Daichi turned –

His eyes met Asahi’s before they found Suga’s. Both looked as disturbed as he felt. Daichi felt a blister of anger more towards  himself than at anyone else. What the hell has been going on? And right now, they were in the middle of a practice match and Hinata was acting like a soldier in the Trojan war. All eyes were on number 10, shaking with rage.

Daichi stepped forward and gently placed a hand on the ginger’s shoulder.

‘Hinata,’ he said softly.

Iwaizumi stared, confused at first but then his own response center kicked in –

He took a step forward but an arm blocked his path.

Oikawa.

The setter had his back to Seijoh’s ace.

‘Let me handle this,’ the captain said.

All the while, number 1 had his eyes on Hinata, an unreadable expression on his face. No smirk, no smile, he hadn’t shrugged it off either. And considering the strange interactions between the setter and Karasuno’s number 9 and 10 earlier on well… 

Iwaizumi was certain.

‘Did number 10 just yell at Iwa?’

‘Why does he look so angry?’

‘Iwa called Oikawa a nickname.’

‘Is that it? Funny.’

‘I didn’t realise Karasuno had a fan, Oikawa.’

Seijoh laughed while Daichi tried to calm a riotous Hinata, who still hadn’t taken his gaze off the ace. But Iwaizumi’s attention was on Oikawa, who was quietly watching the spectacle in front of him with a passive expression, calculating the best thing to do next.

Well. They were going to find out sooner or later.

‘As soon as this match is over, we need to have a talk,’ Daichi hissed. ‘But for now you need to focus purely on the game. Not on  anything else. Lets play!’ Daichi called, spurring the game on.

Kageyama was euphoric, flying, high like the wind beneath the wings of a thousand crows –

Now everyone will know. And they’ll stop this. It means I haven’t betrayed Hinata because Hinata betrayed himself. It ends now. It ends today. He’ll come back to me. Kageyama peered at his spiker, who was glowering at Seijoh’s ace. But… what Iwaizumi said… do you really care… that much?

‘Tsukishima! Your serve!’

Suga watched as the game continued. As Kageyama kept flubbing his sets. As Hinata was so worked up he missed several times. Daichi and Asahi too were on edge and Nishinoya was still on top form but Suga could tell he had to fight to keep his mind on the ball and not on what everyone was wondering right now… Suga went over the facts again: Hinata and Oikawa at the fair yesterday. Oikawa had ruffled his hair. They kept looking at each other on the court especially when Hinata was about to serve. And when he did, Oikawa looked proud of him. Not only that  but –

Kageyama.

Kageyama had tried to say something earlier this week about Hinata’s serves improving.

So.

Suga felt like a fool for not seeing it sooner.

That’s what’s been going on. And this whole time. Kageyama knew…

He turned to look at coach who was watching the game like a hawk. Why hadn’t he called them out yet? 7-2 to Seijoh. This was a disaster. It  was only a practice match and yet… it felt like the finals.

‘Why hasn’t coach called Hinata or Kageyama out?’ Yamaguchi asked. ‘They’re making… a lot of mistakes.’

‘I don’t know,’ Suga truthfully replied.

Coach Keishin watched from the bench. If this wasn’t a practice match he knew what he would do. But. These two knuckleheads needed to find a way to overcome whatever had got them bent out of shape in the first  place. Prove to me I should keep you in. Prove to me you’re stronger than this.

Then. 9-4 to Seijoh. Then. They hit double digits. Finally. A timeout.

‘Hinata,’ coach began.

‘I’m sorry!’ Hinata bowed low. ‘I’ll try harder! It won’t happen again.’

‘Hinata earlier on what was all that about?’ Nishinoya asked. ‘It sounded like you were sticking up for Oikawa.’

Hinata could not look anyone in the eye right now. He felt mortified but still… he didn’t regret what he said.

‘Noya!’ Daichi shook his head at the libero, signaling him to cut it out.

‘Huh?’

‘You two, come over here,’ coach took Hinata and Kageyama to the side, away from the other players. ‘I don’t want to take you guys out. But if you can’t get a hold of yourselves emotionally, mentally, whatever it is that’s going on then I’m going to have to. Get it together.’

