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“Oh my God! Just fuck already!” Watari exclaimed from the floor of the club room as he pushed himself up.
Yahaba and Kyoutani had been arguing over who knows what. Probably the dumb way Yahaba tied his shoe laces. He was incredibly smart and a better setter then he gave himself credit for. But he still tied his shoes, bunny ears style, like a grade schooler.
“What-“ Yahaba was cut off.
“-the fuck did you just say?” And Kyoutani was either pissed or embarrassed. Probably both.
They even finish each other’s profane sentences. It was how Yahaba stopped scolding Kyoutani for his bad language. When he learned Kyoutani could do the cussing for him. They were disgustingly cute.
“I have had it! It’s been a whole fucking year of this!” Watari was violently rubbing his head with both hands, “you shove him into a wall one time and you both lose your fucking minds!”
There was no clap back. No snarky remark. Just a wide eye Yahaba, forever embarrassed that he did that. And a blushing Kyoutani who would never admit that that was indeed what caused him to lose his mind, only over Yahaba of course.
“Ok this is what’s gonna happen,” he was now pinching the bridge of his nose, other hand on hip, trying to calm himself from the outburst.
Watari knew the two idiots, who were now his best friends, were totally and completely into each other. But both too stubborn and prideful to make the first move. Idiots!
“There’s this new café, blah blah blah, you’re both going. No, I will not be there. I’m not third wheeling again. After Sunday practice. To-mor-row! You have 24 hours to get your shit together. Fuck!” Watari slammed, on accident, his locker and headed to class.
Kyoutani followed, he was in the same class, like a zombie but with perfect posture. Leaving Yahaba behind in what Watari would call ‘to suffer in gay solitary non confinement.’ He refused to look back at the friend he’d known for longer. He knew Yahaba would be okay, panicked, but okay. He knew if he saw his big doe eyes he’d instantly feel guilty. But no, he had to. They weren’t gonna do it on their own and would regret it someday years down the line.
He spent the last year with them as a trio of best buds. And that was how he liked it. Because as soon as one of them left it was nothing but sappy pining over the other. Like how Yahaba’s dumb hair was perfect today or was almost perfect today, which meant something was wrong and oh no was the something Kyoutani’s fault. Or the time Yahaba got a sneaky pic of Kyoutani smiling or when he found out what his favorite book was and literally wrote a book report on it for fun. It was sickening.
He cared about his best friends. He wanted them to figure it out on their own but that was not happening anytime soon. He cared too much to let this go on. And damn they just needed to bang, literally bang, out the dumb hormones or whatever it was that made them this way.
I better be invited to their fucking wedding.
-----
Yahaba reluctantly made his way to the cafè. He didn’t realize it until he was actually there. His body was on autopilot the moment practice ended.
Practice wasn’t bad, once he got into it. Kyoutani was late so he didn’t have to awkwardly exist in his presence in the club room. He got the club ready through stretches and Kyoutani finally made his appearance just before warm ups. Like a reflex, Yahaba yelled at him for being late. Not a yell yell, a gentle yell if that was possible. Kyoutani was rarely late since the start of their third year, but Yahaba still had the same speech ready for him.
Some of the first years had questions so he was one of the last to make it back to the club room to change. Kyoutani had already left, his bag gone and locker closed. Watari shrugged with a crooked smile on his face, like he had something to be proud of. Yahaba tried to convince himself it wasn’t a big deal. It was just teammates going to a cafè. A cold tea sounded amazing right now. As they left, Watari slapped Yahaba hard on the shoulder. Waking Yahaba from his trance-like state. He winked at him, flashing a brilliant gray eye.
“Good luck,” the third year libero left with the first year libero.
And now he was here, at the cafè. And Kyoutani was nowhere to be seen.
Of course he’s not here. Yahaba told himself he wasn’t disappointed. He had hardly said a word to Kyoutani after their arranged date was set up. He was not disappointed at all.
So he crouched down to hug his knees still on the sidewalk across from the cafè. No one would notice him, he knew how forgettable he was. Obviously.
His phone pinged
[Kyoutani] I don’t know where it is
Yahaba scoffed. And then smiled.
[Yahaba] yeah right
[Kyoutani] I’m serious asshole
[Kyoutani] just tell me what street its on
Yahaba laughed, he forgot how bad he felt just moments ago. Kyoutani had that effect on him and he accepted it 100%. He texted him his location.
[Yahaba] and bring me flowers!
[Kyoutani] dick
Kyoutani turned the corner about 3 minutes later, Yahaba was not counting. He was standing tall now, confidence came back to him as the ever so slightly shorter volleyball player approached. He liked how Kyoutani made him feel, he always seems to give him energy. Sometimes it was in the form of shouting, but right now it was in his smile.
“Here,” Kyoutani tossed a small yellow flower at him.
“This is a weed,” Yahaba held it delicately so the stickiness he knew it would release didn’t get on his hands.
“Then it's perfect for you,” Kyoutani grunted. He didn't look at him and had red on his ears.
Yahaba laughed, one of his most genuine. The ugly kind that he didn't like others to hear.
“Thank you,” Yahaba looked at the dandelion, he liked the color. It matched his date's hair. He smiled harder.
“And they're not technically weeds. People just think they are'' Kyoutani's voice trailed off a little, “They're pretty.”
“I like the color,” Yahaba willed himself with everything in his body to be bold. He was not going to let Watari take all the credit, “reminds me of someone I like.”
“Come on let's go,” Kyoutani headed across the street.
“Okay,” Yahaba chased after him “I want tea!”
-----
“Thanks by the way”
“For what?” Watari asked as he finished fixing Kyoutani’s boutonnière. It was a cluster of small yellow flowers Watari couldn't remember the name of.
“For yelling at us to, and I quote, ‘just fuck already’” Kyoutani’s air quotes displayed how shaky his hands were.
“Ha! You’re about six years late on that but you're welcome man,” Watari smiled “and don’t be so damn nervous. You are, in a literal sense, about to marry the man of your dreams.”
“I'm not nervous,” He wasn't convincing, even to himself, “just please don't say anything embarrassing during your toast later. I know you’re planning to.”
“I have to! Yahaba didn't ask me to be his best man!”
“That's because you’re my best man.”
“I could have been both!”
“Shigeru had a hard enough time choosing between his brothers. You should be grateful I let you be mine.”
“I kid, I kid!” Watari patted him on the back, “come on, you're the one whose supposed to be at the altar first.”
“You ready?” Iwaizumi, another groomsman, popped his head into the dressing room.
“Yeah,” Kyoutani took one last deep breath and headed for the door “I mean it Shinji, thanks.”
“Oh my God! Just get married already!” Watari exclaimed as he pushed his best friend out the door.