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“Okay- okay, what about this one?” The words come out slightly slurred, not quite rolling off his tongue like they usually would. His tone is off too, mostly because he’s trying to deepen it, but even without the added effect it’s easy to tell something is different. “If you were a volleyball, I’d hit you hard from different positions.”
Ennoshita groans and rolls his head back. If he has to hear one more volleyball pun he’s going to drop Tanaka and leave him to wallow in his alcohol ridden thoughts. Deep down he knows he wouldn’t, as he’s still trying to drag Tanaka’s half limp body up the stairs, but the thought is a comfort.
“Would you just -- shut up? Ugh -- at least, at least help?” Ennoshita groans, trying to keep them balanced and keep himself up as Tanaka is putting all his weight on him and dammit why did his bedroom have to be on the second floor? “I’m going to let you fall if you don’t.”
“I see you’re good at receiving balls. Wanna receive some tonight?”
“I hate you.”
“Do you want to play volleyball, I have two balls you can play with.”
Ennoshita just rolls his eyes.
“Did it work?” Tanaka demands to know, finally rocking back to put some of his weight on his own feet. That only lasts for a minute before he’s leaning over so he’s so far in Ennoshita’s personal space there is no more personal space. It’s all Tanaka’s space. They’re nose to nose and Ennoshita can clearly smell the alcohol on his breath, as if the smell from his clothes wasn’t overpowering enough.
“Did what work?” Ennoshita’s voice is flat as he tries to lean back but somehow Tanaka has wrapped an arm around his shoulders, keeping him place. The more Ennoshita tries to move back the closer Tanaka gets.
“The pick up line, duh.” He rolls his eyes like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
“No. I’ve already heard it from Kageyama.”
“Eh?!” Tanaka shouts and almost sends them falling backwards down the stairs. Luckily Ennoshita manages to reach out and grip the railing.
“You’re going to kill us-!”
“Kageyama used pick up lines on you?!”
“Oh my god.” Ennoshita groans again. “He was telling me about the pick up lines you taught him.” He’s exhausted, annoyed, and generally not int he mood to deal with Tanaka sober, much less drunk. He pushed off Tanaka’s hold on him, steps down a step, and starts physically pushing Tanaka up the stairs.
They almost die. Several times. Tanaka is mumble ranting about how dare Kageyama flirt with Ennoshita while simultaneously leaning back into Ennoshita. Whatever it takes to make his life harder Tanaka seems to do. Fantastic. Somehow they get up the stairs and Ennoshita debates what entity he should thank as he guides Tanaka to his room.
“Aha!” Tanaka shouts as Ennoshita closes the bedroom door behind them. “It did work!” He wears the same prideful expression he has after a good spike and Ennoshita holds back the need to roll his eyes.
It takes him a moment to understand Tanaka’s meaning. “No. The pick up lines did not work.”
“No, no, no.” Tanaka’s voice has dropped, thankfully, to a whisper. He reaches out and cups Ennoshita’s face, surprisingly gentle for how smashed he is. Ennoshita won’t admit the flush creeping up his cheeks at the gesture. “It did. We’re in your bedroom, see?”
Ennoshita glares and the blush is gone in an instant. It’s a pathetic, exhausted glare and Tanaka doesn’t even seem to notice. “We’re in my bedroom because I’m pretty sure you’d drown in your own vomit in the morning if we don’t sleep in the same room.”
“We’re in your bedroom cause I woo’d you!” Tanaka pulls back and wonderful he’s back to yelling. As much as Ennoshita cares for Tanaka, he can’t put up with this at two in the morning, he just can’t. “Yes!”
With a sigh, Ennoshita heads to his closet to look for a spare futon. There was no way they’d be sharing a bed -- Ennoshita wasn’t about to give into that cliche -- and he couldn’t leave Tanaka on his own. Behind him he could hear Tanaka walking around (more like stomping) getting a better look at Ennoshita’s room in his intoxicated state.
Why was Tanaka even drinking? It wasn’t like him. Sure, he had a semi-delinquent reputation to “keep up” but he’d never shown up at Ennoshita’s house at two in the morning, having downed a few drinks too many.
“It helps me think.” Tanaka blurts out and Ennoshita flinches back, slightly startled by how soft his voice had gotten in the span of the second. He glances back at Tanaka to see he isn’t facing him, instead he’s staring at an old movie poster on his wall. Before Ennoshita can ask what he’s talking about he continues in the same soft tone, “about things. About everything. About me.”
“Um, Tanaka-?”
“I think Kiyoko is really hot, ya know? And I had to think about it, but I didn’t want to think about it and Saeko says that some of her best realizations happen when she’s drunk, so I thought why not try it too? So I had some so I could think about how hot Kiyoko is.”
Ennoshita tries to bury the burning feeling in his chest, but he can’t stop from tensing up. He hears enough about how good looking Kiyoko is from Tanaka all the time, he doesn’t need any more of it now.
“Because event though she’s super good looking, like a ten out of ten-”
He’s about to tell Tanaka to shut the hell up because it’s starting to hurt.
“-I’m still way more into you.”
Complete silence follows. The only sound in the room is Tanaka’s breathing (when did Ennoshita stop?) and the buzz from Ennoshita’s crappy old lamp. Ennoshita is staring ahead at him, taking in his words somehow while his mind goes blank, and Tanaka is refusing to look back.
“And,” Tanaka continues as Ennoshita has forgotten to use words, “I don’t get it. I think I’ve always thought you were attractive but I just kind of ignored it? Cause I’m supposed to like girls, that’s what guys do, but I don’t just like girls.”
“I don’t like girls.” Ennoshita whispers, his mouth dry and his body strangely relaxed.
Tanaka finally glances up, something flickering in his hazy eyes.
“I mean -- you don’t have to just like girls. I don’t, in that way.” Ennoshita coughs and he can feel the blush creeping up onto his face. “So, it’s okay. If you don’t.”
Tanaka’s eyes widened and he turns so they’re now facing each other and Ennoshita’s heart picks up in his chest. He clears his throat and straightens his back, suddenly Ennoshita wants to do the same. “I’ve thought about it. A lot. I can’t stop thinking about it; about you. I like you, Chikara.”
He’s sure he’s blushing now, he can feel how hot his face is. He doesn’t say anything -- he can’t -- and instead only swallows and quickly nods.
In two strides (surprisingly fast and smooth considering how drunk Tanaka still is) Tanaka is up in Ennoshita’s face and his hands are cupping his cheeks and Ennoshita is sure he’s dying when Tanaka leans in.
It’s a sloppy, messy kiss that neither are completely prepared for. Lips slide against lips and teeth clink as they try to find the right angle but it’s warm. Tanaka’s hands on his face are rough and Ennoshita can’t help but lean into the touch as his own hands move up to grab Tanaka’s shoulders and pull him forward. He can’t get enough, pushing them together even as Tanaka smells and tastes like alcohol (Ennoshita dully wonders what it’d be like to kiss a sober Tanaka) but as Tanaka moves a hand down Ennoshita’s face to cup his neck he can’t find himself caring. Ennoshita lets out a low groan as Tanaka nips his bottom lip and softly tugs before pulling away with a gasp.
Tanaka is grinning and Ennoshita knows it’s coming before he even opens his mouth.
“So do you want to receive some balls tonight.”
“You’re sleeping on the fucking couch.”