‘Yes sir!’ they both replied, without looking at each other.

But.

13-6 to Seijoh. A seven point gap. The whistle. Kageyama wasn’t even surprised.

‘Don’t feel bad,’ Suga put a hand on his shoulder, ‘we just need to try something different.’

Kageyama sat down on the bench, wringing his towel between his hands. Like a magnet, his eyes went to Oikawa. He was by the net. Right in front of Hinata. And of course. The two of them were looking at each other.

‘Chibi-chan.’

Hinata almost jumped out of his skin. He wasn’t expecting that they’d interact during the game. He gawped at Oikawa who was staring pointedly  at him.

‘You want to beat me,’ Oikawa said, his voice low, ‘you want to beat Iwa-chan. But you’re not alone.’

Hinata gazed into those purple-brown eyes, a crease forming on his forehead. What did Oikawa mean?

Focus, Oikawa seemed to say, on your team.

Hinata’s eyes lit up in realisation.

‘Hinata!’ Suga beckoned him over.

Oikawa watched his heart run over to the kind-looking setter. He glanced over at his arch nemesis benched and smirked. Sure. Good riddance if they took Kageyama out but if they took the shorty out then  it’d be no fun. And they were about to. That was the problem with first years. They couldn’t control their emotions. And Hinata especially wore his heart on his sleeve. If he continued with his focus on Oikawa, or with that burrowing resentment for Iwa-chan that was still apparent, it would get him nowhere.

‘Alright lets do this!’ Hinata high-tenned Suga.

It seemed to have worked. This older number 11 combined with Hinata now paying more attention to his teammates brought the score 15-10 to Seijoh. Still. 18-14. 19-16. Karasuno were closing the gap. But.

‘Give it to them Oikawa!’

Oikawa unapologetically glanced in Hinata’s direction. He knew that by now, from their initial interactions on court followed by Hinata’s eruption, some people probably suspected they were connected in some way. And Oikawa wasn’t going to deny it. Oikawa could not help feeling a pleased pull in his navel that whenever his eyes fell on the little crow, Hinata was already looking at him. Like now.

I did say… I would beat you.

Oikawa tossed the ball up. Jumped. And with all his energy, all his concentration, all his might, slammed it to the very back of the other side of the court just before the line.

20-16.

‘Another one of those!’

This time it was a feint towards Hinata, who managed to receive it, but the ball bounced into the net.

21-16.

‘Finish them off Oikawa!’

But Daichi dug it up this time. It didn’t matter. Kindaichi took the point. 22-16.

22-17. 22-18. 22-19. Kindaichi, Kunimi and Oikawa blocked Asahi. 23-19.

‘We can still take it back!’ Daichi yelled.

‘Yeah!’ Karasuno cheered.

Iwaizumi served. Nishinoya received. Suga set to Tsukishima who did a feint but Watari got under it and sent it to Maki who set for –

Oikawa smacked it down.

24-19.

Hinata stared. His body tingled.

He’s so… amazing.

‘Just one more point guys!’ Oikawa yelled.

‘Yeah!’

Oikawa.

‘Serve them a good one Matsukawa!’

Marked me.

Nishinoya got it.

I’m his.

‘Suga!’

I belong to this amazing setter.

Hinata ran like he was bouncing on springs just before the ball reached Suga’s hands. All the way to the other end of the net. The ball  left Suga’s fingertips. Hinata jumped –

‘Uhhhh!’

He felt the sting in his palm. He saw the wall. Out of the corner of his eye, the ball moved behind him, hitting the floor.

The whistle rang twice.

25-19 to Seijoh.

Seijoh celebrated while Karasuno hung their heads in defeat. The coaches went to talk to each other.

As Seijoh high fived, and Karasuno were about to huddle, Oikawa turned –

Hinata had not left. He was still facing the net, staring at Oikawa.

Oikawa could see it all – every emotion on that crow’s face. He was angry and frustrated with himself, and would blame himself for flunking  that last shot but also – Hinata had golden admiration in his eyes as he gazed up at Oikawa, having now witnessed the full capabilities of the setter.

Oikawa half-grinned with reassurance in his eyes. Good game chibi-chan.

