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Bitter Like Chocolate - Satori Tendou (Frozen Hearts Collab)

T/W: NO HAPPY ENDING, consensual sex, language, oralsex!, mutual masterbat!on, trauma, heart break

Word Count: 15.3K

A/N: This is my submission for The Frozen Hearts Collab, courtesy of the lovely @kingkatsuki & @bakuroo-writings ! I've never really written a no-happy-ending scenario before, so I'm thankful for the opportunity to push myself now! This is going to be a two-part story where the first part is for the collab ending sadly, and the second part will be the conclusion with a happy ending! I would also like to note that Y/N is based heavily off of myself. This writing has been very therapeutic in the sense that I was able to really embrace who I am and, ironically, comfort myself through Tendou and the hurt I put Y/N through. This is also the longest piece I've ever written, and I'm so excited to share this with you all!

Thank you for reading, and I hope that you enjoy it!

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You were different.

It was nothing bad, nothing you weren't used to. More than anything, you took pride in the fact that who you are as a person set you apart. The way you expressed yourself, the way you uniquely did tasks apart from how others would've done the same thing, even how you chose to look. While it made you proud to actively rebel against the norm, it also made you insecure. Underneath all of that confidence you held, there was a truth that no one could know- being unique was a lot harder than it seemed.

Why did you have to be born like this, with this incessant need to stand out? Why did the idea of looking so average make you nauseous? Why couldn't you just blend in and save yourself the trouble?

From the beginning, it was a trait you bared that you loathed; that was until you saw him. Until Tendou.

While you went through the daily ringer of being teased and brushing it off to save face, you'd never really gone through what Satori Tendou did. Sure, being sarcastically questioned about your afterschool activities wasn't fun, because the cruel kids only asked to imply you were off in some red-light district, selling your body to the night. Having a nice body in high school was a crime, didn't you know? And while it was embarrassing enough, it wasn't nearly as bad as being called a lizard-faced freak. It wasn't as bad as having someone knock your lunch tray from your hands because your eccentric personality set off an itch to be hateful in someone. It wasn't as bad as being kicked in the stomach by the same kid who just ruined your lunch. It wasn't as bad for you as it was for Satori Tendou.

Something else about you that gave you pride in yourself- you knew you were a decent human when it counted.

The moment the lunchroom debacle happened, you shot up from your seat, milk carton in hand. Your long legs carried you in quick strides up to the guilty party that just did the unthinkable to the redhead. The boy in question saw you approach, and as expected, you were met with the same holier-than-thou attitude as Tendou. He chuckled, pointing a lazy finger to the beverage in your hand. "What're ya gonna do, dump milk on my head? Is that the worst ya got, girly?"

You snicker, looking down at the small carton in your hand before looking back up at the boy. "You know what? I've definitely got worse." With a swift swing of your arm, you haul off and slam the full carton into the boy's face, colliding directly with his nose. He lets out a painful shriek, grasping his face with an angry sneer at the sight of his blood mixing with the dairy that dripped down his skin. Knowing good and well that he was bested, and embarrassed, to say the least, he turns and takes off.

Directing your attention back to the victim on the ground, your features soften, and you crouch down to his level as the redhead grasps at his stomach. "Hey...Tendou, right? Are you hurt badly?"

The lanky boy shifts his body, facing you with an expression that was certainly the last look you were expecting- a big, goofy smile.

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine. No worries!"

Your worried brows unfurrow, face softening. "Well, good. That guy was such an-"

"Asshole! That's right, you'd better run!" A shrill voice cries out as footsteps approach the two of you. Two boys, approximately yours and Tendou's age stoop down and hoist Tendou up. The one harboring most of Tendou's weight was tan with a short brown fade, while the other has coal black hair with slanted bangs. The shrill-voiced ravenette turns to you, looking you over. "Excuse me miss, are you alright?"

Before you can speak, a chuckle sounds from behind, and all eyes are back on the redhead. "Is she alright? Are you kidding, she's the one who sent that guy running!"

Looks of confusion and surprise enveloped the other boys' faces, which quickly shifted to stern expressions before they bowed to you, forcing Tendou down with them, causing him to yelp as he was forced downard. "Thank you very much for helping our teammate! We won't trouble you any longer." With a mere pivot of the heel, the three boys did a full one-eighty, beginning to walk away.

"Excuse me," You called gently, but they didn't stop. Time to try again. "I said hey!!" Your voice carried, and they all stopped again, looking back at you. You were much louder and more abrasive than intended. Sinking back sheepishly, you clear your throat and reapproach. "Sorry, I just...listen, Tendou, you didn't get to eat lunch. I'd like to buy you something to eat."

The ravenette put his hands up defensively and smiled. "No, miss, that's alright! You've done enough-"

"Goshiki, shut up! The lady wants to buy me lunch~" Tendou wiggled his eyebrows, and you couldn't help but giggle- not just at the way Tendou spoke towards you, but the almost offended look on his friend's face for being shut down. Tendou turned to his friend who was supporting him. "It's alright, Ushi-waka. I can walk."

The tan boy simply nodded with a grunt of approval, letting Tendou go.

The lanky redhead shooed off his teammates like children, but once they were gone, he stumbled and braced on to you for support. "Sorry about this, I had to lie or they'd have stuck around, and I don't miss out on free meals!" Another giggle left your lips as you helped him balance, the free hand not bracing you for support coming around to shake your hand while he shot you a goofy smile. "Satori Tendou...the pleasure's all yours!"

--

From that point on, you and Tendou were inseparable. Where you were seen, he was quick to follow. It was so good to finally have someone there for you- someone equally as odd and outgoing, with just the same spark of crazy. Your friendship bloomed like the rarest of flowers, and those who looked upon it could only be envious of its beauty; only hoping that one day, they too could find a connection as strong as what you and Tendou had. Weeks had passed since the cafeteria incident, and every day since, the two of you sat together to share meals between classes.

It wasn't long at all until you learned all about Tendou: who he was, what he liked, what he disliked, his hobbies, and his passion. Every drop of information he was willing to give, you soaked up. You discovered that Tendou played on the school's volleyball team, which was his favorite thing to talk about with you. He told you about his best friend and the team's ace, Ushijima Wakatoshi. He told you how he learned to play volleyball, that one day he'd teach you too, and even about the team's special nickname for him: The Guess Monster. Soon, you began to catch yourself drifting off into daydreaming every time he talked about the sport. It wasn't that you found it boring- it was quite the opposite. The way Tendou became exhilarated simply by telling you all about his escapades within practices and games had your brain reeling and your heart pumping.

There were even times he would catch you in your daze and call you out on it.

"Y/N, are you listening to me? Too busy staring off into my ruby red eyes, eh~?"

"W-What? N-No way! I'm just focusing too hard...keep going, I'm listening. I promise."

He was right, and the fact that he would unknowingly get it right made your heartbeat so fast you worried he'd hear. Like a firm spike to a volleyball, it beat heavily against your ribcage. How did he always get it right, that you were too busy daydreaming about him that you'd check out from the conversation?

Oh yeah- Guess Monster- that's right.

Little did you know, Tendou felt just as strongly toward you. It was rare to meet someone so comfortable with being so authentically themselves like you were. Seeing you walk down the hall with your friends, towering taller than them all with your cute edgy hair. Who were you, to be so different and to be okay with that? All his life, Tendou knew nothing other than the shame others pushed upon him to feel for being himself his whole life, yet there you were, so... so you. Even though he had found acceptance now through his fellow teammates, he still could learn a thing or two from you. The optimism you radiated made him nervous, and without you knowing it either, you caught him in a trance over you all the time.

"Are your fingers bothering you again, Satori?"

Tendou snapped out of his daze, looking down to his hands that were fidgeting nervously together. Flexing his digits, he sighed dramatically and held out his hands to you. "Afraid so, Y/N. Practice reeeeeeeally tore me up."

A lie, but you didn't know that. You just smiled that infectious smile and reached into his backpack, digging around until you successfully located and pulled out the roll of medical tape he had stashed away for times like these.

"Here, I'll wrap you up again, but you've gotta be careful, okay? These are a gifted pair of hands, you need to take better care of 'em!"

Your delicate touch was all that he needed to get by. Tendou watched calmly yet intently as you took each hand at a time, holding it carefully as you circled his middle two digits with the medical tape, being sure to securely fixate the two slender digits together before moving on to the next hand. Every little touch felt like electricity to Tendou, and it felt like torture when you finally would let go, the warmth from your silky soft hands leaving his calloused ones cold and alone.

Oh, what he would give to be able to hold on to your hands forever- but he couldn't be selfish.

--

The day Tendou finally asked you out was a rough one. Tendou normally was so carefree, acting as if he'd go wherever the wind would carry him, but today he was sour and stiff. He wouldn't budge, and you received the brunt force of his resistance. You didn't understand and were even more concerned knowing that today was a game day. You could assume he was just nervous for the game itself, knowing that he usually tensed up under pressure, but today, the pressure had nothing to do with his sport. He barely talked all day, and you'd had quite enough of his attitude change once it had gotten to lunchtime. You had always eaten lunch together happily, ever since the day you first stood up for him, and some silly game against Date Tech wasn't going to ruin this precious time for you two.

