Archive of Our Own ^beta

It was the third night of their training camp. Though, it couldn’t really be considered a training camp seeming as it was at the school and they could have all easily slept in their dorms. Which, unfortunately, they currently weren’t doing because of a certain middle blocker’s “fantastic idea.”

What had happened was Tendou had bounded up to Eita with a bright grin on his face and words spilling from his lips before he’d even made it all the way over to the pinch server.

“So, my dear, sweet Semisemi! I’ve had a brilliant idea!” Eita frowned, looking up at his friend who just draped an arm across his shoulders.

“I told you to stop calling me that.” Still, he raised his brow in curiosity. Tendou seemed to get what he meant as he quickly continued speaking.

“So, you know how this is a training camp?” This earned him a blank stare. “Well, it doesn’t feel very camp-like, does it? And I happen to know that other teams all share rooms together like big sleepovers with lots of fun and bonding!”

“I don’t like where this is going, Satori.” Tendou continued anyway.

“And that got me thinking, why don’t we do that? We can all bond, tell funny stories, embarrass each other, play truth or dare, et cetera. It’ll be fun!” The redhead grinned at him, bright and confident. Semi just scowled in return.

“You’re planning to make me stay in a room with Shirabu. That sounds like a horrible idea.”

“It’s a fantastic idea, Eita-kun. Trust me!” His grin hadn’t faltered at all, having probably already known that Eita was going to say that, which only made the setter huff in irritation and glare at him.

“Whatever. No one’ll agree to this dumb idea anyway.”

Tendou gasped dramatically and clutched his chest with his other hand, falling even more onto Semi. “You wound me!” His face then morphed from one of faux hurt to a mischievous smirk. “Besiiiides,” He murmured, close enough that Eita could feel his warm breath on his cheek. “I have a trump card.”

Without waiting for a response, he pushed himself off Eita and started bounding towards their captain, singing ‘Waaa-kaaa-tooo-shiii!’ as he approached.

Eita couldn’t hear what was being said but from Satori’s excited hand gestures to Wakatoshi’s ever-so-slightly changing expression he picked up the general thread of it and felt a sense of dread wash over him.

And that had landed them here – all in a large room with futons laid out. The others hadn’t seemed up for the idea until Ushijima had told them all the importance of bonding more so they’d play more effectively as a team. They’d clearly been the words Tendou had told him so he’d be on board but no one could – or even wanted to – argue with their captain.

Once everyone was in the room and prepared for whatever it was that Satori’d had planned, Semi instinctively went about making sure everyone had eaten, had been through their nightly routines and had everything they needed with them.

“Oh my god. Can you just chill or something?” Shirabu completely ignored Taichi’s muttered, ‘you’re one to talk’ and continued to glare at Semi. “You’re not our mom.”

Eita stood up from where he’d been talking to Goshiki and returned the glare, fully prepared to tear into this bratty second year. However, he was cut off by a familiar weight leaning on him.

“See, now that’s where you’re wrong, Kenjirou-kun!” Eita turned his head to frown at his friend.

“What the fuck are you talking about, Satori?”

“Well, Semisemi, you are a mom. Team mom of the Shiratorizawa Boys’ Volleyball Club!” His grin was teasing and Eita didn’t feel even a little bit bad about the solid thump he delivered to Satori’s chest.

He brushed him off, gently patting his shoulder as he passed on his way to his futon. He was only stopped when Taichi spoke up, having apparently been listening despite paying more attention to the game he was playing.

“So, if Semi-senpai’s the mom then who’s the dad?”

“That,” Tendou said, rubbing at his chest where Semi’d hit – okay, yes, he felt kind of bad about it – before gesturing grandly to himself, “would be me!”

Hayato openly laughed at that, Reon beside him shaking his head but not getting involved.

“And that would make the rest of us...?” Shirabu still looked annoyed, despite being curious enough to ask.

“You’re our kids! Oh, save for Reon who’s obviously the grandpa.” He sent another grin Reon’s way, obviously having fun with this.

“Like hell are you two my parents. I’d rather die.” The look of pure disgust on Shirabu’s face could only be rivalled by the one on Eita’s.

“Yeah. Why would I want to raise something like that?” He gestured in the other setter’s direction, not looking away from Satori.

“Now, now, Eita-kun.” The redhead strolled over, sliding an arm around Eita’s waist and pouting. “We don’t want you to hurt one of our poor sons’ feelings now, do we?”

Eita put his hand to Tendou’s face and tried to shove him off while yelling “He’s not my son!” at the same time as Shirabu yelled “He’s not my mom!”

Undeterred, Satori turned his face slightly to look over at Goshiki. “Tsutomu, agree that we’re a family!”

Startled by suddenly being address and clearly having not been paying attention this entire time, the boy in question stared in confusion for a few moments before hurriedly replying. “Ah, y-yes!”

“See?” Was all Tendou said as he looked away from the soon-to-be ace and glanced between both setters.

“I agree.” Came the traitorous voice of Yamagata Hayato and, sure enough, when Semi looked at him there was a huge smirk on his face. “You two do make pretty good parents.”

“Maybe it’s Semi’s motherly nature.” Reon suggested, smiling innocently at Eita before turning to Ushijima. “What do you think, Wakatoshi?”

“Well, I-” Semi groaned and put his head in his hands as his friend somehow brought plant metaphors into this. He swears he’s going to kill Tendou after this.

Later, during someone else’s turn in truth or dare, Satori whispers quietly to Eita from his place next to him – strangely, his arm has barely been away from Eita’s waist, even now that they’re sitting and playing a game.

“Do you really hate the idea of us as a family?” Eita knows he meant ‘us’ as in the team but it does something weird to his chest. He’ll ignore that for now.

He thinks about it long enough that it becomes another person’s turn before he replies, just as quietly.

“Tsutomu can be our son. Not Shirabu, though.”

Tendou hides his smile in Eita’s shoulder, also muffling his soft chuckling. A smile slips its way onto Eita’s lips, too.