Notes from Neko-san

Shouyou pulls at the bow with a final tug before leaning back to admire his handiwork. There’s probably about a 50% chance that the note will stay in place, and even less likely that Neko’s owner will reply. Shouyou shrugs, moving to sit on the cushion next to Neko. Oh well. He can at least say that he tried.
Moving to Tokyo has been awesome, if a bit unpredictable.
The day that he settles into his apartment, a cat named Neko turns up on his windowsill. Shouyou begins communicating with its owner via messenger cat—tying notes around Neko’s collar. It takes a few exchanges, but Shouyou eventually coaxes Neko’s owner into telling him their name: Tobio.
Meanwhile at his new job, one of his bosses, Suga, seems insistent that Shouyou pursue one of their regulars. Kageyama is attractive, sure, but wouldn't it be unprofessional to date a client?
As Shouyou finds himself falling for both of them, who will he choose? Gruff but sweet Neko-owning Tobio? Or awkward but hot volleyball-playing Kageyama?

Notes:

For ForLoveOfLiberTea.

Original prompt:
And they were neighbors! (Oh my god, they were neighbors.) Hinata recently moved to Tokyo and he's become infatuated with the fluffy cat he sees at his neighbor's window. He starts putting up notes asking after the cat, and, later, his even cuter neighbor, Kageyama.
I ended up adjusting the prompt a bit, but I hope you still enjoy!
A cultural difference to note: Christmas in Japan is more a couple's holiday than a family-oriented one.
---
Please check out this GORGEOUS STUNNING SPECTACULAR ART by Sam!! 🥺🥺💕💕 I'm gonna glue it to my forehead!!!!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Shouyou grins as he slides the final stack of plates into the cabinet. A rush of victory swoops through him as he takes a step back, admiring the empty boxes strewn about the kitchen floor. Not only did he unload all of his material possessions into his new apartment, he finished unpacking them, too—all in a single day. His muscles ache from hauling everything into the house, and he knows he’s going to wake up tomorrow feeling sore in every obscure nook and cranny, but it’ll be a gratifying soreness—like the days at the gym where he knows he’s pushed his limits higher.

Shouyou walks into the living room and flops gracelessly onto his favorite, outrageously yellow couch (donated graciously to him by his parents). He lets his body melt into the cushions, the last of his energy leaving him like water down the drain.

After a minute, Shouyou pulls his phone out of his pocket. He clears his notifications and sends off a few texts, including one to his mom to let her know that he’s finished. She replies back instantly.

From: 💕Mom💕

Very exciting! Send pictures!

What are you going to do with your day off before work starts tomorrow? [17:43]

Shouyou smiles; he knew that she’d ask for photos, so he took some as he was finishing up each room. He attaches them to the thread, sending them off with a fwoosh.

To: 💕Mom💕

<5 images attached>

Hmm, not sure yet. Maybe go to work just to check out the space [17:44]

Shouyou drops his phone to his chest and glances up at the ceiling. He should probably get groceries tonight so that he doesn’t starve, but maybe he can order out instead. A celebratory bowl of ramen. Then, once he’s rested, he can spend all of tomorrow doing the weekly-type errands. And then, if he has time, he can stop in at his new place of work. Shouyou nods to himself, satisfied with this conclusion. His phone buzzes on his chest just as he’s wrapped up that train of thought.

From 💕Mom💕:

You overachiever!! Well, whatever you do, it’s not everyday that you move to Tokyo for the first time, you know? ;) Do something fun! [17:45]

Shouyou huffs a laugh; his mom is so cute. He sends her a Will do ! (´• ω •`) ♡ before switching to Chrome. He’ll start on her quest tonight by finding the best ramen shop within biking distance.

Swiping through all his options on Google, a rush of giddiness runs through him from head to toe. While he loves his parents to death, he’s finally got his own apartment! In Tokyo! With a new, well-paying job! His hands come to rest on his warm cheeks as he cracks a wide grin.

The world has always been his oyster, but now it’s even bigger—like a giant clam. And he’s excited as hell to explore what it has to offer.

🐱

Shouyou steps out of the shower with a renewed sense of vigor. He spent the morning biking store to store around Tokyo, gathering groceries and other miscellaneous things until the bungee cords on his bike rack were nearly bursting. He loves biking, but Japanese summers are apparently just as unkind in Tokyo as in Miyagi, and he really needed to rinse off before popping into work. Just because he’s going to be constantly sweaty on the job doesn’t meanthat he should look like a wreck during his first meeting with his supervisors!

Shouyou pads downstairs freshly dressed—not his best training clothes (those are for tomorrow) but pretty damn close. He heads into the kitchen and uncaps the rice cooker, the smell of fresh cooked grains pleasantly filling his lungs. Scooping some into a bowl, he stirs in two eggs before heading over to his dining room table. Plopping down in the seat, he utters a quick Itadakimasu before topping off the rice with soy sauce and digging in, the corners of his mouth turning up upon the first bite. Delicious and simple—there is no food more perfect.

Shouyou tries not to use his phone when he eats, so he lets his mind wander, one thought bleeding easily into another. His eyes eventually land on the front window, which overlooks the glorious sight of his apartment complex’s parking lot. Other than that, though, he really managed to snag the perfect flat. Not only is it worth the price, but it’s only a ten minute bike ride away from his work. It’s also in a bit of a secluded area of the city—not quite a suburb, but mostly surrounded by other apartment complexes—so he has some space to breathe. And the cherry on top: it’s only two stories high, and his lease extends to both floors.

The height of luxury.

Turning his attention back to his food, Shouyou shoves the last few bites of rice into his mouth before springing up from his seat. He quickly washes and dries his dishes before grabbing his bike keys, ready to head out.

He’s bending over to reknot his shoelaces in the genkan when he hears a light tap tap tap echo throughout the house. Standing, Shouyou cocks his head, brows furrowed. The sound was too quiet and far away to be coming from the front door in front of him, but he opens it anyways, just to be sure. As expected, he’s met with nothing.

Closing the door, Shouyou toes off his shoes, stepping back onto the main floor of the apartment. What the hell? Did something happen to his plumbing or heating already? He read a bunch of reviews online for this complex, and they were all so positive, but maybe he’s been—

Tap tap tap. The sound happens again, and Shouyou stiffens, head whipping to its source. But as he pins his gaze to the front window, the tension in his body gives way to massive confusion.

Because, sitting on the other side of the window, there’s a cat.

Catching Shouyou’s eye, the cat meows long and steady, easily heard even through the glass. Shouyou walks over to the pane, crouching down to its eye level. He relaxes his brow before speaking.

“Hello?”

The cat stares at him blankly for a few moments before scraping its claws against the window again. Tap tap tap.

“You want ... to come in?”

The cat does not reply, simply staring down Shouyou with a level gaze. Shouyou stands, and the cat’s gaze follows him. Its eyes are a deep green that fades to a lighter shade around the edges—as rich as a forest canopy.

It meows again, snapping Shouyou out of his thoughts. He’s not entirely sure why he does it, considering it’s a cat and it never actually answered him, but Shouyou unlocks the window, the clasp flipping open with a clunk.

Its long, black coat shimmers in the light as it hops down from the windowsill, padding across the floor like it owns the place. It pauses in front of the couch, pink nose twitching, before hopping up. Tucking its tail around its paws, the cat settles into a perfect little ball on the cushion closest to the window. It flicks its eyes up to Shouyou for a few moments before slipping shut.

Even though the cat’s ignoring him now, Shouyou continues staring at it, flabbergasted. Is this a dream? He rubs his eyes then blinks them open, but the cat’s still there.

It’s not like Shouyou minds cats. He’s never owned one, but he’d always pet the neighborhood kitties whenever he was on his morning jogs. But he doesn’t think that he’s ever met a cat that’s so ... casual. It didn’t even act like it wanted something from him, like pets or a treat; it just jumped up on the couch like it owned the place. Like Shouyou was in its apartment, rather than the other way around.

Shouyou treads back over to the genkan, head turned over his shoulder to watch the cat. But, beyond the flick of an ear, it doesn’t stir. Shrugging, Shouyou sits down on the floor and ties up his shoelaces. It’s not like the cat is doing any harm. He doesn’t mind it taking an afternoon nap on his couch. He’ll leave the window open, and maybe by the time he gets back from the gym, it’ll be gone.

Satisfied, Shouyou grabs his bag off the coat rack and skips out the door.

🐱

Shouyou’s bike squeaks to a halt next to the bike rack at the gym. God, he really should install new brake pads soon. He hops off his seat and locks up his frame and back tire.

Taking a few steps back, he stares, awestruck, at the front facade of the building. Karasuno Gymnasium is in a more metropolitan area of Tokyo—squeezed nicely in between a restaurant and a high-end toy store. The building has glass windows from floor to ceiling and stretches up at least ten stories high. The gym itself is only the first three floors—the top floors are, like, business workstations or whatever—but still, three floors is a lot of space for a gym.

Stepping through the front door, Shouyou marvels at the aesthetic of the inside, too. He’s seen pictures online, but the minimalist decor and limited color palette of orange, black, and silver is just very pleasing to the eye. Orange is a great color in general, makes him feel like he could do fifty push ups straight. (His record is actually sixty four, but fifty is still a lot!)

“Can I help you?”

Shouyou rips his gaze away from the ceiling. To the left side of the room, a blond man is sitting behind a desk, an incredibly bored expression on his face.

“Uh, um, hi!” Shouyou chirps. He feels a wave of embarrassment wash over him—his future coworker was just watching him gawk around the room like a child! “My name’s Hinata Shouyou, and I start working here tomorrow!”

The blond raises an eyebrow. “Then why are you here now?”

Shouyou flushes again, a bit of irritation in the mix. This guy must have the most giant stick up his ass. Before he can reply, though, another voice cuts through the air, coming from the far wall.

“Now, now, Tsukishima, be nice to Hinata.” A man with the biggest thighs Shouyou has ever seen walks around the corner, and he instantly recognizes him as Daichi, whom Shouyou did his video interview with. His energy is just as pleasant yet commanding an air of respect in person as it was through Skype.

“Hi, Daichi-san!” Shouyou walks over towards him, and Daichi smiles softly, raising an eyebrow.

“Hinata, I told you that you don’t have to be so formal with me.”

Shouyou stops a pace away, pursing his lips. “But you already go by your first name. It would just feel too”—Shouyou gesticulates furiously—“to talk to my boss without honorifics, too!”

Daichi laughs and claps Shouyou on the shoulder. “You know, it’s appreciated, Hinata.” Daichi gazes into the middle distance, eyes unfocusing. “Not everyone who works here has such good manners like you.”

“Hey, you’re not talking about me now, are you, Daichi?” a new voice sounds from behind. Shouyou looks over his shoulder and sees the prettiest man he’s ever seen in his life—lean muscled but clearly toned, with ash blond hair and a beauty mark on his cheek. Gorgeous man walks over next to Daichi, slinging an arm around his shoulder.

“Suga, please don’t traumatize our new trainer before he’s even started the job,” Daichi says with exasperated fondness. Shouyou immediately bets $50 to himself that Suga and Daichi are a couple.

Suga swings his arm off Daichi, offering his hand to Shouyou. “I’m Sugawara, but everyone calls me Suga. Daichi’s the big boss man, but I’m his enigmatic co-founder.” Shouyou smiles at this, shaking Suga’s hand.

“Hello! It’s nice to meet you! I’m Hinata, and I’m super excited to start tomorrow!” Shouyou drops his hand, a blush creeping up his neck. “I just realized. Should I have, like, called ahead of time? I don’t start till tomorrow, but I just really wanted to take a look around the gym, but now I’m taking away time from both you and Daichi—”

Suga shakes his head, smiling. Shouyou thinks that this is what an angel probably looks like. “No worries, Hinata. You came at the perfect time when both of us were taking our afternoon break.” He looks over to Daichi, raising his eyebrows as if encouraging him to continue. Daichi raises a brow back.

“I have to get back to my office soon, and I’ll be helping you learn the ropes of the place all of tomorrow. But if you just wanna look around and get situated with the layout of the gym and such today, please, go ahead.” Shouyou nods vigorously, and Daichi smiles.

“Very nice to meet you, Hinata, and if you have any questions about the facilities today, ask Tsukishima.” Daichi’s eyes flit to the reception desk. “He normally runs our events with seniors, but everyone who works here works the desk at least once a week, as well. So he’ll know what you’re asking about, equipment wise, if you need anything.” Shouyou hears Tsukishima behind him grumble something, but even stick-up-his-ass man can’t dampen Shouyou’s ebullient mood.

“Roger that!” Shouyou says, giving a thumbs up. “Thank you so much! I’ll see you tomorrow!” He knows that he’s laying on the exclamations hard, but he can’t help it—he’s really excited! Daichi and Suga give him a wave goodbye and then turn down the hallway that they came from. That hallway likely heads to a suite of offices, so Shouyou heads the opposite direction, hoping to find where the action happens.

As expected, the floor opens up into a multipurpose sport room—the hardwood, lacquered floors painted with various colored stripes. Currently at the far end of the room, a volleyball net’s set up. Shouyou’s heart kicks into gear—volleyball! His childhood through college sport! Then his gaze catches on the man standing at the end line of the court, and his heart pitter-patters even faster.

Even from this distance, Shouyou can tell that he’s tall and buff, his muscles filling out his clothes in full. He spins a volleyball between his hands, his gaze set intensely on the other end of the court. Ball stopping between his palms, the man tosses it high in the air. He’s gonna hit a jump serve!

The man brings his arm down hard, and, in the blink of an eye, the ball’s slamming into the back right corner of the court. Shouyou’s brows fly up, jaw dropping, and a hungry thrill rushes through him. He doesn't know if he could’ve received that. But, damn, does he want to try.

The man leans over with his hands on his knees, squinting fiercely at the other half of the court. He’s heaving, sweat trailing down his face and arms and back. Shouyou continues ogling, both impressed with the man himself and the serve that he just hit, when the man’s gaze flits over to him. His brows furrow deeper, as though he didn’t realize that Shouyou was around until now. Shouyou smiles at him and walks over.

“Hello!” he starts. “That was an amazing serve!”

The man stands to his full height—yep, definitely taller than Shouyou—and stares down at him blankly. “Uh. Thank you,” he says, his voice rich and deep and awkward. Shouyou’s heart flutters again—oh my god, he’s shy! His smile stretches wider; he loves talking to the awkward ones—getting introverts to open up bit by bit is, like, one of his joys in life.

“My name’s Hinata; I start work here tomorrow!” He offers a hand. “And you are?”

The man stares at Shouyou’s hand before taking it in a firm—probably too firm—grip. “Kageyama.” Shouyou privately marvels at how much bigger Kageyama’s hand is than his, giving it an appropriate-strength squeeze before pulling back.

“So, Kageyama-san,” Shouyou starts, and Kageyama wrinkles his nose.

“Kageyama is fine,” he says brusquely.

Shouyou nods, undeterred. “So, Kageyama, are you on one of the teams that plays here regularly?” According to its website, Karasuno Gymnasium is incredibly multipurpose—offering individual sessions, group fitness, and team sports at a variety of times, as well as just functioning as a normal gym.

“Yes.” He offers no further explanation.

“Well, I’ll be refereeing games from time to time,” Shouyou says, clasping his hands behind his back. “So I’m sure I’ll see you around!” He winks for good measure.

Kageyama nods stiffly, and then his gaze flits over to the ball at the other end of the court. Shouyou decides to wrap it up so that poor, awkward Kageyama doesn’t have to try to worm himself out of this conversation.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it! Have a good rest of your practice!” Shouyou cracks one of his winning smiles and thinks he sees Kageyama’s ears redden. He shouldn’t be so flirtatious with clients, but, well, he hasn’t started work yet.

Shouyou walks out of the gym and hops up to the next floor—a weight room, full of a bunch of modern lifting machines. The third and final story has an array of rooms for things like group training sessions or private meditation suites. Shouyou peaks his head into the open doors and is filled with excitement at every room. God, this place is so awesome! And he’s allowed to come in on his off hours and after hours. He’s gonna practically be living here; he can feel it.

Shouyou makes his way back to the lobby and down the other hallway—he actually has a question that Daichi and only Daichi can answer. He stops before the door that has Daichi’s name plastered to its surface. Peeking through the window, he sees Daichi at his desk, typing away at his computer. Shouyou knocks, and Daichi glances over, eyebrows lifting. He gestures for Shouyou to step in, so he does.

“Sorry for the interruption, Daichi-san,” he starts, and Daichi shakes his head.

“No trouble, Hinata. Did you finish checking out the gym?”

“Yep!” Shouyou chirps, nodding. “It’s sooo nice, oh my gosh. Way nicer and bigger than my last place. That’s not to say that I didn’t like my old gym—I liked it a lot—but you guys have so many new types of equipment and stuff that it’s just really—” Shouyou gesticulates wildly, and Daichi laughs.

