"Ok, so let me get this straight..."
"It's not rocket science, Tsukki."
"Humor me"
"Fine, whatever."
Tsukki pressed his glasses further up his nose, and continued to analyze the slightly disgruntled girl next to him. "You're going on a date—with Sugawara-San."
"Yes." Machi sighed. She could feel both Tsukki and Tadashi's eyes on her now. This was the first morning in at least a week they had all been able to walk to school together, and as much as she would have preferred the more casual conversation they were used to, Machi knew she'd had to bite the bullet and tell them before they found out some other way. It was Tuesday after all, she was meeting up with Suga after practice.
"But you're not allowed to date."
Machi ran a hand over her face in exasperation, "Yes, I know Tsukki."
"So then how—"
"I'm not telling him!" Machi's hands tightened around the straps on her bag. Her dad would clearly not approve, and so he didn't need to know in the first place. Before leaving this morning, Machi had made the entirely plausible excuse that she was staying after club to work on jump kicks with Kaido and Nakagawa. Her father had only grunted something about making sure not to forget spin kicks too,and didn't question her further. It gave her just a small glimmer of hope that if she could keep the truth hidden well enough, she'd never have to know how he'd react at all. "So can we not make a big deal about it, or talk about it at all. Please."
They walked along another block and a half in unsteady silence, Tadashi and Tsukki passing each other confused looks over Machi's head, both trying to communicate without words. Finally when they were approaching the front entrance to Karasuno, it was Tadashi who broke the quiet this time.
"But why didn't you say anything? We didn't even know you and Suga were close." He tried to think back on all those times they had spent with the third years, but nothing out of the ordinary seemed to jump to mind. All three of their upperclassman had been friendly, but never more than that, at least not that he had noticed. Sure, it had seemed like Machi was a little more welcoming of their friendships than she normally was around new people, but Tadashi had just passed it off as her finally making new friends. Had he really not seen the signs this whole time? A nasty thought materialized in his mind, and he paled. What if Machi was just trying to keep it from him? "Do you...not trust us enough?" The dejected way Tadashi spoke while keeping his eyes focused on untying his shoelaces made Machi almost want to cry. He was doubting himself because of her choice to keep this from him.
"Of course I trust you, you goofball." But her friendly pat on his head only made his frown deepen, so she tried again, "You've been so busy practicing your float serves, and Tsukki has the emotional understanding of a tapeworm, you both haven't really been available to talk. I wouldn't hide anything from you, honest. And besides," she batted away Tsukki's attempted swat at her face, "it just kind of happened."
"And, you're ok with it?" Machi smiled warmly now; big brother Tadashi was back and trying so hard to be supportive yet protective. It was sweet.
Shoving her locker closed, Machi gave her cousin's shoulder a gentle pat in thanks. "Yeah. It's fine. You don't have to worry Tadashi." The way Machi's eyes silently sparkled told him and Tsukki everything they needed to know; not only was she going on a date with their vice-captain, but she was looking forward to it.
"G-good! Because I'd have to say something if he pressured you into saying yes." Tadashi's voice cracked a bit as he tried to sound tougher than he felt, "I mean—uh, he shouldn't—he can't make you—"
"Easy there, Tiger. I appreciate your gallantry, but it's not necessary." The distant chime of the bell echoed overhead and Machi was waving them away, promising to catch up after classes. With one final look over his shoulder at her retreating form, Tadashi fell into step next to Tsukki, "I'm worried."
Tsukki had hoped to play some music for the last few minutes before classes started, but he sighed, knowing that was out of the question now. "Yeah, well, that's kind of your M.O." he wouldn't admit it of course, but the smallest pang of concern gnawed at him too. He couldn't tell if it was the begrudging affection he felt for Machi, who had become somewhat like family to him as well, or the logical prediction of how the situation would end up that made him apprehensive. Unlike Tadashi, who had been blissfully unaware this whole time, Tsukki had noticed early on that something was going on between the two upperclassman. He had caught them staring at each other one too many times for them to only be friends. Suga always seemed to gravitate to her, even when there was a group, and there were at least two cases when Tsukki could have sworn he saw them holding hands under the lunch table. It made him want to gag, but he never thought anything would happen from it. Nothing real at least. Not with Reo standing in the way, and knowing how things turned out last time Machi tried dating.
