〈---♟--- t o ↻ p a p e r || the story

[Cupcake Latte]

reserved

[Cupcake Latte]

l Rikka l

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After two full years of college had passed, Takeo Usudu thought he’d have everything figured out by now. It was bad enough that most sports coaches at his university would not allow him to join their teams due to his reputation, but his girlfriend Chie, now ex-girlfriend, broke up with him the last day of the previous semester. And now the next school year, his junior year, was starting up and he’d have to see her again, as well as seeing all the other guys play sports he loved. He was kicked out of basketball his first year because he got in a fist fight with an opposing player on the court during an actual game. His second year, he was kicked out of baseball before the real games even started for getting into a fist fight with a teammate who was talking s**t to his face. The boxing coach let him on the team last minute that same year but he was then kicked out for not showing restraint in the ring. Technically, he wasn’t supposed to be put on a sports team at all at his college anymore. But after showing great speed and remarkable volleying skills, the volleyball coach Urehada told him he’d let him on the team if he promised these things:

1) Good sportsmanship
2) Restraint
3) Anger management

And if Takeo failed any of these to a bad enough extent, he’d once again be kicked off the team and thus denied any further affiliations with sports at that school. Takeo didn’t know what it was about sports, he just damn well had to be a part of them. He needed something to busy his mind and help him get rid of his aggression. But when someone disrespected him or did something to piss him off, he found it exceedingly hard to not take the argument to the next level. Ever since he was a child, he’d had a hard time behaving. And the only way things seemed to get settled was if he was shoving the kid’s face in the sand who pissed him off. But it was why he couldn’t keep a girlfriend, or a spot on a sports team. Of course, he’d never hit a girl, but all of his girlfriends left him under the pretenses that they couldn’t handle his anger, and the fact that he started fights with men that were hitting on his girlfriend of the time. they were all the same: they found it sexy and thrilling at first, then they found it to be quite a hastle.

The situation with Chie had been a shock to him. He actually thought she could possibly be the one, thought they cliqued rather well. Sure they fought, as he always fought with his girlfriends, but he fought the least with her than all his other exes. Then on the last day of the previous semester, she dropped the bomb that she didn’t want to date him anymore. His anger was too much, the flame was gone, and someone else had caught her eye. She had straight-up told him that as Takeo stood there clenching his fists, but didn’t bother to enlighten him with who was so much better than him that Chie wanted him more than Takeo. Ever since then, he’d been rather lonely again, feeling like he had little worth and the only thing that kept him going was the degree he was so close to that he could almost taste it: Aviation engineering.

Ever since he was a kid, if he wasn’t kicking other kids teeth in or getting yelled at by the teacher, he was making paper airplanes, or sketching helicopters. Something about the idea of flying away enchanted him so much that he just wanted to make planes. He didn’t care how unglamorous the job was, or how dangerous. Airplanes amazed him to the point that he was actually rather good at math and science, simply because he knew it was key to building, fixing, and maintaining planes. But no one knew it; everyone just assumed he didn’t do anything other than fight, disagree, or cause trouble. Deep down, he was in some way quite a nerd. But the only person aware of it was him.

It was two weeks past the first day of that college semester and it had taken a week and three days to convince Coach Urehada to permit him onto the volleyball team. Today was the day Takeo was going to meet his teammates. Volleyball...It definitely wasn’t Takeo’s favorite sport, but it was way better than the other options left to him. He’d make do. Now that he didn’t have a girlfriend, or any friends at all for that matter, he knew he needed a sport or he’d go crazy...Or at least crazier than he had already gone.

”Boys, meet your new teammate. Takeo Usudu.” Takeo avoided eye contact from anyone, feeling irritated that Coach Urehada felt the need to give an announcement like that. Takeo would have preferred if he just let Takeo walk in without any pleasantries, and everyone could just use common sense to know that he’s the new team member. He walked over and sat his sports bag down. ”Believe you me, he’s fast and has a spectacular spike-arm so be nice to him, eh boys? Alright, Mashima-san, they’re all yours.” Takeo looked to the one Urehada referred to. This “Mashima-san”. If he was entrusting the team to him, that meant he must be the captain. And Takeo had to admit he didn’t like what he saw. The guy looked like the type that was well-liked by everyone and carried himself in a way that meant he was sure of himself. Not that those were bad qualities, but out of all the people Takeo didn’t get along with, it was people like that that he usually got along with the worst. But he knew he had to just suck it up if the guy did something to piss him off. If he loses a sport on this team, he loses a spot on any team. And maybe if he proved himself on this team, the basketball coach might let him back on the hoops for his senior year. So he had to play cool, and manage his behavior.



[[]]

♞ ◛

[hinedere]

Cupcake Latte

xxxx≫≫❜ THE DREAM OF THAT DAY ♛ ♛ ♛ WHICH HAS NO CHANCE OF COMING TRUE
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Hiro Mashima was incredibly irritated.

The usually aloof and yet collected Mashima had been duped in the worst way possible. After weeks of dating a girl named Chie on and off, he had decided to check her phone when she was in the bathroom. The text messages between some person, titled "Boo," had made his blood boil. As the brunette tossed his volleyball up into the air, fingers stretched at a perfect angle from one another for a setup, he groaned. Sure, Hiro was definitely a playboy. He had flirted around with some girls here, had a few temporary hook ups with others there, but now he felt insatiable. He just didn't like them anymore.

Brown locks fell into perfectly to the side of his face as he exhaled deeply, allowing all the air to escape his body. He paused, and then inhaled, collecting the ball from the air as he did so. Something was stirring within him and he wasn't sure how to describe it. But that morning, Hiro felt different. He was ready to take on new challenges, stuff his face, and delete that girls number!





Hiro's day on campus went like the usual days did. He sauntered off to get lunch at a nearby ramen shop and then settled later on for some sushi rolls from the cafeteria. His appetite was probably as big as he was tall, and to keep himself in top form for sports, he managed his weight, diet, and routine. Of course it showed, and Hiro was fairly popular. At least, as popular as he let himself be. For most people, Hiro was like a tipping scale. If he respected you, Hiro would be accommodating and kind. But the kind of respect that Hiro wanted to be able to give others could only be found on the court. After his food had fully settled, he made his way to the gym where his team would be practicing. Slipping into the red, daunting colors of their school, Hiro felt confident. He was ready to do something dramatic; to take his team to the next level!

And then Usudu Takeo showed up. He rivaled Hiro in height and had a cocky attitude. When it came to Usudu, who didn't know the guy? He had only recently been kicked off the basketball and boxing. And although Hiro had to admit that Usudu was in very good shape, he just couldn't connect with him. As the couch handed over their practice session to him, Hiro felt a stream of static spark as he visually measured up Usudu. Hearing that their newest member was not only fast but also had a good spiking arm? Hiro frowned. He was the setter for his team. The setters job was to keep everyone connected, like water. But all Hiro could see from this new guy was fire. Everything about Usudu screamed adrenaline and masculinity. But now he was wearing their red and black uniform. Hiro's opinion didn't matter for Usudu's enrollment, but it did matter for their matches. And so, resolving within himself to not take Usudu seriously until he was confident enough to pass to him, Hiro briefed the players on their practice for the day.

He assigned everyone their usual positions and then turned to look at Usudu. Light brown eyes examined the brunette carefully. "You're going to be playing middle block," he instructed. For a moment, it almost seemed as though Usudu was hesitating. After a few moments pause, the newcomer shook his head and headed out to his position.

Hiro was pleased with the level of obedience, but still skeptical.

Starting out, Hiro stood toward the back. Their team had been divided into two for a simple practice activity, where their manager would be recording the points from the side of the gym. Looking at the net, calm flowed through Hiro until his mind went blank and his eyes narrowed with focus. He inhaled as he tossed the ball up and exhaled, jumping. His palm collided with the ball and it flew across the court, smacking down into the back left portion of the other team's field. In volleyball, the most important concept was keeping everything going. With 25 points to wrack up for a win, anything could happen, and Hiro knew his serves (and plays, rather) would have to be perfect. Their side rotated and soon Hiro was at the front of the net, staring his opponents in the face with a level of focus that would unnerve any enemy. Hiro had complete confidence in his skills. He would come out on top.

As their game went on, Hiro continued to set for his team. He firmly but gracefully passed the ball, shooting it from the tips of his fingers up into the air. From the back, one of their top spikers slammed one in. From the front, Hiro duped the other team by just lightly tossing the ball over the net, watching as the players rushed toward it in vain. They were up by so many points that Hiro was surprised he was playing against his own team. Hiro noticed Usudu in the center, open for a spike. But the brunette simply redirected, using almost eagle like vision to pass the ball to their ace. It was a brutal game, and by the time it was over, their opponents were on the floor drenched in sweat.

As usual, Hiro was praised for his athletic ability. In the locker room, he sighed. His job had been fulfilled yet again, and another victory assured him a step further toward nationals. Even though he knew somewhere in his head that winning and moving on to better things was likely impossible, Hiro still liked to dream about the possibility.

After a warm shower, Hiro towel dried off his hair. He stood in a towel and talked with the other players as they got ready to go home. Usudu stood idly in the back. Hiro's eyes fixated on him like a cat watching prey. As Usudu's senpai and as the setter of the team, Hiro felt obligated to get to know him. After all, the setters role was essential in volleyball! Sure, there were Liberos who were mainly defense, and even decoys in some teams. Setters were the backbone of the team, and provided a thread of connection that no other sport could provide. Hiro's job was vital, and so he had chosen volleyball for a reason.

