Takeda Ittetsu was staring at his student coach, a small frown on his face. It was Friday, exactly one week before the team would be climbing aboard a bus, headed for the Spring Nationals. Nakano was watching the boys play a practice match together, walking around and making notes and staring at them intently. Occasionally, she'd heave a sigh, and then shake her head and make more notes. Takeda watched her, the concern on his face a mirror of the girl's own.
"Hey Specs, everything alright?" Ukai asked, noting the beginnings of a furrow between the teacher's brows. He followed the shorter man's gaze, seeing their student coach sigh again and change her observing position. "Are you worried about Ogawa? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing you should worry about, Coach Ukai," Takeda said, startling out of his thoughts and bowing to the younger man. "I'm sure everything is going to be just fine." Ukai stared at the man as he briskly made his way over to the young woman who was now biting on the end of the pencil she was writing with. He came to stand next to her, arms folded across his chest, gaze trained on the players even as hers was. "You've done everything you can for them, you know. Now it's up to them."
Nakano yelped, almost jumping out of her skin. She turned wide, startled eyes towards her teacher. "Goodness, Takeda-sensei, you scared me!" She chuckled, taking a couple of deep breaths. "I'm sorry, sensei, did you need something?"
"I need you to stop worrying, Ogawa-chan. You've done so much for these boys. Now it's time to let them take what you've given them and run with it."
"There's still a week left, Takeda-sensei. I know I can help them a little with..."
"Nakano," Takeda said softly, making the girl suddenly stare at him, "A good coach also has to know when enough is enough. Pushing these boys too hard will only increase their anxiety at this point. They need a little time before the tournament to settle into themselves, don't you think? To become comfortable with what they are. To make sure their moves are as natural as breathing."
Nakano let out an explosive sigh. "Yes, I suppose you're right. I just...I want to do everything I can. They are so amazing, they've given me so much. I want to make sure I've given them everything I possibly can."
Takeda smiled. "As a good coach should."
A rather unlovely snort came from Nakano. "Takeda-sensei, tell me the truth. I mean, this whole 'student coach' thing...it was just a way to justify my being more involved with the physical aspect of training the team, right? You...you don't really think of me as a coach, do you?"
Takeda's brown eyes trained themselves on the girl's face, his gaze as intense as she'd ever seen from him. "Nakano, do you really think I'd go through the effort I did to arrange for you to have this position if I didn't take it seriously? If I didn't expect you to take it seriously?"
The girl gaped at him. "So you...you really think I'm doing a good job as a student coach?"
"I think you're doing a marvelous job. You've got a natural talent for this kind of thing. But right now, you're on the edge of pushing too hard. Let me guess, you're feeling a little worked up - like if you sit still, you might explode."
A small giggle escaped the girl. "That's not a bad description, sensei."
"That feeling is to be expected. We're a week away from the biggest event in high school volleyball. The thing we've been working and training for - fighting for - all year long. You feel like you have to cram as much preparation as you can into this final week, don't you?" He grinned at the girl as she nodded. "Tell me, Nakano, how do you prepare for a test?"
The strawberry blonde blinked, confused by the sudden change of topic. "Uhhh...well...I usually review for several days before the exam. Sometimes I work with someone else, we quiz each other, check our knowledge against one another, you know? And then, the day before the test, I make sure to eat well, and get plenty of rest..." The girl trailed off as understanding dawned in her eyes. "We've reached the day before the test, haven't we, Takeda-sensei?"
"Something like that. This is a little bigger than a single test, so it needs bigger preparation too."
"I guess that makes sense," Nakano said, and then sighed deeply.
"What's bothering you now, Coach?"
"What about next year's Nationals?"
"Huh?" Takeda grunted out, looking rather surprised.
"I'm here now, and I'm going to do every single little thing I can, down to rubbing Hinata's back while he throws up, if I have to, to help this team go as far as they can. But...I...I..." The girl appeared to struggle to get the words out. When she spoke again, her voice was a tight whisper, yet as intense as if she were yelling. "I want to be on a team again, sensei! I want to be on the court, and play, and go with my own team to Nationals! But that means I have to leave these boys...and...I feel terrible doing that. I don't want to leave them. They deserve better than that from me."
"Nakano, no one on this team would fault you for wanting to play again. In fact, you've been quite clear about that since the very beginning, and if you tried to give up on that, even for the benefit of this team, I think the boys would be very upset with you. They want to see you play on a team of your own - almost as much as you want to, I think. So don't worry about that. Plus, you can still support them. You've also got very good instincts on how to motivate people, and you can still use those for the benefit of the boys team, even if you're working with the girls team. So don't feel like you're hurting these boys in any way. Keep working towards your goal, even as you help these boys to achieve theirs."
Nakano could feel eyes on her, and looked up to see her captain staring at her, nodding his head, as if he knew exactly what she and their teacher were talking about. She chuckled, a blush gracing her features. "Thanks, Takeda-sensei. I think I needed to hear that."
"Here's something else I think you need to hear. I hope you'll give serious consideration to the idea of becoming a coach in the future. You'd be a very good one."
Nakano's eyes went wide once again. "Sensei, how did you..."
