Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Niichan’s taking such a long time,” Natsu complained, swinging her legs back and forth. She sat at the usual bench, watching kids run around on the playground. “He promised to pick me up early today, too...” she pouted, standing up on the bench. She gazed off into the distance, squinting to see if her brother was closeby. After doing a 360 spin, she sat back down with a small ‘harumph.’

“Tobio!” A loud shout made her look in the direction of a distressed woman. Black lines stained her face, and she was flailing her arms as if she were a bird.

“She looks like a crow,” Natsu muttered, watching as the woman ran around, trying to ask people something. Everyone in the park ignored her presence, almost as if she didn’t exist. Why doesn’t anyone help the poor woman? Natsu had been taught by her brother that she shouldn’t talk to strangers, but if someone needed your help, you could take them to the nearest police station. I don’t know where the nearest police station is...

Her thoughts were interrupted by a trembling figure sitting on the other edge of the bench. She glanced over at him and her eyes widened when she saw a cut on his chest. Her first instincts were to run to another person and ask for a first aid kit, but something stopped her. Maybe it was the ever-present scowl that contrasted greatly with his shaking body, or the familiar black jacket tied around the boy’s waist-

Wait, that looks like Nii-chan’s jacket! Natsu instinctively scooted closer, trying to see the embroidered kanji. Even though she couldn’t read it yet, she knew what the school’s name looked like.

“Karasuno!” she exclaimed, hugging the boy’s torso. She checked to make sure she avoided his injury before looking up at him with a bright smile.

“Um...” the boy was internally panicking on what to do. Who is this girl? He tried to push her away, but winced when he twisted his body. Damn it, I need to run away!

“Tobio!”

The boy froze when he heard the voice again. He untied his jacket from his waist, cursing when he remembered it didn’t have a hood. Aughhh, screw it! He wasn’t thinking in his right mind when he pulled the jacket over his face, effectively covering his whole head. If she’s gonna find me, then I’d rather not see her face anyways.

“Oniisan, are you playing hide-and-seek?” Natsu asked, shifting even closer to the boy next to her.

Kageyama nodded, before he realized she couldn’t see his head. He muttered a quick “yeah,” then flinched when he heard loud footsteps coming closer and closer... Shit, shit, shit, she found me...!

Kageyama jolted when a small weight landed on his lap. What-

“Hello princess, have you seen a tall boy walking around here?” the sickeningly sweet voice spoke from right in front of him.

“Mhm, there’s been so many tall boys!” Natsu answered excitedly.

“Oh, have you seen one with black hair and blue eyes?”

“Black hair and blue eyes?” Natsu tilted her head to the side in confusion.

“You haven’t...” the voice trailed off with a hint of disappointment. “I’ll be searching some more then...”

“Oh yeah! I saw a boy like that!”

Natsu felt like she was on one of those massage chairs at how much the boy was shaking. The woman immediately perked up, but it wasn’t because of excitement. Natsu held back a shiver when she felt a wave of malicious intent flow from the woman.

“He was running in that direction!” Natsu answered innocently, pointing in a random direction.

“Hmph, that boy, is he trying to hide in plain sight?” the woman muttered, then gave the girl in front of her a twisted smile. Natsu forced a smile back.

The boy’s body gradually stopped shaking as the footsteps grew quieter.

“She’s gone,” Natsu muttered, trying to scoot off of the boy’s lap. She jolted when she felt an arm wrap around her stomach.

“Oh, sorry, you’re really warm and-”

He was cut off by two small hands wrapping around his wrist. “You have battle scars, too,” Natsu whispered, rubbing at the white lines criss-crossing across his arm.

Crap, I washed off the foundation! She’s gonna freak out and-!

He was interrupted again, this time by short arms wrapping around his middle. “My brother told me to hug any person with battle scars, since they’ve been through a lot,” she explained, loosening her hold when she felt the taller boy stiffen.

“I-” Kageyama wasn’t one to cry, but he was having a hard time keeping his tears at bay. This kid looks like she’s six and she knows what these scars are from? He finally shrugged off his jacket and looked down to see the girl with a blazing smile. No, I don’t think she understands my scars. But she understands my feelings.
He tightened his arm around her, reveling in her comforting presence.

“Oniisan, what’s your name?” she asked, peeking up at the other boy’s face. The boy’s eyes flickered around like he was surveying the area. “Haha, you don’t have to tell me, I can just call you oniisan!” Natsu exclaimed.

“What’s your name?” the boy asked, giving her a tiny smile.

“Sorry, but I can’t tell you my name. Niichan told me not to give my name out to strangers,” Natsu realized a little too late.

“And you asked me for mine?”

“Aren’t you an adult?”

“No, I’m only 15 years old,” he admitted sheepishly.

“Wow, that’s how old my brother is!” she exclaimed.

“You’re okay with talking about your brother, but not yourself?” he held back a snicker.

“He never told me I can’t talk about other people!” Natsu yelled, putting her hands on her hips. He let out a small snort, which devolved into soft chuckles. It’s so refreshing how honest this girl is. Almost reminds me of someone...

“Oh, niichan’s here!” Natsu’s back straightened when she spotted a familiar figure in the park. “I have to go now!” she yelled, softly grabbing the boy’s hand. She squeaked as the taller one picked her up by the waist, but giggled when she was gently set back on the ground. “I’ll see you again, oniisan!” she exclaimed, before running off in a random direction.

He knew he should make sure she got home safely after she potentially saved his life, but he was too exhausted to see where she had gone. He sighed, sinking lower into the bench.

Where can I go today?' He checked his phone and groaned when he saw the time. It’s only two o’clock; I’m gonna be hungry later... I think I might have a few hundred yen on me. He rummaged through his pocket and found a crumpled ten thousand yen bill at the bottom. Even better.

A small smile blossomed on his face, before it was overtaken by his usual scowl. Ugghhh, that girl’s happiness is contagious. Oh shit, I forgot to thank her! His scowl deepened until he let out a soft sigh. She did say we’d meet again though. I wonder why...? The odd feeling of her aura being familiar was not lost to Kageyama as he continued to wonder about today’s fateful meeting and what was to come afterwards.

Chapter Text

“Niichan, where are you going?” Natsu asked, watching as her brother put on his jacket.

“I’m going to the conbini!” he exclaimed, hastily putting his shoes on.

“Ooh, I want to go too!!!” she shouted, jumping up and down excitedly.

“Okay, then get your coat! And make sure to tell mom you’re coming with me, too!” Shōyō yelled, smiling at how enthusiastic his sister was. It wasn’t unusual for Natsu to want to come with him on a trip to the store, and it usually ended with him secretly buying her a little candy, but his mom doesn’t need to know that...

“Mom said to have fun!!!” Natsu exclaimed, strapping on her shoes. She had donned a jacket and a scarf, most likely done by their mom since it was tied so neatly. Shōyō gave her another smile before grabbing her hand and leading her toward their destination.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oniisama.”

Shōyō turned toward the familiar voice with a confused smile. “Um, Natsu?”

“Can I get this chocolate? My friends said it tastes really good!!!” she pleaded, handing him a decently sized tin box and a handful of coins. “I saved up some of my allowance!” She beamed up at her brother, waiting impatiently for him to take what she was offering.

“Uh, where did you hear oniisama from?” Shōyō changed the subject, unconsciously taking the chocolate box and putting it in the shopping basket. He pushed the hand holding money back to her chest, letting a small smile bloom on his face.

“The girl in the drama called her older brother oniisama,” she replied shyly. “Is that not what I’m supposed to call you?”

“I’m more used to oniichan,” her brother muttered, hiding his blush behind one hand while patting her head. “And you should save your allowance for something more important.”

“This is important!” she huffed, crossing her arms childishly. Shōyō’s eyes widened, but he chuckled at her antics. I used to think chocolate was really important too when I was younger. He moved his hand down from her head to grab her hand. “I think we got everything.”

“Did you buy dad’s gum?”

“Oh yeah! Thanks for reminding me!” Shōyō thanked, leading her over to the gum section. He picked up his dad’s favorite brand, then quickly strode over to the cash register.

“Is this all for today?” The nice cashier lady asked, smiling at the two.

“Yes!” the siblings exclaimed in unison. The cashier’s smile brightened as she watched the two share a knowing smile with each other.  