"Tendou, we need to talk." You huffed, setting your tray down beside his especially hard.

"Whoa there, honey! What, not gonna call me by my first name anymore~?"

"Cut it out. What's the matter with you? You've been cold toward me all day! Did I do something wrong..?"

It was true. Each class you shared, he remained silent. Every encounter in the halls, he darted his eyes away and sped past you. Hell, looking at you now, he felt a pang in his chest just realizing how poorly his nerves manifested. "I...I didn't mean ta take it out on you, I just-"

"I know you're nervous about your game, but it's just Date Tech! I know I've never seen a game but I know you'll crush them! I-I mean, you're The Guess Monster, right? You're gonna kick their asses!"

Tendou couldn't help but look utterly shocked at your protest of his abilities, and he quickly softened up before bursting into laughter loud enough it echoed throughout the cafeteria. Other classmates stared, and you stilled, fists balled up in excited protest, your expression changing to confusion. "Satori, what is so damn funny?"

Tendou wiped at a few stray tears of hysteria, leaning to fish his practice jersey from his backpack before tossing it into your unsuspecting face. "Come to my game tonight. Everything will make sense, okay? And wear my jersey- I wanna brag to Goshiki and Semi that you showed up for me~"

You blushed madly, but smiled nonetheless and nodded quickly in agreement. "I'll be there!"

Just like the supportive friend you were, you made it to the game right on time. Early enough to grab a spot right at the front of the Shiratorizawa bleachers, early enough to get plenty of snacks for during the game, and early enough to catch the pre-game practice so that Tendou could point you out in his oversized practice jersey he'd lent you at lunch, causing you to blush and nervously wave to the boys of the team. "See?! I told you she was coming! You owe me twenty bucks, Semi!"

Once the game started, you couldn't help but kick yourself in the ass for not coming to a game sooner. Not only was the sport genuinely more interesting than what Tendou had already made it out to be, but seeing him out on the court in his element made it that much more mesmerizing. Your eyes could barely keep up with the quick serves that passed the ball back and forth between the players and yet somehow this boy- this, tall, handsome, goofy redhead- could not only keep up with it all, but also predict what was going to happen before it ever did. He blocked every spike successfully, performing better on the court than he had in a while- and his teammates had your presence there to thank. Tendou couldn't bear to screw up in front of you. With every earth-shattering boom of the volleyball hitting Tendou's hand in a surprisingly successful block, you cheered like the team's number one fan. Each time, you were the first to jump up, a beaming grin plastered on your lips from ear-to-ear, and your voice was the only one Tendou could hear among the crowd: "Way to go, Satori! Nice kill!" Your encouragement was music to his ears; it was that much sweeter knowing it was he who taught you what to say and when to say it.

The game was over before everyone knew it, Shiratorizawa dominating the game. As soon as the final buzzer rang out over the gymnasium, Tendou took off running toward the bleachers- toward you. The both of you were tall, not tall enough to reach each other, but close enough your fingertips could barely brush when reaching for each other. You bent over the railing of the bleachers with your arms extended outward as he reached up high to touch you.

"Satori Tendou, that was incredible!"

"I know I was!"

"See?! And you were all in an awful mood and nervous you would lose!"

"I wasn't worried I would lose, I was nervous because I knew I'd win!"

"Huh? Satori that makes no sense, why would that put you in a bad mood?"

"Because I told myself if I won this game and you came to watch, I'd ask you out after you saw me win!"

Heat rose from your neck up to your cheeks. The tips of your ears burned red, and your eyes locked on to his big, goofy smile.

"Wh...what..?"

"Ugh, c'mon Y/N it isn't that hard to follow, I said~"

"I know what you said!" You shout, eyes beginning to water. Seeing the emotional exchange caught the team's attention, and they began to gather around Tendou, smiling at the two of you. "You really wanna go out with me..?"

"Well duh, I wouldn't have asked if I didn't mean it~."

"It's true, Y/N," Goshiki nudged Tendou with his elbow. "He's not shut up about it all week!"

Shirabu chuckled and shouted up at you, "Now will you please accept his offer so he can shut up about you at practice?"

"His quieting down after this is most unlikely.." Ushijima spoke lowly, his voice a rumble of thunder.

A bubbly giggle erupts from your lips as you gesture your hand to the team, Tendou included. "Fellas, do you think you could help a girl out?"

Tendou looked at you confused but quickly averted his eyes down, yelping at the feeling of being hoisted upwards. The others weren't as confused as Tendou was. Semi and Goshiki held on to either side of Tendou, Shirabu supporting him from behind as Ushijima pulled the slender boy onto his broad shoulders. At this height, Tendou was face-to-face with you as you leaned over the railing of the bleachers.

"Well, Guess Monster, wanna take a gander at my answer?"

He smiled confidently, running a jesting hand through his spikey locks. "All signs point to yes."

You pull him gently closer as to not knock him off his teammates' shoulders, letting your lips collide in a sensual exchange before slowly pulling away, leaving Tendou to look dreamily dazed.

"The Guess Monster wins again."

--

The first time you made love with Tendou was something beyond anything you could have possibly dreamed of. It wasn't in any way rushed, and it was by no means less than extraordinary. Even with the intense and positive overwhelming feelings, it started like any other ordinary day. In the three months that the two of you had been dating, passions were beginning to build up, but neither of you was brave enough to make the first move.

In the mornings that Tendou would walk with you to school, there was a lingering feeling- the way the silence deafened you both as you sat alone in your empty home, parents already off to work, you tieing your shoestrings, your boyfriend looking down at your unassuming figure and just wishing he had the nerve to push you to your back and pin you to the very couch you were sitting on, all just to climb on top of you. Cage you with his body. Mark you as his.

Yet he didn't.

At school, when the two of you would be tasked with staying behind in a class to tidy up the chalkboard and clean up the desks, your heart would skip beats while your stomach did somersaults at the way your mind raced with the things you'd wished to do. It was like every organ in your body was an acrobat in times like these. Just glancing over to Tendou who stood behind the teacher's desk, school uniform sleeves rolled up past his elbows as he vigorously scrubbed off the chalk remnants from the day. His muscles shifted and the thick veins bulged in his forearms, and it was all for you- or so you had convinced yourself. The harder he scrubbed, the more he grunted, and the easier you fell into a daydream of propping yourself up on the teacher's desk behind him before spinning him around and yanking him toward you until not a molecule of air was between you. Connecting your lips with his, making him stand between your parted legs, rubbing against your core.

Yet you didn't.

Even at the evening's volleyball game. Your head was swimming at seeing him in his element, quite frankly, it always did. There wasn't a thing on this earth you found hotter about Satori Tendou than the giddy confidence he donned every game; well, that- and the way his toned arms would snap so quickly forward to block a serve or spike. Something about the way you could see his long digits, all wrapped up in the medical tape you put there, hyperextending to stop such a force with such ease. It took everything in you not to go wild at the sight. The most you could do was squirm in your seat to relieve the tension- but Tendou noticed. He noticed every time and boy did it drive him mad. If it wasn't for the way you rubbed your thighs together with every successful block he performed, or the way you'd blush when he'd shoot you a thumbs up afterward, catching you in the act despite your not knowing that he knew? What really got him going was when one of his blocks would turn into a spike. Sure, the reassurance of his team was nice, and having other classmates in the stands doing the Shiratorizawa chants was all fine and good, but nothing- nothing- compared to the way you would shoot up from your seat, every time, without fail, to cheer the loudest over every single person in the gymnasium. "Satoriiii~! Nice kill!" You'd cup your hands around your mouth to project your voice; that cute little mouth that Tendou wanted more than anything to corrupt. You'd even be so bold as to do his little dance, swirling your manicured fingers in little circles and swaying your perfect body. He'd dance along happily too, both of you mouthing his little jingle, but it was so much hotter coming from you. "Smash it, smash it, into pieces~!" You'd sing out, giggling the whole time. What was hotter? Your level of commitment to him, the way you supported him, or how you were just as much of a goofball as he was? Either way, it caused a stirring in his pants that made playing in front of a full crowd that much more difficult- and you noticed. You always noticed. You both wanted to end up in the locker room after the game, to be tangled up in each other's naked bodies, every noise of pleasure mixed in and clouded by the sound of the water pressure from the shower hitting the tiles- making passionate love while soaked in the steamy water.

Yet you both didn't.

