"Oh, come on ref that was clearly on the line!"

Outraged, Machi nearly dumped the entire popcorn over as she threw her hands in the air. Ignoring her and several other fans in the crowd that now booed, the line judge called the point for Argentina and Machi inconspicuously flipped him off.

"We're still ahead Machi, we can afford to lose one point."

Machi only shoved a large amount of popcorn in her mouth and chewed angrily, "But it's the principle of the matter, Suga! Hinata deserved that point."

Knowing better than to argue with her when so invested in a game, Suga simply smiled and held the popcorn for her while she raged at the court for another five minutes. Only when Japan had won back the lead with a quick attack from Hinata and Kageyama did Machi calm back down enough to take her seat again. As soon as she did, Suga's hand had snaked it's way onto her lap, tracing a finger along her palm.

"Feeling better?"

"I'll feel better when we win." But she tightened her hand around his and leaned into him nonetheless.

It was surreal, to be sitting here, watching his old teammates compete in the Olympics. It was even stranger to see his girlfriend so invested in it. When they had received the tickets in the mail, he thought for sure she'd want to pass on attending, especially after her most recent loss in the ring. But, as always, Machi surprised him. She leaped at the chance wholeheartedly, even going so far as to design matching jerseys for them. Daichi had teased him for it, but Suga wore it anyway. Anything to make her happy.

"Look, Suga, they see us!" Machi leaned over the balcony railing, waving enthusiastically at Hinata as he huddled around the rest of the Japanese team during a timeout. Just as energetic, Hinata bounced happily next to Kageyama, pointing and waving to his friends while Kageyama only grimaced and tried to get away from the orange haired freak. "Aw," Machi grinned, "they're still besties, how sweet."

A whistle blasted and the match began again. Machi happily settling back next to Suga, taking the seat just in front of him so she could comfortably lean against him. Naturally, Suga pulled her closer, resting his chin on her head and wrapping her in an embrace that now felt familiar to both.

The last few years hadn't been a walk in the park; life didn't work that way. But it had been infinitely better walking it together. Machi finished out her second year of high school on crutches, the healing process slow and painful in more ways than one. Technically, even injured she was still vice-captain of the martial arts club, which came with certain responsibilities. But half the time she didn't even have the energy to attend practices let alone the motivation to lead the others through drills. It was on those bad days that Suga waited for her outside of class, sometimes holding a box of mochi, other times just offering a calm presence, as if he knew it was needed more than normal. They'd sit together in the quiet, until eventually he'd take her by the hand, help her to her feet, and walk her home. The rest of the club never seemed to mind when she'd miss these practices, going so far as to even offer her the rest of the school year free from duties, which she gladly took. Her heart just wasn't in it anymore. And wouldn't be for some time, not until she finally left high school and started at a new dojo in Sendai.

Along with the other third years, Suga had graduated and entered university, absolutely refusing to admit he'd chosen a local school to stay close to Machi, despite the heckling from Daichi. It was convenient though, to be close by, and visit on weekends or the occasional extra evening. And, having officially moved in to her uncle's house, Machi hadn't even needed to sneak around to find a way to see her boyfriend. In fact, Suga got along so well with her aunt and uncle they nearly adopted him too.

"So did Kaido say where they'd be today?" Suga asked quietly, catching her attention while an Argentinian player subbed in. "We should probably leave soon if we want to beat the crowds."

Machi checked her watch and swore quietly. "Shit, you're right. It's across campus, so it's at least a ten minute walk." She turned her head and stared up at him, "Do you think they'll mind if we leave early?"

"Well, we are ahead," Suga reasoned, "and I'm sure we'll hear about anything we missed at dinner later."

Humming in agreement, Machi lead the way out of the gym, waiting for a moment when someone scored in order to sneak out during the chaos. Once outside, Machi quickly reached for his hand and laced their finger together as they walked. Suga swung their entwined hands gently, savoring every moment together with her. Not like they were scarce, now that she'd finally agreed to move in, but even so, every moment alone with her felt special.

"What are you looking at? Do I have some popcorn on my face?" She reached a hand up to her chin, searching for the nonexistent popcorn kernels.

Suga chuckled, brushing her hand away with his thumb. "Can't I just admire my beautiful girlfriend without an ulterior motive?"

"I guess you can, but I'm still suspicious." She narrowed her eyes slightly while butterflies danced in her stomach. Years later and he still made her feel like a school girl with an impossible crush.

"Well, now that you mention it," Suga caved, ignoring her exclamation, "I was wondering how serious you are about going to see them. I know you want to be supportive and all, but don't you think it'll be hard?"

Machi shrugged. He was too perceptive; some things never changed. "Maybe. But I'd rather go, and see for myself how it'll be." She gave their hands an extra swing as they neared the gymnasium entrance. "And if I'm being honest I kinda want to see how well they do. Something tells me Kaido will make it at least to the semi-finals before he chokes."

***

"Hey! You made it!"

