Chapter Text
Daichi opened his eyes once again to glance at the clock. 4:14 am. At this point he only had an hour and a half before he needed to get up for work. He rustled around for a few more minutes, before deciding that sleep wasn’t going to happen and he slowly pushed himself upright.
The moonlight crept in through the window, shedding some light on the quiet apartment. Daichi made his way to the kitchen, exhaling a breath as a chill ran up his spine from the coldness of the wood floor on his bare feet. He preferred to sleep with a breeze coming in through the window, but he always hated the unwavering cold of the morning. It seems he had forgotten how cold it was, to be completely and utterly alone.
The apartment still smelled like Michimiya. She had removed all of her belongings, but he could still see her everywhere. Somehow she was woven into the fabric of the couch, the paint on the walls, the porcelain of their dining set. Every step reminded Daichi of a time when he thought the rest of his life was figured out. He made his way into the kitchen and ran the tap into an empty glass. He tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes before drinking the entire thing, then refilled it again to sip on. Daichi turned on the lamp in the living room, still dragging his feet uncomfortably over the cold floor. After allowing his eyes a moment to adjust to the soft yellow light, he made his way to the small desk in the corner of the living room where he kept his laptop.
It had been awhile since he checked his personal email. He was scared to see the amount of junk that had amassed in his inbox. Daichi really did hate having that red notification icon on his profile. His heart sank for the first time that morning when he looked at his profile picture. An image of Michimiya and him on a hiking trail 3 years ago. Both of their faces were flushed red from the exertion of the long hike. They had finally made it to the summit overlooking a beautiful forest when another hiker offered to take their picture. Neither one of them was very good at capturing moments like that so they jumped at the opportunity to commemorate their beautiful hike. Daichi still remembers the smile on her face as they checked the picture on her phone. That was a good day.
Daichi let out a sigh and began sorting through his emails. Deleting the junk, and keeping anything related to bills or doordash receipts. He felt embarrassment for how much take out he’d gotten in the past month. His fridge has been nearly empty since the breakup. He had just finally started trying to cook again and function as he felt an adult man should. Time was the only thing that kept him going. Things were hard lately but his only sense of relief was knowing that it would get better with the passage of time.
“Wait a minute…Ukai?” Daichi spoke softly into the empty room.
The subject of the message read:
Karasuno reunion and training camp
From: [email protected]
I hope all of you are doing well. Now I don’t want to get all sappy or anything but it has been 7 years since I first started coaching at Karasuno High School and led this team to nationals. My first team has always been somewhat special to me (don’t get a big head about it though).
Anyways. It’s been a few years since we’ve had a really strong team at Karasuno but this year I think we have some great potential and could be contenders for nationals. I will be co-hosting a training camp in Tokyo this summer with coach Naoi of Nekoma. We will have the old schools back together again just like we used to do. We thought it might be helpful to have some celebrities to give these kids some insight. There will also be a banquet during the camp to recognize the old team and the progress of Karasuno volleyball over the years.
I know all of you are busy with your own lives now but if any of you are available or interested to help out with the camp let me know I guess….
The email continued on with details of the upcoming camp. It was May now, the camp would begin in July. Daichi couldn’t help the smirk that rose up onto his face. The faces of Sugawara and Asahi flashed in his memory. He wondered if they would be there. Ukai had sent the email last month, he cursed himself for not looking at it until now. He cautiously grabbed his cell phone from his pocket. Although he wanted to send a text message to the old 3rd year group consisting of him, Suga, Asahi, and Kiyoko, it had been so long since they’d spoken and he felt like it would be too imposing. With a wince he opened the app store and reinstalled facebook.
He never really used the app much anyways but ended up deleting it after the break up. He somehow couldn’t bear to switch his relationship status to single, dreading the inevitable questions from his friends and family. Something about telling the world that your relationship had failed felt too vulnerable for Daichi to handle. So he just deleted the app. Now he was glad that he didn’t end up deleting the account entirely. After waiting for the app to download and cursing himself when he inevitably had to send a code to his email to change the password that he couldn’t remember, he was in.
Somehow he already knew what would be waiting in his messages.
Sugawara Koushi:
Um… did you get Ukai’s email? :O
Daichi’s grin grew bigger as he looked at the message. Just like always. He thought to himself momentarily. He cursed himself again when he realized the message was also almost a month old. Guilt swelled in Daichi’s gut at the thought of leaving one of his oldest friends hanging. He quickly moved his thumbs to craft a response, hopefully making up for lost time.
Daichi Sawamura:
Suga. I am sorry I deleted facebook and hadn’t checked my email for a month… Long story.
Are you going to go?
Daichi shut his eyes briefly as he pressed send. He couldn’t resist the temptation of clicking on Suga’s profile picture. The man was as pretty as ever. His gray hair looked a little bit shorter than how he used to wear it. Loose waves falling softly over his forehead. He wanted to reach out and touch it. Daichi’s eyes were inevitably drawn to the beauty mark just below the left eye of the gray haired man. Just like always.
After scrolling down his profile he noticed a post about Suga’s boyfriend. A picture of Suga giving a handsome man a kiss on the cheek filled his phone screen. ‘Four months <3’ was the caption. Daichi gazed intently at the strange man in the picture. He looked taller than Suga, but he was more muscular, with broader shoulders. He was definitely attractive, with dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, and sharp features. Still, Daichi couldn’t help but be a little bit surprised at the look of the guy. He was smiling in the picture but something about the man put Daichi on edge. His eyes somehow seemed too serious despite the smile. It felt like a contradiction to the big playful smile that Suga usually sported. Daichi can envision Suga’s hazel eyes scrunching closed as he displays his pearly white teeth. He takes another glance at the photo and blinks a few times, the corners of his mouth slowly turning down from their neutral state. Daichi brought his attention back up to his laptop. He skimmed through the remaining emails and didn’t notice anything too pressing. He closed his laptop with a sigh and thought to himself ‘I’m gonna be tired as shit today.’
—--------------------
Work was dragging on as usual. When Daichi had decided to become a police officer, he envisioned chasing down burglars and helping those in need. It turns out the job mostly consisted of waiting around for someone to speed past you on the highway.
He spent the morning in his own head as he sat parked along a highway in his patrol vehicle. Memories of high school and the volleyball club cycled through his mind as he felt the bittersweet pang of nostalgia in his chest. He sure did miss those guys. Even the troublesome first and second years he would often have to scold. They really were an interesting group back then. He thought about all of them and the place in time where they all existed. Life back then seemed so….easy. Things got so complicated the past few years. Hell, the past few months.
He thought back to his old self, captain Daichi. He was so sure of himself back then. He knew exactly where he was and where he wanted to go. When did it all change? Daichi had always been the kind of guy that was dependable and self-assured. He couldn’t help but feel like something shifted in him along the way. Daichi wasn’t sure how long he was spacing out, allowing his mind to wander into troubling territory before he eventually snapped himself back to reality.
He found himself doing that a lot lately. Daichi turned on the radio and tried to focus on the music.
—---------------------
It was just after 2pm when Daichi got the notification on his phone.
Sugawara Koushi:
I knew it wasn’t like you to keep me waiting, Daichi-san. I’ve talked to Kiyoko and Asahi already. It sounds like we might have a reunion on our hands… please tell me you’ll be there too?
P.s. You know I’m gonna need to hear that “long story” eventually right?
Also facebook feels too formal with you. Text me instead :)
Smiling from ear to ear, Daichi couldn’t help but chuckle at the formal honorific Suga attached to his name. He knew he did it just to be a jerk. And just like that, the answer became clear. He wasn’t sure exactly how he’d be bringing up the last minute vacation plans to his boss, but there was no doubt in his mind that he would make it work. Daichi closed facebook and drafted a message on his phone.
To Suga:
I guess I will see you in July.
Daichi sent the message, still grinning ear to ear. He shook his head in satisfaction and settled back into his seat. He allowed himself to get lost in his thoughts about his team mates and the logistics of the upcoming trip for a while before his mood started to dampen again. But before his mind started to wander too far into negative territory, a car flew by going 20 mph over the speed limit. Only somewhat thankful for the interruption, Daichi rolled his eyes and turned on his sirens.
Notes:
Okay I hope you all enjoyed. Like I said intros are hard!!!! I promise chapter 2 will be better the plot will start to take off. I already have a draft it is much longer and more interesting already...Stay tuned :)
<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3 Please comment and Kudos <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3
Chapter 2: Two is Company
Notes:
As promised this chapter is much longer!! I debated splitting part of it into chapter 3 but I liked the end point of this better.
On another note I literally got the worst food poisoning of my life the day after I posted chapter 1 so everyone cross your fingers I survive this chapter.
Let me know what you guys think! Hope you enjoy :)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The air was humid and Daichi could feel a bead of sweat forming on his brow as he muscled his suitcase around the train station. He was generally one to pack pretty light but the camp was two weeks long. Luckily he was able to fit everything he needed into a small suitcase. Once he was off of the train, Daichi took a moment to get his bearings before moving out of the way of people heading to their next destination. He checked the time: 10:42 am. He had about 15 minutes to kill. Daichi wandered around and found a seat on a bench right in front of track 9.
He felt… weird. He was excited, but almost had a jittery feeling. Like butterflies circling around his stomach, electricity flowing through his veins. All of a sudden he wasn’t sure what to do with his hands. Whenever he would meet Michimiya at the station after one of her work trips, he would always bring a bouquet of flowers. It was easy to stand with a bouquet. It took the pressure and attention away from Daichi. Michimiya’s eyes would always focus on the lovely flowers, leaving him to blush in peace. But no. This was a friend he was meeting, flowers would be weird right? Why did his hands feel so damn empty? Before he could think of a solution to this problem the train began to pull up to the stop.
Once the doors opened, another large crowd of people began to make their way towards the exit in a cluster. Daichi felt his nerves spike. What is going on? Sure it’s been awhile but what are you so scared about? I’m sure they will be just as excited to see you too. He reassured himself. Daichi was lifting his chin and occasionally standing on his toes, trying to look through the crowd. He wasn’t even sure what part of the train they would be coming from. He grew restless, eyes scanning the crowd for that familiar face.
“Daichii!!!”
Suga.
Daichi turned around to see the pale gray haired man quickly maneuvering through the crowd. But something about this moment felt off still. What should I do with my damn hands?? Daichi had a strong urge to run to the man and envelop him with a hug, but he wasn’t sure if that would be welcome. It really had been a long time, he wasn’t sure what the rules were for these things. Instead he just quickly walked toward him, dragging his luggage behind. As he got closer he noticed just how much luggage his friend was wielding. Suga struggled with a suitcase much bigger than Daichi’s and a small duffle bag. At this realization Daichi picked up his pace to reach his friend. He grabbed the duffle off of Suga’s shoulder and placed it on the ground before pulling the man into a tight hug, arms reaching over his shoulders as Suga’s found their place around the middle of Daichi’s back. Suga’s hair smelled sweet and slightly fruity, Daichi inhaled quietly as the soft locks brushed against his cheek before pulling away. The pair took a moment to catch each other’s eyes, soft smiles forming on their faces before coming back to reality.
Daichi picked up the duffle and slung the bag over his shoulder. He started pulling his own suitcase, encouraging Suga to follow him.
“Still an overpacker huh?” Daichi said with a smirk.
“If my arm wasn’t so sore from holding that bag I swear I would punch you Daichi-san.”
There was the honorific again. Daichi couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. He felt a flash of his old self, kind of a strange feeling. Have I really changed that much? It was crazy how some people can bring that out of you.
Daichi and Suga had both taken their respective trains to meet in Sendai. From there they would travel together to Tokyo. It was still early, so they would be arriving right around 3pm.
Ukai was able to reserve a block of condos at the junior college close to where they would be hosting the training camp. All of the alumni would be staying in one of those condos during their visit. Daichi, Suga, Asahi, and Kiyoko had requested to stay together, deciding to get there a night early to hang out with just the four of them before the rest of the team arrived.
“Soooooo the check in time for the condo isn’t until 6 so we’ll have a couple of hours to kill once we get to Tokyo. Maybe once we get there we can grab a drink or two before we head to the condo?” Suga said as they made their way to catch the next train.
“Sounds good to me.” Daichi was just glad to be back with his old friend. Although they still lived pretty close to each other, Daichi and Suga hadn’t really talked for years. There wasn’t a major breaking point or anything, they just grew apart with adult life getting in the way. Daichi had wanted to reach out many times, but he always hesitated, wondering if Suga had moved on from his high school friend. He imagined Suga was too busy with his new life so Daichi kept to himself, secretly hoping the other would reach out eventually. Lately Daichi couldn’t seem to get Suga off his mind, the anticipation of the reunion had been driving him nuts this past month.
The friends grew silent for a while as they waited for their next train. The passage of time had started to weigh heavy on the pair. Daichi was feeling self-conscious all of a sudden, wondering if his friend was as excited to see him as he felt. Daichi began to fidget, wanting to break the tension but he wasn’t sure what to say. Suga eventually offered some relief.
“How was your ride in? Hopefully you weren’t waiting for me too long.”
The friends began to relax again as they discussed their mornings. Daichi describes his ride to Sendai. He joked about a man that was sitting too close who clearly was lacking in the hygiene department. To be honest Daichi had some motion sickness when it came to travel, and the smell certainly didn’t help. Suga offered him a tablet of dramamine to take before they boarded the train to Tokyo. Something about that small action made Daichi’s heart skip a beat. He thought back to all the times his friend had made sure to have some handy for him for the bus rides to tournaments in high school. He gladly accepted the drug. Now he just wished he had something to calm his nerves…
Once they boarded the train and settled into their seats, the two spent about an hour chatting and catching up on each other’s lives. Daichi skirts around the questions regarding Michimiya, keeping his answers short and vague. This past month has done wonders for Daichi’s grief about his failed relationship. Although he still thinks about her every day, it isn’t as painful as it used to be. He can occasionally even think back on the relationship fondly without spiraling into a depression. However, he still feels an immense amount of guilt, embarrassed at how things ended up. He’s not sure exactly why, but he doesn’t want to tell Suga yet. He isn’t ready to cross that bridge.
Daichi is hesitant to bring up Suga’s boyfriend, envisioning the facebook post again. Somehow he both does and doesn’t want to know about the man. He would have to be pretty damn great to be worthy enough for his friend. After a moment to think, he decides it’s only polite to return the inquiry about his love life.
“So, uh I couldn’t help but notice you have a boyfriend.”
“Ooooh someone was stalking my page! Yes, I’m going on 7 months with Haruto. We met earlier this year at a bar. Me and some of the other teachers were at happy hour after work and they dared me to go up to the hottest guy at the bar and give him my number. You wouldn’t believe it, Daichi but it actually worked! Anyways, we went on a couple of dates and soon enough we were boyfriends.” Suga’s eyes light up as he describes his boyfriend, smiling fondly as he recalled the memory.
“He works at an insurance company–I know, boring right? Not everyone can be a real life Superman, Daichi." Suga flashes his cheeky smile before continuing, which warrants an eye roll from Daichi. "But he’s been really good for me. We’re planning to move in together in a couple months.”
“Wow, that sounds pretty serious.” Daichi says. He winces internally at his tone, hoping it didn’t come off as flat as it felt on his lips. To be honest, he’s at sort of a loss for words. He’s happy for Suga but he’s not sure if he should be rushing into these things. Daichi might just be jaded, but he’s feeling less optimistic about relationships lately. His mind briefly flashes back to Michimiya.
“I’m serious about him. You’ll have to meet him sometime.” Suga says softly. Maybe Daichi had misjudged. If his friend felt so fondly of this man then Daichi should be happy for him. He changed the subject again and the friends continued with small talk for a while.
Eventually Suga lets out a yawn, explaining how he stayed up late into the night finishing final grades for his students. Luckily the semester had ended before the camp, making it easy for him to attend without having to worry about work. Daichi could envy that.
It wasn’t that the sergeant was mad at him exactly, but he definitely wasn’t happy about Daichi’s last minute time off request. He was scolded a bit for poor focus recently so Daichi had to explain his current situation to gain enough sympathy for his boss to approve his time off. After telling his sergeant about his break up and embarrassingly divulging the depression and stress he had been feeling the past few months, they agreed to let him have the break. He liked his sergeant and they got along well, but he was a little worried the entire station will be privy to his relationship struggles by the time he returns. He dreads all the insensitive jokes he will inevitably have to endure from his coworkers about such a sore subject.
After their conversation had died down a bit, Suga decides to spend the last stretch of the trip taking a nap. He awkwardly leans his head back onto the seat, trying to get comfortable in the upright position. Daichi stills for a moment. He’s hesitant to reach out, but Suga’s positioning looks awkward, and spending the next hour with his neck craned like that will feel horrible. After working up the nerve, Daichi gently pulls Suga’s head over to rest on his shoulder.
“These seats are so damn uncomfortable. Just use my shoulder if you’re gonna nap or your neck will be stiff all week.” He says, thankful that his friend is unable to see the blush creeping up his face as he adjusts further into him, finally settling with his eyes closed.
“Thanks Daichi. You were always the best seat mate on the bus.” Suga says sweetly, before drifting off to sleep.
The rest of the ride goes smoothly. Daichi pulls out a book and reads a few chapters before taking out his phone and playing some stupid games to pass the time. The weight on his shoulder becomes a little uncomfortable, but he can tell Suga is fast asleep and wouldn’t dare to wake the man until necessary. Suga has always been serious about his sleep.
—------
Finally they arrived in Tokyo. Suga grumbles a bit as Daichi shakes his shoulder slowly. Daichi swears he sees Suga’s eyes soften once he notices it’s him. That causes another pang of anxiety in his stomach for reasons he can’t explain. Once they were off the train and had got their bearings, they decided to make good on their earlier plan and find a place to hang out for a few drinks.
It took them a few minutes to decide on a bar, and a few more to walk over there with all of their luggage. Daichi couldn’t help but cringe a little bit at the fact that they’re taking all of their luggage into a restaurant. However, seeing Suga confident as ever, Daichi decides to relax. After awkwardly being seated and shuffling their bags around so that it wouldn’t interfere with their server, they looked back up at each other and smiled.
Suga busted out with a laugh. “Daichi you really are just the same. You look good by the way.”
Daichi immediately felt a blush rising on his neck. He cleared his throat. “And what’s that supposed to mean?” speaking with mock offense before turning his tone serious. “You look really good too Suga.” This feels like an understatement to Daichi. Although he had seen recent pictures of Suga through Facebook, they really didn’t do justice to how magnifying he was in person. Daichi missed that face. Now that he’s here, he can’t get enough of it. He finds himself staring, trying to meet those captivating hazel eyes. Suga is too engrossed in the drink menu to notice.
The pair glosses over the menus for a few minutes before ordering cocktails and a couple of appetizers.
—----------
Six months ago
Daichi was driving home from work when he heard it. He was listening to a new playlist and had to risk an accident to make sure he saved the song on his phone. Something about it was so catchy. The singer had a beautiful voice, smooth and silky as he hit each note.
When he got home he kissed Michimiya after he took off his work boots and loosened his uniform.
“How was your day?” She said with a smile. It felt a little forced. Daichi loved Michimiya, always had. But something about their relationship was starting to feel complacent. He felt like they cycled through the same conversations daily, asking questions just because they were supposed to.
“It was good. How was yours?” He asked. Michimiya gave a few details of her day. She definitely seemed a little bit stressed. She said she had some work to do after dinner and would be in the office until it was time for bed.
After dinner Daichi cleaned up their dishes and helped Michimiya get set up to work in her office, filling her water bottle, lighting a scented candle that she liked, making sure she had cozy socks and her favorite mochi nearby in case she wanted it. He gave her a quick kiss and rubbed her shoulders a bit before leaving the room. She always appreciated a quick massage when she was feeling overwhelmed. He really does love her, even if his feelings are becoming complicated.
He left her to do her work and got comfortable on the couch by himself. He hated to admit this, but he found himself enjoying his time alone more and more. Daichi wasn’t sure when exactly this started to happen, but he felt more at peace when he was enjoying his own company. With Michimiya it seemed like they were never quite interested in the same things, each of them having to compromise in some way just to hang out. It was easier for him to be alone most of the time. Daichi was unable to shake the guilt this brought him, cursing himself for taking such an amazing woman for granted.
Daichi spent a few hours mindlessly watching a tv show in the living room before moving to the bedroom with the intention to read before bed. He pulled himself under the covers and opened his phone to check the weather for the next day. That damn song from earlier was stuck in his head. He opened Spotify and pulled up the artist’s page. His heart stopped in his chest when he saw an image of the singer.
That man is…goregous. It was weird. He usually didn’t really think about how other men looked but for some reason Daichi wasn’t able to look away. He honestly didn’t want to. He immediately looked up the song on youtube and found the music video. Daichi’s eyes widened when he started playing the video. The man was both gorgeous and sexy? The way his lips moved when he sang, and the roll of his hips as he danced made Daichi feel...he wasn’t sure what.
Now, Daichi has always been an ally. He still remembers the day that Suga came out as gay to him and their friends when they were first years. Daichi fondly remembers Suga fidgeting with his hands as they walked home with Asahi and Kiyoko after practice that day. He made them all stop to look at him before divulging his secret, searching their faces for a reaction. The three of them immediately smiled and assured Suga that they didn’t care who he was attracted to, they were happy for him. Kiyoko enveloped him in a hug and Daichi expressed how glad he was that Suga felt comfortable enough to be himself with their friend group. Daichi had always loved Suga as a friend and his sexual orientation made that no different. Suga was a wonderful person regardless of who he wanted to love and Daichi made sure that was always understood.
It had definitely crossed Daichi’s mind a few times though, and he couldn't deny it. He had wondered if Suga had ever…liked him. Daichi had briefly wondered about being gay himself. Hell, he had even kissed a couple of guys while playing spin the bottle at parties in high school before he became serious with Michimiya. Girls usually got a rise out of that. But there was never any sort of spark or passion behind it. To him, it was just joking around.
Suga had actually joked with him a couple times, asking why Daichi was kissing other guys but neglecting his best friend. He always knew the man was just teasing him but somewhere deep down he was a little worried. The kisses were meaningless to him, hell he hardly even remembered them. But somehow the thought of kissing his gay best friend made him nervous. He was worried it would feel serious for Suga, that it might confuse their friendship. However, Suga never really pressed him on this issue. Daichi assumed he might’ve felt the same way, not wanting to make things weird between them.
But no matter how handsome or pretty another man was, Daichi was never really attracted to them in that way. That’s why the way he was feeling now was…unexpected. He continued to watch the video, eyes glued to the plump lips of the singer. His body was lean and his pale skin looked smooth. His hair was a light ashy blond, almost white. He imagined how his lips would feel pressed against his own.
Seriously?
His girlfriend of 7 years was in the next room and he was fantasizing about some random singer. And he was a man. He couldn’t tell if he was more mesmerized by the video, or the way that he was feeling about the situation. Daichi’s mind felt like it was short circuiting. He was trying and failing to convince himself that he wasn’t looking at the man in that way.
He needed to test it out. Daichi pulled his left arm under the covers and lightly brushed the side of his hand down below his waist, just to see. He could feel the tension in his hips, and he couldn’t help but rock them forward slightly at the soft pressure of the brief touch.
He was definitely hard. Embarrassingly so. He let his hand rest on his thigh for a moment before dragging the palm of his hand back up his front, applying more pressure this time while the music video still played on his phone. Daichi let a soft moan escape at the sensation.
Fuck.
It had been awhile. Daichi and Michimiya hadn’t just been growing apart emotionally, it was physical too. Daichi couldn’t remember the last time they actually did it. That had to be it right? He thought to himself. I’m just ridiculously horny.
He glanced at the time on his phone. Michimiya would probably be coming to bed soon. He wasn’t sure what to do. His hand was moving up and down over the front of his sweatpants, applying more pressure with each pass. The video ended, silence filling the room. He reached over to turn off the bedside lamp, and restarted the video.
Daichi was growing restless. His hand was moving faster, becoming more desperate. He wedges his fingertips underneath his boxers, pressing his palm to the bottom of his abs. He takes a second before working his hand into his boxers. He slowly tightens his grip as he starts to pull his hand down the length of his dick, gently rubbing his thumb along the head. His mind swirls as he reverses the action, pulling his hand back towards his body. He continues this motion, gradually picking up speed, breath quickening. His eyes alternate between looking at the man in the video and rolling back in his head. He tries to keep quiet, but breathy moans escape him every so often. God that feels good. Heat starts to pool in his stomach, toes curling as he’s working up to a climax.
He catches the moan before it escapes him as Michimiya suddenly walks through the open bedroom door. Daichi’s hand immediately stills under the covers. He thanks himself internally for deciding to turn the lamp off, darkness obscuring his embarrassing act.
“What’s that song? It's pretty catchy.” Michimiya says, casually smoothing lotion onto her face, finishing up her nightly skincare routine.
“It’s something I found on Spotify earlier today. It’s been stuck in my head since work.” Daichi’s voice sounds a little too breathy. His nerves spike, hoping she doesn’t notice. Michimiya shuffles around a bit more, getting herself ready for bed. When she turns her back, Daichi takes this moment to quickly pull his hand out of his pants and puts it over the covers. The frustration at not getting the release he was chasing quickly turns back to guilt as he glances at his girlfriend. She plugs her phone into the charger and sets it on the nightstand before plopping down next to him, glancing at the video still playing on his phone. A smile creeps up her face and she raises her eyes to look up at Daichi.
“Wow. That guy looks so much like Suga.”
—------------
“So, Daichi-san, you promised me that long story.” Sugawara said with a grin. Daichi could have sworn he fluttered his eyelashes a bit too… Were they always that long?
“No, I never promised you that Suga, you demanded it.” Daichi said with a chuckle.
They were already two drinks in and to be honest the food wasn’t much. Kiyoko and Asahi would be arriving in a few hours and they would get a proper dinner together. Daichi was a casual drinker and didn’t have much of a tolerance. He already felt a little bit fuzzy in the best way possible. And despite the upsetting information that Suga was trying to pull from him, the man always had a way of bending people to his will. He truly is something else. However, Daichi couldn’t possibly bring himself to dampen the mood between him and his oldest friend. He would open up eventually, but tonight he wanted nothing more than to enjoy the company of his friends. And despite Daichi’s tough exterior, he was embarrassed to admit he was definitely a crier when drunk.
“I promise I’ll tell you at some point this week but I don’t want to get into it right now. I’m having too much fun to dampen the mood.”
Daichi gave Suga a pleading look to let him know he was serious before glancing down at the cocktail menu. He missed the flash of concern on Suga’s face at that admission. As much as Suga liked to pry, he knew when to let things rest as well… For the time being.
Suga decided to change the subject quickly by asking about Daichi’s family. They ordered another round of drinks and spent some time catching up on family drama and developments.
“So the server is kind of cute.” Suga said after she checked on their table again.
“Hah. Didn’t think she’d be your type.” Daichi teased.
“I don’t think I’m her type either, she seems to like men with strong jawlines and even stronger biceps.” Suga stuck out his tongue and Daichi rolled his eyes. He definitely noticed their server prolonging eye contact with him when she came to take their order or check on the table. He also noticed her stealing glances as she moved throughout the dining room. He had to admit, she was pretty cute, but he was so preoccupied with catching up with his friend that he didn’t even pay her any mind. He was interested in the fact that Suga noticed it though. The man was as perceptive as ever.
“Oh it looks like Asahi and Kiyoko just linked up at the station. Ahhhh we’re all here! Did you want to head to the condo now or maybe they can meet us here? I like this place.” Suga said with excitement. Daichi could tell by the flush of red on Suga’s cheeks that he was feeling just as tipsy as him. Daichi always loved drinking with Suga, talking for hours and joking around with his friend. It would definitely be a shame to break from this atmosphere, but he was just as excited to see his other two friends.
After discussing it for a moment they decided they better just meet the other two at the condo since they still had their suitcases and were both half loaded at this point. It would do them good to eat some actual food.
Before they could close out their tab, a particular waitress struck up a conversation with the two about why they were in town and tried to give them some recommendations for things to do in Tokyo. Daichi cringed because the girl was looking at him the entire conversation and gave him a light touch on the back when she bid farewell, giving Daichi a wink as she said “I hope you guys have a nice time while you’re here.” At that, Suga shot him a ridiculous smirk, eyes motioning down to the handwritten phone number on Daichi’s receipt. Daichi groans internally, knowing he wouldn’t hear the end of it.
As they got up from their table to leave, Suga “playfully” punched Daichi on the shoulder a little too hard with a chuckle, “Daichi-san, such a hunk.”
Daichi grunted from the pain and shook his head. Hunk, huh? “Yeah, yeah. Let’s get out of here.”
—----
Asahi and Kiyoko were already at the condo when they arrived. They immediately enveloped each other in hugs, smiles painting the four faces. Daichi took a moment to take a look at his friends. They both looked great. Kiyoko had switched out the glasses for contacts and cut her hair so it reached just below her chin. Asahi wore his shoulder-length hair down with his bangs tucked behind his ears. Other than that their appearance hadn’t changed much from high school. Daichi himself really hadn’t changed his own appearance either, still sporting his short hair and clean shaven look.
The four friends took a moment to debrief about their days up to this point. Kiyoko and Asahi laughed at the fact that the two of them dragged their luggage to a bar, and Suga teased Daichi again about the flirty waitress.
“Is that any surprise? Daichi has always been the one who got the most attention. Well, other than Kiyoko but that’s a given.” Asahi said with a chuckle.
“By the way, where is Tanaka?” Suga directs the question towards Kiyoko.
“I told him I wanted some time with you guys since it’s been so long. Him, Noya and Ennoshita are staying in a condo together during the camp but I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up over here most of the time so sorry in advance. Anyways, Noya came early too so they’re hanging out.”
The foursome posed for a selfie together for the first time in years, and spent a few minutes settling in and putting their things away before heading to dinner.
They went to a trendy restaurant with outdoor seating and immediately ordered cocktails. They spent time reminiscing about their time in high school and chatting about their careers.
“Can you believe those damn first years? Like we were really playing with 3 future pro athletes.” Suga said and they all busted out laughing. That year was an absolute whirlwind for all of them. Daichi never would have imagined that his senior year would be so eventful. Man, he really did miss those guys too. It would be good to catch up with all of them.
“Hey at least Kageyama mentioned you in an interview. ‘I owe it all to my senpai Sugawara-san, he taught me how to communicate on the court as a setter to bring out the best in each of my team mates.’ Not even a single mention of his captain-senpai!” Daichi teased.
“Well to be fair, I did ask him for it when he got invited to that all-Japan youth camp. I just didn’t think he’d actually remember! I thought the kid just had volleyball shaped marbles rolling around in his head.” That comment caused another fit of laughter. The group was too preoccupied with each other to notice the looks they were starting to get from neighboring tables.
“Honestly Suga, you were scarier than Daichi at times, especially to Kageyama. From the sidelines I could tell that he really did look up to you.” Kiyoko said, turning the conversation serious for a second. Asahi and Daichi just nodded in agreement.
“Man, what a year. Who would’ve thought we’d all be brought together aga—-”
“ASAHI DON’T GET ALL SAPPY ON US!” Daichi and Suga said in unison.
“I WASN’T!!!!”
To that, once again, another fit of laughter ensued. It felt good to be back with this group, Daichi thought to himself. It’s quite rare to have friends that you can meet again after years and jump back to where you left off without a beat. The four settled down a little, focusing in on the food that had arrived at the table. Head still light from the alcohol, Daichi was hoping the food would bring him back down to earth a bit.
“I will say, I was pretty shocked to get the email from Ukai-san. I can’t help but think there might be a little bit more going on than just a training camp.” Suga said.
“Well, I think I might have some idea what it’s about.” Kiyoko said shyly. The other three tuned in immediately as they always did when Kiyoko decided to speak up. “I still keep in pretty good touch with Takeda-sensai and he informed me grandpa Ukai just recently passed away. He had been having some health issues for years so it was expected, but Ukai-san has been taking it pretty hard still.” Kiyoko looked up at the other three who were wide-eyed in disbelief.
“I think Ukai-san really does hold your team in a special regard. You were the first to make the dream of the battle at the garbage dump come true. That was a really special thing for him and his grandpa. Nekomata also retired from coaching last year and has passed the torch to coach Naoi. I think there is definitely more to it than just a ‘training camp’, but you know how Ukai-san is. I think it will mean so much that we’re all here.” Kiyoko says with a smile. The four stay quiet for a moment, thinking to themselves before returning to their banter.
Daichi couldn’t help but worry a little bit for his former coach. Losing someone who you look up to so much couldn’t be easy, and his former coach definitely didn’t seem to be particularly in-tune with his emotions (not that Daichi had any room to talk). He hoped despite everything that Ukai was doing okay.
—------
“Alright, time to dance.” Suga says to the group as they’re exiting the restaurant. They are all a few drinks in and feeling good but Suga and Daichi are obviously on the verge of being drunk, words starting the slur. Kiyoko claps in excitement at Suga’s suggestion while Daichi and Asahi give each other a wary look.
“You two shut up!!! You know damn well we’re doing it!” Suga yells at the two.
“We didn’t even say anything!” Asahi says in exasperation.
Daichi and Asahi never particularly liked to dance but they spent countless hours over their high school years dancing with Suga and Kiyoko at parties and to be honest, they were all pretty good at it. Although Daichi and Asahi always fought it, they both knew deep down that the night would probably end on the dance floor.
“You know, it has been a long time since we’ve all been together.” Kiyoko says pleadingly. Suga’s face lights up in a grin, knowing the two wouldn’t say no to Kiyoko.
“Well then, I guess it’s settled”. Daichi says. Suga gives him a smile that makes him choke on air. His cheeks flush in embarrassment but no one else seems to notice, switching to a new topic of conversation as they make their way down the street to find a club. What the hell was that? Get a hold of yourself. Daichi thinks to himself.
The four friends make their way into a club and order a round of drinks at the bar. They head over to the crowded dance floor and the night truly begins.
The DJ knows exactly what he’s doing and is playing the perfect mix of new songs and catchy throwbacks. Daichi and Asahi take awhile to loosen up and really get into it but after a couple songs they’re all smiling, not a care in the world. Suga and Kiyoko are screaming the lyrics to each other while locking hands as they dance. Asahi and Daichi move to the beat, watching the other two with fondness. After about 30 minutes they’ve all finished their drinks. Kiyoko and Asahi shuffle out to hit the bar again. Having already pre-gamed for hours, Suga and Daichi decide to sit out this round and continue dancing.
Daichi begins to feel awkward without the other two, left to dance with Suga alone. He feels like he’s under a microscope in front of Suga, a rare spell of self-consciousness overcoming him. Suga looks directly at Daichi as he sings the lyrics of the song, hips moving effortlessly. When he lifts his hands up, the bottom of his shirt rides up just enough that a sliver of his skin is visible. Daichi’s eyes wander down the length of his torso, catching a glimpse of the smooth lean muscle of his stomach, leading down to his narrow hips. Catching himself staring, Daichi swallows hard, trying his best to come back to reality. All of a sudden his pants are feeling tight. God, those hips.
Daichi tries to play it cool but he can feel the heat rush up his neck, hoping Suga didn’t notice the way he was looking at him just then. The air is stuffy on the dance floor and he’s definitely starting to sweat. Daichi clears his throat, trying his best to relax again. “Having fun?” he says to Suga. Suga grins in response before grabbing Daichi’s hand and spinning himself. He does a turn and a half so that his back is facing Daichi. Daichi's eyes grow wide. This position feels too intimate, and Daichi’s mind flashes to Suga’s boyfriend. He pauses where he’s standing, not sure what to do.
