Haikyuu!! Kisses (Kenma x Reader)

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.  For whatever reason, he wasn't allowing them any of your time.  After scolding him publicly, you stormed outside to cool off.

You weren't interested in any of those other players.  He should have known that.  He was good at reading people, especially you, and you hadn't been making much effort to hide your crush.  There had been only one boy that you wanted, and it had started long before high school...and that boy hadn't so much as said "hello" to you that evening.

Rounding the low wall outside the party hall, you saw the exact boy you were currently thinking about.

"Kenma!  Hey!" you called, as you approached.  He barely glanced up at you from his phone, but that was just like him.  He didn't greet you, though, which was not like him.  "I was looking for you inside, but you'd already escaped I see."

Still no response.  Still not normal from him...not when he was with you anyway.  You frowned, feeling suddenly anxious, but you tried to ignore it.

Like you always did, you put one hand on his shoulder and lifted to your toes slightly, resting your chin on the back of your hand.  You swore he actually flinched at your touch, causing your stomach to begin tightening.  You told yourself he was probably just on edge because of the whole party thing.  Pointing to the screen with your free hand, you asked, "What level are you on this time?"  He shrugged, though you could clearly see the answer written in the corner of the screen.

Suddenly you were afraid that you had been coming on too strongly the past few months.  Now he must be onto you and didn't return your feelings, or worse, he was so uncomfortable that he didn't even want to stay friends...the exact reason you had feared saying something.

"Have I-" you started softly, having to clear the worried sound from your voice.  "Have I done something to upset you?  Are you mad at me, Ken?"

Kenma spun around quickly, phone lowered to his side.  "No!  I-it was too overwhelming inside.  I felt overheated in this stupid thing," he mumbled, gesturing to the suit he was wearing.  You tried desperately not to blush at how nice you thought he looked in it.  "I'm just trying not to panic," he said, holding up his free hand and showing you the tremor.

You both suffered anxiety attacks and you knew exactly what he was going through.  You felt guilty at being almost relieved that his mood wasn't because he was annoyed with you.

"It's all right," you smiled at him, squeezing that trembling hand.  "I'll wait with you until you're feeling better." 

Without really thinking about it, you leaned up and placed a comforting kiss on his cheek, just below his eye.  When you pulled back, he was looking at you dumbfounded, and you blushed furiously at the bright red lipstick mark you had left on his skin.  "I'm sorry," you began, even though you weren't sure why you were apologizing.

He hadn't spoken, and the look on Kenma's face was certainly surprised, but he didn't look unhappy, and he didn't move away in the slightest.  Cocking your head to the side as you studied his expression, you leaned up once more and pressed a kiss to his cheek that lingered on the corner of his lips.  When he still looked at you with his intense golden eyes and didn't attempt to move away, you couldn't help yourself.  You kissed him.  Hard.  And he kissed you back, only a few moments until you eagerly trailed a few kisses off towards his jaw.

Only then did he pull back.  It wasn't far, but he stopped the kiss and your heart sunk.  He was staring at you, but not exactly...his eyes weren't even facing you, but you knew he could see you out of their corners.  "Are you alright, Kenma?" 

He couldn't seem to manage looking at you directly.  Your lipstick was smeared everywhere on his face, and you suddenly felt guilty about getting so carried away with someone as shy as Nekoma's setter.  You cursed yourself for reading the wrong signals.

"Kenma, I'm sorry! I thought you wanted-"

He held up a hand to silence you and then dropped it back to his side.  Still looking away at nothing in particular, Kenma rubbed the back of his index finger along his bottom lip.

You swallowed hard, mortified that he was actually wiping away the kisses...but he continued to run the finger over his lip, a light blush dusting his cheeks while cat-like eyes blinked shut.  He was quiet as he let the back of that finger rest gently where your lips had been just moments before.

Though his eyes were still closed and he said nothing, you let out a relieved breath and understood finally that you hadn't offended him.  He was just taking the time to process what had happened.  He was deciding whether or not it had been too overwhelming, watching a replay behind shut lids, choosing his own next move...choosing if he wanted to continue playing your game.

Your stomach fluttered with anxious butterflies while giving him the time he needed.  It didn't take long, but it felt like it had been ages.

Finally, golden eyes glanced up at you.  His soft voice seemed even softer.  "He'll never let me hear the end of this," Kenma pouted.

"What?" you questioned.  "Who won't?"

An annoyed huff caught in his throat and he raised an eyebrow at you.

"Kuroo?"  It was easy to tell by his expression that you had guessed correctly.  "What's he got to do with any of this?" you asked incredulously.

Eyes darting away again, he mumbled, "He was right."  Now it was your turn to look annoyed.  Kenma pressed the heel of his hand against his temple and replied, "He said I should stop ruining the party being jealous and pouty and confess I like you.  I told him he was ridiculous."  Kenma held out his phone to you.  You looked confused for a moment and then glanced at the screen to see a text conversation between the two boys.  Sighing, Kenma moaned, "He said he wouldn't let me make it to the end of the party without confessing."

You smiled down at the last exchange between the two:

                              Kenma >>>Then I just won't come back inside
                                        the rest of the night, and you're not
                                        allowed to say where I've gone.
Deal }:-] <<< Kuroo


Thinking back to Kuroo making things unbearable for you to stay inside, you smirked at your mischievous cousin.

"He cheated, Ken," and you explained.  "And technically you haven't confessed anything, so--"

"But I did confess!" he said, with more force in his voice than you had ever heard.  "I mean, maybe it wasn't the way a guy would normally say it, but I did tell you how I feel.  I thought you of all people would..." he trailed off.

You were smiling softly to let him know that you knew that...that, of course, you understood that about him.

His lip twitched upward slightly, realizing you were only teasing.

"Maybe it wouldn't hurt to say it a little louder, though," he purred softly, cupping your face, sliding one hand tenderly into your (h/c) hair and meeting your lips once more.