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Hinata Shouyou. He is loud and hyperactive and incredibly endearing, and Shouyou’s adorable smile makes something twist in Kenma’s chest whenever he sees that lovely expression on his friend’s face. But it isn’t until their second training camp with Karasuno, when Shouyou greets Kenma with a hug that nearly knocks him off his feet, that it finally occurs to Kenma why Shouyou gives him those feelings.
He has a crush on Shouyou and Kenma has no idea what to do.
---
Kenma’s first thought is to talk to Kuroo about his crush, because Kuroo is his best friend, and nobody knows him better. But he quickly dismisses this thought. Because, like an annoying older brother, Kuroo would almost certainly tease Kenma about his crush until the end of time.
And that is how he ends up approaching the most sensible, level-headed person he knows, who also happens to be on the Nekoma volleyball team.
Yaku.
---
“So… you wanted to talk to me?” Yaku says.
Practise ended a few minutes ago, and Kenma dawdled for a moment before asking Yaku to come with him. Behind the gymnasium, far away from all the volleyball players who might overhear them, Yaku leans against the wall, glancing at Kenma, who stares down at his own feet, unsure what to say. He didn’t think this far ahead. Why did he think this was a good idea?
“Um…” Kenma’s hands twitch by his sides, longing to press the buttons on his PSP. Part of him wants to apologise for wasting Yaku’s time and run away. But he needs to talk about his crush on Shouyou, and there is no better listener (who he also trusts) than Yaku. He needs to talk about this. He just needs to find his words. And that is not an easy task.
“Is something wrong?” Yaku asks, studying Kenma’s tense body language.
“No. It’s just… embarrassing,” Kenma mumbles.
Yaku stares at him, his eyes widening. And as a knowing smile appears on his face, Yaku says, “Oh… do you have a crush on someone?”
Heat rushes to Kenma’s cheeks. Either Yaku is incredibly intuitive, or Kenma is just easy to read. Maybe it’s a bit of both.
“I knew it,” Yaku says. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to bug you until you tell me who you like. Unlike some people around here, I’m not that nosy.”
Kenma smiles softly, knowing he picked the right person to confide in. “Thank you.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
Kenma shrugs a shoulder. “I just don’t know what to say to him.”
He realises a little too late that he just revealed his crush is a guy, but Yaku doesn’t even blink.
Instead, Yaku says, “Well… here’s how I would do it. When you’re alone with him, tell him that you really like him. Then ask if he’d like to go out with you. You don’t need to be flashy or rely on big tactics. Just say what you mean, and he’ll understand.”
“What if… he doesn’t like me back?” Kenma says, voicing a fear that has lingered at the back of his mind since he first thought about asking Shouyou out.
“You’ll probably just go back to being friends like nothing ever happened,” Yaku says, and his tone makes Kenma wonder if he’s speaking from experience. “But, if he does decide to be a dick about the whole thing… you’ve got an entire volleyball team’s worth of tall guys ready to smack the hell out of anyone who upsets you,” he adds, reminding Kenma of the very embarrassing fact that the rest of the team have always been very protective of their setter.
Kenma lets out a weak chuckle. He knows that it won’t come to that, but he appreciates the support. “Thank you. So… it’s really that simple?”
“Sure, it is. Try not to overthink it, and I’m sure it’ll go great.”
Smiling, Kenma thanks Yaku again and wanders off, doing his best to avoid anyone who might want him to take part in their private practise—because just a normal day at the training camp utterly drains Kenma, and he needs to rest or he’ll completely burn out.
And as he takes advantage of the bathroom being empty to wash in peace, Kenma decides to ask Shouyou out tomorrow.
---
The following day, Kenma waits until the day’s practise has ended before locating Shouyou, needing to find his friend before Shouyou gets caught by Kuroo and Bokuto and spends all evening practising with them again. After asking around, he finds Shouyou chatting with his team’s libero, both boys gesturing wildly as they ramble about an amazing spike Shouyou made during their practise match against Nekoma.
“Oh, hello, Kenma!” Shouyou says when he spots him approaching. He grins, and Kenma never tires of seeing that lovely smile.
Kenma ducks his head, letting his hair obscure his eyes. “Hi, Shouyou.”
He doesn’t look up, but he imagines Nishinoya glancing between them. “If you wanna steal Shouyou for whatever reason, don’t let me stop you,” he says, chuckling.
“That… that’d be nice of you,” Kenma says, already starting to stammer over his words.
“See you later, Shouyou,” Nishinoya says, and he runs off. Kenma wonders if he sensed the reason why Kenma wants to see Shouyou alone. Perhaps he was being a ‘wingman’ or whatever it’s called. Or maybe Kenma is overthinking again.
“So, what’s up, Kenma?” Shouyou asks. “Is there something you wanna practise? I’ll hit anything you set to me, promise!”
His cheeks beginning to heat up, Kenma mumbles, “It’s not that. I… I want to tell you something.”
“Oh… are you okay? Is something wrong?”
The concern in Shouyou’s voice making his chest flutter, Kenma shakes his head. “No, it’s nothing like that.” He trails off. Takes a deep breath. “Shouyou, I… I really like spending time with you. And… I…” Just say it, he thinks. “Shouyou… would you like to… go out with me?” Kenma asks, his cheeks burning as he stumbles over his words. But finally, the question is out in the open.
He looks up from his feet to glance at Shouyou, puzzled by the suddenly nervous expression on his friend’s face. Did Kenma do something wrong?
“Shouyou?”
