the language of humans | kenhina

:: 08 ::

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Kenma's POV

"Kenma, what was it that you were going to say at lunch?"

Shouyou had managed to crawl into my lap while I played video games on my monitor. His ankles were lazily locked behind the chair, and, now and then, I'd feel his lips absently ghost over my skin.

I was just trying to keep myself calm and distracted before I got too excited.

"Uhm... I don't remember."

A surprised gasp nearly choked me when he unlatched his feet, kicked them back, then forward to be latched together again.

The sudden friction tossed my mind completely into the gutter.

"Hmm~ I don't believe you! You hesitated~!"

I didn't want to pause my only distraction, but when Shouyou repeated his movement, there was no way I could focus on anything but his swinging legs, our hips rubbing together, and the pleasure.

"Kenma~ You better tell me, or I won't stop~"

Something snapped in my head that forced my hands to reach up to his hips and clutch tightly onto them, stilling them in the process.

I bit down on the supple skin of his nape and ran my tongue along the mark afterward. His gentle hand cradled my cheek and turned my head to meet his gaze.

"Please..? You can talk to me, you know?"

His teasing act was up. Replacing it was a soft, worried tone that made my grip on him loosen a little.

"I just... wanted to ask you something."

"Yes..?"

I couldn't seem to look into his eyes. Anywhere but his face. His neck, his shirt, the chair, our legs. He turned my face back to him and pressed a deep kiss to my lips.

And, soon enough, I forgot why I was even avoiding his eyes. Our kiss was hot and passionate. When he tried to pull away, I pulled him back until he seemed to be on the verge of passing out.

It took a minute or two for us to catch our breath, and, in that time, we thoughtlessly rubbed against each other and pressed closer together.

"Will you go out with me?"

But he froze, and my heart sank when he did.

"Uh... huh? I thought we already were..? Oh, my god, I've been harassing you all day when we weren't even- Are you serious?"

My cheeks flushed red at the realization. I thought he was so close because of last night. Or, like, maybe he was cold or something..? Took interest in teasing me, maybe?

His chuckles turned into contagious laughter that I couldn't help but join. Laughing at my own stupidity; laughing at the misunderstanding. Those small hands I love so much lifted my face up again, and, in the midst of our laughing fit, he kissed me.

I could feel the smile on his face, and I'm sure he could feel mine, too. I hope he can. I want him to know how happy he makes me.

"Yeah," he spoke against my swollen, tingling lips, "I'll date you, Kenma, 'cause I love you. I have since middle school. I'm surprised you never noticed!"

His hips absently circled around my throbbing lower regions as he spoke. This time, I was able to control myself a bit more. Perhaps it's because he wasn't trying to dominate, he was just teasing again.

Middle school?

"You... liked me in middle school?"

"Yep. I know, it's strange, right? Since I didn't stick around for high school, you must not have thought I had feelings for you. Kuroo will tell you, though!"

Shouyou's smile is soul-healing. I could look at it all day.

"In middle school... I loved you, too. I told Kuroo about it every day and thought about you even after you left. I just... couldn't get you off my mind."

"Wait-"

"Wait-"

Our eyes met in shock.

"Kuroo knew both of us liked each other and he didn't even give us a hint?!"

"That dumbass!"

Another round of laughter began. It's been ages since I smiled this much.

"He probably knew I wasn't going to stick around for high school and decided to save us the pain of parting ways in a relationship. It seems like some smart, jacked-up shit he'd do."

"Yeah, I agree."

Still, it'd be nice to at least know that my feelings were reciprocated back then. The way things turned out now, though, is something I wouldn't ever change, though.

I don't think I've ever been this happy before.

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elsewhere

third-person POV

"So, you knew they liked each other back in middle school? Why didn't you tell them?"

Kuroo cursed when Bokuto pulled a surprise move on his video game character. He huffed and tried to get his score back up.

"Don't know," he finally spoke up, his cheek stuffed with Cheetos. "Just didn't want Kenma getting ass before me."

"Bwahaha! That's your reason?!"

Bokuto's laughter was cut short when Kuroo knocked a final blow against his friend and ended the game as a winner.

"That's a good portion of it, but, really, what would they do if they got into a relationship right before Shouyou left? They get allowed everything they want to do to each other, holding hands, kissing, bleh, then it gets ripped away from them again when he's gone."

Bokuto stopped his pouting to pay more attention to Kuroo, who fiddled with a Cheeto between his fingers.

"Kenma knew Shouyou wanted to go back before anything was even said- we all knew it. You shoulda been there, having to look at how Shouyou gazed up at the sun so longingly all the time. The only place I think I've ever seen Shouyou actually happy was at the beach."

He reached up and moved the hair from his face, accidentally drawing a line of Cheeto dust between his eyes. Bokuto was too invested in what Kuroo was saying to speak of it.

"And, you know, I think that was when Kenma really fell for him. The fact that Shouyou couldn't really speak Japanese also played a big part, but... God, man, you had to just see how they looked at each other. They still do it, now, even after so long! It freaks me out!"

Bokuto began laughing again, and he glanced toward the screen with a daze in his eyes.

"Yeah, I can see it, bro. They really are, like, soulmates or something."

"For realz."

"Anyway, round twenty-nine?"

"Your on, loser!"

"Prepare to die, Cheeto-Face!"

"Cheeto-Face..?"

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