It wasn’t just Tuesday.
Tuesday to Friday, to the day Hinata had told his family he’d be going to summer camp when really he was spending the weekend with Oikawa, Oikawa picked up and dropped off Hinata every day.
Karasuno were practicing 9 am – 6 pm the first week of the school holidays and Seijoh were practicing 10 am – 6 pm, granted that Seijoh had all agreed to take a two week break in the middle of the summer holidays to actually rest and play no volleyball whatsoever (in theory, although Oikawa was determined to get even better at serving during that time).
On the first day of Oikawa picking Hinata up, the Tuesday, a certain someone from Karasuno noticed immediately the absence of a bike after practice. When asked, Hinata explained to Kageyama that there was a problem with the brakes and the handle felt slightly bent so his mom had dropped it off at the store to get repaired.
This was easy. Hinata could easily walk his usual route with Kageyama, say goodbye at their usual spot, keep on walking for another five to ten minutes before waiting at the side of the road for a quiet silver car to pull up.
Hinata tried oh so very hard that week to squish and squeeze his insurmountable excitement down, like a jack-in-the-box, during his walks with Kageyama after practice. Conversation flowed easy between them, from Hinata’s good mood and Kageyama was being kinder, more interested in Hinata’s day-to-day life, their whole interaction was smoother, more relaxed –
And all the more promising to Kageyama.
He’s completely stopped talking about Oikawa… Nothing since that day that bastard walked him home… Is he over it? Has he come to his senses?
Kageyama wanted to ask but he feared the change of mood it might induce on the little spiker especially when things were now going so well between them and also next week he would have a whole week, night and day, of Hinata to himself… Not to mention… Kageyama wasn’t sure what to do next in his quest of winning Hinata… Not since the last argument they’d had at his house where they’d kissed, had Hinata shown any interest in Kageyama in that way…
He felt like he was in a car with Hinata that kept stopping and starting but that never really took off.
‘S-s-so this weekend,’ Kageyama asked to the ground on Thursday, ‘do you wanna, um, hang out… some more?’
‘I can’t my sister has a flute competition on Saturday.’
‘Oh. Are you going away? Where is it?’
‘In Oshu,’ Hinata said, pulling out anywhere off the top of his head.
‘F-Friday night?’
Hinata shook his head. ‘I may have to leave practice a bit early on Friday too because we’re driving up there.’
‘O-OK.’
‘But we’ll have the whole of next week to hang out Kageyama!’
Hinata smiled up at him and all the rain and clouds fell away.
‘R-right!’
Should I just kiss him again and see what happens? Should I – try and hold his hand? But what if he pushes me away? Not to mention, out on the street, in public, near school, it wasn’t really a good idea…
But to Kageyama’s blissful oblivion, every day, after school, every evening, under hues, of pink, purple and navy, Hinata’s mouth, hands, eyes and heart were on a completely different setter… And Hinata, in all his glorious ambition, did not waste a single night without having Oikawa in his mouth – if practice is what would make him better at everything in life, if it would please and pleasure Oikawa, if it would give something back to the person who gave him everything, then Hinata would happily take the time, effort and energy to give back as much as he got –
He would perfect every stroke, every touch, every tug, every twist, every suck, every lick –
And Hinata could not believe how much greedy satisfaction and overflowing fulfillment coursed through his veins from making Oikawa stutter his name, pant for breath, moan and wail as the setter came… There would be moments when Hinata would lock eyes with Oikawa, and in that moment Hinata would be the one to feel like a cobra: Oikawa would watch in surrender and Hinata would soak in pride at the look of Oikawa about to fall apart.
Hinata knew he was getting better at Oikawa’s body. He was starting to notice little movements, sounds and reactions that Oikawa gave depending on what Hinata did. Oikawa’s dick was big but it was starting to feel manageable to what Hinata was learning to do; rhythm, repetition and motion had started to blend, fluid, and the desperate cries of Oikawa were the perfect indicators to Hinata’s success.
