Edited 11.05.2021
Trust
If there was one thing Hana didn't miss about Torio's presence, it was his habit of following her around like a shadow. After leaving dinner the following night, Hana had assumed she wouldn't see Torio for a couple of days. A fact that was quickly proven wrong.
Instead, she was giving her older friend a blank stare as he stood across her with an innocent smile.
"What are you doing here?" Her voice came out sternly and Hana mentally applauded herself.
Shrugging, Torio just gave her another smile, "I wanted to see how my old team was fairing. As it is now, I'm not sure if it qualifies as an improvement."
"We aren't actually practicing today," Hana rolled her eyes, "It's a training day for the new recruits. You're just going to scare them off."
"Oh well," Torio waved his hand before turning around to address to rest of the team, "A few of you guys know me, but I see some new faces out there. My name's Torio Kano and it's a pleasure to meet you!"
The only two people that knew Torio were Kitano and Iseri. The former had a bright grin on his face and the latter had raised an incredulous eyebrow. Jumping from his seat, Kitano marched up to Torio with a grin, "It's been a while! How have you been?"
"Eh, it's been alright," Torio reached a hand out and rubbed Kitano's head, "Where'd your hair go?"
Slapping his hand off with a laugh, Kitano was about to reply but Iseri stepped forward instead, "Torio-san, it's a surprise to see you."
"Still so protective, huh Iseri?" Torio joked and Iseri's eyes narrowed minutely, "Little flower told me you're the captain now, I never would have figured."
"Yes," Iseri's eyes narrowed further, suspicion lining the crinkle of his eye, "Where have you been?"
Torio blinked, "I'm sorry?"
Kitano and Hana exchanged wary glances. As soon as Hana realized where the conversation was going, she bounced forward to try and intercept Iseri. The skinny teen easily sidestepped her before he continued, "You said you would visit. Yet, it's been over a year now?"
"Did you miss me?" Torio gave him a smile, "You're so serious, little man."
By this point, Iseri's eyes were practically closed as he radiated announce. The captain's mouth was in the process of opening when Hana was finally able to come between the two. Standing in front of Iseri, Hana crossed her arms and addressed Torio, "Okay, okay. You've had your visit. Don't you think it's time to go?"
"What's the big rush, Hana-chan?" Kitano cut in, "He won't distract anyone."
"He's distracting me," Hana deadpanned and Iseri gave a subtle nod in agreement. The three second years were all exchanging concerned looks as they watched the interaction between their upperclassmen. All of the third years had very volatile presences and this might end in a shit show.
"I wasn't meaning to distract," Torio bowed his head, but Hana caught the devious glint of his eyes, "Although, I have several ways to do so if you'd like."
"You are a depraved individual," Hana scowled.
"Don't speak that way," Iseri added from behind Hana's shoulder.
"Ew," and that was Uoya.
"That was cute," Torio turned to Kitano, "Do they always do that?"
"Unfortunately," Kitano sighed out. He could already hear Iseri's incoming complaints.
The past captain and the current captain had never gotten along. Ever since Iseri had joined the basketball team, Torio had rubbed him the wrong way. While Hana and Kitano essentially worshipped the ground the older teen walked on, Iseri could have cared less. He'd never been swayed by pretty faces.
"Look," Uoya finally found the courage to speak to the older boy, "Torio-san? We really need to get started."
"And who are you?" Torio peered down at the gray-haired teen. He raised his pierced eyebrow and stepped closer to the younger boy. With a recently developed sense of bravery, Uoya stood firm.
"Uoya Kazuhiro."
"Well, Uoya-kun," Torio gave the smaller teen a smile before crouching to see him at eye level, "How did you join this team?"
Uoya blinked at the tone of the older teen's voice. It sounded like a slinky car salesman and he didn't trust it for a second. The second year was about to voice his opinion, but a quick glance around had him pausing. Kitano had a small grimace on his face and was slowly shaking his head. His captain, Iseri, still had his eyes narrowed on the high schooler.
Behind him, Hana was growling and Uoya had a mental image of a mother bear. "Don't do that," Hana barked and advanced toward Torio with a jabbing finger, "Play with someone else, not him."
