October 2015

'Nothing you could do could hurt me. You can never hurt me, Shōyō,"

"Why are we out here so early?" Kageyama yawned, hand covering his mouth. "Did I miss a visitation date or something?" Kageyama had barely woken up at seven when he got a call from his boyfriend, asking to meet him at a cat café a few blocks away.

Why a cat café? Why this early? Why was he here?

"Cafés are good places to get coffee, right?" Hinata settled on answering, himself already on his second cup since they arrived.

"You never drink coffee," Kageyama noted with a slight frown.

"I didn't sleep last night,"

"Like... at all?"

"No," this was extremely odd. Hinata had really started to look after his body and his health after their first year Nationals where he got sick. It was unheard of for Hinata these days to do anything of this sort, especially skipping a night of sleep when he had the option.

Hinata did things that were in his best interest, so how was this in his best interest?

Kageyama noticed a few things about the man sitting across from him, things that made his heart pound even louder than when he got the early call and saw his name on the screen. Hinata's fingers were gripping the coffee cup, tensing around the ceramic. His eyes were evaded and Kageyama couldn't get a good look of them but from the stressed cheek lines and the faint remains of swelling on his skin, he could tell something was wrong.

Hinata's voice was flat and didn't give anything away, but that was only because he was trying to keep himself together. He didn't want to get emotional here, he didn't –

"Kageyama," Hinata began. Why? Why was he using his surname after so long? "We're both amazing people, and we've been hurting each other,"

"I know, I'm sorry-," Kageyama's mind went into instant panic mode, wanting to rectify this situation before it got out of hand.

"Please. Let me talk start-to-finish. Otherwise, I might never say what I really want to say," Hinata's eyes cast upwards, Kageyama freezing at the conviction swelling within them. He couldn't... the way Hinata was now, nothing Kageyama would say would break his confidence or change his mind. "I'm just going to lay down the facts and I hope you can see it from my perspective. We... when we first got together, I was unsure. You were talking about us being a duo outside of volleyball and it took me a while to understand where that line was drawn. Somehow, we've come full circle now. I didn't really understand all the things couples do back then and I had assumed that we were in the same boat – that we were just closer than we had been before we became a 'thing'. Daichi told me that I should learn to keep our relationship off the court and I told him it was impossible since I didn't keep the feelings separate.

At Nationals, I was talking with Tsukishima. This was right after he and the other three got together. He was the one that pointed out to me that you and I had wanted different things from each other. I had never thought about kissing or anything physical before then. It had never even crossed my mind that you may want things like that and, if I'm being honest now, I had just been too scared to acknowledge that our relationship was exactly that – a relationship. A romantic one.

Then we fought against Inarizaki and I think it was a huge surprise to the both of us when our quick was copied and we realised that it wasn't... unique. We weren't exceptional. There were other people out there who could set to me in that way, and there were other people just as talented as you that could do it," Kageyama flinched at the slip of Hinata's words, or were they even accidental at all? Hinata had been looking into his cup as he spoke, not willing to meet his eyes. Kageyama's heart ached.

" – that's when I realised that... I didn't need you," Hinata looked up, straight into the eyes of a man who's world was starting to get broken down. Hinata's last words sent a whole new wave of pain through him, rippling at every heartstring. "I didn't need you to be my teammate. I didn't need you to become a good player. I could do that all on my own. What I did realise is that I needed you for everything else. That's the moment I realised that I loved you and wanted to be with you, as your boyfriend," Kageyama's breath hitched, rolling the words around in his head. "I knew you were angry about Atsumu saying he'll set to me in the future, but my attack wasn't yours to claim and that's why I didn't say anything back then. I wanted to keep my options open. I told you after that match that if we couldn't be unique on the court, that we would be off the court, and I think that's where we went wrong.

It's a fact that I can be really oblivious sometimes and I struggle to take hints and that's how I didn't know what you really wanted. That's how I didn't know that Kenma had liked me until he let me go. I was even oblivious to my own body's hints until it was too late. We lost that day to Kamomedai because of me. I didn't want to go on with my hands covering my eyes, so I started to look and notice what was going on around me.

We started going on proper dates; we got closer. I realised I could tests things out with you since everything was new between us and didn't have to be embarrassed. I fell in love with you, Kageyama, and we were perfect for a minute there but then... we started talking about forever, but you wanted it in ways that I couldn't give you. You want me to stay here when you know it's my dream to leave and do things my own way.

And recently... we've been nothing but volleyball again. We started with the sport then actually became a proper couple and somehow, along the way, that faded and now we're back at the sport again. Kageyama, I can't-," his voice picked up at the end, growing frustrated with himself and the situation and the world and he just needed to stop and breathe for a second. "We need to take the hint,"

"Shōyō-,"

"You'll always be more than just a friend to me. You'll always be more than just a rival to me. You'll always be in my heart and I will always love you, but this love that we have for each other... it's not the type of love I was looking for out of this relationship. Please can we just... can we just be friends again? Like old times?" Hinata's eyes were full of hope and were glossed over, tears threatening to spill over. He didn't want to stab at Kageyama how much his actions had hurt him, how much doubt he had begun to feel with himself but he felt that, if he did, then Kageyama would feel more guilt than what he knew what do with.

This way, Kageyama could see the timeline in the same way he did and see the problem as well.

"You're...you're breaking up with me?" Kageyama's hands fell into his lap, his eyes cast down into his cup that had long ago been frosted over by the coldness of the talk.

