#i very distinctly remember a haikyuu one and it being very fun

[threadmonster]

But why don't I see those uh.. it's anywhere from one to nine panels/labels for so many different characters in a gif and then you print screen or drag the gif and you find out your husband, boyfriend, childhood friend, sibling, rival, person who wants to kill you I don't know. Why are those gone and why haven't I realized sooner??? Where are they? Give them back ಥ⁠╭⁠╮⁠ಥ

[waka-chan-out]

Explain the female gaze thing because I’m an idiot and I never understood it to begin with

OKAY. SO.

the female gaze is, first and foremost, not a thing. that’s my thesis statement and i’m sticking to it.

the male gaze isn’t technically a “thing” either. there are still many debates surrounding it because it’s not a fact or style. it’s a concept proposed by the film theorist laura mulvey. the gist is that film is often meant for a heterosexual male audience, and through that lense we see women as objects for men’s enjoyment.

take megan fox in transformers v megan fox in jessica’s body, for example. in transformers she has some semblance of a character and motivations, but every shot of her frames her as someone to be ogled so absolutely no one remembers the fact that she was written as a real person. she is presented through the male gaze. the narrative is basically saying “here’s this woman. she is meant for you. she is not real and she’s yours to enjoy.”

jessica’s body, however, subverts this idea and uses it to make a fantastic statement. it shows this woman (who is usually portrayed as a sex object) being openly promiscuous, but she is distinctly not written for men. the men who sexualize her in the film are either the villains of the story or are punished specifically for viewing her as something for them to enjoy. this is a perfect example of a movie that subverts the expectations of the male audience because megan is does not appeal to the male gaze, though she’s expected to be.

but THIS IS STILL NOT THE FEMALE GAZE.

many people try to turn this theoretical framework around on men to show that “hey, the female gaze is real !! chris hemsworth is shirtless !!” films sexualizing men in the way women are usually sexualized does not mean the female gaze exists, because there is no power imbalance. men cannot be viewed as objects because they are not regarded as objects by society. even when they are portrayed like this, they are viewed as something to be desired, not something to be consumed.

the first supposed explanation of the “female gaze” i saw on tiktok was this very nice girl explaining that she thought the closest equivalent would be framing the men in the movie as kind and emotionally vulnerable. her example was that scene in pride and prejudice where mr. darcy flexes his hand after touching the main characters (fuck if i remember her name. i’ve only seen the movie once.) this is an interesting concept, but it’s distinctly not the equivalent of the male gaze. viewing a woman as an object to be consumed and viewing a man as desirable based on their personality and actions are, quite fucking obviously, not the same.

so when i see shit about “haikyuu is written from the female gaze” i get furious.

first of all, nothing is written from either of these supposed gazes. The male gaze is a way a piece of media can be interpreted and it was specifically meant for studying film. It’s not a form of writing or style directors go for. It’s about the way the film language and narrative are interpreted, not intentionally framed.

but also, shut the fuck up. haikyuu is not written from any fucking gaze. haikyuu is just well fucking written.

just like pride and prejudice is well written. and monthly girls’ nozaki-kun is well written.

oh, funny. both of these were written by women. does that mean they’re written through the female gaze. NO. it’s just that more male writers are misogynistic pricks than women and that affects how well they’re able to write narratives about or for women. why do you think warm bodies is so bad ?? because the author doesn’t view women as people. neither does horikoshi I MEAN WHOOPS WHO SAID THAT ???? CERTAINLY WASN’T ME.

so yeah. encourage narratives written by women because they’re better for women. support works of art that are well written because then maybe people will have to pull their heads out of their asses and use an ounce of empathy or understanding for once. but don’t try to act like you’re smart because you took a film theory, misunderstood it, turned it around, misunderstood that, and then tried to cram it into a completely different framework. so shut the fuck up before you embarrass yourself more.

also fuck you furudate’s gender is not confirmed. suck my dick you pretentious fuck.

anyway lila kinda popped off in this little post and then here are two videos (one and two) by lindsay ellis about the male gaze and feminist theory in transformers. it’s so good. she’s so good. this series is all about film theory specifically as it relates to transformers and i think that’s so fun.

anyway if you’re reading the end here thank you for your time and i hope you have a lovely day. i know y’all didn’t follow me for feminist theory and film studies discourse but here we are ig.

[lycorisia]

Haikyuu S4 Ep15

SPOILERS READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

I never really make posts of my own, but I really just need to get all my thoughts down and out there sooooo ta daa! 

This is just my opinion on some things and I need people to know I LOVE HAIKYUU and this is in no way supposed to be hateful towards it.

I saw a post about how this episode involved so many things that could’ve been the main plot of the one episode, and that got me thinking. When I first watched the episode, I was happy to see moments animated, but it wasn’t until I saw that post that I realized why.

The moments they talked about were the Yamaguchi panic with Shimada saving him, Tsukki stopping the twin’s freak quick, and Hinata realizing what type of block he hated the most (Mattsun from Seijou) and using that to stop Osamu.

And while I don’t remember a lot about the manga cause it’s been a while since I read it, that really struck a chord with me, so I went back to re-read it.

Episode 15 takes place from about chapter 253 to about chapter 260 and that just doesn’t sit well with me. That’s 6-7 chapters all rolled into one episode. For context, episode 14 was about chapter 250 to 253, so there’s a significant amount more added to episode 15. Also 253-260 has so much happening because it’s the first set coming to a close, yet they put so much into one episode and didn’t let anything settle before jumping into the next major plot point.