And on Tuesday to Thursday, Hinata had used the little time that they had to purely pleasure Oikawa so that none was left for himself but no matter: Hinata was not doing it for anything in return, he was not keeping tabs. If what he was doing made Oikawa happy then he was happy too. Not to mention, he was no stranger to jerking off in bed to the thought of Seijoh’s captain.
With the anticipation of the upcoming weekend alone together, Hinata was rattling with excitement.
On Thursday evening, as Oikawa had parked in his usual spot not far from Hinata’s house, shrouded in darkness away from a street lamp, he took Hinata’s hand before Hinata was about to get out of the car.
‘So tomorrow the team wanted to treat me for my birthday to Chomp, this fancy new burger place in Sendai. I would like you to join us for dinner before we spend the weekend together. What do you think?’
It was dark and Oikawa could not make out Hinata’s expression but knew that the crow was hesitating.
‘Y-you sure? They’re OK with me joining?’
‘I haven’t told them yet but I’m OK with you joining and it is for my birthday after all,’ Oikawa kissed the back of Hinata’s hand. ‘I would love for you to be there with me. Obviously if you are completely against it and it makes you feel uncomfortable, we don’t have to go. I can reschedule it for another time -’
‘No let’s go. You shouldn’t have to reschedule because of me when your team want to do something nice for you -’
Hinata froze as Oikawa’s lips met the edge of his mouth accurately even in the dark. Hinata greedily kissed Oikawa back, clawing at the silk strands of the setter’s hair.
‘You should go,’ Oikawa murmured, ‘otherwise you’re going to start me up again.’
Hinata smiled in the darkness; he couldn’t be too greedy. They had the whole weekend after all.
As Hinata opened the car door, a hand shot out and grabbed his shirt.
‘Don’t be nervous about tomorrow. I’ll be with you the whole time. So please don’t worry.’
Hinata could not help turning, embracing the unknown and hugging Oikawa one last time.
‘I won’t,’ Hinata kissed Oikawa’s temple.
Well.
Seventeen hours later, Hinata ate his words.
Nerves like nothing Hinata had felt before jolted through him making him feel sick. He emptied his bladder far too many times that Friday: that beacon, that shining horizon, that breaking dawn, the new era, everything this weekend with Oikawa represented to Hinata was totally eclipsed by the impending doom of dinner with Seijoh. The tall, intimidating, unsmiling, gruff faces of Aoba Johsai’s volleyball team kept surfacing in Hinata’s mind throughout the day so badly that Hinata ould not concentrate on anything else. The last time he’d seen Iwaizumi, the upperclassman had threatened to punch him.
And now –
The most thick, tightly-coiled silence there had ever been at a birthday party.
Two tables had been pushed together to form one long rectangle. On the left, Watari, Maki, Kindaichi. Kunimi sat at the top end of the table. Continuing clockwise, Yahaba, Matsukawa and Iwaizumi. And at the bottom end, Oikawa sat next to Hinata, his left arm around the ginger in a black uniform, surrounded by a sea of turquoise and white.
Oikawa had felt the whole atmosphere change when the team had seen Hinata: the jokes died, the fun atmosphere vanished, their smiles collapsed. Maki had almost looked angry at seeing Hinata there with Oikawa. But regardless of all their opinions Oikawa knew this one truth: it was his birthday and his friends weren’t dicks, as much as they disagreed with Oikawa’s choice in who he dated, they would give him a free pass on his birthday.
The strange navigation between the team wanting to treat Oikawa for a meal but not wanting to pay for Hinata – yet Oikawa wanted to pay for Hinata, so did he sit like they wanted him to? Of course not – he wouldn’t let Hinata stand and queue on his own but thankfully, surprisingly, Iwaizumi had muttered, ‘I’ve got this’ and asked Hinata what he wanted. And Hinata, blushing and stuttering had refused and pulled out his debit card but Iwaizumi had insisted with such unintentionally intimidating force that Hinata squeaked in acceptance.
Now they ate in uncertain silence, stealing glances at the little crow, throwing looks of absolute disbelief at the couple.
‘Hinata.’
Hinata jumped at the sound of Iwaizumi’s voice and looked at the ace, who was sat to Oikawa’s right.
