Haikyuu!! x Reader

Shirabu Kenjirou - Annoying Face (Animal!AU)

No spoilers.

The beauty of life can be found in different things. Some people find it in their family, some in their friends, some in their lovers. Some people find it in their hobbies, some in their interests. In any case, that beauty is what pushes people through all the suffering.

The beauty of life, that one string that has held me composed and willing to continue fighting, has been this one particular lake not too far from my home. Every Friday evening, I would make my way through the park, climb over a large set of rocks into the forest, and then through a cave. At the other end of the cave, every Friday, a majestic sight would be awaiting me.

The sun was setting and the orange hues were reflecting on the glassy surface of the deep green lake. I spotted my usual place, trekking over to it without hesitation. The sound of crickets was accompanied by the sound of water slashing against the rocks and the birds singing.

"Ah, man! This is so amazing!" I sighed while laying down on the soft grass. My eyes closed after a long day, and my thoughts wandered freely. The sun was shining on my face, the soft tingling of warmth on my skin relaxing me further. I don't know when I fell asleep there, but it must have been pretty quickly because I don't remember even hearing the usual sounds.

"Senpai? What's this?" A voice said really close to me. "Huh? What are you talking about, you brat?" The second voice said. I groaned softly and pried my eyes open. Directly above me were two faces. I blinked a few times, confused through my hazy just-woken-up state. "(L/N)-san?" The same voice asked again, and I found myself smiling upon recognizing it.

"Shirabu?" I called before clearing my throat so it didn't sound so groggy. "What are you doing sleeping on the ground, idiot? You could get cold," the man scolded me as I got up. Rubbing my eyes and stretching my arms over my head, I moaned softly at the comfortable pops of my spine.

"Are you worried about me, Kenjirou-chan?" I cooed at the guy and grinned widely. His cheeks went dark pink, and he turned his gaze away from me. "Aww, you were! That's so cute!" I continued to tease him and reached over to pinch his cheek. He quickly slapped my hand away, making me chuckle. "And who do we have here? Did you bring a friend?" My gaze finally turned to the other guy, only to see him, too, having bangs similar to Kenjirou's. Only his hair looked much more like a bowl-cut and less like a stylish side bang that Kenjirou had.

"You're cute, too. I'm (L/N)!" I introduced myself and stretched my arm out. The guy's cheeks went heavy red, and he took my hand clumsily. "I'm Goshiki! N-Nice to meet you, (L/N)-san!" He yelled, bowing in front of me after letting go of my hand. "Nice to meet you, too, Goshiki. So, are you two going to hang out with me today?"

Upon hearing my question, Shirabu quickly snapped his head towards Goshiki and glared at the cute boy. "No. Goshiki is going back home," he squeezed through his teeth, making the other boy scowl. "If you don't want some younger fledgeling to take over the lead hunter position in the flock, you better go back to training, you bowl-cut brat." Upon hearing about the competition, Goshiki perked up and grimaced, quickly excusing himself and running off into the forest.

"He's so adorable. An aspiring Ace?" I asked while staring off after the younger guy. Shirabu scoffed and crossed his arms. "He's a brat, that's what he is. Thinks he can beat Ushijima-senpai," his grumbling was lost in the wind as I started chuckling at him. His pouty face never failed to amuse me.

"Come on, sit, Ken-chan. I've got something to show you," I said and patted the ground next to me. The taller male sat himself down at a respectable distance from me, and I grinned widely, pulling something from my pocket. Holding my hand clenched, I took Shirabu's one and placed something on his palm. Upon removing my hand from his, the boy's eyes widened as they scanned over the small feather. The feather was really soft as it was when I first found it, but there was nothing of its original whiteness left. Instead, it was replaced by an intriguing pattern of black, purple and gold.

"Is this...?" Shirabu couldn't even finish through his shock. I nodded my head. "Yeah. It's one of the feathers that fell off when I first found you here. Your arm looks all good now, so I thought I would give this back. I coloured it so it sticks out when you wear it." My explanation left the guy in silence for some time.

Shirabu and I met some time ago. I stumbled upon this place, all alone and drowning in tears after a bad breakup. On this very spot, I found a wounded eagle. His wing was cut open by an arrow that was still sticking out of it. You can imagine my shock when that eagle turned into a drop-dead gorgeous young man right before my very eyes. The arrow was wedged deep into his flesh, and I spent quite some time trying to pull it out. In the end, we have successfully treated his wound.

During that first meeting, Shirabu was very shy, and he left almost the moment I have wrapped the part of my shirt that I ripped apart around his biceps. The only thing left after him was a pile of silky soft feathers, one of which was now resting on his palms.

"Do you like it? I spent so much time making the colours and making sure they stick to the feather," I said and leaned closer to take the feather off his hands. "Can I put it around your neck?" I asked while unclipping the chain that I have pulled through the feather. There was a long silence from Shirabu. He was staring at the feather for a really long time before finally looking up at me. His eyes watered the moment our gazes met, making me gasp softly.

"K-ken-chan? W-why are you crying? Do you not like it?" As I asked that, Kenjirou quickly rubbed the back of his hand over his eyes, cleaning off the tears and coughing to clear his throat. "I'm not crying. I was just surprised, that's all," he said and quickly snatched the feather from my hands. He skilfully clipped it around his own neck and took it in his palm again, staring at it as if he couldn't quite get enough of it. "No one's ever done something like this for me," he mumbled into his chest. I barely caught what he said, but when his words registered, a wide grin spread over my face.

"Eh? Really? I'm glad I'm your first, then!" I teased and watched as his face turned red again. "Don't say it like that!" He hissed at me, quickly dropping the feather under his shirt and then glaring at me. "Like what?" Feigning innocence, I tilted my head to the side like a puppy. "Don't make it sound like a first kiss or something." His grumbling was becoming more and more audible. "Were you thinking of having a first kiss with me, Ken-chan?" I asked again, a grin spreading over my face. The man quickly denied it while stumbling over his words. Such a cute little tsundere.

I sighed sadly mid his words, cutting him off. "Eh? Really? Because I was thinking about kissing you. But if you would not like that, then I can't do anything about it," I said with a shrug and looked down at my lap, once again feigning dejected innocence. I could hear his breath hitch and the cogs in his head turn as he thought about my words. Shirabu was really smart, but he wasn't the most patient person ever. I know that I have won this fight.

With my head still tilted downwards, I heard Shirabu shuffle, and then a pair of hands grabbed my face. I only had time to take a short breath in before a pair of soft lips was placed over mine. The kiss was short and sweet. As expected of my little tsundere eagle. He pulled back and looked away, quick to get off the ground. "There, I thanked you properly. Don't go whining about it now," he said and pulled the feather into his hand once again. I grinned widely up at him and nodded my head. "Yes, sir!" I playfully saluted him and got off the ground myself.

"I'll be going now! Don't forget about me this week!" I called while waving excitedly. "As if anyone could forget your annoying face," Kenjirou mumbled after me, making me chuckle loudly. "And yet you kissed this annoying face! Have a nice week and say hi to Goshiki for me!"