Archive of Our Own

Tendou opens the door, leaning against the doorway of Wakatoshi’s room. They have an open door policy with each other. Or at least, Wakatoshi doesn’t tell him to stop whenever Tendou walks in. 

“I’m here for this week’s copy of Jump!”

Tendou closes the door behind himself before stepping further into the room. He leans down, peeking at the manga to see where he’s at. His stomach swoops with affection as Wakatoshi explains the ads he’s currently on. 

He finds it so adorable that he doesn’t skip them.

“You going to the first year’s training camp tomorrow. Right, Ushiwaka?”

“Mhmm,” Wakatoshi hums in agreement. 

“Awesome,” Tendou says back, squeezing himself into the side of Wakatoshi’s bed where he’s not sitting. He has to move the volleyball away from the pillow and plop it onto the floor. After tossing off his shoes, he swings his feet around, placing them behind Wakatoshi’s back. 

“Did you need something?”

“Nope. Just wanna spend time with my bestest best friend before bed. That okay with you?”

Wakatoshi turns his head, giving him the tiniest smile. It’s barely there but Tendou sees it. He sees every micro expression that Wakatoshi possesses. He sees people, that’s how he’s so good at reading them on and off the court. 

Tendou feels his heart pick up speed and his stomach swoops violently. 

God, he hopes his face isn’t as red as it feels.

“You know you are always welcome, Tendou.”

How is Tendou’s heart supposed to survive that? He’s worried it might jump right out of his rib cage if he’s not careful. 

Instead, he gives Wakatoshi a giant grin and moves to lean over his shoulder so they can look through the manga together. 

~~~

Walking into the gym in his volleyball tracksuit with Wakatoshi by his side leaves Tendou feeling more emotions than he knows what to do with. 

As a third year, this is the last training camp he’ll be helping out with. This is one of the last times he gets to play beside Wakatoshi. He’s glad to be here but there’s a bitter sweetness in the air, clinging to him like static. No matter how much he tries to shake it off, it’s stuck inside his chest, right beside his heart.

Tendou throws his arm over Wakatoshi’s shoulder, leaning against his side. His entire body goes warm at the touch, especially because Wakatoshi’s eyes give him a fond look. He’s never shied away from Tendou’s touch, even if he never reciprocates it. It works for them. 

The kids in the gym all stop what they’re doing, turning to look at them as they walk in. Their eyes widen. Tendou looks around, his eyes landing on Goshiki. 

“Goshiki! Hi!”

Goshiki smiles, waving at him. Then he looks around, making sure he didn’t look uncool around all the other first years. Tendou really needs to work on that with him. He shouldn’t be so worried about what everyone thinks, especially when it comes to volleyball. He’s an excellent player!

There are murmurs throughout the gym, all the first years whispering among themselves. There’s some fear at having to play against them, there’s awe that they get to train together, and there’s the undercurrent of excitement and competition. 

What Tendou isn’t expecting is to see a shocking head of orange hair among everyone. 

“You!” Tendou says, pointing at the shrimp and pushing away from Wakatoshi. Tendou leaps in Hinata’s direction, his body fluid and bendy in the way he enjoys. He knows he looks creepy, but it’s fun to move around like this, made only more fun by Hinata’s reaction. His eyes widen, his face breaks into a giant grin, and his mouth opens, ready to have some sort of smart comeback to whatever Tendou is about to say. “I found Karasuno’s number ten! I’m gonna cut you down to size!”

Tendou is about to say more, to taunt him and rile him up before they even get a chance to get on the court but the words are cut off as someone walks over, holding two water bottles. 

“Can you fill these please?”

The excitement on Hinata’s face quickly fades. His eyes widen and he quickly grabs the water bottles, turning away from Tendou. 

“On it!”

“Huh?” Tendou says to himself, watching with confusion as Hinata runs away towards the water fountain. 

Right. That wasn’t confusing at all. 

Instead of dwelling on how weird that interaction was, Tendou walks back over to Wakatoshi. The two of them head into the locker room to get dressed. Tendou hangs his bag up before sitting down on the bench. 

“Are you okay?” Tendou tilts his head, looking up at Wakatoshi. He raises his brow in question. “You seem quiet all of a sudden.”

“Oh. I’m okay! That was just really weird. Threw me off. That’s all.”

Tendou gives his friend a smile so he knows that everything is okay. He’s embarrassed to admit how much it means to him that Wakatoshi notices him. He can always tell when something is going on inside Tendou’s head. He knows when to ask and when to be a steady presence. 

It was impossible for him not to fall for his best friend. It feels almost inevitable. 

“Okay.”

They finish changing in silence before heading back into the gym together, side by side. Their elbows brush and Tendou can’t help but grin, not caring his face is split wide when the first years see them. 

Coach Anabara explains that they’ll be playing some practice matches. As everyone is having a moment to take a break and hydrate, Tendou and Wakatoshi start warming up. He keeps sneaking glances, trying to find Carrot Top. 

Where the hell did Hinata go?

When they line up on the court, his eyes widen further as he realizes Hinata isn’t on the other team. He’s still nowhere to be found. What the hell is going on? 

Once the game begins, Tendou’s focus is pulled away from his thoughts of Hinata. He reads the opposite team, shutting them down over and over. He smiles to himself as they get frustrated. Karasuno’s four eyes has gotten even better since the last time they played. He doesn’t try to get under his skin, just observing, watching, blocking. 

He’s so lost in the game that Tendou is starting to wonder if he even saw the fiery redhead at all until the sight of orange catches the corner of his eye. The back of his neck prickles, knowing there are eyes on him. 

Looking up, Tendou spots Hinata up on the balcony, watching the game. He’s hanging up jerseys on the balcony to dry, staring intently as the game progresses. He watches with a focus that Tendou understands. He’s taking everything in, like a weirdo volleyball sponge. 

Hinata’s technique might not be the best, but he’s gotta admit that his drive is admirable. The only other person Tendou knows with that type of drive and focus is Wakatoshi. 

It does make him wonder what’s going on. Why is he doing laundry? Why isn’t he playing? 

So many questions swirl inside Tendou’s mind. 

Their team wins by a pretty huge margin but it’s not exactly surprising. With Wakatoshi’s insane hits and Tendou’s blocks, the other team started to panic and couldn’t really get into a mindset to work together. 

He’s worked up a satisfying sweat. He picks up two water bottles, handing one of them over to Wakatoshi. Hinata is back down here, running around, making sure everyone has a water bottle and a towel. Then he starts picking up the balls, tossing them into the bin. 

Is he… Is he the ball boy for this training camp?

That doesn’t make any sense. Why would they invite him to something like this just to have him chase balls? That’s usually the first year’s job of the team hosting the camp. Something’s not adding up and Tendou wants to get to the bottom of it. 

Tendou leans against their little scoreboard, watching as everyone starts doing drills under Coach’s watchful eye. He keeps watching Hinata who’s watching everyone else. He’s supposed to be catching the balls as they’re spiked and he’s doing that by trying to guess exactly where the ball is going to go. He messes up at the beginning but by the end of the drill, he’s usually right, catching the ball in his arms, a satisfying smile on his face. 

He’s absorbing everything he can. Tendou can see how eager he is, how much he loves this sport. Something warm settles in his chest at the sight. 

When Hinata runs past him, he hears the kid’s stomach rumble. Hinata’s cheeks redden but he ignores it, in favor of passing out water bottles he recently refilled. Why would he be embarrassed about being hungry? Why is he so hungry his stomach is making rude noises like that?

More pieces of the puzzle for Tendou to fill. 

“So,” Tendou says, sticking out his foot past the scoreboard he’s still lounging against, forcing Hinata to stop. “What’s the deal, Shrimpy? Why aren’t you out there practicing?”

Hinata looks like a deer caught in a pair of headlights. Tendou can feel Wakatoshi’s eyes, wanting to hear the answer as well. Hinata’s eyes dart between the two of them, the apples of his cheeks turning bright red. 

“I umm, I might not have been invited,” Hinata murmurs, looking guilty. 

Tendou can’t help but laugh, bending himself in half in the process. “No freaking way. You joined the training camp even though you weren’t invited? Wow, Shorty, you really are something.”

Wakatoshi doesn’t sound as impressed. “What do you wish to accomplish, Shouyou Hinata?”

Hinata opens his mouth to respond but his stomach answers for him, rumbling loud enough for all three of them to hear. Then someone is calling for him, asking for help with the balls. Hinata gives them an awkward smile before running off to play ball boy again. 

“Huh,” Tendou says and this time it’s not a question but an observation. 

Tendou turns his head, looking over at Wakatoshi who’s giving him a look. He narrows his eyes but there’s a smile playing at his lips. “Don’t look at me like that, Ushiwaka.”

Wakatoshi raises his brow before taking another long pull from his water bottle, looking back at the court. Tendou has perfected the art of watching. He sees everything, whether that’s his opponents across the court, his teammates around him, people around school, or just people he comes across from day to day. In all honesty, it’s a survival skill he’s had to hone to keep himself safe when he was younger. 

Tendou could always tell who was ready to bully him and to what degree they wanted to hurt him. Words? He could handle. But when people wanted to get into fights, he knew when to run, when to hide, or when he needed to fight back. He can read a room just by stepping into it. 

Something about Hinata makes Tendou remember those days. He’s just so damn exciteable, like a little puppy just looking for his place to belong. 

He keeps an eye on the kid for the rest of the day. Hinata is extremely diligent at his ball boy job. He’s addicted to volleyball like a man starving, happy to just be involved and around the sport even if he’s not being allowed to actually participate in the drills. 

Not for the first time, Tendou thinks of Ushiwaka. They’re both cut from the same sort of cloth. Tendou is pretty sure a part of them would shrivel up and die if they couldn’t have this sport in their lives. 

At the end of the day, someone brings in a cart from the cafeteria, filled with lunch boxes for all the first years. Tendou immediately notices that there’s not one for Hinata. 

Something about that makes his stomach twist uncomfortably. He’s reminded of all the years people teased him or bullied him or stole his stuff just because he was different. Coach narrows his eyes in Hinata’s direction, like he’s waiting for Hinata to complain. Instead, the little redhead just bows his head and starts cleaning everything up for the day. 

Tendou can admit their couch is an ass. Anyone with eyes can see that. He’s a mean old man who’s pretty stuck in his way, but he was also the first coach to allow Tendou to play exactly the way he wanted so long as he scored points. He’s got a weird love hate relationship with the old man. 

Today though? Today he feels something like fury bloom inside his chest. He narrows his eyes, a scowl tilting his lips down. It feels like coach is bullying Hinata and he hates that. Not enough to say anything but he also can’t just sit here and do nothing. 

“Tendou,” Wakatoshi says softly, picking up his water bottle from the floor and heading towards the locker room. “Are you coming?”

Tendou finally pulls his eyes away from Hinata, giving his best friend a smile. He follows Wakatoshi into the locker room, digging into his back. “I’ll be back, Ushiwaka. I just wanna stop at the vending machine real quick. Don’t leave without me, okay?”

“Okay.”

Tendou ducks out into the hallway where their vending machine sits. He quickly buys a sports drink and a protein bar. It’s easy to spot Hinata’s bag in the gym. The kid must be in the bathroom or something. He shoves the drink, the protein bar, and the leftovers of his bento box into the kid’s backpack. 

Maybe he should have left a note or something. He sees Hinata’s notebook and grabs it, pulling out a piece of paper. He writes a little note, letting the kid know the food is for him and to bring the bento box back tomorrow. 

Tendou doesn’t sign the note. 

~~~

The next day, Tendou wakes up late. Damn Semi for not waking him up when he left for class this morning. Tendou has to scramble to get himself dressed and out the door. He’s late to class but only by a few minutes. 

His teacher glares at him but otherwise continues with lessons like nothing is wrong. He sits back in his seat, doing his best to focus. 

The morning passes in a blur. He goes from class to class, doing his best to focus on his notes. The end of the school year looms over Tendou’s head, like a steady presence breathing down the back of his neck. He’s not ready for things to change, he’s not ready for this year to end. 

If he doesn’t think about it, surely that’ll keep it at bay. 

At lunch, Tendou goes to the cafeteria and grabs a tray of food. Then he heads to one of their classrooms, knowing his friends will already be there waiting for him. 

“Hey guys,” he says, grabbing a desk and pulling it closer to their circle. The spot between Goshiki and Wakatoshi is open for him. His stomach does some funny flips inside of him. 

He likes having friends. There was a time, he assumed he’d never have this, but somehow, he has an entire group of friends. Not only that, he’s got a best friend. He’s got a roommate he’s grown close to, even if they playfully fight that would make an outsider think they hate each other. He’s got Goshiki, his very own kouhai, who looks up to him and who Tendou adores more than words can say. 

Next year, he won’t have this anymore and it’s eating him up inside. 

“Glad you made it to class,” Semi says, flicking a napkin across the desks at him. “You were dead to the world this morning.”

“Thanks for waking me up this morning, SemiSemi,” he says, narrowing his eyes at his friend. “I was late to class because of you.”

“You should do what I do and set an alarm on your phone that goes off at the same time every day. They have a setting for that, Tendou.”

Tendou swings his head around to look at Wakatoshi. “Why would I do that when I have the most amazing roommate in the world to wake me up?”

Wakatoshi looks at him, raising his brow. “Your phone is more reliable.”

That makes Tendou snort, nodding his head. “You’re not wrong.”

“I rarely am.”

