Work Text:
“Why do we limit ourselves to gingerbread only in the winter?”
“It’s 3am. Shut up and sleep.”
“But- But it’s so good... Why don’t we eat it all the time?”
“Oikawa. Shut up and sleep.”
“I need to know, Dai-chan! This is a very pressing issue and I shan’t sleep until I know the answer!” Sighing, Daichi shoves his face into his pillow. The team Captain’s meeting had turned into Captain’s party, which had now turned into Captain’s sleepover.
Kuroo laughed from the futon he was in, and Bokuto snored loudly. Ushijima was so quiet, Daichi initially thought he was asleep, until his voice broke the 40 seconds of silence after Oikawa’s complaint.
“In Medieval England, gingerbread referred to any form of preserved ginger. It was not applied to what we call gingerbread until the 15th century. Although, the first known gingerbread recipe came from Greece in 2400 BC. Queen Elizabeth the first is credited with gingerbread decorating in the way we are familiar with.”
“How the fuck do you know this?” Propped up on one elbow, Daishou glares through the darkness with a scrunched up face. His first impression of Ushijima is ‘walking encyclopedia’, because what normal human knows so much detail on seemingly unimportant matters?
“I am quite partial to gingerbread.”
“Yeah, okay, and I like stollen, but you don’t see me reciting an academic paper on it.” Daichi shoved his face deeper into his pillow with a groan.
“Can we just get some sleep, please? It’s gone 3 in the morning and we have club tomorrow.” Snickering, Kuroo poked Daichi with his feet, trying to roll him onto his back.
“Don’t interrupt, Daichi~. We’re having a crucial conversation, don’t you know?”
“You know what I don’t know?!” Oikawa jolts up, slamming his hands on the covers in front of him, tucking his legs under his body. Remarkably, he hasn’t argued or insulted Ushijima once since they got ready for bed. Before that, it was a matter of keeping them on opposite sides of the room…
“What?”
“Why do we make gingerbread houses, like, gingerbread to go on the tree is understandable, and normal gingerbread is yummy, but why houses?!” All eyes turn to Ushijima.
“It is unclear whether gingerbread houses were inspired by the Brothers Grimm tale of Hansel and Gretel, or vice versa, but they first emerged in Germany in the 16th century. Back then they were decorated with foil and gold leaf, not simple icing.”
“But why only the winter?! Gingerbread goodness should be all year round!”
“Ooh, I can answer this one.” Kuroo grinned as Oikawa whipped his head around to him, the night time having a strange effect on his natural curiosity. Daishou rolls his eyes.
“Of course you could, nerd.”
“Shut up, snake.”
“Why don’t you wow us with your knowledge then! I hope you get it wrong and look like a fool.”
“Gladly. They used to be all year round~. They were eaten at fairs and became known as fairlings, shaped to fit the seasons. Y’know, like wagashi, but less elegant and more gingerbread. I think flowers and leaves were the main shapes?” He looks to Ushijima, who nods.
“They were also decorated with gold leaf.”
“Wooooow, old timey people were so extra... Gold on gingerbread…”
“Do you really have any right to call people extra, Oikawa?”
“Do you, uh… Uh… I forgot your name, Snake-kun.”
“Snake-! It’s Daishou! Daishou!” Oikawa scrunches his nose up, swaying where he sits from lack of sleep and exhaustion.
“Well, I can’t have two people named Dai-chan… And Dai-chan is Dai-chan… So you’re, uh, you’re Hebi-chan now.”
“My school is Nohebi! Not me!”
“Nigh’ night, Dai-chan, Kuroo-chan, Hebi-chan, Ushi-Go die in a hole-Waka.” Oikawa, after his spurt of English, promptly flops back on the bed, asleep before he even hits the pillow. Ushijima blinks, reaching over to turn off the little lamp by his futon, which had been switched on for the conversation.