It wasn't until Shiratorizawa's very last game, where despite your constant cheering and Tendou's best gameplay, that they lost surprisingly against Karasuno. You could see the way his shoulders hung. You could see it in Goshiki's tears that welled up in his almond eyes. It was even obvious in the ever-stoic Ushijimma- heartbreak. Hell, even you were in tears at this point; you'd grown close to the team, coming to every practice with baked goods for the team to share, cheering at every game, and just being there for Tendou. Of course, your heart swelled and broke for the whole team, but most of all, for your sweet redheaded blocker. Volleyball was everything to him, 'his paradise', he'd even called it. Your feet couldn't carry you fast enough from the bleachers, out to the halls, and down the stairs. Your lungs burned at the shock of such vigorous physical strain as you made your way out of the foreign gymnasium, looking desperately for your home team. It would have been all for not, had you not seen that familiar flash of burgundy spikes disappearing behind a wall down the corridor. You charged in that direction, "Satori!"

Goshiki poked his head around first, wiping desperately at his tear-stained cheeks. Semi saw you, too. He pulled Tendou back by the collar of his jersey, and there he was. Tendou locked eyes with you, the ruby orbs wide as your body crashed into his. He didn't fall, bracing himself properly for impact. The way you sobbed into his sweaty chest with your arms wrapped tightly around his waist, hands gripping at his back, warmed his heart. It was always obvious, but it still surprised him every time just how much you cared. "Hey now, sweet girl. What's with the waterworks? All this over little ol' me?"

His expression changed immediately when you looked up to him with your makeup running and tears spilling from your beautiful eyes. His poor girl.

"You were amazing! All of you were, all season! You all grew so much and never stopped improving, and- and- I'm so sorry it's over!"

Tendou sighed, a look of absolute zen washing over him, and his sore hands stroked the back of your head, fingers gently raking through your short hair. "My girl...cryin' like this over us.."

Goshiki was already back to sobbing from seeing your display. "Y-Y/N, it's okay! We...We did our best, you said it yourself!"

It shocked the whole team when a heavy hand laid itself over your shuttering shoulder, and you snapped your head up to make eye contact with Ushijima. The faintest of smiles tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Thank you for your support all season, Y/N."

Wide-eyed, you watched as the whole team followed suit with their ace, bowing their heads and repeating after him, "Thank you for your support, Y/N!"

Even Tendou bowed his head to you, keeping a hold of your trembling hand. "Thank you for your support all season long, Y/N," His voice was soft, as were his lips when they left a chaste kiss atop the hand he held. "Now..let me take you home."

The walk home was mostly silent apart from the small sniffles from you as you tried your best to dry your eyes. You expected more outward expression of sadness from Tendou at the loss of what seemed to be his sole purpose on this earth. 'He's probably processing it on his own, inside...I'll wait until we make it home to ask about it. I don't want to overwhelm him.' You thought to yourself, pulling his varsity jacket over your shoulders tighter; it was a chilly night, and Tendou'd be damned if his girl walked home cold. By the time you'd made it back to your house, you'd realized something fairly important. "Oh shit. Tendou, I'm sorry I can't invite you in. My parents are at a business dinner and won't be home until late."

He cocked his brow, "Worried to be alone with me all of the sudden, Y/N?"

"No, not at all! It's just...I forgot they wouldn't be home, so I didn't grab my keys before heading to school this morning.."

"So then you're locked out, yeah?"

Bashfully, you nod. What an idiot you were- but you couldn't let him worry, he was already going through enough. You smiled softly, "Don't worry about me, I can get in."

Tendou scoffed, pointing over to your home. "What're you gonna do, break-in? Don't even think of climbing the latticework to get to a window. Just come back with me to my place."

His place.

You'd never been there before. Three months of dating, and usually you both spent so much time together at school, be together at practice, and then he would walk you home to your house afterward. It had never really worked in a way that you ended up at his house. A faint blush tinted your cheeks at the thought. "I don't know, Tendou. I couldn't imagine inconveniencing your parents that way..besides, I look awful from crying, I'm in no shape to meet them like this.."

"You don't have to meet them," Tendou's expression fell, "They're out of town for an old classmate's funeral. I had to stay here for the tournament, so I've been alone all week...company would be nice~" He wiggled his eyebrows, pulling a giggle from you as the trick always had, but there was still an obvious hurt behind his eyes.

He was lonely.

He was lonely, and he had just lost the biggest game of his sports career- the last game he'd ever play in school- and honestly, the idea of having you around to hold him felt like exactly what he needed.

"You know what? You don't get a choice. I'm kidnapping you." Before you knew it, the redhead snatched you up in his long arms, throwing you over his shoulder like you were weightless. Despite your laughter-filled cries of protest, he didn't put you down. He just turned to the west and began to stroll casually toward his house. You eventually gave up fighting him, but he still didn't release you from his hold until you made it back to his home. Once through the front door, you were dropped to the couch with a yelp. Looking around, you eyed every little thing you could. The home was by no means over the top; it was quaint and cozy, a home very obviously full of love.

Almost immediately your eyes locked in on a photo that hung on the wall, and your body seemed to hover over to it. In the photo, Tendou sat on a park bench smiling, looking just as handsome as ever, and behind him- each with a hand on their son's shoulder- were his parents. His father and mother both looked so inviting, father in a loose button-up and mother in paint-stained overalls. "They seem so..just like you!"

"Well, thanks! I, uh, I don't know how much of a compliment that was meant to be, but...they're pretty great."

"They seem great," You smile, eyes not moving from the picture. "I'd have hate for them to have been here, to have met me this way.."

Soft footsteps could be heard behind you. "No..they'd have loved you, just as much as I do.." The footsteps pad closer. "To see someone who cares so much for me would have them elated. Someone who cares so much they cried over a game, a sport they don't even play.."

"Because you love it." You laugh softly.

"Because I love it." His breath is at the back of your neck, lips ghosting over the pale skin of your shoulder. Goosebumps erupt over you, causing chills like ice.

"Satori..?" Your words come out like whispers, mere breaths, his hands finding a home on your sides and rubbing up and down ever so painstakingly slow. "Yes, my love?" His voice was hushed as well. When speaking so low, Tendou's voice was raspy and sultry. Every inch of your body shuttered, face burning with a heat it never had. The tape-wrapped digits bumped the underwire of your bra every time his hands dragged upward, and his pinky grazed your hipbone with every stroke down.

The tension in the room was unavoidable, as were your reactions to his touch. Giving in a bit, you lul your head back and allow it to rest against his collarbone. With every gentle stroke of his hands, you let out a blissful sigh. The soft skin of Tendou's lips press ever-so-softly into the shell of your ear, and his voice comes out thick and sweet, like honey: "If it's all the same to you...I'd like to thank you for how supportive and loving you've been to me all this time."

"O-Okay." You whisper back.

Without another moment wasted, Tendou's strong hands spin you around to face him, then kiss you with such force that you're pinned to the wall behind you. You let out a gasp, and he uses the opportunity to swipe his tongue around your bottom lip before prodding your warm mouth. Tendou was such an outstanding kisser. Every action had a purpose, and every action had a reaction. The moment your legs began to go weak from the sultry makeout session, Tendou slipped his leg between yours, catching you only an inch down from your descent. He worked diligently, hands stilling at your hips as he pushed you down onto his leg, knee coming up. Pulling breathless moans from you was no chore, he made it easy, using his hand placement to push and pull your lower half, rocking your body, grinding you down onto his muscular thigh. He pulled his lips from yours, "That's right, baby...lemme hear how good I make you feel." You had no choice but to oblige, the way he made you ride his thigh, your moans were impossible to hide. A wicked grin curled upwards on his lips, pushing you down and his leg up harder, rocking you more and more. That's when he felt it- the dampness soaking onto his leg. One of his hands trailed away from your plush hip, gathering up the little bit of slick that you had trailed on his leg. "Lookit that...all this for me?" He brought the digits up between your faces, making you both look at just what you'd done. You couldn't help but turn away bashfully, but you really couldn't help turning back to face him when he slid his long tongue over the glistening slick on his fingertips. A low groan slipped from Tendou's throat. "You're sweeter than chocolate, Y/N...I think I need more." His hand went back to your hips and Tendou began his assault on your body. Pushing and pulling and pushing and pulling, driving you closer and closer toward a climax- something neither of you had ever really experienced together before. It felt like you were dying and ascending to heaven, the way the knot in your stomach coiled up like a tightly woven knot, but you couldn't let it happen like this, not on Tendou's thigh, not with your mascara staining your cheeks, not against this wall of family photos in your boyfriend's empty home- but that wasn't up to you. It was up to the way your body betrayed you when you looked back into Tendou's eyes, and all that could be seen was lust dripping over the brim of his ruby orbs, intoxicated in the way your chest rose and fell with every pant and how sweet your voice sounded moaning right there in his ear. The look on his face was hotter than any look of determination he had while playing volleyball. "Go ahead, Y/N..let go." That was all it took to send you over the edge, trembling as your toes barely touched the floor, your legs dangled on either side of his leg as he ground you down on him to the point of coming undone. Slowly, he set your feet back to the ground and your head rested on the wall behind you as he sunk to squat. He swiped up the slick on his thigh but made quick work of using his other hand to hold up your skirt to admire the work he'd just done to you- and the work you'd done to your panties.

