in my feels

by asakurablossoms

Summary:

Hinata Shouyou is tired of chasing after someone who wasn't even waiting for her in the first place. After trying to move on, will she finally find someone who doesn't see her as a distraction?

Chapter 1

Notes:

hi! this is my first time writing fanfic. i'm more of a reader and not much of a writer, but i hope you enjoy. this idea came to me in the middle of the night one day and i literally couldn't sleep lol. i was inspired by this one tweet i saw where it talked about how hinata had to always ask for tosses but atsumu promises to one day set for him. hinata is a female in this fic and will not be a pro volleyball player. this is an AU fic and characters might be very ooc at times so i hope you guys don't get upset!

Hinata Shouyou had her first kiss at the age of 17, when she was a second year at Karasuno. Hinata and Kageyama Tobio, her best friend/rival, had a grueling practice match against Date Tech. They decided to treat themselves to meat buns from Sakonoshita Market. The sun was setting and the sky was colored in various shades of red and orange. Hinata and Kageyama were walking side by side, the latter struggling to keep up with the taller boy’s long strides.

“But Kageyamaaaaaaa,” Hinata whines, “why didn’t you toss to me in the last set? I totally could’ve gotten the last point and spike the ball down like whaam!”

Kageyama scoffs. The tall boy looks down at her with an eyebrow raised and says, “Shut up, dumbass. You acted as a decoy and we still got the point. Even if you’re not the one spiking the ball, it still doesn’t mean that you didn’t get us the point, remember?”

“I was right there though! I’m always here, ready for the ball, you know that!” Hinata exclaims.

Suddenly, Kageyama comes to an abrupt stop and Hinata turns around, puzzled. Kageyama’s face was turned in a grimace and his face reddened. “I know that,” he says gruffly, “you’re just always...here.”

Hinata didn’t know why, but she felt her heart pounding and her palms were sweating. She and Kageyama stare at each other for what felt like an eternity. Hinata blinks and, without a word, she gets on her tiptoes, and at the same time, Kageyama lowers his head.

We’re always in sync, Hinata thought, as their lips met.

---

It was a regular occurrence for Hinata and Kageyama to kiss after that fateful day. They would sneak in kisses before morning practice, during lunch, and after evening practice.

“We need to be stealthy, like spies from that video game we played!”

“Whatever,” Kageyama says, rolling his eyes as he dives back in for more kisses.

Sometimes, like today, the infamous freak duo would offer to stay back and lock up the gym.

“Senpai, we want to practice our quick more. We can lock up the gym,” Kageyama tells Daichi.

“Okay, but remember, no overworking yourselves, got it?” Daichi says sternly.

“Yessir!”

Daichi leaves the gym, and Hinata and Kageyama are finally alone. They quickly ran towards each other and their lips met.

“Finally,” Kageyama says breathlessly. Hinata keeps pecking his lips over and over again. Her hands were tangled in his thick black hair and Kageyama’s hands were on her lower back.

Hinata learned that kissing was like volleyball. The breathless feeling before a serve, the anticipation of receiving the ball, the exhilaration of spiking the ball and scoring a point, that’s what kissing felt like. She learned that with practice, she and Kageyama were totally amazing at kissing.

They were fiercely making out near the bleachers. Hinata felt Kageyama’s tongue and she gasped. He took advantage of that opening and ran his tongue over her teeth. Hinata whimpers and touches the tip of her tongue to Kageyama’s. She feels heat pool in her stomach and she pulls his hair. Kageyama groans. Hinata decided to get as close as possible to him, when she suddenly felt something hard. Kageyama abruptly pushes her back and his entire face is red.

“I-um-it’s-that-nothing, dumbass!” Kageyama sputters out, embarrassed. He pointedly looks away from the orange haired girl and pulls his shirt down over his shorts.

“Why’d you push me aw-OH.” Hinata’s eyes widened and she felt the blood rush in her cheeks.

“Just shut up and don’t say anything,” he pleads.

“But I’m not mad though? Or weirded out? I’m kinda happy. No wait, I am happy. It means you want me and that you want more…more Kageyama, I want more.” Hinata has that intense look on her face, the same look she has before they face off against a difficult opponent, which sends shivers down Kageyama’s spine.

He studies her carefully. “Okay.” He cautiously lifts an arm towards Hinata and brushes her hair behind her ear. “Let’s do more.”

That was the day that Hinata learned that Kageyama really liked blowjobs.

---

And just like that, the freak duo of the Karasuno Volleyball Club were third years. It was their final week of volleyball practice and after all the tears and goodbyes, Hinata and Kageyama were walking home.

“I just can’t believe it. It feels like just yesterday my middle school volleyball team lost against yours,” Hinata sighs wistfully.

“Yeah…”

“Is everything okay? You’ve been a bit weird since a few weeks ago. I didn’t wanna say anything in case I was being too overbearing or…”

Kageyama stops walking and looks down at Hinata. “No, it’s nothing. It’s just, Karasuno was the first place that ever accepted me you know? After everything that happened in middle school....”

Hinata nods understandingly. “Of course, but remember, once a King always a King,” she teases.

“Whatever.” Kageyama rolls his eyes and reaches down to grab her hand. “Let’s go to my place, my parents aren’t around today.

Hinata grins. No parents meant making out and doing more. “Well lead the way then, your highness.” Kageyama grins down at her fondly and they walk towards his house. Even though Kageyama said everything was okay, Hinata still feels a bit uneasy.

It’s like he’s hiding something, she thinks.

---

An hour later, Hinata is straddling Kageyama. He’s leaning against his headboard and his uniform is unbuttoned. Hinata’s shirt is off and her skirt is rucked up her thighs. Kageyama places lazy kisses across her jawline and down her neck.

“Mmmm, that feels nice,” Hinata whispers. She tilts her head back and closes her eyes. She has that uneasy feeling again, that Kageyama is hiding something from her. “Hey, wait.” She puts a hand on his chest to stop him.

Kageyama immediately pulls away and runs a hand through his hair. His lips are swollen and his eyes are dilated. “What’s up?”

Hinata is quiet for a moment. “Well...are you hiding something from me?” she asks, twiddling her fingers and avoiding eye contact. The air feels tense. Hinata takes a deep breath and locks eyes with Kageyama. “Well?”

“...I’ve been invited to an Olympics training camp right after we graduate,” Kageyama suddenly blurts out.

“What?!?! Kageyamaaaaaa, that’s freaking amazing!” Hinata squeals.

Kageyama is looking at the wall and refuses to make eye contact with Hinata. He bites his lip and sighs. “It’s...I’ll have to be going to North America.”

Hinata stops breathing for a moment. She stares at Kageyama’s temple and says in a small voice, “Oh. Oh, okay, but you’re an amazing setter so of course the national team would want you! But what does that mean for us? I know volleyball always comes first but I want you to know that I...I’m going to really miss you,” Hinata says quietly.

“I mean, we’re still going to be friends and rivals. Nothing’s going to change. We just won’t be able to do the other stuff we’ve been doing for the past year.” Kageyama shrugs. “We can also text and call, I’m just going to be really busy with volleyball. I can’t waste my time with any distractions.”

Hinata felt like she was punched in the stomach. She quickly gets off Kageyama and starts buttoning up her school uniform. She smooths out her skirt and pats down her hair. Kageyama sits up and looks at her and frowns. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asks.

“What’s wrong? Kageyama, you just said that I’m a distraction! I thought we were a team! You can’t say hurtful things like that to your girlfriend! I’m going to go to Osaka for school to study sports medicine and I told you this weeks ago! I just assumed you were going to be somewhere in Japan too...and you didn’t even tell me about the freaking Olympics! I’m proud of you, but you didn’t even bother telling me! And, I mean, lots of people do long distance, so I guess we could…” Hinata trails off, looking at Kageyama’s alarmed expression.

“Girlfriend?” he says disbelievingly, eyes wide. “Since when were we dating?”

Suddenly, Hinata felt like the world was crashing down around her. It was the feeling she got before the opposing team made a final spike, ending the match with a loss for Karasuno. “I thought we were together since we kissed last year,” she says lamely. Hinata blinks. Tears start falling and she rubs her cheeks. “All this time, what did you think we were?” she asks, dreading the answer.

Kageyama hesitates. “I thought it was just something we did to relieve stress or to pass the time. We trust each other. We’re partners, on and off the court, sure. But we’re not together, not like that.”

“Oh. Okay.” She laughs bitterly. “I get it. I’m just going to go home then. Are you going to let the team see you off?”

“Yeah, of course. I leave in two weeks, after graduation. We’re okay right? I don’t want this to loom over us and make things awkward.”

“Are you freaking kidding me right now, Kageyama? I need to process this. Just give me some time okay? I would like to see you off. I just don’t want to talk to you or see you right now.” Hinata’s fists are curled at her sides. “I’ll see you in school,” she says, and walks out of the Kageyama residence. She bikes all the way home, tears trailing behind her.

---

Hinata and Kageyama were back to amicable terms a week later. Hinata would keep her distance, and Kageyama seemed unaffected, as if nothing had happened. She was frustrated, humiliated and embarrassed. Kissing, doing everything but sex...it had meant something to her. But this whole time, Kageyama just saw it as a way to relieve stress. Hinata’s face flushed. This whole time when they went out for meat buns after practice or went jogging together, Kageyama didn’t count those as dates. Oh god. I can’t believe I misunderstood everything that happened this past year, Hinata thought.

Two weeks finally passed. Tsukishima, Yachi, Yamaguchi, and Hinata were seeing Kageyama off.

“Remember to always call or message us if you’re homesick. And here,” Yachi says tearfully, handing Kageyama a Japanese to English dictionary. “I know you struggled a lot in English, so I hope this helps.”

“Thanks,” Kageyama says gruffly, accepting the gift.

Tsukishima smirks and has his hand in his pockets. “I guess the King is going out there for world domination.” Kageyama rolls his eyes, and Tsukishima’s smirk gets wider. “Well, someone has to show everyone in the volleyball world what Japan is made of right?”

“Kageyama, be careful! And text us everyday! And facetime or call us once a week!” Yamaguchi says, crying. Kageyama nods and pats Yamaguchi on the shoulder. He turns towards Hinata. They stare at each other and he opens his mouth to say something, but she beats him to it.

“...Good luck. You’re on your way to the world stage,” Hinata says smiling gently. “I know you can do it. See you later, Kageyama.”

Kageyama grins. “Yeah. See you later.”

---

During dinner the day that Kageyama left for North America, Hinata drinks away her sorrow and cries tearfully to her friends about everything that had happened with the genius setter over the past year. They looked at her pityingly (even Tsukishima) and consoled her.

“I really thought he liked me and we were together, but we weren’t and I’m just an idiot who’s always chasing after him. I’m stupid enough to think that he was waiting for me and I’m stupid enough to think that I’m even good enough for him. I’m a girl that was able to play on the boy’s volleyball team...but that’s it. I love volleyball, and it is my life, but somewhere along the way I prioritized Kageyama more. Meanwhile, volleyball is the only thing that he was ever thinking of. It sucks. Everything hurts. I can’t even hate him because I know he’s going out there to do what he said he was always going to. And where am I? Stuck here, again, chasing after him. But this time, I realized that he was never waiting for me in the first place.”

“Hinata…” Yachi says gently, putting an arm around her shoulder. “Did you love him?”

“I think I was falling for him...but then that night happened and you know how that went,” Hinata says bitterly.

Tsukishima looks at Hinata pityingly. Over their three years at Karasuno, the two got close and became good friends. “This is going to sound harsh, but I’m only saying this for your benefit. The King only ever cared about volleyball. That is true. And he also cares for you. Just not in the way that you wish he did. He said himself that you’re a distraction. You’re a good person, Hinata. Don’t settle, and don’t get yourself hung up over him. Focus on packing for Osaka and getting ready to prepare for university.”

Yamaguchi nods, agreeing with Tsukishima. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Hinata. But Tsukki is right. Just focus on yourself and who knows? Maybe someone even better will come and find you.”

Hinata sniffs. She looks around at her friends and offers a shaky grin. “I love you guys, did you know that?”

Tsukishima shivers. “Ugh, gross, what did I do to be tortured like this?”

Everyone around the table laughs. Her friends were right. She just needed to focus on herself and do what was best for her. The first thing she was going to do tomorrow was to start packing her things for Osaka. Hinata was avoiding that for the longest, but now it was time. It was time to let go of Miyagi for now and to move on to something better.

---

A few months had passed. Hinata was getting used to life in Osaka. She had a cute little one bedroom apartment a fifteen minute train ride away from campus that was starting to feel like home. She loved the city and the vibrant people. She loved their humor and how welcoming everyone was. Their accents were a little hard to understand, but it was growing on her.

Hinata was currently on her way home after a long day of class. She heard everyone on campus talk about this new onigiri place near campus, and she was starving. She turns right and sees the sign that says Onigiri Miya. She enters the store and the enticing smell of onigiri wafts around her.

“Welcome to Onigiri Miya!” a deep voice with a heavy Kansai dialect welcomes her. “What would ya like-Karasuno’s number 10?!?!”

Hinata blinks. She brings her hands up and rubs her eyes. Behind the counter is a man with dark hair parted to the left. Sitting on the counter with a plate of onigiri in front of him, is another man with the same face and dyed blonde hair, staring at her like he can’t believe she’s there. There’s two of them...twins.

“Inarizaki?!?!” is the only thing that Hinata could sputter out. It was the infamous volleyball twins, Miya Osamu and Miya Atsumu. Karasuno had won against them in Hinata’s first year and in her second year, the Miya twins had gotten their revenge and won.

The blonde haired twin, (Miya...Atsumu?) smirks at Hinata. “Well, well, well. What do we have here? It’s been a while hasn’t it, Shouyou-kun?”

---

Hinata Shouyou is 19 years old when she finally falls in love and this time, he loves her back.

Notes:

and that is the end of the first chapter! i don't have a set schedule for updating. i really appreciate you guys taking the time to read this fic. i'm currently studying for a very important licensing exam and i write at night before bed. sometimes i write a lot and sometimes i only write a few sentences. i hope you guys understand, but i will try my best to continue writing and hope to continue improving my writing! i am looking for a beta reader so if you are interested, please comment down below. again, thank you so much for reading this fic!

Chapter 2

Notes:

without further ado, here is chapter 2!

“Well don’t just stand there, c’mon in. I’ll whip ya up something good,” Osamu says, motioning Hinata to come towards the counter. Hinata snapped out of her dazed stupor and rushed towards the twins.

She felt a bit awkward after seeing the Miya twins after almost two years. The last time she saw them, Inarizaki beat Karasuno. Hinata was disappointed, but she knows she and her team had played their best that game. She remembers pushing one of the twins away after they tried to talk to her after the match, eyes blurry with tears. She needed to be alone at the time.

Hinata takes a deep breath and takes a seat next to Atsumu. He fixed his hair color, she muses, taking note that Atsumu’s once vibrant yellow hair was now dyed a soft blonde color. Hinata is struggling to find something to say when Atsumu blurts out, “So what brings you to Osaka? Are ya here on vacation? Do ya still play volleyball? Do ya go to school here?”

Osamu chuckles. “Wow. Let the girl process one question at a time, ‘Tsumu.”

Atsumu grins sheepishly at Hinata. “My bad, Shouyou-kun. I’ve always wondered what you would be up to. Karasuno’s number 10. The only girl on a boys volleyball team. Makes a guy curious.” He raises his eyebrows at her. “So...tell me. I want to know everything.”

Hinata finally speaks up. She grins widely. It’s been a while since she met up with people she actually knew, even if they only encountered each other twice. “Well, it’s kind of a long story...but basically I decided to study sports medicine. Maybe I could become a personal trainer, or work as a sports physician. After everything that happened after my first year during nationals…” Hinata’s face turns somber. “I realized the importance of self care. And I realized that I don’t want anyone to have to be deprived of playing the sport they love because of an injury or illness.”

“That’s exactly what I like about ya, Shouyou-kun. Ya know what ya want and ya just go for it. Yer amazing, did you know that?” Atsumu shakes his head grinning, in awe of how passionate Hinata is.

Osamu nods, agreeing with his brother. “For the first time, I agree with that knucklehead. That’s a very admirable goal, Hinata.”

“Thanks! Man, it feels so nice to see people I know! I’ve slowly been getting used to Osaka, but I still haven’t made any friends you know? Seeing familiar faces really made me feel a lot less homesick...so thank you for that,” Hinata says gratefully. She turns towards the steaming plate of tuna mayo onigiri in front of her. “This looks awesome Miya-san! Thanks for the food!” she exclaims, digging in. “Mmmm, it tastes great! I’ll be sure to come here more often.”

“Stop by anytime. ‘Tsumu is probably going to start showing up more often too,” Osamu says, smirking at his brother.

“Shut up ‘Samu! Shouyou-kun,” Atsumu says, turning towards Hinata. “What d’ya think about me showing you around Osaka?” He had an intense, yet hopeful look on his face. Hinata was about to decline, but something held her back.

I need to move on, and reconnecting with old rivals might be just what I need, she thought.

“...Or maybe not. I don’t want to pressure ya.” Hinata looks at Atsumu, startled. He shrugs and looks pointedly at his empty plate.

Hinata takes a deep breath and throws caution to the wind. “You know what? Why not? It’s been a while since I hung out with my friends and I would love to know more about Osaka. And...it was really nice to see you guys again. I’m not going to lie...it hasn’t been an easy year for me. But for the first time in a while, even if it was just for a moment, I feel like I’ll be okay again,” Hinata says, smiling wistfully.

“Well that’s settled then. Let me give you my number and we can work out the details.” Atsumu takes out his phone and unlocks it, passing it over to Hinata. “I look forward to our future dates, Shouyou-kun.”

Hinata giggles, shaking her head. Atsumu was such a flirt, yet he was so friendly and approachable that she couldn’t help but like him. “Here. I look forward to seeing you guys again!” She gets up and bows slightly to the twins. “I have to get going because I have a ton of assignments, but don’t worry! You’ll see me soon!” Hinata quickly gathers her things and runs out of the store.

The twins are quiet for a moment when Osamu breaks the silence. “...Ya know...ya never confirmed if she was dating Kageyama Tobio,” he tells Atsumu pointedly.

Atsumu scoffs and crosses his arms. “Tobio-kun is preparing for the Olympics right now,” he says bitterly.

“I know yer upset that ya didn’t get chosen, but ‘Tsumu, ya don’t know if she’s in a relationship or not.” Osamu frowns. “As much as I think yer the most annoying human being to walk the Earth, I don’t want ya to get hurt.”

“I won’t get hurt, okay?” Atsumu says, frustrated. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “I just-you know how captivated I was when I first saw her jump. My god, ‘Samu. Do ya remember? She’s so small that ya wouldn’t expect it and then bam!” Atsumu smacks his fist against his palm. “She jumped up so high that I had to crane my head up and I just stood there in awe. And then she forgot to spike the damn ball! She has this presence that just demands ‘look at me’. And ‘Samu, I swear, I looked away twice, but I won’t let her get away a third time. Kageyama Tobio isn’t in the picture right now. And I’m pretty sure they’re not together. There’s just something there, and it seems like it’s such a good thing. I don’t want to let that go. Not without trying.”

Osamu looks at his older twin brother and remains quiet for a moment. The only thing that ever got his brother passionate was volleyball. It was refreshing to see a more human side of Atsumu. Atsumu always came off as the more unapproachable twin, while he was the more laid back one. He remembers when he and Atsumu were young and his brother was aware that everyone hated him and he just didn’t give a crap. But now, for the first time, Osamu noticed that his brother wanted someone to like him, to notice him. Hinata Shouyou...she might just be what his brother needs.

Osamu looks at his brother, a shit-eating grin on his face. “For that to happen, you’d have to be likeable first.” He ducks as Atsumu shouts, throwing a glass of water.

“I’m plenty likeable ‘Samu!” Atsumu climbs over the counter. “Come here ya little shit!”

Osamu laughs and shakes his head. I hope things work out for ya, ‘Tsumu.

---

A few days after running into the Miya twins, Hinata gets a text while she’s in class.

atsumu: hi! it’s atsumu. Are ya free this evening???

Shouyou: hi atsumu-san!!!! Yes i’m free!! ^_^

Atsumu: that’s great! I was thinking i can finally show ya what osaka is all about ;)

Shouyou: sounds awesome! I’m in! See you later! :D

Atsumu: i’ll meet ya near onigiri miya at 6pm

Hinata locks her phone and puts it away in her pocket. She couldn’t wait for tonight. She hasn’t felt this type of anticipation in a while. 2:54pm...only three more hours to go.

---

Classes were finally over for the day and Hinata was exhausted. She’s on her way towards Onigiri Miya when she sees Atsumu wearing all black with a gray beanie, leaning against the wall. He’s blowing on both his hands and rubbing them together to keep them warm. Hinata grins and runs towards him.

“Atsumu-san!” she greets, waving an arm towards him. She comes to an abrupt stop in front of him, slightly breathless. Atsumu turns around and breaks out into a grin.

“Ya look really nice Shouyou-kun,” he drawls. Hinata looks down at her outfit. She has on a black peacoat with a white turtleneck tucked into a beige colored skirt. She rubs the back of her neck sheepishly and giggles nervously.

“Hehe, thanks! Now, where will you be taking me?”

Atsumu smirks at Hinata and raises an eyebrow. “C’mon, I’ll show ya.”

Hinata grins back at him. “Then lead the way.”

---

“Uwahhh you’re taking me to meet your old teammates?!?!” Hinata exclaims. They walked thirty minutes from Onigiri Miya into a quaint ramen shop, when Hinata noticed Aran Ojiro, the Inarizaki High school boys volleyball team ace. She grabs a hold of Atsumu’s sleeve and says, “Wait.”

Atsumu frowns, eyebrows knitting together. “What? Ya don’t want to meet my friends?” A flash of hurt crosses his face before it quickly becomes blank. Suddenly, he has a mocking grin on his face and says cruelly, “Oh right, I guess the great Karasuno’s number 10 doesn’t want to meet up with people she beat before.”

Hinata looks up at Atsumu in shock. It was as if Atsumu put on a mask. It’s like he was afraid of rejection and defaults to being an asshole to avoid getting hurt. She frowns at him. “Hey, that’s not fair. Don’t put words into my mouth without even letting me explain. I’m just nervous okay? It’s the first time in a while that I’ve hung out with people. And I’m new to this city, remember? All my friends are from Miyagi…” she trails off.

“Fuck,” Atsumu groans, rubbing his face with his hand. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just thought it’d be cool if ya met the other guys from Inarizaki too. After all, we played two matches together and couldn’t really keep in touch. I really didn’t mean it like that, Shouyou-kun. I promise.”

Hinata sniffs and crosses her arms. “Fine. Can we go in please? I’m starving.”

“Yeah, let’s go.” Atsumu opens the door for Hinata and grins at her tentatively. They walk over to a booth in the back. Hinata notices a mop of gray and black hair. It’s the former captain of Inarizaki, Kita Shinsuke. He looks as calm as ever. Hinata also notices Osamu sitting near Suna Rintarou, the scary middle blocker who gave Karasuno a hard time when they were in their first year. She shivers at the thought of his blocks.

And finally, there was Aran Ojiro, Inarizaki’s ace. Hinata will always remember the moment where she finally pulled off a perfect receive. That was the first time Kageyama had told her ‘nice receive’... Hinata shakes her head and tries to think about something else. Man, I can’t believe we beat these guys, she thought.

“Yer finally here! It’s nice to see ya Atsumu and…” Kita smiles at her politely. “...Karasuno’s number 10.”

Hinata bows and greets enthusiastically, “Nice to meet you! I’m Hinata Shouyou! Atsumu-san has been kind enough to show me around Osaka.”

“Please have a seat and we can order. We all have a lot of catching up to do,” Kita says.

Atsumu and Hinata sit down. Osamu raises an eyebrow at his brother, who ignores him. They all talk idly for a few minutes when Suna turns towards Hinata and says, “So do ya still talk to that genius setter who used to be on yer team? I think his name was Kageyama Tobio? I heard he’s playing for the Japanese national team in the Olympics right now.”

Hinata turns towards Suna and blinks in shock. Of course they were going to ask her about Kageyama. They were always lumped together in high school because of their freak quick. Still, she didn’t expect to talk about Kageyama tonight. She picks at her nails and mumbles, “Um, well, yeah-”

“Speak of the devil,” Atsumu mutters. They all turn towards the TV screen placed near the cashier. It was a replay of highlights from the Japan vs. France men’s volleyball olympic match.

“...Kageyama Tobio with 5 service aces! What a fearsome nineteen year old!” the commentator’s voice booms. The frame cuts to a news anchor.

“Kageyama Tobio, a nineteen year old currently playing for the Japanese men’s volleyball team in the Olympics. News has circulated that he has been seeing Nanase Aiko, an eighteen year old on the Japanese women’s gymnastics team…” Blood drains from Hinata’s face. The news rings in her ears. She stares, shellshocked at the TV as a picture of Kageyama pops up, holding hands with a petite girl and smiling at her.

“...totally crazy. Man, he’s scary. Can’t believe we won a match against you guys,” Osamu says. Everyone’s voice sounded faint to Hinata’s ears and she couldn’t turn away from the TV.

“What the fuck,” Hinata whispers to herself. “What the actual fuck.” She doesn’t notice the former Inarizaki team looking at her in concern.

“Are ya okay, Shouyou-kun?” Atsumu asks tentatively.

“Okay? I’m doing absolutely freaking amazing!” Hinata blubbers, tears streaming down her face and laughing simultaneously. Everyone looks at her in alarm.

“Shouyou-kun I think-”

“Shit,” she chokes out. “Seriously…” Hinata cuts herself off. She curls her hands into fists, fingers digging into her palms. She takes a deep breath in and out. Her eyes are blurry and suddenly a hand clutching a handkerchief is in her field of vision.

