Birds of a Feather

by mew-tsubaki

...flock together. A collection of sequential yet standalone oneshots taking place in an AU in which three people never played for Karasuno High's volleyball club. But it's a small world, they say. *Older!characters, some slash, and Karasuno shenanigans. **6th story is up! Check out the side stories, too!**

4. Promotion

Fic: "Promotion"

Characters: Ennoshita/Tanaka, Sugawara, Asahi, etc.

Rating: T (about time, right?)

Summary: Ennoshita and Tanaka are barely starting their relationship, but the ride is already bumpy. The businessman feels doomed, even though he has more friends and allies than he realizes. .::established!EnnoTana::.

Words: 10,047

- ^-^3

"It's not your recipe, but it's still good," Ennoshita Chikara told Tanaka Ryuunosuke as the latter brought him a drink.

Tanaka sat down, frowning. "If Sis had just listened to me and let me bartend the reception…"

Ennoshita gave him a sympathetic look. "Don't worry, Tanaka. You were burdened enough. You only wrote your maid of honor's—"

The shaven-haired man glared daggers at him.

"—your best man's speech last night," Ennoshita amended. He stifled a snicker. Tanaka hadn't been the normal kind of best man at his sister, Saeko's, wedding. No, Akiteru-san had had his own younger brother be the best man, and Saeko had wanted Tanaka to be the same for her. But everyone had been poking fun at him the past three days for that, calling him the maid of honor.

"And whose fault do you think that is?" Tanaka hissed.

Ennoshita shrugged. "You were right, though. Your cooking's delicious."

Tanaka sighed. Ennoshita almost felt sorry for him. Only three nights ago had their feelings for each other been revealed by their friends, and that same night they hadn't been able to keep Tsukishima from texting his older brother and Saeko about the ruckus. Basically, everyone now knew, and they'd not really had a minute alone. The first night, Saeko insisted her brother invite Ennoshita as his date for the wedding. The second night, Tanaka had tried to cook Ennoshita something nice during his shift at his sister's bar, The Roost. But there was always at least one other person around. So last night, Tanaka had invited Ennoshita upstairs to his apartment above the bar and cooked for him again. Yet they were their own worst enemies, and the sudden reality of being alone together had made things much too tense.

Not that Ennoshita didn't want to do anything. It was simply too early in their relationship to do such things.

The bartender leaned back in his seat and glanced at Ennoshita. "Be honest. Considering I wrote some notes last night and winged it for the rest, how was the speech?"

The businessman grinned. "Very you."

Tanaka gave him a look, but his face flooded with a smidge of color. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, it was half bragging about your sister and half threatening Akiteru-san if he ever hurts her. Especially now with a kid on the way."

"No…! Did I really sound that bad?"

"I wouldn't worry. Saeko-san seemed to agree with all of it and Akiteru-san was sweating, so I'd say you did a good job."

Tanaka perked up. "Oh. All right. I mean, damn straight!"

Ennoshita laughed, and they watched the bride and groom and other guests dance. The music was slow and soft at the moment, and Ennoshita was tempted to ask his lover to dance. But the chance flew by as a lively tune started up and intimacy jumped out the window.

As it turned out, Tanaka was perfectly content only to talk with Ennoshita. "So you have to work tomorrow?"

"Yes. I told Sugawara about the wedding—he passes on his congratulations, by the way—and he said it's all right if I'm a little late."

"Nice. Although please don't get drunk."

"Wasn't planning on it." He eyed the other man warily. "…why?"

"Because Noya-san and Hinata are funny drunks. I mean, a handful," Tanaka snickered, jabbing a thumb in the general direction of the two shorties. They were vigorously leaping and sliding all over the floor.

Ennoshita frowned. "Should we get Kageyama to come collect Hinata?"

"Nah. This is them sober."

They laughed, drawing the attention from surrounding tables. Tanaka met Ennoshita's eyes, but it was crystal clear that neither of them felt guilty. Ennoshita, however, had the decency to suggest they move elsewhere.

The couple exited the reception hall and strolled through the hall that circled the main venue of the building. It was much quieter out here, despite the noise coming from another wedding's reception in the main hall. "Sounds as though they've got a couple hundred bodies in there," Tanaka remarked impressively.

"Your sister's wedding is nice with just the hundred," the brunet said.

"Yeah. Though she and I are pretty loud on our own. It's a miracle anyone can stand to be in the same room sometimes."

Ennoshita shook his head and took Tanaka's hand, not letting go even when they came upon one or two other people in the mostly empty hall. "I wouldn't call it a miracle. It means there are people who love you enough not to notice the volume anymore."

The taller man sighed and tugged Ennoshita a bit closer to him. He opened his mouth to say something but growled when nothing came out. Ennoshita smiled and almost laughed at the fact that he'd made Tanaka speechless.

It wasn't a laughing matter, though, when Tanaka made a turn and landed them in the doorway of a vacant reception room. Tanaka stared intently at Ennoshita and pressed the brunet up against the doorjamb. But all he could do was arrange his hands on Ennoshita's hips. Otherwise, he looked pretty docile and as if he was waiting for permission.

Ennoshita thought for a moment about their position. Not even minding that it was still early in their relationship, but their location… Things weren't exactly ideal.

Then again, it was hard to say no to a scary face with puppy eyes.

Ennoshita leaned in, touching their noses. "Bad idea, Tanaka. Be patie—" Yet he didn't have the chance to finish his word. Tanaka swallowed it, and Ennoshita was glad for the doorjamb at his back, helping to hold him up. Tanaka's grip on his hips tightened, and Ennoshita dug his fingertips into Tanaka's shoulder and chest.

Tanaka was the first to break for a breath. He rested his forehead against his lover's. "Gotta say… I learned patience when I grew older, but you're making me lose it, Ennoshita."

The businessman's neck warmed, and not from the room's overhead lights. He placed his hands at the other man's collar. "This isn't the right time or place—"

"Then when and where?" The bartender furrowed his brow. "…sorry. I just—I get too excited when we're alone. Which hasn't happened much."

"I know." Ennoshita smoothed Tanaka's shirt and jacket and straightened his own. "But let's not rush this." He waited for Tanaka to let him move.

Tanaka did back down with a large sigh and another growl caught in his throat. "All right…"

Ennoshita smiled gratefully at him, and they returned hand-in-hand to the reception. Dancing was still happening, but another slow number was being repeated. Without prompting, Tanaka drew Ennoshita onto the floor. But Ennoshita had a feeling that Tanaka had something else to say. He exhaled and asked. "What is it?"

The thuggish man pouted. "Nothing."

"Tanaka."

"Well, just…" Tanaka moved them out of earshot as they danced by Hinata and Kageyama, and Saeko and Akiteru-san. "It always felt like more than friendship between us, kind of like we were already doing the dating thing. And then sometimes you're such an awful tease, looking sly like that."

Ennoshita gave him a disbelieving look. "Like what?"

"Like that," Tanaka whined. "The others think you look sleepy, but I know better, dammit."

The businessman chuckled. "Haven't you ever heard of things in moderation?"

