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loveazumane · 3 years

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— 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚.

summary: here’s a small head canon of how i think the karasuno team act when they’re in love

warnings: none. pure cavity giving fluff. gn!reader.

note: help, this was a pain in the butt to tag. anyway, this is based on how i view the guys. i hope u enjoyed reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it! <3

𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐈. daichi’s very vocal and physical when he shows his love. in the morning, the first thought he has is to get ready so he can pick you up on your way to walk to school. he does the little things such as opening the doors for you, holding your bags, tying your shoes, and taking off a leaf that has fallen on your head. before you part, he kisses your cheek and tells you to have a nice day and he expresses how much he loves you. when you both meet again, he asks how your day was and if anything eventful has happened. most of all, he listens. he lets you speak no matter how long it is, and he can’t get enough of your voice. all the while, a soft smile is on his face and he finds tranquility with the way your eyes crease when you smile and go on about how wonderful your day was.

𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐀. suga does everything he can to show you that he loves you because he wants you to know. he doesn’t outright say it, but he does so much that makes it obvious. when you say you have back pain, he buys you massaging oils and pain killers and comes over to ease your muscles. when you say you’re thirsty and forgot your water bottle, from then on, he always brings an extra just in case you forget again. if you’re feeling cold because you didn’t get a sweater, suga gets you one and packs it in his bag in case you’re ever cold again. sugawara helps you with everything and anything, no matter how difficult it would be for him to achieve. the only time he really voices out he loves you is when you need to hear it from him, and he doesn’t mind at all because he has no shame in expressing how much he loves you.

𝐀𝐒𝐀𝐇𝐈. asahi treats you like you’re fragile, even though he knows you’re strong. when it’s raining out, he takes out an umbrella and holds it more over you than himself. when the sun is too hot, he takes out something to fan you so you don’t break a sweat. when you both walk out on the street, he’d nervously take your hand in his so he can have you close with him at all times. asahi, no matter how long you’ve been together, will always stutter or have a hushed voice when he tells you he loves you. at certain occasions, he’d get anxious about you falling out of love to which he begins to do things much more excessively. asahi services you more so than he does himself, and to express how much he cares about you, he loves to pamper you.

𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. tanaka would yell on top of a roof about how much he loves you. when he sees you, his heart races and it feels like it would jump out of his chest. he would sweep the floors you walk on, kiss you everywhere on the face, and protect you from anyone. he’d always have you close by your side, and when he gets very protective, he expresses that it’s because he wouldn’t know what to do if something bad happens. tanaka would never want to see you cry or frowning, and when he does, he does everything he can to cheer you up even if it makes himself look stupid in the process.

𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐎𝐘𝐀. just like tanaka, nishinoya would be very similar. however, he’d be much more boisterous and loud and express to everyone that you’re his beautiful lover. noya would express how much he loves you vocally without a limit. if you feel insecure about how you look, he’d immediately come to defense about how it was the most perfect and flawless part of you. he would kiss you in the places you hated, making sure that you’re reminded that every part of you is perfect the way it is. in his eyes, you’re the most beautiful being in the world, and nothing can change that.

𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐀. ennoshita is much more gentle with you once he’s in love. similar to daichi, before he parts with you, he bids you a good day and quickly kisses you on the lips, and once you meet again, he asks if your day has been well. ennoshita loves spending time more than anything else. he invites you to his place very often, or asks if you can go to his volleyball games/practices, just so he can be comforted by your presence. he enjoys the time he has with you and cherishes it as the most precious thing in the world. it could be as simple as sitting down in silence, watching a movie, and his heart is filled with glee. his love for you isn’t too obvious and he knows this. to cure your wondering mind if he was still infatuated with you, he’d write a little note and tuck it in your hand so when you walk away and read, you would smile at the words “i will always love you” written in neat handwriting.

𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐎𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐀. when kinoshita’s in love, he expresses it without outright saying it. he enjoys to cheer you on when you feel unmotivated. he enjoys to kiss you on your cheek and tell you that you’re doing great when you feel discouraged. he enjoys to help you with things such as homework, cleaning, and even paying for your meals. kinoshita always reassures you with anything, especially when it’s heavy on your mind. he could never let you be so negative, and when you can’t believe in yourself, you at least know that he would be there to believe in you.

𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐀. narita, before loving you, was calm and collected and could never waver. however, when he’s in love, the simplest things he used to do became one of the most hardest things. greeting you hello felt simple, but now he’d flush and shyly say it. holding your hand always made his palms sweaty. kissing you always made his ears glow a bright red. he’s unsure why you have such an uncanny effect over him, but the only way it calms is when he says he loves you. saying it, no matter how many times, always felt so new to him. he adores you so much that it makes him anxious if he does something subtly wrong. he wants to impress you and he does so by stepping out of his comfort zone, and he often does it when you’re around.

𝐊𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐘𝐀𝐌𝐀. kageyama doesn’t really realize he’s in love with you until someone points it out, but gosh it’s so obvious that you can’t really help but wonder how he didn’t realize it himself in the first place. kageyama blushes when he hears your name called. his heart skips a beat when he sees you and he tenses up and stares in awe. tanaka has once or twice told him to close his mouth or he’ll catch flies whenever he’s gawking. once kageyama comes to the realization that he loves you, he tries to do things normally, but he can’t. he always gets so shaken up and nervous when he sees you cheering him on in the stands that he occasionally misses a serve. he always sweats profusely when you hold his arms as you walk down the street. most of the time, he isn’t conscious of the way he stares at you when you’re doing something as normal as eating. his expression is so dreamy whenever he looks at you that his eyes speak volumes when it comes to saying he loves you.

𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐀. hinata, almost like kageyama, doesn’t realize he loves you. he just knows that you give him the same feeling volleyball does; excitement, determination, eagerness, passion, etc. he talks so much about you to everyone, even if it doesn’t correlate with you at all. someone could mention that they had carrots as snacks and hinata would blurt, “y/n had carrots as snacks this morning too!” even when he’s around you, he wants to let you know that he wants to see you support him when he plays volleyball. he goes on and on about how much he loves seeing you in the stands and how pretty you would look in his jersey. he can’t stop. amongst normal conversation, the words “i love you” would unintentionally slip up, but he doesn’t even realize it.

𝐘𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐔𝐂𝐇𝐈. yamaguchi would be hopelessly in love. he’d do anything for you and treat you better than you could ever imagine. there’s not a chance that he’d leave your side, even if someone tried to pry him away. he enjoys listening to you talk, and whenever you both speak up at the same time, he encourages you to talk first. yamaguchi, when he’s in love with you, would constantly ask if you needed anything and come to your rescue when you did. he’d fix you a bento box without you asking, he’d buy you your favorite drink even when you didn’t want it, and he’d shower you with gifts at any chance he got. most of all, his expression brightens up whenever he sees you; his eyes twinkle and his smile grows—he just can’t contain the amount of serotonin that boils up in his body.

𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐀. tsukishima has a hard time expressing his love when it comes to talking, so it’s hard to tell whether or not he’s actually in love with you. however, though he won’t admit it, tsukishima would think about you constantly. sometimes, he’d daze off during practice and mess up because his mind is clogged with you. when he sees you, he loves to make snarky remarks, but doesn’t do too much that’ll hurt your feelings. to express his love, tsukishima creates a mix tape of songs that reminds him of you and he gifts it to you when it’s your birthday. he doesn’t say anything, only hands it over and says that’s all he can ever afford, but even thought it’s small, it means so much to him. rarely does he say he loves you, but when he does, he gets a bit flustered and red faced and says, “don’t let it get into your head too much, idiot,” and it’s enough to warm your heart.

𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙚: unknown

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keiyoomi · 3 years

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only time will tell | e. chikara

details: 500+ words | slice of life

commissioned by: @charmingchikara

note: thank you, lara! ♡(∩o∩)♡ also, big thanks to @mimi-cee-hq for making this piece more wonderful! ♡

commissions | fundraising/donate

After assisting a patient with an injured shoulder, Ennoshita Chikara decided to take a short break. He knocked on the wooden counter of the nurse station and said, “In case someone looks for me, I’ll be at the garden near the café.” Then, he clapped his hands. “Also, remind me of my next appointment in case you still haven’t seen me around within an hour.”

The nurse nodded her head before reminding him to drink water instead of just drinking coffee and more coffee. He laughed at her comment before heading towards the elevator.

Some patients and guardians greeted him as soon as they noticed him standing at the corner of the elevator near the buttons. He operated the elevator until it was his turn to leave.

Chikara took his time until he reached the café. He asked for his usual order before waiting for it at the side. He observed the people that entered and left the café, as well as patients and guardians who were enjoying the view outside the café.

“Ennoshita-san,” they called, pulling him out of his trance.

With his snacks and drinks in his hands, he took his time to walk towards his favorite place to hangout—under the stout tree with a clear view of the residences nearby. He leaned against the tree trunk and savored the fresh air and the gentle breeze that brushed against his skin.

He looked at the sky and watched the white clouds moving in one direction. His eyebrows furrowed as the scene unfolding before his eyes seemed familiar. He squinted his eyes as he raked his memories as to when and where it happened.

Then, it clicked.

Ennoshita clenched and unclenched his fist as he reached out for the skies hovering above him. He let out a sigh before looking at the paper in his other hand.

Ennoshita looked at the coffee cup he was holding before smiling. “It’s been five years, huh?”

Ennoshita clenched and unclenched his fist as he reached out for the skies hovering above him. He let out a sigh before looking at the paper in his other hand.

“Who would’ve thought that writing on this paper would be difficult?”

It was as if somebody was pressuring him to choose three career paths on the spot. “I’m not like my classmates.” He covered his eyes with his arm, exhausted from thinking about what he could possibly become in the future.

“What am I doing?” he asked.

He closed his eyes and enjoyed the breeze against his skin. “What should I do?” He looked up and stared at the bluish sky. “What am I supposed to do?”

Ennoshita doesn’t have any solid plan in life, but it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have a plan to become a successful person in life after high school. Rather, a “successful life” is a vague idea and goal that would require him to reevaluate his skills, capabilities, and even his dream life.

“Ha... What should I do...?”

—

‘I could become a teacher. I’ve taught Noya and Tanaka before. It was a good experience. Maybe it’s a good career.’ The ball he received turned in a different direction. “Sorry,” he said before retrieving the ball.

‘What other careers wouldn’t require me to spend more time at school for extra credits? A career where I’d be able to earn and save a lot of money. A career that wouldn’t make me feel like I was working at all.’ He sighed. ‘That kind of career.’

“Everyone, submit your papers.” With that, the weightless yet heavy piece of paper was needed to be passed within the next minute. He quickly grabbed his pen before scribbling three careers that came into his mind.

> Physical Therapist

> Teacher

> Office Worker

If he recalled it the previous year, he would probably have gotten discouraged and he’d probably be working at another place or pursuing a different career.

Ennoshita chuckled upon recalling that time.

“Well, nothing’s really easy at first,” he mumbled before taking another sip of his drink.

Being a physical therapist was tiring. There were patients who couldn’t move their bodies on their own, patients who were too stubborn and didn't listen to his instructions. (That sometimes resulted in more injuries.)

But despite all that, he became more and more resilient. He could even proudly say that he enjoyed what he’s doing. His profession gave him that sense of fulfillment, something he’d never trade for anything else in the world.

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crushzone · 4 years

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Hello my lovely your smut is god tier💞. Could i request a cheeky threesome between ennoshita and akaashi (seeing as they are both next gen captains😘). Reader is a bit of a switch. Thank you and enjoy your day.

Blue Petals ❀ Part 1 (NSFW) -Haikyuu!!-

Character: Ennoshita Chikara x Fem!Reader x Akaashi Keiji

Summary: The pressure of bidding good bye becomes immense, as a manga artist, her editor (Akaashi), and her roommate (Ennoshita), reflects on the nature of their relationship and what they want out of it after their second to last weekly meeting at her apartment.

Word Count: 7,842

Contents: Love triangle, time skip characters, mutual pining (every character is attracted to one another), steamy make out session, slow burn.

Additional Notes:

Carla, I know you didn’t ask for all this love triangle part 1 for this fic, but I can’t help it omg. I promise you, you WILL get ALL the steamy threesome smut action in part 2 haha. 😏

It should be up sometime soon, I’ve already written it, just needs proofreading. The navigation to part 2 will appear with a clickable link when it is up. 👍🏻

Blue Petals, is drawn from my senior thesis short film title that I had to make for my Film major. However, the plot for the short had nothing to do with the one that I came up for Y/n’s manga, I simply drew the name from it.

>>> PART TWO

Please do not repost my work ✨

Characters are aged up.

Water…running through my fingers —This must be the way she felt when it skids down her bare back.

He wishes he can shape shift — to become one with this water and caress your smooth skin with his warm droplets.

Ennoshita leans against the sink, turning the faucet off as he absentmindedly shake his hands mid air, springing droplets off the tip of his digits, as if he’s loosely attempting to rid his fascination of you.

This is wrong. It’s going to complicate things. Just…Irrational.

His large hands brace the corner of your shared marbled counter, mind refusing to shut off as it rebels, sprinting a thousand miles a minute in the direction he is desperately trying avoid.

The drip from the faucet casts a constant rhythm to the, otherwise, silent apartment. He mentally curses as he brings his dampened hand to rotate the knob, droplets growing fainter as it cease.

He loves his job, he really does, and he excels at being a physical therapist. The amount of hours he’s put into acquiring this job, the efforts he put into remembering his patient’s names, and the smile he puts on to encourage them to stay strong, really pays off in the end.

However, today, every second when he was not tending to his patient, and when he was alone in the sea of hustling scrubs, his mind betrayed him; the image of you walking out of the restroom at 5 AM, this morning, in just your soaked towel. The way the droplets on your naked shoulders glisten under the faint kiss of tungsten that peaks from your bedroom, like gold dragon scales, so majestic yet delicate.

He had just tumbled out of his room, half asleep, in just boxers and black t-shirt. His eyes immediately widen when it met yours, a suppressed squeal escapes your throat, as you fumble with the top of your plushy towel.

However, that didn’t help because by hastily pulling it further up your Décolleté, only revealed your other round asset that peaks from the bottom hem.

“I’m so sorry!” You both muster in great embarrassment, as footsteps spiral down opposite ends of the corridor. When the doors slammed with a bang, Ennoshita slid to the ground with a hand over his heated face.

Oh boy.

This was not his first encounter either, from years of high school together and 2 years of being your roommate, he’s well aware of your clumsiness. But that also makes you so painfully endearing.

Now, back to the sink where he hovers, steadying his breaths as he could feel his member push the sturdy fabric of his trousers taut.

This can’t be happening right now, in a few minutes, you’re going to walk through the door and se-

Click.

His rhythmic breaths hitch when he could hear the click of the lock, and the twist of the knob.

