Archive of Our Own

Natsu was a cute kid. Common sense, right?

A few years back, Shoyo was constantly told that Natsu looked exactly like him when he was her age. In terms of both looks and personality, Natsu was practically a mini-female copy of him.

Shoyo takes pride in volleyball, it easily makes the top three things he loves most, but the one that takes first prize? Natsu, without a doubt–the most adorable little girl in the world.

He even attempted to teach her the basics of volleyball. How to serve, how to set, how to spike… of course, she wasn't all that great at it, but it was the effort that counted! Even if it came with a few snide remarks from her big brother.

She was like Shoyo's shadow. Following her older brother around the house taking interest in all he did. And most of the time, Shoyo didn't mind. In fact, he loved it. Natsu was his pride and joy, just like his love for volleyball.

She'd seen a couple of his matches, too. According to mom, she's always raving about them afterwards and how ‘cool Sho’ looked!’

She's the sweetest. Made of absolute gold. Whether or not someone believes it's just childhood innocence or not is irrelevant to Shoyo, because he knows his sister is the purest girl in the world. Most of the time.

Now, after all of that, anyone with a brain would assume that Shoyo is Natsu's favourite sibling too. Considering, you know, he's her only sibling.

But no. It seemingly doesn't take a lot for Shoyo to be replaced. Wanna know who her favourite brother actually is?

Shoyo let go of Kageyama's hand, already expecting what was coming.

“Tobio!” Natsu cried out, her little legs wobbling as she ran and jumped into the setter's arms. Shoyo sighed, stretching as he awaited a turn that should've been his.

The worst part? Shoyo couldn't even be mad at her. He knew first hand how sweet Tobio could be when you really got to know him. It's no wonder Natsu loves him just as much as himself.

With the tiniest of smiles and with practiced ease, Tobio lifted the girl into his arms, settling the seven year old on his hip.

“Hi Natsu.” He smiled.

She rocked herself back and fourth. “Tobio! I was watching you and Sho’ during your match! The way you threw the ball to him was super cool!” She half shouted.

Shoyo put on a half pout, coming up behind her and wrapping one arm around Tobio's neck and the other settled on her head. “And what about me, huh? Was I not cool too, Natsu?”

Natsu giggled, reaching for his collar and pulling Shoyo in for a peck on the cheek. “One-hundred percent you were!” She leaned in closer to Kageyama's ear and whispered, “But not as cool as you, Tobi.”

Giggles erupted between the lot of them, and Shoyo's attention was soon brought to the other figure approaching them–his mom.

Shoyo had sweat dripping down his spine after their most recent match. It wasn't uncommon for family members to come and see their children compete, but it certainly was for his family. With Shoyo's mom's tight work schedule and Natsu needing to go to school, they rarely got to see him play ever.

Kageyama's parents were in a similar, if not completely the same situation. Except they were a lot less intrigued with Tobio's career in volleyball compared to how Natsu and his mom were.

But, after getting together, Shoyo's mom seemed to easily fill in that spot, showing up for not only one but two boys on the volleyball court of Karasuno

Shoyo's mom smiled at the two of them. “She's right, you know?” She giggled, cupping her cheeks. “It's like every time I see you two play, you get a thousand times better.”

She quickly pulled all three of them in, pressing a kiss to the crown of Shoyo's head before moving to Tobio and pressing a kiss to his temple without hesitation, like he was her second son.

“Well done, both of you.”

Kageyama blushed, but his hold on Natsu didn't falter. He'd gotten used to holding her on his hip for prolonged amounts of time after it first happened. “Uh- thank you.” He stuttered.

Shoyo's mom giggled, mumbling something about awkwardness. Shoyo couldn't disagree, his hand moving from Tobio's shoulder to link and arm around his.

Natsu yanked at his collar for his attention. “When will you be playing again? And where can we watch- Achoo! I wanna see that super cool quick thing you did with Sho!” She buzzed in his hold, wiping at her dripping nose.

Shoyo pulled out a handkerchief, wiping at her runny nose and the crumbs on her lips as she attempted to pull away. Her push was slightly weaker, although he wasn't surprised considering her age.

Kageyama smiled, a real and bigger one this time. “I'm not sure. Most likely not too soon, though. Shoyo?” He asked for the other's opinion, who stood close by trying to tickle the young girl in his hold.

His attention was successfully stolen. “Hm? Oh, dunno. You'll have to ask coach Ukai.” His eyes widened, his drive for annoying Natsu disintegrating. “Speaking of which…”

A booming voice erupted from where the bus for Karasuno was parked. “You two! You've got thirty seconds until we leave you behind!” The coach's voice somehow echoed through an open area.

Shoyo's mom got to work quickly. “Do you plan on coming round tonight, Tobio?”

Kageyama nodded, still holding Natsu on his hip. “Yeah, if it's alright with you.”

She smiled, clapping. “Perfect! I'll set out a plate for you then.”

Shoyo quickly cupped Natsu's cheeks, pressing a long kiss to her forehead. “Love you, Natsu. See you tonight!”

“I love you too, ‘Sho!” She called out after him.

He waved to his mom and sister, making a break for the bus and abandoning his boyfriend.

Not that it was a bad thing, though. Tobio was just as comfortable with Shoyo's family as he is with his own. Tobio, who was expected to follow in the ginger's steps, had other plans. Natsu wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a tight hug. Kageyama indiscreetly hugged her back.

“I'll see you and Shoyo later tonight, okay? For now, we have to get the bus back to the school for a team meeting.”

Natsu frowned, but let go. “Okay. See you later, Tobio!”

Tobio accepted the ‘See you later’, although he wasn't hoping for his first ‘Love you’. However, he was grateful for it nonetheless, considering there was once a time where Natsu would get angry if he even considered breathing in her direction.

He settled her on the floor, steading her as she wobbled and Shoyo's mom kept a keen eye on her, waving goodbye to both girls while jogging to the bus. “See you later!” He called out.

Kageyama jumped up the stairs of the coach while getting a well-deserved glare from the coach, but overall escaped unscathed. He settled down next to Shoyo, who was watching his mom and Natsu through the window.

“They're cute, aren't they.” Tobio started, buckling his seatbelt.

“The cutest, obviously! Both mom and Natsu love you.” Shoyo whipped his head around, but his grin soon turned into a playful frown. “But I'll never get over how Natsu seems to genuinely prefer you over me.”

Tobio cracked a smile. “I wouldn't say that. She just likes me a lot. You should be glad she likes her brother's boyfriend, considering how much time she spends around me.”

