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[Eight days to Game One]
Ushijima had thought that more maturity and experience for the members of the Japanese Men’s National Volleyball Team would make them less chaotic.
He was wrong.
They’d only been in Paris for five days, and thank god someone - probably Kuroo - had had the foresight to get them some rooms offsite before they moved into the Olympic Village because being in a foreign country had unlocked some new level of chaos in the team.
Iwaizumi had been nominated by the support staff as the official wrangler of the athletes since he knew many of them so well. As captain, Ushijima felt duty bound to help.
Immediately after the jet lag had worn off, to quote Iwaizumi, “shit hit the fan”. On their first morning jog they’d lost Hoshiumi, who had been so excited about sightseeing that he’d taken a wrong turn and ended up fifteen blocks away scaring pigeons outside of The Louvre.
Kageyama and Hinata had eaten escargot on a dare with each other, and had proceeded to lose their lunch on the very well kept courtyard of their temporary home base.
Suna had finished making his first compilation video of players tripping over the cobblestone side streets during down time (most heavily featuring Atsumu) and was already working on a second one.
Suffice it to say, when Ushijima and Iwaizumi entered the kitchen in their section of the Olympic Village after a full day of trying to move everyone in safely, they were exhausted.
“Next time, let’s let someone else be the handler for those animals,” Iwaizumi groaned, slouching against the table.
“I would agree, but I’m uncertain anyone else would be up to the task.”
“Damn it, you’re right.”
Just as Ushijima sat down, Iwaizumi’s face screwed into a confused and exasperated expression.
“Bokuto, is that chocolate? You’re not allowed to be eating chocolate!”
Ushijima turned to see Bokuto frozen in the hallway, a simple black box with a glossy red ribbon in his hands.
“Oh! No I swear these aren’t for me Iwaizumi-san!” Bokuto said, gesturing wildly. Then he remembered that he was holding something and grimaced as he examined the box. Appearing to find no damage, he carried on.
“It’s just…we’ve been passing by this little chocolate shop on our jogs since we got here and Keiji’s got a sweet tooth, so I thought I’d pop in and get him something.”
He was blushing lightly, but it was a well known fact that Bokuto Koutarou loved Akaashi Keiji more than anything in the world, and the whole team knew how proud he was to be with him.
Iwaizumi slumped down into his seat with a heavy sigh, “Sorry Bokuto, I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions…god I need a drink.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, bashful expression now replaced by his signature grin, “I probably would have thought the same thing. Oh, you know what was crazy about it though?! The head chocolate chef guy is Japanese! He helped me pick out the chocolates and I didn’t even have to use any French or English!”
“Huh, small world.”
“I know right, so cool! I wonder if he’s going to watch any of the games, maybe he’s going to be cheering us on?”
“The chance that out of all the chocolate shops in Paris, the one you walked into happened to have a Japanese chocolatier who also follows volleyball is slim,” Ushijima noted.
Bokuto seemed to deflate a bit at that, “Oh..I guess that’s true.”
Oh that wasn’t good.
Ushijima quickly continued, “But of course, he is Japanese, so why wouldn’t he be cheering for his national team?”
He could feel the tension release from both his and Iwaizumi’s bodies as Bokuto perked up again.
“Yeah that’s right!” He thrust his hands in the air, once again forgetting he was holding something semi-fragile. At the sound of the chocolate being jostled around he cradled the box.
“Maybe you should go put those away, Bokuto,” Iwaizumi suggested lightly.
“You’re right Iwaizumi-san, I’ll see you guys later!”
And then he was dashing out of the kitchen.
Iwaizumi set his head down on the table with a thunk, and they sat for a moment, just trying to relax a bit.
“Iwaizumi.”
“Yes Ushijima?”
“Would you like to go to the chocolate shop? Perhaps Oikawa would like some chocolates too.” Ushijima said.
Iwaizumi huffed at that, “I’m sure he would, but he’s on just as strict of a diet as you guys are.”
“Something for when he’s done playing then? It might be possible to place an order ahead of time.”
Iwaizumi studied him.
“What’s got you so keen on going, Ushijima?”
“It is a way to get away from the team for a moment. You need to relax before the games as well.”
“And?”
Ushijima’s gaze shifted to the side, knowing he’d been found out.
“And…I am also admittedly curious about the chocolate.”
It was a lesser known fact that Ushijima also had a sweet tooth, though he rarely allowed himself to indulge.
“Hmm,” Iwaizumi considered Ushijima with a slight grin, “maybe we should go check it out…”
He was already calling after Bokuto when he got up from his chair.
[Seven days to Game One]
True to Bokuto’s word, though they’d had no reason to doubt him, “Miracle Chocolaterie” was situated on a cozy street corner that their morning jogging path went by.
It was a warm burgundy colour, with two large French windows providing a peek inside. The name of the shop ran above the windows, written in gold cursive with little bows dotting the i’s.
Ushijima followed Iwaizumi in, a small bell signalling their arrival. A young man came out from a backroom and greeted them, and Iwaizumi went over to talk to him while Ushijima looked around.
The interior was classic and simple; neat tiling and warm, dark wood with splashes of red mixed in around the room. It was air conditioned, probably to keep things from melting in the heat, if Ushijima had to guess. There was an L-shaped counter that housed the display case, going along the length of the wall and then some.
When he was done inspecting the space, Ushijima drifted back over to Iwaizumi, who was now peering over the sweets in the display.
“This isn’t the person Bokuto talked to,” he said, nodding toward the store attendant, “but he can speak English when we’re ready to purchase anything. Most of the labels are also in English anyway, just because it’s such a common second language in Europe.”
Ushijima’s attention was drawn to the display, and all the sweet things he could unfortunately not eat.
“It was a mistake coming here. My desire to break our diet has never been stronger,” he mumbled.
Iwaizumi just laughed, “You can come back after the games. Pick some out in your head so you have something to work for aside from the gold.” Then he began to point out the different types of sweets in the case.
Ushijima, however, wasn’t listening. Rather, he was staring intently at the man in the chef’s coat who had just walked in. Tall and willowy, with slender legs clad in fitted black slacks. Long, graceful hands gesturing animatedly as he spoke to the other employee. Ushijima couldn’t understand a word of the rapid-fire French conversation the two were having, so instead, he took the time to enjoy the rather splendorous shade of red that was the man’s hair.
He was only vaguely aware of Iwaizumi calling his name as he watched the redhead pick an apron off the wall and shoo the other man into the back room. Only after what was possibly the fourth or fifth attempt from Iwaizumi to get his attention did he follow Ushijima’s gaze over to the newcomer.
“Ushijima?” he asked, setting a gentle hand on his shoulder, “Are you feeling alright?”
“Oh.”
Iwaizumi did a double take, “Oh?!”
Ushijima swallowed audibly, eyes trained on the man that was walking toward them as he tied the apron around his waist, sadly covering up the miles of lean leg he had.
He was sure Iwaizumi was giving him a dumbfounded stare. In his defence, this was probably the biggest reaction Iwaizumi had ever seen him make toward a person.
