Chapter 13: A PLACE OF LEARNING
THE SUN
A black, heavily tinted sedan was parked within close vicinity of Karasuno High. It was situated in a blind spot, and while the students of said high school crossed the gates without so much as a second glance, the two individuals within the car could see the students well enough. The younger of the two felt immense anxiety over this.
"W-we can't! Stop!" Hinata pushed at the intrusive hand desperately. His uncle had thought of a notion that morning; he wanted to send both Natsu and Hinata to school, seeing what a rare opportunity it was for his schedule to permit it. Hinata had been pale when he woke up, had had a throbbing headache so loud it was debilitating, and had planned to skip school altogether. How could anyone enjoy drinking that ghastly concoction knowing the consequences of it?
But when the man rapped on his door and announced his intentions... Hinata couldn't possibly have left Natsu alone in a car with that monster.
And that is how Hinata finds himself Monday morning, trapped in the car with his uncle who had started to touch him relentlessly. His eyes stung with tears, at the fear of being caught, at the humiliation of how easy it was for him to-
"Uhnn-" The man nipped at his ears, leaning over from the driver's seat. Hinata knew the man had planned something this morning, but never had he imagined him to be so bold as to do this in the car. Near Hinata's school no less. "Stop!" He keened. "I- I have classes!"
The older man continued stroking the younger boy, eliciting a gasp from him. "We can have classes right here. Don't worry, I'll let you off before school ends."
Hinata doesn't know what to hold or where to look. A voice screams in the back of his mind, that they were going to get caught, that someone would pass by and they would see-
"Please!" He sobbed, wringing his hands harder. The older man merely shushed him.
"Keep your voice down."
THE MOON
The morning bell rings throughout the school, calling all students like a homing device and directing them indoors. Tsukishima, upon starting first period finds the material in front of him less appealing than usual. He has read the same passage three times in his mind and still it made no sense to him. He exhaled through his nose but when he looks up, he notices that his teacher was looking at him as though she was about to cry.
"A-Alright, m-m-maybe not Tsukishima..." Apparently she had called out to him. His scowl intensified. "Any- anyone- Yamaguchi!" She pointed at the boy. "Read!" She ordered.
At the freckled boy's startled yelp, the class littered with smothered giggles. The awkward boy fumbled his way through the requested passage but when he sat down, he gave a worried look towards his bespectacled friend. One that Tsukishima blatantly ignored.
The blond boy exuded frustration. The more he thought about what he had witnessed (he gritted his teeth every time he pictured the orange-headed boy disappearing into that dingy hotel) the more confused and repelled he felt. Tsukishima could only deduce that whoever Hinata's lover was, they were probably older, seeing how they could afford the luxury of going to a love hotel. No matter how shabby it was.
What was a teammate supposed to do in this situation? Tsukishima wasn't particularly close to Hinata. He didn't know where Hinata stood on the intimacy spectrum, but what he did in his own time was definitely no business of Tsukishima's. If anything, the situation probably warranted some level of discretion.
So what was this surging emotion? It was ridiculous but somehow Tsukishima felt... betrayed. They had worked hard, had spouted nonsense of the impossible and even aimed for nationals together. He would never admit it outright but a part of him had believed them, had believed that each and every one of them were pushing themselves for this cause. He felt betrayed by the idea that maybe that wasn't true.
He would never admit that outright, his pride made sure of it. So instead he decides to throw those feelings aside.
The stupid shorty could do whatever the fuck he wanted.
"Tsuki..." He heard Yamaguchi whisper beside him, pointing to the rumpled page in his hand he had unknowingly crushed.
He sighed in frustration once more.
/Haikyuu/
When it was time for practice, it became clear that while some of the team members were physically there, their minds were elsewhere. This is especially apparent with both Tsukishima and Kageyama. The bespectacled blocker couldn't help but glance at their setter. He sets and passes the ball efficiently enough, but whenever someone calls out to him, he doesn't hear them. Concentration on a game is one thing, using it to block out everything else is another. Because of this, he had missed subtle signs from their spikers, rendering his precise tosses useless.
Tsukishima was no better. He felt more lethargic than usual and they weren't even 15 minutes into their practice. Anyone watching from the sidelines would probably wonder if the tall, intimidating player was forced to be there.
"Tsukishima, Kageyama." Their coach called. Both of them flinched. "Side court."
They exchanged dissatisfied looks with one another before shuffling their feet to face Ukai.
"I'm not sure what's going on with the two of you but your plays are halfhearted." He said, eyeing them seriously. "If you guys can't get your heads in the game, I suggest the both of you cool off. Come back when you're ready." He gave them an understanding look, and gestured for them to scram.
They walked away, too dejected to even feel mortified over the public scolding. Tsukishima grabbed his water bottle, his eyes trailing after Kageyama who left the gymnasium first, head hung low.
