GOT ME HOOKED, NOW I'M SO CONFUSED!?
☆ MALE READER
SUMMARY: separate sfw headcanons of Shiratorizawa's ace and the Guess Monster being in love with male reader!
WARNINGS: none, i'd say. fluff:v.
CHARACTERS: Ushijima Wakatoshi, Tendō Satori.
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USHIJIMA WAKATOSHI
◡๑ He hears about you from one of the team members, Semi. You’re a friend of his, and Semi mentions that you’ll be going to practice that day because you’re interested in joining the team.
◡๑ The fact that you’re interested in volleyball is already a plus.
◡๑ He’s never been interested in anyone physically or emotionally; his deepest passion is purely volleyball—he doesn’t have time to meet people.
◡๑ And even if he wanted to, he’s bad at social interactions, so he doesn’t worry about it anyway.
◡๑ That’s why it feels strange to him when you manage to catch his attention, and he actually wants… to talk to you??
◡๑ He actually gets confused when you seem offended/hurt by his harsh comment about how terrible you were at hitting the ball from above...
◡๑ Was that just an observation? You can't start a conversation like that?—by giving your opinion?
◡๑ Semi called him out on it, whispering that maybe it wasn't the best idea to treat you that way...
◡๑ He still didn't get it, but whatever.
◡๑ After practice, Semi asked his friends what they thought of you.
◡๑ “He's very bad at volleyball. He’s quite pleasing to the eye.”
◡๑ Which basically means he thought you were handsome...ignoring the first part...
◡๑ Without knowing why you stayed on his mind for a while; he’d watch you from a distance over the next few days when you went to practice.
◡๑ It’s important to note that the second time you went, he apologized for the comment he’d made, adding at the end:
◡๑ “You’ll learn to take criticism—your technique is still terrible.”
◡๑ And once again, he didn’t understand why exactly Semi shut him down.
◡๑ But little by little, he began to understand what he should and shouldn't say—and how to say it.
◡๑ And you gradually got used to his direct, unfiltered honesty—for the good of the team.
◡๑ You were becoming closer to the group in question.
◡๑ But Ushijima felt left behind in that regard, which bothered him.
◡๑ Although what bothered him even more was not knowing why it bothered him.
◡๑ The best way to get close to him was to become an assistant coach.
◡๑ If you’re a spiker like him, even better (+100 points if you’re also left-handed). He’ll pay much more attention to you to correct your technique and give you advice.
◡๑ Less harsh advice, but just as honest, of course.
◡๑ As a setter? That would work too—you’d have to learn to set the ball the way he does; and what better way than by spending more time training together?
◡๑ Even as a libero, trying to receive his spikes would be good training for you: although you might not feel the difference when you do it, he uses a little less power when you’re the one receiving so he doesn’t hurt you as much.
◡๑ He’d never say that out loud...
◡๑ As the training sessions go on, he notices that because you’re not used to sports and physical activity, you get very tired and develop several bruises on your arms and legs.
◡๑ It’s much worse because of Washijo’s tough training sessions...
◡๑ So you’re taken aback when, at the next practice, before they start, he hands you a pair of knee pads and arm sleeves with that calm, steady look in his eyes.
◡๑ “Having so many bruises means you’re making progress.”
◡๑ “Or maybe you’re just terrible at it...” Ushijima silences Tendō with a stern look.
◡๑ From there, a strange friendship develops between you.
◡๑ You fit right in with the group and go on the outings they organize.
◡๑ Ushijima hardly ever went, but now that you’re there, he’s almost always present (as long as you’re there).
◡๑ That’s obvious to everyone.
“You’re only doing this for him, aren’t you?” he gave hom an amused look, earning a frown in return.
“I don’t know what you mean.” Deep down, he knew what he meant.
◡๑ Being such a quiet person by nature, he finds a sense of calm in your expressive voice, which speaks just the way he likes it: not too much, not too little, and not as reserved as he is.
◡๑ The perfect middle ground.
◡๑ Since he listens to every word you say—believe it or not—every tiny detail is stored in his memory.