“I’m happy to see that you’re already so into it. The clientele here also tend to be pretty nice as well, so I hope that your work experience is just as good as it all looks.”

Shouyou drops his hands and smiles. “Thank you for having me! I do have a little question for you, though.”

Daichi gestures at him, palm up. “The floor is yours.”

Shouyou grins again, then shifts his weight to his other foot. “So I know that my schedule varies pretty week-to-week depending on what I’m doing or running, but that there’s an hour long lunch break in it at some point every day.” Daichi nods, so Shouyou continues, “Am I allowed to leave the building during my break?”

The side of Daichi’s lips turn up into a smirk. “Hinata, we’re not your jailers. Of course you can go. You can do whatever you want during your break.”

Shouyou chuckles awkwardly. “Oh, okay. I just didn’t want to leave if you guys needed me on call or something! I just might want to leave a couple times a week to make a fresh lunch and whatnot at my apartment—I really like to cook.”

“Now, you can only do that if you bring some back for the rest of us, Hinata-kun.” Shouyou nearly jumps out of his skin at the voice behind him, shuffling to the side of the room and staring at the door. It’s Suga, who’s wearing the most devilish grin on his face.

“R-really?” Shouyou asks, eyes blown wide. He doesn’t mind making extras for his co-workers, but he might ask them to pay their share in the grocery bill. Daichi sighs, shaking his head.

“Hinata, something that I need you to learn early on is that—unless it’s about gym-related matters—you should never believe anything that Suga says. If you’re not on guard at all times, he’ll rope you into one of his schemes before you even realize you’ve agreed to it.”

“Awh, Daaaaichi, you’re so mean to me,” Suga whines, pouting. “Do you not want a fresh cooked meal from someone like Hinata-kun?” He walks over to Shouyou and grabs his shoulder, squeezing. “He couldn’t have gains this big if he weren’t also a master chef! Eating and working out are two sides of the same coin!”

Shouyou sputters, face lighting on fire, as Daichi levels Suga with an unamused stare. “Suga. We work at a gym. We are all what you’d call ‘hunks.’” Daichi sighs for the four hundredth time that afternoon. “And please let go of Hinata. At this rate, he’s gonna turn in his two weeks before he’s even started work because of you.”

Shouyou waves his hands in the air frantically. “No, no, it’s fine! Suga-san, you flatter me. My cooking is just okay.”

Suga gives Shouyou a wink and then lets go of his arm. “Sure.”

“And don’t worry, Daichi-san; if I ever decide to leave, I promise it’s not happening today!” Shouyou scratches at his temple, abashed. “Thank you both for being so open and friendly. I have a feeling that I’m really gonna love it here.”

Daichi gives him a soft smile. “I’m glad, Hinata.”

With that, they exchange final pleasantries, and Shouyou slips out the door of the office, Suga closing the door behind him with a smirk. Okay, $100 that they’re dating now. He wonders how high the number will climb before he gets a concrete confirmation about his bosses’ relationship status.

Shouyou hops on his bike and pedals home quickly, desperate to be out of the blazing summer heat. He makes it to his front door step drenched in sweat, but it’s nothing that a quick rinse can’t fix.

Shouyou steps into the genkan and slips off his shoes before heading to the kitchen for a drink of water. He was so excited to go to the gym that he’d forgotten to bring his water bottle. How shameful! Hydrate or die!

Shouyou’s filling up his glass at the sink when his eyes wander upwards to look through the serving hatch. He nearly drops his cup when his eyes land on a black ball of fur, a stark contrast against his bright couch. The cat! Shouyou turns off the water and heads towards it surreptitiously.

It’s still asleep from what Shouyou can tell, not having moved an inch from the spot it established earlier either. Shouyou squats down next to it and startles when its green eyes blink open. It stares at him for a moment before letting out a long yawn, teeth flashing.

“Hello, kitty,” Shouyou says, raising his hand in front of its face. Its nose twitches a few times before it leans forward, rubbing its cheek against Shouyou’s fingers. Shouyou scratches his pointer finger under its chin, and it starts to purr quietly.

“You’re a good...” Shouyou trails off, realizing he doesn’t know its gender. “Cat, aren’t you?” The cat doesn’t reply, rubbing itself harder against his hand. Shouyou feels something wet on his finger, and he flinches away. Did it just drool on him?

Avoiding the danger zone, Shouyou moves to pet its head. The cat tips its head back as he scratches down its scalp, purrs growing louder. Shouyou notices something gleam on its neck and his eyebrows shoot up. A collar? He must’ve missed it under all of its fur.

Shouyou uses his non-scritching hand to feel for the collar, eventually trailing down to the hook on the front. He pushes back a tuft of fur to reveal a tiny, golden nameplate.

Neko.

Shouyou snorts, lips twisting incredulously. Who names a cat “Cat”?

He flips the nameplate over, and his brows furrow when his gaze meets smooth metal. No phone number? Shouyou hums, frowning. So he can’t contact its owner?

He scratches at Neko for a few more moments, the gears in his head turning. As he does, Neko flips onto its back and wriggles, paws tucked elegantly against its chest. Shouyou hesitates before pressing his hand against its stomach—don’t cats hate being touched there?—but Neko starts purring louder and wriggling against him. He strokes its belly a few times (it’s incredibly soft; he’s never touched a cat’s fur down here before) before an idea finally pops into his mind.

Standing, Shouyou goes into the kitchen and opens the shit drawer. (Yes, he already has a shit drawer after moving in less than a day ago because he knows it’d happen naturally anyways, so he gave it a kickstart.) Spotting a pad of sticky notes and a pen, Shouyou plucks a leaf off and writes:

08/18/2021

Hi Neighbor,

Your cat came into my apartment today. I don't mind them being here, but just letting you know. I’m in apartment 1432. Also, and I mean this kindly, why don't you have a phone # on the collar? What if Neko actually got lost?

Best,

Your Neighbor

Neko showed up at his apartment first; he’s allowed to be a little nosy and ask questions.

Pulling a ball of twine and scissors out of the shit drawer, Shouyou snips off a piece and heads back to the living room, supplies in hand. Neko’s sitting upright, now, its dainty little paws perfectly aligned next to each other on the couch cushion.

“Hello again, Neko ... chan?” Shouyou frowns, unhappy with the way that just rolled off of his tongue. It’s typical for animals to have the “-chan” honorific, but Neko is just so ... poised and regal. He feels uncomfortable speaking to her so casually, like he did with Daichi.

“Neko-san, then,” Shouyou says, smiling. He crouches down in front of her again, their eyes meeting at the same level. “Would you be so kind as to let me fiddle with your collar for a sec?”

Neko stares at him, then blinks. Shouyou brings a finger up, and it immediately rubs his face on him again, its fur soft against his skin. He gives it a couple more scritches before reaching behind it, twine and Sticky Note at the ready. Neko seems unbothered, letting out a chirrup as he quickly ties the note to the back of its collar.

Shouyou pulls at the bow with a final tug before leaning back to admire his handiwork. There’s probably about a 50% chance that it’ll stay in place, and even less likely that Neko’s owner will reply. Shouyou shrugs, moving to sit on the cushion next to Neko. Oh well. He can at least say that he tried.

Shouyou pulls out his phone and rests his hand on his stomach to scroll when a shock of black fur clouds his vision. He oofs when Neko’s poofy tail whips him in the face as it climbs onto his legs. Shouyou pulls his arm away just in time for it to lay down on his lap, emitting a soft purr.

Shouyou lowers his arms from the air slowly, unsure of where to put them now. He tentatively puts the hand holding his phone on Neko’s back; Neko’s doesn’t bat an eye. His free hand hovers in front of its face, and it leans forward for pets. Well, who is Shouyou to deny such a sweet angel?

He spends the rest of his afternoon like this—scrolling his phone while petting the lump of cat in his lap. Shouyou’s incredibly surprised by this cat’s patience: while he’s actively trying to fidget less than normal, he’s still probably jostling it every couple minutes, yet Neko stays.

While his house is much cooler than outside, he eventually starts to warm up, sweat beading between where his legs meet. Shouyou gives Neko a sad look even though it can’t see him.

“Sorry, sweetie, I gotta get you off.” He sets his phone down and wraps his hands lightly around its sides. It chirrups as he plops it on its original cushion, then stands up, arms stretched to the ceiling. His joints pop and he rolls his neck, unused to sitting still for so long. To his left, he can see Neko reaching forward to stretch out its body as well. The note on its collar has stayed secure during their time together, and continues securely hanging on as Neko jumps onto the floor. It flits its gaze over its shoulder to Shouyou before facing forward and jumping gracefully onto the windowsill. Its tail flicks once before it hops off the ledge, walking into the bushes and out of sight.

Shouyou walks over to the window and latches it shut. What a surreal experience. He’s not going to lie—he’s kind of sad that it left.

Shouyou picks up his empty cup off of the table, lips curling up mildly.

It’s just a hunch, but he has a good feeling that Neko will be back soon.

🐱

Shouyou’s first day at work goes off without a hitch. Daichi’s actually a saint, answering all of Shouyou’s never-ending questions with a patient smile. Shouyou has to get certified to teach group and senior classes, but he’s cleared for almost every other type of service Karasuno Gymnasium has to offer. He gets to start with new clients the very next day! Shouyou goes to sleep that night with a buoyant feeling in his chest.

The next morning goes about as smoothly as the first day on any job can ever really go. He forgets where a few things are and has to ask either his clients or (begrudgingly) Tsukishima for help, but otherwise doesn’t break anything, so it was ultimately a success.

Feeling good, Shouyou pulls up in front of his house on his bike. He doesn’t want to have lunch at home everyday—he’d love to sit and chat with his new coworkers, but he doesn’t feel like he knows them well enough just yet to ask, nor does he wish to impose. Give him a week.

Mrraaaaaaoooooooow!

Shouyou’s unlocking the front door when he hears an aggressive meow from the side of the house. He whips towards it, shoulders tensed, when his eyes land on Neko perched on the ledge of the window. It wails again, paw scratching at the window.

Shouyou pushes the door open and sprints inside. Kicking off his shoes in the genkan, he scurries into his living room to lift up the window, and Neko’s wail ends abruptly. It jumps through the frame daintily, as though it weren’t just screaming a few seconds ago. Shouyou stares bemusedly as it hops up onto his couch, curling up into a ball like last time.

Neko is apparently only poised and pretty once it has what it wants.

Shouyou shrugs, walking over to it. He’s happy to give Neko anything it’d like. Maybe he’ll keep the window open from now on, in case it would like to come in while he’s at work.

“Hello, Neko-san.” Even after her behavior today, Shouyou keeps the honorific. It’s got some irony to it now, and Neko is still a beautiful, dainty cat. “Oh!”

Shouyou perks up as he notices the note tied to its collar, attached with that thin, flat ribbon that’s typically used to wrap presents. He gives Neko a few pets before reaching around its neck to untie it.

Aug. 20, 2021

Sorry, my best friend just moved out of your apartment, and she used to hang out with him a lot. I’d hoped that the change in smell with a new tenant would stop her from returning, but if you just keep your window closed, I'm sure she'll stop bothering you soon. Apologies for the inconvenience. And I don't leave my number so that random creeps can’t call me. If she’s ever truly lost, she has a microchip.

Shouyou’s brows crease in disappointment. The stranger’s tone is so clipped, and they didn’t even sign off the note with a name! A hint of indignance rises in Shouyou, as well—even though Neko’s owner didn’t directly call him a creep, they still implied it! Shouyou looks at Neko, pouting. At least he knows her gender now.

And he supposes he can’t really be mad—the stranger did reply, after all.

He pads over to the kitchen and whips out a fresh sticky note and his favorite pen.

8/20/21

Hi Neko’s Owner,

No, I don’t mind her at all!!! She’s a very friendly cat. (Speaking of, why’d you name her “Cat”?!) If you’re okay with her staying a bit for the day, then I am.

Also—I’m not a creep!! I’m just a 26 y/o dude who’s new to Tokyo. Aren’t you the creep if you know where I live?!

—Your Neighbor

Smirking at his witty comeback, Shouyou attaches his note to Neko’s collar with the original ribbon; she continues sleeping in a ball, entirely unbothered. Satisfied with his handiwork, Shouyou heads into the kitchen, turns on the rice cooker, and then skips upstairs.

Don’t wanna be late getting back to work on his second day!

🐱

Shouyou heads out the next morning with a pep in his step. While he knows his expectations are unrealistically high—he doesn’t even know if Neko will come over today, nor if his neighbor will reply again—the idea of receiving another note back fills Shouyou with bubbling anticipation that has him itching all day for lunch break. He left the window open this time, just in case Neko decides to stop in.

When his final appointment of the morning ends, Shouyou practically rushes out the door, pedalling furiously all the way home. As he pulls up to his apartment, he sees a little black blob through the window curled up on the couch. Score! He’s still too far away to tell, though, if there’s anything attached to her collar.

Locking up his bike, Shouyou heads through the door and straight to Neko. Her ear twitches upon hearing him enter, but her eyes remain closed.

“Hello, Neko-san,” Shouyou says, crouching down next to her and petting behind her ear. “Aren’t you a sleepy little girl?” He gives her a couple more scritches before untying the note from her collar.

I’m not a creep. I’m not going to scope you out at your apartment or anything, if that’s what you’re worried about. I live two blocks over, and that would be a waste of time. You write too much like an overexcited child to be a threat to me or Neko.

A surge of indignance washes over Shouyou. Overexcited child?! He is not! He’s just naturally gregarious—unlike whoever Neko’s owner is. Shouyou pets Neko’s back, and she flips over to expose her stomach. He continues stroking her, nose scrunched as he thinks of how to reply. Walking over to the shit drawer, he readies his note-writing implements.

8/21/21

Well, you have the handwriting of a grandpa or a doctor or both. I bet you’re, like, eighty!! And you never told me why her name is Neko!!! I’m letting her stay at my apartment. It’s the least you could do.

—Your Appropriately Excited Adult Neighbor

Shouyou attaches the note to Neko’s collar and storms into the kitchen. He’s gonna make something super spicy for lunch because he’s feeling heated as hell. What is this person’s deal? Their handwriting is pretty masculine, but Shouyou doesn’t want to jump to assumptions, no matter how much of a dick they are. All that excitement throughout the morning, for nothing.

As Shouyou sits at his dining room table twenty minutes later, scarfing down a bowl of mapo tofu, he looks over at Neko. Okay, maybe he was being dramatic earlier. He got a response, after all, right? And ... despite how much he hates to admit it, at least Neko’s owner has some personality, even if it grates on Shouyou’s nerves. He would be lying if he said he weren’t curious to learn a bit more about the person ... and then if they continue to be a dick-wad, Shouyou can reap the benefits of their cat without talking to them anymore. Shouyou nods to himself, humming around a piece of tofu.

Yes.

Let’s see if they redeem themself tomorrow.

🐱

“I am so sorry, Daichi-san!” Shouyou bows, hands at his sides, until his chest is directly parallel with the floor.

“Hinata, I already told you, this happens sometimes,” Daichi says from above. “And no one got hurt, including you. Don’t worry about it.”

Shouyou cranes his neck up to look at Daichi, still in a bow. “Do you need me to pay for repairs? Just take it right out of my paycheck!” Shouyou can live off of eggy rice this month, it’s fine, he’s fine.

“Hinata, stand up.” Shouyou springs to attention, stiff as a board. Daichi’s looking at him with kind eyes. “No, you don’t need to pay for it. We have a repair budget for a reason. And I’ve already told you—it’s happened to all of us! Please calm down.”

Shouyou breathes in then out, forcing the tension to leave his shoulders. “Okay ... Are you sure, though?”

Daichi nods. “Absolutely. Now, go home and get lunch.”

Shouyou squeaks out another apology before scampering off, adrenaline still coursing through his veins. His first week on the job, and he’s already broken a fancy piece of equipment! The one he literally reviewed with Daichi how to use only days ago! He is literally the dumbest person on this planet!

Shouyou trudges home on his bike, pedaling at the highest gear setting all the way home as self-inflicted penance. When he gets to the front door, he stumbles, legs like jelly.

He perks up for a moment upon spotting Neko on his couch, nice and snuggled into her corner. His mood immediately falls again, laced with trepidation. Did her owner reply? Will the note say something boorish that just dunks Shouyou’s mood further into the toilet? Shouyou walks over cautiously, squinting.

There is, in fact, a slip of paper tied to her collar. Shouyou pets her for a minute, letting her purrs calm his nerves, before detaching the note, rolling it open as his heart hammers in his chest.

Aug. 22, 2021

Why are you so nosy? But fine. I found her as a kitten under my porch in the rain. I only planned on keeping her for a couple days, so I just called her “Neko.” But then I never brought her to the shelter and now she’s stuck with it.

