"Kenny?" Kenny heard Niko say.
Kenny groaned again. Of course he forgot to lock the door. Typical Kenny and him always fucking up everything when he's at a state of panic. Kenny's only state of being good under pressure is when he's boxing and training, anything other than that he's just a deer in headlights. His brain is blank, his muscles weak, vision blurry, and anxiety just wraps his heart like a newborn baby. He can't do well under pressure. And Niko just gave him the craziest amount of pressure Kenny had ever faced.
Kenny needed some time alone. To think and catch his breath and process what the hell just happened, process the fact that Niko, his best friend, his brother, one of his oldest friends that actually stayed with him. One of his friends that he surely could see in the future when they're older. Niko stayed with him for most of his life, more than half of his life, if Niko leaves him because of this. Kenny would honestly rather be buried alive, with spiders. And Kenny absolutely hates spiders.
He wouldn't dare chase Niko away. Not when they just kissed and Niko basically, in other words, confessed. Imagine if Kenny just chased Niko away after all of that? Friendship broken, and awkwardness will never leave them. Kenny wouldn't want that. Niko wouldn't want that. They'd rather die than be apart from each other, just imagining them not being around each other gave Kenny the most aching stomach pains he had ever felt in his life.
Kenny groaned on the pillow.
Niko just leaned on the door frame with his arms crossed. A faulty smirk on his face, it was shaky but a smirk is still a smirk and Kenny stole a glance as he covered his face with the pillow once again.
"Is it possible for you to get out and lock the door for me?" Kenny said through the pillow. Niko just laughed a little, and Kenny hated that that laugh made Kenny smile.
"I would, but Chunkz would kill me. And we need to talk about it, the more it's delayed..the more awkward it will be. " Fear was obvious in Niko's voice. Awkwardness between him and Kenny was the one thing Niko never wanted to experience even for just a second. Even when they first met, they already clicked and Niko had never felt any awkwardness with Kenny. Kenny was the only person he always felt like he belonged to since the start.
"What is there to talk about, anyways?"
Niko chuckled, and Kenny's face was still hidden on the pillow. Niko walked to the bed and Kenny could feel part of the bed sinking. Kenny blushed. Just by the thought of having Niko so close, it already got his face flushed up.
"Look, I'm not sorry I kissed you."
Kenny groaned at the pillow. God, Niko always knew how to make him act like a stupid teenager stupidly in love.
"Cause if I could turn back time, I'd kiss you again. Even right now, if you asked me to, I would."
"Nikooo, shut up." Kenny groaned loudly. Any more words that came out of Niko's mouth would surely make Kenny combust.
Niko laughed at the man, whatever Kenny's doing wasn't doing anything to help Niko's adrenaline calm down.
"But I am sorry that I kissed you without your consent- I don't know what came to my head, it just happened. And though I'm glad it did, cause Ken-" Niko slapped Kenny's thigh. They always did it, slapping each other (not violently, of course) on the arm, on the chest, on the thigh, anywhere. It was a form of playfulness and their usual banter, even the other three always did so. All of them were very close and they would always do everything together, all five of them, because they were all so close like family it really didn't feel like they had anything special.
Which might be the reason why they thought it wouldn't be possible for the other to like them back despite their lingering gazes when the other wasn't looking, their unnoticed protectiveness, and their silent jealousy.
"How long are we going to lie to ourselves and pine? I hope you know that kiss was genuine, it wasn't a prank or anything. I've fallen for you since we were little. I remember it clearly, the first time I made you laugh.."
And it was as if something just exploded, because Kenny looked at Niko, he was still lying down, too lazy to move, and Niko noticed Kenny looking at him and he looked at Kenny just for awhile before looking down again and continued, "when I heard that laugh and I was shocked myself that I made you do that. It felt as if I tripped onto a pit, and I didn't want to find a way out."
Niko remembered it clearly, Kenny could barely reminisce it. There were a lot of times where Niko made him laugh, and as far as Kenny could recall. Didn't Kenny laugh because of Niko the first time they met? Did he fall for him then? When they were still boys, and when their voices were still like chipmunks. Did Niko like him at that time already?
"I can take it slow. Whatever it is. But don't lie to yourself Ken, because I know, well, I hope, you feel the same way." Kenny never looked away from Niko at all, and when Niko looked back at him, their eyes locked.
Niko smiled, and it made Kenny's heart beat a little bit faster.
"Because if not, then this is going to be awkward."
Kenny started laughing with that heartfelt laugh and his body was shaking because of it, his eyes squinted, and his laughter was booming across the house. Chunkz and Sharky were out of the house, but AJ was downstairs. And AJ could hear it clearly, the laugh of Kenny that could make the most tragic of Russian literature, as bright as the sun and as happy a man could ever possibly be.