As the brunette walked over to where a wet, drying off Usudu was, he ran a hand through his wet, spiky hair. "Good game," he complimented, still feeling cautious around such a rambunctious, aggressive person. He bit the inside of his lip and looked away thoughtfully, which might have made him appear more frazzled than collected. "A-annooo," he mumbled, the words soft on his lips. "It's tradition, but I'd like to invite you to have a drink."

Ah, yes. This was how a successful team should be run! Hiro knew that the quickest step to getting to know someone was through various substances, like alcohol. Refusing to take no for an answer, the two were soon walking side by side on a crisp fall evening.

Once they reached their destination, Hiro's aloof demeanor crumbled and as they sat down, he pressed his fist into his cheek, eyes level with Usudu's. "I know about your record," he stated bluntly. "I don't think you'll be helping our team get to nationals if you plan to hold onto that behavior."

As a waitress set their pitcher on the table, Hiro adjusted his posture and leaned forward, his hand pressed into his chin. "I'm the setter for our team. I don't pass to people I don't trust. Someone who can't control their aggression become a liability. If you're joining the team to ******** around, then you're not a vital component to our success this season."

Hiro poured their beer and then sat back, a grin on his face. "Welcome to the volleyball team, Usudu-san! Yoroshiku onegai shimasu~"

████ #f14d28 ████ #3954aa

[Cupcake Latte]

l Rikka l

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Bullshit.

Even after Urehada told them he was a good spiker, this spiky haired p***k assigned him to middle block. Takeo looked at him momentarily, tempted to say something, but decided against it and went along with his instructions. After all, this is his first practice with the team and apparently most of the guys had already been on the team at least since the previous year. Takeo was smart enough to know that they had to test the waters with the new blood, it was how it went. But then as they were going along, it seemed like no waters were being tested at all. Mashima never bothered to pass to him, which irritated Takeo at first, but he assumed that the setter would get around to it. But he never did. And by the end of their practice, Takeo never even got to touch the ball; and he was pissed.

He hated the whole "pick on the newcomer" shabang and he hated when people prejudged him before ever speaking to him. And he was pretty damn sure that both were the case in this scenario. No one bothered to talk to him due to the very displeased look his face carried, and he didn't blame them. But he went along to the showers even though he did not work up a sweat, but because his dorm was on the poorer side of the university where they shared showers in the student bathroom anyway. So he figured he might as well get his shower done then. But when he was out, putting things in his new locker, he was rather unamused with the cheerful "good game" from none other than the team setter. Takeo's seemingly lifeless eyes took a stark glance at the irritating guy and then looked away, biting his tongue. He was at least pleased to be able to tell that Mashima felt uncomfortable then. But when he received an invitation to get a drink because it was tradition, Takeo didn't even look at the guy. "Declined," he said as he shut his locker door, a little loudly. He tried to walk away, but the pest was persistent, basically establishing that turning down the offer wasn't actually an option. So Takeo begrudgingly went along.

On their way to their destination, if Mashima talked, Takeo responded with the least amount of words possible to answer with, or the occasional hum. But once they arrived, Takeo was beginning to actually look forward to his beer. It would have been a better "get to know your teammate" outing if Mashima would have just kept quiet, allowing them to establish a no-speaking policy between them when not on the court. But Mashima had to open his damn mouth, and irritate the piss out of Takeo. What he said was no surprise to the hot headed junior, for he'd gotten the speech from other team leaders, but he was sick if the routine. These guys all thought they knew Takeo so ******** well.

The new team member was not amused by Mashima's change of tone, nor did it help to lighten him up. "If I had a warning that you were going to give me that spiel, I would have told you not to waste your breath. Urehada already gave it to me with twenty times the intensity." Takeo didn't even want to drink his beer anymore. "If you're worried about trust, trust comes from respect. And its not very ******** respectful to deny your teammate to even touch the damn ball on their first day." And the reason Takeo got into so many fights is because he felt like no one respected him, therefore he trusted no one. It was just the way he viewed the world. "Its damn unfortunate that you are allowing what you've heard to cause a predetermination about me, but if you want to build trust then stop being a p***k. And I don't ******** buy your 'likeable guy' act. So how am I supposed to trust you?" Okay....so he kind of wanted his beer now after all. He grabbed it and took a damn big gulp.



[[]]

♞ ◛

[hinedere]

Cupcake Latte

xxxx≫≫❜ THE DREAM OF THAT DAY ♛ ♛ ♛ WHICH HAS NO CHANCE OF COMING TRUE
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xxxxxxxxxxx↷ IS STILL TWINKLING IN MY HEART ▬ T-TWINKLING IN MY HEART ▬▬▬▬ ♛
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi want to always keep chasing itxxxxxi want to always keep chasing itxxxxxi want to always keep chasing it
xoooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi want to always keep chasing itxxxxxi want to always keep chasing itxxxxxi want to always keep chasing it
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Hiro was pretty sure he had hit a nerve.

Listening to what Usudu-san had to say, the brunette leaned and took a gulp of his beer. He really wasn't sure what to make of their new player. Usudu definitely looked only half Japanese, and judging by the tone in his voice, Hiro was certain that the player sitting opposite him was thoroughly annoyed.

But what Usudu had to say left Hiro at a loss for words. He swirled the beer around in his cup as he thought. Was he being too judgmental? Then he remembered the choice of words that Usudu had replied with and rolled his eyes. "It's not a predetermined judgement if it's been proven by such a record," he commented, taking another gulp. Even if Usudu claimed people were just judging him wrongly, he had been kicked off too many teams for Hiro to just openly accept him.

Hiro felt conflicted, for sure. On one hand, he had to get to know Usudu better so that he could learn to trust the guy. On the other hand, Usudu just radiated such negative energy that even Hiro was caught off guard. Hiro had his fair share of bad days, but he was far more approachable. Seeing his companion drink some of his beer made Hiro felt more relieved though. Maybe they could form some sort of relationship, even if it wasn't sunshine and rainbows. "I'm not really here to make an enemy," Hiro confessed, refilling his glass. "But this is my last chance at nationals and I can't take it easy yet."

Hiro looked across the table with a determined glint in his eyes. It was pretty obvious that the hazel eyed setter wanted to go further than just casual college play. It was an intensity that typically drove others away. If Hiro was on campus and not in his dorm, then he was in the gym. If he wasn't playing volleyball, he was working out or managing his health. In school, Hiro had fairly decent grades and was happy studying foreign language and international studies. Underneath the sporty-masculine look, Hiro was attuned to the world. He wanted to go further than what their small peninsula of a country could offer him. Hiro adored Japan, but he felt strained. He wanted to see what other opportunities were out there, even if it took him to America.

Toward the end of their evening together, Hiro was buzzed. It was enough to make the brunette stutter some over words and squint his eyes when he missed something that Takeo said. Confusion was evident, and the setter's composure had slumped. Now he was resting his face on the cool counter top and speaking "volleyball gibberish" to his teammate.

"Do you like the view from the other side of the net?" he mumbled, his eyes sparkling. "When you can use your whole body to leap and your hand collides with the ball? That's the best feeling for spikers. But my position is different. Setters are more like spiders, you know? " he looked up at Takeo, who gave him a funny look. "We spin these webs between the players and bring out the best in them. That's the setters job."

Hiro forced himself to sit up straight, adjusting his posture. "I want to pass the ball to you. But I can't pass to people I don't understand. You ask how you're supposed to trust me, when I'm wondering how I'm going to trust you."

He sighed, staring at the empty pitcher as if it held secrets. "I just want to have a strong team...and I wish people would take the game as seriously as I do..."



By the time the two got up to leave, Hiro was unbalanced and feeling lonely. He had just had beer with a new teammate, but was walking away feeling more lonely than when he invited Takeo out, using "tradition" as an excuse. It was true, Hiro thought to himself as he walked to the subway, that he and Usudu seemed to be polar opposites. The energy that they brought to the court was completely different. The red heat that seemed to emanate from Usudu's body was much more wild than the flow of water that seemed to fill the gymnasium whenever Hiro passed the ball.

As he lay in bed that night, Hiro closed his eyes, being taken to a dreamlike world where Usudu's fire and Hiro's calm collided. Even though Hiro was sure that water would douse the fiery rage, his dream just showed the two in an endless power struggle. Would he be able to pull Usudu into his grasp and bring out the best in his striking arm?



The volleyball team skipped every other weekend practice. As Hiro rolled over in bed, smacking his alarm clock off the counter by accident, he sighed. It would be him alone at the gym that day.

After a quick shower and bite to eat, Hiro headed out toward the gym. Their college had many different teams, but every single team shared the court equally. As the volleyball team had this weekend off for rest, so did the basketball team. Hiro had been given a key by their manager because he was more of a "captain" than just a setter. Thinking back to his initiation, Hiro wondered why he had been chosen as captain. Despite his ability to lead the team, no one showed the level of dedication he did to their chosen sport.

He flipped on the lights to the gym and looked around. No one else was there, as usual. He smiled sadly as he grabbed one of the practice balls from the storage closet and set up the net. "Mattaku..." he sighed, clicking his tongue. What were you expecting, baaaka? he thought, giving himself a mental nudge to the ribs.

