.・゜-: ✧ :-　

"IWAIZUMI-SAN, C'MON! WE'RE GONNA MISS IT!"

Hearty, soft giggles escaped her lips as she gripped his large hands as tight as she could manage, dragging him along while he tried not to spill the chips he had bought for her. They shuffle around in his grasp— but he holds on tight and determined. 

Iwaizumi laughs, a deep and rumbling sound that makes her heart leap. He picks up his pace and jogs right next to her, looking down at her with a certain sense of fondness that is obvious with his gaze. "Okay, okay, I'm coming. We won't miss it, promise."

She grinned, feeling the lines of his palms between her fingertips. It was as if every sense she had was heightened in this moment—a fleeting, memorable moment that would pass before she knew it. Her nerves felt like they were a burning hot white ball of fire under her skin, and with each brush of contact they made, it only served to burn even brighter. "I heard the fireworks this year are going to be super amazing! I can't wait to see them with you."

"I bet they will be," he grinned a boyish grin, but he was quite sure that he wouldn't be watching the fireworks this year. He wouldn't be able to, because he was positive he couldn't take his eyes off her. He wouldn't want to, anyway.

They found themselves sitting down on a grassy hill, with many others lying around them in their own spaces. Single people, families, big groups, and more.

Looking around at all the couples smiling, cuddling, and laughing with each other made the longing in his chest even more apparent—even more painful. She was watching the sky in content, leaning back onto her hands and her legs swinging on the edge of the hill. A pretty smile danced across her lips as she waited restlessly for the fireworks to burst.

She looks so beautiful.

But Iwaizumi already knows this. He has known this from the day they fatefully met in those hallways he used to curse back in his first year when he wasn't able to find his class. The day that has completely rewired his life, and changed it into something completely new, and something strange. This unfamiliar, passionately burning feeling took over each of his thoughts and eventually, was moulded into the shape of one thing—you.

He has known, for a long while now, that he has fallen. Fallen into what, exactly, he did not know. Iwaizumi Hajime has never felt something as deep and real as this was right now, but he has all the time in the world to figure it out.

He has all the time in the world to figure it out with her.

He is not a hopeless romantic. He doesn't dream of romance—contrary to his best friend, who goes through a new heartbreak every three months—nor does he feel the need to ask out every pretty girl he sees. Maybe, all this time, he thinks as he feels her lace her fingers with his, he has waited for somebody to just look at him, and see him.

And she sees him.

She doesn't see the ace of Seijoh, or Oikawa's buddy, or even her upperclassman, but rather, she sees Hajime—the kaiju nerd who owns a t-shirt of just about every American superhero from the DC comics, and the teenager who's biggest accomplishment each day is making his own agedashi tofu. 

She sees so deeply within him and sees every part of him and he has never felt more loved. Love that is bursting at the seams of his heart and fills each crevice in his body each time he gets to hold her and feel her skin.

And he sees her, too.

He has seen her as the cute new girl, and as a clueless foreigner who likes to hang around him. But he sees her now as F/N—a girl who likes food, cute keychains and hates cup noodles. She likes caramel and strawberry and knows nothing about volleyball (and yet she tries for him, something that resonates so deeply within his heart that he fears that one day, it may implode in his chest). A girl who, despite knowing next to nothing about the sport, decided to become their manager, and decided to support him in every way she could, because she is kind.

Her heart was full of kindness that he had never seen, or noticed before, that leaked out of her words and made the world around her a little more vibrant.

Everyone knows that the once stern and grumpy vice-captain of Aoba Johsai's volleyball team is no longer so grumpy (but still a little stern), and is rather happy now. Because he knows that, no matter how he acts sometimes, there is always a girl waiting in those bleachers, looking not at Oikawa, or Mattsun, or even Makki, but at him.

He has always seen her—and it has always been reciprocated.

L/N made eye contact with him, and noticeably, her features melted. He was so, so beautiful, and yet, he could never see. A beautiful man who treated her with so much kindness and respect—even if some of her girlfriends warned her otherwise (because they said, he hits Oikawa! He must be rough!), he was so gentle.

She was tired. She wanted nothing more than to sling around him and never let go, because if she could have any one thing in this world, it would be to stay here—with this person who understands and knows her better than anything else—and never leave. She could never be close enough to him—to his heart, that loves so beautifully and deeply it makes her lungs hurt.