/Haikyuu/
Tsukishima had always been a good student. He followed rules because he realized there was a fundamental reason for their existence and so he did what he thought was necessary to promote order as a student. Therefore, Tsukishima, rule abider that he was, would have no reason to be familiar with the west side of their school campus, where no classes were held, no clubrooms nor any other facility of any kind. Nothing but an abandoned building set for demolition in the near future. The area was a hotspot for delinquents who wished to escape from school without actually leaving school.
It is in this very area that Tsukishima had chosen to find some peace and reprieve from volleyball. He doesn't know why this place in particular, he just needed to get away from it all for a moment. He had hoped for an empty lot of land behind the abandoned building, maybe a rickety empty bench or two.
Not for a familiar figure to be huddled in the most secluded area, on his knees, giving another man a blowjob.
The shock of it made the bespectacled boy freeze on the spot.
Something within him whispered hide, move, get away from the scene. Contrary to what he had witnessed the day before, he hadn't really believed, not to his core, that Hinata was of capable this, not now and definitely not in front of Tsukishima.
He hears the man grunt, hears sounds he had only heard once before when some immature classmates of his had shoved porn into his face, and laughed when the girls in his class had squealed in horror and disgust.
"That's it, Shoyo- fuck, you've gotten so good..." Tsukishima wanted to be miles away. He didn't want to hear this. His body didn't listen though, only managed to turn slowly as he leaned his back on the corner wall for support. In the back of Tsukishima's mind, he recognizes the man from somewhere, had seen him in the public news recently, but the thought was soon forgotten when he heard the man give another grunt.
"Fuck, there.. " A chill went up Tsukishima's spine, about the wrongness of it all. Hinata... Just. What was happening? His hand went up to rub his face, knocking his glasses askew. Disgust, confusion, anger; they mixed in a concoction of emotions that left a sour taste in his mouth.
He hears the man give a breathy moan, hears Hinata choke and cough before breathing heavily. Then he hears the man praise Hinata before the shorter boy shuffled back to his feet. Tsukishima doesn't know what force tugged at him to catch a glimpse of the scene playing out, but he sees the man bend down to kiss Hinata's cheek affectionately before leaving the boy there.
Hinata seemed to be paralyzed for a moment, staring off in the direction of where the man had walked away before finally coming to. Tsukishima stands but his legs refuse to move. He hears footfalls coming closer and knows that he has the option to run, walk away and pretend he never saw this. His legs remained firmly planted though, his emotions raging inside of him. And then Tsukishima rounds the corner, meeting face to face with the shorter boy.
THE SUN
A few more days.
A few more days and he'd be free.
He tastes something unpleasant on his tongue.
Right, it was cum.
He wipes it away, feeling an odd chill settling over him. His fingers feel numb, his insides quiet like the calm before a storm.
A few more days.
The boy walks away, determined never to set foot near the place ever again.
It never happened.
And then suddenly, there appeared a pair of golden eyes.
His stomach turned.
No.
"Is this why you can't come to practice?" Tsukishima seethed.
Hinata sees white, feels as though his head is about to split open. And then-
He vomits on the spot.
It's too much.
Tsukishima stands there anyway, towering over him in a way Hinata has never seen before. When did everything go so wrong. He feels the world spin beneath his feet. It was supposed to be a regular day, another uselessly familiar day spent thinking and playing volleyball, of begging Yachi for exams tips, of teasing Kageyama about more stupid, volleyball-related things.
Like always.
Suddenly his mouth is moving.
Deny it. (Don't tell them, please)
"You can't brush me off again, Hinata."
Deny it. (Please, not the team)
"Hinata!"
Deny it. (I can't)
Would you deny me?
Tsukishima takes a step forward, hands hanging awkwardly in mid-air.
DENY IT.
"I can't!" He forces out. The light is too bright. He feels the pressure building in the back of his head. He grits his teeth.
"If I say something-" If I say something I might not be able to pretend anymore, I'm scared, afraid, I don't want to spell it out, I don't want to say it because if I do
"I can't."
THE MOON
The shorter boy was in a frenzy. It didn't matter how Tsukishima phrased his question, Hinata seemed unable to formulate anything coherent.
Then again, he had just caught Hinata in a compromising position.
Whatever the case, the fiery-headed boy looked unwell and the stench of vomit was still very evident around them. Tsukishima frowned, suddenly too aware of the boy's trembling shoulders. Maybe it was the shock of being found out that had him so shaken. Quieting his raging emotions for a moment, he gave the shorter boy a once-over. Hinata swayed on his feet, his head still down casted.
Even though Tsukishima still wanted answers, he realizes that the shorter boy was in no condition to give him any. The bespectacled decides to make a compromise, he sees that he needs to understand the situation more and maybe give Hinata a little room to collect himself. He promises not to tell anyone, and Hinata, right before his eyes, collapses.
/
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A/N: Beta-creds to jia . kameda , lovely as always :3
manga . geek . 3 : I can't wait either xD Thanks for reviewing by the way! You seriously made my day! [and yes it took me days to come up with that rhyme :P]