- twenty-one -

〚 third person 〛

☾☾☾

"Clean up!" Ennoshita called out lazily as he turned on his heels, heading over to Kinoshita and Narita to help them clean up. Everyone quickly began to mop the floors and put away the nets while Yachi wiped the volleyballs.

"I just realized that Momo-chan's not here." Kaitō said as he walked over to Yachi to help her with the volleyballs. Yachi nodded, giggling softly.

"She had to do something with Kosaka-senpai." Yachi explained, not noticing that Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were listening nearby.

"Ah," Kaito said as he put the volleyballs into the basket. "Kosaka-senpai, huh?"

"Tsukki, what're you doing for your birthday?" Yamaguchi asked, making the blonde shrug with a exasperated sigh.

"Same as usual. Dinner with my family." Tsukishima muttered as he exited the gym, making his way over to the club room. After quickly changing, he made his way out of the club room and began his journey back home.

"Well, happy birthday, Tsukki!" Yamaguchi said as he handed the blonde a small bag that contained his gift. With a swift wave, Yamaguchi turned and headed towards his home down the street.

"...Thanks." Tsukishima mumbled under his breath as he held onto the bag, walking towards his house door. As he opened the door, he was greeted by an silent, dark house.

He walked inside, taking off his shoes and flicking on the light as he entered the living room. His eyes slightly widened when he saw the sight before him.

"Happy birthday, Kei!"

"Happy birthday, Tsukki-senpai!"

Tsukishima scoffed slightly, shaking his head with amusement. "What're you doing here, shorty?"

Momo grinned brightly, throwing her arms around his waist. "To celebrate your birthday!"

For once, he allowed her to hug him for a little longer than usual. Once it exceeded a minute, he peeled her arms off of him and pushed her away.

"Momo-chan planned this all for you!" Hitomi said as she smiled, motioning to the decorated living room. Tsukishima scanned the room, taking in all the decor she put up.

"It's," Tsukishima trailed off for a moment, glancing down at Momo then away. "Nice."

"I'm so happy you like it!" Momo exclaimed, shooting him a face-splitting smile. He rolled his eyes, sniggering slightly as he turned away.

"I'm gonna take a shower first, then we can eat." Tsukishima said as he made his way to his room, fully aware of the soft footsteps that followed him. He entered his room, dropping his back on his desk as he spun around to face Momo. "What're you doing?"

Momo fiddled with her hands as she smiled bashfully. "I don't wanna be away from you."

Tsukishima rolled his eyes, ruffling her hair a little harder than necessary. "You're so clingy."

"Do you hate it?" Momo pouted up at him, unintentionally giving him puppy dog eyes.

"No," A sigh escaped his lips as his fingers gently pinched her cheeks. "But I don't love it either."

He let go of her face and walked away to go shower, leaving Momo in his room. He kept the door cracked open as he showered, listening to Momo quietly hum as she read a book at his desk.

It kind of feel likes we're...nevermind.

☾☾☾

After enjoying the dinner Momo helped make, they were all settled in the living room. Hitomi had her phone out as she snapped pictures of Tsukishima receiving his gifts.

His mother bought him a new phone since he had been using the same one since junior high. His brother bought him some contacts and new lenses since volleyball was wearing down his current glasses.

"I got you something too!" Momo exclaimed as she rushed out of the room to retrieve her gift. To hide it from Tsukishima, she had left it in Akiteru's room.

She emerged moments later with a medium sized box hat was wrapped up with the gift inside. She giggled as she happily placed it in his lap, clapping her hands gleefully.

Akiteru moved out of the camera view to leave only Momo and Tsukishima in it. He sat beside his mother, smiling softly at Tsukishima who was busy muttering stuff to Momo.

Skeptically, Tsukishima ripped the wrapping paper and found himself looking at a brown box. "This better not be a pack of socks, shorty."

This comment made all three of them laugh and soon Tsukishima himself. Momo shook her head at Tsukishima with a small smile on her face.

"Of course not! I'm not that cheap!" Momo swatted the air, smiling proudly at her gift. Tsukishima eyed her weirdly before ripping open the brown box.

