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"Kuroo!"
"Bokuto!"
Bokuto's loud laughter can be heard from the phone. "How are you guys?"
Kuroo continues playing with Kenma's hair and looks at him lying down on his lap while playing on his handheld. Kenma senses the pair of eyes on him, so he looks up at Kuroo with a raised eyebrow. "We're doing good, resting at home. How about you and Akaashi?"
"We're actually planning to go on a date next week! Right Keiji?" Kuroo smiles at hearing the way Bokuto's voice turns more enthusiastic whenever he's addressing Akaashi.
"That's great, man. I hope you two enjoy your date." Kuroo chuckles before gesturing to Kenma's handheld with a slight nod. Kenma clicks his tongue before going back to the boss fight he was beating.
"Not just our date. We want you and Kenma to tag along with us!" Bokuto is now almost shouting, which makes Kuroo move away from his phone with a slight wince.
"Bo, I can hear you just fine without you shouting." Kuroo reminds him before doing a double take about what he’s said. "Excuse me what?!"
"Kuroo, I can hear you just fine without you shouting~" Bokuto repeats what Kuroo just told him in a sing-song voice. "Let's go on a double date next week!"
"Bokuto," Kuroo hisses into the phone, being as careful as possible so Kenma can’t hear him. "I'm not going to crash your date next week, especially not with Kenma!"
"Why? What's wrong with Kenma?" Bokuto then groans in pain. "Ouch Akaashi! I thought you loved me."
"Yes, I do love you. However, I need the phone right now." Kuroo hears Akaashi's voice, then Bokuto's murmuring about having fun and asking questions. After a few seconds of grumbling, it sounds like Bokuto finally hands the phone over to Akaashi.
"Hello, Kuroo-san." Akaashi's polite voice greets him through the phone. Kuroo unconsciously gulps before greeting back with a slightly shaky voice.
"Hello, Akaashi," Kuroo laughs nervously, "to what do I owe your attention?"
"Nothing, actually. I would like to invite you and Kenma-san to join us next week to celebrate Christmas early." Kuroo nods at that, finally getting the final piece of the puzzle. But he still has his reservations about the invitation.
"Thank you for the invite, but is it really okay for us to come along?" Akaashi laughs at his question, confusing Kuroo.
"Why wouldn't it be? It's just us, you know?" Bokuto can be heard sulking in the background but Akaashi continues talking. "There's nothing wrong with friends getting together for a celebration."
"Friends, right, yeah." Kuroo mumbles absent-mindedly, ceasing his movements. The background noise from Kenma's game distracts him for a while before he answers Akaashi's question. "I'll ask Kenma first."
"Great! Let me know soon. Thank you." The call ends abruptly with Bokuto screaming in the background and Akaashi sighing.
"What's up?" Kenma asks, pausing his game to look at Kuroo. His expression morphs into worry as he sees Kuroo's conflicted expression. "That sounded... chaotic."
"They wanted to celebrate Christmas early next week and asked if we want to come along," Kuroo softly says and pushes Kenma's bangs away from his face with an admiring smile.
Kenma hums before pausing for a while. Kuroo looks at Kenma expectantly, watches the way Kenma chews on his bottom lip whenever he thinks deeply. His thoughts are interrupted as he breathes out, letting go of his bottom lip. "If it's not too much trouble, then yes."
"Are you sure? The last time we went out for Christmas you didn't even last half an hour." Kuroo raises an eyebrow while Kenma glares at him.
"I'm a changed person now!" Kenma sits up to glare at Kuroo, almost toppling over from the force he used. However, Kuroo thought that Kenma was falling so he reached out his hands to grab him but it only ended in an awkward position. Kenma stares at Kuroo, whose face is slightly turning a shade of red. "What are you doing?"
"I thought you were going to fall!" Kuroo blurts out before laughing at himself. "I thought I was going to have a heart attack."
"Kuro, please, I'm a grown person now, I can take care of myself." Kenma crosses his arms as if to make a statement and leans back with an air of coolness around him. Unfortunately, he forgets that their sofa doesn't have any arm rests and falls to the floor with a thud. "Fuck!"
Kuroo bursts into laughter, taking the time to take pictures of Kenma instead of helping him up. "You look so stupid."
"Well, I'm trying to look like you." Kenma flips him off before sitting up and rubbing his shoulder. "This is going to hurt until tomorrow."
"That's on you, honestly." Kuroo shrugs before reaching out to Kenma.
Kenma rolls his eyes before accepting Kuroo's hand and hoisting himself up with so much force making Kuroo lose his balance. But Kenma forgot that when you take down Kuroo, he's taking you with him.
