A tale of Christmas, love and volleyball
Giggling was heard from inside the gym of Karasuno High in the early morning of the 24th of December. Giggling that definitely wasn't meant to be heard on such a special day, considering that most people spent their Christmas Eve with their families. If it weren't for that strange text Sugawara Koushi and Sawamura Daichi had received each, they as well, would probably still be snuggled between warm blankets and mountains of pillows. At least that was what Sugawara's plan of the day had been until he was asked to come here at the crack of dawn. On the other hand it also meant that he would be able to see his best friend slash secret crush, so… Here he was, freezing his ass off in front of the gym without said crush in sight, while he could definitely detect snickering and cursing from the inside. Just what kind of mischief had his idiotic underclassmen planned this time? If he had to be honest, Suga was definitely not ready for whatever these guys had in mind. The ashen-haired setter hated the cold weather with all his might and he would much rather snuggle into the warmth of his bed. Preferably with his handsome captain, not that he would ever admit it aloud. But before his fantasies could get any more intimate, a strong slap on his shoulder startled him out of his daydream.
When he looked up, Suga was face to face with the man he just fantasized about. Why was Daichi so close to him? For a few seconds the ash-blond lost himself in these beautiful dark-brown orbs of Daichi, completely unaware of the worry in his expression. He only startled out of his daze when Daichi took his face in his hands and leaned his forehead against Suga's. Such a simple gesture was enough to cause said ash-blond to blush bright red to the tip of his ears and all the way down to his (luckily hidden) neck. What was Daichi doing?!
"Hey, you okay, Suga? I tried calling out to you, but you didn't respond and your face is really red," Daichi asked softly, still in touch with a now bashful Sugawara.
While his concern warmed Suga's heart, the closeness to his crush surely had his heart racing. 'Oh dear, he is so close! I hope he doesn't hear my heartbeat!' was all that the setter could think at this moment.
Thus, he pushed his captain away and playfully hit his shoulder, while he exclaimed, "Nah, I'm fine, Dai! You worry too much! It's just way too early to be out today! And it's freezing, so it's completely normal to be a bit red in the face, don't you think?"
Well, at least I didn't stutter! Nice cover, Koushi!
Apparently, Suga's reasoning was enough to convince his best friend to drop the issue, although, he also didn't seem to be affected by the close proximity earlier. What a shame. Or was he just too dense to notice that Sugawara was getting all shy because of him just moments ago? However, before either of them could continue their conversation, they got startled by shouting, followed by what sounded like a crash coming from within the gym.
At that, Sugawara could feel his motherly senses kicking in, so he pushed the door open and shouted with worry lacing his voice, "What on earth is going on in here?! What was that noise just now?! Is anyone hurt?"
As soon as those words left his lips, the entire gym turned silent and a staring contest ensued between both parties. Daichi, who entered only moments after his vice captain, stared dumbfounded at the entire scene in front of him and wasn't sure if he should either laugh or cry at what he saw. From the looks of it, the whole team, minus the third years, had secretly organized and planned a party, if the Christmas themed decoration, the food and the little pile of gifts was anything to go by. On the floor, tangled up with tinsel and other glittering elements, lay one Kageyama Tobio together with a blushing Hinata Shouyou. If Sugawara and Daichi were to be asked, they would probably assume that their short middle blocker had attempted to attach said tinsel around the fake Christmas tree that was put in the middle of the room. How he had managed to mess it up this much was beyond Suga's comprehension, but after so much time together, the vice and his captain simply got used to their antics.
The first one to speak up after an awkward silence was Nishinoya Yuu. Despite the early time, the wild libero was full of energy, so he shouted excitedly, completely ignoring the outburst of his Senpai, "Merry Christmas, Suga-San, Daichi-San! We wanted to surprise all of the third years, this year with a little surprise party! All of the first and second years helped and Chikara managed all of the planning and organizing!"
Ennoshita Chikara, who was currently trying to untangle their ginger-haired middle-blocker and his raven-haired setter, figured that the whole situation might be a bit unexpected, so he explained softly, "I'm sorry for not stopping the team, but they really wanted to throw you a party to thank you guys for all you have done for this team. And I totally understand the idea, because we wouldn't be where we are without you guys. So, I guess… Surprise?"
It was quite obvious that Daichi and Sugawara were speechless at such a kind gesture and Suga was honestly tearing up a little at hearing that. His tiredness was immediately forgotten and he couldn't hide the sniffling from any of them. Hinata, once freed, was the first to react to it when he ran up to his Senpai and pulled him into a tight embrace.
"Don't cry, Suga-San! We all thought that we should give you something back! For me, this team is like a family, and families celebrate Christmas together to show their love! And you're like the mom of the team, because you're warm and kind and you help all of us no matter what and your smile is so bright and pretty and..." Hinata exclaimed happily. Although, he stopped his blubbering once he heard the silent sobs escaping his vice captain and instead urged on the rest of the team with a simple look so that they got closer as well. The rest of the first and second years followed as soon as they got the message and crowded Sugawara in a huge group hug, which was what brought Sugawara ultimately to tears. Even when they all crumbled down onto the floor due to the shear amount of arms trying to hug the living hell out of the ashen-haired setter. Sugawara never considered himself to be an important part of the team, now that Kageyama took his place as setter, so it took him by surprise that all of them thought so much of him. Hell, they even were alright with his motherly behaviour!
Daichi was still leaning against the doorframe, amused by the sight of this spectacle and couldn't help but smile. The brunet was well aware of his best friend's insecurities - something the other always tried to hide behind his angelic smile as to not worry anyone else - so he was more than happy that the whole team, no matter how idiotic they sometimes behaved, decided to show how much they cared. Even Tsukishima wore a tiny smile on his face as he clapped the vice's shoulder in a way to show his support! While the team was busy with coddling Sugawara, Kiyoko Shimizo and Azumane Asahi arrived at the gym and stopped right at the door, seeing how they had to be quite perplexed at the scene in front of them. Before Asahi could question what was going on, Yachi Hitoka came out of the club room and joined them with a tray full of hot chocolate.
The usually shy and nervous manager approached the third years waiting at the entrance with a soft smile gracing her lips and she greeted them softly, "Good morning to you. Come inside and have some hot chocolate! We worked really hard to get everything together for today AND we got Takeda-Sensei's permission to host this little celebration! Though, I didn't think Nishinoya-Senpai and Tanaka-Senpai would contact you so early… I hope you're not mad at us!"
And that was how the volleyball club of Karasuno started their own little Christmas party. It was a little chaotic at first, but knowing them, it was just what one would expect from them. Once Sugawara hat managed to calm down, Yachi went around, bringing everyone a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and caramel - her homemade speciality. They gathered around a few tables to enjoy their delicious drink, some hot dogs and different sweets. It surely was a nice change for everyone. Meeting up to not play volleyball, that is.
A few hours into the event, the boys were joined by the female team as well, who got invited by both managers at some point. It wasn't planned at all, but Yachi hadn't had it in her to reject their captain when she accidentally found out about it and got a little too hyped about the idea of spending more time with Daichi during the holidays. Much to Suga's disdain, so to say. The ash-blond sat alone in one corner with a cup of hot punch in his hands, where he had to watch Daichi and Michimiya happily conversing. Both of them seemed to have a good time - Daichi was laughing at whatever the female captain had told him and she was leaning awfully close into his personal space. In a way, those two were looking like the perfect couple - no wonder there were actual rumours about those two being romantically involved somehow or at least meant to be together... Sugawara could understand why people were thinking like that, yet he didn't like it one bit. No, he wasn't jealous and therefore sulking one bit! But since he wasn't willing to watch them being so close and probably flirting with each other any longer, Suga rose from his seat and stepped outside, despite his hate of the cold. He would never admit it out loud, but it hurt every single time, whenever Daichi himself or someone else mentioned her in combination with his crush. Just why did he have to fall in love with him?! Feelings that surely would never be returned… Of course, he couldn't know that for sure, but he also didn't want to risk the friendship they had and his fear of rejection was also hindering Sugawara from confessing. Thus, he simply admired his handsome friend from afar.
After some time, his trail of thoughts was interrupted by a quiet voice. "Hey, Suga? What are you doing out here? The others have been looking for you. Aren't you cold?"
It was Asahi, who came looking for him. Asahi, who was the only one who was aware of Suga's huge crush.
Trying to downplay his absence, Sugawara shrugged his shoulders and spoke softly, "Oh, I was simply getting some fresh air, no need to worry. I couldn't have been gone for long, have I?"
Instead of getting an immediate answer, the bearded ace put a hand on Suga's shoulder and observed the ash-blond for a moment. It made Suga uneasy, to be scrutinized like that, but it would also have been suspicious if he avoided looking at one of his best friends. In the end, however, it was a loud sneeze from Sugawara that interrupted their intense moment. His friend sighed, pulled him up from where he sat on the stairs and declared, "Okay, in you go. And don't you tell me that you're fine, because your lips turned blue, you're shaking like a leaf and we both know that you hate being cold."
Just when Sugawara thought that Asahi was done, the ace added, "And talk to Daichi. I'm sure he likes you as well. You do know that the team will definitely start meddling once they notice how hard you are pining after him."
Suga grimaced at this order and inevitably started pouting at that, but he followed him inside anyway. Which wasn't a bad idea, considering that he was beginning to get really fucking cold. Once inside, he was finally beginning to notice this himself as a shiver ran down his spine and he felt another sneeze coming. Why hadn't he noticed how long he had been sitting there when it was absolutely freezing outside? Thus, the ash-blond made his way back to the table to grab something hot to drink, then moved to club room where he sat on one of the benches next to the heating, with the hope that it would warm his core a little faster. His shaking didn't make this task any easier. Unbeknown to him, help was already on its way, as Asahi had given Daichi a little push. If Suga wasn't going to confess on his own because of his insecurities, then Asahi would gladly show him that these negative thoughts were completely baseless. After all, Daichi had abandoned whatever he was doing, the moment his ace approached him, telling him that Sugawara wasn't feeling well today.
The setter himself was so lost in thoughts, that he never noticed the approach of his worried captain, though. Only when something warm was pulled over his head, did he look up. There, right in front of him, knelt Daichi, and the object he was wrapped in, turned out to be Daichi's red, warm sweater. It was obviously a little too big on him and the sleeves definitely needed to be pulled back, yet it was the most comfortable thing Sugawara ever wore. And in addition, it smelled just like Daichi and the cologne he used. Before he could question the gesture, a series of sneezes had him nearly spilling his tea if it weren't for those big, calloused hands holding onto his own hands (while also stabilizing the cup at the same time, but that wasn't what Suga was focusing on). Heat rushed to his cheeks as soon as his sneezing fit was over, since his captain was really close all of a sudden and the setter definitely didn't know how to handle this.
At the same time, Suga was also getting aware of something different. Not only was his crush kneeling right in front of him, but said crush's attire was highly distracting for the lovestruck setter. Instead of his cozy pullover, he was now clad in a tight, black shirt; something that highlighted just how well-build the captain was. Sugawara couldn't help but marvel at those well defined muscles, his impressive biceps and the way this shirt was clinging to Daichi's chest. Staring might have been a rude thing to do, but who could blame him with such a handsome guy right before his eyes? While the ashen-haired setter had seen him time and time again naked from the waist up, due to their practice and numerous sleepovers, this moment felt more intimate than anything before. Most likely because Daichi was still holding his hands while they were close enough that their noses were about to touch. Both males were frozen in place and it was as if time stopped just for them. Neither of them dared to speak up, fearful that it might destroy this indefinable atmosphere those two were caught up in. Instead, Suga's gaze darted down to his lips and back to Daichi's shining eyes a few times and yet he wasn't the only one whose gaze seemed to linger a moment too long. Calloused hands brushed some loose strands of hair out of Sugawara's face - a gesture so gentle that Suga's cheeks turned an even darker shade of red.
He looks so kissable… God, why does he have to be so beautiful?
For just a moment, Sugawara waited in anticipation, silently gazing into the other's eyes with an expression full of love and unspoken words. Daichi's hands wandered down from Sugawara's hair to cradle his face in an utmost gentle way - a touch so delicate that the ash-blond felt himself melting away. Out of reflex, he closed his eyes and soon enough felt a feather-light touch on his lips. It was Daichi, who finally, finally closed the gap between them to unite their lips in a sweet and tender kiss. Their lips brushed against each other, tasting the other. Just like that, Suga noticed just how soft Daichi's lips were, while his cologne seemed to envelope the ash-blond. The noise of their teammates faded into the background, and the sensation of their lips moving together was all what the ashen-haired setter was able to focus on.
It wasn't a particularly long or passionate kiss of any sorts. It was even a bit clumsy and messy at first, with clashing teeth and bumping noses and yet they wouldn't have it any other way. This was their first kiss and for Sugawara it was just… Right. Perfect. Sweeter and better than either of them had ever imagined. After what felt like an eternity, they broke their kiss, albeit with hesitation. They stayed in their position, heavily breathing, and both had to blink a couple times to get back to earth. Once Sugawara and Daichi both realized what just happened, the ash-blond got terribly flustered and even Daichi's cheeks began radiating heat.
Daichi was the first to break the silence and whispered softly, "Do you… Are you okay with this? I… I would like to do this again."
Sugawara found himself incapable of speaking, since he had a tough time understanding this unexpected turn of events. He had just kissed the love of his life and said love wanted to do it again? Did Daichi really have romantic feelings for him? If that wasn't the case, he definitely wouldn't have kissed him, right?
This is too good to be true! Or did Asahi put him up to that out of pity? Not like I could imagine him ever doing something like this, but… Daichi just kissed me… Oh my god, what do I do now?!
With his heart beating a mile a minute and countless thoughts running through his mind, Suga didn't know how to respond without sounding too eager or too awkward, so he gave a single, yet strong nod to answer him. Daichi's eyes lit up with mirth at that reply, and a shy smile flashed over his face. Without exchanging any more unnecessary word, the captain wrapped his setter in his arms and connected their mouths once again. Once he was confident enough, Sugawara climbed into Daichi's lap, straddling him at that point, and wrapped his arms around the other's neck to deepen the kiss, dropping his cup in the process. Though, that was a matter for later, since the sensation of these soft lips against his own and their mingling tongues proved to be very distracting for the setter. Only a knock on the door startled them out of their own little world, even if that didn't stop them from exchanging countless more butterfly kisses before they ultimately moved apart.
The ash-blond climbed down from Daichi's lap and tried to make himself a little more presentable, while Daichi himself had to clear his throat before he called out to whoever had interrupted them. Turned out it was Nishinoya who poked his head into the room, a little puzzled as to what had taken them so long. One look at his vice's dishevelled hair and flushed face, together with Daichi's general attire told the libero everything he needed to know, making him smirk.
"I only wanted to tell you guys, that we wanna start exchanging gifts, but it appears that you two exchanged something entirely different on your own already! Don't mind me and go on then!" Noya stated, knowingly wiggling his brows at his Senpais. Having been caught was surely embarrassing, especially since it was their first time being this intimate, and knowing Noya, he surely would take every opportunity to tease them. The libero didn't give them a chance to reply, though, as he skipped out of the room, whistling a random Christmas tune. Just when Daichi and Sugawara thought that he was done and were already leaning more towards the other, Noya popped in one more time, shouting cheekily, "Go, get some, captain!"
And that was the final straw for Daichi to explode in embarrassment. He couldn't even shout at him to shut the hell up, seeing how the brunet was way too flustered to respond without stuttering and Nishinoya was already running away, loudly cackling.
An awkward silence ensued and neither of them dared to look into the other's eyes. Now with the metaphorical elephant in the room, it became quite obvious that there was something they truly needed to discuss. And yet, Sugawara was awfully timid about it, despite their canoodling just moments ago. It was rather adorable if one were to ask Daichi, because this now bashful and crimson boy was also the same boy who was all passionate and mischievous when in Daichi's arms.
In the end, it was Daichi, who made the first move. Once again, he took his setter's hands in his own, took a deep breath and confessed softly, "Sugawara Koushi, I really, truly like you a lot. I've felt this way for quite a while now, though I didn't realize exactly what I felt for you. My heart starts beating like crazy when are alone together and I get this really weird, fuzzy feeling in my stomach whenever you smile your brilliant, beautiful smile. You are beautiful, warm, kind and funny and you mean everything to me. Kissing you had made me realize that I am fully and hopelessly in love with you, Sugawara Koushi. I love you and I'd be the happiest guy in the world if you would do me the honours of becoming my boyfriend."
Receiving a confession of that kind was definitely nothing Sugawara had ever imagined, so he was a little overwhelmed by these kind words. Of course, he had received confessions before from girls and guys alike, which wasn't hard to imagine considering how good-looking and kind-natured he was. None of them had been so thought through and sincere, however. Yet he had turned every single one of them down, albeit gently, since he had never been able to return these feelings, with his crush on his captain and all. Now he was once again confronted with a confession. This time, though, it meant the world to him. Hell, the love of his life, his freaking soulmate had just confessed that he felt the same! God was he glad that he crawled out of bed today, despite the time and cold weather! Who could have guessed that this day would turn out so perfect for the ash-blond?
When Daichi's expression fell, the setter came to the realization that he still had to give his captain an answer and his stunned silence was obviously not taken well. As to not let him wait any longer, Sugawara squeezed his hands and pressed another, gentle peck on Daichi's lips.
