Ship: Ushijima/Oikawa Fandom: Haikyuu Major Tags: None. Other Tags: None. Square: I don't wanna dance if I'm not dancing with you Word Count: 701
***
The first year of being a council member hadn’t been as bad as Tooru was expecting. It had been rough at the start, of course. He hadn’t liked Ushijima then - and no matter what people seemed to think, he still didn’t like Ushijima now. But he’d been surprisingly open to Tooru’s ideas, and had even implemented some of them. Tooru had thought his status on the council would be an opportunity for Ushijima to lord over him, had been prepared to fight tooth and nail to even be heard. instead, he’d risen to prominience in no time at all, and people had begun to see him as King Ushijima’s right-hand man. In short, a lot more about their king’s personality had become… palatable, over the course of the last year.
There was, of course, still room for improvement. “You could stand to look a little more excited, your Majesty,” Tooru said in a low voice, nudging Ushijima in the ribs. Ushijima straightened in his chair, as if looking awake and alert was what the situation required.
“I am excited,” he said, with his typical monotone expression. “It is the first anniversary of my reign. We’re throwing a party. I’m very excited.”
Tooru clicked his tongue and waved one hand in a flippant gesture. “I wasn’t saying you were or you weren’t. I don’t really care. But you should look like it. Or at least try.”
Ushijima nodded, and Tooru sat back, watching the proceedings. It took a couple minutes for him to realize that Ushijima was still looking at him expectantly. “What?”
“How exactly would you suggest…?”
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” Tooru rolled his eyes, then got to his feet, reaching a hand out to Ushijima. There was something slightly gratifying in how quickly the other man took his hand and rose as well. “Come on. Dance with me.”
“Um-- what?” But it was too late for Ushijima to be alarmed. Tooru was already pulling him onto the dance floor, as the musicians wound down one piece and prepared to start another.
“Pull yourself together, your Majesty. It’s a waltz. I know you have to be able to handle that.” Tooru pulled Ushijima into the starting pose, leading him into the flow of the dance with the other pairs already there. Thankfully, Ushijima followed his lead quickly enough.
“I was taught the waltz. You aren’t wrong. It’s been quite a long time since I’ve danced, however,” he admitted, and the minute shifting of his tone suggested that he might have been a little sheepish about that.
“That’s where you’re going wrong,” Tooru said freely. A year ago, he would’ve bitten his tongue - or, more realistically, added on a ‘your Majesty’ to keep up a pretense of civility. Now, they’d been in each other’s company long enough for Ushijima to know that all of Tooru’s advice came from a deep, hidden well of generosity, no matter how impolite his words might seem when spoken. “You’re not a bad leader. I think people like you as a King. But you need to lighten up if you want people to see you as kind, or likable, or whatever it is you might be going for.”
“Approachable, I think.” Ushijima corrected, his face set as he considered what Tooru had said. They moved around the dance circle one full time before Ushijima spoke again. “It seems I still have a lot to learn.”
“Oh, yes. There’s so very, very much,” Tooru teased, easing up on his toes so he could twirl Ushijima under his arm. “You’re lucky that you have me to help you out. I don’t know what you’d do otherwise.”
“I must admit, I too believe I would be at a loss.” The song ended and Ushijima smiled down at him, a veritable rarity in the encyclopedia of his expressions. Tooru could feel something in his stomach flip at his unexpected agreement.
Smugness, probably, he told himself. He was clearly indispensable to the king. There was something to feel smug about there. And it was a neat explanation for the feeling bubbling underneath his skin that he didn’t want to examine too closely. Not quite yet.
FILL: TEAM OIKAWA TOORU/USHIJIMA WAKATOSHI, B1, G
Fandom: Haikyuu
Major Tags: None.
Other Tags: None.
Square: I don't wanna dance if I'm not dancing with you
Word Count: 701
***
The first year of being a council member hadn’t been as bad as Tooru was expecting. It had been rough at the start, of course. He hadn’t liked Ushijima then - and no matter what people seemed to think, he still didn’t like Ushijima now. But he’d been surprisingly open to Tooru’s ideas, and had even implemented some of them. Tooru had thought his status on the council would be an opportunity for Ushijima to lord over him, had been prepared to fight tooth and nail to even be heard. instead, he’d risen to prominience in no time at all, and people had begun to see him as King Ushijima’s right-hand man. In short, a lot more about their king’s personality had become… palatable, over the course of the last year.
There was, of course, still room for improvement. “You could stand to look a little more excited, your Majesty,” Tooru said in a low voice, nudging Ushijima in the ribs. Ushijima straightened in his chair, as if looking awake and alert was what the situation required.
“I am excited,” he said, with his typical monotone expression. “It is the first anniversary of my reign. We’re throwing a party. I’m very excited.”
Tooru clicked his tongue and waved one hand in a flippant gesture. “I wasn’t saying you were or you weren’t. I don’t really care. But you should look like it. Or at least try.”
Ushijima nodded, and Tooru sat back, watching the proceedings. It took a couple minutes for him to realize that Ushijima was still looking at him expectantly. “What?”
“How exactly would you suggest…?”
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” Tooru rolled his eyes, then got to his feet, reaching a hand out to Ushijima. There was something slightly gratifying in how quickly the other man took his hand and rose as well. “Come on. Dance with me.”
“Um-- what?” But it was too late for Ushijima to be alarmed. Tooru was already pulling him onto the dance floor, as the musicians wound down one piece and prepared to start another.
“Pull yourself together, your Majesty. It’s a waltz. I know you have to be able to handle that.” Tooru pulled Ushijima into the starting pose, leading him into the flow of the dance with the other pairs already there. Thankfully, Ushijima followed his lead quickly enough.
“I was taught the waltz. You aren’t wrong. It’s been quite a long time since I’ve danced, however,” he admitted, and the minute shifting of his tone suggested that he might have been a little sheepish about that.
“That’s where you’re going wrong,” Tooru said freely. A year ago, he would’ve bitten his tongue - or, more realistically, added on a ‘your Majesty’ to keep up a pretense of civility. Now, they’d been in each other’s company long enough for Ushijima to know that all of Tooru’s advice came from a deep, hidden well of generosity, no matter how impolite his words might seem when spoken. “You’re not a bad leader. I think people like you as a King. But you need to lighten up if you want people to see you as kind, or likable, or whatever it is you might be going for.”
“Approachable, I think.” Ushijima corrected, his face set as he considered what Tooru had said. They moved around the dance circle one full time before Ushijima spoke again. “It seems I still have a lot to learn.”
“Oh, yes. There’s so very, very much,” Tooru teased, easing up on his toes so he could twirl Ushijima under his arm. “You’re lucky that you have me to help you out. I don’t know what you’d do otherwise.”
“I must admit, I too believe I would be at a loss.” The song ended and Ushijima smiled down at him, a veritable rarity in the encyclopedia of his expressions. Tooru could feel something in his stomach flip at his unexpected agreement.
Smugness, probably, he told himself. He was clearly indispensable to the king. There was something to feel smug about there. And it was a neat explanation for the feeling bubbling underneath his skin that he didn’t want to examine too closely. Not quite yet.