If it weren't already obvious that Suga and Machi were into each other, it became painfully so over the next few weeks. Despite the heckling from the volleyball peanut gallery, the two practically became inseparable. Lunch together every day was already a common sight, but now the two were waiting for each other by their lockers, and even taking the short time between classes just to chat for a few moments. If it all weren't exactly what they'd been hoping would happen, Suga was sure he would have heard Daichi complain a while ago about how sickening sweet it all seemed. Yet, despite almost being attached at the hip, they were careful not to show too much affection in front of others outside their group of friends. Especially since Reo had connections with the martial arts club, any new rumors always had the possibility of making it back to him somehow. So, instead, Suga and Machi would sneak small moments throughout the day, away from prying eyes and where it felt safe to hold hands or to brush a strand of hair out of the other's face. In between these moments, they kept what appeared to be a more friendly distance, but were always within arms reach of each other.
After school was a different story. Every day like clockwork, as soon as the final bell rang, Suga was somehow already waiting outside her classroom, ready to walk with her to the gym, where he didn't care if anyone saw the soft peck on the forehead he gave her or heard the quiet, "good luck" he whispered before bouncing off to his own practice. Red faced, Machi would join the rest of her team and did her very best to appear as if nothing had changed. Those who only knew her as the vice-captain saw no difference in her behavior; she was the same Machi as always, beating everyone in sparring and yelling at them to work harder. One pair of inquisitive eyes did pick up on the subtle changes, however. It was obvious to Kaido something was new; he'd never seen her smile so much outside of a tournament. And despite always arriving to the gym early, she would burst through the doors as red as if she'd just run a marathon. Never one to spill the beans, he kept his suspicions to himself, or at least until he could find a moment without the thankfully less suspicious captain around so he could get all the juicy details.
Not that Machi was counting the minutes until practice was over, but she seemed to have an uncanny ability to know the exact moment when the hour turned. Like a whirlwind, Machi would breeze through the cleanup, rush to the locker rooms to change, then was out the door with a flurry, leaving her teammates to watch in stunned silence at the speed of her departure. She'd arrive at the volleyball court only a few moments later, where it was her turn to eagerly wait for Suga. Slightly impatient, Machi would spend a few moments catching up with Tadashi and Tsukki while they cleaned the court, and eventually even some of the others on the team too as they slowly became more comfortable around one another. Yet despite a growing appreciation of Tanaka's jokes and Ennoshita's quiet kindness, it was always Suga that stole her attention away. After making sure the supplies were stashed and the first years were mopping the floor, the vice-captain would finally make his way over to where Machi stood in the center of his teammates. Even through the mass of taller boys, Machi could spot his soft gray hair as he approached, and would stop mid-sentence to greet him, the sudden way her eyes lit up not going unnoticed by everyone in the room. It was at this point that there would be a chorus of "oooohhhs" from the team, which Suga responded to by shoving them all aside and offering such a serious glare that they all scattered.
Finally alone, they'd walk hand-in-hand out of the gym, sometimes towards Machi's house, but other times Suga would surprise her with a take-away dinner or a thermos of tea and they'd spend hours walking the empty streets and talking. They weren't fancy, well-planned out dates like some girls might have expected, but that didn't seem matter. In fact, they were some of Machi's favorite moments with Suga; when she could finally rest her head against his shoulder as they walked, and not have to worry about who saw them or overheard their conversations. Equally content, Suga would always pull her closer, placing a gentle hand atop her head to play with her hair. And every night, when he dropped her off at the front door to her house, they'd share a silent moment. It started out as just a time where they'd share a quiet smile and an even quieter "goodnight". Eventually though, the minutes dragged on longer as they spent more time lost in each other's eyes, neither wanting to be anywhere else. The more these moments happened, the heavier the air seemed to grow around them as the thought they had both begun hoping for, but neither wanted to voice aloud, would eventually show on their faces. Of course, Suga had been thinking about it, what it might feel like to give her more than just an innocent kiss on the cheek; to feel her lips pressed against his and to wrap both arms around her in a tight embrace. During those quiet minutes alone together, his eyes would frequently break away from hers and trail down her face, drawn by the way she anxiously bit at her lip. On the most recent of these evenings, when they had spent almost ten minutes in a tense silence, foreheads pressed together, Suga could have sworn he saw her eyes trace the same path. Yet just like every other night, the spell would eventually break and they'd both turn their separate ways, each silently reprimanding themselves for chickening out.
