"Bub! I'm home!" Tendou called out. Ushijima hurried into the entryway and got Tendou into the kitchen. "What're you doing?"

"When is your birthday?"

"May twentieth?"

"Okay thank you. Can I have help with this?" Ushijima pointed to the counter where his laptop was on and there were multiple things having to do with some sort of sweet on the counter. "I'm bad at baking."

"Sure!"

"Thank you."

Tendou nodded. He washed his hands and looked at the lap top. He chuckled. "Cherry pie."

"Mhmm."

"Let's see here..." He scrolled, reading the recipe. "Can you get me the flour?"

Ushijima took it out and soon enough Tendou had taught him to make the crust for the pie, loving his little happy stims as the smell of the pie was more evident from it baking. 

"You're so cute. Gah." Tendou held Ushijima's face in both hands. 

Ushijima smiled. "My whole apartment smells like you."

Tendou's cheeks flushed slightly. "That's why you wanted to make it?"

"That and I love cherry pie."

"Aw. You're so cute..."

Ushijima shook his head. 

Tendou just smiled at him. 

"Oh I had a question."

"Shoot."

"Shoot?"

"Oh it's like saying go ahead." Tendou explained.

"Oh."

"Mhmm. Go ahead and ask."

Ushijima tensed. "I just realized it was an awkward question. To you at least."

"Trust me, I can deal with awkward. You're perfectly fine Bub."

Ushijima sighed. "Okay."

Tendou stared. He could see Ushijima was nervous. An odd thing to be nervous about was asking a question. But it was okay. Tendou just held his face. Ushijima looked back into his eyes for a moment. 

"Do you like me?"

"Oh that  awkward question."

"E-eh..."

"Don't be nervous! It's okay to ask things like that!"

"Well. I just wanted to ask because I like you and it's hard to tell if you like me. I'm terrible at social cues." 

"No you don't..."

"I just told you I did though?"

"No, you don't." Tendou let go. "Every time someone likes me they end up seeing I'm clingy. People don't like me. You don't like me."

"Yes I do. I like you a lot." Ushijima grabbed his hands. He pulled him back towards himself. "You don't need to worry about being clingy because clingy people are my favorite people. As long as they're not draining."

"I am though." Tendou tried to pull away. 

Ushijima tightened his grip. "Stop pulling away."

"I can't help it! Okay?! You can't!"

"Why not though...? You're so kind to me... and you help me. So much. You're my favorite person to be with because of how kind you are and if you don't like me then that's okay. I was just asking."

Tendou started crying. "I like you. And I feel like a dumb middle schooler because I like you so much and you helped me get out of everything going on. But it scares me a lot because I'm a fucking monster and I ruin everything."

Ushijima let go for a moment before wrapping his arms around Tendou and holding him close. "I don't think you're a monster." He nuzzled Tendou's hair. "You're a wonderful person."

Tendou held him, sobbing.

"It's okay." Ushijima whispered. He sat on the kitchen floor.

"I-I shouldn't be crying."

"That's okay though. It's okay to cry."

"Not for me. People hate when I cry."

"I don't hate it." Ushijima whispered. "I think it's okay. I cry all of the time."

Tendou just sat there. He looked up, meeting Ushijima's eyes. "You're so nice..."

Ushijima smiled. "I try to be."

Tendou huffed. He hugged Ushijima tight. "Thank you Bub."

"No problem." Ushijima shook his head a few times.

Tendou relaxed.

"Oh this means we're boyfriends now."

"Oh yeah!" Tendou smiled. He sat up and grinned at Ushijima. "You're my boyfriend." Ushijima shook his head again. He went back to holding Tendou. Tendou just laughed and stayed in his hold.

****

Suga looked up from stretching, confused. Tendou was walking in late. "You good?"

"Better than ever." The red head plopped down.

"Okay? Why're you late?"

"I got caught up at the bar talking. Sorry about that."

"Before practice?!" Suga sat up. "Are you fucking stupid?"

"No? I was just talking to Ushy." Tendou smiled.

"Why?"

"It's a secret."

"Secret my ass. Tell me."

"So pushy." Tendou sat down, going into the butterfly position. "Ushy and I had to talk."

"About?"

"My birthday."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Suga hummed. He opened his phone. "Ah. Liar."

"Liar?!"

"Yep. You were flirting with Ushijima for like forty five minutes." Sugawara smiled. "Daichi heard you."

"Ugh."

"Don't ugh me. Ushijima told Daichi. He's so happy."

Tendou smiled. "That's my Bub... he's so cute."

"Aw you call him Bub." Suga gasped softly. "Does he like the nickname?"

"He does."

"Aww!" Sugawara flapped his hands. "That's so cute oh my God I'm gonna cry."

"Ack don't cry."

"Hush." Suga mumbled. "He usually hates nicknames and stuff."

"I'm different I guess."

"Different."

Tendou snorted. "Yep." Sugawara came closer to him, moving his collar. "What're you doing?"

"Checking for hickeys, duh."

"Gross, stop it." Tendou pushed him away. 

"Well now I know Ushijima is still a virgin."

"The hell? Does he just tell everyone that?"

"Nope. Not unless someone asks."

Tendou hummed. "Guess I need to help him with that. Being the queen of sarcasm and all."

Suga shrugged. He leaned forward to start stretching again. 

"You thinking?"

"Nope my head is empty. Just babies."

"Babies? Ew."

Suga snorted this time. "Yes babies you dumbass."

"But why babies? They're so messy and gross."

"And cute and loveable and grow to be weird hormonal teens and then into adults that take care of their parents." Suga stared at the floor, smiling.

"Oh gross. Don't tell me you want a kid." Tendou make a face of fake disgust.

"What if I do, huh?"

"Then... you're gonna get a kid, aren't you?"

"Yep."

"Gah." Tendou flung himself onto the floor. 

"Alright drama queen."