#fukunaga

it starts in the most unholy way possible—at least for nekoma’s boys volleyball team. the gym smells like sweat and determination, the kind that clings to polyester jerseys and squeaky sneakers. they’re warming up, tossing balls back and forth, half-listening to kuroo’s cocky remarks about blocking stats, when the air shifts. not like a breeze—more like a meteor crashing straight through the roof.

you’re standing at the doorway of the gym, hair slightly mussed from your own practice, jersey clinging to your skin in a way that makes more than one nekoma boy look twice before pretending not to. your grip on your bag is casual, like you’re just here to borrow a water bottle. but your eyes are fixed—target locked.

fukunaga’s crouched by the wall, tying his sneakers, headphones still hanging out of his collar like he was just listening to something strange. the rest of the boys are buzzing around like caffeinated hornets—kuroo’s yelling and thinking of random strategies, yamamoto’s flexing while complaining about not having a female manager, lev, yaku collecting some balls, and kenma already distracted by his game.

and you—oh, you—are walking straight up to fukunaga like you’re about to tell him he’s won the lottery.

“you’re fun,” you announce, voice cutting through the gym like a whistle. “we’re dating now.”

it’s so matter-of-fact, so final, that not even kuroo can think of a quip fast enough. yamamoto’s jaw drops. kenma pauses mid-scroll. even coach nekomata looks up, blinking like he’s watching a sitcom live.

fukunaga blinks. just once. then his lips curl into that small, sly smile that most people miss but you don’t. “okay,” he says simply, like you just asked him to pass the ball.

and that’s how it begins.

‎♡‧₊˚✧ ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა ✧˚₊‧♡

from then on, it’s like nekoma’s entire reality tilts a little. fukunaga doesn’t back down, not even once. he doesn’t laugh it off or ask if you’re joking. he just starts acting like he’s already been your boyfriend for months, like he’s been waiting for this exact moment. and the weirdest part? it’s seamless.

after practices, he’s suddenly the one walking you back to your gym. he’s the one offering you his towel like it’s a casual thing, but his fingers linger just a little too long when they brush yours. he’s still quiet, still deadpan, but every glance feels like a secret joke he’s sharing with himself.

and you—you keep being you. loud, direct, unfiltered. you tell him straight up when his hair looks dumb after a scrimmage. you poke his cheek in the hallway because he’s just sitting there eating melon bread like a cat. you sit next to him on the train home and lean your head on his shoulder without warning.

the boys notice, of course. nekoma’s team may be sharp on the court, but gossip-wise? lethal. yamamoto tries to nudge fukunaga about it one day. “so, uh… you and her, huh? when’d that happen?”

fukunaga just gives him a small grin and goes back to tying his shoes. “recently.”

but what yamamoto can’t see—and only you catch—is how fukunaga’s knee is bouncing under the bench. like he’s burning with something and the only thing keeping him steady is you sitting close enough to brush his arm.

‎♡‧₊˚✧ ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა ✧˚₊‧♡

he starts showing up in little ways. you mention in passing that you like a certain canned coffee brand? next week, it’s already in your locker. your hair tie snaps during practice? one appears in his pocket like he was expecting it. you tell him you’re tired and want to skip the train? his bike’s already waiting outside the gym.

he never says it outright. he doesn’t need to. his actions are louder than his voice, and they wrap around you like a quiet net. there’s something intense under it—something deeper than just a guy with a crush. his eyes track you at practice like he’s learning your rhythm, like your heartbeat is just another thing he wants to memorize.

and when you tease him—oh, when you tease him—it’s like pouring gasoline on an already sparking match. you call him “my quiet guy” in front of kuroo. you tell him “i like your face” while poking at his cheeks. you press your palm to his neck while he’s sitting on the bench and his entire body stiffens, but his expression stays the same except for the faintest twitch of his mouth.

‎♡‧₊˚✧ ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა ✧˚₊‧♡

there’s one afternoon when it really hits him. the boys have finished practice, sweat dripping down, and you’re sitting cross-legged on the floor, scrolling through your phone. your hair’s a little damp, your face glowing with post-practice flush. he walks over, towel draped around his neck, and you look up at him like it’s the most normal thing in the world.

“you good?” you ask.

he just nods. but in his head, something’s shifting. like a tectonic plate breaking. because the way you look at him—completely open, not even realizing how tightly you’re pulling him into your orbit—is undoing him from the inside out.

he crouches down so he’s eye-level with you, and for a split second, he thinks about how easy it would be to just… lean in. to close the space between you. he doesn’t, though. he waits. because if he takes, he wants it to be because you gave.

“yeah,” he finally says. “just tired.”

you grin. “wanna share my water?”

he takes it. drinks from the same straw without a word. and for him, it’s like a confession he’s not allowed to make out loud yet.

