Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

Summary: Sometimes one good impression is all you really need.

Pairing: Iwaizumi/Kagome

Suggested Listening: Beautiful Now by Zedd (Feat. Jon Bellion)

Chances, Chances

Chapter One: Stroke of Luck

Iwaizumi growled beneath his breath. He swore that as soon as he found Oikawa that he'd beat him senseless. This was the third time today he'd disappeared from the team. Probably to flirt with a few of the other school's girls but he'd long since lost his patience to care. His friend was losing sight of what was important. If they were going to eventually win against Shiratorizawa, then they'd have to be prepared for anything. Fucking off in the hallway wasn't going to do them any favors. A weight suddenly collided into his shoulder. His irritation spilled over into a dark expression. He was not in the mood to be dealing with shit like this.

"Oh sorry, I wasn't paying attention." A girl around his age apologized. She barely came to his shoulders, standing nose to chest with him. He relaxed his stance somewhat. No matter how frustrated he was he wouldn't take it out on an innocent girl. He'd just save his anger for Oikawa later.

"It's not a problem," Iwaizumi shrugged. His eyes slid to her uniform. She was in the signature reds of Nekoma. He quirked a brow in curiosity. What was she doing here? This was an entirely different prefecture.

"Oh, if you don't mind." Her hand caught his arm gently. "Do you think you could tell me where to find Karasuno's section? I got a bit lost and I have a friend waiting for me there." She followed it up with a bright grin. He felt his face heat. Most girls were terrified of approaching him. Apparently he gave off 'dangerous' vibes that warded a good many away. It wasn't that he hadn't dated before but there was always an edge of shyness. This girl didn't seem the least bit put off.

Iwaizumi pointed behind him, "Their stands are back that way. I'd walk you there but I have to grab our setter."

She laughed, "Oh I think I know who you mean. That guy surrounded by all the fan girls, right?" She gestured towards the hall a short distance away. "I just came from there. He was pretty caught up by their attention." Then she blinked, "Oh that's right you're from Aoba Johsai, correct?"

He nodded once.

"That's great! I'll get to see you guys play next. Sorry I can't cheer for you but good luck!" She grinned again.

The young man slipped his hands into his pockets. His stance relaxed as his expression lightened a bit, "Don't worry. We'll still take that victory. I'm Iwaizumi Hajime, Seijoh's Ace."

"Higurashi Kagome. Currently I'm Nekoma's manager but my friend is training to be the manager of Karasuno." There was that smile again. It suited her pretty well. "I came here for moral support." Her eyes dropped to her watch. "Oh crap, I'm late! Nice to meet you Iwa-kun!" He quirked his brow at the sudden nickname. "Good luck!" With that she took off in a flurry of black and red. Nekoma's manager, huh? That was news to him.

His back stiffened as the last part of her words hit him. They were going up against Karasuno next! He had to hurry! With that he took off after his obnoxious friend.

The defeat came as a surprise. It'd been his screw up. He failed to make the point as Seijoh's Ace, now they were shut out of the competition. He sucked a breath between his lips. He wouldn't lose it. Not here, not now. The Ace fell in line with his teammates. They turned to the crowd and offered their gratitude for support. When he rose from the customary bow, he found a familiar face staring back at him empathically. Kagome nodded once in understanding. He'd acted so confident earlier too. Now it'd just bit them in the ass. He looked away shamefully.

The team barely held their disappointment together. Had defeat always tasted this bitter? He couldn't remember the last time it'd stung this badly. Even the loss to Shiratorizawa hadn't hit them this hard. Partly because it'd been expected.

They carried themselves down the hallway and out towards their bus. Only silence awaited them. There were no cheers, no congratulations, nothing.

"Iwa-kun!"

Several eyes snapped to attention. Iwaizumi paused mid step. Iwa-kun? Wait, could it be that girl from earlier? As he turned around, he spotted her again. Her expression was set into one of fierce determination. He partly envied that ferocity she had.

"Next time!" The young woman pointed an index finger towards him. "Next time battle to the top!"

Iwaizumi rubbed the back of his neck. He threw a casual look over his shoulder at his teammates. It was a silent request that they go on without him and they fully understood. Even Oikawa chose to leave him be for the moment—a rare occurrence especially with a girl involved. He waited until the others were out of ear shot.

"Sorry," He couldn't force himself to smile politely. "But there won't be a next time for me." He looked towards the darkening sky above. "I'm a third year and this Spring Tournament was our last chance." He sighed heavily. "Got shut out by Shiratorizawa in the last one as well." His frustration climbed as he recounted his failures.

