𝚂𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝙵𝚘𝚘𝚕 - 𝙺. 𝚂𝚊𝚔𝚞𝚜𝚊 𝚡 𝙾𝙲

Chapter Twenty-Eight - A Christmas Miracle!

Chapter Twenty-Eight

It had been a week. One week Sajima stayed at Sakusa's apartment. One week of teasing, affectionate touches. One week of playing house with each other. One week of sheer fucking torture because being around Sakusa so much was driving her insane. Every time they kissed, he made sure it was relatively PG, and if it got heated, he stopped it. Not because he didn't want to go further (which he absolutely did) but because he was scared she wasn't physically healthy enough to do so.

Sakusa had spent each day at practice brushing off Miya's request to pay Sajima a visit, and once the rest of the team caught wind of the situation –and the fact that she was staying with him– they wouldn't let it go. It had become increasingly apparent that he was in a better mood that week, and naturally, he was teased about having a good morning. Of course, Sakusa was enjoying his time before work, especially when Sajima was so insistent on being helpful while she stayed, but it was simply a comfortable new routine they began to create.

There was only so long that Sakusa could take Miya's constant pestering, and of course, their other nosiest teammates were eager to jump in on it when it meant they'd get to chat with Sajima again. This is how Sakusa found himself seated within Onigiri Miya at the end of a table with Sajima to his left, Miya beside her, and Bokuto and Hinata across from them. It was just dinner at Miya's brother's small restaurant, nothing too exciting, but Sajima was happy to have company and glad she convinced Sakusa to set something up once she found out they'd been asking.

"It's not that difficult; I don't know why people are so impressed by handstands," Bokuto shrugged, pushing his empty plate an inch further from the table's edge.

"I'm callin' bullshit on that, Bo-kun," Miya scoffed. "Ain't no way you wouldn't have shown us by now if ya could. Yer too much of a showoff."

"I'd like to see," Hinata excitedly smiled. "Could you teach me how? Please, please, please?"

Bokuto pushed his chair back, and Sajima laughed. "I don't think he meant right now, Bokuto."

"No, definitely now! C'mon, don't you wanna see, too?" Hinata stood up and gave Bokuto a nudge. "Let's see!"

Sakusa simply shook his head. Purposefully dragging his hands along a restaurant floor, especially during one of their busiest times, was gag-worthy. He knew Osamu Miya was strict regarding the cleanliness of his establishment, but it didn't matter in that sense. Not even a little. "You are in a busy restaurant. Wearing your team sweaters. This isn't the time for your antics."

"You don't gotta be such a wet blanket, Sakusa." Bokuto crossed his arms over his chest defiantly. "Don't you want Sajima to have fun?"

"I'm having fun," Sajima mused. "I'm still not used to having free time, so it's been great to just hang out like this."

Sakusa raised an eyebrow at Bokuto. "Was that your only rebuttal?"

"Come on...I'll be quick!"

"No."

"Ah, you heard your father, Bo. Wait 'til we're outside, at least. Samu would pitch a fit if he caught ya doin' that here," Miya reasoned despite his curiosity. He knew his twin would kick them out, but that didn't actually matter to him. What did matter to him was that he hadn't spent any time with Sakusa and Sajima together. He was curious, but more than anything, Miya just wanted to see Sakusa happy for once.

While Hinata brushed it off by saying he was excited to see it later, Bokuto pouted in his seat. The childishness they both possessed amused Sajima greatly, so she indulged them in conversation about what they would bring if they were stranded on a deserted island. In the process, however, she let her hand fall from her glass on the table and brought it to rest on Sakusa's knee, much to his dismay. It was nice, though. He liked that they could be out with others, and she still somehow found a way that reminded him that he was still on her mind.

Once Sajima felt Sakusa relax under her touch, she slowly shifted it up but ensured he was tucked close to the table so no one could see her hand underneath. Inch by painstaking inch, she dragged her hand up to his thigh, and he had to find a way to maintain his composure the higher she went. How she could keep up a conversation simultaneously was beyond him.

As much as Sakusa thought this wasn't the time and the place, he didn't really mind. Anything that distracted him from the other lunatics at their table wasn't unwelcome, and well, it felt good. Sajima's fingers ghosted across the fabric covering his thigh, tracing unintelligible shapes against it that might have felt soothing if he wasn't so pent up. Living with her for a week and having to keep being the voice of reason between them was frustrating beyond belief. Sajima had taken to helping herself to his shirts and sweaters, claiming they were more comfortable than her favourite baggy ones, and seeing her walking around his apartment in them drove him crazy.

That was just the tip of the iceberg. Sakusa felt like she made it her life's mission to test his willpower this week. The swing of Sajima's hips that she would exaggerate if she thought he was looking in her direction, the way she would mindlessly caress his shoulders if she walked past him while he was seated, and the feeling of her practically sitting in his lap when they watched TV all contributed to Sakusa being at his wit's end. Of course, breaking up multiple heated moments only made things worse.

Sakusa wanted Sajima in every sense of the word, and with how her hand grazed the inside of his upper thigh, she made it clear that she was feeling the same. Then again, she hadn't exactly kept that a secret the past few days when she would make suggestive comments he knew were intended to sway him into caving...

...Which he was about to do when she put more pressure into her touch and moved her hand just enough to startle him. Sakusa didn't think she'd go further than she had already, but considering how his mind was beginning to wander to less-than-pure thoughts, he knew it was time to go. Sakusa leaned closer to Sajima and murmured into her ear. "We're leaving. Now."

Sajima flashed the guys a friendly smile despite the chill that ran down her spine from the low tone in his voice that she had never heard before. She didn't know exactly what she'd just gotten herself into, but Sajima had a feeling she wouldn't be disappointed. "Well, looks like Kiyo's social battery has depleted, so we're gonna head out. It was really great to hang out with you guys, though. We should do this again soon."

"Oh! But Saji-chan, don't you wanna see Bokuto's handstand?"

"Could you take a video and message it to me?" Sajima compromised.

Hinata nodded and took his phone out to add her as a contact. "What's your number?"

Miya smirked as Sakusa stalked up behind Hinata after catching the question on his way back to Sajima. It wasn't a secret that Hinata thought highly of her, and tonight was not the night he could just shrug it off. He placed both hands on the back of his chair and pulled it to the side so that his phone was out of Sajima's reach. "Did you just ask the woman I'm seeing for her phone number?"

"But, um, she–"

Sajima leaned forward and snagged Hinata's device, tapping her number in as she explained. "I offered. I've gotta see Bokuto's handstand, but you're whisking me away, so it's a necessary evil."

With a sigh, Sakusa let go of Hinata's chair and stepped around the table next to Sajima. Having become second nature already, Sakusa wrapped his arm loosely around her waist and kissed the side of her head. "Ready?"

Sajima handed Hinata back his phone and looked up at Sakusa, the glint of mischievousness in her eyes only fanning the flames of his desire. "Absolutely."

As Sakusa led Sajima out of the restaurant with his hand on the lowest dip of the small of her back, Bokuto looked at Miya and wiggled his eyebrows. Miya smirked and nodded. "They're so obvious. Omi's definitely gettin' some tonight."

Hinata laughed. "It's practically a Christmas miracle!"