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“Semi, can I talk to you for a second?” Shirabu asked quietly, hanging back as their teammates headed for the showers after practice. Semi frowned and raised an eyebrow.
“What do you want?” the older setter huffed, eyeing him warily. Shirabu grimaced and considered abandoning this idea.
Really, Semi probably wouldn’t help him anyway. After all, Shirabu had taken the starting setter position, and he and Semi didn’t exactly have complementary personalities. But Shirabu had already asked Kawanishi and been completely abandoned by his supposed best friend, although he did have the excuse of having met Shirabu’s parents before, so the ruse Shirabu was planning wouldn’t exactly go over well. Which left Shirabu’s other teammates. Ushijima would have been a good choice, but Shirabu doubted the ace’s ability to lie convincingly. Tendou would be the absolute worst option - actually, no, Goshiki might be a worse choice for this - and Reon seemed too pure and kind for this, although he would make a good impression with Shirabu’s parents. Yamagata was a wild card, and he’d probably get lost or something. Shirabu wasn’t really close to any of his other teammates. Which left…
“Spit it out already, or I’m going to shower,” Semi threatened. Shirabu scowled at him.
“My parents are making me go to the big family Christmas party,” Shirabu began. Semi’s eyebrow crept closer to his hairline. “And they’re going to be nagging me about a lot of stuff, including dating, so-”
“Are you asking me to be your fake date to a family Christmas party?” Semi demanded incredulously. Shirabu hesitated, and Semi shook his head, disbelief clear on his face.
“Well it’s you or Yamagata, and I don’t trust him to not wander off. He loses his phone so often I think he’d end up in the wrong person’s house on accident,” Shirabu sighed.
“I’d end up in the wrong person’s house on purpose,” Semi replied.
“Please?”
“No.”
“I’ll listen politely and actually follow your advice for the rest of the school year, if you do this,” Shirabu pleaded. “There’ll be lots of food, too. And my relatives aren’t that bad, and if you’re there I’ll have an excuse to keep stuff to small talk if you’re there. They’re less likely to ask me about school or volleyball or college if I have someone there with me.”
“Isn’t this Kawanishi’s job? He’s your best friend,” Semi pointed out.
“Taichi refused. He doesn’t get along with my cousins, and he managed to get his cousin to come to town for that day so he even has a legitimate excuse to not go with me.”
“His cousin?”
“Yeah. I’ve met him once. Naoyasu is just as seemingly unmotivated as Taichi,” Shirabu grumbled. “Come on, Semi. You can even fake a family emergency or something and we can leave early.” Semi remained unimpressed.
“I don’t see what’s so awful about a family Christmas party,” Semi informed him, turning to leave. “Besides, just as a classmate. There are some people from class you get along with, right?”
Shirabu bit his lip as he watched Semi walk away, gathering the courage to blurt out, “I thought maybe if I could bring a teammate, my family would stop trying to tell me to quit volleyball, just for the day.” Semi stopped in his tracks.
“What are you talking about?” Semi’s voice was soft, and Shirabu almost thought he’d imagined the words.
“It’s nothing. They just don’t think volleyball is what I should be focusing on. Just forget it. I’ll just deal with it; it’s not your problem. Sorry for taking your time and bothering you with this,” Shirabu muttered, stalking toward the door. As he passed the older setter, though, Semi’s hand shot out and his fingers clamped around Shirabu’s wrist, yanking the younger boy to a halt.
“I’ll do it,” Semi told him. “I’ll be your fake date and I’ll try to get us both out of there early if you want, okay?” Shirabu twisted to look over his shoulder at Semi, and there was a level of determination in his eyes that was usually reserved for volleyball. “I can even say I’m dragging you off to my family’s Christmas dinner or something.” Shirabu’s eyes flew wide with disbelief.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. Just let me know when and where to show up. And what to wear, since Satori keeps telling me that I look lame when-”
“Semi?” Shirabu’s voice was soft for once as he said Semi’s name. Semi paused, blinking at the younger setter in surprise. “Thanks.” Semi shook off his astonishment - Shirabu was actually cute for a second, looking up at him with relief and gratitude - and ruffled the younger boy’s hair.
“If we’re going to convince your family that we’re dating, you should probably call me Eita,” Semi pointed out.
Semi tugged at the cuffs of his sleeves. Formal or even semi-formal wear really wasn’t his style. Mostly because it was stiff and uncomfortable, if he was being honest with himself. Shirabu he muttered that Semi must’ve borrowed someone else’s fashion sense when he picked Semi up, and Tendou had tried to take his picture after he’d helped Semi choose his outfit for the evening, but Semi had kicked him out of the house before he could.
Now he was standing beside Shirabu, the uncomfortable pressure of his clothes and the weight of Shirabu’s relatives staring at him making him want to turn tail and run.
“So, Semi, you’re Kenjirou’s boyfriend?” Semi blinked and refocused on his surroundings. Shirabu was a few steps away, being cooed over by a swarm of teenagers who’d previously been introduced as his cousins, and were now debating the merits of his hairstyle and clothing choices while Shirabu shot pleading glances at Semi, who smiled and waved before turning to Shirabu’s...great-aunt maybe? Anyway, she was some older woman with obviously dyed caramel hair and a cooly evaluating gaze.