‎♡‧₊˚✧ ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა ✧˚₊‧♡

people start whispering about the two of you in the hallways. “she just claimed him?” “fukunaga? that quiet guy?” “he’s basically her puppy now.”

he doesn’t care. if anything, he likes it. the rumors are like background noise compared to the sound of you laughing at his dry jokes, compared to the weight of your hand sneaking into his hoodie pocket when no one’s looking.

and you—god, you’re making it worse without realizing it. one time, you show up at his practice and sit on the bleachers, wearing his jacket like it’s yours. another time, you call him “my boyfriend” in front of your team and watch his ears go pink even though his expression stays neutral.

the thing about fukunaga is that his devotion isn’t loud. it’s quiet, steady, unshakeable. but it’s also sharp. the kind of thing that could cut if anyone tried to pry it away. he’s not the type to make a scene, but his eyes? they’re a warning label.

‎♡‧₊˚✧ ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა ✧˚₊‧♡

there’s a moment—late evening, empty gym—where you’re both alone. you’ve just finished cleaning up stray balls. he’s sitting against the wall, scrolling through his phone, and you flop down beside him with a dramatic groan.

“i’m dying,” you announce.

“no you’re not,” he says, handing you a bottle of water.

you take it, chug, then lean your head on his shoulder. “you’re comfy.”

he freezes for a second. then, slowly, his head tilts until it rests against yours.

“good,” he says quietly.

and it’s not fireworks, not a confession, not a kiss. but it’s something heavier. something that sinks under your skin.

‎♡‧₊˚✧ ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა ✧˚₊‧♡

fukunaga starts thinking about you constantly. not in a soft crush way, but like you’re threaded into his pulse. he starts timing his days around when he’ll see you. he starts replaying your words in his head when he’s trying to fall asleep.

you’re not just a girl who declared “we’re dating now.” you’re the girl who held out her hand and said mine—and he’s not sure if you even realize how serious you were when you said it.

he’s already yours. all the way down.

and for someone as quiet as fukunaga shōhei, that’s louder than any shout in the gym.

‎♡‧₊˚✧ ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა ✧˚₊‧♡

and maybe that’s why, when kuroo teases him one day—“yo, fukunaga, she’s got you wrapped around her finger, huh?”—he doesn’t deny it. doesn’t joke back.

he just smirks. and under his breath, so soft only he can hear it, he murmurs, “yeah. and i like it that way.”

‎♡‧₊˚✧ ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა ✧˚₊‧♡

‎♡‧₊˚✧ ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა ✧˚₊‧♡

a: FUKUNAGA MY MAN 😝

© showhay — don’t copy nor translate without my permission. i do not own any of the photos that i have used. credits to all the rightful owners. (˶ˆᗜˆ˵)

Kuroo has always had an eye for you, believe it or not. He is a logical person, even underneath all that mischief and wild flair. He had a way with words and an even better way with figuring people out. So it's no wonder he would attempt to talk to the new person who suddenly appeared at Nekoma one day. Even less surprising was him falling face first when talking to you.

All you did was help him when his school supplies got trashed from a particular nasty fall he took early in your time at Nekoma, and that was it for him. He was stuck to you like a parasite despite the different classes and year. He was hooked.

He was a logical person until he wasn't. Such as when Kenma oversleeps on purpose to avoid playing games, or when Yaku gets on his nerves for the nth time that day. He was logical with certain people, and perhaps a bit of a menace with others. He isn't really sure where you fit in his us vs them mentality and he isn't sure if he wants to find out. Not when you glance at him while walking through the hallway that sends a chill up his spine, or when your arms or legs brush together when you are studying together that has him shoving his head into his pillows at night, or even that one time when you had shoved him and you into a locker that was much too small for both of you so you could avoid the girls on the volleyball team. Yeah. Perhaps it's better if he doesn't figure you out just yet.

And it wasn't long till he began bringing up the idea of manager, even more so since you got kicked off the girl's volleyball team.

So now you are being introduced to the team as Kuroo practically vibrates with joy because his favorite people are coming together for something he loves.

And it's not long till Yamamoto tries to approach you. Despite his rather intimidating demeanor, he is a sweetheart and a bunch of nerves at heart. He could only keep his eyes off the ground when talking to you once and so you simply gave him the space he needed. He was obviously overwhelmed and somehow, this was all he needed to have confirmation with himself that he liked you.

Just like the Humpty Dumpty duo at Karasuno, he can be a bit overbearing at times. You can't seem to exactly shake him off even when he is practically dying on the floor.

You need to refill the water bottles? He can help if you let him! You need to help plan the team schedule? He has the entire night! You need to pick up some groceries? He's already got it!

