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Atsumu is 17, it is the start of his 3rd year of highschool, and he aches with the need to go to nationals. It’s almost a done deal, Inarizaki is the best school in Hyougo Prefecture by miles, but he won’t let his team slack off. They need to get back to nationals, they need to redeem themselves, and he needs more than anything to stomp Karasuno into the ground.
That, and he really wants to see Hinata Shouyou again.
Hinata had said “Give it to me next time” to Kageyama, a bright smile on his face, for all the worlds not caring about the quality, just so long as he got the toss. Expecting it. Atsumu hadn’t realized until that moment that he’d never actually met a person quite like himself before, someone who was hungry, always hungry for one more toss. Something about that had the little middle blocker flicking through his head, making Atsumu wonder if maybe Hinata would never get sick of hitting his tosses. He fully intended on asking Hinata about it at the next nationals tournament.
Osamu makes fun of him, making jokes about how much Karasuno game tape he’s watched since their defeat. About how Atsumu scolds his team for slow defensive maneuvers, because it’s obvious to anyone who has played him that it won’t be good enough to stop Hinata's dreaded quick. Atsumu wonders if maybe he’s crazy when he starts imagining a head of orange hair cutting across the court during their scrimmages, and knowing deep in his heart that Hinata will out maneuver their defense.
More than anything he wants to remind Hinata of what they promised during the spring tournament. (It’s what he promised, Hinata had just been there, but no one tells Atsumu that. That’s for later).
Osamu tells him to text Kageyama about it, if he’s going to be so obsessive. Atsumu never misses an opportunity to trash talk, so he texts Kageyama before the summer tournament “Go win so I can crush you” Kageyama doesn’t respond, but he hardly ever does, so that wasn’t really surprising.
He texts Kageyama again when the Miyagi Prefecture brackets are posted online. “Pretty easy road ahead of you Tobio-kun, don’t be laaaazy~” Atsumu has watched enough Miyagi game tape starring Karasuno that he knows exactly who Karasuno will be playing in their prefecture, and barring another team somehow finding a pair of monsters like Hinata and Kageyama as first years, he’s pretty confident Karasuno can crush everyone. He can’t wait for the tournament video to be posted online. It’s been four months since he last saw Hinata play in person, and he wonders what new tricks he has to show Atsumu.
He sends another message when he sees the results, game tape still not posted, he’s checked everyday “What the fuck happened? You can beat Ushijima like it ain’t nothing, but you can’t play against defense now, is that it?” He doesn’t say ‘And you beat me’ because he doesn’t want Kageyama to think he’s better than him. Atsumu is mad, and maybe a bit embarrassed that he’s invested so much of his time into a fluke team. Or that he lost to a fluke team in the first place. But most of all he’s disappointed, because he’d wanted to see Hinata across the court from him again one more time. ‘Give it to me next time’ he’d said, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Kageyama finally responds with two words “Fuck. Off.”
Atsumu is in a foul mood for most of the next week, snapping at his team, his mean edge sharper than ever. Osamu tells him to get his head out of his ass, and Atsumu says petty and mean things that he will later regret, about how Osamu doesn’t understand because he’s just a quitter who doesn’t love volleyball like Atsumu does. As much as Hinata must, but he doesn’t say that last part out loud.
He eventually brings himself to watch the game tape posted of the final game of the Miyagi summer tournament between Date Tech and Karasuno, and at first it makes him more mad. Kageyama had the audacity to get even taller and better in the time since he’d last saw him, but Hinata... Hinata seemed like he was out of shape or something. He was just tired and dogging it, still going faster than anyone on the court, but seemed a little less like an untouchable demon, and more like just a regular pretty fast human. Atsumu wonders if he’d stopped training or something, because there ain’t no reason for him to get so much worse so fast.
And then the announcers got to talking about Kageyama, which led to them mentioning an interview they had done with the coaches about his ultimate partner, #10 Hinata Shouyou, who was playing the tourney having barely gotten over an illness. The one announcer snidely commented that it seemed like maybe Hinata still wasn’t feeling well. Atsumu clicked his tongue in annoyance “Assholes” but found the crushing weight wrapped around his chest loosened a bit at this news.
He texted Kageyama again “Hey hey, I was rude before. Can’t wait to beat your ass at Spring Nationals. Don’t disappoint me” When Kageyama, as usual, doesn’t respond he follows up with “And tell Shouyou-kun I hope he’s feeling better”
Kageyama did respond then with “???”
Inarizaki placed second at the summer high nationals again, which was fine, but Atsumu had to wonder if playing Karasuno would have felt better than first last.
