Chapter Text
the queer quintet
hitoka the smart :
WHERE ARE YOU
SHOUYOUUUUUUUU
WHERE ARE YOUUUUU
tadashi the sweetheart :
CAN YOU SEE US
WE’RE BY THE DOORS!!!!
HAVE YOU PICKED UP YOUR LUGGAGE YET?
WHY ARENT YOU REPLYING USSSS
THERE’S WIFI SKDJKSALJ
kei the bastard :
tobio is literally shouyou’s fiancé, why are you two freaking out the most
tobio my babygirl <3:
they’re compensating for our lack of a reaction
kei the bastard :
and why aren’t you jumping around like they are
tobio my babygirl <3 :
because kuroo-san is going to kill me if i do something embarrassing in public again
shouyou the tangerine :
im here !!
im walking to baggage claim now !!
tadashi the sweetheart :
SHOUYOUUUUU
WELCOME HOMEEEE
HITOKA AND I ARE THE ONES WAVING THE GAY FLAG
tobio my babygirl <3 :
please come faster
you need to stop them
also welcome home, shou :)
kei the bastard :
your flight landed an hour ago
what happened?
shouyou the tangerine :
it’s good to be back guys !!
<33
also, i got held up at immigrations
i did not look like my passport picture so they had to take me to a room and check my biometrics
hitoka the smart :
you don’t look like your passport picture anymore?
did they think you were using a fake skdjkssd
that’s dumb
you have abnormally orange hair and stand out like a sore thumb
if someone was trying to sneak in they’d at least try to blend in
tadashi the sweetheart :
it makes me wonder just how much you’ve changed…
shouyou the tangerine :
what do you mean?
i send you guys pictures all the time
tadashi the sweetheart :
pictures and video calls are different
i want to see the real thing
hitoka the smart :
speaking of the real thing
shouyou, have you collected your luggage alr?
we want to see youuuu !!
shouyou the tangerine :
yes !!
i’m actually about to walk out now !!
i see you guys !!!!!!
tadashi the sweetheart :
where ?
tobio my babygirl <3 :
oh my god
tadashi the sweetheart :
wait where are you ???
WAIT A MINUTE
hitoka the smart :
SHOUYOU?!
THAT’S NOT YOU.
WHAT
kei the bastard :
holy shit.
For a moment, Shouyou seriously wondered if he and his friends were about to be reported for public disturbance. He knew he grew quite a bit since they last saw him and he intentionally tried to avoid giving them specifics just so that he could see their real-time reactions, but he wouldn’t have done so if they were going to react like that.
When Shouyou first spotted them, he walked up to them with all smiles and his figurative tail wagging in the air. Instead of being greeted by the three of them running up to hug him, they stood rooted behind the barrier and stared .
It was unnerving, Shouyou admitted, but it felt a bit satisfying to know that he was able to stun them speechless. His ego had been boosted after a few night outs with Pedro so he was aware of his current physique.
Unfortunately the silence did not last long because once the four of them processed everything, two of them broke out into loud shrieks that had both Kei and Tobio covering their ears. In the corner of Shouyou’s eyes, he saw the airport’s security personnel whip their heads at the screams.
Shouyou dropped everything in his hands to immediately cover their mouths and tell them to keep it down because they were about to get arrested right then and there. Unfortunately, his voice may have also undergone some changes because all it did was cause them to scream louder.
Genuinely worrying about getting into actual trouble, Shouyou gave the officers near them a nervous laugh and bow before picking up his stuff, shoving them into Tobio and Kei’s arms and hauling his two overly dramatic friends to a nearby airport cafe, away from the arrival gates.
“Shouyou, what the fuck .” Hitoka came to her senses first, pulling away from his grip and staring up at the man. “Were you editing your pictures or are you just that bad at selfies? You’re hot now?!”
“‘Hot’ is relatively subjective. He’s just more athletic now, that’s all.” Kei scowled and shifted Shouyou’s bag onto his other shoulder so that he could yank Tadashi back into his grasp.
“He’s hot.” Tobio stated, not once letting his eyes stray away from Shouyou’s biceps and the way it flexed as Shouyou shifted his bag from one arm to another. “Too hot, actually. Maybe he shouldn’t have gone to Brazil…”
Shouyou snorted as they reached the cafe and dropped his bag down by one of the tables before turning towards Tobio with a smile. “Or maybe I should have stayed there. Doesn’t seem like you missed me a whole lot.”
“Don’t be stupid. I missed you a lot, dumbass.” Tobio pouted and held his arms out for Shouyou. Shouyou dropped all the teasing to step forward and jump up into Tobio’s arms. Thankfully Tobio had been training hard under Iwaizumi’s tough regime because it was the only way he managed to lift all seventy kilograms of Shouyou's muscle.
“Holy fuck. You’re heavy –”
“Excuse me?!”
“Perfect! I said you’re perfect.” Tobio grimaced as Shouyou tried to position himself better, which meant putting more weight on Tobio’s shoulders to hoist himself up. “Perfect for weightlifting because you’re heavier than any of our dumbbells at home.”
Shouyou used the legs he had wrapped around Tobio’s waist to squeeze the setter in a grip that could rival a python’s. The setter’s knees gave out along with all the air in his lungs and the two of them would have collapsed had Kei not been behind them.
“Can’t you two save this for when you’re home? It’s gross.”
“Missed you too, Kei.”
“Whatever, Shrimp.” Kei dumped the inseparable couple onto the loveseat while the other three of them took the chairs, but not before ruffling Shouyou’s hair and muttering a ‘ welcome back ’.
Tobio and Shouyou settled themselves onto the loveseat, with Shouyou sitting diagonally on Tobio’s lap and his arms wrapped around the setter’s shoulders. Tobio himself had one arm wrapped around Shouyou’s waist and the other on Shouyou’s knees.
“You two are disgusting. Get a room.”
“We would but I have the decency to spend time with my friends first instead of running back home to jump his bones.”
“That’s gross. I’m officially allergic to love.”
“That explains the lack of dates, Hitoka.”
Shouyou realised his mistake but before he could take it back, Hitoka had already reached out of her seat to pinch his ear. He kept apologising on repeat but the woman did not let go. Shouyou tried to plead with his friends for help but both Tobio and Tadashi were adamant on staying out of it.
Thankfully Kei arrived back with the drinks and pastries before Hitoka could detach Shouyou’s ear. The man whined and pouted at Tobio, who just leaned up to kiss Shouyou’s red ear but reminded him that he definitely deserved it.
“So, Shouyou.” Tadashi took a sip out of his chai tea before placing it back down on the table. “What’s the first thing you’re going to do now that you’re back! Apart from moving back in.”
“I’m actually meeting Bokuto-san tomorrow! I’ve been talking to Tobio about which team to try out for since there are a few open tryouts this season and I think MSBY is the best option for me.”
“Ah, yeah. I think all of us saw that coming.” Hitoka calmly mentioned as she happily licked the icing off her strawberry cupcake.
“That I’d join MSBY?”
“There are three players from the Schweiden Adlers on the JNT, but you don’t want to join Tobio’s team since you want to play against him. There are two from EJP Raijin but they don’t have any open tryouts happening right now. With Atsumu-san and Sakusa-san on the national team, MSBY was definitely going to be on your list. Especially since Bokuto-san is a part of the team too.”
Shouyou hummed, impressed at her deduction skills. It made sense, after all. Hitoka had learnt how to analyse various teams and players back when she was still their manager. She knew how all four of them were like with volleyball.
“You’re right. That was my exact thought process.”
“Nice. Is there anything else you plan to do now that you’re back?”
“Tobio.”
Hitoka faked a gag but it caused her to actually choke on her cupcake. As she tried to cough out the pieces in her throat, she saw that Tobio’s cheeks were turning red and cursed them out in her head.
“ Other than sexing up your fiancé?”
“I plan on getting my driver’s licence.”
“Oh! That’s nice! Though, don’t you guys live quite close to both the Adlers and the MSBY training gym?”
“Yeah. I’m going to learn how to drive so that I can hit Kei with a truck.”