You know who is just like Yamamoto but x10? Lev. He is such a sweetheart but goodness gracious sometimes he needs to take a step back otherwise he will take all your personal space.

He first approached you about a week after you joining the team and it was because he almost fell onto you while trying to get his water bottle. He had apologized, of course, but not without taking note of how nice it felt to hug you.

Lev, as you learn later, has always been the affectionate sort and it grew from his older sister, Alisa, who would constantly dote on him. You met her much later during nationals, which you had attempted Lev to try and set her up with you but it resulted in absolutely dreaded failure because Lev immediately passed out upon the request and Kuroo, upon hearing said request, attempted to take Alisa's place.

Lev, as he later learns, is that he developed much more than a stupid puppy crush. He isn't sure exactly when it started. Maybe when he first met you and how he almost crushed you under himself, or maybe a bit later on when you two accidentally got locked inside the gym because you were practicing late together, so you two talked until dawn. It could've even been the instance when you taught him how to do a floater serve and he clearly remembers how your hands held his and your body up against his back as you focused on the ball instead of his red face.

It was from then on you didn't escape practice without Lev trying to glomp you at least once, and you aren't entirely sure if you hate it or not.

Someone who does hate it would be Yaku, who can't seem to stop yelling at Lev each time he goes rushing to you for help with his spikes and receives.

The first time Yaku interacted with you was a little after Lev did, with Yaku scolding the boy for trying to "run you over" (you could probably tackle and eat Lev alive if you really wanted to but you didn't mention it).

Yaku has told you that you are too soft on the boy and he needs more discipline if he wants to be good, but you honestly don't have the heart to be as mean to him as you would be with actual teammates.

Yaku, quite frankly, finds it infuriating how soft you are with Lev, and the team in general, but he won't say anything about it if it means that he gets to call you in the middle of the night after a particularly rough practice to hangout. If it means he gets to see you look at him with such a soft smile on your face that he seldom sees during school, he is more than willing to let it slide.

And if you two accidentally get trapped in the storage room one day, it isn't exactly his fault if you two decide to use each other as warmth until they unlock the door. His face was red anyway, he's sure that you won't think twice about it.

Fukunaga on the other hand, is someone who probably over thinks every single little thing you do in relation to him.

It was around the time you met Inouka that you met him. You were helping Inouka with rounding up the stray balls when you had responded to one of Inouka's questions about your volleyball skills with a joke (as you often do because why go into detail about how often you had beef with your own teammates?!). It was then that Fukunaga had fired a quip back and turned the question once more onto you had you two finally learned of each other's existence.

Perhaps it's why you two are so aware of every little thing either of you say.

You said hi to him, does that mean anything? Oh you helped him with his serves, that must mean something right?

However, just because he is prone to overthinking (just as you are with him) doesn't mean it's his whole character. More often than not he is trying to come up with jokes for you and is probably the one you talk with the most if Kuroo wouldn't constantly stalk (he doesn't actually and he swears by this but Yaku and Kenma find it funny as it is something to hold over his head) you.

It's odd to say the least. He is usually the most detached of all the people in Nekoma's team and yet despite this, you find yourself absorbed in conversation after conversation with him. It was a matter of time till he started looking for you in every single room, unconsciously or not.

Liking someone is a foreign concept, especially in the way Fukunaga sees you and so you can't blame him when his jokes slowly turn to pick up lines every so often or he replies to your quips with compliments to throw you off. It's not like you can blame him either when he decides to try and plan your conversations ahead of time so he can catch you at every single front. Perhaps even get you flustered in the same way you do to him he so often finds.

Someone who doesn't show his emotions, however, is Kenma, who you've never really gotten a good read on.

He was perhaps one of the last ones that you had truly met before things kicked off with the team.

You'll admit, the way you met him wasn't the best. It was after practice and it was particularly stormy that night. You had an umbrella but a certain somebody didn't.

Kuroo, bless his heart, had left earlier before the storm came full blast to get something back home, and so Kenma was planning to walk through the rain until you offered him your umbrella.

You had more than once ran through the rain because of practice running late and so you thought nothing of it, but instead of him going with it, he simply took it and glued next to your side until you got home yourself.

It was an awkward walk as you stood shoulder to shoulder, and even more awkward when you got home as he bid you goodnight like some boyfriend and walked home; umbrella still in hand.

It was a Friday and so you did not see him or your umbrella until Monday, and so when he gave it back during class it was quite the sight. Yet, he did not seem fazed from all the stares and whispers. Not a bit.

You don't think you'll ever be able to read his expressions.

Him on the other hand, finds you quite the enigma. You were known as some wild dog since you had attacked three of the members on the volleyball team at Nekoma your very first day, and yet had acted so kindly, if not reserved, as a manager.

