For some reason, M/n looked drained lately. He barely stayed behind to get extra practice, he wasn't as talkative much as he was before, and he's been messing up a lot of his sets.

Needless to say, the team was very much worried. Especially Kageyama.

They only had some time left until the prefectural qualifiers.

"L/n! Will you throw me a few tosses?" Hinata asked, trying to cheer the boy up.

"Sorry Little Giant, maybe next time," he smiled and walked out of the gym.

"I'm worried. There's something wrong with L/n, but everytime we ask, he just brushes us off and says he's okay..." Suga frowned. "How is he going to be able to play well?"

"Maybe he's just tired of school work?" Daichi said. "Let's just give him some space."

Kageyama didn't listen and followed the (h/c) boy.

"M/n!" He caught up to him. "Are you alright? The team is really worried..And so am I. Is something happening?"

The boy turned around and gave him a soft smile. He shook his head. "No. Nothing's happening, I'm alright.."

Kageyama knew he was lying. His smile looked fake and he looked so tired.

"Stop lying, you're not okay," he sighed. "Just tell me what's wrong."

"I can never get past you, huh?" M/n chuckled. "I'll tell you tomorrow..I'm going to go home early again, stay safe Tobio."

He walked away.

Kageyama sighed and watched his boyfriend's retreating figure.

__________

It was Friday and it was time for lunch now. Kageyama was on his way to get a drink from the vending machine.

"Hm, which one should I get?"

He was pulled out of his thoughts, when he heard someone scream.

"I told you to leave him alone!" A familiar voice yelled.

Curious, he walked to the sound and widened his eyes at the sight.

Megami, being held back and...M/n..trapped against the wall by two other guys. Kageyama recognised them as Megami's old friends. He had no idea who the person holding Megami back was, but he just labeled him as another asshole.

"OI! Quit it! Don't touch him!" Megami yelled.

M/n just looked so tired... "Come on...You guys have been tormenting me for the past weeks..Can you leave me alone."

The boys ignored him. "You know, it hurt when Taro left us for you...A freak," one of the boys said, grabbing his jaw. "Now he can face the consequences, along with you...Unless..You want us to have a friendly chat with your little boyfriend?"

M/n's eyes glared at him. "And how are your girlfriends doing? Oh...Wait.."

This earned him a punch in the gut.

"Don't touch him!" Kageyama and Megami yelled in unison.

"Oh look," the boy said lazily. "Mr Knight in Shining Armour!"

"Kageyama! Get a teacher!"

"Ah, no. He won't be doing that. I don't think he would want a bruise on his boyfriend's pretty face, right?"

"Let him go..." The first year seethed.

"He called me pretty," M/n teased, trying to ease the pain in his stomach.

The boy cringed as he shoved the (h/c) male to Kageyama.

"You can let Taro go, he can hang out with these freaks for all I care.."

"If you tell this to anyone...We wouldn't mind letting the whole school know about you two...Let's go, it's getting crowded here.."

The three bullies left.

Megami went over to the couple. "Are you alright, L/n?" He asked worriedly.

"No, he's not! No thanks to you!" Kageyama yelled. "You started the bullying and they're only continuing it!"

"Shh, you guys are being too loud.." M/n mumbled and sat down by the wall, the two following.

"M/n? Why didn't you tell me about this?" The setter asked.

"I said I was going to tell you today..They just got to me first," he chuckled. "I'm sorry I dragged you guys into this. I'm surprised at how calm you two are-"

"We're furious!" They yelled.

"Ah, seems about right."

"How long has this been going on?" Megami questioned.

Looking back and forth between the two of them, the second year setter sighed and pulled up his shirt.

On his body, were multiple bruises. "For a few weeks," he answered. " Since we got back from the first matches. I thought they would stop but.."

Kageyama ran his fingers lightly on his bruises and scowled. "Why don't you ever tell anyone anything?! They should be suspended!" He scolded. "How did we never see these?! And how did they know about us?!"

M/n chuckled. "There's a reason why I changed in the corner for a while. Apparently, they spotted us while we were on our date."

"Come on, we're going to the nurse to put ice on those."

Unbeknownst to the three of them, someone else had seen the whole thing happen.

__________

Kageyama was helping M/n put ice on his wounds, while Megami sat with the two.

"Does any of your family know about this?" The first year asked.

"Nope, haven't told anyone. Didn't want to bother them."

Megami sighed. This was his fault, he was the reason why his friend was still getting hurt. "I'll talk to them," he said. "I'll even throw a few punches if I have to."

M/n frowned. "You don't have to do that." Kageyama pinched his arm and gave him a look saying 'listen to him.'

"You two deserve to be happy together, without people like them bothering you," he said with a sad smile. "I'm going to go to class early. Take care of him Kags."

Now it was just Kageyama and M/n..

"Do you not trust me?" The younger boy blurted.

"W-What?! No of course I trust you!" The second year said quickly.

"Then why do you never talk to me about these things? You're getting hurt and you just let it happen!"

M/n looked down guiltily. "I just didn't want to bother you.."

"Do you think I'm not able to handle things?"

"It was either me or you, okay?!" M/n yelled, shocking the dark haired boy. "They threatened to hurt you too..And I didn't want that to happen, so I took their punches instead."

Kageyama sighed and held the boy close. "You getting hurt, hurts me too you know. I hate it when you're sad."

"Pfft, that's so cheesy."

"H-Hey! I'm trying to tell you how much I care, dumbass!"

M/n laughed and buried his head into the first year's chest. "I know that. I'm only messing with you."

The boy deadpanned. "But no more lies okay? Or I'll get Daichi to give you so many drills."

"Noo, anything but that," M/n said playfully.

They fell in a short silence, when M/n spoke up again.

"Hey..Since tomorrow's Saturday. Can I stay over at your house?"

Kageyama froze. "M/n and I...In my house...Alone?!?"

Kageyama cleared his throat. "Uh- Ah, sure, sure. Any reason why?"

"I just want to spend time with my cute boyfriend~"

The boy started to get more flustered. "S-Stop saying things like that..."

M/n laughed and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I promise, no more lies."

Kageyama smiled softly. "Good."

"Wait what time is it-?"

"We're late for class!"

__________