Archive of Our Own

"Dateko's blocking is the best in our country now, you say?" 

Tobio flits his eyes towards his fingers, observing the callouses and the reddened skin sore from spiking. He pointedly looks at Yamaguchi and hides his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "They've been the best since our first year," he says, tilting his head up, looking at the ceiling pensively. "Their setter, Koganegawa, is an all-rounder. His height is one thing, but his blocks are even more polished now."

"You're right. But they're better now, aren't they?"

Tobio narrows his eyes. "Yeah. Their blocking formation has improved, and the blockers' reflexes are all fast. We might have a bit of a problem this Spring High."

"I see." Yamaguchi flips through the rest of the files, brushing his fingers lightly at the pages, thoughtfully humming. "So, Vice Captain, what do you suggest we do?"

There are exactly eleven problems, gaps that can't easily be filled, at least from what Tobio has seen inside the court. Relying on Tsukishima the most for blocking works on weaker teams, but the burden of covering for the lack of height sacrifices their left side, making it the perfect target for smart spikers. Tobio clutches his chin with two fingers, losing himself in the memory of Hinata shouldering the other part of the burden - he thinks Hinata can handle it, but he wonders if there's something else that he can do to improve their overall performance. 

Yamaguchi sighs. "Well, at the very least, your blocking is good enough to match with Tsukki." 

"I disagree." Tobio furrows his eyebrows, lips curving into a small frown. "My blocking is mediocre compared to his read blocking. I have little time to think about blocking my opponents' spikes. Setting is the only thing on my mind mostly inside the court."

"I have an idea, but I'm not sure it'll work."

Tobio raises his eyebrows. "What is it?"

Yamaguchi turns his head towards him, lips lifting into a strange smile, inspecting his reaction. "Would you like to be a middle blocker for now, Kageyama?"

"Middle - " Tobio widens his eyes. "A middle blocker?!"

Yamaguchi closes the file and stands up, slinging his bag on his shoulder. He looks at Kageyama and smiles. "You said we have gaps on blocking as well, didn't you? Not to mention, I think it'll be nice to see another version of the two-setter swap again, don't you think?"

Tobio crosses his arms with a scowl. "Not with Bastardshima."

"Eh?" says Yamaguchi, voice filled with mirth. "Aren't you friends now?"

"I guess," replies Tobio unsurely, his lips twitching uncomfortably. There's a strange sensation twisting at his stomach at the sound of someone else setting instead of him. Hiroshi, their new first year setter, hasn't defeated Tobio, the lack of experience shining when they both toss the ball towards the spikers. But Tsukishima, Tobio realizes, can be a really skilled setter - the middle blocker has it all: height, intelligence and an affinity towards handling the ball with his fingers, or at least if he tries hard enough. It reminds him of a physically stronger Kenma, and he wonders if Tsukishima can surpass his setting skills. 

"Do consider it, will you," says Yamaguchi, tossing the keys towards him. Tobio catches it effortlessly, his mind running ten thousand miles per hour, thinking about his role on the court changing into something else, a middle blocker, for instance. "I think Tsukki would agree since it's for the team. And don't you two dare fool me, Kageyama. You say you don't get along, but you work well as a team. I'm neither blind nor stupid. See you tomorrow."

***

There are three reasons why Tobio is hesitant on letting Tsukishima be the team's acting main setter. One, his setting skills right now are mediocre at best, atrocious at worst. Two, the middle blocker has worse problems with overthinking than Tobio does, and that combined with setting is a recipe for disaster. The last reason is something Tobio is horrified to realize - there's an irrational, unsettling worry that the middle blocker will surpass him. 

"Oi, Kageyama, focus on tossing to me!" yells Hinata impatiently, bouncing up and down on the floor, waving his spiking hand at Kageyama's face. "My hand is waiting for your perfect toss! Unless you're planning to slack off and send me a bad one, huh?"

Tobio huffs. "My tosses never suck," he yells indignantly. 

"And there he goes again, making us commoners bow down to him," teases Tsukishima behind him. 

Tobio sends him a scalding glare. "Shut up."

It's dumb, he knows, to fear that he'll end up losing as a setter when his strengths at setting are Tsukishima's weaknesses. It's not like he'll lose his position either - he's obviously better at setting than blocking, and he's already gained enough trust from spikers in their team. But it doesn't change the sudden clenching at his stomach and the myriad of thoughts swirling inside his head as he tosses the ball perfectly towards Hinata's palm. He thinks about Tsukishima setting the ball towards Hinata, thinks about the delicate and careful handling of the ball as he tosses it to the other, and he grits his teeth. 

"Have you thought about it?" asks Yamaguchi as they start cleaning up the gym. "You being a middle blocker for now and teaching Tsukki how to set properly."

Hinata takes a step back, eyes wide. "Eh? Kageyama will teach Tsukki how to set? He'll be a middle blocker too? But he's my setter!"

Tsukishima scoffs and pushes his glasses up. "You are not the only spiker here, Hinata." He rolls his eyes, ignoring the squawks from Hinata's direction. "Besides, it's not like I wanted to be taught by His Highness of all people."

Hinata puffs his cheeks, scowling at Tsukishima. "I'm so jealous," he mumbles. 

"I'll do it," says Tobio, sighing in exasperation. He tilts his head challengingly towards Tsukishima and huffs. "You better practice your tosses. I'm not going to stoop down to your level, bastard."

Tsukishima sends him an ugly grin, his eyes narrowed and irritated. "Bring it on."

"Ah!" Hinata points at the two of them. "Did you two get even taller?!" He grumbles and crosses his arms. "How unfair!"

Yamaguchi snorts. "Tsukki's two inches taller than before."

Tsukishima rolls his eyes. "That doesn't even matter."

"But Kageyama is almost as tall as you now!" Hinata wrinkles his nose. "You two are giants."

"I'm two inches shorter than Bastardshima," deadpans Tobio. "But I'll get taller… maybe."

"You won't." Tsukishima smirks at him. "Chibi-sama."