"Oh shit, babe...you're soaked!" His voice was almost too excited and you planted a small smack to the back of his head. "D-Don't stare at it! Now I gotta go wash off and change."

"Or," His slick-coated fingertips dragged along your clothed folds, pulling a whine from you and a gasp from him. "You could just take these off, and I'll clean you up myself."

The offer was more than you'd expected. Hell, it was more than anything you two had ever done! And while the idea of being so bare and vulnerable with Tendou was nerve-racking and scary, it was also something you'd fantasized about for weeks. Silence filled the room. Thirty seconds passed, and Tendou began to stand, "It's okay if you don't want to, I'd never force you to-" He was cut off by your hand stopping him on his descent back upward. you blushed down at him, lips pouted oh-so-pretty for him. God, he wanted to destroy you. You parted your lips, voice firm. "Every shot not taken is a shot missed."

He grinned, chuckling like a madman. "What did you say? Was that a yes?"

"I said every shot not taken is a shot missed, now do it already before I change my mind!"

Tendou wasn't a stupid man, an odd one- sure, but not stupid. He shut the hell up and sank back down, trailing wet kisses the whole way. Puling your skirt down was his first action, letting it fall past your thick, plush thighs before resting on the ground at your feet, leaving you to stand there in your cute soaked hipster underwear. Tendou clasped his hands together in prayer. "Dear Lord, who art in heaven, hallow be thy name, thank you for this meal-"

"Satori!!"

"Alright, alright! Itadakimasu and all that shit!" And before you could retort again, Tendou dug in. Thumbs pushed into the flesh of your ass, pulling you forward abruptly, his hot tongue dragging across the warm dampness of the crotch of your underwear. You felt your knees begin to give again, and Tendou took no time to spare as he wrapped his arms under your legs, using his biceps as support to keep you from falling. He pulled gently with his teeth and maneuvered the panties to the side before gasping softly. This gasp wasn't to jest, he was truly in awe at the sight of your feminine core. "Is...Is something wrong, Satori..?" The noise he made startled you, and you began to feel self-conscious. You knew you shouldn't have done this, this was stupid, your body wasn't meant for love, your body was-

"Beautiful.." He breathed out. What?

"H-Huh..?"

"You're so damn beautiful!" His words were more reassuring than he could've ever known at that moment. He didn't hesitate further, leaning in to give you an experimenting lick. You keened, pressing your body down on his tongue to relieve more tension. Tendou chuckled at the feeling, sending vibrations through you that only made things better. The pad of his tongue lapped at your heat more, each lick spreading your folds further and further until he lit the tip of it prod your entrance. You threw your head back to moan and smacked your skull against the wall. "Ow!" You cried out, and Tendou chuckled, "Let's move this to a more suitable environment, yeah?" He sat you back down and stood, pulling you off down the hall, and to the left, into his bedroom. If you weren't so desperate to feel him eating you out again, you'd have taken the time to study over his room like you had the living room, but you were desperate. So you lay back on his bed, and he pulls your ass to the edge while he gets down on his knees on the floor, weaving his arms with your thighs again. "Satori, I'm not gonna fall if I'm laying down."

"Oh this isn't to keep you standing, baby.. this is to keep you from squirming away when I make you cum."

If your eyes could've grown any larger, they would've. Diving back in, Tendou was merciless. Unlike before, he worked with real fervor. It wasn't as sweet and gentle, oh no. Tendou had you right where he wanted you and by god, he was going to prove himself worthy today. Sure, he didn't win the biggest game of his career- but he won you. Of course, he wanted to thank you for loving him, for supporting him, for choosing him and this was the ticket- making love! But right now, making love aside, he wanted to fulfill his own carnal needs.

His tongue swirled effortlessly around your sensitive bud, sliding down to lap at your messy folds, pushing in and out of your tight entrance, and then back up to suck harshly at your clit again. This man had it down to a science, figuring out just how to pull the lewdest of noises from both of your lips, and turning it into a routine. It hadn't even been three minutes before you were pushing your heels into his back, trying to escape his grip as you came- but it was useless. He held your legs tightly, not allowing you to budge. Your cries were music to his ears, and your pleads for mercy the beautiful lyrics. Tendou didn't budge until he was satisfied- and satisfaction was only met once you'd come as much as his jersey number. 5.

You could swear you were seeing stars as he finally let you go, lifting quickly to cage you under his body, your slick still glistening on his lips and chin. "Good, eh? Eh~?" The Guess Monster guessed right, again. At this point, you were heaving to breathe, but you couldn't just leave him this way- he had needs to be met as well, and more than anything, you wanted to satisfy him too. Without skipping a beat, you sat up, causing him to fumble back onto the bed, landing on his ass. "Get up." You commanded. "How come?" Despite questioning your demands, he obliged and stood. Falling to your knees in front of him, he gasped out at the sight. "Oh god, yes.."

"Let me return the favor." Consent was sexy, and you weren't about to push him to anything he wasn't ready for. He had the same respect for you, after all.

"Yes, absolutely yes, lemme just-"

A bright light flashed as Tendou quickly snapped a picture of you. "H-Hey-!"

"Sorry, it'll stay between us, I promise. You just look so hot on your knees like that, I don't wanna forget it." Again, before you could rebuttal, he started to untie the waistband of his gym shorts. It was obvious enough how well-endowed Satori Tendou was just from the erection straining against his pants, but it didn't do him justice. A simple slide of hand and his cock was on full display- oozing a bead of pre on the bulbous pink tip. Sure, he may not have had the absolute thickest you've seen, but there was enough to fill you up proper- and he was long- the type of length that would have you writhing beneath him. The Guess Monster really was some kind of monster with a cock like that. Tendou was built to breed.

The look on your face had to give your feelings away fairly immediately- because Tendou chuckled softly, reaching down and caressing your cheek. "Awhh, c'mon sweet girl...I bet you can take me like a champ," He swirled his fingers around with his little victory dance, "You know! Smash it, smash it into pieces~!"

Only Tendou could joke around at a time like this and it put you at ease. You leaned forward, readjusting on your kees as you give his length a few experimental pumps, your thumb lubricating his shaft with the bead of pre you swiped from his tip. Just the motion alone had Tendou arching forward, hissing and cursing a low "Shit." under his breath. That was enough for you to get comfortable, quick, slowly easing your mouth over his length, bobbing shallow until you could feel his tip at the back of your throat. "Shitshitshitshitshit-" Tendou groaned loudly, causing you to hum in satisfaction at your effect on his body. "H'ooooookay now, Y/N, you..you gotta be careful, I'm real-" You slide back, beginning to bob your head at a more languid pace, looking up at him through your lashes. "-Sensitive, ah, fuck- you can't look at me like that, s'too much-"

Tendou was putty in your hands, well, in your mouth. It was invigorating to feel such a wave of confidence and to have the boy you loved squirming at how good your touch felt. You couldn't stop or slow down now, it felt too good. You hollowed out your cheeks as you felt Tendou's hips begin to snap, his hand flying to your head and tangling with your hair. He pleaded for you to go easy on him, yet was here using your face and mouth as his own, personal plaything. As he rode your mouth for dear life, you let your tongue run along the underside of his cock, tracing the vein and tendon that swelled from below. Without realizing it, in a state of absolute bliss, your hands trailed down your body to palm your breast and rub feverish circles around your clit. Tendou took notice right away. "Are..are you touching yourself while I'm/fucking your face? M'gonna marry you one day, holy shit!" He groaned aloud, hips beginning to stutter, but before he could finish he pulled out and gasped desperately for air. "No, can't end like that, need you. Need to feel you." Desperate hands pulled you from the ground, taking no time in starting to strip away all your remaining clothes as his lips crashed against yours, a flurry of tongue and teeth as you also undressed him fully. The moment your last item of clothes fell to his floor, Tendou pushed you back onto his bed, climbing on top of you. His eyes raked over your flush figure beneath him, admiring the way your skin shined under the moonlight peeking through his window and how the tips of your ears and cheek's blush matched your breasts. Lips parting, he heaved a cut-off breath.

"Y/N...my paradise."

Your breath hitched in your throat at the name. "P-Paradise? No, that's volleyball, remember?"

"It was...until you. I love volleyball, yeah...but I'm in love you.."

You could feel the tip of his cock oozing again, pressing firmly against your opening.

"Your body is my temple,"

He breached your entrance, pushing into you slowly until he was bottomed out inside, and you were arching your back till your chest was flush against his own.

"And I'm here to worship."

The pace began slow, agonizingly slow, but you were certainly not about to complain. The way his cock dragged along inside your velvety walls was beyond what you could've ever imagined or expected. "Oh my god." Your voice cracked as he finally began to pick up the pace, leaving kisses from your neck down to your collarbone as he worked his way to sit back, keeping you both in missionary but with your rear propped up on his legs so that he could bury himself inside you at a better angle. "Ah-" He whimpered, feeling the way your body responded. "Fuck, Y/N, so damn tight...jeez.." Tendou began to pick up the pace more, rocking his hips into you, creating the lewd noise of skin against skin, slapping against your thick, supple rear. One hand held your throat for leverage, squeezing tight on the sides and causing a pleasant haze to fall over you.

