Chapter 84: Head in the Game

AN: suppose I should probably say manga spoilers from her for the next few chapters, since Fukurōdani does make it to finals along with some nobody team... so yeah

~Whispered voices replay in my mind as I turn over in bed.

"You sure?" He asked last night, seeming unsure himself

"Yeah," I breathed into him, moving closer, feeling him harden beneath me.

"I… I don't have anything," he stammered, as my lips brushed against his neck.

"I do," I pulled back, looked at him curiosity in his eyes. ~

"Baby Bird!" Bokuto called, shaking me. "Baby Bird, get up. Finals." 

I lift from my pillow, crack my eyes open to see Bokuto hopping on one foot, pulling his boxers on. "Coach is gonna kill me," he mumbles as he searches the room for his pants. "Come on Baby Bird, get dressed. We gotta go."

I rub my eyes, blinking myself into reality. The reality in which, Bokuto is tugging on the shirt I pulled off my body last night, leaving me naked on top of him, after I told him just how prepared I was for that moment.

~"I started birth control about a week before our NCU trip, just in case. And I have condoms in my bag," I had nodded towards my bag at the other edge of the bed and began to say, "Jus-"

When Bokuto finished with a nervous smile, "Just in case?"

"Yeah."~

"Zara," fulled dressed Bokuto says to me now, he leans over the bed and kisses my forehead saying, "Zara, you have to get up. The teams will be grouping soon."

"I'm up," I nod, throwing the covers off of me, revealing my fully naked body. I could have put something on after, but the feel of his skin to mine beneath the cover, that was a feeling too good to ruin with useless layers of clothing.

Though now, the lack of clothing feels awkward as I rush for my uniform. As I rush to put my clothes on, he finally seems to slow down for just a moment.

He leans against the wall after I got my bottoms and asks, "So… um…, are you okay?"

"Yeah," I nod, tugging on my sports bra and trying to find a smile good enough to cut through the awkwardness, "It's not like we had a wrestling match last night."

He smiles now, looking down with a small chuckle, "No, we didn't." He glances back up at me, questions in his smile, "But we had fun. Right?"

"Right," I laugh, mind drifting back to last night.

~I wondered how someone so strong could be so gentle. Every touch, like the grasp of the dandelion holding his last wish. His kisses, not wild fits of lust. Every motion was a decision, a decision to love me and be loved by me.

His strong arms had wrapped around me, so secure and he turned me onto my back. His body above mine when he whispered, "What if I hurt you?"

It seemed so funny, the thought that he would harm me. After what he did for me. "You'd never hurt me."~

"I should go," Bokuto says now, backing towards the door, "I'll see you down at breakfast."

He turns and goes out the door with a last, "I love you."

"Love you too," I smile. Such a strange feeling now.

~It's hard not to think back to last night. When he said that, breathed it, so close in my ear as he hovered over top of me, "I love you," heavy in my ear, believing every moment of it.

He leaves and I rush to brush my teeth. Stop thinking about last night. How every muscle of his was on display when he left me in the bed to go into my bag. The question comes again, "Are you sure?" He asked while tugging on the waistband of his shorts and boxers, a few condoms in his other hand.

And at that point, I was sure. I wanted this, wanted him. So I had nodded and pulled off the t-shirt Bokuto had lent me. And excitement rushed to his face the moment my body became exposed. So in return, he dropped his shorts and climbed back onto the bed, bringing his body to mine, his lips to mine.

Our bodies, already so connected that even the smallest pull felt criminal. But he had to pull away, if he expected to get the condom on. Though I didn't make it easy for him. Every inch he leaned back, I leaned forward, lips following him as he sat up. It was only laughter that broke us apart, nervous chuckles as we sat vulnerable before each other. ~

Banging on the door brought me back to this morning. With my teeth over brushed and my team outside my door screaming, "Let's go Mac!"

"Coming," I Shout, and push for the door, where my team was not standing. They already pushed ahead, not waiting for me. Which is fine. What more could I expect?

We all head for the main arena, where we will spend most of the day. Breakfast served, warm ups, a break then games. First boys, then girls.

The teams are split up into different rooms for breakfast, but since we're all from the same school, we get to stay together.

I suppose it's so no conflict starts between teams before we get on the court. Though, I doubt they know that I'm more likely to punch my own teammate than harm anyone else.

Breakfast is served buffet style while important people walk around saying how big of a deal this is. Our school has two teams in the finals with two national level players, who just so happen to be together. Never heard of.

"How did you get this far," one of the men asks as I stand beside Bokuto, really just trying to get to the food.

