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“Okay, that’s it for practice today.”
Coach Washijou’s shrill voice carried in the cavernous school gym and the squeaking sound of sneakers fell away as the team gave him their attention.
“Our next game isn’t far off. I’ve printed out copies of the day’s schedule for all of you.” The coach paused, scrutinizing the players.
“Since Semi is absent, one of you will need to bring him his copy. Tendou.” Tendou smiled, taking the paper.
“Don’t you worry Coach! I’ll make sure Semi-kun gets it.” Coach Washijou’s frown deepened, but he said nothing, turning and walking back into his office.
Tendou, unfazed, made his way over to where the first years were putting away volleyballs.
“Who wants to be a good kouhai for me?” He said, raising his eyebrows.
For a moment it seemed like the boys were going to ignore him, whispering to each other, and looking stricken.
One of the boys was shouldered forward to respond, but before he could work up the courage, a shout cut the silence.
“What is it Tendou-san!” Goshiki said, spinning around and somehow dropping the volleyball he'd been carrying back to the cart.
Goshiki froze, perhaps hoping ignoring the slip up himself would convince Tendou it hadn’t happened.
Tendou laughed scooping up the ball and handing it back to his underclassmen.
“You live in the same dorm as Semi-kun don’t you, future ace?” Goshiki nodded hugging the volleyball to his chest.
“Yes! I- yes I do!”
Tendou smiled, it was the same smile that had the other years shuffling their feet, but Goshiki didn’t seem to mind.
“I can bring him the schedule,” Goshiki offered, spinning the volleyball in his hands. Tendou couldn’t help but reach up and ruffle the boy’s hair.
“Tsutomu.” Tendou’s voice lilted as he said it closer to singing than speaking. “This is why you’re my favorite.”
Goshiki ducked away from Tendou’s hand and shook his head to settle his hair back into place his irritation doing nothing to hide the half-smile on his face.
Goshiki’s short walk back to his dorm was punctuated by many worries.
To start he didn’t know why Semi had been absent. He agonized over all the potential causes. If Semi was sick, he should bring him medicine. If he’d been broken up with and he was too sad to come to practice, then maybe he’d just want someone to talk to or a snack.
By the time Goshiki stood outside the pinch server’s door Semi’s schedule was a crumpled mess in his hands and his bag was weighed down by a pack of sports drinks he’d bought for Semi at the cafeteria store.
He knocked on the door in the same fashion as he did everything: loudly. He heard a groan from inside the room and muffled movement before the door opened, revealing a human shaped pile of fabric.
“Hi Semi-san!” Goshiki blurted.
The setter sighed. In relief or annoyance Goshiki couldn’t tell. The hoodie Semi was wearing enveloped him so only a sliver of his face showed, making him twice as hard to read as normal.
“Tsutomu.” Semi said, not quite looking the first year in the eyes.
Goshiki shifted to stand in his line of sight glancing behind himself in a search for whatever it was Semi was looking at so intensely.
“What are you doing here?” Semi said.
“Oh!” Goshiki straightened up. “Well! Coach gave us the schedule for our game in a couple days and… Well someone needed to bring you your copy since you weren’t at practice.” Goshiki wrang the paper in his hands as he spoke, too absorbed in his report to notice.
“Oh! And Tendou was supposed to do it, but we live in the same dorm, so he asked me to do it. But then I was worried you might be sick… And the ace needs to make sure his team is feeling well!” The younger player put a hand to his hip, suddenly very sure of himself.
So I stopped and got you! Well… Not medicine. I didn’t know what kind to get so…” He paused taking a breath.
“Are you sick?”
Semi frowned in the pinched way that said he was holding back a laugh.
“Tsutomu. Can I have my schedule?” Goshiki looked down at the obliterated piece of paper in his hands and back up at Semi’s baffled expression.
“You can have mine!” Goshiki dropped into a crouch fishing a hand in his bag and retrieving his only marginally less wrinkled schedule. “I got you some sports drinks! In case you are feeling sick!”
Semi pulled his hands out of his hoodie pocket to take the drinks and paper. The cloth of his sleeve shifted up his arm as he moved, exposing a circular red mark on his forearm.
Goshiki’s eyes locked onto it immediately.
“Is that a bruise?! Semi-san did you get hurt? I knew I should’ve gotten an ice pack!”
Semi yanked his sleeve back down, glaring at his kouhai.
“Tsutomu hush,” he whispered, pulling the first year inside his room by the arm and closing the door behind him. “I’m fine.”
Semi sighed long and deep. It reminded Goshiki vaguely of the sound his favorite roller coaster made coming to a stop.
“I guess now you know why I didn’t come to practice.”
“Um… I do?” Goshiki squeaked.
Semi frowned pulling down his hood and revealing a collection of matching red marks on his neck.
“Haven’t you seen a hickey before?”