“Thank you for shopping here!” The cashier called as the siblings walked out of the store.

 ~~~~~~~~~~

“We’re home!” Shōyō called as they took off their shoes. Natsu easily shook her shoes off, letting her brother line them up on the side.

“Did you remember to buy my gum this time?” their dad teased.

“Yeah!” she exclaimed, jumping into her dad’s arms. She sat on his lap, grinning at how high she was. She could see the whole room at this height!

“Natsu reminded me again,” Shōyō admitted, handing the gum to his dad. The older man quickly took a piece of gum and popped it in his mouth.

“Ken, I told you not to eat before dinner!” their mom scolded. She wiped her hands with a towel before putting them on her hips. “You need to set a good example for the kids!”

“He’s helping us know what not to do,” Shōyō muttered, joining Natsu in her fit of giggles. Her dad tightened his arm around her waist, also letting a few chuckles out. Their mom watched on with a warm smile, mixing the curry while keeping an eye on the frying pan full of sunny-side up eggs. 

~Meanwhile, at Kageyama’s house~

“Where have you been?”

Kageyama shivered at the cold voice. Damn it. I thought she wouldn’t hear me. He’d tried his best to sneak in without her noticing, but that obviously didn’t work out. His eyes instinctively searched for something he could protect himself with.

“Are you looking for this?”

A soft whine echoed throughout the room. Kageyama’s whole body froze at the pained sound. No, she couldn’t have... Please, not him!

Suddenly, the lights flicked on. Kageyama squinted to try to see in front of him, but was hit with a projectile to the face. He grunted and stumbled back, one hand outstretched while the other helped to break his fall. His arm in front managed to catch what was thrown at him as the arm behind him slammed against the wall.

“Nice to have a son who’s so athletic,” she stated sarcastically.

Kageyama hugged his only comfort to his chest, trying to calm him down. Ringo continued to wriggle in his arms, trying to convey his need to get the hell out of there . “I know, Ringo, I know. We’ll get out in-”

He was interrupted by another projectile which he somehow managed to dodge. But it shattered right above his head, and he winced as the glass shards fell all around him.

“Put that dog down and face your punishment like a man,” his mom sang, wobbling toward him.

Her eyes held a dangerous light, and Kageyama knew she’d been drinking most of the day. He quickly checked for any injuries before setting Ringo down. “Go back to ojiisan and obaasan’s house,” he whispered, petting his head. His dog whined, pushing his hand away in order to curl around his leg. “Please Ringo, I don’t want you to-”

“Are you really going to disobey your mother?” his mom cackled, picking up another empty beer bottle. “Or is that dog more important than me?” she started sobbing dramatically, while pounding the bottle on the table in front of her.

“Ringo, you need to go,” Kageyama pushed him away. “30 minutes,” he whispered, grabbing one of Ringo’s paws. As soon as he let go, the puppy ran out of the house, barking along the way.

“Now that she’s-”

“Ringo is a boy!” Kageyama shouted angrily. He didn’t regret his action even when he saw his mom standing right in front of him with a ruler in hand.

“Oh really? Hmmm, you ever been scolded at school?”

“No...?” Kageyama forced himself to stop shaking, but he was having a hard time staying upright after seeing the evil smirk cut across his mom’s face.

“Well, there’s a first for everything,” she snickered, smacking the ruler into her palm. “Are teachers being lazy these days? Sheesh!”

‘Snap!’ Kageyama gritted his teeth at the sharp sensation of plastic meeting his already scarred arms. ‘Slap! Crack! Snap!’ He held back a scream as his knees buckled from under him.

“You insolent little brat! How dare you disobey your mother!”

‘Snap! Slap! Kabloosh!’ His arms instinctively went up to cover his head and he knew wine wasn’t the only thing dripping down his face.

“Awww, I accidentally hit your pretty face,” she snickered, pulling him up by his collar. “You know, you used to look so much like me, but now you’re spiting me by looking just like your father.” Kageyama froze at the mention of his dad. “He had that same angry face, but his smiles were worth waiting for,” his mom’s voice took an unusually soft tone.

“Hrngh.” But the nostalgia was short-lived. “Urgghhh.” He flinched when the cut on his lower abdomen was hit. 

“Ready to reveal why you kept that dog hidden from me?” she asked, letting go of his collar. His head hit the wall with a loud smack, which was followed by a low groan. “I would have said yes if you asked,” she muttered, grabbing the top of his head. He winced when he felt her fingers digging into the cut on his forehead. “We’re mother and son, right? There should be no secrets between us.” She pulled his head forward a bit before letting go again. This time, he secretly had his hand positioned to slow down his impact.

“Oh, I saw that~”

Damn it. He’d forgotten his mom was a rather coherent drunk. The only adverse effects of alcohol were her significantly amplified symptoms of depression and bipolar disorder, as well as her slightly impaired walking.

“You need to be punished for being such a bad boy, Tobio~”

I’m gonna die. It wasn’t the first time Kageyama thought that. And he knew it wouldn’t be his last. But I didn’t get to thank her yet... He felt a little of his life force return as he remembered the tiny ball of sunshine that had helped him last Saturday. He gave his mom a challenging glare. I’m not gonna give up yet.

~Back at the Hinata household~

“Natsu, can I have some of your chocolate?” Shōyō asked, walking into her room without knocking.

“No, I’m still sorting them out!” she replied, quickly kicking something under her bed. Shōyō was too focused on the chocolates littered on her desk to notice.

“Aren’t they all the same flavor?”

“No! This one’s strawberry; this one’s banana! I think this is almond?” she tilted her head to the side while sliding the chocolates into different piles.

“Why do you need to sort them?”

“I don’t like the almond ones! You can have all of them!” she chirped, giving a handful of chocolates to her brother. He beamed, putting both hands out to receive them.

“Thanks! Can I have a strawberry one too?”

“But those are my favorite...” she pouted, but she was already reaching for a strawberry-shaped chocolate. She topped the pile off with the requested candy, giggling when her brother’s smile brightened.

“Woohoo!” he ran back out with his hands full of candy.

Thanks Niichan. She smiled as she retrieved what she had hidden under her bed. She shook the dust bunnies off of the tin box before taking off the lid. I can’t believe I forgot to treat his cut last time. She peered in to see antiseptic spray, salon pases, bandaids, cotton balls, and other supplies that she’d seen in first aid kits while watching TV shows with her brother. I’ll make sure to treat him when we next meet!!! She carefully closed the lid and put it in the front pocket of her backpack. 

Chapter Text

It was on accident! Yamaguchi repeated over and over in his head. I shouldn’t have seen... I didn’t mean to! I really didn’t!

“Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima broke the pinch server out of his thoughts. The shorter boy turned to see his childhood friend giving him an annoyed look.

“Oh, sorry, Tsukki!” He realized he was standing in the gym doorway and jumped out of the way, but he immediately went back to thinking. I didn’t see wrong, did I? He... he had cuts along his arm. And those weren’t ordinary cuts...

“Yamaguchi-kun, are you okay?” Suga asked worriedly while he stretched his arms above his head.

“Y-Yes!” the pinch server replied, running over to his senpai. He copied the other’s movements, trying desperately to calm himself down.

“Are you sure?” Suga still sounded worried, but he was interrupted by the captain’s loud shout.

“Everyone, gather around! Takeda-sensei has some news for us!!!”

He followed everyone to gather in front of his Sensei, but he wasn’t listening to what he said. And he didn’t notice the subtle glances Tsukishima was giving him either.

Should I tell someone? Who should I tell? What should I tell them? Yamaguchi glanced around the room, thinking about who the best person to tell would be. If I tell Daichi-san or Suga-san they’ll immediately want to talk to Kageyama for sure... And that’s bound to backfire...

Tsukki! In his moment of panic, Yamaguchi wasn’t thinking too clearly. “Tsukki!” he called out for his childhood friend.

“What?”

Yamaguchi held back a shudder. His friend usually wasn’t this irritated, but things hadn’t been going too well between them. The pinch server was spending more and more time playing volleyball, while the tall middle blocker seemed to be straying from the sport. It wasn’t unimaginable to think Tsukishima wouldn’t want to talk to him.

“Nothing,” Yamaguchi muttered. He missed the hint of worry in Tsukishima’s eyes as he returned his attention to their teacher.

~After practice~

“Have you seen Kageyama’s arms?”

“Yeah, they’re really buff?” Yachi replied with a question, tilting her head to the side. Ohmygosh, is he falling in love with Kageyama-kun? There’s no way I wouldn’t support him, but I'm pretty sure-

“I know they are, but have you seen the underside of his arms?”

“No...?”

“Oh. It’s okay then.” Yamaguchi slowly lost his courage and realized belatedly that maybe Kageyama doesn’t want anyone to find out?

“Is something wrong with Kageyama-kun?”

Yamaguchi had forgotten how perceptive Yachi was, and how worried she could get, especially when it came to the volleyball club players. He sighed, trying to regain his courage while sorting his thoughts.

“I think Kageyama’s being bullied,” the pinch server answered, peeking at Yachi’s face. The first-year manager’s face morphed from surprise, to fear, to masked fury. Yamaguchi was shocked by the angry waves flowing from the usually lively girl, but he could understand why she reacted that way.

“Do you know who? Is it someone from our grade?” Yachi asked, stepping closer.

“I’m not sure yet, but I’m thinking of investigating a bit more,” Yamaguchi muttered, also stepping in closer. “Kageyama’s the type to hide his emotions, so we need to make sure to protect him before something really bad happens,” the pinch server shuddered, forcing his own past shadows out of his mind.

“Yeah.” Yachi looked like she was doing the same thing.

“But I was wondering… Who else should we tell?”

“Who else can we tell?” Yachi rephrased the question, drifting off at the end. “If we tell Daichi-san and Suga-san, they’ll want to talk to Kageyama about it right away and knowing from experience, that might not end well,” she whispered. Yamaguchi smiled sadly, nodding his agreement. They met eyes and a look of mutual understanding passed between them. We can’t have him going through what we went through.

“How about Ennoshita-senpai?” Yamaguchi broke the comfortable silence.

“Oh! He would be perfect!” Yachi exclaimed.

“Who?”

The two jolted when a rather annoyed voice interrupted their hushed conversation.

“Tsukki! We were just talking about who would be the perfect person to talk about movie filming with!” Yamaguchi made up an excuse on the spot. “I’m having trouble with my history video, so I was going to ask him for help!”

Tsukishima’s face contorted into a weird mix of annoyance and anger, before immediately changing back into his usual deadpan face. “Whatever.” He walked away, leaving the two to themselves again.

“When should we talk to him? Do you think today would be too early?”

“I don’t think there’s an early or late for these types of things. And the longer we wait, the worse it could get…” Yachi muttered.

“Is Ennoshita-senpai still here?” Yamaguchi asked, looking around the gym. He frowned when he didn’t see his senpai, and his expression turned nervous when he saw Kageyama and Hinata still practicing.

“I don’t think so,” Yachi lowered her voice, letting out a soft sigh. “Maybe we should wait a week and have a clearer idea of what to tell Ennoshita-senpai?” she suggested, fidgeting nervously. “I don’t want to go into this blindly.”

They met eyes again, nodding to each other. Taking action too late is meaningless, but rushing can be even more dangerous.

Yamaguchi turned just in time to see Hinata hit a spike off of Kageyama’s pin-point toss. He let a small smile bloom on his face when the ball slammed down on the other side of the court. “Yeah. Everything will be alright.”

~At the Yamaguchi household~

Yamaguchi flopped face first onto his bed, groaning into his pillow. He hadn’t been able to focus at all during his serve practice with Shimada-san, and he finally let the full force of guilt crash down on him.  

I should’ve known this would happen. I should have canceled our serve practice. Yamaguchi buried his head further into the pillow.

But can I really afford to waste a day? I need to catch up to everyone; skipping a day will only make me fall behind more. And even if it’s selfish, I need to think about myself first before worrying about others. If I don’t have my life together, then-

I wonder if Yachi-chan is okay. He blindly felt for his bag and pulled it toward him. He found his phone in the front pocket and rolled over to his side, checking if he got any messages.

“No messages...” he trailed off, rolling over so he was facing the ceiling. Knowing her, she’s probably stressing about this all by herself. Yamaguchi gently placed his phone on his side table and put an arm over his eyes. He let out a small huff, smiling gently. And here I go again, worrying about others before myself.

“Tadashi, dinner’s ready!” His mom’s voice drifted from downstairs.

“I’m coming!” Yamaguchi rose from his bed, closing his eyes when a bout of dizziness struck him. Ahhh, thinking about this is making me more tired. I’ll worry about this tomorrow. He hurried down the stairs, breathing in the savory scent of his mom’s homemade spaghetti.

~At the Yachi Household~

Yachi ran her fingers through her hair, biting the end of her pen. She really needed to finish her homework, but the same thoughts were spinning through her head. Kageyama-kun has scars on his arms? From what? Yamaguchi-kun jumped on the assumption that he’s being bullied, but what if it’s from something else?

Should I text Yamaguchi-kun about this? She reached toward her phone, but stopped halfway. I don’t want to stress him out more than he needs to. And I feel like he’d feel guilty if he thinks he made me stressed out by talking to me about it...

“Hitoka, are you done with your homework?” Her mom stood in the doorway with her arms crossed.

Her daughter swiftly turned around with a forced smile on her face. “I’ll be done in an hour or so,” she smiled, remembering to take the pen out of her mouth.

Her mom gave her a pointed look before her expression softened. “I have an extra hour open today, so we can get your favorite tonkatsu if you want,” she smiled, walking in to ruffle the volleyball manager’s hair. Yachi beamed, feeling a burst of motivation.

“Yes!” she fist pumped, her eyes gleaming with determination. She let the nagging worry drift to the back of her mind, telling herself that stressing over it today wouldn’t do her any good. Tomorrow’s the day I join the fight. We’ll protect Kageyama-kun together!

~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey you!”

Yamaguchi ignored the loud shout from behind him, tightening his grip on the straps of his randoseru while slightly picking up his pace.

“Yo, freckle boy! Have you gone deaf?”

He was tempted to run, but he knew the bullying would only get worse if he did. Should I call out for a teacher or-

He didn’t realize he’d been kicked until his knees hit the ground, his hands quickly following. His bag fell off as he rolled to lessen the impact. He tried his best to jump up off the ground, but the bully didn’t retract his foot, letting it fall straight between Yamaguchi’s shoulder blades. Please don’t kill me. Please don’t kill me. Please don’t -

“Haven’t you been taught to listen to your elders?” the bully snickered, stomping harder. “And what’s this shit about being killed? I’m not going to kill you unless you really want me to.”

Yamaguchi realized too late that he’d been speaking his thoughts. He let out a soft squeak as the bully added his other foot, bouncing up and down on his toes.

“You know, if I put my whole weight down, I’m sure I could break your spine.”

Yamaguchi’s whole body shook; his limbs laid uselessly under him. He let out a soft sniffle. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die.

“You’ll just be paralyzed,” the bully explained, shifting his weight further down. “You won’t die... yet.”

Yamaguchi’s arms started twitching uncontrollably as he forced himself to concentrate on an escape plan. But it was hard with the increasing pressure on his back, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe.

“Crack.”

Yamaguchi broke down in loud gasps, tears streaming out of his eyes. He didn’t realize the sound wasn’t from his back until he heard a loud howl of laughter.

“Ahahaha, you’re such a cry-baby,” the boy laughed, finally stepping off of him. “It’d be better if you disappeared off the face of this earth.”

Yamaguchi heard soft crunches as the bully walked away. The freckled boy lay motionless, continuing to give sustenance to the grass around his face.

Can I do it? Can I really do it? Yamaguchi had always been a coward, but this took a whole different level of courage to go through with.

He stared at the shiny metal in front of him, already feeling guilty for stealing it from the kitchen. He turned it over in his hand, remembering how he’d promised his mom he wouldn’t touch them until he was old enough to cook for his family.

He shook his head, locking all thoughts of his family in the back of his mind. The fear returned, followed by the bully’s last words. It’d be better if you disappeared off the face of this earth. He tilted the blade enough so that his tearful reflection gazed back at him. His other hand drifted across his face, lightly scratching at the dots marring his cheeks. Disgusting. Abominable. Dirty. Unhuman. Repulsive. If Yamaguchi were in a different situation, he would be amazed by the bully’s advanced vocabulary. But the reality was, he didn’t have the capacity to think positively anymore.

I can do it. He tilted the edge, forcing his trembling right hand to drift closer to his other arm. I can do it. The blade shifted even closer, ghosting over his unmarked skin. I will do it. He felt a slight sting in his arm and smiled when he saw a stream of dark red slowly run down, dripping off his elbow. I did it.

Yamaguchi gasped awake, grabbing his left arm. He let his fingers drift over it and choked back tears. It was all a nightmare. I didn’t do it. I couldn’t do it. His twitching fingers fumbled for his phone and he hissed in irritation when his phone fell off the table. He somehow managed to roll off his bed without making too much noise and felt an ominous force weigh him down along with the growing pain in his shoulder.

Why? The dreaded question repeated in his head. He'd always asked himself why. Why am I still alive? Why couldn't I finish it off? Why couldn't I do it? Why am I so weak? Why am I so-