They made their way around the floor again before Tanaka answered. "You aren't someone to be experienced in moderation, Ennoshita." Tanaka raised his eyebrows, but that wolfish grin creeping onto his face ruined the effect, though. Ennoshita glared at him. The rest of the evening was spent with Ennoshita getting redder in the face every time Tanaka said something else sexy or romantic.

- ^-^3

Sugawara poked his head into Ennoshita's new office the following afternoon. He wore a Cheshire grin. "So…did you have fun?"

Ennoshita glanced at his boss before returning to the document on his monitor. "Yes."

"And?"

"You asked me an absolute question, Sugawara-san, to which I gave an absolute answer. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't leave open the door connecting our offices so you can waltz in whenever."

His boss made a childish face, but, truthfully, Ennoshita didn't mind. He owed Sugawara a lot. Months ago Ennoshita had quit his job here at Ukai Corp.…but it had never been official because Sugawara had noticed Ennoshita had been overworked and had filed paperwork for Ennoshita to go on leave. It had given Ennoshita the chance to collect his thoughts and had guaranteed his job was still there when he returned after only a month to beg for it back. Sugawara had been pushing Ennoshita to take a promotion after his return and his preparation had secured a new acquisition for the company, and Ennoshita had resisted for a long while. But…after finally confessing to Tanaka and being confessed to by Tanaka, Ennoshita had finally decided he could handle everything being thrown at him. So the day after getting together with Tanaka, Ennoshita had accepted Sugawara's offer.

Of course that made Sugawara happy. But he could care less about having successfully manipulated his kouhai.

"En-no-shi-ta…!" Sugawara moaned. "Come on! I've not pressed you for details until now."

The businessman kept playing dumb. "About the wedding? It was lovely. Small, but loud. Fall colors."

"Goddammit, man!" The boss stomped over and turned Ennoshita's flat screen monitor away from the brunet. "You didn't have a sudden change of heart days ago to have this office. You landed yourself a boyfriend, didn't you?"

Ennoshita spluttered. What was the advantage to this new office arrangement?! Before, he'd been out on the floor, at a desk behind Terushima. Now he had an enclosed space which had two doors—one to the floor and one shared with Sugawara's office right next door. At least the door leading to the floor was closed so no one would overhear them.

"Well?" The sandy-haired man even began tapping his foot.

"Sugawara-san…"

Sugawara crouched down and sat on his haunches in front of Ennoshita's desk, crossing his arms on the tabletop and resting his chin on them. "I figured something would happen after you copped to observing me and Daichi to watch how it works between two men. Go on. You can tell me. I'm your reliable senpai." He beamed, and Ennoshita rolled his eyes.

"All right, all right… Yes, I confessed to my friend, and the feeling was mutual."

The other man's pale brown eyes widened, but he looked happy. "That's great, Ennoshita! Hey, was it the friend whose sister's wedding you went to?"

Jeez, Sugawara was sharp! Ennoshita calmed himself and hoped his response wasn't plain on his face.

But it must've been, because his boss's grin grew. "Aw, that's sweet. So you were his date then?"

Despite the pushiness, Ennoshita…kind of didn't mind opening up to Sugawara. The brunet had yet to tell his best friends, Narita and Kinoshita, about recent developments, but Sugawara wasn't a bad choice. "Yes," Ennoshita answered at last.

"Wow…you move fast."

"Not really." Ennoshita leaned back in his chair. "We've known each other for a little over two months now, so it was pretty easy to fall into the romance once our feelings were out there." He frowned.

Sugawara quirked an eyebrow. "I sense a 'but' coming."

"Well… We've not had a whole lot of time to ourselves. And the few times we've been alone, it—I just feel as though we're perilously too close to moving too fast." The businessman leaned on his desk on his elbows. "I… I don't want to rush things."

"Don't I know it?" Sugawara remarked, standing. "It felt like forever before you warmed up to the idea of your current position in the company." He ran a hand through his hair and sifted through the pens in the holder on Ennoshita's desk. "But is there a problem?"

"He seems to be ready for anything. He said as much the other day, and I kind of laughed it off."

Sugawara froze and gaped at him. "No. You didn't."

Ennoshita's frown deepened to a grimace. "What?"

The sandy-haired man winced and slapped his forehead. "Ennoshita…! Your lover tells you he's ready and you laugh?"

"I just don't think I'm ready…maybe."

"Then say as much! Laughing is no way to go. He probably felt insulted after being honest like that."

"Really?" The brunet slouched. "But he seemed fine for the rest of the night…"

Sugawara gave him a halfheartedly encouraging smile. "Maybe, maybe not. But if you get through today promptly, I'd go see him if I were you." He turned to go when he turned back on his heel. "Or you should make the most of your new schedule and spend Monday with him." There was a knowing glint in his eye.

"…yeah, I chose Mondays off because he has Mondays off, too."

His boss beamed at him. "Don't stress too much, Ennoshita, but do be straight with him." He paused. "Ah, well, as straight as guys like us can be." He went back to his office laughing at his joke the whole way.

Ennoshita guessed Sugawara had a very good point. Yet that last joke got him thinking, and he wasn't very sure he liked where his thoughts were taking him….

- ^-^3

Often, most employees at the Ukai Corporation sporting goods company took Sundays off. Executives—such as Ennoshita now was—were allowed to choose an additional day off. Sugawara and Sawamura from Production had chosen Thursday, so the couple could break their work week in half. Ennoshita had taken his cue from them and decided on Monday, the one day of the week The Roost was closed. That way he might spend time with Tanaka outside of the bar. But Ennoshita had yet to tell Tanaka about his new schedule and, after that conversation with Sugawara, Ennoshita took that Sunday to decide how to come clean with Tanaka regarding their intimacy. Frankly, nothing was coming to mind.

He rang Narita, who picked up on the second ring. "Ennoshita. What's up?"

"Ugh, issues," the brunet griped. He stretched out on the couch in his apartment and tilted his head back as he stared at the ceiling. "Hey, is Kinoshita around, too?"

There was a beep. "You're on speakerphone, since Hisashi and I are both home," Narita supplied.

"Hi, Ennoshita!" Kinoshita chirped.

Ennoshita smiled to himself. Some things, pleasantly, never changed. He was glad his childhood friends were like that. "…hey."

"What's wrong?" they queried in unison.

"I got together with Tanaka."

Something fell as Kinoshita gasped. "About time," Narita grumbled.

"What'd you drop?"

"A bowl," Kinoshita answered. "But that's not important. And why are you telling us this over the phone?! Get your ass over here!"

"I appreciate the offer, but not today, guys. I've got some thinking to do."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "You didn't break up already, did you?" Narita asked.

"No! And thanks for the vote of confidence!" The businessman pulled a face and told them how things had unfolded, up to and including Sugawara's advice.

"You're probably overthinking things," Narita said. "But it's fine if you mean what you said to Sugawara about not feeling ready for anything yourself."

Ennoshita sat up with a groan. "But I think I'm ready for most things…"

Kinoshita clicked his tongue at Ennoshita. "If he's serious about you, he'll definitely wait until you're ready. I waited for Kazuhito."

