Confessions

"Oh wow." Arthur mumbles as I fiddle with my fingers, turning away. "My heart went wild, I mean it went absolute bonkers. The heart monitor picked it all up, a nurse even came to check in us as um… as he was kissing me. I just felt so happy, so warm and fuzzy, I know for damn sure I was flustered… I even felt butterflies. I mean, I felt those things before with him… I even felt chest pains when he called another girl nice and cute, when she gave him his number…" I mumble though Arthur bolts up, dashing to the door. "Arthur-" I cry in protest, sitting up as he runs. "Shush Kiki, stay where you are, I'll be back!" Arthur yells as I feel my face burning, collapsing back onto the couch. I cover my face and take a deep breath, slowly blowing it out. "Which of you three confessed?" Arthur asks as he bursts into the room, shocking everyone as they all look at him. "Pardon?" Aima asks, raising an eyebrow at Arthur as he storms over to Kuroo, Kozu and Suna. "You three, come with me. I know it was one of you three that did it." Arthur says though Suna stands, shoving his hands in his pockets. "It was me." Suna says and everyone turns to Suna, surprised and confused.

"I'm not going to hide it, I don't know what she told you but… I confessed to her at the hospital." Suna says and Arthur's lip twitches as he crosses his arms. "It was you, then. I'm sure you know full well… Why did you suddenly confess? I thought we had an agreement." Arthur says as everyone looks between the two, Suna dropping his gaze. "She wanted me to drop out of the competition, to leave her life for the sake of my family. She felt really bad about what happened, but I watched as she knocked on death's door after she saved my sister. She wasn't listening to me, so I made it perfectly clear to her." Suna says and Arthur hums, looking away though his face curls into a smile. "I see, you used the magic words to shut her up." Arthur says though Suna shakes his head. "I told her that I loved her and that I wasn't going anywhere, that I was willing to pay the price to stay by her side." Suna says and Aima coos happily, her hands slapping her face. "Oh my god- oh, oh it's happening, Misaki! The competition is working!" Aima says, fanning her face frantically as tears gather in her eyes. "Hold your horses, Aima. He only confessed." Misaki says and Aima gasps, covering her mouth.

"Why do you ask?" Suna says, raising an eyebrow at Arthur as the boy takes a deep breath. "Well, unfortunately I just had a conversation with her regarding Love, including symptoms… the dots are there, but she has yet to connect them. I didn't know you confessed, she's still not ready." Arthur whispers and Suna's eyes widen as he sucks in a sharp breath. "Oh. Oh, oh! Um- shit." Suna says, running a hand through his hair as his cheeks turn pink. "Well, fuck. What can I do? I mean, I told her-" Suna says though Arthur pats his shoulder, shushing him. "I know that bit, no need to say it. That's probably the only reason she's only got a tickle in her brain, not pressure. We do however need to come up with a plan to keep her off course." Arthur says and Suna puts his hands to his face. "Can't we just like, let her figure it out?" Suna says though Arthur grabs his shoulders, pulling Suna to look at him. "Suna, my boy, I know that's your heart's desire. Think about it- she almost got kidnapped, she almost died- the man went off grid… she's got all this stress on her shoulders, do you think she is ready for a really complicated love right now?" Arthur asks Suna seriously, making him pause and think.

"No… No, but I'm not telling her that I lied or that I mean anything other than what I said." Suna says seriously and Arthur pats his shoulder, nodding his head. "Good man, Suna. I respect that… but then what should we do?" Arthur asks though Kozu suddenly appears beside them, looking between them. "Hey, I think all four of us should go to a separate room and discuss this away from prying eyes, that way we don't put her in an awkward position." Kozu says and Arthur purses his lips, glancing over to the group; they were trying to listen in, though they had been talking too quietly. "Trio, come with me. I think we need to be in private for this talk." Arthur says, heading for the door though Suga suddenly grabs his arm. "Yes, Suga?" Arthur chimes as the trio walks to the door, waiting for Arthur. "Uh- um... the rings? Why did you get us the rings? All of us?" Suga says and Arthur blinks his eyes, slowly withdrawing his hand from Suga's grip. "As I said before… I got it while Kiki was in the hospital as a gift on her behalf. If you haven't noticed, she doesn't make a habit of saying bye, it's rare she does say it." Arthur says and everyone looks between themselves, confused.

"You know, now that you mention it, she really doesn't say goodbye. I mean, she says it when she has Nen do it." Aima says and Arthur laughs ironically, shoving his hands in his pockets. "She has kids say goodbye because they don't know any better, she doesn't want them to regret not being able to say goodbye like she does. She personally hates saying goodbye because goodbye is for people you're never going to see again. The ring is a connection so she doesn't have to say goodbye; she can ping you when she thinks of you, she feels comforted with stuff like that. She feels bad for reaching out, she thinks she's a bother when she reaches out, that's why she told you how to mute it. Sentimental bullshit and all that, it's just a gift I knew she'd like you all to have, one she'd treasure. She's always been the sensitive feeling person, I thought… well, if she died you'd have her heartbeat at least. If she lived, she could not feel so alone after that experience. She's a tough girl but… it took a lot more out of her than you think. Always does." Arthur mumbles, everyone shocked- it was the first they had seen Arthur so serious and thoughtful; of course it was only reserved for Kimiko.

