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“Don’t think you’ll get extra credit because you're staying late.” Tsukishima says flatly, his monotone voice echoing in the empty gymnasium. Hinata restrains an eye roll because of course the blonde’s analogies are school related.
But she also knew that was Tsukki’s way of showing he cared; even if it’s through his own sardonic love language. Not that she’d admit it to him, she has to be intentional with her comebacks. Apparently the “your mom” retort can only be used so often.
“I’m wrapping up soon.” She looks up from the ball. “You don’t have to wait on me Tsukki.”
“Tch. As if I’d wait on you.”
Hinata smiles but says nothing as he exits. He did stay after practice with her to work on her read blocking, so it’s best to keep him in a good mood.
And deny it all he does, she notices a fire in the blonde’s eyes. After the Nekoma training camp there was a different energy to the tall blocker; a riptide churning beneath the frostily composed surface. He wants to win. He cares , he’s just too stubborn to admit it.
You’re one to talk , a voice that sounded an awful lot like Sugawara chimes in from her subconscious.
Practice ended half an hour ago. Most of the boys filed out with the sunset. But Karasuno’s gym was its own inferno, ablaze with its hues of deep orange and an aspiring ace to match.
These were Hinata’s favorite moments, when it was just her and the ball. She loves playing on a team, but there was something powerful when she had to rely on her skills. The repetitions where she spends hour upon hour programming her body to defy gravity and promptly bend it to her will.
She has to keep evolving. To be one step ahead of her opponents. Or else- she shakes the unnerving thoughts away.
I am strong enough , she chants the mantra like a broken record.
Normally Kageyama or Nishinoya would practice with her, but both players had mandatory tutoring. They also warned her to not stay too late, and she intends to honor her promise. She wouldn’t stay out late... at least according to her perspective. Besides, late is a relative word.
Countless serves later Hinata decides to call it in.
The crisp autumn air cools off the sheen of sweat that spoke to her hours of practice. Her orange tufts of hair still remain untameable, just how she likes it.
An unfamiliar cry pierces through the soft whistle of wind. Hinata charts her way toward the sound.
“I said no. Now please let go.” The girl repeats, shouldering away a vaguely familiar upperclassmen. The mystery girl was pressed against a wall in a position that hardly looked comfortable.
The guy doesn’t take the hint, leaning into her space. “I just want your number. ”
Hinata envisions Natsu being cornered, and her inner big sister instincts roar to life.
“She said no. Leave her alone.”
The boy doesn’t look her way. “Mind your own business.”
That has never been Hinata’s strong suit.
“It actually is my business.” Hinata steps forward trying to put space between the two. “Can’t you see you’re making her uncomfortable?”
He straightens up, a good head taller than her. His sharp eyes size her up. Hinata doesn’t shrink under his glare. I've faced taller opponents.
Recognition flits across his features. “I know you. You’re on the boy’s volleyball team.” Quick as a whip he replaces the girl’s arm with Hinata’s limb, clasping Hinata’s forearm in a near painful grip.
“Just because you hang around a bunch of guys doesn’t mean you’re one of them.” He leans in close and Hinata can smell the pork bun on his breath.
“At the end of the day, you’re just a little girl trying to play with the big boys. So leave me—” His head whips back, jaw audibly clicking at Hinata’s punch.
Thank you Tanaka-senpai .
Hinata twists out of his grip. “Run.” She commands to the other girl who takes off in an impressive sprint. Her victory is short lived as her back collides with the cold brick wall.
“You think you’re so big and brave.” Hinata wheezes in response because yeah, she kind of does.
“You aren’t fooling anyone.” Hinata would laugh if her lungs weren’t seizing from the impact. As if Hinata could come up with an elaborate plan to fool anyone. She has a hard enough time with her classes.
The boy clicks his jaw back and forth, blood streaking his uniform. “You hit like a girl, you know that?” If Hinata could make an offended sound, she would.
What would Tanaka do?
Hit first and hit hard. Check.
Fight by whatever means necessary.
Hinata takes a deep breath in and sends the biggest glob of spit to his face. It proves effective.
She ducks through to escape, running faster than she does against Kageyama.
Hinata doesn’t look back. The clatter of footsteps rivals the blood roaring in her ears.
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit .
Blonde hair rips her attention to the right. Tsukishima is being led by the mystery girl who tows the taller boy at a surprising pace. Never in her life Hinata envision Tsukishima being a source of relief for her, but here she is.
“Tsukki!” Hinata shouts, blazing right towards the pair. That’s the only word she’s able to get out before she stutters to a stop. Any explanation dies with her endurance. Hands planted on her knees as she gulps in air greedily.
A flash of surprise and something urgent flits across his eyes. “Hinata, what-”
“Hey redhead!” An unwelcome voice interupts. “I’m not done with you yet.” The boy stalls once he sees Tsukki. The blonde looks at Hinata, the girl, and back to the boy. She can practically hear the clicking of gears in Tsukki’s head.
“Is this the guy you were talking about?” Tsukki asks the girl. She sharply nods.
“So you’re the guy who assaulted two students?” Tsukki steps in front of Hinata, effectively blocking her view of the upperclassman. The blonde pushes his glasses further up on his nose, straightening to his full height.
Hinata forgets how tall Tsukki is; the guy mostly caves his shoulders in, blending into the background and observing the world with those sharp eyes. But now he’s done the math, made the calculations, and he is ready to strike.
Even from a distance one can see that Tsukishima easily towers over the jerk, and if Hinata thought Tsukki had a cold disposition earlier, he was a blizzard now. His legacy of being the ice giant of Karasuno seems more plausible and less like a joke.
The offender’s face flushes an ugly red. “What are you going to do about it?”
