Atsumu had never thought much about the way people looked at you.

Not because you weren’t worth looking at—he just… never saw you like that. You’d always just been you. The same snot-nosed kid who used to steal his snacks, who tripped over nothing, who knew exactly how to push his buttons. His best friend.

But now, standing on the sidelines after his match, towel slung over his shoulders, he saw it. The way guys—actual guys—kept looking at you. And when he noticed the opposing team sneaking glances your way, offering drinks, laughing a little too loudly, something inside him tightened.

He tried to ignore it at first. It was probably nothing. You’d been a part of his life forever, right? Why would it bother him now? But then one of them actually reached out, brushing your arm as if trying to get your attention.

Yeah, no way.

He didn’t even think before moving, stepping between you two so fast the poor sod barely had time to register it. "Hey, ya lost?" Atsumu asked, tone all casual, but there was an edge to it.

He blinked, taken aback. "Uh, no, I was just—"

"Cool, ‘cause we’re leavin’." Atsumu didn’t wait for a response, just grabbed your wrist and started walking, dragging you along without a second thought.