Chapter Text
Hinata’s return to Japan was met with much less fanfare than his exit. The only flight he could afford was an 81 hour flight in which he arrived at the disgusting time of 4:37, just before the sun was set to rise.
And unlike his departure, which had been in Tokyo, where many of his friends could commute to see him off, Hinata’s return was at an international airport in Osaka, much too far for any of his friends to travel out to meet him.
So Hinata stumbled off the claustrophobic flying coffin to an empty gate, carrying his tiny carry-on alongside him. The rest of his of his belongings had been prematurely shipped to his mothers’ home in Miyagi, until Hinata has a permanent residence that isn’t a cheap motel room.
Hinata hurried towards the exit, where he could hopefully find a driver to bring him to his hotel. He needed to hurry if he wanted to catch what little sleep he can get before the sun rises.
He only has one full day of recovery before the tryouts, and he needs to make the most efficient use of that time.
“ Hinata! Hey! ” Hinata’s head snapped up, and his eyes shot wide open despite his grogginess, to find Bokuto leaning out of the window of a car and waving enthusiastically.
Hinata’s mouth twitched into a grin, as happiness flooded through his entire body. He’d convinced himself he was completely fine with arriving back in Japan all alone, but having Bokuto here threw that out the window.
Hinata felt like weeping as he pulled the older man into a firm embrace, the gray-haired man huffing in surprise.
“You... look like a different person.” Bokuto smiled, tilting his head back to laugh heartily into the cool Japan night.
“Bokuto-san, please be respectful of the time.” Came a soft voice from the driver’s side of the car, and Hinata’s smile only grew when he caught the familiar sight of Akaashi Keiji, who was yawning sleepily. “Welcome back, Hinata.” Akaashi addressed him with a small nod, before turning his attention back to the overexcited man-child who was still hanging from the car window.
Hinata yawned, reaching his arms over his head to stretch out his tense muscles. If he wasn’t so tired, he would be itching to train.
After such a long flight, it has been a very long time since he has put his muscles to good use.
“Sho-kun, you should come catch up with Tsumu-san. He hasn’t stopped talking about setting to you.” Hinata felt his cheeks warming at the strange admission, but thankfully Akaashi spoke up before Hinata had a chance to respond.
“Koutarou. Hinata has had a very long flight, it would be best if we gave him time to rest. Besides, we h-“ Akaashi’s voice grew quieter towards the end, until his words were whispered to Bokuto, who just grinned happily.
“I’m just excited,” Bokuto laughed, finally relaxing back into his seat. “Friday can’t come sooner.”
Hinata couldn’t agree more.
The drive was incredibly short, or maybe he was just drifting in and out of consciousness the whole time. Hinata remembered snippets of a conversation: Akaashi’s soft voice as he gave some reason for being in town (which Hinata had already forgotten).
When Hinata finally checked into his hotel room, it took all of his remaining strength to change out of his Brazilian attire and into a hoodie from his high school days. Hinata climbed into the bed, wrapping himself in the comfort of a bed for the first time in days.
It felt heavenly compared to the cramped airplane seat between an incredibly loud sleeper and a lovesick fool who was a little tipsy the entire flight.
And the gray hoodie he was snuggling his face into, was a hoodie he had accidentally stolen from Kageyama in high school and had never returned. It had long lost its once-intoxicating scent, but Hinata still treasured it.
Hinata fell asleep, swaddled in warmth in a lonely hotel room. As he drifted off to sleep, his delusional brain shifted to a pair of blue eyes.
Wait for me, Kageyama.
—
Hinata has never had to tryout for a volleyball team in all his 19 years of life, so it was shockingly daunting to have his first tryout experience be at the professional, division 1 level.
He had strolled up to the given address, his whole body trembling from excitement, nerves, and something he couldn’t quite name.
They only increased tenfold when he loudly greeted the group of players that were currently stretching on the practice court.
He had arrived nearly an hour early, which he knew was more than a bit too punctual, yet here he was: bowing deeply and shouting his attempt at a formal greeting, his whole body trembling.
The players seemed to be rather shocked, as they were still as statues when Hinata pulled his head up. A dozen pairs of shocked eyes, before Bokuto finally broke the silence.