“Here,” Kita says, not unkindly. “You look like you could use this.” Hinata laughs and sobs at the same time and accepts the handkerchief. She can’t believe she had a breakdown in front of everyone. She wipes snot off her nose and cringes.

“Sorry about that,” Hinata says embarrassed. “I didn’t mean to make things so awkward…”

“So I take it you guys don’t talk anymore?” Suna interrupts, raising an eyebrow. The rest of the Inarizaki members shoot him a look that reads, shut the hell up.

Hinata sighs. She feels uncomfortable and can’t find a way to get out of the current conversation. “We all still text in our group chat with the Karasuno members…” she trails off. Hinata gulps nervously. She feels like all eyes are on her when Atsumu puts an encouraging hand on her shoulder.

“Hey, all of you are being so rude! No one’s asked me what I’ve been doing lately!” Atsumu complains. Osamu rolls his eyes.

“Okay ‘Tsumu,” he drawls, taking the hint to change the subject. “What have ya been up to?”

“Well ‘Samu,” Atsumu smirks at his brother. “I’ve been working on my new serve. And Bokkun and I finally got our quick down.”

Kita smiles and says, “That’s great, Atsumu.” Aran nods in agreement.

“Yawn,” Suna says, bored.

Hinata turns towards Atsumu, upset at herself that she was sobbing about a boy when she was literally sitting next to a freaking V. League volleyball player, and she hasn’t asked him any questions! “Atsumu-san!” Hinata blurts out, bouncing in her seat from excitement. Atsumu blinks in surprise and looks at her.

“Yes, Shouyou-kun?”

“You’re in the V. League right? What team?! Tell me all about it!” Hinata’s eyes are sparkling and Atsumu is pleased. He’s a freaking great volleyball player and he was the number one setter in high school. He and Hinata are volleyball obsessed idiots; they could talk about the sport all day.

“I’m the starting setter for the MSBY Black Jackals,” he responds proudly, sitting up straight. “The season is going to start soon, after the Olympics.” Atsumu’s face darkens and he has an unsettling grin on his face. “We’re going to beat the Schweiden Adlers this season.”

“Uwaah! You’re gonna face off against Ushiwaka’s and Hoshiumi’s team!” Hinata claps her hands together. She ignores the voice in her head that whispers, Schweiden Adlers is also the team Kageyama is in. “That’s so freaking cool! I would love to play against them again if I could!”

Atsumu smiles at Hinata and opens his mouth to say something, when the former middle blocker suddenly turns all her attention towards Aran. “And what about you Aran-kun? I know you’re in the V. League too.” She beams at Aran who is flustered from the sudden attention.

Atsumu groans internally and sticks up the middle finger to his brother who’s smirking at him knowingly. Hinata was just so...unaware of the effect she had on people. She always gave everyone her undivided attention and made people feel special. He remembers their first match against Karasuno. He was already half in love with her by then, and was jealous that it was Kageyama who was tossing to her.

If I were her setter back then, she would always get the best tosses.

Atsumu’s eyes widen. Who says I still can’t set for her? He smirks to himself. Meanwhile, his former team ignores his moment because they’re used to Atsumu being bizarre, while Hinata is blissfully unaware, chattering with Kita about self care.

Finally, the food is ready and the atmosphere is relaxed. Hinata has become fast friends with everyone, even Suna. She charms them with her vibrant and honest personality.

Dinner ends soon and everyone is getting ready to head out. Kita stops Atsumu on the way out and looks him in the eye. “I’m rooting for you,” is all he says with a knowing look in his eyes and he walks away. Atsumu stands there in shock for a moment then shakes his head. It felt good to have the support of his former teammates and his brother.

“Atsumu-san, come on!” Hinata waves at him, standing near Osamu.

“Yer so damn slow ‘Tsumu,” Osamu taunts.

“Shut yer trap! I’m coming, Shouyou-kun!” Atsumu starts jogging towards his brother and the girl who hasn’t left his mind since he saw her jump for the first time. Osamu and Hinata share a look and they quickly sprint away.

“Catch us if ya can!” Osamu and Hinata’s laughter gets carried in the wind.

Challenge accepted, Atsumu thinks, smiling to himself. He then begins to run, and it's as if he’s running towards the sun. He just hopes he doesn’t get burned because he’s getting too close.

Notes:

thank you guys for reading this fic! i really appreciate it and hope you enjoy. i apologize for the delay, but i was preparing for an important licensing exam...and good news is that i passed! i've always been a reader, but writing is a new hobby that i got into. i hope to continue to improve. i'm currently working on chapter 3 and hope i can finish it soon!

Chapter 3

Notes:

here's chapter 3 :)

Hinata is currently sitting in her Anatomy and Physiology class, waiting for the clock to strike 3:30PM. It’s Friday, which means she has no evening classes and is done for the day. She flips her pen in her hand and sighs.

“Psst, Shou-chan!” her friend, Suzu whispers. “Ya keep moving yer leg and it’s distracting!”

“Sorry,” Hinata murmurs. She sighs again and twirls her hair around her finger. Just thirty more minutes, she thinks, glancing at the clock longingly. Today is supposed to be the day that she gets to meet Atsumu’s teammates. Hinata grins to herself, recalling the conversation she and Atsumu had over the phone a few days ago.

“Are you serious, Atsumu-san?!?!” Hinata yells with excitement over the phone. She squeals and does a victory dance. “You’re really going to let me watch you guys practice? And meet the other guys on your team?” She hears Atsumu chuckle.

“Of course. Yer free this Friday around 5?” Atsumu asks.

“YES!” Hinata pumps a fist in the air. “I’ll be there! Just text me the address!”

“Okay, Shouyou-kun.” Hinata can hear the grin in Atsumu’s voice. “I’ll see ya then. I gotta go now, practice is going to start soon.”

“Bye, Atsumu-san. I’ll see you this friday! I can’t wait!”

“Oi, what’re ya daydreaming about?” Suzu asks, raising an eyebrow at Hinata. “Is it a boy?” She elbows Hinata teasingly and waggles her eyebrows. Hinata flushes and rolls her eyes.

“No, I’m just excited about something. Agh, I can’t believe class is over! I couldn’t get all the notes!” Hinata plants her face on her desk and moans miserably. Suzu winks at Hinata and throws an arm around her friend’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, I got ya.” Hinata looks at Suzu gratefully. She met Suzu on the second day of class when they were assigned to do a group project. They became fast friends, and Hinata was fond of the girl’s fiery personality. It’s been five months since Hinata moved to Osaka, and she’s grateful that she has made new friends and is getting used to the new environment.

Hinata hugs Suzu back. “Thank you, I owe you meat buns.”

Suzu laughs. “I’ll hold ya to that. I gotta go now. See ya next class!” Hinata waves goodbye to Suzu and starts packing her things. She runs out the door to catch the next train that goes to the gymnasium where the MSBY Black Jackals hold their practices.

It’s the perfect weather outside, neither too chilly nor too humid. The air is crisp and the smell of street food wafts through the air. Hinata enters the train station and quickly gets on the train. Hinata is grateful that the train ride is uneventful and she gets off at her stop.

It's a ten minute walk from the train station to the gymnasium. Hinata buys some takoyaki to share with the team members. She’s so excited to meet V. League Volleyball players, that she starts running until she’s in front of the double doors. Hinata takes a deep breath in and opens the door. The familiar smell of air salonpas greets her. She takes a step forward and her shoes squeak against the gymnasium floor.

Hinata watches from afar as she takes in the harsh white lights and the sound of the volleyball being served, received, passed, set and spiked. Her heart is pounding in excitement and she feels a phantom sting in her palm, as if she just spiked a volleyball. She can’t help but think, I’m here. One more time. Just give me one more ball to spike.

---

The whistle blows, and all seven members of the MSBY Black Jackals are panting heavily. “Hah!” Atsumu raises his fists into the air. “We totally kicked yer asses!”

“That was a great toss TsumTsum!” Bokuto Kotaro says. He grabs a towel and wipes off his face and turns towards Atsumu to say something. His eyes widen and his face breaks out into a huge grin. He raises both arms in the air and rushes past Atsumu and exclaims, “Hey, hey, hey! Hinata, my disciple, what’re you doing here?!”

“BOKUTO-SAN!!!” Hinata yells running towards him. “You were so cool! The way you hit the ball like baam! And then it just went like fwoosh! You’re so amazing, Bokuto-san!” Hinata's eyes are sparkling and she keeps blabbering about just how great “Bokuto-san” is and Atsumu’s eye twitches. Since when were they so close?

Sakusa creeps up near Atsumu and looks at him curiously. Inunaki, Barnes, Meian and Adriah already went to the locker room to get changed and go home for the night.

“-and the way you hit that line shot! I couldn’t keep my eyes away!” Hinata keeps praising Bokuto and Atsumu suddenly barges in and puts an elbow on Hinata’s shoulder. She stops mid-conversation with Bokuto and looks up at Atsumu, eyes shining.

Atsumu knows he’s being a little shit, but he can’t help it. It feels like every single volleyball player becomes enamored with the enigma that is Hinata Shouyou. A fake smile is plastered on his face, his voice dripping with condescension. “How do ya know Shouyou-kun, Bokkun? I can’t recall Fukurodani ever having a match with Karasuno?”

“We always used to have practice matches together! With Nekoma High School! Say, Hinata, do you still keep in touch with Kenma?” Bokuto chatters away, unaware of Atsumu’s jealousy.

Sakusa huffs and looks at Atsumu. Sakusa and Atsumu always bicker, and the former is disgusted by Atsumu’s rude behaviour and obvious jealousy. “Unbelievable,” Sakusa murmurs. He turns towards Hinata and they make eye contact. She smiles and bows.

“Hi! I’m Hinata Shouyou! It’s great to meet you!”

“...Ms. ‘I got a fever and got benched’,” Sakusa says, deadpan.

Hinata laughs goodnaturedly, eyes crinkling. “Please don’t say it like it’s a nickname! Plus…I’m better about those things now.” Hinata’s face turns somber, remembering that fateful match against Kamomedai in her first year. She shakes her head and slaps her cheeks and says, “Anyways! Bokuto-san! I do keep in touch with Kenma. Did you know that he's Kodzuken?!” Hinata gushes. Kenma and Hinata have kept in touch and become best friends over the years. He’s one of the few people that know everything about what happened with her and Kageyama.

“Yup! Kuroo told me!” Bokuto ruffles Hinata’s hair and she giggles. “Man, it’s really good to see you, Hinata. We never got to play against you crazy crows in high school.”

It’s as if lightning strikes Atsumu. He knows he’s brilliant, but suddenly he comes up with the most genius plan of all time. “How about we play a match now, hmm? Who says we can’t?”

Hinata turns towards Atsumu, eyes wide. Her hands are clasped in front of her hands and she looks at Atsumu as if he hangs the sun and the moon. Atsumu is convinced that everyone around him can hear how loud his heart is beating.

“Really Atsumu-san? I’d really love to play! I mean, only if that’s allowed!” Hinata backtracks, trying not to be a burden. She rubs the back of her head sheepishly, but inside she’s dying to play volleyball. The view from the top...she thinks wistfully.

It is true that Hinata could’ve gone pro for a women’s volleyball team. However, she wouldn’t be able to go against the great players that she fought against in high school. Sure, there are amazing players in the women’s division as well. But she wouldn’t be able to play against The Monster Generation. The generation of players that she is a part of, but won’t ever be acknowledged for. People considered her a force to be reckoned with when she was in high school, but at the end of the day, she decided not to go pro. She wouldn’t be able to play against the best in Japan, the players who will become known as the best in Japan. Kageyama keeps moving forward, while she’s still trying to figure out her own path.

“Why not? It could be fun!” Bokuto says. Hinata is jolted from her thoughts and tries to pay attention to the conversation going on in front of her.

“That settles it. We’ll play 2-on-2. Me and Shouyou-kun will be on a team. Bokkun and Omi-kun will be on the other.” Atsumu feels adrenaline coursing through him. He feels as if he just didn’t play two full length practice matches.
Sakusa frowns. “We can’t play another full set. We need to take a shower, rest, and eat.” He side eyes Hinata. “We don’t want to fall ill.”

Hinata winces at the jab. She knows the importance of self care and discipline now, but it's hard being reminded of her past. She knows in her bones that Karasuno could’ve had a shot at playing center court in her first year, maybe even win Nationals...but she’s here now and has learned from her mistakes.

“The first team that gets up to ten points is the winner, with no deuce,” Atsumu compromises.

“Fine,” Sakusa agrees.

Atsumu grins and his eyes spark with mischief. Bokuto gulps and Sakusa grimaces. It’s Atsumu’s up-to-no-good face. He has a hand on his hip and points a finger at his teammates. “Get ready to lose, Bokkun, Omi-kun. Me and my wing spiker are going to kick yer asses.”

---

The score is currently tied at 9-9. Hinata is panting, frustrated, elated, and in awe all at once. She can’t believe she was never able to play against Bokuto and Sakusa in high school. Playing with them was a privilege, and she’s being pushed to the limit.

“One more!” Hinata shouts to Atsumu.

“Ya got it, Shouyou-kun!” Atsumu has a feral grin on his face.

The ball is going back and forth, the rally seeming to last forever. Suddenly, it’s as if everything is in slow motion, and Atsumu and Hinata clearly see the ball.

This timing. This angle. Perfect!

Hinata soars and it’s as if she’s flying. Bokuto and Sakusa are dumbfounded and mesmerized by the tiny wing spiker. They can’t keep their eyes off her.

BAM! The ball falls down on the other side, going right past Sakusa’s face. Hinata falls back down to the ground in a crouch, panting heavily, arm still out after spiking. She slowly turns to Atsumu and beams at him.

She laughs gleefully. “Atsumu-san, we did it!”

Atsumu looks at Hinata and it’s as if there’s no one else around him. He smiles at her, delighted at their victory. They high five and Atsumu turns towards Bokuto and Sakusa. He raises an eyebrow and smirks at them as if to say, Hah, I told you so.

“Hinata! My disciple! That was amazing!” Bokuto exclaims, running towards Hinata.

“Hmph,” Sakusa says begrudgingly, secretly impressed. “We have to go and cool down now. It’s late and we shouldn’t overwork ourselves.”

Hinata says, “You guys go ahead and clean up! I’ll wait here for Atsumu-san. We can go home together.” Atsumu gapes at Hinata and she gets flustered. “I mean-only if you want to! I can just go alo-”

“No!” Atsumu interjects. “I mean yes! We can go home together.” He scratches the back of his neck and sheepishly says, “I’d really like that, Shouyou-kun.”

“Okay! Great! I’ll wait for you by the doors!”

Atsumu watches as Hinata skips to the exit, humming to herself. He can feel the stares of his teammates boring into the back of his skull. “What?” he says, turning around annoyed.

Sakusa raises an eyebrow at Atsumu and scoffs. Bokuto is uncharacteristically quiet. He has a serious look on his face. They continue to stare at Atsumu, saying nothing.

“Seriously, what? Yer annoying me here,” Atsumu whines. Bokuto grips Atsumu’s shoulder, his fingers digging in painfully. Atsumu winces and tries to shrug him off. “Bokkun, what’s yer deal?”

Sakusa shakes his head and says, “Good work today.” He walks off to the locker room without another word.

Bokuto finally releases Atsumu’s shoulder. Atsumu rubs his shoulder, glaring at Bokuto. “That hurt, Bokkun!” he complains.

Bokuto ignores him and sighs. “I met Hinata and the whole Karasuno team during a training camp with Nekoma and other teams. She’s a good person and loves volleyball more than anyone else. She’s worked so hard to get noticed with her own ability and prove her own worth on the court.” Bokuto has a protective look on his face. “I know you, Atsumu.” Atsumu startles at the use of his first name. “You can come across as a jerk, but you make your sets easy for your spikers to hit. You set with the utmost care.” He sighs and crosses his arms. “What I’m trying to say is to be careful with Hinata, okay? I don’t know if you know, but there was a player called Kage-”

Atsumu cuts Bokuto off and laughs, shaking his head. “Believe it or not, I’m trying not to fuck this up okay? And I know all about Kageyama Tobio,” he says bitterly, “But I’m the one here now with Shouyou-kun. I-it’s-it’s possible for me to have two priorities alright?” Atsumu asks rhetorically, stumbling over his words. “Volleyball will always come first, but that doesn’t mean I should just give up on everything else without trying.” Atsumu wrings his hands out in frustration. He’s still in his sweaty practice clothes and he feels gross. Doubt is slowly creeping into his mind, an unwanted voice in his head which he wishes would shut the fuck up.

Yer just not good enough…

“TsumTsum, you can do it,” Bokuto says, startling Atsumu. His face darkens instantaneously as he adds, “Just don’t hurt her.” There’s a pregnant pause when Bokuto suddenly smiles widely and says, “See you at the next practice!” Atsumu stares as Bokuto walks away, stupefied by the latter’s sudden mood changes.

Atsumu shakes his head and tries to shrug the negativity away. He takes a deep breath and heads towards the locker room. He takes a shower and changes as if in a daze and walks out towards the exit, towards Hinata.

“Finally, Atsumu-san! Let’s head out.” Hinata is smiling at him when she notices the troubled look on his face. “Is everything okay?” she asks, concerned.

“...”

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Hinata furrows her brows in concern. “I understand that you’re under a lot of stress...but just remember to relax and take it easy! Your health comes first!”

Atsumu huffs out a laugh and looks at Hinata in amazement. It was as if all his worries were washed away by her reassurance. “Ya never cease to surprise me Shouyou-kun.”

Hinata turns her head to the side and looks at Atsumu, puzzled. Atsumu grins back and he puts an arm around her, leading her out through the exit of the gym. “Now what should we have to eat? We need to celebrate our victory. I was thinking we should get hot pot…”

Notes:

hope you enjoyed this chapter! i was able to write most of chapter 3 last month, but i finished it up recently. i'm always going back to the story and editing things here and there. this fic has no update schedule, so i'll only update if a chapter is finished. again, thank you so much for the support and the lovely comments! i was floored by the positive response and hope you continue to enjoy my story

Chapter 4

Notes:

thank you for 100 kudos! i'm so happy and am so so so glad that many of you are enjoying my fic. here is chapter 4!

The smell of seafood and meat wafts through the air. Hinata and Atsumu are drooling at the food in front of them. They’re at a hot pot restaurant, celebrating their victory in the recent 2-on-2 match they had against Bokuto and Sakusa.

“Thanks for the food!” they both exclaim and begin digging in.

“Mmph it tastes scho goofmph!” Hinata says, her mouth full. Atsumu chuckles goodnaturedly.

“Take yer time, Shouyou-kun. The food isn't going anywhere.” He looks at her fondly and dips meat into the sauce. Atsumu takes a bite and groans in delight. “Yer right. Thisch isch amazing.”

Hinata raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms. “Whatever happened to ‘taking yer time’,” Hinata says, extending her pointer finger and middle finger on each hand and curling them to make air quotes. “The food’s not going anywhere, Atsumu-san,” she drawls, trying her best to imitate Atsumu’s Kansai-ben.

Atsumu bursts out laughing. “That accent,” he says, wiping tears out of his eyes, “was so bad, I’m crying!”

“Hey!” Hinata cries out in protest. “That was a darn good impression and you know it!” She reaches across the table and smacks Atsumu in the chest.

Atsumu keeps laughing and shakes his head. “I’m so glad I’m here with you,” he says, rubbing the area Hinata hit him. Atsumu sighs. “Sometimes I wish we talked more when we were in high school, ya know?”

Hinata frowns. It was odd that Karasuno didn’t keep close ties with the Inarizaki boy’s volleyball team. She remembers interacting with Aoba Johsai, Date Tech, Shiratorizawa, Nekoma, and even Fukurodani, whom Karasuno never played against. But they never bothered having a practice match with Inarizaki. “Hey, now that you mention it, it’s really weird that we never kept in touch.” Hinata pouts and looks at Atsumu expectantly.

“Why’re ya looking at me like that?” he asks.

“I’m just realizing how weird it is that we only ever saw each other during Nationals! I mean, we played against most of our rival teams in practice matches or had training camps with them. But with Inarizaki?” Hinata furrows her eyebrows and looks at the table disappointingly. “I’m just sad that I didn’t get to know you sooner Atsumu-san. You’re such a great person!”

Atsumu cheeks flush into a rosy red color. “Heh, well-”

“And so are the people on your team!” Hinata finishes.

Atsumu huffs and rolls his eyes. Of course, she would compliment him alongside his whole team. But at least she’s starting to notice me, he thinks.

“-and to think that we could’ve had practice matches with you guys!” Hinata continues to rant with Atsumu looking at her fondly.

“My, what an adorable young couple you are!” Both Atsumu and Hinata startle and turn towards the unrecognizable voice. It’s the owner of the restaurant, a petite elderly woman with graying hair. She has kind eyes and smile lines around her mouth.

“But-”

“We’re not-”

Atsumu and Hinata say at the same time. They both look at each other and flush in embarrassment. Hinata fiddles with a loose thread on her sweater to avoid eye contact with Atsumu.

“We’re just friends,” Atsumu finishes lamely. He’s disappointed. Is it that uncomfortable for Hinata to be mistaken as a couple with him?

The restaurant owner smiles mischievously. "Hmm, just friends. I see. Well! My name is Asako. I just couldn’t help but notice the adorable young lady and the dashing young man in my restaurant and wanted to greet you.” She sighs wistfully. “You remind me of my late husband and I when we were younger.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Hinata says softly.

The owner waves her hand dismissively. “It was a long time ago, dear. I’m glad we had the time that we did. I’m so fortunate that he took the leap of faith and confessed he loved me when he did.”

Hinata smiles sadly at Asako. All the memories and stolen moments she had with Kageyama during high school flash into her mind. “That’s so lovely. I hope one day I can be with someone who cherishes me like your husband cherished and loved you.”

Asako winks at Atsumu and Hinata. “Who knows, dear? Maybe that one day will be soon.” She clasps her hands together and bows. “I’ve intruded enough. I hope you’re enjoying the food!” Asako walks away, leaving the two in awkward silence.

Atsumu ruffles his hair and laughs nervously. “She was somethin’ else, huh?” he asks, trying to make conversation to break the silence.

Hinata forcefully laughs. She twiddles her fingers anxiously. “Yeah...maybe we should go, Atsumu-san? It’s getting late and I have a lot of assignments I need to work on.”

Atsumu’s face falls. “Yeah. Of course. Yer right. Let me get the bill. It’s on me, okay?”

“Okay.” Hinata nods in agreement. What started off as a harmless victory celebration, ended up becoming awkward and uncomfortable. Atsumu pays the bill and they leave the restaurant.

The walk to the train station is tense and stifling. Atsumu internally groans. What went wrong? He thought he was doing everything right. Was it the old restaurant owner talking about love? What in the hell happened with Kageyama Tobio and Hinata?

Hinata notices the dejection on Atsumu’s face. “Hey,” she says, without thinking. Atsumu looks at her expectantly. She gulps, feeling nervous all of a sudden. “Christmas is coming soon,” she blurts out. “Do you want to...um, would you maybe like to go see the winter illumination with me?”

Atsumu blinks and says nothing. He stops in his tracks and looks at Hinata with his mouth open.

“Uh, I guess not?” Hinata says, feeling awkward.

“No!” Atsumu shouts. Hinata looks at him in alarm and he backtracks. “No, I mean, yes. It’d be my pleasure to take ya out to see the winter illumination.” Atsumu curls his hands into fists in his pockets, fearing he fucked up. He didn’t want Hinata to think that he doesn’t want to see her again.

Hinata perks up and her eyes brighten. She’s almost shaking with excitement. “I’ll see you on Christmas Eve! You better leave that day free for me!” she says, wagging her finger at Atsumu.

Atsumu smirks at her. “Okay, Shouyou-kun. It’s a date.”

---

It’s finally Christmas Eve. Atsumu and Hinata decided to meet up near a train station in Midosuji Street to see the winter illumination. The entire street is three kilometers long and goes through central Osaka between Umeda and Namba.

Hinata glances over in the mirror one last time before she heads out. She’s wearing a fluffy white sweater tucked into a red skirt. She smiles into the mirror and smooths her skirt down. She nods approvingly at herself and says, “Okay! I’m ready!” She slips on some black flats and rushes out the door.

It’s freezing out. Hinata breathes in the crisp winter air and blows into her hands for warmth. She’s currently regretting not wearing gloves and curses at herself for forgetting her scarf because she was in a rush. She’s excited to see Atsumu and hang out with him. Being with him was easy, almost as natural as breathing. He let her be herself and she didn’t have to worry about trying to live up to certain expectations. It was...nice to finally be seen only as Hinata Shouyou, and not Hinata Shouyou and Kageyama Tobio, the freak duo from Karasuno’s volleyball team.

“Shouyou-kun!” Hinata breaks free from her thoughts and looks towards Atsumu. He’s running towards Hinata, waving his hand. His cheeks are flushed red from the cold and she can see his breath in the air. He looks handsome, Hinata muses. Atsumu’s blond hair is swept neatly to the right. He’s wearing a black padded jacket with black skinny jeans. He has on a gray scarf and gloves.

“Atsumu-san. Thanks for joining me today,” Hinata says sweetly. She looks at him, suddenly feeling shy. She’s never been this self-conscious in front of Atsumu before. Maybe it’s the atmosphere of the holidays or maybe it’s because she took the time to dress up today...but today feels like a date. The conversation they had with the restaurant owner during their victory dinner echoes in her head.

Atsumu raises a hand to his neck. It’s a nervous habit, but Hinata can tell he looks pleased. “It’s my pleasure,” he drawls. He turns towards Hinata and smiles boyishly, crinkling his eyes. “Now,” he says, stuffing his hands in his pockets, “let’s go see the lights.”

