Work Text:
Shion is a very good chef. His parents loved cooking, and Shion loved his parents, so he loved cooking. He truly loved cooking, but it was rather burdensome.
No, not burdensome; troublesome.
“Hah, why is your bento box so girly?” Is something a female classmate in junior high said to him once. It shocked Shion when he first heard about it, but thought nothing of it. However, many girls started whispering that Shion was girly, because he had nice bentos. It sounds stupid, he wished this was made up, but his classmates slowly pushed themselves away from him.
Except for a certain group of people: the volleyball club.
“Why is it weird for a boy to have a nice bento box?” The captain of the club yelled over the whispers of Shion’s classmates. “A nice bento box means a well-kept person.”
Those words touched Shion’s heart, especially after the captain invited Shion to eat lunch with him and the club. Eventually, Shion followed them to practices and the rest is history.
(Shion treated the team to ice cream after their loss in the junior qualifiers, and he found that he liked strawberry ice cream a lot)
Shion was named best libero nationally, as a second year, when he and his high school went to the Interhigh National Tournament, and during finals was when he was hooked onto volleyball forever.
Their team was getting smoked in the second set, the first set already taken by their opponents. The team was losing it once there was a five point lead.
Their coach gave them his final words of encouragement, sending them out to the court.
It was an especially long rally, the opposing team’s middle blockers had proven again and again, that they would block every shot they made.
But little Inunaki Shion, again and again, would prove that he would pick up every shot block.
He had even taken a cannon shot to the chest during that rally, just to pick up the ball.
That rally was taken by his team, and it was the encouragement they needed to realize that it wasn’t over.
Their team had lost the final set, and thankfully for Shion, who had to be taken out of the final set for spraining his ankle, the team did not shed a tear during their loss. That cannon shot in the chest had hooked him in, and the rest is history.
(The coach treated the team to some ice cream after they returned home, and Shion picked up the strawberry ice cream)
Shion had joined MSBY Black Jackals as soon as he graduated, and he loved being on the team.
Meian Shuugo, bless his soul, had not grown any gray hairs at the time. He and Shion became fast friends over their findings of volleyball, and eventually they roped each other into doing fun stuff outside of practice. Shion found Shuugo’s endless bantering with Schweiden Adler’s Fukuro the funniest thing in the world.
“How the hell are you such a good cook? Shuugo I’m stealing your libero.” Fukuro commented once.
“Oi. I’m right here.” Toshiro slapped Fukuro’s arm.
“Thanks, but I’d prefer if you don’t steal me from my team.” Shion replied as he slurped his noodles.
“...WIPE THAT SMUG LOOK FROM YOUR FACE.” Fukuro yelled at Shuugo.
(He knew that they liked each other, but that’s none of his business. Tatsuto and Fukuro tried to bribe him with melon ice cream, but Toshiro knew he liked strawberry ice cream)
MSBY at the time was not as crazy as it is now, but there wasn’t any “flavor” at the time.
Their setter, Amamiya Yushiro, was incredibly kind.
Their outside hitters, Nomu Kiyoshi, Tohru Jirou, and Minazaki Souma, were calm and steady.
(Miya Atsumu, Sakusa Kiyoomi, and Hinata Shouyou were still in Junior High, and Bokuto Koutarou had just entered Fukurodani)
Their middle blocker, Yasunari Uryuu, was incredibly difficult.
(Adriah Tomas was still in England)
So when Uryuu announced he was leaving to play internationally, was the day the team announced they would be recruiting English Player, Adriah Tomas.
Shion was batshit terrified of Adriah when they first met. Yeah, he was the smallest person on the team, but Adriah made him feel tiny. Not to mention, he had a scary scowl on his face.
He tried to introduce himself to Shion, who was sneaking away to eat his bento box.
“Nice to meet you.” Was all he said, and Shion was slightly shaking as he raised his hand to attempt a greeting.
“Hey, save the introductions for tomorrow.” Shuugo rescued the poor libero.
Adriah just nodded and left.
(Shuugo and Shion went to a convenience store afterwards, sulking at the idea of another difficult middle blocker. Shion gloomily ate strawberry ice cream)
The next day was a shocker for the both of them, because Adriah was all smiles and flowers.
“Good morning Shion.” Adriah cheerily waved at him, sticking his hand out, and Shion, again, stiffened up.
“Good morning Adriah.” He shakily replied, and took Adriah’s larger hand.
“I’m so sorry if I frightened you yesterday. The flight here was a mess and I accidentally hit my head on the door, and it was all a bloody mess--”
Shion loved his voice. Shion absolutely loved his voice and almost could not get enough of it.
“Anyway, could I try my introduction again?” Adriah rubbed his hand behind his neck, sheepishly smiling.
“Of course!” Oh my god he’s so cute .
(Shuugo, Shion, and Adriah went to the convenience store to introduce Adriah to some Japanese brands. Shion sulked as when he was told his favorite ice cream brand was discontinuing) (Adriah noticed)
Eventually, Oliver was recruited to the team.
