This is a quick story for those who like HQ. I'm working on a very long Gruvia oneshot, a sappy NaLu oneshot, and the next chapter for A Heart's A Heavy Burden, but for now, here's some senseless fluff.
This contains the following implied pairings:
TsukiYachi (Tsukishima/Yachi)
DaiYui (Daichi/Michimiya)
SugaKiyo (Suga/Shimizu)
Cross-posted on tumblr and DA!
Hitoka found it kind of funny that everyone was having a study session at Tsukishima-kun's house, of all places.
First of all, Sawamura-senpai and Azumane-senpai weren't able to join them due to former arrangements (to the dentist and to see his cousins, respectively), which made the situation about ten times worse than it already was. Suga-senpai, of course, had to come (who else could maintain sanity in their ragtag group of crows?) so both Hitoka and Shimizu-senpai had vouched to join them as well. Frankly speaking, both had a mutual sense of dread of what would happen if they did not go along: the second years and Suga alone could not keep a tight rein on the chaos that would surely follow.
Second, this was THE Tsukishima-kun they were talking about. As tall and scathing and condescending and unfairly handsome as he was, it just was in his blood to provoke everyone to the brink of explosion. And nobody, not even Tadashi-kun (who usually went along with the tall first-year's acts of passive aggression) wanted that.
So the day before, Hitoka and Shimizu-senpai had wrapped several dozen rolls of onigiri to bring to Tsukishima's house. They visited the grocery store to buy some fruit and spent the afternoon making jello cups - nearly thirty of them, in fact - to sate the boys' hunger for sweets. Hitoka had then proceeded to shove about forty bandages and antiseptic into a small pouch, just in case. Upon further thought, she also put several handfuls of strawberry candy in her pockets - heaven knew they'd need some comfort. As much as they tried to brace for impact, there was bound to be some trouble. There always seemed to be trouble when the match (Tsukishima-kun) hit the wood (Noya-senpai, Tanaka-senpai, Kageyama-kun, Hinata-kun), so there had to be a few dozen buckets of water nearby to douse the wildfire (Shimizu-senpai, Suga-senpai, Ennoshita-senpai).
In the morning, Hinata, Kageyama, and Hitoka had taken the bus to Tsukishima's house - the two boys insisting firmly that she be accompanied, much to her sweet chagrin - and they now stood before the door, hovering hesitantly at the porch.
No, scratch that. Everyone was standing before the door. Suga, being the (only) responsible, mature grown-up, was trying - and failing - to stop Noya and Tanaka from completely jumping the house and sneaking in, and Yamaguchi was just standing by the sidelines, muttering under his breath about having forgetten his ruler. Shimizu-senpai had just passed Ennoshita the essay she'd proofread for him the day before, and the oddball duo… well…
"Should we…" Hinata wiggled his fingers at the doorbell when his two hyperactive upperclassmen had calmed down somewhat.
"No, we shouldn't," said Kageyama, frowning. "We should just go in."
"B-But that would be a little rude," Hitoka hastily interjected. Shimizu-senpai nodded briefly to show her agreement.
Kageyama sneered.
"Yeah, exactly, serves him right, that four-eyed, smug little ba - "
"Language, Kageyama," Hinata hissed, gesturing frantically at the hesitant, dread-filled Hitoka. The dark-haired setter clamped his mouth shut with an audible snap and scowled straight ahead.
"Fine, ring the doorbell," he scoffed.
But they'd been spared the effort when the door swung open and a very familiar golden head appeared.
"Tsukishima-kun! We've already sent you messages you about our arrival! Didn't you see them? Or maybe, is your phone not working? Are you okay? Are you sick? How are you?" Hitoka fired at him right away earnestly, but soon realized her mistake with an apologetic eep!
"Ah, that's fine," said not-Tsukishima. He grinned at them in a friendly, un-Tsukishima-like way that made Noya trip over his feet and land on his backside, and opened the door fully. Hitoka did a double take at this. Wow, tallness and good looks seemed to be the only things this guy shared with Tsukishima-kun. Their personalities were completely different! "You must be Kei's friends."
"Friends? What friends? Tsukishima has no friends. Who'd want to be friends with Tsukishima?" Kageyama said, looking extremely affronted.
"Be nice," Suga protested, dragging him back by the collar. "Hello! Yes, we are. I believe Tsukishima may have informed you that Karasuno's volleyball club would be studying at his house today until dinner - er, has he?"
