In Hindsight

In the name of the game

A few days later
I couldn't believe my luck! Back in middle school, I was a spiker on the volleyball team but since UA didn't have a team, I couldn't really play anymore like I wanted to. But even though I played on the boy's team in my spare time, a local girl's team had offered me a place as their spiker however they weren't a school based team, they were a neighbourhood team. My neighbourhood! How had I not known about this before hand?!

"Hatsume! Are you free after school?!" The student appeared in my doorway expecting something bad to have happened "oh good, you're okay. Sure, why? What are you holding?" I let her read the letter from the team "oh no, I'm not being your setter!" I waved frantically "please! Just temporarily? Just so I can practice efficiently? I'm begging here Hatsume, and I never beg"

a sigh left her lips "fine, but if you slam it too hard and hurt you hands and you're boyfriends come at me, it's on you!" I raised my hands in surrender giggling "it'll be fine!" And just like that, I was back in the game.

As usual, the boys visited me in their lunch break "what's that look for, dumbass?" I bit my lip as Bakugo trapped me between the counter and his body like he usually did. Over the few days, I think he'd really thought this over and became more forward with me.

Hatsume and I had both agreed to keep the whole volleyball thing private like we did with our relationship in school, or at least tried to. Not many people liked the idea of polyamourous and would probably start attempting to make our lives hell. "Do you have things for me to fix this time, or are you just clingy?"

His eyes narrowed drastically "you better not love the gauntlets more than me!" I laughed into his shoulder "I just want to do my job. That's keeping you safe! Both of you" I glanced over his shoulder at Kirishima who had noticed my middle school photos around my workshop before

"Hey, you played?" We both wandered over to see what he was looking at, he'd found the one photo showing just how short I was at 5,4 compared to everyone else. We'd just won a practice game against our rival school and even though I hadn't scored the final point, I still ended up right at the centre of the photo beaming with joy.

"Oh don't look at that, it shows how much of a shorty I am!" Bakugo suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist lifting me up and swinging me around "so? It means I get to do this!" Kirishima was more interested in the fact I played at all "so what position did you play?" I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment "I was sort of the spiker"

His face lit up "that's so manly!" So much for keeping my volleyball past hidden. "We gotta play sometime! Show us you're skills!" I contemplated telling them I was training after school then realised it was probably a bad idea since it was likely that they already had plans. Tuesday night was the boy's date night, it also happened to be the team's volleyball practice night.

Later that day
"C'mon Hatsume, one more! Please?" A small smile came across her lips which faded when she saw just how red my hands were from the spikes "Suzu, your hands" I glanced briefly indulging that pleasant sting I'd become so used to, in fact, I craved it! "I'm okay!" Her eyes darted around "what if you're boyfriends see? They'll kill me!"

I gestured to the ball "then I guess we better make this is best one yet!" I'd placed a water bottle the other side of the net which posed as my target. I'd only hit it a few times so far but I was getting better! 'One more' in volleyball was a never-ending term and those who knew the player, knew that term all too well.

Her head nodded once as she raised her hands getting ready. I sprung into place before bounding off the gym floor and slapping the ball down into the water bottle as it reached my hand "Yes! That's my favourite part! The sting, the view and there's no blockers!"

The gym doors swung open as I once again sent the ball soaring into the drink, Hatsume noticed who it was and threw bandages at me "Quick, I don't wanna die tonight!" I speedily wrapped my hands as they began wandering over after seeing my last hit "Is that what the 'spiker' does? Aww that's so awesome"

I hugged Kiri attempting to hide my hands "right?! Hatsume is a temporary setter right now, you're doing a great job by the way!" She gave a thumbs up before giving me a nervous look as Bakugo grasped my wrists from around Kirishima's neck causing me to mouth 'run' to Hatsume who did exactly that.

"What's with the bandages, dumbass?" His eyes searched mine for the truth as Kirishima also gave me a concerned look taking one of my hands into his own as a form of begging.

"As the spiker of the game, my hands tend to come into contact with the ball a lot an-" Bakugo began to unwrap my hand like a child on Christmas Day unwrapping his first present of the morning, there was no stopping him but he was also being careful as I looked away in shame.

My hands were quite literally raw and slightly shaking from the action before-hand "it's what usually happens when a player isn't in the game for a while..." it was all I could manage to say as the boys examined my injury, it wasn't my first.

I gently pulled my hands back and re-wrapped them "I have some stuff at home that used to help" i couldn't quite make eye contact with either of them "does it hurt?" I smiled at Kiri "it's a good pain" that seemed to satisfy him but Bakugo had a sour look in his face as I picked up the volleyball off the floor from the other side of the net.

"Look, I'm sorr-""don't apologise for something you like doing, dumbass. Just know when to take a break. Now are we going somewhere or are we just going to stand here like extras?" I swung my bag over my back which Kiri took "I can carry my own stu-""it wouldn't be manly if I let you burden the weight"

I knew better than to argue with the king of 'manliness'. Bakugo led the way out going on auto-pilot back to my house before waiting for me to throw him my set of keys.

I did so and he made his way in with us trailing behind. It wasn't long before he flopped on my bed with Kiri laying on his chest while I unwrapped my hands and disappeared into the bathroom.

Years ago my mom had got me this gel that helped with the burning sensation that damaged my hands after each match, the only problem was that it stung when I used it, so my plan was to wait for the boys to fall asleep like usual then just pretend I used it.

But they never did, they just muttered small talk to each other and cutesy stuff. Kirishima glanced at me in the doorway realising I hadn't moved "you need a hand?"

I snapped out of my daze giving him a hazy smile "I think I got it, but if you two would stop being so cute for a few seconds. I'd appreciate it!" My feet forced myself back into the bathroom.

I stood over the sink with the little bottle in hand taking deep breaths "it'll only burn for a few seconds, it'll be fine! You can do this! It'll be a piece of cake! Yea. Yea!"

The instant the substance made contact with my hands, I bit down hard on my arm to stop a scream from filling the air. My arm accidentally knocked over a few other containers as my hands jerked back at the sudden pain

"Hey dumbass, you okay in there?" My mind whirred for any response that wasn't crying out in agony "I'm f-fine" shuffling could be heard before Bakugo appeared in the doorway with his hands in his pockets "is it meant to look like that?"

I nodded while leaning down with my head between my arms "mhm, it burns so bad" I felt his hand rub my back soothingly "serves you right for training so hard" I glared up at him out of the corner of my eye sending chills down his spine causing him to avert his gaze towards the door when Kirishima was leaning.

"Looks like a party in here" I took a deep breath as the pain subsided "ok, i think I'm good?" I felt someone hug me from behind "you got this, babe!" I nodded slowly straightening up as the redness faded while I wrapped my hands back up.

We just ended up cuddling on the bed and working on homework together even though mine is completely different from theirs, at least they tried? In the end, it turned into a hug tickle fight where Kirishima took my place as usual loser, but in total - it was a pretty great day!