I will talk about what I mentioned above from the other post, but I’m also gonna talk about moments in the manga that I wish were addressed in the anime.

First being Asahi’s serving. I distinctly remember him talking about percentages of power into his serves but when I re-watched seasons 1-3 it was mentioned so now I’m confused. ANYWAY serving has always been a pretty big thing with Asahi, in that he has a hard time controlling it and has been working on it since the Summer training camp. So the flashback to him talking to Ukai about clenching his fist then relaxing it to THEN get the FIRST SERVICE ACE for Karasuno is so big to me. Also the amount of detail that Furudate sensei put into the two frames of Asahi’s hand makes me believe that there should be more to it.

Now the first point of the other post that comes up chronologically is Tsukki blocking out the twins. At first I wasn’t sure about considering that moment to be a sort of climax or main element of the episode, but considering it’s the last moment of chapter 255, it does have some oomph as a sort of ending note. The episode does mention that those who get used to the freak quick can stop it easier, and Tsukku being an incredible smart and talented blocker who has been near the quick since literal day one and has seen it develop over time shows how Inarizaki’s “counter attack” won’t work against him.

Now this isn’t really anything to get too upset about, but throughout the match, schools from Miyagi are watching and leave little bits of commentary and I really wish they kept that in, I know they have the ending dedicated to everyone watching, but I really like the little tidbits of comments and I think it would’ve been fun to have in the episode(s).

Now, when it comes to Hinata’s blocking, this becomes important because leading up to figuring out what type of block is the scariest, he continuously fails to block out Osamu after his first surprise commit block. Lots of people make comments on the experience level difference between the two and how Hinata lacks technique and he really only has his speed and jumping ability at this point. What leads to Hinata actually thinking about blocks though is Atsumu yelling at Osamu about being afraid/not afraid of Hinata. Hinata then obviously thinks of Aone and Date Tech, but then thinks more about one-on-one blocking. AND WHAT LEADS HIM TO REALIZE THE BEST WAY TO FIGHT OSAMU IS TO THINK ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES. FULL CIRCLE! When the manga shows Hinata’s block it even cuts to Kindaichi’s look of surprise because it’s a subtle thing, but he recognizes Hinata’s block. I will give the anime that though, the manga never shows or mentions Mattsun, so getting that visual (and that cute little train scene) was nice. 

Also something I just remembered, there were these two people (couple?) that was watching the game that had little commentary that are not in the anime, and while I don’t really mind, it could’ve been used in order to hold the episode out longer so that they didn’t force so much into one episode cause damn so much happened in one episode.

NOW ONE OF THE BIGGEST MOMENTS IN MY OPINION THAT WAS QUICKLY GLOSSED OVER. Yamaguchi’s serve and Shimada’s rescue. Yamaguchi’s in for a pinch serve! He looks for his “reset point” but can’t find it! Then suddenly after like 2 seconds Shimada is where Yamaguchi is looking and saves the day!? LAME. Yamaguchi is supposed to be confident after finding something to settle his nerves, but when you take that away, he starts to fall apart. He slowly starts to panic, but it’s enough that his team and Shimada take notice. So Shimada, wanting what’s best for his student cause he cares so much, rushes across the huge stadium to a place Yamaguchi can see him. And as much as Yamaguchi tries to calm himself and pick a new “reset point” all of the booing and jeers and eyes of the opponents get to him. BUT! through all the booing, Shimada’s cry of “TADASHIII” is still heard and you can see him sweaty and gross holding up a Shimada mart bag, like the original “reset point” he taught Yamaguchi so long ago. Yamaguchi is able to zero in on that and score Karasuno’s SECOND SERVICE ACE off of Aran INARIZAKI’S ACE! AND NOW TAKES THE LEAD POINT WISE! And after getting that point, there’s just a resurgence of energy in Karasuno. Yamaguchi goes in for his second serve and the episode ends, which is interesting cause it’s towards the end of chapter 260, but there was more to the manga chapter than in the episode. but whatever.

NOTE* Also while in the middle of writing all of this I realized that some of what I talked about is actually apart of the narrative of episode 14 (Asahi’s serve [I think]), but either way, I’m keeping that in this.

After all that, it kinda makes me worried about the speed in which the rest of the season will go. I’ve been trying to figure out how many episodes Season 4 will have in total, because although seasons 1 and 2 have 25 episodes each, season 3 only had 10 to focus on Shiratorizawa. 

So much happens during nationals, but at this rate who knows what all the season is gonna try to get through. 

I still love season 4 so far, and I can’t wait to see certain things animated, but that worry still lingers.

I’ve rambled for a very long time, and I can’t think of anything more to add right now, so if you actually read this, thanks? and sorry lol but I just needed to write this and see if anyone thought the same as me.