"Uh, well…" The amiable, tall, smiling boy scratched his head somewhat sheepishly. Hitoka figured he probably was related to Tsukishima-kun - maybe an older brother or cousin? He didn't look old enough to be his father. And come to think of it, he didn't seem as handsome as Tsukishima - wait, what? Hitoka shook her head violently to clear it. Not right now, Hitoka, she told herself, and looked up to hear a half-affectionate, half-irritated cough. "Actually, about that… in fact… well… no."
"WHAT?" nearly everyone shouted in utter indignation (Tadashi-kun, Shimizu-senpai, Suga-senpai, and Hitoka only sighed).
"I kind of expected that," Hinata grumbled, shuffling his feet. "So like Tsukishima."
"Well, you're welcome to come in anyway!" came the easygoing reply. "I'm Akiteru. Kei's older brother."
To their credit, the boys allowed both Shimizu-senpai and herself to enter first. As Hitoka removed her shoes, she ducked her head awkwardly in a slight bow at Tsukishima-kun's polar opposite.
"I'm Karasuno's manager, Yachi Hitoka," she said, trying not to squeak. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Tsukishima-san."
"No, no, you don't have to be so formal," Akiteru laughed, helping Shimizu-senpai with the cooler of jello cups. "Just call me Akiteru, I'm completely comfortably with that."
"I-I couldn't!" Hitoka couldn't help but squeak this time.
"Could I just call you Tsukishima's older brother?" Hinata piped in, cocking his head quizzically.
"Well, I guess that's fine as well…"
"Hey, you're pretty tall!" Noya said admiringly, darting around the blond boy curiously. "Have you played volleyball before? You look pretty strong, after all. What's your brother like at home? He as much as a jerk? Wait, you're actually a bit shorter than Tsukishima… Do you have any other siblings? Nah, I can't really imagine Tsukishima as a big brother… Wow, you're actually re-e-ally different from - "
Steps thundered down the stairway and Hitoka's breath caught in her throat - or, rather, she choked as Noya's elbow accidentally came in swift, harsh contact with her windpipe.
"Noya!" several voices hissed as she doubled over, massaging her neck.
"Hey, be careful," Suga-senpai said sharply, catching Hitoka's elbow. On her other side, Shimizu-senpai put a concerned hand on her arm.
Her eyes watered when she tried to swallow and found that the movement hurt far more than it should have.
"OH! Sorry!" The tiny libero said when he noticed her pain, immediately ceasing his bright monologue. "Eh? Yachi-san? Yachi-san? Are you okay?"
Hitoka waved the concerned volleyball club members away and stood - tried to, coughing weakly. He sure packed a punch, despite his height.
"I'm… good," she said as her eyes wandered upwards and connected with bored, emotionless golden irises. "Oh, dear."
"Oh. It's you people," said Tsukishima in distaste, turning up his nose.
The joys of hot, easily-stirred tempers and swift-running rivalries. Exactly four furious voices crowded the hall, shouting obscenities and questions at the unconcerned middle blocker, as Tadashi-kun offered a simple wave and Shimizu-senpai nodded in acknowledgement. Neither the gray-haired setter nor the older manager's hands left Hitoka, though. Unbeknownst to her, both of them shared a look of understanding and patted Hitoka's shoulder blades softly, sending her toppling several steps forward.
Hitoka couldn't take her eyes off of him up close. Lord, it should be a crime to look this good in a uniform, gym clothes, AND casual clothes… Even in a simple sweatshirt and shorts, Tsukishima looked like a slightly rebellious, if not sadistically amused, model. Surely that wasn't legal! some part of her mind argued. Surely a person could be arrested for being overly attractive!
As if sensing her gaze, the corner of Tsukishima's mouth turned slightly upwards in a knowing smirk. Hitoka jumped backwards as if burned and swallowed quickly.
(Do you see what I see? Suga mouthed at Kiyoko. The manager gave him a brief, maybe even scheming smile in reply.)
"What's this?" a female voice echoed from the back of the house, and Hitoka gladly took the opportunity to peek around Tsukishima's shoulder for the source of distraction. Not that she actually could. He was still too tall, even when she stood on the very tips of her toes. But it didn't mean she didn't try.
It was his mother, that was for certain. The hair was considerably darker, but there was no mistaking the family resemblance. She looked a little more like Akiteru-san, though; it was probably the pleasant expression. And speaking of expressions - a little crease had appeared on Tsukishima's forehead.
