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Ah, Air Salonpas. Suga breathes in deeply and exhales in a big happy huff. He isn't old enough to feel this nostalgic, he thinks, but the squeak of sneakers on hardwood and the thwack of palms on leather is music to his ears. Now the smells and sounds of his every day are mostly crayons and chattering five year olds, which is a very different sort of happy place, but one he loves just as much
"Yamaguchi said row seven," Asahi says, reading from his phone. He pockets it and heads down the aisle, Suga close behind. Before long, a hand sticks up out of the crowd. Yamaguchi's cowlick, shorter these days but just as stubborn, bobs side to side as he waves. Suga waves back and steers Asahi toward their seats.
"Hey!" Yamaguchi moves the umbrella he'd been using to save three seats and leans it against the one closest to him. On his other side, Tsukishima Akiteru leans over and gives them a polite wave. "It's good to see you guys," Yamaguchi says.
"You too," Asahi says.
"Yeah, I miss my kouhai." Suga resists the urge to ruffle Yamaguchi's hair. "Who's the extra seat for?"
"Oh, Hitoka said she would try to come, but she had a work thing so she might not--"
"Hitoka? " Suga whispers, finally giving in and squishing his underclassman's cowlick down. "Why, Yamaguchi-kun, I had no idea!"
Yamaguchi shoos his hand away. "It's not like that, we're just friends." The barely noticeable pinking of Yamaguchi's ears tells a different story, but the loudspeaker crackles to life before Suga can rib him about it.
The two teams march out onto the court and line up for their bows, the Sendai Frogs on the right in green and the Tamaden Elephants on the left in blue. A quick scan and Suga finds Daichi about midway down the line. He looks serious with his hands clasped behind his back but when his teammate to the left elbows him and whispers something, Suga recognizes the hilariously pinched look of Daichi trying not to laugh. On the other side of the net, it isn't hard to find Tsukishima; the only other member who could be mistaken for him in terms of height was Koganegawa and their demeanors couldn't be more different.
The two teams come together to shake hands under the net before clearing off to the sidelines. As they pass each other, Daichi reaches out to slap Tsukishima’s shoulder. Tsukki swats at his hand, missing by a mile, but for their four-eyed underclassman, he might as well have hugged him.
“Sendai Frogs, starting players…”
Suga tunes out the announcer until--
“#17, Tsukishima Kei.”
Suga and Asahi clap but are immediately outdone by the two man cheer squad next to them.
“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi yells, hands cupped around his mouth. Akiteru whoops loudly. Tsukishima barely glances up but flashes a subtle peace sign that Akiteru returns with ten times the enthusiasm. Suga can't help but laugh.
“Tamaden Elephants, starting players…”
“I made it! I got out early!” A bustling blonde whirlwind in a pantsuit nearly falls into Asahi’s lap. “Oh, sorry! Can I squeeze by?” Yachi says, a bit out of breath. Asahi and Suga scooch back in their seats to let her slip past and plop down next to Yamaguchi. “Aw, I missed Tsukishima… Oh, Sugawara-san, Azumane-san, hi!”
“Hey!”
“Yachi-chan, you wore green!” Akiteru says.
Yachi proudly pulls at her emerald blouse and gives a thumbs up. “For luck!”
Suga definitely doesn't notice Yamaguchi's fond smile and instead elbows Asahi. “We won’t let you guys show us up, right, Asahi?”
“Ow.”
As if on cue, the announcer says, “#11, Sawamura Daichi.” Daichi jogs onto the court, high fiving his teammates. Suga takes a fleeting moment to appreciate the way his uniform fits, just snug enough around the chest and thighs to show off how much he continued to fill out after high school. Not that Suga paid close attention to something like that. He jumps to his feet, Asahi too, and they cup their hands around their mouths to cheer Daichi’s name as loud as they can. A fellow spectator in the row in front of them turns to shoot a look, but it’s worth it when Daichi looks up to find them in the crowd and gives a wide smile and a wave. “Not bad,” Yamaguchi laughs.