"What's the big deal?" Kuroo asks when the four are alone and in the private safety of a different room. "Okay, I think we all know that Kiki loves everyone in this room- as in like, love love." Arthur says and they all look at each other. "I don't understand it myself, I'm sure if she wasn't clueless she'd be tearing herself apart. Thing is, I just unknowingly gave her the dots that point to the big red sign saying 'hey, you're in Love'. All she needs to do is connect them- she's still clueless as of right now. Thing is, I didn't know that Suna confessed his love to her when I gave her the dots. If she connects the dots, needless to say we're in for a ride. I don't think she's ready for love right now- the kidnapping, the near death and the man MIA… I think we can all agree to postpone her revelation so we don't stress her." Arthur says and the boys all nod, Kuroo crossing his arms. "Well, what do you have in mind? Is Suna going to tell her that he was lying?" Kuroo asks and Suna scoffs, shaking his head. "Sorry, no. I'm never taking those words back, it's not an option. If I take those back or change them, it will hurt her. I'm not hurting her, I would rather gouge my heart out." Suna says, Kozu and Kuroo shifting lightly as they nod.

"Okay, I get that. I'd feel the exact same way." Kuroo says as he sighs softly, itching the back of his neck. "Maybe she won't realize?" Kozu asks, shrugging his shoulders lightly. "She was hooked up to a heart monitor when Suna told her that she loved him, from what she said it went wild, she felt butterflies and she felt really happy. Now, this was in the middle of me explaining love to her, including the symptoms. She brought it all up on her own when I hinted at the idea of her being in love. I don't think she's realized it yet, but I can tell it's tickling her intuition." Arthur says and Kuroo shifts lightly, dragging a hand over his face. "I thought that it was weird when she said her head was empty but racing at the same time." Kuroo mumbles before he crosses his arms, though everyone looks to him and raises an eyebrow. "Care to give us some insight?" Arthur says and Kuroo shrugs his shoulders. "It was the day she got- well, let's just say she practically confessed her love to us after I… upset her. Needless to say, we had makeup sex and I totally went overboard. She passed out on me after the fact- when she woke up…" Kuroo says, gesturing to his head as he raises an eyebrow.

"She seemed kinda miffed, so I asked her what was up. She said her mind was racing but empty at the same time, but that it wasn't the first time it happened. It happened when she was with you, too." Kuroo says as he nods his head to Suna, the boy seeming confused. "She didn't say anything to me about it." Suna says and Kuroo chuckles softly. "Apparently it was after you had a pretty intense go at it too- one where she passed out. She woke up in the middle of the night while you were asleep- she couldn't fall back asleep because of it. It wasn't really bothering her, but one thing they had in common…" Kuroo says before his lip twitches and he scratches the back of his head. "During the act itself, it got so intense she felt like she was branded." Kuroo says and Suna's eyes widen as he blinks, shocked. "Her word, not mine." Kuroo chuckles as Suna blushes, covering his mouth. "Oh wow." Suna mumbles, unable to think of anything but how she admitted that he had branded her so openly. "After that I kind of got her talking about her feelings, she said she felt alive with me and free with you. She felt all the symptoms but didn't understand." Kuroo says as he notices Kozu frown lightly.

"She didn't mention me?" Kozu asks softly and Kuroo reaches over, patting his shoulder. "You didn't come up, but I think it was because the topics didn't directly involve you. I was pretty straightforward when I asked her how she felt about us, so maybe you can ask her how she feels with you? She feels alive and protected with me, free and open with Suna… she has to feel something with you, or else she wouldn't have the symptoms." Kuroo says and Kozu hesitantly nods, blowing out a breath. "How about Kuroo and I confess to her, make her symptoms seem like it's a natural reaction? I can do it now and Kuroo can do it another time, when she's relaxed and in her element." Kozu says and Arthur blinks, crossing his arms. "I mean, yes, it would drive her off the topic but… we were trying to avoid the whole love square you got going on so she isn't overwhelmed." Arthur says and Kozu shrugs, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Kuroo and I share her all the time; he knows how I feel about her, he feels the same way and we make it work. We can both tell her that we have no expectations, we just want her to know." Kozu says and Arthur sighs, running a hand through his hair.

"Hey, Pudding." Kozu says as he enters the room and I jump, peeking over the edge of the couch. "Hey Kemma, um… Arthur, why'd you suddenly rush out? Weren't we in the middle of our talk?" I ask as the two walk over, though I look between the two. "Oh, I was just working something out. Kozu is going to tell you that he loves you so we can see your reaction." Arthur says as he plops down on the recliner and smiles at me. "Arthur! You shouldn't have Kemma lie about that!" I protest though Kozu kneels before me, looking me in the eyes as he takes my hand. "It's not a lie. I do love you, Kimi-chan." Kozu says and I feel heat shoot through my body, my face flushing as my eyes widen. "W-Wha? You- you shouldn't say such things so lightly, Kemma." I squeak as I drop my gaze, my heart fluttering in my chest. "I know that, Kimi." Kozu chuckles as he cups my chin, pulling me to look at him as I feel the butterflies flooding my veins. "But I do love you. I've loved you for a long, long time, Pudding." Kozu says softly and I feel my heart pounding rapidly in my chest- Kozu? Loved me? Like, love love? I felt so flustered and shy, I knew my face was bright red and my heart fluttering.

