Chapter Two: Friendship

The sun was just rising over the horizon as Tsukishima waited outside Aika's house in a white shirt and shorts. The house had been quiet and he was glad to not have woken anyone up from his alarm that morning. The first few mornings he had woken up annoyed and ready to throw his phone. But as he spent more time with the girl alone he found himself enjoying their friendship. As he dressed he wondered when it had become routine to run with his new neighbor, but he wouldn't admit to anyone that he started looking forward to it. Tsukishima even slyly recommended that they switch their schedule to almost everyday under the guise of needing to build stamina for volleyball. Which wasn't a complete lie anyway. He supposed he liked hearing the girl chat happily about random subjects, her favorite being the newest anime she found tv or a new recipe that came out correctly. He also realized he liked seeing the drops of sweat slide down her neck and the way her running shorts slid up her thighs but he tried to not think about that as much.

Kei didn't know when the two had actually become friends in the past few weeks but Aika certainly considered him one. She started inviting him and Yamaguchi over for dinner and to study in the living room whenever they were free. He had even become used to stopping inside her home to say hello to her grandparents, though Kouji, her grandfather, was usually away at the dojo so they mostly saw him at dinner. Eri seemed to like him though and often made statements that hinted at her wanting him to visit more. He would just nod, unsure of what to say before following Aika to the backyard to either talk or toss a volleyball back and forth.

It was a nice sort of torture that kept him awake at night, confused and painfully hard. Dreams of brown skin and thigh high stockings happened every now and then and he hated and loved it.

The main problem was with their windows. Kei wasn't sure how much of a problem it was when the girl forgot her curtains were open and walked around in short shorts and a bra but the family seemed to be running out of tissues more often those days. He noticed that her body was toned in spite of the curve of her hips. Kei tried to be somewhat of a gentleman and not watch his friend but sometimes hormones took over and he couldn't help himself. Annoyed at her obliviousness, he found himself walking around shirtless a little more, just to see if she would notice and glance over his way.

Two could play that game.

Aika obviously noticed but the curtains stayed open regardless. Often she would glance up at the window and study him before covering her face in her hand or an object near by. The only times her curtains were closed were while they slept and those few instances on Saturday nights and Sunday when the room was dark all day after their run. Kei believed he was the only one who noticed the girl slip out of the window those nights in dark clothes and jog toward the city. He wanted to ask where she went but it felt strange to pry but new bruises kept appearing on her skin that caused an unsettling anger in his stomach.

It didn't help that she was slowly becoming more popular at school. While most stayed away from her due to the rumor of her breaking someone's arm at her previous school, Kei still noticed more people approaching her those days. She seemed to be annoyed at the attention but stayed polite, keeping herself at a distance. It bothered him that she was becoming closer to Nishinoya and Tanaka, easily talking with them about classes and training with Yuu so she could try out for the girl's volleyball team. Her body rolled and dove across the court with Nishinoya before many practices. Her eyes not on Tsukishima but on the balls that Asahi and Tanaka tossed to her and Yuu. She was short but strangely flexible in a way that reminded him of the Nekoma team, her body stretching or twisting to reach the ball in a way that seared into his brain. He had found the two Nishis talking more in the halls many days, Yuu's head leaned close to her as they talked. The older boy usually smiled him like they were sharing a private joke.

It was infuriating.

Tsukishima frowned at the thought of the Nishi pair, he knew why the two bothered him but he hadn't wanted to act on it until recently.

"Good morning…"Aika covered up her yawn with a hand, her auburn hair falling past her shoulders. She wore the same colors as him, an annoyingly tight white tank top, black shorts, long black socks and red and black running shoes. A red running belt held her iPhone and her headphones were clipped to her shirt. Her red gloves were present as always.

"Late night?" Tsukishima inquired as the girl stretched beside him and touched her toes. He noticed that bruises dotted her arms and legs that hadn't been there a few days ago. He watched as she fumbled with putting her hair up before answering his inquiry.

