I Don't Think I Regret it

Cheering for the Other Team

Kenma seemed to get along well with Ai's mother. She seemed to be sensitive to Kenma's lack of verbal communication. She was fine with him sitting there and observing, without making much conversation. She never found it odd or pressed Kenma to respond. Seeing the way his face would light up as he tasted her pancakes was more than enough.

"Watch out Kuroo," Ai snickered, "my mother is going to steal your best friend." They sat on the couch, but both were looking over their shoulders as Kenma helped Ai's mother wash the dishes.

"He's growing up." Kuroo cried dramatically. "After all these years, he's finally growing close to other people!"

"I don't think it's not that he isn't close to people, more so that he's really close with a few people and is content with that." Ai commented, looking at her pudding-headed friend lovingly. "I think Kenma is a really special sort of person." She smiled a little bit to herself.

"Ai," Kuroo said gravely, "you're so cute!" He tackled her and started tickling her. She howled with laughter and thrashed about on the couch.

"Damn you," she squealed, hitting him with a pillow. "Stop!"  She pinched his nose closed and tugged on his messy hair.

"Okay, okay!" He yelled with a nasal voice.

"I can't tell if you two get along really well, or you just want to kill eachother." Kenma remarked with a deadpan face.

"I think it's a bit of both," Kuroo said, looking at Ai, still in his arms, and then to his best friend.

Ai nodded her head at Kenma. "Yeah, it's probably both at this point." She stretched her arm out for Kenma. "C'mere."

"I'm good," Kenma put his hands in front of him and started to back away.

"No way!" Ai grabbed Kenma's wrist and dragged him onto the couch between herself and Kuroo and gave him a great big bear hug. "You looked like you were jealous."

Kenma sighed, realizing there was no way Ai was going to let go of him. She was pretty good about boundaries and this was one of the first times she had ever tried to make any sort of physical contact with Kenma. He didn't hate it, but it was a bit of a bother.

"Our little boy is growing up." Kuroo wheezed.

"He's not your son." Ai rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, still holding Kenma close. Kenma made a very disturbed face. Kuroo and Ai both laughed at that. They brought the weekend to a close, the three of them ending it in laughter.

There was another practice match after school on Wednesday. Ai decided to go because her mother was on a short business trip and she didn't want to be alone in the house. She wouldn't be able to travel with the volleyball team so she had to travel alone by train. Tokyo was huge and the trains were confusing. Somehow, Ai made it to Fukurōdani on her own. She furiously texted Kuroo. Still, it took her twice the time and she had a feeling that she might have made it there in half the time if she had simply walked.

Ai: IM NOT GOING BACK ON THE TRAIN ALONE THIS IS A FUCKING NIGHTMARE

She entered the gym and took a seat, waiting for the game. She watched her school's team warm up. When she was watching, Ai found it difficult to choose a side to cheer for. Logically, she should cheer for her own school's team, and the team her boyfriend- (or whatever Kuroo was considered) was on. However, Bokuto looked so happy and excited when he was playing that she shouldn't help but cheer him on. He was adorable.

Bokuto was like an excited child, running around. He got easily dejected and overwhelmed all at once. Off the court, this would have driven Ai crazy, but as he was playing, Ai found this display to be particularly entertaining. It was a close practice match. Fukurodani had taken the first set, while Nekoma claimed the second. In the third set, the two were neck and neck pretty much. Ai was on the edge of her seat. In the blink of an eye, while both teams were essentially neck and neck, Bokuto scored the final point for Fukurodani. Ai cheered. She was energized by the eventful game.