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Tobio doesn't know limits when it comes to volleyball.
Carefully eyeing the point above the net, he touches the ball with his fingertips and tosses it high in the air. The spikers behind him jump, each hand attempting to spike - the main spiker misses, his hand slamming towards the air. The ball falls on the ground with a loud thud.
"Looks like the king is back to his old ways," snarks Tsukishima, a small smirk playing in his lips, though Tobio doesn't miss the annoyance in his eyes.
"What?!" yells Tobio, his heartbeat rising, cheeks warm. A hand touches his shoulder, grounding him - he thinks it's Yamaguchi's but he doesn't turn around to confirm.
Tsukishima sighs. "I told you to toss lower."
Tobio hides his clenched fist behind him and scowls. "You can jump higher, can't you?"
Tsukishima scoffs. "Not everyone of us is as good as you think, Your Highness," he sneers, eyes glowering.
Before things can escalate, Tobio finds himself hauled by Tanaka, grabbing his collar firmly while he yells at him for starting a fight. He sees Tsukishima glaring at him from the side, his lips curling into a frown. Unwilling to lose, he stares right back and musters his angriest glare.
"Do you hate Tsukishima?" asks Hinata one evening as he munches on the last of his meat buns.
Tobio takes a huge bite of his, glancing at Hinata who is looking at him expectantly. He gulps, relishing in the savory taste of meat and sauce, before turning his head towards him. "I don't," he replies simply, shrugging at him. "He's just irritating."
Hinata grins at him, eyes gleaming. "He is, isn't he?"
Tobio shifts his stare towards the road ahead. "Yeah." He brushes his fingertips on the sleeves of his black jacket, sighing. There's a smudge of sauce on the edge of the sleeve. He wonders what jacket he'll have to use as a replacement. "He's annoying, but I think he can do more than that."
"Huh?" Hinata scratches his head. "What do you mean, Kageyama?"
Tobio shrugs, licking his lips, tasting some of the sauce smeared at the edge of his lips. He picks up a tissue to wipe the remains, putting it inside his pocket after. He decides that he'll throw it out later when he arrives home. "He has talent. Lots of it. But he isn't using it to his advantage and that pisses me off."
Height is not the only thing that defines Tsukishima Kei. That, Tobio is sure of. He remembers the way the middle blocker scrunches his eyebrows in concentration, his lips pursed as his eyes trail on the ball's trajectory, counting soundlessly one, two, three, jumping with a certain ferocity to block the spiked ball. He sees the way Tsukishima's eyes smile, though his face looks serious and emotionless, when the ball hits his palms, falling on the opposite court, sound ringing loudly as the spiker scowls at him. He thinks about the way Tsukishima glares at him when he fails to toss properly towards him, thinks about the way he bites his bottom lip for a few seconds, as if thinking about what to say, before releasing another damaging snark that never fails to rile up Tobio. His mind thinks about all these things, and all the memories of Tsukishima's perfect plays inside the court, and Tobio wonders why Tsukishima seems to still play like he isn't enough, like he isn't an important part of Karasuno.
"Besides - " Tobio slings his backpack properly on his shoulders and places his hands on the pockets of his jacket. " - he's the one who hates me."
"Eh?" Hinata eyes him questioningly. "I don't think so."
Tobio frowns. "He does. I think he despises me a lot."
Hinata giggles. "I doubt it." He stops in front of Tobio with his bike, staring at him intently. "You didn't hear him compliment you when you make good plays in the court, you know."
Tobio gapes. "What?"
"He does! I'm jealous, honestly." Hinata pouts. "Even Yamaguchi noticed him muttering compliments about your plays. So, I don't think he hates you. He probably admires you even."
This new information processes slowly on Tobio's head, making him frown in bewilderment as Hinata waves at him goodbye. He turns towards the other direction, mulling over what he had just heard. Tsukishima compliments him? Tobio thinks more about it, scrunching his eyebrows when he feels a sudden wave of warmth spread inside his chest. It's strange and unknown, but he doesn't dislike the feeling.
