Sorry for the delay but I have so much to do and this was all I could squeeze out of my dried up brain. I apologize if it seems a bit dry.
I drew a scene to this on my tumblr so feel free to check it out
ShioriShuu: It is? this makes me incredibly proud. I liked that song as well :) although I am currently enjoying the 3rd OST from Haikyuu that had been release a few weeks ago.
Berrybluexd: Awwwww poor thing. One will find you :) you just have to out and look, they don't just suddenly appear under your bed ;)
Yunrii: You did? Oh wow didn't exüect that to happen xD I hope they were tears of joy.
PandaHee: I love Tendou, he is fun to write xD There now will be more couple moments since they are now a couple xD Enjoy
LilweenGalatrass: YOU, my dear, don't have to worry because both of your reviews have popped up. But I am glad you liked it. You will have to be patient with a few things but I have revealed their kids on tumblr :) But I don't want to spoil so message me for that if you are still curious
RiverOfTheWolf: Shy Ushiwaka is the best Ushiwaka!
Guest: Please don't die D:
Chapter 28 - An Aftermath
When Tamiko awoke the next morning it was still dark but the sky was slowly lighting up. The bed creaked a little when she sat upright and she yawned. What she then noticed was that she was still wearing her clothes. She didn't even remember how she got into bed but judging from her state, someone carried her upstairs. Still half asleep she sat down at the edge of the bed and gazed into the space of the roo. Then another yawn. Then, images of last night replayed in her mind. I like you, more than volleyball. She flinched and now felt insanely awake. I said yes, she told herself over and over again. I have a boyfriend. Overcome with the urge to let out this information she grabbed her phone.
From: Tami
To: Izumi
Are you awake? This is important!
She sent the message and waited. The excitement kept her from locking her phone and her eyes were glued to the screen. A minute passed when she received a message.
From: Izumi
To: Tami
I am now. What's up?
Tamiko took a deep breath and pressed the call button, her heart racing faster the more often she heard the daily tone.
"What's going on?" she heard Izumi answer, her voice still drowned in sleep.
"Something happened last night." Tamiko said.
She heard Izumi groan and sigh, but her attention was there.
"Let me guess, Ushijima asked you out?" she stated, sounding a bit annoyed.
"...Yeah, he did." Tamiko muttered.
Their was a brief silence and then Tamiko's eardrum nearly burst.
"He did? He actually did it? I told you he liked you! Give me the details! How did it happen? What did you say?" she blurted, bombarding her with questions.
Tamiko didn't know what to say, where to start. She curled up under the blanket and muttered.
"Well, I was in the kitchen, doing the dishes and then he told me he liked me more than volleyball."
On the other end of the phone, Izumi burst into laughter.
"That sounds so like him." she giggled. "And what did you say?"
"I said yes."
At the other end off the phone she heard Izumi squeal like a happy piglet. She also heard izumi's mother, asking what was going on but Izumi told her that everything was okay. After she had calmed down, she talked into the phone again.
"Next time I see you I'll treat you to something nice." Izumi said.
Tamiko could hear the smile in her friend's voice and smiled to herself under the blanket. The two girls stayed quiet for a moment.
"You have a boyfriend now." Izumi noted, still not quite grasping the reality of it. "Ushijima Wakatoshi."
Tamiko hummed happily.
"Ushijima Wakatoshi." she repeated.
It really did still sound unbelievable, unthinkable, like a dream. But it really had happened last night. Straining for fresh air, Tamiko ours the blanket down and saw the sky slowly lighting up.
"Well, I need to make breakfast for the boys." Tamiko said.
"Okay, I'll come by late today. We need to celebrate." Izumi announced.
Tamiko agreed and wished her good day before ending the call. She smiled to herself, clutching the phone tightly and pressing her hands against her mouth. This was going to be a good day, she thought. She felt it. After a while she got changed and went downstairs for a coffee and bumped into something solid when she opened the door to the kitchen. She blinked a few times when she noticed Ushijima, with the wildest bed hair she had ever seen him wear.