"KURO!" Kenma screeches while thrashing around in Kuroo's arms. "You better let go of me before I bite you!"
"I'd like to see you try." Kuroo tightens his hold on him and cackles when Kenma can't do anything. His happiness is short-lived when he feels something wet and sharp pierce through his arm. "DID YOU REALLY BITE ME?"
"Whaf if I dwid?" Came Kenma's barely understandable reply, still biting Kuroo's arm.
"Disgusting!" Kuroo immediately lets go of him before wiping his arm on Kenma's shirt. "Have some dignity!"
"HavE sOme diGniTy." Kenma mockingly copies him before wiping his mouth with Kuroo's sleeve. "After meeting you I think dignity's out the window."
"Sure, whatever." Kuroo pats down the sofa, looking for his phone, which probably fell during their shenanigans. "So are we on for next week?"
"I already said yes, don't make me retract what I just said." Kenma picks up his almost forgotten handheld before resuming his game. Kuroo sighs and shakes his head at the blond before shooting Akaashi a confirmation message.
-
"Come on Kenma!" Kuroo shouts from the genkan, already putting on his shoes. "It's almost 5 PM!"
"Five more minutes!" Kenma screeches followed by a stream of profanities. Kuroo immediately runs to Kenma's room and sees him kneeling in front of the television with a controller in hand. "NOOOOO!"
"I've heard you say that ten times in the past hour!" Kuroo groans before grabbing the back of Kenma's shirt and hoisting him up. Kenma drops the controller and glares at Kuroo.
"Twelve, if it's really been an hour," Kenma grumbles before turning off the television and grabbing the beige coat on his bed.
Kuroo turns to him with a confused expression. "What?"
"Five minutes times twelve is sixty minutes. So I've got to have been saying that twelve times in the past hour." Kenma rolls his eyes before pushing past Kuroo.
"Huh, alright." Kuroo laughs while shaking his head in disbelief at what Kenma said. "Let's get going now, do you have everything with you?"
"Yup," Kenma answers, popping the 'p'. Kuroo looks at him pointedly, so he sighs before going through his pockets, checking if he does have everything. "As I’ve said, I already have everything."
"Great!" Kuroo claps his hands with a huge grin on his face. "Let's go then!"
-
The late afternoon sun shines a golden light across the streets and stalls scattered in the area. While waiting for the other two, Kuroo watches the people walk around with a glowing aura surrounding them coupled with laughter ringing through the air.
He looks beside him where Kenma is settled quietly on the bench. Kenma’s shaking hands are hidden in the pockets of his coat. His eyes are closed and every breath he takes results in a small burst of warmth.
His current worries about his friends are overridden by his concern for Kenma. He knows how easily his bestfriend gets sick, especially in cold weather, and how difficult it is whenever he’s sick. Gently, he slips his hand in one of Kenma’s coat pockets and intertwines their hands together.
Kenma opens his eyes in surprise, whipping his head to look at Kuroo with a slightly open mouth. His hands aren’t shaking anymore, already getting warmer with Kuroo’s touch. He opens and closes his mouth a few times before looking forwards with a conflicted look on his face.
Kuroo thinks that it might’ve been a mistake to do that without asking, so he untangles his hand from Kenma’s, taking it out from his pocket. But Kenma looks at him with a slight pout before taking Kuroo’s hand and intertwining their fingers together. He sees how Kenma’s face slowly turns red as he hides his face in his coat and their hands are abruptly shoved back into his pocket.
“Don’t.” Kenma’s voice is quiet, if Kuroo weren’t so intently focusing on Kenma he might’ve missed the way Kenma says it so softly. “Let me keep it here for a while longer, please.”
Kuroo can only nod, how could he refuse if Kenma’s asking him so nicely? It’s not like he wants to let go of him either.
After a few minutes of silence, Kuroo looks over at Kenma again. He sucks in a breath as he feels like all of the air in his lungs is going to disappear. The golden afterglow highlights all of Kenma’s peaceful face, making him more beautiful than words can ever describe. It’s taking every ounce of Kuroo’s self-control to stop himself from kissing him right then and there.
“Kuroo! Kenma!” Comes Bokuto’s loud and cheerful voice. He is waving his right arm while running towards them. “Sorry we were late! I was doing things and forgot about the time.”
Kuroo and Kenma look at each other, then at Akaashi who is trying to catch his breath, with his hands on his knees, from running after Bokuto. When he feels eyes on him, he looks up with a confused expression. “What?”
“Oh no, I was just expecting something else but I’m glad that’s not the case.” Kuroo stands up and urges Kenma to do the same by tugging on his hand, bringing it out of his coat pocket.
