Chapter Text
«You know...»
Atsumu had picked up this habit of treating Shoyo as if he were not a kid who had come down from the mountains, rather the heir to the imperial throne of Japan. At first, this lavish treatment embarrassed him quite a bit, because Shoyo certainly wasn't the spoiled type. He was perfectly fine with a snack from the vending machine, a plain towel, opening the car door himself, even being walked home, yet Atsumu seemed to take his friendly invitations as inalienable orders: «packaged melonpan? Nonsense, there's a really good bakery right around here!» «Here's my cotton towel, it's clean», «I'm calling a taxi....what are ya saying, we've been running around all day, why push ourselves?»
Because of this habit of Atsumu's, Shoyo felt a little awkward to admit that he was in the mood for ice cream. Atsumu turned his head immediately, even before he finished putting on his shirt, listening. «What is it, Shoyo-kun?»
Shoyo was not used to it, all that being at his service. Usually, he had to ask for things at least a couple of times, and a fair amount of the time he ended up doing it by himself, but not with Atsumu. Atsumu Miya is a little too happy to always go along with him, and Shoyo is trying not to get a colossal crush on him-or rather, he would like to get a crush on him as a person, and not because he never turns him down.
«I was thinking...Today's a nice day, it's starting to get warm, so I wanted to ask you if you'd like to have ice cream with me. My treat!» he hastened to clarify.
As he finished putting on his shirt, Atsumu sighed, putting a hand on Shoyo's shoulder. «Don't go breaking my heart now. I'm older than ya, and the older one pays. There's a cool ice cream shop that makes ice cream-filled mochi, and Samu wanted to go there to start a partnership, offer those as dessert at the restaurant, but he hasn't had time yet. Maybe we can do him a favor, what do ya say?»
Shoyo bit the inside of his cheek, unsure of how to reprimand him politely: yes, okay, Atsumu is the senpai, however...! «Only if I'm paying for it.» he repeated.
«I would feel very guilty if ya didn't like it, though.» Atsumu, who was as stubborn as a donkey and hid it much better than Shoyo, retorted.
«Well, what does it matter? If I don't like it, we can go somewhere else and eat something else good, right? I don't have any other plans!»
Atsumu paused for a moment, tilting his head «Are ya asking me to have dinner with ya?"» he teased him.
There was something about the tone in which he told him that made Shoyo's stomach boil. It wouldn't be the first time, but if he put it that way.... is that he's trying not to get a crush! They're teammates, for heaven's sake! «I was thinking of making curry tonight if you want to come over for dinner. I want ice cream first, though!»
Atsumu laughed. That gentle, tender laugh you get when dealing with an adorable child, and Shoyo felt like a 15-year-old boy. Atsumu put a hand around his shoulders, guiding him out of the locker room «Anything my Shoyo-kun wants.»
Like most things Atsumu did, it was a pretty fancy thing to do. There was quite a crowd waiting for their ice cream, and there was quite a crowd that once they recognized Atsumu Miya wanted to take a picture with him. He would not refuse the cameras, yet «Ya reeeally should take the opportunity to take a picture with my Shoyo-kun before he gets unbearably famous, ya'll see how good he is in the next few matches!» and Shoyo's head was spinning a little, because being treated like that was a new and wonderful thing. Had someone else done it, it would have seemed like a mockery, but Atsumu made it sound genuine. Atsumu made it sound cool. Atsumu made everything cool, in some way, exciting, worth the enthusiasm.
«Ya choose fer me, Shoyo-kun. What ice cream should I eat, in yer opinion?»
«Uhm....» Shoyo turned, to get a good look at him, and almost regretted it: big warm eyes, a straight nose, beautiful lips bent in an intrigued smile. Ah, fuck it. Stupid Japanese setters and their handsome faces!
«Black honey mochi. Like his eyes.» Shoyo immediately turned to talk to the ice cream lady, and missed Atsumu, who blushed and brought a hand to his chest to withstand the impact.
Sitting on the bench near the venue, Atsumu said:
«Open yer mouth.» and offered him the first taste of his mochi ice cream, which Shoyo greeted with laughter.
«Okay, now you!» Shoyo reciprocated, offering him the first taste of his mango ice cream.
Atsumu sighed «Actually, no. We're going to tell Samu that it sucked.»
«But it tastes great!» Shoyo protested.
«It does, but, ya know....I want it to be just our thing. Our little secret place." he winked at him, and it was so silly, because it was a very popular ice cream shop, but Shoyo believed it with his whole heart.
He nodded. «Our little secret place!»