‘Could you pass me the ketchup, please?’
‘S-sure -’
Hinata carefully passed the ketchup over to Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi did not look at Oikawa but Oikawa felt a mountain of gratitude in that moment towards his best friend. He knew exactly why Iwaizumi had done that and knew it was nothing to do with wanting more ketchup.
Hinata tugged on Oikawa’s sleeve. Oikawa lowered his head.
‘I don’t know what to say,’ Hinata whispered, ‘I don’t know what to do. I don’t know… how to be.’
Oikawa turned his face and looked at Hinata. A breath. A heartbeat. Time stopped. Those beautiful eyes. That beautiful face. That Hinata was addicted to. Too close. Too intimate. Hinata’s cheeks burned – he would surely die if Oikawa kissed him in front of Seijoh yet he knew he could not help himself: he would still kiss the setter passionately back, wrap his arms around Oikawa’s neck and instinctively climb into the captain’s lap.
‘Just be yourself,’ Oikawa murmured before sitting up straight and giving an encouraging wink to the spiker.
Oikawa picked up a chip and realised that the whole of Seijoh were staring, open-mouthed from what had transpired apart from Iwaizumi who seemed far too preoccupied with the bun of his burger. Yahaba had frozen, phone in hand, looking like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to take a picture or call someone.
Geeze. We only whispered at each other. It’s not like I broke the seat from fucking him.
Oikawa bit his lip to stop himself from laughing; he smirked then popped a chip in his mouth.
As Hinata peered around at Seijoh he noticed –
‘Kin-Kindaichi?’
Kindaichi stared at Hinata as if he were being spoken to by a ghost.
‘Er. Yeah?’
‘You – you – you had a haircut!’
‘No shi- I mean. Er. Yes. Yes, I did.’
‘Your hair doesn’t look like an onion anymore!’
PFFFFFF –
‘AHAHAHAHAHAHA!’
Kindaichi glared at Hinata as the team burst into laughter.
‘Oh yeah? Well at least my hair doesn’t look like a fucking bed of carr -’ Kindaichi swallowed his volume, ‘- ots…’ from the look more threatening than daggers that Oikawa was giving him, above Hinata.
‘W-what – what do you think it looks like now?’ Watari choked.
‘Like freshly trimmed grass -’
Kindaichi could not help getting more annoyed from even more raucous laughter.
‘Hey kid. What about Maki’s hair?’ Matsukawa asked.
Hinata looked at Maki. ‘Like half a pink coconut.’
An eruption of noise swamped the whole restaurant. Hinata blushed and glanced at Oikawa, who grinned reassuringly back at him, as Seijoh seemed to be having a fit.
‘Matsu’s?’ Maki threw it back at his provoker.
Hinata hesitated. ‘Seaweed -’
Kunimi choked on his bite and even Kindaichi pursed his lips to try and not laugh.
‘It really does,’ Maki grinned. ‘Like black seaweed.’
‘Shut up,’ Matsu glowered.
‘Oikawa’s?’ Iwaizumi put forward.
Silence. The audience waited while Hinata, cheeks as red as ketchup, looked up at Oikawa next to him. The setter raised a seductive eyebrow and stared down, surveying those sweet and soft features, making the spiker sizzle more. Oikawa was so devastatingly beautiful that for the hundreth time, Hinata could not believe, that he was dating him. But to the question at hand: Hinata studied Oikawa’s hair before deciding –
‘His hair is like… expensive chocolate.’
‘Expensive chocolate,’ Seijoh echoed in unanimous understanding as Oikawa gave Hinata a flirtatious and satisfied look.
‘Not just chocolate,’ Watari said to Maki.
‘Not a boring vegetable,’ Maki said back.
‘Like a chopped onion -’
‘Or shit seaweed -’
‘Hey,’ Matsu glared.
‘But -’
‘Expensive chocolate,’ they said together before chortling.
‘Gee,’ Watari looked to the ceiling. ‘I wonder who Hinata likes the most here.’
