Work Text:
March 2013
“Have you heard of April Fools’ Day, Kageyama?”
Tobio turned his head towards Hinata’s voice.
“No…what’s that?” Tobio took a bite of his pork bun.
They were performing their usual after-practice routine, the five first-years gathered outside of the Sakanoshita Market with snacks to refuel. Tsukishima, Tadashi, and Hitoka were still inside, so it was just Tobio and Hinata out here. Alone.
Tobio pushed that last thought aside.
“Apparently, it’s this western tradition where people pull jokes and pranks on each other on the first day of April.” Hinata answered eagerly.
“Uh, okay.”
They stood in silence. Tobio took another bite.
“Aren’t you going to ask me why I asked you about it?” Hinata huffed.
“I don’t care, dumbass.”
“I’ll tell you anyway!” He shouted into the night. “Tanaka and Noya told me that since they’re third years now, they’re gonna pull a bunch of pranks on April first. Daichi never let them do it before, so they’re gonna try and cause as much chaos as possible on Ennoshita’s first official day as captain.” Hinata snickered.
Tobio stared at Hinata. “What, are you going to pull pranks, too?”
“Maybe…you’ll just have to wait a week and find out!” Hinata sported a devilish snicker on his face. It was kinda cute. His smile was crooked into a smirk, and his brown eyes had this mischievous glimmer to them.
Tobio shook his head as if to shake those thoughts out with it.
“Yeah, whatever. Just don’t pull a prank on me.” Tobio grumbled.
“Oh, I plan on it. I have a prank for each of you planned. It’s more fun that way!”
Tobio just rolled his eyes. He heard the bell of the door ring behind him as Tadashi pushed it open. Tsukishima and Hitoka filed out behind him.
“Guys! Have you heard of April Fools’ Day?” Hinata called in their direction, his mouth full of pork bun.
“I think you’re an April Fool.” Tsukishima shot back.
“Huh? What does that mean?” Hinata challenged. Tsukishima and Tadashi laughed in his face, and the group of five started down the road.
April 2013
The fateful day arrived, and Tobio was jittery all throughout his boring classes. Not because of “April Fools’ Day”, but because today they would see how many first-years had signed up to join the volleyball club.
Tobio could remember the first day of his first year like it was yesterday. He sat in jittery anticipation, much like now, because he knew that after school he would get to go to the volleyball gym and meet his teammates. Of course, that day had gone nothing like how he expected, it happened to be the second time he met Hinata. Tobio wasn’t so fond of him then.
Tobio wondered if they’d have to host try outs, or if any second or even third-years would want to join the team, now that they had become national contenders. No matter what happened, it was sure to be much different than the disaster that was last year. Tobio shuddered at the thought of the Vice Principal’s face when his toupee flew off and landed on Daichi’s head. No, nothing could be worse than that.
Lunch arrived, and Tobio walked down the stairs and outside to the vending machine that served his favorite yogurt drink. He pressed the button, but as he waited for the yogurt to dispense, he heard snickers coming from around the corner.
That had to be Hinata. He said he was planning a prank for each of his friends. Surely, he was hiding around the corner with some stupid prank, knowing that Tobio almost always goes to this vending machine at lunch time. Tobio proceeded with caution, tiptoeing closer to the corner. He wasn’t going to let himself be this predictable. He prepared to step around the corner. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Hinata’s face when he busted his prank-
He stepped around the corner and was hit with what was likely the loudest sound he’d ever heard.
“GOT YOU BRUH!!!!” Shouted Tanaka, with an air horn in his hand. Noya was behind him, his hands on his knees as he was bent over laughing.
Tobio realized his arms had come up in defense, and he was sure the expression on his face gave away his genuine startlement. There was no pretending that he hadn’t been phased by the prank. Tobio dropped his arms and fixed his face back to his usual scowl.
“Yeah, real funny you guys.” He turned around and walked in the other direction, stopping only to grab his yogurt from the vending machine. He could hear Noya and Tanaka’s howling laughter fade into the distance as he stepped back inside.
The last thing Tobio expected to see when he entered the club room was soaking-wet Tsukishima. He looked so angry that the water that covered him from head to toe could probably boil and then fog up his glasses.
“Damn Tsukishima! You look like a wet poodle!” Roared Tanaka.
