Chapter Text
“ Our coming-of-age has come and gone ”
The gym crackles with the occasional slam of the ball against the ground, their heaving breaths in time with the rhythm. Otherwise, it remains void of sound, as if cocooned from the outside world. Hinata leaps and sees a clear view of the unusually empty court, chest skimming easily above the edge of the net and he wonders if this feeling will ever fade. The view at the top leaves him even more breathless than he already is. Exhaling every last molecule of oxygen in his lungs, Hinata spikes in the same breath, palm connecting with the ball at the peak of his jump. Echoing through the floorboards, Kageyama was too far left to stop the ensuing clap of thunder. Hinata floats back down, hair lifting like a crown before settling in messy waves.
“I win.”
Kageyama only picks up the ball and spins it on his finger, eyeing the way the blue and yellow streaks coalesce into an unintelligible blur. It’s barely a blink’s duration before the ball makes a beeline for his head, Hinata too out of position to receive it and thus having to duck to avoid having his brains splattered on the ground behind him.
“Now we’re tied.”
Hinata laughs the fleeting fear off, not envying the person who has to face that. And despite his previous statement of victory, they spend the rest of their afternoon in distilled rapture, hoping that with each bruise to their knees and red to the inside of their arms, that they embed their memories into the walls.
It’s only when Kageyama feels like he has to keep his eyes blown open to not get pegged by the ball that they silently agree to stop. The last vestiges of golden hour peek through the window bars, caressing the gym with gold fingers and soft edges. He marvels at the way it looks like Hinata’s head is on fire, a crown of flames encircling his head and eyes like translucent honey. He grins and Kageyama feels his lungs empty.
“See you later, Kageyama!”
It takes him a moment to reply.
“Yeah, see you later.”
And he believes in this more than anything.
/
They stand with their backs towards their parents, Karasuno emblem superimposed against the dark background. They weren’t allowed to wear their jerseys at the ceremony but as soon as they escaped the steaming hall, they pulled them out from their bags, arms stabbing through the holes and seams tight against their shoulders. Kageyama pins this photo on the wall above his table.