Hitoka sighed as Kei retorted with something sassy, causing her two friends to enter another one of their spats. Tobio and Tadashi were quite content with their croissants and tea, especially since Tobio was snuggled up to Shouyou and Tadashi was just glad to have a day off from studying.
The group continued to talk for a few more hours. The three students had to drive back in the morning since they all had classes in the afternoon. Unfortunately it meant that they would not be able to help Shouyou unpack.
Thankfully, Ushijima and Miwa were both going to be at the apartment. Ushijima was moving out in two weeks so the four of them were going to be busy packing up Ushijima’s boxes and unloading Shouyou’s bags.
When Shouyou left Japan, he only had one luggage and one carry-on bag. Somehow, he managed to return with two luggages and three bags stuffed to the brim. Two of the bags were wrapped tightly with tape because the zipper looked like it was about to explode.
Shouyou knew he had bought too many things to take back with him but it was not going to stop him from trying. He thanked all the gods he knew that none of his bags needed to be opened up for inspection when he was going through customs because he would not be able to stuff everything back inside again without Pedro’s help.
While all the luggages and bags Shouyou checked in to be stored away during the flight, the backpack he carried around held all the important things he needed to make sure stayed safe on the way back.
All the typical valuables were in there like his passport and the way-too-expensive gaming laptop Kenma had gifted him. But there were also some items that did not cost much in cash, but meant a lot to Shouyou.
There was a ‘goodbye’ card that Pedro had made and had gotten everyone to sign, a preserved flower from the bouquet he had caught at Nice’s wedding, a drawing of him, Ana and Sofia that Ana had drawn for him and a few tupperwares of Sofia’s baking.
Shouyou, Sofia and Ana stayed up late the night before Shouyou’s flight because he had mentioned how he was going to miss her desserts the most and she suggested that they could bake the night away so that he could take it back to Japan and learn how they were made.
It was impulsive and not the best decision for a woman that was ill, a man that was flying off the next morning and a six year old with a bedtime. They rationalised it since it was Shouyou’s last day in the country and they did not know when they would next see each other.
Shouyou knew he was going to see them again. He had grown attached to Brazil and had plans to return one day with Tobio, it was just a matter of when. Despite that, it was still hard to say goodbye.
They made all of Shouyou’s favourites. They stocked up on Sofia’s brigadeiro and pao de queijo since Shouyou liked those the most, then made some coxinha for Tobio since the setter wanted to try it.
The number of treats they ended up making were more than enough for Shouyou and Tobio so Shouyou tried to leave some behind for Sofia and Ana, but they insisted that he took all of it back to Japan to share with his friends and convince them to come to Brazil with him next time.
Speaking of which, Shouyou slid off Tobio’s lap to grab his backpack and pull out one of the tupperwares that had a little bit of everything.
“These are for you guys. Sofia, Ana and I made them! Well, Sofia did most of it and Ana only helped with the cookies but I did some stuff too!”
“Sofia and Ana made these?!”
The three of them practically yanked the tupperware from Shouyou’s hand and nearly ripped the cover off in an attempt to see what was inside. Tadashi looked like he was about to drool at the assortment of desserts in front of him. Before he could grab one, Hitoka smacked his hand and covered it back up.
“This is amazing! Tell Sofia we love them. We’ll save this for the ride back home.”
Tadashi slumped on Kei with a pout when Hitoka placed the tupperware of goodness into her bag, away from the two sweet tooths. Shouyou understood his reaction, he would have reacted the same way if he had been deprived of Sofia’s baking.
“Speaking of heading back home,” Kei began and picked up his phone to check the time, “we should go now so that we can drop you guys off at your apartment before making our way back to Miyagi.”
None of them, apart from Kei, realised just how long they had been talking. Shouyou arrived around ten at night and it was currently six in the morning. The sun was already shining and the night staff at the cafe they were at had already clocked out.
Deciding that they had to go, the five of them began to clean up their table and pick up some of Shouyou’s bags since the man himself seemed adamant on clinging onto Tobio.
As they made their way to the parking lot, Shouyou remembered an important detail.
“Wait. Will the car be able to fit all five of us and all of my luggage?”
“Probably. I have a backup plan if it doesn’t.”
“Which is?”
“We stuff you in the trunk.”
Shouyou took advantage of the extra height that came from being on Tobio’s back to smack Kei’s head.
Somehow, everyone survived the ride back to Shouyou and Tobio’s apartment. Granted it was very cramped and Shouyou did end up sitting on Tobio’s lap, but they came out of it alive.
It had been a little over a week since Shouyou arrived back and a lot had happened since.
As expected, Bokuto was very excited to have his disciple on the team and invited him to the open tryouts two weeks after their meeting. It worked out for Shouyou since he needed some time to get settled down as well as practise indoor volleyball. Since Shouyou was still trying to keep his newfound skills underwraps, he planned to practise with Bokuto instead of Tobio.
At home, the couple were busy unpacking and redecorating their apartment. With Ushijima moving out soon, the man had taken his plants and bookshelves along with him (to Tobio’s dismay). While Tobio had his fair share of plants and books, the empty spaces left behind made Shouyou decide to do some decorating.
Tobio did suggest that they could simply buy more plants but Shouyou had to stop Tobio from actually turning their apartment into a greenhouse. Instead, they figured it would be a great date idea to go furniture shopping together and pick out something new for their place.
That was their plan for the day. It was fairly simple. Surely, nothing could go wrong.
Shouyou woke up before Tobio did. Now that he was no longer working part-time or drinking with Pedro into the late hours of the night, he found himself waking up earlier and starting his day an hour or two before Tobio did.
A new routine Shouyou had developed quite fast was preparing breakfast for the sleeping man and their roommate. Ushijima did spend most of his days at his new apartment and getting everything set up for when Tendou would return but he still slept at Tobio’s place for most nights. Though, Ushijima was very much absent during Shouyou’s first two days back and the couple had a feeling that was intentional.
Since Shouyou and Tobio were going to do a lot of walking that day, Shouyou set off to prepare a feast for breakfast. All three of them were athletes, they needed the energy and calories even if they were just going to lounge around all day.
Not wanting to play music lest he wake up Tobio and Ushijima, Shouyou hummed to himself while he mixed the fried rice on the stove. As he did so, he kept an eye on the pancakes and bacon in another pan and waited for the electric kettle to turn off so he could make three cups of coffee.
Two years ago, Shouyou would have never been able to do that. It did not matter how much he helped his mother out with chores, he was never allowed to multitask in the kitchen. His lifestyle in Brazil had forced him to juggle cooking and other tasks since he was in a constant rush to get somewhere. He had no choice but to adapt because the alternatives were to skip meals and starve, or to burn his apartment down.
As Shouyou worked on his second omelette fried rice, he felt two strong arms wrap around his waist and a weight settle down on his shoulder. Shouyou smiled in content as he leaned into the warmth and gave the man’s cheek a kiss.
“Good morning, Tobio.”
Tobio mumbled a response but it was barely coherent. Judging from the swaying Shouyou felt, he deduced that Tobio was barely awake. Tobio probably woke up, noticed that the bed was empty and sleepily tried to find his partner. Adorable.
“You’re still sleeping, Tobi. Go back to bed. I’ll call you when breakfast is done.”
“Mm…” Tobio hummed in response and Shouyou felt the weight on his back get heavier.
Placing the second omelette down on the fried rice he had already plated, Shouyou turned the gas off and manoeuvred Tobio so that he could carry the setter back to bed. Tobio was heavy but Shouyou was never going to admit that. After the airport incident, Shouyou wanted to show the setter that he was the stronger one.
Shouyou padded his way back to their bedroom and set a snoring Tobio down on the bed. Shouyou couldn’t help but reach out and put a finger on Tobio’s lips and watch a weird snore emanate from the corners of Tobio’s mouth. Shouyou’s chuckle woke Tobio up out of his slumber and he pulled Shouyou’s hand closer to his chest.
“Sl’p.”
“I can’t, Tobi. I need to make breakfast.”
“Hngg…” Tobio’s face scrunched up as he whined and rolled onto this side, taking Shouyou’s arm with him, forcing Shouyou to lay behind him and wrap his arm around Tobio.
