Chapter Text
Daichi was riding high on the victory against Inarizaki. He felt euphoric and emotional, as did his whole team. It was evident by how they all rushed onto the court right after Hinata had scored the final point. And now the cheers of the audience were ringing loudly in his ears.
The game had been close, as well as very long lasting. The moment when the ball almost slipped away from Tsukishima was terrifying. But Daichi had been there, and was able to get the ball back up to keep things connected. That second in time had been faster than any other second in his whole life, but he had been able to respond. He had kept the ball in play.
Daichi felt pride in himself, and in his teammates. They had really done it; they had made it through the day and would get to keep playing at nationals. The game against Inarizaki was not going to be Daichi’s last one, and it was such a relief to get to stay on the court just a little bit longer. He wanted to savor the last games of his volleyball career; he knew he wouldn’t be playing after high school.
But more importantly, it was finally going to happen: the battle at the garbage dump. Daichi knew that Kuroo and his team were out there somewhere, sharpening up their claws and getting ready for the fight. Just thinking about it gave him an excited chill.
Once he had congratulated each of his teammates as they all clustered together on the court, he ordered everyone to line up to shake hands with their opponents. Then he himself immediately went over to Inarizaki’s captain. And Kita Shinsuke was a captain with an immense presence. How much the atmosphere of the court changed when Kita stepped onto it had not escaped his notice. And the respect that the Inarizaki team had for their captain was obvious, so Daichi couldn’t help but to feel some admiration as well. That kind of regard was contagious.
Their gazes met right as their hands did, and Daichi saw many things reflecting in Kita’s eyes: sadness, disappointment, frustration, defeat. Yet there was still a remaining sense of pride. And those were all things that Daichi knew he himself would be feeling had Karasuno lost.
But there was something else reflecting from Kita’s eyes; it was respect and approval. As the two captains shook hands firmly, Kita’s grasp lingered longer than necessary. And Daichi continued to grip Kita’s hand as well. Neither of them seemed willing to yield and let go first. Whether that was from their pride as captains, or something more, Daichi wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he would keep gripping Kita’s hand until his fellow captain released him. And he felt that part of himself didn’t want to be freed from Kita’s hold, but he wasn’t quite sure why that was at the moment.
“You played well, Sawamura-san,” Kita finally said, right before letting go of Daichi’s hand. But he didn’t walk away yet; he had more to say. “I was impressed with your ability to rally your team around you, and with how you kept a solid presence on the court. I recognize dedication when I see it. I wish your team luck in your next game, and I’ll be sure to watch from the stands so I can cheer for you.”
Daichi nodded gratefully at Kita, but he was also thinking something to himself. He didn’t say he would cheer for Karasuno. He said he would cheer for me.
He knew that he was probably reading way too much into it, but he grinned a bit as he turned to walk away. He liked the idea of Kita cheering just for him; it made him feel warm and fluttery inside. And he knew what that meant. But he wasn’t going to take the time to think about feeling attracted to Kita when there were other things to focus on.
After glancing back to look at Kita once more, Daichi quickly joined the rest of his team in bowing to the cheering section. He truly felt that if they had not been there, Inarizaki would have consumed them completely. Saeko and her group had really come through for Karasuno; Daichi decided that he would have the team write notes of appreciation as soon as they got back to their hotel.
The team gathered up and zipped on their jackets once the excitement settled down. They got their stuff, then piled their bags up while they waited for Ukai and Takeda to come back from talking to the reporters. But while Daichi was leaving the group to go use the bathroom, he happened to overhear Kita talking to some of his Inarizaki teammates in a stairway.
Kita was speaking calmly in a voice full of pride and sincerity. “It ain’t every day that you get to play a game like that, against such a strong team. We got lucky.”
Then Daichi heard one of the players whisper to another. “Kita smiled so much during that game.”
