Work Text:
Noya goes to school on a Monday with a hickey peeking over the collar of his shirt. It's faded, meaning it's a few days old, and covered enough that it isn't really obvious.
Daichi is the first to notice, and he wisely doesn't mention it to anyone. Because first of all, that would distract absolutely everyone from the drills they're running. And second of all that's a really shitty thing to do. Besides it isn't even that noticeable, and it was pretty much a fluke he even saw it.
Suga sees it almost immediately after that, of course, and spends a good minute or two smirking at Daichi. Then Daichi glares at him so he stops. But Suga's still smirking on the inside.
Ukai calls a water break and Suga sidles up to where Asahi and Daichi are leaning. He tosses a grin at the taller of the two, and Daichi can already tell where this is going, is already praying to the Gods of Volleyball that Suga doesn't--
"So Asahi. How was your weekend?" Daichi's eyes slip closed and his head slams back against the wall. Asahi makes a noise of concern and he can feel the fake-sweet smile on Suga's face burning through his eyelids.
"Um..." Asahi starts, worried eyes still glued to his captain. "It was pretty good? Nothing interesting really happened."
"Oh? Nothing?" Suga sips at his water bottle daintily.
"Suga..." The warning in Daichi's voice does nothing to shake the setter from his mission and he positively beams at the ace.
"Uh?" Asahi is suddenly feeling very interrogated for some reason. "Yeah, nothing. I mean my siblings and I played some soccer at the park and my mom and I bought some new sneakers but that was all, really." His face is turning red very steadily but he feels like he has to explain himself for some reason and he's not sure why. He's innocent, though, he promises.
Suga narrows his eyes slightly because Asahi is better at keeping secrets than he thought. "Oh that's nice! I noticed the new ones, they're very smart." Asahi starts to respond but Suga doesn't even give him time to open his mouth. "Tooru came by my house this Sunday! I was glad to get a chance to see him finally..."
Daichi's eyes snap open and he thanks the Gods for delivering him a perfect opportunity to derail this line of conversation.
"Did he come over to ask about our plays Suga?" The jab is bait, he's trying to get Suga to rise to it (that's what he tells himself at least).
His friend's eyes flash and the fake smile is replaced with one that masks seething anger. "Why Daichi! You didn't tell us about your weekend! Tetsuro mentioned that he was in town, did you happen to see him at all?"
Asahi chokes on his water and Ukai blessedly calls the team back.
----
The bruise fades by Tuesday, and Suga and Daichi eye each other with matching smiles. Daichi might not want to start shit at practice, but he does enjoy the soap opera that is his teammates’ love lives.
----
By Wednesday, though there's another hickey. This one's much darker and it's on the opposite side shifted up just the slightest bit. The captain-duo only notice because they're looking for it. Suga's eyes scream "PLEASE LET ME GIVE ASAHI SHIT!!!" and Daichi's read "Don't you dare disturb my morning practice." So Suga sighs and finishes lacing up his tennies.
It's about this time that Tsukishima places exactly what that strange bruise on the libero's neck was. Daichi hears the blonde disguise a laugh as a cough and immediately is glaring. But the first-year very wisely composes himself, holding a hand up as if to say "I wasn't gonna!"
Like the good little underclassman he is, Tsukishima doesn't even point it out to Yamaguchi. Which is swell really because Yamaguchi gets so flustered every time Daichi so much as glances at him. And Daichi is not in the frame of mind to deal with a flushed Yamaguchi flubbing all his serves this morning.
But the rest of practice passes peacefully, because Suga knows better than to bring it up at practice a second time.
----
Lunch, however is free reign. Suga flashes a smile at Asahi sly enough to rival a Cheshire cat, and Daichi puts down his juice box in anticipation.
"So Asahi!"
Their anxious friend pauses with cheeks full. Asahi takes a second to swallow everything. "...Yeah?"
"You know how we tell each other everything?" Daichi snorts and Suga levels a glares at him, but Asahi just looks blindsided.