"I wasn't going to play," avoiding her, Torio's lower lip jutted out, "I just want to tease him a bit."
"No," she snapped, "None of your damn mind games."
Uoya transferred his eyes away from Torio to look at Hana in curiosity, "Mind games?"
Rolling her eyes, Hana pointed at Torio, "This asshole was going to mess with your head. Don't trust a word he says and if asks you a question, don't answer."
"Flower…" Torio whined and gifted Hana with an exasperated expression, "Don't rat me out."
Hana held firm, "You're not messing with him."
"We're beginning practice now," Iseri's voice traveled over everyone. The new captain began to walk into the center of the gym, yet his eyes never left Torio, "Thank you for visiting, Torio-san, but now I must ask you to get off the court."
"Fine, fine," Torio brought his arms to rest behind his head and gifted Iseri a small smirk, "I'll be on the bleachers."
Around her, the air radiated with the uncertainty from the first years, the anger coming from Iseri, the caution from Uoya, and Hana raised a hand to cover her eyes. What a mess. Feeling someone come up beside her, Hana removed her hand to look at Kitano. The bald boy was watching Torio's back contemplatively.
"Does he seem different to you?" Kitano questioned.
"Very much so," Hana retorted, "Do you still trust him?"
"I think so," Kitano frowned and side-eyed her, "Do you?"
"Yeah." Maybe.
By the end of practice, Hana was happy with what they got. Four new first years were sorted to second string and she didn't have a single complaint. Okay, one was kind of a dick, but she could fix that. In complete opposition to her statement, Torio was less than pleased. A fact that he hadn't stopped talking about.
Since coach hadn't been able to show up to practice today, Hana's little group had taken advantage of his office. The small room had a circular table in the middle and several file cabinets leaned against the walls. Hana, Kitano, Uoya, and Iseri were all seated at the table with several papers spread out between them. The faces of each new player were laid out in front of them as they discussed possible positions for each person.
"I don't like Shirai," Torio was standing beside their group when he spoke. In sync Hana, Iseri, and Uoya rolled their eyes. Ignoring them, Torio continued, "He can't shoot to save his life."
"That's why Uoya's going to coach him," Hana repeated. She'd said the same thing four times already.
"But," Torio's voice had the silky quality she had learned to be cautious of, "Are you not friends with the first-string team? Couldn't you call in a favor?"
"No," Hana growled as she began to scratch out the practice schedule for next week, "I told you, we're in a tough spot right now."
"Yet, you continue to help them?"
"They're friends," Uoya defended Hana. Giving Uoya a soft smile, Hana trailed her eyes back up to Torio's face. The older boy had a frown and Hana didn't like it. Not for the fact that he was angry, but for the fact she knew she wouldn't like what he had to say.
His frown suddenly smoothed out and Torio nodded sagely, "So they're using you."
"Yep," Kitano agreed from his chair before throwing a player's file into the middle of the table. The rest of their grouping turned to him in horror, but Kitano just shrugged his shoulders, "You guys know my opinion on the whole thing."
"I will destroy you," Hana deadpanned. The pencil in her hand had a good weight to use as a projectile.
"I know," Kitano sighed out, "But please don't."
"You two are still so cute," Torio watched them with a smile as he leaned against the wall behind them. He caught Kitano's eye with a pleasant grin, "But, Kitano? Could you enlighten me?"
"Kitano-kun," Iseri finally spoke up. Putting down his paper, Iseri's eyes directed toward Kitano and held a douse of warning, "Be careful with your words."
"I'm not sure this is a good idea," Uoya spoke up. He didn't like the look on Torio's face or how tense Hana had become at the subject change. The way her jaw clenched confirmed his suspicions, "Shouldn't this be something Hana-chan talks about? Kitano-san doesn't know the whole story—"
"I think he knows enough," Torio intervened, "Besides, my little flower was never good with telling the truth."
"You know I can't lie to you," Hana scowled down at the paper before turning her glare onto her old mentor, "Just let me explain."
"No, no. I'd rather hear it from Kitano," moving from his place against the wall, Torio crouched down beside Kitano's chair. His face changed into a look of open concern, "What's been happening?"
"Kitano—" Hana began, but the bald boy's mouth had already opened.
