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Kenma shoves his toothbrush into his backpack and zips it closed with more force than necessary. He sighs deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was beginning to really understand why people committed crimes.
“Kuro. I already told you. I’m busy , so I can’t engage in your weird crab discourse.”
“First of all, it’s not weird. And second of all, no, you didn’t tell me you were busy. Lying isn’t very becoming, you know, Kenma.”
Kenma glares up at Kuroo, who’s currently leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom. The other has an expression that unlocks a slightly more evil part of Kenma’s brain and he has to actively tell himself not to act on the thoughts he’s having.
“Then consider this me telling you that I’m busy and I don’t want to talk about crabs . I have to leave soon.”
“Where are you going, anyway? And with your toothbrush no less… hmm,” Kuroo inquires, stroking his chin. “I hope you’re not running away from home.”
“I wasn’t considering it before, but you’re really inspiring me,” Kenma mutters, shoving past him and heading down the stairs. Of course, though, Kuroo is close behind.
When Kenma hits the landing, he steals a glance at the clock hanging next to the kitchen doorway. 4:57 p.m.
His nose scrunches up at the time. He’s stressed enough already and that did everything but make him feel better. He’ll need all the extra time he can get if he wants to finish gathering his stuff, kick Kuroo out, and maybe eat something before he has to leave.
Kenma rushes down the hall and into the living room. He grabs his phone charger from beside his PSP on the couch but leaves the console undisturbed. He quickly shoves the cord in his backpack and throws his bag next to the front door.
Kuroo clearly takes notice and hums exaggeratedly in interest. Kenma bristles at the sound, knowing the other’s about to say something stupid. He can practically feel it coming, so he begins weighing the pros and cons of stuffing Kuroo into the washing machine.
Just as Kuroo starts his first word, there’s a rapid knock on the front door. It catches both of the boys’ attention and they share a quick glance. Kenma checks his phone again, sighing at the time. He wants to leave shortly, so he really can’t spare any extra moments (or patience) on whoever’s about to add to his current turmoil. The blond rips the door open and immediately comes face-to-torso with someone. He cranes his neck to meet the eyes of his guest.
“I know you said you were going to come at 6 o’clock but I got too excited,” Lev grins. “I thought we could walk to my house together!”
Kenma huffs a laugh and feels his face heat up. Clearly, they were both on the same (eager) page.
“That’s really sweet,” he says shyly, tugging at the hem of his sweater.
He feels his frustrations melt away almost instantly. Lev’s never been one for good timing, but this is a welcome deviation. It was also very needed considering all of the pestering Kenma has been getting from Kuroo for the last twenty-five minutes. The moment only lasts about a nanosecond, though, as he becomes hyper-aware of Kuroo’s presence again.
Suddenly, he appears behind Kenma and clamps a hand onto the smaller boy’s shoulder.
“Well, who do we have here?” Kuroo gasps dramatically. “If it isn’t my favourite, most darling kouhai!”
Lev’s smile is blinding and his eyes are sparkling; he’s absolutely overflowing with excitement. He waves animatedly despite them being less than a metre from each other. Kenma will never understand Lev’s unconditional admiration towards Kuroo, but maybe that’s just because Kenma’s known Kuroo for so long. Ignorance is bliss, they say.
“Wah, Kuroo-san! I didn’t know you were here!”
“Oh you know me, Lev,” Kuroo gestures loosely with his free hand. “I go where the people want and need me.”
Kenma digs his blunt nails into the back of the hand on his shoulder and the former captain hisses, yanking his hand away. He rubs at the claw marks for a moment before shoving his hands in his pockets. Lev cocks his head to the side and looks between them, clearly confused.
"Actually, Kuro has things to do, and so do I ,” Kenma scowls over his shoulder. “We can go now. Let me get my stuff.”
“Okey dokey!”
Kenma quickly grabs his keys and jacket off of the nearest armchair and rushes back to the front door. He sneers one last time at Kuroo as he passes by.
“Okay, let’s go.”
Kenma’s clearly preoccupied with getting out of there as soon as possible and rushes right past his backpack. Thankfully though, the white bag catches Lev’s attention. Forgetting anything would only cause problems, so he quickly snaps it before they head on their way.
