So I had a really sad dream last night where Tendou was in love with his best friend who was the lead in Phantom of The Opera. However he was the stage manager watching as she falls in love with her castmate both on the stage and in real life. So here’s some tears...
Please be warned there is some NSFW at the end of the chapter before it transitions back into angst.Â
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The orchestra was preparing to play the second to last song in the first act of The Phantom of The Opera. Tendou could feel his heart clench as he turned his headset off. Thankfully most of the cast was in the green room preparing for the next act with the exception of Atsumu who was heading up to his place in the from where he would sing the reprise and crash the exquisite chandelier on the stage ending the first act.Â
The leads entered the stage. Oikawa gently held the hand of Christine who was played by Tendou’s best friend Y/N. Tendou wrapped his gangly arms around his clipboard as the leads began to talk to each other. Having just narrowly escaped a tantrum from the Phantom, Raoul and Christine had escaped to the roof of the opera house. Gently the fake snow started to fall around them and the spotlight illuminated their faces. From the first wing, Tendou watched as Oikawa gently lifted the hood of Y/N’s cloak off of her head letting her silky H/C curls fall against her shoulders framing her face oh so elegantly.Â
“What you heard, was a dream and nothing more.” Oikawa said holding Y/N’s nimble hands in his own. In the wings, Tendou whispered every one of Oikawa’s lines to himself pretending it was himself holding the hands of Y/N.Â
Y/N was the reason that Tendou had joined theater. In their childhood, Y/N’s mother had taken the two of them to see ! Tendou hadn’t really wanted to go but when Y/N’s beautiful E/C widened in happiness at her mother’s announcement there was zero chance of him telling her no. It was on this day that Tendou first realized that his friend was more special than before.Â
His appearance drove people away. Almost everything physical about Tendou was off putting to people. His hair was unnaturally red. His eyes seemed to follow whoever dared look in them for too long. People called his body almost monstrous but not because of its size. Sure Tendou had height, but the term referred to how gangly his arms and legs where. The kids at school steered away from him out of fear that he would try to use his guessing ability to get ahead in life.Â
Only Y/N had shown him any sign of respect up until he met Ushijima but that was a different story. Â
The string section of the orchestra had shifted to open up the music for “All I Ask Of You.” The song where Raoul and Christine would profess their undying love for each other. Every night for the last six weeks, Tendou had watched the love of his life speak meaning behind the words he wished he could tell her. Tendou’s breath hitched as Oikawa gingerly touched Y/N’s cheek. Even with the heat of her cloak and the spotlights, Tendou could see the tinged cheeks of his crush knowing it was not entirely from the environment around her. It was partly due to the man in front of her.Â
“Yet in his eyes all the sadness of the world. Those pleading eyes that both threaten and adore.”Â
Y/N’s ethereal voice rang out through the theater causing several tears to shed. Including a couple from Tendou.Â
“Christine, Christine...” Oikawa pulled the girl close to his chest as Atsumu sings his echoing line prompting Oikawa and Y/N to look around in fear of the Phantom.Â
The worst part of the night begins.Â
Oikawa takes Y/N’s hands and begins to sing softly. Tendou in the wings catches Y/N’s eye as he mouths every word of the song that Y/N had begged him to practice.Â
“Who knows Satori? You could replace Oikawa!” She had said giving his arm a slight push as they ate their post-rehearsal dinner at his house. Tendou had laughed and played along in the lie but seeing it on the stage remined him of how wrong he was to not tell her the truth at that moment.Â
“No more talk of darkness. Forget these wide eyed fears. I’m here. Nothing can harm you. My words will warm and calm you.”Â
Tendou’s heart frantically increased its pace as he reminded himself of how Y/N trusted him with everything. Back in their third year of high school when Y/N’s ex had broken up with her, Tendou had created an entire pillow kingdom for her to spend the weekend in while he cheered him up. Their own perfect world where no one could get to them. But Y/N had been on her phone while he feigned sleep, silently giggling at something that illuminated the angelic features of her face. Tendou had never been one to have more than a few text messages (which were only ever from you, his parents, or the volleyball team group chat) and found himself not as attached to his phone as she was. But he couldn’t resist the smidge of jealousy that wormed its way into his heart everything you opened a snap from whoever had been making you laugh.Â
“Let me be your freedom. Let daylight dry your tears. I’m here with you beside you. To guard you and to guide you.”Â
He remembered when he’d found out she was transferring from Seijoh to Shiratorizawa back when they were still in high school`. Y/N hadn’t passed the entrance exams the first time around (not that she was in anyway dumb.) but had worked her butt off to retake them at the start of their second year. She had passed with flying colors and Tendou had immediately volunteered to show her around the school even though he knew that she knew every inch of Shiratorizawa grounds due to all the impromptu volleyball lessons she had attended at Tendou’s request.Â