I make shy noises as I cover my face, squeezing my eyes shut as he chuckles, his fingers dropping down to my neck and finding my pulse. "I don't expect you to say anything or do something about it, I just wanted to tell you that I love you." Kozu says and I suck in a sharp breath, my heart stuttering as I slowly peek out of my hands. "Ah, this is... But… but why? I don't… I don't understand." I say as I rub my face, though he takes my hands and squeezes them lightly. "Because it's you, Kimi-chan. Do I need a reason to love you? I just do, I have for a long time and I plan to love you for a long time. I know you aren't ready, I know that you're new to this, I'm willing to wait as long as it takes for you to be ready." Kozu says and I feel so touched and giddy, tears of happiness gathering in my eyes as my bottom lip trembles. "Is something wrong, Pudding?" Kozu asks as he gently brushes the hair from my face, though I pull him into a tight hug. "No… I um... I'm just really, really happy… I don't know why... I know it's because… ah, I'm sorry." I sniff as I bury my head into his neck, though he chuckles softly and hugs me back. "Don't apologise." Kozu whispers as he gently kisses my head, holding me tight.

"I… I can't say… I can't say it yet, because I'm not sure… I do know that you mean a lot to me, Kemma. I mean… you mean a whole lot to me. I know I can always talk to you, that you will be there for me… you always listen to me, you soothe and reassure me… that means a whole lot to me. There's other things too, of course, but… you just make me feel so safe, so comfortable. Being with you is just… so peaceful. Um… you… you feel like family, like a home to come to… it's more than that, ah it's so complicated to explain but… I know this is probably a lot to ask but, I do want to give you a proper response when I'm sure. I might need a lot of time… I don't understand at all, but I want to make sure that I put a lot of thought and meaning into my response when I have a better hold of my feelings." I say softly and Kozu tightens his grip on me, burying his head into my neck. "That's absolutely fine, Pudding. There's no rush, I'm willing to wait as long as it takes. Take all the time you need to think, I'll wait patiently for your response and no matter what, I'll always be here for you. If you have any questions or concerns, I'll be here to listen." Kozu croaks as I feel something wet drop on my neck.

"Eh?! Are you crying? Ah, I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?" I ask, feeling my heart ache though he laughs and shakes his head, holding me as tight as he can. "No! Not at all, I'm… I'm just really happy, Kimi-chan. I… I finally gathered the courage to tell you my feelings and… I just feel so relieved and happy." Kozu says and the thought makes a lump form in my throat as I pull him as close as I possibly could. "I um… I might be a little selfish asking this but… can you say it again? I want to hear…" I whisper and he lets out a bubbling laugh as he pulls back, putting his forehead to mine. "I'll say it as many times as you want, Pudding. I'll tell you a thousand times each day if you wished it; I love you." He says as I feel bubbly inside, his fingers brushing my hair back and finding my pulse. "Again?" I whisper as I close my eyes, my lips curling into a smile. "I love you." He whispers softly, my heart pounding in my chest- I take his hand and press it to my pounding heart. "One more?" I ask and he chuckles, his other hand cupping my neck. "I love you, Kimiko Suzuki." Kozu says, my heart going wild in my chest as he pulls me into a soft kiss. My chest feels tight, my body feeling light as butterflies flutter in my blood.

Arthur clears his throat, making me jump as I quickly pull away and cover my mouth, hiding my wide smile and my burning cheeks. Kozu smiles sweetly at me, his cheeks red and his eyes soft with a strange look in them, making me feel fuzzy. I grab a pillow and curl around it, burying my head inside as I squeal into it. I fall to my side and curl into a ball, clinging tightly onto the pillow. Kozu laughs, sitting next to me on the couch, gently stroking my thigh. "Well, did you feel it?" Arthur asks and I slowly peek out of the pillow, raising an eyebrow at him. "What?" I ask and he shrugs his shoulders, leaning his elbows onto his knees. "The stuff you felt before, when Suna confessed." Arthur asks and I shift lightly, nodding my head. "Yeah… I felt it all again." I say and Arthur hums, smiling over at Kozu. "Well, we better get back to the Christmas party. I'm sure Kozu wants some time to compose himself before he joins us." Arthur says and I hum, lightly squeezing my pillow as I glance at Kozu. "Go on Pudding, I'll be back before you know it." Kozu says, gently stroking my hip and offering me a sweet smile. "Okay." I say before I pry myself away from the pillow, following Arthur back to the party.

"Yoo-hoo! Little Cutie~ come here for a moment?" Toru chimes when we get back to the party, so I head over to him as he offers me a smile. "What did you guys talk about in there?" Toru chimes and I blink, tilting my head at him. "Eh? When do you mean?" I ask and Toru chuckles softly, putting his hands in his pockets. "Just now, before you came back." Toru says and I drop my gaze, my cheeks burning as I brush a strand of hair behind my ear. "Um, it's private…" I say and Toru takes a deep breath, slowly blowing it out. "Everyone knows that Suna confessed to you at the hospital." Toru says and I look up at him, my eyes widening. "W-What? How- Arthur!" I groan before I turn to scold him, though Toru grabs my hand. "Hold on, Little Cutie. Suna told everyone himself, Arthur didn't know it was him until he confessed to it." Toru says and I pause, slowly turning back to Toru. "He… told everyone himself?" I ask and Toru nods, searching my eyes though I furrow my eyebrows. "Look, I may not know you as well as some people here but… I do know how these guys might be feeling right now. They feel pressure." Toru says softly and I look up at him, feeling even more confused.

"The pressure of Suna confessing to you… some people might confess to you because of that. I thought you should know and be prepared for that, it might be rough but… don't let anyone pressure you into anything, okay Cutie?" Toru says and I slowly nod, though I feel sort of numb. Did Kozu feel pressured into confessing to me because of Suna's confession? Did he force himself to confess to me? "Um… Sorry Toru, I think I need some time to process this. I um… I'm going to go sit down." I say and he nods, letting go of my hand as I slowly walk over to my cushion. I sit down on it, staring blankly at my hands in my lap. He said that he had finally gathered the courage to confess to me- he had to feel that pressure, he must've forced himself into confessing- "Suzuki-chan?" Kags says, snapping me out of my thoughts as I look up at him and offer him a smile I didn't quite feel. "Hey, Kags. What's up?" I say, patting the spot beside me as he sits beside me, falling silent for a moment. "Is this about what I said before? About the comp?" I ask and he slowly nods, dropping his gaze down. "So, what did you two come up with?" I ask and he drags his gaze up to Hina, slowly nodding his head again.