Before he can collect his thoughts, Suga starts to back it up in a way that Daichi knows for sure is not serious. He lets out a chuckle and a wave of relief floods over him. God damn it, Suga. With the false predicament of Suga grinding on him out the window, Daichi is once again able to loosen up. Daichi feels the heaviness of the drinks, allowing him to be bolder and goofier than he ever would be sober. He’s back into it, singing and jumping around to the music with his best friend. Suga grabs Daichi’s attention and takes another selfie with just the two of them, hot and sweaty on the dance floor. He posts it on his instagram story to follow the photo from earlier.
Asahi and Kiyoko join them again and they are all back to dancing and laughing in a tight circle. Daichi can’t seem to take his eyes off of Suga. He tries to tell himself that it’s because Suga is on the opposite side of the circle to him but deep down he’s not sure. Suddenly he’s looking at his hips again, he glances up and now he’s looking at his lips, his eyes, his soft hair. He wants nothing more than to reach out and touch it. He envisions pulling Suga forward until their chests are nearly touching, dancing so close he can smell the intoxicating cologne he always wears. Daichi imagines reaching up and touching the side of his pretty neck, pulling him closer and tasting his breath on those pillowy soft lips. Daichi has to snap himself out of it again, trying to combat the growing heat in his pants. He continues dancing, trying his best to seem normal after his thoughts betrayed him. Even though he tries to keep the focus on all three of his friends, he still finds his gaze locked on Suga.
—------
Suddenly Kiyoko is snatched up from behind, the three men immediately locking eyes, ready to strike. Kiyoko is picked up by her waist and quickly spun in a circle, revealing her husband.
“Damn it Tanaka, I thought we were gonna have to fight someone.” Asahi says frazzled, his habitual nervousness betraying him.
Tanaka chuckles loudly. “Sorry dudes, I couldn’t help myself when I saw my beautiful wife. I promised to always sweep her off of her feet!” The look of love was thick on Tanaka’s face. Daichi can tell the man has been drinking as well, words slightly slurring. He nuzzles into Kiyoko’s neck from behind, warranting a giggle before she pushes him away.
“How did you even find us?” Kiyoko says with a smile.
“You know I’ve always got your location baby.” Tanaka says with confidence. Kiyoko laughs and pushes him on the shoulder lightly.
“Sorry to crash the party senpais!” The group looks around in confusion, finally checking below eye level to find the short man.
“Noya!” Asahi says, lifting his small friend off of the ground in a tight hug.
It’s loud on the dance floor, and the group spends a few minutes trying to chat with each other before resolving to catch up with the two younger men tomorrow. As the group of now six resume dancing, Suga’s eyes are drawn to his phone, a slight frown forming on his face as he types. Daichi feels a wave of anger that his friend is upset on such a perfect night. This occurs intermittently two more times before Suga finally excuses himself from the group. Daichi’s eyes follow his friend as he leaves the dance floor.
—------
It’s been about 20 minutes since Suga excused himself and Daichi is fighting the urge to go find his friend. Luckily Suga returns before he can make a decision.
“Everything alright?” Daichi leans in to ask, not wanting to draw the attention of the entire group.
“Yeah I’m all good. I promised Haruto I’d give him a call and lost track of time.” He says with a smile. Daichi can tell the smile is fake but he doesn’t press him, deciding it’s probably none of his business. He doesn't want to overstep.
The friends spend another 30 minutes dancing before deciding to call it a night. They were all pretty drunk and worn out. The two younger men decide to stay out for a bit longer, parting ways with the others.The friends wait patiently as Tanaka gives a dramatic goodbye to Kiyoko. She assures him that he will survive the night without her, promising to meet up at the camp tomorrow. The four friends link arms, stumbling as they walk back to their temporary home, laughing and singing into the night sky.
Once inside the condo, Asahi goes to bed immediately, knocking out as soon as he plops down onto his bed. Kiyoko, Daichi, and Suga stay up in the living room for a bit talking and half-watching, half-mocking an old movie they used to love in high school. Although the movie was clearly made for and marketed to women, Daichi had seen it at least six times. He remembered the first time Kiyoko and Suga forced him to watch it with them. He had been reluctant and tried to fight it, acting like it was too girly for his taste. However, 20 min into the movie Daichi was already hooked. It became sort of a ritual for them to put it on in the background when they were together.
Kiyoko started to doze off on the couch after about 15 minutes. Suga and Daichi decide to grab glasses of water and quietly place them next to their sleeping friends before slipping outside to get some fresh air. The two find a bench in the backyard, sitting shoulder to shoulder.
“It’s so weird to see everyone again. I mean, it’s great obviously. I just can’t believe how long it’s been.” Suga says, looking up at the stars. Daichi nods in agreement. The night is silent except for the faint sound of cars driving in the distance. The pair stay quiet for a moment, enjoying the night sky.
“You know, I didn’t want to say anything earlier, but I’ve been kind of down lately Suga. I think this might be exactly what I need.” Daichi says, the drinks and late hour loosening his tongue. All of a sudden he wants to tell Suga everything that's been going on in the past few months, right then and there. He stops himself– he’s too drunk. There’s no doubt he would say something he might regret in the morning.
“I can tell. It’s been awhile Daichi, but I still know you.” Daichi’s heart flutters. He feels an overwhelming urge to burst into tears at the vulnerability of it all, but fights it back. It’s only day one and this trip is already a roller coaster of emotions for him.
“I know I said everything was fine earlier too, but to be honest Haruto was pissed at me. He saw the picture I took of just the two of us and got really jealous. I ended up taking it down. To be honest it kind of ruined the rest of my night.” Suga said sheepishly, a mix of sadness and anger in his expression.
Daichi nodded his head in understanding, unsure what to say in response to that. He couldn’t help but feel some anger towards Haruto for ruining Suga’s night, but he also didn't want to make matters worse. Daichi decided he was too drunk to bear his thoughts. He bit his tongue. He hasn’t even met this guy and he already doesn’t like him.
The two sat in silence for a while, comfortable to just enjoy each other’s company. The cool air felt nice on Daichi’s skin, still flushed from the alcohol. He undoubtedly would be feeling it in the morning. He glanced over at Suga and could tell he was starting to get cold.
“Alright, I think we should turn in for the night. I can tell you're getting cold and we’re going to be exhausted tomorrow.” Daichi said with a chuckle.
“You’re probably right. I should definitely get some sleep.” Suga says with a smile. As Daichi turns to start heading towards the door, Suga places a hand on his shoulder. As Daichi turns around Suga envelops him in a tight hug. Suga rests his chin on Daichi's shoulder, and he can feel the warm breath of his friend on his neck. Daichi leans into the embrace, rubbing Suga's back gently with his hand, breathing in the smell of his cologne.
They wordlessly pull away from each other. Daichi can’t help but notice that Suga’s eyes are red and glassy, hoping it’s from the alcohol and not that asshole Haruto. Daichi opens the door, holding it for Suga before filing in himself. They hold eye contact for just a moment when they reach their bedroom doors, exchanging soft smiles before parting ways to return to their separate rooms.
“Goodnight Daichi.”
“Goodnight Suga.”
Notes:
I hope you enjoyed chapter 2! I had a lot of fun reuniting the 3rd years and I really love how flustered Daichi gets around Suga!!
Do you guys like longer or shorter chapters? Let me know if this was too long but I kind of liked this length I feel like I fit a lot of plot points in. I'm really excited to keep writing this!!
I really like comments and kudos lets chat :)
Chapter 3 is drafted and I won't make you wait long I'm going to try and post it on Wednesday!!!!
<3<3<3<3<3
Chapter 3: First Impressions
Notes:
Okay I was a little ambitious saying I'd update Wednesday.... but here it is only a day late!
I'm not even kidding you guys I wrote about 4,000 words of this while at a work conference while I was supposed to be watching a presentation. Hopefully no one was paying attention to what I was typing but tbh the presentation was really dry and the ideas were flowing so I couldn't help myself!
Anyways I hope you all enjoy chapter 3!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Ugggggghhhh” Suga let out a pained groan, head pressed into his hands as he sat at the table.
Daichi was seated with Kiyoko, Suga, Asahi, and Tanaka at a restaurant a short walk from the condos. Although the group had planned on getting up around 10am to get breakfast, they naturally slept in, needing the extra hours of sleep after their night out. It was just closing in on 1:30 pm by the time they got to the restaurant. Thankfully, they just made it in time for the brunch menu.
“Man, you guys were toasted last night! I don’t think I’ve ever seen Daichi so relaxed. I’m surprised you guys got up at all!” Tanaka says a little too loudly, throwing his head back to laugh at the pained group. Daichi winces at the ringing in his ears. It was true, it had definitely been awhile since he drank so much and he was feeling the consequences this morning. However, Suga definitely had it the worst. Daichi could hear him dry heaving in the bathroom this morning. He grabbed him some aspirin and a bottle of water hoping to ease the pain a little bit, leaving the supplies outside the bathroom wordlessly with a quick knock to give the man his privacy.
“Hey, you and Noya were pretty far gone yourselves. I don’t even understand how you have so much energy right now. Where is he anyways?” Asahi says, exasperated.
“Ahh the key, my friends, is to eat two slices of bread, take two aspirin, and chug three cups of water before you knock out. Boom, no hangover.” Tanaka says excitedly. He smugly looks around at the others for a reaction. “Noya didn’t listen though, says he has his own system. Well, the system didn’t seem too great to me cause he looked about as good as Suga does this morning.” The man throws his head back laughing loudly again, noticing the other four wincing this time. At that, he looks a little guilty and quiets himself. “Yeah, so basically he’s in bed still but he’s going to meet Ennoshita at the station when he gets here.” He finishes softly.
Although the training camp doesn’t start until tomorrow morning, the old Karasuno team will be arriving today. Ukai had invited the team to have dinner before the camp started. That way everyone would have a chance to catch up, and they could go over the logistics of the camp. However, the group was still unsure about who all would show up.
“I know Takeda will be there. Obviously Noya and Ennoshita. Oh, and I know Yachi couldn’t make it, she’s caught up with work.” Kiyoko says with a frown.
“Narita and Kinoshita couldn’t get the time off work either so they won’t be here.” Tanaka says, shaking his head in disappointment.
“So the big question is the old first years.” Asahi says.
“I have a feeling Hinata and Kageyama will come, they are in their off season right now. So is Tsukishima, but I could see him deciding not to go anyways. Yamaguchi will probably be there if Tsukishima is.” Suga says with a soft shrug, still looking pained.
When the food arrives, the friends slowly pick at their meals, most of them still feeling a bit queasy from the night before. Suga stares at his eggs and rice with wide eyes, clearly debating if eating this will hurt or help his situation.
“Hey, you need to eat something.”
“I really don’t know if I can, Daichi.” The man says, totally serious for once. You wouldn’t think it was possible, but somehow he was even paler than usual. His skin looked lifeless and clammy. He had uncharacteristic dark circles under his bloodshot eyes. It was a stark contrast to Suga’s normally put-together appearance.
“Come on, just a little bit. It’ll help you kick the hangover.” Daichi says, rubbing his hand gently on Suga’s back. The man sighs heavily, head resting on his hand as he uses the other to pick up a fork. Daichi notices his hand is shaking as he moves the fork around his plate. He must be feeling horrible. Daichi feels a rush of guilt, wishing he would’ve cut his friend off from drinking so much the night before. He couldn’t stand seeing him in such discomfort.
The other four slowly start to pick at their meals, coming back to life from the greasy food and coffee. Suga picks at his breakfast, managing to eat about a fourth of the plate in front of him before pushing it aside.
“I was thinking we could walk around the shopping district for a little bit before we get ready for dinner?” Kiyoko says. Tanaka and Asahi nod in agreement.
“I’m still feeling pretty rough. I think I’m gonna head back to the condo to get some rest but you guys go on ahead.” Suga says, eyes heavy with tiredness.
“I can come with you if you want.” Daichi says.
“No that’s alright I’m really just going to pass out for a few hours. Hopefully I’ll be good as new for dinner. You guys go have fun!” Suga says with a soft smile. Daichi searches his friend's face, trying to determine if he should push back and accompany him anyways. Suga meets his eyes and gives a small nod, sending a message that it’s okay, he wants to be alone. Although it pains him, Daichi heads out to shop with his friends, letting Suga have some solitude for the next few hours.
—-------
They walk around the shopping district for a while, stopping in souvenir shops and anything that looks interesting. Asahi tries to give Daichi fashion advice as they check out a few menswear stores and actually convinces him to buy an outfit. He already has a suit packed for the banquet but he figures it wouldn’t hurt to have another nice outfit for the trip. Daichi typically tends to keep his ensemble basic and comfortable, but it isn’t everyday you go shopping with a designer. He only wishes Suga was with the group, the man has always enjoyed shopping and he would’ve gotten a kick out of Daichi actually trying on clothes for once. Daichi gets out his phone, debating sending the man a text. He pulls open their message thread, eyes lingering on Suga’s contact photo. After some deliberation, Daichi decides not to text him, worried he would disturb Suga’s rest.
“Yeah and you wouldn’t believe the look on the bouncer’s face! Hah I bet he’s never seen a trick shot like that. I mean so what if the chair broke? Hazards of having a dart board my friend.” Tanaka says with a shrug. He had been describing his previous night with Nishinoya. Apparently the two had been kicked out of a bar. According to Tanaka, Nishinoya had made a bullseye behind his back while standing on a chair halfway across the room. Unfortunately the chair toppled over at his excitement and broke in the process so they were promptly kicked out. They checked out a few more bars after that before eventually getting bored and stalking Kiyoko’s location to find them.
When it gets to be around 4:30pm the group decides to head back and freshen up before their dinner. Everyone is excited to reunite with their old team mates, and curious about the agenda of the training camp. Once they’re back at the condos, Tanaka splits from the group again to get ready with Noya and Ennoshita.
Once inside, Daichi spots Suga curled up on the couch, hands wrapped around a hot cup of tea. He looks a lot better than he did earlier, color having returned to his face. Daichi immediately feels the tension he was holding since brunch wash away. He can’t help but smile at the sight of his pretty friend.
“How are you feeling?” He asks.
“Sooo much better. Food and sleep really are the best remedy for a hangover. Thanks for making me eat a little bit earlier. It was rough but it really did help. After that, a few hours of sleep did the trick! I might actually be able to enjoy myself tonight.” He flashes a grin. Daichi blushes at the sight and his eyes linger on the beauty mark he loves so much.
“I’m glad. I’m going to get ready but let me know if you need anything. Try to take it easy ok?” He says as he leaves the room. Instead of his usual sass, Suga looks up at Daichi sweetly and gives him a thumbs up.
The group busies themselves getting ready over the next hour before leaving for dinner. Daichi and Kiyoko get ready quickly, changing clothes and freshening up in the bathroom. Suga and Asahi go back and forth, changing outfits multiple times before finally deciding on one. Despite the casual circumstances, they all want to look good for their weird little volleyball reunion.
They arrive about 15 minutes early and Ukai is still setting up the room with Takeda, Shimada, and Takinoue who turn around at the sound of the newcomers.
Ukai gives a genuine smile to the four of them, immediately stopping what he was doing to walk towards the group. He pats Asahi on the back a little too hard, not noticing the panicked look on the tall man’s face. “I’m so glad all of you made it! It means a lot for you all to be here.”
Takeda rushes over and gives a bow. Shimada and Takinoue smile and wave at the foursome. “Good to see you all! I hope you are all doing well and that your travels went smoothly. Feel free to take a seat, we are just getting everything set up! We have sake and other refreshments if you’d like to take a bottle to your table.” Takeda says with a smile.
The group chats for a while with the four older men as they finish setting up. Asahi grabs a bottle of sake as they move to sit down at one of the two large tables in the middle of the room. Kiyoko continues to chat with Takeda and help him with setting up while the three others stay at the table, sipping on sake while they wait for the rest of the team to arrive.
After about 10 minutes, Hinata and Kageyama walk in, bickering under their breath to each other. Hinata is ecstatic at the sight of everyone, running over to Ukai and Takeda to say his hellos. Kageyama follows close behind, a rare display of excitement in the man’s demeanor. Kageyama allows Hinata to do most of the talking, chiming in when necessary. The duo then comes to join their seniors. Hinata wastes no time enveloping them in a tight hug, laughing as he nearly knocks them over. Kageyama quickly follows suit, giving each of them a quick hug to say hello.
“Ahhh I was hoping you guys would come! You all look so cool! I missed you guys. How has everyone been?” Hinata fires off in the same breath. Although he had definitely grown a bit taller- only a few inches shorter than Daichi now- he had the same big smile and endless energy that he remembers fondly. Kageyama on the other hand looks exactly the same, tall and intimidating. Although Daichi knows the man is actually a softie at heart, he is just a little socially awkward. And very intense.
Daichi, Suga, and Asahi fill the duo in on their trip to Tokyo so far, explaining their night out and painful morning. Suga eventually shifts the topic, asking the duo about themselves.
“Enough about your boring senpais, how are our freak duo doing nowadays?” Suga asks.
“Honestly, it’s been amazing Suga-san! I can’t believe I’m on a team with Atsumu and Bokuto!! It was definitely an adjustment from playing with Kageyama.” Hinata teases the taller man, giving him an elbow to the side. Kageyama flashes him a deathglare in response, causing the shorter man to shiver.
“Same. It’s great to have reached my goals and I honestly couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I’m happy I get to do what I love.” Kageyama says plainly. Daichi feels a pang in his heart at this statement. Do what I love. While Daichi likes his job, he’s not sure if he’d describe it that way. He envied Kageyama and Hinata. To have the confidence to chase after what you want completely. To be so sure of yourself. Daichi couldn’t help but feel like he was missing something. His eyes naturally shifted to Suga. His expression was so kind as he talked to the two younger men. Daichi hoped to himself that Suga had everything he wanted. He deserves the world.
He sizes up the two younger men. He could almost pretend they were still in high school if it weren’t for Hinata’s obvious growth spurt. They carried some awkward energy between each other. It’s like it was natural for the two to be drawn to together despite their obvious rivalry. He wondered to himself just how long it had been since they had hung out together away from volleyball. The energy between the two reminded Daichi a lot of himself and Suga when they first met up yesterday. Happy to be together but unsure quite where they stand after being apart for some time.
As the two join their table, Suga pours them each a cup of sake without question. Not long after, Yamaguchi and Tsukishima arrive. The former third years give each other a pleased look, glad to see that their two wild cards decided to show up.
At the sight of Shimada, Yamaguchi immediately runs over and shares a tight hug, the two rocking side to side while talking excitedly in each other’s ear. Tsukishima slowly follows behind, standing a few paces back as he waits for his friend. The two spent a little bit longer than the others chatting with Ukai, Yamaguchi doing most of the talking while Tsukishima looked like he had been dragged there against his will.
Finally, they made their way to the occupied table to say hello to the rest. Yamaguchi once again runs towards Hinata for a hug, the two clearly having kept in touch after high school. He then follows suit to give Kageyama and then Suga a hug. The man hesitates then, but quickly decides to give the rest of his old team mates a hug as well, despite being less familiar.
All the while, Tsukishima stands behind, giving the group a quick nod once his friend has made his way around the table with his greetings. Yamaguchi and Tsukishima talk about their jobs for a bit, Yamaguchi surprisingly ended up at an electronics company while Tsukishima plays as a middle blocker for the Sendai Frogs. The group continues the small talk for a while before Yamaguchi and Tsukishima take a seat at the other table. Hinata gets up and follows Yamaguchi to the other table, the two engrossed in conversation. As they disperse, Daichi once again takes a moment to look at his juniors. Tsukishima looks almost exactly the same, the only difference is a slightly slimmer frame on his glasses.
Yamaguchi on the other hand has probably changed the most out of everyone in the room. He cut his hair shorter, the ends touching just below the tops of his ears now. His ears are pierced on each lobe, with one hoop on the top of his right ear as well. He also has a small stud on his nostril. It suits him, Daichi thinks. But probably the biggest difference in the man is the way that he carries himself. He only really knew Yamaguchi for about a year, but he was so timid, lacking in self confidence. Daichi was surprised to learn that Yamaguchi was the captain in his third year, assuming Hinata or Kageyama would resume that role. But in the short amount of time he’s seen him today, he’s beginning to understand. Somewhere along the line he must’ve grown into himself. Daichi wanted to learn more. Maybe he would ask him about it later this week.
Daichi observes the distances between Tsukishima and Yamaguchi as they sit side by side at the table. He couldn’t help but wonder about their relationship. Everyone knew that Yamaguchi was in love with his childhood friend back in high school. It was clear that the two had remained close friends after all this time, but was there something more? Did Yamaguchi ever confess his feelings? Had they tried dating in the past? Daichi couldn’t help but wonder how they were able to move past any unrequited feelings between the two. Yamaguchi met Daichi’s eyes, catching the man staring. Daichi averted his gaze quickly in embarrassment. In the same moment, Daichi feels the sharp pain of a kick to his shin. He looks across the table at Suga, who gives him a questioning look. Daichi just shrugs his shoulders before rejoining the conversation, hoping he played it off.
Another 20 minutes pass before the last three arrive, fashionably late. Nishinoya and Tanaka practically run into the restaurant, Ennoshita following behind with an exasperated look on his face. Ukai and the older men are setting out the hot food, so the trio goes straight to their old team mates. Tanaka and Nishinoya run to Hinata, immediately starting a conversation, the three of them talking loudly.
Ennoshita heads over to their table where he gives an exasperated sigh. “I think I’m gonna regret rooming with the two of them by the end of this.” Ennoshita gives everyone a quick hug before sitting at the table. Having met up with the former 3rd years the night before, Nishinoya and Tanaka focus their attention on the others. Daichi and Suga smile at each other, watching Nishinoya and Tanaka nudging an annoyed looking Tsukishima.
With a table of food finally ready at the front of the room, Ukai stands to face the tables, giving a nod to acknowledge the three late arrivals.
“Hello everyone. Thanks for coming. I hope the accommodations have been alright. I know you guys are here on your own dime and I appreciate it greatly.I feel extremely lucky that a majority of the team decided to come help out. I want to give you all a brief overview of how the camp is going to go, but for now just eat and enjoy each other’s company. I will regroup everyone after dinner to discuss.” Ukai gestures with his hands towards the table of food after his speech, encouraging the group to get their dinner.
—----
The dinner passes by quickly, the groups chatting about their adult lives, telling stories, and reminiscing about high school. After a couple cups of sake, the atmosphere loosens up and the conversation flows easily.
“You know Kageyama, I heard your interview.” Suga says, teasing. Kageyama’s face immediately goes red.
“Er, I’m glad you saw it. I really did mean what I said.” Kageyama says sheepishly. Ennoshita and Kiyoko let out an “awwww” in unison. Daichi can tell Suga is taken aback slightly by the direct response. However, a familiar spark reignites in his eyes before he starts again.
“Soooo does that mean I was your favorite senpai? As far as I know I’m the only one you’ve mentioned in your countless celebrity interviews.” Suga says, eyes sliding over to Daichi. Kageyama glances around the table, obviously realizing he’s surrounded by all of his ‘senpais’, skating on thin ice with this question. Daichi comes to his rescue.
“You don’t need to answer that. Besides, we all know you only said that because Suga asked you to.” Suga rolls his eyes at this, but they all chuckle in response.
As the conversation shifts, Daichi notices Suga looking down at his phone, the smile leaving his face. His memory flashes to what Suga said last night, how he was fighting with Haruto. Daichi catches Suga’s eyes when he looks up and mouths ‘You good?’ to his friend, who just nods in response. He doesn’t buy it. Believe it or not, I still know you too Suga.
Suga spends a few minutes looking uncomfortable, shifting his focus between the table and his phone before eventually excusing himself to the restroom. Daichi waits a moment before getting up. He goes to grab another bottle of sake and places it on the table before following his friend to the restroom.
Daichi finds Suga leaning over the sink, head hanging down as he rubs his eyes. He looks up as Daichi enters, catching his image in the mirror. “What’s going on?” Daichi says, concern showing through in his voice.
“I’m fine really, I think the sake is just making my head spin a bit. I probably shouldn’t be drinking again, after last night.” He says, fingers massaging his temples.
“I’m sure Takeda has aspirin, the man is always prepared. And I’ll grab you some water before I head back to the table but um… are you sure this has nothing to do with Haruto?” This clearly catches Suga off guard, body going stiff. The realization hits Daichi. He doesn’t remember.
“Ah. You mentioned you had an argument last night. He was mad about the picture of us you posted? You had that same look on your face last night before you left to talk to him on the phone.” Suga lets out a sigh and nods his head. He reaches his hands up to massage his temples again.
“Well, that’s definitely not a good first impression. Please don’t judge him, Daichi. He really is a good guy.” Suga says, finding Daichi’s eyes with his own. Daichi stares back unwavering, giving a nod for Suga to continue on. “It’s nothing today, he’s just feeling insecure after last night. To be honest, I was pretty drunk and I don’t even entirely remember what I said to him, but I don’t think the conversation went well.” Daichi is looking intently at his friend, his hand instinctively going to rub his arm. Suga’s eyes are watery like he might cry. Daichi has a flash of anger. They haven’t been here for two days and his friend has been close to tears twice already.
“But I’m alright I promise. Please, no need to worry.” Suga gives Daichi a pleading look. He uses his sleeve to dab the corners of his eyes, getting rid of the excess liquid threatening to spill over and betray his emotions. Daichi considers asking more, wanting desperately to understand the dynamic between his friend and the man who is causing him distress. He wants to understand why Suga would put himself through this.
Daichi ultimately decides to drop the subject for the time being. Despite the ache in his heart, he doesn’t want to get his friend worked up in front of their former team. Daichi sighs, but gives his friend a nod in understanding.
He lets Suga return first, hanging back in the bathroom for a bit to avoid drawing attention to the fact that they were both in there. He makes good on his promise to grab some aspirin from Takeda, and pours a glass of water that he places in front of Suga before returning to his own seat.
The banter continues around the room, Hinata, Noya, and Tanaka splitting between the two tables, working the room as usual. Tsukishima is glued to Yamaguchi who divides his time between his table and the older men, talking mostly to Shimada. Kageyama surprisingly stays seated with their group, not saying much but enjoying the company of his older team mates.
Eventually coach Ukai pulls up a chair to sit between Daichi and Asahi.
“Now don’t tell the others this but it probably means the most that you three came.” He whispers to Daichi, Asahi, and Suga, words slurring slightly. “I only coached you guys for a year and that year was kind of a mess to be honest, but in the best way possible.” Ukai says with a warm smile.
“We wouldn’t trade it for anything. It was a dream for us to even make it to nationals.” Daichi responds fondly. Ukai waves him off, continuing.
“No, but seriously. The leadership you guys showed was invaluable and we never would have made it to nationals that year without you. Hell, I’m not sure if we ever would have! Those first years were impacted by you guys waaaay more than you know. I can tell they still look up to you guys.” Ukai says, gaze wandering to the younger men.
“You know, our team this year is actually really promising. We have a few key players that if I can just get them in sync with each other, we might seriously be a threat.” Ukai starts, “In a lot of ways this team reminds me a lot of my first year with all of you. But, they are definitely a work in progress.”
Takeda glances at his watch before crossing the room to whisper in Ukai’s ear. The man jolts, looking at his own watch before standing up and making his way to the front of the room again. He gives a nod to Takinoue who grabs a stack of papers that he begins passing out to the tables, camp schedules. Shimada and Takeda busy themselves clearing up the leftover food and dishes.
“Okay, so this is a two week long camp, so we’re going to try and cover a lot of ground. I’d like to break you all into specialties to assist with training. Kageyama, Suga I’d like you two to work with Kenma to assist the setters. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, you will be paired with Kuroo for blocking practice. Daichi and Nishinoya, you will work with Yaku on defense practice. Hinata, Ennoshita, Tanaka, and Asahi will be taking the lead on hitting practices.” Ukai takes a moment to catch his breath, flipping through the program.
“We will also have some serving practices. Kageyama, Asahi, and Yamaguchi, you three will be running point on this. And finally, we will do some strength training and conditioning for the boys. Tanaka I will leave this to you. You will all be helping out with everything, and there will be some practice matches as well so you won’t just be stuck on one thing.” Ukai finishes. The group is murmuring to themselves, excited for their different assignments. Ukai nods to Takeda who clears his throat, bringing the attention of the group back to the front.
“Hello everyone. I hope you all enjoyed the meal. We are so happy to have you all back here.” Takeda starts with a smile. “While the training is the most important thing here, we have a few other things on the agenda over these two weeks. One major problem for us lately has been funding. We had an influx of donors the couple of years we were making it to nationals, but that money has become sparse. You will notice two days on the schedule dedicated to fundraising. We will be having a car wash and an exhibition match where we will have you guys play with the teams. The hope is that we can raise some money for Karasuno and Nekoma to use for travel this upcoming year.” Takeda looks around the room, waiting for the murmurs to die down before continuing.
“As you already know, we will have a banquet on Friday, the halfway point. I’m hoping everyone will celebrate along with us to honor the two teams over the years before we dive into week 2. Finally, Wednesday through Friday of week 2 we will have a few more schools come in for practice matches. Fukurodani, Shinzen, and Ubugawa will be joining us for this. And then lastly, as is tradition, we will end with a barbeque.”
Another bout of excitement ensues at the mention of a barbeque. Ukai grabs their attention once again, a smile forming on his face as he closes out the night.
“Well, it’s getting late, and uh, the camp begins at 9am sharp tomorrow morning. Make sure to get some rest. And again, thank you all for taking the time to be here. Um, it really does mean a lot.”
—-----
Unlike the previous night, the friends decide to go to sleep at a decent time. Once again, Kiyoko had to spend about 30 minutes convincing Tanaka to return to his condo with Nishinoya and Ennoshita instead of staying with them.
The next morning, the four friends wake up early, heading to the cafeteria at the training camp to grab breakfast before it starts.
The highschoolers are seated throughout the cafeteria eating and chatting with each other. The four friends say hello to Shimada and Takeda as they dish out their breakfast. Looking for a place to sit, Daichi spots a tall man with spiky black hair across the room. As they approach the table they notice Kuroo, Kenma, and Yaku seated with their breakfast.
“Looks like someone still hasn’t found a solution to that bed head.” Daichi says from behind as he approaches the table. The three men turn around to look at their group.
“Well, if it isn’t Captain America.” Kuroo says, cat-like eyes squinting mischievously. The four friends say their hellos to their old rivals and take a seat at the table.
“This is kind of crazy, all of us being together like this.” Asahi says to the group.
“I’m surprised this is even happening. I’m pissed about our turnout of old Nekoma members though.” Yaku scowls.
“You just miss Lev. You’re only mad that he isn’t here.” Kenma responds. Yaku’s eyes shoot daggers Kenma’s way, but the younger man is too engrossed in his game to notice. Kuroo lets out his loud cackle of a laugh before continuing the conversation.
“The training camp is long. I think they’re really trying something new here. And a banquet? I’m not entirely sure what’s going on but I’m here for the free food.” Kuroo says, looking around the table. Daichi notices Kuroo’s eyes lingering, sizing him up. The two rivals had always had sort of a love hate relationship, both trying their best to one up the other. In the end, Daichi was the one to get the last laugh though, defeating the taller man’s team at nationals. But despite the smug demeanor he displays for Kuroo, Daichi does have a certain admiration for the man. He’s actually pretty glad to see him.
Halfway through the meal, Hinata and Kageyama join their table. Hinata immediately steals Kenma away, asking him a million questions. Kenma sets down his game for the first time that morning to talk to Hinata, the two being kindred souls despite their conflicting personalities.
As breakfast comes to an end, the high schoolers start to file out of the cafeteria. Ukai approaches the table of alumni.
“The kids are all getting themselves warmed up in the gym. I’m gonna have all of you guys introduce yourselves to the group before we get started. The others are in the gym already.”
The adults file in behind Ukai to the gymnasium. The gym was big, with three volleyball courts. The old Karasuno and Nekoma players lined up along the middle court. At the kids’ attention, the alumni players all introduced themselves, talking about the position they played, and what they do now. Kageyama, Hinata, Yaku, and Tsukishima got the most awe when they said their introductions, the high schoolers whispering amongst themselves about the pro players that some of them obviously recognized. Kenma also garnered some attention, being recognized for his online persona.
Once the introductions were complete it was time to begin. The camp started off with some light conditioning before they split the players up into groups for setting and hitting. Daichi wasn’t assigned to either of these specialties so he was able to choose which group he wanted to help out. He decided to go and watch the setters, he figured there were a lot of great players that would help out with the hitting practices, and Daichi had to admit, he was curious to see Suga sensei teaching the camp.
The group gathered for setting practice is rather small. There are only four setters between the two teams. The three liberos also join in on setting practice to learn how to set from the back row in a pinch. In addition to the three alumni setters, Daichi is also joined by Yaku and Nishinoya. Kageyama and Kenma, obviously not too keen on public speaking, allow Suga to take the lead.
“Hi guys, I’m Sugawara Koushi. I graduated from Karasuno. I played setter and while I’m nowhere near Kageyama’s skill level, he did mention learning from me as a first year.” This garnered a laugh from two of the players. “ Kenma on the other hand was a mastermind at reading and responding to the opposing team, making sure to utilize the right attacks at the right time. My focus was mainly reading my own team mates, trying my best to give the hitters exactly what they need, and making sure morale is good, that everyone was in the right headspace to succeed.” Suga looks at the players as he speaks, making eye contact to make sure they are all engaged. “Setting is a really dynamic position. I’m hoping the three of us can help to enhance these skills with you guys throughout the next couple of weeks.” He finishes with a smile, gesturing at Kageyama and Kenma to introduce themselves.
“Kageyama Tobio, I play for the Schweiden Alders and Japan National team as a setter.”
“Kozume Kenma. Professional gamer.” Suga looks between the two as if saying Really? Nothing else? Before shaking his head with a chuckle and moving on.
“Okay, so the first drill we’re going to do…”
—--
The group spends a couple hours doing drills for precision and learning about the different types of sets. Nishinoya and Yaku spend the time joking around and catching up between helping out. Much like Daichi and Kuroo, the two of them have a long standing mutual respect for each other despite being rivals. Daichi joins in on the conversation occasionally, but spends more time focused on the training. He can’t help but notice just how good Suga is with the kids.
While Kageyama and Kenma are doing great, they have some trouble explaining things, often having Suga step in to break it down for the young players. Most of the kids also seem a little bit nervous around Kageyama and Kenma, which could be from their prior knowledge of their careers, but Suga quickly gains comfortability, having the kids joke around with him as they do their drills. Daichi wonders what Suga’s classroom looks like. He imagines the man standing by a white board in front of 20 students explaining arithmetic or teaching them to write. Daichi smiles at the thought, he would love to watch the man work. Despite the mischievous demeanor Suga reserves for his friends and family, Daichi knows that he must be an amazing teacher.
Suga occasionally catches Daichi looking at him, shooting him soft smiles and occasionally winking in response. Daichi’s heart flutters, even though he knows his friend is only joking around. But still, Suga almost seems like he expects him to be looking, like he wants him to. And Daichi can’t seem to peel his eyes away.
At the conclusion of the morning practices, they break for lunch. The kids file into the cafeteria to grab their food before the older players and the coaches. Shimada, Takeda, Kiyoko, and Takinoue are busy helping distribute the food. Daichi didn’t realize this before, but the three older men have been preparing all of the food for the camp themselves. The two schools must not have the funds to pay any catering staff.
Daichi sits at the end of the table next to Suga at lunch. He’s directly across from Kuroo who is seated next to Yaku. Daichi leans over to bump his shoulder with Suga’s. “You’re a natural by the way. I think I even learned a thing or two. I can’t imagine how you are in the classroom.”