Atsumu tries to learn patience, but he found he wasn’t very good at it. He was more of an instant gratification kind of guy. He had a few distractions here and there, like pro volleyball recruiting camps, and exams he wasn’t allowed to fail if he wanted to keep playing. But all told, the 6 months he had to wait to hear about the Miyagi Spring Tournament results had been painful. Until it hadn’t been, when he saw the news about who was representing Miyagi. Suna asked him about his shit eating grin at practice the next day, but Atsumu had just shrugged saying this was just his face. People figured it was because he’d officially been recruited by the MSBY Black Jackals, and if they wanted to think that, it was fine by Atsumu
--
.
Atsumu is 18 and he is standing at center court at nationals, lined up with 79 other teams, and only one of them, other than his own, matters in any way shape or form. He’d had a confusing reaction when he saw the bracket, that they’d face Karasuno on the third day meant he didn’t have to wait long, but that it was kind of too bad they couldn’t meet at center court in a dramatic, high stakes battle, like their story kind of deserved. When Atsumu shared this thought, his team made it clear he was the only person who thought that way.
--
He had a few false starts, trying to talk to Hinata before their fateful match. After the opening ceremony, he’d caught sight of a short head of orange hair walking through the crowd at a distance, and Atsumu tracked the motion. He had a bit over an hour until warmups for his first match, so he’d brightly said he had to go take a shit to his team, who looked at him with disgust, and took off after Hinata.
He found his target near the base of one of the staircases leading up to the stands. Drinking in the sight of Hinata, who was maybe, maybe a tiny bit taller, but had started filling out a bit more, no longer little kid shaped. He was still lanky but his shoulders were starting to broaden. His head was dipped low, as he started warmups, headphones in his ears. The thing that caught Atsumu’s attention most was the expression on Hinata’s face as he stared at nothing.
He had an intensely focused sharpness to his eyes, like the one he used when he was silently demanding Kageyama give him the ball on the court. But it seemed colder and angrier now, rather than determined and bright. It made Atsumu hesitate to see it. Where was the bright and bouncy kid from last year? No matter, he’d been waiting to talk to Hinata for a whole fucking year, and he was going to do it. Atsumu smoothed his hair, a confident grin sliding across his face, and was about to take a step forward when a very long limbed, very tall boy blocked his path.
Atsumu tilted his head up, taking in the Karasuno black of the jacket and stared up into the embarassed and resolute face of a Karasuno player he didn't recognize. The guy's face is scrunched up like he’s worried he’s about to be hit. There’s a much shorter boy, though not as short as Hinata, standing at the tall guys’ elbow glowering at him. What was it with Karasuno and finding all of these thugs?
Atsumu looks over these two inconveniences “Yaaaaaa...?” He drawls, annoyance plain on his face.
The tall guy looks like he’s going to faint, but short-stack barks at him like a yappy dog “Don’t bother Hinata-senpai!” The tall boy nods, his knees visibly shaking.
Atsumu glances over their shoulders to see Hinata, back now turned, hands planted on the wall as he swings his leg in his warm up. He still had headphones in. Damn. “I ain’t bothering him,” Atsumu says easily “We’re old friends” He holds his hands up placatingly. “So why don’t ya little mongrels run off now, hmm?” He finishes, smile going sharp at the edges.
The tall boy falters at that, arms falling a bit, but short boy takes a step into Atsumu’s space and keeps on yapping “No way! You’re from Inarizaki! You’re going to try to worm your way into his head or something. We won’t let that happen. We’re going to keep senpai focused” His fingers wriggle for effect, and Atsumu almost takes a step back. The kid has stinky breath, and honestly what kind of disrespect is this? Who the hell are these little shits?
Atsumu's smile feels more like he’s barring his teeth “Listen here, how’s about ya-” He doesn’t get to finish.
“Shisui, Aki, we have a game, let’s go” A voice calls from behind them. Hinata is looking from the Karasuno players, to Atsumu, face still that cold intensity. He jerks his head in a nod at Atsumu, and then turns to walk away, expression not shifting the whole time. Atsumu finds his tongue is made of pudding and he can’t make a sound, and his cheeks flush a the irritation of it all.
The dogs bark a “Yes Hinata-senpai!” And trot after him, the little one throwing a glare over his shoulder as he goes.
Atsumu is left to stare at Hinata’s retreating back, his heart beating really fast. It’s kind of lame that he’s so excited just over a little nod, isn’t it? Either way he swings his arms and has a bit more pep in his step as he returns to his team, trying to herd them towards the bleachers so they can watch the start of the Karasuno game before their own.
Suna leans over to Osamu as they trail after Atsumu “He must have had a really good shit” Osamu humms in agreement.