"Hey!" Narita scolded. Ennoshita imagined he was turning pink.

"But don't overthink things, and be honest with him," Kinoshita continued. "Tanaka strikes me as the kind of guy who won't hold a grudge if you make an effort. He seemed nice when we met him last week, though his face…"

Ennoshita snickered. Tanaka was one of the nicest people he knew, but that frightening face was adorable only to him. "To be honest, you guys have told me nothing I didn't already know," he said.

His friends laughed. "Isn't that exactly why you called?" Narita asked.

"Probably."

"So go see Tanaka tomorrow," Kinoshita urged. "And treat me and Kazu to udon the next time we go out."

"What? Why?"

"Because we're your best friends and you should've told us everything first!" the other man whined.

Narita quieted him and turned off the speakerphone. "Goodnight, Ennoshita, and stay in touch."

- ^-^3

Dressing in casual khakis and a long-sleeved dark blue polo late Monday morning felt so strange. Ennoshita was so used to donning a suit every day that suits were akin to a second skin for him.

He checked his reflection in the mirror in the hallway before putting on a heavy jacket. He looked all right. Nothing like Tanaka in his black jeans with chains, but all right.

The train ride to The Roost passed by in a flash, but Ennoshita didn't head directly for the bar. Instead he set out on foot to a little bakery he knew which sold excellent melon bread, according to Nishinoya. Ennoshita had overheard Tanaka and Nishinoya talking about it, and he'd learned from hanging out with Tanaka alone that it was the bartender's favorite food. Melon bread would be the best ice breaker for today.

Ennoshita bought a fresh bread and wound his way back to the bar. He entered the restaurant's stairwell but, instead of going down to the actual bar, he turned to the second stairwell, to the left, and headed up to the loft apartment in the top half of the building. He knocked on Tanaka's door and waited.

Tanaka answered the door in sweatpants and with a towel draped over his shoulders—someone was obviously freshly showered. "Oh, Ennoshita, hey. Come on in."

The businessman nodded his thanks and stepped inside. He paused in the doorway to shrug out of his jacket, during which time Tanaka found a tight t-shirt to slip over his head.

"You should've told me you were coming," the shaven-haired man stated. He went into the kitchen and took a juice drink from the fridge. "Want anything?"

"Water's fine." Ennoshita held up the plastic shopping bag. "I brought melon bread."

Tanaka's eyes lit up. "Eh, really? Thanks!" He took the bag and opened the small box but stopped. "Wait—shouldn't you be at work?"

"Oh, I have the day off."

"Huh? How? I thought you were drowning over there." He passed Ennoshita a glass of water, and then the two went and sat in the living room. Tanaka turned the television down.

"I meant to tell you…" Ennoshita faced his lover. "I took the promotion."

Surprisingly, Tanaka was silent. He pursed his lips and broke the melon bread into pieces, eating a bit at a time. "Um…congratulations…?"

"You're not happy." Ennoshita sighed and faced the television.

"No, it's not that!" Tanaka corrected. But he frowned. "I just thought, with you just getting back into the swing of things, you'd push the advancement off. I guess I'll be seeing less of you now."

Ah, so that was all it was. Ennoshita smiled softly. "No, you'll be seeing even more of me. I get to take Mondays off now, actually, and my workload is more than manageable these days."

"Eh? Mondays off? Why Mon—" It was apparent by the flush of his skin that Tanaka understood Ennoshita's reasons. "…damn you, Ennoshita."

The businessman laughed. "For what?"

"For being so suave!" Tanaka rolled his eyes and slouched against Ennoshita's right arm. He sighed and reached for Ennoshita's hand, playing with the latter's fingers.

Ennoshita used the remote to turn the TV up again, and he sipped his water. It was nice, relaxing with Tanaka like this.

They got through one long infomercial before the thuggish man spoke up. "Hey."

The brunet decided to play coy. "Hmm?"

Tanaka sat up straight and slipped his arms around his lover's waist. He nuzzled Ennoshita. "You really should've told me about your new schedule."

Ennoshita kept his mouth shut, fairly certain he couldn't get more than a moan out when Tanaka playfully bit his earlobe. The businessman shrugged.

"You could've come over yesterday and stayed, y'know."

The brunet closed his eyes, suddenly sensitive to every movement of the other man, every rustle of fabric, and every push of air that created goose bumps on the backs of his hands with each motion Tanaka made. Hyperawareness—that was what this was called, Ennoshita remembered.

Not one to take the other's silence as permission, Tanaka gently turned Ennoshita's face towards his and kissed him. Happy butterflies bloomed in Ennoshita's stomach. And yet…

"Hold on," Ennoshita gasped, nudging Tanaka away.

Tanaka pouted. "You're not gonna laugh at my impatience like last time, are you?" he drawled.

Damn Sugawara for being right…! Ennoshita shook his head. "No, that's not it. Honestly, Tanaka."

"Then what?" Tanaka disentangled himself from Ennoshita and reached for his drink on the coffee table.

Frankly, the abrupt loss of Tanaka's body heat chilled Ennoshita more than he wished. But he needed to be honest with Tanaka. "I—"

"Is it the time? The place?" Tanaka's expression was borderline yakuza. "Do you not like it here?"

Ennoshita settled him with a firm stare. "Hey. I didn't say that. If you'll quiet for a moment, I'll get my piece said."

Tanaka's pout deepened to a grimace, but he conceded.

"I'm just not sure how ready I am for intimacy. Or for what level of intimacy."

The bartender finished his canned juice drink and stood. "That's all?"

Ennoshita didn't like Tanaka's nonchalance. "What do you mean, 'that's all'? This is a big step for me."

"No, I agree. But it's natural to feel about someone so intensely that you want all of them at one time."

The butterflies disappeared from Ennoshita's gut. "…I wouldn't know," he mumbled.

Tanaka blinked in surprise. "Really? That's never happened to you before?"

"I've never had a serious relationship."

The shaven-haired man smiled bashfully. "Ha, I'm your first? I'm flattered."

But Ennoshita clung to the sinking feeling in his chest. "It's happened to you, though, hasn't it?"

"The intense attraction? Yeah." Tanaka waved dismissively. "But everyone's different, Ennoshi—" He stopped when he saw the dark look on the brunet's face.

"I'm a complete novice at this," Ennoshita grumbled, his grip on his glass tight.

"Hey, man, everyone starts somewhere," Tanaka offered cautiously. "I mean, when I was in high school, Noya-san and I idolized one of our senpai, Kiyoko-san, who was a real beauty. Granted, she was the only woman who ever won over my heart. Noya can be pretty hot when he gets all manly, and Hinata is adorable—"

Ennoshita didn't want to hear any more. He got up and headed for the door.

Tanaka cursed. "Wait, Ennoshita, don't leave. I'm just stating that things work differently for everyone. Look at yourself. You're the first openly gay guy I've dated—"

"Stop." Ennoshita hastily tugged his coat on. "Just…stop."

But the bartender gave him a wary look. "You…are gay, right?"

The businessman stared at the floor.

"You aren't one of those straight guys who would lead a guy on just for fun—right?"

