CHAPTER 33

"Which one do you like more?" Sheena asks as she holds up two hangers, letting you see her options, "The pink dress, or the blue one?"

Both of the dresses are short and fitted, however the pink dress has strings crossing over the chest while the dark blue dress has a halter top. "I bet you'd look great in both of them."

"Thanks," she responds shyly. Taking a step in front of her mirror, she holds the blue dress in front of her body, trying to picture herself in it before replacing it with the pink dress. "I wonder which one Iwaizumi would prefer."

"Don't worry about him," you push off her bed and join her in front of the mirror, "You should put yourself first. Dress in something comfortable but cute, since it is your first date."

"But I want to impress him."

"I know you do," you smile at her through the mirror. "And I'm sure that Iwaizumi would be impressed by anything you decide to wear tonight."

Sheena still can't believe that at this moment, she was getting ready for a date with the ace. Even bringing you into her home after knowing you for only a week seems odd, but for the first time in a long time, Sheena feels happy — she was glad that she finally had someone to call a friend.

Still trying to picture herself in the dresses, Sheena tilts her head and pouts. "You really think Iwaizumi will be impressed by anything?"

You give her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "I'm positive."

"So, you're saying that if I show up in sweatpants and a hoodie, he'd still be impressed?" Sheena laughs as she visualizes Iwaizumi's reaction to seeing her in the getup.

"Well, to answer honestly, I think so. But since this is your first date," you take a step towards her closet and scan more of her clothes, "a dress would be nice. It shows that you put thought into your appearance."

Sheena can already feel the stress starting to build up, making her groan dramatically and plop down on her bed. "Why are first dates so stressful?"

"Because it's the very start of a relationship," you answer honestly, "I remember my first date. It was weird as hell."

The memories of your first date with Oikawa revisits you. That day at the cafe was supposed to be the last time you were going to be with him. Everything was supposed to end with his apology, but fate had other plans.

Turning over, Sheena watches you go through the different hangers in her closet. "What was it like?"

"Oikawa took me to the new cafe near school." You refuse to turn and let her see the smile growing on your face. "He actually asked me about the things I liked, and when I told him that I liked coffee and cinnabons, he suggested that he take me. I didn't think that I'd see him after that day, but one thing led to another and, well, we're dating."

Far inside Sheena's mind, she knew that there was something missing, like dots that refused to connect. When you told her that you and Oikawa were close, she didn't know what you meant by close. But after hearing your story, she was finally able to piece together your hints.

"You're dating Oikawa?" her pitch is high, completely taken over by shock. "Holy shit... you're dating the captain?"

Your fingers freeze on one of the hangers. Shit, you think as you slowly turn around and meet a wide eyed Sheena. "Huh?"

"You just said... you and Oikawa..." Sheena slowly gets up from the bed with a finger pointing in your direction, "You just said that you're dating Oikawa!"

"Did I say his name?" you try to laugh it off, but the look of shock on Sheena's face doesn't drop. "Sorry, I must've said the wrong name, I meant to say—"

"You're Oikawa's girlfriend!" Sheena beams with a warm smile. You didn't even notice that his name had slipped from your mouth. It was an honest mistake, but seeing that Sheena reacted differently from what you expected is reassuring. "Wow! And this whole time I thought you two were single."

When you find yourself trapped in her closet, the corners of your mouth twitch up into the slightest wisp of a smile. "Yeah," you awkwardly scratch the back of your head, "We wanted to keep things private, but I guess the secret is out."

"Oh, I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to. I promise." Sheena says as she takes a step back, giving you more space. She presses her hands against her cheeks, hiding the soft pink blooming across her skin. "Things just got a lot more interesting."

You shake your head, dismissing the idea that you and Oikawa were anything interesting. "I don't think so–" your phone rings, cutting you off and giving Sheena a few seconds to grab it from your back pocket. "What are you doing?"

"Seeing who's calling," she says, then gasps when she reads the nickname. "You call him Kawa? That's so cute!"

Before she can answer the call, you snatch your phone from her hands and bring it close. "You still have to pick something to wear," you eye the dresses laid out on her bed, waiting to be worn. "Hurry now. Time is ticking."

Sheena twirls around with a sigh. What once was exciting slowly starts to feel exhausting. Instead of deciding on a dress, she crosses her legs, sits on the floor, and leans back on her bed.

Carefully, you answer Oikawa's call. "Babe!" You can hear his smile through the speaker, "How are you and Sheena doing?"

"We're okay," you hold the phone between your cheek and shoulder, hoping Sheena wouldn't hear much of the conversation with the fear of spoiling the date. "We're still deciding on what to wear."

"Ah, same for me and Iwa-chan," Oikawa replies as he leans against the wall of Iwaizumi's bedroom, watching his friend complain from a distance. Iwaizumi is still on edge about the entire date, and having it be blind didn't help settle his nerves. "I told him to go for a olive green shirt and black pants, but he's still muttering under his breath and saying weird things—"

"You talking about me?" Iwaizumi's grumbles can be heard from the other end of the line, "I'm stressed, so please don't do anything stupid."