---

“Waaah,” Hinata says, breathless. “It’s like we’re in a fairy tale!” Shimmering lights in all colors surround them. Hinata stares up at the trees that are decorated festively. The trees are tall and bunched together. She feels as if she’s cocooned in a safe hideout, where no one can touch her or hurt her. This moment feels magical, and just for this one moment, she can forget all the stress that has been plaguing her. Gone momentarily are thoughts of Kageyama and the three years they spent together. Gone is the stress of school and wondering if she made the right decision by not going pro. Gone is the stress of never being good enough and not being seen. Gone is the stress of being left behind while everyone else moves forward.

“Yeah,” Atsumu agrees. “It’s so beautiful.” Hinata turns towards him and opens her mouth to say something, but she stops short. Atsumu is looking at her, and not the lights. Although the streets are crowded, Hinata can’t help but feel she and Atsumu are the only two people around. This moment she’s sharing with him feels so intimate and safe, she feels pressure build up in her chest. It’s as if she’s falling and she can’t breathe anymore.

“Atsumu-san,” her voice cracks. Her eyes are dry and she won’t cry this time. She feels numb and doesn’t dare to feel hopeful or positive. “I don’t-”

Atsumu cuts her off. “Why don’t we go somewhere more private?” He frowns at Hinata. “You’re shivering,” he says, taking off his scarf and putting it around her gently. “Here.”

Hinata nods in agreement. “Okay, sure…”

They walk in silence for ten minutes when they reach an empty park. Atsumu takes a seat on a bench, far away from people. He pats the seat next to him and Hinata sits down. It’s quiet and serene. A yellow cast is thrown across Atsumu’s face from the lamp post. It’s as if he’s glowing.

“When ‘Samu and I were little,” Atsumu starts, “we always did things together. We were always lumped together, known as ‘The Miya twins’. When we started playing volleyball, I thought, ‘This is it’. He’s the only one who understands me. I can be a little shit, and even if everyone else can’t stand me, he's always going to be my side. We’ll always be together, playing volleyball.” Atsumu sighs. Hinata tilts her head, puzzled, wondering where Atsumu was going with his story. Maybe he was feeling sentimental because of the atmosphere.

“And then,” he continues softly, “when we were in high school we got in this huge fight. It was nasty. We called each other names, fought with our fists. I found out that ‘Samu didn’t want to play volleyball professionally after high school. I remember feeling so fuckin’ pissed and so betrayed, it was like I was being consumed by my rage. I remember thinking, ‘How dare he?’ I thought that he loved volleyball as much as I did.” Atsumu is looking down and scuffs his shoe against the ground. Hinata remains quiet, letting him continue his story.

“But I was wrong. He wanted to open a fuckin’ restaurant and I remember saying that I’ll be the one to die happier.” Atsumu shakes his head and scoffs. “We sort of made up after that…Kita, Aran, and Suna were a big help.” He smiles wistfully and turns towards Hinata. “My point is, Shouyou-kun, I couldn't fathom that my brother found something more important to him than volleyball. We both had different paths that we chose to take. But...that doesn’t make him any less than me. And just because he didn’t want to go pro, doesn’t mean he doesn’t love volleyball at all.

"I was scared,” he confesses, “of being alone. Of losing the one person who understands me most.” Atsumu shakes his head and grins triumphantly. “But here I am now, on a V. League team. I’m on the MSBY Black Jackals. I have a great team and I’m a damn good setter, probably the best if I say so myself...and 'Samu isn’t on a team with me.” He thumps a fist to his chest. “But that doesn’t mean he’s not with me. We learned to support each other and be there for each other in different ways. He didn’t abandon me.”

Hinata stares at Atsumu. She’s touched and honored that he would share something so personal with her. She gulps and takes in a deep breath. “Thank you for sharing that with me. I-” Hinata starts and she stops. Atsumu sits down patiently, nodding at Hinata in encouragement. “I-in my first year at Karasuno, me and the setter on our team got close. We were always together until the end of high school and we sort of just...fell apart,” she finishes off lamely.

Atsumu puts a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Ya don't have to tell me if yer not comfortable,” he says in a quiet voice.

Hinata shakes her head. “No. No, I want to tell you, even if it’s only a little bit.” She looks at Atsumu, eyes shining with unshed tears. “I can trust you,” she says softly.

Atsumu feels as if the wind has been knocked out of him. “Shouyou-kun,” he says breathlessly.

Hinata shoots him a wobbly smile and continues. “Things didn’t end well. We don’t talk much anymore. Once in a while, he would send a message to our Karasuno team group chat. And that’s it. He’s moved on to bigger and better things and I’m just stuck here.” Hinata’s voice turns bitter. “In high school, everyone was so amazed. A girl on a boy’s volleyball team? It was unheard of and that was the talk of the town back then. I know that my athletic ability and intuition are impressive. I know all that, and yet I wasn't good enough.” Hinata’s voice rises suddenly and she begins to shake.

“I decided that I wouldn’t play volleyball professionally, but Atsumu-san, it still means so much to me,” her voice cracks. “So much,” she whispers. “But at the same time, it’s as if I was left behind because of volleyball. Kageyama,” (She finally said his name, Atsumu thinks), “is out there doing amazing things. He was on the men’s volleyball team for the Japanese national team this summer for the Olympics. And now he’s also playing in the V. League. And what am I doing? I’m just an idiot,” she says, defeated.

"I really thought I stood a chance with someone like him. Someone who’s going to shake up the world and is so amazing, all eyes are on him. I’m just an extra, a distraction,” Hinata spits out. She’s breathless, even though she’s only sitting down. She’s no longer drowning in her sadness and self-pity. She’s pissed, she’s frustrated, she’s afraid. Afraid that she’ll be let down and forgotten again.

“Shouyou-kun,” Atsumu murmurs softly. “I’m so sorry. Ya don’t even know how amazing you are. Ya...ya shook up my goddamn world,” he says fiercely. “There ya were, this tiny girl amongst boys that were considered giants. And ya stood yer own.” He holds up a hand before Hinata could protest. “I’m not done yet. People called ya worthless on the court without Kageyama. But they are so fuckin’ wrong.”

Atsumu hesitates. “I don’t know what happened between ya two off the court, and maybe someday ya could tell me more.” He looks at Hinata, straight into her eyes, gaze unwavering. She can see the fire and conviction in Atsumu’s dark eyes. “But on the court?” Atsumu continues, “It was ya. It was always ya we were afraid of first. ‘Karasuno’s number 10’. Man, the number of times I’ve seen rival teams shiver from just the thought of facing ya. On the court, Shouyou-kun,” Atsumu says, “Yer the one I...everyone can’t take their eyes off of.”

Hinata sucks in a sharp breath. And then she laughs. She doesn’t know why and she’s sure her reaction is entirely inappropriate, but she can’t help it. She laughs and laughs until tears are falling out of her eyes. “Atsumu-san,” she says, wiping the tears under her eyes, “that was so cheesy!” Atsumu blushes and begins to open his mouth, but she cuts him off.

“Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She reaches up to cup his face in her small hand. She leans forward and presses a featherlight kiss on his cheek. Atsumu stares at Hinata, mouth wide open in shock. Hinata giggles and gets up, dusting off imaginary dirt off her skirt. She reaches out a hand towards Atsumu and raises her eyebrow.

“Well, Atsumu-san? Shall we?” she says, mimicking his Kansai-ben.

Atsumu chuckles and rubs his chest. “Shouyou-kun, ya never cease to surprise me.”

Hinata rolls her eyes. “You mean I’m one of the few people who can actually get you to shut up?” she asks cheekily.

“Hey!” Atsumu whines in protest. “I was just taken aback, okay? And...and I’m happy. I’m happy. I haven’t been this happy in a long time.”

Hinata grins widely at Atsumu. “Me too,” she says. For the first time in a long time, she feels full of happiness. She’s downright giddy and is radiating joy. Hinata drags Atsumu towards the exit of the park. “Now treat me to some takoyaki! I’m hungry!”

Atsumu ruffles her hair with his left hand. “Let’s go.” They go back into the hustle and bustle of Midosuji street. Hinata looks around again, taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells. Atsumu is content staring at Hinata, knowing that she’s happy to be there with him. To share this moment with him. They keep walking until they finally find a street vendor selling takoyaki.

They hold hands the entire way.

Notes:

and that's the end of chapter 4! this chapter was difficult to write, but once i got into the groove, the words wouldn't stop pouring out. i can't wait to start writing the next chapter!

Chapter 5

It’s the day after Christmas and Hinata is in Miyagi to visit her family and friends during winter break. It’s been two days since she and Atsumu went out to see the winter illumination. She’s at Yachi and Yamaguchi’s apartment to catch up and hangout. Hinata sighs dreamily.

 

“Shou-chan, what’s with that smile on your face, hmm?” Yachi asks teasingly.

 

Yamaguchi walks in from the kitchen saying, “The cake is ready!” 

 

“It looks great! Thanks, Tadashi!” Yachi plants a kiss on Yamaguchi’s cheek.

 

“Barf,” Tsukishima says, deadpan. 

 

Yachi shoves Tsukishima playfully. “Stop being so emo, Tsukki.”

Tsukishima rolls his eyes and takes a sip of his hot chocolate. Hinata giggles at her friend's antics. She missed them so much. 

 

“Well, if you must know,” Hinata says, twirling her hair. “Atsumu-san and I have been hanging out a lot. We went to see the winter lights together, and uwaah, it was amazing! And we had hot pot! And we played volleyball together! I was actually able to play volleyball against V. League players! And did you know that Atsumu-san’s brother, Osamu-san opened up a restaurant? It’s called Onigiri Miya. Atsumu-”

 

“We’ve been hearing a lot about Atsumu-san this and Atsumu-san that,” Yachi cuts Hinata off, putting her elbows on the table and leaning towards Hinata. She smiles mischievously and waggles her eyebrows. “Sooooo…. ”

 

Yamaguchi joins Yachi in teasing Hinata. He mimics Yachi’s pose and looks at Hinata expectantly.

 

Hinata laughs nervously. “‘Sooooo’ what?” she asks, trying to seem ignorant. 

 

“Well,” Yachi and Yamaguchi start at the same time. They look at each other and smirk. It’s as if they’re sharing a secret that only they know.

 

Hinata balls up a napkin and throws it in their direction. “Ugh, you two are so unfair! Stop ganging up on me!” 

 

“What the two idiots are trying to imply is that you and Miya seem to be awfully close these days,” Tsukishima interrupts. He tilts his head and looks at Hinata. “And...well, it seems that you two have been hitting it off really well. Won’t be surprised if you two are dating by the time you go back to Osaka,” he says, smirking.

 

Yachi crosses her arms and pouts. “No fair, Tsukki, you suck! We were supposed to tease her a bit more y’know!”

 

“Whatever, it was taking too long and I want to enjoy my food instead of gossiping like old women over Shouyou’s love life.”

 

“Wait what- my love life?!” Hinata sputters. She waves her arms back and forth in denial. “No, no, no, me and Atsumu-san are friends. Just. Friends,” she emphasizes.

 

Yamaguchi snorts. “Yeah, really good friends who went out to a restaurant and got mistaken to be a couple.”

 

“Really good friends who went out on a date on Christmas Eve and held hands the whole night,” Yachi chimes in gleefully. 

 

Tsukishima picks up a cookie and nibbles on it and adds, “Really good friends who’ve been texting each other nonstop since you left Osaka.”

 

“Guys!” Hinata whines. “No fair!” 

 

Yachi puts a hand on Hinata’s shoulder. “Hey, we’re just messing with you. If anything we’re really happy for you. Atsumu seems like a good guy.”

 

Yamaguchi nods enthusiastically and even Tsukishima nods slightly in agreement. Hinata purses her lips. “Well, ImayhavesortakissedhischeekIsortofforgottotellyouguysthatsorry,” she rambles out quickly in one breath.

 

Tsukishima spits his hot chocolate all over the table. Yachi drops her pastry. Yamaguchi’s arm is frozen, drink suspended in midair. 

 

“YOU DID WHAT?!” they all shout at the same time. 

 

Hinata covers her face, embarrassed. Her face is as red as a tomato and she’s sure it’s clashing with her hair. “Guys,” she moans, “Do you think I messed up?”

 

“What-”

“No, Shouyou-”

 

“You really are an idiot-”

 

Yamaguchi, Yachi, and Tsukishima speak over each other. They look at each other and burst out laughing. Hinata looks at them miserably.

 

“Shou-chan,” Yachi begins, clutching her stomach after laughing so hard. “You didn’t mess up. From what it seems, I think Atsumu genuinely likes you,” she says.

 

“I agree! You guys have been hanging out a lot and you’ve been texting. There’s no way he’s not into you,” Yamaguchi adds kindly.

 

Hinata’s eyes are watery. She loves her friends so much. “Guys-” she starts to speak. Her phone chimes, cutting her off. The four of them turn towards her phone, looking at it light up. It’s a text message. Yamaguchi, Yachi, Tsukishima, and Hinata stare at the phone as if it will blow up at any moment. They all slowly look towards each other when Hinata yells, “NOT ON MY WATCH!”

All four of them reach towards Hinata’s phone. They topple over each other, the table of food almost getting overturned. The plate of cookies falls on the floor and some hot chocolate spills over from their cups. 

 

“I got it!” Yachi says triumphantly, fist-bumping the air in victory. She’s breathless as if she ran a marathon. 

 

Yamaguchi makes a grabbing motion with his hands. “Gimme!” he says.

 

Tsukishima actually laughs, enjoying Hinata’s misery. 

 

“C’mon! It’s three against one, how is that even fair?” Hinata bemoans.

 

“It’s really boring without ya here, Shouyou-kun,” Yachi reads out loud, ignoring Hinata’s groans of protest.

 

Yamaguchi peers over Yachi’s shoulder, smiling. “If only you were here to hit my sets,” he continues reading.

 

“I hope yer having a great time in Miyagi. I’m miserable here with only my brother and my dumb team as company,” Tsukishima says. Hinata raises an eyebrow, secretly impressed by Tsukishima’s attempt at Kansai-ben.

 

“I can’t wait until yer back. Hope to see ya soon,” the three finish reading out loud together. Hinata snatches her phone from Yachi’s hands and flushes. 

 

“Shouyou!” Yachi ignores Hinata’s embarrassment and hugs her tightly. “He’s so into you! And he’s so obvious about it!” 

 

Hinata frowns. She takes a seat on the floor again, ignoring Yachi. She begins to clean up the mess that was made from trying to get her phone. The mood turns somber and everyone takes a seat. 

 

“We’re sorry about teasing you. Sorry if we took it too far,” Yamaguchi says sheepishly, trying to do damage control. 

 

Hinata sighs. “It’s not that, it’s just…” she trails off, not knowing where to begin.

 

“If you don’t like him, that’s okay. If you do, then that’s also okay. And if you’re not sure, that’s okay too,” Tsukishima speaks up. “We all know what went down with the King in our third year. And as annoying as I think you are, it’s less annoying to see you being upbeat and positive than seeing you be sad and upset.” 

 

“Tsukki,” Hinata says, touched by his words. He says things in a way only Tsukishima could, but his support meant the world to her. They started off as enemies and rivals, but she’s thankful that they have become good friends over the years. “I really appreciate you guys,” Hinata sniffs. She takes a deep breath to calm down her racing heart. She’s ready to admit the feelings she’s been trying hard to ignore.

 

“I like Atsumu-san,” she says tentatively, finally voicing her feelings out loud. “I like him. I might like him a lot. And I think,” she hesitates, trying not to let hope show on her face. “I think he might like me back. And I want him to. I want to be with him.” 

 

Yachi is looking at Hinata with wide eyes and suddenly bursts into tears. “Shou-chan,” she sobs, “I’m so happy for you! ” 

 

“Yacchan, here!” Hinata looks at her in alarm and passes a napkin. And then she bursts into tears too.

 

“Wh-why’re you crying?” Yachi asks, hiccuping.

 

“Because you are!” Hinata wails. 

 

Yamaguchi sniffles and Tsukishima looks at him in disgust. “You too?” he asks in disbelief. 

 

After a minute or two, Hinata and Yachi stop crying. They hold each other's hands, squeal, and burst into giggles. 

 

“I like him, Yacchan. I really, really like him,” Hinata says, grinning from ear to ear. 

 

“You guys are batshit insane.” Tsukishima’s eyes are wide and he has a mildly concerned look on his face.  

 

“Shut up, Tsukki,” Hinata and Yachi say in unison.

 

“Oh my god, how could we forget? You need to text him back!” Yachi has a frazzled look on her face, looking around the room. “Where’s your phone?”

 

“Here!” Hinata holds up her phone. She looks towards her friends, the ones who have been with her since her first year at Karasuno. “I want to send a picture,” Hinata says, “of us.” She motions Yamaguchi, Yachi, and Tsukishima to come closer. 

 

“... and, smile!” Hinata says, grinning at the camera. She nods at the picture approvingly. She looks down at her phone and writes out a quick message and hits send.

---

“I’m sure Shouyou-kun could’ve hit that,” Atsumu says snarkily. It’s been three days since Hinata went to Miyagi and her absence has made him insufferable. Atsumu misses her terribly, even though they have been texting every day.

 

Sakusa’s eyebrow twitches and he’s two seconds away from throwing his water bottle at Atsumu’s face. Bokuto quickly steps in front of Atsumu, alarmed.

 

“Boys, no fighting!” Meian calls out. 

 

Atsumu sniffs. “Hmph.” He turns away from Sakusa, crossing his arms. 

 

Sakusa rolls his eyes and ignores Atsumu’s hissy fit. “Lately, all you talk about is that little girl,” he says.

 

“Hey! She’s not a little girl, she’s my disciple!” Bokuto says defensively.

 

“She’s not yer anything, Bokkun!” Atsumu protests. He’s glaring at Bokuto now. Inunaki, Adriah, and Meian stare at the three youngest members of their team and shrug. 

 

Meian sighs and puts his hands on his hips. He clasps his hands together to get everyone’s attention. “C’mon guys, we gotta shower and change. Make sure you take a long rest when you get home, okay?”

 

“Yes, sir!” the three members of the Monster Generation say at the same time. They go to the locker room without complaint, Atsumu’s critiques forgotten. 

 

As they begin to change out of their clothes, Atsumu’s phone chimes. He picks it up and drops his shirt on the floor. He makes a strangled noise out of his throat and rests his forehead on his locker. His team members look at him curiously. 

 

Inunaki snatches the phone away from Atsumu before he can protest and he raises his eyebrows. “Who’s this? A girl?" he asks, teasing Atsumu.

 

“Give my phone back!” Atsumu tries to snatch his phone away, but Inunaki is faster. He flashes the phone towards the rest of the team. 

 

“Atsumu got a little girlfriend!” Inunaki hollers out. 

 

Bokuto rushes forward and grabs the phone. “Lemme see!” He looks at the phone, grin dropping. “You’re finally dating Hinata? And you didn’t tell us?” he cries out, feeling betrayed. 

 

“Tell us about her!” Inunaki insists. 

 

Meian looks at the picture and then looks at Atsumu, smiling gently. “She’s cute, Atsumu. She must be a saint, having the patience to put up with you.”

 

“I didn’t ask her out yet,” Atsumu mumbles, too low for anyone to hear. 

 

"Hmm?” 

 

“I said I didn’t ask her out yet!” The locker room quiets down and they all look at Atsumu in disbelief. 

 

“You mean to tell me,” Inunaki says, the shock in his voice clear, “that you’ve been hanging out with this girl for months and you still haven’t made a move?” 

 

Atsumu groans. He feels as if he’s been put on the spot and doesn’t want to get into the story of how he’s been pining for Hinata since his second year of high school. And, oh yeah! His competition is a setter who has played in the Olympics and is currently on the Schweiden Adlers, their rival team, which is just freaking great! Atsumu is totally someone Hinata would notice. Not, he thinks, sullen.  

 

Sakusa sighs, wanting to go home and end this conversation as soon as possible. “For someone who has a lot of bravado, it’s all just a front isn’t it?” His words are sharp, cutting straight to the point. Atsumu flinches. 

 

“Hey, hey, hey!” Bokuto cuts in. “I’m sure things are going well for Atsumu and Hinata if she’s sending him a selfie. Maybe they’re not a couple yet, but they will get there eventually.” 

 

Atsumu looks at Bokuto gratefully. He finally gets his phone back and clutches it to his chest protectively. “I’m working on it, okay? I just want her to feel comfortable with me. We’re good friends right now, and if that’s all Shouyou-kun wants to be, then that’s what I’ll be for her.”

 

His team looks back at him in shock. Even Sakusa looks mildly impressed.

 

“Dude.” Inunaki pats Atsumu on the back and nods at him with respect. 

 

Meian laughs goodnaturedly. “Who’d have thought that Atsumu would be such a gentleman?” 

 

Atsumu grumbles, but Meian cuts him off. “Be patient. All relationships are different and things develop at their own pace. Just don’t lose sight of yourself, okay?”

 

Atsumu frowns, but nods at the captain. “Yes, sir.”

 

“Now, I think we’ve had enough and it’s time to lock up the gym. Good work today. And remember, Atsumu.” Meian turns towards him and smiles secretively. “Don’t think this is the last conversation we’ll have about your friend. We will have a team dinner soon. And I hope by then she will be able to join us.” All the members file out of the locker room, except Atsumu.

 

He unlocks his phone and takes a long look at his screen. It’s a picture of Hinata with three of her friends. Atsumu recognizes that it's Yachi, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi. Yachi’s arms are around Hinata’s waist and she’s smiling with her eyes closed. Yamaguchi is grinning at the two girls fondly. Tsukishima is looking at his friends with a slight smile. 

 

When his eyes fall on Hinata, his heart stops. She’s wearing overalls and has cute little hair clips holding back her bangs and Atsumu’s chest clenches. She’s so fucking cute, he can’t handle it. She’s beaming at the camera and is holding up a victory sign. Atsumu reads the message below the picture which says: OG Karasuno first years say hi! T-minus 2 days until I go back to Osaka!

 

Atsumu sighs and closes his locker. Just a few more days and we’ll see each other again.

---

“Atsumu-san!” Hinata’s bright voice is heard through the receiver and his heart bursts with fondness. “I’m about, say, an hour away? I’ll be there at Onigiri Miya soon!”

 

Atsumu is grinning into his phone like an idiot, unaware of the look his brother is giving him. “Alright. I can’t wait until yer here, Shouyou-kun.” He hesitates and adds, “I missed you.”

 

The line on the other end is quiet and Atsumu is worried that Hinata hung up on him. He hears an intake of breath and then she says words that breathe life into him. “I missed you, too. A lot,” Hinata says softly. “I’m almost there. Wait for me.”

 

“Always,” he says. They hang up and Atsumu is smiling at his phone, lovestruck. He feels as if someone is staring at him and he looks up, making eye contact with Osamu. 

 

Osamu makes a gagging noise. “‘I missed ya, Shouyou-kun,’” he mimics Atsumu with a high pitched nasally voice.

 

“I do not sound like that, ‘Samu!” Atsumu smacks his brother on the back of his head.

 

“Yer such a sap. I must say, I am impressed that she says she missed ya too. I guess things are working out for ya, huh? I’m glad ‘Tsumu.” 

 

Atsumu smiles softly. “Yeah, I hope so. We’ve gotten a lot closer, especially after Christmas Eve…” he trails off. Osamu nods, understanding.

 

“Anyways!” Atsumu sits up straight, changing the subject abruptly. “I’m excited because the V. League season is gonna start soon. I should be getting a call or text soon and-” 

 

As if on cue, Atsumu’s phone starts ringing. He sends a cocky grin Osamu’s way as if to say, Hah, I told you so.

 

Osamu motions towards Atsumu’s phone. “Well, are ya just gonna let the phone ring or are ya gonna pick it up?” 

 

Atsumu ignores his brother’s snarky comment and finally picks up the phone. “Hello? Yeah, the season starts in a month, I know. Yeah...our first opponents are going to be the Schweiden Adlers? Hmm...okay, yeah,” Atsumu says absentmindedly. He hangs up and picks up the onigiri in front of him that’s gotten cold.

 

“Hey, ‘Samu, this new recipe ain’t half bad!” he exclaims with his mouth full.

 

Osamu stares at him, bewildered at how much of an idiot his brother could be. “So yer gonna get Shouyou tickets to yer first game of the season, right?” he asks. 

 

“Yep!” Atsumu continues to munch on his food happily.

 

“And yer first match is gonna be against the Schweiden Adlers, right?” 

 

Atsumu nods. “Yeah, we’re gonna be going up against Ushiwaka’s team. That funny eyebrow guy, Hoshiumi is on that team, too. And, oh yeah, so is Kageyama Tobio!” Atsumu freezes. “Kageyama...Tobio…” he looks up at Osamu, who has his arms crossed. Osamu looks at his brother expectantly. 

 

The door opens, interrupting the brothers. Osamu looks away from Atsumu to greet the customer when Hinata’s voice echoes throughout the restaurant. “I’m here!” she exclaims, excited. She walks towards the twins, humming. “I’m so glad to be back!” 

 

The blood in Atsumu’s veins turns to ice. He’s hit with the sudden realization that he's finally going up against Kageyama Tobio. His rival in volleyball and his rival in love. How the hell was he supposed to tell Hinata if she wants tickets to go watch the first game of the season?

 

Atsumu smiles forcefully and ignores the hollow feeling in his stomach. “Welcome back, Shouyou-kun.”

 

Hinata beams at Atsumu, blissfully unaware of the tense atmosphere. “So, what’d I miss?” she asks innocently. 

 

Osamu and Atsumu share a look. Just when he thought things were finally looking up, Kageyama Tobio was going to get in the way. Stop! I can’t think like that! Atsumu smacks his cheeks, leaving red marks that sting. 

