PSL /Overflow/ Open Post

[1foxgiven]

 What it says on the tin.

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[chromatic_coma]

Osamu is curious how Kita will react, but he hadn't been expecting to surprise him so much. Enough to get him to stop cleaning.

He purses his lips thoughtfully, and tests the density of volleyball in his hands, to see if it's inflated enough.

"I might like it more," Osamu admits. "Volleyball's exciting, it gets me worked up and gets my blood goin'. Especially when it's with 'Tsumu, you know? But cooking's like... it makes me feel centered? Like I'm in control, I can be creative, I can figure stuff out on my own. And then I can watch other people enjoy it. Feels good."

[1foxgiven]

"Wow."

Kita takes all that in. He knows the twins aren't a matched set. Though they synch up at a terrifying level, that's from shared passion. How hard they work together. (Even as they trip each other into fountains. Yes, Kita's seen that video. Like 500,00 other people.)

Osamu's talking about something so wildly different. Something solo. It seems the food today meant even more than Kita thought.

That deserves full attention.

"Well," Kita finally says. A smile sliding in. "I hope you felt good today."

[chromatic_coma]

Osamu nods slowly, a hint of a smile on his face. "I'll be honest, Kita-san, I was nervous as hell about feedin' ya. Your opinion's really important to me because you don't mince your words. If you told me it sucked I probably would've given up."

He says this, then thinks about it and backpedals.

"Nah. I would've just worked harder to make the next thing I gave you better."

Skip to DRAMA?

[1foxgiven]

Kita feels a warmth rise in his chest. That's exactly what he wants. To give someone the drive to work, instead of just quitting.

It's... nice. Hearing someone understands.

"Good," he says. Giving the ball one more wipe, before tossing it into the cart. Job done. "If you want more feedback, let me know. I'll be available."

Yessss

[chromatic_coma]

Osamu nods, tossing the ball he refilled into the ball cart too. He grabs the next one and gets back to work.

"I'll be sure to take you up on that, Kita-san. I've been working on my onigiri fillings, and I could use another taste tester. Atsumu eats like a pig."

Skip to where you like!

[1foxgiven]

Kita huffs out something between a laugh and a sigh. Lets the comment pass. Rude, but maybe letting Osamu get his digs in away from his brother is a good strategy. On top of the manual labor.

Can't be much worse.

At least Kita's sure of one thing -

"I'll look forward to it."

[chromatic_coma]

Osamu finishes inflating the rest of the saggy volleyballs that afternoon with a hint of a smile on his face, and relief and confidence in the set of his shoulders. It felt huge to confess to Kita everything he'd been thinking lately, but being met with his upperclassman's support and encouragement was worth the risk.

A few weeks pass, and in that time, Osamu sometimes brings some things he's cooked for Kita's assessment. It's not too often, because he wants to be subtle so the whole team doesn't find out, which is hard with people like Atsumu and even Suna around. Most of it comes from home ec class, so the food is simple, but delicious each time.

And then one afternoon Osamu shows up to practice not with food, but with a figurative storm cloud overhead. He's noticeably late, enough that Atsumu is already in the gym warming up, and stomps right into the clubroom without a passing glance at anyone. He doesn't need to say a word for it to be obvious that something is off.

[1foxgiven]

Kita can't remember when he started watching for Osamu. Looking forward to a quick conversation. Perhaps whatever's been whipped up in Home Ec, though it's not expected.

The routine has broken.

Every minute that passes, Kita's stomach knots tighter. Official practice has not started. No one's not in trouble, on paper. But no one has information. Even Atsumu only grimaces, "I dunno, Cap. He ain't answering texts."

Then, finally, Typhoon Osamu rolls in.

Handing warm-ups to Aran, Kita hurries back to the clubroom. Not wasting a second.

"Osamu? What happened?"

Right to the point.

[chromatic_coma]

Osamu's holding his body tight. Extra, extra tight. At first glance, it may seem like poorly restrained anger, and Osamu's sort of counting on that, hoping it will make his teammates leave him be. If they think he's just mad, especially if he can pin it on Atsumu, then maybe no one will notice-

A voice cuts through the inner monologue Osamu's delivering while digging through his gym bag. Kita's voice, which cannot be ignored. And he isn't asking an easily evaded question, either.

"Nothing happened," Osamu says at length, teeth clenched. "'M fine. Everythin's fine. Be out for practice in a minute."

He can't change into his gym clothes until the club room empties, just in case there's a visible sign of his injury plastered across his back.

[1foxgiven]

Of course, Kita's not satisfied with only a first glance.

Nothing about this is "Fine."

"If nothing happened, you wouldn't be late," he responds evenly. Still waiting for an explanation.

[chromatic_coma]

Osamu holds his breath for a moment as he considers how he's supposed to respond. It quickly becomes obvious he won't be able to shake Kita off, and with a heavy sigh, he decides he might as well stop hiding it.

He turns away from Kita and tugs his shirt off by the collar, wincing a little as it stretches out his back. When the shirt slides off, a giant bruise is uncovered in the middle right of his back, ugly mottled purple and green surrounded by red skin.

"I fell." He explains simply, barely more than a grunt.

[1foxgiven]

"...Ah."

Maybe Osamu's waiting for the chill of disappointment. Getting injured like this, with playoffs so close? It could be catastrophic for Inarizaki. The Twins will have another shot at Nationals. Others are not so lucky. Kita's not so lucky.

