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Grumbling some curses and sinking his head further into the pillow, Kenma ignored the blaring alarm by his side. Yesterday, well, today, if he's being technical; he had just finished playing on stream Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4:00 am. Giving him only 3 hours of sleep if the number displayed by his phone is correct.
He would have turned the alarm off any other day but had many meetings today. Some investors have gained interest in Bouncing Ball Corp in the past few months, so he has met with them at the end of every month.
He grabbed his phone and finally ended the awful sound; disconnecting it and rolling to his side, he looked at today's itinerary. One Zoom meeting at 9 am, three more in-person meetings back at his office, lunch with Kuroo, and a final meeting with a new editor for his youtube channel.
He kept scrolling through his phone and saw some messages from Hinata that made him smile. He was arriving tomorrow and would spend the next few months in Tokyo with him. Hinata had just sent him a text that he was boarding the plane and that he would call him once he arrived at his first connection.
It's been six months since he had seen Hinata, and he had to admit he was a little nervous. The last time they saw each other, they confessed their feelings for one another. Their mutual feelings were no secret; most of their friend group had noticed they had grown closer over the years, and their friendship blossomed into something more romantic.
They both agreed to start this new relationship slowly; besides, Hinata was in the middle of transferring to the Black Jackals for a more extended contract. However, he needed to finish some stuff back in Brazil, so he had to stay for a while back there until the season ended.
Stretching one last time and lifting from the bed, Kenma headed to shower to start his day. Discarding his clothes, he couldn't help to notice in the mirror as he was inspecting himself how soft his stomach looked.
He also needed to redye his hair as well. It was almost black again, the only indication of blonde dye already past his shoulders. He knew Shouyou would help him with that chore, but with "this" he thought, grabbing his belly and squishing it, it was too late to change.
After a quick shower, he headed to his walking closet to pick up, as Kuroo called, "CEO clothes" which didn't involve comfortable clothes and were seen as appropriate by investors. Picking up some black slacks, he started putting them on when he realized he was stuck. Somehow the slacks wouldn't get past his thighs, he tried jumping and wiggling a little, but the garment wouldn't budge.
He discarded the slacks and went to try another pair. But, unfortunately, the other pair didn't fit either; it wasn't until he found some old trousers some fashion company sponsored him that he could finally settle on the outfit. Then, feeling discouraged, he wore a loose button-up shirt and an oversized sweater.
Walking to the closet mirror, he inspected himself again before going out, tracing his hands over his face and feeling his cheeks a little rounder. He knew he had gained some pounds over the last months but didn't realize the change was that noticeable.
Ever since he was little, he wasn't a fan of physical activity, and his metabolism seemed to take care of the sweet tooth he sometimes had, but looking now, it seemed his lethargic lifestyle had finally caught up to his body.
Fiddling with his sweater, he returned to the room to grab the laptop and the files needed for the meeting and headed out to the office.
----
By 2:15 pm, he was starving; the personal meetings went well; he only had to talk to his lawyer before finalizing the deals. However, he was running a little late with his lunch with Kuroo, so he quickly picked up the pace and walked two blocks from the main building to a little ramen spot he and Kuroo liked.
When he entered, he saw the unmistakable black nest of hair by the end of the serving bar; he quickly made his way to where Kuroo was. He hadn't noticed his arrival yet; his best friend was analyzing the menu, trying to change his usual order.
"Kyanma!! "Kuroo rejoiced, finally noticing him.
"Kuro" he greeted back, taking a seat beside him. Kuroo was his usual self, with his unruly hair, clean button shirt, and tennis shoes to work.
"You look cozy with that sweater" he said.
"Thanks"
"I assume the meetings when well; I don't see the -I'm annoyed face- Kuroo said, making quotation signs in the air, "so that's good news."
Kenma offered a small smile and began to order his lunch. While they waited, he told Kuroo about the meeting and asked for his opinion; Kenma liked talking to Kuroo about his business; his viewpoint was always helpful.
Their order of gyozas and ramen arrived, as they changed the topic of conversation.
"Glad to hear it is going how you wanted," Kuroo said as he slurped his hot ramen.