Tsukki straightens and the air cackles in what can only be described as twisted delight. Hinata knows what it’s like to be on the receiving end of that stare. Even so, that thrum of energy radiating off Tsukki felt more primal and less calculated. The autumn chill wasn’t the only thing making her arms shiver. The upperclassman weakly glances back at Hinata who remains hunched over but sends him a defiant smirk.
Game, set, match.
“Go home. You’ve caused enough trouble, and quite frankly, wasted my time.” Tsukki’s voice cuts through like a knife. Only Tsukki could roll a threat and an insult into one. The boy pretends to consider the offer, before speed walking home.
Hinata waits till the boy is out of earshot before turning to the blonde, slightly deflated at the lack of action. “Tsukki how can you just let him go?”
“Because we need to talk to the principal about the camera footage. He could have spiraled into another rage if he figured out we had evidence against him.”
The upperclassmen wouldn’t see it coming and Tsukki didn’t have to lift a finger, a true testament to the blonde’s intellect.
The girl picks up Hinata’s fallen bag. “Thank you for stepping in.” She bows low at the waist. “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there.”
Hinata flushes. “Ehh it’s no big deal.”
The stranger then faces Tsukki. “Thank you for your help too. I’ll prepare a statement for the school tomorrow like we discussed.” She looks at her phone and the plethora of missed call notifications “But I really need to get home now. My girlfriend must be worried sick.”
She turns to Hinata. “Be sure to get your back and head checked out, you may need to go the the nurse.”
It might have been Hinata’s imagination but Tsukki stills. Oh dear. Hinata braces herself for questions that never come.
“Let’s go to the office.” Tsukki doesn’t wait for her response before he begins walking away. Hinata follows him, still suspicious.
The conversation with the principal was far less awkward than Hinata anticipated. The school had a zero tolerance policy to violence, and the boy was identified and set for immediate expulsion. Hinata walks out of the principal's office feeling lighter than before, which was a new development in itself.
“You won’t tell anyone about this right?” Hinata asks. They’ve reached the bus station and Hinata needs to be sure that the team doesn’t find out about her “almost fight”. She didn’t need to get suspended from volleyball for some measly squabble.
Hinata gets a face full of black cloth as her response.
“Worry about your frostbite before the team figures out about your wannabe fight club.” She hadn’t noticed she was shivering. Tsukki didn’t meet her eyes and there was a pink flush to his cheeks that must mirror her own burning face.
The jacket is big. Too big. The fabric stretches over her hands by a good half foot and swamps her torso and legs. So much so that it looks more like a dress than warm up jacket. But it wasn’t awful.
“I’ll think about it.” Tsukki says a moment later, answering her earlier request. He turns away before she can respond, blonde hair nearly platinum with the cresting moonlight.
“Oh and get your head checked out. You can’t afford to lose what little brain cells you have left.”
She likes to think the middle fingers they send each other's way are an understanding of some sort.
-
So much for thinking about it.
As soon as she opens the gym door Nishinoya and Tanaka flutter around her, their cries of distress punctuated by the occasional threat.
Tanaka embraces Hinata as if she were his long lost child returning from the war. “Are you hurt? Did you punch him like I taught you? What’s that asshole's name?” Tanaka asks in rapidfire succession.
“Your upperclassmen are gonna beat him up, but you can get the first swing.” He coos.
“I brought some cream, it should help with the bruises.” Nishinoya adds. The libero produces a small container, gently ruffling his kouhai’s hair while she was released from Tanaka’s hug.
He looks around the gym before leaning in. “I know people that can make him disappear.” Nishinoya whispers and winks. “It’s not too late to change your mind.” Coming from anyone else, the threat would seem far fetched. But Hinata remembers Nishinoya’s legacy at the correctional facility and shivers.
She almost pities the guy. Almost.
“I used your punching technique Tanaka-senpai.” Tanaka preens like a proud parent, but Hinata doesn’t share his sentiment, pouting “He said I hit like a girl.”
Hinata was unsure how to process that comment. It shouldn’t get under her skin as much as it did, which only added to her frustration.
Tanaka senses her inner turmoil and swings an arm over her shoulders. “That’s the highest compliment you’ll ever receive because I taught you how to punch. And you know who taught me?”
“Saeko-nesan.” Hinata and Nishinoya answer immediately.
“Exactly. And she’s the strongest person I know.” He says simply. Hinata never thought about it like that. No wonder her upperclassmen were so wise.
Yachi wields an escort schedule. The charts detail a color coordinated graph of who could walk Hinata out, should the redhead ask for company.
Apparently Kageyama got so upset, he had to take a cool down lap, and Asahi of all people needed to join him.
Kiyoko guides Hinata to the back room. The first year fears a lecture or worse, Kiyoko’s infamous “disappointed head tilt”; Daichi still cries about it. The glimmer of silver makes the redhead gasp.
“Don’t worry it meets school regulation.” Kiyoko says calmly and hands Hinata the unconventional pocket knife. The older girl smiles. “If anyone asks it’s a hair barrette.”
This was too much. Hinata was used to being the big sister. The one who protects. Being on the receiving end is enough to make Hinata go as red as her hair.
“Tsukki,” Hinata whines, somewhat embarrassed but mostly endeared by her protective teammates. “I thought you wouldn’t tell anyone.”
“I said I'd think about it.” He corrects. “And I did.”
He throws a ball at Hinata who catches it with ease. “Now let's get to practicing, not everyone wants to do extra hours like you.”
Hinata knows she is strong enough, but it’s comforting to know that she’s stronger with her team around. After all, she's not the type of crow to fly solo. That, and a group of crows is called a murder for a reason.