" 'M getting close, Satori." The words came out shaky, each hitch corresponding with every rough thrust Tendou hammered into you. "Yeah? Y'gunna cum all over my cock? Like how you ruined those little panties? Or when I was eating your pretty pussy?"

The crude language only turned you on more and brought you closer to the edge. "Y-Yes!"

"Good..I've got an idea." Quickly, Tendou pulled out of you with a 'pop', and flipped you over, pulling your ass up to leave your face and knees pushed into his mattress. He let out a guttural groan at the sight of you all fucked out for him, and leaned down to swipe his tongue against your holes. "Fuuuuck, all for me! You're so goddamn sexy, it's stupid!" Wasting no more time, Tendou realigned himself with your entrance and pushed in harshly. He bottomed out in one swift push, causing you to cry out into the mattress. "That's a good fucking girl- ugh- you even/feel like paradise!" His pace was furious, arching over you. You cried out beneath him, hand rubbing sloppy circles into your clit to get yourself to heaven faster. "Allow me to assist~" Tendou rutted through power strokes, his right hand pushing yours away as he took over, rubbing well-placed, furious figure eights into your puffy clit. Crying out, "Fuck, S-Satori! I'm cumming!"

"Yeah? Fuck, me too...c'mon, paradise, lemme hear you!" His dexterous fingers somehow went faster.

You couldn't contain yourself any longer. With a string of "I'mcummingi'mcummingi'mcumming!" A shriek left your mouth, muzzled by your face buried deep in the mattress, the knot in your stomach breaking. Tendou helped you ride it out, hands not slowing at your clit, the pace not faltering as he jackhammered into your tight walls. "O-Okay, I-I'm done!" Pleads did nothing for you. Tendou was not done, and he grinned fiendishly down at you as his chase toward his release overstimulated you. " 'S'too bad, Y/N...I'm almost there- fuck- b-but not quite!" Choked sobs left your lips, tears streaming down your face with what little remnants of mascara and eyeliner you had on left. Seconds felt like minutes as Satori plunged in and out of your depths at rapid speed, but alas, the end was near. You begin to feel the fluid motion inside you start to stutter- he can't hold on much longer. "Shit...o-okay baby, where d'ya want me?"

"Whe-Wherever." Fucked out and blissed out, you can barely speak.

"Oh yeah? Fuck!" Tendou pulls out, stroking himself with the same hand he used to overstimulate you and uses his left hand to grab you by the jaw and pull you forward. The pressure of his grip on your jaw causes your mouth to part, and Tendou goes in for the kill. Ropes of his warmth coat your throat as he pushed his pulsating cock inside your slack-jawed mouth, groaning at the immense pleasure of his release. He tightens his grip on your face, leaning down to kiss you, tongue swirling inside with yours as he tastes his own juices, pulling back only to spit into your parted lips. "Swallow."

Being his obedient little girl, you do just as your told, letting the mixture of his spit and seed coat your throat the whole way down before opening wide to show the emptiness. Tendou shutters, rubbing your cheek with his thumb and smiling down at you with pride. "Atta girl."

He treats you so well, being sure to rub you down with a cold washcloth before even cleaning himself up, and holding you close once he returns to bed. It doesn't take long for the both of you to begin to drift off. "Love you, Satori.."

"Hmmm...love you, too..m'...paradise.."

Even though he didn't have volleyball practice anymore, Tendou still hung out with his team and saw them in the halls. Once seeing the bruises and hickeys he was littered with, they didn't leave him be for /weeks. While he got teased by the team, you were high-fived and praised. A situation you were both prepared to deal with at the expense of that one night of pleasure.

--

The first time Tendou fell in love, it was with volleyball. The second time he fell in love, it was with you- his shining star, his world, his paradise. The third time Tendou fell in love, it was something much more unexpected and frankly, a bit out of the realm in which you'd assumed he would take an interest.

Once the Shiratorizawa volleyball season had ended, the redhead had much more free time to spend with you. After school was no longer a time for practicing blocks and jogging around the gym or ever conditioning muscles. Now it was a time for rainy-day walks under a shared umbrella, catching a movie at the cinemas that you'd bought tickets for, competing against one another to see who could swing the highest on the local park's swing set, and your favorite: hanging around in each other's kitchens baking sweet treats.

You could never forget the look on Tendou's face the first time he'd stood by your side, nervously looking over your shoulder as you added flour and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Just as you'd begun to extend your hand toward the next ingredient, Tendou lurched over your frame more, chest flat against your back now. "Can I try?"

You scoff jokingly, turning your head to look at him. "You want to bake with me? Well..okay. Here," You slide out from the counter, allowing him to step forward. "The next ingredient is chocolate."

"Chocolate?"

"Yeah, chocolate. It's that jar over there. Technically, we're adding cocoa powder to the mix."

The sweetest grin made its way onto his lips as he eyeballed the mason jar full of the rich powder. "Ever since I got into sports, I've been quite disciplined in the things I ate. Coach's orders...I can't tell you how long it's been since I've had chocolate."

You couldn't help but grin back, reaching forward to grab the jar and put it in Tendou's lanky yet strong hands. "Well, chocolate is tasty, but any treats I've had have always tasted even better when they were made with love, and enjoyed with company." As he inspected the jar like a curious child, you gathered up the bunch of measuring tools needed to keep baking. Holding out a larger scoop to him, you cocked an eyebrow. "The recipe calls for a cup of cocoa powder. Think you can handle it?"

This time, Tendou scoffed at you. "I know I can handle it. I passed math with flying colors!" It didn't take long for Tendou to eventually take over the baking process, stealing your apron from your body and making you sit on the counter to watch over his work.

His hands worked diligently, and he double, no, triple-checked the recipe as he went along. For his first bake, he burned the brownies he'd worked so hard on, but he promised to do better next time.

Next time.

"Ah! Damn it, I'm sorry, Y/N! I screwed these up so bad. I'll do better next time though, you can count on it! I'll make you the perfect dessert!"

His technique was very amateur, unskilled, but chocked full of excitement- excitement that you could see normally when he was playing volleyball. This little spark warmed your heart, knowing that maybe he'd found another hobby that would hopefully fill the void you knew volleyball used to be.

To your surprise, this promise of righting his wrongdoing turned into a much bigger ordeal. A few days later, once the weekend arrived, you heard a knocking at your front door around lunchtime. You weren't expecting company, so when you found Tendou standing at your door, covered in flour and cocoa, you couldn't help but smile. He held out a tin container to you, smiling that big goofy grin that you adored. "I did it again. Can you tell me if this is better?"

You hesitantly opened the canister, and inside were four large, perfectly cut, and delicious-smelling brownie squares. "Satori, these look amazing! To think just the other day, you-"

"I burned the hell out of yours, I know, and again, I'm sorry. But look! I've been watching videos on YouTube to see what I did wrong. One lady talked about setting the oven timer, and another even mentioned adding in other stuff that I didn't see in your recipe, like chocolate chips, so I tried that! Please try one, please? C'mon toots, I'm dyin' here!" Tendou begged and even donned a fake accent at the end, just to push it further. If he didn't, was he really your Tendou? Laughing, you eagerly grabbed a square and took a bite. You could've told him right away how these truly were the best brownies you'd ever tasted, but the anxious look on his face was just too cute, you had to milk it out for a short while longer. "Are they bad? Mom liked 'em so I thought maybe you would too, but if you don't, it's okay! I can try another batch, maybe a different recipe-"

"Tendou."

"Really, it's not a big deal! I know I'm new to this-"

"Tendou."

"Maybe it was all the butter, that Paula lady on the video made it out like that was the best part-"

"Satori!"

He finally shut up, looking at you wide-eyed before you smiled wide and took another bite of his rich creation. "It's delicious!"

"Really?!"

"Yes, you big idiot! Now get in here so I can eat the rest of those damn things!" And who was he to say no to you?

More days went by, and every day you didn't see Tendou, he was at home- in his kitchen- making more sweet delicacies for you to try. It all started with learning brownies, but the further into the baking tutorials he fell, the more bored he had become. Sure, baking was fun and all, but it all seemed the same. Measure out the dry ingredients, combine. Measure out the wet ingredients, combine. Combine wet and dry, bake, and viola. What Tendou needed was the same sweetness, but more of a challenge. Just as volleyball was fun like baking, and it was also something he was good at, he needed that extra eeling like blocking gave him. That one factor that pushed him to try harder, do better, push himself to his absolute limit. He needed a real challenge. And there, further down the internet video rabbit hole of dessert culinary arts, Tendou found chocolatiering.

