Chapter 42: You Wanna Dance

                                    

                                          
"Uh...Nishinoya-senpai, I'm not sure that's the best idea..." Tsukishima began.  
"It'll be great!  Come on, Tsukishima!  You've got one of every flavor of Pocky there.  Just pick your favorite and we'll get started!"  Noya gushed.
"Why do you people always wanna play kissing games in a giant group of guys?" Kageyama asked no one in particular.
"Actually, Kags, at least there are three girls here this time, instead of just me," Nakano pointed out.
"And, the Pocky game doesn't have to end in a kiss," Kiyoko added.  "In fact, sometimes, that's the greater challenge," she continued, with a determined flash lighting up her eyes.
"Does this mean you want to play, Kiyoko?" Nishinoya breathed, almost shaking.
"Sure.  I'll play," Kiyoko said with a smile.
Both Nishinoya and Tanaka charged at Tsukishima, grasping for the Pocky.  Tsukki stood and jumped over the bench, keeping his senpais away from him.
"GUYS!" Nakano yelled, "Slow it down!  I'll get some paper and a bowl and we'll draw names for who you play the Pocky game with, got it?"
Tanaka looked at her, wild eyed.  "Hurry, Naka-chan!  Before she changes her mind!  Our goddess is willing to play the Pocky game!"  Both he and Nishinoya suddenly collapsed on the grass, eyes vacantly staring up into the sky.  Tsukishima walked over to the table the presents had been on, opening the Pocky set and choosing Cookies and Cream, his least favorite flavor, for the game.
It took Nakano several minutes to prepare a bowl of names on paper slips.  "Seem familiar?" Nakano said to Kuroo as she walked past him, headed for the table where Tsukki was still standing, keeping an eye on Noya and Tanaka. 
The cat captain chuckled, following her. "Where's the beer?" he quipped.
The two second years leapt to their feet as soon as Nakano began approaching the table.  As they rushed towards the girl with the bowl, Kuroo snagged them both by the collar.  "Gently, gently, boys.  Let's not overwhelm our hostess, hmmm?"  
As Tanaka and Noya began to babble about having to get Kiyoko as their partner in the Pocky game, Daichi approached, suddenly looming before the two like a figure out of legend.  "We're not going to embarrass ourselves, are we, gentlemen?  In front of the captain of our biggest rival team?  Right?"  Tanaka and Noya whimpered and settled down on the grass to wait.  Kuroo and Daichi just looked at each other and laughed.  
"Funny how with these two around I don't miss Yamamoto at all," Kuroo said.
"Alright, we're set.  Tsukki, it's your party, so you kick us off," Nakano declared.
The middle blocker opened the first package of Pocky and looked at his girlfriend.  "Can't I just pick you?" he asked.  Complaints were heard from the audience at large.
"Pick from the bowl, gorgeous," Nakano said.
Taking a stick of Pocky from the package, Tsukishima plucked a name from the bowl as well.  "Yamaguchi?" he read out questioningly, looking at his best friend.
A red flush seemed to be slowly crawling up the body of the freckled boy, reaching his neck as he approached his best friend, who had placed the bare end of the Pocky in his mouth.  Scattered applause and catcalls erupted as Yamaguchi gently bit onto the other end.  Tsukki's ears are red, Tadashi thought, I guess he's pretty embarrassed too.  Slowly, the two friends took small bites along the treat, moving delicately towards the center.  They were moments from having to tilt their heads to avoid bumping noses when Tsukki bit his end off and pulled away, ceding the game to Yamaguchi.