--
Last year Hinata kinda played like a knife. This metaphor meant it was Kageyama who was doing the wielding, but Atsumu knew it wasn’t Kageyama who made this particular knife sharp. That was all Hinata’s own doing. Atsumu had eventually decided that Hinata reminded him of a butterfly knife. Small, a little flashy, hard to use except for the most careful and talented wielder, but exceptionally dangerous in the right hand. This year Hinata reminded him more of a sword, sharp and dangerous, reaching just a bit farther than before. Better for defense too. You knew to look out for it now, but it would cut you off at the head even if you tried to be careful about it. Atsumu’s fingers itched as he watched Hinata play. He wanted to set every ball Hinata hit for the rest of their lives. Atsumu wondered if Hinata would find that thought as romantic as he did.
Hinata’s quiet and cold intensity has grown even more so as Karsuno’s first and then second games go on. He was still a terror, his broad jumps pushing him even farther than you’d think he could go, switching tempos in the space of a heartbeat, and giving every blocker on the other team an awful time. But Atsumu felt there was something missing in the way he played now. There was less joy in him than before.
Instead of bounding around the court giving his team high fives, shouting his jubilation at every point scored, he’d clench his fist as if to say ‘that was good enough’ when he scored, and would simply nod his head when his teammates did the same. The rest of Karasuno was still loud and exuberant, but now it was kind of like there were two Kageyama’s on the court, glaring balefully at their opponents. It was kind of creepy really.
He’d tried again to approach Hinata at the start of the second day, finding him by himself, the barking dog first years nowhere to be found, ordering at a food stand. Atsumu had started his approach, once again smoothing his hair, cocksure smile on his face, when he caught sight of some familiar faces cutting through the crowd. Karasuno had played them last year, after defeating Atsumu’s team, the defensive guys... Nekoma? But they hadn’t made the tournament this year.
“Shouuuuu~” The tall icy blond haired guy who was too good looking by half for Atsumu’s comfort approached. Trailing after him were a few tall guys and the setter, his hair pulled back into a bun.
The cold and forbidding expression melted off of Hinata’s face, a bright and sunny grin sliding across his mouth, Atsumu felt his heart skip a beat. What the fuck? “You guys came!” Hinata said brightly, meeting them halfway “Thanks for coming!”
“Yeah, we wouldn’t miss it, your second nationals debut” Kozume, the setter said, he sounded kind of disaffected despite the small smile on his face.
The tall, pretty guy grabbed Hinata by the shoulders and rocked him back and forth, making Hinata laugh. Atsumu scowled. “Have you been giving every blocker heaps of trouble? I’m the only one who's allowed to stuff you” he said, making Hinata grin. Atsumu found he was grinding his teeth.
“Lev, you only did that once, and it ended up being a net touch anyways” Kenma says blandly. Lev whips around, face hot, to retort but Hinata responds to his question anyways.
“I’m trying” And he's gone quiet and intense again, but there’s something else there that’s hard to describe. Not quite pain or fear, and not quite anger. More like the hunger inside of him has devoured all of that leaving nothing left. Like he’s still hungry and trying not to be, but the hunger is winning, and he knows he needs to feed it. Atsumu sucks in his breath, suddenly feeling like a creepy stalker who saw something he ought not of. He steps away, hoping no one will notice him. He returns to his team, frowning. What the fuck happened to Hinata in the last year?
--
And then it’s finally time for Inarizaki to play against Karasuno, and it’s everything he wanted it to be. Atsumu shoves aside the tableau he’d seen yesterday of Hinata with Nekoma, and decides not to think about what Hinata’s drive and fire are doing to him, how it seems to be burning away the Hinata he met least year until all he is is his desire to play volleyball. Every game Atsumu has played in the last year has led to this moment and he won’t be distracted for anything. Atsumu has always been greedy and selfish, and so far that has been fine.
He’s probably staring at Hinata too much, he’s already caught Kageyama glowering at him more than once, but Atsumu doesn’t give a shit. This is what he’s been waiting for. He’s stretching out his shoulders, keeping an eye on Karasuno’s spiking warm up, when he sees Hinata move towards the net, that cold fire intensity still burning around him. Hinata leaps up, seems to hang in the air for an infinite amount of time, and then slams the ball down. Atsumu feels his heart beating faster, and can feel an excited grin spreading across his face.
“Yer so creepy ‘Tsumu” Osamu mutters from his side.
Atsumu is in too good a mood to bother getting mad, tracking the movement as Hinata jogs back to the line “Nah, ‘m just excited”
They almost can’t contain Hinata. Almost. Karasuno may take the first set, but after some adjustments to better control where Hinata can hit, Inarizaki takes it in the second. Atsumu is having the best time of his life, and the setter dump he did to score the winning point last set had felt oh so good. The sly grin he’d thrown at Hinata, watching as the smaller boys’ cold composure finally snapped into white hot fury, all because of Atsumu, had butterflies bouncing around in his stomach. Atsumu watches as Kageyama punches Hinata in the shoulder telling him to keep his shit together. Hinata just scowls, glaring over his shoulder at Atsumu, who just barely suppresses the urge to wave. He feels like a silly school girl and it feels wonderful.
