Over the weeks, you and Tsukishima spent every lunch together without fail, his company becoming a normal feeling to you and you were more settled and comfortable with the snarky blond.

Also, after school you walked home together since he stayed later for volleyball and you practiced in the music room. Initially you finished your practice before him and went straight home, but recently you'd hang around and spend your time studying to make up the extra time he was playing so you would finish and walk home together.

You knew it was cheesy, and frankly you were confused how over a simple fortnight you had accepted another person into your life and was willing to spend time with another human being that wasn't a family member. You even waited around after school when you could go home and sleep...

Today you had your face engulfed in a text book that contained English translations and You memorised the phrases but when you checked you phone and the time read 6:48pm you were utterly shocked.

Why hasn't his practise finished yet?

You shoved your belongings into your backpack and wandered to the front gates, secretly hoping to bump into the tall boy, your footsteps slow but there was no sign of him.

You waited another 5 minutes but the cold air sent shivers across your arms, small mountains of cold skin infecting your limbs, and the sky had fighting shimmers of a fading orange hue from the dying sunset, the deep, navy, starred sky painting the rest. The street lamps illuminated the dry concrete streets in strobe light patterns and an occasional police siren echoed through the silence from miles away in the horizon.

You eventually shrugged and shoved your palms into your pockets, slightly disappointed but you shook it off, beginning your journey home as the light thud of your shoes tapped against the ground.

Faster footsteps getting louder set off your heart rate into a spiral of panic and the beat of the pounding organ throttled in your chest, the tapping of jogging feet behind you made you freeze.

You stayed still, the night fully forming the sky making your nerves rise, hoping that it was just a jogger passing by but when they began to slow down as the figure reached you and their panting breath could be heard.

"Hey-"

A high pitched squeal escaped your vocal cords as you jumped when a hand was placed on your shoulder, you and the person both jolting in opposite directions.

"Woah.. Tiny!" Tsukishima was startled by your reaction to him, your E/C eyes locking with his caramel ones, your stares melting into each other.

"O-Oh sorry." You stuttered.

"Why so jumpy?" He joked but still tilted his head.

"I thought you were some... I don't know.. pedo coming to kill me or something." You let out a breathy chuckle, scratching the back of your neck awkwardly.

"Not quite." He smirked and continued to walk by your side.

"Well it is dark and that's like.. the striking time for criminals."

"You're so dramatic." He chuckled lightly.

"It's not dramatic when I get mugged." You huffed.

"Right right." He shook his head.

While you both walked, he explained that he was later than usual because of volleyball, and that his teammates were being "annoying as shit" and that their coach scolded everyone for bickering.

"So why did you leave so late?" Tsukishima pondered, looking down to you.

"I was.." you hesitated. "Doing homework.."

"We don't have any homework." He smirked, figuring out the real reason.

"I.. I Uh.. I meant I was studying." You stammered, not even sparing a glance at him.

"You don't need to lie, Chibi-chan." You could feel the smug facade radiating from him. "We both know you were waiting for me."

Your cheeks burst into a flaring blush, you snapping your vision to his.

"No I wasn't!" You denied frantically, your pink cheeks telling a completely different story. "Wh- why would I hang around for your sarcastic ass?" You puffed out your cheeks with a pout of your bottom lip.

"Surreee." He dragged out his words, your denial making it even more obvious.

____________-=🖤=-____________

When you both reached the point where you went different directions home, you were confused when Tsukishima continued to walk with you.

"I thought you lived that way?" You wondered out loud, point back in the direction where he lives.

"I'm walking you home." He said nonchalantly.

"Wait why?" You stopped abruptly, tilting your head and looking up to him.

"Because you're clearly a wimp." He shrugged. "Plus, you don't want the pedos to come and kill you." He teased from your previous overreaction, you shuddering at the thought of what he said.

"Fine." You agreed reluctantly. "But don't come stalking my house when you know where it is."

"Like I'd waste my time on you." He rolled his eyes.

"What like you're using your time to walk me home?" You smirked smugly.

"Touché, Chibi-chan."

The rest of the way to your house was nice actually, the conversation flowing comfortably between the both of you.

"Are you going to the Christmas dance?" You pondered, you previously noticing the decorative posters strung all over the walls of the corridors in school.

"Yamaguchi wants me to go but I honestly can't think of anything worse." He said. "Are you going?"

"I dunno. I would like to but it's really not my scene." You shrugged.

"So you're undecided."

"Guess so." You replied as you came to a halt, stopping outside your house and the blond stopping next to you. "Thanks for walking me home." You smiled brightly, your beaming grin causing the edges of his lips tug into a tiny smirk.

"No problem, Chibi-chan." He said, placing his headphones around his neck. "See you tomorrow."

"Wait-" you interrupted. "I.. can I give you my number so you can message me when you get home... so I know you made it safely.."

He smirked. "Sure." He handed you his phone and you quickly typed in the digits with blushing facial features.

"Stay safe." You smiled.

"Will do." He nodded before turning and walking back the way you both came, back to his house.

You giddily sped up your front path and through the door, the cosy warmth hitting your frozen skin and you threw down your coat and bag with relief at the door.

You trudged into the living room and found your sisters grinning at you cheekily, standing near the window that viewed out on the front of the house.

"What?" You furrowed your eyebrows.

"Who was that?" Emica wiggled her eyebrows teasingly.

"Who?"

"The hot, blond boy you were talking to outside!" Nari pointed out of the window.

"Wha-"

"Is that your boyfriend?!" Nari exclaimed.

"I hope he is! He looks like a model." Emica said excitedly, nudging Nari on the shoulder. "Did you see how tall he was!" She gawked.

"Did you just call Tsukishima hot...?" You grimaced, scrunching your nose and shaking your head.

"You can't deny that Tsuki-whatever is boyfriend material." Nari shrugged.

"For starters, you shouldn't know what is considered boyfriend material, you're 12." You huffed. "And second, you've never met the sarcastic little shit. He's so annoying."

"He likes you." Emica said bluntly, Nari bursting into a high pitch giggle.

"Stop talking bullshit." You rolled your eyes and began to walk away.

"I'm serious! Remember when you said that boy liked me because he was just being annoying to get my attention." Emica said, you nodding. "Well it's the same thing! Why else would he walk you home if he didn't have any sort of attraction to you?"

"I-" you had no response. "Shut up."

You left the room and carried yourself upstairs and plopped down face first on your bed once you reached your room, your phone vibrating in your pocket.

You turned over and held the glowing device in front of your eyes, reading the notification from a random number.

Unknown: The murderers didn't get me, so you can stop panicking.

Unknown: It's Tsukishima btw.

You smiled at the message, saving the number to your contacts and typing back.

You: Damn, I was kinda hoping that maybe one of the criminals would take you away, then they'd have to deal with your annoying ass instead of me 😑

String-bean: You know you love me, Chibi-chan. 😉