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Reaching in 15 mins, can’t wait to see u!!
Shouyou grinned at the text message and pocketed his phone before sauntering into the kitchen. Tobio was standing by the fridge, one hand bracing against the open door and the other holding a milk carton, squinting in concentration as he tried to read the expiration date on it. His hair was wet and dishevelled from a recent shower and he smelled nice.
Shouyou’s smile widened and he bounded up to him to pull him down with a fist clenched around his shirtsleeve and plant a sloppy kiss on his cheek.
"What the hell are you doing, dumbass?" Tobio straightened up after pushing him away with a hand on his skull.
"Getting it out of my system,” Shouyou explained, hopping up on the counter and swinging his legs impatiently. “Just got a text from Natsu, she'll reach soon." He made grabby hands at his boyfriend. “Come here.”
Tobio looked at him with narrowed eyes before sighing and relenting. He came to stand between Shouyou’s knees but Shouyou soon found out that it was less for romance purposes and more for taking-out-a-bowl-from-the-overhead-cabinet purposes.
Still, Shouyou was nothing if not persistent and still happily latched on to him, wrapping his hands around Tobio’s torso and nuzzling into his collarbone.
"I still don't get why you have to make this so complicated,” Tobio said, inspecting the various bowls on the shelf as if it were a matter of life and death, ignoring Shouyou who was pressing light kisses to the side of his neck. “Just tell her about us. I told my sister."
"No, that's different. She's older than you,” Shouyou insisted, pulling away and propping his chin on Tobio’s chest to look up at him. “Natsu is like...a baby."
Tobio looked down at him and raised an eyebrow. "A baby? She's coming here to look at universities, she'll be an adult next month."
Shouyou groaned. "It's weird, okay?”
“Why is it weird?” Tobio sounded genuinely confused.
Shouyou sighed, his ears heating up a little as he averted his gaze to the logo on Tobio’s shirt. “She'll think we've—you know.”
"What?"
"You know,” Shouyou pressed, shooting Tobio a significant look. “That we’ve—had sex.” He whispered the last part.
"Okay?” Tobio stared at him. “We have."
"It's embarrassing!" Shouyou sputtered.
Tobio looked largely unimpressed. "You're twenty-four years old, Shouyou."
"Ugh you don't get it!" Shouyou retorted indignantly, removing his arms from around Tobio and crossing them over his chest instead.
Tobio snorted and Shouyou felt his hands settle on his waist. "You're the baby between the two of you, if you ask me."
"Well, I'm not asking you,” Shouyou countered, glaring up at him. “Just shut up and kiss me, Annoying-yama."
Tobio rolled his eyes, acting as if it was a great sacrifice for him but his enthusiasm when he leaned in to capture Shouyou’s lips with his own rivalled Shouyou’s. Shouyou smiled into the kiss, wrapping his legs around Tobio’s waist and pulling him closer.
"Now, remember,” Shouyou instructed after they’d broken apart after long, dizzying moments. “We're roommates. Just roommates."
"That's stupid,” Tobio stated breathlessly, wiping a hand across his mouth. His hair was even messier now, courtesy of Shouyou’s hands running through it. “Why would we need a roommate? We can both afford to live alone."
Shouyou grinned at him mischievously, poking a finger into his cheek and immediately getting his hand batted away. "Because you get lonely. And I’m your best friend in the whole wide world."
"As if,” Tobio scoffed, looking away shiftily.
"Oh, really?” Shouyou challenged, tightening his legs around Tobio’s waist and caging in him so he couldn’t escape. “Who was it that wouldn't stop calling me in the dead of the night when I'd just gone to Miyagi last month? It was only like three days too!"
Tobio’s cheeks flushed. "Whatever," he muttered.
“Aww,” Shouyou cooed. "Cute."
Tobio’s eyes snapped to his dangerously. "What did you say?"
Shouyou smirked and started chanting, “Cute, cute, cute, cute, cute—”
Tobio reached out to grip Shouyou’s hair and pulled, moving his head back and forth.
“Ow!” Shouyou cried out, snatching his wrist roughly and pushing him away. "Fine! Fucking ugly then."
Tobio huffed but there was still a pink tinge lingering on his face. "Dumbass."
Shouyou was just wondering how to get him back for that when his phone buzzed and his attention diverted to it, seeing a text from Natsu flashing on the screen.