"Did you two do something????"
Daichi laughs.
"Asahi," Suga starts in the most mothering tone possible for this situation. "We haven't done anything. We tell you all about our lives! I mean honestly, I know more about Daichi and Kuroo than I'd ever thought I would want to."
"Hey!!!!" His face immediately turns red. "That’s only because you ask me!!!!"
"And I tell you guys about me and my..." Suga waves his hand dismissively. "But we never hear about you and your romantic escapades."
"Are you calling my relationship an escapade???" Daichi hisses but is masterfully ignored.
"So I was just wondering if there was anything you've been getting up to you hadn't told us about!"
Asahi, who had been watching this entire exchange with steadily mounting worry glances between the two of them before giving a timid, "No."
Suga sighs resignedly. "Well I guess you'll tell us whenever you're ready."
Asahi is still confused because he has 0 idea what Suga is referring to. Daichi takes this opportunity to steal one of his strawberries and Asahi whines in protest. Regularly scheduled lunch continues.
----
The bruise has mostly faded by Friday, and Daichi takes a moment to wonder if he should just go directly to Noya about the situation. Not that its really any of his business, it just feels weird to automatically assume that this is Asahi’s doing. No matter how obvious it is. And maybe it feels wrong to talk to only Asahi about it. (Maybe Daichi does have a conscience.)
Plus, he knows the tiny libero well enough to guess that he’s probably bursting at the seams to tell someone about his sloppy makeouts. But then he shrugs and stops paying attention to the amount of bruises on his libero's body. He figures that he’s probably told Tanaka all about it.
----
On Monday, Daichi has stopped thinking about it. Thoughts of the weekend he spent in Tokyo visiting Kuroo are all that occupy his mind during the walk to school, and Suga's smirk tells him the setter already knows what he's thinking. Having someone good at reading people is great for volleyball related things. It's not great for things unrelated to volleyball. Like when you're thinking about your boyfriend in compromising positions on your way to school.
Daichi clears his throat and Suga's smirk widens.
"How was your trip to Tokyo, Daichi."
His cheeks redden. "Oh, great, you know. Saw the uh. Tokyo Sky Tree."
His friend rolls his eyes. "You're such a tourist."
"What? Kuroo took me, he lives in Tokyo, he sees the damn thing practically all the time. He wanted me to see it so he took me. Blame him for that one."
"Did he take you because he wanted to kiss you at the top of it?"
Daichi snorts, remembering that conversation. "He did. That sap."
"Daichi, you're dating such a romantic! It's a good balance. You don't have a single ounce of romanticism."
"Hey! That's not true!"
Suga levels him with a look that says, "Don't even argue this point with me."
Daich scowls. "Alright whatever! But he's a romantic without a cause. We couldn't even get to the top floor. He kissed me outside of the Tokyo Sky Tree and it was not romantic in the slightest."
Suga laughs boisterously and Asahi jogs up behind them to join. They greet him and Suga immediately asks him what he'd gotten up to over the weekend.
"Noya came over on Saturday! Um, that's about it."
Daichi inwardly groans as Suga's eyes light up instantly.
"Oh really? What'd you two do?"
Asahi worries at his bottom lip. "Well I tried to get him to study, but that was pretty futile because I can barely remember any subject matter from last year!" He laughs bashfully and rubs at the back of his head. "I guess it was pretty silly of me to even invite him over to study anyways..."
"I’m surprised he was even attempting to focus enough to study." Daichi attempts to pull the conversation in a different direction.
"Well honestly, I could barely get him to focus." Asahi graces them with a tiny smile. "Noya's got his mind on only one thing lately."
Suga begins saying something that would probably reduce Asahi into a red mess of embarrassment so Daichi cuts him off.
"Suga how was YOUR weekend??" He pairs it with a threatening elbow to his side.