"So you're really not concerned at all, Tsukki? Not even a little?" It was as if the freckled boy could read his thoughts on what Tsukki had assumed was an emotionless expression.
Adjusting his glasses again while taking his seat, the tall blond slumped forward in his chair, "No. Machi knows what she's doing. Now let's do what she asked and drop it, before I get annoyed."
***
"This is your idea of a date? Why am I not surprised?"
Standing in the middle of the volleyball court, Suga spun the ball he was holding nervously. Daichi had said almost the exact same thing during practice, an inexplicable look on his face, but Suga hadn't thought much of it then. Daichi was just being annoying. Yet the way Machi stood on the edge of the court with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face, Suga was second guessing himself. "I thought it would be fun!" He anxiously passed the volleyball between his hands, "And, I figured...you know...since you haven't been on a lot of dates before, it would be a low key option." And of course, he wanted to make sure nothing would scare her into turning down any future dates, but he kept that tidbit to himself, "You did say you wanted to learn more about volleyball, right? Well, I'm told I'm a pretty good teacher."
"I guess I did." At first she thought the idea was a bit obvious; first date for a volleyball player clearly equaled learning how to play volleyball. It was a little lame. But now she could see he had put a lot of thought into it, and into making sure she didn't feel overwhelmed with any grand gestures or an awkward dinner and movie. Because god knows those always turned out well.
Joining Suga on the court now and taking the volleyball from him, Machi gave it a few test bounces before asking sarcastically, "You're not going to do that thing from the movies are you? Where the guy teaches the girl how to toss a ball or swing a bat, but it's actually just an excuse to hug her?" By the way Suga's ears burned and he tripped over his words, it was clear he had intended to do just that, which only made Machi giggle. It always looked so cliche to her; clearly it was just something all guys did to make a move and was never actually beneficial to learning the sport. But maybe she'd humor him. Maybe. "Don't worry, pretend I didn't say anything, I promise I won't laugh if that's really your plan." When she tossed the ball back to him, her eyes were alight with anticipation. "Alright, Senpai, teach me how to serve a volleyball."
Turned out, Suga was a better teacher than she thought. Unlike her father, who often barked orders and only pointed out flaws, Suga was patient with his instruction, and made sure to explain everything in detail. Even when she had to ask for clarifications multiple times, he'd just smile that toothy grin of his and explain it again. When her first few attempts at serving ended up only hitting the net, Suga was quick to brush away her own self inflicted criticisms with a gentle pat on her shoulder and an understanding "try again."
Thanks to his attentiveness, in no time at all Machi serves began to actually look like real serves. Or at least, they made it over the net more frequently than before; she still had a problem with power and most of them ended up out of bounds. Ever the perfectionist, Machi would have spent hours drilling it until she got every serve right if Suga hadn't been there to direct their attention elsewhere. Compared to her receives, Machi's serving was akin to Kageyama's; no matter how hard she tried to get it right, it seemed like the volleyball had a habit of bouncing off her arms and towards her face instead of where it was intended. Suga had to hold back his laughter every time it happened; she looked so focused when he tossed the ball to her, only to have that concentration slapped off her face by the multicolored faux leather ball. By the fourth time this happened, Machi's face was scrunched up in frustration and she whipped her head around to Suga, "Goddamnit! What am I doing wrong?" She hated how irritated it made her, because she really was learning a lot from Suga. He had put so much effort into this date and teaching her that she felt like she was somehow ruining everything with her complete failure to grasp even the simplest concepts of the game.
Entirely oblivious to the seething self hatred and dread that Machi seemed to be feeling, Suga was just trying not to think about how cute she looked when angry; her whole face scrunched up in a pout, highlighting the dimple on her left cheek and the passion in her eyes. With a small shake of his head Suga set the volleyball gently back in the cart and demonstrated once more, "You want to make a flat platform for the volleyball to bounce off of cleanly, right now you're turning your arms in. Here, try this." He stepped behind her and slowly ran both hands down her arms, readjusting them to the proper position, then whispering in her ear, "Don't bend your elbows either, you wanna keep your arms straight." To his great satisfaction, Suga watched as goosebumps formed on Machi's arms and heard her breath hitch quietly. Running a hand along her arm once more, he teased, "Not so bad as you thought is it? Those movies know a thing or two after all." When her only response was a silent nod, Suga chuckled before giving her a quick squeeze, then letting her go to retrieve another volleyball. "Alright, try it again, and remember to keep your arms straight." He could have held her like that all day of course, but this was just their first date, he couldn't expect too much too soon. Right?
