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Wakatoshi had been watching Kageyama. He had been watching him as the team’s ace, monitoring their reserve setter to see if there was anything he could teach him. It had been strictly in the interest of the team.
Wakatoshi had no idea why that fact felt so false.
Watching Kageyama sputter his thanks after he gave him some pointers on his serve only served to confuse Wakatoshi more.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to charm the pants off that poor boy.” Wakatoshi looked up to see Oikawa draped across the bench nearby, his eyes on the court for all that he was clearly talking to the man beside him.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Wakatoshi said. Oikawa jerked his chin forward, a sharp motion, and Wakatoshi followed his line of sight.
Kageyama was running drills with some of the other younger members of the team, setting for each player as they ran up for a basic b-quick. There was a red tinge around his cheeks and the tips of his ears, but Wakatoshi had attributed that to the exercise.
“Don’t worry I know you’re not doing it on purpose,” Oikawa continued. “But you don’t know Tobio-chan like I do. He’s going to get the wrong impression.”
“How do I give the right impression?” Wakatoshi asked. It was something he had been working on lately, clarifying what he meant in conversations and trying to figure out what others meant as well. Oikawa snorted.
“That depends on what is right,” he said. “Do you want to continue on as teammates, or do you want something more with him?” Wakatoshi’s brow furrowed.
“Is this one of those situations where you give a false impression in order to trap someone into offending you?” he asked, utterly sincere. Oikawa, for his part, threw his head back and laughed.
“Not everything’s a test, Ushiwaka-chan,” he gasped. “Believe it or not, I do have pure intentions sometimes.” He looked at Wakatoshi then, his cheeks pink and his lip caught between his teeth. “I’m trying to figure out where I stand in all this, and where my boundaries are.”
Wakatoshi puzzled for a moment. Everything he knew about Oikawa and about Kageyama turned and swirled around in his mind until all at once it clicked into place.
“You are asking me so that you know if you are free to pursue him,” he stated. Oikawa stared at him as though he had said something utterly bewildering. Wakatoshi cocked his head. “Am I wrong?” he asked. Oikawa huffed.
“No!” he spat. “But you are blunt. And you’re not completely right.” Wakatoshi glanced at the court again, then back at Oikawa.
“How can I be completely right?” he asked. Oikawa snorted.
“Like I’d tell you that,” he grumbled, shoving to his feet and storming off across the court. Wakatoshi watched him go, more confused than he had been when Oikawa had first spoken up.
-
Tooru was pissed, and the worst part was that he knew he had no right to be. It wasn’t like Ushijima had even said anything that aggravating, not compared to normal. Tooru could tell he was actually trying not to piss him off. It’s just.
Kageyama was so clearly taken by him. And Tooru was so used to being the goal Kageyama looked up to, the pinnacle he strove to demolish. It was easy to hate Kageyama for wanting to surpass him. It was harder to hate him for wanting to surpass Ushijima.
It meant he and Kageyama had a similar goal, beyond setting for the same team.
It made it too easy to see Kageyama as a person, rather than a monster nipping at Tooru’s heels.
Tooru stormed into his dorm room and slammed the door behind him, collapsing onto his bed and digging his phone out from under the pillow.
ME: [Iwaa-chaaaaaan]
ME: [Iwa-chan why’d you have to go to university so far away?]
ME: [I’m dyinggg]
He tossed the phone somewhere onto the mattress and buried his face in the pillow. It took a lot to resist the urge to scream into it. After a few minutes his phone buzzed and he scrambled to pick it up.
ε>IWA-CHAN<3: [shittykawa i swear if you dont stop texting me while im in class i will break your nose]
ε>IWA-CHAN<3: [whats wrong]
Tooru smiled softly. For all his bluster, Iwaizumi really was a good friend.
ME: [I was making fun of Ushiwaka-chan for accidentally seducing Tobio-chan, and he asked if I was so concerned because I had a crush on Tobio-chan.]
ε>IWA-CHAN<3: [but you do have a crush on kageyama]
ME: [That’s not the point, Iwa-chan]
ME: [The point is it’s so obvious that they like each other and they’re both so dumb and talented and I really really reaaaaaaly hate them both so hate them with me Iwa-chan]
ε>IWA-CHAN<3: [you dont hate either of them though]
Tooru huffed, wishing Iwaizumi was there in person so he could get the full effect of Tooru’s glare.
ME: [You’re no help at all. I don’t know why I ever thought you would be.]
ME: [How does Makki even put up with you?]
ε>IWA-CHAN<3: [funny story i actually talk to my boyfriend]
ε>IWA-CHAN<3: [youd be surprised how well it works]
ME: [Talking to Makki is easy, Iwa-chan. He understands basic human communication.]
ME: [Yesterday Ushiwaka started comparing different people on the team to fruits.]
ε>IWA-CHAN<3: [okay yeah thats pretty weird]
ME: [I know right?]
ME: [Iwa-chan there’s something wrong with me.]
ME: [And don’t you dare agree with that]
ε>IWA-CHAN<3: [not saying a word]
ε>IWA-CHAN<3: [i have to get to practice in a minute anyway]
ε>IWA-CHAN<3: [just try the talking thing already]
ε>IWA-CHAN<3: [and dont text me in class again]
Tooru grinned and sent Iwaizumi a string of emojis that meant literally nothing but would leave Iwaizumi confused and vaguely threatened. He turned his phone off and rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling.
His roommate would be home any minute, so maybe he could actually get some help with this whole situation. Or at least a decent conversation with someone who punctuated their texts and understood the value of a good long hate.
As though summoned by Tooru’s thoughts, the door opened and Sugawara spilled in, loaded down with several bags of unrecognizable objects.
“Kou-chan, what did we discuss about turning our dorm into a junk heap?” Tooru asked, laying back to stare at the ceiling again.
“Tooru, what did we discuss about being a passive-aggressive bitch?” Suga shot back. Tooru grinned.
“Do you kiss your baby crows with that mouth?” he asked.
“One or two,” Suga answered. “Though from what I hear I’ve only got one baby crow I should really be worried about.”
“Did Chibi-chan finally float off into outer space?” Tooru asked.
“No, but I did get a video of him jumping over Tanaka today,” Suga said. “Anyway, Iwaizumi texted me that you’re angsting about Kageyama again?”
“And Ushiwaka,” Tooru defended. “My world does not revolve around Tobio-chan, no matter what Iwa-chan says.”
“Right,” Suga droned. He dropped his bags in a heap next to his desk and climbed onto Tooru’s bed, propping his feet up on Tooru’s stomach. “Alright, I can tell you want to rant,” he said. “Get it over with.” Tooru grinned and settled in a little more comfortably.
-
Someone was watching Tobio. The sensation of eyes boring into his back was something he was used to, but it usually happened while he was on the court, not while he was in the quad minding his own business. He frowned, trying to think of anything he was doing that would make him more conspicuous than normal. Hinata had given him a list of no-nos before they had split up for college, but he didn’t think he was breaking any of those rules.
With a mental shrug he went back to enjoying his milk.
-
Wakatoshi couldn’t decide if he was more curious about the fact that Oikawa was hiding in a bush in one of the quads or concerned about the way he was staring at Kageyama. Trying not to draw attention to himself (and failing - he was rather large after all), he crouched down next to Oikawa.
“Why are you hiding?” he whispered. Oikawa startled, nearly falling out of the bush. They were both silent as Kageyama and a few other students looked around, but no one said anything.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Oikawa hissed. “Don’t sneak up on people like that!”
“Sorry,” Wakatoshi murmured. “Why are you hiding?” Oikawa huffed and crossed his arms. For a moment, Wakatoshi was sure he wouldn’t answer.
“I don’t want to be seen,” Oikawa whispered at last. “Hiding is what most people do when they want to keep from being noticed.”
“You always want to be noticed,” Wakatoshi pointed out. A pained expression crossed Oikawa’s face, and he knew he had said something wrong again. Oikawa mumbled something under his breath, and all Wakatoshi could make out was ‘stupid’ and ‘adorable’. He glanced over at Kageyama, who was aggressively finishing off a carton of milk.
He supposed he was kind of adorable.
“Are you hiding from Kageyama?” he asked. Oikawa slapped his own forehead.
“Yes, Ushiwaka-kun,” he snarled. “I am hiding from Tobio-chan. It would be a lot easier if you would kindly fuck off.”
“Wouldn’t pursuing Kageyama be easier if you didn’t hide from him?” Wakatoshi asked. Oikawa stared at him.
