@honedtalent sent:

[ text ] isn't that your miyuki-san with the giants?

[ text ] he's still a ways away from the likes of me, of course!

[ text ] but good on him

Alice had sent him a selfie from the Tokyo Dome to keep their little personal tag game going. Of course, with Oikawa-san being an international player, his selfies from the various countries and courts he actually played in were a lot more impressive, but she enjoyed getting to see the sillier side of him that he didn't post to his socials.

She'd been too overwhelmed by everything during the game to notice the replies, only checking them on her way home. Him mentioning Miyuki-san came as a bit of a surprise. She was wearing his jersey, but his name was on her back and Oikawa couldn't have seen it in the picture. Smiling to herself, she wondered how exactly he'd come across that information, but was happy enough to see the compliment.

If anyone unfamiliar with the volleyball superstar read the brief exchange, they'd probably think he was being facetious or sarcastic. Actually... Some of his friends might think so too, to be honest. But she knew he wasn't one to give compliments - not even jokingly - so he'd meant what he said.

[ text ] He's not my Miyuki-san ww

[ text ] But yes! He is playing for the Giants! Isn't it amazing? ٩(◦`꒳´◦)۶

@honedtalent​ asked: he knew she'd be sending him something for valentines, but not that she would have her handmade gift delivered to his place all the way from tokyo. white day arrives and he places an order with a local flowershop: a small bouquet of white lilies and pink rosebuds, as well as a box of white chocolates and pink marshmallows to match. "happy white day, sakura-chan~! i'll see you tomorrow ☆"

     A knock on her door on a Sunday afternoon is quite unusual, and when she opens it to find a delivery of flowers, Alice immediately knows who they’re from. Charmed, she smiles and signs for it, giving the delivery person a nice tip and bringing the gorgeous gift inside. Humming to herself, she finds a glass vase and fills it with cold water enough to keep the stems submerged. Phone in hand, she takes several pictures, both with the box of chocolates closed and opened, trying out different angles and lightings just for fun. She has no intention of actually posting them at first, but they turn out so lovely that she just might...without divulging the sender, of course. They might no longer be neighbors, but she will never underestimate the reach of his fanclub. 

Realizing that she has yet to read the card, she quickly puts down her phone and mentally berates herself for the rudeness, opening the little envelope nestled between two flowers and pulling out the card. Tomorrow? Of course he knows, but is he coming over? A call is only two taps away and she waits for him to pick up with a little flutter of excitement in her chest.

@honedtalent​ asked:  “Did you touch yourself, thinking of me?” [ Sunday Special Starters & Symbols ]

     With traveling all around the world being an integral part of both their jobs, keeping track of timezones could get quite difficult after a while. Alice was up late, having an important meeting with a client who happened to be in yet another timezone altogether. What upset her the most; however, wasn’t the fact that she was further messing up her sleep schedule, but rather that she was missing one of Tooru’s matches. As soon as the call was over, she pulled up the live feed and managed to see the last few plays, smiling at the sight of his team celebrating.

Sighing quietly, she brought the documents she needed to look over to bed with her and flopped down onto the mattress, reaching for her phone by the nightstand to take a quick selfie and send it his way. [ Congratulations! I only caught the last few minutes, but I’ll watch the entire match tomorrow. Have a goodnight, baby ʚ♡⃛ɞ(ू•ᴗ•ू❁) ]. With a small smile, she set the phone away and started reading. Being tired but not quite sleepy wasn’t the best frame of mind to go through important documents with, but she could at least get a head start. She was turning the page when a notification had her checking her phone again, opening a message from him and very nearly dropping the device.

[ Thanks, babe! I’ll talk to you later, then. Don’t work too hard! ] was a nice, sweet message to receive while working overtime. But the selfie that came with it had a different mood to it altogether. Tooru was still in the team’s uniform, standing in front of a mirror that showed a large bathroom behind him. He was probably about to go take a shower - the last one, if she had to guess by the fact that he was proudly making his long, thick bulge even more apparent with one hand and holding his sweaty top up to reveal his sculpted abs with the other. And if that wasn’t enough, the look on his stupidly handsome face was one she knew well...  One that said I know you want it, but you’ll have to beg for it.

With a big sigh this time, Alice put away the documents and got comfortable in bed instead. Shifting so she was on her side, she looked over the picture again, biting her lower lip. They hadn’t seen each other face to face in a while. Surely she wasn’t the only one feeling this needy. To the point where one suggestive picture of him could take over her brain entirely and leave her incapable of thinking of anything else. So much so that she only realized how long she’d just been lying there pressing her thighs together when another message came in almost half an hour later. 

[ Did you touch yourself, thinking of me? ] 

Smiling, Alice finally hands him the wrapped gift, gingerly holding her hands together as he opens it and pulls out a hand-knitted scarf of the softest light blue wool. She can’t help but laugh at the surprise that flashes across his handsome face at getting a scarf at the height of summer. “Winters in Argentina are very cold, right?” A simple explanation, voice full of fondness.

Even though it’s quite warm out, she takes the scarf from his hands and puts it on him just to check the length, smiling at how nice the blue looks on him. “Happy birthday, Tooru. Hopefully it’ll help keep you warm.”

     She’d been tasked with stocktaking and making sure everything they’d ordered had arrived in good condition, which kept her busily checking each box and its contents with Fujiwara-senpai while the rest of the team crossed the campus to bring them over. After a little while, Alice notices the number of helpers growing scarcer, which prompts her to take out her phone and ask Yui-chan how things were going on her end.

