Chapter Text
Kenma started looking forward to waking up in the morning and reading about Oikawas early morning try at his game, he started to imagining the different face that would go with the insults or panicked screaming through text. So, when Kenma got the first text that night he pressed the FaceTime button without really thinking about it, when Oikawa answered instantly he felt a second of regret. Why the fuck did I do that circled his mind twice, thankfully Oikawa didn’t seem to notice his inner second thoughts and started ranting about the game.
“What is this Kenma! This is supposed to be an RPG game, what role am I playing? The fucking victim.” He whined as he was killed immediately again by the killer, he’d been playing for all of ten minutes and was already thinking of giving up for the day but, they had a bet and he was still under the time limit. Even knowing he would lose he couldn’t just let Kenma have a win.
“What reason do I have to help you? I get a good deal out of this and I’m planning on winning it.” The drawl from Kenma sent a shiver down his spine, he looked over to his phone to see him grinning, it knocked the breath out of his lungs and got him killed yet again but Oikawa didn’t seem to notice, the grin started to drop and he realised how silent it was. Not thinking before he opened his mouth he blurted out.
“That’s the first time i’ve ever seen you smile.” Kenma hung up in a mist of panic.
After that incident they started paying attention to each other more, FaceTime became a regular part of their day. Hinata would invite them both out when one was in Brazil or Japan and hanging out wasn’t so insufferable with a common ground. Unfortunately it couldn’t stay as exciting and sweet as Hinata thought, it started to reveal things that they wish they never noticed. Kenma notice how Oikawa eyes darkened when Iwaizumi was around, how he almost looks like a doll trying to be pliant and keep a smirk on his face no matter what was said, he noticed how he would avoid the topic of dating all together but it was always brought up and he was always degraded for it. Oikawa noticed how Kenma would avoid crowds and large groups of people, how he’d quickly leave to the toilet when it got too much, he noticed how he flinched when someone touched him. They kept quiet, respecting the others struggles and hoping if they needed to the other would come forward to them.
“Oikawa why don’t you ever date anyone? Like I get your a ladies man but really man, playing that role and sleeping around ain’t cool.” Iwaizumi slurred. Oikawa put on a smug grin, but Kenma could see his eyes. The same eyes he had seen in the mirror so many nights.
“Oh iwa~ a gentleman never kisses and tells.” Iwaizumi scoffs and Kenma finds himself getting angry. Why was he so fucking angry? Who was he kidding, he was angry for himself. For Oikawa, there’s obviously an uncomfortableness around this topic, this isn’t the first time he’s heard Iwaizumi bring this up. But it’s the first time he recognised Oikawas reaction from his own face, the truth of just how it affected him. How fucking long had Iwaizumi been his friend? How the fuck doesn’t he see what Oikawa is hiding? From what Kenma knows from Kuroo they’ve been friends since diapers, but are they friends, really? In fact if Kenma thought about it he couldn’t remember Iwaizumi saying one nice thing about Oikawa.
Later that night he pulled Oikawa aside.
“Woah Kenma, getting a bit handsy~”
“Are you okay?” Kenma interrupted, he didn’t have the mental capacity for the bullshit, he was worried. He needed to reach out. Oikawa looked shocked as if no one had ever asked that to him expecting anything other than his usual answer. Kenma looked worried and that took Oikawa back.
“I-wh- yeah of course I’m okay, why do you look like that? Your forehead will wrinkle if you keep up that expression, it looks weird on your face.”
“Cut the shit. Are you okay? I saw your face when Iwaizumi asked that question, I know we haven’t been friend long but I’ve watching you long enough to know your face and see past all this , this shit you put on.”
“I- I don’t want to talk about this.”
“Okay.” Oikawa again felt shocked, what was Kenma playing at?
“What? Just okay?”
“You don’t feel comfortable talking about this either right now or at all. That’s okay, I respect you and trust that when you’re ready or feel comfortable then you can talk to me. Just, if you need me to shut down that question when it comes up, all you gotta do is look at me and I’ll do it.”
“Kenma….I couldn’t ask you to do that, you hate being the center of attention in social gatherings I don’t want to do that to you.”
“I. Don’t. Care. I care about you more than that shit. This is one of the times I’ll be happy to take the spot light from you. Just, you don’t have to but the signal is there. Okay?” A small smile was the answer he got, one he’d never seen but it felt like he’d just won something no one else had.