finally free 【Kenma Kozume x reader】

- 3 -

-(Y/N)"s POV-

I was in darkness.

Normally, I"d just let it engulf me.

But this time...

I struggled, trying to escape it.

I tried to run.

I wanted to be free.

But I couldn"t.

It"s hold was too tight.

It didn"t let me go.

It whispered the same thing over and over.

They will betray you.

They will leave you.

They don"t care.

Don"t bother.

Don"t try.

Maybe they won"t, I thought.

Maybe they do care.

Maybe there"s a chance.

No one cares.

No one stays with you.

That was the thing that fuelled the doubt in me. Memories came back. Yuki leaving me. Akari ruining my possessions. Everyone leaves me.

But...

I thought of some people.

My parents.

The team and Kuro.

Kenma.

I knew there"s still a chance.

-timeskip-

"Hey, (Y/N)!" Kenma called. It was almost midnight. I couldn"t sleep. I couldn"t rest. I just sat there, watching the rain patter down, humming to myself. Why is he up? "Do you... um.. wanna come for a sleepover? You look restless. We can um... do something else if you um... can"t sleep."

Should I?

Maybe hope will be on my side this time.

Maybe hope will crush me again.

But...

I think...

I can try.

I gave the pudding a small nod.

"Really?" Kenma smiled. "You... um... mind getting wet?"

"No."

He took my hand, pulling me with him as he ran down the street to his house. But, obviously, for a clumsy girl like me, I couldn"t even make it up one step before I slipped and fell back.

"Careful," Kenma said softly as he caught me by my waist and my heart fluttered again.

"Am I interrupting something?" Kuro teased as he walked down the stairs.

"No," Kenma muttered, flushing as he immediately let me go.

"Okaayyyyyyy," Kuro said in sing-song voice as he gave Kenma a knowing look. "(Y/N), bathroom"s round that corner. Go get changed. Now that you"re here, this"ll be fun. Maybe you can help me convince Kenma to stop gaming and go to bed." He handed me some clothes and gestured.

Well, that was... awkward.

-Kenma"s POV-

"Smooth, dude," Kuro said with a smirk. "Realllll smooth."

"Shut up," I muttered, hoping that my face wasn"t blushing.

"Dude, how long are you gonna stall? Be a man and ask her out."

"What if she doesn"t like me?"

"What if she does?"

I sighed, knowing Kuro won"t let me off easily. "I can"t."

Kuro gave the longest sigh the world will ever see. "Fine. But you gotta do it someday."

I can"t do it now.

I just can"t.

Someday I"ll tell her.

Someday...