Before a fight breaks out, Yamaguchi clears his throat and places himself in the middle of the two. "Anyway, since you've both agreed, starting tomorrow, Tsukki will practice the setter position while you, Kageyama, will focus on blocking. Let's see if it's going to work tomorrow. I'll be going now. Oh, and Tsukki? I can't go home with you today. I'll be practicing my serves at - "

Tsukishima nods at him. "Go ahead. I don't know why you bother telling me this when you do it almost everyday."

"It's just respectful." Yamaguchi shrugs nonchalantly. "I'll walk home with you next week again, I promise."

Tobio watches Yamaguchi's back stray further from them, his figure slowly blending in with the darkness outside. He turns his head towards Hinata, only to find the middle blocker rushing to fix his things inside his bag. "Oi, dumbass, I thought we're practicing more before going home?" he grumbles.

Hinata chuckles sheepishly, rubbing his neck. "Uh, I'm sorry. I forgot that I was supposed to go home earlier tonight! Goodbye, Kageyama! I'll just practice with you more and more and more tomorrow!"

"Tch." Tobio juts his bottom lip, frowning. He picks up the volleyball on the center of the court and spins it in his hand, startling when he lifts his head, his gaze meeting golden irises watching him warily. "What the hell are you looking at?"

Tsukishima hums thoughtfully. "Nothing, King."

Tobio looks at the ball in his hands and then at Tsukishima, the gears on his head turning rapidly. "Oi, asshole, since you're here…" he starts, handing the ball towards Tsukishima who catches it clumsily, sending him a scowl after. "We might as well practice your setting for tomorrow."

Tsukishima raises an eyebrow. "Are you asking me to toss to you?"

"Obviously."

"Heh." Tsukishima walks towards the center of the court, forehead creased and lips pursed. "Can you even hit my tosses?"

"My spiking never sucks," replies Tobio, slightly offended at the implication. "No matter how much your tosses suck, I'll hit them perfectly."

Tsukishima clicks his tongue. "Stop sounding like Hinata. It's creepy and disgusting."

"Just shut up and toss, Tsukishima," growls Tobio. 

Tobio steadies himself at the farthest point, preparing for a run-up as he watched Tsukishima eye him intently before pressing his fingers to the ball, tossing it towards the center. A high toss, huh. Tobio can work with that. He starts to run, images of man-made wings filling his mind as he propels himself forward, ready to kill the ball with his hand. The ball hits his palm with a loud smack, stinging the skin slightly, and it hits the opposite court with a thud, rolling down a few centimeters before stopping. 

"That wasn't a bad toss," comments Tobio as he watches Tsukishima sigh with discontent while he picks up the ball. "But it's, to put it simply, mediocre."

Overthinking. One of the biggest walls a setter must overcome to reach his full potential. Tobio has been enslaved by this rising tyrant a few times before, rendering him an immovable force against the clutches of his dark thoughts and emotions. Where is he supposed to toss? What is he supposed to do? How will they win? Questions, thousands and millions of them, have different possible answers, and Tobio wonders if Tsukishima's weaknesses in setting are caused by his affinity to read blocking. 

"You're thinking too hard." Tobio sends Tsukishima a pointed look. "You need to do it like 'gwaahhh' - Uh, I mean, ugh, how do you even explain this?" He sighs heavily and intently observes Tsukishima. "You need to, uh, focus on one thing and that is getting that ball to the spiker's hands. Even if it's a simulation. Or there are many players. You'll have to - What I mean is, just toss without thinking too much about the results."

"Easy for you to say when you're already good at everything," mutters Tsukishima. 

"I'm not! People are wrong! I'm not good at everything in volleyball."

Tsukishima scoffs. "Stop trying to be humble. It doesn't work on you."

Tobio scrunches his nose at him and shrugs nonchalantly. "I know that I'm really good at some positions in volleyball, but you seriously need to know you are too."

Tsukishima averts his eyes - Tobio swears he sees his cheeks pinkening but he doesn't know if it's just his imagination - and clears his throat. "Let's just continue practicing." 

It takes them an hour before Tsukishima's stamina gives up on them, the middle blocker panting heavily as he slumps at the ground, pressing his back against the wall in exhaustion. Tobio takes one look at his tired figure and hands him his water bottle. Tsukishima mutters a soft 'thanks' before grabbing the bottle from Tobio's hand, their fingers brushing lightly. Tobio takes a step back, averting his eyes to the ground as he turns his head away, ignoring the twisting and turning in his stomach. "Nice toss," he mumbles at Tsukishima, not bothering to look at the middle blocker's reaction. 

Tsukishima doesn't reply back. 

There's still so much room for improvement, in the way Tsukishima tosses the ball, and he can see remnants of Koganegawa's tosses when he sends him a high one. He doesn't think much about it - there are still more pressing things for him to think about. Him learning how to block better is just one step, and so is Tsukishima's improved tosses. There's still more to do, more, more, more, and he wonders if the team can keep up with them, with him, with the endless desire to win. 

"Oi, King," says Tsukishima. 

Tobio turns his head and looks at him questioningly. "What?" he asks guilelessly.

Tsukishima tosses the bottle back to him, catching him off-guard. "It's your turn tomorrow."

"Turn?"

"You're the middle blocker for now. Don't mess up."

Tobio grunts. "My blocks don't suck."

"You're going to block Hinata's spikes," points out Tsukishima, forcing himself to stand up with a grimace. He picks up his backpack and slings it above his shoulder. "He's one of the most annoying obstacles in blocking. Better be ready to lose."

"I won't lose."

Tsukishima rolls his eyes. "Whatever you say, Your Highness." He walks past Tobio, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm going home. If you still want to practice, suit yourself. I can't wait to see your frustrated face tomorrow."

"Bastard," grumbles Tobio as he glares at Tsukishima's retreating back. "Wait for me!" he yells as he picks up the balls quickly and cleans up as fast as he can. When he finishes, albeit panting from rushing, Tobio clumsily picks up his backpack, almost tripping on the way, before running towards the locker room, his insides warming when he realizes Tsukishima waited for him after all.