The red head smiled at them and tilted his head, slipping into perfect Japanese as he spoke, “Welcome to Miracle Chocolaterie! You must be Bokkun’s friends, can I help you with anything?”
Ushijima’s brain went completely blank.
“Bokkun?”
“Yeah, Bokuto-san? Big, tall guy, really energetic, spiky hair? He came in yesterday to buy some chocolates for his boyfriend. Kept complaining about the diet he’s on.”
The red head was looking at him expectantly, but all Ushijima could do was stare. Somebody was clearly looking out for him though because Iwaizumi picked up the slack.
“You must be the chocolatier Bokuto was talking about, though I don’t think he caught your name,” Iwaizumi extended a hand.
“That’s me! I’m Tendou. Tendou Satori.”
“Iwaizumi Hajime, I’m the trainer for the national team.”
They shook, and then Tendou offered his hand to Ushijima.
“And you are?”
Ushijima tried to compose himself. It was a simple question, he could do this.
He was Ushijima Wakatoshi.
He nodded, and grasped Tendou’s hand.
“Yes.”
Apparently it was not a simple question.
A quizzical look appeared on Tendou’s face as Ushijima slowly shook his hand.
“Ushijima. Wakatoshi,” he managed to push out robotically.
Tendou recovered quickly.
“Pleased to meet you Ushijima-san.”
He placed his hands on his hips and levelled them with a cheeky smile, “So how can I help you two?”
Ushijima blinked.
“We can’t buy anything.”
Tendou waved his hand, luckily still unflapped by Ushijima’s current lack of higher brain function.
“I figured. Bokkun told me about the diet, but he also came in to get something for his boyfriend. I just guessed that you both had people to buy for.”
“Yeah I’m here to get something for my boyfriend. Ushijima is…well...Ushijima?”
“I’m not. Seeing someone. I don’t have anyone to buy for.”
Ushijima exhaled hard. He needed to pull himself together or get out.
Tendou put his chin in his hand as he leaned against the counter, “No partner? Good looking man such as yourself?”
An undignified and unintelligible noise came out of Ushijima’s mouth.
Iwaizumi leaned in a bit closer and lowered his voice.
“Ushijima, are you…okay?”
“We need to leave now.”
“Now?”
“Now.”
He bowed to the confused looking chocolatier and then practically bolted out of the store, Iwaizumi following behind with a quick farewell.
Ushijima wasn’t sure when the hurried walking he was doing turned into jogging. He only seemed to be aware of Iwaizumi keeping pace beside him as his mind went on autopilot, and they followed the team’s regular route back to their accommodations.
As soon as they walked into the common room, Ushijima went straight to the fridge to get a water.
“What happened to you two?” Aran’s concerned voice came from the couch.
Bokuto, who was seated on the floor playing cards with Hinata, poked his head around to see them.
“I thought you guys went to the chocolate shop.”
“We did,” Ushijima said after a few gulps. He still felt like his whole body was thrumming a bit.
“We met the chocolatier you talked to, Bokuto,” Iwaizumi piped up from the doorway.
“Oh! Isn’t he cool?! Oh and did you get his name?? I got really excited that he knew Japanese and forgot to ask, and Keiji wants to look up the chocolate shop to see if he can find out more.”
Iwaizumi glanced over at Ushijima, “Do you want to tell them or should I?”
Ushijima pointedly looked away and took another long drink of water.
Now with the rapt attention of everyone in the room, Iwaizumi explained the encounter. It was clear that he was trying to make Ushijima not look bad because he described the situation as much less awkward than Ushijima was certain it had been. By the time he was done, Ushijima was practically crushing the empty water bottle out of embarrassment.
There was a moment of silence as everyone took the time to absorb their captain’s odd behaviour. Then Hoshiumi pensively broke it.
“Huh, for Ushijima that’s practically drooling.”
Ushijima frowned.
“I did not drool.”
Atsumu waved a hand to clear the air.
“No no, what Hoshiumi meant was that it was a pretty big reaction comin’ from you.” he said, then, cocking his head, “What’s so special about this guy that he’s got ya feelin’ some type of way?”
With a deep sigh that got more than a few raised eyebrows from his teammates, Ushijima sat down on the couch.
“I’m not sure.”
“Was it his looks?” Hinata supplied.
Atsumu’s expression turned into a wicked grin.
“Yeah, what does he look like? Is he hot?”
“That’s not exactly a term I’d use to describe him.”
“Oh…so...you don’t find him attractive?”
Ushijima shook his head, “You misunderstand. What I meant is that he’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever met.”
There was a collective jaw drop amongst the men in the room, and Aran even let out a low whistle.
“Ushijima I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk about someone like that,” Iwaizumi mused.
Colour flooded into Ushijima’s cheeks, as much as he tried to will it not to.
“Alright, let’s stop bothering Wakatoshi about his handsome stranger,” Sakusa drawled, “Attraction isn’t always explainable. Take me for example, I fell in love with Atsumu when his hair was a bleach-stained, untoned mess.”
There was an indignant noise from the setter, and laughter from the others that thankfully took the focus away from Ushijima. He sent his friend a silent nod, and though Sakusa nodded back, he raised an eyebrow as well.
A silent invitation.
If you want to talk about it, you can come to me.
Ushijima pressed his lips into a line and looked away. There was nothing to discuss. All he wanted to do was forget his blunders, which he valiantly tried and for the most part succeeded in doing for the rest of the evening. When he settled down in bed that night, he hoped that he could close his eyes and let the chocolate shop fade from his mind so he could focus.
Instead, Ushijima dreamt of fiery hair and elegant fingers on the court with him.
[Six days to Game One]
After having seen the wide selection of sweets at the chocolaterie, and knowing his boyfriend’s choosiness, Iwaizumi had wisely elected to bring Oikawa to the shop so he could pick his own chocolates for when the games had concluded.
Naturally, Ushijima had invited himself along. He was eager to redeem the first impression he’d made the previous day.
Of course he didn’t know whether the chocolatier would be there, he didn’t know his schedule after all, but the evidence from their previous excursion and the approximate timing of Bokuto’s purchase suggested that he would be working.
Ushijima hoped that he’d be working.
And as chance would have it, they found Tendou smiling and packing a box for a mother and her young son as they walked in.
Ushijima had a hard time ignoring the sticky sweet feeling spreading through his chest at the sight. He was hoping that smile would be directed at him when the current customers left, and for a brief moment it was.
“Oh hello again! How nice to see- Oikawa?!”
Ushijima froze in place, glancing back and forth between the shocked expression on Tendou’s face, and the realization dawning on Oikawa’s.
“Tendou?!”
The chocolatier’s smile returned again, more impish this time, as he rounded the counter to hug the setter.
Ushijima and Iwaizumi’s eyes met over the two, sharing a look of pure confusion.
“You two…know each other?” Iwaizumi asked as they separated. Oikawa didn’t move far though.
“Oh yes! Ten-chan and I go way back,” Oikawa stated proudly, slinging a friendly arm over the chocolatier’s shoulders.