"They started talking to each other before summer last year," Kitano's voice trailed off as he talked, "They spent all summer together and she entered this screwed-up deal with Akashi. He made her come to all their games and they basically made her into a slave—"
"That's enough," Hana growled, "That's not how it went!"
"From my view, it seems pretty close to the truth," Kitano shrugged, but his eyes held a hint of apology, "Sorry though. I shouldn't talk for you. I don't know what came over me…"
"Now, now, flower. I did ask him," Torio cut in as he stood up from his position beside Kitano. As he stalked toward her chair, Hana eyed him warily. Everyone else did the same until Torio finally spoke, "So these guys are your friends?"
She hissed, "Yes."
"But I don't see much friendship in that story," Torio passed her and circled around their table, "Don't friends visit with one another? How come I haven't seen any of them recently?"
"You've been here a day!" Hana stood up from her chair and slammed her hands against the table, "What are you trying to imply?"
"They're using you," Torio stopped and stood directly ahead of her in between Iseri and Kitano, "How can you not see it? I taught you better than that."
Her retort died in her throat as Hana continued to stand. Her jaw clenched and unclenched repeatedly, but she couldn't find words to defend herself. He was right, he had taught her better. She'd ignored his warnings about first string team. But, still, "They aren't using me."
"You gave him your notebook," Torio's voice lowered into a soft tone, "He's played you and you haven't even realized it."
"We aren't talking about that anymore! You made your opinion of that decision pretty clear yesterday," Hana paused as she rethought her encounter with Akashi, "And I told you, I trust him."
"Well, that makes you quite the idiot then," Torio's smile became chilled before it evened out as quickly as it came, "Although I won't hold it against you. You'll understand when it happens."
That was enough. Stupid self-righteous prick.
"I'm leaving," Hana began to gather her papers together, "I'm not talking about this, it's bullshit. You're using your damn scare tactics on me and I'm not falling for it."
"I warned you," Torio's shoulders lifted into a shrug, "My duties as a protector are done."
"Screw off, Torio," Hana growled before slapping her backpack onto the table. Shooting the other inhabitants an apologetic glance, she mumbled, "Sorry guys. I'll see you next practice okay? And Uoya? I'll text you later."
Hana left the office in a huff, slamming the door behind her for good measure. In the room, Torio let out a soft sigh before glancing at the rest of the group, "My apologies. I'll be taking my leave as well."
Instead of following Hana's example, Torio softly closed the door behind him.
"Uhm," Uoya rambled in the now tense silence, "What just happened?"
"Shit," Kitano brought a hand to his forehead and leaned the chair he was sitting in backward, "Every conversation with him feels like an interrogation."
"One which you obviously failed," Iseri deadpanned.
At the middle of the table, Uoya waved his hand around to get his seniors' attention, "You still haven't told me what happened!"
"I didn't fail!" Kitano ignored Uoya, "And what about you! He got you riled up in three seconds flat!"
Uoya began again, "Guys?"
"At least I understand loyalty. You threw Hana-chan under the bus the second he asked you," Iseri sniffed delicately, "Not one of your best moments."
"I didn't mean to! He did that mind trick!" Kitano argued and stood up to glare into Iseri's face, "You would have done the same!"
"I wouldn't have fallen for his deceit," Iseri raised an eyebrow, "I'm smarter than you."
"Guys," Uoya groaned and slammed his head into the table repeatedly, "This isn't the time!"
Unfortunately, neither boy listened.
xXx
Trust is a valuable thing.
It's the foundation of relationships, it's the mark of honesty, and for Hana it was everything. For a five-letter word, it had a lot of meaning. If Hana didn't trust someone, she didn't associate with them. Plain as that. It got a little difficult with certain people, mainly Torio and Akashi, but at the end of the day, Hana would still say she trusted them.
Maybe that was foolish on her part.
Today, Hana was heading toward the first-string's game alone. Torio had his own duties to attend to and Hana hadn't pried. Whenever she asked about his team, Torio would become reserved and deflect each question with practiced accuracy. This brought back the issue of trust and its relationship with her life.
Hana trusted Torio, so she would not snoop. Even though, I'm still kind of pissed at him.