Tendou takes a bite of his rice, ignoring the way his stomach squirms at Wakatoshi’s confidence. He said it playfully though if anyone else heard, they’d think it was the same tone as always. Other people just don’t know Wakatoshi the same way he does. He can read the other man like an open book. He can see when his eyes have a twinkle to them or his lips curl up, just the tiniest bit. He can hear when Wakatoshi’s voice goes up or down, just the tiniest bit. 

Tendou is so down bad it makes him look stupid, but that’s fine. It’s not like it matters anyway. Next year they’ll be in completely different orbits and Tendou will finally be able to get over this infatuation he has with his best friend. 

Hopefully. 

Maybe. 

Okay, it’s not likely but maybe some distance will help his poor little heart?

“Has anyone else’s teacher been on their ass lately about college applications?” Semi asks before shoving some food into his mouth, looking around at everyone else. 

Reon lets out a long groan, rubbing at his face. “Yes,” he says. “I’ve sent everything off already but almost every other day my teacher is asking if I’ve heard anything back. If I had, I would tell her.”

“I can’t decide where I want to send my applications,” Semi says softly. “There’s this music school in America that I’ve been thinking of applying to but I don’t know. That feels really scary,” he admits softly. 

Shirabu slaps the back of Semi’s head, making him wince. “What the fuck was that for?”

“Don’t hold yourself back just because you’re scared, dumbass.”

“That’s easy for you to say! You already have everything planned out!”

“That doesn’t make it easy!”

Wakatoshi clears his throat, making the two of them stop fighting. “Though I don’t agree with hitting you, I do agree with Shirabu’s words. Don’t hold yourself back.”

Semi’s cheeks turn red and he looks down at his plate. “Okay,” he says softly. “I’ll send my application in. The worst that’ll happen is they say no.”

“That’s the spirit,” Goshiki says with a grin. Then he turns those big eyes towards Tendou. “What about you, Tendou-senpai! Have you thought about college yet? I’m sure wherever you apply will be happy to have you!”

Tendou puts on a giant grin. Reaching over, he ruffles Goshiki’s bangs, forcing a squawk from his kouhai. It makes his grin turn real. Carefully, he puts his bangs back into place. 

“I’ve got a few ideas but nothing solid yet,” he says quickly before turning towards Wakatoshi. He doesn’t want to tell them the truth. He doesn’t want to admit he’s been putting it off despite knowing he wants to apply to a prestigious culinary school in France and if that falls through, in Belgium. Can’t he just stay in this year, suspended in time beside his friends, forever? “What about you, Ushiwaka? How many colleges are begging you to join their volleyball team?”

Wakatoshi’s eyes narrow. He can tell that Tendou is putting off actually answering for himself. He gives him a look and Wakatoshi relents. Just another tally in the ‘why I’ve fallen so completely in love with my best friend’ list; their ability to communicate without a single word. 

“I’ve gotten many offers already, most of them coming with sports scholarships,” Wakatoshi admits with a nod. “I’m planning on touring the schools before I make a decision. There have also been some scouts from professional teams. If they offer me a place on their team, I would skip university altogether.”

“That’s great,” Reon says with a grin. 

Goshiki practically has stars in his eyes. “That’s amazing, Wakatoshi-senpai! Any school would be lucky to have you. I hope I can be recruited just like you someday. I’ll keep practicing until I’m right alongside you on the court again.”

The corners of Wakatoshi’s lips curl up, ever so slightly. Tendou can’t help but stare, feeling his cheeks warm at the sight. Wakatoshi is so pretty when he’s got that soft look on his face. He just barely keeps himself from sighing out loud. 

“If you keep working hard, I have no doubt of that, Goshiki.”

Goshiki just barely keeps himself from squirming in his seat from the praise. His kouhai is a fiend for praise. 

“I’ll be in the front row of your match with a sign that reads ‘Goshiki’s senpai’,” Tendou says with a chuckle, bumping his shoulder with Goshiki. Goshiki looks so excited by the prospect. 

“Tendou,” Wakatoshi says softly, so only he can hear. He leans his head over towards his best friend. “Make sure you eat. You’ve barely touched your lunch.”

“Right,” he says quickly, taking another bite of food. In all honesty, he’s not really that hungry but for Wakatoshi, he makes sure to take a couple more bites. His stomach squirms, knowing that Wakatoshi is looking out for him. Then he packs up the rest for later. And by later, he means he’ll be hiding this in Hinata’s bag again tonight. 

~~~

At the end of the day, Tendou makes his way back to his dorm. He changes out of his school uniform into some comfortable pants and his volleyball jacket. He makes sure he has his homework in his backpack along with snacks and the leftovers from lunch before heading towards the gym. 

Tendou finds a spot up in the balcony, pulling out his homework and getting to work as people start to trickle in. The first years on his team who’re helping out start setting up the net and getting the balls out. As kids from other schools join them, they start warming up, chatting amongst themselves. 

Everything sounds so achingly familiar it makes Tendou’s chest ache. The sound of sneakers squeaking against the floors and the bounce of a volleyball against the ground and against fingers and against arms. It’s been his safe place for a long time. 

He keeps thinking about the conversation at lunch. It replays over and over and over. Wakatoshi will be staying in Japan and if Tendou is lucky and somehow manages to get accepted, he’ll be leaving for France. 

Just thinking about that leaves bile burning the back of his throat. How the fuck did he manage to fall so head over heels for his best friend that he’s actually thinking about the merits of shoving his own dream to the side just to stay close to Ushiwaka? That would be so stupid but love makes people stupid he guesses. 

He’s pulled from his thoughts by his phone ringing. He picks it up, seeing ‘Dad’ across the screen. 

“Hi, Dad,” he says, leaning his back against the wall and staring down at the first years warming up. Goshiki must hear his voice because he looks up with a grin on his face, waving up at Tendou. He waves back. 

“Satori! Hey! How are you?”

“I’m good,” he says right away. He means it for the most part. Things are good. Sure, he’s drowning in pining and existential dread, but honestly, what else is new. “You okay?”

“Yep! I’m getting ready to go shopping and I wanted to call and see if you needed anything. Oh, also! Are you coming home this weekend? I’m so sorry, I feel so wonky this week I can’t remember anything. I would forget my own ass if it wasn’t attached, I swear.”

Tendou finds himself chuckling, shaking his head to himself. “That’s okay,” he says right away. “Could you please get me some more hair gel? I’m almost out. Also, I need another pack of socks. The last of mine just broke a hole in the heel. I swear, the laundry machine keeps eating my socks because I’m down to only two pairs.”

His dad makes a noise at the back of his throat, like he’s trying to hold back laughter. Tendou can hear the scratch of pen against paper. “Okay, I got you.”

“I won’t be home this weekend. There’s a training camp I’m helping out with.”

“Right! Shit. I knew that. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine, Dad.”

“I’ll run your stuff over sometime this weekend. Is that okay? I don’t wanna make you look uncool around your friends but I miss you. I’ll bring you take out or something to say sorry for being lame.”

“You’re not lame,” Tendou says with a grin. “Okay, you’re a little lame but it’s fine. I don’t mind.”

“You wound me! I give you life and this is how you repay me!”

“I didn’t ask to be born.”

There’s silence on the other line before his Dad gives a deep sigh. “You’re right. My bad. I will spend the rest of my life apologizing for unwittingly ruining your life by birthing you.”

Tendou snorts so loud it makes some of the first years below look up at him in surprise. He covers his mouth with his hand, laughing to himself. 

“You’re such a drama king.”

“Takes one to know one!”

They both laugh together and Tendou suddenly feels so much lighter, just from talking to his dad. “I’m glad you called,” he says softly. 

“Is everything actually okay, Satori? You know you can talk to me, right?”

“Yeah, I know. Just the usual stuff. And thinking about what to do next year.”

His dad hums. “It’s a lot,” he finally says. “But Satori, you don’t have to do it all alone. I’m here, however I can help. You’re so strong. One of the strongest people I know. Whatever you decide, you’re going to absolutely take it on head first and dominate it, just like you dominated at being a middle blocker. Nothing stands a chance when you put your mind to it.”

Tendou nods to himself. “Thank you,” he says softly, just barely above a whisper. “We can talk about it when you come visit, okay?”

“Perfect. I’m gonna go shopping now but if you think of anything else you need, text me!”

“Okay. Love you, Dad.”

“Love you too.”

He stares at his phone for a long moment. He feels really lucky to have been raised by such a wonderful person. They have an unshakeable bond. 

It wasn’t until later in life that Tendou’s father came out to him and his other parent. He was little but not little enough to forget the fall out. They used to be a unit of three but then his parent left. Transphobic asshole. 

It’s one thing to leave your spouse but another to abandon your kid in the process. Tendou doesn’t mind though. He’s actually kind glad he doesn’t have to deal with that asshole who he often calls his donor instead of his parent. 

Tendou’s Dad is the only one he needs. He’s a good man, made better by allowing himself to live fully and authentically. Tendou could never in a million years fault him for that. In all honesty, he celebrates being raised by a single, trans father. It’s helped him see how beautiful it is to be yourself. 

Sure, sometimes being yourself comes with people who can’t handle it, but it also forges relationships even stronger by those who accept you for who you are. 

Before Tendou can put his phone away, it buzzes with a new text message. 

Ushiwaka<3: Where are you?

Tendou: I’m at the gym. 

Ushiwaka<3: Okay. 

Tendou puts his phone back down and focuses on his homework as best as he can. He’s stuck on math when Wakatoshi finally arrives. 

“Tendou.”

Tendou looks up, finding Wakatoshi standing nearby, holding a tray in his hands. His heart skips a beat as Wakatoshi sits down next to him, sliding the tray between them. 

“I had a feeling you didn’t bring yourself dinner.”

“Your feeling was correct,” he says with a smile, doing his best to ignore the way his stomach is swooping and his chest is aching. What did he do in another life that granted him the gift of Ushiwaka’s friendship? Tendou isn’t sure he’ll ever truly know but he’s grateful. “Toshi, you didn’t have to.”

“I know. I wanted to.”

Tendou drapes his arms around Wakatoshi’s shoulders, giving him a squeeze before settling back in his place. He takes a bite of the food before nodding towards his notebook. “Can you help me? I’m stuck on this problem.”

“Of course,” Wakatoshi says right away, moving things around so he can get to Tendou’s notebook. He explains the problem and the lightbulb inside Tendou’s mind goes off, allowing him to finish the problems with ease. 

“Finish eating.”

“Alright, alright. Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Ushiwaka. I’m eating, I promise!”

“I don’t wear panties.”

“It’s an expression,” Tendou explains, taking a bite of food and doing his best not to think about Wakatoshi’s underwear. He knows for a fact that his best friend always wears very tight black boxers under his clothes. “We’ve been working on those.”

“What does it mean?”

“It means, don’t get yourself all out of whack or upset about whatever we were talking about. In this case, we’re talking about my eating habits.”

“I worry about you.”

Tendou looks up at his best friend, giving him an achingly soft smile despite himself. “I know you do. I appreciate it.”

Wakatoshi doesn’t look away. “I know you do,” he says, mirroring Tendou’s words. 

A volleyball comes flying up into the rafters and it breaks the moment. Wakatoshi stands up, grabbing it and tossing it back down to Goshiki. 

“Did you see that spike? It was so hard the ball almost hit you guys!”

“It was incredible, Goshiki! Do another!”

Goshiki nods his head, his bangs bobbing along. He turns towards another kid, the one from Date Tech with the dyed bangs. The guy, Tendou will have to ask his name, is staring at Goshiki, a little blush on his cute lil face. 

“Hey, Toshi? Do you know that kid’s name?”

“I believe it is Koganegawa.”

“Right, right,” Tendou says with a nod, watching as Koganegawa and Goshiki interact with each other. “I think our boy might have a crush.”

Wakatoshi hums, watching the same interaction. “Are you going to interfere?”

“Only if they need me to.”

When Tendou looks over at his friend again, there’s a softness to his hazel eyes. It makes Tendou want to squirm so instead, he plays with his fingers in his lap. As much as he’d like to stare at Wakatoshi, he darts his eyes back down to the court, looking for the little spitfire he’s been worried about. 

Hinata is at the end of the court, chasing down everyone’s spikes. He’s watching that middle schooler, the one who’s going to become an excellent libero when he gets to high school. Hinata keeps trying to bounce on his toes as the ball comes his way. 

It’s kind of adorable to watch. 

Just like that first day Tendou had watched him, Hinata soaks up everything possible. He’s like a dry sponge, just latching on to every new technique, trying them out as best as he can while running around as a ball boy. 

He steps to the side of the court, just watching. It’s probably been a while since he’s been allowed to just watch instead of being involved. As half of the quick attack freak duo, Tendou is positive he spends all his time on the court. 

“May I ask, what is your fascination with Shouyou Hinata?”

Tendou hums, leaning back so he’s shoulder to shoulder with Wakatoshi. His skin burns at every point of contact, leaving him feeling downright giddy. 

“He’s like a lost ducky,” Tendou says with a shrug. “He’s so eager and despite every disadvantage life throws at him, he crawls his way up. He’s willing to fight tooth and nail, shed blood and tears, just to play volleyball. It’s kinda inspiring in it’s own stupid way.”

This time it’s Wakatoshi’s turn to hum. 

“I kinda see you in him,” Tendou confesses softly. “Someone who lives for this sport. It’s in your guys' very blood. You wouldn’t know how to live without it. The only difference is, you were born in a body that allowed you to be at the top while he has to fight for his place.” 

Wakatoshi’s body stiffens and Tendou is quick to turn, holding up his hands. “Not that you don’t fight for your place! That’s not what I meant. You work your butt off, Ushiwaka! You drill yourself over and over until your technique is perfect and that’s admirable as well. I just meant, if Hinata was built like you, he’d have been invited to this camp but because he’s small, he wasn’t. You know what I mean?”

Wakatoshi lets out a long breath, finally turning his eyes towards Tendou. “I know what you mean.”

“Okay,” he says softly, going back to sitting against his best friend. “Good. Awesome.”

“We should probably head back to our dorm.”

“Yeah,” Tendou says with a nod. “I just have to make a quick stop before we head out.”

Wakatoshi gives him a look, one that says he can see right through Tendou. “At the vending machine?”

“At the vending machine,” he says with a grin, wiggling his fingers in Wakatoshi’s direction. Wakatoshi rolls his eyes and it sparks so much joy in Tendou’s chest he’s worried his heart might actually leap out of his chest. 

He packs up all his stuff and heads down the stairs into the main part of the gym. Once again, he finds Hinata’s backpack without any issue. His bento box from yesterday is sitting on top, a note left for him. It just says ‘Thank you, Bento Fairy’. It makes Tendou giggle as he puts his leftover food into the bento and shoves another sports drink and protein bar on top of that. 

With that, he walks with Wakatoshi back to the dorms. 

“Thanks again for bringing me dinner,” he says, knocking their elbows together. 

“You’re welcome, Tendou. Good night.”

“Good night.”

