"Hey, what are you doing?"
Hinata felt himself flinch and whirled around, but almost immediately relaxed and cheerfully remarked, "Iwaizumi-kun! …Oikawa-san."
"Ah, Iwa-chan gets a more enthusiastic response than me," Oikawa sighed, hand over heart, and was jabbed in the ribs. "Never mind that though, I heard you beat a two-metre tall person!"
"Mmhmm!" Hinata grinned fiercely. "And we'll beat you, too."
"Oh my, is that a promise?" Oikawa leaned in close enough for Hinata to draw up his spine as if to steel himself. "Maybe I should hide you away now, before you can become a trouble to me and my team."
"Eh?!" Hinata stumbled back a handful of steps. "You can't do that!" he flinched again when his back hit someone, and a steadying hand fell onto his shoulder.
"Hinata Shouyou," a deep voice rumbled, and Hinata's shoulders tightened as he recognised the voice.
"And…Oikawa and Iwaizumi," Ushijima added, seemingly unaware of Hinata's attempts at wriggling away from the hand on his shoulder.
"Ushijima-kun," Hinata exclaimed.
"Ushijima-kun?!" Oikawa repeated back, voice surprised while his eyes narrowed.
Hinata squirmed on the spot, and Ushijima pulled gently, drawing the smaller body slightly closer to him and so he was more in front.
"Are you being threatened?" Ushijima asked.
"N-No! Oikawa-san was joking, and Iwaizumi-kun wouldn't hurt me, he's too nice! Anyway – !"
"This is the final high school tournament for you two, isn't it?" Ushijima said placidly. "Shouldn't you be planning your time better than by harassing another team's member?"
"This won't be our last," Iwaizumi growled out, "As we will be going to nationals."
"Only one team can go to nationals, though?" And Ushijima let his head tilt slightly to the side as if in derision.
"And it's going to be Karasuno!" Hinata said firmly, finally escaping from Ushijima's almost protective stance only to bump into yet another, Aone inclining his head in greeting and steadying him with a hand on his back, even as Hinata beamed up at him.
Both Iwaizumi and Ushijima warily eyed the newcomer, while Oikawa resumed glaring at Ushijima's face, as if trying to set him on fire with sheer willpower alone.
"We will welcome all challengers," Ushijima finally said, breaking the silence and turning away, with one last cursory nod towards Hinata, who could only smile up at him, bewildered.
"Hinata, you know Ushijima?" Iwaizumi finally asked, eyes still narrowed at Aone. His arm twitched forward as if he was fighting to urge to take Hinata away from this new unknown.
"Huh? Yeah! We've met several times now; he carried me last time because I hurt myself. Anyway, it doesn't matter," Hinata said firmly. "I came here to go to the toilet and this happened again."
"Maybe you need an escort. I'll be happy to help," Oikawa remarked, extravagantly waving an arm towards the toilet door.
"I feel like I need an adult," Hinata promptly replied in a whisper with a shiver, shrinking a little closer to Aone.
("I'm eighteen years old," Oikawa whispered back cheerfully and was violently punched in the shoulder by Iwaizumi.)
YOU ARE READING
That Number Ten
FanfictionHinata, while small and unassuming, can also be intense and intimidating, especially while on the court. For some people (read: a lot of people) this is somehow attractive. Case in point, this is the third time in a month that Daichi is forced to sh...