"You can say that. Why?"

Tsukishima shook his head and stretched beside her, "Are you busy today?"

Aika pondered this and stretched her arms while bending backwards, " Not today…"

"Then let's hang out." Tsukishima watched her stretch for a little while then prodded her side with a finger. Her jump made him grin but the way she winced made him pause.

Aika frowned and headed down the street with the blond soon beside her, "Do you want to meet Tadashi or something?"

Tsukishima shook his head, "Just the two of us if you are okay with that."

"Like a date? Are you asking me out Tsukki-chan?" Aika grinned up at him and dodged his swat with ease.

"Yeah I guess." He shrugged and hid his grin when the girl almost tripped on nothing and stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Really? Won't your fangirls get angry?"

Tsukishima rolled his eyes and tugged on her shirt to get her to turn a corner ,"I don't have fangirls…."

Her laughter in response annoyed him. As if these imaginary fangirls were keeping them apart and not short guys with tons of energy.

He stopped and grabbed her wrist so she was facing him, "Do you want to come over or not?"

"Yes." Aika said as she looked into his eyes.. He was suddenly serious and somewhat intense. His hand was warm against her wrist but the grip was loose. She could break free if she wanted.

"Okay then." He smirked and began to run faster, "Come on chibi-Ai we still have miles to go."

Kei's heart pounded in his chest, yet he felt happy which was an odd feeling that warred with his normal indifference. They made plans to meet at his place after they changed and soon lost their thoughts in running, nerves fueling adrenaline to make their run go a little faster that day.

An hour later, Aika found herself nervously standing in front of Kei's bedroom door, a place she had seen only from her window. She has spent time in the living room and backyard but mostly invited Kei over since she was more comfortable in her own home. Being in his house alone was a completely different story.

"It's just Tsukki…he won't hurt you." She is whispered to herself.

She fumbled with the ends of the shirt she wore and wished she had put on pants that covered the bruises and scars on her legs. In her hands she held a small strawberry shortcake and a few dvds that she found interesting. She shifted the items to knock on the door. He opened and stared down at her before shaking his head.

"You didn't have to bring anything you know." Kei said taking the cake box from her and setting it on the table. He left the door partially open so he could hear when his mother arrived home and motioned for her to sit on the bed where his laptop sat.

"I'm a guest so it's polite. I made it yesterday and wanted to get rid of it so it's no big deal." Aika lied not wanting to tell him she had made it for him.

"Oh…well I guess I will eat it then." He sat behind her on the bed, and reached around her to pull up Netflix on the laptop. Aika tensed when he leaned forward, his chin on her shoulder to look at the selection.

Aika found herself staring at the long line of Kei's arm, long fingers clicking the down button to switch genres to choose a cheesy horror flick. His breath tickled her ear, his hair still damp from a shower smelled like mint. His hand brushed her waist then settled there, a finger grazing bare skin. Aika swore she felt lips move against her neck and the graze of teeth on her earlobe.

"What are you…"She said softly on to have him gesture towards the screen.

"Watch the movie. Tell me if this …bothers you in anyway and I will stop." He breathed against her skin when she shifted backwards into him.

"Ah…okay…" She sighed and turned in his lap, wrapping her legs around his waist. He quirked and eyebrow and she frowned at him.

"I can't help myself Ai-senpai…"Tsukishima's words fall silent when the girl kisses him tentatively, a gentle brush of her lips against his. She pulled away and leaned her forehead against his, lips softly touching as she spoke.

"It's fine…I like it. I like you.."

Tsukishima just groaned and kissed again, harder this time, tongue licking out to ask for entrance and hands pressing hips closer and harder into him. Strong fingers hold her hips and press down on new bruises while he explores her mouth and her throat. He kissed her neck then sucked at the spot, a laugh slipped from between his lips when she shifted against him with a moan. He grinned up at her wickedly and she kissed him again, wanting to remember his taste, cinnamon toothpaste and sin. Her fingers intertwine in his hair and he leaned backwards to fall back onto the bed without leaving her mouth.