"You ever think you're just over thinking it too much?" Daichi rolled a pencil back and forth on his desk absentmindedly, only half listening to Suga as he had been gushing about Machi the entire fifteen minutes before class. He had only just started paying more attention when Suga confided about the most recent failed end of their little 'goodnight' ritual. "It doesn't have to be some big, overly-planned movie moment, ya know. Just kiss her! What, are you afraid she'll try and punch you or something?"
Suga's sudden silence made Daichi look up from his desk. His friend had gone a sickly pale, "Oh god, you are!"
"Why wouldn't I be?" He dropped his head into his hands. It was only partially true, he was also just terrified she'd flat out turn him down. And then punch him. "She doesn't exactly have the best track record in that area. That guy from her club still has a bit of a crooked nose."
A little amused, Daichi leaned back in his chair, kicking his feet up onto Suga's desk next to him. Taking a quick glance around to make sure Nakagawa wasn't in class yet, he continued, "Yeah, but the guy is a bit of a dick. She digs you Suga. It's obvious. And I'd bet you good money she's been thinking about this too. So just suck it up and take a risk. We're all going to her next tournament this weekend, so find a moment there." He leaned back farther in his chair so that it balanced on the two back legs, "And if she breaks your face, I promise not to laugh. That much."
***
The "we" that Daichi had referred to turned out to be more than Machi or Suga had anticipated. She had only told Suga and Tadashi about her upcoming tournament; it would decide who went to the Olympic Qualifiers and she had hoped they might show up for moral support. What she had not expected however, was both Tadashi and Suga mentioning the tournament to separate members of the volleyball team, who then blabbed to the rest. So when Machi entered the arena alongside the rest of her club mates, she was not at all prepared for the roar of the fan section she seemed to garner. Every single member of the volleyball team had shown up, Tanaka and Nishinoya even sporting ridiculous black headbands in solidarity of their "favorite ninja." Luckily, Tadashi had been to enough of her tournaments that he was able to convince everyone to leave the megaphones at home, not that they seemed to need them anyway. Their voices were clear, even from the very back of the bleachers.
"You have quite the cheerleaders Machi." Standing on one leg as he stretched the other, Kaido hopped over to her, the glee evident on his face. "Come to see you wipe the floor with everyone I suppose. That's kinda cool." It faltered a bit when he saw the wrinkle on her forehead as she frowned up at the stands. She looked annoyed. "Weren't expecting them, were you?"
Shaking her head, Machi let out an aggravated sigh. "I wasn't expecting all of them." Not that she wasn't happy to see everyone of course, but the tournament hadn't even started yet, and Hinata and Nishinoya were already causing trouble by trying to start the wave amongst the other spectators. It was distracting. Which was the very last thing she needed right now. This was the tournament that would decide if she would even have a chance of fulfilling her dream, and instead of focusing on technique, her mind would be constantly worrying about what trouble those idiots were causing.
As if they could sense her frustration, Daichi and Suga both grabbed one of the first year's by the collar and shoved them into their seats. Daichi began lecturing them in his most terrifying Captain Voice about not acting like children while Suga gave Machi a thumbs up, reassuring her that they'd behave the rest of the day. Smirking quietly at the way Machi returned Suga's gesture, Kaido glanced around quickly to make sure Naka wasn't anywhere nearby, and took this as his moment to gossip. "So you were expecting some of them to show up then, hmmm?" The speed at which she whipped her head around to face him only spurred him on, "Anyone in particular?"
"...No."
He was having too much fun now. "You sure?" Kaido held his hands up past his head, "No one, say, with gray hair, about yea tall? Absolutely smitten with you?"
Sheepishly, Machi tried to cover her face, "Stop it Kaido. We're supposed to be warming up."
"No can-do chica. Not until you spill." He was gushing now, but couldn't help it. "Come on, at least tell me something! And then I'll leave you alone I promise."
Machi sighed, he would never give up. "Fine. We've been on a few dates. Happy now? Because that's all I telling you."