***

"Fucking blockouts," mumbles Tobio deliriously as he stabs the rest of his tonkatsu with his chopsticks. His milk carton lay helplessly on the table, contents emptied. 

Tsukishima sends him a smug grin. "Told you so," he singsongs, playing with the earbuds of his new earphones. 

"Shut up." Tobio gobbles down the rest of his food furiously. "Dammit, why am I even eating lunch with you?"

It's the first time in months that he's eating lunch with Tsukishima alone, with only the two of them huddled together at the cafeteria table. The last time he ate with Tsukishima was at Tanaka Saeko's birthday party, but it's just because they happened to be both unwilling to take part in any wild activity and shenanigans the others have planned out. Yachi and Yamaguchi are both busy talking to their class advisors, though Tobio wonders why Tsukishima isn't with Yamaguchi when they're in the same class. Hinata is trapped in assisting his classmates at decorating the classroom for the school festival - Tobio proudly remembers finishing his own tasks quickly, smirking inwardly. He wins against Hinata again. 

"You were the one who invited me, King, so stop complaining," says Tsukishima. "And your blocking is fine. Hinata is just annoying to deal with. Once you get used to his strategies, you'll probably block his spikes most of the time."

"Probably is not enough for me."

"I don't know if your unwillingness to give up is admirable or just plain dumb."

"It's not dumb. If you give up, you lose. You have to keep moving forward no matter what."

"Please don't include a commoner like me in your perfectionism tendencies." Tsukishima pushes his plate towards Tobio. "Here, have this. I'm not hungry anymore."

Tobio's eyes light up. He hesitantly takes the plate and looks at Tsukishima. "You sure I can have this?"

"I can always give that to the trash bin if you want to."

Tobio huffs, taking the plate protectively. "It's mine now."

Perfectionism isn't a bad thing, Tobio muses, as he gulps down the rest of his rice. Aiming for perfection helps him give his best effort, challenges him until his body slumps with exhaustion, pushes him past his limits. But it's a double-edged sword and he knows that very well. Taking care of his body and his mind is just as important as always playing his best. 

"You know, the way you block screams perfectionism too."

Tsukishima takes a fleeting glance at him. "Touché. But yours is worse."

Tobio shrugs. "Can't argue with that."

Soon, as days pass, Tobio starts spending more time eating lunch with Tsukishima. It's strange at first, when he's used to eating with Hinata most of the time, but he soon recovers and adapts after a while, finding the other middle blocker's company easier to tolerate as time passes. Tobio attributes this to Tsukishima's subtle changes - he used to always jump at every opportunity to torment Tobio, but somewhere in their second year, when Tobio started to toss to him more than usual, he found the middle blocker's behavior mellowing towards him. 

"Your tosses are improving." Tobio drinks the last of his milk and crumples the carton before throwing it at the trash bin next to their table. "Maybe you can start trying out quicks soon."

"Impossible. My skill level is too low for that."

Tobio frowns at him. "You can do it. You're more skilled than you think." 

And he does mean it, after watching Tsukishima grapple with his overthinking mind as he practices his tosses. He's still far from standing as Tobio's equal in setting, but his tosses are getting more precise. It might be quite a stretch, but Tobio thinks he's starting to have fun hitting Tsukishima's tosses. 

"I'd say you're bluffing, but you always mean what you say." Tsukishima sighs and removes his glasses, using a thin towel to clean the glass thoroughly. "I still disagree though."

Tobio's chest warms at the sight of Tsukishima's golden irises staring at him. He fists his hands and inhales for a few seconds to calm himself down. "You're too stubborn," he complains. 

Tsukishima snorts as he places his glasses back, blinking fast a few times. "That's rich coming from you."

Tobio likes to think that he's blunt and honest, and that he doesn't like to beat around the bush. But he wonders if there's a merit in telling Tsukishima that his tosses aren't really as good as Tobio hoped it to be, and he is really bad at hiding things that he thinks should be said. And he tells him so, watching as the relaxed eyes harden and turn cold, regarding him in a steely manner. 

"Glad to know my tosses suck that much, King," snarks Tsukishima, scooting a little further away from him. 

A pang hits Tobio's chest and he doesn't know what to make of it. "They don't suck. They're just not that good either."

Tsukishima glares at him. "Unfortunately, none of us are like you, Your Highness. We aren't geniuses - "

"I didn't mean it like that!" blurts out Tobio, eyebrows furrowed and face stiff. "I know you can be better. That's why I'm telling you this."

Tsukishima stands up, giving him the cold shoulder. Tobio tries to follow him, but before he knows it, the middle blocker's figure is already too far out of reach. Is this the price of honesty? He wants to think that his communication skills have improved already, but all Tobio meant is that he thinks Tsukishima hasn't reached his full potential as a setter yet. Tobio wants to watch him grow. He fiddles with his fingers nervously, unsure on how to explain all this to Tsukishima properly. Tobio tilts his head to the sky, hoping that practice goes well later. Maybe he can get a chance to explain things better before the day ends. 

***

Tsukishima Kei is too good at evasion. 

It's been days since he last saw Tsukishima, and though they still somehow interact at practice, Tobio hasn't interacted with him outside it. He does try, a few times, but Tsukishima's always one step ahead of him, somehow already knowing what's going on Tobio's head. Hinata does tell him why Tsukishima took his words the wrong way, and he regrets that he had said them with the wrong word choices, but it's exhausting to figure out how to resolve this misunderstanding when the middle blocker is adamant in avoiding him no matter what. 

"Give Tsukki a bit more time," says Yamaguchi, voice strangely hard and rough, so unlike his usual soft, kind tone. "He'll come around. But I'll appreciate it if you tone down the criticism. Tsukki is really sensitive, you know."

Tobio's lip wobbles. "I didn't mean it," he mumbles. "I didn't mean it like that."

