Bokuto didn't resist as the two taller captains dragged him halfway across the city to meet the so-called 'real' Hinata. Truthfully, the owl haired setter didn't get what his fellow volleyball players were so excited about. He had hung around with Hinata multiple times after various training camps to help him work on and expand his variety of skills. He knew Hinata inside and out, from the way he hit the ball to his tendencies to receive with his face. He didn't understand what Kuroo and Ushijima wanted to show him that he didn't already know.
The three arrived at the small house on the top of a mountain that Bokuto assumed to be where Hinata lived. Kuroo let go of Bokuto's wrist for the first time since they'd started walking and went up to knock on the door. The trio waited for a moment before a familiar head of orange hair poked out.
"Hey, Hinata!" Kuroo bellowed. "I hope the invitation to dinner still stands!"
Hinata hesitated for a second before lighting up the air around them with his sunny disposition. He smiled widely, and Bokuto raised an eyebrow at the sudden butterflies in his stomach. Forcing them down, he tore his eyes away from his pupil's joyous face to look at Kuroo.
"Dinner?" He asked quietly.
Hinata nodded enthusiastically in response, not even bothered by the sudden intrusion. "Yeah! My parents and sister are out of town visiting my family in America, so I'm here by myself for about a week and a half."
"Is that legal?" Bokuto whispered to Ushijima. The ace shrugged in response, eyes still fondly trained on Hinata's smile. The ginger didn't seem to notice Bokuto's comment and went on.
"I actually have another person over for dinner right now, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind at all if you two joined us!" Hinata then raised an eyebrow in question. "That is why you're here, right?"
Ushijima nodded slyly. He honestly had no idea Kuroo was taking them to dinner at Hinata's house; he had just wanted a chance to see his smaller friend. Not that he had any objections to eating at Hinata's place. After all, Ushijima had learned long ago that the middle blocker was about as skillful in the kitchen as he was at doing quicks.
"Um, are you sure this is okay?" Bokuto interjected, seemingly uncomfortable with the notion of intruding on someone else's dinner.
"Bokuto!" Hinata's eyes lit up even brighter, not having realized his mentor was standing behind the two other captains. Kuroo smirked. It wouldn't be long now. "You're here too?!"
"Oh. Uh." When did forming words get so hard? "Uh, well, Kuroo just kind of dragged me here so...I don't..."
"Oh. I get it." Hinata's eyes dulled considerably as pursed lips replaced his grin. "If you don't want to it's fine-"
"NO!" Bokuto's eyes widened, and he shook his hands in front of his face to emphasize the point. The mere thought of disappointing the boy in front of him made him shutter, not the mention he was already horrified at how easily he had wiped the smile off Hinata's face. "NO NO NO, YOU'VE GOT IT WRONG! I'M STAYING!" He nodded frantically to punctuate his remark, praying desperately for the dejected look to leave Hinata's face.
Sure enough, the ginger perked up almost immediately. "Really! Awesome!" He bounced over to Bokuto and grabbed his hand. "Don't even worry about feeling bad for coming here so unexpectedly! I made way too much food anyway, so I have more than enough to go around!" He sent a dazzling grin Bokuto's way before pulling him through the sliding front door. "I'm kinda honored that you decided to stop by! Now I can say that the great Koutaro Bokuto of Fukurodani has been to my house!"
Kuroo huffed a laugh. "There it is." He whispered to Ushijima. "The final nail in the coffin."
And the final nail it was. All doubts Bokuto previously had about his fellow captains' promise about showing him something life-changing fell away in an instant. He'd only ever seen the severe and determined side of Hinata whenever he was instructing him on new drills or techniques. This giddy, happy, smiley side...it was something utterly foreign to Bokuto. Looking down at the young boy now as he dragged him throughout the house, giving him a brief tour, he felt the overwhelming urge to protect.
If Hinata asked Bokuto to quit volleyball right there on the spot, Bokuto wasn't positive he would be able to say no.
Kuroo and Ushijima walked through the familiar hallways and into the kitchen, where a familiar, smiling face greeted them.
Kuroo blinked in surprise. "Inouka?"
The player in question raised a hand in greeting. "Hey, Captain." His eyes flitted over to Ushijima before he turned back to his meal. "Shiratorizawa's ace?"
Kuroo nodded. "Yeah." He paused. "Bokuto's here too."
Inouka snorted. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering who our host is." He took a bite out of the steaming pile of noodles laid before him. He raised an eyebrow. "Is it Bokuto's first time?"
