The journey to the store was surprisingly normal. Sure, there were times where they stayed quiet and only their minds were noisy like uncoordinated drums. Which was very unlikely, the two had always been quite chaotic together. But other than the slight quietness, everything was alright.
Kenny did most of the talking, which consists of him talking about his boxing, or just random things that happened to him when he travelled to Milan, or Greece, or anywhere really. And some things Kenny wouldn't share with anyone except for Niko. Ever since they were kids, they never kept anything from each other. Well, except for the one most important thing. Their unwavering, and obvious, feelings towards each other.
And Kenny laughed too, which made Niko laugh because who wouldn't laugh when Kenny did? Kenny's laugh was so wholehearted, his body shakes when he laughs and he did it with all of his power. It's so Kenny. Unbeknownst to people that aren't quite close to him, Niko's actually pretty quiet. Sure, he's quite confident, and he can talk without feeling scared or anxious but he prefers to listen than to talk and that's one of the things only Kenny and George knows.
Which is why Niko would always love to be alone with Kenny, he can truly be himself, just staying quiet and listening to the rambles of his friend. And though Kenny seemed to be the quiet one in their videos. He actually didn't mind talking a lot, most of the times he spent with other people he's usually the reserved and the quiet one and he lets out that reserved energy when he's with Niko.
They are quite the perfect match. They never had to hide anything from each other. They thought
______________
When they arrived at the store to buy the blankets, the weather was quite windy but it didn't seem like it would rain. But then again, London's weather has always been stuck in the mud. It's so unpredictable.
"Alright, let's go in."
Niko wrapped Kenny's shoulders with his arms but he didn't even notice it himself until he actually did it. It was on instinct. He always did this to Kenny. And now his heart is thumping like crazy but he can't just let Kenny go. That'd be weird, because then it seems like Niko's uncomfortable doing it when all this time they'd always been like this. So Niko let it be.
When they went inside, that's when Niko unwrapped his arms from Kenny's shoulder.
Kenny's face was so flushed he thanked the god for letting him be born with a lot of melanin, because he would surely be as red as a shrimp if he wasn't.
When Kenny started to regain himself, Niko was just walking around but never far from Kenny. He realised that there were actually a lot of people.
Why were there a lot of people?
"Niko, why's there so many people?"
Niko looked back to where Kenny was, and it was just a normal gesture but Niko really is undoubtedly handsome.
"I mean, winter's coming soon so they're probably just like us. Buying blankets to warm themselves up."
Kenny hummed in response, and took a shopping basket. Niko already ran off to the Winter section that the store always held every end of the year for the winter. Though this year was quite early due to a very short chilling autumn.
Niko had always been quick on his feet, unlike Kenny who likes to take his sweet time. But in Kenny's defence –when Niko pointed it out and tried to use his slowness against him– it was just Kenny enjoying and savouring the moment and that's exactly what he's doing as he walked slowly.
He could hear his footsteps, and the chatter made by the crowd in the store had gone quiet.
His eyes glued at Niko, who was walking fast with large steps. But Niko's speed never really left Kenny behind, or made Kenny uncomfortable despite their contrast in a lot of things, it was as if Kenny and Niko were a mathematical equation, a calculation, they are completely different in terms of numbers, and signs and symbols but they somehow work. They work perfectly, and they don't need to think hard about ways to adapt to each other's differences because from the start, from the moment they first met, it came naturally to the both of them.
"Hey Niko! Wait up-" Kenny started to speed up as he walked past two men.
His eyes stared at them a second longer as he walked to Niko. How cute. Kenny thought. The two men were definitely a couple. They honestly looked like straight men, but Kenny didn't have to judge from looks as he had always been good at reading people (except for Niko, apparently) and he knows just by behaviour, that they must have some sort of attraction. And by how they are touching each other, and how close they are. They were definitely a happy couple.
In the back of Kenny's mind. He wondered if Niko ever looked at him like that, or if others saw them as a couple too. Kenny thought about it a lot because it's only a matter of time until Niko's heart gets stolen by a girl resulting in Kenny's own being permanently damaged.
Shut up. Kenny said to himself, he didn't know why. He just did.
Kenny looked away, not wanting to look like a creep and when he appeared besides Niko, Kenny nudged Niko's side with his shoulder, just because.
Two girls were talking to Niko. Beautiful girls. One of them had dark hair and a tan-ish skin, and quite tall. Around Kenny's height, all of the characteristics are just Niko's type. Kenny had to do something. Damn him. Ruining a possible happy relationship between his best friend and a potential lover because of his own selfishness.
When Kenny nudged his side, Niko's face brightened.
"Kenny! Took you long enough." Niko shot Kenny with that heart-stopping smile.
Kenny tried to play it cool, despite his heart pumping too fast out of ridiculous, stupid jealousy, and rolled his eyes.
"Sorry I don't have feet as large as yours to walk fast."