Ah, Tanaka's voice sounded so dry.

Ennoshita lifted his head a little. He watched Tanaka clench his fists at his side. "…I just remembered. I have a lot of prep work to do for the bar today," Tanaka lied. "So please leave."

Ennoshita nodded and left. He didn't need to be told twice.

- ^-^3

Days went by and Ennoshita heard nothing from Tanaka. No phone calls, no texts. Ennoshita didn't try him either.

Sugawara walked on eggshells around him, likely sensing the depressed mood. Sawamura entered their office boisterously one day, but Sugawara quieted him with a single look. Ennoshita didn't want to be around the couple, even if they were friendly with him.

However, while Ennoshita could blow those two off indefinitely, that was not the same case for his two best friends. Ignoring their calls only succeeded in filling his inbox up with text messages.

From Kinoshita:

-En~no~shi~ta~ C'mon! What's going on? We haven't heard from you in a week!

From Narita:

-Look, if we did something, tell us. If something's going on, tell us. Either way you must talk to us. Otherwise Hisashi and I will come knocking.

The threat of an impromptu visit sobered him up enough that he hastily replied.

-Not now. Sick. Don't want to share.

A little white lie couldn't hurt, he figured. And it wasn't even much of a lie. He was sick: a little heartsick as well as somewhat sick of himself.

A full week passed with no visits to The Roost and without any interaction with Tanaka, but Ennoshita couldn't douse the turmoil in himself. How could Tanaka be so…so simple about himself and love and attraction? The way he spoke, it sounded as though Tanaka was an expert on love, with experience, and with confidence in knowing that he liked men.

But Ennoshita? The businessman had to laugh darkly at himself as he went through his inbox and deleted the dozens of concerned texts from Kinoshita and from Narita. He didn't know anything. He was a virgin in love, and the newness…it all scared him. His few college dates with female friends of friends—they'd never gone anywhere, but they'd never convinced him that he might play for the other team.

Old advice from Sawamura reminded him to think about gender last where love was concerned. But Ennoshita wasn't so sure. Weren't things very different if it was two men instead of a man and a woman?

He was taken out of his thoughts as his phone trilled with a new message. Thinking it Narita or Kinoshita again, his thumb immediately hovered over the "Delete?" button. But the number didn't belong to either of his friends. In fact, it was a number Ennoshita didn't recognize. He opened the text.

-Chikara! Can I call you Chikara? I'm gonna call you Chikara. Chikara, where~ are~ you~? Ryuu's all mopey and depressed and won't tell me anything. I know you're his remedy, so come cheer him up, 'kay? And COME BY THE BAR! Your friends miss you. :D NOYA

It was a good sign that Nishinoya had decided to call him by his first name. Ennoshita had noted a while ago that Nishinoya only did so with those he felt closest to, and it really was something considering Ennoshita and Nishinoya hadn't gotten chummy right away as Nishinoya had mistaken Narita for Ennoshita's boyfriend and therefore thought him an unsuitable match for Tanaka.

But maybe Nishinoya's first impression of him had been right. Maybe Ennoshita was a bad match for Tanaka. Especially rereading Nishinoya's text at the mention of Tanaka. Mopey and depressed? That was exactly how Ennoshita felt right now. No way could he cure someone else when he himself was feeling that way. Besides… Being called Tanaka's remedy only made his heart feel heavier. Ennoshita ignored the wet pricking at the backs of his eyes and the oncoming headache that accompanied his heavy heart.

The brunet shook himself and wondered how Nishinoya had gotten his info, not remembering when they had exchanged it. He texted the shorty as much.

Nishinoya's reply?

-I lifted Ryuu's phone off him when he wasn't looking! c:

It was almost enough to make Ennoshita laugh…almost.

The businessman added Nishinoya to his contacts list and then scrolled through the few other names there. A recently added one reminded him of his responsibilities to a newly made friend, so Ennoshita dialed the number. It was five o'clock, so who knew if he'd reach him?

Yet the other person answered. "Azumane," the older man stated. Over the phone, his voice sounded even deeper.

"Ah, Azumane-san. This is Ennoshita."

"Ah!" Azumane chuckled. "I was wondering if Suga had worked you over yet."

Ennoshita felt himself smile, just a smidge. "Yeah," he said exasperatedly. "I caved."

"You seem like a nice guy, Ennoshita, but Suga's persistent. I knew it'd only be a matter of time before you accepted the promotion."

The brunet ran a hand through his short hair—which, he noted, was getting a little on the long side. "You don't sound nervous talking about promotions," he pointed out.

"Uh, well…" Azumane chuckled again, anxiously this time. "I promised myself I'd give in, too, if you touched base."

Ennoshita's smile turned knowing. "Good for you, Azumane-san. You had decided to advance no matter what in the end."

"Yeah…"

"So what happens now?"

"Well, I'm taking an early dinner break, which is why you caught me. But I've got to steel my nerves, so I'll tell the higher-ups tomorrow."

"Will the new job take you out of the warehouse?"

Azumane sighed. "A bit, but the warehouse is my home."

Ennoshita admired Azumane's dedication to the company. "You should call or message me if you're ever at headquarters. We should grab lunch sometime."

"Eh, really? That'd be nice." Funny how Azumane's kind and polite tone clashed with his wild look. "Oh, I need to finish eating and get back to work. Sorry, Ennoshita."

"No, it's fine." Ennoshita paused, thoughtful. "I'm glad I called."

"Actually…me, too. But please don't tell Suga," the older man bemoaned.

Ennoshita did finally laugh. "I won't. I know he'd never let you live it down."

Azumane released a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you so much…! Later, Ennoshita."

"Ah, bye." The line disconnected, and Ennoshita wished their conversation had gone on a little longer. Nothing like work-related items to distract him from his troubles….

- ^-^3

Three days later, Ennoshita truly meant that he would embrace work as a distraction from everything else.

Sugawara had found out later that same morning that Azumane had accepted the job offer. "It's like the gang's back together…!" he sniffled that night when he, Sawamura, and Ennoshita walked out together after work.

"Why?" Ennoshita asked.

Sawamura sighed. "It's just because we were the third years at our volleyball club, and our team really came together then."

"Only three third years? How many underclassmen were on the team?" Ennoshita had heard Tanaka talk some about their team and so knew that Tanaka, Nishinoya, Hinata, Kageyama, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi had been on the team as well, but that sounded like an awfully small club.

"Quite a few," Sawamura replied. "But there were three third-year players. One of our managers was in our year, too, a girl."

Wow. A female crow. Tanaka had never mentioned a female manager…no, wait, there was Yachi, that woman who came by The Roost occasionally. Nishinoya and Hinata called her "Yacchan"—they'd known her at Karasuno, too. But Ennoshita had thought her to be Hinata and Kageyama's age. Maybe she just looked that young…?

Thoughts of Karasuno and Ennoshita's six degrees of separation from its volleyball club members ebbed until two days later, when Sugawara told him that Thursday morning that they'd have a lunch meeting.

"Lunch is catered today," the sandy-haired man informed his subordinate. He hummed behind his desk as Ennoshita got in.