~~~

The next day, after classes have ended, Tendou is once again packing his backpack and getting ready to head to the gym. Before he can leave, Semi is walking in. 

“Hey, SemiSemi.”

“Hey,” Semi says, heading over to his dresser and grabbing some street clothes out. He quickly changes out of his school uniform. “My mom just called. I’m gonna go spend the weekend at home.”

“Oh! Okay! That sounds fun. Are you coming back for training camp tomorrow?”

Semi nods his head. “Yeah, I’ll be there. My mom will bring me back and then pick me up when we’re all done. My aunt and uncle are in town so they wanted me there for that.”

“Oh nice! Your aunt is so cool. I hope she brings those cookies, the peanut butter ones. And by bring them, I mean bring them for you to share with me.”

Semi cracks a smile, rolling his eyes. “I promise I’ll bring you some if she does.”

Tendou throws a hand across his chest. “You do love me! I knew it!”

“Whatever, asshole. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

It doesn’t take long to pack everything up and head to the gym. He finds his spot up on the balcony. Pulling out his English homework, he gets to work, the sounds of the gym the perfect background. Who knew doing homework at the gym would make him so efficient?

Tendou isn’t sure what time it is before he hears someone walking up the stairs to the balcony. He shoves his notebook back into his backpack, having just finished everything that needed to be done. 

“I thought I would find you here.”

How the hell was he supposed to keep his feelings platonic when his best friend keeps being so sweet? Here he is, once again, bringing Tendou dinner. 

“Ushiwaka! Fancy meeting you here! You come here often?”

“It’s the gym. Of course I come here often.”

Tendou grins so wide his cheeks hurt. Wakatoshi sits down, setting the tray between them again. 

“Should I be worried about your fascination with Shouyou Hinata?”

“Absolutely not. Plus, I’m here to watch Goshiki too! Our little kouhai is doing so well at this training camp even if I did hear coach screaming at him a few times.”

“He wouldn’t scream unless he thought Goshiki had the potential to be even better.”

“Once he finds a little confidence, he’s going to be one hell of an ace.”

“Mhmm,” Wakatoshi hums in agreement. They share dinner, passing things back and forth between them. It feels incredibly domestic in a way that makes Tendou just about lose his mind. Or maybe cry. Or scream. Or toss himself off the balcony. Truly, he’s not too picky. 

Once the tray is empty, Wakatoshi sets it aside and slides over so they’re leaning against each other again. How the hell is Tendou supposed to survive this? Usually, he’s the one to initiate physical contact but as they’ve gotten closer, Wakatoshi will be the one from time to time. It’s not a big deal. It’s not! 

Except it kinda is. At least, to Tendou it’s a big deal. Wakatoshi doesn’t lean on anyone but him and his brain screams it’s because they’re best friends but a traitorious part of his brain whispers that maybe, just maybe, there’s a chance that Wakatoshi feels the same things that Tendou does. 

“My dad is coming to visit this weekend,” Tendou murmurs, leaning his head against Wakatoshi’s shoulder, watching the first years do their drills. Right now they’re playing two on twos. 

One of the kids, the tallest one, is struggling. It makes something twist in his stomach, conflicting sensations. On the one hand, it’s bullshit that he was invited to this just because he’s tall. It’s obvious he’s struggling with technique, far behind what Hinata is capable of. On the other hand, it’s shit that some of the other kids are being asses about it. It’s frustrating when your partner can’t keep up but that’s no reason to be an ass. 

“I would like to say hi, if that’s okay?”

“Of course, Ushiwaka. My dad loves you, you know that.”

Wakatoshi hums, making a happy noise. Tendou’s stomach flutters. He loves seeing those two talk. Two of his favorite people who love each other just as much as he loves them. Wakatoshi would slide into the family with such ease if only they could somehow move from friends into more. 

Tendou watches with hawk-like eyes as Hinata moves over to the tall kid. As much as he wants to keep leaning on Wakatoshi’s strong shoulder, he moves away so he can lean down, listening in on their conversation. 

Wakatoshi makes a noise and Tendou glares at him, placing a finger against his lip to tell him to stay quiet. Wakatoshi’s lips tip up ever so slightly. 

“You should have been the one invited to this.”

Hinata freezes, stepping closer. “No. You’re wrong. I think what you mean is that we both should have been invited.” Then he starts waxing poetic about the guy’s height. 

“Hey, when you’re out there next, can you do me a favor?”

The tall guy shrugs. “What’s that?”

“When you get the ball, get it up high. It’ll give you time to calm down and stay loose out there.”

“Why are you helping me?”

“Because!” Hinata says with excitement. “I want you at your very best so that when we’re across from each other, I can beat you!”

Tendou lets out a long breath before sliding back so his back is against the wall again. “Huh.”

“Did you learn what you wanted to learn?”

“Yeah, Toshi, I think I did.”

Hinata’s words are not only wise, but they help the kid when he’s out on the court. He tosses the ball up high, giving him enough time to center himself and hit the ball properly. His technique still needs a lot of work, but somehow, Hinata was able to help him find his groove. 

Goddamnit. Tendou is pretty sure he’s starting to grow fond of the little red head. 

“Okay, that’s a wrap!” Coach calls out, bringing everyone close. “The first years will show you where you’ll be staying for the rest of the weekend. Try not to stay up too late tonight because we’ll be getting started first thing in the morning.”

“And a reminder,” Coach Washijo says, narrowing his eyes at Hinata. “There’s no food or lodging for ball boys who were not invited.”

Tendou grabs onto Wakatoshi’s sleeve. “But there’s plenty of space. Normally, our camps are way bigger and they all just sleep in one big room together anyway.”

“He took an opportunity that wasn’t given to him,” Wakatoshi says with a shrug. 

“Hmm,” is all Tendou says in response. 

“I should get going,” Wakatoshi says before standing up, dusting off his pants. “I promised my father I would call him.”

“Okay. Have a good night, Ushiwaka. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“See you in the morning.”

Tendou watches as most of the kids start to leave but Tsuki stops in front of Hinata. He looks like he might actually explode before he asks if he wants to stay and practice longer. Hinata looks confused before he’s leaping into the air with excitement. 

Hinata begs Goshiki to stay, to show off that amazing line shot and something in Goshiki seems to change, latching onto the idea of showing off for someone who looks up to him. 

Huh. 

Maybe what Goshiki needs, in order to find his confidence, is his own kouhai. Someone he can take under his wing and show the ropes to. Someone who’ll look up to him. 

As soon as Goshiki agrees to stay, the setter from Date Tech agrees as well. It’s so adorable, watching how they dance around each other. He leans his face against his palm and sighs. Ah, young love. 

Goshiki goes to spike and Tsuki blocks him without much effort. It makes him frown. He stands up, making himself known. 

“Goshiki,” he calls down, watching as his kouhai looks up at him in surprise. “You let Tsuki block you because you projected exactly where you were going to hit the ball. At least make it hard on him to read you.”

“Okay, Tendou-senpai. I can do that!”

“I know you can!”

Tendou picks up his bag, sliding it onto his shoulder before walking down the stairs. Hinata is still catching balls instead of spiking. He’s taking everything in with wide, awed eyes. 

The next time Goshiki goes to spike, it’s against three blockers. The ball is set near the antenna. He runs out of bounds, turning his body like he’s going to hit a cross shot. The blockers read that and move to their left. 

If Tendou wasn’t Tendou, maybe he’d have fallen for that but he knows Goshiki. He knows a ball near the side like that means a straight shot. Goshiki goes up and smacks the ball straight down the line. A perfect shot. 

“Hell yeah, Goshiki! That was beautiful!”

Hinata is there, jumping up and down. “Oh my god! That was amazing! You turned your body to make it look like a cross shot and you even approached it like a cross shot and then BAM, you went straight down the line! I’ve never seen anything like that! You’re incredible, man!”

Goshiki does his best to appear nonchalant but Tendou sees right through him. He can’t help but smile to himself. 

“Thank you,” he says with a smirk, grabbing the ball and getting back into line. 

Tendou walks out of the gym but sits on the steps, waiting for everyone to leave. Hinata is the last one out of the gym, looking exhausted and hungry. His bag looks more full than usual and Tendou’s heart breaks for him. 

“Hey, Hinata?”

“Ahh! You scared me! Don’t just sit in the shadows like that!”

Tendou chuckles. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare ya! Though I guess, that’s what I do, being a monster and all that.”

“You’re a monster in a good way,” Hinata says quickly. “Your blocks are terrifying! One second you’re over there and the next BAM, my spikes are hitting my side of the court because you’re just right where you need to be right when you need to be. It was so frustrating in the best way!”

Tendou tilts his head to the side. “Oh. Thank you,” he says because what the hell else can you say when someone is so enthusiastic like this? He points at Hinata’s bag. “Did you bring extra clothes thinking you’d be staying here?”

Hinata visibly deflates. “Yeah.”

“Okay. You can stay with me, but you can’t tell Coach. I don’t want him being an ass to me.”

“What? Are you serious right now? Really?”

“Yeah. Come on, short fry.”

Tendou leads them to the dorm, keeping an eye out to make sure no one sees them. It’s not that he’s keeping all of this a secret, just that he’s not in the mood to answer questions right now. Good thing Semi is with his parents this weekend! It makes all of this just a little bit easier. 

Once they’re inside Tendou’s dorm, he gestures around. “Make yourself at home! I have to go shower but it won’t take long. You can have the food I left on the desk.”

“You’re being so nice!”

“Yeah, well. Don’t mention it,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll be right back.”

Tendou showers quickly, not wanting to leave Hinata alone on his own for too long. When he comes back, Hinata makes another startled noise, his eyes widening comically. 

“Your hair!”

Tendou touches his head, tilting his head to the side. “Did you think it stands up all on its own? I wasn’t born with the spikes!”

“No, no! That would be stupid! I’ve just never seen you with your hair down,” he says, his voice trailing off. 

“Most people haven’t,” Tendou says, putting his things away and sitting at his desk. He notices the bento is empty and he smiles to himself. 

Hinata lets out a long yawn, already lounging across Tendou’s bed. “Thank you for letting me sleep here.”

“It’s fine,” he says, waving Hinata off. “I can’t help but adopt fellow weirdos.”

“I’m not a weirdo!”

Tendou chuckles. “If you say so. If you’re not a weirdo, then what’s your deal?”

“My deal?”

“Mhmm,” Tendou hums, curling one leg under himself. He brings his foot up to the chair, wrapping his arms around his knee. “You’re quite the volleyball monster but I don’t remember hearing about you in middle school.”

“Oh,” Hinata says, his face deflating. “I didn’t really have a volleyball team! I just sort of bullied my friends into playing with me even though they didn’t know how in order to have a team for the tournament. We lost our first round.”

“You have no formal training before this year?”

Hinata shrugs. “I practiced with the girl’s team as much as I could.”

“Wow,” Tendou says. This kid has such a drive for volleyball, he can’t help but feel admiration. He takes his own opportunities instead of waiting for them to be handed over. 

“I fell in love with volleyball and started doing everything in my power to play. Being able to be on the Karasuno team has been amazing! I get to practice so much and learn something new all the time! I’m going to be the greatest player. I’m going to go to Nationals and be on the court the longest.”

Tendou blinks back his surprise. The kid is passionate, he’ll give him that. “I admire your excitement.”

“Thank you!” Hinata says excitedly but then he deflates a bit. “Although, I know I shouldn’t have snuck into camp. I really disappointed my coach and my captain. Plus, I’m not even allowed to do drills!”

“I noticed,” Tendou says with a snort. He tilts his head, resting his cheek on his knee. “But you can learn a lot just from watching. It’s not the same as practical application, but there’s still stuff to learn.”

“Right,” Hinata says, nodding his head. “I’m realizing so much! When I watch from the balcony, it’s like seeing the game as this brand new thing! I’m watching other people’s technique and learning how to read a spiker. It’s so cool!”