I’m here! Open the door
“What is it with kids today and texting when they’re outside your door?” he said. “Just ring the bell or knock or something.”
Tobio shrugged, moving out of the kitchen and towards the main door, Shouyou on his heels.
Natsu barrelled in with a big smile when Tobio opened the door, hugging him even before she hugged Shouyou with a delighted cry of, “Tobio-san!”
He looked shocked, blue eyes wide, but got over his surprise in time to pat her back awkwardly a few times with a hint of a warm smile and Shouyou’s heart grew two sizes watching them.
Shouyou and Natsu’s reunion was much louder and it was Tobio who had to close the door and pick up Natsu’s bag as the siblings chattered away into the apartment.
Shouyou couldn’t believe how much Natsu had grown sometimes, there was hardly a few inches of difference in their heights now and she wore her blazing hair in a smart ponytail instead of two little pigtails like Shouyou had seen for half his life. She was also built like an athlete after three years of playing high school volleyball and winning. Much more than Shouyou had at Karasuno anyway and that was damn impressive, considering they’d played Nationals every year that Shouyou and Tobio’s freak duo was on the court.
He couldn’t help the pride bursting out of him as she started talking about the universities that had scouted her.
“I’m thinking Waseda, I’ve had my eye on them,” she told him as he guided her to her room after some time. “But we’ll see, I still have a few months. What do you think, nii-chan?”
“I think you’d better ask Kageyama, he’s the one who obsesses over every little volleyball trivia he can get his hands on,” Shouyou said teasingly, glancing back at Tobio who frowned adorably. “Including intercollegiate rankings. Right, Yamayama-kun?”
“Waseda is a good choice,” Tobio mumbled shyly in response and Natsu beamed at his input. “You’re the starting setter for the team, right?”
Natsu nodded, ducking out from beneath Shouyou’s arm and taking Tobio’s side. “Yes! I just think the setter is the one who holds the team together, who can turn around the outcome of a game. There’s so much responsibility that comes with tossing.”
“You’re right,” Tobio agreed, his eyes taking on a familiar shine. “It’s the most important position.”
“Is not!” Shouyou bristled. “Spikers are—”
“Nothing without the setter,” Tobio cut him off, smirking.
“It’s the other way around too, you’re giving yourself way too much credit!” Shouyou argued, except Natsu and Tobio had already moved their conversation forward without him and were now discussing optimal wrist movements.
Natsu started fawning over Tobio’s performance in one of his league matches and then he was giving her setting tips and exchanging trade secrets.
Shouyou scowled, huffing and looking away.
Whatever. He got his fair share of attention and praise from both of them every time he played; they could have this one thing.
He grumbled to himself under his breath and stomped ahead.
They reached her room—which was technically Shouyou’s room, except he didn’t use it as anything except a dumping ground—and Tobio lugged her bag inside. They’d cleaned it up pretty nicely and Shouyou had added a few personal touches to make it seem like he actually lived there.
“Okay, here you go!” Shouyou announced, presenting the room with a flourish of his hands. “Isn’t it nice?”
Natsu’s eyes surveyed the room with wonderment. “It is! Your place is so big.”
“Well, you are talking about the home of two pro-athletes.” Shouyou puffed out his chest. “You should thank me for being the best, awesomest brother ever!”
Natsu wide-eyed expression turned into one of puzzlement as she sat down on the edge of the bed, checking how springy the mattress was. “Why?”
Shouyou pouted, looking put out. “Well, for giving up my room for you and deciding to slum it with Kageyama, of course!”
Natsu’s face got even more confused, with a hint of concern in her gaze and Tobio just rolled his eyes.
Shouyou blinked. Had he said something wrong? Was he overdoing it?
“I—” he began, starting to sweat under Natsu’s weird stare until Tobio finally intervened.
“Ignore him, he’s an idiot,” he said, pulling Shouyou to him by the back of his collar. “Get settled in, we’ll take care of lunch. Tell us if you need anything.”
Natsu’s face smoothened out and she gave them a bright smile, before Tobio dragged him out of the room and closed the door.
Shouyou heaved an exhale, slumping against his boyfriend. “Thanks for that.”
“You’re such a shit actor and you’re the one who wanted to do this in the first place,” Tobio scolded him, weaving an arm around him to support his weight. “And get off me, unless you want her to see.”
“Mmm, stop holding me then,” Shouyou mumbled into his shoulder and Tobio just grunted out, “Such a menace.”