◡๑ From the very first time he hears your coffee order, he’ll order it for you on subsequent outings because he’s already memorized it.
◡๑ If they're at someone’s house and they ask him to put on some music, he’ll play any of your favorite bands or singers.
◡๑ And if he can? He’ll buy almost anything you mention that reflects your tastes or hint that you want.
“Look, Tendō, the new volume of Love is War!!” you pointed to the store window, and Satori ran over to your side.
Ushijima heard you and noticed which one you were pointing at. You saw him, and before you could stop him, he was already going inside to buy it.
And he came out two minutes later with the manga wrapped up, handing it to you. You took it with embarrassed hands. “You didn’t have to, Ushi-kun. You know I don’t want to bother you with money or silly gifts.”
He raised an eyebrow, thinking you were saying something silly. “I don’t have any problems with money—I have plenty to spend.”
You just sighed, knowing he wasn’t speaking in a boastful, rich person’s tone.
◡๑ He insists that he just really enjoys your company, denying any romantic claims made by the rest of the team.
◡๑ Yes, he listens to you more attentively than he does to anyone else—more so than if someone were talking about volleyball...
◡๑ Yes, he’s considerate of your feelings and isn’t THAT direct with his criticism or opinions...
◡๑ Yes, he notices that he texts you quite a bit, always looking to talk to you...
◡๑ Yes, he finds himself buying you anything he sees that reminds him of you even in the slightest way or that he knows you're interested in, no matter what.
◡๑ Yes, you can talk for hours, and he'll never feel overwhelmed, because your voice reminds him of the sound of the calm sea along the coast...
◡๑ Yes, he feels a strange tingling sensation and a burning warmth just from your presence, especially when you smile—which he describes as “dazzling.”...
◡๑ Yes, he often points out how well-groomed you are and that you’re definitely a very cute guy—the cutest on the team and on campus...
◡๑ ...And suddenly, at 2 a.m., unable to sleep, he realizes what he’s feeling.
◡๑ Somewhat unsettled by this new feeling, he asks for help; Tendō isn’t much help, so he turns to Semi instead.
◡๑ With Semi’s help, he comes to understand and accept this emotion that had been blossoming for quite some time.
◡๑ And he decides to do something about it...
You were puzzled when you heard your doorbell ring several times; who could it be, so persistent? You weren’t expecting any visitors...
You weren’t expecting Ushijima at your door, holding a bouquet of your favorite flowers in one hand and an adorable stuffed animal of your favorite animal in the other (guess where he got that information from).
“I want to be your boyfriend. I like you.” He's so direct and blunt that it seems unreal to you, and you’re more confused than ever.
“U-Uh...” Your eyes darted back and forth between the stuffed animal, the flowers, and him several times, while your cheeks flushed a pale pink with nervousness.
Ushijima felt confused and frowned. “Don’t you like the stuffed animal?” He paused and changed the subject. “Or the flowers? Did I get the wrong flowers?”
Faced with your silence (you were speechless), he added, “Am I dressed wrong? I spent an hour trying to look really sharp for you.” Only then did you realize he was dressed up as if he were going to a wedding.
Oh my God...
◡๑ You gently try to make him see reason—he couldn’t just ask you that out of the blue…
◡๑ Yeah, yeah—you two were close, really, but you’d never gone on a date alone together, just the two of you, for example.
◡๑ “I get it. Should I pick you up this Friday at 7 p.m.? I’ll make a reservation at a restaurant.” my god this man...
◡๑ Needless to say, even though it happened so fast, you accepted, and it turned out to be one of the best dates ever.
◡๑ One of the best dates you’ve ever had together—the first of many. So elegant and such a gentleman he was, definitely
◡๑ And if you enjoyed them all, after about 5 or 6 dates, his second confession (though now official) would be just as direct...
◡๑ But in a slightly more romantic setting!
◡๑ You kinda felt like a princess, lol.
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TENDŌ SATORI
◡๑ For him, lets say you're the team's new manager.