As she walked up to the stadium, Hana stopped and just stared. So many faces, so many people. If you were philosophical, you'd make a quote about the similarities of humans to ants. Too bad Hana wasn't. Instead of comparing mortality to insects, all she could focus on was the clenching of her chest. It felt like a ghost had shoved his hand into her heart and grabbed it, squeezing it between its icy fingers. Her hand traveled over her breastbone at the imaginary pain.
This feeling… The stadium in front of her began to take on a threatening tone and for a moment, Hana just wanted to turn back. What did she have here that required her presence? A bothersome voice in the back of her head answered. Friendship.
But, did she really?
Torio's warning came back into her head as Hana forced her feet to move forward. She hoped he was wrong. Every inch of her begged for him to be incorrect in his hypothesis. They weren't using her. They were still friends. This was just a phase and everything would be normal by the end of the year. Right?
The walk into the gym was a blur of passing colors and Hana hadn't registered any details until she was beside Momoi. The fellow manager was giving her a concerned look and Hana blinked back into reality, "Sorry?"
"Are you okay, Ima-chan? You look really pale."
"Yeah," Hana couldn't make eye contact with Momoi, "I just feel like something bad is going to happen."
With a small grimace, Momoi nodded, "It does feel really tense."
Peering around her, Hana understood Momoi's words. The miracles were still standing, but similar to the first-time Hana talked to them, they weren't speaking to one another. Kise and Kuroko were sitting next to each other, but Kise's attention was directed toward his flashing phone screen. Leaning against the bleachers, Aomine was sprawled on the floor with his eyes closed.
The closest one to Hana, Midorima, was looking over the team with a critical eye and Murasakibara was chewing on a piece of candy. The purple giant spoke a moment later, "Where's Aka-chin?"
"I'm not sure," Kuroko responded before standing from his seat, "Akashi-kun may be running late."
"Of course he is," Aomine groaned, "Why the hell do we have to be on time when he never is?"
"Aomine-kun," Momoi chastised, but the ace player ignored her reprimand. Hana had half a mind to scold him herself, but the tightness in her chest was leaving her speechless. Teenagers can't have heart attacks, right? God, Hana hoped not.
"You know," Hana finally began, her attention on Momoi, "Akashi-san said I didn't have to talk to reporters anymore. I should probably go sit in the stands."
"No, you don't have to do that! Coach doesn't mind," Momoi argued back. The rest of the miracles had drifted into silence as the two girls talked and Hana found the sensation unnerving. Her green eyes traveled over to Kuroko and Hana quirked an eyebrow.
The ghost player nodded his head to her before responding, "I don't believe sitting with us causes a problem, Imamura-chan."
"Tetsuya is correct," the voice came from behind her and Hana jumped forward. Spinning around, she came face to face with Akashi, "I don't mind for the time being. Although," His hands moved forward and Hana zeroed in on her binder, "This belongs to you."
Akashi offered the binder toward her and Hana reached a slow hand forward to grab it, "…Thanks. Uhm, did you get what you need?"
"I did," Akashi didn't offer more before he headed toward the rest of his team. Bringing the binder to her chest uncertainly, Hana's eyes trailed after the captain. The book felt like lead in her hands and Hana couldn't quite figure out why. Her mind twisted in circles as she warily watched the miracles head out to the court.
Somethings going to happen.
About thirty minutes into the game, Hana realized why her chest hurt. It had been a warning she should have heeded. This game… wasn't even a game. The miracles were playing like a lion would play with its food. They knew they would win, there was no doubt in their mind about that. But by god, Hana wanted to puke at their display.
As Aomine tossed the ball to the other team, Hana felt her stomach heave.
Words couldn't even begin to describe how sickened she was. Nothing they had done in the past compared to the horrible examples they were displaying now. Apparently, Hana wasn't the only one upset. Beside her, Momoi's grip on her clipboard had turned her knuckles white and Kuroko, who was standing in the background, turned away from the game.
Revolted was a good description to define how Hana felt now. Add in a touch of humiliation on behalf of her association with the team and you had her feelings in a nutshell. Across the court, her green eyes traveled after a rival team member who had just been subbed out. As she watched the young-looking boy retreat to his team bleacher, Hana froze as the boy bent over and began to sob.