And Hinata, although deflated, managed a tiny smile back.

Suddenly, that dark creature, out of the corner of Oikawa’s eye,  loomed onto the scene. It approached Hinata and now, looking directly at  Oikawa –

Kageyama draped an arm around Hinata’s shoulders and roughly hugged the spiker to him.

‘Kageyama! What are you -?’ Hinata tried to push Kageyama off but the setter was too strong for him.

Oikawa could not hide the blaze of anger that took over every feature of his body and face. Kageyama wasn’t even looking at Hinata; his eyes were only on the upperclassman. He was purely doing it to piss Oikawa off.

That fucking sad loser –

‘Kageyama get off me!’

Oikawa took a step forward. But a hand grabbed his arm. 

Oikawa watched as Hinata wrestled and ducked himself free, hurling insults and harmless punches at the setter. Hinata’s fist collided with Kageyama’s  chest. The setter didn’t even flinch. Kageyama smirked at Oikawa as if he had won the match. Hinata, flushed and breathless, glanced over at Oikawa apologetically.

‘Oikawa.’ Iwaizumi’s voice. ‘A word. Now.’

The clouds had clashed. It was raining again. Everyone had gone home –  Karasuno’s coach had left, the coaches had gone, and so had the rest of  the team – except Oikawa and Iwaizumi, who were the only ones left on the premises, outside, under shelter by the science building, at the far end of the school where they’d gone straight after the game. The rain pelted the ground like pellets.

‘So you owe him,’ Iwazumi said, after hearing what Oikawa had to say.  ‘He saved you, probably ballooned his hero complex along the process, and you taught him how to serve. Makes sense. He has a lot of respect for you as a setter, and he’s one of their star spikers so you respect that too; I know you’ve always had a fascination with that freak quick so why wouldn’t you agree? You taught him in secret, Kageyama found out  and now he’d mad. That’s all there is to it, right?’

Oikawa was too tired to stand but too restless to sit so there he was leaning on the side of the wall, staring down at Iwa-chan’s shoes.

‘So that’s it,’ Iwaizumi pressed. ‘You managed to repay your rescuer and piss off number two on your shit list at the same time. Double win.’

Oikawa still hadn’t looked him in the eye. Iwaizumi swallowed and clenched his fists. Oikawa had presented the story in a perfect bundle. But. Iwa was just there, he saw every glance, every prolonger stare… The way they had looked at each other… They practically couldn’t keep their eyes off each other… He could still not shake that image out of his head: Kageyama putting his arm around number 10, and Oikawa about to go over there…

‘You’re friends. You said so yourself – you both helped each other through the earthquake and the blackout. And don’t think I didn’t notice that he was wearing your knee brace. Anyone would bond after going through something like that. I get it.’

Oikawa finally brought his face up and locked eyes with Iwaizumi.

Fuck no.

No.

No.

And no.

Iwaizumi stared back at his best friend since childhood and knew.

‘You don’t get it at all,’ Oikawa said softly.

Wrong answer.

Iwaizumi briefly closed his eyes. That feeling like a cloak of dread  that had been hovering over his shoulders, closer and closer, throughout the match, every time he caught Oikawa and Hinata gazing at each other, finally fell down.

‘Are you fucking kidding me?’ Iwaizumi uttered under his breath. ‘Are you out of your fucking mind?’

‘It’s nothing concrete -’

‘What that dumb kid from a rival school -!’

‘He’s not dumb.’

There it was: eyes like bonfires. Finally. A flicker of Oikawa’s true emotions. Iwaizumi grabbed Oikawa’s shoulders, making him stand up  straight.

‘Listen to me. You have to get a hold of yourself. Karasuno will have your head if they find out you’ve been messing around with one of their first years -’

‘It’s not like it’s one way. The feeling’s mutual -’

‘Oikawa!’

‘Nothing you say is going to change anything -’

BOOF!

Iwaizumi’s fist collided with Oikawa’s right temple making the setter stagger into the rain –

‘Quit screwing around! I know you’ve had obsessions in the past but this one you have to let go – now! If this gets out… you with a Karasuno first year… it’s going to look really bad on you and on us, as a team and as a school. If something happens, and that scrawny pretty boy changes his mind and turns against you, things could get ugly. It’ll be nothing but trouble. For all you know he’s playing you for your setter abilities. Whatever weird twisted fantasy you have playing out in your mind, it’s not going to happen. There are too many things at  stake. You need to drop it. Stop seeing him. The sooner the better.’

