Chapter 4: Replay of the first match with Nekoma

                                    

                                          
A/N 
                          
Before we start, I have a few things to discuss.
                          
1. I wrote a one-shot (might add more later) about Hinata with a prosthetic so I recommend you check that out. I think it's about 1500 words, but I'm not sure. Obviously you don't have to but it would be really appreciated if you did!
                          
2. I start taking summer courses next Monday (I really want to graduate in 4 years but engineering is hard and I'm also trying to learn American Sign Language) so the updates might be a little farther apart. So far it has been a week between each, now it might be closer to a week and a half or 2 weeks so I'm really sorry about that. I will do my best to update frequently!
                          
Sorry for the long A/N at the beginning. READ ON!
                          


                          
While Hinata hated it when people would underestimate her, she still got satisfaction when she was able to prove them wrong. Being a girl now, it was even more satisfying. Boys tend to underestimate the opposite gender, even if it's subconsciously, and Hinata was short. She was already short before waking up in this weird alternate universe thing, but now she was even shorter, and she was ready to play some volleyball. 
                          
Hinata decided it might be fun to act a bit ditzy while getting into position for their first practice match against Nekoma, so she skipped her way over from the bench swinging her arms and smiling softly. Nekoma assumed that she wasn't taking the game seriously and Kuroo decided to speak up, "What? So you just let her play cause she's cute or something? Cute doesn't win games, if it did, I'd be unstoppable." 
                          
Hinata giggled at this but when the whistle blows, she gets real serious, real quick. It's startling how fast her expression goes from one of amusement to one of murderous intent. Her eyes widen, irises narrow, and mouth becomes a line, to the other team, it seems like she is staring into their souls. Nekoma serves the ball, Nishinoya receives sending it directly to Kageyama, Kageyama doesn't even have to look as he sets the ball at Mach 4 in the direction of their secret weapon. Before Nekoma even has a chance, Hinata spikes the ball hard and it hits the center of Nekoma's side of the court.  Everyone in the gym is in shock, even some of Karasuno's team has yet to get used to the power of this quick attack. It seems like Hinata has played volleyball all her life like she was born on the court and it would be a crime to take her off it.
                          
"Did you guys see that?! Is was all like FWOOSH, and then it hit my hand was all like GWAHH, then it hit the court and was like BWHAMM! Did you see? Did ya?" Hinata gushed with wide joyful eyes and a smile that went from ear to ear as she began leaping back into position for Asahi's serve. Everyone else is silent wondering, what the hell was that?
                          
Hinata had once again surprised people in a way that no one else possibly could. This short girl who just waltzed on to the Karasuno team with barely any warning had now become their secret weapon. She could spike anything. Hinata knew this was from her time practicing with Karasuno when she was a boy. She worked really hard to get where she is, but to everyone else, she popped out of nowhere and was spectacular at first glance. She still had work to do on receives and serving, but she was an all-around good player with an unrivaled passion for the game. She was glad that Kageyama wasn't holding back on his serves, it showed that he knew she could hit them. After a bit of complaining about a 'little girl' being on the team, Kageyama saw that she really was good at volleyball. Hinata was glad to be taken seriously, especially by the other half of the 'freak duo.' (This was apparently what the team called them in any universe or dream or whatever this was.)
                          
The game continued and Nekoma slowly developed a plan to prevent the quick attack, but by the time they get to test it, the match is already over with Karasuno winning in straight sets.  
                          
After the match is over and Nekoma has done their penalty, Hinata approaches Kenma. "You seem like you don't really care about volleyball, Kenma. Why is that?"
                          
"I just don't see what the big deal is with winning."

                          
"You eat when you're hungry, don't you?" Hinata said calmly tilting her head with wide bird-like eyes. 
                          
Kenma is visibly startled by this statement and Hinata's intensity which, Hinata notes, is impressive because Kenma is hardly expressive in any way. Hinata, just like the first time she met Kenma, is determined to make him have fun in a game of Volleyball. She wants him to want to win. And she wants to crush him. Hinata smiled and bounced away leaving Kenma to think about what she said. But you eat to survive. Do you really need to win to survive? He wondered if that was how other players felt or if that was a mindset unique to the weird ginger still bouncing around the gym. Kenma decides that he'll ask Kuroo later. 
                          
On the other side of the gym, Hinata is stopped by a curious Kageyama. 
                          
"What's up, Bakayama?"
                          
Ignoring the slight insult, Kageyama replied, "How can you trust me so much? We barely even know each other, yet you jump for every set and just trust that the ball is going to come to you. I don't get it."
                          
"A good friend of mine once said to me, 'as long as I'm here, you're invincible.' Volleyball isn't a sport where one person can do all the spiking, receiving, serving, and setting, there are six people on a team and if you don't trust them, then what's the point." Hinata paused for what seemed like minutes, "Kageyama, as long as you're here, I'm invincible."
                          
Kageyama's only immediate response was a reddening face. I make her invincible? How on earth can one person have that much trust for someone else? It's a miracle I didn't scare her away, and now she actually trusts me.
                          
After a while, Kageyama silently pulls Hinata into a hug. At first, she's stiff and uncertain but, after a moment she relaxes into it and wraps her arms around his back. Suga watches this out of the corner of his eyes and grabs the first phone he sees to take pictures and text them to himself. 
                          
Hinata feels warm against Kageyama's chest. It's not the same kind of heat you feel on a summer day, or in the gym after practice, this warmth was soothing like a thick blanket on a chilly winter evening. 
                          
Once Kageyama stepped back, Hinata asked, "What was that for?" 
                          
"Nothing." Everything.
                          
Hinata decided to accept that answer and ran off to chat with whoever she could find. Kageyama smiled slightly as he watched the personification of sunlight make friends with absolutely everyone. He felt a tinge of jealousy every time she would smile at someone else. He wished he could keep that smile all to himself but, it'd be cruel to leave everyone else in the shadows while he hoarded all the light. Not that he didn't consider it. 
                          
Hinata made him forget about the bad parts of himself. With Hinata by his side, 'The King of the Court' was just a distant memory, and Kageyama was someone completely different. He didn't have to yell at Hinata to make her run faster, or jump higher, or do anything better because she did all those things anyway. She pushed herself to the absolute limit and had faith that everyone on her team was doing the same too. Kageyama might never understand how someone was capable of so much determination and drive. Hinata was the first person he'd met that loves volleyball as much as, if not more than, him. Hinata Shoyo added a light to his life that he didn't even realize he needed. 
                          
When he would smile and blush, he had no idea what was happening or what he was feeling, he just knew that he didn't want that feeling to stop. It was new and exciting and warm. He was really happy to have Hinata as a teammate and as a friend, no matter how stubborn he was when she initially wanted to join the team.
                          
1281 Words
                          
A/N Thank you all so much for reading! I really appreciate the comments and votes on the previous chapters. Also, I'm feeling iffy on the titles but I want the prefix "re" to be in each of them. Let me know if you have any better ideas for each chapter! 
                          
Let me know if you have any ideas for what could be in this story. I have a general storyline but I still need some more. Any ideas will be credited if I use them of course.