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All around him, Sugawara felt anxiety like butterflies. It had been a conversation last night with his little brother that had kept him up long after he should have been asleep. Even now, his brain was reeling from the realization. It wasn’t until he found himself staring at his locker, the lines of his name bold before his eyes that he realized that he’d walked all the way to school on auto pilot.
The bell rang in his ears signifying the start of class. Blinking and pulling away from the thoughts before him, he found that Asahi was staring at him with concern. His words felt far away as he tried to sort the expression on his friend's face. “Everything okay?”
“I was going to ask you that.” Asahi’s voice was strong like an exclamation, but neither wanted to admit to not feeling entirely present. The two of them stared at each other while the bell finished its trill. “You sure you don’t need the nurse?”
“Yeah.” Sugawara let out a slow breath from his nose before he plastered his signature smile into place. “Just thinking about something.”
With a nervous laugh, Asahi let it roll off his back. “Alright. Well, we're late for homeroom.”
Sugawara didn’t argue, making sure his locker was secured quickly before trotting after the taller boy. Even moving at a brisk pace, Sugawara was able to cover his earlier spacey behavior by talking about their practice the night before as if that was where his mind had wandered off to. It wasn’t a secret that he was always thinking of new tactics or practice techniques. That was not what preoccupied the silver haired teen, today.
It was as Asahi reached for the handle to their homeroom class that Sugawara blurted out, “How do you confess your feelings to someone?”
From where Koushi stood, he could see Asahi pink at the mention. There was a pause, Sugawara kicking himself for letting the words slip as Asahi grasped for a less nervous part of himself. With a sigh Koushi pushed forward, his hand reaching for the doorknob, as well. The previous smile was back in place as he settled his hand atop the gentle giant’s. “Don’t worry about it. We can talk about it later.”
It was very likely that this conversation would die with the opening of the door. Neither teen boy wanted to delve into the conversation that this was bound to start. After all, how was Sugawara supposed to explain the feelings he was having?
Despite brushing it aside the thoughts became all consuming and the first part of the day flew by in a haze. Lunch period came next, as well as the volleyball in his hands that came with it. He barely noticed the switch. He normally practiced with Hinata during their hour break, but it just seemed mechanical. That was until he took a ball to the head, which brought him crashing back to reality in a very literal sense.
“I AM SO SORRY!” The redhead squeaked, abandoning his pursuits for the ball and rushing to Koushi.
“It's fine. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Sugawara smiled, trying to laugh through the tears forming at the corners of his eyes.
“We need to get you to the nurse!” Hinata bounced on his heels, stress pulling more energy out of the hyper boy.
“You aren’t the first to suggest that, today.” Suga brought his hand up to silver hair, feeling the newly forming bump just past his hairline. “I think I might this time, but just for some ice.”
He paused, looking at the distress on his junior’s face. “I’ll be fine, I promise. We’ll have to postpone practice until another day, though.”
With assistance, and a sour look on Shoyo’s face, Sugawara was pulled to his feet. After retrieving the ball, they proceeded inside at a leisurely pace. The closer they got to the nurse, the more the pain throbbed in his temple.
“So!” Hinata exclaimed after what must have been an insufferable amount of silence for the boy. “What’s got your head all in the clouds?”
Sugawara hummed, glancing over his shoulder. He wasn’t sure what to tell the younger boy. It was obvious at this point that something was working its way slowly through his head, but it wasn’t as if he could come out and say it. “You and Kageyama are dating, right?”
The happy go lucky expression melted into that of a deer in headlights. Hinata’s face momentarily paled before a blush that rivaled his hair blossomed in place. “What?! No! I uh-” The high pitched squeaking was a tell tale sign of his discomfort.
“It's fine. I don’t care. I just wanted to know how you two started dating. Who asked who out?” Sugawara waited while Hinata’s brain rebooted.
“Oh, uh-” The words came quickly as Hinata moved back to Koushi’s side. “It just kinda happened.” The words were stiff as if Hinata was expecting to get scolded. “After practice one day, I don’t really remember.”
Sugawara couldn’t help the laugh that came to his lips, against the wishes of his throbbing temple. “That sounds right for you two.”
They rounded a corner and the nurse’s office came into view.
“Why do you want to know?” Hinata asked, voice uncharacteristically low.
“Just trying to figure out the best way to tell someone how I feel.” Koushi felt the slightest hint of heat on his cheekbones.
“I say just tell ‘em!” Hinata exclaimed, causing a gaggle of girls to quickly turn and stare them down like a pair of aliens.
“Duly noted.”
The silver haired setter gave Hinata a quick smile before slipping into the elongated room. Inside, next to two unused cots, was the nurse at her desk. It was quickly determined that he hadn’t sustained any serious injuries. One cold pack and some aspirin, and Sugawara was sent back to class.
“Suga.” The words pulled the setter out of yet another daze. He had come to practice, only to be told by Takeda that he would have to sit on the sidelines because of the ball to the head he had suffered, which he only knew due to the gossipy nature of said nurse. This did absolutely nothing good for the ruminations that had overtaken his day.