"We want out, but… can you keep it a secret? I mean, you can tell everyone we're dropping out…" Kags mumbles and I reach over, patting his back as his cheeks turn red. "I understand, Kags. I won't tell anyone, it's not my secret to tell. I'll work everything out with Aima and you'll get out with no one the wiser." I say and he nods, reaching for his ring and pulling it off, offering it to me. "It's for people precious to you, right?" Kags says though I gently push the ring back to him, offering him a smile. "That's right. You're a precious friend of mine, so…" I say and he makes a weird small smile before he puts the ring back on. "Um… thank you. For everything." Kags says and I offer him a genuine smile as I hug him lightly. "Think nothing of it. I'm happy for you, Kags; you two are nice for each other." I say and his smile grows as he looks at Hina. "Remember that volleyball and your relationship are two different things. Sure, they might coincide, but they are not what keeps you together. Even if you were to lose a game and be mad at each other, that shouldn't affect your love. Even when you're in separate teams, the love is still there." I say and he nods, seeming to think it over.

"You're really good at advice, Suzuki-chan." Kags says after a minute and I can't help but smile as I kick back. "I may not be experienced in the love feeling department, but I do have experience with dating. As an outsider and on the inside; I know that dating is all about being open and true to the one you love, to never let anything come in the way of that love. Whether it be distance, frustrations from things outside that you can't control… a relationship is a refuge of love. You should always support and hold each other up. It's not always going to be easy, sometimes you snap or say things you regret but… it takes two to tango. Don't go too far, always make things right, nobody is perfect- but don't let love blind you. If the relationship is toxic, then it's not a relationship. It's just people hurting each other with lies when they should really let go… but I do think you have something worth fighting for." I say and Kags nods, slowly looking over at me. "How did you and your ex get together?" He asks and I laugh softly, looking up at the ceiling. "Well, I guess I should start by saying that I heard him before I saw him. We had a class together." I admit as I think about that day, sliding my legs out.

"He had been watching me ever since I sat on my phone- I broke it- and I had heard him being goofy at the tables nearby." I say as Kags looks curious, settling down for the story. "That's what he told me at least. One day the seating arrangement changed and we sat across the table from each other." I say and Kags eyes light up as he nods at me. "Misaki was in the class too, she sat beside me and would read books as we joked around. He was a total flirt, he laid it on thick with me." I say and Kags nods his head, seeming invested. "One thing led to another and he asked for my number, I gave it to him. He asked me over that night and we watched movies together, just laughing and joking around, him flirting." I say and Kags hums softly, nodding his head. "I went home really late that night, but the next morning he asked me out over text." I say and Kags furrows his eyebrows, looking at me. "I was with Aima and Misaki at the time, I asked them what I should do… they said that I should give it a try." I say and Kags slowly nods, though I notice some people eavesdropping. "If you're going to listen, might as well get closer." I say as I get comfortable on my pillow.

The boys all act like dears caught in headlights, though Aima and Misaki plop down beside me. "I still can't believe he asked you out over text. I mean, come on, have some guts and ask a girl to her face. Then again, he turned out to be a douche." Aima says and Misaki snorts, though a few people gather around and sit. "I thought about it for a while, I mean, I really thought about it. It was my first relationship, I had no idea what to do. The relationships I had seen were all the same- love fully, love freely, and love open with faith and trust. I… I um… I agreed to date him. That's the story of how we got together." I say, shrugging my shoulders though Suga scoots forward a little. "Why'd you stop yourself? What were you going to say?" Suga asks and I shift, dropping my gaze as I feel my cheeks burn. "Oh, it's nothing. It wasn't relevant to the story." I say though Kozu slides into the door, making my heart ache. "It's not nothing. You're making a sad face now." Toru says and I suck in a breath, covering my face. "Tell us, Sugar." Suga says softly, taking my hand and gently squeezing it. Kozu seems to pick up on my discomfort, coming over and taking a seat in the group.

"It's really nothing." I say, dropping my hands into my lap and twiddling with my fingers as I stare at my fingers. "No, you're hiding something, it's obvious." Kozu says and I run my tongue over my teeth, taking a deep breath. "I got my hopes up. It was going to be my first boyfriend- I thrived on stories of my mom and dad who had a whirlwind romance, fell madly in love and lived happily ever after. I wanted that kind of love, a love where it was all or nothing. So I gave it my all, I mean, all that I could at the time." I say and Aima comes over, slinging her arm over my shoulder. "You can spill your guts to them, girly. If they don't want to listen, they can leave; talking about it helps though. They can tell you how they would've treated you differently, how he was just a major douche." Aima says and I slowly look up at her before I nod, dropping my gaze back down. "I'm sorry for babbling in advance, but… I um… I was so happy in the beginning, thinking of all we could be, what we could do… it seemed like he only had his mind set on one thing though, the one thing I couldn't give. I just couldn't bring myself to be intimate with him, no matter what." I say as I lean into Aima's embrace.

