Work Text:
Onigiri Miya is swamped.
After the MSBY vs. Alders game (and a raving review from Atsumu after winning one of the most intense matches of the year,) Osamu’s business, which had already been seeing a fair amount of success, was absolutely booming. He is thankful, of course, if not a little understaffed.
“Delivery for Miya Osamu?”
Sparing a quick glance towards the door, Osamu lets out a relieved sigh. “Great timing,” he says to the man holding two boxes of delicious umeboshi. “Ya got something for me to sign?”
Too busy dealing with his delivery, Osamu doesn't quite get a good glimpse at the two newest customers walking through the door. He lets out a “I’ll be right with you!" and waves over one of his employees to help carry in the rest of the load.
“Wow, he did get cuter,” he didn’t hear.
“Shhh, Yachi!”
Sneaking swiftly back behind the counter, Osamu puts on his lazy —but still charming as all hell— customer service smile and says “Welcome to Onigiri Miya, what can I get for ya?”
And boom. Yamaguchi Tadashi, standing right there. In his restaurant. In Tokyo.
“It’s you,” Osamu blurts out.
“Yeah,” Yamaguchi laughs nervously, scratching the back of his head. “It’s me.”
And then a feminine voice from behind him says “And I’m here too!”
Raising an eyebrow, Osamu takes in the short blonde standing with Yamaguchi and squints, noting the familiarity but not quite sure exactly who she is. He assumes, based on the fact that he did have a sense of recognition and that she was with the former pinch server, that she was affiliated with Karasuno.
That is about all he's got though.
Truthfully aside from some of the starters, he didn’t remember the names of a lot of people he’d played against, much less their managers or coaches or screaming fans cheering from the sidelines. When he reminisces about his days spent facing off against Karasuno, usually Shouyo Hinata or Kageyama Tobio, or even that one crazy baldie, Tanaka Ryuu, comes to mind.
And of course, Yamaguchi Tadashi. Always him, perhaps even more than anybody else combined (except Shouyo, who was constantly being brought up during phone calls with his brother.)
In fact, he’s been quite the distraction the last few weeks, since the game in Sendai. Don't misunderstand, It wasn't like Osamu spent all his waking hours pining away for a crush he only half entertained back in high school, but he couldn’t help but wish he’d slipped him his number that day.
Maybe he could today if...
Osamu eyes the blonde, smiling politely and trying not to make it obvious he is sizing her up. Friend? Coworker?
Girlfriend?
Then she deflates, and for a second Osamu is scared he'd been too obvious until she says “I told you, Tadashi. He doesn’t remember me at all.”
She calls him Tadashi. Must be close. “No, no. I think I remember ya,” and it's not a lie.
Of course.
He vaguely recalls, in the winter of his third year, watching Karasuno’s manager wrap up Yamaguchi’s fingers from across the court; watching the boy’s cheeks turn pink at their close proximity and wondering if he’d get the chance to see how easy it would be for him to incite the same reaction. “Ya had the, uh, hair clip. With the star?”
She beams. “Yeah! My lucky clip.”
Someone in line clears their throat, and just like that it’s back to business. He takes their orders, rings them up, watches Yamaguchi pay for their food, and wonders if that means he is her boyfriend.
“Enjoy,” he says, when he brings them their meals, happy they’ve decided to sit at the bar and not in a booth. “Let me know if ya need anything.”
Osamu tries not to eavesdrop on their conversation, but it can’t be helped if he overhears a few things. He catches a few words, a couple sentences; and sometimes his eyes linger a little bit longer than necessary on Yamaguchi while he’s refilling their glasses. Occasionally he’ll spare a glance in between customers and smile, just a little, when he catches the other man staring.
The third time it happens he’s fairly certain that the blonde —Yachi, Yamaguchi called her— isn’t his girlfriend.
Good.
“I hope ya both enjoyed the food,” he says, handing Yamaguchi the check after they’d finished their food.
“It was sooo good,” Yachi says, hands on her stomach.
“Um,” Yamaguchi says softly, biting his lip and staring quizzically at his bill. “I think you rang this up wrong.”
Osamu grins. “I didn’t.”
“You’re not charging us?”
“Consider it a ploy to get ya to come back soon.” He makes sure he’s looking right at Yamaguchi when he says, “Unless ya just wanna buy me dinner to make up for it?”
It’s pure satisfaction seeing those freckled cheeks flare up like that.