P.S. I’m not 80. I’m around your age.

Shouyou’s heart skips a beat, fluttering. Oh, this was so much better than he was expecting. Neko’s owner is actually a softie if they gave in so easily to keeping her around. What’s more, they actually offered more information about themself. Shouyou’s age, huh? That’s something he can work with.

Shouyou heads to the kitchen and rifles through his shit drawer for a pen and paper.

8/22/2021

Awwhh, she grew on you!! <3 I can’t say I blame you. I’ve known Neko-san for four days and I love her already. More than my own mother, perhaps (just kidding, Mom, you’re always my number 1!!!)

Around my age, you say? Older? Younger? Do you work at this company?

—Neko’s greatest fan

He circles and draws an arrow to the header of the note that reads Kitagawa Daiichi Sports Reporting; Neko’s owner used the same paper with their last note, so Shouyou figures it holds some relevance in their life. He sets the notepad and pen on his dining room table—there’s no need to put it back in the shit drawer if they’re going to keep corresponding like this, right? An anxious feeling worms around in the pit of his stomach. Even though Neko’s owner seemed like an ass at first, they appear to be pretty responsive to questions, even if Shouyou has to provoke them into answering. Their eccentric form of communication is certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience as well—and Shouyou hates to waste an opportunity.

As he ties the note to Neko’s collar, Shouyou smiles.

Maybe they can even become friends.

🐱

Shouyou bikes back to work, spirits high. He still feels God awful about breaking the machine, but, after the note from Neko and a solid lunch, he’s trying to take Daichi’s words to heart. His eyes flick up to the sky in thought. What does his afternoon look like again?

Personal appointment at 13:00, volleyball game refereeing at 14:00, group instruction at 15:30...

Shouyou brakes hard in front of the bike rack, eyebrows lifting. Volleyball refereeing! He’s been so caught up in the whirlwind of this morning that he’d forgotten that it was in his schedule. Back in Miyagi, Shouyou played pick-up pretty regularly with his friends and at various adult clubs in the area after moving back post-uni, but those games were pretty casual. Karasuno Gymnasium seems to offer a range of levels, offering their space for rec games up to V.Leauge Division 2 off-season ones. How on earth Daichi organized a contract like that, Shouyou has no clue. Suga says he’s the enigmatic one, but the more Shouyou gets to know Daichi, the more puzzling he becomes. There’s definitely some kind of dark magic involved—

“Wah!” Shouyou’s startled out of his train of thought when he nearly bumps into someone, screeching to a halt at the last second. He looks up and meets a familiar furrowed brow.

“Oh, hi, Kageyama!” Shouyou takes a step back. “Are you here for today’s game?”

Kageyama nods. “Yes.”

Shouyou cocks his head. “It’s pretty early, though. Game doesn’t start for another hour or so.”

“I like to take my time to warm up when I can.” Kageyama hasn’t moved a muscle since they nearly bumped into each other, his posture as taut as a string.

Shouyou nods in approval. “A good warm up is incredibly important for day-of performance and long-term health.”

Kageyama makes a grunt of approval, eyes flicking to anywhere but Shouyou. Shouyou smiles to himself—while he’d love to work his charm on Kageyama and get him to open up bit by bit under his patient hand, he’s got to start work soon. Hopefully they’ll keep running into each other over the next while.

“Well, I’ll see you at the game!” Kageyama looks at him, brows furrowing further, and Shouyou waggles an eyebrow. “I’m refereeing! So be sure to do your best!” Shouyou resists the urge to scan the room for Daichi—he knows he shouldn’t be flirting on the job but! But! (He has no excuse.)

Kageyama’s cheek flush red. “See you soon.” He bows brusquely before heading to the stairs. Shouyou’s smiles to himself as he heads to the elevator, intentionally giving Kageyama some space.

As he’s waiting in front of the dark, metallic doors, someone slips an arm around his waist. Shouyou nearly leaps out of his skin, biting back an embarrassing squawk.

“Suga-san!” His shoulders drop back into place as Suga’s mirthful gaze appears in view.

“Hiiii, Hinata-kuuuun,” Suga drawls. Shouyou’s eyes narrow. What’s with that tone?

“So I saw you talking to Kageyama just a second ago,” he starts, and Shouyou’s eyebrows fly up as an apology readies itself on his tongue. Suga wags a finger in front of his face before he can speak. “No, no, don’t worry, you’re not in trouble. Daichi might’ve barked at ya for flirting during work hours, but I support young love when I see it—especially when it’s with someone as handsome as Kageyama.”

It’s Shouyou’s turn to blush, his gaze flicking to the elevator. “Oh, gosh, no, not the L word!” he jokes. “I just met him the day before I started work practicing jump serves and think he’s kinda cute, if a bit awkward.” Shouyou keeps to himself that the awkwardness definitely adds to the cuteness. “D-does he only come here for volleyball stuff usually?”

Suga’s arm slides off of him, and Shouyou feels like he can breathe again. His lips twist in thought, looking up to the ceiling. “Hmm. I’d say that I see Kageyama here, like, at least four times a week. He’s definitely always in the multipurpose gym to some capacity for volleyball, but he’s in the weight room weekly and even has had a couple personal sessions with Daichi.” Suga gazes back down at Shouyou, a spark in his eyes. “I’ve refereed for a fair number of his games. He’s definitely awkward at first glance, but he’s a completely different beast on the court. He’s also pretty chummy with some of his teammates—well, chummy might be a strong word, but he’s not as”—he waves his hand in the air like he’s grasping for answer—“stiff. He’ll even smile, sometimes.” Shouyou’s heart does not flutter at the thought of Kageyama smiling. It doesn’t.

“Wow, you know a lot about him!” Shouyou chirps.

Suga shrugs, crossing his arms. “I keep an eye on all of our regulars. It’s my job to make sure everyone’s getting out of Karasuno what they want from it. So if I realize that something’s off, I talk to them ‘nd get them to spill their guts about what they need.”

Shouyou smiles; Suga’s philosophy is so beautiful! “That’s what I love about it here! You guys really care about your clients.”

“They’re paying a fair lot of money to have access to an urban gym,” Suga says. “The least we can do is make sure that it’s worth it.”

Ding!

The elevator opens, and Shouyou steps in, his arm against the inside of the door, but Suga doesn’t follow.

“You’re not coming?”

Suga waves a hand. “Nawh, I just came out here to bother ya.”

Shouyou chuckles and drops his arm. “Okay, well, I’ll see you later!” Suga nods, smiling.

“See you, Hinata.” As the doors slide shut, Sugas final words slip through the crack:

“I can always sneak you his number from our recordssss....” Shouyou blushes again, and Suga laughs. He really wants them to get fired, doesn’t he?

“Thanks but no thanks, Suga-san!” he says, just as the door closes. If he ends up going after Kageyama at all, he’s gonna do it the old fashioned way: with his own charm and charisma.

Shouyou’s one-on-one appointment goes smoothly—his client today was a petite, blonde girl who was filled with equal amounts of anxiety and determination. As he takes a quick water and pee break, his mind begins to wander. He gets to referee a volleyball game next! He hasn’t played or watched since he left Miyagi. The game today is between two neighborhood associations, which means that there’ll be a range of ages and sizes and genders playing. Shouyou smiles as he wipes his hands on some paper towels. While pro games are obviously super fun to watch, there’s just something nice about the casual undercurrent during recreational games that says, “We’re all just here to have fun! Don’t get too heated!” Not to say that they don’t get competitive, though; some of the most intense matches Shouyou has ever played have been pick-up games with friends.

Shouyou skips out of the bathroom and back down to the first floor. He slips into the gym and climbs up on the referee tower, plucking the flag out of its holder. The teams have already set up, currently warming up on separate courts. Shouyou’s eyes pan around until they find Kageyama, who’s currently standing near the net, his hands poised over his head. Oh, he’s a setter? Shouyou’s gut twinges with excitement.

He’s always had good luck with setters.

Shouyou watches Kageyama toss, toss, toss for the next few minutes with utter precision, not fumbling a single ball. His fingers grip the rail as he leans forward. He wants to hit a toss that nice!

After a while, Shouyou realizes that he’s been staring at Kageyama for too long instead of doing his job. His eyes flick to the far wall and note the time: 2:02. Shit! He should get things rolling.

“Hey, everyone, get ready to start!” he calls out over the room, and a wave of heads bob in tandem. As they’re tidying up from warm-ups, Shouyou takes stock of the others in the room. The group really is diverse—with people who look about Kageyama’s age to those who have long gone gray or bald. But there’s still a crackling in the air, the embers of competition sparking to life. Shouyou shivers as he blows the whistle to start play.

This is gonna be a good match.

The game starts off with a bang—literally, Kagyeama’s jump serve slamming loudly against the back corner of the court for a no-touch service ace. The next few sets maintain the same amount of vigor, with everyone flying up, down, and around the court to keep the ball in the air. Shouyou watches, mesmerized, as Kageyama sets to his team with perfect accuracy—the ball syncing with a variety of hitters from all around the court. His palm stings with the ghost of past plays.

God, Shouyou doesn’t think that he’s wanted to hit a toss so badly in his life.

Third set ends in one of the longest rallies Shouyou’s ever seen. The score is 27-26, and the ball’s been flung over the net at least five times at this point, each pass over getting messier and quicker, the end looming nearer every play.

The libero on Kageyama’s team saves the ball by a hair, tumbling across the court from the momentum of his dive. It’s off center, but Kageyama’s fast, sliding under it with the perfect first step before sending a brutal quick down the middle. The other team gets a hand on it, but it’s not enough—the ball flies out of bounds and hits the ground with a thud.

Kageyama’s team breaks out into a cheer and converges in the middle of the court, arms thrown freely around shoulders. Shouyou watches as a short guy with spiky, white hair drags Kageyama into the fold, his hands coming to tentatively rest on his teammates’ backs.

After a few moments, the huddle breaks apart as people slip out to line up. Kageyama’s friend gives him a final smack on the back before following the crowd. Even from this far away, Shouyou can see the faint smile that graces Kageyama’s lips, the crinkles at the corners of his eyes.

Suddenly, those very eyes are on Shouyou, a surreptitious glance that he wouldn’t have caught had he not been staring at Kageyama as well. Kageyama tenses as their gazes lock, his shoulders stiffening. But before he can turn away, Shouyou breaks out into a smile, shooting him a big thumbs up.

Kageyama stares dumbly at him for a few moments before a shy smile tugs at his lips. His arm slowly raises to chest height, and he flips Shouyou a thumbs up of his own. Shouyou’s heart jumps at the tentativity of the action, at the awkward yet endearing energy that’s radiating off of Kageyama as a whole. The scene only lasts a split second, though; he quickly turns back to his teammates before Shouyou can even blink, joining them on the back line.

Shouyou lowers his arm, a wave of warmth surging up from his chest and flushing his cheeks with heat. As he signals the teams to bow at each other, the gears begin to turn in his mind, a plan forming.

He won’t ask Suga to hack into the system for Kageyama’s number, but maybe he can request more refereeing time.

Suga would definitely help him out with that.

🐱

Friday morning comes and goes like the wind. While Shouyou’s first week has been amazing—with new clients and hot volleyball players at work, and notes from his favorite, little kitty at home—he’s ready for a weekend of respite. Shouyou smiles as he sees Neko through the window, right where he had expected her to be.

He walks into the house and over to Neko, giving her a few cursory pets before untying the note from her neck.

Aug. 23, 2021

That’s obviously where I work, dumbass.

Shouyou feels that familiar sense of exhilaration and indignance rise in his chest. His brow furrows as he tries to remember his note from yesterday. Oh, yeah, he asked about the logo at the top of his neighbor’s messages.

Heading to the dining room table and ripping off a sticky note, Shouyou scribbles down:

8/23/21

DUMBASS!?!? That’s no way to treat Neko’s benefactor!!!! D: My name is SHOUYOU! (What’s yours?)

—Shouyou, Your Neighbor Who Deserves to be Respected

Shouyou ties the note on Neko, huffing. This method of communication really is fun, but, boy, is it slow. He won’t know Neko’s mystery owner’s name until tomorrow! He gives Neko a solid belly rub as a reward before heading into the kitchen, his gut churning lightly. Is it too soon to push for personal information? Will Neko’s owner stop talking to him if they still deem him a “creep”?

Shouyou pushes those thoughts aside, taking the rice cooker out of the cabinet.

He’ll just have to wait and see tomorrow.

🐱

Shouyou gets back from his morning jog to see Neko on the couch, and all his nerves from yesterday come bursting back to life. He’d honestly kind of forgotten about his half of the exchange as the night wore on, preoccupied by catching up with some friends and family. But Neko’s back today, with Shouyou’s future sealed in the note on her collar.

Well, if there’s a note on her collar anymore at all.

Holding his breath, he steps out of the genkan. Neko flicks her ear but her eyes stay shut, as usual. Shouyou’s eyes shut as he walks towards her, heart rate hammering faster than it was during his run.

His knees bump the edge of the couch and he, with great effort, cracks an eye open. A bubble of relief erupts in his chest as he sees a small piece of paper rolled and tied to her collar.

They wrote back!

Shouyou springs into action, giving Neko her deserved couple of pets before pulling out the note. He unfurls it, an electric hum beneath his skin.

Aug. 24, 2021

And you called me the creep.

Shouyou feels his shoulders fall at the sight. So he moved too fast too soon, huh?

He’s not a creep! He just wanted to make a friend.

He squats down, putting a hand on Neko’s head. Her eyes open and she stares at him, nose twitching. Shouyou gives her a scratch behind the ear, and she begins purring—the familiar, low lull a comfort to his frayed nerves.

He doesn’t need to know Neko’s owner. No, Neko is enough of a gift. He shouldn’t have asked for more.

Shouyou stands to toss the paper away, but holds it up one more time to the light coming through his window.

Shouyou’s about to lower his arm when he sees it—something muddling the light from the other side of the paper. He flips his wrist around, the note with it.

And there, written in the bottom right corner, is a name:

—Tobio

Shouyou’s heart—feeling shriveled like the Grinch’s from the past minute of existence—grows three sizes larger. He got a name! A dude’s name, too. No longer is Neko’s owner just a figure in the void, but a man named Tobio, approximately age twenty five.

Shouyou lets the new piece of information settle in a corner of his mind—the nook dedicated to collecting every touch of new information he learns about this mystery man with each note.

Tobio.

Shouyou walks over to the dining room table, picks up his pen, and starts his next note, signing the name at the top of the sheet.

🐱

Shouyou waves goodbye to Daichi before stepping out of the gym, headed home for lunch break. When started work a month ago, he really was planning on staying back at least a couple times a week to eat with his co-workers, but now that he has something waiting for him at home everyday, well...

Shouyou pedals back to his apartment swiftly, his commute familiar and easy by now. He locks his bike up out front and steps inside, headed straight to the couch. As usual, Neko is in her spot, curled up and comfy. Shouyou gives her a kiss on the head before unwrapping the note around her neck.

Sept. 20, 2021

Shouyou,

I watched that one video you sent in your last note. And all I have to say is: what the fuck? Internet humor confuses me. You asked if I have any favorite Youtube videos/channels. I’m not really online much, but my sister sent me this video the other day and said that the cat looked like me. Should I be offended?

https://www.youtube.com/watch/INscMGmhmX4

-Tobio

Shouyou smiles at the note, his hand coming up to cup over his mouth. He flips the note over and reads the other side.

Heads up: Neko is headed to the vet tomorrow around noon. I don’t know when she comes to your apartment, but I’ll hold off on replying to your next note until the day after, just in case you’re not around if she stops by tomorrow.

Shouyou’s shoulders sag at the thought of no Neko nor note tomorrow, but immediately perk back up when he really thinks about the content of the note. Tobio cares enough about him to alert him about missing a day! How considerate. Shouyou feels his veins flood with warmth—at the idea that maybe these exchanges mean as much to him as they do to Shouyou.

Despite their mildly rocky start, once Tobio offered up his name, Shouyou took it as permission to run forth with their relationship. He’s learned quite a bit about him through their exchanges, and has gotten better at shaping the conversation in a direction that gets Tobio talking.

For example, Tobio isn’t great at offering information about himself unprompted, but if Shouyou asks him a question, he’ll likely answer it. So as Tobio’s answers to said questions come in, Shouyou replies back with a follow-up question or two, and then a few lines about himself. More recently, though, Shouyou can tell that Tobio’s trying to help contribute to the flow of the conversation—he’s been writing longer responses for each question, and even throws in a query of his own sometimes.

