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'LEVEL CLEARED' flashes across Kenma’s screen and he lets out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. That boss battle had been particularly frustrating and the newfound knowledge of never having to attempt it again has Kenma feeling like a small lizard resting on a warm rock. Waves of tranquility and relaxation wash over him as he lays his console facedown on his chest. He closes his eyes for a moment as he sinks further into the sofa. He folds his hands and rests them on his stomach, truly taking in the sudden contentment. In Kenma’s mind, he’s now nothing more than a fallen leaf floating down a calm river on a summer afternoon. Just as he’s about to flow over a small waterfall, a familiar voice pulls him from his nearly meditative state. Lev’s leg shakes slightly beneath Kenma’s head.
“You know, I think I’m getting pretty good at this,” Lev supplies, sounding at least 65% in deep concentration.
“You’re definitely determined,” Kenma hums, cracking an eye open to look up at the other.
“Right? Look!”
Suddenly, there’s blond obstructing Kenma’s view. As he blinks to try focusing his eyes, he feels his eyelashes brush against Lev’s handiwork. Kenma reaches up and takes the braid from the other’s grasp. He feels along the rope of hair as he holds it away from his face.
“It doesn’t feel horrible, actually… It feels…” he pauses for a moment, genuinely surprised. “Well, I might even go as far as to say ‘normal.’”
“Did you expect anything less from me?!” Lev gasps.
Kenma smiles, dropping the braid away from his face.
“Right, right. I’m sorry I doubted you.”
“It’s okay, I forgive you!”
Lev kisses the palm of his hand before clamping it down over Kenma’s entire face. Initially, the older boy sputters in shock. When he pushes the other’s hand away and sees the pleased expression on Lev’s face, he laughs exasperatedly. Lev’s satisfaction is replaced with mild panic as Kenma reaches for another braid. He quickly laces their fingers together and tightens his hold.
“Yeah, no. You can’t touch that one.”
“...why?”
“Uh… it’s… uh, you just can’t. It’s not… done yet?” Lev tries to smile, but it comes across as more of a grimace.
Kenma narrows his eyes, not buying a single word of it. He may have let it go, but Lev's reaction tells him this deserves investigating.
“Are you asking me or are you telling me?”
“Uh, telling… you?”
There’s a pause that’s almost painfully long. They stare back at one another before Kenma sighs.
“...That bad, huh?”
Lev deflates immediately. His shoulders droop and his head hangs, and his frown, despite its sincerity, is almost cartoonish.
“Hey, look at me.”
“What?” Lev pouts and it's too cute for Kenma to maintain his even expression.
He reaches up and holds Lev’s face in his hands, studying his face for a moment. He squishes Lev’s cheeks, exaggerating the pout even further into something much more fishy. Kenma’s smile widens even more as he takes it in.
“Genmuh, lehgooo” Lev whines.
It’s just pathetic enough that Kenma considers letting him go, but chuckles instead and smushes the other’s face even more. Clearly, the amusement is contagious as Lev can’t maintain his dejection and begins laughing, as well. Kenma drops his hands and admires the loveliness of Lev's smile. His heart swells a little as he watches happiness bloom across the other's face. And before he can think to stop himself, he grips the front of Lev’s shirt, giving it a tug forward. Lev stares at him, eyebrows raised, clearly not getting the message just yet. Kenma tries again, a little bit more force this time. Suddenly, Lev’s expression changes. His eyes narrow and his smile returns, but it’s much more mischievous than before.
“Ooh, I get it,” he announces smugly as he nods.
Kenma bites the inside of his cheek to try to keep from smiling, but it’s no use. He pushes himself up and allows his eyes to fall shut as Lev begins to close the distance between them. Unfortunately for the two boys, though, the sudden sound of the door unlocking startles them right out of the moment.
Lev jumps up, knocking Kenma (and his PSP) onto the floor. The older boy squawks and stares up at the other, eyes impossibly wide in shock. Lev’s gaze ping-pongs between Kenma and the door and suddenly, Kenma’s hoisted up off the ground by his armpits as his parents walk through the front door.
His father only raises his eyebrows at the scene as he toes off his shoes and takes their bags into the kitchen. Kenma’s mother, however, much to Lev’s horror, is significantly more curious.
“Oh! What are you boys up to?” she asks.
“Uhh, well, uh,” Lev sputters. “I saw o-online that, uh, you can… like, check the uh, temperament of cats by… um… holding them like this, and then uh…” and jostles Kenma back and forth.
“Stop it,” Kenma hisses and Lev immediately lets go, dropping him the short distance to the floor.
“This one’s a little crusty,” his voice cracks as he laughs awkwardly.
Kenma glares at him as his mother tries to hide her laughter behind her hand.
“The test seems reliable,” she coos as she puts her coat away.
She looks back over to the boys, but there’s something different in her expression. She’s staring at them, specifically Lev. Her brow furrows as she studies him and the attention makes the boy squirm. He starts fidgeting with his hands and glances at Kenma seemingly for help. As Kenma opens his mouth to speak, his father’s level voice cuts him off.
“Ken-kun, help me put the groceries away, would you?”
Kenma shrugs instead and sees the life drain from the other boy’s face as he scuttles away towards the kitchen.
Like a castaway trapped on a deserted island watching a plane pass him by, Lev feels his heart sink. He looks back to Kenma’s mother with his stomach in knots. She has never said or done anything to foster this fear of his, he knows that. But that knowledge makes absolutely no difference in moments like this.
“Come, Lev-kun,” she says quietly, waving him over.
He does as she asks, trying to seem as normal as possible, but the awkwardness in his gait is too obvious. Her mercy is comparable to a saint's for not pointing it out, Lev thinks as he stops in front of the small woman.
She stares up at him for a moment, tilting her head from side to side.
“Did you cut your hair?” she asks.
“Uh, yes, a little,” he nods quickly, both startled and confused by the question.
At his confirmation, she takes his face in her hands and turns his face back and forth. She lights up and her expression transforms immediately to something much warmer and excited.
“I knew it!” she beams. “You’re even more handsome now. Oh, you’re just too cute! You get more handsome by the day, don't you?”
She continues to coo as she squeezes his cheeks. The emotional whiplash is overwhelming, but the wave of déjà vu still makes him laugh and the tenseness begins to wash away. Now he sees where Kenma gets it from, too.
“And did you get taller? I swear you’re even taller than the last time I saw you! I don’t think you’ll ever stop growing. At this rate, you may be ten feet tall by the year's end!”
Her chattiness, however… well, that’s a different story.
Kenma places the produce in his hands on the counter as he looks towards the doorway. He can see Lev and his mother chatting in the foyer and it makes him smile. He’s got the ‘warm and fuzzies,’ as Lev would say. But getting caught staring would be embarrassing, so he quickly gets back to organizing the items with his father.
The two men work silently as the sound of Kenma’s mother and Lev chatting fills the space.
“Looks like you have some competition.”
His father’s words are barely audible, but they grab Kenma’s attention like a car crash. He nearly breaks his neck as he whips around to look at him. The vagueness makes him nervous, especially because he has yet to spill the beans.
“What? What do you mean?” he asks, trying (and failing) to sound as casual as possible.
The older man nods towards the doorway and Kenma turns just in time to see his mother grab Lev in a bear hug as they both laugh. He huffs a laugh and his father grins, shaking his head.
“Ah, I think we both do…”