Yamaguchi turns his head towards him and raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Tobio slumps his shoulders, tired and exhausted at trying to explain himself to everyone who bothered asking. "I suck at communicating. You all know that." Yamaguchi nods and gestures at him to continue. "I'm trying hard, but words don't come out easily. I'm used to saying what I think without thinking much about it."

"We know that, Kageyama." Yamaguchi sighs, eyes finally softening. "We know that you're trying. Just try to be kinder with what you say."

"I'm trying," he mutters. Tobio thinks he truly does - he tries to even give compliments even though they sound weird to his ears, always tries to be encouraging and reassuring even though his words usually backfire at him. "I think Tsukishima could be good at setting. I just want him to realize that he can be better, much better than how he is now."

"Oh. Oh. You think Tsukki is good?" asks Yamaguchi, eyes wide yet calculating. 

"Duh," replies Tobio, thinking that the answer is too obvious to begin with. He thinks Tsukishima's skills are a looming threat to his own refined ones - he believes wholeheartedly at the middle blocker's potential. "He's good, and he can be great even, if he puts his mind to it."

"Wow. I can't believe you acknowledge Tsukki's skills like that." Yamaguchi sends him a grateful smile. "Well, I think it's my job to convince him to talk to you. But please remember that he only believes what he hears from your mouth as it is, and he can't read what you really meant with what you say. Please think before you speak."

"I'll keep that in mind," promises Tobio. He does intend to keep it. Tobio thinks he and Tsukishima can be close friends even in the future. He finds that he genuinely likes the other's company and that he even misses him a lot. Tobio really misses their lunch hangouts and the extra practice they do in the evenings. It's unsettling to keep those thoughts circling inside his head, but Tobio doesn't know how to lie to himself. 

It takes Tsukishima three days before he finally approaches Tobio on a lunch break. 

"Can I borrow His Highness for now?" he asks, face unreadable and hands fitted inside his pockets. Tobio takes one look at Yachi and Hinata who both shrug at him. 

Hinata palms his face. "I can't believe you're still asking for permission, Tsukishima," he says. 

Tsukishima rolls his eyes and ignores him, looking at Tobio expectantly. 

"Fine," grumbles Tobio, lips downturned, following Tsukishima outside the cafeteria. He doesn't start talking, even though there are so many things he wants to say, contenting himself to observing Tsukishima while they head towards one of the school buildings. Maybe we're going to the rooftop, he thinks. Tsukishima's ears are rose-red, and though it's the only thing visible to him, Tobio can't help but wonder if the middle blocker is just as nervous as he is. He settles on reminding himself to think first before he speaks - he doesn't want to mess things up even more. 

They do head up at the rooftop, slumping their backs at the wall, silently observing the bright, puff-filled sky with huffing breaths and blurry gazes. Tobio's vision clears as he rests himself up, accidentally clutching Tsukishima's sleeve with his fingers, skin brushing against skin. He jolts and sits straight, scooting slightly further away to maintain a steady distance. 

"Yamaguchi talked to me," starts Tsukishima after a moment of silence passes. 

"Oh." Tobio forces his gaze to remain on the sky above them. "We haven't talked in a while. Like this, I mean." He licks his lips nervously, fisting his hands inside his pockets. "This is nice."

And it's nice, really nice, to finally feel lighter in his chest, like a pounding flame extinguishes itself, and Tobio can finally breathe properly. It's nice, sitting next to Tsukishima, just casually observing the sky, waiting for him to say something. It's definitely nicer than being avoided for days. 

"What do you think of me as a setter?" asks Tsukishima suddenly, throwing Tobio off balance. He doesn't know where this question came from, and he doesn't know how to answer it properly without pissing Tsukishima off. Come to think of it, his words trigger Tsukishima's rage easily. 

Tobio takes a moment to think before answering. "Your setting is, to be frank, very rigid." Tsukishima turns his head with a displeased frown, but Tobio ignores it. He knows what he's about to say is right this time around. "You're thinking too hard. You're trying too hard.  You're worrying too much about the toss. It makes me think that you trust the spikers more than your tosses."

"I've seen setters who trust their spikers more than themselves," deadpans Tsukishima. 

"Like Kozume-san, you mean. But he doesn't overthink like you do." Tobio summons his courage to look at the middle blocker. "Kozume-san thinks with a level head. He trusts his own skills. Other setters are flashier and seem better. But he doesn't acknowledge that as an excuse to perform any less. He simply trusts what he can do and does his best to support his teammates. I, uh, admire his setting skills. What he does inside the court, I can never replicate that."

Tsukishima glances at him. "Fair point."

Tobio clenches his fists tightly and grits his teeth. He inhales a few times before tugging at Tsukishima's sleeve, prompting the other to look at him curiously. "What I said before, about your tosses. I didn't mean it like that." He gulps and averts his eyes to the side. "I just want you to know that I think you can be a better setter than you think you can be, that you should trust yourself more. You're definitely not that good yet, but that doesn't mean you can't reach that level." Tobio turns his head back to determinedly gaze at the golden irises watching him with surprise. "Whatever I say, I don't say it to insult you. I just want you to improve and reach the top."

It's not the best thing Tobio had ever thought to say in his whole life. He thinks his word choices are still not enough to articulate the real meaning and weight of what he wants to say. There are more thoughts that stray incoherently in his head, feelings and emotions he still can't explain accurately. Maybe he'll tell them to Tsukishima in the future, when he finally comprehends the meaning of those thoughts. Right now though, Tobio hopes that Tsukishima understands what he means. 

"You should've just said that from the beginning," says Tsukishima petulantly, cheeks red, eyes averting away from him. "I already know my tosses aren't good. Hearing that from you is annoying."

"I can't help it," blurts out Tobio, bumping his shoulders to the other's stiff one. "I just say what comes to my head when I want to say it. But if I do it again, can't you just ask me what it means or let me explain?" he grumbles. "It feels funny when you avoid me and I don't like it. I hate it. You shouldn't avoid people like that."

Tsukishima sighs. "Well, it's not like I can go against the King's orders, can I?" 