Shoyo groaned, interlinking their hands. “Yeah, well, it's still unfair. I'm her big brother! I was there when she was born. In fact, I was the first to hold her! Not even my mom held her first!”

A head popped out from behind them, in-between the seats. “So, was that your sister, Hinata?” Nishinoya's genuinely curious voice peaked out.

Tobio snorted. “What, did the bright orange hair give it away?” Shoyo elbowed him in the ribs, earning him a grimace.

He turned to face Noya, his eyes beaming with pride. “Yeah! Cute, isn't she?”

“The cutest!” Tanaka's voice called out from beside Noya. “You two look exactly like your mom, you know that?”

Tobio rolled his eyes. “Were you all watching that interaction or what?”

Noya smirked. “Pretty much. And don't think we missed that run-up hug, either, Tobi.” He mocked.

Tobio grimaced as Shoyo laughed. “Believe me, she adores him. You saw her call out his name before mine, right?”

There wasn't only a yes from Noya and Tanaka, there were numerous grunts of agreement coming from all over the bus. Tobio only groaned harder as Shoyo laughed louder.

Another voice called out this time. It was Suga. “She really does seem fond of you though, Kageyama! Almost like you're her blood brother.”

“He might as well be. Ever since he started coming over more often, Natsu's gotten more and more excited for his visits.”

Tobio huffed, closing his eyes. “It's probably just the sweets I've been bringing, is all. You all can't determine someone's relationship with someone just based on one interaction.”

But that was where Tobio was wrong. Unlike the raven-haired teen, Shoyo knows first hand how Natsu wears her heart on her sleeve. It wasn't just childhood innocence, either. She was simply that type of person.

She picks her people carefully. If she likes you, great! If she doesn't, tough luck. She's always had that strong sense of integrity, and up until recently, Shoyo had been her favourite person. Up until Tobio came around, at least.

The funniest part was that Natsu didn't even like Tobio at first. In fact, she hated him more than she hated the colour grey. Which is a lot. Natsu chose the weirdest things to hate.

Aside from that, their first meeting was odd. She distanced herself from Tobio, and no matter how desperately Shoyo tried to get them to get along, she wouldn't budge. Hell, there was even one time when she ripped their hands apart and wedged herself in between them when they were walking holding hands.

Shoyo wasn't sure when the change started happening. Maybe it was overtime or maybe it was sudden. He only knew that one day, Natsu started acknowledging Tobio instead of flat out ignoring him, then started initiating conversation, and eventually started smiling at him just as she did to Shoyo.

He didn't know what the change was, only that it worked. And that was the only thing Shoyo cared about.

Suga, Noya and Shoyo all locked eyes at once, reacting to Tobio's statement.

Even the other team members could understand that Natsu really liked Kageyama. Chances are, not more than Shoyo, but just as much.

But Shoyo argued nothing else, instead opting to rest his head on the other's shoulder. “We'll see,” He mumbled.

The bus ride back to the school gym wasn't too long. However, after a long day and an even longer match, the only thing every person on that bus wanted to do was go to sleep. Including coach Ukai–which, in his defense, is well deserved considering he spent his entire day stressed out about a bunch of teenagers.

The only exception to this fact was Kageyama.

Tobio's shoulder was practically half numb from the lack of blood flow due to Shoyo resting his limp head there. The other was fast asleep, half way to drooling on his partner's shoulder.

The partner in question had his mind well occupied, by none other than the ginger's little sister: Natsu.

Unlike his boyfriend, Tobio was the younger sibling. As a young child, his sister would often play with him, but that nine-year age gap between the two of them soon came into play. Tobio eventually had to accept that he'd spend most of his time playing alone from then on.

That changed once he met Hinata Shoyo. Or, to be specific, when he started coming to his house.

It started slowly, long before they started dating. A hoodie that needed to be collected, or homework sheets that the other had. Small things. And Kageyama, ever the ‘polite’, thought it would be at least a bit more respectful to bring over some sweets or cake. You know, the usual gifts.

What Tobio hadn't realised–or for better words, registered–was that Hinata was not an only child. It surprised him that he didn't realise sooner, because his personality checked out–he really did act like an older sibling.

The first time Kageyama had come over, Shoyo pushed him away and told him to stay back. At the time, Tobio really thought the ginger was just an idiot, but when a lightning fast ball of familiar orange hair bursted through the tiniest crack of the open door, the pieces fitted themselves.

Unlike his rival, who stood there dumbfounded, Shoyo was more than prepared. His arms were open and ready to catch the little girl who was beyond excited to see him. Without hesitation, his hands slid under her arms and lifted her off from the floor to twirl her around in his arms, greeting her with a booming ‘Heya, Natsu!’

That day, Kageyama was gone as soon as he came. He picked up some homework and apologised for intruding. Nothing much. He wasn't even sure Natsu had even seen him.

But- then came the second time.

This time he was more prepared. The usual interaction had occurred–the pick up, the spin, and the booming hello. But this time, a pair of curious brown eyes met with his.

With Shoyo's back still turned, Natsu facing Kageyama, she cocked her head.

“Sho’, who's that?” She questioned, eyes as big as marbles.

Hinata turned his eyes to meet with Kageyama.

And he hesitated.

“He's-” He stopped himself, his grip on his sister tightening for no specific reason.

“He's a friend.”

A friend.

Huh.

That was what first came to mind when Hinata first echoed those words.

A friend.

Ironic, considering most people would assume they hated each other.

…But then again, a lot of people would also assume the opposite.

Hinata was always borrowing clothes and homework, to the point where most would assume the two of them spent the night at each other's home. Funny, because most nights Tobio didn't like spending the night at his own home.

It was just too empty at the Kageyama's home. His parents worked late often, leaving food in the fridge alongside a half-assed note he'd seen a thousand times before. They couldn't even be bothered to send a text most days.

All in all, it was depressing. It was empty. And it certainly wasn't anything like the Hinata's household, which he'd come to love so much.

Maybe that was why he found himself camping out in Hinata's bedroom and home so often.

The third day is when stuff started becoming familiar. When Kageyama didn't need to prepare himself because his senses were already sharpened. When he's finally knocked some sense into himself to bring something– like cake.

Kids like cake, don't they? But Hinata's more of a savory person, so maybe I should-

…Since when did he start thinking about what Hinata wants?

Those were the type of things that would flood his mind, every time without fail.