“I learn a lot from watching too.”

“Is that how you became the Guess Monster?”

Tendou nods his head, giving him a small smile. “Something like that. I was bullied a lot when I was younger. I had to learn how to read a room really fast if I didn’t want to get cornered or hurt. If I watched close enough, I could see what I could say to hurt the other kids enough to leave me alone or get them to back off. Then I learned how to translate that same skill on the court. Volleyball is more than just watching the ball.”

Hinata’s eyes widen. “It’s more than watching the ball? But that’s like, the most important part?”

“Well yeah, don’t let it hit the floor,” Tendou says with a chuckle. “But there’s more to it than that! Like watching the other spikers approach the net. Watching the setter’s eyes. Watching their hands. Getting a feel for which players are feeling confident and which are starting to struggle. All together, you get a better picture for who’s getting the ball and where they plan on hitting it.”

Hinata looks like he’s having another volleyball related religious experience. Tendou can see his mind working around his words. Finally, he grins. 

“You’re so smart, Tendou-senpia! Tomorrow, I’ll make sure to try that, taking in the whole court, learning to read things that aren’t just the ball.”

“Sounds good, kid,” he says, letting out a yawn. 

“I’m gonna take everything I learned here and take it to Nationals,” Hinata says with excitement. “I’m gonna be better than Ushiwaka!”

Tendou gets a soft smile on his face, his stomach warming at the very mention of his best friend. “You can certainly try, but if given the chance, I’ll always put my money on Ushiwaka.”

Hinata frowns, his brows furrowing. “Because you think he’s better than me?”

“Yes,” Tendou says easily, “but also because he’s my best friend. He really is beautiful when he’s out on the court,” Tendou adds, not meaning to let his voice go all soft like that. He shakes his head. “We should probably try to get some sleep.”

Hinata stares at him for a long moment before he’s nodding. “Yeah. Do you have a futon that I can sleep on?”

Tendou shakes his head. “Nah. Do you mind just bunking with me? Semi doesn’t like it when I mess with his bed so that’s off limits. Or I can just sleep on the floor.”

“I don’t mind if you don’t mind!”

“Okay, it’s settled then.”

The two of them crawl into Tendou’s bed with him closest to the wall. It’s not super uncommon for Tendou to share a bed with someone. He’s incredibly tactile by nature but even so, it takes a bit for the two of them to grow used to each other. 

“Hey, Tendou?” Tendou hums. “Thank you for letting me stay with you.”

“You’re welcome. You seem like a good kid and I could help, so I did.”