“Who said I’m pursuing him?” he demanded. Wakatoshi shrugged.
“I assumed,” he answered. “With your odd behavior yesterday at practice and your insistence on watching him without his noticing, I assumed you were interested.”
“That’s- that’s not the point, Ushiwaka!” Oikawa’s voice raised slightly, enough to make a girl sitting nearby eye the bush suspiciously. When she looked away, Oikawa continued in a lower tone, “Even if I did want to date Tobio-chan - which I don’t - it would be pointless because he’s already got a crush on someone else.”
“On who?” Wakatoshi asked. “On Hinata Shouyou?” He was proud of the question. Taking an interest in his teammates’ personal lives had always been a weakness of his. Oikawa, however, dropped his face into his hands.
“Oh my god, you’re both hopeless,” he muttered.
“I don’t understand,” Wakatoshi said. Oikawa sighed.
“I know you don’t,” he said. Slowly, his eyes on Kageyama, he stood. For a moment he was still. Then he reached out one hand to gently smooth through Wakatoshi’s hair. Before Wakatoshi could process the touch, he turned on his heel and was gone.
Wakatoshi remained crouched behind the bush, utterly confused, until Kageyama gathered his things and left the quad.
-
Tooru was burning. His entire world had been turned upside-down and he had no idea how to ever put it right again.
Ushijima had smiled at him. Actually smiled, not the awkward, half-formed thing he did whenever he was trying to blend better with the team. It had been sweet and unpracticed and sincere and enough to stop Tooru’s heart completely until one of the managers had slapped him on the back to get him going again.
Now, hours after practice had ended, Tooru lay in bed reliving that moment in his mind. Sugawara was fast asleep across the room, and the world had gone quiet.
Tooru’s cheeks heated when he thought of that smile, and of the genuine compliment on the set that had caused it. His chest was fluttering and his ears were warm and he felt as though he were floating above his mattress.
All because of a fucking smile.
Tooru was so, so screwed.
-
It was taking everything in Tobio’s power not to punch his favorite senpai in the nose.
Sugawara had invited him out to lunch along with a few other former Karasuno students, and Tobio had accepted without a second thought. After all, if Sugawara wasn’t safe to be around, who was?
Apparently, no one.
“C’mon, Kageyama, are you really tellin’ me you have no idea who your secret admirer is?” Tanaka demanded, leaning over the table and into Tobio’s space while Sugawara snickered off to one side.
“No,” Tobio answered. “All I know is that they keep leaving notes and food in my locker.” Sugawara snickered harder.
“Man, at least you got an admirer,” Nishinoya whined. “I’m gonna be single forever!”
“Probably,” Tanaka agreed. Noya shouted indignantly and launched himself at Tanaka. Tobio sagged in relief. With the conversation turned away from him he had at least a couple of hours before Sugawara or Tsukishima decided to make his life a living hell again.
It was puzzling, though. The notes in Tobio’s locker, the meat buns that were still hot - so they were obviously bought between the team’s regular practice ending and his own - the little useless trinkets and more useful odds and ends. That very day there had been a new set of kneepads waiting for him, since his old ones were fraying and he hadn’t had a chance to get to the equipment store.
It all left him feeling like it was familiar, like he had seen all this before. But whoever it was wasn’t signing any of the notes, so Tobio really had no idea. If Hinata were there he would have turned it into an adventure, a detective story where he dragged Kageyama along the trail of the mystery person until they caught them in the act. But Hinata was in Kyoto, and no help to Tobio right now.
“Apparently you’re not the only one, Kageyama.” Tobio’s head snapped up as he returned his attention to the conversation. Sugawara smiled knowingly at him before continuing, “Oikawa told me that he’s been getting love letters too.”
“What else is new?” Tsukishima snorted. “I thought you said he was always getting confessions.”
“From girls, yes,” Sugawara answered. “But none of these seem like something a girl would give. And I saw the letters, and the handwriting is way too sloppy to be a girl’s.” Sugawara leaned forward slightly, and Tobio caught himself mirroring the movement. “My money’s on someone from the team.” Tobio looked away sharply and tried not to blush.
“I’m going to die alone!” Nishinoya cried. Tanaka patted him gently on the shoulder.
“Maybe it’s just going around,” he said. “Hey, you’re not getting any, are you Suga?”
“Phrasing,” Tsukishima scolded, but he looked interested in the answer as well. Sugawara just winked, throwing Tanaka into a panic. Tobio relaxed once more.
There was another gift waiting for him when he reached his dorm room. Technically, it was a shared dorm, but he had met his roommate once on move-in day when he was informed that his roommate’s girlfriend had a single and he would be staying there. Tobio had shrugged and shoved the beds and desks together to give himself more space.
The envelope was sitting on the floor just inside his door, as though someone had slipped it underneath. He scooped it up and dumped it alongside his bag on the desk, wanting to change before he did anything else. But when he stripped off his shirt, his eye caught on the half-familiar blue of the envelope, and he couldn’t bring himself to look away. He padded over to the desk and snatched it up, tearing it open more viciously than was really necessary.
Kageyama-kun,
One of these days, I’m going to be able to tell you all this in person. But right now I’m too afraid to. I hope you understand my caution - you really are an amazing person, and I’m honestly intimidated by you.
I just wanted to let you know that you were amazing at the practice match today. When you made that serve in the second set, the one that knocked the other team’s libero clean over, I thought I was going to pass out from exhilaration. You’re an incredible player, Kageyama-kun. And you’re such a good person off the court, too. I hope you don’t mind me writing these letters, but I really did want to tell you that. You seem like the kind of person who doesn’t know how amazing they are.
I could tell you, if you wanted. I could write pages about how great you are. But I don’t know how to do so without revealing myself, and I don’t know how that would go. I doubt you would return my feelings, so for now please forgive my remaining anonymous. Just know that someone thinks you’re incredible
Yours forever,
T.
Tobio frowned at the page. It was true that he had made a service ace off the other team’s libero at the practice match that morning, but the rest of it…
Whoever wrote the letter was right. Tobio didn’t think he was all that amazing. He was good at volleyball, and he supposed he was decent-looking. But beyond that, there wasn’t much to see. He was arrogant and socially awkward and horrible at school. Whoever this ‘T’ person was, they clearly didn’t know who they were talking about. Tobio shook his head and folded the letter back into the envelope, tucking it into the drawer alongside all the other notes and trinkets he had received. Someday, he would figure out how to respond.
-
If Oikawa snickered at him one more time, Wakatoshi was going to serve a ball into his head.
Gently, because the team needed their star setter, but still.
He couldn’t even figure out what he was doing wrong. Sure, he knew why Oikawa was laughing: Oikawa loved to laugh at Wakatoshi, especially when he put his foot in his mouth. But as far as Wakatoshi could tell, he hadn’t said anything particularly dense all day.
So why was Kageyama acting so flustered?
“Okay, okay, stop,” called Oikawa, sauntering over to them. “I can’t watch this any longer. Tobio-chan, go work with Hayato-chan or something. I need to talk to Ushiwaka.” Kageyama glanced between them then nodded uncertainly and trotted off. As soon as he was on the other side of the gym, Oikawa turned on Wakatoshi. “Are you trying to be an idiot?” He demanded. Wakatoshi grit his teeth and gripped the ball in his hands until it started to groan in protest.
“Oikawa, now is not-”
“No, now’s a perfect time, Ushiwaka-chan,” Oikawa interrupted. He stood in front of Wakatoshi, hands on his hips and chin jutting out as he stared up at him. It was… kind of adorable, but mostly infuriating. “I cannot sit by and watch you make a mess of a perfectly good opportunity,” Oikawa continued. “Will you please go over there and ask him out already?”
“Why are you telling me to?” Wakatoshi asked, too irritated to play nice with Oikawa today. “I thought you wanted to ask Kageyama out.” Oikawa’s eye twitched and his smile grew brittle.
“I have told you,” he hissed through gritted teeth, “I have no intentions of making a move on Tobio-chan. You, on the other hand, actually have a chance, so stop mooning over him like a lost puppy and say something.”
“Why are you so insistent about this?” Wakatoshi demanded. Oikawa scoffed.
“Because for some godforsaken reason, I actually want the two of you to be happy,” he answered, and for all the sarcasm in the words, Wakatoshi could hear the genuine hurt in his voice.
“And you think that my dating Kageyama will achieve that?” Wakatoshi’s voice was softer now, the anger having drained out of him completely until he was nothing more than tired and confused.
