Edited on 30 December 2020.
❤️
Momo had to leave the last buttons of her blouse open as the doorbell rang over and over again in the early morning hours. Mr. Takeshita wasn't home as he needed to go to work much earlier today. So, she hurried down the hall and tore her front door open to reveal her next-door twins. Atsumu beamed down at Momo while Osamu looked as he would fall asleep any minute. Momo could feel color spreading over her cheeks when her eyes glanced over Atsumu's soft lips. The burning memories of the steaming kiss blackened her memory. She coughed, tearing her eyes off him, and quickly buttoned the last of her knobs.
"What are you guys doing here?" asked Momo, still glaring at the bottom as if there was something more interesting than in front of her.
"Well, I just want to get you so we can walk to school like usual," yawned Osamu, "when someone decided to come along."
Osamu glared at his brother with a deadly twinkle in his eyes. Momo tried to chuckle to get rid of the awkwardness in her chest, but nothing happened.
"Do you usually run before school, Atsumu?"
"Yeah, but not today. Now, come on! I have class duty and I'm already late!"
Momo gathered her bag and pulled a large jersey over her shoulders before she shut her door and slipped next to Osamu. Atsumu quickly followed her, beaming from above as he strolled to her left side.
"Where's your father? I didn't see him," questioned Atsumu, still grinning.
"At work," replied Momo, her voice low and cold.
"What does he do for work?" Atsumu asked and ignored her repellent attitude.
"He works in finance. Please, don't ask what he does specifically. I don't know," sighed Momo, "what about your parents?"
"Our father is a classic businessman. He's the manager of the department of marketing in his firm."
"Wow! What business does he work for?"
"Toyota," grinned the twins, "and mom used to work as an architect until she had us."
"She hasn't work for 17 years?" asked Momo in disbelief.
"Well, she's a very devoted mother," tried Atsumu to explain, "sometimes she misses it but raising children was more important to her."
A dark chuckle that came deep from Momo's throat escaped her lips. The twins glanced at her with puzzled looks.
"What's funny?" asked Osamu.
"Nothing, nothing," chuckled Momo, "it's just that I wouldn't want to stay home with you two as children! That poor woman!"
The twins let their eyes roll around in their heads and gave Momo a stern look of disapproval. They reached the bus stop and got on the waiting bus. Momo quickly sat beside Osamu, and Atsumu needed to take a seat in the empty row in front of them. He turned his back so he could face them. Momo overlooked the pout on his handsome face.
"I don't think we were that bad," spoke Atsumu.
"Well," said Osamu, thinking hard, "we did break nearly everything at in the house at least once and mom did give us to grandma quite often."
"See, piece of cake!" Atsumu smirked at them. "What about you, Momo? How were you as a child?"
"Well, my mother and dad slit up when I was two and then it was just him. I know he took me to his office quite a lot because we couldn't afford a nanny. I guess I was alright if I could spend multiple hours in an office. But I wouldn't want that."
"What do you mean?" asked Atsumu.
"I just don't see myself at home all day with children," laughed Momo, "I would go crazy!"
They arrived at school shortly after. Atsumu needed to hurry to get to his and Momo's classroom as he was late for class duty. He nearly grabbed Momo's hand to drag her with him. However, she made an excuse not to leave with him. Slightly stung by her hard rejection, Atsumu jogged away. Osamu glanced at Momo, who seemed much more relaxed with his twin gone, and asked her what was going on. Again, Momo found an excuse not to answer a question when she saw Suna strolled towards them.
"Rin!" called Momo, waving her arms in the air.
"Rin?" asked Osamu, confused. Momo rose a brow.
"You don't like it?" she asked.
"No, no, it's just...different?"
"Morning," said Suna with a bewildered look on his face, "did I miss something?"
"No, I'm just so happy to see you! Hey, give me your phone. I want to show you a funny video I found yesterday."
*
Atsumu sat restlessly on his chair, trying to listen to his teacher, but his mind circled around a certain ginger a few seats behind him. He knew something was off with Momo, and although he wasn't able to wrap his fingers around the issue, he could feel it bugging him. He didn't touch her eyes glanced over his back as they seemed to be glued to her notes. And even when her eyes glanced up, they never found his. Every time he decided to talk to her, she found something better to do and ran away. By lunchtime, Atsumu was utterly frustrated and angry. He had no idea why Momo was suddenly acting as if he was poison, but it drove him mad. Fortunately, his mind was able to focus on something else in the afternoon.
"Nice work qualifying for the youth training camp, Tsumu," said Osamu as he glanced at the setting sun.
"Well, then start getting more upset about it, Samu!" cried Atsumu and clenched his fist while stepping next to him. Osamu didn't return his anger and simply glared at him with calm eyes.
