F̶o̶l̶l̶o̶w̶ Fuck the Rulebook - Kenma Kozume

Hangovers - C13

Echoing stomps of footsteps raced throughout the house forcing Akasuki’s eyes open. She groaned holding her forehead as the pain started to throb throughout. This sucked.
“Where is she?” Taketora yelled from a distant room.
Huh, what’s going on? She lifted her head to see multiple figures coming down the stairs, a ruffled Kuroo muttering under his breath, a bouncy Taketora looking worried and groggy Kenma reluctantly following. Akasuki laid her head down, this pain, god, she stared up at the ceiling silently listening to the others.
“Eh, I, I’m hungry,” a new voice spoke.
The voice sounded familiar, quiet, a sense of shyness. Yūki? Kuroo sighed heavily,
“Yūki, I told Sō already, Yaku’s making breakfast,” he took a deep breath, “either go back to mine, or find Suki.”
Find her? Have they even looked properly?
“Okay,” Yūki muttered, “where have you looked?”
“Eh, upstairs,” Kuroo admitted, “in both houses.”
She wondered who would find her first.
“Seriously?” Kenma sighed.
“What?” Kuroo groaned.
“You are idiots,” Kenma muttered, “it’s obvious.”
Obvious?
“Obvious?” Taketora asked.
A pair of feet started to move towards where Akasuki was laying. Did he figure it out already? Suddenly Kenma’s face appeared before hers, sunken eyes staring down at her, his hands resting over the sofa’s top,
“hi.”
“Good morning,” Akasuki whispered reaching up to brush her fingers against his out of sight from the others.
He pulled away slowly,
“are you hungry?”
Did she do something wrong? She pulled herself up carefully, nodding at Kenma, trying not to trigger the throbbing in her head, turning to face the boys,
“good morning.”
Kuroo’s arms were crossed along with his brows as Taketora let out a sigh of relief.
“How come you slept down here?” Kuroo questioned closely.
It was obvious, why else would she sleep down there? Kenma made his way to the kitchen, as Akasuki slid off the sofa approaching the others,
“he fell asleep, so I came down here.”
Kuroo grumbled in reply making his way to the front door, Taketora following. What’s his deal? Yūki smiled softly at her,
“thank you for taking care of me last night.”
“It’s what I do,” Akasuki admitted with a smile.
Yūki headed towards the door stopping as he reached it glancing back at her,
“Sō apologises for last night, he wasn’t sure how to tell you so I told him I would.”
Right, last night, she could remember segments, most consuming of taking shots, eating pizza, pretending to be a cat and, her eyes moved over to Kenma in the kitchen, Kenma,
“thank you Yūki, can you let him know to see me before he goes home today?”
Yūki nodded leaving the house. Hopefully she can talk to him about it, smooth whatever happened over. But right now, she was alone, with Kenma, in an empty house. She slowly entered the kitchen leaning against the counter, her eyes watching Kenma rummage through his cupboards standing up to face her,
“tea? Orange juice? Coffee?”
“Oj please,” Akasuki requested with a smile, she needed the vitamin c after last night.
Kenma nodded pulling out two glasses, grabbing two cartons from the fridge pouring orange juice into one and apple juice into the other, so he prefers apple juice,
“cereal? Toast? Porridge?”
He glanced over to her,
“Pancakes?”
“Pancakes?” Akasuki immediately repeated with a curious smile.
Pancakes would be great. A laugh slipped from his lips as he placed the glass beside her,
“but I can’t cook.”
She picked up the glass taking a sip with a frown, false hope much. Actually, Akasuki grinned, she had an idea,
“why suggest them if you can’t make them?”
Kenma shrugged,
“I,” he glanced at the floor, “I was just trying to make some conversation.”
Right,
“well,” she pushed off the counter, “I need flour, sugar, butter, milk, eggs and,” she paused dancing around her brains for the last ingredient, “baking powder.”
“What?” Kenma murmured.
What’s so confusing? 
“I’m going to make you pancakes,” she paused realising what she said, “us, make us pancakes.”
Kenma slowly nodded pulling ingredients out if the cupboard placing them out for her. She took the bowl measuring the ingredients. Kenma joined her side watching her work intently,
“I’ve never made pancakes before.”
She glanced up at him noticing the childlike glimmer in his eyes, fuck, her heart started to pound as she looked back down to continue measuring the ingredients,
“I’ll teach you.”
“Really?” Kenma whispered stumbling forward almost knocking Akasuki over.
She grabbed his arm stopping him from falling with a laugh,
“just,” she moved him in front of her, “combine the dry ingredients.”
Kenma carefully poured the dry ingredients into one bowl, glancing up at Akasuki expectantly.
“Now the wet ingredients,” Akasuki instructed.
Kenma followed the instructions picking up the whisk,
“mix?”
She nodded watching him lazily mix the batter. Seriously? She reached around him, flashes of last night filtering through her mind, her fingers wrapping around his, tightening his grip mixing with him. He didn’t resist her touch, he resisted earlier, why not now? He pulled away once the batter had been fully mixed, holding it out to Akasuki with a faint smile. Ah, the bags under his eyes scream fatigue and the delay in his movements scream hungover, but he still manages to be adorable? She took it from him moving over to the pan. She began to dish out the batter in equal amounts frying them until they were fluffy and golden, dishing them up onto plates for the two of them. Kenma carried the plates to the table in the living while Akasuki carried the glasses, placing them before one another. She took a seat watching Kenma staring at the plate,
“I know they aren’t great but,” she paused picking up her fork, “we made them together.”