“Yes, ma’am,” Semi replied, smiling politely and inclining his head slightly in greeting.
“You seem like a sensible boy, despite that hair of yours,” she informed him with a withering glance at the lavender tips of his hair, which went with the baby blue of his button down shirt nicely, according to Tendou.
“Thanks, I think,” Semi sighed, not sure what was so awful about his hair, when it couldn’t possibly be worse than this lady’s bad dye job.
“Since you’re obviously the reasonable one in your relationship,” the lady began, “would you talk to Kenjirou?” Semi frowned, remembering what Shirabu had said about his family.
“About what?” he asked warily.
“About this volleyball nonsense. He got into Shiratorizawa on an academic scholarship, you know. He’s got the brains, he could easily do something great if he would just focus on school and getting into a good university,” she explained. Semi noticed distantly that Shirabu and his cousins had all fallen silent. Out of the corner of his eye, Semi saw Shirabu duck his head, his bangs falling forward to hide his expression.
“I’m afraid when Kenjirou and I talk about volleyball, it’s never about him quitting,” Semi said cheerfully, forcing his tone away from the snarl he wanted to use. “You see, Kenjirou’s our setter. He’s essential to our team, and with how well we’ve been doing, he’ll probably get to go to whatever college he wants, so there’s plenty of time for him to worry about his future, especially with all of his potential, in volleyball and academics.”
“What would you know?” the lady sniffed, her demeanor souring as Semi spoke. Her apparent conditional approval had vanished, replaced by a scowl and a sneering tone. “With that hair, even if you’re dressed nicely, you’re probably a delinquent. I should have known Kenjirou couldn’t choose a boyfriend any better than he can choose his priorities. What do you know about sports scholarships or Kenjirou’s potential?”
“Quite a bit actually, ma’am,” Semi replied, keeping his tone polite. “See, I’m a setter and a pinch server, so I’m extremely familiar with Kenjirou’s volleyball skills. He actually replaced me as starting setter, so there’s plenty of potential for him there. And we all know he got in on academics; Kenjirou’s brilliant, and I’m not saying that just because we’re dating. But if you’re only going to focus on the potential you approve of, and limit Kenjirou’s opportunities because of it, I have to question your priorities, ma’am, because you don’t seem to have Kenjirou’s best interests at heart.” For a moment, there was utter silence as she processed Semi’s words. Then she drew herself up, glaring at him so fiercely that he almost wanted to take a step back.
“You insolent little-”
“Eita! Didn’t you say your family’s dinner would be starting soon? We’d better go!” Shirabu exclaimed, seizing Semi’s hand and dragging him away from the lady before Semi could hear what she was about to say to him. Semi let Shirabu take him to a secluded corner, away from angry criticizing relatives and prying eyes. Semi watched Shirabu closely, noting that Shirabu kept his face turned away from Semi, keeping him from guessing what Shirabu might be thinking.
“You okay?” Semi asked after a few moments. Shirabu’s fingers trembled around Semi’s, but didn’t let go as he turned to face the older setter. Shirabu nodded, but didn’t meet Semi’s eyes. Instead, he stretched up on his toes to press a quick kiss to Semi’s cheek. “Hey, no one’s looking, you don’t have to-”
“Shut up,” Shirabu grumbled. “And...thanks, I guess.” Semi blinked, at a complete loss for words. “Um...even if you didn’t mean everything you said, it meant a lot. And maybe it’ll make her stop nagging my parents to make me quit volleyball early. So yeah. Thanks.”
“You’re such a brat,” Semi informed him. “You can’t even thank someone properly.” Shirabu’s head came up and he glared at Semi, his lips parting as he prepared to protest, only for Semi to duck impulsively, intending to kiss the tip of Shirabu’s nose but accidentally pressing his lips to Shirabu’s mouth instead. Shirabu stiffened, and Semi quickly pulled back. “Sorry! Sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Semi trailed off, then tried to shift the conversation by admitting, “I did mean what I said to that lady with the awful dye job though.” Shirabu stared up at him for a moment, then squeezed Semi’s hand tentatively.
“I told her we were going to your family’s dinner. We should get something to eat since you antagonized my great aunt before the food was served,” Shirabu suggested. “And since we’re dressed up, let’s go somewhere nice.” Semi narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“Are you...asking me on a date?” Semi asked. Shirabu turned away, but not before Semi saw that his cheeks had reddened, and he realized that Shirabu blushing was definitely something he wouldn’t mind seeing more of.
“Well not anymore. You can starve for all I care,” Shirabu snapped.
“And to think you were cute for a second,” Semi sighed. Shirabu started to let go of Semi’s hand, but Semi didn’t let him. “After that speech I just gave your horrendous great-aunt, you wouldn’t let me starve, would you?” he prodded. Shirabu glared at him.
“Watch me,” Shirabu muttered. After a second, he added suspiciously, “So are you agreeing to...a date?” Semi smiled and shrugged.
“Sure. Let’s see where it goes. You are pretty cute when you’re not being a brat.”