Now it was Machi's turn to feel her ears burning. Never had she considered just how nice it would be to have someone wrap their arms around her from behind or to feel their lips tickling against her ear when they spoke; she shivered just thinking about it again.
Still visibly flustered, Machi did as instructed anyway and rotated her arms a bit more. When Suga tossed another ball her way, for the first time that day it didn't crash into her face, but instead sailed cleanly back to Suga, who caught it with a grin. "Nice job, Machi! A little more practice and I'd say you'd give the rest of the team a run for their money."
"I don't know about that," Machi laughed, rubbing the spot on her arms where the ball had hit. Not normally a part of her arm she used in taekwondo, it had stung a bit, and there was a small red spot left behind. She couldn't imagine playing a real game, receiving real spikes instead of the soft lobs Suga had sent.
"You're a pretty great teacher that's for sure," he sent her another toss, which she returned with a bit more control, "but I don't have anywhere near the talent you and the rest of the team have. I'll stick to my job as official team cheerleader for now."
While it was meant to highlight the obvious talent Machi saw in him, Suga hesitated before quietly mumbling something about a talent for bench-warming before tossing a slightly higher volley than before, stealing her attention away from his words. They practiced a bit longer, Suga offering his ever considerate advice the entire time, until the red no longer seemed to fade from Machi's forearms and they both wandered over to the side of the court to take a break. As soon as they both sat down on the cool gym floor Machi's stomach gave a loud rumbling protest and she quickly crossed her arms over it in embarrassment. "Sorry, guess I'm a bit hungry."
"A bit? I think I could have heard that from across the court." It was all in good fun that he teased her, which Machi seemed to pick up on and poked at his face with equal mirth. Catching her hand as she reached out to him, Suga placed it back in her lap and patted it gently, "So I guess it's a good thing I packed us some food then?"
Machi gave an excited shout and hastily scrambled for the carefully wrapped bento Suga now offered her. Inside was a delicious looking combination of tamagoyaki, veggies and rice, which someone had formed into the shape of miniature pandas. "Did you make these yourself Suga?" Picking up one of the adorably crafted creations, she was almost hesitant to eat it, it was so cute. Already munching on one of his own rice balls (a cat), Suga spoke through the mouthful of food, "Ah, my mom helped actually. She was so excited when I told her about today, said she wanted to help." He swallowed thickly now as Machi had still not taken a bite of the food, "I hope that's alright. She always shapes the rice into something fun, but I wasn't sure what animals you liked, so I took a guess." Oh god, what if she thought it was stupid, or childish, that his mom had packed them food? He should have thought of something else, something cooler, more mature than panda-shaped onigiri.
"I love it."
Always the one to make her own lunches, and never very creative about it, Machi had never had such a heartfelt gesture. Taking a large bite, it even somehow tasted better too. "Thank you, Suga." She scooted closer to lean her shoulder against his, "And tell you mom thank you too, I love pandas."
Squinting his eyes in a content smile and his own good luck, Suga leaned into her too,"You're welcome Sunshine."
Obviously more hungry than either of them knew, they enjoyed a comfortable silence while they ate, just happy to be alone together. Twirling the last carrot stick in her hands, Machi decided to address the one thing that was nagging at her, "You know you're more than just a benchwarmer, right?"
Suga had finished his bento and was carefully repacking it into his bag, but paused, his shoulders drooping ever so slightly. "I've barely played at all this season, sounds like a benchwarmer to me." Worry now gurgled in her stomach. Machi had never heard the boy sound so disheartened; he was Mr. Refreshing. It was Suga that was always the one encouraging others with his incessant smiles and positive attitude. Seeing him now so unsure of himself was both strange and unsettling.
