Archive of Our Own

Ushijima paused to look directly at Tendou. "The first year? Why him?"

"Why not?"

Ushijima frowned. "What do I think of him? Truth is relative, Tendou, it doesn't matter. He's already on the team."

Tendou wanted to drag his hand down his face. "Wakatoshi, you're no fun."

It was the start of a new school year, and Tendou was trying to get a look at the first years. None of them were average, they were all Shiratorizawa material in their own way, but Tendou met most of them by now. He barely knew anything about Goshiki.

Tendou stepped away from Ushijima to walk over to Goshiki. Goshiki wasn't doing anything, just stretching an arm and glancing around.

"I haven't met you yet," Tendou said. "So what are you known for?"

Goshiki's eyes flickered around. "Me?"

"You're the only person standing in front of me."

Goshiki's head lolled to the side slightly, hair shifting over his forehead. "Who are you?"

Tendou grumbled to himself about Goshiki not remembering his name. "I'm a third year. Tendou Satori. I'm the guess blocker."

"I'm Goshiki. I was the ace in junior high," Goshiki said. His eyes were bright and sharp, but Tendou missed the hopeful glint and just fixed on the fact that Goshiki didn't give his full name.

"Well, you're not an ace here. It'll take a lot to outdo Ushijima."

From Goshiki's reaction, the lack of confusion and unfamiliarity on his face, Tendou knew Goshiki recognized Ushijima's name. Tendou's eyes slid to the side dully.

"I knew that! I didn't say I was going to take his spot," Goshiki said.

Tendou waved his hand in the air, flicking his fingers while turning to walk away. He heard small noises of Goshiki cutting himself off, but Goshiki didn't try to follow him. 

Tendou returned to his water bottle for a drink, and he almost choked on it when Semi came to his side. Semi ignored it and shifted on his feet, bringing his hand to rest on his own arm. He was quiet, but Tendou knew he was amused.

"Eita. Stop breathing down my neck."

Semi stretched at his leg. "You have the worst look on your face," Semi told him.

"Yeah, yeah, you scared me."

"I meant with the first year."

Tendou glanced up at Semi, nose twisting.

"Just like that," Semi said. 

Tendou wiped over his face with his arm. "It's not my fault he doesn't even remember my name. I'm pretty sure coach told him."

"Don't worry. You're hard to forget. He'll remember." Semi dropped his hand on Tendou's shoulder.

"I know you didn't say it, but that had the feeling of, 'you're hard to forget since you're so annoying'," Tendou said. "Be less transparent."

"Let it go, Tendou."

Tendou wasn't bothered by it, but he still mumbled and pushed at Semi.

It wasn't hard to make people notice. Tendou's guess blocks were easy and smooth, and they made Tendou feel powerful when he knocked down a spike so cleanly. It was a rush, the smack of a volleyball against his palms bringing a satisfying sting. In practices, though, the novelty wore off, especially on the third years. 

"Tendou, it's your turn to spike." The coach gestured at the court. Tendou was blocking the minute before, and he knew he had to switch, but he was still grudging about it. Just a little.

He stepped up to Shirabu's side for a toss. Goshiki and a second year were blocking, standing on the other side of the net with readied distance.

Goshiki's block wasn't anything special. Tendou's spike wasn't either, but from his experience and strength he was naturally at a higher level, and he spiked through them both. Goshiki winced and wiped his hand on his shorts to rub through the brief pain.

Tendou turned and walked away, head at a tilt to the side, nose slightly up.

Semi leaned to face him, hand around his mouth while looking at Tendou. "Tendou, you're way too smug about spiking against a couple kouhai."

Tendou shrugged. "I'm harmless."

He didn't miss the snort from Semi. If Semi wasn't a setter, Tendou would have coerced him into trying to spike against Tendou's block. Semi wouldn't have risen to it anyway.

After practice, Tendou found Goshiki giving him a hard long look. Tendou couldn't tell what Goshiki was thinking, but he was staring with distant intent, not noticing Tendou step closer until Tendou shook his arm.

"Need something?" Tendou asked.

