Chapter Text
The rest of the week passed uneventfully. Kageyama was mostly back to normal at practice. He had given up on trying to tell if Hinata was interested in him while they played. When it came to volleyball, nothing could distract Karasuno’s greatest decoy. If he stared at Kageyama more than any of the other players on the team, it was because he was always looking for a pass. Kageyama refused to read into it more than that. He had felt self-conscious under Hinata’s gaze in a way he never had before for a day or two, but the sensation faded quickly as they fell into their usual routine of competition and bickering. He had caught Suga looking at him inquisitively once or twice, but he hadn’t brought up their earlier conversation and for that Kageyama was grateful.
Sunday seemed to arrive in no time at all. Kageyama rarely felt nervous, so he had no way to tell if nerves explained his feelings as he got ready that morning. He certainly felt something . He was jittery, full of pent up energy, and kept glancing at his phone every few minutes, willing time to move faster. He found himself wondering if he should try doing something with his hair before shaking his head - who did he think he was, Oikawa? And for some reason, all of his clothes seemed stupid. He didn’t know what he was worried about. Hinata had seen all his t-shirts a million times anyway. Maybe that was the problem? In the end, he settled for a plain black tee and his favourite jeans, which ended up totally wrinkled as he lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling, waiting until it was time to leave.
Finally, he decided that it had been long enough and headed over to pick Hinata up. He had ignored the other’s inquisitive texts the day before because he wanted to make sure he could catch Hinata’s genuine reaction to everything he had planned.
kageyammmaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!
what r we doin tmmrw!!??!?
(~‾▿‾)~
be ready at 11
…………………………
…
(ง •̀_•́)ง
fine
see u then!!!!!
He felt warm as he re-read the messages. He doubted that Hinata was even capable of being disingenuous. That should make his job today easier, right?
He showed up at Hinata’s house at 10:30.
Wondered if he should wait around until 11.
Knocked.
Hinata’s mom answered the door with a smile and invited him in as she called for Hinata, who came rushing down the stairs still in his pyjamas with a toothbrush in his mouth and his hair unrulier than ever.
“Bit’sh not wewlewen! Youwe ewlee” Hinata slurred indignantly, through a mouth full of toothpaste.
“Yeah.”
“Urrrghhh! Wiv me five mehwuts.”
Kageyama stared at the toothbrush.
“You shouldn’t run with things in your mouth.”
“HRMPH!” Hinata rolled his eyes and attempted to kick him in the shin before running purposefully back up the stairs and disappearing behind a slammed door.
Kageyama stood awkwardly in the hall for a moment before Hinata’s mother insisted he sit down for tea in the living room while he waited. After bringing it out to him and asking him a few questions about the team, she vanished back down the hall and Kageyama was left staring at Hinata’s smile, framed and shining down on him from every surface in family photos going back to early childhood.
Four minutes later (Kageyama checked his phone), a breathless Hinata appeared in the doorway.
“Hey! Ready?”
He had changed into joggers and a hoodie, but his hair looked just as ridiculous as before, and there was a tiny bit of toothpaste still clinging to one corner of his lips.
Cute.
“Of course I’m ready. I’ve been waiting for you, stupid,” Kageyama huffed.
“You’re early!” Hinata groused, pulling on his shoes. Kageyama did the same, and they headed outside. “Where are we going anyways?”
“Movies.”
“Cool! What did you want to see?” Hinata asked bounding along next to Kageyama as they headed towards the bus stop.
“We can see whatever you want.”
Hinata stumbled and looked at Kageyama with surprise.
“O-oh. Okay.” He continued to stare at Kageyama in confusion, but after a moment his expression transformed into one of devilish glee. “I know exactly what we’re gonna watch!”
After a short bus ride, they arrived at the theatre. Hinata had refused to tell Kageyama what movie he wanted to see, and Kageyama had given up on pressing him fairly quickly. He had already decided he would see whatever Hinata wanted, so it didn’t really matter what the answer was. At the box office, Hinata ordered his ticket and Kageyama understood why he hadn’t wanted to say. The movie was the latest in a series of horror films that Hinata had forced Kageyama into watching over multiple sleepovers. Kageyama hated horror movies, but eventually, he always gave in when Hinata turned it into a challenge, taunting him for being scared.
