—016.

Y/N deeply exhaled, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. He took a sip of water as Coach Jushiken approached him. "Fifty seconds flat." The man stares at him with crossed arms. "You're gettin' slow, Shimizu."

Harshly, he bites his inner cheek, trying to keep the frustration off his face. After missing one meet and slacking off on practice, Shimizu asked Jushiken-sensei if he could help him, and he agreed.

He expected to be off his game, but a three-second difference from his personal best frustrated him more than he thought. Shimizu isn't stupid; he knows he has to practice to regain his abilities, but his irresponsibility makes him angrier.

"Relax, high speed." Jushiken-sensei pats his back (rather aggressively, but that was due to the obscene muscle he had for a man in his late fifties). "You need to get back into your routine or make a new one since you're turning in the slip for volleyball manager tomorrow, right?"

Shimizu nods.

Coach takes a seat on the nearby bench and sighs. "All these extracurriculars, you sure you won't stress yourself out? You don't want to mess up your precious hair with gray strands. Miss Shimizu's goin' to kill me."

The absurdity of the statement causes the boy to chuckle. "...m-my sister w-would do n-no such t-thing."

Jushiken-sensei raises his eyebrow. "Remember when you sprained your ankle trying out for hurdles, and your mom had to come to pick you up? The death glare Miss Shimizu gave almost made me consider quittin'."

"Your sister's a sweetheart, truly, but for a seventeen-year-old, she's scary."

The man stands and flicks Shimizu's forehead. "Alright, high-speed, let's take a few rounds on the treadmill, stretch for a bit, and time you before you go to your little volleyball friend."

Instantly, a blush rushes to Y/N's cheeks as he whips his head back. "...e-excuse me?"

Light grey eyes stare at him suspiciously. "What? Some brown-haired kid has been stoppin' by every other hour askin' 'bout you. Sometimes he's with other people, but I'm assumin' you know each other, and he's not some random stalker."

A warm feeling spreads through his heart as he stares at the floor. How did Yuu know he was here? The libero told him they were practicing throughout the week since tournament season was around the corner, but Y/N didn't tell him anything about coming to practice.

Did Kiyoko tell him?

'It isn't weird for partners to check up on each other, right?' He thought to himself, absentmindedly picking his cuticle.

"Keep thinkin' so hard your legs will cramp. Come on high-speed, we've got things to do."

Y/N stumbles. "...a-ah— u-um, y-y-yes C-Coach!"

...

Shimizu turns off the sink and dries his hands. Sighing, he moves his hair out of his face, folds the clothes he used for practice, and places them in his duffel with the things he used to shower.

After various hiccups, he managed to reach forty-nine point seventy-nine seconds. It improved but was below his time for the last four hundred he ran. The prior frustration simmered into annoyance at himself for not training as regularly as he would and thinking it was irresponsible to enjoy himself for once.

'I need to stop thinking about this...' He thought, now aware of how long he'd spent staring at the things in his bag. Y/N blinks and takes a deep breath to calm his nerves before zipping his bag and slinging it across his torso.

Locking the door behind him and placing the key in the Coach's box, he walks to the

gym.

A smile creeps on his face, accompanied by a familiar and comforting warm feeling in his chest when he remembers how Noya has been checking up on him.

They've been together for a week, and Yuu always makes him the happiest in Miyagi.

Y/N still remembers how nervous he was to be officially introduced to Kiyoko as his boyfriend.

...

"...I-It will be f-fine, Yuu. Y-You already know my sister."

Yuu paces in Y/N's room, frantically shaking his head. "It's not the same! I know her as Manager Kiyoko-san, not My-boyfriend's-guardian-Kiyoko-san!" Nervously, he stares at his reflection in the mirror. "Do I look okay?"

Shimizu walks beside him and kisses his cheek. "...y-you look g-great, Yuu. E-Everything w-will be f-fine. J-Just trust me, o-okay?"

The shorter's cheeks turn pink as he grips Y/N's hand. Exhaling deeply, his head landed on Shimizu's chest. After a quiet moment, he mumbled, "Okay. I trust you."

A smile falls on Y/N's face, softly stroking Yuu's hair as he calms down. Kiyoko went to the library to study and would return home in a few minutes. Noya made food—with his help— and has been worried sick about making a good first impression (which was odd since they've had several impressions before this one, but his boyfriend was an oddball he loved).

