Akari sat on the bench, watching her setter boyfriend play a practice match. He looked like he belonged on the court. She smiled watching him, he was perfect. Two months ago she wouldn't have thought about a relationship after everything that happened that night.
Since then, she had recovered. The doctors still weren't sure why was wrong with her, but her health got a lot better and her friends helped her out of depression. She was allowed to play volleyball again after she had improved, but if she showed any signs of pain she would have to stop. She ended up becoming captain of the Karasuno female team, she played as a setter and libero depending on what schools they were against. Since she was a second year, they all decided that they would keep her next year too. Their team had improved drastically since she joined. She also has to act as coach until they find one good enough. She had improved a lot and she was grateful that she had her friends by her side.
"We're finished." A voice brought her out of her thoughts, she jumped at the sound of her boyfriends voice.
"You scared me!" She giggled, ruffling his hair. He nodded and ran off to get his bag. She sighed happily and stood up to wait.
"Are you coming over?" She inquired as he approached her.
"Is that okay?" She nodded in response and the two walked out of the Karasuno gym.
"Looking back now, I never imagined we'd be together after that night." She sighed. "I'm really happy." She finished off.
That night after Sugawara left, she went into shock. She couldn't believe that she got so angry. She didn't talk to Kenma or Tetsurou for a week. She didn't speak to the Karasuno team or go to practices for two weeks.
Her boyfriend stopped in his tracks and she followed suit. "I'm happy that you gave me a chance." He smiled gently. She smiled back, happy that he was sharing his feelings with her, he never usually did. And she was fine with that because she knew he loved her whole heartedly.
He laced his fingers with hers loosely, which was quite rare. "If you feel uncomfortable you can let go." She giggled at the awkward teen. He grunted and shook his head as they continued walking to her apartment. They took a quick detour to the park and watched the ducks fight over bread that was tossed into the pond.
Once they reached the apartment block and went to her room, Akari opened the door to find it already unlocked. She looked at her boyfriend who shrugged and just stepped inside. She set her bags down in her room and head out to the lounge.
"Happy birthday Akari!" A group of voices yelled. She screamed and fell to the ground, clutching her chest. Sugawara gripped her arm and pulled her up to her feet, grinning.
"Uh? What?" She stared dumbfounded at the Nekoma and Karasuno boys. Her apartment was fully decorated with gallons and streamers, Daichi and Tanaka held a huge cake and were grinning wide.
"Guys, I hate to break it to you but today is the 15th of October... My birthday is in April. April the 20th." She laughed as the two teams faces dropped. "Tetsu! Why didn't you tell them!?" She scolded the tall boy.
"They had fun organizing it, so I couldn't ruin it." He shrugged.
"Who told them it was today?" She sighed as the cake was placed down. Sugawara raised his hand sheepishly.
"Uh.. I thought it was today? Last year I gave you a birthday present on the 15th of October and you just accepted it!" He added.
"I didn't want to ruin your mood..." She shrugged. "Such a bad best friend." She teased.
She turned to her boyfriend who stood quietly. "Kenma, why didn't you tell them?"
"Uh, I did.. But they thought I was lying." He scratched the back of his neck.
"Well boys, since you all forgot my birthday let's just celebrate!" She laughed.
She stood back and watched the boys dig into the cake. Presents were tossed at her and she clumsily caught them all and placed them on her table. She sat in he corner and watched the two teams bond. Kenma walked up to her and grabbed her hand, pulling her to the balcony away from their friends.
She rested against the railing and closed her eyes, breathing in the warm air. She sighed and exhaled gently. Kenma couldn't help but smile at his girlfriend getting happy over something so simple. He walked behind her and placed his hand on the small of her back.
"You're touchier than usual today, what's up?" She asked, her eyes still pressed shut.
"I just wanted to talk." He breathed, using his thumb to draw circles against her shirt. She let out an airy laugh and looked at him as he started to speak.
"Uh, I've liked you for a while now." He admitted, pink started to dust his cheeks. "I know my timing probably wasn't too good..." He trailed off, looking away remembering that he confessed after she had cleared a level of his game a week after her argument with Sugawara. She accepted his confession and they started dating. It had been about a month and a half since his confession, he thought it could have been better but Akari didn't mind one bit.
"I know you might not love me yet, but that's okay." He shrugged, resting his head on top of hers. "I understand that you might still love Sugawara-kun. But I'll wait." He finished looking quite flustered.
"Kenma..." She gasped sadly. "He was my first love, I'm never going to forget that." He nodded, upset at her announcement. He pulled away and started to head back inside.
"I'm not finished, Kenma." She grabbed his wrist, his back still facing her. "He was my first love. And what matters the most is, that you are my last. I know that you aren't really vocal about your feelings and that's fine. I love you, Kenma and I think I always have. I'm sorry if I take a while to come around but I will eventually. I love you." She finished with a smile. Kenma's heart raced at her words and he spun around to face her.
Akari pulled the boy closer to her and he craned his neck so their foreheads touched. They stared into each others eyes quietly, content in the moment. He nodded back exchanging a silent 'I love you, too.'
"Can I kiss you?" She whispered, her nose brushing against his gently. Her heart started to race, she was suddenly nervous. He nodded again and closed his eyes. Her lips brushed gently across the corner of his mouth, Kenma slowly relaxed and wrapped one arm around her waist, the other hand cupping her cheek. He waited for her to lean back in. Akari's eyes closed and she pressed her lips against his softly. The kiss was slow, innocent, loving and warm, the couple pulled away and rested their foreheads against each other. Their hearts were both thumping in their chests.
The two volleyball teams had watched the whole scene play out from the windows, the couple hadn't noticed them. Sugawara realized what he had lost. He felt regret seeping through his veins, but at the same time he was happy that she had found someone worth of her love.
In that moment, she felt her heart being put together.
(AuthorsNote: Hope you enjoyed the story! Sorry if it didn't make sense or if it seemed a bit rushed, I accidentally made it longer than originally intended! Comments are much appreciated :3 )