"I'm talking to Y/n. Just reporting to her on your progress," Oikawa says, a hint of a laugh laced within his voice. "Stop stressing and wear the outfit I picked for you."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because," Iwaizumi whines, "What if it doesn't impress her?"

"It will."

"No, it won't."

"Iwa-chan," Oikawa kisses his teeth, "Stop being so negative all of the time."

"I'm not being negative."

"Yes you are."

"Am not."

"Yes."

"Not!"

The boys continue to argue, their voices getting louder by the second. Sheena can't pick out any of their words, but she's getting the impression that maybe Iwaizumi had become angry with the entire plan. Feeling her excitement completely running out, she leans her head back and stares at the ceiling, refusing to let the new tears in her eyes fall.

On the other side of the room, you struggle to keep the phone up while looking at more of her clothes. There are a few more dresses, all a bit too formal to be considered good options for a date, but as you near the back of the closet, you're lucky enough to find a dress that happened to be the same colour Oikawa mentioned earlier.

"You said he's wearing olive green, right?" you ask Oikawa, breaking up the argument he was just in with Iwaizumi. "Make sure he wears it, because I think I might've found something that will match his outfit."

Giving himself a few seconds to process your words and block out Iwaizumi's angry voice, Oikawa gasps. "Oh, so we're making them wear matching fits?"

"Yeah," you whisper, hoping Sheena wasn't eavesdropping, "Let it be a surprise."

"Okay, okay," Oikawa's widening smile makes Iwaizumi suspicious of what you two could possibly be talking about, "I'll try and convince him. He's being a bit of an ass right now—"

"Who's being an ass?" Iwaizumi interrupts, "because it's not me."

"Shit," Oikawa curses, more to himself when he realizes how angry his friend had become. "I'll see you and Sheena later tonight. I gotta deal with Mr. Grouchy over here."

You giggle, and before you can say goodbye, the call ends abruptly. Holding the hanger up, you straighten out the wrinkles on the dress and admire the design. It is a bit girlier than the other two options — the skirt is longer, stopping mid thigh with a deep V cut on the chest.

"Sheena," you turn, showing her the dress and reminding her that she even had it. "How about this one?"

"Hm," Sheena gets up from the floor and takes the hanger from you. She steps in front of her mirror and holds the dress in front of her body to help visualize. "Green isn't really my thing."

"I can tell you now that green will soon become your new favourite colour."

"Why do you think so?"

Instead of revealing the reason — remembering the colour of Iwaizumi's eyes — you shrug your shoulders. "Nothing," you reply as you scan her shoes and pick out a pair of low black heels. "Wear these as well."

"You sure this is enough to impress him?" she asks, eyeing the dress and pair of heels.

Already knowing that Iwaizumi would be blown away, you nod your head. "Yes," you toss the heels into her arms and step out of her room, getting ready to close the door. "Let me know when you've finished changing. I'll help with your hair and makeup after."

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

"They should be here any minute now," you mumble as you check the time on your phone. Even though you grow anxious, thinking that the boys would miss the reservation for their date, Sheena is too busy admiring the scene around her.

She's never been to this part of the city — It is the same boardwalk that you and Oikawa had visited, right after you ate ramen at Hakata Shoryuken. Knowing that it was one of your favourite places to go to, Oikawa proposed that the new couple should have their first date there.

"This place is so pretty," Sheena says as she watches the water crash against the wooden planks. Cold spritz floats through the air, cooling her skin and revealing a rainbow in front of the setting sun. "I hope they get here soon."

Just as you're about to call Oikawa and ask where he is, you find him speed walking down the boardwalk with a grumpy looking Iwaizumi trailing closely behind. "Sheena?"

"Hm?"

"You might wanna look over here," you laugh at the boys, specifically the look  on Oikawa's face when he spots you and Sheena, "The boys have finally arrived."

On the other end of the boardwalk, Iwaizumi tries to catch up to his friend. "Where is she?" he mumbles more to himself than to Oikawa. "I just wanna get this over with."

"Suck it up, big boy," Oikawa says over his shoulder, then bites his tongue when he sees the irritated look on Iwaizumi's face. Instead of poking his buttons further, he turns back around and rushes his way down the wooden platform and closer to you and Sheena.

Clearing your throat to get her attention, Sheena finally turns and spots the two boys making their way. "Oh, that's them!" she smiles, which slowly disappears when she sees how upset Iwaizumi is looking. "He doesn't look too happy to be here."

"Don't worry," you reassure her, "He always looks angry. You better get used to it."

Oikawa waves his hands in the air, hoping to get your attention even though he already has it. "Y/n!" he exclaims before jogging closer, "Sorry we're late!"

"No worries—" the air leaves your lungs when he wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you into a tight hug and spinning you through the air. Sheena's too shocked to say anything about it all, watching with a dropped jaw and still wrapping her head around the fact that you two were official. "Kawa!"