Kita continued to speak, either not hearing or not acknowledging his teammate’s comment. “So don’t apologize. You guys did your best, you chose the right play at the end. I really thought you’d score. I have no regrets with how our team played. I know that I did everything the proper way, with my best effort. So did you. Winning and losing are just side effects of us having done what we should have…. But you know… I wish I had more chances to brag about you. I wanted to keep on showin’ off how good my teammates are.”
The twins replied after a moment, speaking in turn.
“Go ahead and brag about us, captain,” one said.
“We’ll be the kind of teammates you can brag about long into the future,” the other said.
Daichi heard the emotion and respect in their voices, and he was sure that it must have resonated deeply with their captain. He knew it would have for him, if his teammates had said the same thing. It was very moving even from an outside perspective.
Kita cleared his throat; his voice was thick with emotion as he spoke. “I look forward to it.”
Daichi hurried away at that point, feeling guilty for overhearing such a touching moment.
Kita was a good captain. And he seemed like a good guy. Daichi wished he had something to say that would help Kita feel better, captain to captain. While he was thankful for Karasuno’s victory, he regretted that he had made such a great team taste the bitterness of defeat. He knew how heavy that must feel. Especially as a third year playing the last game of their high school career.
Daichi had made it to the bathroom and was washing his hands when Kita happened to walk in. There were tears in his eyes, and it seemed likely that he had been hoping for a place to privately cry. So Daichi felt terrible for being in the bathroom at that time; he was probably the last person Kita wanted to see.
But to his surprise, Kita bowed to him. And his voice was shaky with emotion as he spoke from his bowed position. “I want to congratulate you again, Sawamura-san. That was a good match. I’m honored to have played against you in my last volleyball game.”
Daichi finished drying his hands and then walked over to Kita. “Your team played well, Kita-san. I’ll cherish the memories of the game we played today.”
Kita stood up straight and reached out to take one of Daichi’s hands, giving it a firm shake. “I’ll hold onto the memories as well. I was wonderin’, would you be okay with exchangin’ phone numbers? I’d like to be able to congratulate you tomorrow, since I’m sure you’ll win.”
There were more tears in Kita’s eyes, and Daichi knew how much the guy must be wishing he could be the captain who would be leading his team into another game. So it was very heart wrenching to be getting appreciation from him.
Then Daichi realized that he and Kita were still holding hands even though they were not shaking them anymore. And Kita was holding into his hand with a tight grip; it seemed like his fellow captain was trembling a bit. Maybe it was from the emotions being held back.
He gave Kita’s hand a firm squeeze before letting go and pulling his phone out of his jacket pocket. “Yeah, I’d be happy to exchange numbers.”
Kita gave a nod and pulled his own phone out.
Once they had exchanged numbers, Daichi gave Kita a respectful bow before stepping around his fellow captain to leave the bathroom. But he stopped in the doorway when he heard Kita’s breath hitch, followed by a sob. He debated with himself about whether or not he should offer comfort; it may not be welcome, despite how respectful Kita had been. But when the sounds of Kita’s crying kept coming, it pulled at Daichi’s heart strings. He turned around and walked back over, then put his hand on Kita’s shoulder.
Since he didn’t know what to say, he just turned Kita around and pulled him into a hug.
To his relief, Kita didn’t seem upset by the gesture. He seemed grateful. His arms wrapped around Daichi’s waist and his hands grabbed the back of Daichi’s jacket, gripping handfuls of it tightly. Then he leaned down and pressed his face into Daichi’s chest, letting the tears flow as sobs racked his shoulders.
Meanwhile, Daichi had his arms around Kita. They were both still sweaty and sticky from the game, but it didn’t matter. Kita needed someone. And Daichi was just glad he could offer comfort to his admirable fellow captain.
After a couple of minutes of Daichi holding Kita, someone opened the bathroom door. Kita didn’t notice it, but Daichi did. So he turned and glanced behind himself.
Suga was in the doorway. He had quickly taken in the scene of Daichi holding someone, and was now grinning mischievously while giving Daichi multiple exaggerated winks and an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
Of course, Daichi had told Suga that he was pansexual the year before. He had been very supportive. And he was always offering to be Daichi’s wingman, no matter how many times he said he didn’t need one. But now he seemed to be taking the opportunity to act as one.
