Executive Excursion // UshiTen

Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ２

Ushijima was holding Tendou's hand.

Or, more accurately, Tendou was holding Ushijima's hand. Tendou had reached for it and Ushijima had given it willingly.

They'd agreed, by Ushijima's request, that any visible affection would be limited to evenings and weekends in an effort to keep their relationship strictly separate from the work place.

Yet here they were, strolling through a nearby park during their lunch break, holding hands as if they were a legitimate couple.

It was against Ushijima's rule but he couldn't make himself regret it. He liked the feeling of Tendou's hand. His fingers were long and warm and wove perfectly between his own.

He could have pulled away and tried to recapture the professional distance that he'd been so keen on. It may have been the best decision.

Instead they kept walking, linked hands anchoring them together.

"Whatcha thinkin' about, Waka?" said Tendou. He bumped his shoulder against Ushijima.

"Your hands," said Ushijima. "They are nice. I like them."

Tendou's grip tightened. He blinked at Ushijima, eyes wide. Then his mouth curved into a familiar grin. "Oh? You'd be surprised what my hands can do."

Ushijima knew that was an innuendo of some sort but he didn't dwell on it. Many of Tendou's quips went over his head.

"I was also thinking," said Ushijima, "that it's a really nice day."

He stepped to the side, crowding them against the edge of the path as a jogger passed by. He felt Tendou looking at him but he just continued to walk, appreciating the sun on his skin and the breeze in his hair.

Tendou was quiet for the next few minutes, which was odd, but not entirely unwelcome. Ushijima enjoyed Tendou's presence in itself, whether he was speaking or not.

He glanced to the side and took a long look at Tendou's profile. His skin looked a little less sickly-pale in the sunlight than it did in the fluorescent glow of the office. His hair reflected the bright light like a low flame and he wore his usual vague smile. At first Ushijima had wondered if that expression was in some way mocking. He'd learned better, though. To his knowledge Tendou had never mocked him, despite the questionable social skills that Oikawa frequently pointed out.

Ushijima didn't know how he'd gotten attached to Tendou so quickly. Technically they had only been on the single date the previous weekend. They hadn't spent enough time together for his fondness to grow at such an alarming rate.

Yet it was doing exactly that.

As Ushijima watched, Tendou came to a solid halt, eyes brightening as he tilted his head up.

"Butterflies, Waka!" said Tendou, his grin widening further. "Look!"

He raised a pale finger to point at the trio of butterflies floating above them. The park was scattered with a variety of plants, some of them flowering, so it wasn't much of a surprise that butterflies would be present.

Still, Tendou looked up at them with a muted sense of awe. It was such an earnest response that Ushijima felt his fondness grow just a little more.

The butterflies flitted closer. Two of them passed by on a silent sweep of tiny wings. The third stalled, dipped lower, and lightly perched on Tendou's outstretched finger.

Tendou sucked in a breath and his eyes widened impossibly further.

"I have been blessed by the gods," he whispered.