"I pay attention to what's going on, Ogawa-chan, even when you all think I don't." The man's smile was just a touch smug. "Now, it looks like we're at match point. Perhaps you can convince Daichi-kun that today would be a good day for extended stretches and an early dismissal."
Nakano tossed her teacher a bright smile, and ran over to be ready to speak to her captain just as soon as the match ended.
🏐🏐🏐
Sunday afternoon found Nakano in her bedroom, doing a little reorganizing. Despite his best efforts, Daichi had not been able to convince Coach Ukai that a Sunday practice would be a good idea. Instead, the blonde man had agreed to allow for an extended Saturday practice, with the promise that under no circumstances was he to hear about the team getting together to play volleyball on Sunday. A resting day was what their bodies needed, their coach insisted, and he was bound and determined the team was going to take one. He made Nakano swear up and down that she would not allow the boys to use her backyard volleyball court, and that she would let him know if any of them tried to organize a practice.
And frankly, the girl agreed with their coach.
She'd slept in, and then indulged in the Ogawa family traditional Sunday brunch. Well-fed and feeling like she really ought to accomplish something for the day, Nakano had gone back to her room, torn between wanting to do a little reorganizing and wanting to go for a jog. She decided her stomach needed a little more time to settle before attempting to exercise, and before she knew it, she was taking apart her panda display, cheerful music playing in the background. Maybe I'll text Kei after I'm done, she thought, I bet I could convince him to go for a run with me.
As soon as she'd had that thought, her phone chimed.
My Big Bro 🤗
Hey Naka-chan!
Queen Setter 🏐
Hey Tobio-chan! What's up?
My Big Bro 🤗
Are you busy today?
Queen Setter 🏐
Should we meet at your house or mine?
Nakano chuckled as it seemed to take Kageyama a few moments to gather his thoughts. She'd been expecting something like this to happen. He'd obviously been a little preoccupied at their last few practices, and Nakano had decided she'd give him until after New Years before insisting he talk about whatever was on his mind. She was glad to see that he'd come looking for her before that deadline.
My Big Bro 🤗
Is it okay if I come to your house? There's a lot going on at home.
Nakano arched an eyebrow at that. There was rarely a lot going on in the Kageyama household. She knew Miwa was home, but Kags' sister wasn't usually the type to be all up in her brother's business. However, Nakano at Kageyama's house meant two setters in close proximity, and that would almost certainly attract Hinata. She hummed a little as she tapped out her reply, wondering if their discussion was going to involve the little ginger in some way.
Queen Setter 🏐
Of course! Want my dad to come pick you up?
My Big Bro 🤗
Nah, I can make my way there. I might take him up on a ride home, if I can get one. It gets dark early now.
So he's thinking this might well be a long talk, Nakano mused.
Queen Setter 🏐
LOL I'm sure he'll be happy to. I'll give him a heads up. Come on over when you're ready.
My Big Bro 🤗
I'll be there in about fifteen minutes.
Nakano barked out a laugh. So the boy was already halfway to her house. She wondered what he would have done if she hadn't been able to get together with him. Was he upset enough that he might even go talk to Tsukki? She shook her head. If he's that upset, this is going to be an interesting afternoon.
Queen Setter 🏐
LOL See you soon then!
Nakano fell immediately to work, getting all her pandas back into some semblance of organization. She hoped to eliminate distractions, making sure that her best friend would be able to talk to her about whatever it was that had so obviously been on his mind lately. She had just placed the last panda in his spot when she heard the doorbell ring. Perfect timing, Tobio-chan.
Nakano was grinning as she opened the door for her best friend. "Hey, Tobio-chan!" she sang out, "Come on in!"
"Thanks," the dark-haired setter replied, slipping quietly inside and changing his shoes.
Once the boy was done, Nakano grabbed two milk cartons from the fridge and led the way to her bedroom. She tossed one to Tobio as she bounced on her bed, pulling her legs up and getting comfortable. He busied himself opening his milk as Nakano decided to go straight for the jugular. "Alright, so let's have it, Tobio. What's on your mind?"
"What? Can't I just want to hang out with my best friend? Do I have to have something on my mind?" Kageyama frowned as he fiddled with his milk carton.
"Of course - I'm happy to hang out with you anytime. But you and I both know you did not come here today just to hang out. I know something's been bothering you. Heck, even Kei has mentioned it, and we both know he generally doesn't pay enough attention to you to notice things like that."
Kageyama snort-laughed while trying to drink his milk, resulting in the boy nearly choking to death. Nakano helped him get his breath, setting his milk aside and thumping him hard on the back. "What are you trying to do Naka-chan? Kill me?"
Nakano couldn't help but giggle. "Sorry Tobio-chan." She waited until the boy seemed to be breathing normally again before patting the bed next to her. "Come on, now, sit down, and tell me what's been going on with you."
Kageyama had barely sat himself down before he bounced up again, pacing and fiddling with his fingers. Nakano suddenly realized he'd been moving or fussing with something the entire time he'd been with her - his shoes, the milk, and now his hands. He was pacing across her room, fingers now coming to run through his fine raven hair. "Naka-chan, I...you see...I mean, I know you know...you can see that I..." The boy seemed completely incapable of finishing a line of thought, simply starting over each time he turned to pace the other way across the room. Suddenly he sighed explosively, stopping his motion at last, his hands coming to cover his face. He looked like he didn't know whether he should laugh or cry.
