Chapter Text
The Beginning: Part 1
"Hey Hinata? What's that in your pocket?" Nishinoya asked, his voice a bit too loud as he pointed to Hinata's sweatpants.
A bent up piece of paper seemed to stick out of his pocket barely noticeable against his grey pants.
Noya would've completely missed it if he hadn't dropped his shirt and seen that curious speck of white.
"Eh!?" Hinata whirled around, looking down as he pat his sides in surprise, his fingers brushing against something cool as he pulled out a thick white envelope by the corner.
The whole team's attention was curiously on Shouyou as he looked in disbelief from the letter to Noya.
"No way!" He shouted, his mouth hanging open as he held the letter up, his eyes twinkling while he stared the thing down like it'd suddenly vanish into thin air.
"How did they-? When did that get in my pocket!"
"Wait so you didn't put it there?" Tanaka questioned, locking eyes with Nishinoya as they both ginned with some telepathic connection no one else could understand.
"Hinata's got a stalker~!" They both sang at the same time, grinning as they pounced on Hinata shaking him excitably.
Shouyou's face flushed a light pink as he half-heartedly pushed them away, trying to ignore their laughter as he put the rest of his clothes up.
"No way! I probably just put it in my pocket without realising it, I definitely don't have a-"
He was cut off when he opened his locker and another envelope fell out silencing the room.
The soft smack of paper hitting floor seemed to sound louder than it was as the noise bounced off the walls.
The silence lasted a second before Tanaka and Noya burst out laughing, doubling in on themselves as tears brimmed their eyes from wheezing so hard.
"Idiots!" Daichi smacked their heads, cutting their laughter short as Tanaka sputtered.
"This could be serious! Hinata you alright?" He asked, the air turning oddly tense as Hinata slowly nodded.
"Yeah I think? I mean this is so creepy though!" He shouted, suddenly not wanting to hold the letters anymore.
"I mean this is the third one today!"
"Wait you got another one?" Kageyama looked down at him, a frown on his face as he heard a snickering behind him.
"Oh? Is the King worried?"
He wheeled on Tsukishima, his face going bright red as he struggled to speak, "Of-" He started, stuttering as the tips of his ears burned, "Of course not you- You idiot!"
Tsukki raised an eyebrow, a thin smile on his lips that irritated the crap out of Kageyama as he clicked his tongue, the desire to punch that stupid smirk off his stupid face growing by the second.
"Now now it's probably just some girl who got carried away!" Yamaguchi waved his hand nonchalantly as he separated the two with a pleasantness that seemed to irk Tobio as he begrudgingly looked away.
"I think I'm with Daichi on this, something doesn't feel right, where did you find the third letter Hinata?" Suga frowned, eyeing those two letters with concern as he shook his head.
"Umm," Hinata thought, trailing off as he tried to remember, his eyebrows scrunching together with the effort.
"You forgot didn't you."
"Shut up!" Shouyou went red as he stuttered, shouting at Tsukishima without really looking at him as he ruffled through his bag pulling out another identical envelope.
"I think it was put on my desk? I was asleep and it was just like poof! There! You know?"
His team glared at him, 'No we don't,' their irritation practically shouted as they eyed the letters suspiciously.
"Well, what did it say!? Do you know who wrote it!" Noya grinned, jumping on Shouyou as he hugged him from behind.
"I don't know, I haven't opened it yet!"
Yu's eyes seemed to sparkle as he looked at the letters mischievously.
"Well why don't we-"
"I know what you're about to say and no, we have practice," Daichi interrupted, his arms crossed as he smiled with a murderous aura that filled the whole room with his unspoken threats.
Hinata gulped, shoving the letters in his bag as he quickly finished changing.
"If you all don't hurry you'll be running fifty laps around the gym," Daichi added, leaving the locker-room as he glanced back with an intense stare to see the rest of the team hurrying as if their lives depended on it.
Which.. In Daichi's case their lives kind of did.
"Fifty!? Isn't that a punishment!?" Asahi blanked, he'd meant to say, 'Isn't that the same as a losing punishment,' but it came out wrong as he shivered at the thought of having to run that many.
Their captain only smiled, Suga following him with an apologetic look as they both left, a faint, "That's the point," following them as they hurried to change.