[la-ro-ki]

i always want fic recs yes tell me more

ahh sorry that this is a few days late I’ve been trying to find the time and brain power to sort out a coherent rec list! 

national hot dad alliance is now calling...

the very first Haikyuu!! fanfic I ever read that actually got me into the series! I read this before every watching the anime or reading the manga and I distinctly remember having to google characters appearances constantly jdsjlaakl. 

despite not having any clue who any of these characters were I still really enjoyed it and rereading it only made it better. this is one of those fics that you just can’t help but reread over and over again tbh 

I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who really enjoys captain shenanigans!! it also has good queerplatonic relationship rep which I can always get behind

THE WIENER SOLDIERS

yes it’s another chatfic I’m sorry,,, this is another fic that I reread a lot whenever I’m in the mood for some shenanigans.

this one def plays itself less seriously than national hot dad alliance but still has it’s moments where it pulls back from some of it’s more crack-like attributes

I’d reccomend to anyone who likes more chaotic fanfics that can still get serious or just people that think the second gen captains are neat. there’s two poly relationships in it which I, a polyamorous person, always appreciate!

Sky Full of Stars

y’all don’t even get me started on how much I love this fic!! the characterization for Natsu is always very consistent and I find her very cute! this goes for all the OCs in this fic tbh because I love all of them

I’m p sure you’re all aware of how much I adore Tsutomu and the other STZ boys and they’re all written so well in this fic. very rarely do I ever find them to be OOC wish is really nice since plenty of people mischaracterize them in fics

I’d heavily recommend this to anyone who loves the STZ boys as much as I do and who likes seeing cute OCs in fics!! as of rn there’s no ships and it’s just a gen fic but there are implied crushes

Who We Are

this fic!! this fic holy shit!!! this fic has inspired so many of my own trans headcanons!!!! it’s incredibly wholesome at times yet isn’t scared to show the downsides of being a transitioning teen

if you’re going to read it then I do have to warn you that some characters can be OOC however it’s normally very minor or as a result of personal development. Tsutomu’s also a major supporting character which I love to see always and has very cute relationships with the other characters. other major(ish) supporting characters are Yaku and Kyoutani with plenty of cameos

this is a fic that I’d recommend to people who like or create content with copious amounts of trans headcanons because that’s what this fic’s entire basis is. it’s got a fairly large variety in gender and sexuality headcanons and portrays them very respectfully

Ace

crossover fics done well are always so much fun to read and I think this fic def falls into that category! I’ve seen a few fics with Lev and Alisa being related to Victor from yoi but this is probs my fave

I’ve never seen yoi so I can’t say much about the characterization of those characters but I really like how the Haiba siblings and Nekoma are written! I find them to be very in character and enjoyable to read 

I’d recommend this fic to Haiba and Nekoma stans since they’re the main focus of this fic but I do need to put a disclaimer that it’s an unfinished fic

Oikawa's grand plan to get free food from his rivals.

Shirabu's crazy scheme to get revenge on Oikawa

I don’t know what more to say about these two then just 14,000 words of setter squad antics! all the setters are a p good mix of their fanon and canon selves and I genuinely find both fics funny

I’d recommend this fic to those who also appreciate the setters and like the Pretty Setters SquadTM

6/10

a fic that’s so good at describing social anxiety that it activated my social anxiety djslksl. I’ve personally always thought of Kageyama as someone who has anxiety and seeing it written out like this only makes me more set in that idea

people who also see Kageyama as having social anxiety will probably like this fic but if you’re sensitive to depictions of anxiety then this fic likely isn’t for you. it made me uncomfortable a few times because I couldn’t help but empathise with Kageyama

The Lucky Ones

just a oneshot about STZ magical boys because I personally really like magical girl animes and just thought this fic in particular was cute

If I Had You

a really good kyouhaba fic that mainly deals with Kyoutani coming to terms with his sexuality and his attraction to Yahaba. I don’t always like how people portray Kyoutani but I feel like this fic does a very good job with his character!

there’s repeated cameos from other aobajousai members and Tanaka, Yamamoto, and Misaki are all pretty important characters in this fic. this fic also addresses how different people handle coming out to both friends and family

this is a fic I’d recommend to people with exquisite taste who ship kyouhaba and who just want the best for both of them! 

Mistakes and Misunderstandings

I really like this fic and how it deals with the relationship between Semi and Shirabu and their own differences in personality! it also touches on how them having a strained relationship affects their teammates and how the other members try to help them work it out

I like this fic especially because it shows how their own inner thoughts differ so greatly and presents a realistic way for them to learn to communicate with each other. it doesn’t just try to play the tsundere card and instead gives both characters good characterization and reasoning as to why they find it hard to just say what they mean

I’d recommend this fic to other STZ stans or to people who enjoy well written gen fics!!

Summer Leaves

a seijoh!Hinata and stz!Kageyama fic because it wouldn’t be a fic rec list if I didn’t include a Kageyama AU

I haven’t reread the Hinata POV chapters since the first time I read the fic but I’ve read the Kageyama chapters over a few times and really enjoy the characterization of both Kageyama and the other STZ members. the way Oikawa is written in this fic feels fairly truthful to canon and none of the other aobajousai members are very OOC. out of the STZ members Semi in particular is written in a way I rarely see for him which is always refreshing

this fic is one I’d recommend to people who like teamswap AUs especially since it’s so well written!

as bright as a blackhole; and twice as dense

almost 30,000 words of Kageyama being dense and awkward in social situations while Tsukishima watches on in pain

plenty of cameos from other characters and doting on Kageyama

if you like crack fic that’s taken a bit too seriously then this is for you

rainwater

Five Times Kawanishi Wanted to Hold Shirabu's Hand, and One Time He Did

Statistics and Star Princes

harbour lights

Window Vine

just a bunch of STZ ship fics that I also adore but am too tired to also talk about in any detail because writing this rec list took more time than I thought and I’m exhausted

[symphorine]

Fandom: Haikyuu!!