Hinata makes a noise of understanding before he turns his back to Tendou. It only takes a moment before he’s completely lost to the world, snoring softly. Tendou smiles to himself before he follows behind, falling asleep. 

~~~

In the morning, Tendou wakes before his alarm goes off. He could have sworn he heard his dorm room slam shut but that doesn’t make any sense. Maybe one of the dorms next to his slammed shut and that’s what woke him up. 

Either way, he’s awake now. He crawls out of bed, careful not to jostle Hinata too much as he goes. He goes through his morning routine of brushing his teeth, washing his face, and doing his hair. Only when he opens the little container with his hair gel, he finds it completely empty. Right, his dad is bringing more tonight. Today he’ll have to just sweep it out of his face as best as he can.

Then he makes a trip to the cafeteria, grabbing himself and Hinata some breakfast. Once he’s back in his room, Tendou softly shakes Hinata awake. He’s not expecting the kid to literally jump out of bed, scrambling for his stuff. 

“Sorry! Sorry! I’m up! Am I late! Oh my god!”

“Hey, calm down,” Tendou says, holding up his hands in surrender, thankful that he’s already put their food down. “I got us breakfast. You have time to eat before you go to the gym.”

Hinata immediately relaxes, running his hands through his wild hair. He perks up at the mention of food. 

“Here,” Tendou says, handing over a tray with an omelet and rice. Hinata immediately digs in, shoving his mouth so full he looks like a chipmunk. It makes Tendou shake his head with amusement. 

“Aren’t you gonna eat? You need your energy to play later!”

Tendou nods his head, digging into his food. He only eats about half before he’s packing up the rest and setting it in the mini fridge he shares with Semi. He’ll finish it later when he’s more hungry. 

“That’s all you’re hungry for?”

“I don’t eat much,” he says with a shrug. Great, another person on his eating habits, as if Wakatoshi and Semi aren’t enough. Wanting to get the topic off himself, Tendou quickly adds, “we’re gonna have dinner with my dad tonight, I hope you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind! Are you sure you want me to come along? I don’t wanna get in the way.”

“It’s fine,” Tendou says with a shrug. “You can stay here again tonight, I don’t mind. My dad is visiting campus. He said he’d bring me some supplies I need and some food.”

“Like hair gel?” Hinata asks, his eyes darting up to Tendou’s head. 

“Yeah,” he says with a laugh, running his hands through his fringe. “Like hair gel. I should have asked for some more sooner.”

“It looks cool! Different than usual! You’ll keep everyone guessing,” Hinata says excitedly. How can he have so much energy right after waking up? It’s like he’s powered by batteries that never run out. 

Once Hinata is done eating, he changes into his practice clothes. Tendou shows him where the bathroom is so he can brush his teeth and stuff. After that, they make their way towards the gym. Hinata keeps up a steady flow of conversation that revolves around volleyball in general and the training camp and everything he wants to learn. 

“In you go, ShouShou,” Tendou says, pushing Hinata towards the gym doors. “I’ll be back later!” He pretends to wipe a tear from his eye. “I feel like a proud father dropping my kid off at school. They grow up so fast!”

Hinata shakes his head, chuckling. He jumps up and down, waving at Tendou. If only Tendou could figure out how to syphon some of that energy. Maybe he could try to sell it. “Thank you again! I’ll see you later!”

Tendou has a smile on his face all the way back to the dorms, his chest feeling bright. He’s glad he could help the little shrimp out. He’s got a few hours before he needs to be at the gym to help out. He could go back to his dorm and work on his homework or something, but instead, his feet make their way to Wakatoshi’s dorm without his permission, drawn to the other man. 

Normally, they have an open door policy but since it’s still early, Tendou decides to knock instead. “Ushiwaka? It’s me! Can I come in?”

“You can come in,” he hears through the door. Grinning, he opens up and steps inside. “Good morning, Tendou.”

“Good morning!” 

Tendou looks over at his best friend, finding a furrow to his brow as he stares at Tendou. He suddenly feels on display in the worst possible way. He’s the one who observes people, not the other way around! 

“What’s got that look on your face?”

Wakatoshi seems to realize he’s staring. He quickly looks away and if Tendou didn’t know better, he’d think there’s a flush to his cheeks. “You don’t normally knock.”

“Ah,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s still kind of early. I didn’t wanna barge in during your morning routine or while you were sleeping! That’s all.”

Wakatoshi seems to think this over before nodding his head. Tendou tries not to let the moment feel weird despite the way his chest is twisting uncomfortably. 

“You are up early for it being a Saturday.”

“Hey! I’m capable of getting up early!” Wakatoshi raises his brow and it makes Tendou snort. “Yeah, okay. Let’s just say it was a weird morning.”

“Okay.” He’s back to staring. Tendou is starting to worry he’s got something on his face until Wakatoshi finally adds, “your hair is down.”

Tendou runs his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, my dad is bringing me more hair gel tonight. I ran out. Does it look weird?”

“No,” Wakatoshi says, and Tendou really needs to stop hearing what he wants to hear because he could swear that his best friend’s voice is fond. Ugh, he could supply a Christmas tree farm with all the pining happening inside his chest. 

“Do you wanna watch something before we have to head to the gym?”

Wakatoshi nods his head. “Sure.”

Tendou grabs Wakatoshi’s laptop, setting in the other man’s lap. Tendou pulls the desk over to the bed so they can rest the laptop on it before crawling into bed, sitting right beside his best friend. Everywhere they touch from knee to hip to shoulder makes Tendou light up on the inside. He’s warm all over in the most wonderfully delightful way. 

Wakatoshi starts one of the movies he has on his laptop, one they haven’t watched yet. It’s cute, the way he manages to collect movies and shows, knowing Tendou will want to watch them together. It makes his heart do the funniest little flip. 

He’s really lucky to have such an amazing best friend. Not for the first time, Tendou curses his own feelings. Why can’t this be enough? Why does he still want more? The pining in his chest is all-consuming sometimes, threatening to make him sick. 

Breathing out through his nose, Tendou does his best to stay in the moment instead of letting his thoughts drift. 

As the beginning credits start to roll, Wakatoshi leans his back against the wall beside Tendou. His body is more rigid, more tense than usual. 

“How’s Semi?”

Tendou makes a little humming noise. “He’s with his parents this weekend, but don’t worry, he’ll be back for the training camp later.”

“Oh,” is all Wakatoshi says, his body somehow tensing even more. Tendou can tell he’s uncomfortable about something. He scoots away, giving his best friend some more space. He mourns the loss immediately but he’s also not about to make Wakatoshi more uncomfortable than he already is. 

Tendou brings his legs up, pulling his knees against his chest. He leans his chin against them, watching the movie, getting lost in it. He lets out a little yawn. He’s not sure how long he watches but eventually, his eyes close and they don’t open again. 

“Tendou,” Wakatoshi’s voice brings him back to the land of the living. He blinks slowly, trying to gather himself. Sometime during the movie, he’d apparently pitched sideways, landing against Wakatoshi’s chest. 

Tendou’s stomach does many things all at once. It flips and warms and flutters. He’s dreamed of this so many times. Wakatoshi’s chest is so comfortable and he’s surprised by how well they fit together. The most surprising part is the fact that Wakatoshi’s arm is around his back, gently playing with the hair at the nap of his neck. 

Tendou shivers and that seems to break the spell between them, Wakatoshi’s body tensing. 

“Tendou. It’s time to get up.”

Tendou slowly sits up, a frown on his face. He looks over at the clock on the wall, realizing they need to head to the gym, the movie long over. He doesn’t even remember falling asleep but shit, that was probably the best sleep he’s gotten in a long time. 

“Sorry about that,” he finally says, standing up and stretching his arms over his head, letting his spine twist and bend. “I must have been more tired than I realized.”

“Did you sleep okay last night?”

“I guess? Went to bed a bit later than usual and was up earlier. Maybe it’s just too much excitement from the training camp?”

Wakatoshi’s brows furrow again, his entire body tensing. Tendou is especially good at reading Wakatoshi usually but right now, he doesn’t have a clue what’s going on inside his head. It’s so frustrating. He could just ask, but that’s not his usual style. Plus, he’s always scared that if he asks, he’ll hear something he couldn’t handle. 

If he never hears ‘sorry, I do not feel like that about you’ then Tendou can live in blissful ignorance. It’s better this way. 

“Ready to go, Toshi?”

That seems to snap him out of his thoughts. He nods his head and grabs his gym bag. Tendou walks out of the room, heading down the hall to his own dorm so he can grab his bag as well. The two of them walk side by side through the yard towards the gym. 

Their shoulders bump occasionally, making Tendou’s heart flip every time. His hand tightens on the strap of his bag, keeping himself from doing something stupid like reaching over and taking Wakatoshi’s hand in his own. 

“Just a reminder, my dad is coming for dinner tonight. I think we’ll just take over one of the picnic tables in the yard.”

“I’ll be there,” Wakatoshi says with a nod. 

Tendou grins over at him, purposely bumping into him and getting a soft snort in response. He feels like he’s walking on cloud nine at this point. 

“SemiSemi!” Tendou calls out, seeing his roommate at the doors of the gym. He looks like he’s arguing with Shirabu again. Reon and Jin are also there. “Thanks again for being gone. I love having the room to myself.”

Wakatoshi makes a noise at the back of his throat that Tendou has no idea means. He’s about to ask him about it, but he’s interrupted by Semi. 

“What the hell, Tendou?”

Tendou raises his brow. “What?” That’s when he realizes all his friends are staring at him. “What’s going on?”

Shirabu clears his throat. “I didn’t realize you were kinda hot.”

“Huh?”

Reon shrugs. “Your hair,” he says as explanation. 

Semi is the only one who doesn’t seem phased, having seen Tendou plenty of times with his hair down. 

“What? You guys don’t think I’m hot with my hair up?”

“Nah,” Shirabu says. 

“Tendou is objectively beautiful no matter how his hair is styled,” Wakatoshi says beside him and Tendou’s face flames so hotly he’s worried he might actually melt his skin because what? “I like when it’s spiked. It is very you, as some people put it.”

“Huh?”

No one seems to bat an eye at the comment, instead walking into the gym. Tendou stands there for a long moment, just trying to process what happened. He’s still standing there until Wakatoshi pauses, just inside the gym. 

“Are you coming?”

“Yeah,” he says, his voice breaking on the word. He hurries behind everyone, following them into the gym, ignoring the way his face is probably the same shade of red as his hair.  

Tendou can’t even begin to process what the hell is happening. First, Wakatoshi was strange all morning, then Tendou was snuggled against his strong chest, and now Wakatoshi said he was objectively beautiful? Tendou feels like he’s having a heart attack, that’s the only explanation for what the hell is happening inside his chest. 

Why has he been so stiff and tense this morning? What happened to make him feel so distant? 

As they’re all walking towards the locker room, he feels eyes on him. Looking over at the court, he finds Goshiki staring at him, his brows furrowed in something that looks like confusion and hurt. Great, another mystery to solve. 

He wiggles his fingers at Goshiki, giving him a wide grin. Goshiki tentatively waves back before focusing back on the drills they’re currently working on. Why is everyone being so weird today?

It doesn’t take long for them to all get changed into their practice clothes and warmed up. They’re doing practice games again today. Tendou is feeling particularly bittersweet, a string of melancholy keeping him from fully enjoying himself. 

He’s going to miss this. He’s going to miss being on the court with his friends. He’s especially going to miss playing with Wakatoshi. 

Tendou leaps up, blocking a spike. He can hear Wakatoshi clapping for him from the back row and it makes his insides light up. 

“You were projecting exactly where you wanted the ball to go,” he says to the spiker across from him. Normally, he would taunt the block but he remembers how this kid looks so dejected earlier in the training camp. “I could read your shoulders and eyes.”

The guy seems to take the feedback with a nod. 

Goshiki on the other hand does an approach that looks exactly like he’s planning a cross shot. Tendou knows him though, knows how his approaches work. He knows that if he leaves even an inch next to the antenna, Goshiki will take a line shot. He’s there, ready for it, but to his surprise, his kouhai actually takes a cross shot. 

“Goshiki!” Tendou says with a grin. “Nice shot, Ace.”

Goshiki grins right back, looking incredibly proud of himself. Tendou is so proud of how much he’s grown just in the year they’ve been playing together. Goshiki turns around with his head held high. The setter stares at Goshiki, softness in his eyes. Tendou sees it all. 

On the next serve, Wakatoshi receives, sending the ball up to Shirabu. Shirabu sets the ball up, getting it high so that Wakatoshi can have a full approach. Tendou should be moving. He should be getting into position to cover a block. His feet are frozen in place. 

That same sadness washes over him all at once, standing here, watching Wakatoshi take his approach. He won’t be able to keep doing this. Tendou won’t be on the same court at his best friend. Sure, he’ll try to make as many games as he can but he’ll be watching from the stands, not watching beside him. It’ll be different. Everything will be different and Tendou is downright terrified of that change. 

Wakatoshi’s movements are strong and sure, yet somehow, as his feet leave the floor, Tendou can’t help but think he’s graceful. 

Wakatoshi’s left hand comes back, his back bending, his muscles flexing. 

Earlier, Wakatoshi had said that Tendou was beautiful but right now, watching Wakatoshi spike, Tendou knows the truth. Wakatoshi playing volleyball is beautiful. 

His palm smacks the ball and a moment later, he can hear the ball hitting the ground on the other side of the net. He doesn’t look though, too caught up in watching Wakatoshi. 

Finally, Tendou’s feet seem to unstick themselves. He runs over to his best friend, planting his hands on his shoulders from behind and leaping up into the air. 

“Wakatoshi! That was incredible!”

Wakatoshi makes a soft chuckling noise. “Thank you, Tendou.”

Semi gives him a look from the sidelines and when he looks up at the balcony, he can see Hinata up there, staring at him with wide eyes. He feels his face flush but he doesn’t care. There’s still that sadness stuck in his chest but he can ignore that if he focuses on the thrill of the game hard enough. 

The game eventually ends, just like always. They come out on top which no one is surprised about. The guy with the glasses from Kurasano has gotten a lot better since the last time they played. His read blocks stop both Tendou and Reon throughout the game but he still has a hard time shutting down Wakatoshi. 

Honestly, it’s hard for any blocker to shut down Wakatoshi. 

“Here you go,” Hinata says, passing out bottles of water. 

“Thanks, ShouShou!”

Hinata grins at the nickname before hurrying off to complete more tasks as ball boy. Goshiki glares at Hinata as he goes. He wraps his arm around his kouhai’s shoulders, messing up Goshiki’s bangs. 

“What’s that look for?”

“Nothing,” he says right away, looking away. The two of them watch Hinata run around, handing out towels and waters. “Seems like he’s getting a lot of attention for someone who’s supposed to just be the ball boy.”

“Oh, don’t be like that,” Tendou says with a chuckle. “You’re still my favorite.”

“Really?”

“Duh! No one can come close to my kouhai and the future ace of the team!”

Hinata walks back over. He keeps sneaking glances between Tendou and Wakatoshi. It makes him narrow his eyes at the shrimp. 

“Go on,” he finally says, nodding towards Wakatoshi. “I can see you wanna ask him about technique. Go be a sponge, ShouShou.”

Hinata seems to brighten at that, leaping in Wakatoshi’s direction. He can overhear Hinata question what Wakatoshi thinks about as he receives the ball. It’s kind of adorable. 

Goshiki snorts, shaking his head. “Seems weird to ask a rival for advice.”

Tendou can’t help but pull back, shaking Goshiki’s shoulders. “Look how much Hinata has grown in the little time since our game. He’s leveling himself up because he’s a volleyball sponge, willing to learn from anyone and anything. I think you could learn something from him, Goshiki.”

Goshiki blinks at him a few times, his face taking on far too many emotions. Is Goshiki jealous of Hinata? Does he not like that Tendou keeps talking him up? 

Goshiki finally squares his shoulders and turns away from Tendou. “Wakatoshi-senpai! Can I ask you a question?” Goshiki calls out, running over to where Wakatoshi and Hinata are talking. 

Wakatoshi looks at Tendou from over Hinata’s head. His brows are pulled together in concentration as he takes every one of Goshiki’s and Hinata’s questions about volleyball seriously, explaining as best as he can. He’s so adorable like this. Tendou feels himself grinning and for just a moment, Wakatoshi smiles back. 

Oh, he is so far gone it isn’t even funny anymore. 

Tendou turns around, coming face to face with Semi. He does his best to rearrange his features into something that doesn’t scream ‘hi, I’m desperately pining over my best friend and it’s consuming my very soul’. 

Based on the look Semi gives him, he’s not doing a great job. 

“What was up with you today?”

“I have no idea what you mean,” Tendou says, rubbing the sweat off his face with the collar of his shirt. 

“You know exactly what I mean, Tendou. It’s like you were in a daze and you kept staring.” Semi quickly adds, “more than usual.”

“Fuck off, Semi,” he says, shoving his friend’s shoulder. He pointedly ignores the way his cheeks are warming at being called out like this. 

“I worry about you sometimes.”

“Aww,” Tendou says, titling his head to the side and grinning. “You really do care, Semi! I knew it! Those glares are your love language, aren’t they.”

“Never mind. I hope you die,” he says, shoving Tendou’s face away. They both chuckle, going over to the wall and letting themselves slide down until they’re sitting on the ground, shoulder to shoulder. Tendou keeps watching Wakatoshi talk to the first years, his chest bursting with affection. “I sent off my application to that music school in America.”

Tendou just barely keeps himself from leaping into the air with excitement. He grabs Semi’s hands, shaking them instead. “I’m so proud of you, Semi. That’s amazing! They’d be dumbasses not to accept you!”

“Thanks,” Semi says softly, smiling down at his lap. “Now it’s your turn.”

“My turn to what?”

“Take a chance and apply to your dream school.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Semi lets out a deep sigh, shoving his elbow into Tendou’s side. The application on his laptop is burning a hole into the back of Tendou’s brain. He’s just so scared of being rejected. He’s even more terrified of being accepted and what that would mean for his life. 

“I’m still thinking about what I want to do,” he says under his breath, knowing that they both know he’s lying. 

“I’m gonna keep bugging you about it.”

Tendou gives him a small smile. “Thank you.”

The rest of the day flies by without much fanfare. By the time they’re leaving the gym, Tendou is sweaty and sore and tired. At the same time, there’s an excitement in his chest from a job well done. Plus, he gets to see his dad soon!

He waits outside the gym until Hinata steps outside, his orange head turning every which way to find Tendou. When he does, he leaps off the steps and runs over to him. He’s already showered and changed. 

“Come on, ShouShou. I need to shower and change before Dad gets here.”

“Did you see me practice today? I was actually seeing where the ball was going to go before the spiker hit it! It’s exactly like you told me yesterday, about watching more than just the ball.”