"What's the occasion?" the brunet asked.

"The memo says it's for company managers. And supervisors," Sugawara added when Ennoshita opened his mouth to try and get out of it.

Ennoshita sighed. "Well, if there's no helping it."

"Hey, Daichi and I will be there. Asahi, too."

"Azumane-san?" He perked up.

"Hey…! Why is Asahi your favorite senpai…?" Sugawara mewled.

Ennoshita chuckled and messaged Azumane later in the morning.

-Heard about the luncheon. Don't think that counts as grabbing lunch, though.

Azumane's reply came a few minutes later.

-I figured. Looking forward to seeing you. Sit between Suga and me, Ennoshita. He hasn't stopped talking about how proud he is of me since he found out, and my nerves are bad enough as it stands…

Ennoshita felt for the guy, but he didn't blame him. Besides, lunch was just a few hours away, and time ticked down leisurely. Sugawara kept to himself in his own office. Terushima on the floor had a minor issue he though was major which Ennoshita easily resolved. Ennoshita completed half of the current project on his desk. Then, it was lunchtime.

"Bring me back a plate of appetizers…!" Terushima insisted when they walked past his desk.

Sugawara turned him around in his chair. "Get back to work, Terushima."

Sawamura met them in the elevator up. Also in the elevator were the Engineering and Accounts managers, Yamazaki and Izuki, along with their supervisors. "I haven't decided on one yet," Sawamura explained when they got to the top floor. "I've recommended Ikejiri, but he's trying to decide what's best for his family."

Considering Ikejiri had a family to care for, Ennoshita thought it was a no-brainer. But to each his own.

The top floor of the headquarters was actually the company president's own. The lobby was rather lavish, even compared to the nicer amenities on the lower floors, with a marble floor and expensive-looking furniture. The secretary's desk looked nicer than even Sugawara's—maybe it was dark oak or cedar.

There was no difficulty in finding the luncheon at the end of the floor. Aside from Yamazaki and Izuki, Ennoshita recognized Seo, the Sporting Specialty manager. She was one of few female executives and just another face amidst the other half-dozen faces in the noisy room.

Azumane waited for them at the doorway. "It smells nice in here," he commented. He looked different today—much more put together.

"Ah! You shaved!" Sugawara gasped.

Azumane gave him a sheepish look. "I only tidied up my beard…"

"I'm digging the long braid, Asahi," Sawamura lightly teased.

"Well, I wasn't going to chop it off…!" He gave Ennoshita a look like "See the personalities I have to deal with?! Save me!" But Ennoshita didn't think Azumane had it as bad as he believed.

The foursome went to find seats together when Sawamura stopped and gaped. "Is that…" He shut his mouth. "Shimizu?"

The other three turned, and Ennoshita's eyes widened. A woman with blue-black hair and glasses walked toward them, and she was likely the most gorgeous woman Ennoshita had ever seen. Her light skin was dotted by a single beauty mark at the bottom left corner of her mouth, but her complexion was otherwise flawless. Her outfit was pressed, neat, and clean, and her dark eyes came across as very intelligent. But that wasn't the most remarkable thing about her. Actually, the most unique item was her walk. She carried herself extremely well, and if Ennoshita hadn't known that Ukai Ikkei was the old man who ran this company, Ennoshita would've believed her to be the company president in a heartbeat. And she hadn't even said anything yet.

Sawamura broke into a huge smile and stepped forward. "Shimizu! Long time, no see."

Shimizu blinked as she took in the sight of them. "Sawamura-kun, Sugawara-kun, Azumane-kun." Even her voice was dainty! She bowed her head. "It's been a while."

"Shimizu, you work for the company?" Another interesting sight: Azumane, utterly flustered.

She nodded. "Operations manager."

"Wait. That…"

Sugawara shook his head and turned to Ennoshita to elaborate. "The Operations manager oversees all of our brick-and-mortar stores. It's like—like being vice-president of the company."

The woman blushed and Sawamura rolled his eyes at his lover. "Jeez, Suga, way to embarrass her… By the way, Ennoshita, this is Shimizu Kiyoko, the club manager I mentioned the other day. Shimizu, this is Ennoshita Chikara, Suga's right-hand man and fellow Karasuno alum."

Shimizu shook Ennoshita's hand, but conversation died in his ears and any words he had to donate ran away. Her name resounded in his brain: Shimizu Kiyoko, Shimizu Kiyoko, Shimizu Kiyoko. Kiyoko. Kiyoko-san.

This was the great beauty that had once won over the heart of Tanaka.

Ennoshita was rooted to the spot, lost in his thoughts. It took a friendly nudge from Azumane to bring his mind back to the luncheon.

"Ennoshita?" he prompted. "You all right? You look as though you've seen a ghost."

The businessman swallowed the icy lump in his throat and plastered on the most believable smile he could muster. "I'm fine. I'm just surprised that you all were surprised to see her despite having known each other."

They grabbed their seats and Azumane explained. "While I joined Ukai Corp. right away, the others didn't. I feel as though things should've clicked into place sooner for me, even, because I've emailed with Shimizu before for work, but it never connected that it was Shimizu Kiyoko, our manager from Karasuno. As far as I know, she's been the Operations manager for the past three years."

Ennoshita numbly nodded, but he felt as though his brain wasn't working anymore. He tried to converse, but Azumane ended up talking more with Izuki on his other side. Even Sugawara focused on Shimizu between him and Sawamura.

Ukai Ikkei did briefly grace them with his presence and congratulated the new hires. "It's nice to see I'm leaving my company in capable hands," he said to the room full of executives. He even appeared a little wistful saying that, but he said little else as everyone dug in. Not long after, Ukai left, and a while later things died down.

To put the icing on the cake, Shimizu and Sugawara switched seats, and Ennoshita felt at a disadvantage. What to say to her? No way could he mention what Tanaka had said. Or Tanaka and The Roost at all.

Shimizu didn't force him to talk at least. For a while, Ennoshita thought she'd say nothing. Then: "Ennoshita-kun, you went to Karasuno?"

When in doubt, let volleyball be the saving grace. "Ah…yes… I almost joined the volleyball club with my friends."

"But you decided it wasn't for you?" she surmised.

"Yes… It's a shame, in hindsight." He pushed the remainder of his dessert around on his plate with his fork. "I would've liked to know Sugawara-san, Azumane-san, and Sawamura-san back then I think. We might've been good friends."

"Mmm." Shimizu finished her dessert. "Tanaka-kun and Nishinoya-kun, too, I think."

"Maybe…" Ennoshita pushed the strawberry from his cake around a couple more times. Then her words sank in, and his eyes widened. He looked at her. "Did you just—Tanaka and Nishinoya—?" He kept his tone low so as not to let the other crows hear.

Shimizu's eyes glittered, and pink dusted the apples of her cheeks. "Sorry. I already knew about you."

Ennoshita knew about her, too, but he didn't want to mention how or why. "But we haven't met before."

"Yachi Hitoka-chan," she supplied, wiping her mouth with her napkin. She folded it and placed it and her utensils on the table.