"Good morning," she said when she found her words.
"M'rning," he mumbled as an answer and yawned.
Never had she seen him like this. And she somehow felt blessed because of it. But why did he come out of the kitchen? She peeked past his frame when she saw a mug by the coffee machine with a little mess of coffee filters. The dots connected quickly.
"Would you like a coffee?" she asked him.
He nodded and turned around to sit down at the kitchen table. Tamiko went to work, making two cups of coffee. Ushijma mumbled a 'thank you' and started to drink quietly. It was a silent, yet comfortable atmosphere in the room and Tamiko felt very calm in his presence. My boyfriend, she thought. Her heart started to pound like crazy again but she stepped towards him without timidness, placing a hand on his head.
"Your hair is so messy." she mumbled against the rim of her cup.
He looked at her, his eyes more awake than before. She smiled behind the cup and started to comb his hair with her thin fingers. She could feel the warmth of his scalp at her fingertips, a lingering and soothing warmth. Minutes passed like this and through the window the sun started to bathe the kitchen in a warm red light. When Ushijima glanced up to her again, her skin looked so flawless, her hair so beautiful in the light. He quickly looked away again, which Tamiko perceived as a negative gesture. She stopped combing his hair and leaned against the counter. Ushijima placed a hand on his own head and then looked at her, with a little shy smile.
"Thank you." he said.
Dammit, she thought, blushing behind the cup. She regretted pulling away. She could have combed his hair for longer. Then he stood and placed the cup into the sink. He also leaned against the counter next to her, both silent. Quietly she drank her coffee, not sure what to say. There was just an inch between them and for Tamiko it seemed like he wanted to inch closer but was holding back. She had heard it from Izumi before. Ichiro is too shy to make a move, I always have to make the first move, she had complained back then. Now she started to understand. Then Tamiko jumped over her own shadow and closed the gap between them. Carefully she leaned to the side until their shoulders touched. She didn't look up to him and neither did he look down at her. Both their cheeks were flushed with compressed smiles. It was ridiculous yet so satisfying, that simple touch, that simple connection they felt through the fabric of their clothes. It was wonderful. That's when they heard movement from the living room. Ushijima stood and opened the door when Tendou bumped into him and hugged him.
"Wakatoshi-kun," he groaned. "You were so mean. You ate all the Cheetos last night. How could you?"
"They tasted very good and nobody seemed to want them." Ushijima stated.
"Well, I wanted some." Tendou whined.
"I'm sorry." the ace apologized.
Tamiko quietly giggled at the bluntness and Tendou crossed his arms, visibly cross at Ushijima.
"You now owe me a pack." he announced.
"I understand. I'll buy you some when I get to a store." Ushijima suggested and Tendou nodded.
"I take your word for it." Tendou glared a little.
Ushijima hummed and stepped out of the kitchen. Tendou sighed and glanced over to Tamiko, who smiled to herself, finishing the coffee.
"You look very happy, Tamiko-chan." he noted smiling at her.
To his surprise, she smiled back at him, so gently and somewhat shy.
"I am."
"That's good." he smiled. Then he looked down the corridor. "I think Wakatoshi-kun is happy as well."
"I hope so, too." she said and placed the cup into the sink. "You knew from the beginning, didn't you?"
Tendou looked at her curiously.
"What makes you think that?" he asked.
"Just a thought." she shrugged.
"It was very obvious after a while." he grinned. "He always blushed like crazy when you were smiling and such."
Tamiko's cheeks burnt up and Semi suddenly appeared, pulling on Tendou ear.
"Ow, Eita-kun!" Tendou screeched, but defenceless. "That hurts."
"Leave the girl alone, Satori." he scolded and pulled him out of the kitchen.