"...d-do you w-want to play with M-Mori while we wait? W-We can um... c-c-cuddle too, if y-y-you w-want..." Y/N's voice gets quieter as he finishes his sentence.

Even though Yuu was adorably forward with his advances of affection, Y/N couldn't say the same. The most he's done without turning into a fretful disaster is to hold his hand, and even then, he couldn't stop himself from sweating.

Yuu lifts his head and tightens his grip on Y/N's body, eyes glimmering with an unknown emotion. Instantly, he smiles with his teeth and nods, rising to his tiptoes to peck him on his nose. "You're sayin' that 'cause Mori loves me, right?"

Yuu keeps holding him, following like a duckling, while Shimizu gets Morimichi from Kiyoko's room. "...w-whatever m-makes you h-happy, Yuu." He huffed with a smile. In truth, Y/N found it odd that Morimichi hated Tooru-san's existence but fell in love with Yuu the moment they met.

Maybe it was because she was used to Yuu's scent around the house before he came over, but who knew?

Morimichi isn't the brightest kitten in the litter.

When they returned to the room, Shino lay on Y/N's body—his ear pressed against his ribcage as Morimichi jumped onto the bed to chase Yuu's finger.

It was amusing—Mori and Yuu instantly clicked as if he were her owner. It didn't bother the boy, surprisingly. Maybe it was because, in the back of his mind, he thought the human Morimichi would approve of Yuu as quickly as the cat Morimichi would.

A paw presses the fat on his cheek, returning him to reality. "Are you okay, Mimi? Don't tell me you're having second thoughts about this too." Noya jokes, but the smile on his face fades once he notices the pensive look on his partner's features. "Hey, what's wrong, baby?"

After a moment, Shimizu shook his head. "...I-it's nothing, m-my mind just w-wandered. A-Are you l-less nervous now?"

Noya stares at him suspiciously before grinning. "A little, but I'd feel a lot better if my sweet boyfriend gave me a kiss."

Y/N raises a brow. "...I-is t-that what y-you want?"

"You don't wanna kiss me?"

The older averts his eyes. "...w-well, I-I-It's n-not that I d-d-don't w-want to—b-but my s-s-sister m-might b-be h-home s-s-s-soon..."

Shino pouted, absentmindedly scratching Mori under her chin. "I guess. I don't want her first impression of me to be a walk-in. That would be embarrassing."

"Besides," he pecks his lips, pulling away slightly to admire the flushed expression on his face. "I can kiss you all I want when Kiyoko-san approves our relationship!"

Shimizu pursed his lips, hoping Yuu couldn't hear how hard his heart was thumping against his chest. Yuu's brown eyes never cut contact with his, a finger approaching to poke his cheek. "These look a bit red. Is my Mimi embarrassed?"

"...n-no," Y/N mumbled, a shiver running up his spine when Yuu moved closer.

"When you get shy, your eyes start glazing, and you can't make eye contact. You blush from here." His finger touches Shimizu's red-tinted earlobe, decorated with a star earring. "—here." Yuu touches the other side of his boyfriend's face, softly laughing as it gets darker. "It's so cute."

They've known each other for two months and have been dating for four days, yet he's observed him to such a degree. It played with his emotions more than his heart could handle, which must've been amusing by the chuckle Yuu let out. "It's okay, though. I love how handsome you look when you're flustered. Maybe I'm just a love-drunk dork, but eh— I'll be fine."

Without warning, Y/N sat up, causing Yuu to yelp at the sudden change in position. He cupped Yuu's cheek and quickly kissed him. "...t-t-t-t-there. Y-Your k-kiss."

Momentarily, Shino stared without emotion— seemingly in shock before his face busted in the heat of red. "W-What was that?! You can't do that without warning me first!"

"...b-but you d-do it all the time..."

"That's—" he stuttered, getting off the bed and hiding his face. "It's not the same thing!"

Y/N picked Morimichi from the window sill and placed her in his arms. "...h-hypocrite."

Silently, Y/N observed his actions before giggling. Yuu whips his head around, the blush spreading to his nose as he frowns. Brown eyes stared into him intently before Shino returned to the bed, crossing his arms and legs while weakly glaring at his partner.