Shouyou fidgets on the spot, his teeth worrying his bottom lip. Tension runs through his body, his eyebrows pinched together in a nervous frown.
“Are you okay?” Kenma says.
Shouyou keeps staring at him, eerily quiet. And then, with no warning, he begins to speak, the words tumbling past his lips as he babbles, “I’m trans! I didn’t tell you because I don’t want anyone to know I’m different, but now you’re asking me out and, and I didn’t want to deceive you by not telling you I’m trans in case you don’t want to go out with me after learning that. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, I just—”
“Shouyou,” Kenma says, and Shouyou’s mouth snaps shut.
His ears glowing red with embarrassment, Shouyou fiddles with the hem of his T-shirt, his posture suggesting that he itches to run away. When Kenma realises that Shouyou fears a bigoted response to his confession, his heart breaks.
“Y-Yeah?” Shouyou says, refusing to look at him.
“I don’t know what you expected me to say, but this doesn’t change anything.”
“Really?”
“Really. You’re a boy. I… like you,” Kenma says, his face burning as he talks about his crush, “and nothing has changed. I’d still… love to go out with you.”
For a few seconds, Shouyou just stares at him. And then he lets out a breath, his muscles relaxing as all the tension starts to leave his body. Shouyou even manages a grin, although he still seems pretty embarrassed. Understandable, Kenma thinks, considering that he just panicked and came out probably before he was ready to.
“Sorry I freaked out,” Shouyou says, rubbing the back of his neck.
“It’s okay. If you want, we can just pretend that bit didn’t happen.”
Shouyou lets out an awkward chuckle. “I’d like that. Anyway, so… uh…”
“I said I like you,” Kenma says, wondering if Shouyou forgot the details of their conversation before his outburst.
Shouyou’s smile broadens. “Y-Yeah. You did…” He laughs again, letting out his nervous tension. “Well… I really like you too, to be honest. And… I’d love to go out with you.”
As those words sink in, Kenma’s stomach flutters. He smiles, taking a step closer to Shouyou. Even with Yaku’s advice running through his mind, this is still so difficult for him. But Shouyou doesn’t seem to mind.
“That’s… awesome,” Kenma says, wanting to kick himself for only managing to say two words. But words have never been his strong point. And Shouyou knows that.
Shouyou keeps beaming at him, and his big grin is infectious. And as Kenma smiles back, delighted that things turned out this way, Shouyou edges closer still and reaches out a hand. Kenma stares down at Shouyou’s hand, his eyes tracking the redness patterning his forearms (from the many receives he practised today) and the way Shouyou’s fingers tremble a little. Unable to look at Shouyou, Kenma reaches out his own hand until their fingers brush. Shouyou wastes no time in grasping Kenma’s hand, pressing their calloused palms together and interlocking their fingers. Kenma swallows hard, so unused to holding hands with someone else, but it’s a nice feeling.
And as they stand there and hold hands in the middle of the hallway, Shouyou gives Kenma’s hand a gentle squeeze.
---
After a long week of relentless training, the camp is finally over. Which means it is time for the Karasuno team to head back to Miyagi. And whilst Kenma is relieved to finally have an end to the intensive training, he is sad to see them go. More specifically, he is sad to see his boyfriend go.
It still feels weird to call Shouyou his boyfriend. But he likes it. It feels… right to refer to Hinata Shouyou as his boyfriend. They haven’t even kissed yet, just holding hands when they’re alone, but Kenma is fine with that. And he hasn’t ever dated before, so it isn’t like he has an idea of when couples should have their first kiss. Although, if any time would feel right to do that… it would surely be before they part ways for a while.
And Shouyou must have the same idea, because when they hug to say goodbye (after their hug at the beginning of the week, Kenma has gotten over his embarrassment at Shouyou practically jumping into his arms in public), Shouyou whispers, “Can I give you a kiss goodbye?”
And even though their teams are right there, and Kenma struggles with being the centre of attention, for a moment, he forgets about everyone surrounding them, just thinking about kissing Shouyou. So, he nods. And Shouyou gives him a soft, sweet kiss on the lips.
Instantly, members of both their teams react, some of the idiots whooping and cheering (that must be Tanaka and Nishinoya), whilst Kuroo insists on wolf-whistling (Kenma reminds himself to shove him later), and Lev can be heard ‘whispering’, “Did you know they’re dating, senpai?” to one of his teammates.
Kenma knows all of Nekoma won’t let him hear the end of this for a long time. Karasuno will probably be even more annoying to Shouyou. But he doesn’t regret the feeling of Shouyou’s lips against his own.
“I’ll text you every day!” Shouyou says when they stop hugging.
Kenma ducks his head, mostly to avoid the stares from his annoying teammates, but a big smile crosses his flushed face. “If you remember to,” he says, knowing that Shouyou is pretty forgetful.
“Hey, I promise I’ll remember,” Shouyou adds, ignoring Karasuno’s coach as he yells at Shouyou to hurry and get on the bus already.
Before Kenma can think of a witty reply, Shouyou’s captain comes over and grabs Shouyou by the back of his collar.
“Come on, Hinata,” Sawamura says, “we need to get going.”
And as he’s literally dragged away, Shouyou waves at Kenma with both hands and says, “Bye, Kenma!”
Kenma blushes redder still, but he waves back. And then he spots his teammates approaching, surely desperate to gossip about his relationship with Shouyou—so Kenma runs away from them all.
---
That evening, he gets a text from Shouyou.
Shouyou: Told you I’d remember.
And Kenma laughs, smiling as he thinks about Shouyou. His boyfriend.