Breathing Lilies

Part 1

"Are we still on for movies tonight?" You peer across the table, watching as Wakatoshi nods, offering a simple affirmative noise as he eats his lunch in relative silence. One down, one to go, you muse as your gaze turns to the figure at your side. His lips were pursed around a straw, lazily sipping on his drink, eyes fixed to the small screen in his hands. You wait silently, but after a few more long seconds you sigh.

"Earth to Satori!" You poke his shoulder, a little harder than intended, but he merely offers up a questioning hum before finally turning his attention on you.

"What's up?"

You feel your lips press into a line as you narrow your eyes at him, making your annoyance quite clear.

"I was just wondering if you are still good for movies tonight."

His sleepy eyes lit up, a wide excited smile on his lips.

"Hell yea!"

"Cool. So, I was thinking we could start with..."

And for the remainder of lunch the three of you planned out the watch order for the night ahead. Though you couldn't help wondering, why was Tendou so distracted lately. It had started a few days ago...well you had noticed it a few days ago. Now as the days as gone on it had become quite obvious. His eyes were constantly on his phone. Sometimes a smile would cross his lips as he tapped away on the screen. Even while the three of you sat huddled in your room, the only light coming from the laptop screen, it was like he wasn't even there. Normally he'd be providing some colorful commentary or sharing his theories on what would happen next, but tonight, he had barely said a word. His face illuminated by the light of his phone as he sat tapping away. Occasionally he'd let out a soft, restrained chuckle, a reminder that he was there in body only. Wakatoshi and you made the best of it and tried to enjoy the movies regardless.

Finally, a few days later, as if he could sense the questions that had been piling up in your mind, he told the two of you what had been on his mind.

The three of you were at lunch, conversation had been more or less forgotten as you and Ushijima sat quietly eating, while Tendou started down at his phone, a small frown on his lips.

"So I've been talking to this girl in my class and...I think I like her..."

The words caught you off guard and the food you had been about to out in your mouth fell from your trembling hand and onto the table, your gaze shifting slowly over to him.

"Oh?" This was not a conversation you were looking forward to.

"Mhm...we've been talking for a few weeks now but I don't know if she likes me or not..."

As he spoke, you had to grit your teeth to stop from gasping at the sharp pain you felt in your chest. It wasn't you. You weren't the one he was thinking about and smiling over. You weren't the one he was pining over. You had been afraid something like this could happen but a part of you always hoped he would turn those kind of feelings towards you. Hoping her would love you just as deeply as you loved him. But now it felt like all those hopes and silent prayers had shattered and were piercing and tearing into your heart. The feeling left you breathless in the wake of his concerns.

Tendou continues to babble on, Ushijima providing the majority of the replies, though he chanced a look at you from across the table. Your eyes were glossy and wide, their color seemed darker than normal in contrast to the sudden paleness of your face.

Finally, the red-head turns his attention back to you. Well, his verbal attention, he flicked his gaze up to for briefly before returning to his phone. Making it quite obvious he wasn't really seeing you as he spoke.

"What do you think Y/N?"

At the sound of your name you blink rapidly a few times, refocusing your attention on your two friends before you.

"Oh...uhm...I...I don't really know..." Your voice comes out a little strained, your throat suddenly feeling dry and your chest tight. You take a slow sip of water and clear your throat hoping it helps.

"Have you just..asked her how she feels?"

"Don't be so obvious Y/N..." Tendou retorts. "I need to find a way to get her attention..." He hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "I want her to see me as more than a classmate..." Scheming red eyes turned up, their gaze suddenly lock on you as a sly grin spreads onto his lips.

You had seen that look before and it was always bad news.

"No."

"I didn't even say anything yet" He cried out.

"Whatever it is...that look is always trouble...so whatever it is...N. O."

"C'mon Y/N...Just hear me out..." His voice has turned soft all of a sudden and despite all the warning bells that were ringing you let out a grumble.

"Fine...spill it."

He grinned at you, his large hands reaching out and taking up one of yours before he started to divulge his plan.

"It'll just be for a little while...but I want to make her see how wonderful I am as a potential boyfriend."

"...mhm..." You mumble out as another sharp pain spikes in your chest.

"So I just want to..play up...our relationship a bit. Take a few extra cute pictures together when we hang out, maybe hold hands around school..." It looked like he was going to keep talking, describing more and more of the ways he wanted to exploit the friendship you cherished so much.

"Are you for real Satori?! No way in hell!" You hiss out as you yank your hand out of his grasp. He looks a little started at your sudden outburst but nevertheless is still determined.

"Please Y/N..." He pleads with you, eyes rounded and his lips turned down. "It'd mean a lot to me if you could help me with this..."

Ushijima let out a soft sigh as he watched Satori's pathetic display. He turned his attention on you, watching as you slowly crumble, the determination in your eyes wavering.

"Does she really mean that much to you?" You ask, not willing to look at him as you wait for his answer.

"Well...yea..."

Shit. It was such a simple answer but its effect had you feeling like you had the wind knocked out of you. You turn your face away, angling your body away in the process and you try and catch your breath.

"Fine..." It was all you could manage to breath out in the moment but it resulted in a smile spreading across your dear friends lips.

"Oh thank you Y/N!!!" You really are the best!! I'll find a way to pay you back I promise." He grasps onto your shoulders and drags you across the bench and into his side for a hug. "Let's get together after school so we can start."

From across the table a pair of hazel eyes watched the two of you, the troubled expression on your face a sharp contrast to the joy on Tendou's.