The volleyball smacked off of Haruka's hand and slammed into the floor on the other side of the net. She landed, bending her knees to absorb the shock, and took a few steps back as Yukie tossed another one. She repeated this, jumping and spiking and landing and backing up, for another five tosses, and then Yukie reached into the volleyball holder and came up empty.
"Let's take a break after we collect them," Yukie said, and Haruka nodded, breathing hard. They'd been practicing for a while already – on their own, but since they were the oldest and held the most sway on the team, they had a key to the gym.
The two of them collected the volleyballs quickly, and then Haruka grabbed her water bottle from the side of the gym and drank nearly half of it at once. She breathed out, chest rising and falling like she'd just run a marathon. "How long were we practicing?" she asked. Yukie checked the time.
"Forty minutes," she said.
"Felt like ten," Haruka said. She wiped sweat out of her eyes and pushed her bangs back, flattening them against her skull. They stuck straight up as soon as her hand left her head, and Yukie giggled. "Hm?"
"Your bangs are trying to escape," Yukie said, and Haruka smoothed them back down again, a slight flush entering her cheeks. "Come on. Let's do another set or two."
About an hour later, Haruka Tanizawa and Yukie Utsumi left the school, freshly showered and starving. "Hey, let's stop and grab something to eat," Haruka said, eyes dancing over the fast food restaurants they were passing. "You don't have anything going on tonight, right?"
"Hm… I don't think so," Yukie said. She pulled her planner out of her bag and flicked through the pages as they walked, pen in her teeth muffling her speech. "Nope. I don't even have much homework tonight, either."
"Great!" Haruka said. She put an arm around Yukie's shoulders, smiling brightly. Yukie put her planner back on her back and removed the pen from her mouth. The two of them chatted a little as they walked, little things like school and volleyball practice. It was easy to get lost in conversation – the two of them had been close for a long time, and they clicked. They knew exactly what to say, and even when there were lulls in conversation, they weren't awkward. They would just walk quietly and enjoy the other's company.
They popped into a restaurant that they often frequented with the rest of the volleyball team after games. Haruka was feeling fairly good about her decision when Yukie grasped her wrist. "I forgot my wallet at home," she said.
"I'll pay for you, then," Haruka said, shrugging. She smiled. "It's what friends do, right? It's fine!"
"I'll owe you a meal, then," Yukie said, smiling back, and Haruka met her eyes longer than she'd meant to. She felt like she almost got lost in them whenever their eyes met – it was clichéd, it was stupid, and it made no sense, but it was true. She tore her eyes away as they ordered, and soon they were seated across from each other.
After their food came, there was a small break in conversation while their hunger was tamed a bit. After a few minutes of nothing but eating. Haruka sat back in her chair. Yukie looked up at her, swallowed, and copied her pose. Haruka was suddenly, intensely overwhelmed with her love for the shorter girl.
"Thank you," Haruka said.
"Hm? What for?" Yukie asked. She laughed a little, that clear laugh she had that made most boys look nervously at each other. "You're the one paying for my meal. I should be the one thanking you."
"No," Haruka said, shaking her head. "For just… for being you. For practicing volleyball with me and going out to eat with me-" everything was pouring out of her mouth now, all of her feelings and everything she loved about Yukie and she felt like if she tried to stop, she wouldn't be able to. "-And just being you. For being so kind and smart and such a great leader."
Yukie covered a hand with her mouth, but Haruka could still see the smile spreading across her cheeks. Encouraged, Haruka continued.
"For being the best setter that any attacker could ask for. For encouraging the team when we lose. For making me feel proud to feel part of the team with you. If you were gone, I'd still play, but I wouldn't love it as much as I love playing with you."
"H-Haruka," Yukie said. She took the hand away from her mouth and Haruka's heart nearly stopped when she saw that smile. Yukie leaned forward, braids hanging down to nearly touch the table. They were frozen for a second before Yukie spoke again. "Can I try a bite?"
Haruka stared at her, and Yukie laughed a little.
"I'm sorry, I really did appreciate… you're the best person ever, and that was so nice," she said. Haruka swatted her head lightly with the palm of her hand, but pushed her plate over to Yukie anyway. "You make me proud to be a volleyball girl, too."
And at that moment, Haruka Tanizawa knew that she would never fall out of love with Yukie Utsumi.
This was requested by an anon on Tumblr… a long time ago, but either way, they wanted a Haruka/Yukie, and this turned out sort of maybe one-sided, but not really? I don't know. They're cute. Angel's Border was so cute.