"Yachi… Yacchan?"

"Hinata-kun is still fond of that nickname for her."

Ennoshita put his silverware down, too. "I've only met her a few times at the bar, but I've never seen you around. Do you go to The Roost at all?"

Shimizu shook her head. "It can be a hike, and I don't drive. Hitoka-chan has a car, though, and is always running around for work, so she sometimes drops in on Tanaka-kun and the others. As I don't have the time to see them, she keeps me apprised of everything." There was a quiet smile in her eyes…ah. Ennoshita knew instinctively that Shimizu and "Hitoka-chan" were closer than just friends or schoolmates. Shimizu glanced at him. "Were you surprised to hear me talk about Tanaka-kun and Nishinoya-kun, though?"

The businessman nodded. "Yes. I only met Azumane-san recently, and Sugawara-san found out I had gone to Karasuno a bit before that. They don't know that I know the rest of the team, and only Tanaka knows that I work with Sugawara-san and Sawamura-san. I've…not had time to mention meeting Azumane-san," he added bitterly, thinking once more about his argument with Tanaka. So much for letting work be a distraction.

But Shimizu wasn't a bad person, and she was beautiful. Ennoshita couldn't blame Tanaka for being bowled over by her, but it still didn't sit well with him.

Ennoshita sighed. He wished he weren't such a hot mess right now.

"That's probably just as well, considering Nishinoya-kun…," Shimizu remarked, though Ennoshita hadn't the foggiest as to why she'd say that. "But…perhaps it's time for crows to find their way back home," the woman added with a hint of a smile.

He gave it some thought. It'd be interesting to watch, he guessed. He had been curious from the first time Sugawara had mentioned the team about seeing them interact. He could easily picture Hinata and Kageyama as respectful kouhai. Tanaka and Nishinoya might still fawn over Shimizu, but…the more Ennoshita dwelled on it, the more he understood the fascination. Ennoshita also felt that Nishinoya and Azumane must've gotten along; they were both cheerleaders in their own ways, and he could picture them almost as a cheering squad. The more Ennoshita thought about it, the more he wanted to bring his three "families" together—Narita and Kinoshita, The Roost, and his Ukai Corp. senpai.

The catering staff entered the room and began to clear everything away. People dispersed, but Ennoshita wanted to talk more with Shimizu. She was quickly growing on him.

"Have you ever thought about dropping by The Roost?" he asked her, the other three senpai still out of earshot.

Shimizu shrugged. "I haven't exactly had the free time for it. What little free time I do have, I try to sync it with Hitoka-chan's."

Ennoshita nodded. "Well, it'd be nice to see you around there."

"So you are around there more because of Tanaka-kun?"

He felt his ears go warm. "Yachi."

"Yachi."

He nodded again. "I try to be, because it feels like a second home there."

"Is that so?" That imperceptible smile returned to her face. "Then the bar is doing its job."

"How so?"

"A roost, Ennoshita-kun. It's like a nest. It's like home."

Her words were concise yet meaningful, and Ennoshita felt obligation tugging on his arm. He gave her a thankful look, because this talk with her had cleared up a few of his doubts. "We should gather up all the crows at The Roost," he stated.

"Perhaps." Shimizu took out her phone. "Let me know if you feel like holding a reunion."

"Of course." They exchanged info and then rejoined the other three.

Sugawara appeared unready to let Shimizu leave. "But it's been so long…! You rarely visit because you don't work at headquarters and you never stay in touch."

Shimizu fidgeted under his and Sawamura's gazes. "…well, maybe we can change that in the near future."

Sugawara immediately cheered up and Azumane and Sawamura beamed, but Ennoshita gave her a conspiratorial wink.

Soon, things would be fixed with Karasuno's old volleyball club… But, before that, Ennoshita would have to set things right between him and Tanaka. And he knew which would be the real challenge.

- ^-^3

The weekend arrived and, with it, Sunday came. The first of Ennoshita's weekly two days off. He wasn't certain how he'd spend it, but he knew of one thing he had to try.

Since the bar opened in mid-evening, Ennoshita texted Tanaka and invited him out to an early lunch at the udon shop which he, Kinoshita, and Narita frequented. Ennoshita had gotten up early that morning and bought that melon bread Tanaka loved again, and now he sat at a table for two, sipping green tea and eyeing the plastic bag that sat across the tiny two-by-two feet square table.

Five, ten minutes passed. Ennoshita got his tea refilled. Fifteen minutes. Twenty. With every passed minute, Ennoshita's hopes grew smaller. Now he sounded full of himself, trying to arrange a Karasuno reunion with Shimizu when he couldn't even look Tanaka in the eye or speak to him. In fact, his appetite faded, and he took out money to pay for his tea.

A shadow fell across the table. "…is that seat open?"

Ennoshita glanced up—and his hopes surged. Tanaka stood there in a thick leather jacket, that cute puffball beanie, and those black jeans with chains. Even without interaction, Ennoshita could feel his body reacting to the sight of him. "Yes," he bumbled. He gestured for Tanaka to sit.

"Cool, cool…" Tanaka picked up the plastic bag, recognized it, hesitated, and sat down anyway. "Gotta say, I wasn't expecting to hear from you at all."

The businessman frowned as the waitress came over and took Tanaka's drink order—green tea for him, as well. "I figured… But know one thing: I would never say nothing to you. I actually prefer to have the last word, if you haven't noticed."

Tanaka quirked an eyebrow. "Try that again, without the double-negative."

Ennoshita sighed. "What I mean is that I want to talk with you always. Fighting or not. That's the only way to communicate clearly. I thought I had learned my lesson when I finally told you I wanted to slow things down some."

The bartender nodded. The tea arrived and they each ordered something to eat. "Before you continue, can I ask you one thing?"

"Shoot."

"Did you give any consideration to the last thing that I asked you? Because that's really important, Ennoshita." Tanaka stared at him earnestly without a hint of yakuza in that gaze.

Ennoshita bit his lower lip. "…yes."

"And?"

"I…am still unsure about my sexuality," he said quietly. "I tend to think men are more appealing, but I can appreciate a woman's beauty, too. Yet I know for certain that I am attracted to you. I desire you. I react to you."

Tanaka looked away, healthy color flooding his tanned face. "Then why couldn't you have just said that before, dummy?"

"Because this is all new to me. And I think it was a few too many things rushing me all at once. Honestly… I think I was angry at myself for feeling as though I didn't know myself, for being unable to clearly define myself like you can. And…"

Tanaka cupped his cheek in his palm, but his eyes were back on Ennoshita's. "Yeah?"

"I think I was jealous of how you spoke, as though you've been in love before."

Silence settled between them. Their food came, but it grew to room temperature while their conversation stalled. "Twice," the bartender said at last. He picked up his chopsticks and broke them apart.

"Sorry?"

"Twice," Tanaka repeated. "I've been in love twice before. Guys both times. The first was a straight guy, which was why my hackles went up when you didn't tell me what you were last time."

Ennoshita fretted. "I'm so sorry—"

"Don't be." Tanaka slurped some of his noodles. "Actually, I'm kinda relieved to hear you're Tanaka-sexual."

