Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kindaichi squints into the distance when he spies a familiar figure on a poster and gravitates that way. When he’s closer, his eyes widen when he spots a poster with Karasuno’s Hinata on it, midair while winding up for a spike. Standing in front of it, he takes in the artistry of the shot and the way it integrates into the theme of the poster: Karasuno High School Volleyball is going to Nationals! Call XXX-XXXX-XXXX for details on how you can contribute.

“Oh, wow,” Kindaichi murmurs, never having seen similar fundraising posters around Seijou. The school has plenty of private donations to more than cover expenses for the volleyball club, which has always been good news for Kindaichi — a scholarship kid who doesn’t have that kind of cash. 

He reaches up and touches the glossy finish of the poster and smiles. It’s a good shot of Hinata, and he harrumphs at the thought that Kageyama is probably the one tossing it.

“Hey, uh, do you like them?” 

Kindaichi jolts in surprise at the voice behind him, and he wheels around to see a kid around his age in a Karasuno Volleyball club jacket carrying an armload of the same posters. “Oh, sorry, I was just looking. It’s a good shot of Hinata.”

“It is.” The other boy smiles, his freckled cheeks puffing from the motion, and Kindaichi’s own face reddens at the fact that he had noticed. 

One hand precariously balances the stack while the other extends in greeting. “Yamaguchi Tadashi. You probably don’t have any idea who I am, but I’m on Hinata’s team. I don’t play much, but I’m getting there, you know?” Yamaguchi squeezes his eyes shut and groans. “Sorry. I ramble sometimes.”

Kindaichi chuckles. “Nah, it’s okay. Now that you mention it, I do remember you. I just remember you as Jump Float Guy.”

“That’s me.” Yamaguchi gives him a toothy smile. “I’ll tell Yacchan that you like her posters. She’s going to be our manager next year after the third years graduate.”

“Your managers do graphics?” Kindaichi snorts. “Ours can barely manage water.”

Yamaguchi clutches the stack to his chest and shivers. “It’s so cold.”

Frowning, Kindaichi looks around and spots a coffee shop nearby. “Hey, uh, if you want, why don’t we go hang out in there —” He points toward the shop. “— and when you warm up a bit, I’ll help you hang these.”

“You don’t have to do that!” Yamaguchi’s face turns bright red and he hides his face behind his armload. “I feel like it would be rude to accept.”

Kindaichi shakes his head and pries the posters from Yamaguchi’s grip. “Yeah, yeah, rivals, whatever. You have no idea how tired I am of worrying about stuff like that.”

“I have a pretty good idea.” As they move toward the coffee shop, Yamaguchi explains, “I was there for that game. Believe me, I get it.”

Kindaichi is silent as they wait for their orders, and Yamaguchi nervously drums his fingers on the table. Finally, he blurts, “How do you get your blocks so clean?”

“Huh?” Kindaichi painfully swallows his first sip of his too-hot cup of tea and struggles not to choke. “Oh, uh, I have senpai who are really good middle blockers, and they helped me a lot. You guys don’t really have that, do you?”

Yamaguchi shakes his head. “Not really. Tsukki is the best one we’ve got, but he’s not exactly the teaching type.”

Recalling the Tsukishima he had met at the prefectural training camp, Kindaichi chortles. “No, I suppose he isn’t.” 

They share a laugh and finish their drinks in companionable silence. Kindaichi’s fingers warm a bit, and Yamaguchi’s wintery blush dulls as his skin warms and acclimates. 

Soon, they slip out of the cafe, and when Yamaguchi turns off in the other direction, Kindaichi calls, “Hey, wait up!”

Yamaguchi blinks in surprise before his mouth drops open. “Oh, you really meant that?”

“Wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.” Kindaichi’s brow knits in thought. “Though I’ve said a lot of stuff I didn’t really mean, I did mean this.” He plucks half of Yamaguchi’s stack of posters and looks around. “Which streets have you covered?”

Yamaguchi fills him in, and Kindaichi rattles off a few places in his own neighborhood that would be good places to add them, as well. 

