Work Text:
[ kenji ] Semi
[ eita ] Yes?
[ kenji ] Were you sleeping?
[ eita ] I was.
[ kenji ] Oh.
[ eita ] What's up, Ken?
[ kenji ] Nothing.
[ kenji ] It's just
[ kenji ] We haven't had a call in a while.
》
Suddenly, his phone screen switched to an incoming call from Semi. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t just the phone that nearly jumped—Shirabu’s heart was pounding wildly, sure, from excitement, but it’d be a lie to say he wasn’t nervous.
It took him over ten seconds to answer, resigning himself to whatever mood Semi might already be in.
“…”
Why is Shirabu not talking? No, the real question is why is Semi not talking?—but Semi doesn’t have to be the one to speak first—then again, neither does Shirabu—but Semi’s the one who called—yeah, but only because Shirabu—
“Shirabu?”
His thoughts scattered completely the moment his name was spoken. So scattered, in fact, he forgot to reply until Semi had to call him again.
“…Yeah?”
“Oh, you’re there. Sorry, I fell asleep earlier.”
Honestly, he didn’t need to explain—it was obvious from his voice.
Now Shirabu just had to pretend that said groggy voice wasn’t one of the main reasons he momentarily forgot how to respond.
“…You fell asleep that fast?”
“Uh-hm?”
Shirabu laughed inwardly at Semi’s dazed response.
“Well… maybe if someone didn’t take an hour just to pick up,”
Shirabu rolled his eyes, and somehow Semi could sense it even from afar.
“Were you doing something?” he asked, anything to rile up his underclassman.
“Not really.”
“So you weren’t doing anything and still chose not to answer the phone?”
“If that’s the definition of ignoring you, then maybe.”
“…No,” said Semi after a pause, making Shirabu furrow his brows.
“It’s just…”
“‘We haven’t had a call in a while.’”
Shirabu wanted to reincarnate on the spot.
“You know how weird it is to get that kind of message at 2 AM?”
“You’re imagining things.”
“And then he asked if i were sleeping—like what did he think I’d be doing at this hour? Farming?"
“Well, you clearly weren’t asleep if you replied to my message in under fifteen seconds.”
“Oh no, of course not—though that’s only because i set a different ringtone for your num– never mind.” Semi choked on his own spit. Meanwhile, Shirabu was fully prepared to use the weapon just handed to him.
"Oh?”
Once again, Semi could tell the exact expression on Shirabu’s face—the one he’d be using to tease him for the next several days. “Shut up.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Shut. Up.”
“Why? That’s cute.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever, I’m sleepy.”
Just like Semi could picture Shirabu’s face, Kenjirou could too, especially based on those words.
“‘Kay, good night.” It’s fine. Semi needed the energy to survive whatever teasing Shirabu had in store for him tomorrow.
“You’re not sleeping?”
He glanced at the study desk in front of him. “Gotta finish a few assignments before I sleep.”
“That urgent?”
Instead of answering, Shirabu changed the topic, as if signaling he didn’t want a lecture about his bad habits.
“Just don’t be sluggish during morning practice. Remember, coach will be there.”
“Hmm… so you’re coming to practice tomorrow morning?”
“Technically it’s already morning, right? Of course I’m coming, I’d be insane to skip.” Fair enough, it was past midnight now. Shirabu returned to the assignments he had momentarily abandoned.
“Tomorrow’s morning practice only mandatory for starters. Special prep for the semifinal.”
“Oh, really?”
Shirabu's hand, still holding a pen, stopped moving when he realized what he had just said. “I didn’t mean—”
“So that gives you even more reason to go to sleep early, doesn’t it? Wait were you saying something?"
“…Huh? Oh nothing,” Shirabu bit the tip of his pen, embarrassed by his own sudden panic.
Everyone knew about how Shirabu had 'taken' Semi’s position. And Shirabu wasn’t sure whether it was still a sensitive topic for Semi.
“I can hear you thinking.”
“…Technically no, you can’t.”
“Then let me hear it.”
Shirabu sighed. Semi let out the same reaction after hearing Shirabu’s explanation.
“Hello?”
Shirabu frowned. “...‘Hello?’”
“Oh, it’s still you.”
“…Yeah? Who’d you expect?”
“Maybe a ghost possessing you.”
He didn’t know how many times he’d rolled his eyes during this call. Especially now, hearing Semi laugh. “Sorry, sorry. But seriously, I wasn’t ready for your explanation earlier.”
“What’s so weird about it?”
“I don't know, you tell me. Coming from someone whose face screams ‘I want to murder everyone I meet,’ you still wonder why I didn’t expect that kind of emotional concern from you?”
“I’m gonna let that slide only because you haven’t told me about your feelings.”
Don't get him wrong—Shirabu was trying really hard to stay composed by refocusing on the assignments infront of him.
“Okay, who are you and what did you do to kenji?”
“Semi,”
“Okay, okay. Seriously, I’m fine.”
“Very specific. Thank you. Good night.”
“Wait—alright alright. I’m fine in the sense that I rarely think about—the position you ‘took’ or whatever. Honestly, it almost never crosses my mind anymore—I don’t even know since when. Unless I intentionally bring it up as motivation to train, but that’s really it. I don’t even know how it happened, because we used to fight all the time. I was hurt, angry, and yeah—that was before. But now? Not at all.—Oh! I think i know why.”
“…Why?”
“Because… that’s how it all started.”
“Hm?”
“Because, yeah… basically that’s how I met you. So—so maybe at some point I realized that losing my position wasn’t that bad, because—”
“—because that’s what brought us to where we are now?”
“…Yeah, correct.”
“…”
“…”
“Semi,”
“…What?”
“Oh, it’s still you,” Shirabu couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Dumbass.”
“You just ruined the chance for this call to resemble a romantic couple’s typical late-night talk.”
True.
They're dating—recently, actually.
Which was exactly why Shirabu had been nervous at the beginning. Semi wasn’t much different, but for him, the nerves were kicking in only now. And Shirabu was more than grateful to have gotten through his first.
“Whoa, really? Sorry then.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“‘…because that’s how it all started.’”
“You little—”