“Hey Hinata hey! You made it!” Hinata jumped when Bokuto slapped his back firmly, nearly knocking him over with the force.
“Y-yes!” Hinata chirped, red-hot embarrassment flowing through his bloodstream.
Bokuto started rambling excitedly, practically dragging Hinata towards the court, and Hinata knew better than to fight against him. It was a game he would definitely lose, so it was easier to just let Bokuto do his thing.
Bokuto was eventually scolded by a man Hinata would come to know as the Jackals’ captain, Shuugo Meian. But currently he was just an intimidating mountain of a man with a voice that could liquify all of the bones in Hinata’s body.
Hinata was pulled aside by the man and ushered in the direction of a group of people huddled together near a table, all talking amongst themselves.
“Fresh meat.” The man gazed down at Hinata with a look that nearly stopped his heart. He felt like a newborn gazelle cornered by a lion.
Fortunately, the scary man turned his attention away from Hinata and back to his teammates who had become rather rowdy in Hinata’s absence. Hinata had been spared this time.
After registering with the coaches, and apologizing profusely for his unprofessional entrance, he started warming up with some stretching.
He’d already warmed up before he arrived. His routine was so engrained in his muscle memory that Hinata doesn’t feel truly alive in the morning if he hadn’t been on his morning run. He’d also done some relaxing yoga this morning, hoping to calm hi-
Hinata’s thoughts fizzled out as a firm hand wrapped around his waist, pulling him flush against an even firmer chest.
Hinata’s heart fluttered from both surprise and fear as a pair of lips brushed against his ear.
“How are ya, Shouyou-kun?”
“M-miya-san?!” Atsumu was either a total prick, or totally oblivious to the effect this position had on the touch-starved spiker. Hinata had turned a pretty shade of pink, and he was trembling, which caused Atsumu to chuckle darkly.
“Call me Tsumu.”
There was a noise of disgust that drifted towards the pair from one of the people laid out stretching.
“Ya got sumthin’ to say, omi-kun?”
Another noise of disgust was heard, until the dark haired man turned around, and Hinata finally recognized the figure as Sakusa Kiyoomi. Hinata felt his heart flutter excitedly. There were so many amazing people on this team.
“You sure do talk big for someone who hasn’t been able to stop talking about Hinata-kun.”
There were laughs that resonated through the gymnasium, every member of the team showing their agreement.
Hinata turned to look at Atsumu, who was glaring at Sakusa.
“Ya don’t hafta be so rude, omi-omi.” Atsumu stuck out his lip in an overexaggerated pout. “Ya know i’m all yers~”
Sakusa brow furrowed, and his brown eyes seemed to darken to an inky black, the clear indication of disgust on his face, despite the disposable face mask he was wearing which shielded his face from view.
“I’ll pass.” He growled, before turning to face away from them, going back to his warm-up.
“Sho-kun, come stretch with me!” Hinata was glad to have an excuse to hurry away from Atsumu, more for his own sanity than anything else.
Hinata’s nerves disappeared once he finally was able to spike one of Atsumu’s tosses. It was the wake-up call he desperately needed. It was so refreshing to realize that this was no different than a practice.
The tryout was much shorter than he had expected, and before he even realized, he was back in his hotel room, sweaty and absolutely exhausted.
So Hinata took a cold shower to cool down his aching muscles, before bundling up in the warmest clothes currently in his possession (which happened to be a pair of compression leggings he hasn’t worn since before he left for Brazil, and Kageyama’s gray hoodie) and settling into some meditative night-time yoga.
He needed to take as many preventative measures to keep his muscles from becoming sore, or he wouldn’t be able to train as hard the next day.
When Hinata was a first-year, bright-eyed and far too energetic for his own good, his lack of self-awareness led to his downfall (and for Karasuno’s defeat at Nationals).
He had vowed back then to never let him get pulled from a game for such a preventable reason again, and so Hinata takes his routine incredibly seriously.
Hinata smiled to himself, as Kageyama’s irritated growling pushed its way to the front of his consciousness.
“Do you really have to do that every night?”