He was so kind. Through his hard glares, the way he pummelled volleyballs at his friends and even his intimidating figure, she could only see a kind and gentle person. He cared so, so much for everyone and everything. Somebody who put everyone else in front of him—and maybe, even without his beautiful face, that was what made L/N adore him so much.

She used to be worried about moving to a whole new country. Worried about the language, culture shocks, and even her social life, but it turned out, she never needed to.

She didn't need to worry. Because, she thought, her facial expression melting. I have him. I always have.

Then, the fireworks started to go off. A burst of colours flew through the sky as loud bangs rang through everyone's ears. L/N watched in awe and wonder at the lights in the sky, smiling, as she brought one of her knees up to her chest.

Iwaizumi looked at the lights too, them reflecting in his green eyes. After a few minutes of bright explosions painting the sky colourful, they realised the light show was about to end, they looked at each other, then around them. Couples were kissing and cuddling everywhere.

And just like that, it seemed like it happened in slow motion. L/N started to lean in, eyes half-lidded and misty. Iwaizumi, however, was frozen. What should he do? What can he do? At his grown age of eighteen, he's only ever kissed a girl once, and they never talked again after.

And just as her lips were about to touch his,

He moved in even closer.

He cupped her cheeks and leaned even closer, a smile spreading across his lips. Her face flushed up, and she leaned in further, wrapping her arm around the dip between his neck and shoulders while gripping his free hand in her own. She felt her very own fireworks go off in her chest, wondering if he could hear her heart pound against her ribcage. Burning hot, white zips flew up her spine and she doesn't think she's ever felt more content—more like herself, than in this very moment.

This euphoric, blissful feeling was something she wished would never end.

Iwaizumi Hajime did not think as he leaned in. It was an instinct that had come from many hours of daydreaming about this moment. He had prepared himself for any and every scenario, place and time for this to finally happen.

His first kiss was in middle school, while he played a game of truth or dare. A girl had gotten dared to kiss the hottest guy in the room. She leaned down and pecked Iwaizumi quickly, then smiled and walked back to her spot.

It was quick and flustered as he had prepared to watch her kiss Oikawa, but that didn't necessarily mean he liked it. It was quick, kind of gross and meaningless. He hated the last part the most.

It meant nothing.

But it was so different now, with L/N. She showed just as much love and care as he had shown her. She pulled away, breathing in and out a few times, however, just as Iwaizumi was about to talk, she threw herself on him, chest pressed against his own, and moulded her lips against his once again in a beautiful motion.

She pulled away, now resting on top of him. Her face flushed up wildly, she averted her gaze. He gently moved her face back towards his and held her chin, unable to stop his lips from forming a toothy grin. "You're the most important person to me, F/N."

The use of her first name made her heartbeat quicken, and she swallowed thickly, threading her hands through his thick, brown hair. "You... you're also the most important person to me... Hajime-san..."

"Just say Hajime." He muttered lowly, bringing her into a hug. His hands wrapped around her lower back, and squeezed, holding her tightly against him like it would be the last time he was allowed to. 

You could, forever. She nodded, pressing her lips together and gripping the back of his shirt, "Okay... Hajime."

.・゜-: ✧ :-　

L/N and Iwaizumi walked in silence, the moon shining brightly down at them, and their intertwined hands. She looked at him, his face scrunched up and contorted into an expression she couldn't describe. They stopped underneath a street light, F/N fiddling with her scarf as they stopped walking.

"My house is just down here," she pulled her hand away, pointing at her house and pressing her lips tightly together. She gripped her plans a few times—as it was almost strange to feel her own palms when they were without his own—and bowed her head. "Thank you for walking me back."

"No problem." He was snapped out of whatever trance he was in, grinning at her. His green eyes squinted up into crescent moon shapes that made F/N smile herself. "I mean... we are dating, right? It's expected."

"Right..." She trailed off, feeling red creep up her neck. They are dating. It was almost unbelievable. They stood outside of her house in silence for a little longer, until he looked down at her and grabbed her arm.

"Can..." He paused, swallowing thickly. Staring into her eyes earnestly, and watching the stars twinkle within them—he decides that she's never looked so beautiful. "Can I kiss you?"

L/N stared at him with big, shiny eyes, and nodded wordlessly. He leaned down, catching her with his thumb under her chin and closed the gap.

Kissing under the dark moonlight, alone in silence. This was everything that L/N could have dreamed of, and more. 

He was everything she had ever dreamed of, and so, so much more.

.・゜-: ✧ :-　

fin.