Chapter Text
Hanamaki sighed contently as he watched the way the leaves on the trees fly and flutter out the window. He could feel the breeze come softly into the classroom, his teacher was rambling about osmosis, but he wasn’t really listening.
He turns his head to the right, sitting on the opposite side of the classroom was Matsukawa Issei. His bestfriend, who had gotten moved on the second day of class because they wouldn’t stop talking.
All his life, Hanamaki never had a best friend, he had friends of course, but he was never a first option, they all had their own.
Oikawa and Iwaizumi has had him at their feet since primary school. They have always been close, but Hanamaki always knew what they had was more special than your normal type of friendship. Until they met Matsukawa on the first day of high school.
The three of them had practically ran to the volleyball club, Oikawa and Iwaizumi were more practiced than Hanamaki was, as they have been playing since they were five. Hanamaki only started a year or two ago, so he wasn’t the best.
Oikawa beamed, “I can’t wait. I’m going to make this school see someone they never had before, and take down Ushiwaka!”
Iwaizumi scoffed, tired of hearing him challenging Ushiwaka when he wasn’t there, Hanamaki giggled and said some sly comment, and then suddenly felt something barge into him.
“Ah, shit, sorry dude, I wasn’t looking where i was going.” A deep voice started, panicked.
The three of them looked at this mystery voice and saw a tall, lanky black headed boy, supposedly their age. He had gorgeous curly hair, Hanamaki thought.
“No you’re good, don’t worry man.”
The lanky boy smiled at him, “My names Matsukawa Issei, you guys?”
“Hanamaki Takahiro.”
“Oikawa Tooru!”
“Iwaizumi Hajime.”
“Shit, you guys played for Kitagawa Daiichi, right?”
The two boys nodded, Oikawa more enthusiastically. He loved getting noticed.
Hanamaki’s shoulders slumped, he decided Matsukawa would join Tooru and Iwa, and just leave him hanging. No one knew Hanamaki, only those two so why would he care about him?
Obviously, he was wrong.
The four walked into practice together, and Matsukawa was beside Hanamaki for basically all of it. Play fighting, making snide comments, the boys got along more than Hanamaki thought they would.
“Hanamaki!”, The sound of his teacher brought him back to the real world.
“..Yeah?”
“Hanamaki, I called on you three times and you just stared at the window. Are tree’s more important than your exams?”
“No, sorry Sensei.”
The teacher sighed and continued rambling on, forgetting what he was questioning Hanamaki.
Hanamaki heard a muffled chuckle from the other side of the room and wiped his head around to find Matsukawa staring at him with tears in his eyes.
“Matsukawa, what are you laughing at?”
“Nothing.. heh.. sir.” He tried to hide his laughter, but failed, causing Hanamaki to burst out laughing.
“Since this is so funny to you two, would a detention after school tomorrow be funny?”
The two immediately shut up, and sat up straight.
“That’s what I thought. One more peep out of any of you, and you’re both getting detentions.”
The two glanced at eachother and smirked, trying to contain their laughter.
For the past 3 years since they’ve known eachother, it’s been pretty obvious Hanamaki felt different about him compared to anyone else he’s ever met. Even to Oikawa and Iwaizumi, he knows him and Matsukawa have a different bond than the three have ever had. Hanamaki always knew he was.. special.
He felt different, acted different in a lot of ways compared to everyone. His parents believed it was just his neurodivergent brain, but it’s not just that.
The way he feels about Matsukawa is.. special. He never knew what it was, but he cherished Matsukawa since the day he saw him. Oikawa soon pointed it out to him, a year after the four became a group.
They were walking home together, Iwaizumi not there as he was in his home country, the Philippines visiting his ill grandmother.
“Makki, you feel different about Matsukawa, right?”
Hanamaki looked at him as if he had two heads.
“I’m gonna take that as a yes. The bond you have is similar to me and Iwa’s. I’m only asking because the way I feel towards Iwa is.. different, too. But I know why. Do you know why, Makki?”