How was it they always just barely missed each gap? His spikes always just a little too weak. Their serves just a little too off course. Their receives just a little under powered. What could they have done? His fists clenched tightly at his sides. There would be no more games. No more tournaments. This had been their last game.

A hand found itself over his heart. He blinked.

"It's not over." The young woman met his eyes. There wasn't a single flash of doubt. No instant of self consciousness for her proximity to a virtual stranger. "You still have college. Even if you're on a new team with new people, it's not over until you give up." A confident smile broke out across her lips. "For the record, I think you're the better Ace." Her hand dropped away slowly. His face heated inadvertently. Did she just compliment him?

"I'm glad I came Iwa-kun. Even if you guys didn't win I still got the chance to see your spikes in action." She suddenly held her fist up towards him. "Keep that spirit. It'll carry you through the next battle."

Iwaizumi couldn't help it. A small smile broke out over his face. He raised his hand, curled his fingers into a loose fist and gently pushed his knuckles against hers. Somehow, their defeat didn't taste quite as bitter. It still stung, but the ache had dulled somewhat.

"Right." He paused as a question ran through his mind. "I thought you were in the Karasuno section though? How'd you get to our section?"

Kagome, he vaguely remembered her name, grinned widely. "I snuck away at the end. I felt like giving you guys a bit of support in that final set." His face felt warmer. Had he really left that much of an impression?

"Thanks, sorry we didn't get that win." He dropped his hand back into his pocket. What was he supposed to say now? He barely met this girl. He didn't know the first thing about her other than the fact that she was Nekoma's manager. He scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly.

"See you at the next game." With that she turned on her heel. Just as fast as they'd met, she was gone.

Iwaizumi stood still for a moment. Next game, huh? He bit into his cheek. Too bad it wouldn't be on the court. He made his way back to the bus. Oikawa had left the seat beside him open. Through all the lowered heads and tears, their captain kept his composure. His friend dropped his voice so that the others wouldn't hear.

"So who was the girl?" He should've figured. Even the loss wouldn't have deterred him from needling for interesting information.

"Just an acquaintance." Iwaizumi responded easily. It wasn't a lie but it wasn't entirely truthful either.

The setter cast a knowing look at him, "An acquaintance that still has you blushing?" Shit, was he really? He casually looked away in a mild attempt to hide it. "So," Oikawa pressed further. "Did you at least get her number?"

He swallowed thickly, "Shit."

His friend threw an unimpressed glare his way, "You really suck with girls."

"Shut it, Asskawa."

"So crude! I was going to give you a helpful tip on how to contact her again." Oikawa gave an exaggerated shrug of his shoulders. "But I guess you don't want to know."

Iwaizumi threw a sharp glare at him, "Spill. Now." His tone left little room for the setter to argue.

The other teen smirked, "You'll love it."

Iwaizumi tugged on his cap, ensuring to completely cover his face.

"I feel like a stalker." The spiker commented. He didn't like this. Surely there had to be some other way to talk to her.

Oikawa turned his nose up petulantly, "Oh please. It's the best chance you've got." His friend pointed towards him exaggeratedly. "Besides it's not like you can just waltz up to Nekoma and ask around for her. You'd be kicked out for trespassing before you'd even get through the gates!"

The spiker flushed in embarrassment. He might have tried that once and got turned away before he could step foot on school grounds. He hadn't obtained a pass and therefore could not legally enter the school. As much as he hated to admit it, Oikawa was right.

Sure he probably could have gone to Karasuno to track down the friend she agreed to meet, but that'd likely lead to more unwelcome interference. He pulled at his hat a bit more. This seriously felt like stalking.

"I still don't like it. How am I supposed to tell her why I'm here without it being weird?" He shot his friend a withering glare. "You didn't think about that, did you?" Just about any girl would feel creeped out by some random guy following her around. He seriously needed a new strategy. Or a new childhood friend. Whichever was easier, he wasn't picky at this point.

"Oh ye with little faith!" Oikawa grinned, "Just believe in your friend and all will be well!"

A sinking feeling began to develop in his stomach. He didn't like this. Not one bit.

They wandered through the corridors of the stadium. It eclipsed the one they'd played Karasuno in. The structure was massive, geared towards the larger crowds that dwelled in Tokyo. His hands fisted in his pockets. He bit into the inside of his cheek. How was he even supposed to talk to her like this? She'll be busy with Nekoma's game. Not to mention the fact that he couldn't go anywhere near the court. It wasn't like he could casually toss a ball to her feet during practice and use that as an approach. He still cringed when he recalled his teammates doing the same to Karasuno's little blonde manager. That had been a poor move.

"Get your head in gear Iwa-chan!" His friend suddenly cried out. "The game's about to start!" They made their way through the curved hallways. It'd been set up as a large dome complete with fully functional concession stands.