The players sort themselves into their starting rotation.
“We will now begin the game. Sendai Frogs versus Tamaden Elephants. Please wish both teams the best of luck.”
The whistle shrieks and the first serve is off, hurtling towards the Elephants. Daichi receives it beautifully, sending it straight to the setter in a clean arc. The set goes to the left and the spike is almost perfect, but Tsukishima is just in time. The ball flies up from his one-touch but the receive is off and it’s sent back to the Elephants side. This time, another player receives, leaving Daichi free to line up for an attack. There’s the set, the feint, and then Daichi smacks the ball down into the Frogs’ court.
Suga whoops and claps, and for a moment he’s back in high school, he’s the one setting Daichi’s favorite toss, he’s the one high fiving and sharing the victory of the point. Volleyball was never going to be a career for him but it was okay. Not everyone has the same drive as weirdos like Kageyama or the born skill of prodigies like Tsukishima. Suga was just happy to play a game he loved with his friends. Taking Daichi’s receives and setting them for Asahi was just plain fun, whether it was during the ease of practice or the pressure of a tournament. Of course, it wasn’t just volleyball that put a pleasant flutter in his chest whenever he thought back on it. Daichi had often been the one to make Suga’s insides twist pleasantly, whether it was with his captainly pep talks, his infectious laughter when the three of them hung out after school, or the way he would smile at Suga when it was just the two of them. Years later and Daichi still puts a happy wiggle into him.
The smack of a ball hitting the ground and the subsequent cheers pull Suga from his thoughts. Seems like Tsukishima completely shut out the Elephants’ next spike. Yamaguchi, Akiteru, and Yachi clap and recite a little chant that definitely takes Suga back to high school. He and Asahi clap along as the game continues.
The five of them huddle under the awning outside the stadium, waiting for Daichi and Tsukishima to finish their post game rituals. Suga hasn’t been able to spend time with Daichi in a while; clashing work schedules seemed determined to keep them apart. He would send a dozen playful crying kaomojis to their group chat whenever Asahi, Kiyoko, or Daichi got to hang out without him. Then again, he still sent crying kaomojis when he did get to hang out and someone else was missing. Which reminds him…
Suga: We’re having tons of fun without you!
Suga: (Miss you!)
His phone buzzes before he can put it back in his pocket.
Kiyoko: Says the one in the pouring rain.
Kiyoko: (Miss you too.♡)
Suga smiles. He’s grateful everyday that he’s remained so close to his friends. It’s different now, chatting about work instead of class and only seeing each other when their schedules allow it. Even so, he thinks the four of them have only grown closer. He wouldn’t mind being a tad closer to one Sawamura Daichi in particular, and he’s even hyped himself up to tell him on several occasions, but adulthood would get in the way or the time didn’t seem right or he would just chicken out. One day the stars will just align and the universe will whisper that the time is now. Or something like that, Suga thinks. Eventually.
“This close!” He turns to see Daichi and Tsukishima, both changed back into casual clothes. “We were this close, I swear,” Daichi laughs.
Akiteru slings an arm around Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi and Yachi quickly join in to make it a group hug, all yelling things like “Good job, Tsukki!” and “Go Frogs!” Tsukishima’s face scrunches but he mumbles a thanks and gives each of them a small pat on the back.
“I don’t know if 25-13 in the first set is close,” Asahi says teasingly, pulling Daichi into a one-armed hug.
“Hey, we had a slow start,” Daichi says, hugging him back and pinching his side. “When did you get so mean, anyway?” Asahi wriggles away, stifling a yelp, and Daichi turns to Suga. His smile spreads a bit wider, infectious as always.
“We must have finally rubbed off on him,” Suga says.