“Yeah?” He looked up, only to see Daichi trotting towards him with a classic smirk. Sugawara felt his chest warm and a smile that mirrored his captain’s spread without a thought.
Daichi, chest heaving from the exertion of practice, plopped himself directly at Koushi’s side. They were so close that he could feel the moisture of sweat against his exposed skin. “You feeling any better?”
The pain had mostly disappeared by last period, although the lump remained. “Yeah. Wish I could be out there, though.” Sugawara felt his heart leap slightly in his throat, as if trying to push unspoken words forward without provocation.
“Tomorrow, probably?” Kyoko passed Daichi a water bottle which was immediately emptied into his mouth.
“I think so. I honestly don’t feel that bad.” The injury wasn’t what was causing Koushi to be entirely unresponsive.
“We’re about done with practice. I’ll make sure to walk you home, just in case.” Daichi glanced out the open door, where a gentle rain had started to sprinkle just half an hour prior.
Suga opened his mouth to protest, but quickly closed it. “That would be nice.” He smiled, one side of his mouth curling ever so slightly and his eyes pressing closed, just a little.
Practice didn’t last much longer as the misting quickly turned into a downpour. It was with Coach Ukai’s prompting that Sugawara witnessed the quickest clean up of the gym in history.
“Alright!” The blonde haired man announced over the pattering music of the tin roof overhead. “Get home, shower, eat a big meal and get your butts to bed. I don’t need any of you catching a cold.” His brown eyes stopped on the four trouble makers of the team before scanning to everyone else.
It wasn’t a surprise that Hinata was first out the door, no doubt dashing to his bike for the long ride home. Kagayama was next, as if always in a race against the redhead. Tsukki and Tadashi followed quietly with Asahi corralling Noya like a rabid ferret. Tanaka barked in laughter after them. Einoshita, Kinoshita and Narita filed out together, deep in conversation about an assignment that was due the next day. That left Sugawara and Daichi to abandon ship last as captain and co-captain.
“I especially want you to rest.” Ukai looked down at Sugawara, an almost skeptical and fatherly appraisal clear in his narrowed eyes. Sugawara flushed slightly at the bridge of his nose, unused to the treatment.
“He’s in good hands, Coach! Promise!” Daichi wrapped his arm around Koushi’s shoulder which, in his current state, made his heart hammer rapidly in his chest.
“Hurry out, you two. I’ll help Takeda finish locking up.” There was a pause as the third year duo started for the door. “See you both tomorrow.”
They didn’t need to be told twice.
“I’ll be right back .You have been looking a little pale all day. I don’t want you getting sick, either.” Daichi wore a cocky grin, moving off towards the club room without reason. Sugawara had no time to respond.
He watched as Sawamura dashed through the rain, team jacket slung over his head like a makeshift umbrella. For a moment, Koushi thought about following him. After all, he didn’t feel that bad. The head injury had only affected him a little.
Luckily, Daichi was quick and he returned with an umbrella and both their bags. “Thanks, Daichi.”
“Let's get you home.” That smile gave Suga chills, his skin prickling as his chest warmed. What was wrong with him? Daichi was his best friend. These feelings would do nothing for that, and could destroy what they had.
“You know, you don’t have to walk me home.” Koushi felt his cheeks warm at the words and slung his bag over his shoulder, starting off in the direction of his house. Did he really want Daichi to change his mind? Of course not.
“It's my pleasure.”
They were so close, a closeness that, if not for the thoughts flying around all day, would have likely meant nothing. However, it forced a strange warmth through him and his heart started beating rapidly in his chest.
“You ever find it hard to say something even if it's been on your mind all day?” They had been walking for a while with only the rain to keep them occupied.
“I find that the more I think on something, the more my thoughts get all jumbled up.” Daichi admitted with a slight shrug.
They kept walking, the streets illuminated in the rain as rings of light. It was surprisingly difficult to traverse the familiar streets in the dark and downpour.
“Somethings been bugging you all day.” It wasn't a question so much as it was a simple fact. While Daichi wasn’t wrong, Suga found it difficult to admit that the other boy was right.
“How’d you know?” Koushi shifted under their shared umbrella, quirking one eyebrow at the other boy.
“You’ve been uncharacteristically quiet.” Daichi smiled, shifting his eyes from in front of him to look at Sugawara.
“Oh.” There was no way around the blush that fell on his face. “You were paying me that much attention?”
It would require a lot to notice the small differences in Sugawara’s behavior. He wasn’t an overly loud person, unlike others on the team. The fact that Daichi could notice the subtleties meant he was more attunied than Koushi had realized.
“Of course I was paying attention to you!” Daichi laughed, pulling his eyes from the setter's face and moving back to the wet streets. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Sugawara whipped his attention forward, feeling his heartbeat aggressively attacking his chest. He let out a slow breath, trying for just a moment to concentrate on the steps before him so he didn’t end up flat on his backside.
“I think I might really be falling for someone.” Sugawara was trying to carefully place his words, wanting to at least soften the blow. It would break him into a million pieces if Daichi wanted nothing to do with him after this.
“Oh?”