"Ow!" His friend huffs and rubs at his side irritably. "Well if you must know, it was boring. You were in Tokyo, Asahi obviously had company on Saturday, and Tooru was busy." He huffs again. "But we talked on the phone quite a bit."
"Mm. Did you talk about the team?" Daichi puts on his best Disapproving Captain voice possible.
Suga flashes him a lecherous grin and wiggle his eyebrows. "You don't wanna know what we talked about."
Asahi squawks in alarm and Daichi groans in disgust, and that's how they announce their presence to the rest of the team.
----
Daichi doesn't even think about the hickey thing until halfway through the school day. He didn't even see one today, so it pretty much slipped his mind until he had run out of material to think about while ignoring his teacher's droning voice. (Granted he had actually been thinking about Kuroo for most of the day, and that usually takes most of his higher thought processes offline anyways.)
Well he's just glad Noya hasn't been pointing them out to the underclassmen, to be honest. Now that he thinks about it, it's a miracle the boy hadn't been bragging about his new badges of honor at all.
Maybe, just maybe, practice today will be uneventful, and they'll get actual work done.
----
This is not meant to be, as it turns out.
The productivity of the past week had lulled Daichi into a false sense of security. He had dropped his guard.
The first 30 minutes of stretches and warmups had passed as uneventfully as he hoped. And then Coach Ukai splits them into teams for a practice match. Disaster strikes.
Noya lifts up his shirt to wipe off his face after a particularly harsh save. Suga, who's on the opposite side of the net, chokes. Daichi whips around to see the libero's chest covered in splotches of dark purple and blue and some lighter faded to green and yellow. A veritable patchwork of bruises from his stomach trailing up to his sternum and, Daichi assumes, as far as his shoulders.
Normally this wouldn't be out of the ordinary, Noya was known for his tenacity on the court and bragged about his "battle scars" on the daily. But these were absolutely unmistakable, honest-to-god, hickies.
And then everyone was staring at the tiny boy with his shirt pulled up to his nose, who's frozen in surprise. Daichi watches as awareness spreads across the others' faces in terrifying slow motion. There goes practice.
Tanaka whoops and immediately whips off his shirt as well. Tsukishima bursts into derisive laughter and Yamaguchi giggles in shock and probably fear. Asahi, from what Daichi can hear, is doing his best impression of a teakettle.
And Hinata, bless his soul, outright shrieks when it finally clicks into place.
"NOYA-SENPAI!!!!!!" The orange-haired boy points at his senior. "YOUR CHEST!!!!!! YOU'VE BEEN--"
Oh gods no, please--"HINATA!" Daichi cuts him off with a roar. The first year squeaks and drops his finger instantly.
Noya, meanwhile, had flicked through confusion, shock, embarrassment, resignation, and is now settling very comfortably into 'PROUD!'
He follows Tanaka's lead in whipping his shirt the rest of the way off and laughs maniacally. "You know exactly what your senpai's been doing, Hinata!" And then he and Tanaka proceed to laugh as loud as humanly possible and high-five too many times.
Daichi glances over at the other second years and sees Narita and Kinoshita snickering together. Ennoshita looks entirely disapproving of the situation and Daichi sighs to himself in relief. I'm going to make that boy captain.
Hinata pipes up again by turning to Asahi with a cry. "Asahi-senpai!!! I didn't realize you were like that!!!" Asahi squawks in response. "Please take good care of Noya-senpai!!!" And Hinata's blubbering all of a sudden, crocodile tears rolling down his cheeks. "Please treat him well!!!!!!!"
Asahi, for his part, looks absolutely dumbfounded. All eyes turn to him when he stammers out a, "W-wait!!! I'm not...!!!! I didn't do THAT!!!!!" He points at Nishinoya, who laughs.
"Hinata, let's not embarrass Asahi." Suga pats his back comfortingly and Daichi throws daggers at him mentally. "This is a little surprising but it's not the time or place to discuss their relationship."
