Hinata placed out cups and juice, not wanting to make tea this late in the evening and make dinner. He sat next to his sister on the sofa who was playing a game on his phone. The team member sat anxiously except Tsukishima who was sipping the juice and seemed bored. The father seemed to be angry as the mother was the one to strike up a conversation. "So you must be Hinata's friends. Excuse us for seeming awkward. He's never brought any friends home, much less a whole group visiting." She started wanting to break some of the tension.
The group was surprised Hinata didn't have friends over though with his leg it probably made sense. "Hinata is always such a good boy, it's nice to see he relies on his senpais and friends to help him bring his school work." The mother said, taking a sip of her own juice. Hinata heard the ringing of the rice cooker go off. He had to finish up dinner soon. He didn't want to face the team, he knew they were gonna kick him off and tell everyone that he was weak. He felt tears sting his eyes but he refused to cry in front of his team again. He had cried every night since he had been taken home, he was going to lose the first real team he joined.
The group except Tsukishima looked pained at their decoy who looked like he was barely keeping himself together. As soon as Hinata stepped out of the room did the father speak up, his glare once more returning on his face. He looked like he would murder any of the players in cold blood making all the players shiver a bit. His wife pinched his arm, sending him a glare before sending her daughter away and looking at the boys in front of her. The unsettling silence disturbed the usually loud group feeling a bit out of place.
"Hinata is my first child and I love him dearly." The mother looked at each of the boys who nodded, waiting for her to continue. "After... the accident he was devastated. Anyone would be if they lost their left leg from the knee down. He was in so much pain." The mother's eyes started to get teary, her husband pulled her closer and also pained. "After that he was quiet, but he would do whatever he could to help us. He cooked, watched his baby sister, cleaned, and did the laundry. The list is endless. So when he asked for a prosthetic so that he could play, it was a surprise. Volleyball is the only thing he'll ever ask for... so as his parents anything volleyball related we got. At first, we thought he was pushing himself, but how could we say no? He studies, cleans and doesn't want anything else. It's the only thing that'll make him truly happy." The mother's lip trembled as she wiped her eyes and took a shaky breath.
The team stared, they couldn't believe how much the boy did. To them he seemed like an idiot who only thought about volleyball. The father was the one to speak up his voice rough and deep, "I blame myself for him losing his leg, countless times I've been told it's not my fault but I vowed whatever makes me so smile I would do it. He was homeschooled for a long portion of his life and he's never brought any friends home. For Hinata he doesn't care as long as he plays volleyball and we are happy he can enjoy something. So," the father swept his eyes across the room looking at each boy with his sharp bright eyes.
"Is he happy playing with you?" The question caught the team off guard. They gaped at the two adults but Kageyama instantly answered looking the man right in the eye. "That idiot has the most fun out of all of us. He makes us smile too. He's the only one who I know will always spike my sets so we need him back."
The rest recovering from their shock soon joined in,
"He's my precious underclassman! He loves to learn from me!" Shouted Nishnoya
"Hinata loves to listen to his Senpai's stories and advice," added Tanaka.
"Hinata does this amazing quick that he loves to do and jumping in general!" Yamagachi stutters.
"He's really earnest and a great teammate." Asahi includes softly.
"He's not so bad, he makes the game a little less boring." Tsukishima shrugs.
"Hinata has so much energy to add to the team, he's one the most important players we have." Suga smiles.
Dacihi stood up and lowered his head before speaking, "Hinata is an essential part of our team! I'm sorry as the captain and was his teammate that it took this long to realize all essential details! I promise that we will take care of Hinata not only as teammates but as his friends so he can smile at practice! So please let him come back and play with us soon!" The team also followed suit getting up and bowing to the parents.
The room was dead silent as the boys waited for their response. Kageyama silently prayed Hinata could play again, or at least come to school he couldn't imagine never seeing Hinata again. The father sighed deeply and rubbed his face with his free hand, " so it's like that huh?" The mother huffed and wiped her tear eyes. "We are so blessed to have our son in good hands. Make sure that he has fun." The boys except Tsukishima broke out into smiles, "Hai!" The father started laughing.
That was the moment Natsu came into the living room, "Nii chan wants to know if everyone is staying for dinner!!! He would make extra, and a surprise because I'm a good girl for getting a 100 on my spelling test!!" The mother and father laughed even louder at that and even Tskushima started to chuckle softly. Her brother shyly waved for once .
"I'm still on the team?" His voice quivered and was filled with so much hope and disbelief. "Of course you're still on the team idiot! It isn't the same without you! Plus who promised to always hit my sets, it's been almost a week!" Kageyama scolded looking at the shorter boy. Hinata broke into giggles, "yeah! I'll be sure to be there tomorrow morning" the once tense atmosphere changed into a light happy one as everyone began to laugh.