All traces of oxygen escaped Tendou when Y/N opened her mouth to sing back to Oikawa whom Tendou knew had the biggest eyes for at the moment.Â
“Say you love me every waking moment. Turn my head with talk of summertime....”Â
Winter, summer, spring or fall. Tendou had fond memories of each season he spent with Y/N. In the winter the two of them would travel to Tokyo for New Years and pray at the shrine for a good new year. In the summertime Tendou would bring watermelon over to her house and they would read old Shonen Jump editions with the lights and fans on while participating in self-care rituals. He has so many photos of the two of them singing entire musical tracks in facemasks and pajamas while he has his hair in 12 braids and hers held up with 3 headbands and every barrette he could find in her room. In the spring you would visit the cherry blossom festival and he would flood her Instagram with every photo they took. In the fall they would spend their time tramping around Miyagi enjoying the leaves and an American drink from Starbucks (he’d never admit it but he was now addicted to Pumpkin Spice)Â
“Say you need me with you now and always. Promise me that all you say is true. That’s all I ask of you.”Â
What a simple ask in the song but it was what needed to be asked. Both by the character Christine and himself. However he knew that she felt nothing towards him that passed the barriers of friendship. It pierced his heart when he found out that Oikawa and Y/N had announced they had been seeing each other several years ago. Â
That year Tendou had spent Valentine’s Day alone for the first time in 11 years.Â
Soon after this announcement, Tendou began to see Y/N less and less as she now had two very important boys to balance in her life.Â
Behind the stage there was the green room which housed the rest of the cast. Somewhere getting a head start on their costume change for the start of the second act, some where grabbing a quick bite with an over shirt protecting their costumes. However there was a fairly large group that had their eyes glued to the TV that broadcast the show inside the green room to help them figure out when to make their next appearance.Â
“Dude he’s not gonna do it.” Kageyama whispered to Hinata who was in the middle of buttoning up his shirt for the second act.Â
“Have some faith is something! They’ve been together for years!” Hinata snapped that earned him a loud “SHUSH” from the rest of the cast. Sugawara who was finishing up on Kiyoko’s make up for Carlotta sent a sharp glare to the orange haired boy.Â
“You two need to simmer down. The audience can hear you. And yes, he probably will hes just waiting for the right moment in the song.” Suga explained as he steadied Kiyoko’s face to draw the eyeliner on her eyes.
“Yeah shut up punks! We wanna watch it happen!” Yamamoto called from hisÂ
A fair amount of the cast stood around the flat screen that showed Oikawa and Y/N singing to each other waiting for the surprise that neither Y/N or Tendou where ready for.Â
 “Let me be your shelter. Let me be your light. You’re safe, no one will find you. Your fears are far behind you.”Â
Y/N had many fears that she had shared with Tendou over the years of their life together. Trivial ones like spiders, snakes and things that go bump in the night but Tendou knew that her deepest fear was never finding true love which had only blossomed after her ex had broken up with her.Â
“All I want is freedom. A world with no more night. And you always beside me. To hold me and to hide me.”Â
What happened next sent Tendou’s heart hurtling towards a brick wall covered in spikes dripping in acid. His eyes bugged out of his head as he watched Oikawa get on one knee holding out a small velvet box. Wait where did he get that from? Tendou checked his clipboard hurridley. There wasn’t a ring box on the props list...Â
“Then say you’ll share with me one love, one lifetime. Let me lead you from your solitude. Say you need me with you, here beside you. Anywhere you go let me go to. Christine. That’s all I ask of you.”Â
Y/N’s face burst out in the largest smile Tendou had ever seen as his heart crumbled away, physical pain coursing through his veins. He couldn’t breathe. Everything was cold and his arms where numb. This had to be a dream! Y/N wouldn’t do this! She wouldn’t because she loved him right?Â
“Say you’ll share with me one love, one lifetime. Say the word and I will follow you.” Her exquisitely happy voice broke through the barrier of silence that had surrounded the theater save for the orchestra. No she couldn’t do this.Â
“Share each day with me each night, each morning.” They both sang as Oikawa stood up and placed the ring on Y/N’s perfectly crafted finger. A place that should remain bare. A place for his ring for her.Â
“Say you love me...” Y/N whispered bringing her hand to Oikawa’s face with the happiest of smiles.Â
“You know I do...” Oikawa sang softly taking Y/N’s hand pressing it to his cheek. Subconsciously, Tendou reached for Y/N’s hand needing it to calm the ache in his heart that was beginning to constrict. Tendou collapsed on the ground cupping his hand against his mouth to stifle the dry sobs that had started. He needed to get out of there before someone in the audience heard him.Â
“Love me! That’s all I ask of you!”Â
Tendou hadn’t cared before when they kissed since it was written in the script. But tonight this kiss sealed the end for Tendou.Â
He had lost Y/N before he had even had a chance with her.Â
Whoops and hollers from the audience where nothing compared to the cheers in the green room. Oikawa had been planning this proposal for months, had bough the ring the day Y/N had said yes to dating him. Everyone had placed bets on when and how he would propose but this proposal really knocked it out of the park.Â
