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Ushijima found himself in an unfamiliar place.
Stark white walls. Hard grey floors. Never-ending paths, twisting and turning with no meaning.
He sighed. He hated Ikea.
Tendou, of course, was already several steps ahead of him, marveling at a particularly futuristic looking bed.
“Wakatoshi, are you ready...to move into the future?!” Tendou yelled, dramatically pointing at him.
Ushijima smiled and walked over to Tendou. They had been dating for a few years, and after graduating high school, had decided to move in together.
“Of course, Satori.”
“Well, then I was thinking-“
“But we aren’t getting this bed.”
Tendou smirked. “Aw Wakatoshi, I don’t want a super boring apartment.” But he grabbed his hand anyway, and pulled him to the next display area.
Ushijima wrote down some aisle numbers at Tendou’s request, rejecting any ideas that he deemed inappropriate for their small living space. Such as a huge black glass table fit for a vampire overlord. Or numerous brightly colored lamps.
“Nobody needs 8 lamps, Satori.”
“But they all have different faces!” Tendou whined, holding the lamp up next to his face and imitating its puppy dog eyes.
Ushijima glances over the assortment of animals. “I suppose...we could have that one.” He points towards a particularly nice one in the shape of a red cat, making a :3 face.
Tendou pumped his fist in the air. “Aaaand also this one!” He grabbed an angry looking purple bird from the pile.
Ushijima took it from him and placed it into their basket as Tendou grinned, continuing down the marked path.
Ushijima trailed along after him, squeezing through the small crowds and admiring what Tendou asked him to admire.
After a short while, they found themselves in the kitchen department, and while Ushijima knew, in an apartment, they could not have any of the quartz countertops or large fridges, he couldn’t help but walk through each of the displays anyways.
When he and Tendou had started dating, he had been afraid that it wouldn’t last. Tendou was exciting, fun, vibrant...he, on the other hand, was...not that.
Being with Tendou was like being inside a tornado. A tornado of bright colors and smells and his loud laugh. Ushijima always found himself caught up in his momentum, laughing more than he ever had in his past, a feeling not unlike lightning in his chest.
And Tendou had not grown bored of him. He had taken the time, so much time, to understood how Ushijima worked, reading him like a book without hesitation. He happily explained anything that Ushijima asked, and he never implied he was ever less than perfect.
Ushijima smiled to himself, and ran his hands along the countertop.
Now, they were finally moving in together. To be with, to live beside, someone who trusted him so fully, who he also trusted, who he would follow to the ends of the earth-
“Satori?”
But apparently not to the ends of this Ikea.
Ushijima looked around. Bright red hair was nowhere to be seen. Despite being a foot taller than most people, he had managed to lose him. Or was he the one that was lost?
The thought made Ushijima’s heart tighten slightly. Satori wouldn’t lose him. Definitely not. He was likely just around the next corner.
Ushijima walked around said next corner. No Tendou.
He continued, walking through, trying his best to follow the directions and also not bump into anyone with his large stature.
He stopped, in the middle of the kids furniture section, and looked around again. I am not panicking. He told himself as he wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans. I am not panicking.
—-
Tendou had been 100% sure that hiding in the emptied fridge had been a hilarious and fun idea.
Surely, Ushijima would wander around the display, opening every fridge and cabinet, as he loved to do, and would open this one. He would say “Ah! Satori!” And Tendou would say “Oh well, lettuce go!” or “Don’t worry, I’ll ketchup!” or “Hey Wakatoshi, I’m in a fridge!”
Now, 10 minutes later, he was only about 80% sure.
He guessed that maybe he should assume if he is 80% sure that Ushijima will do something, Ushijima will also be 80% certain that he won’t.
He pulled out his phone to send a text to Ushijima.
Subject: :$
Message: waka where r u??
Minutes passed and he sighed, accepted that his plan had failed, and stepped out of the fridge, ignoring the surprised gasps from several mothers who were inspecting the room.
Maybe he should try calling him? He hit the call button and held the phone to his ear, perching himself on a bar stool.
The phone line clicked as Ushijima answered. “Satori? Where are you.”
Tendou blinked. “I’m still in the kitchens, wait, why didn’t you call me? Where are you?”
The line went silent.
“Wakatoshi?”
“I forgot I had my phone.”
Tendou held his phone away and let out a laugh, sighing into the phone. “Fair enough, where are you, I’ll come meet you.”
“I believe I am by the children’s section.”
“Ah, ok! I’ll be right there! Don’t move!”
“I won’t.”
Tendou set off, keeping Ushijima on the phone, even though they weren’t talking. He knew the silence would be comforting to Ushijima.