Shoulder to shoulder, the two of them comb half the town, and when the last poster is tacked to a nearby telephone pole, Yamaguchi huffs with pride. “We did it.”

Kindaichi gives him a thumbs up. “Go kick ass at nationals. We’re counting on you.”

Yamaguchi straightens and nods. “I will!” He drops his backpack on a nearby bench and fishes around in it, pulling out a scrap of paper and a pen. He scribbles on the paper and hands it to Kindaichi. “If you, uh, wanna hang out sometime, here’s my number.”

Cheeks red, and not just from the stinging December winds, Kindaichi pulls out his own phone and sends a text to that number with a simple, “Hey.”

When Yamaguchi looks at it and his eyes widen in surprise, Kindaichi chuckles and waves. “See you around, Yamaguchi.”

“See you,” Yamaguchi parrots, and Kindaichi has a feeling he’ll be texting his newest friend sooner rather than later.

Chapter Text

The air punches out of Kindaichi’s chest as something hard and solid slams into his groin. Eyes bulging, he wheezes and reels back to drape himself against the nearest wall and bites back the tears threatening in the corners of his eyes. “Oh god,” he pants, struggling to regain his breath and closing his eyes to the pain.

“I’m so sorry!” comes a high-pitched squeak of a voice nearby. Kindaichi can almost see the sound via the pain pulsing behind his eyelids. “I wasn’t looking where I was going, and my books just — I’m so sorry!”

Kindaichi forces one eye open, only to cough out what is supposed to be a chuckle at the tiny blond girl with a red face looking at literally anything at the train station than the guy whose dick she had just smashed. Her books are scattered in a two meter radius, and he can almost feel her fighting the urge to scramble to pick them back up.

He weakly waves a hand. “It — it’s okay. I just need a minute.” Kindaichi doubles over and slowly but surely regains his breath as the sharp pain ebbs to an ache. “I wasn’t looking either.” With a sigh, he drops to his knees and starts shuffling her books into a neat pile.

“No, let me do that!” She drops to her knees and darts her hands out in all directions to wrangle her belongings, and Kindaichi nearly laughs when they reach for the same item and she grabs his hand instead of the book.

She blushes beet red, and Kindaichi thinks she’s actually really cute, so he does the same. “It’s okay. I’m okay.” He hands her the book, the last of the mess, and pushes to his feet with a groan and offers her a hand to do the same. He peruses her petite, girlish face and hums. “I feel like I know you.”

Nodding emphatically, she answers, “You played for Seijou. I was a manager for Karasuno. I remember you, too.”

“Oh!” Kindaichi turns a deeper shade of red when he places her face and also the little crush he may or may not have nursed back in high school on this very girl. “Well, uh, I’ve never met anyone this way before.” He gives her hand in his a light squeeze. “Kindaichi Yuutarou.”

Swinging their hands in an overly-boisterous shake, she replies, “Yachi Hitoka.” She looks down at their hands and cringes. “Sorry. I’m just really nervous.”

“It’s fine.” He gives her the widest smile he can manage in his current level of pain. “Don’t worry about it.”

Yachi gives him a toothy grin. “You’re very sweet to say that, Kindaichi-kun. You probably couldn’t see me because I’m so short, and I didn’t see you because you probably looked like a wall out of the corner of my eye.”

Kindaichi frowns and scratches at the nape of his neck. “Do you make a habit out of running into walls?”

With a resigned sigh, Yachi answers, “Unfortunately.” She perks up and beams at him. “Do you have anywhere you have to be right now, Kindaichi-kun?”

“Nah. I was just on my way home from school.” When her smile widens, he raises a brow. “Why?”

She swallows hard but pushes on. “Can I buy you a coffee? I did almost kill you and, um —” Yachi hides her face behind her stack of books. “— you’re really nice.”

“Okay.” Kindaichi wonders who many other guys she’s inadvertently punched in the junk who weren’t polite about it before it dawns on him what she actually means. “Oh! Yes, um, I’d like to, uh … sure.” 