Kenma nodded beginning to dig into his pancakes a large grin spreading across his face. Wow, this was probably one of the first time he’s smiled like that. A sensation burned through her heart as she hastily looked down at her food, feeding herself. It’s stupid. He’s just eating pancakes, fuck, but he’s so cute, shit, Akasuki just eat, okay, eat. The pair finished their meal, Kenma downing the rest of his juice with a soft hum,
“that was amazing.”
She glanced up at him, he really thought so?
“Well, I learned to make them for my brother’s when they were younger,” she took a sip of juice, “but now, they hardly want them surprisingly.”
“I,” Kenma murmured drawing her attention to his eyes, “I really liked them.”
“Thank you,” Akasuki hummed.
Was now the right time to mention last night? Was there ever going to be a right time? She cleared her throat,
“hey Kenma,” she fiddled with the glass, his eyes watching her in response, “about last night.”
His eyes dropped to the table, narrowing, whoa, she didn’t expect that response,
“right, I know.”
He knows?
“You were drunk,” Kenma muttered.
He’s, a complete idiot. But if he thought that, then he obviously doesn’t feel the same way about her. She nodded her head slowly, her grasp tightening around the glass. What did she expect? She should change the conversation and now,
“so, games,” Akasuki blurted out, “you got any recommendations?”
Kenma rose from his seat piling up the plates hastily placing them into the kitchen, meeting Akasuki at the stairs. Did he not feel anything for her? Not even the smallest thing? She followed him up the stairs and into the room, Kenma pulling out multiple games, holding them in his hands as he made the bed,
“I should’ve tidied up.”
Akasuki plopped down into his chair with a shrug,
“don’t worry about it.”
He glanced at her narrowing his eyes, he does worry about it. A messy room never really bothered Akasuki since she had younger brother but she still tried to remain as tidy as possible, some days it slipped up. Kenma laid the games out individually speaking about the positive and negatives of each game. Akasuki listened eagerly until Kenma chose a game to demonstrate to her. There was a sudden knock on the door alerting the pair to a presence. Akasuki shared a confused glance with Kenma, who shrugged speaking out,
“come in?”
The door opened revealing Sō's drained faced. Oh, he looks, terrible. He glanced up to Akasuki, his voice timid and shameful,
“I’m, now leaving.”
Right, here goes nothing. She sat up from the bed scooting over to the edge patting the free space next to her,
“let’s talk quickly.”
Sō nodded slowly taking a seat beside Akasuki glancing anxious at Kenma. She wasn’t completely sure what happened last night but whatever Sō did, it must’ve hit him hard.
“Look,” Sō frowned, “I’m so, so sorry for treating you like that, you were just trying to have fun, and I, I just ruined it by being a perverted teenager, Suki, Akasuki,” Sō's face grew red as he lowered his head, “please forgive me.”
That’s what happened? Wow, well, at this point in time, being angry was useless. She remembered a brief memory with Yaku doing something in retaliation, she guessed all she could do was lecture him,
“Sō, firstly, if you can’t handle your drinks, you shouldn’t let people like Kuroo push you,” she started to explain, “you took advantage of a situation where none of us knew what was going on,” she noticed Sō nodding in agreement rubbing his eyes.
Whoa, whoa, is he crying? Akasuki’s lifted his face up, his eyes red, small tears threatening to spill,
“Sō,” Akasuki sighed pulling him into a hug.
She felt sorry for him, he probably had no clue what he was doing, but even if he did, it was still wrong. He kept his hands in his lap as Akasuki hugged him, holding his head as he profusely apologised,
“please forgive me, I really like you as a friend, I felt like we were becoming close, I let my stupid boy thoughts control me!”
Sō, she wasn’t sure how to respond. Akasuki glanced up at Kenma, his eyes narrow and inpatient watching Sō. He certainly isn’t much help. Akasuki soothed him pulling away,
“Sō,” she lifted his face to meet hers, “don’t do it again, alright?”
Sō nodded rapidly,
“are, we still friends?”
He’s an idiot. Akasuki smiled softly,
“we won the game, we made a deal, didn’t we?”
Sō nodded again more slowly, completely understanding what she meant.
“I forgive you,” Akasuki spoke.
His face lit up immediately, slapping his knees in excitement,
“thank you, Suki,! I’ll never do anything like that again!”
Why is he so loud? She winced as she forced a chuckle, lightly shoving him playfully,
“go get some rest, you need it.”
He nodded bounding out of the room. Wow, that was kinda easy.
“Akasuki,” Kenma cleared his throat.
Her eyes drifted to him, the sound of his voice causing new sensation to overcome her body.
“Did I,” he furrowed his brows his grasp tightening on his device, his fingertips becoming white, “take advantage of the situation last night?”
What? God no, no no, she shook her head rapidly lifting herself beside him,
“you didn’t.”
“I, I’m sorry,” Kenma muttered.
Kenma, shit, Akasuki felt sorry for him knowing she was the main source of instigation between the pair.
“Kenma,” Akasuki whispered looking at the clear disgrace on his face.
Now wasn’t the right time to say anything, she held her tongue as she reached over to lightly nudge the controls on the device, she was still confused about her own feelings,
“I thought you were good at this game.”
Kenma's brows loosened slightly as he resumed the game. It’s okay, she watched him play, his eyes fluttering across the screen as his fingers worked systematically. She'll figure her feelings out. Maybe she could start by comparing how she felt with the others. At this point, she was quite happy to blame it on the drinks. That was the only understandable reason. Right?