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No other night could ever be like this. The stars aligned for chaos.
A victory. Hard earned, and sealing their ticket to the post season, the Jackals were required to celebrate.
All of them.
Even Sakusa.
And so he found himself in sorrows when he should have been riding the high of the win. All his teammates were happy enough for him, at least. Bokuto seemed to be enjoying himself enough for five people. The drinks and dancing coming naturally to him, his boyfriend Akaashi pulled along into the sway of the music.
Sakusa was alone at the island of his table until two drinks hit the surface in front of him.
“We have to celebrate Omi!” Hinata exclaimed. “You got the winning point, so you have to drink at least one drink!”
“Hinata, you know I don’t really drink at all, right?”
“I know! You’re like me, always trying to stay healthy and ready for the next game! But we have the next week off, so it’s okay!”
Sakusa groaned, feeling cornered and peer pressured. Bright eyes looked at him, pleading him to join in the fun.
“Fine, but just the one drink, okay?”
“Woohoo! Cheers to that!”
Their glasses collided, and Sakusa took a hearty drink, hoping that the faster he finished it, the faster he could get away from an overly enthusiastic Hinata.
He could taste the alcohol in it, but it slid down his throat far too easy. And oh no, when was the last time he had a meal? Before the match? Lunch time?
“Pretty good, huh?”
“Wow that’s too easy to drink,” Sakusa marveled. “What is it?”
“Long Island iced tea.”
Huh. Must be a foreign thing. He’d never heard of it.
He continued to sip on it, while Hinata watched him with a growing smile as the liquid sank lower and lower in his glass.
A pleasant buzz was starting to work its way over him, and he felt his shoulders relax marginally as his brain started to be able to tune out some of the overwhelming noise of the club.
As if on cue for overwhelming and noise, Bokuto, Miya, and Inunaki found their way to his table.
“Wow, Omi-kun, you’re drinking tonight?” Atsumu asked.
“Hinata said I have to since I won the match,” he grinned, smug.
“Won the match?” Three voices chorused.
“Not without me saving your lousy blocks!”
“I had the most spikes scored tonight!”
“Can’t score without my perfect sets!”
Hinata just laughed, and another round of drinks appeared on the table, a new glass replacing the empty one in front of Sakusa.
He eyed it warily, his decision making already starting to feel fuzzy.
“Cheers!” Hinata said, again, raising his own new glass up. “To Omi-kun’s crazy wrists, and the rest of the team for winning the match!”
What was Sakusa to do besides join in? It’s not like every day your best pals are cheering to your name. Name? Wrists?
Pals?
Another sip of his drink and yeah, he guesses the guys sitting around this table are his pals. Maybe even friends.
“You’re right, Miya, your sets are great,” Sakusa comments. All the eyes at the table turned to him, not trusting their ears to confirm the source of the words.
Atsumu is practically blushing, glowing with the praise. “Somebody write this down. Record it somehow. I need to know this isn’t a dream.”
Inunaki leaned in to whisper to Hinata, “What the hell is going on? What did you give to Sakusa?”
Hinata giggled before replying, “It’s called a Long Island iced tea. They’re super strong. I thought he would only drink the one, though.”
“You mean he’s on his second drink? Mr. Doesn’t drink ever?”
“I know! I kinda want to see what he’s like if he lets go and has some fun. Do you think he knows how to have fun?”
A devious smile slides across Inunaki’s face. “Oh don’t worry Hinata. He has us. And we know how to party, we can make sure he has fun.”
And off to the bar the libero went, returning shortly with a tray of shots.
“Hey, hey, hey! Is that tequila? I love tequila shots!”
“Everyone has to take one,” Inunaki announced.
“No thanks,” Sakusa declined, trying desperately with his last shredd of responsibility to keep himself on the right side of buzzed.
But friends don’t let friends get out of doing shots together, so down the tequila went, and down went the last walls around Sakusa.
Oh, the things he said. Anyone who sat down at the table got an earful. Unfiltered. Unstoppable. Worse than a Miya family reunion.
Each Jackal that came to witness the birth of a social butterfly seemed to bring another round of drinks to the table, and so the talking continued.
“Do you think he’s so quiet all the time because once he opens his mouth he can’t stop?” Bokuto mused.
“No, I think he can’t stop now because he has all these words saved up inside him,” Hinata replied.
The spell broke when Sakusa announced to everyone that he must use the bathroom, and heaved himself up with so much force he continued forward, only stopped by the arms of Bokuto and Hinata.
Meian’s captain radar went off at that sign of trouble, his head whipping around to see a drooping Sakusa, and his outside hitters struggling beneath him.
“Bokuto! Hinata! Get Sakusa some water and make sure he gets home okay!”
They nodded in unison, turning to face the man suspended between them.
“I’m not thirsty anymore! I’ve had enough to drink!” Sakusa pouted. “I just need to go to the bathroom!”
“Yes, you’re right, you’ve definitely had enough to drink. Come on, let’s get you to the bathroom.” Hinata crooned as he steadied the taller man and began walking him across the club.
“Hinata,” Bokuto started. “I have Akaashi with me tonight. Do you think you can get Sakusa home okay, or do you want us to come along?”
Hinata pondered it over for a minute, depositing Sakusa in the bathroom while they waited in the hall. “He seems to be okay enough that I can manage him. Thanks Bokuto! You can keep having fun with Akaashi tonight!”
The door swung back open, and Sakusa sauntered back out, a smirk on his face.
“Their automatic soap dispenser was so nice. They’ve got some quality soap in there.”
Bokuto and Hinata exchanged a look. “I think it’s time we get you home Sakusa” Hinata laughed.
A small frown. “Probably. But I’m having fun. Shhhh don’t tell anyone, though. They’ll make me have fun again.”
“Good night, Bokuto,” Hinata said. “Say goodnight, Sakusa, we’re leaving.”
“Goodbye, Bokuto. You’re amazing.”
Hinata grabbed his arm at that comment and started to steer the man towards the exit, saluting his team on the way out. They could see from even that distance what the situation was.
The cool air seemed to help perk Sakusa up enough to walk himself in a straight line as Hinata hailed a cab.
The ride was quiet, a water bottle pushed into his hands by his smaller friend.
The finish line was in sight. They were on the sidewalk in front of Sakusa’s apartment.
But the universe was waiting. Karma really was patient. And Hinata was owed.
Suddenly, Sakusa stopped walking, turned to Hinata with wide eyes and pale, sweaty skin.
“I don’t feel so—“
Thank the gods for Tanaka. He had handled the situation with grace and dignity. He had been so kind to Hinata when he had ruined his pants all those years ago.
And now in his spot, Hinata felt none of those things. He just felt the splatter against his legs. Why did he wear shorts? It was only early summer!
Hinata could feel Meian’s eyes in his mind. The shiver of responsibility that went down his spine cleared his head, and he recalled his actions from earlier in the night that directly lead to a drunk Sakusa.
Damn Long Island iced teas.