Hinata caught Kageyama’s gaze from where he was currently attempting Crow pose, his knees tucked into his chest as he haphazardly balanced on his hands.
He had sworn to himself he would perfect it before graduation, given they were the Crows, after all.
“I’ve tried to invite you to do it with me, it’s your fault you’re too stubborn.” Another irritated grunt from Kageyama as Hinata easily shifted into a handstand, before letting his feet fall to the ground to stand up.
Sleepovers had become increasingly commonplace among the two of them since they had finally set aside their fears and gotten together.
Which is how Hinata came to be doing his downward dog on the floor in Kageyama’s bedroom.
“Whatever, I’m going to sleep. Don’t wake me dumbass!” Kageyama grumbled, as he turned on his side in his bed, facing away from him.
Hinata chuckled lightly as he decided that was enough for tonight, smiling at his adorably sulky boyfriend. It was clear Kageyama wanted attention, and even clearer that he was too shy to actually ask .
So Hinata didn’t bother asking as he crawled across the bed to slide himself underneath Kageyama’s arms, earning a surprised huff from the raven-haired boy.
“What are you doing, you dumbass?”
Kageyama was trying to look angry, but as Hinata stared up into the blue pools that were his eyes, they seemed to glitter with unspoken happiness. He pulled Hinata closer to him with a languished sigh, as he slotted his face into the crook of Hinata’s neck.
Hinata shivered as Kageyama’s lips traced the ticklish spot just below his ear, earning a delighted chuckle from the setter. Hinata just shifted slightly, getting more comfortable. Kageyama’s lips traced phantom kisses along his jaw, his neck, before finally settling in its usual place curled over his shoulder with a sleepy sigh.
It was moments like this, the soft touches, the stretched-out silences, that Hinata loved most. When there wasn’t anything that mattered except Kageyama and Hinata. When there weren’t expectations or rules, or prying eyes.
“Hey, Tobio?”
There was a soft hum in response.
“It’ll always be us against the world, right?”
There was silence for a moment as Kageyama’s breath stilled. Hinata’s heart leapt into his mouth and he instantly wanted to take back his statement. He’d ruined the moment by making it weird-
“You make me so damn happy , you idiot.“
Or not.
—
Kageyama has made an embarrassing habit of stalking Hinata’s social medias. But it’s not entirely his fault.
That dumbass has started posting so much the past few days, almost like he’s asking Kageyama to constantly be refreshing his pages.
He does it before practice, on breaks, during dinner...
Kageyama realizes how weird he’s acting, especially considering the current distant state of their relationship, but he doesn’t care enough to follow some bullshit rules about dating that were made up anyway.
Hinata is back in Japan.
Kageyama feels a twinge of disappointment that Hinata hadn’t told him he was returning and that he had found out via his Instagram feed. It was a photo of him that seemed to have been taken using the self-timer, of him doing what looks like an incredibly difficult yoga pose, the view outside his hotel room window spread out behind him.
The caption read “ Feelin a bit nostalgic tonight from a lonely motel room in Osaka... Ready to spread my wings and fly again 🪶 ”
Kageyama recognized two things as he studied the photo from the café where he had planned to meet up with his sister for lunch.
The first was the pose. It was the same pose Hinata had practiced nightly in order to say he could do it before graduation: Crow pose .
Kageyama remembers how difficult it had seemed back in high school as Hinata practiced on his bedroom floor. Now, Hinata made it look like the easiest thing in the world.
The second thing he recognized, nearly knocked the wind out of him. He hadn’t realized it until long after he had seemingly forgotten about the photo, when he had been inhaling his meal as his sister practically begged him to let her cut his hair.
But it came to him out of nowhere, and Kageyama choked on the spoonful of curry that had been in his mouth.
Hinata was wearing his hoodie.
Miwa was giving him a confused look, but Kageyama didn’t notice as he was currently fighting back the urge to regurgitate everything he had just eaten that day as his stomach churned with nerves.
Miwa was speaking to him now, but Kageyama’s brain was running so fast with thoughts of how long has he kept that hoodie and does he wear it often and does he wear it to remind him of mes that he was having difficulty breathing.