Kindaichi plucks the stack of books from her hands and shrugs off her protests as they meander toward the Starbucks at the other end of the terminal. It may not have been the most dignified way he’s ever met a girl (and he doesn’t fool himself into thinking he meets a lot of them in that way), but it has the virtue of being a meeting he doesn’t think he’ll ever forget.

Chapter Text

Kindaichi’s hands shook as he gripped the jersey he had just received. He wasn’t terribly shocked by the captain’s mark beneath the number; what shook him more was the number itself.

Four, the ace number.

For as long as he’d played, Kindaichi had been a middle blocker. His size had always dictated his role on sports teams, but this role was one he had to fight for. One with a proud, incredible history on this team. 

He didn’t know how he’d live up to that legacy, but damn he was going to try.

Kunimi clapped him on the back a little too hard for comfort and said, “Congratulations, Ace.”

“Yeah.” Kindaichi almost floated out of the locker room, still clutching the jersey and repeating, “Yeah.”

Outside the club room, he nearly plowed into someone and reeled when he saw it was the last man to wear this number, as sour-faced and aloof as usual. “Hey, kid.”

Reflexively laughing at the moniker knowing Kyoutani was only six months his senior, Kindaichi let some of the strange tension coiled in his body ooze out. “Kyoutani-san. I didn’t expect to see you today. I thought you had school.”

Kyoutani snorted. “I can miss one class for this.” He looked behind him. “Where the hell is he?”

Just as the words left his mouth, a breathless Iwaizumi appeared from the stairs and jogged to a halt in front of them. “Sorry I’m late. My bus ran late.”

“Iwaizumi-san!” Kindaichi’s eyes widened, looking back and forth between the two of them. “I’m glad to see you, but why are you here?”

Iwaizumi and Kyoutani shared a look and said together, “It’s tradition.” 

They led him down the steps and toward the school gates, but they were half a block away before Kindaichi dug in his heels and asked, “Where are we going?”

Grinning, Iwaizumi answered, “We’re going to show you something.”

Eventually, their journey ended at the door of a restaurant Kindaichi would be lying if he said he weren’t partial to it. Inside, Iwaizumi gave his name and they were immediately ushered to a quiet corner of the dining room. They ordered food and drinks and while they waited, Kyoutani was the first to answer the question Kindaichi was begging to ask. 

“When this happened to me last year, it surprised the hell out of me.” He sent Iwaizumi a grumpy look. “I thought him and Onebara were going to load up and stick me with the bill. Joke’s on them, I’m broke.”

Iwaizumi snorted. “And I thought Onebara-san and Wakashi-san were going to beat me up in the alley afterward, honestly. I left this place ready to fight tooth and nail.”

Kindaichi gaped at both of them, shrinking into his seat as his distaste for both of those possibilities lingered on his tongue. “Okay …” He gulped. “So why are we here?”

“Because you’re the ace,” Kyoutani said. “At Seijou, that means something.”

“Of course it does.” Kindaichi knit his brow and frowned. “Did I do something wrong? Is this some kind of intervention? I’ll do better! I —”

Iwaizumi reached across the table and silenced Kindaichi with a single finger across his lips. “You’re going to be a great ace and a damn fine captain.” He let go and bobbed his head in approval when Kindaichi stayed quiet. “Every ace for as long as I can think of has been initiated like this, and now it’s your turn.”

Kindaichi swallowed hard around the emotions balling up in the back of his throat, and he knew he was dangerously close to crying. When Iwaizumi saw his watery eyes, he gave a soft smile. “You’re gonna be great, Yuutarou. I promise.”

With a curt bob of his head, Kyoutani reached into his pocket and produced a small gray box wrapped in white ribbon. “Open it.”

Doing as he was bid, Kindaichi tugged off the ribbon and opened the box, gasping at what was inside: a glistening silver spade keychain with an aqua and white volleyball painted in the center on either side of it.

“Keep it on your keys or on your bag, but let people see this on you,” Iwaizumi explained. “You worked damn hard to be the ace, and everyone you meet should know how dedicated and strong you are.”

Kindaichi held the bauble to his chest and nodded solemnly. “I will.”

“I thought you would.” Iwaizumi sighed when he saw a server approaching with their plates. “Now it’s time to stuff our faces. Our treat.”