Shouyou loved a sleepy Tobio. He was adorable, cuddly and oh-so clingy. Sadly, he couldn’t stay in bed forever. Shouyou waited until Tobio had fallen back asleep and his grip loosened up before sliding off the bed. He tucked his fiancé in and tip-toed his way out of the room.
Outside, Shouyou noticed a weird smell in the air. It smelt like something was burning but he was pretty sure he had plated the omelette and turned the gas off before carrying Tobio back.
Back at the range, Shouyou realised what he had missed out. He left the pancakes and bacon on the pan and they were completely unsalvageable. Turning the gas off for that range, Shouyou took a spatula and flipped the pancakes over, only to see the pancake’s underside to be completely charred. The bacon simply refused to budge. It had burned so bad that it was stuck to the pan.
After Shouyou dumped the pan into the sink and filled it with water, he added ‘new pan’ to his list of things to buy that day. He was going to try to scrub the debris off but it did not look like it was going to be very successful.
Almost an hour later, when Tobio and Ushijima woke up for breakfast, Tobio pointed out how he thought he had seen Shouyou flipping pancakes earlier but there were no pancakes on the table.
“Pancakes? You must have been dreaming. I can make you some pancakes tomorrow!”
Shouyou smiled as he picked up his empty plate to take to the sink and kicked the trash can with the empty box of pancake mix further underneath the counter, away from plain sight.
“Oh! Ushiwaka-san, Tobio and I will be out all day so don’t wait up on us for dinner. Is there anything you’d like from the furniture store?”
“No, I am fine. Thank you, Hinata-kun.” Ushijima stood up and brought his plate to the sink, washing it alongside the shorter man. “I am going to the grocery store in the afternoon. Is there anything you and Kageyama-kun need?”
Shouyou shook his head and politely declined before turning around and prompting Tobio to respond. The setter was still eating his second serving of rice and simply asked Ushijima to pick up some pancake mix.
Ushijima looked puzzled and stated that they should still have an extra box in their pantry. Before he could check it out, Shouyou laughed way too loud and got in Ushijima’s way while telling the two men how he got hungry in the middle of the night a few days prior and had eaten it all up.
Somehow, Ushijima and Tobio accepted that answer and Shouyou escaped to take a shower.
While the two of them went through their routine of getting ready to go out, Shouyou went through their goal for the day. They had a budget and a cap of only five decorative items then they were to pack it up and go home.
Even though Tobio and Shouyou were already in their twenties and had some money in their bank account, Shouyou had no sources of income yet and Tobio was not as loaded as their friends liked to make him out to be. They could not splurge on their first big-boy shopping trip together.
The couple was so committed to the idea that they refused Ushijima’s offer to pick them up after their errand so that they would be forced to only buy things they could carry with them. It might not stop them from buying a new medium-sized bookshelf, but it could stop them from buying a swing set. Ushijima watched them leave the house in concern but did not say anything about their ‘mission’.
Shouyou was determined to stay within the budget.
There was absolutely nothing that could cause him to stray away from his goal.
Not even the sale on queen size beds that looked extremely comfortable and perfect for athletes that had to deal with constant muscle aches.
“Shouyou.”
“No.”
“Shouyouuuuu.”
“We’ll just take a look but we are not going to buy it.”
Shouyou and Tobio looked at each other with determination, nodded and interlaced their hands in a death grip to keep each other grounded. Everyone liked to look at things they don’t plan on buying anyway. The two of them loved checking out various volleyball brands back in high school even though they never actually purchased them.
Although, back then they did not have the funds to do so. It was a slightly different story.
Now that they had some income and an apartment with too many vacant spots, they both struggled as they walked around the store. For the first time in their lives, things were affordable .
Shouyou tried to stick to the mission. Just because they could afford something did not mean they should get it. He learnt early on that all those expenses would accumulate up, his account would end up in the negatives again and Kei would kick his ass.
In an attempt to distract himself from thinking about the gorgeous aquarium tank that they did not need, Shouyou began to make conversation with Tobio. It was funny how they were usually very chatty but stayed silent when they were concentrating on not giving into their impulsive behaviours.
“Hey, Tobio.” Shouyou tore his eyes off the aquarium with a built-in water wheel and filtration system to focus on his fiancé who seemed to be drooling over a mini hydroponic garden kit. “Do you plan to stay with the Adler’s for the rest of your volleyball career?”
That managed to pull Tobio’s attention away from getting more plants. “Why? Do you want me to try out for MSBY?”
“No, no. It’s not that. I was just wondering if you’d thought about the idea of playing for an international team. We talked about it before but you never followed up on it.”
Shouyou spotted various exercise equipment on display and started to make his way there while Tobio thought about his answer. The two of them already had a mini gym at home but they were lacking some of the basics. Adding a pull-up bar or two to their list probably wouldn’t break the bank.
“I did some research on it after we talked.” Tobio walked off to grab a trolley from the trolley station by the escalator before returning back to Shouyou. “I might consider Italy or Argentina after we play in the next Olympics, but the process of transferring to another team in another country is not easy if you don’t get scouted.”
“That’s true, but it is not impossible. Maybe the Grand King can help you with that!”
“Actually, Oikawa-san was the one who helped me figure out how I felt about this subject.”
“Uwah! Really?!” Shouyou dumped two yoga mats into the cart and started to push it around while staring up at Tobio. He knew that Tobio and Oikawa have been working on their relationship over the last few years so he was glad that Tobio went to Oikawa to talk about something like this. “What did you guys talk about?”
“I want to play for the best, but I was worried about being in a new environment. What if I can’t adapt and it impairs my ability to play volleyball? You know I’m not the… smartest person around. What if I never pick up the language? It means I can’t communicate and bond with my team. And what about…”
Tobio trailed off and frowned, clearly thinking about how to phrase his next sentence. Shouyou patiently waited beside him, checking out some of the candles on the display and picking out a few to put into their cart.
“What about us?” Tobio finally spoke up, gripping a stuffed giraffe that they had seen earlier and picked up because it was cute and cheap. “What if we worked out fine when you were in Brazil because you were the one overseas and I was the one here? What if the dynamic changes because I would be the one in a different country? You’re more adaptable than I am. What if I struggle maintaining our relationship from afar because I have too much on my plate from not being able to acclimate?”
The two of them were glad that there was no one else in the aisle they were at because they both knew Tobio disliked being vulnerable with other people around. Shouyou was the only person he felt like he could let all his guards down with because Shouyou was his safe space.
“You’re so silly, Tobio.” The smaller man let go of the cart and turned to his side to face Tobio properly. “I thought you’d realise by now that nothing could pull us apart.”
“Married people can still get divorced.”
“Can you see us getting divorced or breaking off the engagement?”
“No.”
Tobio’s response was fast and firm that he almost surprised himself. He was the one concerned about how going overseas could affect their relationship but now that he actually thought about the thing he was truly scared of– him and Shouyou splitting apart–, he realised that it was a ridiculous fear. They’ve worked hard on their relationship, a few years apart was not going to put a strain on it.
With a smile, Shouyou wrapped his arms around Tobio’s waist and rested his chin on top of the giraffe’s head. “See? We’ll be fine.” He tilted up to kiss the tip of Tobio’s nose and checked to see if Tobio was really alright before pulling back to look at the shelves around them.
“I guess you're right… Oikawa-san also called me a dumbass for thinking so. Then he talked about his relationship with Iwaizumi-san for an hour.”
“Sounds like him.” Shouyou snorted at the thought of his upperclassman rambling on and on about his husband. “Did he say anything about your struggles with adapting?”
“He said that everyone struggles to adapt but if you stay there long enough and find something you enjoy, then you’ll be fine.”
“I’m assuming he was talking about volleyball?”
“That’s what I thought, but apparently he was talking about the food. He took a liking to something called pebete and refuses to leave Argentina because his favourite bakery doesn’t ship worldwide.”
“That also sounds like him.”
This time, Tobio was the one that snorted as he grabbed an orange and blue throw pillow from the shelves and tossed it into their cart, along with a matching blanket and the giraffe he had been holding.