When Niko heard it, he felt a pang in his chest. It's like he fell for him all over again, every single time Kenny laughs, or smiles, or just touches Niko or just exists. It made Niko fall for Kenny even more than a second ago.
"Yeah, that'd be awkward wouldn't it?" Kenny was still laughing a little as he said it.
Kenny took Niko's pillow without realising it, and Niko thought of it as a Mission Successful. Young Niko would definitely start clapping.
The older man put the pillow to his face, to hide half his face and only his eyes could be seen by Niko, his lower part of his face hid by the pillow, Kenny was embarrassed as to what he's about to say. Not that he actually thought of what to say, but even without thinking, he'll know it's just going to be embarrassing.
"I- I fell for you too." Kenny hid his face on the pillow, then realised it smelled like Niko's and he started hiding his face even more.
Niko's eyes were wide, he too was just as "red" if that could describe what he's feeling, and how his body is reacting to the words -not that he actually is, thank his melanin for that- Niko put the palm of his large hand on his face, hiding it just a little, but his eyes are still stuck on the man that's just hiding his face. Unable to control the wide smirk that made its way to Niko's lips.
"Yeah? When?"
Niko knew he was pushing Kenny's buttons, but Kenny was just so fun to tease and Niko's self-control was too weak to not tease Kenny. Niko always knew he never was that strong anyways, why would he bother to pretend? He would pretend to be anything when it comes to YouTube and for content, but he would never do so when it comes to Kenny. Niko when he's with Kenny is as real of a "Niko" Niko could ever possibly be. No fake laughters, no facade, just bare and plain Nikolas Omilana.
"When you introduced me to the boys, you were so kind, and I was quiet, but you never ignored me and made me feel left out even when you knew everyone, even when back then, you were closest with George and not me because we haven't met for over four months because of my stepdad's job at France and I had to join. You welcomed me, maybe then."
Kenny said through his pillow.
"Or maybe- it was when you-"
"Okay- that's- stop-" Or I might kiss you again. Niko wanted to continue, but thank his common sense and intellectual self that he stopped.
Niko was a blushing mess. Both his hands were on his face, but Kenny noticed the way Niko tried to bite the smile out his face. Perhaps, Niko was just as deep into this as Kenny was.
That was way more detailed than what Niko thought would come out of Kenny's mouth. The idea of Kenny remembering it so clearly, so descriptively, of when he fell for him. And Kenny wanted to continue too, there were more moments when Kenny thought it was those times that he realised he fell for Niko. And Niko thought he was the one having the upper hand at this, teasing Kenny and all, if Kenny were to do the same things and teases Niko too, Niko would actually consider jumping off a mountain.
Kenny laughed again, and it eases Niko's racing heart but at the same time making it beat even faster. It was never simple when it comes to Kenny, and Niko liked it that way, he loved being challenged.
"We could do it-"
Niko would tease him, but he himself was afraid that what would come out of his mouth would backfire him.
"Go slow- I mean. Preferably."
Niko regained his composure, and released his large hands from his face, and the way Kenny was eyeing those hands made Niko thought about things he would preferably let stay between him and his mind. Maybe try it out, too. When they were further in their developing relationship.
"That's all I needed." Kenny pulled his face away from the pillow, "After the shoot in two days, let's go on a date." Niko continued.
"Okay."
"Don't wear too many layers though, I want to tear it from your body easily." Niko said as he stood up and winked at Kenny.
Kenny laughed loudly, trying to hide and ignore the way his body burnt up just by Niko's words. Just by the thought of it.
Kenny threw Niko's pillow at him, and it hit Niko's back.
"Get out!" Kenny said, traces of laughter still there.
When Niko closed the door shut, and Kenny heard the click. He hid himself under their blanket.
Niko was outside their door, he fell to his knees, and sat down on the cold floor just outside. He didn't flinch when the coldness touched his skin.
"Fuck." They both said under their own circumstances and situations.
Even by a coincidence, and even by words. It seems like the world will always find a way to make them share everything, even their own hearts.
___________________________________________________________
A/N: a little short for the night, honestly I kinda liked this chapter. A bit rushed, grammars and English might be wrong a little, excuse me for that, it's not my first language.
But anyways, I just want to thank all of you for all the comments, it's really so so sweet, just know I read every single one, I may not reply to each comment but just know I appreciate it all.
This fic might only have a few chapters left, dw I have a new fic in my mind but I might upload that on ao3 instead of here so for updates, just check my messages here on wattpad, or preferably on tumblr.
Don't forget to vote and comments are always appreciated <33