"I'm sorry,"

"Don't apologise for something you're not sorry for," Kageyama spat with a scorn, Hinata look on with sad eyes.

"But I am – I am sorry. I'm sorry this didn't work out how we wanted," Kageyama stayed quiet at that, his mind swelling with a dark cloud that fuelled him with a storm.

A rainy, dark and heavy storm.

"I tried to fix things..." he felt himself muttering.

"I know you did, and I tried too but it was too late. I'm so sorry for hurting you," Hinata pulled out his wallet – the wallet his sister got him – and placed down enough bills to cover both of their meals. He stood out of the booth, Kageyama not moving from his spot. "I don't want there to be any hate between us so please, if you ever want to talk about all this again-,"

"Please just leave," Kageyama snapped. "I need to think," Hinata slipped out of the café, the cats meowing him goodbye. Kageyama was left between the comforting animals, taking one into his lap to gently stroke.

Ah. So this is why Hinata had brought him here.

He couldn't think, he couldn't speak, he couldn't breathe. Kageyama was left an empty shell in comparison with who he was an hour ago. How was he going to snap back after this? How was he going to accept that his attempts to redeem himself to Hinata had never been good enough? How was he going to accept that he wasn't his favourite person's favourite?

Is this how it felt - knowing you weren't your soulmate's soulmate? Is this how it felt knowing you broke something precious to the point where it was unrecognizable?

Nothing Hinata could do would ever hurt him.

Except this.

Try and try all they liked – there comes a time you have to acknowledge when something was unfixable. The amount of pain Hinata was in was unimaginable, but the amount of relief was something else. Finally, he could breathe. Finally, Kageyama could breathe. How long have they been keeping each other by chains without even realising? Hinata had ripped out a piece of his own heart and it hurt, but that piece had been blackened and sickly and would've poisoned the rest of him if he didn't do something in time.

He already missed Kageyama.

Kenma comforted him and distracted him the way back; assuring him that Hinata wasn't making a mistake by choosing his own happiness. Kuroo said nothing, as it wasn't his place. The three of them headed to the unit's apartment, Akaashi and Kei having whipped up a proper meal for them to enjoy when they returned. They offered Kenma and Hinata a warm bed, their fatigue finally settling in. They were all supportive and comforting of the situation – even Kei had proved himself a valuable friend to Hinata in that moment.

After two years and ten months – Hinata and Kageyama were no longer an item.

Telling other people about the breakup in the coming months had been embarrassing and awkward to Hinata. He and Kageyama no longer communicated and thus, he didn't know how Kageyama was telling the story. Was he saying Hinata was unjustified with what he did? Did he paint Hinata as a monster? Or was he relieved to finally be rid of him?

Everyone accepted the break up as a factual thing and not something to choose sides over. Of course, people like Kenma and Atsumu had always been partial to bias with Hinata but people like Daichi and Sugawara, Nishinoya and others had remained neutral. Diachi had gone to Kageyama to hear if he wanted to talk, but had been turned away on the insistence that he was fine and just needed time.

Well, time did pass and six months later, in April of 2016, Hinata found himself at the airport. There was a going-away party the previous night where he said his goodbyes to everyone – this included some of the members of the Karasuno volleyball teams from his three years at school, the unit, Kenma and the Miya twins. It wasn't a huge event, but it was the first event-type of thing he did without Kageyama at his side. Kenma had been the one to organise the event and he had invited Kageyama, but he respectfully declined the invitation. That's why, come the next day, the last person Hinata expected to run into at the airport would be him.

"Why are you here, Kageyama?" it's been six months, Kageyama. Where have you been? I missed our talks. I missed your friendship.

"I came to see you off, boke. Also, I want us to talk," Kageyama's hands were shoved in his pockets, his body swaying slightly from his nervousness. He couldn't stand still.

"Well, my flight's in an hour so I don't know how much will be able to be said-,"

"No, no; not now. I mean like... can we talk again? I want to hear your adventures from when you're at Brazil, and I want to share with you how Olympics is going to be and stuff. I know I was the one who cut off contact in the first place and it's my fault. That's why I just wanted to ask you if it's still... okay with you? If you don't want to talk with me, then I completely understand, I-,"

"Kageyama," the setter shot his head up to look into the powerful gaze, his nervous swaying halting. "I would love that," a silly grin overcame Kageyama and he quickly nodded. "So, uhm... how did you know when my flight was?"

"Oh!" Kageyama's eyes lit up in realisation. "I asked Stingyshima,"

"Huh?"

"I figured if anyone would know the exact time, it's Kozume so I asked Tsukishima to ask Kuroo to ask Kozume and here we are," he shrugged his shoulders.

"Why didn't you ask Kenma directly?"

"...well, I don't know how he feels about me," he nervously scratched at his neck. "He probably thinks I'm a villain, huh..." Hinata didn't know how to answer that, because he legitimately didn't know how Kenma felt about Kageyama. Kenma had always gone along with Hinata with anything Kageyama related, so he didn't actually know...

"Nah, probably not. Kenma is way too focused on becoming a millionaire nowadays," Kageyama's brows rose at his words.

"What, seriously? He's rich now?"

"Yeah, and he's my sponsor. Check it out," Hinata swung around his backpack to show the Bouncing Ball logo. "He's the one paying for this entire trip,"

"Wow... that's some friend you've got there," Hinata shrugged.