Suga mouthed some silent words to Daichi. I’ll guard the door for you.
With that, Suga closed the door softly. And Daichi knew that his best friend was probably standing outside the bathroom door to ward off anyone who might try to come in. While it was ridiculous, it was also very thoughtful. And it would be nice to avoid the risk of someone walking in. Now he could focus all his attention on Kita without worrying about being interrupted.
For a while, he just gently rubbed circles between Kita’s shoulder blades. Then he ended up leaning his cheek against the side of Kita’s hair. He closed his eyes and let himself be fully present in the moment, holding his fellow captain against himself.
After several more minutes, Kita finally stopped crying. He sniffled as he leaned his face away from Daichi’s chest. “Please excuse my outburst. I didn’t realize how much the loss was weighin’ on me.”
“You don’t have to apologize. I’d be doing the same thing if the outcome had been in your favor. And I’m really sorry that you won’t get to play another game,” Daichi said softly. His arms were still around Kita’s shoulders, just as Kita’s hands were still balled up in the back of his jacket.
Their faces were close when Kita looked at Daichi, and their gazes met. He seemed to be sharing something vulnerable based on his shaky voice. “This was the first year that I got my own uniform. It was a really big deal for me.”
“That gives you all the more reason to mourn the loss,” Daichi said gently as he reached to wipe some of the tears away with his thumb, though he kept his other arm around Kita.
He thought the way Kita’s eyes were glistening from the tears, while slightly red from the exertion of crying, made them look really beautiful. Then he felt rather embarrassed for thinking that while still holding his fellow captain. So he reluctantly moved his arms off of Kita’s shoulders, though he wished he could have stayed and held him even longer.
In response, Kita let go of Daichi’s jacket and took a step back. But he kept his eyes on Daichi’s. They both stared silently at each other as the moment dragged on, and neither of them seemed willing to break their locked gaze.
But it finally ended when Kita cleared his throat and pulled out a handkerchief, then wiped his eyes. “Thank you, Sawamura-san. For your support.”
Daichi nodded. One of his hands moved forward for the shortest moment, as though he had subconsciously wanted to pull Kita back into a hug. But he let his hand drop back down to his side as he spoke. “No problem. You gonna be okay?”
Kita gave a soft smile. “I will be, eventually.”
“Alright. Feel free to text me later,” Daichi replied as Kita moved to walk out of the bathroom. Then he went to leave as well, following closely behind Kita.
And just as expected, Suga was standing outside the door. He had just finished telling someone to find another bathroom as Daichi and Kita were walking out. So he turned around and grinned widely, but then he saw Kita’s red rimmed eyes. It was pretty evident that he had been crying. Suga cocked his head slightly as Kita walked by him, then turned to look at Daichi with a curious expression.
“Sawamura Daichi, did you break that guy’s heart just now?” Suga asked once Kita was out of earshot. He had spoken with a serious tone, but his eyes were still giving an impish glint.
Daichi cracked a nervous grin and scratched the back of his neck. “I wouldn’t say that I alone broke his heart. I think our whole team broke it.”
With a hum of understanding, Suga nodded. “I see. He was feeling the loss, then.” His voice was sincere, since he also knew how heavy that must feel. But a short moment later, he slung an arm over Daichi’s shoulders and gave him a playful shake. “And then you swooped in to comfort him, right? Beat him on the court and then steal his heart. That’s just what I’d expect from my captain.”
Daichi felt himself blushing. “It wasn’t like that… I just happened to be in the bathroom when he came in.”
“Sure, of course,” Suga said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “So did you get his number?”
Daichi’s blush deepened and spread to his ears. They were almost back to the rest of the team now, and he dreaded having to explain why he was flustered. So he spoke quietly as he replied. “I did get his number, actually.”