A muscle in Ushijima’s jaw twitched at the motion, and he fought the urge to put himself between the two.
“I see.”
Tendou tilted his head toward Oikawa and smiled, eyes shutting nearly into slits. He looked almost cat-like.
“Kawa-kun and I went to middle school together. We were founding members of the alien club.”
Iwaizumi stifled a laugh behind his fist, “Why does that not surprise me?”
Oikawa, who over the years had developed a knack for testing ways to annoy Ushijima - not that any of them had really worked thus far - had noticed the tension in Ushijima’s shoulders at his closeness with the chocolatier. Of course as an expert provocateur, he decided to push the limits of Ushijima’s patience.
“It’s so nice to catch up with old friends and see what’s changed,” he said, draping himself further over Tendou and cooing, “you’ve grown into your eyes Ten-chan.”
“I like to think that I have. I certainly got rid of the silly haircut I had back then.”
Tendou pressed his cheek to Oikawa’s and beamed.
“You were always the pretty one. Not that I minded. And now your charming brash Iwa-chan has become your charming brash boyfriend hasn't he? I thought I recognized you yesterday,” he said, eyes sliding over Iwaizumi.
Just like that, the rest of Ushijima’s good mood wilted like a neglected houseplant. Oikawa quickly flashed him a smug grin before turning to admire Iwaizumi.
Ushijima simply crossed his arms and sighed quietly, but apparently, not quietly enough.
Tendou’s head swung over and he pouted at Ushijima’s expression. It was irrefutably cute, but it would’ve been cuter if Oikawa hadn’t been hanging off him.
“Don’t worry Ushijima-san! You’re very handsome too.”
Ushijima nearly choked on his own spit.
He wondered if living in France for so long had made Tendou more forward, or if he’d always verbalized whatever thought crossed his mind. He had a feeling it was the latter, especially considering what Iwaizumi had told him about Oikawa in middle-school.
“Hmph, you’re too kind Ten-chan. Ushiwaka isn’t nearly as handsome as Iwa-chan,” Oikawa’s complaints thankfully drew Tendou’s attention away so that Ushijima could compose himself.
“Alright that’s enough bothering my team’s captain,” Iwaizumi gently pulled Oikawa toward him, despite his boyfriend’s squirming, “C’mon jerky-kawa we came here for a reason.”
“Iwa-chan rude!” Oikawa whined as he was corralled over to the counter.
When Ushijima glanced back over to Tendou, he found the chocolatier already looking at him with a delicately quirked red eyebrow.
“Ushiwaka?” he said, tone on the edge of amusement and curiosity.
Ushijima sighed heavily, “I’ve known Oikawa and Iwaizumi for some time. We were rivals once, and while I respect Oikawa’s talent, he can be…irritating. He started calling me that in junior high.”
“He does like his nicknames doesn’t he?” Tendou said fondly, “I can’t believe I’m seeing him again after all these years.”
“Were you..close?”
“We were never as close as he was with Iwaizumi, but I like to think we had a solid friendship. He came to me for interests that weren’t volleyball, so I didn’t really see Iwaizumi much at all. Oikawa and I shared some eccentricities and we just sort of ran with them.”
“I was definitely the stranger one of the two of us though,” Tendou grinned wryly, and a vision of a smaller Tendou and Oikawa sitting under a blanket with flashlights and tinfoil hats popped into Ushijima’s head.
“He talked about you y’know.”
Ushijima blinked rapidly, “Pardon?”
“Well, I guess not directly, but, kind of. In passing I guess. When we were in junior high, sometimes he would complain about some guy named “Ushiwaka” that he played volleyball against. Whenever I asked him who it was though, he’d get frustrated and pouty and tell me he refused to waste any more breath talking about him.”
Ushijima’s head was racing. Somehow, despite never meeting until adulthood, Tendou had known of his existence. Even if it had been just as a mysterious frustration in his childhood friend’s life, Tendou had known him. Ushijima had so many questions. Had Tendou wondered about him and who he was? What he’d looked like? Had he ever watched one of their games?
“So that was you, huh?”
Before Ushijima could begin to ask his first question, Iwaizumi appeared next to the chocolatier.
“Can I steal you? I’m ready to pre-order Tooru’s chocolates.”
“Duty calls I’m afraid, Ushijima-san,” Tendou said with a gentle smile.
“Of course,” Ushijima said, a conflicted bitterness churning in his head as he wished he could get a few more moments with him.
Iwaizumi looked at him, “Can you take shittykawa outside? I don’t want him to hear what I’m getting him.”
“What?! Iwa-chan no I don’t want to hangout alone with Ushiwaka.”
With some persuasion, and threatening to not buy chocolates, from Iwaizumi, Oikawa begrudgingly followed Ushijima out.
The door had barely closed before Oikawa was squaring off with him.
“I always knew Ten-chan was a miracle worker, but damn Ushiwaka. When Hajime told me you were whipped for some chocolatier I was not expecting this.”
Ushijima nervously glanced back at the chocolate shop, “I would rather not discuss this here.”
“Why?” Oikawa had a challenging grin on his face, “Are you afraid he’s gonna hear and do something about it? Because god knows it won’t be you making moves, regardless of how infatuated you are.”
“I have moves,” Ushijima frowned.
“Oh please Ushiwaka, you wouldn’t know how to flirt if your life depended on it, and Ten-chan knows what he’s doing. I am enjoying seeing you flounder about though.”
Thankfully, Iwaizumi stepped out of the shop before Ushijima had to think of a witty enough retort.
“Can you stop bullying Ushijima for one moment?”
“Absolutely not! I’ve never had the chance to laugh at him for being down bad and I’m not just gonna pass it up now. Walk and talk people!”
Oikawa started back in the direction of the Olympic village, dragging Iwaizumi by the arm with Ushijima following reluctantly. There was always the option to jog ahead by himself and avoid the conversation, but Oikawa would never let him live it down if he did.
Iwaizumi extricated his wrist from the chokehold that Oikawa had on it, instead looping an arm around his waist, “I seem to remember there being a video of you drunkenly ugly crying because Mattsun and Makki told you I had a boyfriend and you forgot that it was you.”
“Iwa-chan how could you?!” Oikawa gasped.
“There was snot and everything.”
“Iwa-chan!”
With the heat once again off him, Ushijima relaxed a bit, but he had a lingering anxious feeling in his chest. Apparently it was quite obvious that he was attracted to Tendou. Hopefully the chocolatier hadn’t picked up on it, Ushijima didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. They were near strangers after all, and it wasn’t like Ushijima was used to these feelings either.
But as he watched Oikawa and Iwaizumi lovingly bicker as they walked, he allowed himself to indulge in a fantasy, imagining instead that it was himself and Tendou. The chocolatier would be wearing that bright smile, one graceful hand pointing out landmarks and shopfronts, and the other tucked into Ushijima’s elbow. Ushijima wondered if Tendou had a favourite cafe to eat at, and whether he had a sweet tooth, or if working with chocolate had given him more of a preference towards savoury foods. Ushijima would gladly pay for some snacks for them to share as they strolled through the city, and perhaps they could stop in a park to relax a bit as well.