“He’s right. The players definitely seemed to gravitate towards you. They were pretty nervous with Kageyama and Kenma, and those two are pretty weird so they didn’t really do much to help the situation.” Yaku adds.
“Ahh so you’re a teacher now huh?” Kuroo says. “Husband, two kids, and a dog?” He says with a playful grin.
“Pffft, I wish my life was that put together! I’m working on it though, just a boyfriend right now.” Suga says with a wink. Daichi wants to roll his eyes. Suga’s ‘boyfriend’ has been upsetting him since they got here. He’d never met the guy, but from Daichi’s perspective he wasn’t exactly proven to be husband material just yet.
“Taken. Good to know.” Kuroo says, eyes finding Daichi across the table with an intensity that he did not expect. Daichi’s not sure what that’s about, his face probably revealing his confusion as Kuroo’s lips turn up into a mischievous smirk. Daichi quickly excuses himself from the table for the bathroom, worried that someone might ask about his relationship status and desperately wanting to avoid the question. To his relief, when he returns to the table the subject has shifted to the new Sci Fi movie that came out last week. Apparently Kuroo is dying to see it, propositioning the group to catch a showing that evening.
“Yeah, that movie looks stupid to me. I’ll probably just hang with Kenma tonight.” Yaku says bluntly.
“So just the three of us then?” Kuroo looks between Daichi and Suga. Suga turns to Daichi for a moment, both trying to figure out how to respond to the man.
“Oh come on!” Kuroo whines at the two. Suga laughs before looking at Daichi with playful eyes.
“Alright. We’ll go.”
—----
For the afternoon portion of the camp, the high schoolers engage in 3 on 3 matches, splitting them between the three different courts. This is relatively easy for Daichi and his former teammates and rivals as they are mostly just watching the games and giving the kids pointers here and there. He has to admit, he understands why Ukai thinks the team could make it to nationals. There are definitely a few standouts from both Nekoma and Karasuno. From Karasuno their setter and one of the middle blockers seem to be very skilled. They also have a very talented and reliable ace. Nekoma has an extremely talented libero and middle blocker.
Despite the talent however, the teams seem to not quite be synced up with each other. They are still rough around the edges, most of them being first years. Daichi is excited to see them progress throughout the training camp. He makes a resolution to try and watch their games in the future if he’s not working. Maybe if Suga isn’t busy they could go together.
After the camp is finished for the day, the old team mates head back to the condos to freshen up and change into regular clothes. Daichi, Suga, and Kuroo decide to grab dinner before heading to see the movie. Dinner starts out awkward, Suga and Daichi were never really that close with Kuroo. The trio takes some time, but they slowly warm up to one another, reminiscing about training camps and games in their 3rd year of high school. All is going well until Kuroo, to Daichi’s dismay, has to break the good energy.
“So Sawamura, you snuck away before I could ask you earlier. Are you single?” He says with a smirk.
“Ahh yeah, uh-no. High school sweethearts. You might remember her coming to some of the games? Michimiya Yui.” Daichi says, hoping he didn’t stutter over his words too much.
“Oh yes. I remember her. Very pretty.” Kuroo says with an unenthusiastic wave before changing the subject.
—------
The three mostly engage in small talk while they finish their dinner. It turns out Kuroo works in sports promotion. He’s kept pretty close with Yaku and his old team mate Yamamoto this way since he’s involved with the professional teams. Him and Kenma are apparently still as close as ever. Kuroo jokes about having to drop in unexpectedly at his friend's apartment to make sure he eats real food between streaming sessions.
Although the three are full from their meal, after some debate they agree to share a large bucket of popcorn once they get to the movie theatre. Suga excuses himself to the bathroom as they wait for their server to return their checks, leaving Daichi and Kuroo to sit alone at the table.
“You know I can tell that was bullshit right?” Kuroo says, his expression suddenly serious. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out you’re lying, and I don’t even know you that well.” Daichi’s cheeks flush at Kuroo's directness. He just stares back for a moment, trying to decide what to say. His thoughts are cut off by the man.
“Would you like me to bring it up again once he’s back? I’m not sure why you’re lying to him but I would be shocked if he can’t tell something is up, you’re not so good at hiding your emotions man.”
Wearily, Daichi glances at the bathroom door across the restaurant, making sure Suga isn’t in ear-shot. He hesitates another moment before deciding he has no choice but to come clean to his…his what?
“Ok, ok. Me and Michimiya broke up a few months ago.” It comes out as almost a whisper. He pauses for a moment, debating how much to divulge. Him and Kuroo weren’t exactly friends, and their relationship was actually pretty odd, being rivals and all. But it did feel kind of good to come clean to someone.
“I’m not even sure why I haven’t told anyone yet. I was planning to tell Suga sometime this week. It’s kind of a long and drawn out story to be honest. As you can imagine from the way I hide my emotions, I handle them even worse.” Kuroo lets out a cackle in response. Daichi searches Kuroo’s face, hoping the vulnerability was enough to satiate his curiosity. “Just, please don’t tell Suga.” Kuroo’s eyes turn serious again.
“Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”
—------
With popcorn in hand, the trio finds their seats in the theatre. Daichi motions for Suga to move into the row first, following behind, and then Kuroo. The three settle into their seats, thankful to have paid a little extra for the theatre with comfortable seats that recline. Daichi decides to hold the bucket of popcorn on his lap since he’s seated between the other two men.
The movie starts quickly, demanding the attention of the three. This isn’t Daichi’s first time at the movies with Suga, and they slip into their usual routine of finding each other’s eyes when something exciting happens. Suga turns his head to Daichi, dropping his mouth open slightly to show his shock at each new development. Daichi’s heart fills with butterflies and he continues to smile to himself once Suga looks away. His eyes linger on the man engrossed in the movie.
Kuroo on the other hand, Daichi had not accompanied to a movie before. As a matter of fact, Daichi is surprised that Kuroo even wanted to come to the movies with him and Suga. He couldn’t help but wonder why the man hadn’t decided to spend time with his old team mates this evening. He knew that Hinata, Noya, Yaku and Tanaka were heading to play video games with Kenma. Apparently Kenma brought an impressive gaming set up. Maybe Kuroo wasn’t much of a gamer despite his best friend’s profession.
Kuroo turns out to be a quite chatty movie viewer, often leaning in to whisper comments to his former rival. Daichi is tickled slightly by how close his lips get to his ear, feeling his warm breath when he does this, and at some point his nose even grazes the side of Daichi’s face on accident. This causes Daichi to turn and look at the man. Kuroo meets his eyes for a moment before leaning in close.
“Sorry.” Kuroo whispers with a grin.
About halfway through the movie Daichi glances over to Suga and notices he has his arms crossed over his chest, hands tucked under his armpits. Suga always sits like that when he’s cold. Daichi was wearing a light zip up jacket, assuming the theatre might be a little chilly despite how warm it was outside. He nudged Kuroo with his elbow, handing him the popcorn bucket while he leaned forward to slip off his jacket. Daichi lightly touched Suga’s arm, already starting to drape his jacket over the man.
“Oh that’s okay Daichi.”
“I can tell you’re cold. Here.” He continues to place the jacket on his friend despite his complaints.
“What about you? You’ll be cold.” Suga says, eyes meeting Daichi’s. Before he can respond, Suga is lifting up the armrest and scooting closer, adjusting the jacket so it’s draped over them both.
It’s not really out of the ordinary for the two friends to sit closely like this, Suga seemed to run cold and Daichi usually ran hot. He always wanted to make sure his friend was comfortable so it wasn’t really unusual for them to cuddle like this back in high school. However, Daichi felt nervous at the proximity this time, his heart racing. He could smell Suga’s shampoo, his gray hair tickling the side of his face. Daichi’s left arm was nice and warm placed under the jacket making his right arm feel cold in comparison, the jacket not big enough to drape all the way over the two of them. Daichi noticed that Suga’s left arm wasn’t under the jacket either. He went back and forth in his head for a few minutes, wondering if his next gesture would be too weird. Eventually he decided to go ahead with it anyways, it’s not like they hadn’t done it before.
Daichi slowly pulled his left arm from under the jacket and moved it to reach over Suga’s shoulder. His hand moved down Suga’s arm, touching the bare skin below the sleeve of his tshirt. Suga’s skin was cold, slight goosebumps covering his arms. He rubbed his friend's soft skin with his palm, the motion slowly warming him up. He could feel the goosebumps disappearing underneath his hand. Daichi leans into his Suga a bit, relaxing now that the initial spike of nerves at touching his friend had dissipated. Has he always smelled this good? Daichi turns his head slightly to breathe in the scent, subtly so his friend doesn’t notice. Suga’s eyes are glued to the movie still.
“You two look comfortable. You know I’m cold too, captain.” Kuroo whispers in his ear. Daichi stiffens, then scoffs in response, making sure Kuroo sees him roll his eyes teasingly. He’s not sure what the man’s deal is. Daichi's mind is muddled in confusion. How did he find himself sandwiched between his oldest friend who he’s just recently realizing has the the smoothest skin he’s ever felt, and his old volleyball rival who is…What is he even doing?
Daichi reaches into the bucket of popcorn and hits something solid and smooth. His heart lurches in his chest as he realizes his hand is lingering on Suga’s. In response, Suga playfully slaps Daichi’s hand away from the bucket with his own. The two friends laugh it off.
Daichi is starting to find it hard to concentrate on the plot of this movie, continuing to steal glances at Suga whenever the man adjusts in his seat. The next two times Daichi reaches into the bucket for popcorn, he meets something solid but rougher. Kuroo’s hand. Is he doing that on purpose? He starts to think sitting between the two men was a mistake. Daichi is frankly starting to get overwhelmed. Kuroo has also decided to get comfortable at this point, resting his arm around Daichi’s shoulder, his fingers grazing the back of his neck. He had initially wanted to pull away from Kuroo’s touch, but he stayed still, not wanting to disrupt Suga and have him lean away. But as Daichi relaxed into it, he actually found that he didn’t mind it too much. So he stayed, sandwiched between two painfully attractive men.
Luckily for Daichi the movie ends shortly, relieving him of the close proximity with two men. They make their way back to the campus, discussing the movie for most of the trip before parting ways with Kuroo. When they get back to the condo the two spend a few minutes chatting with Asahi and Kiyoko about their night. They ended up grabbing dinner and playing board games with the remaining team mates that weren’t with Kenma. It’s getting late, and they decide to return to their rooms for bed, excited to continue the camp tomorrow.
Daichi lays on his bed, replaying the events of the evening in his head. His mind was whirling. What the hell was Kuroo doing? That was weird right? He quickly dismissed this thought, mind drifting to another man. Why did Suga have to smell so good? Why does his skin have to be so soft? Was he leaning into me on purpose? He could only hope the man hadn’t heard his heart beating out of his chest for the last half of the movie. Daichi had really thought that seeing Suga again might make things clear for him. He had been longing for something more with the man ever since he saw that damn pop star 6 months ago. From there it had caused a myriad of turmoil for Daichi. He had started to… wonder things about Suga. Wonder things that no ‘friend’ would wonder. Daichi rolled over to his stomach and stifled a groan into his pillow. Things were certainly getting complicated.
He tossed and turned for a while, mind stuck in the loop of this predicament. Eventually he stilled, drifting off to sleep, dreaming of soft lips and gray hair.
Notes:
Well the team is back together!!! Who are you most excited to see for this reunion??? I have a few characters that will have some big moments but I'm curious if there is anyone specific you guys would like to see more of?!
Chapter 4 is gonna get reaaalllllllly interesting......there are some big events coming up so stay tuned :)
The next chapter is about halfway drafted I probably won't post until the next weekend after this one. I will plan for that Saturday.
Let me know what you guys think! Comment and Kudos <3<3<3<3
Chapter 4: Heat
Notes:
Guys I'm so excited for this one. There is A LOT going on, so be warned :)
I'm having so much fun writing this! I really appreciate all the comments and kudos you guys literally make my day and I'm loving all the support. I can't believe this has over 100 hits now when I first started I was so worried no one would even read it! So thank you to everyone who's following along <3<3
P.s. This chapter is kind of long and I even moved some of it into the next chapter so hopefully it isn't too much.
PLEASE ENJOY :)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Daichi lets out a yawn as he makes his way through the gym. The boys spent the morning with Tanaka doing strength training which started an hour earlier than their typical time. Tanaka had asked Daichi and Asahi to get up early and help out with the exercises. The weight room wasn’t far from the volleyball gym, and they had just finished up and walked back. The players are having hitting practice until lunchtime with the afternoon focus on serving. Daichi is thankful that he doesn’t have to do much for the rest of the day. He’s content to just watch the boys play.
“How did the morning go?” Ukai says as he walks up and pats Daichi’s back.
“It wasn’t bad. Tanaka is great as a trainer.” Daichi pauses, unsure how much detail his former coach wants from him. Ukai just raises an eyebrow in response.
“Well, Takagi, your ace? He’s got great upper body strength. But Harada needs a lot of training. His back and shoulders are weak, it’s going to be hard for him to hold blocks against strong opponents. Overall Karasuno could be a lot stronger. I think they will benefit from Tanaka’s training but it would be good if they could keep it up after the camp. Nekoma’s team is honestly looking a little bit physically stronger as a whole.” Ukai nodded, taking in the information.
“Well that’s great to hear Sawamura! It’s okay Keishin, it'll give you guys a starting point.” Noai says with a smirk, coming up behind Ukai.
“Shut up Manabu! If we want another garbage battle on our hands we’re all gonna need to step it up.” Ukai says aggressively. “Besides, we’re all here to get better right?” Ukai lets out a fake laugh, smiling so big he looks like he’s in pain as he pats Naoi on the back before grabbing Daichi’s arm to lead him away.
“Damn it. I wish he hadn’t heard that. Okay, look Daichi, I want you to let me know if there’s anything I’m not seeing here big picture wise.” Ukai starts. “Takeda is amazing and he’s learned so much about volleyball over the years, but he doesn’t have the instinct of a player. Just-uh. That was good insight. Let me know if you see any other specific places you think need work.” Ukai gives Daichi a nod before walking away. That was odd.
Daichi helps around here and there with the hitting practices before lunch, mostly grabbing stray balls and chatting with Nishinoya. When it’s finally time to eat, Daichi is starving. He grabs a plate and chooses a spot next to Asahi. Most of their old team mates and rivals have found their place in the cafeteria, but Suga is nowhere to be found. Daichi hadn’t seen the man all morning, figuring he was busy helping with something for the camp. Daichi was hoping to see him at lunch.
“Hey, have you seen Suga?”
“I’m not sure. Matter of fact I haven’t seen him all morning.”
“Oh uh, he’s with Takeda and Kiyoko. There was some issue with the gymnasium scheduling this week. I think there’s a basketball club that had the days mixed up and were wanting it today. They went to try and sort it out at the administration building.”
“Ahh thanks Yamaguchi.” Daichi said with a soft nod. Daichi was sad he hadn’t seen his friend all morning. He wanted to tell him about the weirdness with coach Ukai earlier. Kuroo’s words from the previous night were also weighing heavily in his mind. Daichi had decided he needed to tell Suga what had been going on with him, at least about Michimiya. He couldn’t stand to lie to the man any longer about it. He was hoping to catch him today and ask to get dinner, just the two of them so they could talk.
—--
After lunch some of the alumni players take off early since it’s just serving practices. Daichi decides to stick around and grab balls for the players. He was never too exceptional of a server himself, but wanted to see how the young players were doing.
Kageyama, Asahi, and Yamaguchi start off by showing the boys their signature serves and describing them. The boys are split into three groups and spread onto the different courts with one of the three instructors. They take turns serving and giving pointers, encouraging more advanced servers to attempt the harder serves.
“How are they doing?” Sugawara says, coming up to stand next to Daichi. He feels a pang in his heart now that his friend is near. He didn’t realize how much he’d miss him in such a short amount of time.
“Hey! I haven’t seen you all day. Did you guys get the gym schedule cleared up?”
“Well, kind of. The car wash fundraiser wasn’t supposed to be for another day but we’re going to move it to tomorrow. It wasn’t even our fault but the basketball club is taking priority so they will have the gyms tomorrow. Takeda sensei was pretty frustrated.” Suga says sadly. “Did I miss anything while I was gone?”
“Yeah, when did these kids get so damn good at serving?” Daichi says, getting a smile in return from Suga. Daichi’s heart flutters like it usually does when Suga smiles just for him. He so desperately wants to come clean to his friend. His nerves spike as he decides to ask him.
“Do you think we could chat with just the two of us tonight? I was thinking maybe we could cut away for dinner. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.” Daichi says, keeping his eyes low, too embarrassed to make eye contact.
“Oooh is it finally time for that long story? For you, I have all night.” Suga pauses, thinking. “Well, actually I already promised to go to dinner with Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. Come with us and we can break away afterwards, just the two of us.” He says, rubbing Daichi on the shoulder.
—----
Before their coveted alone time, Suga convinces Daichi to grab dinner with him, Yamaguchi, and Tsukishima.
“Suga, that group is even more random than us with Kuroo last night!” Daichi says, feeling uneasy. For some reason he’s nervous to be with those two. He had always been closer with Hinata and Kageyama.
“It’s not random for me! Me and Yamaguchi used to be pretty close. We spent a lot of time together watching you all from the sidelines. Just because you never got to know them well doesn’t make it random. If anything, you're the random one.” Suga sticks out his tongue at Daichi. Despite his reluctance, he decides to go along. Daichi still wonders about the relationship between those two after all. Maybe he’ll be able to get a better idea observing them at dinner.
The group decides to grab sushi. The restaurant is small and casual, family owned. They slide into a booth with Daichi and Suga on one side, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi on the other.
“Now, how are my two favorite juniors?” Suga says. Yamaguchi smiles, Tsukishima rolls his eyes.
“Maybe Yamaguchi, but there’s no way I’m your favorite.” Tsukishima says. Daichi lets out a laugh. He’s definitely right. He knew Suga always had a soft spot for Yamaguchi, but he wasn’t sure about his sentiment for the taller man.
“No, Hinata has got to be your favorite. You two were always messing around! Or maybe Kageyama? You were sort of like his mentor that first year.” Yamaguchi says.
“Okay, it’s tough to choose but.... It’s Yamaguchi.” Suga beams, causing the younger man to blush. “And who’s your favorite then?” Suga says, pushing the awkward conversation Daichi’s way. He falters. How am I even supposed to answer that?
“It’s gotta be Hinata or Kageyama.” Yamaguchi says with a smile. “Despite the trouble they always caused, Daichi definitely had a soft spot for those two.” The other men shake their heads in agreement.
“Well, you might be right about that.” He admits, feeling more comfortable since the two don’t seem to be offended.
As the food arrives the group slips into casual conversation, talking about their lives and jobs. Daichi finds himself observing the two younger men intently, looking for a sign of whether or not they ever dated or had feelings for each other. He couldn’t believe that Yamaguchi never confessed to his crush. It must’ve been painful to be around Tsukishima every day, wondering if he would return his feelings. Daichi could relate. In a lot of ways, their situation was similar to him and Suga. Except for the fact that they were older now, and Suga already had a partner. Daichi was overcome with sadness at this thought. Despite his feelings, he wasn’t sure if it’d be fair to relay them to Suga. If Suga had ever felt that way about Daichi, he had clearly moved on.
To Daichi the two younger men just looked platonic now, like they did when he was captain. If anything they looked more platonic since Yamaguchi was no longer doting on every word that Tsukishima said. He had so many questions, but he wasn’t sure if they’d be appropriate since he hadn’t really been that close with the two.
After dinner, Yamaguchi invites the two older men to grab ice cream with him and Tsukishima. Suga turns them down, explaining their plans to walk to a nearby park. The four old team mates say their goodbyes as they part ways, until tomorrow at least. That actually wasn’t so bad. Daichi thinks to himself.
—---
By the time Daichi and Suga are alone, it’s just after 7pm and the sun is in the midst of setting, painting the sky pretty shades of orange and pink. Daichi had decided earlier that he wanted to have the conversation at a nearby park, getting away from the noisy condos filled with their old team mates.
“Hey Dai, you’re making me nervous. You haven’t said anything for the past ten minutes and we’re at the park now. Please just tell me what’s going on with you, I’ve been dying to know.” Suga says, gently touching Daichi’s arm as he searches the man’s face for a reaction.
Daichi gives Suga a nod and motions towards a bench for the two to sit. Suga sits down promptly and looks at Daichi. Daichi takes his time to sit down, adjusting his position excessively.
“Daichi!! What are you stalling about?” Suga says, shaking his shoulder this time. “Whatever it is you want to talk about I promise you, you can just tell me.” Suga says, eyes pleading.
Daichi wasn’t sure exactly what all he was going to say. He knew he wanted to come clean about Michimiya, especially now that Kuroo knew the truth. He couldn’t risk Suga and the others hearing about it from someone else. But Daichi wondered if he should tell Suga about his sexual confusion. Surely the man had some experience with questioning one's sexuality, would it be fair for Daichi to bring it up? And furthermore, should Daichi explain that Suga was the one making him question it? Daichi’s mind was racing at all of the possibilities of how this conversation could go, but his friend was waiting, obviously worried about him. He had to at least start somewhere.
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry.” Daichi looks up at Suga, the man is on the edge of his seat, nodding his head for Daichi to continue. Daichi turns his head forward, finding it easier to talk when he’s not looking into his friend's eyes.
“I lied to you about Michimiya. We, uh–we broke up a few months ago. I didn’t really mean to lie but, I don’t know. It’s hard enough facing it myself and then it’s like this big happy reunion with all of these people I used to know. I didn’t want to keep reliving it I guess. But I also want everyone to know the truth. You especially.” Daichi’s cheeks feel hot, his heart is racing. He catches his breath after the confession, slowly turning his eyes to take in the man sitting next to him. Suga’s face is full of concern, looking off into the distance like he’s connecting dots in his head.
“So what happened between you guys?”
—-------
Five months ago
It’s been a month since Daichi had seen the video with that gorgeous singer, and he was growing somewhat obsessed. Unfortunately he did really like the song, and through spotify he had found a few more from the artist that he liked as well. But every time he heard that voice he would think about that night, how he was starting to feel.
But even more so, he was thinking about Suga. Daichi spent his time between work and home in a haze, just going through the motions. At night he would fall asleep thinking about his sexuality. He tried to picture himself with Suga. He imagined them going on dates, kissing. He didn’t let his mind wander further than that though, he couldn’t quite face it yet.
Daichi began to notice himself imagining his future with Michimiya less and less, instead putting Suga in her place. He imagined them confessing their love for each other, moving in together, doing all the domestic things reserved for your life partner. He felt delusional. Daichi hadn’t really talked to Suga in years, yet his mind was consumed with the man. He probably wasn’t thinking about Daichi at all. But Daichi had started to keep things more to himself, not wanting to talk with Michimiya as often. There was no way he could tell her any of this anyways, it would only hurt her which he couldn’t bear.
Michimiya had come home later than Daichi, her day at work clearly stressful and long. Daichi was scrolling on his phone as she walked in the door and she gave him an annoyed sigh.
“What’s that about?”
“Nothing, I just had an awful day and you can’t even be bothered to look up and greet me when I walk in the door? What’s been going on with you lately?”
“Oh. I’m sorry. How was your day?” Daichi says guiltily. She is right, he was aware of how late it was, and that she was having a rough week yet… He didn’t really do anything to help. In the past he would have been eager to make her day better in any way that he could. But today he just didn't really think about it. His mind had been consumed by other things, and he had neglected his reality. Daichi hadn’t really thought about dinner either despite the late hour, once again feeling guilty for not deciding to cook for her before she got home.
“It’s fine, just. Why are you so distant? I feel like you don’t even want to talk to me lately.”
“That’s not true! I’ve just been stressed out with work too.” Daichi says. It’s only a half lie really. He had been stressed out with work. It seemed like everything wasn’t all it was cracked up to be as a police officer, and unfortunately he was almost always assigned to patrol roadways which he found incredibly boring.
Daichi felt like he was having a complete identity crisis, both for his sexuality and his career. But how could he tell Michimiya that? She was such a career driven woman, there was no way she could understand his uncertainty with his chosen life path. As a matter of fact, Daichi was worried that she would get spooked by it. And for the sexuality stuff… How could he ever bring this up to the one and only women who he’d ever been serious about? He told himself he was keeping these things from her out of love. He couldn’t let her shoulder his own burden.
Still, there was no doubt in Daichi’s mind that he needed to figure out whatever was going on by himself, and quickly. But for the night he put on a fake smile, got up to hug his beautiful girlfriend, and drew her a bath while he made dinner.
That night he decided to give her his full attention, chatting over dinner, listening intently. They made love for the first time in months. It was good. It always was, but a little too routine. There was a lack of passion in their movements, and Daichi longed for more.
He was happy that Michimiya seemed to be content as they laid in bed together. Daichi on the other hand could only feel guilt. He was beginning to become numb to his own relationship. Despite the objectively nice night the two had shared together, he still wasn’t satisfied. He drifted off to sleep thinking about Suga, so pretty as they lived their lives together in his head. He willed this life to exist.
—--------
Daichi thinks carefully before responding to Suga, at a crossroads about how much to divulge to his friend.
“Well, it started out slowly. We started talking less and less, drifting apart from each other. She was invested in her work, and it was stressful for her.” Daichi glances up at Suga, he has his full attention as he speaks about the beginning of the end of his relationship with the woman he thought he’d spend the rest of his life with.
“I kind of just checked out. And I think she did too a little bit. We were in this limbo for a while where we both knew we were drifting apart but neither one of us knew how to fix it. So, we just continued with our routines, ignoring the elephant in the room.” Daichi could feel his eyes starting to water. It was rare for him to be this vulnerable with anyone. But Suga was different. He had always been able to count on his friend in this way. He always knew exactly what to say, exactly what to do. Daichi envied his emotional maturity, even as a high schooler. He wished he could’ve learned how to do that for himself.
Suga scooted closer to Daichi on the bench, looking towards the ground now. He knew Daichi well enough to know he wouldn’t want to be stared at in the state he was in. Instead, he placed a reassuring hand on Daichi’s back, rubbing gently.
“So what happened after that?” He said softly, urging Daichi to continue his story.
—----
Three months ago
The two had continued to drift apart over the course of a couple months. Daichi felt himself dissociating from his relationship, and he could tell Michimiya was feeling the same way. But still, they had so much history. She was the only one who had been by his side over all these years, she was his constant.
Michimiya had been away on a work trip for a week and Daichi was taking this time alone to reflect on his feelings. Were they too far gone, or was it worth it to fight?
Michimiya had started putting in more effort over the last few weeks, carving out time for the two of them despite her busy work schedule. Daichi felt an immense amount of guilt, unable to return the favor. He didn’t mean to pull away, but he couldn’t seem to be present either. He wanted to try again, he wanted to be in love like they had been for all these years. He didn’t understand how he could feel so different now. Daichi was starting to feel extremely depressed with his dilemma, retreating further into himself. Despite the passage of a few months, he still couldn’t get a handle on his conflicting feelings. He was worried he never would.
Time seemed to be wasting away, and he had not only pulled away from his girlfriend, but he couldn’t seem to stay focused on much of anything. He had abandoned most of his hobbies, and spent most of his time lately doing absolutely nothing. Him and Michimiya had multiple talks and arguments about how things were going between the two of them. They had promised each other to put in more effort.
Daichi had been mindlessly staring at the tv for hours, having a hard time even focusing on the show that was playing when he heard the front door open. His heart dropped to his stomach. Fuck. That was today?
He immediately got to his feet as his girlfriend of 7 years walked through the doors with tears in her eyes.
“Michimiya I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize you were coming back today.”
“Fucking save it Daichi.” She said, motioning with her hand for him to stop. She stormed into the bedroom, locking the door. Daichi was left speechless standing by their front door, unsure how to resolve the situation. Should I go to her? Should I give her space? He knew he had fucked up big time. It was always an understanding that he would meet her at the train station. She had given him her schedule for the work trip. He should’ve known she’d be back today. He should’ve been there waiting for her like he always did.
Daichi went to the bedroom door and knocked, pleading with her to let him in. He was met with radio silence, and he couldn’t blame her for ignoring him. He slept on the couch that night, deciding for the first time in a while that he needed to fight for them. He had to make things right.
The next morning Daichi woke up early, figuring Michimiya would sleep in after her long day of travel yesterday. He went to town, buying her flowers and her favorite breakfast. He set everything up in their dining room, writing her a heartfelt note that he placed in the bouquet of roses that now sat in a vase on the table.
When Michimiya came out wordlessly, Daichi gave her a long apology. He talked to her for what felt like an hour, tears forming in both their eyes as he pleaded with her to forgive him, promising to be better. She hugged him, and they cried together. But he could tell that she was different now. Something had broken inside her.
The next couple of days Daichi enveloped her with sweetness, bringing home her favorite drinks, taking care of dinner, showering her with the love and affection he should’ve been giving her for months. But he could still feel her slipping away.
She came home as she always did. As she took off her shoes in the genkan, Daichi walked over to her from the kitchen where he was already preparing dinner, giving her a kiss on the cheek as she stepped into their living room.
“Hey babe, how was your day? I’m making a stir fry for dinner, you can sit and rela–”
“Actually, I want to talk.” Shit. Daichi wasn’t so naive to not know what that meant.
“I can’t do this anymore, Daichi. I want to break up.” She said, tears already streaming down her face.
“Michimiya plea—”
“Stop. Just listen. You remember my coworker, Ishada?” Daichi nods his head, remembering the man he met at Michimiya’s last office party. “He confessed to me on the work trip. And as much as I wanted to Daichi, I turned him down. For you.” She chokes out her words, breathing heavy. Daichi feels tears wetting his own cheeks now too. He knows what’s coming next.
“That whole day traveling back I was thinking about you. About the promise we made to each other to try. I was confident in my decision.” She rubs her eyes, letting out a pained sob before continuing “But you didn’t show. You left me looking like an idiot, searching for you around the station.” They’re both sobbing now, Daichi can’t bring himself to look at her.
“I went to Ishada today and told him I changed my mind.”
“Michimiya wait. Please!” Daichi croaks out, voice thick with tears.
“No. I’m done waiting. I love you Daichi. I love you so fucking much but we can’t do this anymore. I can’t do this anymore.” She meets his eyes then, for the last time. “I’ll be out by the end of the week.” She says with a finality in her tone, walking to the bedroom and once again, locking the door.
Daichi is left in silence. He curses himself as he walks to the kitchen, hands shaking as he turns off the stove, abandoning their dinner. He sits himself down on the couch and he can’t control it anymore. He sobs into his hands. He grieves. He grieves for his relationship, he grieves for Michimiya, he grieves for his life that is now in shambles. He cries until his eyes run out of tears, his sobs turning dry, throat sore. Eventually he drifts to sleep.
Michimiya makes good on her promise and is gone by the end of the week.
—----
“She found someone else. And I couldn’t even blame her.” Daichi can hear Suga’s soft intake of breath, clearly surprised as he recounts the unfortunate events.
“I—I can’t believe—Daichi, I–” Suga starts.
“No, Suga, it’s okay. Please don’t have any negative feelings towards her. Like I said, I don't blame her at all. Matter of fact, after the initial bout of grief I almost wanted to thank her.” Tears are streaming down Daichi’s face now, but he lets out a chuckle. It’s genuine despite his conflicting state.
“I think we both changed a lot in the last couple of years. I stopped caring about her in the way that I always promised to. She never stopped caring for me though. It was me who didn’t live up to the deal. There were things that happened and fights here and there along the way, but that’s the jist of it. I guess it really came to fruition when I forgot to pick her up at the station. She had been gone for a week and I didn’t even notice it was time for her to come back. That’s on me.” Daichi tries to wipe his eyes, the tears not letting up.
“I felt so horrible. And I told myself I’d make it up to her somehow. But it was just too late, Suga. That mix up was the straw that broke the camel's back. I didn’t fight it too much once she told me it was over. To me it felt like a long time coming. Despite my heart being shattered, I was happy to know she had someone who could give her what she deserved again.” He choked out all of this as Suga sat silently, eyes fixed on him now. Suga had placed his other hand on Daichi’s knee, doing everything he could to offer some comfort to his broken friend. Daichi wanted to crawl into his touch. His cheeks were soaked with tears now, his vision was completely overtaken by the emotions spilling out of him.
It had just come to his realization that he hadn't really talked about what happened with him and Michimiya to anyone. Saying it out loud had given him a real sense of release. Suga takes his hand off of Daichi’s knee and slips it into his palm, stroking his knuckle with his thumb. Daichi blinks hard, trying to clear his eyes so he can see his friend. Once he finally gets some of his vision back, to his surprise, Suga’s face is also streaked with tears.
Daichi’s heart sinks, guilty to put his friend in such a state. He quickly pulls Suga in to rest his temple on Daichi’s shoulder. He can feel the sleeve of his shirt starting to soak. “Hey, hey. It’s alright Suga. I’m okay, I’m serious. It was rough at first, but it’s been some time and I’m doing better now.” Daichi speaks softly.
“Daichi I’m–” Suga starts before letting out a sob. Daichi is using both hands now to comfort the man, wrapping his free arm around his back, gently rubbing his arm while the other stays clasping his hand. They sit enveloped into each other on the bench, desperate to comfort one another. The man takes a few deep breaths and calms himself slightly. Suga has always been very empathetic, but Daichi is surprised nonetheless to see such a strong reaction from his friend, despite their lack of presence in each other’s lives the last few years.
“I’m just really sorry Daichi. I–I wish I could’ve been there for you.” Suga says, sitting up to wipe his eyes with the palm of his hand, then looking up at Daichi.
“I don’t know why I haven’t reached out. I think about it all the time, and I’ve been feeling so guilty for not talking to you, especially since seeing you again. You do so much for me and I could’ve been there for you.”
“Suga, stop. It’s okay. Trust me there have been so many times I wanted to reach out and didn’t. I don’t know why either. It’s water under the bridge.” Daichi says, looking tearily into his friend's eyes. His mind flashes for a second, wondering what they look like to bystanders at the moment, both men completely wrecked by their emotions.
“Honestly, being here with you? I don’t know how I ever lived without talking to you.” Daichi says, nerves spiking. He wants so desperately to tell Suga how he truly feels about him. But after recounting all of this, Daichi’s emotions were completely wiped. He doesn’t know if he’d be able to handle a possible rejection right now. Not when he’s feeling as close as ever with the man he loves so much. He craves his touch, he wants to hold him forever, just like that. If only Suga was single, the timing felt all wrong. Daichi’s heart sinks again, he knows Suga is already in love with someone else.
Instead of saying all the things he wished he had the courage for, Daichi smiles. “I don’t intend to let you slip out of my life again. I mean- even just getting this off of my chest with you, I feel a hundred times better.” It was true, despite the white lies that he had also told Asahi and Kiyoko regarding Michimiya, he suddenly didn’t care at all who knew.
“God, Daichi, I feel the same way. I promise you are not getting rid of me ever. My life is just—it’s easier when you’re around.” Suga says, looking up at Daichi. “It’s like I could be completely clueless and you’re always there, saving me from myself. You take care of me, and I notice that. I don’t know if anyone else has ever done that for me, not even the men I’ve dated.” Daichi is speechless hearing these things. So he does notice. His head is racing with thoughts. He wants nothing more in that moment than to feel his lips, to let him know that he’ll never have to worry again, that he’ll always protect him from himself–and anything or anyone that would dare to hurt him. Daichi is feeling bolder, working up the nerve to confess his feelings. But before he can collect himself, he’s surprised by a quick intake of breath from his friend.
