Work Text:
Three days after the third years graduate, Nippori is in a store with Hino, celebrating his birthday early. They have school in half an hour and Nippori doesn’t want to go, not today, but Hino is adamant and studious about everything.
“Get what you want. I’ll pay for it,” Hino says, as he fills a basket up with energy drinks for the club. “It’s my present to you.”
“Because you didn’t buy me an actual present?” Nippori asks, offended. “Asshole.”
Hino smiles - the brief one that actually meets his eyes for a change - and shrugs, but doesn’t say anything else. Nippori has a brief urge to hit him on the head and mess his perfect hair but he’s distracted by the boxes of hair dye lined up neatly. On the end is a burnt gold colour that reminds him instinctively of Ryosuke, which he picks up.
And then he wishes he hadn’t because he had cried for hours afterwards once they had graduated, and at the way that both Aniki and Ryosuke had grinned at him specifically while they walked out. In a small shoebox at the bottom of the closet he shares with his little brother are their second shirt buttons, along with pictures of the rest of the team, of Satoshi and Kaneko with his glasses lopsided after Ryosuke had hit him, of Hino and Kiyama talking quietly in the corner, of Mizusawa and Takenaka carrying boxes back into the storage room laughing.
There’s only one of Nippori, nestled comfortably in between Ryosuke and Wataru’s arms, Wataru stretching out to include all three of them into the picture.
His eyes are still a little sore, even if he has seen Wataru and Ryosuke every day since they graduated. But Kiyama and Mizusawa both left for Tokyo, Yuuta’s family are on holiday and Kaneko’s job means that he has very little free time.
“I hope you don’t choose that colour,” Hino says, appearing on Nippori’s right. The plastic bag is full of drinks and snacks and the orange juice that Satoshi likes most. “You would look awful.”
Nippori elbows him sharply, but puts it back all the same. He wonders if this is what growing up feels like - compromise and being callmer than he used to be, slower to anger and quicker to forgive.
Except that Hino adds “Well, worse than you already look,” almost contemplatively.
When Nippori turns to grab the collar of his blazer, Hino is already running out of the store, the plastic bag flying behind him.
-
Satoshi waits for them by the door of the club room with a clipboard in his hands. When Nippori rolls in, seconds after Hino, he immediately starts talking to him.
“Nippori-senpai, I know it’s not my place but you really need to ensure that you work hard this semester. If you don’t do well enough your club participation will be at risk.”
“A pitiful example of a captain,” Hino adds while pulling on his shirt. Nippori chucks his bag at him and Satoshi sighs, flipping his notebook over.
-
On the weekends, Nippori works almost full days at his father’s printing factory, leaving early in the morning. Wataru and Ryosuke come to babysit. The kids love Ryosuke - they throw themselves on him as soon as he opens the door, tugging him inside to play with them. Wataru cooks with Hinako. His omelette rice isn’t his mother’s but its almost as good, really.
His father’s getting older and that scares him, seeing the greying hairs and the increasing number of wrinkles and the deep calluses on his hands that are always smudged in ink. He’s scared of what will happen afterwards, if anything happens, when his father gets too old eventually.
But Sunday evenings are dinner with his family and the two boys that he has taken for himself as elder brothers. Caustic and rough around the edges but still home, in the best, easiest way possible.
-
He becomes captain of the club.
Not for want at least. Hino is a much better gymnast that he could ever hope to be, but the newer members seem to look up to Nippori. He’s not sure if it’s partially because of his previous reputation and if their admiration is tinged with fear, but it’s nice. He feels responsible for each member, even for Hino.
There’s only three new members. One short of being able to do group tumbling properly, but Nippori hopes. Satoshi hopes too, is adamant, really. His conviction is stronger than anyone has the right to have, and Nippori wishes he could have even half of that.
After club practice, they walk back home together. There’s a bus near the school gates that would take Hino directly home, but both Nippori and Satoshi pretend they don’t know that he delays his journey home to walk with them.
The beach is the same as it was, just quieter without Wataru. The one place that they used to sit together is where they often still sit, Satoshi often in the middle.
-
In the winter, four competitions and a training camp later, they’re sitting on the beach again. Nippori is bundled up in a thick overcoat but the cold wind stings his face.
Their breaths are visible in the frigid air. The sun sets on them, dipping just below the ocean and casting the beach in shades of gold and orange. The fishing boats in the distance are stark black against the backdrop of colour. Satoshi’s knee knocks against Nippori’s as he shifts and crosses his legs.
The months without Yuuta leading are strange but Nippori thinks he’s fallen into the role. With difficulty, because he had been so used to following Aniki, but growing up without the third years was surprisingly easy. Satoshi and even Hino make it easier, Satoshi with his earnest help and suggestions and Hino with his constant questioning and the prickly yet embarrassed way he gave advice.
He’s fallen into the role and that scares him slightly, that he’s older and responsible. When the newer members ask him questions, he feels nervous, his neck prickling and his hands itching. Being looked up to is strange and sometimes he wants to crawl away from leadership, from the expectations of the members, of Hino and Satoshi, of Kashiwagi, of the questions of Yuuta and Kaneko and Mizusawa when they ask about the club.
Hino lets out a deep breath then stands up, pushing his fists deep into his pockets. “Let’s go now.”
Satoshi gets up quickly, grabbing his school bag and throwing it over his shoulder. Nippori takes slightly longer, casting one last glance at the calm ocean before he gets up too. His leg aches a little bit and he stretches widely.
The sun dips below the horizon and Nippori turns, to where Hino and Satoshi wait for him.