You jolted awake at the sound of someone banging heavily on your door. "YACCHAN! Y/N! WAKE UP!"
Looking around, you noticed that Yachi and Kiyoko had been awakened by the noise, too.
"That sounds like Hinata-kun..." Yachi murmured.
Suddenly, the banging cut off. "Idiot!" you heard Tanaka hiss from outside the door. "You'll disturb Kiyoko-san's sleep."
"S-SORRY, TANAKA-SENPAI!"
"Shut up!"
"SORRY, NISHINOYA-SENPAI!"
Around half an hour later, you entered the hallway, where you found Bokuto and Hinata staring blankly at each other. After a moment, Bokuto shouted, "MY SON!" And wrapped Hinata in a hug.
"BOKUTO-SENPAI!"
"Quiet!" Akaashi murmured. "Bokuto-san, Sugawara-san will hear you."
As if by magic, Suga came swooped into the hallway. "Hinata, come on. It's breakfast time."
"Okay!" Hinata chirped. He skipped down the hallway, humming. Sugawara waited until he was gone before giving Bokuto a look that said, very clearly, "Don't talk to me or my son ever again." Then he followed after Hinata, shouting, "Hinata! Slow down!"
Bokuto shivered. "Spooky..."
Akaashi shrugged. "Told you." Tugging at Bokuto's shirt, he said, "Come on. Let's go get breakfast."
You watched them go with a sort of bemusement. Every time you saw them, the volleyball players were less and less intimidating. Especially...
You blushed, remembering the previous night. Should I talk to him? Should I even bring it up? you wondered.
No. You shook your head. You weren't going to be one of those stupid maidens that waited for their crush to tell them whether or not a kiss meant anything. If you and Tsukishima were going to evolve into anything beyond high school crushes, then it was clear that you needed to take the upper hand.
Pulling out your phone, you swiped to the private messages between you and Tsukishima.
Y/N: First of all, you suck.
You watched the screen anxiously for a few seconds before typing bubbles appeared in the corner.
Tsukishima: Are you going to tell me why?
Y/N: Maybe
Tsukishima: Actually, I have a feeling that I know why you're mad
Y/N: I would hope so
More typing bubbles.
Tsukishima: You're upset that I didn't tell you I liked you.
Y/N: Ah, so you aren't as oblivious as I thought.
Tsukishima: I would prefer to believe that I'm not oblivious in general
Y/N: Can I ask you something?
Tsukishima: You just did.
Y/N: Shut up for a second and listen, you extra salty french fry.
Tsukishima: Oh, so we're name calling now
Y/N: Did you not hear me say, 'shut up'?
Tsukishima: I tune out most of what you say.
Y/N: If you respond with another sarcastic comment I will tell Kageyama that you have a huge, obsessive crush on him.
For once, he didn't respond.
Y/N: Thank you. Now, I want to tell you that I VERY MUCH remember what happened last night.
Y/N: And I don't take back what I said.
Y/N: I like you, even though sometimes (like right now) you TEsT mY paTIenCE.
Y/N: And you called me when Bethany said to call your crush, so that's pretty convincing evidence that you like me.
Y/N: And I want to know if you like me back. No sarcasm, no shields, just you.
Y/N: If you say that you don't, I promise that I won't go insane. I don't want anything to change. I just want to know.
He didn't respond for a few seconds. Then came four words that sent your heart soaring into the air.
Tsukishima: I like you, too.
"Whatcha doin there, Y/N?" someone asked, jumping onto you.
You jumped, recognizing Bethany's voice a second too late.
Your phone clattered to the ground, rolling until it hit a wall.
"Jeez, Bethany, you scared me!" you grumbled.
"Good to know!" the small girl laughed cheerfully. Scooping up your phone, she handed it back to you.
"Should you be at breakfast with Akaashi-san and Bokuto-san?" you asked.
She waved a hand dismissively. Her hair was tied into a messy bun, and she was wearing a gray cardigan. "Yeah, but apparently I take too long to get ready." She grinned, as if something had just crossed her mind. "You and Tsukki looked awfully lovey-dovey last night."
Heat rose to your cheeks. "N-no we didn't!"
"Sure, sure. Let me know when it's official. We can do double dates. Triple if Bokuto ever gets a girlfriend."
"Yeah, whatever," you said, laughing. "Want to go get breakfast with me?"
"Sure!"
When the two of you got down to the breakfast hall, Bokuto immediately shouted, "HEY HEY HEY! BETHANY!"
"HEY HEY HEY!" she shouted back, her voice echoing across the breakfast hall. Luckily, the hall was so full of people that hardly anyone noticed.