"Yeah." There was a beat of silence between the Nekoma players, and Ushijima took this as an invitation to exit the dining room to get noodles from the kitchen, leaving the two friends alone for the time being.
"Sorry about not being able to make it to training camp," Inouka said after a moment, continuing to shove noodles down his throat. Kuroo shrugged.
"No worries. I know you don't get to opportunity to see your sister a lot. I think you can skip this one camp for that, don't you?"
Inouka smiled appreciatively. "Yeah. I'm bummed I have to miss out on the Tokyo Tower plan though." He chuckled, putting down his chopsticks for the first time since Kuroo entered the kitchen. "I'd pay good money to get a picture of his expression when he sees it."
Kuroo laughed lightly. "Yeah. I'll make sure to snap one for you."
"Kuroo. Your turn." The captain in question angeled his head slightly to the left so he could see Ushijima behind him, carrying a plate stacked with food practically a mile high. He nodded and headed off toward the kitchen. Kuroo smiled lightly at the sound of Hinata jumping along upstairs as he spooned perfectly cooked noodles into his bowl. From the slight pitter-patter of feet that could be heard after Hinata's lively steps, Kuroo could deduce that Bokuto was no doubt following him like a lost puppy. He rolled his eyes, though there was no annoyance behind it. Oh, the things Hinata could do to people.
xxx
Dinner was short but enjoyable. Bokuto and Hinata had ventured downstairs about five minutes after Ushijima and Kuroo had started eating, and about three after Inouka had left. Kuroo nearly spit out his food at the sight of his owlish friend. Instead of falling completely helpless like Ushijima or freezing stock still as he did whenever he was at the receiving end of one of Hinata's bright smiles, Bokuto was desperately trying to do EVERYTHING for said boy. This sight amused his fellow captains to no end.
Bokuto spooned food into Hinata's bowl, brought it over to the table, set it down, went back into the kitchen, grabbed some water, gave it to Hinata, and placed it in his open hand, mumbling something about how it was "Too dangerous for someone as pure as him out in this dark world." Hinata graciously accepted each offer, as usual, utterly oblivious to the effect his smiles and words had on the grey-haired spiker.
When they had all finished, Hinata stood to collect everyone's bowls but was immediately stopped by Bokuto. Grabbing the dishes himself, Fukurodani's captain rushed into the kitchen once again, careful not to drop or jostle anything, leaving behind a very confused and flustered Hinata and an amused Ushijima and Kuroo. They were SO going to tease him about this later.
The trio spent nearly two hours in Hinata's house before said boy kicked them out after getting a noise complaint from the neighbors about Ushijima raging too loud while playing Clue, which had sent Hinata and Kuroo doubling over in laughter. At the same time, Bokuto just put his hands to the orangette's ear and hissed at him not to damage his precious eardrums.
"So?" Kuroo asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend as they traversed down the rocky mountain path. "How was it?"
"I don't understand how something so cheerful and innocent could live in this cruel, cruel world." Bokuto buried his head in his hand and sighed deeply.
Kuroo laughed sharply. "I'm kind of impressed, Bokuto. I heard that when Ushijima was first exposed to Hinata, he couldn't even form proper sentences." Ushijima nodded. He couldn't deny anything. It was true, after all. Bokuto shrugged dejectedly. He had no intention of telling Kuroo how he had forgotten pretty much every word in the dictionary the moment he was in the range of Hinata's smile. The three walked in silence for a bit. Bokuto bit his lip in contemplation.
"I've decided that I'm going to become the Shorty's personal ninja bodyguard."
"Huh?" Ushijima and Kuroo asked, heads turning to took at the man walking in between them.
"You heard me. Anyone who dares wipe that smile off of my pupil's face is going to be at the receiving end of my fist." Bokuto crossed his arms and turned his nose up toward the sky snootily. Fukurodani's captain could be impossibly stubborn when he wanted to be.
"Uh." Ushijima tapped the spiker on the shoulder. "Weren't you the only one to make Hinata frown earlier?" He stared wide-eyed as Bokuto considered this, putting a finger up to his chin before suddenly slapping himself, sharply, across the face. His two friends jumped back in surprise, watching intently with fearful and confused eyes as he continued walking like he didn't have a massive bruise forming on his cheek.
"There. Now my previous statement still stands."
Kuroo whistled lowly before he and Ushijima tentatively fell back in line with Bokuto. Oh yeah. There was no turning back now.