"He's convinced I'll become famous in beach volleyball and that I'm a good investment. I don't think he's sponsoring any indoor volleyball, so it'll be pretty funny if he ends up a famous sponsor for beach," Hinata chuckled and at the mention of beach volleyball, Kageyama's lips shut. "Hey, listen-,"

"Promise you're coming back," Hinata looked up in surprise. "Promise you won't fall in love with beach and forget all about the hard work you've already put into indoor. Promise me that when you get back, I'll see you on the other side of the net. Promise me our rivalry will go on," at his words, Hinata grinned brightly.

"Of course! The next time you see me, I'm going to kick your butt, Kageyama!" Kageyama smirked.

"Then, I'll see you on the other side, Hinata. I'm going on ahead,"

Hinata was more than happy that they were on good terms again. Throughout the flight, he thought about the future and how excited he was for their next match. These next two years were going to be the toughest time of his life, but the outcome seemed bright and definitely worth it. He would have to push through and enjoy every moment of it.

"I miss him already," Atsumu muttered into a bench within the locker rooms. "He was my only real friend in Miyagi, and now all I have left... is you," Bokuto grinned at the evil glare Atsumu sent his way, face bunched up on the bench.

"Of course you have me!" Bokuto wrapped his arms around his setter from on top, Atsumu trying his hardest to break free from the grip. "You should start coming over to my place! That way, you won't have to be lonely! Especially since your brother abandoned you to go make delicious onigiri for a living!" Atsumu groaned as the trauma resurfaced, his face of his grinning twin coming to mind when he spoke of his restaurant's success while the Black Jackals' success was variant.

"You don't have to remind me," he whimpered. "I'm going to make him acknowledge that I'm the happier one!" Bokuto hummed at his words, not knowing nor caring to figure out what Atsumu was on about.

"I don't know... Osamu seems to be really happy when I see him and you're just a Big Sad at this moment so..."

"I'm not a Big Sad!" Atsumu tried to defend himself, barking at Bokuto and sitting himself up onto his hands.

"Who is a Big Sad?" the two turned, never having ever expected such words to flow out of Ushijima's mouth. He looked as confused as he had sounded when he spoke, looking between the two for answers.

"Atsumu over here has been down in the dumps since Hinata left for Brazil," Atsumu was on top of Bokuto, fighting him to keep his mouth shut.

"Ah. In that case, there is even a Bigger Sad. Tobio has been a Big Sad for months now," Kageyama popped his head into the room when he heard his name, a disgusted frown on his brow as he regarded Japan's top gun. He hadn't really listened to what was being discussed before his name came up.

"...I'm not sad!" not that anyone believed him. "There's no time to be sad! We have three months until we have to be in Rio. Can we at least act like we're not all total freshman when it comes to the Olympics?" Kageyama was stressed. The National Japanese Team had a lot of people from his years but most of them were kept as the secondary team to be swapped in throughout the games. The main Japanese guns were still oozing experience they didn't have.

"Yes, yes, mister tough guy," Atsumu shook his head dismissively. It was weird being on a team with Kageyama, but if Hinata didn't have a problem with him anymore, then neither would Atsumu. Also, Kageyama seemed to be intensely focused on the Olympics. He never mentioned Hinata once since the national team was formed.

"I'm also a Big Sad," Bokuto brought up, hunched over with a look of despair on his face. "Since we all moved into dorms until the games are over, I won't get to spend as much time with my boyfriends. And Kei just moved in!" it was truly a losing battle.

"I'm sure your three boyfriends would love you even more if you brought home a gold medal!" Hoshiumi decided to pop in.

"Speaking of, can I rent one of them? It would be great if I can show off to my brother that I can get a lover before he does," Atsumu looked over to Bokuto, the owl looking back at him with disbelief. "The pretty one. I feel the two tall ones would suffocate me in my sleep,"

"...I think Osamu will know that you're not dating Keiji," Bokuto settled on saying.

"Eh. Worth a shot,"

"...and Kei will definitely suffocate you in your sleep," Bokuto cackled to himself.

"I can vouch for that," Kageyama commented. "Training camps were terrifying if you ended up in the futon next to him. If you accidentally kicked him, he would slaughter you,"

"Tetsurō's the kicker between us four and one time, in the middle of the night, Kei couldn't handle it anymore and duct taped his legs together. Tetsu had the scare of a lifetime when he woke up the next morning," Bokuto cackled.

"Are they going to go with you to Rio? It's an excellent opportunity for some vacation time," Atsumu addressed to Bokuto.

"Oh? Nah. Keiji started interning at a manga place and he's in his final year so he's got his hands full and since Tetsu's already coming to Rio, Kei decided it would be better if he stayed behind with Keiji," he explained.

"Why is Kuroo going to Rio?" Kageyama asked with a frown on his brows.

"Oh, haven't you heard? He graduated last year and he managed to get a position on the Japan Volleyball Association," all eyes bulged at that.

"What, seriously? He's like our higher up now," Bokuto grinned and nodded.

"Yup! He's doing promotion and marketing and all sorts of things. I can tell it's stressful for him, but he seems really happy! He also has to wear suits to work and seeing his ass squeeze into those tight pants every morning is absolute euphoric," they didn't even know that Bokuto knew such fancy words.

Hinata had never felt more despair than the first couple of months in Brazil. Sand, sand, so much goddamn sand that hated him. He couldn't jump; he couldn't run let alone fly. He took part in a tournament with one of Lucio's students and they lost with an incredible margin in the points. He felt disheartened, even more so when he got lost, had his wallet stolen and couldn't communicate with his roommate, Pedro. He started to doubt all the choices leading up to this situation and for a brief moment, he wondered if Kageyama had been right about everything.