“Bye Kuroo-san!” Lev waves as he swings the backpack up onto his shoulder. Kuroo smiles lazily and returns the wave.
He definitely doesn’t miss the way Kenma grabs hold of the hem of Lev’s sleeve as the two boys rush off down the walkway and around the corner. Apparently, neither does Lev though, as Kuroo hears the boy’s voice loud and clear.
“Kenma, you want to hold hands?! Here! Holding sleeves is no fun!”
Kuroo cackles maniacally, hunched over on the front step. He doesn’t have to see Kenma to know he’s probably as red as Nekoma’s volleyball uniform. As he heads back inside, he makes a mental note for Future-Kuroo to find out just exactly when all of this happened.
ϟϟϟ
After arriving at Lev’s house, the boys kick off their shoes and throw themselves on the couch. The walk isn’t that long, but Kenma’s mentally exhausted from Kuroo, and physically exhausted from keeping up with Lev’s long strides and quick pace for nearly 30 minutes. It’s clear the taller boy tries to slow his pace for Kenma’s sake, but from Kenma’s perspective, it doesn’t do a whole lot. But the thought is nice, so he doesn’t say anything. It’s also a good thing that Lev does most of the talking, otherwise, it would have been more than apparent how out of breath Kenma was by the five-minute mark.
They sit in silence for a few minutes before Kenma suggests they watch a movie and then decide what to do after. Lev’s totally on board, so the two boys rummage through stacks and stacks of DVDs that Lev’s family has collected over the years. He comes across one he’s always meant to watch but has never sat down for.
“What about this one?” he suggests, holding up the case for Ponyo . Lev grins and clasps his hands together at the sight. He looks particularly cat-like as he answers.
“ Absolutely! I cry every time I watch it, though, just so you know.”
Kenma huffs a laugh, both amused and not at all convinced.
“I’ll get the tissues while you set it up then, okay?” he jokes.
And with a nod, Lev rushes to get their at-home theatre up and running.
As the credits roll by, Kenma’s proved wrong as Lev sniffles beside him with tear-stained cheeks. He suggests they watch the movie again—partly because he enjoyed it, but mostly to see if Lev meant what he said about crying. It’s not that Kenma thinks Lev’s a liar. In fact, Lev’s a terrible liar and any attempt comes across more like short-circuiting than anything else.
When the playback options load again, Lev excitedly grabs the remote, and per Kenma’s request, starts the movie over again.
And unsurprisingly to probably everyone but Kenma, his study yields the same results. But the third time’s the charm, and Lev’s vibrating with excitement when they start the movie again. Kenma’s enjoying himself, too, so it’s a win-win.
He passes Lev another tissue while trying to fight back a smile. It’s really a losing battle, but he’s trying for the other’s sake. The scene is quite endearing, but still funny nonetheless. Lev looks more like a two-year-old after a photo op with Santa than a second year in high school with the way he wipes his tears away with the backs of his hands.
“I can’t believe you cried again. We’ve watched it three times, so you know what’s going to happen,” he says softly, clearly amused.
“It makes my heart feel like it’s throwing up, I can’t help it,” Lev counters matter-of-factly, staring at Kenma with wide, teary eyes and his hand over his heart. “I cry every time I watch it! I warned you before we started it the first time.”
“I know you did,” Kenma smiles. “Honestly though, I thought you were just being dramatic. I didn’t think you really meant it.”
Lev startles at the confession.
“I never joke about Ponyo!”
“I see that now. I won’t take it so lightly next time,” Kenma bites the inside of his cheek hard to keep from laughing. “How many times have you watched it?”
Lev taps the tip of his nose and thinks for a few moments, clearly doing some quick calculations in his head.
“Hm... probably over 100 times by now, I’d say.”
Kenma can’t help the way his face twists in shock and amazement, with a little horror mixed in. Lev often does approach things with a “go big or go home” kind of attitude, but Kenma’s surprised the other isn’t permanently dehydrated.
“Okay, let’s watch something else for a bit then?”
“Wanna watch My Hero Academia? I think we’re almost done the first season.”