 

“Congratulations, ‘Tsumu, it’s official. Yer crazy and ya finally lost yer goddamn mind,” Osamu says sarcastically, clapping. 

Atsumu ignores his brother’s jab and smooths his hair down. He can do this. He sits up straight and plants his feet on the ground. He slowly inhales, counts down to three, and exhales. “Well, ya see…our first match is next month and it’s against the Schweiden Adlers!” 

 

The silence is deafening. Osamu face-palms at how tactless his brother is. Hinata stares at Atsumu blankly. “I see.”

 

Atsumu is at a loss for words. He’s not sure what to do. Should he comfort Hinata? Should he reassure her that everything will be okay? 

 

Before Atsumu can speak up, Hinata looks at him and tilts her head. She has a bloodthirsty look on her face. Atsumu’s worries vanish. Hinata isn’t a girl who needs to be coddled. His mouth twitches, a smug smile making its way on his face. Hinata takes a seat. “You’re going to win this,” she says intensely. “And I’ll be right there, cheering you on.”

Chapter 6

Notes:

i am so overwhelmed by all the love and support. thank you for reading my fic. i hope you enjoy this chapter!

The next few weeks are brutal for Atsumu. His time is spent between practicing for the first match of the season and trying to make time for Hinata.

“Great toss, TsumTsum!” Bokuto calls out.

Atsumu frowns, eyebrows pinched. That toss wasn’t close enough to great. It was passable, at most only good. His hands are on his hips and sweat is dripping down his face. His practice jersey is soaked and he feels disgusting, but he has to keep pushing. He has to practice every possible second if he wants to win against the Schweiden Adlers.

“...I was too short on that one, sorry. I’ll do better for the next one,” Atsumu apologizes, voice curt.

Sakusa turns towards him. “We’ve been practicing nonstop for the past four hours. You’re the only one who hasn’t taken a break. Take a breather.” He pushes a towel towards Atsumu, keeping careful not to touch him.

Atsumu snatches the towel and wipes his face angrily. “If I continue tossing like this, then we won’t be able to win our match!”

Sakusa’s face flashes in disgust. “You’re not the one who’s going to lead this team to victory. We’re six members and part of a team. Get that through your thick skull.”

Atsumu’s jaw tenses. “How ironic, hearing that from you. I don’t need to hear about teamwork and working together from a guy who can barely interact with others like a normal human being.”

“Woah, woah, woah. Calm down.” Bokuto steps between the two and holds his arms out. “We’re all stressed because of the upcoming match and taking it out on each other.”

Sakusa huffs. “He’s the idiot that’s putting too much pressure on himself all because of some dumb girl.”

In a flash, Atsumu is in front of Sakusa. “What did you just say? Shouyou-kun isn’t dumb!” His eyes are burning with anger. He’s breathing heavily and adrenaline is coursing through his body. The last time he felt this way was when he fought against Osamu in high school.

“Stop!” Meian walks over and pulls Atsumu away from Sakusa. He crosses his arms. Atsumu can feel the disappointment and anger coming off of Meian in waves. Atsumu steps away from Sakusa and looks away, avoiding eye contact with Meian.

Meian sighs. “I understand that you’re a perfectionist, Atsumu. But you’ve been more tense than usual. Is there something personal going on that’s affecting your performance on the court? The game is in one week, and if you can’t get yourself together, we can substitute you-”

“No!” Atsumu protests, horrified. “Yer not benching me from this game. And there’s nothing personal going on,” he spats out. Atsumu’s fingers dig into his palms. The pain keeps him grounded. He’s biting his lip and shakes with fury.

Bokuto looks at him in concern. “Atsumu, is everything alright? Seriously, you can tell us what’s going on. We’re your teammates. We got your back.”

Atsumu’s rage finally spills over. “It’s all because of Kageyama fuckin’ Tobio!” he shouts. His voice echoes throughout the gym and everyone stops what they’re doing. Inunaki and Adriah, who are a few feet away, look towards his direction, startled.

“Kageyama Tobio?” Meian’s eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. “What does he have to do with what’s going on right now?”

Sakusa rolls his eyes. “I’m betting it has to do with his girlfriend. Long story short, she was the only girl on a boy’s volleyball team. She attended Karasuno High, which is where Kageyama went to school as well. They basically played together.”

“He was her setter!” Bokuto chimes in helpfully.

Meian’s eyebrow twitches. “All this is happening because you’re jealous? Atsumu, you can’t be serious. I told you not to lose sight of yourself and look at what's happening to you right now. You’ve been inconsistent during practice and I’m really contemplating if you should be benched for the first game.” Meian sighs. “I really don’t want to do this but it seems your personal problems-”

Atsumu groans.

“-are getting in the way of your performance on the court. I’ll give you one more chance. Get yourself together,” Meian finishes sternly. “Practice is over, go home.” He stalks off towards the locker room.

Sakusa, Bokuto, and Atsumu remain. They’re quiet until Atsumu lets out a shaky breath. “I’m so fuckin’ pathetic.”

His teammates stare at him wordlessly, giving him time to collect his thoughts.

“I’m at a good place with Shouyou-kun right now. I want to win so I can confess. So I can prove I’m good enough to be by her side.” Atsumu starts pacing back and forth, hand on his chin. “I was the best setter in high school, but what about now? He’s one step ahead of me. I got chosen to be a V. League player right out of high school, but he gets chosen for the Olympics. He got to play on a team with Shouyou-kun for three years and toss to her and be with her and I-” he cuts himself off and looks at the floor, dejected.

Sakusa and Bokuto remain quiet. Bokuto is nibbling his lip in thought when he suddenly shouts ecstatically, “I got it!”

Atsumu looks at him blankly. “Did ya not hear me pour my heart and soul out, Bokkun?” Atsumu’s voice is dripping with sarcasm, trying not to seem hurt. He always defaults to being a jackass when he feels vulnerable.

“Yeah! I was right there y’know!” Bokuto smiles triumphantly, not getting the hint.

 

Atsumu’s eyes flash in irritation. “If ya wanna keep being an idiot, then ya can just piss off-”

“Shut your mouth, Miya,” Sakusa says, interjecting. “Hinata seems like a nice girl. I don’t know her well, but you clearly care about her a lot. But you need to keep your personal and professional life separate. You can’t keep associating volleyball with your self worth.”

Bokuto nods in agreement. “I agree! You’re a great setter, TsumTsum. And so is Kageyama. I understand you love volleyball, but you told me yourself: ‘It’s possible for me to have two priorities’. But that doesn’t mean that the two things you prioritize have to always be intertwined. I know you met Hinata during Nationals and that you two love and breathe volleyball. All your interactions have been connected with volleyball. You being good at volleyball isn’t the only reason for her to like you.”

Sakusa looks at Bokuto in shock. “I can’t believe I’m saying this,” he says, “but I agree with Bokuto for once.”

Bokuto looks at Sakusa, eyes sparkling. “Aww, OmiOmi!” He starts to put his arms towards Sakusa for a hug. Sakusa quickly pulls out a spray bottle and points it at Bokuto menacingly.

“Don’t even think about it,” he deadpans.

What’s even going on right now? Atsumu thinks. “Uh, guys, I’m really confused right now. And Omi-Kun where did that spray bottle even come from?” he asks, exasperated.

Bokuto stops trying to hug Sakusa and turns towards Atsumu. “Oh, yeah! Where was I?” Bokuto closes his eyes in concentration and purses his lips.

Sakusa sighs. “‘You being good at volleyball isn’t-’”

“-the only reason for her to like you! Right!” Bokuto smiles widely, his thoughts coming back to him. “Hinata appreciates who you are as a person and not just ‘Miya Atsumu, professional V. League volleyball player’. So...relax. Play how you normally do and don’t stress yourself out. I used to think I have to be the coolest volleyball player I can...but at the end of the day, I’m just a normal ace!”

Atsumu blinks at Bokuto. He wishes the gym floor would open him up and swallow him whole. He’s so embarrassed that he threw a fit during practice. The way he was acting was uncalled for. He was talking big about being able to have different priorities, but somewhere along the way, Atsumu started to associate trying to be worthy of Hinata with volleyball.

“...Yer right. I’m just so fuckin’ stressed. For me, it’s always been her. But I know something happened between Hinata and Kageyama...I guess I’m just…”

Sakusa and Bokuto wisely remain quiet, waiting for Atsumu to collect his thoughts.

Atsumu straightens his shoulder and puts a hand on his hip. He turns his head, looking at the volleyball net that’s still up from their practice match. “...I just feel so incompetent. I know I can be a jerk. And I’m...sorry for the way I acted out today.” He grits his teeth. “I’ll be sure to apologize to Meian, Adriah, and Inunaki later.” Atsumu picks at his nails, refusing to make eye contact with Sakusa and Bokuto.

“I let my jealousy get the best of me. And I’m letting it affect me on the court, which is not okay.” Atsumu scratches his head, still refusing to make eye contact. “Thanks for keeping me in check,” he finishes quietly.

Bokuto punches Atsumu in the shoulder. “That’s what teammates are for! And it’s okay to not always be cool in front of Hinata, you know! She’s not that kind of person. If anything, she’ll appreciate your honesty more.”

“It’s creepy how much sense you’re making today,” Sakusa says again in shock, agreeing with Bokuto. “But I agree. Hinata doesn’t strike me as the type of person who cares about shallow things. I already question her taste in men, since it seems that she may like you of all people-”

“Hey! I’m a catch! Do ya see my handsome face?” Atsumu protests.

Sakusa continues to ignore him. “-but you need to stop putting her on a pedestal and realize that she’s a person too. And she’s not perfect and you’re not perfect. But together, you guys just might work.”

Atsumu blinks his eyes, incredulous. “Omi-kun, did ya just encourage me?”

Sakusa looks away and sniffs. “...We have to go now, it’s getting late,” he says, ignoring Atsumu. He walks away, leaving Bokuto and Atsumu alone in silence.

Bokuto speaks up, breaking the silence. “I told you this before and I’ll say it again: Just don’t hurt her. You and Hinata will be just fine. Loosen up, okay? And maybe it’s out of line for me to say this, but you should really talk to her about how you’re feeling. Communication is key, on and off the court.” He pats Atsumu’s shoulder comfortingly and says, “I’m going to head out now. See you next practice.” He walks away, leaving Atsumu alone in the gym.

It’s quiet and serene. Atsumu makes his way to where his stuff is. He picks up his water bottle and dumps water all over himself. He shakes his head, water splashing everywhere. He walks towards the locker room and pulls out his phone. Atsumu leans against a locker, towel hanging around his neck, head down. Without thinking about it, he looks for Hinata’s number and presses call.

“Hello?” Hinata’s voice is muffled through the receiver.

Atsumu clenches his eyes shut and remains quiet.

“Hello? Atsumu-san, are you there? Is everything okay?” He can hear the concern in Hinata’s voice.

“...I’m fine. I just really wanted to hear yer voice.” He holds his breath, waiting for her response.

Hinata chuckles softly on the other end. “It’s really nice to hear from you too. How was practice today?”

Atsumu chews on his lip. “It’s been...not so good.”

“Oh, no. What happened?”

“Can I see ya soon?” Atsumu asks, avoiding her question. “I just..really want to see ya, Shouyou-kun.”

Hinata is quiet on the other end of the line. Atsumu’s heart pounds in anticipation. Taking her silence as rejection, he begins to laugh nervously. “Actually, nevermind-”

“Of course. I’d really like that. I want to see you too.” Hinata’s voice is soft and inviting, filling Atsumu up with warmth.

Atsumu lets out a shaky breath. His palms start sweating from nervousness. “Okay, great. Let me take ya out. There’s an amusement park nearby and it can be really fun.”

“Yes!” Hinata’s excitement is clear through the phone and Atsumu finally cracks a smile.

“I”ll see ya soon,” Atsumu says.

“It’s a date,” Hinata says coyly. “Anyways, I gotta go. Bye Atsumu-san!” she quickly hangs up the phone, leaving Atsumu dumbfounded. He shakes his head fondly.

I need to get myself together and stay calm. I’m going to win this. And then I’m going to tell Shouyou-kun how I feel.

---

“Argh!” Atsumu groans out in frustration. He watches, sullen, as his dart misses the balloon that he’s supposed to pop. He’s decided to take Hinata to an amusement park the day after losing his temper during practice. Atsumu is currently trying to impress her by winning her a prize and he fails, epically.

The man running the booth laughs goodnaturedly. “One more?”

Hinata giggles as Atsumu stuffs his hands into his pockets and takes out his wallet. He’s digging through his wallet, looking for more coins or bills, anything. He’s not leaving this booth until he wins a damned prize.

“Atsumu-san,” Hinata calls out. She tugs on Atsumu’s jacket, trying to get his attention. Atsumu stops what he’s doing and gives her his undivided attention. “I wanna try.” Her eyes spark in challenge and her smile is sharp.

Atsumu sighs in defeat and looks at Hinata affectionately. Who was he to deny her? He waves towards the booth. “Give it ya best shot, Shouyou-kun.”

Hinata’s eyes narrow as she picks up a dart. Her tongue darts across her lips to wet them, and oh fuck, now Atsumu is staring at her mouth and he’s beginning to forget what he was trying to do in the first place. Hinata pulls her arm back and quickly releases, and there’s the unmistaken sound of a balloon popping.

Hinata’s starts dancing in triumph, clapping her hands. “Did you see that? Did you see that, Atsumu-san?” She’s holding onto his arms excited. She gets close to him and is on her tiptoes. “Atsumu-san?” Her copper colored eyes shine with happiness.

Atsumu brushes her bangs out of her eyes so he can see them more clearly. His thumb brushes against her cheek. He looks at her tenderly. “Yes,” he whispers, “I saw. Ya won.” He smiles at her reverently and shakes his head.

The man running the booth claps his hands. “Congratulations! Which prize would you like to take home, young lady?”

Hinata pulls herself away from Atsumu and puts her hand on her chin in deep thought. She finds herself eyeing two stuffed animals, one a crow, and the other, a fox. As she stands there in contemplation, Atsumu turns his gaze to where Hinata is looking.

He knows deep down that Hinata choosing a stuffed animal is no big deal. But she’s looking at a crow and a fox. It hits Atsumu that the Karasuno team was always associated with crows, while Inarizaki is associated with foxes. For some reason, Atsumu holds his breath, wondering what she will choose.

“Hmmm, I want,” Hinata says, pointing her finger towards the prize selection, “that one!”

It’s as if Atsumu’s been punched in the stomach. Between the crow and the fox, she chose the fox. He knows how much Karasuno means to Hinata. Atsumu’s head is spinning with the information that Hinata intentionally chose the fox over the crow. He knows it’s not that deep, but he can’t help but feel victorious.

“Here you go! You two lovebirds get going now! It’s getting late and the park will be closed soon,” the man running the booth says.

 

“Thank you so much!” Hinata grabs Atsumu by the hand and starts walking away.

Atsumu is startled out of his thoughts and glances down at Hinata. She’s humming happily, a pretty blush on her cheeks. Atsumu swallows and clears his throat. Hinata looks up at him and grins.

“So...ya chose the fox, huh?” Atsumu internally slaps himself. He’s such an idiot and a loser and there’s no way that Hinata thought of him-

“Well.” Hinata’s eyes are warm. “It reminded me of you, Atsumu-san!”

Atsumu is flustered, unable to speak. “Shouyou-kun,” he finally says, breathless.

“Hmm?” She’s looking at her stuffed animal, examining it admiringly.

Atsumu looks down at their joined hands and gulps anxiously. Since Christmas Eve, it wasn’t uncommon for Hinata and Atsumu to hold hands when they went out. “Yer coming to the match, right?” Atsumu finally asks, after a beat of silence.

Hinata pouts at Atsumu, and he feels his breath catch. “Of course, Atsumu-san!” She hesitates. “Do you maybe not want me there?”

“It’s not that. Of course I want ya to be there! I hope yer able to go to all my matches." Atsumu’s face darkens. He stops walking and Hinata turns towards him, puzzled. They’re still holding hands.

“Is something wrong Atsumu-san?” Hinata is looking at him with so much concern. She’s always attuned to the emotions of others and always puts others first. It’s one of the many things Atsumu likes about her.

“No, nothing's wrong,” Atsumu answers. He looks at Hinata in the eyes, refusing to look away and chicken out. It’s now or never, he thinks.

Hinata is patient, waiting for Atsumu to gather his thoughts. The grip on her hand tightens and she squeezes back in reassurance.

“After the game, after we win,” Atsumu begins, chewing nervously at his lip. He clears his throat again, trying not to sound nervous. Hinata’s eyes are filled with warmth and understanding, strengthening his resolve.

“After we win,” he repeats, “there’s something I want to tell ya. Will ya hear me out?”

Hinata clutches the fox she won, the one that reminded her of Atsumu, closer to her heart. Hope is bursting in her chest. She beams at him, as radiant as the sun. Atsumu’s breath catches and he hears her whisper, “Of course, Atsumu-san. There’s something I want to tell you, too.”

---

It’s finally the day of the match. Hinata breathes in the fresh crisp January air and starts walking towards the gymnasium.

“Hinata!” she hears a voice call out to her.

She looks to her left and jumps up in excitement. “Suga-senpai!” she cries out.

Sugawara jogs towards her. His cheeks are flushed red from the cold. Hinata can see Tanaka, Kiyoko, Asahi, and Daichi behind him, catching up. They wave at her and she waves back, grinning widely.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, Hinata! I thought you might be busy with classes. But I guess you couldn’t help but want to see Kageyama, huh?” Sugawara says, smirking knowingly.

Hinata blinks in surprise. By then, the former third years (and Tanaka) have reached them.

“...But I’m not here for Kageyama though?” Hinata tilts her head in confusion and narrows her eyes.

Sugawara rubs the back of his neck, suddenly feeling nervous. “Oh? You’re not?” He frowns and puts his hand in his pocket. “Well, I just thought…” he trails off looking around at the others helplessly.

Tanaka grins and puts an arm around Sugawara. “Our little Hinata here is probably waiting for the doofus to confess,” he says.

Hinata’s frown deepens. “No, I’m not. I’m not waiting on him for anything,” she says, voice clipped.

Tanaka’s face falls and he looks at her, taken aback. “Oh…”

Asashi laughs nervously. “How about we go inside? We’re going to freeze if we keep waiting out here.”

“Good idea!” Daichi says, taking the hint. “Let’s go.”

As Sugawara, Tanaka, Daichi, and Asahi walk ahead, Kiyoko stays back with Hinata and looks down at her inquisitively. Hinata was always in awe of the former Karasuno manager. She was always poised and supportive. The number of times she saved their asses...Hinata shakes her head and smiles up at her.

“I’ve missed you, Kiyoko-senpai!” Hinata grabs hold of Kiyoko in a tight hug.

The older girl smiles softly at Hinata and hugs her back. “I missed you too, Hinata. I hope things have been going well?” She pulls back and loops her arm around Hinata’s, leading her towards the gymnasium.

Hinata’s pace quickens, trying to keep up with Kiyoko’s long strides. “Yes, it has! My classes are tough, but they’re going well so far. And I’ve made some new friends!”

Kiyoko arches an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Yeah!” Hinata nods excitedly. “Do you remember the Miya twins from Inarizaki?”

Kiyoko nods and has a curious expression in her gaze.

“I ran into them! Osamu, the one who was a spiker and has gray hair-oh, well his hair isn’t gray anymore-he has his own restaurant now! Actually,” Hinata says brightly, looking forward, “he’s going to have a booth open during the match! You guys need to try his onigiri, it’s heavenly! And Atsumu-san,” Hinata’s voice softens a smidge, “he fixed his ugly blonde hair color and dyed it into a softer blonde color. It suits him so much!”

“Atsumu-san, huh?” Kiyoko has a knowing glint in her eye. She steers Hinata towards a seat. Hinata looks around in confusion.

“Oh! We’re already here!” she starts fidgeting in her seat. She’s jittering nervously, her legs shaking up and down. It’s the same feeling she’s had when Karasuno had a match against another school. She breathes in deeply, and takes in all the sights, sounds, and smells. She smiles, eyes closed as she hears the sounds of sneakers against the gymnasium floor and the volleyball being tossed around.

“You must miss it a lot, huh?” It’s Sugawara’s voice, sitting in the row below Hinata.

Hinata looks down at him and nods in affirmation. “Yeah, nothing will ever replace volleyball for me.” Hinata looks down at her hands and there’s a soft smile dancing across her lips. “But I don’t feel lost anymore. Or conflicted.” She looks straight at Sugawara.

Sugawara raises his eyebrows in shock. He’s taken aback by Hinata’s demeanor. She’s always made people gravitate towards her and that hasn’t changed...but she seems different now. As if she’s matured. Sugawara feels a burst of pride in his chest. To see his kouhai like this almost moves him to tears.

“Oi! Are you guys going to keep talking? It’s been nice catching up, but the match is going to start soon!” Tanaka says.

They all look towards the court. People are cheering, waving signs and shouting words of support for the team they are supporting. The announcer speaks into the microphone and his voice booms across the gymnasium. The players are introduced one by one. They all cheer as Adriah, Inunaki, Bokuto, Sakusa, and Barnes run out.

“...Number 13, the setter for the MSBY Black Jackals, Miya Atsumu!” Atsumu jogs out to the court, waving at the crowd, his eyes searching.

Hinata can’t help herself. She jumps up and shouts, “Atsumu-san!” Her senpai turned towards her, stunned, her sudden outburst unexpected.

Atsumu stops in his tracks and his head swivels towards her direction. He points towards her and mouths, “I see you,” and winks.

Hinata continues to clap and sits down. She can’t wipe the smile off her face. She ignores the curious gazes of her senpai and refuses to look away. After all the MSBY Black Jackals members are introduced, they begin to introduce the Schweiden Adlers.

Ushijima is as intimidating as ever, walking proudly with his broad shoulders and serious expression. Hoshiumi appears, bursting with energy. He changed his hair! Hinata thinks, amused. It was no longer spiked up like it was when they were in high school.

And finally, the announcer calls out, “Number 20, the setter for the Schweiden Adlers, Kageyama Tobio!”

At the mention of Kageyama, Sugawara, Daichi, Tanaka, Asahi, and Kiyoko cheer loudly. Hinata claps politely. Kageyama’s gaze is focused on the volleyball net, his only concern being the current game. The crowd quiets down as the players get into position. The referee blows the whistle. The match has begun.

---

It’s currently the last set. MSBY Black Jackals and Schwieden Adlers are tied at 2-2. The current score is 23-24, with MSBY Black Jackals leading. Just one more point until the match is over.

“...And Kageyama Tobio with another service ace, his fifth of the match! It’s very reminiscent of his service aces against the France national team in the Olympics!” the commentator shouts in excitement and awe.

The crowd's cheers are deafening. Sweat drips down Atsumu’s temple down to his chin. His breaths are shallow. He bites his lips in anticipation and prepares himself as Kageyama is getting ready for another serve.

The ball smacks loudly against Kageyama’s palm and goes over the net. “Wan-san!” Bokuto shouts as Inunaki receives the ball gracefully. Sakusa passes the ball to Atsumu, who’s there, waiting.

Who shall I use?

Atsumu’s tongue pokes out in concentration and his eyes slightly narrow. He sets the ball to Bokuto and it’s a perfect toss. Bokuto slams the ball down for a line shot, but the blockers are in his way. They successfully block the point.

“Argh! Damn it!” Bokuto is clutching his hair in frustration, his teeth clenched.

“Schweiden Adlers need one more point and this match is officially over!” the commentator says. The crowd shouts in glee, calling out and cheering for their favorite team.

Atsumu is tired. The sweat from his bangs are going into his eyes and mouth. It tastes salty, he’s so thirsty, his head hurts, but he loves it. He loves volleyball. He loves being a setter. He loves the spike of adrenaline he gets when he’s the one behind the play for an oh so satisfying point. He loves the ache in his muscles. He loves being in the moment, because who cares what happened yesterday? All that matters is today.

Atsumu is going to make sure they get the next point. They’re going to win this match today no matter what.

Kageyama steps up to serve. He spins the ball in his hand and it stops. Atsumu holds his breath. Is Shouyou-kun watching? Of course she is, his thoughts are hazy as he shifts his focus back on Kageyama. Kageyama throws the ball up and jumps up high and Atsumu’s eyes follow him.

The ball makes it over the net. “OmiOmi!” Atsumu shouts, voice tinged with desperation. Sakusa receives the ball and it makes its way perfectly over to Atsumu.

Atsumu jumps up, his form suggesting that he is going to toss the ball. His face is grim with concentration, a slight smile making its way on his face. It seems as if he’s tossing the ball to Adriah, but at the last second, he dumps the ball over the net.

“Miya Atsumu is pulling a daring move-OH MY!”

It’s Kageyama Tobio. It’s Kageyama Tobio’s face he’s seeing through the net. Smug smile, blue eyes ablaze with challenge. It’s his stupid fucking face. (What happened to the goody two shoes I remember from the training camp?). He blocks the ball.

The volleyball slams against the ground. Atsumu stares up at the gym ceiling, eyes burning. He can’t tell if his eyes are burning from tears or if it's because of the bright lights. He’s exhausted and is panting desperately for air. He feels his throat closing up.

The referee blows the whistle. The crowd goes wild. Their cheers sound distant and muffled. The game is over. The score for the fifth and final set is 24-26. The MSBY Black Jackals lost their first match of the season to the Schweiden Adlers.

Notes:

this chapter was really difficult to write. and i can't i believe i forgot barnes from msby :'(
from now on, i'm going to try to incorporate him in msby scenes! when i'm done with this story, i plan on editing the whole thing and will fix any inconsistencies/errors i come across. anyways, i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and i hope to post soon!