“Chikaraaaa-kun, I’m home! I brought you your favorite pineapple pecan cake from the bakery nearby.” You bump the door open with your hip as you clumsily shuffle through the entrance, arms bracing stack of folders and a laptop. Then you shut the door with your elbow, bumping your hip against the wooden fixture as you rotate the lock.

The fear of getting caught mid-boner should’ve given him the fuel to suppress it, but oddly, it only worsens when he sees you, standing there so effortlessly beautiful and ridiculously oblivious to his fascination of you.

“Thank you, Y/n-san!” He responds, turning his head to offer you a smile while his hips remain glued to the cool sink. “I cooked us some dinner, it’s all in the fridge. I barely saw you this week, so I don’t mind waiting to eat mine after your meeting with Akaashi.”

You were already in the middle of preparing for the meeting with your manga editor, eagerly spreading your portfolios all over the dining table, and clearing any other unnecessary decorations to make room.

“That is so thoughtful, thank you so much! I appreciate ya.” You turn to him with a wide smile, ignoring the warmth that cradles your cheeks.

He makes you so happy, so very happy.

There had always been something that draws you to him, even from the first day he’d introduced himself at Karasuno.

The way his voice is as warm as a cup of hot cocoa, and his gentle eyes scan your face with the most genuine smile. He reminds you of the comfort and warmth of a sweater, a piece of homeliness you get to bring with you, even when you are somewhere unexplored and cold. He’s always had your back at times when you feel like flopping, and likewise, when you would cradle him in your embrace as he falls into quiet tears at moments when he’d undermine himself of his capabilities.

Chikara is a warm sense of familiarity, a sunrise that promises a new day, the fragrance of trustworthiness that you are incredibly drunken on. Every night when you would bid each other sweet dreams, there would always be a subtle moment of hesitation before soft footsteps saunter across the corridor to your respective rooms. When the doors shut, you always curse at the way your feet rebel, how it tear your chances to run the opposite direction and into his arms nightly.

Because he is your roommate. And that would be complicated.

A rational portion in your mind whispers, shining a lone beam of light through your fog of infatuation, as you will your gaze away from his chocolate orbs.

Your admiration for Ennoshita had far exceeded friendship, even before you’ve decided to move in together as roommates. Till this day, you wonder why you were the one to insist on rooming if you knew you had always been in love. Perhaps his homeliness made you wonder what it would be like to come back to his gentle smile after work, or maybe it was because you didn’t want to let go of your muse.

And then there’s Akaashi…If Ennoshita reminds you of the the warm sun, Akaashi is the calmness of the ocean. The cooling sea breeze that kisses your skin with a gentle mist from dancing tides.

At the thought of him, a series of gentle knocks on the door snaps the tension from the air as you scurry to open it.

Meanwhile, Ennoshita remains by the counter, mentally crafting an escape as the thought of seeing Akaashi’s cooling eyes would only worsen his predicament. Using his quick wit, he takes advantage of the commotion to spring himself from the counter, speed-walking across the dining room, then up the stairs.

“I’ll leave you guys to it!” He says cheerily, when he’s already halfway up.

Akaashi had just stepped in and is removing his shoes as you close the door. “Oh, okay! I’ll let you know when we’re done.”

“You don’t have to lea-“ He begins, but is cut short when Ennoshita quickly waves at him.

“Hi Akaashi-san, please make yourself at home.” He says, before immediately disappearing behind his bedroom door.

Had our weekly meetings been inconvenient for him this whole time? If so, maybe the next should be held elsewhere. Akaashi wonders, a little concerned at his strange behavior as he absentmindedly readjusts the small paper bag on his wrist.

“Is he okay?”

“I think so?” But truthfully, you’re not convinced that he is. “He probably just wanted some time alone.” You revise, walking him to the dining table.

“Oh, I brought you and Ennoshita-san some Yaki Tomorokoshi by the way.” He waves the bag gently, its cotton strings left the faintest mark on his slim wrist.

“Akaashi-kun! You really didn’t have to.” You can’t help but smile, grateful that the people in your life had been so kind and thoughtful. “If you’re up for it, maybe we can all watch a movie later so we can enjoy the dinner that Ennoshita-kun cooked, your Yaki Tomorokoshi, and the pineapple pecan cake I bought!”

A soft smile graces his lips as his hooded eyes linger on the wooden ground, a little too shy to meet yours. “That would be nice.”

And you beam at his response, finding warmth radiate your heart as your scalp tingles, nearly exploding at how precious you thought his little smile was.

What started off as a distraction from Ennoshita, only worsened when you and Akaashi grew closer through your line of work. He was there with you from the first chapter of your manga, where you’d meet up weekly to discuss revisions. Your meetings usually take place at restaurants, and you find yourself lingering after, ordering some extra sake and Daifuku as you spend the final hours of the night, chatting

He seats himself in his usual spot across from you, and you do the same after you’ve placed his grilled corn in the fridge, next to your dessert and Ennoshita’s cooking.

His quiet demeanor, professionalism, and calculating eyes were intimidating. but they gradually grow on you overtime, when you learn that he is just as shy as you are, and is also prone to occasional clumsiness as well. It’s really endearing.

One day, as you two were waiting for your checks to return, he’d asked about your manga’s source of inspiration, reasoning that he’d also been in search for his own, so he can write his short novel.

So with some hesitance, you described Ennoshita to him, without the mention of his name, and it got him very fascinated.

“Is this person, who inspired your protagonist, around? I’d love to meet him one day.”

It felt strange, describing your deep-rooted fondness for your crush to the other, but you also felt embraced, both by the thought of Chikara and by Akaashi’s undivided attention for you.

“He is, he’s actually my roommate.” You responded, nervously, taking a sip of your warm water as you try to drown the sudden flutter of nervousness with it.

His brow raised slightly, as he leaned on his palm, never dropping the gentle smile that adorned his soft looking lips.

“I’d love to meet him one day. What’s his name?”

“Ennoshita. Ennoshita Chikara.” Your eyes brightened at the mention of your friend’s name, forgetting for a second that you were talking to Akaashi. But when you linked your gaze to his dusty green orbs, your brows quirked when you realized his smile had widened.

“Oh. I know him.”

Since that day, you began offering your apartment for meetings, and it’s been that way for over two years now. Initially, Ennoshita would lock himself in his room to give you and Akaashi some privacy, but when you both assure that his company is welcomed; after all this is his apartment too, he eased up and fell into the routine of reading a book on the couch, while you work quietly at the dining table behind it.

However, you notice he had been distant lately, and you wonder if it had to do with you spending more time with Akaashi.

Ennoshita is on his bed, head spinning in a cocktail of thoughts. His fingers lightly graze the expanse of his exposed abs as he sighs, pulling his shirt back down and firmly lacing his hands over it.

That was a close one.

He’s lost track of time, it felt like hours since he’d locked himself in his room, taking steady breaths as he slowly glided his fingers over his sensitive skin, a desperate simulation of skin ship, to slowly suppress the urge of pleasuring himself to the thought of you and Akaashi. It was a rough battle as his mind constantly alternates between what it must feel like to plant gentle kisses to your soft skin, then to his calloused hands firmly running across the terrain of Akaashi’s sculpted body. Both souls so beautiful, yet so different in physique.

But what he yearns is beyond physical, he’s known you like the back of his hand, and your presence comforts him. You are like flowers in spring, the sweet smell of honey nectar, and your smile is the reason cloud dances to the wind under the warm presence of the tangerine sun.