Kenma nods his approval as he stretches out all the stiffness from five hours of movie-watching and Lev begins setting up their new cinematic adventure. As the opening begins, Kenma shuffles over closer and pulls his legs up onto the couch. Once he’s comfortable, he leans against Lev, resting his head on the other’s shoulder.
Lev’s still for a moment, but it’s not too long before he’s slowly freeing his arm and wrapping it loosely around Kenma. In the blond’s peripheral, he can see Lev glancing at him. Kenma looks up with a small smile, which is reciprocated immediately. When they return their attention back to the action on screen, Lev gives Kenma a light squeeze.
Sinking into the embrace, he feels as safe and content as ever. He used to always scoff at cheesy sayings like “home is where the heart is,” but as he takes stock of his surroundings and his chest tightens, Kenma can’t deny that there’s definitely more than a little truth to it.
They watch in comfortable silence for a few episodes, enjoying the action and drama. It isn’t until they’re nearly finished the last episode of the season before either of them speaks again.
“Todoroki’s voice sounds really familiar… I wonder what else his V.A.’s been in,” Lev wonders aloud.
“Really? Hm… that’s weird,” Kenma yawns.
ϟϟϟ
Kenma cracks one eye open and is immediately blinded by sunlight. He winces but forces both eyes open. His head feels heavy as he tries to make sense of everything. He has no idea what time it is, or when he even fell asleep, so he pats around for his phone to check what the damage is. During the search, his hand connects with something that feels less like fabric and more like...face? He begins to push himself up to get a better look at his surroundings as his eyes try to focus. The pressure in his head that he assumed was a headache unexpectedly moves further down the more he rises.
Once Kenma’s vision finally clears, golden eyes meet green ones. Lev’s looking back at him with a drowsy smile, clearly having also just woken up. He stretches his arms above his head, and the weight Kenma had felt is gone.
“Good morning,” Lev yawns. “Or maybe afternoon… I don’t know what time it is.” The younger boy laughs softly and attempts to rub the sleep from his eyes.
Kenma can’t help smiling back. Normally, he would have, at the very least, died of embarrassment, but something about this feels different. His hair falls into his face and limits his view, but his hands are too busy keeping him propped up to fix it, so he tries to flicking it away. Lev reaches out and tucks some of Kenma’s hair behind his ear. They stare at one another, studying each other's faces for more than enough time. Kenma glances down and realizes he’s been using the younger boy’s chest for stability.
“Oh, sorry,” he blurts out, climbing off with the grace of a newborn deer.
Once his feet meet the hardwood, Kenma becomes aware of how sweaty and gross he feels. He grimaces at the fabric of his shirt that’s now stuck to his skin.
“I’m going to shower before I die.”
“Wait, wait,” Lev mumbles, grabbing hold of Kenma’s wrist.
“I’ll gnaw off my whole arm and scream if you don’t let go in three seconds,” he says, pointedly. Lev’s eyes go wide in surprise and he drops Kenma’s wrist.
Once freed, Kenma scuttles up the stairs to the bathroom, almost tripping twice. He peels off his shirt and cringes at the feeling. There’s absolutely no way he can put that on again, but he wasn’t actually expecting a sleepover, so he has no extra clothes packed.
The blond pokes his head out into the hallway to check if the coast is clear. With no signs of life, he bolts for Lev’s room and begins his hunt for a new shirt.
Kenma makes his way to the dresser pushed against the far wall. He aims for the bottom drawer, going off of the assumption that Lev wouldn’t be crouching down all the time to get clothes and maybe he’s grown out of this stuff. He pulls it open and on top, there’s a maroon crewneck sweater with the name of Lev’s middle school on it. Kenma assumes this is a safe bet and takes it delicately from the drawer.
He stands up, cradling the folded sweater in his arm, and closes the drawer with his foot, but with a little too much force. The impact knocks over a picture frame resting on top of the dresser. He winces at the sound and quickly flips it back over. Upon quick inspection for damage, he sees it’s a photo of the two of them from training camp, and the frame is covered in different kinds of heart stickers. Kenma slams his hand over his face at the sight.
“Oh my god… I can’t believe him,” he sighs, cheeks hotter than the sun.
