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The bus ride back from Tokyo was quieter than the ride there. Nishinoya laughs three rows back and Tanaka argues back with something completely irrelevant. The comedy duo, of course, is as loud as ever. Almost everyone else has succumbed to their exhaustion as their eyelids grew heavy and muscles that were tense for the entire week of their summer training camp became relaxed.
The windows hum with the low vibration of the highway and the evening light stretches long and gold across the seats.
Tsukishima sits by the window as usual. Although he doesn’t seem like the sentimental kind of person, he enjoys looking out the window and just absorbing the scenery. His right elbow rests against the edge of the window as he leans just enough to watch everything outside slipping past.
Everything that is happening right now is as usual, the typical Karasuno. What is unusual is the fact that Hinata Shouyou, the loudest person in Karasuno, has chosen to plop himself into the seat right next to Tsukishima.
Moments earlier,
The team funnels into the bus in a rush of noise and bags, everyone drifting toward their usual seats out of habit more than thought.
Tsukishima claims the window like always.
And then—
Hinata launches himself into the seat beside him.
“HUH—?!” Nishinoya nearly snaps his neck turning around, eyes wide enough to fall out.
The seniors, Dachi, Suga, and Asahi, made weird faces, silently judging but not saying anything.
“What. the. heck. Boke,” Kageyama says flatly. “Has all the training made you lose all your brain cells?”
Tsukishima doesn’t react at first. He just slowly lifts one side of his headset off his ear, gaze sliding sideways.
“The king has a point,” he drawls. “What are you trying to do, Hinata?”
Hinata blinks. “Uh… nothing? I just wanna try sitting next to different people!”
Tsukishima’s face tightens, unimpressed. “And there are plenty of other people to choose from.”
“But you,” he continues, voice dipping with quiet sarcasm, “out of everyone, chose me?”
Hinata simply shrugs. “Well, it’s your turn today”
Tsukishima’s eyebrow twitches. Annoying. He just wants to enjoy the bus journey in peace and this orange goofball definitely isn’t going to let him.
And he was right.
Because just 5 minutes after the bus had set off, Hinata was already fidgeting in his seat like he had something to say.
Tsukishima exhales sharply, not even looking at him. “What, Hinata. Do you have something to say?”
“I was thinking…” Hinata starts, eyes flicking everywhere but him. “Do you wanna listen to my playlist together?”
He’s already digging through his bag, movements quick and clumsy, pulling out his earphones and fumbling to plug them in.
Tsukishima just stares at him speechlessly before breaking his trance. “Huh.”
“I was saying—”
“No, I heard you.” Tsukishima cuts in, expression flat. “I’m just not processing it. Can you not see I’m already listening to my music?”
“…Oh.”
Hinata sinks into his seat, lips pulling into a small pout.
That’s cute.
Tsukishima freezes.
Wait what?
He turns back to the window immediately, like the scenery outside can erase the thought. Buildings slide past in a blur, light flickering against the glass.
Minutes pass.
He glances back despite himself.
Hinata’s head is bobbing softly now, completely absorbed, a faint smile tugging at his mouth like he’s in his own little world.
“…Tch.”
Tsukishima clicks his tongue under his breath, already annoyed.
At Hinata,
At the situation,
And especially, himself.
“Fine,” he mutters, tugging his headset down around his neck. “Give me your right earbud.”
Hinata snaps toward him. “SURE—”
He leans in too fast resulting in their faces being only an inch apart.
Close…
Too close.
Both of them froze in their place.
Hinata’s eyes go wide, heat rushing up his face in an instant, red blooming all the way to his ears. Tsukishima feels it a second later with warmth creeping up the back of his neck, settling stubbornly at the tips of his ears.
They both look away at the same time.
“…Here,” Hinata says, quieter now.
The blonde’s fingers gently brush the tangerine’s as he takes the ear buds.
It's just a touch, no big deal. He tells himself. So why is his heartbeat suddenly too loud?
Badum.
Badum.