“Who’s we? You’re the troublemaker,” Daichi jokes, pulling Suga into a full hug. His hair is still a bit damp from his shower and it tickles Suga’s ear. He smells like soap, the same kind he used in high school, and his warmth seeps into Suga even through both their jackets. Suga squeezes him back twice as hard before they let each other go. He suddenly remembers that Daichi was teasing him but he finds he can’t think of a comeback. A punch is good enough. Daichi laughs and rubs his arm. “My point exactly.”
“Let’s get going before the rain picks up again,” Yamaguchi says. He offers half his umbrella to Yachi who squeezes in next to him. Akiteru fusses and insists Tsukishima take his, saying he’ll probably get a cold with his hair still wet. Asahi offers his to Suga and Daichi but they both just flip their jacket hoods up.
It’s a short walk to the train station and luckily the rain stays at a slow drizzle until they get there. Once they get to their stop, though, it starts coming down in earnest again. The seven of them, half with umbrellas and half with only their jackets, run down the sidewalk. Asahi curses when he sticks his foot into a deeper than expected puddle and Yachi squawks when the umbrella shifts and runoff from a store roof hits the back of her neck. By the time they get to the restaurant, they’re all a little soaked and breathless, laughing at each other’s misfortune.
Inside, it’s warm and smells like food and they all sink down at their reserved table. “Let’s stay here forever,” Suga sighs. Several relieved noises of agreement rise around the table.
Drinks and dinner are served and everyone eats and chats, arguing over plays and cracking jokes and commiserating over work. Tsukishima and Akiteru snipe at each other in their brotherly way while Yamaguchi and Yachi laugh and egg them on. The former third years dote theatrically on their underclassmen and Suga begs Akiteru for grade school photos (he promises to deliver on both Tsukki and Yamaguchi, despite their protests). Asahi listens with rapt attention and what Suga thinks is maybe a small amount of confusion as Yachi talks at length about the ins and outs of her job. Suga and Daichi engage in a small foot kicking battle that ends with them almost knocking over a glass and being scolded by Tsukishima for acting like toddlers. The food and the rain are both long gone by the time everyone finally, reluctantly, files outside and bids each other goodbye.
The group thins out, people splitting off, heading this way or that. Somehow, as always, Suga, Daichi, and Asahi are left together. They hop over puddles on the way back to the train station and make it with a few minutes to spare. Asahi nods off almost as soon as they pull out of the station.
“He told me he was up late last night working on his portfolio,” Daichi says. His knee is pressed to Suga’s and he speaks softly to keep from waking Asahi. “Make sure he gets off at his stop, okay? If I get a panicky call at midnight because he’s locked in the train depot, I’m gonna be really mad.”
Suga laughs. “Imagine having to call the police because you overslept on the train. I think he’d die.”
Daichi laughs, too, only somewhat trying to hide it behind his hand. “I miss you,” he says once he recovers.
“I’m right here,” Suga says, joking as a knee jerk reaction to the warmth that blooms in him.
Daichi elbows him. “You know what I mean. I wish we could hang out more.”
Maybe this is a good time. Even with Asahi snoring softly beside them, this seems like a good time. Just say it, he thinks. “Yeah, me too.” Say it. Three words, easy as pie. He’s going to do it.
No, he isn’t. He’s definitely going to do it next time, he thinks, no question. For now, he slides down in his seat, feeling somewhat defeated. “Being a grown up kinda sucks.”
Daichi huffs a laugh. “Yeah.”
They pass the rest of the ride as they normally would, their arms touching while they share a video on Suga’s phone. When they pull up to Daichi’s stop, he stands and gives Asahi’s shoulder a firm pat. Asahi jerks awake with a snort. “Let’s get together again soon,” Daichi says.
Asahi returns his wave with a lazy one of his own. “Later,” he mumbles. The train doors slide shut and Daichi waves again from outside. Suga smiles and doubles down on the promise he made to himself. Next time.