It was in his fond voice though. Shouyou could tell.
He didn’t stop clinging to Tobio and Tobio didn’t let go of him as they made their way back to the kitchen.
Natsu’s door stayed closed for the next hour and they got away with it.
Shouyou stretched languidly, content to just stay in bed. He’d taken two days off practice for his sister’s visit and it was the off-season anyway, so he didn’t feel guilty about it. He rarely got the chance to be lazy in the mornings, with early practices and workouts and his own inability to be idle instead of constantly moving. Meditating helped with his restlessness but Shouyou still found it impossible to not do anything for long periods of time.
But today. Today he wanted to relax and just…enjoy the moment, the softness of the sheets, the perfect temperature under the covers, the quietness of the morning.
To make the temptation ever sweeter, soon there was an arm wrapping around his waist and warm lips against his nape, whispering a rough, “Morning.”
Shouyou melted into the mattress, letting out a contented rumble from low in his throat. “Good morning,” he said softly, letting his eyes fall shut.
There was a sneeze from somewhere in the flat and his eyes fluttered open again, remembering the events of the previous day.
"Stay on your side of the bed, Natsu could come in," he said without much conviction, contradicting himself and backing into Tobio’s warm embrace anyway.
"Why would she come in?” Tobio responded in his gruff morning voice that always did something to Shouyou’s insides.
“She would barge into my room anytime when we were kids,” Shouyou told him, catching his hand in his own and idly playing with his fingers, calloused but well taken care of.
“She’s not five anymore and definitely has more manners than you,” Tobio said, nuzzling into his shoulder. He was clingy in the mornings. Shouyou loved it.
“Besides,” he continued. “We're already sharing a bed, what could be more incriminating than that?"
Shouyou sniffed. "Sharing a bed can be platonic, cuddling is not."
Tobio made a disgruntled noise behind him and said irritably, "You're such a fucking weirdo. I'm not letting you go. Stay put."
He tightened his arm around Shouyou, pulling him flush against himself so he couldn’t escape even if he wanted to.
And Shouyou didn’t. He really, really didn’t.
He gave up without a fight, his brain starting to fall back asleep again under the comfort he was ensconced in.
“Anyway, I don’t think Nat-chan is waking up any time soon,” Tobio added quietly a moment later. “I went out for water at around 2 last night and her bedroom light was still on.”
Shouyou registered this slowly and responded half-heartedly, “Kids these days, amirite?”
Tobio hummed, his breathing getting noticeably slower too and then there was nothing more said between them.
Shouyou smiled to himself and gave in to sleep.
It turned out Shouyou was right to have enjoyed the moment of peace and intimacy with the love of his life that morning because he didn’t get any more throughout the day with Natsu around.
It was becoming a little bit of a problem to hold himself back from the casual touches he bestowed upon Tobio on a daily basis, to stop himself from latching on to his back when he made tea or to curl his fingers into his hair fleetingly as he passed him or just fucking kiss him. He already missed kissing Tobio—on the lips, on the cheek, on the top of his head and even his nose, which Tobio always hated.
Shouyou hadn’t realised how accustomed he'd grown to constantly seeking contact from his partner and his hands itched to touch. Tobio seemed to be in a similar predicament, clearly fidgety and on edge.
It was fine when they accompanied Natsu to one of the universities in her list because Shouyou was distracted and in public and stepping into a volleyball court. Tobio seemed momentarily absorbed too, his eyes tracking the movement of a jump serve as the college students practiced.
Natsu was visibly excited, her feet almost floating off the ground as she took in the campus and prattled off about anything and everything. Her excitement was contagious, prompting Shouyou to join in on it too and he even saw Tobio with a small smile on his face the whole time.
They went out for crepes afterwards and then an action movie Shouyou wanted to see, which was kind of ruined by Natsu and Tobio whispering amongst themselves beside him, not the least bit interested in watching the movie, and he barely restrained the urge to kick them out of the theatre.
Still, it was a good day. Great, even, but then they were back at home after having decided to order in dinner and the weird tension in the air returned as Shouyou and Tobio kept their distance from each other.
It was difficult and stressful and simply felt wrong to act like just friends or roommates when they weren’t. Shouyou stomach sank every time he had to make an effort to pretend like Tobio was still just ‘Kageyama’ to him and he could see that Tobio wasn’t faring much better either.