Suddenly Suga is consumed with laughter. “What a couple lunatics huh? Sorry Daichi but you really wanted to do all this in public? We’re both UGLY crying right now.” Daichi can’t help but laugh along with his friend, the moment has shifted. A sense of release hits him like a wave. For the first time, in a long time it feels as though everything in the world will sort itself out. Suga is his friend. He’s not going anywhere. Without thinking, Daichi reaches down and holds Suga’s hand between his own. He brings it up and kisses the back of his milky white knuckles, surprising them both. Daichi goes red, he hadn’t planned to do that. Suga’s face looks confused for a moment, but he quickly replaces it with a soft smile.
“I think we better get back. Big fundraiser tomorrow.” Daichi says awkwardly, hoping Suga doesn’t pay too much mind to the intimate gesture he just let slip. Daichi helps Suga to his feet, still gently holding his hand. They silently walk back to the condo, breathing into the night.
—--
Daichi is woken to the sound of shuffling feet, and then a loud crash, coming from the kitchen. He’s thankful that the group is able to sleep in a little bit later this morning. The past few days have been more intense than he had expected. Today the gyms are being occupied by a basketball club, and the only thing on the agenda now is the car wash in the afternoon.
Daichi groans as he rolls out of bed, sighing as he hauls himself onto his feet. The noise from a moment ago has quieted down. Daichi slowly walks out of his room towards the kitchen, looking around for the source of his abrupt awakening.
“MORNING BRO.”
Daichi whips his head to the other side of the room. There he finds a man nearly naked, standing near the coffee maker. Daichi jumps at the loud greeting.
“Ahhh—Damn it Tanaka! Put some clothes on!” Daichi says, chuckling at the absurdity of the situation after giving him a brief death glare. The man is walking around the kitchen like he owns the place, wearing nothing but his boxers.
“Aw come on man, I was hitting shoulders pretty hard with the boys yesterday, Kiyoko should be up soon. I'll put a shirt on after she gets a good look.” He says, flexing his muscles in demonstration. “Here I’ll make you a cup of coffee." the man says, pouring the dark liquid into a mug and handing it to Daichi. He decides to let the man continue his morning unclothed, at least for now.
Asahi also wakes up from the commotion in the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he joins the two. Tanaka pours another cup and hands it to the taller man who just nods, only halfway awake.
“So, car wash today huh, it’s gonna be kind of weird, we never did anything like that before.” Daichi says.
“They seem pretty desperate for funds. It worries me a bit, I mean we never really had that much either but–”
Asahi is cut off by three loud knocks on the door. The men look at each other in confusion. It’s still early, just past 9am and they can’t imagine one of their old team mates stopping by without texting first. Daichi steps up to get the door.
Three more knocks ring out before he can open it, giving Daichi a pang of irritation. I swear if this is Hinata or Nishinoya I’m gonna kill them. Daichi swings the door open to reveal a tall, handsome man with a bouquet of flowers.
Haruto.
Daichi catches a glimpse of a scowl for just a second, before it’s replaced by an overcompensating smile. “You must be Daichi—I can call you Daichi right? It’s how Koushi always refers to you.” He hesitates at this stranger's use of Suga’s given name. Even Suga’s closest friends just used the shortened version of his surname. It sounds all wrong coming out of his mouth.
“Uh, yeah sure. Haruto, right?” The man only nods in response leaving the two in awkward silence. Daichi glances inside to see Tanaka and Asahi peeking around the kitchen, whispering and listening in on the conversation by the door.
Haruto motions with his head to be let inside. “Uh, come on in. I think Suga is still asleep, I’ll go get him up.” Daichi leaves the man to wait in the kitchen with the other two. He gets a sour look on his face when he notices the shirtless Tanaka. God, he really is the jealous type. The three awkwardly introduce themselves as Daichi goes to Suga’s bedroom door and softly knocks. When Suga doesn’t answer the door after a few moments he knocks again, a little louder this time, wincing at the intrusion. Suga does not like to be woken.
He hears some rusting around in the bedroom before Suga finally opens the door. His hair is tousled, eyes squinting at him in confusion. Despite the weird circumstances, he can’t help but notice how adorable the man looks. Sweet and sleepy.
“Daichi?” He says softly, voice still hoarse with sleep.
“Um, can you come out here? You have a visitor.” Suga tilts his head, but slowly comes out of the room to follow Daichi. His eyes go wide when he sees Haruto standing in the kitchen with flowers. Before he has the time to process, still in shock from being woken so abruptly, Haruto crosses the room. He pulls Suga into a kiss that seems much too intimate to be taking place in front of three strangers. Haruto attempts to slip his tongue in Suga’s mouth but is softly pushed away.
The other three men glance at each other uncomfortably, eyes wide. Asahi looks like he’s about to pass out. Suga backs away from Haruto slightly, clearly taken off guard and somewhat uncomfortable about being jumped as soon as he walks in the room.
“Haruto, I had no idea you were coming.”
“I wanted to surprise you, baby.” He says, handing Suga the bouquet of flowers. Suga’s eyes quickly meet Daichi’s over his boyfriend’s shoulder and the man turns his head a little bit, noticing the interaction.
“Uh, hey let’s step outside for a second.” Suga says quietly to his boyfriend. He places the flowers on the countertop before leading the man out the door.
Kioyoko walks out of her bedroom then, still in her pajamas as confusion paints her face. “Who the hell was that?” She whispers.
Tanaka takes a moment to register that his wife has entered the room and immediately starts to flex his muscles a bit, acting like it’s natural. He pours a cup of coffee for his wife, adding cream and sugar. “Good morning, beautiful.” He says, going over to give the woman a soft kiss. Compared to the possessive interaction they just witnessed between Suga and Haruto, Daichi can’t help but notice the stark difference in this sweet gesture.
“Wow, Ryu. Did your muscles get even bigger?” Kiyoko says, touching the man’s bicep.
“Gotta stay fit for you babe. Hopefully I wasn’t too hard on the boys yesterday, I’m trying to whip them into shape.” He says, tilting his head up confidently.
“Well you better put some clothes on, or I’m gonna be too distracted. We’ve got a big day ahead of us.” She says, batting her eyes. Tanaka looks over his shoulder at Daichi and Asahi, giving them a sly smile before heading to the bedroom to change. Kiyoko’s eyes meet the other two and they let out a laugh as the three make their way into the living room to sit on the couches.
“So seriously what is going on?” Kiyoko asks.
“That’s Suga’s boyfriend Haruto. I don’t know, he just…showed up.” Daichi responds. He was past the point of irritation now. Not only had the man clearly come uninvited, which was made apparent by Suga’s surprised response, but the way he manhandled him with that kiss had Daichi’s blood boiling.
Tanaka comes out again, clothed this time and joins the others. “Woah, are you okay Daichi? You look like you’re gonna kill someone. I put clothes on!” Tanaka puts his arms up in surrender. Daichi realizes how he must look then, trying his best to release the scowl from his face.
“Sorry, that was just–I didn’t expect Haruto to show up. It’s weird.”
“I don’t think Suga did either.” Asahi says. Even though the large man doesn’t often get angry, he is surprisingly also looking a little annoyed. So at least it’s not just me.
Before they can discuss it further, Suga and Haruto come back inside, grins painting their faces. “Sorry about that you guys. Haruto decided to surprise me. I had no idea he was coming.” The man looks up at his boyfriend, giggling. “You guys don’t mind if he crashes with us? He took the rest of the week off of work to join us.” The man is leaning over Suga’s shoulders, arms draped around the shorter man.
“If it’s not too much trouble.” Haruto flashes a grin. The same fake one he gave Daichi earlier at the door. He can’t be serious, right? The group is awkwardly silent for a moment, before Kiyoko cuts the tension.
“Yeah I think that will be okay. I’m Kiyoko by the way. Nice to meet you.” Haruto reaches out his hand and shakes Kiyoko’s. Daichi wants to roll his eyes. The rest of the men awkwardly shake their heads in support of Kiyoko’s response.
“Awesome! I’m so excited for you guys to all finally meet! Here, let’s get you settled in.” Suga says, grabbing Haruto’s bag from the floor and muscling it into his room. Daichi and Asahi meet each other’s eyes with uneasy looks. He shakes his head. That asshole should be carrying it himself.
They spend the rest of the morning lazying around, slowly getting prepared for the car wash in the afternoon. Once ready, the group walks over to the parking lot where they’re hosting the car wash. Dachi smiles as they approach the others. Everyone looks like they're ready for the beach, wearing shorts and tank tops. Ukai and Takeda have a large canopy set up with buckets, soap, sponges, and a cooler filled with water bottles. They have a few water hoses hooked up from the nearby building and there’s a table set up under the canopy with a tin box for cash donations. Most of the boys are there already, chatting as they make signs to attract customers from the street.
The original plan was to get everything set up this afternoon and hold the car wash Thursday morning. Unfortunately, they had to rush to get everything ready a day early due to the schedule mix up at the gym. The coaches and their friends looked a bit stressed out, likely having to scramble to get all the materials set up this morning. Daichi’s group is the last of the old team mates to arrive, and everyone's eyes seem to fall on Haruto after a moment, wondering about the strange man that’s joined the group. Suga steps up and motions to the taller man.
“Everyone, this is my boyfriend Haruto. He wanted to join us this week. He can help out wherever he’s needed so put him to work!” He says with a cheeky smile. Daichi is happy at least that his friend’s mood has seemed to improve from the last couple of days. He tries to ignore the jealous pang in his heart, attempting to be happy for his friend who is clearly excited to spend some time with his boyfriend. Daichi however, can’t stop sizing the man up. He wonders why this is the man that Suga has chosen to date. He hopes this morning was just a fluke, maybe Haruto isn’t as offputting as he seems. Daichi figures there has to be some redeeming qualities for his friend to be in love with the man.
Haruto is quickly surrounded by their old team mates, everyone introducing themselves and asking invasive questions about him and Suga’s love life. Haruto keeps himself glued to Suga, his arm wrapped around his shoulder slowly falling to his waist, resting on Suga’s hip as they talk.
Daichi looks the other way, his emotions are all over the place. He’s trying his best to control how he feels and he’s happy that Suga is happy, but he can’t seem to rid himself of the irritation and jealousy he’s feeling now that Haruto is here in person. He decides to remove himself and go help out the boys getting set up. Maybe avoiding them will help him find his bearings.
“Yeah, I think maybe just a few of you can probably stand by the road with the signs and then maybe a couple to direct the cars this way? Uh huh–” Daichi is interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. He turns his head to look up at the taller man. “I’ll be back. This all looks good.” He gives the players a thumbs up as he steps away.
“So he’s pretty hot huh? I figured Suga had good taste but,” Kuroo lets out a whistle. Daichi just looks at the man in disbelief, already annoyed by this conversation. He can feel his face growing taut with anger.
“Jesus, what’s your deal?”
“I’m not in the mood, man.” Daichi says, turning to walk back to the high schoolers. Kuroo catches his wrist, turning him around to face him. Their chests are just a little too close to each other as Kuroo’s eyes pierce Daichi’s.
“Hey. You don’t want to be that guy.” His voice a low rumble, serious for a moment before softening. “It’s a car wash for god’s sake, chill out.” Daichi whips his arm from Kuroo’s grip and walks away. Fuck. He does have a point. Daichi focuses on his breathing. In and out. He calms himself, slowly stepping back from the ledge as he concentrates on the tasks at hand.
—--
The car wash starts out slow. A few of the boys stand near the street with the signs they made earlier while the rest stand under the canopy, chatting while they wait for customers. About 30 minutes pass by without a single car pulling in, and worry is painted across Takeda’s face.
“Alright, time to bring in reinforcements! Shouyou!?” Nishinoya motions to the orange haired man and they make their way up to the road, grabbing the signs from two of the boys. They both immediately start bouncing around and doing flips with the signs. It doesn’t take long for the two to start drawing the attention of cars passing by and receiving honks. The players stand back, laughing at them. However, that laughter turns to disbelief when cars quickly begin to pull into the lot.
Hinata and Nishinoya pass their signs back to the surprised players, hyping them up to move around to get the attention of cars. With the boys' new determination, they’re now in business. The groups sitting under the canopy finally grab their buckets and hoses, getting to work on washing the cars.
Takeda and Ukai are sitting at the table, taking donations from the customers that decide to step out of their cars and telling them about the volleyball program. Takeda makes sure to mention the exhibition match that will happen on Sunday, handing out fliers.
The alumni players casually stand around, helping with washing the cars here and there but leaving most of it up to the boys. They switch their stations every so often, making sure the boys standing in the hot sun with the signs have time to rest and keep hydrated.
Daichi, Asahi, and Kageyama grab sponges to wash a car, giving some of the boys a break. Surprisingly, Suga leaves Haruto’s side, grabbing a bucket to join them. He dips his hand in the water, flicking it at Daichi when he gets close. Daichi feels the usual smile enveloping his face like it always does when Suga is around, but keeps his focus on the car. “There he is!” The man says at that reaction. He bumps Daichi’s shoulder with his own, but his voice is quiet. “Are you okay? I feel like you’ve been avoiding me.”
“Yeah, I'm alright. Kuroo’s been driving me up a wall. I mean, the guy won’t leave me alone.” Daichi says. It’s not exactly not true.
“Hah. And here I thought we were all besties after the other night. Well just stay close to me I’ll fight him off for you.” He bumps Daichi again, with his hip this time. “But hey, you should talk to Haruto. I think he’s feeling a little weird about being here with everyone. I don’t want him to feel left out.” Suga starts, eyes looking at Daichi but he doesn’t meet them just yet.. The last thing he wants to do right now is talk to Haruto.
“Okay, I know it’s a little weird that he came here out of the blue and I was a little annoyed at first too, but I’m actually glad. I’ve been wanting him to meet more of my friends and he’s heard so much about you guys. I’m excited for you to finally get to know each other.”
Suga says this in his usual convincing way, and Daichi immediately begins to feel guilty. Of course. Had he been too harsh on Haruto? Had the man actually wanted to be friends, nervous to meet his boyfriend's old team? With Suga asking him so sweetly, Daichi knew he was completely powerless to the man. God, he could kick me and I’d still want to kiss his pretty feet.
“Yeah I’ll go talk to him a little bit. I’ve been meaning to but I was caught up.” He lies, finally looking up to meet Suga’s eyes. He’s surprised when he looks at his friend, noticing the slight redness forming on his cheeks and the tops of his shoulders. “Shit Suga, did you put on sunscreen?”
“Ugh no I forgot to bring some. Does it look bad? I’ve been trying to stay in the shade.” He sighs. Daichi grabs their sponges and puts them in the bucket, giving a nod to Kageyama to let him know they’re stepping away. Daichi grabs Suga’s elbow gently, leading him to where he placed his backpack behind the canopy. The whole reason he packed the sunscreen was for Suga, Daichi’s tan complexion had no problem with the sun. He knew Suga might need some, his pale skin always seemed to burn. Now he felt guilty again, if he hadn’t been avoiding his friend he could have offered earlier and avoided his discomfort.
Daichi pulls the sunscreen from his bag and squirts a dollop in Suga’s hands for him to rub on his face. Afterwards Daichi touches up a few spots, rubbing in the places where the sunscreen was still visible before motioning for the man to turn around. He squeezes some into his own hands, gently rubbing the lotion into the tops of his shoulders. Suga lets out a slight hiss at the touch, his red shoulders are hot under Daichi’s fingers. Luckily the more sensitive parts of his torso are shielded from the sun by his shirt.
“You should’ve let me know you didn’t have any sunscreen.”
“You should’ve let me know you had some.” Suga says, causing Daichi to chuckle.
“I guess that’s fair.” The lotion is completely absorbed but Daichi leaves his hands for a moment, gently rubbing his shoulders. He’s not sure if he’s soothing Suga, but the touch somehow calms Daichi from the stress of this morning. For a moment, they’re in their own world behind the canopy. Daichi closes his eyes, letting out a heavy breath.
The two are broken away from the moment however, hearing someone clearing their throat. They turn around, finding the source of the intrusion.
“Oh hey babe! Daichi had some sunscreen for me thank god. I’m definitely a little burnt already.” Suga says, motioning to his pink shoulders and cheeks.
“Koushi, come on now I can’t believe you don’t know better than that by now.” Haruto says. He’s playing it off as teasing, but Daichi notices there’s a certain bite behind his words. He looks at Suga, trying to read his expression. Did he notice it too? “Anyways, thanks for looking out, Daichi.” Haruto stares at Daichi now, clearly wanting the man to leave and give the two a moment alone.
“It’s no problem. I’m gonna go check on the guys. I’ll catch up with you later.” Daichi gives Suga a smile before excusing himself to rejoin his group.
Asahi and Kageyama are no longer washing cars. He joins Ennoshita by the cooler.
“Is that guy gonna cause problems you think?” Ennoshita says bluntly. The man was never one to mince words, and he was surprisingly perceptive. Daichi had always been able to count on him to keep the team in check when he wasn’t looking. It felt good to know that someone else was looking out for this group just as much as he was.
“Uh, no I don’t think so. It’s all good.” Daichi says. He’s still trying to feel out the situation, but he doesn’t want to draw more attention to the obvious tension brewing. To be honest he’s not entirely sure if there even is tension, or if it’s all just in his head.
As the day moves along, the group gets into a rhythm. Nishinoya and Tanaka get bored and start to mess around with the water hoses, playfully spraying each other and the younger players. The two teams and adults are running around laughing, but Daichi can’t enjoy it fully, eyes glancing around to find Suga. Everywhere he seems to go Haruto is right behind him. Daichi wishes he could have some alone time with Suga away from Haruto. His presence just seems to make things weird between them.
Tanaka ends up spraying Kiyoko, soaking her white shirt. She squeals at him in response and Tanaka has his hands on his knees, consumed with laughter… until he sees the younger boys gawking at his wife with their jaws on the floor. Tanaka immediately goes red, running to cover her up, taking off his own shirt to give her.
“What are you looking at?” He says to the lingering boys with an intensity Daichi has only ever seen in regards to Kiyoko. Him and his old team mates laugh at the scene, all too familiar.
Eventually, a few cars of high school girls pull up, clearly from Nekoma. They all oogle at the boys, flirting with some of the players. The boys fight with each other to clean the cars, clearly wanting to impress the girls. Coach Naoi lingers close by, giving them a death glare when they’re getting too cheeky.
Suga comes to find Daichi, who is chatting with Asahi and Ennoshita. Haruto is unfortunately attached to his hip. But before they can even start up a conversation, Hinata and Yamaguchi pull the pretty man away, leaving only Haruto.
“Man, it’s weird seeing Koushi with all of you guys. I’ve heard so much about you all.” Haruto says to the group.
“Honestly it’s a little weird for all of us, being back together like this. It’s almost like we’re stepping back into a world from the past.” Asahi says, eyes looking up to the sky.
Daichi looks at Ennoshita and they burst out laughing. Haruto takes a moment, but joins in, apparently understanding the humor of it.
“WHAT?” Asahi says.
“Nothing, you’re just still so cheesy. I thought you would’ve grown out of that by now.”
“Damn, Daichi you are harsh! I can definitely see why you and Suga get along.” Haruto says, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder. Daichi is surprised by this. Is he actually…being nice?
The conversation is casual and slowly gets less awkward as they ask Haruto a little bit about himself. Where he’s from, his job, how he and Suga met. Daichi was curious to hear the story from Haruto’s point of view.
“Yeah so I was meeting up with a friend from college and all of a sudden I see a man in a cardigan come up to me out of the blue. To be honest, he wasn’t initially my type but he came over and flirted a bit, giving me his number. I don’t know, something about his playfulness and that smirk really won me over. After a couple of dates I was hooked.” He started, taking a sip from his water bottle. Despite the feeling that they were starting to get along, Daichi did not like Haruto’s response. Not his type?
“What do you mean he wasn’t your type?” Daichi says, surprising himself and the rest of the group. Ennoshita gives him wide eyes.
“I mean, Suga’s obviously gorgeous but I guess I wasn’t usually into the softer types until I met him.” He says with a shrug, like he didn’t just give his boyfriend a backhanded compliment in front of his friends. Daichi clenches his fists, trying his best to stay calm as he thinks of a response.
“Hah. Well Suga’s really not so soft ya know? We’ve been punched by him enough times to realize that.” Asahi says, clearly trying to diffuse the situation.
“Yeah, you’re right. That’s how he won me over I guess. He looks so soft and sweet but underneath the man is an absolute menace.” Haruto says, getting a short chuckle from the others. Daichi can only manage a fake smile. He glances over at Suga who’s learning a dance with Hinata, Yamaguchi, and some of the high schoolers for a video. When Suga looks his way, a beautiful smile blooms on his face at the sight of Daichi and his friends seemingly getting along with Haruto. He smiles back at Suga and nods his head. Sighing internally, Daichi tunes back into the conversation, promising himself to play nicely.
—--
As the peak of the afternoon hits, the sun is blazing. Many of the players and the men have dropped their shirts which only adds to the influx of cars, mostly women. Daichi joined suit, if he’s gonna be out here, he might as well give himself an even tan.
A car pulls up with two women in their 40s. Four of the players walk over to start washing the car but the driver calls one of them over to say something. He then moves towards the group of alumni standing under the canopy. “Uhh, they’re requesting you two to wash the car.” He says, pointing at Daichi and Kuroo. You’ve got to be kidding me. “And uh, they said they want a show.”
“Hey, now what’s that supposed to mean? What kind of car wash do they think we’re running here? Tell em’ to get lost, we’ve got enough business as is.” Ukai interjects, voice laced with annoyance.
“Okay, should I give them their donation back then?” The boy asks. Ukai’s eyes drift down to the generous amount of yen in his hand, eyes going wide. He walks over and places his hands on Kuroo and Daichi’s shoulders.
“Well, you heard him. Go put on a show for the nice ladies.”
—---
Daichi walks over to the car, getting right down to business. He grabs a sponge, starts rubbing it on the back passenger side door out of view of the women. He looks over at Kuroo who is unsurprisingly also shirtless, standing in front of the car, wringing a soapy sponge out onto his well-defined chest. Daichi feels a spike in his heart rate, excitement blooming that is quickly dissipated into annoyance when he sees the smirk on Kuroo’s face, directed at him. He can hear the ladies screaming and laughing inside the car.
“Hey, Sawamura! Come here and help me out, they want to see you too!” Kuroo motions to Daichi.
“Someone’s got to actually wash the car.” Kuroo just rolls his eyes at that response, walking to the driver's window to talk to the women.
“Yeah, I know. He’s kind of a grouch but I can’t blame you guys, the man is hot. Yeah, Sawamura. Huh? You know what’s even better? Yeah, it does. He’s actually a cop. Mmmhm, he might even have his handcuffs.” Daichi can hear Kuroo muttering into the car.
All of a sudden the women are chanting his name, squealing “SAWAMURA.” Daichi’s breath catches. Great, now everyone’s watching. He looks around, most of the players are busy washing cars, hopefully not paying too much attention. His former teammates start heckling him from under the canopy.
“Let’s see it Daichi-san!!!!!”
“Cmon’ man, I’ve know you can move those hips.”
“Think of the donations!!!”
“Woooo! Give em’ a show Dai!” This one gets his attention. He looks over to see Suga grinning from the sidelines, clapping his hands. Daichi is surprised to see Haruto isn’t by his side for once. “Don’t be lame!” He adds once he sees he’s caught Daichi’s attention.
“Yeah, what he said.” Kuroo points to Suga, the two men grinning at each other. Shit.
Daichi shakes his head, making his way to the front of the car as Kuroo lifts his head in satisfaction. Careful what you wish for. Daichi decides to go all out. He takes his time, slowly hoisting himself up onto the wet hood of the car. He knows it would be extremely unsexy if he made a dent, so he’s careful, evenly distributing his weight. He sits up so he’s directly in front of the windshield, knees spread apart slightly as he sits back onto his heels. He uses his left hand to grab the roof of the car, steadying himself as he uses his other arm to wipe across the windshield with a sponge, flexing his muscles as he moves. Once the suds have settled and he can see the women on the other side of the window, he shoots them a wink, causing an eruption of noises from inside the car.
“Fuck. You were holding out on me. Who are you and what did you do with Captain America?” Kuroo says once Daichi is back on the ground, walking to grab the water hose. Kuroo dips his sponge in a bucket again, but instead of wringing it out on himself this time, he moves close to Daichi, their chests almost touching as he places the sponge directly above the shorter man. Water slowly trickles down as Kuroo squeezes the sponge, leaving suds trailing down Daichi’s abs.
“Damn it Kuroo, you almost got it in my eyes.” Daichi mutters. He stumbles slightly in surprise, but keeps up the performance nonetheless. Daichi grabs a hose from the ground and directs the spray at Kuroo now, who throws his head back, running his hands through his wet hair as he gasps at the cool sensation of the water. Daichi gawks at him for a second, noticing the sunlight hitting the water as it trails down his abs. Daichi’s heart starts racing again and he can feel the heat forming below his waist. To Daichi’s dismay, he’s half hard at this point. He curses himself, hoping no one can see the outline through his shorts. I really hope the boys aren’t watching this.
His old team mates are still making noises, whistling and cheering for the two men’s ridiculous display. Out of the corner of his eye, Daichi sees that Suga’s still watching intently. You want a show?
Daichi places the bucket further away from the car, giving the women the full view as he slowly bends down, soaking the sponge in the water. Kuroo is over at the driver's side window now, flexing his muscled arms as he wipes it down with a sponge. Daichi slowly pulls himself upright again, giving everyone a nice view of his toned ass in the process. He pulls the sponge above his head and wrings it out, letting the water and suds flow down the taught muscles of his back this time. He glances over at Suga who looks like his jaw might hit the floor. His cheeks are a little bit redder than earlier. Either we didn’t use enough sunscreen, or he really is enjoying the show.
Daichi runs his hands through his short hair, giving the ladies a nice view of his biceps as he makes his way back to the car. Kuroo is standing in place now, gaping at him instead of washing the car. Daichi shoots him a wink, but gives him a stiff elbow to the side as he moves towards the back of the car, muttering “Let’s hurry this up.” Kuroo lets out a groan from the hit and turns back to work. They quickly finish up then, feeling like they gave them their money's worth, and the women are on their way.
Daichi and Kuroo walk back under the canopy where all their old team mates are losing it and laughing at the two. Ukai walks up and the group goes quiet.
“Hey guys. Good job but, um, don’t ever do that again mmkay?” He says plainly and walks away. Daichi feels embarrassment wash over him as his friends continue to laugh at and tease them.
Daichi moves out of the crowd quickly, hoping to go hide forever after that public display. Suga walks up and grabs his shoulder before he can escape into the shadows. “Jesus, Daichi. That was hot. And I’m not just saying that as your friend, I’m saying that as a gay man.” He laughs. Daichi feels his nerves spike at his friend's words. Suddenly Haruto is there, shirtless now too. He comes up behind Suga, wrapping his arms around the front of his shoulders, pulling the man into him.
“Nice little show you guys put on there.” Haruto says. “I’m sorry to say though, I think Kuroo was a little hotter.” Daichi and Suga both look at each other in confusion. Jealous, much? Suga looks back and rolls his eyes at his boyfriend. “Oh come on babe, I know Kuroo’s more your type. Daichi’s a little short, no?” Haruto says with a smile, eyes moving to meet Daichi’s.
“Pfff, yeah right. Daichi is everyone’s type!” Suga laughs out, nudging his boyfriend. Daichi’s heart flutters. He’s feeling bold enough to pull his eyes from Suga for a moment, smirking at the man hanging over his friend. Haruto’s eyes go dark, looking at Daichi with an intensity that could kill. He drops his arms from Suga, moving him to the side as he makes to step forward.
“Sawamura!! Come here.” Kuroo yells from a few feet away, breaking the tension. Daichi quickly excuses himself, walking towards Kuroo and Yaku.
“Can you believe Yaku said the sponge move was overplayed?”
“Well, not when Daichi did it. You overplayed it. I thought the ladies were going to just drive off when you pulled it the third time.” He pokes at Kuroo.
“Whatever man. I think we put on a pretty good show.” Kuroo says, walking away from his friend. He motions with his head for Daichi to follow him. He stops at the cooler, grabbing two water bottles and handing one to Daichi. “I’d stay away from them for a while.”
“Who?”
“Who do you think? He must’ve seen Suga watching cause he seriously looked like he was about to punch you.” Kuroo says with concern. “But jesus fuck, you didn’t have to put on that good of a show. You totally showed me up!” He pouts, tossing up his hands in frustration.
“You asked for it.” Daichi says, raising an eyebrow at Kuroo before walking away. From the corner of his eye, he sees the man’s mouth open slightly, lips slowly turning up into a smile.
“I did.”
—-
By late afternoon, the amount of cars coming in had slowed down drastically and eventually Takeda grabs everyone’s attention.
“Okay everyone, great job today! We actually raised quite a bit of money. This is going to be really good for the upcoming year.” He directs his gaze towards the high school players. “Please thank your generous senpais for helping out with this today.” He says, motioning towards Daichi and the other adults. The kids grumble out their thank yous and they all disperse for the day.
Everyone is exhausted from spending the day out in the heat, so they decide to stay in tonight and take it easy. Suga and Kiyoko decide to order a pizza, offering for Nishinoya, Tanaka, and Ennoshita to join the group for dinner.
The energy is surprisingly chill despite Nishinoya and Tanaka being present, and the group eats their pizza talking casually. Shortly after dinner, Haruto and Suga are the first to take their leave, returning to their bedroom for the night. Suga would never leave the group so early without his boyfriend there. Daichi wished they could debrief about the day after everyone else had gone to sleep.
After all this time Daichi felt like he finally had his friend back, and now he kept being pulled away. Haruto was definitely complicating things. After their heart to heart last night Daichi was longing for his friend. He remembers how they felt pressed together, holding onto each other like they were the only two people in the world. He’s not sure how he’s going to get through the rest of the week without him by his side.
The pizza gives Tanaka and Nishinoya strength to be annoying again, the two enthusiastically recounting the events of the day, still teasing Daichi about the performance. Eventually Asahi and Kiyoko let out a yawn, and Ennoshita drags Noya and Tanaka back to their condo for the night.
Now Daichi is left in the living room by himself, tired but he doesn’t feel like he’ll be able to sleep. The day was an absolute rollercoaster. He recounts his interactions with Suga and his boyfriend throughout the day, trying to wrap his head around it. He’s so angry that he couldn’t fully enjoy the day with his friend. What does he even see in that guy?
Daichi’s mind shifts then to Michimiya. Were we ever like that? He doesn’t think so. There was always this understanding that the two of them were meant for each other. That they would be together forever, and all his friends supported it. He winces at the pain in his heart, feeling completely alone for the first time since he arrived in Tokyo. Daichi rubs his eyes, willing himself to think of anything else than what his mind is dragging him into. Luckily, he doesn’t have to try too hard, his phone vibrating with a notification.
From Kuroo:
You cool off yet?
Daichi smiles. He’s not sure if Kuroo is referring to the heat they were standing in all afternoon, or the anger he was clearly experiencing for the entirety of the day. Thinking back on it he’s a little embarrassed at how mad he had been that morning, snatching his hand away from Kuroo. He knew that man was only looking out for him.
To Kuroo:
I guess you could say that. Thanks for earlier. I’m sorry for being a jerk. I think you saved me from being an even bigger one.
From Kuroo:
What are you doing right now? I can’t sleep.
Daichi stares at the message for a while, not sure how to respond. Something about the exchange feels dangerous.
From Kuroo:
Your read receipts are on by the way. Meet me outside in 10.
Notes:
I hope you enjoyed chapter 4 :)
Chapter 5 is mostly drafted. Give me until Thursday night and it should be ready!
Once again, thank you so much to everyone following along. I love to hear what you guys think!
Comments and kudos give me strength <3<3<3
Chapter 5: Bite
Notes:
You guys. This week has been hell!!!! BUT I have chapter 5 for you as promised<3<3
I am loving all the kudos I appreciate all of my readers you guys are the best!
This chapter was soooooo much fun for me to write. Please enjoy :)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Daichi finds Kuroo seated on a bench near the street. Surprisingly, Tsukishima is also standing a few feet away, the tall man illuminated by the yellow street lights above.
“There he is! Hey, can you believe this guy? I teach him everything he knows about blocking and somehow he becomes a pro, and now he’s denying me credit!”
“You give yourself too much credit.” Tsukishima says, rolling his eyes at the man. Daichi lets out a laugh. Tsukishima has always been a tough man to crack.
“So apparently Yamaguchi snores so loudly you can hear him in the next room, and I accidentally had regular coffee when I meant to make decaf.” Kuroo motions to Tsukishima and then himself. “What’s your excuse, Sawamura?” Daichi falters briefly, but decides to be honest. He was too exhausted to come up with a convincing lie.
“Ehh, my mind was wandering to dangerous territory.” Kuroo’s eyes soften in understanding, having heard Daichi’s confession the other night. “Uh I’m not sure if you remember my girlfriend Michimiya? We were together for a long time but we broke up earlier this year.” Daichi says to Tsukishima. The man just nods in acknowledgement.
“Well on a positive note, we all got a tan today. I wouldn’t have guessed it Kei, but you actually got a shade or two darker. I would’ve thought you’d be as red as a lobster.”
“There’s something called sunscreen dumbass, you should try it sometime.” Tsukishima. Harsh as ever. Daichi laughs, eyes meeting Tsukishima as Kuroo pouts dramatically.
The group continues to bicker back and forth for a few minutes before Tsukishima decides to go back inside and try to soundproof Yamaguchi’s room by shoving a towel under the door.
“Oh and by the way. You guys are super lame for the stripper car wash earlier. I know Ukai already said this, but seriously don't ever do that again.” Tsukishima says with his back turned as he walks away from the two, leaving Daichi alone with Kuroo.
“Sawamura. Are you okay?”
“Everybody keeps asking me that.” Daichi responds, not really answering the question. Kuroo waits a moment, looking at Daichi to see if he’s going to give any more.
“So? What’s the deal with that guy? You looked like you wanted to punch him this morning when I talked to you. And then by the afternoon it looked like he was gonna punch you!”
“What, are you watching me all the time?” Daichi says. He’s still surprised at how perceptive Kuroo can be, but he’s teasing nonetheless.
“Someone’s got to keep an eye on you, you’re like a ticking time bomb. Had to make sure I didn’t need to step in and diffuse the situation. These muscles aren’t just for show, ya know.” He says, flexing his arm.
“The guy is kind of an asshole. All I could think about this morning was punching him. I don’t even know what he’s doing here. He came banging on the door this morning and jumped Suga before he could rub the sleep out of his eyes.” Daichi isn’t sure why, but he doesn’t mind telling Kuroo these things. Something about their proximity these past few days has made him feel a sort of kinship with the man. They might even be friends at this point.
“I think we both know he’s here because of you, Sawamura.” Kuroo says. His eyes are intense despite the smirk on his face. Daichi’s breath almost catches. He finds his gaze lingering on the taller man’s lips.
“Yeah. I’m starting to think that might be right.” The two stand in silence for a moment, listening to the roaring sound of cars in the distance.
“You know, you seem different than you were in high school.”
“Doesn’t everyone?” Daichi says, voice a little harsher than he meant to be.
“Not like that. You seem…jaded. I mean, you always were kind of scary–C’mon, those forearms alone could make a man weak in the knees ya know? — but deep down you were always sort of… optimistic?” Daichi decided to ignore the comment about his forearms, the man was definitely a tease and he wasn’t going to bite. He looked up at the sky, considering Kuroo’s words carefully.
“I think maybe I am jaded. Seeing all my old team mates, people who used to look up to me. I feel like I let them all down. Out of everyone here, I’m the only one who’s life is a complete mess.”
“I think you don’t give yourself enough credit.” Kuroo says without an ounce of humor in his tone. The two men lock eyes once again. Daichi almost wants to squirm under his intense gaze, but something about it feels like a challenge. Instead Daichi just stares back, matching the heat behind his eyes. They stay for what seems like forever, neither one of them wanting to be the one to break away, an odd sort of tension forming between the two. Dangerous. Eventually, Kuroo cuts the tension.
“Okay. I’m gonna head in. Get some rest, Sawamura. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He says with a soft smile, quietly retreating back to his condo.
Daichi’s not even sure why he’s grinning as he slowly makes his way back inside. He feels a surprising sense of calm after the day he’s had. Daichi quickly readies himself for bed, pulling the bedroom door closed as quietly as he can, hoping not to wake Suga and Haruto in the next room. The door lets out a faint creaking sound despite his efforts.
Daichi pulls himself under the covers, closing his eyes and quickly starting to drift off when he hears the first ‘thump’. He could almost convince himself that someone just dropped their phone in the next room if it didn’t happen again, a few seconds later. Daichi stills, eyes fixed on the ceiling as he lays on his back. Soon enough there was a steady rhythm coming from the room next door. His grip tightens around the sheets, Daichi’s calm resolve quickly slipping away.
“Fuck! Koushi.”
The sounds quickly stop. Daichi can hear some shuffling around, someone whispering aggressively. Please just let that be the end of it.
Just when Daichi thinks it’s over, Daichi closes his eyes again. He wills himself to go to sleep, to forget about this day completely.
It starts again.
The steady thump on the wall is enough to make him want to scream, but this isn’t the end. He hears the only man he’s ever loved giggling, squealing “Quit it!” from the next room.
Dachi’s mind is numb. He lays there in disbelief, knowing this is intentional. Haruto was out to get him, and Suga was letting him have his way. Daichi pulls his hands up to his ears, tears beginning to form in his eyes. When Daichi hears the faintest moan, unmistakably Suga, he can’t take it anymore.
Daichi grabs a pillow and quickly exits the bedroom, closing the door much louder this time. He wanted them to hear him take his leave. He sits on the couch, head in his hands as tears begin to spill over. Eventually he lays himself down, still fuming. Angry tears are soaking into the pillow as he balls his fists. Daichi knows he has no real right to be jealous, Suga was with his boyfriend after all. Certainly he has the right to be annoyed, they were keeping him from his sleep, but he was honest with himself for once. That wasn’t all this was. He wanted to crawl into himself, to leave in the night and abandon the camp. He willed himself to stay, knowing that he made a commitment to Ukai, that the man had asked for his help.
He just couldn’t believe that Suga would be so careless. There was no doubt in his mind that Haruto had done this on purpose. He clearly wanted Daichi to hear him with Suga. And Suga had let that happen. Daichi was full of hate for Haruto, and his anger bubbled over to Suga. His mind was full of hurt.
Fuck. Daichi just couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that Suga was in love with someone like him. Chocked full of emotion, he stood up again, pacing around the living room to calm his nerves. He wanted to kick their door in and punch Haruto until he bled. He wanted to pull Suga away from that man and take him into his own arms. He just wanted to sleep. Last night Daichi was so sure things would be better. He was in love with his friend, there was no denying it anymore. But he thought he could handle just being friends. Having Suga by his side made him feel the pain of the world slipping away. But if it meant Suga was with Haruto, Daichi couldn’t bear it. His jealousy was inescapable. He focused on his breathing, reluctantly laying himself back down on the couch. It took him a long time to drift off to sleep. He didn’t dream.
—--
The next morning Daichi awakens abruptly. He’s confused for a second, before realizing how stiff his neck feels. Oh yeah, the couch. He lifts his head to peek into the kitchen and sees Asahi fumbling around with the coffee pot.
“You better bring me a cup.” Daichi grumbles, nearly causing his friend to drop the hot liquid.
“Daichi! You’re up already?”
“I am now.”
“Wait, did you sleep out here?” Daichi just groans in response. Eventually his friend brings him over a mug of coffee, so Daichi finally brings himself to a sitting position. The two quietly sit, sipping their drinks. Shortly after, Kiyoko joins them, smelling the pot of coffee from her room.
“Wait, did you?” She says, motioning towards the couch.
“Mmmhm.” Daichi mutters in response.
Once they have some caffeine in their system, the three friends get ready for their day at camp. It’s getting close to the time for them to leave, and Suga and Haruto still haven’t come out of their room.
“Should someone knock? Maybe they overslept.” Asahi says. An intense pang of irritation overwhelms him. He nods at Asahi, hoping his friend will muster up the courage to do it himself. Asahi just stares back at him, sweating in fear before he’s even walked towards the room. Daichi shakes his head and pats the man on his shoulder. He’ll have to do it himself.
He reaches Suga's door and knocks, much harder than he did yesterday morning to wake him. He can hear Suga speaking frantically in the bedroom, probably glancing at the time. The door swings open to reveal his friend. He can make out Haruto in the background, his foot sticking out from under the covers. Suga’s hair is tousled like it was yesterday. He’s wearing a shirt, but it’s clearly inside out. He guesses his friend frantically threw it on before getting the door. Daichi’s heart shatters when his gaze shifts down to his friend's neck. His eyes linger on the dark purple bruises littering his pale skin.
Daichi’s vision turns red. He shakes his head, walking away from the door without a word.
“Daichi, hold on.” Suga says, grabbing his arm. Daichi turns his head, looking him directly in his eyes.
“I don’t have time for this. Receiving practice is this morning and they’re expecting me. I’ll see you later.” Kiyoko and Asahi’s eyes go wide at the sight of Suga, disheveled and bruised. Kiyoko immediately goes over to the distraught man, saying she’ll stay back with him and urging the other two to go ahead. Daichi and Asahi walk out of the condo silently.
“Is that why you slept on the couch?” Asahi asks, sheepishly. Daichi can only bring himself to nod. The two men walk the rest of the way in silence.
Despite his frustration, Daichi has to push his feelings to the side, at least for the morning practices. Him, Nishinoya, and Yaku meet up with coach Ukai and Naoi to go over their plan for receiving practice. Nishinoya insists on starting the day by demonstrating rolling thunder. To no one’s surprise, he executes it perfectly. The three men make quick introductions since the players have already met them over the last few days, and get right into their practice drills.
As usual, Nekoma looks a lot stronger at receiving than Karasuno. Their libero, Kawamura is able to mimic Nishinoya’s rolling thunder immediately, causing the other players to get extremely hyped. Daichi, Nishinoya, and Yaku are spread out between the three courts with different practice drills at each. Hinata and Kuroo decide to help out Daichi on his court, spiking balls at the players and fetching stray balls.
Thankfully, Daichi is able to let his troubles go as he focuses on the training. And despite occasional glances from Kuroo that he ignores, things are going smoothly. As the group breaks for water, Hinata approaches Daichi.
“Hey, where’s Suga?” The orange haired man says innocently. But it’s enough to send him reeling again. Daichi wonders if his vein is visibly popping out on his forehead.
“I’m not sure. I think he woke up late.” Daichi responds bitterly. Hinata just looks confused.
“What about Kiyoko?” The man was certainly persistent. Daichi had to take a breath before answering, reminding himself that Hinata had nothing to do with any of it.
“She stayed back with him I think. They’ll probably show up later.” That seemed to satisfy the younger man. He nodded his head and walked to go chat with Kageyama, thankfully taking the hint that Daichi wasn’t in the mood to talk.
“Oh come on, and here I thought everyone went to bed on good terms. Well, better terms. Do I need to call the bomb squad?” He hears from behind. God, if it wasn’t enough to have Hinata questioning him, Kuroo was definitely worse. The man could smell bullshit from a mile away.
“It’s not—I didn’t get much sleep.” Daichi says, running his hand over his hair. He catches Kuroo’s eyes lingering on his bicep as he does the action. “Are you serious right now?” Daichi just stares at the taller man.
“What? No– okay I’m sorry. Hey, I don’t know what drama you guys have going on over there now but my group has been extremely boring so I’m living through you at this point.” The man lets out a laugh. Daichi is not amused.
“Look, just relax okay? Whatever is going on, it's not your problem right now. Just focus on this.” He makes a gesture between the two of them. Daichi rolls his eyes but he’s somewhat thankful. At least being annoyed with Kuroo helps to distract him from the shit with Suga. “Plus, you can tell me about it tonight. We’re all going out for drinks.”
“Did you not hear me? Didn’t sleep.”
“Sawamura. Take a nap. You’re 25, it'll be okay.” He looks at Kuroo in disbelief and the man shoots him a wink. “We’ll talk later.”
—----
The rest of the morning goes without a hitch but Daichi takes his lunch outside, wanting to avoid needless conversations today. The afternoon is focused on blocking and hitting practices with the setters and liberos filling in to practice their own skills. At least the hard part is over. But despite this, Daichi is getting more and more uneasy as the day progresses. He wants so badly to be upset at Suga, upset and jealous and hurt at the situation at hand. But now he just feels worried. He would’ve thought him and Kiyoko would be an hour late, but it’s already past lunch time and they still haven’t shown up. He’s been fighting the urge to ask Tanaka for an update on Kiyoko. God, why can’t I just be mad and sulk?
He tries to push it all to the back of his mind and continues on with the afternoon practices. He helps the liberos who are receiving the balls from the hitting drills. Daichi stands by the net to catch the balls that they bump, giving them tips and correcting their form when needed. With only two hours left of the day, finally Kiyoko and Suga walk through the door. Suga immediately glances at Daichi, nervousness written all over his face. Despite the warm weather, he’s wearing a track jacket, the collar obviously positioned to cover up most of his neck. Dachi looks back at his friend before returning his focus to the practice.
As they take a break for water one last time, Suga immediately finds him, cutting through the crowd of high schoolers. “Daichi. Can we talk for a second?” He looks at his friend, eyes watery for the fourth time since they’ve been in Tokyo. Daichi loses all of his resolve when he looks into those big hazel eyes. His face naturally softens, but he wants to finish the day of camp focused.
“After. Come find me when we break for the day.”
—--
Suga follows Daichi’s wishes and leaves him to practice. The man mostly stays on the sidelines, watching and fetching the balls for the players occasionally. Once they conclude the camp for the day, Daichi hangs back as everyone makes their way out of the gym and on to their next destination. Suga finds him promptly, motioning towards the exit once they’re alone.
“I’m sorry.” Suga says immediately as they step outside. “God, I’m so embarrassed Daichi.” He looks over at his friend, tears are already falling. Daichi stops in his tracks, moving in front of Suga and placing his hands on the man's arms, pulling his gaze up to his eyes.
“Hey, hey, look at me. What’s going on? I know I was mad this morning, but I was really worried when you guys didn’t show up.” Suga looks up at Daichi for a second before breaking into another sob. “Suga, I’m not mad at you ok? Well– I was but I literally couldn’t stay mad at you if I tried. Not when you’re like this.” He says with a chuckle. This gets the man to smile a bit. “Just tell me why. I know what he was doing last night. And I know why your neck looks like that. But why did you let him mark you up like that? We’re at a camp filled with high schoolers.”
Suga lets out a sigh. Daichi wipes his wet cheeks with his thumbs, gaze never wavering from his friend. “I don’t know. I really didn’t mean to. I was pretty much asleep until he woke me up and then he was all over me, he wouldn’t leave me alone. I was uh– I was trying to be quiet, but he was obviously trying to be noisy–god this is so weird telling you–and I told him not to leave hickeys and he said he didn’t but as soon as you saw me this morning. God, I’m so sorry you had to hear that Daichi.” Suga’s eyes lowered to the ground. “I’m just so embarrassed.”
“Suga, it’s alright okay? But if anything Haruto should be apologizing. Where is he anyways?” Daichi says with some bite in his words.
“Well that’s part of the reason I was so late. Obviously Kiyoko was helping me cover these up which only partially worked, by the way. But he insisted on coming with me today and I refused. I was too embarrassed about last night and especially being marked up like this in front of all of those kids? I just couldn’t do it. We were going back and forth arguing for a long time about it.” Daichi just nods.
“Suga. What is his deal? He’s got some weird vendetta against me I can tell. Hell, Kuroo can tell. Seriously, what do you see in him? Cause I can’t seem to figure it out.”
“What the hell has Kuroo been saying?” Suga looks surprised to hear Daichi mention the man. He falters, unsure how he should answer. He curses himself for bringing Kuroo into it. Suga waits a moment for his response before deciding to leave it be, continuing on. “Look. Haruto is a great guy, but he gets jealous. He looks confident, but deep down he can be pretty insecure. He didn’t always used to look like that and I think he was made fun of a lot growing up.” Suga sighs before continuing. “I don’t know. He knows how much you mean to me Daichi, I think he just feels threatened. You’re a good looking guy and you know me better than anyone else. He doesn’t realize it’s not like that with us but I’ve been trying to tell him. I promise he’ll come around okay? Please just… Don’t completely count him out yet. For me?”
Daichi winces internally, Suga still has no idea that he actually is into him like that. But for the time being he can’t get into it. He’s really not sure where he should go from here. He’s still a little bit upset about the night before, but a lot of that was from jealousy. Jealousy that he had no right to feel, he reminds himself. Despite his wishes, Suga wasn’t his boyfriend. Daichi feels some guilt, both him and Haruto are in similar situations after all. Both desperately trying to win Suga’s attention. Seeing Suga upset like this somehow makes Daichi feel even worse than he did before. The words slip from his mouth before he can properly consider them.
“Come out for drinks tonight.”
—------
Daichi took Kuroo’s advice, and the nap did help. He found himself at a dive bar with the old Karasuno and Nekoma teammates along with the coaches and their friends.
“Daichi-san!!!!!!!!!!” Hinata yells, running up to him from across the room. “Captain, buy us a round of shots for old times sake?”
“Damn it Hinata, you probably make twice as much as I do!” Despite this, Daichi is pulling out his wallet. He buys a round of shots for him and the four youngest men from their old team. After all these years, he still felt a duty to be a good senpai. The five men took their tequila shots in tandem. Yamaguchi immediately started coughing, Kageyama and Tsukishima’s eyes were watering. Hinata took it like a champ. He imagined the man had taken his fair share of shots since joining a team with Atsumu and Bokuto. Daichi pats Hinata and Yamaguchi on the back, laughing at his juniors before excusing himself, seeing Suga and Asahi sitting in a nearby booth.
Daichi hadn’t been at the bar for long, but he was already feeling it. He made a mental note to slow down, but he still had a drink in hand. He slid in the booth next to Suga without thinking, bumping shoulders while he did so. Daichi felt at ease letting the day wash away. He couldn’t really stay mad at Suga for long, and the hickeys on his neck were mostly covered with makeup, the dark spots barely showing through. He could almost pretend they weren’t there. He turned his head to look at Suga. However, he was quickly disrupted before he had a chance to speak. Haruto was standing right in front of him, looking irritated with two drinks in his hands. He motions towards the booth with one of the drinks.
“You mind?”
Daichi wordlessly slides out of the booth and goes to the other side of the table, next to Asahi now. The air always seems to get tense whenever Haruto’s around and Daichi is having a hard time enjoying himself. As the group converses, Daichi’s mind wanders. He scans the room. Ukai, Naoi and Takinoue are seated at the bar. Hinata, Kageyama, Yamaguchi, and Tsukishima are nearby at a high top table. Kiyoko, Takeda, and Shimada are on the other side of the bar, ordering drinks. Ennoshita is surprisingly mingling with Yaku, picking at a plate of fried food at another booth. Tanaka and Nishinoya are playing darts–Oh shit.
“I’ll be right back.” Daichi says, motioning towards the two. Asahi looks like he’s about to faint at the sight, but Suga and Haruto just look confused. Daichi quickly makes his way over to the two rambunctious men.
“Tanaka, Nishinoya.” Daichi says in his most chilling voice. The two men freeze in their places, backs still facing Daichi. They slowly turn towards him, their expressions looking grave. “I expect you won’t have a repeat of the other night.” He looks between the two men, who are now shivering slightly. “Understood?”
“Yes Daichi-san!” They say in unison. Daichi smiles to himself. I’ve still go—
“You’ve still got it, captain.” He hears, low and sultry in his ear. Daichi has the beginning of a shiver that he catches before it starts. Kuroo. Figures.
“Sorry we’re late, I had to convince Kenma to come.” He points over to Kenma, seated in his old spot next to Asahi, staring at his handheld game. Kuroo looks at Daichi intently. “It looks like you’re having a good time already. Don’t worry, I’ll catch up.” He says with a wink, leaving Daichi speechless.
“Hey, I’m grabbing a drink and I’ll be right back. We’re playing.” He says to Tanaka and Nishinoya, motioning between him and Daichi before walking towards the bar. The two younger men share an excited look.
“Daichi, when did you and Kuroo get so close?” Nishinoya asks.
“Honestly, I don’t even know. He’s been attached to my hip since the camp started.” Nishinoya nods his head and turns back to the dart board, talking excitedly with Tanaka about his technique.
Daichi glances back at Suga. Haruto has his arm positioned over his shoulder, pulling the man close. The two are smiling and laughing. I wonder what they’re talking about over there. Suddenly Haruto looks up, catching Daichi staring and his gaze goes sour. Damn it, why do I keep doing that? He awkwardly gives a smile and waves his hand. The man’s features soften, but only slightly.
“Okay I’m ready, but shots first. Kuroo says, placing 4 small glasses on a nearby table and carefully grabbing his own drink from the crook of his arm. Nishinoya and Tanaka eagerly grab the shots, Kuroo picking up his too.
“Damn it Kuroo, I don’t need a shot right now.” Daichi hates the way his words are slurring, he’s trying his best to mask it. “I thought you were going to catch up first?”
“Oh I’m catching up. I just took another one at the bar with our lovely coaches. I can’t believe you guys had Ukai as a coach, that man is a menace.” He says with a laugh, glancing back at the bar. Nishinoya and Tanaka are already peer pressuring their former captain. Kuroo looks at him with a smirk forming on half of his face and Daichi picks up the shot with a sigh.
“Okay, but no more after this.”
—----
The group plays a game of darts and Daichi has to admit, he’s actually having fun. Although he’s doing terrible, in last place out of the four. He wants to blame it on the drinks, but to be honest he’s never been very good at it. They finish the game and decide to play another one, Kuroo stepping away before they start again to grab another drink, and Hinata coming up to join the group for the next game.
Daichi was only somewhat surprised to find that Nishinoya was actually really good. He took first place easily, followed by Kuroo and then Tanaka. It had to be the alcohol talking, but Daichi almost wanted to see him do a trick shot.
Suddenly Daichi feels a hard poke on his sides, right above his hips. He whips around expecting to see Kuroo again, but instead finds Suga.
“Hey.” Daichi says with a smile. Damn it, if his face doesn’t light up every time he sees the man. He looks around, expecting to find his possessive boyfriend close by but sees that he’s still with Asahi at the table, Ennoshita taking up the fourth spot now instead of Kenma. Daichi looks back at Suga. He can’t help but linger, eyes scanning the man’s face. His cheeks are slightly red from drinking, his lips soft as he smiles. God, he’s so gorgeous. Daichi surprises himself by pulling the man in for a hug without thinking. Suga returns the hug, squeezing Daichi close. Daichi’s eyes land on Haruto again, who is now scanning the room from his seat, likely trying to locate Suga. Wanting to prolong some time alone with his friend, Daichi feels an overwhelming urge to get out of his sight.
“Hey, let’s step away for a second.” Daichi says to Suga. He leans over to Hinata, “I’ll be back but you guys can start without me when Kuroo comes back. Have Nishinoya shoot for me.” Daichi says with a smirk. That should help my score a little bit this round.
He grabs Suga’s hand and moves them to a quiet corner of the bar, away from Haruto’s view. Daichi notices how unsteady the man is on his feet and feels a flash of concern. He’s almost as drunk as he was the first night already.
“So you and Kuroo seem close.” Suga says, his words slurring heavily.
“Hah, that’s the second time someone has said that tonight.”
“He looks like he wants to eat you.” Suga says, biting the air to demonstrate. Daichi hears just a little bit of bite in his tone too.
“It’s not like that at all, you know the man. He’s always messing around.”
“Trust me, he likes you.” Daichi tenses up as he says this. Suga grabs his face, forcing him to look into his eyes. “He likes you. So be careful. See? I can look out for you too, Dai.” Daichi’s mouth drops open in disbelief. What the hell?
“What? Are you jealous, Suga?” Daichi says, feeling unsure about where the conversation is headed. His friend is clearly in rare form.
“You’re jealous.” Suga says, words coming out harsher than Daichi expected. Daichi goes wide eyed for a second, before his friend busts out in a fit of laughter, causing himself to hiccup. Shit. He’s really drunk.
“You need to drink water and eat something.” Daichi says. Despite being pretty tipsy himself, he somehow sobers up seeing his friend in this state.
He drags Suga to the bar and orders him water and a basket of fries. Daichi is already coaxing Suga to drink the water and unsurprisingly, Haruto comes up behind the two as they’re waiting for the food.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Hey man, uh I’m trying to get him sobered up a little bit. He needs to drink the water and they’re grabbing him some fries.” Haruto looks at Daichi dangerously. The man is obviously as drunk as Daichi, and they’re entering risky territory. Haruto leans in close, so only Daichi can hear over the music and chatter of the bar.
“Fuck off. I’ll take care of it.” Daichi is stunned, anger bubbling up inside of him again, threatening to come to the surface. He looks around at all his old team mates, his coaches and his friends that he respects greatly. It’s not the time or place for this. Daichi bites his tongue so hard he tastes metal. The bartender comes back and hands him a basket of fries which he takes and shoves towards Haruto.
“Just make sure he eats it.” He says as he walks in the other direction. He makes his way to the dart board, glancing back at Suga and Haruto. The man has on his fake smile, coaxing Suga back to their booth as he giggles. Nishinoya grabs his attention when he gets close. They’re only two turns into the game.
“Daichi-san, I gave you a good lead. You're in second place behind me. If you play a little better than last time you might even pull off fourth.” The man says smugly, hands on hips before turning back to the game. Kuroo comes up to him then, moving behind and placing his hands on his shoulders. He leans in, lips nearly brushing his ear. He can smell the alcohol on his breath now, the man wasn’t kidding about catching up.
“You’re tense again.” He says, hands lightly kneading the tops of his shoulders. Daichi surprises himself, actually leaning into the touch. Maybe he can forget about what’s going on over there. Haruto really should be the one to take care of him. If Daichi was his boyfriend he’d probably feel the same way. But if I was his boyfriend, he would’ve already been eating and drinking water, sobering up by now.
Daichi focuses on the game of darts, relaxing once again. It’s hard not to have fun with the group in front of him, so full of energy. Still, Daichi can’t help but glance over at Suga occasionally, pleased to see his glass of water and the basket of fries disappearing with time.
—--
Despite Nisinoya’s lead, Daichi still manages to get last place. He just rolls his eyes as his juniors crack jokes at how bad he is at darts. I’m not going to hear the end of this. The group decides to disperse, having their fill of darts.
“Let me get you a drink.” Kuroo says. Not wanting to rejoin his friends’ table with Haruto there, Daichi nods his head in agreement and follows him to the bar. Kuroo orders for the two of them and while they're waiting, a drunk Ukai comes up and slaps his arm around Daichi’s shoulder, leaning into him slightly.
“There he is! Daichi, come over here for a second.” Ukai says. Kuroo hands him his drink before he’s pulled away by his former coach, muttering that he’s going to go check on Kenma. Ukai pulls him over to the end of the bar where Naoi and Takinoue are seated. The two men swing in their stools to face them where they’re standing.
“Hey, can you believe this guy? Takes one of the most rambunctious group of players I’ve seen till this day, leads them to nationals, and then falls off the face of the earth!” The other two men laugh in response to Ukai’s exclamation. “Seriously, I mean I thought I’d never see this man again and here he is! Still keeping this group in check.” Ukai laughs loudly, his cheeks flushed from the booze.
“Keishin, give the man some space!” Naoi says, laughing at his old friend. Ukai stills, realizing how he’s crowding Daichi and backs up a little bit, laughing to himself.
“So, tell me how you’ve been! Are you still with that girl–uhhh what’s her name? She used to come to the games.” Ukai starts.
“Michimiya! She used to sit with us sometimes.” Takinoue finishes for Ukai. Now they’re asking me about this? As if this night wasn’t tricky enough already. Daichi takes a breath, calming his spike of nerves at the mention of his ex. The alcohol relaxes his inhibitions a bit, and he feels surprisingly fine when he responds honestly.
“We actually broke up earlier this year. I was having a hard time with it for a while but I feel like I’m finally getting to be in a good place again.” Daichi looks up at the men, who are nodding wordlessly.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Ukai says, and Daichi waves him away.
“It’s fine. Like I said, I’m doing a lot better now. What about you guys? Any luck in the romance department.” Takinoue and Naoi both raise their left hands to reveal wedding bands. Ukai scoffs and the three laugh at him.
“Ukai has never had much luck with the ladies. Something about being emotionally unavailable?” Naoi says.
“Shut up Manabu.” He mutters, shooting the man a dirty look. “Nope. I’m in a similar boat Daichi, me and my girlfriend broke up a month ago.” Damn, that's still fresh. Daichi returns the earlier sentiment of his coach.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Honestly, it was for the best, I have enough shit to worry about as it is.” The other two men look suddenly somber and serious. Ukai clearly notices but turns back to Daichi. “Are you still in Miyagi?”
“Yeah but I’m closer to Sendai now.”
“Good, you should come to some of our games.”
“Yeah, sometimes I get sick of Shimada’s crap, it’d be nice for some more company.” Takinoue says.
“I think I might take you up on that.” Daichi says, smiling.
He talks to Ukai and his friends for a while longer before they decide they’ve had enough and say their goodbyes. Takeda decides to head out too but Shimada hangs back, chatting with Yamaguchi who’s looking pretty unsteady on his feet. It’s nearing midnight and the crowd has died down a little. Daichi looks around and no longer sees Ennoshita, Kenma or Yaku. They must’ve left already. Hinata, Tsukishima, and Kageyama are bickering with each other, the three of them now playing darts. Nishinoya and Tanaka are chatting with a woman that Daichi doesn’t recognize. He assumes they’re probably trying to get Noya laid. Daichi spots Asahi, Kiyoko, and Kuroo chatting at a table and heads over.
“What were you talking to Ukai about?” Kiyoko asks.
“Ahh, just small talk mostly. He asked me to come to some games since I’m still in Miyagi.” Daichi thinks to himself before saying fuck it and adding. “He seems to be going through some shit, we talked about our break ups.” Kiyoko and Asahi’s jaws drop once they realize what he’s said. Kuroo silently snickers but fakes a look of surprise when the other two look his way.
“What?” Kiyoko finally chokes out.
“Yeah I’m fine, it was a few months ago. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys sooner, I just didn’t want to dampen the mood.” They nod in understanding. Daichi feels really good about coming clean and is thankful that everyone has been surprisingly chill about it, asking minimal questions.
“Does Suga know?” Asahi asks, Kuroo perks up at the question, the only piece of information he hadn’t heard yet.
“Yeah, I told him the other day. It’s good to finally get this off of my chest with everybody.” Daichi says, closing the conversation. “Where is Suga, anyways?” He asks.
Asahi nods to the side, towards their old booth. Daichi’s breath hitches. The two men have moved to the opposite side of the booth now, in clear view of their table. Haruto has his hand cupping the side of Suga’s face, holding his jaw up for easy access. The two are messily kissing–no, making out. Daichi watches in shock as he sees Haruto’s tongue slipping in and out of Suga’s mouth, seeming to go deeper and deeper as he pulls his friend’s head back. Suga places a hand on his chest, pushing him away to come up for air. He still looks drunk, lips swollen and his hair is ruffled in different directions.
“Yeah they’ve been going at it for about 15 minutes.” Kuroo says bluntly. “Kind of hot, right?” He says, looking directly at Daichi. Asahi and Kiyoko look at the man questioningly, obviously not having dealt with his antics like Daichi has the past few days. He shoots the taller man a look that could kill and he wipes the smirk off of his face, looking more concerned now.
Kiyoko changes the subject and the friends continue on about something else. Daichi is hardly listening, stealing glances back at his friend who is taking a sip of water, catching his breath still. He’s too drunk. Suga would never be doing this out in public like that. Haruto catches him staring for the second time that night. He pulls Suga’s face back to meet him and crashes their lips together, a little too roughly, Daichi thinks.
Haruto maintains eye contact with Daichi as he slips his tongue into his friend's mouth, shooting him a wink as Suga lets out a surprised sound. Daichi can’t take it anymore, fists clenched he makes, to walk over. But he’s stopped immediately, Kuroo grabbing his arm beneath the table before he can make a move. He gives the man a knowing look before turning back to the conversation. Asahi and Kiyoko still look confused as ever. When Daichi looks back at the booth, he sees Haruto and Suga sliding out, exiting the bar without saying goodbye.
“I don’t really like that guy either.” Asahi says sheepishly, clearly noticing Daichi’s gaze.
“Yeah, thank god he’s only staying through Saturday. You should’ve seen those two arguing earlier today. I can’t believe he left all those hickeys. Suga was so upset. At least we won’t have to deal with him next week.” Kiyoko adds. Right. Eventually Tanaka joins the group, and everyone’s surprised that Nishinoya is actually managing to interest the girl he’s now seated with. Still thrown off by Haruto and Suga, Daichi excuses himself, deciding to see what his juniors are up to. Unsurprisingly, Kuroo follows close behind.
“What’s gotten into you? You know we’re supposed to be rivals right?”
“We’re not in high school anymore Daichi, and someone has to watch out for you.” Daichi stills at the sound of his given name coming out of Kuroo’s mouth. The man has only ever referred to him as Sawamura. “How many times have I saved you now?” He dramatically counts his fingers. “Besides, like I said you guys have all the good drama. I didn’t realize you were such a trouble maker.” Their eyes both slide to the side to meet each other before they reach the group of younger men. Shimada must’ve left cause Yamaguchi is back with the group, definitely the drunkest of the four.
“Kuroo-san! Bokuto told me you still play in a rec league now. I hope you’re on my team for the exhibition match.” Hinata says, still full of energy despite the late hour.
“Wow. Thanks, Bokuto.” He mutters to himself. “Don’t expect too much, the league is pretty casual.” Daichi had almost forgotten how close Kuroo had been with Bokuto in high school. He remembered how the two were inseparable during their training camp.
“I’m just excited to see Daichi here. I was watching him at the training camp this morning. He’s still got it.” Kuroo says with a grin, patting him on the back. Daichi’s cheeks feel hot. He hopes his juniors don’t notice how flustered he is.
“Ah, I don’t know, it's been a really long time. I’m not playing in a rec league or anything so I’m probably super rusty still.”
“Well, you could’ve fooled me. You still have the physique for it.” Daichi feels Kuroo’s fingers lightly graze his hip. He nervously knocks his hand away with his own, looking at the other four men. Luckily, they’ve been drinking just as much as the rest of them. The only one who seems to register the interaction is Tsukishima, who quickly turns his attention back to Yamaguchi like he could care less.
“I’m gonna hit the bathroom.” Daichi says to the group. He desperately needs some air. What the hell is happening?
Daichi savors the peace and quiet as he heads down the short hallway to the bathroom. Once inside, he does his business and washes his hands. He looks at himself in the mirror, taking extra water into his hands to splash onto his face. He can see the weight of the drinks in his eyes, turned glassy and soft. After a minute alone, Daichi feels like he’s regained his composure. He decides he’s going to stay at the bar for a little longer and talk to his juniors, and then head back to the condo and get some rest. The night has been long and… eventful. He’s eager to leave this day behind and start over tomorrow.
The noise from the bar hits him when he steps out of the bathroom. He immediately misses the peace and quiet he had a moment ago. Daichi almost jumps when he notices someone waiting halfway down the hallway, leaning against the wall.
Of course. Daichi can’t even be surprised anymore. The taller man motions with his hand for Daichi to come over to him. He makes his way slowly towards Kuroo, who takes a step forward when Daichi reaches him.
“Hey.” Kuroo says, staring directly into his eyes. Daichi gets lost for a second in his gaze, noticing the cat-like irises that pierce him. Before Daichi can collect his thoughts, Kuroo is holding his cheek softly, pulling him forward. The taller man’s lips meet Daichi’s, gently at first. Daichi is surprised, his lips are softer than he would’ve expected. The two heads pull away slowly, noses still touching. Kuroo looks back at him, allowing Daichi to make the next move. Daichi can feel his breath on his lips, his heart is racing. After the night he’s had, Kuroo feels like comfort. Not only was he the only one who knew everything that had been going on over the past few days, but he had his back, every step of the way. Daichi doesn’t have to think long, leaning in again to connect their lips, gently pushing Kuroo back against the wall.
They continue like this for a few minutes, kisses soft and sweet. Timid. Kuroo tests the waters eventually, hand shifting to the back of Daichi’s head, pulling him in further. Daichi takes this as a challenge, biting Kuroo’s bottom lip before running his tongue across it. Kuroo responds eagerly, parting his lips for Daichi to slip his tongue in. Daichi places a hand on Kuroo’s side just above the hip, feeling his abs beneath his shirt.
Kuroo’s tongue begins to explore Daichi’s mouth slowly at first. Daichi could taste the bitter notes of tequila in the others’ mouth. Kuroo reaches his hand down to slide over his ass, pulling his hips closer. His other hand is still on Daichi’s head, keeping him locked into the kiss. Daichi loses himself in Kuroo’s touch, his mind going blank. They continue to go deeper and deeper into the kiss, fighting for control. They pull away for a moment, panting into each other’s mouth. Daichi grabs the front of Kuroo’s shirt, pulling him back into the kiss, more forcefully now.
Kuroo catches him by surprise, turning them around so that Daichi’s back is to the wall now. Kuroo places one hand on the wall, just above Daichi’s head. He lets his other hand meet Daichi’s broad chest, slowly moving down his front, circling his nipple through his shirt. He continues to slide his tongue along Daich’s as he moves his hand slowly down against Dachi’s torso, feeling up his abs, slightly lifting his shirt. Daichi lets out a raspy breath, surprising them both. Kuroo’s eyes go dark with excitement. He lets out a groan, pressing himself against Daichi, who’s now trapped against the wall. Kuroo rocks his hips, feeling his dick press up against Daichi’s through their clothes. Daich’s eyes roll back in his head at the sensation. He needs to keep the friction. As Kuroo’s hips rock back into their position, Daichi grabs him by the belt loop, pressing them back together.
“Fuck, Kuro—”
“Tetsuro.” He whispers into Daichi’s ear. “Let me hear you say it, baby.” Kuroo’s words are slurred and raspy from the booze. Daichi can feel his pants getting tighter around his growing length.
“I’m not your baby. Tetsuro.”
Kuroo loses his composure at the sound of his given name, nearly lunging back at Daichi. Their kisses grow sloppy as Kuroo’s hands graze along Daichi’s body. He moves a hand under Daichi’s shirt, hands hot and rough along his bare skin. Suddenly someone rounds the corner, breaking the tension between the two. Kuroo casually pushes off of Daichi, panting as he grabs his hand to lead them outside.
They stumble around to the side of the building, just out of view before Kuroo pulls him in again. They both lean lazily against the brick wall of the building, holding each other up. Their kisses grow in intensity as their hands roam each other’s bodies greedily. Despite the heat and intensity, Kuroo’s touch is surprisingly gentle and Daichi gets lost in it completely.
Kuroo separates his mouth from Daichi, pressing kisses along the side of his jaw, down to his neck. Kuroo bites down along his collarbone and starts to gently suck. Daichi lets out a muffled moan at the sensation but tenses up.
“Ku–Tetsuro.” He says firmly, pulling his head away slightly.
“What? You don’t want me to leave a mark?” Kuroo says between wet kisses along his collar bone. “Cmonnnn’ let me mark you up, Daichi. Then we can be the reason everyone gets all worked up tomorrow.” He bites down on Daichi again teasingly, meeting his eyes and then replacing the bite with a gentle kiss. Daichi lets out a laugh.
“God you’re laugh is so sexy.” Kuroo leans in for another kiss, their mouths crashing together this time, growing hungrier and hungrier.
The tension in Daichi’s jeans is getting harder and harder to stand. Both men are letting out more noises, mostly getting caught in each other’s mouth. Kuroo's hand drifts from Daichi’s stomach, down to his belt, then down further, feeling his length as his hand slides down over his jeans. A moan slips from Daichi’s throat, unmuffled this time. Daichi’s mind was swimming in uncharted territory. Other than his own, he had never had such big hands touching him down there. Daichi’s heart beat quickens at the thought of Kuroo’s big rough hands touching him beneath his clothes. Daichi’s breath quickens before leaning harder into the kiss. He slides his hand down the other’s leg, palm pressing firmly into his impressive length.
“Shit. Keep that up and I’m not gonna last.”
Daichi let out a shaky breath. It felt so good to be touched. He wanted to be touched by Kuroo. He wanted to see and touch, and feel him. Daichi broke away to look at him, fist bunched up the front of his shirt. They were still out in the open, if things were going to escalate further they’d need to find somewhere private.
“Daichi. Fuck.” He takes a second to catch his breath. Daichi can feel their chests rising and falling against each other as they stand there panting. “Have y–Please. Have you bottomed before?” He stammers. One hand grazing down Daichi’s side, lightly. The other hand cupping the side of his face. Bottom? Daichi tenses up at the realization. He quickly breaks away from Kuroo. “Hey, wait. You don’t have to, it’s okay. We can do something else.”
“Uh. No, sorry I’ve got to go.” Daichi says, words slurring as he stumbles away. Daichi is suddenly overwhelmed, his mind clouded from the booze. He’s suddenly hyper aware of the situation. He needs to be alone with his thoughts.
“Wait, Daichi?” Kuroo starts, voiced soft and confused. Daichi just ignores the man, leaving him leaning against the building. Daichi quickens his step as he makes his way back to the condos.
—-
Daichi throws the door open when he enters, forgetting to be quiet since his friends were probably asleep. He can feel his phone vibrating in his pocket. He ignores it, taking off his shoes and walking into the kitchen. His mind is reeling, he’s shaking at his frustration and his shocked nerves. He’s too drunk to process what he’s feeling right now. He desperately wants to just go to sleep. Now what did he say to do?
Daichi opens the cupboard and grabs a loaf of bread, one of the few groceries him and his friends decided to stock up on for the next two weeks. He quickly opens the plastic, shoving a slice in his mouth, noticing now that he’s actually pretty hungry. His throat feels a little dry, he grabs a cup and fills it with water, sipping slowly. He grabs another slice and begins eating. Okay two–no three bread slices. He finishes his second slice and grabs a third. What else?
Daichi’s eyes widened in remembrance. He makes his way as quietly as he can to their shared bathroom, flicking the light on to open the cupboard. He grabs the bottle of aspirin off of the shelf as he swallows the last bit of bread. He pours about 10 pills onto his hand and attempts to slide all but two back into the bottle. He definitely drops a few onto the floor but he decides to deal with that tomorrow.
He returns to the kitchen again for his glass of water, downing it. How many cups was it? Two or three? He decided he wasn’t thirsty enough for three glasses so he’d just have to hope it was two. Damn it Tanaka, this better work. His mind shifted to Suga then, wondering if he had tried Tanaka’s method before bed. Daichi hoped he had. He didn’t want the man to be sick again tomorrow. Fuck. What even happened today?
Daichi goes to his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He takes out his phone.
Kuroo Tetsuro: 3 Missed Calls
From: Kuroo
Hey mann. I’ sorry if I freakeddf yoeu out. I wasnt trying to pressure you or anythig.
From: Kuroo
Are youu alright? I feel like an asshole Im sorry. I gdt carried away I shouldn’t havfe pushed i I just thoght you were feeling the same.
From: Kuroo
Please call me okay? I’m not mad or anythig I jus want to make sure yiour alright. I’m sorry about tonight.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Daichi rubs at his eyes, which are feeling heavy with tears. Why did I do that? He felt extremely guilty at leaving Kuroo like that. The truth is he had wanted to keep going. He felt desperate for Kuroo’s touch, and he was good at it. If anything, it actually cleared up a lot for Daichi. He was definitely into men. He wanted nothing more than to fuck Kuroo back there. But he hadn’t even thought about that question. Have you bottomed before? Fuck. Daichi didn’t know if he wanted to do that. It had never really occurred to him that he would have to decide on that.
He didn’t necessarily not want to, but he wasn’t sure if he did either. He knows that Kuroo wasn’t trying to pressure him, and frankly there was a lot they could do without crossing that bridge, but Daichi couldn’t even think after that. He just had to go and be alone with his thoughts. I was about to sleep with a man.
He felt both disappointed and embarrassed. Not only did he not get the release he was craving, but he left Kuroo hanging. Now he was ignoring his calls and messages. Fuck.
Tears finally slipped from Daichi’s eyes. He wasn’t sure what he was doing anymore. Everything was becoming both simpler and more complicated. He wanted to go to the door next to his and knock, he needed to talk to Suga. He knew his friend would find some way to make him feel better. But he couldn’t even do that. There was no way he could find comfort in his friend with Haruto around. He didn’t want this night to end in a bloodbath.
After all of the turmoil and promises the other day, he had never felt so distant from the man. Fuck Haruto. Who was he to keep Suga from the person who cared about him the most in the world? Daichi was his best friend. He always would be, whether Suga returned the favor or not. It came like second nature to look out for the man, and he couldn’t just turn it off. Daichi cried harder, arm over the top of his head, shielding his eyes even though the room was completely dark. He craved something, anything. He opened up his phone again, looking at his contacts. Michimiya. Without thinking, he pressed the call button. The phone rang out twice before Daichi scrambled to end the call. Fuck. He turned his phone completely off, laying with his back down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He let himself lay there, crying softly, until he drifted off to sleep.
Notes:
Okay how are we feeling everyone? The tension between Kuroo and Daichi finally spilled over I was so excited for this I hope you all liked it!
Daichi is really going through it!!!
Anyways let me know what you guys think I love it when you guys comment (and kudos<3)!
I'm a little behind on chapter 6 so please have some grace for me!! I'm going to try and get it done by next weekend but it might end up being a week and a half until I post it. Stay with me!!!!!
<3 You guys are the best <3
Chapter 6: The Calm Before...
Notes:
I'm back! With Chapter 6 :)
Idk why but this chapter was kind of hard for me to write. I was second guessing myself a lot but I think it turned out good so show me some love if you guys like it! (yes I'm needy)
This chapter has a lot of set up for the next one so hopefully it's still entertaining enough for you guys <3
Anyways, I literally love all my readers you guys are seriously the best!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Despite how drunk Daichi was the previous night, he felt surprisingly normal the next morning. He only had a slight headache that would surely be managed with some aspirin. I guess Tanaka was on to something.
He lays in bed for a while, mind blank before images and memories from the previous night begin to surface. Daichi slowly starts to piece everything together. He remembers being with Kuroo, and that he left the man suddenly, but he couldn’t quite remember why. He looks for his phone on the nightstand but it isn’t there. He groans as he rolls onto his side, spotting the phone on the floor beside the bed. He’s surprised to find that it’s turned off, fingers moving quickly to turn it back on.
When the screen finally lights up, Daichi’s stomach drops.
Michimiya Yui: 1 Missed Call
What? He also notices the missed calls from Kuroo, quickly going to check his messages. Daichi’s heart stills when he sees the texts from Kuroo, and memories of the previous night all come flooding back to him. Daichi closes his eyes, embarrassment engulfing his thoughts.
He starts to recall Suga and Haruto at the bar, the aggressive way Haruto was holding his friend. The look the man gave him as he kissed Suga, making sure that Daichi noticed. Fuck. How did it all go wrong? Finally his mind stills, his curiosity wanes to the man that has been causing him such distress. Suga.
Daichi uses all of his willpower to roll out of bed and put on pants. He winces at the cold wood floor beneath his feet as he makes his way to the bathroom, noticing he left the aspirin out of the medicine cabinet. He sees about 4 pills that he must’ve dropped on the ground last night, which he promptly picks up before grabbing another two from the bottle and swallowing them.
He walks out to the kitchen, hoping someone else is up already. It’s late in the morning, but he wouldn’t be surprised if most of his friends were sleeping in after the night they had. His mind is spinning. All he can think about is how Suga’s doing after last night. Daichi’s gut is racked with guilt. Suga was so out of it. It crushed him to see Suga in that state, having to leave him in the hands of another man. He wishes he would’ve done something, but what could he do? Things with Haruto were already tense as it is.
He can smell coffee as he walks towards the kitchen. Although he was hoping to see Suga alive and well, he’s still relieved to find Asahi sitting in the living room.
“Hey, man. How are you doing?”
“Uhh, surprisingly not too bad. I did Tanaka’s thing and it pretty much worked. I just have a slight headache which is honestly a miracle.” Daichi takes a moment to pour a cup of coffee for himself, then sits on the opposite side of the couch as Asahi. “Do you have any idea how Suga’s doing? The last time I saw him was when he left the bar with Haruto last night, and he didn’t look so good.” Daichi asks, tone laced with worry.
“Ah yeah, me and Kiyoko got in before you did. Haruto made some noodles for him and he was drinking water. I think he was able to sober up a little bit.” Daichi feels a wave of relief. Hopefully his friend won’t feel too miserable today. He was grateful that there were no camp activities going on. The only thing they only had to worry about was the banquet later this evening.
“God, who’s idea was it for us all to go out last night?” Daichi says, setting his mug on the coffee table and burying his head in his hands.
“Hah, I think it was Ukai and Noai’s idea. I wonder how they’re feeling today, they looked just as bad as you last night.” Asahi says, laughing to himself which Daichi just ignores. They go quiet for a moment before he asks. “So, uh, where did you end up going last night? We thought you were with Hinata and them but when we went to say goodbye they said you were gone for a while and Kuroo went to find you.” Daichi winces internally.
“Uh, long story but basically I got into a thing with Kuroo.” He waves his hand, trying to dismiss the topic. But Asahi’s gaze holds firm.
“Dude. What the hell does that even mean? Can you quit being so cryptic? Everyone was worried about you guys. And then Kuroo showed up this morning asking if you made it back. Did you guys get into a fight or something?” Asahi says, looking nervous. The slight confrontation was unusual for the large man, and there was some irritation behind his words. Daichi supposed it was fair, he had been secretive about things lately.
“He kissed me.”
Asahi took a moment to process this statement before his eyes grew wide. “Wait what?”
“Yeah. And I kissed him back and then I got spooked and ran.” Asahi looked like he was about to faint with this information. His mind was clearly working overtime, trying to understand how Daichi got himself in this predicament.
“So what does that mean? Was the kiss a joke?”
“No, it was serious. He’s been flirting with me all week. Honestly, I think I might’ve flirted back a couple times.” His friend stares back at Daichi, face painted with confusion.
“So uhh, yeah. I’ve been thinking for a while that I might be bisexual and last night I pretty much confirmed it…But it still freaked me out.” Asahi’s breathing started to quicken, a tell-tale sign of one of his panic attacks.
“Hey, calm down man! Breathe, I’m alright. I promise. It’s been a rough year for me and I’ve been going through a lot of shit but I’m figuring it out!” Asahi takes Daichi’s advice, taking slow and steady breaths. “Plus, it feels good to be back with you guys. I know you have my back.” Daichi puts on his best smile and this seems to calm the larger man substantially.
Before they can continue the conversation, they hear a door creak open. Daichi’s breath hitches. It's coming from the direction of Suga’s room. The gray haired man saunters out of the hallway wearing a crew neck sweater and shorts, one sock missing. His hair is tousled just like it was after the first night, and he looks like he’s made of glass as he walks towards the kitchen before spotting his two friends sitting a few feet away.
Daichi glances around the corner looking for Haruto and smiles at his absence. He gets to his feet then, meeting Suga in the kitchen where he pours him a cup of coffee and motions for him to sit down with Asahi. Daichi decides to whip up a small breakfast for the group, hoping any lingering effects of the alcohol will be eliminated with a meal.
“How are you doing?” Daichi asks from the kitchen, eyes set on Suga who’s holding his mug with both hands, eyes hazy and tired.
“Honestly waaay better than I did last time, I have no idea why. My head just hurts and I’m a little queasy but I think I’ll be able to eat.” Daichi is glad to hear this, his mouth turns up in a smile as he looks at his two friends.
“I’m kind of drawing a blank for most of the night though.” Suga continues cautiously, a worried look painting his face.
Daichi and Asahi’s eyes meet, a silent conversation happening between the two. Neither one of them are sure what they should tell their friend about last night. Suga would surely be embarrassed about the messy kisses he and Haruto shared out in the open at the bar. Daichi’s memory also flashes to the conversation he had with Suga the previous night. Their usual playful banter had turned somewhat tense. Daichi recalls his surprise when Suga seemed jealous that he was spending time with Kuroo. It turns out he was right though… Kuroo was into him.
“Honestly, a pretty fun night. Everyone was getting along. You were mostly with Haruto but people were jumping between groups.” Daichi says. It’s relatively vague, but mostly true. He decides it’s better to spare some of the details, hopefully easing Suga’s worries a little bit. Daichi is content with his choice when he sees a soft smile form on Suga’s face.
“That’s good. Damn, now I wish I remembered more! But seriously, someone needs to be in charge of cutting me off tonight at the banquet. I haven’t drank this much since I was in college.” Suga laughs but his eyes meet Daichi’s. “You think you’re up for it?” He says with a smirk.
“Of course.”
—---
As the morning stretches into the afternoon, Daichi begins to feel increasingly nervous. There are two elephants in the room that he didn’t want to face yet. He decides for the time being he will try to at least remedy one of them. It’s just past 1pm when he makes his way over to the condo where the old Nekoma players were staying. Daichi’s nerves spike as he knocks on the door. He waits for what feels like an eternity. He’s not sure if he’ll be able to muster up the courage to knock again. But just when he’s about to give up and head back, the door is quietly opened.
“Oh. Daichi.” Kenma says casually. He opens the door wider and turns around, walking inside without another word. Dachi stills for a second before following him inside, making sure to close the door behind him. It was silent inside, Kuroo and Yaku were nowhere to be found. The condo looks almost exactly like the one Daichi was staying in. However, their living room is decked out with a full gaming set up. Daichi had heard that Kenma brought a lot of equipment, but to him it was still a little shocking. It was only two weeks. Daichi follows Kenma, who retreated into the hallway between two bedrooms. He points at one before walking into the other and closing the door.
Daichi steps towards the door, taking a deep breath. He stands for a moment, listening for any sounds or signs of life on the other side. He closes his eyes as he gently knocks.
Luckily for Daichi he doesn’t have to wait long this time. The door is opened softly, revealing the taller man, looking sleepy and depressed. He’s wearing sweatpants and a tshirt that’s much baggier than his usual size. Daichi had only ever seen Kuroo in shirts that were more fitted, showing off his impressive upper body. Despite this, it was endearing to see him looking so comfortable, a stark difference from his usual handsome and calculated look. He opens the door wider, motioning to the room with his hand. Daichi comes in, closing the door softly behind. Kuroo goes over to the bed and plops down on his stomach, face smushed into his pillow. Daichi sits down on the other side, feeling even more awkward than he did a moment ago. Kuroo gently lifts his head from the pillow and turns it to the side, fixing his gaze towards Daichi.
“I’m really sorry about last night.” Kuroo says softly.
“What? No you don’t have anything to be sorry for. It was me…”
“No seriously. I was pushy, I totally understand. Honestly I should’ve known, I always do this. The guys I’m into are almost always tops, I don’t even know why I lead with that.” He says, pushing his face back into the pillow with a groan.
“Tetsuro.” Daichi says, placing a hand on his back and rubbing gently to soothe the larger man. Kuroo hums into the pillow. “You weren’t pushy. Seriously.” Daichi takes a breath. He feels extremely guilty about making Kuroo feel this way. Despite the embarrassment, he decides to be honest. He figures Kuroo deserves that much.
“I’ve never been with a man before.” Kuroo stills beneath his hand, his eyes widen as he gazes back up at Daichi.
“Oh my god. How did I not piece that together?” He says, looking horrified.
“Hey, it’s alright. I don’t expect you to know my sexual history.”
“I guess I just assumed…You and Suga? Um–at some point at least?”
“Nope. Uh, there were a couple of girls before Michimiya but, uh yeah.” Daichi says, face red with embarrassment. He clears his throat awkwardly before continuing.
“But, yeah. You weren’t pushy at all and to be honest I really really wanted to keep going. But I’ve never even thought about being a bottom. It freaked me out and then I realized what I was about to do…” Kuroo is looking at him intently, and there is a softness in his expression. God, how is he always so understanding? Daichi wants to crawl into a hole. “So, really I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have run away like that even if I was freaked out. It wasn’t fair to you at all.” He finishes awkwardly, his face undoubtedly a dark shade of crimson. Kuroo shifts around on the bed, rolling onto his side and letting out a soft chuckle.
“Well, look at you. That was very emotionally mature, Daichi. Next time you should just start with that and skip the whole running away part.” Kuroo says, a playful grin painting his face as he shoots Daichi a wink. Daichi grabs a pillow and softly hits the man on the side of his head, smiling back.
“So? Should we pick up where we left off?” Kuroo asks, eyebrow raised.
“Uhhh, actually—” Kuroo puts up a hand.
“You’re in love with Suga.” Daichi’s eyes go wide. The taller man just laughs. “Dude, it's so obvious. You completely zone out whenever he’s around. I was just hoping we could get a little play time in before you won him over…for personal reasons.” Daichi hits the man with a pillow again, harder this time. “HEY!”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“What can I say, you’re exactly my type.” He shrugs. “But it’s alright captain, I can be a pretty good wingman too.” Kuroo takes a moment, smiling sweetly at Daichi. “BUT, if you ever change your mind…I’m an even better—-”
“Okay. Yes, I get it.” Daichi says before he can finish. The two laugh with each other and Daichi feels an immense sense of relief. He really had begun to think of Kuroo as a friend after the strange week. It was good to know that he still had the man in his corner, even if they weren’t romantically involved.
“Now either cuddle me or get out. I can’t remember the last time I had a man this sexy in my bed. If you stick around I’m gonna hav—”
“Nope. Yep. I’m going.” Daichi says, cutting the man off once again. He gets up to exit, but pauses in the doorway. He turns around and gives a small wave to his friend, smiling as he closes the door behind him.
—---
The afternoon was mostly calm, but the group was buzzing with anticipation of the night ahead. Daichi felt like he was on pretty good terms with everyone, although he had been avoiding Haruto still. It seemed like the man had a similar idea, hardly coming out of their room and mostly sticking to himself when he did. Daichi was feeling good. He had made up with Kuroo, and Suga didn’t remember their awkward conversation or the possessive way his boyfriend had spoken to Daichi the night before. If he did his best to play nicely, everything should go smoothly this evening.
However, there was still the issue with Michimiya weighing heavy on Daichi. He didn’t even know why he tried to call her last night. And after the conversation with Kuroo, he wasn’t sure if he had it in him to unpack all of that today. She had called back, only minutes after Daichi ended his call. She didn’t leave a voicemail. She didn’t shoot a text message. He wasn’t sure if he should try to contact her–even if just to say it was a butt dial–or to just act like it never happened. He spent the afternoon playing around with the scenarios in his head, but he still wasn’t sure. Daichi decided to push the issue onto tomorrow. He wanted to enjoy the banquet with his former team, and he was excited to see what Ukai had in store.
—---
The banquet was being held in a nearby community center, but it was a little far for everyone to walk all dressed up. Asahi and Daichi had their suits on, ready to go. Daichi felt confident. He didn’t wear suits often, but he had to admit, he looked pretty damn good when he did. Kiyoko was still doing her makeup, waiting for Tanaka and the others to come over, and Suga and Haruto weren’t quite ready yet. They told Daichi and Asahi to go ahead without them, they would all meet up later. The two men agreed, calling an uber and making their way towards the banquet.
The banquet hall was one big room full of tables. There was a cocktail bar at the end of the room, a small stage in the front, and a small open area for dancing. There were already people mingling with cocktails in hand, and Daichi scanned the room for familiar faces. He spotted Hinata and Kageyama across the room and gave them a wave as he and Asahi made their way towards the bar. Ukai was walking around, talking with guests and thanking them for attending. Daichi spotted some of the high school players from both Karasuno and Nekoma, clustered together talking and laughing on the other side of the room. Daichi smiled at the sight of the boys all dressed up. The group cleaned up well. There were quite a few adults at the banquet that Daichi didn’t recognize, he wondered who all had been invited.
With drinks in hand, Daichi and Asahi made their way over to Hinata and Kageyama. “Wow. Look at you two!” Daichi says, patting Hinata on the back.
“Thanks. You look really good too!” Hinata says with a grin. After a moment his smile falters, and he lowers his voice gently. “Hey, were you okay last night? You were gone for a while so we weren’t sure where you went but Kuroo followed you so we assumed you were okay.”
“Yeah I was fine I’m sorry we left without saying goodbye. We were both pretty drunk and got distracted so we just headed home.” Daichi says, hoping the excuse isn’t too lame.
“Yeah that’s what I figured. It’s alright Daichi-san!” Hinata beams. “We’ll just have to catch up tonight. I’m really excited for this. I wonder what Ukai is going to say.”
“Yeah I was wondering about that too.” Daichi responds, watching as Takeda approaches the group.
“Hi. I’m glad to see you all here. You look great! There is no assigned seating so feel free to sit anywhere you’d like. The next two hours are for cocktails and mingling, then we will have dinner and the ceremony will commence.”
“That sounds great. And hey, let us know if you need help with anything. I know you all put in a lot of work to make this happen.” Daichi says. The man looks at him with a big smile, clearly touched by the offer.
“Thank you Daichi. I will let you know if anything comes up.” Takeda bows to the group before walking away.
—----
Guests trickle in during the two hours before dinner, and it’s strange to see all of his old team mates wearing full suits. Kuroo, Kenma, and Yaku arrived together and Daichi was definitely questioning his decision to turn the taller man down earlier. Damn it, why does he have to be so attractive? Daichi thinks before shaking the thought away. Tonight needed to be drama free. He didn’t want to stir up anything that could jeopardize that.
So far the evening is going without a hitch, and Daichi was actually feeling relaxed. He decided to mostly stay away from alcohol though, hoping not to have a repeat of the previous night’s chaos.
Daichi’s eyes light up when he sees Kiyoko, Tanaka, Ennoshita, and Nishinoya arrive. However, Daichi nearly chokes when he sees him. Suga walks in wearing a dark purple suit, a gorgeous jewel tone that is a wonderful contrast to his soft gray hair. Daichi can feel his heart beat going wild at the sight of the man. He looks gorgeous. Daichi is frozen in place, mesmerized. He almost doesn’t notice Suga’s boyfriend walking beside him. He quickly averts his gaze, hoping Haruto didn’t see him gawking at his pretty boyfriend. Daichi’s mind flashes back to the car wash and he scoffs. Wasn’t his type? Suga was otherworldly.
Daichi tries to fight it, but he is truly powerless. Like a moth drawn to a flame, he can’t help but walk over to Suga, Haruto be damned. Suga's eyes light up when he sees him, and Daichi nearly melts.
“Daichi oh my god.” Suga says, dramatically looking him up and down. “Where did you get that suit? You look amazing!” Suga motions for Daichi to spin around for the full effect. He hesitates but then complies, doing an awkward spin for Suga’s viewing pleasure which garners a beautiful laugh from his friend. Haruto is lurking behind his boyfriend, expression surprisingly neutral as the interaction unfolds.
“Thanks Suga. I’ve gotta say though, you look…” Daichi wants to say gorgeous, ethereal, stunning…sexy. But instead he pays mind to Haruto, deciding to keep it casual. “...great!” Suga’s eyes look a little disappointed at the lame compliment at first, but he gives Daichi a knowing smile, eyes motioning to Haruto behind him. Daichi nods slightly before excusing himself. He decides to step away for a bit, trying to be mindful of Haruto. All he cares about is spending the night with his friends. If that means playing nice with the man, then so be it. He’s just happy to be here with everyone.
Daichi walks over to greet the rest of the group and Tanaka immediately shows off Kiyoko.
“Isn’t she gorgeous? Look at that dress, that face?” Tanaka swoons, almost dropping to his knees in front of his wife who catches his arms, pulling him up to stand.
“You look amazing Kiyoko.” Daichi says, shooting her a knowing smile. “And Nishinoya?! I mean–Ennoshia you look great but I’d expect nothing less—but Noya? You look good, man! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so put together!” Daichi and Ennoshita share a laugh at the shorter man’s expense.
Nisinoya puts his hands out smugly, showing off his look. “You like? Just wait til I get to the dance floor.” He saws with a smirk. Daichi couldn’t help but smile back at the man. He sure did miss this group.
—--
Soon enough, it’s almost time for dinner and everyone finds a seat at a table. Luckily, Ukai and Naoi sprung for catering at this event. Daichi was glad that the coaches and their friends would actually be able to sit and relax this time. Daichi is seated at a table with Suga, Haruto, Asahi, Hinata, and Kageyama.
He feels bad that he didn’t have a chance to catch up with Kuroo before dinner, and Daichi glances around the dining room for his spiky black hair. He sees the man a couple tables away, finding his gaze. The two men smile and nod at each other from across the room. Suga, who’s seated across from Daichi, turns around to see who he’s looking at. Daichi notices the slight discontent on his friend’s face, and his mind flashes to their conversation the previous night. He looks like he wants to eat you. You’re jealous.
Dinner is served promptly and Daichi is glad. He was starving, having not eaten since breakfast this morning. He was also proud of himself for being mostly sober so far. And as promised, he was keeping an eye on Suga too. Luckily the man also was taking it much easier tonight, slowly sipping on his glass of wine with dinner.
As soon as the food hit the table, Hinata and Kageyama looked like they were going to swallow their plates whole. Daichi fondly thinks back to high school, and how those two always seemed to have the biggest appetite. He recalls the team dinners they would have after games, and buying snacks after practice at Ukai’s store. Their coach was always adamant about them getting a proper meal, even at his own expense sometimes. Daichi chokes back the emotion that’s suddenly trying to surface. Ukai had really done so much for them back then, he would forever be grateful for the man. Eventually the two younger men slow down their eating enough to chat with the rest of the group.
“So Daichi-san.” Hinata starts before taking another bite, pausing the conversation to chew and swallow. “What’s it like being a police officer?” He asks, tilting his head in curiosity.
“Hah. It’s okay. Not nearly as cool as being a volleyball player.” Daichi says, attempting to brush the focus off of himself. He can’t help but feel a little bit embarrassed about his professional life in front of those two.
“Oh quit!” Suga says from across the table, rolling his eyes. “Daichi’s is waaay too humble. I think it’s such an honorable profession. I mean, it might not be glamorous but it’s amazing to be able to give back to your community, right? And I really can’t think of a better person to have in that role.” Suga says fondly, hazel eyes finding him from across the table. Daichi doesn’t even care that he might actually be blushing. He wasn’t feeling the best about his career lately but…Suga always had a way about him. Daichi felt more sure of himself when he was around. Is that really what he thinks of me? “PLUS, who doesn’t love a man in uniform, right?” Suga teases, causing a chuckle from the rest of the table. Daichi is surprised to find Haruto laughing too. Maybe he was also determined to have a drama free night. Daichi could only hope.
“Yeah I think it’s really awesome. I mean–I always knew I had to play volleyball—but if I didn’t for some reason I think I’d want to do something like that too.” Kageyama says, expressionless as always. Hinata nods quickly in agreement and Daichi is feeling rather touched by his juniors.
“Thanks guys, I really appreciate it.” He says this to the table, but his eyes are locked on Suga. “And what about this one?” Daichi says, nodding his head towards Suga. “Talk about honorable. Teaching is one of the most thankless jobs you can have! Plus, what’s more important than the future?” Daichi beams.
“Oh I bet Suga would’ve been the BEST teacher! Cool teacher for sure!” Hinata almost shouts. Suga laughs at the younger man.
“Hinata, I had a student that reminded me sooo much of you this last year. He’s small but he’s super determined about everything. Gosh, I had such a soft spot for the kid but he was definitely hard to reign in.” Suga shakes his head as he thinks about his student. The man takes a moment to pull out his phone, showing the table pictures of his class from the previous year, speaking passionately about his students. Daichi’s heart nearly melts for the second time that night.
“What about you Haruto? What do you do?” Hinata asks the taller man. Daichi had almost forgotten he was there. The man had been pretty quiet for most of the conversation, but he looks somewhat uncomfortable now that he's being asked about himself.
“Well, nothing so noble as these ones here.” He smiles, motioning towards Daichi and Suga. “I work at a mid-sized insurance firm.”
Hinata and Kageyama look at each other, clearly unsure what to say about insurance. Daichi remembers their grades from back in the day. The two probably didn’t understand insurance in the slightest.
“Well, somebody’s got to do it!” Asahi says with a nervous laugh. Everyone quickly joins in, breaking the tension.
“So tell us, what are your teams like? Kageyama. Does Ushijima ever smile or is he always that stoic?” Suga says, eyebrow lifting up.
“Only once. It was when that guy from Shiritorizawa with the red hair–you know, the middle blocker—showed up to watch practice. He was making comments to Ushijima when he’d grab water and he actually got him to laugh.” Kageyama says.
“Ahh! You should’ve taken a picture!” Suga jokes. They all chuckle in remembrance at the strange man they crossed paths with in high school. What a weird pair he was with Ushiwaka.
“How about you, Hinata?” Asahi asks. Kageyama perks up in anticipation of his answer, eyes fixed on his old friend.
“I love my team! Bokuto is the best, I can't believe we actually get to play together! We drive Sakusa-san insane. And Atsumu is obsessed with me for some reason so that’s pretty cool too. Plus,” Hinata pauses, shooting a mischievous look towards Kageyama. “He’s the best setter in the league.”
“Shut up scrub! At least I get to set for the best hitter in the league.” Kageyama says smugly. Hinata’s ears turn red. He shoots Kageyama a look that could kill.
“What?! You said it to me first!!” Kageyama retorts. The two men go back and forth, bickering to each other as the rest of the table stares in amusement. They must really miss each other.
—----
As the catering staff begin to clear the tables, Ukai heads to the stage with Naoi and Takeda. The three nervously move onto the stage, with Takeda taking the lead. He grabs a microphone and hands it to Ukai with an encouraging look. Naoi picks up an empty glass and hits it with his silverware, drawing the attention of the room.
“Uh, Hi everyo—” Feedback rings out loudly. The crowd winces as Ukai pulls the microphone away from his face. He stalls for a second, holding the microphone awkwardly before he continues. “I’m hoping you’re all having a nice evening. I’d like to thank Naoi and Takeda for helping to pull this together.” Ukai starts, turning towards the other two who give him a thumbs up in response.
“So I wanted to do this banquet for a few reasons. The first is that Karasuno and Nekoma are in a tough spot with funding and we’d love to gain some donors for the upcoming years.” Daichi looks around the room then. Most of the adults were probably either volleyball fans or local businesses.
“The second is because for the first time in a while, we might have teams that can make it to nationals, which hasn’t happened since the boys from my first team graduated. And lastly, I wanted to do this for my grandpa. As many of you may know, Ukai senior passed away earlier this year.” Ukai’s tone goes somber, his eyes dropping from the crowd to the floor.
“My grandfather was many things. He was an asshole, he was a jerk, he was honest to a fault—I mean, the man really didn’t sugar coat anything.” Takeda walks up quickly, placing a hand on Ukai’s shoulder, causing him to stutter before continuing. “Ehm–But he loved volleyball. And he loved with his whole heart, and he always gave it 100%. And he loved these teams. He got me into coaching–Hell, he got me into volleyball. That man was the backbone of Karasuno’s team for many years, and I’ll be happy if I’m ever half the coach that he was.” Ukai chokes up a bit, clearing his throat before continuing.
“My grandpa had always dreamed of another garbage dump battle between Karasuno and Nekoma on the national stage. That first year coaching, we made it happen. Me and my team and Nekoma with coach Nekomata and Naoi. ” Ukai brings his head back up, looking fondly out to the tables with Daichi and his former team mates. Everyone is smiling, and Daichi’s surprised, he had never seen his former coach being so vulnerable.
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt as close to my grandpa as I did that day. I know he was proud of me, and I would do anything to make him proud again.” Ukai pauses for a moment, tears forming in his eyes as he quickly rubs them, regaining his composure.
“Now with this team, I know Karasuno can make it to nationals again. These boys remind me so much of my first team. They’re determined, and I know they can hold their own with the best. I am equally as inspired by the new Nekoma team. Together, I think we have a real chance at making the garbage dump battle a reality again. This past week of camp we’ve already noticed a stark improvement in the two teams. They’re both starting to finally get into their rhythm. And it’s been really great to see the old players teaching the new teams.”
“Let’s give a round of applause for the current Nekoma and Karasuno volleyball clubs. Boys, get up here.” Ukai motions to the tables where the players from Nekoma and Karasuno are seated. The boys all get up and head onto the stage while the crowd applauds, taking pictures with their coaches before returning to their seats. Ukai hands the microphone over to Naoi.
“Thank you everyone, and thank you Keishin. Much like Karasuno, Nekoma has been having a rough couple of years with the volleyball club, not qualifying for nationals. When I was first starting out as a coach, I had some of the most amazing teams. But I also had the most amazing mentor. Seeing this man coach, and learning his ways was invaluable to me in those years and I can’t thank him enough. Much like Ukai was the backbone of Karasuno for so long before his grandson took over, coach Nekomata truly was the backbone of Nekoma. Everyone. Please raise your hands for former coach Nekomata.” He says, motioning for the man seated towards the front to join him on the stage. Nekomata gets up and slowly makes his way up the couple of stairs onto the stage. Takeda helps him up by holding his elbow, stabilizing the older man.
Naoi hands a plaque to Nekomata, and they take a picture together. Naoi hands the mic to the older man. “Thank you, thank you everyone. It was an absolute pleasure of mine to coach Nekoma for so many years, and it was a pleasure to take Naoi under my paw. I am excited to see what the next generation has in store. I have absolute faith in both of you.” Nekomata says, fixing his gaze on Ukai and Naoi.
“But most of all, it was a pleasure of mine to be friends with the former Ukai. Me and Ukai go way back and it’s been a push and pull between us for as long as I can remember. We challenged each other. We motivated each other. We may not have always been the best about showing it, but he was my true friend. Maybe one of the only true friends I’ve ever had.” Nekomata’s hand starts to shake as he holds the microphone. “I miss him dearly. Everyone, please raise your glasses in honor of Ukai.” The room raises their glasses, toasting to the former coach. Nekomata hands the mic back to Naoi as Takeda and Ukai help him down from the stage.
“Thank you so much, coach. Moving along with that, that first dumpster battle, that team. They were something special. It was an honor to be a part of it that year, and we haven’t quite had another team like it since. I can only hope some of their knowledge rubs off on the current team. Please give a round of applause for former players Kuroo Tetsuro, Kozume Kenma, and Yaku Morisuke.” The three men get out of their seats and make their way to the stage. Noai hands them each a small plaque, taking pictures as the group claps their hands for the men.