It’s about a month later when Suga’s phone buzzes while he’s writing lesson plans. As expected, various responsibilities had kept him and Daichi apart since the game, not counting a video call that may or may not have lasted over two hours. But pouring out your feelings over the phone is rude, probably, so he hadn’t said anything.
Daichi: Hey I’m at my parents house for a little while, you guys wanna come over?
Asahi: Sure, when
Kiyoko: I can come for a bit tomorrow but I’ll have to leave around 3.
Suga blows a raspberry to his empty room.
Suga: And i dont get off UNTIL 3 (ˊ̥̥̥̥̥ ³ ˋ̥̥̥̥̥)
As much as he wants to get Daichi alone (and he does, even if the thought turns his stomach upside down), he still wants to see his friends.
Kiyoko: I’m free all next weekend, Koushi, let’s get together then. ( ˊᵕˋ )♡
Asahi: I’ll meet you at the station tomorrow, Kiyoko
Suga: Okay!
Kiyoko: Thanks.
Suga: Ill be over tomorrow after work daichi
Daichi: Cool, see you guys then
Well, it’s up to whether Asahi leaves or stays. Suga will definitely tell him, given the chance. (He almost hopes he doesn’t get it.)
“Pardon the intrusion!”
“Koushi!” Daichi’s mom gives Suga a quick squeeze in the entryway. “It’s been so long, how have you been?”
“I’m good,” Suga says. He slips his shoes off and trades them for the guest slippers by the door. “How are you?”
“Well, I’d be better if Daichi didn’t have to go and give me a scare like that.” She huffs a sigh and pats her chest. Suga’s eyebrows pinch quizzically but before he can ask, Sawamura-san’s smile comes back. “I do miss having you boys in the house, though. Daichi and Asahi are upstairs. You let me know if you need anything, alright?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Suga says with a polite nod. Once Sawamura-san leaves him, he runs up the steps two at a time. Surely if it was anything bad, his mom would have said so, Daichi would have said so.
Or not. Daichi is leaning back against his headboard with his left leg outstretched and wrapped in a thick white cast from thigh to toes. When Suga finally tears his eyes away to look at Daichi’s face he finds a sheepish smile under a bruised cheekbone and a couple of butterfly sutures. “I thought you guys might worry too much if I told you on the phone,” he says.
“Duh!” Suga plops down on the bed in the empty space next to Daichi’s mummy foot. Someone drew a smiley face on the bottom and Kiyoko and Asahi’s signatures are scrawled over his shin.
“We already chewed him out a bit,” Asahi says, swiveling back and forth in Daichi’s desk chair on the opposite side of the bed.
Suga’s eyes keep pulling back to the cast. It’s huge. “What happened?”
“I was in a little fender bender.”
“He got T-boned in an intersection,” Asahi interjects.
“Daichi!” Suga pulls a hand back to slap his foot but thinks better of it and flicks his toe instead. “I swear, you’d downplay getting your head cut off.”
Daichi laughs. “Yeah, probably. I think I came out pretty okay, though. My arm is only bruised and I didn’t get a concussion or anything, so that’s…” He trails off a bit before finishing. “That’s good.”
Suga doesn’t want to ask, but he has to. “And your leg?”
“Fractured shin, couple pins in my knee. My hip is banged up but nothing serious there.”
Minimizing again. It’s classic Daichi. Suga traces his finger over the hard curve of Daichi’s plastered heel and tries to think of anything he can say to make it better. He can’t.
Asahi’s phone dings. “Sorry,” he says, checking the screen. “I gotta go but I’ll come by again soon, alright?”
“Yeah, no problem,” Daichi says. “I’d walk you out, but--” He gestures at himself with a grin, trying for humor. Asahi chuckles a bit and leans down to give him a half hug.
“I’ll do it,” Suga says, pushing some of his regular pep back into his voice and hopping up next to Asahi.
Downstairs, Suga leans on the wall as Asahi puts his shoes back on. “Has he said anything about volleyball yet?”
