(A/N: Unlike (most) everyone else, I absolutely love OP characters (unless the name of that OP character happens to me Kirito). Hinata is just awesome like that. Just as a reminder, Karasuno's name is often read wrong because the 'karasu' part is often read as 'tori' instead ('crow' vs 'bird').)


"Midorimaaaaaa!" Takao's momentarily confused when the enthusiastic shout snags his attention. Wow, I don't think anyone else has ever shouted Shin-chan's name that happily before. "Long time no see!" He nearly laughs out loud when Midorima mutters beside him, "Not nearly long enough." Then, louder, he adds, "What are you doing here, Hinata?"

The speaker of the shout turns out to be a short, orange-haired teen with a huge grin stretching across his face. Takao is just about to question Midorima about who this strangely energetic person is when said person sticks out his hand. "I'm Hinata Shouyou. It's nice to see Midorima socializing with someone other than his books."

"Takao Kazunari," he replies, grinning back. Hinata shakes his hand with the same enthusiasm that he called out to Midorima with.

Turning to Midorima, Hinata explains, "We're here for a few practice matches against Nekoma. Daichi-san sent us out for a run around town and I happened to see you, so I decided to say hi!"

Takao slides a glance over at Midorima, silently asking a question.

Midorima sighs a breath out his nose, explaining succinctly, "He's known us longer than Kise, but didn't make it up to the first string until after Kise replaced Haizaki, so he never played in any major official games. He did play in a few minor tournaments though."

Takao blinks at the orange tufts of hair waving just below his nose and files Midorima's comment away for later. "This kid played on the first string at Teiko? I mean, Kuroko and Akashi are short, but he's really pushing the limits of believability, Shin-chan." Shin-chan's old teammates just keep getting weirder and weirder…

"Oi!"

"I'm partially surprised he hadn't been squashed by Murasakibara," he muses just to watch the little chibi's face get steadily more flushed. Honestly, though, he's surprised that the orange-haired teen had associated with the Generation of Miracles at all, considering that he seemed to have come out of the experience rather well adjusted. "What position do you play?"

"Middle blocker," Hinata answers immediately, so Takao stares at him uncomprehendingly until Hinata stammers at his mistake, face red like a tomato. "Sorry, I currently play volleyball," he says. "In Teiko, I was officially a small forward."

"He swapped with Aomine more than Kise in practice matches, though," Midorima interjects, pushing up his glasses with a finger.

Takao stares at Hinata with no small amount of disbelief. "This tiny guy swapped with Aomine?"

"I may be small, but I can jump!" the chibi yells, glaring at him. "You and me are going to have a one on one." (Hinata seethes internally. He just had to choose the two sports populated by tall people.)

Takao laughs disbelievingly until he realizes that Hinata was being serious. "Sure," he replies, still chuckling. "There are some courts not far from here." He points to where the metal fence could be seen past some trees and Hinata begins stomping off in that direction. Turning to Midorima with a smile still on his face, it quickly disappears when he sees Midorima's expression. "What's wrong?"

Midorima fiddles with his lucky item of the day and Takao has to suppress a grimace when it squeaks. The lengths this guy goes to for Oha-Asa… Carrying around a dog toy of all things. It could be worse though. Unfortunately. "Oha-Asa predicts a bad outcome for a Scorpio who challenges a Cancer."

A furrow forms in Takao's brow as he thinks over what Midorima just said. "Chibi-chan is a Cancer too? But he's so different from you!" He gives Midorima an exaggeratedly shocked face, laughing inside as Midorima's eye twitches. Clapping him on the back for increased conviction, Takao declares, "Don't worry, Shin-chan. How hard can it be to beat such a tiny guy?"


An hour later, Takao is collapsed on the ground, wheezing. "Damn," he breathes, looking at Hinata in a new light. This kid definitely could have substituted for Aomine at some point. Although his skills were clearly rusty, it was easy to imagine how formidable he would have been when he still practiced basketball. "How are you still so fast? You've been running for an hour straight!"

They both originally agree on a twenty minute game, person with the most points as winner. Midorima was the reluctant referee and scorekeeper, standing stiffly on the sidelines. Hinata had laughed, saying that Takao would win, especially since he hadn't practiced in a while.

A couple of minutes into the game, Takao is inclined to believe him. Hinata would have been considered a mediocre player; he was fast and had quick reflexes, but his clumsiness while handling the ball led to large gaps in his play that Takao could easily steal into.

"Oops," Hinata says with an embarrassed laugh, dribbling the ball slowly. "Volleyballs are so much lighter than basketballs. I'll get it used to it soon." He then tries for a drive, but Takao matches him, stealing the ball in a moment of hesitation coupled with a slight fumble, and shooting the ball into the hoop in a move that Midorima would have been proud of if he hadn't been exposed to the ridiculous standards of Teiko.

Takao ends up winning the game by a good margin, and he's vaguely disappointed that someone of Hinata's caliber is acknowledged among the Generation of Miracles. He's about to tell Midorima that they should start heading home when he catches the glint in Hinata's eyes and is inclined to shiver at the sheer intensity there.

"One more game," Hinata says. "I haven't lost yet."