To Hiro, this was the usual routine. On days when practice wasn't schedule, he practiced alone. It was only when the group was forced to play together during practices or matches that the other members felt serious. As Hiro launched the ball up off his fingertips, he felt an intense longing for a spiker. Someone who could not only take their game to the next level, but someone who could rival Hiro's drive. The ball tumbled, bouncing away from Hiro. As his eyes followed it, Hiro became aware of another person's presence in the gym. He turned, eying the doorway. To his surprise, Usudu stood with fists shoved into his pockets.

"E-eehhh," the response was hardly audible. "Did the coach not tell you? This weekend is downtime for the teams that use the court."

He looked at Usudu, brow furrowed in confusion.

████ #f14d28 ████ #3954aa

[Cupcake Latte]

l Rikka l

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Takeo shook his head. Mashima just didn’t get it. Yeah he’d gotten into some fights and got kicked off of some teams. But before even getting to know the guy, Mashima was already convinced Takeo would do the same again. ”You’re missing the point,” Takeo commented, but left it at that. He was trying very hard to just stay cool nowadays. ”I'm not really here to make an enemy...” ”Could’ve fooled me,” he had to add in there. But he listened to what Mashima had to say, and met his gaze. Takeo could understand the determination to go to nationals. Sounded like a big deal. So even though this guy irritated the mess out of Takeo, he at least understood him on one level: the team was important to him, just like being on a team at all was important to Takeo. He just had to somehow get Mashima to be willing to let those determination work for each other rather than against each other.

They both got a little drunk, though Mashima more so than Takeo. And once Takeo saw his team setter in that state, he realized that the guy is a little weird. Not that that was completely a bad thing, but weird nonetheless. He listened, finding a bit of amusement from the spider analogy, realizing that volleyball must have been ******** important to this guy. But that didn’t make him any less irritating. ”You ask how you're supposed to trust me, when I'm wondering how I'm going to trust you.” Takeo rolled his eyes. ”Then I guess we’re in a ******** pickle, mm?” He took another sip of beer. ”...and I wish people would take the game as seriously as I do…” Takeo looked down at him and just held the stare for a moment. It seemed like the two guys wanted a lot of the same things, just in different directions. ’And I wish people would take me as seriously as I do…” he thought. But he’d never say that aloud. Not to this guy.


♞


It was a Saturday morning and he should have been resting, clearing his mind, studying, or something chill but he couldn’t. It’d been a little over two months since Chie broke up with him, and he still sometimes got a little caught up in his depression in the silence of his small school dorm. When they were together, she had actually made him feel wanted and even somewhat understood. Hell, and when he had her, he had a warm body to cuddle on the weekends. That was gone now and it wasn’t like he had friends to go “bro out” with and even his own teammates wanted nothing to do with him. He needed to go out and do something...He needed to move around and just exist in some way.

So without thinking much, his body was dressed and walking to the school gym courte, ready to hone some skills. If Mashima wasn’t going to give him a chance to work up skill with the team, he supposed he could figure out a way to do that by himself. The sound of screeching tennis shoes on the waxed floor, and a tough ball echoing off the walls when slamming into the floor would be better than silence in his dorm. But once he stepped inside, he realized that the place was already occupied: by the one guy that pissed him off the most. Sure it was nice of him to treat him to some drinks, and he got to see the guy’s drunk side, but he was still annoyed at him. And the p***k had to make things worse with his greeting.

”Tch…” Takeo sounded, upper lip curling slightly. ”This isn’t my first rodeo. Most teams get the weekend off.” The junior bent over and picked up the ball, walking slowly toward Hiro on the opposite side of the court. ”But since I didn’t get any real practice that last time, I figured I’d get some on my own. Oh but look. You’re here.” he tossed the ball up and did a fist-hit that strongly sent the ball soaring across the courte, over to Hiro. ”Wanna practice with the new guy? Or should I go get my own ball?” Hell, he was trying. If they were going to be in the gym on the same day, might as well try to work like the team Hiro wanted them to be right? Or at least that’s how Takeo viewed it. Once the junior was within ten feet of the senior, he paused. ”I was goddamn good at volleyball in high school, but that was three years ago. I need to shake the rust off.” And when Hiro agreed, Takeo smirked. ”I’m shocked.” And he began walking to the other side of the net. ”I was pretty sure you thought I’d contaminate the ball with a disease or something.”


♞


”Hah...hah...hah…”

They’d been going at it on the courte for a while, running around like crazy to hit the ball before it touched the ground on the opposite side of the square. Playing with just two people was a physically trying, but worth it. However, Takeo was getting pretty heated. He reached to the bottom hem of his shirt, pulled it up and over his head, and tossed it over to the side outside of the boundaries. The air felt a lot better on his bare chest than the light cotton fabric, even if it did breathe a little. In thus doing so, he revealed the tone musculature of his upper half, littered with scars in various spots from his past of fighting and generally being a boy who pulled reckless stunts. ”Apparently they don’t keep the AC as cool in here over the weekends. ********] Sweat dripped down his neck as he grabbed a water bottle and took a few gulps. When he was done, he tossed it back onto his bag. ”You good to keep going?” He sauntered back to the middle of the floor, looking to Hiro for confirmation. He was doing pretty good. He definitely proved to Hiro that he was fast, had a strong arm, and wasn’t afraid to dive for the ball. However, of course, there were areas that needed fine tuning. But Takeo was at least enjoying the physical activity. Going to the gym to work out became monotonous sometimes, and staying in his dorm was just depressing. Even if he didn’t like the guy on the other side of the net, he was at least getting a thrill from the adrenalin of running, jumping, and diving to keep the ball off the floor and back over to the opponent’s side. He’d forgotten just exactly how fun volleyball could be.


[[]]

♞ ◛

[hinedere]

Cupcake Latte

xxxx≫≫❜ THE DREAM OF THAT DAY ♛ ♛ ♛ WHICH HAS NO CHANCE OF COMING TRUE
xxxxxxxxxxx■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
xxxxxxxxxxx↷ IS STILL TWINKLING IN MY HEART ▬ T-TWINKLING IN MY HEART ▬▬▬▬ ♛
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi want to always keep chasing itxxxxxi want to always keep chasing itxxxxxi want to always keep chasing it
xoooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi want to always keep chasing itxxxxxi want to always keep chasing itxxxxxi want to always keep chasing it
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The practice with Usudu went well, and despite Hiro's initial impressions of him, he had more fun practicing together than he did during their normal full on team practices. The two definitely had sparks, as Usudu made multiple remarks directed at Hiro. But Hiro just let it slide. It seemed like as their game went on, Hiro's chest felt tighter. It was excitement that he hadn't felt from anything except official matches.

So when Usudu asked if he wanted to play more, Hiro was up to the challenge.

Time passed pretty quickly for the two of them as they played. By the end of their session, Hiro was setting the ball up for Usudu, letting him spike it over the net. At one point, he asked Usudu to switch over to Hiro's side of the court. The passes became much stronger and Hiro's eyes were focused the entire time, constantly analyzing the reception of his pass and tweaking it to meet Usudu's unspoken spiking needs.

At the end, the boys were sprawled out on the floor, their sweat dripping off them. Hiro sighed happily as the waves of endorphins lit up his brain. Of all things he could experience, Hiro really liked the feeling of a "runner's high" after playing volleyball. The high was addictive to him and before he knew it, he spent most of his time playing. Well, no one could complain that Hiro was bad looking or anything, so he could always use the excuse of "working out" for his obsessive playing tendencies.

As they lay there, Hiro's stomach growled. He plopped up and glanced over to Usudu."You wanna get something to eat?" he asked, standing and stretching. His muscles flexed beneath his uniform, abs exposed as he raised his arms up, pulling on his wrist. In the end, the two strode off to the showers. Hiro's locker was stocked with traveling sized shampoos, conditioners, and body wash. He snatched out a few and tossed them over to Usudu, who he felt might not have been as prepared since he was new to the team.

Showered and feeling fresh, Hiro was ready to head back to his dorm, which wasn't too far from the actual gymnasium. "I just went shopping yesterday before practice, so I've got lots of meats, so I thought sukiyaki would be good." He slipped off his shoes and set them in a slot near the door for them. Looking back at Usudu, he smiled politely. "Make yourself at home~"

Hiro stepped over to his patio balcony and slid the door open. The screen kept any bugs from getting in, but the chill autumn air was too irresistible on such a calm night. After opening the door, he slid his table over and set up the mechanics of traditional sukiyaki; a Nabemono, and a few plates of thinly sliced meats/vegetables. The cool breeze kept the dorm room from getting too hot as the boys sat down, using their chopsticks to pick which meats and veggies they wanted to cook together. As Hiro tore into a piece of sliced beef, he grinned and seemed more care-free. "This is the stuff," he pointed his chopsticks at the beef. "They had a sale on this huge pack of it the other day so I had to grab it."

Despite what some might think, Hiro's dorm room was rather plain compared to his playing style. The tatami floors gave off a traditional feel, while the technology (mainly Hiro's computer, flat screen, and various other devices) made it feel modern. His bed rested up against a wall in the back, the dining room table low to the floor and positioned closer to the TV. Most people might assume that Hiro's room was messy because he was a college guy, but there wasn't any trash in site. Everything was neatly organized and it ended up making his dorm room look more like a sales setup at a furniture store.