She skipped over to them, waving goodbye to you. You waved back awkwardly.
"Hey," you heard a quiet voice say. You turned around to see Tsukishima.
"Why hellO there," you said, leaning against the wall in the traditional flirtatious position.
"Yamaguchi is off with Yachi-chan, but I managed to find a table," he continued, ignoring your antics. "Would you like to come sit with us?"
"I'm sorry," you said, cupping a hand to your ear, "what was that? I couldn't hear you."
He rolled his eyes. "Will you come sit with me?"
"Why yes, Tsukishima! I would love to sit with you!" you said loudly.
He grabbed your arm and tugged you towards the table. "Shut up!" he hissed.
"No."
"You're impossible."
"Thank you."
A few hours later, you found yourself seated on the bus next to Tsukishima. Surprisingly, the bus was practically silent. Everyone was exhausted, and half asleep. Your phone buzzed with a message from Bethany.
Bethany: Bokuto is practically in a coma. HE SNORES LIKE AN OWL, IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING--
Y/N: I wasn't, but thanks.
Bethany: Good for you, but now that I've been traumatized by it, you have to be too
Bethany has sent an audio
Turning the volume down, you pressed play.
Let's just say that that was a mistake.
The sound of Bokuto inhaling softly, before letting out a quiet, "hooooot" was just too much. You burst into a fit of repressed giggles. Tsukishima looked down at you, his eyes questioning.
"Why are you so loud?" he murmured.
You just giggled harder.
To your surprise, he started laughing, too. For a few seconds, the two of you just sat there, laughing for no reason.
"HEY!" Nishinoya shouted. "SHUT UP! SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!"
"You do realize that you're being louder than them, right?" Ennoshita mumbled sleepily.
You quickly quieted your laughter, but you and Tsukishima continued to grin at each other.
"I'm home!" you shouted, pushing open the bookstore door. It was only 3:00, but the house was completely silent. The sign in the window was flipped to closed, and the lights were dimmed.
"Etsu-san?" you murmured nervously. You're footsteps felt way too loud in the oppressive quiet.
There was quiet.
"Etsu-san?!" You raced up to the back area and up the stairs. Halfway up the stairs, you slowed. If there waas a break-in, or a murderer was up there, it wouldn't do to go fumbling around loudly. You preferred the idea of a murderer to the thought of what was most likely up there.
You peeked into the kitchen, but it was silent and still. Slowly, you crept into the hallway, looking into the living room. You recoiled with a barely suppressed gasp.
Empty beer bottles covered the floor and couch, small amounts of the poisonous liquid staining the floor and couch. Your hands flew to your mouth.
She said she quit...
You stood there for a few moments, half expecting her to come into the room, drunk out of her mind. But she wasn't here.
She promised...
The store was doing better...
Everything was doing better...
Shaking your head, you moved to go find a garbage bag. Maybe if the mess was cleaned up by the time Etsu got home...
Maybe what? How would that possibly make things any better?!
You scooped the cans into the bag, wincing as an open can sliced across your palm. The blood welled up inside the cut, spilling onto the floor.
"Great," you mumbled angrily. "Now I've got to go find bandages."
It took a few minutes to get your cut bandaged up; the blood kept spilling everywhere. Once you were finished, you hoisted the garbage bag over your shoulder and walked outside. It was hard to believe that only an hour ago, you had been blissfully carefree. Now it felt as if the weight of the world was on your shoulders; your ribcage was constricting against your chest, and it took all of your energy just to keep walking.
The trash cans were in the alleyway next to the bookstore, so it only took a good thirty seconds to reach them. Holding open the lid, you threw the bag in and slammed the trash can on top of it. You weren't sure why, but something inside of you snapped.
You gave the giant, metal trash can a vicious kick. Pain spread up your leg, but you were too far gone to care.
I trusted her...
Pummeling the trash can with your fists, you savored each and every moment of pain.
She said she had stopped drinking...
For some time you stood there, punching the trash can. Your knuckles were raw and bloody, but you didn't care.
Finally, you dropped to your knees, exhausted. Your knees scraped against the grimy floor.
You should have gotten up and gone inside. You should have done something, anything. But all you did was sit there, salty tears running down your cheeks.
*Warning: The next part has mentions of emotional abuse and alchoholism. If those are triggers for you, I recommend that you skip ahead*
A few months after you had moved in with Etsu, her drinking worsened. She wasn't horrible then--the worse that had happened were a few shouting matches. Once she had slapped you, but that wasn't as bad as what had been happening for the past few years. Etsu came home erratically, leaving you to open and close the bookshop on your own. You couldn't skip school--if you comprimised your grades, you would never be able to go to college and escape. You tried to pay bills and do everything as best you could, but you were only a kid. When Etsu came home, though--those were the worst nights. Mostly it was just talking; even drunk, Etsu wasn't naturally violent. But she said the most horrible things. You still thought about them sometimes.