Left alone, she calmed down her heart and prepared some breakfast for the boys. It wasn't much, a simple meal with rice. But the boys were thankful for it. Of course they arranged themselves so Tamiko could sit next to Ushijima, although both were a little too flustered. But nobody said anything. Even Goshiki managed to restrain himself. He was just so happy for his senpais. He had heard the stories of the others, how those two had met and started to hang out after a year. For him, it was a great love story and something he didn't want to ruin. Tendou had been the first to suggest. His friendship with Ushijima was still fresh when the incident had happened and had even hinted that a small girl throwing a big guy is a spark for romance, and the little meeting between the two had strengthened his belief. The fact that they didn't cross paths for a year sank his ship. But it was soon sailing again and was now armed with a cannon.
They all talked a little with each other, making plans for the rest of the year, looking forward to the new one. After breakfast they all packed their bags and helped cleaning up. Most stayed back so Ushijima could be by Tamiko's side, helping her in the kitchen. Ohira helped as well, smiling at how normal the two were behaving in each others presence. At least from a distance. The odd touch of each other's fingers and the subtle shuffling made Ohira just think of one word. Cute. When Ushijima left the room to pack his own bag, Ohira approached her.
"Wakatoshi looks very happy." he stated.
Tamiko hummed to herself, still caught in her own world. Ohira smiled to himself and patted her shoulder gently. She looked at him and returned the smile that met her. After the clean up they all departed. They all made the decision to meet up on new year's day to go to the shrine together, something that Tamiko was looking forward to. While the others already left to go back to the from, Ushijima stayed behind to help Semi load Tamiko's car. He wasn't ready to depart from her quite yet. Her car was loaded quickly and Semi already said his farewell to the pair, knowing fully well that they wanted a moment alone. He retreated into the house and closed the door, giving them their privacy. Tamiko closed the trunk of the car and thanked Ushijima for helping her. Then she stood there, trying to formulate sentences while playing with her nervously fingers.
"I'll give you my address," she said after a while. "I'm usually at home except when I have to work. You can come by anytime you want."
"I don't want to intrude." he said.
"You wouldn't. I'm alone most of the time anyway. Tobio-kun is always away training." she explained. "And you don't have to if you don't want to."
"I'll see when I have time." he said simply.
Ouch, anyone would have thought, but she knew what he meant. She was already used to his bluntness. He will find the time, she smiled to herself. Then she turned serious.
"I have to apologize for not telling you how I feel about you." she said and then shyly looked away. "Your confession was so sudden, I answered without really answering you."
He blinked a few times but seemed to catch the drift. She had said yes to dating but never stated her feelings. His jaw muscles tightened.
"I just wanted to tell you that I like you as well." she told him. "And I hope this will work between us."
Ushijima glazed at her with wide eyes before smiling at her. She did feel the same way. He had been a little unsure since today but now felt at ease.
"That's great." he said. "I hope so, too."
The wind danced through Tamiko's hair as she smiled gently at him. This feeling flossing her heart, it was so warm and pleasant. So much so that she stepped towards Ushijima and leaned against him with her head, slowly wrapping her arms around him. She didn't care if he didn't hug her back, he didn't have to. She just wanted to feel him before they depart and go back to their lives at home. To her surprise, she could feel his arms wrap around her shoulder and gently pulled her against his chest. He was feeling the same way, wanting to hold her before he had to come and it wasn't new for him. He has hugged her before, to calm her down, to comfort her but never like this. This hug was just a normal hug, wanting to hold the other close to them. This barrier wasn't difficult to overcome. They stayed like that for a while, getting the know the shape of the other. Semi saw it wall from his bedroom window and one thing he noticed. Those two had a convenient height difference, Ushijima being able to rest his chin on her head perfectly. After a long minute, the two pulled away and Tamiko stepped back.
"I'll message you later." she told him.
He nodded but stayed rooted to the spot, watching her get into the car and drive away. Only when the small red car disappeared behind the next corner did he make his way back to the dorm. His expression was a atopic as always but underneath that shell of his, somersaults and fireworks were crackling. He hadn't felt this alive since one of his biggest volleyball matches. Now he was sure, he made the right decision.
Again, if you want to check out my fanart to this fanfiction, check my blog on Tumblr kageyama-tamiko