They stay like that until Yuu moves closer, kissing the top of Morimichi's head before watching her scurry out of the room. He laughs, holding Shimizu's hands and kissing his palm. "I'm not as nervous anymore. Your kiss helped, baby."

The taller's fingers twitch, warmth rushing to his face. His mouth is gaping.

"...w-what...?"

"What?" The brunette tilts his head slightly. "Do you not like it? I can call you something else! Like: babe, my love—well, I already call you that, so it doesn't count— moonlight, or prince!" He stops his rambling when he notices the blank expression on Shimizu's face. "O-or, I can just call you by your name! I don't want to make you uncomfortable," Yuu chuckled awkwardly with an embarrassed flush on his cheeks.

"...y-you can..." Shimizu's lips quivered, unable to stop the anxiousness from leaking into his tone. "...c-call me, um, w-whatever y-you w-want. I-If i-it's y-you—" he stammers, "—I-I'll be f-f-fine with i-it."

Incredulously, Yuu asks, "Are you sure? I don't want to—"

"Y/N, I'm home! They ran out of seafood and— what's this?" Kiyoko's voice rang through the house, causing Y/N to jerk his hands away. "...w-we s-should um, g-go."

Rubbing his nape, he flashed a nervous smile that quickly disappeared when he turned away, walking out of the room to greet his sister.

Something shifted in Shino's heart as he stared at the now empty spot on the bed. "You're so stupid, man." He whispered, running a hand through his hair with a frown. He stays dormant, unable to think of a way to salvage what he broke— until he hears his name from the living room.

Right. Noya was supposed to introduce himself as Y/N's boyfriend.

Mustering the courage to smile, Yuu quickly fixed his hair in the mirror and stepped out of the room. Kiyoko was seated on the couch, using a toy to play with Morimichi while her brother sat across from her, fondly watching.

When Y/N spotted him, he stood up and took his hand, squeezing it gently before speaking. "...u-um, Kiyo, y-you already k-know him b-but, t-this is N-Nishinoya Y-Yuu," he pauses, staring at his sister before proudly announcing, "...m-my boyfriend."

"Hi, Kiyoko-san."

The older woman stared, puzzled, and huffed an amused giggle as she stood up. "Hello, Nishinoya-kun. When did you start dating my brother?"

"May twenty-sixth," Shino replied without missing a beat. "The day I took him on a date."

She hummed, glancing between the two with an unreadable expression. "What is my brother to you? Do you love him? Is this some sick ploy to gain brownie points, so you think there's a chance we could be together or some bet?

"...K-Kiyo—"

Y/N stopped himself when Yuu squeezed his hand, rubbing slow but soft circles against his knuckles as if he were saying, "It's okay. I'll be okay".

"I don't want to say it's complicated, but how Y/N makes me feel is complex. I have never loved someone the way I love him—and I know you're aware of my history, but I truly mean it when I say he means everything to me. Y/N is someone I want to keep safe, who I want to grow old with, who I would give my life and entire being to and wake up to every morning—even if that's not possible right now."

"I've explained this to Sugawara-senpai before, and I will say it as often as necessary. I love Shimizu Y/N with everything I have. I can't ever consider chasing after someone else when I have the love of my life at my side. I want to marry him one day, even if we aren't official in the eyes of the law, even if gay people aren't accepted in Japan— I will travel to the ends of the earth to put a ring on his finger and love him the way he deserves to be loved."

Yuu is more than aware he's rambling, spouting his feelings in an unorganized jumble of words, but he'd be damned if he lost Kiyoko-san's approval because he wanted to look "laid-back." "Maybe I'm selfish and looking at him through rose-tinted glasses, but I believe he's the one for me. He's my love, my everything, and so much more. Every so-called "flaw" he points out is something I love about him. He's beautiful in a way I can't describe with words; everything about him causes my heart to ache. I can't believe an angel decided some above-average libero at a random high school in Miyagi was worthy of his affection. That's what your brother means to me, Kiyoko-san."

Wordlessly, he lets go of Y/N's hand and bows at a perfect ninety-degree angle. "Please, let me continue dating Y/N, Kiyoko-san."

The longer he stays, the more Yuu thinks he should've kept his mouth shut. Maybe he said too much? Marriage is off the table— homophobia is very rampant in Japan, and same-sex marriage isn't even legal!