Hiro flipped on the television and grabbed another piece of the beef with his chopsticks. He munched on it as he surfed through the channels. "Ah, this was the matchup between Meiji and Chiba, " his tone was airy and almost singsong. As they ate, the sky outside turned a darker shade of purple and then transitioned into a dark smog-like color. Hiro glanced out and watched as some rain pattered onto the patio.

"Ehhh, it's raining," he commented, gazing out as he bit into a piece of onion.

████ #f14d28 ████ #3954aa

[Cupcake Latte]

l Rikka l

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Spent, sore, and breathless they laid on the court floor, staring up. Takeo had to admit: that was the most fun he’d had in a while. He doubtlessly proved to Hiro that he had skill, he just needed some tune ups. So he couldn’t help but to feel positive about this, like some good things were in store for the future. One of the reasons Takeo wanted to be on sports other than having something to get his aggressions out on was the idea that if they did well enough they could move up in competitions, and thus travel around. Takeo wasn’t loaded, so getting a free trip to anywhere else for a while would be a dream come true to him.

”You wanna get something to eat?”

Takeo’s eyes turned to look at Hiro. There was no telling how many calories they’d just burned, so the junior was sure he’d need food soon. ”Yeah,” he confirmed. He got up, stretched, and went to the showers knowing he sure as hell needed it. ”Domo,” he said when Hiro lent him his soaps. Hiro was starting to seem like a pretty okay guy...They just got off on the wrong foot, maybe? Hiro had predetermined judgements about Takeo, but in truth so did Takeo with Hiro. He assumed he’d be the fake guy that everyone likes who is deep down just as scummy as any other Joe Schmo. Neither could know if their judgements were true or untrue yet, but they needed to at least shove the ideals aside until something comes along to prove or disprove them.

Sometimes Takeo could think clearly like that, particularly after a brain-freeing exercise like the one they’d just had. So he didn’t even feel that weird that they were going to Hiro’s dorm after calling the guy a p***k to his face and saying the “likeable guy” thing was just an act. Maybe they could put those things behind them right now? Because at the end of the day, each man had something the other needed: and that was trust. When Takeo entered Hiro’s dorm, it was in the area of the school that had nicer dorms for people with a bit more money that Takeo, which didn’t surprise him. And the senior kept in real clean. ”Make yourself at home.” Takeo looked up at him, greeting by the polite smile. What the hell, he had to admit it: the guy just had an “it factor” that made you want to like him, which just kind of pissed Takeo off. The closest thing Takeo had to an “it factor” was that people his entire life has told him he was good looking, but that amounted to nothing if people didn’t want to be within 20 feet of you. Mashima, however, had this weird magnetic pull...and it made Takeo sick. He couldn’t help but to think it was probably a guy like Hiro that Chie left him for.

He took his shoes off and followed his teammate in, feeling pretty glad he opened the balcony door. He then joined him in the kitchen, watching as the guy prepared the food and adding in, ”Nahhh you gotta put in way more negi, man. That’s what makes the dish for me,” and ”You should sprinkle shichimi in the broth.” He even reached over and grabbed the little canister he saw of it and handed it to Hiro, expecting him to use it. Takeo had always been a “food customizer”, often going against traditional recipes.

Once they got to sit down and eat, takeo stuffed his face. ”This is the stuff. They had a sale on this huge pack of it the other day so I had to grab it.” ”Nice.” Just because Takeo had a temper didn’t mean he was anti-social. The tv was turned on and the sky began to darken as rainclouds began to pour slowly. ”Ehhh, it's raining.” Takeo looked out the door. ”Rain is good.” He liked the rain. ”Well, not for pilots but I’m not here to be a pilot, so rain is good.” He was there to be able to make, maintain, and fix planes. So his future job would not be affected too terribly much by weather. But it brought up a good icebreaker in his head. ”So, what? You love the game so much, you coming here to be a coach or something?” But the response Takeo got actually shocked him. Foreign Language and International Relations. The junior’s brows rose in slight surprise. ”Nice. I speak English, if you haven’t mastered that yet.” It was strange….to be offering help to another student. But it just seemed kind of right. Takeo spoke fluent English, so why not be a practice buddy to someone who needed to be fluent as well? Plus….Takeo was pretty damn lonely sometimes.

”Food’s good,” he mentioned after stuffing his mouth again. ”Thanks, man.”


[[]]

♞ ◛

[hinedere]

Cupcake Latte

xxxx≫≫❜ NOW ONLY YOUR FORCE ♛ ♛ ♛ IS MOVING MY FEET
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xxxxxxxxxxx↷ PULLING ME ON WITH YOU ▬ RESTLESSLY ▬▬▬▬ ♛
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxall I feel's at homexxxxxskin & bonesxxxxxskin & bones
xoooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxall I feel's at homexxxxxskin & bonesxxxxxskin & bones
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It had been a week since the dinner at Hiro's place.

Things for the team had been going smoothly. Everyone was showing up for their practices, and even though it wasn't quite time yet for any huge tournaments, Hiro still took the team matches seriously. Their coach recently had booked in a matchup between their school's team and Rikkyo University, a college team that had placed third in last year's major championship. The nervous, giddy energy that surrounded Hiro's team was phenomenal. As they stepped out onto the court, their uniforms fresh and showing off their colors, Hiro's body ached. He wanted to do well during this practice match. They were playing against one of the best teams, while theirs was still considered mild in volleyball terms.

Hiro knew that they were being matched up against a team they would likely lose to. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he took his position and got ready for some pre-practice sets with his teammates.

But then the door swung open and Takeo sauntered out. Not only was he late, but something felt off. Hiro passed the ball over to another player and jogged over. Immediately, he noticed the scrape on Takeo's cheekbone. He froze, and the blood ran cold in his veins.

"You're kidding, right?" he stated more than asked, pointing toward the cut. "You got into a fight with someone before our first practice match?" he hissed, his eyes narrowed like a cat. Over the past week, Takeo had shown up to practice diligently. In fact, Hiro had even begun to like Takeo. Sure, the two weren't attached to the hip yet, but they got along much better (except for the occasional misunderstanding or something) than when they had first met. Seeing the cut on Takeo's face made Hiro frown.

"I won't tell the coach, but you're sitting this practice match out," Hiro decided, grabbing a bandaid from a small first aid kit. He unwrapped the bandaid and thumbed it onto Takeo's cheek, covering the signs of the fight that he had been in. Hiro walked back out onto the court as Takeo sat down, looking like he was trying to subdue intense irritation.

The game began and Hiro's brain focused in. His sets got them points and he had to be at top form to go against such a strong school. Katsutoshi Nekoda (right) was the other team's ace, but was also their strategic setter. Hiro's brow furrowed as he watched Nekoda move about, his shoes squeaking against the floor. Their sets and team plays were perfect. Hiro glanced back with concern at the members on his team. Were any of them as strong as their opponents? Was Hiro the only one capable of helping them stay afloat?

Toward the end of the game, Hiro's nerves were drawn. He leaped up into the air to knock a ball back for their team, but suddenly Nekoda was barring down on him, their hands grappling for the same ball. Nekoda smashed it in, knocking Hiro to the floor. The referee blew his whistle and the game was over. Hiro looked over with shock at the points. 14-25. A shadow cast over his face and he bit his lip as the teams lined up, bowing respectfully to one another.

In the locker room, Hiro was sitting with his hands together. They hadn't been close at all, and the game had turned into a massacre. As his teammates walked in, Hiro couldn't help it. His dreams seemed to be crumbling. If they couldn't even match up against third place, how would they get past any other team?!

"What does it take to get this team serious?!" he yelled, standing. He eyed each member, most of them glancing away quickly. "We can't even rival third place? What kind of team is this?! Are you taking this season seriously at all or are you all ******** around at practice?!"

The locker room was silent. Takeo was making quite a nasty face, which got on Hiro's nerves.

"What's with that expression, Usudu?"

"Oh you don't like me making this face? Then put me in the ******** game."

In moments, Hiro was over Takeo, grabbing his collar and shoving him into a locker. "Out of everyone on the team, you're the one ******** around the most! You can't expect to become a vital part of this team when you're still getting into fights!" he growled, shoving Takeo again.

"What happened had NOTHING to do with the team or volleyball. And you don't have a ******** clue what it was about or why it happened. I've ******** behaved around you guys, haven't I?! Why punish me for something completely unrelated to this?! If you were in my situation earlier, even your goody-two-shoes-a** would have clocked the ******** in the face."

"Yeah but that doesn't mean s**t if the coach decides to kick your a** off the team!" Hiro finished, hair in his eyes.

Takeo growled and shoved Hiro back. His back felt the cool metal of the locker. Hiro stared at Takeo for a long second and then his face flushed. He grabbed Takeo's wrist and shove him off of him, fixing his shirt. Saying nothing, Hiro left the locker room and headed back to his dorm, where he sulked in bed for most of the night.




████ #f14d28 ████ #3954aa

[Cupcake Latte]

l Rikka l

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It had seemed that their night of just “chilling” had done them some good. Hiro seemed to be a little less on edge about Takeo, and Takeo found the guy a little less irritating than he did before. Hell, the guy had a charm about him that made Takeo not even mind being around him. It was strange for the roughian, to find himself actually kind of wanting to be around another guy. He usually only disagreed or, in more extreme cases, fought with other guys. But Hiro actually, in a way, made Takeo linger around at the end of practices to be the last to leave with Hiro, and their setter was usually the last to leave. If only it was to exchange a couple words, or to go over when the upcoming schedule.

