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Sticky fingers ran through grass. Wide grins plastered on faces. A cool breeze ruffled hair.
"Hey! That was my pork bun!"
"No, it wasn't, dumbass!"
"Guys, guys, Hinata's mum steamed some more, stop fighting."
Yamaguchi hopped down the step into the grass, a big red plate of steaming buns in his hands. Walking over to where the three boys and Natsu sat, Yamaguchi set the plate down gently, batting away hands as they tried to grab the buns.
"These are still hot, be patient or you'll hurt yourself."
"I don't think either of them has enough of a brain to feel pain," Tsukishima snickered.
"You shouldn't talk to Shouyou and Tobio-chan like that," Natsu stood up with a frown, brandishing a flower towards Tsukishima.
Tsukishima opened his mouth to retort but paused when he caught sight of the look Yamaguchi was giving him. He sat back with a huff and Natsu dropped the flower she was holding.
"Do you guys even remember how to make flower crowns?" Natsu asked as she plopped back down onto the grass, grimacing as she accidentally touched the sticky popsicle stick beside her.
"Uh," Hinata looked up from the wreck of flowers in his hands. The stems knotted at odd angles and petals falling off.
"Ah," Kageyama was in no better of a position. Somehow each of his flowers had lined up side by side beside each other. Flower heads overlapping and looking ready to be weaved with.
Natsu sighed as she crawled over to the two of them, scooting a little closer as she showed them how to knot the flowers together.
Yamaguchi took the plate with him as he moved to sit beside Tsukishima, smothering a laugh when he saw the mess of petals in his friend's hands.
"Shut up Yamaguchi."
"Sorry Tsukki," Though Yamaguchi didn't stop snickering. "Here, let me show you."
Kageyama watched as Yamaguchi stuck his tongue out a little, fiddling with the flowers in front of Tsukishima. He watched the way Yamaguchi's brow furrowed. Concentrating on the stems of the flower, the frown disappeared momentarily when he remembered he was supposed to be showing Tsukishima what to do.
"Tobio-chan!"
Kageyama jumped when he realised Natsu was waving her hand aggressively in his face.
"Ah, sorry."
"You should be," she humphed as she pulled the flowers out of Kageyama's hands. "You squished them all!"
He must have absentmindedly clenched his fist as he stared over at Yamaguchi. Looking up he found both Yamaguchi and Tsukishima looking back at him. Yamaguchi trying to hide his giggles, Tsukishima not doing anything to hide his shit-eating grin. Kageyama grumbled as he chose to ignore the pair and turn back to Natsu.
"Hinata-san, can you please do something for me?"
~*~
"Ok, now you can eat them."
"Yay!" Hinata threw his flowers to the ground and bounded over to Yamaguchi, excitedly bouncing up and down as Yamaguchi lifted the plate above his head.
"Tadashi-chan, can I have a custard bun?" Natsu asked as she made her way over to him.
"Oh, uh, yeah," Yamaguchi brought the plate down to look over the selection Hinata's mum had steamed for them, plucking a smooth bun up and handing it to Natsu. Natsu beamed up at him and shoved the bun into her mouth, mumbling something unintelligible back to him as she happily went back to her spot. The custard bun wiggling in her mouth as she chewed on it, concentrating on the small flowers in her hands. Like brother, like sister, Yamaguchi supposed.
Turning back to Hinata Yamaguchi jumped, finding Kageyma had silently joined when he was giving Natsu a bun.
"Umm, two pork buns?"
The two nodded simultaneously, both of them vibrating on the spot.
"I think if you don't give them a bun now they might explode," Tsukishima whispered as he walked up behind Yamaguchi, plucking a taro bun off the plate.
"Well, I guess I wouldn't want that," Yamaguchi held the plate out to the two of them. Hinata snatched two pork buns before bounding back over to his sister. Kageyama picked a pork bun of his own, then his other hand hesitated over the plate.
"Um, Yamaguchi-"
"Tadashi."
"Tadashi, which one do you want?"
Yamaguchi was taken aback by Kageyama, staring at him dumbfounded before he realised what was happening.
"Uh, I wanted a pork bun." Kageyama took the plate from Yamaguchi's hand and turned it so the last remaining pork bun was facing Yamaguchi. "Oh, uh," Yamaguchi hesitantly grabbed the bun. "Thank you, Tobio."
Kageyama's face began to heat up, pink splashing across the tops of his cheeks as he looked away from Yamaguchi.
"No! No- uh, No problem!" he yelled before he quickly set the plate down and scurried back over to the Hinata's. Hinata elbowed him with a laugh, a flustered look on Kageyama’s face as he tried to shove Hinata away.