But he was just impatient. He needed breathing room and he needed to adjust. In his emotional frustration, he found himself peddling to the beach where people of all ages were playing beach volleyball. He joined in and learned the kind nature of his natural enemy, the sand. He started to enjoy playing and began to forget about all his problems, merely losing himself in the sand that would be his teacher for the next two years.

"Hey, is this for real? You're here?" Hinata, completely perplexed at the sudden Japanese, turned to find a man he hadn't seen in over three years.

"The Grand King?!" he couldn't contain his surprise. "What are you doing here?!"

"That's my line," Oikawa just shook his head, eyes wide with disbelief.

"I'm here to train with beach volleyball!" and Oikawa lost it. He chuckled to himself, mulling over the ginger monster that stood before him. The two headed to dinner together, talking over what happened in recent years. They spoke of Oikawa entering the Argentinian league and José Blanco. They spoke of how Oikawa and Kageyama had both been watching each other's matches, but never dared to admit it. When the subject of Kageyama came up, Oikawa couldn't keep the questions from bubbling up.

"So I had actually heard from Kindaichi that you and my little underclassman had gotten together. How's the long distance thing going?" he questioned, chin held in his hands. Hinata was busy stuffing his face full and waited to finish properly swallowing before answering.

"Oh? We broke up," he said matter-of-factly, no residual hurt left in his tone of voice. Oikawa blinked in surprise.

"...huh? When?"

"Eight months ago," Oikawa's eyes bulged.

"So, that's like a thing of the past? You're both over it; you've moved on?" he didn't hide the surprise in his voice.

"Hmm well, I've definitely moved on and I'm okay with everything that happened. I don't know how Kageyama feels but that's not really something I should be helping him through, is it?"

"If you're asking if you should be the one to help him get over you, then no. I don't think so," the setter shook his head slowly. "Still, you guys seemed really... made for each other. Can I ask why you broke up or is it too much?"

"Uhm, the easiest way I can probably explain it is that we never wanted the same things from each other at the same time," Hinata didn't feel like diving into the details of something of the past.

"Was he being a ruling King again?" Hinata frowned.

"He'll always be a ruler of the court," he settled on answering.

"That's not what I asked," Hinata hummed, but decided not to comment any further. They finished up their dinner, reminiscing about their journeys up until that point before they headed out to play on the beach. Oikawa had been confident in his skills in being able to adapt, but come within a few minutes of their first game, and he was already face first flat into the sand.

"What the fuck," he screeched. "Volleyball's in the name, but this is a totally different sport! I'm a complete beginner here!" Hinata relished in the feeling of supremacy over Oikawa.

"Today, for a second there, I felt incredibly depressed," Hinata admitted with a sad tone, Oikawa watching him closely. "But after meeting you here, I'm feeling way better!" his smile was blinding, Oikawa falling into the glittering spell.

"...then treat me to dinner next time," Oikawa shot him a smile back. The two were approached by the Buy-Me-A-Beer Brothers and enjoyed a late night match together. Oikawa got incredibly flustered when his normal jump serves all became failures, screaming up at the wind with frustration. Hinata could only look on with amusement and further in the game, he began to feel the genuine rush of the match and the excitement that came with hitting a proper setter's tosses.

Even if they weren't all that good, considering the circumstances.

They lost and paid up their debt to the brothers before they headed away from the beaches. Hinata begged him to continue playing throughout the week he remained nearby, retrieving his contact and the hotel he was staying at. Oikawa, feeling absolutely flattered at Hinata's compliments of his tosses, couldn't resist the pounding of his heart. How long has it been since he felt like an upperclassmen again?

They took a picture together before parting, and of course, Hinata had to send it to everyone. It was crazy coincidence, after all! Kageyama was the first to see the picture, showing it off to the passing by Ushijima. Neither of them knew what to make of it because when two great forces meet, things were bound to happen. Not long after, they heard Atsumu's screech, quickly followed up by Bokuto's insane laughing.

"That son of a bitch!" Atsumu groaned as he crashed onto the floor, despair overtaking him. How was it that Hinata managed to keep his back pocket full of crazy good setters?

Himself included, of course.

"How crazy is that?" Bokuto found it insanely amusing. For the rest of their practice, Kageyama had a deep frown on his forehead that wouldn't let up. Of all the people in the world to be by Hinata's side in this time, it just fucking had to be him. Even Atsumu would've been better in his mind.

That night, for the first time since arriving, Hinata was able to communicate with Pedro – through manga, of course – and slept soundly.

The next evening, back on the beach, Hinata and Oikawa were already showing progress. Hinata got super receives in, Oikawa not holding back his excitement to see the bump of the ball. They got used to the wind and Oikawa's set-ups had Hinata spiking at top form, the ginger tenderly looking at his hand when the quick attack had come.

'Oikawa's toss has it all. He took into consideration my height and stance after receiving, he placed it a good distance away from the net so that I could see the blockers and of course, there's the wind too. He's always thinking about the 'next' attack, regardless of who he's playing with. That's the Grand King for you!'

In that moment, Hinata fully realised for the first time in quite a while, how fun volleyball was.

Oikawa began to realise what a monster of teammate he had here and how effective he was as a decoy, getting a proper setter dump in. Hinata took up the position of setter in the match as well, having to be versatile. Oikawa, expecting a complete waste of a set, had been thoroughly surprised when the set had been not only good but was able to score them a point.

"Don't scare me like that!" Hinata screeched after having being forced to be a setter.