Wordcount: 3.9k

Rating: T (for swears)

Others: Tendou/Tsukishima, college & roommates au, Tsukishima Suffers, cuddling

Summary: Tsukishima generally considers himself to be, overall, not an awful person. He's pretty sure his karma so far is mostly neutral.

So he really, really hopes there's something good in store for him next when, after his guide has given him a quick tour of the apartment and left him alone, he opens the door to his dorm room to find Tendou fucking Satori, all pointy limbs and long red hair, standing in front of him.

-

for @tobioslilgiant HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMBER

READ ON AO3 | READ ON TUMBLR (below)

Tsukishima generally considers himself to be, overall, not an awful person. He's not the warmest guy, as has been pointed out to him multiple times, but he doesn't go out of his way to make people's day worse either. And he has friends - and as obnoxious and annoying as they may be, like Kageyama, they're mostly good people, and terrible people do not have good people as friends, in his experience. All that to say, he's pretty sure his karma so far is mostly neutral.

So Tsukishima really, really hopes there's something good in store for him next when, after his guide has given him a quick tour of the apartment and left him alone, he opens the door to his dorm room to find Tendou fucking Satori, all pointy limbs and long red hair, standing in front of him.

"Oh ho," Tendou says as he looks up, his lips stretching into a smile that shouldn't feel so familiar to Tsukishima two years after. "I know you. Take- Tsuka-"

"Tsukishima Kei," Tukishima interrupts him.

"Yes! Karasuno's annoying middle blocker," Tendou nods without breaking eye contact. "What a coincidence. I take it you're my new roommate?"

"To my greatest displeasure," Tsukishima replies sourly.

He finally drags his suitcase inside and shuts the door. The room is barely big enough to fit the double sets of beds, desks and wardrobes, but it's redeemed by a large window through which sunlight streams in the room. Everything looks mostly clean, at least, though of course it could be just a one-time thing.

"Aw, don't say that," Tendou says as he steps aside a little to give Tsukishima enough space to advance. "I'm sure we'll be best friends soon."

"Unless your personality got better, I doubt it," Tsukishima retorts.

Tendou goes to sit on his bed, on the right side of the room, and proceeds to tie his hair up. "I'm not the one being hostile here," he points out with a grin. "And you're not an angel either."

Tsukishima turns away with a sigh and inspects his side of the room. He finds his keys on his desk, but none of them labelled.

"The big one is for the suite," Tendou tells him, his voice just next to Tsukishima's ear.

Tsukishima jumps and almost elbows Tendou in the gut - on accident, but still, he'd have been a little more happy if it had connected. Tendou doesn't pay attention to his glare and takes the keys, holding them up between them. He's so close Tsukishima can see the pale freckles on his cheeks.

"That one's for the room, this one for your closet, this one for the garbage," Tendou announces, holding the corresponding key for a second before letting it fall again. "And this one is the key to my heart," he adds, making finger guns at Tsukishima with an impish smile.

Tsukishima is silent for a handful of seconds, mouth slightly open. "What?"

Tendou snorts and throws him the keys; Tsukishima fumbles to catch them. "Kidding, it's for the basement. The guys from the other room are never there, I don't even know their names," he continues, still standing only inches away. "You don't have to worry about them. And just find the empty spaces in the cupboards and refrigerator, they're yours."

It takes a few seconds for Tsukishima to find his words. "Thanks."

"See, I've been a good senpai, now you can't say I'm awful," Tendou croons, bouncing back to his bed and grabbing a jacket that had been lying there. "I'm going out!"

Tsukishima watches him leave without a words, clutching the keys so hard that there are marks on his skin when he finally opens his hand. He shakes his head and opens his suitcase, then begins to put away his clothes, and absolutely does not think that Tendou smelled really nice.

Tendou isn't awful, thought it pains Tsukishima to admit it. He is obnoxious. He listens to music all the time, so loud Tsukishima can hear it coming from Tendou's earbuds, and his taste leaves a lot to be desired. He doesn't do the dishes very often, and it sometimes takes days before the pile of plates and bowls and glasses that grows in one part of the sink disappears. He likes the room - and entire apartment - to be pretty cold, which forces Tsukishima to wrap himself in three layers most nights, even though they're halfway through May. Tendou's side of the room is also extremely messy, and Tsukishima is pretty sure their respective spaces can be delimited following the amount of clothes on a square feet of ground.

But Tendou also always asks Tsukishima if he needs something from the corner store, and despite keeping the worst hours Tsukishima has ever seen, he rarely makes enough noise in the middle of the night to wake Tsukishima up. He does spend a lot of time trying to talk, or just coming to sit on Tsukishima's bed and poke him, but when Tsukishima stops humoring him and asks him to let him work, he usually complies, leaving him with a smile.

And it seems like the first day's cleanliness wasn't a fluke, which Tsukishima greatly appreciates.

"I lived in a dorm before," Tendou tells him when he remarks on it, on one of the rare occasions they eat together. "They'd kick our ass if we didn't keep the rooms clean."

His mouth is half-full and Tsukishima backs away an inch or two, just in case he spits too far. "There's nobody to kick your ass now, though."