“Maybe I should call you Bacawk-ayama since you’re such a chicken!”
It was unfair. Hinata always spent the majority of the movies covering his eyes and asking Kageyama what was happening. He barely even watched them himself!
Today, though, Kageyama was resolved. He calmly asked the ticket seller to make it two tickets, and paid for both of them. Hinata gave him another confused look at this, and when he also insisted on paying for their popcorn, candy (Sour Patch - Hinata’s favourite), and drinks, the look turned calculating.
Seeing this, Kageyama snipped, “What.”
“Nothing,” came Hinata’s reply, but the look remained and it was joined by a small, satisfied smirk that Kageyama did not like at all . He couldn’t tell what it meant. He had been starting to feel more sure of himself - Hinata had seemed happy, if a bit confused by his efforts to treat him up to this point. But now he looked like he knew something Kageyama didn’t when it was Kageyama who was supposed to be getting answers.
They entered the theatre which was fairly empty and sat near the back. Hinata kept up a running commentary throughout the previews, sharing his thoughts on each and every one with Kageyama, who hummed in acknowledgment whenever a response from him was required. He realized that despite the worry and endless wondering he had done over the last week, he was content here, like this, with Hinata rambling on happily next to him, not really expecting anything from him or upset by Kageyama’s short responses. Hinata knew Kageyama wouldn’t be here if he didn’t want to be, and Kageyama knew Hinata’s babbling meant he was just as comfortable, never worried for a second that Kageyama might find him annoying or over the top. Maybe things didn’t need to change. Maybe it didn’t matter if Hinata liked him that way . Kageyama thought he could be okay with just this.
The previews ended and the lights dimmed. Kageyama sighed, wondering if maybe he should have protested just a little at Hinata’s choice as he watched the movie open on a sunny, happy scene of a family moving into their beautiful new home.
It’s haunted, you idiots! Don’t you know how many people died there in the last one!
Unfortunately, the people on the screen couldn’t hear his thoughts and continued exploring the house obliviously. Kageyama settled in to watch, reaching for some popcorn. Hinata had been reaching in at the same time, and their hands brushed above the bag. An electric jolt went through Kageyama at the contact, but Hinata just smacked his hand away before reaching in to shovel out a handful. Kageyama turned to look at him, but Hinata’s eyes were rapt, already focused on the movie. Kageyama, however, had suddenly become much more aware of Hinata’s close proximity in the darkness. He held his breath every time Hinata reached into his space to grab another handful of popcorn and couldn’t stop his eyes from shifting over to look every time he laughed or scoffed at something happening on the screen. Eventually, his attention was brought back to the movie by the first jump scare. He jerked, sending popcorn cascading everywhere. Hinata laughed under his breath at him, and Kageyama fought down a blush. Or tried too. Still laughing, Hinata reached up to brush popcorn from Kageyama’s hair, eyes crinkled in amusement, and Kageyama felt his entire face suffuse with warmth. He whipped his head back around and stared at the screen resolutely, telling himself that the racing of his heart was because he’d just been frightened. By the movie.
The plot of which had finally picked up. Thank god. Kageyama knew what to expect, having seen the first three, but that didn’t make the dramatic lighting and creepy music any less effective. He hunkered down in his seat, bracing himself against more scare scenes. Hinata was doing the same, and Kageyama could hear him whimpering occasionally as the tension built, saw that he had started watching the movie through his fingers. The whispered questions would probably start soon.
So dramatic.
When the horrifying poltergeist finally jumped out to attack the heroine, Kageyama felt fingers dig into his bicep and looked down to see Hinata clutching at him, his face now completely hidden, tucked into Kageyama’s shoulder. He froze, staring. Would Hinata be able to feel the racing of his pulse through his shirt? No. That was silly.
Get a grip!
He turned robotically, forcing himself to stare at the screen.