Akaashi stops for a few seconds before flipping his middle finger at Kuroo. “Honestly, you can leave now.”
“You two just got here, let’s enjoy this first before making me leave, Akaashi. You’re honestly breaking my heart,” Kuroo feigns crying while wiping off his imaginary tears. Bokuto looks at them amused while Kenma’s attention is on something else.
“So where are we going now?” Bokuto asks while looking at their small group. Akaashi pulls out his phone, while Kuroo’s looking in the direction that Kenma is looking at.
The sun’s already set and the sky is dyed in a deep blue color. Stars are scattered across the vast sky, twinkling in their respective places. However, the land’s brightness rivals that of the sky. There’s something mesmerizing in the beauty that people create that sparks joy in everyone.
“There’s a lot of food stalls here so we can go eat something first before checking out other booths?” Akaashi suggests as he scrolls through his phone for other suggestions. He looks up and sees a confused Kuroo and an excited Kenma. “Kuroo? Kenma?”
“Yes?” Both of them answer and look at him at the same time. It sends shivers down Akaashi’s spine but he doesn’t make it obvious.
“I was suggesting that we eat first before we walk around,” Akaashi answers as he pockets his phone. He looks at Bokuto, who is looking around already.
“That’s fine by me.” Kuroo shrugs before nudging a still distracted Kenma.
“I am getting hungry so that’s more than fine.” Kenma nods before shooting a glare at Kuroo.
“I know there’s a stall here that sells hot chocolate!” Bokuto exclaims before walking, well, running towards a brightly lit stall.
The trio follows him while talking about trivial stuff like what’s currently going on with each of their schools. But Akaashi notices their intertwined hands and looks at Kuroo with a raised eyebrow. Kuroo meets Akaashi’s eyes with a confused stare — but it is immediately replaced with golden eyes instead when Bokuto steps in front of him.
“What the fuck!” Kuroo shouts before stumbling backward, bumping into Kenma who yelps in surprise. “Bokuto!?”
“You guys were taking too long!” He whines before draping himself over Akaashi. “Keiji… you didn’t run after me!”
“I was busy conversing with our friends, Koutarou.” Akaashi sighs before removing his arms around him. He then holds his hand before giving the back of his hand a kiss. “Come on, we have the rest of our lives to spend together, so don’t rush.”
Kuroo swears Bokuto is about to faint, if it weren’t for Akaashi holding his hand then he most likely would’ve eaten concrete. He chuckles and waits for the two to finish their moment together.
“Do you see this Kenma, he’s about to fai-” He stops when he sees Kenma’s wide eyes, most times it would be in disgust but Kuroo can’t find any of that in his gaze. His eyes hold so much softness and longing in them that Kuroo would get sucked in if he looked into them any further. He gently squeezes his hand and looks at him worriedly. “Are you okay?”
Kenma snaps out of his trance and nods. “Yeah, I’m fine. There’s no reason I wouldn’t be.”
Kuroo smiles and tugs at Kenma’s hand, leading him to a different stall before putting his pointer finger to his lips. “Come on, let’s give them space.”
“You’re a horrible friend, you know?” Kenma laughs before following Kuroo’s quick steps. There’s more people than earlier so no doubt that Bokuto and Akaashi would have a hard time looking for them.
Everything was a blur of colors and lights for Kenma, quite a disorienting experience considering he hasn’t left his house for a few weeks now except for school and practice. But it isn’t that scary, especially when he knows Kuroo’s there, with his warmth enveloping Kenma’s being.
After a few minutes of running around, they arrive at a stall where it smells like, “...apple pies.”
Kenma looks at Kuroo with wide eyes before looking at the apple pies on display. He immediately lets go of Kuroo’s hand and grabs his wallet while walking to the cashier.
Kuroo is left dumbfounded, staring at Kenma who’s buying way too much apple pie for one person. He looks at his now empty hand before laughing to himself. “I can’t believe the one thing that got Kenma to let go of my hand is because of apple pie.”
“Apple pie is life.” Kenma pops out in front of him, effectively scaring the life out of Kuroo. “There’s nothing more heartwarming than a warm apple pie on a cold night.”
“I can see that.” Kuroo nods to the paper bag Kenma is holding. “Are you going to finish all of that?”
“Absolutely,” Kenma replies quicker than he ever did. He glares at Kuroo before hugging the paper bag close to his chest. “All mine.”
Kuroo puts up two hands in the air as if surrendering. “I’m not going to steal that from you. I know how much you love apple pie.”
Kenma nods before smiling down at his apple pies. If only Kuroo could whip out his phone before Kenma sees him then he would’ve taken a thousand pictures of how beautiful Kenma looks. He shakes off the thought before clearing his throat.