"It became a habit," Tendou shrugs, wolfing down what's left of his rice. "What about you? Are you just naturally a clean freak?"

"Such a charming way to put things," Tsukishima observes, peeling his apple. "I just don't like living surrounded by garbage."

"A li'le bi' o' ga'ba' neve' hu' anyone," Tendou replies with his mouth full, pointing his chopsticks at Tsukishima.

Tendou swallows and grins at him, and Tsukishima, not for the first time, wonders if he's fucking with him or being serious. It's Tendou .

Faced with no significant reaction beyond a vaguely disgusted face, Tendou shrugs and gets up, dropping his bowl on the newly growing stack of dishes.

"We should eat together more often, it's fun," he declares, stealing half of Tsukishima's apple in passing.

Tsukishima has grown used to it. Tendou will always come steal some of his food if he sees him eating, and Tsukishima has accepted that he can't legally stab Tendou with a knife or a spoon just for that, so he lets it go with a sigh and takes the other half.

"Do your dishes!" he yells after Tendou, receiving only a grin and a wriggle of fingers in return before Tendou saunters out of the apartment.

Suddenly, he's alone again, silence his only company. Tendou had been right about their other flatmates; Tsukishima has seen one of them once, briefly, when the guy was going out as he was coming home. It's nice, to have to share the space only with Tendou, even though of course if would be nicer if he didn't have to share at all.

Mostly, it means that if Tendou is being too loud or is distracting him too much, Tsukishima can requisition the (very small) living room for himself, if he wants to be alone. Surprisingly, he doesn't get the urge that often. Sure, Tendou is obnoxious and noisy and always there , but Tsukishima - got used to it. He's gotten plenty of practice, after all, dealing with Hinata all these years, although Tendou's presence is completely different.

Tsukishima shakes his head and forces himself to stop his musings about Tendou. He's got other things to do than think about his roommate.

"I'm sick, not dying," Tsukishima insists, a week later, holding up the phone closer as he pulls the covers tighter around him.

"You're still not coming with us tonight," Yamaguchi replies on the other end. "You have to rest!"

Tsukishima rolls his eyes. "I know how to take care of myself."

"Then do that," Yamaguchi retorts . "Sleep or take a bath. Or better yet, try to spend some time with your roommate. Don't you have a thing for him?"

Tsukishima makes a choked noise, and Yamaguchi laughs at him. "Fuck off." So what if he's been talking about Tendou a lot. The guy lives with him, and is weirdly attractive, and he has a right to vent about how hard it is not to stare when Tendou changes sometimes.

"Fine, be miserable then, but be miserable in bed."

"Are you going to come here and make me soup too?"

"I trust that you'll manage that yourself."

"I'm touched by your confidence in me," Tsukishima deadpans.

Yamaguchi's laugh comes a little distorted. "I'm sure you are. Just take care of yourself, Tsukki."

Tsukishima knows a losing battle when he sees one. He sighs and looks up to the ceiling, giving himself a few seconds to accept his capitulation in the face of Yamaguchi's relentless protectiveness.

"Fine. Have fun with the hellspawns," he finally says.

"They're your friends too, remember?"

"Lies and slander. Tell them I say hi."

"I'll call you tomorrow," Yamaguchi promises before he hangs up.

Tsukishima watches his screen go dark, then sets his phone down on his nightstand, lies down more comfortably, and closes his eyes, but rather than quiet, it's Yamaguchi's words that come to him.

A thing. For Tendou. Well , like he said, Tendou is attractive, in his strange, skinny, probably-secretly-a-goblin kind of way. Tsukishima is mature enough to admit it. And Yamaguchi seriously does not get to make fun of him for his taste, because Tsukishima distinctly remembers having to suffer through his ''Kageyama may be sort of hot' phase during their second year of high school.

He kind of wants to get up and go out anyway, just to defend his taste to Yamaguchi. Maybe he should have argued with him more when he'd told him to stay home - though he rarely wins that kind of argument with Yamaguchi. And to be perfectly honest, he does feels a lot better staying in bed than he certainly would if he had to get up, and get dressed, and go out, and…

He's woken up by Tendou coming in. Tsukishima's neck hurts from his position, and his glasses are askew on his face, digging in his left cheek. The room is darker, but not by much. Tendou is humming to himself, moving in time with his little song, and Tsukishima instinctively adjusts his glasses and stares at him, transfixed.

It's not that Tendou is tense in his presence, but he's often either focused on something - most often that week's Shonen Jump - or draping himself very distractingly all over Tsukishima until he gets bored of trying to annoy him. Tsukishima has rarely had the luxury of seeing Tendou just be , like this. It feels like he's intruding, but there's also a part of him that wants to keep watching. There's something about seeing Tendou dance in such a carefree way, and Tsukishima-

Tsukishima opts for clearing his throat, possibly not the most subtle way to announce his presence, but better than feeling like a voyeur. Tendou jumps and almost falls over his chair, looking like a deer caught in headlights for a second before he spots Tsukishima.

"Oh ho," he grins, wide and vaguely unsettling. "Were you waiting for me? I'm touched."

"I'm sick," Tsukishima retorts, sliding a little further under his blanket as Tendou comes closer.

Tendou bends down as if to examine him, and Tsukishima stays still, staring back, even when their noses are only a finger apart. "Yeah, you look like death," comes the final verdict.