"What was that about?" Tsukishima asked as Yamaguchi took a seat again.
"I'm, not sure."
"Do you think the king was flirting?"
Yamaguchi looked down at the pork bun in his hands, the steam still coming up from it after he had torn it open.
"If it was, it was cute."
"No, it wasn't," Tsukishima scoffed. "That was so awkward, I don't understand what you see in him."
Yamaguchi looked up at Kageyama, the boy attentively looking at something in Natsu's hands. Not quite the intensity as when he was on the court, but with the same flushed cheeks and shine to his eyes. Attentively taking in everything he was seeing.
"He's charming."
Tsukishima barked a laugh.
~*~
"And here's my flower crown!" Hinata excitedly presented the misshapen crown. Flowers barely in a pattern, a few of the petals squished already.
"Here's Tsukki's, isn't it cute?" Yamaguchi presented Tsukishima's flower crown, a neat circle of small white and pink flowers.
"Shut up Yamaguchi."
"Sorry Tsukki, but this is adorable," Yamaguchi grinned as he turned to place the crown on Tsukishima's head.
"Uh, Tadashi, I-" Kageyama stumbled through his words, pausing to look down at Natsu. Natsu tugged Kageyama's fist down, unfurling his fingers to drop something in his hand before closing his fingers on it. She pet his hip and nodded determinedly up at him. "Um, I have something for you."
"Huh?" Yamaguchi tilted his head in confusion but held his hand out as Kageyama extended his own. Kageyama opened his hand and dropped what Natsu had given him into Yamaguchi's hand. Yamaguchi retracted his hand to look at the item.
Yamaguchi's face warmed as he realised what it was.
"Uh, Tobio, what's this for?"
"I- You know how-" Kageyama paused, looking away from Yamaguchi. "I was worried I wasn't-"
"Wait!" Natsu yelled, holding her hands up. "Kei-chan! Shouyou! We need to go!"
"Hah? I wanna see how the king's gonna embarrass himself this time."
"Hey," Kageyama glared at Tsukishima, though the look held no heat with the flush high on his face.
"No!" Natsu yelled, pushing and gathering Tsukishima and Hinata. "We're gonna play in my room."
Yamaguchi watched as the three of them disappeared into Hinata's home before turning his attention back to Kageyama.
"Um, did you want to, continue?"
"Uh, I, I asked Daichi-san, and Suga-san, how to be in a relationship. Because, because Oikawa said I was a bad boyfriend. And they said give gifts and be nice."
"Ah," Yamaguchi nodded. It didn't sound exactly like the answers those two would have given, but Yamaguchi could only take Kageyama's word for it. "And this, is a gift for me?"
Kageyama's nerves seem to skyrocket again.
"Ye- yea. Yes"
Yamaguchi looked down at the gift in his hand. Knotted flowers pulled together into a tight ring, just the right size to fit on a finger. Dragging a finger over the ring Yamaguchi felt the velvety petals of the tiny flowers. He picked it up and slipped it on his hand, trying his ring finger before putting it on his middle finger. Holding his hand up Yamaguchi couldn't help the wobbly smile that spread across his face.
"I love it, thank you Tobio," Yamaguchi dropped his hand and pulled Kageyama into a hug. He could feel Kageyama's surprised flailing before Kageyama calmed down and wrapped his arms around Yamaguchi too.
~*~
Yamaguchi laughed as he looked over the collection of photo frames on their tv unit, Kageyama looking up from the kitchen, set his knife down.
"What?"
"I'm just thinking of the first gift you gave me."
Kageyama's face went bright red as he looked over at the photo frames, recalling it himself.
"Stop bringing it up."
"It was cute."
"It was embarrassing."
Yamaguchi just smiled, finishing the rest of his tea. He set his cup down and walked over to pick up one of the photo frames, the frame a little bulkier than the rest.
"I'm happy you did that."
Kageyama just sighed as he picked up the knife again.
"Can you help me with dinner?"
Yamaguchi grinned as he set the photo frame down.
"Of course."
Yamaguchi pulled a golden band off his finger and set it in the small clay dish beside the bulky photo frame. Kageyama’s eyes had sparkled when Yamaguchi showed him the dish for the first time, the face painted like a volleyball. The photo frames depicted a good selection of their friends, a few showcasing an action shot of Kageyama on the court. One with an action shot of Yamaguchi, which Yamaguchi was thankful he let Kageyama talk him into getting. Then there was one which was an odd one out. The bulky photo frame. The frame that lived permanently beside their little ring dish.
In the photo frame were some pressed flowers, yellowed with age and crispy, set in a small neat circle, just the right size to fit on a finger. And in the dish were two bands. A familiar ring of flowers etched into the faces.