“Ushiwaka!”
The daydream was rudely interrupted by Oikawa trying to get his attention. The setter was frowning, and pointing a vaguely threatening finger at him.
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about this Ushiwaka. You have some explaining to do and I have some teasing to catch up on.”
Ushijima simply sighed. It was going to be a long week.
[Five days to Game One]
“Is this really necessary?”
Ushijima hadn’t planned on going to the chocolate shop again so soon. Sure he wanted to see Tendou, but he was preparing for the Olympics, so he didn’t expect to find time to visit.
Apparently, however, this was a “weak excuse” (Oikawa), and he was supposedly “hiding because he’s scared of flirting” (also Oikawa), and he needed to “step outside his comfort zone” (Atsumu).
The two setters had then decided to drag Ushijima out to the chocolate shop themselves. They bickered like teenagers when they were competing on the court, but when they put their heads together they were a truly terrifying force. Thankfully Iwaizumi was also dragged along, in addition to backup in the form of Sakusa Kiyomi.
“Atsu-chan hasn’t had a chance to see you magnificently crash and burn in the face of a compliment from a hot guy, so yes, this is necessary,” Oikawa threw over his shoulder as he walked arm in arm with Iwaizumi.
Atsumu turned around to face Ushijima as he walked backward, “I just wanna see what all the fuss is about Ushijima, besides, Samu’ll probably want me to bring somethin’ from the shop back. You know how he loves food.”
“Turn around or you’ll trip!” Sakusa grabbed the setter’s shoulders and made him face forward.
Ushijima picked up his pace to walk in step with them, to prevent any injuries.
“Don’t ya want to see your chocolatier, Ushijima?” Atsumu asked.
“Well…yes.”
“Then it’s a win-win for everyone!” Atsumu grinned.
Ushijima wasn’t so sure about that, but he couldn’t think of a defence for his case before they found themselves at Miracle Chocolaterie.
Tendou had his back to the door when they walked in, seemingly arranging chocolates on a large tray rack with the jingle of the bell his only clue that someone was in the shop. He called out something flowing and lyrical, which Ushijima assumed was a greeting, but seeing as it was in French he couldn't be sure.
Sakusa answered back just as casually, causing Atsumu to stare widely at him.
“Since when did ya know French?!”
The exclamation caused Tendou to turn around as well, and Ushijima was pleased that the chocolatier’s eyes settled on him first before surveying the rest of the group.
“I was hoping you’d all show up again,” Tendou said, this time in Japanese. He turned his head toward Sakusa, who Atsumu was still gawking at.
“Your accent’s very good. Are your parents French?”
Sakusa just shrugged, “I studied languages as a child. French was one of them. My name is Sakusa Kiyoomi, by the way. We’ve heard a lot about you.”
“All good I hope.” Tendou’s eyes slid back to Ushijima for a moment.
Atsumu whined and straightened up.
“You’re not gonna introduce me Omi?”
“You’re a grown man, introduce yourself.”
“Alright alright,” Atsumu turned to smile at Tendou, “Miya Atsumu, nice to meet ya.”
Tendou threw a wide grin back, “Pleased to meet you! If you’ll just excuse me for a moment, I have to bring this to the back and fetch something from the fridge.”
He disappeared into the back with an empty tray, and the group was left to mingle by the counters.
“He’s clearly good at his craft, and with his hands. These are all beautifully made,” Sakusa said as he admired some of the chocolates in the display.
“Man you’re right, I’m salivating just lookin’ at them,” Atsumu whined, peering over Sakusa’s shoulder.
Oikawa smirked, “Bet Ushiwaka wants to know what else Ten-chan can do with his hands.”
Ushijima felt a blush rising to his cheeks, “Oikawa.”
Atsumu snickered a bit as Iwaizumi elbowed Oikawa in the side, “Quit it.”
“Here we are!”
Tendou emerged from the back with a serving tray full of paper cups, which he set on the counter in front of them. Everyone gathered around as he continued.
“I’m glad I listened to my gut and made a bigger batch so that all of you could have some. I trust that a bit of lemonade won’t be detrimental to your diets. Oh! None of you are allergic to anything right?”
Sakusa peered into a cup, “None of us are, but, what exactly did you put in this lemonade?”
Tendou simply grinned and nudged the tray closer, “Have a taste and find out.”
Ushijima was the first to grab one of the small paper cups, and the others followed suit, though Oikawa shot him a knowing look after Ushijima picked it up. The lemonade was cool and tart, but had some fragrant extra taste to it that enhanced the natural sweetness of the lemon. Ushijima wasn’t one for sugary drinks, but he found it quite pleasing and balanced. He wondered what the mystery ingredient was.
“This is the best lemonade I’ve ever had,” Atsumu murmured, eyes wide after practically draining his cup.
Ushijima nodded fervently, and the other members of the group echoed the sentiment.
“I’m so glad you like it! It’s a lavender lemonade, if you’re wondering. Bonus points to you if you guessed it on taste alone,” The chocolatier winked at the group, “It can be overpowering if you add too much, but reducing it to simple syrup and minding the ratios of the drink really makes something lovely and refreshing.”
“You’re a genius Ten-chan,” Oikawa said as he finished his drink.
“Aww, you’re too kind,” Tendou beamed. “Now if you’re all done, I can get rid of those cups for you.”
He waited as everyone set down their cups, and then he disappeared into the back again.
“You gonna say something to him?” Atsumu asked quietly, turning to Ushijima.
Ushijima quirked his head, “Like what?”
“Give him a compliment, flirt with him! I wanna see you in action,” he said with a winning smile.
Sakusa met his gaze, “You don’t have to if you’re uncomfortable with it.”
Ushijima did want to compliment Tendou, and there were definitely things he could think of complimenting. Before he could reply to either of them though, Tendou was walking back out, and Ushijima’s friends moved over to the side counter to give him some space.
Tendou glanced over at them for a moment.
“Do they need anything?”
“No,” Ushijima said, probably too quickly. “They’re just browsing.”
“Oh, okay good,” Tendou said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the counter.
Ushijima summoned his courage and stepped closer, “I just wanted to say something….about your hair…”
“What about it?”
“It’s very…”
Beside him, he could sense the others trying to inconspicuously lean closer.
“Red.”
“Ushi-”
Oikawa’s complaint was quickly silenced by what Ushijima assumed must have been Iwaizumi’s hand, given the muffled whining that followed. He spared a quick glance over at the group to see Atsumu massaging his temples, and Sakusa simply watching the exchange. Ushijima wasn’t quite sure why his comment had warranted such a reaction, but he had more important things to focus on to ponder it too much. He brought his attention back over to Tendou.
The man in question gave Ushijima a confused smile and reached up to touch his hair self-consciously.
“Thank you? I think?”
Ushijima nodded thoughtfully, “You’re welcome.”
Tendou gave him a look, one that Ushijima couldn’t quite decipher.
“What is it?”
“Oh nothing nothing, just thinking,” the chocolatier waved his hands around, and Ushijima tried to not blush when he remembered Oikawa’s previous remark.