"Thank you, it's my new foundation," Tsukishima says, raising an unimpressed eyebrow. "Any other pertinent observations?"

Tendou's brow furrows slightly in something that looks strangely like worry. "I'm serious, man," Tendou replies, for once not snapping back. "Do you need something?"

Tsukishima sighs. It's kind of hard to keep up the snark when Tendou doesn't seem interested in replying in kind. "Just quiet."

Tendou nods and lifts his hand, almost as if to touch Tsukishima, but stops halfway and let his arm fall back to his side. He takes a step back and straightens up, or as much as it can be called straightening up with Tendou's usual slouch.

"I'll let you sleep," he says, still in a voice that sounds too normal and not enough like Tendou for Tsukishima's comfort.

Tsukishima says silent as Tendou gathers whatever he needs, and by the time Tendou has reached the door, Tsukishima has taken off his glasses and is fast asleep again.

The next time he wakes up, he's horribly thirsty. The room is completely dark, and after a few fumbling attempts before getting his hand on his phone, he realizes it's already ten. He mutters a few swears; he hadn't intended to sleep that long.

He'd also forgotten to bring water. He closes his eyes and gathers his strength, then rolls on his side until he's sitting on the edge of the bed. Even doing that is exhausting, and only the need to drink gives him enough motivation to leave his toasty warm bed and walk out of the bedroom.

The hallway looks strange, with shadows dancing on the walls in a green-tinged light, and Tsukishima understands why when he reaches the living room. Tendou is curled up on the couch, his laptop on the small table in front of him, and watching something that looks like an alien movie.

He must hear Tsukishima come in somehow, because he pauses and turns around, giving Tsukishima a slow once-over. Tsukishima shivers slightly, and he's not sure he can blame it entirely on the temperature. Tendou's eyes come back up and meet his, and Tsukishima wants to blame the strange warmth spreading in his body on being sick, but that doesn't seem fair either.

Eventually, Tsukishima manages to turn away and drag himself to the sink. Tendou still hasn't done his dishes, and Tsukishima vaguely wonders about the law of gravity and the miracles of balance when he looks at the pile of dirty plates and bowls.

He grabs a glass from his part of the cupboards and fills it, then takes small gulps, unnervingly aware that Tendou is still watching him. Now that he thinks about it, actually, Tendou watches him a lot. Tsukishima wonders what he's thinking. Back when he'd met him, in high school, for the time of a match, it had been all about guessing where to block. Is he still guessing now? What is there even to guess right now? Tsukishima is sick and tired, there isn't much more to see.

He drinks the whole glass and pours another one, which he empties faster this time. He rinses it, and it feels heavier than normal in his hands. By the time he puts it to dry on the rack, Tsukishima feels light-headed, and he takes a deep breath to try to regain some balance before going back to the bedroom, but his bed feels so far away .

"There's ramen," comes Tendou's voice, nonchalant. "I left some for you on the table."

Tsukishima frowns, but by the time he's turned his head, Tendou has gone back to his movie. The sound is low enough that it doesn't bother Tsukishima, though.

He looks at the kitchen table, and sure enough, there's a bowl covered with a plate, filled with ramen when Tsukishima takes a look. It's still hot, and when the smell reaches him he realizes he's actually quite hungry.

He takes it and goes to sit down next to Tendou. Judging from the way Tendou's eyes widen, he hadn't expected it, but he doesn't protest when Tsukishima takes the other side of the couch.

"I don't think ramen is particularly good for sick people," Tsukishima starts.

Tendou huffs and waves his hand without looking at Tsukishima. "If you don't like it, you can throw it away. You're gonna have to pay me back anyway, though," he adds with a little self-satisfied smile. "I'm giving you some of my food, here. I'm being super generous."

His eyes don't stray from the screen, and Tsukishima shrugs, not bothering to point out the concept of generosity doesn't usually involve repayment. He figures he's not really in a position to complain anyway, unless Tendou poisoned the ramen, and even then, considering he's feeling like death already, he's not sure he would see the difference.

Tendou's movie ends and he puts on another right away. Tsukishima hasn't paid enough attention to know if it's a sequel to the first one or a different kind entirely, too focused on eating. He finishes the ramen about fifteen minutes in the second movie, but his limbs feel way too heavy to get up again. He opts for setting down the bowl on the table, next to Tendou's laptop, then curling up at his end of the couch, hugging his knees as he squints to try to watch Tendou's movie.

"I don't bite, you know," Tendou declares after a minute.

Tsukishima glances at him. He's not looking at the screen anymore; he's looking at Tsukishima again, his eyes almost too wide and shining in the dark.

For once, when Tsukishima stares back, there's no challenge to be found.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he mumbles, rubbing his eyes.

Tendou sighs with his whole body, shoulders sagging and legs flopping down. "It means you can be miserable in your corner or you can come closer," he says, spreading his arms in invitation.

Tsukishima frowns as he tries to makes out Tendou's expression, but without glasses and in the dark, he's impossible to read. "You do realize I might be contagious?"

"Duh," Tendou replies with unexpected glee. "Why do you think I'm offering? I'm desperate for a reason to skip, dude."

"Like you need a reason," Tsukishima retorts, unfolding his legs and arms to move closer to Tendou.