Noya and Tanaka were, of course, laughing their asses off, so Tobio assumed it had been their doing. However, when Hinata walked into the club room, looking more smug than usual, Tsukishima lunged over and grabbed him by the shirt.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Tsukishima yelled.
Hinata broke out into laughter, adding to the chorus already in the room.
“You did that? Hell yeah, Shouyou!” Noya praised.
“Yeah, how did you pull it off?” Tanaka asked.
Hinata grabbed Tsukishima’s wrist and slipped out of his grip, ducking under his arm and leaping over to the other side of the room. If it was possible for Tsukishima to look even more pissed, he certainly did now.
Hinata chuckled, “I forged a note from Tadashi asking him to come to the club room earlier, then I waited behind the stairs with the hose…when Tsukishima walked past I sprayed him and ran off…” He burst out into laughter again at the sight of Tsukishima’s expression, whose eye twitched.
As if on cue, The club room door burst open and Ennoshita stomped inside. He surveyed the room, and seemed surprised.
“Tsukishima? Why are you all wet?”
“Ask that idiot.” He pointed at Hinata, who looked like he was trying to hold in his laughter. Noya and Tanaka had similar expressions.
“Seriously guys? We have new first-years coming to watch practice before they try out tomorrow. We have like twenty applications. You need to make a good impression and stop being so damn immature.” He paused for a second, then asked, “Wait, Hinata? What’re you doing here? Tadashi told me-”
Hinata could do nothing but laugh so hard that tears began to form in his eyes. The rest of the room looked at him as if to ask, what the hell is so funny?
Ennoshita rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Hurry up, we have to set up.”
He left the room and shut the door behind him.
“What’s so funny now?” Tanaka asked.
“Oh don’t worry, you’ll see.” Hinata said through tears.
Tobio learned about Hinata’s other pranks on his teammates throughout practice. Apparently, he had left a note from a fake secret admirer on Nishinoya’s desk, and snuck a plastic spider into Hitoka’s bag. Tobio was still trying to figure out the prank Hinata was pulling on him. He had decided that he would keep his guard up during practice, Hinata could strike at any moment.
About twenty minutes into practice, a very sweaty and very exhausted Tadashi slid open the gym door. He leaned over to catch his breath, putting one hand on his knee, and the other on the doorway.
“Couldn’t…find…Hinata…”
Everyone in the gym shared a mutual look of confusion. Tobio looked over at Hinata, whose face contained a strained look of trying to hold back laughter. Man, if he keeps doing that today his face will stay stuck like that.
“Sorry…I’m late…guys.” Tadashi slowly looked up.
“Hinata? You…found your way…back here?”
Hinata broke into laughter for probably the hundredth time that day, but it seemed like only he was in on the joke. Ennoshita palmed his forehead and muttered to himself.
“What’s so funny? You said you were lost on a run before practice…you texted me to come find you?”
Tanaka and Noya started laughing too, it seemed like anything would set them off at this point.
“I see. It’s another one of his stupid pranks.” Tsukishima muttered.
“A prank? What?” Tadashi was still breathing heavily, his whole face was red. Hitoka appeared at his side with a water bottle.
Hinata nodded his head and continued laughing. Tadashi was not amused, he groaned and collapsed on the ground, followed immediately by a concerned Hitoka.
Tobio couldn’t help but wonder when his prank was going to be pulled. It’s not like he was looking forward to it, he just wanted to get it over with. Though hearing the sound of Hinata’s laughter ringing through the gym certainly wouldn’t be a bad side effect. Especially when he gets that sparkle in his eye, and his head bobs around, shaking his fluffy ginger hair, and his face gets all pink when he catches his breath…
Woah. What the hell?
Tobio looked away from his teammates before anyone could see the blush he was surely sporting. Seriously, what had gotten into him?
“Alright, which one of you knuckle heads…” Tobio turned around at the sign of Coach Ukai’s voice. He was waving around his clipboard that he used to show plays, except now it sported a shakily drawn…rocketship.
Noya and Tanaka had already been laughing, but if there was somehow a way they could be even more loud and obnoxious, this was that.
“PFFFFFFTTTTT- COACH, IT WAS NISHINOYA.”
“NO YOU- BBBFFFFTTT- NO COACH IT WAS TANAKA, HE’S LYING.”
