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When Hyunwoo walks into the gym for the second time that evening, he expects to see a volleyball match already in motion between Nekoma and Fukurodani. He expects to see Changkyun getting advice on libero formations by Nekoma’s own libero or to see Hyungwon and Jooheon practice blocking. What he doesn’t expect is to take a ball to the head, served expertly by Nekoma’s Lee Minhyuk, and to kiss the ground good evening.
He’s down for an uncertain amount of time, head ringing almost endlessly until there’s the squeak and thud of someone sliding across the gym floor to reach him. He blinks away stars, letting himself get helped up until the world shifts into focus again and he’s staring right into Lee Hoseok’s eyes.
Lee Hoseok, the wing spiker for Nekoma.
Lee Hoseok, the very same wing spiker he’s been crushing on since his first year.
“Are you okay there?” Hoseok asks, voice gentle and touch softer as he guides Hyunwoo’s arm around his shoulder, holding him up as his team crowds around the pair with worried eyes.
“Hyunwoo! Are you okay? Minhyuk totally knocked you out!” Jooheon crows out, pushing down on Hyungwon’s shoulders to be able to get a better look at his captain. Minhyuk squawks indignantly and pulls on Jooheon’s sweatshirt in retaliation and Hyungwon shoves back so the both of them tumble down to the floor.
“I’m sorry!” Minhyuk calls out from underneath Jooheon, cheeks pink with embarrassment at having hit a senior. “I didn’t see you come into the gym.”
Hyunwoo smiles despite the throbbing in his head and waves a hand dismissively. “It’s fine, accidents happen. I’m gonna go see Coach Hongsik for some ice.”
“I’ll do it, you should sit down,” Hoseok cuts in. He shakes his head firmly as soon as Hyunwoo opens his mouth to argue, guiding him towards the stage where he could (more or less) be safely seated and away from the trajectory of the volleyballs. “You might overexert yourself.” Hoseok tells him and Hyunwoo doesn’t have the heart to tell him otherwise.
Hoseok disappears quickly from the gym, leaving Hyunwoo alone. As soon as he rounds the corner, Changkyun appears beside him with a carefully blank expression. “That was interesting,” the young libero muses and steps aside quickly when Hyunwoo moves to smack his head. “I wish you wouldn’t be so obvious about your crush on him. Did you know you always jump a beat after Jooheon if Hoseok is the one hitting the set? It’s like you’re always giving him a chance to get past you.”
“That’s not true! I jump in time with Jooheon.” Hyunwoo can’t believe he was caught so quickly. “How would you even know ? You’re supposed to be focused on defense, not the time of the jumps.”
“I can’t help but notice, captain,” Changkyun replies, a smile on his lips. “Again, you just make it too easy.”
“Diving drills, now. I want a whole lap of them.” Hyunwoo waves the younger boy away, who rolls his eyes and sucks in a huge breath before disappearing to start. Hyunwoo watches him walk away, smiling at the warmth blooming in his chest at how diligent Changkyun was until he feels something cold press against his temple. He startles, turning around with arms flailing until Hoseok catches his wrist with a bright smile.
“Just me,” he assures him, holding the cold compress out towards Hyunwoo who takes it and holds it to his head. “Don’t tell Minhyuk but I snuck you some watermelon pieces.” Hoseok slides a paper plate laden with bright red watermelon towards him, angling his body to hide it from view. The way Hoseok ends up is with his back to the rest of the gym, facing Hyunwoo with a leg sprawled out and the other pulled up to his chest so he can rest his arm on it. He’s also very close, the only thing separating them is a plate of watermelon.
Hyunwoo snorts and drops a cube of watermelon into his mouth, gaze settling somewhere above Hoseok’s head. He watches Jooheon get hit in the stomach with a volleyball before Hoseok clears his throat to get his attention.
And maybe Hyunwoo’s stomach does a few flips, but it’s only because Hoseok is just so beautiful his stomach has no other choice but to flip around.
“So, are you busy after practice?” Hoseok has a shy smile on his features, lashes fanning over his cheeks and casting long shadows.
“No, not really. Coach Hongsik might want to talk to me about how we’re planning to structure tomorrow’s practice games but otherwise I have time.”