If only you could've been there the day he stumbled upon the random video that sent shivers up his spine. To be there to see his scarlet eyes light up and widen at the way the chocolatier turned liquid gold into an edible sculpture. The way his hair stood on end at the way the man in the video's hands delicately formed and decorated truffles, or even how Tendou had to wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth at the sight of the many flavor combinations were made with this one rich component. Chocolate and orange, white chocolate and oreo cookies, dark chocolate and mint, milk chocolate and peanut butter, the possibilities were endless- and what to do with that amazing tasting combination? Why, what couldn't you do? It was all in the hands of the brilliant chocolatier. Do you make dainty truffles full of powerful flavors and fillings, or do you turn this treat into an extravagant piece of edible art?

This was it. This was the challenge. Chocolatiering was middle blocking.

Every few days, Tendou would show up at your door with new treats, or bring you to his home to have you keep him company as he made more. Each time he worked his magic, the delicacies began to dwindle down further and further, straying from your usual cakes and crème brulée to becoming almost exclusively chocolate works. You were treated constantly with being Tendou's guinea pig.

Ganache, mousse, pastries filled with chocolate, eclairs, truffles, you name it. With every try, Tendou kept getting better. You were surprised at the progress he'd made in just ten weeks, but more than anything, seeing him enamored with this hobby made you happy.

"Earth to Y/N, you in there?" His large hand waved in front of your face, and you snapped back to attention. Tendou stood in between your legs as you sat on the kitchen island, staring off blankly as he was working away and chatting your head off about the latest chocolate tempering video he'd found, but he quickly noticed you'd phased off. You shook your head clear and gave a warm smile.

"Sorry, I just got to thinking...you've been working on this a lot lately, haven't you?" Tendou sighed and placed his hands on both of your thighs, leaning in and resting his forehead against yours. "I knew it...I'm sorry, Y/N, I know I've been fixated on this stuff like a psycho. It's been a lot of fun, but you've gotta be feeling really neglected.."

"Are you kidding? Satori, I'm so happy you've found this for yourself. I know you're happy to spend time with me, but after volleyball, you'd looked like you'd lost your life's purpose. This seems to bring you joy. Does it?" Sheepishly, Tendou brought a hand up to his head as he ran his long digits through his wild red locks. "Volleyball made me happy for a short time, but I think this could make me happy for a long time." That was it. That was all it took for you to cup his sweet face in your hands and gently turn him to face you. "Then why not?" You knew graduation was right around the corner, only a month away. The harder Tendou seemed to apply himself to his sweet-making, the more you wanted to see that happy, goofy expression after every creation was finished.

It was a stormy Monday morning when Tendou was finally the recipient of frantic knocking at his door. He hadn't even gotten out of his pajamas and into his school uniform yet, so who could it possibly be at his door so early? He was expecting you, because only you would be so crazy as to show up so early, so casually. However, what he didn't expect was to open the door and have you standing there without an umbrella, absolutely drenched, and shoving a handful of soggy papers in his face. "The French Culinary Institute!" You yelled, way too awake for what time it was. Pushing your way past him inside, you began to kick off your shoes. "The French...huh?" Rolling your eyes, you held the papers back up to his face, your dripping wet hair stuck to your forehead peaking over the top of the stack. "I said, The French Culinary Institute! See? Right there, big bold letters at the top. You're a third-year, can't you read?!"

"I can read, you dummy, but it's six in the morning! Forgive me if I'm not as spry of a chicken as you are~" He retorted, snatching the papers from your hands. "Now what is all this about? Hell, Y/N, the ink on the pages is all runny and wet. So are you, you're getting water all over the floor! Mom's gonna kill me- go change into one of my uniform shirts, and you left a pair of pants over here last week. I need to clean up all this water."

When you came back, changed into fresh dry clothes, you were rubbing your head with a towel. Tendou sat on his couch with his phone in hand, the mentioned institute's website pulled up in his browser. "See," you smiled excitedly and plopped down next to him, pointing at the bright screen. "It's a school that specializes in teaching techniques to train chocolatiers!" His eyes darted over every feature of the website, fingers working at the screen to scroll as he read. "Where did you...how did you find this?"

"Researched it, just like how you learned to do all the amazing things you do with chocolate! I'd been up looking into how you could turn this into a dream career, and it turns out you can! Half of these courses they offer looks like the same stuff that you've taught yourself, all on your own." Tendou looked back to the printed-off pages you'd forced into his hands earlier, seeing the timestamp at the top of the front page: 3:25 am. He then turned to look at you, who was still fixated on his phone screen and chatting away. He noticed the dark bags under your eyes. You yawned mid-sentence.

You'd been up all night. All night for him.

Of course, he wanted to patronize you, scold you for not getting proper sleep before school over him, but that was just it- you did it all for him. It was yet another sweet gesture(and to him, an unnecessary one) that you did out of the kindness and love in your heart for Tendou. A small smile curled up at the corners of his mouth, and he kept quiet, listening now as you told him all about what you'd learned in this escapade to find a way to make him happy.

Although you'd already done so much, you had to do more. Your love for Tendou was so big and so large, yet not at all heavy. Every part of your being wanted to make him happy, and upon seeing this spark light up inside him over chocolate and baking, the light that took over the dark hole where high school volleyball once was, was all it took for you to push for him. That same morning, you brought that soggy stack of papers with you to the school career counselor, even though Tendou insisted you reprint them. With your usual spunk, you waltzed right into the counselor's office and dropped them on her desk with a wet 'splat', and declared proudly, "I'm here on behalf of Satori Tendou. What do we need to do to make this happen?"

--

The days that followed were stressful, but in the end, successful. Tendou had the GPA to make it into The French Culinary Insititute, or TFCI, but the tuition wasn't cheap. Tendou had gotten excited about the school, showing real interest, but at the mention of the cost, he nearly fell over. "12,500 euros?! What is that, one million yen?!"

"1,600,243.75...to be exact.." You slumped sheepishly, Tendou groaning and burying his face into his hands, letting out muffled noises of frustration. "I'm doomed..." He grumbled, and you rubbed reassuringly on his back. It was time to take matters into your own hands again. Later that day, once classes were over, Tendou was ready to walk you home, as usual. "I actually have some extra credit I need to take care of," You told Tendou with a smile. "I'm gonna help out some of my teachers here, go ahead and head home, work on some more of those yummy mint chocolate truffles I love so much. I'll text you when I'm done, okay?"

What a sneaky girl you were. The moment Tendou rounded the corner after pitifully accepting your excuse, you bolted the opposite direction. It was easy enough to find Ushijima, who was waiting for you at the gymnasium. "I got your note." He spoke flatly, holding up a folded piece of notebook paper in between two fingers. "Tendou needs our help?"

"Absolutely. Did you get what I asked you to get?" The brawny boy simply nodded, guiding you inside the gym doors, and there they all stood: the Shiratorizawa volleyball team in all its former glory, with the exception of Tendou. You couldn't help but smile widely at them with watery eyes. "I hope Satori knows...what amazing friends he has."

--

Graduation came around in the blink of an eye. The ceremony was a blur, but you remembered clearly having Tendou at your side the whole time, sneaking glances at you to smile your way, and even wink a few times to try and get you to laugh. After receiving your diplomas, you pulled Tendou excitedly from the crowd of graduated and proud families. "Whoa there, paradise! Where are you taking me? One last round of sneaky-sneaky in the locker room, huh? You naughty girl~"

"No, you perv!" You giggled wildly, shaking your head in fake disappointment as you pulled him around to the gym, stopping in front of the double doors. "Go ahead," you let him go. "Open them."

Giving you a questionable look, Tendu hesitated before pushing open the doors. Handheld confetti cannons popped off, and a sign unraveled from Goshiki's and Semi's hands. "Congratulations, Tendou!" The whole team shouted behind the sign, hooping and hollering while popping more confetti his way. Dumbfounded by the scene, Tendou turned to you with a cocked eyebrow. "All of this for graduating?"

"No, Tendou. For making it in."

"Making it in..? What?"

You reached into your graduation robe, pulling out an opened envelope and taking out its contents. Unfolding the letter, you begin to read aloud.

"Monsieur Satori Tendou,

It is with great honor and pleasure that we write to inform you of your acceptance to Institut Culinaire de France here in Bordeaux, France."

Tendou's jaw goes slack, and you can begin to see his burgundy orbs glass over. "Wh-What..? But I, I didn't apply because I couldn't afford to go!"

You smile, pressing the acceptance letter gently to his chest, holding it there. "I sent in your application, along with pictures I've taken of all the delicious desserts you've been making me."

Semi nudged Goshiki, who was already crying. "Go on, give it to him." The ravenette dropped his half of the sign, walking over to Tendou, holding out another envelope. "The..the team has all been working side jobs for the last few weeks after Y/N got us together and told us what was happening. Even Coach Washijo put in some, a lot actually...Y/N helped too, so did your parents. There's about 500,000 yen in there." Tendou's head whipped around to you, "Is that true? Y/N?"

"We all love you very much, Tendou. We want to see you succeed, but most of all, happy."