Suga released a happy sounding howl. “Yeah, Daichi! Nice going! Winning games, winning hearts! All in a day’s work for our beloved crow captain!”
Tanaka overheard that last bit and came swaggering over. “Hold on now, what’s this I hear about Daichi winning someone’s heart?”
Daichi sighed and ran a hand down his still reddened face. He really didn’t need to be hounded about this by the team. “Nothing for you to worry about,” he said sternly, giving Suga an equally threatening look that all but screamed, you better not make this into a big thing.
But then Asahi came over at that point and looked at Daichi with a dejected pout. “Do I get to know?”
“I’ll tell you later, but it’s really not a big deal,” Daichi replied in a hushed tone. Then he clapped his hands together to get the attention of the team as he spoke up loudly. “Alright, guys! Good game! I’m proud of all of us! Let’s get ready to head back to our hotel to get cleaned up! I think Takeda-sensei said he’s having a big meal delivered to celebrate our victory today!”
“We’ll feast well tonight, boys!” Suga yelled.
Everyone cheered with as much strength as they could muster. While they were all excited, they were equally exhausted. It had been a long game with Inarizaki, and everyone had given it their all. Daichi looked at each of his teammates with an expression of pride; he really couldn’t have asked for a better team than this.
Ukai and Takeda came over just then, and they led the group out of the building.
As they were walking outside, the color of Inarizaki’s maroon jackets caught Daichi’s attention from the corner of his eye. He glanced over and took in the sight of Kita, who was looking right back at him. They nodded to each other. And then Daichi felt his heart flutter a bit. He mentally scolded himself for it, though. It was just Suga’s teasing that was getting to him and giving him ideas; it’s not like Kita had any interest in him.
As his gaze lingered on Kita, he found himself checking the other captain out. He liked the way Kita’s hair was black just at the tips. And he liked the curve of Kita’s mouth. When he thought back to Kita’s eyes when they had been standing so close in the bathroom, he recalled liking the earnesty and sincerity that he had seen in them.
Meanwhile, Kita was still staring at Daichi. He didn’t look away until the Miya twins and Suna started giggling at him, which made him turn his gaze to the three of them. And that gaze immediately turned from soft and curious into harsh and scolding. His three teammates looked like they felt deeply reprimanded just from that one glance.
Daichi chuckled softly. He admired the way that Kita could keep control of his team with just a look. It gave him a sort of satisfied thrill, like secondhand pride as a captain who was admiring another captain.
Suddenly there was an elbow in Daichi’s ribs, which was actually rather painful. And it was Suga, of course, who was elbowing him. When Daichi turned and saw that his whole team was staring at him, his blush returned in full force. Apparently he had stopped walking when he was looking at Kita. And they had all decided to wait for him.
“L-o-v-e after just one bathroom encounter?” Suga asked playfully. “I’m so happy for you! When’s the wedding?”
Daichi shoved Suga, trying to ignore the warmth of the blush covering his face. “Let’s get going, everyone!”
Nishinoya laughed from where he stood beside Hinata and Kinoshita. “We were just waiting on you, captain!”
Daichi ignored the looks and whispers from his teammates as he started walking along again. But he couldn’t resist looking back over his shoulder once more. That’s when he saw Kita directing his team towards where a bus waited. And as the whole of Inarizaki started moving towards the bus, Kita glanced over at Daichi. Then he pulled out his phone and typed something on it before slipping it back into his pocket. Finally, he gave Daichi one last nod before walking away towards the waiting bus.
As Daichi turned to follow his team ahead of him, he felt his pocket vibrate. So he pulled his phone out and checked it. There was a message.
From Kita Shinsuke: If you keep staring at me after holding me in the bathroom, I might get the wrong idea.
Daichi frowned. He hoped he hadn’t made Kita uncomfortable by staring; that certainly wasn’t his intention. It’s just that he couldn’t seem to help himself from checking the other captain out. So he typed out a quick reply and hit send.
Text message sent: I’m sorry if I was being weird! I didn’t mean to stare at you.
