Work Text:
“Hey, Nitori-senpai,” Momo asks one Saturday night after practice. He peeks his head over the top bunk ledge to meet Nitori’s eyes on the lower bunk. The silver-haired boy lazily looks up from his book to meet Momo’s eyes himself, “Do you like sweets?”
“Eh?” the upperclassman blinks his eyes at the sudden question, “I guess so... Yeah.”
“Okay!” Momotarou grins innocently, and Nitori can’t tell if it’s the fluorescent dorm lights or Momotarou’s bright smile that’s blinding him.
“…That’s all?”
“That’s all! Thanks, senpai!” his underclassman chirps cheerfully, much to Nitori’s confusion.
He’s still not quite used to being called senpai. It still feels strange, oddly out of place, as if his brain still hasn't made that connection. He guesses it's because he's still not an upperclassman worthy of respect. Compared to the other second or third years on the team, he's quite average, not really somebody who particularly stands out in a crowd. He wonders if he’ll ever be a proper upperclassman - somebody who the underclassmen can look up to.
Maybe one day.
...
“Momo, are these yours?”
“Nope! They’re yours, senpai!”
But he doesn't remember having an entire box (like, a huge box – it looks like it weighs quite a bit) full with an assortment of candy on his desk when he left for class this morning.
“Uhm, Momo, but I didn't – “
“It’s my gift for you, senpai!”
He looks confused, dumbfounded by the sudden declaration. After a minute of thought, he can't help but question, “But… why?”
“Because,” Momo’s eyes twinkle charmingly as always, “You’re my upperclassman.”
That’s doesn't explain anything, Nitori thinks to himself, “But… this is way too much candy.”
The underclassman suddenly looks disappointed with a gloomy glint rising in his golden eyes, “Oh…”
“Bu… but,” and he ends up panicking because he doesn’t want to see Momo disappointed. It’d be weird to see the always joyous, optimistic underclassman disappointed over anything. Besides, Momotarou purposefully got him all this candy just because he’s a senpai. Nobody’s ever done anything like that for him before. Nitori doesn't want him to feel bad over something so nice, “Maybe we can share?” It ended up sounding more like question than a command. So much for being a proper, mature upperclassman.
But Momo doesn’t seem to mind, his eyes shining again as he curiously, almost hopefully, asks, “Can I take half then?”
“Please… erhm, actually, take more.”
…
Momotarou, for a lack of better words, is somehow always around him recently. Sure, they’re roommates and sure, they are on the same swim team, but Nitori was roommate and teammates with Rin-senpai last year he doesn't remember spending so much time with his upperclassman like Momo does with him. It’s not just spending time together. Momo also seems to like getting random gifts for Nitori for no apparent reason. The gift list ranges from huge piles of candy to horrifyingly huge stag beetles – not necessarily gifts that Nitori particularly enjoys (especially the stag beetles).
It should be unbearable. But strangely enough, it’s actually... pleasant. Momo’s excitement is never truly exhausting; it’s a little overwhelming at times, but never annoying. And his giddiness is quite infectious, as Nitori finds himself getting a little giddy as well whenever Momo is around. Momo always manages to find a way to make things feel – better. Make his day a little brighter.
And while he’s still not completely used to being called ‘senpai,’ Momo makes Nitori feel like one, just a little bit, whenever he calls out Nitori's name loudly. He feels like a real upperclassman, despite the fact that Momo is taller and a better swimmer.
…
“Nitori, your time is a little disappointing today,” Rin mumbles as he clicks the stopwatch, “Are you feeling unwell?”
“Eh? N…no… Not in particular,” he anxiously pipes out from the pool, still trying to catch his breath, a tad bit nervous under his captain’s concerned gaze.
“You were doing perfectly fine last week – your times were improving back then.”
“I… I don’t know.”
“…Maybe it’s just a bad day. Or maybe we should change your training regime a little,” Matsuoka ponders thoughtfully, “Alright, you can take a break for now.”
Nitori climbs out of the pool, a little lifeless. He knows that Matsuoka-senpai doesn’t have any ill-will towards him. The tone of his voice was far from malicious. And he knows that he might just be having a bad day. Everybody has those once in a while. Senpai even said that his times were improving last week. But he can’t help but feel that he has disappointed his upperclassman – disappointed somebody who has trusted him despite his lackluster records and times. Somebody who is truly concerned about his well-being.
From the bench, as he dries his hair off, Momo jumps into the pool. He swims swiftly and spiritedly, slicing through the water with impressive energy. While he still makes a lot of mistakes, nobody can doubt his enthusiasm and talent. He’s fast, and despite his rough form, he’s got real potential. Even Nitori can see that.
He really isn't worthy of being called a senpai.
…
“Hey, Nitori-senpai, are you alright?” Momo suddenly asks that night. They’re both in bed, with the lights turned off, but he’s not asleep yet. He supposes that Momo can tell that he’s still awake from the top bunks, “You seemed a little… down after practice.”