◡๑ You caught his interest right away: atracttion at first sight, so to speak.
◡๑ Since he used to get teased about his appearance, he’s not the type to tease others about it.
◡๑ He loved to annoy his friends and volleyball rivals, but he didn’t do that when it came to other people’s physical appearance.
◡๑ But the day Coach Washijo introduced you, his thought was:
◡๑ “He's handsome.” And that thought stuck with him.
◡๑ Finding you interesting from the very first moment, he’d approach you with all the confidence in the world. Which would surprise you a little, given his very outspoken attitude.
◡๑ He insists that he finds you interesting and would like to be your friend. Nothing more than that!
◡๑ He says that, but the way he usually greets you suggests otherwise...
◡๑ "How is it going good looking?”
◡๑ He couldn’t help but talk to you during practice: taking advantage of any slight distraction on the coach’s part, he’d come over to say something silly.
◡๑ He’d probably talk to you about manga and anime.
◡๑ “Hey, how’s that shonen manga I lent you? Did you like it?” he’d ask, looking at you with his big, snake-like eyes, and you’d be speechless because you’d forgotten he’d even lent it to you.
◡๑ Don't worry, he'll lend you another one and remind you to read it.
◡๑ That is, unless you're already interested in anime and manga!
◡๑ What if you were? He'd be fascinated and would take every little opportunity to talk to you about it.
◡๑ It was the perfect common interest.
◡๑ And not only would he talk to you about it, but he’d also take advantage of the fact that if you like anime and manga, he already had gifts in mind for you.
◡๑ That planner from your favorite manga that has all the team’s important dates? He gave it to you—personalized online.
“Really cute, isn’t it?” he said with a proud smile, watching the look of amazement on your face as you opened the gift. “I know, I know—I’m such a good friend! Right, Ushi-kun!?” The person in question simply looked at him and ignored him.
You flipped through the pages of the notebook a bit and then smiled at Tendō. “Thank you, Tendō-kun. That’s very kind of you.”
Your smile couldn’t help but make him nervous, and his confident, arrogant demeanor crumbled slightly as he tried to hide the blush that was clearly visible on his cheeks.
He didn’t like that your smile made him feel that way... He liked your smile, though.
◡๑ Even though he was very outgoing and talked to almost the whole team, it was kind of noticeable how anxious and clingy he’d get around you.
◡๑ Especially during games when he was on the bench—he’d go on and on about God knows what (probably some manga), not letting you stay focused.
◡๑ It was kind of on purpose.
◡๑ But he just wanted your attention!
◡๑ That’s what he said when Ushijima called him out for being so clingy with you (Wakatoshi used other words).
◡๑ “Huh!? I’m not clingy! I just think he's interesting—what’s wrong with me talking to him every once in a while, during practice? No need to be jealous, Ushi-kun!”
◡๑ Although he was the one who got jealous when he saw you talking so animatedly with another teammate.
◡๑ He was a little jealous of how well you got along with Goshiki… it wasn’t fair—you didn’t look as happy as when he was talking to you.
◡๑ He never told you that to your face—that would be weird—but he did say behind Goshiki’s back:
◡๑ “I don’t know why they're so close… I insist I’m funnier than Goshiki-kun.”
◡๑ He’d play dumb if anyone teased him about it, accusing him of being jealous when you were just the manager.
◡๑ Like you?? Nah, that’s stupid.
◡๑ He just had a special affection for you—you were a close friend. Anyone would feel jealous in a situation like that!
◡๑ Of course he didn’t spend every free moment during practice talking to you. Or even outside of practice..
◡๑ Of course he didn’t always manage to steer a conversation about you for several minutes.
◡๑ Of course you weren’t the only one he lent his FAVORITE manga to—you were special to him.
◡๑ Of course he’d look up and read about any manga or anime you mentioned so he could learn more about it.
◡๑ Of course he’d buy you something related to your favorite series or movie, like a keychain of your favorite character or something like that.
◡๑ Of course he didn’t zone out for a few seconds during practice (sometimes even during games) just to admire you while you were so focused on your team’s stats.