Kita texted him back after just a minute.
From Kita Shinsuke: It’s alright. I might have wanted to get the wrong idea.
Daichi felt his ears warm up as a smile curled onto his lips. Was Kita flirting with him? It seemed like it. He had never had a guy return interest in him in a sincere way, so it seemed too good to be true, especially since Kita was so confident and respectable. He felt pretty sure that the other captain was way out of his league. And now he wasn’t sure how to respond to Kita’s text, so his fingers were paused over his phone screen.
Suga spoke up from beside Daichi, after having apparently been reading the messages without permission. “Oh my, Daichi! He really does like you!”
“Shush. Don’t talk so loud,” Daichi said in a whisper. Then he glanced at Suga hopefully. “Do you really think he does?”
Suga covered his mouth and giggled. “Uh, yeah! It’s pretty obvious. He was checking you out just now, and that text is thirsty.”
Daichi grinned sheepishly. “I’m not sure what to say back.”
A mischievous smile crossed Suga’s lips. “Tell him you’d love to give him a really big wrong idea.”
“No way! I’m not going to send that!” Daichi exclaimed, shoving Suga’s arm as they walked side by side.
Then Asahi was suddenly at Daichi’s other side, looking like he felt rejected. “I can give you advice about stuff, if you’d let me.”
With a small sigh, Daichi held his phone towards Asahi. “I’m not sure what to say back.”
Asahi’s eyebrows raised dramatically, but not from surprise about Daichi texting with a guy, since he already knew Daichi was pansexual. “Wow, he likes you!”
“Not so loud!” Daichi hissed.
The rest of the team looked back at Daichi at that point, making him blush darkly once again. He seemed to barely have time for his blush to die down before a new one started. After running his hand over his face, he cleared his throat to address the team. “Watch where you’re walking and mind your own business!”
Tsukishima seemed too tired to make a snarky comment. However, Hinata and Yamaguchi giggled, as did the second years. Then they started whispering something, but Daichi chose to ignore it. Then he looked back at Asahi with a desperate expression.
“Well, what do I say to that?”
Asahi looked thoughtful. “Maybe just say ‘ In that case, I’m glad I was staring’ or something?”
With a grimace, Daichi shook his head. “I can’t say that. It sounds creepy.”
“Don’t be shy,” Suga said as he elbowed Daichi again. “Just say whatever comes to mind. Leaving him on read would be the worst thing you could do.”
Daichi nodded and looked back at his phone. It was true that giving no reply would make it seem like he wasn’t interested in talking anymore. But he definitely was interested; he wanted to get to know Kita better. So he thought for a moment before typing out a message, and then hit send before he could lose his nerve.
Text message sent: I’m looking forward to tomorrow, since you said you’ll come to the game. I really hope to see you in the audience.
Suga hummed as he read over Daichi’s shoulder. “That’s playing it a little safe, but I guess it works.”
Daichi huffed and shoved his phone into his pocket. “Don’t read my private messages.”
“ Ooooooooh so now you’re going to have private messages with him, are you?” Suga teased as he playfully wiggled his eyebrows. Then he laughed heartily at Daichi’s flustered expression.
Asahi also ended up giggling at that.
“I swear, if you two keep teasing me, I’m not going to keep you updated about any other stuff that happens,” Daichi threatened, grumpily crossing his arms.
“So you are going to let me read the private messages?” Suga said with an innocent smile as he batted his eyelashes.
Daichi shook his head. “No. But if anything interesting comes from texting with Kita-san, like… a date, or something... I’ll tell you about it. As long as you stop broadcasting my business so loudly.”
Suga immediately ran two fingers over his lips and twisted them, looking like he was sealing them shut. Then he winked and gave a thumbs-up. And he looked like he was having way too much fun at Daichi’s expense, which was nothing out of the ordinary; it was ironic that some people actually thought of him as angelic, because he was so far from it.
Daichi just grinned and rolled his eyes at Suga’s antics.