"With beach, you get to touch the ball a ton since there are only two people, so it'd be a waste not to try out all kinds of things!" the absolute enjoyment on Oikawa's face had Hinata in absolute awe.

"You're so freaking good!!" Oikawa smiled back at him.

They won that match and were treated to dinner by the brothers, the two of them blazing with the scent of victory. In the few months Hinata had been in Brazil, that had honestly been the best day yet. For once, he didn't feel homesick. He didn't regret a single choice and he didn't doubt his skills. Beach wasn't a mistake and, if anything, it might have been his greatest decision yet. He was levelling up like crazy. He couldn't wait for the day he would be able to fly up past all the walls and obstacles that stood in his way. He fell in love all over again, but he couldn't take all the credit. In beach, your teammate was like your volleyball soulmate. You had to trust each other intensely and be confident in their skills. With anyone else, he would've felt like a burden since he was such a beginner. With Oikawa, he was allowed to experiment without judgement and rise up to being a decent player once again.

Truly, this wouldn't have been as successful as it was without him. Oikawa threw wood onto the fire before it fully burned out and now, the future looked bright in his mind.

"I can't thank you enough, Grand King!" they were in front of Oikawa's hotel that was on the way from the restaurant to Hinata's dormitory.

"You honestly don't need to thank me. I wouldn't have done this if I didn't enjoy it. You're an amazing player and I'm kind of scared what you will turn into after this entire trip," Oikawa admitted, finger scratching at his cheek. "I had a fun time,"

"Me too," Hinata spoke under his breath. They grew quiet, but it wasn't awkward. Oikawa being taller than him meant he had to look up to lock eyes, their gazes fixated on each other and the emotions swirling beneath the surface. Hinata began to hear his heart pounding in his ears and he couldn't understand how the entire atmosphere could shift to get him to feel like this, but it wasn't exactly unwelcome. Oikawa inhaled a sharp intake of breath and also seemed be in the same state as him. They both were wondering the same thing: what now?

Hinata instinctively bit at his lips, Oikawa following the movement with wide eyes.

"Well, uhm, I'll see you tomorrow," Hinata quickly spoke and spun to walk away, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Before he managed to even take two steps away, long fingers curled around his wrist. He looked back in surprise, straight into the eyes of someone who didn't know what he was doing either.

"I, uhm..." Oikawa couldn't speak. Hinata took a step back towards his body, peering back up at him. How long would this back-and-forth game between them continue?

Not long, it would turn out, as Oikawa's eyes flickered down to Hinata's plump lips and he felt himself instinctively reaching over with shaky hands. Hinata's eyes widened but he took a step closer, lifting his hand to meet Oikawa's shoulder. Registering the consent, Oikawa dipped his head down and connected their lips together.

Hinata lifted himself onto his toes, wrapping his arms around Oikawa's shoulders as he pulled himself closer. He felt muscular arms around his waist, lifting him off from the ground slightly. Their kiss was slow but it left Hinata feeling all kinds of things. It was completely breath taking, the effort Oikawa put behind every movement was incredible. Oikawa had to admit, Hinata wasn't too bad himself. He felt himself pushing in further to explore the new terrain.

"Ei! Obter um quarto!" a Portuguese screeched sounded near them, causing the two to separate. They were left panting in each other's arms, completely bewildered looks on both of their faces.

"Hey, uhm... what did he just say?" Oikawa referred to the Portuguese man.

"Well..." Hinata blushed a deep scarlet, looking down to hide his face. It was difficult to do considering how latched they were onto one another. "He said to get a room..." now Oikawa's cheeks matched his own and he looked away, nervously chuckling.

"We, uh... we can go up to my hotel room? If you want?" his voice gave away his complete lack of certainty of what had just happened and where this would lead too. Hinata bit at his lips and groaned, concealing his expression from Oikawa's view.

"Uh..."

"Or, if you want, we can forget this ever happened. Call it a mistake. No big deal, right?" Oikawa spoke quickly, anxiety dripping from his words, and began to pull away but Hinata gripped tightly onto him. He wouldn't be able to get far, even if he tried. Hinata peered up at him through his lashes, Oikawa absolutely star struck.

"Let's...let's go up," he nodded up at Oikawa with certainty. He stared down at a ginger for a moment, mind completely clouded over. He nodded back slowly and the two began to head into the hotel. They took the elevator and stood shoulder-to-shoulder, both of their minds racing thinking what were they doing, what were they doing, what-

The hotel room looked absolutely stunning and Hinata's jaw dropped at the majesty of it all.

"Wow! This is so fancy! Is this how much they care about the Argentinian players?" he couldn't contain his excitement, rushing over to the balcony to see the view. Oikawa chuckled, happy at his light hearted presence and how his bumbling smile could get rid of the confusing atmosphere in a single moment.

"I haven't been in the other rooms, so I wouldn't know. It could just be that they love me that much," Oikawa smirked, setting himself down on the bed as his eyes never left Hinata for an instance

"Oh! You can see the Redeemer statue from here!" his face was scrunched up against the window, taking in the view fully. Oikawa chewed on his lips as he watched, mind mulling over the last ten minutes. Had that really happened? "Oikawa?" he looked up out of his daze to catch the beautiful eyes staring him down.

"Yeah?" he spoke softly, not able to raise his voice. Hinata stared at him for a moment, eyes not blinking, as he seemed to consider all his options. Making up his mind, Hinata began to move closer. Oikawa leaned back onto his hands, looking up at the crow that had come to stand over him. Hinata was peering down at him like he was absolute prey. Hinata climbed on top of the bed and threw his leg over Oikawa's, straddling his hips. The Grand King had wide, considering eyes as he took in the glory that was Hinata, the sun deity, on top of him.

