fashion pet peeve: its a unpopular opinion lol but i dont like leggings as pants like its only specifically when the leggings are rly thin and someone is wearing like a crop top ?? its just i dont like the look of it tbh
Summary: Tsukishima had his doubts about the entire event. There’s no such thing as a five star youth hostel, he’d thought to himself before falling asleep the night before. But here he was, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and walking a mile under a melting sky. Despite all his skepticism, he’d gotten himself into this. He could only hope it would be worth it.
Yaku can't remember the last time he was this embarrassed. Of course, for a festival at school there would be the weirdest ideas. Maid cafés, haunted classrooms or the like. Was what Yaku thought. He did not expect the entirety of Nekoma to opt for turning the school into a palace and reenact a masquerade ball. Which would be fairly okay, he guesses except they had the brilliant idea of dressing up some girls as boys and hide them behind masks, alike to dressing up some of the boys as girls with masks to confuse the visitors from other schools.
He stares down the dress he has to wear - it is too long for him but "you gotta cover your manly-ass legs, Yaku, they're gonna see right through you" - and his feet hurt. How do girls last in high heels for hours entire? Either way, how did he end up being a girl anyway? He retraces the steps but he would rather not remember everyone suddenly turning their heads towards him as Kuroo came up with the idea. Well, it is not like he is the only one, he thinks in order to ease the anger. But Kuroo sure as hell is going to get something back for this stupid idea of his.
He doesn't even look girlish at all. The dress itself would be pretty - if it wouldn't be him in it. The top is made out of lace with sequins embroidered, covering his entire back because "Yaku-san, isn't your back too broad for a dress like this?" Yaku really loves his team but there are times when he simply wants to leave and never come back. Another comments like "I was sure this was going to fit seeing as you are the same size as the girl who wore it before" or "At least you'll feel homey because this is our jersey colour" add to that feeling.
Yes, the dress is red and yes, he feels like absolutely everyone he knows and doesn't know stares at him for the simple reason that he is the only one wearing a bright red dress. One where the top isn't filled out for very obvious reasons but is still too tight around his shoulders to move around freely. One that had to be adjusted not to be too long but he still has to wear heels so he won't drag it around the floor.
Oh well, at least he can walk in the heels unlike some of the other poor guys stuffed into girls' dresses, among them surprisingly Kenma who did not even object. He probably just doesn't care. And frankly, he looks rather pretty in his black dress, his face almost entirely covered by a black cat's mask. So no one would see the boredom in his face, the others said. Poor Kenma.
And if the dress is not the worst thing, the wig makes Yaku furious. It is itchy and he feels the need to rip it off his head in an instant. Admittingly, the curls in it are pretty nice and they were kind enough to give him one that was the most similar to his actual hair colour. It still feels wrong. Not to speak of the mask. The forsaken mask stuck to his face.
At least they kept it fairly simple in comparison to some he has seen around which must weigh a ton but it still feels too hot in combination with the wig and the lace around the edges makes the back of his nose itch. It is white, covering his eyes and nose entirely, some tiny silver pearls have been stitched onto around the eyes and there is a pair of white feathers on the right side of it. He'd rather not wear it. He'd rather not be here at all, actually.
There is an introduction and he silently listens to it. Except for Kenma, he doesn't spot any of his other teammates yet. Well, they got lucky, the bastards. Music starts playing and the first few embarrass themselves by not knowing how to dance a simple waltz. It's not that difficult, Yaku thinks, not even when you are not used to walking on heels. It is mostly teachers knowing the moves and the students following their movements awkwardly. They shouldn't have chosen a ball of all things after all.
Just when Yaku decides to maybe go and get something to drink and try to enjoy himself because there is barely anything he can change about the current situation, he is grabbed by his wrist from behind and almost knocked down. He manages to keep his balance but he snaps his neck around so fast to see who it was that it hurts and he thinks he might have heard the dress rip.
"Whoa, um, sorry, I didn't mean to---"
Yaku lets out a sigh at the sight of the lanky boy holding onto his wrist far too tightly. His fingers are seriously too long. Too long and too thin like his entire being, what the hell.
"What do you want, Haiba?"
The tone was infinitely harsher than Yaku had wanted to make it sound but Lev doesn't seem to mind it too much. He lets out a sigh followed by an enormously broad and dumb-looking smile. His face isn't exactly hidden by the mask covering his eyes, it seems to be made out of thin and light metal, white curlicues mended together delicately. Basically, it is see-through and Yaku hates Lev for having gotten such a nice one, framing his face perfectly.
"I thought I'd rush here as fast as I could because I wanted to ask you if you would like to dance with me? Maybe?"
Yaku raises an eyebrow and looks around. Here they go, making fun of him. Damn that Kuroo for this idea.
"Haiba, you know I---"
"Lev. Uh... Lev's fine, I told you a thousand times already," Lev cuts in and smiles even broader. It's almost shining. Yaku thinks it's because the lights have been dimmed and the mask on his face being in his way.
"Don't get cocky, first-year. You're in luck I'm wearing heels or I would kick your ass out of my sight right here."
Lev presses his lips together and the grip around Yaku's wrist tightens. "So that means no?"
