Scandalous - KuroKen

16

As the car pulled up to the beach, the salty air and soft sound of waves greeted them. Kuroo stepped out first, holding the door open for Kenma. "Come on," Kuroo said, his voice softer now. "Let's get some air."

Kenma followed him out, the cool breeze immediately calming his frayed nerves. They walked together along the shoreline, neither of them said anything, the sounds of the ocean filling the silence between them. Kenma seemed lost in thought, and Kuroo respected that, letting the quiet stretch out, waiting for Kenma to speak first.

Eventually, Kenma broke the silence. "That guy back there... he was relentless."

Kuroo glanced at him. "Yeah, he was. Sorry about that. I wish we'd had more time to actually enjoy the aquarium."

Kenma shrugged, kicking at a stray shell on the beach. "It's not your fault. That's just part of all this, right?"

"Part of being Kodzuken, you mean?" Kuroo asked, hands stuffed in his pockets as he walked beside him.

Kenma nodded. "I guess. It's not like I'm not used to it. It just gets overwhelming sometimes."

Kuroo hummed thoughtfully. "I get it. You don't like the attention much, do you?"

Kenma shook his head. "Not really. I mean, I didn't get into gaming for the fame. It just... happened. I just wanted to play and be good at it. Everything else kind of came with it."

Kuroo chuckled. "And now you've got people chasing you down at aquariums."

Kenma smirked a little at that, but his gaze drifted toward the horizon. "Yeah... sometimes I wonder if it's worth it. The noise, the attention. It's all so much, you know?"

Kuroo's eyes softened. "Yeah, I can see how that'd get to you. But hey, you've got people who care about you beyond all that stuff."

Kenma glanced over at Kuroo, unsure of where he was going with that.

"I mean, look at your fans," Kuroo continued. "They love you because of your skills, not because of all the media stuff. And then there's your team, Akaashi, and..." Kuroo hesitated for a second before finishing, "me."

Kenma blinked, caught off guard by the sudden inclusion. "You?"

"Yeah," Kuroo said, smiling gently. "You know, just because we started this whole fake dating thing doesn't mean I don't care. I do, Kenma. Even if this whole thing ends after today, I still consider you a friend. A good one."

Kenma didn't say anything right away. The wind ruffled his hair, and he kept his gaze focused on the sea, but his mind was reeling. He hadn't expected Kuroo to say that, and now that he had, it stirred something within him-something Kenma wasn't ready to deal with just yet.

"Do you really want this to end?" Kenma asked quietly, almost as if testing the waters.

Kuroo stopped walking for a moment, his eyes narrowing in thought. He looked at Kenma, taking in his distant expression. "Honestly? I don't know."

Kenma stopped too, turning to face him fully. "What do you mean?"

Kuroo exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I guess I thought I'd be relieved when this was over. You know, back to normal. But... I don't know, Kenma. It's been nice-getting to spend time with you. Doing normal stuff, like hanging out, talking. I guess part of me doesn't want it to end."

Kenma's heart skipped a beat at that confession. He hadn't expected Kuroo to feel the same sense of uncertainty that had been gnawing at him.

"I thought it was just for the cameras," Kenma said slowly.

Kuroo met his eyes, a serious expression on his face. "It was, at first. But I think... I think we've built something real, haven't we? Beyond the act."

Kenma swallowed, suddenly feeling exposed under Kuroo's gaze. He didn't know how to respond, but the longer they stood there, the more he realized he didn't want it to end either.

"Yeah," Kenma admitted quietly. "I think so too."

Kuroo smiled at that, a warmth spreading between them that felt different from all their previous interactions. This wasn't about the cameras, the fake dating, or the media anymore. This was just them-Kuroo and Kenma, standing on a quiet beach, admitting what they'd both been too afraid to say until now.

"So, what do we do?" Kenma asked, his voice almost a whisper.

Kuroo's smile softened as he reached out, brushing a stand of hair out of Kenmas face. "We stop pretending."

Kenma lifted his arm and took hold of Kuroo's hand, his heart racing. He leaned in slowly, gauging Kuroo's reaction. Kuroo's other hand found its way to Kenma's back, pulling him in gently until their lips met.

When they finally pulled away, both a little breathless, Kuroo's eyes searched Kenma's face for any sign of hesitation. Instead, he found an expression of surprise mirrored in Kenma's gaze.

Kenma chuckled which also made Kuroo chuckle, a hint of nervousness in both of their voices. "So, um... what does this mean for us?" Kenma watched Kuroo's eyes stare at him

Kuroo scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin on his face. "I don't know. I guess it means we're not just two guys pretending to date anymore. We're... us."

Kenma nodded slowly, his heart racing at the implication. "Us. I like that."

"Me too," Kuroo said, his smile widening.

As they turned back toward the beach, hand in hand, the sea slowly softened its waves as if mirroring the calm that had settled between them. The sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting a golden glow that danced on the water's surface, painting the world around them in hues of orange and pink.

"You know," Kuroo began, breaking the comfortable silence, "I always thought going to the beach was overrated. But this... this is nice."

Kenma chuckled, feeling the tension ease in his shoulders. "It's definitely better than the aquarium."

980 Words