The comment riles him up, Tobio bristling as the other talks to him amusedly, but it definitely feels a million times better than Tsukishima avoiding him for too long. It's still a long way before their switched roles would bear fruit, but if it works, Karasuno can finally go back to the national stage. Tobio can't help but look forward. 

***

"Read blocking is systematic," says Tsukishima, taping his fingers carefully as he looks at Tobio pointedly. "Observation is only the first step, but blocking doesn't end there. It's just like how you think when you're setting to someone."

Tobio hums thoughtfully. "How do you block Hinata's spikes?"

"I don't block it perfectly. I can't block all of his spikes." Tsukishima looks at his fingers and places the tape back on his bag. "But it takes time. Sometimes, you have to sacrifice points. You have to get used to it. Often, highly skilled spikers will surprise you with more court shot techniques, and you'll have to be flexible and adjust easily."

"Oh. Okay. I can do that." Tobio winces when he sees one of their first years serve the ball to the back of Hinata's head. He rubs his own head, a sense of nostalgia filling him. "If only you applied that to your own setting." 

"Easier said than done," defends Tsukishima. "My tosses aren't skilled enough to fill your shoes."

And there it is. Tobio spends most of his time observing Tsukishima inside the court, trying to gauge the main reason why he's stressing himself out in tossing. Biting his bottom lip in frustration, he blocks Tsukishima's front and scowls at him. "Stop trying to match your skill with mine. Even if you get better and better and better, you will never defeat me trying to reach my tossing skills."

Tsukishima grits his teeth. "Are you seriously hearing yourself right now? I told you - "

Tobio ignores him and continues talking. "The way you set is different from the way I set. I don't know what you're trying to accomplish when you're trying to set like I do. We. Are. Not. The. Same. Get that through your thick head, Bastardshima. If you want to set better, then set the way you want to set. Stop thinking about where I set, how I decide my tosses, and start fucking thinking like a king."

"That just sounded like a contradiction, Your Highness," says Tsukishima a moment later, voice amused. 

Tobio steps back, agitated. "I just think you should start thinking about setting the way you actually think!" he desperately defends hotly. "Trying to read me is not going to improve your setting skills. If you want to be a better setter, you need to start thinking on your own." Tobio's cheeks warm as he rubs the back of his neck. "You're smarter than me after all."

Tobio frowns, uncertain, wondering if he has expressed his thoughts more coherently this time around. Tsukishima's face is unreadable, and the strange glint on those golden irises only causes his heart to palpitate faster and faster. He turns around to breathe properly, and he says, "Toss to me later." There isn't any reply, so Tobio starts walking away, only for his steps to be halted when Tsukishima suddenly opens his mouth. 

"Why do you want me to set to you?" he asks, and Tobio notices a strange air of vulnerability present in those words. He turns his head and looks at Tsukishima guilelessly. 

"I trust your tosses," he replies simply before turning around and making his way back to the court, blood boiling at the way Hinata is smiling smugly at him. He silently promises to stop at least seven of Hinata's spikes for now. When Tsukishima tosses to him a heartbeat later, his mouth parts in surprise at the care and thoughtfulness hurling towards his palm. 

Hinata groans, putting his hands over his head, but the attempt on a one-touch play fails. "Ugh! Tsukishima and Kageyama! I'll block your tosses and spikes next time! One more!"

Tobio sneaks a look at Tsukishima's arrogant smile and smirks at Hinata. "We won't lose."

And when he receives another toss that's better than he expected, Tobio spikes it as hard as he can, relishing at the stinging on his palm and the loud thud of the ball to the ground, swiftly turning around to bump his fists to Tsukishima and startling the other. He sends him a proud grin and says, "Nice toss, Tsukishima."

The most surprising thing, Tobio muses, grapples him in the face when he sees Tsukishima send him a small smile, too quick, vanishing immediately the moment he blinks to see if he didn't imagine it. He still doesn't understand why it makes his heart pound wildly and why his chest sometimes ache. But maybe if he spends more time with Tsukishima, he'll end up learning the reason soon.

"Fuck, I jumped earlier again," he mutters when he fails to prevent Hinata from spiking over his head again. The middle blocker is jumping higher than usual, and though Tobio can make up for it easily with his height, he soon figures out that an off timing can easily sabotage him from blocking properly. "It should be one, two, three. A little faster and I'll lose timing." 

Tsukishima snorts. "I can't believe you thought Hinata would be an easy piece of meat to handle."

"I didn't say that!" Tobio sends him a petulant pout. "I know he's good at spiking. I just thought I could block most of his spikes."

"It's easier said than done. Patience is a virtue."

Tobio huffs. "I know that. I think I'm getting better at timing though."

"You are." Tsukishima shrugs. "Just keep doing what you're doing already, I guess. Your hard work will pay off."

A sense of appreciation fills Tobio's chest. He hates it when people attribute his success to the 'genius setter' label they made for him. He knows he works hard and he's good because all he does is practice and practice. A part of him wants to feel like people aren't dismissing the effort it took him to reach his skill level. He mutters a quick 'thank you' to Tsukishima before focusing intently on the possible spikers that'll jump. 

His blocking significantly improves, a few weeks later, able to finally send smug looks in Hinata's direction and add more points to his 'wins' list. Tobio doesn't fail to tell Hinata this, making the other bristle at him and promise more wins on his own side. Tobio just chuckles in amusement, reminding Hinata he owes him a bag of meat buns later. 

"Aren't you busy preparing for the entrance exams next year?" asks Tobio as he plops down next to Tsukishima, slumping his back against the wall. The rooftop is deserted, save for a few birds flying past them, and it's the first time in weeks since they finally ate lunch together again.

Tsukishima removes the headphones on his ears, fitting them around his neck. He looks at Tobio intently and shrugs. "I'm spending more time studying, yeah. Aren't you?"

Tobio shakes his head. "I'm not planning to go to college."

Tsukishima's lips curve up in amusement. "You and Hinata are really both volleyball idiots, through and through."