Once they made it back to the hotel, the whole team got cleaned up and shared a meal together. Then they watched the news coverage of their match. It seemed like Shimizu got as much screen time as they did, which both excited and infuriated Nishinoya and Tanaka. The pair were standing with their fists balled up for a fight.
“How dare they broadcast her beauty to the world! She might get stalkers now!” Nishinoya shouted vehemently.
Tanaka scowled. “I would never let a stalker get close to her!”
“Hush up, guys. I’m trying to watch the captain interviews,” Ennoshita chided sternly.
Tanaka and Nishinoya reluctantly sat back down and watched more of the interviews, but it was obvious that they were still focusing on ways to protect Shimizu with half of their attention.
When Kita came on screen to be interviewed, Daichi’s eyes settled on him. He was calm and polite in the interview, citing how well his team had played, and saying he was proud of them all. He also said that he was very impressed with Karasuno as a whole, and that he admired the way the captain of Karasuno handled the pressure of the game. It seemed as though he had a particularly fond look when talking about Daichi.
As a result, Daichi felt himself blushing at the praise. By the time he realized that everyone had turned to look at him, he was sure that his cheeks must be bright red, so he cleared his throat and stood up quickly. “I need to go check something. Turn in for sleep when this is over!”
He ignored the questions in his teammates’ eyes and the knowing smile on Suga’s face as he left the room. Then he walked out to the small balcony, where he had reminisced about the game with Suga and Asahi earlier, and pulled out his phone. Seeing that he had a new message from Kita made him smile. They had been texting back and forth constantly since that first exchange earlier.
From Kita Shinsuke: Are you nervous about tomorrow?
Text message sent: Not nervous, exactly. This is a match up we have been looking forward to for a very long time. Nekoma is something of a multi-generation rival for our school. So it means a lot to our coach, and their coach, that this game happens.
Daichi kept his messages open as he waited for Kita’s response, and it came quickly.
From Kita Shinsuke: I’m glad you’ll get to have your fated match. I’ll be watching from the stands, so make me proud :)
He felt himself blush as he read that last sentence. It almost felt like he was talking to someone he was dating, and it definitely seemed like Kita was genuinely wishing him well. He was glad Kita’s team would still be in town the next day, apparently for sightseeing. And it made him feel very special knowing that Kita was going to come watch him instead of going around town with his team.
Text message sent: I won’t let you down :) There’s no way I’ll let those cats beat my crows.
The next message came just as quickly as the others had, so Kita must also be focusing on the conversation.
From Kita Shinsuke: I can’t wait to watch. Seeing you play in today’s game made me feel excited in a way I can’t explain.
Daichi stared at the message for almost a minute before replying. He wasn’t sure if that was Kita being flirty, or just specifically about the game. He hoped it was flirting, though, and responded accordingly.
Text message sent: Seeing you made me feel excited, too.
He felt nervous after sending that; he wasn’t sure how it would be received. And it felt like forever before a response came.
From Kita Shinsuke: I’m happy to hear that. I’ll be feeling the same way when I see you tomorrow.
Daichi let out a sigh of relief, then let himself smile goofily.
Text message sent: I can come find you before the game starts, if you want.
From Kita Shinsuke: Sounds good. I’ll even give you something for luck ;) I need to get some rest now. Goodnight, captain.
Daichi wondered what Kita would be giving him for luck. Whatever it would be, the thought of it made him smile. And he also really liked Kita calling him captain. It gave him a different kind of feeling than when his teammates did it, like a thrilling shiver and a warm rush all at once. So he decided he would return the gesture.
Text message sent: Can’t wait for that luck, then. Goodnight, captain ;)
He let out a quiet sigh, really hoping that Kita was smiling at his message. Then he walked back inside and went to get ready for bed. He needed his rest, since tomorrow was a big day. When he was finally laid down for the night, he reflected back on how the games at nationals had gone so far, and almost equally as much, he thought about Kita. So he fell asleep with a smile on his lips as he looked forward to the excitement that the next day was sure to bring.