"You know what they say about big feet." Niko winked at him, and as always, when Kenny felt something too strongly, he laughed. He hid his face by covering his face with his arm and muttered a small idiot, and continued laughing.
The two girls just stared. They were Beta Squad fans, and they knew Kenny and Niko had chemistry. Obviously. But they didn't know it was that sort of chemistry. When Kenny appeared and they started talking. It was as if everyone around them had disappeared, and in their eyes, there was only each other. The two girls felt like they were interrupting something. They honestly felt more shy now to ask for a picture but it's not always that they meet Niko and Kenny shopping together at a random local supermarket.
The two girls apologised before asking for a picture with the both of them.
They asked for a random person to take their picture, and Niko had to crouch down a little to be of equal height so Kenny took the opportunity to wrap his arms on Niko's shoulders, and Niko had his hands on Kenny's waist. If Niko held it a little too firmly, they just ignored it.
The two girls giggled as they thanked Kenny and Niko, and left.
Then it was Kenny and Niko again.
"Alright! Blanket timeee" Kenny said a little too excitedly, just happy he had Niko all to himself again. How immature.
______________
When they had chosen blankets already, and actually sidetracked a little and bought some more winter clothing that they found quite worth it for its cheap price. They were walking to the counter when Niko realised something.
"Oh right! AJ wanted some Maja Blast, you go and pay, I'll buy one real quick."
"Alright." Kenny replied and walked to the counter, he saw the couple again.
The shorter one made eye contact with Kenny, and Kenny just smiled as he stood behind them, a few people then stood behind Kenny and he thanked himself for walking a little faster because the line was really long.
The shorter one smiled back, the man probably looked back for some time and caught the attention of the taller one.
The shorter one seemed more quiet, and the taller one said hi to Kenny.
"Hey there."
Kenny was a little surprised by the sudden conversation. It's not often people talk to strangers in a supermarket other than the cashier.
"Hi." Kenny tried to not sound as awkward, he's not the best with strangers, that's usually Niko's speciality. The shorter one gave Kenny a bright smile as they took one step to the front. A new customer on the line.
"You and your boyfriend make a very cute couple." The shorter one said, he sounded very happy and his voice was a bit high-pitched.
So we do look like a couple. Kenny thought, and it made him smile a little, he didn't realise it.
"Oh no- we're not- we're friends."
"Oh- sorry, I just thought-" The shorter one got a bit embarrassed and Kenny saw the way the taller one looked at him, and Kenny's heart ached a little, for reasons he was afraid to admit.
"Well, that smile says something different. It's okay, we were like that too." The taller one said and the other just nodded.
Another step to the front.
Why is this line taking so long? Kenny said to himself. And where the fuck is Niko?
"Oh- um-" Kenny's mind was in shambles. He's not good with conversations, especially with strangers. "It's just me- he's not-" Kenny stopped himself before saying something incredibly stupid. He didn't know why he said anything. Usually, he was able to control himself, no matter how awkward the situation might be. But there's something about talking to a couple that might have experienced what Kenny (and Niko) is experiencing, there's something oddly comforting about it.
The two looked at each other, a smirk appeared on both their faces and it's quite scary how similar they look.
"I personally think you two need to have a conversation." The shorter man said, and the taller man just nodded.
Before Kenny was able to reply, Niko suddenly appeared. It took Kenny by surprise and he let out an embarrassing and unmanly yelp.
Niko smoothly put the bottle of Maja blast and a few more drinks Niko took for the team, and when the bottles were safely put into the basket Kenny was holding, Niko wrapped his arm around Kenny's shoulder. Niko took his long arms to his advantage as it seemed like Niko was choking him with the arm, but he wasn't and Kenny was used to it.
Kenny punched Niko's side and Niko let out a small oof.
"Don't scare me like that." Kenny said, Niko's grip started to loosen but still there. Niko didn't like the two men, he didn't know why, he just didn't like that Kenny smiled at them with that smile.
See, Kenny had always been a smiley guy, but he had specific smiles and Niko memorises all of his smiles, and the smile Kenny had when talking to them wasn't the usual smile Kenny gave to strangers. So don't blame Niko getting a tiny bit possessive over Kenny. Niko hoped his action of wrapping his arms on Kenny was enough to show that Kenny's off limits.
Niko bit the insides of his tongue as his body did what his heart told him to, and not his brain. His brain said to let Kenny be, Kenny's not his boyfriend, and Kenny is certainly not his. But Niko's heart says otherwise, Niko's jealous. There. He said it.
The shorter one smiled as he saw what Niko did, and he gave a side glance to the other man. The taller one was certainly tall, but not taller than Niko. If Niko shot him a glare, it was only for a short moment because his gaze softened when Kenny warned him to not scare him.
"Sorry, sorry."
The two men Kenny talked to just smiled, Niko gave them a glance as he talked to Kenny.