Iwaizumi followed after the enthusiastic setter. His eyes trained on the line of red jerseys on the court. They were fairly close. Just a few rows away from the center to be precise. From this distance he had a clear view of her. Proudly clad in Nekoma reds, she had her hands cupped to her mouth and yelling out words of support. His mind briefly travelled back to his last game. Had she done the same for him back then? There'd been so many voices in the background. He couldn't recall a single moment in which she might've cheered for him. His face heated again.

"Now you look creepy." Oikawa's finger came to rest on his cheek. "Was that a grin or are you plotting to murder someone?"

Iwaizumi didn't hold back. He casually slammed his closed fist down on the setter's head. His friend whined but he chose to ignore it, watching Kagome from across the court.

He felt like such a damn stalker. Following the Nekoma games had been the only way they could chance a second encounter. It'd been Oikawa's idea and so far they'd done it twice before in the last few days. His stomach twisted. He really needed a new game plan that didn't involve his friend's crack pot schemes.

Iwaizumi rested his forearms over the railing. For now he'd just watch. At the end of the game he'd try to catch her again.

A small smile crossed the spiker's lips as she cheered at her team's point. There was simply something about that enthusiasm that was utterly contagious. Iwaizumi settled in, unaware of the group now observing him.

Lev took a quick drink from a proffered bottle of water. He used a towel from his neck to wipe the coat of sweat from his face. Now he might've imagined it but for the third time in their recent games, he'd caught sight of two unfamiliar faces in their stands watching their female manager closely.

He glanced up in the Nekoma section. A few spots away from the center were two people he couldn't recognize. They were dressed in plain clothes with sunglasses and caps; completely blocking their faces from view. His brows furrowed. Now he wasn't a complete idiot. He knew when guys were staring at a girl. Kagome's energy always had a way of attracting some seedy characters. It wouldn't have been the first time they'd have to chase idiots away from her.

They'd just taken both sets and now he had the chance to observe them more closely. They didn't look to be students from their school. They definitely weren't much older than himself though. Could they possibly be from a rival school?

"Nice blocks, Lev!" Kagome approached him with another water in hand. "You're really shaping up!"

He nodded once then pointed towards the crowd, "Do you know those two?" The pair jumped slightly. Their manager hadn't the time to look before they'd rushed out towards the hallway. Now that wasn't suspicious at all.

"Who?" She looked back at him before shrugging off the question. The young woman didn't miss a beat. She went on from player to player, offering congratulations and support.

Kuro quirked a brow at the interaction. His eyes shifted from him, to Kagome before landing the now empty seats.

"Lev, how many times did you see them?" His tone was calm and even—a sure sign of trouble to come.

The taller boy met the captain's gaze, "Three. They usually get spots near the front. They also dress weirdly."

Kenma set his bottle down and joined in their conversation, "They have poor disguises. They're probably doing recon on her." As expected the setter was unperturbed by the new developments. "They usually walk away when we leave though. I don't think they want to approach when she's surrounded by us."

At that moment a collective light bulb went off over the other players heads. Their manager had moved on to discuss break down plans with their sponsor, completely missing the interaction.

Kuro's shoulders squared. His eyes narrowed as he tucked his hands into his pockets, "Yamamoto, you stick by her. Lev and Yaku, you guys are with me." Their wing spiker was quick to dive towards their friend. True to the captain's orders, he didn't part with her for an instant.

"So we get to do the thing?!" Lev grinned excitedly.

Kuro smirked in response, "That's right, kid. We get to do the thing." With that the trio stalked off the court in search of the suspicious stalkers.

"You dumbass!" Iwaizumi roughly shook Oikawa in frustration. "Because you ran we ended up looking like creepers!" He gave his shoulders another hard shake. The setter's head bobbed to and fro from the force. "Why did you do that?!"

His friend gave a nervous laugh, "Do you have any idea how crazy those kind of guys are over their girl managers? We couldn't get caught like that!"

Iwaizumi removed his glasses and cap. Screw it all! If he was going to go this far in trying to talk to her, then he was going to do it his way! No more disguises. No more stalking. He'd just have to find her friend to ask for her number. Why'd he ever let Oikawa talk him into this crazy idea he'd never know.

"Argh!" He could no longer make legible sentences.

"Use your words, Iwa-chan." The setter teased.

He made a grab at him but found a trio of shadows being cast from somewhere beyond his shoulder. Iwaizumi stiffened, pivoting on his heel to face the wall of players behind him. It was Nekoma. More specifically their Captain, Libero and tallest Middle Blocker. His body grew taut. He knew it. This had been a horrible idea.

"So," Kuro drawled confidently, "Mind giving us your name? I don't think I've seen you around."

