a/n: rukawa is a little ooc. (sobs)

[ third person's ]

***

The next two days of your cram school, you were confused about why Fujima would invite you to hang out. This time the two of you went out to go to a bookstore near the school.

"I mean, I don't want to force you. But the thing is, I keep on inviting you to hang out after cram school because I have no one to be with when the first snow falls." Fujima has a hand on the back of his head scratching it like an awkward expression. "I've been watching the news and I'm also waiting for it."

"I mean it, platonically." He chuckled.

That was his reason. It seems like the first snow would fall soon, and they're not yet here. It has been only three days since the team left for the training camp, and you were left alone for your cram school. f/n is currently busy looking out for books to buy with Fujima beside her when she felt her phone vibrated inside of the side-pockets of her jeans.

These past few days you noticed how Rukawa would call you when he had a chance. Before sleeping, waking up in the morning, after their breakfast, when they had a break from training, in short almost every time.

rukawa | incoming call!

accept × decline

"Hi." f/n greeted first on the call. "What are you doing right now?" she added asking him. You covered the speaker of your phone to lessen the noise from the crowd inside the bookstore.

"Our training just ended. You seemed in a crowd, where are you?" Rukawa who had an arm underneath his head asked you through the call.

"L/N-san, check out this book─"

Rukawa's brows furrowed, from laying he sat on his bed, with his forehead slightly creased upon hearing a familiar voice. He went to open his phone fully to check your latest message.

"Who are you with?" He asked once again.

"Oh," she scratches the back of her head. "I forgot to tell you actually, I'm in a bookstore with Fujima-san. He invited me again today. You wanna say hi?" The girl chirped in.

Meanwhile, Fujima beside you have shown you a joke book, he made you read a line that you would really end up wheezing. From Rukawa's phone, he did not like the sound of your laughter, together with Fujima.

For him, it's okay to hang out. As friends. But that laugh got him, because never in your time together, he never made you laugh like that.

"I'm sorry," you chuckled going back to the phone. "You just heard me laugh, I know it's ugly." She added chuckling to herself. Her eyes slightly widened when she heard Rukawa hissed through the phone.

"Rukawa?" you called, and you hear nothing but his sigh.

"I feel like sleeping, I'm tired. I'll talk to you later."

"Oh. Okay, take─"

call ended...

***

"That was rude." Mitsui entering Shohoku's room frowned upon accidentally hearing the phone conversation between the two of them. "What's with that bittersweet look?" He let out a sly smirk upon seeing Rukawa's expression, who literally screams that he's upset.

"Fujima-san. Why would he ask L/N to hang out all the time? I get it that maybe they're friends now, but why all the time?"

Mitsui's eyes widened when Rukawa all of a sudden said that. It was so random for him, and he never saw him this upset. He sighed before his lips forms into a thin smile.

"Are you jealous?" He asked Rukawa. "Well, it's normal. But don't you trust f/n?"

He scoffed, looking away. "I trust her. But I don't trust Fujima-san."

"He made her laugh and I heard her wheeze, she never laughs like that when she's with me. I feel like I'm just a stupid son around her. I don't even know if she treats me like a man, I feel she only see me as her kouhai, and we only happened to have this 'relationship.'"

Mitsui clutches on his shirt as he leaned on the wall. "Okay, what the fuck. Hold on, let me process all you said."

"So, really you're jealous because of that?"

Rukawa threw a glare at his upperclassman because of Mitsui's response.

"Fine, asshat. I didn't mean to fry, but you know f/n, and she's very caring. I get it that you want to make her laugh like that too, but then maybe she doesn't laugh around you like that because she's still uncomfortable?"

"It's just my opinion about it. If you want her to treat you like a man, then man up. You can't continue to be clueless all the time. A relationship works between two people. You can't just let her live for you."

"I feel... like she didn't love me at all." Rukawa blew a fuse sighing.

"Bastard! Did you even tell her that you love her?!"

Rukawa's lips parted with that. Mitsui hissed. "Rukawa what the fuck. Of course, you should say it first. Women want assurance. You should be consistently telling that to her. Sometimes actions are not enough, especially when it comes to relationships. How you feel should be voice out too."

"Well I thought, she already knows because--" Mitsui left the rookie frustrated, and he even slammed the door that got him to tell Rukawa how mad he is.

Meanwhile, on your point of view. You already knew that he is upset. He's not the type to just reasoned out that he feels like sleeping. Darn, Rukawa told you that he would even choose you a thousand times than sleep. After all, his break would be the only time that he can talk to you.

The next day, you received nothing from him. Not even a single text. So you bear with it, and you didn't text him either. You felt like giving him space.

"Maybe it's not loving."

Maybe he only sees me as someone who'll always look after him. You thought. You wondered, why all of a sudden Rika's voice echoed in your mind.

"Sometimes we mistake infatuation for love."

But can infatuation make you really this frustrated?

"Good morning, does everyone else was also waiting for the first fall of snow? Winter is really coming, huh? It's even cold here in the studio!"