"I am upset, dumbass. Actually, I'm most upset about it the fact that I'm not actually that upset."
Atsumu frowned.
"Well, I mean, you've been busting your butt so..."
"What the heck? You better not be implying that you weren't giving it your all."
Osamu chuckled deep from his throat and turned to his twin.
"Please, I simply came to the realization that the youth camp only invited people who not only work hard but are a bit mentally unstable as well..."
"Excuse me?" barked Atsumu.
"In terms of skill, you and I are about the same," shrugged Osamu.
"No way, I'm head and shoulders better than you!"
Aran and Suna glanced over their shoulders, waiting for the twins to fall into yet another argument or fight.
"Let me finish, will ya?" snapped Osamu.
"The thing is Atsumu, when it comes to the love of the game...that flame burns a bit brighter in you than me, you know?"
Atsumu glanced at his brother, feeling a small part of himself break. He never thought of a day where he and his twin didn't share the court. He didn't want to.
"Ha! What the hell are you talking about?!" yelled Atsumu, ignoring the small sting in his chest.
Osamu glanced at his brother, a smile tugging his lips, and laughed. He whipped out his hand and smacked Atsumu's shoulder hardly before he joined Suna and Aran to help clean up the gym. Atsumu let his gaze fall around the sky again. For a few moments, his heart pounded hard against her chest, causing him to hold his breath. For he didn't know how to feel.
Atsumu sought a chat with the ginger who haunted his dreams; however, his neighbor was nowhere to be found. Momo didn't attend school the day after she ignored Atsumu. Days turned to weeks. Atsumu missed the freckles on her fair skin and the pout on her face after he would prank her. He called her every day and texted her, but she never returned any of them. However, he never missed a light in a bedroom more than before. Even Osamu, the calm and rather emotionless part of the twin pack, worried about his friend as she didn't return any of the messages he left for her.
"Stop starring in her bedroom," sighed Osamu when Atsumu leaned against their window.
"Maybe she's back," replied Atsumu, his glance didn't leave the dark blinds.
"She's probably dead or something," sighed Osamu, throwing his pen away and shoved his English book of the table.
"Didn't you see Mr. Takeshita at the supermarket yesterday?"
"I did but when I ask about Momo's whereabouts he got all weird."
"What do you mean?"
"Like you know how you act when you lie after eating my pudding?"
"What – I –" stuttered Atsumu with flushed cheeks.
"Calm down," smirked Atsumu, "he couldn't form a straight sentence and got all fussed about something I didn't understand."
"It's no good," sighed Atsumu, "she missed nearly two weeks of classes."
"Apparently its normal for her."
Atsumu rose a brow.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, she told me that she missed nearly half of the school year in her first year of high school. Sometimes she was sick, other times her mother made her join on her trips."
"What? Really? How did she pass her exam's?"
"She missed most of them and had to retake the others," explained Osamu while he stretched his back, "still, she managed to better than grades than you."
"Ha?! You bastard!" barked Atsumu when something caught his eye outside his window. He froze against the open window as his eyes swam inside grey irises. His heart stopped pounding against his rib cage. The blood in his veins seemed to be as frozen as his mind. The only thing he concerned himself with was the puddle of grey.
"What are you looking at – Oh, Momo!"
Both twins raced down the halls of their home, tore open the front door, ignored their mother's puzzled look, and came to a nasty halt in front of their neighbor, Momo. She glanced at the twins with a gentle smile on her pale lips. Despite the single streetlight's moody lighting above their heads, Atsumu clearly saw the large bags underneath her eyes. Her skin was dry, dull and Momo looked too sick to go unnoticed. As her lips parted to speak, she was silenced by Atsumu, who threw his long arms around her shoulders. His head buried in the crook of her neck, taking in her smell and the warmth of her skin. Momo's eyes nearly popped out of her head as the air in her lungs grew thin. She clapped on his broad back, hoping he would let go, but he only clenched tighter on her smaller frame. Finally, Osamu yanked his brother off Momo and smacked his head hard.
"Where the hell have you been?" shouted Atsumu.
"Shut up," chuckled Momo, holding her ears to mute his voice, "you are going to wake up the whole neighborhood."
"I don't care! You were gone for two weeks and NOTHING! NOT EVEN YOU FATHER KNEW WHERE YOU WERE! AND NOW YOUR JUST BACK? HOW CAN–"
Momo pressed her palm against his mouth when a dog began to bark in some near distance. Osamu chuckled when Atsumu's cheeks began to glow. She glared into Atsumu's eyes, warning him before she slowly pulled her hand back again.
"Let's get inside before he wakes up the whole neighborhood."
They walked into her home, and Momo prepared some tea as both of the twins ran into the cold with nothing more than shirts and jeans. Atsumu gladly accepted his cup while he yanked a blanket over his shoulders.