Hinata would open the door and Natsu would come flying inside. Just as the scripts would say. But, now, Natsu wasn't only just talking Hinata's ear off.

It was Tobio's, too. And not in a good way.

Natsu ran up to her big brother, pressing her face into the crook in his neck. When she looked up and met eyes with Tobio, she-

Well, she frowned. Like, actually frowned.

“Why are you here again?” She grimaced.

Tobio was taken aback, but Shoyo even more so. After a beat, he broke out into chuckles, ruffling Natsu's hair.

“Natsu! You can't just say that, it's mean.” He laughed, bouncing her.

“But it's true. Why is he always here, Sho’?”

Tobio grimaced, not wanting to think about his own home.

Shoyo's mom came out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. “That's not your place to ask, Natsu,” she looked up and smiled at Tobio. “it's nice to see you again, Kageyama.”

Tobio smiled, bowing slightly. “Thank you for having me.”

Shoyo settled Natsu on the floor, reaching for Tobio's arm to drag him upstairs. “Come on! I wanna show you the new game I got for my DS! Pokémon XY just came out–guess which version I bought!”

Tobio stuttered. “Uh- hold on a minute-”

Shoyo's mom stopped them in their tracks, pointing at the cake box in Tobio's hands. “Oh! Is that for us?”

Tobio paused, not meeting her eyes. “Yeah, it's- um, vanilla, if that's alright.”

“Of course it is! Thank you, you're too kind.” She took the box out of Tobio's hands, pressing a kiss to the crown of his head.

Tobio yelped and Shoyo's mom laughed as Shoyo dragged him away towards the stairs. “Mom! You can't just do that to people.” He whined, a blush spreading on his face.

She waved her hands. “Sorry, sorry. You two go upstairs, okay?”

Shoyo only nodded, rushing to pull Tobio into his room. The last glimpse he saw of the ground floor was the face of a very unimpressed seven year old, glaring at him from below.

When the door to Shoyo's room finally slid shut, he expressed his concerns of Natsu's growingly agitated feelings towards his presence.

Shoyo paused, glancing to the side before waving off his concerns, certain Natsu would warm up to him eventually.

She in fact did not warm up to him eventually.

As their relationship progressed, so did Natsu's and Tobio's bickering. Tobio started coming over more often, much to Shoyo's mom's happiness, but to Natsu's dismay. Tobio started staying overnight more often too, keeping his clothes and stuff in a little separate drawer in Shoyo's night stand.

Of course, when Shoyo's mom found out there was no need for a futon in Shoyo's room since she caught them sleeping in the same bed with their limbs intertwined, it simply meant the door stayed open from then on.

Natsu couldn't care less about that. Only that her brother and her worst enemy were getting closer, and she hated every moment of it.

Tobio soon became less treated like a guest and more treated like an actual member of the family. Whether that was a good thing or not was questionable. It meant doing dishes alongside his mom and getting reprimanded with Shoyo when they got up to stupid mischief.

It only registered to Tobio that this was probably how it'd be now when Shoyo's mom was genuinely disappointed he wasn't coming over for the fourth time in a row that week. And also when he caught himself sweeping as Shoyo complained about the amount of dishes in the sink. And also probably when Shoyo's mom openly reprimanded Natsu for leaving her messes around the house around him, and then started reprimanding Tobio himself for not helping her clean up.

It became routine. A comfortable, homey routine.

Especially when the Tobio vs Natsu arguments started escalating.

Tobio had no clue how he found himself losing an argument against a seven year old at dinner on a chilly winter night, tucked under the kotatsu, with chopsticks in his hand.

As Shoyo held back his snickering, it really felt like Tobio was arguing with a mini version of his boyfriend. He made sure to keep his tone down and to keep his hands to himself, obviously, it was still a seven year old after all. But just about everything else was a free game.

“You look like you have an orange cloud on your head! Insulting me while looking like that is a hate crime.” Tobio pointed his chopsticks at her.

“Your hair is too flat for you to be talking. You look stupid!” She grumbled, reaching for his hair before being stopped by her mother.

“Both of you settle down!” She shouted, her voice rising higher and more aggressively than Tobio had even heard. “Apologise. Now.”

Both children lowered their heads, grumbling out half-assed apologies to each other while staring at their food.

Shoyo, on the other hand, absolutely lost it. His hand flew off his mouth, leaning back and laughing like a maniac while gasping for air. His back hit the floor soon after, his cheating abruptly rising and falling.

Tobio saw red. “Hey! What's so funny?” He half shouted.

Shoyo continued to laugh. “You two are so stupid! Idiots! You're tweedledee and tweedledum reincarnated!” He wheezed.

Tobio shook in his seat, steam practically shooting out of his ears as Natsu sulked into her food. Shoyo's mom could only sigh at the scene in front of her, a small smile wiggling its way onto her face.

Her home had become much more lively since Tobio had started coming around.

That night, Tobio had stayed the night, just as he normally did. The next morning, when he and Shoyo were about to leave the house, words were spoken that still echoed in his mind.

“See you later!” Shoyo announced, hugging his mom and pressing a kiss to Natsu's forehead before shooting out the door, expecting Tobio to follow.

Tobio bowed his head. “Thank you for having me,” he nodded to Natsu who blew a raspberry to him before turning away. He rolled his eyes, about to step out the door before a female voice stopped him.

“Wait a second, Tobio.”

Tobio turned around, seeing her lean against the door.

“It's see you later, okay? You aren't a guest anymore, you know.” She sighed, but without malice. “Sometimes it feels like you live here!” She laughed.

Tobio didn't know what to say until she approached him, a hand threading through his hair. “Go on then, say it back.” The hand dropped to his shoulders.

He glanced to the side. “See you later.” He blushed.

She patted his shoulder. “There we go. Be safe at practice, okay?”

Tobio could only nod as the blush spread, creeping down his neck.

See you later.

It wasn't even a false statement, because considering the odds, there was a sixty percent chance that he really would see her later that day

From there, it was smooth sailing. Although Sho's mom had said he wasn't a guest anymore, it hadn't really felt like that until that moment. For a second, Tobio could almost mistake her for his mom–but a less stern and monotone version.

However, the ongoing arguments between Tobio and Natsu didn't finish until much later. Whenever Tobio would find himself huddled in Shoyo's bed alongside him, face into the crook of his neck, Natsu would storm in, demanding attention.

Tobio was starting to disbelieve the statement of Natsu being made of gold and that she was a cute kid. If she really did have the intuition of a psychic, she should be able to recognise that Tobio had no other intention of loving her brother to the end of times. And maybe also shouting at him during practice, but that was besides the point.