"Pathetic." That one word had saved him, but also dug himself into a deeper hole. Yeah, he'd been saved by the bullies. He'd even gradually increased his confidence enough to talk to Tsukki and maintain a friendship with him. But Yamaguchi was always careful. Or was he just being cowardly?

A start of a friendship always means there's potential for an end. He considered himself lucky for meeting and being able to play with the Karasuno team members, but he knew he'd never be able to get as close to them as he was with Tsukki.

Maybe I should have told him about Kageyama? No, but he would have shaken it off and said it's none of our business. He lifted his head, taking in a long, shuddering breath. Agggggh what should I do? He picked up his phone, squinting when the screen flashed on. He groaned when he saw the time, and put his phone back down before rolling on his side. He stared at the glow-in-the-dark stars and smiled when he remembered putting them up with Tsukki.

Big dipper... Libra... Scorpio... They're still here. He had had to tape them back up multiple times, but there was no way he'd ever take them down.

I really need to talk to Tsukki more. Yamaguchi concluded, letting out a long sigh. I don't need to tell him about Kageyama, but I need to talk to him. Tomorrow. He promised himself, shifting his gaze to his empty wall.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How is she so popular even though she’s so ugly?”

“Why did she come here?”

“She’s so fake!”

With every passing comment, part of Yachi’s soul was torn away.

If you hear anyone say bad things about me, please tell me. I’d rather know and stay dignified, then be oblivious to what’s happening. Her friend had told her that several times, but she could never gather enough courage to tell her. She’d had so many chances and yet she was still too scared.

But is it really best to tell her? She’d already imagined the scenario and she’d seen the light escape from her friend’s eyes before. But what else can I do?

Nothing. The harsh reality was always the answer she came back to. If I interfere, it’ll just make it worse. But if I truly do nothing...

My resolve won’t last. Yachi was known for her shyness. However, that didn’t mean she couldn’t have strong feelings for something. She really wanted to punch the bullies in their faces. Is there really nothing I can do...? She could feel the burning trails on her face, but refused to accept her weakness.

“It’s so boring now. How about we find a new victim?” The three bullies turned to her, and she waited patiently for them to walk over to her.

I need to stay strong. Stay strong for her. This is nothing compared to what she goes through. Stay- She hid her hands under her desk, clasping them together as tight as she could. Stop shaking. You can do this. You can do this.

“Yachi, I hate you.”

Yachi turned to see her friend standing at the doorway, biting her lip nervously. She knew her friend was doing this to save her. She knew, and yet those words were far more agonizing than the bully’s threats.

“Oh, you’re here Rina? Why don’t you sit in the back where all the wannabe’s sit? We don’t want anyone having to see your ugly face anyways~”

Yachi’s hands started shaking even more as she forced herself to hold back from breaking the tormentor’s nose. Stop shaking. You can do this. You can save her. You need to save her.

"I’m sorry," she whispered, gently hugging Yachi. "I’m so sorry."

You're too nice. Yachi's eyes softened, swimming in the pain in her friend's voice.

"You're too nice."

Yachi jolted at the comment, tightening her arms.

"You're gonna get hurt if you keep helping me," her friend continued, prying Yachi's arms off. She pulled away, leaning back against a desk.

You're the one who's hurting, Yachi tried to convey with her eyes. Her friend gave her a soft smile before turning away.

"It would be better if I didn't exist."

No!!! No! Stop! Don't...!!! Yachi's fingers curled around air as her friend's silhouette disappeared from view. '

Please... Don't leave me alone...

Yachi could feel the onslaught of tears coming and honestly, she was too tired to hold them back. She cringed as warm trails formed on her cheeks, the droplets disappearing on contact with her pink sheets. She wiped at her face, but gave up after her fifth try, burying her face in the corner of her bed.

I haven't seen that nightmare in a while. She'd had them a lot during middle school, but she didn't think she'd ever have them again. Hearing about Kageyama must have uncovered some unwanted events in the far recesses of her memory. 

It's worse than before. She blamed it on her growing imagination and endless amount of curiosity. And she’d never fully gotten over her middle school years.

Second-hand bullying. She remembered the self-created term that flooded her mind whenever she was forced to watch her friend endure the harsh words of her attackers. It’s not just the victims who get hurt. Everyone around them gets affected too. Sure, that sounds super obvious, and it doesn’t seem as bad as being the victim. But it still hurts. It aches when your friend slowly starts to smile less and less, gradually becoming unable to smile. It burns when you catch her secretly crying in the bathroom, apologizing over and over for something that isn’t her fault. It hurts when you walk back to the classroom and accidentally watch as she steals someone's bottle of sleep pills-

Yachi cut herself off, taking a deep breath. She let it out slowly, before doing it again. It didn’t happen. She never had to use them. It didn’t happen, she reassured herself.

"Sometimes it's better not to know than to know and not be able to do anything." Her friend had always said that to her when she told her she wanted, no, needed to help her before she went insane from guilt.

Is that really true though? I'd rather know things, because there's always a slim chance I can help.

And that's exactly what had happened. Yachi had stopped her friend's attempts every single time. And despite multiple warnings from her friend, the shy blonde had stayed by her side until graduation.

"I would have quit if it wasn't for you." Her friend had thanked her after delivering the graduation speech. She had said it with a soft smile, but her tone implied anything but light feelings. I would have given up on life if you weren't there. Her friend's eyes had pierced through her own, but Yachi had given her a reassuring smile back.

"I will never let you," Yachi had promised, before blushing furiously. "I mean, we're friends right? Friends are supposed to-" she'd been cut off by a loud sniffle. "I'm so sorry, Rina-chan, I didn't mean to-"

"Thank you," Rina had whispered, pulling Yachi in for a hug. "Thank you."

~Next day~

“Yachi-san!”

“Yamaguchi-kun!”

They called out at the same time. They met in the corner of the locker room, giving each other the same desperate look.

“We need to talk to Ennoshita-senpai. Today.”

“Agreed.”

“You needed to talk to me?”

They turned and saw that said person standing right behind them. We really need to be more careful.

“Yes!” Yachi exclaimed, before lowering her voice. “Do you have some time right now?”

“Of course! What do you need help with?” He gave them both a soft smile.

“It’s... Senpai, have you seen Kageyama’s wrists?” Yamaguchi asked.

“No...?” Their upperclassman looked confused for a second before his eyes narrowed. “This better not be what I’m thinking.”

“It probably is, but we’re not a hundred percent sure what the cause is.”

“Is he really...?” Ennoshita trailed off, mimicking slicing motions on his arm.

“The marks look pretty old, but I didn’t get that good of a look.”

“We haven’t investigated enough yet,” Yachi added, pursing her lips.

“Do you think it’s from middle school?”

“Middle school?” The first years asked, turning to him with a confused look. Yamaguchi’s expression quickly morphed into recognition, but Yachi’s didn’t change.

“He didn’t get along with his teammates during middle school. I think he was struggling a lot,” Ennoshita explained for her.

“Oh...”

“I hope so,” Yamaguchi muttered, glancing over at the dark-haired setter who was currently arguing with an excitable orange-haired spiker. “Or, I mean, I hope he never feels he has to do it again.”

“We’ll make sure of that,” Ennoshita promised, grabbing their shoulders. “But we need to find out a few more things first.”

“Roger, captain!” the first years saluted, making Ennoshita blush.

He quickly recovered, whispering, “this is a serious, highly classified mission. Don’t take it lightly.”

“Yes sir!” There wasn’t a hint of humor in their voices.

Omake #1:

“Tsukishima-kun,” Shimizu whispered. She’d caught the tall middle-blocker glaring over at the three in the corner.

His eyes cleared up before he bowed in reply, his expression immediately returning to his emotionless face.

“I’ll ask Hitoka-chan later,” she promised. I’ll figure out what’s wrong and tell you later.

Tsukishima furrowed his brows. He shook his head. “Yamaguchi will tell me.” I’ll figure it out on my own.'

Her eyes widened. Then they softened, a small smile blooming on her face.

Omake #2:

"Kageyama! Kageyama~!" Hinata sang, trying to gain the setter's attention.

"What?" Kageyama turned, glaring at the shorter boy.

"What'd you get on the last math quiz?"

Kageyama's face morphed into a scowl. Shoot. I forgot about our bet.'

"Oh~? Is Kageyama-kun regretting he didn't study?"

"I got 17 points," he replied before Hinata could tease him even more.

"Nooooo!" the easily excitable spiker pulled at his hair. "Damn it!"

"What'd you get?" Kageyama smirked, crossing his arms.

"15..."

"Hm?"

"15!" Hinata yelled, pouting. "I studied super hard too..."

"Dumbass. I bet you were studying while watching volleyball training videos."

"How did you know?"

"Dumbass!!!"

(The quiz was out of 30 points :)

Chapter Text

“Hey sir, are you awake?” A muffled voice calls out to him. He struggles to open his eyes, feeling something trickle along his eyelashes.

“Fire!”

“Get away from the car!!!”

He finally manages to open one eye and startles at the scene in front of him. The front window of the car has disappeared and he sees red flickering in and out of his vision.

“Sir!!! Please open your door!!!” The loud thuds make him turn to his right and he lets out a small gasp.

“At least unlock it!!!” The voice turns desperate and the thuds increase in number. He still doesn’t have enough strength to open his other eye, but he somehow manages to curl his finger a centimeter to the left.

The person outside must have gotten the message, because they run over to the passenger side and force the bent door open. The person reaches toward his limp body, trying his best to avoid the broken glass as he struggles to drag him out of the car.

“Just a little more...”

His body freezes. But gravity does it’s terrifying job, letting his head loll towards his savior.

No. No no no no no! Get out! Don’t touch me! Get out! He needs to push him away. I don’t need help! I’m going to die anyways!

“We-”

Kaboooooom!!!

The wispy swishes of shallow breathing drifted around the room until they took flight through the open window. Dim navy eyes slowly fluttered open before squeezing themselves shut tightly.

I should be used to this dream, yet... He trailed off, unsure of what to think. It’s true; he’d had this dream over a hundred times, maybe even a thousand. But no matter how many times he saw his father- No. That’s not it.

Isn’t it weird to see a dream from the murderer’s point of view? I mean, that man, if he hadn’t crashed into us from behind, then- He cut himself off this time. He shut off his mind, quickly turning to look at the clock. Shit! It’s past noon! He scrambled out of bed, pulling on random bits of clothing. He grabbed his bag on the way out, trying to remember if he had any money with him. A bitter smile escaped from the dark recesses of his mind, slowly taking over his face. It’s sad how often this happens, that now I don’t panic as much. Of course, the initial panic is always there, but he always manages to focus on what’s really important at the moment, and that’s having enough money to survive through the weekend.

And if I escape before she lets out her stress, there’s no telling whether she’ll give me money for this week or not...

“Tobio, are you up yet?”

Kageyama jolted at the call, but silently headed toward the back door.

“Are you awake?” Her voice was coming closer. Fear took over his body, but he forced himself to keep moving.

“Tobio?”

His body unconsciously froze. Her voice... It wasn’t filled with anger. Or malice. Not even sarcasm. Kageyama recognized that tone. Worry.

She’s worried? Why? His stomach clenched at the thought of his mom worrying over something. She’s already stressed with work; she shouldn’t be-

“Tobio, are you okay? Are you not feeling well?”

She’s worried about me. Realization dawned on him and he scrambled toward the door. He only intended to peek, but the door was pulled open.

“My dear, what are you hiding for?” his mom strolled in with a stack of papers. She let them fall on his desk with a thump, and he couldn’t help but flinch away. “Tobio, can you help me put labels on these? You just need to stick a label here,” she pointed at the designated box, “and voila! You’re done!”

“But-”

“Your lovely mother is tired from a long week of work,” she sighed, fanning herself with one of the papers. “Can’t you help her a bit?”

“Yes mother,” Kageyama answered without hesitation. He’d gone through this countless times before, and knew complying was the best option.

“What a good son I have!” she exclaimed, throwing out her arms. The setter ducked on instinct, but his mom had already turned and was halfway out of the room.

He didn’t relax until the door clicked shut behind her. He slumped down on the floor, the pile of papers towering over him.

Today’s her good day. Kageyama walked over to his calendar, picked up a marker from his desk, and put a star right under the current date. He capped his pen and let his eyes wander over the various shapes, counting them in his mind. Star, three. Circle, five. Triangle, ten.  X, three.

Better than last month. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he settled down on the side of his bed. The stack of papers was still looming over him like Datekou’s Iron Wall. Might as well get this over with. He peeled a sticker and carefully stuck it on to the designated box.

Good days were rare for his mom. More often than not, she had a mediocre day or a bad day. Last saturday had been a bad day. Kageyama shuddered at the memory, quickening his pace. Shit, I need to meet up with Hinata in less than an hour! His pace nearly doubled as he frantically peeled and stuck labels.

Mom does this every weekday... His mind wandered as he repeated the mundane task. No wonder she gets so stressed. His hands stopped for a moment. But that doesn’t mean she has to- He shook his head, picking up his pace. He only had an hour to finish; he didn’t want to keep Hinata waiting.

Dumbass Hinata and his stupid bet! He smacked a label onto the paper. He always tries to make everything a competition! He continued slapping labels on with vigor.

At least I won, though. A small smirk graced his lips as he gently put down a stack of already labeled papers on his floor.

Wow, this is easier than I thought. He was already a quarter of the way through labeling, and it’d only been about ten minutes.

I wonder what Hinata’s doing right now? Maybe he’s playing volleyball with his little sister? A small tinge of jealousy twisted through his chest as he wished Ringo were with him. He’d thought it’d be dangerous to have Ringo over when his mom was at home, especially after what had happened last week, so he’d left him at his grandparents’ house when he visited them the day before.

I’ll go pick him up tomorrow after practice. He smiled at the thought, his smile widening when he thought of seeing his grandparents again. He hadn’t been able to talk to them much yesterday due to his fear of being caught out too late by his mom, so he still had a few things he wanted to discuss with them. But am I brave enough to tell them? A small bout of nervousness made his hands tremble. It’s alright. They’ll understand. He tried to reassure himself, but he knew no amount of reassurance was going to make him feel any better. Maybe I shouldn’t tell them. He knows he doesn’t fully understand social norms, but he can’t help but feel guilty that he’s being selfish when he keeps these types of things to himself. He knows and yet he’s too scared of doing anything about it. I’ll think about this tomorrow. He promises himself.

I need to think about today’s date before I worry about- Shit did I just call it a date? He hid his blush from no one in particular, lifting his head only when he’d calmed down. A frown drooped his face when he realized he’d stopped labeling. He carefully put the already finished stack on top of the other, continuing to label.

What should I wear? He pondered over his minimal options, deciding he should wear something comfortable in case Hinata wanted to play volleyball. Hinata-boke is always too unpredictable, he complained, but that’s what I love about him.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. No. I am not in love with him. He shook his head, denying all feelings for the orange-haired ball of sunshine.

Yet... The far recesses of his mind belatedly supplied. He kept shaking his head, but his heart couldn’t fully deny it anymore. His feelings had been steadily growing since their first successful “oddball combo” and there was no sign of it ending soon.

Love feels like a volleyball served to the back of the head. He always came back to the same conclusion. It wasn’t really a romantic thought, but when had their relationship ever been romantic? And could they even be romantic?

“Tobio!” He jolted, catching the pile of papers on his desk before they slid away. “Tobio!” His mom shouted again.

“Yes?” he gasped out, before realizing she wouldn’t be able to hear. “What is it?” He asked louder.

“I’m going to go grocery shopping, so I won’t be back for a few hours. Make sure to finish and put it on my table before I’m back!” she yelled. Not even a second later, the front door had opened and slammed shut.

She’s always been impatient. Kageyama labeled the last paper and picked the stack up. He put it down in front of his door before peeking his head out again. His mom really had left. He quickly picked up the stack and jogged over to his mom’s room, carefully setting the stack down on her desk. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he leisurely walked back to his room. He went to his closet, rummaging through the pile of clothes in the corner. He picked up the most  comfortable-looking shirt and shorts, lazily changing into them. His footsteps were louder than usual as he walked back to his desk.

It’s only 12:38-

His eyes snapped to the small envelope sitting on his desk. He hastily picked it up and ripped it open, eyes widening when he saw the contents.

A crisp, five-thousand yen bill was neatly folded inside. He squinted at it for at least a minute, but the five didn’t change to a one.

She must have been in a really good mood today. He eyed the bill warily before closing the envelope. Soft ticking could be heard as he worked open his drawer lock. A few seconds later, it clicked open and he switched out his one-thousand yen with the newly received envelope. He was too afraid to use the large bill. What if she left it there by mistake?

He put the smaller bill into his wallet before checking the time again.

