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“I mean, this isn’t volleyball that I’m talking about Asahi,” Suga kicked a tin can, sighing deeply. Asahi sighed sympathetically beside him as he walked alongside the shorter guy.
Usually Suga and Daichi walked home together but after having ended practice early, Coach had kept Daichi for a meeting.
“These are my...feelings. I’m afraid that the trust Daichi and I have-the whole team has- it’s...too different.”
Asahi let Suga talk, humming here and there. He suspected that the reason why he’d been invited to join Suga had less to do with Daichi’s absence and more about Suga needing a listening ear.
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Daichi has been confused when Coach Ukai ended practice early and asked for him to stay behind. If it was team business wouldn’t Koushi, the vice captain, need to stay behind as well?
Daichi thought practice was going good and they were doing pretty well. By ‘they’ he means Sugawara-who he hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off of.
He was just so damn pretty.
“You seemed distracted out there, what’s on your mind?” his coach prodded.
“Um, nothing sir.”
Ukai flicked at the toothpick in his mouth with his tongue, not happy with that response.
“Look,” the older man pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going to be awkward. “I see how you look at Sugawara…”
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“On the court, I know that there are five others that have my back. But this ?? I’d only have one person on my six. Just Daichi. And I know-“
“-Sugawara Koshi do you like Daichi?” Asahi broke through his rambling, stopping him in his tracks. The taller of the two leaned against a tree, trying not to cross his arms too smugly watching his friend turn white as a sheet.
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Daichi wipes a hand down his face, trying to prevent his face from pinkening at the bluntness in the couch’s voice.
“You were so distracted during today’s practice game, Tanaka and Asahi had to work twice as hard to keep the ball from smashing your face.”
“I-Ah-I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” Daichi felt his cheeks warm.
“I know it’s not going to happen again,” the coach tossed something at Daichi for him to catch. Suga’s forgotten water bottle. “Because you’re going to tell him exactly how you feel. Or else, you don’t get to play tomorrow.”
The captain’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, sputtering as he gripped the water bottle. Coach made for the gym doors, the player trailing silently behind him, still stunned. He chuckled deeply, amused.
“Go catch up with him before it’s too late. See you tomorrow, and don’t you two knuckleheads forget to go to bed at a reasonable hour.”
Daichi nodded, before taking off, hoping his crush hadn’t gone too far…
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“Yes.” Suga breathes out, admitting his feelings for the first time out loud.
“Do you value him as a captain? Do you trust him as a captain?” Asahi questioned his friend, smiling at the way Koshi was nodding his head yes like a bobble head.
“Then what makes you think those traits won’t apply to him as a lover?”
There was a sharp gasp of air, Daichi rounding the corner at full speed. Sugawara stood rod straight with nerves, wondering if he’d heard anything. Asahi calmed him a little though with a reassuring look.
“I’m so glad, ah , that I found you two.” Daichi huffed as he tried to catch his breath.
He walked straight up to Suga, looking deeply into his eyes. Asahi could feel the tension between the two stronger than ever, cooly sneaking away to cut through the trees to go home. He didn’t mind walking home alone, smiling to himself, fingers crossed that his two captains would get it together.
Daichi smiled warmly, catching it in the reflection of those big beautiful eyes of Suga’s. He wordlessly reached out for his vice’s hand, internally shivering at the weight of it in his own. He opened the other boy’s palm, closing it around the water bottle. Suga jumped, not expecting it.
The captain licked his bottom lip, looking down at his shoes before locking eyes with Suga once more.
“You forgot it at the gym. Ukai asked me to bring it to you.”
“Wow, did he? That’s kind of you.”
“Well, he told me I couldn't play tomorrow if I didn’t bring it and...deliver some ...news.” Daichi but his lip nervously, unsure.
He knew he liked Suga, maybe even loved.
But what if he didn’t reciprocate his feelings? That’s a lot to dump on your best friend, let alone your vice captain. What if everything changed and caused not only their friendship to fall apart but their team as well?
Daichi figured that was a risk he’d have to take.
“Suga I- hey, why are you crying?”
The gray headed boy wiped at his cheeks furiously. He hadn’t meant to let the tears to start flowing but being this close yet this far from Daichi pulled at his heart.
“It’s nothing Daichi, I’m just tir-“
“I like you.”
The pair stared at each other. Daichi, holding his breath, waiting for a reaction and Suga scrambling to figure out if he heard right.
“W-what?” he hiccuped wetly.
Daichi sighed, hands itching to grab the other by the shoulders and cuddle him tightly to his chest like he’s wanted to do for months.
“I like you Sugawara,” Daichi repeated himself, with more confidence this time.
He watched as the Cupid’s bow pair of lips he’s dreamt of kissing wobbled as hot tears started to streak across Suga’s angelic face.
Daichi panicked.
“Suga! It’s perfectly okay if you don’t like me back, Coach made me tell you because I couldn’t stop staring at you today and I was so distracted. But I’ll stop. I just don’t want this to make you feel uncomfortable around me!”
Suga had never seen Daichi act like this, practically yelling and flapping his arms. He looked like a crow. Koushi giggled a little at that. Karasuno’s team captain squawking like a crow over him .
“Daichi,” Suga frowned, sighing, “I like you back, if it isn’t ridiculously obvious.”
Daichi shut up, puzzled as to why Suga was frowning then.
“Is this...a bad thing?” He asked cautiously.
Suga sniffed, trying to keep his tears at bay.
“No…” he blinked, voice cracking as he covered his face as he felt a fresh wave of tears begin to fall.
Daichi couldn’t hold back anymore, he took the water bottle out of Suga’s hands and sat it nicely at their feet before enveloping him in a giant hug, arms wrapped around his back. He could feel Suga’s sobs wrack through his body, causing Daichi to tear up himself. The brunette massaged his back with calloused fingers until he stopped crying.
Suga finally wrapped his arms around Daichi’s shoulders, resting his forehead against his clavicle.
“I’m just afraid is all,” the shorter boy whispered into Daichi’s chest.
Daichi tried to bring out his voice of encouragement he uses day after day on the court but it just wouldn’t come out.
All he could do was whisper softly, trying not to break the fragility of the right now.
“Afraid of what Suga?”
The other sighed a sigh that sounded like it could rattle bones.
“Of getting hurt. Of letting you down.”
Daichi swallowed, closing his eyes as he felt them start to burn at Suga’s admission.
“You shouldn’t.”
“I haven’t felt this strongly about someone before. Ever.” Suga’s voice cracked again, so Daichi rested his chin on his crown of silver and started to gently sway them.
“I know how you feel. I’ve felt it for awhile now but I’ve been too afraid to face it. But,” he leant back to look Suga in the eye, to know he knows he means what he’s about to say.
“You can trust me with your heart Sugawara. I promise I won’t break it.”
Sugawara took a deep breath, closing his eyes as they stung before lifting onto his toes, and kissing Daichi with all he had.
He knew what they had was going to need lots of work. But as Sugawara felt Daichi holding onto him, not letting go of him as they kissed, he could feel something ignite inside his chest.
It was hope.