Once he’s made his way back to the bathroom, Kenma catches sight of himself in the mirror and notices something strange. He runs his fingers over the impression on his cheek. It takes him a moment before he realizes it’s an imprint of the fabric of Lev’s sweater. He can’t recall falling asleep cocooned by the other, so it must have happened sometime during the night. He scrubs his face with his hands in embarrassment at the thought. Thankfully Lev’s parents weren’t home to see or he may have had to run away from home afterall.
Once he’s out of the shower and dried off, Kenma grabs the sweater off the counter and unfolds it. He holds it up and is immediately struck by how huge it is. He knows Lev has always been quite tall based on photos he’s seen, but it still manages to shock him. Because there’s no other option, Kenma pulls the sweater on and then his own pants. The sweater reaches his knees and he has to roll the sleeves up significantly. He can hear Lev’s voice in his head perfectly:
“ Kenma, you’re so small! Even my middle school clothes are too big for you, I knew it! ”
But he’s quickly snapped out of his thoughts when his stomach growls, as if he hasn’t eaten ever in his life. Kenma takes that as a sign to go get Lev so the two of them can eat.
He pads down the stairs and back into the living room. When he arrives, Lev’s sprawled out on the couch, face down, with most of his limbs hanging off the edges. Kenma reaches down and grabs Lev’s hand, lightly gripping his long fingers. Lev lifts his head to look up at the other.
“Okay, let’s eat. I think my stomach’s going to start eating itself.”
Lev huffs a laugh and begins to push himself up with his free hand.
“Sounds good to m—,” and he interrupts his own sentence with an animated gasp. Kenma startles, dropping Lev’s hand.
“ Kenma! Is that my sweater?” Lev jumps up, towering over the older boy. He’s smiling so wide that it must hurt.
“Geez, you look so cute! You’re so small, ahh! So precious . Come here, I’m gonna crush you!”
He makes a grabbing gesture at Kenma and the other immediately stiffens.
“Don’t you dare,” he threatens. Unfortunately, it falls on deaf ears.
Lev’s smile turns devious and his stance changes... as if he’s going to run, causing Kenma to switch into attack mode. They stare at each other for only a breath, and then Kenma darts for the hallway. He isn’t sure where he’s going, but he knows he has to get out of there. Of course, though, Lev catches up to him in seconds. His legs are basically as long as Kenma is tall, so the blond didn’t stand a chance from the second the chase began.
The younger boy grabs him, pulling Kenma’s back flush against his chest. As soon as Kenma’s feet leave the ground, he can’t stop the noise that escapes from him. If he had to describe it, it would perhaps be a cross between a shriek and a yelp, or a fork stuck in a garbage disposal. As soon as it leaves his mouth, the boys both freeze.
Kenma steals a glance over his shoulder at the other, and they stare at one another with wide eyes. He’s sure Lev’s horrified, at least to some degree. However, once again, Lev surprises him. Instead of pitching Kenma down the hall like a baseball, he squeezes the smaller boy in a bone-crushing hug.
“Ahhh, so cute !” he gushes, kissing Kenma’s cheek audibly.
Kenma starts to squirm in Lev’s arms. The taller boy jostles him a little before finally letting him down.
“I like you so much. Like, so, so much,” Lev grins, throwing his arms in the air.
Face immediately reddening, he grabs Lev’s sweater and crashes his face into the other’s chest. Whether it’s to hide his embarrassment, or out of affection, that’s for Kenma to know and no one else to find out.
“I… I like you a lot, too…” His words are muffled, but based on the way Lev wraps his arms around Kenma’s small frame, he assumes his words still reached the other.
And as if just to ruin the moment, Kenma’s stomach growls loudly and he cringes at the sound. He can feel Lev shake with silent laughter.
“Okay, okay. Let’s eat,” Lev giggles. “Let’s get McDonald’s!”
Kenma pulls away and looks up at the other incredulously.
“ What? No.”
“Huh? How come? Fries are potatoes and people eat potatoes for breakfast! They’re just a different shape.”
“I—no. It’s way too early.”
“Why not now? It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, you know!”