As he opened the box, he pulled away all the tissue paper that covered the gift. Once he moved it all aside, his eyes widened as his mouth parted slightly. He sharply inhaled, slowly picking up the box to inspect it.

"Shorty, you did not..." Tsukishima trailed off, glancing at Momo who was trembled with excitement. "Shorty, you did not."

"I did!" Momo squealed, wreathed in smiles as she bounced beside him. "I really did! Do you like it?"

As if time stopped for a moment, Momo felt her laughing cease when his long, muscular arms wrapped around her small body. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, pulling her into his chest.

Akiteru and Hitomi watched with wide eyes, recording the entire thing. 'YES!' They thought in unison as they clenched their jaws in anticipation.

Momo's heart hammered in her chest as she sat limp in his arms, feeling his hot breaths fan over her neck. "T-Tsukki-senpai?"

His body suddenly stiffened as he quickly pulled away, avoiding her eyes. It was as if he just realized what he had done.

"Uh," Tsukishima swallowed dryly, facing in the other direction of Momo. "Thanks for the, uhm, headphones, shorty."

Momo's cheeks were bright red as she stared at the floor, nodding sheepishly. "Hehe, of course, Senpai. I even got a job to buy it for you."

Tsukishima turned in her direction, raising an eyebrow at her. "You did?"

Momo turned to him, nodding happily. "Yup! You said you didn't want any gifts that I bought using my parent's money, so I used my own."

Tsukishima seriously couldn't handle this girl. Standing up from the couch, Tsukishima held a hand out to Momo who stared at it with confusion. "Hurry up."

"Eh? Where are we going?" Momo asked, placing her hand in his. He pulled her up form the couch and began to lead her towards his room, shaking the box slightly.

"Gotta try out these headphones." Tsukishima muttered as he shut his room door, hearing his mother and brother say goodnight.

Tsukishima plopped on his bed, and Momo reluctantly followed after. He leaned against the wall beside his bed as he inboxed the expensive headphones Tsukishima had always wanted.

"Why are you sitting so formally?" Tsukishima snickered, seeing how Momo sat in seiza on his bed.

Momo grabbed a pillow, covering her face as she blushed bright red. "I'm nervous."

"Why? You've been in here so many times." Tsukishima said with a small snicker, pulling the pillow away from her face and tossing it aside.

"I know," She drawled our bashfully. "But I know my place as a kouhai, so I stay off your bed."

She went off mumbling about how this hurdle was to high for her or something.

Tsukishima rolled his eyes, placing the headphones on her head. Using his old phone that had all her music, he played a song from his 'favorites' playlist.

At first, there were only the sounds of instruments until the words came along. Momo's eyes closed as she held Tsukishima's fingers.

❝ Nothing's gonna hurt you baby

As long as you're with me, you'll be just fine

Nothing's gonna hurt you baby

Nothing's gonna take you from my side ❞

Momo felt tears well up behind her eyelids as she smiled softly, holding onto Tsukishima's hand meekly.

☾☾☾

"Kei, it's getting late. Momo-chan probably needs to get hom-" As Akiteru opened his brother's room, he quickly cut himself off when he saw his brother's sharp glare.

"She fell asleep awhile ago." Tsukishima mumbled, motioning to the female who was curled up beside him with a blanket covering her body.

Leaning against Tsukishima's doorframe, Akiteru tapped his chin as he tried to think of what to do. He turned on his heels to ask his mother what they should do but found her standing behind him.

"It's okay if Momo-chan stays the night. She's going to be Kei's wife soon, anyway!" Hitomi giggled, earning an embarrassed from Tsukishima who heard her. "Goodnight!"

They closed the door, going back to their own rooms to sleep. Tsukishima shifted slightly, grabbing his phone that was flat on his bed.

Scrolling through his music with one hand, he felt Momo stir beside him. He paused for a moment, glancing down at female who nuzzled her face into his blanket.

"Tsukki..." Momo mumbled quietly, still fast asleep.

Tsukishima snickered softly, squeezing her hand that was wrapped around his gently.

"I'm right here, shorty."