Archive of Our Own

"You can't just ask for every serve, Nishinoya," Daichi said, but Nishinoya ignored him.

Oikawa span the ball in his hands. "It's alright, captain. This is a practice match, after all."

Oikawa's elbows bent out and down, his hands grinding on the ball a little. Nishinoya could see why Oikawa's self-assured confidence was grating to people, especially with his composure in delivering tosses and serves, but Nishinoya was spurred by it.

Nishinoya shifted on his feet, his knees bending as he tested out which direction to take. Sometimes Oikawa intended for a serve to be pure power, and other times it had enough spin to veer away. Nishinoya was impressed every time at his skill, and Nishinoya concentrated so much that his tongue stuck out, pressed to the side of his mouth.

Oikawa eventually stopped sending them to him after Nishinoya was getting used to them, and even from the start, he was clearly talented enough to handle them. Oikawa redirected them to Hinata and Tanaka, and he was visibly entertained from Hinata's reactions to every failed receive.

Nishinoya's hands still stung from the last serve Oikawa sent to him before moving on. It was a pleasant burn, like giving a forceful high five or twisting the cap off a glass jar of food. Nishinoya liked the feeling of it lingering in his hands, a satisfying sensation of accomplishment. He didn't struggle with receiving serves from most players, so this was challenging and unpredictable enough to be fun.

Ever since the inter high match against Aobajousai, Nishinoya considered Oikawa's serves to be one of the true tests to his libero abilities, even as he stood in the stands watching Aobajousai's first match, hoping Oikawa would direct a serve at him. Nishinoya felt a deep sense of triumph in that match when Oikawa intentionally sent one right at him, and Nishinoya received it and delivered it perfectly to Kageyama. Oikawa smiled good-naturedly, as if he accepted it then but was going tog et payback, but Iwaizumi looked angry and he scolded Oikawa for not taking it seriously.

"It's almost unfair," Oikawa said when practice ended. He picked up a volleyball and threw it into the supply cart. "Geniuses have all the luck."

"It's not luck," Nishinoya said.

Oikawa's mouth quirked up. "Whatever you say."

Oikawa bumped into him, his arm pressing against Nishinoya's, and the momentum drove Nishinoya to stagger a step to the side. Nishinoya let out a surprised grunt.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there."

Nishinoya's eyes sharpened, and he reached for Oikawa's shoulder, but his arm didn't make it as Oikawa rolled his shoulder back. Before he could try again, Oikawa placed a hand on Nishinoya's forehead, and it kept Nishinoya from moving closer.

Nishinoya swung an arm. "Let me go! I'll show you!"

"I'm sure you can." Oikawa was still giving a light smile, neck bent with what looked like a purposeful angle, tall enough to be patronizing.

Oikawa lifted his hand, and seconds later Nishinoya jumped at him. Nishinoya's jumping strength wasn't the same as Hinata's, and it didn't have the same speed, but it was still impressive. It was useless for a position like libero, but it also meant he could jump onto people's shoulders.

Oikawa's mouth shut to close off a choked noise, genuinely caught off guard at Nishinoya's legs finding a place around his stomach, just above his waist.

Nishinoya tugged at Oikawa's hair weakly, belligerence already fading. His nose still wrinkled, but there was nothing he could do to Oikawa anyway. His hand hovered, unsure of where to go until it fell back into Oikawa's hair to mess it up, his other hand tethered to OIkawa's shoulder to hold himself up.

Oikawa's surprise disappeared, replaced by a twitch in his mouth. He swatted a hand. "What are you doing?"

"This is what you get."

"Even like this, you're not taller than me."

Nishinoya's mouth twisted. Oikawa took the chance to slip his hands to Nishinoya's sides to pull him back to the ground.

"This is the height you're supposed to be at."

Nishinoya grabbed his hand and tried to tug him down, but Oikawa didn't budge, even when Nishinoya dug his heels into the floor.

Daichi came and scolded Nishinoya, pulling on Nishinoya's collar and pinching his ear to make him stop.

"I'm sorry about him," Daichi said. "He picks fights without knowing what he's doing."

"Karasuno is a troublesome team." Oikawa patted Daichi's shoulder.

"I don't pick fights." Nishinoya wiped over his face with his arm, his voice muffled from it.

"It's flattering," Oikawa said. "I think."

Nishinoya didn't see how it could be a compliment, but the comment made Daichi think it was safe to leave, so he didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry we didn't meet at the first practice match. I wasn't there for most of it."

"I wasn't there at all." Nishinoya started to walk away, headed towards a cluster of water bottles on the floor to pick up his own, and Oikawa followed.

"Is there something special about my serves?" Oikawa asked. "You really like them."

Nishinoya turned and was about to answer, but he didn't know what to make of the sly curve to Oikawa's mouth. And now that he listened, the same sentiment echoed in Oikawa's voice.

Nishinoya bent for his water bottle. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I remembered your serves from junior high."

Oikawa's face cleared into interest. "Really?"

"Your receives weren't as good then, but we still lost."

"How memorable." Oikawa crossed his arms, his head tilting to watch Nishinoya drink.

"At inter high, he told me he wanted you to target him with serves," Hinata said. Neither of them noticed him standing there until he spoke up.

"Shouyou!" NIshinoya covered Hinata's face with his hands. "Where'd you come from?"

Oikawa kept smiling, and Nishinoya got the feeling that Oikawa read more from Hinata's words than just volleyball, even if Nishinoya didn't know what it meant.

"i can't give all my attention to one person." Oikawa settled a hand on each of their shoulders to separate them. 

"That's not what Shouyou said."

OIkawa gave a small push on Hinata's back to direct him away. He then returned his hand to Nishinoya's shoulder, leaning and balancing his weight there.

"It sounds like this runs deep."

"What does?"

Oikawa gestured in the air. "Since junior high, too."

Nishinoya frowned.

"Oikawa, we're leaving soon," Iwaizumi said, calling out across the gym. He glanced over Oikawa and Nishinoya, and he grimaced. "Hurry up."

Nishinoya shifted, and Oikawa stumbled from the movement.

"I should get going, too," Nishinoya said.

"Maybe next time, you can try to not look too eager to jump on me." Oikawa lifted his hand to flatten on Nishinoya's back and guide him out.

Nishinoya bristled at the contact. Everyone was warm from exercise, but Oikawa's hand found a dip in his back and made him feel even warmer. He tore away from Oikawa's hand.

"Next time…" Nishinoya trailed off, unable to come up with a comeback.