serendipity ✔️

edelweiss

CHAPTER 3
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- EDELWEISS -

- courage and devotion -

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"No fucking way..."

Hinata said under his breath, diverting his gaze from them, hoping they hadn't noticed his presence. Sugawara didn't mention they were all going out TONIGHT. Now he very much needed a drink, or 10.

He didn't get a very good look, he didn't dare to just in case one of them noticed, but they all looked so...happy and matured. Shouyou would be lying if he said he wasn't a little envious.

He felt almost frozen in place as his eyes bore into the ground, wanting to run and go back home, but also wanting to go and drink his worries away. Choosing the latter, Hinata grabbed a meat bun from the nearest store, ate it quickly in the designated area, and hailed a taxi to the club.

Outside the club, Lev, Kuroo and Kenma were waiting already. I hadn't seen Lev in god knows how long, and he greeted me with a warm hug.

"Been a while shrimpy,"

"Can we cut it out with the nicknames, daddy long legs."

"Calling me daddy now? At least let me buy you a drink first~"

Lev playfully teased, earning a jab in the ribs from Hinata.

"Mean."

"You know it."

Shouyou winked and threw him a bright smile, he'd never lost his signature grin that felt like a ray of sunshine.

"Congrats Kenma, Kuroo! It took a while but you finally got together, I'm an OG Kuroken shipper,"

"Thanks Hinata,"

Kuroo said with a laugh.

"A Kuroken? What?"

Kenma just looked a little confused.

"It's a ship name, duh!"

"Umm, okay then."

"Let's go inside already, I wanna get pissed,"

Lev said, gesturing for them to go inside.

Clubbing is a party every night. The atmosphere that makes it feel like the outside world isn't there. The men slip in among the crowd, a bee line for the bar. A couple whiskeys later, Hinata was ready to move with the music, hands in the air, body moving like an uncoiling rope, eyes on fire. The joy was like a shot of adrenaline to the heart and all at once he's moving, one with the music, one with every crazy person dancing in this place. It's a strange feeling, but on that makes him forget.

"Let's sit at the table for a bit and drink?"

Lev shouted over the noise, they barely heard but caught the gist. Weaving through the crowd, they climb the stairs up to the upper level of the club, where there are large booths, most of them are full of people. The lights were dimmed, and tinted a little red. After ordering another round of vodka snakebite shots, Hinata raised his glass in a toast.

"To Kenma and Kuroo!"

"To Kenma and Kuroo!"

"To me and Kuroo??"

"To me and Kenma!"

This exchange seemed to gain them some attention from a table behind them, that Hinata hadn't bother to look at or payed any attention to. Feeling the alcohol through his veins felt good, and god knows he'd need it. He noticed a person from the group get up and start to walk to their table. He couldn't make out their face, but they felt familiar.

The club lights illuminated their features, it was Sugawara. Connecting the dots inside his head, he realised the rest of that table must be the team. Shit. Just as he thought he'd come here for an escape.

"Hinata! Fancy seeing you here!"

"Uh yeah...crazy..."

"Sugawara! It's been a little while!"

Kuroo picked up the conversation, making Shouyou breath a sigh of relief. Kuroo has sensed the boys discomfort, and understood.

"You should come sit with us! The table has empty spots, we accidentally got a table for 16 and there's only 11 of us."

There would've been 12 if I hadn't...no Hinata not now.

Kuroo and Kenma exchanged a worried glance as they looked at Shouyou's expression. He looked worried and distressed. But Lev, not knowing all that had happened, quickly accepted Suga's invitation, much to Hinata's dismay.

He had no choice but to follow the others as they moved over to the table, his eyes staring at the ground again. How could he possibly play this situation?

Just act like the boy you were when you left, they won't ask questions.

"H...Hinata?"

"It's really you?"

A two voices that he recognised as Tanaka's and Noya's spoke.

"Hi! Yup it's me!"

He rose his head to meet the burning gaze of the entire table, they all seemed shocked, except Suga of course.

"Sit, sit, make yourselves comfortable,"

Daichi gestured for them to take the 4 of the 5 empty seats. Subconsciously or not, Kuroo made sure Hinata was sandwiched between him and Lev.

HINATA POV

"Dumbass..."

His voice, Kageyama's voice. Seconds pass, my brain taking him in, struggling to comprehend that he isn't one of the pictures I keep on my wall, that he is real. He's here. Of course he is, but it felt surreal to see his stoic (and pretty fucking hot) face again.

A face I thought I would only dream of when I made bouquets for happy couples on valentines, or when I was watching volleyball on TV. He looked older, matured and refined. His boyish look had faded, and he wasn't cute anymore, he was almost somewhat s...se...
SMELLY. Yeah, I'll go with that.

"Bakageyama."

I grinned at him, feeling the guilt well in my stomach, but I shoved the sensation down, focusing on him. My past love, a love I'd never confessed to, a unrequited love.

"The king meets his queen again."

"Tsukishima, was that really necessary?"

Daichi raised a disapproving eyebrow, still holding a fatherly authority about him.

"Sorry. Couldn't help myself."

"Holy shit, is that Tsukishima apologising? Jesus."

"You've been gone a long time."

Yamaguchi said, it didn't sound conniving or mean, and I don't think it was intended to. He said it kind of sadly. But that didn't stop the stab of regret I felt in my heart.

"Yeah..."