The next morning came too quickly for Hinata, the young decoy waking to the sounds of merciless teasing and angry denials.

He frowned to himself as consciousness slowly won, making him slowly open his eyes. When his vision cleared, Hinata was confused and a little terrified to find that he was the focus of several sets of eyes.

"Ummm…..?" Hinata looked up at his teammates, who were crowded around him. Several of them wore smirks –see Tsuki, Noya and Tanaka- while the others had expressions he couldn't decipher. He glanced at the futon next to his and found Kageyama sitting cross legged. He tried to ask him with his eyes what exactly was going on, but the setter seemed flustered about… something, his cheeks the colour of a tomato and lips pulled down into a scowl.

"So, Hinata~" Tanaka trilled suddenly.

"How'd you sleep~?" Noya finished.

"G-good…?"

"That's good to hear. You need your rest after all." Tanaka nodded wisely.

"R-right…." Hinata nodded, still looking adorably confused.

Tsuki snickered at the orangette. "So… is there something the two of you need to tell us?" He gestured between Hinata and Kageyama.

"What…? What're you talking about?" If he got any more confused, Hinata was sure he'd get a headache.

"You sure? I mean, you seem pretty… attached."

Hinata looked at Kageyama in confusion. Only then did his mind register that his hand was…warm. He looked down to see their hands entwined in the space between their futons. The setter had tried valiantly to free his hand earlier, but had been unable to escape the sleeping decoys vice-like grip. It was a mystery to them all how Hinata had slept through it.

Hinata's face went bright red and he pulled his hand away quickly. "I-it's not what you think! I was... I just…" the decoy sputtered desperately.

"I told you guys! Hinata's afraid of needles, so I was comforting him!" Kageyama growled, cheeks the same shade as Hinata's.

"Y-yeah! What he said!"

Several of them laughed at the blushing duo before the doors opened. "Alright guys" Ukai entered "Oh, Hinata you're up." He said when he saw the decoy sitting up in his futon. "Good, Takeda-Sensei has to take you back to the hospital for your follow up."

"Right," Hinata nodded a bit.

"The rest of you, get dressed and head to the gym."

Kageyama stood. "I'll come."

Ukai looked at the setter. "You really shouldn't miss more practice, Kageyama."

"The check up won't take long. I can join once we're back."

"Kageyama…" Hinata shook his head at his partner once he had his attention. "Stay here and practice. After all, you've gotta play for both of us while I'm gone!" he told him with a grin.

The dark haired teen frowned a bit but then nodded. "Right."

Hinata grinned at him and got up. Everyone set to work getting ready, only Hinata not putting on a jersey. He was visibly upset as he pulled on regular clothes, but the team cheered him up by promising that they'd all play extra for him.

By the time Takeda sensei came to collect him, the team was heading to the gym.

"Ready to go, Hinata?"

The teen nodded and they headed out.

XXXXXXX

Entering a gym echoing with the sounds of volleyball should've put a smile on Hinata's face, but it didn't. Not today at least.

Hinata sighed dejectedly as he followed Takeda-sensei over to the bench where he could see Coach Ukai sitting.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Ukai greeted when he saw them. The look on Hinata's face didn't bode well, but he was hopeful.

"The secondary tests all came back clean, so the concussion and bruising is the worst of it. The doctor prescribed some pain meds for when Hinata's head hurts him." Takeda explained.

"Well that's good at least. So, what's the catch?" There was definitely more to it, to have their usually bright and sunny decoy looking so down.

"The doctor also prescribed three weeks of light duties. Hinata isn't supposed to partake in any rigorous activity, with a particular –and very deliberate- emphasis on volleyball."

Ukai sucked his front teeth in frustration and then sighed. "Sorry, Hinata, I won't go against the doctors' orders."

The orangette's shoulders drooped and he gave a sad nod.

"Hey, Hinata's back!" Tanaka had spotted him. They'd just finished a set in their mixed team game and were trading sides on the court.

The bald spiker's announcement caught everyone's attention and they all headed over to the bench.

"How are you feeling?" Someone asked as they gathered around.

"I'm fine" Hinata told them, looking around at the mix of Karasuno and Nekoma players. They were all wearing either red or blue vests, indicating their team.

The coach's had decided it'd be fun to mix up their members a bit, give everyone the chance to work with different players. They thought it'd be a fun way for the boys to learn new tricks and techniques from each other.

Hinata had been so excited for it, so seeing them all there made his mood even worse.

"So… when can you come back and play…?" Sugawara was the one to ask, everyone waiting anxiously for the orangette's answer.

"Three weeks" he murmured.

Kageyama looked like he'd been hit in the gut with a sledge hammer. "Three weeks?!" The setter looked at Takeda-sensei for confirmation and nearly died when the teacher nodded.

Sounds of shock and disbelief spread through the gaggle of high school students as they processed the fact that Hinata – energetic volleyball idiot Hinata- wouldn't be able to play for three weeks.