Hinata was the one who leaned in and kissed him, hands moving to cup Oikawa's neck. The setter's hands began to roam his back, nails digging into the clothing that stuck onto him as they made out with a fiery passion. Oikawa pulled away to pull Hinata's shirt off him, quickly reeling him back in afterwards to resume kissing. He took Hinata's legs and moved them to wrap around his waist, moving to stand up with him in his arms. He swiftly threw Hinata onto his back, climbing on top of him and bringing their bodies closer. Hinata groaned into his mouth at the feeling of their groins moving up against each other, and he decided that was an important time to pull away and look up at Oikawa with cautious eyes.

"Woah, what's wrong? I'm sorry, do you want me to stop?" Oikawa was immediately asking with concern, lifting his hips off Hinata's.

"It's just..." Hinata sighed. "I've never... done this sort of thing," he admitted, fumbling on his words.

"What, a one-night stand?" Oikawa asked for confirmation.

"Well, any sort of stand," he looked away in embarrassment. Oikawa looked down at him with wide eyes.

"You...you've never...?" Hinata shook his head. "Not even with...?" again, he shook his head. Oikawa was left in a bewildering mind state. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked earnestly. Hinata really considered his words and what he wanted to do. What did he want right now?

"Will you be gentle?" he asked, soft eyes peering up at Oikawa with question. He was surprised to hear that Hinata wasn't pushing him away. He nodded, sincerity swirling in his eyes.

"I will. I promise," Hinata trusted him.

"Then let's continue," he grabbed at his shirt and pulled Oikawa down on top of him, pushing their lips together with a force that made Oikawa moan into his mouth.

In that one week, in a country on the other side of the world alongside a man he never thought he would ever encounter there, Hinata discovered a multitude of new things about himself that he didn't even know. Pedro had been concerned that his roommate didn't return that night, or the four nights thereafter, but he did eventually see him that weekend when he was home during daylight to witness Hinata return for a change of clothes. The marks lithering his body was enough to tell the tale of his hot Brazilian nights.

"Alright. You better take care of yourself, Shōyō," Oikawa greeted his beach volleyball and bed partner of the last week. The week had come to an end, and now he was headed to the airport.

"Yes! Thanks so much, for everything!" Hinata grabbed onto his hand, shaking it with force.

"I'm feeling nice and recharged too..." Oikawa looked down at him through lidded eyes. "And also, that feeling of being a beginner again in a game... thanks for that. You're going back in two years, right?" Hinata gleamed up at him.

"Yeah!"

"...I'm going to beat everyone. So be ready for it!" his eyes held confidence, so much of it.

"Of course!" Hinata grinned.

"...I mean you too, so act a little more scared," he shook his head and just stared down at Hinata more a moment. "One more? To seal it off nicely?" Hinata smirked and reached up to cup his face, pulling him down to connect their lips. The kiss was slow and deep, one that wrapped up all of the emotions of the past week in one final goodbye kiss. They pulled away and after a final breath within the nearness of each other, Oikawa stepped away.

"Thank you... really," Hinata nervously scratched at his neck. "You taught me a lot," Oikawa couldn't help but grin at that, absolutely mischievous.

"I'm glad I could help with that. You know what they say, practice makes perfect," he felt so much pride swelling up, especially as he saw Hinata's blushing face. He couldn't believe that he ended up being the one to teach Hinata and he had to admit, nearing the end of that week, Hinata was good. More than just good. He was a fast learner, after all. "Speaking of, over the last week you've been telling me about all your friends and what's been happening between you guys. Look, I'm just pointing out facts here, but each time you talk about one of them you seem to 'glow up' a bit," he said cheekily, one hand on his hip and the other holding his chin.

"What, really?" Hinata tilted his head in question. He certainly didn't notice anything.

"Yes, really. I was able to predict you and Tobio getting together, so take my sage word as predicting this too," he rubbed at his chin like a wise old man.

"...I don't think you really predicated anything,"

"Shush! Let me have this moment!" he screeched and turned his back on Hinata. "Just... go get him, okay?" Hinata smiled at that.

"Then you have to go get Iwaizumi!" Oikawa stuttered at Hinata's words.

"S-shut up!" he screeched. "Anyway, see you later," he took his rolling suitcase and began to walk off.

"See ya!" Hinata waved after him, watching his back grow smaller in the distance. The first thing Hinata did upon realising that his closest source to home was gone, was pull out his phone and dial Kenma.

"Shōyō? Why are you calling so late?" Kenma answered just after a few rings.

"Huh? It's only 11 A.M.?" then he remembered. "Oh yeah. Time difference,"

"'Oh yeah'," Kenma mockingly repeated. "But I never sleep anyway, so I forgive you. What I'm still wondering if I'll forgive you on, is the fact that you've been silent this whole week. We've all been curious what's up with the Rio people. You just sent a picture of you and Oikawa and poof! Radio silence. I'm sponsoring you, you know?" Hinata nervously chuckled at his words, fingers scratching at his neck. His feet began to carry him back to his and Pedro's dorm.

"Ah, I'm sorry. That's actually why I called! You won't believe the week I've had!"

"...uh huh. Go on," Kenma urged apathetically. He was in the middle of a game and was listening half-half to what was happening.

"I've been winning matches! I'm getting better! It's working, Kenma," his voice was absolutely filled with joy.

