~ this song screams kenma~
Kenma wasn't sure how Kuroo had convinced him to come to this party. This was exactly the type of event that made the young blond boy cringe.
It had been a banner year for the volleyball club from Karasuno High School. Their coach, Ukai had decided to throw a huge end of the year party for all of the volleyball teams in their region, and Mr. Takeda had invited the teams from Tokyo that had been at training camp with them, as well. Everyone Kenma considered a friend was there, but so were dozens of others he didn't know and had no intention of meeting. His social anxiety ate at him before the day even arrived.
The players and managers and various guests were dressed quite nicely, but Kenma felt ridiculous in a suit. He would have rather been in their uniforms than these, but Kuroo insisted. It made him even more self-conscious than normal...afraid people would comment to him about it...laugh at him for looking foolish...never mind the fact that everyone was dressed similarly. He just knew that he would be the one to be made fun of the most.
The noise was overwhelming, and it wasn't the kind of dulled-together white noise he could drown out like the noise in a packed stadium. It was boisterous laughter and chatter and people wanting him to contribute to conversation and pretend he was having a good time when really he'd rather hide under the refreshment table with his phone. He would do that. Any other time, he would do that.
He should do that.
Kuroo reminded him that it was perfectly fine if he wanted to excuse himself for a bit. Normally, his childhood friend was sincere about such things, but this time Kuroo's statement and expression were a clear challenge. He was daring Kenma to miss the real reason he had allowed Kuroo to convince him to come. He never would have been in this situation if there wasn't something he wanted so desperately.
Eventually, he heard the only sound that could have caused him to show up at this insane party--or even to look up from the game on his phone...a laugh that affected him like no other. Just the sound of you near made his cheeks flush slightly with excitement before he quickly swallowed down the emotion and turned his attention back to his phone. He could practically hear the smug smirk on Kuroo's face.
Each time someone stopped you to greet you and you laughed with them, his eyes would dart over to see who'd stolen your attention. It didn't matter who it was. Nekoma's setter felt a stab of jealousy every time.
You were Kuroo's younger cousin and had often played with the two boys from the time you were children. He had been fond of you for years, looked out for you with Kuroo and cared for you like a kid sister, protecting you the same as his best friend did. Only recently had it occurred to him, that he wasn't fond of you the same way as Kuroo was, at all. He didn't want to hang out with you or hug you or do nice little things for you because he saw you as his family. It was something much more confusing than that.
Now, when you would lean over his shoulder to peer at the screen of his handheld and ask what game he was playing, Kenma's heartbeat would speed up and he would tilt his head lower, hiding a blush behind his hair.
On the walks home from school, when you would bounce over beside him and ask him to carry you on his back like in middle school, he would frown and tell you that you were too old for that now. You would scold and tell him that was nonsense and then hop on Kuroo's back, the two cousins running around like idiots, loving every moment of foolishness. Truthfully, Kenma would only decline because the thought of his arms and hands supporting your thighs in your school uniform caused sweat to bead on his brow, while his mouth simultaneously went dry.
More truthful still, he didn't really mind a little foolishness when he was around you. Since you spent so much time with the pair, you were one of the very few people who understood Kenma's jokes. That laugh of yours was something addictive. He wanted that laugh for his own...the smile--the slight crease at the corners of your eyes. Watching how easy it seemed for others to bring out your smile was filling him with anxiety.
Quietly, while the others were distracted, Kuroo said to his friend, "How long is it going to take before you admit to yourself that you have a thing for (f/n)?"
"It's not a thing," the blond grumbled unconvincingly. "I told you before, she thinks of me as a brother, and it's not a thing."
He could have smacked that provoking smirk right off of his best friend's face as Kuroo added, "And I told you before, I don't believe that."
"Don't act like you know something, when you don't. She hasn't told you anything and you are not going to ask her," Kenma scolded.
Still giving him that shit-eating grin, Kuroo said, "No. I won't tell her or ask her. That's something you should do on your own."
This was getting really old, really quickly.
As if he could hear the dilemma circling his best friend's thoughts, Kuroo added, "It doesn't have to look the same as anyone else's confession, Kenma. She knows where you're comfortable. You don't need some magically romantic phrase." Kenma actually growled at the statement.
Not caring that he was being ignored, Nekoma's team captain raised an eyebrow and said, "I see those looks you're giving everyone that talks to her. I noticed how you put your phone down when she came in, and it's not the first time." Kenma shot him a dangerous scowl. "Ken, don't think I haven't noticed the way you've started avoiding her--getting yourself all worked up when she's nearby."
"I don't get worked up," Kenma argued. Anyone from the outside would have to agree. It didn't appear that the boy's demeanor ever really changed, but Kuroo knew him better than anyone else.
"You do," he shot back with that damn all-seeing grin.
"I don't."
"You do."
"I don't." It was firm and Kuroo stopped arguing.
.
.
.
...for a second.
"You do."
Growling under his breath, Kenma decided he couldn't take the taunting from his friend tonight...not coupled with the crowd and the noise and your laughing at other people while looking the way you did in that outfit. Sighing, he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked outside.
= = = = =
You needed a break.
This party hall was extremely crowded and though you were having a great time, you needed a minute to hideout from your cousin, Kuroo Tetsurou. He had always been a little overprotective of you, but tonight he was being ridiculous. Any time a guy was remotely friendly to you, he would stand just behind you and give off a frightening glare, scaring them off someplace else. Even boys you'd known for years.
It wasn't like everyone was a stranger to you. You had recently joined the Nekoma volleyball team as one of their managers (which Yamamoto had been extremely thrilled about) and so the year had been spent making friends with players and managers from all different schools. It had been one of the most fun years of your life and you had really opened up since joining a club.
It didn't seem to matter to your cousin this particular evening whether the boys were actually hitting on you or just making polite small talk.