“That’s… that’s not… that isn’t what that means,” Kenma laughs, partly baffled, but mostly endeared. “I’m just going to choose, okay? I’ll order a few things so we have some variety.”
“Oh no, you don’t have to do that! I can cook for you,” Lev offers, nodding earnestly.
Kenma pats the other’s chest lightly and shakes his head.
“It’s fine, you can cook later. You should go shower now before we start doing anything, though.”
“Does that mean you’re staying over again?” the younger boy beams.
“Maybe, but you have to go shower and we have to eat, so hop to it,” Kenma says. He pulls at Lev’s arm in an attempt to redirect him towards the stairs.
Lev puffs out his cheeks but gives in and allows himself to be ushered away. As he stalks up the stairs, Kenma takes the opportunity to get their breakfast secured. He unlocks his phone and is startled when he sees himself looking back. He doesn’t recall having his camera open but then the “recent photos” icon in the bottom corner catches his attention. He taps on it to investigate.
His gallery contains approximately 50 photos Lev took of himself, presumably while Kenma was showering. The photos start cute, with peace signs and pouty faces, but then they morph into a series of close-up, low-angle shots of Lev’s eye or up his nose.
“Oh my god,” he laughs, swiping back through the photos. He’s glad he’s alone because there’s no way he could pretend to be exasperated, or really anything other than, well, just happy. He takes a moment to set the cutest one as his phone background. Kenma admires the photo for a few more moments before beginning his search for a restaurant to order from before it’s too late.
While he waits for the food and Lev, Kenma starts cleaning up the remnants of the night before. He gathers their dishes and puts them in the dishwasher, straightens the couch cushions and throw pillows, and re-centres the coffee table between the couch and TV. And as if on cue, just as he’s finishing up, he hears Lev bounding down the stairs.
Lev pokes his head around the corner.
“Did you miss me?” he grins, which makes him look especially cat-like.
Kenma dramatically drapes the back of his hand on his forehead.
“I really didn’t know if I would survive,” he sighs. Lev gasps and rushes around the corner, ready to add more to the impromptu scene.
However, their performance is cut short when Kenma catches sight of Lev’s outfit choice.
“Why did you roll your pants up so much? They’re like halfway up your legs.”
“Oh no, I didn’t roll them up,” Lev explains innocently. He looks down at his legs and sticks one out towards the other. “They’re just really, really short!”
“What? Why are you wearing them then?”
“Because now it’s a couple outfit!” He beams, pointing from the school name on his pants to the matching one on Kenma’s sweater.
Kenma starts fiddling with the hem of the sweater, staring at the floor in an attempt to hide his cheeks that are dusted pink. He can’t believe what he’s about to say. Kenma from six (and a half) months ago would have laughed in present-Kenma’s face if he heard this.
“If… if couple outfits are… if they’re something you want to do… I’m okay with that,” he mumbles.
When Lev doesn’t respond, Kenma feels his stomach turn. He tests his luck and raises his head to look at the other. He’s hoping there isn’t a mortified expression looking back at him.
Lucky for Kenma, when he sees Lev’s face, there’s no horror or anything of the sort. The taller boy’s eyes are wide in surprise, cheeks red. Suddenly, a huge smile breaks out across his face and he starts nodding eagerly.
“Yes, yes, yes! Really? I hope you’re not kidding. You’re not kidding, right? It can be hard to tell sometimes!”
Kenma huffs a laugh, both in relief and endearment. He’s not sure why he ever thought otherwise, actually.
A sudden buzz in his pocket grabs his attention, though. He takes his phone out to check the notification and finds it’s the delivery app letting him know his order’s arrived. He heads towards the door to retrieve their treasure and Lev calls after him.
“Are you serious, though? You are, right?”
“I’m not kidding. I’m dead serious,” Kenma calls back over his shoulder as he opens the door and grabs the delivery bag.
ϟϟϟ
The boys lean back against the couch and fill the living room with a chorus of groans. They’ve eaten approximately twice their combined weight in soufflé pancakes. Kenma originally thought he was purchasing individual pancakes, but as it would turn out, he was adding whole orders of pancakes to his cart. He was surprised by the price at first, but now it makes sense.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to move. I’m going to fuse with the couch,” he complains.