He smiles in admiration of your diligence, when he would walk out of his room for water, in the middle of the night, to see you curled up by the dining table, your blue mechanical pencil in hand as you scribbled away at your manga panels. The paper lantern above you casted a cocoon of soft light that protected you from the darkness, and for a moment, it felt like he was watching you under the inky sea, and you are a mythical creature that emitted light.

He truly misses his days in Karasuno, when you would meet him after his practice to bounce story ideas for your manga, underneath the sunset’s performance, sitting side by side on the roof of an academic building.

“Oh!! Maybe Imogen and Habiki grew up in a rural area together, Habiki’s parents run a bakery shop while Imogen’s family owns an alteration store.” You say, waving your voice recorder in excitement, making sure it’s still going.

“I like that! Maybe there’s something special about this rural area. A noteworthy wonder that Habiki would instantly be reminded of when Imogen writes him letters while he is in war.” Ennoshita added, leaning back on his hands as he looked up to the sky in thought.

Screenwriting and storytelling had always interested him, and brainstorming with you inspired him to make his own films one day, maybe after your manga is done, so you can keep staring at the sun while daydreaming together.

You mimicked his stance, but instead of looking to the sky, your gaze shifted to him with a content smile. He is so beautiful: his gentle gaze unwavering as his mellow orbs embraced the splashes of pinkish hue in its glimmer, and the small smile that grazed his lips are kissed by the reflection of the fiery sky. For once, you wished you could turn into the sun, just so you can envelope his smooth skin with your warmth.

Then you were struck with an idea.

“What if…” You began, “What if there are these blue flowers that could only be grown in that area, and Imogen would always harvest and send pressed blue flowers to Habiki. He would then decorate his journal with it, sometimes even using it as a bookmark until it no longer hold its shape. It would remind him of the times when he would sit next to her, after work at his parent’s bakery, in the middle of the blue flower field, just watching sunset draw its curtains. ”

He spent a moment, allowing your imagination to sink in. Sometimes he wishes he could be your Habiki and you could be his Imogen.

You felt warmth blossom your cheeks, unsure if that was from the sun or if it was from embarrassment that you may have potentially given away the fact that Ennoshita had been your inspiration for Habiki all along.

“I like that a lot. Have you ever thought about how you’re going to end your manga? A striking image that summarizes Habiki’s long journey through war and the struggles he went through to try to find his way back home?”

Then your gaze faltered from the sky, as you looked down to your dirty shoes, subsequently tucking your chin between the basin of your knees. “No…I don’t know. All this time, I may have just been day dreaming. I don’t know if I have the talent to-“

“Y/n-san…” His tone grew serious, drawing your eyes to meet his. “There was never a moment when I’ve doubted your talent, and you shouldn’t either. I know this is something you’ve always wanted to do; to make your manga, and if it is truly what you want, I genuinely think you should pursue it.” He reached over to place a firm hand on your shoulder. “And I know starting something from scratch can be scary, but I am here for you.”

“What if no one even bothers to read it?” You sighed, turning away with a frown.

“Then I’m going to buy all 10, no 100, more like 1,000 copies of your manga and read it over and over again.” He chuckled warmheartedly. A strange flutter in your gut, slowly ascended your body at his laugh. “So what if it is a fail, you poured your heart into it, and in the end, you can come out of it knowing that you gave it your best. As long as you never give up and stick with it, even when it feels like the world is against you, is a success in its own.”

Your lips transformed into the largest smile, brows twitching in an attempt to hold back happy tears. He studied you, gaze darting between your lips and glassy eyes, breath hitched as he lost control of his body, slowly leaning towards your awaiting lips. You find yourself doing the same, your beating heart screamed to be free, to follow its will.

However…

“Chikara-kun.” You breathed, verbally forcing yourself to stop, and he did the same. “If we ever end up in the same area after university…will you be my roommate?”

He sat back up, and after a moment, he blinked away his rejection as he lifted his gaze from the concrete floor to your nervous expression with a soft smile. “Of course.”

And just like that, the sun had fully set, raven wings consumed any remaining sprinkle of flames and embers from the sky.

Does she still have the voice recording from that day? Did his facade falter when he said yes to being your roommate? If only he could have some of that audio to relive his memory with.

Like a torch that had been passed on, you no longer come to him for ideas on your manga as often as you did, instead, you would do so with Akaashi. He’s not upset, but simply nostalgic for those special moments he had with you, if anything, he’s more than happy you’ve come this far. Your manga had been selling prolifically with the help of your publisher, and is now a chapter away from being complete.

This meeting that you are having with Akaashi would probably be one of the last few chances he’d get to see him.

He chuckles under his breath, what a small world.

Though he’s never been very close with Fukurodani’s setter, he’s well aware of his existence since training camp at Saitama. The way he was able to maintain his calm demeanor, regardless of how emotional his best friend, Bokuto may be, is very noteworthy. He’d sneak glances at him during lunch and every time they walked by one another in the dorm hallway or during their tournaments, their eyes would automatically lock, followed by a small nod; a silent gesture of acknowledgement, mutual respect, and…admiration?

There’s something irresistibly charming about Akaashi that he could not put a finger on, and it doesn’t help that he only got to view him from a distance.

He’d hooked up with a few women during his time in university, especially on nights when he’s desperately touch starved for you, but he never thought he’d be into men. When he’d met Akaashi, perspective widened, gender and preferences are no longer black and white, as it became fluid, like a string of yarn, dancing care freely in the wind. His charm is beyond gender, it is his own.

However, he’d never thought too much about it because the opportunity to grow closer were slim, training being hectic and all. Until recently, when you would bring him here for weekly meetings.

What started with small glances when he’d enter and politely remove his shoes, perfectly lining it in parallel to the edge of the mud carpet, to the way he looks at you in fascination, leaning on his palm with a soft smile as you ramble vibrantly about your narrative ideas.

He’s not upset, not one bit, if anything, it’s comforting to know someone finds you as special as he does. Someone who could care for you when he couldn’t be there right away. It’s a confusing mix of attraction: your familiar comfort and warmth, like freshly done laundry, so warm and comfy to lay on, versus his exciting, serene, and unexplored presence, like the sweet smell of petrichor as he bikes by a rice field after it’d rained; both equally as attractive and inviting.

Then his phone lights up beside him, intervening his train of thought.

Y/n ☀️ [20:28]

We’re all good!! Ready for din din whenever you are 🐷

He chuckles softly at the endearing way you text.

Chikara [20:28]

Be out in a sec! :)

Then he sets his phone down, takes a deep breath, and palms his bulging member. Quickly realizing:

I guess I’m going to need more than a second…

You shut your folder with a sigh, drawing both knees to your chest, and leaning it against the table, clearly comfortable under his presence to allow your antics to slip. “Thanks again, for coming over, Akaashi. I can’t believe we’re a meeting away from ending this manga, where’d the time go.”

He nods, discreetly fiddling his fingers under the desk while maintaining a calm expression.

“Yeah.” It was all he could say, fearful that his calm facade may slip.

What now, is this it? Should he say farewell next time? Or should he treat it like other meetings, with the excitement to see each other again. Are we more than just acquaintances? Would it be strange if he asks you and Ennoshita to spend more time with him outside work?

Frankly, this had been a reality he never wanted to accept; that the next meeting will potentially be the last time he’ll get to work with you. The industry is so fast moving, he already has another job lined up for the next manga he’ll be editing, and it will be over 50 volumes long, which meant that even if you were to come up with another, he might not even be available for it.