Her eyes blurred over and she had to stomp the urge to cry with him. This isn't humane. This isn't right.
Besides the twirling bile in her stomach, Hana was experiencing another sensation. The binder still clutched in her hands practically burned. Did she have a part of this? Akashi had borrowed her information; did he use it to complete this annihilation? Torio's words sunk into her brain, an unending repetition of the word used.
If Akashi had used her information today, then Hana was used. Betrayed, in a way.
Betrayed, because Hana had a hand in this. Now, the fate of the crying boy and his broken team rested in her hands too. No matter how small her portion was, Akashi had included Hana into this monstrous plan and the fact hurt. This wasn't something she could be a part of. This behavior could not have her name on it. Her throat felt tight and Hana buried her face into her hands.
God, she heard the whistle ring, signifying a foul. What if this was my team? Would they do the same to them?
The rest of the game continued in the same uncivilized behavior. When the boys would return to the sideline, Hana refused to make eye contact or talk to any of them. The only ones left out of her irritation were Momoi and Kuroko, both not participating in the display. When the final buzzer rang, Hana was ready to get the hell out of there and never come back. 198 to 8.
The pain inside her chest began to suffocate her and she couldn't do this anymore.
As the miracles returned to their side of the court and began to gather their items, Hana stood. Fiery, green eyes narrowed on the redhead as she declared, "Seijuro."
Saying his name without respect felt good. To put him on her level, if only for a moment. A petty form of revenge, but revenge nonetheless. Let the consequences be damned. Despite the temporary pleasure, her disrespect did nothing more than cause the pain in her heart to build. Gritting her teeth, Hana watched the captain tense.
Before Hana spoke, the tension between the miracles was small, but after her voice rang out everyone came to a standstill. A few feet ahead, Akashi paused from putting up his belongings and turned to her, "Yes?"
"Did you use my binder to get information today?"
"I did," the captain offered no excuse for his behavior and Hana clenched her fists together, "Thank you for your help."
It is as if he doesn't care about the destruction in his wake— As if he doesn't realize what he's done. Meanwhile, everyone was staring at her and her mind flashed back to their first encounter. All their expressions matched the ones they had first given her. She was surrounded by a mixture of annoyance and concern. That was the final straw.
"I'm done," her voice rang clear across the grouping, "The deals over."
"I'm sorry?" Akashi's voice was intense and his eyes were narrowed on her in examination. A red eyebrow rose at her defiant expression and Hana almost faltered. But dammit I'm done.
"I can't be part of this anymore," crossing her arms over her chest, Hana looked away from the group, "I stayed around to try to save a ruined friendship, but it's too late. If this is your new behavior, I don't want any part of you at all."
The words felt heavy on her tongue, but she couldn't give up. Hana continued without giving anyone a chance to respond, "I broke my rules for all of you. I ignored all the warnings. I tried," her voice cracked at the end of the sentence and Hana transferred her gaze to the ceiling, "But I will not be a part of this."
"Imamura-chan?" That was Kise, but Hana refused to look at any of them. If her eyes connected with any of theirs it would all be over. She couldn't hold onto her determination if they challenged her. She could hardly hold on to her resolve at all.
But, I have to do this.
Everyone had their eyes on her and Hana could feel her heart stuttering out of control. The frantic beating silenced all the noise in the gym and Hana felt her breathing pick up. Shaking her head, she began to step backward and uttered a tired apology, "I'm sorry. I don't regret our friendship, but I have nothing left here."
She stood there for a moment, letting her hair cover her face and refusing to look up at the team. Feeling something warm and wet build in her eyes, Hana quickly blinked the evidence away before turning her back to the miracles. She heard Kise in the background, but she couldn't make out his words. As she stumbled away, Momoi's voice broke through and she almost faltered at the other manager's quiet apology.
Shaking her head even harder, Hana pushed her feet to move faster. She needed out of there, now. It had to be done, Hana's mind supplied, Torio was right.