But there was something else...Takeo was not used to Hiro’s form of “playfulness”. The guy still wouldn’t pass Takeo the ball, even if he proved how great of a player he was through hitting the ball from other teammates’ passes and when the ball came to his area. The way Hiro would tease Takeo, making him think he’d pass him the ball before actually passing it to someone else always made the junior feel weird. Mashima had something about him that other guys didn’t, which was probably why even though he pissed Takeo off the most, Takeo had a strange form of respect for him. Damn it, he admired the guy. He was only a year older than the junior, but Hiro was not only magnetic, but he embodied what Takeo thought exactly what a man should be. Mashima was tall, fit, athletic, smart, hard working, he had a controlled temper, and he was likable. To say Takeo was not jealous would be an utter, flat-out lie. Takeo envied Hiro to the point that sometimes Hiro made Takeo hate himself even more. He couldn’t be like him, he never would, and when something bugged him enough to tip him over the edge there was just no controlling the fury that poured out of him and spread like wildfire. But yet, Takeo wanted him near. Almost as if he hoped that Mashima’s energy and personality traits would be contagious and rub off on his kohai.

Takeo walked around with his head held high, giving off a feeling over over-confidence, but that didn’t mean he felt like he conveyed himself. It wasn’t fun or enjoyable to flip his lid over things that other guys could handle more responsibly. And because of this, even when he was trying to start over and do better, guys would purposefully mess with him hoping to get a rise out of him; hoping to get him into more trouble. Such was the case when a simple week had passed by since Takeo’s dinner with Hiro, and he was on his way to their first practice game. Takeo was minding his own business, walking toward his destination, when an unwanted voice was heard in the air. ”Ahh~ Look who it is. Usudu-kun!”

Takeo’s stark blue eyes glanced to the side to see a face he’d rather spit on than look upon: an ex-teammate named Hotaka. And Hotaka, in fact, was the reason Takeo got kicked off the baseball team the year prior. The smug look on Hotaka’s face, and the three friends that were hanging around him, said that Hotaka only meant trouble. At first, Takeo genuinely tried to ignore him. He was trying to do good; he wanted to keep control of himself this year. But Hotaka followed, his voice ugly with a teasing lilt. ”So I heard all about it. How Chie dumped your sorry a** for someone better. I wonder what took her so long to realize that she should?” Takeo’s brows narrowed, but he kept walking. Why did Takeo and Hotaka get into a fight last year? Because Hotaka was hitting strongly on Chie one day, even while knowing that his teammate was dating her. And when Takeo confronted the guy about it, Hotaka just haughtily expressed that he’d hit on whoever he wanted and there was nothing Takeo’s “punk-a**” could do about it. Words escalated between both of them from there, but Takeo threw the first punch, and that was why Takeo was kicked off and not Hotaka. They were pulled about that day, so no one really “won” the fight, though Takeo messed Hotaka up way more than vice versa.

”But you know, I wouldn’t let that bother you, Takeo-chan. She’s a slut.” Takeo’s feet stopped instantly, eyes eyes widened, and his blood boiled. Chie wasn’t his girlfriend anymore, but when she was she was the only thing that made Takeo feel good about himself. Insulting his ex-girl was a direct disrespect to Takeo. And Takeo couldn’t tolerate being disrespected. ”Really, you should feel good that someone as slutty as her stuck with you for so long, ya know? Usually they just hop around from d**k to d**k like a b***h in heat. Oh wait...ya know what? She probably was doing that while she was with you.” ”Shut the ******** up. I’m warning you now.” ”So what does that mean if a low-life like Chie leaves a low-life like you? Damn, it must mean you’re ******** low. Pathetic, really. But don’t worry. There are tons of sluts out there that won’t care. You’ve still got a chance with someone, I’m sure.” Takeo stepped up to Hotaka, a good five inches taller than him, and glared down at him. ”Chie isn’t a slut. You ******** take that back or I will make you.”


♞


All Takeo got out of the fight was a scrape on him cheek from Hotaka’s ring, while Hotaka had a busted lip, a bruised up cheek, and a pain in his gut that probably won’t go away for a week. What could he say? He was good at fighting, even if he wasn’t particularly proud of it. He had given Hotaka the chance to take his words back, but the cocky guy just kept saying more insults. Takeo had warned him, so it was fair to strike him.

However, the reaction he got once he made it into the gym was completely opposite of what he expected. It was just a little scratch, nothing else. But Mashima instantly declared it was from a fight, which Takeo didn’t bother to deny. But the last thing he would have guessed would happen was when he got appointed to be a bench warmer. ”The ********] he exclaimed. ”Over a ******** scratch on my cheekbone? You’re willing to sacrifice the stability and strength of your team over this?!” Takeo was flabbergasted, and he couldn’t even figure out what to say to truly express how wrong he thought Hiro was. But there was nothing he could do. He wanted to be on the team, so he had to behave. If this was any other situation, he would have just walked the hell out and went home. Being a benchwarmer was insulting! But he knew that if he left, he wouldn’t have a spot on the team when he came back for their next practice. So instead he had to sit there and watch his team get their asses wooped. And the thing that pissed him off the most was that he knew that if he was out there, they would be doing so much better.

He was a black thunderstorm cloud by the time they were back in the locker rooms. None of the guys even got near him, smelling danger. He didn’t have to change clothes or shower since he didn’t break a sweat, but he at least went to get things out of his locker, looking like doom and fire. The day had been shitty, why did Hiro have to make it worse? So when he heard the guy speak again, Takeo had to bite his tongue until the look on his face was addressed. ”Oh you don't like me making this face? Then put me in the ******** game,” he said with smoke huffing out of his mouth and ears. But shock took over as Mr. Perfect, Mr. Always In Control, Mr. Has It Together grabbed his shirt and shoved him into the cold metal of their lockers. Takeo’s brows furrowed fiercely, and he listened to what his setter had to say, clutching his fists so hard his knuckles were white. ”Out of everyone on the team, you're the one ******** around the most! You can't expect to become a vital part of this team when you're still getting into fights!” Takeo’s teeth showed like a wolf’s before leaping to strike. ”What happened had NOTHING to do with the team or volleyball. And you don't have a ******** clue what it was about or why it happened. I've ******** behaved around you guys, haven't I?! Why punish me for something completely unrelated to this?! If you were in my situation earlier, even your goody-two-shoes-a** would have clocked the ******** in the face.” ”Yeah but that doesn't mean s**t if the coach decides to kick your a** off the team!”

And at that point, Takeo had had enough. Sure Mashima was the ideal kind of man to Takeo, and Takeo was jealous of him, Takeo wanted to be like him, but that didn’t mean that takeo had to be demeaned and belittled by him in front of all of their teammates. Hiro’s words were working him toward the edge again, but Takeo kept as cool as possible. But that only meant he wouldn’t strike him, yet. The junior let out a growl and shoved Hiro back, following him through to press him harshly against the other row of lockers. Takeo’s hands were strongly fisted into Hiro’s jersey shirt, keeping him pressed there. His ocean blue eyes stared hard into Hiro’s, looking somewhat feral even if he wasn’t going to hit the guy. They stared at each other for a while, as if trying to predict what the other was going to do, or at least that was what Takeo was doing. However, his eyes saw the color pink grow on Hiro’s cheeks, and his brows knitted at the sight. Either the adrenaline of the moment was finally getting to the senior, or he was going to cry?! Takeo didn’t know, but his grip loosened right as Hiro shoved his kohai off of him. Takeo and the rest of the team just watched as Hiro left.


♞


Knock, knock, knock.

Takeo stood at Hiro’s dorm room, a mere two hours after their fight, completely oblivious as to whether what he was doing was a good idea or not. If it was Takeo who was still angry, he’d need more than two hours to cool off. And usually, he would still be furious, but for some reason this one rolled off his shoulders faster than other fights. It was Hiro who probably needed more time, but the Takeo was at his dormitory door. And when Hiro opened the door to see who it was, he saw Takeo standing their, still in his uniform. He hadn’t been able to relax or do anything after the practice match, and he only took a few long walks around the school, clearing his head and trying to figure out what the ******** he needed to do.

Takeo looked intently at Hiro, eyes solemn no matter how blue they were, brows drawn slightly down. ”You and I both have something that we need from each other,” he stated, skipping past any form of a greeting. His voice was firm, establishing his serious state. ”You need nationals and I need this team.” He didn’t want to be invited in, he didn’t even necessarily want Hiro to forgive him or anything. He just needed to get something straight between them before things got worse. ”I ******** up. God damn it, I’ve been trying really ******** hard not to but I ******** up anyway. But I’m not gonna fight you or anyone on the team, you got it?” He sighed gruffly, looking to the side a moment before looking Hiro back in the eyes again. ”You and I both know the score would have been a hell of a lot better if you’d have put me in the game. But you trust me so little that you rather sacrifice your team’s score than put me out there. And you know what, I don’t ******** blame you.”