Just like that, the tension dissipated. Ennoshita turned cherry blossom pink. "You are so…"

"Handsome? Cool? Awesome? All of the above?" He laughed. But then his cocky grin wavered. "I still need to learn self-restraint when I'm alone with you, though."

The businessman shrugged. "Do I really drive you that crazy?" he asked, unconvinced.

"Like you wouldn't believe." And Ennoshita could read the sincerity in those tawny eyes.

"I met Shimizu-san, you know. She works for my company, it turns out." His shoulders sagged. "I now know how beautiful she is."

"I figured it was bad mentioning her—though I'm not surprised about her work."

"Yachi," they said in unison, and they chuckled.

Tanaka gave Ennoshita an apologetic look. "She is beautiful, but she's not the one filling up my thoughts, Ennoshita."

Damn Tanaka and his smooth lines. They ate quietly for a few minutes. "…don't forget," the brunet began.

"Hmm?"

Ennoshita gave him a look. "You also called Nishinoya hot and Hinata adorable."

Tanaka winced. "Urk." He groaned. "Ennoshita, you hafta understand that my mouth runs at times…"

"No, I know. I just thought I'd milk your apology for what it was worth."

The bartender blew a raspberry at him. "Yeah, yeah, so I'm a sucky boyfriend, get over it. You still like me."

Ennoshita mused about that. Frankly, "like" didn't even begin to cover it. But that certain other four-letter word was for another time, definitely.

They ate, paid, and left the shop together. "Man, I really wish I didn't have work today." Tanaka growled, sticking his hands in his pockets.

Ennoshita smiled. "Just think of me when you eat the melon bread on your break tonight," he suggested, pecking the other man on the lips. "And maybe we can watch a movie after your shift's over."

"But I don't get off until after two in the morning."

"I'll wait up."

Tanaka's eyes shone, and he was like a puppy with a new bone. He drew Ennoshita into a large, warm hug. "You can hang out upstairs, if you want."

Ennoshita chuckled into his shoulder. "Sounds like a plan."

- ^-^3

Despite how suggestive a sleepover sounded, Ennoshita and Tanaka figured out the right amount of intimacy for them at this stage in their relationship. Ennoshita spent the rest of Sunday chilling in Tanaka's apartment and, when Tanaka got off work, they settled on the floor in front of the couch and watched a late-night horror movie. Tanaka, who could stomach the goriest of action movies, turned out to be a real chicken if it was a gory horror movie, and he spent half the night with his arms wrapped around Ennoshita, his head half hidden behind Ennoshita's. Ennoshita, for his part, was a good protective boyfriend, and he patted Tanaka on the head whenever a scene got too intense for him.

Waking up that late Monday morning, though, was Ennoshita's best morning ever. Sure, falling asleep on the floor wasn't the most comfortable position, but waking up with Tanaka's warm arms around him was. The businessman knew then that he didn't want those arms to leave him ever again.

It was a shame to return home that evening, but Ennoshita did have to work the next morning. "I think we can make good use of your Mondays off," Tanaka mumbled into Ennoshita's hair after dinner as the latter tried getting his jacket on with the former's arms still wrapped around him.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow after work," the brunet said.

"Mm-hmm," Tanaka mumbled against Ennoshita's lips.

As they kissed, Ennoshita felt the return of those stupid, hormonal butterflies in his stomach. Tanaka-sexual, indeed.

The following night was the usual: Ennoshita at the bar counter, Tanaka bartending, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi keeping to themselves in their corner of the restaurant, Hinata and Kageyama being loud while they ate. But probably the best thing was seeing Nishinoya, oddly enough.

"Chikara!" the shorty blubbered, and he hugged the stunned businessman.

Tanaka fixed his best friend with a yakuza glare. "Hey! Watch the friendliness there, Noya."

"It's okay. Chikara doesn't mind," Nishinoya said. He grinned at Ennoshita. "Glad to see you back! And so glad you pulled Ryuu out of his funk."

"I wasn't in a funk," the bartender growled.

Nishinoya hid his mouth behind his hand. "I figured you two had a fight. Everything's okay now, right? Ryuu's not rushing you?"

A part of Ennoshita wanted to die inside at Nishinoya having figured things out so easily. "No, he's fine."

"Good. Because he gets excited like a puppy yet to be housebroken when he's serious about someone or something."

"Oh my god, Noya, I can hear you," Tanaka snarled.

Nishinoya guffawed. "What are friends for?"

Ennoshita laughed, too, and he realized Shimizu was right. The Roost was like home. It was home to him—and to the others, as well. So…maybe a reunion should happen.

But another thing she'd said came back to him. She'd implied that Azumane and Nishinoya shouldn't meet.

The idea still struck Ennoshita as odd, especially since he believed they'd get on well together. But Shimizu must have her reasons. So Ennoshita took them into account. "Ah, by the way, Nishinoya…"

"Oh, just call me 'Noya.' 'Nishinoya' is such a mouthful anyway."

"Noya. When don't you work here?"

The shorter man sat on the barstool beside him. "Well, being part-time is kinda weird… I come in and experiment in the kitchen when I feel like it. But I guess…Thursdays?"

"Yeah, Thursdays aren't really Noya days," Tanaka confirmed. He gave Ennoshita an inquisitive look but didn't press him about the topic.

The night rolled on, and Ennoshita went home on the last train. He texted Shimizu about a little reunion on Thursday, emphasizing that Nishinoya would not be around. He messaged Azumane about finally eating together and suggested The Roost as the destination.

By the time Ennoshita was asleep, he'd almost orchestrated the whole thing. He'd invite Sugawara and Sawamura in a similar manner tomorrow at work, and everything would work out. Maybe someone would even tell him why Azumane and Nishinoya weren't supposed to meet. Or maybe, better yet, those two would meet and everything would be fine and Ennoshita would feel like the good friend both Nishinoya and Azumane had been to him.

- ^-^3

Tanaka liked the idea of seeing Sugawara and Sawamura so much that Ennoshita kept quiet about the other two. He felt as though they'd be an extra surprise, and he didn't want to ruin it.

"Are you sure about us coming?" Kinoshita asked when he, Narita, and Ennoshita met outside of the bar on Thursday night.

Ennoshita nodded. "Of course. We're all from Karasuno."

Narita was wary. "I dunno… I think we'll be a little out of place tonight…"

"Nonsense. Tanaka's been cooking a lot of junk food to feed us all, so let's enjoy that." When Narita kept giving him that unsure expression, Ennoshita sighed. "Drinks are on me."

"It'll be my pleasure to come tonight," the taller man said while Kinoshita cheered.

As usually occurred when there were things to celebrate, music played in the normally silent bar. The usual cast of characters was there, minus Nishinoya. Tanaka waved from behind the bar and started pouring them drinks before they even ordered.

"Ennoshita-san, do you know what's happening tonight?" Hinata asked. "We came in and Tanaka-san had already turned on the music!"

Ennoshita and Tanaka exchanged a grin. "Eh, not really… Maybe tonight will just be a good night."