Asahi sighs. “No. I can tell he’s worried about it but neither of us wanted to bring it up. I think it could go either way, you know, he probably won’t know anything until physical therapy.”
“Yeah, probably.” Suga doesn’t want to admit that he feels a bit useless. Cheering people up is normally his forte but healing broken bones is a little out of his range. Still, he has to try. He gives Asahi a tight bear hug and waves him off before going back upstairs. Daichi is still in bed, leaning over to wave out the window at Asahi across the street.
They’re alone. He promised himself.
He can’t. Daichi’s got too much on his mind already and Suga isn’t about to drop a confession on him on top of it. For now he just has to be the best friend he can be.
“Alright,” he says cheerfully. “Gimme a marker, I gotta sign this thing.”
Everytime Suga visits, it seems like there's a new name or five on Daichi’s leg. After two months, he’s got almost all of their old team and most of his new team, his sister and a few cousins, Ikejiri, and even Kuroo. As expected, Daichi kept himself in high spirits. He got pretty agile on his crutches and insisted on going out to keep the cabin fever at bay. He started going back to the gym twice a week after his doctor gave him the okay, even if he was only allowed to work on his upper body. (Suga caught him doing wobbly one legged squats once and pinched him until he promised to stop.) The cuts and bruises on his face are long healed and his shoulder and hip haven’t had any problems. Still, they don’t talk much about his knee or the looming possibility that he’s done playing volleyball. Suga can’t bring himself to mention it even though he’s sure it’s on Daichi’s mind, and Daichi never brings it up either.
Suga also hasn’t found a time to have the talk yet. He will, he tells himself. Eventually.
He meets Kiyoko on her way out of Daichi's house. "Hey! How've you been?" he asks, pulling her into a hug.
She squeezes him back. "Can't complain."
“And Daichi?”
Kiyoko sighs. “He’s Daichi. He wants to pretend like he’s not worried, but he is. We talked a bit about how physical therapy is going but that’s all he’s said about it.”
“Sounds about right,” Suga says. He gives Kiyoko another hug and promises to get together with her soon before heading inside.
The first thing Suga notices when he pushes Daichi’s door open is the cast, propped up against the wall in a corner like the ghostly specter of a leg. Daichi himself is sitting at the desk and he swivels the chair around to face Suga. “Ta da!” he says. He’s smiling widely, genuinely, but it doesn’t stop Suga noticing the barely there flush at the sides of his eyes. It twists something sad in Suga’s heart and gives him the impossible urge to fix .
“Check it out, it looks like someone else’s leg now,” Daichi says. His left leg is noticeably paler and thinner. Suga laughs, partly for Daichi’s sake and partly because it is really funny looking.
“It looks like lizard skin.”
“Yeah, isn’t it gross? Dare you to go take a whiff of the cast.”
Suga wrinkles his nose. “Pass.” He sits on the edge of the bed and Daichi swivels further to keep facing him. “So how’s the leg, besides stinky and lizardy?”
Daichi shrugs. “Okay. Still not allowed to put my full weight on it, and I gotta go to PT to learn how to walk again. The knee gets sore sometimes.”
Suga nods. Time to bite the first bullet. “You gonna be able to play again?”
There’s a pause while Daichi seems to study a spot on the floor. The slope of his shoulders is enough to tell Suga the answer but he waits for him to speak anyway. “I don’t think so,” he finally says, voice low. “Even after PT, I think the knee’s just gonna be kinda crappy. I mean, fingers crossed for a miracle--” He laughs softly. “--but probably not.”
“I’m really sorry. This… this sucks.” Suga reaches out and squeezes Daichi’s good knee. Daichi looks at him and smiles softly. He covers Suga’s hand with his own and squeezes back.
“Yeah. I think I’ve known for a while and didn’t want to admit it. Thanks for… you know, being around for me.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll never get rid of me.”