Tsukishima made her dizzy with a confusing mix of lust and apprehension. He alternated between kissing her gently enough to make her want to weep to hard enough to bruise lips red.He pulled back and stared up at her with lidded eyes before he rolled over on top of her. His fingers grasped at her legs and pulled them around his waist, pressing down on to hers.

Tsukishima sat up and placed her hands under his shirt before he pulled it off, his trademark smirk appearing when she slid her hands up his chest. He had felt he was skinny compared to some of the other guys on the team but the way she looked up at him, teeth chewing on her full lower lips pushed the thought from his mind. He kissed her till she was breathless once more then kissed a path down her neck. His kisses slowed when he felt her jerk against him, eyes water filled though still filled with lust.

He sighed against her neck, "Damnit…"

Aika felt him throb against her and flushed at the look he gave her before he shifted to lay beside her. When she moved to look at him he just reached up to wipe a tear from her cheek. She hadn't known she was crying.

Tsukishima stared at her then brushed her hair away from her face.

"I will be gone in a few weeks for training camp. I just …." He ran a hand through his hair and frowned.

"Golden week practice camp, right? You'll have fun." She swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand then leaned against his bare shoulder, "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to talk about it. I don't care." He wanted to, just to figure out why she drew close then pushed him away.

She quirked an eyebrow at him then glanced down, "I think you do…"

"Don't….I just wanted to see where we…I stood…" He groans when she shifts closer to him, her face buried in his chest before she started to speak. It came out in a rush but it was quieter than when she normally spoke..

"At my old school…someone assaulted me. It's part of the reason why I was expelled. In response to what happened I broke his arm which was more apparently important then…my safety to the faculty." Aika exhaled and explained what she remembered about the attack. How she tried to fight back but was overpowered and beat to prove a point of strength. How she remembered the clink of a belt in buckling and her face being pushed into the ground. What blood and dirt tasted like mixed with tears.

When she explained how he couldn't get it up Tsukishima laughed though his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, the other a balled up fist. When she finished the story Aika felt lighter yet numb, conflicted about her experience.

"I'm sorry." Tsukishima said softly. He looked angry though she knew it wasn't at her.

"It's fine. I'm working on things." Aika took his hand and smiled, "You are helping…this is helping. I enjoyed it a lot actually. Things just went…too fast."

Tsukishima smirked, "We can go slow if you want…"

"Do I want to know?" Aika warily said, eyebrow raised skeptically. He laughed and mimicked her facial expression, his more seductive and cocky then skeptical.

"You will..." Tsukishima sat up and reached for his laptop, clicking off Netflix and changing to his music player. Soft music filled the room and he laid back down beside her. A comfortable calm filled the room that Aika was grateful for.

"Can I come see your game against Nekoma?" She asked after a while, her hand reached up to pull off Kei's glasses and set them on the bedside table.

"Are you a secret Nekoma fan? Going to cheer for our rivals, Ai-senpai?" Tsukishima smirked then moaned when Aika kissed his neck slowly.

"Maybe…" Aika kissed his adam's apple and nipped at his skin, slowly sucking on the right side of his neck like he had done her left. Satisfied at the mark she leaned up to kiss his jawline.

"What are you doing?" Tsukishima gasped out when she trailed up to kiss his earlobe then suck it into her mouth.

"I think…I am working on things…"She laughed when the blond boy pulled her down into a kiss, licking her full lips.

"Yeah you are…"Tsukishima slowly pulled away and stood up, a hand dropping down to shift his pants a little.

"Aww…"

He snorted a laugh then puts on his glasses, "I am going to make tea and get plates. Do you want actual food?"

Aika sat up slowly, "I might have take you up on that offer later. I have to head home before it gets dark today though."

Tsukishima didn't miss the way she looked at her phone while saying that and sighed.

"Be careful." He dropped a kiss on her forehead, so quick that Aika wasn't sure if it actually happened.