Tanaka snickered at him, but the brunet didn't begrudge him it. He knew he wasn't a good liar.

Luckily, he didn't have to say anything else. A cheery voice called down from the top of the stairs. "Hey, everyone!" Yachi chirped. At the bottom of the stairs at the mouth of the restaurant she appeared—with Shimizu in tow.

Tanaka dropped his metal tumbler on the counter. "Kiyoko-san?!"

"Shimizu-san!" Hinata yelped excitedly. He hopped up from his and Kageyama's booth and rushed to greet her. Kageyama got up, too, and the new arrival even pulled Yamaguchi away from Tsukishima, though Tsukishima remained put. He did wave, though.

"Looks like you did something nice," Kinoshita commented at the bar counter from between Ennoshita and Narita. "Ahh, Tanaka does mix a good drink…!"

"Yes, well," the businessman said, "they didn't know about her coming." Ennoshita watched the happy scene unfold.

Things almost quieted down when Yachi pushed a table against Hinata and Kageyama's and the two women joined them for dinner. Fifteen minutes late, however, Ennoshita had to do a double-take at the entrance. He had never pictured Sugawara or Sawamura in casual clothes.

"SUGA-SAN!" Hinata and Kageyama yelled. They rushed him as much as Hinata had Shimizu. Only this time the meeting was more interesting, because Sugawara patted his two kouhai on the head like…well, like a mother.

"Ah, so good to see you…!" the sandy-haired man sighed. He waved to Yachi and to Yamaguchi and Tsukishima before joining Ennoshita and his friends at the counter. He shook Tanaka's hand. "Tanaka. Heard your sister got married."

"To Akiteru-san," the bartender clarified.

Sugawara and Sawamura grinned knowingly. "Interesting how some things never change," Sawamura said. "Like with Suga here. We would've been here ten minutes ago if Suga hadn't insisted the bar was in the other direction."

Sugawara turned beet red. "Daichi…!" But he let it go and turned to Ennoshita. "I had a feeling what was coming when I saw the bar's sign, Ennoshita. But I am still pretty stunned…" He beamed, looking between the businessman and the bartender. "You've done well, Tanaka," he added with a bump to Ennoshita's shoulder. Ennoshita felt pleased with the compliment.

"I agree," Tanaka said, and he slid another Oddball Quick over to his lover.

Sawamura took in the place. "I can't believe we never knew about this place, though. The world really is small, I guess." He whistled appreciatively.

"Well, stop standing and go sit down," Tanaka insisted. "I'll bring some food out in just a sec. Ennoshita, could I have a hand?"

The businessman got up. "Of course."

Sawamura and Sugawara went to add another table to Hinata and Kageyama's, and Narita and Kinoshita introduced themselves and joined the others on the dining floor.

In the back, it smelled wonderful—there was something fried, something salty, something teriyaki. "You cooked all this by yourself?" Ennoshita inquired. He almost wanted to hole up back here and have an impromptu dinner date.

"Ah, yeah… I've picked up a few things from Noya-san, but living alone and on a budget really does make a guy learn his way around the kitchen."

"You'll make an excellent wife someday," Ennoshita said with a laugh.

Even in the dim light, Tanaka was clearly red. "Ora… Don't tease a dangerous guy like me."

The brunet snorted. "You'll be dangerous the day I screw up a project at work. I.e., never."

The bartender gave him a dry look and took two pans off the low heat burners, plating food. "It's just a shame this is all going on without Noya-san around."

Ennoshita swallowed the small lump in his throat. "Uh…yeah. Definitely."

Tanaka eyed him. "I did notice you asked him when he wouldn't be here, Ennoshita."

"Um…"

The thuggish man frowned. "I thought you and Noya-san finally liked each other. I was breathing more easily. I mean, my lover and my best friend getting along? He even started using your first name—not that that sits right with me, but that's just Noya being Noya," he moped.

Ennoshita's shoulders sagged and he took a step towards Tanaka. "No, I like Noya, I do. I… Well, Shimizu-san had already figured out about my ties to The Roost through Yachi."

"What does that have anything to do with Noya-san?"

The businessman just opened his mouth to explain when that person arrived. Hinata and Kageyama were loud enough to be heard through the wall: "ASAHI-SAN!"

Tanaka's narrow eyes widened. "A…Asahi-san?" he croaked.

Ennoshita nodded, now very unsure about inviting Azumane. "I…er, made friends with him through work. I invited him because I wanted all of my worlds to collide—work, here, Narita and Kinoshita. But when I met Shimizu-san, she vaguely implied that Azumane-san and Noya don't get along."

"And she didn't say why?"

"No… I'm sorry, I've really overstepped my boundary, haven't I?"

Tanaka tugged at his uniform's bowtie and forced a laugh. "N-Not at all, Ennoshita. You did your best with what you knew, and I can't say I'd do anything different if I were in your shoes."

As he deflated, Ennoshita eased up a little. They began carrying things out. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. As long as Noya doesn't show up, we're golden. Besides, Asahi-san's our friend, too, and I know I, for one, have missed him."

And the feeling seemed to be mutual, because, though at first stiff with shock at having seen so many familiar faces, Azumane eased into the reunion. He even smiled gratefully at Ennoshita as the night wore on.

Things almost went off without a hitch until they heard a very familiar voice enter The Roost. "Yo, Ryuu! I got a new dessert idea—" The restaurant turned to dead silence when Nishinoya and Azumane saw each other, though, and the former's face crumpled with obvious but tamed anger. "Asahi-san?"

Uh-oh. Well…at least Ennoshita had sorted out his and Tanaka's relationship, the businessman thought as he exchanged a wary look with the bartender before the fireworks erupted.

And erupt they did.

- ^-^3

FINALLY. This fic is the longest in the collection so far and took forever to type up… o_o Three amusing notes: In writing these fics, I've already killed 3 pens and am on a 4th, I tend to slip-up and write/type "Tsukiyama" when I mean "Tsukishima" goddammit, and sometimes I forget the "a" at the end of "Ennoshita" and "Kinoshita" and so my document sometimes becomes riddled with "Ennoshit" and "Kinoshit." XD But yeah. So much happened…the wedding, Ryuuchika trying to be adult *lol*, the arrival of Shimizu-senpai, and then, of course, the Asanoya cliffhanger. Fret not, though! They have their own spin-off oneshot, "Glass Shards," which has been posted simultaneously with this EnnoTana oneshot, so go give it a read if you want to know what happens! (And, for ease of access and because there are going to be a lot of oneshots/drabbles set in this AU, I am providing hyperlinks to all stories at the bottom of my FFN profile, so please read them! :3) Also, for fans of other series, I name-dropped several other charries on purpose (Izuki from KnB, Yamazaki from Free!, Seo from GSNK), and they belong to their respective authors; kudos to you if you recognized them all, *lol*. I know Hinata's mentioned a coworker named Kuroko before…and there's a reason for that. B3 Song for "Promotion": "Call Me Back" by Clazziquai. -w-

Thanks for reading and please review! "Closing" is the 5th fic and will be coming soon to a Birds of a Feather AU near you.

-mew! c: