Chapter Text
Friday
It’s a perfectly normal Friday, twenty minutes after your lunch break has ended, when you look up from your work and realize that you might never find a guy.
It’s not the most shocking revelation you’ve ever had in your life, for sure, but it stings enough that you take a minute to consider it.
Is it true? Or is your brain just playing a trick on you?
“You good?”
You raise your head to find Tadashi standing next to your desk, two cups of coffee in his hands. “You were staring into the distance. I thought you might have finally lost it.”
“Might have,” you agree, taking one of the cups from him. “Or maybe I just cracked the last secret of the universe.”
“Which is?”
“Why we’re still single.”
He blushes. “It’s not a secret,” he whines. “You know I’m shy.”
You snort. “True.” You could say more, but you don’t want him to think you actually care about it. About yourself, that is.
“Tsukki texted, by the way,” Tadashi adds when you fall silent again. “There’s a party tonight. Do you wanna come?”
“Did he extend the invitation to me, or are you just desperate to have company?”
“Well-”
You shake your head. “No, I’m fine. I’ll stay home.”
“No, please,” Tadashi puts his cup on your desk and folds his hands in front of his face. “I’ll even go down on my knees. Please come with.”
“Give me one good reason.”
“We can stand in the corner and judge everyone else?”
“Wow, that’s so much different from my everyday life, I think I’ll take it.”
Tadashi pouts. “Don’t use sarcasm on me. Just come, please? I bet it will be fun.”
It won’t. You know it won’t. But Tadashi knows you’re way too soft when it comes to him. Or, more accurately, his best friend.
-
“Tsukishima,” you greet him with a nod, well aware that the guy hates touch about as much as you. “Long time no see.”
“We met last Sunday,” he reminds you. “You were at my game.”
“Didn’t know you noticed me.” You’re trying to make it sound light, teasing, but it just sounds flat. And grumpy. So, in essence, like you.
“Kinda hard not to. You were wearing green again.”
Flustered, you try to explain the reasoning behind it. Tadashi had bought the hideous green monstrosity of a scarf last week, unable to say no to the lady selling her knitting projects near the place you went for lunch. And since you always run cold and he doesn’t, it seemed like a no-brainer to wrap you in it for the first official Sendai Frog Game of the Season.
“Ah,” Tsukishima nods. “Well, you’re here now, anyway.”
You swallow your words. God. You’re usually not prone to feeling embarrassed, but Tsukishima does it every single time.
Tadashi is convinced he likes you. He’s the reason you even know him. Speaking of Tadashi…
“Did Hinata text you?” Tadashi put eyeliner on.
You’re too focused on the unfamiliar sight to get what he’s talking about. His eyes are huge .
“Course he did. I said I’d pick him up.”
“Oh, that’s nice, Tsukki.”
“It’s not nice,” Tsukishima tells him off. “I’m not doing it to be nice. We’ve got stuff to talk about, that’s all.” He pushes his hands in the pockets of his jacket and straightens. “Whatever. Are we going to be staying here, or are we going to the party?” His eyes cut over to you. “I assume you’re coming along?”
“I don’t have to.”
“No, it’s fine.” He nods in the direction you’re supposed to go. “That way, at least one decent conversation is guaranteed.”
He turns without another word. Tadashi nudges your side, grinning.
You know what he’s thinking. See?! I told you Tsukki likes you.
You wish you could be as convinced of it as he is, because Tsukishima Kei is really freaking gorgeous.
-
You will never get used to seeing Tsukishima flirt.
The girl is roughly your age, though it’s hard to tell with the dimmed lights.
You can’t hear what they’re talking about, not that you think you want to know.
Tsukishima is leaning into her, using his height to his advantage. She doesn’t seem to mind.
Now he’s cocking his head to the side, and that smile - a shiver runs down your back.
The girl says something, and he laughs, the sound cutting through the chatter.
“You okay?” Tadashi nudges your shoulder with his. “You’re staring.”
“I’m resting my eyes,” you reply, taking a sip from your beer. “Didn’t you know I can sleep with my eyes open?”
“And here I thought you were watching Tsukki.”
“Why?” You ask, still staring at the blonde, “Is he doing something interesting?”
“Flirting,” Tadashi says, sounding way too cheerful for a guy who hasn’t been able to strike up a conversation all night. You know, because you’d been by his side through it all.
“Is he succeeding?”
Tadashi falls quiet. You blink, as if you hadn’t been focused on the show before.
Across from you, the girl touches her throat and nods towards the kitchen, and Tsukishima, who’s gotten the hint, nods and moves away from her, coming your way.
He has the decency to look a little flustered as he reaches you, though you don’t have the strength to tease him about it.
“Enjoying the night?” Tadashi has fewer qualms about it, it seems.
“Sure,” Tsukishima pushes his hands into the pockets of his trousers. “What about you?”
“I feel like the drunk aunt at a children’s birthday party,” you blurt out. “One of your classmates called me Aunty.”
Tsukishima laughs, the sound sharp and familiar. “That’s what you get for furrowing your brows so much. Do you need anything from the kitchen?”
You shake your head. Tadashi lifts the bottle of beer he’d gotten minutes ago. Tsukishima nods and leaves again, and you turn, determined not to watch the guy walk away.
“Let’s leave.”
Tadashi gives you a fake smile. “But we’re having so much fun!”
“Sarcasm doesn’t suit you, Tadashi.”
He does a weird mix of a frown and a pout. “Shouldn’t we tell Tsukki?”
“We’ll text him on the way out.”
-
“I’m sorry the party was shit,” Tadashi apologizes on the way down the street, the bass still haunting you. “I wouldn’t have dragged you here if I’d known better.”
“Yeah, you would have,” you disagree, nudging his shoulder with your own. “But it’s okay. You deal with my grump at work, I can deal with your overbearing optimism.”
He laughs. “You think I’m an optimist? Wait till you meet Hinata.”
“No, please. Don’t make me get to know another one of your friends. I’m still working through the trauma from last time.”
He cringes. “Sorry. I didn’t know Nishinoya would hit on you.”
You shrug. “That wasn’t the worst part. But it’s kinda telling that the only guys hitting on me are the ones that start doing push-ups in the middle of a busy restaurant.”
“He was building up nerve, I think,” Tadashi laughs. “He used to do that during plays, too.”
You shrug once more, falling silent as Tadashi reminisces on his high school days.
“And then you met me,” you add when he falls quiet again.
“And then I met you.” Awkwardly, he puts his arm around your shoulders, squeezing you for a quarter of a second before letting go. “Thanks for always coming along even though you hate it.”
“It’s fine,” you push your hands into the pockets of your jacket, glad that Tadashi has no idea you’ve secretly been crushing on his best friend ever since you met him.
-
“H-hi, m-my name is Yamaguchi Tadashi. I am looking forward to working with you.”
Your father nudges you. You grimace. He nudges you again.
Soon, the group disperses. You make your way over to the tall guy with the freckles.
“Hi,” you stare at his shoulder, unable to bear too much eye contact. “You’re going to be on my team first.”
“Oh, thanks for coming over. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Sure,” you nod, risking it to look up and regretting it right away. He looks far too trusting to work the help desk. “If you need help-” You trail off.
“I can come to you?” He tries to finish your sentence.
“Oh, please don’t,” you answer on reflex, cringing right away. “I mean, you can, but it’s at your own risk.” You cringe some more, feeling someone shift behind you.
“What she means,” your father explains, “is that you can come to her for help, but you’ll have to deal with her grump.”
“I’m not grumpy,” you hiss, trying to kick him.
“She’s got no people skills.”
“I have,” you insist. “I do!” You direct at Tadashi. “They’re just… hidden somewhere.”
He laughs, open and wide, his freckles on full display. “It’s fine,” he replies easily. “I can deal with some grump. You should see my best friend.”
“Good,” your father pats him on the shoulder. “Knew I could trust you with her.”
“Excuse me? I’ve been working with you for years. Don’t act like he’s now the one training me.”
But he’s already leaving you behind. Tadashi sends you an apologetic smile.
“You like it here?” He asks, probably trying to make small talk.
“No, I hate it.” You grunt. “What’s better than having to explain to some CEO with a midlife crisis why his phone conked out on him?”
“I don’t know. What’s better?”
“Haven’t found it yet,” you admit, nodding towards your desk. “Enough small talk. I’ll show you the ropes.”
- - -
Monday
“You’re fidgeting,” you point out, looking over.
Tadashi clamps his mouth shut and puts his hands under his thighs.
You roll your eyes. “Just spit it out.”
“Your Dad’s taking me with him on a sales trip.”
“Congratulations. At least it’s not me.”
“I was supposed to pick up Hinata.”
You furrow your brows. “Who?”
“Old classmate. We talked about him on Friday, remember?”
The only thing you remember is Tadashi’s black lined eyes and that almost sultry smile on Tsukishima’s lips, directed at someone else. You grunt.
“Well, Tsukki can’t pick him up because training is running over, so I said I’d do it, but your Dad told me he’s taking me today, and I already missed the last sales trip because your lunch gave me diarrhea.”
You cock your head to the side. “You want me to pick him up?”
“No, no, I’m not saying you should; those things are not related to each other.”
You roll your eyes. “You can just say it. Please, my favorite coworker in the whole world, can you pick up one of my weird former Classmates and deliver him to my best friend?”
Tadashi smiles. “Would you, though?”
You huff. “I would. But you've got to ask, you know.”
“Fine,” he slides onto the floor, kneeling now. “Will you, my favorite coworker of all time, pick up one of my friends?”
You sigh. “I will. Get up. My Dad’s going to think you’re proposing to me otherwise.”
“No, he knows I’m not your type.”
“A shame, really.” You reach out to pinch his cheek. “One day, you’re going to find the perfect mean girl to marry and you can be the her stay-at-home husband.”
-
Texting Tsukishima always feels like taking your finals.
Your heart is in your throat as you type, and you reread it three times, wondering how you can manage to sound so bland in three short sentences.
Where’s the sass you usually manage to deal out? Or at least a sizeable portion of grump?
You : Picking up the short redhead. Going to deliver him to you. Anything else?
Tsukishima : No, that’s all.
You put your phone away, resisting the urge to check if Tsukishima has added anything else. He never does.
You’re a little early, though you had taken the chance of getting out of work early to pick up coffee on the way here.
The weekend had been rainy and cold, and although the rain has stopped for the time being, there’s still a chill in the air.
You wrap your hands around the paper cup, wishing once more that you had stayed in the warmth of your car when the train comes in.
For a moment, there’s chaos everywhere. Families push by you, and someone almost trips you with a suitcase. But just as quickly as it has come, the chaos clears away, leaving only a few people milling around. You lift on your tiptoes to get a better view.
Tadashi had sent you Hinata’s contact, but his profile picture is just a pretty sunset from a nondescript beach. All you know about him is that he’s not that tall and redhaired, though that does not help you mu- Wait, there’s a redhead.
“Hinata?” You call out.
You’re met with the warmest brown eyes you’ve ever seen. The eyeliner debacle from Friday now feels like nothing but a warm-up as you swallow weirdly, suddenly tongue-tied.
“Hi!” He beams at you. He’s taller than you, although not towering above you like Tadashi or Tsukishima. “Are you Yamaguchi’s girlfriend?”
“Coworker,” you correct him. “Tadashi couldn’t make it, so I’m picking you up.”
“Awesome,” he pulls you in without asking, kissing you on both cheeks. You can feel your heartbeat where he’s touched you, your skin burning.
“I’m Hinata. You can call me Shouyou, though. What’s your name? Have you been working with Yamaguchi long? You probably have, cause you call him by his first name. Come to think of it, I’m not even calling him by his first name. Heh, we should change that.”
“Hinata,” you try to interrupt him. “Shouyou,” he corrects you.
“Shouyou,” you repeat without thinking, clutching your coffee like your life depends on it. “I’ll take you to meet Tsukishima.”
“Oh, that’s nice of you,” he’s still beaming. “Really, you shouldn’t have. I would have been fine without a guide; it’s just been pretty long since I’ve been home. Can we get something to eat on the way there, though? I’m starving. I’ll treat you to a snack too, as a thank you. Or a coffee.” He laughs. “But you’ve already got one.”
-
You’re not quite sure how you make it to the gym. You have barely any recollection of the way there, though you know you’ve stopped for sandwiches once, Hinata standing way too close as you wait in line, the warmth of his body seeping into your back.
Is this what flirting is like for normal people?
But that thought just triggers the next one, sending shivers down your back.
Is he even flirting with you? Or are you just imagining things?
“We’re here,” you stop the car, feeling slightly guilty for interrupting Hinata’s rambles. You check the clock. “They’re going to be training for twenty more minutes, but I think you can just go through. Tadashi usually does that.”
“Have you been in before?”
“No.”
“Aw, why not?” You realize with a start that Hinata’s eyelashes are unfairly long. They create a soft frame around the earthy brown of his eyes.
You clear your throat awkwardly.
“I’m not that, uh… familiar with Tsukishima.”
“No?” Hinata blinks. You wonder if that’s what people call “fluttering their eyelashes”. Your throat is turning a little tight at the sight. “But you’re good friends with Yamaguchi, no? So you must get along with Tsukki.” He brightens suddenly. “Are you friends with Ya-chan then?”
“Who?”
“Yachi? Really cute, blond hair? She was our manager.”
Your mind provides the picture propped up on Tadashi’s desk, four boys and a girl grinning into the camera. He’d mentioned her name once, his cheeks pink at the memory. Could it be-?
“Anyway,” Hinata interrupts your thoughts, opening the car door and letting the cold seep in. “I’ll go in. If you wanted to watch them train, this is your chance. He’s going to be so mad at me, he’s not going to notice you being there.”
-
Hinata’s halfway to the door when you reach him, your fists pushed into the pockets of your coat, the awful green scarf slung around your shoulders.
“Changed your mind?”
“Something like that,” you mutter glumly into your collar. “You play Volleyball as well?”
“Yeah,” Hinata beams up at you. “It’s great. Have you tried it out?”
“I’m not good at that sorta thing.”
“Don’t say that unless you’ve tried it. I could show you later. I’m sure you’d do great.”
-
True to his word, Tsukishima blows a fuse at his sight.
“Can’t you wait outside?” He barks, shoulders tense and jaw squared. “Doors are there for a reason.”
“Don’t be like that, Tsukki,” Hinata crows happily, clapping Koganegawa on the back as a greeting. “We’re friends.”
“I wouldn’t call us that,” Tsukishima grumbles, moving back onto the court as Hinata settles next to you.
Settling, you find, is the wrong word.
His shoulders are tense as he watches, his body wired as if ready to move any second.
“You wanna play?”
“Yeah!” He smiles up at you again. “You don’t?”
You shake your head, mildly confused.
-
Eventually, training ends, and you have no more reason to stay around.
You slip away quietly, shuffle down to where your car is parked, your body still wired from what has transpired this afternoon.
You’ll need a while to work through everything, you’re sure, can only hope that neither of the boys is going to give Tadashi any ideas.
“Hey!” Someone yells, and you turn, not really expecting that someone could mean you.
But it’s Hinata, waving frantically as he reaches you.
“You’re leaving already?”
“Uh. Yeah.”
“Shame. It was fun. We’re going out to eat. Do you-”
“I shouldn’t.”
He blinks. You swallow your tongue. He probably didn’t even want to ask you out.
“I should go,” you reinforce your need to get away. “It was nice meeting you.”
“It was.” Hinata beams, leaning in to kiss your cheeks once more. Air is suddenly hard to come by. “I’ll tell Tadashi to bring you around. Oh!” He brightens. “And if you want to get into Volleyball, hit me up!”
“Sure,” you nod, trying to sound as noncommittal as you can. “Have… have a good day.”
“Will do.” He stays where he is, waits until you’ve slipped into your car to wave goodbye as you drive off.
Your arteries feel clogged from his sweetness. Goodness, you didn’t think people like him still existed.
You’re going to need two weeks of grump to wash that out.