Nakano could not recall ever having seen Tobio quite so confused and upset before. She decided the boy needed to calm down, and there was one good way she could think of to settle him. She didn't think Coach Ukai would mind if she bent the rules in this situation. "Hey Tobio...wanna go outside and do some passing? I'd been thinking of going for a run, but a little volleyball would be more fun."
He looked up at her gratefully, his face eager. "Can we do some spiking too?"
"Sure thing, big bro. Let's do it."
An hour later, both teens were a curious combination of hot and sweaty and somewhat chilled. They'd spoken little, simply falling into a rhythm that took them through passing drills, receiving drills, and then spiking drills, finally winding down with a bit of stretching out. When Kageyama suddenly shivered and then flopped back on the mostly dead grass, not moving for the first time since he'd shown up at her door, Nakano figured he finally might be ready to talk. "Come on," she said, grabbing his hand and dragging him up, "time for hot chocolate."
"Whipped cream?" he asked, face once again eager.
"Duh, Tobio."
The two friends cleaned up while Emiko made hot chocolate for them, garnishing both mugs generously with whipped cream before bringing them to Nakano's room. At last, they sat together once again on Nakano's bed, sipping on their mugs, which resulted in Tobio having whipped cream on his nose thanks to the massive pile of it Emiko had applied, which made Nakano laugh hysterically at him. Finally, as things began to settle once more and Kageyama at last appeared to be relaxed, Nakano simply arched a brow at him. The boy startled and tensed up, then seemed to relax again and sipped his hot chocolate, as if hoping to find courage in the sweet creamy liquid.
"Naka-chan, when you were waiting for Tsukishima to respond to your feelings for him, how did you handle it? How were you able to wait so patiently?"
Now it was the girl's turn to startle, as she in no way had been expecting that one. She looked at her self-proclaimed big brother, and she could tell by his eyes he was genuinely curious - he was not simply trying to deflect the conversation from his own problem. She sighed. "Well...it wasn't easy, I can tell you that. In fact, I spent a lot of time feeling pretty upset and trying hard to hide it. It might have seemed like I was waiting patiently, but inside, I was a wreck a lot of the time. My feelings for Kei were pretty strong, and I knew I'd expressed them in the worst possible way - just springing it on him like that in front of everyone. What an idiot. I was pretty convinced after two weeks that I'd completely screwed up any chance I had for a relationship with him. In fact, I was starting to think it was about time I just let it go...he'd taken so long, I couldn't imagine things would go well for me at that point. But he'd expressly asked for just a little more time, so I was willing to wait a few more days. And then...well...you know how that turned out." It suddenly struck her that Kageyama wasn't anywhere nearly as good as she was at hiding his emotions...and the way he'd been acting at practice...his question... "Tobio? Is that what's happened? Did you confess to someone and you're waiting for an answer?"
"What?" Tobio scoffed, "No!"
Nakano sighed. "Then I'm really confused, Big Bro. What's going on?"
Kageyama sighed again, searching once more for something in his mug that probably was not there. Licking the last of the whipped cream off his lips, he posed another question. "Did you see what Hinata got me for my birthday?"
Nakano pushed down the desire to demand that the boy come to the point, hoping that this roundabout path would be worth the wait. "Yeah...kneepads, right? Pretty sweet!"
"Not just any kneepads, Naka-chan, my favorite brand. The exact style I prefer. Do you even know my favorite brand of kneepads?"
Nakano cocked her head, thinking. "Ummm...you like the McDavid's, don't you?"
Tobio shook his head. "Not since my second year of middle school. I wear the Mizuno LR6 now - I like the fit better, they don't slide as much when we play multiple games. Hinata got exactly the right ones - he even knew my size. I mean...how did he know? Is he paying that much attention to my knees?"
Nakano smiled at him. "Well, you are his setter. He pays very close attention to you, apparently."
"So you don't think that's kinda...I dunno...weird?"
"I mean...does it make you feel weird?" Come on, Tobio, Nakano urged him in her head, tell me how you're feeling. How are you feeling about Hinata?
Kageyama stared into his mug again for a moment before draining it and setting it on the night table, bumping Nakano's shoulder as he did so. She laughed, and he grinned at her. A strange little half smile remained on his face as he settled into place again, and a warm blush began spreading across his nose and cheeks. "That picture you asked Yamaguchi to send you...the one we took at the Pageant of Starlight..."
"You mean you and Shoyo in front of the heart?"
"Yeah. Why did you like it so much?"
"Well, it was adorable! Shoyo was being all cutesy and throwing a peace sign and backslapping you, and you looked all shocked and aggravated, and there's a big glowing heart behind you! How could I not want a picture of you guys like that?"
"Isn't that the kind of picture a...a...couple would take, though?" Tobio stammered out.
Nakano sucked in a breath, and waited. Kageyama was silent for a long time.
"Naka-chan?"
"Yeah, Tobio?"