“He’s right, you know?” Shouyou pondered as he pushed the cart past the larger furniture displays, stopping beside a dark blue couch that would match the grey shag rug they had stuffed into their cart. “It’s going to be difficult at first but you’ll definitely be able to adapt to Argentina, Italy or wherever you end up going.”
“You’re just saying that because you had Pedro and Sofia to help you along.”
“Who’s to say you won’t make friends as well?”
Well, damn. Shouyou did have a point there but Tobio did not want to admit that Shouyou got one over him. Instead, Tobio reached over to grab a green tab for the couch before walking away and dragging the cart behind him.
For a moment Tobio questioned why he took the tab that was meant for customers present to the cashiers if they wanted something that was on display. He shook the thought away. Just because he took the tab did not mean they were going to buy it.
“There’s still time before we make a decision anyway. We still need to play in the Olympics together. Or did you forget that you haven't caught up to me yet?
On instinct, Tobio ducked and dodge Shouyou’s hand before the shorter man had even reached out to grab Tobio’s hair. Unfortunately, Shouyou did not expect to miss and he stumbled forward. He would have fallen flat on his face had Tobio not caught him.
The stumble caused some of Shouyou’s things to fall out of the pockets in his windbreaker. They quickly bent down to pick it up and Tobio noticed something green underneath Shouyou’s wallet.
“Shou, is that the tab for the bed we were looking at earlier? The one we said we were not going to get?”
“I–! I just wanted to carry it around in case we change our minds! You did say our bed is too small and the mattress isn’t firm enough so we probably have to get a new bed at some point…”
“I guess… It’s within our budget, right?”
“If we cut down our five-purchases goal to one then yes it is within our budget.”
The couple risked a glance at the cart and visibly cringed at the number of items inside of it. In hindsight, Shouyou realised that silent concentration would have been a better choice than mindless distraction. At least then he would have remembered they had a budget.
The two of them stood there for a few minutes, each of them holding a tab and stared at the cart before sighing and walking towards the cashier.
“Are you okay with ramen for the rest of the month?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Ramen was a bad idea. After one month of eating nothing but cheap and instant ramen, Shouyou and Tobio banned noodles from their house altogether.
Not only was it unhealthy, but Iwaizumi tore Tobio a new one when he found out what Tobio had been eating at home for an entire month and
threatened
suggested that Tobio go back on the diet he had personalised for the setter. He even offered to help Shouyou with his meal plans as well.
Considering that Shouyou had started to gag at the sight of ramen, they caved and bought ingredients for an actual meal that followed Iwaizumi’s suggestions.
Living cheap was not an option for them. Not with their pro-athlete lifestyle and the high cost of living in Tokyo. Their furniture shopping did cause a dent in their finances but their struggles were not solely due to that. They simply could not sustain on Tobio's sponsorship cheques and Shouyou’s savings alone.
Since Tobio was on both the Adlers and the JNT, Shouyou decided to find a part-time job. He had more free time than Tobio and even though he used most of it to practise, he still had more flexibility than his partner.
Though, it was not as easy as it seemed. Shouyou struggled to find a job despite having previous work experiences. He would have returned to the cafe he worked part-time at before he flew off to Brazil but they moved locations and the new outlet was too far.
After another failed job interview, Shouyou walked into the gym and promptly collapsed on the floor with a groan.
“Rough mornin’, Shouyou-kun?”
Shouyou lifted his head to see his teammate, Miya Atsumu, hovering over with a sports drink in his hand. The blonde had been following Shouyou like a lost puppy since Shouyou joined the team. Atsumu still had an online feud going on with Tobio so he was excited to set for Shouyou and spite the Adler’s setter.
Typically, Shouyou would have stayed far away from any of the Miya Twin’s antics. He had heard horror stories from their previous Inarizaki teammates. However, he found Atsumu’s interest in him as an opportunity for something great. For once, it was not volleyball related (or, well, it kind of was).
Shouyou learnt from Tobio and Ushijima that Sakusa and Atsumu were in deep denial about their feelings for one another. The two Adlers men tried to do something about it but getting two people to admit their feelings was definitely not a part of their skill set.
Since joining MSBY, Shouyou had noticed a few things about Sakusa. He was quiet but observant, he had various routines before and after practice, and he looked stiff every time Atsumu trailed Shouyou during practice.
Despite knowing that Shouyou was engaged to Tobio, Sakusa couldn’t help the scowl that appeared on his face when Atsumu threw his arm across Shouyou’s shoulder and bragged about being able to set for the famous ‘Ninja Shouyou’.
Shouyou knew that Sakusa was not upset at him, but at Atsumu. Maybe even himself. Either way, it was clear as day what was happening; Sakusa was jealous.
Like the wonderful spy he was, Shouyou reported everything to Tobio and Ushijima over tea at Ushijima’s place and the three of them concocted a plan. It was not some grand scheme of the sort, just some ideas on how to get Atsumu to either notice Sakusa’s reactions or get Sakusa to fess up to his feelings.
The main part of their scheme was for Shouyou to let Atsumu do whatever he wanted. The blonde setter was loud and clingy, but he respected boundaries so it was not like he was going to fall in love with Shouyou just because Shouyou kept returning Atsumu’s excitement with more excitement.
“Yeah, another failed interview. Is that for me, Atsumu-san?”
Atsumu nodded and passed the bottle to Shouyou. The smaller man sat up and took a large sip out of the bottle. As Shouyou tilted his head up to drink, he quickly scanned the gym and noticed Sakusa staring at them from the corner. Perfect. They had his attention.
“The drinks today taste different… but in a good way. Were you incharge of mixing them today, Atsumu-san?”
“Nope, it was Omi-omi’s turn. Are they tastier?”
“It is to me!”
Atsumu jumped up and walked over to take a swig out of his own bottle, immediately noticing that it tasted exactly the same as every other electrolyte drink and started to head over to Sakusa and accuse him for playing favourites.
Shouyou simply watched the two bicker from afar. Throughout their exchange, Sakusa and Atsumu’s faces were getting closer and closer but Shouyou had a feeling they weren’t going to acknowledge that. They never did, but hopefully that was going to change.
The plan that Tobio, Ushijima, Shouyou and even Tendou had come up with was not to make Sakusa jealous, but to divert Atsumu’s attention from Shouyou to Sakusa. Back then, Atsumu’s attention had mostly been on Sakusa so Sakusa was used to ignoring the setter when they weren’t bickering or playing.
Now, Shouyou made use of Sakusa’s jealous moments and would send Atsumu his way while Sakusa was still jealous about Atsumu’s interest in Shouyou. That way, he couldn’t ignore or brush Atsumu away. Sakusa may not have realised it, but Shouyou could tell that it was because Sakusa wanted Atsumu’s attention on him and not the other man.
It was fine. They had a lot of time for the plan to take place. Shouyou just hoped it would happen before his wedding so that the two of them could attend as each other’s plus ones.
“Oya oya? Still trying to get Tsumu and Kiyoomi together?”
Shouyou jolted in his position on the floor when a large body flopped down to sit beside him. Thankfully it was Bokuto and not their captain because Shouyou had not gone to the changing room and dropped off his stuff yet.
“Yeap! It’s still a work-in-progress.”
“Good luck. Why are you here on the floor?”
“Bombed another interview. Felt miserable. Flopped on the floor.”
“My poor disciple…” Bokuto cooed over the jobless man and held Shouyou’d head close to his chest. Typically Shouyou was not a fan of being coddled or babied but he had nothing against having his head cushioned between Bokuto’s pecs so he wasn’t going to fight back.
“I’m never going to get a job and we’re going to be homeless, Bokuto-san.”
“Have you considered Onigiri Miya?”
“Osamu-san’s restaurant?”
“Yeah! Business is boomin’! Poor Samu. Suna-san is getting way too busy with EJP Raijin stuff and Samu’s hesitant to hire someone he doesn’t know. He’s been handling all of it on his own. I gotta admit, he’s doing better than I thought he would be, but I know he was looking for some help.”
Shouyou thought about the prospect for a moment. The team frequented Onigiri Miya because it was close and they had a discount. Well, everyone except Atsumu.