Naoi hands the mic back to Ukai. “Yes I remember those boys fondly. They’re still all great players, I’m so happy to have them join us at the camp. Now, you all have heard about these guys. I still think so fondly of that first year coaching, and it’s all because of this team. Hell, I hadn’t even wanted to be a coach, and probably never would have been if it wasn’t for them. Please welcome to the stage, the former Karasuno volleyball team.”
Daichi and the rest of his teammates get up from their seats, walking onto the stage. Ukai and Takeda pass out small plaques to Daichi and his team mates, they all smile and pose for pictures before heading back to their seats. Daichi’s heart is warmed, it feels good to be recognized. He gently touches Suga on the elbow, smiling at the man as they walk down from the stage. Daichi would always be grateful to his former team. That year really was so special to him. In a lot of ways, it made him into the man he was today.
“And everyone, lastly, I’d like to thank Takeda-sensei and my two best friends Shimada and Takinoue. Throughout the years these three have both been the support system for the team, but also my own personal support system. This has been a tough year for me. Losing grandpa was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through, and unfortunately other circumstances have not made my life any easier. But these three have helped me through it all. Not only that, but they have put in so much hard work over these last few months to help make this camp a reality. Without them all of this wouldn’t have been possible. I am forever grateful to you guys.” Ukai says, motioning to the three men who were now lined up on the stage. The room gives a large applause for the men who look fondly back at Ukai.
Takeda grabs the microphone from Ukai to close it out. “Thank you all. I hope you all were pleased with the dinner. Give thanks to our wonderful caterers. I’d like to talk now about the exhibition matches happening on Sunday. We will hold exhibition matches with the new and old Nekoma and Karasuno teams.” Takeda says, looking fondly at the teams. “Please join us for the matches and spread the word to anyone you can.” He says, looking out at the crowd with a smile.
“Now, these teams are amazing. But unfortunately we can’t do it on our own. Two-thirds of the teams that make it to nationals are private schools with recruitment who usually have extensive funding. For teams like Karasuno and Nekoma, with very little budget for away games and camps, these goals become harder to reach. The way things are right now, these two schools couldn’t even afford to go to nationals. So please, we are asking for sponsors for this next year. In exchange for donations, we will add your company logos to the teams jerseys. These jerseys will be worn on the nationals stage that is televised, which would garner great visibility for your business for a great cause. I’d like to thank our current sponsors, Shimada mart and Takinoue electronics. They provided the funding for this banquet tonight so please thank these two when you see them.” Takeda motions towards the two men. “Please let me know if anyone would like to inquire about this, and once again, thank you all for coming. Please hit the dance floor and enjoy the rest of the evening.” Takeda says, ending the speeches for the night with a final round of applause.
“Wow.” Asahi sighs fondly as the noise dies down.
“Yeah, that was pretty awesome what they said about all of us.” Suga says. Everyone at the table nods in agreement.
“Seriously. Those guys really are good people. I just hope they’re able to get the sponsors that they need.” Daichi adds. He’s completely invested now, he can’t wait to watch their games this season.
Once they exit the stage, Ukai, Takeda, and Naoi are swarmed by other adults in the room. Getting pats on the back, and chatting. Overall, the banquet was going great. Everyone was touched by the kind words of their former coaches and seemed to be in a good mood. Daichi was getting pumped for the exhibition matches.
“Sawamura-san!” He turns to find Takagi and Harada, Karasuno’s ace and one of their middle blockers. Daichi had gotten to know the two boys throughout the previous week, and they had developed a friendly rapport.
“I told you guys, you can just call me Daichi.” The boys shrug.
“Has Ukai always been such a softie?” Takagi asks teasingly, causing Daichi to chuckle.
“Honestly, the man acts tough but he has a heart of gold.” Daichi smiles to himself. “And he would do anything for his teams. So be good to him.”
“Okay, but you’re gonna come to our games right?” Harada asks.
“Of course! I’ve gotta see everything we teach you guys go into action.” He smiles at the two. The two boys give him a handshake that they showed him earlier in the week before heading the other way.
“Look at you! Inspiring the youth.” Suga says, bumping his shoulder as he comes up next to Daichi. He’s happy to see Suga with a smile on his face tonight. Daichi was unfortunately starting to get used to seeing him upset.
“Right? I’m planning to join the cheer squad and watch some of their games this year. You should join me if you’re free sometime.” Daichi says.
“Oh I would absolutely love to!” Suga replies excitedly before Haruto pulls him aside by the elbow, whispering something to the man. Suga looks back at Daichi as he’s pulled away, giving him an apologetic smile.
“Now, here is where the night begins.” Kuroo says with his arms out. He approaches the old Karasuno team with Kenma and Yaku. They all go around giving each other half hugs and shaking hands, the two old teams joking with each other, happy to be together after all these years.
“Hey, Kenma. Get a picture of me and Daichi please.” The taller man says, handing his friend his phone and throwing his arm over Daichi’s shoulder. The two smile widely, leaning into each other. Out of the corner of his eye, Daichi can see Suga talking to Haruto, but his eyes are fixed on Kuroo. Is he seriously jealous? Daichi makes a point in his head to get a picture with just him and Suga later. At the very least it would give him an excuse to be close to his friend. He was hoping they’d have some time for just the two of them tonight, but he knew that was wishful thinking.
The lights dimmed in the room as music started to play. People were casually mingling around the tables and trickling out to dance. Suga takes Haruto’s arm, smirking as he drags his boyfriend to the dance floor. Daichi watches as a sweet look passes between them. Suga smiles as Haruto pulls him in closely, the two men swaying together to the music. Daichi’s heart aches at the sight, and he has to use all of his willpower to look away. He hadn’t even noticed that the rest of his former team mates had dispersed, either heading to the bar or to dance. He finds himself left standing with Kuroo and Kenma.
“So did you guys have sex?” Kenma says, looking between the two blankly.
“Kenma?! I would never.” Kuroo says dramatically, causing the younger man to roll his eyes. Daichi looks at Kuroo in disbelief. “I didn’t tell him anything, I swear! He just really knows my type.” He says, arms up in defense.
“Yeah, and the fact that you’ve been drooling over him all week. And then this morning.” Kenma’s eyes focus on Kuroo, causing the man’s face to sport an abnormal blush.
“Kenma!” He whisper-yells. Daichi can’t help but laugh at the taller man.
“To answer your question, no we did not. We made out a bit, but that was it.” Daichi shrugs. This seems to satisfy the younger man who just nods his head.
“Besides, I’m playing wingman from here on out. Daichi has his sights set on a pretty domestic type. And from the looks of things, he has his sights set on Daichi too.” Kuroo says, eyes fixed on Suga.
“What do you mean?” Daichi asks, brows furrowing.
“I mean I saw how pissed off he looked when we took a picture together. I know you saw it too. We can definitely use that to our advantage.” Kuroo says, eyes lifting in consideration.
“Right. Cause the ‘make them jealous’ trope always works out so well.” Kenma replies sarcastically.
“Well how do you propose we do it?” Kuroo responds.
“Easy. I’ve been watching Haruto. He’s an asshole. All you’ve gotta do is show that side of him to Suga.” The younger man shrugs.
“How do you know it’s Suga?” Kenma just blinks back at Daichi. “Okay, forget I asked. How the hell would we do that?” Daichi asks, somewhat curious to hear what the man had in mind.
“I don’t know, maybe plant a recording device on him and get him alone? I’m sure he’ll say some evil stuff, and then we just show it to Suga. Companies are always sending me stupid little electronics to review. I was gonna try and get dirt on Kuroo tonight, b—”
“HUH?” Kuroo interrupts, but Kenma is unfazed.
“--ut here. This will be way more interesting.” Kenma puts out his hand, opening his palm to show a small plastic tape recorder to Daichi, who stares in disbelief.
“Are you kidding me? That’s your plan? That’s the most unrealistic shit I’ve ever heard, Kenma! He’s not a cartoon villain!” Kuroo retorts. Daichi can only shake his head. What have I gotten myself into?
“Okay, nope. We’re not doing any of that. I just want to have a good time tonight. No drama.” He says to the two men, trying to laugh it off. They’re joking, right? Suddenly he feels a hand on his shoulder.
“Hey, Daichi. Can I steal you away?” Ukai says, smiling at the others. He’s holding a bottle of bourbon and four glasses. He motions with his head for Daichi to follow him. “Yamaguchi!” The man yells, motioning for the younger man to come over. He leads them outside to a patio where Ennoshita is already seated at a small table. It’s immediately much quieter once the door is closed. The patio is dim, with the stars and moon primarily lighting the sky. They all take a seat as Ukai pours the amber liquid into four glasses, motioning for each of them to pick one up. “To my captains.” Ukai says, clinking his glass against the others as they take a sip of the smoky bitter liquid. It burns slightly as it goes down Daichi’s throat, and he starts to feel that familiar warmth.
“Man, it’s so good to see you all again. I have a soft spot for my captains, you all were such a big part of your teams. I really hope the three of you will rub off on those kids.” He pauses, taking another sip. “They’re good kids, they just need some guidance.” Ukai says, looking between the three. The younger men smile fondly at their old coach. “So, tell me how you’ve all been!”
The three men casually talk to their former coach about their lives, going into more detail than they had on previous nights. The intimate group and the alcohol were making it easier to share.
Ennoshita was engaged now, talking fondly about his fiancee and his work as a physical therapist. Daichi is extremely happy for the man. He seems to be doing really well for himself. Yamaguchi is single, but speaks fondly of his recent college years, and is content with his new career. Daichi mentions his break up briefly, but mostly speaks about his process for selection in the police academy, and tells stories about some of the ridiculous people he’s had to deal with on the job. Ukai was singing praises to all of them, doting on the men like they were his own children.
“This banquet is great by the way. Have you had any sponsors approach yet?” Ennoshita asks.
“We’ve had a few inquiries, but much less than I would’ve liked. We raised a decent amount on the car wash and I’m hoping the exhibition matches will help too. But if I need to, I’ll take it out of my own pocket if it means we can play at nationals again.” Ukai says seriously.
“You always were the best coach, Ukai-san.” Yamaguchi says, giving a gentle smile to the older man. “How have you been holding up?” He asks hesitantly. Despite the overwhelming positivity of the night, Daichi can tell that there’s something his former coach is holding back. Apparently Yamaguchi had picked up on that too.
“Ahh, well…Not good.” Ukai starts, his gaze dropping from his former captains. “Well, grandpa died and that’s no walk in the park. I still miss him every day. But you know, it’s good to have this goal. It might sound ridiculous but I almost feel like being on the national courts again, it’ll be like I’m with him again.” Ukai mutters this with his head down, avoiding their eyes. “I know, so sappy. Ignore your old coach.” He waves them off.
“No, I think that makes a lot of sense. I’m really excited to see it.” Daichi offers. “Your team is great, and I know he’d be proud.” Ukai lifts his gaze then, meeting Daichi’s with a soft smile.
“Thank you, but uh I guess that’s not the only thing that’s been weighing on me…” He starts, once again losing a little bit of composure as he talks with the other men, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. The three former captains share quick worried glances with each other as Ukai gains his nerve. “Well, we’re losing the store. Sakanoshita market hasn’t been as profitable since I’ve taken over, it’s been hard to find a balance between the business and the team. I’ve been spread really thin and the store’s suffering.” The three men are speechless. Ukai nearly winces when he sees their expressions, continuing. “Uhm, I have about a year to turn it around, but if I can’t get profits back up I’m gonna have to close it down. And if that happens I really don’t know what I’m gonna do, they hardly pay me at all to coach.” Daichi is absolutely stunned. Nobody speaks for a few minutes, they all just sit and sip their drinks. Ukai’s glass is nearly empty, and he pours another.
“Ukai, I’m so sorry. Is there anything we can do? Any way to donate?” Ennoshita asks.
“No, no I couldn’t possibly take your guys’ donations. What matters is that you’re all here. Your teams were some of the best players I’ve ever seen and I think I’ll always have a soft spot for you guys. It feels like it was all worth it just knowing that you’d all come back to help your old coach.” Ukai says with a chuckle, patting Yamaguchi and Ennoshita on the back. His eyes are watering but no tears are falling. He shakes his head, fighting back his emotions.
They are quickly interrupted as Naoi opens the patio door and sticks his head out. “Keishin, we have a potential sponsor who wants to talk to us.” Ukai’s eyes light up. He quickly excuses himself, leaving the other three outside.
“I can’t believe he’s going to lose the store.” Daichi sighs in disbelief.
“God, I used to love that place.” Yamaguchi mutters, mostly to himself as he stares at the amber liquid in his glass.
“We all did. Remember all those times we’d grab meat buns after practice? We practically lived off those things.” Ennoshia says fondly.
“What are we supposed to do? We can’t just let him lose the store.” Yamaguchi says cautiously.
“I don’t even know what we could do. Not unless he’d take some monetary help.” Ennoshita says.
The three ponder for a moment, the table growing awkward. Daichi isn’t sure what to say, he felt like Ukai had dropped a bomb on them and left. Daichi turned his attention to the men in front of him, taking them in.
“Geez, when did you two grow up so much?” Daichi says, looking between them.
“Look who’s talking. I can’t believe you're a police officer! I guess you always were good at keeping everyone in check.” Ennoshita jokes. Yamaguchi giggles at them. “No but seriously, I’ve always looked up to you Daichi.” He continues. “I don’t think I ever could’ve been captain if I didn’t model myself after you a little bit.”
“Yeah I feel the same way.” Yamaguchi says, shyly looking at Daichi. Wow. Daichi is taken aback, he had never expected to have such a great effect on his juniors.
“Geez, I’m not sure what to say guys.” He responds with a smile. The group sits in comfortable silence for a moment, enjoying the soft breeze rolling through. The quiet is broken as Ennoshita’s phone starts to vibrate.
“Ah, sorry guys, Tanaka's calling me. That can’t be good. I’ll catch up with you later, okay?” Ennoshita says, grabbing his empty glass as he heads back inside. Just me and Yamaguchi.
The air turns awkward again when Ennoshita leaves. He can’t recall ever being alone with just Yamaguchi. Daichi doesn’t know what to say, he isn’t sure if they even have much in common. However, he had been wishing all week for a chance to ask the man a few questions. His mind wanders to Suga. Daichi thinks about how gorgeous his friend looks tonight, how he’d love nothing more than to sweep him off of his feet. He considers the man in front of him. He was once in love with his best friend too. If anyone could relate to what Daichi was going through, it was probably him. Daichi takes a breath.
“Yamaguchi. Can I ask you something?”
Notes:
I hope you guys liked Chapter 6! A sweet little reunion chapter but hopefully it kept your interest :)
Had to do a lot of set up for the next chapter there will be a lot going on.I <3 the karasuno captains XOXO
Also LOVE coach Ukai idk if you can tell
Let me know what you guys think!
Chapter 7 is drafted. Yes it's going to be ridiculous. It will probably be another week before I post it I need to edit and start working on chapter 8!
Chapter 7: The Storm
Notes:
Chapter 7!!!!
How are my wonderful readers? You all are the best <3
I know it's kind of long but I love this chapter and it was a lot of fun to write! I hope you enjoy it too :)
Also sorry this took a little bit longer I have been looking for a new apartment :/
<3<3 I hope you enjoy <3<3
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Yamaguchi. Can I ask you something?”
“Um, sure.” The man furrows his brows slightly. Up close Daichi can see all of the freckles dusted across his face. He thinks back fondly to the awkward kid he remembers from high school. He can’t believe it’s that same man sitting in front of him. They stay like this for a few seconds too long, and he notices Yamaguchi begin to fidget in his seat. Daichi curses himself for being so damn awkward, deciding to break the silence and ask the thing he’s been wondering about the most.
“Did you ever tell Tsukishima how you felt?” He wants to take back the words as soon as he says them. I really couldn’t have eased into that? Daichi cringes internally, but Yamaguchi’s face is blank. The man looks to be absolutely stunned by the question. After another moment of awkward silence between the two, Yamaguchi throws his head back, laughing. Now Daichi is left speechless. He’s…laughing at me?
“You know, I can tell everyone’s been wondering that, but you’re the first one to actually ask me.” The younger man says between bursts of giggles. Daichi waits patiently for Yamaguchi to continue, but he can’t help it as the corners of his mouth slowly turn up into a grin. Daichi puts his hand to his face, laughing away the tension with his old team mate. When Yamaguchi finally stops laughing he has to take a moment to catch his breath, fanning himself with his hand.
“Everyone always assumed I was so love struck huh? I was the one obsessed with him. I was the ugly loser who just so happened to team up with someone interesting.” Daichi is surprised by the way the younger man is speaking of his former self, but he doesn’t look sad. Instead he looks like he’s just recalling a memory, completely neutral. “Would you believe me if I said he confessed to me too?”
Daichi’s eyes widened in surprise. To be honest, it had never really occurred to him that Tsukishima might’ve been just as in love as Yamaguchi was. Sure they were close, but Tsukishima never showed much emotion. Daichi recalled that at times he would even be kind of harsh to Yamaguchi. Daichi is pulled from his thoughts as Yamaguchi starts laughing again, his freckles bouncing along his cheeks as he topples over onto the table. Daichi begins to wonder if the drinks are getting to him or if he’s always this slaphappy.
“Okay come on now! Don’t insult me to my face, I have feelings too!” The man teases. Daichi quickly fixes his expression to be more neutral, hoping not to offend the younger man.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. I know everyone thought that and you’re definitely not the first. You know, with me and Tsukki? Our relationship was always a little bit different. He came into my life when I needed him the most. Believe it or not, I wasn’t exactly popular as a kid. He stood up to a couple of my bullies and then didn’t even remember me the next time I saw him. He was the coolest person in the world and I knew I wanted to have him. So we grew up together. We became each others’ comfort.” Yamaguchi shrugs as he finishes this thought. He takes a moment then, lifting his head slightly as he thinks.
“In that first interaction alone, I feel like he made me. And maybe I made him too—not at first, but eventually. You know what I mean?” Daichi nodded his head even though he was very confused by that statement.
“Anyways, I eventually fell in love with him. I’ll give it to you, I was hopelessly in love with him that first year of high school. And I did confess, or at least I started to. At the end of our first year I had a whole day planned. I invited him to go for a walk, and I set up a picnic in our favorite spot where we used to play together as kids. The day was going perfectly, and we had just eaten, sitting on the blanket looking up at the stars when I started to confess.” Daichi listens intently to his junior, and finds himself on the edge of his seat. Of course Yamaguchi pauses to breathe on an absolute cliffhanger.
“But he cut me off. I was just stammering around, talking about how much he means to me and how much we’d been through together blah blah, and he just holds his hand up and goes ‘Don’t, Tadashi. You’re not going to like my answer so save yourself the heartache.’ And right there under the stars I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces. The only person I’d ever loved didn’t love me back—at least in that way. I avoided him for a few weeks, but I missed him as a friend. I felt like I wasn’t myself without him. So I decided having him in my life was worth the heartache, and we continued on as best friends.”
“Wow, Yamaguchi that—” The man puts his finger up.
“Uhhuhhh not yet. You wanted the story. That’s only half of it.” Daichi just nods his head for the man to continue.
“So I loved Tsukki, and I continued to love him throughout high school. But I healed. I got over him and accepted him as a friend and only a friend because I was just glad to have him in my life. It wasn’t until the end of our third year, right after our final game at nationals. The team went out for a meal. Afterwards me and Tsukki stopped for ice cream before heading back to the hotel for the night. He asked for us to sit, which was awkward and out of the blue. So we sat.” Yamaguchi pauses to take a sip of his bourbon, his face quickly twists up in a grimace. He clearly wasn’t a fan. Daichi waits patiently for him to continue, once again Yamaguchi pauses at a critical moment in the story. He really is one hell of a storyteller.
“He looked me in the eye and said he loved me. So of course I’m like ‘I love you too Tsukki!’” Yamaguchi does a high pitched voice to exemplify his younger self and they both chuckle. “He had to correct me and say that he love loved me. Which, I mean, I was completely stunned. He shot me down just two years before that, and staying friends was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. And I did it for him. And now he was gonna confess to me? A couple months before we’d go our separate ways to universities?! I was pissed!” Yamaguchi somehow still has a smile on his face, recalling what Daichi can only imagine is an extremely unpleasant memory.
“I did still love him. But I didn’t love him like that any more. I had already grieved the relationship that I thought I wanted. So I turned him down that time.” Yamaguchi says, searching Daichi’s face now for his reaction. Daichi is sure he looks ridiculous at this point, he can feel his mouth hanging open and decides to close it before he catches a bug. “We talked about it a lot more that time, since both of us were older and more mature. We both explained our feelings to each other in a way we never could have when we were first years.” Yamaguchi swirls the amber liquid around in his glass before taking another sip, doing a better job at hiding his grimace this time.
“I considered just trying to date anyway, even though I didn’t feel that way about him anymore. But I couldn’t. The timing just wasn’t right.”
“So did you guys ever try at all? If you both felt that way at one point, was it not worth it to give it a shot?” Daichi says nervously. He’s not sure if he really wants to hear the answer.
“No we didn’t. Eventually we both just moved on. We found other people who completed us in that way here and there. And we were always there for each other as friends. He’s still the closest person in my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything and I’d do anything for him. I never regretted almost confessing, and I never regretted him confessing to me either. If it’s meant to be it’ll happen. Hell, who knows, maybe it’ll still happen. Maybe one day we’ll both wake up and be madly in love and live happily ever after. But maybe we won’t, and I’m okay with that. Tsukki is too.” Yamaguchi says, shrugging his shoulders.
Daichi’s mind is whirling, trying to process all of the information. He couldn’t believe how mature his two juniors were. It actually made Daichi feel rather embarrassed about his current predicament. After all, it had taken him this long just to be honest with himself about all of his feelings.
“Wow. I uh, never would have guessed all of that. Thank you.” He winces at his words. Thank you?
“Don’t worry about it. I know how people used to look at me, like I was some timid mouse. But it’s all in the past. I’m happy with how everything turned out.” Daichi pulls his eyes up to meet Yamaguchi and smiles.
“You know, you really grew into yourself. I’m a little jealous actually.” Daichi admits. Yamaguchi blushes slightly and smiles, eyes looking away from Daichi after a moment.
“I think you don’t give yourself enough credit. You seem to be doing just fine to me.”
“Really? God that’s a relief to hear. My life has been an absolute nightmare recently.” Yamaguchi raises his eyebrow in question but continues before Dachi can answer.
“Whatever it is I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” Not sure how to respond, Daichi just looks up at Yamaguchi, nodding his head.
“I really did look up to you ya know? A lot of the older players were probably shocked that I became captain but, I don’t know. I learned a lot from you and Ennoshita, even if you guys didn’t notice me watching.” Daichi feels his heart warm. Yamaguchi has turned out to be strong and confident in ways that Daichi never would’ve imagined. It’s a stark contrast to the boy he used to know. He’s honored to think he might’ve had some small part in that.
“I’m sorry that I ever counted you out.” Daichi said sincerely. “Now can I share?” Yamaguchi nods his head and Daichi lets out a sigh. “I recently realized I’m bisexual. I think I’—no, I know I’m in love with Suga. But obviously he has a boyfriend. I guess…I’m not quite sure what to do.” Daichi looks timidly at the younger man. He’s not entirely sure why he’s decided to tell him this, but something about the conversation feels intimate. He feels like he can be vulnerable with the younger man, free from judgement. Now it’s his turn to look surprised.
“Mmmmkay this conversation is making a lot more sense now.” Yamaguchi chuckles. “Well, in my opinion the answer is easy. You have to tell him how you feel.”
“But wha–” Yamaguchi puts his hand up again, silencing Daichi.
“Even though me and Tsukki never worked out, I was always grateful that he told me. Talking through it and understanding each other, that’s how we got through it. So even if Suga doesn’t feel the same way, at least he’ll know where you stand. And you won’t have to live with the burden of that secret. Trust me, it’s not easy.” Daichi silently nods. Yamaguchi stands up then, having finally finished his drink. He pats Daichi on the shoulder.
“It was nice talking with you, Daichi. I really hope everything works out.” He says before exiting the patio. Daichi takes a moment to sit with himself. Should I really tell Suga how I feel? What if he hates me for it? Yamaguchi had made it seem so simple. Maybe it is.
—--
Daichi makes his way back inside, scanning the room for his friends. “Hey, there you are! I’ve been looking for you.” Kuroo says.
“Damn Kuroo, let the man have his space.” Yaku chimes in.
“Daichi where’d you go?” Nishinoya asks.
“I was outside chatting with Yamaguchi.” The group all gives him puzzled looks.
“Really? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you two talk.” Nishinoya scratches his head.
“Yeah, we haven’t really.” Daichi shrugs.
“Noyaa!!!!” The group turns their heads. Tanaka is waving his hands from the dance floor, motioning for Nishinoya to come over.
“Hey I gotta go. Daichi-san, I better see you out there!” He says, pointing as he walks away towards the crowd of people. Why not? Daichi nods his head at the shorter man, eliciting a punch to the sky from his junior. Kuroo takes a step towards Daichi, leaning in.
“Hey, so about the plan.” He whispers, trying and failing to be discreet.
“Plan? What plan?!” Yaku interjects. Kuroo rolls his eyes at the shorter man.
“Don’t worry about it Yaku, there is no plan.”
“Are you kidding me?! I just heard you say plan!” Daichi tunes out of the conversation as the two men argue. He’s only seen it a couple times, but he knows they can go back and forth for a while when they get like this. He looks around and finds Suga, dancing with Haruto near the rest of their friends. Suga has a smile on his face and Haruto’s arms are wrapped around his narrow waist. Daichi’s heart aches again. He’s glad that Suga’s having a good time, but Daichi selfishly wishes that he could be the one to put that beautiful smile on his face.
As Daichi turns to look away, his eyes are drawn to a steady movement coming from the opposite side of the dance floor. He watches as Kenma weaves through the crowd, stopping for a second when he’s next to Haruto and Suga. Daichi has to squint slightly, but it almost looks like the shorter man slipped something into Haruto’s suit pocket. You’ve got to be kidding me. Daichi feels frozen in place as Kenma casually makes his way back over to him and the others.
“Okay, the first part of the plan is a go.” Kenma says lazily.
“See? I knew there was a plan! Kuroo you are such a liar, man!” Yaku says, pointing his finger at Kuroo’s chest. Daichi would laugh if he wasn’t somewhat terrified. The man was certainly intense.
“Alright, Daichi look. Can we let him in on the plan? Please? He’s not gonna give up.” Kuroo faces Daichi, eyes pleading. “I really wasn’t kidding when I said this group doesn’t have much going on.” He adds, and the three men stare at him expectantly. Daichi rolls his eyes and lets out a sigh. Great. What’s one more?
“They’re trying to win Suga over for me. But I did NOT ask for their help and their ideas are horrible. And Kenma?! What the hell did you slip in his pocket?!” Daichi whispers aggressively.
“Oh shit, you’re gay?” Yaku says. He glances up at his former captain. “Wow Kuroo, he’s exactly your type. Have you tried to seduce him yet?” Kuroo’s face goes red.
“Shut UP Yaku!!!” He whines.
“Ahh so you were rejected?! HAH!” Yaku laughs at Kuroo, who is left with his mouth hanging open.
“Can we focus here? I’m not doing your ridiculous plans, okay? It will backfire. I said no drama tonight, okay. Please?” Daichi says, hoping that the three men understand that he’s serious. The night was actually going pretty good, he really didn’t want things getting out of hand.
“Well all you’ve gotta do is create a scenario where you show Suga that you’re better than Haruto. Do that and boom, he's yours. You know, maybe he’ll trip or something and you catch him instead of Haruto? Or maybe someone’s about to knock into him with a tray of drinks but you pull him out of the way? If you want, I can even do the dirty work. I’ll make sure you’re nearby, of course.” Yaku has a satisfied look on his face after he shares this. “What were their plans anyway?”
“Absolutely not. No plans!” Daichi uses his most chilling captain voice that’s typically reserved for Noya and Tanaka, hoping the three men understand the severity of the situation. Daichi gives them all a pointed look before walking away. But he can’t help the smile forming on his lips once he turns his back. They really can’t be serious. If any of those things happened, it would surely be a disaster.
—--
Daichi makes his way towards his friends on the dance floor, and everyone is having a good time goofing around. Tanaka manages to pull Takeda away for a few minutes, bringing him out to dance. The man can surprisingly hold a beat. Ukai comes over to show him up and quickly embarrasses himself as he nearly twists his ankle trying to keep up with the music. He grumbles about needing to find Naoi as he leaves the dance floor and Takeda gives a low bow before following him, chuckling to himself as he walks away.
To no one’s surprise, Nishinoya eventually challenges the high schoolers to a dance battle. Him, Tanaka, and Hinata go back and forth, taking turns with the younger boys putting on a show that nobody asked for. Daichi has to step in when Nishinoya tries to breakdance and nearly knocks over a bystander. With the crisis averted, he steps over to the side laughing at his friend flopping around on the floor. Daichi feels a nudge on his shoulder. His eyes soften when he sees Suga standing next to him.
“Hey, you disappeared for a while.”
“I did. Ukai pulled all the old captains outside for a drink. You wouldn’t bel—”
“Hey, can we sit down for a bit? My legs are getting tired.” Haruto interrupts. Suga looks slightly annoyed at him, which gives Daichi an ounce of satisfaction.
“I’m gonna chat with Daichi, but you can sit down. I’ll come find you in a little bit.” Suga says to his boyfriend. Dachi senses some tension between the two. Haruto looks like he’s biting his tongue as he walks away, disappearing from the crowd. Suga looks back at Daichi then, giving him his full attention to continue.
“Don’t tell anyone cause I’m not sure who all knows, but Ukai said he’s gonna lose the store.” Suga nearly gasps.
“Please tell me you’re joking.” Daichi shakes his head in response. “Daichi, that's horrible. We have to do something!”
“I feel the same way but what can we do?” Daichi looks at Suga, so full of concern. He is once again struck by his beauty. Daichi has the urge to reach out and touch that beautiful mark on his cheek. “Hey, let’s get a picture.” Suga smiles at the suggestion.
They pull over Kiyoko to use the phone and Suga directs Daichi on how to pose. Kiyoko gets a few different angles before handing back the device. Suga rests his head on Daichi’s shoulder as they look through the pictures together. Daichi smiles at the photos, zooming in to see the details of their faces. They really do look good together. He finds his eyes glued to Suga’s digital image before realizing he has the real deal right there. He turns around to face his friend.
“You know, you look really beautiful tonight Suga. I know my compliment earlier was kind of lame but I just didn’t want Haruto to feel weird. If I’m being honest, I feel like I can’t take my eyes off of you.” Daichi’s lips move without thinking, the words pouring out of him unfiltered. He worries that he’s coming on too strong, but he smiles when he notices a pink tint growing on Suga’s cheeks. Suga plays it off with a light hearted punch to the ribs that was more painful than Daichi would’ve liked. He has to stifle a grunt. But it’s all worth it as he hears Suga’s laugh ringing out, even if it’s at his own expense.
“No but seriously thank you, Daichi. I appreciate you looking out for Haruto too. He’s in a good mood today, but he’s hardly letting me up for air.” Suga forces a chuckle but Daichi doesn’t join in. He doesn’t find anything funny about the way Haruto treats Suga.
“Don’t let him treat you like that. Everybody loves you, you’re surrounded by friends. You should enjoy yourself.” He places his hand on Suga’s arm as he says this. Daichi gently strokes his hand along the arm of his suit, and Suga doesn’t even flinch at the touch. Something about it feels so natural, and Daichi wants to pull him in closer.
“I know, but he’s here too and he cares about me. I just need to find a balance.” Suga takes a step away and Daichi immediately feels the lack of touch. He thinks over Suga’s words and nods in understanding. He’s still not sure how to go about confessing, but it’s clear that Daichi would need to keep the peace with Haruto, at least for a little while longer.
“Oh yeah! I also had a heart to heart with Yamaguchi.” Daichi smirks.
“What?! You’re all over the place! What did you guys talk about?” Suga says with that beautiful smile returning to his face.
“I asked about him and Tsukishima. I’ve always been curious what happened between those two, but he’s really turned into a cool person. And seriously? A hell of a storyteller. I wish I would’ve gotten to know him better back then.” Suga beams at Daichi, and he feels like he’s going to melt.
Their attention is broken when a slow song starts to play, shifting the mood entirely from the upbeat music that was playing before. Seriously? Suga looks at Daichi and his heart beats out of his chest. He holds out his hand to Suga, who goes to place his hand in Daichi’s. However, he pulls away when he spots Haruto whipping through the crowd. Suga backs away a couple of steps by the time Haruto reaches them and the taller man smiles sweetly at his boyfriend.
“Hey gorgeous, can I have this dance?” He puts his arm out to Suga, pulling him into an embrace. Daichi smiles, but awkwardly starts to make his way away from the dance floor. He’s definitely not in the mood to watch Suga spin around with his boyfriend.
“Hang on, captain. I need a dance partner too!” Kuroo says, grabbing his arm and yanking him back to the dance floor. Daichi rolls his eyes but eventually gives in to his eccentric friend.
While couples are dancing sweetly, Daichi and Kuroo are waltzing around the dance floor dangerously. Kuroo cackles as they spin around the crowd, nearly knocking into everyone in their path as Daichi gives out apologetic looks. Kuroo pulls Daichi into a dip, faking like he’s going to drop him before lifting him back up gracefully. Daichi gives his friend a look that could kill, and Kuroo quickly spins him around to distract him. Once he finds his balance again Daichi holds their arms above his head, and the taller man ducks to spin underneath. Daichi tries to dip Kuroo, and actually does drop him to the floor by accident. The two scramble to get Kuroo back on his feet and continue like nothing happened, their cheeks deep shades of crimson. Daichi gives his friend a firm punch on the shoulder as the song finally ends, walking off the dance floor to catch his breath.
Daichi sits down at a nearby table and nearly jumps when he sees Suga looking at him when he glances up. The pretty man surprisingly has a scowl on his face.
“What’s wrong?” Dachi asks as Suga walks towards him.
“Can we talk for a minute?” Suga says, glancing around. He takes a seat next to Daichi at the empty table. Daichi looks worriedly at his friend. “What is going on between you two?”
“What do you mean?”
“Daichi. You and Kuroo?” Oh no.
“We’re friends. I don’t know, we've actually gotten to know each other pretty well this week.”
“No kidding, you guys are attached at the hip at this point. Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you but you’ve been acting super weird with him.” Suga says, clearly annoyed. Daichi can’t believe they’re having this conversation right now.
“Attached at the hip? Suga I can hardly even talk to you without Haruto interrupting. You’ve been off with him this whole week and I’ve been by myself! Kuroo’s been there to talk to.” Daichi hates how defensive his voice sounds as the words come out. Suga looks taken aback.
“Seriously? Haruto’s my boyfriend, Daichi. What do you expect me to do? I’ve been trying my best. It's just hard to juggle everything.” Daichi awkwardly looks back at Suga. This conversation is getting away from him. Is he seriously this upset with me? Daichi softens his face as he looks at Suga, and he can see his friend relax a little bit. He doesn’t want to escalate this any further.
“I’m sorry. I feel like that came out wrong. But um, you’re kind of leading him on anyway. I think he’s gay Daichi, and he seems into you.” Suga looks somewhat defeated. Daichi can’t quite register the look behind his eyes. He almost looks pained. “Just–I don’t know. Be careful I guess.” Suga says as he silently stands up and walks away.
Daichi watches as Suga walks over to his boyfriend, who clearly notices he’s upset. He’s probably ecstatic that for once it’s not him causing it. Haruto leans down, placing a hand on the small of his back as he looks around, glancing at Daichi before turning his attention back to Suga.