Shouyou gulped when Tobio practically stabbed his chopsticks into the dumpling on his plate as if it had personally offended him and seemed at the highest peak of grumpiness in general. He didn’t get that murderous aura often anymore but it hadn’t faded completely from his system.
He raised his eyes to Shouyou’s, glowering darkly. The look on his face was saying "this is all your fault".
The "dumbass" was implied. Shouyou quickly looked down at his meal.
Natsu had obviously noticed the unease too and was watching them carefully, her eyes drifting between the two as though waiting for some kind of explosion.
Shouyou’s fist was curled tightly under the table, his feet unable to stop tapping and he could feel the suffocating tension building.
It finally snapped when Natsu hesitantly started to say, “Is everything okay—” when Shouyou sprang up from his seat and snatched Tobio’s arm to pull him up too.
“Yes!” he answered Natsu. “We’re just gonna go to the kitchen and Kageyama is gonna help me.”
Natsu’s eyebrows furrowed. “Huh?”
Shouyou swallowed. “I mean. I need—uh—I need soy sauce and—and Kageyama kept it on a shelf I can’t reach. What a jerk, right?”
He laughed nervously, earning a confused head tilt from his sister and a swift kick to the ankle from his boyfriend.
He squeaked, panicked and fled to the kitchen without further ado, dragging Tobio behind him. He braced a hand on the wall, willing his heart to calm down. His fingertips tingled, like how they did when he spiked a ball but much less pleasant.
Tobio rounded on him, looked outraged. “What are you—”
“We’re going out,” Shouyou announced breathlessly, locking eyes with Tobio determinedly. “Right now. Get your coat.”
Tobio was taken aback for a moment but thankfully, seemed to catch on to his meaning fairly quickly and his thunderous expression eased into a more neutral one. He nodded.
“So, it turns out we’re out of soy sauce,” he told Natsu after stepping out of the kitchen and into his shoes. She was staring at them as if they’d grown two heads. “There’s a convenience store by the corner, super close! Be back in a jiffy!”
They practically ran out of the apartment but even when the cold, fresh air slapped his face, Shouyou didn’t feel any better.
He breathed out a shudder and Tobio elbowed him, sounding critical when he said, “Got caught up in your lie, did you? Serves you right.”
“I didn’t realise it would be so hard!” Shouyou groaned, viciously kicking a stone in his path and wringing his hands to stave off the cold. The air was nipping at his skin.
“I’ve told you over and over to keep things simple, but your moron brain just doesn’t seem to get it,” Tobio huffed angrily.
Shouyou scowled, keeping his head down.
“If you’d just not been an idiot from the beginning and dragged me down with you too, maybe we wouldn’t be out here freezing our asses off in the middle of winter,” Tobio continued heatedly, sounding genuinely annoyed and Shouyou’s lungs felt empty. A streak of anger and humiliation flared up in him.
Tobio’s words stung.
Shouyou usually didn’t let Tobio get to him, because he knew he didn’t mean the shit he said half the time but right now, it felt like someone was squeezing Shouyou’s chest with barbed wire.
“Yeah, you’ve made your point, Tobio!” he finally snapped, his voice wavering. “You don’t have to keep rubbing it in, okay? You win! Happy now?”
Tobio didn’t respond, staring straight ahead and Shouyou turned his face away, trying to convince himself that his eyes were stinging and his lower lip was wobbling because of the cold. No other reason.
A few tense moments of silence passed in which they just walked forward aimlessly, the air infused with something that clogged Shouyou’s throat.
He felt more than saw Tobio looking over at him after a couple of minutes and shifting closer. He heard him sigh, reaching out to take Shouyou’s hand and trapping it between both of his to rub warmth back into it.
Shouyou had a half a mind to snatch his hand back. He didn’t.
“Hey,” Tobio breathed, softly, hesitantly. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Shouyou. I got carried away.”
Shouyou sniffed, swallowing down the lump in his throat. “Whatever. It’s fine.”
“Of course I’m not happy,” Tobio said, entangling their fingers and shoving both hands into his coat pocket. “Seeing you so stressed stresses me out too, you know. I just wish you didn’t have to be so tense around your sister.”
Shouyou deflated at hearing the concern in his voice, exhaling and letting himself lean into his side, shifting his fingers so they fit better against Tobio’s longer ones.
“I know,” he whispered.
"It’s your decision, in the end,” Tobio assured him. “I’ll support you either way. But have you really thought about it? Are you afraid she won’t accept you?”
