Every time you attempted to talk to Kageyama, you always chicken out and immediately change the subject. InterHigh Preliminaries was just around the corner and you notice everyone was extremely focused. You hesitated to tell him because you thought it would throw him off of his game. They especially wanted to beat Seijoh but at this rate, there was still a lot of things to improve on. However, Keishin was right about the crazy quicks from Kageyama and Hinata. Absolutely breath taking.

Kageyama seems to be getting along with his teammates too. It's such a refreshing sight. The relationships he's never had before in middle school... are finally built here. I even heard he finally apologized to Suga. Him? Apologizing? I'm honestly very proud of him. Proud of him like... a sister though?

The thought sent shivers down your spine. Shaking your head to clear your thoughts, you grip Suga's play book even tighter. Mika taps you on the shoulder as practice was coming to a close.

"Hey, are you going to tell Kageyama?" she whispered loudly. The squeaking of volleyball shoes were loud enough to drown out her voice. Or so you hoped.

"Tell me what?" Kageyama interrupted as he wiped himself down with a towel. He took off his sweaty jersey and continued to rub his towel over his bare body.

"Ah! Well, Um." You stuttered. You've seen Kageyama shirtless before when you were younger, but this time it just caught you off guard of how his muscles were, er, well developed.

H-He... HE HAS ABS?!

"What is it (F/N)? You needed to talk to me?" he asked while changing into a white shirt.

"Well, um. Yes. I need to talk to you about something." you stammered still looking away until he was fully clothed.

"Sure. Wanna go to that dessert place down the street near our house?"

"Ya, sounds great." you say quickly.

"Well, I better get home. I have so much homework to catch up on. Plus Tsuki and Yamaguchi want to play video games tonight." Mika informs, making you flinch on the spot.

So it'll be just me and Kags?

"Let's go then." Kageyama stated cooly as he gathered his duffle bag.

You and Kageyama head out of the gym doors together and Sugawara notices you two leave. His face held a solemn expression but he tried concealing it by stowing away the remaining volleyballs.

~

You pick at your ice cream bowl you shared with Kageyama. He ate the matcha ice cream gleefully and indulged in the creaminess of the dessert. Your eyes remained fixated at the ice cream slowly melting away as you prop your chin with your hand.

"The ice cream is going to melt (F/N)"

You snap out of your trance and finally look up at him. His dark eyes met yours and you flash a weak smile that quickly turned to a frown. Your eyebrows were furrowed and you picked on the ice cream some more.

"Hey" Kageyama places and hand on top of yours and you sigh.

"What's the matter?" He asks as he rubs his thumb over your hand.

"It's just been difficult accepting." you mumbled and Kageyama's questioned,

"Accepting what?" taking another bite of the ice cream; he still held onto your hand.

Earlier last week you visited Kiyoko and she was different that the sister you used to know. She seemed to have forgotten a few things and even then, she wasn't acting like herself. On the bright side she does remember how much volleyball means to the family. But you did break the news to her about dad. Seeing her in more pain hurt way more than when she was in a coma.

"Kiyoko, my dad, volleyball... I didn't think they'd all suddenly come back into my life. Not that I don't want them to but, I've come to know more about them recently. Way more than I anticipated"

"Well, I'm happy you're back in volleyball." Kageyama murmurs and places down his spoon onto a napkin.

"No Kags, you don't get it. It's different now. Everything's changed." you sigh into the ice cream as you hold it by your face.

Kageyama takes the spoon from your hand and surprisingly shoves the spoonful into your mouth, making your eyes go wide. Some of it spills out of your mouth and Kageyama playfully laughs into his sleeve. You pout at him but he still continues to snicker into his sweater. He grabs a napkin from the dispenser and wipes down the corners of your mouth.

Hm?

"Maybe things have changed (F/N), but is change such a bad thing?" he still wipes your mouth with a napkin but you don't move an inch.

"What do you mean?" you mumbled with ice cream dribbling down your chin.