"We never kissed, never… he didn't seem to care much in the beginning, but I guess he was just biding his time." I say though Aima lifts her finger, rubbing my shoulder. "They didn't talk about what happened and we figured it was up to her to tell, but he thought she was a virgin." Aima says and I glance at her, though she gestures for me to continue. "I visited him a lot, we hung out a lot- I was really happy, we were always joking and having fun together. We'd go out to arcades, we'd go to theme parks and we'd go out to stores and just hang out and troll around." I say and Arthur chuckles, shaking his head lightly. "Ah, yes. I paid for all that, that dirty gold digger." Arthur says and I flinch, fiddling with my fingers. "I'm still really sorry about that, Arthur." I say though he waves his hand over his face. "It wasn't you, but you were really happy and having lots of fun. I finally got to spoil you, so I was happy to oblige." Arthur says and I slowly blow out a breath, pausing my fingers. "I… from the beginning, he would always tell me to shut up, call me stupid and just in general talk over me. I didn't think much of it, I thought it was endearing." I say and Aima snorts, shaking her head.

"Honeymoon stage." Aima says, ruffling my hair lightly as I offer her a sad smile. All the boys seemed ticked by this, though I laughed softly. "It went on for about a year, him calling me annoying, telling me I was an idiot with no common sense and that I should just shut up. He would be irritated all the time, just in general be cranky…" I mumble though Aima rolls her eyes. "A complete douche." Aima says and I slowly nod my head in agreement. "Turns out his girlfriend was pregnant around this time. She was bitchy and he took it out in Kiki." Misaki says and all the boy's faces darken. "It's also around the time he started asking for more… I was never enough, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I felt like I was to blame, I was always bringing myself down and just… I tried to make it work without that. I did, but he just got meaner and meaner… when I asked him what was wrong… one day I wouldn't let it go. I kept prying into it, trying to see what was wrong, why he was acting so weird…" I say, falling silent as I feel tears gather in my eyes. "He told me that he didn't love or care for me, that I was absolutely worthless." I croak out, the tears falling down my face though Aima hugs me tight.

"Complete douchebag move, by the way. It was never you, Kiki. It was all that asshole." Aima says, though Suga scowls darkly, glaring daggers at the ground. "Excuse me and pardon my language, but what the absolute fuck is up with that?" Suga snarls, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "That's super fucked up. Mega douche move." Ryu says, Noya nodding his head enthusiastically. "Next time I see him… I'll teach him a lesson." Kyo says as he cracks his fingers menacingly, emitting a dark aura. "Let me in on that." Iwai grumbles, his face curled up in a mix of disgust and anger. "I can't believe we actually let that guy visit you. I mean, I knew he was fucked up but…" Kuroo grumbles, shaking his head as he curls his nose in disgust. "Good riddance, he really didn't see what he was missing out on. In no way are you worthless, Sunshine. The guy is in no way an appraiser to your value." Suna mumbles, reaching over and squeezing my hand lightly. "He was definitely severely mentally incapacitated. He's lucky I didn't know he said that shit or else I would've broken his kneecaps. There's no way his words hold value, Gorgeous." 'Tsumu says and Aima gently strokes her fingers through my hair.

"I remember that week- you closed yourself in your room for a week and just blasted 'put me down' on repeat. You wouldn't eat or sleep… you would just cry. Half the time I had to pry you out of your bed." Aima says softly, though I brush the tears from my eyes, the boys all seeming very irritated. "He didn't text me for a whole week after he said that. When he finally did, he acted like nothing happened, like he didn't say anything. When I asked he said it was my fault he blew up like that, that I should have just listened to him and shut up. He never apologized or told me that he didn't mean it." I say, wiggling my nose though all the boys looked like they wanted to commit murder. "Akaashi, get the rope." Bokuto says, moving to stand up though Kuroo stops him from standing. "I'll get the bat, 'Samu get the trash bag." 'Tsumu says, cracking his knuckles as he smiles darkly. "On it." 'Samu says, the two going to move though Kita pins them with a look that makes them stop in their tracks. "I'll get a shovel." Suna mumbles, though Aima claps her hands, getting their attention. "Don't you think I would've done that?" Aima says and all the boys raise an eyebrow at her as she smiles.

"Let Kiki finish the story, would ya? If you go committing murder on her behalf, I hope ya know she'll take the fall for you. Besides, we all have no idea where he actually lives." Aima chimes, the boys all seeming to settle down though still majorly irritated. "At that point I was always apologizing for not being enough… I felt like I didn't deserve him, that he was the only one that could ever love me… I felt like no one was ever capable of loving me, that it was my fault that he was always so angry and frustrated. I felt like it was all my fault… So I stopped talking so much, thinking that the reason he was always so irritated was because I wouldn't shut up." I say, fiddling with my fingers as I think back to those dark days. "He told me his gran was in the hospital. I did everything I could to comfort him, it was the only time he didn't tell me to shut up, didn't talk over me…" I say, Aima shaking her head and huffing out a breath. "He was holding her hand as she was pushing out their baby. All the while I texted him, comforting him and feeling like I could finally be the girlfriend he needed. To be his support in his time if need, but it was a fucking lie. It was all-" I say as I feel my anger and sadness build up.

"It was all just a big fucking lie, I was just a fucking joke to him." I snarl, hot tears dropping down my face as I choke out a sob. "And I fell for it. He moved away, saying it was cause his gran died. No, he just needed to be there for his baby. He had his good days- he had his bad days, he had absolutely horrible days. It was like whiplash, a guessing game of walking in eggshells with our now long distance relationship." I say, brushing the tears from my eyes as I felt my chest aching. "But there was one day… he texted me at midnight, said he wanted to meet up. I was happy, I hadn't seen him in forever. I agreed and he came over, picked me up- and we just drove in the rain. We just sang to the radio, driving… I was so happy. I felt… just for a while… that it would be okay. That it was all worth it, that I could have a happy relationship like my parents had. I felt that I could give him my life for moments like that, just us escaping from it all." I say as I drop my gaze to the floor, my lips pulling tight. "Rose colored glasses… I waited for his birthday. A happy occasion calls for a special present, right? So… why not surprise him with what he wanted?" I say quietly before I look up at the ceiling.

