Chapter Text
The boyfriend Y/N managed to get before the holidays is unexpected—some guy a year younger her friend (Nishinoya) had introduced. And he's okay on Y/N's book; because Tobio is cute, tall, and gives her space.
Sure, they may not have known each other for long—met five months ago before they decided to date—but it should be fine as long as they get to do what they want. As a couple.
Now, Y/N isn't usually the type to come up with nicknames for people. She simply calls them by their names, sometimes with an honorific and sometimes without.
She calls her boyfriend by his name. Simple, but intimate all the same. Tobio. But sometimes Tobio-kun or Tobio-chan to make fun of him. Sometimes Yama or Yamayama to imitate what his friends say. He's never Kageyama or King of the court. Not darling, or honey, or sweety. And most certainly not baby.
Even though couples would have nicknames and such for each other, Y/N doesn't think she'd be calling her partner an endearment. Because she doesn't want to—she's simply never tried—and it's quite embarrassing. Thinking about it at times makes her ears red. But nobody needs to know that.
She's content with just Tobio.
Besides, they haven't been dating for that long. And Tobio never called her any sort of endearment, either. Unless Senpai is counted as one.
In fact, she's grown used to it already.
It's always sure thing, senpai or thank you for today, senpai. He's polite, always trying to be gentle, endearing, even though he flusters and ends up making a fool of himself. Like crap, sorry, senpai or senpai, did I do something wrong?
It's cute that he's obviously trying. Well, he did say he's been meaning to have a lover to spend time with for the holidays. That's why he came to be Y/N's boyfriend.
Simply thinking about how Y/N and Tobio came to be made the female shake her head fondly. Never in her whole life did she think she'd have her first official boyfriend like this.
And, he's younger than her! Honestly, some of her friends did not hold back on the comments. They had a lot to say about age gaps in relationship.
Though, a year isn't too bad.
"Oi. Senpaiii."
A warm hand on her shoulder brings Y/N back to reality. She blinkingly turns her head to the man beside her on the couch of her apartment. "Sorry," she sheepishly speaks, shoulders tensing slightly. "What's up?"
Today she invited her lover over in her apartment. To watch a movie, a way to spend time with him. Because her friends had ditched her for their own boyfriends, too. So Y/N herself wanted to be by Tobio's side.
"What's on your mind?" It's sweet of Tobio to ask that. He usually doesn't ask, unless he senses that something is wrong.
Which means he might've thought that something is bothering Y/N. Her facial expression is a huge giveaway.
"Um, I noticed you weren't paying attention to the movie." He gestures to the laptop on the table in front of them.
"Oh." Y/N shifts her gaze to the screen. She observes that the film being played is almost halfway through. "Am I that obvious?"
"Kinda." Tobio shrugs his shoulders. "You usually mutter the lines to yourself."
See? He remembers, which is so sweet.
She looks down on the floor to avoid his gaze, biting the inside of her cheek in thought. Not that she's hiding anything. Though she can be too into her thoughts at times.
"Tobio?" She eventually calls for him, inwardly wincing at the high pitch of her voice.
"Mhm?" He doesn't look at her, but listens while somehow still watching the movie being played. His arm is across the back of the couch, and a hand on the side of her shoulder. His hold on her loosens while two fingers press against her skin in light pinches.
The action is oddly fond. Y/N has never really been held like this by anyone before.
"Did you know..." She trails off, hands jittery on her lap, fingers entertwined. "That you're my first boyfriend?"
"Mhm." Tobio still doesn't offer her a glance, eyes seemingly glued to the screen. But he adjusts his body so that he's leaning more on Y/N's side, to the point that his head lays on her. "Noya-san mentioned something like that," he says, breath warm against her scalp.
She hopes he doesn't feel the slight tense of her shoulders.
Tobio squeezes the flesh in his grasp before rubbing the spot. Then his hand trails lower, drawing invisible scribbles with his thumb. "Does it bother you, senpai?"
"What does?"
Perhaps, the movie in front of them is slowly becoming uninteresting.
"That your first is me?"
Her eyes widened at the question. Did she do anything to make him wonder? To convey that she might be uncomfortable?