Kindaichi did just that and spent the rest of the meal with his former senpai and members of this special brotherhood sharing stories and food and memories, as well as making a few new ones for them all to treasure.

Chapter Text

“You’re still here?” Iwaizumi plops down on the bench next to Kindaichi and bumps their shoulders together. “C’mon, there’s plenty of fun stuff to do. Don’t waste your first training camp in a different prefecture by doing nothing but work and sleep. You’ll regret it.”

Kindaichi hangs his head. “Yeah, I know. I was just thinking about something else I don’t want to be thinking about.”

Iwaizumi chuckles. “You mean you’re beating yourself up over spending this camp getting ready for fall instead of nationals, right?” He rustles Kindaichi’s hair. “In case you didn’t notice, you played one hell of a game. You stuffed Ushiwaka more than once, which makes you a complete badass in any sane person’s book.

“Now come on. I’ve got something for you.” Without waiting for an answer, Iwaizumi hauls Kindaichi up by his arm and drags him toward the door. They meanders through the quiet training facility until Iwaizumi tucks them into a small, unused locker room. He flicks on the light and says, “Surprise.”

Kindaichi’s jaw drops when he sees the room, covered top to bottom in birthday decorations and snapshots of the two of them together throughout the years they’ve known one another. “Senpai, I —”

“Happy birthday, Yuutarou.” Iwaizumi’s cheeks color as he adds, “Since it’s two days after your birthday and two days until mine, I thought we could celebrate together. What do you say?”

Kindaichi sniffles loudly, wrenching Iwaizumi to his chest for a tight hug. “No one’s ever done this for me before.”

“Well, get used to it as long as I’m around. You deserve it.” He pats Kindaichi’s back and heads over to the corner to wheel out a volleyball cart with whiteboard covering the top, holding up a simple homemade cake in Seijou colors with their respective numbers on either side. “So, you want me to go get the guys, or do you wanna hang out and eat this whole cake by ourselves and share embarrassing stories about our friends?” He smirks. “You would not believe the ammo I have on Oikawa.

Grinning, Kindaichi’s cheeks are pink with giddiness. “I’d like that a lot.”

Chapter Text

Tobio’s limbs screamed at him to stop after his off-target jump serve, one of several he had stopped counting after twenty as well as the grueling five set match he had just battled through.

Battled through and lost.

A frustrated roar ripped from his throat as he unleashed another serve with the last ball left in the hopper, his spent legs crumpling beneath him as he sagged to the floor. Sweat oozed from his face, mingling with the tears of frustration leaving wet, salty trails in their wake.

“This is sad, even for you.” Tobio flinched at the familiar voice filling the painfully silent gym. “Get up.”

Tobio opened his mouth to reply, but all he could do was hiccup and squeeze his eyes shut before he embarrassed himself. But the new presence in the gym wasn’t going away; in fact, he was settling down next to Tobio on the floor.

Yuutarou leaned onto his crossed legs and hung his head. “You played your heart out. I’ve never seen you play like that.”

“But we lost,” Tobio croaked. “What use is playing good if you don’t win?”

Flicking Tobio’s nose, Yuutarou rolled his eyes. “You know more than anyone that it’s not just about winning. It’s about knowing you gave your all, and damn right you gave your all. Give yourself some credit, because you’ve got it from me.”

Tobio sat up and gaped at Yuutarou. “Why are you being so nice? You don’t even like me.”

Chuckling, Yuutarou shook his head. “You’re kind of cute when you’re stupid.” He turned to Tobio and said, “I don’t hate you. I was mad at you for good reasons, but it’s been three years. I think we can put that behind us. You just played out of your mind at nationals in the final, and you lost and are having a hard time.

“Now let me be your friend and come here.” Without waiting for an answer, Yuutarou hauled Tobio against his side and breathed a little easier when Tobio sagged into him and shook with tears in his embrace. “I missed us,” he admitted.

Tobio nodded against Yuutarou’s ribs. “Yeah.”

Chapter Text

Well that’s new, Kindaichi thought to himself when his belly tingled at an unexpected sight. 