They shoved each other on the floor and began to roll around, still laughing like hyenas. Hinata laughed with them, though he seemed a little more attuned to Coach’s bad mood.
“Whatever. If everything’s so funny, why don’t you two laugh about ten laps around the gym?” Coach snapped.
The two idiots suddenly sobered, and let out a reluctant “yes, Coach…” before starting to jog.
“Hinata was the reason for Tadashi being late.” Tsukishima added.
“Fine then, join them, ginger.”
Hinata grumbled something about “Shittyshima” and then jogged behind Tanaka and Noya.
The rest of practice went pretty smoothly, even considering the constant feeling of being gawked at by first-years. Noya, Tanaka, and Hinata seemed to be out of pranks, but Tobio wasn’t so convinced. Hinata had said he was going to prank each one of his friends individually. Where the hell was Tobio’s prank? It pissed him off to be standing around, waiting for it to happen.
Once the new first-years were dismissed, the returning members began the process of cleaning up. They fell into the rhythm they were used to, and Hinata and Tobio raced each other with the brooms across the gym floor. They reached the edge of the gym, and stopped to catch their breath.
“Hey…I think a ball rolled out there.” Hinata said, peering through the narrow crack between the gym doors.
“Okay, go get it, I’ll put away the brooms.” Tobio offered.
“No, leave them here, come with me.” Hinata looked up at him.
“Is this a prank?”
“No, stupid! I’m done with pranks!” Hinata grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the doors. He wrenched it open with one arm and they stepped out into the night air.
“Where’s the ball?” Tobio asked.
“Kageyama…there wasn’t really a ball out here…” All of a sudden, Hinata looked shy. Tobio realized he was still holding his wrist.
The touch that had felt platonic just a second ago was suddenly sending sparks up his arm. Tobio exhaled as he felt his heart beat faster.
What was going on? Why did he feel like this?
“I wanted to talk to you… alone.” Hinata admitted.
“...Yeah?” Was all Tobio could muster.
“There’s something…I’ve been meaning to tell you.” Hinata said hesitantly. He was avoiding eye contact.
“Mhm.” Tobio cursed in his head. It seemed he was not capable of very eloquent speech right now.
Hinata took Tobio’s other hand, and now they were facing each other, hand in hand, underneath a blanket of stars on a chilly April night. It was like a freaking movie.
“I…I think I have a crush on you…Kageyama.” Hinata’s face went pink. Tobio took in the sight of his blushed cheeks, his warm, brown eyes, the swashes of ginger hair that swept over his forehead. He looked…perfect.
And how could Tobio not see that until now? These weird, unexplained feelings he had around Hinata…could they be a reciprocation? Did he like him back?
“I…” Tobio started.
“No, don’t talk…just…” Hinata closed his eyes and puckered his lips. Tobio stood still and closed his eyes. This was really happening.
Holy- this was really happening.
His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden roaring laughter coming from directly in front of him. Tobio’s eyes flew open to the sight of Hinata, keeled over in splitting laughter.
“Get absolutely pranked! I got you so good Kageyama! You were frozen like a statue!”
This was the prank. Of course.
“What the hell did you expect me to do, you practically pounced on me!” Tobio retorted.
Hinata only responded with more laughter. He was now wiping tears from his eyes.
“C’mon dumbass. We have to keep cleaning up inside. Pull yourself together, let’s go.” Tobio grumbled.
Hinata stood up straight after a few more seconds of laughter, and followed Tobio inside to help the rest of the team finish up. Tobio couldn’t help but notice that Hinata wasn’t bragging about his prank to any of their teammates, unlike the pranks from earlier in the day. Was he embarrassed? Tobio sure was, but Hinata had pulled the prank, why would he be embarrassed about it?
That wasn’t the only thing clouding Tobio’s mind as he walked home that night.
In the moment, it seemed like Hinata was going to kiss him. Would he have let that happen? Would he kiss him back? If the answers were yes, Tobio figured he was going to be on a long path that would only spiral the long way down from here. That is, if he has feelings for his friend.
He suddenly felt like a fool. Maybe that’s why the day was called what it was. He didn’t know what was going to happen from now on, and this was the first time he’d ever really felt like this.
His brain seemed to reconcile though, reassuring him that when all is said and done, the day would someday come for his confessions of love.