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Despite being boyfriends (and very much in love with each other, though they'd never admit it), Kei and Shouyou agreed on very few things.
They spent most of their time fondly bickering with each other, seeing as Shouyou had a sassy streak a mile wide that only seemed to come out around the tall blonde.
However, if they agreed on one thing, it was that anyone hurting their people, their family, would receive a combined verbal beatdown the likes of which nobody had ever seen.
Everyone who was anyone knew that the Karasuno first year boys on the volleyball team were in a relationship. All of them. With each other.
Anyone who was smart chose not to comment on the overprotective aura that emanted from the other three when anyone so much as looked at Tadashi the wrong way.
It was understandable, really, the way they focused all of their protective efforts on him.
Kei was mostly obvious. His thick skin and sharp tongue, not to mention intimidating height and apathetically mocking face made him unapproachable and untouchable in the eyes of anyone who didn't know him well.
Tobio's constant face of anger and his stoic silence combined with his height, though not as tall as Kei's, also made him unapproachable, seeming more like a deity than a human to most.
Although Shouyou didn't have the height, or the unapproachable aura, he definitely had a silver tongue and the means to back it up. He took insults worse than most, but he hid it well and delivered a verbal lashing that reduced people to tears.
Tadashi, on the other hand. Well. If he had wanted to, he could be unapproachable, intimidating, and untouchable. But his heart, as his partners often said, was simply too big and too pure for his body. He did not like confrontation, and he was quite anxious. He took insults to heart and never talked back. He could, if he wanted to. When alone with his team or his partners his quick wit could rival even Kei's and Shouyou's.
So whenever decided to take up an issue with Tadashi, his partners were always there, steady behind him and ready to interfere if need be. Don't get him wrong, 99% of the time they were only a silent support. He could stand up for himself, and knew when to be firm in his decisions.
However, there were times when others tried so diligently to break down that confidence and pride in himself. And it was in times like those that his partners, all of them, no matter their own struggles, were there to help him shatter those others into pieces and pick up his own.
Times like now, when people so foolishly decided to interfere with matters they had no business in.
"...you really think so?"
"Yeah!" Shouyou exclaimed with a smile. "Your freckles are so adorable 'Dashi!"
"Hmph. While I do agree, I believe we have better things to get to." Kei drawled, gesturing lazily to the volleyball court where Nekoma's team was warming up.
The entirety of Karasuno was in the Nekoma gym for a mini practice day. They had a series of matches, with small breaks in between. They were staying overnight for just that day and they would be leaving the next day in the morning.
The four of them (them being Tobio, Kei, Shouyou, and Tadashi) were lazily stretching off to the side of the court, not getting into anything too strenuous just yet.
Tanaka and Noya were busy being scolded by Daichi for breaking yet another ceiling light, god knows how, while Suga was standing behind Daichi giving them a small thumbs up.
Asahi had crawled off to the bathroom for the 5th time that morning. Ennoshita could be seen standing off to the side with Kinoshita and Narita, likely discussing the newest edition of their favorite manga series.
Meanwhile on the Nekoma team, Kuroo was trying to convince an unenthusiastic Kenma to come warm up and practice with the rest of the team. Said person was currently sitting on the bench and playing the latest game on his Nintendo Switch, effortlessly ignoring the whining cat next to him.
The rest of the team were off doing their stretches and getting water or the like. With the exception of Lev and Yaku. Lev was faceplanted on the floor, dramatically sobbing for mercy while Yaku mercilessly kicked his ass, repeatedly yelling at him to "work on your receives, idiot!"
The two coaches stood off to the side, surveying the madness and sighing. Ukai blew his whistle twice, shortly, signalling for everyone to pay attention to him.
"Right. So you all know we-"
He was interrupted by the gym doors opening loudly. He sighed, expecting it to be Asahi finally coming back from the bathroom, but a quick glance to his right revealed that Asahi had already gotten back. So then who-
His questions was answered by some Kuroo interrupting his thoughts. "What are you lot doing here? We reserved the gym for our practice time. So, kindly go crawl back to whatever hole you came from."
In front of them stood the entirety of the Nekoma basketball team, arms crossed, trying to look menacing (and failing miserably).
The rest of the gym paused in their own activities, looking on in interest. "Actually," someone strode forward, brandishing a piece of paper. Presumably the captain, although he looked idiotic.
"Actually," he repeated, finally reaching the front of the group, "I have permission from Kanato-sensei."
He handed the paper to Nekomata, smirking smugly. The older coach sighed at the idiocy.
"Okay," he started, rubbing his temples. He was too old to deal with this bullshit. "Firstly, Hiroto, this is quite obviously forged. Secondly, Kanato-sensei, no matter how athletic she might be, is not a coach and therefore has no say over who practices when. So, I suggest going home before making even more of a fool of yourself. Just because your basketball court isn't up to whatever idiotic standards you lot have, does not mean you can encroach on our practice time."
The captain, Hiroto they now knew, scoffed. "That's unfair!" He whined. "You let this random other team into your court to practice!"
Nekomata rolled his eyes. "They are here for a practice match. They are also a volleyball team. And even if they weren't, we reserved the court, it doesn't matter who does or doesn't practice on it as long as I allow it."
At this point the rest of his team were turned around and ready to leave, but they were held in place from another remark from their captain, silently lamenting their loss of dignity.
