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Kasumi checked the display she was making of some of her photographs. She was the first one in the club room today, just because she had wanted to work on it more. The club president had said that she could take her time, but she had said that she would get it done as soon as she could and she intended to keep that promise.
She took a step back and looked at the display again. There were only a few more touch ups that she needed to do.
“Markers, markers…” she muttered to herself and glanced around the room. She had been using them this morning and had left them on a table. They weren’t there anymore, and it took a few minutes of searching to figure out where they had run off to. When she finally did ,she heaved a looong sigh and glared up at the high shelf as if it was somehow it’s fault that a brilliant person in the club had decided putting the markers up there was a good idea. Apparently they had forgotten that not everyone was ten feet tall.
She stretched up onto her tiptoes, and her fingers only barely brushed the bottom of the shelf. When she fell back on her heels she gave the shelf a last look, then stepped away to look for a chair or something.
There was footsteps behind her, and a soft clink.
“Is this what you’re after?”
She knew who that voice belonged. “Ennoshita-kun?” she said slowly as she turned around to find the volleyball player standing there, holding the marker can to her. She took it gratefully but gave him a slightly confused look. “What are you doing here?” Not that she wasn’t happy to see her boyfriend, but he didn't usually come by the photography club room.
“Helping you get something off a shelf, apparently,” he said and grinned at her. “Watching you try to get it yourself was kind of cute thought.”
She gave him a withering look that she had perfected for when someone brought up her height, but she let him off after only a second of it. Ennoshita really didn’t bring it up that often, and besides, he had called her cute. She’d forgive him this time.
“You know that’s not what I meant,” she said as she headed over to where she was setting up her display. “I’m happy for the help, but don’t you have practice today?” she glanced back at him as shet the can of markers on the table.
“I do,” Ennoshita came up to stand behind her and leaned over her shoulder a bit to look at the display, “And I’ll be heading over soon. You just darted out of the classroom after class. I was wondering what was up.”
His voice was right next to her ear. She shivered slightly and fought the urge to step away. “I just wanted to work on this,” she gestured at the display. “It’s almost done.”
That got a chuckle out of Ennoshita. “Didn’t you just start this yesterday? I forgot how hard you can work when you feel like that.”
“...I’ll take that as a compliment, so thank you.”
“You’re still tiny though.”
“Hey!”
She was going to turn around to yell at him but he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her back against him.
“I like it,” he muttered as he dropped his head to rest on his arms, next to her own head, “I feel tall when I’m next to you.”
She bit back her first response. Ennoshita wasn’t exactly shy about physical affection, but he didn’t usually grab her out of nowhere either. “You really don’t need my help with that,” she said at last, “you are tall.”
His arms tightened around her just the tiniest fraction. “Not that tall,” he muttered into his arms, “especially when you compared me to some of the guys on my team.”
She snorted and tried to control the fact that his voice next to her ear was causing her to blush. “You are tall,” she repeated, “and just because a couple of them are taller than you doesn’t change that.”
“I still feel small next to them,” he said, voice heavy, “some of them are giants. Even the first years are like that.”
“Ummm…” she frowned in confusion, wondering just how Hinata of all people could make him feel small. Then it dawned on her that he probably wasn’t talking about something that could be measured in centimeters. When he’d walked into the classroom that morning, he had looked frustrated. She had a feeling that most of their classmates hadn’t even noticed, but there was a tension to his shoulders that she hadn’t seen before. He’d tried to act normal when she’d talked to him, but there was something off all day. She had a suspicion it had something to do with morning practice, although she couldn’t say for sure. Ennoshita would never tell her even if it was true.
She reached up to touch his arm. “It’s all right even if you aren’t a giant,” she said gently.
That got a faint, self-deprecating laugh. “it would be helpful,” he said, “I can’t even get to be a starter the way I am now.”
She curled her hand around his own the best she could. “But you’re still growing,” she said firmly. “Even if you don’t exactly reach their height, it doesn't mean anything. They need you on that team, Ennoshita-kun. You have things they don’t, and they rely on you because of that. Just focus on that, instead of what’s above you. You’ll trip if you keep looking up all the time.”
There was a kind of chuckle from Ennoshita and he turned his head slightly so he could look at her out of the corner of his eye. “Was that supposed to be a motivational speech?” he asked.
“....Only if it worked. Did it?” she tried to turn to him, but he just hugged her tighter again.
“Not really sure,” he said, his voice a sigh, “I mean I get what you’re saying, but actually convincing myself of that is actually a lot harder.”
“Yeah, I guess it would be,” she said quietly, feeling a little awkward. What else was she supposed to say? She wasn’t good with the whole pep-talk thing. There had to be something though, she didn’t want to just leave him like this.
He let out a soft sigh. “Thanks though,” he said, “for trying. And for noticing. It means a lot.”
“Um,” she was caught off guard, “you’re welcome? It was kind of obvious..”
“Still,” he muttered, and then fell silent. She was about to ask him what was going on when he sighed. “Can we stay like this? Just for a little bit longer, I mean.”
Her eyes widened a little, then she smiled slightly. She moved her hand up and buried her fingers in his short hair. “Yeah, sure,” she replied, “I don’t mind. I’ll stay here as long as you need me too.”