Alone With Him

Chapter 1

Ever since Kageyama and Hinata showed up, I haven't exactly played in any official matches.  It's not that I'm jealous of the first years, okay maybe a little, but it's only because I worked extremely hard to get to where I am, to where I was.  I know I could never match Kageyama, he's a genius, but I won't let him beat me.  I've put in my all for the team, and I will continue to push on.

I cheer from the sidelines, Hinata and Kageyama are about to do their freak quick.  There was no tension on the court at that moment.  Hinata trusted Kageyama completely, one hundred percent.  The two couldn't be more different outside the court, but somehow, when they were playing together, they seemed like one being, like two halves of a superhuman finally connected.  From afar, it would seem like Hinata was just a constant bother to Kageyama, but if you really looked closely, you could see how much he really cared for the small, orange-haired boy.  They did everything together, in fact, I've never seen them apart.  Maybe that's why their chemistry on the court was the way it was. 

Hinata's spike dashed past the Aoba Jousai blockers, scoring the points that we needed to win the practice match.  Nobody, including ourselves, believed we could win against a powerhouse school, but then again, they didn't have their setter for most of the match.  Oikawa Tooru, a better setter  than most, and a captain who was able to bring out the best in his teammates.

We headed out towards our bus.  I couldn't help but notice the frustration on Daichi's face.  "Whatcha thinking about, captain?"  I asked.  I already knew what he was thinking, it was the same thing he thought after every practice.  He was constantly thinking up strategies to improve our players, our team as a whole.  There wasn't a second where he didn't have at least one member in his head.

"We have a good team, amazing players, we just need to somehow make everything work together," he sighed.  He began to walk ahead of the team, giving one of his pep talk/lectures.  I'm glad he's captain, he gives off a sense of leadership and confidence, not so much himself, but in the team.  You wouldn't actually know unless you had serious conversations with Daichi, but he was really insecure.  With all the pressure on him from being captain to being a third year, I'm glad I can be here for him to make sure he doesn't break.  It's the most I could do for him, that is, being a good friend and supporting him.  Friend.  That word somehow made my chest ache.  I wish I could tell him how I actually felt, but I don't know what I would do if I didn't have him as a friend, if I lost him completely.

Daichi took his seat next to me on the bus, the spot between his eyebrows creased.  Our encounter with Oikawa had shook him up a bit.  I placed my hand on his shoulder, letting him know that he did well today.  "Thanks, Suga," he breathed out before he dozed off into his own little world of dreams. 

The bus ride was pretty smooth, no sudden bumps or turns, but Daichi ended up leaning against my shoulder.  I couldn't help but blush a little, the blood rushed to my cheeks as his warmth spread from my shoulder throughout the rest of my body.   After a few minutes, the only other person up was Takeda-sensei.  He and I talked, not so much about volleyball, but about the future, college, things I wasn't ready for just yet.  

We had finally reached the school parking lot, everyone was still passed out.  I stood up, which made Daichi stir, and began to wake up the other members.  Tanaka was spread out across his own seat, Ennoshita had moved to share a seat with Narita and Kinoshita.  Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were holding hands, Yamaguchi curled up against Tsukki's arm.  Kageyama and Hinata were by far the cutest though.  Hinata was curled up into Kageyama's chest, Kageyama's arms wrapped around the smaller boy. 

Daichi and I watched as our kohais walked away, disappearing into the darkness.  Daichi was staying at my house for the next 10 days, as my parents were out on a trip.  He knew I hated being alone, not because I couldn't take care of myself, but it was just easier to get scared on my own.  I didn't have to ask Daichi to stay over, in fact, it was his idea.  He was always looking out for me, for the entire team.  It was nice having him there, knowing he would support and protect me, and he knew I was always there for him as well.  I guess we had kind of gotten used to each other's protective instincts over the past few years.

We started to walk towards town together, as we were both hungry, and neither of us were in the mood to cook.  We stopped by a small shop, buying a sandwich for each of us.  We continued home, our feet syncing in rhythm.  Though it was dark, I wasn't afraid with Daichi by my side, in fact, it was comforting.  The walk was short and uneventful.  I unlocked the door and proceeded to sit at the table to eat, the taller boy taking the seat across from me.  As we both reached into the bag, our hands touched, and I felt the heat rise to my cheeks.  You could practically see my heart beating.  I looked away, hoping he didn't see the reddish tint on my cheeks, but it was too late.

"Suga?" he questioned, his hand wrapped around my own.

"Y-yes," I managed to stutter, feeling the butterflies in my stomach.  He let go of my hand, his mouth was open, as if he were about to say something, but closed, letting the silence fill the air.