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Kei raps sharply on the apartment door at four in the morning, and Bokuto answers with a scowl.
"Hey," he says, smiling a fake smile. "Let's run."
Bokuto nods, grabbing a water bottle. "Yeah, alright."
They've been running together in the mornings for about a year now, but usually it's Bokuto who shows up at Kei's door to provoke him, Kei who pretends he needs to be coerced into it. Any other day Kei would pretend he doesn't enjoy it, would have let Bokuto sleep in if he hadn't shown up for some reason, but not today. Not after they'd walked in on Kuroo and Akaashi.
Their feet pound the pavement in silence, for a while: thwack thwack thwack thwack in time with Kei's pounding heart, his throbbing headache. Bokuto's eyes are red-rimmed, and Kei's sure his own are too. It's a far cry from their usual runs, laughing or joking or teasing.
"I just can't believe it's Kuroo," Bokuto spits suddenly, as if they've been talking about it all along; in a way, they have been. "Of all people, he should know better."
Kei hums, noncommittal.
Bokuto side-eyes him. "Aren't you pissed too?"
Kei sighs. "Obviously. But they don't actually belong to us, so..."
"Right," Bokuto says, deflating a little. "We were... too late, I guess."
"Yeah. Still sucks, though."
Thwack thwack thwack thwack.
Kei huffs. "I can't fucking believe it was Akaashi."
"Right?!"
"I mean, he knew! They both knew! He knew about me, and Kuroo knew about you, they should have known better!"
"It really feels like they don't care about us," Bokuto says, and Kei feels his heart break as Bokuto puts it into words. "All this time..."
"Screw them," Kei says, forcing a sheet of ice over his chest. "We have each other, it doesn't matter."
"Yeah, I guess."
Kei smirks at him. "What, am I not good enough for you?"
Bokuto smirks back, and it's the first time Kei has seen him smile since the night before. "Careful, glasses, don't get too caught up with the big boys now."
Kei rolls his eyes and shoves Bokuto's shoulder. "Never say anything like that again, gross."
Bokuto's laughing, because of course he is. "God, your face!"
"Shut up."
"Make me," Bokuto says, and suddenly the tension falls back over them like a sheet.
Thwack thwack thwack thwack.
Maybe it's rebound. It's definitely stupid. But suddenly Kei is filled with a burning urge to know what it'd be like to shut up Bokuto with a kiss. It'd be satisfying, making him be quiet by force for once. Bokuto's big stupid mouth would lock onto his, his big perfect chest flush against Kei's--
Stupid. Stupid. He's just mad at Akaashi. Hurt over Kuroo. Whatever.
"I hate this," Bokuto growls, suddenly. "I've never been this mad."
"Me neither," Kei confesses, though it's a close call.
"I want to do something stupid."
"Me too."
"Let's..." Bokuto trails off. "I don't know, get really drunk, or something."
"Or something," Kei agrees.
"Is it stupid to want to hurt them back?"
"Yes," Kei says.
"Do you care?"
"No." Bokuto stops, suddenly, so Kei does too, turning to stare at him. "I'm pissed," Kei admits, stepping closer. "There's something we could do, to hurt them as much as they hurt us."
"It's stupid to do this just because we're pissed," Bokuto says, stepping closer to Kei. "We shouldn't."
"I'm petty enough for it," Kei says, tilting Bokuto's chin up with his knuckle. "Are you?"
It's a challenge, and it must get under Bokuto's skin, because suddenly they're kissing. Strong hands pull him in by the neck and the waist, curling into his hair and his hip; Kei's elbow gets caught against Bokuto's shoulder, but it doesn't matter. Kissing him is like almost drowning and surfacing for one last, desperate breath. Kei's free arm snakes around Bokuto's waist and pulls him closer, closer; his glasses are pressing awkwardly against the bridge of his nose, and it shouldn't be comfortable. He shouldn't be enjoying this, even in the best case scenario, but Bokuto's tongue slides against his and all he can think is more more more.
Eventually, Bokuto steps on his foot and Kei flinches, and Bokuto springs away from him instantly, eyes screwing up in concern. "Sorry!" he yelps. "Are you okay?"
His lips are red and swollen, and his chest moves quickly as he pants for breath, and Kei has never been more attracted to him. "I'm fine," he says, pulling off his glasses to wipe them clean on his shirt. "I--It's fine."
Bokuto considers him carefully, and then grins knowingly. "Okay," he says, and then reaches up to tug Kei down into another firm, quick kiss. "Okay?" he says again when he's done, pulling back.
"Yeah," Kei says with a nod. "God, this is so stupid, though."
Bokuto deflates, a little. "Right. Yeah. We shouldn't have."
"I want to though," Kei says quickly, and curses the way his heart jumps when Bokuto immediately looks happier. "I--That was nice. I guess."
"Right," Bokuto grins, looking far too self-satisfied. "Okay, then."
"Okay," Kei agrees, his face burning.
"We should finish our run."
"Right, yeah."
They start again, side by side, and Kei thinks about it. He's mad at Akaashi, and heartbroken over Kuroo, but all his mind wants to think is Bokuto Bokuto Bokuto Bokuto as they run. It's stupid. It's a rebound. But part of him wants to shove Bokuto against a wall and shove his tongue down his throat, right in front of Akaashi and Kuroo. Desire burns against the inside of his skin, and when Bokuto's shoulder bumps into his as they change directions his arm aches for it.
Fuck. Fuck.