Chapter Text
Tanaka really does love his friends - most of them, most of the time, anyway - but god, if there's anything to be mad about, it's the fact that none of them have any tact at all. It's got nothing to do with smarts, or intelligence, but their poor attempts at being "wingmen" go just about as well as you can assume.
Once, Nishinoya pestered Ennoshita for his thoughts on Saeko : "You think she's hot, dontcha?!" : until he gave an answer along the lines of not really being his type, to which Nishinoya asked if he would date a male version of Saeko, and then proceeded to give a crooked wink and glaringly obvious thumbs up.
So, you can't really blame him for the fact that, without fail, dread rises in his stomach whenever any of his friends inch anywhere near his 'crush' (he hates that word, it makes him sound like a giggling 11 year old who likes the boy who can run the fastest in class, which is inaccurate in every possible way.) Noya is pressed up against the edge of the table, leaning his head over to chat mindlessly at the rest of the team. They're all sat around a table in the club room, waiting for Ukai and Takeda to arrive.
"Soo, Ennoshita!~"
There's the chirp he's been dreading, and he has to stop his face from crumpling in embarrassment and horror as all eyes and ears focus in on Nishinoya and Ennoshita; all except Suga, who mouthes a giggly 'oh no' at him, and he has to restrain himself from flipping off his upperclassmen.
"What happened with you and that girl, yesterday?" Nishinoya asks, grinning and tapping his hands off the edge of the table.
Oh.
His heart's in his stomach.
"What girl?" Ennoshita replies swiftly, casting a glance around the room afterward to try and judge the room, "There's not a girl, Noya, not like that, you weirdo."
"A girl came into practice yesterday!" Hinata nods enthusiastically, and beside him Yachi speaks up too.
"She's from my class," the manager explained, "I think she made you chocolates, and everything!" Yachi presses a hand over her mouth and represses a giggle.
Tanaka can't look anywhere but the floor. He just has to keep blinking, until he's sure he can make eye contact without crying.
"Oh, erm.." Ennoshita flushes, "I.. I didn't see her."
"Shame," Nishinoya says, and even with his hand on his heart, he couldn't sound any less genuine as he offers Tanaka a "sneaky" wink, "Are you into girls like that, Enno?"
"Girls like what?! I don't even know her!"
"I dunno, girls that make you chocolates, I guess?!"
"I don't know?!" Ennoshita yells, but then calms himself and sighes, "Not really looking for a girlfriend right now, anyway. Gonna focus on school for a bit."
Universally, it's quite hard to hide such great disappointment, at least for the average (one) person. So, when an entire volleyball team is disappointed (minus Tsukishima, who is good at hiding everything, and nobody can really tell if he even cares) you can generally tell. But, apparently, Ennoshita can't, because he just goes quiet and allows the conversation to move on, without any indication that he's at least noticed somethings wrong.
It's... frustrating.
But, at least he's not interested in anybody at all, and it's not just Tanaka he doesn't like, right?
Is that a plus?
Probably not, but it's easier to pretend you have something to feel better about.
But then Nishinoya goes and makes things worse, again.
"What about marriage, though?" The Libero suddenly persists, "You know, Saeko always says dating is harder as an adult, less chances to meet people, ain't there? Don't you wanna get married?"
Ennoshita blinks, looking a little surprised by the question, but smiles in his confusion - it's quite an endearing sight, actually - and decides to humour the question.
"I'd like to get married, yeah, but they'd have to be the right person," He laughs, "I'd have to be crazy about them, everything about them."
"That sort of thing is so hard to find though!" Nishinoya insists, "You're basically saying you'd rather be alone!"
"No, I'm not," Ennoshita shakes his head, "I didn't say they have to be perfect in every way, I just have to love them in every way I can. That's being crazy about someone, isn't it?"
"Your standards are so high, man, I can't even get a girl to look at me." Nishinoya groans.
Tsukishima pats him on the back lightly, "Condolences," he says, the sarcasm in his voice scathing.
"Hey! Get lost, your luck is just as bad as mine, man!"
Tsukishima only stares at him, head tilted slightly to the side as if to say,'Are you serious?' After a long pause of contemplation, he shrugs and rolls his eyes, turning back around to Kageyama to talk to him exclusively.
They're sweet.
"What about everybody else?! Thoughts on gettin' married someday?"
A lump forms at the back of his throat, and for once Tanaka is without anything at all to add - he couldn't even interject with a laugh or a shocked reaction if he tried. His heart is racing. Please don't ask me, please don't ask me, please-
"I think it's all a bit much, y'know - the whole ceremony... just seems a little extra. Over the top." Suga blurts out, eyeing Tanaka quietly, and cleverly taking the focus away from him, as it's clear Nishinoya would try go there if he could.
"Really?" Asahi sounds shocked, and maybe a little disheartened if you listen closely, "Always kinda seemed like your thing.. Sweet, sentimental, it's pretty.. I don't know, always imagined you'd like that sort of thing."
"Eh? I didn't say I think marriage is a bad thing, just all the theatrics and money that goes into a venue, and decor... So.. much.. money." He emphasises the last word, and Asahi nods reluctantly.
"Oh, yeah, I.. I get that."
Tanaka and Kinoshita exchange knowing looks, eyebrows raised, just as Ukai and Takeda make themselves known.
"Sorry- Sorry we're..." Takeda pants, "Late."
Ukai nods and scratches the back of his neck, other hand buried in his pocket, "Yeah. Sorry."
"How long have you been standing there?" Asahi questions, anxiety seeping into his voice for whatever reason and cheeks heating up ; does he think nobody's noticed his crush on Sugawara yet? Maybe.
"Not... Not long," Takeda mutters, "What were you guys talking about? Sounded interesting!"
Asahi's eyes blow wide and he snaps his head away, and Suga laughs at him without any real idea of why. Ennoshita smirks, and Nishinoya is the only one to speak up.
"Just whether or not we wanna get married," he tells them confidently, and it takes all of Tanaka's willpower not to swing him around in circles (violently) - there are few more awkward conversations to have with adults, especially your teachers, than the topic of getting married!
"Oh!" Takeda's face morphs, and his hands twitch while beside him, Ukai's face has completely gone still and it's like something in him just died.
"Right, um. Practice. Let's. Let's go. Practice."
The entire clubroom exchange a collective glance, which directly translates to "What the fuck?"