Machi and Suga had barely had a chance to try and find their seats before they were bombarded by Kaido and he was lifting Machi off the floor in a bear hug.  "My favorite couple, still as cute as always!"

Feeling like her ribs would snap at any moment, Machi had to pat Kaido's arm repeatedly for him to get the hint and let her go. Rubbing at her side, Machi gasped, "Glad to see you haven't changed either Kaido."

"Only getting better with age, sweet cheeks." He grinned widely, flexing his arms a bit just for fun, making the hastily pinned competitor's number fall from his uniform. He smiled sheepishly and picked it up, "I'm a little nervous actually, is it obvious?" It's not like he had ever planned to make it this far in competitions; the Olympics had always been her dream, never his.

"Not at all, you'll be great, Kaido." Suga offered with a bright smile while Machi re-pinned the number to his uniform. "And we'll cheer you on no matter what."

"That's right, I brought the bullhorn, just in case." Machi smirked, "Just don't forget to keep your hands up. You always used to drop them, it makes you an easy target."

It seemed to do the trick. Kaido's face looked less pale and he stood a bit taller. He was about to suggest finding them closer seats when a familiar voice was barking his name from across the room. "Kaido, let's go. They're calling us in."

Unlike Kaido, Nakagawa's uniform was pristine. He had carefully attached his competitor's number so that it lay perfectly straight against the crisp white of the dobak. The stern, serious frown he had practiced to keep himself calm before the first round faltered when he caught sight of who his friend was standing with, his eyes instantly dropping to their clasped hands.

Machi felt his stare even from this distance. She offered him an awkward smile and a polite wave, which Naka returned before shouting at Kaido again to hurry up and disappeared behind the door.

"Well, we should take our seats," Suga's smile didn't quite reach the rest of his face, "good luck Kaido, I'm sure you'll be great." He offered Kaido one last smile before leading Machi off towards the balcony and their seats.

When they were safely seated and out of earshot, Suga gave her a nudge. "Could've been worse I guess, right?" They both watched as the Japanese team entered the arena to tremendous applause. Machi instantly spotted Kaido and Nakagawa near the end of the line and she let out a heavy breath.

"Yeah, it could have been a lot worse." The first time they'd seen Naka in probably a year, it was the most she could expect from him. "I'm glad he's doing alright."

"You sure you still wanna stay?" He wouldn't blame her if she changed her mind, but Machi nodded her head and nestled closer for comfort. She said she'd support them, no matter what. Even if it hurt to see them there without her, and to know only one really wanted to see her.

By the third round, however, Machi had had enough. The familiar setting was starting to bring back less than happy memories, and Kaido was doing better than she anticipated, making it harder to watch without comparing their skill sets. Suga seemed to take notice of the drop in enthusiasm and inconspicuously gestured towards the exit. Once outside, she found it easier to breathe again, but still seemed a bit down. She thought it would've been easier.

"I saw an ice cream stand on our way here, how about we share something?" Suga chirped, knowing it would cheer her up, "My treat."

As if she could say no to such a request, Machi felt her mood lift just a tad. "Aren't we going to dinner with Hinata and Kageyama soon?"

"Do my ears deceive me?" Suga feigned surprise as he pulled her into a side hug and Machi laughed, "The great ice cream connoisseur, Machi Harada, refusing to share a bowl of butter pecan? I think the world is ending." As always, Suga knew just what she needed to hear. Already her smile was lighter than the ones she had forced on her face in front of Kaido; she looked happier, away from it all. With Machi still tucked under his arm, Suga ordered their large scoop of butter pecan and they strolled aimlessly around the Olympic village. He didn't even complain when she ate most of it, only brushing away a stray drop of ice cream that caught at the corner of her mouth.

"Kageyama is gonna be pissed if we show up and don't eat anything." Machi could already see the look on his face and hear his angry protests. "You sure it was such a good idea to get ice cream so close to dinner?"

"Positive." Suga kissed the remainder of the ice cream from her lips, "And besides, we've got all the time in the world."

***

We have come to the end, and honestly I didn't think I'd ever make it here. This project started out as just as a creative outlet for my mental health, I honestly didn't think it would lead me to so much more. I've found a new joy for creative writing, and stumbled upon the most amazing friends that I now can't imagine my life without. To all my lovely and talented friends at Fan Fictopia, thank you. For the endless laughs, encouragement, and beta reading, I cannot express how much you all mean to me. And thank you to everyone who gave my writing a chance and have stuck with me to the end, my ghost readers and commenters alike. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.

For those of you interested in reading more, I do have a new story in the works and will be posting the first few chapters tomorrow. But, seeing as sticking to a regular update schedule worked out so well for this story, I'm going to take my time with this new one. I've got a lot of reading I need to catch up on, and a lot of time I need to take to actually improve my mental health instead of pushing it aside like I always do. So updates might be sporadic, but I'm so excited about this story I hope you give it a chance.

✨Until next time, when Daichi takes center stage ✨

~Crimsonfred1