“I also saw you take a ball straight to the nuts, so maybe don’t get too excited,” Tendou says with a laugh. 

“Hey! That was only one time!”

“One time too many, short fry.”

As they walk back to Tendou’s dorm, Hinata talks. Despite spending the entire day chasing balls, he’s full of energy, leaping up and down as he talks about everything he learned. It feels so strange that Tendou is the calm one in a conversation for once. 

Tendou steps into his dorm and he freezes in shock. “Oh! Hey, Semi!”

Hinata steps in, looking between Semi and Tendou, a frown on his face. Semi stares at Hinata for a second too long before his lips quirk up into a tiny smile. 

“This explains so much,” he murmurs to himself. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” he says, grabbing a few things from his desk. “I just needed to grab a book I forgot yesterday so I can finish the reading before Monday. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Wait,” Tendou says, stepping in front of the door. “What am I supposed to be figuring out?”

“Wakatoshi and Goshiki were acting weird today over something. I just figured out what it was.”

“And you’re not planning on sharing that information?”

Semi smirk. “It’s way more fun if you guess.” He slips past Tendou. “Bye!”

“Asshole,” Tendou murmurs to himself without an ounce of heat behind the word. 

“I’m really sorry if I’m causing issues with you and your friends.”

Tendou shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it. No one’s upset and neither of us are in trouble. Semi’s just teasing me about something. What is that something? I have no idea but I’ll figure it out! They don’t call me the Guess Monster for nothing, my young padawan.”

Hinata mouths the words padawan to himself, making Tendou grin. He quickly grabs some new clothes and heads to the shower. He runs into Goshiki in the hallway. 

“Wakatoshi-senpai was just looking for you,” he says, rubbing the back of his head. “He said your dad is stopping by for dinner. Can I come along?”

“Normally, I would say yes, you know that,” Tendou says, rubbing Goshiki’s hair. “But today I have to insist you go have dinner with the other first years. There’s especially one kid I want you to keep your eye on.”

“Like a mission?”

Tendou chuckles. “Something like that. What do you think of that one kid, the setter from Date Tech?”

Tendou watches Goshiki, wanting to catch his reaction. His little ace is so easy to read, wearing all of his emotions on his sleeve. His cheeks turn pink and his eyes dart away. “He’s okay, I guess. Really excited to be here.”

“He’s cute, right?”

Goshiki makes a noise at the back of his throat, something like a scoff that gets caught in the back of his throat. “What? You think so? I haven’t noticed.”

“Mhmm,” Tendou hums with a smirk. “I have to shower but I think you should head to the dining hall with everyone else. I’ll make sure to tell Dad that you say hi, okay?”

“Okay! I’ll get to know Koganegawa, just like you asked me to, but only because this is a mission from my senpai.”

Right. Of course Goshiki already knows his name. Tendou keeps himself from making a joke, instead ruffling his hair once more before pushing him in the opposite directions of the showers. 

Before he goes, Goshiki bites his bottom lip, like he wants to ask Tendou something. Tendou raises his brow but Goshiki just shakes his head and walks away. That wasn’t weird at all. 

What is going on with everyone this weekend? With that thought, Tendou walks to the showers. He makes quick work of cleaning himself and getting dressed before heading back to his dorm. 

Tendou really shouldn’t be surprised to find Hinata on the floor, setting a volleyball to himself. That boy breathes, eats, and lives nothing but volleyball. Even Wakatoshi knows when to take a break for crying out loud!

“Ready to head out?”

“Hell yeah,” Hinata says with excitement, putting the ball away and following Tendou through the door. They make their way out to the courtyard where they find Dad and Wakatoshi already there, standing next to a picnic table. 

The table is filled with takeout bags and grocery bags. Wakatoshi towers over Tendou’s dad who’s looking up at him with a grin that matches Tendou’s. They have the same colored hair though Tendou likes to keep his long while his dad’s is cropped short. 

“Dad!”

His dad turns away from Wakatoshi, throwing his arms open. Tendou runs over to him, grabbing him in a tight hug. He’s much taller than his dad, has been since he started puberty and got his growth spurt. 

“Satori,” he says softly, tugging Tendou’s head down in order to leave a kiss at the top of his head. “It’s so good to see you. I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too. I’m glad you could stop in.”

“Me too, and I brought you so many goodies.” His dad pulls back, running his fingers through Tendou’s bangs. “Oh, you look so handsome with your hair down once in a while. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when you spike it, but this is nice too.”

Tendou pushes his dad’s hand away, feeling his cheeks flush. “Dad,” he says with a whine, making his dad chuckle. 

“Sorry, sorry.” His dad pulls back, finally noticing the little red head behind Tendou. “Who’s your new friend?”

Hinata jumps in, quite literally. He does a deep bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tendou-san! I’m Hinata from Karasuno and I play volleyball with your son! Kinda! I’m from a different team but I’m here for the training camp!”

His dad’s eyes widen before a small smile stretches across his lips. “The pleasure is all mine, Hinata-kun. Will you be joining us for dinner?”

“If it’s not too much of an intrusion,” Hinata starts to say but his dad cuts him off. 

“It’s not! I’m inviting you to eat with us. I even brought extra food,” he says, giving Tendou a wink. He’d texted his dad earlier to tell him how many would be eating with them tonight. 

“Okay,” Hinata says with a grin, sitting down at the table next to Tendou. Wakatoshi sits across from Tendou and his dad sits next to Wakatoshi. 

Wakatoshi keeps looking at Hinata in confusion, probably wondering why the kid is even here. Thankfully, he doesn’t outright ask. Tendou throws him a look that he hopes says he’ll tell him everything later. He must do an okay job because Wakatoshi just gives him one little nod. 

They’re getting good at communicating just with looks. That makes his chest feel really funny and Tendou does his best not to think too hard about it. 

Tendou’s dad takes the takeout from the bag, handing everyone their portion. Wakatoshi hands Hinata and him a sports drink. 

“How’d you know we needed drinks?”

“Your dad asked me to bring them.”

Huh?

“What?”

“He texted me,” Wakatoshi says like it’s obvious. 

Tendou narrows his eyes at his dad. “You two text each other?”

“Yeah,” his dad says with a shrug. “What about it? You jealous?”

Wakatoshi makes a weird noise when his dad says that word. Tendou ignores that in favor of retaliation. He tries to kick his dad under the table and he hits hard. Only, it’s Hinata who yelps.

“Shit, sorry.”

“Language, Satori.”

“Fuck, sorry, Dad.”

As they eat, his dad makes conversation. He asks Hinata what position he plays and how his team is doing. Tendou gets to hear the short fry explain how Karasuno is doing, what their plans are for Nationals, and instead of the seething jealousy he thought he would feel, all he feels is excitement. It’s hard not to when Hinata’s joy is practically palpable. It’s like it’s in the air, floating all around them, stinking into the inside of their lungs the longer he talks about volleyball. 

A foot brushes against his own and Tendou looks up, his food halfway to his mouth. Wakatoshi is watching Hinata but then his eyes dart to Tendou, the quirk of a smile on his lips before he goes back to watching Hinata. 

Okay, that’s just not fair. How is he supposed to keep his feelings locked away when his best friend does shit like that? His heart is so far gone it’s not even funny anymore!

Curse, Wakatoshi and his cuteness! Curse those muscles that strain his shirt! Curse that tiny smile he saves for Tendou, or at least, Tendou thinks they’re saved just for him. For all he knows, Wakatoshi is throwing them at all his friends. 

“Tendou?”

“Huh?”

He looks over at his dad in confusion. “I said, close your mouth while you eat. You’re being rude.”

Tendou’s cheeks flame and he nods his head, finally taking the food off his chopsticks. He focuses on his chewing, trying to not make even more of a fool of himself. 

“Toshi,” his dad says, adopting the nickname that only the two of them use. Wakatoshi has come to accept it as a Tendou family thing. “Have you heard back from any recruiters?”

Wakatoshi puts his chopsticks down. His eyes meet Tendou’s for a moment before he turns to Dad. “I was going to wait and tell Tendou after dinner, but I can tell you now.” Tendou’s heart hammers inside his chest. “I have an offer to join Schweiden Adlers next year.”

Hinata makes an excited noise, practically vibrating the entire picnic table with how happy he is. “No way! Ushiwaka! That’s incredible! Going straight from high school to division one pro!”

Tendou’s dad pats Wakatoshi’s shoulder. “I’m so proud of you, Toshi! That’s such incredible news!”

Wakatoshi’s hazel eyes flip over to Tendou. He does his best to push a grin on his face though on the inside, it doesn’t feel real. Sure, he’s ecstatic for his best friend. This is everything he’s worked so hard for. It truly is a dream come true and all of Wakatoshi’s dreams should come true. He should get everything he wants in life. 

Wakatoshi will be skipping university and heading straight for the professional league. It’s amazing! Truly. Yet, his mind is spiraling. 

The Alders are stationed in Tokyo. 

The application open on his laptop is still open, still taunting him. Acceptance would mean a one way ticket to France. 

No matter how Tendou slices it, they’re going to be going in different directions when graduation comes. His heart feels like it’s breaking for something that hasn’t even happened yet. He feels like their drifting apart is suddenly inevitable. 

Can a heart break if two people were never even together?

All of that hits him all at once. Tendou lets out a shaky breath before smiling wider, this time, his smile feeling more real. 

“I’m really proud of you, Toshi,” he says softly. Feeling bold, he reaches across the table, squeezing Wakatoshi’s forearm. “This means I get free tickets to your games, right?”

Wakatoshi smiles. “Of course, Tendou.”

Tendou looks over at his dad, finding him staring at him. Shit. He saw everything. He saw the war inside Tendou and there’s no way he’s not going to talk to him about it. 

It’s not like his dad doesn’t know about his feelings for Wakatoshi, but that doesn’t mean they have to talk about it. Gross. 

Hinata turns in his seat in order to face Tendou. “What about you, Tendou? Have you started to apply to schools? Are you going to keep playing volleyball?”

Great. Now Tendou can have a full on crisis. Leave it to Shrimpy to put him on the spot when all he wants to do is crawl under the table and hide. 

“Tendou has decided to quit playing volleyball,” Wakatoshi says gently. 

“What? Why? You’re so amazing!”

“I like playing for fun,” Tendou says, “maybe I’ll join a league someday but I don’t want to play at university or go professional.”

“I think playing competitively is fun,” Hinata says but it sounds like it’s more to himself than to the rest of the table. 

“Is that what you want to do when you graduate? Play professionally?” Dad asks Hinata. 

“Yes! I want to stay on the court for as long as I can.”

“That’s really admirable.”

Thankfully, the conversation steers away from colleges after that. They put their trash into one of the plastic bags his dad brought. Then he passes over another bag to Tendou. It’s still with supplies, his hair gel, and the latest Jump. There’s also something that’s wrapped in plain brown paper. 

“What’s this?”

His dad gives a little shrug. “It’s something I think you’ll enjoy when you’re back in your room. You’ll be one of the first people to read it.”

Tendou jumps up in excitement. “Really? You finally finished it?”

“Don’t make a big deal out of it. It’s probably not even that good.”

“You said that about the last eight issues and yet every single one sold out quicker than the last,” he deadpans, making his dad look sheepish. 

“Give me your notes after you read it.”

“I will! I’m so excited!” 

Tendou’s dad writes manga for a living. It started off small, barely making enough to pay the bills but after a few issues, the series really took off. Tendou was always the first one to read them, after his dad’s editors of course. 

After cleaning up the picnic table, they all stand up. Tendou gives his dad another hug. 

“It was really nice meeting you, Hinata. Nice to catch up with you, Toshi, as always. Give me a moment with my son, please?”

The other two give a little bow before stepping away, giving them some space but not going far. Tendou’s dad puts his hands on Tendou’s shoulders, looking up at him.

“Dad, I told you to shave this thing,” he says, poking the little soulpatch he has under his lip. 

“It’s the only facial hair I can grow. Let me keep it.”

“It looks silly.”

“Your face is silly.”

Tendou snorts. “My face looks just like yours.”

“I said what I said.” His eyes go soft and Tendou braces himself, knowing what’s coming. “I’m really proud of you, you know that right?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“I always thought it was unfair that we force kids to think about their futures. You’re still a baby, and you have all these huge decisions on your shoulders. It’s not fair.”

Okay, so this isn’t exactly what Tendou was expecting but he’s not mad about it. It’s nice to hear his dad say these things. 

“No matter what you decide to do, you will always have my support.”

“Even if I wanna pursue my interest in mass murder?”

“I’ll research how best to dispose of a body,” his dad says, just as serious. They both chuckle and he’s pulled into a fiercely tight hug. Before he pulls back, his dad quietly adds, “you know, you can talk about this stuff with him. He’d listen and understand, Satori. He’s your best friend and no matter what or no matter how many miles are between you two, I don’t see that ever changing.”

Tendou lets out a deep sigh. “Maybe that’s what I’m worried about. I don’t just wanna be his best friend, Dad.”

“I know,” Dad says, pulling back and looking up at Tendou. “But the best relationships happen when you stay friends who just happen to be in love. I think you should say something before he’s off to Tokyo.”

“I’ll think about it,” Tendou says, crossing his arms over his chest, needing to hold himself together. 

“That’s all I ask. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

They part ways and Tendou heads back over to Hinata and Wakatoshi. They walk back towards the dorms. 

“Is Hinata staying with you?”

Tendou jolts, looking over at Wakatoshi. “Uh, yeah. He is. That way he didn’t have to travel so far everyday.”

Wakatoshi hums. “Did he stay with you last night as well?”

“He did.”

Something seems to click in Wakatoshi’s head. He seems to sigh, something that sounds close to relief. He nods at Tendou before moving to his own door, stepping inside. 

“That was weird,” he murmurs to himself. Then he looks at Hinata. “That was weird, right?”

Hinata looks up at him with wide eyes. “How would I know?”

“Right. Fair point.” Tendou opens the door to his dorm, ushering them inside. He puts his bag on his desk, rifling through it and grabbing everything out. There’s the latest issue of Jump, his hair gel, a pack of socks, the latest manuscript from his dad. In addiction to that, there’s also some of his favorite snacks and sweets. His dad really did get him way too much. It makes him smile. 

Sitting at his desk, he slips his laptop out of his backpack and opens it up. 

“Hey, Tendou?”

Tendou jolts, lots in thought and completely forgetting that Hinata is here. He turns around in his chair.

“What’s up, Shrimpy?”

“You never answered my question earlier.”

“Which one?”

“What do you plan to do after you graduate?”

Tendou bites at his lip, fiddling with his fingers. He turns back to his laptop, staring at the application that’s still open and ready for him to hit send on. What’s the point of lying to Hinata when he’s going to be going back home tomorrow? 

Maybe it’ll help to actually talk about it with someone who’s not his dad. 

“I don’t know exactly,” he says before waving a hand at his laptop. “I was thinking of applying to a culinary school.”

“Culinary school? So like cooking and stuff?”

“Yeah,” he says with a smile. “I’m interested in confections. Think candy and chocolates.”

“Wow! That would be so cool! If you get in, can I sample your candy?”

Just like always, Hinata’s excitement is contagious. Tendou finds himself grinning, explaining all the different things he’s made in the past and all the things he aspires to create in the future. It’s easy to keep talking when Hinata asks questions, bouncing around the room while they talk. 

“So, why haven’t you hit apply?”

“The school is in France.”

“Whoah, that’s so far away! Do you even know French?”

“Oui, je m'en sors pas mal.”

Hinata’s eyes widen before he’s leaping into the air. He plants his hands on Tendou’s shoulders and starts leaping up and down with excitement. “That’s so cool! You’re so cool, Tendou! Oh my god, you’re gonna live in France and become like a famous chocolate maker! You’re gonna be like Willy Wonka!”

Tendou leans his head on his hand. “I would be way cooler than Willy Wonka. I don’t even need to bribe little kids to be cool.”

“Then you should hit apply!”

Tendou looks back at the screen. “I don’t know,” he says with a huff. “It’s so scary. And so far away. And what if they say no! Or worse, what if they say yes and I have to move away!”

Hinata stops jumping. “You’re scared? You? Don’t you want this?”

“Yes,” comes out of his mouth and he’s more surprised than he should be at his raw honesty. 

“Okay then,” Hinata says, reaching across Tendou’s body and hitting the button. Tendou watches with wide eyes as the application is submitted. “There you go!”

Tendou stares at the screen for a long time. My chest is a flurry of emotion, his heart beating so loudly he’s worried Hinata will hear. He stares so long his screen turns black and all he can see is his own reflection. 

“Oh my god,” he says, turning in his seat to stare at Hinata. 

“I’m sorry!”

Tendou holds up his hand, stopping him. “Don’t be sorry. I’m not mad. I’m in shock. I’m fine. Everything is fine. Oh my god. I’m totally fine and not freaking out at all. Yeah.”

“Okay,” Hinata says slowly. “Is this about Wakatoshi?”

Tendou chokes on his own spit. “What? Why would you say that?”

“You got this weird look on your face when he told you about the Alders. Now you might be going to France. Are you two going to start being long distance?”

“What do you mean?” Tendou’s heart beats in his ears, his stomach sinking to his feet. He can feel his cheeks heating up but he ignores all of that, focusing on Hinata.

“I mean your relationship, duh! I’m sure you can make the distance work. Lots of people date like that. You can call and skype and text all the time. It’ll be okay, Tendou.”

Tendou sucks in a sharp breath, letting it out slowly. His head is spinning but he does his best to keep calm. 

“Okay, Shrimpy, when you say relationship you mean?”

“Cause you two are dating?”

A strangled noise leaves his throat without his permission. “We’re what?”

“Dating?”

“Nope. Try again.”

“What?”

“Dating. We’re not. We’re just best friends.”

Hinata tilts his head to the side, like he’s seeing Tendou for the very first time. “That doesn’t make any sense. Your dad called him a nickname and texts him all the time. I’ve seen the two of you have silent conversations. You two are clearly more than friends.”

“I assure you, I would be the first to know we were dating.”

“Are you sure? I’m not trying to be mean, you just seem really close.”

Tendou crosses his arms over his chest. “We are close! That’s not the point. I haven’t. We haven’t. We’re not.” He groans, running his hands through his hair. “I’ve never told him how I feel!”

There’s a long pause before Hinata finally says, “oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.”

“I think you should tell him.”

“Oh yeah? I should just confess to my best friend right before I leave the country? ‘Yes, Wakatoshi, I’ve been in love with you since basically we met but also yeah, I’m leaving! Sorry! Do you love me back?’ That’ll go over great.”

Hinata winces. “Distance is hard but it’s not impossible.”

Tendou leaps onto his bed, burying his face against his pillow. He lets out a long groan, getting it all out. Then he turns and looks up at Hinata. 

“I’ll think about it,” he finally says, just the same way he told his dad. 

Hinata grins before getting into bed next to him. They talk for a little longer about less serious things before they both drift off to sleep. 