“It’s about time we look for them, don’t you think?” Kuroo asks with a slight tilt of his head. Kenma looks up at him with a nod before hesitantly extending his hand to Kuroo. He looks redder than usual so Kuroo worriedly takes his hand.
“Are you alri-?”
“All yours,” Kenma mutters, unsure if Kuroo heard him. Kuroo’s eyes grow wide at what he hears.
“Kenma?” Kuroo asks as he slowly pulls him closer, his other hand cupping his cheek gently. Kenma closes his eyes as he feels Kuroo’s forehead on his. “Are you sick?”
This makes Kenma open his eyes in surprise. Kuroo’s eyes are staring intently at him and Kenma feels like he’s drowning in the longing and desperation evident in them. He doesn’t want to regret anything, not when he’s been waiting this long to offer the feelings he has to Kuroo.
Kenma lets go of the paper bag with a thud, surprising Kuroo who is about to step back. But he grabs the front of his coat and smashes his lips against his, earning a gasp from Kuroo.
After the initial shock has worn off, Kuroo slowly melts into the kiss. He rests his hand on his waist and another on his nape, pulling him closer. Kenma pulls away to breathe but Kuroo chases after his lips.
The slight taste of Kenma’s chapstick and iron seeps in between their kisses before they pull away, panting. A look at each other has them laughing. Their swollen lips and flushed faces are enough evidence that they love each other too much to hold back.
Kuroo spots the almost forgotten paper bag on the floor before he picks it up. He holds it securely with one hand before offering his other hand to Kenma. “All yours.”
Kenma’s eyes light up before he giddily takes Kuroo’s hand. He bumps into his side and smiles up at him. “What is? The apple pie or you?”
“Both, but be sure to not share the last one with anyone.” Kuroo winks at him before raising Kenma’s hand to his lips, planting a soft kiss on it. He gently tugs Kenma forward, guiding him around the sea of people coming from different directions. “Now we have to meet each other’s family!”
“We’ve known each other since childhood, I don’t think there’s any introduction to be done.” Kenma rolls his eyes at his suggestion but smiles affectionately. He moves closer to Kuroo in order to avoid bumping into other people.
They arrive at a less dense part of the marketplace but Kuroo's still busy continuing their conversation earlier. Now, Kenma's the one steering Kuroo away from other people since he can't stop talking.
“We have to introduce ourselves as boyfriends, you know? It’s common courtesy.” Kuroo points out before stopping, looking at the people in front of him. “What a surprise to see you here, Akaashi and Bokuto!”
“Yeah, what a surprise.” Akaashi deadpans. His hair is adorned with several small red ribbons. He has a cup of hot coffee in his hand while his other hand is intertwined with Bokuto’s.
“You guys! We saw Santa riding a sleigh with reindeers!” Bokuto exclaims while waving his free hand in the air. His head is topped with a skewed santa hat, only held by a sliver of hope because of Bokuto’s hairstyle. “I was going to buy Akaashi a reindeer headband to match me but it’s already sold out. So I put ribbons on him because he’s a gift!”
Kuroo and Kenma look at each other before looking at a tired Akaashi. He takes a long sip of his coffee before sighing. “Out with it you two.”
“Santa rides on his reindeers right-”
“Technically, he rides on the sleigh. Get your fucks right Kuroo.” Akaashi snaps albeit in a friendly manner.
“That’s a mistake right? That’s supposed to be facts-” Kuroo is once again cut off by Akaashi.
“Nope, the only mistake here is you.” Akaashi stares straight at Kuroo, sending chills all over his body.
“Kenma, if I die, please tell my father and grandparents that I love them.” Kuroo lets go of his hand and hides behind Kenma, but still peeks at Akaashi.
“If?” Kenma questions him but turns to Bokuto instead. “If I may, I want to ask you a question.”
“Go on! It’s not everyday that you speak up!” Bokuto excitedly says that made Kenma raise an eyebrow but continues on with his question nonetheless.
“If you are Santa Claus,” Bokuto nods. “and Akaashi is a gift. Then you have the duty to give him away, no?”
Bokuto stops responding for a few seconds that concerns the three of them. He turns to Akaashi with misty eyes and wobbly lips. “I’m going to have to give you away?”
“You two better run as far as you can, because when I catch you I’m going to have to kill you two.”
Kuroo and Kenma look at each other before taking each other’s hands and running away from an angry Akaashi and a crying Bokuto. Their laughter can be heard in between the noisy and busy streets of the marketplace.
Well, they’ll have to search for an apology gift for Akaashi and Bokuto once they find them later in the night. But for now, they have to hide from Akaashi, and maybe eat apple pies along the way.