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The gym was completely silent.
Well, all except for the sound of Kageyama laughing.
And that’s how for an entire 30 seconds, practice in the Karasuno gym came to a screeching halt.
===
“I – I think I need to sit down,” Asahi finally said, unable to believe his ears. He was actually able to stumble away for a few steps before just giving up, finding the nearest wall and sliding down it. Ennoshita, wide-eyed, nodded in agreement before joining him on the floor.
“Tsuki? Tsuki? …Tsuki!” Yamaguchi frantically waved both hands in front of Tsukishima, who had been staring unblinkingly at seemingly nothing for the past few seconds. Tsukishima jolted to attention, then scowled.
“You alright Tsuki? You were completely out of i– “
“Shut up Yamaguchi.”
“But – “
“No.”
Tsukishima lifted and pressed his palms into both eyes, hard, before stalking off. Yamaguchi snickered and elected to let him go for now, not commenting on the slight wobble in his steps.
Meanwhile, Sugawara, with both of his hands at his cheeks, turned rather hurriedly to Daichi, who was standing utterly poleaxed, hands extended outwards, at his side. The volleyball that had dropped from his hands was rolling away, unnoticed, out towards the gym entrance.
Neither bothered to remark on the other’s obvious blushing because hell, they were hearing Kageyama laughing for the first time and it was like the sound of Christmas come early, but with the promise of spring not long behind. It was like that moment of triumph immediately following their match against Datekou. It was…
It was absolutely FUCKING ADORABLE…
“Oh wow,” Kiyoko breathed out. Yachi could only nod furiously and thought yet again of bad habits and misleading first impressions. She really had to stop doing that.
In the face of Kageyama’s uninhibitedly innocent laughter, the Karasuno team was experiencing an instant of shared total and utter helplessness.
“Kageyamaaaaaaa!!!!” Noya was the first to awake fully from his paralysis. Screeching, he ran full-pelt at the 1st year, launching himself into the air at him. Tanaka, happy tears streaming from both eyes, followed right behind him. Kageyama was startled into cutting off mid-laughter and had to scramble backwards to avoid getting crushed by the two second-years. “wHAT THE HEL– “ Kageyama wasn’t allowed to finish voicing his protests before Noya and Tanaka caught him in their embrace, smothering him in their enthusiastic wailing, tears, and snot.
Hinata, who’d been chatting with Kageyama – right before this sudden miraculous development – giggled and tackled him from behind, preventing his increasingly bewildered but flushing boyfriend from escaping. Which Kageyama was still half-threatening to do, embarrassed from all these displays of wholehearted love from his senpai. He couldn’t insult THEM, so –
“Dumbass! What are you doing all of a sudden, dumbass!” Ah, back to the usual Kageyama they knew.
In the end though, even Tsukkishima was dragged reluctantly back by Yamaguchi, to join what became an impromptu Karasuno group hug pile.
- 1 team down, the rest of the world to go -
===
“Eeekk! Look – he’s coming this way! It’s Karasuno’s number 10!”
The fans of Kaiho’s high school’s volleyball team were momentarily distracted from chatting with their own team’s players, watching as Karasuno approached. Not that the players themselves weren’t also suddenly distracted by the appearance of Karasuno’s team, with their famous #9 and #10 bringing up the rear.
They’d be one of the teams to beat this tournament, having fought head to head to Aoba Johsai last time. All around, the tournament hall watched Karasuno with newfound respect as they walked by.
But it was their #10 in particular, who had walked away from that match with quite a fearsome reputation.
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my – did you see him in the last game? He was increeeedible. Like the Little Giant reborn.”
“Do you think he’d sign my – “
“I know, but besides his plays, don’t you think he’s kind of – you know….?”
“Cute? Yeah, I mean just look at his smile. It’d probably melt snow! Do you think he’d smile at us if we – ?”
“– geez, his plays man. They’re just so incredibly quick, I mean, it’ll be tough if we ever have to play against him.”
The fans’ and players’ eyes and thoughts were all fixated upon bubbly #10 as Karasuno approached, but also couldn’t help but notice the infamous #9 with whom he was chatting so animatedly. Really. What a comically sullen contrast to the literally sparkling bright partner he was listening to, who outshone him in every single way except for setting talent.