His thoughts and childish arguments were put to rest, though, when he overheard a conversation between Shoyo and Natsu.

Tobio was on the search for his boyfriend in his labyrinth of a house, since it was his day to do the dishes he was kept behind by Shoyo's mom.

Sho's voice echoed throughout the corridors, and just before Tobio could slide open the door, a new sound made itself known.

The sobs of a little girl.

When he peered in, heart thumping in his chest, he saw Shoyo on his knees against the bamboo tiles, stroking Natsu's arms in a poor attempt of comfort.

But Natsu's sobs wouldn't stop. Before he could further enter the room, Natsu spoke up.

“He's taking you away from me!” She managed to say through broken sobs, wiping at her nose with the back of her hand.

Shoyo's hand reached up to cup her cheek, speaking so gently that Tobio was sure he'd never heard it before.

“No, no he isn't. I wouldn't do that to you Natsu, I swear on the sun's life.”

“You spend more time with him than you do with me!” She complained. “It's not fair!”

She hiccuped, before quietly adding, “I don't want to lose you.”

Shoyo brought both of his hands up to cup her cheeks. “And you won't. But, Natsu…”

She looked up to face him.

“Tobio makes me happy. And I know he doesn't really make you happy, so I won't force you two to like each other. Although, I'm pretty sure he does want you to like him. That cake he always brings is for you, you know?”

She glanced to the side, her face flushed. “Well, I don't even like vanilla that much.” She grumbled. “Strawberries are better. With the little strawberry chunks inside the layers.”

Tobio tucked that information for later.

Shoyo giggled. “I know, strawberry shortcake is really good. It's the one cake flavour I can stand.”

Natsu laughed. “I know. That's why it's my favourite.”

Shoyo giggled, but his smile soon turned solemn. “Natsu, can you do me a favour?’

She hummed in acknowledgement.

Shoyo took a deep breath. “I know you don't want to lose me, but-” he looked her in the eyes. “Do you think you could at least share me? With Tobio?”

Natsu was frowning again, and Tobio held his breath. Or rather, he let go of it. He didn't know when he started holding his breath.

“I guess so. But he can't have all of you. Sharing is caring.”

Shoyo laughed at that, standing up and heaving Natsu up with him. “I can accept that.”

Shoyo's soft voice was the last thing that Tobio heard before making a run for it to Sho's room, attempting to silence his thudding footsteps.

He plummeted onto his bed.

Of course Natsu felt that way. He was such an idiot for not realising it sooner.

Natsu didn't have a problem with him until he started taking up so much of Shoyo's time. She was upset that Tobio was stealing him from her, even though Sho’ was still spending so much time with her.

He felt sorry for Natsu, all the mean comments that he wished he could take back flooded into his mind. What a child he was! Arguing with a seven year old because she missed her brother.

He ran a hand down his face.

Before then, having Natsu like him wasn't exactly on his mind. If anything, he avoided the topic at all costs. But now? It was like his number one mission had officially come into light.

Get Natsu to like him.

The next morning, there was an obvious shift in the air. Natsu had no nasty comment to throw his way, and Tobio had long since abandoned his vocabulary of insults for the child.

He took a deep breath, like he was preparing himself for war.

“Good morning, Natsu.” He said, attempting to sound as laid back as possible. But Shoyo threw him a suspicious glance, glaring at him.

Natsu met his eyes for just a second before huffing and turning away, but not before mumbling out a strained, “Good morning.”

He internally cheered.

Later that morning, when Tobio and Shoyo had said their see you later's to Sho's mom, returned with a complimentary kiss to the crown of their heads, Tobio gave the kindest smile he could muster to Natsu, who lingered in the back.

“Bye-bye, Natsu.” He waved, attempting not to sound strange.

Natsu glanced around. “Bye, weirdo.” She added under her breath, turning around and heading towards her bedroom.

Shoyo's mom smiled at him before waving for one last time and heading towards the living room.

Well- that was kind of a win. If one ignored the insult at the end, which Tobio did.

Whenever he was over at the Hinata's, that was how it went. Instead of bringing over vanilla sweets, he brung strawberries, and started with the shortcake, of course. He could see the beaming look on Natsu's eyes, although she refused to meet his.

He hoped with time, her attitude would let up. But it was more like one step forward and two steps back with Natsu. On the few occasions he could get her to not insult him, it was usually followed by her getting angry at something he did, whether he actually did it or not. He could've been secretly communicating with Santa for all he knew.

One fateful day, which just happened to be a day where he wasn't sleeping over at Sho's, Shoyo didn't show up to practice. Not even for the first or second period.

It wasn't until break time where he finally caught sight of him, running through the corridors and making a tight turn to crash into him.

It was empty, considering the nice weather outside. Tobio laid on the floor with his boyfriend's weight crushing him.

He groaned, attempting to push Shoyo off and push himself into a sitting position. “Good morning to you too, Shoyo.” He said sarcastically.

Shoyo's head whipped up off Tobio's chest. “Tobio! Just the man I wanted to see.” Shoyo pressed a quick peck to the other's cheek before pulling them both up, not allowing him to get in a word.

Tobio dusted himself off while he allowed Shoyo to ramble on. “So! I'm late to school. Did you tell the others? Of course you did, I didn't show up. Anyways, since I'm late, I've got after school detention, which also means I won't be at practice so-”

“Why were you late today anyways, Shoyo?” He questioned, interrupting the shorter boy.

Shoyo paused before laughing. “Oh- the electricity went out, so no one in my house woke up on time to the alarms. Including mom! Can you believe it? She's gotta work late today now.”

“That sucks. So I'm guessing you're also missing afternoon practice?” He frowned.

An expression of sympathy was cast across Shoyo's face as he clasped his hands together for forgiveness. “I'm sorry! If you're feeling up to it, we can meet at my house today and head to old coach Ukai's court today to practice our quick attack. He said he doesn't mind!”

Tobio for some reason doubted that. “Sure, I don't mind. I'll leave practice and wait for you at his court then, okay?” He dusted off Shoyo's shoulders and chest.

That was just as interesting as the interaction was going to get. But, for some reason, it stayed in Tobio's mind for the entire day. He just couldn't figure it out.

Not until practice ended.

He had told the team about Shoyo's detention, alerting them of his stupidity. But, just as he was walking out of the sports hall, a bell struck his mind.

Who the hell is picking up Natsu?