"What?"

"What do you want?" Tendou gestured between them. "You were dozing into space."

"Dozing, or looking into space?"

"Does it even matter?" Tendou asked. 

Goshiki's eyes flitted to the court. His mouth pinched a little. "I want to learn how to block better."

"So?"

"You're the best blocker on the team."

Tendou's body shifted with a breath, nodding without surprise. It was a breath of satisfaction relaxing him, but he wasn't going to let anyone know that he was satisfied with the compliment. "You want me to help you?"

"Please." Goshiki clasped his hands together.

"Mm. No." Tendou moved his flattened palm in the air, casually demonstrating a block. "Guess blocks are about instinct. I can't teach that."

Goshiki's mouth twisted more. He leaned forward insistingly, eyes hardening instead of falling and turning away. "It doesn't have to be that!" 

"I'm a horrible teacher."

"I don't care."

Goshiki was taller on his feet now, trying to keep his eyes level with Tendou's as Tendou tilted his head away. Goshiki wasn't frowning, but the tightness of his twitching mouth reminded Tendou of a pout, almost. It was pressed together, nose scrunched up and intense. 

"So is that a yes?"

"No," Tendou said automatically, even though he was thinking about it now. Goshiki had a determined flash to his eyes, and the press of his lips was admittedly hard to ignore.

Goshiki shook Tendou's arm. "Can't you just try?"

"Your blocks are probably fine."

Goshiki jostled him more, huffing as his hand slipped up Tendou's arm to tug. "I want to block better, and you're the best blocker I know."

Tendou let out a low sigh. "Well. I'm the best blocker I know, too…"

Shirabu choked on his drink from where he was standing next to Ushijima and Semi. Ushijima wasn't affected, but Semi was looking away from Tendou and trying not to laugh, shoulders hiked up alongside his hand over his mouth.

Tendou stepped with his back to Semi, not acknowledging any of them. 

"Isn't this the duty of a senpai?" Goshiki asked. "Come on, it can't be that hard."

Tendou groaned, resigned from Goshiki's persistent nose wrinkling and hand grip. "Fine. I'll… I can't teach a guess block, but watch me block in practice, I guess," Tendou said.

Goshiki took that as a yes, even though it was what Goshiki had already kind of been doing. He lit up and shook Tendou's hand vigorously, rooting Tendou in place from his brief triumph.

Goshiki skipped away, and when Semi moved in to approach Tendou, Tendou also walked away. Semi had a response to everything, and he didn't want to hear it.

Tendou almost forgot that he told Goshiki to watch. In the next practice Goshiki was watching Tendou quietly when he was on the sideline, looking every time Tendou was at the net to block. 

Tendou was a prideful person. He knew, and he wasn't going to admit it but he couldn't deny it. And Tendou knew he liked impressing people, there was no doubt that he was going to try to impress Goshiki. He didn't necessarily like attention, but wrangling admiration from people was something different.

"You know," Semi told him during a practice break, "it's really obvious that you're trying to see Goshiki react to your blocks."

"It's not that obvious."

"You check over your shoulder right after," Semi said, easily slipping through the last syllables. His mouth was in a self-satisfied curve, and Tendou knew Semi was so sure of something. 

"Go back to setting, Eita." Tendou hooked his thumb in the air to point behind them at Shirabu. "Wouldn't want to get outdone by a second year." 

Tendou knew Semi had no negative feelings toward Shirabu. Semi was even nice to him, patting his back without patronization. Semi was nice to everyone, really, but Tendou forgot that when Semi decided to hassle him for fun. 

Tendou returned to more blocks, sliding and stepping on the court in front of the net. Knowing when and where to block was the easiest part for Tendou. Using power in a kill block could also have a level of ease Tendou was comfortable doing consistently, but with Ushijima, Tendou couldn't always maintain the block. Ushijima was the main person who challenged Tendou into improving his blocks, and his spikes were so strong sometimes that Tendou's hands fell back anyway while in a kill block. 

