Ennoshita stared out at the court, watching. Suga looked over from the line. "They just keep going back and forth. Nothing too interesting right now."
"I'm still keeping an eye on the other second years."
"Oh? It's just Noya and Tanaka silly. Noya is doing most of the receiving."
"Tanaka is helping," Ennoshita noted.
"Well yeah."
Ennoshita's eyes followed Tanaka as he spiked a ball over the net much to the dismay of Hinata. He chuckled softly.
Sugawara's eyes widened. "Oh my God."
"Hm?"
"You like him."
"Um... what?" Ennoshita turned his head to Suga now. "He's one of my good friends, of course, I like him."
"No, I mean like him. As in gayyy." Suga giggled. "That's cute."
"Oh no that's not what I-"
"Noshita!" Ennoshita turned his head. Tanaka rushed over. "Did you see that?"
"Mhmm."
"Wasn't it great?!"
"It definitely was Tanaka."
Tanaka beamed at him. "Hehe, thanks!"
Sugawara wiggled his brows. Ennoshita flushed.
"Oh! Right. I had to wait until after this was done but I was gonna ask if you wanted to come and study with me this weekend."
"You want to study?"
"Yep."
"Alright."
"Oh yay! Thank you!" Tanaka went to Nishinoya, high-fiving him.
Suga snorted. "You guys are gay as hell."
"Suga!"
"Pfft. Tanaka is pan. Just so you know."
"Did you just out him?"
"Huh? No. Everyone knows that but you seemed really oblivious to the fact that he was pan."
"Oh, how nice of you to say."
"Right."
Ennoshita looked back over to where Tanaka was teaching Hinata something. He looked at Suga and then at Daichi. "Oh my God."
"Hm?"
"I get the spot for team captain next year, right?" Ennoshita questioned.
"Yeah?"
"Tanaka is going to be my vice-captain."
"Aw, you guys are gonna work together like me and Daichi! Speaking of which..." Sugawara turned his attention to the brunette. "Babe!"
Daichi looked up, confused.
"Come gimme a hug!"
Daichi gave the clipboard he was holding to a very confused Tanaka. He walked across the gym and Suga bounced on his toes, excited.
"This is gonna be a good one."
"Why is that?"
"A big muscly guy hugging you has got to be the most comfortable and amazing thing ever." Suga turned and opened his arms.
Daichi hugged him, lifting him slightly and kissing the side of his head. "Hey there buttercup. You okay?"
"Just needed a hug from my most favorite person ever."
Ennoshita turned away. He wanted that. Not with Daichi of course but he wanted to be loved on.
Tanaka was only a few inches taller than him and not much more muscle-built than Daichi. But that wasn't love. Tanaka loved him as a friend just like Noya.
"Chikara!" Tanaka threw his arm around Ennoshita's shoulders and grinned. "You started spacing out. You good?"
Ennoshita nodded, voice caught in his throat. He liked this. It felt really, really wrong to like this or Tanaka.
"Great!" Tanaka turned with Ennoshita still in his grip. He didn't notice the look Ennoshita sent Suga that practically screamed help me. "Well, practice is over. It's dark out."
"I should really be getting home- I uh- I just- um..."
"Oh right." Tanaka slipped his arm away and linked his finger with Tanaka's, heading to the club's room for their things.
He wouldn't let go though, his steps a bit slower and his thumb now rubbing Ennoshita's hand. It was comforting but yet all of the pent-up doubts felt so bad. Tanaka was supposed to be with Kiyoko and they were supposed to do stupid things like this.
Yet Tanaka just wouldn't let go.
Ennoshita was being walked home, a nervous wreck. He was ruining Kiyoko's chance and he was going to make others upset.
Suga's teasing was very obviously not meant to make him verge on a panic attack but it was doing that.
He didn't want this. He wanted Tanaka to let go and he wanted to cry in his shower about this.
"T-Tanaka stop, please."
Tanaka stopped walking hurriedly, concerned. "You okay?"
"No..." Ennoshita moved his hand away, heart beating like a war drum. "I think... I..." Tanaka came closer, trying to comfort him. Ennoshita startled back and bumped a post of a bus station. The canopy immediately poured water on him and he started crying. "Oh, I'm so stupid!"
"Hey..." Tanaka took his hand. "Calm down, deep breaths. It's okay." He pulled him away from the canopy. "Are you embarrassed because of the rain? I can fix it, look!" He bumped back into the canopy and water poured down on him. He laughed. "That's really damned cold. Shit."
Ennoshita cried harder. "You're gonna catch a cold!"
"That's okay!" Tanaka took his hands and swayed them slightly. "Chikaraaaa. Come on, no need to cry." He hugged him. "We can go dry off at my place and I'll make my sister make you pancakes. Sound good?"
"Tanaka I like you," Ennoshita whispered.
Tanaka was quiet for a moment.
"I'm really sorry."
"For what?"
"You like Kiyoko and I just ruined something."
"Ooh! No, no I act like that because Kiyoko and I have a running joke. She's dating Yachi. I like you."
Ennoshita nearly started crying again.
"We can talk about it when we get dried off because I'm pretty sure you have literally the weakest immune system of anyone I have ever known." Tanaka grabbed his hand. "Come on. I'm not letting go of your hand this time."
Ennoshita nodded. When they got to Tanaka's home, Nishinoya wasn't there but Saeko was. She shooed away Tanaka and got Ennoshita into a shower. He was given warm clothes and a big blanket that he was wrapped in. He slept close to Tanaka's futon, holding onto his hand from where he was. Calm and staying.
