So basically I wrote this on my phone while I was on a long flight. And when I read it a few months later, I was surprised by how well written it was (compared to my usual writing) so I decided to put it online so readers don't lose all faith in my writing skills. [The ending was added on because I stopped writing towards the end; my flight had probably ended.] But yeah, this was inspired by events that had happened right before I started writing this on my plane ride back home from Arizona. Please enjoy!
Shouyo pedaled quickly, standing up out of the worn bikes seat and squealing with excitement. Karasuno was traveling across the country for Nationals- in a plane of all things. You see, the small redhead had never been on a plane and the mere prospect of this exciting journey was enough to keep him up at night, let alone for the fact that he would be sharing this new experience with the rest of his teammates. He watched the trees swim by in a blur of greens and browns through his peripherals and although this was a common sight, today it almost seemed magical. The moon was still giving off its pearly glow high in the velvet sky, and the faintest shimmer of sunlight was peeking its way over the horizon. The street was filled with a kind of ethereal dust that turned everything a little orange. The only sound that the boy could hear was the crunch of tires on the dusty country road, along with the faint hum of morning birds and crickets. His stomach flipped with nervous excitement and he brought his feet harder and faster on to the pedals. He was flying down the road and when a flash of black darted in front of him it was only his reflexes that saved him from a potentially deadly crash.
"Watch it dumbass!" A rough voice tainted with morning caused Hinata to shiver in instinctual fear.
Tobio glared at Shouyo with a dangerous glint in his eye, daring the smaller boy to defend himself.
"What do you think you're doing, riding so fast when it's dark out? You could have injured yourself, and right before this huge match!" the grumpy voice continued. Snapped out of his temporary fear, Shouyo rolled his eyes, grumbling to himself about his teammate's bad attitude. The black haired boy was still yelling but it was directed to deaf ears as Hinata rolled his old bike to the stand and locked it up. Scary teammate forgotten, he was enthusing about the upcoming plane ride, a grin growing on his face.
The boys fell next to each other with matching strides and a thin strip of nearly glowing blond hair alerted them to their teammate's presence, accompanied by a bear-like boy close behind.
"Hey guys!" An usually low voice was up an octave from enthusiasm and Shouyo greeted Nishinoya with a small hop of glee.
Asahi acknowledged them, and moments later, Tanaka arrived in the parking lot, panting. He walked quickly over to the group and slapped his petite, badly bleached friend on the back before leaning on his knees to regain his breath.
"Come on in the gym, guys, what are you waiting for?" Daichi's strict voice brought the group out of their momentary celebration in a flash and their faces smoothed out (with the exception of Shouyo) as they walked into the gym. The rest of the team was waiting there, some sitting on benches, while the coaches stood in the middle of the gym, appeasing a nervous looking woman who closely resembled Yamaguchi. He sat towards the end of the bench, speaking quietly to Tsukki, who was picking at his nails looking bored.
Hinata shivered as the roar of the AC clicked on, bringing a gust of cool wind to ruffle his black uniform. Daichi and Suga stood near the coaches, gathering suitcases and checking tags on bags. The group that just emerged from outside deposited their bags next to the pile, causing Daichi to sigh.
"I have to recount now," he grumbled. Suga smiled at him soothingly, patting his shoulder for comfort. They returned to fiddling with the bags, and Shouyo dragged Kageyama over to the bench where the rest of the team sat.
"Calm down, shrimp," Tsukki smirked from the end of the bench. Shouyo clenched his fists tight at his sides, ready to argue back, but Takeda cut him off, resting a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Let's try to keep fighting to a minimum on this trip, okay boys?" His voice almost sounded strained.
Shouyo stiffened up and nodded rapidly, while Tsukki only rolled his eyes and returned his attention to his finger nails.
The coach's strong voice echoed through the gym, distracting the team from the argument. "Are we all ready to go?"
The team nodded and murmured affirmatives, and filed out of the gym after grabbing their bags. There was a large bus waiting for them in the parking lot, which was nothing new, but this time it was taking them to an airport. Nishinoya dragged Asahi towards the bus and the tall boy stumbled behind him, looking a little overwhelmed. A hint of a smile clashed with his apparent discomfort, and from this the team could tell he was just as excited as his friend.
The bus ride was relatively quiet, and the airport was rather close to the school, so it was also short. Suga watched the sun rise through the back window where he sat with Daichi and he couldn't help but catch on to the excitement from the younger students. He was beginning to feel a glimmer of anticipation light up his insides as well, and the orange and grey color sweeping across the sky made him almost sigh with happiness. He has been waiting for this day since middle school.
Before any of the kids were ready, the worn bus groaned to a halt and they pile out quickly, tripping over each other in a stampede of nerves and excitement.
It was only Takeda's calm voice that brought them to a reluctant stop.
"Let's do this in a calm, orderly fashion. Grab your bags and let's meet by the door while Coach gets your tickets."
A mass of grumbling replied and they grabbed their bags and piled into a lump of nervous adolescent near the door inside the airport. Several minutes later Coach returned and each boy received their own ticket.
"Do not. I repeat DO NOT, lose your ticket." His deep voice rang across the team and Shouyo could have sworn the entire team's eyes flicked to him as Ukai spoke. He nodded with wide eyes, desperate to prove his coach and teammates doubts wrong.
At that the team went through security and finally piled into the waiting area for their flight. The bustle of business people and overwhelmed parents filled the station and Tobio nearly hit Shouyo several times as he incessantly oohed and aahed at every new sight.
Not too soon after their arrival, the loudspeaker crackled to life and the boys fell into line by the entrance. Shouyo was practically trembling with energy and after handing his ticket to a lady to scan, he pranced quickly through the long, chilly hallway. He nearly fainted when he saw the plane through a window, grabbing his closest teammate to keep him upright.
"OHMIGOD WE'RE GOING. WE'RE GOING TO NATIONALS. PINCH ME NOW." Said teammate was a harassed looking Asahi. The tall boy rubbed the back of his neck, flashing that warm smile of his towards his underclassman and finally pushing him forward when Shouyo started to build up a line behind them.
They were greeted by a smiling American lady with blonde hair pulled into a tight bun, and Shouyo made sure to give her an enthusiastic 'hello' in broken English. Asahi entered more quietly behind him, and after glancing at his ticket, he realized he was seated closer to the front of the plane then his short teammate. He waved a small goodbye and chuckled at the heartbroken look on his friend's face, but Asahi was secretly glad he wouldn't have to be stuck next to his incessant chatter the entire ride.
Meanwhile, Shouyo was peeved to find that Kageyama would be his temporary companion for the next 5 hours. The setter did not take to it so kindly either.
"Please, switch with me, Suga. I'm begging you!" Kageyama's usually angry voice was instead filled with a higher note of urgency.
"Oh shut up Kageyama! I'm not that bad!" Shouyo blushed a bit despite himself. He was almost beginning to feel like a hindrance.
Kageyama turned to look at him, his face dead serious. "Yes. Yes you are."
One gasp of hurt and a few stilted arguments later, though, the pair grudgingly sat in their assigned seats, keeping their heads tilted away from each other at all times. When Shouyo's shoulder bumped his companion's when reaching to switch the music selection, the ball of sunshine nearly peed himself as he felt the mere hatred jolt from Kageyama's skin to his own.
Soon, though, they were able to calm down and tolerate each other's presence, even partaking in a few short conversations until the plane took off.
Shouyo couldn't hold back his cries of wonder as he felt the rough vibrations of the plane's wheels skidding across the ground and then that moment of weightlessness accompanying the initial lift off of the Earth. Kageyama felt his heartbeat pick up a little, too, despite his annoyance at Shouyo's loud reaction.
And then they were up and in the air, and everything was going smoothly. The hours passed by quickly and soon Shouyo found himself fighting off sleep. It seemed a bit silly, that mere hours ago he was so excited he would never be able to sleep and yet here he was, snoring moments after every jolt back into consciousness. But that ended when the American lady from earlier came up the aisle with a cart full of snacks and drinks. Shouyo and Kageyama both ordered something for themselves and all was normal once again. Until the incident.
It happened in a split second. The cup fell from slippery hands and the clear, icy liquid sliced through the air to settle in Hinata's lap. Tears sprung to his eyes- more from shock than actual discomfort- and he bounced in the air at the moment of impact. Swearing and exclamations hummed as background noise from the bewildered bystanders and one hand in particular clamped onto the ginger boy's arm and squeezed with surprising fervor. An angry voice rose up above the murmurs, admonishing the small boy with a growl. He just squeezed his hands over his ears, shaking his head and blocking out the scoldings.
That's correct. Hinata Shouyo spilled water on himself in the middle of a 5 hour plane ride- his first plane ride. He reckoned his great experience would be a ruined memory for the rest of his life. It was unbeknownst to him that years and years into the future, it would be a story to tell his family, his relatives, and his friends that he had so far not known.
Yep. I spilled water on myself. It was not a fun experience, to say the least. I've had this written for months now, and I am mainly posting it on here to document my growth in writing, but if you have the time (and you've made it this far in) I would love feedback and constructive criticism on anything that sticks out to you in the story. Thanks for your time!