“Hey. Hey, Kageyama. What’s happening? Is she dead?” Kageyama felt Hinata’s breath tickling his ear as he nervously whispered his question. He looked down to respond and found Hinata looking up at him, one hand raised to shield his eyes from the screen. Eyes that were suddenly very close to Kageyama’s own, their faces only inches apart. In the dim light of the film, Kageyama saw Hinata’s eyes dart towards his mouth before returning to meet his. They stared at each other for a moment, before Hinata sprung back with an “eep!”. Ignoring Kageyama, he turned back to the movie, but the setter watched as a blush crept up from the back of his neck to the tips of his ears. Kageyama felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe he wasn’t the only one affected after all.
Hinata managed to stay firmly within his own personal bubble for...about five minutes. Soon enough, he was taken in by the movie once more. One of his hands remained fisted in Kageyama’s shirt until the final scene, and Kageyama missed most of the dialogue due to the frantic whispering coming from his small companion, the barnacle formerly known as Hinata. He was unsurprised to see the movie end on a cliffhanger and sagged in both disappointment and relief when Hinata finally loosed his white-knuckle grip. As the credits rolled and the lights came on, he stared petulantly at the extremely wrinkled sleeve of his t-shirt. Obliviously, Hinata bounced up and out of his seat, saying, “Come on Kayagama, let’s goooo. I gotta pee .”
He allowed himself to be dragged out of the theatre and stood by the washroom, staring blankly at the wall while he waited for Hinata. He re-emerged shortly and they left the theatre, Hinata chattering excitedly about the movie the whole way.
“And when the poltergeist starting throwing the furniture around like “BAM! BAM!’ I was like ‘ahh!’ but it was so cool how that chick used SALT to make it stop, I mean who would even know to do that. Do you think I should start caring salt around, Kageyama?”
“Mm.”
“Yeah you’re right, that’s dumb, You’d probably need to carry around a lot of salt to actually defeat a poltergeist. Hey, do you think there are any haunted houses around here we could go to?”
“Mm.”
“...my name’s Kagayama, and I’m a big dumb idiot and also I...I suck at volleyball!”
“Mm.”
“HEY! Are you even listening to me, you big jerk!” Hinata shouted. Kageyama blinked and looked around. They had nearly reached the bus stop and were standing in a small park. Hinata stood glaring up at him, his hands planted on his hips. Hinata knew Kageyama wasn’t the most talkative guy, but he could still tell when he was being ignored.
The truth was, Kageyama had been lost in thought. He had been planning to take Hinata out for food after the movie, but that feeling had returned, the one he hadn’t understood before Hinata’s confession. He was off-balance and unsure. He didn’t think he was any closer to finding out if Hinata liked him, and was worried that his own feelings were becoming more and more obvious. He felt like they were about to burst out of him at any moment, and if he stuck around Hinata, he would soon be able to tell what Kageyama was thinking just by looking at him.
“Helloooo!” Hinata was waving a hand in front of his face, and Kageyama realized he still hadn’t responded. “What is your deal right now, Kageyama?”
Kageyama felt panic bubbling up in his throat. His chest felt tight. He couldn’t get enough air in his lungs. He clenched his fist at his sides, felt his shoulders hunch, his eyes squeeze shut.
“I..I..”
Hinata’s expression changed as he actually looked at Kageyama, transforming from one of annoyance to concern lightning quick. He leaned forward to peer up at Kageyama’s face, hidden under the curtain of his hair, and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“Hey - hey, are you okay? Really? Look at me, Kageyama.”
Kageyama opened his eyes to look at Hinata. His brows were drawn together in worry but his eyes were soft, and he was smiling gently. Kageyama felt the tension drain from him and his shoulders relaxed.
This was Hinata. Kageyama had said terrible, stupid, mean things around him a hundred times. What he wanted to tell him now wasn’t any of those things. What was he so worried about? Hinata respected anyone who faced their problems head-on. He would never judge someone for being honest. He was honest to a fault himself. And he was a good person - if he didn’t feel the same way, he would be wouldn’t jerk Kageyama around, and things probably wouldn’t even change that much.
Kageyama took a determined step forward into Hinata’s space.
“Ka-Kageyama?” Hinata squeaked, and Kageyama knew his face was doing that thing again, that scary focused thing, but if he didn’t do something now he might never get it out.
“Hinata.”
“Uh, wha-”
“I like you.”