He takes the note into the kitchen and sticks it in the jar on the counter labeled “Notes from Neko-san.” After Tobio’s notes began multiplying atop Shouyou’s dining room table, he decided to get something that could store them all. And, by this point, the little nook in Shouyou’s mind dedicated to storing information about Tobio has expanded into a full room—the bite-sized, daily pieces of Tobio piling up slowly but steadily.

For example, Tobio’s favorite food is curry (because his grandpa made it for him often as a child) and his favorite drink is milk (because it tastes good). He’s been working at Kitagawa Daiichi Sports Reporting for the past three years, starting right out of university. He became interested in sports reporting because he’d played volleyball in high school and college (“OMG SAME !!!!!!” Shouyou had replied that day) but had a mild injury that he didn’t want to risk reinjuring by going pro. Sports reporting seemed like the best alternative to Tobio, for he still gets to interact with sports daily—plus the hours are flexible.

When Shouyou had learned this, he’d almost asked him to play with him one day, but he decided to hold off. Shouyou would definitely call them friends by this point, but he doesn’t want to scare Tobio off by being too bold. Besides, he really enjoys what they have now. It’s special. It makes him feel special, even if they’re just talking about little things like what was for breakfast or Neko’s affinity for brightly colored objects.

Shouyou heads back to the dining room and pulls out his phone. Plugging in the link Tobio wrote in Chrome, he nearly spits when a video titled “The Original Grumpy Cat!” pops up. Oh my god, Tobio’s sister is a savage.

09/20/2021

Tobio,

LOLOLOL!! Does this mean that you have a resting bitch face? You should maybe be a little offended, but in an exasperated little brother kind of way. Even though Natsu’s my younger sister, she likes to be mean to me by sending me videos that “remind her of me.” Like this one, with the caption “better than when you tried learning in middle school tbh. I might’ve only been in 1st grade, but I still remember the cacophonous horror”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=org8HvXUiog

She’s so rude!! XD Did you ever try learning an instrument in your childhood?

—Your Tone Deaf Neighbor

When he turns around to Neko, he feels his heart stutter in his chest; exchanging notes with Tobio has, like, conditioned him to feel a whoosh of excitement every time he sees her. The rush hasn’t abated over time either—everyday feels like the first or second or third instance he’s received a Neko note. Honestly, it makes Shouyou feel like he’s ten again—just a little school boy talking to his crush on the playground.

Shouyou’s eyebrows shoot up at the thought, his hand stopping halfway down Neko’s back. Shit. Does he have a crush on Tobio?

Shouyou shakes his head, frowning. He doesn’t even know what he looks like! Shouyou’s crushes have always been equal parts appearance and personality—he doesn’t even have half of the information on Tobio that he’d need to come to a conclusion!

Shouyou ties the note to her collar then sits down on the couch; Neko stands, ears perking. She does a full body stretch and yawn before trotting over and plopping down into his lap. Shouyou runs a hand through her fur, a pressure starting to build behind his temples. Normally he doesn’t have time on the weekdays to give Neko such extensive pets, but he needs her emotional support today.

“Do I like Tobio?” he asks her, looking down. Neko’s eye cracks open and her ear flicks before she goes back to sleeping.

“Could you tell me what he looks like?” he says, scratching the bridge of her nose. She perks up then, a little sneeze leaving her mouth. Shouyou coos in apology, hand moving back to scratch behind her ears.

“Well, if you can’t help me, then maybe I gotta take matters into my own hands.” He knows Tobio’s name and where he works; Shouyou could easily Google the two in combination and find his LinkedIn or Kitagawa Daiichi profile.

But, despite his curiosity, Shouyou doesn’t really want to. There’s a certain, unique quality to their exchanges—obviously because they’re talking through a messenger cat, but it’s more than that. The way things have developed means that they both simultaneously know a lot about each other yet nothing at all—Shouyou spins his own narrative, in full control of what Tobio gets to know and not know about him. Looking up a picture of Tobio ... it would feel like breaking an unspoken rule of the relationship.

And, besides, Tobio would probably call him a creep if he learned that Shouyou had done that.

Shouyou unties his note from Neko’s collar and rolls it around in his fingers. Picking up Neko gently, he places her back in her spot and walks over to the dining room table. Pen clicking, Shouyou adds on the back:

BTW, what color is your hair? Eyes? I realized that I know nothing about what you look like. (Call me a creep, and I’ll kick in your shins. I’m just curious!)

Shouyou smiles to himself. Just because he doesn’t want to look Tobio up online doesn’t mean that he can’t learn some information from the source himself.

🐱

Shouyou’s caught by Suga the second he walks through the door.

“So Kageyama’s team is a person down today,” he says without preamble, looping his arm around Shouyou’s shoulders. Brows furrowing, Shouyou’s lips twist into a pout.

“Does that mean that the game’s off?” Refereeing volleyball matches is one of his favorite parts of the job, and not just because Kageyama’s there sometimes. (That’s only, like, half the reason.) ((And, yes, he did get Suga to schedule him as a referee regularly.))

“Well, on a normal day, probably, but,” Suga unloops his arm from around Shouyou, pivoting so that he now has his hands on Shouyou’s shoulders, boxing him in, “My appointment happened to cancel last minute.”

Shouyou’s mind whirrs, trying to connect the dots. “So ... you’re gonna play in place of the missing person?” Suga shakes his head, smiling.

“No, silly, you are!”

Shouyou’s expression softens, his eyebrows lifting slightly. “Oh. Okay! I’d love to, if I’m allowed to on the job!”

Suga shakes his shoulders. “Hinata, this is a part of your job. The teams already paid money to use the space—it would be a shame if they couldn’t ‘cause they couldn’t fill the whole court.”

“Oh, I guess you’re right,” Shouyou says. “Did you ask if I could sub in?”

“I sure did.” Suga smiles. “They’re cool with it if you are.”

“Okay then, sweet!” Shouyou feels happy bubbles pop in his chest as they make their way to the multipurpose gym. He walks over to the side of the court with Kageyama’s team.

"Hello!" A tall, foreign man grins at him waves, and Shouyou smiles back.

"Hi! Thanks for having me!" His gaze wanders over to where Kageyama's standing a few feet away. Kageyama's eyes are already on him, but they flit to the side when Shouyou catches them. His eyes are a dark blue; it’s the color that Shouyou imagines Tobio’s to be. Actually, Tobio replied about his appearance a few days ago, and the similarities don’t stop with Kageyama’s eyes—Tobio’s hair is apparently short and black, too.

Shouyou shrugs to himself. There are enough blue-eyed-black-haired dudes on the planet that it’s surely a coincidence.

"No, thank you for filling in," the man says, and Shouyou refocuses. "I'm Meian, organizer of the team. I take it you've played volleyball before?"

"Hinata, nice to meet you! And, yeah, I was on a team from middle school through college!"

"Position?"

"Middle blocker through high school, opposite hitter in college." Shouyou let the chorus of surprised noises and raised eyebrows wash over him. He loves defying people's expectations.

"Oh, well, we’re missing our middle blockers today, so that's perfect!”

The whistle blows, and Meian glances between Shouyou and Kageyama.

“Looks like you guys won’t have time to get in sync before we start, but that’s okay. I trust you’ll figure it out as we go.”

Shouyou feels a rush of energy swoop through his veins. He's been watching Kageyama set now for a while, and his desire to try hitting one of his tosses hasn't waned since the first day. He sends a small prayer to Suga for helping him make his dreams come true.

“Yes, sir!” Shouyou says, then glances over to Kageyama. Kageyama’s brows have a tiny furrow to them, as though he’s unpleased about not having time to warm up with Shouyou. It’s rather endearing.

“What’s your vertical?” he asks suddenly, blue eyes boring into Shouyou’s.

“Uh,” Shouyou starts eloquently, “in college, it was in the upper 330s, but I bet I’ve lost a bit of spring since then.”

Tobio nods. “Got it.” He spins the ball in his hands, glancing down at it then back up. “The other team is serving first. If the first touch is smooth, I’m going to send a quick to you down the middle.”

Shouyou’s eyebrows fly up. “Off the bat?”

“The longer we wait to sync up, the more time we waste.”

Shouyou hums a note of understanding. “True, true. Alright, let’s join the others.”

They all line up on the back line and bow, thanking the other team for their time. A current of electricity runs just under Shouyou’s skin, the idea of hitting Kageyama’s tosses for the next hour or so filling him with crackling anticipation. He still hasn’t even tried to hit one, but he knows that it’s going to be good.

They organize themselves on the court, Shouyou standing in the front line. The whistle blows, and the player on the other side serves—a wicked jump serve, at that. But Meian digs it easily, sending the ball in a high arc to the perfect setting spot. Shouyou barely has time to appreciate the play—he knew these neighborhood teams were high caliber from refereeing for them regularly, but it’s a different sight to see up close—before he’s sprinting back, securing a solid run-up distance. As he pivots, he looks over to Kageyama in the setter’s position, and he’s looking at Shouyou back. His eyes flash and then look back up at the ball falling quickly towards him. Shouyou dashes forward then brakes, arms coming up behind him, before taking off into the sky.

Shouyou only sees a flash of the ball before he brings his arm down hard. It smacks nearly in the middle of his palm and crashes down on the other side of the court; before he can even process what just happened, he’s falling back down to earth. His feet land, and his hand stings—the satisfying pinpricks of heat thrumming against his palm. He looks down at it, then back up at Kageyama, eyes wide. Kageyama’s staring back at him, surprise lacing his own features, too.

Meian woops in the background. “Nice kill!”

Shouyou glances at him and then back, a sense of wonder filling his bones and blood. He clenches his hand into a fist and smiles at Kageyama. “Again!”

Kageyama flushes, face pinching inward. “Do you need any adjustments?”

Shouyou hums. “It was like. A centimeter too high. But don’t worry about it.”

Kageyama shakes his head. “No, I’ll get it right next time.” He looks back to Shouyou, a fire in his eyes. Shouyou’s grin stretches wider.

“Do your worst.” Kageyama smirks at that.

Kageyama keeps his promise: the next toss that Shouyou hits lands right in the center of his palm, bouncing off of the blockers fingers and out of bounds. Each set he hits sends a renewed spike of vigor through Shouyou’s veins, only feeding the hunger in him. He begins calling out for tosses, and Kageyama obliges—the ball arching right to Shouyou’s waiting hand every time.

They take two straight sets—the final set ending on a block-out off of another one of Shouyou’s quick attacks. When the ball hits the ground, Kageyama’s team goes wild; Meian walks in between Kageyama and Shouyou, slinging his arms over their shoulders. “You guys are a natural pair, holy shit!”

Shouyou grins, his face warming. He looks towards the referee tower over his shoulder; Suga sends him a smirk and a wink. He holds up his hand, his thumb and pinky sticking out, and mouths, Ask for his number. Shouyou’s face grows even warmer, and he refocuses his gaze in front of him.

As the rush of embarrassment cools down, he chances a glance at Kageyama; Kageyama’s already staring at him again, but this time, he doesn’t look away. Meian lets them go, running over to some other teammates, and Shouyou turns to face Kageyama. The crackling through his veins all game has diffused past his skin, the electricity in the air between them palpable.

Shouyou holds out a fist, smirking. “Good game.”

Kageyama stares unmoving for a few moments before bringing up a hand of his own. The barest hint of a smile graces his lips. “Yeah.”

Shouyou’s grin widens as he taps their knuckles together.

They wrap up after that, Meian giving a closing talk, praising the team for their hard efforts.

“And everyone say a big thanks to Hinata-kun for subbing in today.” A chorus of woops and thank yous fills the air, and Shouyou blushes. “You really fit right on in with the team.”

“Oh, no, thank you guys! I got paid to have a ton of fun!” People laugh at that, Meian patting him on the back.

The team starts to filter out, and Shouyou watches Kageyama go over to the bench and pull his gym bag onto his shoulder. Across the room, he can feel Suga boring holes into the back of his head. Shouyou takes a deep breath and walks over to Kageyama, forcing his shoulders to rest lax at his sides.

“Hey!” Shouyou says, cringing internally at the awkward start. Kageyama looks down at him, pulling the strap of his bag higher on his shoulder.

“Hi.”

Shouyou shifts his weight onto his other leg. “Your tosses are really fun to hit. I’ve wanted to try hitting them since I first saw you play, but I never thought that I’d actually have the opportunity.” He throws in a smile, trying to regain some confidence. Why does he feel so jittery?

“Oh, uh, thanks,” Kageyama says. "You were great, too"

"Really?" Shouyou asks, surprised by the open praise. Kageyama doesn’t seem like the type.

"Yeah." Kageyama’s expression is unreadable, but his gaze on Shouyou is intense, a fire crackling behind his eyes.

Shouyou flushes, hand moving to the back of his neck as he looks to the side. "Thanks.” He glances back up. “How long have you been playing for this team?"

"Since I moved to Tokyo a few years ago."

Shouyou perks up, sensing a route to take the conversation. "Oh, where were you before that?"

"I was on a college team in Osaka. I wanted to go pro but...” Kageyama looks to the side, grip tightening on his bag. “Life happens."

Shouyou feels his heart squeeze in sympathy. "I get that. But that explains why your serves are so”—he spikes his arm through the air—“kablam! I’ve been jump-serving since high school, but mine have never even nearly reached the power of yours.” Shouyou cringes internally at his overeager sound effect, but, hey, this is just how he is.

"Yeah, I've had a lot of practice since middle school." Shouyou can’t tell if there’s a ghost of a smile on Kageyama’s lips or if he just has a really active (read: desperate) imagination. He grins to stall for time, racking his brain for the next topic of conversation. This time Kageyama’s lips definitely turn up—a closed-mouthed, awkward thing. Whether it’s genuine or borne from nerves, Shouyou doesn’t have enough time to deduce when a phone goes off, the default Apple ringtone puncturing their bubble. Kageyama’s eyes widen, and he accepts the call before lifting it to his ear.

Someone’s speaking on the other end, but Shouyou can’t make out the words. Kageyama hums for a beat before his face pinches, frown tugging down at his lips. He covers the speaker with his free hand and whispers, “Work. I gotta get in ASAP.”

Shouyou smiles, nodding his head in understanding. He gestures towards the door, and Kageyama starts walking, saying something to the person on the phone in a serious tone. When he’s almost at the exit, he turns back around and gives Shouyou a small bow. Shouyou thinks he hears a “Sorry” leave his lips, but he’s gone so quickly after that that Shouyou doesn’t have the chance to respond.

Shouyou stares at the exit for a few moments, his heart sinking in his chest. Suga comes up in front of him, patting his arm gently. “He’s just busy right now. I still think you should try again another time.”

Shouyou’s lips twist, his shoulders sinking. “But he’s, like, not showing any interest in me—he’s just answering my questions! Or, like, he’s more interested in the fact that I can play volleyball than me, you know? And I don’t even know if he likes dudes!” He scuffs a foot against the floor; a squeak echoes harshly throughout the gym. “Ugh, it’s fine. Again, I should really stop flirting on the job anyways.” Shouyou pauses for a moment, gaze flicking to the ceiling.

“But ... today really was, like, surreal. I can’t remember if I’ve ever had that much fun playing volleyball.” He looks back down at Suga. “But maybe it’s just been a while since I’ve played.”

“You looked like you were having the time of your life,” Suga says, dropping his arm. “And so did Kageyama.”

Shouyou sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Never did I ever think that one day, my boss would encourage me to date a client, but here I am.”

Suga laughs, winking. “I’m your boss, but I’m also your friend. I want you to find someone who makes you happy.”

Shouyou blushes at that, hand coming to rest on the back of his neck. “There are plenty of fish in the sea.”

Suga rolls his eyes. “Then why do you only ever ogle at one?”

Shouyou sputters, dropping his arm. “I-I do not ogle!” He straightens up, huffing a breath. “I look respectfully.”

Suga bursts out laughing, and Shouyou follows in tandem. He comes up to Shouyou’s side, patting him harshly on the back. “Go see your next client. I’m tired of you.”

Shouyou giggles, skipping to the door. “Bye, Suga-san! Thanks for filling in for me today!”

“If you wanna play with Kageyama again, I can make it happen, you knoooow!” Suga’s voice follows him out the door, and Shouyou snorts as he heads up the stairs. Suga might enable him to date clients, but he will not let Suga go as far as to injure them.

The rest of the day passes soon enough, Shouyou pushing the incident after volleyball to the back corner of his mind—he got to watch Yachi achieve one of her fitness goals, which was awesome to see. But as he’s biking home, reality comes tumbling back down, the odd restlessness that feels a lot like failure sitting prickly beneath his skin.

Shouyou steps into his apartment, the itch unbearable. He has to do something, or he’s gonna go insane thinking about this. Pacing around his front room, Neko jumps down from her perch on the couch, stretching out on the floor. Shouyou’s heart skips a beat—he’d been so in his head that he hadn’t noticed that she was still home.

