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During the night, Hinata Shouyou tossed and turned. He was hot, but he was also cold, and his stomach hurt so bad it felt like something was killing it from the inside.
In his sleep-hazy mind, Shouyou recognized that this means something important, but all he could care about right then was how much it hurt. He curled himself into a little ball and stayed there until his alarm rang to get up.
And when he sat up, he felt slick and sticky, and he paled.
“Oh no, no, no!” He rambled as he stood up quickly, completely awake. Sure enough, on his bed was a good sized blood stain. He’d started his period. “Shit.”
He clutched his stomach as the cramps tightened again, and hobbled his way to the bathroom. He sat there cramping, and fighting the rising nausea, when his mother came up.
“Shouyou, if you don't hurry, you’re going to be late for morning practice!” He whimpered, but finished up. He couldn't miss practice, no matter how bad he was feeling. Quickly he finished, slipped on a pad, and rushed through his normal morning routine.
He gave his mom a kiss before rushing out the door to meet Kageyama. He took it somewhat slow while he was going though, because the pains only seemed to be getting worse.
“Ready, dumbass?” Kageyama smirked, and got prepared to run, and Shouyou just- he couldn't. It hurt so bad.
“Can we just… Walk today?” He asks, feeling bile creep up his throat and swallowed it down. He’s not too sure what his face looked like, but it had to be something pitiful for Kageyama to look at him that way.
“Fine, dumbass. But I'm going to count it as my win.” Shouyou grinned,
“What? No way. I would have beat you easily!”
They continued to bicker all the way to the gym doors, which Daichi had also just arrived. The captain arched a brow at them.
“Running a bit later, aren't you?" They both nodded, and Shouyou fought a groan as his stomach clenched once more. “Right. Well, let's get set up.”
Setting up the net and balls- things Shouyou usually enjoyed- were just painful and by the end he was sweating and shaking, nearly losing the fight against his nausea. He sat down on the floor, hunching over.
His binder was helping nothing. It was putting so much pressure on his chest and a little on his abdomen. He couldn't just take it off though. While his breasts weren’t big, they were still noticeable.
And the team didn't know.
“Oi, dumbass, stop being lazy. We’re about to practice receives.”
“Oh? Looks like the King is giving out orders again.” Tsukki and Yamaguchi snickered. Hinata ignored them.
“I’m coming.” He said quietly, and went to stand in the line. He could feel the worried eyes of his teammates boring into his back.
The sound of the volleyballs hitting Asahi’s palm and the others arms filled the gym, and lulled the ginger into his thoughts.
Telling the team wouldn't be too awful would it? They seemed fairly understanding, and he knew they were open to different sexualities.
But would they let him stay on the team? Or would they send him to the girls volleyball team?
He shivers, and not from the cold. The thought is almost enough to make him cry. His stomach tightens again, more than before, and he wants to scream. His stupid body automatically goes into the receive position without him giving it much thought.
Only a second later, he’s distracted again. This time by the pain and the thought of puking-which he felt was relatively close to happening. He didn't even feel his posture slipping.
And then something hard slams into his stomach, and he’s knocked backwards, hitting the gym floor hard.
He opens his mouth, but he can’t draw breath. His hands claw at the wooden floor. He can’t breathe, and his stomach is on fire, and his head feels like it was just hit with a baseball bat. And he still can’t breathe. There’s yelling, and frantic voices. He can hear someone crying, and another calling out something about paramedics.
There are hands on him, his upper body leaving the hard floor and being supported by a gentle arm. He'd scream in protest if he could. He can practically feel his face turn blue.
The arm is slid over so that now its a hand, rubbing soothing but insistent circles on his back.
“Come on, Hinata. Breathe for me, okay? You can do it. Please, God, breathe.” And Shouyou wants to scream that he’s trying but- the hand is loosening something in his lungs, and then he suddenly taking in a gasping, choking breath. He coughs, and tries to draw in more.
“That’s it! That’s it, Hinata, good job.” The voice is soothing, but sounds relieved and almost like it’s going to cry. “Thank God.”
And then he’s crying, his eyes squeezed shut still, and his hands wrapping around his midsection. “It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!” He sobs, trying to curl into a ball, but firm hands on his legs stop him.
He opens his eyes, and sees Tanaka looking at him apologetically, and looking as if the action pains him. He looks to the owner of the gentle hand still rubbing his back, and sees the familiar and calming face of Suga, though there’s a couple of wet streaks down his cheeks. His mouth is moving and Shouyou tries to focus on what he’s saying.
“I know it hurts, but it's going to be okay. Yamaguchi’s getting the nurse, and you’re breathing,” his voice cracks, “and you’re gonna be okay.” The cramp eases away a little and Shouyou’s arms loosen from around it. He slumps back, energy spent.
“Hinata?!” He hears someone call worryingly, and he opens his eyes (when had he closed them?). This time, Ukai’s voice is the one speaking.
“You have to stay awake, kid. Until we’re sure there’s no concussion.” He nods. His eyes move sluggishly around the room as Suga’s voice continued soothingly in his ear. On the bench he could see Asahi crying and being comforted by Nishinoya. Tsukishima was to his left, sneaking glances towards him, but held an indifferent expression. Kageyama was just behind Suga on his right, wide-eyed and nervous. Daichi was behind Kageyama, with a hand on his shoulder. Coach was crouching beside him on his left, Takeda standing behind him. He couldn't see Ennoshita, Kinnoshita, or Narita- but he could hear their voices talking to Asahi. His eyelids felt like weights, but he forced them to stay open.