12:41. Whatever. Hinata better not be late. He grabbed his Karasuno jacket before jogging out of the house.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Kageyama!!!”

He turned at the sound of his voice, hiding a grin behind his usual smirk.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!” Hinata shouted, smiling up at the setter.

“It’s not like I was waiting for you,” Kageyama muttered, turning to hide his blush.

“Then what were you waiting for?” Hinata asked curiously. He jumped up and down, trying to make Kageyama turn back to him.

“You owe me ice cream,” Kageyama turned back to him with a smirk.

“I lost by two points. Two points! ” the spiker noticeably wilted and Kageyama unconsciously reached out to catch him. He stopped himself halfway, scowling at his own actions.

“You still lost.” Kageyama turned his back to the other boy, walking in a random direction.

“You-! Ugh! You cheated!” Hinata caught up to him with two jumps. A finger was jabbed at his chest, and Kageyama was surprised he didn’t even flinch. He caught the other’s finger, and glared at the spiker, daring him to continue.

“You, I, um. I studied so hard too!” Hinata easily retracted his hand, his other hand coming up to fidget with his fingers.

“And I didn’t?”

“I even asked Tsukishima to help me again!” Hinata shouted, scaring the lady walking toward them.

“How did that go?” Kageyama inclined his head toward the woman, but she only started walking faster.

“He said he’d rather teach a dinosaur how to play volleyball than teach me math.”

A muffled snort made Hinata turn towards the setter. He continued walking while facing backwards, refusing to let Kageyama in front of him.

“Did you just snort?”

“Dinosaurs are extinct.” Kageyama hid his grin behind his hand.

“Yeah, so? Wait, what does extinct mean again?”

“They don’t exist on earth anymore,” Kageyama explained, trying not to get irritated.

“So?”

“It’s like saying he’d rather teach an alien than you.”

“But aliens aren’t extinct!!!” Hinata tried to shout indignantly, but his emotions dispersed when he tripped backwards over the edge of the sidewalk.

“Hinata-!!!” Kageyama’s reflexes kicked in as he grabbed the spiker, pulling him back over the curb. The car swished past them, barely missing the bewildered boy who was now clinging onto the setter’s jacket. “Don’t walk facing backwards!” He masked his concern with anger, shoving his shaking hands in his pockets.

“S-sorry...”

Kageyama closed his eyes as a bout of dizziness kicked in. Tires screeched. The smell of smoke filled the air. Shouts were tossed back and forth. Tremblings arms wrapped around his-

Something looped through his arm, forcing him to lean down to his left a little. The setter looked down to see the spiker had looped his arm through his own. He didn’t miss the mischievous grin the other sported.

“What the hell?”

“Oh come on, Kageyama! This way we can make sure we’re both safe!” Hinata exclaimed, pulling him along when the walk sign turned blue. I trust you. Kageyama could hear it in his voice. He silently followed, tucking his hands further into his pockets.

I trust you too. Hinata’s smile brightened and both boys relaxed toward each other. A comfortable silence wrapped around them as they continued to walk toward the shop.

“Aliens don’t exist,” Kageyama broke the silence.

“Of course they do!!!”

He can’t be serious. Kageyama glared at Hinata, but he received a determined look in reply. Shit, he’s serious!

“Do you believe in ghosts?” the setter asked, hoping Hinata would say no.

“Yeah.”

“Are you kidding me?!” Kageyama couldn’t hold himself back.

“You’ve never met one before?” Hinata looked confused.

“And you have?!”

“Mhm. Natsu and I talk to Sayuri-chan a lot,” the spiker stated casually.

“Are you sure it’s not one of your sister’s imaginary friends?” Kageyama snickered.

“She’s real! She died from a car accident a few years ago!”

Kageyama stopped at the mention of a car accident. But he was saved yet again by Hinata’s constant pull on his arm.

“You okay, Kageyama-kun?” Hinata looked up at the setter, concern etched in his brows.

“Don’t add the kun.” Kageyama scowled.

“But you’re younger than me.”  

“Since when?!”

“Since I was born?” Hinata grinned at Kageyama’s glare.

“Wait. So you were born in the same year as me? Not the year after?” Kageyama muttered more to himself than the other.

“If I were a year younger, I wouldn’t be in the same class!” Hinata giggles, then asked, “When’s your birthday anyways?”

“December 22nd.”

“You’re half a year younger than me?!” Hinata’s full body turned to him in surprise.

“Yeah...?”

“Wait. Don’t tell me you’re the youngest on the team. Stupid tall people being younger than me!!!” Hinata muttered under his breath, but Kageyama heard.

“It’s not my fault you're short. You need to drink more milk.”

“What was that, Kageyama-kun?”

“Stop calling me that.”

“Tobio-kun~”

“Shut up.”

“Oh! The shop’s right there!” Hinata pointed toward a small ice cream shop tucked in the corner of the outdoor shopping mall. Kageyama had been to the mall several times, but had never noticed the shop there. “Let’s go! Their octopus ice cream is the best!!!”

Octopus?! Kageyama was dragged into the store before he could protest.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, let's get different flavors so we can share!" Hinata shouted.

Kageyama scowled as several heads turned toward them. He could see most of them snickering.

"Do you not want to?" Hinata took his silence as a rejection.

"I don't mind." Kageyama answered swiftly. He didn't want to disappoint his spiker. Crap, there I go again with my spiker. He's not even mine. Yet. Shit.

"I've only been here once, but the octopus flavor was really good!" Hinata exclaimed, pointing at the pink ice cream. Kageyama hid a grimace behind his confused glower. He looked up at the menu, contemplating on what to get. The prices weren't too high. But the flavors...

Crab. Octopus. Shrimp. Cactus. Wasabi. He cringed at the last one, side-eyeing the boy next to him.

The spiker was carefully looking at each ice cream flavor, probably weighing the pros and cons. He's only this serious when it comes to food or volleyball. A fond smile spread over the setter's face.

"Which flavor do you-"

"What?"

"Flavor?" Hinata asked, trying to burn the image of Kageyama's carefree smile into his mind. Ahhh, I knew he's super hot, but I wasn't expecting that-!!!

Kageyama gave the menu another once over before he caught a flavor he'd missed. "Milk." He sighed, relieved that there was at least one normal thing on the menu.

"Milk? That's so boring! I'm gonna get wasabi!" Hinata exclaimed, walking over to the cashier.

They quickly ordered their ice cream, both getting chocolate covered cones.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, let's switch cones!" Hinata offered his cone up to the taller one. Kageyama silently exchanged cones with him, eyeing the green ice cream warily. Why couldn't it be green tea?

Kageyama cautiously took a small lick, his eyes widening when the flavor exploded in his mouth. He let out a small cough which quickly devolved into more.

"Hey, you okay? Kageyama?" Hinata thumped his back, but the setter continued to cough. The spiker panicked, shoving the ice cream he was holding into Kageyama's face. Or at least it was supposed to be his face.

"Hinata ‘cough’ boke!!!" Kageyama lunged toward the shorter boy, but he easily dodged. The setter wiped at his nose, grimacing at the stickiness on his hand.

"Pfft. Pffwahahaha!!!" Hinata's contagious laughter made Kageyama scowl in annoyance. But his scowl swiftly turned into a mischievous smirk as he got his revenge.

"Hey!" Hinata complained, wiping the wasabi flavored ice cream off his nose. He went to lick it off his fingers, but suddenly stopped. "Auughhhhh, it got in my nose!!! It burns!!!" He scrunched his nose up, huffing loudly.

"Dumbass!" Kageyama scolded, but gently grabbed Hinata's hand and guided his ice cream up to the spiker's lips. The orange-haired boy took a few licks, instantly calming down.

"Thanks," Hinata muttered, taking another lick before shoving the cone in front of the setter.

Kageyama silently exchanged cones with the spiker, snickering when the other started sneezing. He stopped when he realized Hinata was shivering.

The middle blocker felt a warm weight go around his shoulders and instinctively reached toward it. He grabbed a handful of fabric and brought it closer around himself.

“Only idiots forget their jackets when they’re going out to get ice cream,” Kageyama muttered, trying to suppress a shiver. Damn, it’s still the end of summer, but why’s it so cold?

This time, Kageyama felt a warm weight around his back and realized Hinata had wrapped one arm around him. He looked down to see the other boy had already put his left arm through his jacket. “Oi, you better not get ice cream on my jacket.”

“I won’t!” the spiker shouted, but he continued swinging his sweet treat around.

“Hinata! Stop jumping around!” Kageyama got jostled along with the spiker.

“Hey, Kageyama, let’s get ice cream when it’s not so cold sometime?” Hinata ignored him, taking a large bite into his cone. A considerable amount of ice cream dropped on the ground, but the spiker didn’t notice. He had his eyes trained on Kageyama, waiting impatiently for the setter’s reaction.

“Maybe.”

A huge smile bloomed on Hinata’s face. Maybe means yes in Kageyama language!!! The excited spiker jumped up and down, leaving a trail of ice cream behind him. "You're not winning next time!!!" he declared, shoving his cone in Kageyama’s face as though it were a microphone.

"Next time? We don't have a math quiz for another month," Kageyama stated.

"We have an English quiz next week! I bet I can beat you in that!"

"Isn't English your worst subject?"

"Shut up! I won't know until I try!" Hinata shouted, putting one hand on his hip. "I bet I'll get a higher score than you!!!"

"No. You won't." Kageyama challenged, annoyed at how confident the spiker looked. I'm going to beat him next time too.

Next time. The word echoed in his head and he let an excited grin invade his face. He was going to have another chance at a “date” with him.

"What are you planning? You better not be thinking of cheating again!" Hinata put his arms up in defense.

"Dumbass, I didn't cheat." The scary grin morphed into a frown.

"You don't believe in aliens. Or ghosts."

"So?"

"Someone like that is bound to cheat!"

"Why?" Kageyama was genuinely confused.

"Cuz you don't have anyone to help you on the test."

"What the hell...? You're cheating!"

"How?"

"You're getting help from your- Your supernatural friends!"

"That's not cheating!"

"There's no way it isn't!"

“They just help me study sometimes, that’s all. It’s not like they’re telling me the answers or anything,” Hinata replied nervously.

“You-!!!” Kageyama cut himself off, stuffing the rest of the cone in his mouth. This conversation is so dumb, why am I even going along with him?!

“Aliens are real. Ghosts are too,” Hinata pouted.

“Do you believe in Santa Claus then?” Kageyama asked.

“Of course!! He brings me presents every year!”

A tinge of jealousy flickered through the setter’s chest. I haven’t gotten a present from Santa since nine years ago.

“Do you think we’re going to have a Secret Santa exchange?”

“What?”

“A Secret Santa exchange! You know, where you get in a circle and pass the gifts around! It’ll be super fun!”

“I don’t believe in Santa,” Kageyama admitted.

“You don’t need to believe in Santa to do a Secret Santa exchange,” Hinata smiled up at him. Kageyama furrowed his brows; he’d expected Hinata to gasp and shout blasphemy, not take it in stride.

“You better put a card on it! And wrap it properly!” Hinata shouted.

“Dumbass, if you put a card on it, everyone will know who it’s from!”

“Oh. Um, I wasn’t talking about the Secret Santa Exchange.” Hinata’s voice decrescendoed as he realized what he was saying. “I, no, you should put the card inside the wrapping! Then no one can see!”

Kageyama’s brows furrowed further as he tried to figure out what Hinata meant by the previous statement. Not the Secret Santa Exchange? Then what-

“Come on, Kageyama! Let’s go to the gym!!!” Hinata shouted, grabbing the setter’s arm.

“But isn’t it closed for cleaning right now?”

“Silly Tobio-kun! We’re going to the other gym!”

“Where?”

“You’ll see!” Hinata hooked his arm through the setter’s, dragging him off to their next destination.

Chapter Text

The sound of children laughing drifted to him as the setter took a seat on a familiar bench. Despite what had happened the last time he sat there, he felt oddly at peace. It’s thanks to her. He let a small smile bloom on his face before scowling at himself. We didn’t even plan another meet up. His gaze drifted to the ground and he found himself watching a beetle gradually making its way towards him.

Soft shuffling alerted him to a not-so-unwanted visitor. He looked up from the beetle he was following, and his eyes slowly focused on the girl in front of him.

“Oniisan! You came again!” the familiar orange-haired girl jumped up onto the bench, scooting closer to him.

“Yeah,” Kageyama muttered nervously. He honestly didn’t know what had led him to this park again. He’d been so eager to reunite with Ringo after volleyball practice, but his feet had led him here.

It’s because... I want to tell them today. Okay, he lied. He did know what led him here. But he wasn’t sure how talking to a girl less than half his age was going to help.

“You’re furrowing your eyebrows!” she exclaimed, sounding happy despite her words. She giggled when Kageyama’s eyes narrowed further. “That means you’re worried about something!” She shouted, peering into Kageyama’s face. “What are you worried about?” Her head tilted to the side as she gave him a gentle smile.

Kageyama’s eyes widened at her words. How does this girl always... Is she an adult stuck in a little girl’s body? He seriously contemplated that idea before shaking his head. I’m too tired to be thinking about this right now. I shouldn’t even be here. He was about to stand up and leave, but a small hand wrapped around his thumb.

“My brother said it’s not healthy to keep things in. So you should let it all out!” She leaned back to her side of the bench, swinging her legs while giggling excitedly.

Who is her brother? It wasn’t the first time Kageyama thought that, and he really, truly wanted to meet this boy. Maybe he can help me with getting my life together. He snorted at that thought, and was brought back to reality by a hand tugging at his jacket.

“Oniisan, your eyebrows are still furrowed,” Natsu muttered, waiting patiently for his answer.

Kageyama let out a soft huff, deciding it was better to tell her than to hold it all inside. Afterall, her brother’s right, it’s better to let it out than leave it trapped inside you.

Damn it, now I really want to meet her brother. The setter watched as she slumped in disappointment, taking his extended silence as a rejection.

“I... I’m worried about-” he cut himself off, jolting when the orange-haired girl’s face whipped up (how the hell does her neck not hurt?) and she beamed at him, nodding for him to continue.

“I’m in love with a boy,” he admitted, giving her a sideways glance. He gripped the bench tightly, trying to stop his twitching fingers.

She gave him a confused look, her own eyebrows furrowing in concentration. She seemed to be thinking really hard over his answer.

Kageyama let out another huff, and stood up. He knew she wouldn’t be able to get it.

“What’s so wrong about being in love with a boy? I’m in love with a lot of boys, too!” she exclaimed as if this solved all his problems.

“But that’s a little different. I’m in love with a single person of the same gender,” Kageyama explained, watching as her expression switched back to confusion. He sat back down, wondering how he could explain it so that she could understand.

“I love girls, too!” she shouted, gaining a few surprised looks from nearby moms. They smiled when they saw it was just a little girl yelling excitedly and went back to discussing amongst themselves.

“Yeah, but would you want to-?” Kageyama stopped himself. I have to remember, no matter how mature she sounds, she’s still a seven year old girl. “That’s nice, I guess.” He slumped lower into the bench.

“Ohhh, you want to kiss him don’t you~?” she sang, giggling happily. She giggled louder when she saw him fail to hide a blush.

What is up with this girl? Why is she like this?

“If you love someone then you shouldn’t hold it back,” she beamed up at him. “My brother told Yuki-kun that when he said the same thing you did.”

“Who’s Yuki-kun?” Kageyama muttered, trying to avoid asking about her brother. He really wanted to know who he was, but he felt like it would be too personal of a thing to ask.

“He’s my brother’s best friend from middle school! He used to stay over a lot!” She leaned back, putting her hands behind her to hold herself up.

“And what do you mean, he said the same thing I did?” Kageyama turned toward her with narrowed eyes. Anyone else would have cowered away from him, but surprisingly, the girl only smiled brighter.

“Yuki-kun said he’s in love with a boy, too.” Her smile wavered as she looked like she was remembering something. “He sounded so sad.” Her eyes drifted to the ground. She pulled her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly. “Why was he so sad?” Her voice took a somber tone as she rocked back and forth, still hugging her legs.

He didn’t know how to answer. He was still new to all this romance stuff himself, and didn’t know why he was overthinking things when he usually moved by instinct. But he was slightly reassured by her answer, in that, despite being mature for her age, the orange-haired girl was still oblivious to the concept of social norms. It’s better if she doesn’t know.

His hand moved on its own, gently laying on her shoulder. She jolted a bit, but let a small smile bloom on her face when she realized it was his hand. She unfurled her legs, letting them swing freely again.

A comfortable silence was about to wash over them, but Kageyama remembered an important detail from their first meeting. “Thank you.” The words left his lips before he could rethink his timing and tone. He scowled when he realized his tone hinted at frustration.

Natsu gave him another confused look, but didn’t question him. She smiled softly, giving him a gentle nod.

“Nacchan! There you are!” a high-pitched voice screamed out to her. A small girl about her age ran up to them. She bowed nervously at Kageyama, shrinking away when she mistook Kageyama’s glance as a glare.

“Oh, sorry Kana-chan! Did you find everyone else?” Natsu jumped down from the bench, walking to her friend’s side.

“Yup! I found them right away!” Kana exclaimed proudly, putting her hands on her hips.

“Oniisan, I’ll see you again!” Natsu waved as she followed her friend back to the playground. Kageyama found himself waving back.

“Hey, Sensei said not to talk to strangers!” he heard Natsu’s friend comment, and she turned back with narrowed eyes, scrutinizing Kageyama. He felt his eyes narrow. And this is why I don’t like kids.

“He’s not a stranger!” Natsu answered, turning to give Kageyama one last smile before being tugged toward the swing set. Except her. Kageyama’s answering smile went unseen by the intended receiver, but he didn’t mind.