For a moment, the apartment is unusually still, a stark contrast to the lively meeting that had just ended. Silence weighs heavily, but you allow it to sink, too bummed to fight it off. So you’re surprised when Akaashi attempts to dissipate it.

“Have you thought about the ending?”

Your brows furrow, suddenly feeling a lump in your throat, thinking back to the boy who began it all, under the warm presence of the setting sun. “Maybe, I have some ideas…”

You hate being nostalgic, but you realize you no longer designate a time to brainstorm and chat with Chikara, sadly wondering if he’s bothered by it; having Akaashi swoop in and take that away from him. No…he’s always been someone who’d go out of his way to help a stranger without expecting anything in return, he’s probably happy that you’ve come as far as you had.

“That’s okay.” Lifting your chin to the sound of his voice, soaring conflict in your mind calms to the sight of his timid smile. “You have some time, hopefully you’ll find something that really inspire your ending. Whatever it is, you have an amazing sense of judgement and I am sure it will be absolutely stunning.” His fiddling worsens, as he hope he had not come off too strong; he just wanted to express his believe in you.

And just like that, his comforting tide washes over your heated shore, soothing the stretch of searing rocks with its cool rhythmic ascension, like the rise and fall of a chest. Your furrowed brows relax and the lump in your throat dissolves, you feel fluid, like fine sand that slips through your fingers and on to bare feet in shy splatters.

With a smile, you respond with a nod. “Thank you, Akaashi.”

Standing up suddenly, before silence could re-materialize, you saunter to the kitchen, turning over your shoulder to smile at his confused expression. “I’m going to start heating up our food, Ennoshita-kun should be out anytime soon.”

He stands and follows you, socked footsteps barely making any sound on the wooden floor as he walks. “I can help.” You hum happily in response as you hand him one of the food containers to heat up.

Punching in the digits to your microwave, he leans against the counter as he watches you rummage through the fridge, occasionally rising to set containers on the marbled surface before kneeling back down to grab more.

Weekly meetings with you had meant so much more to him than he had anticipated, it was the first time he’d ever allowed editing sessions to be as untraditional as it had been; usually only keeping it to offices or restaurants, never at residences. However, your passion and genuine personality made it so easy for him to come out of his shell and converse more openly.

Every night when he’d return home from seeing you, he’d spend countless hours by the balcony, looking to the sparkling stars that scatter the sky like freckles, serenaded by wandering crickets and shy fireflies, with a notebook in hand. He lists the wonderful things he’d noticed about you and Ennoshita, and scribble short poems that he is a little too embarrassed to admit it is one. But just like your passion for drawing and Ennoshita’s interests in making short films in his spare time, writing is his way of encapsulating memory, to tell his own story.

Truthfully, he’s always wanted to work for a literature publication, but he can’t thank fate enough for introducing you and Ennoshita to him through this current job. His passion for literature had been adamant since he was in his adolescence, constantly blabbering attempted eloquence to his parents. As he’s gotten older, a small tree of fear roots his heart, afraid he would never find inspiration to write.

Until recently, that fear had subsided, as he would return from your meeting with a smile, eager to glide his fountain pen on the clean, stark pages of his dark blue leather journal, a present from you on his 24th birthday.

Once all the food had been heated and brought out to the coffee table in front of your small couch, Ennoshita finally emerges from his bedroom in a pair of grey sweatpants. “Sorry I took a while!” He smiles apologetically as he descends the stairs.

“No worries!! Dinner looks amazing, thank you for making it!” You respond, miming a chef kiss gesture at the food in front of you with a bright smile.

Ennoshita stops mid step, brows raised at your sudden burst of energy, slowly settling on a wide smile that gleams through his half lidded eyes. “Of course, Y/n-san. I hope there’s enough for the three of us.”

“I know I’m an unexpected addition, but thank you for letting me have some of your delicious cooking.” Akaashi’s eyes meet Ennoshita’s warm ones for a second, before it falters to the ground. His cheeks warm, and his expression may appear calm, but his fiddling fingers say otherwise.

Ennoshita’s eyes widen, suddenly feeling the urge to explode from the warmth that surfaces his subtly puffed chest. “I’m…I’m happy you enjoy them”.

“Akaashi-kun also brought some Yaki Tomorokoshi, so I think between your food, that, and my cake, we should be pretty good.” You add, hopping on to the center of the couch and bringing your knees to rest against your chest as you look to them, a remote in hand. “Would you be down for The Handmaiden by Park Chan-wook?” (This movie is so good omg, HIGHLY recommend watching it.)

They nod simultaneously, feeling the sofa dip significantly as they wordlessly join you on the couch, Ennoshita to your left and and Akaashi to your right. You giggle at how huge the two of them are in contrast to the tiny loveseat, turning around to unfold the fleece blanket and casting it over the three of you like a bird spreading its wings.

“We’re going to get food on the blanket!” Ennoshita jokes, folding the soft material so it only covers his back. You laugh, knowing full well that he would say that, but you did it anyway.

Meanwhile, Akaashi bundles the front of his blanket around him like a half burrito, silently reaching over for his Yaki Tomorokoshi, and holding it with both hands as he eats, eyes watching you and Ennoshita comfortably: This feels like home, under both your warm presence, and he cannot express his gratitude to finally meet someone that makes him so content.

Halfway through the movie, with all your empty dishes in the sink, the three of you are bundled under the same plushy blanket as the plot grows darker and darker with twists you’d never expect. You can’t help but dig your curled toes a little deeper into the cushion, while Ennoshita shifts toward the edge of his seat, as Akaashi leans further back, head resting against the back cushion. Three set of eyes, trained firmly to the illuminating screen with great intensity.

Then out of nowhere, you are hit with one of the hottest and most beautifully shot sex scenes you’ve ever seen. (Yea, like damn, it got me feeling things when I watched it 👀 If you’ve seen this movie, you know what I’m talking about.) Suddenly, the pressure to stop your eyes from diverging off screen becomes paramount, the three of you scramble to shackle your imagination before it scurries off to other lewd fantasies that extend beyond the movie.

Umm…is this where you joke about it to elevate the awkwardness? But dammit, the scene was too well done, you can’t think of anything silly to say.

You all visibly stiffen, suddenly hyper aware of the way your outer legs and shoulders touch, feeling your respective cores heat and breath hitch at the attempt to steady it. The couch suddenly feels like a bubble, frustratingly suffocating, as it confines the three of you in this tight predicament. But when you try to make yourself smaller, so your bodies are not in contact, your hands accidentally brush theirs, and you could not have pulled them away any faster than you had, mentally cursing at the way electricity courses through your skin like wildfire.

The little hand grazing accident heightened the tension, as Akaashi is no longer able to keep his quirk in check, instantly bringing clammy fingers to fiddle on his lap. Distracted by his movement, you were unaware of Ennoshita’s glance, quickly shifting back to the screen when you turn to him. Gosh, how he wishes he could at least give you a small kiss on your warm cheeks.

Gulping at how the sofa on-screen closely mimics the color of the one you are seated on, you will yourself from overthinking; it’s fine, your activities on it are as different as night and day. Totally fine…Puffing your cheeks like a goldfish, you exhale steadily, but the sound did not go unnoticed by two pair of glimpsing eyes.

In the movie, two characters kneel before one another, intoxicated in their share of yearning kisses for any care in the world. This short sequence drags on because the sexual tension in the air is as dense as hardened concrete.

Here’s the scene from the movie. I censored it out for u LOL.