"When I was walking in the maze with Hinata...we were talking about how we could solve the thing...and he was kinda...thinking...you know, like looking all pensive and tapping his cheek, like this," Tobio said, demonstrating Hinata's thinking face to the girl. She stifled a chuckle at his imitation. He stopped, and was quiet a long moment. "When he was doing that...I...I..." Tobio suddenly dropped his head into his hands, "I kinda... really wanted to kiss his cheek."
Nakano's smile was wide. "Would that have been so bad, Tobio?"
The face Tobio gave her was one of torment, and the girl's face morphed into one of concern. "This is Hinata I'm talking about! Not some cute boy from my class or something! Hinata Shoyo, the tiny little dumbass redheaded middle blocker that bounces around like an idiot and plays on my team! Dammit, Nakano, what am I gonna do now?"
The boy suddenly collapsed sideways onto the bed, crumpling like a discarded sheet of paper. Nakano gave him a tentative smile. "So...you really like him, huh?"
"Ever since I thought about kissing his cheek...well...now I can't stop. Every time I see him, I wonder what it would be like. And then I panic."
"Why? What's so bad about this? You've found someone who makes you want to try, right? So try!"
The look Nakano got in response to this statement was equal parts incredulous and are-you-kidding-me. Tobio sat up, staring at his best friend. "I keep telling you, this is Hinata we're talking about. Hi-na-ta. Everything is bad about this!"
"I don't understand why, Tobio. Are you worried about dating someone on the team?"
"Of course I am! I mean, say we go out, and then we break up. Then what? How do we keep playing volleyball together? What if we can't be friends anymore? What if we can't work together anymore? I mean, would you want to play volleyball with Oikawa?"
Nakano suddenly started, and Kageyama nodded at her. "See? It's not like it is for you and your asshole boyfriend. Not for nothing, Naka-chan, but if you and Tsukishima split, you leave our team and go play for the girls, and everybody's fine. Except I'd have to kill that blonde jackass, but that's a different problem." Nakano chuckled and let the boy continue. "But you see what I mean, right? Neither one of us is going to quit the team, no matter how bad the break up is. And we'd still have to work together all the time. We could blow the team apart from the inside out, Nakano."
Nakano sighed heavily. "Tobio...you're worried about breaking up before you've even had a chance for a relationship."
"You and Tsukishima thought about it right away, didn't you?"
Nakano colored slightly. "Yeah. We did. We promised Daichi that the needs of the team would come first."
"I don't know if I could make that promise, Nakano. And that's just the team. What if...what if Hinata isn't interested in me? What if he isn't even interested in guys at all? I mean, he talks to some cute girls in his class - what if he's straight?"
"Well, have you asked him?"
"NO! I can't ask him that! Hey, dude that I change clothes in front of almost every day, are you gay by any chance? Because I think I might be, and I kinda wanna date you. That would be just great, Nakano." Kageyama flopped backwards on the bed, a look of sheer panic on his face.
Nakano did her level best to stifle her chuckles. "Okay, Tobio, maybe don't say it like that, but..."
"I can't imagine saying it at all. I...I just can't ask him, Naka-chan. I...I don't even know what I am. I...guess I'm bi? Because I really meant it when I wanted to kiss you, and if it hadn't be so completely obvious that we weren't in love like that, well...I would have dated you and been super happy about it, ya know? And kissing the girls in the Spin the Bottle game was totally fun and nice. But now...arrghh!! Why him? Why Hinata?" Kageyama gripped at Nakano's quilt so hard she feared the boy would tear it in two.
"Tobio-chan...how are you feeling about all this?"
"Panicked. Scared. Nervous. Sick. Upset. Frustrated. Angry."
"None of that sounds very...pleasant. What I mean is...are your only feelings about this whole situation negative?"
Kageyama grunted, then sighed, long and drawn out. "Honestly? No. I like Hinata. I mean, he's a dumbass, but he's a fun dumbass. And he's been...really nice to me, overall. I like competing against him, and I like working with him on the same team. I guess that's why this is driving me so crazy. If it weren't for the fact that we're on the same volleyball team, and going to Nationals in a few days, and if I weren't so confused about his feelings and my feelings, then...I guess I'd be happy about this."
Nakano couldn't help it this time, she burst into hysterical laughter. Kageyama scowled at her at first, but soon enough he too couldn't help but see the ridiculousness of his last statement, and began to laugh as well. Nakano dragged her fellow setter up to a sitting position again, tossing her arms around him and giving him a massive hug. The two remained so until their laughter began to slow down at last.
"Okay, Tobio-chan, I'm guessing you decided to share all this with me today because you were hoping to get some advice." The boy nodded vigorously. "Well, my advice is - for right now, do nothing."
Kageyama blinked repeatedly, staring at his best friend. "That...was not what I expected you to say."
Nakano laughed again. "I know. But in one sense, you are absolutely right. Your timing really couldn't be worse. Five days before we head to the biggest tournament of our lives is not the time to be confessing feelings to your teammate. However, think of it this way. What's the rush?"
"What do you mean?"
"You've been hanging around Hinata since March. Learning about each other, driving each other crazy, fighting, growing, becoming friends. So...after nine months of this, you're now thinking you might be ready to see if he's interested in a little more, am I right?"
Kageyama suddenly flushed, color cascading down his cheeks and under the neck of his sweatshirt. "Uh...well...I...I think maybe...I might be, yeah."