The jolt of warmth sparks an idea, a lightbulb pinging in his mind.

Kageyama isn’t the only one in Tokyo who’s perked his interest.

Shouyou shuts Neko’s window so she can’t escape and runs to the dining room table. He grabs a new sticky note and writes:

Would you maybe want to start texting? We can keep up with the notes, but I like talking to you, and texting would be a lot faster.

—Your Favorite Neighbor

080-4727-2021

He walks on over to Neko, who’s staring at the window forlornly. “Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” Shouyou tuts, crouching down. He unties his note from earlier today and curls the new note around it. Reattaching them both to Neko’s collar, he opens the window and she jumps out, tail flicking before disappearing amongst the bushes.

Shouyou sighs and walks into the kitchen, the potential consequences of his decision just now coming to him as the adrenaline petters out. He knows that he’s just giving Tobio the chance to trample over his already-damaged ego, but, hey, better to shoot your shot and miss than to not shoot at all. Besides, he’s thought about asking Tobio for his number before. Today just ... expedited his decision. And despite Suga’s efforts to convince him otherwise, he still really doesn’t feel that comfortable asking a client out. (And if that’s just what he has to tell himself to keep himself sane, then, by golly, he’ll keep saying it.)

Shouyou takes his phone out of his pocket, setting it on the kitchen counter. He turns on some happy tunes and lets them wash over him as he prepares dinner.

By the time the sun begins to set, Shouyou’s eaten and cleaned up, and he also feels like a pack of butterflies are eating away at his stomach. He takes his phone over to the couch and stares at it, as though willing a text from Tobio to come through. Shouyou has no idea what Neko does after she leaves the house, but she can’t stay out that late—she’s gotta eat dinner!

The idea that Tobio has seen his message and then actively decided not to text him makes Shouyou want to bury himself underground. Join in with the ostriches in Africa sticking their heads in the dirt.

Shouyou sighs, rubbing a hand down his face. It’s Friday. Maybe he should have a beer or something to calm his raging thoughts. He doesn’t drink often—partially because he doesn’t love the taste, partially because it’s not great for his health—but alcohol exists for a reason. And Shouyou might end up doing something reckless by the end of the night, like googling Tobio’s name, if he doesn’t shut down his brain now.

He walks over to the fridge and grabs a bottle off the six pack that he bought back when he moved into his apartment. Just as he’s about to open it, Shouyou hears his phone buzz on the counter. He drops the bottle opener on the floor, jumping back so that it doesn’t crush his toes, and runs into the living room. Practically diving onto the couch, Shouyou unlocks his phone with his thumbprint, holding his breath.

From 080-2874-0910:

I thought I told you that I don’t give my number out to creeps, dumbass. [18:48]

Despite the harsh words, Shouyou’s heart nearly bursts from excitement, the rush of giddiness knocking out any previous dread.

To 080-2874-0910:

But you didn’t give me your number, i gave you mine ;)

And you texted me so what does that say about you. Hypocrite [18:48]

Shouyou curls up onto a ball on his side, sinking into the couch cushions. He watches eagerly as three dots appear and disappear as Tobio types his next message.

From 080-2874-0910:

I am currently Googling how to block a phone number... [18:49]

Shouyou gasps, then giggles.

To 080-2874-0910:

Noooooooooo 🥺🥺

I’ll stop being mean. Pls talk to me ;__; [18:49]

The three dots continue to reappear and disappear. Shouyou waits with bated breath, his heartbeat kicking erratically.

From 080-2874-0910:

Fine. [18:50]

Shouyou lets out a huge exhale, rolling his eyes. All the suspense for a single-word response.

To 080-2874-0910:

Yaaay \o/

What’s neko-san doing rn [18:50]

From 080-2874-0910:

I thought you wanted to talk to *me*.

Also, -san?[18:50]

To 080-2874-0910:

I said *to* you, not *about* you

She deserves only the utmost respect. Hence, -san

Now hand over the neko-san photos (ง •̀_•́)ง [18:50]

From 080-2874-0910:

[18:50]

Shouyou nearly drops his phone. Tobio sent him a picture of Neko, alright, but she’s laying in Tobio’s lap, and he’s only wearing shorts. Shouyou notes what’s visible of his broad thighs, the tips of his quads peeking out from under the lump of fur. He squeezes his eyes shut and wills the flush that just consumed his body to keep from concentrating lower.

From 080-2874-0910:

She just had dinner and now she’s taking her pre-bed time nap.

I swear, this cat sleeps 22 hours a day. [18:51]

To 080-2874-0910:

What does she do the two waking hours 👀 [18:51]

From 080-2874-0910:

Goes to your house

Eats

Loses her shit at 2am [18:51]

Shouyou snickers, hand coming up to cover his face. Neko is definitely the type to be all regal and poised during the day and then go absolutely batshit when she thinks that no one’s looking—he’s seen it with his own two eyes.

To 080-2874-0910:

She’s protecting u from the ghosts!! If you’ve never been attacked by a spirit in ur own home, u should be grateful for her service [18:51]

From 080-2874-0910:

<image attached>

I thanked her and she glared at me. [18:52]

Shouyou guffaws the photo: Tobio’s hand is on Neko’s head, and Neko’s looking over her shoulder with narrowed eyes, like she can’t believe that she was just disrupted during her nap.

He zooms in on the picture—specifically, on Tobio’s hand. Because holy fuck, he has nice hands. His fingers are long and tapered, his nails well kempt. The veins on the back stand out even in the low lighting, a smattering of dark hairs on his skin. His palm covers more than just the top of Neko’s head and neck; his hands are probably big enough to swallow Shouyou’s whole.

Tobio better stop sending “cat” pictures, or Shouyou’s gonna need to take another shower tonight.

Shouyou blinks down at his phone, resetting his focus. It’s probably time to switch topics.

To 080-2874-0910:

Hehe she’s so cute >w<

How was your day? [18:52]

(•••)

While the conversation starts out in a similar way to how their note exchanges work—Shouyou asks, Tobio answers—as the night wears on, Tobio seems to loosen up, jabbing back at Shouyou more often than he does through Neko. Shouyou takes everything in stride, his fingers flying across the keys until he can barely keep his eyes open. Their conversations range from simple things like how they take their coffee (Tobio: black, Shouyou: doesn’t drink coffee) to deep, philosophical topics like real milk versus plant-based milk (Tobio: real, Shouyou: plant-based).

Shouyou yawns for the third time in the past minute, and his gaze flickers up to the time on the top of his phone—23:34. Holy shit. They’ve been talking for four hours?

To 080-2874-0910:

Oh my godjskdjf it’s 23:30.... It’s way past my bedtime

I am v tired 🥱🥱 [23:34]

From 080-2874-0910:

Dumbass, go to bed. [23:34]

Shouyou’s nose scrunches at the not-so-yet-oh-so affectionate nickname.

To 080-2874-0910:

I AM!!!

Good night!! :)

nice talking to you [23:35]

From 080-2874-0910:

Good night.

👍 [23:35]

Shouyou laughs as he’s brushing his teeth. Tobio tried, he really did, with that thumbs up. He knows from seeing a picture of his hands and legs that Tobio’s definitely not an eighty-year-old crazy cat man like Shouyou had initially suspected back when they started talking, but damn, does he type like one.

Shouyou plugs in his phone and tucks himself into bed. As he starts drifting to sleep, reality starts slipping from his grasp. Was today really real? He reflexively springs up and grabs his phone off of the nightstand, opening up his messaging app—just to check.

080-2874-0910

He taps on the number and scrolls, his heart filling with warmth at the yards and yards of text messages.

Shouyou taps into the details of Tobio’s contact information and gives him a name:

First name: Tobio🐱🥛

Last name:

Shouyou’s brows furrow as he realizes that he never learned Tobio’s last name—he’s just never asked. He shrugs, locking his phone and burying himself under the covers.

Maybe he’ll ask tomorrow.

Probably not.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not Tobio’s full name that matters, but that Shouyou gets to talk to him at all.

🐱

Oct. 7, 2021

Shouyou,

The best brand of instant ramen is Paldo Jjajangmen Chajang Noodles. Compared to Nongshim, the sauce packet is way bigger for the same price. It’s an extremely filling meal, especially if you add an egg on top. I like Shin Ramyun, too, but I find that I burn it off in a couple hours, so it’s more of a snack.

Ok, your turn: favorite way to cook tofu?

-Tobio

🐱

10/12/2021

TOBIO!!

Big news!! Natsu called me earlier today to tell me that she’s starting next game!! She’s been able to set a couple times during games in uni so far, but she’s clearly climbing the ranks ᕙ( * •̀ ᗜ •́ * )ᕗ That’s my first year baby sister!! By next year, I bet she’ll be starting every game.

You told me a while ago that your grandpa taught you how to play vball. Did your sister ever play with you, too?

—The Most Proud Older Brother Ever

🐱

To Tobio 🐱🥛:

Do you ever go out for halloween [20:59]

From Tobio 🐱🥛:

Do I look like someone who goes out for Halloween, dumbass? [21:04]

To Tobio 🐱🥛:

I wouldn’t know, idk what u look like :P

Anyways

If you *had* to go out

Literally held at gunpoint to go have some fun

What would you dress as to go to bars? [21:05]

From Tobio 🐱🥛:

I’ve never thought about it. [21:06]

To Tobio 🐱🥛:

I believe in the power of your 3 brain cells [21:06]

From Tobio 🐱🥛:

I’ll kill you. [21:06]

To Tobio 🐱🥛:

>:) [21:06]

From Tobio 🐱🥛:

I don’t even think I know what people standardly dress as.

A vampire? [21:08]

To Tobio 🐱🥛:

Omg you could wear those dinky plastic teeth they sell at party stores

And u said u have dark hair so like

And u’ve got a natural stoicism to you

You could really be the perfect broody, emo vamp [21:08]

From Tobio 🐱🥛:

I’m not broody. [21:08]

To Tobio 🐱🥛:

I bet ur pouting Right Now [21:09]

From Tobio 🐱🥛:

I’m 24, I don’t pout. [21:09]

To Tobio 🐱🥛:

Poutio [21:09]

From Tobio 🐱🥛:

I’m going back to work. [21:09]

To Tobio 🐱🥛:

Noooo come back DD:

Also why are you working its like 21:00 [21:09]

From Tobio 🐱🥛:

Flexible hours are both a blessing and a curse.

I’ll be back in a bit.

What have you gone out as for Halloween? [21:10]

To Tobio 🐱🥛:

OMG u just opened a can of worms

Last year when I went out I lost a bet and had to go as a sexy nurse

But like Ii actually was totally killing it

omFG THO my friend did the stupidest thing at the bar that night that almost got us arrested [21:10]

(•••)

🐱

Nov. 4, 2021

Shouyou,

You are a dumbass. I can go a day without getting a note from you if it means that you save yourself a bike ride home in the cold-ass winter rain without a jacket. And you say that you’re “only a bit sick,” but I’m sure your trash can is full of three boxes worth of tissues. Reminder: you are a dumbass.

On the back of this note, I wrote down my grandpa’s curry recipe. It takes a bit of work, but you probably can’t sit still even when you’re sick, so it might be a good distraction for a while. Stores well, too. Let me know if you make it.

—Tobio

🐱

11/20/2021

Tobio,

Life suUUUUCKS. The heater broke for my complex yesterday, and I have not known warmth since. I’m currently wearing two (2) sweatshirts, pj pants, a pair of fuzzy socks, and slippers, and yet I still can’t feel my toes. I also dragged my comforter from my bedroom downstairs so that I could hang out with Neko. Her cuddles have been very helpful in getting me through these trying times. I’ve never had a cat before, but I’ve come to really like Neko. Maybe I should convince my family back home to get one, too.

—Your Icecube of a Neighbor

🐱

Dec. 2, 2021

Shouyou,

I do like snow. I didn’t play in it much as a kid, but I think it’s pretty to look at through the window as I work. You definitely seem like the type that went sledding and built snowmen as a kid (though, since you’re still a child, I bet you still do the same.)

Please don’t bike to work tomorrow and slide on ice onto your ass and die.

—Tobio

🐱

Okay, so he definitely has a crush on Tobio.

He doesn’t care anymore that he hasn’t seen his face—he’s seen his hands, and that’s enough physical evidence to lock Shouyou in horny jail. Plus the mountain of feelings he has that could easily get him sent to the emotional slammer, Shouyou can definitely say that he has a crush.

He walks over to Neko to give her a final few pets before he leaves for the afternoon. The days have gotten colder and colder, with even some snow falling on the ground a few nights ago, and for a while, Shouyou was worried that Neko would stop braving the outdoors to visit him when she could stay cozy and warm in Tobio’s home all day. He texted Tobio such as winter began to encroach, and Tobio told him not to worry—the reason Neko still came to Shouyou’s home after Tobio’s best friend had moved out is because she’s a cat who likes a routine.

A little cold won’t stop her from sticking to her schedule, Tobio texted, and Shouyou felt a bubble of relief pop and fill his chest. Even though he and Tobio text daily now, they still send notes as well; Shouyou would miss the daily spark of glee he gets from coming home for lunch break and seeing the message wrapped around her collar. And, of course, he’d miss Neko, too. He kind of doesn't remember what life was like before a cat was involved, and he doesn’t care to.

Pulling on his scarf, gloves, and coat, Shouyou hops onto his bike and pedals back to work. Today, he’s refereeing another one of Kageyama’s volleyball games, and a little shock of excitement stirs in his belly at the thought. Since his first attempt at getting Kageyama’s number, Shouyou hasn’t tried again, but he and Kageyama have definitely established a better rapport. A few days after that incident, Kageyama actually came up to Shouyou first, saying an awkward “Hello” before disappearing into the weight rooms. Now when they chat, Shouyou doesn’t lay on the heavy flirting like he’d done a few months ago, but he’s gotten Kageyama to loosen up a bit, so Shouyou considers it a win. Suga stopped trying to actively play Cupid after a couple weeks, but he still shoots Shouyou a wink every time he sees them interacting.

Unfortunately, Shouyou hasn’t gotten the chance to hit Kageyama’s spikes since their game together. While it’s a bit disappointing, it’s out of his control—his team hasn’t been missing a player since.

Shouyou parks his bike out front and heads into work. He walks into the gym and climbs the referee tower, gaze panning over the space from above. Shoes squeak against the floor and balls strike against arms as the two teams warm up for their game. The familiar environment makes Shouyou crack a small smile—he loves his job!

He finds Kageyama’s figure within the crowd and watches him set the perfect toss after perfect toss to his teammates. Shouyou lets himself indulge for just a moment—what if he were the one hitting those tosses?—before blowing his whistle.

“Time to start the game!” he chirps, and a chorus of woohoos follow. His gaze flits back to Kageyama, who’s already looking at him. Kageyama gives him an awkward smile—the corners of his lips turning up just barely—before he looks away, walking over to line up with his team. Shouyou grins even though he isn’t focusing on him anymore. Kageyama is just very cute.

Shouyou blows his whistle and the game begins. While he’s obviously paying enough attention to correctly referee, his mind is a bit elsewhere. Because that’s the (awful) thing about having a crush: the second his brain has time to wander, it automatically starts thinking about Tobio again.

Christmas is on the horizon, and Shouyou finally has someone that he wants to spend the holiday with. The problem is:

1.) Does Tobio even like guys?

2.) Does Tobio even like Shouyou?

He doesn’t think that Tobio is the type who would, like, throw a fit and unfriend him forever if Shouyou asked him out and Tobio didn’t reciprocate his feelings. But, considering their already tenuous means of communication, the reality is that their relationship could easily fade away, if Tobio wished it so. And, wow, God, that would hurt.

So that tiny probability thus far is what’s kept him from actively pursuing Tobio, even if every other one of his texts these days are basically just him blatantly flirting. Tobio’s responses to those texts are always funny, because despite how obvious Shouyou feels like he’s being, Tobio has the perceptiveness of a doorknob. He never flirts back, but his responses are always so earnest.

Shouyou chuckles as he thinks about the one from the other day:

To Tobio 🐱🥛:

I think i’m dying

Today at work I nearly threw out my back!

Being 26 y/o is suffering

If only someone were around to give me a massage.... [5:43]

From Tobio 🐱🥛:

https://www.healthline.com/2014-02-04/how-to-give-yourself-a-back-massage

Hope it feels better by tomorrow.

At this point, Shouyou isn’t even trying to inspire him into flirting back—he just sends wack-ass shit like that to see what kind of thoughtful, kind response Tobio will reply with.

Shouyou sighs, drumming his fingers against the phone in the pocket of his leggings. He supposes that getting the answer to his first question would be easy enough. And if the answer is “no,” then Shouyou can just lock his little gay feelings for Tobio in a box and ignore them until they fade into oblivion.

At the end of the first set while the teams are getting water, Shouyou sends off a text before he can lose his nerve.