"So are you." Tobio scowls at him. "You're just as much of a volleyball idiot like the rest of us. Don't be a hypocrite." 

"We still haven't tried the two-setter swap thing that Yamaguchi's been pestering about."

"Oh. That. Do you want to try it?"

Tsukishima removes his headphones from his neck and taps Tobio on the shoulder. He hesitantly points at Tobio's lap and asks, "Do you mind if I - "

"Oh." Tobio feels his cheeks turn warm. "Uh, why don't you just use your bag?"

"My laptop's inside."

"Oh." Tobio averts his eyes and gulps. "I guess I don't mind. You can, go ahead."

It's hot and there's twisting and turning, and Tobio's heart is about to lurch out of his chest. He absolutely avoids looking down, forcing his gaze to remain at the sky, squinting at the light. A heavy weight rests on his lap, moving to position itself comfortably, and an awkward silence ensues. Tobio stiffens, nervously tapping his fingers at his sides while he tries to think coherently.

"I want to try it," says Tsukishima suddenly, almost pulling Tobio's gaze, but he stubbornly does not move them from the light, even though he has to squint so hard to maintain vision. "I'm not sure if I can pull it off though."

"You can," says Tobio confidently, slightly moving to the left to position himself more comfortably. The head on his lap follows, almost making him squirm when he feels eyes looking at him. "That's what practice is for."

Tsukishima hums pensively in reply. 

"Is this uncomfortable for you?" 

Tobio furrows his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"This." Tsukishima gestures at himself. "Your face looks constipated and your body is so stiff. So, is this uncomfortable to you?"

"A little," he admits sheepishly. "But I really don't mind it."

"Heh." Tsukishima pushes his glasses up, tilting his head slightly to look at him, looking calm and collected, though his ears are reddening. "This is new. Is His Highness actually willing to take orders from commoners now?"

Tobio scoffs, looking down to glare at him. "Stop riling me up. Yamaguchi already told me you're doing it on purpose." 

"Yamaguchi is dead to me," deadpans Tsukishima, making Tobio snort loudly. 

Being friends with Tsukishima, thinks Tobio, is a reincarnating time bomb in its final moments. They always clash, always disagree with most of their thoughts and opinions, but somehow, it all fits - even if they don't end up agreeing at all. There's no guarantee on when and where they'll explode with all their spats and sometimes reasonable fights, but Tobio ends up looking forward to hearing Tsukishima talk more than usual. 

"What are you thinking about?" asks Tsukishima curiously, pressing his forearm on his forehead. 

Tobio glances down at him, shrugging nonchalantly. "Nothing really."

Maybe it's that sense of accomplishment that pulls him forward, just like it does in volleyball. Tobio doesn't see Tsukishima talking more with others, with Yamaguchi as an exception, and that somehow brings this warm feeling fluttering inside his chest and stomach. And that, that strange feeling, is what's driving him to tolerate Tsukishima's words, to see them as his own twisted way of saying what he really means. 

"You're a really good setter," blurts out Tobio, a sudden impulse that he neither regrets nor means to say at the moment. 

Tsukishima opens his closed eyes. "Oh? You already told me that."

Tobio silences himself for a moment, trying to get his thoughts in order. 

"I don't think you actually know what I mean." Tobio scrunches his nose and determinedly gazes at Tsukishima's golden irises. "I was jealous, a little bit jealous of your skills," he admits reluctantly. "I don't have your intelligence and it feels like you'll catch up to me in no time."

"I literally have less stamina than you do," deadpans Tsukishima. 

Tobio snorts. "Kozume-san has less stamina than you too. I hope you understand what this means to me."

"And?" Tsukishima raises an eyebrow. "What does it mean?"

Tobio huffs, nudging Tsukishima to move his head out of his lap. The blonde makes a face, removing his head and sitting up straight, stretching his arms lazily. 

"So?" he prods. 

Tobio points a finger at him. "Right now, since you're going to be the acting setter in some games, and I'm going to be a middle blocker too, you're officially considered my rival. So don't you dare run away, Tsukishima." Tobio tilts his head challengingly. "I need you to give your all so that I can defeat you fair and square. Even on blocking!"

Tsukishima scoffs, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You wish. There's nothing that pisses me off more than someone telling me they're better than me."

Tobio smirks. "Good. I'm looking forward to beating you."

And that's one promise he does intend to keep, if he can. 

***

It takes Tobio four more weeks before he can finally, consistently block Hinata's spikes, not that it matters when he's not actually the one setting. Maybe it'll be better if a more skilled setter would set, he muses, but a part of him is hesitant at Tsukishima setting for Hinata. It's quite irrational, the feeling that he'll be replaced when he's the official main setter, and there's another stranger feeling he can't comprehend floating inside his chest, clenching at it painfully. 

“Oi, Bateyama-kun, focus on my spike!” yells Hinata, startling Tobio out of his stupor. He frantically rushes to Hinata’s side of the net, barely managing a one-touch. Sighing in relief, he watches as the ball soars towards Abe’s outstretched arms that receive the spike cleanly.

Tsukishima snorts beside him. “Are you really King? How are you so distracted today?”

Tobio makes a face. “Nothing.”

It’s not like he’ll actually admit what got him distracted in the first place.

Soon enough, Tobio finds himself entering the doors of Nekoma High, a practice game scheduled a few weeks before the tournament starts. A part of him is twisting in excitement, his hands gripping the edge of his jacket tightly to settle his nerves down into a gentle lull. He shakes hands with Shibayama, the vice captain of the team, nodding at him seriously before turning his figure to follow his team towards the benches.

Tsukishima stands next to him. “You ready?” he asks, fixing the tape circling his fingers.

Tobio furrows his eyebrows, wrinkling his nose. “Of course. I always am. Nekoma High won’t know what hit them.”

Tsukishima snorts in reply. “Say that when we actually succeed.”

Tobio crosses his arms. “I believe in the team.”

“Whatever you say.”

“Stop being a pessimist, Tsukishima!”

Tsukishima just sends him a mocking smirk in return, much to his frustration.