'Still, it's really weird to get three letters on the same day?' Hinata thought, glancing back at his bag as he quickly finished changing, shutting his locker as he hurried out the room.
'What if it's a cute girl who sent it?' His thoughts wandered as he imagined someone like Yachi, too shy to actually hand him the confession as she shuffled her feet nervously, unable to look at him.
He felt his cheeks heat up, a stupid grin on his face at the thought.
'But what if it's a hot girl!?' His face suddenly flushed red as the image of Kiyoko quietly standing all stoic while she handed him a letter infiltrated his head
"-nata!"
"Oi Hinata!"
His thoughts were interrupted by a snack to the head as he glared up at his assailant.
"What was that for!?" He shouted, pouting as he rubbed the place he'd been hit.
"Dumbass! Your shirt's on backwards, go back and change," Kageyama poked him in the chest hard, Hinata's face growing three shades of red as he felt his ears burn with embarrassment.
"Oh sorry!" He shouted, quickly taking his shirt off as he readjusted it.
Kageyama's anger stopped short.
It was one thing to change in the locker-room when everyone else was changing- But to just casually take your shirt off here? In front of all of them?
Tanaka did it, but that was.. Well it was a bit..
Different.
Hinata turned away as he struggled with his shirt, his bare neck exposed as the strands of his hair curled around his ear, bouncing as he moved.
Tobio could see the muscle lines on his back twitching with each movement he made, the way his skin was so pale and delicate that every shadow seemed to jump out at him, he saw it all.
His mind went blank, his hand taking over as he reached out and poked the midsection of his back. A sudden shocked screech echoed past Hinata's lips as he turned on the setter with a face flushed bright red.
His blush reaching the back of his neck as he gaped like a fish for a solid second, not knowing what to say.
"Idiot! Idiot Kageyama! Don't just touch people like that!" He blew up as he shouted, punching his partner with his shirt still tightly gripped in his hands as Kageyama muttered a quiet, 'Sorry,' that didn't seem all that sincere.
A cough drove their attention back to the rest of the team, everyone's faces were dusted pink as they averted their eyes from the two.
"What's wrong, you guys okay?" He asked, worry making his eyebrows scrunch together as he frowned.
"You look like a girl."
"Eh!?" For the second time that day Hinata was caught off guard as he shouted from sheer surprise.
His shock quickly turned to anger as he glared at Tsukishima enraged, "What do you mean I look like a girl! I'm a boy! A boy!" He emphasised, waving his arms wildly, his poor shirt getting wrinkled from the way he strangled it in his grasp.
A hand on his shoulder startled Hinata as he tilted his head up, looking at Daichi upside-down as their captain smiled with a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"You both can talk about how Hinata looks like a girl later," his grip hardened and Hinata let out a squeaking noise that had Daichi looking down at him curiously.
"Right! Sorry!" He shouted, stuttering as he threw his shirt back on quickly.
Practice flew by and Hinata loved every millisecond.
He was even more fired up than usual since Tsukishima called him a girl.
Everyone could see the way he targeted Tsukki, how he got especially excited when he received his spike, or his overwhelming frustration when he was blocked, it was so obvious to everyone- Except the spiker.
"What's up with Hinata today? He get into a fight with Tsukishima or something?" Coach Ukai asked quietly as Shouyou shouted after getting a practice spike through Kei's block.
"Ah well.." Takeda rubbed the back of his head, eyeing the excited redhead as he practically ran circles around Tsukishima, much to the blond's increasing annoyance.
"I overheard from Kiyoko and Yachi that apparently he told Hinata he looked like a girl.."
Ukai sputtered, laughing as the team paused for a moment to quietly glance at their teachers, "Seriously!?" He slapped his head as he grinned an evil smile, "Man the kid's so passionate, we'll have to use that in a real match!"
"Ukai I don't think.." Takeda was cut off as Hinata bounded over, ball in hand, practically sparkling as he held it up in excitement.
"Coach! Teach me how to do a jump serve!" Shouyou shouted with a wide grin on his face as Ukai shook his head.
Rolling up his sleeves he ruffled Shouyou's hair, a laugh lighting up his eyes as Hinata looked so excited it seemed he'd burst.