When they had met, Tendou had seen him as the large, stoic, blunt man that everyone else around him saw. Ushijima had refused to let anyone in, creating a wall around himself. But, Tendou did love a challenge.
Their friendship had started largely one sided, Tendou bombarding him at lunch times and during practice with anything that came into his head. He told him about his favorite mangas, about his neighbors dog, about how much he hates math class, and everything in between.
Ushijima had remained stoic, but interest flitted across his eyes, and during lunch he would stop eating just to listen to him.
Eventually, Ushijima would involve himself in the conversation. Sharing stories about anything he deemed relevant, which was usually what he had for breakfast, or what he had seen on his run that morning. Often, it was about volleyball.
They spent more and more time together, Ushijima actively seeking Tendou out whenever a class finished, until he invited Tendou to his home to study.
Tendou was probably not the best person to study with, and he knew it. Sitting still was his least favorite thing, and being silent was the worst. But Ushijima invited him over, even before big tests, and still managed to ace them.
He knew that Ushijima didn’t just tolerate him like others did. He genuinely enjoyed his company, and Tendou could not be happier about it. He had not broken down the wall, but he had been given a key, which he figured was more incredibly special.
—-
Satori came bounding round the corner minutes later, and Ushijima breathed a sigh of relief.
“Don’t tell me you were actually worried that you’d never see me again, Wakatoshi!” Tendou laughed and ended the call, as Ushijima pulled him into a tight hug.
Ushijima blushed. “Of course not. Are you finished browsing? We can go pick up the items from the storage center now.”
Tendou nodded and grasped Ushijima’s hand, leading him downstairs. They collected their items, paid together and loaded Tendou’s car.
“Ah Wakatoshi, can you drive home? I’m too tired.” Tendou moaned dramatically, leaning against his back.
Ushijima nodded, and they both climbed into the car.
Tendou was asleep within minutes, and Ushijima struggled to keep from staring.
It was their senior year when he confessed to Tendou. After their loss in the qualifiers, his emotions got the better of him. After giving his advice to each of the continuing members, he had turned to Tendou, and asked him to follow.
They had left the gym, and wandered through the empty corridors, before stopping in the dimly lit auditorium.
“Tendou,” he had said, visibly nervous. “I don’t want to leave without telling you this, how I feel.”
Tendou had looked at him wide eyed, anticipation burning in his chest.
“I...” He started, before dropping his gaze to the floor. Second guessing himself, he took a step backwards.
Tendou’s hand flew out and caught his wrist, pulling him closer. And then his other hand was at his cheek, guiding his face towards his own.
Tendou gave a small smile. “Man, I hope I’m reading this one right.” He murmured before pressing his lips to Ushijima’s.
Ushijima had never felt more alive.
Ushijima pulled himself back to now, wondered what came next. Living together was a huge step, and then what? Anything was possible with Tendou involved, he figured. He stopped himself from daydreaming too much, worried about his concentration behind the wheel.
Anything could come next, and as long as Tendou was with him, he was ready for it all.
—-
An hour or so later, they arrived at their apartment. Ushijima gently woke Tendou up, who stretched and yawned rather obnoxiously.
They somehow managed to carry the large furniture up the 2 flights of stairs, each item definitely too wide for the small hallway. Tendou winced at the weight, as Ushijima nearly carried each item alone without breaking much of a sweat.
Once everything was inside, Tendou grabbed a juice box from their fridge and began loudly slurping it. “So Wakatoshi, are you ready for the ultimate couple’s test?”
Ushijima looked at him and tilted his head to the side.
“Ah, it’s because putting together this furniture is complicated, it makes people frustrated.”
Ushijima frowned. “This will not be complicated at all.”
—-
Ushijima frowned, sweat beads dripping down his face.
“I know that G, is connected to H. So why-“ He attempted again to push the two pieces together, “Aren’t they connecting?”
He picked up the instruction papers again, and attempted to compare the images once more.
Maybe if he just...pushed harder...
The wood let out a sharp crack as it splintered.
Ushijima breathed out hard through his nose.
From across the room, Tendou was building the chairs. Or, he was creating some sort of chair-like items.
He had his hot glue gun in hand, gluing the pieces of wood together in a shape that Ushijima supposed he could sit on.
Ushijima looked down at the wood that he was working on, then back at the instructions. At the wood, then the instructions. Wood, instructions, wood instructions-
“Aha!” He announced, and turned the piece around. It neatly fit into the holes. He grinned and flipped to page 3.
“Wakatoshi! Look! I made a chair!”
Ushijima looked up just in time to see Tendou fall back casually into the chair, swinging his leg over his knee before crashing to the ground.
Ushijima sighed.
He hated Ikea.