Nishinoya cuts in here by cackling loudly. "Wait a minute you guys actually think Asahi did all this??"
Suga's eyebrows knit together. "Yes?"
Noya laughs again and Tanaka joins in, and at this point Daichi is more than a little confused but mostly he just wants this to stop.
When the two troublemakers wipe the tears from their eyes, they stand up and link arms. Daichi can see where this is going now, and immediately starts praying to the Gods of Volleyball that he gets struck down here and now.
"KARASUNO BOYS' VOLLEYBALL CLUB!!!! Now's as good a time as any to tell you that I, NISHINOYA YUU, AM DATING TANAKA RYUUNOSUKE!!!!!!"
"AND I, TANAKA RYUUNOSUKE, AM DATING NISHINOYA YUU!!!!!"
Daichi wishes the ground would open him up and swallow him. Suga is blindsided. Asahi looks like he might start crying any second. Coach Ukai is coughing on the sidelines and Sensei is cleaning his glasses furiously. This is disgraceful.
Hinata, of course, bursts into applause. Yamaguchi tentatively joins in but is silenced by a glance from Tsukishima. Eventually Kageyama, bless him, slaps Hinata on the back of the head to get him to stop.
The gym goes silent save for the sound of the newly-announced couple giggling quietly.
"Thank you for sharing, Noya. I'm sorry that Suga and I assumed." Daichi claps his hands together to try and maintain some semblance of authority and direct everyone back to the task at hand. Suga slips him a smirk that means he knows that's not happening just yet. "If that's all, then--"
"Actually, um!!" Hinata raises his hand and Daichi groans inwardly. "I have something I'd like to share!!!"
His eyes swing to meet his vice captain's and they have a wordless conversation that ends with Suga threatening him: Don't you DARE shut down that precious child Sawamura Daichi, if I see his face fall I will make your life a LIVING HELL.
He closes his eyes and prepares his soul for the taking. "Yes, Hinata?"
"Um!!!" The first year bows low to his team. "I'M DATING KOZUME KENMA, A SETTER FROM NEKOMA!!!!!"
Kageyama growls and spikes the volleyball at the back of his partner's head. "Dumbass Hinata! Everyone knew that already!"
Hinata straightens up, rubbing the back of his head. "Ow, really?"
"Well, yeah Hinata," Noya calls from where he's wrapped around his apparent boyfriend. "It’s not like you're subtle about it."
"Yeah!" Tanaka adds. Daichi is already planning their punishment. It's going to involve laps around the entire school. "The other day I asked who you were texting and you told me that it was Kenma, who's your boyfriend, and that you guys have been dating for a month, and that his favorite color is blue, and how you guys met. I stopped you eventually because I had to leave."
A low chuckle runs through the rest of the team as Hinata screws up his face in confusion and probably embarrassment.
"Okay, now that that's straightened out-" Louder laughter ripples around the gym.
"That was a pretty bad choice or words, Daichi." His traitorous vice captain giggles next to him.
"OKAY, can we just get back--"
"UM!!!! I-I HAVE SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO SHARE TOO!!" Yamaguchi exclaims tremulously from across the gym.
Tsukishima flushes and clears his throat. “Is it that you’re working hard on improving your setting, Yamaguchi?” He’s really saying ‘Do not fucking do this in front of the entire team Yamaguchi, I swear to God,’ but the pinch server is not to be deterred.
Tanaka cackles. "Or is it that you're dating ickle Tsukki-kins??"
Tsukishima's face turns red immediately--though from the name or the implication, Daichi's not sure--and Yamaguchi's eyebrows raise in surprise. "Well, my announcement was that I'm dating Kageyama." For good measure he points to the setter next to the net and all eyes turn to said setter.
Kageyama shrugs and bounces his volleyball as if to say, Yeah, and?
Hinata muffles a laugh with his hand. "Wait Yamaguchi, really??"
Kageyama's eyes instantly fall into shadow. "You're one to talk, dumbass."