Personally, Shouyou himself was not that close to the younger twin compared to the rest of the team but he got along just fine with Osamu. The chef might even find comfort in having someone familiar around who has had previous experiences working in the F&B industry.
The only downsides that Shouyou could think of were the working hours. He knew that the restaurant opened in the early hours of the day and closed way past midnight. Osamu and Suna lived above the restaurant so Osamu liked to keep the place open as long as he could. If his shifts did end late, it helped that the restaurant is not too far away from his apartment.
“I think I’ll drop by after practice today!” Shouyou declared, shooting back up, away from the comforting warmth of Bokuto’s built-in pillows.
“Drop by where?” Atsumu called out as he walked towards them with Sakusa trailing behind. Atsumu had a red spot on his forehead, a sign of having been flicked by Sakusa, which meant that Sakusa was the first to have noticed their faces were too close and flicked the setter to get away.
“Your brother’s restaurant! I’m thinking of applying for a part-time job there!”
“A job at my stinkin’ brother’s restaurant?! Why d’ya want to work fer him! Do we not pay ya enough, Shouyou-kuuuun?” The setter wailed and flopped onto the shorter man’s shoulder, pouting.
“First of all, you don’t pay me at all.” Shouyou patted Atsumu on the head, stealing glances at Sakusa to see if he should pass the setter back to him but the other man looked unfazed. “Second of all, it’s convenient for me.”
“I guess that makes sense… This also means I get ta see ya more often! I hang out at Samu’s all the time!”
“If you’re there so often, why does he say he needs an extra pair of hands?”
Atsumu grumbled, knowing that it’s because he spends his time at Onigiri Miya disturbing his brother or making conversation with random customers. He had helped Osamu close the shop before… Like, three times.
Truth be told, everyone knew that Atsumu was helping out at the restaurant in his own way. He got customers to come back for more and he promoted Onigiri Miya on all his socials all the time. Heck, it was a better decision for him not to help out with the dishes and food handling because Atsumu was notoriously clumsy. It didn’t stop him from finding his own way to support his brother.
Before they could continue their conversation, Inunaki walked in, saw them on the ground and let them know that he saw Meian get out of his car on his way in. The three on the ground scrabbled and dispersed before their captain could catch them slacking off.
Meian was a wonderful captain. In the two weeks Shouyou had been there, Meian has been nothing but kind and welcoming. He was fast in incorporating Shouyou into their practice and came up with multiple strategies to utilise him in games.
Off the court, Shouyou felt like Meian had the vibes of a very tired father. Meian broke apart Sakusa and Atsumu’s bickering, handled Bokuto’s ‘episodes’ like someone who had decades of practice and could get his entire team to keep quiet with one look.
When Iwaizumi let Meian know about what Shouyou and Tobio had been eating at home (because of course Iwaizumi told their captains), Meian sat Shouyou down and had an honest conversation about asking for help if Shouyou needed it. The man was a wonderful leader and Shouyou respected him because of it.
Shouyou ran for the changing rooms to dump his bags and get ready for practice so that Meian would not need to start off his day by getting upset at them. Shouyou liked his captain and he wanted to try and cause the least amount of grief to Meian as possible.
Three months later, Shouyou managed to become Meian’s biggest source of grief.
It wasn’t like Shouyou tried to cause some issues. It was not his fault that a few of his tweets had blown up and caused most of the volleyball world to think that MSBY and the Adlers had a passionate rivalry going on.
Bickering was Shouyou and Tobio’s love language. It was inevitable that they took their flirting to new grounds. If anything, it was on Kuroo for not teaching them how to properly present themselves on social media. Or Kenma, since he was supposed to be Shouyou’s best friend and social media was his job .
When Shouyou responded to Tobio’s tweet about Shouyou’s ‘shitty receives’ with a picture of Tobio receiving with his face in high school, it was posted with love . And when Tobio said that Shouyou was so tiny he could probably run under the net with his hands raised high, he meant that Shouyou was adorable and small.
How were they supposed to know that the internet took that as a sign of war?
“Have you seen this one?” Tobio passed his phone to Shouyou with a tweet pulled up.
curry is my passion @kageyamastanacc
idk about you guys, but i can’t wait to see this ‘ninja shouyou’ guy get dominated on the court
sunshine @kagsrightshoe
hold on. if someone’s getting dominated here it’s @KageyamaTobio. i mean, did you see how quick he was to FOLD when ninja shouyou said ‘come here and shut me up’? that man is WHIPPED
curry is my passion @kageyamastanacc
have you SEEN ninja shouyou’s pfp? he looks TINY
sunshine @kagsrightshoe
AND WHAT ABOUT IT !!it doesn’t look like it’s a recent picture. besides, height doesn’t matter if they’re horizontal !!
kylo ren @ikkewalk
im starting to think yall aren’t talking about the match anymore
Okay. So maybe not everyone misunderstood their intentions.
Shouyou giggled and passed the phone back to Tobio before pulling the man in closer. It was their day off and it was raining outside, which meant that they decided to stay in rather than go on their morning run. The sun had not risen yet, so the couple were cuddled up in the dark of their room.
Tobio was scrolling through Twitter with his head on Shouyou’s chest. Shouyou took a glance towards the screen every so often, but paid more attention to drawing patterns on Tobio’s bare back with his finger.
“What do you think I’m drawing now?”
“A cookie?”
“Close! It was you.”
“That’s not close, Shou.”
“It is. Both you and the cookie are incredibly sweet.”
“Gross. Why are you so corny– AH!” Tobio was cut off by Shouyou leaning forward and biting into Tobio’s cheek. “Ouch– Ouch! Get off, Shouyou!”
Shouyou gave Tobio’s cheek one last suck and stretched it to its limit before pulling off with a loud ‘pop’. He smiled before returning to his previous position, nudging for Tobio to lay back down on his chest.
“See? You tasted sweet. Like milk mochi.”
“You’re insufferable.”
“And you love me anyway. Besides, what’s one more mark to the many you already have?”
Tobio grumbled but returned to his scrolling. Soon, Tobio felt Shouyou continue to trace his finger along Tobio’s back. This time, Tobio could tell that Shouyou was trying to play ‘connect the dots’ with the hickeys and bite marks Shouyou had left on Tobio’s back earlier that morning.
Just because they didn’t go on their morning run, did not mean they needed to forgo their morning exercise altogether. Stamina training was important, after all.
“Oh. Your captain tweeted something.”
“Oh God. What did he say?” Shouyou looked back down towards Tobio’s screen as the setter scrolled through the replies of the tweet.
Capt. Meian @MeianS
After some extensive discussions with @Hirugami_Fukurou, @tetsurouK, our coaches and our team agents, we have come up with a way to resolve this rivalry once and for all. Our respective team accounts will tweet the announcement shortly.
the hotter setter @tsumu_miya
YOOOOOO YOU’RE FINALLY TWEETING SOMETHING. i can’t believe you come online during shouyou-kun’s feud but didn’t say ANYTHING during MY feud 😭
Capt. Meian @MeianS
consider that a blessing
the REAL little giant @hosiumi_k
WAIT THAT’S NOT FAAAAIR so hinata’s rivalry with kageyama can lead to something cool but mine and kageyama’s rivalry with atsumu does not? IS THIS FAVORITISM???? @MeianS
your local veterinarian @hirugamiwoof
you shouldn’t accuse the captain of another team of favouritism, kourai
the REAL little giant @hosiumi_k
you’re right, i’m sorry
the hotter setter @tsumu_miya
SIMP
Shouyou hummed as they continued scrolling through the replies. A lot of people were wondering where Shouyou and Tobio have been since the tweets blew up. Most of them theorised that both Shouyou and Tobio were embarrassed for their actions but the truth was that they were not.
Shouyou felt bad for adding on more work to Meian’s shoulder, but he didn’t feel embarrassed for flirting with his own fiancé online. Both him and Tobio were told to not engage with anyone while Kuroo sorted things out.
According to the professional, rivalries were a great source of attention and marketing but if they were to be done wrong, one or both teams could be painted in a bad light. Kuroo regretted not making use of Atsumu’s feud when it was gaining traction on TikTok, so he was going to take his chance this time.