Daichi smiles a little bigger and Suga counts it as a win. He reluctantly slips his hand out from under Daichi’s and pulls his legs up criss cross on the bed. “If you want to talk about it, y’know, I’m all ears.”
“I know. I just--” Daichi tips his head up toward the ceiling and sighs through his nose. “I guess I'm kinda glad I’m not like Hinata or Kageyama. Don’t get me wrong, I love volleyball, but to be honest it was a bit of a surprise that I kept playing after high school. It just kind of happened. And I’m grateful for it and I’ve loved every minute, but I’m actually less heartbroken than I thought I’d be.”
“I guess that’s a good thing. I think if you were Hinata, I’d be trying to contain a total meltdown right now,” Suga says.
“Yeah,” Daichi chuckles. “Let’s pray it never happens.” He picks at his cuticles. “I think what bothers me most is just… not knowing what to do now. Volleyball was my job and I know I wasn’t going to play forever but I thought I’d have more time to figure out where to go next. It’s… it’s kinda scary.”
Suga hums. “You could come be a kid wrangler with me.”
“Pass,” Daichi says. “I don’t think I have the mental fortitude to handle twenty toddlers for five days a week.”
“Don’t feel bad, not everyone can be as good as me,” Suga says with a wink. Daichi rolls his eyes.
“Parents must bow in awe as you walk down the street.”
“Yep, they throw flowers, too.”
Daichi lifts his good leg to push Suga over with his foot. “Dork.”
“You love me,” Suga says, flicking his big toe. Daichi chuckles, low and warm. Oh, yeah, he’s supposed to confess. His stomach flip flops a little. Next time, he thinks, definitely next time. He has to be comforting right now. “You’ll figure something out soon, and in the meantime you’ve got the world’s best cheer squad: me and Kiyoko and Asahi.”
“I really appreciate you guys,” Daichi says. “Seriously, you mean a lot to me.”
Suga can't stop the smile that spreads over his face, just like he can't stop the happy feeling in his chest from seeping all the way down to his toes. Whether Daichi can reciprocate his feelings or not, he’s still one of the kindest people Suga knows. It feels like a reassurance that they’ll still be friends no matter how it plays out. But he’s feeling way too sappy right now. “Come on, I’m buying lunch, lizard leg.”
Daichi: No more PT. Goodbye crutches, have fun in the garbage
Suga: YAY σ(≧ε≦ｏ)
Asahi: GO DAICHI
Asahi: You guys wanna get dinner?
Kiyoko: Good job! ヾ(￣◇￣)ノ
Suga: Absolutely, we have to celebrate
Daichi: I’m buying
Asahi: No you aren’t
Kiyoko: Sounds good, just say when.
Daichi: Yes I am
Suga: NO YOU ARENT
Suga is the second to arrive at the restaurant after Asahi, and they’ve only just ordered a round of drinks for the table by the time Daichi and Kiyoko show up. Together they raise a toast to Daichi’s knee.
“So,” Kiyoko says once their food is served, “Koushi told me you decided to go back to university. How’s it treating you?”
“Pretty good. I’m only a part-time student so it hasn’t been too busy.” Daichi takes another sip of beer and licks the foam from his lip. “I still haven’t committed to a degree plan and my advisor is on my ass about it but, y’know.”
“How come only part-time?” Asahi asks.
“Well, I wanted to keep my options open, and it’s a good thing I did because--” Daichi takes a dramatic pause, a sly smile stretched across his face. “I may have landed a job.”
Suga drops a chopstick. “Seriously? That’s awesome!”
“That’s great, Daichi!” Kiyoko beams at him while Asahi, mouth full, slaps Daichi’s back in lieu of verbal congratulations. “What is it?”
“Nuh-uh,” Daichi says. “I’m not jinxing it.”
“Oh, come on! Give us a hint at least,” Suga says.
“Nope.”