That fact didn't make her feel much better.
xXx
Whenever Hana was upset, she retreated into her shower. The warm water pounding on her back was a good distraction from the tightness of her throat and the way the tears threatened to burst out. She knew she was being overdramatic, she shouldn't be this upset. It had been coming from a mile away, yet it still hurt like hell.
The shittiest thing was that there was a part of her that wanted to apologize. When she finally got home, her fingers had itched to pull out her phone and call Kuroko to beg for forgiveness. Hana had promptly squashed that thought by throwing her phone into a drawer and turning it on silent. Closing her eyes, Hana relaxed into the pressure of the rushing water.
She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't.
Hana stayed in the shower until the water got cold and even a little bit after that too. By the time she got out, her skin had wrinkled and her teeth were chattering. Wrapping herself into a fuzzy towel, Hana padded out of the bathroom toward her bed. The red binder lay spread across her covers and her green eyes narrowed on the cover.
As she glared down at the binder, her door was flung open. She really shouldn't have been surprised by the voice behind her, "Flower?"
"What?" Her voice came out hoarse and Hana winced.
"Your father called me," Torio stepped into her room cautiously, his eyes trailing over the white walls, "He didn't want to leave you home alone."
"I'm fine," Hana snapped before walking toward her closet, "Go home, Torio."
Hana slammed the door behind her, but she could still hear Torio's reply, "I'm afraid not. I have to agree with your father right now. Did you know your skin was blue?"
Throwing on an oversized sweater, Hana yelled, "I don't want to hear you rub it in my face. Seriously, go home!"
"No," she heard her bed creak and assumed Torio had laid across it. The growl from Nūdoru proved her correct. His voice yelled back to her, "I'm here to cheer you up!"
"Screw off," Hana snarled as she opened the closet door, "I don't want to hear anything you have to say. Alright?" Her voice cracked and Hana shook her head to stop the incoming emotions, "You were right, okay? Just go home."
"Flower," Torio's voice became stern and Hana stopped walking, "Go put on some longer pants, we're going for a drive."
"The hell?" Her misery was forgotten for the moment, "No, we aren't. I'mgoing to bed."
"Nope," hopping off her bed, Torio darted into her closet. The sound of rustling followed him and suddenly Hana had a pair of pants flying at her face, "Put those on."
"No!"
"I'll do it for you," Torio came to stand in front of her and gave her a closed-eye smile, "Or you can do it. It's your choice, really."
In the end, Hana put on her own pants and now she was sitting in the passenger side of Torio's car. She had wanted to take Nūdoru along, but Torio had shot that idea down pretty quick. As Hana pouted out the window, she watched the neon lights flash by. Were they still in Tokyo?
"Where are we going?" The steam of her breath fogged up the window her face was pressed against, "We are still in town, right?"
"Mhm," Torio sped down the street without glancing in her direction, "I'm going to go see one of my old friends. He picked something up for me."
"… Please, dear God, tell me you aren't part of a drug ring."
"Nope," This time Torio cracked a smile, "Not drugs, just something that will help you feel better for a while."
"That doesn't make me feel any better," Hana deadpanned, "What's this guy's name?"
"Yamura," his black eyes glanced at her, "Just stay in the car, okay?"
"This is sounding worse every time you speak."
"Hush, flower."
Thirty minutes later Hana was staring at the park they'd arrived at in awe. She still didn't know what Torio had picked up at his friend's house, all she knew was that the guy lived in a pretty scary neighborhood. Of course, it was dark out, so everything seemed scary. Her paranoia hadn't appreciated the surroundings and Hana had spent the whole time waiting curled up in a ball at the footboard.
But this park, man. This park was where it all started and Hana couldn't believe Torio had the foresight to bring her here. Back in sixth year, they had always come to this park together because it was close to where Torio's dad worked. The place was near a shrine and Hana had always loved the woods that surrounded them. It made the place feel magical.
Stepping tentatively out of the car, Hana looked back to Torio in shock, "Why'd you bring me here?"
"I figured it'd help you get your mind off everything," Torio answered before he walked around to the trunk. After it popped open, he spent a few minutes rummaging through it before replying, "I even brought food."
"Food," Hana deadpanned before spinning around and glaring at him, "You went to that scary neighborhood for food? We could have just gone to a restaurant!"