Hanamaki shook his head, “What the hell are you talking about, Tooru?”
“Makki. I’m gay.”
“Yeah, I know dude, it’s obvious the way you and Iwa go on.”
Oikawa looked at him blankly.
Oh.
Oh.
Hanamaki stopped dead in his tracks.
“You seriously never realised? I was trying to get it out of you so you know it’s a safe space, I knew since he nearly made you go flying that day but never knew why you didn’t tell me or Iwa.”
Makki blushed, he didn’t know what to do or say. He can’t be gay.. right? Not that he thought there was anything negative about it, but did he really have a crush on Matsukawa?
But it all made sense. All of it.
“I didn’t really.. think about it. I just thought since i’m autistic I care about him more than anyone because he’s my best friend, and that’s how Iwaizumi is with you.”
“Makki. Me and Iwa are dating—“
“What?” Hanamaki basically yelled, throwing his arm out, “Since when?”
“Since two months ago.. how did you not know?”
“You never once told me or Mattsun this piece of information. Ever.”
“Yes we did dude. You were probably day dreaming about what Mattsun was having for dinner that night.”
“Okay, thanks.”
The two jump, as they hear loud stomping, running footsteps behind them, Tooru yells and they whip around.
“Mattsun?!” They yell out, holding their chests.
Matsukawa bursts into a fit of laughter, while also trying to catch his breath. Hanamaki hits him on the head.
“Fuck is wrong with you dude, don’t scare us like that!”
“Hah.. sorry.. hah..”
He regains his breath, still laughing. “Can I not hang out with my best buddies?”
Oikawa scoffed, “Not when you scare us like that!”
Mattsun grinned, “aw, did little ‘kawa get scared? Did you poop ur pants?” He cooed.
“Ew! Don’t talk like that..you’re disgusting. Stop laughing Makki! He scared you too!”
None of them questioned why Mattsun had ran in their direction, when the Matsukawa household was a 20 minute walk in the other direction. Instead, they decided to go to Oikawa’s home.
“I’m home! Makki and Mattsun are here.” He called out, but received no answer.
“Are they home?”
“Well Mattsun, seeing as Oikawa got completely ignored, and there was no car out front, I’d say there aren’t.” Makki sneered, giving him a push as he took off his shoes. Mattsun grunted a ‘shutup’, and the three went enroute to Oikawas room.
That day was the happiest Makki ever was, he thought. He feels bad, because Iwaizumi was not there, but it was only the happiest because Matsukawa was cuddled up next to him the whole time.
Back in the present, biology was over and the guys finally got to leave. They met with Iwaizumi and Oikawa as since it was friday, they’re going into town. They usually go downtown after practice, however it wasn’t on today as coach was ill.
Oikawa was ranting about how stupid it is that when coach is ill, practice gets cancelled, but whenever he was “on his death bed” he could do it fine. Iwaizumi was giving off, but Hanamaki wasn’t listening, he was busy staring at Matsukawa’s gorgeous features.
His long, straight nose, the way his jawline sharpens and his bushy, incredibly bushy eyebrows. They all take the piss out of him for it, but in reality, Hanamaki loves them. It’s probably his favourite feature of Matsukawa’s, he thinks.
“What are you staring at? Do i have something on my face?” Matsukawa begins feeling his face, his voice bringing Hanamaki back to life, staring at his long, skinny fingers.
“Uh..”
They stare at eachother for a second, then Matsukawa gets distracted by the ice cream van.
“Guys, omg, guys, can we get ice cream?”
“Did you seriously just say omg? Just say oh my god bro..”
“Got a problem iwa-chan? I always abbreviate my words in real life btw.”
“Stop that, you sound stupid.”
“I guess bro. Anyway, imma get ice cream, you want cookies and cream, Makki?”
Makki frantically nods his head, and they go skipping towards the van, Oikawa joining them and Iwaizumi slowly trailing behind.