I'm Drunk and You're Cheerful

by Lucathia

Disclaimer: I do not own Haikyuu! and make no profit from writing this.

Summary: During their week long summer training camp, Ukai Keishin goes out drinking with Takeda and Nekomata every single night. Ukai x Takeda.

Notes: Written for sekalaista for Yuletide 2013.

Drinking with Nekomata Yasufumi is like drinking with his grandpa. Keishin doesn't particularly like drinking with his grandpa. Because. He's not allowed to turn him down even when he's already downright drunk.

Keishin thinks that he might already be "downright drunk."

If he's suddenly thinking about his grandpa for no reason, then he must be drunk. Keishin doesn't particularly like thinking about his grandpa out of the blue. He always feels like a kid in his presence (and his grandpa would say, "Duh! That's because you are a kid!" and his grandpa would be right).

"Drink up, lad!" Nekomata grins like a cat and slams another mug of beer in front of him, the liquid sloshing over the edges.

Keishin looks dazedly at the happily bubbling beer and doesn't know if he has it in him to drink such a happy, not-so-little drink. It's not even that he's afraid of getting drunk (after all, he probably is already drunk), but he really doesn't know if he has it in him to drink anymore than he already has. He might burst from drinking so much. He totally needs to go to the restroom before it comes out of the wrong end.

As if sensing his apprehension, Takeda grabs the mug from across the table and downs it instead of him. Keishin blankly watches the happy bubbles disappear down Takeda's throat until the mug is completely empty.

A beat too late, Keishin finally realizes his drink is gone. "My drink," he says after the fact. He's actually glad that it's gone though.

Nekomata laughs. Then, he pounds Takeda on the back. Takeda. Who is also grinning. Like a cat. No, no, no. Takeda isn't a cat. Takeda's grin is more like, like...

"Impressive! Swooping in for the shiny right away, eh? The early bird catches the worm!" praises Nekomata.

More like... a crow? They're all crows at Karasuno, aren't they? Sensei is definitely a persistent crow. And Nekomata sounds drunk to Keishin too.

"Ehehehe," Takeda giggles, too happy for Keishin's ears. Keishin has always known that Takeda is an optimistic guy, but if Keishin is downright drunk, then the sensei is... the sensei is... downright... cheerful?

"I'm drunk," Keishin says suddenly.

Takeda nods in full agreement. "You're drunk, Ukai-kun."

"You're cheerful," Keishin adds.

"I'm cheerful." Takeda nods once more.

"I'm drunk and you're cheerful," Keishin says, as if it is the most obvious thing in the world. And it is. Because. There's a wide grin across Takeda's face. He just looks super happy. It kind of makes Keishin feel happy too. As well as pissed. Because no one should ever be that cheerful while drunk.

He should really leave the figurative language to Takeda.

Like Nekomata "promised," they drink every single night that week during their summer training camp, and every night, the same thing happens. Sometimes, the other advisers and coaches join them. Sometimes, they don't. But Takeda and Keishin are always there. Keishin doesn't particularly look forward to getting pulled along because he knows he won't survive long, but he can't help letting himself get pulled along because... Well, because of that stupid grin. Because it's Takeda. (And also, because they're drinking with Nekomata, and there's no refusing him just like there's no refusing his grandpa.)

Since the beginning, Takeda has always been an expert at enabling him. He looks completely harmless with his big glasses, messy hair, and youthful smile, and the next thing Keishin knows, Keishin is a full-fledged coach because Takeda has expertly lured him in. Keishin thought he'd be able to leave after lending a hand, but nope. He was completely ensnared by Takeda's trap. When Keishin declared his intention to stay, Takeda merely stood next to him with a pleased grin. It was totally an "I told you so" grin, but Keishin finds that he can't bring himself to hate it.

Takeda grins easily. He grins when the team does well. He grins when Keishin succumbs to his wishes. He grins all the time. He grins when he drinks. With how happy Takeda is when he drinks and how eager he is to go out drinking, Keishin thinks that Takeda might secretly be a drink fiend. Or maybe... Not so secretly. Since, they've been doing this so much that Keishin is already starting to lose count. It doesn't exactly mesh with Keishin's image of the sensei.

"Are you a drink fiend," Keishin asks monotonously one night. His mug is empty. It looks sad. Maybe he shouldn't have drunk the happily bubbling drink so quickly, but even if he hadn't, the drink would have ended up in someone's stomach. Like Takeda's. Who Nekomata had praised for being proactive. Early bird and all. Keishin could be a crow too. He likes shiny.

Takeda doesn't answer the question. Instead, he cheerfully says, like a true sensei, "We might be separated by water, but wine connects us all."

"What does that have to do with anything..." Keishin looks down at the glass of water between them. This is what's separating them? Water? He doesn't get it. And they're drinking beer, not wine.

Takeda grins. "It has to do with everything!" He then demonstrates by clinking his mug against Nekomata's and saying, "Cheers! Today's match was great! Even I could tell their improvement!"

Takeda and Nekomata share grins and gulp down their drinks. Then, they start talking about the matches and what each player is working on. It's more Nekomata who is explaining things with an occasional (and very excited) exclamation from Takeda when he figures out what the players are trying to do.

Keishin tries to envision the matches that were played during the day, but his head really hurts, and it's super warm in here. He doesn't know how the other two can even still hold a conversation, or how they can be so cheerful. Keishin just wants to put his head down.

He puts his head down.

From the cool surface of the table, he watches Takeda and Nekomata. The pain subsides a bit, and Keishin suddenly has a moment of clarity. The different angle might've helped. It's not often that Keishin is looking up at Takeda. It's usually the other way around.

So, Takeda is really good at mingling with people. He truly is a people person. If not for that, how would so many schools have agreed to hold practice matches with them? Although Takeda is a complete novice at volleyball, he is truly an expert at interpersonal relationships. It's no wonder that he's good at drinking too. It's definitely a useful skill for socializing. Keishin isn't bad with people. He's just not... that good. Very few people are that good with people. The volleyball club truly lucked out that Takeda stepped up to take them under his wing. With Takeda around, there are no heights they can't reach.

Keishin's thoughts wander.

How Takeda is fine wearing his dress shirts all the time is beyond Keishin. It looks uncomfortable. Keishin eyes Takeda's tie. It is somewhat loosened, but that must not help much.

With that thought in mind, Keishin lifts his head up and reaches out with his hand, accidentally knocking over the glass of water between them. The water spills. Takeda hurriedly tries to mop it up with some napkins, but they immediately get completely soaked.

While Takeda is fumbling, Keishin tugs at Takeda's tie. Right away, Takeda stills. He blinks and turns his gaze on Keishin.

"Sensei, that looks uncomfortable," Keishin says.

"Ah..." Takeda says, somewhat bewildered. He loosens his tie a bit more, hand brushing against Keishin's as he does so. Keishin lets his hand drop.

"Better?" Takeda asks, face redder than before despite how he must be feeling cooler now. Keishin doesn't get it.

But, Keishin nods. "That's better."

The entire time, Nekomata is sitting by the side and snickering. Like a cat. A pleased cat. Or something. Keishin is not good at making comparisons. That's more Takeda's forte.

Keishin doesn't particularly like drinking with Nekomata Yasufumi, but it's not completely unbearable if Takeda Ittetsu is there with him. Even if he's too damn cheerful.

He lets his head drop back on the table.

the end

Thanks for reading!