“No,” Shouyou answered, refusing to even entertain that notion. “Of course not! Natsu could never be a bigot.”
“Then when are you even planning on telling her?” Tobio asked. “When we get married? Don't you think she'll feel betrayed?"
Shouyou didn’t register it at first, opening his mouth to respond but then his brain processed the sentence. And his jaw fell open.
He whipped his head up to gape up at Tobio. "When we what?”
Tobio seemed to realise then what he’d blurted out too because his face reddened and he stammered, "N—nothing.”
"You want to marry me?" Shouyou asked, way too loud for the quietness of the street. His gloominess melted away almost instantly.
Tobio looked too flustered to speak but still managed a stuttered, “No.”
"You don’t want to marry me?"
"No—I mean, yes!” Tobio hid his face in his free hand. “Shut up, dumbass, that's not my point!"
Something warm and giddy started to bubble up inside Shouyou and he felt his face splitting into a wide smile. He nudged the other man, trying to get a peek at his face. "That was practically a proposal, Tobio."
"I don't know,” Tobio responded defensively, not meeting Shouyou’s gaze. “Is it legal to marry someone with the mental age of ten?"
Shouyou gasped and slapped his arm. "Mean!"
"I'm just saying,” Tobio gritted out, bringing the conversation back on track. He was still very, very flushed. “Think about it. Telling Natsu. I'm sure it's not as weird as you think. It'll save you a lot of trouble."
Shouyou sighed, rolling his eyes and allowing Tobio an out from the topic he’d clearly not meant to bring up. "Fineee."
They walked in silence for a few minutes and Shouyou thought they’d dropped the whole thing entirely but because Tobio was Tobio, he felt his hand being hesitantly squeezed after a little while.
"Shou...” he said softly.
Shouyou glanced up at him. "Hmm?"
Tobio was looking at him, almost shyly. "Do you want to get married though? Someday? Like, for real?"
A cluster of fluttery butterflies took flight in Shouyou’s stomach. He pulled their joined hands out of Tobio’s pocket and pressed a kiss to the back of Tobio’s. "Sure."
Tobio nodded, his lips quirking up into a small smile. "Cool."
Shouyou smiled back. "Cool,” he echoed, a little breathless. And because the happy feeling inside him refused to be contained, he added excitedly, "Does this mean we're engaged now?"
Tobio’s nose wrinkled. "Ew, no."
Shouyou stopped in his steps to gape at him. "What do you mean, ew?” he exclaimed. “You're such a child! That's what a proposal means."
"But I didn't propose to you," Tobio tried to point out.
"You literally just did."
"Did not! I just asked if you wanted to."
"It's the same thing," Shouyou insisted. “Admit you proposed to me. Admit it!”
Tobio didn’t budge. “It’s not the same thing.”
"It is!”
"Is not."
“Is too!”
Shouyou felt a lot better the day next day, the warm glow in his chest spreading to his whole body when Tobio kissed his forehead early in the morning before saying goodbye and going for a routine practice with the Adlers.
Besides, it was Natsu’s last day with them and Shouyou was determined to make the most of it. He was going to take her out for lunch and buy her anything she wanted like the semi-famous family member he was and they were going to play volleyball. Somehow. Shouyou hadn’t figured that part out yet.
Ultimately, they just ended up going to the nearby park and tossing the ball to each other—Shouyou putting a spin on it sometimes just to make it a little challenging for her. They talked as they played, Shouyou regaling her with funny incidents he’d had with his teammates as Natsu attempted to serve the ball in a way he couldn’t receive. She hadn’t succeeded yet.
“And Atsumu-san purposely didn’t tell Omi-san that the onigiri box he’d just finished had been Bokuto-san’s gift for his husband and when I tell you, I have never seen a twenty-six-year-old man look so close to tears because ‘I got all of Keiji’s favourite ones’,” Shouyou impersonated Bokuto perfectly and Natsu burst into laughter, clutching the volleyball close to her chest as she fell in a heap on the grass.
Shouyou chuckled and sat down beside her, pulling his knees up and catching his breath.
“Omi-san was so panicked and after he apologised a million times and bought Bokuto-san another one, he pummelled Atsumu-san to the ground! Like, he didn’t even care about sweat and germs or anything,” Shouyou continued. “Which is so surprising because Omi-san literally sprayed me with sanitiser before high fiving me once.”
Natsu gave him a wide-eyed stare. “Really?”
