|| KUROKEN ONESHOTS ||

The Fixing

His father was talking about marriage.

 
"I thought I was too young to marry," Kenma told him.

 
"You are," Kozume Ryouto said. He frowned, like the thought of doing this to Kenma genuinely saddened him. "But your wife wouldn't be. We've received a proposal."

Kenma knew how he was supposed to feel - he'd read enough of Kuroo's cheesy romance novels to know he should have been outraged at his parents' attempts to force him into loving someone. He was also supposed to have an affair and run off with a peasant. But hearing his father say your wife about a girl he didn't even know didn't upset him, it simply puzzled him. Like with most things in life, Kenma just wanted to know how to do it right. He didn't think he was capable of being in love with someone, but then again, when had Ryouto mentioned love?

 
"I know you don't want to. But I was hoping you'd understand," he said. "It's politics. I remember you always liked strategy games."

 
It was true that he didn't want to, but there were many things Kenma had started doing without wanting to, and eventually ended up liking. Things he'd gotten friends out of. He doubted marriage would be one of those things.

 
"I didn't know we needed more alliances," Kenma said. "We're at peace. The kingdom's well."

 
"You're still so young," the King said, like he was thinking Kenma was very naive and he was pitying him. "Think about it."

 
-

When Kenma got out of the room, his Knight, as usual, was there.

"Tora," he told him. "Overhearing a conversation between the King and his son. That's a punishable crime."

"Alas, overhearing your conversations is my duty," Yamamoto said. "Did you see the portrait they sent of her?"

 
He suddenly hoped no portrait of his was sent to his future wife. The artists always made him look different from what he felt he was on the inside. Kenma hated that other people could look at him. He shook his head.

"Well, I did. Her eyes are kind."

"Same as yours," Kenma said. "Marry her yourself."

Yamamoto lifted his chin up. "I would."

For all the power given to a royal family, most of the time Kenma felt rather powerless. He said, "I'm going for a walk."

"Let's go," Yamamoto replied.

"I'm going by myself. I need to ask my friend from the Middens if he can sell me a new identity so I can move to a far away land," Kenma said very seriously. "I can't involve you in that."

"You're just going to play Draughts with him," Yamamoto sighed. "What do I tell them?"

Kenma smirked. "That I'm a rebel runaway."

Yamamoto let out a breathy laugh. "No one would believe me."

 
"Then tell them I'm sick in bed."

 
And he left the castle.

 
-

Kenma didn't get to the Middens. He'd wanted to play the game where he tried to reach the place by walking through the internal maze of streets. Without Yamamoto with him, he got lost quickly. Not lost lost - he knew how to get out. He just didn't know where he was. Everything was dark and silent, and then it wasn't, because someone's thick heels were clacking loudly on the ground. Kenma put his hood up and turned away from the sound. Someone was a tall woman who slipped easily in an alleyway right to Kenma's left. Kenma saw her look behind herself to check if he was looking; he quickly adverted his gaze.