Chapter 7

Notes:

idk why but i was so emo writing this. i was listening to the new attack on titan season 4 ending (that song is amazing btw, it's been on repeat since i saw episode 1 of the final season). anyways, thank you for all the kudos and bookmarks and comments. it makes me so happy! here is the new chapter :)

“Whew!” Sugawara says, stretching his arms up high. “What a crazy match, huh?”

 

Hinata’s nodding aimlessly, not hearing a word that Sugawara said. She feels like she’s drowning, suffocating. Her heart is in her throat and the only thought running through her mind is: Atsumu-san, Atsumu-san, I need to be where Atsumu-san is. 

 

“-and then I’m going to ask Kageyama for his signature!” 

 

Hinata’s head snaps towards Sugawara. She’s still in a daze from what happened in the match. It was exciting, exhilarating, and she wished she was out on the court playing. She could feel the phantom sting of the volleyball on her palm after each spike. Kageyama was so damn good at volleyball it was frustrating and inspiring at the same time. Even after everything that happened between them, she has a begrudging respect towards Kageyama as a volleyball player. 

 

Tanaka taps Hinata’s shoulder. “I bet you can’t wait to see Kageyama, right Hinata?” His tone is playful and he has a knowing smile on his face. “Man!” He crosses his hands behind his head and looks up. “He’s going to be so surprised when he sees you! He knew we were coming, but no one expected to see you here! Bet you wanted to surprise him.” Tanaka winks at Hinata.

 

Tanaka continues to ramble on about Kageyama and Hinata until Kiyoko puts a hard on his arm. “Kiyoko!” he exclaims, flustered. 

 

Kiyoko sends a stern glare his way. “...What happened to calling me Shimizu?”

 

Tanaka laughs and rubs his head, embarrassed. To the surprise of everyone at Karasuno, Tanaka and Kiyoko started dating after he graduated. Hinata shakes her head and frowns.

 

“Excuse me!” she says, voice loud. Her senpai stopped talking and turned towards her with a questioning gaze. “Like I said before the match, It’s really great to see you guys. But you’re misunderstanding something here. I’m not here to surprise Kageyama. I came because Atsumu-san invited me.”

 

Daichi raises an eyebrow. “One of the Miya twins? From Inarizaki.”

 

Hinata nods, annoyance flashing across her face. “Yes, from Inarizaki. It’s been lovely to see you guys and I’m sorry for being rude, but I really need to go. Maybe I’ll see you around later?” She waves goodbye to them quickly, and runs away, leaving the former Karasuno third years and Tanaka even more confused.

 

“Miya Atsumu?” Sugawara murmurs to himself. “Okay, I’m confused. What the hell is going on?”

 

Kiyoko finally speaks up, voicing her suspicions. “I know we thought that Hinata and Kageyama will eventually...get together or something along those lines. But I think we put our bets on the wrong setter.”

 

Sugawara raises his eyebrows. “You think something’s going on with Hinata and Atsumu?” He laughs the idea off and shakes his head. The mere thought of Hinata and Atsumu together was incredulous.

 

Asahi is quiet. “Is it really that weird though?” he asks, voice soft. “Hinata goes to school here in Osaka, right? And Kageyama has been focused on volleyball…” he trails off, frowning. “...I know life gets in the way and we’ve been busy since we graduated. But I feel like we could’ve been more attentive as senpai.”

 

Daichi and Kiyoko nod in agreement. “Yeah, you’re right.” Daichi looks disappointed in himself. “Their connection on the court was comparable to people who knew each other their whole lives, like Oikawa and Iwaizumi. But at the end of the day, it was just an assumption.” 

 

“Well,” Kiyoko says, “we just have to try harder to stay in contact right? Maybe down the line we can have a meet up with everyone.” She smiles, trying to lighten the mood.

 

“Kiyoko!”

 

“Shimizu!” The boys shout in unison, touched. 

 

“Now come on,” she says, putting her purse on her shoulder. “We should leave quickly, otherwise we might not be able to see Kageyama.”

---

Hinata keeps running. She’s running and running until she gets to the locker room. She’s panting, hands on her knees, gasping for breath.

 

“Hinata?” 

 

She turns around and sees Sakusa. She rushes towards him and grabs his arms. Sakusa is too shocked to see her to back away in disgust from another person’s touch. 

 

“Sakusa-san!” She’s still breathless, and her eyes are wide with panic. “Where’s Atsumu-san?”

 

Sakusa removes her hands and takes a step back. He looks at her, expression unreadable. “...If you leave now, maybe you can catch up to him. He went to the gym where we normally hold our practices.”

 

Hinata’s eyes shine with unshed tears. “Thank you, Sakusa-san!” she says gratefully. She’s running again, this time towards the exit. She’s running through the hallways and passes the bathroom-

 

“You’re here.”

 

Hinata stops in her tracks. His voice is deep and silky. She shivers, remembering all those secret rendezvous they had when they were in high school.  She turns slowly, and there he is. Kageyama Tobio. 

---

The first thing that comes to Hinata’s mind is, He got taller. She blinks at him stupidly, caught off guard. Kageyama is twiddling his fingers, looking at her expectantly. He has an air of confidence that he didn’t before, seeming more sure of himself. He’s gained more muscle, his jersey straining against his broader shoulders.  His hair is different now too. His bangs are parted in the middle of his forehead, preventing his hair from getting in his eyes. 

 

“...Kageyama,” Hinata says. It’s the only thing she could say at this moment. This wasn’t how she expected her meeting with Kageyama to go. Hinata hoped that when the time to see him came, she would cooly tell him off. She would act like nothing had affected her and brush off the three years that they spent together. But reality is different from dreams and wishful thinking. Hinata didn’t expect to see Kageyama at this moment. She didn’t expect that he would even care enough to call out to her. 

 

Kageyama’s face breaks out in a broad grin. Hinata blinks. What the hell?

 

“I didn’t know you came to see the match.” He’s still smiling, and Hinata wants to smack him in the face. “I’m glad you’re here, though.” He breaks eye contact with her, suddenly seeming shy. “Do you think…maybe we could catch up? There’s a lot I want to tell you-”

 

Hinata raises a hand, cutting him off. “I really don’t have the time for this right now.” She was slightly taken aback at herself by how rude she’s being, but at the moment she doesn’t give a single fuck. The only thoughts going through her mind are, Atsumu-san, Atsumu-san, where is Atsumu-san?

 

Kageyama frowns, perplexed. “Oh, okay. Well, I’ll be around Osaka for a day or two more, so when you’re free-”

 

Hinata raises both hands up, frustrated. “Kageyama, what the hell? I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but stop trying to act like everything’s okay. You never bothered reaching out since you left, so why now? A lot of things went between us in high school, but I thought we were at least friends! I thought you would at least keep in contact with me!” 

 

Kageyama startles. His eyebrows pinch together and he looks frustrated. “Excuse me? I’m the one who never reached out? What about you?! You never said anything!”

 

Hinata groans in frustration. “How is this even my fault-you know what? Nevermind. I have more important things I need to do right now. I really need to go.” She takes a deep breath, trying to suppress her rage. “Maybe I’ll see you around another time.” 

 

She turns around and starts running again towards the exit. She ignores the sound of Kageyama calling out her name. She continues to run towards Atsumu, the one who now holds her heart. 

---

Hinata bursts through the gymnasium door. “Atsumu-san!” she yells out, her voice desperate. “Atsumu-san, where are you?” She dashes towards the locker room and doesn’t see him there. Frustrated, she clenches her fists at her sides. She takes a deep breath, and tries to project her voice as loud as possible.

 

“ATSUMU-”

 

“Shouyou-kun, what the hell?” Atsumu comes out of the showers in the locker room, toweling his hair. His t-shirt rises up, and Hinata can’t tear her eyes away from the strip of skin above his waistband. She flushes, turning around and covering her eyes.

 

“I’m sorry! I wasn’t peeking, I swear!” 

 

Atsumu huffs out a laugh. “...How’d you know I was here?” He’s at her side now, looking at Hinata intensely. 

 

Hinata removes her hands from her eyes and straightens her shoulders. “Sakusa-san told me! I wanted to see you. You said you wanted to talk to me after the game?” Hinata’s voice is tinged with uncertainty, and she curses at herself for sounding unsure.

 

Atsumu rubs a hand down his face. His face is haggard. For the first time today, Hinata takes a good look at him. His eyes are sunken, the bags underneath are purple. His lips are taut, but he’s still staring straight at Hinata. 

 

“There’s nothing to say now,” he says curtly. “C’mon, I’ll take ya home.” He turns towards his locker, pulling out his gym bag. 

 

Hinata’s heart begins to race. She suddenly feels nervous and a sense of dread is overcoming her. She hates when things are left unsaid. She doesn’t want to be left behind anymore. She wants things with Atsumu to be different. 

 

“No,” she croaks out. “No, I want to talk to you, now.” Hinata crosses her arms and juts out her chin stubbornly.

 

Atsumu closes his locker door a little too hard. “Shouyou-kun, yer really testing my patience right now.” His voice is tinged with frustration that he's trying to stay in control. He doesn’t want to argue with Hinata right now. 

 

Hinata stomps her foot in frustration. “And what was all that you said back in the amusement park? You said you wanted me to hear you out after the match! And here I am.” Her voice rises, chest heaving up and down with anger and desperation.

 

“And I lost!” Atsumu shouts back, startling Hinata enough for her to take a step back. “So there’s nothing I want to say to ya right now!”

 

Hinata’s eyes prick with tears of exasperation. “But there’s something that I wanted to say too!” she cries out. She’s shaking with adrenaline, anger, and fear.

 

Atsumu’s eyes soften as he notices the look on Hinata’s face. “Shouyou-kun...just not right now, okay? I’m really not in the mood.” 

 

“Toss to me,” Hinata blurts out suddenly.

 

“What?” Atsumu asks, perplexed. He’s dumbfounded by Hinata’s sudden request. 

 

Hinata’s voice steadies. “Toss to me. I’ll wait at the court.” She heads out of the locker room, leaving Atsumu behind. 

 

Atsumu shakes his head and follows her. He can never deny Hinata, not when she’s asking for him to toss to her.

 

When he reaches the court, Hinata has a volleyball in hand. She’s staring at it intensely and looks up when she hears Atsumu’s footsteps. Atsumu stops in his tracks and is memorized by her eyes. Her eyes are ablaze, resembling molten copper and fire. He can’t bring himself to look away.

 

“I want you to toss to me. Let’s try to do minus zero tempo.” Hinata walks near the net, waiting for Atsumu. She looks at him patiently.

 

Atsumu just stares at her, mouth agape. He’s staring at her as if she’s grown two heads. 

 

Hinata rolls her eyes. “C’mon, Atsumu-san. For me. Please?” The affection is clear in her voice. Atsumu’s heart clenches. Who is he to deny her of a toss? He finally nods in agreement.

 

Hinata wordlessly throws up the ball and Atsumu tosses it. She’s already flying high up in the air. Atsumu will never tire of watching her jump. In the blink of an eye, the ball slams down with a resounding bam! The sound reverberates throughout the empty gym.

 

Hinata goes to where the volleyball is. She picks it up and clutches it to her chest. “Remember that promise you made to me after our first match? You said, ‘One day, I’ll toss to ya’. You were the first person who made me realize that I didn’t have to rely on Kageyama forever. That there were other setters that are capable of tossing to me. Other setters that are equal to, or hell, who knows, even better than Kageyama.” She shrugs and laughs softly. 

 

“I used to have to beg for a toss. I was so desperate to prove my worth on the court. I wanted to show that I’m strong enough to be on the court because of my own strength. But for a while, I was seen as a threat on the court only because I was the only one who was able to keep up with Kageyama and we were able to do our freak quick attack.” She motions to the court. 

 

“Did you see that, Atsumu-san? We just pulled off minus zero tempo. A toss that Kageyama and I did thousands of times. But he’s not an exception. You’re a great setter, too. Be proud of your skills. It may not mean much, but I’m proud of you.” Her voice cracks.

 

Atsumu is stunned into silence by Hinata’s confession. Hinata shakes her head and a wobbly smile forms on her face. “When I saw you pull off the minus tempo reverse quick, I was in awe. I thought it was so cool, but I was also so relieved. I realized that there was someone out there who can set for me, too...someone like you.”

 

“Shouyou-kun,” Atsumu says in amazement. There’s no one on the court except them. He takes a step forward, takes a step closer to her. He gulps nervously. A muscle in his jaw clenches and his nails dig into his palms.

 

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell ya.” His voice is steady, determined. “Will ya please me give me yer time and hear me out?”

 

Hinata’s heart pounds in anticipation and her palms begin to sweat. She nods her head. “Of course, Atsumu-san. What is it?”

 

Atsumu takes another step forward and grabs a piece of her hair. He holds it between his fingers, observing it. “The first time I saw ya, before our game, I called ya a scrub. Do ya remember that?”

 

Hinata giggles and rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I remember. I was annoyed. But then we kicked your ass.” She grins triumphantly. 

 

Atsumu nods. “Out of all the games I’ve played in my life, that was the one that I’ll always remember. That’s the game that will always stick close to me, close to my heart, no matter how old I get. Even when I can no longer play volleyball, I’ll always remember our match.” He stares at her softly, adoration clear in his eyes.

 

“Ya changed my life Shouyou-kun. Ever since I saw ya jump and ya forgot to spike the ball. I...I like ya. I’ve always liked ya.” Atsumu’s voice is steady, but Hinata notices his hands are trembling. 

 

She reaches up and holds Atsumu’s hand. She pushes his hand to her chest, so he can feel her heartbeat. “Atsumu-san,” she says, her voice filled with heartbreak, hope, and happiness, “I like you, too.” A tear rolls down her cheek.

 

Atsumu laughs gleefully. “Really?” he asks, giddy. “Do ya really mean it?”

 

Hinata nods as more tears roll down her face. “Yes!”

Atsumu laughs and picks Hinata up. She gasps in surprise, but she begins laughing with him as he begins to spin her around. Their laughs echo throughout the gym until Atsumu finally stops, staring up at Hinata, breathless. 

 

He’s still holding her up. He wipes the tears off her face. Their faces inch closer together until their lips brush slightly. Hinata’s eyes flutter shut as she presses her lips to Atsumu’s. Atsumu softly pecks at her lips and keeps mumbling “I like you” after each kiss. The kiss starts off soft and sweet, each one lasting longer than the last. 

 

It’s as if time stopped, and the flutter in Hinata’s chest increases. Hinata feels her knees get weak, grateful that Atsumu is still holding her up. She focuses on the feel of Atsumu’s slightly chapped, yet soft lips. She gasps as she feels his hand brush against bare skin as her shirt rides up.

Atsumu takes this as a cue to gently press his tongue against hers. Hinata moans shamelessly and wraps her legs around his waist. She brings her hands up to his head and grabs his hair. She can feel the heat pool between her legs and clenches her thighs. She presses her chest flush against Atsumu’s. 

 

Hinata pulls away slightly, trying to catch her breath. Her chest is heaving up and down, brushing against his broad chest. Atsumu slowly opens his eyes, eyes dilated and hazy with desire. He reaches up and brushes her swollen red lips with his thumb. 

 

“Shouyou-kun,” he murmurs lazily. Hinata parts her lips, and goes back in for another kiss. Atsumu chuckles into her mouth, returning her kiss. Hinata slips her tongue past Atsumu’s lips and explores his mouth. She’s wiggling in his arms, desperate to get even closer. 

 

This time it’s Atsumu who pulls back. “Shouyou-kun,” he says, his eyes filled with mirth. “We need to stop now, otherwise I’ll be fuckin’ ya right here, on this gym floor.” He shifts slightly so she can feel his arousal between her legs. 

 

Hinata flushes and her toes curl. “But can’t we?” she whines.  

 

“Yer gonna be the death of me,” Atsumu groans. He slowly puts her down to her feet. Hinata is looking away, pouting, arms crossed against her chest. “Hey,” he says, turning her head towards him. “Eyes on me.”

 

Hinata looks up, her lower lip jutting out. She smiles mischievously. “More kisses?” she asks hopefully, eyes twinkling with excitement. 

 

Atsumu shakes his head fondly and presses a quick kiss to her lips. Hinata’s eyes close shut and she hums, content. Atsumu’s hand curls around the back of her neck. He presses his forehead against hers. “I want to do right by ya. There’s plenty more in store for us, okay?” 

 

Atsumu pulls back and holds out his hand. He has a cheshire grin on his face, eyes shining with happiness. “Shouyou-kun,” he says, “will ya do me the honor of being my girlfriend?” 

Hinata ignores his hand and hugs him instead. Her head rests comfortably against Atsumu’s chest. Atsumu’s arms curl around her and she feels safe. She rubs her head into his chest and she nods. “Yes,” she whispers. Her arms tighten around him. “Yes.”

Notes:

phew! they finally confessed! it's been a long time coming. i can't wait to write more about atsuhina as a couple ;)

Chapter 8

Notes:

i really wanted to get a chapter out today! it's 1:25AM right now where i am, and it's officially my birthday! it's been a crazy year, but fanfiction has helped me out a lot during this difficult time. i'm finally 22 and it feels so surreal. time flies by so fast. anyways, thank you for all the kudos and comments. i hope you enjoy this chapter <3

It’s been a hectic day, from today’s match to closing up his restaurant for the night. Osamu heaves a sigh, wiping down the counters. He let his employees out early today, mood somber from the results of today’s match. 

 

Business was booming, and getting word out about Onigiri Miya during Atsumu’s match today was a smart business decision. However, Osamu couldn’t help the heaviness that has settled over his shoulders. He couldn’t imagine how much pain Atsumu is in right now. Yeah, they fought over stupid shit, but Atsumu was still his older twin brother. He never wants to see him get hurt.

 

A rush of cold air bursts into the restaurant as the door opens and more customers walk in. It’s always a bit annoying when people come in ten minutes before closing time, but the feeling of people enjoying his food and the happiness in their face after a good meal makes Osamu burst with pride.

 

Osamu wipes his forehead on his sleeve and looks up to greet whoever came in. He opens his mouth to say a greeting when he notices blonde hair and his mirror image staring back at him. He rubs his eyes and squints, and yeah, speak of the devil, there was Atsumu. If I think about ‘Tsumu long enough, he shows up as if I summoned him, Osamu muses to himself.

 

It’s the self-satisfied smirk on Atsumu’s face, as if he’s gloating that makes Osamu concerned. There’s no way Atsumu would be smiling after a loss, especially one against Kageyama Tobio. He frowns and looks down slightly, noticing hair the color of burnt autumn leaves. It’s Hinata. Osamu does a double take. Are they...holding hands?

 

“Ya might want to close yer mouth ‘Samu, I’m worried that ya might swallow a bug,” Atsumu drawls. He wouldn’t stop grinning and Osamu notices Hinata, looking slightly shy. She’s radiant, absolutely bursting with joy.

 

Osamu, thoroughly confused, looks at his brother with pinched brows. “Didn’t ya lose today?” he asks, not caring to be sensitive at the moment. “Yer not throwing a hissy fit, and I’m mildly concerned.” Osamu slings the towel back onto the countertop and continues to wipe it down, while the smile drops off Atsumu's face.

 

“‘Samu!” he yells out, embarrassed. 

 

“Actually,” Hinata speaks up from Atsumu’s side, “Atsumu-san was so cool today! His sets were on point!” At this, Atsumu looks down at her so fondly, Osamu wants to gag.

 

“...But, there's still some things you need to work on though!” 

 

Atsumu looks so affronted that Osamu can’t help but snicker. “I knew there was a reason I liked ya, Shouyou,” he says, body shaking with laughter. 

 

Atsumu turns towards him, betrayed, then turns towards Hinata and sputters out, “What?! But ya just said that I’m amazing and cool and that I was so on point ya couldn’t look away!”

 

Osamu rolls his eyes. Clearly Atsumu was in a good mood for some unknown reason, since he was being as dramatic as usual.

 

“Just look at your precious face, Atsumu-san!” Hinata cooes. She clasps both her hands on Atsumu’s cheeks and presses on them, Atsumu’s mouth puckering. Osamu’s mouth drops open and he looks at Hinata, baffled. “You look so tired! Have you been sleeping well? Have you been eating well? You can’t get better at volleyball by just practicing, you need to practice self care as well!” 

 

Atsumu grabs Hinata’s hands and removes them from his face. He chuckles. “Yer concerned about me, Shouyou? I’m so touched.” His voice is dripping with honey and Osamu has never heard his brother sound so sweet and kind. 

 

Those are two words that do not describe Miya Atsumu. Osamu is stunned into silence, keeping quiet as he continues to watch the interaction between his brother and Hinata. 

 

The final nail in the coffin is when Hinata gets on her tip-toes and kisses, (she actually kisses!), his brother. Osamu continues to stare as the two are off in their own world. 

 

“What,” Osamu croaks out. Hinata and Atsumu turn towards him, the spell broken. Atsumu grins at his brother and grabs Hinata’s hand, intertwining them together.

 

He holds up their joined hands and says, “Guess what? We’re dating now.” 

 

Osamu continues to stare, not sure if he’s in a lucid dream. Atsumu has been pining for Hinata since their second year at Inarizaki. To see his brother with the girl that’s been haunting him for the past four years shakes Osamu to the core. 

 

“...Are ya sure ya want to be with him?” Osamu finally says, turning towards Hinata with an alarmed look on his face. 

 

Atsumu groans in annoyance. “Ugh, yer so mean,” he huffs out. Hinata laughs at the twins’ banter. Even though they argue often, they obviously care about each other very much.

 

Osamu finally cracks a smile. “Y’know I’m just playin’ ‘Tsumu.” He shakes his head, still in disbelief at the news that Atsumu and Hinata are together. He crosses his arms. “I’m really happy for the two of ya. Now c’mon, I’ll make ya some good grub.” He motions them to come over and take a seat.

 

“Thank you, Osamu-san!” Hinata bows slightly and drags Atsumu over to where the seats are. Atsumu let’s Hinata lead the way and he looks at Osamu.

 

“Thank you,” he mouths, looking relieved and grateful. His brother’s approval means the world to him, even though he’ll never admit it out loud. Osamu just nods and smiles at Atsumu.

 

“Have a seat, the food will be ready in a bit.” Osamu walks into the kitchen and gets the ingredients ready. As he begins to prep the ingredients, he can’t fight the grin that finds its way on his face as he listens to the sound of his brother and Hinata conversing with each other.

 

Osamu continues to cook with the sound of food sizzling on the stove, Hinata’s muffled giggles, and Atsumu’s soft voice. He knows that he probably looks like a madman, chopping up an onion with a huge smile on his face.

 

I’m really happy for ya, ‘Tsumu, he thinks. As he finishes preparing the food, he plates it and walks over to the counter.

 

“Order up!” he says. Osamu winks at Hinata and Atsumu. “I hope ya two lovebirds enjoy the food.”

---

It’s the first practice after their loss against Schweiden Adlers. Atsumu cringes, remembering all the times he lashed out as his teammates. As a setter, it’s his job to ensure that he is at peak condition for his spikers. After all, what good is a setter who can’t give the absolute best tosses for his spikers?

 

Atsumu straightens his shoulders and takes a deep breath and opens the gymnasium door. His teammates are already warming up, tossing, serving, and spiking the volleyball. Atsumu notices Sakusa doing his freaky warm up stretch which includes bending his wrists all the way. Shouyou would think that’s so cool, he thinks.

 

Atsumu goes to the locker room and drops off his gym bag. He changes into his practice clothes and walks towards the court. Meian stops speaking to Adriah and turns towards Atsumu. He frowns, looking at Atsumu warily. “You’re late,” he says, voice clipped.

 

Atsumu winces. He deserves that. With the way he’s been acting lately, it’s no wonder that his own teammates are wary of him. Atsumu scratches the back of his head sheepishly. “I’m sorry,” he apologizes.

 

Meian nods his head dismissively. He turns away and continues to work with the others and doesn’t say another word to Atsumu. 

 

“Captain!” Atsumu’s voice is a little too loud, but he wants to get Meian’s attention. Meian slowly faces Atsumu again, raising one eyebrow.

 

“Yes, Atsumu?”

 

“After practice,” he says, sounding unsure of himself, “I have something I want to say to the team. Is that okay?”

 

Meian studies Atsumu for a moment until he finally nods. “Of course.”

 

The rest of practice goes without a hitch. The team notices that Atsumu is in a lighter mood, but they don’t mention it. Atsumu was such an enigma. He can come off as a pretentious jerk, but at the same time he sets with so much love, you wouldn’t think he’s the same person. 

 

Meian claps his hands together. “That was a great practice today, guys. But before you go, Atsumu would like to say something to the team.” He beckons Atsumu to come forward.

 

For the first time, Atsumu feels awkward having all eyes on him. He normally doesn’t mind attention, but it’s never easy admitting that he fucked up. He takes a deep breath and makes eye contact with each of the MSBY Jackals. Sakusa looks bored, messing with his nails. Bokuto looks excited as usual. Inunaki, Adriah, Barnes, and Meian look at Atsumu expectantly.

 

Atsumu lets out a deep breath. “I just wanted to apologize for the way I’ve been acting. I’ve been out of line these past few weeks. Showing up to practice late, lashing out at the team for my own shortcomings...none of that is okay. We lost our game because of me. Meian was right.” Atsumu looks towards their captain, face grim. 

 

“I let my emotions get the best of me.” At this, Sakusa looks up and frowns. Atsumu looks back at him, puzzled. He shrugs to himself and continues speaking. “But that’s all resolved now. So...I just wanted to say...that... I’msorry,” Atsumu says quickly and forcefully. 

 

He feels like a spotlight is on him, wanting nothing more than for everyone to accept his apology and move on. His team members keep staring at him, remaining quiet.

 

It’s Sakusa who speaks up first. “What happened with Hinata?”