Hoseok nods, lips pushed out in a thoughtful pout. Just as he opens his mouth to say something, a volleyball smacks the ground right next to them, startling the pair out of their thoughts. Hyunwoo’s heart is racing and the cold compress lays on the ground beside Hoseok’s leg, abandoned. Hyungwon suddenly hops up onto the stage to retrieve the ball, limbs long and lanky as he spares the two third years a glance. His eyes flicker down to where Hoseok had grabbed Hyunwoo’s forearms in surprise, an eyebrow raised thoughtfully before he jumps down, throwing the ball to Kihyun’s unsuspecting form. Just as Hyunwoo thinks he’s in the all clear, Hyungwon turns around and loudly says, “I’m telling Minhyuk you’re sharing watermelon with Hoseok, especially since you made a huge deal earlier about eating it after practice.” And disappears back to his spot near the net, easily laughing with Jooheon as Kihyun attempts to pelt down the entire Fukurodani team with volleyballs.
Hoseok breathes out a long sigh and slumps forward, head settling just below Hyunwoo’s shoulder. “Your team is frightening,” he whispers and Hyunwoo nods, suddenly aware of all the places where they were touching.
“They’re also super stupid,” Hyunwoo tells him and Hoseok laughs, straightening up. His hands don’t leave their spot on Hyunwoo’s arms, gaze distracted. Hyunwoo can’t help that his eyes follow Hoseok’s every movement, can’t help the way he lets Hoseok steal every breath that leaves his chest feeling tight and empty without trying. He reaches out to brush a stray strand of hair framing Hoseok’s eyes but stops himself, letting his hand twitch in his lap with the memory of the action. They stay quiet for a moment before Hoseok scoots towards the edge of the stage.
“I’m gonna go back to practice, okay? Ice your head for a little longer before joining us.” He throws Hyunwoo a smile, a little sad around the edges before he jogs back to the two teams. Hyunwoo picks up the cold compress and places it to his temple before flopping down onto his back, legs kicked out as he lets himself go between sinking and soaring.
Practice ends an hour later without too much commotion aside from Minhyuk and Kihyun bickering over who has to put the net away. It ends up getting settled with two rounds of rock, paper, scissors and Hyungwon throwing his shoes at their heads. Hyunwoo and Hoseok thank both their respective teams for their hard work during practice and send them off for two hours of free time before it’s lights out for everyone.
Hyunwoo ends up going to the sinks near the classroom the Fukurodani team were given to sleep in. It’s farther away from the cafeteria and the field where both teams had staked claims on for free time, leaving him with some much needed peace and quiet. The hallway is dark save for the light spilling from the classroom behind him and Hyunwoo ducks his head down to splash his face with water. He stays like that for a moment, hunched over the sink with water dripping from his features until the sound of a door sliding closed catches his attention. He looks up and accidentally meets Hoseok’s eyes through the mirror, heart seizing up in surprise before he sheepishly smiles at him, lowering his head again to pat his face dry with his shirt. When he straightens up, Hoseok is still standing there with his eyes lowered and a hand on the back of his neck. Hyunwoo can’t tell in the dim lighting but he thinks Hoseok’s ears look a little pinker than usual.
“Can we talk?” Hoseok hesitantly asks just as Hyunwoo attempts to run off and find refuge behind Hyungwon. He has no choice but to turn around, leaning against the wall with as much casual energy he could muster in spite of his hummingbird heart.
“Sure, what’s going on?” Hyunwoo attempts to ease the atmosphere with a smile but it falls a little flat when Hoseok doesn’t see it. Hoseok shifts around on his feet before looking up, expression difficult to read. He looks worried, stressed and a little embarrassed all at once.
He ends up saying nothing for a few more seconds, alternating between biting his lips and looking with intense focus at a spot above Hyunwoo’s head. Hyunwoo lets him take his time, not willing to corner the other male. His heart is hammering, still, even if he has no idea what Hoseok wants from him.
“I think I,” Hoseok starts loudly and Hyunwoo tries to look like he’s expecting nothing, lips pressed together as Hoseok plays with his fingers. “I think I like you.” Hoseok whispers, head lowered in embarrassment.
There’s a rush of sound that floods his ears, but surprisingly it doesn’t stop his senses from hearing, seeing, feeling Hoseok only. He can see the rosy pink of his ears, the way his fingers close around the fabric of his pants and the way he hadn’t dried his hair properly, leaving some sections damp and curling outwards. He steps closer to Hoseok, doesn’t miss the way the other stiffens just the slightest in surprise and lets his hand reach up to brush a strand of hair away from his eyes. Hoseok looks up, eyes wide as Hyunwoo searches his expression for anything that would give the moment away to be a joke.
Nothing turns up.
“Since when?” Hyunwoo asks quietly and Hoseok laughs, ringing bitter as he lowers his gaze again.
