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When Kuroo said he had a surprise for him, Kenma didn’t think it would involve blowing up the kitchen.
And yet, there he was: in what could only be a post-explosion of some kind. Scorch marks surrounded a still smoking oven; puffs and piles of flour dusted the ceiling, floor, and counters; and there was a strange brown, sticky substance that dripped from various surfaces. Kenma could only blink widened eyes as he examined his surroundings in silent horror. It smelled faintly of cinnamon and burnt apples.
And in the middle of it all stood Kuroo, looking like such a disaster that the chaotic kitchen seemed spotless. His black hair was blown up and away from his face, the flour powdering it so heavily that he almost looked like Bokuto. His clothes were a mess of eggs and ashes. Kenma didn’t even want to know how he managed to rip his entire right sleeve off.
Kenma kept his mouth shut as he walked into the room, only to jump as he heard a small crackle at his feet. Cringing, he looked down, expecting more mess. Instead, he found a crumpled piece of paper. It was a list with some instructions at the bottom of the page. He scanned the bolded title at the top.
Fool Proof Apple Pie Recipe
Slowly, he directed his gaze back at Kuroo, whose usual lazy grin looked more sheepish than usual.
“Uh…surprise?”
Kenma’s eyes narrowed for a moment before he sighed, defeated. He turned away, walking out of the room.
“I’ll get a mop,” he muttered.
It was nearing 9:00pm when the two of them finally finished cleaning up the mess. Both collapsed at the kitchen table in relief, and Kenma immediately took out his phone. As he typed away, he couldn’t help but notice a heavy silence between them. Strange. Kuroo would usually start talking right about now, probably by making some quip to lighten the mood. Tentatively, he looked up from his screen.
Kuroo had his arms folded in front of him, eyes downcast as he twiddled his thumbs and bit at his lower lip. When he noticed Kenma staring, he cleared this throat.
“Sorry,” he gave Kenma a small, forced smile. “I know apple pie’s your favorite and I just…wanted to do something special.”
Kenma tilted his head to the side.
“Why?”
Kuroo shrugged.
“I just like making you happy, I guess,” he said. “It’s silly, I know.”
“Hm.”
Kenma returned his focus back to his phone, typing faster than before. He heard Kuroo’s chair scrape the floor as he stood up.
“Well, I guess I’ll-“
“Get your coat,” Kenma finished.
Kuroo stared at him.
“My…coat?”
Kenma nodded, still typing when he stood up as well.
“Just checked the corner bakery’s website. They’re still open.” He shot a quick glance at Kuroo, whose eyes were widened in awe as he stared down at him. Kenma shifted his weight from one foot to another and looked back at his screen. “They have apple pie there, so…”
“Sounds good.”
He nodded, still focused on his phone as he walked towards the front door.
"Hey,” Kuroo called. Kenma heard quiet footfalls before he felt a presence behind him. “Put on a scarf or something,” his voice was quiet. “You’ll catch a cold.”
Kenma stayed still as he let Kuroo wrap a soft wool scarf around his neck. His hands were warm. When he finished, Kenma turned around. Without giving it much thought, he leaned forward, rested his forehead on Kuroo’s shoulder, and breathed in. Kuroo’s body went still.
“Kenma?”
Taking another breath, he pulled back, returning to his phone like nothing had happened.
“Let’s go,” he said, his face warm and his head light.
It was silent for a short moment. Then Kuroo laughed, low and soft, and with a light shrug he opened the door and stepped outside. Kenma trailed behind him, following the warm smell of cinnamon and burnt apples.