If Shoyo was going to be stuck in school for a while, and Shoyo's mom was working late, there was no one left available to pick up the young elementary school girl.

Tobio whipped out his phone fast, up his and Sho's texts.

From: You

Who's picking up Natsu today?

The response came a beat later, even though Shoyo was still stuck in detention.

From: Sho <3

you, dumbass. did I not tell you? please dont tell me ur still at practice…

Tobio broke out into a sprint.

He very briefly remembered Natsu's class and school, all that was left was to get there.

…An hour late.

But would they let him collect? Would they ask for ID? He didn't have any ID on him today. Would Natsu be left alone until Shoyo's mom came instead? She'd be furious at him-

By the time his feet had stopped thudding on the floor and the only thing thudding was his heart on his chest, he saw a lady standing outside the elementary school gates, holding a crying Natsu's hand in her own.

Tobio hadn't expected much from the young girl, except a shout and probably more crying. He was mentally preparing himself to be berated by a seven year old for the thousandth time that month.

He huffed, leaning down against his knees, wheezing. “I'm- I'm here-” he coughed. “I'm sorry, I'm here for Natsu, I-”

“Tobio!” A familiar high pitched voice called out, crashing into him and pulling him into a tight hug.

He wasn't panting from exhaustion anymore, only shock.

He hesitantly hugged her back. “Hi, Natsu. Sorry-” He huffed. “I'm late.”

She looked up at him with big glassy eyes. “Did you run?” She asked quietly.

Before Tobio had any way to confirm her question, the lady approached him. “Tobio Kageyama, correct?”

Tobio nodded, pulling out his school ID to hope to prove something. School ID's count as ID's, right?

The lady took it out of his hands, nodding in affirmation. “Hinata's mom told us you'd be coming to collect today.” She glared at him. “I just didn't know it'd be so late.”

Tobio grimaced. It seemed like everyone was aware of his collection of Natsu except him.

“Um- yes, sorry. I wasn't aware until this afternoon.”

The lady stared at him for a few long seconds before sighing. She handed back his school ID to him. “Take her and go. You're on the approved collection list, don't be late again.” She waved goodbye to Natsu.

Seemed like this would become more frequent than he thought.

The lady walked away, closing the school gates behind her, which made Tobio feel even worse. He glanced down to Natsu, who had timidly grabbed hold of his hand.

Tobio didn't say anything, just pulled her along for the walk to the bus stop.

“I'm sorry for being so late. Sho’ only just told me I was meant to be picking you up. Asshole.” He mumbled under his breath.

Quickly, he pulled out his phone to send him a quick message

From: You

Just for the record, you didn't tell me jack shit. Asshole. Don't pull that shit again.

Moments later, he got a reply.

From: Sho <3

soz :P

He scowled, snapping his phone shut.

He turned back to Natsu, who stared up at him. Tobio braced himself, expecting a nasty reply.

But Natsu only looked away, her focus shifting to the upcoming bus stop. “S’ fine. Um-” She looked away. “Thanks for coming.”

Tobio's eyes wanted to shine, but he didn't let them. Stay calm, cool and collected.

Tobio faced forward. “No problem. However, if you are mad, give Shoyo a slap on the neck for making me run so abruptly.”

Natsu laughed at that, nodding enthusiastically.

Later that day, once Shoyo had gotten out of detention and was waiting at home for Tobio, he locked eyes with the two figures approaching as he was hunched sitting down on the door step.

Holding hands. Laughing.

Tobio Kageyama and Natsu Hinata were laughing. While holding hands.

He thought he was dreaming.

Once Natsu caught sight of her brother waiting, she ran forward, letting go of Tobio's hand and jumping into her big brother's arms.

“Sho’!” She shouted, happier than he had ever heard her these past few months.

“Natsu!” Shoyo replied, matching her energy as he shot up to pull her into his arms.

As Natsu shoved her face into her brother's neck, Shoyo paid no attention to her as he mouthed words at Tobio at rapid speed, joy spreading on his face through boisterous expressions.

Tobio couldn't catch any of the words, he could only smile as Natsu turned to face him again.

“Tobio came to get me today! He ran!”

Shoyo beamed. “I know! I've told you, you can always rely on Tobio when you really need him to.”

Tobio smiled harder, but was taken aback when Natsu delivered a hard smack to the back of Shoyo's head.

He set her down and rubbed his neck. “What the hell was that for?”

She huffed, her mood taking a three-sixty. “For making him late! You never told him he needed to pick me up.”

Shoyo grimaced, but Tobio nodded through poorly hidden snickers. “Yeah, you tell him Natsu.”

Shoyo turned red. “You're seven! What activities do you have that you can't be late for?”

Natsu huffed before storming inside, but not before peaking her head out. “And Tobio said I can come with you guys to practice volleyball today.” She said, leaving no room for arguments and stormed inside.

Shoyo paused before turning to Tobio.

He jumped up at him, slapping his chest. “And you're my boyfriend! You're meant to be on my side!”

Tobio snickered evilly, catching Shoyo's swinging hands by his wrists, trying to shuffle him away. “Seems like you're not the favourite Hinata anymore, Sho.”

That only made Shoyo even angrier. He pushed himself up on his tip toes, using Tobio holding him steady as an advantage, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. But not before using his teeth to bite him.

Tobio yelped, falling backwards and pulling Shoyo down with him. “Asshole, you bit me!”

When Tobio finally regained his wobbly vision to see Shoyo, he was laughing.

Before Tobio could question him, he spoke.

“I'm so happy you and Natsu are getting along.” He said through giggles, but eventually calmed down.

Tobio pushed himself off the pavement of the Hinata's garden so that Shoyo was straddling him, allowing him to talk. Shoyo smiled earnestly. “I mean, you and Natsu arguing was pretty funny, but I would have much preferred it if you two could talk like normal people. For a while, I thought you'd never come around.” He smiled sadly.

Tobio's heart swelled, unable to tell if it was good or bad. He turned away so he wasn't looking Shoyo directly in the eyes. “Well, maybe you forgetting to tell me–it wasn't the worst thing in the world.” He glanced back for a second, stealing a kiss on Shoyo's lips. “But I'm still upset you made me run that far. Sprinting.”

Shoyo looked dazed before breaking out into another fit of giggles, pushing himself off Tobio's lap and extending his hands out to pull him up with him. “At least it wasn't too far. I could've made you run much faster, you know?”

