❀
"COULD YOU HELP ME ON THIS ONE?"
Tobio asks, pointing to a math problem on his worksheet.
Sakura turns to him, leaning over his shoulder as her eyes examine the problem behind her spectacles. She taps her chin, humming to herself quietly as she leans over and starts to write. "You have to use distributive property, Tobio. Multiply twenty by two, and then combine the x with twenty, and then you do the same to the other side." She informs, tucking a stray strand of brown hair behind her ear.
He looks up at his girlfriend in awe, his lips slightly agape as she solved the math equation with ease.
"What do you look so surprised for? We learned distributive property in middle school." The girl teases, nudging her partner a little with a small smile.
He frowns at her, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose with a deadpanned expression on his face. The boy only grunts in response, a small blush kissing his cheeks.
Laughing airily, Sakura sits back down next to her boyfriend on the couch, and continues to write several formulas down. Her glasses begin to slide down her nose again, in which Tobio pushes them back up. The girl blushes, turning to her boyfriend with a grin on her face. "Do you need to copy?" She asks in a knowing tone.
"Tch, do you think I'm dumb or something?!" He exclaims, crossing his arms over his chest and slumping deeper into the couch. "I was... I was just looking at you."
Her smile grows even wider, and she wraps her arms around her neck and leans into him. "You're so sweet..!" She fawns, cuddling him teasingly.
Roses bloom across his face as she nuzzles her head into his chest, her breathy giggles dusting his neck. Hesitantly, he wraps his long arms around her and pulls her close, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as he realizes he can hold her now. That her warmth can be against his skin, and her being can be close to his.
When Kageyama hears the front door open, he pushes Sakura off of him, much to her surprise. "What's wrong-?"
An older woman walks through the door, sliding off her shoes as Sakura mouths a silent oh. "Hi mom." Kageyama says in his usual, stoic manner.
"Hi Tobio!" The woman exclaims, discarding her scarf and throwing it on the table. She pauses when she sees Sakura sitting on the couch with him, a charming smile on her face. "Ah, Tobio. You didn't tell me you brought a cute girl over! Is this you're girlfriend?"
The brunette laughs lightly, bowing at her elder. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Kageyama, my name is Sakura Ito, and I'm a friend of Kageyama's." She glances back at him nervously, her eyes asking if he wants her to clarify between girlfriend and friend. He nods his head, blushing a little. "Or, I'm his girlfriend, actually."
"Oh my!" She exclaims, dropping everything and pulling the girl into a tight hug. "My little Tobio has a girlfriend! How sweet! Awe, you're so pretty, it's a wonder he snatched you up." She fawns, looking at the girl with admiration. "Call me Tohru, Ito. It's a pleasure to meet you too!"
Sakura chuckles a little, looking at her very embarrassed boyfriend that slumps even further on the couch. "Can I help you with dinner, Tohru?" The girl asks, approaching the counter with a large grin.
"Awe! You're such a doll!" She says sweetly. "If you really want to, of course you can help!"
She turns around a flashes a teasing grin at her partner, causing him to frown a little and turn away from her gaze.
"Of course." Sakura adds, walking into the kitchen and striking up a conversation with Tohru. Tobio watches her from afar, smiling to himself as he watches her whiz around the kitchen, laughing sporadically and overall charming his mom. He wonders how she does it, how she can charm people within seconds, how she can manage to be so charismatic and enamor every person she meets. The two are polar opposites, Tobio being awkward and intimidating, whilst Sakura has a warm, welcoming presence about her.
"Oh my, you paint?!" The woman exclaims, clasping her hands together dramatically. "You're such a bright girl."
"Oh, thank you Tohru. You're son is bright as well... in, uh, volleyball." The brunette says, glancing briefly at Kageyama with a small grin.
"Oh... yes, I've seen you at his games! That's so sweet of you to come." She says, putting some rice in the rice cooker.
"Well, I'm actually the soon to be manager." She says with a small smile, whilst cooking some noodles.
Kageyama smiles a little, as his tall frame stands up and walks over to the kitchen, sitting at the counter and watching the two females cook. "Can... can I help?"
"Tobio, you've never wanted to help me cook before!" The ravonette says teasingly, nudging her son a little.
A red tint fills his cheeks, as he looks to the side.
"Also, hon, you've tried to cook before and you just can't do it. Let me have some alone time with my future daughter in law!" She exclaims, shooing her son away.
Every ounce of blood seems to rush to Kageyama's face. "M-mom!"
Sakura lets a small snicker escape her lips, as she places the noodles into a large bowl. "Oh, Sakura, that smells delicious!"
"Thank you, ma'am." The girl bows slightly, placing the bowl on the table. "So does the rice."
The trio sits down at the low table, sitting on their knees and clasping their hands together. "Thank you for the meal." They all say in unison, diving into the food.
Tobio smiles when his mouth is filled with the noodles that Sakura made, the savory taste sinking into his taste buds. Tohru gushed at her cooking, praising her consistently as Sakura blushes profusely. "So, how did you two meet?"
"Oh, well, actually, my cat ran off and I went on a wild goose chase for her." She laughs. "And then Casper, that's her name, found Tobio, who had meat buns which are her favorite food. Then I became manager of the volleyball team, and the rest is history!"
"Oh, how lovely!"
＊✿❀ ❀✿＊
"Sorry about my mom." Tobio apologizes, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully.
The two teens walk back home, tummies full and a cherry hue still resting on their cheeks. It's a warm night, with a cool breeze singing through the air, causing the cherry blossoms to dance under the amber glow. The light shines through them, making them look like shards of a vibrant mosaics parading through the breeze.
"No, no! I loved her..." A far away look settles in the girl's dark hues, and a frown tugs at her lips. "I really enjoyed it... I never get the chance to do things like that since my mother left me at a young age. It must be fun, huh?" She says sadly, a plastic smile on her face.
Tobio frowns. "It is."
"I can imagine. It was also nice not having to cook a meal by myself, and to have someone to talk to at dinner." She says softly, eyes traveling down to her feet.
Kageyama's heart clenches, as he stops in his tracks. His girlfriend looks back at him, furrowing her brows. "Wh-"
Before she can get another word out, Kageyama awkwardly pulls her into his chest, and wraps his long lanky arms around her. A small gasp escapes her throat, as she hesitantly wraps her arms around Tobio as well, unexpected tears flooding her vision. She nuzzles her head into his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat and inhaling the scent of fresh laundry detergent. He strokes her hair comforting, tangling his king fingers through her soft tresses, and resting his chin on the top of her head. "I...I just realized what I've been missing my whole life." She says, trying to hold back the sobs as she remembers her father telling her that her mother had left.
Kageyama, being his awkward self, doesn't say anything, and only holds her in his arms, bringing her warmth closer to him. He loves the feeling of being in her arms, the blush that rises to his cheeks and the way his heart pounds with every touch. "You... you can come over whenever you'd like."
"You're the best, you know that? I'm so happy I met you." She says, pulling away from him and grasping onto the fabric of his sweater and leaning her head against his forearm.
His heart flutters a little, smiling to himself. "Th-thanks... I'm glad I met you too."