"Good job guys!" – you say while high-fiving every player on the basketball team.
"Thank you!"
"You won once again, huh? You're crazy! Just one more win and they'll have to save Yosen High a seat for the next Winter Cup."
"Exactly. And we're more than ready, aren't we guys?" – the captain asks with a smirk.
"Yeah!"
You smile at their enthusiasm and your heart fills with pride: you feel extremely lucky to be the manager of such a wonderful team. As your friends make their way to the lockers, you hold your boyfriend's hand to make him stay a bit more.
"You were great, Sushi!"
"You think so?"
"I do! I'm very proud of you."
A smile peeps out on Murasakibara's usually serious face as he holds you in a hug and kisses your lips. He is way happier than he shows whenever he receives your compliments.
"Come on, go take a shower. I'll wait for you outside." – you say, ruffling his hair and grabbing your bag.
"Ok, bye."
"Love you!"
"Love you too."
You walk out of the building, staring dreamily at the sunset while thinking about that "Love you too" that Murasakibara's just told you. You've had a crush on the purple-haired giant for months, but you didn't like that feeling at first: his I-don't-give-a-f*ck attitude scared you to death, because you thought that he would never be interested in a romantic relationship, or that he would take it very lightly, as if it were no big deal. To you, though, love is extremely important. You've always wanted your other half to show you their affection, to be tender and kind, to make you see that they truly care. When Murasakibara confessed to you, you were more than surprised and of course you gladly accepted to become his girlfriend. The moment you two got together felt so good... too good to be true. And in fact, the first weeks were just as you imagined: nothing really seemed to be different from your previous friendship, except a few kisses that you shared, and you didn't feel loved at all. You still remember how much sorrow and pain you felt those days, how close you were to giving up on you two. But, to your surprise, Murasakibara slowly started to open up to you, to get closer both physically and spiritually, and he showed you his love a bit more often day by day. You've been a couple for about a year now and Murasakibara is way sweeter than before, but whenever he tells you he loves you, you still get butterflies in your stomach.
"Oooh, who do we have here?"
Your heart skips a beat when your fantasies are brutally interrupted by a husky voice. A voice that you immediately recognize.
"H-haizaki?!"
"Yo."
He has changed so much since you last saw him in your Teiko days. His appearance was never friendly, but he's even sketchier now.
"What do you want?" – you ask worriedly.
"Oh, nothing special. Just checking you out." – he nonchalantly answers with a deadly smirk.
"What?!"
"You're with that guy now, huh? Atsushi. What a shame..." – he adds, getting closer to you – "This little beautiful body of yours deserves better, don't you think?"
He whispers this question as he lifts your chin with his fingers, fixing his diabolical gaze in your eyes. The moment he touches you, you immediately slap his arm away and step back in fear.
"Go away!"
"Oh, don't be so harsh dear. Who cares about that bottomless pit of a guy anyway?"
"Well, I do! Don't call him that ever again and get lost, Haizaki!"
"You reject me, (Name)? That's too bad... Guess I'll have to teach you how to behave properly."
You thought he was scary when you saw him, but now he's on another level. For the first time you feel truly threatened towards him, truly in danger. You want to scream for help, but any sound is stifled in your throat. You gasp and lose your balance when your back hits the wall, and so there you are: mute, defenceless, trapped.
He's close. He's so close. You curl into a ball and squeeze your eyes, preparing yourself to the worst.
"Stay. Away. From. Her."
You were too busy being frightened to notice that Murasakibara had reached you and interposed himself between you and Haizaki. You immediately open your eyes wide and look at your saviour: his fists are clenched and he's towering over Hazaki, anger flowing through the swollen veins in his hands.
"Are you here to claim as yours something that you left here all alone, Atsushi?"
"Shut up."
"What if I don't and take her with me instead?"
"I will simply crush you." – He's so angry he's not even shouting – "(Name-chin) won't be yours. Never in a million years."
Haizaki isn't satisfied and runs right towards your discombobulated self, but in the blink on an eye he's smacked to the building by Murasakibara. He steps on Haizaki's feet to compel him to stay and stares at him dead in the eyes for one last warning:
"Don't you dare lay a single finger on (Name-chin). Don't talk to her. Don't even think about her. And now, get lost forever."
When Atsushi lets go of him, he finally decides to leave and you're more than relieved. All of a sudden, you feel a pair of strong arms pick you up bridal style and Murasakibara gently presses his forehead on yours, caressing it.
"Are you hurt, (Name-chin)?"
His stern voice has now come back to its usual version. Well, it's not actually the usual: it's low and sweet, like a lullaby, and it completely manages to make you feel safe.
"No, I'm fine, I was just scared. Thank you, Sushi." – you say, snuggling in his chest. – "Thank you so much."
"I'm sorry, (Name-chin), for making you wait for so long. It'll never happen again."
"Don't worry, Sushi. You couldn't know, it's okay."
He holds you tighter and starts walking away from the sports hall, still carrying you.
"I can walk, Sushi, you don't have to-"
"Shhh. I want my (Name-chin) to rest. So, rest. I will protect you from everything."
A small laugh escapes your mouth, butterflies tingling in your stomach once again.
"I know you will."
song used in the title: i see red - everybody loves an outlaw