Unbeknownst to the lovesick setter currently short-circuiting across the table, Miwa was sighing fondly. The Kageyama family has always been a strange one, but the one thing they all have in common is their ability to love: completely and unconditionally .
So it was no surprise to Miwa when she met Hinata for the first time, and saw the look of pure affection in Tobio’s eyes, and knew that her brother had found his person. The person to push back against his cold exterior and finding the soft heart underneath.
That’s the thing with the Kageyama family: they are all very guarded, and not the easiest people to get along with. But when someone breaks through their walls, they will take a piece of their heart with them.
So it had come as a total shock, when Miwa had received a phone call from her brother at two in the morning, his voice shaking with unexpressed heartache as he said, “ We broke up .”
That heartache stayed with her younger brother as he grew more successful. Miwa could see it then. And now, as Tobio brooded over his curry muttering to himself like a madman, Miwa could still see the love in his eyes.
So Miwa did the only thing she could bring herself to do: she laughed. She laughed at her younger brother as he sulked over a love that had ended years earlier. This brought Tobio’s gaze back to her, his face twisting into irritation at being picked on.
“What?” He snapped, pouting like a small child. Nearly twenty years had passed, but Tobio was still the tiny toddler who hated being made fun of.
“Can I ask you something, Tobio?” Miwa took a sip of her water, before continuing. “And I want you to be completely honest with me.”
Tobio frowned, his eyes narrowing to glare at his sister. Miwa just smiled back warmly. Eventually Tobio caved, nodding weakly.
“Do you still love Hinata-san?”
Her brother didn’t react the way she had expected him to. She thought he would become overly flustered and angry at the incredibly personal question. And he was flustered, his cheeks turning pink, but his face seemed to harden into a glare, his eyebrows furrowing as if it were an incredibly difficult question to answer.
Kageyama (Tobio) was having a hard time. This is the first time someone has asked him about his feelings for Hinata and he found it far more difficult to admit than he had thought.
He’s not an idiot, he knows that he feels the same way for his partner that he had when they had first met, or when they had confessed in the snow at the training camp, even after dating for a year.
His feelings had never changed, but Kageyama didn’t want to admit it out loud. Not before he told Hinata the truth.
And for the first time in years, he planned to.
—
The Sendai City Gymnasium .
When Hinata stepped off the bus, that familiar sprawling staircase laid out before him, he felt as if he had travelled back in time.
Back to Summer Inter-Highs with the Karasuno Volleyball Team.
Back to his very first volleyball game with the rag-tag amateurish team with good intentions.
Back to where it all began.
Now Hinata was standing in front of the staircase: five inches taller, seven years older and stronger.
He wasn’t the nervous, weak-willed boy he had been when he stood on those steps, crying his eyes out as he challenged Kageyama for the very first time.
- If you’re the king who rules the court, I’m going to beat you and stay on the court the longest!-
Hinata brought his gaze up to a large poster that had been put up outside the gymnasium: a photo which featured members of both the Adlers and the Black Jackals, of which Kageyama was included.
It was almost funny to see Kageyama on the side of a building, but he didn’t have very much time to dwell on it as Atsumu had sauntered up next to him, a confused look on his face.
“Are ya okay, Sho-kun? Ya look a little dead behind the eyes.”
“You should take notes, Miya. Maybe it will make you less infuriating.” Sakusa chirped as he fiddled with his mask, securing it over his face like he hadn’t been drooling over Atsumu’s freshly dry-cleaned track jacket in his sleep only five minutes ago.
No one on the team dared to mention it to the wing spiker, for risk of permanent bodily harm.
“Mean, Omi-kun!”
With Atsumu distracted, Hinata returned to his blissful daydreaming, relishing in the welcoming scent of air salonpas that seemed to be embedded in every square inch of the building.
Hinata had made so many memories in this building, and it was making him so excited he couldn’t sit still. So after the team’s warm-up, Hinata tugged his track jacket back on to keep himself warm, and found himself wandering the venue.
He passed the hallway where he had met Aone for the first time, after he had rudely singled out Asahi.
He passed the stairwell where he and Kageyama had bickered over poop (or shit in Kageyama’s case).
There was the lobby, and the courtyard.
Somewhere along the way, he had come to the men’s bathroom on the first floor. He remembered all the terrifying interactions he had survived in this very spot. From Seijoh to Shiratorizawa to Date Tech to every team in between.
To Kageyama.
Hinata wasn’t sure what he was expecting, coming to this spot after all this time. He wasn’t feeling sick like he used to, back during his first year.
It looked exactly the way it had the last time he’d set foot here: his third year at Karasuno. It felt like a lifetime ago, and Hinata felt out of place, almost like he was disturbing a sacred location.
Suddenly, he felt stupid for coming here. He was about to hurry back to his teammates, when he heard that familiar voice he’d missed so much. The voice that sent electricity through his body and seemed to kickstart his heart into motion.
“Not gonna have any bowel issues today, are you?”
Hinata could feel the playful smirk stretching across his face before he could stop it, and he turned to find Kageyama standing a few feet away, a matching sneer on his face.
“Heck no,” Hinata rolled his eyes, even though his smile didn’t fade. “I’m not the kind of guy who gets stomach troubles before games anymore.”
“You’d better not, dumbass.” Then Kageyama’s face softened, and he smiled. Hinata could feel his face flushing with heat, but he didn’t care. Because he was here.
Finally.
“Kageyama-kun, you learned how to smile while I was in Brazil? So proud.” Kageyama growled, reaching out to what Hinata thought would have been his face, but when he attempted to dodge, Kageyama’s hand wrapped around his bicep tightly.
Kageyama pulled Hinata towards him, and Hinata grunted with surprise when Kageyama wrapped him into a tight hug. Hinata was definitely blushing now, but Kageyama’s grip was only tightening, and was restricting Hinata’s airflow.
“K-Kageyama, ow. Ow!” Hinata whined, his voice muffled against Kageyama’s chest. But he did not relent, instead only squeezing tighter.
“You didn’t tell me when you came back, you runt .”
“I-it was so sud denOW-“ Hinata whined as Kageyama’s hand wound into his hair, squeezing his scalp hard enough it was a wonder his skull didn’t crack under Kageyama’s fingertips.
Thankfully, Kageyama relented shortly after, and Hinata rubbed his head with a frown.
“Nice to see you, too.” He muttered under his breath, only to flinch at the angry glare he received. Time may have mellowed out the setter, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still terrifying if he wanted to be.
“ Oi, y- “
“Woah, hold it.” Kageyama was interrupted by Atsumu’s voice at the same time that he wrapped an arm around Hinata’s shoulders.
Hinata rolled his eyes, already expecting this confrontation to end badly. Kageyama’s glare shifted from Hinata’s face to the arm that was currently trapping Hinata in this nightmare.
He made a mental note to ‘accidentally’ hit Tsumu-san with a ball during the warmup. He always gets away with it.
“Tobio-kun, wouldja mind not pickin’ a fight with my wing spiker, hmm?” Hinata watched as Kageyama’s face twitched with repressed anger, but was shocked to see Kageyama remaining eerily calm.
“I didn’t pick a fight with him.” Kageyama turned his nose up at the blonde setter, clearly offended. “He picked one with me .”
Hinata responded to the false accusations in the most childish way possible, by sticking his tongue to make a face at Kageyama.
Hinata groaned as Bokuto poked his head out, instantly bombarding the group with strange questions. Normally, he would be more than happy to join him, but he had been trying to talk to the idiot who was currently unknowingly provoking Atsumu, in that infuriatingly expressionless tone.
Hinata just sighed, accepting the fact he wouldn’t be able to catch up with Kageyama until after the game.
That might be for the best anyway. Hinata can’t have anything messing up his focus. Not today.
So Hinata just smiled and bantered with former rivals on both sides of the court, and trying not to get lost in those blue eyes that shimmered in the dim fluorescent lights.
He felt like a high schooler all over again, when he used to catch himself watching Kageyama a little too closely, and trying to convince himself it was out of jealousy or rivalry, even as his face flamed and his heart pounded so loudly it was the only sound he could hear.