“I’m not sure if I should be offended that he hasn’t learnt I lack a middle name yet.” Kuroo cackles until he’s wheezing, Daishou quietly snickering underneath whilst Ushijima looks between them, unaware that ‘go die in a hole’ is not so much a middle name and is actually an insult. He’s not very good at English.
“That’s enough! All of you, get to sleep! I’m not going to suffer anymore than I already have because of your irresponsible asses! Not you of course, Ushijima. The other idiots.”
“Ah, thank you?” A pillow smacks Daichi from across the room, Daishou smirking dangerously.
“According to Oikawa, there can only be one Dai-chan. And, well, I’m not content with being called snake for the rest of my life~.” Kuroo and Ushijima sinks back into their futons innocently, knowing full well the wrath that’s about to be unleashed.
Nobody purposely pisses off Sawamura Daichi and lives.
Half an hour later sees them all tucked in bed and on the verge of sleep, lacking pillows and futons and covers, whilst Daishou is absolutely buried in them, groaning in agony. Who knew soft bedding could be such a powerful weapon?
“Good night.” Ushijima responds with a humm, already drifting off. Daishou groans again, something that sounded vaguely like goodnight, and Kuroo grinned.
“Sweet dreams, Hebi-chan~.”
“Oh, fuck off!”
“Shut up and sleep!” Pushing their luck too far wouldn’t be a wise idea, so Kuroo and Daishou actually listen to Daichi for once and settle down to sleep. It’s peaceful, the room filled only with Bokuto’s snores, Oikawa’s sleep mumblings, and the rest of them breathing steadily. Like this, Kuroo falls asleep.
And awakes to a terrible ruckass. There’s a clattering, like a thousand marble vases have been shattered at once, and as Kuroo looks around the room, he realises one person is missing.
Bokuto. Daichi groans, tugging his hands down his face. Oikawa looks around the room in confusion, still trying to process what woke him up. Ushijima sleeps straight through it. Kuroo supposes anyone who had Tendou as a roommate would learn to sleep through the apocalypse. Daishou glares at Kuroo from across the room.
“He’s your best friend, you do the damage control.”
“... I’ll do the damage control…” Pushing himself out of the futon, Kuroo heads down the stairs and rubs his eyes as he yawns, walking into the kitchen. He leans against the doorframe and watches Bokuto happily bounce around with multitudes of equipment, and what looks like cake batter everywhere.
“What are you doing, Bo?” Bokuto turns around to greet him with large, excited eyes and his usual enthusiastic grin.
“Mornin’ Kuroo! Look, look! I’m baking breakfast for everyone!” Kuroo raises an eyebrow.
“Breakfast? Cakes?” Bokuto tilts his head, pouting with confusion, then perk right up again as he grabs a cookie cutter shape to press into the dough he’s rolled out.
“Not cakes! See, I had a really weird dream? It was like, Christmas, and I was in my house, but suddenly it was a gingerbread house! It was so cool! It had icing, and gold stuff, and sweets all over it. So I woke up super craving gingerbread!”
“Ah…” Deadpan, Kuroo leaves Bokuto to his baking and goes back up to the bedroom. He launches himself across it, accidentally stepping on Daichi, and pins a very surprised Oikawa to the mattress.
“Uh, I’m flattered, Kuroo-chan, but-”
“This is all your fault!”
“Eh? Mine?”
“You and your fucking gingerbread!” Oikawa blinks, face impassive and more stunned than anything.
“I-... Gingerbread? What on earth…? Oh wait! Now I remember! Sorry, Kuroo-chan~. I was so tired, I must have been rambling on~!”
“Somehow, the conversation you started us off on influenced Bokuto’s dreams, so now we’re having gingerbread for breakfast!”
His shout resonates in the silence, only the gentle hum of the oven from downstairs.
“I would quite like gingerbread for breakfast.” The day begins with Kuroo screaming as Daishou laughs at him, Daichi leaving the room like it’s not his problem, and Oikawa attempting to throttle Ushijima for considering gingerbread a breakfast item.