"I mean, all he ever wanted was me. Not 'me' as a person, no. He wanted… it was easy enough, right? Just open your legs and suffer through it; He'll be happy and our relationship will magically work out." I snort as I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "Oh, it was a surprise for all three of us. It sure as hell hurt, but our relationship was over for good. Their baby, Sakura was in the car seat, fast asleep. I just walked away without looking back." I laugh, a broken and hurt laugh filled with my tears and pain. I curl into a ball, a sobbing mess as Aima and Misaki tackled me in a viscous hug. We all cry, Aima getting snot and tears all over me- I could give less of a shit. My heart ached, my body hurt and Aima gave the best hugs. Misaki just cradled us both in her arms, crying silently to herself as I buried myself into her. A cocoon of warmth and comfort came over us and it took me a moment to realize that the boys- all of them, to the best of their ability- were hugging all of us. "Be careful of Aima- you hurt her, I kill you." I croak through my tears, making Aima let out a sad laugh. "I'm fine, Kiki." She says, snorting as she tries to blink through her tears and snot.

"No, no. You're not- god, you are such an ugly crier. Hold on, I'll get you some tissues." I mumble as I stand up out of the cocoon and hop over the mass as I trudge to the table, grabbing the box of tissues. "Are you okay, Kiki?" Arthur asks as I give them to Aima, though I don't say anything as I help her to the bathroom to get her cleaned up. I don't feel like talking at all, in fact I felt tired and numb. It was a familiar feeling, one I became accustomed to during my relationship with Yuki. The feeling that no matter how I tried, it just wouldn't help- I wasn't enough, I would never be enough. If I just stayed quiet, no one would think I was annoying or bothersome. How stupid was I, opening up about my relationship like that? They must've felt bored but pressured into listening, they had to be annoyed with me. I'd have to apologise and leave so they don't feel pressure to make me happy… how could I invite them to a party? They must've felt obligated to come, taking time out of their busy schedules to entertain me, I was just being pitiful… it would be best if I just leave- "Kiki, I know you're bringing yourself down right now." Aima says, snapping me out of my thoughts as I slowly look up at her.

"The boys are here because they want to spend time with you, they could just as well have said no; they want to be here with you." Aima says and I drop my gaze, hopping into the shower to clean the snot out of my hair. "Kiki, listen to me. That guy was a complete asshole who made you feel insecure about yourself, who ruined your confidence… but the boys are right. His words can't attest to your value, he was a super douche who took advantage of your kind heart and-" Aima says as I close my eyes, letting the water pelt at my chest. "Aima… no offense, I love you, I get that you're trying to cheer me up and I appreciate it, but… I just want to be alone right now." I whisper and she hesitates as I take shampoo, lathering it into my hair. "Okay, I love you." Aima says, stepping out of the bathroom and shutting the door behind her. My fingers pause in my hair as I feel my heart ache at her words, tears gathering in my eyes as my bottom lip trembles. I slide down, leaning my head against the shower wall as I cry to myself, curling in a ball. It hurt so much- it felt like the weight of the world was crashing down on my shoulders- I had been so happy before, why was I so devastated now? Why did I feel so hurt?

I press my palm into my eyes, sobbing weakly as I feel the water pelt my body like small needles. The door opens and I choke on my tears as I curl into a tight ball, trembling with the dull ache in my chest. I hear someone walk over and something shuffling before they take the showerhead. They kneel down, their big hot hand stroking through my hair as they rinse the shampoo out of my hair. I sniff softly, feeling strangely soothed by the action- they didn't say anything, just gently running their fingers through my hair. My trembling slowly stops and the tears stop coming, though I still felt tired and sore. They turn off the water and put the showerhead back, something shuffling before they wrap me up in a soft towel and scoop me up. I lean into their hot embrace, my eyes still closed as they set me down on the counter. They pull away and I slowly open my eyes, seeing Kuroo grabbing a towel. He turns to me and his eyes meet mine, though I drop my gaze and look away. He wraps the towel around my head, beginning to ruffle my hair dry as I close my eyes again, dropping my head down. Of course he came to take care of me… he must've felt obligated to, forcing himself to tend to me.

"I'm sorry." I croak quietly, though his hands pause in my hair. "Come again?" Kuroo asks and I feel a fresh batch of tears gather in my eyes, my heart aching. "I'm sorry." I choke out, sobbing softly as I desperately wipe at my tears. He would get mad at me for crying- for apologizing, but I felt terrible- it was my fault. "Why are you sorry?" He asks softly, gently tilting my head up to look at him as his thumbs brush my tears away. "Cause… cause you… you had to… to take care of me… I'm hopeless… I'm worthless... I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" I sob, though he frowns, making me cry harder. Here it came, the yelling- the telling me to just shut up. It would just make me cry more, make him angrier and- Kuroo wrapped me up in his arms, gently kissing my forehead as his fingers stroked my body. "Oh Kitten, you don't need to be sorry. I want to take care of you, I'll always want to take care of you and see you happy. You might think you're worthless, hopeless… but I think that you're perfect the way that you are." Kuroo says gently, kissing the top of my head as I hiccup. "I know you are feeling insecure, that's okay." Kuroo says and I sniff, my sobbing slowly stopping- where was the yelling?