You wonder…wonder how it would feel to draw them to your lips…Would they resist? Or would it shatter all this tension and bring forth clarity to the complication of your friendship. No…you shouldn’t be thinking these things, it’s wrong, so wrong, and your friendship is as clear as day…right?

But then you realize you may not be the only one with this curiosity.

If your friendship were purely platonic…what’s with the sexual tension?

The two men shift, playing it out as if they were stretching their sore muscles from poor posture, but it was actually a desperate attempt to subtly readjust their growing erections. You noticed, you totally did, and decides to take this opportunity to cross your legs tightly, relying on the soft blanket to shield your flexed inner thighs, sinfully enjoying the friction your denim offers with its thick seams.

Ennoshita’s and Akaashi’s mind are whirling as they try to come up with a solution to the potentiality of you noticing their growing members, thinking of different excuses, only to resurface with none.

Ennoshita debates if an excuse to the restroom would seem too obvious that he’s ridiculously turned on, while Akaashi wonders what Bokuto would do in this situation, since he’s always so up front and unabashed about most things. Then, by sheer accident, their eyes meet, cheeks instantly erupt in flames as they turn away non-subtly.

Is Akaashi also sporting an erection? Ennoshita wonders.

Is Ennoshita…really turned on by this too? Akaashi questions.

Meanwhile, you glance between the two, hand slowly creeping between your legs, pushing a little further into your throbbing crotch as awkwardness transform to heat.

Have you been misreading their signs? Had you been in their way this whole time? But you weren’t upset either, because the image of them, completely nude, in each other’s embrace, kneeling on the couch as their sculpted bodies merge under the soft glow of tungsten, back dimples kissed by the watchful moon, is unbearably, and ridiculously arousing.

You’re turned on by their flustered attempts at subduing their body’s natural response for sex, thankful your anatomy is not as outwardly obvious during arousal. Such gentlemen, refusing to acknowledge their mutual sexual desires.

A sudden craving for physical contact manifests as your eyes train to the television with a degree of intensity. But how should you approach this, and with who?

This is it, don’t think too hard. But were you really the one operating your thoughts? Or was it simply your mind being weary of your hesitance.

It didn’t matter, because your body had decided, hands snaking timidly outward, like a chick, spreading its wings for the first time. The stakes are so high, but you are already in the act, there’s no turning back. When your delicate fingers brush the back of their hands under the blanket, they jump at the sudden sensation of your tenderness, clearly aware that it is not a coincidence this time.

They turn to you simultaneously, lips agape and eyes widened in surprise, but you simply look between them with great curiosity, eyes so round and unintentionally coy, like a fawn meeting its pals for the first time, attempting to study their thoughts when you hesitantly hold them firmly, soft hands curling against their large palms, no longer calloused from the lack of volleyball practice.

Your lips open and shut before you stop it all together with your teeth, chewing nervously. So effortlessly alluring, like bright red rose petals, sinking and reemerging from clear water, so teasing and erratic, you just want to scoop it tenderly with both hands and draw it to your lips to still its motion. Their dark eyes are on you with a gulp, as you try to form words, but the only thing that escapes are short breathes; a cross between a sigh and desperate gasps, dying to hear some sort of response from either or them, feeling so stranded by your boldness.

And your thoughts are heard, when you feel both their large palms tighten around yours: Ennoshita’s a little clammy while Akaashi’s is shaky, but they relax you nevertheless.

“Y/n-san.”

Ennoshita breathes, cheeks incredibly warm as he mentally curses his tongue for slipping your name a little too soon. Then without a word, like the day when he was simply an eager boy trying to kiss you, he leans forward, soft eyes slowly flutter shut with every distance he crosses, relieved to see that you are also doing the same, and when you meet him in the middle, it’s as if your life had been on pause, finally discovering the courage to resume.

He smiles gently, bathing in immense satisfaction when your soft lips finally meets his plush ones in a featherlike kiss. Pressure taps at his hooded lids, tempted to burst in tears as he feels so relieved, so freaking happy to claim your lips. The kiss was so soft, like the legs of dancing butterflies, his broad chest rumbles in a low chuckle at the ticklish sensation that lingers on his smile, bringing his other hand to caress the side of your warm cheeks lovingly. He’s found closure, no longer able to imagine himself thinking back in “what ifs” to that moment, as he interlaces his long fingers with yours.

You pull apart, still drunken in disbelief that this is the same boy you went to high school with, the boy who sparked your career and had always been there for you. Then you’re suddenly overwhelmed by how much he’d grown into a man; jaws much sharper and features more defined, but the soft smiles he share with you had never changed, and that is how you know he’s still the same person you’ve fallen in love with from the very beginning.

He IS your Habiki.

But you snap back to reality when Akaashi’s palm loosens, a second away from slipping through your fingers, like a petal that had been whisked by the wind. Instead, you interlace his finger with yours, turning to look into his eyes intently. He’s caught of guard by your overwhelming attention, suddenly finding it difficult to swallow his thickened saliva from hoarding nervous breathes, heart banging frantically at the bursting blood and vessels that surrounds it.

Did he offend you? Should he leave? Her and Ennoshita are clearly meant to b-

Heat blooms in his cheeks, when you draw the back of his hand to your tender lips for permission, shattering his fragile facade as warmth flows out of his open heart like an erupted volcano, melting his entire being as he is tempted to sink further into your couch. However, his spine refuses to curl as it keeps him erect, helpless to its command like a marionette.

Should he kiss you? Is that what he wants? Or is he misreading your si-

His eyes were blank, as he never registered your face growing closer, and by the time he’d return to the present, he could feel your soft minty breath against his pointy nose, your long lashes cast a shadow over your vibrant eyes, robbing it of any glint as you look to his lips, then back up to his dilating pupils. His thoughts are cut short again when your lips brush his, testing the waves before fully submerging in his cool stretch of seawater, your lips are warm, in comparison to his cool ones, but the juxtaposition in temperature is stimulating.

You pull back a little, staring at his flustered expression that grew hungrier the longer he stares right back, you’ve stirred a tide that’s ready to draw you back with its beckoning dance. Then you’re back at it, harder this time, too drunken for each other’s magnetism to recall who was the first person to lean, as you bring the back of your entwined hand to brush at the area next to his fluttering lashes, so thick and alluring like fine owl feathers. Ennoshita watches you in fascination, thumb grazing the top of your hand; a gesture to remind you of his warm presence.

When you pull apart for breathes, Akaashi felt a surge of confidence as he sits up, green eyes drawing in Ennoshita’s brown ones, as he return his look with a blush, bringing his free hand to nervously rub away the warm tingles at his nape. Akaashi’s eyes falter timidly for a moment, before it returns with greater intensity.

No, he can’t back down, he needs to get this out in the open now.

“Ennoshita-kun…”

His eyes may appear calm, but his voice was merely a whisper that’s been thrusted into the silent atmosphere of the room, barely making it over soft mumbles from the movie that’s been long forgotten. He suddenly feels so small, like a lost kitten wailing for help, but he knows the tension had been slowly melting, and the only way to surpass this fully is by also taking initiative.

“May I kiss you too?” He asks, frankly unsure of how to initiate a kiss with someone that is not seated right beside him.

Both yours and Ennoshita’s eyes widen momentarily at his straightforwardness, before it curls into a small chuckle, finding his shyness endearing; seems like his calm demeanor was a defense mechanism to his awkwardness after all. 🥺

Was that too bold?

He was initially a little embarrassed, but is also relieved the tension in the room is close to gone.