Iwaizumi marched past Oikawa and into the rain. Oikawa turned and  watched the angry back of his best friend. The droplets attached themselves, to Oikawa’s hair, his skin, his shirt, in love. The sky was crying. But the clouds had merged and they would not separate.

‘Well Iwa…’ Oikawa whispered. ‘It’s too late for that.’

The rain knocked gently on the club room windows, as if it was  apprehensive about interfering. Daichi, Suga and Asahi sat cross-legged opposite a cross-legged Hinata on the club room floor. The ginger was  looking down, staring at the space between them. If ever Daichi had felt like an adult or a parent, it was in this very moment. He took a deep  breath.

‘Look, Hinata. You’re not in trouble, OK? We’re just trying to understand something here because we want to make sure you’re alright.’

Still the kid didn’t look up.

‘You stuck up for Oikawa during the match and the two of you kept looking at each other throughout. Towards the end, across the net, he said something to you, didn’t he?’

No response.

‘Didn’t he?’ Daichi pressed.

Reluctant, Hinata nodded.

‘What did he say?’

‘He told me to focus on my team,’ Hinata mumbled.

Daichi, Suga and Asahi glanced at each other. Oikawa was helping him?

‘So obviously there is some kind of connection between the two of you, right? Especially as he taught you how to serve.’

Hinata’s head snapped up and he met Daichi’s eyes.

So, Daichi thought, Suga was right.

‘Kageyama told you,’ Hinata whispered.

‘What?’ Ah. So he knew. Suga was right again. Daichi felt both Suga and Asahi on either side, look at him. Everything was beginning to make  sense. ‘No. He didn’t tell us. Suga worked it out today during the  match.’

Hinata peeked at Suga in reverential respect.

‘Asahi saw you both at the fair yesterday.’ Daichi continued.

Hinata’s mouth fell open and all the colour drained out of him. Terrified, he looked at Asahi. ‘Huh? You saw us -?’

‘Er, I saw you both, walking around, near the banana boat, you were carrying a bunny I think,’ Asahi explained, avoiding the first year’s gaze, as nervous as Hinata felt.

Roses had bloomed on Hinata’s cheeks. He closed his mouth and looked  to Daichi. Daichi dreaded what would come next but it had to be said and it had to be done.

‘Does he ask you questions about Karasuno or the team? About how we train or play?’ Daichi asked.

Hinata frowned. ‘No.’

Daichi swallowed. He looked to Suga for help.

‘Does Oikawa buy you things?’ Suga stepped in. ‘Regularly. Like bring you stuff.’

Hinata screwed up his face in concentration and seemed to give it up some serious thought. ‘I… I don’t know.’

‘Has he ever bought you something really expensive?’

‘No.’

‘Does he keep giving you gifts?’

‘No,’ Hinata frowned, annoyed and confused. ‘I don’t understand why you’re asking me all these -’

‘Does he make you feel uncomfortable?’

‘No! Why would he?’ Hinata’s hands balled into fists in his lap.

‘Does he ever… suggest you to do things… things that you don’t want to do?’

‘WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ALL OF YOU?!’

Hinata was on his feet, his eyes like wild fire, his face like magma, his being like an earthquake. The third years fell back, thunderstruck.

‘Why does everyone, all the time, you, Kageyama, Iwaizumi, always make out Oikawa-san to be some kind of horrible weird disgusting person when he is the most amazing person I’ve ever met!? He has been nothing but kind and caring to me ever since the earthquake and I’m sick and tired of people saying otherwise when none of you even know him! If he hadn’t taken care of me maybe I wouldn’t be able to play volleyball  right now or maybe I would’ve died or been stuck alone in Sendai! So I don’t care what any of you have to say because I know it’s not true!’

Silence.

