Bonded

30

It was lunch time and Matsukawa, Hanamaki, Iwaizumi, Oikawa and you were sitting together, talking about the upcoming school trip.
"I'm so excited for this trip! Last time we went on a school trip, I was sick and couldn't enjoy anything!" Hanamaki's expression showed the unpleasant memories he had from his last trip.
"Yeah, last time you had to stay home when we went sightseeing. Plus, you kept coughing at night, which was really annoying because I could't sleep at all because of the noise!" Matsukawa looked at Hanamaki with an annoyed expression.

Hanamaki shot Matsukawa an accusing look. "It wasn't my fault, you idiot! And this time it's going to be different! I will enjoy every single second of it!"

"Don't worry, it will probably be fun. And Matsukawa, stop upsetting Hanamaki. Weren't you rejected by that girl at the coffeeshop?"
Matsukawa paled at the unpleasant memory and looked away while Hanamaki laughed him out.
"She was totally under stress and the line behind us was really long too. Why did you think that it would be a good idea to ask for her number in that moment? Even asking for Oikawa for help with girls is a better strategy!"

Oikawa chocked on the water he was drinking. "Hey! What is that supposed to mean!?"

You just looked at them curiously. You knew he was popular with girls and even though you thought that he was someone who would try to flirt with any girl at the beginning when you first met him, you never actually saw him do so. You thought that you had misjudged him.

Oikawa noticed your sudden shift in curiosity and stiffened. He shouldn't have asked for elaboration and just let Hanamaki's statement slide. He just hoped that he wouldn't say anything that would make him look bad in front of you.

"Oh come on Oikawa. You might be good at flirting and enchanting girls with your charm, but everyone knows that you're a walking red flag."

The others just nodded in agreement and you just looked at them confused, which made Oikawa even more nervous. His stomach felt heavy, as if it was filled with stones and acid.
"Red flag?"
"Yeah, you know, when someone is a potentially bad partner in a relationship."

The others drifted away to their own conversation and talked about the qualities that made Oikawa a red fag. Oikawa laughed nervously and tried to explain to you that it wasn't true.

In response, you just took his hand and picked up a green pen from your pencil case. Confused and a little scared, Oikawa tried to see what you were doing with his hand. When you were done you intertwined your fingers with his to be able to hold his hand up, so that he and the others could see. The others stopped arguing too and looked at Oikawa's hand. You had drawn a little green flag on the back of his hand and smiled genuinely.
"All I can see is a green flag."

Oikawa blushed heavily and looked away, so you and the others wouldn't be able to see it. The heavy stones in his stomach turned into butterflies and his heartbeat quickened even further. He tried to ignore your hand that was intertwined with his, because he felt the urge to pull you closer to him. But at the same time he didn't want to let go and savor your gentle and warm touch. When he decided to look at you, he instantly regretted it, as you were looking at him too with the smile he absolutely adored. He couldn't look away, even though he was aware of his red face and the gazes of his friends. Everyone seemed to understand how Oikawa was feeling except for you, who just looked at him with an innocent smile. Luckily for him, Matsukawa spoke up.
"He is no damn lucky and I hate him for that."
Hanamaki nodded in agreement.

You let go of Oikawa's hand. "Hey! That's rude. Isn't he always supporting you guys in Volleyball? We can all rely on him and he is always there with outstretched hands, ready to help."

Oikawa's eyes widened at your kind words and a small smile formed on his face. The others averted their eyes and mumbled something incomprehensible like "He really doesn't deserve her.."

Oikawa came back to his senses and used the current situation to tease you. "Awww, (y/n)-chan! I didn't know that you had such strong feeling for me!"
He moved a little forward with his upper body, leaving little space between the both of you. He smirked teasingly and rested his head on his palm. Seeing you blush slightly made him smirk even more.
You flicked his forehead to create some distance between you two. Something Oikawa was used to and something he had missed dearly.
"Back off before I shove your milk bread into your face and you'll see how strong my feeling for you truly are!"

"You two should get a room. There are innocent people here tha-"
You threw your pen forcefully, hitting Matsukawa's forehead.
"OWW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?"
You shot the others a glare, daring them to say anything.