~~~

When Tendou said he’d think about it, he didn’t realize that would be the only thing on his mind today. No matter what he’s doing or who he’s with, Wakatoshi is on his mind, front and center. 

The final day of the training camp goes by unremarkably. When everyone is leaving, Hinata grabs him in a tight hug. He can’t help but chuckle, squeezing back just as tightly. 

“Here, exchange numbers with me,” Hinata says quickly, shoving his phone into Tendou’s hands. “I want to hear when you get your acceptance letter.”

“Alright, ShouShou,” he says with a grin. “And don’t hesitate to let me know if you need help with anything. Full senpai access if you need it.”

“Hey, Tsuki! I need your number,” the tall setter is saying before he flags down Goshiki. “You too, Goshiki!”

Tendou watches his kouhai turn bright red. “What? You want my number?”

“Duh!”

Oh, he is totally teasing Goshiki about this later. Once numbers are exchanged, Tendou stands next to Goshiki, waving them all away as they head back to their own schools. 

“Did you have fun, Goshiki?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you learn lots of new techniques?”

“I did! I’m going to be the greatest ace this school has ever seen!”

“Are you going to text the cute setter?”

Goshiki makes a noise at the back of his throat. “Tendou! You can’t just ask me that!”

Tendou snickers, putting his arm around Goshiki’s shoulder and leading him towards the dining hall. “You should! He had hearts in his eyes every time he looked at you!”

“The same way you look at Wakatoshi?”

Tendou’s face turns bright red. “What is with first years reading me so easily? I’m going to disown every single one of my kouhais at this rate!”

“Please don’t.”

“Don’t worry, I’m only joking.” Tendou squeezes around Goshiki’s shoulders even tighter. “You’re never getting rid of me and you’re never getting replaced.”

“It was silly of me to be jealous this week.”

“Yes it was, but sometimes what we feel can’t be logical and that’s okay.”

Once at the dining hall, they each grab a plate of food and head over to where members of their team are already sitting. Tendou slides in next to Semi and across from Wakatoshi, Goshiki sitting on his other side. 

“Did you wave goodbye to your little stow-away?”

Tendou nods his head and takes a bite of rice. “Did you have fun with your family?”

“Yeah, it was fine. My aunt gave me some of those cookies you like.”

“My dad got me those candies you like.”

“Your dad is a god among men,” Semi says with a grin. 

Tendou and apparently everyone else at the table agrees. They spend the rest of dinner just chatting. 

It’s not until the next day that Tendou hears from Hinata. 

He gets a text that reads: Tendou-senpai, I think I need your help. He said ‘You can fly even higher’... do you think that means he likes me?

It takes Tendou longer than he’d like to admit to get a read on what the hell any of this is supposed to mean. With a sigh and a smile on his face, he starts to reply. 

~~~

A week after sending his application, he hears back. It’s not an acceptance but it’s also not a rejection. They’d like to set up a video call where he shows them how to make some sort of confection creation. 

It’s like an interview and he’s scared shitless. 

He tells no one but his dad. 

When the day comes, he sets up his laptop in his kitchen. He greets them all with a smile, explaining what he’s making. While he works, he keeps looking at the screen, watching his interviewers’ faces. 

He stumbles over his French once or twice but it’s in a way that makes him look charming. At least, that’s what he tells himself when the people on his screen chuckle along. 

In the end, he shows off his creation with a grin. He feels proud, just like anytime he makes something with his hands. Today he’s made a chocolate covered strawberry, covered in a dome of hardened sugar, decorated with powdered sugar on the inside and a chocolate cake base. It’s supposed to look like a snowglobe and Tendou feels like he’s nailed it. 

They tell them he’s done a wonderful job and that they’ll be hearing from them in the near future. Tendou says goodbye and closes his laptop with a deep sigh. 

“I know you said not to bother you but I have to admit I was watching the entire time,” his dad says, stepping into the kitchen. 

“How did it go? Do you think they liked me?”

His dad nods his head, pulling him into a tight hug. “You did so well! They were eating out of the palm of your hand, I could tell!”

“You have to say that, you’re my dad!” Tendou says with a snort. 

“It’s the truth!”

When they pull back, they both stare down at Tendou’s creation. It’s not perfect, but he’s still really fucking proud of it. 

“How soon do you think they’ll email me?”

“They probably already have,” his dad says. “They’d be idiots not to offer you the spot. You’re brilliant.”

Tendou shakes his head but there’s a smile on his face. He takes out his phone and pulls up his email app, intending to prove that his dad is full of crap, only to freeze when he sees a new email. 

“Holy shit,” he breathes out, his eyes skimming over everything. The words turn blurry as tears fill his eyes. “Oh my god.”

His dad takes his phone out of his hand, looking at the same thing. Before he realizes what’s happening, they’re both crying, holding onto each other. There’s so many details he’ll have to read over, but right now, all he cares about is the fact that he’s been accepted. 

“I’m so proud of you. I knew you’d get in, Satori.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“Believe it! You’re in! You’re moving to France! You’re going to become a world class confectionist!”

“Dad,” he says, his voice breaking. “I’m so scared.”

His dad squeezes his shoulders so tight it almost hurts. “I know you are, but you still have to do this. Do it scared, Satori. Don’t hold yourself back. Don’t have a single regret, you hear me?”

Tendou nods his head. “Okay,” he finally says. 

“There’s my boy! You’re brave and strong and brilliant! You are going to crush this, just like you crush the dreams of all those spikers!” Then he starts to sing the same song Tendou likes to sing during volleyball games. It makes him chuckle before he’s joining in along with his dad. 

When the kitchen is all cleaned up and his things are packed, his dad stops him one last time. “I know someone who’d love to celebrate with you. I bet he’d even enjoy trying your creation.”

Tendou stares down at the creation in his hands. He nods. “I think you’re right,” he says, his voice shaking. His dad gives him a proud smile before he’s being pushed out the door with a giggle. 

He can do this. Just like his dad said; do it scared, Satori. 

~~~

The walk back to the dorms is sobering. Tendou’s mind is a mess. On the one hand, he’s been accepted into his dream college. He’s going to France! He’s excited and terrified and everything in between. On the other hand, he’s on his way to talk to Wakatoshi. 

This could be it. This could be the start of something beautiful or the tragic end of the best friendship Tendou has ever had. He’s walking a tight rope, doing his best not to fall. God, he really hopes this conversation goes okay. 

By the time he’s gotten to Wakatoshi’s dorm, his hands are so tight around his little creation he wonders how he didn’t completely crush the thing. He lets out a long breath, noticing how shaky it sounds. He’s run through so many scenarios. Tendou has come up with so many lines. He thinks of so many words he wants to say. 

After knocking on the door, he curses himself. That’s so unlike him. He never knocks on Waktoshi’s door! He’s going to know something is going on right away. 

The door opens and Tendou looks at his best friend. All of the words he’s thought of, leave him all at once. All he can do is hold up a hand, give a little wave, and blurt out, “wanna go for a walk with me?”

Wakatoshi looks down at the box in Tendou’s hand before nodding. 

Tendou steps away, waiting until Wakatoshi puts on his jacket and his shoes before they head outside. They start walking through campus, side by side. Normally, Tendou would be talking and Wakatoshi would be listening. Right now, Tendou is too nervous to talk. His words catch in his throat, his stomach cramping with how much he wants this. He needs this to go well. He needs Wakatoshi to understand. 

Maybe he should just pretend this is like any other walk. 

No. He can’t do that. He doesn’t want to do that. 

They find a bench near the stables, sitting down and watching the horses graze. Tendou lets out a long breath, allowing his shoulders to relax. Birds sing in the nearby trees and the sound of grasshoppers flit through the air. 

“I have to tell you something.”

Wakatoshi hums. “I ascertained as much.”

Tendou finds himself smiling. He turns in his seat, leaning his left arm on the back of the bench and facing his best friend. He hands him the box. 

“I applied to a culinary school. I had an interview with them today where I made this for them,” Tendou says, nodding at the box. 

The sound of the box opening is loud in Tendou’s ears. He watches as Wakatoshi takes out his candied creation. 

“What is this, Tendou?”

“It’s a snowglobe that you can eat,” he explains, smiling softly. He’s embarrassed by how warm his chest is at the sight of his creation in Wakatoshi’s hands. 

“It’s beautiful. It’s hard to believe that you can eat it.”

“You can! I promise! I brought it because I want you to have it.”

“Can we share it?”

Tendou grins from ear to ear. He reaches over and starts to break it apart, breaking the candied dome and tearing the cake in half. It leaves them both a little sticky but it’s delicious. As pretty as his creation is, he never wants to make something that people don’t actually end up eating and enjoying. That’s the whole point of making candy!

“You’re very talented. It was beautiful and it tasted delicious, Tendou.”

“Thank you, Ushiwaka,” Tendou says softly, allowing the praise to wash over him. He feels his cheeks heat and he doesn’t try to hide his fond smile. Why hide when he plans on confessing anyway?

“How did your interview go?”

“Really good.” Tendou looks away, staring out at the horses. “Toshi, I got accepted.”

He looks back at his friend, finding Waktoshi’s thick brows furrowed in confusion. “Why do you sound so unhappy?”

Tendou lets out a chuckle, shaking his head. “You can always read me,” he says under his breath. “I’m scared,” he confesses softly. 

“Of what? Tell me.”

The words catch in his throat. One hand grips the bench, the other is in his lap. He stares at it for a long moment until a big, familiar hand touches it. A surprised noise leaves his throat as Wakatoshi takes his hand. 

“I apologize if that’s not--”

Tendou cuts him off. “No, no. It’s okay. Thank you.” Wakatoshi gives him an encouraging squeeze. The touch gives him the confidence to speak. “I was accepted to a prestigious culinary school in Paris, France. I know enough French to get by, but that’s still really far away. I’m scared of being alone, or being around people who make fun of me like in middle school.” Tendou swallows, allowing his eyes to finally dart up to meet Wakatoshi’s. “I’m scared because I’m going to France and you’re going to be staying in Tokyo.”

Wakatoshi nods his head, taking this all in, his hand never wavering in holding Tendou’s. 

“I know in normal circumstances, you are the primary talker in our friendship and I am more than content to listen. Today, would it be okay if we tried the reverse?”

Tendou smiles, fondness overwhelming his chest. He leans his head on his arm, nodding his head. 

“I would like to start with saying how fiercely proud I am of you. You’ve found something that makes you happy and something you are remarkable at. You’ve applied yourself and gotten accepted. Congratulations, Satori.”

“Thank you,” Tendou whispers, ignoring the way his heart flips at Wakatoshi using his given name. 

“I understand that fear because I feel it too. The fear of the unknown. The fear of fitting in all over again without you beside me. I wish you could come with me to Tokyo but I would never ask you to not chase your dream, just the same way I know you’d never ask me not to chase mine.”

Now it’s Tendou’s turn to squeeze Wakatoshi’s hand because he’s right. Tendou would never ask that of his best friend. 

“I’ve never been good at putting names to my emotions and when I have questions, it’s you that I usually ask. Unfortunately, when my feelings revolve around you, it felt wrong to ask you about them.”

Tendou tilts his head to the side. “What do you mean, Toshi?”

“I have feelings for you,” Wakatoshi says easily, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Maybe it is, to him. 

“Huh?”

“Goshiki went into your room during training camp and saw someone in bed with you. He immediately came and talked to me about it. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I was filled with all these awful feelings in my chest. After talking to Semi about it, I realized I was jealous.”

Tendou’s heart is hammering inside his chest. He’s hanging on Wakatoshi’s every word. 

“That’s when I knew I needed to tell you how I felt before graduation. You’re my best friend, Satori, you will always be my best friend. I would also like us to be more than that.”

Wakatoshi finally goes quiet, looking at Tendou expectantly. He can’t process what’s actually happened. He’s elated. He’s dreaming! This cannot be real. 

“What the actual fuck?”

“If you’re going to reject me, I’d expect you to be a little kinder about it.”

“What? No! Oh my god, no! Toshi! I would never!” Tendou pulls Wakatoshi’s hand, placing it on the center of his chest, letting him feel how quickly his heart is racing. “Toshi,” he says, doing his best to calm the fuck down. “I feel the same way about you. I was planning on confessing today and everything but you beat me to it!”

“Oh,” Wakatoshi breathes out, looking relieved. 

“Yeah. I like you too. I like you so much. You mean so much to me and I’ve dreamed of being your boyfriend for such a long time.”

“I would like to be your boyfriend.”

Tendou smiles so wide his cheeks hurt. He feels like he’s flying. He can’t believe this is real. He can’t wait to text his dad later and tell him everything. 

“Toshi,” Tendou says softly, barely above a whisper. “Would it be okay if I kissed you?”

“Yes. I think I’d like that.”

“Okay,” he whispers, leaning forward. Wakatoshi meets him halfway. Their lips meet and Tendou’s head swims. His entire body is warm, affection thrumming through his veins. It’s soft, barely there, but it’s everything he dreamed it would be and yet so much more because it’s Wakatoshi and it’s real. 

Wakatoshi’s hand cups his face softly, like he’s something soft, like Tendou is something worth treasuring. He thinks he might actually cry with how happy he is. 

