Chapter 17: Nakano: The Warrior

                                    

                                          

I am dating Tsukishima Kei.  I keep saying that in my head.  I'm not sure I believe it yet.  It's...exciting.  And scary.  The last time I had a boyfriend...
Nope. Not approved, Nakano.  Not going there.  Kei is not Oikawa, not by a long shot.  He's a very, very different person.  Hell, I'm a different person than I was in middle school.  So this is going to be a very, very different relationship.  
I can't remember feeling this happy in a very long time.  
After we had walked home on Thursday, Kei texted me to find out if I was going on a run or anything in the morning.  He then declared that he would be meeting me at my house to walk me to school, because that's what boyfriends do.
Oh my gosh he is such an adorably cliché tsundere.  Can't say I mind it, though.
Most of the day Friday was pretty normal.  I mean, we did the usual things.  We were the usual way we are.  We joked, talked, laughed, teased each other.  Tsukki was a salty ass, and I gave him maximal sass right back.  We had classes, lunch with Tadashi, practice with the team.  All perfectly normal.  Like...nothing was different.
Except everything was different.  The world feels different when there's someone in it who you makes you feel like you're walking a foot or so above the ground.  That's how Kei makes me feel.  It feels wonderful.
Okay, some things are different.  Yams practically pounced on us on Friday morning, dying to know what had happened.  Tobio hadn't waited that long - he texted me Thursday evening, demanding a word-for-word replay of what Tsukki said to me.  He didn't get one, as Tobio-chan does not need to know that much about my love life.  But I did tell him roughly what happened and that yes, Tsukki and I are dating.  He's trying so hard to be supportive, and I love him for that.  It was so funny to watch Tobio watching Kei and I during practice to see if he could spot us being cutesy.  Kiyoko and Yachi did the same.  This is all way more fun than I thought it would be.  
The biggest difference, though, is Kei.  I knew he would not be the type who would want to be all lovey-dovey around people.  But I never thought he'd be so...touchy-feely when we're alone.  He's almost needy.  It's kinda sweet.  Anytime we were alone yesterday, he'd be touching me in some way.  Usually holding my hand.  We'd had lunch on the rooftop as we usually do.  Tadashi had gone off to get a soda (I think he just wanted to give us a few moments alone - he's such a sweetheart!), and Kei was holding my hand while we talked.  I pulled my hand away from his to eat, and he scowled at me.  He then took my hand back, kissed it, and whispered "Mine."  My heart melted right then and there.  It was the most adorable thing I'd ever seen.
And yes, I let him hold my hand until Yams came back and then I went back to eating.
How is someone so salty also so damn sweet?  
It got even better late last night.  We didn't walk home, because Mom had to pick me up and take me to see the doc.  I guess Kei felt he hadn't gotten quite enough touchy-feely time, because he showed up at my window around 10pm with a couple of strawberry sodas.  We sat in the yard and he held me in his arms for almost an hour.  Just looking up at the sky.   We didn't even really talk much.  Whenever we'd sat in the yard in the evenings before, I'd sometimes catch this look on his face...like maybe he wanted to hold me.  I think he decided he wanted to make up for all the times we'd sat out there before, and he hadn't been able to bring himself to do that.  Best evening in the yard ever.
And today...today we go on our first date.  But before that, I have a little surprise for my volleyball family.
Mom is insisting on driving me to the school today, because I told her I planned to be out really late on my date with Kei.  She was all surprised when I told her.  "Kei-chan asked you out?  You're not going to be dating Tobio-chan?"  I've told her a dozen times that Tobio and I are like brother and sister.  She was happy about it though, once she got over her surprise.  She's all excited for me - dating boys, that's something she can understand.  She and Ama-nee bonded over all that kind of stuff - makeup, fashion, boys, yadda yadda yadda.  Well, it isn't really me.  Mom was not happy that I would not be coming home to 'prepare' for my date.  Sorry, Mom, I don't think Kei would care if I spent ten minutes or ten hours getting ready.  Or at least, he'd better not.  If you don't think a girl looks good with no makeup on, why the heck would you date her?