They plan to exchange his role with Tsukishima on the second set, but for now, they’ll have to settle with their usual lineup. Tobio is sure that Nekoma can probably thwart them in the first set – fortunately, their new setter to replace Kenma is less observant. Tsukishima is one lucky bastard, he thinks. If things go well in the second set, their coach will probably insist on using the new line-up on some games. Tobio grits his teeth at the thought of not being able to set the whole time. But his chest warms at the thought of Tsukishima setting to him, and that’s a small relief to the displeasure curling inside him.

Taking their positions, Tobio breathes heavily to calm himself down and focuses his gaze at the ball Inuoka is serving. Unlike Hinata, the serve is more powerful, but Abe makes a clean receive, his mouth stretched into a toothy smile. Tobio jumps and clasps the ball delicately with his fingers, tossing it to their new first year Kamiya’s palm. The ball gets received by Shibayama easily, and it becomes a cycle of back and forth until Karasuno scores first. But Nekoma High, even without the older players Tobio had come to respect and admire, is still a very formidable opponent, and it goes without saying that they score right back.

Still, Tobio can’t help but gloat inside his head when Karasuno takes the first set.

But now, it’s time for him to let go of his setting position for a while, and let Tsukishima take the reins. Whether they win or lose is up to how their team connects with this role swap – a part of Tobio stubbornly wants to set when he gets the chance, but he tells himself that they need to see Tsukishima’s capabilities first.

As he sees the ball get received by Abe, Tobio wastes no time in positioning himself into a run-up, focusing at the ball, the blockers, and the spike that would be hurling towards him. And he jumps, sky-high, feeling his heart pound loudly as if he really had wings, and throws his palm forward, feeling the stinging of the ball on his skin. The ball hits the ground with a loud thud, startling the whole of Nekoma including the coach, and Tobio almost loses his balance as he lands, his eyes widening at the successful quick that took place. Not just that, but Tsukishima has tossed it almost pinpoint to his palm, as if he had practiced it for ages to get it right.

Tsukishima looks away from him. “Nice spike, Your Highness.”

“You – ”

“I didn’t.” Tsukishima makes a face. “Just focus on the next rally.”

Feeling the ball hit Tobio’s palm is a warmth he never thought he could ever feel from spiking. He wonders if it’s because someone took their time to set to him properly, or because it’s Tsukishima who did it, and there’s something about him that’s still puzzling to Tobio. He wipes the sweat off his forehead as he receives the next serve on his arms a little wobbly, and he frowns at the trajectory of the ball. Tsukishima pants as he manages to figure out where it will land, though it took him a few seconds more than Tobio would. He tosses the ball to Hinata’s excited figure, and Tobio pouts a little when the quick succeeds. Maybe he should do another quick with Tsukishima’s toss to defeat Hinata.

The second set ends in a win for Karasuno as well, though it isn’t as far wide as their initial line-up. Tsukishima as a setter gives a little more limited options, but he isn’t as readable as he seems to be and he can easily dupe less skilled setters and blockers with his cunning mind. Tobio doesn’t know if him being a middle blocker means something – unlike Tsukishima’s setting, he can’t seem to understand how him being a middle blocker is an advantage. Sure, he can spike really well, but he can spike even as a setter if he wanted to, and him being a middle blocker didn’t really manage to provide their team with something special to add to their trump cards.

“Want to practice the setter swap later?” offers Tobio after a few more games.

Tsukishima scowls. “Give me a break. I’m not a monster like you and Hinata.”

“Only an hour break then.” Tobio sends him an intense scowl back. “If you go longer than that, then you’re just proving your stamina’s lack of improvement.”

Tsukishima darkly chuckles. “What did you say?”

Tobio shrugs. “You know what I meant.”

“You’ll eat your words, King.”

He does eat his words a little while later when Tsukishima joins him at extra practice. The setter swap turns out horribly, something Tobio expected already since it’s their first time trying it out properly, and it doesn’t deter him from trying even harder, yelling comments at Tsukishima who starts yelling back after a moment of calm anger. Soon, they end up getting tired, finally deciding to leave Hinata with Lev and Inuoka as they head back to camp. And in just a few seconds of laying down, Tobio watches fondly at Tsukishima immediately falling sleep, his face littered with a soft expression. With sleep catching up to him a few minutes later, Tobio closes his eyes and succumb to the darkness.

***

“That’s not the best way to wrap your fingers with tape,” insists Tobio, taking the tape from Tsukishima and stretching it a few centimeters longer, tearing it before grabbing Tsukishima’s right hand and gently wrapping each finger with the tape. He avoids looking at the other’s eyes as he lolls his tongue out in concentration, his chest fluttering at the slight brush of skin against skin – his cheeks warm at the thought of touching Tsukishima’s hands outside volleyball.

Wait. What’s that thought? Filled with confusion, Tobio taps Tsukishima’s palm before loosely letting it go, his eyes finally getting enough courage to Tsukishima’s embarrassed ones. “There you go. That’s how you to tape it.”

Tsukishima pushes his glasses up, rolling his eyes, though Tobio can see the reddening of his ears. “You didn’t have to do that, idiot. I can do it myself.”

Tobio juts his bottom lip and huffs. “Just focus on the game. I can’t wait to try the things we’ve practiced in the past few weeks. Besides, we need to have another revenge towards Dateko. I’d like to pulverize them if possible.”

Tsukishima snorts. “You’re too scary when you lose.”

“Of course.” Tobio crosses his arms stubbornly. “I hate losing. But it fires me up even more when I get the chance to defeat a team I previously lost to.

Tsukishima hums thoughtfully and nudges his shoulder before turning away. “Never change, Kageyama.”

Tobio startles at the sound of his last name suddenly escaping the middle blocker’s lips and he can’t help but have to bite his wobbling bottom lip to stop himself from letting out a giddy grin. He settles on relishing at the warmth inside his chest, finally having a name for the feelings that keep on haunting his insides whenever Tsukishima is around him. Licking his lips, Tobio settles himself on the setter’s position inside the net, a determined look etched on his face. They need to win this.