Shouyou nodded, lips quirking up. “Atsumu-san looked crazy smug though, I think that’s what he was aiming for. There’s probably something going on between them.”
“Between Miya Atsumu and Sakusa Kiyoomi?” Natsu gasped. “Two of the hottest players in the league?”
“Yep!” Shouyou grinned happily. “Tob—Kageyama thinks so too. I’m actually surprised he noticed, he’s usually dense as a rock about this stuff.”
Natsu’s face suddenly became sombre and Shouyou did a double-take. “What?”
“Speaking of Tobio-san, there’s something that I’ve been noticing too,” she said quietly. “I was hoping to talk to you about it, please don’t take this the wrong way.”
Shouyou froze, something heavy dropping into his stomach. “What do you mean?”
She turned pleading eyes his way, full of concern and worry. “Nii-chan, you know the two of you mean the world to me and seeing you go through this rough patch in the last couple of days has been worrying. You won’t even call him by his given name!”
Shouyou stared at her, opening his mouth to speak but nothing came out.
"I thought it was just a silly argument or something at first and that it would blow over but it didn’t.” She frowned. “I really hope you guys figure it out. I’ve always thought that what you have is so special. You’re made for each other."
Shouyou tried to suppress the panicked confusion rising up in him. "What are you talking about?"
Natsu looked disappointed that he still wasn’t admitting it. Admitting what?
"You don't have to pretend everything is all right, nii-chan,” she said solemnly. “I've noticed the awkwardness and the distance and it's not like you two at all. You should talk to your boyfriend and fix your relationship."
“My—my boyfriend?” Shouyou stammered. “Kageyama?”
“Yes." Natsu’s eyebrows furrowed. "Do you have another one?”
Do you have another one? Shouyou gaped at her, stunned.
Natsu was asking him to talk to his boyfriend. She was referring to Tobio. She thought Tobio was his boyfriend.
Shouyou’s head spun.
“You know?” he cried out finally, grabbing her shoulders and shaking them. “Did Tobio tell you?"
Natsu seemed alarmed at his reaction. "Why would he need to? It's obvious!"
“Excuse me?”
"You've been together for like eight years!"
"No, we have not!" Shouyou exclaimed, feeling like his world had tipped upside down. “It’s only been like three years or so!”
"You...weren't dating in high school?” Natsu asked, genuinely shocked. “So all those things the two of you did and said...that was just friend stuff?"
Shouyou blushed a deep red. “Yes!”
What the hell? How many people thought the same thing about them? Did they act like a couple in high school? Why hadn’t anybody told them?
"Hmm, strange. I thought you guys were more than friends ever since that time Tobio-san came over to our house and I tied up his hair with my colourful hair ties and you took a million pictures of him and even kept one as your lockscreen,” Natsu mused and Shouyou wanted the ground to swallow him whole. He couldn’t believe his seven-year-old sister at the time had picked up on his gigantic crush on Kageyama Tobio. Life was so cruel to him sometimes.
Natsu didn’t spend much time pondering on the past and quickly returned to her original point. Shouyou couldn’t decide if that was more or less embarrassing.
“But still, you’re living together now and I'm worried about you!” she admitted sadly. “You clearly haven't been sleeping in the same room, and I overheard Tobio-san say you're a shit actor on my first day. You don’t have to act like everything’s fine or hide your problems for my sake, nii-chan. I’m old enough, I understand.”
Shouyou’s face felt so hot. "We're not having problems!"
Natsu gave him a pitying look and he scrambled to explain.
"I'm serious! We were just keeping it hidden because I felt nervous about telling you!” he confessed, running a hand down his face. This was mortifying.
Natsu gawked at him with her mouth open.
“Seriously, we're fine,” Shouyou asserted. He exhaled, feeling his mouth turn up at the corner. “More than fine. We even got engaged last night...I think."
“You what?” Natsu sprang up to her feet. “You got engaged? Oh my god, oh my go -wait. What do you mean you think?"
"I'm not sure,” Shouyou admitted. “Tobio keeps insisting he didn't propose but he totally did, the sap!”
He shrugged. “Well, I'm fine either way. I can beat him to proposing next time if he doesn’t want to take responsibility."
Natsu made an incoherent noise and shoved Shouyou’s shoulder hard.
He glared at her. “Hey!”