"That might be too much for you, but it wouldn't hurt to practice, alright come on," he said, leading an overly happy Hinata to the far end of the court.
They practiced serves the rest of the day until Hinata was too exhausted to continue- But even with his heavy breathing and sweat dripping down his face he continued with his serves.
He probably would've stayed there all night if he could.
"Hey Hinata!" Nishinoya shouted from the locker-room, everyone already left to change minutes ago leaving Hinata the only one still practicing.
"Come on, if you don't hurry we're gonna read your letters without you!"
Hinata grinned, the ball dropping as he ran, "Not without me!" He shouted, running into the locker-room and quickly changing, this time making sure he was far away from Kageyama's surprise poking attacks.
"So which one should I open first?" He asked, closing his locker as he turned to the rest of the team.
"Hmm it's natural to open the first one don't you think?" Suga said with a smile, hoisting his bag onto his shoulders.
"You realise as vice-captain, and an upperclassman you should be the one against this?"
"Oh come on Daichi what's the harm! I was against it at first but really when you think about it, it's just a letter after all!" Suga waved his hand, a mischievous light twinkling in his eyes as he laughed. It was clear curiosity got the best of him as he kept glancing in Hinata's direction.
"There's no writing on the envelops."
Hinata was confused as he looked between Tsukishima and the letters, not exactly sure what he meant.
Tsukki sighed, adjusting his glasses as he raised an eyebrow, "Meaning you won't know which one was the first one."
"Oh," both Nishinoya and Hinata said at the same time, a dumb look on their faces as they stared at each other.
"Well, go with this one!" Noya grabbed one of the letters, holding it up brightly as he beamed.
"I think you should choose the one on the right, I mean you can never go wrong with that?" Asahi said quietly with a faint laugh, scratching the back of his head as Daichi gave him a look that screamed, 'You aren't helping.'
"Hmm Kageyama which one do you think I should read?"
Kageyama glared at him, shutting his locker hard as he turned with what almost looked like anger, "Don't care, you should just throw them out."
"Looks like someone's jealous."
Kageyama turned on Tsukki with a flustered expression, "I am no-" before he could finish he bit his tongue, grimacing as Yamaguchi laughed.
"Idiot! What if it's a cute girl who wants to date me! Why would I throw that out!?" Hinata ignored the confusing talk of jealousy, assuming Kageyama was just jealous because of the potential adorable girlfriend he was maybe about to have.
The team froze, Kageyama stiffening as they all thought for a moment.
Hinata skipping practice to hang out with a girl, him holding hands with her, blushing because of her, kissing-
Suddenly the idea of opening the letters wasn't all that appealing anymore as they looked at each other with a slight nod of, 'There's no way we're letting him get a girlfriend.'
Even Daichi joined in on the silent agreement.
"Actually on second thought I'll keep this letter," Noya said bluntly as Hinata sputtered.
"What! No way that's mine!" He tried reaching for it but Nishinoya threw the envelope to Tanaka, who passed it around like a game of keep away as Shouyou tried to catch it.
Normally he'd be able to jump and grab it easily, but they practiced with him everyday, they knew how to pass it without him getting it.
He glared at Kageyama, jumping at him as his partner looked away, passing it quickly to Noya with an underhand toss Hinata didn't even see.
Tsukishima tricked him too, he acted as if he had the letter but hid it with Asahi the whole time.
The game started to get on his nerves as Hinata felt his eye twitch in irritation.
"Fine! I'll just read this one!" He pouted, grabbing one of the other letters and opening it before anyone else could take it away.
The team tensed up, staring at him as Hinata's eyes scanned the paper.
Seconds trickled away into minutes as they watched Shouyou curiously.
He was expressionless as they all shifted the weight on their feet nervously.
What if it really was a cute girl who wanted to date him, knowing Hinata he wouldn't hesitate on accepting it.
Kageyama glared, that same image of Hinata holding hands with some nameless girl pissed him off to no end.
They nearly jumped when Shouyou suddenly let out a groan, hanging his head as he looked like the most dejected guy on the planet.
"It's not a confession!" He whined, pouting as he let the back of his head rest on the lockers, nearly dropping the paper in the process.
"All right!" Tanaka cheered, Noya pumping his fists in the air as Daichi cleared his throat awkwardly even though his eyes seemed to give away the overwhelming relief he felt.
"I mean- Sorry Hinata!" Tanaka slapped him on the back harshly, a huge grin plastered to his face that said he wasn't sorry at all.
"You guys aren't even trying to look upset.." Tsukki sighed, shaking his head in mock irritation.
"So wait, if it wasn't a confession then what was it?"
"Umm," Hinata put a finger on his chin as he thought, squinting his eyes while he hummed.
"You just.. You just read it.."
"I know!" He jumped, getting defensive as he waved his arms around, "But it's hard to summarise! Um.. It was a story?"
That only confused the team more as Nishinoya snatched the papers from his hands.
"We'll just have to see about tha-"
Noya froze, his eyes catching a single sentence that made his fingers tremble as he held the paper in a shaking grasp.
"Hey.. You alri-"
He cut Tanaka off as he laughed, his face going bright red as he fell to the floor a grinning mess, gasping for breath with the sheer amusement from just those few brief sentences that caught his eye.
It was absolutely terrifying.
They hadn't ever seen their libero this breathless before, it was like he snapped as he laughed so hard he was crying.
"No-" He wheezed, whipping tears from his eyes as he handed the paper to the one person who could read it with a straight face, "-No way!"
Tsukishima questioned with a slight eyebrow raise as he took the paper, scanning the page as he cracked a thin smile, chuckling quietly while staring Kageyama down with a smug look in his eyes.
"What!?" Tobio glared at him confused as Noya suddenly jumped from the ground, a huge toothy smile on his face while he clung to Hinata's arm knowingly.
Tsukki cleared his throat.
"Kageyama looked down at Hinata, admiring the way his body curved with each defining muscle-"
"You're jumping right to that part!?" Nishinoya screeched with laughter, hitting the mortified Kageyama as he looked like he'd kneel over and die any second.
"I don't think-"
"Don't be such a killjoy Daichi it isn't like it's a confession," Suga slapped Daichi on the back, knocking the wind out of their captain as he was sent a warning glare.
"There's-" Kageyama stuttered, that horrified look on his face as Tsukishima snickered, "There's no way I'd think that about that dumbass!"
"Hey!" Hinata shouted, pouting as Kageyama turned his wrath on him.
"Shut up! Do you want me to think that about you or something!?"
Hinata thought for a moment before making a disgusted face, "Now that I think about it you admiring me at all is weird."
"-The way his body moved, twitching as his shoulder-blades rose and fell with each breath. He couldn't help but think Shouyou was beautiful as he.."
Tsukishima paused for a second before continuing.
"..As he bent down and poked the small of his back, watching the tremors shake through his body as he hid his arousal at the sight."
Tanaka laughed, eyeing the distressed Tobio as his smirk faltered for a second, "Wait didn't Kageyama actually do that though?"
They suddenly remembered when Kageyama poked Hinata during practice, if not for the weird narration it seemed like the story actually knew what happened.
"It's just a coincidence!" Kageyama shouted, his face red as he continued, gesturing to Hinata from where he stood, "There's no way I'd find that idiot attractive at all!"
Hinata nodded along shouting, "Yeah, Yeah," until he paused, thinking for a moment about what he just agreed to, "Wait so am I not hot then?"
No one answered, taken aback by his blunt question.
Unfortunately Hinata took their silence as an answer as he hung his head sadly, Asahi quietly patting him on the back in quiet comfort.
"Anyways, read more!" Noya grinned, climbing on Kageyama's back as if he were a tree.
Tsukishima nodded, scanning the page until he found a part he liked.
"It was in the locker-room that it happened. Everyone was gathered around, engrossed in whatever it was they were doing."
"Well that's vague," Tanaka muttered but was ignored.
"Kageyama had been eyeing Hinata during practice, unable to get the image of Shouyou's shirtless figure from his head as he messed up toss after toss. Especially remembering the way his voice rose in pitch when he touched him, Tobio couldn't help but wonder what other sounds Hinata could make."
"Damn Kageyama," Noya and Tanaka both interrupted with a whistle, hounding the defensive Tobio like vultures.
"Let me finish already." Tsukishima glared, silencing the two as he sighed.