"Cold," he mutters, shivering when a gust of wind blows on his left. Speeding up his walk, he clutches the sleeves of his jacket tightly, forgetting the swarm of thoughts inside his head.
***
Just like how he is in volleyball, Tobio's heart knows no limits.
It doesn't take him too long before he starts getting suspicious of the way his heart beats faster than usual when he sees golden eyes looking at him behind glasses. Or the way his skin burns when fingertips touch it. Tobio's cheeks warm after, prompting him to avert his eyes.
"You have a crush!" whisper-yells Yachi excitedly, hand bumping the sleeves of Tobio's jacket, her fingertips brushing on his knuckles. He frowns when he doesn't feel a burn or anything. The feeling only comes when it's Tsukishima's touch he's receiving, and that alone makes his stomach clench.
"I don't," denies Tobio, partly because he doesn't understand how crushes work and why people have crushes in the first place. He scowls at Yachi, lips curling downwards.
"Oi, don't scare Yachi, Bakageyama!" wakes Hinata, elbowing him. "Besides, she's right! You do have a crush on Stingyshima!"
It takes four hours, two sets and a blushing face later for Tobio to finally be convinced that he has a crush on the middle blocker, unfortunately. But Tobio isn't someone who backs down from something. Once he finally learns to accept this truth, he doesn't waste time in asking Hinata what he should do about it.
"Ask him out. Confess and take him on a date." Hinata swallows a mouthful of meat buns and grins at him. "Maybe you two will get along more in the court."
Tsukishima's best friend has the opposite advice.
"Tsukki isn't someone who accepts confessions." Yamaguchi scratches his cheek shyly, eyes on the ground. "It's better if you take it slow and be friends first."
Even Yachi, who is apparently the most experienced of the three after consuming hundreds of shoujo mangas in her free time, has a different opinion, one that makes Tobio even more confused.
"Uhhh, well, it's better if you get to know him first but just aiming to be his friends might lead him to think you're not interested in anything more? Also, we don't know if he also likes boys so, you'll have to first know if he does."
Tobio isn't a listener - at least it's not in his nature to do so. Not wanting to be even more confused, he resolves to do what makes the most sense. He ignores it. They're here in school to aim for the Nationals. He's not supposed to overthink about things like this and emotions. If he wants to do something, he will. But right now, all he wants is to focus on volleyball. And that's what he ends up doing.
The giddy feeling never disappears. Tobio learns to get used to it, and he learns a lot of things in time. He learns that Tsukishima's jabs are more teasing than mocking now, lacking the condescending tone that makes his feet rise and fists clench. He learns that he loves music and dinosaurs, and that he dislikes hotheaded people but somehow has made an exception to him and Hinata. He learns that he finds Tsukishima's genuine smile beautiful, and that he wants to keep seeing it. He learns that he loves staring at his eyes, marveling at the golden irises that stare right back at him amusedly.
He learns that Tsukishima doesn't hate him, and that alone makes him feel glad.
(He learns that he likes having a crush on Tsukishima Kei, but nobody needs to know that.)
***
They don't win Nationals this year and the third years graduate.
Tobio clutches the painful defeat in his chest along with the blooming feelings that have gotten stronger since Tsukishima finally declares him a friend. He soon finds himself wanting more than high fives, shoulder bumps and teasing words. His head suddenly fills with images of hugs and kisses and whisperings of sweet nothings, his toes curling and his heart warming at soft and gentle touches.
"King, what are you doing out here?" asks Tsukishima, plopping down next to him, his headphones clasped on his neck.
Tobio swallows a mouthful of food before turning his head, frowning. "What are you doing?"
"Talking to you," says Tsukishima sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "What are you doing out here alone?"
"I'm eating lunch."
"Alone?"
Tobio shrugs, going back to inspecting the rest of his food, wondering if he should buy more in the cafeteria. "I'm used to it. You don't have to stay here."