Being into Yahaba wasn’t a mystery; he’d known that since he started attending Aobajousai. The wrench in the works was how his entire body reacted to the sight of Yahaba curled up into a ball in the showers at the municipal gym after their loss to Karasuno, tears mixing with water while they both drizzled down his face. It hurt him as much as his own pain from the loss had done, and he didn’t like that at all.

He swallowed hard before he reached in to shut off the water.

“Turn that back on,” Yahaba snapped, voice thick.

“Maybe later.” Kindaichi sat on the tiles next to Yahaba, uncaring of the moisture seeping into his compression shorts or the cold porcelain on his bare back. “Wanna talk about it?”

Yahaba didn’t answer and Kindaichi wasn’t surprised. “Didn’t think so.” He reached over to push the sodden hair from Yahaba’s eyes, and his chest lurched at the sight of his red and swollen eyes that probably mirrored his own. “You’re going to be a great captain, Yahaba-san.”

“Bullshit. I can’t do what Oikawa-san does. He’s a genius, and I’m just a guy struggling to keep up. You don’t —”

Kindaichi cut him off with a vice-like hug. “I do.” He choked out a breath that sounded more like a sob to his own ears. “I really do.”

Yahaba pulled back and perused Kindaichi’s face before feathering the slightest hint of a kiss to his lips. Kindaichi could feel his face heat up and his heart pound, but he didn’t dare look away just in case he broke the spell and it wasn’t real.

But Yahaba just laughed. “I can see everything going on in your head, and damn if it isn’t cute.” He slumped into Kindaichi’s side, their state of undress unheeded, and he curled into Kindaichi when an arm wrapped around his shoulder.

Chapter Text

“Matsukawa-san?” Kindaichi squeaks when he spies a familiar silhouette at the end of the runway as he exits the Orange Court. 

Matsukawa waggles his eyebrows. “C’mere. And stop being taller than me.”

Kindaichi flings himself into Matsukawa’s embrace and clenches his fingers tightly into the fabric of his hoodie. “We did it. We really did it.”

Carding his fingers through hair no longer gelled within an inch of its life, Matsukawa pecks a kiss onto Kindaichi’s cheek. “Hell yeah, you did. The rest of the guys are here, too. We all made the trip to see you guys kick ass at Nationals.”

“I —” Kindaichi frames Matsukawa’s face in his hands and yanks them together for a kiss he hasn’t had the chance to indulge in for weeks. Not with both their school schedules kicking their asses. 

A catcall echoes down the corridor, and they both spy Hanamaki grinning while making lewd gestures, but Kindaichi can’t be mad. Not when the guy he’s had a crush on since he was fifteen and dated since he was seventeen is there with him on what is arguably the best day of his life.

Chapter Text

Hinata frowned when he did the math.

It had never been his best subject, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out that wanting to kiss a guy who was twenty-five centimeters taller than him was going to be a challenge. Sure, he could jump that high, no problem. Being that height long enough to snare a kiss from Kindaichi Yuutarou was the true conundrum.

So he decided to do what usually worked for him in the past: wing it.

A new tradition of area players in their year getting together to scrimmage in mixed teams was a favorite of Hinata’s, both because he got more competitive game time and because the unlikely friend and even more unlikely crush he attained at the prefectural camp was always there. 

The match was over and the attendees trickling out of the rec center locker room, but Kindaichi lingered reading something on his phone and Hinata followed suit. Finally, they were alone and it was his chance. 

He scooted down the bench until his shoulder was flush with Kindaichi’s, and when there were no objections, Hinata turned Kindaichi’s face toward his. “I like you.”

Kindaichi’s brows shot up almost to his hairline, but he didn’t move away. “O-okay.”

“And I wanna kiss you.”

Blinking but still very much there, Kindaichi bit his bottom lip and gave a brief bob of the head.

Hinata beamed and pulled them together for a wet and awkward kiss that was doubtlessly the best first kiss he could have asked for. When he pulled away, he chuckled. “Now stay a little closer to the ground, will ya? I’d love to do that again.”

Kindaichi blushed and gave him a soft smile. “I’ll do my best.”