"I wasn't gone," sighed Momo, "I was here and there. I got sick two weeks ago and spent some time at my grandmother's place in Osaka. She died a few days ago and I just returned from her funeral."
The twins glanced at each other before they gazed back to Momo.
"S-Sorr–"
"Ah, stop," chuckled Momo, refilling her cup with hot water, "I love her as any grandchild does and I honored her the way she would like me to. I went to the beach, she used to be quite the surfer, and I watched the sunset as I used to do with her. It was beautiful."
She stayed quiet for a moment.
"So, what did I miss?"
"You should ask Suna," sighed Osamu, setting his cup of coffee on the small table.
"Oh, I did."
Atsumu and Osamu gave Momo a puzzled and bewildered look before both of them jumped to her side. Momo screamed aloud but exploded with laughter.
"What do you mean you have been texting with Suna?"
"Not texting! He called me a few times and we talked. By the way, did you guys seriously fight again over some practice drills?"
"What? How? Why did you call him and not me?" cried Atsumu, catching his brother's and Momo's attention.
"C-calm down, Atsumu," chuckled Momo even though her face was tensed. Her brows furrowed together, and the edge of her lips straightened.
"Tsumu, stop yelling."
Atsumu ran his hand through his close-cropped hair three times in quick succession and fixed Momo in a stare that could have frozen the Pacific. He snarled more than spoke.
"No, no! How come Suna gets to be in contact with you even though I left you texts, voice messages and called you a thousand times!
Knuckles white from clenching his fists too hard, he jumped to his feet. The anger in his eyes, burning like a fire, showed the frustration he had cast away deep inside of him. Momo shivered as she could see the pain on his handsome face. Osamu didn't get up to calm his brother. Instead, he squeezed Momo's shoulder gently and took his leave. He knew they needed to talk about whatever happened between them. It wasn't his business. Atsumu waited until the sound of the closing door echoed through the halls before he glared back into Momo's winded eyes. She reminded him of a deer who's been caught in the headlights of a car.
"Why did you never call me back?"
His voice was so low Momo almost didn't catch it. She gently shrugged her shoulders and avoided his intense glance. However, her head was forced to look at him by Atsumu's finger, who harshly grabbed her chin.
"Tell me," breathed Atsumu.
"After...the kiss...I just didn't know what to do."
"You could have talked to me!" snapped Atsumu, his voice cutting Momo like a knife. Momo stayed silent for a moment longer, starring into his golden eyes before she sighed.
"I know, but it isn't easy, okay?"
"Why? Where you too busy making out with other guys on your trip? Was is too hard for you to text to people back? Is Suna your boyfriend or what?"
"No!" shouted Momo, her face reddened from the anger boiling inside of her.
"Then why Momo? Why didn't you write back to me?"
"Because I don't know how I feel about you!"
At that moment, that flash of anger protected Atsumu from pain. The man stood there, a sort of toddler expanded to adult size, irritation in his rage, a kind of impetuousness. Momo watched as thin blond hair moved over skin that yearned for more shade and rest. His eyes were on the small side, as if afraid to let the light in; his mouth was little and rigid, as if only used for the sort of smiles that mask emotions, perhaps born of a lifetime of not being enough for himself.
"Well," breathed Atsumu as his fingers left the warm skin of chin, "you are in luck."
He turned on his heels and started to march out of the room. Momo stood there, still in shock, before she ran after him, calling his name and seizing his hand before he could leave.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm leaving," he said in the coldest voice Momo ever came to pass his lips, "only for a week."
His eyes didn't meet hers again, and he restrained himself from starring at her glossy lips.
"Where are you going?"
"Careful, Momo," chuckled Atsumu deeply, "you are starting to sound concerned."
He tore his arms away from her hands and pulled on his shoes. Momo didn't know what to do. Her heart pounded against her ribs, causing her to feel a sense of hurt she never felt before. The mere sight of his eyes, the brokenness inside of them, made her want to beg for his forgiveness and take away every wrong word she ever said to him. It made her sick, knowing she has fallen for his spell.
"Atsumu wait-"
"No, Momo!" snarled Atsumu. "I know I haven't been the best friend, probably the worst, but I – I never wanted this! I never wanted to feel like I'm going to explode every time I see you and –"
Atsumu's mouth stayed open as Momo drew him towards her. She inclined his face towards hers and starred at his parted lips. For a moment, just a tiny moment, she thought of laying her mouth on his, which was like a freshly split open fig. Atsumu wanted to fall into her frame and taste her sweet lips on his tongue. But he couldn't. So, before anything could happen, he pushed her harshly away. Momo lost her balance and fell to the ground, but Atsumu didn't notice as he was already out of the door, cooling his burned face with the evening air.