To Tobio 🐱🥛:

Hav eyou ever been in a relationship? [13:34]

Shouyou locks his phone and turns off the buzzer, shoving it into the depths of his legging pocket. He won’t check it again until the game’s over.

The next two sets pass quickly thanks to Shouyou’s crush-induced brain fog. Climbing down the ladder, Shouyou shakes his head; the rest of his shift today is working one-on-one with clients, so his mind hopefully won’t wander aimlessly again.

Shouyou stands near the door and bids farewell to the players as they leave the gym. When Kageyama walks over, he’s staring at his phone in his hand, a pinched expression on his face.

“Good game, Kageyama!” Shouyou says, ignoring the weird twinge in his chest at the sight of Kageyama’s phone. He really had considered still asking for Kageyama’s number after that first incident went awry. But then he got Tobio’s. And as his feelings for Tobio slowly but surely started mounting, after a point, it felt weird to pursue Kageyama. Like he was cheating on his emotional crush for his physical crush. So while in the end he actively chose not to go after Kageyama romantically, seeing Kageyama’s phone right before him—the number that he failed to ever retrieve—makes Shouyou’s gut twist.

Completely oblivious to Shouyou’s wistful introspection, Kageyama looks up from his phone and blinks.

“Thank you.”

“When are you guys playing next?”

“I think we’re playing on Thursday next week.” Tobio’s gaze flits back down to his phone, then back up. “Will you be refereeing?”

Shouyou hums in disappointment. “I think I have Thursday off. But I’m sure I’ll see you around before then. Do you have any plans for New Years?”

Tobio shakes his head. “Just saying in Tokyo. You?”

“I’m headed back up to Miyagi to visit my family! I haven’t been home since I moved out here in, like, August.”

“I hope you have a good trip, then.”

Shouyou beams. “Thanks!” They stand there silently for a couple seconds, so Shouyou checks his watch. “Welp, I gotta head to my next appointment. If I don’t see you again before the New Year, have a great rest of December!”

“Thanks, you too.” Tobio walks out the door, his gaze back on his phone.

Shouyou watches him walk away, tapping at his screen, and a lightbulb goes off in his mind. Oh, yeah! He needs to check his phone. Shouyou’s nose scrunches, and he groans. Does he really want to know the answer, though?

Shouyou fishes the phone out of his pocket and clicks it on. Notifications flash on his screen—a text from his mom, a Snapchat from his sister, a few news articles—but no Tobio 🐱🥛. He sighs—a breath of relief or disappointment, he doesn’t know. He turns the buzzer on and slips it back into his pocket. But then, of course, not five seconds later does it vibrate against his leg.

From Tobio 🐱🥛:

Yes

A couple [14:55]

Shouyou nearly drops his phone. A couple, Tobio says. He feels a weight unfurl in his chest. He’d never even considered that Tobio could be dating someone right now!

To Tobio 🐱🥛:

Ohoh? 👀👀 tell me more [14:55]

He’s not snooping. He’s just being a normal friend with an appropriate amount of interest in his bro’s dating life.

From Tobio 🐱🥛:

Why are you being so nosy [14:55]

To Tobio 🐱🥛:

We’ve never talked abt before and i’m curious!!! [14:56]

Shouyou bites his lip as Tobio types out his response, the dots on screen disappearing and reappearing erratically.

From Tobio 🐱🥛:

I tried dating a girl in high school and it was a miserable experience, so I said that I wasn’t gonna date in college. Then I realized I was gay my junior year, and high school finally made sense. I dated a guy at work for a few months about a year ago, but things fizzled out.

Happy? [14:57]

Shouyou actually does drop his phone this time, his fast reflexes the only thing keeping it from clattering to the ground. He lets out a shaky breath as he brings it up to his face again, eyes reading Tobio’s text over and over.

Happy?

Oh, boy, Tobio, is that an understatement.

To Tobio 🐱🥛:

Oh, that’s cool!!

I’m bi so i’ve also dated girls and guys but things haven’t really lasted

Neko-san’s the only girl i need in my life <3 [14:57]

From Tobio 🐱🥛:

Same. :) [14:57]

Shouyou bursts out loud laughing at that as he climbs the stairs. Tobio’s been using emojis more lately—likely due to Shouyou’s influence—but he’s still surprised every time one pops up.

He really does have to meet up with his client soon, so he tells Tobio such then pockets his phone.

Shouyou walks around the rest of the day with a pep in his step. Tobio not only likes men, but he only likes men. His second question is still up in the air, but, well, he won’t have the answer to that until he puts himself out there. Which ... he will do. Soon. Eventually. The prospect of getting rejected lurks in the back of his mind, but he lets his current joy burn it away like mist in the sun.

He still has a few weeks until Christmas, after all.

🐱

It’s less than a week before Christmas, and Shouyou still hasn’t asked Tobio out.

He lets out a small groan as he mops the floors of the group fitness room, his face pinching in frustration. He wants to! He really does! But if Shouyou texts him, he’ll spend whatever amount of time in between sending the message and receiving Tobio’s response agonizing over the wait; if he sends him a note, he knows when he’ll get his response, but that means having to wait even longer for an answer.

Shouyou groans louder, running across the floor with the mop to dispel some of his restlessness. He’s always been the type to act on his feelings, and the idea of pining normally fully eludes him—why waste time yearning over a crush when you could be kissing them or getting over rejection and finding a new one?—but with Tobio, it’s different. The nature of their relationship is different and special. He really, really likes things the way things are now, and the truth is he could ruin their little, magic cat bubble by confessing.

His brain continues to assault him with Tobio thoughts as he finishes cleaning up the rest of the room. And then after this, it’s lunch break, which means he’ll be heading home to see Neko who will give him more Tobio thoughts, as well as a sheet of paper with Tobio’s thoughts.

Shouyou is going to go insane.

He brings the cleaning supplies back to the closet and exits the room, heading down the stairs to the exit. Shouyou’s so lost in his thoughts that he nearly barrels into someone, stopping just at the last second.

“Bwah!” he yells, jumping back. “Oh, gosh, I’m sorry!” Whoever’s headed his way is carrying a large pile of exercise mats in their arms, likely heavily obscuring their vision.

Suga’s face pops out behind the stack, a reassuring smile on his lips. “Ah, no worries, Hinata-kun. Sorry, I can’t really see where I’m going.”

“W-would you like me to take half?” Shouyou asks, offering his arms out.

Suga laughs and looks at the clock on the wall. “Isn’t it your lunch break soon?”

“But I wanna help!”

Suga squats to the ground, placing the mats on the floor. “Well, if you insist, go ahead and take some. Thanks, Hinata-kun.”

Shouyou picks up an armful, settling the top of the heap under his chin. “It’s the least I can do after almost knocking you over.”

They walk back up to the second floor, their footsteps echoing in the empty stairwell.

“You know, Hinata, I’ve kinda noticed that you’ve been a bit more spacey the past few days.” Suga looks over at him. “Has something happened recently?”

Shouyou flicks his gaze forward, a cheery “I’m fine!” rolling off his tongue reflexively.

Suga stops on the landing, his eyebrow cocking up as he stares at Shouyou. “Hinata-kun.”

Shouyou’s gut flips. This feeling reminds him of the time that his mom caught him lying about definitely not eating Natsu’s cookie back in middle school.

Shouyou groans, nose scrunching as they continue walking towards the storage room. “It’s kinda silly. And has a lot of context. I don’t wanna bother you with it all.”

“I asked, didn’t I?” Suga opens the door and props it open with his foot, gesturing at Shouyou to enter first. “And you could never be a bother.”

Shouyou blows a raspberry at that, hefting the stack of mats onto a shelf. “Tell that to my mom.”

Suga chuckles as the door behind him swings shut. “Stop diverting.”

Shouyou grimaces as Suga tops off his stack with his own. “Fine. But it’s gonna take a while.”

“It’s my lunch hour, too. I’ve got time.” Suga pushes the door open and leaves the room, Shouyou in tandem. “I know you normally don’t stay for lunch, but we’ve got snacks.”

“Thanks!” They pad down the stairs and head into the break room, Shouyou thinking all the while about what exactly he wants to say.

Suga grabs something from the fridge as Shouyou picks a snack from the cabinets. When he sits down, he slumps in the chair and sighs, the weight of the world crushing on his shoulders. “So there’s this guy.”

Suga laughs, reaching over the table and hitting him in the arm. “Oh my god, dramatic.”

Shouyou giggles then sits up straight, resting his forearms on the table. “We met in a rather ... unconventional way.” He tells Suga about Neko and their means of correspondence, the reason Shouyou never stays for lunch. Suga listens the whole time, expression perplexed but brows raised in interest. Shouyou talks about how the notes make his stomach flutter and how his texts make him melt, yada yada, the classic metaphors for affection.

Suga smirks. “Sounds like a whole-ass crush.”

Shouyou groans, dragging his hands down his face. “It totally is.” But then he explains his dilemma—how he loves things the way they are and doesn’t want to do anything that could threaten that balance. Suga nods along as he speaks, humming in thought and assent.

“So yep. I want to ask him out before Christmas, but there are just. A few things getting in my way. Like the potential of getting my heart totally smashed the pieces.” Shouyou sighs, flopping back in his chair and throwing an arm over his eyes. “Man, I used to make fun of my sister for waaayy overthinking her crushes—“Girl, just ask him!”— but I’m starting to sympathize with the general population.”

Suga chuckles, then drums his fingers on the table. Shouyou moves his arm up a little to sneak a peek at him. He looks thoughtful, his head cocked to the side with his gaze on the ceiling.

“I think that you’re definitely overthinking it,” Suga starts, “but I think that you’re right—that’s what the average person does.” He looks back down at Shouyou, and Shouyou drops his arm. “Not all of us have overflowing wells of confidence on the daily.”

Shouyou blows a raspberry. “Well, mine has dried up from overuse, it seems.”

Suga hums sympathetically. “Does this guy seem to like you, too?”

“I mean, we text everyday and still send notes, so I know he likes me,” Shouyou pulls out his phone, unlocking it to reveal that it’s already open to Tobio’s messages. He scrolls mindlessly up and down the chat for a moment, frowning. “But I don’t know if he likes me, you know? I also flirt with him like crazy over text but he never picks up on it. He never shuts me down, though, either.” Shouyou rolls his eyes. “I genuinely just think that he’s more dense than a brick. Here, you be the judge.”

He hands Suga his phone. A normal person would maybe find it weird to be divulging the intimate details of their personal life to their boss, but luckily, both Suga and Shouyou are anything but normal. Besides, desperate times call for desperate measures. Shouyou’s going to go delusional if he doesn’t get a second opinion. While Suga takes a minute to peruse their texts, Shouyou fiddles with the snack bag on the table.

“It seems to me like you just wish your feelings would go away so that things can go back to how they were before you realized that you liked him,” Suga says after a bit. He continues scrolling Shouyou’s phone as Shouyou groans, throwing his chest onto the tabletop and raking his hands through his hair.

“Yes, Suga-san, you get me so well...”

Suga pauses swiping at the phone for a moment, eyebrows furrowing.

“You guys talk about the strangest things sometimes.” Shouyou sits up to read what Suga’s looking at. He laughs when he sees the article that he sent to Tobio about the link between coconut milk and immune system health.

“Our cow milk versus plant milk debate has been a staple of our relationship. Don’t worry about it too much.”

Suga chuckles as he clicks his phone off, sliding it back over to Shouyou. “Well, anyways, back to your feelings.” Shouyou falls onto the table again at that, burrowing himself in his arms. “It also doesn’t seem like you’re gonna just get over them any time soon. This old “normal” you want is gone.” Shouyou feels a hand pat the top of his head. “If you don’t rip off the band-aid, you’re gonna be stuck in this miserable limbo state for the next while. And while there is the possibility of getting rejected and things falling apart, I don’t think that’s gonna be the case after looking through those texts.” Shouyou turns his head on the table to face Suga, quirking a hopeful brow. Suga winks. “In fact, I think you might be Neko-san’s official second dad soon once you go for it.”

Shouyou’s face pinches inward, his nose scrunching. Suga laughs, patting him on the head again before retracting his hand. “I know that taking the plunge is scary—that’s why Daichi and I tiptoed around each other for, like, years in college, but look at where we are now.”

Shouyou’s smiles at that, a little bell chiming in celebration in his head. Neither Suga nor Daichi have ever expressly stated the nature of their relationship. In fact, his mental bet against himself that he adds $50 to every time Suga and Daichi do something gay, is at, like, $10,000 now. But, really, he knew all along. Guess it’s time to cash out.

“But if he’s really a friend, then he’s not just gonna drop you just because you confessed. And if he does, then he’s a dick and you dodged a bullet, so go forth! You know you want to, you just have to.”

Shouyou stretches his arms out on the table, groaning. “I knoooooow. But sometimes it helps to hear from another person.” He opens his phone and stares at the icon at the top of their text thread. Clicking the name, Tobio’s contact photo expands to a full screen picture of Neko, sleeping balled up on Shouyou’s couch. He zooms in on her little nose and triangular ears, willing her to bring him strength. Oh, shit, wait, he needs to get to her before lunch break ends—

Shouyou stands abruptly, and Suga blinks as he takes his first bite of his salad. “Thank you for talking to me! I’m sorry I can’t stay longer to chat about your life”—he brings his hands together in front of his face, bowing slightly—“I gotta head home to check on Neko-san.” Suga shakes his head, popping the fork out of his mouth.

“Of course, Hinata-kun. And don’t apologize.” He flicks his fork a couple times towards the door. “Go.”

Shouyou realizes that he hasn’t eaten any of the snacks that he brought to the table, so he reaches into the bag and shovels a handful of veggies straws into his mouth. Suga starts guffawing as he shoves them back into the cabinets and runs out the door, a smile twitching at the corners of his full mouth. He quickly exits the building and hops on his bike, itching to get home.

Shouyou takes a deep breath, letting his shoulders fall on the exhale. Having thoughts is exhausting, jeez, but he feels so much better after talking to Suga. Suga’s so right, too, about just needing to ... accept his feelings and rip off the band-aid. And he’s feeling a bit more confident about doing so now. Smiling to himself, Shouyou clicks a gear up and pumps his legs harder, eager to arrive home quickly.

A few minutes later, Shouyou wheels into the front yard, rolling to a stop. Just as he’s about to unlock the front door, something sounds from the bushes—the noise a mix of a growl, screech, and whine. Shouyou swivels around, adrenaline welling up in his veins. What the hell?

A hiss comes from his left, and Shouyou drops into a deep squat to check the area under the bushes.

“Hey!” he yells instinctively as he sees two cats clawing at each other between the branches. His adrenaline spikes when he notices that one of the cats is Neko, her usual graceful, black fur sticking up in clumps and patches. Neither of the cats spare him a second glance as they continue scuffling on the ground, the other cat’s claws nicking Neko’s ear.

Shouyou doesn’t think; he squeezes between the front wall of his apartment and the bushes, his blood rushing in his ears. He doesn’t have anything on him to defend himself from their attacks, but he doesn’t mind getting a bit scratched up if he can get them to stop fighting. As he approaches, Shouyou starts clapping his hands together loudly, trying to break their concentration.

“Neko-san, please!” he calls out. “You’re gonna get yourself hurt!” His noises don’t seem to be doing a thing, though; Neko hisses as she lunges again, teeth bared.

Well, fuck it. This is an old coat anyways. Shouyou does what he’s absolutely sure is not veterinarian recommended and grabs Neko around the ribs with both hands, physically pulling her up and away from the other cat. She continues flailing around in his arms, her claws scraping at him through his jacket; it fucking hurts, but at least they’re no longer fighting. The other cat’s ears press flat to its head, and it glares up at him, mouth curled back to expose its teeth.

“Shoo!” he yells, tapping at the ground with his foot. He doesn’t really want to scare it, but he doesn’t want it sticking around either. Still wiggling around in his hands, Shouyou takes Neko and tucks her to his chest, hoping the security of being in his arms will calm her down. He takes a small step forward, and the other cat scampers off with a final hiss. Neko squirms for a few more seconds before all the fight leaves her at once, her chest heaving against Shouyou’s. He tilts his chin down to examine her more thoroughly.

She’s definitely bleeding—the blood causing her fur to collect in clumps against her skin. There’s a little tear in her ear, also lined with blood. Fuck. Shouyou squeezes out of the bushes and unlocks his front door, Neko secured safely in his other arm. He grabs a dish towel and lays it down on Neko’s usual space on the couch, setting her atop it.

He takes a step back and stares at her dumbly, his brain simultaneously on fire and blank at once. What should he do?

His body answers for him, plucking the phone from his jacket pocket and typing in a contact. The phone is up next to his ear and ringing before he has the chance to process what he’s doing, how absurd it is what he’s doing.