‘Beats me,’ Maki replied. ‘Can’t tell. Maybe it’s Kunimi?’
The duo guffawed some more. Suddenly Yahaba asked –
‘Hey Hinata. Who’s the most annoying person on your team?’
‘Why?’ Watari leaned forward. ‘Because you have something in common?’
‘Shut up!’ Yahaba chucked a dirty tissue at Watari.
‘Kageyama,’ Hinata said confidently and couldn’t understand why half of Seijoh burst into laughter (they weren’t expecting Hinata to answer earnestly) and the other half nodded in solemn agreement.
‘Don’t remind me,’ Kindaichi tore a chunk out of his burger and spoke in a mouth-full muffle, ‘Does he still think he’s right all the time?’
‘Always.’
‘And he wants everyone to do things his way?’
‘Uh huh.’
‘He needs to learn that people aren’t just robots or slaves -’
As Kindaichi launched into his well-know Everything Wrong with Kageyama speech directed at Hinata, as the table broke up into smaller chats, and as Hinata subconsciously rested a tiny hand on Oikawa’s knee, Oikawa felt like he was lying on a warm sandy beach with cool waves lapping at his feet. He basked in the banter and happily ate the rest of his meal in silence and acted as if he wasn’t aware of Iwaizumi’s overview inspection.
However, there were also more fun things on Oikawa’s mind…
Oikawa waited until Hinata had finished eating before standing up.
‘We’ve got to go now,’ Oikawa smiled. ‘Don’t we, Sho?’
Hinata hesitated and then nodded, also standing up. Oikawa was on the brink of bursting into laughter: the jovial atmosphere started evaporating as his team suddenly seemed to remember that they didn’t approve of Hinata and Oikawa’s relationship. Oikawa could sense their uncertainty and dawning realisation that they’d not just embraced Hinata’s company but had enjoyed it too.
‘I’ll see you all on Monday, thanks for the meal -’
Oikawa stepped out behind Hinata and Hinata climbed out from his seat –
The redhead turned back to the table and slightly bowed –
‘Thank you! For having me!’
Hinata stood up straight as Seijoh gawked at the little earnest Karasuno member, speechless. Hinata then turned to Iwaizumi and heat rose to his cheeks.
‘T-t-thank you, Iwaizumi-san, for treating me.’
Iwa gave a slight nod of acknowledgment looking directly into Hinata’s eyes.
For the hundreth time that evening, Oikawa tried not to laugh as he slipped his right arm around Hinata’s shoulders, guiding the crow towards the door and raising his left hand above his head in a goodbye salute without looking back.
I know, Oikawa thought as he imagined the difficult conversation his teammates were about to have with no platform to slate the golden boy under his arm right now, he’s impossible not to love.
‘How was it?’ Oikawa turned to Hinata, once they were back in the car.
The roof of the convertible had been restored just before they’d entered Chomp and night now surrounded them. Hinata liked the feeling; it was like being in a little, comfy Oikawa-space-capsule with all the lit up dials in front of him.
In answer to Oikawa’s question, Hinata hesitated. ‘It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be… It was awkward but they didn’t seem to… hate me…’
Oikawa bit his lip into a smile. He stretched out a hand and ruffled Hinata’s hair fondly before cupping one side of the spiker’s face. Oikawa sighed happily, staring back into those syrupy eyes. ‘No one could ever hate you.’
Pink tinged Hinata’s cheeks and Oikawa wanted to devour the tangerine then and there but instead he winked, started the car and off they went.
Oikawa asked the middle blocker what he thought of the team. Hinata started giving Oikawa a rundown of his opinion on the different Seijoh members and expressed his relief regarding Iwaizumi. It wasn’t until they’d been driving for nearly thirty minutes that Hinata suddenly realised –
‘Hey. Does it usually take this long to get across Sendai?’
A glorious mischievous grin spread across Oikawa’s side profile.
‘No.’ Oikawa replied. ‘It doesn’t.’
‘Aren’t we going straight to yours?’
Oikawa glanced at the crow, a twinkle in his eyes. ‘We’re going somewhere else.’
‘We are?!’