"See? You said it yourself, you're not even sure about you yet. Take some time, let this settle. Let's get past the Nationals. Let yourself explore what you feel. I know Tsukki had to do that before he felt ready to take the next step with me. Give yourself the gift of time to see if you can become comfortable with the idea a little."
"But...how do I...I mean...part of me wants to know right now! And part of me doesn't want to know at all."
"And that's precisely why I think you should wait. I've seen you at practice, Kags - you're thinking about it, but it isn't overwhelming you. I think you can set it aside, focus on playing volleyball. Focus on Hinata as your teammate. Leave all the other considerations aside. Just...be around Hinata. But don't worry about him. He's not going anywhere."
"But...what if he...I mean...what if he's interested in someone already? Someone...else. Some other guy...or a girl...or..."
"The Nationals will be all over in ten days, Tobio. Ten days. You've been developing to this point for nine months. Can you wait ten more days?"
Kageyama suddenly looked confused, as if the concept of Nationals being over was a foreign idea. "That soon? It...doesn't seem like it could all be finished that soon."
"Eleven days from now, the tournament will be over, and everything will be decided. It will all be behind us, no matter the outcome. If Hinata starts dating someone else in the space of the next ten days, then let's face it Tobio, you never had a chance, even if you talked to him today. But honestly, Hinata's got nothing else on his mind right now either. It's all about Nationals. And then, when those are over, maybe you'll be ready to really think about something else. You and I both know that part of the reason why you feel so worried is because you don't want to do anything that could potentially change how the two of you work together at these upcoming games, right?"
"Yeah. Absolutely."
"Well, maybe the best thing you can do is get through these games and then see how you feel. It's only ten more days. And they will be very busy days. I think you'll find it easy to keep yourself distracted."
The tension seemed to drain out of the boy, and he leaned against his best friend, placing his head on her shoulder. "I think you're right. I've been able to kind of shunt it all aside at practice, for the most part."
"You've been a little quieter towards Hinata of late, but other than that, I don't think most people noticed. I did, of course, but then again, I know you pretty well, Big Bro." Nakano ruffled the boy's hair, and he chuckled.
"Thanks, Naka-chan."
"Can I tell you something, Tobio?"
"Sure."
"I've been wondering about you and Hinata for a while now. I don't know if you've got a future together as a couple, but I have to say, sometimes, when I see the two of you together, I don't just see volleyball teammates. I see two guys who really get each other. Who bring out the best in each other."
"The best? Are you sure you don't mean the worst? He drives me out of my mind sometimes, the little nut job."
Nakano giggled. "And yet, if he were to move away tomorrow, you'd miss him something awful, wouldn't you? And not just for the freak quick."
"Yeah. I would. He's...actually kind of helped me a lot. With the whole...King...thing, I mean."
"Whatever you decide to do, Tobio, I truly believe you and Hinata will always be friends. You've been through a lot this year. It would take an awful lot to break that friendship. I mean, we kissed, and that didn't break our friendship."
"Yeah, you're right. If anything, I think it made it stronger." Kageyama straightened, giving Nakano a saucy smirk. "But I'll hold off on trying anything like that with Hinata until after the Nationals."
The girl shoved him, he dutifully fell sideways. "Try talking to him first maybe, dude, like you did with me. I think you'll find that works a lot better."
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
"So, how are you feeling now?"
Kageyama sat up and pondered the question for a few moments. "Better. Calmer. You're right, I'm not going to rush. I don't need to. I'm gonna take my time, and try to do this right."
"And what does 'this' entail for you?"
"Well, first, I think...I'm gonna do like you said. I'm gonna give myself some time to become comfortable with the idea that I'm...uh...bisexual."
"Is that how you think of yourself?"
"Yeah. I think it is. At least, I think that's how I want to describe it. Is...is that okay?"
Nakano laughed again. "Tobio, it's fine, if that's what makes you happy. This is about how you feel, and what makes you comfortable. Neither I nor anyone else gets a say in that."
Kageyama seemed to turn inward for a moment, his eyes sort of glazing over and his gaze clearly focused on something only he could see. Nakano just waited, wondering what her best friend was thinking about. "Bisexual. I'm bisexual. I'm interested in guys and girls. Yeah...I think that's how I feel. I think...I think that works."
Nakano grinned in response to the slight smile that graced her best friends' face. "Good. You seem like you're starting to become a little more...comfortable with the idea."
Tobio shrugged. "I guess. Not sure I'm exactly ready to tell everyone about it yet."
"No one said you have to. No one said you ever have to."
"Well, I mean, I should probably tell my family..."
"Is that what you want to do?"
"Uh...it's kind of expected, isn't it?"
Nakano sighed. "Tobio, just because they are your family doesn't mean they have an automatic right to know every single thing about your personal life. Now, if you want to tell them, fine. I'll support you, and be there if you think you need someone to stand by you when you do. Or, you can just wait and tell them when you start dating someone. Or again - don't. Yachi still hasn't told her mom she's dating Yamaguchi. I hope she will - but not because she has to. Because she wants to. Because she wants people to know she has someone she cares for, and who cares for her."
Dark blue eyes sought and found bright blue ones. "Will you come with me, if I need you to?"
