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"Do you think they'll ever make a snow cone flavor that tastes bad?" Kaminari asks while he gleefully stabs and stirs the dripping syrup into the ice.
"I don't think you can really talk when you just get cherry, dude," Sero laughs. "That's like the og of flavors."
"Hey! I don't think you can talk either, Mr. Blue Raspberry!" Kaminari waves his spoon at Sero's very blue snow cone.
"And I will happily be Mr. Blue Raspberry til the flavor doesn't exist anymore," Sero affirms with a mock salute.
"It's just so good. It can't be that good." Kaminari licks up the side of his cup and dances where he sits.
"They're just that good." Sero nods.
It's their summer tradition to ride their bikes out to Mrs. Tanaka's store and get snow cones. The two of them will race their bikes there from their houses and pretend to reflect about other flavors while Mrs. Tanaka laughs at them. Somehow it gets even funnier every time. Then with their favorite flavors, they walk over to the picnic table in the park. Snow cones in the summer started as a special event to mark the beginning of the season, but now they go whenever the other texts. (Going alone would be betrayal though)
It's too good to only get once.
"Is mah tongue blue?" Sero asks, sticking out his tongue and crossing his eyes trying to see it himself.
Kaminari stares at the blue tongue and Sero's smiling lips. He doesn't answer the question. Kaminari just blurts out, "Wanna make purple?"
Sero's blue stained mouth is hungry again with his heart's growing appetite. "Yes," Sero answers quickly without thinking. Too quickly.
Everything happens at once. It's like time stops for them to sit in the most awkward moment of Sero's life. The wind slows down, the birds and bugs quiet down, and it feels like the sun is a spotlight on the two of them now. Kaminari's whole face goes pink as he slaps a hand over his mouth and starts to apologize. Stuck in his own head, Sero's ears are burning and he's frozen at the table.
"That was way too far, dude. I'm sorry. I should not have done that and—"
"It's fine," Sero interrupts and he means it, but maybe he shouldn't say it. Maybe Sero should let Kaminari apologize and then they could pretend nothing happened. His heart squeezes in his chest. "I…don't mind."
Kaminari stops talking. And looks at Sero. Then down to his lap.
"Do you…want to?"Kaminari asks.
"Want to what?" Sero can't focus on anything with his heart screaming in his ears.
Groaning, Kaminari buries his face in his hands. "Dude, come on. I feel like I'm dying."
Sero squints at his best friend. "What?" A strong breeze blows right through the both of them, fluttering Kaminari's hair in the wind. It's pretty. And the last thirty seconds catch up with him again. Sero wonders if all the brain freezes over the summer have made him start to hallucinate. The sugar feels thick in his throat when he answers, "Oh!…Wait, seriously?"
"Yeah, I wouldn't mind kissing you," Kaminari says almost breathless.
Blue raspberry ice gets caught in Sero's throat as he coughs hysterically into his fist. He wasn't expecting that answer. Ignoring all the daydreams he's had about kissing Kaminari, Sero didn't think Kaminari would think about kissing him. He looks up at Kaminari who looks…nervous, tapping his fingers together and taking a deep breath.
"Really?" Sero backtracks, "I mean same, yeah."
"Okay," Kaminari gulps.
It feels like he's sweating buckets when Sero leans forward with Kaminari. He can't take his eyes off his face, waiting for the microsecond that Kaminari says he's joking, but it never comes. Sero's eyes flutter shut at the last moment. Am I doing this right?
The kiss is more of a press than anything. Cherry syrup sticks to his lips and Sero feels like he's having a sugar rush with his heart beating so fast. It's over as soon as it started.
They're inches apart as Kaminari scrunches his nose and blinks back at him. Sero bites back the urge to lick his lips. Obviously, Kaminari regrets everything or thinks Sero is disgusting now. Their friendship can never be the same and Sero will just have to drown in his own unrequited crush forever. But before he can open his mouth, Kaminari beats him with, "Can we try that again? I feel like that could've gone better."
Oh.
Sero's heart skips a beat.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," he stammers. (Which is a lie- Sero was only cheering and thinking about how he actually got to kiss Kaminari)
They scooch closer together on the picnic bench, knees knocking against each other. Kaminari smiles into Sero's mouth and Sero can't help himself as he reaches up to cup his face. That little touch was enough of an ignition for them to sigh and melt into each other more. Sero feels Kaminari's hands hold his forearms.
As they pull away for a second time, Sero can only think of the cherry on his lips. His hands slide down and rest onto Kaminari's shoulders. It's hard not to lean forward and pull Kaminari close again. Can he do that? Sero feels like he's floating. "Dude, was that real?"
Kaminari nods eagerly. "I think so, yeah" He taps his fingers on Sero's arms and shrugs. "I want it to be."
The realization of the confessions slams right into Sero's heart. He sits up a little bit. Sero's cheeks feel a little sore from smiling too hard, but Kaminari looks nervous and Sero can't help himself. "Me too."
Sero flinches at the speed that Kaminari grabs his hands. "Wait, actually?!" His eyes are all wide and it makes him look like that hamster emote they use in their texts and Sero is getting cuteness aggression.
Luckily enough, Sero has enough restraint to not jump off this picnic table and fling himself away with his quirk and just says, "Yeah."
He shakes Sero's arms around and Sero can't help but laugh. Kaminari yells, "Since when??"
"Since a long time ago," Sero assures with a wide smile. It started some time last year and it spiraled from there with no stopping. It made squad movie nights and sleepovers so hard, but if Sero can be a hero, he can ignore his gay feelings for his best friend.
"Oh, me too." Kaminari puts their arms down and Sero takes the opportunity to interlace their hands together. Kaminari's face gets significantly more red at. Sero feels the same with his probably sweaty hands. Kaminari looks back up at Sero. "Your hair is sticking up by the way. That's my bad."
Sero pulls a hand away from Kaminari to try to brush his hair down, grimacing at the massive cowlick he can feel. "Is it better now?"
Kaminari rolls his eyes and giggles into his free hand. "It's so bad."
"Hey! I thought you liked me!"
"I do!" Kaminari gasps and the sentence sounds alarms in Sero's head. He never thought he would hear that, but the warmth of Kaminari's hand in his anchors Sero down.
"So…do you come here often?" Sero asks.
"Okay, maybe I don't…" Kaminari deadpans, rolling his eyes.
Sero gasps, shaking and squeezing their hands together. "That's so mean! Would a boyfriend say that?" The question honestly slips out on accident, but as soon as it leaves Sero's mouth, he realizes how much he wants that. "…Would you want to be?" Sero asks.
Kaminari smiles wide. "Yeah, I'd like that."
"Help me fix my hair then, boyfriend," Sero says, trying to somehow press down his wild hair. He doesn't let go of Kaminari's hand though. Sero has priorities.
"Don't bother." He leans into Sero's space and cups his cheek, stealing another kiss from Sero.