“I’m okay,” he squeaks, and then he quickly adds as an afterthought, “I guess.”
“Oh, okay,” the redhead mumbles, his blankets shifting hesitantly from above. After a brief silence, the underclassman speaks up, “I…just wanted to tell you that – I think you’re a really great upperclassman, senpai.”
He realizes that Momo saw Rin talking to him earlier, or at least, he pieced together what went on after seeing how dispirited he was after practice. Hesitantly, almost fearfully, Nitori finally cries, “…Why?”
“Why? Well, first of all, you’re really nice – you don’t mind me making a mess in the room with all my toys and stag beetle collection.”
Well, Nitori actually does mind. He just doesn't protest much because he recognizes a lost cause when he sees one. There’s no way he’ll get Momo to give up his massive toy and stag beetle collection.
“And you didn't kick me out even after I scared you with that frog…”
He shudders from his bed at the thought of that incident, “It was the biggest frog I've had ever seen.”
“I know, awesome, right?”
“I seriously considered kicking you out of the room, you know.”
“Yeah, I could tell by the way you ran away from the frog... Still sorry about that."
Nitori groans.
“And there was the time I almost vacuumed up your entire magazine stash and – “
“Oh my god,” he raises he voice immediately, but then hushes down an anxious whisper, “I thought we promised to never speak of this.”
“Yeah, but just saying. You didn't kick me out even after that.”
“…In my defense, I haven’t read that thing in months.”
Momo promptly ignores his protests and continues, “And you even ate all the candy I got you a few weeks ago!”
“You ate more than half of it, if I remember correctly.”
“Yeah, see? You don’t mind sharing things.”
“I… I don’t know if that’s the right way to put it.”
“Sure it is,” Momo responds brightly, and Nitori can practically hear that wonderful grin from his bottom of the bunk. There's something magical about that optimistic grin of his that's just a little bit smug, but also genuine enough for others to be affected by it, “And I really respect the way you try really hard at practice. Anybody can tell that you really try your best.”
Nitori pauses, “But I'm not a very talented swimmer.”
“Hard work is probably the best talent anybody could ever have! There's no point in being naturally good if you're not going to practice,” he hears Momo’s bed creaking as the underclassman peeks his head over the ledge to meet Nitori’s wavering gaze, “You even stay behind to practice further on weekdays. It's really amazing.”
Amazing? That's never a word he's used to describe himself. He has never thought of someone deserving much respect. Especially from an upperclassman like Momo who seems to be well-liked by others and well-acknowledged as a talented swimmer. He's… lackluster at best. Mediocre, compared to someone as stunning as Momotarou.
“Erh, I guess my point is…” he mutters, “I think you’re a really great senpai and I really admire you for that. So you shouldn't let one day of bad practice get to you.”
Nitori lies on the bottom bunk, turning over Momo’s words in his head. Momo - talented, energetic, stunningly brilliant Momo - thinks he’s a great senpai. And for some reason, at that moment, that's the only thing that matters to him - that Momo thinks he's somebody worthy of his respect.
“A… are you crying, Nitori-senpai?”
"I'm...!” Nitori exclaims, panicking suddenly as little teardrops form at the edge of his eyes, “I’m not! I’m not crying or anything…!” or so he claims, but he continues to sob uncontrollably underneath his blanket.
“You totally are crying, senpai!” Momo’s voice is a mixture of excitement and shock, “I didn’t mean to make you cry! I’m sorry!”
“No!” he yells, “Don’t come down from your bed!”
“But senpai!” Momo yells back as he gets on the ladder.
“Oh my god, stop! Don’t – “
Momo doesn't listen to his protests, and comes down from his top of the bunk, sliding into the bed to lie down next to Nitori, who happens to be a sobbing, hiccuping mess. He doesn't hug or hold his hand (and Nitori would probably freak out if he did), but his presence itself is already enough comfort.
“This is humiliating,” he mumbles as the underclassman just grins cheerfully beside him, “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“This feels great, Nitori-senpai. Bonding time, huh?”
“I hate you.”
“Eh?!” Momo suddenly jolts, “Seriously?”
“…No," he reluctantly admits, "But shut up before somebody complains about the noise… Or I’ll kick you out of my bed and make you go back to your bunk.”
Momotarou chuckles and Nitori gives up, albeit with a small, pleasant grin on his lips as he goes to sleep with the redhead underclassman dozing off next to him, stealing all of his blanket.
…
“You get along well with Momotarou, don’t you?” Rin mentions one day after practice as they walk upstairs, heading back to the dorms, “He really seems to like you.”
“Eh? I… guess so,” not that Nitori still understands why – but he thinks he’s getting better at this whole senpai situation. When he’s around Momo, he feels like he’s worth something – a senpai worth of respect.
“He lights up a thousand watts whenever he sees you,” he chuckles, “Kind of like a school girl with a crush.”
At that comment, Nitori almost trips down the stairs.