He puts down the napkin and leans closer to you on the table. Your feet was placed in between his' and he smiles at you.

Kageyama's smiles are always so special to me. He rarely smiles, but when he does, it always takes me a moment to process.

"I think I've already told you this... but " he clears his throat,

"I love you (F/N). Will you be my girlfriend? Or would that be too much of a change for you?"

Your heart skips a beat and you impulsively blurt out,

"WE'RE PRACTICALLY RELATED!" you stood up from your seat and other customers were gazing at you in confusion.

Kageyama accidentally knocks over his spoon in shock and it fell to the floor with a tiny 'clang'

"What?" he says in disbelief.

You could feel your face getting hot as the people's glares bore into your soul. You find yourself slumping over in your seat, covering your head with your arms; your face was buried within the shelter you've built.

"(F/N)"

You could feel Kageyama's hand gently patting the back of your head, as he runs his hands down your hair.

"If you don't want to date me. It's okay just say so. I will always love you as a friend."

He continues to brush your hair through his fingertips and you were flabbergasted on the lack of words that came out of your mouth. He patiently waits for an answer but it was impossible to fathom what he just said.

He'll still love me?

You finally peek in between your arms and your eyes rested on Kageyama's softened face. He was still smiling. His hand travels down your face, near your ear. He tucks a loose strand behind and his hand lingers near your cheek.

At the corner of your eye, Suga passes by the window. All three of you make brief eye contact and Suga briskly walks away out of your field of vision.

Lord why?

"It's him isn't it?" he murmured

Suga?

"Your eyes have the same look when you play volleyball. Whenever you're looking at something you love." he explained in a soft voice.

Sitting upright from the table, your sigh and take hold of Kageyama's hands. He blushed a bit but he wasn't phased by your sudden gesture.

"I'm scared of change Kageyama, but I've grown a lot that I'm somehow not scared anymore. Kags, I will always love you but I have to tell you this... You're Kiyoko's half brother. Your dad dated my mom when they were in high school and my mom got pregnant. They broke up after that but yeah. It's real. I'm not making this up just to avoid dating you I swear."

Kageyama's eyes fall a bit when you said 'avoid dating you'. You felt guilty at the moment, but it'd be worse if you lied to him. You didn't see him that way, no matter how hard you tried. It's impossible now with the whole family situation.

Kageyama sits there and takes a moment to comprehend everything you've revealed.

"Thank you for telling me though. But wow. We're practically family." he smiled and your lips curled upwards as well.

He wasn't insulted by the rejection but more appealed to the idea of family?

You squeeze his hand one more time before you let go. Both of you lean back in your seats and direct your eyes to the melted ice cream in front of you. You also update him on Kiyoko's lovers, Mika's dates and how your dad was the Tiny Giant. Kageyama's face was even more appalled than ever, but he saw the puzzle pieces click together in his head. You wanted to mention something about Hajime but you felt it wasn't appropriate. You also told him about the date with Suga even though it was a bit awkward to talk about.

I don't why I should tell him, but I have the sudden urge to.

"I think you should do it." he blurts out

"Do what exactly?" you tilt your head and start chuckling.

Even after all the awkward topics we just covered, nothing's wavered. This probably was hard for Kageyama to confess his love to me because he always denied it in middle school. He's changed a lot too, but in the best way.

"Go after Sugawara. He's good for you." he said acceptingly. He laughs at the melted ice cream and starts poking at it with his spoon.

EH?!

"He brings out the best in you. After all, he brought you back into volleyball, didn't he?"

You were silent after Kageyama's input.

I thought he hated his guts? I'm so confused! Why is he being so encouraging all of a sudden.

"I think... I was in love of the thought of a relationship. I fell in love with the thought of you. Regardless, I always loved you but, I was more in love with the way you played volleyball. Your skills. Your talent. It made sense now with your dad being the Tiny Giant. I wanted it badly, but I was selfish to think you were mine. You have so much potential and I was honestly mad at you for wasting it. I'm sorry."