Hitoka grinned at this; she couldn't quite help it.
Even so-called jerks want to keep their reputation of being jerks, she thought gleefully in her head as the older Tsukishima directed a sunny smile at her youngest son, causing him to lower his gaze.
"Are these your friends, Kei-chan?" she said, patting his shoulder gently. "Oh, my… and so many of them, too! In fact, this looks like the entire volleyball team. Why didn't you tell me you'd be having guests over? I would've been able to prepare lunch and dinner for everyone!"
Muffled "yeah!"s were stifled by a cold stare from Shimizu-senpai, and the four blockheads of Karasuno resorted to simply grinning creepily at the growing blush on Tsukishima's face.
He batted his mother's hand from him, staring heatedly at a spot on the ground and Hitoka smothered a giggle. That's so sweet… he must actually be a mommy's boy at home…
Deciding to save him from the scrutiny of the group - hey, he was mean sometimes, but he'd never been that harsh of a jerk to her, save for a few smirks that made her stomach flip-flop around - she stepped forward and tried to gulp down her nervousness.
"Uh - I - I'm Yachi Hitoka!" she said, bowing again for the sake of politeness. "I am Karasuno's manager-in-training. Sorry for the inconvenience! I'm sure Tsukishima-kun just… forgot to tell you! A-And, uh, I helped Shimizu-senpai pack lots of lunch, s-so I think there should be plenty for you and… and… A-Aki-i-teru-san as well…?"
She straightened, and tried not to wince at her weakly-worded apology, but the female Tsukishima only covered her mouth with her hand, the corners of her eyes wrinkling.
"'Tsukishima-kun', eh?" she replied, gaze darting teasingly towards the even more embarrassed middle blocker. "So polite! That's good to hear, at least. I'll make dinner, of course - I insist on you all staying for another meal - but it looks like everyone thought this out clearly."
She brushed her hands on her apron and gave the team a once-over.
"I'd never have expected my son to bring friends - much less two pretty girls - home, though," she commented drily. "I apologize on his behalf for anything he's done so far. My youngest can be a bit of a stick in the mud sometimes - much like his father. And… Yachi-san, was it?"
Hitoka nodded quickly.
"Are you perhaps..." Tsukishima's mother tapped her lower lip in thought, eyes twinkling. "Kei-chan's girlfriend?"
A pause.
A very uncomfortable, eye-popping, mouth-dropping, horribly tense pause.
"HELL, NO!" Both Hinata and Kageyama exploded simultaneously, red with righteous fury.
"We'd never inflict such a thing on poor, innocent, sweet Yachi-chan," Noya and Tanaka fretted, eyes wide with the horror. "Oh, the very idea… No. NO. Never. No offense intended, Tsukishima-san. But no."
"Ahaha," laughed Ennoshita uneasily, blinking rapidly. "I can't… really see that happening."
Suga and Shimizu only exchanged unreadable looks.
Hitoka was considering burying her beet-red face in her hands and retiring from life permanently when Tadashi-kun tapped her arm and gave her a reassuring smile.
She smiled shakily back - thank heaven for someone sane - but stopped abruptly when the boy's face turned devious.
"You wouldn't mind it, though, would you?" he whispered in a voice that only she could hear.
"Tadashi-kun," she hissed in half-hearted indignation, turning away with a mortified flutter of her lashes.
"Oh, that's too bad," sighed Mama Tsukishima. But contrary to her words, her golden eyes were sparkling with… what? Mischief?
Hitoka didn't dare turn to look at the middle blocker for fear of what she'd see. So when the older woman directed a long, disgruntled stare in her son's direction, she didn't bother to observe his reaction.
"What?" he grumbled, after a moment of hesitation filled with hurried whispers and outbursts of, "if that jerk dated Yachi-san, I'd throttle the smirk off his face!""
"No-othing," his mom said in a sing-song voice, turning back to the kitchen with a new bounce in her step. She winked at them playfully - but it seemed more directed towards Hitoka. "Have fun studying! I'll bring drinks up in a few hours!"
And with the explosion of sound of noise that followed, Hitoka knew - knew with the relaxed, innocent quirk of Shimizu-senpai's mouth, with the blatant dismay on Hinata's face, with the tear-filled eyes of Noya and Tanaka, with the unreadable look on Tsukishima's face - that she was absolutely, wholly, completely done for.