Rain beating on the asphalt was an overwhelming sound amongst Sugawara’s thrashing heart.
“Well, she must be a lucky girl then. Do I know her?” It was hard to tell what emotion was riding on Daichi’s words through the torrent.
“You know them, yes.” Sugawara felt his stomach flip as he spoke. It was slow, meticulous and precise.
“Oh.” The silence pressed on as Daichi seemed to chew on his words.
“I say just tell ‘em!”
Sugawara let out a sigh, unwilling to let a freshman tell him how to dictate his love life. After all, how could he know? He'd only really known Kageyama a couple of months before they had obviously started dating. It wasn’t a secret to anyone on the team.
Yet, Koushi couldn’t find where Hinata was wrong. “Damn it, Hinata.”
“Huh?” Daichi whipped his head back to Sugawara at those words.
“I like you Daichi.” The words came out as Sugawara stopped, grabbing Daichi by the club jacket. However, in his attempt to make a firm admission of the thoughts that lived in his head, Koushi lost his footing on the ground. His weight jerked out of balance and the patch of asphalt seemed to shift under him.
In mere moments Sugawara felt his tailbone connect with concrete. His fingers somehow stayed interlaced with the smooth fabric of the club jacket. Which meant-Daichi was on top of him as he stared up from the puddle saturating his back. From shoulders to socks, the silver haired boy was drenched to the bone, and Daichi was straddling him.
The umbrella had rolled away, and for a moment, the rain pelted their stunned forms. If Sugawara hadn’t been blushing before, he was now. As was his captain.
~~~~
Sugawara sat on his bed, several blankets wrapped tight around his body. He shivered from a cold that sank into his bones. Luckily for the both of them, they had been only a few minutes from his place. Daichi had insisted that Koushi shower first, which, needless to say, had been welcome. Shortly after he stumbled from the steaming water, Daichi had disappeared.
Luckily he had informed Suga that a large pile of the warmest blankets had been placed in his room by his mother. “You boys need to be more careful!” She had cooed before returning to cooking a meal that now needed a plus one sized portion.
Sugawara closed his eyes, the space heater bringing his clammy skin into a more normal temperature. He had been wrapped in the plush blankets so long he had likely fallen asleep because, as his bedroom door opened, he jolted upright. Suga didn’t remember falling asleep, but he was unexpectedly tired.
“You awake, Koushi?” Daichi's voice was quiet, even if there was little reason for it. The lights in the room were on, and it couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes since they had seen each other.
“Yeah.” As his vision came into clearer focus, he saw Daichi rubbing a towel through his moist hair. “I think I’m more exhausted than I thought.” Suga admitted. It was likely from the mental and emotional stress, the head injury and the final tumble in the freezing rain.
“It's fine. I can head out if you-”
“No.” Sugawara felt his face flush once more, eyes quickly darting to a very interesting spot on the wall. “Mom’s cooking food for you. At least stay that long.”
A long yawn escaped Koushi’s lips as he looked back to Daichi. He was wearing an extra set of borrowed clothing, since their school uniforms were both soaking and sullied. He looked good, even if the shirt and pants were just a little too tight.
“I called and got permission to spend the night.” Daichi started, stepping into the room and letting the door close behind him. “It's raining really hard out there.”
Slowly, Sugawara was coming to his senses, and his heart was remembering the tension of the sentences that were exchanged. “Oh.” The words were barely a breath. Did Daichi hear what Koushi had admitted?
“If you don’t want me around, though-”
“I’d like you to stay.”
There was silence as the two boys stared at each other. Suga was certain that Daichi could hear the echoed pulsing of his heart, since that was mostly what he was able to hear in his own ears.
“Can I?” Daichi gestured towards the bed. Koushi simply nodded, scooting over on the sheets that clearly still had space for another.
With far more awkwardness and more fumbling than normal, Daichi joined Koushi in the warmth of the blankets. There was a moment of silence as they soaked up each other's heat.
“I like you, too.”
The words hung in the air as Sugawara learned how to breathe again. “You do?” He gasped, face contorted in emotions that he had no control of.
“Yeah. I think for a while now.” Diachi smiled softly, one corner of his lip curling, causing his face to wrinkle in a way Sugawara hadn’t noticed before.
“Me too.” Koushi admitted.
“We’re good?” Daichi laughed awkwardly.
Koushi nodded, closing his eyes as he let his entire body relax. His head tipped sideways, falling onto Diachi's shoulder. “Yeah.” He was so very tired, but it was okay.
“You are really warm Koushi.” Diachi’s voice was low and soothing. “I think you’re catching a cold.”
“Don’t be silly.” Suga moved his fingers under the comforter, finding Daichi’s. “I’ll be fine.”
They sat there, long enough for Koushi to once again fall into a light sleep. It was comfortable and relaxed. Nothing was destroyed. No world ending, friendship demolishing break up had happened. In fact, Sugawara would have to tell the greatest decoy that he had been right. Hopefully it wouldn’t go to the kid’s head.
It turned out Sugawara did end up with a cold, which then resulted in a very long scolding from Ukai. It was still totally worth it.