"Oh Tobio," Nakano pulled her self-proclaimed big brother into a warm hug, "of course I will. I'll always be there for you, whenever you need me."
"Thanks, Naka-chan."
The two sat, hugging, Nakano gently petting Tobio's fine raven hair. After a few minutes, and a deep sigh from Tobio, Nakano spoke. "Wanna play Mario Kart?" The grin on her face was obvious in her voice, even if Tobio couldn't see it. The dark-haired setter chuckled.
"I thought you'd never ask."
🏐🏐🏐
It was well after one o'clock in the morning when Nakano slipped quietly into her house. New Year's Eve had officially become New Year's Day...but it didn't feel so to Nakano. Not until she actually went to bed and got some sleep would she acknowledge that a new year had truly begun.
She smiled softly to herself as she thought back on the evening she'd just shared with Kei. The couple had agreed to remain sober, mostly so that each household would have someone available to take care of the other people in it, all of whom had plans that involved drinking. Akiteru was home, but going to a party with some old friends a few blocks away. Okaa-san had similar plans. Amalie chose to stay in Sendai (Nakano had a sneaking suspicion Kuroo might be visiting her again, although her sister hadn't explicitly said so), while the Ogawas were staying in, but Tanjiro had bought a special bottle of sake to share with his wife. Kei had scoffed at all this when he'd heard, and groused about how ridiculous it was that the two youngest members of the Tsukishima and Ogawa households were having to be the responsible ones and make sure that their drunken elders didn't get in any trouble.
"Who better to do it?" Nakano had countered, "Legally, we're not allowed to drink anyhow."
And Kei had snort-laughed, and agreed that spending the evening together at his house would be wonderful, even if they did spend the night waiting for garbled texts from his family members.
So they'd done all the traditional New Year's things...ate toshikoshi soba (Kei made a delicious variety of his own concocting - just spicy enough, Nakano proclaimed), made and ate mochi, and watched the traditional ringing of the temple bells at midnight on television. They also watched several movies, and were on their second episode of Jujutsu Kaisen when Kei got the expected text from his mother.
Mom
Heu kisso i; gonna syate njeading jome now see ua soon hppy new uyear!
Kei had rolled his eyes. "She's so damn drunk again."
Nakano had simply laughed. "Well, it is New Year's, Kei. And she was getting together with her wine lady friends - did you think she'd be sober at the end of the night?"
"Come on, let's go walk towards where she should be. She'll probably need the help."
It had turned out to be a very good idea that they had gone to meet okaa-san, as she had started off in completely the wrong direction from her friend's house. No sooner had they gotten the rather maudlin drunken woman tucked away in her bed (she'd spent nearly twenty minutes crying about how beautiful her grandchildren were going to be) when Kei's phone went off a second time. And then a third time. And a fourth. Finally, Kei got his texting app open, and the two had watched Akiteru's message slowly arrive.
Idiot Brother
Hey!
Happy New Year!
I'm gonnna stay at my friends house toonigt
We are havingna lot of fun dancing
Watched the ells too
Dont wait up
Habe fun and behave little bro
I'm not ready to be an unc le yet!
Nakano had laughed aloud watching the little paragraph unfold. "Oh my gosh...he is positively soused but is trying so hard to hide that fact. You think he'll be okay?"
Kei had sighed. "Well, he doesn't have a car, so the worst he can do is try to walk home and fall down. I don't think he'll try that - he obviously knows he's hammered - so he'll likely do exactly as he says and stay put for the night. He should be fine."
At that point, Nakano had decided it was probably time for her to to go home and check on her parents, as the Tsukishimas were all settled for the night. Kei had done his level best to try to convince the girl to stay...after all, everyone seemed to be thinking they would be celebrating the New Year quite...intimately...and she had lingered a little while, but finally decided she really did want to go home and check on her parents. Kei pouted, but let the girl have her way, knowing how important it was to her.
And so, she was home at last, at nearly two in the morning. The lights were still on in the family room, and Nakano made her way there to find her father sitting up, staring somewhat owlishly at the softly playing television, his wife sound asleep with her head in his lap. The bottle of sake stood empty on the table. As she peeked in, Nakano's father lazily waved at her.
"Hey, Little Warrior. Happy New Year." Nakano's father's voice was gently blurred from the sake. Nakano smiled and came in to the room as her mother snored heavily.
"Did you and Mom have a nice evening?"
"We did. I assume you and Kei did too?"
The girl simply nodded, still smiling at her tipsy father.
"So...what's been on your mind, honey?"
Nakano started. What was her dad talking about?
"I can always tell, you know. I know something's been rattling around in that head of yours for a little while now. Wanna share?"
The girl stared at her father, amazed. "I...well...Dad, what would you think if I told you I might want to become a volleyball coach?"
"I'd say that was an amazing idea. It's clear to me you're very good at it."
"What?" She'd expected more of a critique of this idea. Maybe her dad was more drunk than she thought?
"Naka-chan, do you know what makes a good coach?"
"Uhhh...well...I'd say that a good coach makes practice fun. And makes sure their players know they can come to them for advice when they need it. And they take the long view - working for the future success of the team, not just for today's game."
"Very good. I'd agree with all of that. And it seems to me you do that for your boys. And they know it, don't they? I bet they've told you all this before."