I’m so in love with him it’s disturbing.
Hinata was reminded of that after he had retreated to the locker room with his teammates. When he began to warmup on the court (even as he made sure to hit Atsumu with one of his ‘serves.’ Sakusa found it amusing).
And when he was standing on the court, Kageyama’s overjoyed, though still just as prideful, face staring back at him through the net that now separated them.
I love you.
His brain screamed as he shook Kageyama’s hand, staring up into those eyes he hadn’t seen in such a long time. He could never forget those eyes.
The world feels like it’s whirling around way too fast, and Hinata’s heart is pounding and he hasn’t even started playing yet.
“And in a surprising move... The Black Jackals are resting their main cannon, Oliver Barnes, today.”
Hinata turned his gaze to his senior, who was smiling brightly.
“ Instead, they’re starting No. 21, the newcomer Hinata Shouyou in his spot opposite the setter. Today is his debut game.”
Hinata leapt to give Barnes an energetic high ten, a laugh bubbling out of him, releasing some of that nervous excitement.
He was feeling antsy. He wants to be on the court. He wants to spike. He wants to fly.
When the whistle blew to mark the start of the game, all those thoughts faded away, until all that was left was the soft, serene feeling of the Brazilian beach in the morning.
He could almost feel the sand beneath his feet, even indoors. He could feel the determination of the players, the anticipation of the serve that was sure to be nasty.
Hinata has waited nearly six years for this moment. To be standing on the court, Kageyama on the other side of the net. This was his chance to prove that Brazil had changed him.
He met Kageyama’s gaze, and Hinata knew the serve would be coming to him. He would have clicked his tongue if he wasn’t so excited.
He knew there were three reasons Kageyama could be serving to him to start.
The first, and most plausible being that he wants to start off the match with a service ace. Kageyama’s serves have always been difficult to receive, but now he has the ability to pinpoint its location as accurately as his tosses. He has been known to target players he believes will give him the highest possibility of a service ace.
The second being he wants the drop in moral that comes from a failed serve receive to steal the flow of the match from the start.
Lastly, and probably the correct reason, is Kageyama wants to challenge Hinata as if to say dig this if you dare . Hinata would take the challenge gladly.
Three seconds.
It took only three seconds for Hinata to dive for Kageyama’s wicked serve (which had been aimed at the sideline with disgustingly perfect accuracy), bump it cleanly, and pull himself to his feet to begin his run-up.
Height is everything in volleyball. Hinata had been told this from the very beginning. He had been ridiculed, mocked, completely disregarded because he lacked the irreversible trait of height.
But that never stopped him. Not then, and definitely not now. Height may be one of the most powerful tools for volleyball, but Hinata hadn’t spent two years on the other side of the globe just to be second best .
Sure, height is great.
Atsumu could hardly contain his smile as he gave Hinata a stunning open toss, high and close to the net. As consistent as always.
Hinata decides he can forgive him for his comments before the match if he keeps giving him tosses just like this one.
A toss that says, Ya better get this point or I’m never trustin’ ya again.
Hinata was in the air before the Adlers’ block could react, and he had a perfect view of Kageyama as he slammed the ball down, stealing the first point of the day.
Sure, height is powerful, but it means nothing without speed.
And in the game of speed, no one beats Hinata Shoyo.
Hinata looked to the referee, watching with glee as he announced the point for the Jackals.
“ I’m here! ” Hinata screamed, punching the air with all the energy of his first-year self. He felt like he was fifteen again, even as his high-school-rivals-turned-professional-teammates flocked to celebrate his official debut.
—
Took you long enough, you dumbass.
Kageyama should have been irritated. His serve, which is infamous for being unreceivable, was received by that fiery-haired runt . Worse, that same runt scored a point with the serve he received himself .
It was a slap in the face, and that’s being kind.
But Kageyama knew he was grinning wildly, as he watched Hinata’s smiling face through the net.
“You better not be going easy on him.” Hoshiumi’s face was twisted in irritation as he pointed at Kageyama accusingly.
“I don’t know what that means.” Kageyama responded, his gaze not leaving the sunshine reincarnate who was currently wrestling with Bokuto. Hoshiumi chuckled, his gaze sharpening as he turned towards Hinata.