"The shrimp is going to be here soon, right?" he asked.
Kenma gave him a side eye for the nickname.
True, when they were teenagers, Hinata was small, but now he's broader and hotter.
"Yes, Shouyou is going to arrive tomorrow," he replied.
"Did you see his new video?"
"What video?"
"I think his friend Heitor uploaded it on Twitter" Kuroo hands out his phone to Kenma, showing him the tweet. It had over 20k retweets and comments he clicked on the play button.
The video shows Hinata's broad back clad in a thigh-black compression shirt. He is ready to serve; he takes a few steps back and jumps, hitting the ball with so much force it hits the sand with a big THUTH. A perfect serve; it was the final point needed because what comes next is Hinata jumping. Happily, he takes off his shirt, the sun making the sweat of his tan skin shine, his muscles flexing when he raises his arms in celebration. The video ends with him winking at the camera.
Well, that was certainly something… the comments were filled with fans thirsting over Hinata; some comments even posted fan cams of that video.
Kenma returned the phone to Kuroo; Kuroo started babbling about how he never understood how Shouyou could get thousands of likes while his very professional and good post about volleyball merely saw 50 likes.
Kenma wasn't really paying attention to the conversation. Instead, he was thinking about how Shouyou has grown into a handsome man, gaining muscles and becoming physically fit. He is by all standards an attractive man, and compared to him…
Kenma looked down at his stomach, placing a hand and squeezing at the soft texture.
Kuroo noticed this movement and looked at his best friend curiously.
"Are you okay, Kenma?" he asked.
Kenma turned his face slightly away from Kuroo, hiding behind his hair, dropping his hands to his lap, and clutching them together.
"Did the ramen upset your stomach?" Kuroo remarked again after his first question went unanswered.
"No"
"Is something bothering you?" Kuroo scooted in close to get a better look at him.
Kenma sighed, he knew his thoughts were tricking him and making him feel bad, and he knew he could trust Kuroo with the ideas occupying his head.
"It's just" He turned to face his friend.
"I've gained weight" he states
Kuroo stills, waiting for Kenma to continue.
"Shouyo hasn't seen me like this" he gestures to his body. "And I don't like it..."
Kenma frowns, feeling silly after expressing his discomfort out loud. It seemed childish to be upset about, but he couldn't deny it; watching that video of Shouyou made him realize how out of shape he was compared to his boyfriend.
Kuroo mused for a few minutes, knitting his eyebrows together, trying to come up with something to say to his best friend.
"Are you worried Shrimpy is going to say something about it?"
Kenma nodded
"I don't look like I did six months ago. What if he gets disgusted or changes his mind?"
Kuroo chuckled at the idea, and Kenma rolled his eyes.
"Kuro, have you seen the athletes he hangs out with? How do I fit in that picture?" he replied.
Kuroo smiled softly
"You're being hard on Shimpry." He remarked
"I think that silly head of yours is playing tricks on you and saying these nasty things to you" He shuffled Kenmas hair while the younger grunted, annoyed by the action.
"It's okay if you feel insecure right now but have faith in Hinata; this isn't a big deal. Weight comes and goes; it's not like we all have the same metabolism we had ten years ago." Kuroo winked.
Kenma felt a slight smile on his lips. He always feels better when Kuro gives him a pep talk; he always has a way of reassuring him.
"Thank you, Kuro" he said.
"You're welcome."
"Are you going to eat that last gyoza? "Kuroo chuckled.
Kenma smiled and punched him in the arm; Kuroo laughed and ate the last gyoza.
….
Kenma was waiting at the airport for Shouyou; the arrival room was filled with people waiting for their loved ones. Kenma wore his Bouncing Ball Corp. black sweatshirt, a red baseball cap, and sunglasses. He felt silly wearing sunglasses indoors but didn't like to be recognized in a public setting.
He felt his phone vibrate, and when he checked, there was a message from Shouyou.
"Just landed!" he smiled at the text.
Some 20 minutes passed after the text, and out of the arrival doors, he saw many people coming out of the halls.