“Me too…” Lev sighs. “Do you think anyone’s ever died this way?”
“What? From pancakes?”
“Yeah… like pancake poisoning. I mean, I know you can’t get like, actually poisoned, but—I don’t know. My brain’s too busy trying to keep me alive to think of the right word…”
Kenma laughs quietly to himself before they lull back into comfortable silence. Then, his phone buzzes against his foot on the floor. He bends over to reach it with a pained groan.
[from kuro: 18:19]: are you home
[to kuro: 18:19]: no i’m out
He types out his next message but hesitates hitting send. He knows it’ll only make things worse for himself and he’ll have to deal with Kuroo’s childish teasing.
But on the other hand, he thinks it would be nice to be able to be more open with other people about what’s going on. Not that Kenma wants to announce it in a town hall-style meeting or anything, but always worrying about being discreet is tiring.
He’s incredibly thankful to Lev for keeping things quiet, but part of him still worries that Lev views that as Kenma being embarrassed by him or their relationship. It’s not that Kenma’s embarrassed by either, he’s just… embarrassed. He decides that this can be his first step in getting over that embarrassment, so he sends the text despite his pounding heart suggesting otherwise.
[to kuro: 18:20]: i ’m at lev’s still
[from kuro: 10:20]: ohoho date “night” turned into date weekend huh?? is that why you brought your toothbrush
[to kuro: 18:21]: ya and ur interrupting it leave me alone
[from kuro: 18:21]: wait actually???
[from kuro: 18:21]: You’re not denying its a date???
[from kuro: 18:21]: KENMAAAAA
Kenma huffs quietly. He’s sure to set his phone to Do Not Disturb before locking it and dropping it on the cushion next to him. The house is almost painfully silent now, neither of them saying anything. Kenma tries to think of what to say, but the other beats him to it. The silence is broken when Lev does a double-take at the sky through the living room window.
“Woah, Kenma!” He jumps up from the couch and rushes over to the window. “The sky, look at it!”
He presses his hands to the glass and gazes at the scene in front of him, taking in the pink, orange, and yellow gradient. He looks like a child at an aquarium or zoo for the first time. It’s this wonder and excitement that Kenma admires and cherishes so much in him. He feels his heart swell and he can’t help but smile—not that he’d try to fight it, anyway.
He pushes himself up off the couch, walking up behind the other. He watches Lev for a moment before wrapping his arms around the taller boy’s waist and resting his cheek against his back. Kenma feels him stiffen for a moment in surprise, but Lev relaxes again almost immediately. He places his hands over Kenma’s, and the smaller boy gives him a light squeeze.
“Would you… do, uh—would you like to go watch the sunset? We can go sit on the grass in the yard? If you want to.”
“Yeah, I’d like that,” Kenma says quietly, nodding against the other’s back.
Lev takes hold of Kenma’s hand as they make their way to the back door. He hesitates for a moment before opening it.
“Do you want to get your shoes?”
“No, it’s okay. I don’t want to waste time. Let’s just go.”
They quickly find a nice spot to sit, with a great view of the changing sky framed by some oak trees. The boys watch as the colours change to deeper oranges and reds. Lev straightens his legs out in front of him, while Kenma sits cross-legged next to him. They both stretch their arms out behind themselves for support.
Lev glances down at Kenma’s hand before placing his on top. The sensation steals his attention away from the main event. He stares back at the other, and something in the moment gives him a rush of confidence. He’s feeling particularly bold when he pushes himself up just enough to kiss Lev’s forehead.
The boldness leaves almost as fast as it came and suddenly, the embarrassment hits Kenma like a truck. His face is on fire, and he turns his head a full 180 degrees away from his “b-word.” He considers pole vaulting over the fence and running down the street barefoot, but before he can calculate the angles, Lev pats his hand.
“Kenma, look here for a second,” he says gently. And for some reason, unbeknownst to the blond, he does.
Just as he turns his head, Lev leans in to steal a quick kiss. He’s grinning like an idiot when he pulls away and Kenma has to bury his head in the other’s shoulder. Lev lightly shakes with quiet laughter and rests his head against Kenma’s.
“Hey Kenma, can I tell you something?”