The Phoenix and the Cat

Chapter 21

Note: I don't own Haikyuu and stuff. Little bit iffy at the end, some NSFW mentions. Picture shows the seagrass design but I specify the differences or at least try to.

"No." Fukunaga's stare hardens as garnet glare at him with a matching scowl, refusing to surrender to the sharp tone. "It's not going to happen, I hate them."

"But they're adorable. I love them." They were laughing and having fun mere minutes ago, talking and trading stories and just generally hanging out.

Tendou told him how he'd gotten badly burned on a trip to the beach once in middle school, it turned into a really nice golden tan after a few days that pissed off the girls in class who always teased him. His skin does it easily, it's generally meant to be sun kissed according to his mother who sports one regularly without sharing his dilemma. He hated it once it set in despite the nice coloring, every freckle was on clear display. He's littered all over with millions of them and he was teased for months as he hid indoors, waiting for his skin to lighten once more. Apparently, his mom even laughed hysterically as she took pictures calling him her Irish child.

Fukunaga, being the sensitive boyfriend that he is, immediately asked if they could go to the beach while secretly plotting to ask Keiko for the photos. Tendou agreed before realizing the ulterior motive a millisecond later (once he remembered it being September at the moment helping his moment of clarity) and declared he's bringing sunscreen, Fukunaga asked if they could go to a tanning salon instead.

What started off as playful suggestions and good-natured fun gradually turned into an actual argument about the cat loving them as he looks for them and Satori trying desperately to persuade him to drop it since he's the opposite before snapping at him when he continued to look for them anyway. It wasn't working for either, causing a fight where they'd stopped talking to each other for all of five minutes as they lay sulking side by side but not touching on Fukunaga's bed before the ginger finally spoke up again. Shohei refused to speak until now, withholding his voice he knows the older claims to adore so much as immature as it was.

What do you expect when one is just as stubborn as the other?

Watching the alpha for a few long moments as crimson drifts back to the ceiling with a despondent sigh, Shohei can see the monster's internal battle play out on his face. He means it, he really doesn't like the freckles yet he wants to cater to his omega who he can't always tend to and who doesn't ask for much so now he's conflicted despite it being small. He won't give in. Problem is, Fuku means it too.

Shohei really does find them adorable. He's not trying to make the guy mad, but it's hard not to want to see something he likes more when it's easily possible and he doesn't actually see what the big deal is. They're almost adults, they should be able to get passed something so simple, yet here they are fighting like petty children.

The phoenix tries hard to make him happy all the time, Fukunaga's not so oblivious to not notice at least a good chunk of the attempts (regardless of if they succeed) so he decides to give in this time (for now) instead of being stubborn like he wants to be. It's a trait they share which spells occasional trouble for their future.

He hadn't expected Tendou to get so worked up about it and it isn't even because he was laughed at over them, that just made the already bad feelings he had worse. Somehow the dom got it in his head when he was younger that the freckles are a bad thing, make him unappealing in some way thus feels the need to hide them from everyone all the time. Shohei decides he's going to have to just keep insisting they're a good thing every time he spots them until the alpha gets it into his thick skull that they're actually a benefit in an appealing way. Steeling himself, Fukunaga flips onto his stomach and pushes up onto his elbows to stare down at the ginger.