"That's amazing to hear, Shōyō," for both him and his bank account's sake. "Because of that Oikawa guy? I never went up against him myself, but I remember you telling be about the Aobajohsai matches and how he was the Grand King and all that. Bit terrifying, if you ask me,"

"He is kinda scary," Hinata nervously admitted. "But you know... he has a gentle side too. He and Kageyama have a long history and they act all like they hate each other but you can see they have a rival relationship too that forces them to grow better. Just unfortunately, in their case, it turned out to be frightening rivalry. I heard he almost hit Kageyama once in middle school,"

"...are you serious?"

"Yeah," he confirmed. "I don't think he's the same person anymore though. He's still a king and that's not going to change, but he can be really helpful," Hinata adorned a silly grin as he walked down the street, a spring in his step.

"So what happened? Did you guys play together?"

"Yeah. The entire week he was here, we played for hours on the beach. He's a really great setter, you know! And he taught me how to set and do jump serves too!"

"Shōyō, the setter. What a thought. Now you can take over my previous position too," Hinata snorted at the thought.

"Also, uhm..." Hinata's feet brought him to a halt. "There's something else that happened this week..."

"Go on," Kenma listened a bit more intently.

"You and I share a lot of things with each other, and this is kind of personal so is it okay?" Hinata didn't know how to put in.

"...what type of personal are we talking here? Should I find you a doctor's location over there?"

"No, no, not like that," Hinata insisted, waving his hands dismissively even if he knew Kenma couldn't see.

"Then shoot. Don't hold back on my account," Kenma grunted.

"Okay, thanks! Well then... I had sex with Oikawa," he said with an upbeat in his voice, trying to convey that it wasn't something he regretted. At all.

"...I'm sorry, let me just put down my controller so I can hear this properly. Say again?"

"I had sex with Oikawa... this entire week..." Hinata nervously commented, his voice low so that no one on the street would overhear him. Well, he was speaking Japanese so the chances were minimal that he would be understood anyway.

"..." the other side of the line remained quiet.

"I'm sorry," Hinata found himself mumbling.

"What are you apologising for?"

"I don't know, you're quiet so I figured that's the calm before the storm," he nervously chuckled.

"Listen, you can do with your body what you want to do as long as it's consensual which I'm guessing, it was if it was the entire week, then it was," Kenma spoke slowly, not himself knowing how tor eact.

"Yeah! You don't have to worry about that!" Hinata sounded happy, so Kenma decided to take that as a good sign.

"Well...good to hear you're blooming in more ways than one, Shōyō,"

August 2016 - Olympics

Kuroo managed to organise that he and Bokuto have a shared room, which was especially great when a few days into the trip, they received a video from their two beloveds back at home.

"Holy shit, how are we actually supposed to survive knowing we have Keiji and Kei's sex tape in our hands? Like, I can't handle being on cloud nine all the time," Bokuto drooled, face planted into Kuroo's naked lap.

"They look so good, oh my god," Kuroo whimpered. "Have we ever done it against the kitchen counter before?"

"No, no we haven't,"

"I'm going to die, Bo,"

"I know,"

One of the greatest achievements the four can relish in is that soon after they all began to be physical together, or even before that when Kei wasn't apart of the unit, that they overcame the awkwardness of missing a member when being with another. Of course, sex with all four of them together was absolutely euphoric, but it wasn't conditional. It didn't have to be all four of them. Some polyamorous relationships do have that problem: it was all or nothing. Kei and Keiji could be together without fear of dangerous jealously from the other two, and Kuroo and Bokuto could go at it as much as they wanted in the hotel room.

They were a strong unit.

In another hotel room, Atsumu was glaringly staring up at his phone as he waited for a reply. They had planned to stay in Rio for the duration of the games, and he was almost certain that somewhere along the way, they would lose. Of course, he hoped to win but he was also realistic. Argentina, Italy, Brazil... the teams were just too strong. Because of this, he figure they wouldn't be playing to the end and he could bet on at least one day off in Rio.

The reply came through: 'Sure! There's an amazing restaurant I want you to try out. I'll make sure to keep my schedule open those last couple days of the games so you can let me know last minute. Of course, I'll be watching too so I'll know,'. Atsumu's heart swelled.

He could see Hinata again, even if it was just for one day. That day did soon come when they lost against Argentina, Oikawa relishing in the defeat of his underclassman once more. Hinata wasn't that far from where the games were being held, but Atsumu still had to take a trip on public transport to get to him.

He heard and felt him before he saw him, the familiar screech of his bumbling friend entering his ears before arms wrapped around his waist. He looked to see the ginger tightly locked around him, Atsumu returning the silly hug and swinging him around. You could swear they had been apart two years already, not a mere five months.

"I missed you, you idiot sun!" Atsumu kept nothing in, shaking him in his arms.

"I missed you too, 'Tsumu!" Hinata showed him all around the area, the two grabbing a long two-hour brunch at Hinata's favourite restaurant and catching up. Atsumu was mostly complaining about the very different personalities in the national team and how he couldn't wait to go back to the Black Jackals. He had gotten used to them and they weren't that bad – not even Bokuto.

Hinata couldn't bring himself to lie to Atsumu so when he asked to tell the story of the week Oikawa was playing with him, he just casually mentioned that they had a fling as well. Hinata tried to play it off and change the subject but Atsumu wasn't having it.

"Fling as in... fling-fling, or do we have different definitions of that word?" Atsumu leaned forward on his elbows, brows furrowed as he regarded Hinata's reaction closely. Hinata couldn't look him in the eye, his gaze anywhere else but him and his focus completely on his glass of water.