“Oh!” Goshiki’s hands spasmed at his sides, balling into fists. “Sure! Lots of times!”
Semi blinked, trying not to roll his eyes. “Tsutomu… Don’t you have a boyfriend too?”
Goshiki nodded and Semi smirked at him. “I bet you and that skyscraper setter kiss all the time.”
Goshiki shifted his weight from foot to foot. “No! We play volleyball!” Semi did roll his eyes this time, grabbing a “berry blast” sports drink and collapsing backward onto his bed.
“There’s more to life than just volleyball, Tsutomu. And please sit. It’s time I had a chat with my kouhai.”
Goshiki did as told, pulling Semi’s chair out from his desk. His hands fell to his knees, plucking at the material of his track pants. Semi watched him his expression bemused.
“You haven’t even kissed him?”
“We’ve kissed…” Goshiki replied. Semi waited for the first year to continue, taking a drink, but the normally energetic boy only looked down at his lap.
“And?”
The first year’s attention stayed fixed on his lap as he spoke.
“Semi-san… Are some of those marks? They looked like tooth marks…” Goshiki’s hair had fallen forward and the first year seemed content to hide behind the curtain of black hair. Semi huffed.
“Yes. Why? Do you want to bite that setter?”
“His name’s Kanji. I mean! It’s Kogane!” Goshiki yelped.
“You want to bite Kogane...?”
Silence.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. But, well, if you ever have questions or need anything… Once you’re ready… You can always ask me or Tendou.”
The setter considered, taking another drink. “Reon too… Maybe not Ushijima though.”
Goshiki stood so quickly Semi’s chair fell over.
“Thank you, Semi-san! I’m going to go practice!” Seconds later the younger boy had collected his bag and dashed out of the room. Semi shrugged to himself finishing of the bottle. Berry blast always reminded him of the taste of medicine.
“Great spike, Tsutomu! You’ll be the ace in no time!”
Goshiki basked in the praise, hands on his hips. The sun warmed his face and a slight breeze cooled the sweat forming on the back of his neck.
He and Koganegawa had been practicing for a little over two hours in the park court and that last spike had been his best so far.
They were in near perfect synch, probably due to the weekly “dates” that always ended up being volleyball practice more than anything.
“Your sets are getting better too! If we were on the same team, we’d be unstoppable!” Goshiki said.
The birdlike setter nearly squealed with joy. “We would! Even Futakuchi would be impressed!”
“And Ushijima-san!” Goshiki nodded. “Tendou said you can tell when Ushijima likes something because his mouth twitches. One time we jogged past a puppy and I swear he actually smiled!”
“Why were we cursed with such cold senpai?” Kogane said, deflating.
Goshiki patted the taller boy on the back as he walked past to sit in a shady spot under a nearby tree. Kogane joined him, handing him his water bottle.
“It’s the price we pay for our awesome height.” Goshiki took the bottle and drank. He leaned back against the tree, closing his eyes. He didn’t see the mischievous smile creep onto Kogane’s face.
“Sure that explains my senpai… But what about yours?” Goshiki’s eyes shot open and he launched himself at his boyfriend.
Kogane fell back, his giggling turning to shrieking as Goshiki blew a raspberry on his stomach.
“I am crazy tall! Admit it!” Goshiki cried, tickling the setter’s sides. Kogane sputtered his laughter preventing any attempt at speech and he pawed at Goshiki’s chest in a vain attempt to escape.
“Admit it Kanji!”
The setter squeezed his eyes shut, “you’re so tall!” he shouted.
There was a beat of silence as Kogane waited for his response.
When none came, he opened his teary eyes to see Goshiki had drawn close, his face serious.
“Tsutomu?”
He recognized that look. It was the same as when Goshiki leapt up to hit the ball or moved to make an especially challenging receive.
Kogane felt a shiver run down his spine.
“Can I bite you?”
Goshiki eyes widened as if he’d surprised himself as much with the request as Kogane.
Kogane shifted, the roots of the tree poking against his back as he leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to Goshiki’s mouth. “Yeah, okay.”
Goshiki’s face flushed as he smiled, sitting back, and crossing his legs.
He reached out a hand and Kogane took it thinking he was helping him sit up, but instead the future ace drew Kogane’s hand up to his mouth. His lips parted and he gently bit down on one of his fingers.
Kogane sucked in a breath through his teeth. The heat reminded him of touching a stove. The warmth sudden and intense against his hand, but not painful.
Their eyes met and Kogane watched as the other boy's face suddenly transformed, the intense look replaced by surprise. Goshiki’s mouth fell open and Kogane’s hand hovered in the air in front of him as Kogane’s brain worked to catch up.
“You still have tape on.” Goshiki sputtered, leaning back onto his hands. Kogane snorted, jabbing his hand against Goshiki’s neck. The shorter boy canted his neck to the side, grimacing.
“Kogane!”