Tendou seemed to notice his fixation, and quickly inspected his hands.
“Is there something on here? It’s probably chocolate. If it’s not chocolate it’s something sweet.”
“Do you,” Ushijima tried to formulate words with a tongue that now felt heavy in his mouth, “often get things on your hands?”
“Oh yeah all the time,” Tendou smiled brightly, “it’s kind of an occupational hazard. I use my hands a lot, wanna see? I think I have some pieces that need assembly in the back anyway…”
Ushijima could only stand and watch as the chocolatier continued mumbling to himself and went to the back to grab something. He emerged with a tray of what appeared to be several chocolates, but when he set it down and Ushijima got a closer look, he realized they were individual chocolate petals all laid out around a small chocolate centre.
“Is it a flower?”
“It will be!” Tendou pulled on some dark gloves and picked up a piping bag full of chocolate that Ushijima hadn’t even noticed was on the tray.
“Just watch.”
Even if a plane had crashed into the street outside the shop, Ushijima didn’t think he would have looked away. He was utterly entranced watching Tendou delicately assemble the petals around the centre, using the warm chocolate to affix them together. His hands were steady, fingers gently holding each fragile petal as they set and eyes laser-focused on his work. It could have lasted three minutes or three hours, and Ushijima wouldn’t have cared or noticed. All he could do was watch.
Soon enough, a small chocolate rose was sitting in the centre of the tray, and Tendou was peeling off his gloves with a proud smile.
“Ta da!”
Ushijima felt compelled to clap, feeling a blush rise again when it caused the chocolatier to laugh lightly.
“Thank you thank you,” he said with a bow, “I’m experimenting with the presentation for a new chocolate I’m putting out soon. It’s got raspberry, rose, and dark chocolate, so I figured this was an appropriate shape.”
Tendou grinned slyly and nudged the tray toward Ushijima.
“Would you like to try it?”
“Hey!” An indignant shout sounded from behind Ushijima. He turned to see the other players also watching, with Oikawa doing an unimpressed scowl.
“Ten-channn! If Ushiwaka gets to break his diet then so do I!”
Iwaizumi glared, “No one is breaking their diets.”
“Sorry,” Tendou said, eyes twinkling a bit, “couldn’t resist, but don’t worry! These should be ready to go for when you’re all done with the games.”
Ushijima nodded, and met the chocolatier’s gaze, “I look forward to it.”
When it was time to head back to the Olympic village, they said their goodbyes - Ushijima a bit reluctantly - and headed out.
Sakusa and Ushijima walked a bit behind the group. Close enough that they could back up Iwaizumi if he needed to stop the two setters from arguing, but far enough away that they could speak in relative privacy.
“I can see why you like him.”
“Hm?”
“Tendou. I understand why you’re interested.”
“You do?”
“Mm,” Sakusa’s expression was fond as he looked ahead to Atsumu, “people like us can’t help but be drawn to those who are vibrant and expressive and live so passionately.”
Something stirred in Ushijima’s chest, and he had the vague sensation that he was being given a glimpse into his future.
“It’s not a bad thing you know.”
“To be interested in him?”
“To be interested in him, to want to pursue him, all of it. Those are normal wants.”
Ushijima frowned a bit, “I feel I shouldn’t want to get involved with him because we’re strangers. I don’t want to pressure him with my feelings.”
“Lots of couples start as strangers, Wakatoshi,” Sakusa shrugged, “and you’re not pressuring him with anything. Also, he gets to decide which people he does and doesn’t want to pursue him. If you express your affection and he’s not interested, he’ll let you know, but you won’t ever find out if you don’t do anything about it.”
Sakusa looked back over at him, “All I’m saying is that nothing’s ever stopped you from going after what you want, so don’t let anything stop you now.”
Ushijima simply nodded, unsure of how to respond to his friend’s analysis.
Sensing that the conversation had come to a close, Sakusa gave a nod back and moved up to reach Iwaizumi’s side. It was probably for the best, considering the conversation between Atsumu and Oikawa was starting to sound more like an argument.
Ushijima kept his slower pace for a while, stewing in his thoughts, before he shook himself off and made to catch up with the others.
[Four days to Game One]
Visiting the chocolate shop in the late afternoon had apparently become part of the daily routine because the very next day when training had finished, Ushijima found himself getting escorted there with more members of the Japanese team in tow.
This time, Bokuto, Hinata, and Kageyama had seen fit to accompany him.
When they arrived, they were greeted by the sight of numerous boxes of all sizes covering the floors and counters.
“Sorry everyone, I’m afraid I won’t be very entertaining today. It’s delivery day and I need to unpack and organize all of these,” Tendou said, appearing from behind a large stack.
“That is more than alright, we won’t get in your way,” Ushijima said.
“We can do better than that!” Hinata bounced forward with a smile, “We’ll help you!”
Bokuto cheered in agreement and Tendou tapped a finger against his cheek in consideration.
“Hmm, are you sure it won’t be any trouble?”
“It would be a good addition to our strength training for the day,” Ushijima said. He was a bit annoyed with himself for not thinking of the idea first, but now that it was an option on the table he was eager to put it in motion.
Tendou smiled, “Well if Ushijima-san says it's alright then let’s get started!”
Under the chocolatier’s direction, they started to move all the boxes to the back. Tendou did his fair share of heavy lifting, but mostly started opening packages and sorting through the deliveries.
Bokuto and Hinata were very excited at the prospect of seeing Tendou’s kitchen, and he happily gave them a small tour after all the boxes were moved. Ushijima trailed behind quietly. He was also interested in seeing the back of house, but more so in watching Tendou’s face light up as he talked about his passion.
After all the necessary products were unboxed and the rest stored away, Tendou gave the cardboard to a still hyper Bokuto and Hinata to flatten while he updated his stock book up front with Ushijima.
They were sitting quietly when Ushijima was suddenly hit with a thought. He cleared his throat, and Tendou looked up from his book.
“I realized I never formally apologized for the way I behaved when we first met,” Ushijima said, and gave a deep bow, “I’m very sorry.”
Tendou grinned and waved him off, “Please, there’s no need to apologize. Iwaizumi-san explained everything.”
Ushijima’s head shot up. He didn’t like the sound of that.
“He did?”
“Yes of course, I know how you feel. I was pretty shy growing up, and meeting new people was difficult for me. I completely understand.”
Ushijima mentally let out a sigh of relief. He never should have doubted Iwaizumi’s integrity. Shame on him. Maybe he should buy him some chocolates in gratitude.
“Yes, people often say I am…socially inept,” Ushijima said.
Tendou hummed thoughtfully, and seemed to be reflecting on something.
“People are quick to cast judgement before taking a closer look aren’t they? Their loss then...”
“You said meeting new people was difficult for you?”
“Yes, sometimes it still is,” Tendou leaned against the display case, “but it was particularly difficult for me when I was young.”
Ushijima inclined his head, and when he didn’t add anything, Tendou continued.