With their eyes locked, the ashen-haired male whispered, "Gosh, I didn't know you were such a hopeless romantic, Dai! But I'm… really happy you feel that way. To be honest, I've liked you since we started High School together, but I was too afraid to confess. You've always been my rock, you are able to see through me no matter how bad I try to hide my own troubles and you're just… so reliable, caring and strong. You make me feel safe and warm and just being close to you makes me be at peace even if I am stressed out. God, you're way too perfect to be with someone as average as me… Are you really alright with dating me?"
A soft, yet timid smile graced Sugawara's lips when he spoke those words. A smile that wasn't as blinding as his usual grins, yet it was beautiful in its own way. Even his eyes were filled with so much emotion right now, shining brightly in the dimmed lights of their Christmas lights. It was an expression that he saved for nobody else but Daichi, filled with adoration and warmth. No words in this world could possibly explain what he felt in that exact same moment: Joy, hope, love, a tiny bit of anxiety… Therefore, he chose to act on his feelings, since little actions were capable of holding just as much meaning as any spoken words could. He intertwined his fingers with Daichi and pulled him slightly closer to his body. From their closeness, Sugawara could hear just how fast his lover's heart was beating right now. At least the ash-blond wasn't the only one who was either nervous or excited! When the setter put Daichi's hand on top of his own heart, he saw recognition light up in the other's eyes and was soon afterwards pulled into a loving hug. How nice it felt to be wrapped up by these muscular arms...
"Oh my god… I can't believe this is happening! There is no one in this world I would want to date other than you, stupid! You have no reasons to doubt your own worth, because you are simply perfect in my eyes! If it is volleyball-related or every-day-life, you are capable of managing everything no matter how difficult of a situation you have to face. There is nothing average about you. Fuck, the whole team would be able to tell you otherwise, if this party and their mothering you doesn't convince you. I love you so much, Koushi and there is nothing in this world that could ever change that."
And with that declaration, Sugawara Koushi broke down crying once again. This time only to alert his curious - and definitely not spying - teammates immediately. They all burst into the room, forgetting completely that they weren't supposed to see or hear any of that, and crowded the new couple. Even someone as stoic as Tsukishima and as socially inept as Kageyama joined the pile of hugging and crying guys, though they at least tried to keep up their usual facades. Not that it helped, seeing how the blond's eyes were shining with unshed tears, while Kageyama awkwardly patted his sobbing Senpai's head. Every one of them had a couple of nice words for their self-conscious vice captain.
It was Hinata who spoke up first with as much energy and excitement in his voice as usual, "Yeah, the captain is right, Suga-San! You are always helping us whenever one of us is troubled! You even accepted me in the team, when I totally sucked at volleyball first and you kept encouraging me to work with Bakageyama and you helped me with my receives whenever he didn't want to! You're a great Senpai!"
Hinata's yelling was interrupted by a yell, when Kageyama hit the back of his head. Though that also meant that he had to get a word in himself, now that all focus was on him.
"T-That dumbass is right this time. To be honest, I am jealous of your abilities as a setter." The ravenette paused for a moment to collect his thoughts when he saw how Sugawara's eyebrows rose past his hairline in astonishment. He continued his own confession before the older setter could protest, though. "The whole team relies on you, they trust in your judgement, no matter if this is in a match or about something other than volleyball. You don't need to think low of yourself or your abilities as a setter. Because you are able to read and observe other's actions. I think your game sense is unmistakably more developed than even Oikawa-San's, despite your differences in your game styles. Because you understand us, encourage us to never give up and stuff like that… I can't do these things, since I am not good with people and you do it every day without ever judging us. Thank you, for being who you are."
Everyone stared in silence at Kageyama and his surprising speech. Especially since the grumpy setter usually didn't talk that much and praising other people for their abilities and accomplishments was something he never did so outwardly. Being compared to his former Senpai in such a positive way was most likely the biggest compliment someone could ever get from him.
When the attention on him became too much for the ravenette, he grumbled quietly, "What? Stop looking at me like that! Leave me alone..."
His response had everyone smirking, but they did back off, respecting his social awkwardness. After the idiotic duo, the rest of the team followed suit and began showering Sugawara in compliments. That way, it was simply impossible for him to feel negative about himself and his worth to the team. While it hadn't been Daichi's intention to actually have everyone throw a couple of kind words at his loved one, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed it as well. Sure, it was uncomfortable now that he was at the bottom of this cuddle pile, positively squished from all sides, but seeing Koushi with a wobbly grin on his face, finally calming down, he couldn't help but smile. In the end, he was also the one to wrap things up.
