I do not own Haikyu!
Thank you to everyone who has favorited and followed! Special thanks to , callionope, YaoiLovinKitsune, Macschickennuggets2.0, moonlightshadowxiii, calynrabka96, banshee-hime (bby thank you, your writing is to die for), Miss Evy, X3MonochromeX3 (I don't know if this username is still applicable), mariajaviera, DaddysLiitleGirl, and aeivou for reviewing!
It is crowded when they board the train at the station, most of the seats already taken up, people opting to stand and hold onto the railing. Lucky for them, Tetsurō spies two empty seats side-by-side that he points out to her. Maneuvering around people's feet and bodies, Tetsurō allows for Akiko to sit down first before following after her. Both of them getting comfy on the barely soft, nylon seats.
But right before the train can embark, Akiko is standing up and out of her seat.
"You can take my seat, ma'am."
It takes a second for Kuroo to make sense of what is happening, and when he does, he stands up as well.
A woman had boarded the train, in her arms is a baby, with a young child clinging to her jacket by her side. Akiko had seen them first, immediately giving up her spot to the woman and her children. Tetsurō, because he was raised to be a gentleman by his grandparents, did the same; that way the woman's child can sit as well.
It all happens so fast, between them sitting and the doors closing and the train whisking them away. Obviously, Tetsurō would have given up his seat the moment he saw the woman with her children, and while he is typically highly aware of his surroundings, Akiko had seen them first. Maybe it's because he's been so distracted by her as of late that he hardly noticed the woman, but he is glad that Akiko noticed.
Akiko. . .
She is always so kind and giving. Smiling and laughing. Respectful and approachable. Always aware of those around her and what they needed. It makes him feel. . . Akiko makes him feel. . .
He feels the warmth of her body press close to his as they stand, hands holding onto the rails above them. Their uniforms are dry, but Kuroo can still feel a slight chill clinging to him because of his soaked shoulder that bites against his skin. But here, now, with Akiko so near him that he can smell the scent of her shampoo combined with the scent of the musky Tokyo air. He feels light and elated, combined with the admiration of everything that Akiko does.
The train is shaking ever so lightly with the movement upon the tracks. His hand holding onto the rail is firm, he can feel the slippery flooring beneath his traction-less shoes. Akiko is holding onto the rail too, if not with only a bit of difficulty. She's short, so even though she can grab the overhead rail, she strains to do so. If he had not been watching her so intently, Tetsurō would have missed the way she lost her footing at a particularly rough jerk of the train car.
His hand on her forearm is gentle but strong. Akiko looks up at him with widened eyes, most likely surprised at the fact that he caught her before she could fall to the floor after slipping.
"You should probably hold onto me so you don't slip again Chitōse-san," he grins.
"Thank you," she breathes before she gently wraps her hand around his arm, her other hand still holding onto the rail, using Tetsurō as extra support. It's always gentle when it comes to Chitōse Akiko, Kuroo notices. He is used to the rougher ways of life. Constantly surrounded by males his age that have an overabundance of muscle and energy. Hell, even Kozume Kenma could be rough, especially when playing video games, always decimating Kuroo when battling it out on player versus player.
Yet, here Akiko is, showing him something more delicate, softer. So soft.
Tetsurō unconsciously—and consciously, let's be real—flexes his arms, more specifically his left arm that is held onto by Akiko's gentle grip. He does and does not mean to do it. Okay, no. He really means to do it. He very consciously decides to flex his arm muscles if it means that Akiko would feel how firm and strong they are with all the hard work he has put into them on and off the courts.
And because he is flexing, he is highly aware of their positions. Already he can feel heat crawling up his neck and into his ears. And other places, at that.
Casting a quick glance at Akiko shows that she is aware of their positions as well if her flushed face is any hint to her thoughts.
Once again they lapse into silence, the only sounds that could be heard is the racketing of the train car and sounds of people's clothes rustling with every move. It's always like this. This silence. Tetsurō would do or say something daring to Chitōse, sometimes she would do or say something daring in return, and then: nothing. Absolutely nothing. They'd both go quiet, neither knowing where to go from there until somehow they moved past that moment like it never happened.
It frustrates Kuroo as much as it doesn't frustrate him. Yes and no. Half and half. He is okay with their development as friends, if he can even call them that. He doesn't speak with Chitōse outside of school, doesn't have her email to message her, and doesn't even know what she likes or doesn't like! So, he's fine—really—with their silences and lack of communication.
But.
He also wants more. He wants to talk to her more, joke around with her more, be with her more. He wants her to keep talking and keep their banter up. He's tired of the lapse in conversation and the distance they put between themselves afterwards.
I'm so damn immature, he thinks. Because why! Why can't he just get her out of his head?
He's had crushes before of course. Girls he thought were cute and nice, pretty and funny; but nothing more serious than pulling on a pigtail or two (okay, more specifically three but that's a story for another time). Nothing like this that he, for some reason, felt for Akiko. He supposes the biggest question is not why he has a crush, but why he has a crush on her. It's not like he even really knows her.
At their stop they get off the train, Akiko pulling away from Tetsurō that leaves him only slightly disappointed. However, as they exit the station and head outside, they realize that the weather in this part of their ward is beating down extra hard.
Holding the umbrella over their heads, Tetsurō helps lead the way for Akiko through the streets. However, the rain is coming at them from an angle, hitting them face first and soaking their shoes and clothes. Truthfully, it's kind of hard to see and Kuroo feels bad for making her walk in the rain like this, even if he's trying to cover as much of her as possible with his umbrella.
It's the feeling of a gentle hand taking a hold of his arm that gets his attention away from the torrent coming at them. He peers down at the shorter girl, hazel eyes taking in her demure smile and kind eyes.
"Why don't we go into that café to get out of this rain and wait it out," Akiko points to an establishment a few paces ahead of them, yellow light from the window spilling out onto the dark grey sidewalk.
"Lead the way!"
I get a lot of reviews saying that my chapters are too short or like drabbles, and you're definitely not wrong. The last chapter and this one were supposed to be one chapter, but I feel bad that I don't update regularly so I try to push out a bunch of small chapters quickly. But hopefully, fingers crossed, that after this chapter, I will be publishing much longer pieces. Just bear with me everyone! Also, to those that review! I read and love every single review you leave me. I was wondering, did you all want me to respond to them through PMs or respond to them after each chapter? Lemme know! Until next time!