ONLY ME || Haikyuu x Male

NISHINOYA YU

Stalling had always been Ren's forte. He was, admittedly, a tad more avoidant than what was probably considered to be healthy, hence why he pushed back his response for Yu's romantic feelings until the following weekend after the Shiratorizawa match. He'd sent a text to his best friend, extending an invitation for a casual get together over at his apartment on Saturday afternoon. There wasn't any mention of his true intentions for their conversation in the message, just as a precautionary measure to ensure that Yu wouldn't feel nervous about meeting up.

His phone read one o'clock when a knock sounded at his front door. With a sense of calm that surprised his generally anxious self, he set out two mugs on his dining table before ambling over to greet his visitor. Yu grinned at him when he opened up, dressed in a bright orange hoodie and white shorts that gave the impression of an incredibly overjoyed traffic cone.

"You're here early! Please, come in. I was just finishing arranging some snacks in the kitchen." Yu kicked off his black sneakers, permeating the threshold of Ren's apartment. There wasn't any sort of tension, which was quite shocking, if he was being completely honest. It felt like any other day in spite of the fact that today would permanently alter the course of their relationship.

Yu sat down at Ren's dining table, watching as he doled out some of the iced hibiscus tea that his mother had made before leaving to return to Tokyo. He slid one of the mugs over to his friend, keeping the other for himself. "Here. It's not much, but it's my mom's personal recipe! I don't know how she does it, but anything that she makes always tastes so much better than what you find in the supermarkets."

"Oh, I know! I've tried your mom's coffee before and it was the most incredible thing I've ever tasted! I hope she comes around more often. Not to be rude, but you definitely did not inherit her cooking skills." Sipping at the tea as he spoke, Yu raised a playful eyebrow to accompany his comments, filling the atmosphere with their regular banter. It was nice to see that his best friend wasn't at all uncomfortable even though there was still so much that remained unsettled between them. Such normalcy even managed to put a smile on Ren's face even though his thoughts were laden with the words that weighed down his tongue, itching to be released.

But it wasn't time for that yet. The oven went off mere seconds after Yu spoke, and Ren hurried over to pull out the matcha cream puffs that'd been festering within the warm depths. Sliding on some plaid oven mitts, he pulled the tray of pastries out, dumping them unceremoniously onto a waiting plate before tossing the steaming platter into the sink so he could wash it later. "Well if you think my cooking is so bad, I guess that means you don't want any of these?" He held out the plate towards his friend, desperately trying to hold back his laugh as he teasing offered the beautifully constructed food. "That's a shame. Maybe I'll just give them out to the rest of the team then."

The sweetened aroma of the desserts wafted through the apartment, and Yu's eyes rounded, practically salivating at the scent and sight of the perfectly done cream puffs. "Hey, I said your cooking was awful, not your baking! Of course I want some. I haven't met anyone that's a better pastry chef than you!"

Laughing, Ren relented, placing the dish onto the table. He removed the oven mitts, tossing them onto the kitchen counter before shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants as he waited for his friend's reaction. Within seconds, one of the puffs had disappeared, and Yu happily chewed on the dessert despite its heat that was surely burning his tongue at the moment. "These are amazing! You should make these more often, Ren! I'd give anything to be able to have these every day."

The flattery was certainly heartwarming, and he should have savored the lovely atmosphere for as long as possible. But Ren ruined it immediately by blurting out the first thought that crossed his mind. "Then date me, and I'll make a batch for you whenever you want."

Silence stretched between them for a moment too long, and Ren felt his face grow warmer at the straightforward delivery of his response. He wanted it to be romantic, to be well thought out and as sweet as the confession that Yu had given him. But instead, they were stuck in this awkward tension as neither of them spoke, both processing the ridiculously blunt words that he'd just delivered.

"What?"

Yu's confusion only made Ren's embarrassment explode, and he averted his gaze, staring down at the table as the acceptance burst from his lips. "I love you. It's as simple as that. For the longest time, you've been the one person who remained with me throughout everything that's happened, and I was a bit scared that I might lose you if I let myself be vulnerable to you in ways beyond friendship. But there's no one else for me, and there never has been. You have my heart, and I hope that you'll let me have yours."

This time, there was not a moment of hesitation before Yu broke into a wide grin, lurching out of his chair so that he was standing, facing Ren with a jubilant expression. "Who else but you? I said it before and I'll say it again: you're the most important person in the world to me. No matter what changes, the fact that I love you never will."

Before he could respond, Yu grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him downwards into an eager kiss. Almost immediately, Ren reciprocated, hands enclosing around Yu's waist to deepen the intimacy of the moment. The libero's arms slid up to wrap around his neck, every movement familiar. It felt more valuable than a seal that solidified their newfound relationship–it felt safe.

Like home.

They separated after a long moment, and the beautiful honey brown of Yu's eyes bored into Ren's own, quickening his heart rate with the depth that lay within that softened gaze. "I love you. And I'll keep reminding you even if you get sick of me saying it."

A breathy laugh escaped Ren's mouth, eliciting an adorable redness from Yu's cheeks. "Don't be silly. I'll never get sick of hearing that."

This time, Ren initiated, pressing their lips together in a second kiss. His heart was racing a kilometer a second, but his mind was as calm as ever. For once, he had no doubts. No questions that hogged his thoughts. He moved with absolute certainty, cherishing the person that he held between his arms.

I'm not alone. Was I ever? Yu has always been by my side, and the rest of the team has done everything in their power to make sure that I have people to lean on. If I really think about it, there wasn't a single moment where I didn't have anyone to turn to.

It was never only me.