Ennoshita brings his free hand to caress his cheek, gently drawing him over you and towards him with a smile. “I would love that, Akaashi-kun.”

And with his reassurance, they lean to one another in perfect synchronization, flushed lips colliding like the sun’s reunion with the horizon, their passion drizzling onto the water’s rippling surface in bursts of tangerines and scarlets. Someone who they thought were unattainable, no longer a reality as they hold each other firmly, hands coming up to entwine next to their moving heads, lips falling into a rhythm, as their defined jaws dance to their passion.

You feel heat rush to your cheeks as your core clenches in arousal at the sight of both your crushes, sharing an intimate moment right in front of you. It is like the fantasy you’ve recently envisioned as you were watching the movie, but this is even better than what the expanse of your mind is capable of picturing. What started as separate admiration, turns out even better when you see that they had also been struggling with the concept of mutual crushing.

They pull apart, but not fully, Akaashi gently tilts his head to lovingly brush the tip of his nose against Ennoshita’s lips, still too enchanted by his warmth to leave. Ennoshita’s heart flutters at his coy gesture, inhaling shakily when Akaashi looks up to his orbs, incredibly fascinated by the way his pupils dilate, consuming steel green rings like a beating heart. Then they simultaneously turn, catching you in the act of lingering gaze as you imprint the beauty of their attraction in mind, wishing that you had your drawing pad to capture this moment on paper.

“Y/n-san…” Akaashi begins, gaze shifting sideways as he scrambles to string words that describe his feelings, however, his own understanding was never fully apparent to begin. To his relief, Ennoshita glances at him before looking back at you, finishing his sentence.

“I like you a lot, Y/n-san. I’ve always had, since Karasuno. I regret not kissing you the week before graduation…but now that I get to be here with you, as someone more than just your roommate, I want to make it clear that I’ve always liked you.” Then he turns to Akaashi.

“Akaashi-kun….I enjoy all the times you’ve spent with us, I may not know you as well as y/n does, but I’ve always been drawn to you since training camp. I like you, and I’d love to get to know you better, no longer from a distance, but right here with you.”

He looks down to your entwined fingers, arms forming a circle, this is the moment he’d always dreamt of. “I still don’t know what’s going to happen after…but I want this kiss to be a start of something, a new beginning to our relationship…if it’s what you want.”

You melt at his genuineness…He always says the right words at the right time, a great trait of a leader, and that is why you never doubted his ability as the team captain after Daichi had graduated. He can hold your hands through the wildest thunderstorm, and you’d feel like he could protect you from the inevitable temperament of nature.

“I like you a lot too, Chikara. I always had.”

“I like you too, Ennoshita-kun” Akaashi responds, eyes widening slightly when he realizes he may have accidentally cut you off, but when he turns to look at you apologetically, you just laugh it of, visibly relaxing his shoulders to the sound of your voice.

Then like a synchronized flock of starlings, you and Akaashi place gentle kisses on Ennoshita’s cheeks, eyeing each other for his consent, before slowly trailing down his defined jaws then to his long neck, now with confessions out of the way, you’re craving something more physical. He resists the urge to scrunch his shoulders, both your breaths tickling him at once, instead, he tilts his chin with shuddery breathes, allowing more room for you to explore; sensation so overwhelming but this is only just the beginning.

“I’ve never been good with words.” You breath coyly, stopping in between kisses to nibble at the bottom of his earlobe where the vertical meets horizontal, earning yourself a gasp as his body tingles. “But let me show you how much I’ve always wanted you, Chikara-kun.” He shivers at the way your voice grow softer, slowly turning to air by the time you say his name; it reminds him of the goosebumps he’d get when wind howls between the cracks of his window, a lullaby so quiet but enchanting.

Instead of responding verbally, his eyes roll to the ceiling before it flutters his shut, exhaling soft shudders as he slowly leans back on the arm rest with the guide of your hand. Meanwhile, Akaashi remains silent, but his gestures speak the opposite; he wants to express the same message through his undivided attention and touches.

Neither of you expected this moment to escalate the way it did, perhaps it was the lingering sexual tension that hung freely for years, or it may be the movie that reminded you of how touch starved you all had been, but whatever brought you here, had happened for a reason.

Because this moment, right here, right now, is where you belong.

Kisses turn to touches, and touches turns to labored breathes when Ennoshita pulls back from his heated kiss with Akaashi, wet lips looking a little bruised from passion, as Akaashi’s eyes are still heavily lidded, gaze glued on his parted lips like it’s an addiction.

Meanwhile, you trail soft kisses down Ennoshita’s neck, lingering momentarily on his bobbing Adams apple, while your other hand slowly finds its way to his crotch.

“Do you want to go to my room?”

He asks between labored breathes, nodding towards the corridor you spent years denying each other’s attraction, feeling your teasing fingers edge dangerously closer to his throbbing member, painfully pressed against the confines of his sweat pants.

>>> PART TWO

Taglist (open): @shhhlikeme @ceo-of-daichi @karasu-hoes @super-noya @nonexistent-social-life @scorpiosanssexy @tedwardos

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pearlsephoni · 3 years

Text

The Trial of Shoyo Hinata’s Rising Heartrate, Witness Three: Tanaka

Can also be read on AO3!

Rating: T (just for language)

Fandom: Haikyuu!!

Pairing: Kagehina (Kageyama/Hinata)

Characters: Ryuunosuke Tanaka, Shoyo Hinata, Yu Nishinoya, Chikara Ennoshita, Hisashi Kinoshita, Kazuhito Narita

Word Count: 1,794

Summary: Ever since Kageyama and Hinata were first banned from the gym by Daichi, Tanaka had found himself taking the troublesome crows under his wings. But he still doesn't understand why he can't stop worrying about the first years' fight.

A/N: Author’s notes can be read on AO3.

Tanaka was no stranger to fights.

Well, no, that wasn’t quite right. For all his posturing, he’d never actually been in a fight. He’d gotten close a few times, but a threatening tap of his fist to his palm usually got his message across fine. And while disagreements were bound to arise within the team every now and again, he’d never seen an actual fight break out. The closest they’d come was the argument between Nishinoya and Asahi, and thankfully Tanaka had managed to hold the libero back before he tried to cause any real damage.

Which was why he’d reacted so instinctively when he followed Yachi into the gym just in time to see Kageyama fling Hinata to the floor, only for Hinata to throw himself back into the fight as recklessly as he went after Kageyama’s tosses. In the few seconds he’d seen, Tanaka knew this went beyond any other argument the first years had had before, and even went beyond any regular fistfight. There was real, tangible hurt and betrayal between the two, and his fresh instincts as a senpai made him put a stop to it as quickly and efficiently as he could.

So he punched them. And he didn’t regret it. His punches got the job done, after all.

But still…the emotions he’d seen the previous night weren’t something that would go away in the single day they had off. He wasn’t some sort of expert on emotions or anything, but he had a bad feeling their animosity would leak into the next day’s practice, and they only had a few weeks until the Spring Qualifiers.

“Ryuu.”

Those punks were at the center of their attack. If they couldn’t get their shit together, then…Tanaka would never say it out loud, but he really didn’t know if they could pull off the victories needed to go to Nationals.

“Ryuu?”

He wished he had Daichi’s calm state of mind and firm faith in the team. Maybe that was something that came with being the captain.

“Ryuu!!”

“Earth to Tanaka!”

He snapped out of his thoughts and found Nishinoya, Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita staring at him, all in the middle of big bites of their lunches. “Huh?”