Suga, ever the mom friend, did his best to soothe the miserable decoy, rubbing his back and assuring him that the three weeks would fly by.

"You'll be back on the court before you know it!" He told him, hoping to inspire some sort of positivity.

"Yeah, Suga's right!" It was Noya who stepped up to aid the silver haired setter. "I mean, three weeks sucks, but hey! Imagine how much you can do for the team! You can look up the other teams we might be against!"

Tanaka nodded eagerly and took the torch next. "You can be totally cool and do some reconnaissance and then tell us what you seen!"

Everyone seemed to jump on board, offering ideas and encouragement for how Hinata can still be an active team member without being on the court. Some of the ideas were outrageous and downright peaXbrained, but Hinata was smiling again, and that's all that mattered.

Kenma smiled a little to himself as the combined efforts of his team and the Karasuno team brought back that infectious smile.

"I have some movies you can borrow, Shoyo. They're about volleyball, and you can learn some pretty cool techniques that you can teach the rest of the team." Everyone looked at Kenma and he was surprised his voice was even heard over the boisterous crowd.

Hinata looked at him and grinned broadly. "Yeah, that'd be cool! I can be like a coach!"

"Don't you go trying to steal my job, you little punk!" Ukai roared, though it was all in jest.

Tsuki made a snide comment about how Hinata wouldn't be able to coach a little league team, much less their team, and everyone laughed Xthe decoy included.

Kageyama moved closer and took a seat on the bench next to Hinata, crossing his arms. "You'd better work hard! Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're injured!"

"Right!"

"Good! And you're gonna have to do double the amount of practice when you come back, so be prepared!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Hinata saluted and Kageyama rolled his eyes and elbowed the decoy in the side.

More laughter filled the gym, and the last of the tension was washed away.

XXXXXXX

Hinata sighed softly as he watched from the sidelines as the game continued. The others had certainly raised his spirits, but watching from the bench still sucked.

The orangette looked down at the video game system in his hands. Kenma had lent it to him so he'd have something to do during the game and he'd even managed to clear a few levels on the game, but his attention was inevitably pulled to the sound of volleyballs hitting polished wood.

A pair of black volleyball shoes entered his line of vision and he looked up… and up and up and-

"Oh, hi Lev" he greeted, leaning way back and having to crane his neck to see the half-Russian.

The silver haired first year took a few steps back so Hinata could see him properly before bowing low, hands clenched in tight fists.

"I'm sorry! It's my fault you have to sit out for three weeks."

Hinata blinked in surprise, and then started to laugh. Lev's eyes went wide and he looked at the orangette, bewildered.

Once the decoy was done laughing, he looked at the half Russian. "Why are you apologizing? It's not like you were aiming for my face, right?"

"W-well… no…"

"Then that's that. You didn't mean to spike the ball into my face any more than I'd tried to block with it, so don't go apologizing for something like that."

Lev was at a loss for words as he stared at the literal ball of sunshine and happiness, Hinata Shoyo.

Seeing the flabbergasted expression on Lev's face sent Hinata into another fit of laughter, and this time Lev joined in.

"Thank you, Hinata." Lev spoke once they'd finished laughing.

The decoy grinned. "Don't thank me. Just get out there and play enough for the both of us!"

Lev grinned back and nodded. "I will!" He declared, before the lanky middle blocker bowed and headed back out to the court.

Hinata watched him go with a smile. He honestly didn't blame the other. It's true that if it'd been almost any other player who'd spiked the ball, he'd probably still be playing, but that was inconsequential. He would never blame someone for an accident.

XXXXXXX

The training day was finally winding down as everyone was ushered out of the gyms. It was the Karasuno first years' turn to bathe, so Hinata gathered his things and followed Kageyama to the baths.

"Hey, Kageyama…?"

"What?"

"Why… why did you hold my hand last night?" That question had been on his mind all day, and he wanted an answer.

Kageyama looked away. "You… seemed kind of lost… I didn't want you to get scared or anything…" the setter spoke stiffly.

Something fluttered in the decoys chest and he had to look down to hide his blush. "That's… really sweet of you…" he admitted softly.

"I-It's not! It's what team mates do, right?!" The dark haired teen flailed a bit, seeming flustered.

Hinata looked up at him and grinned. "Right," he nodded.

Kageyama gave a firm nod in response and continued their trek to the baths. Hinata took a moment to ponder when they'd even stopped in the first place, but dismissed it.

XXXXXXX

Hinata hummed a cheery little tune as he rinsed the soap off himself then reached for the shampoo. He slathered it between his hands and started to massage it through his hair, but yelped in pain when his hands crossed the back of his head. If it weren't for the fact that he was already sitting on the shower stool, he'd have fallen to his knees.

The other first years were startled, Yamaguchi even jumping at the sound and all eyes turned to him.