Suddenly a flash of orange appeared in his vision, and the next thing he knew, he was being lifted from the ground and spinning. Kenma felt mortified, but Hinata was settling him to the ground before he could voice his concerns.
"Kenmaaaaaaaa!!!" he heard Shouyou giggle into his ear; he couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips; it felt nice being held by Hinata; he buried his face further into the hug. They stayed connected for a while, enjoying the warmth.
When Kenma breaks the hug first and sees Hinata's face, a bright smile welcomes him. He hasn't changed much, maybe his hair grew a few inches more, but he seems the same. He is wearing a tight sports shirt that makes his muscles stand out and some joggers. Kenma appreciates the view before grabbing Hinata´s hand and leading them outside.
They made their way to the car; on the way, Hinata filled the gaps on the months they couldn't text each other fully, giving Kenma updates on their friends in Brazil. Heitor will be a father, and Pedro plans a trip to Japan next year.
Once in the apartment, after shuffling with the luggage, they settled on the couch across from each other. Unfortunately, it was still a little early to get something to eat, so they lay on the sofa for a while, listening to a new playlist Kenma had created and enjoying each other's presence.
Hinata slowly rose from his spot and dragged himself above Kenma. Then, with a mischievous look in his eyes, he lowered his face and kissed Kenma on the forehead, then on the cheek, and finally on the lips.
The kiss started chaste and sweet; then, The kiss grew long and picked pace; a small sigh from Kenma was all the permission Hinata needed to enter his mouth with his tongue.; Kenma hugged Shoyo closer to his body, tangling his fingers on orange locks.
Hinata started to lift Kenmas sweatshirt when he felt Kenma stop him.
"What's wrong?" he asked, brushing aside some hair that fell on Kenmas face.
Kenma looked to the side, refusing to make eye contact with Hinata.
"You won't like it..." he mumbled, trying to turn away from Hinata's curious gaze.
"Huh?"
Kenma turned around and grabbed Hinata's face, kissing him on the lips, attempting to rekindle the mood.
Hinata pulled away this time, kissing him on the cheek.
"Hey, what's wrong? Did I move too fast?"
Kenma looked at the concerned beautiful brown eyes of his boyfriend. He sighed and pulled himself up. Hinata retreated back a little to give Kenma space. He was sitting on the couch; his legs now crossed in front of him.
Kenma closes his eyes, grabs the bottom of his sweatshirt, and removes it, throwing it to the floor. His eyes are still shut. He is waiting for something he doesn't know what, a sound, a movement from Hinata, anything.
He waited a few seconds more until he gave up and opened his eyes. Hinata hasn't moved from the place in front of him. His expression is calm; his eyes are still waiting for something.
"Did you get a tattoo?" he asks.
"No!" he barked, grabbing his belly and squeezing the rolls.
"This!" he groaned, giving another squeeze. "This is what's bothering me."
"I'm not like I used to be; I'm chubbier, my clothes don't fit like they used to, and even my face is a little rounder." he let go of his stomach, playing with his fingers on his lap.
"Aren't you ashamed of your boyfriend looking like this? " he mumbled.
Kenma didn't want to look up and see his disappointed face; he felt embarrassed after his little outbursts.
He felt Hinata grab his hand and give him a little squeeze; he relaxed a little after that movement letting himself get closer to Shoyo until his arms warped around him. The redhead trying to cuddle him and make him as comfortable as possible.
"Kenma, I love you" he said, kissing the top of his head.
"I love that you are smart, and I love that we can play games and have exciting conversations and, most of all, who you are as a person."
Hinata started to rub circles on Kenmas back.
“I will never be ashamed of who you are or how you look”
Kenma sighed in relief and retreated back to his position on the couch.
Hinata grabbed his face, pinching his cheeks.
Kenma yelped and laughed.
“I hope my message is clear,” Hinata said, kissing the red cheeks.
He then lowered his head, resting his face on Kenma's thighs. Grabbing them and starting to massage them.
“Kenma, please do me the honor of choking me with these bad boys” he grinned.
Kenma laughed loudly, lowering himself and kissing his boyfriend. He felt warm in his chest, all giddy and happy.