Even more so when he saw the way some other members looked or spoke of you.

He caught on quickly with the other's feelings for you, and he wasn't sure you'd ever come to realize, but that's okay. It's perfectly fine if it means he can take you to the rooftop to hangout without any pressure of another. The moment he perhaps truly fell head over heels, however, was during their summer camp that Karasuno was invited to. You had met Shoyo and hit it off, and he, somehow, was able to convince you to teach him how to serve. Something perhaps all of Karasuno + Kenma knew how bad Shoyo was at it.

It was then he fell, he thinks. To see someone so straight laced and aggressive during school hours willingly help someone with a smile on their face? Yeah. He fell hard.

And he struggles to show this to you and not others, especially considering how Kuroo has attached himself at your hip and Lev at your arm. Especially considering how Yaku always tries to find time to hang out with you and Fukunaga talks to you all the time. It infuriates him to no end but yet you still have patience for him even after all that socializing. You still have time to watch as he beats a level you were stuck on. You still have time to get him that game he has been looking at and for once, he doesn't mind the company.

Fukunaga bent down to jump off the small stage and walk over to you, but his eyes were locked on the empty seat beside you, and he held out his hand as if for a handshake. “I’ve never seen such realistic ghosting, man. Good job!” he joked, suddenly coming to a stop and looking at you when no one grabbed his hand. “He’s not very polite.”

You chuckled under your breath, somewhat bitterly. “He didn’t come.”

“Leave him! Dump him!!” came from the crowd, several women stepping up to have your back. Fukunaga’s reaction resembled a scared cat for a second before he laughed and waved his free hand as he walked back on stage.

“Hey, I’m the one giving advice!” he scolded jokingly before looking at you. He took a deep breath and shook his head. “My instinct is saying you should dump him and leave him.“ Some people laughed as he seemed to have taken their advice for his own.

You looked down, twiddling your thumbs. “He’s not that bad.”

“Exactly what every woman wants, I’ve heard.” Fukunaga pretended to twirl some hair around his finger and turned to the rest of the audience. “He should be tall, aaand not that bad!” Everyone laughed and you couldn’t help but join them. “Forget bad boys or nice guys, not that bad is all the rage.”

From there, another comment from the audience made the show keep flowing, and you could finally breathe a little. You looked at Fukunaga just a bit more starry-eyed now, actually managing to enjoy his jokes because a group of strangers had very clearly supported you in your case.

And it might have been your imagination, just an illusion when you felt like he glanced at you more often when saying his punch lines. It made you smile a little brighter, and laugh a little louder.

Then, all too soon, the show was over. The stage lights dimmed and the harsh reality of the ceiling lights woke you up from your delusions. You had let him use you for a good joke, and then you actually imagined anything he said was anything more than jokes. Illusions presented to the audience to enchant them.

When you walked outside, you took a deep breath and closed your eyes. Not only had your stomach fluttered with butterflies because of a man you didn’t know, but you had also not realised that if your boyfriend wasn’t answering his phone, he also wouldn’t come to pick you up.

Glancing at the clock, you also concluded that there wouldn’t be another bus until at least an hour from now, and started your long walk home. “Wait up!”

You automatically did, looking to the side where the comedian from the show slowed to match your pace. “Hi,” you greeted, a bit cautious as you glanced around to make sure you could see some other people.

“Hey,” he replied, tucking his hands in his pocket, a slight reassurance of his innocent intentions.

“You’re hilarious, I enjoyed your show,” you said, smiling at him in a way that made his neck flush.

“Thank you, I’m happy to hear.” He seemed to hesitate for a moment. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to seem creepy approaching you like this, but I really meant it. About your boyfriend.”

You turned a bit to look over your shoulder, wondering if the audience were all walking behind you, suspenseful as they waited for the joke. “I assumed that was just for the show.”

“The jokes were, sure,” he admitted, shrugging his shoulders. “But that doesn’t make the advice any less real. You’re way too pretty to go on dates without a date.”

That did make you laugh a little again. You almost couldn’t believe you had done that. “My relationship is the biggest joke I have,” you said, happy when he seemed to enjoy your humour. “I suppose you can’t be my date for your next show?” You pursed your lips the second you said it, wondering how that could slip from your lips so easily.

To your relief, he laughed. “The date would have to be before or after, hypothetically. But I promise I’ll show up,” he said and your laughs mixed into the excitement of something better.

Now the red flush spread to his ears and temples, while sneaking something out of his pocket. He handed you a little card, four of hearts, with his name and number scribbled on it.

“Let me know that you get home safe, will you?”

You read his name off the card and smiled softly. “Okay, Shohei.”

dearest @cottonlemonade and her brilliant mind helped me with this idea<3