His watering eyes flickered back and forth between the envelopes, "I appreciate this, so much, but..it isn't enough. The tuition is over one million-"

"Yes, it would be," You cut him off, pointing to the bottom of the acceptance letter in his hand. "If your tuition wasn't free. Your GPA and strive to learn on your own impressed the admissions board of TFCI so much, and they saw you were an out-of-country applicant...Tendou, you earned a full-ride scholarship."

That was the pressure that broke the dam. His tears spilled over his cheeks. "Oh my god...I did?! Then what is all this money in the envelope for?" You blushed hard, looking down to your feet then back up to his eyes, a nervousness settling into the pit of your stomach. "Well, that's to get things started. Like buying plane tickets, and paying the first few month's rent...for our apartment."

He cried still, smile wobbly. "Our apartment?"

"Well yeah...you didn't think you were going to travel across the world without me, did you?" His lanky body crashed into yours, holding your body against his tight. You couldn't help but hug him back, peppering his tear-stained cheek with gentle kisses.

"Satori Tendou, I'd follow you anywhere."

--

The days to come would be the busiest. Every waking moment was filled with packing up your belongings, boxing up every aspect of your life to begin anew. Though, as excited as you both were, Tendou was struggling. When it was time for packing up his home, you were eager to begin. Although he had helped at the beginning of the process, the packing had stressed Tendou out to the max. "I'm sorry, Y/N," He told you, anxiously running his fingers through his hair. "I think I'm a bit overwhelmed. I'll let you take it from here, I just need a day to take my mind off of all this. Come over tomorrow and we can start fresh with my place."

And here you were. You'd knocked a few times, but there was no answer. You'd soon realized that he'd left the front door unlocked, so you casually let yourself in. "Satori?" You called out, slowly making your way toward his room. Once there, you saw it was still untouched and unpacked, but very much without Tendou.

"I'm...I'm in the bathroom." He called out, a distinct nervousness in his voice. You knew him too well. Softly knocking on the door, you leaned against the wooden doorframe. "Hey, is everything alright..?"

Silence.

One, two, three, four.

"I did something."

"Okay, what did you do?"

One, two three, four.

"I couldn't stop thinking about how everyone would look at me in France, at the institute...think I'm a big joke. Not take me seriously."

"I don't think that they would think that, they're judging your hard work, not you, silly."

One, two.

"I made a change. New beginnings and all that, right?"

One, two.

The door clicked unlocked. The hinged creaked, and Tendou appeared, a look of worry on his features as he revealed himself to you, clumps of burgundy hair in his hands. "Please don't find me unattractive...I needed to do this, for me."

Your eyes were wide, no doubt, as they scanned over his buzzed head and trailed down to the floor where that beautiful, wild hair lay dead on the floor. He shuffled his feet anxiously, fidgeting his hands. "I think you look just as handsome as before." You reach up, running your hand over the soft fuzz that was left on his scalp. A warm smile brings a wave of comfort over Tendou, and he leans into your hand with a content sigh. "So edgy and modern...you might even look hotter than before~"

"Don't push it, lady."

--

It was a Friday afternoon when it was all over and done with. A couple of weeks had gone by, and finally, you and Tendou were all packed up and ready to go; ready to move across the world and start anew. It wouldn't have been right for the packing to take up the appropriate amount of time. Oh no, it only made sense that the process took so long because the two of you couldn't help but goof off the whole time, be it that you played packing tape tag, or that you had packing peanut fights. When the work was finally over, and the only things left out of blank cardboard boxes were the small necessities you needed to last you until your flight in a few days, it finally began to sink in that these were your last few days in Japan. Tendou seemed on edge and nervous, but who wouldn't be over something so big? But that was just the thrill of such a new adventure. You were nervous too, and every time he showed signs of anxiety, you reassured him just as you had back in high school. "You're not alone."

Those three words always brought back the same crooked smile on Tendou's thin lips, the same one that made you feel so warm and fuzzy inside, happiness fizzing up like soda carbonation in your heart. With each reassurance, you counted down the days and minutes until your departure. Three days. Three days until your new life began, and you couldn't be more exhilarated.

Each day until your impending departure was a different goodbye. Of course, all goodbyes are sad, but to you, it was just a 'see you later'. To Tendou, it was so much more. You could see it all over his features just how hard it all was on him, but luckily, there you were.

The first day, it was your friends. Tendou came with you to meet up with your closest of companions for the last dinner date you'd have until you were able to return home for the holidays, or that they could afford a visit around the world. There were loud laughs and bright smiles, but at the inevitable end of it all, there were tears. Your friends held you close, each of them taking their turns to embrace you, kiss your soft cheeks, hold your hands in their own and beg you not to forget about them, and to of course inform them of your safe arrival of the City of Lights the moment you landed in France. Tendou watched from a safe distance behind you, a sinking sadness filling up his gut. Before it could weigh too heavy on him, your friends made their way over to him and gave him the same affection, which he certainly didn't expect.

"You take care of our girl." A threat.

"Please make sure she's happy." A request.

"We've always seen how good you treat her. Continue to treat her right, and love her always, we'll miss you!" A promise.

The redhead looked up to you, your shorter friends hugging him tightly between them, his arms nervously lowering from their defensive place above his head to slowly wrap around them. You couldn't help but to softly giggle and mouth back, "Hug them, silly. They'll miss you, too."

He couldn't help but chuckle, pulling them close and mellowing out. "Well, well, ladies. I'm flattered by all of you coming for me at once, but there's enough Satori to go around~!"

Not long after, you rejoined Tendou at his side, waving behind you to your friends as they walked in the opposite direction, eventually becoming small dots in your vision. "Well wasn't that just the sweetest, eh? Comin' to see you before we- hey, what's wrong?" Tendou looked down, ceasing your joint pace to cup your cheeks softly as a couple of tears strayed from the corners of your eyes. Resting a reassuring hand atop one of his, you smile softly. "Nothing's wrong, silly. I'm just going to miss them."

Two days.

The morning after was probably the hardest of the days spent preparing for your and Tendou's departure. Today, you'd be joining Tendou in saying goodbye to his classmates. No, his volleyball team. Honestly? His family. Sure, they weren't his parents, but the group of rowdy boys were nothing short of brothers. Tension in the Shiratorizawa gymnasium was thicker than any time there was ever a game. All the boys had gathered in their casual attire, and even Coach Washijo piled into his car to see Tendou off. Even though he kept his goofy, oddball demeanor, you knew it was all a front he put on by the tight grip he held on your hand. The casual conversation lasted for all of thirty minutes or so before a volleyball rolled across the freshly waxed gym floor, stopping by its crash course with Tendou's shoe. Every eye trailed from the ball down to the direction it rolled from, where the coach stood smirking. "Yung lady, why don't you join me on the sidelines...these boys deserve a last game together."

Looking up to your boyfriend, you see ease melt over his expression; the same calm that used to wash over him right before a game. You nod, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and a "Block 'em dead." before joining the coach and watching the boys get worked up. They split off into their old practice teams, excitement filling the room and tingling even you like static electricity. With a blow from the coach's whistle, it began again like a dream of the past: Shiratorizawa's best team was back on the court, wreaking havoc.

Just as things were starting to get good, Washijo leaned to the side and spoke loud enough for only you to hear. "You take care of that boy out there, got it? The world isn't kind to unique individuals, and I know you understand that just as well as Satori does. It's why he took so quickly to you...you're good for him. Never forget that."

You were a bit shocked by how abrasive he was, but you also knew the love the coach held in his heart for Tendou, whether he'd ever admitted it out loud or not. "Yes, sir. I promise I'll-"

"Ack! Goshiki, c'mon man! You gotta look up from the floor to hit the damn ball!"

Your head whipped around along with Washijo's to see Semi yelling at the ravenette who had just missed a perfect set. All eyes were on him, and he slowly looked up from his sneakers, tears, and snot running down his face. "I'm sorry, I..I...T-Tendou, I'm gonna miss you so much..!"

Semi sighed, "Goshiki, you weren't supposed to cry..w-we can't c-cry." His own voice began to tremble, chin quivering as he tried to force back the imminent, his brown eyes already filling with tears that clumped in his thick lashes. Even Wakatoshi Ushijima's lips were pursed and twitching at the corners. "We're so happy...so proud of you, Tendou." Your eyes surveyed the group as the sobs began to ebb and flow from hushed hiccups to strained sobs, sight finally landing on Tendou, who stood there in disbelief. Never before was there such an outpour of blatant acceptance from his friends. Of course, Tendou knew that his team supported him and cared about him, but this was something drastically different. This was love. From where you stood, you could see Satori's bottom lip begin to tremble, and without a moment to spare, his eyes filled with tears. Ushijima moved forward, facing Tendou, and took him into a strong embrace. The dam broke, and the team fell apart, taking Tendou into their arms in a massive group hug. Your own eyes watered as well, and as badly as you wanted to bust your way into the middle to comfort him, you didn't. Tendou needed this moment all for himself, and more than anything, you respected that. Blotting your own tears away, you stood next to Coach Washijo and simply watched as Tendou's team showered him with the greatest going away gift they could give him.