Nacchan... Natsu... Natsumi...? Where have I heard those names before? He stood up, carefully making his way out of the park without running into any kids. The names sounded so familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he’d heard them. Nacchan’s a pretty common nickname, too. It’s probably a character from a book or something. Kageyama tended to only read books made necessary by the school, and even then, it was less than half of the required reading. He'd always had a hard time remembering character’s names and personalities.

He put his hands in his jacket pockets as he fast-walked toward his grandparents’ house. The park had been on the way to their house, so he only had to walk about five more minutes and he’d be there. But in the meantime, his mind wandered back to what he’d discussed with Natsu.

He had no idea what the hell he was doing and what he should do when it came to love. He wanted to avoid it altogether, like he always did when it came to school work or anything he found remotely uninteresting, but love was a different matter. He didn’t find it uninteresting. He just... Didn’t really know how to deal with his feelings. And similar to how he was in love with volleyball, he was seriously in love with Hinata.

Hmph. Why did this happen to me? He stopped at the crosswalk, waiting impatiently for the signal to turn green.

For the past few months, he’d been going with the flow of his feelings, but somehow managed to keep them in check. However, he’d been in denial the whole time. Now that he was finally starting to accept his love towards his middle blocker, shit I called him mine again, he’d started to overthink things. And overthinking things never ended well for him.

The signal turned green and he checked right and left three times before sprinting across the crosswalk. He let out a relieved sigh when he made it to the sidewalk and continued walking at a quicker pace.

I wish I had someone to talk this over with. He usually tried to solve things on his own, but this was on a different level. I really have no idea what I’m doing. He looked up at the darkening sky, scowled, then pushed his hands further into his pockets.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Loud barking greeted him in his grandparents’ doorway. He let a small smile grace his face when Ringo jumped into his arms, licking his face excitedly.

“Welcome back, Aiko!” his grandma greeted, smiling happily.

“I’m back,” Kageyama answered on instinct, scowling but not commenting about the nickname. He took off his shoes and followed her inside with Ringo cuddled in his arms.

“Tobio, did you get lost?” his grandpa teased, motioning for the setter to sit across from him.

Kageyama took his seat, carefully setting Ringo in his lap. The tired dog immediately curled up and fell asleep. “No, I stopped at the park for a bit,” he admitted, gently petting Ringo’s head.

“Ringo was waiting all day for you to come back,” his grandma muttered, setting a bowl of pork curry in front of him. He looked down and he could already feel his mouth watering. He took his chopsticks and hastily muttered, “Itadakimasu!” before digging in.

“What were you doing at the park?” his grandpa returned to the subject at hand. Kageyama belatedly realized he also had a half-empty bowl of curry rice in front of him.

“Taking a break,” Kageyama muttered, deciding not to add, in life , at the end. He knew he’d made the right decision when his grandma gave him a worried look.

“Are you tired from volleyball practice? Do you want to stay over tonight?” she asked, her arms gliding through the air.

“No, I’m fine,” he lied, even though he really wanted to stay over. (He’d never stayed over at his grandparents’ house before.)

“Are you sure? You’re always welcome here, you know that right, Ai-chan?”

A warm feeling spread through his body, but it was interrupted by the use of her nickname. He still wasn’t sure why she called him by a girl’s name when he was clearly a boy. But his grandma had always been rather eccentric and tended to ask unusual questions, unlike his grandpa who was usually calm and sometimes a little too serious.

“Can you please stop calling me Aiko?” Kageyama asked for the first time in a while. He remembered why he never asked after he saw the hint of hurt flash through his grandma’s eyes. Why do I always have to do that?

“Is there a specific reason?” she answered with a question, gauging his reaction. It was almost like she was expecting him to say something important.

Huh, she’s never asked me that before. “No?” he lied again, watching as her face dropped in disappointment. “I don’t like being called by a girl’s name,” he corrected, frowning when he saw her eyes light up.

“No one ever said, ‘Aiko is a girl’s name.’ I’m sure many people name their sons Aiko,” she stated, looking expectantly at her grandson.

“But it sounds so... Girly,” he complained, crossing his arms. A soft whine made him uncross his arms and go back to petting Ringo’s head.

“Is that your personal opinion, or is it because everyone around you says that?” her expression was slowly turning serious and Kageyama wasn’t sure where this conversation was going, but he decided to go along with it.

“Both,” he answered without thinking.

“Why do you think it bothers you personally?”

He frowned, giving this question a second of thought before answering, “I’m a boy.”

“So?”

“I don’t want to be called by a girl’s name,” he stated like it was obvious.

“Do you feel like your masculinity is being questioned?”

“Masculinity?” A confused expression took over his face.

“Ritsuko, don’t ask him weird questions,” his grandpa cut in. He was looking back and forth between the two with a slightly worried expression.

“It’s a perfectly valid question. If he feels like his masculinity is being-” she stopped herself with a gasp. “Oh, how inconsiderate am I? Ai- Tobio,” she corrected, furrowing her brows when Kageyama flinched.

Woah, that didn’t sound right at all. Kageyama looked up with a warped expression that looked like it was trying to decide between annoyance and confusion. But I should be happy she finally stopped using my nickname...?

“Have you ever wished you were a girl instead of a boy?” she continued.

Two pairs of eyebrows rose to the ceiling as his grandma giggled softly. “I’m guessing that’s a no then.” Her expression turned serious again. “But, have you though?”

“No, not me, but I do wish sometimes Hina-,” Kageyama immediately shut his mouth in horror. Shoot. Why the hell did I say that?

“That’s perfectly normal,” his grandma took it all into stride, smiling reassuringly at him. “I used to always wish either I was a boy or my crush was a boy,” she confessed, “especially when I fell in love with a girl during high school.”

“Ritsuko, you-”

“What?” Kageyama’s delayed reaction almost made him stand up out of his seat, but he remembered last second that Ringo was still in his lap. “You- what?” His hands moved faster along Ringo’s fur as he tried to come up with a question, answer, comment, anything. The best he could come up with was, “But you married grandpa so that means-”

“I like both boys and girls,” she interrupted, eyeing her husband. Kageyama’s grandpa had wisely chosen to stay out of the current conversation and was slowly eating the rest of his dinner.

“How does that work?” Kageyama tilted his head to the side in confusion.

“You probably already know that love is very complicated.”

He nodded vigorously.

“The only reason it’s so complicated is because there are no rules,” she continued, smiling sadly when her grandson still looked confused.

“But there are lots of rules. Girls can’t marry girls and boys can’t marry boys,” he whispered.

“That’s only a rule made by society. It is a rule I don’t believe is fair,” she whispered the last part, her eyes clouding over as if she were remembering something before continuing, “Love has no limits. You can be a boy who falls in love with boys, fashion, make-up, pink, flowers, and many other things that society deems as ‘girly things.’ There is nothing wrong with that.”

Kageyama felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders. But I haven’t even told them yet. He felt his grandma’s reassuring gaze and steeled himself, taking a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “I’m in love with a boy,” he admitted, waiting impatiently for his grandparents to say something.

“We suspected as much,” his grandma muttered, smiling reassuringly. “You talk about Hinata-kun as if he’s the light of your life,” she whispered, smiling when she saw a blush take over his face.

“Son, you should know that there are more people than you think that are like you,” his grandpa reassured. He set his empty bowl down on the table, crossing his arms. “But be careful since there are some, if not more, who are against those ideas.” He looked slightly uncomfortable talking about the topic, but Kageyama didn’t care. All he cared about was that his grandpa was trying his best to understand him. He doesn’t hate me. They don’t hate me. Relief spread through him and he slumped back into his chair.

“People have become more understanding over the years, but it’s still a dangerous ride when it comes to liking the same gender,” his grandma added, taking the empty bowl from in front of him. She set it in the sink before turning back to him. “So, when are you going to confess?”

Kageyama sucked in a breath, repeating her words in his head. Confess? Confess to who? Hinata?

“Ritsuko, you can’t change the subject like that. Tobio looks tired and he needs some more time thinking over what you told him before he confesses,” his grandpa sighed, giving him a wry smile. “Tobio, you should think long and hard before dating someone during high school. I’m not saying this because you’re in love with a boy. I’m saying this because I don’t want you to date someone and break up with them a week later,” he whispered. He sounded like he was speaking from experience.

“Says the person who dated at least 20 people in high school,” his wife chuckled. Okay, so he was speaking from experience.

“I’ve told you I regretted it over a thousand times,” his grandpa rolled his eyes, sighing loudly.

“Aik- Tobi-”

“Obaasan, I don’t mind being called Aiko,” Kageyama mumbled, refusing to look up at her. He missed her ecstatic smile, but looked up just in time for her playful wink.

“Aiko, you can learn a few love tips from your dear ojiisan!” She exclaimed, giggling at her husband’s embarrassed splutter.

“I don’t remember anything from high school,” he muttered, taking a sip from his mug of tea.

“You’re lying! You just went to your 40th reunion a few years ago!!!” Ritsuko argued, taking his empty bowl and setting it in the sink.

“I was pretending to remember everyone. I shouldn’t have gone.”

“You said it was fun!”

A smile bloomed on Kageyama’s face as he watched his grandparents bicker. A feeling of nostalgia was crawling out from the depths of his heart, but he forced it back, focusing on what just occurred. He’d managed to complete his mission today. He’d even gotten to learn more about his grandparents.

There’s so much I don’t know about them. He wanted to talk to them more about their past, but something was always holding him back. If they talk about their pasts, then they’ll ask about mine, too and... He slumped further into the chair and somehow managed to force back most of his self-deprecating thoughts. But one thought always managed to pass through his carefully constructed wall.

If only I could tell them my biggest problem...

Chapter Text

“Kageyama, are you okay?” Hinata peered into the setter’s face, his own face scrunched up with worry.

“I’m fine,” the taller setter muttered, swatting the spiker away. Shit. If Hinata’s noticed, then my acting’s getting worse. He stood up, glancing around to see everyone else going about their usual business, but he could feel everyone’s attention on them.

“You sure?” Hinata frowned when he realized Kageyama’s attention wasn’t on him anymore. He jumped into the other’s view, smirking when he saw the setter’s face morph into its usual scowl. There we go! Hinata usually didn’t like Kageyama being angry all the time, but it was better than him not showing any expression. Honestly, that deadpan expression doesn’t suit him. It’s kinda... scary.

“I’m sure. And if you don’t get your butt back on the court, I’m not staying behind to toss for you,” Kageyama muttered, walking past the surprised spiker.

“Nooo!!! That’s not fair! You already promised you would!!!” Hinata complained, jumping around the walking setter. Kageyama upped his pace, but Hinata somehow kept up with him.

“Hinata-boke, you need to-”

“Hinata! We’re doing serving practice now!” Suga’s gentle scolding voice drifted from the other side of the gym.

“Hai!” Hinata yelled, giving Kageyama one last smile before he sprinted to his senpai.

Hoooly, that’s not good for my heart. Kageyama held back from clutching his heart, dropping down to grab a volleyball and gripping that tightly instead. He loosened his grip when he felt his nails bending backwards. Damn it, I need to cut my nails again. He bounced the volleyball several times before gently tapping it against his forehead. He took in a deep breath, then slowly let it out. A small smile took over his face as he surveyed the other side of the court. He saw Nishinoya-senpai giving him a knowing smile and smirked back at him. Here I go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After practice...

Kageyama checked outside the locker room, making sure no one was there. He sat down on the bench, letting out a soft sigh.

It’d become a routine for him to stay back every Thursday in order for him to cut his nails, organize his stuff, and most importantly, organize his thoughts. The locker room and gym were his haven, a place where he could be himself; a place where he could hide from all the negative thoughts that stemmed from his house.

He quickly unzipped his bag, taking out his clippers and nail file. He made sure to clip only a small portion of his nails, opting to use the nail file for the majority of his grooming.

Was I that obvious today? He wondered, slowing his movements. He looked down at his left ankle before twisting it around, testing its limits. A small groan escaped his lips when he felt a jolt of pain run through his leg. It’s not fully healed yet. But it’s been over a week...! He pushed down the panic, quickening his filing. He tried to focus on the task at hand, but he felt his gaze drift again.

He glanced down at his wrists, scowling when he realized he had forgotten to cover them up again . Don’t tell me-! He forced down yet another panic attack, taking in a deep breath. If he’d noticed, he would have said something. But then he remembered how odd Hinata had been acting.

Did he notice? He scowled, unconsciously rubbing his wrists together, scowling deeper when the white scars wouldn’t disappear.

Do I even need to ask myself? He’s an airhead. Even if he noticed, he wouldn’t know what they mean. His last thought was one of hope. Despite Hinata being very straightforward with his thoughts and emotions, Kageyama was never sure of how Hinata really felt. For all he knew, the orange-haired spiker could be hiding behind a mask of happiness. Kageyama himself was hiding behind his various masks of anger and annoyance.

Shoot, this is too complicated. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He belatedly noticed that he’d already finished filing all his nails and decided he might as well pick up some food on his way home.

I wonder if she’s at the park today. He slowly lifted himself off the bench, putting away his clippers and nail file. He picked up his bag and carefully swung it over his shoulder, testing his ankle one last time before heading toward the door.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Daichi, I finished-” Suga immediately went quiet, jumping back to hide behind the corner. He peeked around the wall and let a small smile bloom on his face.

“I wish I could talk to you guys... I wonder what your names are?” Daichi whispered to himself, gently petting a tall-

Ohhh my, that dog is huge!!! Suga’s eyes sparkled as he swiftly took in the view. A brown and black German Shepherd stood at attention, but was slowly melting under Daichi’s gentle hands.

“Do you both have names...?” Daichi muttered, and Suga could hear the sadness in his voice. A frown took over his own face until he realized there was another dog, half hidden behind Daichi’s crouched body. Ohhh, it’s one of those detective dogs! He grinned, finally stepping out from around the corner.

“Daichi, I thought we weren’t going to keep any more secrets from each other?” Suga grinned at the way the captain jolted in surprise.

“Suga! I thought you were helping Yamaguchi with something?” he turned around with a guilty smile.

“I was, but he told me he’d tell me tomorrow, so... Since when?” the setter left the question open-ended, crossing his arms tightly. He gave Daichi his best admonishing look.

“I- It was only a week! And I didn’t think they’d keep coming back!” Daichi argued, his resolve crumbling under Suga’s fervent gaze. The captain was known for his unwavering resolve, but when it came to the setter, no one could stand their ground, especially when he was looking at them like that .

Suga broke down into a loud fit of laughter, startling the two dogs in front of him. He walked over to them, joining Daichi’s side. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you two,” he cooed, petting behind their ears. The two dogs relaxed again, both closing their eyes.

“I’m not mad,” the setter chuckled, moving one hand so that it glided over Daichi’s hand. “I just want to know if you have any other children you’re keeping a secret.”

“What?!” Daichi jumped back in surprise, startling the dogs awake. “No- They’re not- What-”

“Daichi, you woke them up,” Suga scolded with no bite, continuing to pet them.

“Children... Oh.” Daichi’s face bloomed with a small smile.

“So, do you have any secret children?” Suga whispered, beckoning Daichi back to his side. The captain hesitated before crouching down next to him.

“No, not that I know of. You?” He asked back, smirking at the setter.

“Does the dog I always pet on the way to school count?”

“Suga! How could you?” Daichi feigned betrayal, crossing his arms.

“But she’s so cute! She’s a border collie and she always comes near my house since I give her a treat everyday!” Suga argued, smiling back at the spiker. “I think she doesn’t have an owner...”

“I think these two don’t have owners either,” Daichi muttered, glancing down at their necks. His eyes widened when he saw a flicker of something shiny in the corner of his vision. He reached toward it, gasping when his fingers touched cold metal.

“Daichi, what-”

“Suga, do we have any pliers in the locker room?”

“I'm not sure, why-?” the setter cut himself off after seeing Daichi’s serious expression. His expression took on the same urgent look, and he nodded before speeding toward the locker room.

Daichi heard a small whimper and rubbed the small dog behind his ear. “You’re gonna be okay. We’ll get this thing off of you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, outside the Seijoh gym...

“Oi, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Oikawa turned around, sporting a slightly sheepish look. “I, uh-”

“How’d you get them past the guards?” Iwaizumi asked, sitting down next to his childhood friend.

“What?” the setter stopped petting the dog in front of him, earning an annoyed bark. He immediately turned toward the small cocker spaniel, putting a finger to his lips. “Shh, you don’t want to get caught by Miyamoto-sensei!” he scolded, but he resumed petting her head.