Yet Kaido only gave a very girlish squeal and bounced on the balls of his feet. "You bet your sweet ass I'm happy! But come on, I gotta ask one more question please?" He gave her the biggest puppy dog eyes he could muster, until she finally caved and he danced around her giddily. "Ok! So, I gotta know! Has he kis—"
"Kimura, why are you distracting my daughter?" Reo's dark figure had approached the two from behind, unnoticed until he was standing directly behind Kaido, his eerily calm voice making them both freeze.
Kaido squeaked out a hasty apology, suddenly worried how much Reo had overheard, but as always, Machi's father was only focused on one thing. "Machi, your bracket is going first, go line up." He was all business today, which wasn't entirely out of the ordinary. But the icy stare he gave her and Kaido pierced them both like a sharp knife to the gut. Today was just as important to him as it was to Machi; after that disappointing first tournament, if she didn't do well today it meant everything he'd worked for would be pushed back another four years. And that he had raised a failure.
Nodding hurriedly, Machi gave him a respectful bow before gathering her weapons and jogging past him to her ring. Reo's tight grip on her bicep stopped her momentarily, his hand uncomfortably tight as he growled just low enough for only her to hear, "Do not disappoint me." Dread settled in her stomach now, replacing all feelings of excitement. Knowing he would only reprimand her for being weak, Machi steeled her eyes to hide the growing nerves and exhaustingly familiar pressure, and gave him a curt nod before running off towards her competing ring. It's not like she had expected anything else from him, the man had never offered even a simple "good luck" to her before. But the coldness in which he addressed her was still somehow disappointing, like he didn't even care if she did her best or not, just as long as she won. It was a stark difference to all the other parents in the crowd who came to support their children. Nakagawa's entire family always showed up, his siblings insisting they sit in the front row every time. And Kaido's dads were some of the most boisterous in the gym, even when he lost. Machi's shoulders sagged just a bit as she watched her two teammates soak up their well-wisher's final support before the tournament began, unable to keep from comparing their warmth to the indomitable figure that cast its shadow over her.
"Do your best, Machi!"
"Yeah! Kick some ass!"
"Language, Tanaka! There are children here!"
The chorus of voices from the back of the gym drowned out her darkening mood, and Machi was soon holding back a grin. Suga was wrestling Tanaka to his seat as the younger boy tried to jump the railing. Seeing they had caught her attention, they both waved and cheered her name again while Tadashi gave a goofy smile and Tsukki nodded in silent acknowledgement. A warm confidence re-settled back in her heart; they weren't exactly family, but they were here. For her. And that was enough.
***
"So, that's your uncle, huh?"
Daichi leaned forward on his elbows towards Tadashi who sat with Tsukki and Ennoshita in front of them. They had all enthusiastically watched Machi execute a near perfect form and weapons demo, cheering the loudest of anyone else when the judges gave her the highest score of her age group. With only sparring left, Machi had a comfortable lead. Yet if the Karasuno boys thought that meant she could relax and chat with them during the ten minute break before the sparring matches began, there were twelve disappointed faces when she was immediately called away by her father. From the sidelines of the sparring ring, Reo and Machi had what looked like an intense conversation. His arms were crossed angrily as he towered over her, and while his voice didn't carry across the gym, it was clear from his face he wasn't pleased about something. Suga had mentioned the man was a bit scary, but Daichi didn't expect him to be so intimidatingly serious.
Watching the familiar interaction between his cousin and uncle, Tadashi nodded slowly. "Yeah, he's um...he takes this tournament really seriously."
"Yeah, no shit." Daichi mumbled quietly, "But is he always this...intense?"
Tadashi looked at Tsukki out of the corner of his eye, both automatically deciding not to mention this was Reo holding back. They were in public after all. Tsukki scoffed, "Intense is one way to describe it."
"What do you—"
"Oh hey look, Machi's first!" Tadashi interrupted, hoping to change the subject away from what would otherwise be an awkward discussion. He pointed out to the main arena floor, where indeed Machi had donned her sparring gear and was bouncing around on the balls of her feet in anticipation.
"So just how good at sparring is she?" Daichi asked curiously, watching as the match began and both figures began dancing around the ring, testing each other for openings. "I mean, I know you said she was good, but what does that mean?"