He poked at the ice cream again but his smile never faded.

"Suga sees more to you than just volleyball."

Your heart skips a beat as Kageyama for once, opened up to you.

Kageyama. You've changed so much too. You're not arrogant or angry. Not full of pride or egotistic. You've changed.

"I think you were right about Hinata. He is good for me too. I'm not afraid of setting a ball with no one there to back me up. Hinata is always there." Kageyama states

Hinata. You've changed him without even knowing it.

"I got the bill." he stands up from his seat but before he gets up to pay, you grab his hand again.

He looks down at you in surprise and you get up from your seat as well. You entrap him with your arms and hug him in the torso.

"Wha-" he exasperates

You didn't care who was staring anymore or who bothered to look your way.

A few tears fell from your face and you gaze up into his face.

"I want to thank you. For not hating Suga and for accepting your teammates. For being so brave. I really can't thank you enough, Kageyama." your voice cracked and he looks down with his dark eyes.

"I never hated Suga. That night, I was just worried about you. I told you, I will always love you regardless. Annndd now that we're 'related' we'll be closer than ever. No?" he chuckles into your hair.

You stand there for a bit and start to laugh at yourself. Withdrawing from his arms you wipe a tear and sigh.

"Great, I'm crying at a dessert place"

Both of you started laughing hysterically as you both walk off into the street, headed for home.

"So now that we're kinda related... can we do, like sibling things??"

"Like what???" you chuckle at his smirking face.

"liiike, RACE YOU!" Kageyama runs off at a breakneck speed, leaving you astonished.

Growing up, Kageyama never had any siblings, so this must've been a pleasant surprise for him. Knowing that he wasn't alone. He was never alone to begin with but, this must've been amazing news to him.

"You'll never beat me if you don't tryyyy" he teases from afar, making you run after him like a maniac.

~

Suga still wasn't fully talking to you nowadays. You just made small talk but really you wanted to know more. It worried you but you always held back when discussing feelings, let alone another persons'.

The night before Interhigh, Suga was at your house after practice because you were lab partners again. Keishin also instructed Suga to be in charge of game plan strategies, so you offered to help out as well. He sat on the opposite side of you at your usual spot at the coffee table. You wrote down in your notebook but the silence was weighing you down in the chest. Suga still remained quiet as he focused on his work. He wore glasses again and his eyes didn't leave his paper.

I feel bad now... maybe I did something to hurt his feelings?

"You kids hungry?" your mom peeks out from the kitchen. She notices that you weren't talking to each other but you finally break the silence,

"Um yeah maybe later mom." you mumble.

"Well I'm headed to the store. I'll be back in an hour." your mom mentions as she heads out to the garage. You hear the car drive away and the silence between you two grew even longer. It felt like hours have passed slowly by the ticking of the clock.

This is unbearable.

"May I lay down on the couch? I'll take a quick nap, sorry I'm just... exhausted." Suga finally looked up at you with tired eyes.

"Yes of course! Go make yourself at home."

Early morning and late night practices have really done it for the team, especially Suga. He's always studying hard and staying up late.

Suga takes off his glasses and rubs his tired eyes. He falls lazily on the couch and covers his eyes with his forearm.

He's so always so tired lately. Maybe he's tired of me?

That thought made you immensely devastated but you prayed it wasn't true. You get up from the coffee table and walk into your room to grab a blanket for him. Coming back into the living room, he's still fast asleep on the couch. Gently laying it on him without waking him up, you tuck him in and his arm suddenly wraps around your head. He hugs you closer to his chest and you could hear his heartbeat.

"Don't leave me." he murmured and you could see a tear slip out at the corner of his eye.

Is he crying?

You soften his grip in between and gently brush away the tear with your finger.

"Please don't leave me." he cried but this time his eyes were halfway open. More tears started to form and you hold the side of his face.

"I'm here Suga."