"Who're these guys, Ken? You know them?" Niko hoped his voice wasn't as mean as he thought he sounded like. It was certainly deeper, but he didn't want to sound mean.
Kenny noticed the drop in Niko's voice, it usually meant Niko was irritated over something. And it was very rare to hear, Kenny doubted that the three other friends of them have actually ever heard it. Kenny looked at Niko, but his face didn't turn, only his eyes. Surprisingly, Niko had a smile on.
Yeah, maybe Kenny's just overthinking it. Like Kenny said, Niko's usually very friendly with strangers.
"I'm Tyler," the taller one said, replying to Niko's smile, and he copied Niko's gesture of wrapping his arms, but Tyler did it to the shorter guy. They both took a step to the front.
There's two more people before Tyler and the guy's turn.
"And this is my fiancé, Marco, he's Italian."
I wasn't talking to you. Niko said to himself, but he didn't say it out loud obviously.
Kenny smiled at them, Kenny found it cute that Tyler had to point out that Marco's Italian.
"I'm Niko."
His voice was the normal, friendly voice. Kenny didn't know why but he sighed in relief when he heard it. Tyler and Marco seemed like good guys.
"This is Kenny, he's Nigerian."
Kenny let out a small laugh, and the two men noticed the way Niko looked at Kenny as he laughed. Only the dumbest person would not notice that that gaze was a gaze of affection and love that's not of a friend.
"We're both Nigerian, idiot."
"Oh, right." All the irritation Niko felt a few seconds before disappeared as he laughed a little, and smiled at Kenny.
"It's nice to meet you guys," Marco said, and Kenny noticed that Marco and Tyler were already at the counter and Tyler took his card that was given back from the cashier.
"We have to go now, it's nice talking to you." Tyler said, and winked at Kenny before leaving. Tyler then gave a smirk at Niko, clearly just pushing Niko's buttons.
Niko unwrapped his arms as he whispered to Kenny, who was handing the cashier his card.
"I don't like them." Niko whispered, and Kenny looked at Niko with confusion.
Niko took two bags of their shopping spree, and Kenny took one. They walked outside as Kenny said, "What? Why? They're good people."
The wind was calm, but still cold. Kenny took his keys out and clicked it, his car beeping from afar.
"They're clearly flirting with you."
Kenny laughed.
"Just because they're gay, doesn't mean they flirt with every guy they see. Plus, they're engaged, Niko."
They arrived at the car, and Niko put the bags at the backseat while Kenny started the car, the bag he held was already at the backseat.
"Threesome exists, Kenny."
Why was Niko so irritated? Even Niko thought about that himself. So what if Kenny wanted to have a threesome, why would that bother Niko?
Why is Niko bothered? Kenny's not his. Damn it.
"Niko! That's so mean! Why would you say that." Kenny adjusted his seat, again and again and again as he said it. Kenny wanted to sound angry, but his actions were too adorable, it killed the anger effect.
"You didn't see the way Tyler looked at you? He was eyeing you up and down!"
Kenny stopped adjusting all of a sudden. Niko was holding on to the seat belt as he looked at Kenny.
Kenny can feel himself getting angrier, why would Niko say that? Kenny didn't think that Niko was homophobic. But clearly, Niko had never been rude to strangers, only rude to two men that were coincidentally gay. Kenny was mad, not because Niko talked shit about them, but because of the thought that Kenny was in love with Niko who apparently was homophobic, Kenny just realised.
If Kenny confessed to Niko. Would he be disgusted by him then? Would Niko pull that face of pure disgust and hatred, by the thought of Kenny just loving him like that.
Kenny was mad because all this time, Kenny had hope that Niko might like him back. All of Niko's actions, that made Kenny's heart flutter and made his stomach feel butterflies painfully, that no punch on the stomach could ever make him feel more painful. Was all of that just Niko being friendly?
Kenny knew it was a one-sided love. But to have it being confirmed because apparently, Niko's a homophobe (Kenny thought) and will obviously have no chance of loving him back. It hurts. This hurt him more than that time where Kenny had to see Niko kissing a girl from afar.
With his heart in his sleeves, and voice shaky. Kenny said, not screaming of course, he would never raise his voice to Niko.
"And why do you care anyways?" Kenny said. His voice was louder than he wanted it to be, and it plucked a string on his heart. Plucked it too aggressively, it might have broken.
Then Niko did something Kenny would have never expected he would do, never in a million years. But he did.
Niko kissed him.
_________________________________________________________________
A/N: next chapter will be 🤭
Maybe this is a bit too fast-paced, but I never wanted this fic to be long and slow anyways so why not get straight to the point right? Don't worry though, just because they kissed doesn't mean the fic is ending!!
I got too excited writing this because of all the comments I received from the previous chapter. You all are so so sweet, I had to upload the next chapter a bit earlier, just for you guys🥺❤️
Thanks for reading and the support. I love you guys smm. Comments and votes are always appreciated <33
(Next chapter will take quite some time to publish)