"So you think I..."
"Now tell me what makes a great coach."
Nakano just stared at her father. What a strange conversation this was turning out to be. It made her wonder if she were the one who had been drinking. "I...I don't..."
"Confidence. A great coach is confident in their knowledge of the game, and in their ability to teach it. You're not there yet, my Little Warrior. Give yourself some time. You're young still. But one day, I bet you can be a great coach."
Suddenly, Emiko snored remarkably loudly, making both father and daughter laugh out loud. "Playing on your own team will help you build that confidence, as will your experiences in college. But I think the idea of you being a volleyball coach someday is a wonderful one."
"Thanks, Dad. Do you want me to help you get mom upstairs?"
"Nah, just turn out the lights, kiddo. I think we'll just sleep here. I'm a little too drunk to carry your mother at this point."
Nakano helped her father get more settled, and got her parents under a blanket, before kissing her dad goodnight and making her own way to her bed, a pensive little smile gracing her face.
🏐🏐🏐
Tsukishima sat at his desk, reading and listening to music. He was hoping Nakano would contact him soon. He'd been rather disappointed when the girl decided to go home rather than stay with him last night, but he knew he was just being a bit petty. After all, they'd not made arrangements with their parents in advance, and he could tell just by looking at his pretty girl's face that she was really wanting to check in on her parents, knowing they'd probably drink the entire bottle of sake. Despite the fact that her parents had no plans of leaving the house, let alone driving a car, Nakano wouldn't really be able to relax until she saw for herself that they were okay.
Maybe he should have gone with her? Nah, she would have insisted he stay home to take care of his mother. Who was still sound asleep at the moment, and probably would be for hours yet. Akiteru still wasn't home, though it was still fairly early in the morning. Given how drunk he'd likely been, it would also probably be hours before he'd see Akiteru.
So why I am sitting here waiting around to take care of people who aren't gonna be awake until late in the day, Kei wondered. I'd rather be with Nakano. Maybe I should just call her. She's probably awake by now. Maybe she's just sitting around, waiting for me to call.
Suddenly, his bedroom door opened. The inrushing air swept in the smell of beer, stale sweat, and Akiteru. Kei just sat there, unwilling to look his idiot brother in the face. By the smell alone, he knew his older brother was still completely wasted.
As suddenly as he'd opened it, Akiteru closed the door. Kei slipped off his headphones just in time to hear a thud on the other side of it. He sighed heavily, getting up and opening his door to find his thoroughly hammered brother lying on the floor.
"Li'l Bro!" Akiteru slurred out, "Happy New Year!!"
"How are you still this inebriated, you moron?" Kei asked as he started helping his brother to his feet.
"'Cause I haven't stopped drinking yet!" Akiteru said, swaying as he brought his beer to his mouth, and then pouted at it. "Oh...guess I stop now...my beer's empty!" Akiteru dissolved into laughter as if this were the funniest thing anyone had ever said.
"Come on, dumbass, it's time for you to go to bed," Kei groused as he pulled his stumbling brother into his own room. Akiteru wandered about as if discovering the place for the first time. Kei grabbed the empty beer can and tossed it into the wastebasket. "You've seriously been this fucked up all night?"
"Mmmm...yeah, mostly. I got a little sober some, but then I drank more and fixed that." Akiteru laughed riotously again. "Let's have some sake, Li'l Bro!"
"Hell no. You're done. Get undressed, you idiot, you're going to bed."
"Okay!" Akiteru staggered a fair bit as he began removing clothing as best he could manage. Kei began turning down the bed, looking up as another loud thump occurred. His brother was now lying on his back, completely tangled in his jeans, which he seemed to be trying to remove by pulling them over his head.
"By all the gods, what the hell are you doing?"
"My pants are stuck."
"Your brain is stuck."
"I think I'm too drunk for pants, Li'l Bro."
Kei tried to remain serious, but this statement from his ridiculously jacked up brother, in a small, sad little tone of voice, simply was too hysterical not to laugh at. Akiteru laughed along with him, and allowed his brother to strip him down to his shorts, and get him settled in his bed. Kei darkened the room, and within moments of the lights going out, Akiteru was snoring blissfully. He is gonna hate himself when he wakes up, Kei thought, slipping out of his brother's room and returning to his own. Now that both his family members were settled in bed, Kei decided it was time to get in touch with Nakano. Grabbing up his phone, he found she'd already texted him, several times.
Roses
Hey, are you awake?
Wanna get together?
Kei?
Her three texts were several minutes apart each. He was just beginning to tap out a response, when his doorbell rang. Huffing out an annoyed breath, he headed for the door.
He was shocked to discover his girlfriend on his doorstep, looking worried.
Shocked...and suddenly, a little aggravated with her.
"Hey! Is everything alright here? No one is sick from last night, are they?" Nakano said, as Kei just stood there and stared at her. She cocked her head to the side. "Can...I come in?"
"Oh," he said, moving aside and allowing the girl to get past him. "Sorry. Everyone here is fine, I guess." He kept his eyes away from her as she changed shoes, and this did not go unnoticed by the setter. "Well, sort of. Akiteru just got home like half an hour ago, still lit up like a Christmas display."
