Flutter

Finally a Butterfly

Normally, Ushijima would be delighted to see you waiting up for him with breakfast on the table. Though his mouth was drawn into a rather sour line when he saw someone sitting in his seat across the table. Before he could ask you what was going on, you looked at him with a smile that conveyed all of the irritation you were feeling at the moment.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, focusing back in Tenou, who was nonchalantly munching on toast.

"I came to see your game." He said, but instead of turning his body to look at Ushijima behind him, he tilted his head back and looked at Ushijima upside down.

"The game is not for another ten hours."

"Aww, I was hoping you could show me around." Tendou continued eating while upside down. You grimaced.

"As long as you are our guest, please use manners." You said pointedly.

Tendou went back to sitting upright in the chair and Ushijima went back behind the curtain dividing the bedroom and the kitchen.

"You sure got hot." Tendou said, that stupid mischief in his eye. "Women in love are something else."

You snorted. "You may be my friend but I can still whack you into next week." You cleaned up your dishes and began lathering up the sponge.

"I'm serious! You know, I haven't seen him this happy in a long time." Tendou pointed out.

"Hmm?" You hummed, rinsing the dishes.

"He used to be so broody sometimes, thought not after he saw you." Tendou said. "But now, he seems almost adult." You turned off the tap and dried the dishes. "And you seem to have a sort of direction to you, you are serious now."

You sighed. "It's part of being an adult, we are going to be twenty this year." You turned around and leaned against the cabinets. "I wasn't going to spend the rest of my life without making a real connection, without doing something of value."

"I already am twenty." Tendou said almost proudly.

You rolled your eyes, "And you sure act like it, Tendou-kun."

The three of you set out to see what was around town. There was a zoo in the next town over and there was a downtown area with a shopping district and a couple cafes. There wasn't much of anything that you thought Tendou would specifically enjoy. He seemed to be content though, with Ushijima telling him about where you lived.

You relaxed, Ushijima could do all of the tour guide work and you could focus on enjoying the day. It was nice to catch up with Tendou and reminisce about high school. The busier you got, the harder it became to keep in touch with your high school friends.

For once, you had someone to watch Ushijima's games with you. It was nice to share it with someone, especially with someone who cared for your boyfriend and was maybe just as proud of him as you were.

That night, Tendou came back with two bottles of saké. One was a gift for visiting, and the other was for the three of you to share. It was always a good time when Tendou was around. And even though Ushijima normally wasn't up for drinking, or much of anything after night matches, he seemed to smile more. He threaded a hand in yours while the three of you sat in the bedroom and chatted. Ushijima pumped your hand three times. He did that often, more often than he used to. You made a note to ask him about it for later. But for now, you were young and happy and spending time with your two favorite people from high school.

The next morning, going to class was the hardest thing to do. Even though you knew how important it was and everything you had sacrificed to get there. Class just felt unimportant. You could hear the shower cutting off and laying in bed, and more importantly, getting Ushijima to get back into bed seemed like the most wonderful thing in the world. But you knew that once he had gone on his run and started the day, Ushijima wouldn't be able to sleep so you slid grumpily from the bed and made your way towards the kitchen, getting a start on breakfast, the rice and tea. Ushijima would make everything else.

It was your little routine when you stayed over with him, which wasn't often, but common enough to warrant it. He would come out of the bathroom and you would trade places. Once you had brushed your teeth and washed your face, and you were otherwise ready for class, breakfast would be nearly or completely ready. You would slink back into the kitchen, past where he would be standing by the stove and give him a kiss before sitting down in your seat. A quick and nutritious meal, certainly something you wouldn't have made if you had woken up alone in your own bed.

After breakfast, the two of you would put away your dishes and then make your way to campus together, holding hands. Ushijima wasn't the most outwardly affectionate person in the world, but you were glad that any time you went out together, his hand gravitated towards yours like a magnet. You would talk about whatever was going on in the little world of your college life. As you walked by your house with Ushijima, on occasion you would catch your roommate,Sawada, booking it out the door, chronically late in the mornings and often in too much of a hurry to do more than wave at the two of you as she dashed past in the opposite direction of campus.

Wherever you parted ways, he would give you a quick peck and squeeze your hand three times. Today you finally asked. "What does that mean?"

He grinned at you, a smile so rare to see of anyone in public, much less him, "I love you!" He called it loud enough for half the campus to hear, and you could have sworn you were going to burst into a fit of tears right then and there.

Your heart almost burst.