They start again, except this time, Takao's pretty sure that Hinata's movements are surer, his footsteps faster. He steals the ball and shoots again, scoring the first points of the match, when, all of a sudden, Hinata is there, catching the ball, darting past him to shoot the ball into the other hoop. He would compare it to Kuroko's Misdirection, but he's fairly certain that he had his eye on Hinata the entire time, but just couldn't move.

"Whoa, Chibi-chan, that was pretty impressive."

"I've got more where that came from!"

This time, Takao makes sure to watch him even more closely and just when Hinata's about to cross the three-point line, he goes to steal the ball, assuming that Hinata will stop to shoot. Instead, Hinata breezes past him, and holy shit, he's practically jumping as high as Takao is tall. He's too dumbfounded to even try to block him. Kagami's jumps have got nothing on this kid's.

As they play, he's pretty sure that Hinata's just getting faster, although his shots tended to miss more often than not. It's not even as if Hinata's plays are particularly hard to counter, the kid was just that goddamn fast.

Takao stops for moment to catch his breath. "Wow, you're so fast, my Hawk's Eye can't keep up with you."

Hinata grins at him before suddenly offering, "My setter's a bit like you." Takao's not entirely sure how he's supposed to receive this tidbit of information, but thankfully, Hinata follows up with, "He can see the entire court, too. His passes are like gwah and fwosh, and," here, Hinata leans in conspiratorially, and Takao follows the action even though he has no idea what the noises coming out of Hinata's mouth are supposed to mean, "don't tell him I said this, but he's pretty awesome." Hinata leans out of their impromptu huddle with a beaming smile. "Let's keep playing!" Takao wonders if Hinata knows that he doesn't have a clue who Hinata's setter is.

Hinata wins the second match by a handful of points, and Takao's fairly certain that if he was more accurate, Hinata would have bested him by a lot more than he did. By the third match, Takao can't even pretend to keep up with the small whirlwind anymore, instead opting to sit down heavily in order to catch his breath. Shuutoku hasn't played Touou yet, but he imagines that playing against Aomine must feel similar.

"Why didn't you continue with basketball?" Takao asks, genuinely curious. Hinata's a fantastic player, with incredible stamina and reflexes, even if he is a bit clumsy. He's raw talent and power, as opposed to the rest of the Generation of Miracles' carefully honed skill and force.

"There's nothing left for me." His brow creases at this and he darts a glance over where Hinata's still fiddling with the basketball. Midorima disappeared at some point, most likely to buy refreshments because despite the vehement denials from the tsundere, he still cares just the tiniest bit about his teammates. (Hinata doesn't tell him that it's also partially habit from when Akashi scolded them many, many times for not hydrating enough after a game.)

"What?"

Hinata hums, looking distinctly uncomfortable and avoiding his gaze. "Basketball just isn't the sport for me, and besides, I—"

"Oi, dumbass!" Both of them jerk their heads towards the sudden shout. Takao spots a lanky, black-haired, and angry looking teen stalking over to them, a sports jersey with… Torino? printed on it. "Where have you been, you idiot?"

"Hah?! I've been here the entire time!"

"Like I believe you!"

"Just ask Takao!" He blinks as he's dragged into the argument between two hotheaded teens glaring at each other.

"It's true," Takao says as the dark-haired teen turns to him. "He's been with me for at least an hour of the time he's been gone." He starts when the other suddenly folds into a bow.

"Thank you for taking care of this idiot." He eyes Takao appraisingly. "Do you play?"

He didn't see us? "Yeah, I do. Are you the setter that Hinata mentioned?" He recognizes the sharp glint in the other's eyes, sees it in his own when he looks in the mirror. Takao sticks out a hand because he can be courteous when he wants to. "I'm Takao Kazunari."

"Kageyama Tobio. What position?"

"Point guard." He has to bite back a chuckle at the confused look on Kageyama's face. Ah, can't laugh at someone the first time I meet them.

"You don't play volleyball?"

"Well, we are on a basketball court."

"Takao's the friend of my friend from Teiko," Hinata interjects enthusiastically and Takao doesn't miss the darkening expression on Kageyama's face at the mention of that middle school. Another school that received Teiko's curbstomping, huh? Guess they're not just limited to basketball.

"Takao is not my friend." All of them start at the sound of Midorima's voice, turning to see the green-haired teenager walk up to them with a can and popsicle in hand.

"Aw, Shin-chan is such a tsundere! Why don't you just admit that we're friends?" Takao teases as Midorima hands the can to him and the popsicle to Hinata. He turns it around in his hands just to check, and sure enough, it's red bean soup.

Hinata eagerly unwraps the popsicle and sends Midorima an indecipherable look, which Takao makes a mental note to question him about later. Probably has to do with something during his Teiko days…

"Hey, dumbass, we don't have time for you to be eating popsicles. Daichi-san and the others are probably waiting for us!" Kageyama gives them another brief bow before hurrying over to his teammate.

Hinata gets dragged off by the ear and Takao laments the day the coach decided to bring one of the Generation of Miracles onto the team because it's totally his fault that Takao has to put up with this craziness.


(A/N: Yes, Kageyama did just assume that Hinata was talking to a stranger on the street that happens to like volleyball.)