“That #9 is pretty gifted too right? Like, wasn’t he the genius setter from Kitagawa Daiichi?”
“Sure, the King of the Court right? The rumors though…even for such talent, I wouldn’t want to work with him. I’d rather eat my own sh– ”
“– that #10 must be like angel, to have to work with such an absolute fucking nightmare. Like I mea-”
“Shhh…they’re right there…. He’ll hear…”
The girls and boys all looked away, mortified, as #10’s eyes alighted on them and then slid away, but not before he graced them with his unflaggingly radiant smile. Once the teams had a few steps of safety between them and the retreating back of Karasuno, the chatter started up again, even more boisterous and worshiping than before.
“Oh god, did he hear me? I want – I NEED to try to get his signature af– “
“– Dang, wish I was his setter. A talented player, and must be so easy to work wi– “
“– kinda wasted on the King, don’t you – “
And then. A single peal of laughter.
It split their chatter, like #10’s smile had just done not a few seconds before.
Who was – ?
Oh.
Oh my god.
It was….
#9. THAT #9.
Who was currently laughing so hard he was wiping tears from his eyes. And #10 just giggling “don’t mind, don’t mind” at his side, patting his back as they walked away.
If #10’s smile could melt snow, then #9’s laughter, Kaiho’s awestruck fans and players thought, would make winter rethink even visiting the next year. Mouths open, the girls and boys in the atrium watched as Karasuno finally disappeared from sight.
What the actual hell.
….
The chatter that restarted this time around took a decidedly different and alarmingly amorous turn. And louder too, if that’d even been possible.
“OH NO, I think I just fell i– “
“Ok that’s it, talented AND cute. I need #9’s signature too. Maybe even more than #10’s? Do you think I could get him to laugh like that fo– “
“– like overblown rumors. There’s no way he could be as b– “
“What was that? Fuck, I don’t think I’ve ever been so tur– “
“Woah, did I say I was only looking for a girlfriend? Sorry guys, I think I’m having a revela-“
“– hey! You’re not allowed to do that, what if we have to play a match against them later?!?! No NO NO stOP, COME BACK HERE, YOU HEARD THE COACH! NO FRATERNI– “
===
Hinata glanced surreptitiously over his shoulder, smiling an entirely different smile.
“What?” said Kageyama, peering at him suspiciously, as best he could through teary eyes. His laughter was just starting to squelch out, and Hinata could only think about how much he wanted to bottle the sound forever.
(Such a sweet precious thing, really. It had been a combination of luck and patience that allowed Hinata to coax it for the first time out one unforgettable day, just 3 weeks ago.) Now that Hinata knew Kageyama’s weaknesses in and out, he wasn’t above exploiting them just to hear his boyfriend laugh one more time.
As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t just swing both arms open and gesture wildly, “Hey! This is my incredible boyfriend!” The last time Hinata tried to praise Kageyama in public, their teammates only remarked how they’d never seen such an expression on his face before, unsure of what to make of him.
That just couldn’t be let to stand.
Fine. Some things in life were just harder, but it wouldn’t be like Hinata Shouyou to back down from such a challenge.
“Nothing, Tobioooo~” sing-songed Hinata. “Just thinking how TERRIBBLY inconvenient it would be if everyone we met suddenly fell in love with you. I mean, of course I’d be jealous, but…. what I want more is for you to be, you….you know….. By EVERYONE!”
He ended on a shout and a jump.
“Hahhh? What are you screaming about now, dumbass?”
“Nothing, nothing! Just that I’m really lucky! And hoping everyone will know how amazing you really are Kageyama. Like gwaaahhh, suuuuper duuuper AMAZING!!”
“…… Fu–….Fuck. D-Don’t say that now! W-we gotta concentrate on the game! You dumbass!”
His shorter partner laughed, quietly. “Mhm…kay….”
“….”
“Don’t worry, with me here, you’ll be invincible!”
“…Dumbass Shouyou.”
“Yeah, love you too, Tobio.”