"Yamura's a chef," Torio brought out a small bag of food and gave Hana a smirk, "Trust me, it'll taste better than anything you've ever had."
"I thought you were buying drugs!"
Torio blinked as he came to stand beside her, "I thought you were kidding."
"You said it'd make me feel better!" Hana elbowed him in the side, "That implies mood-altering substances. Example one: drugs!"
Snorting, Torio ruffled her hair with his free hand, "I wouldn't do that, flower. Come on though, foods about to be cold."
He led her to a spot underneath a large cherry blossom tree, at least that's what it looked like. Hana couldn't quite tell in the darkness around them. As Torio gracefully settled down, Hana followed his lead and plopped to the floor. Her butt immediately got wet from the damp grass and Hana scowled.
"You know…" Torio shot her a smirk before opening the bag, "I had a blanket."
"Isn't that something you tell me before I sit down?"
"I guess," he shrugged before laying a bento out in front of her and then getting one for himself, "Itadakimasu."
"Itadakimasu," Hana repeated before grabbing a piece of food. As soon as it hit her mouth, her taste buds exploded, "Holy shit, this is really good." Murasakibara would have liked it.
"Told you," Torio's black eyes glanced up at her, "Stop thinking about them."
"I didn't even tell you what happened—"
"I could tell," He chewed his food thoughtfully before looking upwards at the tree branches, "You used to wear that face all the time. Before I introduced myself and all."
Hana gave a halfhearted snort, "You mean before you completely overhauled my life?"
"If you want to think of it that way," he shrugged his shoulders good-naturedly, "I like to think of it as adopting a pet. A terrified, shy, little brat of a pet, but still a pet."
"That description is contradictory," Hana pointed her chopsticks at his head, "And I wasn't terrified!"
"You squealed every time I came up behind you. Do you still do that?"
Hana pointedly looked away, "Maybe."
"You got to work on that," his chuckle was soft and Hana was lost in memories of the past, "It used to be adorable, probably still is."
"And that's a bad thing?"
"Yep," His eyes glanced back up to her fondly, "Don't want anyone stealing my flower away from me."
"You're such a flirt," Hana rolled her eyes, but her lips still twitched into a smile, "Do you practice all your lines on me?"
"Basically," Torio shrugged unashamedly. The conversation petered out and both teens were left to enjoy the calm atmosphere. As she looked up to the stars, Hana realized she was happier than she had been in a while and that was a great feeling. She'd really missed this.
"Sometimes I wish we could go back," her voice was tender, "Back when we did this all the time."
"We can," Torio didn't offer any explanation for his words and Hana shot him a curious look. Her friend only smiled before nibbling at his food again, "Are you tired?"
"… A bit? Why?"
"I had a theory," his words were accompanied by a short huff, "I'm not sure I'm right, but I wanted to try it."
"What theory?"
"Well," his voice transferred into the serious tone Hana remembered so well. It usually accompanied a stressful lesson or long study session, "I know it's your nervous system that causes you to mess up when you're lying. You're skittish, paranoid, and all-around anxious. But, if you were in a sedated state, I think you'd be able to pull it off."
"Like, lie to you? Lie to people that intimidate me?" Her mind flashed to Akashi and Hana barely stopped her flinch. Would that have changed anything? Would I have wanted to change anything?
"Yeah," Torio scratched at his head, seemingly in thought, "I was thinking about getting you drunk," he ignored her squawk, "Or meditating. But that all seemed tedious, so I figured sleep deprivation was the way to go."
Hana furrowed her brows as she reached for a soft drink her friend had conveniently brought, "How long are we talking about? I'm already tired."
"Don't know," Torio raised his soda forward in a mock cheer, "But stay awake. We're going to play a game to pass the time."
Hana eyed him warily behind her own drink, "What game?"
"Two truths and a lie," her older friend smirked at her horrified expression, "Just like old times. We're going to see if my idea was right."
Torio was correct in a way. The longer Hana stayed awake, the more she lost her reservations. Her mouth began to babble like a stream as each hour passed and finally Torio had loaded her into the car to take her home. Her words were slurring out of exhaustion, but she had managed to fool Torio a couple times which was awesome.