"Or..." The hum from Tobio vibrates against Y/N's skin. "I don't know, that I'm younger?"
She musters the courage to respond, putting a hand on Tobio's thigh. "No, Tobio. You're fine." She smiles and rids her mind of any other thoughts to focus in the moment.
He then pulls her impossibly closer to him, warm against each other even under their clothes. "Good." He kissed a spot on her head.
Y/N just knows her skin would be on fire if it's scientifically possible. Because her face goes flushed. She removes her hand from Tobio and holds the side of her face, inhaling.
"Then, senpai, did you know..." Now it's Tobio who begins to ask. "It's my first time dating someone like you?"
"What, someone older?" Y/N laughs at the words.
"Yes."
"Oh."
Tobio then moves his hand again. This time, he traces the length of Y/N's arm. Then he reaches for her hand and fully wraps his arm around her in a side hug.
It's not the first time they've been this close, or hugged, or held hands. Yet now feels different. There's something in the air that Y/N does not dare to identify out of nervousness.
"Those I've dated in the past were always the same as me, or a bit younger."
"Hm." Y/N soon relaxes in the other's hold, locking their joint hands together. "So... what made you agree to date me again?" She asks to keep their conversation going.
She's fully aware they didn't start this relationship out of love. Yet they both decided to try it out, anyway.
"I mean, I didn't think I'd be your type." She cranes her head a bit to look up at Tobio. And she finds that his gaze back on her is intense.
"I don't know." He scratches his head in thought, then pulls on the fringe of his forehead. "I guess... I just wanted to date someone before my birthday."
Right. They both have their own personal interests, that's why they agreed to be in a relationship. It's why their mutual friends were surprised when they found out.
"Okay." Y/N glances at her laptop that they forgot for awhile.
She raises her leg a bit and uses her foot to lower the volume of the movie, knowing that they aren't into it anymore, but still wanting it to play in the background.
"Then, did you want to do anything to celebrate?"
"My birthday?"
"Yeah."
If there's anything that Tobio wants, Y/N will try her best to get it for him.
She relaxes into Tobio's embrace, if possible, not caring of the weight she has on him. "Think about it, okay?" She looks at him again to make sure.
He doesn't look away. "Okay. What if I want something you can't give back?"
"What, like money?" Her eyes searches his face while asking, keeping on a smile. "We can have dinner together." When she doesn't get an immediate response, her brain thinks up of one.
And Tobio's lips quirk in a small smirk at the reaction. A pink hue colors the other's cheeks. "Dinner at a restaurant? Fancy," he muses, but only to make Y/N's blush darker. "Then you can stay over my place since it's late."
In a attempt to look cool, Y/N rolls her eyes and forcefully crosses her arms. She turns away from Tobio, making his grip on her soften, just a tad bit. "I'm not that desperate," she huffs, knowing that obvious upset laces her voice.
"Senpai." Tobio, too, sighs and tries to get her attention again. "I didn't... That's not what I meant."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
She makes sure to pause, opening her mouth but not saying anything to keep the suspense. She doesn't hate the idea of staying over, and spending more time with him. At night. Usually, it just entails something more. And although their relationship is more for benefits, she still wants to keep some dignity.
"Senpai." Tobio taps her forearm gently. But Y/N is playing hard to get, it seems.
"What if..." She gulps in preparation of the words she's about to say next. Her heart rate increases and she's nervous if her boyfriend can hear it because of their proximity. "What if I did want to stay over?"
She doesn't get to see the way Tobio's eyes widened. Suddenly, he's holding her face and guiding her to look at him. "Do you mean that?"
"Don't look so excited!" She lightly slaps his arm with a hint of a pout as her expression.
"S-Sorry!" Tobio let's go of her to scratch his cheek, embarrassed. He knows she can read him quiet well already. "Was I that obvious?" He nervously laughs.
"Ugh, I hate you." Y/N playfully rolls her eyes, finally putting down the façade. She was nervous for nothing.
"No, you don't." Tobio chuckles again. "You like me. A lot." He shoots back rather confidently.
Y/N then tilts her head upwards, reaching her lips to the other's cheek. "Unfortunately so."