“You didn’t sneak them in?” Seijou’s ace spiker whispered, petting the other dog in front of him. He let a gentle smile bloom on his face when the grey-haired dog rolled over on its back.

“No, I found them here!” Oikawa nodded in affirmation.

Something about his behavior was still suspicious, but Iwaizumi decided to let it slide. He’ll tell me later anyways.

A calm silence overtook them, only interrupted by Oikawa’s occasional giggle.

“Ahaha, that tickles!” he chuckled, grinning as the dog in front of him continued to lick his hand. “My Lady, you have to be more...” he trailed off, scrunching his brows together in thought.

“More unrelenting.”

“Yeah, more un- Hey!” Oikawa caught himself, pouting over at the smirking spiker. “That’s not it!”

“How do you know the dog’s even a girl,” Iwaizumi motioned toward the Cocker Spaniel.

“She only reacts when I call her My Lady,” Oikawa stated, smiling when she perked up her ears. “See?”

“I think she reacted to ‘Redī,’ not the whole phrase,” Iwaizumi grinned when the smaller dog’s face fully turned toward him. “See?”

“What do you think his name is?” Oikawa pouted, quickly changing the subject. They both turned toward the grey dog that was currently splayed out on his back, enjoying the spiker’s gentle petting.

“And how do you know he’s a boy?” Iwaizumi asked, unable to hold back his suspicious tone.

“You know how neechan really wanted to be a vet for a while?” Oikawa muttered.

“Yeah?”

“I kinda... stole her book and wanted to be a vet for a short time too.”

“So it was you?” Iwaizumi laughed darkly, remembering the chaos that had ensued after Oikawa’s older sister had woken up without her animal dictionary on her desk. “Your sister cried for a whole week .”

“Hmph. But she hid my alien blanket for a month. A whole month , Iwa-chan!” Oikawa pouted, scratching Redī behind her ears. She leaned into his touch, settling her head down on the ground.

“That was on accident, Shittikawa,” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, but the smile didn’t disappear from his face. He remembered how Oikawa had visited his house every night, complaining about how he couldn’t sleep without his alien safety blanket. The young setter had quickly deemed Iwaizumi as his new safety blanket, and they’d slept together every night during that whole month.

“Iwa-chan~” Oikawa called out, peering into the other’s face.

“What?” the spiker leaned back, but was unable to hide his blush.

“Nothing,” the setter smirked, slowly standing up. “We better get going before it gets too dark,” he muttered, looking up at the swiftly darkening sky. He gave Redī a soft smile, bending down to give her a final head rub.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi also stood up, startling at the grey-haired dog’s whine. “What’s your name buddy?” he asked, kneeling down to pat his back.

“Why don’t we give him a name?” Oikawa suggested quietly.

“What was that?”

“If he doesn’t have a name, then why don’t we give him one?” Oikawa stated louder.

“Like what?”

“If you had a child, what would you name him?”

“Oikawa, do-”

“You’d name him Oikawa? That’s not a very original name, Iwa-chan. Hmmm,” Oikawa struck a thinking pose before grinning. “How about Hōrō-sha?” he clapped his hands together.

“Do you even know what that means? And you can’t just name a dog that might already have-!” Iwaizumi scolded, but he was interrupted by an excited bark.

“See, he loves his name already!” Oikawa crouched down to pet Hōrō-sha’s head.

“But that name is so-”

“They’re both wanderers, Iwa-chan. The name suits him,” Oikawa whispered, standing up again. “Bye Redī, by Hōrō-sha! I’ll see you again tomorrow!” He waved, smiling when he got two answering barks.

“I still don’t think-”

“Then what were you gonna name him?” Oikawa skipped to keep up with the spiker’s brisk pace.

“Tetsuhito,” Iwaizumi answered without thinking.

“Why?” Oikawa cocked his head to the side in confusion.

Oh shit shit shit, no-

“Oh my. Iwa-chan. Really?”
As always, Oikawa was quick to understand. He pounced onto Iwaizumi’s side, hugging his shoulders. “We can name our first child that,” he whispered in his ear.

“No. I was just... No,” Iwaizumi hid his blush behind his hands.

“Come on Iwa-chan! Tetsuhito’s a beautiful name!” Oikawa shouted, tightening his arms. A strange warmth flittered through Iwaizumi’s whole body as he gently squeezed the setter’s hands.

“Yeah. It is.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Kageyama! I didn’t know you were still here!” Suga’s voice echoed through the mostly empty locker room.

The dark-haired setter jumped, his eyes flickering between the door and the setter standing in the doorway.

“Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you! Did you forget something, too?” the vice-captain asked, walking over to rummage through a box filled with random things.

“Yeah, I forgot my practice shirt, so I came back for it,” Kageyama lied easily, carefully making his way to the still open doorway.

“Oh, if you want it washed for you, then you can ask Yachi-chan. I’m pretty sure Kiyoko taught her most of the managerial duties already, since she’s such a fast learner!” Suga praised.

“Okay, thank you,” Kageyama replied, letting out a soft huff when he finally made it to the doorway. He stopped there for a second, pondering over a specific question.

“Ah, I found it!” Suga lifted up the pliers, his eyes gleaming despite the minimal light of the setting sun peeking in through the window.

“Suga-senpai, I- What is that for?” Kageyama narrowed his eyes; his focus diverting to the object in his senpai’s hand.

“Daichi needs it for something,” Suga muttered quickly, dodging Kageyama’s question. “Oh, do you need me to walk you home? I can do that after-”

“Thank you very much for the offer, but I will get going now,” Kageyama answered in his awkward formal speech.

Suga’s brows furrowed, but he didn’t question him further. “Make sure to stay safe and text me when you get home!” He jogged out of the room, shouting over his shoulder.

“Yes mom,” Kageyama whispered, blushing when he realized what he’d said. Ahhh, good thing he left already. He unconsciously rubbed at his wrists again, sprinting out of the locker room. Shoot, I better hurry before they run out of nikuman.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I know, I’m sorry. But you're going to be okay,” Daichi repeated as he gently clipped the metal ring that was clamped around the Basset Hound’s hind leg. He grit his teeth, ignoring the soft whines. Suga’s gentle hands were keeping the dog mostly relaxed, but he knew the dog’s muscles were still tensed, especially around his hind legs.

“Shhh, you’re going to be alright. You can trust him,” Suga cooed, massaging his back. Daichi felt the Hound’s legs slowly relax and took that chance to fully cut the ring off. The sharp snap woke the German Shepherd next to him, and he pounced on Daichi.

“Woah there, that’s dangerous!” Daichi scolded, stopping the dog with his other hand. He realized the dog wasn’t attacking him, no, his tail was wagging happily as he turned around to poke his nose at the ring on the ground.

Suga picked it up and his eyes widened when he saw two dog tags dangling from the ring. He squinted at the scratched up metal, reading out the first one. “Dangan?”

The German Shepherd barked in reply, standing at attention.

“So your name’s Dangan? It’s quite fitting,” Daichi smiled, patting his head. He looked up at the setter, waiting patiently for him to read the other one.

“Shārokku?”

This time, the ‘detective dog’ barked in reply.

“It fits him really well.” Suga smiled, flipping both ears up to make him look like a bunny. Both captain and vice-captain chuckled at how cute he looked.

“Do you think they have owners?” Daichi asked, looking down at the dog tags. Suga followed his gaze, shaking his head.

“I think they were abandoned,” he whispered, turning back to the two dogs. Shārokku and Dangan slightly wilted, proving Suga right.

“Then we can adopt them.”

“Really? Are you responsible enough to add two more children to our family?”

“Oh yeah? I’ve been feeding them twice a day for the past week, so I don’t see why not?” Daichi smirked back at the setter.

“You really are a dad,” Suga chuckled, hiding his laughter behind his hand.

“What was that?”

“Dangan. Shārokku. Welcome to the family,” Suga whispered, ignoring the captain’s question. He turned to Daichi, his smile widening to match the other’s.

(A/N: So, Tetsuhito is a combination of Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s first name’s kanji’s put together. The kanji for Tooru can also be read as ‘tetsu’ and the kanji for Hajime can also be read as ‘hito(tsu)’. Ahhh, I love putting little Japanese wordplays in, because it helps me practice my Japanese ^o^)

Chapter Text

~Next day~

“Are you sure about this Yamaguchi-kun?” Suga asks, still unable to fully accept what the two first years have told him. His tone holds no distrust toward either of them; it’s more like he wants it all to be a misunderstanding.

Yachi gives her fellow first year a worried glance as Yamaguchi’s right hand unconsciously clenches into a fist, and he quickly hides it behind his back. But his whole body’s starting to shake and Suga knows there’s no way around the truth.

“We promised each other we wouldn’t tell Daichi-san and Suga-san until we were one hundred percent sure,” Ennoshita states as he takes a step away from the wall he’d been standing beside. He lays a gentle hand on Yamaguchi and Yachi’s shoulders, instantly calming them down.  

“But Kageyama doesn’t know that you know?” Daichi asks, putting a reassuring hand on Suga’s shoulder. The setter gives him a thankful smile, leaning into the stable support.

“He doesn’t,” Yachi whispers, fidgeting her fingers.

“Did he want you to know?” Suga asks, his voice tapering at the end.

“I don’t think so,” Yamaguchi whispers, his eyes going wide with panic. “I didn’t mean to-”

“Thank you for telling us,” Daichi stops him, giving him a comforting smile. “I’m sure there were reasons why Kageyama didn’t tell us about it, and it may be because he already got over it. But there’s nothing we can do once we know, and it’s always better to be prepared than to be ignorant,” the captain states, walking over to give each first year’s shoulder a light squeeze. His eyes convey his appreciation and they noticeably relax as the atmosphere shifts from serious to comforting.

“So the question now is, should we do anything about this?” Suga whispers, more to himself than the others. He seems to be contemplating on the next step, but he knows they’d have to tread carefully if they want more answers.

“I think we should keep this between us,” Daichi whispers, nodding towards the other four. They nod back, silently vowing secrecy. “And I don’t think we should do anything about it until Kageyama himself brings it up,” he continues, and the others nod again.

“Hopefully he’s healed over time,” Suga adds, giving everyone a soft smile. “But if he hasn’t, we’ll remind him he has all of us to support him!”

A look of determination glimmers in everyone’s eyes as they all agree that Kageyama's safety and happiness are most important.

Yamaguchi’s expression finally eases into one of relief as he bows politely to his senpais. Yachi quickly follows, her head whipping down at an unnatural speed. Ennoshita bows behind them, ever the steadfast support.

Suga chuckles at their politeness, giving them a gentle wave as the three head back to the locker room. A fond smile blooms on his face as he watches Ennoshita ruffle the two first years’ hair.

“He’d make a wonderful captain,” he whispers, glancing over at Daichi.

“Yeah,” Daichi agrees, his eyes crinkling at the edges.

He lets a peaceful silence pass over them before sneaking an arm around Suga’s waist.

“Dinner tonight?” he whispers, kissing him on the cheek.

“After we feed our two children,” he promises, heading toward the gym doors. Daichi jogs over to the locker to get the dog treats.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~At the park~

“Natsu, where are we going?” Shōyō asks, letting his little sister drag him towards a seemingly random direction. He feels bad for picking her up late, so he lets her pull him back toward the park.

“There’s a doggy over there!” she exclaims, her jog turning into excited skipping. Shōyō doesn’t see a dog anywhere in the park, but skips along with her, laughing the whole way.

He realizes why he hadn’t seen the puppy. The small pit bull is hiding behind a tree, almost as if he could hear the whispers of rejection as people wondered why such a dangerous dog was left without a leash in a place full of children.

“He’s so cute!” Natsu coos, letting Shōyō’s hand go. The older brother immediately catches her hand again, making her face him.

“Remember, how do we pet dogs again?” he reminds.

“We put our hand in front of their noses and let them come to us first!” she exclaims, jumping up and down.

“And what’s the other rule?”

“We wash our hands with soap and water so that dad doesn’t get the sneezies,” she recites from memory.

“Perfect!” Shōyō ruffles her hair, letting go of her hand. She runs toward the small dog hiding behind the tree, slowing down when she gets near him. Her hand is gently extended in front of her, and Shōyō beams as the dog hesitantly walks up to her. His smile widens as the dog licks her hand.

Natsu giggles as the dog continues to lick her fingers. She ruffles the dog’s head, but frowns cutely when she realizes the dog doesn’t have a collar.

“Niichan, he doesn’t have a home,” she mutters sadly, scratching behind his ears. Her older brother pats her head, silently conveying his sympathy.

“I wish we could take him home,” he mutters, extending his other hand out to the pit bull. The shy dog retreats a tiny bit before nuzzling its nose into his hand.

“He doesn’t have a name!” Natsu gasps, as if the whole world had come crashing down. Shōyō lets out a soft chuckle; he’d read her a bedtime story about how names were powerful and tied you to your identity, and she’d obviously taken the story to heart.

“He may have had a name,” he whispers, scratching the dog’s belly.

“No, Kouta, you can’t pet it!”

A shout makes both siblings look up to see a mom dragging a crying boy away from the small group of children who have gathered on the side. They’re watching on with curious eyes as they look back and forth between their mothers and the two siblings peacefully petting the pit bull.

“You can’t pet a dog without a collar!” Another shout drifts toward them and they turn to see a dad yelling at his child.

“Shhh, don’t worry. No one’s going to hurt you,” Natsu reassures the quivering puppy in front of her. Shōyō instinctively shields him and Natsu from the other’s views as they continue to pet the dog.

“Um, hello. Is this your dog?” A nice looking lady asks, but the near-possessive grip on her daughter’s hand says otherwise. Her daughter is close to Natsu’s age and seems desperate to pet the puppy.

Natsu and Shōyō share a look before the older smiles at the mom. “He’s completely harmless,” he replies cheerfully.

“But is he your dog?” she repeats, gripping her daughter’s hand tighter.

“Can I pet him? Please mom? Please?” the girl tugs at her mom’s sleeve but she doesn’t let go.

“I’m calling animal rescue,” the lady takes out her phone, watching the puppy in front of her with calculating eyes. She quickly types in a few things and swiftly puts the phone to her ear.

“Is this animal rescue?”

There’s a slight pause as the other side answers.

“Yes, there’s a stray pit bull at-”

“Jojo!!!” A loud shout makes everyone turn toward a small boy sprinting toward them. The pit bull’s ears perk up at the sound, and his tail wags happily.

“Jojo!!!” The boy runs over, scooping the small dog into his arms. Shōyō and Natsu take a step back, watching the reunion.

The woman stops talking on the phone, leaning down so that she’s level with the boy. “Is it your dog? Why doesn’t it have a collar? Why doesn’t it have a leash?” She bombards him with questions. Her voice is soft, but they can hear the underlying warning in her tone.

Shōyō can feel the boy’s anxiety level rising, he looks like he’s still in primary school, and he reflexively steps between them, smiling brightly up at the woman.

“I’m so glad he found his lost puppy,” He exclaims, shifting his smile toward the boy.

The boy beams back, hugging his dog to his chest. “Thank you so much for finding him! I’m so sorry for inconveniencing you all!” He bows toward them, and the lady looks lost for words. The boy quickly runs off with his dog, not allowing them to answer.

“Let’s go, Natsu.” Shōyō holds out his hand, letting Natsu grab it before walking away from the still frozen crowd.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Niichan?” Natsu whispers once they’ve passed the entrance of the park. Shōyō lets her hand go to pick up his bike, but gives her his full attention. “Is animal rescue bad?” she mutters, grabbing onto the bike seat.

“No, no, animal rescue is good. They rescue injured or lost animals,” Shōyō explains, but he knows his sister had wanted to ask a different question.

“Then why was everyone so scared of Jojo-kun? He was so nice!” She pouts.

Hinata contemplates his answer for a bit before replying, “People are scared of what they don’t know.” His grip tightens around his bike’s handlebars.

“So if Jojo-kun had a collar, then people wouldn’t have been scared of him?” she peers up at her older brother, still confused on why people could be so harsh to a puppy.

“Yeah, that might have helped a bit. But...” he trails off, his brain fumbling to find a better way to explain the concept of discrimination.

“Don’t people usually want to save lost puppies?” Natsu continues with her questions.

“The lady was trying to help him.” In her own way , he thinks, watching with wonder as Natsu’s eyebrows scrunch in concentration. He knows his sister is more perceptive than others, and is always curious as to what’s going through her mind.

“But she looked so... scared? It didn’t feel like she wanted to save him,” she whispers, her fingers clenching around the bike seat.

Shōyō lays a hand over hers, letting out a soft sigh. “Some people are mean to other people or animals just because of what they look like.”

Natsu gives him a confused look. “But why would they do that? You need to get to know them first before you can become friends!” she exclaims.

“That’s the thing, adults don’t have much spare time to get to know people. And they already have so many things jumbled up in their brains that they cling onto what they already know and tend to judge people by their looks since that’s the easiest thing to do,” Shōyō rambles.

“But... but...” She trails off, her feet slowing to a stop. Shōyō stops beside her, waiting patiently for her to continue. “... I never want to become an adult,” she whispers, curling her small hands into fists.

“Not all adults are like that,” Shōyō answers, “some adults are nice, and some are even as understanding and cheerful as kids are.”

“So I just need to grow up to be a nice adult!” Natsu concludes cheerfully. It’s amazing how easily she can go from sad to joyful, and her older brother follows along with a smile as she grabs a handle bar, helping to push the bike in front of her.

“Yup!” Shōyō watches on fondly as his little sister skips beside him. He believes wholeheartedly that Natsu will grow up to be a strong, compassionate adult, because who’s to say she doesn’t already have the best teacher?