Instead, warmth settles on Osamu's shoulder. Kita gently pressing down.

"Please sit. I'm getting Coach and the physio."

[chromatic_coma]

Osamu realizes a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. Hiding the injury from his twin, not to mention the rest of the team, has been wearing him down all day.

"It's just from a fall. The internet says it's not a big deal." He mumbles, but after he looks over his shoulder at Kita, he lets the arguments fall off his tongue.

"Guess I'd better just let them see, huh?" He concedes.

[1foxgiven]

"Yes."

Touching isn't new. High-fives, back slaps, all of it comes in the heat of games. This is - Different. Not that gets registered, not now, but Kita flexes his hand as he heads for the door.

As though from a shock.

He's back in barely a minute with Coach Kurosu, Therapist Goda, and a pack of ice.

[chromatic_coma]

The coach and the team's physiologist prod at Osamu's back, tenderly feeling around the bruising and giving him an interrogation as to how he got it. Osamu confesses to a fall in the home ec room that morning, after an embarrassing slip. Goda is tight lipped as he insists that Osamu cannot be allowed to play on this for at least a week, and possibly longer.

"Will be back in time for Nationals?" Kurosu asks.

"I would say it's likely, as long as he takes his rest seriously. But the Youth Training Camp may be off the table."

Osamu bites his lip on a curse, mostly because cursing in front of Kita is worse than cursing in front of God.

Goda wraps a bandage around Osamu's torso, and sends him home with strict instructions for rest and recuperation. Then the adults go down to head up practice, leaving Osamu alone with Kita.

"God... I really blew it," Osamu mumbles, looking down at his feet in his shame and frustration.

[1foxgiven]

Kita's already packing.

"Accidents happen, Osamu. What matters is what you do now."

The physio was very direct in his instructions. No extra weight, not even books. Osamu needs help getting home. This is obvious. So when Kita hauls up both duffels, it's without a single grunt of protest.

"Let's go."

The team's out running. They'll be able to leave with the least amount of fuss.

[chromatic_coma]

Osamu's jaw drops at Kita picking up his bag. "Hey, no, you don't have to do that, Kita-san," he says quickly, reaching for his bag back. "I mean, I can still carry it. Or I can wait 'til after practice and make 'Tsumu do it."

To inconvenience Kita like that would be too much.

[1foxgiven]

"No."

Kita folds his arms. Locking the bags in place.

"How irresponsible are you? Are you trying to knock yourself out for the whole season? Start another fight with Atsumu?"

Each question is a precise shot. Sent deep, to pierce the pride or stubbornness or whatever Osamu's using instead of his brain. Unbelievable.

[chromatic_coma]

Being scolded by Kita is what Osamu had expected when he decided to come clean about his injury, but not because of him trying to absolve his upperclassman of having to take care of him. He gets a little bit defensive, as he would if the accusation of irresponsibility.

"'Tsumu wouldn't fight me over this," he grunts, because of course his twin wouldn't actually kick him while he was down, metaphorically speaking. Literally might be another story. "He'll be pissed, sure, but he'll help me get home just like any brother would. You don't have to go out of your way for me and miss practice, Kita-san."

[1foxgiven]

Kita's brows raise a fraction.

"But this isn't out of my way. Not if I want to do it."

Simple as that. It's no more than Kita would do for anyone. This way, no one has to worry. (Of course, someone could ask why the worry matters. Why it's coming to a head, in this room, with this situation...)

[chromatic_coma]

"But you are still gonna miss practice," Osamu points out. "And you're the captain. How's that not out of your way when there's somewhere else you gotta be?"

Resisting the help makes sense, because Osamu already feels bad enough that he cost his team one of their players; taking Kita away too after he's gone and stupidly gotten himself hurt would just be too cruel.

"It's not even that bad. I deserve to wait for doing this to myself."

[1foxgiven]

"Right. I'm the Captain."

Which means Kita's already got things in order. Put the other Third Years in charge of practice. Rearranged his schedule to make up for the lost exercise. It's all come so easily, except this part. Trust Osamu to be a monkey wrench. Even as he is clearly hurting.

Sometimes, people really do get in their own way. Well then. Next move.

Shoulders set, Kita marches to the door. Opens it.

"And I take care of my team. If you want to make up for the trouble? Get started healing."

[chromatic_coma]

Well, if there's one thing about Kita, it's that there's no point in arguing with his no-nonsense voice. He's almost (almost) scarier than the twins' mom, the way he gets steely and intense. So Osamu just sighs, pulls his shirt back on, and stops himself from reaching for his bag.

"Yes, captain," he mumbles, not sarcastically, but clearly not pleased. He starts walking, knowing that Kita will follow.

[1foxgiven]

Relief seeps in. Unknotting the tension in Kita's temple.

"Good."

Osamu probably can't go his normal speed, and the bags are balanced. Kita keeps pace. Their steps booming in the vacant gym.

[chromatic_coma]

It's eerie at first that Osamu can't hear anything coming from the gym, until he remembers that the team's probably been sent to run outside given that both their captain and coach were busy looking after him. Great. Another reason for Atsumu to be pissed at him when he gets him from practice.

Osamu hates throwing himself a pity party, though, so he bites down on the inside of his cheek and tries not to get bogged down in his frustration.

"Thanks for walkin' me home, Kita-san." He says to try and change the subject, even just in his own head.