“I don’t think that, Ushiwaka,” Oikawa muttered. “I know it. Anyone who’s watched the two of you enough knows it.”
“You clearly don’t know much of anything,” Wakatoshi returned.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re telling me you haven’t seen it?” Wakatoshi scoffed. “You, with all your powers of observation, haven’t seen the way he looks at you.”
“He looks at me like he always has!” Oikawa cried. “Like his senpai and rival! He looks at me like I’m a challenge, like I’m the next monster he has to get past in order to move to the next level. If he ever admired me, I killed it pretty effectively, years ago. Tobio likes you, you giant moron!”
“You’re both morons.” Wakatoshi and Oikawa both started at the sound of a third voice. Sugawara, one of the team’s managers and Oikawa’s roommate, was staring at them with his arms crossed, disappointment thick enough to choke on washing off of him in waves.
“Kou-chan, I know you like pretending you’re everybody’s mom, but can you please butt out?” Oikawa crooned. Sugawara only rolled his eyes.
“I don’t know if the two of you noticed, but neither one of you is very quiet. Or subtle.” He gestured over his shoulder at the now-empty gym. “That little spat you just had was loud enough for half the team to hear. Including Kageyama.”
Wakatoshi’s heart sank in time with the fall of Oikawa’s smile and the slump of his shoulders. They glanced at each other sheepishly as Sugawara rolled his eyes and stomped out of the gym, leaving them alone.
-
Tobio was never leaving his room again. Not after the scene in the gym.
He sat in the corner of his bed farthest from the door, tucked against the wall with his legs drawn up to his chest. He was just starting to succeed at pretending he didn’t exist when there was a knock on the door.
“Go away, Suga-san,” he called without lifting his face from his knees.
“It’s me.” Tobio looked up at the sound of a voice he would never have expected, and crawled off of the bed out of sheer curiosity.
“What are you doing here?” he asked when he opened the door. Tsukishima shrugged and shouldered his way inside.
“Koushi is making a mess of my apartment, so I told him I would come make sure you’re okay,” he said, flopping down across Tobio’s bed.
“So you actually came?” Tobio asked.
“Not to check on you,” Tsukishima replied. “Just to get out for a while. And I figured he might still come over if Ryuu can’t settle him down, so I should be here to cover my tracks if he does.”
“He was just here an hour ago,” Tobio said.
“Did he just threaten to kill them, or had he elevated to torture yet?”
“He was on ritualistic sacrifice,” Tobio answered. Tsukishima snorted.
“That sounds about right.” Tobio made his way over to his desk chair and they lapsed into silence.
Tobio simply couldn’t understand why Oikawa and Ushijima would say something like that. If Oikawa had been talking to anyone else, Tobio would have suspected it was all a cruel prank, another of Oikawa’s desperate, defensive attacks. But those had stopped shortly after Oikawa had graduated high school, and Tobio doubted Ushijima would stoop to anything that petty.
Their argument kept playing over and over in Tobio’s mind. The way Oikawa had interrupted his conversation with Ushijima, banishing him to work with one of the second years. The way they had gotten louder and louder as everyone else in the gym slowly fell silent. The way Ushijima had said his name and every pair of eyes had turned to look at him. The way Oikawa had grit his teeth and spat about what a good couple he and Ushijima would make.
Tobio had turned tail and run before the end, but he had heard the rest from Sugawara when his old senpai had come over to check on him.
Something must have shown on his face, because Tsukishima sighed and pushed himself up.
“Do you want to talk or something?” he muttered. Tobio snorted.
“Do I want to talk to you about my social life?” he repeated. Tsukishima made a face.
“Look, it doesn’t sound appealing to me either, but we are friends. Ish. And that’s what friends-ish do.” Tobio snorted, feeling lighter already. He knew this, knew how to banter with Tsukishima. It was familiar and easy, and he could always count on it to stay exactly as fond and platonic as it had been for the past two years.
“There’s not much to talk about,” Tobio droned. “My senpai who has hated me since my first year of junior high and the super-ace who I and everyone I know has fought so hard to surpass are now on the same team as me and arguing over which one of them is supposed to be going out with me. So yeah. Nothing out of the ordinary at all.”
“Well, Majesty, you’re in luck,” Tsukishima replied. “I just so happen to know a few things about being caught in a twisted love-triangle with the last two people you would have expected.”
“I’m not sure I should trust your advice, though,” Tobio said. “You ended up dating both of them, and I’ve seen what your apartment gets like, even without Suga-san living there.”
“Yeah, but I’m also sleeping with two of the objectively hottest people I know,” Tsukishima said. “And they’re not getting into arguments over me in front of my entire team.”
“Alright, fine,” Tobio relented. “What do you suggest.”
“First things first. Do you want either of them?” Tobio blinked owlishly at him and he sighed. “Look, Kageyama, we’re not going to get anywhere if you don’t even know what you want from them.”
“I want to play volleyball,” Tobio answered easily.
“Yeah, but you also want to play volleyball with the shrimp,” Tsukishima said. “And, though it came as a great shock to everyone around you, the two of you did not turn out to be some sort of perfect love match. But that doesn’t mean you and someone else can’t be.” Tobio stared at him.
“I’ve never thought about it,” he said.
“Shocker.”
“I mean it, though,” Tobio insisted. “I’ve never thought about anyone that way before.”
“That’s bullshit,” Tsukishima said. “I’ve seen how red you get when someone talks about either of them.”
“I do not!” Tobio shouted. Tsukishima raised an eyebrow.
“Last week when we all went out to lunch with Nishinoya, Koushi mentioned Ushiwaka getting a love letter and you practically shut down,” he said. “You were blushing like a schoolgirl. And you honestly want to tell me you’ve never thought about him that way?”
“I didn’t think I was?” Tobio said. “I thought I just admired him as a teammate, and Oikawa-san too.”
“Do any of your other teammates make your face heat up?” Tsukishima asked. “Does the tiny moron make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Does anyone else make you feel like you can fly even when you’re not on the court?” Tobio was silent, staring down at his hands fisted in the fabric of his pants. Tsukishima stood and stretched his arms above his head. “Think about it,” he said. “And when you come up with something, tell Koushi so he’ll stop stress-cleaning.”
With that, he was gone, letting the door slam shut behind him. Tobio stared at it and tried not to drown.
-
Tooru was strangely quiet as he watched Ushijima pace back and forth and mutter to himself.
They were in Ushijima’s apartment just off campus, having both figured that Sugawara would probably murder them if they dared show their faces in Tooru’s dorm. As soon as the door had closed, Ushijima had cursed and kicked over an umbrella stand, the crash playing counter-point to the first rolls of thunder outside. He hadn’t quieted since, and that had been over an hour ago.
Tooru sat in Ushijima’s living room with a mug of tea he had made himself when it had become obvious he wasn’t going to get anything useful out of Ushijima and watched as his ace picked up a book to throw.
He couldn’t believe what he had done. He was normally so careful, so aware of what was going on around him and how much he was letting show. He had worked so hard for so long not to let Kageyama know about his crush, hiding like he always did behind layers of sarcasm and charm. But one argument and now the entire team knew.
Kageyama must have been mortified.
Tooru groaned at the thought of Kageyama, probably holed up in his room to avoid having to face anyone. The poor kid had never been great at social situations, but puberty and whatever hell he had gone through in middle school had turned Tooru’s chipper little kouhai into a stunted brick. He would have no idea how to react to any of this.
A knock at the door - a pounding, really - drew Tooru out of his thoughts.
“What?” spat Ushijima, whirling to glare at the entryway.
“Oi, don’t give me that, Ushiwaka!” Iwaizumi called from the other side. “Open up! I know he’s hiding in there!” Tooru stood and gave Ushijima a pat on the shoulder before making his way to the door to face his doom.
“Iwa-chan, you don’t have to come all the way out here every time I ruin my life,” he greeted. Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and shoved past him, dumping a duffel bag on the floor. He was dripping from the storm outside, but paid that no mind as he made his way to the living room.
“Not here for you,” he grumbled.
“Then why are you here?” Tooru asked.
“I’m here because I, like everyone else on this planet, am terrified of Sugawara,” Iwaizumi answered. “He called me - in the middle of class, I might add - and insinuated that if I wasn’t on the next train to come clean up your mess then I would face some unspeakable and inhumane penance. So.” He flopped onto an armchair and considered he other two. “What the fuck did you do this time?”
Silence descended on the apartment. Tooru could feel the tension rolling off of Ushijima, and the exasperated expectation from Iwaizumi. He sighed and folded himself onto one end of the couch.