“Please pick up,” he whispers as the call rings for the fourth time. This is definitely not how he wanted to talk to Tobio for the first time, but his urgency to help Neko overshadows any of his initial upset.

The ringing cuts off, and something clicks on the other end; Shouyou’s grip around his phone tightens.

“Hello?” A low voice sounds from the speaker. Shouyou breathes a sigh of relief and jumps straight into it:

“Hi, I know we’ve never called before, and this totally isn’t in our, like, arrangement of communicating, but I just came home from lunch break to find Neko-san in a fight in front of my apartment; I broke them apart, but she looks pretty beat up, and, like, I’ve never had a pet before, so, like, I don’t really know what to do—”

“Calm down, Shouyou,” Tobio says, and Shouyou claps a hand over his mouth to stop himself from spewing anymore. In any other context, Shouyou’s sure that hearing Tobio say his name would’ve sent him into a lovesick spiral, but right now, he’s in a bit of a panicked one.

“I worked from home today; can you bring her over while I let my coworkers know that there’s an emergency? My apartment’s 1679. I’ll call the emergency vet now, too.” Shouyou hums in assent, trying to mentally place where the 1600s are within their apartment complex. A block or two down the road, to the right? Shouyou puts his phone on speaker and taps the address into Google Maps. Something niggles at the back of his mind, but he ignores it, too focused on the task at hand. Shouyou locates the apartment and lets Tobio know; Tobio says a see you soon before hanging up.

Shouyou runs upstairs to grab a larger towel before sprinting back down, unfolding it as he approaches the couch.

“Hey, girlie,” he says, voice soft. “We’re gonna bring you over to Daddy’s so that you can get checked up on by a vet, okay?” Neko doesn’t look up from where she’s laying, her breath still coming out in quick puffs. Shouyou drapes the larger towel gently over her back and lifts her up, wrapping the extra fabric in front of her paws and belly. He slips out the door, closing it quietly behind him, and starts walking to Tobio’s, a singular goal in mind: get Neko to the vet’s office.

As he walks down the rows of similar apartment faces, his heartbeat slows, his mind calming with it. It is only then that he realizes:

Oh, fuck, he’s meeting Tobio.

Face to face.

For the first time.

He looks down at the battered Neko in his arms. This certainly isn’t how he imagined his first meeting with Tobio would go. But whatever special bubble they’ve carved out for each other through notes and texts is worth being popped for Neko’s safety. Besides, this kinda takes the pressure off of making their first meeting perfect and magical or whatever romanticised vision Shouyou’s created of it in his head. No expectations—just Neko. He shifts her up in his arms and looks forward, continuing his way down the street.

Shouyou makes it to Tobio’s apartment, the numbers 1679 standing on a plaque by his door. With each passing second, anticipation builds in his veins, twisting up and around his gut. While their first meeting might not be the romantic showstopper he dreamed of, it’s still their first meeting. Today, Shouyou’s going to learn what Tobio looks like, and he can never unlearn that. The thought that he also gets to see his hands in person for the first time flits through his mind, and he makes a face, shooing it away. This is a dire situation; he can’t be ho—

The door to Tobio’s apartment swings open, cutting off Shouyou’s train of thought. Tobio steps out, and Shouyou gets a first glance at his features, his hair, his body, but wait a second ...

“Kageyama?” he blurts out, brows flying to his hairline.

“Hinata?” Tobio shoots back, just as nonplussed.

They stare at each other, jaws slack, for what feels like an eternity. Shouyou’s mind is static, and he blinks, trying to boot it back online. This has to be a dream, right? The niggling thought at the back of his head from earlier pops to the surface: the voice over the phone was familiar. Tinny, but familiar. And now, he thinks that he understands why.

Shouyou takes a deep breath. “...Tobio.”

“Shouyou,” Tobio responds, breathy.

Hearing Kageyama call him “Shouyou” in person causes his chest to squeeze, the absurdity of the situation sinking into his bones. But before he can drown, Neko squirms in his arms, and Shouyou snaps back to the reality of the present, taking a few steps towards Tobio. (Kageyama? Ugh, whatever.)

“Here she is,” Shouyou says, extending her out. Tobio takes her into his arms, a pinched expression appearing on his face as he takes in her current state.

“I called the emergency vet; they can take me in ten minutes.” Tobio looks up, his familiar blue eyes jarring. “You’re working today, right?” Shouyou nods, head spinning. “Okay ... then go back. We’ll talk again tonight.”

Shouyou nods again. Tobio turns around and locks his front door before heading to his car in the parking lot. Shouyou stands dumbly and watches him drive off, still absolutely reeling from what just happened.

Because, what the fuck.

Shouyou staggers home in a daze. Lunch forgotten, he hops on his bike and starts pedaling. Everything feels strange—like he’s having an out of body experience. Like all of his senses have been flipped on their heads.

Tobio is Kageyama

Kageyama is Tobio.

Shouyou shakes his head, still in disbelief.

He makes it work miraculously unharmed, considering how spaced out he was the entire ride there.

Shouyou jogs into the building and then sprints to the break room, tearing off his coat. He has to talk to someone about this, and the only person who would understand is ...

“Suga-san!” Shouyou barrels through the door, spotting Suga’s ash-blond hair from across the room.

“Hinata-kun?” Suga says, ripping his gaze off of Daichi. Oh, shit, Hinata didn’t even realize that Daichi was here. Well, he’ll have to figure Shouyou’s situation out as they go.

“It’s Kageyama!” Suga lifts a brow in confusion, and Shouyou starts gesticulating wildly. He quickly throws his jacket onto the coat rack and walks closer to where he’s sitting at the table. “Neko’s owner! Is Kageyama!” He quickly explains what happened to Neko and why they wound up meeting in the first place. A grin spreads wider across Suga’s face with every word.

When he finishes, inhaling deeply to catch his breath, Suga says, “I knew my Kageyama x Hinata agenda wouldn’t fail me in the end.” He claps his hands together in front of his chest like he’s praying. Before Shouyou can comment on it, though, he continues, “So? How do you feel?”

Shouyou makes a noise that sounds like the verbal equivalent of a keysmash. “Weird! Like the fabric of reality has ripped and altered in a way that everything feels the same but at, like, a five degree angle!”

“Good to know that you’re just as dramatic as ever,” Suga says, coming closer to pat him on the arm. Shouyou groans, throwing his hands over his face.

“Oh my God, Hinata-kun, your arms,” Suga says, jaw dropping. Shouyou holds his arms out in front of him and blinks in surprise. Shit, he totally forgot how Neko clawed him to bits in front of his apartment, too concerned about her health and then meeting up with Tobio to give it a second thought. Now that he does think about it, though, they kinda sting. He shrugs.

“I’ll clean them up after we talk! Promise!”

Suga eyes him warily. “You’re not going back out on the floor until you’ve disinfected and bandaged them.” Shouyou nods rapidly, and Suga gestures at him to continue.

“Anyways, it’s just. I don’t know how to reconcile the fact that shy, awkward Kageyama and vulgar, earnest Tobio are the same person?” Shouyou gasps, remembering something. “And I’m talking to him again after work today! To make sure that Neko is okay! But that means I’m talking to him again? Seeing his face? Kageyama’s... Tobio’s face?”

Suga takes him by the shoulders and shakes him; Shouyou lets out an aaaaaaaah! that oscillates in sound as he does so.

“You have all day to get used to the fact,” Suga says plainly. “And, like, I guess I’m not seeing what’s wrong with the situation? You like Tobio and Kageyama. Which now just means that you like Kageyama Tobio.”

Shouyou hooks his hands onto Suga’s biceps, slumping over. “There’s nothing ... wrong? It’s just like. Brain feels like bwaaaaah!” Suga gives him a look, and Shouyou tries to translate, dropping his head between their arms. “Overwhelming. Weird! I am... befuddled.” Shouyou’s not one-hundred percent sure he knows what that word means, but it feels appropriate in this context.

Suga’s gaze flicks to the back wall. “Well, again, you have the rest of the work day to rewire yourself; lunch break’s over now. Just don’t drop a weight on your foot in the process.”

Shouyou’s head snaps up. Work! He does have to do that, huh.

Suga gives Shouyou’s shoulders a final pat before dropping his arms. “Hey, nothing’s really changed, has it? Tobio is still the Tobio you know, even if he’s also Kageyama. Just be how you always are, and I’m sure things will flow easily from text to real life.”

“You’re right, you’re right.” Shouyou bounces on his heels. “Just. Gotta be normal Shouyou.” His eyes widen when a thought pops up in his head. “Should I ... confess? Would that be too abrupt? Oh my god, what if Neko-san’s in, like, critical condition and I confessed—”

Suga sighs, exasperated but light. “Hinata-kun, you know Neko-san’s gonna be fine. A new scar or two, but fine.” He brings a hand up to his chin, humming. “I mean, if you want that Christmas date of your dreams, might as well confess as soon as possible. Maybe it’ll be easier than before your brain can fully equate Kageyama to Tobio—just spit it out before you can overthink it?”

Shouyou blows a raspberry. “I’ll figure it out. Thanks for dealing with my, uh, freak out.” He cranes his neck to peek at Daichi, a flush growing on his cheeks. “Sorry for stealing Suga-san.”

Daichi laughs. “No trouble, Hinata.” He brings his hand to the back of his neck. “I’m not sure that I completely understand what’s going on but ... Good luck?” His face suddenly grows serious, eyes narrowing. “If you and Kageyama do end up dating, though, you better not get up to any silly business in my gym, you got it? Also, please go clean up your arms. There’s a first-aid kit in that cabinet.” He cocks this thumb to the right.

Shouyou meeps, straightening his posture. “Of course not, sir!” His face burns at the mere implication. “And yes, will do!” He shuffles over to said cabinet, eyes straight ahead.

Suga’s voice sounds from behind him. “But, Daichi, that’s not a very fair expectation considering how we—”

“—have never done anything anywhere where patrons could find us,” Daichi cuts in. Hand on the kit, Shouyou looks behind him and sees Suga’s nefarious grin. Daichi walks over to him before Suga can get another word out, though.

“Also I was kidding, Hinata. I know you take work very seriously.” Daichi crosses his arms and glances at the door. “Now get out there and then keep at it!”

Shouyou gives a final bow before dipping out, his nerves in disarray now for completely different reasons. Just what have Suga and Daichi done in this gym? The thought doesn’t stick around for long, though; he quickly cleans up, wrapping his arms in ace bandages, before meeting up with his next client for the day. As they work together, he tries very hard to keep his focus on the present.

His body for the rest of the day, on the other hand, has a different idea—his skin extra sensitive and prickling, his chest tight in anticipation. It’s definitely anxiety, but there’s something else in the mix—an unnameable feeling that stokes the embers in his gut. Well, he’s never had an instance where his emotional and physical crush turn out to be the same person, so he supposes it’s not unusual that he can’t put a finger on the feeling.

When Shouyou’s last client of the day heads out the door, he follows immediately after, hopping on his bike and sprinting back to his apartment in what’s likely record time. He stumbles through the door, nearly tripping over the lip of the genkan as he texts Tobio:

To Tobio 🐱🥛:

How is she?? [17:09]

Shouyou shucks off his winter gear, hanging it haphazardly on the coat rack, before checking his phone again.

From Tobio 🐱🥛:

She’s stable. The doctor thinks she pulled a muscle, but every other injury was surface level. She’ll be fine within the next week or so. [17:09]

Shouyou breathes out a sigh of relief, flopping back onto the couch. Suga was right—Neko is fine. But if Neko is fine, then that means that the next step is—

Shouyou’s phone pings again before he can complete the thought.

From Tobio 🐱🥛:

Do you want to see her? [17:09]

Shouyou replies with a yes, his phone dangerously close to his face. He nearly jumps out of his skin when his phone rings, the words “Tobio would like to Facetime...” popping up before his eyes. Shouyou fumbles with his phone, his finger sliding across the screen but failing to catch on the “Accept” button a few times before successfully picking up. He sits up and brings his phone a reasonable distance from his face as Neko’s figure greets him, curled atop what appears to be Tobio’s lap. Shouyou smiles—she does love a good lap.

“Hey,” Shouyou starts, his voice a lot more steady than he feels. Even though he can’t see Tobio at the moment, the knowledge that he’s the one behind the camera causes butterflies to erupt in his stomach. Also, like, he knows that they know each other’s identities now, so it’s okay to Facetime given the new circumstances, but it still feels kinda taboo—like they’re breaking an unspoken rule. The mixture of excitement and thrill sends his heart into overdrive, beating loudly in his chest and ears.

“Hi,” Tobio says, his finger scratching behind Neko’s ear. “Uh, I hope this is okay...”

Shouyou nods rapidly. “Yeah, totally fine.” Tobio’s identity is no longer a secret. But maybe their next stage will be just as magical, if in a different way ... Shouyou’s cheeks flush at the thought. He’s getting so ahead of himself.

Tobio updates Shouyou on the details of her condition, Shouyou humming in sympathy. At one point, Tobio moves the camera closer to her poor nicked ear. “They said that it’s never gonna fully heal.” Shouyou’s lips twist, eyes flicking to the ceiling.

“It’s her badge of honor,” he offers, looking back down at his screen. “Physical proof that she’s a strong girlie.” Tobio snorts, scratching the bridge of Neko’s nose. Even from the other end of the line, Shouyou can hear her purring.

“A strong girlie that cost me quite the fortune for that vet visit,” Tobio grumbles. Shouyou straightens, gasping.

“Oh my God, do you want me to cover part of the bill? She was at my house after all—”

“Of course not, dumbass,” Tobio cuts him off. Shouyou’s words of protest get stuck in his throat as he flushes at hearing the nickname out of Tobio’s mouth. Who knew that what’s technically an insult would ever get him feeling so hot? “She’s my responsibility. You’ve done enough.”

Shouyou swallows, his mouth dry. Not knowing how to reply to that, he diverts, “So is she gonna be under house arrest for a bit?” Shouyou hopes this is the case—she needs time to heal!—but he’d be lying if he said it weren’t a bit upsetting. He’s gotten used to receiving notes from Neko on the daily.

“Yeah, I’m gonna keep her around until she can jump properly again,” Tobio says. “So only a couple days. She’s gonna be wailing the entire time, but that’s what noise cancelling headphones were invented for, I suppose.”

Shouyou laughs, and Tobio’s camera shakes a bit, like he’s chuckling as well. They settle into a comfortable silence, Tobio stroking Neko down the length of her back.

“I’m gonna miss notes for the next couple days,” Shouyou says, his heart jackrabbiting in his chest.

It’s time to rip off the band aid.

Tobio’s hand on Neko pauses a beat before picking back up. “I will, too.”

“But we don’t have to miss out on each other in the meantime...” Shouyou starts, testing the waters. Tobio’s always been bad at picking up on Shouyou’s flirtations, but this could be the last time Shouyou gets to see one of his endearing reactions if things go badly.

Tobio huffs a puff of air through his nose. “Yeah, we have texts now, too, dumbass.”

Shouyou sinks deeper into the couch cushions, Tobio’s sincerity just ... too cute. He shakes his head. “I was thinking more, like, in real life?”

Tobio’s camera freezes for a moment before it boots back up, the camera now flipped to show his face. Shouyou breathes in sharply, Tobio being Kageyama still not quite reconfigured in his mind yet. “What do you mean?”

Taking a deep breath, Shouyou steadies himself. Moment of truth.

“I, uh...” The next words are on the tip of his tongue, but they’re trapped, stuck in his mouth like peanut butter. A few seconds pass in silence, Shouyou’s skin crackling with apprehension.

“Spit it out, dumbass.”

Shouyou huffs out a shocked laugh—clearly Tobio hasn’t had a hard time crossing over how he treats Shouyou to how he treats Hinata.

Taking Tobio’s challenge to heart, he nearly yells, “I like you!” Tobio’s brows fly up, but Shouyou launches himself into the confession before he can interrupt. “Both Kageyama and Tobio, of course, but Tobio specifically has just really made my first few months in Tokyo so ... special?” He pauses for a beat, searching for the right words. “Like, I literally bike home for lunch every day so that I can see your notes from Neko-san. I always look forward to talking to you, and I honestly thought that I was going kinda crazy—falling for someone who’s face I’d never even seen—but even before today, after seeing that your face is Kageyama’s face, I knew that I liked you, Tobio. Basically what I’m trying to say is, would you wanna go on a date? With me?” Shouyou sucks in a much-needed breath then turns his attention to Tobio, who’s staring at him blankly on the other side of the screen. Even in the low light, Shouyou can tell that his cheeks are flushed a dark red, his lips parted slightly.

A few more seconds pass, and Shouyou starts feeling itchy, his foot coming to tap rapidly against the ground. Did he say too much? He definitely said too much—

“Yes,” Tobio says, his voice coming out in a rush. He coughs, clearing his throat, before saying again more firmly, “Yes.”