“My parents homeschooled me until their passing. I guess that made me a bit socially awkward in middle school and junior high. Oikawa was one of the few kids that understood me, and I was fortunate to find something I was so passionate about that it gave me something to focus on. I did half a year of highschool in Japan before I was accepted to a culinary school here.”
The chocolatier brushed some nonexistent dust specks off the glass of the case, “I learned how to understand people. How to read them, how to guess what they were thinking. That was the only way for me to survive social interactions all my life. Things are much easier now but I’m still grateful for the things I’ve learned,” Tendou said with a grin.
Ushijima nodded solemnly in agreement. He was glad Tendou had gone after his dream and found success. He couldn’t help but wonder, however, if their paths would have crossed had he stayed in Japan. It wouldn’t have been too much of a stretch for it to happen. Tendou had been linked to the volleyball world through Oikawa, all it would have taken for them to have met was if he’d attended a game.
“You would have been a middle blocker.”
Ushijima didn’t realize what he blurted out until he was looking at Tendou’s stunned face.
“Pardon?” The man asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
“If you had played volleyball, I mean,” Ushijima cleared his throat, “You would have made a good middle blocker.”
“Oh? Enlighten me Ushijima-san,” Tendou looked more amused now.
“As a middle blocker, you sometimes have to guess where the ball will be sent so that you can stop it. You must predict which direction will lead you to victory. What you did with your life was jump in the direction that smelled like satisfaction.”
Ushijima just barely heard the soft oh that escaped the chocolatier’s lips.
“No one’s ever said anything like that to me before…thank you.” There was a soft look on Tendou’s face, as if he felt distinctly honoured by Ushijima’s words.
Ushijima tried not to let it make his chest swell with pride, especially when he could still feel Tendou’s soft gaze on him as they left the chocolate shop that day.
He smiled to himself. Maybe he was better at this than he thought.
[Three days to Game One]
“Again. Higher.”
Kageyama nodded as Ushijima got back into position. They’d been going for half an hour, since the team had returned from their daily chocolate shop visit. Ushijima had been frustrated that his earlier attempt to show his interest in Tendou hadn’t produced any noticeable results, despite the previous day’s supposed success, and he knew that the familiar impact of the ball against his hand would help him to recenter.
He just hadn’t known it would take him this long.
Another spike rebounded off the court on the other side of the net, and Kageyama looked to Ushijima for feedback.
“Again.”
Kageyama’s face twisted a bit, as if he was constipated, but then Aran came over to slap him on the back.
“Don’t mind Kageyama, Ushijima isn’t upset with you. He’s just mad that the chocolatier he’s been trying to woo hasn’t figured it out yet.”
Ushijima’s lips pressed into a frown as Aran gave Kageyama a small nudge.
“Go grab some water, I just wanna check something with the captain alright?”
Kageyama nodded stiffly and went off to get a drink, and Aran turned back to Ushijima.
“There’s something you’d like to discuss?”
“Yeah. I know you’re frustrated, and I know volleyball and routine bring you a lot of peace. Shinsuke’s like that too, so I get it, but I don’t want you to overwork yourself because you’re upset. We trained already today, so maybe you should call it a night?” Aran said, resting a gentle hand on Ushijima’s shoulder.
Ushijima was a bit miffed at being read so easily. He supposed that out of all of his teammates, with the exception of Sakusa who was his closest friend, Aran would probably have him figured the most. Ushijima had been friendly with the Inarizaki captain, then Kita Shinsuke and now Ojiro Shinsuke, and they did share many personality traits and values.
“I appreciate your concern, but I’m in good condition right now.”
Aran smiled, “Alright, well at the very least why don’t you take a short break, let some other spikers take a few sets, hey?”
Ushijima hesitated, but ultimately felt that taking a moment to clear his head wasn’t a bad idea.
“Very well.”
Aran gave his shoulder a squeeze, and Ushijima went off to the side to have a drink.
After a few minutes, Sakusa wandered over, taking a seat next to Ushijima on the bench and quietly watching their teammates. It wasn’t uncommon for them to sit together in companionable silence, but this time, Ushijima had something on his mind.
“I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“With your chocolatier?”
Ushijima nodded, “Oikawa was right.”
“Don’t let him hear you say that, we’ll never hear the end of it.”
“Kiyomi,” Ushijima sighed, “I don’t have moves.”
Sakusa raised an eyebrow and took a drink, “Why do you need moves to let Tendou know you like him?”
“Shouldn’t I try to romance him subtly before making my affection known?”
Sakusa gave him a wry grin, “Something tells me he isn’t a subtle man. Beating around the bush has never been your style either, so why don’t you be straightforward with him.”
“What do you mean?”
“Invite him to come watch the opening game.”
Oh.
Ushijima tried to ignore how his first thought was of Tendou in an Olympic jersey with Ushijima’s own name and number on it, cheering him on from the stands. What if that was an unattainable dream?
He looked at his friend, “What if he says no?”
Sakusa shrugged, “Then he says no, and you focus on the game. Simple.”
Somehow Ushijima felt that hearing the chocolatier reject him would be more complicated than that.
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” Sakusa stood, “but as your friend, I encourage you to try.”
“Kiyomi.”
His friend looked down, meeting his gaze.
“Thank you,” Ushijima said, “I will think about this.”
“I want to see you happy Wakatoshi. Plus I like seeing you uncomposed sometimes, and this man is highly capable of flustering you.”
Ushijima sighed heavily and shook his head, “Atsumu is rubbing off on you well I see.”
“First of all, how dare you. Second of all, are you jumping back in?”
“No,” Ushijima said after a moment, gaze drifting over to Aran, who gave him a wave. Ushijima nodded back.
“I think I’ll call it a night.”
[Two days to Game One]
“Come in come in! Can’t have you all cold and wet for the Olympics now can we?”
Tendou had been waiting near the door when the group had arrived at the shop that day, which was lucky for them considering it had started to pour halfway through their walk there. Ushijima found it a pleasant surprise, to be ushered in by Tendou when usually he’d be behind the counter upon their arrival.
“How did you know to be at the door for us?” Ushijima asked as the chocolatier quickly closed said door behind them, a brief gust of wind rustling his pretty red hair.
“You’ve come everyday around the same time for this whole week. Call me presumptuous but I guessed there was a good chance you’d be back today,” Tendou smiled, “When it started raining I thought I’d wait by the door for you all. There aren’t really any customers when it's pouring like this anyway.”
Though his demeanour was light and enthusiastic, Ushijima noticed that Tendou’s hands were shaking, and not just because of his usual energy. They seemed to be trembling, and when Ushijima focused more he noticed they were flushed.
“What happened to your hands?”
“Oh!” Tendou looked a bit sheepish as he hid his hands behind his back, “You caught that hey? You’ve got good eyes, Ushijima-san. I burned myself a little earlier. I’m going to wrap them up I promise! I just haven’t quite gotten around to it. I have my bandages and everything.”
From the pocket of his pants he produced a small roll of bandages and waved it for Ushijima to see before placing it on the counter.
“See? All okay! Though it is always a pain to wrap your dominant hand, don’t you think?”
Ushijima nodded, “I agree, would you like some help?”
