The weekend had passed in a flash. Suga and Daichi were sitting together in their classroom, soon to be finishing off their respective lunches. Talking about this and that, upholding a conversation filled with smiles and laughter. Perhaps they should have realized it was only the calm before the storm. The sliding door slammed open and a familiar short brunette jumped over the threshold.

" 'Sup! "

"Nishinoya, PLEASE be more careful with our poor door!" Suga burst out.

A few of their classmates had decided to stay inside for lunch, all of them jumped at the sudden noise. The poor souls had never really gotten used to the characters appearing to visit the two volleyball players.

"Sorry!"

He had a grin plastered on his face, actively hiding his true emotions under it, the small change in behavior was only seen by eyes trained to notice differences like these over the two years. The chair screeched as it was pulled across the floor, Noya straddeled the back of it when it reached the other two.

"So, what's up with you?" Daichi asked him.

Noya could be seen contemplating and, for once, choosing the words that came out of his mouth.

"You're friends again, right?"

"Yeah, of course we are. You know that." Suga answered.

"Only friends?" Noya continued.

"What are you fishing for, Noya?" Daichi cut in.

"Urgh, damn it! Hinata said he walked in on you two doing the dirty!"

Suga's expression froze and Daichi tried to bring life back to him, stuck between trying to pay attention to him and explaining the actual situation.

"No! I mean-, it wasn't-..." Daichi felt himself panicking while he scrambled for words.

"You can't do that in front of tiny Hinata! You're happy he isn't scarred for life."

"We didn't do anything!" Suga was brought back to the present.

"Oh yeah? Hinata's a fool, but he's not lying without me noticing it. So spill the beans already."

Only now did they realize they had an audience. In terror, Daichi reached for Noya and pulled him out of the classroom, lunch long forgotten. He could hear the sounds of Suga screaming to the rest of their class that Nishinoya was just playing a joke on them, and that they were, in fact, not sleeping with each other.

"Seriously Yu, read the room." Daichi hissed as they walked out in the corridor, away from prying eyes and listening ears. "Me and Suga did not 'do it' in front of Hinata."

"You can't even say you fucked?"

"Noya!"

Suga had caught up to them now, beet red, from screaming or embarrassment or the short jog, but probably all of the above.

"What?" truthfully Nishinoya looked a little hurt as he spoke, "How long were you going to wait on telling me, huh? You haven't even told Asahi yet. Can you at least tell me how long this has been going on for? I'm not stupid."

"Okay," Suga started, "Hinata saw us kiss, nothing more than that. It hasn't been going on for long. We've been-..." he took a deep breath.

"We've been trying to figure things out between ourselves. We still haven't talked if we want things to be public just yet." Daichi finished.

Realization dawned on the smallest of the three. The explanation took away all the hurt and confusion that was previously present on his face and a big smile made its way there instead.

"I thought you didn't trust me!"

Noya's arms were around the two of them and they quickly reciprocated the group hug.

"Nonsense, of course we trust you. The team was going to be the first to find out, right Daichi?"

"Yeah.."

Even though they hadn't talked about it, it did seem like their unspoken agreement. It was visible how relaxed the second-year student got when he heard the news, as if his gravitational pull was halved compared to the others around him. They soon saw it in action as he jumped up in excitement, landing on Suga in a piggy back.

"Let's go tell Asahi then!"

Noya pointed his finger down the corridor to the classroom belonging to their long haired friend. As if Suga was just a battle horse there to follow his command. The image that popped into his head made Daichi chuckle to himself, the amount of energy Noya had was enough to go around to the three of them. Even then, they would probably have energy left over.

"Not now, Noya, the lunch break is almost over."

Nishinoya rested his chin on top of the ash blonde hair, pouting.

"But I want him to know now!"

"How about we all grab something to eat or drink after practice? We can talk then." Daichi deescalated the situation and Suga was grateful to get the libero off his back.

He saluted them and left, probably realizing that he only had a few minutes of the break to say hi to the rest of his friends. Daichi finally let himself relax out of his team-parent role and Suga met his eyes. All alone in the end of the corridor, he let out a smile. Never would he have thought his life would take such a sharp turn, yet end up so fine and so similar to how things were before. He stretched his back and rolled his neck, restarting his body before they had to go back in again. Suga's voice caught his attention before he could get moving.