“Remember the Spring Interhigh in our first year when your team beat us?”
Hyunwoo nods, because he remembers the exact moment with so much clarity it almost overwhelms him. It was a small point difference between Nekoma and Fukurodani with the former leading, and the match was drawing to a close. In the last second, Hyungwon had called out to Seungcheol before setting up a spike for him that slammed through Nekoma’s middle blockers, giving the round to Fukurodani and allowing them to move through to semi-finals. He’s not sure what that memory has to do with their current conversation.
“You were the only person who could’ve consistently kept blocking my attempts to score,” Hoseok starts, smiling a little fondly at the memory. He moves to sit on the edge of the sink and Hyunwoo sits next to him, close enough that they can bump shoulders but nothing more. “I was so frustrated because I couldn’t score for my team, but then you won and you smiled and I realized that maybe losing to you wouldn’t be so bad if I could see you smile like that all the time.”
Hoseok sighs, gentle and quiet.
“I thought it was just a one time thing but then our schools kept setting up regular practice matches, and I had to keep seeing you and it eventually became a—” He cuts himself off, burying his face in his heads and letting out a long whine. “Crush. It became a crush and before I knew it I was pining after you and then it was suddenly our third year and—”
He never gets to finish his sentence, because Hyunwoo moves his hands and tilts up his chin to press a kiss to his lips. It’s brief and chaste and when Hyunwoo pulls away it feels like his face is on fire so he looks somewhere else. “I like you too,” he has to clear his throat to say it, caught up in the moment of it all. “I’ve liked you since our first year too.”
Hoseok’s eyes go round as it sinks in before he punches Hyunwoo on the arm. “You mean we could’ve been dating since our first year?”
Hyunwoo mutters an ‘ow’ as he rubs the spot balefully. “It’s not my fault! I didn’t know you liked me!”
“And I didn’t know you liked me!” Hoseok thumps his head against Hyunwoo’s shoulder, body shaking with suppressed laughs. “Remember when you called your team stupid? Guess it extends to their captain too.”
“Hey, you like this stupid captain.”
Hoseok lifts his head up, smiling so prettily at Hyunwoo as he leans forward to kiss him. Hyunwoo lets his eyes flutter shut but the feeling of warmth against his lips disappears just as quick as it arrived. “I do, I really do,” Hoseok tells him before he rests his head on his shoulder, reaching out for Hyunwoo’s hand to interlace their fingers. “I like you so much.”
“Good,” Hyunwoo says quietly, thumb rubbing a spot beside Hoseok’s pinky finger. “I like you the most.”
“Does this mean we’re boyfriends now?” Hoseok asks hesitantly, voice dropping in volume when he comes across the word ‘boyfriends’. If Hyunwoo tilted his head just a little, he could’ve seen the way Hoseok smiled around the word, the way his cheeks colored at the idea.
“I guess, yeah? If you’d like that because I would like that. A lot, I’d like that a lot.” Hyunwoo presses his eyes shut at the fumbling of his words. He feels like a first year confessing all over again. Hoseok hums, laughs a little because of Hyunwoo before he holds his hand just a little bit tighter.
“I’d like that too. World, meet my boyfriend, Son Hyunwoo.”
Hyunwoo laughs and pinches Hoseok’s thigh, who steps on his foot in retaliation.
Both Nekoma and Fukurodani end up finding out about their respective captains fairly quickly, namely when everyone had walked in on them sharing pecks and giggles in the classroom Nekoma had been sleeping in. The silence had only been broken by Hyungwon, who threw his blanket onto Kihyun’s bed and claimed it as his own despite having a place to sleep in the classroom next door.
No one says anything about Hyunwoo and Hoseok beyond congratulations and cheers about how it was about time, and Changkyun meets Hyunwoo’s eyes once and throws him a thumbs up. Everyone busies themselves with playing around and talking loudly until Coach Hongsik comes in to tell them all to sleep or it’s five diving drills as punishment. Everyone in Fukurodani trudges out save for Hyungwon, who’s wrapped his limbs around Kihyun.
Just as Hyunwoo is about to close the door behind him, Hoseok wraps his fingers around his wrist to pull him in for a goodnight kiss on the cheek. Hyunwoo can’t help that he blushes almost immediately, ducking his head and pressing his fingers to his cheek. His chest feels like a firework show as he shyly meets Hoseok’s eyes.
“Good night, Hyunwoo,” Hoseok tells him and Hyunwoo ends up leaning forward to kiss his forehead, pulling away with a smile.
“Good night to you too, Hoseok.”