Again, Shion feels tiny.
He’s 174cm for goodness sake!
“Hey Shion do you want to eat out with us?” Oliver popped his head into the locker room, where Shion had entered into with his bento box. “What do you have there?”
“...A smoothie.” He shook his bottle, placing his bento behind him.
“Why are you drinking a smoothie in the locker room?” Oliver tilted his head.
It was just an awkward silence in the locker room that tore a hole into Shion’s tiny awkward heart. Shion was honestly kind of relieved when Adriah left for a second, but his soul left his body when Adriah came in and sat near him.
Adriah fumbled with his bag for a second and pulled out his own lunch box. “I kind of didn’t feel like eating out either.” He flashed a grin towards the libero.
(Shion’s soul descended into the highest parts of heaven while they were eating, and he recalled the feeling that night as he laid in bed. He’s still kind of sad that he has no more strawberry ice cream)
“You have such nice looking lunches Shion!” Adriah told him one day, glancing over Shion’s nicely decorated bento.
“Thank you.” Shion quietly said, picking up an onigiri.
“You really like strawberries.”
“I do.”
“I like strawberries too.”
“That’s interesting.”
“Do you know how to cook?”
“Mhm.”
“How long have you been cooking?”
“For as long as I’ve been able to walk.”
“Wow really?” Adriah exclaimed.
“Mhm.”
“Can you teach me how to cook?”
“Mhm...eh?”
(Shion screamed into his pillow when he got home and rolled around in his bed. Shion also recalled being given a box of strawberries by Adriah when they went to the convenience store again)
Shion went over to Adriah’s apartment and immediately his eyes bulged out of his head as he saw the high ceiling.
It was so much fun. Shion had a blast teaching Adriah how to make a bento, as well as teaching him a few Japanese words and phrases.
And then, Shion kept coming over. Teaching Adriah how to cook, Japanese words, and overall adoring the English man.
“VOCAB QUIZ!!!” Shion shouted one day, Adriah leaping into the air and scrambling to calm himself. He pointed to various objects in the apartment, before pointing to the moon outside. He giggled as Adriah got it incorrect. “Come on! You know it.”
“ The moon is beautiful .”
Shion literally turned straighter than a bow as Adriah said that.
“I’m sorry, can you say that again?”
“Tsuki ga kirei desu ne.” Adriah repeated, staring at him. “I heard Shuugo saying that to someone on the phone once, and when I asked him, he said it meant the moon is beautiful.”
‘ Oh my god, he doesn’t know what it means .’ Shion internally panicked. “Is-Is that all he told you?”
“Yeah, well, he told me not to say that to other people.” Adriah shrugged.
‘You set me up for failure. You really set me up for failure, Fukuro, Shuugo. ’ Shion thought, a mental tear sliding down his face. “The moon is beautiful holds a deeper meaning in the Japanese culture.” ‘Don’t ask anything else. Don’t ask anything else. Don’t ask--’
“Oh really? That’s cool.” Shion sighed in relief. “I was actually going to ask you what it means.”
‘AHHHHHHHHHH--’ Shion kept a calm face and carefully explained it. “Japanese people aren't very expressive, as you’ve probably seen. Well...sayingthemoonisbeautifulislikesayingIloveyou.”
“What?” Adriah noticed Shion’s face turning red as he attempted to explain.
Shion took a deep breath, repeating it slowly. “Saying the moon is beautiful, is like saying I love you.”
Adriah’s mouth made an o-shape, before he turned to look at the moon. Shion stood there in sheer embarrassment, before listening to the next words that come from Shion’s mouth.
“The moon is beautiful, and I think you shine like a star.”
Adriah loves his parents, his parents loves him, but Adriah isn’t a fan of strawberries.
Adriah arrived in Japan, exhausted from the flight. He was taken from the airport and driven to the gymnasium, to meet with Samson Foster and the MSBY Black Jackals.
Through all his drowsiness, sores, and overall exhaustion, the first time he saw the small light-haired libero play, he thought he saw a star. Given, he shouldn’t have tried to make conversation with him, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
(Shion’s family is good-looking, but Shion was rather stunning)
When he got to talk to the libero again, he fell hard.
The libero, Inunaki Shion, reminded him of a puppy; a scared puppy. Probably the reason why he felt the need to give Shion his distance to eventually approach him.
Those days he went to the convenience store with Shion and Shuugo were the sweetest days to him.
Those nights where Shion would stay over after hanging around, teaching him how to cook, and speak some Japanese, were his favorite memories.
(He always had a pack of strawberries for Shion)
When he confided to Shuugo about his affections for Shion, his fellow middle blocker and Shion’s best friend told him how to do it.
The night where Shion did the surprise vocab quiz, where he said ‘the moon is beautiful’, was not an accident. He knew what it meant, and he wanted to know if Shion felt the same.
In the stillness of the night, he heard soft words from Shion, before rushing over and embracing him.
“I can die happy.”
(Adriah loves his parents, his parents love him, and although he doesn’t like strawberries; he loves Shion)