Atsumu kind of wants to bounce around the court, feeling like he has enough energy to run up Mount Fuji and back, and still have enough left to kick Karasuno ass. His team thinks he’s nuts, having never seen Atsumu this giddy. They’d all been weirded out, Osamu more than anyone, when Atsumu had forgotten to silence the crowd during his last serve. He didn’t care, he was more absorbed into this game than any he’d ever been in his life. Nothing mattered, but the flow of players, and the ball in the air, and watching Hinata struggle to get the serves he needed to win. If it were Atsumu, Hinata would have every single ball he demanded and more.
Halfway through the third, the game swinging back and forth, neither team able to break away, Hinata came flying forward for a back row attack, three blockers leapt up, his arm swinging hard, and at the very last second, to Atsumu’s delighted shock, he changed trajectory, snapping his wrist to the side executing a perfect cut shot, virtually straight down. Atsumu dove to dig it up, but was a moment too late. He laid on his stomach staring up at Hinata, who looked down on him, savage smile on his face. Hinata’s very first smile of the game, all for Atsumu. His expression seemed to tell Atsumu ‘Kneel’.
Atsumu felt himself get hot all over, his face flush, in a way that had nothing to do with running and jumping around the court. He gave Hinata his own brutal grin, picking himself up. Hinata turned to take in the adulation of his team, glancing over his shoulder at Atsumu. And just like that Atsumu had the revelation that should have been very obvious to him this whole time. He wanted Hinata to look at no one but him like that. Wanted those fierce eyes to demand Atsumu put the ball in his path. He must have been in love with Hinata Shouyou. Duh. He licked at his lips, turned to his team “Let’s get that point back!” he roared at them, to their answering cries.
When it was all said and done, Inarizaki took the last set, though it had been a close one. If it weren’t for the relative inexperience of the first year, the tall nervous one who’d blocked Atsumu from Hinata the other day, Karasuno might have taken it, but Inarizaki is very good at chipping away at even the best defense, and the kid had been rattled by Osamu a few too many times, and became slow to react, no matter how hard Hinata, or the Libero, or Glasses-kun worked to support him.
After his victory Atsumu had watched Hinata stand, fists clenched at his sides, staring out at nothing, shaking in his inert rage, before suddenly relaxing, as if letting it go all at once. His face was an attempt at blankness, but Atsumu could see the tightness around his eyes, the clench of his jaw. He was still angry. For a hazy post battle moment all Atsumu wanted was that fury pointed at him. He found he also kind of wanted Hinata to bite him maybe too.
Atsumu who had never been very good at empathizing with people, and feeling a little over excited about his epiphany mid-game, and still riding high off of winning, decided to speak without thinking, wanting Hinata’s attention on him “Welp, ye can’t win ‘em all, hey Shouyou-kun?” He drawled, looking across the net at the shorter boy, as he had a year ago.
He watched Hinata stiffen, and then turn around to face Atsumu, that baleful look in his eyes. For a heady moment Atsumu wanted nothing more than to have those sharp eyes bore holes into his skull until his bones turned to dust. His grin turned sly “Don’t forget yer promise Shouyou-kun~” He sing songed gleefully from across the net, heady with the attention he was getting.
Hinata's annoyance was momentarily forgotten, replaced with confusion “What?”
Atsumu’s grin widened “I’m going to toss for you one day, remember?” He practically fucking purred. Now that Atsumu had beaten Karasuno that day could come anytime couldn’t it? Maybe even after the tournament ended, what was Hinata going to do for Golden week? Perhaps he’d like to visit Hyougo?
Hinata blinked, before his mouth quirked derisively, almost as if he were laughing at Atsumu, and not with him “What are you talking about?” And then before Atsumu could say more, Hinata was called away by his team manager, Atsumu forgotten, as he hustled off the court so the next game could start. Hinata left him without a backwards glance.
Atsumu watched him go stunned. Something in his chest creaked painfully. Had this game meant absolutely nothing to Hinata other than winning? Atsumu felt his stomach twist. Had he built up their little interaction in his head last year? Had that not been anything? Had their interactions during the game, had that not been anything to Hinata either? Was that just how he fucking played? Atsumu was at once pitifully angry, and ashamed and a little heart broken. This was a new feeling for him, close on the heels of the first time he thought he might be in love someone, and now he felt incredibly stupid and arrogant for thinking some halfway decent spiker was just as interested in him, as he had been in him. The giddy excitement he’d had bubbling in his stomach all game turned sour. The best game of his life now ruined at his feet, with one confused and condescending quirk of a mouth. Fuck.
Atsumu leveraged that rage into the rest of their games, beating their opponents into the ground, until finally, after all of these years, Inarizaki took gold. Winning had never tasted so bitter. He hated that he couldn’t revel in this victory, this dream he’d had since he was little. He resented the happiness of his teammates around him, feeling even angrier at himself for letting something so stupid, some stupid crush, take this from him.