Tobio groaned, but without bite, allowing himself to be pulled up. “Believe me, I know. But do that again and I'll make sure Natsu delivers an even harder slap.”

Shoyo paused in his walk. “Wait–you told her to do that?”

Before Tobio could conjure up a witty reply, Shoyo's mom called out to them. “Get inside, you two! Get changed and head to the courts before it's too late!”

That was just about how much Tobio could remember about the whole ‘getting Natsu to like him’ ordeal, before sleep eventually took over his mind and he fell asleep to the buzzing sounds of the engine on the bus.

It was a nice memory, one that made him feel similar to when he made a perfect set in volleyball, and one that he treasures. Since then, he and Natsu grew much closer, and Tobio knew the deal had hardened when one day, Natsu had jumped into his arms instead of Sho's.

Shoyo wasn't angry, either. In fact, he was ecstatic when he realised Natsu practically had two big brothers instead of one now.

Speaking of Shoyo…

A hand kept nudging his shoulder, over and over again until Tobio stirred.

“Wake up, Tobio.” A finger poked his cheek.

Tobio grimaced, pushing his hand away. “I'm awake…” He grumbled.

Shoyo stood up, stretching in his seat. “Good! Because we're the last ones.”

Tobio glanced around, realising no one else was on the bus. “Oh. I guess we should go, then.”

But his mind was on anything but leaving. As Shoyo continued to stretch, rolling his shoulders, Tobio pulled him back down, cupping his cheeks to pull him into a strong kiss.

Shoyo yelped at first, but once he realised Tobio's intentions, he leaned into the kiss.

He stared into Tobio's eyes once they pulled apart. “You did good today. Really good.” Shoyo quietly added, his hand on Tobio's knee.

Tobio waited a beat before answering, a smile on his face. “I know,” He grinned.

Shoyo giggled at his reply, hopping over his lap and grabbing his hand to pull him up. Tobio quickly grabbed their bags before Shoyo dragged him off the bus.

Once they made their final step, hands still interlinked, Tsukishima rolled his eyes.

“Last to get on and last to get off, I see.” He groaned, accompanied by a snicker from Yamaguchi.

“Don't be like that Tsuki, I don't think they've realised the windows aren't tinted.” He added.

With a groan from Daichi, a warm smile from Sugawara, and an even louder groan from coach Ukai, they all piled into the gym for Karasuno's team meeting.

Thankfully, the meeting didn't drag on considering they won by two out of three sets. However, coach Ukai was insistent that there was still room for development and pointed out a few common errors within the match.

Shoyo was only half paying attention, always on the verge of nodding off to sleep right before being given a pinch on the forearm by Suga. Kageyama would like to say he was different, but the amount of kicks he received from Daichi were one too many.

Finally, when the meeting had ended and Daichi had treated everyone to some onigiri from coach Ukai's convenience store, Tobio found himself holding Shoyo's bike and walking while Sho’ rummaged for something in his bag.

Shoyo was vexed. “Where is it?” He groaned.

Tobio didn't reply, only continuing to push Shoyo's bike without complaint.

“Maybe you left it at home.” He offered.

Shoyo groaned. “No way! I know I brought it with me. If I left it at home, Natsu would've sniffed it out immediately.”

The ‘it’ in question they were talking about was a cute bunch of bows, all for Natsu's upcoming birthday. Of course, it wasn't the only gift she'd be given, but one of the first since this brand tended to run out of stock relatively fast.

Natsu was a cute kid, but a sneaky one. She had a habit of snooping around, and considering she left after Shoyo and returned home before him, it left her a lot of time to get up to some shenanigans. There was a high chance of her finding the gift out early, and that would ruin the surprise.

Shoyo groaned when he still couldn't find it. “That little devil… she better not have been snooping around in my room again.”

Tobio smirked, continuing with pushing the bike. “What happened to her being made of absolute gold? Or her being your tiny shadow?”

“She is made of gold. It's just gold that was blessed by the devil instead of God.”

Tobio hacked out a raggedy laugh as Shoyo finally pulled out the pack with a cheer, shoving them in his boyfriend's face to show him with enthusiasm. Or maybe he just wanted to put off holding his bike again. Who knows.

Tobio scanned the hair pieces. There were five bows in total, all varying in patterns and pastel colours

“Those are cute. I'm sure she'll like them.” Tobio stated as a matter of fact.

Shoyo beamed. “I know! I'm so lucky I found them while they were still in stock,” he fixed a wonky bow, refusing to let it get crinkled. “if i had left them at home, Natsu would've for sure gotten into them.”

Tobio only nodded, halfly because Shoyo was entirely correct, and halfly because he accepted he was going to be the one pushing Shoyo's bike back to his house.

However, once they arrived and Tobio safely settled Shoyo's bike in the front garden, a weird sensation trickled down Tobio's spine. Not a physical one, but- a mental one? He wasn't quite sure how to explain the odd feeling that suddenly overcame him.

That feeling only worsened when Shoyo knocked on the door and nothing could be heard on the other side. Tobio fully expected at least one of the two people currently at home to greet the two boys as they normally did.

But- no one came.

When Shoyo knocked on the door, twisted his key in and pushed the door open, no stomping of little feet could be heard. Not even the sound of slippers hitting the floor could be heard, even though Shoyo's mom would always come to greet them.

It was silent.

Shoyo was the first to speak up. He briefly locked eyes with Tobio, sharing the same trickling down his spine before stepping through the door, confused but not hesitant. “Mom? Natsu?” He called out, toeing off his shoes in the meanwhile.

Tobio did the same, scanning his surroundings. A few toys were scattered across the floor, as they normally were, but that was about it.

“Natsu?” Tobio tried, but to no avail.

The sound of a door opening and closing again rang in the air, followed by a female voice. “Keep it down, boys.” Footsteps became louder as Sho's mom came down the stairs.

He dropped his bag to the floor. “Where's Natsu, mom?”

She sighed, wiping sweat off her forehead. “She's sick. It's not bad, but certainly not fine! She was fine when we saw you two off to the bus, but when we got home, she was so tired and sluggish.”

Tobio frowned. “Can we go see her?”

“Do what you'd like. I think she'd like some company from her brothers.”

Shoyo's mom looked exhausted. Not much could've happened within the last few hours or so- there was just no way.

Shoyo was already half way up the stairs, tugging Tobio's hand with him. Tobio made no objection as he was pulled forward–he was probably just as desperate as the ginger beside him.

They quickly made a turn to Natsu's room, knocking out of courtesy.

