𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄. kenma kozume x reader

part 29; closer

your POV:

Walking to the arcade tonight, I feel an odd sense of nervousness. What if he's here? What if he's not? What if he slaps me? What if I cry?  I roll my eyes. Obviously he's not going to be there. He's not exactly a social person. I push the door open and immediately search for a boy with pudding hair at the street fighter machine. He's not here. I knew it. I head for the basketball machine, hoping to let some stress go. I don't even know why I sort of wanted to see Kenma again here. That letter that I sent him- gutsy move. I don't even know why I did it, but I thought maybe he'd want them. They're probably all ashes by now, anyway. I jam my hands in the comforting softness of my sweatpants, wondering how I survived a year without them. Kanade was the first person who wanted to be friends with me. She stared me down and took me shopping. Not the best friend, I know, forcing me  to stop with everything, but it's still partially my fault for letting both her and myself get so carried away. I haven't even touched a switch since college. I kinda miss it, though. I befriended some really nice guys later on in the year, though. Pretty nerdy- from the robotics club- but they're still super sweet. Kanade always asked me why I never went on dates. I made up some excuse about none of them being cute, and that the cute ones never asked me out. It's partially true, my school has a depressing lack of cute boys, but some guys that've asked me out were pretty sweet. I just can't do it. I don't see any of the kids dwelling on past relationships, and it makes me wonder if what we had was just more special than most, or if I'm just a moron who can't get over a boy. I don't know which is sadder. 

There are two basketball games. One of them is occupied. I inch closer, hoping to see if she's any good, but then I get a glimpse of the side of her face, and I almost fall over. The 'her' is a boy. He has dark hair tied back in a bun, but with messy blond bits sticking out at the tips. He's around my height, and has a small build. fuckfuckfuckfuck. It could be anyone, I tell myself, but I know what I saw. I saw startling golden cat eyes. I saw a familiar look of boredom and an unreadable expression that I remember so well. 

"Don't spread your elbows out too much," I hear him mumble under his breath. My face grows warm. He remembers. 

"It'll make all the force escape from your elbows," it slips out so naturally. I remember all our late nights at the arcade, messing around and playing games. He releases the ball quickly  and then stops. It makes it in, but he doesn't lift his head. 

"You've gotten better," I hear myself say. I have no idea what I'm doing, but it won't matter anyways. 

"What are you doing here?" he asks in a tight voice. He still hasn't turned around. Since I don't know what to say, I just tell him that I have the right to be here because I went to high school here or something. He finally turns around.Though it might not be noticeable to others, something in his eyes change the tiniest bit, then goes as away as fast as it came. It's probably because of how exactly the same I look to what he remembers. I say something lame about my outfit, then I feel the emotions tumbling in. 

Y'know, I never got in a relationship in college. It sounds stupid, but I-"

"Can't get over you," he mutters, staring at his shoes. I'm assuming he just finished my sentence for me, but maybe I'm hoping he meant it in another way, too. 

Since I embarrassed myself, I tell him that I just wanted to say hi and leave the arcade without looking back. Going out onto the street, I feel the tears coming.
 Fuck it.
 Since when was I afraid of Kenma? I start to jog  back, and I see his figure in the fog, coming  my way too. Relief washes over me, until I start to think that maybe he's gonna yell at me or something. Before I know it, I start to cry. Like fully cry. He wraps me in his arms and lightly kisses my head, and I feel a pang of nostalgia as I remember our frequent hugs and silent exchanges of affection in the dark. After dramatic confessions and prompting about our future, it happens. 
Kenma kisses me.
My heart soars. Just like the first time, it's timid at first, but it grows into a lively one. I smile and I feel his fingers tangled in my hair. My high school feelings for Kenma come back out again, and it puts me right back where we left off.

"I still love you," he mumbles into my lips. My palms are sweaty, knees are wobbly, and head is spinning, but all in the best ways possible.

"I love you too,"

the end 

(maybe)