 

Atsumu is startled. “Wait, what about Shouyou?”

 

“She was looking for you after the match. How did that go?” 

 

Atsumu blinks in shock. Sakusa actually sounded like he was concerned. What the hell?

 

Bokuto perks up. “You made up with Hinata, TsumTsum?” The eldest members of the MSBY Jackals stay silent, curiosity etched on their faces. 

 

“We never actually fought in the first place.” Atsumu’s voice is laced with confusion. “Wait, are you assuming we got in some fight and that’s why I’ve been so off my game? We were never in a fight, I mean, we’re actually dating now, so-”

 

Bokuto leaps up, jumping on top of Atsumu. He startles back from the force and falls down on his ass because, well, Bokuto is heavy. Before Atsumu can catch a breath, the rest of the team, minus Sakusa, jump him. 

 

Inunaki rubs a knuckle against his head and Meian punches him playfully.

 

“Atsumu, you sly fox!” Inunaki has a proud grin on his face. From a few feet away, Sakusa has a small smile on his face.

 

After a few minutes of roughing him up, the finally get off of Atsumu. Bokuto holds out a hand to Atsumu, helping him stand up. “Apology accepted!” Bokuto says, hugging Atsumu one more time.

 

Meian clasps a fatherly hand on Atsumu’s shoulder. He’s smiling, eyes shining with pride. “We’re all happy for you, Atsumu. So,” he says mischievously, “are you bringing her to the team dinner tonight?”

---

“You want me to meet your team? Tonight? For dinner?” Hinata exclaims in shock. She’s packing up her books since class has ended. Her friend, Suzu, glances at her curiously. “But Atsumu-san ,” Hinata whines, “I’m so nervous, what if they think that I’m-”

 

“They already know that yer an amazing person and my girlfriend. Ya already know Omi-kun and Bokkun. This time, yer gonna get the chance to meet the rest of the team. Shouyou, yer the most personable individual I know. Yer gonna be fine,” Atsumu says sweetly over the phone.

 

Hinata heart flips at the compliment. Atsumu can be so sweet, gosh, what did she do to get so lucky? “Okay,” she grumbles, pouting. 

 

“Great.” Hinata can hear the sly smile in Atsumu’s voice. “I’m waiting for ya on campus by the way.”

 

“What?!” Hinata shouts into the phone. “I’ll be there soon!” She finishes packing up all her things in record time, leaving Suzu puzzled.

 

“Um, Shou-chan, who were ya talking to on the phone?” Suzu asks. She has a knowing look in her eyes. Embarrassed, Hinata flushes and darts her eyes to the side. She hasn’t gotten the chance to tell Suzu about her and Atsumu...she hasn’t even told her little sister and mom yet! 

 

She groans internally, knowing there’s no way she can get out of the conversation now. It’s not that she’s embarrassed to be with Atsumu. Now that they’re in a relationship, she feels a bit...shy. It’s almost like it’s too good to be true, that someone as amazing and talented and sweet and kind as Atsumu wants to be with someone like her ... 

 

Fingers snap in front of her face, startling Hinata out of her thoughts. “Earth to Shou-chan? So? Is there something yer not telling me?” Suzu waggles her eyebrows suggestively.

 

Hinata grabs her hand and pulls her out of the classroom. “I’m dating someone and he came to pick me up from campus!” is all Hinata blurts out. 

 

“Shou-chan, what-”

 

Suzu is unable to finish her sentence as she gets dragged across campus to the front gates. Her eyes widen as she notices a tall man with light blonde hair parted to the right. Hinata lets go of her hand, rushing towards the man, jumping on his back like a monkey.

 

“Atsumu-san! Guess who?”

 

Atsumu chuckles and grabs Hinata’s thighs and hoists her up on his back. She presses a quick kiss to his cheek and rests her head on his shoulder.

 

“Hmm, I don’t know, could it be someone named Shouyou?” Atsumu answers playfully. Suzu’s eyebrows raise to her hairline at the amount of affection in Atsumu’s voice. She clears her throat to get Hinata’s attention, eagerly waiting to be introduced.

 

Hinata’s eyes light up. “Oh!” She slides down Atsumu’s back and loops her arms around him. She presses her cheek against his arm and says cheekily, “This is Atsumu-san! My boyfriend.”

 

Atsumu holds out his free hand and nods at Suzu. “Nice to meet ya, I’m Miya Atsumu.”

 

Suzu shakes his hand. “Likewise. Wait, did ya just say Miya? As in Onigiri Miya?” 

 

At the sound of his brother’s restaurant, Atsumu stands straight, bursting with pride. “It’s owned by my brother, Osamu. I’m one half of the Miya twins.”

 

“Atsumu-san is a volleyball player for the MSBY Black Jackals!” Hinata adds proudly. 

 

Suzu’s mouth drops open. “Shou-chan! What the hell! Ya never told me yer dating such a hunk!” She looks at Hinata with a newfound respect. “I hope yer climbing that like a tree,” she whispers loudly, nodding approvingly at Atsumu. She holds out her hand in a fist towards Hinata.

 

Hinata laughs and bumps her first. “Not yet. But I will soon.” She looks up at Atsumu, a devilish smirk on her face.

 

Atsumu can only shake his head in amusement. “C’mon Shouyou, we gotta go.” He bows his head slightly at Suzu. “Again, it was nice to see ya.”

 

Suzu waves goodbye. “I’m letting ya off the hook now, but ya better give me all the details when yer free, Shou-chan.”

 

Giggling like a schoolgirl, Hinata winks at Suzu and waves back. Suzu stands there, watching them walk away. She whistles to herself, shaking her head in awe. To think that all this time, Hinata was dating such a hottie... Goddamn, Shou-chan. Ya go girl, she thinks appreciatively. 

---

Hinata can see the MSBY members sitting down at a booth. She can make out Sakusa sanitizing the silverware and table while Bokuto talks his ear off. She notices four other men that she’s never met before. Before she can psych herself out, Atsumu and her make their way to the booth.

 

“TsumTsum, Hinata!” Bokuto yells out in greeting. Everyone’s conversation stops and their heads swivel towards Hinata’s direction. She flushes, eyes shining with excitement. 

 

“Nice to meet you! I’m Hinata Shouyou, oh my god, you guys are amazing! I saw your latest match and even though it didn’t end well, I know you did your best!”

 

All the men around the table are quiet. Sakusa looks straight at Hinata, slowly cleaning up a dinner knife. Hinata raises an eyebrow at him and he raises one right back. She sticks her tongue out at him until Sakusa finally cracks a smile.

 

“You guys should have a seat,” Sakusa says, motioning them to come forward. 

 

Hinata and Atsumu sit down. She looks up and notices that she’s face to face with a handsome man with light colored hair. He smiles at her kindly and she flushes again. Hinata is pretty sure her face is going to be permanently red by the end of this dinner.

 

She just can’t believe she’s in front of all the MSBY team members! Actual, professional volleyball players who play for a living! 

 

As she’s quietly gushing to herself, Inunaki breaks the silence. “What’s a cute girl like you doing with Atsumu?” His tone is teasing and the rest of the members laugh goodnaturedly. Atsumu realizes they won’t hold back on the teasing and he braces himself.

 

“Now, now, let’s introduce ourselves first.” It’s Meian, the captain of the team who speaks. “I’m Meian, this is Inunaki, Adriah, and Barnes. It’s so nice to finally meet you, Hinata-san.” Meian has an almost fatherly look on his face, making Hinata feel at ease.

 

She reaches across the table and grabs his hands. “I’m so happy to be here! I know I said this before, but you guys are absolutely amazing!”

 

Sakusa snickers. “Be careful, Hinata. Miya seems to be sulking in his lonely corner over there.”

 

Hinata turns towards Atsumu and gasps. She grabs his hand and holds it close to her chest. “Don’t worry Atsumu-san I didn’t forget you! You’re always number one and the coolest in my eyes!” she says determinedly, hoping she didn’t make Atsumu feel left out.

 

Everyone around the table bursts into laughter as Atsumu blushes.

 

“I never thought I’d see the day where Atsumu is stunned into silence!” Inunaki says, wiping tears from his eyes. 

 

Atsumu is flustered, trying to find words to speak. “Ya-I-Shouyou!” is all he can manage to get out. He sighs to himself as a soft smile makes his way to his face. He ignores the lighthearted teasing from his teammates. As long as Hinata looks so carefree and happy, he can handle anything.

 

The rest of the dinner went off without a hitch. Hinata fit in seamlessly with the rest of the Jackals. She was even bantering with Sakusa of all people, leaving everyone amazed. 

 

As they were waiting for the check, there’s a comfortable silence. Hinata feels sleepy after stuffing herself with such amazing food. She’s about to doze off when Meian clears his throat.

“I just wanted to say thank you for coming, Hinata. I hope next time we can all sit down and watch the tapes from your high school matches. And...please take care of Atsumu.” Meian looks at Hinata warmly and waits for her reply.

 

Hinata is now wide awake. Her heart flutters with happiness. “Of course! But really,” she says, feeling shy, “it’s Atsumu-san who takes care of me too.”

 

Atsumu’s heart jumps, ears turning red as Adriah, Meian, Inunaki, Barnes and Bokuto awww in unison. He puts his arm around Hinata and brings her close. “Maybe Shouyou can join us during our practices sometime? She has a lot of good insight that can be useful.” Atsumu does his best to imitate Shouyou’s infamous puppy dogs at Meian.

 

Meian rolls his eyes at Atsumu’s antics. “It is smart to have the opinion of someone who is studying sports medicine and used to play volleyball...what do you say, Hinata? Are you okay with helping us out from time to time?”

 

“YES!” she exclaims. “It would mean the world to me!”

 

“It’s settled then. We hope to see you at our future practices.” Meian waves off the rest of the Jackals when the check comes. “It’s on me,” he says, taking out his card and paying the bill. 

 

As they say goodbye and go their separate ways, Atsumu and Hinata are finally on their way home. The night sky is clear, the moon shining brightly. The streets are quiet, the only sounds are of Atsumu and Hinata steps on the pavement.

 

“Hey, Atsumu-san?” Hinata asks, looking up at him.

 

“Yes?” Atsumu is looking ahead, a slight smile on his face. 

 

Hinata takes a deep breath. She’s been wanting more alone time with Atsumu, but he’s always so busy. Tomorrow was his day off and she has no classes. Their days off finally match and Hinata won’t waste this perfect opportunity for some alone time. 

 

She tightens her grasp on Atsumu’s hand and asks, “Will you stay the night with me?” 

Atsumu halts, almost tripping over his feet. Caught off guard, he stammers, “W-what?”

 

“Well you see,” Hinata says, trailing her finger up and down Atsumu’s chest, “we haven’t been alone in a while.” She pouts cutely, stepping closer to him. “And I want to spend some time with you.” 

 

Atsumu feels himself harden. Christ, just one look from Hinata is enough to turn him on. His lips quirk up in a slight smirk, pupils dilating with lust. Hinata bites her lip in anticipation for Atsumu’s response. He steps closer to her, until she could feel his arousal on her stomach. She gasps, feeling dizzy from desire. 

 

Atsumu licks his lips and looks down at her with hooded eyes. He caresses her cheek so carefully, so tenderly, as if she’s fragile glass. He leans his head down until he’s level with Hinata. Atsumu pushes her hair behind her ear. He moves closer, until she could feel his hot breath and lips brush her ear. His voice is dark and sensual as he whispers, “Lead the way.”

 

Notes:

the next chapter will have lemons hehe....i've never written lemons/smut before, but i'm excited. also, updates will probably be slower! i feel like i'm rushing when i write. i really want to do this story justice and portray what's in my mind properly. and guys, the direction i want to take this story is epic. i really want to share it with you all! as always, thank you for all the love and support. until next time <3

Chapter 9

Notes:

thank you for all the birthday wishes and comments! i hope everyone who celebrates any holiday this month enjoys it! warning: this chapter has mature content

Atsumu moans, his eyes shut. With every lick and suck, his hand tightens around Hinata’s hair. He tries to keep his eyes open, but can’t because Hinata is so fucking good with her mouth, holyshit , he’s about to come-

 

Hinata removes her mouth from his cock with an obscene wet noise. She smirks at Atsumu, hair wrecked, lips swollen and red, with eyes almost blackened. Her eyes are wet with tears and there’s some drool falling from the corner of her mouth. She’s on her knees, between Atsumu’s legs. She looks thoroughly fucked.

 

Atsumu groans. He scooches closer to the edge of the cough and begs, “Shouyou, please?” He pouts and is not above begging. All his pride has been at the door, the moment they reached Hinata’s apartment, mouths moving together in harmony, desperate to get closer together. 

 

Hinata tilts her head and bats her eyelashes. “Please what?” she asks, feigning innocence. Atsumu narrows his eyes at her. He knows Hinata is as turned on as him. The first time she gave him a blowjob, she came without one touch from him.

 

As he looks down at Hinata, sitting prettily between his legs, he feels a churn in his stomach. He’s jealous that Kageyama got to see Hinata like this: eyes wanton with desire, looking up between his legs through long eyelashes, lips wrapped prettily around his cock. He’s not sure if his insecurity over Kageyama will ever disappear, but right now, it’s him who has the privilege of being Hinata’s boyfriend. 

 

“Please suck my cock, Shouyou. I wanna come so bad,” Atsumu relents. Hinata sends him one final wicked grin and takes his whole length in her mouth without warning. Atsumu gasps, his fingers tangling in her hair. His cock hits the back of her throat and he tries to hold her back, but Hinata is relentless.

 

She hums around his cock and he feels the vibrations reverberate through his entire body.

 

“Mmm , Shouyou- ah, shit, fuck- ya feel so good,” he curses. Hinata bobs her head up and down setting a persistent pace. 

 

“Fuck! I’m gonna come, take off yer mouth-”

 

Hinata pumps his length and continues to bob her head. Her teeth graze the underside of his cock. She fondles his balls and Atsumu’s spine tingles. He curls his toes, eyes closed shut, mouth agape, head thrown back. He lets out a loud groan and finds release, spilling into her mouth. Hinata pulls back.

 

“You can spit it out,” Atsumu pants. A slight sheen of sweat covers his body, chest heaving up and down. He looks sated, legs spread wide open, pants at his ankles. Hinata makes eye contact with Atsumu and swallows his cum. She licks her lip and rests her head on his knee.

 

“Was that good, ‘Tsumu?” Her smile looks so fucking innocent, it’s as if she didn’t just suck the life out of him. It takes everything in Atsumu’s power not to throw her on the couch and fuck her. 

 

“Yer a cheeky little thing, aren’t ya?” he says, voice tinged with fondness and exasperation. Atsumu’s eyes darken. Hinata’s heart flutters and she clenches her thighs together in anticipation. 

 

“Get on the couch, lay down on yer back, and spread yer legs wide,” he demands. Atsumu licks his lips. “I want a taste.”

 

Hinata grins. She’s so ready to be feasted on.

---

As they bask in the afterglow, Hinata rests her head on Atsumu’s naked chest. His face is illuminated through the glow of his phone as he mindlessly scrolls through his social media. His fingers gently card through Hinata’s hair and she sighs, content. She traces random patterns on his chest, thinking.

 

It’s been two months since the match with Schweiden Adlers. Hinata was due for a visit back home soon. Things with Atsumu were going great, and she wondered if they were moving too quickly. She wants to introduce him to her mom and Natsu, but maybe she’s heading in too deep, too fast. She doesn’t want to rush this relationship and ruin things. 

 

“Hey,” Atsumu says, interrupting her from her thoughts. He smooths the wrinkle that formed between her brows with his thumb. “Ya look like yer thinking really hard about something.” He boops her nose and Hinata scrunches up her face.

 

She stretches like a cat and yawns, crawling up Atsumu’s body until she’s straddling him. She leans down until their noses are touching and stares at him.

 

Atsumu’s body shakes with laughter. “Okay, weirdo. What’s going on in that pretty head of yers?” He rubs his hand up and down her back. Hinata shivers as he touches a strip of bare skin above her underwear. 

 

“Atsumu,” she begins, feeling nervous. “I’m going to Miyagi soon for a week to see my mom and sister.” She picks up Atsumu’s hand and starts playing with his fingers, avoiding eye contact. Her hands are so small compared to his. She remembers when Atsumu pulled off an insane set when she was in her first year and said, “Well, with a dig all you've got is two arms. But going overhand means you've got ten fingers to use. Ten is more than two. More support is better, so I went overhand. Because I'm a setter." Heart clenching as she remembered what he said, she picks up his hand and kisses his fingers.

 

Atsumu leans up until Hinata is straddling him, situated in his lap. He presses a quick kiss to her lips and her eyes flutter closed. “I’m gonna miss ya,” he murmurs softly. 

 

“Well, that’s the thing...I was thinking-if-maybe-only if you want to of course-if you would like to come with me?” she stumbles out. Atsumu stills and Hinata’s stomach sinks. Oh, shit, I messed up, why did I have to go run my mouth, I’m an idiot, he probably thinks I’m being too forward-

 

Atsumu’s lips crash down to hers and Hinata’s eyes widen in shock. She loops her arms around his neck and pushes her hands into his hair. God, she loves Atsumu’s hair. Even though it’s dyed, it’s so soft and silky. She moans into his mouth and Atsumu takes advantage, slipping his tongue past her lips.

 

He explores her mouth, his tongue teasing hers. He traces her teeth and pulls back, lightly nibbling on her lower lip. Hinata bucks her hips, feeling his arousal against her core.

 

“Ya drive me crazy, Shouyou,” Atsumu says, pressing open mouthed kisses against her neck. Hinata throws her head back, grounding her hips down against his arousal.

 

She traces her hands down his chest and abs, finally reaching the waistband of his boxers. She slips a hand inside, until she feels his cock, thick and hard. 

 

“Fuck!” Atsumu groans at the contact. She smirks into his mouth and pumps her hand up and down along his length. Atsumu cups her ass, hands slowly reaching her inner thigh. He presses down on her clit over her clothes and she almost sobs from the pressure.

 

“‘Tsumu,” Hinata whines. She doesn’t care if she sounds needy, she wants Atsumu’s fingers in her now. “Pleasepleaseplease, I want your fingers inside please.” She wiggles in his lap, desperate for friction.

 

“I got ya,” Atsumu says and he finally, finally slips a finger inside of her. Hinata gasps, tightening her grip on his cock. 

 

Even though he has a finger inside, it’s not enough. “More, ‘ Tsumu,” Hinata pleads. Atsumu loves it when she gets like this, all needy for him and only him.

 

“Shh, relax, relax, I’m here.” He adds another finger and continues to pump his fingers in and out of her. Hinata’s thumb rubs against the tip of his cock, beads of precum leaking out. “That feels so good,” Atsumu moans into her neck.

 

Hinata picks up the pace and whispers, “I want to cum with you.” Atsumu’s sucking on her neck, no doubt leaving hickeys. Atsumu’s finger curls inside her, hitting a spot deep inside that has Hinata panting, gasping, writhing in pleasure. She presses her face against Atsumu’s chest. They both cry out in ecstasy, reaching their peak together.

 

Hinata looks up with a dopey grin on her face. Sweat rolls down Atsumu’s temple and she reaches up to lick it. Atsumu looks at her in exasperation. “Shouyou, if ya wanna go again, I need some time to recover.”

 

She giggles and presses a kiss to his chest. Before she can ask Atsumu again about visiting her family, he speaks up. “So, when are we going to Miyagi again?”

 

Hinata blinks in shock, a faint smile curling on the edge of her lips. She wraps her arms around Atsumu, placing her ear over his heart. She can hear how fast his heart is beating, and she wonders, what did she do to deserve such happiness? 

 

Her cheeks are hurting from the force of her smile. “We’re going to go in two weeks! And I’ll be there for a week. I’m not sure if you can get one whole week off from practice, but I’m sure you can spare a few days right?” she asks hopefully.

 

Hinata can hear the smile on his face. “Of course I can come.” Atsumu chuckles. “I gotta admit, I’m excited, but a bit nervous.”

 

At this, Hinata abruptly takes her head off his chest, colliding with Atsumu’s jaw. “Ow!” she says, clutching the top of her head. “Sorry, Atsumu.”

Atsumu rubs his chin and waves off her apology. “I’m okay. Are you?” He frowns at her, touching her head. He moves her hand and kisses the top of her head. “There, all better.” He winks at Hinata.

 

“You’re so cheesy, Atsumu!” Hinata blushes, secretly pleased. This is a side of Atsumu that no one else got to see. He’s sweet, kind, goofy, loyal, and makes her feel so loved. She knows she’s falling for him, and her heart aches at the thought that this may not last forever. She’s already thinking ahead, wondering if this relationship will meet a bitter end. She hopes not because the thought of losing Atsumu-

 

She shakes her head, refusing to self sabotage and drown herself in negative thoughts. “My mom and Natsu are going to love you. I’m really excited to show you around Miyagi and introduce you to everyone. I want them to know how important you are to me.”

 

Atsumu’s breath hitches in his throat. He pulls her close and says, “I’m really looking forward to it, Shouyou.” 

 

They stay wrapped up in each other’s arms for the rest of the night.

---

Hinata unlocks her phone and waits as the phone rings. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon,” she mutters to herself, tapping her foot on the floor. The phone stops ringing and she sees Yamaguchi, Tsukishima and Yachi on the screen.

 

“Guys! I have an emergency!” she blurts out.

 

Yachi laughs and says, “And hello to you too, Shou-chan.”

 

“ Ugh, sorry guys, I’m just so excited!” HInata’s practically shaking from excitement.

 

“We can see,” Tsukishima says, deadpan. 

 

Yamaguchi scoffs at Tsukishima. “You could’ve spoken in a nicer tone, Tsukki! Anyways,” he says, voice teasing, “what’s up, Shouyou? Is it something that has to do with Miya?”

 

Hinata freezes. Did she even tell her friends that she was dating Atsumu yet? She was so caught up in the fact that she and Atsumu were going to have their first trip together, she never even told her friends about him! 

 

“Oh my god, I’m a horrible friend,” Hinata moans miserably.

 

Yachi frowns. “What’s wrong, Shou-chan?”

 

“I’m dating Atsumu! And I can’t believe I forgot to tell you guys! I just got off the phone with my mom because we’re going to go to Miyagi next week. Can you believe it? It’s going to be our first trip together! I can’t wait to show him around! We could go check out the Karasuno gym where we practice and get some meat buns from Sakanoshita Market and-”

 

Hinata continues to ramble on while her friends remain speechless. Even Tsukishima has his mouth wide open in shock.

 

“-then we can all hang out together! I really want you to meet him! Atsumu is such a sweetheart and he’s a great setter, you’re all going to get along so well, I just know it, you’re going to love him as much as I do-well maybe not as much as I do but-”

 

Yachi gasps and Hinata stops talking. She takes a moment to pause and reflect on what she said and, holyshit, she’s falling in love with Atsumu, she’s probably already in love with Atsumu, she just told her friend’s that she loves him and-

 

“Calm down,” Tsukishima’s voice cuts through the air. “You look like you’re about to have a panic attack. Take a deep breath, count to five, and exhale.” 

 

Hinata does as he instructs while Yamaguchi and Yachi remain quiet, scrambling for something to say. 

“Shouyou,” Yamaguchi finally says, “it’s okay to be scared. And we are a little hurt that we just found out you’re dating Miya.” His voice is light and filled with concern.

 

“Yeah! What Tadashi said! When me and him started dating, I told you the same night!” Yachi crosses her arms and pouts. “Hmph, Shou-chan, I’m a little hurt.”

 

There’s even a little frown on Tsukishima’s face. Hinata calms down. Her voice is shaky as she says, “I’m so sorry guys. I just got so caught up with everything...I went to Atsumu’s match and I ran into Kageyama-”

 

“What.” Surprisingly it’s Tsukishima who cuts her off. “What did the King say?” He has a protective look on his face, which puts a smile on Hinata’s face.

 

“Nothing much.” Hinata purses her lips, wondering where to begin. “Guys there’s so much that happened. But the important thing is that me and Atsumu are together now. He’s my boyfriend and he’s coming to Miyagi with me. And I’d really love it if you guys were to meet him,” she trails off, mind wandering.

 

“I got really sidetracked with everything here in Osaka. And Atsumu,” Hinata sighs, a dreamy look on her face. “Well, he’s just the best. He always makes time for me and...I love him. Maybe it’s too early for me to fall in love, but who cares? I can’t help what I feel. He’s always been there for me. He treats me like an equal, valuing my thoughts and opinions. He listens to me. He cherishes me so much.”

 

“Shouyou…” Yachi’s eyes are shining with unshed tears. “I’m so happy for you. You deserve this.” 

 

Yamaguchi nods. “We can’t wait to see you and meet Miya.”

Tsukishima is deep in thought, his pen tapping against his desk. “If he hurts you, we’ll make sure he’s never able to play volleyball again,” he threatens. Yachi and Yamaguchi firmly nod in agreement.

 

Hinata chokes on her laughter. “Tsukki!” She wipes the tears forming on the corners of her eyes. “I know I say this all the time and I know it’s been rough dealing with me this past year. But I really love you guys.”

 

“Ugh,” Tsukishima groans, rolling his eyes. 

 

“We love you too, Shouyou,” Yamaguchi says. 

 

Yachi is sniffling, wiping her nose on her sleeve. “Shou-chan, you’re always making me cry! I love you so much! And we can’t wait to meet Atsumu!”

 

Hinata’s chest swells with happiness. She’s so fortunate to have friends who supported her through thick and thin. She smiles widely at her friends. “I can’t wait to be back home!”

---

“Ya sure ya have everything packed, ‘Tsumu?” Osamu asks, peering at the bags his brother packed for his trip to Miyagi. He decided to see Hinata and Atsumu off at the train station. It’s the first time his brother will be going on a trip, alone. And with a girlfriend. 