"Hinata, are you ok?"Kageyama asked, appearing at his side. He'd just finished washing and had been headed to the bath.

The decoy gave a weak nod as the back of his head throbbed in pain, making him nearly whimper again.

Seeing the semi-lathered hair and the way Hinata's hands were still frozen in said hair, it wasn't hard to deduce what the problem was.

Kageyama sighed in annoyance. "Idiot, of course the back of your head is tender, you smashed it off the floor." He spoke in an exasperated tone as he moved to stand behind his teammate.

"Here, let me" his voice was harsh but his hands were gentle as he pushed Hinata's hands away. He poured fresh shampoo into his palm, before sliding his fingers into the silky orange locks.

Hinata's eyes widened a bit in surprise, but he didn't fight it as Kageyama massaged in the shampoo with surprisingly gentle hands, the setter taking special care when he got to the back of his head.

Tsuki and Yamaguchi shared a look and a snicker as they watched the scene unfold from the bath.

Once he deemed his hair clean, Kageyama leaned over and turned the shower on. "Get under the water," he ordered. The orangette hummed and stepped under the spray without complaint. Deft fingers once again slid through tangerine strands, washing out the soap.

Kageyama turned the water off once he was done and the volleyball duo made their way to the tub, climbing in.

The shit-eating grins on the faces of Tsuki and Yamaguchi were enough to turn both boys red.

"Oh, don't let us stop you." Tsuki taunted.

"Shut up! I was just helping him so he doesn't hurt himself more!"

"Yeah, 'cause my head hurts!"

Tsuki held his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, no need to get so defensive." The salty blonde stood up, Yamaguchi following his example as they climbed out of the tub.

"We'll just leave you two love birds alone," Tsuki said as he and Yamaguchi headed to the changing area.

The duo's protests were drowned out by Yamaguchi's laughter.

"Tch, those two are jerks." Hinata grumbled once their fellow first years were out of sight.

Kageyama scowled and nodded his agreement before looking over at Hinata who sunk further into the water, eyes closed and sighing in contentment.

"How's your head?" he asked after a bit.

"Sore," Hinata sighed. There was no use denying it, especially since it wouldn't get him on the court any sooner.

The darker haired teen nodded, even though the other wouldn't see it and took the chance to study the bruising on Hinata's face. Seeing the dark marks on the usually flawless skin made something tighten in his chest and he forced himself to look away.

XXXXXXX

"Aw man, I'm so tired," Tanaka groaned as he flopped onto his futon.

"Me too," Noya sighed, mirroring his friend.

Suga chuckled a bit at them as he finished setting up his own. "It has been a long day" he acquiesced, glancing over to where Hinata was standing, watching Kageyama set up both of their futons. The decoy had gotten a headache while they were bathing and evidently, it wasn't getting any better.

"Hinata, why don't you ask Takeda- sensei for one of the pills the doctor prescribed you" Daichi suggested, seeing the discomfort on their young team mates face.

"Oh, no it's ok, I'm fine." The blatant lie was obvious to everyone, making several raise their eyes in confusion.

"Why not, idiot?!" Kageyama raged. His tone suggested he'd already had this argument with his partner.

Hinata just bit his lip and Suga decided to intervene before the situation could escalate. "Kageyama, yelling isn't going to help his head," he pointed out before looking at Hinata. "Why don't you want to take the pill? It'll help with your headache."

"The doctor said they'll make me really drowsy…" he finally admitted.

"Well then now is the perfect time to take one then, since we're going to bed." Suga gestured to the futons for emphasis.

"…I guess" the decoy finally caved and nodded.

"Good, now go ask Takeda-sensei to give you one." His tone left no room for argument and the orangette nodded, heading out to find the teacher.

"How do you do that?" Asahi asked once the decoy was gone.

"It's because he's the mom," Tanaka said matter-of-factly. Suga shot him a glare but everyone just laughed.

XXX

Hinata bit his lip as he looked at the deceivingly innocent pill in his palm. It was small and white and sent shivers down his spine.

"Just take it."

He startled and looked over at Kageyama who was sitting up in the futon next to his. The setter looked calm and determined, making Hinata nod nervously. He grabbed the bottle of water Takeda had given him along with the pill and opened it.

It took a few tries, but the pill went down eventually and Hinata stuck his tongue out in disgust.

Satisfied that his partner had taken the pill, Kageyama lay down and pulled his blanket up, Hinata doing the same.

"Good night, everyone." Suga murmured. The team responded in kind and settled in for the night.

No one noticed the way Hinata's hand slithered out from under his blankets, or how Kageyama's hand met it in the middle.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: THIS CHAPTER WAS A PAIN TO WRITE.

More specifically, the scene between Hinata and Lev. It was deleted and rewritten like 7000 (4) times, so I apologize if it sucks or they're OOC. I tried Dx.

Anyways, please review! Reviews feed the plot bunnies. :)