Chapter Text
Akaashi watched as Semi floated in the middle of the square where Yaku’s shop and the clinic run by Yahaba and Kenma were, sitting cross-legged on a cushion of air. The air around Semi warped, reality bending to the jinn’s will. In a circle around where Semi hovered, the rippling in the air tightened around itself, splitting into several distinct spheres of what appeared to be twisting, shimmering energy. The spheres wavered, then shifted, becoming disc-like portals showing a different market or festival through each of them.
Before the portals were even settled, what appeared to be a canine creature made of pure electricity shot out of one of them. It landed in front of Akaashi and swirled, becoming a short man with black hair that looked like the electricity was still running through it, complete with a shock of lightning yellow above his forehead. Sparks danced in his hair, despite his seemingly human form.
“Hello, Nishinoya,” Akaashi greeted him, amusement making his lips quirk upward. “You really should wait for Eita’s portals to settle before you jump through them.”
“But that takes too long!” Nishinoya complained.
“You know portals make Azumane nervous enough as it is. You shouldn’t worry him by going through them before they’re ready,” Akaashi replied. Nishinoya pouted.
“Noya!” Nishinoya’s pout vanished, and he beamed and darted around Akaashi and launched himself at Terushima, who had just entered the square with Kyoutani and Daishou in tow. Nishinoya made it halfway there before Kyoutani stepped between him and Terushima, snarling menacingly.
“Yuuji, your boyfriend is being mean again,” Nishinoya complained, trying to dodge around Kyoutani, who simply shifted his stance to continue blocking Nishinoya. Daishou slid his arms around Terushima’s waist and pulled him against his chest, glaring at Nishinoya from over Kyoutani’s shoulder.
“You have to calm down before you get close to him,” Daishou reminded him.
“You two worry too much,” Terushima sighed, relaxing into Daishou’s hold anyway.
“Last year he almost electrocuted you. Lightning beasts will be calm or they will not be allowed near humans,” Daishou replied firmly. Nishinoya’s pout returned.
“Noya, stop running off like that!” A very large, very terrified-looking man scurried up to them and hid behind Noya, peering over the significantly shorter man’s head. “I’m really sorry about him…”
“We’re used to it. Now, Nishinoya. Calm down, ” Daishou ordered, his eyes swirling a bit as Nishinoya glanced at him. Nishinoya blinked slowly, the bits of electricity in his hair fading. “That’s better.” Daishou reluctantly let go of Terushima, who moved around the still-growling Kyoutani to greet Nishinoya. The lightning beast threw his arms around Terushima, grinning.
“We have a ton of booths to show everyone in our district, but most of the good ones won’t be open until tomorrow,” Nishinoya told him as Terushima returned his embrace for a moment.
“We’ll look forward to visiting them with you tomorrow, then,” Daishou replied. Nishinoya made a face at the mage, who just shook his head.
“Oh, quick warning. Don’t pester Iwaizumi this year. He’s got some important business to take care of, from what I hear,” Terushima said. Nishinoya frowned and stepped back.
“Iwaizumi? I can still visit Ryuu, right?” Nishinoya asked.
“Of course. He and Yamamoto and Inuoka should be here soon,” Daishou replied. “But he has...ah. See for yourself, actually.” He nodded to one of the portals, next to the one Nishinoya had come through. Hanamaki had just stepped out of it, followed by an apprehensive-looking Oikawa.
“A werewolf?” Nishinoya murmured, glancing at his tall but terrified companion, who nodded.
“A young one. No bad intentions, though,” his companion murmured.
“Oh, yeah. I always forget hellhounds like Asahi can smell bad intentions on people,” Terushima mused. Daishou shook his head and sighed.
“Daishou! Come here a sec!” Hanamaki called. Daishou glanced at Kyoutani, who nodded and moved closer to Terushima, before the mage walked over to where Hanamaki and Oikawa waited beside the portal they’d come through.
“You look well, Oikawa,” Daishou said as he approached. “Are you ready to face Iwaizumi?”
“No,” Oikawa admitted. “But I know I have to. And not just because of the werewolf stuff.” Hanamaki blinked in surprise, but Daishou just nodded understandingly. He’d suspected that not all of the emotions Oikawa had been overwhelmed with and run away from a week and a half before were due to his new wolf instincts.
“Well, I dealt with him right after you left, and he wasn’t happy about it - for a second, I thought he might actually shift to wolf form and attack - but that’s to be expected. As overwhelmed as you were, I think he was even more shaken by how well you two got along, how quickly he got attached to you. The day after you left, he totally freaked out realizing just how much he missed you. And it takes a lot to get into that old wolf’s heart,” Daishou confided. Oikawa, hesitated, then smiled a bit.
“I’ll keep that in mind. And Daishou? Thank you,” Oikawa said. “If there’s anything I can do…”
“Keep Iwaizumi busy so I can take my boyfriends out every day of the festival and we’ll call it even,” Daishou said with a grin. Oikawa glanced over at where Kyoutani and Terushima were, Terushima talking animatedly with Nishinoya while Kyoutani glared at Asahi, probably scaring the poor hellhound half to death.