“We got into an argument today at practice about which one of us should stop being a baby and ask Tobio out already,” he said. “And Tobio heard.” Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow and sighed through his nose.
“Alright, that’s not quite as bad as I had expected,” he said.
“What were you expecting?” Tooru demanded.
“I figured one of you had crossed a line,” he said. “Well, I mean, you did, but not the kind of line I had thought.”
“Iwa-chan, have you no faith in us?” Tooru cried.
“In you? no.”
“Rude.”
“Iwaizumi.” Both Iwaizumi and Tooru jolted at the sound of Ushijima’s voice. “Why are you really here?”
“Stupid Ushiwaka, he just said-”
“Shut up, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi interrupted. He regarded Ushijima coolly. “I’m here because I care about Kageyama, and I care about Oikawa, and I have reason to care about you. So when Sugawara said the two of you had fucked something up with him, I wanted to see if I could unfuck it.”
“Eloquent, Iwa-chan,” Tooru commented. Iwaizumi threw a pillow at him.
“The point is,” he growled, settling back in the chair, “the two of you are assholes, but you’re not completely hopeless. So tell me the whole story, and let’s see what we can do.” Tooru did as he said, interrupted now and then with corrections and additions from Ushijima. When he finished, Iwaizumi sat in silence, staring at him.
“Iwa-chan?” Tooru prompted. Iwaizumi sighed.
“I knew you wouldn’t make it without me,” he grumbled under his breath. He leaned forward to regard them both and said plainly, “You’re going to have to set this right before anything else. Which means you’re going to have to find Kageyama and apologize to him. As in, now.”
“We do not know where his dorm is,” Ushijima pointed out.
“And even if we asked, Kou-chan would hear about it and dismember us.” Iwaizumi stared Tooru down until he was shrinking back against the couch.
“Go. Apologize.” he ordered. Tooru nodded and stood to walk over to the door. Ushijima followed as he was putting on his shoes, grabbing an umbrella from the stand he had upended. Tooru opened the door, only to stumble back as a sopping Kageyama stumbled forward.
“Tobio?!” Tooru shrieked, catching Kageyama around the waist and staggering back a step himself. “Shit, he passed out! One of you, help me!”
-
Kageyama’s skin was burning under Wakatoshi’s fingertips as he dabbed a damp cloth across his forehead. He frowned to himself at the feeling, angry that Kageyama would feel the need to risk his health by coming here in the middle of a storm.
Angry that he would be put in a position to feel that need in the first place.
From the state of his clothes and the fever, Kageyama hadn’t come straight here from the dorms. Even from the farthest point on campus, it was only a twenty minute walk, not enough for Kageyama to be this sick already. Which meant he had probably wandered around with only a vague idea of where Wakatoshi lived, or possibly tried Oikawa’s dorm first before he came here.
All because Wakatoshi and Oikawa hadn’t been able to keep their mouths shut.
Kageyama shifted under his touch with a soft whine and Wakatoshi paused in his thoughts. Kageyama’s brow furrowed and he leaned into Wakatoshi’s touch, and Wakatoshi’s chest grew tight.
He was saved from analyzing that sensation by Iwaizumi entering the bedroom with a tray of supplies, Oikawa hot on his heels.
“Alright,” Iwaizumi said softly as he set the tray on the nightstand. “I’ve done all I can do to make sure this idiot doesn’t make him worse. I’ve got to get to the station if I’m going to make it home tonight. Is there anything you need before I head out?” Wakatoshi shook his head. Iwaizumi glanced between him, Oikawa, and Kageyama with a tight expression then sighed, his shoulders slumping and his chin tilting forward. “Don’t do anything to overwhelm him while he’s sick, but talk to him? Please?” Not waiting for an answer, he turned on his heel and left. Wakatoshi listened to him gathering his things and opening and closing the front door.
He turned back to the room to see Oikawa pouring tea into a mug. He leaned over and nudged Kageyama awake as gently as he could.
“You need to sit up,” he said when Kageyama groaned and opened one eye to glare at him. Kageyama closed his eye and let his head flop back onto the pillow.
“Scoot over, Ushiwaka-chan,” Oikawa murmured. He took Wakatoshi’s vacated spot on the bed and pressed a hand to Kageyama’s forehead. “Tobio, you need to do what he says,” he said. “I have some tea here that will help you feel better, but first you need to sit up, okay?”
“Why?” croaked Kageyama. Oikawa smiled and leaned forward to wriggle an arm under his shoulders.
“Because you’re a dummy who takes long walks in the rain, that’s why,” he answered. With his help, Kageyama made it most of the way into a seated position before he closed his eyes again and swayed in place. Wakatoshi leaned around Oikawa to stack some pillows so they could prop him up. He collapsed against them with a whimper that made Wakatoshi’s heart clench. Oikawa sighed and picked up the mug. “Drink,” he said softly as he guided it to Kageyama’s lips.
Wakatoshi watched them together, watched Oikawa take care of Kageyama with a painfully tender expression. He set the mug aside when Kageyama stopped drinking and started to fuss at the blankets and pillows, trying to make sure he was comfortable. It stabbed through Wakatoshi like a knife and he turned and left the room.
He was just done setting up the couch for the night when Oikawa reemerged with the tray.
“Do you want me to get down the futon for you, or are you comfortable sharing the bed with him?” Wakatoshi asked without looking up.
“Oh,” Oikawa said. “Sorry, I figured the couch would be for- Don’t worry about it; I don’t think I’ll get any sleep tonight anyway.” Wakatoshi looked up at that.
Oikawa was standing awkwardly at the end of the hall, drumming his fingers on the tray in his hands. His lip was caught between his teeth and his eyebrows were drawn low over his nose.
“If you would prefer the couch, you may have it,” Wakatoshi said at last, “but it isn’t very comfortable. I assumed you would be happier where you could get to him more easily.” Oikawa didn’t huff or snort like Wakatoshi expected. He just tightened his grip and ducked his head even more.
“I don’t understand why you’re being so nice to me,” he said. “This all my fault.”
“No it’s not,” Wakatoshi said, baffled. “If anything, you and I share the majority of the blame, and Kageyama holds a minor part for walking here in the rain. You are no more at fault than I am.”
“No, I am,” Oikawa insisted. “If you knew…”
“If I knew what?” Wakatoshi pressed. Oikawa shook his head. he looked up at last, his face a thin mask of indifference and his cheeks streaked with dried tears.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “Just trust me when I say it’s my fault.” He strode to the kitchen where he set the tray down and turned on the water to start washing Kageyama’s mug. Wakatoshi watched him move in silence.
“Are you hungry?” he asked at last. “I intended to go to the store today, so I do not have much, but I would be willing to order takeout.” Oikawa turned, the mug and a dishtowel in his hand, and smiled.
“That sounds nice,” he said. Wakatoshi found himself smiling as well while he dug in the drawer for a takeout menu.
-
“Suga-san, I promise, I’m fine.” Tobio had to keep himself from whining as he listened to his senpai rattle on. “Really, it’s just a little cold. I’ll probably be going back to my own dorm tonight anyway. Please stop worrying.”
“Sorry, Kageyama, but can you blame me?” Sugawara asked from the other end of the phone line. “First they completely humiliate you in front of the team and send you into an existential crisis, then the next thing I know, Oikawa’s stopping by the dorm for some clothes because he’s got you in Ushiwaka’s apartment, bedridden? How am I supposed to react?” Tobio grimaced; it did sound pretty bad.
“It was my own fault though,” Tobio mumbled. “I’m the one who couldn’t wait for the storm to pass once I figured out they weren’t in your dorm.”
“Yes, and I will scold you for that when you’re feeling better,” Sugawara replied. “But since they both seem to be in perfect health, I’m still mad at them.”
“You really don’t have to be,” Tobio said. Sugawara was quiet for a moment.
“I see,” he said in the same soft voice he usually saved for when Hinata talked about Kenma, or when Tanaka or Tsukishima did something he found particularly adorable. Tobio made a face.
“Not like that,” he all but shouted. “It’s not like that.”
“Of course it isn’t.” Great. Teasing Sugawara was back. “You just let me know when it is like that, so I can start planning what I’m going to wear to the wedding.”
“Who says we would even get married?” Tobio mumbled. Sugawara laughed.
“Oh, come on, Kageyama, we all know how you feel about them,” he said. “I remember how you reacted at that lunch last week.”
“Why does everyone keep bringing that up?”
