into women. He didn’t get jealous easy, but she was really pretty, and her hand was on his tricep.
Focus. He needed to focus on at least one of his other tasks. There was no time for jealousy when the stakes were this high.
Kenma should have been paying attention. He knew that. The most important person at the entire event had sought out a conversation with him and yet the only thing on his mind was sitting out on their porch, letting the sun wash over him as his ripped husband washed his car in a Speedo.
The woman was explaining how a collaboration between her company and Bouncing Ball would be mutually beneficial, and honestly he agreed with her, but he was much too preoccupied with the thought of Kuroo’s thighs, all sudsed up, flexing as he washed Kenma’s car.
“I know Bouncing Ball has nobly committed to only working with carbon neutral companies,” she said, “And I’m glad to say we’re officially carbon negative as of last quarter, so hopefully that satisfies your requirements.”
“Mhm,” Kenma said, visions of wet washboard abs dancing in his head, “We do care about the environment at Bouncing Ball.”
He could see her facade briefly crack before regaining her ever professional composure.
“Say, have you gotten around to the risotto?” she asked, finishing off her flute of champagne and setting it on the table, “It is to die for.”
“I have not,” he lied, “Why don’t I go grab some for us?”
It was sort of a lie. Technically he’d gotten around to it, but he hadn’t eaten it, just snuck it out to an office just outside of the ballroom.
“Ah, no need,” she said, a winning smile on her face, “It’s getting pretty late and I ought to get going, but I would like to collaborate with you soon.”
“Absolutely,” he said, extending his hand, “Thank you for coming.”
“It’s my pleasure,” she said, shaking his hand,“I’ll have my admin contact you about a meeting.”
“I look forward to it,” he said with a respectful nod. He didn’t look forward to it. Normally he would have, but the only thing he was looking forward to was sneaking as much food as physically possible out of the gala. He had a bet to win.
Kuroo set his box on the floor of the elevator so he could swipe his Bouncing Ball ID, giving him access to the roof. He was very happy with his haul: four flutes of champagne, an assortment of delicate crostinis, three single serve scoops of shrimp risotto, four very expensive pieces of sushi, and seven cinnamon apple tarts.
He realized just how beautiful the weather was when he walked out onto the roof, looking for his fiancé. It was warm, but not overbearingly so and the gentle breeze was an excellent addition. The moon shone off the clouds, a beautiful sight to see. The only sight more beautiful would be his fiancé when he appeared.
He removed the contents from the box and set them on the side table next to the outdoor loveseat before grabbing the cushions for it from the weatherproof storage box.
Just as he sat down, he heard the door onto the roof open behind him. He closed his eyes and smiled for a moment before he got up and turned around to face his lover.
“I can’t wait to see you in your speedo,” Kenma said, his soft voice carrying in the still night.
“Holy fuck,” Kuroo said, watching his husband wheel an entire catering tray over, “Looks like we’re eating good tonight.”
“I saw one of the catering staff bringing this back to the kitchen so I flashed my name badge and took it off his hands,” Kenma said with a sweet smile.
Kuroo burst into a laughing fit.
“Imagine working a very fancy catering job, you’re just cleaning up afterwards, bringing the extra food back to the kitchen, and the CEO flashes his ID at you and asks for the entire cart,” Kuroo said, still laughing, “I would lose my mind. ‘Hey where is the cart?’ ‘Sorry boss, the CEO took it.’ ‘Oh, please. Sure he did.’”
Kenma laughed a small, beautiful, laugh and took out his phone.
“We have an internal social media app,” Kenma explained, “I’ll put the catering channel that I stole a cart and I’ll bring it back in the morning.”
“That man is sweating bullets,” Kuroo said.
He crossed the rest of the distance between them, cupped Kenma’s cheek with a delicate hand, and kissed him.
Kenma pulled back just enough to speak.
“I’ve been waiting all night for that,” he said before bringing his lips back to his fiancé’s.
A few more soft kisses later, it was time to enjoy their stolen goods. Kuroo wheeled the catering tray to the opposite side of the couch as the table where his comparably tiny amount of spoils sat.
Leaning against each other, they chatted the night away, sipping champagne and enjoying their hard won hors d'oeuvres.
It was a night they’d both remember for the rest of their lives.
“Ready to pay up?” Kenma asked, already grabbing his sunglasses.
“Why else would I be wearing a Speedo at this moment?” Kuroo asked, pointedly, crossing his arms across his chest.
“Because you love me?”
“Something like that,” Kuroo responded, his entire demeanor softening as he leaned down to kiss his fiancé on the cheek.