That meant that both Shouyou and Tobio could not add fuel or water to the fire until Kuroo figured something out. The two of them could only assume that the announcement was related to whatever Kuroo had figured out and they could finally tweet again.
Kuroo had put a pause on the ‘online rivalry’ after Tobio sent out a tweet and Shouyou could not let his fiancé have the last word.
Before Tobio even got to the bottom of the replies, both their phones vibrated and a notification popped up on Tobio’s screen.
hirugami the captain (adlers)
We made an announcement. Kuroo said that both you and Hinata-kun can continue to tweet and post. He suggested that you keep the feud going. But, please, make good decisions.
Shouyou smiled and pulled out his phone from underneath their pillow to see a similar message from Meian that had been phrased just a tad bit differently.
meian-san the captain-san
check out the team’s twitter page. both you and kageyama-kun can continue flirting again. for the love of god, PLEASE make good decisions. i am turning GREY
The text reminded Shouyou of his old captain and wondered if Daichi really did end going grey from the stress. Considering that he was a firefighter and he was married to their old vice-captain, there was a very high chance that the man was rocking a salt-and-pepper look.
Both of them went back to Twitter to check out what the announcement was and, honestly, they should have seen it coming.
Schweiden Adlers @SchweidenAdlers
Mark your calendars for November 17th. Schweiden Adlers vs MSBY Black Jackals. Are you #TeamEagle or #TeamJackal ?
the REAL little giant @hosiumi_k
oh HELL YEAAAAAAAAAH FINALLY @ninjashouyou LET’S SEE WHO’S THE REAL LITTLE GIANT NOW !!
satori 🌺 @tori_tendough
@Cafe_Kitsune will be selling #TeamEagle and #TeamJackal cookies at the game !! ( anyone wearing my husband’s jersey in the stands will get a free cookie 😉 )
e-wheeze @vleaguesimpnation
HUSBAND ?? WHO IS YOUR HUSBAND ?? WHICH ONE OF THEM IS M A R R I E D ??
satori 🌺 @tori_tendough
you’ll find out soon enough 😉 #TeamEagle
MSBY Black Jackals !! @MSBY
SCHWEIDEN ADLERS VS MSBY JACKALS !! It’s finally time to answer the question; which team is the better team? #TeamEagle or #TeamJackal? Show your support at Kamei Arena Sendai Gymnasium on the 17th of November !!
professional riceball handler @Onigiri_Miya
we will be selling #TeamEagle and #TeamJackal onigiris with various jersey numbers. each jersey number will correspond with the player’s favourite flavour. (pro-tip; don’t eat #13. it’s fuckin’ nasty)
the hotter setter @tsumu_miya
STFU AND LEAVE MY TUNA MAYO WITH KETCHUP ALONE
HEY HEY HEEEYYYY @bo_koutarou
HELL YEAAAAAH @bo_keiji DID YOU SEE THE NEWS !! IM GOING TO BE PLAYING AGAINST MY FRIENDS !! THIS IS A W E S O M E KEIJI !! THEY’RE THE BEST !! I CAN’T WAIT !!
deadlines looming. send help. @bo_keiji
I see. I’m happy for you, Koutarou :)
the hotter setter @tsumu_miya
and this is why no one can ever have a feud with bokkun. literally who’s evil enough ?
k. @tsukishima_k
🙋
HEY HEY HEEEYYYY @bo_koutarou
TSUKKKKKKKKKKKKKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII !!!!
k. @tsukishima_k
nvm i take it back. im leaving
The couple continued to read through the reactions and news articles about the upcoming match. They had to admit, Kuroo was good at his job. The match was not a promotional match, it was a match that was going to happen anyway because they were both in the VLeagues, Kuroo just managed to gather traction for it.
Shouyou noticed that the man must have contacted their mutual friends that were business owners for promotions and collaborations. There were tweets from Kenma’s company, Asahi’s brand and even Kita’s rice company announcing that they were putting something out for the match or selling goods at the venue itself.
In the midst of everything, Shouyou noticed that Tobio was bookmarking a few tweets and TikTok videos he had come across.
“Whatcha savin’ there, Tobio?”
“People saying that we hate each other’s guts.”
“What?! Why?!”
“I want to check their pages to see their reactions to our engagement one day. It’s going to be entertaining, don’t you think so?”
Tobio said everything so nonchalantly while Shouyou was still reeling back from his fiancé’s pettiness. He knew letting Tobio and Kei grow closer over the years was a bad idea. Though, Shouyou was more taken aback that Tobio wanted to go public with their relationship. He had always assumed the setter wanted to keep things between themselves.
When Shouyou voiced out the thought, Tobio put down the phone to turn and look at him with a surprised look. He had always assumed that the two of them were going to announce it at some point, they simply have not gotten to it.
“Honestly, I thought you’d be uncomfortable with announcing it…” Shouyou admitted and smoothed down Tobio’s eyebrows. The man was frowning too much, Shouyou was worried his face would stay that way.
“Why would I ever be uncomfortable with it? You’re going to be my husband one day and I want people to know that.” Tobio declared with such an earnest look in his eye that made Shouyou blush.
Shouyou knew that Tobio was proud about their relationship and they equally simped over each other, but hearing Tobio refer to Shouyou as his future husband made the man feel all sorts of butterflies in his stomach.
It was embarrassing. Shouyou was a twenty-two year old man that still kicked his feet whenever his fiancé said anything remotely cute or romantic. He was glad that the general public did not have any pictures of videos of Shouyou doing that.
“You’re right. Let’s announce it after the game.”
“Alternatively, we can announce it at the game. We can kiss on the court after my team beats your ass.”
“Ooo~ That’s a nice idea– Wait!” Shouyou pulled back to look at Tobio properly. “What do you mean when your team beats my ass! I bet our team beats your ass so bad that we’re not going to need to play a fourth set.”
“Now that I think about it, maybe we won’t beat your ass.”
“Ha–!”
“– Because you need to be on the court for me to properly beat you. How’s the bench feel like, by the way?”
Shouyou yelled out and began to tackle a laughing Tobio down on their bed, reminding the setter that Shouyou just joined MSBY a few months ago. They both knew Tobio had no malice behind his words and Shouyou didn’t feel offended at all, but the setter did deserve to be suffocated by their pillow for being a brat so early in the morning.
They only stopped when Tobio winced from being tossed on his back. Shouyou realised he may have gotten a little too rough earlier that morning so he relented and stopped trying to snuff Tobio’s lights out with a pillow. Instead, they laid on their backs and watched the birds fly by their window.
“Should we post something?”
“Probably. What should we post?”
“How about a selfie?”
Shouyou turned to face Tobio, looked him up and down and raised an eyebrow. “Are you trying to start another controversy?”
“No.” Tobio reached out to poke the bruises on Shouyou’s neck and chest, knowing that the ones Shouyou left on him were significantly darker than the ones he could see on his fiancé. “But maybe a scandal would be fun.”
“You’re the worst.”
As it turned out, the two of them did cause a scandal. Not with the general public, but with Shouyou’s friends back in Brazil.
It had completely slipped Shouyou’s mind that his friends followed him on Twitter, which meant that they had been reading back-and-forth tweets between him and Tobio.
Since the match announcement over a month ago, Shouyou and Tobio have gotten more brazen with their tweets. They liked to attribute it to the rest of their team joining in the rivalry, with Atsumu making TikToks and Hoshiumi taking things to Instagram.
They failed to update Sofia and the others that they were simply flirting. Just because they claimed that they wanted to ‘cut each other’s balls off’ did not mean they wanted to actually dismember the other. It was just another way for them to show their passion for each other.
So, when the couple finally hopped on a video call with Shouyou and his friends, they were immediately bombarded by questions and concerns. It was the one time Tobio was glad he was not fluent in Portuguese, but he still managed to understand a few basic phrases.
While Shouyou tried to tame his friends down and let them know that, no , they did not break up, Tobio noticed a certain person missing from the couch on the other side of the screen.