"Uhm, well... how would you define a fling?" Atsumu pulled out his phone and after a moment of typing away, answered him.

"A fling, noun: a brief, casual sexual or romantic relationship," he read out before placing his phone down. "Would you say our definitions coincide?" Hinata slurped loudly at his water, eyes casting upwards to the ceiling. "Holy shit, seriously?" Hinata put down his glass.

"...eh, I don't know what to tell you. There was nothing holding us back and we both knew it was only going to be that one week so... we did the friends-with-benefits thing," he shrugged ever so casually, his words completely calm. Atsumu was frozen solid for a second there.

"I never knew you were this type of person," he said with disbelief.

"Ah! Yeah, well. I've tried it out and I decided I don't like it," Hinata shook his head with confidence.

"Huh?" Atsumu frowned.

"Yeah, I don't like the one-time thing and I've heard about the casual dating scene and I don't think I want that either. I like it much better when I knew that I liked the person before we even started dating and that it's serious from the start," Hinata explained. "I don't want to play with hearts or be played with," Atsumu looked at him with a sort of a new light, but not really. He hadn't taken Hinata to be the player type and this was Hinata just enforcing that he now knew that.

"So... there's nothing between you two?" Hinata nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, and that was a while ago too. It wasn't serious in the slightest," he assured.

"...okay then. Guess Brazil can bring all sorts of wonders. What an interesting couple of months you've had," Atsumu grinned.

"Definitely. Hey, let's finish up here then we can go play a game on the beach!" the excitement on his face was blinding and Atsumu couldn't help but follow along on the hype train. Beach volleyball turned out to be an incredibly difficult thing for him and there wasn't much playing he could do, more Hinata covering his ass as he constantly tripped into the sand. They lost spectacularly with him on the team, but it wasn't about the points to Hinata. Not now, anyway. Hinata had incredible fun playing with him and if he had been wondering about his future before, he definitely didn't now. He knew his next course of action.

He wanted to join the Black Jackals.

He watched onward at Atsumu who seemingly grew more frustrated as the day went on. He felt it incredibly amusing and his heart was warmed by the few instances Atsumu got a point in, the absolute bliss on his face sending heat into his cheeks.

Ever since Oikawa had brought it up, he's been thinking about it: the very fact that Hinata had immediately known who he had been referring to, was already a sign. Atsumu had caught his eye from the very beginning and he never wanted to compromise his friendship with him, even when Kageyama had disapproved. Atsumu was an important person to him and had been there for him when he needed him. Atsumu supported his journey and never doubted him for a single second or made him feel like he should be questioning himself.

With Kageyama, it had been an entire journey. Liking Kageyama was a casual thing he felt he could bring up. There wasn't much too actually liking Kageyama: everyone just agreed with him that it made sense. They two seemed right for each other, thus it seemed to be compatible. With Kageyama, it was like they always had a type of love between them and they tried to form it into something else.

Liking Atsumu was completely different. With Atsumu, it sort of just clicked one day that this incredible person that was with him, might mean even more to him than he initially thought. The feelings were never twisted, they just laid dormant and grew and grew until it was no longer undeniable. Atsumu and Hinata became friends completely outside of volleyball and the foundation of their friendship had no dependency on the sport. Sure, they met through volleyball and they would hopefully play together one day, but it was never their defining feature. The silly nights they would play trivia together, the days Hinata could just unpack issues with him and get his honest opinions, the weekends Osamu tried to teach the two how to cook and they would absolutely fail... those were the memories that built their foundation. The friendship he had with Atsumu was similar to when Kei and the other three just started hanging out.

It was never about the sport with them, it was about the people.

"It's about you,"

Somewhere along the way, without Hinata ever realising it, Atsumu had become home.

"Hm? You say something, Shōyō?" Hinata smiled to himself, huffing as he let out a soft breath. He looked up at Atsumu, his expression absolutely glittering.

"I like it when you smile, 'Tsumu," Atsumu froze at his words, regarding Hinata with a silly grin. "I like seeing you happy," Atsumu huffed.

"I should be saying that to you. After everything that happened, you have no idea how happy I am to see you are finally able to enjoy yourself again. In that first Nationals where we met, you were such a defiant star that demanded to be noticed and you kind of... dimmed after that. You were behaving to other people's rules and that wasn't... that wasn't you. I'm so happy that you're able to shine this brightly again. If anything, you're even more blinding than before," and Hinata felt relief and another type of feeling he struggled to put into words. He felt comforted.

"On the day I get back, a year and a half from now, will you be the one to pick me up?" Hinata suddenly brought up.

"From the airport?" Hinata nodded. "Of course. We'll organise it that way," Atsumu said without hesitation.

Hinata took Atsumu to meet Pedro, and after a brief moment where the two fanboys connected through their favourite character – Luffy – it came time for Atsumu to venture back to his hotel. He held Hinata close in a hug, the two sharing in an embrace they knew would be absent from their lives for quite a while more.

"One more thing before you leave," Hinata piped up from within the hug, still hugging Atsumu close to his body.

"Okay? What is it?" Hinata moved to plant a quick peck on Atsumu's cheek before he pulled out of the embrace. Atsumu was left standing with wide eyes, his fingers moving to graze the spot where Hinata's lips had been a moment before.

"What was that for?" he spoke under his breath, Hinata shooting him a sly grin.

"It's like you said earlier. Brazil can bring all sorts of wonders!"