Saving you (kuroken)

Chapter 11

Kozume.

Mystified, bewildered, and completely perplexed.

Kenma didn't have an idea on what he was supposed to feel. His emotions were all a giant ball in his heart and he was so confused.

What intrigued him is that all of them were positive. He felt fresh to these kinds of things for he already forgot how it feels like.

"Kenma look!" Kuroo exclaimed, pointing towards the sky where a flock of doves were flying.

Kenma had to roll his eyes.

Kuroo never changes.

His eyes still shine whenever he sees something that amazes him. His lips pull into a soft smile as he observed things with awe. He looked younger, more relaxed, and free of trouble.

Kenma slyly snapped a picture.

When he put the camera down, Kuroo was standing still, face de-stressed as though he was contented with everything.

Kenma snapped another one.

"What course did you take?" He found himself asking out of curiosity making Kuroo avert his gaze to him

"Neurology." Kuroo shrugged and Kenma's jaw almost dropped

"You're a neurosurgeon?"

"I didn't make the cut in the bar exams."

"Oh." Kenma sheepishly looked at the distance as he tried to think of how to phrase. He needed to say something but he was too awkward to utter a word.

"I-I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's fine." Kuroo chuckled, seemingly unaffected by the memory. "It was rough back then."

Back then? Kenma thought as his forehead creased "How about now?"

"Less rough." Kuroo flashed him a gentle smile and Kenma had to look away to hide his flaming red cheeks

"Can you retake it?"

"I think," Kuroo paused as he looked around, deep in thought. "I think I can manage."

"You'll ace that shit this time." Kenma catatonically said and Kuroo had to think twice if he was really encouraging him or not.

He smiled nonetheless and laughed. "I sure hope so."

"How about Akaashi? And Bokuto?"

"Akaashi took law while Bokuto took dentistry."

"B-Bokuto... Dentistry?!" Kenma exclaimed or more like snorted as he thought about Bokuto Koutarou being a dentist. He couldn't help but shiver because he certainly won't go to Bokuto for teeth problems.

"That's a scary thought."

"He's not that bad, Kenma." Kuroo snorted as he flicked the half blonde on the forehead softly making him groan "He has his own clinic and he's one of the top dentists in the city."

"A-are they still together?"

"BokuAka?" Kuroo asked, using the ship name they used back then as an inside joke and Kenma fought off a laugh as he nodded. "Yeah."

"How about you? What course did you take?" Kuroo asked, nudging Kenma

"Psychology."

"You took it?" Kuroo asked in disbelief "You're a psychologist."

"A-almost." Kenma reluctantly admitted, nodding curtly as he pointed his camera on a different direction.

"Almost? What do you mean?" Kuroo asked and Kenma gave him a look.

"What makes you think I'll say it?"

Kuroo sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair, shrugging. "I don't know, Kenma. I'm not forcing it out of you."

"Things were rough as well." Kenma admitted after a brief moment. "I was close to finishing my training. Fresh graduate shit. I gave it up."

Kuroo didn't want to pry anymore because looking at Kenma, he could practically feel the latter's dejection.

Years have changed them and now, the only similarity that the two has was that; life likes to fuck them both up.

"You wanna have lunch?" Kuroo offered and Kenma nodded almost immediately.

"Please."

"Let's go."

_

"Food. Yay." Kenma said and Kuroo looked up at him.

"Is that supposed to be you being surprised?"

"Yeah." Kenma nodded and picked up his chopsticks before digging in.

Kuroo stared at him in amusement for a curt moment before he started eating his own food.

Kuroo didn't really pay much mind to it before but now that he can, he could see a lot of differences in Kenma, physical and mentally.
His hair was a little longer, what once lie on his chin now rested on his shoulders. He was a little taller than before yet still shorter than Kuroo.

Kenma had developed little habits that Kuroo only noticed now. He often tucked stray hairs behind his ears, cracking his fingers as he thinks, and biting his lip when irritated. Kenma was so catatonic back then that Kuroo always had trouble reading him.

Kenma changed a lot in the way he acted. He was a lot more confident. His voice was louder and his posture was a little more certain.

"Why are you staring at me?" Kenma mumbled, glancing at the latter awkwardly.

"Y-you've changed." Kuroo said again and Kenma only sighed, shaking his head.

"So I've been told again." He chuckled before he sighed deeply, fingers fidgetting with eachother.

Kenma didn't really notice what change Kuroo talked about but it wasn't really something he was able to see. He didn't know what kind of change the latter was talking about either.

"Kenma." Kuroo hesitantly called, his lips pursed as a sign of uncertainty.

"Yeah?"

"W-why did you not push me away?" Kuroo asked hesitantly, glancing at Kenma before looking away and focusing his eyes on the empty plate in front him. "You could've avoided me. You could've just shut the door earlier. You had a choice- so why?"

It took a while to get an answer out from Kenma and it made Kuroo anxious however, as he saw the small smile that crept on Kenma's lips, Kuroo's heart skipped a beat.

"You're still my bestfriend, after all."