“You’re so annoying,” Asahi laughs. “Seriously, though, good job. When will you know for sure?”
“I have a formal interview next Tuesday, and then probably another week before I hear back,” Daichi says. “It would be really great to get it so I’ve got my fingers crossed.”
“Everyone spam the group chat with good luck on Tuesday morning,” Suga says.
Kiyoko squeezes Daichi’s hand across the table. “Really, good luck. Let us know as soon as you get it.”
“Thanks for the optimism,” Daichi says with a chuckle.
“She’s right, you’re a shoo-in,” Asahi says.
“You don’t even know what the position is.”
Suga waves his hand. “Details.”
The rest of the meal is finished among lively conversation. After their second round of beer, Suga teases Kiyoko for her pink face until she steals food from his plate in retaliation. Asahi tries to offer Suga a replacement morsel but Daichi steals that, too. It’s late in the evening by the time they ask for the check. (After some heated debate, Daichi does not, in fact, pay the bill.) Outside the restaurant, Kiyoko fans her face a bit before hugging Daichi and Suga in turn.
“Good luck again,” she says, muffled in his shoulder. “Call me when you hear anything.”
“I will, promise.”
“Are you taking the train home?” Asahi asks.
“Nah, I’m spending the weekend at my parents’.” Suga gives Kiyoko a squeeze and slaps Asahi’s arm. “Be safe.”
Asahi nods and holds his arm out to Kiyoko. “Walk you to the station, ma’am?”
“How chivalrous,” she laughs, taking his arm. “Bye, Koushi, Daichi.”
Everyone waves their goodbyes and the pairs head off in different directions. It’s comfortably cool out and Suga is grateful, since as much as he likes to tease Kiyoko, alcohol tends to turn him a nice shade of pink, too. He and Daichi chat as they walk, about Suga’s work and their weirdo underclassmen’s latest games, about their parents and Daichi’s classes. Eventually they fall into a companionable silence. They’ve known each other way too long for the lulls to feel awkward, and anyway, it's nice just being together. Suga thinks again about how much he likes Daichi. It’s never been painful, not once. Not all the times he thought of confessing and chickened out, not when Daichi got love letters from girls back in high school, not even the time he had a date with a classmate their first year of university (although that one went hilariously bad and Suga still cracks up a bit remembering Daichi’s mortified face as he told the story). Loving Daichi has never hurt and even if his feelings aren't returned, Suga’s sure the sting will fade. Their friendship is worth pushing past it.
“Hey, you mind if we sit for a minute?” Daichi gestures to a bench in front of a closed convenience store.
“Yeah,” Suga says, “no problem. Is your knee acting up?”
“Nah, it’s fine.” Daichi sits and stretches his legs out in front of him. “It’s just nice tonight.”
Suga joins him. It is nice, especially with a pleasantly full stomach and the sort of good mood that only your best friends can provide. He looks up at the sky, totally clear of all clouds, letting the stars shine on full display. Is this it? Is this the elusive ‘right moment’? Hell, even if it isn’t, he’s put this off long enough. No time like the present. Do it, Sugawara Koushi, just say it. Tell him before you wuss out again and--
“I love you.”
Suga’s head whips around so fast that it almost spins off his shoulders. “What?”
“I love you,” Daichi repeats. He turns his eyes from the sky to Suga’s incredulous face. Daichi’s smiling but there’s a familiar nervous tilt to it. “I’m in love with you.”
“You-- wait, for real?”
“Yes.” Daichi starts picking his cuticle and laughs. “I have for a while. I didn’t mean to just blurt it out like that, I had a little speech planned out in my head, like a proper confession, but, yeah. This works, too, I guess.”
Suga snorts. “Yeah, it works. I mean it really works. If we’re just being blunt, then I love you, too.” The warm fuzzies in his chest have expanded to include every fiber of his being. His fingers only tremble a tiny bit when he grabs Daichi’s hand and squeezes a little harder than is strictly necessary. “I really love you.”