After all the interviews, and the promotional photo he took with the MSBY Black Jackal owners, who had come to support their future rookie in the finals, Atsumu slumped onto the bus, wanting to go home and sleep for 1000 years. He tilted his head back, stuffing headphones into his ears keeping the sound off, just wanting the others to leave him alone. Osamu came to sit across the aisle from him, Atsumu could feel his eyes on him. “What?” he asked without looking.
“You’re bein’ a real shit. What’s up with you?” Osamu asked baldly.
Gritting his teeth, Atsumu turned to face out the window “Nothin” Everything. It had been his last game with Osamu, and he hadn’t even savoured it, hadn’t appreciated it. Couldn’t even remember what their best play was, just that he’d needed to win. All because he’d been distracted by the wound on his heart by some kid who didn’t even care that Atsumu would have worshipped the ground he walked on, had Hinata let him. He hadn’t wanted Hinata to replace Osamu on the court beside him, because he wasn’t Osamu. Atsumu had wanted Hinata because he thought he saw the exact same hunger and drive that burned in Atsumu, reflected in Hinata. He wanted Hinata to push him to bigger and higher heights, and to push him in turn.
“Mhmm. Ya gonna be shitty at the team dinner tonight?” Osamu asked, leaning against his own window, kicking his feet out into the aisle. Atsumu glared at him “Say a proper goodbye to yer kouhais asshole” Osamu said, kicking at Atsumu’s chair. In answer Atsumu actually turned his music on, blasting it to drown out any other sound.
--
Atsumu is 19 and once again, for the fourth year in a row, he is at the spring nationals tournament. It smells the same, but feels different. It’s probably ‘cause he’s here as a spectator and not to win, having no interest in judging the potential skills of the teenagers around him. And that he’s trying to be a grown up, now that he's the all-star rookie for the Black Jackals, he’d even started experimenting with pomade in his hair. All the players around him feel so small and young by comparison, although only a single year, maybe two, separates him from the players around him.
He’s trailing after Bokuto, who wouldn’t take no for an answer about coming to watch the bronze medal final. Atsumu had thought it was strange that they’d go to that instead of the gold medal game but Bokuto had just snorted “Who needs to see Kamomedai and Itchiyama go for each other’s throats again?” Bokuto said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
They’re incognito, as much as Bokuto can be, both of them wearing hats and jeans and jackets with no sport insignia anywhere. Atsumu kind of liked Bokuto’s other rationale when he’d kept prodding Atsumu to come with him to the game “Watching the first best losers go at each other when they want to redeem themselves at center court? Doesn’t that sound awesome?” It kind of did, so Atsumu had agreed, not knowing who was playing, but after last year, not caring to investigate either.
He’d spent the past year licking his wounds that shouldn’t have been wounds in the first place, accelerating to a starting setter position on the Black Jackals after only a few games. He was quickly making a name for himself in the vleague, and many teams openly dreaded having to play against him, to Atsumu’s utter delight. It had taken some getting used to the Black Jackal hitters, but Bokuto was willing to work just as hard as Atsumu to figure each other out so that had been alright. Bokuto had taken a shine to Atsumu, and promised to be the best senpai his favorite rookie could ever have. So when Bokuto said he wanted to go to the Spring High School Nationals volleyball tournament to watch some friends play, Atsumu figured watching Fukurodani do it’s thing wouldn’t be too bad, so he’d said yes. He worked hard not to think about his last time here, because that’s how he managed the little hurts in his heart now.
They made their way up the bleachers, taking a seat a bit aways from other people. Atsumu looked around, trying to find a hint of who might be playing. He didn’t see any Fukurodani colours anywhere. Just an ocean of black. And a few people in the audience looked kind of familiar in like a vague sort of way. Blinking Atsumu took in the banner strung across from them. “Fly” it read. Atsumu sucked in a breath feeling his heart lurch.
“Aww man, we sat on the wrong side” Bokuto complained, leaning forward with his arms crossed.
Atsumu looked at him a bit wildly “I thought we were watching Fukurodani play” He breathed, feeling his heart clench. He thought this wound had scabbed over, but apparently Atsumu had just gotten very good at ignoring it.
Bokuto glances at him “Naw, they didn’t make Nationals this year. Without Keiji to lead them, they were a bit of a mess this year” he says with a sigh and a shake of his head. All sense of loyalty to his former team had vanished once Akaashi graduated.
“But you said your friends were playing?” Atsumu asked, voice strained.