The giddy feeling starts spreading on Tobio's chest when he notices that Tsukishima stays, his headphones on his ears, fingers drumming on the ground and voice softly humming as he listens. Tsukishima isn't looking at him, but he might as well be, with Tobio's heart racing a thousand miles quicker than a bullet train. He feels hot on his cheeks, and he quickly turns back to his food, choosing to silently focus on eating it before he feels himself exploding.
"Are you alright? You look red."
Tobio nods furiously. "I am. I'm just eating something spicy."
Tsukishima snorts. "You're acting strange."
"I'm not." Tobio turns and scowls at him. "You're imagining things."
Tsukishima smirks at him. "Could've fooled me."
And soon, they end up in the same banter, the same teases and snarks and jabs that brings Tobio's heart rate up. His cheeks are stained red, mostly from embarrassment and the fluttering feeling inside his chest, but nobody knows that.
For the first time in his life, Tobio learns to doubt that he'll get what he wants.
***
He hates jealousy. Absolutely despises it with the way it cuts across his chest, bleeding through the giddy joy he was feeling a few moments ago.
Tobio takes one look at Tsukishima and Kuroo's direction and ends up a mess. The former Nekoma captain is visiting, along with Daichi, to check up on them. He can't focus, ending up tossing higher than usual, with Hinata complaining in front of him, clutching his collar with gritted teeth and harsh glares. Tobio doesn't admit the real reason why he's feeling this way, partly because he knows he has no right to act upon it. Grumbling under his breath, he brings his focus back on volleyball. Tobio isn't petty, but he sure as hell doesn't know how to shut down his emotions. There's only one way to deal with this.
He avoids the source.
"Oi, King!" yells Tsukishima, smirking at him. "Too lazy to practice your blocking?"
Tobio looks at him and utters, "I'm already tired."
He turns his back, resolving not to look back and see any sign of disappointment from his friend. Tobio doesn't know if he's doing the right thing, but when he feels his chest settle more peacefully, he decides this might be the best thing to do after all.
"King," says Tsukishima, grasping his wrist as he eyes him intently. Tobio tries to pull his hand away. "Aren't you going to toss to me?"
Tobio freezes, uncertain and hesitant. This is the first time he's heard of Tsukishima asking him to toss to him, so he relents, giving him a few tosses before making up an excuse and exiting the gym. His mood plummets the next day when Tsukishima doesn't greet him nor look his way. Tobio already has expected this to happen, but it doesn't prevent him from feeling like a knife slashed his chest or the taste of sour and bitter in his mouth.
Tobio knows no limits.
But right now, he thinks he doesn't know anymore - it takes him a few hours to calm his aching heart down and a week or two to restore his focus on volleyball. No time can stop the way his stomach clench in dread when the days of Tsukishima ignoring him add up. He knows he started it, but a part of him regrets. Maybe he should have just confessed after all and get over it afterwards.
"Why are you and Tsukishima not talking?" asks Hinata, frowning worriedly as he grasps on Tobio's shoulders. "Is something wrong?"
Tobio shakes his head. "Not really. It's my fault. I started it and he just followed me."
Hinata groans. "Why did you do it? I thought you liked him!"
"It's - " Tobio bites his bottom lip. "It's very distracting and I can't focus on volleyball properly."
Hinata pouts. "I told you that you should just confess already. You two are ruining the team atmosphere, you know!"
"I'll get rejected." Again, stays unheard and unspoken, but Tobio knows Hinata hears it all the same.
"So?" challenges Hinata, raising his eyebrow. "Are you giving up? I thought you're always aiming to win? Where's the Kageyama Tobio I know who never stops until he gets what he wants? Who moves forward even if he doesn't get it and aims for another thing next?"
Oh. Oh. He must have forgotten. Tobio must have forgotten who he is. He has already experienced rejection and moved on once. Who's to say he can't do it again? Tobio sighs, relieved and exasperated at the same time. He aims for limitless, doesn't he? He can do this. He will, no matter what.