He walked away and grabbed his headphones from the side table as he went, leaving Aika to to glance at the text message app.

Ignoring the one that said Kuro-Neko-kun, she quietly read the one from T.K.

"Next round is at 9. $400 in the pot."

'Yeah. I will b there. Let's get this done quickly, I have school tomorrow.'

After closing that message she glanced at the one from Kuroo-Neko and replied with an annoyed glare before checking her email. When she saw the one she wanted she yelled happily, a noise that startled Tsukishima as he walked in.

"Are you dying?" He said handing her a cup of tea and a piece of the cake.

"Oh yeah…I have a job interview tomorrow afternoon so I will have to head in early tonight."

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow and sipped his tea, "Congrats, where is the job?"

"Some stupid café that just opened nearby. A girl from class asked if I wanted to fill out an application since they need more servers." She sipped her tea slowly then set the cup down.

"So you won't be watching our practice anymore? Not that I mind, you're really loud." Tsukishima laughed when she glared at him.

"I was going to only work a few shifts but I might change my availability now…"Aika huffed until he poked her cheek.

" Kidding. If you get the job I will …get you a surprise, I guess."

"Okay then…if you do well at camp and win against Nekoma, I will …do whatever you want…"

Aika rolled her eyes at his grin, "With limits of course."

"Of course, Ai-senpai…" The way he said it made her shiver.

"Whatever," she stood and kissed his cheek, "You will still have to win though."

"It's a deal." He followed her to the doorway and watched her walk away when a text message buzzed on his phone.

Chibi- Ai : "Hey, lets go out on a real date next time. I pick the place but for now concentrate on winning. ~ 3"

"Sure." He typed back and swiped to his pictures folder. He needed a cold shower.

At 8 on the dot, Aika listened for the quiet sounds of her grandparents' snores before she slipped out of her pajamas and into a pair of black yoga pants, sports bra, a red t-shirt that was tight in her body and a form fitting black hoodie. Yanking on her gloves and her lace-less black and red sneakers she slid open the window and stared at Tsukishima's until she was certain there was no movement.

Glad that she had moved her bed to under the window and her desk behind it she pulls up the rope she hid underneath and drops it outside. She stuffs the bed to look like she was still sleeping and grabbed her phone and headphones, stuffing them into her running belt. Carefully checking underneath to see if anyone was on the covered deck below she climbs outside then inches her way down the rope. Once on the ground she tucks it so it was hidden away and calmly walked down the street out of the neighborhood.

Fifteen minutes later she was in the neighboring city, running down past different store fronts until she reached a dingy looking door in the side of a nightclub. After tapping a rhythm into the metal a tiny window slid open and an squinting eye peered out at her.

"Password?" A gruff voice said coughing loudly.

Aika frowned, "Lee it's me. Let me in."

"Black Tiger, you know the rules. Also code names please."

"I protest my codename on the the grounds that it's racist, Iron Fist-San." She rolled her eyes.

"Password,"

"Fucking A, Spirit gun, happy?"

The door slid open to reveal a short guy with spikes green hair and a bare chest covered in tattoos. He jumped down from the stool and grinned.

"Wasn't sure you were going to make it. You and Black Dragon are on soon."

"I still say these names are racist but whatever, lets do this." Aika slipped on her headphones and walked towards the cage in the middle of the room. The floor was sticky from filled drinks and sweat and the room was occupied by a small crowd of people who were currently watching two men punch on another. Aika stopped near the door where a tall teen stretched.

He was dressed in black as well with a gold shirt that had a black dragon on the front and black workout pants and black and gold shoes. His black hair was spiked into a Mohawk streaked with red and his eyes were the same hazel as Aika's. He was muscled and a pair of dragons snaked down his large arms.

"So you showed kitten, I figured you were going to stay with your man." The older teen said grinning as the girl stretched her arms and legs.

"He isn't my man…"Aika frowned unsure if that was still true at the current moment.

"The hickie on your neck says otherwise. Good to see you are getting better cousin."