“Yeah! We used to do summer training camp with Karasuno and a few other schools around Tokyo. But most importantly, my number one disciple is their ace” Bokuto said with a wicked grin. The doors on the ground level across from them open, and in streams Karasuno to thunderous applause from the crowd. Atsumu searches for the head of orange hair but doesn’t have to wait long, Hinata hopping from foot to foot into the court, Kageyama, serious as ever at his side. When they come into view the cheers get louder if possible, and the bright smile on Hinata’s face grows larger.
Bokuto is up cheering as well, whipping out the bit of fabric he’d been carrying with him all day. It’s a t-shirt in teal with the words “Way of the Ace” scrawled on the back. Bokuto holds it above his head, unfurled like a banner and booms “Hey, hey, hey!” somehow breaking through the sound of the cheers enough that Hinata looks up, sees the shirt, and gives a sharp grin and a thumbs up.
Atsumu can only stare at Hinata, until the boy (young man) in question turns back to their team captain, in conversation as they get warmed up for their game. Bokuto plunks back down with a satisfied sigh. Atsumu licks his lips “You know Shouyou-kun?”
“Do I know Shouyou-kun?” Bokuto laughs “Yeah, he’s my number one disciple, he’s a good friend, and I think he’s the most terrifying player on any court” He squints at Atsumu, “How do you know him Tsumu-Tsumu...?” He snaps his fingers “Right! You guys have played each other a few times, right?”
Atsumu nods silently, eyes tracking Hinata’s movement on the court. He’s once again just a little bit taller. His hair is fluffier and more unruly than ever before. He’s filled out some too, not as wiry as he’d been before, Atsumu assumes that means he can jump even higher now. He finds he at once wants to see it, but worries the sight will make his heart split in two. There is also something different from last year, there’s a lightness to his step, an ease to his smile that had not been there the last time Atsumu had played against him. Hinata shouts encouragement to his team, claps at their successes, gives fist bumps to errors. And when he goes to spike the ball he has a grin on his face, hop skipping back to his teammates giving them silly little bows at their praise.
He’s having fun, Atsumu realizes. He didn’t look like he was having fun at all last year, and now, he looks like he’s having the best time of his life. Atsumu can feel a familiar ache somewhere in his chest, and the ghost of the flip of happy giddiness he had when he’d first played against Hinata two years ago. He licks his lips again, feeling a smile tugging at the corners of his lips “Yeah, we played them alright”
Bokuto gives him a quizzical look but shrugs looking back at the warmup, taking stock of the various people out loud, and who he thinks will be fun to watch as the game goes on. He ends up being pretty spot on.
Karasuno takes the first set handily, Hinata and Kageyama being a nigh unstoppable force, especially when backed by a solid base of second years. Atsumu can see the barking dogs from last year have made regulars, and aren’t half bad all things considered. Bokuto eventually lets out a gusty sigh, leaning back in his seat “Maaan, I’m glad Hinata finally got out of his own head”
Atsumu blinks, “Whaddya mean Bokkun?”
Bokuto shifts a bit uncomfortably “I mean, you played him last year, he was a bit-” He squints, searching for the right word “intense.” Atsumu just nods. The Hinata they’d seen out there today was out to win, but he was going to have a great time doing it dammit. He’d even cheekily stuck out his tongue at his opponents middle blockers who he’d harried all game long, after slamming the ball high off a block for a block out a la Houshiumi. Last year Hinata had looked murderous every time one of his spikes had been dug up, or even if he just had to wipe sweat out of his eyes.
“Keiji thinks that happened because what happened the year before” Atsumu just stares at Bokuto waiting for him to elaborate “You know, the game against Kamomedai? Where Hinata fainted on court and had to go to the hospital?” Atsumu stares openly at Bokuto, mouth hanging open. He hadn’t stuck around to watch that game in his second year, he knew Karasuno had lost and figured he didn’t need to bother watching the game tape, worried it might make him mad to know they’d lost to Karasuno when Inarizaki could have beaten Kamomedai. He remembered hearing during the U-19 camp after spring nationals that one of Kageyama’s teammates had been sick or something during the game. How had he not known, after all his Hinata research last year, he’d missed out on that key detail?
“I didn’t know it was Shouyou-kun” He said softly, looking at the boy in question on the court, currently slapping the back of one of his 1st years encouragingly, a grin plastered on his face.
“Yeah he got all kinds of weird and obsessive about nutrition and tracking his training, and keeping journals and stuff, I think they sent him to a therapist for awhile” Bokuto tapped his chin “And then he got the flu or something before summer nationals and I think after that he kind of lost it about looking after himself and being in the best condition to play volleyball” Bokuto frowned looking down at his friend. Atsumu knew about Hinata getting sick in his second year, he just hadn’t realized there was any connection to the cold and furious creature he’d met on the court last year.
Bokuto shrugged his shoulders, not one to dwell in melancholy for long, expression brightened “But! He seems all kinds of good now, y’know?”