Takeo’s brows knitted further and he stepped into the doorway, closer to Hiro. ”I’m s**t, yeah I ******** know that but I can be good for the team. I’m damn serious about the team and if you work with me like I’m a member of the team and pass me the ball when you know it’s a perfect moment to, and treat me like I belong there, we’ll connect the dots. Mashima, I’m serious.” Takeo’s eyes continued to look into Hiro’s just wanting to establish that this wasn’t a joke, and it wasn’t a half-assed attempt to make things right. he was being real. He needed this.



[[]]

♞ ◛

[hinedere]

Cupcake Latte

xxxx≫≫❜ NOW ONLY YOUR FORCE ♛ ♛ ♛ IS MOVING MY FEET
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xxxxxxxxxxx↷ PULLING ME ON WITH YOU ▬ RESTLESSLY ▬▬▬▬ ♛
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxall I feel's at homexxxxxskin & bonesxxxxxskin & bones
xoooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxall I feel's at homexxxxxskin & bonesxxxxxskin & bones
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Not too long after the fight in the locker, Hiro heard a knock at the door.

What he hadn't expected was Takeo showing up. And what he really didn't expect were the things that Takeo decided to say. But the oddness from earlier was still evident. Despite the hours Hiro was able to cool down, in which time he showered, he wasn't able to forget the feeling that he'd had when Takeo was shoving him. His brain had spun so many different reasons for it that Hiro was dizzy; adrenaline, frustration, and exhaustion just didn't excuse him blushing. But here Takeo was, standing in his doorway with a compromise. If they trusted one another, then they would both get something out of it. And when Takeo talked about nationals, and how the fiery guy could get them there, his heart skipped. Hiro's eyebrows drew in and he glanced away, a light pink on his cheeks.

All through high school Hiro had been a quiet kind of guy. He was goody-goody and had good grades. But back then, Hiro hadn't been as interested in volleyball. At least, not until Matsuo Kou joined the team. The guy was tall and lean, but had good body structure. He worked harder than anyone else for the team, and before Hiro knew it, he was entranced. And one day when the two were in the lockers together, alone, Hiro mumbled something that he would never forget.

"I want to be something to you!" the words had slipped out faster than he could think. But Kou reacted in a way that Hiro hadn't expected, and his friendly demeanor turned sour.

"Haaa~? Gross. "

Hiro watched as Kou quit the team and switched schools. And since then, their relationship was vastly different. Kou decided to join a powerhouse, and Hiro had to settle for less because his family couldn't afford it. That experience had shown Hiro the way his true feelings were. Since then, he noticed guys as well as women, though it was never something he had ever thought of acting on.

And here Takeo was, bringing that same level of magnitude that Kou had shown Hiro years ago.

"I’m s**t, yeah I ******** know that but I can be good for the team. I’m damn serious about the team and if you work with me like I’m a member of the team and pass me the ball when you know it’s a perfect moment to, and treat me like I belong there, we’ll connect the dots. Mashima, I’m serious."

Hiro was getting swept up in this rowdy teammate, who kept bringing a level of intensity that even Hiro sometimes couldn't keep up with.

In the end, Hiro felt like he had lost. His heart was thumping in the same way it had for Kou, and he whispered warnings to himself of how the prior encounter hadn't worked out. Takeo was blatantly straight and would just have the same unrestricted reaction that Kou had had. But despite those warnings, Hiro found himself tumbling inside.

"Then we'll be a team, attached to the hip," he said suddenly. "You help us get to nationals, and I'll help keep you on the team." He moved closer, just mere centimeters away from Takeo's face. "If you drop the ball..." he murmured, eyes locking with Takeo's. "I'll punish you."

Hiro smirked and stepped back, letting his words settle over Takeo like a wave. He watched as Takeo's face scrunched, trying to comprehend the meaning behind such words. For some reason, the reaction made Hiro feel tingly inside. Thinking back to his past with Kou, Hiro was certain that even if nothing transpired between Hiro and Takeo, that it wouldn't end the same.

Leaving those words to linger, Hiro grabbed his bag up and grinned. "Want to practice a little?"






In the park, Hiro and Takeo took turns hitting the ball to each other. The sun was beginning to set and the air was chill. The two drank greedily from some bottled waters they grabbed at a konbini. Hiro glanced over at Takeo with a serious expression on his face.

"I have the power to make you great," Hiro stated, confident. "We'll be the best. We'll start from scratch, and we'll take Japan by storm!"

Hiro stood up and offered his hand to Takeo, a fierce and determined look in his eyes.

"What do you say?"

████ #f14d28 ████ #3954aa

[Cupcake Latte]

l Rikka l

X
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There Hiro was again: blushing. Takeo wondered if the guy kept feeling like he was gonna cry? Was he embarrassed? Takeo didn't understand. But when the guy spoke, Takeo at least felt like his little speech must have done some good, for the senior seemed to talk with a bit of optimistic pep. Attached at the hip? The side if Takeo that admired Hiro wanted that, while the independent "no one understands me" side of him felt like Hiro's declaration was a little weird. But nothing was as weird or unexpected as when the senior stepped up, getting mere centimeters away from Takeo's face, and told him that if he dropped the ball he'd be punished by Hiro. Their faces were so close that Takeo could feel the warmth of Hiro's breath on him, but Takeo didn't move back because he was not the type to recoil when a guy got too close. It asserted confidence and strength to never recoil, but this was an odd moment that made Takeo scrunch up his nose in confusion as he looked back into the senior's eyes. He couldn't even get mad for being threatened. He just felt weird. Any other guy, he would have shoved him away. But he actually didn't mind Takeo being that close. It didn't feel gross or unpleasant....other than the weird feeling at the pit of his stomach. But that was the only way he knew how to describe it: weird. And thus he was more confused.

Takeo easily agreed to practice volleyball with Hiro, where the two both seemed to thrive. If it was just the two of them, it was pretty electric and they got all of their energy out on one another. So the water break was much needed. "I have the power to make you great. We'll be the best. We'll start from scratch, and we'll take Japan by storm! What do you say?" Takeo looked up, brows screwed. Hiro was saying weird things again. But the audacious passion behind it was enlightening, and Takeo couldn't quite help the way his lips curled up slightly in a smile that said"you're weird, but that's kinda cool." He took Hiro's hand strongly and stood up. "Let's do it, chief," he said in his nonchalant but ensuring way. "No more shoving me into lockers, though," he said, his way of actually being a little playful with Hiro. "I might not be so nice next time."


♞


Takeo wasn’t completely happy with it, but all the other guys were kicked off the team soon after that. Hiro had a meeting with the coach and they deciphered that they were more of a hinderance than a help. They had no passion for the sport, and put other things first. All Takeo could do was shrug and think that he was glad it wasn’t him that was kicked off, and damn he was glad he went and talked to Hiro after their fight or maybe he would have been kicked off!! He then realized that Hiro wasn’t playing around one bit: nationals was damn serious to him for his senior year. And to be honest, Takeo wanted to taste what it was like to be in nationals as well. So he promised to do his best in recruitment, but Takeo wasn’t a face many people thought of when it came to things that made them want to join sports teams. So he went to the first guy he could think of that might not have a bad judgement toward him.

Kabura Saburou was a guy on the basketball team that, when Takeo was on it, was pretty cool with the hothead. Kabura never tried to press Takeo’s buttons, and he even said a kind word or two to him on occassion. They just never got close as Takeo was uninterested to and Kabura already had plenty of friends. But Takeo had heard the news: Kabura wasn’t rejoining the basketball team this year because he didn’t get along with the coach, and was sick of disagreeing with the man so much. So Takeo scouted him out one day on campus, did what he could to express the need for new players on the volleyball team and how intense it could be. Kabura couldn’t resist agreeing to show up to the try out to see if volleyball was his thing. He even promised to bring his freshman cousin Odo to the tryouts because he was looking for a sports team to join.

A notice for an “emergency volleyball tryout” was put up around the school, so when it came to test new guys out, there was actually a rather good turnout including the couple of people Takeo recruited and the many more that Hiro charmed into coming. They had wished there were more “awesome” sportsmen to choose from, but the ending selection wasn’t hard to make at all. It was obvious that Kabura and Odo were skilled and it would be a shame not to put them on the team. Some guy neither Takeo or Hiro had ever met, named Raiga Nekoya, had shown promise and agility that they needed. A guy Hiro had summoned to the tryout wowed them both with his aggression and speed, named Shun Kuriyama. Then last but not least there was Nagisa Sogo: an underclassman that was impressive in his ability to be reliable and there when the ball needed someone to keep it off ground.

There team was set, even with an extra member in case someone got sick or injured. Both Takeo and Hiro were rather fired up about the new team, as these new guys were pretty pumped too, unlike the previous members who just seemed to be there just to be there. When their first practice was announced, Takeo was already feeling knots in his stomach. Not out of unease, but because for the first time in a while, he was actually excited about something. And when Hiro was pumped, it was contagious to his kohai. So the night before the practice, Takeo didn’t sleep easy. And once the guys were there for the first practice with all of them there, things seemed to meld together, and all was seeming right, except…

Hiro still wasn’t passing Takeo the ball.