"Do you think everyone will be fine with it?"

"With what?" Daichi asked.

"With us, being together."

"They were fine with it beforehand, I don't think anyone on the team will judge us."

"No, I was thinking-.. It's silly, but what about our class? Our families, teachers, distant relatives, what about everyone that's not our closest friends?."

Daichi took a minute to ponder.

"Is everyone really going to be fine with any relationship?"

Suga looked up at him again, his eyes seemed to have fallen to his shoe laces while the other man was in his thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"There is always someone opposed to a relationship. Someone who thinks they aren't made for each other, someone who took their crush away maybe, might think they're too young to start something out, too unattractive compared to their partner." he took a minute to pick his words again, "People have opinions, sometimes they're good, sometimes they're harmful. I don't think we're causing any pain to anyone else, nor ourselves. And if someone is not okay with us, we'll just give them time to adjust."

Daichi took Suga's hand before he continued again.

"If we're meant to have them in our lives, they'll come around."

He was left unaware at how Suga's heart melted at the words, because class was starting again and students were flooding the corridors. His face perked up though, still holding Suga's hand as he pulled him along back to their classroom. He kept control over his lips until he had Suga behind his back. Maybe Daichi didn't want the other man to know how proud he felt talking about how they would take the world on together, and maybe Suga didn't want him to find out how deep the words reached into his heart.

Even if neither wanted to show it.

They were both wearing the widest smiles.

When class started again, so did their focus. Although Daichi had to admit that he still sneaked a few glances at the back of Suga's hair. It was easy enough to daydream away that he had his nose buried deep in those soft strands, but with some self control he got through the lesson and only missed a few things their teacher was saying. Thankfully the context clues were enough to get him back to what he was supposed to learn today.

Practice didn't go much different than that. He wanted nothing more than to let his eyes rest on his boyfriend for more than a few seconds, but everything had a time and place. He considered himself lucky enough that he got to push his partner in an athletic manner without any strange looks or with people assuming their actual relationship. Suga was bent over panting when they worked on their last few laps of their run, all energy seemingly spent. Daichi had run back to help him catch up, but a hand his way and half a smile was enough to get that energy back.

After making sure everyone had been pushed to their individual limits, he had sent them on an easy jog to calm the muscles before stretching. Only the clean up was left now, which was done in tandem with coach Ukai giving everyone personal training tips for their upcoming matches. He was just about to collect a few stray volleyballs when he heard his name being called.

"Sawamura! Your turn."

He saw Ukai waving him over, Takeda next to him noting down things in his book. It only took a few paces to join them.

"Yes?"

"Takeda has been keeping track of your performance, and it's looking really good. Steady and stable, you've worked especially well on your endurance."

"Thank you."

Ukai glanced around them.

"How are things with Suga?"

There was genuine concern behind those eyes, he almost felt a bit bad he hadn't kept his coach updated. Especially since he was the one who forced some sense into him and gave him advice when he wasn't sure who else to turn to.

"They're good now, coach. In fact, we're going steady. A lot of things cleared up for me after all that."

As Daichi went on talking, Keishin's smile grew bigger and bigger, until he was done talking and felt a hand slam down on his shoulder.

"Attaboy!" he gave an encouraging squeeze, "In case you need an adult to talk to, I've let Takeda know your story. Hope that's okay?"

Daichi sent a somewhat confused look his teacher's way.

"Yes. Sure, but…"

Ukai probably saw the puzzlement presenting across his face.

"I thought it was better to talk to a grown up that was actually in the community, ya know?"

"In the-..." his face lit up as realization dawned on him, "Oh!"

Takeda finally spoke now.

"It's okay, Sawamura. I will be all ears if you find yourself in a confusing situation again."

He bent over in a deep bow, trying to show just how much he appreciated and how thankful he was for their concern.

"Thank you very much!"

"No problem, kiddo! And let Sugawara know too, will you?"

He gave them a firm nod and after another bow he went back to storing the volleyball gear away. When his eyes finally landed on Suga he was already in the process of taking down the net.

"How did it go? What did you need to work on?"

They folded the net neatly between them.

"It went just fine. We didn't set up a new goal, but I have a feeling they wanted me to focus on settling in myself, and become a good captain again."

"Nonsense, you've always been a good captain."

He let Suga finish the folding but watched every move of his hands as he straightened all the lines out.