A message from Oikawa-san has her smiling. He’d mentioned how his knee had been bothering him lately, and she passed on the information of a specialist she’d come to know because of Takigawa-senpai’s treatment. Going all the way to Tokyo just to see a doctor might be too much for some, but she’d seen his passion and commitment back when they’d first met at the rehab clinic. Unlike her, who was playing to the best of her ability just to make the most out of being in a club, being an athlete was his goal, and he would go through any length to ensure it.

[ text ] of course! but we don’t have training today. a lot of new equipment came in and we’re putting it away, so it might be quite boring to watch [ text ] we can meet someplace else if you’d like!

Alice wants to know how the appointment went, but she can ask that in person. It’s been so long since they last saw each other! Excited about it, she goes back to the task at hand with newfound vigor.

     “Cute..?” Alice repeats it, suddenly feeling timid under his watchful gaze - relaxed but as sharp as ever. He’d been showing her a picture of him and Takeru he’d posted on instagram, and a lot of the comments were his fans gushing about how cute he was. Without missing a beat, he’d turned the question to her, and, apparently, when she didn’t immediately agree, he playfully piled on. “You do think I’m cute, don’t you, Sakura-chan~? Tell me one thing you think is cute about me? Please~?” 

Green eyes take another peek at the picture. They’re both doing the sailor moon pose and it makes her chuckle inwardly. That is a cute thing. But it’s a cute thing he does, not a cute thing about him. Alice can easily call him handsome, charming, talented, amazing. And she can think of several cute moments they’ve shared, but if it’s something inherently cute about him...

“Your laugh.” She finally speaks up, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. “When you laugh earnestly, you look just like your dad. And it’s... really cute.” Her voice grew progressively quieter, golden lashes fluttering a few times before she slowly lifted her gaze to meet his, hoping her answer is enough.

     They’ve been seeing each other quite often lately. Not at the clinic, nor at the train on the way home, or on the favorite stores they found they had in common. But on the weekends. And on Monday afternoons when they are both free from club practice. Even late at night when they both couldn’t sleep. It started off as casual hey what are you doing right now? sort of meetings, but more and more they started making actual plans.

She hasn’t been to an amusement park in years. His sister had apparently gotten free tickets, but her family was going on a trip and they wouldn’t be able to use them. It certainly takes the edge off it being her first time going alone with a boy, makes it feel less like a date and allows her to fully enjoy their silly little competition of who can get better results at the carnival games.

Time seems to fly by as they don’t really bother with the actual rides and simply explore the park instead. The mood between them calms into something sweeter and more intimate, yet when they finally stop and give into that draw bringing them closer, a gaggle of fans takes note of him. Suddenly he’s swarmed, being showered in compliments and requests for selfies.

Alice graciously gives them plenty of space to do so, swallowing that hint of bitterness she has no right to feel. They’re not dating. They’re just having fun. Taking a break from all of the stress that school and club hours put on them. Her bag is full of plushies he’s won for her, the cutest of which she’d been carrying in her arms: a big pink bunny with blushy cheeks that was quite difficult to win. 

Considering she’d gotten quite a number of prizes already, she suggested he give that one to his sister as a thank you for the tickets. But he promptly refused, even going so far as to holding the bunny in front of his face and asking her to take him home in a silly voice. The thought of it makes her smile and she brings the bunny closer, pressing a kiss to its forehead and taking a picture with it while she waits for him to finish talking to his fans.

     It was such a shame that she had to work during one of his big matches at home, and it put her in a bit of a mood the entire day. Not towards her patients, of course. But whenever she found herself alone in her office, Alice would sigh loudly into the air, upset that she couldn’t be there to personally support him. Most of his games were outside the country in the first place, and now that he was finally playing here... He understood without a doubt, but still, she felt disheartened.

Her shift was finally over, and she got home to find her sulky mood worsening. They’d exchanged messages after his win and he was going out for a celebratory dinner with his teammates, so she wasn’t even sure what she could do to congratulate him. After a shower and a quick bite to eat, she was feeling a little better and went to actually watch the game.

Alice couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him completely in his element, shifting excitedly on her seat as he continuously pulled off amazing sets. Her sigh changed from annoyed to wistful, hoping she’d been able to watch it in person. The thought brought her back to her school years, and an idea of what to do finally came to her!

Putting the game up on an ipad, she brought it to the kitchen and gathered the ingredients, hoping she had enough time to get it done before he arrived. But not long after she began mixing the dough, she heard the door opening and rushed to greet him. “Congratulations!” She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him with a big smile. “I’m still watching the game, but you were amazing as always!”

That meek smile only she was privy to as he took her compliment to heart was more than enough to instantly lift her spirits, the small kisses they shared settling the most wonderful, fluttery feeling inside her chest. He soon noticed the fact that she was wearing an apron dusted with flour and inquired on what she was doing that late at night, to which she quickly forbid him to go the kitchen as it wasn’t done yet. Obviously, it only had the adverse effect, as Tooru simply picked her up in his arms and carried her to the kitchen to see what she was up to.

“Is that...” he began asking, and she could hear the grin in his voice. “milk bread?” Her pointed lack of an answer had him laughing happily, holding her even closer to him and burying his nose in her hair. “You’re so adorable, small and huggable.”

Blushing, she ran her fingers through his hair and guided him into a loving kiss, feeling a little bit silly for her sour mood from before now that she was absolutely enveloped in the warmth and happiness he so easily brings her heart.