He goes slowly, and Tendou loses patience after five seconds, taking his shoulders and tugging him closer, until Tsukishima is basically lying against Tendou's chest and between his legs. It's more comfortable than he'd have expected, and it's warm, and Tendou smells like his strange fruity soap. Tsukishima settles, too tired to care that he's basically cuddling with Tendou with only minimal complaint. It's something to be examined by future him, who will be awake and in full possession of his faculties, and not distracted by Tendou's arm around him.

Okay, fuck. He might have more than a thing for Tendou.

He's asleep before he can care.

Tsukishima wakes up to the sound of something falling and breaking and Tendou cursing loudly. It takes him a moment to understand why he's not in his bed, and another more to remember the night before.

He rolls around and sits up, sore from spending the night on the couch, only to find that he's covered by Tendou's oversized hoodie. He glances at Tendou over the couch to check, and sure enough, Tendou is only wearing a thin T-shirt. He's taking apart his pile of dishes, which is probably what made the noise that woke Tsukishima up.

Tsukishima has to resist the urge to lie back down and pretend to sleep for a few hours more, but if anything, volleyball has taught him that running away doesn't work out. He stretches, grimacing at the dull pain in his muscles, then shrugs on Tendou's hoodie, because it's always ungodly cold in the flat - at this point, Tsukishima suspects witchcraft. Plus, he figures that after caving in and admitting that he has a thing for Tendou, he gets to indulge a little.

He gets up and thinks a little bit too late that maybe he should have tried to brush his hair a little. Tendou turns his head and, after half a second of strange hesitation when he spots his hoodie on Tsukishima, flashes him a smile before going back to scrubbing a bowl.

"Finally! Thought you'd turned into Sleeping Beauty and you'd never wake up."

Tsukishima figures words can wait until after coffee.

Tendou chatters happily about the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty, then about movies he's seen. Tsukishima nods here and there, relieved that Tendou doesn't expect more from him as he waits for his coffee to be ready. None of their conversations have ever happened before Tsukishima has gotten his first dose of energy for the day.

Tsukishima sits down with his mug at the kitchen table and busies himself with watching Tendou. It's strange, to do that after having admitted to himself that he seriously wants to touch him more. And possibly - definitely kiss him, too.

"Any plans for today, or are you just gonna lie in bed all day again?" Tendou asks. "Because I'd rather know beforehand this time."

Tsukishima shrugs. "Taking a shower, then we'll see."

"If you have as much energy as yesterday, good luck with that," Tendou snorts. "I didn't even think you were gonna be able to walk, when you came out last night. I was ready to call 119."

Tsukishima taps against the rim of his mug once, twice, then replies. "If you're so worried, you can always come in the shower with me."

"Oh ho, are you flirting with me?" Tendou asks, twisting his waist just so he can waggle his eyebrows at Tsukishima.

It's not the first time he's asked, and every other time, Tsukishima has shut him down, and they went on with their conversation. But, well. Every other time, Tsukishima wasn't flirting.

"Yeah, I am. Why, aren't you?" he says, taking a sip of his coffee without breaking eye contact.

Tendou's eyebrows climb up his forehead, and he almost lets the last plate he'd been washing fall down. He gapes for a handful of seconds before finding his words.

"Yeah. Have been for the past two months," he admits. "Thanks for noticing."

And - okay, in retrospect, maybe Tsukishima could have seen this coming since day one.

"Good," he replies, because he doesn't anything else to say.

Tendou dries his hand and leans against the counter, smiling mockingly. "'Good'? That's all? I'd have expected more of a reaction."

"I'm sick and still drinking my coffee," Tsukishima points out sourly. "I'm not giving you a grand declaration."

"Aw, I'm disappointed, Tsukki. I can call you Tsukki without you threatening to hit me now, right?"

"Wouldn't you miss it if I stopped telling you to shut up?"

"So romantic," Tendou whispers, joining his hands in a show of awe. "I'm swooning."

"See, why should I put in more effort?" Tsukishima deadpans, feeling the corner of his mouth tug up.

"Cause I can make your life a living hell if you don't treat me well," Tendou reminds him, gesturing proudly at himself.

"Oh, and that's romantic?"

"Depends if you want it to be," Tendou retorts.

He crosses his arms and tilts his head to the side, in a gesture that Tsukishima has seen him do countless times now, and is code for are you sure you wanna play like this?

Tsukishima lets his lips stretch into a smirk. Feelings, he's not good with, but this? This is familiar territory.

"I do."

Tendou whistles appreciatively and smiles back. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."

[purple-urself]

Play Nice - Solangelo Haikyuu!! AU

This is a gift for the amazing @lordzarcock for the @pjosecretsanta2016

I’m so incredibly sorry you had to wait this long for a gift Maya, especially since this project literally would not have happened without you.

When your santa dropped out, I knew I had to be the one to create your gift. You’ve been such an amazing friend throughout the project, and you’re the one who made me believe I could complete it, even when I didn’t believe in myself. I care about you a whole lot, and I wanted to create something you’d really really love.

So anyway, I really hope you like it, and Happy holidays!

A03

Nico didn’t play well with others.

 As a child, he would hoard his own toys, playing with them by himself. He refused offers of friendship from the other boys in the playground. So what if they also had a race car toy? So what if they could race them together? Maybe Nico just wanted to race by himself.

 Bianca told him that he should stop being rude, that people would stop talking to him if he didn’t try to be their friend back. Bianca had said that one day, he’d need a friend to help him, to support him. Bianca had been right.