"As I was saying-"
"Our King's looking for a Queen~"
Tanaka winced as he was hit over the head by Tsukishima's fist, whining as he rubbed the bump dramatically.
"As I was saying," He readjusted his glasses, ignoring the whimpers from Tanaka as he continued.
"He was glad practice was over, not because he couldn't focus, but because he'd get to see the sight that was plaguing him all afternoon.
Just the thought nearly made him har-"
"Okay please skip that Tsukishima!" Daichi shouted his face going beet red, he made the whole team jump with his voice that seemed to come out of nowhere.
It seemed they were all getting a little too into the letter then they would've liked to admit.
Tsukki clicked his tongue in annoyance confusing them, "Wait, Tsukki, do you want to read this?" Yamaguchi asked with wide eyes as Tsukishima smirked.
"I don't really care, but seeing how flustered the King's getting is rather enjoyable."
'Ah,' everyone thought, realising Kei's sadistic nature yet again.
"Kageyama, you alright?" Hinata pulled on the hem of his shirt, looking up at him with wide eyes as Tobio grew even more red.
"You know it's just a story right? It's not like it's real!" Shouyou laughed as Kageyama looked away, a muttered, 'I know,' barely audible.
"You can continue, just none of.. That.." Daichi sighed, sounding completely worn out as he sat down, rubbing his temples as if to say, 'How did we even get in this situation?'
Tsukishima nodded, "His precious sight was robbed from him when the rest of the team distracted him. He knew that if he looked now, they'd see, so he ignored his impulse to peak."
"Time passed and Kageyama grew red with a blush, the heat rising to his face, he was so sure he was about to be found out as he suddenly wanted to run- To be anywhere else but there. That's it-"
"That's it I'm leaving."
Kageyama looked up startled, both him and Tsukishima said the exact same thing, at the exact same time.
"Uh, okay, that was kind of.."
"Creepy?" Asahi finished, looking completely terrified as they all exchanged glances.
"Let's.. Just wait it out a bit Kageyama, let's let Tsukishima finish, but if you really want to leave I won't stop you," Daichi nodded his head along to what he was saying as Kageyama shifted uncomfortably.
Without giving him time to decide Tsukishima continued, severely enjoying how messed up the King looked.
"As he turned to go he felt a sudden force collide with him, sending him sprawling forward. He felt like time slowed as he fell, seeing that mop of orange hair in front of him unable to do anything."
"Oh I think I see where this is going!" Noya grinned as he whispered, earning a dirty look from Tsukki.
"He fell on top of Hinata, his arms boxing him in as he stared with wide eyes, their lips touching in a kiss he only dreamt about."
The team- Specifically Tanaka and Nishinoya- Shouted, whooping as they poked Kageyama ruthlessly.
Kageyama's whole face was a dark shade of red as he glared at them.
"I'm out of here," he growled, glaring at everything and everyone as he turned on his heels to leave.
"Aw Kageyama it's just a story! Stop acting so weird!" Hinata frowned, wanting to tease him more.
"Yeah bro it's all fiction! It's-" Tanaka shouted, slipping on a shirt that was left on the ground as he fell forward, colliding with Noya as he face-planted.
It was like a domino effect.
Nishinoya hit Asahi, who in turn was off balance and landed on Kageyama.
Before anyone could say a word they were left with an impossible sight.
Kageyama was on the floor, arms planted on either side of Hinata as he practically leaned over him.
But that wasn't what shocked them.
It was the way the two's lips were interlocked, each one staring with wide eyes at the other, frozen in disbelief.
All at once Kageyama jumped away, covering his face with his arm, unable to say anything with the amount of adrenaline coursing through his veins.
Even the team didn't know what to do as Hinata looked as if he'd just broken.
Gingerly he touched his lips, looking at his hand as if he could see the kiss mark.
"That was my first kiss," both him and Tsukki said at the same time and Hinata looked up in shock.
"How'd you?-"
"It's right here, the last sentence," Tsukki held up the page, pointing at some handwriting they couldn't read.
It was like crickets descended down on them.
"That's just.. A coincidence right?"
They all looked between one another, a nervous sense of unease spreading through the air as someone gave an awkward cough.
"Um, so should we read another?"