Tadashi, Suga and Tsukki, the only three who had witnessed Machi's sparring before exchanged amused looks, but it was Suga who answered, "Keep watchin'. You'll get your answer."
A whistle sounded in the ring and the referee was raising Machi's arm in victory. The match had barely lasted two minutes, and they had been so busy talking they missed it. "How is it over already?!" Daichi balked, the rest of his team just as flabbergasted. Except Tsukki, who only snapped back sarcastically, "Suga did say to watch closely."
The team turned their full attention the next few rounds with more intent this time, so much so that even Tanaka forgot to cheer obnoxiously loud. Suga had been right. Machi was like a hurricane; too quick for her opponents to catch while leaving a wave of damage in her wake. The next two rounds went similar to the first: Machi won within ten moves, and never with any flashy over-the-top tricks like some of her opponents tried to throw in, but with simple and precise strikes, just like Reo had taught her. By the time the final match had started, much sooner than anyone was anticipating, Machi had barely broken a sweat, and appeared much more confident than when the day had started. Even Reo had become unusually quiet, scrutinizing every match for flaws, but not finding enough to yell about. He didn't look proud per se, but at least slightly less annoyed than normal.
Not afraid to show his own feelings of pride, Suga leaned forward in his seat, eagerly watching as Machi scored a triple point for a well executed crescent kick. The other girl stumbled backward, landing outside the ring. All those extra training sessions together and the increased pressure from her dad must have paid off, because while she had clearly struggled before with the older class of opponents, now Machi was the one with the upper hand. Her opponent quickly jumped to her feet, but the cautious way she approached Machi now was all too telling. Machi could feel it, and so could her cheerleaders; she was going to win.
"You're a sap, you know that?"
Suga jumped, only now realizing he had inched so far forward in his seat he was in danger of falling off. He'd had been so focused on watching the match, impressed and proud of the girl in the ring. Daichi had noticed though, and couldn't pass up an opportunity to tease. "Not that it's a bad thing, but it will be if you don't do something about it soon."
Suga rubbed the back of his neck nervously, barely taking his eyes off the girl he was, as Daichi christened him, a hopeless sap for. "Yeah, I know. I just don't wanna mess it up."
Daichi's attempt at a reply was cut off by the sharp blast of a whistle. And just like that, the match was over, and their conversation was forgotten as both lead the team in leaping from their seats, screaming at the top of their lungs for the newly declared champ.
As if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, Machi let out the biggest sigh of relief. Not only had she won the match, but the first place rank for her age group. A permanent smile was etched on her face as she raised a fist in the air. She was going to the Qualifiers, and not even a reluctantly pleased Reo could change the way she felt; like she had just conquered a particularly difficult climb on the way towards the summit of Mt. Everest.
Riding the adrenaline high, Machi raised her head; past her father who only offered a less stern nod, and towards the bleachers where a roar of support could be heard. All twelve of her friends were on their feet, shooting off the party poppers Tanaka had snuck in his jacket. Still grinning so wide her face started hurting, Machi locked eyes with Suga and the rest of the world disappeared, leaving only his proud smile. Assuming correctly that running out onto the gym floor and lifting her in a celebratory hug probably wasn't the best idea when a certain disapproving father was watching, Suga settled for this small minute where they seemed all alone. Knowing she'd understand, Suga mouthed quietly, "Knew you could do it," watching in satisfaction as she beamed, eyes scrunching closed in delight.
Another party popper sounded in Suga's ear, breaking his eye contact with Machi, who was almost immediately swept into a bone crushing hug from Kaido. More party poppers snapped again, but this time Machi didn't find them as distracting as before. In fact, she was even warming up to the idea of the entire team coming to the Qualifiers, if only to have someone rooting for her.
The thought lasted another 3.2 milliseconds, until the bullhorn screeched and Tanaka was tackled to the ground by an outraged Daichi.
And then she thought, maybe not.
***
A/N:
Thank you all for being so understanding with the longer than normal wait! I am still not 100% just yet and have had headaches for the past three weeks now. I'm hoping it goes away soon, because I'm frankly quite tired of it (and just tired). But I hope this chapter was worth the wait!