Moonlight

Chapter 30

Everyone sang a birthday song and the cake was sliced for everyone. The dishes were served and everyone ate to their fill. They all settled around the living room as a Mr. Bean series was played on the television.

Akane approached the room, a bottle of soda in her hand. She was looking over to find a spot to sit but Tsukishima led her in front of Yamaguchi.  They were already on the floor as the kids had taken occupancy over the sofa and chairs.

"You look good in pink." Tsukishima said quietly, settling in a comfortable position.

Yamaguchi heard it, though, for he was an expert in hearing Tsukishima in his lowly voice. He laughed out uncontrollably when Akane just stared at his bestfriend while Tsukishima blew off a steaming blush on his ears.

"Shh! What's so funny, Mr. Bean is just dancing!" Natsu scolded the older guest making him stifle his laugh under his hand. 

He made eye contact with the other members of the team and he wordlessly pointed at the interesting pair in front of him. Immediately, they all smiled knowingly. They were straining in keeping themselves under control as they all want to blurt out the obvious denial the pair was doing.

Everyone's breath hitched when Akane started to lean her head on Tsukishima's shoulder. The latter noticed her getting sleepy, though, so he did not bother to be a smartmouth with her. A scene showed Mr. Bean having a misunderstanding with a store owner. But because he was unable to articulate, he lost the argument.

"Poor Bean, if only he could talk properly." Natsu cooed at the show.

Akane raised her bottle and spoke loudly, "Oh come on! It would have been better if he talked it out with the other party."

"We know." Everyone from the team replied in unison, obviously meaning something else.

Akane blushed in embarrassment and muttered under her breath, "I just want to sleep off. I'm tired being a princess." 

Tsukishima chuckled, "Wanna bail out?"

Akane looked up excitedly but then dropped to a frown, "I don't think it's really a good thing for a princess to bail out on the queen's celebration."

Tsukishima prepared to stand up and replied, "Come on, let's hang out at the yard. It's a fair weather out and there are no kids to beat me up."

Akane stood up and quietly excused herself while the kids were occupied with the show. She smiled shyly at the parents who gave her and Tsukishima a teasing look.

"Are you going already?" The Hinata's mother asked, a kind smile on her face. She added, "It must have been tiring to follow kids' rules today."

Akane shook her head, "No, ma'am. We'll just be outside at your yard, I need to refresh myself."

Tsukishima looked at her blushing cheeks and bluntly said, "She wants to sleep."

"Tsukki!" Akane hissed and smiled sheepishly at the mother.

"You're calling me by family name, shortcake? I'm terribly hurt." Tsukishima said. Akane raised her brows in confusion. 

"I told you that you can call me Kei..." Tsukishima added, his eyes darting to the man behind her. He had been giving her looks ever since she wore the dress.

Akane caught the signal and she sighed. With a sweet voice, she replied, "Oh yeah, I'm so sorry Kei-kun. It slipped off my mind."

"Oh dear, you young lovers! What a flattering scene you're showing!" Natsu's mother giggled and fanned herself. They walked out with a respectful smile on their faces.

Akane broke out of her character and snapped, "Are you kidding me?! That guy probably has his kid among the group. He's not as bad as you probably think he is!"

Tsukishima ignored her and sat under a tree. He looked at Akane with lazy eyes before blocking her out, closing his eyes.

"Tsukishima!" Akane called him out. She knelt beside him, her frustration evident in her voice.

"You could have been wrong." She whispered.

"Or I could have been right, shortcake." Tsukishima said, "I think it was a wise decision to act it out around him so he knows you're not an easy prey. If he is not as bad as I think, then he won't think of anything bad of our actions."

"But..."

Tsukishima placed a hand on her cheek and tilted her head slightly to the side. His eyes went past her for a fleeting moment before they returned to his. He saw the same man quietly slip out of the house, too, looking suspicious.

"We are a couple in their eyes, and so we act it out. In any case that a creep would do something to you, I can get away with hurting him by using the boyfriend card." He said and placed both his hands on her arms.

He switched their places; Tsukishima is now kneeling in front of her and Akane is sitting with her back pressed firmly against the tree.

Akane looked up into his eyes to protest but she knew he was right. She looked away with a shaded cheeks, "I hate it."

Tsukishima nodded, "I know. I'm sorry."

From inside the house, the rest of the team were glancing at the couple, making sure not to be caught by Queen Natsu. They felt intrigued with whatever the two were talking about and moreso with the position that Tsukishima had switched out. Everyone felt like their tongues are going to bleed from biting down so hard.

"I can't with those two!" Yamaguchi whisper-shouted.

Tanaka and Nishinoya nodded furiously. Kageyama said lazily, "Guess Saltyshima is not that salty at all."

Hinata had been clenching his fists so hard but it is not enough to keep his excitement in so he had been pursing his lips. He looked like he was taking a big dump and Ennoshita laughed at him.

The noise caught Natsu's attention and she frowned right away, "Hey!"

Everyone stiffened like a kid caught escaping from siesta time.

"We're sorry, Your Majesty!" They said in unison, much to the parents' amusement.

"I can't believe your sister's taking her Queen role so serious, Shoyo..." Yamaguchi muttered.

Back outside, Tsukishima caught the man trying to take photos of Akane; most probably because her dress had been teasingly fluttered by the wind. He scowled and removed her cape to drape it over her legs. The man probably did not bite their couple act.

Akane was about to ask but Tsukishima cut her off by pointing at the collar of his shirt.

"What?" She asked, her eyes went to his collar and up again to Tsukishima's eyes.

He knew she was going to ask about his action but he cannot bring himself to tell her that he was right and the man was indeed creeping at her. He had to distract her thought off. Tsukishima groaned mentally at the embarrassment that he was preparing himself for.

"I've put on a different cologne, I wanted to ask if it fits me." He said too quickly, looking away.

Akane blinked profusely before answering, "O-oh? Okay."

She drew herself closer to him and prepared to take a quick sniff. Then, Tsukishima dipped his head and planted a kiss on her forehead. Akane's eyes widened in surprise.

"Mmmmmmm!!" The team squealed with their lips sealed tightly against each other to avoid getting a noise out.

"D-damn..." Kiyoko said quietly. Her cheeks were blushing too with what she saw.