When they pull back, they don’t go far. He opens his eyes, meeting Wakatoshi’s hazel ones which match the affection he’s feeling inside. Tendou darts forward, kissing one more kiss before fully sitting back with a grin. 

“We should get back to the dorms. It’s important to get proper sleep before classes tomorrow.”

“Yeah, okay.” 

The walk back is like any other time they’ve walked back to the dorms, only this time, they hold hands the entire time. Tendou likes this difference. 

~~~

When Tendou’s name is called, he stands up to the sound of cheering and clapping. He can’t stop his face from breaking out into a wide grin. It really wasn’t that long ago that he assumed he’d never gain any semblance of friends. Everyone called him weird, monster, lizard. Now, he was graduating and could hear an entire crowd cheer just for him. 

Not for the first time, he felt his chest feel like it was cracking open, exposed to the raw elements and aching because of it. In a few months, he would be leaving this all behind and starting all over. 

Could he really handle that?

He shakes hands and takes his diploma before another name is called. Tendou looks out into the crowd, finding his dad. Dad waves, tears dripping down his cheeks. Then Tendou finds Toshi, the man already staring at him, a smile on his face. Then he finds the rest of his team, all cheering and throwing him thumbs up, Goshiki is crying. Finally, he finds a head of bright orange hair sitting towards the back, waving like crazy. 

He can handle it. His friends might not be coming with him to France, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to abandon him. They have phones. They can keep in touch. 

Tendou is going to be okay. 

When Wakatoshi’s name is called, Tendou stands up, hooting and hollering louder than anyone else. 

“That’s my boyfriend!”

The back of Wakatoshi’s neck turns red and the tips of his lips curl up. He shakes his head but Tendou can see it’s from fondness rather than annoyance. Tendou feels so stuffed full of emotions it’s hard to put his finger on just one thing that he’s feeling. He’s proud of himself and the others around him, he’s happy that they’re starting a new chapter, he’s feeling sad because he’s going to miss everyone, he’s feeling nervous about all the changes, and on top of it all, he feels so ridiculously in love with his best friend. 

Tendou does his best to sit through the rest of the ceremony. Once it’s all said and done, he’s moving before thinking, running over to Wakatoshi. He’s ready for him, catching Tendou in his arms. 

“Congratulations, Toshi.”

Wakatoshi gives him a soft smile. “Congradulations, Satori.”

They only have a moment before everyone is there, pulling each other into hugs. Goshiki is still crying so Tendou takes a moment to help calm him down, reminding him that they can still call and talk whenever he needs. Then, he karate chops his kouhai, knowing that’ll at least make him smile. 

Tendou’s dad wanders over and Tendou excuses himself to pull his dad into a tight hug. 

“I am so proud of you,” Dad says, his voice catching. “Sorry, not trying to be emotional.”

“It’s fine. You’re allowed,” Tendou says with a grin. 

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Dad.”

“Here,” Dad says, pulling an envelope out of his jacket pocket and handing it over to Tendou. “You can open this later, preferably when you’re with Toshi. It’s a gift from me to both of you.”

“Okay,” he says slowly, putting the envelope into his pocket, careful not to bend it too much. 

“As much as I want to steal up all your attention, you should go enjoy some time with your friends. We can hang out tonight after everything calms down.”

He gives his dad one last hug before there’s someone leaping onto his back. Tendou stumbles but quickly rights himself. 

“Congratulations!”

Tendou chuckles, carefully setting Hinata back onto the ground. Kageyama is behind Hinata, looking scowly and unsure of himself. They’re the definition of a grumpy/sunshine relationship and it makes Tendou smiles with fondness. He remembers the panicked calls and texts he had with Hinata and they navigated how to deal with Kageyama and the crush that Hinata had. He’s so happy they figured their shit out. 

“I can’t believe you came!”

“I had to see one of my favorite senpais! This is so exciting! When do you leave for France? I hope I can come visit you someday and try your chocolates!”

Tendou reaches over, ruffling Hinata’s hair. “If you’re ever in Paris, I promise to have a place for you to stay.”

Hinata’s smile could keep an entire village warm with how bright it is. They catch up for a few minutes before a hand touches his wrist. He looks over, finding Wakatoshi. 

“We’re going to get ice cream.”

Tendou gives Hinata one more hug. “You guys are welcome to come get ice cream with the team.”

“We’ll meet you there,” Hinata says excitedly, grabbing Kageyama’s hand and moving through the crowd. Kageyama calls him an idiot but it’s more like a pet name than an insult. 

Tendou takes Wakatoshi’s hand, lacing their fingers together. They leave campus, heading in the direction of the ice cream parlor down the block. The entire team, hell the entire campus, are regulars there. The owners practically know them all by name at this point and doesn’t look the least bit surprised when the two of them walk in. 

Their teammates will be here soon, but it’s nice to have a moment just the two of them. They order their usuals; Wakatoshi getting lemon sorbet and Tendou getting the chocolate fudge delight. They take a seat, side by side, their shoulders pressed together. 

Tendou lets out a long sigh, resting his head against his boyfriend’s shoulder. 

“I just kinda wanna stay like this for awhile,” Tendou whispers softly, eating his ice cream. 

“We can.”

“I don’t want this to end.”

“It’s not going to end, Satori. Things are changing but they’re not ending.”

Tendou smiles at that. He pulls his head away in order to look into Wakatoshi’s eyes. They’re so soft that Tendou thinks he could drown in them if he stares long enough. 

“Can I tell you something?”

Wakatoshi nods. “You can tell me anything.”

“I love you.”

There’s a moment of silence before Wakatoshi smiles. It’s soft and barely there, but just like everything that has to do with Wakatoshi, Tendou sees it. 

“Oh,” Wakatoshi breathes out. “I love you too.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes. I’m going to kiss you now.”

Tendou grins before leaning forward, meeting Wakatoshi half way. This isn’t the end, this is just a new beginning. The distance will be hard, but it’ll be worth it because what they have is something special, something rare. It’s a one in a lifetime type of love. 

“Oh, before I forget,” Tendou says when they pull back from the kiss. “My dad got us something!”

“He didn’t have to do that.”

“I know that and he knows that, but you know how he is.”

Wakatoshi nods seriously as Tendou takes the envelope from his pocket. He pops the flap open, pulling out the first piece of paper. 

Satori and Toshi, I couldn’t be more proud of the two of you. At this point, I see you both as my sons and as such, you get a joined gift. 

Don’t worry, I’ve already talked things out with Toshi’s mom so that I got all the dates right! 

I love you both so much

Love, Dad

Tendou and Wakatoshi share a look before Tendou is pulling out all the other papers. There are two train tickets to Tokyo and then two plane tickets to Paris, France. 

“Oh,” Tendou breathes out, staring at the papers until his vision grows fuzzy. “This means we can be there to move each other into our new places.”

“That was very generous of your father.”

“Yeah,” he says, his voice still shaky. “This is a really special gift. I’m really happy I can help you move in.”

“I’m glad, too. I can’t wait to see your new place in Paris.”

Tendou feels overwhelmed all over again, feeling too many things all at once. 

“We’re gonna be okay, right, Toshi?”

Wakatoshi isn’t a man who lies. He doesn’t stretch the truth. When he believes something, he says it. When he doesn’t, he’ll say that too. 

“Yes,” he says without an ounce of hesitation. It settles something inside Tendou’s chest. 

“Yeah. I think so too.” He reaches into his pocket, pulling something out, and placing it into Wakatoshi’s hand. “Here. This is for you.”

Wakatoshi opens his palm, staring at the button in the center of his large hand. Tendou looks at his face, finding him smiling. He’s about to ask what that look is for, but before he can, Wakatoshi pulls something out of his own pocket. 

That’s when Tendou notices that the second button of Wakatoshi’s dress shirt is missing. No. Fucking. Way. Wakatoshi places a button into Tendou’s hand and it feels like a promise. 

“You’re such a sap,” Tendou says with a grin so wide his cheeks hurt. He presses the button against his chest, resting it against his heart. “Feels like we’re kids exchanging promise rings.”

“In a way, we are,” Wakatoshi says seriously. “I promise to work hard to make this work, Satori.”

Tendou swallows thickly. “I promise too.” He leans over and kisses his boyfriend, humming happily when a big palm rests against the back of his head, keeping him in place. They kiss until the door of the parlor opens, their teammates along with Hinata and Kageyama come pouring inside. 

“No kissing!” Semi calls out on his way to the counter. Tendou just flips him off, chuckling. Despite the unknown of tomorrow, today is a very good day. 

~~~

Fifteen Years Later

Tendou wakes slowly, the sun shining in through his window. He lets out a yawn before flipping over onto his side, wrapping an arm over Wakatoshi’s back. The sheets are around their hips, giving him the perfect sight of Wakatoshi’s strong, bare back. 

Jesus Christ, his partner is hot. It takes all of his self control not to start biting it. 

Tendou touches his left ear, smiling to himself when he feels the button in his lobe. When he was younger, first on his own, he started experimenting with his looks. He shaved his head, pierces his ears, starts to slowly stretch them, got his nose pieced, and even got a few tattoos. 

Since then, he’s let his hair grow back, but the piercings and tattoos have stayed. He likes the way he looks now. He especially likes the way his piercings seem to both fascinate and turn on Wakatoshi. 

His long fingers run a trail down Wakatoshi’s spine. He watches as his partner’s skin pebbles with goosebumps. It only takes a few more passes before Toshi slowly turns over, his hazel eyes blinking up at Tendou. 

“Good morning,” he says with a grin, leaning down and giving Waktoshi a good morning kiss. 

“Good morning,” he says back, his voice thick with sleep. He’s so beautiful like this and Tendou feels so incredibly lucky. Tendou touches the button he wears around a golden chain that rests on Wakatoshi’s chest. Their promise to each other after graduation never faded. 

Sure, at times, it was hell. The distance hurt them both and it was hard at times, but it was always worth it. 

Tendou thinks about the ring he has hidden in his underwear drawer. He wants to marry this man more than anything in the world, but the distance is still there. Someday, Wakatoshi will retire from volleyball and then it’ll finally be their time to take the next step. Until then, Tendou can be patient. 

“What are you thinking about?”

Tendou raises his brows. “What do you mean?”

“You have a smile on your face, like you’re thinking of something happy. I’d like to know.”

Tendou takes Wakatoshi’s hand, bringing it up to his own face. He kisses the middle of his palm before leaning his cheek against it. “I’m just happy,” he confesses softly. “I was thinking about you and how much I like having you here.”

“I love being here,” Wakatoshi says back, just as softly. “I have news to tell you.”

“Oh yeah? Is that what you were hiding in the office all day yesterday over?”

Wakatoshi nods, his eyes never leaving Tendou’s face. “I was going to take us out to a fancy dinner and tell you the news because I thought it would be more romantic that way,” he says with a small smile. “I think right now would be better fitting.”

“Okay,” Tendou says softly, his eyes tracing Wakatoshi’s face for any sign what this new might be. His heart speeds up as he waits.

“I’ve been offered a contract with a new team.”

“What team?” Tendou asks, barely above a whisper. 

“I’m staying here, in Paris.”

There’s silence for a moment as Tendou processes the words. “Huh?”

Wakatoshi sits up, cupping Tendou’s face in his palms. The button in his chest shifts, dangling between them. “I’m staying here. In Paris. With you.”

Tendou feels wetness on his cheeks but he ignores that in favor of staring at his partner. Hope so bright it threatens to completely consume him ignites within his chest. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“No more long distance?”

“No more long distance.”

Tendou throws himself at Wakatoshi, holding him tight. “This is the best news ever. I’m so happy, Toshi!”

“I love you, Satori.”

“I love you too.” Tendou pulls back but only far enough to plant his lips against Toshi’s. They kiss for a long time, the heat between them never getting out of hand. They’re content to simply exist against each other, pouring their feelings into each soft press of lips against lips. 

Tendou isn’t sure how much time passes but eventually, they pull apart. Wakatoshi rests his forehead against Tendou’s, their lips barely not touching. 

“You mean so much to me, Satori. I never want to be away from you again.”

Tendou isn’t sure he’ll ever be able to stop smiling. His heart hammers within his chest and his hands start to shake. 

“I have a gift for you.”

Wakatoshi pulls back. “What’s the occasion?”

“Because I love you,” Tendou says as he stands up, stealing one of the blankets as he goes, using it to hide his nakedness while he rummages through his drawer. He pulls out the little black box before jumping back into bed. 

Maybe he should be nervous or maybe even a little bit scared, but then again, Tendou has never allowed being scared over something to stop him. Thankfully the shaking of his hands is because he’s so overwhelmed with joy and excitement. He hands the box over to Wakatoshi. 

“I’ve had this for years,” he confesses softly. “I wanted to wait for the right time, when we could finally be in the same place together. It seems like now is that time, finally.”

Wakatoshi opens the box, stares at the ring, before he finally looks back up to Tendou. “Is this?”

Tendou nods his head. “Yeah, it is. Whadda say, Toshi? Wanna marry me?”

Wakatoshi chuckles softly and Tendou’s chest explodes with affection. “Yes, Satori. I would very much like to marry you.”

Tendou takes the box in order to pull the ring out. He slides it onto Wakatoshi’s finger. It fits perfectly, like it was always meant to end up there. 

Just like that, they’re back to kissing. They should probably get up and start breakfast. Tendou should text his dad and tell him the news. He’s got orders to fill downstairs in his shop. They can hear the world around them outside coming to life, but right now, kissing his fiancé is far more important.