He grins at the thought, skipping to the same beat as his sister.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Next day after school~

“So why is he trying to teach Kageyama science even though they both failed their quizzes?” Tsukishima scoffs, watching as Hinata’s arms flail about. The two boys look like they’re arguing, as usual.

“Hitoka-chan had to do something with Shimizu-senpai, so Hinata-kun’s teaching him since he scored one point higher than him,” Yamaguchi explains, walking toward them.

“Hey, Yamaguchi-”

“Do you guys need help studying?” Yamaguchi doesn’t hear Tsukishima, because he’s already by the oddball duo’s side, holding his notebooks under his arm.

“Yes!!! Kageyama won’t listen to me!!!” Hinata shouts, earning a few glares from the more studious people in the classroom.

“You’re a sucky teacher,” Kageyama complains, shutting his notebook.

“Well, I’d like to see you try!” Hinata challenges, rifling through loose papers. It looks like he ripped apart his notebook in a failed attempt to put his notes in order.

“Oh yeah? Yamaguchi!” Kageyama pulls a random chair up to their table. “You’ll help us decide who’s a better teacher!”

“I don’t think that’s-”

“I’m gonna win!!!” Hinata jumps out of his seat, holding his ruler in front of him like a sword.

“Oh, no you won’t!” Kageyama also jumps up with a ruler in hand.

“You still owe me ice cream from our last bet!” Hinata swings his sword in a mock battle.

“Then I bet you two ice creams that I’m a better teacher!” Kageyama blocks the attack, playing along perfectly.

Yamaguchi steals a glance at Tsukishima, silently asking for help, but the taller first year gives him a deadpan stare.

I guess I’ll just go along with their whims for today... Yamaguchi accepts his fate, sitting in the offered chair and watching the rather dramatic sword fight continue in front of him.

Chapter Text

~Volleyball locker room, after Saturday practice~

“Kageyama, how much longer are you gonna take?” Hinata asks, jumping around the cleaning setter.

“Five minutes,” Kageyama answers, carefully packing his supplies back in his bag. He slings it over his shoulder, barely avoiding bumping into Hinata as he strides toward his locker.

Hinata pouts, but quickly recovers as he bounds off toward the five second years who are still getting their stuff together.

Kageyama huffs in relief, sneaking a glance back at his distracted teammates before stuffing a box of salonpas in his bag. After Suga realized Kageyama was hiding an injury, surprisingly, instead of scolding him, he’d given him the box of salonpas. Kageyama had initially refused, but was quickly convinced to accept it, ignoring the pleased look from his senpai.

“Make sure to take care of yourself,” Suga had smiled, before walking out of the locker room with a wave.

Kageyama realizes a little too late that he hadn’t even thanked his senpai for the gift. Maybe I should buy him something in exchange? Or is that weird? And what would I buy him anyways?

He shuts his locker door with a loud ‘bang,’ but the sound isn’t enough to gain the attention of the chattering second years, plus the easily excitable spiker who is gesturing wildly with his arms.

“She said she wants to be a spiker just like me!” Hinata’s shout echoes toward him.

“Oh man, I want to meet your sister! She sounds super cool!” Tanaka exclaims.  

“Yeah, I’ve always wanted a little sister!” Noya shouts.

“I wish my little sister liked volleyball...” Kinoshita trails off, zipping up his volleyball bag.

“Yeah, your sister’s into soccer, isn’t she?” Narita pats him on the back.

“Didn’t you start off with soccer too? I’m sure she’ll play volleyball with you if you ask,” Ennoshita consoles, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sure she’ll listen to anything you say, Ennoshita- sama, ” Kinoshita smirks, nudging his friend in the ribs.

“Okay, that was one time . And usually girls want to be the princess, not the commoner who marries a prince,” Ennoshita returns Kinoshita’s smirk.

“That’s probably my fault actually,” Narita mutters sheepishly, capturing everyone’s surprised gaze. “I stayed over at Hisashi’s one night and he’d already fallen asleep so I had to read his sister a bedtime story.”

“And what did you read to her?” Hinata asks, leaning closer to Narita. Everyone joins him, eager to hear his answer.

“She wanted an original, so I made one up on the spot,” Narita confesses, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t think she’d remember it.”

“Thanks to you, I had to wear a crown all day. Do you know how embarrassing it was going to the park like that?” Ennoshita hides his face in his hands.

“Awww man, I totally wanted to see that!” Tanaka yells, putting an arm around Ennoshita’s shoulders.

“I have pictures,” Kinoshita grins, taking out his phone.

“No, you better not-!” Ennoshita lunges for his friend’s phone, but Kinoshita’s reflexes save him. He swiftly dodges as he continues to scroll through his photo gallery. “Found it!” he yells, throwing his phone toward Noya. The libero easily catches it, shoving the screen between Tanaka and his eager faces. Hinata jumps up and down, sneaking a look over their shoulders.

The bright screen shows a zoomed-in photo of Ennoshita in a dark navy button-up shirt buttoned to the very top, a thin, sparkly silver crown sitting on top of his head.

“Woah, just goes to show how you fit so well as a beautiful prince!” Tanaka howls with laughter.

“Yeah! I knew you were meant to be royalty!” Noya laughs along.

“Uwaaah! You look so cool, Ennoshita-senpai!” Hinata exclaims, his eyes sparkling.

Ennoshita quickly snatches Kinoshita’s phone out of Noya’s hand, clicking the delete button.

“No-!” Tanaka lunges forward, grabbing the phone and hugging it to his chest.

“I already deleted it,” Ennoshita smirks, his smirk widening at Tanaka’s pout.

“Do you really think I only have one?” Kinoshita grins, motioning for Tanaka to return his phone to him. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to send them all to you,” he winks at Tanaka, smiling when his phone is safely returned to him.

“You guys are so- Ugh-” Ennoshita flings his hands into the air, his fingers twitching in mock anger.

“You’re the best, bro!” Tanaka fist-bumps with Kinoshita, exchanging excited grins with Noya, Narita, and Hinata.

“You guys never play fair,” Ennoshita mutters, swinging his bag over his shoulder.

“Hey! At least you got to be the prince! I had to be her horse for the whole day!” Narita complains, also swinging his bag over his shoulder. Hinata, Tanaka, and Noya fail to hold in their laughter, unfazed by Narita’s playful glare.

“My sister likes sitting on your shoulders since you’re the tallest out of us three,” Kinoshita shrugs, picking up his bag. He quickly stuffs his phone into it, making sure to keep an eye on Ennoshita.

“I’m not gonna steal it. It’s not like I know your password, anyways,” Ennoshita huffs, crossing his arms.

“Don’t believe him, Hisashi! He hacked my laptop yesterday when I told him I downloaded that knew video editor thing he’s always wanted!” Tanaka shouts.

“I wanted to try it out myself! And your password’s so easy to crack!” Ennoshita argues.

“I would’ve let you use it if you asked!” Tanaka shouts back, draping an arm around Ennoshita’s back. “Come on, I’ll show you all the features at my house!”

Ennoshita’s eyes sparkle before switching into a hard gaze. “You guys need to finish your homework before we do anything fun.”

“Awww, come on Chikara, one day of rest won’t do much harm,” Noya complains, joining his bro on Ennoshita’s other side.

“Besides, we only have math homework and that’s due on Monday,” Narita comments.

“Hey, let’s get sushi on the way. I’m starving,” Kinoshita changes the subject, pulling his bag over one shoulder.

“You just want the pickled ginger!” Ennoshita argues, striding toward the door.

“Hinata! Kageyama! You guys wanna come?” Tanaka offers. The five second years turn toward the two, smiles blooming on all their faces.

“Kageyama already promised to get me ice cream today!” Hinata yells, bounding over to the setter sitting on the bench.

“Oooh, I see, I see,” Tanaka teases, exchanging grins with Noya.

“Stop it you two,” Ennoshita smacks his friend’s backs, before smiling at his two underclassmen. “Stay safe and have fun.” He waits for Kageyama and Hinata to nod before he leads Tanaka and Noya outside with minimal protest, followed by Kinoshita and Narita.

“So, Kageyama, are you ready-”

“Oh, don’t forget to lock the door behind you,” Tanaka sticks his head in, winks, and is promptly yanked back out by a scolding Ennoshita. “Hey, I was just reminding them to lock the door when they leave!” They can hear Tanaka’s complaint through the thin walls.

“Yeah, right.” They hear the exasperation in Ennoshita’s voice as their upperclassmen’s footsteps fade into nothing.

“Kageyama, let’s go!” Hinata grabs onto Kageyama’s arm, pulling him toward the doorway.

“Wait, I need to get my bag-”

“Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s-!” Hinata is stopped mid-jump by a sharp glare. “I-I’m not scared of you!” He raises both hands and gets into a defensive stance, playfully pouting at the setter.

“Just give me a minute to find my wallet.”

“Okay. Zero, one, two, three-”

“Zero doesn’t count as a number, boke,” Kageyama mutters, shoving his wallet into his pocket. He zips up his bag, and swings it over his shoulder.

“But my microwave counts down to zero!” Hinata shouts, bounding over to the exit.

Kageyama follows close behind, unable to hold back a scowl. “That doesn’t mean it counts!”

“That’s rude to the zeros!”

Kageyama gives him a look between shock and irritation.

“Apologize to them!”

“What?!” Kageyama looks up from locking the door, surprised to see Hinata’s eyes glimmering with determination.

“Apologize to all the zeros you offended!”

I- What?! Kageyama’s eyebrows furrow as he searches Hinata’s gaze. There’s no hint of a joke in his expression. “Why should I?”

“Zeros are always overlooked and forgotten. Don’t you feel sorry for them?” Hinata yells, going down the stairs two steps at a time.

How can you feel sorry for a number? Kageyama shakes his head. “How are they overlooked?”

“They aren’t exactly overlooked, but... hated on, you know? No one likes zeros.”

“No one wants a zero on a test,” Kageyama agrees, nodding.

“But when zeros are put after a number, people finally find importance in them,” Hinata’s eyes sparkle as he continues muttering, “It’s like the context or perspective changes? But people fail to realize that if we didn’t have the concept of ‘nothing’ then we wouldn’t be able to have ‘things.’”

Kageyama stays silent, unsure of how to answer.

“Woah, I said something super cool, didn’t I? Hey, did you get all that down, Kageyama-kun?” Hinata sings, running over to his bike excitedly.

“I bet you heard that from one of the senpai,” Kageyama smirks at Hinata’s pout.

“But it’s true, isn’t it?”

“What is?” Kageyama thought he’d gotten used to Hinata’s swift mood changes, but he can never get used to his serious expression.

“Zeros are important. They’re the transition point, the important addition... the secret VIP!” Hinata looks up from unlocking his bike.

“Do you even know what VIP stands for?” Kageyama sighs, grabbing the handles of Hinata’s bike, and pulling it out of the bike rack before the other can protest.

“Very important person!” Hinata holds onto the other side, helping the setter push his bike.

“Numbers aren’t people!”

“Then, zeros are VINs!”

“Very important numbers?” Kageyama asks, his eyebrows rising when Hinata nods. “Then what about the other numbers?”

“Hm?”

“You’re leaving out all the other numbers.”

They make it past the school gate, unconsciously heading toward the same ice cream shop they’d gone to last time.

“The other numbers already receive enough attention! Give zeros a chance!” Hinata puts his hands on his hips, smirking when Kageyama fumbles to hold up the bike’s shift of weight. “Things lose their specialness if you try to include too many things with them. And Coach Ukai always tells me to focus on the things that are the most important.”

“That’s because your attention span is all over the place.”

“Anyways, zeros are important!”

“So, are zeros your favorite number?”

Hinata stays silent, turning away sheepishly.

“Then you shouldn’t be-”

“My favorite numbers are 4, 9, and 10,” Hinata announces proudly. “And zero is included in 10, so-”

“Why 4 and 9?” Kageyama redirects the conversation.

“What?”

“Why 4 and 9?” Kageyama repeats, putting emphasis on the second number.

“My birthdate fortune book said my lucky numbers are 4 and 10!”

“They why 9?”

“I dunno, I just really like it...?” Hinata trails off, peeking up at the taller boy.

Kageyama seems lost in thought for a while before his smirk returns. “You’re still jealous of me getting a lower number than you.”

“Nuh-uh! You’re jealous I got the small giant’s number and you didn’t!”

“That’s why you’re so stuck on the number zero. It’s cuz your number has a zero in it,” Kageyama mutters, ignoring Hinata’s yelling.

“No! I really do think zero deserves more attention!”

“Then why do you like 9?”

Hinata drops his gaze to the ground, watching as a small crow takes off towards the clouds. “I just do okay? And you still owe me ice cream, so we really should get to it,” Hinata mutters, turning away to hide his blush.

Shoot, I almost forgot about that. Kageyama reflexively pats the wallet in his pocket, trying to remember how much money he has left. I still have some emergency money, so even if I run out, I’ll be-

“You okay, Kageyama?” Hinata peers up into Kageyama’s face, poking at the furrow between his brow. “You’ve been really weird lately.” His expression turns into one of concern.

“Yeah, it’s just getting really cold,” Kageyama comments, eyeing Hinata’s thin jacket and shorts.

“Awww, you’re worried about me? Thanks, Kageyama-kun,” Hinata teases, bumping his shoulder against the other’s side.

“I’m not-! You really need to wear thicker jackets!” Kageyama yells, pulling one arm out of his jacket while gripping the bike handle tighter. Hinata instantly gets the message, shoving his arm through the sleeve.

“I really wanted to say this last time, but it’s kinda hard to walk like this,” Hinata mutters, looking up at the taller boy.

“Then you don’t need to-”

“No!” Hinata grabs both sides of the open jacket, pulling them towards his chest and trapping Kageyama’s arm between his hands. They stumble a bit, but Kageyama somehow manages to catch the bike seat before the whole bike topples over.

“You’re always so warm,” Hinata mumbles as though it came as a surprise. One hand snakes around to join Kageyama’s on the bike.

“And your body heat’s like a kid’s,” Kageyama quips, resisting the urge to intertwine their fingers.

Hinata pouts, but ignores Kageyama’s teasing. “You’d think you’d be cold with your icy blue eyes and your cold shoulder, but you might actually be warmer than me.”

“I’m not cold!” Kageyama argues.

“Yeah, you’re warm and comfy,” Hinata snuggles closer to Kageyama’s chest, laughing as Kageyama stumbles again.

“Hey, why don’t we just ride this to the shop?” Kageyama asks, using his question as an excuse to squeeze Hinata’s hand.

Hinata’s exaggerated gasp makes him look down at the other. “My, my, Kageyama-kun. I didn’t know you were such a bad boy,” Hinata sings, locking eyes with the other. “Even if you were the one pedaling, I don’t think we’d fit in one seat.”

“Then you can just sit in my lap,” Kageyama suggests.

Hinata’s face blooms red, rivaling his bright orange hair.

Oh shit, shit shit! Kageyama’s face combusts into a tomato as he realizes the implications of his instinctive comment.

An awkward silence is about to take over, but Hinata saves them, muttering, “Um, if you really want to, then...”

“What?!” Kageyama jumps, pulling his hand away from the bike as if he’d touched a freezing pole.

“Hey, you don’t need to be that surprised,” Hinata mumbles, struggling to hold up the bike with one hand. Kageyama hesitates before returning his hand to the bike seat, his fingers twitching as Hinata covers them with his own.

“Your hands are getting cold. You need to make sure to keep them warm,” Hinata mutters, rubbing them gently.

“You need to keep your hands warm, too,” Kageyama replies, his fingers gliding over the other’s. Hinata takes that as a silent message to temporarily ignore what just transpired.

“You need to more .” Hinata increases his vigor, trying to outdo the setter.

“It’s your right hand,” Kageyama states, also increasing his massaging speed.

Their hands continue to dance with each other as they head toward where they think the ice cream shop is.

It isn’t until fifteen minutes later when Hinata looks up and realizes he doesn’t recognize his surroundings anymore. “Hey Kageyama?”

Hinata’s question makes Kageyama stop alongside him. “What?”

“I think we already passed by the ice cream shop,” Hinata mutters, still grinning over his victory. He’d managed to catch Kageyama’s hand under his own, and no matter how much the setter twists his hand, there’s no way to escape.

“Then we should just head back,” Kageyama answers, but not without a hint of hesitation.

Hinata doesn’t miss the reluctance in the other’s voice. “Hey, why don’t we just go to that park near Karasuno?”

“Didn’t you really want to get ice cream?” Kageyama asks, turning them around so that they’re heading back towards the shop.

“But you don’t want me to get cold, do you?” Hinata squeezes Kageyama’s hand tightly.

“Fine. But you better not complain about me still owing you ice cream, later,” Kageyama huffs. He switches directions again, leading Hinata along the narrowing sidewalk.

“Hey, but you do! You’re just gonna have to get me some when it’s warmer!”

“Not if I get a higher score on our next history test,” Kageyama smirks.

“I’ve actually been studying for history a lot more!” Hinata exclaims proudly.

“Not as much as me.”

“I’m gonna win!”

“Not if I don’t let you!”

“But I-” Hinata abruptly stops again, looking both ways. “Hey, do you know where we’re going?”

“Nope,” Kageyama confesses, then feels Hinata’s head hit his chest. “I thought you knew where you were going!” Kageyama accuses, carefully guiding Hinata to the end of the sidewalk.

“I thought you knew where we were going. I’ve only really gone to that park straight from school, so I don’t know any other routes,” Hinata admits.

“So we’re lost,” Kageyama whispers. Again.

“We could retrace our steps to get back to school?” Hinata suggests. Kageyama gives him a surprised look, as though he didn’t expect Hinata to suggest something so intelligent.

“They did that in this one detective movie I watched last week. They were trying to figure out where the kidnapper took the girl,” Hinata explains, turning them around once again.

“You like detective movies?” Kageyama’s surprised expression doesn’t fade.

“Not really, but my dad does. He especially likes those old yakuza and police movies, even though the effects are really bad,” Hinata’s nose scrunches up in reminiscence.

“Your dad sounds really cool,” Kageyama comments, successfully pushing down his anxiety. 

Hinata immediately perks up, starting a long narrative to 'prove his dad's awesomeness.' 

Kageyama's had enough experience to push away all thoughts about his own dad, allowing him to immerse himself in Hinata’s stories about his family.

He's infinitely grateful that Hinata doesn’t ask him about his own.