"That means mind your tone," Yaku says and he realizes how twisted it is for him to agree to dance. With someone who knows he's really just an unfortunate short guy in a bright red, too tight dress.
There it is again, Lev's face brightening up under the mask that covers nothing and Yaku swears his heart does not skip. Not for a bratty first year looking incredibly good in a suit, unexpectedly. Despite his tall but slender build where all things look like they are too wide for him so he always walks around with grossly rolled up trouser legs and sleeves, the suit fits him perfectly, a dark red tie around his neck.
"That means yes!?"
"I guess," Yaku shrugs and almost smiles at him. Good he has himself under control. Lev lets go of him and on cue, the next song starts. ....Another waltz? Probably because everyone sucked so much the first time they tried. Yaku turns around and notices how tall Lev is, in fact. Still much taller than him despite wearing heels. Damn first-year.
He forgets the curses when Lev wraps one arm around him, his right hand flat on his back and it's almost ridiculous how it feels like it covers almost his entire back, from his shoulders down his spine to his lower back, and takes his left hand into his as if it is the most fragile thing he has ever touched. Incredible. Yaku swears his heart hasn't started beating faster.
He lays his arm onto Lev's carefully and grabs his hand, nodding slightly. It has gotten too hot under the wig, under his mask and the dress feels uncomfortable tight around his back, more than before as he feels the sweat running down his spine.
"I wasn't aware you could dance," Yaku says as they start moving and shit, he leads just fine. He expected Lev to be clumsy as he is at training, he expected him not to know what he is doing but he does. Oh, and how he does, his hand having a firm but gentle grip on his back and squeezing his hand softly to lead the way.
Lev giggles and there is the bright smile again. It's almost cute. "My mum used to send me to dancing lessons when I was younger. It was boring though so I didn't want to do it anymore," he replies, his tone cheerful despite his elegant movements.
"Is that so... heh, who would have thought you have this type of hidden talent, Haiba," Yaku grins as his feet move along Yaku's automatically. A waltz is really not that difficult and while his feet hurt, it is almost fun like this.
"Lev, Yaku-san. It's Lev."
Yaku's eyes wander up to meet Lev's and he does smile, he still does but it feels different. Perhaps it is the closeness but it feels weirdly intimate and... lovely.
"You look really pretty, by the way," Lev says and Yaku would like to glare but his face has shot up to be at least the temperature of the sun and he would rather not let Lev see that and feel good about it. He'd certainly brag.
"Shut up, that's not true. It's obvious I'm a guy so the plan is kind of a failure with me," Yaku hisses in between his teeth and involuntarily squeezes Lev's hand.
Lev laughs and Yaku is tempted to kick his shin but his next words almost make him freeze if not for Lev keeping up the dancing.
"I like you better as a guy anyway so I don't mind."
Yaku almost trips over his feet, his heels tangling up in his dress and he staggers for a second but Lev's grip is so tight that he doesn't fall and as if it didn't happen, his body is simply swaying along with Lev's. Because that is how it is led. It was embarrassing but Lev doesn't seem to mind it at all.
"W-What are you even saying. Don't say things that could easily be misunderstood, Haiba. It's okay if you say it to me but don't embarrass yourself in front of---"
"I wouldn't say that to anyone else, though?" Lev replies quickly, not a speck of dishonesty in his words. "And it's Lev."
Yaku is certain, his face is entirely the same shade of red as his dress is and for the first time this evening, he is grateful for wearing a mask and having long hair in curls, hiding a good part of his face. He is just a bratty first year. But his feelings are always honest, about his team and about the sport itself... about everything. He seems ditzy but he is serious about what he wants and what he doesn't.
The song is over and people start to part but Lev doesn't let go, not of his back, not of his hand, instead gripping it tighter. The mask doesn't cover anything, Yaku thinks but as he looks up he can't see Lev's face at all and he thinks about what he said before. That he rushed to him first thing to ask him for a dance. That he thinks he looks pretty, better as a guy anyway. That he watched his steps, saved him from falling, held him like he was made of glass and to precious to break. That he wouldn't easily say the same thing to anyone else that he said to him.
"I can only dance waltz. Make sure to teach me other dances, dancing lesson boy," Yaku says and Lev raises his head, a confused look on his masked face at first but he nods.
"Y-Yeah, sure! Let's wait for the next song!"
And they wait. It is another waltz because apparently either the guy mixing the music is inept or the dancers are but Lev and Yaku decide to use it as a warm up.
By the time it is almost midnight and the people start leaving, they are still dancing, Yaku having stepped onto Lev's shoes more often than not but the taller guy never complained once. Always with a big grin on his face as if he is the happiest person in the entire world and Yaku is almost irritated by it. He had forgotten about the wig being too hot, the mask being itchy, the dress being too tight at his back and too long for him, he had even forgotten about the heels making his feet ache as soon as he stops moving and as he realizes, he thinks he understands being the happiest person in the world even if it is just for one evening.
yaku's dress is here, yaku's mask is here and lev's v shitty described mask is here
yep! this year i'm taking japanese, korean and also french! i actually liked my first lesson of korean, it was very funny haha our teacher is italian, but starting from next semester we'll have a korean teacher who will, however, teach us in english because she comes from america *v* so it'll be english+korean in one go hahah