"You are welcome to join us, our son is quite good at cooking. He makes incredible bentos and sweets as well." The mother felt a swell of pride in her chest making her son blush. "Yah! Nii Chan always makes yummy food and he even makes my veggies look like stars and hearts! They are so pretty!" Natsu smiles jumping up and down as Hianta blushes even more telling his sister to stop.
"I'm afraid we'll have to decline, we wouldn't want to cause any more trouble! We will be sure to come at another time, our parents must be waiting for us as well." Suga announced he felt bad for coming without warning. The group begrudgingly agreed, not wanting to get scolded by their parents, started to head out. The group of boys waved goodbye, and Hinata bouncing on one leg while leaning on his cane waved goodbye as they made it down the hill. Hinata felt tears of relief prick his eyes, he was still going to play. He wasn't losing his team, Natsu eaved with him as the crickets sing with joy.
That day it smelled like a sunny day and dinner.
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"Come on guys, get stretching! We have a match soon!" Dacichi called out as he watched over his team. Hinata still wasn't here and it seemed to be worrying everyone, especially Kageyama. Though it was more anticipation than doubting, the boy was honest and straightforward. If he said he would come then he would come. Even if he was getting late, stretching time was almost over when a familiar voice distributed the tense atmosphere.
"Sorry, I'm late!" Hinata came in wearing his usual long baggy pants and shirt ready to play, the big opey smile on his face. Tanaka and Nishnoya jumped up and ran to the boy pulling him into a hug.
"HINATA! Never make your senpais worry like that! You are one of the only nice underclassmen we have, we were stuck with Kageyama and Tsukishima Yamaguchi is nice but he only looks up to Tssuki!" Cries Tanaka. Nihsnoya continues, "Hinata you are so much better at rolling thunder! Why do none of our players smile!" Hinata smiled and returned the embrace.
Soon enough the rest of the team had come crowded around Hinata glad he was finally back. Kageyama pulled Hinata out of their embrace, "You better be ready to make up all the sets you've missed!" Kageyama said, in return Hinata looked up and smiled. "Yeah!" He jumped out of his arms bouncing with limitless energy. "Does this mean you'll keep setting to me! I'm so excited! Yay!!" Hinata did his high jump once more.
"Oh yeah, I made you guys something!" Hinata smiled before running out of the room.
"So he's going to practice like normal no?" Asked Asahi who almost had a heart attack when Hinata jumped He had almost forgotten Hinata had a prosthetic. Kageyama hearing this glared at the upperclassmen, "No, Hinata is Hinata. He's the idiot to hit my spikes, if he's kicked off the team for something like that then this team isn't worth my time either."
The team took a step back from the boy. They never thought they would hear something that would threaten his volleyball practice such as that. "Well, I don;t think you'll have to quit as I have no intention of making HInata quit. He is going to bring us to nationals." Dachi answered, Kageyama content, looked away from the team and started glaring at the door.
Hinata had come back in with a box and a bag in his hands. He opened up the box to reveal small bags of cookies he had made, "Me and Natsu made some cookies feel free to take one. I didn't know exactly what you guys liked so I made green tea, chocolate chip, and strawberry tart. I hope you like them, I had the ingredients on hand and I thought it would be fun" The team looked in away at the delicate bags and even more so the beautiful sweets Hinata made, even Shimizu and the manager was impressed with the gifts they were given surprised the young boy cooked at all.
Each took a treat and thanked the small boy who smiled and blushed a bit saying it was nothing. He then turned to Asahi and gave him the bag which in it was his coat, fully washed and ironed, "Thank you for your help senpai! I'm sorry it took so long to return this to you!" Asahi looked at the cookies then his coat and then the redhead thinking, 'Even if he's only got one leg he sure is energetic! What would this team be without him? '
"Thank you Hinata, you're very kind." Asahi smiled, ruffling the bright hair making Hinata blush madly.
"Oi, idiot! I got you something." This got Hinata's attention as the black haired 1st year had a bag in his hang as well. "I got these... for you. We should go out later though just so we can get you nicer ones in your actual size." Hinata accepted the bag from the blushing tall teen. He opened into it to see a pair of black shorts, Hinata looked up at Kageyama with wide eyes. Kageyama scratched the back of his head looking at the black expression on the decoy.
"Y-you don't have to wear them, I just thought that since we don't mind about you.. thing. And you don't have to hide it either, it would be better-" Kageyama felt thin arms wrap around his waist. "Thank you!" It was short and if Hinata cried a bit the team never said anything.
That day it smiled like sweets and clean laundry.