 

He remembers fondly when Atsumu called him, panicking about his first trip with Hinata. Osamu knows his idiot of a brother tried to seem cool and confident, but the truth is, he’s painstakingly nervous. He doesn’t want to leave a bad impression on Hinata’s family and friends.

 

Atsumu has one arm around Hinata’s shoulders, while the rest of their bags are at their feet. It’s Hinata who answers for him, “Yup! We talked about it ahead of time. I know it looks like a lot of stuff, but we decided to get a bunch of souvenirs for everyone back at Miyagi!” She turns towards Atsumu, stars in her eyes. “Isn’t he just the sweetest?” she sighs, nuzzling into Atsumu’s side.

Osamu rolls his eyes as Atsumu leans down to give Hinata a quick kiss. They were always touching each other, in some way or form. If they weren’t holding hands, Atsumu had his arm around her shoulders. Hinata would sometimes loop her arms through his and cling to his side. Sometimes, Atsumu would absently play with her hair. 

 

Atsumu sends his brother a shit-eating grin. “Don’t miss me too much, ‘Samu.”

 

At this point, Osamu is sure that his eyes will be permanently glued to the back of his head from the amount of times he’s been rolling his eyes. Atsumu is an annoying jerk, he’s known that his whole life. But the Atsumu who is now a professional volleyball player and dating the girl he’s been pining for since they first met? Practically insufferable.

 

“I’m honestly more worried about ya, seeing how yer afraid of- mmph!” Atsumu lets go of Hinata and puts his hands over Osamu’s mouth, muffling his words. Osamu bites his hand and he let’s go with a yelp.

 

“‘Samu! What the hell was that for?” Atsumu rubs his palm and frowns at the small teeth marks.

 

“For putting yer hands on my face, ya dimwit,” Osamu drawls. He looks at Hinata. “Hope ya have a safe trip. And good luck spending almost thirteen hours with this guy,” he says sympathetically, nodding at her.

 

Hinata laughs while Atsumu pouts. “We’ll see you soon, Osamu-san. I’m going to miss you and everyone at Osaka!” She holds out her arms and gives Osamu a quick hug. They hear the distant sound of a train going over the tracks. A slight wind pushes Hinata’s hair back as the train comes to a stop.

 

“Well, this is us!” Atsumu grabs their bags. Hinata reaches out towards Atsumu, holding on to the back of his shirt. They both turn back and wave one final goodbye to Osamu. As they board the train and take their seats, Atsumu wipes his sweaty palms on his pants. He doesn’t want Hinata to know that he’s nervous to meet her family and friends. As the train finally begins to move, Hinata rests her head on his shoulder and looks out the window.

 

“I’m glad you’re here with me, ‘Tsumu,” she whispers affectionately. Atsumu’s throat clogs with emotion. Hinata dropped the suffix -san as soon as they started dating. From time to time, when she was feeling particularly needy or caring, she would call him ‘Tsumu, which is what Osamu called him. Seeing how far they have come as a couple exhilarates him, but also makes him feel terrified. He’s terrified that one day Kageyama Tobio will come back and Hinata would realize that she would rather be with him instead. Her first volleyball partner, her first love.

 

Atsumu holds Hinata closer and rests his chin on her head. He wills any negative thoughts away. They look out the window together as they get further away from Osaka and closer to Miyagi.

Notes:

it was so hard writing lemons. it was my first time and i hope i get better at it! thank you so much for reading this chapter and i'll see you in the next one!

Chapter 10

Notes:

it might get confusing at times because i use hinata's last name in my story unless certain characters call her by shouyou. to avoid confusion:
hinata-san is hinata's mother
shou-chan, hinata, and nee-chan refers to hinata shouyou
nacchan is natsu, hinata's little sister

“...and this is where I used to go when I was in middle school!” Hinata points towards a building where students are exiting. “I was the only one who was interested in volleyball,” she says wistfully. “I had no teammates and it wasn’t until I was in my third year that we were finally able to play a match.”

Atsumu looks down at Hinata inquisitively. She has a faraway look in her gaze, as if she’s seeing something that Atsumu isn’t. He frowns, wanting to know everything Hinata is thinking and feeling. “How did ya gather a team by yer third year?” he asks curiously.

Hinata has a sheepish look on her face. “I had to ask my friends from other sports teams to join,” she answers. She’s not ashamed of what she had to do to be able to play in an official match. She’s embarrassed that she struggled so hard to play volleyball and in the end, she didn’t decide to go pro. Hinata knows she shouldn’t care about what others think, but she felt like a fraud sometimes. She used to go around talking big to all their rivals and-

“Woah, woah, woah, Shouyou. What do you mean yer a fraud?” Atsumu’s eyebrows are pinched and the corners of his lips turn down. He has a concerned look on his face as he turns Hinata towards him, putting both hands on her shoulders. 

Hinata blinks up at him stupidly. “I was talking out loud?”

Atsumu huffs. “Yeah, ya were.” He shakes his head in disbelief, eyes wide in astonishment. “Shouyou, I can’t believe-what the actual fuck?” He runs a hand through his hair and sighs in frustration. “I’ve been such a shitty boyfriend,” he says, looking away from Hinata.

“What?!” Hinata screeches. Her hands are curled into fists at her sides and she looks up at Atsumu with wide eyes. “Atsumu-san, no, it’s not you! I’ve always felt this way.” Hinata frowns and her face flushes in embarrassment. “It’s just, I was so passionate about volleyball in middle school and high school-”

“-and ya still are,” Atsumu cuts in fiercely.

“-and I still am,” Hinata agrees, shooting a small smile at him. “But I still feel unsure of myself. I like what I’m doing in school right now, and I know I shouldn’t seek validation from others. I guess I feel a little, I don’t know, embarrassed? I’m embarrassed that I didn’t go pro,” she blurts out. Hinata avoids Atsumu’s piercing gaze as the last of the students leave the school building. 

She feels a hand on her chin as Atsumu moves his face so she’s looking at him. He’s leaning down so she’s eye level with him and she can see the fierce passion in his gaze. He has a protective look on his face and Hinata’s breath catches in her throat. 

“No matter what anyone thinks, yer fuckin’ amazing, Shouyou. Who cares if ya didn’t go pro? ‘Samu could have gone pro and he didn’t. And we all knew he could’ve. Hell, he was a bit better than me-not now of course, only when we were in middle school-” 

Hinata rolls her eyes and Atsumu smiles.

“Hey, let me finish,” he chastises lightly. “I wanted to reassure ya that no matter what ya decide to do, yer never going to be a failure. Yer never going to be a disappointment. Yer like magic , Shouyou. And no matter how many times it takes, I’ll always be there to remind ya of that.”

Hinata stares at Atsumu silently. No one’s ever said that to her before. No one’s ever cared for her like Atsumu has. He saw her for who she is, not what she represented. He chose her because he wanted her. Unable to find the words to speak, Hinata pulled Atsumu closer and started pressing kisses all over his face. 

“I. Like. You. So. Much.” Hinata emphasizes after each kiss. Atsumu laughs, crinkling up his nose. He smooths Hinata’s hair down and nuzzles into the side of her neck. He nips at her jaw and her head falls back. She sighs, closing her eyes.

Atsumu blows into Hinata’s ear, making her giggle. “Where else are ya gonna take me?” he whispers into her ear.

Hinata’s eyes flutter and she pecks Atsumu one more time on the cheek. “I’m going to treat you to some meat buns!” she exclaims. 

Atsumu tilts his head to the side, a contemplating look on his face. There is a note of hesitation in his tone as he asks, “What about Karasuno?”

“I wanted to take you to Karasuno, but maybe we can do that with my old teammates?” Hinata winces as she realizes that it sounds like a question. 

Atsumu’s face turns blank, devoid of any expression. “I see,” he says in a bored tone. 

Hinata scoffs. She hates when he gets like this. Atsumu always shuts down when he feels that Hinata is embarrassed by him or doesn’t immediately reveal a part of her life to him. She decides to keep calm. After all, she’s never told him the whole story with her and Kageyama. 

Hinata straightens her shoulders and determinedly puts her hands on Atsumu’s shoulders. The action startles him and he looks down at her with one eyebrow raised. “What?” he says, using that same damn tone that frustrates Hinata.

“I want to show you around, but I think it would be nice if we could meet my team and then go together! I really want you guys to get along. I know I haven’t been exactly forthcoming about what happened between me and Kageyama-”

Atsumu sucks in a sharp breath and takes a step back. His eyes are wide from the shock of Hinata saying his name, holy fuck, he’s not ready to hear about this right now, shit, he always does this, Osamu always said he had a tendency to be a jerk and how it’ll one day backfire on him, his heart’s pounding, Hinata’s voice fades into the background and the only he thing he can hear are his ears ringing, and fuck, he’s sweating even though it’s so cold out-

“-tsumu? Atsumu!” Hinata shouts in his face, pulling him away from his thoughts. “Just breathe, I’m here. Are you okay?” She’s rubbing his arms up and down, attempting to soothe him.

“I’m fine,” he croaks out, shrugging her off. 

Hinata frowns. She thinks back to what could’ve upset Atsumu, until realization smacks her in the face. She wants to hit herself, she’s so stupid. Kageyama has always been a touchy subject between the two of them. Atsumu has always been respectful and understanding regarding the dark haired setter, but he always walks eggshells around Hinata when Kageyama is brought up. 

It’s always ‘Whenever yer ready to tell me about it’ or ‘It’s okay, Shouyou, I understand’ , but the problem is, Atsumu doesn't understand because she’s never told him about the shitshow of what went down in her third year. She only shared snippets and gave vague answers of what happened with her and Kageyama, but never the whole story. Hinata never assured Atsumu that he’s the one. She’s never told him that, no matter what happened between her and Kageyama, no one’s made her feel the way that Atsumu makes her feel.

She’s in love with him and she’s been taking, taking, and kept on taking from Atsumu, but she’s never given him anything of herself. And that wasn’t okay. Hinata is ready to prepare a grand speech for Atsumu, but the only thing that she wails is, “I’m the worst girlfriend in the world!”  

Atsumu’s eyes widened in alarm at Hinata’s statement. Just moments ago, he was the shitty one in this relationship. All is forgotten and he immediately pulls her close and rocks them back and forth. He presses his mouth against the crown of her head and murmurs, “Shouyou, what are ya on about now?”

Hinata sniffs and pulls back slightly. “Later tonight, after you meet my mom and Natsu, I want to tell you everything. About Kageyama and me. I don’t want you to feel like you’re second best.” She looks absolutely adorable with a stubborn glint in her eye and her shoulders squared back.

Atsumu’s hand trembles slightly and he plays it off by playing with a strand of Hinata’s hair. He tries his best to look cool, to show that Hinata’s words didn’t affect him much. He’s trying not to show that he’s been desperate to know all about her relationship with Kageyama. He desperately wants to be the aloof, confident, and nonchalant boyfriend that’s not insecure.

But the truth is, even though Hinata and his relationship has been going well, the elephant in the room that is called Kageyama Tobio needed to be addressed. He’s not going to let some high school fling fuck up his future. Because for Atsumu, Hinata is his first and last love. 

Atsumu takes a deep breath, ignoring the pressure in his chest. He’s going to tell Hinata that, ‘ Yes, of course we can talk about Kageyama Tobio’, but the only words that comes out of his mouth is a simple, “Okay.”

Hinata doesn’t respond back. She gazes into Atsumu’s eyes, searching, until she finally nods. She grasps Atsumu’s hand tightly. There’s a tentative smile on her face as she says, “Let’s go get some meat buns.”

---

Atsumu’s going to throw up. He shouldn’t have eaten all those meat buns. He and Hinata were standing in front of her house, waiting for someone to get the door. He smoothens down his coat and runs a hand through his hair. His tongue swipes across his teeth to make sure there aren’t any remnants of food stuck there. His palms are sweaty and he wipes them against his jeans. 

He doesn’t realize he’s fidgeting until Hinata shoots him a concerned gaze. “Are you-”

She gets cut off by the door opening. Atsumu notices a small orange blur jump at Hinata shouting out, “Nee-chan!” He watches the interaction between the two siblings with fondness.

Suddenly, Natsu breaks the hug and looks up at Atsumu with wide brown eyes. She blinks up at him innocently and asks, “Nee-chan, who’s this guy? He’s not Tobio-nii.”

The smile forming on Atsumu’s face drops. Of course Kageyama used to come to Hinata’s house. He’s not sure what to make of the fact that Natsu expected Kageyama to be here and not him. 

“Natsu, this is my boyfriend, Miya Atsumu,” Hinata says, choosing to ignore her sister's comment.

“BOYFRIEND?” Natsu exclaims. She leaves the two standing in the doorway and rushes inside shouting, “Kaa-san, nee-chan has a boyfriend! And he’s tall and handsome and blonde!”

Hinata’s face flushes and she drags Atsumu inside. She’s lucky that they were able to drop off their stuff ahead of time while Natsu was at school and her mom was at work. Hinata leads Atsumu into the modest living room. He notices a petite woman with black hair walk in from the kitchen with snacks and tea on a serving platter.

This must be her mother, Atsumu thinks. He can see the family resemblance. Hinata and Natsu are so tiny, with bright eyes and an adorable face. But their bright orange hair must come from their father. 

Hinata-san sets the food down and smiles at Atsumu warmly. “Nice to meet you, I’m Shou-chan’s mother. She’s told me a bit about you over the phone, but hasn’t mentioned that you were such a dashing young man!”

Atsumu’s face warms at the compliment. He feels butterflies in his stomach as he basks in the warmth of the Hinata household. They’re all like the freaking sun, holy shit, he thinks to himself.

“Nice to meet ya, too. I’m Miya Atsumu. Yer daughter’s been in my care,” he says, flinching inwardly at his Kansai dialect. He’s proud of where he’s from, but he wants to leave a good impression.

Natsu jumps onto the sofa and sits down on her knees, peering closely into Atsumu’s face. “You talk funny! I like it!”

Atsumu relaxes as Hinata-san laughs and Hinata chastises her little sister. He feels a weight lift off from his shoulders as the tension leaves his body. This is easy. He can do this. 

“Please, have some snacks while I finish preparing dinner,” Hinata-san says. She gives him a wink as she whispers loudly to Hinata, “Good job, honey. Your kids are going to be so cute!” She rushes off to the kitchen before Hinata can protest.

Hinata rubs her neck and laughs awkwardly. “Sorry, my mom can get a bit...excited,” she says. 

Atsumu shakes his head and grins. “It’s okay, she’s really cool. And yer sister is adorable.” He squints his eyes and says, “She really looks like a miniature version of ya. Tiny, compact, and cute.” His eyes twinkle as he whispers, “I wouldn’t mind having a bunch of little Hinatas runnin’ around one day, y’know…”

Hinata playfully smacks Atsumu’s chest. “I’m not that tiny.” She pouts and adds, “And maybe one day, about...you know....but not now! We’re too young!” 

Atsumu has a mischievous look in his face as leans in for a kiss before he gets pushed away. “What the hell?” he murmurs to himself. He looks down and realizes that they weren’t left alone in the room.

Natsu puffs out her cheeks and crosses her arms over her chest. “You can’t kiss my nee-chan even if you’re her boyfriend! I haven’t seen her in so long, so she’s going to be staying with me!”

Atsumu internally groans. Of course Hinata would have a protective little sister. Not only did he have to deal with the Shouyou Protection Squad, he also had to deal with her little sister. Before he can speak up, Hinata-san enters the room. “Dinner is ready!” she calls out from the doorway.

They all get up while Natsu shoots Atsumu a glare and stomps towards the dining table. Atsumu looks at Hinata with wide eyes, while she shrugs back hopelessly. “I haven’t seen Nacchan in so long and I guess she’s just being a tiny bit...overprotective?” she offers as an explanation.

Atsumu chuckles in disbelief. “Overprotective? That’s an understatement.”

Hinata frowns at Atsumu. “Do you regret coming with me to Miyagi?” she asks quietly.

“What? No, Shouyou! It’s not that.” Atsumu sighs, putting both hands on his hips. “Listen, let’s just eat first with yer mom and Natsu, then we can talk, okay?” He hesitates before he adds, “It’ll be good for us. To talk about things that we haven’t really been able to before.” He gives her a meaningful look until Hinata smiles up at him tentatively.

“You’re right,” she says, nodding and steering him towards the direction of the dining room. “Now come on, before the food gets cold.”

---

“-and then the vice principal’s wig fell off his head!” Hinata says, making Atsumu choke on his food with laughter.

Atsumu finally feels relaxed. He was content sitting at the dining table with Hinata talking about all the shenanigans that went down when she was in high school. Hinata-san looks at her daughter with an exasperated fondness, while Natsu looks at her elder sister reverently. 

Natsu hangs on to every word that Hinata says, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open in awe. It’s no wonder that she’s so protective of Hinata. Atsumu grimaces to himself. Winning her over will be a challenge. 

“So, Atsumu-kun,” Hinata-san says, turning to Atsumu with a twinkle in her eye. “What about our little Shou-chan made you fall for her?”

Atsumu instantly flushes, the tips of his ears turning red. Hinata giggles into her hand and teases, “Yeah, ‘Tsumu, what about me do you like?”

“I, well,” Atsumu stumbles on his words. He looks intently at his empty bowl and the chopsticks in his hand. “I just like everything about her,” he mumbles out quickly.

Hinata-san squeals and even Natsu’s face flushes. Hinata covers her face with her hands and groans, “That’s not fair, ‘Tsumu!”

Atsumu grins sheepishly and rubs the back of his neck nervously. “There’s really no specific moment where I fell for yer daughter, Hinata-san,” he says. “But...during our first match…” he trails off, unable to speak any further because of the embarrassment.

Hinata-san cooes. “Aww, how romantic! Atsumu-kun, my daughter couldn’t have picked a better partner.” Atsumu startles at her statement while she smiles at him kindly. Hinata was busy with Natsu who kept teasing her about her “mushy boyfriend” and making kissing noises.

“I’m gonna go clean up!” Hinata says, getting up and pushing Natsu’s face out of the way. She picks up the dirty dishes and rushes to the kitchen, with Natsu following her. It’s only Hinata-san and Atsumu in the room now. 

Atsumu turns towards Hinata-san, unsure what to say. He felt awkward being left alone with her, even though Hinata-san has been nothing but hospitable and kind. 

“Atsumu-kun?” Hinata-san calls out his name gently. “I just want to say that I’m truly grateful you’re taking care of my daughter. Her father is always traveling for work, and well, it’s really only ever been me and her until Nacchan was born. It means the world to me that Shou-chan has found love with such a kind young man. Thank you,” she says, her eyes glittering. 

Atsumu is dumbfounded and can only nod as Hinata-san pulls him in for a hug and ruffles his hair. She winks at him and says with amusement in her voice, “And my grandkids are going to be so cute!” She walks away leaving him with his mouth wide open. The women in the Hinata family seem to have a talent for leaving him speechless.

---

The lights are off and moonlight is pouring in through the blinds in Hinata’s window. Atsumu is staring at the ceiling from a futon in Hinata’s room as she keeps tossing and turning on her bed. 

“Atsumu, psst, Atsumu, are you awake?” Hinata’s voice cuts through the silence. 

“Mmm, yeah,” Atsumu replies. “Are ya sure it’s okay that I’m sleeping in yer room?” he asks for what seems to be the hundredth time.

Atsumu can practically hear Hinata roll her eyes. “Of course, ‘Tsumu! Kaa-san loves you! And she trusts us! Plus, we’re adults, it’s not like we haven’t...you know,” she gestures into the air, too shy to say the words.

“Well we haven’t had sex yet, y’know,” Atsumu says with a teasing lilt in his voice. 

Hinata gasps. “‘Tsumu! We’ve done other stuff,” she whispers, feeling scandalous.

“Stuff like when ya got on yer knees and sucked my cock until I came and then I ate you out-” Atsumu drawls as Hinata yelps. She picks up a pillow and throws it down onto the floor where Atsumu is lying down. He laughs as he picks up the pillow and tosses it back to the bed. 

Hinata’s eyebrows furrow as her eyes adjust to the darkness. She looks down at Atsumu from her bed. His hair is tousled, eyes bright. He’s the picture of male arrogance, his arms crossed behind his head, his t-shirt lifting, showcasing his abs. Hinata feels the familiar throb of desire and flushes. “”Tsumu?” she asks.

“Hmm?” he replies, still staring at the ceiling with a contemplative look on his face. Hinata frowns because he’s not paying attention to her. Fueled by determination (and desire), she gets off her bed and straddles Atsumu. His hands automatically go to her hips and he raises an eyebrow. 

“Hey,” he says, rubbing circles on her hips. She’s wearing a deep blue nightgown that hiked up her thighs as she sat down. One of her straps slips off her shoulder, but Hinata doesn’t care to fix it.

Hinata wriggles around and responds, “Hi. I was getting lonely up there without you.”

“I can see that,” Atsumu responds with a wolfish grin on his face. He crooks his finger beckoning for Hinata to come closer. She leans towards him, eyelids fluttering.

“I wanna have sex,” she blurts out. Atsumu freezes up and his eyes widen.

“What?” he croaks out. Hinata has her hands on the futon besides Atsumu’s head, caging him in.

She feels her face warm up and hopes that Atsumu can’t see much in the dark room, but she refuses to back down. “I wanna have sex with you. Do you? I mean it’s okay if you don’t want to, but I just wanted to let you know that I’m ready.”

Atsumu cups Hinata’s face in his hands. His fingers map out the shape of her nose and lips. His stare is intense and he has an uncharacteristically serious look on his face. He sits up, but keeps Hinata in his lap as she tries to get off. He clasps his hands around her lower back, keeping her in place.

“Of course I want to have sex with ya, Shouyou,” Atsumu says as he adjusts Hinata so she can feel his hard on. 

Hinata’s eyes darken with lust and she grinds her hips down, eliciting a moan from Atsumu’s lips. “Okay, so let’s do it!”

Atsumu keeps her in place and smiles gently. He rubs his nose against hers. “Ya wanna do it with Natsu and yer mom in the house?” he asks, bemused.

“Fair point. I can be quiet though!” Hinata insists, pouting.

Atsumu’s eyebrows shoot up in disbelief and he laughs. “I can guarantee ya won’t be quiet. Yer gonna be too busy screaming out my name.”

Hinata clenches her thighs together and hugs Atsumu. She rubs against his chest and whines, “No fair, ‘Tsumu.” She looks up at him, unwilling to break the hug. “I just really want you,” she adds quietly. 

Atsumu’s eyes soften and he presses a long kiss to her forehead. “I always want ya, Shouyou. But it wouldn’t be right to have our first time together if we don’t have a proper talk.” He takes a deep breath, heart pounding, eyes bright. “I think it’s time ya told me all about what happened with Kageyama Tobio.”

Notes:

i'm back after a while! thank you for all the lovely comments, kudos and support! i lost some motivation when it came to writing this story. i felt i was dragging it on, and at one point i seriously contemplated not finishing it. lots of changes have been happening in my life and i felt overwhelmed. however, i realized i wanted to see this story through the end. so please bear with me! there's still a lot i have planned. it's all a matter of writing it down. i also have three other stories (for attack on titan, my hero academia, and jujutsu kaisen!) i would like to work on as well which i was outlining when i wasn't working on in my feels. again, i can't guarantee when i will update, but i will write as much as i can. thank you for being so understanding! see you in the next chapter!

Chapter 11

“I think it’s time ya told me all about what happened with Kageyama Tobio.”

 

Atsumu’s words reverberate throughout the quiet room. Hinata has gone still, and the only thing she can hear is Atsumu’s quiet breathing. His face is carefully blank, but he’s looking straight into Hinata’s eyes.

 

She takes a deep breath and the words begin to tumble out. She tells him everything.

---

She tells him about the first time she saw the Little Giant on the screen of a TV inside an electronics store. 

 

“I was riding my bike on the road after hanging out with my friends and just stopped. I was mesmerized, the way he jumped, the way he spiked the ball...and he was tiny, like me, but that didn’t stop him. That was the day I fell in love with volleyball.”

 

She tells him about her first and last match in her third year of middle school, the first time she met Kageyama Tobio.

 

“He told me,” she says, fiddling with Atsumu’s shirt, “‘What have you been doing for the past three years?’ I didn’t know what to say, but it was that day I made a promise that I’ll defeat him and be the one to be on the court the longest.”

 

She tells him about her first day in Karasuno High School, and how surprised she was to see Kageyama Tobio in the gym.

 

“I couldn’t believe it,” she says shaking her head as if still surprised that her rival was going to be her teammate. “He was literally there and it felt like a dream.”

 

She tells him about the first time she and Kageyama did their freak quick.

 

Hinata’s hands are moving around, her eyes wide as she explains to Atsumu the feeling of spiking the ball. “He tossed me the ball, ‘Tsumu! It was amazing! And everyone was so shocked! I’m not sure if you know this, but before we came up with our freak quick, I used to close my eyes and Kageyama would just toss the ball to me, right where I can hit it.”

 

“Ya must’ve trusted him a lot,” Atsumu muses. They changed their position and Hinata is now leaning her back against his chest, sitting between his legs. Atsumu fiddles with Hinata’s fingers and he waits for her to continue her story. 

 

She tells him about the time Karasuno lost against Aoba Johsai and they realized that their freak quick wasn’t infallible.

 

Hinata has a haunted look on her face as she says, “I’ll never forget that moment. I spiked the ball and it was blocked. It was one of the worst days of my life. But I learned a lot from that loss, too.”

 

She tells him about the time she and Kageyama had a fight about improving their freak quick.

 

“Yachi was crying and called out for our senpai to stop the fight,” she reminisces. “Me and Kageyama literally hit each other.” She shudders at the memory and Atsumu tightens his hold around her waist. His chin is atop her head, remaining silent as he continues to listen. “But then we figured it out. By then I realized he wasn’t just my friend, he was my partner.”

