No matter their opinion on Aobo Josai as a team, everyone who had seen them admitted their setters were very good-looking to the point it seemed unfair. Oikawa Tooru was already a god in mortal form, according to any girl, and Yahaba was dreamy with eyes that anyone could lose themself in.

That wasn't even the best part of him. His hair was soft and the colour complimented his complexion perfectly. Even the dumb, swishy style of it looked incredible. His smile was enough to make any girl faint and his laugh was pure, even when it was cruel. His nose was cute and small, his voice was hypnotizing and his behaviour just seemed perfect. Kyoutani hated him for it.

Actually, he didn't. He liked him for it. That was the worst part. Because Yahaba may seem like a godsend but he was shallow and fake. Kyoutani had known that since their first year when he was the one to catch Yahaba dating two girls at once. The school had never found out and it just didn't seem fair.

Kyoutani had spent what felt like years promising himself that his attraction to Yahaba was purely physical and that was okay. Loads of people wanted to fuck Yahaba, so what if he did too, sometimes? It would never go any deeper than that.

But then there was the day he returned to practise in the second year, after bunking. It was the first time Yahaba's' shallowness seemed to not be there, when he was about to scold him, only to get interrupted by Oikawa. In the moment, Kyoutani had forgotten all about it but, that night, he had remembered the genuine annoyance in Yahaba's' beautiful eyes and the furious growl in his melodic voice.

He had tried to force those thoughts from his head instantly. At practice, he'd knock Yahaba over, or push him around 'accidentally'. However, that didn't work. All it did was make him fall deeper because Yahaba would look up at him from the floor in adorable surprise, like a dog wondering why it wasn't getting a cuddle, or Yahaba would jump away in shock, turning to look at Kyoutani with a slightly nervous look on his face. It was funny how Yahaba seemed a little scared of him.

Kyoutani even decided to use that fear against him, letting Yahaba know that these small acts of aggression weren't accidental,  by smirking or glaring at him. One time he even snarled a little, and almost blushed at Yahaba's' shy squeak. He hated to admit it, but the more he tried to force Yahaba away, the more he fell for the shallow boy.

 But the moment he was well and truly deep, was that volleyball match. That moment. Yahaba finally having enough. Yahaba finally showing his real feelings. Earlier, Kyoutani had gotten pissed that he tried to hit on Karasuno's' extra manager and he had silently been brewing in anger, but that had made him forget it all. Because the look Yahaba gave him had him whipped.

On the bus home, Kyoutani knew he was staring. He often did glance at Yahaba too much, but that day was different. He couldn't look away. How could he? It was unfair. He knew Yahaba didn't give a fuck about him, so he shouldn't be allowed to run around in his head like that.

When he fell asleep on the bus back, he even had a dream of Yahaba. They were sitting on top or a grassy hill, with Yahaba laying in his lap, calling Kyoutani by his given name softly. When one of the third years tried to wake him up, Kyoutani tried hard to ignore them, wishing to stay in that happy universe, where he had Yahaba and Yahaba had him. Not like that would happen in real life. At least, that was what he thought.

It turned out that his third year would be the year to finally put his troubles to rest.

"Kyoutani?" A voice piped up from behind him as he began to leave the dark locker room and he turned around with a grunt to see Yahaba standing there.

"What?" He said rudely, glaring at the dreamy teen, who fidgeted nervously with his fingers.

"Well, as you know, the new first years will be coming in as of next week-"

"So?" He interrupted. Kyoutani didn't mean to be rude but he found this shy, nervous side of his new captain so honest and beautiful that he'd rather get away soon so he didn't try to kiss him. "You're captain, not me, so why am I getting brought into this?"

Yahaba swallowed, continuing to fiddle with his fingers. "Well, you've been practising so hard and you've gotten really good and I was wondering if I could introduce you as the ace?"

There was a long moment of silence, in which Yahaba glanced up at Kyoutani's' face. The spiker was bewildered and he stared dumbly and unresponsively at Yahaba, mouth open in surprise.

"Is that alright?" Asked Yahaba carefully.

"Is that-? You-! I-I-! Yes! Yes! Do!" Kyoutani stumbled over his words, suddenly jolting back to reality. "Are you sure?"

Yahaba nodded. "I mean, you're the best spiker and you were Iwaizumi-san's' little student."

Kyoutani grunted, ears going hot in embarrassment. "W-Well, you can. It's not a big deal, Oikawa-Number-Two."

The new captain smirked. "Not a big deal? You looked like you were going to explode with happiness, mad-dog-chan~!"

His cheeks lit up with a blush at the way Yahaba said that nickname and he turned his back on him quickly. "Shut up," He mumbled.

"Hey, I'm just saying the truth," Snickered Yahaba, leaning on Kyoutani's' back and resting the back of their heads together. "You kinda looked like an elementary kid about to get an ice cream, it was cute, mad-dog-chan."

Kyoutani went redder and he took a large step forwards, taking away Yahaba's' support. The setter yelped as he began to plummet but Kyoutani quickly and easily caught him under the arms, stopping his fall. Yahaba stared up at him with wide eyes and Kyoutani hoped he wasn't imagining the slow steady blush forming on the captains' cheeks.

"Stop acting so much like Oikawa," Kyoutani said quietly. "You don't need to be like him to be amazing. You're already perfect." With that, he helped Yahaba stand up and then left the locker room, glancing back for a second to see Yahaba staring after him, with a lost puppy-dog expression on his pretty face.

Kyoutani smirked at him and watched Yahaba grow even redder.

"Don't stare, captain," He teased. "It's rude."

.:*:.

When Yahaba got home that day, he had sprinted up to his room and dialled Oikawa instantly. Once the ex-captain picked up, he didn't even have time to greet his underclassman because Yahaba instantly blurted out, "I need help!"

"Oh my god, Yahaba, are you alright?"

"It's about Kyoutani!"

There was a sigh on the other end of the line. "What's he done now?"

"He made me gay! He made me so, so gay, I'm not even sure if I'm okay!"

A long pause. "I'm sorry, we're talking about the same Kyoutani, right? Mad-dog-chan, right?"

"Right! Mad-dog! He was just so fucking smooth, I can't even-! I'm whipped! Oh my god, he just, like, caught me and he, like, he smirked and, oh my god! He called me perfect, I am so gay!"

"'Kay, Yahaba," Oikawa said, sounding like he was sitting up. "You are sounding like you're in shock and you need me with you. I'm leaving my house now, me and Iwa-chan will be there in a moment, alright?"

Yahaba nodded. "Yes, of course. Sure. Oh, god, he's made me so gay. That's unfair, he probably doesn't even like me back! That's seriously unfair, he can't do this to me."

"I know, hot boys totally should not be allowed to flirt with us pretty boys," Oikawa sighed. "It's not fair at all- ow, Iwa-chan, don't hit me!"

"I'll be waiting for you to arrive," Yahaba said. "Please come soon, I really need help right now."

.:*:.

A week had passed since the 'locker-room' accident and Kyoutani was now completely convinced that Yahaba had been blushing when he caught him. Actually, he was pretty sure Yahaba went bright red whenever he smirked or even looked at him. One day during practice, he had rolled up his sleeves in the way he had seen Iwaizumi sometimes do and, in a couple of minutes, he had seen Yahaba walk into a door as he stared at Kyoutani's' biceps. It was completely hilarious that he had actually burst out laughing at the very embarrassed captain.

Since then, he made sure to fluster Yahaba as much as possible, although it was never onesided. He knew that he would watch from across the room when Yahaba comforted and supported the first years. It made him think of Yahaba beaming at a small child that looked like a mix between the two of them and the idea of raising a family with him was almost fantastical.

Eventually, he decided he wanted to stop beating around the bush.

"Yahaba," He said, as the two were stuck cleaning up the gym together. "You're beautiful."

The setter dropped the pole he was holding with a loud clatter. "What- What the hell? Where did that come from?"

"You're not just beautiful," Kyoutani continued. "You're amazing. You're fantastic. You're hot. You're pretty. You're absolutely perfect."

"K-Kyoutani, this isn't funny, y'know," Yahaba huffed, cheeks glowing red. "It's totally unfair to say this kind of stuff."

The ace glanced at him. "What if I mean it?"

There was a long pause, making the silence seem suffocating and hot.

Yahaba swallowed nervously, kneeling down on the floor to pick up the pole he had dropped but not standing up after he had. "Th-Then I'd wonder when you first started to think this stuff about me."

"What if I told you I had thought this about you since our first year at Aobo Josai but had never said anything?"

"Then I'd ask why you were so mean to me in second year if you felt that way."

"What if I said it was because I thought it was unfair that you got to be so beautiful but never care about me? What if it was because I, even for a few moments, wanted your attention?"

Yahaba glanced at Kyoutani, only to find him looking back unflinchingly. "Th-Then I'd tell you that you have my attention now..."

"That's good," Kyoutani said, kneeling down next to the captain and leaning in close. "Because then, I'd probably try to kiss you..."

The setter went bright red and shuffled closer too, discarding the pole so he could put his hands on Kyoutani's' back. "I think I'd like that..."

"Good," Kyoutani hummed, cupping Yahaba's' neck. "Because I'm gonna kiss you and your stupid face, you dumb, beautiful bitch."