In fact, on occasion, when he would tease as usual to make it look like he was going to pass the ball to Takeo before passing it to someone else, he’d add in a smirk. In fact, one day the smirk caused Takeo to get hit in the back of the head with a ball that came flying back his way. Hiro had smirked at him, then continued on with his life while Takeo stood with a confused look, kind of forgetting that they were in the middle of a live play for a moment, and after the ball was bounced back over to their side, it went straight for Takeo’s head, snapping him back to reality in a most unpleasant way. [********] he had yelled, but in truth the blow wasn’t that bad. As he rubbed the back of his head and repositioned himself, his new teammates had a fun time teasing him, telling him to stop daydreaming and pay attention, all while having a good laugh. Takeo didn’t laugh, however, but he didn’t get mad either. He was just more twisted up as to why a stupid ******** smirk made him go do-do-brained.

Little things like that for the next couple weeks, here and there, had continued to occur. Small moments, something most people would forget in seconds, that repeated in Takeo’s head. Weird things Hiro would say or unexpected looks from him that Takeo didn’t understand. All he knew was that they made him feel...funny. Takeo was the perfect kind of guy to him. He admired him, wanted to be like him, and he even liked being around him. In fact, he was the first guy he could think of that actually made him feel like that; like he could want friendship in a particular person just for being who they were. He kept telling himself that that was all it was. He was just confused because Hiro was his first…friend in a long time, if he could even call him a friend. Maybe that was why his weird antics fuzzied up Takeo’s mind.

Then one day they were in the showers, and Takeo found his eyes lingering on Hiro for a moment longer than was normal mindless glancing. His eyes didn’t wander, but rather stayed looking at the middle area of the guy’s back for a moment. And when Odo randomly said something to Nagisa, the sound of his loud voice snapped him out of it, and he continued washing up. He waited, as normal, that evening to walk out of the building with Hiro and split ways once they reached the fork that meant Hiro needed to turn to go to his dorm and Takeo needed to keep walking to get to his. But any time Hiro had talked, Takeo had watched him, trying to figure out what was going on in his head. He had volleyball now; he was fulfilled. The team was showing true promise and he was actually the happiest he’d felt in a long while. But any time Hiro did something weird, it lingered inside of Takeo’s brain and ruined the happiness. And when he was home alone in his dorm, he felt lonely. That night, when hormones were going crazy and he was going to take care of it in the bathroom, he tried to think of something to get things going just so he could get it over with and go to sleep. But what freaked him out the worst was when the image of Hiro’s smirking face appeared. Nothing else. Just that confident grin he got when he teased his kohai, and Takeo ceased instantly, and moved his hand away. All he could do after that was run to the sink and splash cold water in his face.

After a couple weeks had passed, things getting worse in his head and frustrating him, and making him feel anger that he had to bottle up, he was shocked but lit up by a random text from none other than Chie. ◛”Hey boo~ Long time no chat, ne? I heard you’re on the volleyball team. That’s kind of sexy, ya know? I was thinking about coming down to your practice tonight to come say hi. We haven’t talked in so long. You don’t hate me, right?”◛

Takeo stared down at the text for a solid minute. Why Chie was texting him after four months of being broken up was beyond him. And why was she flirting with him through this text? Wasn’t she happy with some new guy in her life?

Takeo wasn’t the same when he arrived to practice, Chie just sitting on some bleachers with her legs crossed in confidence, smiling and giving a “cutesy-finger” wave at Takeo when she saw him. He blankly stared back, his chest thudding, but managed to wave and went into the locker room where he got ready, his mind going in a million circles over the situation. Why was she here? Was she planning something?

Takeo still did his best to perform well during the practice regardless of the distraction of his ex being there, and he did pretty well too. He didn’t even look at Hiro anymore when he had the ball, knowing it wouldn’t be passed to him. He just over-concentrated, trying not to let his eyes travel over to the pretty girl watching him in the bottom gym bleachers.

When practice was over, Chie got up and walked over to a corner, turned to look at Takeo, and curled a finger in to beckon him to her. Takeo swallowed hard, his knees feeling like jelly, but the big lug of a guy managed to walk over there. ”Wow~ You were fantastic. I’m so proud of you for behaving so well to stay on this team! Don’t tell me some other girl has noticed your prowess and snatched you up?” Takeo blinked, a blush coming to his face. Prowess? Why did Chie always use words like that? ”Uhh, no offense Chie, but...What do you want?” Chie smiled up at him and sighed, a finger curling in her hair. ”You, boo~” Takeo took a second to take in what she said, and suddenly his nose scrunched and his jaw clenched. ”Don’t play around with me. You broke up with me because I wasn’t good enough remember? Whatever happened to the Mr. Perfect you left me for?” Chie sniffled, as if to cry. She was really good at fake-crying. But Takeo bought it every time, for he didn’t know any better. ”That guy? He’s a loser. He was nothing like I thought he was but I’m ******** glad I dated him!” She was lying. Hiro never accepted her proposal to date him. At this point, she was making up a fake story for Takeo to eat. ”Because dating him made me see what a huge mistake I made. I miss you, boo~ My Takeo~”

Takeo stared down at her in a mixture of fury and confusion, which made quite an interesting face indeed. But Chie knew what that face meant, and it meant she was on the path to getting what she wanted. It would just take some work. ”I don’t know what to think right now.” Chie smiled softly and looked up at him. ”I know. I hurt you. But I want you to think about it. Think about us, ne?” She slipped her hands onto his shoulders and used her tippy-toes to place a little kiss on Takeo’s cheek. ”I want you back. I’m gonna go for now. But lets meet up tomorrow night, okay?” She stepped back. ”And by the way: I heard about what you did for me when Hotaka was saying bad things about me. This is why you’re sweet. You always do such brave things.” And there she goes again: saying things to make Takeo feel special. Things no one else bothered to do. She blew a kiss and walked away, hips gently swaying.

But Takeo didn’t know what he was feeling. Chie had hurt him, and even though she was just as beautiful as the day she left him, looking at her no longer had the same effect. Her face was now associated with the feeling of utter disappointment. But on the other hand, a woman was just what he needed right now. With all the crazy things his brain had been doing lately, the confusion he’d been dealing with, it seemed like taking Chie back might be a smart thing. No other girl wanted him, so who else really was there in the world for Takeo? Maybe just a good lay and someone telling him he’s an alright guy would put his mind back into shape. And perhaps he’d be able to focus on volleyball even better.

He walked back into the locker room, eyes dazed in further confusion. Should he set himself up for another possible heartbreak? Or should he do the thing that will straighten him out again and get him bath on a cloudless path to his goals? His eyes glanced over toward Hiro, but then he quickly looked away, heading toward his locker.




[[]]

♞ ◛

[hinedere]

Cupcake Latte

xxxx≫≫❜ NOW ONLY YOUR FORCE ♛ ♛ ♛ IS MOVING MY FEET
xxxxxxxxxxx■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
xxxxxxxxxxx↷ PULLING ME ON WITH YOU ▬ RESTLESSLY ▬▬▬▬ ♛
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxall I feel's at homexxxxxskin & bonesxxxxxskin & bones
xoooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxall I feel's at homexxxxxskin & bonesxxxxxskin & bones
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Hiro finally felt like things were going to be good for him.

The coach had evaluated the performance of everyone on the team, and no one was really surprised when Takeo and Hiro were the only ones to pass. The four members that had been dead weight since the start of the school year were either completely kicked off, or given some other type of job...like bringing water out to the players or cleaning the gym for them when they left. But being ON the team? No. The coach had given Hiro the go-ahead to start looking for new members, and once the volleyball team began advertising that they were open for business, waves of applicants rolled through like a category 3 hurricane.

In that time, Hiro had sought the expertise of one of his childhood friends, Shun Kuriyama. Shun was athletic and had a calm spirit. But when he got out onto the court, his receives were flawless. Nagisa Sogo was one of Hiro's classmates. The guy had seriously bleached his hair white to make a statement; most Japanese looked the same unless they did something outlandish to themselves. Off the court, he was glued to his phone. On the court? He was a good jumper and fairly nimble. He would dive for balls even if his knees got bruised. Takeo had some influence, too, since bringing in FOUR people individually was just too much work. Takeo scouted Kabura Saburou, who used to be on the basketball team. Hiro remembered watching their games and thinking that the guy was talented. He had that "popular guy" air to him that magnetized people. Hiro wasn't familiar with Odo, a short, scrawny guy that he was sure would be a libero, but he figured that Takeo wouldn't have pulled him onto the team had it not been a good fit.

Their first practice was up and Hiro was excited. He wanted to go through the routine with the new set of faces. But right when he arrived (early, as usual) to the gym, Chie stepped out and greeted him. His blood went cold and he pressed his teeth together. "What are you doing here?" he asked, not impressed by her cutesy outfit or the look in her eyes. To Hiro, Chie was like a ghost that sucked the energy from others. He couldn't see her any other way since he knew for a fact that she had no problem cheating on someone. Hell, she had no problem using people either. That was just her thing. And Hiro wanted no part of it anymore.

"Hiro-chan, I heard you had practice today!" she smiled at him like she had in the past, but his heart would require an icepick before he would feel anything for her again.

"I told you when I broke things off with you the first time that I didn't want you around anymore," he said sternly, not in the mood for the games that Chie liked to play.

She giggled and Hiro struggled to tell whether or not the girl was just doing these types of things for attention or if she was just mentally ill. "I'm not here for you, silly~" she smiled and cutely dug the front of her shoe into the ground. "I'm looking for Takeo~"

Suddenly the collected Hiro was not so collected. He grabbed her shoulder and stared at her intensely. "My teammates aren't going to become pawns for your sick games," he growled.