One day.

Your last full day in Japan was calm and quiet. The remainder of the final twenty-four hours were spent with your respective families, nothing too extravagant, you both had to be up early after all! It all went by like a blur, the day turning to night, and eventually, you wake up in Tendou's arms. Excitedly, you shook the boy awake with a bright smile. His eyelids fluttered open, and there you were; straddling his hips with a hand gripping each shoulder. "Today's the day! Sayonara, Japan. Bonjour, France! See how good that was? I've been studying the accent with the audiobooks I got to help us with the language barrier! I'm going to be fluent before you know it! Now get up, we've got to be at the airport in two hours!"

"Yeah, fluent.." Tendou sighed, rubbing sleep from his eyes and yawning before stretching his long limbs. His dexterous digits came down to rest at your hips. "If you want me up, you gotta get off me, babe."

"O-Oh! Right! Sorry!" You scurried off from your position, pulling him from his entanglement in the bedsheets. Just as usual, you were way too excited for as early as it was. "If you wanna shower first, I can make us both breakfast. Ooh, do you want coffee? I can make us some of that too!"

"Sloooooow down, Y/N." He half smiled and cupped your cheeks like a small child. "Quiet down, mom and dad are still asleep in their room. Go ahead and make breakfast. I need to shower."

"Okay." Bashfully smiling, you lean in and kiss his lips, but his kiss back didn't feel quite as genuine. He was tired, so no big deal, right?

His shower took a bit longer than usual, and when he came out from the bathroom, you were already waiting with a hot plate of food for him to enjoy. "I hope you left some hot water for me, and please be quick with food, Ushiwaka said he'd be over around seven-thirty with his car to start loading up our luggage. While you two do that, I'll fix my face up. Can't look like this on my first day in France!" You whispered softly, but your smile was ever-bright. Just as he'd agreed to, Wakatoshi arrived on time. He'd only popped in long enough to say good morning to you while you were putting on a bit of makeup before heading outside with Tendou to pack. What felt like moments was more like half an hour, and a knock softly rapped at your door.

"Y/N, we need to go. We're running behind."

Tendou spoke nervously, and you quickly began to throw your makeup into its travel bag. "Oh shoot, I'm so sorry! Okay, I've got everything in my carry-on!"

You swung the door open, your makeup as flawless as ever with lipstick accentuating your dazzling, thrilling smile. "Let the adventure begin!"

Without surprise, the car ride to the airport was quiet and a bit melancholy. Your eyes scanned every building you passed, every street sign, even the skyline of Tokyo being kissed by the morning sun as you made your way to your new future. Even Mt. Fuji seemed to grant you a sense of peace in the distance as you become a bit misty-eyed- but hey! Adventure is good. This was a new, invigorating experience, and here you were getting to face it all with the love of your life! Your best friend, your sweet, funny, oddball, Satori Tendou. The more you daydreamed in the backseat of your new life together with your partner, the closer the airport crept. In no time, Ushijima was pulling forward through the line, parking in front of the terminal. Blinking, you realized that you had arrived. Ushijima opened your door for you, and with a thank you, you jumped out of the car and popped open the trunk to grab your bags. Tendou gathered his luggage as well, standing beside you as you rummaged through your purse. "Here, Ushi. I owe you gas money. I put them right...next to...the tickets? Huh. Satori, honey, did I by chance give you the airplane tickets?"

He effortlessly reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out his ticket. "I have mine."

"Oh good!" You breathed out, relieved. "Well the money was with my ticket, so I need that to give to Ushi."

"Don't worry, I already paid him." You blinked, smiling awkwardly and readjusting your purse back over your shoulder. "O-Okay, well then can I have my ticket, please?"

Tendou stood in silence, eyes trailing slowly away from your own, shoving both hands into his pockets. This was unlike Tendou in every way, and you knew immediately something was wrong. "Did you...did you lose it? If so, that's okay, baby. We can just talk to whoever is at the kiosk and they can reprint-"

"You don't have a ticket, Y/N." His voice was soft, but yet loud enough for you to hear. Heat crept up your face, and chills ran down your entire frame. "I-I don't have a ticket? Tendou that's not funny, of course, I have a-"

"You don't have a ticket...I sold it because you're not coming with me."

A ten-ton weight dropped through your stomach, and yet your body felt so light, light as air, that a small breeze could just carry you away at any moment. This wasn't funny, yet it was a joke. Right? Was it a joke? It had to be. Tendou would never, could never, but this wasn't funny. The way his eyes avoided your pleading gaze wasn't funny. The way he took a step back from you when you stepped toward him wasn't funny. The way he shrugged your touch from his cheek when you reached out to him wasn't funny. The way your heartbeat rang in your ears, how your breathing began to shallow because you couldn't stop the tears from forming, how you could feel the thick mixture of your hot tears and mascara beginning to run down your flushed cheeks, it wasn't funny.

"Satori..? "The words came out strained and choked. "H-How, why..?"

The big bright beautiful world around you was falling apart, breaking into pieces, and crashing around the two of you in flames. Tendou sighed, running a hand over his burgundy buzz cut, still avoiding your desperate gaze like the plague.

"I've taken everything from you so selfishly."

Another step forward, "No, no, that's not true at all.."

Another step back. "It is, and you're so blind to it because of me, that you can't even see the way I've ruined absolutely everything. This is my way of fixing it."

You could feel the eyes of passerby's walking by to other terminals and being picked up from their flights as you stood there, knees wobbling and threatening to give out from underneath you while your hand cupped your mouth in a failed attempt to hush your pained sobs, but alas, it was failing.

Tendou kept his eyes down, hands both back firmly into his pockets. "It all started when you saw me take an interest in baking and chocolate. You paid so much money to allow me to continue baking, the money you worked hard for at odd jobs after school. Then you lost so much sleep, staying up who knows how many nights? Doing what- looking into places for me to go to study my hobby more? Make it a career? What about you?"

"What about me?" More tears fell in globs mixed with your mascara.

"You lost so much sleep, so uselessly, looking into things for me when you never once took time for yourself, to discover what career you wanted to get into. So much wasted on me, and I let you because I was too selfish to put you first."

"I wanted to help you, that wasn't selfish-"

"I was so focused on my own self, not once did I ask what you wanted-"

"Satori, I wanted you!!"

You tried to reach for him again, but Ushijima put a hand on your shoulder to stop you, for the best, to stop from creating an even bigger scene outside the terminal. Tendou bit his lip, trudging a foot across the pavement where he stood. "You lost all that sleep, then kept going at school...your grades were affected because you put too much into me...you worked extra jobs, along with my friends, to spend your money on getting me to the school of my dreams...all that hard-earned money that you could've and should've used on yourself, that you deserved...money that, hell, you shouldn't have been earning because you shouldn't have even been working so much after you already were losing sleep over me and falling behind in school because of me!"

Your heart ached in a way that you'd never experienced, a pain throbbing throughout your whole body that was beyond anything you could begin to describe. This was hurt you'd never wish on even your worst of enemies. "That's not true, I-I was happy to help you and do whatever it took to make your dreams come true! This isn't a burden, I've given nothing up, I-I did everything because I love you..!"

"You were losing friends, your parents, your home, your future! All because I was allowing you to throw everything you held dear out the window, and for what? For me? No. This is my dream and my future, and ripping you from all the good things you have and deserve is not a part of that."

Knees buckling beneath you, you collapse with your face buried in your hands. Tendou looks down at you finally, heart aching in his chest. "This isn't what I want, Y/N, b-but it's what's best...all of your belongings were sent back to your parent's house...Ushiwaka is gonna take you home."

"S-Satori, baby..p-please!" You snap your head up, puffy eyes finally meeting with his. The ache you felt, Tendou could feel as well. Of course, he loved you, of course, he wanted nothing more than to be with you, but not like this. Not when having you on this adventure with him meant giving up everything you already had, and for what? Him?

He leaned down and ran a hand through your hair, those long digits you loved so much tracing your jaw as he placed a chaste kiss on your forehead. "Maybe sometime, you could come to visit...I'm sorry for things having to be this way, but I can't live with continuing to make you give up everything you love...goodbye, Y/N."

Tendou stood, readjusting his bag and beginning to walk toward the double doors leading into the terminal.

"Tendou, no!!" You screamed, scrambling to your feet to chase after him, but it was useless. Wakatoshi grabbed you gently, pulling your back to his chest and holding tight despite your thrashing and begging for him to let you go. "I'm sorry, Y/N, it was all he asked of me...it's for the best." Your vision began to cloud over as the tears rolled relentlessly, watching Tendou's frame shrink smaller and smaller the further into the airport he walked until he was gone from sight.

His words repeated and echoes in your head.

"This isn't what I want, Y/N, but it's what's best."

For the first time in his life, The Guess Monster guessed wrong.

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