 

She tells him about their rematch against Aoba Johsai.

 

“We beat them, ‘Tsumu. It was just... gwah, I can’t even describe the feeling. And me and Kageyama finally mastered our quick.” She looks up at him, her eyes bright. “We were going to play against Shiratorizawa, the strongest team in Miyagi so we can go to Nationals.”

 

She tells him about how they won against Shiratorizawa.

“I swear, at that moment, I thought I was flying. I could see the ball so clearly, and I hit it. I scored the winning point. But even then I wasn’t considered good enough.”

 

She tells him about the time she snuck into the training camp for first years in Shiratorizawa. 

 

“I wasn’t invited,” she says, voice tinged with sadness. “The Shiratorizawa coach told me, ‘Without that Kageyama kid as your setter, I don’t see any value in you at all.’” She hesitates a bit before adding, “I was really jealous that Kageyama got chosen to go to the All Japan Youth training camp. And now that you’re my boyfriend, I’m kind of jealous he met you first, too.”

 

She tells him about how she decided to be a ball girl.

 

She laughs lightly as she reminds him, “Remember my amazing receive in our match against you guys?” Atsumu nods, and she continues, “That’s how I learned how to receive. By being a ball girl.”

 

She tells him about the time Kageyama and her reunited after their respective training camps. 

 

“Remember Hoshiumi Kourai? He was short for a volleyball player, but he was able to receive, spike, serve. He was always able to jump really high! Kageyama said Hoshiumi was able to jump higher than me...but then he told me, ' You can fly even higher.’” She shivers at the memory.

 

She tells him about the time they finally made it to Nationals in Tokyo. 

 

“I was just so glad to be there,” she says.

 

She tells him about playing against Inarizaki.

 

“You gave me hope, you know. I know I told you before, but seeing you and Osamu-san pull off the twin quick made me realize there are other players out there who can set for me. Me and Kageyama were able to block your quick because we knew about it best. Because that was our quick. We knew how tempting speed could be...but speed isn’t invincible.” Atsumu presses his lips against her hair and continues to listen.

 

She tells him about their match against Nekoma. 

 

“You never met Kenma, but he’s one of my best friends! He likes video games and he’s really smart. He’s Kodzuken,” she boasts. “But during Nationals...we were finally playing against our fated rivals. It was the Cats vs the Crows. Nekoma vs Karasuno. I successfully did my bam jump during the match...and this time I didn’t forget to spike the ball!” she says cheerfully as Atsumu chuckles. 

 

She tells him about her fever during the match against Kamomedai and how she couldn’t get back up.

 

“I told Takeda-sensei,” Hinata says with a thick voice, “that I could still fly. But I couldn’t even get up, ‘Tsumu. No matter what, I couldn’t get up. It hurts. Still thinking about it to this day, it really hurts. Kageyama told me that day that he won again and he’s going to go on ahead. I was going to be left behind again.”

 

Atsumu whispers into her ear that he was there, watching her match against Kamomedai. He tells her how it hurt him to see Hinata fall and unable to get back up. He whispers that even then, she amazed him. He whispers that he’s in awe of how she always learns from her losses and mistakes. He whispers that he’ll never leave her behind and that she will never ever have to worry about trying to keep up with him. 

 

She tells him about how she and Kageyama had their first kiss in her second year.

 

“It was after practice,” she says, voice hushed, “and we went to get meat buns. On the way home, we both kissed each other.”

 

She tells him about how she and Kageyama used to sneak around to avoid getting caught by their team so they could have a few stolen moments to themselves.

 

“We were always around each other anyways because we’re the same age and always practiced together. I guess it was kind of natural for us to get together?” Hinata shakes her head as she adds, “We never had sex. I don’t know how much you want to know, but it never got that far. I want my first time to be with you,” she says fiercely. Atsumu’s heart clenches, but he still remains silent. He knows that Hinata still has much more to say.

 

Her voice softens as she says, “But I thought we were dating at that point. We never explicitly defined our relationship, but we were always together. We would race each other before school started and would always compete. At Karasuno, you wouldn’t think of Hinata Shouyou without Kageyama Tobio.” She has both knees up and is hugging them. Atsumu still doesn't say anything and continues to listen. 

 

She tells him about the day she found out Kageyama got chosen for the training camp for the Olympics during their third and final year of high school.

 

“I knew him so well, I just knew he was hiding something from me. When he finally told me, I was so proud of him. I told him that it was okay, we could have a long distance relationship like other couples, but he cut me off and sounded so surprised. He said that we weren’t in a relationship. He thought that we were just relieving each others’ stress,” her voice began to hitch. She’s silent for a moment. “And then...and then he told me that he couldn’t afford to be distracted,” her voice cracks and her eyes blur with tears. 

 

Atsumu rocks her back and forth gently, soothing her. He tells her that she’s never been a distraction to him. If anything, she pushes him to be a better version of himself, on and off the volleyball court. He tells her, “It’s a goddamn privilege being with ya.” 

 

Hinata gasps at what he said, but doesn’t respond. She grips Atsumu’s arms tightly, as if he’s an anchor that’ll save her from drowning. 

 

She tells him about the day she said goodbye to Kageyama at the airport.

 

“I acted like everything was normal because I didn’t know what else I should do. Should I let him know that I was hurt? Should I tell him that I’ll miss him? In the end, we parted ways as if nothing happened. Our last words to each other were ‘See you later.’”

 

She tells him about the day she walked into Onigiri Miya.

 

“I was so shocked to see you and Osamu-san!” she says. “I think that was the first day I realized that I’m going to be okay. After becoming friends with you, Osamu-san, your team, and even making some new friends at school, I realized that I don’t need Kageyama. I was holding myself back. I was holding myself up to impossible standards that I set for myself. Meeting you again was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”

 

She finally tells him about the day she ran into Kageyama at the Schweiden Adlers vs. MSBY Black Jackals game.

 

“I was looking for you because all I wanted to see was you. During the game, you’re the one who stood out the most to me. I was amazed by each player on both teams, including Kageyama...but you shone the brightest.” Hinata’s voice is hoarse after talking all night. “I really wanted to tell you how I felt about you that day. And I’m glad I did.”

 

Atsumu chuckles softly and rubs his chin against her shoulder. “I wasn’t going to confess to ya unless we won. But I’m glad I didn’t wait.”

 

Hinata turns around until she’s face to face with Atsumu. She clasps his hand in hers and brings it close to her chest. “Atsumu,” she says in an urgent tone, “I want you to know something. Everything that happened with Kageyama really hurt me. I was already insecure about the fact that everyone thought I wasn’t a good enough player without him as a setter. I thought we were in a relationship as equals, but even then I wasn’t...enough.”

Atsumu is silent, as he has been for most of the night Hinata was telling her story to him. He’s trying his best to come to terms with how deep Hinata’s history with Kageyama is. It’s as if everything she did, he was right there with her. 

 

He grimaces and tries to get that thought out of his head. That was the point wasn’t it? Hinata tied her self-worth along with Kageyama and somewhere along the way she fell for him. But time and time again, Hinata has been telling Atsumu, she’s even been showing him that she wants to be with him and not Kageyama. 

 

It’s as if a weight has been lifted off his shoulder. There’s always going to be history with Kageyama because of their past, but Atsumu is Hinata’s present and future. His head is still  reeling from all the information that he has been given, but he feels more assured than he has in a long time.

 

“Atsumu,” Hinata says, moving her hands towards his face. “You look as if you’re somewhere far away. I don’t like that. I want you here, with me.”

 

“I’m here,” he whispers, holding a hand against her cheek. “I’m always here.” There’s a newfound confidence in his gaze that makes Hinata shudder.

 

She says, “I want to tell you something. You always know what to say. You tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear. You’re always honest with me. You made me feel good about myself after a long time of self loathing. You listen to me. You make me feel important. I’m in love with you, Atsumu,” she says, her voice full and warm. “If I have to go through all the pain I went through to get to you, I would do it again with no hesitation. Everything that happened to me led me to you and I couldn’t be more grateful. I love you.”

Atsumu looks at her reverently. “What did I do,” he asks himself, “to deserve ya?” He gives her a kiss so sweet and soft, Hinata’s heart aches. “I love ya, Shouyou. Ya captured my heart since the first time I saw ya jump. Kageyama Tobio is a dick-”

 

Hinata giggles and he shakes his head, huffing out a laugh.

 

“-He’s a dick, but if there’s one thing he did right, it was that he led me to ya. I won’t promise that we won’t get into fights. There’s going to be days where we both annoy the crap out of each other. There’s going to be days where we might not be able to stand each other. But I love ya. And this is it for me, Shouyou,” he says, voice catching in his throat. “Yer it for me.”

 

“Atsumu,” Hinata responds with wonder. “It’s you. It’s only ever going to be you for me.”

 

They hold onto each other, whispering sweet nothings and words of comfort for the rest of the night until they fall asleep.

---

The next morning, it was as if everything and nothing had changed. Hinata looks around, eyes bleary with sleep. She realizes she and Atsumu fell asleep on the futon together. She rubs her eyes to wake herself up more, until she notices two brown eyes staring at her.

 

“Atsumu!” she says, startled. “Were you staring at me while I was sleeping?” 

 

He grins at her, stretching his body and yawning. “I just can’t believe I’m here with ya,” he says simply. 

 

Hinata smiles back at him. There’s a slight change in the air after she confessed yesterday. Now that there were no secrets between them, she feels even closer to Atsumu. She’s ready to continue looking forward and refuses to ever look back. 

 

Hinata plops down on top of Atsumu and sighs dramatically. “I wanna be lazy and relax with you at home all day.”

 

“I’d love that, but aren’t ya going to show me off to yer friends today?” Atsumu says, sitting up while Hinata slides down onto his lap. 

 

She looks up at him and scrunches her nose, sticking her tongue out. Atsumu raises an eyebrow and leans down, taking her tongue in his mouth. “‘Tsumu, I didn’t even brush my teeth yet,” she complains half heartedly. 

 

“Don’t care,” he says, tickling her sides. She giggles and holds up her hands in surrender.

“Okay, okay, I give up!” she says, laughing. “I’ll get ready and we can head out soon. It’s almost lunch time anyways. Kaa-san and Nacchan went out to see her friends, so that’s probably why they didn’t wake us up for breakfast.”

 

Atsumu nods and gathers his things. He stops near Hinata’s bedroom door and looks back at her with a calculating look in his gaze. “We have the house to ourselves for now?” 

 

“Yup!” Hinata answers, curious as to what Atsumu is thinking.

 

“...Wanna take a shower together?”

 

The sound of Atsumu’s laugh echoes throughout the house as Hinata abruptly gets up, runs towards him. They chase each other to the bathroom, Hinata making it first.

 

“I win!” she shouts, arms raised in triumph. 

 

Atsumu has a mischievous grin on his face as he scoops up Hinata and enters the bathroom. She giggles and looks up at him, studying his features. His hair is down instead of swept aside, making him look younger. It hits her suddenly, like a lightning bolt, that this man, Miya Atsumu, loves her, Hinata Shouyou. 

 

Atsumu really loves me back, she keeps repeating in her head in awe and amazement. She squeals out loud and Atsumu looks down at her quizzically. Hinata shakes her head and continues to grin. 

 

They shed each other's clothes off and enter the shower. Hinata fiddles with the temperature until it’s just right. She looks at Atsumu, water rippling down his body. He’s half hard. She gives him a half grin and sinks to her knees. 

 

They had to take a shower twice before finally getting ready.

---

“This is where we’re supposed to meet! Quickly, Atsumu, we’re already fifteen minutes late!” Hinata drags Atsumu towards Sakanoshita Market. 

 

Atsumu keeps his leisurely pace, soaking in the crisp air, slight breeze, and the sun on his face. “And whose fault is that?” he asks. “Not my fault ya were too busy sucking my cock like a lollipop-”

 

Hinata whips around and smacks his arm. “‘Tsumu!” She’s trying to look upset, but she can’t stop the grin forming on her face. “Not my fault that I love everything about you.” Atsumu’s heartbeat quickens. He’s been waiting so long to hear that Hinata loves him, and now she tells him almost every chance she can get.

 

Hinata tilts her head back slightly and squints her eyes. She says, “And last time I checked, it’s not my fault that you were too busy fingering me like-”

 

“I get it!” Atsumu cuts in. He looks at the bystanders staring at the two in shock. “Let’s go before the whole population of Miyagi finds out that their precious sun, Hinata Shouyou, has been corrupted by Osaka’s very own Miya Atsumu.”

 

Hinata skips by Atsumu’s side, waving her arms back and forth. “I wouldn’t mind everyone knowing that I belong to you,” she says matter-of-factly. Before Atsumu can respond, she points towards a group of people.

 

“They’re here!” she exclaims, jumping up and down in place from excitement. She waves to catch their attention and shouts, “SENPAI! TSUKKI! YACCHAN! YAMAGUCHI!”

 

The group of people turn around towards Hinata and Atsumu. The couple walked towards them and soon, they were standing in front of the former Karasuno High School volleyball team members, sans Kageyama Tobio. 

 

Atsumu feels mildly uncomfortable as all eyes are on him. He can feel that they’re assessing him, calculating if he was good enough for Hinata. One of Hinata’s senpai (is that...Sugawara? Atsumu tries to remember his name), clasps Atsumu on the shoulder. The silver haired boy has a pleasant smile on his face, but Atsumu can feel the aura of killing intent in the air.

 

“So, you must be Miya Atsumu, the one who’s dating our precious Shouyou,” he says, eyes closed slightly and a taut smile on his face. “It’s so nice to meet you, I’m Sugawara Koshi.”

 

Hinata is blissfully unaware and is shooting heart eyes at the exchange, excited that her precious teammates and boyfriend seem to be getting along so well. Atsumu gulps as Sugawara’s fingers dig painfully into his shoulder. 

 

I’m so fucked, he thinks, as he holds out his hand and says, “I’m Miya Atsumu. Nice to meet ya.”

Notes:

so i had a burst of motivation after all the comments that you guys have left behind and busted out this chapter in a few days. hope you enjoy!

Chapter 12

“Ta-da! Here’s the Karasuno gym!” Hinata has her arms out wide, grinning at Atsumu. She’s bursting with energy. Sugawara can’t stop the smile from forming on his face. His kouhai was back to being upbeat and positive, which made him sigh internally in relief.

 

Sugawara liked to think that he was an attentive senpai. He did his best to help all his kouhai out during his time in Karasuno. More than often he was dubbed as the “mom” of the group. He prided himself on the fact that the most precious people in his life saw him as a reliable and dependable person. 

 

But a few months ago, he realized that he hasn’t been doing as good a job as he could have. Hinata was more withdrawn and guarded the last time he saw her. Her eyes were dim, she was more serious and less playful. Looking at her now, it’s as if the Hinata from a few months ago was like a dream. 

 

The former members of Karasuno are playing volleyball in random teams. Hinata was sitting this game out, as she wanted to catch up with Yachi and chat with her. 

 

“Nice toss!” Tanaka calls out to Atsumu, eyes sparkling. Atsumu nods in acknowledgement, a self assured and confident grin on his face. He has a swagger and arrogance that makes Sugawara’s eye twitch in annoyance. Out of all the people his precious kouhai Hinata could have chosen, why him?

 

Sugawara couldn’t grasp it. He thought Hinata and Kageyama had... something going on. He wasn’t sure what it was, but those two had a connection that most lovers would have been envious of. They were always aware of each other, on and off the court, constantly in sync with each other. Even when they fought, they still understood each other.

 

Sugawara and the other third and second years were sure that one day, Hinata and Kageyama would announce they were dating. Clearly, that day will never come because she’s absolutely smitten by Atsumu. 

 

“Aren’t his tosses the best?” Hinata gushes, moving up and down in excitement. Yachi is staring at her, amused. Atsumu’s chest puffs out even more and his smirk becomes a real smile as he looks at Hinata and-

 

Oh. Sugawara gets it now. If he blinked a second too early, he would’ve missed that slight change in Atsumu’s eyes as he gazes upon Hinata. It’s the tenderness in his gaze as he looks at her, as if she is the sun incarnate. Miya Atsumu reveres Hinata and he most definitely is in love with her. 

 

Sugawara exhales loudly and almost chokes as he sees Hinata run towards Atsumu and jump on him. Dark eyebrows shoot up into his hairline as he sees Atsumu catch Hinata as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. 

 

“Didja miss me?” Atsumu says, nuzzling into Hinata. She giggles and plants a loud kiss on his forehead. Sugawara’s mouth drops open at the public display of affection. He looks around and sees that everyone has stopped what they were doing.

 

Kiyoko is looking at them contemplatively. Tanaka, Asahi, and Daichi’s eyes are wide in disbelief. Tsukishima is mildly disgusted and has a sneer on his face. Otherwise, it seems that Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and Yachi are not surprised at all.

 

That’s it. Sugawara clenches his hands into fists at his sides as he marches towards the couple. “Get your filthy hands off her, Miya!” he shouts. He doesn’t know why he shouts. He’s the calm and collected one in the group. 

Atsumu’s face turns blank and he tries to put Hinata down. She wraps her legs around his waist and refuses to let go, until he finally gives up trying. Her eyes are shiny with tears. Fuck, Sugawara thinks, I need to fix this right now.

 

“Hinata,” he says, unclenching his fists, “I didn’t mean to yell. I’m really...confused?” His last sentence comes out as a question and Sugawara winces as Hinata’s face twists in anger. He didn’t mean to hurt his kouhai, he’s just genuinely surprised and reacted poorly. 

 

Hinata looks at him and says sharply, “And what’s there to be confused about? What’s so bad about Atsumu? He’s an amazing person and I’m lucky to have him as my boyfriend!”

 

“Hinata, it’s not that, I promise. It was a poor choice of words and I didn’t mean to be rude. As a senpai, I should’ve known better.” Sugawara frowns and plays with a loose thread on his shirt. 

 

“Argh!” It’s surprisingly Tanaka who cuts in. “Hinata,” he says with a gentle expression on his face, “We’re just being overprotective and it’s... stupid.”  

 

Nishinoya comes forward with a grin on his face and nods enthusiastically. “We just want what’s best for you! And if Miya makes you happy,” he gestures towards the blonde setter, “then that’s what makes us happy too!” 

 

Hinata visibly relaxes. “Thanks, senpai. And I’m sorry for being so rude to you, Sugawara-senpai,” she says hastily. She counts down from ten in her head and takes a deep breath. “Atsumu makes me really happy. So you guys don’t need to worry about me. I’m not a kid you know,” she adds lightly, unsure how to proceed further.

 

Atsumu places a hand on her shoulder and squeezes. She looks back at him and feels reassured by his confident expression.

 

“Sugrawara-san, Shouyou and I-” Atsumu starts, before he gets cut off.

 

Sugawara holds up a hand. “Miya-san, I’m sorry. Hinata isn’t a kid anymore. I was out of line. I’m so used to feeling overprotective of my kouhai that it’s gotten to the point where I’m the one that they need to be wary of.” He laughs bitterly and runs a shaky hand through his hair. 

Hinata gasps in shock and grabs Sugawara’s hand. “Senpai, that’s not true!” she exclaims. “You’ve always taken good care of us and I know you’re coming from a good place. I know you’re being cautious around Atsumu, but I promise you, I’ve never been happier. He’s so good to me, Suga-senpai, and I really love him and I want you all to get along and please don’t fight and beat yourself up over this!” she pleads.

 

Sugawara is touched and slightly amused at how earnest Hinata is. 

 

“Sugawara-san,” Atsumu says, trying to get his attention. Sugawara looks at Atsumu and, although he doesn’t want to admit it, he’s impressed by how calm and confident Atsumu is. 

 

Atsumu cracks his knuckles and Sugawara instinctively takes a step back. “Shouyou is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m not gonna be sappy and tell ya some sob story about how I don’t deserve her and she’s too good for me blah, blah, blah. The truth is,” Atsumu says, standing tall and proud, “I love Shouyou. I understand she’s yer precious kouhai and teammate. 

 

“She makes me happy. I make her happy. We love each other and that should be enough of a reason for why we’re together. It’s not like we need a reason for other people to understand our relationship, but Shoyou really wants her closest friends and her boyfriend to get along. She’s not a kid anymore, Sugawara-san. We don’t need approval from anyone, but I would like to get to know all of ya who are so important to my girl,” Atsumu finishes. 

 

Sugawara looks from Atsumu to Hinata. He sighs and rubs his head, muttering, “I’m being such a pain.” He slaps his cheeks, startling everyone around him. He marches up to Atsumu determinedly with a smile on his face and holds out his hand.

 

“Let’s start over. Hi, I’m Sugawara Koushi and I apologize for being such an overprotective dick. It’s really nice to meet you, Atsumu-san.” 

 

The gym is quiet as Atsumu stares at Sugawara’s hand. He tentatively shakes it, a real smile making its way on his face. “Likewise. I’ve heard a lot about ya. Now, can we get over the awkwardness and play some volleyball?”  

 

Atsumu and Sugawara’s faces both break out in a broad grin as Hinata shouts, “Victory!” Everyone in the gym cheers and Sugawara feels the concern sweep away from him. 

 

Sugawara looks Atsumu straight in the eye and nods his head. “Thank you for taking care of Hinata,” he says quietly, so only Atsumu can hear. 

 

They both soak in the sound of Hinata’s laughter. Atsumu responds, “Thank you for giving me a chance.”

---

After the conversation with Sugawara, everything went smoothly. Hinata was ecstatic at how Atsumu and her former team got along.

 

He got along well with Sugawara, Daichi, Asahi, Kiyoko, Tanaka, and Nishinoya. He even understood Tsukishima’s snarky sense of humor. Seeing Atsumu get along with all her friends made Hinata fall even more in love with him.

 

“Yer humming.” Atsumu tugs playfully on Hinata’s hair to get her attention.

 

Hinata’s face reddens and she realizes she’s smiling as she touches her cheeks in embarrassment. “Oh, am I?”

 

Atsumu studies her carefully. “Yeah, ya look really happy. Yer beautiful,” he says, matter-of-fact.

 

Hinata sighs in content. “And you’re gorgeous.” She winks at Atsumu and reaches up to kiss him on the cheek. “I’m going to miss everyone when we go back,” she says quietly.

 

Atsumu’s arms tighten around her. “I know,” he murmurs. “I’m glad ya invited me out here to Miyagi.” He pulls away slightly which makes Hinata pout. He flicks her forehead and laughs as she squints her eyes.

 

“Y’know, it’s not like this is the last time we’re ever gonna visit…”

 

“So you really did like being in Miyagi? It wasn't too much for you?" Atsumu hears the unasked question that Hinata doesn't voice: Is being with me too much for you?  

 

Atsumu hums and cocks his head to the side. "Actually…"

 

"'Tsumu!" Hinata shouts, punching him softly on the arm. "I'm being serious. You'll tell me right? If you're ever uncomfortable with anything or if anyone makes you uncomfortable...if I make you uncomfortable."

 

Atsumu pokes her on the forehead and shakes his head. "Ya idiot," he says fondly, "I love it here. It's yer home. And in the end, yer team came around. All I care about is yer happiness, Shouyou."

 

Hinata hides her face in Atsumu's chest. "Karasuno came around, but what about Kageyama? I don't speak to him much anymore...and I'm pretty sure he doesn't know that we're together," she says lightly.

 

"We'll handle that when the time comes," Atsumu says, his voice firm. He hesitates before he reluctantly adds, "I'm sure Kageyama cares about ya in his own way. He'll be happy for us. And who knows? Maybe you guys can be friends again."

 

Hinata looks up at Atsumu hopefully. She shoots him a small smile. "Friends with Kageyama again...that'll be nice."

 

Hinata's smile doesn't leave her face and Atsumu decides to ignore the all too familiar, yet unwelcome incoming feeling of dread. 

---

“I can’t believe you’re leaving already!” Yachi says, holding onto Hinata.

 

Hinata sniffles and hugs Yachi tighter. “It’s okay, Yacchan, I’ll be back next time!” 

 

“See you soon, Shouyou. You better call or text us everyday, no excuses!” Yamaguchi says, voice filled with tears.

 

“Come here!” Yachi drags Yamaguchi and Tsukishima for a group hug. Tsukishima groans, but for once he doesn’t say anything sarcastic. 

 

Tsukishima pats Hinata on the head and says, “Let us know when you get to Osaka.”

 

“Of course, Tsukki! I’m going to miss you all so much!” Hinata’s voice is muffled by Yachi’s jacket. She desperately holds onto her friends until the last possible moment.

 

“Shouyou.” It’s Atsumu. The way he says her name always has Hinata’s toes curling. “It’s time to board the train.” 

 

Hinata steps into the train and looks back. Her heart clenches at the thought of not being able to see her friends again for a while. She remembers the feeling of loneliness when she first left for Osaka. 

 

A gentle tug on Hinata’s hair brings her attention to the present.

 

“What’re ya thinkin’ right now?” Atsumu murmurs. Hinata grins widely and shakes her head. She looks back at Miyagi, at the friends she will have to leave behind again.

 

“See you later guys!” Hinata waves goodbye, eyes blurring with tears. She sniffles, but refuses to cry. Miyagi is Hinata’s hometown and it always will be. It’s the place she grew up and forged bonds with people who will always have a place in her heart. But now, with Atsumu by her side, she takes his hand and heads back to Osaka- Back home, Hinata thinks, as she smiles softly and rests her head on Atsumu’s shoulder. 

Notes:

sorry for taking so long for this chapter to come out. I hope you enjoy and I really appreciate all the lovely comments!

next time will be hinata's turn meeting Atsumu's family. And the chapter after that will finally be the Kageyama confrontation.

Until next time!