“Uh—well. I mean—”
“Oh my gosh, Tadashi, say something,” Yachi says softly, staring at the ground with half second hand embarrassment, half glee.
“I’m trying, ” he bites back.
Osamu for the life of him, can’t stop grinning. “No worries. Just call me if you decide to take me up on it.”
“I don’t have your number.”
“Check the receipt.”
This time the blush spreads up his ear and Osamu can’t think of anything else for an entire week.
x
Shit.
Osamu ends the call and stares at the clock in resignation. Why did it have to be tonight of all nights?
Quickly signaling to his other cook that he'd be right back, he slips out the back and regretfully types out a quick text.
can't do dinner tonight. a local high school team booked the place and I couldn't say no. they suffered a big loss today. sorry.
He hits send and lets out a long, disappointed groan.
Osamu finally gets a date with Yamaguchi Tadashi and he has to cancel. Fuck.
Somewhere in the back of his head, he knows he could have said no, could have left his keys with his closer, Sanada-kun, and dipped out thirty minutes early like he intended.
But he knows what it feels like to lose a big game. And he's pretty sure if anyone will understand, it'll be Yamaguchi.
It doesn't lessen the disappointment.
He frowns at the quick reply. It's okay I understand . Good luck .
Gripping his phone so tight, he nearly drops it when it starts to ring in his hand.
Incoming Call: Yamaguchi Tadashi
"Hello?" he says, hoping he doesn't sound as dumbfounded as he feels.
"Yes, hi!" says a familiar, feminine voice. "This isn't Yamaguchi by the way."
"I noticed," he says slowly.
She laughs nervously, and Osamu swears he hears someone whispering loudly in the background hang up right now and give me back my phone .
"Yeah, um. I heard you're gonna be busy tonight and I was, um, wondering if you need some help!"
Osamu blinks. "Help?"
"Yeah, like volunteers...or something? That way maybe things will go a little smoother and then you and Tadashi can still make some time before we head back to Sendai tomorrow."
Wait. "Tomorrow?"
"Yeah we're—owch, stop—HEY!"
Yachi's voice gets further away until another one, one that makes Osamu stand up straighter and silently clear his throat, speaks up. "Hi, Miya-kun. It's Yamaguchi. Sorry about this. I know you're working..."
"You're leaving tomorrow?"
"...Yeah."
"I'm sorry," he mumbles, running a hand over his face. "I didn't know."
"It's okay—"
"You should come tonight," he proposes, before adding "If you want, I mean. You don't even have to work or anythin' but I'd like to see you again before you go. But only if ya—"
"Okay!" Yamaguchi says. "I do. Want to, I mean."
Osamu smiles. It might not be exactly what he'd been imagining for a first date, but knowing he'd get to see him again was enough. "Great."
"Great."
"Can't wait," and then because he can't help it. "Been thinking about you all week, y'know."
The line is quiet and then, so soft he can barely hear it, "Oh."
Osamu is grinning now. "Hey, hand the phone back to Yachi real quick."
"Um, okay?"
There's some shuffling and then her voice is coming through the speaker. "Hello?"
"Hey, can you tell me what kinda face Yamaguchi is makin' right now?"
She hums, considering. "He's pretty flustered. He won't stop scratching the back of his head which he only does when he's nervous—"
"Yachi!?"
Osamu says a quick, "Okay, thanks," and gives them a good time to stop by before hanging up.
For the rest of his shift he's in a good mood, watching the clock and thinking of Yamaguchi's cute face everytime he cuts into an umeboshi.
x
"You know," Osamu says, watching his date put on an apron, "I meant it when I said you don't have to work."
"Yeah," Yamaguchi shrugs, smiling up at him. "But this does seem kinda fun."
Letting his eyes slide down and admire the view that was Yamaguchi standing in his kitchen, he says "You look good in that apron."
"Th–Thanks," Yamaguchi says bashfully. "You look good…" he pauses. Opens his mouth, closes it, opens it again, "...everywhere."
Osamu raises an eyebrow, and watches that face he likes so much redden. "Thanks," he says with a coy smile.
x
“You better call me next time yer in town.”
They’re standing outside Yamaguchi’s hotel. It’s just a little past midnight.
“Of course.”
He wonders if he should kiss him. He definitely wants to, and from the looks of it, Yamaguchi probably wants the same thing. But…
“Too bad I couldn’t take you on a proper date. I’d probably be kissin’ you silly right now.”
And damn, even in the dark those cheeks light up.