Today, Tendou successfully blocked Ushijima, a kill block with perfect timing that sent the spike into the floor on Ushijima's side of the net. Tendou rested his hands on his waist and lifted his head to fix Ushijima with a silently competitive look.

"Good job," Ushijima said, and he turned away to let the next spiker take the court. 

Tendou didn't expect a real reaction from Ushijima. He tipped his head to the side, scanning for Goshiki along the group of spikers readying to practice next. As Tendou walked to let a different blocker replace him at the net, Semi coughed into his hand, forced in his little blips of noise from his throat.

"What is it now, Eita?" 

"You're trying to be cool, I can tell," Semi said. "Only jerkish people try to smoothly play off a block or spike as no big deal while still looking for applause."

Tendou flicked him in the chest. Lightly, so Semi couldn't complain about being hurt, but the gesture still brought a grunt from Semi.

"You're just being mean to me," Tendou said.

"I'm telling you this so you won't embarrass yourself."

"Now I'm self-conscious." 

Semi pushed him away. Tendou let himself be pushed, and he carried out the momentum to walk away, in Goshiki's direction. 

"So," Tendou began, "did you notice Wakatoshi's spike was completely blocked?" 

Goshiki glanced up, his hands bumping together as his eyes took on a remorseful glimmer. "Sorry! I wasn't looking." 

"You weren't?" Tendou asked.

Goshiki shook his head. The apologetic stiffness in his face smoothed away, and he turned to watch other spikes and blockers on the court have their turn.

Tendou remained in his spot with a raised eyebrow, mystification weighing his head in a dip as he scratched his neck. Goshiki didn't pay attention that time. He wasn't even paying attention to Tendou now while standing next to Tendou, he was stretching his arm to keep himself limber during the lapse in action as he waited for other spikers to finish. 

Tendou didn't know why that nagged at him. He kept shifting and readjusting his arms in its crossed lock across his chest, glowering to himself while sitting in his thoughts.

Tendou tried to have a calm look to his eyes, lidded in a cooly knowing or challenging slant in general so he wouldn't completely scare people. At least, that's what he imagined for himself. He didn't glance in mirrors, and he couldn't see what he looked like while he was on the court or talking to someone.

Goshiki, he could see all the time during practice. Goshiki looked so thoughtful while pausing and watching other players, startlingly quiet, and he brought his fingers to his bottom lip with tentative taps. Sometimes he played with his lip and rolled it between his fingers as he stood.

Tendou then realized he was staring, probably noticeably, right at Goshiki. Goshiki was looking back, blinking without discomfort, not noticing that it was out of place. Goshiki didn't even pick up on it, but Tendou knew how to hide it. Tendou walked closer and balanced his weight to his other foot as he rested his arm on Goshiki's shoulder. 

"You've been improving, I can tell," Tendou said. 

Goshiki brightened, the buoyancy lifting him from his toes. "Really?"

"Yeah, I've noticed." Tendou twitched as he remembered Goshiki failing to notice his perfect block against Ushijima, but at least that happened once. What was baffling was Goshiki giving Tendou sporadic attention, sometimes more focused than other times. It left Tendou wanting to try harder to make Goshiki watch.

"Can you actually teach me now?"

"No," Tendou said right away.

Tendou didn't think he was trying any harder than normal in practice, he thought he was working the appropriate amount, but one look from Semi told Tendou that somewhere he was wrong. 

"What?"

Semi shifted his crossed arms. "Nothing. I've just noticed that you and Goshiki pay a lot of attention to each other."

Tendou's eyes fell, not to a glare but to a level of disinterest that never deterred Semi.

"You're really, really annoying," Tendou said.

"Be less transparent," Semi said, repeating Tendou's words from weeks ago.

Tendou made the effort of shoving Semi, both physically and metaphorically out of his head, on his way to Goshiki. Tendou held a stiffness to his mouth as he received a greeting from Goshiki and ruffled his hair, listening to Goshiki distantly. Tendou was still confused about his interest in Goshiki, but Semi's pointed looks and comments made Tendou reconsider the gleam in Goshiki's eyes, and the undeniable sparkle of affection in them that echoed back in Tendou.