Atsumu stared down at the court, where Hinata and his team were lining up for the second set, he was wiping his shoes on his hands, shaking his arms out, generally bouncing around with frenetic energy. He blew Kageyama a kiss just before he served, pissing the uptight little asshole off, much to Atsumu’s delight. He never would have guessed that Hinata had been doing so poorly last year. He’d known something was different, sure, but he was so wrapped up in his obsession with the kid, he hadn’t realized he didn’t actually know much about Hinata outside of the fact that he was monstrously good at volleyball. Atsumu felt like a self absorbed asshole. He needed to work on that.
Bokuto was staring at him for some reason, squirming in his seat. Atsumu looked over, leaning away “What?” He asked, uncomfortable.
“Don’t tell Keiji I said that much. I sometimes forget how private, private details are supposed to be” Bokuto said, a chagrined smile on his face.
Atsumu just snorted “Ain’t got anyone to tell anyways” They watched the game in silence, cheering as good plays were made, wincing as the other team racked up their own points. Atsumu finally broke the silence, after his fingers twitched in the ghost of a set, watching Hinata leap up, higher than the blockers could reach and spiking down to score a point “I really wanted to toss to Shouyou-kun” He said softly, it felt nice to say that out loud. His big secret dream, from his big secret crush, on a boy he hadn’t really known at all. “I promised him, after the first time he beat me, that I’d serve to him someday.” he finished wistfully.
He’d never said it out loud, not even to Osamu, though he suspected his twin had known something about it. Trouble was, just because Atsumu realized that maybe he hadn’t actually known or understood Hinata, didn’t mean the desire to play with him, to watch Hinata spike his tosses went away. If anything it made him want to even more, maybe in apology in a language they were both fluent at.
Bokuto grabbed his shoulders abruptly shaking him out of his reverie, eyes sparking with delight “You what?” He shouted, because Bokuto only knew how to dial it to 1000, or not at all. “You want to set for Shouyou??” He said it very loudly, people were staring.
Atsumu tried to extricate himself from Bokuto’s grip, to no avail “Sure, but then he’d have to come play pro or something-”
“I want him to play with us really bad!” Bokuto nearly shouted into his face. Atsumu froze, embarrassment heating his cheeks. This always inevitably happened when the two of them went somewhere. Bokuto would get over excited and make people stare at Atsumu for some reason or another. Humiliating “You have to help me convince him to try out for the Black Jackals” Atsumu just cringed, before nodding his head, if for no other reason than to get Bokuto to stop touching him. And because maybe Atsumu could finally live his secret little dream.
Bokuto sat back, wiggling in his seat, trying very hard to contain his excitement. Atsumu watched the rest of the game stiffly, wondering what he’d just signed himself up for.
Karasuno won in the end, third in the nation, with the medals to prove it. Bokuto made them stick around until after the interviews were done, Kageyama being a hot topic amongst the press, going to play for the Adlers in their next season, as well as at the Olympics in two years. Most of the crowds in the concourse had dwindled, either going home or settling in to watch the final, but some Karasuno players, bronze medals slung around their necks, still hung around waiting for interviews with the team captain to be over to all go sit together to watch the best two teams in the nation duke it out.
Bokuto waited until Hinata wasn’t talking to anyone, before booming “Hey, Hey, Hey!” Making Hinata whirl around, big grin on his face. He came bounding over, bronze medal bouncing on his chest as he went. Atsumu felt his stomach do a weird little nervous flip, both at the excitement of seeing Hinata up close, and the fear of the rejection he might receive by the boy who didn’t even know he was doing it. It didn’t help that Atsumu’s fingers itched to brush his fluffy hair off his forehead. He stuffed his hands in his pockets instead, probably looking standoffish.
Hinata stopped abruptly in front of them and ducked his head, Bokuto picking up on some cue that Atsumu entirely missed, and stepped forward, using the flat of his hand to tap both of Hinata’s shoulders “I dub thee, ace” Bokuto said solemnly, before the bit dissolved into the two of them laughing at each other, giving each other double high fives “You played amazing out there man!”
Hinata grinned “Thanks for coming Bokuto” He peeked up and to the side at Atsumu, who willed his face not to heat, before Hinata’s eyes went wide with recognition “And Miya-san! Bokuto mentioned you guys were playing on the Black Jackals together now. I saw your game against the Frogs a few weeks ago, that set you did for Tomodachi, with the whoosh and smack” Hinata made accompanying arm motions for his sound effects, which Atsumu found absolutely endearing “Was one of the coolest plays I’ve ever seen. I was sure you were giving that to Bokuto” He said with a shake of his head, grin on his face.
Atsumu felt his heart beat a little faster, his cheeks were definitely going pink. When was the last time someone had praised him like this? It didn’t matter, he found he liked it. A lot. Atsumu shrugged, trying to play it cool “It was pretty easy to trick them, cause we have a good setter” He said with an eyebrow waggle. Not that he’d ever be humble.