“I can’t believe you were trying to hide your relationship from me, or that you didn’t think I already knew! You two are sooo obvious!” she exclaimed. “How stupid do you think I am?”
“Well, clearly I’m the stupid one here,” Shouyou grumbled, getting to his feet and tucking the volleyball under one arm. “Don’t tell Tobio I said that, he’ll be a bastard about it.”
Natsu mostly ignored him, sighing dreamily and looping her arm through his. “Aaahh you’re going to get married! You have to let me invite my friends to the wedding!”
Shouyou’s stomach swooped low at the mention of a wedding. “H—hey!” he sputtered. “Slow down! Nothing’s finalised yet, so don’t go blabbing about this to anyone!”
“I won’t!” She stuck her tongue out at him. “You can trust me, I’m not a kid anymore.”
Shouyou laughed, ruffling her hair. “You’ll always be a kid to me.”
Natsu scowled, batting his hand away. “Ugh, I bet your fiancé will be a better brother!”
Shouyou reddened for the tenth time that day. “Don’t call him that, it’s embarrassing!”
“My brother-in-law is the best setter in Japan, that’s such a flex!”
“Shut up, Natsu!”
Shouyou could feel a massive weight lifted off his shoulders when he reached home and Natsu was similarly cheerful, teasing him and laughing with him the whole way, extracting details of their relationship from him. He asked her why this was the first time she was bringing this up if she thought they’d been together for eight whole years and she simply shrugged, stating that she didn’t want to initiate anything Shouyou might be uncomfortable discussing. The only reason she’d asked about it now was because she thought their relationship was in danger.
Shouyou stared at her, not knowing why he had ever tried to hide anything from her—she was way smarter and more mature than he gave her credit for. Definitely more than he had been at her age.
That’s because you’re a dumbass, he could hear Tobio’s voice teasing him in his head and he smiled to himself.
They made dinner together, one of their mom’s recipes, and Shouyou was so relaxed by the time Tobio came home that he didn’t think twice about jumping onto him before he’d even fully closed the door. Tobio let out an “oof” and went stumbling back but his hands automatically came up to support Shouyou’s thighs as his bag went sprawling on the floor.
"You have really got to stop doing that, you're not as small as you thi—” his voice trailed off, spotting Natsu innocently sitting on the sofa beyond Shouyou and freezing.
“Uhh,” he stuttered, lips parting in surprise.
Shouyou snickered and grabbed his chin to turn his face towards him. “It’s okay. She knows.”
Tobio’s eyes widened. “She what—”
The rest of his sentence was cut off when Shouyou leaned forward and kissed him full on the mouth.
Tobio made an indignant noise in his throat and Natsu groaned. “Gross.”
Shouyou separated their lips with a loud smack and turned around to smile at her. “You signed up for it, Nat-chan.”
“Ugh,” she said and went back to furiously typing on her phone.
Tobio looked shell-shocked, looking between him and Natsu disbelievingly. “What the hell happened while I was gone?”
“Long story,” Shouyou explained vaguely, taking Tobio’s hand and leading him inside. “I’ll tell you later.”
Tobio was a little stiff in the beginning, not knowing how to act and being painfully awkward around Natsu—despite being the one to harp on about telling her from the start.
Natsu, being cheekier than even Shouyou, seemed to find it endlessly amusing. And well, long story short, he had never seen Tobio blush as hard as he did when she sweetly called him “Tobio-nii.”
Eventually, Tobio's exhaustion won out and he melted against Shouyou’s side on the sofa as they watched a recorded match from last season. He buried his face in the crook of his neck and Shouyou felt the telltale flutter of his eyelashes against his skin as his breathing slowed.
Waves of contentment washed over Shouyou and he pressed his lips to the top of Tobio’s head before resting his own against it.
“Please go back to pretending you’re not disgustingly in love,” Natsu whispered in a deadpan voice from his other side. She still managed to sound fond though and Shouyou didn’t know his heart could feel so big.
“Shh, he’s sleeping,” he whispered back. “We’re not even that bad.”
“No, you’re worse,” she told him but to her credit, she made it sound like it was a good thing and Shouyou smiled, nudging her affectionately.
Natsu chuckled quietly, settling in more comfortably and resting her head on his other shoulder.
Shouyou realised four things in the next twenty minutes.
His arms were painfully sore. There was a spot of Tobio’s drool on his shirt. Natsu’s wayward curls were too fluffy and tickling his nose.
And he had never felt luckier in his life.