◡๑ Of course he didn’t follow you with his eyes every time you walked by, even if he was talking to someone else.
◡๑ Of course he didn’t think you were the cutest guy he’d ever seen in his whole life…..
◡๑ Out of the blue, while talking about those things with Taichi, he realizes how he truly feels...
“I mean, he’s calm, a little quiet at times... though that must be because I love teasing him.” He laughed at the thought.
“But he has such a great smile—so sweet... adorable... cute... bright...”
He was about to add more adjectives but noticed Taichi’s amused expression, which encouraged him to continue. At that moment, the stone of love hit him with all the force and weight of the world.
“Ah,” was all he could manage to say, his cheeks as red as his hair.
◡๑ Needless to say, he doesn’t want to accept it at first.
◡๑ Not because you’re a man, but because he refuses to accept this feeling of love. For you.
◡๑ You’re just a friend… it has nothing to do with the fact that ever since he saw you, he thought you were beautiful.
◡๑ But with you on his mind 24 hours a day, after a few days he realizes he has to accept what he feels…
◡๑ And win your heart, once and for all!
◡๑ He turns to Ushijima, wondering what he could do to win you over: he quickly realizes he went to the worst person for this situation because Ushijima knows nothing about love. Absolutely NOTHING.
◡๑ He sort of comes to the conclusion that he should keep getting closer to you, without being too clingy so as not to overwhelm you.
◡๑ From that day on, there’s a change in his personality.
◡๑ He’s a little more confident—almost flirty? Strange, you think...
◡๑ He does everything he can to be with you: he always stays with you to tidy up the gym (sometimes getting frustrated when someone else joins in to help) and takes the opportunity to talk to you and talk to you.
◡๑ On one of those occasions, he convinces you to let him teach you a thing or two about volleyball. Well, your technique was terrible.
◡๑ He teaches you how to serve from the top, right from the start.
◡๑ You’re absolutely terrible at it, no doubt about it..
◡๑ He keeps at it anyway, and during several practice sessions after training ends, he keeps helping you practice.
◡๑ In a few weeks, you improve quite a bit, but you’re not great, of course. Just mediocre.
◡๑ And he takes advantage of that.
“Ohhh, come on! Try it—don’t be so pessimistic!” he exclaimed from the other side of the net, gathering up some balls.
You huffed, the ball tucked under your arm. “What makes you think I’ll pull it off?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Because you’re amazing,” he winked at you, flirtatious and teasing. An idea crossed his mind, and he smiled. “Listen. Try it just once. If it goes over the net and lands inside the court, you’ll do whatever I ask. If it doesn’t go over or goes out—like you think it will—I’ll do whatever you ask.” He pointed at you with his index finger, wrapped in bandages.
You were silent for a few seconds, but then you nodded, exhaling but bracing yourself. “I’ll start thinking about what favor you’ll do for me.”
You took a few seconds to psych yourself up. You tossed the ball up and hit it before stepping on the boundary line.
The ball hit the top of the net, and you thought it wouldn’t go through; you were pleasantly surprised when it went over to the other side and landed in.
Tendō smirked at you proudly, with an “I told you so” look. You were quite surprised at yourself, though also proud.
“Wow, I didn’t have much faith in myself,” you said in amazement, walking over to retrieve the ball. You picked it up and, remembering the challenge, asked, “What evil favor are you going to make me do for you?” You smiled, imagining the silly thing Satori would make you do.
He laughed. He bowed and held out his left arm, as if extending an invitation: “Go on a date with me.”
◡๑ It took him a while to convince you that he wasn’t joking and that he really wanted to go on a date.
◡๑ You weren’t expecting it at all, but you accepted more out of a sense of obligation.
◡๑ It turned out to be really interesting in the end!
◡๑ So when it came to the second date, you didn’t hesitate much to accept either… and there was a third… a fourth… a fifth…
◡๑ And then, out of the blue, Tendō showed up with a stuffed animal of your favorite character and a sappy letter asking you to make things official.
◡๑ So otaku.
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