“Where’s Ana?” Tobio spoke up for the first time since the call started, causing the others to stop and stare. From what Tobio had gathered, they didn’t expect to see him beside Shouyou since they had assumed the two were fighting. Tobio repeated the question in Portuguese since he realised he asked it out in Japanese.
“She’s in the other room. Do you want to see her?”
Tobio nodded and Sofia walked off the frame with her phone in her hand. A few seconds later, Tobio received a FaceTime call from Sofia’s number. The woman had set her phone up in Ana’s room before returning back to the couch.
“I’m going to talk to her in the bedroom so she doesn’t hear you try to explain your way out of this. Good luck.” Tobio gave Shouyou a quick peck on the lips before dashing into their bedroom. Shouyou yelled out and accused Tobio of being a coward by leaving Shouyou all alone to clean up their mess but Tobio remained inside the room.
On the other side of the screen, Ana was laying on her front and drawing something in a sketchbook Shouyou had gotten for her birthday. He was surprised to see that she was using sharp pencils instead of crayons then he remembered that Ana was six now.
Tobio could not believe that it’s only been less than three years since they met Ana. Yet, she’s grown so much since their first call. She no longer wobbled when she ran or needed crayons because they were blunt. Tobio knew that children grew up fast but it was still perplexing to actually see it.
“Hi, Tobio! I missed you!” Ana exclaimed in Japanese. It was one of the few phrases she perfected after saying it multiple times.
“Hey kiddo. How was school?”
“Boring. They made us do maths.”
“That’s stupid– Ah, uh… Dumb. That’s dumb.” Tobio knocked himself on the head. Ana already knew every variation of ‘dumbass’ because of him and Sofia had virtually kicked his ass for it. He was not trying to get in trouble for the nth time. “It doesn’t matter. Your grades don’t define you.”
“My… what?” Ana tilted her head in confusion and Tobio tried to clarify in broken Portuguese. Neither he nor Ana were exactly fluent in each other’s languages, but he was glad they were able to communicate in simple sentences now. “Oh! I’m not worried about my grades!”
“You’re not? I thought you don’t like maths.”
“I don’t. I’m the best in my class for maths and science but I don’t like it. Numbers are boring.”
Tobio chuckled and told the little girl that he was proud of her for doing well in school. All of them knew Ana was smarter than the average six year old, but it still impressed him whenever she did something he considered remarkable.
Like the one time Shouyou choked on his lunch and Ana punched him in the gut because she couldn’t wrap her arms around him to perform the Heimlich Maneuver . Tobio could not even pronounce that word and yet Ana said it so effortlessly.
As Ana continued to tell him more about her day, Tobio started to wonder when did he grow so attached to the little one. He couldn’t tell if it was because of the multiple videos Shouyou had sent him of Ana trying out volleyball, or if it was because she was trying to learn a whole new language just to talk to him.
Either way, Tobio couldn’t wait for the day he and Shouyou would visit Brazil and he could finally meet the rest of Shouyou’s friends. After all, Tobio had to teach Ana how to set. It was simply criminal seeing Shouyou teach her. He wasn’t bad at it, Tobio just felt like it was something he should be doing instead.
“Tobio? Tooobioooo? Dumbass!”
Tobio snapped out of his thoughts with a frown and gave Ana a disapproving look. Her face was really close to the camera but she moved back when she realised she had gotten his attention.
“You’re not supposed to say that word, Ana.”
“You weren’t paying attention to me! Mama always notices me whenever I say it, so I figured it would work on you too!”
So that was why Tobio would randomly get messages from Sofia cussing him out for teaching her daughter Japanese swear words. He really thought she was just sending those as a way to talk to him more.
Tobio needed to get a swear jar.
“I’m sorry. What were you saying?”
“I wanted to know how Shouyou’s doing! He always says he’s fine when we text but I want to know if he really is fine. He used to say it all the time but when he thinks I’m not looking, he’ll get all sad and stare at his phone screen because he missed you guys. So, I want to know if he’s actually happy again!”
Ana was so precious. She reminded Tobio of Natsu and suddenly everything made more sense. Tobio grew fond of Natsu because she was like a mini-Shouyou, so it was inevitable for him to grow fond of Ana for the same reasons.
Though there was one very big difference between Natsu and Ana that Tobio couldn’t help but notice; Ana had to grow up pretty fast. Sofia tried to make the most out of Ana’s childhood, but Tobio could tell Ana had things on her mind that six year olds should never have to think about.
Maybe that was another reason he found himself wanting to be there for her more. He understood what it felt to be a child and cope with stressors that they should never have to deal with. There were moments during Sofia’s treatment where Ana did not have the energy to play with Shouyou so she would sit in silence in front of the laptop and play with her lego blocks.
Tobio hated how he could see the heaviness in her eyes during those days. It was the look he used to wear all the time. Tobio knew he couldn’t do much about the situation her family was in, but he wanted to try and help her cope better. He wanted to make sure she would never feel as broken as he did.
Like Shouyou and Sofia, Ana was a ball of sunshine and Tobio wanted to make sure her light never dimmed.
“He’s doing well here. He misses you a lot.”
“I miss him too! When are you coming to Brazil, Tobiooo!”
“Hm…” Tobio looked off to the side and pondered. Him and Shouyou had already been planning to go on a vacation with Kei, Tadashi and Hitoka after they graduated. They didn’t talk about the specifics but Tobio knew that they would love to go to Brazil for their trip. “How about next year?”
“That soon?! That’s awesome! You should come here before Mama’s surgery because the doctor said she needed to rest loads and loads after it!”
Tobio sucked in a breath at the sudden news.
“Surgery?”
“Yeah! Mama said it’s supposed to make her all better!”
The setter took a moment to watch how Ana talked about the surgery. She looked enthusiastic for it, like it was something she had been waiting for.
Tobio knew that Sofia’s condition had improved after all the chemotherapy so he didn’t understand why Sofia needed an operation. Especially since he thought that Sofia’s condition was inoperable.
However, Tobio knew that Sofia would never lie or sugar coat things to Ana. She had always been transparent with her daughter about her own health.
Taking everything into account, Tobio deduced that this should be good news. He really hoped he was right.
“We’ll talk to her and plan something out. Do you want to be our tour guide?”
Ana’s eyes sparkled and she started to go on and on about all the cool places she would love to take them to. Tobio had a feeling they were not going to be able to check out all of the places she listed out (which included her own classroom), but he listened to her anyway.
The little girl even brought up some activities she wanted to do with them. Like him and Shouyou, Ana enjoyed playing verious sports except she had not decided which one she liked more. Though, she had recently been into soccer and something called footvolley .
“Footvolley?”
“Shouyou didn’t tell you about footvolley? I thought he sent you a ball?”
Tobio vaguely remembered receiving a ball in the mail one day but it came with a note that they could only use it after Shouyou played in his first match. Something about not wanting to show Tobio his new skills.
“He did, but we’ve been too busy preparing for our matches to play.”
“Oo~! Mama told me about that! Everyone’s coming over to our house to watch it, I’m so excited!”
“Really? Who are you supporting?”
“Huh?” Ana looked up at Tobio and tilted her head to the side.
Teasing was something Tobio had only recently allowed himself to try out. He used to avoid it when talking to children because he was worried that they would take it literally and cry. But he knew Ana understood him, so he let himself stop worrying about his tone around her.
“I’m playing against Shouyou and we won’t be on the same team. So, who do you think you’re going to cheer for?”
“Oh! That’s a silly question, Tobio!” Ana giggled and turned around to grab the sketchbook she was drawing on earlier. After she flipped back to the page she was on, she moved closer to the camera and showed Tobio what she had made. “I’m going to support the both of you, of course! You’re family!”
On the white pages was a drawing of them on a beach. Ana and Sofia were building sandcastles under an umbrella, Tobio, Shouyou and Heitor were playing beach volleyball and Pedro was drinking a bottle of beer with Nice.
On the top of the page, Ana had titled the drawing as ‘minha família <3’ .
It took every ounce of self control for Tobio to stop his eyes from tearing up. He did not want to cry in front of Ana when the girl was worried enough about Shouyou being sad, and he did not want Shouyou to walk into the room and see him in tears.