Seeing his incredulous expression every time he got a question wrong boasted her ego like no one's business.
By the time they got back to her house, the sun was already rising in the sky. Hana didn't know how Torio was still awake. The boy had to be a superhuman or jacked up on coffee. As Torio silently led Hana up the steps, she tripped over her own foot, but her older friend had been able to catch her in time. If Hana didn't know better, she would say she was drunk off her butt.
"Is my dad home yet?" Hana asked the ceiling after Torio deposited her onto her bed, "He's going to be reallllly mad."
"It's fine," A voice from the floor responded and Hana blinked sluggishly, "He didn't wake up when we came in. By the way, it's your turn."
"Oh," Hana closed her eyes and began to hum. The tune distracted her, but Torio cleared his throat and Hana blinked back into awareness, "Why am I so sleepy? This sucks."
"It's 5 in the morning, I'd be worried if you weren't tired."
"No," Hana groaned as she rolled over onto her stomach and the dizzy feeling of overexertion came back, "I'm never doing this again."
"Sure, sure," Torio let out a soft laugh and Hana blinked at the fuzzy head of hair on the floor. His voice continued, "It's still your turn."
"Okay," she didn't notice how her voice slurred the word out, "Uhm, I've never been in love. I've never been on an airplane. Or, I've never broken a bone."
"Hmmm," Torio hummed and Hana waited as he thought, "You're getting better at this. I know you've been on an airplane. So, I'm going to go with love."
"Wrong," Hana sang out and rolled back onto her back, "I've never broken a bone!"
"What?" Torio truly sounded shocked and if Hana hadn't been so tired, she would have relished the moment, "Are you being serious?"
"Yup!" Her voice came out in ditsy giggles, "I got you!"
"Who were you in love with?"
Well, that wasn't a fun question. Pouting at the ceiling, Hana responded, "I'm not sure, but I know it was love. It was all fuzzy and warm and stuff. Like a kitty."
"You hate cats," Torio reminded her. Even though she didn't need reminding, at all.
"Exactly. I don't like love either," Hana kicked her foot out and laughed at the weird feeling, "It was annoying and it made me cry. I don't like to cry."
"Don't cry," Torio's voice echoed up to her and Hana rolled her eyes at the pointless advice, "You did the right thing."
"Sure," Hana drawled out, "It's your turn!"
For a second, she didn't hear any noise from the older boy and Hana crawled forward to peer down at him. Her face hung off the edge of the bed and she raised an eyebrow at his thoughtful face. Finally, Torio spoke, "I want you to come to high school with me, I like botany, or I hate large bodies of water."
"You like large bodies of water," Hana answered automatically despite her sleepiness, "You love going to the beach. You hate plants though."
"Yeah," Torio's voice was soft and Hana blinked at how close his face was to hers, "You understand what I'm saying?"
"Yup!" Bringing a hand forward, Hana poked him in the forehead. Her resulting snickers destroyed the intimate atmosphere he'd been trying to make, "Your face is funny."
Torio closed his eyes and sighed, "Why did I think this was a good idea?"
His hand wiped down his face and his black eyes blinked up to the ceiling in exasperation. Beside him, Hana still hadn't stopped giggling and he was seconds away from pushing her off the bed. He was about to do just that when a growl stopped him. Pausing, Torio turned to the corner and met eyes with Nūdoru who was watching him intently.
"You are one scary dog," his eyes narrowed as the growling got louder, "I'm not doing anything, calm down."
"He knows you're mean," Hana sang out and Torio turned to her with raised brows. She gave another sleepy giggle, "He's smart—" Her voice trailed off and Torio couldn't stop the flash of relief he felt as Hana passed out.
"Thank you," He breathed as he stood up and stretched his legs out. Coming to stand above her, he grabbed the tail end of her covers and draped them over her back. Nūdoru began to growl again at the action, but Torio just rolled his eyes before stepping away from the bed.
Now he just had to get out of the house without waking her father up.
Seconds later, the window creaked open before Torio threw a foot out and began the descent downward. A few scrapes later and he was safely on the ground. After hopping over Hana's fence, he whistled a jaunty tune as he traveled down the darkened street-way.
Now nothing was keeping her from transferring to his school.
