saltinourstars: (Default)
Tsukishima Kei ([personal profile] saltinourstars) wrote2023-06-06 05:06 pm

I didn't come to wave or take pictures - For Fragrant_Hitachiin

Most paparazzi keep away from Kei. Hitachiin Legal loves a restraining order, and that’s enough for a semi-normal life.

But public games are public, and Kei spots at least three in the stands. Nondescript hair, clothes, faces. So plain they scream among the colorful crowd. One even has the nerve to smile, when he catches Kei’s glare.

Ugh.

Never mind.

Exhaling, he shuts them out. Settling into the tempo of his team. The rhythm and flow of defense, rising to a higher crescendo each time. It feels good. Kei's spent four years building with Todai, and they're contenders for Nationals. Maybe even favorites.

This is what matters.

Not the paparazzi with their gossip and grins.
fragrant_hitachiin: (demure dramatic)

[personal profile] fragrant_hitachiin 2023-06-13 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
Kaoru's relieved to see Kei come out of the gymnasium, still plagued by the feeling that he's being watched. It's not as if he isn't used to the attention, but it's never happened at one of Kei's games before, and something about that paparazzi presence here feels like a safe space being trampled on. So as soon as Kei appears, Kaoru coaxes him out the door by the hand.

Does he share his suspicions with Kei? The last thing he wants is to sour the good mood of this victory.

"Nothing, just some weird guys in the crowd today. Come on, I bet you're starving! It's a perfect night for take out and a movie."
fragrant_hitachiin: (deep in thought)

[personal profile] fragrant_hitachiin 2023-06-14 02:45 am (UTC)(link)
Kaoru's smile softens into something more genuine, once he has Kei's agreement and a plan for the evening. He's pleased that the weirdo paparazzi won't ruin this for them.

"And they say romance is dead," he responds, thinking of the horror movie that awaits. "Spicy Thai or baby Thai?" Kaoru teases, taking his phone out already so that he can place their usual orders.
fragrant_hitachiin: (annoyed)

[personal profile] fragrant_hitachiin 2023-06-14 11:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Kaoru sniggers. The order is placed, then picked up on the way home. The night passes in a quiet lull of good food and warm cuddles.

They can't afford to eat together every night, not when they're in their final year of college and grinding on assignments, on jobs, on the court. But they eat together as often as they can, and that's what's important to Kaoru.

Which is why it's frustrating when Kei isn't completely there. After telling him twice about the texts he got from Haruhi to no response, Kaoru finally huffs and drops his fork with a 'clink.'

"Okay, seriously, what is up with you tonight? What's going on? You'd better not be hiding something from me," he huffs, thinking back to the last thing Kei hid, that ended with him in a hospital bed.
fragrant_hitachiin: (offended)

[personal profile] fragrant_hitachiin 2023-06-15 01:35 am (UTC)(link)
Kaoru is just about to complain that Kei is definitely hiding something when his partner pushes his plate away and gets suddenly serious. Kaoru sits up a little straighter, and his brow furrows.

"I remember. What about them? Have they been harassing you?"
fragrant_hitachiin: (alarmed shocked)

[personal profile] fragrant_hitachiin 2023-06-15 11:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Kaoru's jaw legitimately drops. "The V.League?" He repeats, eyes gone wide and brows up to his hairline. "Professional volleyball? They've been checking you out, I know, the guy at the last game mentioned that you were the star of the team. What happened!?"
fragrant_hitachiin: (Default)

[personal profile] fragrant_hitachiin 2023-06-16 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
"Have you?"

Kaoru wonders. Kei's never said that he wants to continue, but the fact is, he has. Through high school, even when he said it was "just a club." Into college, even though he takes his studies seriously, has aspirations in the sciences and not on the court.

"Even if you won't admit it, you're a huge part of the reason your team made it to Nationals," he adds. "I'm not even being biased about it, that's just obviously true."
fragrant_hitachiin: (deep in thought)

[personal profile] fragrant_hitachiin 2023-06-17 02:26 am (UTC)(link)
Kaoru tries to be patient as he listens to Kei's reasoning and thought process, hoping to understand what's going on in his head. He knows that Kei rarely makes things simple, even for himself, especially when it comes to accepting things he's earned.

"So you thought that because you weren't recruited out of high school like Hinata and them all, you wouldn't ever get to be?" He repeats, wrapping his head around this. "Isn't getting recruited a big part of college sports, though? Surely your teammates must have talked about it, or maybe it happened to people from your team last year?"
fragrant_hitachiin: (annoyed irked)

[personal profile] fragrant_hitachiin 2023-06-18 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
Kaoru considers this. Again, trying to be careful and thoughtful.

"Even if you weren't thinking about getting scouted, or 'waiting for the miracle', you earned this," he points out. "You worked just as hard at volleyball as anything else, and these people noticed. So now you can do both, if you want, right? Get a degree and keep playing?"

"What team is scouting you, anyways?"
fragrant_hitachiin: (Default)

[personal profile] fragrant_hitachiin 2023-06-19 02:44 am (UTC)(link)
Kaoru considers these two options. "Hokkaido's pretty far, and cold, but Sendai's right near your family. I mean, we never really talked about you moving back there, but it's not impossible. Tohoku University has an amazing natural history museum, too."

Is Kaoru trying to convince him to play? He isn't even really sure. More like, he's trying to coax Kei into being honest with himself. If all Kei is focused on are the things in his way, he'll never consider the offer for all its potential benefits.

"And you never know, maybe a Tokyo team will scout you, and then you won't even have to move."
fragrant_hitachiin: (eh bored whatever)

[personal profile] fragrant_hitachiin 2023-06-20 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
Kaoru makes a sympathetic noise and reaches across the table to pat Kei's hair. "I'm just saying, it shouldn't have been a surprise. You underestimate yourself and how other people see you. You deserve this attention, because you're incredible."

Then he leans back and picks his fork up again, though he doesn't immediately eat. "But just because you're good enough, doesn't mean you have to go for it. You can turn them down if you don't want to keep playing."
fragrant_hitachiin: (Default)

[personal profile] fragrant_hitachiin 2023-06-21 12:31 am (UTC)(link)
Hinata doesn't immediately answer Tsukishima's text, because he's in the shower when his phone chimes with it. It isn't for another twenty minutes that he emerges, squeaky clean and rosy cheeked, and absently checks his phone to see if he's missed anything.

I know who you are duh!!
Whats wrong?
Edited 2023-06-21 00:32 (UTC)
fragrant_hitachiin: (Default)

[personal profile] fragrant_hitachiin 2023-06-22 01:52 am (UTC)(link)
WHAT
WHO
WHAT TEAM???
NOT MY TEAM??
NOT BAKAGEYAMA'S TEAAM????
fragrant_hitachiin: (Default)

[personal profile] fragrant_hitachiin 2023-06-23 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
Coach doesn't tell us who theyre scouting!! Just whos new on the team!
I'm super calm!! Anyways you ignored my actual question WHICH TEAM

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