Daichi seems to inflate, all the trace nervousness in his face wiped away by the force of his smile. He twists his hand in Suga’s grip to squeeze him back. “So does this count as our first date?”
“Absolutely not, I’m gonna take you someplace way more-- wait.” Suga squints at him. “How long?”
“What?”
“You said you’ve loved me for a while,” Suga says, and damn if that sentence doesn’t put him on cloud nine. “How long?”
“Oh.” Daichi tilts his head back, thinking. “I don’t know exactly when but I think… third year?”
“ Third year? Third year! You mean we could have been together this whole time?” Suga says, scandalized. “I wish you’d said something!”
“Hey!” Daichi tries to look offended but his smile somewhat ruins it. “I didn’t hear you saying anything either!”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“This is literally the subject.”
Suga doesn’t have a retort handy but he has the next best idea. Besides, Daichi beat him to the punch when it came to confessing and he can’t let himself be outdone. “Are you gonna let me kiss you?”
All trace of playful standoffishness leaves Daichi’s face in favor of a soft smile. It’s familiar, a smile Suga’s seen leveled at him a thousand times, and now he tingles thinking that there was always love behind it. “You better,” Daichi says.
Suga squeezes Daichi’s fingers again and reaches up to touch his face with his free hand. His cheek is warm and Suga’s fingertips brush against the hair just over Daichi’s ear. Their lips touch, a soft but insistent press, and Suga feels all the fireworks his high school self had imagined there to be. A short laugh bubbles up and escapes him, muffled against Daichi’s mouth.
Daichi pulls back just enough to see his face again and grins at him. “What?”
“Nothing,” Suga says. “I’m just… shut up.” He smushes Daichi’s face between both hands and kisses him again, and again, and then once more just because he can. He kisses him, and is kissed in return, until they’re both giddy and breathless.
It’s halfway through the second set when Suga drops into his seat next to Kiyoko and Tanaka. He gives Kiyoko a one-armed hug and slaps Tanaka’s outstretched hand. “How’re we doing?”
“Lost the first set but they can turn it around,” Tanaka says. The critical furrow of his brow and his crossed arms make him look like someone’s gruff uncle, blending right in with all the parents in the stands. The ball gets slapped down by a boy in a white and green uniform. “Nice kill!” Tanaka yells. On the sideline, in green track jackets, the coach and assistant coach clap.
They just manage to take the second set and squeeze out a victory in the third. Suga, Kiyoko, and Tanaka cheer as the boys line up to face the crowd, first bowing and then waving excitedly at their families. The assistant coach gives out hair ruffles and pats on the back before finding Suga in the stands. He waves and gives a dazzling smile that Suga can’t help but return.
“So, how’s your first regional tournament win feel,” he asks in the parking lot, just around the corner from the middle school volleyball club’s rented bus, “Assistant Coach Sawamura?”
“Almost as good as it’ll feel when we win in the prefectural tournament,” Daichi says. He slips one hand in his pocket and with the other, twines his fingers into Suga’s. Suga swings their clasped hands back and forth.
“I like the confidence.”
“Trust me, these kids can do it. Besides,” he says with a wry smile, “we’ve pulled off some miracles in our time. Crazier things have happened.”
Suga laughs. “Yeah, I’ll say. Speaking of crazier things, you should talk Hinata into visiting your team. I bet they’d love it.”
“Absolutely not, all my kids are jumping with their eyes open and I’m not letting them get any ideas.”
Behind them, the coach claps his hands and tells the boys to line up and get on the bus. He waves at them and Daichi tips his head politely and holds up his hand before pulling Suga just a bit further around the corner and pressing a kiss to his lips. “I have to drive the bus back to school, but if you let me come over after, I’ll cook dinner,” he offers.
Suga pulls him forward by the front of his jacket and kisses him back. “Deal.”