"You're right," replies Tobio, wrinkling his nose in defeat. "I hate to say this but you're right."
Hinata huffs triumphantly. "I told you that you shouldn't overthink about this! If he reacts badly, we can always kick his ass on the court."
Tobio snorts. "I guess so."
Hinata slaps his back. "Anyway, I don't know if he likes you back, but I can say that he at least likes you enough to be a friend, so I don't think he'll let that ruin your friendship. Worth the risk, don't you think?"
"Yeah," he replies, glancing at the sky with a new resolve painting inside his chest.
***
Tobio loves the sky.
It's wide, a vast expanse, limitless, eternal. He can't see the end or the beginning, and he doesn't want to. He stares at it amidst the silence, his throat itching to speak to the person next to him.
"So? Care to share why you've been avoiding me, Your Highness?"
Tobio flinches at the presence of the snark similar to how he first met Tsukishima, his fists starting to clench at his sides. Mustering the sense to not be riled up and stay calm, he takes a deep breath and faces Tsukishima, eyes determinedly gazing at the golden irises.
"I - " Tobio's fists shake and he struggles to keep them firm. "I'm s-s-sorry."
Tsukishima laughs, though it lacks any amusement and emotion. "And? Why are you apologizing, King?"
Tobio grits his teeth. "I was avoiding you for a while."
"I know." Tsukishima's smirk disappears and his eyes turn cold. "Why?"
This is it. Tobio thinks about the memories he has with the middle blocker, thinks about the way his chest warms and the way his smile turns fond and giddy. He takes one last glance at Tsukishima before finally saying, "I was jealous and I didn't know how to handle it."
Tsukishima narrows his eyes, confused. "Jealous of what?"
Tobio averts his gaze, turning his face to the side. He fidgets his fingers on the edges of his jersey before sighing loudly. "I - " He lifts his chin up to look at the sky. "I got jealous of you being with someone because I like you."
Simple. Blunt. Direct. This is how Tobio says what he wants to say. He doesn't really see the point in doing romance or giving thousands of gifts or wooing someone. But he understands how to be straightforward, how to say things the way he means them. It's not how everyone expects a boyfriend to be, but Tobio thinks about Tsukishima and how he knows him, and he decides that just being himself is the best thing he can do.
The silence after is deafening, with Tobio's heart pounding wildly, loudly even, his hands clammy and shaking. He doesn't look at Tsukishima, doesn't check the expression on his face. It takes a few moments before Tobio is jolted out of his thoughts, his skin burning from the hand grasping his wrist, chest tight and warm from the arm wrapping around his waist and the body pressing behind him.
"What are you doing?" mutters Tobio, frowning.
He hears Tsukishima chuckle from behind him and feels his breath on his cheeks as his right shoulder slump from something heavy. "Idiot," says Tsukishima with an amused laugh. "I like you too."
"Oh," responds Tobio, his eyes wide as he turns his head, nose knocking on nose, foreheads pressing together. "I didn't know that."
Tsukishima grins at him. "No, you didn't."
Their lips brush, kissing gently and languidly, taking their time. Tobio elbows Tsukishima when he feels him smirk against his lips, giddiness filling his chest when he hears him chuckle. It's soft and warm and limitless, the kiss, them, everything around them. It reminds Tobio of the night sky, dark yet full of light, of yells of 'nice kill' and 'nice block' and 'nice toss' inside the court, of them, the two of them together, playing volleyball as one.
Tobio pulls away, breath heavy and panting. He smiles.
"Think you can jump higher and reach my toss tomorrow?" he asks, tilting his head challengingly.
Like a phoenix waking up, Tsukishima takes one long meaningful look at him and smirks. "You're on."
(And when he tosses higher than usual, Tobio stifles an amused laugh the moment Tsukishima jumps and reaches the sky.)