Instead, Tobio smiled and clapped his hands in awe. It was a little awkward, he admitted, but he was used to reaching out and messing up Shouyou or Natsu’s hair when they did something impressive. Since he couldn’t do that to Ana, he still felt the need to physically express his feelings on the matter.
“That’s a beautiful drawing, Ana.”
“You think so? I’m going to make an even bigger one for your match with Shouyou!”
“I can’t wait, kiddo.”
Tobio was already excited for his first match against Shouyou since their first game in middle school. Being able to finally see what Shouyou learnt while he was away in Brazil made Tobio jittery with excitement for November to come.
Now, Tobio had another reason to be excited for the big day.
hoedown showdown (adlers & msby)
tobio my babygirl <3 :
i regret waking up today.
atsumu the ‘blonde’ :
WHATCHA MEAN BY THAT TOBIO-KUNNN
aren’t you thrilled to play against usss <3333
tobio my babygirl <3 :
im looking forward to the match
i was not looking forward to waking up and seeing my name go viral again
shouyou the ninja :
i was
sakusa the wrist man :
you’re just glad that your fiancé’s face is all over your feed
shouyou the ninja :
of course <33
he’s so pretty <33
wan-san the speedy puppy :
meanwhile hinata on twt
“bakayama looks like he’s constantly constipated”
shouyou the ninja :
and i think that’s a cute look on him !!
tobio my babygirl <3 :
is no one on my side here
ushiwaka the ex-roomie :
I am.
tobio my babygirl <3 :
and i appreciate you 👊
ushiwaka the ex-roomie: :
*fist*
tobio my babygirl <3 :
okay so emojis are still a work in progress
hoshiumi the tiny twin :
wakatoshi is like a boomer gen z
he’s spends hours on booktok and has a hydroflask, but he doesn’t use emojis and types in proper sentences
ushiwaka the ex-roomie :
I am an enigma /j.
hoshiumi the tiny twin :
AND TONE TAGS
i want to show this to the public so bad
tobio my babygirl <3 :
please do
maybe then ill stop getting tagged in all of atsumu’s twenty tweets about me
meian-san the captain-san :
if you’re getting uncomfortable with the tweets i can do something about it @kageyama
tobio my babygirl <3 :
oh no no it isn’t that
im just upset he did it before midnight and now i can’t respond because of kuroo-san’s ‘no posting on match day’ rule
atsumu the ‘blonde’ :
i gotta grab everyone’s attention ;)
sakusa the wrist man :
i believe we have grabbed enough attention
especially with this being hinata-kun debut match
shouyou the ninja :
speaking off !!
@oliver !!
how are you feeling ??
barnes the tol :
hyped up for today !!
you don’t need to worry about me, hinata !!
there are plenty more matches i can play in ;)
shouyou the ninja :
😭
romero the father (!!) :
My son and I are just so excited to see Ninja Shouyou in action!
hoshiumi the tiny twin :
YOUR SON
atsumu the ‘blonde’ :
YOUR SON
tomas the tank engine :
your son !! 😭😭😭
shouyou the ninja :
AAAAAAAAH RUBENS IS COMING ???!!!
YALL BACK OFF
IM HIS FAVORITE PLAYER
atsumu the ‘blonde’ :
DEBATABLE
romero the father (!!) :
not really 😅😅
ninja shouyou actually is his favorite player…
even over his own father…
ushiwaka the ex-roomie :
That is tragic. My condolences.
romero the father (!!) :
thank you 😭
hirugami the captain-in-law :
Where are all of you guys?
Why do I only see Sakusa and Ushijima here?
The match starts in 15 minutes?????
atsumu the ‘blonde’ :
OH SHIT
WE’RE IN THE CHANGING ROOM
SORRY I WAS ON TWITTER
sakusa the wrist man :
i thought we aren’t allowed to post anything, miya
atsumu the ‘blonde’ :
not unless we have a secret stan acc ;)
meian-san the captain-san :
excuse me
atsumu the ‘blonde’ :
SHOUYOU-KUN HAS ONE TOO
shouyou the ninja :
yea but all i do is retweet tobio edits
tobio my babygirl <3 :
<3
shouyou the ninja :
<3
bokuto the coolest guy ever !! :
AWHH THEYRE FLIRTING AGAINNNN
let me add keiji in here
PLEASE
meian-san the captain-san :
if you guys win, i will consider that
bokuto the coolest guy ever !! :
HELL YEAHHHHHH
LET’S WIN THISSSS
shouyou the ninja :
wait, bokuto-san
where were you?
i thought you left to head to the court with sakusa-san and ushiwaka?
bokuto the coolest guy ever !! :
oh !!
keiji and the family we’re adopting from were in the stands so i wanted to say hi before the game !!
shouyou the ninja :
HOLD ON A MINUTE
atsumu the ‘blonde’ :
DID I MISS A CHAPTER ??????
romero the father (!!) :
i don’t… think so… ??
this is news to me as well
then again, im not on your team so…
tomas the tank engine :
no no
this is very much news to us too
sakusa the wrist man :
this was a bomb to drop right before our match, bokuto-san
bokuto the coolest guy ever !! :
ill be honest
i really thought i told you guys about this already
i see now that i am mistaken
atsumu the ‘blonde’ :
“i cant wait til keiji and i have a kid” and “we’re already thinking of baby names!” is not the same as “we’re in the process of adoption!”
bokuto the coolest guy ever !! :
you know
you make a very good point there tsumu
shouyou the ninja :
im in tears
his name is going to be shouyou, right?
bokuto the coolest guy ever !! :
she’s a girl !!
atsumu the ‘blonde’ :
IM CRYING 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
hirugami the captain-in-law :
Seven minutes…
hoshiumi the tiny twin :
COMING OUT NOW CAPT !!
(im gay)
(sorry i couldn’t help myself)
hirugami the captain-in-law :
You’re dating my brother so I really hope you are.
Also
Congratulations, Bokuto-kun. You’re going to be a great father.
bokuto the coolest guy ever !! :
and keiji is going to be the best father !!
shouyou the ninja :
IM IN MORE TEARS
WHEN WILL IT BE MY TURNNNN
tobio my babygirl <3 :
keep ANY of your plants alive and then we’ll talk
shouyou the ninja :
😞
hirugami the captain-in-law :
Six.
tobio my babygirl <3 :
running out now
Shouyou, along with the rest of their teammates, tossed their phones into their lockers and booked it out of the changing room. He was glad that talking to everyone had managed to calm his jitters down.
Since Shouyou woke up, he had been hopping in place to shake off the excess energy. Tobio couldn’t stop him, not with his constant battle keeping his smile down the whole day.
During breakfast, Sofia had sent them a picture of everyone back in Brazil preparing food for their big night. In the picture, Ana was holding up a huge poster of Shouyou and Tobio sitting on a volleyball net with Sofia and the rest of Shouyou’s friends cheering in the background. The words ‘We love you!’ written behind them.
Tobio had been inconsolable the entire ride to the arena.
Thankfully the pre-match interview and socialisation helped the two of them calm down and focus up for the game.
This was the match. The moment they have been waiting for since they were 15.
After years of hard work and making a name for themselves, both on their own and as a duo, they finally were about to go against each other for the first time since middle school.
They knew that everyone was watching them. Their middle school teammates, their Karasuno family, their high school opponents, their relatives, their friends and every mentor they ever had. Including Kazuyo. Each and every one of them were about to witness Shouyou and Tobio finally reach the top, together .
Everyone’s eyes were on the duo. After all, they were about to make history.
“Hey, Tobi.”
“Yeah, Shou?”
“I’m here.” Shouyou stopped walking and Tobio realised they were standing on MSBY’s side of the court. The stadium lights were angled right behind Shouyou, making him glow and stand out amongst everyone else. It was as though he was demanding Tobio’s attention to be focused on him, like the greatest decoy he was.
“You’re here.” Tobio smirked and took a step forward, mindful of the crowd watching them. “Took you long enough.”
“Yeah? Well, I took a detour.”
“Mhm. Ready to show me what that detour did to you?”
“Hell yeah.”