“Because it was cute. Honestly, Kageyama, if something hadn’t happened soon, I was going to resort to locking all three of you in a closet together.” Tobio shuddered at the thought. He had actually done that before, on multiple occasions.
“How did everyone know before me?” he whispered, glancing at the door to make sure Ushijima wasn’t close enough to hear. Sugawara chuckled.
“You’re not the only one out of the loop,” he said. “Neither one of them has realized how Ushiwaka feels about Oikawa. But anyway, I have to go. Practice is starting soon and I have to tell the captain why the three of you are missing. Will you be okay for now?”
“You mean besides the fact that I can’t practice?” he grumbled. Sugawara laughed.
“Well, I guess that’s one thing that’s good about this situation,” he said. “Neither one of them will let you try and play it off.” Kageyama scowled.
“Goodbye, Suga-san,” he grumbled. He hung up halfway through Sugawara’s laugh. He had just set his phone down when Oikawa came through the front door.
“Yoo-hoo!” he called. “I’m back!” He all but skipped into the bedroom with a duffel bag in his arms. “So, Tobio-chan, since your room is an absolute disaster, I wasn’t sure what was actually clean or not. So I grabbed a shirt from the dresser, but you’re gonna be stuck wearing some of my pants for now,” he said as he dug around in his bag, pulling item after item out and tossing them on the bed. There were pajamas and toiletries among books and papers and even a couple of magazines. Once they were all out, Oikawa started organizing them, humming to himself all the while.
“Oikawa-san,” Tobio said. Oikawa made a questioning noise but did not look up. “Oikawa-san, why are you being so nice to me?” Oikawa’s hands hesitated, but he still didn’t look at Tobio.
“I think we both know the answer to that question, Tobio-chan,” he said. Tobio huffed and turned to stare at the window. The sound of Oikawa’s fussing faded, and he sighed.
“I really am sorry, Tobio-chan,” he said. “I didn’t mean for you to find out like that. Actually, I didn’t mean for you to find out at all. It was supposed to be you and Ushiwaka-chan, and I was going to step aside gracefully.” Tobio turned to see him staring at a shirt, a bitter smile on his face. “Guess I can’t even do that right.”
Tobio wanted to ask. He had seen Oikawa looking insecure before. he had seen Oikawa looking nervous before. He had even seen Oikawa self-destruct before. But he had never seen Oikawa so filled with self-hatred and regret, and it tore straight through Tobio’s heart.
But Tobio was a coward. He still wasn’t sure how to talk to people who weren’t Hinata, especially people he admired as much as Oikawa. He was terrified of screwing something up.
“Okay, if you don’t need anything, I’ll leave you alone,” Oikawa said. He turned and Tobio lunged to catch him around the wrist.
“Oikawa-san,” he whispered. The rest of the sentence got lost somewhere. Oikawa sighed and slumped, still facing the door.
“I can’t do this, Tobio-chan,” he murmured. “I can’t pretend everything’s fine if you insist on not letting me run away.” Tobio tightened his hold.
“Why did you tell Ushijima-san you didn’t want to ask me out?” he asked, unsure where it was coming from. Oikawa laughed without humor. He let himself fold to the floor, crumpled against the side of the bed with his wrist still trapped in Tobio’s grip.
“Because the two of you are fucking perfect for each other,” he answered. “And there’s no place for ordinary people among geniuses.” Tobio watched the back of Oikawa’s head, wondering where Ushijima had gone.
“You know we don’t think that, right?” he asked. Oikawa sighed.
“I know,” he said. “Doesn’t make it any easier.” He stood then, and Tobio let him go.
It occurred to him that that was the most honest conversation they had ever had.
-
“Welcome back,” Sugawara greeted, and Tooru recoiled from the sarcasm in his voice. “How was your slumber party?”
“Kou-chan, how many times do I have to apologize?” Tooru asked. Suga hummed and turned the page in his magazine.
“Did you apologize to Kageyama?” he asked.
“Four times,” Tooru answered. He flopped face-first onto his bed.
“Then you’re almost halfway done with me,” Suga said. Tooru groaned into his pillow.
“It’s bad enough I fucked up their relationship,” he grumbled. “Do you really have to guilt trip me as well?”
“What do you mean, their relationship?” Tooru flinched. That was Suga’s Mama Crow voice. “Last I checked, Tooru, you were a part of all this.”
“That’s not how it works, Kou-chan,” Tooru said. “Ushiwaka and Kageyama and that’s it. I don’t have a place between them.”
“Why not?” It was so simply said that Tooru had to pause.
“You know why not!” he cried, rolling over to look at him. “Look, it’s all well and good that your relationship is so perfect, but the rest of us aren’t so lucky. Usually when two people are in love, they don’t go looking for Mr. Number Three.” He let his head fall back against the sheet. “They’re both too simple for that and we both know it.”
“I think you’re selling them short,” Suga said. “And you know full well I thought the same thing before Ryuu and Kei and I got together. So why do you really think it won’t work?”
Tooru didn’t want to answer. He didn’t want the lecture, the stare, the disapproving tension in the air between them. But Suga was glaring at him and Tooru was a weak man.
“I think they hate me,” he mumbled at last. “They have good reason to hate me.”
“Wow,” Suga commented. Tooru glanced up to see him turned back to his magazine, utterly nonchalant. “Iwaizumi was right. You really are the densest brick ever to live.”
“Thanks,” Tooru muttered. He rolled onto his side, facing away from Suga and closed his eyes. If he slept long enough, maybe he would wake up to find that this was all just a cruel dream.
It wasn’t.
When Tooru woke up a couple hours later, it wasn’t to a new reality where everything was fine and he hadn’t fucked up the precarious friendships he had maintained with the two men he was trying so hard not to be in love with. Rather, it was to the sound of Sugawara giggling and a deep, adorably confused voice shushing him.
Tooru bit back a groan and tried to be subtle in the way he pulled his pillow a little more firmly over his head.
“Oh, great, you’re awake,” Suga called. Tooru cursed under his breath. “Kageyama came by to return some of the clothes you lent him.”
Tooru pushed himself upright with a groan. He’d been doing a lot of groaning today. When he finally looked up, he had to stop himself from staring at Kageyama, his hair mussed and his cheeks red with something other than a fever.
“Thanks, Tobio-chan,” he muttered. A glance at the dresser found his shirt and two pairs of sweats folded neatly on top. “You didn’t have to bring them by, you know. I could’ve just gotten them from you at practice.” Kageyama opened his mouth to answer, but Suga cut him off.
“Aw, but if he hadn’t come, then who knows when my next chance to talk to you both would have been!” he crowed. “I have so much to tell Kageyama, after all, so many insights into the minds of the team’s two best players” Tooru glared at him and he grinned back.
“Tobio-chan, whatever he’s told you is a lie,” he growled. Suga snorted.
“I actually have to get to class,” Kageyama stammered. He stood and gave them both a short, awkward bow.
“Always a pleasure, Kageyama,” Suga called as Kageyama turned tail and fled the room. Silence reigned for a moment in the wake of the closing door. Tooru broke it by screeching and throwing a pillow at his roommate.
“What the fuck was that?” he shouted. Sugawara threw his head back and laughed.
“Oh my god, you looked so afraid,” he wheezed. “What did you think I would tell him? How could I possibly embarrass you more than you have yourself?” Tooru gesticulated angrily, unable to get his words across. Finally, he gave up and fell back onto the bed. Sugawara chuckled. Tooru listened to the rustling as Suga climbed out of his bed and crossed the room. He crawled up next to Tooru and settled a hand in his hair.
“Kou-chan,” he whined. Sugawara patted his head gently.
“You’ll be okay,” he murmured.
“Promise?” Tooru asked. Sugawara hummed.
“I mean, if you ever break Kageyama’s heart, I’m coming after you and strangling you with your own dick, but otherwise, yeah.” Tooru smiled despite himself.
“Thanks, Kou-chan,” he muttered. “I knew I could count on you.”
-
The first practice after Kageyama recovered was the most awkward of Wakatoshi’s life. Normally he could let it slide right off of him - if he even noticed it in the first place - but today was a new story. He wasn’t used to having, well.
Feelings.
It was more Oikawa’s domain, really. Wakatoshi would have been more than happy to hand them off to him and be done with the whole thing. But.
Kageyama was honestly adorable. He seemed to be trying to make up for missing two practices by working twice as hard today. And not just at setting. He asked more questions, offered more compliments, even ran more laps and did more warmup stretches than anyone else. Wakatoshi couldn’t help but smile.