When Suga held his hand out for Machi's now empty bento, she just brushed it aside and instead placed her own against his face. He had been so kind to her, much kinder than she deserved, now it was her turn to return the favor. "You are great player Suga, and I'm not just saying that. Sure that grumpy first year is a good setter too," Suga pouted a bit more at her words, but she kept his face on hers while she continued, "Buuttt, you offer your teammates so much more than just being a good setter. Don't think that Tadashi hasn't told me about you helping the other first years. And I've seen all the strategic work you do too. You're more valuable to your team than you know."
The smallest hint of a smile was returning to his face as he soaked up Machi's words like a sponge. Trying not to sound too insecure, he pressed his face further into her hand and covered it with his, "You think so? I mean, I know Kageyama is more skilled than I am, I just miss playing sometimes."
"I know so. Your team needs you Suga."
It might not have seemed like much for Machi to say those words, but to Suga they meant more than he could ever explain. He wasn't a natural leader like Daichi, nor was he the ace like Asahi. He was just another third year on the team; the only thing to show for it was the title "vice-captain", which even now he sometimes felt he didn't deserve. Of course, his friends had said similar things to what Machi now told him, but he never really believed them; they were just being nice. Yet when she spoke those same words, it was like hearing them for the first time.
"Yeah, I guess you might be right."
"Oh, please I know I'm right." She scoffed, just happy to see a semblance of her smiling Suga return. "And if anyone tries to tell you otherwise, they'll have to answer to me. And that includes you, Mister."
Never getting enough of her sass, Suga barked a real laugh, taking the moment to place an arm around her and pull her closer, "Yes ma'am, I promise I won't doubt myself again." When he felt her melt into his side, he let himself have one more moment of vulnerability and buried his face into her hair, inhaling her sweetness, "Thank you though, really."
Smiling at the feeling of Suga's lips pressed against her head, for the first time she wondered what it would feel like to feel them against hers. "Anytime."
"Hey, I don't see 'em, can you see anything Kageyama?"
A sharp voice that was trying, and failing, to stay quiet, cut through the air like a knife, effectively popping the bubble that seemed to form around Machi and Suga. They both looked over to the gym door where the familiar voice could be heard.
"Quit it Hinata, you're getting in the way!"
"Will you two shut up, they'll hear you!"
Eye twitching, Suga slapped a hand to his forehead, "I'm going to kill them." He had specifically warned Daichi and the rest of the team not to stick around after practice, but from the cluster of voices they both could now hear huddled around the door, his warnings had gone unheeded.
Just as annoyed, but coping with more finesse, Machi sighed. "Why are you surprised? It was bound to happen eventually." Patting his hand happily, she smirked up at him, "They're too curious, probably not every day they get to see their beloved vice-captain on a date. Couldn't pass up the opportunity."
"Ouch, Hinata that's my foot, stop it!"
"You're hogging the window, I wanna see too!"
Machi gestured to the door as if to prove her point, yet Suga was shaking his head, "Don't think it's just me they're curious to see. I'm pretty sure I heard Tanaka's voice, which means the rest of the second years are there too." Unsure of his point, Machi let him continue before arguing he was wrong, "I think you've won over your fellow second years. They're not scared of you anymore Machi."
She pursed her lips, "Well I can't have that, I have a reputation to maintain." Shuffling in her effort to stand up, she pulled the reluctant Suga to his feet as well, "Come on, might as well go scare them a little bit. They're not going to go away otherwise."
Instead of settling for just holding her hand, Suga slung an arm over her shoulder, "Fine, they win this round. But I'm still gonna kill Daichi for letting them crash our date."
With the image of Suga attempting to beat anyone to a pulp dancing in her head, Machi pulled on his arm, a bit shy about what she was going to say next, "We'll just have to make sure they don't find us so easily next time." She had come into this evening fully expecting it to just be a one time thing; entirely convinced she'd mess it up somehow or he'd change his mind. Now as their date had come to an end, she found herself hoping for another.
Surprised and not at all expecting it, Suga glanced down at the girl in his arms, cocking his eyebrow, "Next time, huh?"
"Yeah, next time."