His partner squawks in disbelief. "Are you kidding me, at least I have taste, holy shit!!" For a second it looks like Kageyama is literally going to kill the redhead but then Tsukishima cuts in by raising his hand.
"I'm...also dating Kageyama."
Hinata's answering laughter is loud enough to hear from outside. Tanaka and Nishinoya's is loud enough to hear from across the street.
Both Yamaguchi and Kageyama's brows are drawn together in confusion, but Tsukishima looks like he's questioning how it is that every decision he’s made has led up to this moment.
Tanaka wipes a tear away from his cheek. “Wow! Of all the confessions I expected that was the most surprising!”
“You guys get the award for most unexpected new relationship!” Noya claps politely.
Hinata’s too busy giggling to add anything else witty, which is good because he’s really close to being the first person in history to die by volleyball if Kageyama’s face is anything to go by.
Yamaguchi’s smile though, is enough to bring an angel to tears probably. He laces his fingers with Tsukishima’s with the most serene look Daichi has ever seen on a human before. Suga sniffles surreptitiously. Tsukishima looks like he’s praying to be struck down where he stands.
Daichi sighs. He should be happy for his teammates coming to terms with their attractions and happy that they’re comfortable enough to come out here.
“Hey you guys know that Kinoshita and I are dating, right?” Narita calls nonchalantly across the gym.
Never mind, Daichi can feel the twitch in his eyebrow.
“Narita!!! Don’t just go blurting that out!!” His (apparent) boyfriend exclaims.
“What? Everyone else did.”
“Well yeah, but they’re...” He glances at Tanaka and Nishinoya, still wrapped around each other somehow.
“What Kinoshita?? You got something to say punk!?!” Noya screams at the top of his lungs.
“The only punk here is your boyfriend, Noya, don’t play.” Narita pops a hip out. Hinata gasps and Ennoshita snorts.
“WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PUNK, PUNK????” Tanaka screams back.
Narita examines his nails. “Honestly are you looking at yourself right now? You’re shirtless. And you’re yelling loud enough that I’m pretty sure the police are going to get involved soon.”
Nishinoya cackles. “You are kind of a punk, Ryuu. I mean look at your hair!”
“What, a guy can’t keep his hair short without being labeled trouble??”
“And it’s also your face. You made that first-year cry, remember?” Ennoshita pipes up.
“You made a first-year cry, Tanaka?” Suga glares disapprovingly.
“I--not on purpose!!"
"Tanaka you've just gotta come to terms with the fact that you're scary! But it's ok because i love you no matter how scary you are." Noya frame's his boyfriend's face with his hands as he speaks and the others gag a little.
"Um!" Asahi clears his throat.
Daichi's eyes swing to him and the taller closes his eyes to avoid the burn damage. "I-I'm aromantic! And also asexual. So please don't ask me about romance because I'm. Not involved with anyone romantically." Somehow the Ace manages to stutter through his declaration without catching fire.
Noya whoops. "Yeah Asahi! Coming out to the team!!" He sniffles and tears up. "I'm so proud of you!"
"We've got an ace Ace!!" Tanaka screams. Daichi’s hair is probably on fire at this point.
“I’m bisexual, just for the record!!!” Noya chimes in.
Tanaka hefts his tiny boyfriend up onto his hip and screams. “Saaame!”
“I’m polyamorous, as you guys probably guessed!” Yamaguchi pipes up. “And mostly gay.” He adds, mostly to himself, as if in contemplation.
“I’m pansexual!” Suga adds, gleaming. Daichi can literally see the sparkles radiating off of him. He and Oikawa were made for each other.
“Oh, we’re actually doing this!” Narita claps excitedly. “I’m demisexual and biromantic! And Kinoshita here--”
“Narita! Don’t come out for me!!!” His distraught boyfriend cuts him off.
“Technically, Kinoshita, you’re already out!” Noya hollers from where he’s still on Tanaka’s hip.