And then a high, carefree giggle echoed from the other side of the gym and Wakatoshi found himself staring at Oikawa. He had his head thrown back and his eyes closed and his nose scrunched the way he did whenever his laugh was genuine and not one of the forced ones he put on for a crowd. Wakatoshi wondered when he had noticed the difference.
He was talking to the other manager, a flippant girl with long black hair and almost the exact same eyes as him. She snickered at the display and shoved him in the shoulder and Wakatoshi’s chest ached.
He frowned. That was the sort of reaction he had gotten used to having around Kageyama, not Oikawa. Oikawa was a good player and possibly a friend at his very best. At less than that he was a confusing nuisance that Wakatoshi put up with simply for his skill on the court. So why did he suddenly feel so angry at Umeno-san for making Oikawa laugh?
With a shake of the head to clear his thoughts, Wakatoshi returned to the court and lined up a serve.
-
“So then the snake lunged at it like fwap! and I thought it was gonna get it, but then-”
“Hinata.” On the other line, Hinata fell silent at Tobio’s outburst. He mumbled a ‘sorry’ and waited for him to pick up the story again.
“Kageyama-kun, what’s wrong?” Hinata asked instead. “You’re acting all, I dunno, snappy. But not like normal, more like before. When we were first years.”
“We are first years,” Tobio pointed out. Hinata huffed.
“First years in high school,” he corrected. “Point is, you’re acting all grumpy and awkward, like before. What gives?” Tobio frowned to himself.
“Have you ever had a crush on someone?” he asked. Too late, he realized his mistake.
“KAGEYAMA TOBIO, ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU LIKE SOMEONE?” Hinata shouted. Tobio swore.
“No, dumbass!” he shouted back. “I’m asking about something else that happened to me. Will you fucking listen?”
“Uh-huh,” Hinata chirped. “Tell me all about your crush.” Tobio sighed sharply and let it go.
“I’m asking because someone has a crush on me,” he said. Hinata was silent for a moment.
“…Why?”
“If I knew, do you think I’d be asking you about it, dumbass?” Tobio snapped. “And actually, it’s two people. I heard them arguing over who should ask me out.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Hinata said quickly. “But, like, why?”
“I DON’T KNOW!” Tobio roared. “Are you going to listen or what?”
“Okay, go ahead.”
Tobio pinched the bridge of his nose and fell onto his back, cradling the phone between his ear and the pillow. “So they were just talking at first, at practice, and then they started getting louder, and next thing I know, they’re both yelling at each other to confess to me. So I ran. And then Tsukishima came to my dorm to give me advice. So I went over to one of their apartments to call them on it, except I got lost and it was raining, so I spent two days at their place while they both fussed over me.”
“Tsukishima gave you advice?” Hinata asked incredulously. “Oh, wait, I get it! This was a dream!”
“It was not, you idiot!” Tobio cried. “It actually happened and I have no fucking idea what to do about it, and I knew coming to you for advice was stupid!” Hinata giggled, then fell serious.
“Okay, so, do you like either of them back?” he asked. “Wait, they’re on the team right? Do I know them?” Tobio didn’t answer, which he supposed in hindsight was answer enough. “OH MY GOD,” Hinata shrieked. “I DO, DON’T I?”
“No!” Hinata giggled loud and shrill.
“If you don’t tell me, I’m going to have to guess,” he threatened.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Tobio snarled.
“Let’s see, it’s not Suga-san,” Hinata said. “Who else do I know on your team? The old captain from Jozenji, the loud one with the tongue piercing, he’s there, right? Then a couple of people from Dateko, but I know it’s not Aone. Who else is there?”
“Please stop listing people.”
“Well, Oikawa and Ushiwaka, and one of Ushiwaka’s friends, the annoying one with the dumb hair-”
“You’re one to talk.”
“Come on, Kageyama-kun!” Hinata whined. “I really don’t want to pull up a roster from your school’s website. Just tell me who it is! Did I at least list them already?”
“Maybe,” Tobio muttered.
“I did! Okay. Who would be dumb enough to get a crush on you?”
“If I tell you, will you stop?” Tobio asked. Hinata hummed.
“Probably not,” he admitted. “But if you don’t tell me, I won’t give any advice and I’ll start searching. And I’ll tell Yamaguchi. And he’ll probably ask Tsukishima, so I’ll find out either way.” Tobio sighed and closed his eyes.
“It’s Oikawa-san and Ushijima-san,” he said.
“No, seriously,” Hinata insisted. “Who is it?”
“I just told you, dumbass!” Tobio shouted.
“Wait, really?” Hinata’s voice grew softer, almost contemplative, if he was capable of something like that. “They’re probably the last people I would’ve thought. I thought they had crushes on each other.”
“I thought so too,” Tobio admitted. “That’s why I didn’t-” he cut himself off, praying Hinata didn’t hear that slip. But of course,
“Why you didn’t what, Kageyama-kun?” he asked, and Tobio could hear the smirk in his voice. “Didn’t make a move? Didn’t let yourself hope outside of the fantasies you indulge yourself with in the dead of night, when no one is around to see how much you’re blushing while you think of them, holding doors open and taking your hand and pressing sweet, gentle kisses to your-”
“You’ve been spending too much time around Yachi-san,” Tobio accused. Hinata sighed dreamily.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “She and Yamaguchi and I went to a park yesterday for a picnic.”
“Please, do not tell me about it,” Tobio groaned.
“Oh, I won’t,” Hinata chirped. “Not yet, anyway. Not until we sort out your own sorry love life. So, back to my original question. Do you like either of them back?”
“No.”
“You’re lying, Kageyama-kun.”
“No I’m not.”
“If you say so. Because people who don’t like other people are totally this worried when both of their crushes accidentally admit to liking them back.” Hinata sounded far too smug for Tobio’s taste.
“Okay, so maybe I like them,” he mumbled. “So what? Fact is they like each other.”
“Yeah, and they also like you,” Hinata said. “So what’s the problem?”
“You’re really asking me that?” Tobio muttered. “The problem is, who would want to go out with me?”
“Well, obviously, Oikawa and Ushiwaka,” Hinata pointed out. “Kageyama-kun, you don’t have to keep beating yourself up. You’re awkward and dense, but that doesn’t mean you’re a bad person.”
“I’m hanging up,” Tobio said. “You’re being nice to me. Something’s clearly wrong.”
“Nah, I’ve just been spending too much time around Yacchan,” Hinata said. “But I do have to go soon. You gonna be okay?”
“I’ll be fine, moron,” he grumbled.
“You’re a moron,” Hinata returned.
“Whatever. At least I’m not a shrimp!”
“Hey, I grew! I’m almost 170 centimeters now!”
“Good night, shrimp.”
“Good night, idiot.”
Tobio hung up, not feeling much better than he had when he first dialed. What Hinata had said rattled around his mind, crashing into the neatly structured pillars of what he already knew. He dropped his phone on the night stand and stood to gather his shorts and a fresh shirt, hoping that a nice hard run would help to clear his mind a bit.
-
Tooru loved running. He loved the wind in his hair and the burning in his lungs and the ache in his legs. He could do without the strain on his knee, but as long as he stuck with his doctor and coach’s recommendations he was just fine. He was just turning up his favorite path when a familiar shock of black hair caught his eye.
“Umeno-chan!” he called, speeding up to come alongside her. “You running away from your gay thoughts too?” Umeno slowed and grinned at him.
“Tooru, darling,” she simpered, “I have no idea what you’re insinuating.”
“Too bad,” Tooru hummed. “I was looking for someone to gossip and vent with, but if all your problems are solved, then I guess I’ll be on my way…” He started to turn up another foot path, only to yelp and stumble a few steps when she grabbed him by the elbow and tugged him back.
“Alright, spill,” she said. Tooru grinned.
“Oh, no,” he said. “I’m not going first.”
“Good. I don’t really want to listen to you complain about Kageyama-kun and, who, Ushijima?” she asked. Tooru pouted.
“I never told you their names for a reason,” he grumbled. She snorted.
“You’re kind of obvious,” she said. “And it’s not like the whole team heard you the other day or anything.” Tooru winced. “Come on,” she said, slapping him on the shoulder. “If you confess - actually confess - to both of them, then I’ll ask Hana-chan out.”
“Will you really?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. They split to allow a biker to pass between them. “I don’t know if I trust you.”
“Scout’s honor,” she deadpanned. “No, seriously. If you can pull your head out of your ass and work up the guts to talk to those idiots, then I can do anything. I can become the queen of America.”