He's still half awake but he seemed to understand what you're saying

"I left you. On a boat by yourself. What kind of person am I?" he muttered and placed his hand on top of yours.

Kageyama's words still affected him?

"Don't blame yourself. You did the right thing." you reassured.

"No I didn't. I didn't protect you." he sobbed.

"Is that what's been bothering you lately? I wanted to talk to you but you seemed... distant." you hesitated to look towards his face but Suga gently tugs your hand, gesturing you forward.

He scooches over in the couch, inviting you lie there beside him. He really needed the comfort so you casually lie there with your face close to his. You still kept your hands tightly in a knot as it lays on your stomach. You stare at the ceiling and fiddle with your thumbs. He wraps you in the blanket, making you come closer.

"How long were you in the hospital?" he asked suddenly. He was staring blankly at the ceiling with you.

You took a moment to think about it.

Wow, that seemed like forever ago.

"Around half a year? Why?" you take hold of your arm and rub your scar line.

"How did you feel the whole time while you were there?"

"Well quite awful. I was mostly alone and in pain. If you're worried about that Suga, it's okay. There's not need to worry about that anymore."

"My mom. She's sick." he cries.

You were silent at his comment.

"I couldn't protect her like how I couldn't protect you." he sobbed and you can see more tears staining the pillow. He holds the blanket tighter to his face

You didn't say anything but turn to face him and place a hand on his chest. He holds onto your hand tightly as both of you lay there in silence

This was on his mind the whole time? This must've been killing him on the inside. He loves his mom.

"But you did protect me." you murmured. He sniffles at your reply and you smile,

"You're my hero. I, um, fell in love with volleyball again, something I thought I would never do. I thought I would feel lost forever and then I met you. You gave me a purpose. My wish on the lantern." you carelessly blurt out without thinking.

It's like my mouth isn't reciprocating with my brain! (F/N) you're such a ditz. I also wrote love as one of my wishes but I think that's just absurd to say that!

"I've just been so exhausted. Taking care of my mom when I get the chance... With all the practice and not being even in the regular set. I really thought I would get it as it's my last year, but even Kageyama beat me to it. Now I don't even know if I have you."

Have me? I admit I was spending a lot of time with Kageyama but not because I love him that way. But because we're like siblings now...? I never mentioned this to him, but maybe I should.

"Because that's what I wished for." he murmured into the pillow. Your cheeks turned a bright red it was impossible to hide it. Closing your eyes, his words echoed in your ear.

He wished for me?

Your heart was beating so fast but you could feel Suga's was beating just as fast. You clutched his chest and build up the courage to look upon his face, into his sad eyes.

"You'll always have me Suga."

You both lie there in silence. It was a good silence. A comforting silence. Something you both needed.

"You're important to me (F/N). I think about you a lot." he whispers.

You didn't think it was possible for your heart to beat so fast, but it did.

He thinks about me? A lot?

"I was so worried about you. I was scared you didn't want to talk to me anymore." you blurt out.

Tears slipped out of your eyes as it stained the pillow you shared. You gripped tighter at Suga's shirt.

"Why are you crying (F/N)?" he asks and he too had tears in his eyes. He holds your face in his hands and starts brushing your cheeks.

"B-Because, I didn't know I meant something to you. When you stopped talking to me I felt lost. I didn't want to lose you because you mean a lot to me Suga."

You spent so much time worrying about Kiyoko, Kageyama, Mika, your mom... You loved so much for the people around you, but in the end you were always ran out of love for yourself. For once in your life, someone reciprocated that same love. For once, someone was scared to lose you.

"I won't do that again. I promise. I'm sorry (F/N) for worrying you. You mean so much to me too."

You look into each others eyes as he holds onto you.

Does he love me?

He pulls you in closer and your head rests in the crook of his neck. Both of you lie there for a while as he brushes your hair, lulling you to sleep. Eventually you fall asleep beside him and drift off into another world.

"I love you (F/N)."

————- end p.37 —————-