Please give me the courage to confess to Noya, Tanaka prayed to any and all powers that might be listening.
“Noya, when you're done changing, can you meet me behind the gym?” Tanaka asked quietly after practice. Noya looked curiously at him.
“Sure.”
Tanaka paced as he waited for Noya, running over what he wanted to say. He was glad no one could see him, because he was pretty sure he looked scarier than usual, frowning and clenching and unclenching his fists.
“What's up, Ryuu?” Tanaka whipped around to see Noya standing there, smiling.
“Noya!” Everything he wanted to say fell out of his head. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stood there awkwardly.
“So what's going on? Isn't this where people confess?” Noya asked, laughing. Tanaka laughed too, a little too loudly. Fuck it. Daichi had once complimented him on his mental fortitude, his ability to go for the gold no matter what setbacks he faced, and he wasn't about to let his captain down. Even though Daichi had been referring to volleyball and not romance.
“Noya!” Tanaka bowed and spoke loudly and quickly. “You're the coolest person I've ever met and I like you a lot! Please go out with me?” He straightened up, eyes scrunched closed so he wouldn't have to see Noya's reaction. Did he do it right? It wasn't like he had any experience with confessions. Just how accurate was shoujo manga, anyway?
Why wasn't Noya saying anything?
Tanaka cracked an eye open, then opened the other. Noya stood in front of him, blushing heavily and his lower lip trembling.
“Noya?” He stepped forward, his instinct to take care of his friends kicking in before he remembered why Noya looked like that.
“Ah, shit. I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked you to- I just wanted to tell you- This doesn't have to- You can just-” He couldn't figure out the right thing to say. He scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed. “Are we going to be ok?”
“Yes,” Noya said quietly. Tanaka gave him a wobbly smile in relief. “Yes, Ryuu,” Noya continued, louder this time, “I will go out with you.”
Now it was Tanaka's turn to blush. His eyes welled up with happy tears.
“Really?”
“Yeah,” Noya answered, and Tanaka could see he was crying too. “You're the coolest person I know, and I like you, too.” Tanaka laughed wetly. They stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Bump fists? Hold hands? Hug? Kiss?
It was them, though, and even things being new and uncertain between them couldn't extinguish years of celebrating together. Noya gave a whoop and leaped into the air and Tanaka whooped in response, catching him at the waist and lifting him high.
Tanaka mentally thanked the universe for answering his prayer.
FILL: Team Grandstand, PG
Please give me the courage to confess to Noya, Tanaka prayed to any and all powers that might be listening.
“Noya, when you're done changing, can you meet me behind the gym?” Tanaka asked quietly after practice. Noya looked curiously at him.
“Sure.”
Tanaka paced as he waited for Noya, running over what he wanted to say. He was glad no one could see him, because he was pretty sure he looked scarier than usual, frowning and clenching and unclenching his fists.
“What's up, Ryuu?” Tanaka whipped around to see Noya standing there, smiling.
“Noya!” Everything he wanted to say fell out of his head. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stood there awkwardly.
“So what's going on? Isn't this where people confess?” Noya asked, laughing. Tanaka laughed too, a little too loudly. Fuck it. Daichi had once complimented him on his mental fortitude, his ability to go for the gold no matter what setbacks he faced, and he wasn't about to let his captain down. Even though Daichi had been referring to volleyball and not romance.
“Noya!” Tanaka bowed and spoke loudly and quickly. “You're the coolest person I've ever met and I like you a lot! Please go out with me?” He straightened up, eyes scrunched closed so he wouldn't have to see Noya's reaction. Did he do it right? It wasn't like he had any experience with confessions. Just how accurate was shoujo manga, anyway?
Why wasn't Noya saying anything?
Tanaka cracked an eye open, then opened the other. Noya stood in front of him, blushing heavily and his lower lip trembling.
“Noya?” He stepped forward, his instinct to take care of his friends kicking in before he remembered why Noya looked like that.
“Ah, shit. I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked you to- I just wanted to tell you- This doesn't have to- You can just-” He couldn't figure out the right thing to say. He scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed. “Are we going to be ok?”
“Yes,” Noya said quietly. Tanaka gave him a wobbly smile in relief. “Yes, Ryuu,” Noya continued, louder this time, “I will go out with you.”
Now it was Tanaka's turn to blush. His eyes welled up with happy tears.
“Really?”
“Yeah,” Noya answered, and Tanaka could see he was crying too. “You're the coolest person I know, and I like you, too.” Tanaka laughed wetly. They stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Bump fists? Hold hands? Hug? Kiss?
It was them, though, and even things being new and uncertain between them couldn't extinguish years of celebrating together. Noya gave a whoop and leaped into the air and Tanaka whooped in response, catching him at the waist and lifting him high.
Tanaka mentally thanked the universe for answering his prayer.