Nakano turned a wide-eyed look to him. "He's still drunk? How?"
"Sounds like they stayed up drinking all night long. I was pouring him into bed when you were texting me. Sorry about that. How are your folks?"
She paused, noticing that his voice did not sound like he was sorry at all. Something was clearly bothering him. "They were fine. Mom was already sound asleep, and Dad was too plastered to carry her up the stairs, so they slept on the couch. A little hung over this morning, but nothing a bit of food couldn't fix."
He turned away from her, feeling irritation churning in his stomach. "Well, good thing you were there for them this morning, then," he said, sarcasm lacing the words.
Nakano stared at the boy's back, wondering how long it would be before he admitted something was wrong. "Hey...how about we go make a shrine visit for New Year's Day?"
Kei scoffed loudly. "No, thanks. I'm not feeling the need to deal with those kinds of crowds today. Mom and Akiteru will likely both need to be taken care of when they finally wake up."
"Come on, Kei, I'm sure we have time to go to the shrine in town," Nakano said, laying a hand on his arm and making her voice as gentle and tender as she could.
"Pfft," he said, pulling his arm away and turning a sneer to the girl, "I turned Yamaguchi down when he asked me an hour ago, what makes you think I'd go with you?"
Nakano's eyes were suddenly shimmering with tears, but she absolutely refused to allow them to fall. It was her turn to stare at him, shock and hurt playing across her face before she wrestled them under control. Her voice quavered only slightly as she said, "What did I do, Kei? I've obviously done something to upset you. Tell me what it is, and let me try to make it right."
She looked so earnest, so eager to make him happy again, Kei suddenly felt rather like an ogre, being so mean to such a sweet girl. All the anger drained off, and he was suddenly just feeling sad and hurt. "I...I'm sorry, Roses," he whispered, unable to meet the girl's eyes. "I guess...I was just feeling a little hurt...that you didn't want to stay with me last night." Brilliant, you idiot, you sound like a whiny little petulant child. What the hell is wrong with me? It was one night! Get over yourself, you asshole, he chided himself. What came out of his mouth was, "Am I...are you tired of...I mean...do you not find me..."
"Shut up, Kei," the girl murmured against his lips before pulling him into a firm kiss. She lingered, nibbling on his bottom lip until he let her in, the kiss turning passionate and hungry. His hands found her hair, tangling in the bright strawberry blonde softness. A small whimper of relief escaped him, and the girl pulled back at the sound. "I love you. Of course I'm not tired of you, idiot. I find you incredibly desirable, and sexy, and handsome, and I absolutely adore getting to stay with you whenever we can. But..." She paused, and a small blush rose to her cheeks, "Last night was the first New Years I didn't spend with my family. I confess...I sorta missed our traditions. And I kinda felt bad...I didn't know if my parents were sad without me there. I was kinda worried about them. I'm so sorry, love. I didn't mean to upset you."
"I'm sorry too. I should have just said something."
"Yes, you should have." She gave him a soft glare of reproach.
"Okay, okay, point taken. Were your folks okay? I mean, did they miss you a lot?"
Nakano chuckled. "They were fine. We talked about it this morning. Frankly, they were amazed I didn't stay with you, too. And...I did like our new traditions." She fiddled gently with the edge of his sleeve, and he took her chin in his long fingers and raised her face up to his, pecking at her cheeks, her nose, her lips.
"I did too. Am I forgiven for being such an idiot?"
"Yes. Because you're my idiot." The boy smiled, resting his forehead against hers. "So...shrine visit?"
He pouted. "Ugh, no. I told you, Tadashi already tried to get me to go with him and Hinata. I hate shrines on New Years - they're too crazy."
"Come on, Kei, it'll be fun. Please?"
He huffed out an annoyed breath. "Fine. But I'm picking the shrine."
Nakano looked a tad confused. What shrine would they go to besides the one in town? Any other shrine within a reasonable traveling distance would surely be more crowded than the small one near Karasuno. "Alright, I guess that's only fair."
"Good," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling, "Come on." He dragged the girl further into the house.
"Wait," she yelped, "Where are you..."
She laughed as she suddenly realized where he was taking her.
"This is not the kind of shrine I meant," she said as he pulled her into his dad's study.
"You didn't specify. This is a shrine, is it not? Don't you want to visit with my dad?"
Nakano gave him a look, the boy gave her his best sweet smile. She couldn't withstand that for very long, and was soon giggling as the two knelt before Kei's father's shrine, Kei lighting the incense and then bowing along with Nakano. The couple spoke of their hopes and dreams for the coming year, their thankfulness for all the previous year had brought them, and asked for the elder Tsukishima's blessing on them and all of their family. Four more days, Nakano thought, in four days, the tournament begins. Please Tsukishima-san, be with Kei. Strengthen him, so he can be his absolute best. And, if you can, send a little luck our way. The Crows haven't been to Nationals in a long while, and we need all the support we can get. As she finished her silent prayer, she looked to her sweetheart, and saw his eyes, and knew. He'd been asking for the same thing as she just had.
"Whatever comes in this new year, we face it together," he said, taking the girl's hand in his own.
"Promise?" she asked, a smile on her lips, her blue eyes shining.
"Promise."