“Natsu? It's us, Sho and Tobio, can we come in?”

A muffled groan came from the other side of the door, and Shoyo took it as a sign to enter.

The room had the curtains pulled shut, and toys had been gathered into a box, presumably done by Shoyo's mom. In the center of the room lay a futon with Natsu tightly wrapped up in the covers.

Shoyo silently beckoned Tobio in, closing the door behind him. He frowned, but didn't overreact. He slowly approached and pressed his hand to the girl's forehead, and frowned further.

Shoyo sat on the futon beside Natsu. “You've got a fever,” he whispered gently. “How did your temperature rise so fast?”

Tobio quickly settled on the floor by Natsu's head, sitting cross legged. He ran his long fingers through her hair, his hand turning warm as he caught stray knots.

“She was just fine after few hours ago,” he mumbled, watching Natsu closely. “do you think she caught it during the match?”

Shoyo hummed, absentmindedly reaching out to grab Tobio's empty hand. “She was sneezing when we met her outside. She had a runny nose, too. Maybe she already had it and is only just now facing the symptoms.”

Natsu whined at the increase of volume and Shoyo snapped his mouth shut. The young girl leaned into Tobio's hand that was running through her hair.

“Poor girl. I forget how easily children can get sick.”

Shoyo nodded. “Especially with Natsu. She's always had a crap immune system.”

Tobio flicked the hand he was holding. “Don't curse in front of her.”

Shoyo smiled. “I don't think she's conscious enough to register it.”

Almost like she knew they were talking about her, Natsu giggled under the covers she was buried under, shifting and turning uncomfortably. She peaked her eyes open.

“Shoyo?” She mumbled.

Shoyo lightly pinched her cheek. “Hi, Natsu. How's you get sick?”

Natsu ignored the question. “Where's Tobio?”

He leaned into her vision. “I'm here.”

Natsu stared at him for a few long moments, before groaning at both boys, telling them, “Go away.”

Shoyo giggled. “Typical Natsu,” he turned to Tobio, “she might like you now, but you haven't seen her when she's in a mood.”

Tobio pulled away from Natsu and pulled Shoyo up to stand by his hand, leading him to the door with their fingers interlinked. “Up until a few weeks ago she hated my guts. I'm pretty sure I know what her moods look like.”

Before closing the door, Shoyo peeked his head in one last time. “We'll come check on you later, okay?”

Natsu only replied with a muffled groan as the door clicked shut.

On the other side, Tobio and Shoyo made their way to Shoyo's room, their hands still interlinked.

Shoyo sighed. “You know, I'm not surprised she's sick. She's always had a scrappy immune system.”

Tobio's eyebrows shot up. He had always assumed she must be pretty healthy, considering Shoyo was extremely healthy and very rarely got sick.

“Really? I would've assumed otherwise, considering you're completely different.” He pushed open the door to Shoyo's room.

Shoyo began stripping his clothing down to his boxers without much hesitation, being familiar with his new found routine. He pulled out a pair of shorts and a grey hoodie he found that he was pretty sure belonged to Tobio and threw them on.

Tobio did the same, opening his designated drawer in Shoyo's room and pulling out the first pair of sweats and shirt he saw, pulling them on as he felt his bones drag.

Shoyo flopped onto his bed. “Yeah, but Natsu's always been different compared to me outside of appearances. We're both pretty small for our age, but at least I have the athleticism to back it up.”

Tobio only hummed, laying down next to Shoyo and wrapping his arms around him. “Is this a frequent thing?”

They turned onto their sides. “Not too much. More like she gets, at the very least, a light cold every month or so.”

He hummed again, pressing his cheek into Shoyo's shoulder blades. “That must suck.”

Shoyo slowly blinked, humming in response. “Yeah.” He reached for his DS on his night stand, eager for something to do.

Once he powered it on, Tobio peaked out from where his face was nudged in-between Shoyo's back. “How about you show me your progress on the new Pokémon game you bought?”

Shoyo's eyes lit up. “Oh, right! I never did show you my progress past the first session.” He opened his save file. “You'll never guess what my team is. I even named my starter after you.”

Tobio raised his eyebrow. “Which starter did you pick again?”

Shoyo glanced to the side. “Froakie- but! The final evolution is so cool! He's blue, like your eyes.” He chuckled, turning his head so their noses were touching.

Tobio frowned. “Why'd you name me after a frog?”

“Because it was the closest animal to a fish, silly.”

When Shoyo woke up, he only found the absence of Tobio's body heat against his back.

He slowly pushed himself up, rubbing at his eyes and scanned the room. Well, he could still smell Tobio, but that was because he was pretty sure the hoodie he had on did not belong to him.

He pushed himself up, his warm feet hitting the cold floor, and slid open his bedroom door. He very briefly scanned his surroundings in the corridor before peeking into rooms.

Eventually, Shoyo gave up on his search and beelined to his mom's room.

He knocked before cracking the door open, peaking his head in. “Mom, have you seen Tobio?”

She settled her book down into his lap. “Not in your room?”

He shook his head. “Dunno. I think we both fell asleep, and when I woke up, he was gone.”

Shoyo's mom hummed for a long moment, before picking up her book and continuing reading with a light smile. “Try Natsu's room,” she said thoughtfully. “He might be in there.”

Shoyo eyed her for a short moment. “Why would he be with Natsu?”

She shrugged, still smiling. “Who knows.”

With that, Shoyo exited the room and closed the door behind him, his footsteps becoming increasingly lighter as he approached his little sister's room.

When he pushed the door open, he was quickly shushed.

There sat Tobio, on Natsu's futon with his back pressed against the wall.

With the young girl fast asleep on his lap.

Shoyo exited immediately, practically skipping to his room to get his phone. When he returned, he was being glared at by Tobio.

“Don't you dare.” He whispered intimidatingly, although it didn't have much effect since he was cradling a little girl in his arms.

Shoyo snickered. “Shut up and don't move.”

“Shoyo I swear to God-”

Shoyo snapped a picture and opened it immediately. Tobio sat in the middle of it, frowning immensely but making no attempt to defend himself in fear of the young girl waking up. In his arms, sat in the gap of his lap, was Natsu; fast asleep, perfectly content, and grabbing onto his shirt.

Shoyo slapped a hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh. “Oh my God, I'm setting this to my background.”

Tobio growled, but still made no attempt to swipe at Shoyo as he came to sit right beside him, resting his head on the taller boy's shoulder.