When he feels you patting his back, signalling for him to stop twirling, he slows down. "Yes, baby?"

"Put me down, please."

"Okay," he grunts as he sets you down, but he doesn't let go, pulling you into his body to steal a quick kiss. "Much better."

"Holy shit," Sheena says with wide eyes, "You two are so adorable!"

Not knowing how to react to the compliment, you laugh awkwardly. "Thank you."

"You must be the famous Sheena that I've heard about!" Oikawa buds in, letting her get a good view of him before dipping his head. "Nice to finally meet you."

"You too," Sheena says with a shaky breath as she returns the bow. "I still can't believe this is all happening."

"Me too," A voice mutters from behind Oikawa. Iwaizumi still hasn't looked up and acknowledged you and Sheena. He was too busy getting caught up in his anger and irritation. The only thing that was bringing him some sense of peace was the view of the light reflecting off the waves.

Taking a step aside, Oikawa yanks Iwaizumi's arm and brings him into the conversation. "Sheena, meet Iwa-chan," he says, gesturing to his friend, "and Iwa-chan, meet Sheena."

After another long and agonizing sigh, Iwaizumi finally looks upwards. Nothing prepared him for this moment — even all of the lectures on being on his best behaviour from Oikawa didn't prepare for the moment his eyes would land on Sheena.

The first thing he notices are her eyes. They seem to sparkle in the hazy light from the sunset, making them shine a soft caramel that matches her skin. The second thing he notices is her long black hair, moving with the wind to reveal the deep cut of her olive green dress. He has to steal another glance at her face, taking in her plump pink lips and wondering how they would feel against his own.

"Beautiful," Iwaizumi whispers, just before he shakes his head to clear his mind. "Shit, I meant to say hi."

Sheena, who's feeling just as anxious as Iwaizumi, dips her head respectfully. "Hello, Iwaizumi," she looks up at him, gifting him with another perfect view of her round brown eyes. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Y-you too," Iwaizumi stutters when he notices how fast his heart is beating. There's sweat breaking out on his forehead, and he wipes it away quickly with a shaky hand. "Uh... how are you?"

"I'm fine," Sheena giggles, the sound sending Iwaizumi's heart into another frenzy. The air must feel awkward, because you and Oikawa take a step back to let them have a moment as you two exchange a few whispers. "How are you?"

Iwaizumi nods his head a little too aggressively, which makes Sheena giggle once more. "I'm good," he tries to smile, but his face twitches, "I'm more than good now." I don't know how I'm going to survive tonight if she keeps acting all cute like that, Iwaizumi thinks before glancing over at you and Oikawa, his eyes asking for help.

Interlacing his fingers with yours, Oikawa pulls you into his side and steps forward. "Okay," he smiles warmly, hoping to calm Iwaizumi and Sheena's nerves. "My girlfriend and I are gonna head out, but we hope that you two will have fun tonight. Just try not to have too much fun," Oikawa laughs, then winces when you lightly smack the back of his head.

"Just enjoy yourselves," you continue where Oikawa left off. "The ramen house is just down the road. It's not a long walk, and when you're done there, there's a few dessert places nearby."

"Do they serve tofu there?" Sheena asks, which gets Iwaizumi's attention.

"Of course they do."

"I hope you like tofu!" Sheena nudges Iwaizumi's side, and she stiffens when his hand finds hers. "Oh," she clears her throat, suddenly finding it hard to form words as his fingers interlace between her own.

Iwaizumi's lips mirrors the soft smile on Sheena's face. "Let's have fun tonight," his voice is sincere — something Oikawa has never heard before which genuinely surprises him — and puts Sheena at ease.

Sensing that the new couple had become comfortable with each other, you and Oikawa say your last goodbyes and watch them walk down the rest of the boardwalk. Iwaizumi's attitude disappeared completely, now replaced with the same excitement that Sheena has been feeling since the first day she saw him playing on the court. Even though the couple has been together for only a few minutes, you can't wait to hear all about their date afterwards.

"I want you to come over," Oikawa tugs on your hand, leading you down the other side of the boardwalk towards the lot where his car is parked. "They're not the only ones who get to have fun tonight."

You pull his hand back, stopping him from opening the passenger door. "You sure?"

"Of course," he scoffs, "Why wouldn't I want you to come over?"

"I don't know," you release his hand and look back at the wooden path. Iwaizumi and Sheena are already gone. "Maybe we should keep an eye on them in case something goes wrong?"

"Nah, don't worry about them. They can manage on their own," Oikawa unlocks the passenger door and waits for you to step in. "C'mon," he whines, trying to get your attention, "while the night is still young."

Once the sun has fully set, you grant Oikawa his wishes and step inside his car. "Fine," you say, glancing up at him from your seat, "If you insist."

"Thank you," he says quickly before leaning down to peck your lips. He closes your door and joins you in the driver's seat, turns on the engine, and pulls out from his parking spot. "We got a long night ahead of us."