The kiss went on longer than normal since this was a special night. When the music started up again, Tendou could see the tears falling from Y/N’s beautiful e/c eyes. The tears matched his own as his lip quivered slightly.Â
“Anywhere you go, let me go too. Love me, that’s all I ask of you...”Â
The crowd began their applause as Y/N began her reverie as Christine.Â
“I must go they’ll wonder where I am! Raoul wait for me!” Y/N exclaimed. Oikawa lets her hands go with a kiss on her dainty wrist.Â
“Christine I love you!”Â
“Order your fine horses! Be with them at the door!”Â
“And soon you’ll be beside me!”Â
“You’ll guard me and you’ll guide me.”Â
And with that Y/N and Oikawa rushed off stage to the thundering applause. Tendou backed away quickly to avoid the two as they rejoiced in the privacy of the wings. He clutched his chest pulling his black shirt away in an attempt to loosen the uncomfortable friction in his chest.Â
“If it wasn’t clear then Y/N I hope it is now. Will you marry me?” Oikawa asked looking into her eyes. A slight squeal from Y/N gave him his answer and they two kissed once more before running into the green room where they where greeted with a loud round of “Congratulations!”Â
Meanwhile on stage, Atsumu was singing the Phantom’s soliloquy but even with the mask propped on his face he couldn’t hide the smile that was emerging in happiness for his fellow cast members,.Â
Tendou turned his headset back on and listened to the jibber jabber of the stage hands who were prepping for the next scene where the chandelier would crash onto the stage. Tendou wiped his face off to make it look as though he had a possible allergy attack and had not been mourning the loss of the love of his life.Â
Gripping the mic he spoke quickly.Â
“Hey I just got an emergency text from my landlord. My apartment’s flooded and I need to go.” he lied. He didn’t bother to thank whoever agreed to relieve him and ripped his headset off throwing it to the side and narrowly avoiding the influx of cast members on his way out of the theater.Â
Tendou didn’t bother to check his phone when he got home. He made a beeline for his bedroom throwing his backpack aggressively against the wall most likely shattering his computer screen and his phone. Throwing himself on the bed in a true theater fashion he drowned the pillows on his bed in salty tears. They where bitter. Filled with jealousy. All his life he’d only ever had one person who was there for him and it was Y/N. But now she was gone.Â
“Say you’ll share with me one love, one life time. Say the word and I will follow you. Y/N... That’s all I ask of you...”Â
Tendou silently sobbed himself to sleep that night with the once dreamlike images of Y/N now torturing him as dubious nightmares.Â
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You where in the green room with your fiancé’s arm tucking you into his side. Your giddy expression hadn’t left your face since the moment Oikawa had proposed to you.Â
It was such a perfect proposal and the audience ate it up! You where fairly certain that there had been several reporters and critics in the audience. You loved Oikawa and this along with his proposal was the beginning of a brand new world for the two of you.Â
Looking around the green room, everyone was prepping to leave for the night. Y/N couldn’t find Tendou and felt like something was off since he wasn’t there to greet her with a warm chamomile tea and a bao bun like usual.Â
“Tooru, love I’m going to go get my phone but let’s head home once I grab it.” You whispered in his ear. Oikawa giggled in her ear and let her go. As you packed up your belongings, you texted Tendou asking him where he was.Â
You shrugged it off thinking that maybe he’d headed home and his phone may have died. You and your fiancĂ© headed out of the theater with a cheerful goodbye heading to your apartment happy as could be.Â
When you got home, you had barely unlocked the door when Oikawa’s lips met yours in a fiery passion. Together your lips danced together as small noises escaped your mouth hungerly eaten up by Oikawa as he pushed you into a wall closing the door with a kick of his foot.Â
Oikawa picked you up and carried you into your shared bedroom as you continued to make out ferociously. Biting his bottom lip your tongue entered his mouth exploring the crevices inside. Oikawa’s nimble fingers made quick work of disposing of your shirt and bra.Â
“God Y/N... I was thinking about this all night. The moment you said yes I wanted to whisk you away back here.” Oikawa growled as he bit your ear and began to kiss the underside of your jaw as you mewled.Â
Your passionate night was uninturrupted by the silence of your phone. You didn;t even bother to look at it until the next day.Â
In your messages, your text to Tendou remained on delivered. Achingly you fumbled agaisnt the nightstand looking for your cellphone.Â
Right as you grabbed it a text from Tendou appeared.Â
I wanted to tell you from the moment that I met you that I liked you. We had all the same interests and together we where unstoppable as stage manager and lead! I guess it’s times like these where I am reminded if the day we met.Â
I would never treat you any differant than the way you treat me.Â
I love you. I have for years and I will never stop loving you. But I know you love Oinky right? sorry that’s what Waka-kun calls him lol! Anyway I’ll see you around.Â
You where speechless. For years you had had some inkling that maybe Tendou saw you more than a friend but despite having been friends for so long, you had never felt as though they where genuine. Fleeting moments of hello and goodbye.Â
Unbeknownst to Tendou, is that you still love him even if it would never be reciprocated. All Tendou wanted to ask you was to keep him together.Â