He didn't like the look of these odds. He knew that these guys had picked up on their not-so-subtle stalking and were just trying to keep their manager safe. Oikawa's idiotic antics had only raised their suspicions. Iwaizumi straightened his shoulders. There was only one way to sort this out. He opened his mouth.

"Who we are doesn't concern you." His friend oh-so-wisely piped up.

"Shut your mouth, you damn idiot!" Iwaizumi shot back. He fought the urge to kick him. The spiker turned his attention back to the males in front of him. "I'm Iwaizumi Hajime, third year wing spiker of Aoba Johsai. This idiot," He knocked his friend's hat from his head in one swift motion. "Is Oikawa Toru, third year setter from Aoba Johsai as well."

Kuro surveyed them cautiously. He crossed his arms over his chest, a smirk spreading across his lips.

"Oh? You're a long way from Miyagi." His tone lowered, "Mind explaining what you want from our manager?"

Iwaizumi wasn't surprised by the sudden confrontation. It'd been expected given Oikawa's split second decision to run. He cleared his throat. Now this would be a tough one to tackle. He wracked his brain for a second, attempting to come up with a good explanation.

"We met at our last game," He settled on the truth. "She said something to me and I just wanted to thank her." He met the captain's gaze. "This dumbass here was the one to come up with the idiotic idea to look for her here." Admittedly, he was throwing Oikawa under the bus. Still he pressed forward, "Would that be possible?" It'd be better to tread lightly where other players were concerned. Just as he'd stated before, these recent teams were absolutely crazy over their female managers. It likely wouldn't be any different for the guys on Nekoma.

"You're so cruel, Iwa-chan! I help you and this is how you show me thanks?!" Oikawa turned his back to them petulantly. "See if I help you out again!" His antics were thoroughly ignored by the others.

Kuro scratched at his chin as if in thought.

"Didn't she go to Karasuno's game a week ago?" Yaku questioned out loud. "I think she wanted to visit with Yachi."

Lev began to grin, "So you go to hear one of our manager's famous speeches, huh? It's no wonder you've been following after her like a lost puppy."

Iwaizumi scratched at the back of his neck. What was he supposed to do? Deny it? These guys had read him like an open book. Which begged the question, was this a common occurrence for her? Somehow the idea that she'd give some other player similar advice left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Access denied." Kuro smirked confidently. "It's convenient that you 'met' her at the Karasuno game. But how do we know you're even telling the truth?" The taller male circled him predatorily. "You could've just thought she was cute from the crowd, recognized her uniform and decided to chase after her here. It wouldn't be the first time."

Somehow that idea settled with him worse than the first one. Just how common was something like this?

"How rude!" Oikawa suddenly jumped in. Iwaizumi tried to shoot him a warning glare to be silent to no avail. His friend's mouth kept shooting off. "Iwa-chan only has the purest intentions! He'd never stoop so low!"

"Shut it, Asskawa. You're making things worse." He kept his hands in his pockets. He wasn't about to start a fight in a different prefecture. As annoying as this whole situation was, he couldn't blame Nekoma for their harsh antics. They were just doing their job in keeping her safe.

"What are you idiots doing? Come on we have to get going!" The group paused as Kagome's voice suddenly carried over them. Yamamoto was eagerly attempting to draw her away from the confrontation without any luck.

Iwaizumi froze the second her eyes landed on him. How would she react?

"Iwa-kun!" A grin broke out across her expression. The trio paused mid interrogation. "I'm surprised you made it out here okay!" She pushed past her teammates casually. "You didn't have too much trouble, did you?"

His stances relaxed, "Not really. We've been keeping track of the games recently." She came to a stop in front of him. Was it just his imagination or did her smile get a bit brighter? A small one tugged at his lips.

"You know this guy?" Yaku pointed towards him dubiously. Their Libero might've been short but he had quite the temper. Out of all of them, he'd likely be the first to engage in a fight if it meant protecting someone.

Kagome nodded, "Yeah, I invited him. Oh here, I forgot to give this to you last time." She slipped something into his palm quickly. He curled his fingers around it before the others could see. It was some sort of paper. His face suddenly flushed, could it be her number?

"Sorry I can't stick around though. Still, it's good to see you Iwa-kun!" She turned her attention back to her teammates. "Alright you trouble makers. Let's go home!"

Iwaizumi and Oikawa watched as the group slowly walked away from them. Kuro threw on last glance over his shoulder at them. They were going to be difficult to get past. He uncurled his fingers to look at the note more closely. As expected, it was her number. Which begged the question. Should he call her tonight?

His friend peered over his shoulder, "Congrats, you're finally become a man." That time Iwaizumi did kick him.