“Might as well make it official!” Narita sing-songs and pokes the other in the side. At this point, the captain has resigned himself to the destruction of all his hopes and dreams. Sensei and Coach Ukai are awkwardly standing on the sidelines, as if waiting for the storm to pass.
Kinoshita sighs and raises his hand. “I identify as gray-asexual.”
“I’m just gay.” Hinata adds with a shrug. “I didn’t even realize there were so many different ways to say this stuff. What about you, Kageyama?”
Kageyama bounces his volleyball and shrugs. “Obviously I’m dating more than one person. it’s all just...eh.” He waves his hand dismissively.
“We’ve kind of determined that pansexual and polyamorous are what best describe him!” Yamaguchi adds helpfully. “But obviously he doesn’t really care, so he doesn’t make a big deal about it!”
Yamaguchi then elbows Tsukishima pointedly in his side. The taller of the two huffs. “If everyone needs to know. I’m panromantic and demisexual.”
Tanaka and Noya turn to Ennoshita purposefully. With his arms still crossed he tosses out, “I’m aromantic. Please leave me alone.”
“Jesus Christ.” Daichi rubs at his eyes. “Is everyone done coming out now? Can we move on?”
Tanaka screams. “But YOU haven’t come out yet, fearless leader!”
“I’m not continuing this!” Daichi hollers.
“Daichi! How are we supposed to know you trust us??” Noya sobs tearfully into his boyfriend’s shoulder, who pats him reassuringly and tsks disapprovingly at Daichi.
“No! We’re at practice!”
“Oh, honestly, Daichi. You might as well come out with it. You’ve been dating Kuroo for long enough.” Suga snorts.
There’s a collective whoop from the team as they all clamber to question the captain on this development.
“You’re dating the scheming captain of Nekoma???”
“Tokyo’s so far away!!”
“How long have you been dating exactly?”
“Does he use that intimidating glare in the bedroom?”
“Yeah, he’s known to be provoking isn’t he?”
“I definitely wouldn’t mind him provoking me!”
“ENOUGH!” Daichi roars over the ruckus. When everyone snaps to silence, he takes a second to calm himself. “It seems I’ve been cornered,” he glares at Suga at this, “Into this. I am dating the captain of Nekoma, yes. And for what it’s worth--I identify as gay. But I don’t ever want to hear anyone talk about my boyfriend that way again.” Hellfire burns in his eyes, but Suga laughs loudly.
“Daichi, you’re such a prude!”
“There’s a difference between being a prude and listening to someone talk about your significant other in a lewd way!” The captain snaps back.
“It doesn’t bother me.” Suga inspects his nails calmly.
“Well you are dating Oikawa so.” Daichi grits out.
The team recoils in shock.
Hinata blubbers. “Y-You’re dating the Grand King???”
Tanaka and Noya whoop excitedly. “Is he pretty all over, Suga?”
“Is he good in bed???”
Suga shrugs. “He’s popular for a reason.”
The team chatters loudly, and Daichi cuts in.
“That’s it! Everyone be QUIET!!!” The team falls silent and looks to the captain. “Now while none of my opinions of you have changed with any of your announcements, I’d like to remind all of you that we are currently. At. Practice.” He grits out. Taking another deep breath, he continues. “I am glad to know that all of you are comfortable enough to share such information with this entire team. But from now on, I’d appreciate it if you would all save this talk until after practice is over.” He glances at every single member, and receives nods in return. “Good.”
Everyone falls back into place and Daichi lets relief settle over him.
“Wait.” Narita calls before the match starts back up. Daichi grimaces. “Does this mean no one on the team is straight?”
Everyone looks purposefully to Kiyoko where she’s been watching on the sidelines. She shakes her head and yanks Yachi (who had been cowering behind her) to her, throwing an arm over her shoulder.
The team bursts back into immediate noise and Daichi sits down on the ground.
The Gods of Volleyball are unforgiving.