Tsukishima’s tosses have incredibly improved from the first few tosses he had sent Tobio before. They’re still careful and thoughtful, but there’s an air of deceptive arrogance that sends his stomach tumbling and twisting amongst the rallies that come next. Not setting and focusing on spiking isn’t usually on Tobio’s comfort zone, but he excitedly runs and jumps as high as he can, finally freeing himself, the trusted ball tossed towards his direction just enough to almost rival his own pinpoint tosses (though Tsukishima can only do this with his spikes, a fact that sends him on a downward spiral with the giddy feelings inside his chest). He spikes it as hard as he can, smirking at the gaping opponents looking at them in bewilderment and awe, their eyes wide and blinking unnaturally fast in disbelief.

“What was that?!”

“Hey, it’s just like that cool guy who pinpoint tosses!”

“Oh my god, that middle blocker is suddenly the setter!”

Hinata noses at Tobio, bumping his shoulder at him. “I’m really jealous! But this time, send more tosses to my direction, Tsukki! (“Stop calling me that, Hinata.”) Favoritism isn’t allowed here, alright?!”

Tsukishima rolls his eyes. “And King tossing to you isn’t favoritism?”

Tobio tilts his head towards him. “I’m only tossing to who I think I should toss to everytime. But if you feel that way, do you want me to toss more towards you?”

Tsukishima’s cheeks dust with pink. “I never said anything like that.”

“Hey!” Yamaguchi pouts. “You should send more tosses to me, Kageyama. These two little shits here aren’t the only ones who can spike, you know.”

Tobio rubs the back of his neck. “Noted.”

“Okay, Karasuno!” Yamaguchi positions himself at the left. “Be ready for the next rally!”

A chorus of “Yes, Captain!” permeates through the air, and Tobio’s ears buzz with so much chatters around them. The next rally proves to be more difficult when Abe almost failed a receive, forcing Tobio to switch back to his setter position for a while to cope with the sudden change. Their opponents still score, but they manage to take it back with another quick from Tsukishima and Tobio, and the gap in the score, with them leading, stretches even further into the double digits.

When they win, a shock travels throughout Tobio’s body when he finds himself into a bone-crushing hug with the rest of his teammates – Tsukishima is next to him. Normally, this’ll be a usual thing, and it won’t affect Tobio that much. Unfortunately, he has already found out about the level of his feelings towards Tsukishima before the game even started, and that in itself is spoilsport on him actually focusing on their win.

As he marches towards the bus, he almost stumbles when he finds Tsukishima next to him, eyeing him with a strange glint in his eyes. Tobio gulps nervously, clasping the zipper of his jacket with his fingers before summoning his voice, and says, “It was a great game.”

A ghost of a smile carves itself on Tsukishima’s lips. “Indeed, King.”

Tobio wrinkles his nose. “It pains me to say this, but you did well in setting, and you’re one of the reasons we won today.” He huffs and flits his gaze towards the bus that’s suddenly within vision. “Guess you won for now. I’ll defeat you tomorrow.”

Tsukishima lets out an amused chortle. “Are you seriously turning even this into a competition?”

“Of course!” Tobio challengingly gazes at his side profile. “I blocked the strongest spikers on our opponent team today, so maybe I should say it’s actually a draw between both of us.”

“If you’re going to continue that childishness, then two might as well play this game.” Tsukishima teasingly gives him a smug smile. “You already said I won, so no takebacks.”

Tobio grunts. “There’s no rule like that.”

“I just made it up.”

“Not fair. You shouldn’t have that kind of rule.”

Tsukishima snorts. “You told me to act like a king, so I’m acting like one. To be better than you.”

Tobio shrugs. “If you actually can.”

A tick appears on Tsukishima’s forehead. “I’ll make you eat your words again.”

As they arrive near the bus and settle inside, Tobio widens his eyes when Tsukishima plops down next to him. “What?” asks Tsukishima defensively, his shoulders tense and stiff. “Can’t I choose to sit here?”

“Willingly?” asks Tobio suspiciously.

Tsukishima flicks his forehead. “Stop overthinking about this, King.” He rummages through his backpack and pulls out his earphones, offering one earpiece to Tobio. “You want to listen?”

Tobio places the earpiece on his left ear, relaxing as the gentle, soothing strums of acoustic guitars mixing with the light, melodious voice of pianos. He lolls his head to the side, eyeing Tsukishima warily to see if he’ll react. Tsukishima ignores him, and Tobio bites his bottom lip before further lolling his head until it settles on Tsukishima’s shoulder.

“Think we can make it again to Nationals finally this year?” asks Tsukishima after a few moments, tone unsure.

Tobio positions his head more comfortably, closing his eyes shut. “We will go to the Nationals this year. As long as you don’t mess up your tosses.”

“How nice of you to insinuate that I’ll lose tomorrow.”

“Gladly.” Tobio yawns, grabbing the side of his seat to balance himself. He opens his eyes lazily. “But I think we’ll win. Your tosses are gathering us a lot of points.”

Soon, the bus fills out with their other teammates, and ignoring Yamaguchi’s seemingly teasing look, Tobio flits his gaze at the sky outside.

“Do you really honestly think that my tosses are good?” asks Tsukishima curiously.

“Yeah.”

“That’s concerning. I don’t think it’s good enough yet.”

Tobio grunts and lightly slaps Tsukishima’s arm, much to the other’s annoyance. “Think all you want. I’ll never stop trusting your tosses.”

“Huh? Why?”

Tobio doesn’t reply, not willing to put his feelings out in the open just yet. He doesn’t want to risk rejection and end up playing poorly after, so Tobio just breathes heavily, doing everything in his power to think of the most appropriate response.

“When we win tomorrow and go to Nationals,” he promises. “Until then, I won’t tell you.”

It goes to say that there’s no surprise when Tobio ends up gathering both a win and a first kiss at the end of the fourth set. Possibly a new boyfriend too.