"You're not worthless, you're not hopeless… no, you're a strong and capable girl. It's okay to be insecure, it's okay to be weak and have your doubts… when you feel those things, I'll be here for you. I'll be your strength when you need me, don't hesitate to reach out for comfort or support. I'm willing to do anything to make you happy, don't doubt for a second that I wouldn't drop everything to be here for you if you need me." Kuroo whispers softly and I can't help but feel stumped- he wasn't angry? "You mean a lot to me, I hate seeing you hurting or scared… you can come to me, I'll be waiting with open arms. Don't think for a second that I'd push you away, that I'd be upset or angry with you for wanting comfort. If you want to hug, talk or just don't want to be alone… I'll be there to hold you. If you don't want that, that's okay too. I don't care what anyone says, I don't care what they think- if you need me, I'm here. Even if you get in that pretty little head of yours and tell yourself that I would get upset or be bothered if you reach out… reach out to me anyway. It doesn't have to be when you're upset either, you can reach out anytime." Kuroo says and I feel warm and fuzzy as he pulls back, kissing my forehead.

"Just reach out to me, okay? I don't mind at all, I always look forward to seeing you. You're my precious little Kitten, I thrive off of seeing you hissy and frustrated with me. My talents aren't limited to annoying you, I can comfort you and help you if you need it. I don't mind one little bit, Kitten; you can rely on me. I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it." Kuroo says and I can't help but feel happy at his words, tears gathering in my eyes as I stare up at him. "Kuroo… Kuroo!" I sob as I dive into his arms, feeling relieved as he scoops me up. "I know, Baby Girl." Kuroo says, stroking his fingers through my damp hair as he kisses the top of my head. "If you ever want to be with me, just let me know and we can work something out. That or if you just don't want to be alone or want someone by your side, or you need help with science… I'm a science nerd." Kuroo says and I can't help but let out a bubbling laugh as I squeeze him. "Dopamine is a neurotransmitter made by the body used by the nervous system to send messages between nerve cells, right?" I ask and he laughs as he pulls back, grinning at me. "That's right. Here's your reward." He says, cupping my chin and pulling me into a soft kiss.

My body explodes in a gentle and comforting heat, my heart fluttering as millions of butterflies take flight in my blood. I slide my arms around his neck, tilting my head and deepening the kiss as my fingers tangle into the hair at the back of his neck. He leans down, pulling me tightly to him as his lips part slightly, his hot tongue brushing over my bottom lip. I suck in a sharp breath, sliding my tongue to meet his as my heart pounds in my chest. His fingers softly trace up my side, a layer of goosebumps breaking out over my skin at his hot touch. His hand cups my breast and the hair at the back of my neck stands up at end, our tongues tangling in a slow dance. His thumb traces over the skin of my breast, moving up to my nipple- Kuroo suddenly snorts, pulling away as he starts laughing. "You- the- googly nips!" Kuroo says, making me laugh as I realize the googly eyes were still on my nipples. He laughs harder, sounding like a wild hyena as he points at my bouncing chest, making me laugh so hard I snort and wheeze. We laugh so long and hard that I feel like I couldn't breathe, my cheeks hurting from smiling so much. I finally peel off the googly eyes and toss them in the trash, both of us crying from laughter.

We both calm down to giggles and I wrap my arms around his abdomen, burying my head into his chest. "Thank you, Kuroo…" I say and he gently pats the back of my head, smiling down at me. "No problem, Kitten." He says, pulling my head up and kissing my forehead. "Now come on, let's get you dried off." He says, taking the towel and drying me off as I just smile at him. "You know, I missed two weeks of school… there was a science quiz that I missed, a lot of work… I can't really understand all of it on my own, but if a certain science nerd was willing to help…" I say and he grins up at me, dropping the towel to the side. "A certain science nerd, huh?" He asks and I hum affirmatively, my lip twitching as he cups his chin, pretending to think intensely about it. "That's a bit vague, isn't it Chibi-chan? Maybe you should be more forward." Kuroo says, giving me a cocky grin as he crosses his arms. "Eh, I think it'd inflate his ego a bit too much if I asked him for help. Maybe I should ask my science teacher, maybe he can help me find a tutor." I chime and Kuroo chuckles, setting his hands on my hips. "Now, now, hold it just a minute." Kuroo says, raising an eyebrow at me as his grin spreads.

"What's wrong with inflating an ego a bit? You can toss in a magic word or two and this 'science nerd' will make sure to give you a special lesson, one you won't be able to forget." Kuroo purrs, making me giggle as I shake my head. "No, I think I'll ask my teacher to help me find a tutor." I chime though Kuroo gasps, slapping his hand to his chest. "Why, I never! I'll have you know that this 'science nerd' may give you a special lesson if you ask with magic words, but I will gladly give you a plain tutoring session if you wanted." Kuroo says, making me giggle even more. "If you insist, I'll just have to let you tutor me." I chime and Kuroo groans, looking up at the ceiling. "So no special lesson?" Kuroo asks though I offer him a sweet smile. "No, not this time; Doctor's orders. Maybe next time…" I chime as I reach up, brushing my fingers under his chin. "Tarnation… Next time. I can do that." Kuroo says, leaning down and kissing my nose and making me giggle. "As long as you ask with the magic words." Kuroo purrs, making me laugh as I shake my head. "Maybe next time I'll go to my teacher." I say though Kuroo snorts, shaking his head. "No, no. Come to me." Kuroo says, though a knock sounds on the door.