‘Yes. If that’s OK with you.’
‘Where are we going first?’
‘It’s where we’ll be all weekend.’
‘We’re going – away for the weekend!?’ Hinata could not contain his surprised delight as he stared up in awe at Oikawa.
‘That’s right.’
‘All weekend!?’
‘All weekend. I’m kidnapping you,’ Oikawa stated matter-of-fact-ly, glancing flirtatiously at Hinata.
Why is my heart racing with excitement from his words? Hinata gazed at Oikawa, focused on the road. Why does Oikawa alone make me feel like this?
Oikawa glanced again at the silent Hinata who hadn’t responded, suddenly worried he’d gone too far with the joke.
‘Chibi-chan, will you let me take you away for the weekend for my birthday?’
Hinata’s mind replied before he could even stop it –
I would let you take me away forever.
‘Yes,’ Hinata beamed and Oikawa caught it. ‘Of course. Yes!’
Rectangular, angular outlines of buildings faded as they sped down highways surrounded by trees cloaked in night. Above, the stars shone down on them but no star was brighter than Hinata that night. Hinata laughed and joked and talked to Oikawa in glee, bubbling with excitement and once again, overflowing with gratitude afresh towards the setter. It was not lost on Hinata – he could not even imagine – the effort, planning and cost of whatever it was Oikawa had booked for them. He tried to probe about where they were going but Oikawa’s lips were tightly shut.
After an hour and a half, Hinata gaped in awe as they travelled through a valley between mountains. The scenery changed again: they ascended up a mountain side and passed some pretty buildings lit up but it was too quick for Hinata to take in. As they climbed higher, Oikawa found a spot to stop the car for a moment. He pulled up and switched the light on. He turned to Hinata and could see the little munchkin fizzing with eager eyes.
‘Have we arrived? Are we camping? Are we staying in a hotel?’
Oikawa grinned. ‘We’re almost there, chibi-chan.’
Oikawa undid his seatbelt and went to maneouvre his body between the gap in the front seats to reach for something in the back but not before Hinata had undid his own seatbelt and dived for a kiss –
Hmpfhf!
Hinata’s body collided with Oikawa’s forcing the setter back, as Hinata clung to Oikawa, arms around the captain’s neck, lips against lips.
Oikawa responded by wrapping his arms around the middle blocker’s waist and pulling Hinata to himself, as his neck and upper back rested against the uneven car door with its protruding bits of manufacture. But never had a car door been as comfortable as it was now, with Hinata attached to him.
Hinata opened his mouth and Oikawa naturally followed suit.
Oikawa knew where this was going and just how quickly it would get there, and it wasn’t like Oikawa didn’t want things to go in that direction, it was just that what he had organised, and what was about to happen, would make everything that much better –
Oikawa reluctantly tucked his chin back and broke away from the kiss. He watched those magnificent eyes flutter open.
‘Let’s save this for where we’re going,’ Oikawa whispered.
Hinata nodded, ‘OK,’ and kissed Oikawa on the lips again. He then let go and retreated back into his seat. Oikawa pushed himself up and returned to his original mission –
He fumbled through the gap between the seats, searching, until he finally grasped what he was looking for. His face brightened and he turned to look at Hinata.
‘Do you trust me?’
Again, Hinata’s heart thundered through his chest.
‘Yes.’
Oikawa withdrew his arm and Hinata saw that he was holding that now familiar brown-red Aoba Johsai tie.
‘Then close your eyes.’
Hinata obeyed. The spiker then heard Oikawa lean forward and felt the setter gently place some of the material around his eyelids.
Oikawa wrapped the ends around Hinata’s head and held the it in place.
‘Too tight?’
‘Too loose.’
Oikawa made it tighter.
‘That OK?’
‘Yes.’
Oikawa tied the tie twice around Hinata’s head.
‘Can you see?’
‘No.’
Oikawa was about to sit back but could not help himself: he kissed those exposed and untied lips hard, Hinata’s little moan muffled against the kiss and the redhead blindly threw his arms around Oikawa.