Hinata’s face went blank, and for a moment, Kageyama thought he had been entirely wrong. Hinata would hate him forever now. He would never speak to him again. Kageyama would need to move to a new school. Possibly a new country. Eastern Europe had some good volleyball teams but he didn’t know how to speak Serbian!
Then, slowly, a wobbly smile broke out on Hinata’s face. Kageyama saw that he had started to blush, and his eyes were looking distinctly watery. He began laughing, but seemed to be trying to hold it in as he stammered, “Y-you? Me? R-really? Do you mean it? A-about time, Kageyama!”
Kageyama had no idea what this last statement meant, but Hinata was looking at him with shining eyes and a smile now full-blown. He was lifting his arms, reaching out for Kageyama.
Kageyama took hold of his shoulders and pulled him forward. He hadn’t thought through his intentions, but as always, Hinata was already in sync with him, already moving to where Kageyama needed him to be. As he came forward he clutched at Kageyama’s t-shirt, his eyelids fluttering shut instinctively, his face tilting upward ever so slightly, his wild grin softening into a soft “o”.
Kageyama felt time slow again, as it did when he was completely focused during a match, as it had when Hinata first confessed to him. His senses sharpened and he could see each individual pale lash resting against cheeks that were flushed and growing rosier by the second. He could feel the warmth radiating from Hinata’s body, normally vibrating with suppressed energy but now still, expectant. He heard the soft whisper of a sigh as it passed through slightly parted lips. In a moment of clarity, Kageyama knew that everything and nothing between them had just changed and he lifted a hand to rest the pads of his fingers gently against the heated skin of Hinata’s cheekbones, tracing a delicate line between freckles, trying to hold onto the moment, feeling as though he was hanging suspended in air. Hinata’s brow furrowed slightly as he stood waiting, and as his eyelids opened a sliver Kageyama caught a brief glimpse of pupils blown wide, heard the suggestion of his name on the other’s tongue and before the moment could be shattered he moved forward with certainty to close the distance between them, pressing his lips against Hinata’s, sealing his name in Hinata’s mouth where it belonged.
Kageyama pulled back a moment later, feeling dazed. He had thought about this moment many times over the last week and had expected it to feel as good as winning a game, to feel like a victory.
It didn’t.
It felt...different. Not better per se, not even comparable, really. When he won a game he felt like it was something he had earned, something he and his team had wrested from the hands of their opponents and taken with their determination and skill and sweat and tears. Kissing, or at least, kissing Hinata felt like a gift. Hinata had given him something precious and Kageyama felt humbled, unworthy, but like that might be okay if Hinata felt the same way.
Kageyama looked down at him, watching as Hinata’s eyes flickered open lazily and a contented grin formed on his lips.
“Hey, Kageyama, guess what?” he asked quietly.
“What?”
“I won.”
Kageyama stiffened, “...what.”
“I won. I told you I liked you first. So I win.”
Kageyama stared in bewilderment. Hinata said he had forgotten everything after his surgery. What was he talking about?
“What are you talking about?”
Hinata’s contented grin turned cheeky.
“Tanaka told me everything, stupid Kageyama.”
The term had long since stopped being an insult, but the fondness in Hinata’s voice as he said it now had Kageyama blushing as he sputtered, “Wh-What? Why? How - why didn’t you say something!?”
“Well,” Hinata started, laughing openly at his response, “you were acting weird when I got back to school! When I went to thank Tanaka after that first practice I just asked him about it and he told me. At first, I thought maybe you were freaked out or mad at me or something. But then that afternoon you were weirdly nice so I thought...I hoped…that maybe you liked me too. And I wanted to see what you would do about it!”
He had started poking Kageyama in the chest as he finished, the look Kageyama could never decide if he loved or hated in his eyes. A challenge. A demand.
“Well. I did something about it,” Kageyama said, taking hold of Hinata’s upraised hand and using it to draw him closer, wrapping his other arm around Hinata’s waist. As he tilted his head down into Hinata’s space, he watched that look transform into something new. Still demanding and expectant but warmer and brighter than before. He asked, “Is this what you were hoping for?”
“Shut up, Bakeyama,” was what Hinata said, but the satisfaction in his eyes as Kageyama closed the distance between them once more was the only answer he needed.