"Good morning, people of Kanagawa. There's a huge possibility that the first fall of snow would happen today or tomorrow! So stay put, and let us all wait!"

Your hands reached for the remote as you turned the television off. You sighed, picking up your phone from the coffee table. No message. It seems like seeing the first snowfall would stay as a dream.

You got to do something. If Rukawa won't reach you first, then you will. Letting your pride stand in the way will not benefit you anything. After all, this is your first relationship. And you be doing your best to understand him.

That morning, you didn't think of preparing for cram school at all. You were left alone in the house, and honestly, it wasn't even surprising. You took a shower, as you prepared some of your things after. You write on a note and you pinned it on the door of your fridge.

You took a deep breath before you let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. Whatever happens."

***

"Rukawa, where the hell are you going?" Mitsui approached him, while he's busy tying his shoes. Not the basketball one.

"I'm going out for a bit. Tell them I'll pass for training today." He responded that got his upperclassman creased his forehead.

"Do you think they'll believe that?"

"Do I have to give you an audio of me saying it?"

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble. Ryouta will be very mad if you would leave now. The team will be having a practice match. You can't leave now. Let's play first, and you can finally leave."

"No. You guys play, I don't feel like playing today." Rukawa muttered

"That's rude! Come back here, you bastar--"

"Mitsui-senpai, Shohoku have a visitor!"

Rukawa had plans of leaving the training early to meet up with you and to tell you how he really feels about you. He wants to apologize because he realizes that it was really rude of him. He thought that you're mad at him since he hasn't received any message from you, ever since this morning.

You're mad. You're angry at him.

But why are you suddenly here in front of him?

Wearing jeans, and a simple top, and a long brown coat. You huffed in against your scarf.

And Rukawa could only stare at you longingly from the distance. You haven't noticed him yet.

"F/N-chan!? What are you doing here?" Miyagi immediately approached her as she stood in the hall.

"I'm here for the team," she chuckled. "Where's Rukawa? I need to tell him something."

your eyes roamed around as you search for a certain pair of ocean blue eyes, your lips parted when your eyes met his. You stared at Rukawa, who's not in his training uniform. And was on his casual, with a coat on.

While he stood in his position. You started walking towards his direction, you lend your things to Mitsui that you walked past on. He was surprised, indeed. But he couldn't ignore the fact that you traveled from Kanagawa to their camp just to fix an argument.

The other players surrounding you were watching confuse.

Before you even utter a word, Rukawa had pulled you away from the crowd. The two of you were all of a sudden outside. Where he could hug you freely, without eyes watching the two of you.

"I-"

"I'm sorry. I'm such a jerk."

Your eyes widened, but you immediately recovered as he pulled you more. One of your hands clutches against his chest. And the other one is now holding on to his lower back.

"I'm sorry too," you whispered. "I'm sorry, I've been insensitive. I really think that it's fine to just hang out. And I even forgot to tell you that day, when all you ask is to update you every time." Your hand started rubbing his back.

"Let's talk it out. I don't want you to leave me." Rukawa uttered under his breath. "I should have trusted you more. I'm really sorry, now I know that this really works with the two of us."

"Hm," you hummed. "You're all dressed up. Were you going to see me?"

"I am. But you're here..."

"L/N.... it's snowing."

You felt a tug in your heart, as you pull away lightly from Rukawa's chest. With your lips parted, and your eyes slightly widened, you felt Rukawa tugging some of the strands of your hair, as he placed them behind your ear.

You raised a hand, you blinked your eyes twice when you felt a cold thing on it that melts into a tiny amount of water.

Rukawa's face reddened, as he watches you, amused by the snow. He had one of his hands on your lower back, he pulled you a little closer, that you're still able to enjoy the snow. He was glad that he can really hold you like that.

He was extremely overwhelmed by how you look fascinated and amused, he saw how happiness glistened in your eyes, he felt a tug on his heart. Urging him to pull you closer. Rukawa's hand from your lower back traveled to your waist, he wrapped his arms around your waist. You were surprised, to say the least.

But you anticipated with the feeling of Rukawa's face slowly getting near from yours.

And when you felt his lips pressed in yours, it felt like there's no winter at all. It was passionate and slow. His kisses made you felt a lot of longing, instead of aggressiveness all you felt was his gentleness.

when he broke the kiss, your mouth kept close, he went closer as he planted a kiss on your forehead.

"I love you..."

your eyes widened.

"I mean did he even tell you that he loves you? Like 'I love yous'?"

"Bastard! Did you even tell you that you love her?!"

You clutched into his shirt and tiptoed as you initiate the kiss this time. Rukawa was surprised but then he immediately returns the kiss. Within a second after feeling him return the kiss, you broke it, as you rested your head against his chest.

"I love you."

and that was enough for him. His hand went towards the back of your head, letting you leaned on his chest.

It was the first snowfall when the two of you got to tell each other those three words and eight letters.