"I did hurt a very important member of the team though."

Suga pushed the neatly folded net into his chest.

"This 'very important' person has already forgiven you."

Daichi grabbed the item handed to him and they both walked together to stow it away.

"I would like to make it even better for this person. Maybe cook him a nice dinner? Or a massage? Serve you some perfectly steeped tea?"

"Help me survive Noya's questions today and you'll be doing me a big favor." he replied with a smile.

He laid the net down, careful not to ruin the precise folds Suga had made. The opening to the storage only let in a sliver of light, he took notice of how pretty Koushi looked in the dark with the high contrast of his highlights and slight dimples. It was crazy, how he always looked at that skin, especially on his cheeks, thinking about how soft it must be under his touch. Now nothing was holding him back anymore. As soon as his hand reached the side of Suga's head, it leaned into his palm. He seemed to really enjoy these moments.

"You know. It's really dark in here." Suga broke the silence.

"Yeah." he replied, not sure what else to answer.

"I'm sure no one would see us, even if they looked inside."

"You're right." he nodded, still unsure where exactly things were heading.

"I wouldn't mind if you gave me a kiss here."

Sometimes he found it crazy, the effect Suga's words had on him. But here he was, already leaning into the kiss he was asked for. He wrapped his other arm around Suga's waist and pulled their bodies closer, enough to feel the touch of each other. The last parts that connected them were their lips. It was only a brief kiss, and Daichi stroked his thumb over Suga's lips as they were done, happiness bubbling inside of him over the fact that he had an almost endless supply of these kisses to look forward to.

With a cheeky smile, he saw how the other man turned on his heel and started walking out of the door connecting the storage to the rest of the world.

"You coming? Or are you going to stare at my butt all day?"

The blush was quick to take place on his cheeks again.

"I'm coming!"

"So…"

Nishinoya took the straw into his mouth as he looked around at the three other people.

"...are you two going to start talking or should I-."

"Okay, alright." Suga let out with a sigh "We'll talk."

The café they had decided on had a warm and homey feeling about it, soft colors in the wallpaper and wooden panels that reached halfway up the wall.

"What's going on?"

Asahi butted into their conversation, confused and concerned over what his friends wanted to bring up. His eyes displayed the horror behind his thoughts when the worst case scenarios started popping into his mind.

"Are you dying?!" Asahi spoke through his hands, trying to hide himself from whatever could be happening.

"What? No!"

"No one is dying!"

Suga and Daichi replied at the same time. Asahi didn't seem too convinced.

"Then what's happening! Why won't you tell me? Yu wouldn't tell me either and it's been freaking me out all day..."

His hands had now traveled to his hair, knuckles white from gripping it so tightly. Suga was quick to reach over the table and tried to pry the hair out of his grip.

"Nothing bad has happened, we promise. Give us a few seconds and we'll explain."

He glanced over to Daichi, giving him a silent tell to start talking.

"Noya didn't tell you because we wanted you to hear it from us. Me and- ehm..-" it finally got through his head that he, for the first time, was going to come out with their relationship on their own terms "We're together, me and Koushi."

The comfortable mumble of voices around them kept the quiet away while the thoughts spun around in Asahi's mind. It took him long enough for Suga to start cleaning his nails and Noya to impatiently start bouncing his knees against the underside of the table.

"You two.." he looked between them "..you're back together?"

Suga nodded.

"We are."

"Finally.." he breathed out.

All the worry washed off of him, finally the tallest of them turned into his normal self.

"I was so scared you weren't going to make up!"

Daichi felt a punch in his arm that had more force behind it than Azumane probably meant to put in. He rubbed the spot as it started to feel sore.

"Tell me about it, I was too!" Noya let out with a laugh.

"That makes the three of us." Suga replied to them.

"You were worried we wouldn't be friends again?"

Now this was something they hadn't talked about.

"No, I mean. I knew we would be friends, but I was hoping we could get back to how we were. That we could be boyfriends again."

"I-... I'm sorry I confused things for us." he put his hand over Suga's.

"I'm just glad you two are back together!" Nishinoya rested his hands behind his head "Now we can finally go on double-dates again!"

"Go on what?"

"On our double-dates, you know? When we went together on a date." Asahi helped out.

"You and who?" Daichi truly felt lost.

