Dancing With Fire | h.harem

:11:

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"Are you... really going to do it?" Malia asked, biting her bottom lip as anticipation ate at her. Shouyou only pursed his lips in response, twirling it in front of him a few times.

"I mean... It's been a while. Plus, it's not even lit! There's no way anything could go wrong!" With those words, he threw it high up into the air, and Malia could feel the energy and heat radiating off of him.

Just like back in Hawaii.

He spun in a circle, the baton moving around him at a faster pace, and then it was up in the air again, and he almost giggled at the good ol' memories flooding his senses.

But he caught the pole, and his body twitched, and, the next thing Malia knew, he was on his knees, curled up and shouting into the grass. "Hey, Hina! Hinata! It's okay!" She rubbed at his back, sitting him up slightly and holding him close.

Malia's father rushed out of the front door, gasping and dropping to his knees beside Shouyou. His gaze fell onto the baton beside them, but it was the least of his worries. "Hey, hey, little bud. It's okay. Nothing's there..."

He coaxed, rubbing and ruffling the ginger's curly locks in an attempt to calm him down. His mother soon rushed out with a sleepy Natsu in her arms. "I-I'm sorry! We were just- We were just playing around with his equipment, and-and..!"

Malia couldn't force any words out, Shouyou's sobs and cries of pain echoing through in her brain. It took another five minutes to calm himself down, only panting and clutching at Mr. Iona's shirt.

Everyone finally released a sigh of relief, embracing the ginger in their own, unique ways. "I'll be taking this," Mrs. Hinata stated, picking up Shouyou's staff. "... no... I-I won't do it again, Mom. I thought that I- I thought that I was better..."

Bouncing Natsu a few times on her side, she frowned. "No, the therapist said to avoid it, Shouyou. I know it's hard, honeybun, but you're not ready yet." Malia helped Shouyou stand up, dusting off his shorts with a sympathetic look on her face.

"But-"

"As a matter of fact, I'll book you an early appointment with her tomorrow evening. I think you need it." Shouyou pouted, tears glistening in his eyes as he nodded. "I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble..."

A tender hand was placed on his head, and he looked up into Mr. Iona's kind eyes. "You're no trouble to us, Shouyou."

Malia took his hand in her own, offering a wobbly, yet reassuring grin. "Well, let's get back to bed. It's pretty late."

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The upcoming morning, Shouyou dressed into a casual, white tank top, above-the-knee, navy blue cargo shorts, and, of course, his beautiful sandals. On the other side of the room, Malia changed into her uniform, their backs turned to each other.

"Sorry, for last night," he muttered, alerting his best friend. "I really... I really thought everything would be okay, but... I mean... it felt like I was back up on stage, and there was fire everywhere, and..."

Trailing off, he bit his bottom lip, glaring at the floor painfully. Tossing her tie around her neck, Malia smiled and wrapped an arm around Shouyou's shoulders, laughing. "Don't get gettin' down in the dumps about it! Shit happens, but you just gotta keep goin'... or something, right?"

After regaining his balance, Shouyou turned to her, eyes wet with tears of gratitude. "I love you~!" He sobbed, wrapping her up in a hug. She laughed some more, hugging him back. "Sorry, I'm taken~!" She joked, racing out of his open bedroom door with a trail of laughter following her.

He gasped, racing after her. "You know I didn't mean it like that, 'Lia!"

An 'oop' left Mrs. Hinata's lips as she lifted up the plate of pancakes above her head to avoid the teens frantically running around her. "It's time for breakfast, guys! Then, we'll go drop Malia off at school and Natsu at daycare!"

Mr. Iona chuckled, placing his book and glasses down on the table and standing to help Mrs. Hinata set up the table. "Me too! Me too!" Natsu shouted from the hallway, raising her hands and racing after Shouyou and Malia.

Her brother turned around with a laugh, lifting her up on his shoulders and pretending to march like a monster rampaging a city. Malia shrieked playfully, pretending to be a runaway bystander. "Monster!" She shouted. "Help! There's a monster!"

Quickly removing her apron, Mrs. Hinata grabbed her spatula and leaped onto the coach. "Fear not!" She exclaimed. "The heroes are here to save the day!"

With a quick glance behind her back at Mr. Iona, he grinned, rolling his newspaper up and standing on the couch with her. "Rawr~!" Natsu growled, making her hands into claws and showing her teeth.

"Ah! Help me~!" Placing her hands on her face, Malia pretended to fall, and Shouyou and Natsu stood beside her threateningly. "I'll save you!" Mr. Iona stated, his rough voice making it all the funnier. He leaped off the couch, only to groan in pain.

"My back..." he muttered, holding his back and leaning forward. Everyone laughed, with Shouyou going over to him and rubbing at his back with a wide smile. "Come on, I'll get you some ice," Mrs. Hinata stated, giggling as she led him to the bathroom upstairs.

"You guys go ahead and get some food in you!" She shouted from the stairs, and they all hollered an 'okay!'. Leaning down, Shouyou helped Malia off the ground, and they all made their way to the table.

"'Lia~" Natsu whined, pulling at her uniform sleeve. She turned to her, mouth full of pancake. "Want me to cut your pancakes?" She questioned, and the little ginger nodded, pushing her plate toward the female.

"Thank you!"

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"Alright, Shouyou, I'll come pick you up in a few hours. Then, we'll pick everyone up from school early and go out and do something fun. How's that sound?" He nodded, reaching over the car and hugging his mother.

"Thanks so much, Mom! You're the best!"

She huffed through her nose, smirking and flipping her hair. "I know. Love you Honeybun!" Before he closed the door, he waved and smiled. "Love you! Be safe!"

With that, he made his way into the familiar building, looking around at all the older adults sitting around the waiting room, along with a few teens here and there. One, in particular, caught his eye, because he was sat at least four seats away from everyone else.

As he got closer, he hummed to some random pop song playing over the loudspeakers, sitting in the seat right beside the person.

They jolted, nearly dropping their PSP in the process.

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A/n:

Bit of a filler with the Iona and Hinata family :) Glad to be writing for this story again 😌 It's been a while ahaha