“I’ll do my best,” Oikawa promised solemnly.
“We’d better get going before he comes looking for us,” Hanamaki spoke up. Oikawa nodded, and the two headed out of the square, leaving Daishou to return his attention to his boyfriends. Noya and Terushima were bouncing excitedly. Meanwhile, Kyoutani was stalking toward Asahi, glaring despite the amused twist to his lips, as the hellhound scrambled away from him, muttering about wolves and how he didn’t want to die.
“Kyou, quit being mean. Teru, let’s go check out that potion ingredient place Kenma wanted us to look at. It’s through the portal to the Mists, I think.” Kyoutani paused in terrorizing Asahi and trotted toward the portal Daishou had mentioned. Terushima hugged Nishinoya one more time - Kyoutani glanced over his shoulder and growled warningly - and Daishou had to scoop Terushima up, wrapping an arm around his waist and hauling him toward the portals, to separate them. “We’ll spend all day tomorrow with those two. You can entertain and torture them then,” Daishou told them.
“Speaking of entertaining, you’re not sticking around to see if that project you worked on for Tendou turned out like it’s supposed to?” Terushima asked as he was half-dragged toward the portal.
“If it doesn’t work, Tendou can handle it. But I trust Ushijima, and I trust the magic the others and I put into it. We’re having fun today,” Daishou insisted.
Ushijima stared down at the actual fox curled up in the center of his bed. Why, today of all days, had Tendou decided to visit? Wasn’t there a festival or market or something going on in town? He thought he remembered Futakuchi mentioning some sort of portal Semi was planning to open to let everyone visit other festivals and markets happening at the same time. So why was Tendou curled up in Ushijima’s bed in his fox form, sound asleep, instead of enjoying the event? Had something happened? Worry rose in the wendigo’s throat as he considered the idea that maybe Tendou had an argument with Hanamaki or something.
Tendou stirred, and Ushijima realized there was a medallion hanging around the fox’s neck, shining golden against Tendou’s russet fur. Tendou yawned and blinked up at Ushijima, then shifted to his human form. Ushijima noticed that Tendou was dressed up, like he was going to the festival and had ended up in Ushijima’s bed by mistake, the sleeves of his violet button-down rolled up for comfort. The medallion was hidden beneath the shirt, just a glimpse of metal between fabric and skin visible where the top button was undone.
“Wakatoshi,” Tendou hummed, pleased to find Ushijima standing there staring at him. Tendou grinned brightly and held out his arms. Ushijima’s lips twitched upwards as he leaned down and gathered the kitsune into his arms. Tendou settled his hands behind Ushijima’s head and nuzzled against his cheek. “I came to get you, but you weren’t here, so I decided to wait,” Tendou sighed happily. “Guess I fell asleep.” Ushijima shook his head and sat on the edge of the bed as he donned his own human form, arranging Tendou on his lap.
“Why? Isn’t there somewhere more exciting for you to be?” Ushijima asked, resting his chin on top of Tendou’s head. Tendou huffed and wriggled in Ushijima’s hold, ducking out from under his chin and shifting so he was straddling the wendigo’s lap.
“Of course. I’m going to the Convergence Festival soon. And you’re coming with me,” Tendou announced, beaming at Ushijima, who stared back blankly.
“I don’t recall ever agreeing to that,” Ushijima replied flatly. He couldn’t go to such a crowded event, with so many strangers. Tendou knew that; so why was he suggesting it now?
“That’s because I didn’t ask,” Tendou explained. “I didn’t ask because I didn’t know if Kenma and Semi and Daishou and Akaashi and Takeda would get this figured out in time.” Ushijima frowned.
“Get what figured out?” he questioned. Tendou’s grin grew wider, and he pulled the medallion from beneath his shirt, lifting the chain it hung from over his head. He held it up for Ushijima to see, his expression suddenly going solemn.
“It’s a one-use-only right now,” Tendou said. “But they’re working on one that’ll last a while, and trying to get it so you can turn it on and off when you want.” Ushijima frowned, still not understanding. “This medallion, once you put it on, will recognize you as a wendigo and suppress all of your hunger and desire to eat humans for the day. It’s got a time limit, a couple of days at best, but since they got it done in time for today, I was hoping you’d go with me. I have a couple more, in case you want to go more than just today.” Tendou waited, medallion held out, expression openly hopeful and a little nervous. Ushijima bent down a little, lowering his head in invitation. Tendou’s grin returned in full force, and he slipped the medallion over Ushijima’s head. Ushijima straightened, only to lean in and press a soft kiss to Tendou’s forehead.
“Thank you.” Tendou’s grin grew, and he tilted his head to kiss Ushijima’s mouth briefly before he was sliding off Ushijima’s lap, then grabbing his hands and pulling him to his feet.
“Come on, let’s not waste any of the time before that medallion runs out of energy!” Tendou exclaimed. Ushijima smiled and let himself be towed toward the town.