"You are an important member of this team, no matter if you're actively playing with us or if you're simply the reliable sweetheart everyone approaches. Do I have to say anything else?"
To enforce his argument, he pressed a gentle kiss to Suga's cheek, which caused Suga to turn pink and their friends to giggle. The ash-blond pouted at their amusement and huffed, turning his head away from them. At least the guys were fine with them being a couple, right? Thus, Sugawara leaned against that well-built man he could now call his and enjoyed the warmth all of them provided. His previous worries were all forgotten in this moment of peace.
No one knew how long they were sitting like that, even after the team was done. Only when Daichi let out a groan, because his legs were completely numb, they started scrambling to their feet. The team was pretty pleased with themselves, completely ignorant to the fact that they crashed right into a heartfelt confession. And if that wasn't enough, Nishinoya decide to give their new-found couple another reason to groan.
"Wait a second! If Suga-San is the mom of the team, then Daichi-San is definitely the team dad! They are like a married couple!"
Tanaka, who immediately got what his buddy was hinting at, added with that loud laugh of his, "Oh, you're right, Yuu! Captain is definitely acting like the strict father of our volleyball-family!"
Sugawara and Daichi were surely embarrassed by such comparisons and attempted to silence their rambunctious second-years at once before their nonsense could reach another level or their just as excitable first-years. Unfortunately, that was already too late, seeing how Hinata's eyes lit up in recognition.
"Oooh, Noya-Senpai! If they are like the parents of the team, does this make us their children? Suga-San does call me his baby crow," the excited ginger mused loudly.
His statement had Tsukishima face-palming, Yamaguchi giggling and Kageyama simply confused. A confusion that he expressed as well, much to the embarrassment of Suga and Daichi.
"You know that's impossible, dumbass. None of us are related. How could Sawamura-San and Suga-San be our parents?"
With an evil smirk gracing his lips, Nishinoya exclaimed, wiggling his brows at the couple, "Nice observation, Shouyou! And you don't have to think so complicated, Kageyame, just because Dai-San and Suga-San haven't boned - yet. We're like… an adopted, big family! Yeah!"
This statement had Daichi and Sugawara blushing like crazy and even the others seemed to be a bit startled by such a bold declaration. Luckily, Asahi decided to end this embarrassing facade for everyone's sake as he shoved Noya out of the room and ordered the rest of the team to follow along since their captain and his vice needed to talk things out privately. After waving to the lovey-dovey couple, the team finally left them alone once more, this time without the intention of secretly spying on them. Though they didn't leave without hugging both of them one more time, just to make sure that both of them knew that they were completely fine with this new situation. Both, Daichi and Sugawara were exhausted after what had happened, so they snuggled closer to each other to find a comfortable position together.
Daichi had a dopey smile on his face while he had the love of his life leaning against him. Something that didn't go unnoticed by said male. Feeling a little cheeky, Sugawara wound his arms some more around his now-boyfriend's waste, successfully keeping him from getting back up. Daichi looked down at him and raised an eyebrow at his behaviour. When Sugawara twisted his body until he could put his head on Daichi's gorgeous thighs, the brunet wasn't able to stop himself from blushing a little.
With his head on Daichi's thighs, the ashen-haired setter muttered, "Boyfriends… That sure has a nice ring to it. And to imagine that Sawamura Daichi is mine..."
Daichi saw the dreamy expression on his lover's face and began carding his fingers through these ashen locks. It elicited a contend hum out of Sugawara, who found himself getting lost in the soft caress of his beloved boyfriend. Sugawara's eyes began drooping after only a couple of minutes, no matter how hard he tried to stop himself from falling asleep right where he was.
The brunet noticed his struggle, so he reassured him softly, "Go to sleep, sweetheart. I'll stay right where I am, so you'll see me when you wake up. I know you hate getting up early."
Sugawara blinked up at him a couple of times before he snuggled some more into Daichi and the sweater he had gotten from him. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep. Asleep in the warmth of the one he loved most. All in all, this day had been nothing but rewarding for the two third-years: not only had they been showered with love by their koheis, but both of them had also gotten their heart's desires fulfilled. Therefore, this Christmas was the best Sugawara and Daichi had ever celebrated together, even if they had to deal with their troublesome teammates. Their idiotic, annoying and yet reliable and lovable team. In a way, neither of them could have asked for a better day. Just like Hinata had said in the early morning: they are a like a huge, lively family full of volleyball nerds.