“Well if you’re offering,” Tendou said, and extended the roll of bandages to Ushijima. Then he leaned back against the counter and held his hands out for Ushihjima to see.
Upon closer inspection, Tendou’s hands didn’t seem to be seriously hurt, which Ushijijma was glad for. The bandages would do fine until Tendou could get home and apply some cream to them, so Ushijima began to wrap his fingers. His hands, while approximately the same length, were broader than Tendou’s. His fingers were calloused from his sport, where Tendou’s were relatively smooth, with only a few faint white scar lines, probably from old cuts. They were pleasant to hold, and Ushijima tried to wrap the redhead’s fingers as gently as he could.
“You’re left handed?”
Ushijima looked up at the question, and noticed that Tendou was watching his hands curiously.
“I am.”
“Ah then you complete me. I’m right-handed.”
How Tendou felt brave enough to make such comments, Ushijima was still unsure, but he was sure that he had to duck his head to hide the blush rising on his cheeks. He leaned closer to Tendou’s fingers to pretend that he needed to focus more.
“It has been very useful for me in volleyball,” Ushijima said, trying to steer the conversation to more familiar territory.
“I bet it has, and you being in volleyball has been very useful in wrapping my fingers,” Tendou said, holding up both hands as Ushijima taped down the last bandage. “Thanks Ushijima-san, I really appreciate it.”
He smiled, and Ushijima beat back the swarm of butterflies in his stomach. Instead he handed the bandage roll back to Tendou with a terse nod.
“Do you need to get back to work now?” He asked, secretly hoping the answer would be no even if he knew that Tendou practically owned and operated the chocolate shop himself.
“Well there’s always work to be done, but I can space it all out. I’ve got lots of time today,” Tendou replied, heading back behind the counter.
Ushijima frowned a bit. Had he and the others been getting in the way of Tendou’s responsibilities?
“I hope our presence in your shop has not been disruptive.”
Tendou waved him off, “It’s nice to have company during the slow periods. Besides, it's been fun meeting everyone. It’s not everyday you get to hang out with famous people,” he said with a wink.
“I’d hardly call this group of delinquents ‘famous’”, Iwaizumi said, having overheard. There were responding indignant squawks from a few of the players in the shop.
Ushijima would be lying if he said Tendou’s answering laugh hadn’t made him feel just a little bit like a lovesick teenager. He was going to miss this, watching Tendou work, listening to him chat with his teammates like they were all old friends.
Most of all he’d miss that bright smile turned his way, like sun after the rain.
As he watched them all mingle, Ushijima decided to take his friend’s advice. Sakusa had never steered him wrong before, and if there was a chance that Ushijima could steal more moments like this, he’d take it.
He usually felt sad when he left the shop with the others at the end of the day, but this time he felt remarkably at peace.
He knew he’d be back tomorrow, and he’d be ready.
[One day to Game One]
When he’d opened the doors to his chocolate shop two years ago, Tendou figured he wouldn’t be seeing many Japanese customers. He was half a world away from his birthplace, and it wasn’t like there were tons of people of his nationality strolling around Paris.
So imagine his surprise when not only had an old classmate walked in, but nearly the entirety of the Japanese national volleyball team over the course of a week. It was the most of his first language he’d used since he moved - outside of his nearly nightly calls with his only friend from home, to be fair.
Tendou greatly enjoyed the visits. Having something unexpected thrown his way had always excited him, and it helped bring a bit of liveliness to his routine. And god was lively the correct way to describe some of the players.
The cherry on top of these visits, of course, was a certain olive-eyed captain.
To say that Ushijima had completely captivated Tendou would be an understatement. The man took up Tendou’s every waking thought, with little resistance from the chocolatier. Ushijima was very attractive after all. Tendou found himself charmed by the endearingly awkward way Ushijima acted around him too, especially when Tendou flirted with him. Sometimes Tendou wondered how he would react to a peck on the cheek, and then he would get distracted and have to focus harder on whatever task he had at hand.
Tendou knew that the games would be starting soon, and his daily chitchats would probably be taken away, so until then he’d decided to savour every moment he could get. He had just finished putting away the last of the day's stock when the shop bell rang, and Tendou turned to find the very man he’d been thinking of standing in the doorway.
“Afternoon Ushijima-san! You made it just before I closed up shop. Is it just you today?”
Ushijima nodded and he made his way over to the counter where Tendou found himself leaning toward him, “Tomorrow is our first match, most of the team is resting in preparation.”
“Ahh I see. So what brings you here then? Shouldn’t you be preparing too?”
Ushijima’s hands clenched and unclenched, “Well..”
He looked away from Tendou, almost as if he was nervous. It was a curious expression on the normally confident and seemingly stoic man. God Tendou couldn’t get enough of him.
“As a player, I have tickets to all the games I’m playing. I was wondering, if you were interested, maybe, if you would like to come to the opening game tomorrow afternoon?” Ushijima said, voice barely containing the hint of hopefulness.
Tendou felt his heart tighten, and he pressed his lips into an apologetic smile.
“Oh…I’m so sorry Ushijima-san. I’m working tomorrow.”
“I see,” Ushijima said, and though his face was schooled into neutrality, Tendou could see the disappointment in his eyes.
The silence was heavy between them, and the fading sunlight coming into the shop made it weigh that much more on Tendou’s heart.
He couldn’t leave him looking so sad before such an important match.
“Come closer, Ushijima-san. Let me look at you.”
Ushijima quirked his head, but complied anyway.
Tendou squinted, bringing a finger up to tap his chin in thoughtfulness, “Hmm.”
“What is it?”
“I learned how to read people, remember Ushijima-san? I like to think I can see things more easily than others.”
“Oh? And what do you see?”
Tendou couldn’t help the grin tugging the corners of his mouth.
“A winner.”
Ushijima’s lips pursed slightly, like he was trying to hold back a smile.
“Isn’t it considered bad luck to make such statements?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at Tendou.
“I don’t take you for the superstitious type Ushijima-san. You seem like the kind of person who trusts that their skills and training will lead them to victory.”
A new expression had taken over Ushijma’s features, one that Tendou imagined caused opposing players to waver on the court.
“Good luck, Ushijima-san. I’ll be waiting to hear the results of the game.”
Ushijima nodded firmly, like a promise, and jogged out of the shop.
Tendou watched him disappear from the shop window’s line of sight, fiddling with the strings of his apron and smiling to himself.
“Are you trying to get us to lose, Tendou? I think you nearly broke my poor captain’s heart,” Semi’s voice called out as he leaned against the backroom door.
Tendou tsked as he went to flip the shop sign to “Closed”.
“It’s not polite to eavesdrop, Semi Semi. Besides, I cheered him up after that.”
Semi snorted, “I should’ve expected you’d pull some kind of mind game, but I imagine it’ll make it that much sweeter for you to see the look of dumbfounded shock on Ushijima’s face when he realizes you’re actually at the match. If he’s capable of such an expression.”
“Well I wouldn’t want to disappoint someone so handsome and sincere. Now help me clean up so we can hit a bar before they all get too crowded with fans,” Tendou said, throwing his apron at his friend.