Bokuto takes on all of the questions. He smiles, charmed, prepared for any interview, any camera at any time. "A lot of practice," he chuckles, kicking back on the boastful attitude to be modest for a moment, "We work hard on and off the court on my team. And Zara here, she works just as hard as I do."

"Not like you gave me much choice," I mutter, with a playful smile nudging Bokuto a bit.

He laughs and shrugs, "I mean, you could have slacked off and sat in a corner instead of practicing with me, but you love the game as much as I do."

He's gleaming, eyes bright as he looks at me. This is everything he could ever want. The sport he loves and the girl he loves. And he's right. "I do love it."

Bokuto talks through the guy and we make it to the buffet table where the coaches watch closely as people put their plates together. No one wants to lose finals because someone got a tummy ache or threw up on the court.

There are tables all around, sure. Round tables with 6 chairs, but Bokuto pulls me to a wall that he sits against and gladly, I sit beside him as hidden as we can be in the wide open room.

Bokuto watches his team get stopped and stopped again by these big shot guys. While I watch him. His smile wide on his face, "Man, I really got to teach them how to handle these guys before I go. All they have to say it, we practice a lot and keep moving."

"Yeah, you practiced a lot didn't you?" I chuckle, smugly, hoping he count on to the subjective tone I used.

His head dropped with a sheepish smile, he remembers last night. ~ When he said, "I practiced a few times," when I took notice to how quickly and smoothly, he slid the condom onto himself. ~

Now he laughs looking around with his voice down, "I didn't want to look stupid okay? Break it or take too long and kill the mood or something."

"So in other words," I move closer to him, legs and arms brushing each other, "You knew this day was coming too?"

"More like hoped," he looks to me now, such a soft glance, "But I was willing to wait as long as you needed." He glanced around again making sure no one was around to hear, "Didn't think it'd be the night before finals but… I have no complaints."

"Count it as motivation," I shrug, trying not to grin too wide.

But his growing smile doesn't help my struggle, "It would be really motivating if you say we can go again after this double victory."

I laugh, amazing really, how everything can be so easy with him. Even a topic of discussing in secret how we had sex last night and possibly making plans to do it again.

"That might be able to be arranged."

Just one time, and already the nervous grin is off his face and replaced with his confidence smile.

~I didn't see that smile at all last night. Questions and wavering nerves surrounded us both. Those nerves settled a bit when he kissed me. Leaned his body over mine and kissed me, a familiar touch we both knew, both craved. The feeling of lips and skin and heat crashed together sending and overwhelming sensation through me. Or this is what I thought was overwhelming, the naivety of just a few moments before knowing more of what love can make me feel.

It was almost accidental, the way he slipped inside. The gasp that left both our lips showed just how unexpected the moment was. I don't think either of us had a plan for when or how one's body enters another. For a moment, we were just lost, in the heat between that calls for us to move closer and closer and closer. We expected the tingles and the chills that came as hidden parts touch hidden parts, but when that call became louder, calling for us to be impossibly close, like we longed for for some time. Our bodies seemed to do just what they wanted. Joined. With a suddenness that shocked us both, and an unknown feeling that my body was still trying to understand.

"Sorry," he fumbled, backing away.

Only an inch before I grabbed him, arms looped around him holding him to me, "Don't," I whisper, and he freezes.

Questions flooding his eyes, asking, what now?

And the only answer I could provide was, "Kiss me."

That part made sense to us both. The small touch that makes everything else make sense. Like the way he pushes into me, slowly. It feels nothing but natural, not even pain as he moves. Gently. Not an ounce of him intending to cause me any harm.

This was different, a new kind of pressure that brushed against my insides and pushed through me sending a moun to leave my lips. In the break of kisses Bokuto's lips fall to my neck with a groan as he moves in, deeper, causing my fist to ball, scratching at his back until the fingers curl into a tight ball. Hushed moans left me when his lips left soft kisses on my neck.

Spine arched as he moved his hips, away then close, moving inside me. His head dropped, he moved closer, deeper I held him tighter. His arms move around me, pulling me to him. "Fuck," he groans.

Too much, it's too much. Lips gasp apart as my stomach twitched, "I love you Bokuto," I couldn't stop myself from saying.

At the sound of my voice, he began to pump harder, move faster, until ~

"Head in the game Baby Bird," Bokuto nudged me, bringing me back from my daze.

"I'm trying," I smile.

He leans back grinning, "Yeah, me too." Then he said, the something he said last night, when it was all over.

"I love you Baby Bird."