No Need To Be Jealous

Aoi shivered and tugged the sleeves of his jumper further over his fingers. It hadn't been this cold when he'd left home but the wind had picked up and stung his cheeks and nose. Sniffing, he stared at the lit up school field with a grimace. Aside from a few collapsible drink stands and food kiosks there were less people out there than he'd expected, although he didn't have much to compare it to as he made it a point to avoid sports and all sport-related events. This was partly because he hated most physical activities except volleyball, but primarily because the students who liked to make fun of him tended to be there.

"Aoi-kun!"

It seemed he'd arrived earlier than Megumi, something that Aoi noted with a weird sense of triumph. She stopped in front of him, a hand resting delicately on her chest as she caught her breath and Aoi took in her outfit. He didn't know her that well so he couldn't be sure what her style was like outside of the school but it looked like she'd put some effort into her clothes. The pink puffy jacket paired well with a white jumper and blue jeans. Perched on her head, as if to incense him even more, was a white slouchy beanie with a cat face sewn on.

It was simple, innocent, cute.

In his plain blue jumper and dark-wash jeans and despite the setting, Aoi couldn't help feeling underdressed which was utterly unacceptable. Aoi was suddenly struck with the urge to say something incredibly cutting, just so they could be on even footing emotionally, however this action was interrupted by a cheerful voice calling out to them.

"Aoi-kun! Megumi-chan! You came!" Tsubasa ran over to them. She was wearing the school basketball uniform, one that probably didn't belong to her since she hadn't been around long enough to get one. Over that she wore a stereotypical jock jacket with her initials emblazoned on the front in blocky letters.

Out of the corner of his eye Aoi could see Megumi's face grow pink. "H-Hello Tsubasa-kun! How are you feeling?"

"Excited and a little nervous," she shrugged and pulled a face. "It's not like this is a serious game, but winner gets bragging rights which is almost as good as a trophy. I like your hat by the way! It's adorable!"

If Megumi's face hadn't been red before it definitely was now. "Oh, you really think so?"

"Yep!" Tsubasa replied with a bright smile. "It really suits you! Don't you think so Aoi-kun?"

With his arms folded tightly across his chest for warmth, Aoi narrowed his eyes and huffed, "...it's fine or whatever. When does this stupid game start anyway?"

Tsubasa resisted the urge to grin like a loon. He was so cute when he pouted like that though she wasn't sure why he was pouting. Was something wrong?

Jealousy was a terrible emotion and as someone who had already experienced this particular brand once, Aoi planned to one day find a way to delete that part of his psyche. Engrossed in his own thoughts, Aoi squeaked in surprise when Tsubasa was suddenly right in his face. This close he could smell the citrusy-sweet scent of her shampoo. Her eyes were so dark and focused and Aoi didn't know how to deal with being the object of that focus. "What the hell are you staring at?" He finally snapped.

Tsubasa cocked her head, her eyes never leaving him. "Aoi-kun, are you cold?"

What? "Um...yes, I guess I am?" Aoi replied quizzically. He glanced at Megumi, wondering if she'd caught their exchange.

"Then here!" Tsubasa shrugged her jacket off and in one smooth motion, swept it over his shoulders. "Is that better?"

The inside of the letterman was warm and soft. Here the scent of citrus was more concentrated and mixed with the smell of something more human. Although Aoi was aware that Tsubasa was much taller than he was, he hadn't quite let it sink in until this moment. The jacket hung down to his thighs and almost completely covered his hands. Aoi could feel his heart beginning to beat way out of control. This was bad.

Then he heard Tsubasa laugh. "Hey, you look great in my jacket! I'm almost tempted to give it to you!"

"D-Don't be ridiculous!" He barked at her, fiddling with the too-long sleeves. "It's obviously too big! You're way too tall! And why the hell are you giving this to me?! Girls aren't supposed to do that! It's not attractive!"

Tsubasa tilted her head to the side. "It's not?" She asked in that stupidly low voice and then she turned to the other girl. "Megumi-chan, what do you think?"

With the flustered motions of someone who hadn't expected to be addressed, Megumi clapped her hands to her cheeks. "I-I-oh-um! I think it's very attractive Tsubasa-kun!"

"Yeah well, you're a girl," Aoi scowled and rolled up the sleeves. Dammit the whole jacket felt like the most intimate hug he'd ever received and it made him wonder what it would be like to cuddle with her for real.

Tsubasa watched him do this with a smirk. Even though he complained a lot, she knew he still appreciated the affectionate gesture. She leaned closer and tapped her cheek. "Could I get a kiss for good luck?"

"As if!"

Suddenly a loud whistle pierced the ear, causing all three of them to jump and Tsubasa cursed. "I have to go! Sit where I can see you guys, okay? Bye!"

"Good luck Tsubasa-kun!" Megumi yelled after her. The bespectacled girl watched the object of her affections run back to the field and then turned to the grumbling boy standing next to her, draped in Tsubasa's personal jacket. The image was almost comical though a little disheartening. She poked his shoulder, jolting him out of his thoughts. "Aoi-kun, let's find somewhere to sit."

Short chapter but hey, no lecture! Just cute fluff all round. Next up: an evening date and maybe more?