"Nishinoya-kun," Kiyoko says, softer than he's ever heard her voice, "Get up." Nervousness twinges in his limbs as he raises his head, meeting her surprisingly glazed eyes. She takes his hands and takes a moment to compose herself.

"Okay. I grant my permission, and I approve of your relationship. Thank you for loving my brother, Nishinoya-kun." Kiyoko kissed his forehead, then turned to face her brother, who barely held back tears. She wiped his eyes and encased him in a tight hug, whispering something in his ear; Yuu couldn't hear.

Witnessing a moment so soft between them made Nishinoya's heart twist. He should text his sisters sometime soon.

Wanting to give them privacy, he took a plate from the kitchen and headed back into Y/N's room, thoughtlessly eating.

Minutes later, Y/N entered the room and closed the door behind him, sitting beside Yuu with his eyes trained on the wall. "...d-did you m-mean it?"

"What I said? Yeah, every word."

A sniffle. "...y-y-you love my i-insecurities?"

Yuu hesitates, then places his hand on top of Y/N's. "Yeah. All of them, even if there are some you haven't told me about. You're perfect just the way you are, Mimi."

Yuu stayed silent when Shimizu started crying; instead, he kissed his cheek and rubbed his shoulder comfortingly.

Relationships were complicated. Tied so closely to love— an emotion Y/N wasn't used to from other people who weren't his sister, making it harder to comprehend. He isn't used to people accepting him for who he is wholeheartedly.

Most, if not all, relationships require a certain amount of physical touch that Y/N isn't able to accept or reciprocate. Due to the unfortunate circumstances of his childhood, he never got to experience a "bully-free" grade school or a fun-filled home with two loving parents and a sweet older sister.

Time passes, and Shimizu slowly learns that the actions of the past weren't his fault. After all, he was a traumatized boy against the cruelties and evils of the world at a young age, with a hospitalized friend and two twins who couldn't give him the defense he needed despite their best efforts.

Looking back, Y/N will always be grateful for Atsumu and Osamu, even Aran, whom he didn't get to know well. If not for the two reckless twins and their caring mother, he wouldn't have survived his father's relentless abuse and the stress of having severe health and mental issues at a young age.

Now, he has Yuu, who verbatim "loves with the entirety of his being and would like to spend the rest of his life with." It was a grandiose proposal since they were both still in high school, but it didn't affect his heart.

As he adjusted his position, holding Yuu in hopes that it would quell the emotion in his heart, Y/N decided he wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life with Yuu—if that was truly what he wanted.

No matter what, Nishinoya Yuu is the first person to receive the words "I love you" from Shimizu Y/N.

...

As he approached the gym, Shimizu smiled. The familiar sounds of shoes squeaking and balls slamming against the polished hardwood escalated as he reached the open double doors.

Ennoshita noticed him first, waving gently. "Hey, Shimizu. We've missed you." Kinoshita popped up behind him, wiping the sweat off his face with a towel and smiling. "Shimizu! Are you doing okay?"

He nods and sits beside the rally scoring system, placing his duffel out of the way and pushing his knees into his torso. Ennoshita sat with him, letting out an exhausted huff. "We're doing conditioning and practicing plays. How was practice for you?"

Did Kiyoko tell everyone, or did Yuu have a loose mouth?

"...u-uneventful. I-I'm slowly c-catching up on l-lost time, t-though." Shimizu says, waving at Shoyou when their eyes meet.

The brunette hums in acknowledgment, silently watching Shimizu bring onigiri out of his bag. "...d-do you w-want one? T-There's tuna mayo inside that o-one and u-umeboshi in this one." He takes the one with Umeboshi, ignoring how he wasn't officially on break, and starts eating beside his friend.

In truth, Y/N had other motives for stopping by after practice. He wanted to spend time with Yuu, but Takeda-sensei and Ukai-san requested his presence since he became an official manager the following day. The timing wasn't favorable because interhigh schedules were released today, but they reassured him that it was okay. Even if he couldn't join today, he wanted to help Kiyoko with the surprise they'd been working on for the past week.

Shimizu couldn't understand why he was nervous about joining the team. He was friendly with almost everyone (except Tsukishima and Narita-san—Y/N doesn't