“I don’t think America has a queen,” Tooru commented.
“That’s the point,” she huffed. “You’re too much of a coward to say anything and everyone knows it.” Tooru knew what she was doing, but that didn’t stop him from gritting his teeth and glaring straight ahead.
“Fine,” he spat. “Fine, I’ll ask them out.”
“I want proof,” she said. “Actual, viable proof, not like the ufo pictures you keep showing me.”
“Those are real photos of actual ufos!” he cried. She shook her head and turned them onto another path.
“Those were satellites taken from a phone camera,” she said. “And a pigeon. Not definitive proof of extraterrestrial life, Tooru.”
“I don’t have to take this from you,” he whined. “I have Iwa-chan and Kou-chan to insult me, you know.”
“And yet, here I am, dealing with your problems,” she said. “Anyway, you should turn back. We’re almost a mile from your dorm, and you know the rules.” Tooru let out a wordless whine, but did as he was told and left her at the next intersection.
He had a confession to plan, after all.
-
Wakatoshi was stepping out of the bathroom, a towel thrown over his head when a series of knocks shook his front door. He padded over and opened it to reveal Oikawa, fist still raised to continue his assault.
“What can I do for you?” he asked. Oikawa was frozen, staring at Wakatoshi’s chest. Wakatoshi shrugged and stepped aside to let Oikawa in. He scooped up a shirt as Oikawa meandered into the living room, tugging it over his head and grimacing when it stuck to his still-wet skin.
“I want it to be understood that I am doing this against my will,” Oikawa said as he took his usual spot in Wakatoshi’s armchair. “I’ve been dared to do this, at the risk of my honor and the happiness of a dear friend. If it were up to me, I would be taking this information to my grave.” Wakatoshi tried not to smile at the display. Oikawa was pouting, arms crossed like a kid’s as he curled in Wakatoshi’s chair. He looked cute there, like he belonged, grumpy in the early morning like he had been after the night Kageyama had spent.
“Understood,” Wakatoshi said. He settled into the couch, facing Oikawa with his legs stretched out along the cushions. “What do you need from me?”
“I need you to sit there and pretend I’m not saying anything,” he mumbled.
“Oikawa.”
“Just give me a minute, okay?” Oikawa shrieked. “I’m working up to it.” Wakatoshi was silent, waiting placidly for Oikawa to continue.
“Okay,” he said, running a hand through his hair and mussing the curls. “Okay. I can do this.” He looked up at Wakatoshi with a glint in his eyes. “I have had a massive crush on you since halfway through our first year here, and since then it has only grown into something unmanageable and utterly demoralizing. I wished for this crush to go unnoticed and un-acted upon, but the forces of the universe have conspired against me. The plan was for you and Kageyama to get together and live happily ever after while I faded to the background with twelve cats and a tub of ice cream. But you and Tobio-chan have been less than helpful in this, so now I am reduced to spilling my feelings to you, and while I don’t expect any sort of favorable response, I will never hear the end of it if I don’t get any response at all. So. Go.”
Wakatoshi stared at him. He had said all of that in one breath and now he was watching Wakatoshi, unmoving. Wakatoshi knew he wouldn’t let this go until he got what he wanted, so he tried to put his feelings in order as quickly as possible.
“I was… unaware you felt that way,” he said at last. Oikawa snorted.
“That was kind of the point, Ushiwaka-chan,” he muttered. He looked away at last, glaring at the arm of his chair, but his hands were fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.
“I will need more time to process in order to give you a proper response,” Wakatoshi said, “but I am not unaccepting of your feelings. I simply do not yet know if I will be able to reciprocate them.”
Oikawa looked up and studied him the same way he studied their opponents on the court. Wakatoshi felt very small under his gaze, a sensation he could never remember encountering before. Then he smiled, something small and meek and utterly unlike anything he had come to expect from Oikawa.
“I guess that’s the best I’m going to get,” he said. “Thanks for trying, at least. I know I kind of dumped this on you.” With that he unfolded himself from the chair and stood. On his way out the door he paused to run his fingers through Wakatoshi’s hair, looking down at him with that same tiny smile the entire time. Then he and the touch and the smile were gone and Wakatoshi was alone.
-
Tobio was trying not to wither under Sugawara and Tsukishima’s glares when someone knocked on his door. Tsukishima rose to answer it with a sharp command that he continue working on his worksheet, on pain of dismemberment. Not wanting to face the blond terror’s wrath - again - he kept his face bent to his work.
“Glasses-chan?” asked Oikawa’s voice from the doorway. “What are you doing in Tobio-chan’s room?”
“Helping him study,” Tsukishima answered. “Or, you know. As close to studying as he gets.”
“Oh.” Was it just Tobio, or did Oikawa sound disappointed? “Well, if he’s busy, I’ll come back another time.”
“It’s fine,” Sugawara called from his spot draped across Tobio’s doubled bed. “Come on in, Tooru.”
“Kou-chan, you’re here too?” Oikawa’s voice was closer now, and Tobio realized he had no idea what the question on the page was asking him. He heard the rustle of fabric as Oikawa flopped onto the bed next to Sugawara. “Geez, how many people does it take to make sure Tobio-chan does his homework?”
“Assuming his volleyball career isn’t in immediate danger?” Sugawara asked. “Two. What’re you here for?”
“I’m here to win a bet,” Oikawa answered. “For which I need privacy with Tobio-chan. So really, I should come back later.”
“Stay,” Tsukishima said. “He’s not getting anything done anyway, so Koushi and I might as well leave for the night. Ryuu wanted to take us out to dinner anyway.” Tobio looked up to find Tsukishima gathering his things into his bag. Confused, he set his pencil down and glanced back at Sugawara.
“Okay, make sure you get that turned in, Kageyama,” Sugawara said as he stood and stretched his arms above his head. With a wave and a ruffle of his hair, they were one, shutting the door behind them and leaving him alone with Oikawa.
“So,” Oikawa hummed. He twisted his hands in the hem of his shirt.
“What do you need, Oikawa-san?” he asked. Oikawa flinched and stared at his lap.
“I wasn’t lying about the bet,” Oikawa said. “Umeno-chan bet I wouldn’t talk to you about this. But the thing is, you already know, and you haven’t said anything, so I don’t want to be that guy beating a dead horse.”
“Oikawa-san?”
“I like you, Tobio-chan,” Oikawa blurted. “I would even say I love you, maybe. But I like Ushiwaka-chan too, and he likes you, and I have no idea how you feel about either of us. And I told Ushiwaka-chan how I felt today, but I realized I never told you how I felt about him, and I was just going to write you another letter, but that wouldn’t be fair to you, so I figured it would only be fair to come here, and god I’m babbling again.” Tobio couldn’t help it. He laughed.
“Sorry,” he gasped, clutching his sides. He bit his lip to try to get some semblance of control. “Sorry, I’ve just never seen you this flustered, Oikawa-san.”
“You used to be cute, Tobio-chan,” Oikawa huffed. Tobio smiled for a moment, before it slipped off his face.
“I don’t know how to answer that,” he said.
“I figured you wouldn’t,” Oikawa answered. “At very least, I don’t want to do anything more until we can all three sit down and talk.” He stood and ruffled Tobio’s hair. “Anyway, that’s my end of the bet held up, so unless you have a burning desire to sit and talk about our feelings until the sun comes up, I’ll get out of your hair.”
He was gone before Tobio could answer.
Tobio turned around so he was sitting properly at his desk and frowned at the worksheet in front of him. He still had no idea what the question was asking of him, but now it wasn’t the only one.
-
Tooru stood in the shower, watching the soapy water swirl down the drain. He snorted at the thought of his own inadequacies and the memory of all the things he had said today. He slammed his fist into the wall, only vaguely registering the crack that was either his knuckles or the tile shattering.
-
It was Kageyama who approached Wakatoshi. They both had a habit of arriving early to practice, a habit normally shared by Oikawa who was, unsurprisingly, nowhere to be found. Kageyama strode up to Wakatoshi with a grim set to his jaw, and Wakatoshi was proud of himself for picking up the difference.
“Oikawa-san said he talked to you,” Kageyama said without preamble. Wakatoshi nodded. “So all that’s left is for you and I to talk.” He looked less than thrilled about the concept. Wakatoshi smiled humorlessly.
“Neither of us are very skilled at it,” he agreed. Kageyama cracked a smile, and Wakatoshi’s chest did that thing it had been doing lately, the thing where it tightened and grew warm even though he knew there was nothing physically wrong with him. He frowned and looked down at the ball in his hand. “Toss for me?” he offered.