 Nico didn’t play well with others, but volleyball isn’t something you can play by yourself. Teamwork wasn’t something that came naturally to Nico whatsoever, proven by his middle school volleyball career. He didn’t listen to his teammates, he expected too much of them, he demanded more and more from them, until they had no more left to give.

 They had left.

 Bianca had been right, but it was too late to heed her words. His team had abandoned him without a backwards glance, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

 He’d taken his team for granted, and as a result, volleyball had been snatched away from him.

 He would not make that mistake again.

 It’s a promise he made right before entering High school, and if he was honest with himself, it wasn’t one he could see himself keeping. Especially when he ran into the vibrating ray of blinding sunshine, know to him now as Solace.

 Solace, whom he distinctly remembered from a past middle school match, immediately upon seeing him had challenged Nico to a one-on-one passing game. This was not how he’d hoped his high school experience would begin.

 The competition quickly began to get heated once the other boy realised he had no hope in hell of beating Nico. The dumbass had eventually gotten so worked up, he managed to get them both kicked out of the gym by the team’s Captain, a boy named Grace.

 And worse still, Grace had issued an ultimatum. They would not be playing in the club until they worked together as a team. The exact thing Nico struggled with most.

 “Look, we’ll just have to work together.” The blond told him as they waited outside the gym for practice to finish. “Neither of us want to be kicked off the team before we’ve even set foot on the court. We can do it!”

 Nico found his optimism extremely irritating.

 They did, in fact, come up with a plan to prove to the Captain and the rest of the team that they could work together. Which is how Nico found himself on on the court the following week, facing off against Captain Jason Grace, and his right hand man, Percy Jackson.

 “You newbies remember the rules, right?” Jackson smirked, twirling a volleyball around his palms. “If you win, you’re allowed into regular practise, if we win, neither of you will be starting players this year.”

 It was a deal Nico found it difficult agree to, since not playing competitively for a whole year would seriously hurt his chances at a scholarship. It just wasn’t an option. And worse still, his teammate lacked even the basic skills needed to play the game, and against two third years no less? They were doomed.

 But no. Nico wasn’t giving up. This was an opportunity to start over from middle school, erase the reputation he’d created for himself. All he had to do was win.

 The match was a tough one, the third years were putting them through their paces, even if it was obvious they were holding back. Jackson’s arrogant smirk every time he spiked a ball onto their side of the court had him seething.

 Solace, on the other hand, seemed to get more and more determined every point they lost.

 “One more!” He would shout, earning them an unstoppable jump serve from Grace.

 “Idiot!” Nico hissed, moments away from throttling the other. “Why the hell are you egging them on like that?!”

 “Because it would be no fun if we beat them when they weren’t even trying.” Will told him in earnest.

 “Win?” Nico asked incredulously, “We can’t win against them!”

 “Not with that attitude!” Solace said, flashing him a grin that made Nico feel hot under the collar. With anger of course. “I don’t know if you’ve realised this sunshine, but you’ve kinda been hogging the ball. You might want to try tossing to me sometime?”

 Nico almost growled with rage.

 “I’ll toss to you when I think you’re essential to winning.”

 Nico was done with this conversation, turning back towards the game, but Solace stuck his hand out, grasping at the ball between his own.

 “Listen to me you dumbass.” He pitched his voice, and Nico glanced up to find baby blue eyes piercing his own. Determination shone out of his very being, Nico nearly took a step back. “You’re going to toss to me, got it? You’re going to toss to me, and I’m going to hit the best goddamn spike you’ve seen in your life.”

 Nico gaped at the other boy, not knowing how to react. The brightness Solace radiated had turned up fever pitch, focused entirely on Nico. He could feel the energy pouring out of him like waves, slowly drowning him until he could barely breathe. This boy believed so strongly in his right to win, he could make it so with a mere thought, a mere word. Nico couldn’t look away.

 “Are you two done?” A loud voice rang out around the gym, breaking the spell. “Stop staring lovingly into each other’s eyes and let’s play some volleyball.”

 Jackson. Nico gripped the ball tighter, wrenching it out of Solace’s grasp.

 “Just get into position.” He muttered, making his way over to serve at the back of the court.

 Play continued as before, Nico making no effort to include Solace until finally the boy seemed to have had enough.

 The ball was up in the air on their side, falling in the perfect position for Nico to set it. He was about to try a spike instead when he heard Solace’s voice call out to him instead. The boy had already moved from the back of the court, and before Nico knew it, he’d jumped, hand outstretched as if to spike the air. Time slowed down as Nico calculated.

 The ball was coming toward him at an awkward angle, there was no way he’d be able to score. Solace on the other hand was in prime position, Jackson and Grace weren’t even there to block. Getting the ball to his hand wasn’t a simple task, but Nico hadn’t earned himself the title ‘genius setter’ for nothing. That, plus the fact his setting speed was above average at worst, and monstrous at best, meant that he was sure he could get the ball to Solace’s awaiting palm in time for him to spike it over the net.

 The sound of rubber smacking against the wooden floor could be heard around the gym, followed by Solace landing heavily beside the net. The boy in question stared down at his palm, as if he could quite believe what had happened. The two third years were also staring, faces mirroring each other’s shock.

 Nico watched as Solace looked up at him, face splitting into a smile so powerful that it had Nico’s own lips twitching in response.

 Nico didn’t play well with others.

 But he could learn.