“So, how'd you end up here?” Shoyo whispered, pulling his knees close to his chest and leaned against Tobio.

Tobio attempted to shrug lightly. “I woke up and heard crying from Natsu's room, so I went to comfort her. I was holding her, but sat down because I got tired, and well-” he glanced down. “She fell asleep. And I haven't been able to move.”

Shoyo snickered, gently running his fingers through Natsu's pretty ginger hair. “That makes sense.”

They sat in silence for a few long moments. Not awkward, but content. It was frighteningly docile.

“You know,” Shoyo began. “You'd make a good father.”

Tobio flinched, blushing. “Where's this coming from?”

Shoyo shrugged, continuing to slowly pet Natsu. “Dunno. It's just that- I once thought you and Natsu would never get along. And although it was funny, it was also…” He trailed off, trying to find the words.

“Disheartening.” He whispered, tucking his chin into the hood of Tobio's hoodie.

Tobio hummed, and Shoyo got the feeling he was catching on. The two had argued so much when they had first met, Shoyo was convinced the two of them getting along was near impossible.

“But now, you treat her like she's your own sister. It's nice–knowing that if I'm not around, she'll have someone to lean onto. Like, what if, when she's older, she's at a party or something that she doesn't want to be at? She can call you! Because she trusts you like she trusts me.”

Tobio listened intently, allowing him to continue. “I don't think you realise that you're like a second brother to her. To her, you're basically already family.” He lowered his tone.

Tobio hummed, continuing with rubbing Natsu's back instead of replying instantly.

“I don't know, I don't-” He sighed. “I don’t think I can compare my bond with her to her bond with you. She tells you she loves you, and she's aware I'm just her brother's boyfriend.”

Shoyo had one too many things to say about that, all of which wouldn't be appropriate to say in front of a seven year old. So, he stayed quiet, pressed up against Tobio's side and ran his fingers through soft locks of hair.

“I don't know about that. You aren't just my boyfriend.”

Tobio glanced in his direction.

“You're also my best friend, my best setter, my study partner, the weirdo I hang out with at lunch…” Tobio scoffed at that last part.

Shoyo closed his eyes. “The point is, you're a relevant person in my life. Someone who's had an impact on not only my personality, but Natsu's, too.” He nuzzled his cheek into Tobio's shoulder, not allowing the darkness and sleep to take him just yet. “I'm sure Natsu realises that too. Kids pick up on a lot more things than you realise, you know?”

Shoyo wasn't too sure on what Tobio said after that, he was too dazed to process any words spoken. But, one thing he was certain that he heard was a soft and gentle, “Yeah, I know.”

The next morning, Shoyo did not wake up in the same position that he left himself in. He, Tobio and Natsu were all huddled up in the girls futon, legs interlinked and all touching in some way. Natsu was wedged in between the two boys, surrounded by the most warmth.

Shoyo shook Tobio awake and begrudgingly pulled him out of the bed, careful not to wake Natsu up. While getting ready for school in comfortable silence, Tobio spoke up.

“Do you really think I'd be a good parent?”

Shoyo laughed, light and carefree.

“Absolutely.”

They made their way down for breakfast, careful and light on the stairs, just to see Natsu half asleep at the table, almost completely unaware of her surroundings as blankets surrounded her.

Shoyo waved. “Good morning, Natsu.” He made sure to be quiet enough.

Tobio approached her first, gently ruffling her hair. “Do you feel better?” He said as a greeting.

Natsu shrugged. “A little bit.” She grumbled.

All throughout breakfast, Shoyo gave nervous glances to the younger one, sneaking bits of food onto her plate in hopes she'd eat more. Tobio, on the other hand, handled it much more subtly.

“Did you know eating omurice helps days go faster? Say, Natsu, isn't your birthday coming up soon?”

Natsu's head shot up, nodding enthusiastically.

Tobio shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe eating will make it come faster… Who knows.” He turned back to his plate without another word.

Natsu started to eat almost instantly, her pace of eating becoming quicker the more she ate.

Shoyo, on the other hand, had to put his head on the table to stop himself from breaking out into a fit of laughter.

Once they finished breakfast, the two moved to put on their shoes at the front door, sitting beside each other. While Natsu was too busy arguing with her mom about taking her medication, Shoyo leaned into Tobio's ear, snickering as Tobio bent down so Shoyo could get a better reach.

“Omurice helps days go faster, huh?” He snickered. “Where the hell did that come from?”

Tobio smiled. “My sister would say crap like that all the time when I wouldn't eat, but something fun was coming up. Worked every time.”

Shoyo continued laughing all the way from them putting their shoes on to the moment they were about to walk through the door. He turned to Natsu, who waited patiently behind them for her routine goodbye.

Shoyo crouched down, cupping Natsu's cheeks and pressed a long kiss to her forehead. Not the long, annoying ones that she hated ever so much, but the soft ones that she basked in.

“Bye-bye Natsu. Have a good day, okay?” He pulled away, pressing his forehead to hers.

“Bye, Sho.” Natsu said through a stuffy nose. “I love you.”

Shoyo giggled. “And I love you more!” He ruffled her hair, pulling away and standing up before heading to the door. “See you later!” He said, referring to both Natsu and his mom.

Shoyo's mom waved goodbye. “See you later, Sho.”

Natsu turned to Tobio, who subconsciously awaited his turn. “Bye-bye, Tobio,”

And just before Tobio could reply, Natsu added something that he never thought he'd hear.

“I love you lots!”

Tobio froze, blushing. Shoyo and his mom giggled in the hallway. Shoyo came back up from behind him, slapping a hand on his back. “Go on then, Tobio. Say it back!” He teased.

Tobio blushed, crouching down to ruffle Natsu's hair as she giggled. “Bye, Natsu. I-” He stuttered. “I love you, too.”

Natsu gigged as she pulled him into a tight hug. Shoyo's mom started to giggle from behind them.

“What, no I love you for me, too?” When Tobio only blushed more, her giggles soon turned into full blown laughter. “I’m just teasing! Gosh, you boys are so easy.” She shook her head, turning away with a small wave.

“See you later, Tobio. Keep yourself and Sho’ safe at practice, okay?”

Natsu ran off to follow her, giggling as she waved goodbye. “R-right. See you guys later, then.” He blushed, turning around and taking Shoyo's hand to drag him out the door as Shoyo laughed in return, the door slamming shut behind them.

And Shoyo's mom only giggled at the scene her three children had caused in front of her, thinking back to the picture of them all huddled up asleep in Natsu's room.