The rain clapped on the window like applause. Daichi stared up at the warrior-like Hinata, a soldier protecting a king. Hinata was the most worked up Daichi had ever seen him and, boring down on them in rage, he cut for an intimidating figure. Daichi glanced at Asahi who was staring in awe at the redhead. Suga met Daichi’s eyes and the two of them seemed  to be thinking the same thing.

‘So… the earthquake,’ Suga tore his gaze away from Daichi and put it on Hinata. ‘That’s how you came to know Oikawa?’

But Hinata still looked like he was ready to punch someone.

‘Hinata,’ Daichi cooed, ‘look, I’m sorry. Maybe we jumped too far ahead. I’m sorry if we made assumptions about Oikawa.’

Finally, the redhead seemed to calm a bit. Hinata blinked and took some deep breaths.

‘So Oikawa looked after you?’ Daichi proffered. ‘After the earthquake?’

Hinata’s stance slightly relaxed. He nodded. ‘He bandaged my leg  because it was bleeding and he gave me his knee brace because I fell on my knee.’

So that’s why he keeps wearing that thing. But. It still  didn’t add up. Maybe Daichi was being judgmental but Oikawa just didn’t seem the type to heal and care for a rival out of the goodness of his heart. There was still something missing. Daichi made brief eye contact with Suga again.

‘So Oikawa was fine and he took you in because you were bleeding?’ Suga asked. ‘He felt sorry for you?’

Daichi closed his eyes; even he could hear the disbelief in Suga’s voice and hoped the little crow hadn’t noticed.

‘No his hands were full of blood and glass. And the whole of his right side hit the floor.’

‘Gee what happened to you guys during the earthquake?’ Suga’s face was full of concern. ‘You never really talked about it but it sounds quite traumatic.’

‘Did you and Oikawa fall on something? Is that why you were both so injured?’

‘I pushed him, out the way, that’s why he fell on his right side and that’s why I fell on my front.’

‘Out of the way of what?’

‘A falling chandelier.’

Bingo. There it was. The missing piece to the puzzle. He saved Oikawa’s life.

‘A falling chandelier,’ Suga repeated in a dream-like voice.

‘And the earthquake was still happening so then Oikawa-san put me on his back and crawled through glass to get us to a safe spot under a table and that’s why his hands were bleeding.’

‘Wow.’

‘I – I didn’t know,’ Asahi stuttered, ‘that Oikawa was such a good person!’

‘Are you crying?’ Daichi gaped.

‘No I’m not!’

Suga exhaled. ‘It really sounds like a lot. So then he offered to teach you how to serve?’

‘He said he felt indebted to me and that I could ask for something so I asked him to teach me how to serve.’

Finally. Daichi breathed a sigh of relief. It all made sense.

‘So you and Seijoh’s captain became friends huh,’ Daichi said but he didn’t notice the blush form on Hinata’s cheeks. ‘What an unlikely pairing,’ he chuckled. ‘Kageyama must be mad.’

‘Is that why Kageyama’s been off? Because he knew Oikawa was teaching you how to serve?’ Suga looked at Hinata.

Hinata pursed his lips and nodded.

‘But does Kageyama know all this? Did you explain what happened during the earthquake?’

‘Not directly,’ Hinata mumbled.

‘Hinata! You need to communicate with him. No wonder he’s in such a state he’s probably really worried about you and we were really worried too. But now that we understand the situation better and can see how highly you think of Oikawa… it makes sense why you stuck up for him during the match. You need to talk to Kageyama, OK?’

Hinata nodded.

‘And we all need to get something to eat!’ Daichi said, standing up.

The third years commended Hinata for his bravery as they locked up  the club room and joked how they wouldn’t have done the same if they’d seen Oikawa standing under a falling chandelier. Hinata knew it was said in jest but underneath, the thought of anyone leaving Oikawa in a  dangerous or life-threatening scenario made his skin crawl and his blood boil.

It was drizzling outside but the rain was getting heavier. As the third years walked Hinata to his bike, they all stopped as they noticed –  opposite, in a sheltered archway, stood a waiting black-haired boy. Hinata saw him too.

‘Remember what I said,’ Suga leaned in and whispered. ‘You need to talk to him.’

Hinata nodded.

The third years left.

Hinata turned. Their eyes met.

Already, Hinata knew, this time… it would be different.