He wasn't the only one with a puzzled face at the table.

"We, us," Suga pointed between the four of them "all used to go on dates together, double dates, Azumane and Nishinoya, you and me."

"When I didn't know we were together?"

A smile that Suga couldn't hold back made its way to his lips. He loved the way Daichi talked about their little mishap now as if they were supposed to be together all along. Like he just hadn't realized it yet at the time. Not that he didn't want their relationship and didn't mean for it to happen at all from the start. He nodded in reply to Daichi's question.

"Yes, back then. We didn't find time too often, so don't feel bad about it."

"I will try to make up for it. How about we plan some more of these 'double-dates' "Daichi said as if the concept was still foreign to him, "to go on and I can make up for lost time."

The other two looked at each other and smiled before turning back.

"It's a date!"

Nishinoya and Sugawara were walking ahead of them, energy radiating from the two of them, until one got a little bit too out of hand and the other pulled him back to earth. The café had closed and the four of them had to be shooed out by the baristas, who already looked too tired to have to deal with a hyperactive Noya after he finished his drink. Asahi had tried to apologize to the people working there but the dim lighting didn't help his towering figure to look any less intimidating. Daichi would almost call it a miracle that he got them all out of the establishment without a phone call to the police and too big of a blow to his best friend's self esteem.

"I'm starting to think it's true. That you really didn't know."

Daichi looked over at his friend that had just started talking.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"And it never occurred to you that he was treating you differently?"

"No, I thought we were just friends."

It was quiet for a moment.

"What made you want something more with him now?"

Asahi had no ill intent behind his words, he knew that, but a small part of him took the question as a stabbing proof of his disregard for their romantic relationship up until now.

"Honestly, a big part was just finding out I had the option. He means a lot to me, always has."

"Yu is the same to me."

Now Suga let out a laughter that vibrated strongly through the air to them. Probably at something funny Noya had said, judging from his prideful smile.

"I don't know what I'll do without him next year." Asahi continued.

"What do you mean?"

"He'll be in his last year, and I won't be there."

"I highly doubt he will give up on you just being apart for a year. Besides, you can still meet each other outside of school."

"Yeah." Asahi pondered on whether to say or not and decided for it "But he will have time to get to know new people. Maybe he will see just how exchangeable I am."

Daichi stopped in his tracks.

"You're taking that back." he really didn't want their conversation to reach the other two, so the sooner they could be done the better.

"Why would I? It's true isn't it?"

"Noya doesn't see you like that."

"Maybe you're right…" he kicked at the ground "But he's too good for me. I fear the day when, no if, it ever happens."

"Hey Noya!" Daichi shouted to get the shorter man's attention.

"Yes, Captain!"

"Are you in love with Asahi?"

Asahi turned his head hard in Daichi's direction, a strong blush reddening his cheeks as he whispered 'stop it' to his friend. If he paid attention, there was a hint of color on Noya's cheeks as well.

"Sir, yes, Sir!" he saluted for good measure.

"Would you leave him for someone else in the near future?"

Might as well get straight to the point. It was his most prominent feature as the volleyball captain after all.

"Wha-! Of course not! I can't see myself with anyone else, like, ever!"

He looked offended, with every right to, and grabbed his boyfriend's arm possessively.

"See?" he turned to Azumane again "Looks like you're stuck with him."

The shorter one gave him a sad look.

"Were you doubting my feelings?"

He looked so small.

"Yes- No, I mean-"

"I'm just going to have to show you then!"

And in a moment's notice, Asahi was pulled away by his boyfriend. If Daichi had to guess, there was going to be a lot of reassuring and acts of love between the two for the rest of the evening, maybe into the night. He was suddenly very aware of his own relationship and specifically how the other person involved was eyeing him up like a meal soon to be eaten.

"Look at you, stepping into your captain role."

"One of my best friends was beating himself up over things that will probably never happen." he slipped his hand into Suga's "I wasn't going to stand by and watch."

"I like that about you"

Suga rested his head on Daichi's shoulder as they continued to walk towards their neighbourhood.

"I like a lot of things about you."

"Oh yeah? How about you tell me some of them before we have to part ways."

Daichi wanted nothing more than to say all of the little things he enjoyed and adored about his boyfriend. But there was this new nagging thought in the back of his head.

Would Suga ever consider leaving him?