Flowers || Iwaizumi Hajime x Reader

[4] The Third Day

Iwaizumi bowed, "I'm Iwaizumi Hajime sir. I'm sorry for the intrusion."

Your father giggled, "There is no intrusion. I was getting worried (y/n) wouldn't make any friends."

"Hey!" you said. After rolling your eyes, you explain, "Iwaizumi-san lives down the road from us and his parents are never home. So, I invited him over for dinner. That's alright, right, dad?"

Your father nodded, "It's not like this is out of character for you, (y/n). I was expecting this sooner or later. Now, go prepare dinner."

You nodded, dragging Iwaizumi to the kitchen to help you. Most of the food was already done; you had made it early on. Now, you were only left with assembling and serving.

"Could you help me bring this out?" you asked Iwaizumi, to which he politely agreed.

Soon the food was served and everyone sat down at the dining table, ready to eat.

"Ittadakimasu!"

Iwaizumi felt like tearing up. The food was absolutely delicious. For a moment, he had completely forgotten how good, homemade food tastes like. After all, he'd been surviving nearly 2 weeks on instant noodles and takeout.

"What do you think?" you asked with full cheeks.

Iwaizumi smiled, "It's delicious. I haven't had a proper home cooked meal in a really long time."

You smiled happily at the boy.

"So, Iwaizumi-san," you father began, "are you a classmate of my daughter's?"

He shook his head, "No. We um," he started to say but completely lost his words. What were they exactly?

Thank god for him, you helped fill in the blanks. "He's a senior. I watched him play volleyball and spoke to him."

"You play volleyball?" Takashi asked, eyes glistening.

Iwaizumi nodded.

Takashi asked again, "What position?"

"Wing spiker."

"Wow! That's the position I want to play!" Takashi claimed excitedly. "Are you the ace?"

"Um, I guess so."

"Wow that's so cool! Someday I'm going to be an ace too! Just like dad and nii-chan!"

Iwaizumi looked at your father, "Oh, you played volleyball, sir?"

He scratched the back of his neck, "A long time ago, back in high school. It really was among the greatest memories I've had."

"I think I can say the same for myself, sir."

~X•X•X~

After dinner, you decided to pack up the leftovers to hand it over to Iwaizumi so he could heat it up for breakfast the next day. As you did, your father walked Iwaizumi to the door.

"I'm sorry sir but, if you don't mind me asking," Iwaizumi said, "what did you mean when you said this was not out of character for (y/n)-san?"

He smiled. "My daughter has always been the caring type. She's a lot like her mother, in her looks and personality. She always goes a little out of her way to help others, especially those who need it most."

Iwaizumi's eyes widened at the statement.

"So why did she bring you here?" he asked.

Iwaizumi sighed, "My team, we lost against the best school in the prefecture in the finals yet again."

Your father nodded in understanding. "And she didn't want you to be alone." He continued, "I don't know much about the kind of people she targets, but despite being nice, my daughter tends to really care about only a select few. I guess I can safely say you are one of them."

Iwaizumi gulped before nodding again.

"She might have a seemingly bubbly nature but she's actually pretty fragile. So, look out for her for me, okay?" your father said.

This time, Iwaizumi was more confident. "Yes, sir."

"Iwaizumi-san!" you come out of the kitchen with the packed food in your hand, "here."

Iwaizumi retrieved it with a slight nod of gratitude. "Thank you for dinner and company," he said, bowing to your family.

Takashi said, "Come over again, Iwa-niichan! So you can teach me how to spike!"

"Ah, stop forcing people like that," you said, brushing your brother off.

"Tch!" Takashi said before heading into his own room.

"Come, I'll walk you to the gate," you said, going outside with him. Your father went inside his room to prepare for bed too, calmly accepting of his daughter's new friend.

You bit your lip as you walked him out, "I know it wasn't much, but I do hope I made you feel better."

Iwaizumi looked at you curiously. Wasn't much? She was the one who seemed to think lowly of herself.

"It was perfect. Thank you, (l/n)-san."

"(Y/n)," you corrected him, "you can call me (y/n)."

"Oh, um then I guess you can call me Haji–"

"I'll still call you Iwaizumi-san. People would think me disrespectful if I don't, considering you're still my senpai."

"Then when we're alone?"

You eyed him curiously.

"You can call me Hajime when there's no one around. When it's just us."

You smirked teasingly, "You mean there'll be moments when it's just us? Just what exactly are you planning?"

His face turned red yet again, and out come his stuttering words, "I didn't mean it like that! I-I meant, not completely alone or isolated. Um, what I meant to say was um, shoot, like if there are moments like that, or when we're not in school? Not implying I'm planning to see you outside school, or that I'm against it, I-"

You grabbed his hand, as a sign to stop talking. Giggling, you tell him, "You worry too much."

As if he wasn't affected enough, he could feel his heart racing against time as butterflies exploded in his stomach.

"Goodnight, Hajime. I'll see you around."

That was the third time you left him frozen like that.