“Geez, man,” Nishinoya mumbled around his mouthful. “What’s up with you? You never zone out like that.”

“Sorry, I was just…did you guys hear about the fight between Hinata and Kageyama?”

“I overheard you telling the third years about it,” Ennoshita said. His eyes were on Tanaka, but he still managed to catch Nishinoya’s chopsticks before the libero could help himself to a sausage from his bento. “I don’t get it, was it any worse than their usual arguments?”

“Yeah, bruh, they were throwing each other to the ground and everything! It was crazy, Yachi thought they were going to kill each other.”

“Probably would’ve,” Kinoshita sighed. Tanaka couldn’t really see him around Narita perched on his desk, but he could imagine the chagrin on the blonde’s face. “You’d think those two hate each other if they weren’t attached to the hip.”

Narita hummed at that. “They didn’t look very attached this morning. They wouldn’t even look at each other, it was weird.”

“What’d Daichi-san say?”

Tanaka shrugged at Nishinoya. “He said they’d be fine. Said it’s not the first time they fought, and they’ve gotten over humps before. But I dunno, man…I don’t think he’d be so confident if he’d seen it himself.”

“No, that wouldn’t change,” Ennoshita murmured, “He’d still have faith in them, that’s how the Captain is.”

“So you need faith, too, Ennoshita!”

The look he pinned Nishinoya under was deeply unimpressed. “Shut up. Are you clowns done with your lunches? You gotta leave those desks soon.”

A chorus of groans rose from the group, before Tanaka, Nishinoya, and Narita obediently cleared out. After they parted ways with Narita in the hallway, Nishinoya slung an arm around Tanaka’s shoulders, tugging him into an awkward half-crouch as they walked back to their classroom. “Quit worrying about them, dude! They’ll be alright, like Daichi said.”

“Yeah...I guess we’ll see, huh?”

For the rest of the day, and the next school day, that was all Tanaka needed to ease his mind and forget about the fight. After all, Daichi was right - those two had gotten into arguments before, had entered the team practically at each other’s throats. There was no reason they wouldn’t bounce back from this, maybe even faster than they had before.

When Hinata bowed in apology to him before practice started the next day, Tanaka really thought everything was ok. The first year looked chipper as always, ready to play his hardest and push the rest of the team along with him.

Then Coach Ukai announced he would be playing with Sugawara instead of Kageyama. And the freak duo passed each other to opposite sides of the court without so much as looking at each other.

Shit.

Hinata still played well. Better than well. Tanaka didn’t know what he did with the team’s day off, but he could tell that it must’ve had something to do with volleyball.

And yet...something was off. For all his smiles and energy, he was strangely quiet. Any time he wasn’t actively playing or responding to a plan for the next rally, he seemed to draw into himself, clearly preoccupied with…something.

Tanaka could barely understand the odd, volatile, intuitive bond between the freak duo, and he didn’t really know what he could say to help them fix the fracture that had formed. But when the team got ready to split up for individual practice, he found himself approaching Hinata at the edge of the court. “Hey, Hinata.”

The first year looked up from where he was stretching on the floor. “Yeah, Tanaka-san?”

“Listen, I…I know fighting with a teammate sucks. Especially when you’re working together as much as you and Kageyama.” Or Nishinoya and Asahi. He couldn’t forget the days after Asahi left the team, when the barest mention of his name made the libero turn stiff and silent. “But it happens, man. And you’ll always have the rest of the team. We’ll be with you on the court, and we’ve got your back off the court, too.”

Hinata’s wide eyes became downcast as Tanaka spoke, and when he replied, his words were directed to the floor. “Thanks, Tanaka-san…but I dunno if I’ll even be on the court if Kageyama won’t toss to me.”

“Nah, he will!” Tanaka plopped down on the floor next to Hinata, joining him in stretching. “Kageyama’s an idiot, and he’s stubborn as hell, but man, does that guy know the game. He won’t mess it up because of a fight.”

“But then he’ll only toss the same toss that he always has, and I won’t be able to choose the path of the ball, and we’ll get blocked out again.” Hinata’s hands clenched against the floorboards, and when he looked up, Tanaka was startled by the cold focus in those usually-warm brown eyes. “I wanna fight for us on my own terms. I know I can do it. But it’ll never happen if Kageyama won’t believe in me. He’s my partner, and he doesn’t believe in me.”

Partners, huh? Tanaka was suddenly reminded of a conversation he’d stumbled across between Suga and Daichi at the beginning of the year. They hadn’t noticed him because Daichi’s eyes had been pressed behind his hands, and Suga’s eyes had been fixed on the new captain, hands gentle on his shoulders. It didn’t take long before Tanaka had felt too guilty to keep eavesdropping, but he’d heard one thing in particular from Suga that had stuck with him ever since.

“We’re partners, Daichi. On and off the court. So quit trying to handle everything by yourself and let me help.”

There was a stubborn pride in Hinata’s eyes where Suga’s had held gentle care…but their gazes did share a sense of yearning, an almost-desperate entreaty to their partners.

Tanaka knew Hinata hadn’t used “partners” with the same meaning as Suga did. But as he listened to the first year talk, he wondered if maybe it did hold the same meaning, and Hinata just had no idea yet. “He does believe in you, man. I think he’s just scared of messing with what’s worked so well. Maybe if you keep working at it by yourself, get some tips from Coach and stuff, he’ll come around. It’s happened before, and it already seems like he’s getting his ass in gear to improve his tosses.”

Hinata finally grinned at that. “I’m way ahead of you, Tanaka-san! I got Coach to help me out yesterday.”

“Yesterday. On our day off.”

“Yep!” He bounced to his feet, the pride in his eyes shining warmer with his smile. “I realized I need to get better at hitting all sorts of tosses. That way Kageyama will know that I can hit any toss he sends me!”

Tanaka could only hope his bemused disbelief didn’t show in the grin that crept across his face. “You really care about what he thinks, don’tcha?”

“Yeah! If I’m gonna beat him, then I have to be good with and without him. I have to be good by myself so I can keep playing with him.”

“That’s the spirit!” Tanaka cheered, slower to push himself to his feet. “But y’know…it’s not so bad to be ignored sometimes.” The look of pure confusion Hinata pinned on him didn’t hold any judgment, but Tanaka could still feel embarrassment creep through him. “Not on the court! Just, y’know, like how whenever Kiyoko-san ignores me, I feel extra pumped up! Even though I know she doesn’t mean anything by it.”

The small confused frown curving Hinata’s lips wasn’t making Tanaka feel any better. “Yeah, but…don’t you have a crush on her? That’s different from how it feels when Kageyama’s being a jerk.”

Oh. He really has no idea. He’s absolutely clueless. Fuck. “R-right,” Tanaka stammered. “Yeah, it’s different, sure. Forget I said anything.”

Hinata looked like he was going to ask another question, before his attention was distracted by Coach Ukai’s call for him. “Coming, Coach!” He ran off with a final smile for Tanaka, who was left standing dumbly with his bottle held limp in his hand.

So. Hinata definitely had a crush on Kageyama. And had no idea. And no one else had ever mentioned anything to Tanaka, beyond the usual musings over the way the first years bickered constantly and still managed to play like lifelong partners. Which meant Tanaka was likely the only person who had realized anything. And he wasn’t about to discuss it with anyone, it wasn’t his crush to talk about. But the realization still made secondhand embarrassment prickle through him.

“Shit,” he whispered to himself. “Those idiots are doomed.”

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