Chie lifted his hand from her shoulder as if it was disease ridden. "Honey, didn't your mother ever teach you not to put your hands on a lady?" Hiro's brow creased and he bit into his cheek. Hiro backed away from her but held her gaze, his own hazel eyes storming.

"Just stay away from my team." With that, he pushed past her and closed the door behind him. Hiro heard her giggling but decided to take his anger out on the ball.





Practice went as smoothly as Hiro could've imagined. Except for the rosy cheeked demon (and by demon, he meant Chie) who had decided to ruin it for him. She sat at the top of the bleachers as they maneuvered around the court. Hiro would glance at Takeo, who he noticed was glancing at Chie. The rage built in him steadily and he smashed the ball over the net, not even bothering to give his teammates a chance at a pass. Her presence was irritating to Hiro, but once he got into a rhythm with his teammates, he had forgotten her.

But once their practice was over, Takeo gravitated toward her. Hiro couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could see the look on Takeo's face. It made him wonder what their relationship was, exactly.

When Takeo was done with their conversation and Chie had left, the team regrouped in the locker. Everyone chattered happily over the practice match except for Hiro and Takeo. And then out of the blue Shun was next to him.

"So how are things with you and Chie? She came to watch your game today?"

The question cut through the silence that was forming as the teammates showered. Hiro sighed and ran a hand through his newly wet hair.

"Things didn't work out. I got a glimpse of her phone one evening and found out she was using me to cheat on some other guy."

Shun seemed to relate. "Ouch. That was probably the worst thing she could've done, eh? You hate people like that."

Hiro was thankful that someone who understood him so well was on the team, but he was still concerned over why Chie needed to see Takeo. He hoped it was just a gut feeling gone wrong, but was Takeo the "boo" that Chie had been dating when she approached Hiro?
████ #f14d28 ████ #3954aa

[Cupcake Latte]

l Rikka l

X
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The junior's mind was buzzing, going over every pro and con there could possibly be to taking Chie back. On one hand, they had a good thing going while it was going. Sure they had fought, but so do all couples. And she always bloated his ego to make him feel special and like he was worth something to someone. And his father hated her, and nothing pleased Takeo more than pissing off his father. But on the other hand, relationships restarted with an ex rarely worked. If she could lose interest in him once, she probably would again. But his mind had been such mush, clouded by things he didn't understand that haunted him, that dating Chie seemed like the thing that would fix him. And as he showered and thought about it more and more, the more it seemed like taking Chie back would be smart. As minutes passed, the poor guy began to feel better; enlightened, even. A jovial skip of his heartbeat thudded in his chest, and he thought about how he was looking forward to seeing her tomorrow night. He realized that perhaps if he controlled his anger, they would maybe actually last this time! After all, volleyball was helping him keep his temper in check. Hiro had a hand in that, too.

But all the happy thoughts, the optimism, and the pep in his attitude were ceased when Shun's voice rang over the sound of falling water. Takeo paused, his breath hitched as he listened to the conversation. Chie had at one point had something with Hiro? And he was the "other man" to someone Chie was dating?! Was this recent?! Did Chie cheat on the guy she left Takeo for, or?! For one, he didn't know if he believed at first that Chie would cheat. Yeah, she was a spicy girl with few morals but that kind of thing seemed beneath even her! The feeling as if thick, hot tar bubbled in his gut, and he almost felt sick. This changed everything, right when he had thought everything would be fixed and set straight, in more than one way.

But the worst and most potent feeling was that he could have been betrayed...by the one person that made him feel like he was at least a semi-decent guy. It couldn't be true, but the thoughts haunted him like a vengeful ghost as he waited for everyone to be gone, leaving just he and Hiro alone in the locker room, leaving soon. "So you had a thing with Chie-san, eh?" he asked, dressed back in his clothes and closing his locker door, eyes glancing over at Hiro. When Hiro responded, a pang hit him in his chest. "Ah...When?...If you don't mind me asking...' When his teammate gave him the answer he needed, a loud metallic sound rang throughout the locker room when the padded side of Takeo's fist hit into the closed door of his locker, paused there after the impact. But he wasn't angry at Hiro, he was just torn. He thought that even though he and Chie ended, that what they had while they were still together was good and had a strange purity. But it was all busted in his face now. He had been duped, made a fool of, used, disrespected, and so many other things. "And the texts you saw..." he continued, fist still pressed to the locker, head down, and voice weak. He sounded defeated. "Was the guy labeled 'boo'?"

When Hiro cautiously answered, Takeo's hand slid down the cold metal, and he turned around letting his back lean upon the locker with his head still down. "That was me." Takeo let his knees bend, and his back slid down the metal of the locker until his hind end met the floor, head down with hair over his eyes. Usually, he would never show this kind of weakness in front of another person. But what could he so when he felt like the wind was knocked out of him? "You must be the guy she left me for..." A hand trailed up and cupped his forehead, elbow leaning in his upbent knee. A long silence filled the room as Takeo comprehended the level of treatery that had happened to him. "She asked me to take her back earlier....Can you ******** believe that I was actually gonna do it?" Takeo grabbed the stick if deodorant in his sports bag next to him and flung it hard into the bottom area of the lockers opposite if him. His eyes looked fierce with turmoil and rage, clouded with the look of remorse.






[[]]

♞ ◛

[hinedere]

Cupcake Latte

xxxx≫≫❜ NOW ONLY YOUR FORCE ♛ ♛ ♛ IS MOVING MY FEET
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xxxxxxxxxxx↷ PULLING ME ON WITH YOU ▬ RESTLESSLY ▬▬▬▬ ♛
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxall I feel's at homexxxxxskin & bonesxxxxxskin & bones
xoooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxall I feel's at homexxxxxskin & bonesxxxxxskin & bones
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After practice, once the guys had left (and naturally, Hiro and Takeo were the only ones lingering behind) Hiro discovered that Takeo was in fact the "other guy."

He felt a pang in his chest that he didn't understand as Takeo slid to the floor helplessly. For once, Takeo didn't seem like the strong, reckless man that Hiro had grown to know him as. Now he looked broken in a way that even Hiro felt sorry for. Hiro flinched slightly as Takeo threw his deodorant, the plastic base smacking against the lockers opposite Takeo. It clattered to the floor and slid off beneath one of the bench seats. Hiro had to come up with something, and so before he knew it, he was extending his hand to the fallen Takeo.

"I just bought a few cases of beer," he said, more of an offer than a statement. Their hands clasped together and Hiro helped his companion up. He knew all too well how vindictive women could be. Not long before Chie had taken advantage of Hiro, he had also seen the crueler side of women. Sure, Hiro had that playboy persona. He would mess around here and there with someone so long as they were interested. But that type of behavior had gotten him into a lot of trouble. He had women making up stories that even Hiro couldn't fathom. One had tried pinning a pregnancy on him when he knew for a fact it was a lie because they hadn't even engaged in sex!

And so now, as they sat in Hiro's small dorm room with a cold case of beer before them, Hiro was determined to make Takeo feel better.

He grabbed a beer and popped it open, passing it to his ghost of a teammate. Ever since they had left the school grounds, Takeo had just been mopey. But Hiro understood the feelings well.

"I'm sorry. If I had known in the beginning when she approached me..." Hiro didn't know how to finish that sentence. He had realized after a week, when her spotty behavior had caused him to question her motives.

"I honestly gave up on girls after her," he stated calmly, swirling his beer as he talked. "Everyone on campus pins me as the 'go-to' guy when they wanna just mess around and not commit. I was fine with that for a long time, but the stress that comes with those flings got to me."

He sighed and took a swig of his drink. A few hours passed and Hiro was laying on the floor of his room, gazing at Takeo. Why did he get these weird feelings when he was around the guy? Seeing Takeo suffering so much because of Chie not only angered him, but made him want to embrace Takeo! He wanted to make the poor spiker forget about what he thought he had with Chie. The thoughts confused Hiro, but not nearly as much as they used to. In fact, over the past few weeks of recruiting, Hiro had grown really fond of Takeo. Maybe at times Takeo would get angry or struggle with something, or they would bicker, but Hiro hadn't had a close friend in quite some time. The curse of being popular AND being the one that people messed around with (and only messed around with) was wearing Hiro down faster than a tough match up.

Once the beers had been drank, and the two were pretty much the legal definition of drunk, Hiro dropped his guard. "To hell with women," he mumbled as he crunched a can in between his hands. "Takeo-kun, you should just do what I do. Women are too difficult to deal with. They have all these complicated feelings and they backstab so quickly. I want to try something different..."

He rolled over onto his side and looked at Takeo thoughtfully. "You and I would be good together," he chuckled, making the statement sound like a joke. Hiro was obviously drunk and he wasn't sure if the brunette spiker would take him seriously. But all Hiro could think about was how deep the color went in Takeo's eyes, and how the guy was seriously built for his age. Takeo wasn't feminine at all, and that's exactly what Hiro liked about him.

Takeo gave Hiro an odd look. The setter's stomach scrunched up and he tried to fake a smile, chuckling nervously. "It was a joke...right?" he smirked, but he couldn't look at Takeo anymore, and the blush returned to his face. He got up and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"We need more beer or something!" he decided, walking unstably over to the fridge to grab some more.

████ #f14d28 ████ #3954aa