𝑹𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 💫

Snitching and hitting

They avoid each other like the plague.

The unspoken truce between them continued, an invisible line drawn that neither one of them dared to cross. It was almost ridiculous how they went out of their way to avoid each other, each too stubborn to break the silence. But in the quiet moments when Yachi was alone with her thoughts, she couldn't help but replay that rainy evening in her mind—the warmth of his body pressed against hers, the intensity in his eyes as he pulled her close. She hated how it made her feel, and more than anything, she hated that she couldn't just forget about it—whatever that feeling was, or is.

Every day after school, Yachi would walk Natsu home—the daycare only a few blocks down from her apartment—and without fail, Hinata would show up sometime later. He would mumble a greeting to Natsu—who would envelop him in a hug, give a barely-there nod in Yachi's direction, and then he would disappear into his room. The sound of the door closing was always a strange mix of relief and disappointment for her.

It wasn't that Yachi missed talking to him—if you could even call their last interaction talking—but there was something unsettling about the silence that had settled between them. She couldn't shake the feeling that things had shifted between them, and now, they were just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

But there was something else she couldn't ignore, no matter how hard she tried. It was the mysterious thumping sound that echoed from Hinata's room. It happened every time she babysat Natsu, a steady, rhythmic thud that reverberated through the house. It was almost like a heartbeat, and it drove Yachi crazy with curiosity. Even the paintings hung across the walls would vibrate with the force.

Finally, after weeks of wondering, Yachi couldn't take it anymore. She was sitting on the living room floor with Natsu, helping her color in a picture of a crow, when the familiar thump echoed through the house again. This time, it was louder, and more insistent, and Yachi felt a surge of irritation mixed with curiosity.

"Hey, what's your brother doing?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.  It was a simple question, but a small blush coated her cheeks once she had uttered the sentence. It felt wrong to ask, because at the end of the day, why did she care?

Natsu didn't even look up, her small hands carefully filling in the crow's wings with black crayon. "I'm not sure I understand." She mumbled.

Thump.

Yachi's patience snapped. She nudged Natsu gently, pointing towards the ceiling. "That! What is he doing up there?"

"Oh," Natsu said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Shoyo is probably practicing volleyball. He's crazy about it."

Yachi blinked, processing the information. Practicing volleyball? Inside the house? It seemed absurd, but at the same time, it explained a lot. The loud thumping, the way he always disappeared right after getting home—it all made sense now. But instead of feeling satisfied with the answer, something inside her twisted. Was it jealousy? Annoyance? She couldn't quite place it, but it left her feeling unsettled.

She was about to dismiss the whole thing and go get a glass of water when Natsu tugged on her shirt, her eyes sparkling in a mischievous way.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Natsu whispered, her voice barely audible.

Yachi leaned in, her own curiosity piqued despite herself. "What is it?"

Natsu giggled, moving closer to cup her hands around Yachi's ear. "Shoyo isn't supposed to practice indoors because he breaks things, but whenever Mom goes to work, he sneakily practices at home..."

Yachi pulled back, her eyes narrowing as a slow, devilish grin spread across her face. So that's how it was. Hinata was breaking the rules, and he thought he could get away with it. A part of her wanted to march upstairs and catch him in the act, but another part of her, a darker, more playful part, wanted to let him stew in his own rebellion. Maybe she could use this to her advantage.

"Is that so..." she murmured, the wheels in her mind already turning.

"Yupp!" Natsu said brightly, but her excitement quickly turned to worry as she glanced up at the stairs. When she saw that no one was there, she relaxed, letting out a small sigh of relief.

Yachi's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Natsu's stomach growling loudly. The younger girl blushed, looking down at her lap.

"Are you hungry?" Yachi asked, her voice softer now.

Natsu nodded, her eyes wide and innocent. "Yes."

She stood up, offering Natsu her hand. "Come on, let's see what we can find in the kitchen."

As they made their way to the kitchen, Yachi couldn't help but glance up at the ceiling one last time. The thumping had stopped, and the house was eerily quiet again. But now that she knew what was going on, she couldn't let it go.

She would bide her time, let him think he was getting away with it, and then... well, she'd figure something out. After all, Hinata might be crazy about volleyball, but Yachi was learning that she was pretty good at plotting revenge.

And if it meant breaking their unspoken truce, well, that was just a bonus.

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End of chapter.