Another cramp started tightening his stomach and he whimpered, his legs trying to pull from Tanaka’s hold once more.
And then the doors are bursting open, Yamaguchi appearing with a small dark-haired woman, who’s holding a multitude of supplies she might need. She bustles over, and Ukai moves to give her more room.
“You said it hit his stomach?” The team nods their affirmation. “Alright, I'm going to take off his shirt,” Shouyou jolts, and starts to squirm, despite the pain he’s feeling.
“No, no, no, no, no! Don't!” He cries, begging. “Please, I'll tell you what's wrong just don't.” The woman raises an eyebrow, but slowly pulls her hands away from his white tee-shirt.
“Okay. We’ll talk about that in a few. Yamaguchi said you hit your head. Let me see your eyes. Can you open them wide for me?” He does, and the nurse smiles. She reaches into the pile she’d dropped when she kneeled beside him, and grabs a small flashlight. “Follow my finger,” she says, and shines the light in his eyes. She hums, and nods. “No concussion.” He hears multiple sighs of relief.
She puts the light away, and grabs an ice pack. She pops it and shakes it up until its cold. She places it on the back of his head, and Daichi kneels to hold it in place, looking all the world like a worried father. And Suga, like a mother, runs his fingers through Shouyou’s bangs soothingly as he sniffles.
“Can you help him to my office?” Suga nods without hesitation, and they slowly, painfully help Shouyou to rise into a standing position.
And they begin the trek across campus, Shouyou has to stop a couple times when his cramps get to be too intense, and Suga takes most of his weight.
When they finally arrive to the door that says “Tachibana Ran: Nurse”, Suga helps him move to sit on one of the beds. Nurse Tachibana sits on the stool and rolls over to him. She folds her hands in her lap.
“Hinata. You said you’d tell me what was going on.” She pauses, “A volleyball to the stomach hurts. But it wouldn't be as bad as you’re hurting, unless it did a lot of damage, or something were already hurting beforehand.” Seeing his hesitation, she continued. “Unless it’s a danger to your wellbeing, whatever you say will stay just between us,” she glances to Suga, “as I'm sure Sugawara will not tell anyone without your consent.” Suga nods in agreement, his hand still rubbing those soothing circles on Shouyou’s back. “So, will you tell me?”
He nods, and closes his eyes. “I- I'm uh, I'm on my period.” Suga’s hand stutters in shock, before continuing the steady circles, giving him courage. “Um. I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, and it makes my cramps a lot worse. I skip periods a lot too, so when I do get them they come back a hundred times heavier and more painful,” he explains. “It's always really bad the first day, but I didn't want to miss practice.” He hangs his head, and leans against Suga when the older teen gently guides him to do so. A hand on his shoulder makes him look up. Nurse Tachibana was smiling.
“I see. Thank you for trusting us, Hinata. I'm very sorry you had this experience. I'm afraid there’s not much I can do, besides give you something that will ease the pain a little. An antiinflammatory.” Shouyou nodded. He knew this. “However, I will be sending you home. You've been through a lot, and I would like for you to get some rest, and be comfortable.” Again, he nodded. He expected this. “I'll go phone your mother.” And with that, she left the room.
Shouyou avoided looking at Suga. He heard him sigh.
“Hinata,” Suga said gently, “you know the team wouldn't care, don't you?” Shouyou shrugs. “We don't. You’re a boy, Hinata. That’s how we see you no matter what, it won't change anything. And it could have helped us to prevent your pain.” Suga squeezed him in a gentle hug. “We were so worried! Poor Asahi was going crazy, thinking he killed you-”
“They’d send me to the girl team.” He cut the silver-haired teen off. Suga froze.
“Hinata, no. No, we would never!” Shouyou sniffles again, curling as another cramp surged through him.
“Coach might.” Suga shakes his head.
“He wouldn't. and if he even thought about it, we wouldn't let him. Neither would Takeda-sensei. But I really don't think he would.” Shouyou felt frustration brew within him.
“But I'm not a boy,” he cries, “not where it matters.” Suga shook his head, and kissed the top of Shouyou’s head.
“You’re a boy in your heart. That’s where it counts. Your body is just a vessel. Without your soul and heart, It'd just be a shell.” Shouyou sniffed, but couldn't say anything to that. He smiled up at the third year.
Soon, Nurse Tachibana came back and gave him a pill for his pain. She sent them back to the gym, with some reassuring words and a demand for Shouyou to sit on the bench until his mother got there. They agreed and moved towards the gym.
Just outside the doors, Shouyou stopped Suga. “Don't… Don't tell them yet?” Suga smiled, and nodded.
“Just remember what I said, okay?” Shouyou nodded.
“I'll tell everyone soon just… Just not yet.” Suga gave him an understanding look, and they opened the doors.
“Hinata!”
“Shouyou!”
“YOU’RE ALIVE!”
“Dumbass, you dumbass! Pay more attention!”
He was greeted with cries from his teammates, and couldn't help but grin. Suga’s hand on his back kept him anchored, but Shouyou felt much stronger than he had in a long time. He wouldn't hide for much longer.
Suga was right.
Then again, there was never really a doubt, was there?