"Are you kidding me?" Hiroto sneered, looking the other team up and down. "You're telling me that orange... shrimp and that freckled idiot are on their team?"
He wondered why the killing intent in the room suddenly ballooned... and seemed to be directed at him?
His question was answered when, by unspoken agreement, both Kei and Shouyou stepped up, and everyone else stepped back, ready to let the two do what they needed.
"So..." Kei examined his nails carefully, seemingly uncaring of the entire situation. "That's what you think, hmm?"
"Ano, Kei-chan. Do you think he really is that idiotic?" Hinata leaned back looking up at Kei in amusement.
"Seems so."
"Hn."
And despite his best efforts to stay confident and calm, well, Hiroto couldn't help the small shiver of fear he felt.
Almost as if they could sense that, their heads snapped up in sync, now staring directly into his eyes.
He had the sudden urge to stand up ramrod straight and apologize a thousand times over.
"Did you hear that, Kei-kun? He had the audacity."
"Hey, hey!" He interrupted snappily, missing the perfect eyebrow each had raised at his brave interjection. "What the fuck is this code-talk bullshit?"
"Oh. He think's it's code talk. How cute." Kei sneered, back to examining his nails.
"Hm. Well I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. It doesn't look like there's much space up there for a brain."
Kei snickered, looking up from examining his nails to lean on Shouyou. To his credit, he didn't even flinch with the heavy weight draped over him.
"Maa... Kei-kun. I'm not even angry about it. More amused. He must be blind, poor man, to not be able to see the freckled beauty that is 'Dashi."
Most people in the room let out a quiet chuckle at this, even Tobio as Tadashi tried to bury his face into the former's shirt.
Hiroto burst into anger. "You two shits! You're so freaky! And that damn freckled bastard can go shove it!" He exclaimed, angrily pointing a finger at the duo.
Kei and Shouyou, who had been fairly relaxed until then, snapped ramrod straight and glared at him. If looks could kill, he'd be dead 5 times over.
"Care to repeat?" Kei coldly asked. "My higher intelligence level cannot stoop so low as to understand what your idiotic monkey brain has spewed out."
"Kei, that's wrong of you to say," Shouyou chided, still keeping his expression schooled. "You shouldn't just assume people have brains. He obviously doesn't."
"Ahh... fair enough Shou."
"Now." And just like that Shouyou was back to glaring at the basketball captain.
"Now." He mockingly repeated, just as the other had. "I would appreciate if you left my boyfriend alone. However, since normal human words seem too large for your primitive brain to compute, let me put it in your own words. Say anything else, and your dick goes bye-bye. Is that simple enough?"
Hiroto, either too stupid or too high to understand the gravity of the threat issued to him, continued on with his bullshit. "Ew, you two are gay? That's literally disgusting."
Everyone looked at Kei and Shouyou like they had lost it when Tsukishima Kei, of all people, bent over and clutched his stomach with laughter. Shouyou let out a few small chuckled next to him before they both snapped to silence again, almost unnervingly quick.
"Thank you. For that much needed laugh. It just struck a chord within me, the fact that you thought your useless opinion mattered to any of us here. You certainly haven't done anything to win the favor of anyone in the room here." Kei smirked, arms crossed and chin tilted upwards.
"Quite frankly, none of us give a singular shit about the shit you spew. I know, and everyone else knows, that Yamaguchi Tadashi is the smartest, kindest, most beautiful person you could ever meet. Be glad you had the privilege and get out of here." Shouyou scoffed at the boy.
Hiroto sputtered in anger. "No way! We are going to practice in this gym!"
Shouyou rolled his eyes. "Fine then. How about a competition? You can choose. But! If you lose, you have to admit to your forgery on this and any other occasion you might have tried, and never bother with the volleyball court again. Got it?"
Hiroto rolled his eyes and smirked. "Fine. If I win, the volley court is transformed into a basketball court. And. You have to quit volleyball. Forever."
Shouyou scoffed. "Yes, okay. Now get on with it, what's the actual challenge?"
There was a stunned silence around them. Even Kei was shocked that Shouyou had so easily put his entire future on the line. He had better hope this test was an athletic one, or-
"Jump reach."
"Beg your pardon?"
"Jump reach. That would be our competition. Whosever is higher. A shrimp like you couldn't jump half as high as me, I bet."
Shouyou smirked. "Quite right, in fact."
Hiroto looked at him warily. "...Okay?"
"Right then. Let's begin."
Hiroto stared agape at the white chalk hand imprinted on the backboard. He quickly spun around and pointed a finger at Shouyou.
"You! You need to join the basketball team!"
"No."
"But-!"
"He said. No."
Kei interjected this time, getting annoyed at how little shame this boy has.
Shouyou smirked smugly at Hiroto.
"Now, as per our agreement. I think it best to have someone escort you to the office and back, to make sure it's actually been done, ne Kei-kun?"
"Logical. I have the recording just in case he suddenly gets a little case of cold feet.:
Hiroto paled miserably at the reminder. As did the rest of the room. These two were a duo they did not want to mess with.
Even Ukai shuddered. Remind him never to get on the bad side of these two.
Yeesh.
If, after this, Hiroto was expelled for bullying, forgery, and a whole host of other issues, and blacklisted from all other schools in the area, well. That's really none of their business. And like Hiroto learned so acutely, it was truly foolish to interfere with matters they had no business in.