‘I must say,’ Oikawa pressed his left cheek against Hinata’s right, feeling some of the tie, as he whispered into the crow’s ear, ‘I like having you completely at my mercy.’
Oikawa sat back and felt a gratifying tug to his heart to see a ruddy blush on those cheeks almost blending in with the tie and those wet pretty lips parted in surprised.
Oikawa pressed his palm against the inside of Hinata’s exposed thigh. Hinata inhaled sharply through his mouth. Oikawa smirked. Such pride, such satisfaction filled Oikawa’s heart every time at Hinata’s reaction to him: it was like winning the Best Setter Award over and over and over again.
‘We’re almost there, chibi-chan.’
The weight and warmth of Oikawa’s hand disappeared. Instead, the setter instructed Hinata to sit properly and then did the seatbelt for him. Hinata heard Oikawa put his own seatbelt on, felt the revving of the car, and then smooth movement as Oikawa continued driving. Hinata felt them driving up on the mountain and not longer than five minutes later the car came to a stop and Oikawa killed the engine.
‘We’re here, Sho.’
‘I’m so excited.’
Oikawa chuckled. ‘I’m glad. Don’t move.’
Hinata waited, his heart like a tribal drum – no – like the whole tribe, like drummers in the tribe beating in rhythmic anticipation for the arrival of the head chief. He heard the car door close. The boot open. Felt the weight of the car ever so slightly relieved, heard Oikawa’s exertion at lifting their bags. Oikawa’s footsteps, fading. He waited in silence. Then – the footsteps running, returning, the sound traveling through the open boot and then the door to his own side opening. Hinata felt for the seatbelt and undid it.
‘Hold out your hand.’
Hinata held out his left hand and Oikawa took it. Bumpy, scarred. From the earthquake. Oikawa guided Hinata out of the car –
‘The boot’s still open, by the way.’
Oikawa disappeared to close the boot and then returned holding both of Hinata’s hands.
‘Follow me, slowly.’
Hinata moved forwards, letting himself be led only by Oikawa’s hands.
Oikawa’s hands. The hands that were shredded, torn, through fragments of glass. The hands that carried Hinata to safety. The same hands that guided and led Hinata months ago, through rubble and calamity, post-earthquake, to Oikawa’s home, before even anything had happened between them. The very same hands, through their blood, that held Hinata’s phone when Oikawa spoke to his mother. The hands that bandaged him, cleaned him, fed him, caressed him – that held him at night and tended to him in the day – and had done a million and one other things for the tiny spiker that Hinata had lost count –
Now.
Here they were.
Once again guiding Hinata into the unknown.
More than his own hands, more than his own mind, more than his own life – Hinata trusted these hands.
Hinata savoured the bumpy scars on those perfect hands as he obeyed Oikawa’s instructions stepping up, and up, and up, slowly.
A light came on and peeked through the blindfold.
Hinata knew he’d stepped into a threshold by the bright light and the change of texture beneath his feet. Oikawa undid Hinata’s laces, both of them still in their volleyball uniforms. Oikawa then slid off his own shoes before returning his hands to Hinata’s.
Wood? Hinata felt like the floor was made of wood. But the texture soon changed again to something softer – a mat? Hinata felt a cool breeze and he wasn’t sure if he was imaging it but he thought he could faintly hear running water.
They stopped.
Oikawa’s mouth met Hinata’s and Hinata released Oikawa’s hands to grope that expensive-chocolate hair instead as he melted into the kiss. A hand stroked Hinata’s waist.
‘Always such wonderful passion from you, Sho,’ Oikawa murmured after the kiss, ‘I never get tired of it.’
Hinata felt Oikawa suddenly step away.
‘I’m going to remove the tie but keep your eyes closed.’
Hinata nodded. Oikawa chuckled.
‘My, just when I thought you couldn’t get any cuter there you go proving me wrong.’
Hinata felt Oikawa carefully slip the blindfold off of him by first pulling forward the material around Hinata’s eyebrows and looping the tie off. Hinata saw the light behind his eyelids.
‘Now. Open your eyes.’
You have finished reading:
Chapter 30