Kageyama looked relieved. He gave a short nod and moved into position by the net. Wakatoshi tossed the ball high above his head and started forward. The ball hit Kageyama’s fingertips and he sent it in a gorgeous arc, high and away from the net, exactly where Wakatoshi preferred it. He drew back his left arm and swung, connecting to the ball with a sound like a gunshot. It rocketed to the other side of the court and smashed into the floor just inside the far corner. Wakatoshi nodded in satisfaction.
“I guess that’s all there is to it, then,” he said. Kageyama smiled and passed him another ball.
“I guess so,” he agreed.
-
“So let me get this straight,” Oikawa huffed, standing over them while they stretched. “Not only do the two of you actually experience normal human emotion, but you hit one good spike and suddenly you’ve got it all sorted out?”
“Not all of it,” Tobio answered, pressing his chest to his thighs. “We still need your input.”
“Oh, no you don’t, Tobio-chan,” Oikawa sneered. “I’ve already given you both enough unsolicited input. I get to hear what’s actually going on here before I tell either of you anything.” Tobio looked at Ushijima, who shrugged.
“We’ve already told you everything, though,” he said. “Kageyama and I have sorted out our own positions. But we have yet to hear anything other than emotion from you. Not what you are willing and unwilling to do about all of this.” Tobio nodded and fell onto his back. He crossed one leg over to the opposite side of his body and waited.
“I don’t get it, Ushiwaka-chan,” Oikawa sighed. “What exactly do you want from me?”
“We want to know if you only want to date one of us,” Tobio explained, “or if you’d be okay dating both.” Oikawa was silent, and Tobio didn’t have to look to know he was wearing the same dumbfounded expression he’d had the first time Tobio and Hinata had pulled off their quick in front of him.
“I’m sorry, what?” he hissed. Tobio blinked and craned his neck to look up at him.
“We’re both fine with whatever answer you give,” he explained. “So just say the word.” Oikawa ran his hands through his hair and laughed without any mirth.
“Oh my god, you’re a couple of morons,” he laughed. “It doesn’t work like that, don’t you get it? You don’t just decide to be with two people at the same time like that!”
“I don’t see why not,” Tobio said, letting his head fall back and switching legs. “It worked for Suga-san and Tanaka-san and Tsukishima.”
“Yeah, but they’re different,” Oikawa dismissed.
“How so?” asked Ushijima.
“They just are!” Oikawa shouted. “Kou-chan is perfect and gets everything he wants because he deserves it.”
“So then you think you do not deserve both of us,” Ushijima said. “Do you think you deserve one or the other?” Tobio thought it was a valid question, but the way Oikawa snorted told him otherwise.
“Do you think if I did I would’ve tried so hard to set the two of you up?” he asked.
“That was before,” Tobio pointed out. “But now everything’s out in the open, why not?” Oikawa fell silent again, and Tobio could hear the gears turning in his head, the pressure building higher and higher until all at once he stamped his foot and snorted.
“Fine!” he shouted. “But the two of you had better take me on one hell of a first date.”
“Is tomorrow night acceptable?” Ushijima asked.
“Perfect,” Oikawa growled.
“We will be at your dorm at seven o’clock.”
“Wonderful.”
“Dress warmly.”
“Will do.”
With those final words, Oikawa turned on his heel and stormed out. Tobio sat up to look at Ushijima, who glanced at him and snorted before bursting into desperate laughter. Tobio found he had no choice but to follow suit.
-
Tooru had literally no idea what to expect when he heard the knock on his door the next day. He launched himself across the room, trying to be the first one there, but Suga beat him out. He opened the door with a grin plastered across his face.
“Kageyama-kun! Ushijima-kun! How wonderful to see you!” he cried. Tooru shoved him out of the way and slipped into the hall, slamming the door shut behind him. He could hear Sugawara cackling.
“Good evening, Oikawa,” Ushijima said. Tooru groaned and let his head fall against the door.
“Hi, Ushiwaka,” he said. “Hi, Tobio-chan. Please tell me we can go without making small talk with the demon in there.” He listened to the awkward shuffling and opened his eyes at last. Ushijima and Kageyama looked… nice, for all that they had both clearly tried too hard. Kageyama’s hair was slicked back awkwardly and Ushijima was wearing an uncomfortable-looking sweater vest rather than his usual t shirt and sweats, but they still managed to look good. Kageyama was holding a bunch of corner store flowers. Despite himself, Tooru felt a smile creep across his face. “You brought me flowers,” he said softly. Kageyama nodded and pushed them into Tooru’s arms.
Tooru stared at them, wondering just how mortifying it would be to carry them around with him. He couldn’t get rid of them without hurting the others’ feelings - and if he was being honest, his own as well - but he very much did not want to open the door behind him. Still, it was a conspicuous display for all that it was inexpensive.
“Are you ready to go?” Ushijima asked. Tooru shook his head, face half-hidden by the flowers.
“Just let me put these inside,” he said. Turning quickly to hide his grimace, he darted into the room. “If I hear one word out of you, Kou-chan,” he said without turning his head as he made his way single-minded over to his desk, “I will tell everyone on the team about that karaoke party we had last year.” He dropped the flowers and turned on his heel and stormed past a scandalized Sugawara and was out the door before more than a few seconds had passed. He shut and locked it behind himself quickly then gestured for them to lead the way.
“Where are we going?” he asked as they filed single-file down the hall. They hesitated, and from his place between them he could see the tips of Kageyama’s ears go read.
“There’s this diner a couple of blocks away,” he said. “It’s not much, but the food is good, and it’s not too loud or crowded.” If Tooru didn’t know any better, he’d say there was shame tinging Kageyama’s voice. A part of Tooru wanted to tease him for it, but-
But he could see just how much effort the two of them had put into this date. Something about the whole thing felt… earnest, so Tooru kept his mouth shut.
Once they were out of Tooru’s dorm building they each of them moved to walk at his side. Tooru found himself flushing, unsure what to do with his hands or where to look. At last, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared straight ahead.
It was a nice day out, and Tooru had to admit that the company did not lessen that in the slightest. In fact, he almost found himself enjoying the presence of the boys on either side of him more than he did the birds singing or the sun warming his shoulders or the gentle breeze ruffling his hair.
Almost.
He had a reputation to uphold, after all.
They turned up a bustling street and Ushijima stepped in front and Kageyama behind, so that they didn’t take up the entire sidewalk. Tooru was a little disappointed, but he brushed it off when he saw where they were taking him.
It was a shabby little western-style diner, popular among the students at the university for its cheap prices and good food. Tooru himself had never been here, but he had heard about it from the team. It occurred to him that this was why Kageyama had been embarrassed, because they hadn’t been able to take him somewhere nicer. He resolved himself to make it up to him, to put his mind at ease somehow. There was really nowhere Tooru would rather be.
They were taken to a secluded booth in the back corner by a fresh-faced waitress who blushed at the sight of them and scurried away. Tooru squashed the urge to flirt with her and fluster her more, turning his attention instead to the boys siting across from him.
“I’ve never been here,” he said, breaking the stiff silence at last as he picked up the menu. “I’ve heard their soups are really good.”
“I haven’t tried any of the soups,” Ushijima said.
“Let me guess, you’re more of a burger man?” Tooru teased. Ushijima bit his lip as pink dusted across his cheeks. He muttered something under his breath. “What was that?” Tooru asked.
“The fried steak,” he said, a little louder. Tooru chuckled.
“That makes sense,” he said. “It suits you.” Ushijima blushed harder.
“What’s a bacon barbecue chili cheese dog?” Kageyama asked, tripping over the English name. Tooru laughed.
“Picture the most American hotdog you can,” he said, “And then add twice the American to it.” Even Ushijima snorted at that. Kageyama’s shoulders relaxed and a sort of ease fell over them.
Conversation flowed freely after that. Tooru had worried that things would be awkward and stilted between them, and he supposed that compared to other people they were. But he found himself enjoying his dates’ awkward speech, even coaxing a couple of jokes each out of them. By the time they had finished their meals and he was offering to pay for dessert, Tooru found himself wondering what they could do for a second date.
They were walking back to campus when Tooru felt the first tentative touch at his wrist. He glanced to his right to see Kageyama blushing and staring at his shoes while he hooked a finger around one of Tooru’s. Tooru smiled and twined their fingers more securely, reaching out with his other hand to do the same with Ushijima. He spent the rest of the walk grinning to himself and not caring if anyone else saw it or not.