One night in particular stood out to you.
You had finished your homework and made dinner, so you were reading fanfiction and eating. The downstairs door slammed violently, causing you to jump. Quickly closing your laptop, you slid it into your schoolbag and focused on your food. Swirling your chopsticks through the your ramen, you tried not to wonder what Etsu's mental state was.
You flinched when you heard her footsteps coming up the stairs, hoping that she would ignore you and let you eat your ramen in peace.
Unfortunately, this night wasn't going to go favorably for you. Etsu slammed her hands on the table. "What the ****, Y/N? You made dinner and you didn't even make any for me?"
You shrunk away from her penetrating gaze. "I... didn't know you were coming."
"What do you mean, you didn't know? I live here, don't I?" She swayed slightly as she sauntered towards the fridge. She threw it open, revealing the meager foodstuffs that you had managed to afford.
"Why don't we have any food?! You do know that you need fruits and vegetables to survive, right? What are you trying to do, kill me?"
You averted your gaze further. Please leave, you chanted inwardly. Please leave please leave please leave.
Suddenly, Etsu was next to you. "Answer me!"
You jumped, falling off your chair. "I... no."
"Good." Etsu said. She surveyed the whole apartment with a critical eye. "You should go buy fruits and vegetables. Make sure this place is well stocked."
For some stupid reason, you decided to say, "We--I don't have any money..."
She was standing over you in a second. "What did you say?"
You stayed silent.
"I let you stay with me; I feed you, clothe you, and give you a roof over your head. And you repay me with this ungratefulness?!" she shouted.
You were trying not to cry; that would only make her angrier. She glared down at you. "You're a good for nothing brat. Why couldn't your parents have just taken you with them. They were good-for-nothings anyway."
A strangled gasp made its way out of your throat. She... she hadn't just insulted your parents, had she?
Rage bubbled up inside of you, threatening to lash out in the form of violence. But you held it back, watching as Etsu growled, "I'm going out," and stomped down the stairs.
When she had said she was going to be better, you had really believe her. You had really thought that she was going to change.
But things never change, do they?
You snapped back to reality.
"I should get back," you mumbled. In a daze, you stumbled back into the bookstore. You collapsed onto the couch, exhausted.The smell of alcohol still lingered in the air. Within minutes, you were asleep.
The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs woke you up. You quickly scrambled up, trying to look like you hadn't been crying.
Etsu appeared in the doorway, holding a bottle of vodka. A lit cigarette dangled from her lips, trailing a thick line of smoke from the end.
She stumbled forward. When she saw you, her brow furrowed. "What're you doing here? Didn't you have your..." she waved the vodka around, "field trip, or something?"
You didn't argue, simply nodding and looking away.
Etsu stalked towards you. "I thought you weren't supposed to be back for another few days."
"I have school," you said weakly, feeling the words wither in your throat. "We all had to come back for school."
"That's bullcrap," Etsu fumed. "I bet you didn't even have a trip."
"N-no, I definitely did," you stammered.
"I bet you were out on the streets, weren't you?" She waved her arms, causing the bottle to fly out of her hands and shatter over the stove. "You didn't even bother to make dinner, did you?"
"I just got home--"
"Enough excuses!" With an annoyed huff, Etsu wobbled over to the stove. "I'll make it myself, then."
"Wait!" you started to say. The vodka bottle had spilled all over the stove, so if she turned it on, the whole place would go up in flames.
"What?!" she barked, spinning around to face you.
"Th-that's dangerous." You didn't know why you were protecting her. If anything, she deserved to burn.
"I know how to cook, Y/N!" She turned back to the stove, turning it on high.
It only took a few seconds for the curtains to catch on fire.
You didn't wait to see what happened next. You grabbed your DisneyLand bag (it still had most of your school stuff in it) and bolted out the door.
Sprinting down the street, you heard sirens heading towards the apartment, but you didn't slow. You only had one place in mind you could go.
Hurriedly pulling out your phone, you texted Tsukishima.
Y/N: Can you meet me at the library?
Hewo! I have finally updated again. I am not the best at it, but I decided to try my hand at angst. ('･ω･') I hope I did alright! Comment if you have any suggestions for how I could improve, or if anyone was OOC. Hope you all have a lovely day/night! I will hopefully update soon!
--Harper <3