[Game Day]
There was a certain sense of anticipation that overtook Ushijima on game days. All of his preparation bubbling up close to the surface and ready to be used on the court like a kettle close to boiling. Ushijima held a volleyball in his hand, the itch to feel it smacking against his palm in a spike stronger as each minute of warm-up ticked by.
With their time drawing to a close, Ushijima decided to head over to the bench to hydrate and think of a few things he could say to the team before the match. He sat and watched the rest of the team squeeze in those last few exercises before the end of warm up. This was nowhere near the stakes of a quarter-final or a medal match, but it was important to them all the same.
Kageyama came to sit next to Ushijima and quietly drink his water, Hinata vibrating excitedly by his side. Most of the other players were also beginning to come get their water before the huddle.
Iwaizumi walked around the group, chatting with and ensuring that everyone felt well warmed up and ready. Once he’d checked in with all the other players he came over to Ushijima. He looked like he was about to say something, but his eyes widened, clearly distracted by something in the crowd over Ushijima’s head.
“Holy shit, Ushijima, look.”
Ushijima followed Iwaizumi’s gaze up to the stands, to see his former teammate, Semi Eita. He was sporting an old Shiratorizawa jersey, and shaking matching purple pom-poms. Upon realizing he’d been spotted, Semi waved and shifted one of the pom-poms so he could give Ushijima a thumbs up. Then he grinned, and looked to his side.
Ushijima was certain that he was on the verge of a cardiac arrest because standing next to Semi, holding a Japanese Olympic Team flag that nearly rivalled his hair in brightness, was Tendou.
“Oh…that’s-...hmm.”
Given that his jaw was slack, Ushijima wasn’t surprised at his own inarticulateness. All he could do at the moment was stare at Tendou with wide eyes.
The chocolatier was covering his mouth, presumably to hide a laugh if the small tremors in his shoulders and the crinkling of his eyes were anything to go by. He was probably amused at Ushijima’s reaction, but Ushijima couldn’t bring himself to be embarrassed.
Especially not when Tendou moved the hand from his mouth to flash him a brilliant smile and a peace sign.
“He’s here.”
Whatever disappointment Ushijima had felt when Tendou had declined his invitation to the game the other day had fluttered off with the rest of his stomach. Perhaps it was the nervous excitement clouding his judgement, but he was almost certain that there was a blush on Tendou’s cheeks.
“So he came after all.”
Ushijima managed to rip his eyes away from the stands to turn to Sakusa, who was fixing him with a look.
“You know what that means right?” he said, voice even but eyes glinting with a dangerous spark.
“Mm,” Ushijima looked back up to the stands briefly, catching a glimpse of Tendou leaning and whispering something to Semi with a smile. If he had been energized for the game before, now his blood was boiling for a fight.
He set his jaw in determination and turned to face the court.
“I’m ready.”
To say that he played his best would have been an understatement.
Ushijima was in top form. No oxygen sucked into his lungs was left unspent as he put everything he had into every jump, spike, and serve. He wanted to win, of course, but in the back of his mind he knew there was someone in the stands he wanted to impress. It was a Herculean task to not look over to Tendou after every point he scored as if to say Did you see? Did you know it was for you?
By the time the whistle blew, signalling Japan’s victory, Ushijima was tired and aching, but at the thought of getting to maybe talk to Tendou after speeding through his post-game routine had him standing up straighter as a new surge of energy flowed through him.
As soon as he was showered and dressed he was striding out of the locker room and looking for brilliant red hair at the edge of the crowd.
“Hey captain!” Semi’s voice called out to him from the end of the hallway behind him.
Ushijima turned quickly, hoping that Tendou would be with him. Unfortunately, the ashen-haired man was walking up to him alone. Ushijima tried not to be disappointed.
“It’s so great to see you Ushijima! Kenjiro wanted to be here, but he's finishing up his medical internship right now and he’s swamped with work at the moment.”
Ushijima nodded, “It’s nice to see you as well, and please send my best wishes to Shirabu when you get home.”
“Sure thing.”
Ushijima stepped a bit closer, “Semi, may I ask…have you seen-”
As if sensing that he was being asked after, Tendou walked around the corner, freezing for a moment. Mirthful red eyes found Ushijima.
“Fancy meeting you here,” the chocolatier said with a grin, and he came to stand beside Semi.
“Tendou.”
“Hello Wakatoshi-kun.”
Ushijima very nearly let out a pleased hum at hearing the red-head address him so intimately. He never wanted to hear another person other than Tendou say his given name.
“You said you couldn’t come.”
Tendou smiled slyly, “I never said I couldn’t come. I said I was working, and I was working, this morning at least.”
Next to him, Semi rolled his eyes, “Sorry Ushijima, this one’s all theatrics. He gets a kick out of seeing people’s shocked expressions.”
“I don’t mind. I wanted him to be here.”
Tendou’s eyes lit up in excitement.
“Semi Semi, could you give me a moment to talk to Wakatoshi-kun alone? I can meet you outside after.”
He never broke Ushijima’s gaze as he spoke, and Ushijima felt a bit like a fly trapped in amber. He was helpless to escape but too ensnared by the beauty to mind. The tension and excitement in his body were drawing taut like a bow the moment before letting an arrow loose.
“Alright, alright, go easy on my captain.”
Semi began to move past Ushijima, but stopped to give him a clap on the back and lean in.
“Careful, he bites.”
“Only if Wakatoshi-kun wants me too.”
“Ugh, TMI Tendou,” Semi called over his shoulder as he left.
When the sound of Semi’s footsteps disappeared into the distance, Tendou spoke.
“Great game Wakatoshi-kun, you played very well.”
Ushijima took a step forward.
“I played for you.”
Tendou raised an eyebrow, “Not for your team?”
Ushijima took another step forward, shaking his head, “Not this time.”
Now he was standing a foot away from the chocolatier, the other man’s eyes almost daring him to make the next move, so Ushijima did.
Tendou had surprised him after all, and Ushijima reasoned that warranted a surprise in return.
He took Tendou’s face in his hands and pressed their lips together, relishing in how soft his lips were and the lingering sweetness from something he must have had during the game. He pulled away after a moment so he could check in on Tendou. Regardless of his eagerness, he didn’t want to force the man to do anything he didn’t want.
“Do you want me to-”
Tendou pulled him back in for a second kiss so hard they stumbled into the wall.
Ushijima caught them of course, trying to keep up as Tendou kissed him hard. The chocolatier’s hands were fisted in Ushijima’s jacket and he was pressing against his chest like he was trying to crawl inside his lungs and be the air Ushijima breathed.
Eventually the kiss slowed until Tendou was planting soft, sweet pecks on Ushijima’s lips.
“I guess we both won today, huh Wakatoshi-kun?”
“I guess we did,” Ushijima stroked his cheek reverently and pulled him back in.
He still had a bit to go before he was off his diet and could sample all the delicious sweets from Tendou's chocolate shop, but this was a treat Ushijima certainly didn’t mind indulging in before that time came.