Hurricane - Ushijima Wakatoshi

Prologue

[TW: Slight gore]

It was a beautiful morning. The weather was already a bit warmer than normal for that early in the day, but the cool breeze that slightly moved Arianna Soto's dark hair made the weather almost perfect.

"I get it Ari! I'll just skip my Aunt's 50th birthday to go watch a practice match next time."

Ari could only roll her golden eyes and smile at her best friend's sarcasm, she could feel the smug aura radiating from the other side of her phone as she boarded the bus and made a beeline straight to the back.

"Exactly" Ari said mimicking the sarcastic voice her best friend used "Priorities Mei." Ari could hear Mei sigh mentally, and could only imagine the exasperated expression her best friend had on her face. Just the thought made her grin a little bit.

"Okay, I promise I won't bail on you next time!"

"That's more like it! You know I have no bus buddy now."

"Oh no," Sarcasm rang clear again "A whole bus seat to yourself. However will you survive?"

"I know," Ari unceremoniously plopped herself on the seat, putting her feet up on the spot next to her and relaxing.

"You know I can actually hear you relaxing, right? And anyways if you really want to have a bus buddy I'm sure your dad will be more than happy to volunteer."

"Oh, yeah right Mei! Here, listen to this." Ari Stood and leaned forward calling over a few rows "Hey dad!" A tall man with dark hair, a confident smile, and kind golden eyes paused in removing his bag and turned around, raising his eyebrow "You wanna sit by me?"

"No way you stinky little gremlin! I need to go over plays with my setter." He then turned to the man standing next to him "Daughters, so needy" he said with a hint of a laugh in his voice

"Hey!" Ari tried to pout, but she could never be angry with her dad. All he had to do was smile at her and all the anger she attempted to front melted instantly.

"Hey is for horses. Tell Mei I said Hi and that she's not going to get out of coming to the next game."

Ari grinned, abandoning her attempt at pouting, "You heard him, right?"

"I did, tell him I won't be missing another one, I hate breaking my streak!" Ari paused, processing what Mei just said.

"Streak?"

"Yeah, I haven't missed a match since... since like ever."

"Only you would keep track of that, you attendance obsessed maniac."

"Yeah, but like... at least I'm not a stinky little gremlin."

"Who are you calling little, shorty?"

Mei scoffed, but couldn't quite argue with that, Ari had always been the taller one. "I guess you have a point telephone pole. Agh. Damnit, I have to go! I'll see you tomorrow Ari!" Ari slightly shook her head, smiling, and opting to let Mei's telephone pole comment slide.

"Call me if you get bored Mei! See ya!" Ari quickly ended the call, turning her head to look out the window to all the cars zooming past the bus. It wasn't too early in the morning, so Ari didn't feel all that tired, meaning she didn't really feel like taking a nap until they got to the gym to pass the time. She decided to eavesdrop on the conversations being held by her fathers teammates; she felt like anything they were talking about she'd heard before; but still she listened.

She heard her Uncle Haru, the team's setter, make a joke. The wing spiker Kento was the butt of that joke, and she knew how well that would go over with him. She heard the coach who was driving the bus begin to laugh but poorly cover it up with a cough. She heard the libero Rente accidentally open himself up for merciless teasing at the hands of his teammates; and she heard her dad's boisterous contagious laugh. She loved sitting on the bus; just listening to the conversations and jokes never failed to bring a smile to her face.