~~~~~~~~~

~On their way to Tanaka’s house~

“Hey Chikara, is there something bothering you?” Tanaka asks, knowing it’s better to be straightforward when talking to Ennoshita.

“Why do you ask?” Ennoshita stalls, glancing behind him to see his other three friends giving them a considerable amount of space. He holds back a frown, his lips tightening into a twitching line.

“You’ve been really spacey for the past week or so. You know you can tell us if you have any worries,” Tanaka reassures, wrapping an arm around his friend’s shoulder.

Shoot, have I been that obvious? Ennoshita sneaks another glance back, catching Kinoshita’s worried gaze. I guess I have.

“Chikara?” Tanaka twists to face Ennoshita.

Ryuu’s always been overly perceptive when it comes to feelings, too. Ugh, how can I get out of this?

“Is there something bothering you about school?”

“No.”

“Friends?”

“Nope.”

“Volleyball?”

Ennoshita hesitates for a second, before answering, “No.”

“So it is volleyball.”

“No, it has nothing to do with-”

“If you’re thinking about quitting again, Noya and I will-”

“I’m not thinking about quitting. Ever. Never gonna happen again,” Ennoshita promises quickly, wanting, no needing to wipe the anguished look off of Tanaka’s face.

“Then what is it?” Tanaka’s nose scrunches in confusion as his mind whirls, trying to figure out what has Ennoshita so distracted.

“I can’t tell you,” Ennoshita whispers, unsure of how else to answer.

“What, why?!” Tanaka pulls away from him, unable to hide the anger in his voice.

“Hey, what’s wrong Ryuu?” Noya jumps in between them, trying to placate Tanaka.

“Chikara won’t tell me what’s wrong with him!” Tanaka shouts indignantly, shoving his hands in his pants pockets.

“Nothing’s wrong!” Ennoshita lies, turning away from his friend’s accusing stares. “Okay fine, nothing isn’t wrong, but it kinda is since it was sorta resolved, but things are too complicated and I can’t-”

“Is this something between you, Daichi-san and Suga-san?” Kinoshita asks, jumping when Ennoshita’s head whips up to face him.

“How did you know?” Ennoshita’s eyes narrow at his friend.

“You wouldn’t be this secretive if it wasn’t,” Narita answers for his friend, smiling reassuringly.

“Man, you could have just said that from the beginning!” The tense atmosphere is broken by Tanaka’s relieved laughter. “Come on, we’re gonna have to wait even longer if we don’t run!”

Tanaka takes off in a sprint toward a random direction.

“Hey, the sushi store’s this way!” Kinoshita calls after him.

“I thought we were going to get ramen!” Noya shouts, running after them.

“The sushi place’s closer!” Narita yells, struggling to catch up.

Ennoshita shakes his head, but a soft smile blooms on his face as he runs to catch up with his friends.