"Oi, I brought you a change of clothes. Luckily we had a lot to spare." Arthur chuckles as he steps in, coming over and setting the clothes beside me. "Well, no panties but… hey, these have only been worn once and even then it was only for a second." Arthur says and I look at the thick pile of clothes, glancing at Arthur. "Is that what I think it is?" I ask and Arthur grins at me, crossing his arms. "If that one doesn't fit, there's a slightly smaller one and a slightly bigger one." Arthur says and I feel my cheeks burn as I lift up the pile- it was a maid outfit. "Oh my- um… so, uh, no panties huh?" I ask as my cheeks burn, Kuroo's eyes widening as he quickly covers his mouth, realizing what the outfits are. "I uh- I gotta- um- I gotta go… take care of something." Kuroo says, his cheeks red as he stalks out of the room, making Arthur laugh. "Did I do something wrong?" I ask, sparing an anxious glance to Arthur as he shakes his head. "No, Kiki, you're fine. That's code for 'I need to masturbate'." Arthur says and my body feels hot as I imagine Kuroo doing that- I quickly shake my head, trying to clear the thoughts. "Too tight." I groan as I try on the outfit, though I can't get the outfit over my breasts.

"H-Hello, young master." I say as I enter the room where everyone is, holding the front of my skirt down as my face felt like it was on fire. Everyone looked over, their eyes widening as they all just stared- I had to wear the bigger one which was still a bit tight on my breasts. Arthur had braided one of my side bangs and tucked it behind my ear, securing it with the headband. Arthur used the apron to pull the outfit secure around my torso, a big white bow behind my back. I had also put on the thigh high socks, the ones with a frilly band- I was covered in light frills. "Come on, keep going!" Arthur cackles and I squeeze my eyes shut, dropping my head as I make a shy noise. "M-May I please serve you… M-Master..." I squeak, moving one of my hands from my skirt to cover my burning face- I'm sure it was bright red. "There! I did it, so-" I say as I turn to Arthur, though he lets out a maniacal laugh and grins at me. "I said I would consider it if you did this, I didn't say I would get you pa-" Arthur says though I slap both my hands over his mouth, my whole body burning with embarrassment. "Arthur! Shush!" I whine as I hear someone making a choking sound.

"Little Cutie- are you not-" Toru croaks and I feel my ears burning as I quickly move my hands back to my skirt. "Sh!" I hiss, pressing my legs together and holding the skirt as close as I could. "Oh god- Sugar, you're not-" Suga groans though I feel tears of embarrassment gather in my eyes. "I said shh! Shush! Shush shush! Don't you dare say it!" I squeal, Suga covering his face and letting out a low groan. "Never in my life have I ever wanted something so bad." 'Tsumu says, though Arthur puts his hand on my shoulder and grins widely at me. "Come on, take it Kiki. Take the bet and I'll get you some. You can do it, I know you can get it done." Arthur purrs playfully and I squeeze my eyes shut, bending over slightly. "Do what? What bet? Details!" Aima squeals excitedly as I look up at Arthur, my face flustered. "In case you hadn't noticed, our girl is missing a vital piece of clothing." Arthur chuckles and all the boys shift, the room suddenly getting hotter. "So I proposed a bet, it's really a game of sorts, one I thought would make her predicament… fun for all." Arthur purrs as he lifts up his phone, grinning. "I can get her some in... say 10 minutes?" Arthur purrs, everyone's heated gaze turning to him.

"That's if she agrees to the game. If she agrees and says the line, I'll explain the rules of the game." Arthur chuckles, everyone's blistering gaze turning to me. My skin feels like it's on fire, tingling as I break out in a thin of goosebumps. "You know you can win, Kiki. You know full well you can win, but are you going to roll the dice and gamble that?" Arthur purrs and I drop my gaze, squeezing my eyes shut as I whimper softly. "Arthur… you're evil, you're an evil genius." I groan as I take a deep breath, moving my hands away from my skirt. "Fine, I'll do it." I mumble, lifting my hand and offering it to him. "Glad you agree to handicap yourself." He chuckles, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a velvet box. He pops it open- nestled into the box is a ring similar to the thin chunky black ones the boys got, but this one is sleek with inlaid gems. The centerpiece being a 7*7mm 1.25ct heart cut mystic topaz with a pear cut crown of three teardrop diamonds. The design was cradled in two blue opal hands, an intricate figure 8 carved in. Arthur had it specially made for me, the heart representing our love, the crown representing our loyalty, the hands representing our friendship, the figure 8 representing eternity.

I had felt hesitant to take it- it was expensive, he had many people work together with the ring company to make it, many professionals signed a non-disclosure agreement to never mention making the masterpiece, let alone the price. I had no clue how much he had put into it- I loved it, I did, it was absolutely beautiful, striking in every which way- I felt scared to even wear something so precious, though it did have tracking technology and it was made of the finest and most durable material. Arthur takes the ring out, smiling at it before he takes my hand and slides it onto my finger. "I hope you know I'm never taking that back now that you've put it on." Arthur cackles, closing the box and stuffing it in his pocket. I huff as he pulls out his phone, tapping on it and grinning at me. "Let's raise hell." The ring chimes in Arthur's voice, cackling giddily as his eyes light up. "Hell be raised." I mumble before I turn back to the boys, all of their eyes still trained to me. "God, I humor you too much, Arthur." I mumble before I give the boys a sultry grin, lifting my hand to my lips. "Let's have fun, Master! Come and get me! If you catch me, I'll serve you!" I say sweetly, blowing a kiss and winking before I dart out of the room.