Chapter Text
Most people think Ushijima doesn't really get nervous. They see him as some Greek God of self-control, to be honest. That applies to everyone - teammates, family... The last time his own mother saw him get emotional was in elementary school because of a moving documentary about pandas. To most, Ushijima is a statue made of stone. Tendou knows it's not true, but he found out late - that is when they started dating. Because the way Ushijima shows emotions isn't visible - until you hold hands with him.
Ushijima's palms show every emotion hits face doesn't. They get shaky whenever he's stressed. They get sweaty when he's nervous - meaning they got very sweaty during the first month of them dating. Maybe some people would call it gross, but Tendou swoons. A-dor-freaking-able. The great Ushijima Wakatoshi... Gets nervous because he wants to kiss his boyfriend. Once his palms got really shaky and it turned out, as he explained with the slightest hint of a blush, that "Satori looked really good in a sweater".l
So now, whenever a situation can be stressful, Tendou reads from Ushijima's hands. If he sees any signs of nervousness before a match, he does everything he can to help him relax without ruining the captain's image in the other teammates' eyes, like whispering calming words to his ear or discreetly linking their pinky fingers together.
"It will be our little secret, Wakatoshi", laughs Tendou once when they go home together after winning another match, "how nervous the stone giant Ushiwaka gets before every game."
Wakatoshi just nods and squeezes Tendou's hand with his own, very shaky one harder.