Daichi can feel the tension working its way into his shoulders. Shit. That’s exactly what I didn’t want to happen. Kuroo and him were just goofing around, how could Suga be so jealous? It’s not like he wasn’t dancing with someone else. Daichi shakes his head, he’d have to give Suga some time to cool off and find him again later.
Daichi weaves through the crowd of dancers until he finds Kuroo, fire in his eyes.
“Did you do that on purpose?” Kuroo looks worried, and then confused. However his face turns up into a grin once he realizes who Daichi was just talking to.
“You’re kidding. That’s what did the trick? No Daichi I did not do that on purpose I just wanted to dance! But he is definitely down bad for you.” Kuroo says with a smirk.
“You’re such an asshole.”
“Hey! I promise I didn’t mean to. Trust me, I can think of a lot better ways to make him a lot more jealous than that.” The man says, trying to stifle his laugh in his hand. Daichi shakes his head before storming away. He does believe him though, it certainly didn’t seem like he did it to make Suga jealous.
—--
Daichi calms himself down and is determined to continue the night with a good attitude. He spends some time catching up with Tanaka, Nishinoya, and Ennoshita. He marvels at how well Ennoshita is able to handle the antics of the other two. Daichi almost wants to give the man a medal for keeping them from breaking anything the past few days. In the short amount of time he’s been standing with them, Nishinoya almost attempted a backflip for the first time and Tanaka nearly got into a fight with a man who asked Kiyoko what kind of drink she had. But despite enjoying the company of his friends, he can’t help but glance around the room every so often. He hasn’t seen Suga for a while and he wonders if he’s cooled off from their conversation earlier. Surely he wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.
Another 15 minutes pass before Daichi spots his friend walking away from Haruto. And to Daichi’s dismay, he looks upset. What did he do this time? Haruto is walking quickly behind Suga, trying to catch up. He almost looks guilty, like he wants to apologize for something.
Daichi doesn’t really notice when he excuses himself from the group, instinctively finding himself going towards his friend. Whatever that asshole did doesn’t matter. He wanted to comfort Suga. He could only hope that he wasn’t still upset about their conversation earlier.
By the time Daichi nearly reaches Suga, his boyfriend has caught up. Daichi watches silently as Haruto touches Suga’s arm, gently turning the man around to face him. But before Daichi can protest, he notices a cloth napkin from dinner that had fallen to the floor. Suga takes a step backwards from Haruto, directly onto the cloth.
Daichi watches in horror as Suga’s legs are swept out from under him. His arm slips out of Haruto’s loose grasp as the man falls backwards towards the floor, a loud yelp escaping him. Daichi doesn’t even think. It’s pure instinct when he lunges forward and catches Suga’s shoulders before he reaches the ground. The man’s eyes widen in surprise as he looks back at Daichi from where he’s cradled in his arms. They stare at each other for a moment, breathing hard before Daichi pulls the man upright.
Unfortunately they had caught the attention of nearly every one due to the sound that Suga made as he fell. The DJ had even paused the music to make sure that everyone was alright, which certainly didn’t help the situation. Daichi glances up at Haruto then, who looks like he’s fuming. Suga’s cheeks are red with embarrassment.
“Uh, thanks Daichi. That could’ve been bad.” Suga mutters awkwardly, avoiding Daichi’s gaze. He looks up at Haruto and follows the man away from the crowd, leaving Daichi to stand by himself. He nearly jumps when he feels a pat on the shoulder.
“Nice one Daichi. And here I thought you weren’t gonna go through with it! You can’t tell me that wasn’t romantic, Haruto totally looked like an asshole!” Yaku says, smiling.
“What? I didn’t plan that!” Daichi is barely holding onto his composure. Yaku’s eyes widen but Daichi doesn’t stick around to finish the conversation. He quickly walks towards the bathroom to collect himself.
Once inside, he takes a long hard look at himself in the mirror. He wants to be dramatic and sulk, but he can’t help but smile at his reflection. He does look pretty damn good in a suit. But after taking a good look, he curses himself. Despite his efforts shit was getting out of hand again.
“Seriously, what was I supposed to do? Just let him fall?” Daichi says quietly to himself as he stares into the mirror. He hears a faint sigh coming from one of the stalls. Daichi stills. He slowly bends, looking for feet beneath the stall doors and sees that someone is in fact, in the bathroom with him. He hears a muffled sniffle, like the person is trying to be quiet. Are they crying?
Daichi awkwardly moves a few steps toward the occupied stall. “Hey, are you alright in there?” He hears some shuffling around in the stall, and the person blows their nose. They don’t respond. Daichi waits a beat but decides they probably want to be left alone. He awkwardly heads towards the exit. However, before he can leave, the stall slowly opens.
“Hinata?” Daichi says in disbelief. He’d never seen the energetic man so upset. He felt his heart lurch at the sight. “What’s going on?” His eyes are glassy and his cheeks are flushed. Daichi wonders how much he’d had to drink tonight. Their group really needed to go dry, there was way too much drama happening the past few days.
“Oh it’s nothing. It’s just–” Hinata takes a second to wipe his eyes, slightly red from crying. “I don’t know, being here with everyone just has me feeling sentimental I guess.”
“Yeah I think we’re all feeling it, Hinata. It’s good though, right? Being back with everyone?” Daichi asks, trying to coax the issue from the orange haired man. He’s usually so talkative, it’s not like him to be holding back like this.
“Yeah, no–it’s great–no, it’s amazing! I’ve missed you all so so much. But maybe that’s why it hurts?” He says, looking at Daichi with big brown eyes. Hinata always looked up to Daichi like he had all the answers. Unfortunately he doesn’t. Unsure what to say, Daichi just nods his head in agreement.
“It’s just weird. I have this new team and they’re so great, I have everything I’ve ever wanted. I’m playing volleyball at the pro level.” Daichi nods again, urging the man to continue.
“Well, it’s Kageyama.” Aah. That makes sense. “I know we seem like we don’t get along, but we were actually really close at one point. I don’t know, we always challenged each other. We drove each other to be better. I guess we sort of formed a friendship around that.” He stops to take a breath.
“Atsumu is great. He’s an amazing setter and our flow is unbelievable. But I don’t know, I guess I was always kind of hoping me and Kageyama would end up on a team together.”
“What about the Japan national team?”
“It’s a little different than your regular team but yeah, I am really excited to play with him again for a little while. I’m just worried it won’t be the same. We’ve been apart for so long now, who knows if we’ll even work well together anymore. But, I don't know. He’s the only one who ever really challenged me like that. But he also always believed in me too. I don’t think I would’ve made it to this level if it wasn’t for him.” Daichi feels for Hinata, he was one of the most determined people he’d ever met, and he worked so hard to get to where he was at. It was both comforting and depressing to know that even if you get everything you want, there’s always something you can’t have.
“Anywyas, we had a falling out after high school. It’s weird being back with him. We haven’t talked in a long time. It’s different now, but I wish we could go back ya know? I wish we could be close again. Being here and seeing him? It’s like nothing changed but I keep thinking that in a week we’ll leave and be strangers again.” He says, looking down at the tile floor. At least now the tears have stopped.
“Then don’t.” Daichi says plainly.
“Huh?”
“Just–don’t be strangers.” Hinata looks at Daichi with an unreadable expression.
“Your guys’ relationship has always been sort of a love-hate thing right? I can tell he feels the same way, so just stay in touch this time. Don’t act like strangers once the camp ends.” Daichi says. I guess it really is that simple. He wants to laugh, it’s funny that he’s the one giving advice on this. Maybe he should try out his own advice sometime. Yet somehow it’s much easier to see clearly when you’re removed from the situation.
Hinata looks like he’s in deep thought, rubbing his sparse brain cells together to consider Daichi’s words. He nods his head eventually. “Thanks, Daichi. That um, actually really helps. It seems so simple I can’t believe I didn’t think of that!”
“Yeah, and don’t be a stranger to me either. If I’m ever in your neck of the woods you’re taking me to dinner. You owe me for all those meat buns I bought you in high school.” Daichi teases, but a wave of sadness hits him again as he thinks of Sakanoshita market. “Now go drink some water, this group needs to cool it with the alcohol.” Daichi adds, causing the younger man to smile. They exit the bathroom together, going their separate ways.
—---
Daichi lets out a sigh of relief when he finds Asahi and Nishinoya. Two friendly faces completely removed from all of the drama going on. They nod at him as he walks up.
“You’re a busy man tonight.” Asahi jokes. Daichi just grunts in response.
The three men converse for a while, exchanging stories about their nights and eventually shifting the conversations to their personal lives. Daichi is beyond thankful for the casual conversation. He can almost feel himself start to relax. Unfortunately this sentiment does not last for long.
“So have you guys seen Suga lately? I think him and his boyfriend might’ve left.” Nishinoya says, looking slightly concerned.
“They haven’t come back yet?” Daichi says, trying to hide the worry in his voice. The two other men just shake their heads in response. “I’m gonna go find him.” Daichi says, swiftly making his way around the banquet hall. It had been about 30 minutes since Suga slipped on the napkin and he walked away with Haruto, so he had expected him to be back out with the group by now. He was having such a good time earlier, he would be surprised if he left without telling anyone.
He doesn’t spot the couple anywhere in the main hall and he obviously hadn’t seen them in the bathroom earlier. Daichi paces around the large room, glancing in every direction in search of his friend. Finally, just when he was about to conclude that Suga really did leave without saying goodbye, Daichi finds some sort of storage room tucked away from the main hall. As Daichi comes closer, he can hear talking on the other side of the door. He can tell it’s Suga and Haruto, but he can’t quite make out what they’re saying. Daichi is startled, but quickly ducks out of sight when the door swings open.
Suga exits the room, looking angry. What the fuck did he say to him now?! Daichi balls his fists at his sides. He wants to walk away, but he can’t seem to take it anymore. His anger bubbles up to a level that he can’t control. He nearly lunges into the room where Haruto is sitting on boxes of napkins.
“Hey! What the fuck did you say to make him so upset?”
“Fuck you, Daichi. Leave me alone.” Haruto says with a scoff, barely looking up from the floor. He doesn’t seem particularly shocked at the intrusion, and his tone isn’t angry. It’s resigned, defeated. Still, Daichi persists.
“Everyone’s getting real tired of your shit, man. You know, I’ve never seen Suga so upset in my life. How dare you ruin this week for him!” Daichi spits out, pointing at the man as he steps closer. Now that he’s here alone with Haruto, he’s having a hard time keeping himself in check. Daichi is entering into dangerous territory.
Haruto’s eyes light up in flames. He stands up suddenly, approaching Daichi. The two are now standing face to face, their chests almost touching. Daichi is painfully aware of the height difference now that they’re standing so close. Fuck. Are we really about to do this?
“What the fuck did you just say to me?” Haruto’s tone is calm, but his eyes tell a different story. Daichi can feel his adrenaline spike.
“You need to cool it.” Daichi says, taking a step to back away. Giving one last attempt to be the bigger person. One last attempt to diffuse the bomb that’s been ticking since the morning of the car wash.
“You need to stay the fuck away from my boyfriend. Suga has some idea in his head that you’re straight, but I see the way you look at him. Wish you could have a piece huh?” Daichi’s fists clench against his sides. It takes everything in him not to lay into him right there. Haruto steps forward again so that their chests are touching now. Acting on instinct alone, Daichi places a hand between them, softly pushing Haruto backwards. He means it as a warning, a last ditch effort to walk away–For him or Haruto? He’s not sure. His mouth moves without even thinking.
“Watch what you’re saying. Suga is way out of your league, man. You should be kissing his feet for even giving you a chance.”
“Oh yeah? Maybe you just don’t know how much of a bitch he can be. But I neve—” Haruto is cut off as Daichi lunges forward, slamming him into the wall behind him. Haruto lets out a gasp as the force knocks the wind from his lungs. Daichi uses his arm to pin his shoulders against the wall. Haruto freezes for a moment in shock, but quickly snaps into action. He uses all of his force to push Daichi back, swinging his fist, barely grazing Daichi’s chin. But Daichi’s off balance now. Haruto takes the opportunity to charge at him. The two men fall out of the room and crash to the floor of the banquet hall.
Haruto has Daichi on his back, crashing his fists into Daichi’s sides as they muscle around on the floor. They’re both still wearing full suits and Daichi can already feel himself beginning to sweat, wishing he had the foresight to pull the jacket off first. Daichi barely catches Haruto’s wrist as he attempts to punch him in the face, using the momentum to flip on top of the taller man. The two men are causing a commotion, and Daichi can faintly hear people begin to rush over, circling them.
Daichi does his best to pin Haruto’s arms beneath him, and uses his right fist to crash into the side of Haruto’s face, just below his left eye. The sound of the crashing skin against skin rings out, and Daichi can faintly hear gasps in the background. He has an intense sense of satisfaction as he sees Haruto’s skin redden where his fist just landed. He makes the mistake of glancing up, now suddenly aware of all the eyes on him. Haruto uses this lapse in focus to his advantage. He quickly pushes Daichi over, pinning him to the floor with his arms at his sides.
Daichi barely has time to recoil as Haruto’s fist crashes into his face. He can feel blood immediately start rushing from his nose. He lets out a grunt at the impact, wincing in anticipation of another hit when he feels Haruto’s weight quickly lifted off him. He hears a surprised noise leave Haruto’s lips as he crashes to the floor beside Daichi, pinned by an even larger man. Asahi.
“What the fuck?!” Suga yells as he rushes over. He kneels down next to Daichi. His expression shifts from anger to concern quickly when he sees the blood. Kiyoko runs over with tissues, kneeling down with Suga. They hold the tissues to Daichi’s nose, attempting to stop the flow. The commotion of the crowd is swimming in Daichi’s head. He feels disoriented as he watches the scene in front of him.
Haruto is crashing around the floor with Asahi, who is trying his best to contain the man, but Haruto isn’t giving up without a fight. Suddenly Kuroo rushes over, and the two men work together to pin Haruto to the ground.
“Haruto stop! What the fuck is going on?!” Suga is yelling at his boyfriend now, eyes filling with tears.
“Your fucking side piece lunged at me!” Haruto spits out. Suga’s eyes go wide as he looks at Daichi.
“Suga, it’s not like that. He escalated things.” Daichi chokes out. He’s panting, trying to catch his breath. Between the exertion of the fight and the fact that he can’t breath out of his nose, Daichi is fighting for air.
“Just save it, both of you. Haruto, you need to leave.” Suga says, but his hands drop from their place on Daichi’s face. His voice is choked up with tears.
“Are you fucking kidding me Koushi? So you’re gonna choose his side on this?!” Haruto’s voice is raised in anger, his eyes are like fire as he gazes at Suga.
“I’m not choosing anyone! Just fucking leave okay?! I can’t talk to you about this right now.”
Asahi and Kuroo loosen their grip on the man, allowing him to stand up. He yanks his arms away from the two, causing a small item to shoot from his jacket. Eyes are drawn to the sound of plastic hitting the wall. Haruto walks over and picks up the discreet tape recorder.
“You fucking bugged me? What, trying to get dirt so you can break us up and have Koushi all to yourself? Well congratulations Daichi, you can have him.” Haruto says as he chucks the tape recorder at the ground near Daichi’s feet. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Suga looks at Daichi in disbelief. He sees Kuroo out of the corner of his eye, frozen in place with his hand cupped over his mouth. Suddenly Ukai bursts through the crowd, looking around frantically at the situation in front of him. His eyes fix on Haruto, who’s still scowling at Daichi and Suga. Ukai points at the man.
“You need to leave.” He says firmly, walking to grab his arm. Haruto dodges his grasp, lifting his hands in surrender as he walks away.
“Yeah. Already on it.”
Suga shakes his head, standing up and slowly backing away from Daichi.
“Suga, wait. I can explain.”
“You really bugged my boyfriend? What the fuck is wrong with you?” His friends' fists are balled as tears steam down his face. He notices a smear of blood on the sleeve of his suit and Daichi is instantly overwhelmed with guilt. He looks back up at Suga, eyes pleading.
“How dare you. This isn’t a fucking game Daichi, this is my life. This whole time you’ve been against him, I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.” Suga wipes his eyes. “You’re supposed to be my friend.” Suga chokes back his tears. His eyes go blank as he looks down at Daichi. “Stay away from me.”
And that was it. Just like that, Daichi’s heart was crushed into a million pieces. He had been the source of Suga’s turmoil tonight. He had made his friend cry. In an act of self preservation Daichi turns his despair back into anger as he scans the crowd for Kenma.
“Get him outside to cool off!” Ukai commands the two larger men, rubbing his hand down his face in disbelief. Kuroo and Asahi quickly help Daichi to his feet and drag him out the side door.
“Daichi what the hell was that?” Asahi says nervously.
“Where the fuck is Kenma?!” Daichi aggressively asks Kuroo.
“Hey, calm down! He didn’t mean for that to happen.”
“Are you kidding me, man? Did you see what the fuck just happened?” Daichi says back, voice raised in anger. He can feel the blood still trickling out of his nose and Ashai pulls Daichi’s fist balled with napkins back up to his face. Daichi is pacing around, still bubbling with anger.
“Calm down Daichi, just breathe.” Ashai tries to soothe. In other circumstances Daichi might actually praise his friend. He was handling the situation surprisingly well given his anxiety.
“I need to find Suga.” Daichi says, moving to head back inside. Asahi moves in front of him, placing a palm to his chest.
“No, you don’t. You need to calm down.” The large man says firmly, looking Daichi directly in the eyes.
—--
Kenma watches as the scene unfolds, moving with the crowd towards the commotion. Karasuno high must’ve really done a number on these guys. He gazes intently as Daichi is punched in the face and Haruto is tackled by Asahi. He nearly rolls his eyes when Kuroo decides to insert himself. Of course he would. He’s shocked at how hard Haruto is exerting himself despite being clearly outnumbered. The man is actually pretty scary. Kenma is beyond thankful not to be involved in this turn of events.
The scene moves in slow motion as Kenma watches from the crowd. His eyes widen as he watches the device he placed in his jacket hours earlier fly out of Haruto’s pocket, hitting the wall with a loud crash. Suddenly Kenma feels frozen in place. Well shit.
Everyone’s eyes are drawn to the device as Haruto throws it to the ground and Suga backs away from Daichi. Kenma ducks behind the crowd then, feeling Daichi’s eyes scanning the room for him as Suga angrily walks away. Kenma silently slips through the crowd as Daichi is dragged outside by his friends. He watches Suga storm out onto the patio on the other side of the building followed by Kiyoko.
Kenma waits a few minutes before following them, opening the door to join them outside. Suga looks up at him immediately, eyes red and watery. His face is painted with confusion as he realizes who he’s staring at. He looks for a moment before dropping his head back into his hands. Kiyoko is seated beside him, gently rubbing circles on his back. They stay like this, the three awkwardly existing beside each other on the patio before Suga breaks the silence, head still lowered in his hands.
“What now?” He whispers. Kenma’s eyes meet Kiyoko’s but the woman just looks back with a frown. She’s clearly not going anywhere.
“Don’t be mad at Daichi. It’s not his fault.” Kenma says plainly.
“What are you even talking about? You have no idea what’s going on.” Suga says, his voice a mixture between annoyance and exhaustion. Kenma can’t blame him. The situation got pretty messed up.
“I put the recorder in his pocket.”
Suga lifts his head, meeting his eyes with pure confusion. Kiyoko’s arm stills on Suga’s back.
“Sorry.” Kenma says, turning to go back inside.
“Wait a minute, what the fuck?” Suga says before he reaches the door. “Why would you even do that?” He sounds desperate now. Shit. Kenma was hoping he wouldn’t ask that.
The three sit in awkward silence again. Suga eventually throws up his hands in disbelief, urging the man to spill.
“He’s not right for you. Everyone can see that. And I was bored. This company sent me the tape recorder to do a review. So I wanted to get some dirt on him to show you.” Kenma says bluntly. It’s mostly true, anyways. He decides to leave out the other details of the plans his friends had concocted throughout the night. Kenma cocks his head to the side as Suga breaks out into a burst of giggles.
“This has to be a joke. This night can not be real.” He places his head back in his hands and Kenma can see the tears falling from his face again. Kiyoko looks up at him, shooting daggers with her eyes. Yep. Time for me to go.
“Sorry.” Kenma mutters, slipping back into the banquet hall.
—----
Haruto had tried to play nice. He had ignored the glances, the soft touches on the arm, the silent conversations that always seemed to happen between his boyfriend and Daichi. But it really did get to a point…
Something about the picture of Koushi and Daichi that his boyfriend posted on his first night in Tokyo set off alarm bells in Haruto’s head. Their faces were just a little too close together. Daichi’s hand was just a little too low wrapped around Koushi’s waist.
Koushi was defensive on the phone of course, and he had told him flat out that he was coming to Tokyo. Luckily for Haruto, his boyfriend was so drunk that he didn’t even remember all the harsh words they had exchanged over the phone the next day. But after going back and forth over text messages, it became clear that Daichi was a problem. He’d never seen Koushi get so defensive about anything.
Haruto really did mean well, buying him flowers with the full intention to meet his friends and have a fun week with his boyfriend. Keeping an eye on his handsy friend would just be an added bonus. But still, the sight of Daichi opening the door did something to him. He was too handsome, too worried about Koushi. And to make matters worse, Koushi had looked at Daichi in a way he had never seen Koushi look at himself. He should’ve realized then that it was a losing battle.
The car wash was something. Haruto nearly popped a blood vessel when he saw Koushi and Daichi slip away. That fucker was rubbing sunscreen on him like he was touching glass, so gentle. Like he would shatter to pieces if he stepped away. So of course he broke it up. What was he supposed to do, let Daichi feel up his boyfriend? And to make matters worse, the man did a fucking strip tease later in the day. Haruto had come a long way in the confidence department, but seeing the way Koushi’s eyes took in every crevice of Daichi as he ringed the sponge out over his back was like a knife twisting in his heart. But Koushi wouldn’t listen of course.
The answer was always “Daichi’s straight.” Yeah, right. Haruto had slept with enough “straight” men in his life to know who was straight, and who was “straight”. Daichi, of course, was the latter. Him and Koushi had been going back and forth all week about his interactions with Daichi and how Haruto felt about them. But one thing was becoming abundantly clear, Daichi wasn’t going anywhere and Koushi wasn’t going to make him. So what else could he do? He tried to flush him out.
Yeah, okay. He wanted Daichi to hear him having sex with Koushi. But of course the man took a long ass time to come back to the condo that night. He wasn’t sure what, but there was definitely some weird stuff going on with him and the spiky haired dude too. Koushi was nearly asleep when Haruto heard the creak of Daichi’s bedroom door. His boyfriend was annoyed at first–he really did hate to be woken up–but once they got going, he was into it.
Koushi had fought with him a little bit, asking him to be quiet and this and that. But why should he? If Daichi was straight he should be able to just tune it out, no? At the very least just throw a pillow over his ears and give them shit for it the next day. But nope, the man was livid. Haruto could see that plain as day. And why might you ask, was he livid? Oh yeah, because he wished it was him causing Koushi to make those sounds.
But Daichi, he sure was good. No matter what Haruto did, he was always the bigger man somehow. Haruto could hardly believe it when he invited them out for drinks the very next night. Beyond that point? Haruto just couldn’t help himself. Him and Daichi were playing a silent game of chicken, seeing who would crack first.
Koushi always looked the hottest when he was drunk, voice thick and slurred, eyes glassy and unfocused. But still, somehow Daichi had coaxed Koushi away. Haruto found him trying to ‘save the day’ again. Yeah, if Koushi needed water all he had to do was ask. It took everything in his power not to lay that asshole out right there in front of everybody. But he seemed to scare him off enough at least to leave him alone for the rest of the night. And the fact that Daichi was able to see just how much Haruto liked Koushi when he was drunk, that was just collateral damage. Bringing Koushi home from the bar was a problem in itself though. “Where’s Daichi? Where’s Daichi? Did he leave without saying goodbye?” Haruto’s patience was starting to wear thin.
They had argued all the way up until the banquet. Koushi had insisted he didn’t want drama tonight. All he had asked was that Haruto keep his jealousy in check. Well his wish was granted… at least at first.
He could see the way Daichi was gawking at his boyfriend as soon as they got there, but Haruto decided to look the other way. It seemed like maybe Daichi was trying to keep the peace too. It was a pretty lame compliment he gave Koushi, after all. But then there was the way they were talking about each other at the dinner table. I mean, how was Haruto supposed to feel? Koushi was going on and on about how noble it is to be a cop, and Haruto just had to sit there in silence like an asshole. Unfortunately he was self aware enough to understand that being an insurance agent wasn’t exactly noble. Koushi talked about Daichi like he was fucking superman. His blood was boiling. But still, he let it go.
Now the speeches? Those were pretty touching. Haruto wasn’t exactly sure what happened in Koushi's third year of high school, but it seemed to do a number on everyone involved. It was just volleyball, right? He wondered if he was missing something. Now the looks and the glances, he could take. It was the touching that was too much. And sure enough, as soon as they were walking off of the stage Daichi had his hand on Koushi’s arm. It’s like he just couldn’t stay away, even if he tried.
He stole Koushi away then, trying his best to be vulnerable.
“Hey so, I’m really trying to be chill tonight but…it's getting to me. Can’t you just stay away from him for a while?”
But Koushi just kept reassuring him, again and again. “You don’t need to worry, he’s straight.” But it was becoming increasingly clear that Koushi didn’t even believe that himself. All of a sudden his eyes were always finding that spiky haired dude. And anytime Daichi was interacting with the guy he could feel Koushi go stiff.
Despite all this he was still trying to be a good boyfriend. He danced with Koushi. And danced and danced and danced. Until his feet were killing him. It just so happened that Daichi suddenly came up as soon as his legs were going to give out. But of course, Koushi didn’t want to sit. Of course he had to chat with Daichi while Haruto looked like an asshole, once again. And geez, after the slow dance? Koushi said he took Daichi aside to tell him he was leading Kuroo on. But was that really all it was? Or was he trying to tell Daichi to back off the attractive man? Now all of a sudden Koushi was mad at Daichi.
Now you would think this would be the perfect time to step in, calm his nerves, use Koushi’s anger to form a wedge between his boyfriend and his “straight” best friend. And Haruto certainly did try. He couldn’t even believe it, somehow it just made Koushi even angier at him. He stormed away saying “You never even listen to me! You just want to keep Daichi away! Blah blah blah!”
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Koushi slipped on a fucking napkin as he was trying to get away, making a huge fucking scene. And who saved Haruto’s boyfriend from a nasty fall like some night in shining armor? Who else but Daichi?
At this point Haruto had reached his limit. He had really tried his best tonight, but it was like nothing he did was going right. The funny thing is, he was pretty sure both him and Daichi were trying to stay out of each other’s way. And yet, he had never been so irritated by the man. So naturally he had pulled Koushi into a room, pleading with him for them to just leave.
Koushi flat out refused, saying that he wanted to stay and spend time with his friends. He said Haruto could go if he wanted, though. Now how the hell was one supposed to take that? And what was he supposed to do? Leave his boyfriend to fall into the arms of another man? Not happening. So of course they went back and forth for a while. And Haruto had to admit, he said some things he regretted.
“You’re being such a bitch. If you seriously still think he’s straight you must be even dumber than you look.”
Yep. He was definitely the asshole on that one. But he was going crazy. He felt crazy. It was like he was living in a different dimension than everyone else. How could Koushi not see? So Koushi stormed out, and that was fair. He'd apologize in a little bit.
Haruto was planning to just sit with himself for a while in the storage room, clear his thoughts and hopefully turn the night around. But before he could even collect himself, there he was. Inserting himself once again. Koushi’s night in shining armor.
Haruto was in disbelief as the man confronted him. Frankly, his relationship with Koushi was none of his business. But he just wouldn’t stay out of it. He just kept picking and picking, trying to get him to snap. And even then, Daichi was the one to make the first move.
The man was delusional though, Haruto had about 3 inches on him and was just as muscular. But he had to hand it to him, he did get a good lick in. And of course, as soon as Haruto had him pinned down he could hardly get one punch in before the gentle giant was not so gentle, tackling him to the ground. And to make it even worse the spiky haired guy was on his ass too, like he was some sort of rabid animal and not a fucking insurance agent.
Oh, and of course Koushi was pissed. Haruto looked at his boyfriend, pleading with him to take his side. He had to understand. Daichi started the damn thing! Still, he looked at Haruto like he was some sort of monster. And he was being held back like he was a monster. It became abundantly clear that he was outnumbered here.
Hartuto was pissed. But even more than that, he was crushed. The way Koushi looked between him and Daichi? That was all the proof he needed. He was happy to get the hell out of there. He clearly wasn’t wanted.
But the tape recorder? That was quite the shock. Daichi was an asshole, and he was definitely pining for his boyfriend. But trying to get dirt on him like that? It was pretty bizarre. Pretty desperate.
Haruto watched Koushi’s expression change as he picked up the tape recorder and threw it towards Daichi. The look of betrayal his boyfriend shot Daichi’s way was enough to give Haruto an ounce of satisfaction. Which wasn’t saying much cause the night was a complete shit show. But yeah, their old coach came over and tried to escort him out like some bouncer at a club so he just left. He had no fight left in him. Haruto was happy to be done with the weird ass group of people. He might even be done with Koushi, too. He wasn’t sure yet. But regardless of what happened after that, he’d be out of their hair before the sun came up.
—----
Daichi looks at Asahi as he blocks off the door. He’s not sure what his next move is. He knows he needs to calm down, but every cell in his body is screaming at him to find Suga.
Suddenly the door bursts open and Ukai comes out. He looks unbelievably pissed off. His eyes shoot towards Daichi.
“Now somebody tell me what the hell just happened.” The man demands. This snaps Daichi out of his thoughts completely. His nerves spike under the unwavering gaze of his former coach. He thinks about all of the shit the man had been going through. Daichi can’t believe he added to the chaos.
“I’m so sorry. We just—We were arguing and he was saying something about Suga and I just lost it.” Daichi admits, fighting back the tears forming in his eyes now. “FUCK!” He lets out. Ukai stares back at him, face clouded with concern.
“I’m really sorry, okay? I hope this didn’t cause you to lose any sponsors for the team.” Daichi’s voice softens as he says this. He’s rubbing his temples now, hoping to relieve the tension in his head. Asahi and Kuroo look uncomfortable as they glance between Daichi and Ukai.
“Fuck, you guys are gonna be the death of me. Hey, I’m not sure what he said, and I don’t want to know. But if it caused that reaction from you, he probably deserved it.” Daichi shakes his head, tears spilling over at Ukai’s words. He wipes his eyes with his sleeve. Between the literal blood, sweat, and tears, Daichi is going to have one hell of a dry cleaning bill.
“The sponsors have mostly cleared out already, so don’t worry too much about that. But uh–I think you all should probably leave. Go and get some rest, cool off. I expect this to be taken care of by Sunday. We need to focus on the exhibition matches.” The three younger men nod their heads, and Ukai wordlessly heads back inside.
—---
Suga’s mind was reeling. He couldn’t believe how the night had turned out. His nerves were shot. His tears had finally dried up, but he was still seated outside with Kiyoko. She really was a great friend, doing everything she could to comfort him through this turn of events.
“Do you want to go back inside? I think everyone’s filing out. Or we could just slip around the side of the building and head back to the condos. I can ask Ryu to grab our stuff.” She offers.
“God, I have no idea what to do. Like what the fuck Kenma?” He says, feeling like sobbing once again.
“Do you want to find Daichi?” She must’ve read his mind. Am I that obvious? Suga was feeling anger towards his best friend, but he was also feeling guilt. If what Kenma had said was true, Daichi actually hadn’t been trying to sabotage their relationship. But how could he explain the fight? Did him and Haruto really hate each other that much? Suga’s heart was torn in two. The two men he loved the most had spoiled the night because of him.
He desperately wanted to find Daichi. He wanted to hear him out, maybe even apologize for his judgement. But Suga knew that wasn’t right. The man who he really needed to find was Haruto. But god, why is every bone in my body telling me to find Daichi instead?
Suga thought back to earlier in the day. Haruto was upset at how much time he was insisting on spending with Daichi. They had argued. Haruto couldn’t seem to believe that the two were just friends. He didn’t seem to care that Suga insisted the man was straight. Haruto had nearly lost it when Daichi saved him from his fall.
“You should’ve seen the way you looked at him Koushi, are you kidding me? It’s like he’s your night in shining armor. You were fucking blushing.”
And Suga had been blushing. God, after all these years Daichi still seemed to get under his skin. In a lot of ways he was his night in shining armor. He knew he and Daichi were just friends, they always had been. But their relationship was never exactly normal. Suga leaned on Daichi like he couldn’t with anyone else. Suga let Daichi take care of him. But that wasn’t fair to Haruto, he could see that now. His boyfriend was feeling betrayed, like he wasn’t enough. Like he was being replaced. Suga imagined his boyfriend, the man who had swept him off his feet since the day they’d met. The man who had listened to him vent, day after day about work, his students, his passions. The man who had been made fun of as a kid, the man who was told that he wasn’t good enough. And now Suga had basically told him the same thing.
“I need to find Haruto.”
—--
Suga and Kiyoko leave quickly. She stops to tell Tanaka where they're going before the two slip away without saying their goodbyes. Suga rushes into the condo, immediately hearing Haruto rustling around in the bedroom. He opens the door to find his boyfriend packing his bag.
“Haruto, stop. I’m sorry.” Suga pleads, kneeling down and grabbing his arms. He sees the tears in his boyfriend’s eyes, silently spilling over.
“What am I supposed to do Koushi? It’s clear to me what’s going on.” He says resigned.
“Haruto, I love you. I love you so fucking much and I’m sorry if I’ve ever made you feel differently. Please, stay. You’re not supposed to leave until tomorrow night.” Suga pleads.
“How can I stay? How can I continue to watch the man that I love slip away, literally falling into someone else’s arms!?” He chokes out with a sob. Suga’s heart shatters into a million pieces.
“Haruto, I’ll always love Daichi as a friend but I’m not in love with him. I love you. I promise you. It’s just you and me. Let me prove it to you.” Haruto looks up at him then, his face softening. But he continues stuffing his clothes in his bag.
“I want to believe you. I really do, but I can’t take this right now. I need to be alone. And maybe you have some things to figure out with him, I don’t know. But I’m leaving tonight, Koushi.” Haruto pauses, wiping his eyes. “I’ll be waiting for you back home once this is over. I hope to see you, but if I don’t I’ll get the picture. You can try to fight it, but you can’t control who you love.” Haruto looks back up at him. Suga can make out the bruise forming on his boyfriend’s eye, and he lets out a sob. “I just hope your heart chooses me.” He zips his suitcase as he finishes his thought, rising to his feet.
“Haruto, please!”
“I’ll see you around, Koushi.” Haruto says softly as he exits the bedroom, and then the condo. After a moment Kiyoko rushes in, enveloping him in a hug as he cries softly onto her shoulder.
Notes:
Omg...What do you guys think of this chapter?! I hope you enjoyed :)
It was so much fun doing the different POVs at the end there. I also wanted to sort of humanize Haruto a little bit but also still make him an asshole LOL so hopefully that came across well.
Also I kind of like the premise with the Tsukkiyama backstory I set up here and might do a fic about that in the future cause I think it would be really interesting to explore those dynamics! I'm not sure if there are any Tsukkiyama shippers reading this but lmk if you'd be interested in that.
And omg I LOVE the Nekoma boys they are so chaotic. I was cracking myself up writing Kenma in this chapter XD
Chapter 8 is not all the way drafted yet I'm gonna try and get some work done this weekend but it might be a week and a half to two weeks don't hate me plz!!!!!
Comments and Kudos always appreciated <3
Moro (Guest) on Chapter 1 Sun 26 Oct 2025 03:28AM UTC
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