“Really?” Shouyou brings his phone closer to his face in disbelief.

“Yes!” Tobio says for the third time, and Shouyou snorts. “I thought about asking you before today, too, but—”

Shouyou cuts him off, too excited to rein himself in. “You didn’t want to lose what we already had between us?”

Tobio nods. “Exactly.”

“Well,” Shouyou says, his whole body going warm. “Neko-san brought us together initially. It’s only fair that she’s also the one who moved the bar forward.”

Tobio looks down at his lap and then back up. “I just wish that she could’ve gone about it in a less dangerous kind of way.”

Shouyou laughs again, and Tobio soon follows, his hand coming up to cover his mouth. God, Shouyou wishes that he’d let him see his smile. But they’ll have plenty of other chances for that.

Once the giggles die down, Shouyou readjusts himself on the couch, tucking his legs to his chest so that he can rest his phone atop his knees. “So, what do you want to do?”

“Volleyball,” Tobio answers immediately.

Shouyou cocks his head. “Really? Even without the rest of a team?”

Tobio nods vigorously. “Tossing to you that one time when you subbed in was ... really fun.” His eyes flit to somewhere off-camera, his cheeks flushing. “I remember it, like, every time I see you at the gym and just think, ‘Man, I wanna do that again.’”

Shouyou raises an eyebrow, smirking. “Oh? Then why’d you never ask, Kageyama-kuuuun?”

Tobio looks back at the camera, unamused. “Don’t think I didn’t see you while refereeing our volleyball games. You totally wanted in, and you didn’t ask either.”

Shouyou rolls his eyes, his cheeks flushing. “Well, I’m an employee. It would’ve been inappropriate to have any relations with my clients.”

Tobio’s brow furrows a smidgen. “So, wait, are we not allowed to date? Since I still go to Karasuno.”

Shouyou waves his free hand in the air, backpedaling. “Noooo, we should be fine!” He scratches his temple, averting his eyes. “I actually told Daichi-san and Suga-san about you—both Tobio and Kageyama. Daichi said it was fine as long as we didn’t”—Shouyou raises his eyebrows a couple times—“you know. While I was at work.”

Tobio sits there, head tilted in confusion. Shouyou leans into the camera, winking. “You know?”

Something in Tobio’s eyes sparks, and his face abruptly turns red. “O-Oh. Got it. Yeah, nope. None of that.”

Shouyou giggles, his cheeks starting to hurt from all the smiling. “Nope, none of that!”

“So, you’re going home soon for New Year’s, right?” Tobio says, clearly diverting, and Shouyou takes a second to remember that he’d told Kageyama such a week or so back.

Shouyou nods. “Yeah, I’m leaving on the 26th.”

Tobio nods, squinting in concentration. “So that only leaves tomorrow and...”

“Christmas!” Shouyou yells, having just remembered his initial intent. “Are you free on Christmas? I’ve been thinking about asking you on a Christmas date for, like, weeks.”

Tobio bites his lip and looks away. “Yeah, I can do Christmas.”

A smile breaks out on Shouyou’s face. “Then it’s a date. The multipurpose gym at Karasuno closes officially at 18:00, so 18:00?” Shouyou’s grin shifts into a smirk. “You can help me clean up afterwards, too, hehe.”

Tobio rolls his eyes. “So I’m just here to help you do your job without getting paid.”

Shouyou giggles and stares up at the ceiling, whistling innocently. He sees Tobio shake his head in his peripheral vision. “Dumbass.” Shouyou gazes back at his phone and sticks his tongue out at him. Tobio gives him a thoroughly unamused look back. After a moment, though, the corner of Tobio’s lips tremble, and both he and Shouyou erupt into laughter at the same time.

Tobio recovers first, his lips pursing awkwardly before glancing back at the camera. “So. I really hate to cut this short but I never got to have lunch because of Neko and—”

Shouyou shakes his head in understanding. “Oh my God, no, you’re fine! You’ve had a really long day with Neko-san and me and all. Go eat and relax!”

“Thanks,” Tobio says, voice relaxing. He looks down in his lap and then back up. “I’ll text you later?” Shouyou nods so fervently that he nearly hurls himself off of the couch. Tobio gives a final snort and says his goodbyes before hanging up.

After staring dumbly at his home screen for a few seconds, Shouyou collapses onto his side, body bouncing a few times against the couch cushions. He got his Christmas date! With Tobio! His heart’s still beating so fast that he worries it’s going to break free of his chest, which would be a very bad thing considering he needs a fully functioning body to go on a date. He takes a deep breath, willing himself to calm down, but his body doesn’t listen. He’s too excited! He needs to, like, let it out!

Opening his messaging app, Shouyou quickly sends a text to the only other person as invested in this as he is.

To Sugawara Koushi:

Guess who’s has a date on Christmassss [17:32]

Suga texts back before Shouyou can even turn off his phone.

From Sugawara Koushi:

YOOOOOOOUUUUU!!!!!!

Oh my god

What are y’all doing? [17:32]

To Sugawara Koushi:

We’re gonna play volleyball

...

Are u okay with us taking over the gym after 18:00 [17:33]

From Sugawara Koushi:

OF COURSE YOU CAN HAVE THE GYM

I’ll even lock the doors ;) [17:33]

To Sugawara Koushi:

The doors r supposed to be locked after 6 everyday, suga-san [17:33]

From Sugawara Koushi:

I’ll put a chain around the handles too then to make sure that you can’t leave until you’ve texted me that you’ve kissed ;) [17:33]

Shouyou brings a hand to his face, flushing.

To Sugawara Koushi:

Isn’t that against what Daichi-san said earlier today? [17:34]

From Sugawara Koushi:

You and I both well know that just b/c Daichi says something doesn’t mean that I automatically agree

But fine. I will not confine you to volleyball jail

But you better let me know how it goes

Or else [17:34]

To Sugawara Koushi:

Ofc!! thanks suga-san!! [17:35]

Shouyou shuts off his phone and clutches it close to his chest. A breeze blows from Neko’s open window, the cold air sweeping across Shouyou’s figure.

He shivers, but his heart still feels so, so warm.

🐱

So this definitely wasn’t the Christmas date with Tobio that Shouyou was expecting. But, luckily for him, it’s even better.

He wasn’t sure how playing with Tobio again would go considering they weren’t in a game or practice match or generally invigorating environment—the ball passed only between the two of them and the lacquered floor. But, as the night’s worn on, they’ve created their own competitive atmosphere, with Shouyou asking for tosses in more and more ludicrous places, and Tobio demanding that Shouyou jump higher, run faster, spike harder.

Honestly, it feels even better than the first time that they played together. When they nail especially tricky shots, Shouyou yells praises freely, coming in close to give Tobio a high-touch. Without fail every time, Tobio gets just a bit redder and slaps his palms against Shouyou’s; the feeling travels down Shouyou’s arms and nestles right next to his rapidly beating heart.

Soon they switch to other drills, and Shouyou gets to experience Tobio’s killer serve from the other end of the net. The ball glances off of his arms the first few times that he tries to receive it, but after a few more repetitions, Shouyou’s gotten a hang of keeping it in the air, if not perfectly to the setter’s position.

For a while they switch positions. Shouyou gets to watch Tobio hit his sets, and he thinks that he’s discovered his new sexuality. Despite being a setter, Tobio’s form is extremely clean, his biceps flexing and core crunching as he sends the ball home. Tobio gives him a few pointers for setting, but he even compliments Shouyou once towards the end, and Shouyou flushes at the praise.

The end of the date concludes as it started—with Shouyou spiking Tobio’s perfect sets. After Shouyou lands and stumbles through his touch down, nearly face planting into the floor, they call it a night. As Shouyou bends over to stretch his hamstrings, he smiles what has to be the thousandth time that night, cheeks burning. He and Tobio didn’t talk that much—being just too entrenched in their play—but that’s okay. Even if they didn’t know the others’ identity before a few days ago, all their notes and texting have made it so that the silence was comfortable; there was no need for small talk. They came here to play volleyball, and they did.

Shouyou sure hopes they can do it again soon, too.

Tobio offers to drive him home, and Shouyou accepts (he’ll just walk to work and get his bike tomorrow, shh). As they pull on their seatbelts, Shouyou says, “I can’t believe we only got to meet this year.”

Tobio raises a brow, shoving his key into the ignition. “What do you mean?”

Shouyou hums, his fingers drumming against his knees. “Like, imagine if we’d met in college, or in high school. We would’ve been a great volleyball duo.”

Tobio looks over his shoulder, pulling out of his parking spot. “There’s nothing stopping us from being one now, though.”

It’s Shouyou’s turn to echo, “What do you mean?”

Tobio pulls up to the edge of the lot, leaning over the wheel to look both ways down the street. “I mean,” he says, hooking a left, “that you should join the rec team.” His eyes flit over to Shouyou before refocusing on the road. “It’s not like you’re not allowed to just because you work there, right?” Tobio asks. “And while you might be working some games, you could always join us on your off days.”

Shouyou hums thoughtfully. “I guess you’re right. I never really thought about it!”

Tobio stops at an upcoming red light. His grip on the steering wheel tightens. “I wanted to invite you as Hinata since we first played together”—his eyes dart over to Shouyou and back—“but I didn’t know if that was appropriate or not.”

Shoyou’s brows furrow in confusion. “But you just said I can join even though I’m an employee? Which I knew, but it’s not like I was just gonna invite myself.”

Tobio hits the gas, and Shouyou jerks forward in his seat. “I ... asked Suga-san.”

“Oh?” Shouyou asks, still a bit bemused.

“I asked Suga-san if you were allowed to play on my team, even though you were an employee of the venue. That was back in, like, September.” Tobio’s cheeks puff up, and Shouyou watches them deflate as he exhales. “But you know me. I’m not very good with people.”

So that’s why Suga ships them so much. He had insider deets on Tobio’s perspective, too!

“Well, I’d love to join,” Shouyou says, beaming. Tobio looks over and gives him a small smile of his own. Shouyou’s heart suddenly kickstarts again, thudding loudly in his ears.

Tobio turns into the lot of Shouyou’s complex and parks in a free space. Shouyou cocks his head at him, perplexed, as Tobio gets out of the car.

“You’re walking me to my door? What a gentleman,” Shouyou teases, hopping out himself. He heads towards his apartment, Tobio pulling up beside him.

“Shut up, dumbass,” he says, elbowing Shouyou in the side. Shouyou grunts then chuckles, Tobio’s hit rather painless. “It was a date, wasn’t it?”

Shouyou flushes, and he pulls his keys out of his pocket as a distraction. “It was indeed.”

They reach the doorstep, Shouyou’s front light illuminating them in a soft glow. Shouyou faces Tobio, no plan in mind but not wanting the night to end just yet.

Luckily he’s spared from having to think any further as a familiar face pokes her head out of the window. “Neko-san!” Tobio turns around as Neko jumps off of the windowsill and pads over to the two of them. She loops between Tobio’s legs, meowing. Shouyou notes that she’s moving a lot cleaner than yesterday, the limp in her back leg still present but less pronounced.

After her second meow, Tobio bends over and scoops her up, cradling her like a baby. Neko butts him a few times on the chin with her nose, and Tobio glances quickly at Shouyou, a blush dusting his cheeks, before he leans down to give her a quick kiss on the forehead. Placated, Neko starts to purr, shifting happily in Tobio’s arms. Shouyou’s heart squeezes at Tobio’s display of simultaneous embarrassment and affection. Oh my god, he gives Neko kisses. Given how affectionately he talks about her, Shouyou’s not surprised, but, God, the list of “Endearing Traits about Kageyama Tobio” just keeps growing.

It’s Shouyou’s turn to blush as Tobio unties the note from around Neko’s collar, unfurling it in one hand. Nooooo, he was supposed to see that when he was home not in front of Shouyou; this is embarrassing...

Tobio scans the note, then looks up at Shouyou, an unreadable expression on his face. Shouyou’s about to tell him to not worry about it when Tobio suddenly bends over, placing Neko back on the ground. Shouyou’s brows furrow in confusion at the abrupt action when Tobio takes a step closer, placing his hands on Shouyou’s shoulders. Without hesitation, he surges forward, capturing Shouyou’s lips in a kiss.

Shouyou gasps in shock, his hands instinctively coming up to hold Tobio’s waist. But, wait, no—this is good. Better than good. Great, even. He closes his eyes and wraps his arms around Tobio’s back, pulling him closer. Inhaling through his nose, he tilts his head so that their lips meet at a more graceful angle. The butterflies in his stomach erupt as Tobio exhales, leaning in impossibly closer.

They break apart, and Shouyou breathes in sharply, head dizzy from a mix of the kiss and a lack of oxygen. “W-why’d you do that?” he asks dumbly, brain still clearly offline.

“Your note,” Tobio says, panting. He flips it to show Shouyou. “You said ‘Did you enjoy our date? Circle Yes/No.’ But”—Tobio gestures to Shouyou before him—“you’re right here. So I thought that I’d show you instead.” He tries to take a step back, but Shouyou’s arms lock him in place. “W-was that okay?” He’s redder than a tomato now, a stark contrast to his deep blue eyes and dark locks under the lamplight.

Shouyou laughs, his eyes squeezing shut. “Oh my God. Yes. More than okay. Kiss me again, you fool.”

Tobio glares at him, but the effect is dampened by his blush. Shouyou extracts an arm from his side and moves his hand to the back of his neck, pulling him forward. Tobio offers no resistance, and their lips meet once again. Tobio’s hands come up to cup his face, squishing his cheeks just the slightest, and Shouyou’s grip on his back tightens, his knees threatening to give out.

But before they can take their kiss any further, a loud mrroooaaw sounds from beneath them, breaking them apart abruptly. Neko sits at their side, tail tucked around her paws. She looks dainty and innocent enough, but she glares at them, nose twitching.

“Are you jealous, Neko-san?” Shouyou takes a step back from Tobio, his hands dropping to his waist. Tobio looks between Shouyou and his cat, as though unsure of whom to direct his attention towards. Shouyou giggles, nodding down at Neko. Tobio leans down and picks her up, nestling her between their chests. Shouyou brings a hand up and pets her cheek; she quickly begins to purr as a drop of drool forms on her lips.

“Are you gonna give her the attention she deserves, Tobio?” Shouyou says, looking back up at him. Tobio glares at him before leaning down and planting a kiss on her head. He lets his face hover there for a moment, and Neko sniffs him before licking a stripe on his jawline. Shouyou laughs as Tobio pulls away, nose scrunching.

“That hurts, Neko,” he chides, but with no bite. Neko cranes her neck forward, chasing Tobio’s tasty skin. Shouyou watches Tobio try to avoid her attacks, head swerving up and back, but Neko wins in the end, licking at the side of his neck instead. The pool of warmth in Shouyou’s belly spreads to the rest of his body, tickling his fingertips.

Shouyou brings his hand to the side of her face and turns her towards him. Once her tongue’s back in her mouth, he leans in, kissing her gently on the bridge of her nose. He backs away to find Tobio looking down at him, his eyes soft like the sea.

Gripping Tobio’s shoulders, Shouyou hauls himself up onto his tip toes. They meet in the middle for their third kiss, Neko squished lightly in between them. As Shouyou settles back onto his feet, Tobio bending down to follow, he thinks about the crazy path that led them to this very moment.

They certainly didn’t take the most traditional route, and Shouyou still can’t really believe that he’s here at all, right now, with Kageyama Tobio.

But, in the end, there’s nowhere else he’d rather be, with no one else he’d rather be with.

Notes:

Original end note:
Thank you for reading! If you are so inclined to leave a comment, I'll reply once all Exchange creators are revealed 🥰
Post-Creator reveal end note:
[rips off the suffocating mask of anonymity] I CAN FINALLY GO UNHINGED IN THE AUTHOR'S NOTES YEEEWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠
BIGGEST thanks my loves, Avery and Em, who helped me finish this--it's the first AU i've ever written on my own and BOY I STRUGGLT!!!!!! So big kisses to the two who helped me craft something I could be proud of in the end <3. Thanks as well to Miss Anna for listening to my original rambles as I was developing this idea and for creating the all the beautiful graphics for the Exchange <3
Speaking of sexy graphics, if you enjoyed this fic, please do give it a bump on the good ol' Twitter dot com. having to sit on my hands the past month and not reply to comments has been TORTUROUS so expect a lot of my love in the upcoming replies 🥺🥺🥺
I hope that you've all been seduced by the charms of Neko-san 🙏🙏🙏 I have a very liddol epilogue planned for this fic in the future (that i couLDN'T INCLUDE IN THE ORIGINAL because of the word count limit) so keep your eyes peeled!
thank you for reading 💞💞💞

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