"Shut up Takeru I would have been better if I could have skipped tonight. I have to run at 4 and school in the morning."

"You will be fine. This is our last match until a few weeks, so just make sure you win."

Aika tugged off her headphones and smirked at her cousin, "Don't I always?"

"Tiger and Dragon, you guys are up!" The referee said just as the music changed to a loud dubstep song. Aika bumped fists with Takeru and handed her jacket and running belt to his roommate, Nikki, a nice cross dresser who could beat up most of the guys in the room and wouldn't let her stuff get stolen. Takeru passed Nikki his jacket and the two walk into the ring, wincing as the crowd screamed in response.

" In this corner we have the Black team, Tiger and Dragon, our resident champions. Tonight are challengers are called the Blue team, Bull and Snake!" Ji the referee yelled into his mic as two men walk up, muscles rippled under the lights.

They were bigger than Aika and Takeru built for strength not speed. Aika doubted that she would be able to take them, her heart hammering in her chest. The bell chimed and her heart slowed down as she focused, hands snapped up to block a punch to her face.

"Breathe." She pushed Snake's arm away with her hands, twisting to kick him in the side. When he grabbed her foot she twisted around to snap her foot away and fall on all fours, swinging her body around to kick his legs from under him.

She could hear the slap of flesh hitting flesh as Takeru punched the man behind her but her eyes were on Snake, dodging the mans punches in time to Lindsey Sterling's 'Anti-Gravity' that played in the background. She twirled while jumping in the air, her foot hitting his face before she landed back down with her toes pointed.

She wasn't fast enough to dodge the hard punch to her stomach or the one that hit her cheek but the blood in her mouth made her angry. Her fist lashed out hard against his neck, then again to his nose, causing it to erupt with blood. She smiled noting that her punches were harder then they used to be.

"That felt good…' She thought smiling almost as good as kissing Tsukishima had been.

He growled in anger and charged once more and Aika side-stepped him when the beat changed to kick him from behind into the cage wall.

"Stop playing." Takeru said as he flipped the man called Bull over his shoulder to get him to the ground. He held the man in an armbar pulling down until the large man cried refusing to tap.

"Right."Aika shifted her feet as the man sat up and turned towards her. Her foot connected with his chin when she jumped up and when she landed she punched him as hard as she could in the chin. While he staggered to stay up right, she punched him twice in the solar plexus. He fell gasping for breath just as Bull tapped Takeru's leg for release.

The ref checks both opponents then raises up Takeru and Aika's arm, the short girl lifted up in the air slightly to the delight of the crowd.

"The winners are Tiger and Dragon! Let's hear it for the black team!" The crowd cheers and Aika helped Snake get up after Bull dumped water on them. The teams shook hands and Takeru and Aika for their things from Nikki to go collect their winnings.

After pocketing 200 dollars, Aika heads towards home, declining a ride all the way on Takeru's motorcycle but begrudgingly allowing him to drive her close to the neighborhood to drop her off.

"Next fight is in a few weeks. I'll text you then. Train hard and study or Oba-San will keep saying you are turning out like me." Takeru said as he took his helmet from her.

"Oh! I need a ride to the Nekoma, game next week. I figured you would like to see your old team play against my school."

Takeru nodded, "That's cool and I get to check out your new boy toy, see if he is up to my standards. Put some ice on that cheek and get to bed."

"It's just eleven and it will be fine. Thanks T.K."

"Love ya, kitten." Takeru blowed an exaggerated kiss her way and Aika laughed as the boy slipped on his helmet and rode way.

She had just gotten back in her room and into her pajamas when her phone chimed, the screen lighting up with the name Kei.

"Go to bed, Ai-senpai. Older people need their rest. See you at dawn."

"So do you. Goodnight, Kei." Aika looks at Tsukishima's window to see his face illuminated by his phone and falls backwards on the bed.

For once she didn't have nightmares, only dreams of blond hair and hands that trailed her skin.