Hinata pursed his lips “I know you are. And I thought it was a pretty big deal” He said with a head tilt. Atsumu wanted to clutch at his chest, Hinata would be the death of him. They’d put on his cenotaph ‘Death by praise’.
“It’s too bad you guys didn’t make it to the top two, I was so sure you guys were going to make the finals” Bokuto cut in with a head shake.
Hinata ruffled his own hair in annoyance, Atsumu’s fingers twitched, wanting to fix it for him “I know! Bah, Itchiyama had some really good defense, they had this one guy glued to me the whole game, I think I had a fifth of the points I usually do in that game” He said with a pout. Atsumu wanted to assure him that was his setter's fault, but Hinata gripped his bronze medal, holding it up next to his eyes “But that’s okay, I think bronze goes better with my eyes anyways” Hinata said, cheeky grin pulling at his lips.
Yup, Atsumu definitely still had a crush on him.
Bokuto just laughed, slapping him on the shoulder “We wanted to talk to you about something anyways” He leaned in closer like he was about to tell a very big secret. Atsumu and Hinata leaned in “Me and Tsumu-Tsumu got to talking, we want you to try out for the MSBY Black Jackals”
Hinata leaned back, eyes going wide with delight “Really?” His eyes searched Bokuto’s grin, and Atsumu’s hesitant smile for any falsehoods. He clenched his fists in front of him. “That’s amazing! I’d love to play with you guys!”
Bokuto grinned, going in for the kill. He slapped Atsumu on the back “And this guy wants nothing more than to set for you” Atsumu felt his soul leave his body. Hinata was staring at him with big eyes, bearing witness to Atsumu’s ultimate embarrassment. Bokuto continued “Yep, he admitted it to me himself. He’s dreamed of setting for you since the first moment you played one another” He said it like a proud father. Two hit KO, Atsumu was dead.
Hinata blinked in surprise, before pointing at his face “You want to set for me Miya-san?”
Atsumu couldn’t respond, he’d descended into the depths of embarrassment hell and was drowning, but Bokuto was more than happy to speak for him “Yeah, he said so himself. And then you get to play with me! Your number one mentor!”
Hinata pumped his fists “Yeah! That sounds awesome!” He crowed, Bokuto grinned back at him, Atsumu wondered how he hadn’t died on the spot, self immolating in the heat of his embarrassment. “It’ll be the first thing I do when I get back” Hinata promised.
Bokuto and Atsumu blinked, looking at Hinata in askance “Where are you going?” Bokuto asked.
Hinata grinned “Oh! I guess I hadn't told you yet. It’s official: I’m going to Rio, in Brazil”
“That’s so cool! Is this for like some sort of senior trip or something?” Bokuto grinned, he still had his arm slung around Atsumu.
Hinata tilted his head “No, I’m going for training”
That seemed to throw Bokuto for a loop. Was training better in Rio or something? Atsumu, finally snapping out of his humiliation fugue managed to ask “When will you be back?”
“Two years” Hinata chirped, tucking a hand behind his head and grinned at them. But then he shrugged “Err, maybe more like three. Washijou-sensei wants me to practice before I go so I don’t embarrass him”
Bokuto and Atsumu stared at him blankly. Atsumu recovered first, clearing his throat “Hmm?”
Hinata ducked his head, a bit shyly now “Yeah, I’m spending the summer preparing and then I’m going to go to Rio for two years to play beach volleyball, so I can get good enough-”
“Shouyou-kun, we’re heading upstairs!” Yachi called from behind them, waving Hinata over.
He whirled, giving her a wave “Coming!” He turned back to look at them, squaring his shoulders and looked at Atsumu hard, with that same sharp determination, with eyes that kind of reminded him of a knife and maybe a sword. Hinata raised a finger, pointing it at Atsumu’s chest. Atsumu gulped “I’m going to train so I can get good enough for the best setter in the world to give me the kind of ball I want to hit” Hinata was staring him straight in the eye, making it clear who exactly he thought that was. Atsumu felt his heart start to beat fast. “So be ready for me.” Hinata finished before turning on his heel and chasing Yachi up the stairs.
Atsumu watched him go, a grin starting to spread across his face. Oh, so Hinata had cool guy lines now too? “Best setter in the world eh?” He was definitely still very much in love with Hinata Shouyou.
Bokuto was still staring into space, before he finally snapped out of it to look around “I have to wait another three years?” He complained, taking out his phone to call Akaashi about this.
Atsumu swung an arm around Bokuto’s shoulders and led him outside, the happy bubbly giddy feeling coursing through his veins, from his toes to the tips of his teeth. “Not to worry Bokkun, we’ll get to play with him eventually. He is looking for the best setter in the world after all” Atsumu said, curbing the urge to click his heels together. He’d just have to learn to be patient is all.