Hinata shivered from his place on the court, before he turned to meet Kageyama’s gaze head-on. His face melted into a triumphant smirk as he took in his opponent, one that seemed to kickstart Kageyama’s heart in his chest.
Only Hinata was able to control him in that way.
The first set felt like a whirlwind, moving so quickly that it felt as if it were over before it even had a chance to begin.
Kageyama was panting as he stumbled towards the bench where the coaches were calling them. Losing the first set was not ideal, especially since they still haven’t been able to fully grasp the enigma that is Hinata Shoyo.
Once again Kageyama found himself smiling as he thought of the monster who had flown away two years ago, and who had returned with new powers that were threatening.
Kageyama was a cold, lonely king. Then he met Hinata, and he became just a king.
He became a lonely king again two years ago, and now? It was time to show Hinata just who ruled the courts.
Neither side let up, both scoring plenty of points on the other. It was anyone’s game, and Kageyama has always been amazing at turning the flow of the game in his favor before the opponent knew what was even happening.
But that was before his opponent was Hinata: the one person who knows him better than anyone else. The one who has analyzed his playstyle the most. That feeling is his volleyball .
Playing against a powerful opponent sends shocks through his limbs, and with every receive and toss, Kageyama feels lighter. His body reacts quicker, taking in the information his eyes are seeing without error.
- If you get really good... I promise you...-
Kageyama loves volleyball. He loves that familiar ache in his muscles after a grueling match. He loves the breathless high after a victory, even the burning pain of a loss.
He loves being a setter. He loves the way his heart flips when a spiker scores using his toss. He loves deceiving his enemy, and he loves the feeling of holding the power of a team of strong players in his hands even though he never physically holds the ball.
Hinata had clawed his way up from the bottom, from the forgotten abyss of obscurity. He had made the world see him, and Kageyama could see him shining .
Hinata is where he belongs, at long last.
This is volleyball. Kageyama’s volleyball just isn’t the same without Hinata Shoyo. This is where he is meant to be.
-... Somebody who’s even better will come and find you. -
The Adlers took the second set, in part to Kageyama’s genius use of his spikers to make the Jackals run around like chickens who’d just been beheaded.
The game felt like it was going by too quickly. Kageyama was starting to feel very uneasy at the speed in which the game was passing. But his focus wasn’t lacking, rather much the opposite. He has never felt more in touch with his thoughts, and he was reacting quicker than he usually would.
Kageyama could only wonder if it was Hinata that had brought this out of him. There was a small part of his heart that wanted that to be true, but those kinds of thoughts have no place on a volleyball court, so they were quickly forgotten.
—
The sound of the volleyball hitting the wood of the court was devastating. For a whole two seconds.
The sadness of losing a game along with the disappointment of not being able to play even more settled over his heart.
Kageyama’s fingers went cold, in those two short seconds. He had just begun to rub them together in an attempt to warm them when he caught Hinata’s eye. Hinata, who had flown higher and shone brighter than anyone else he knew. Kageyama’s someone better .
Kageyama shivered, imagining his sister watching the game at her home and sneering at his expense.
But all those thoughts vanished when Hinata’s brown eyes met his blue ones, and his face broke out into a satisfied smile. You idiot .
Kageyama turned away, towards his dejected teammates, hoping his face didn’t look as flushed as it felt.
Kageyama didn’t see Hinata again until they were greeting guests, which included their former Karasuno teammates. Hinata did most of the talking, but that is always how it had been. Kageyama may have opened up and softened with time, but he was still completely shit at communication.
So Kageyama just listened as Hinata rambled on about Brazil and other pointless stories, trying to ignore the rapid pounding of his heart.
They saw their old teammates, even Suga, Daichi, and Asahi which was an unexpected surprise. They saw their kouhais and even Coach Ukai and Takeda sensei with their current volleyball team.
Kageyama would never admit it, but seeing everyone together, the team that saved him and gave him a place to belong... Made him far more emotional than he cared to admit. But that could also just be the sting of the loss making him imagine things. (It’s not).
Maybe that is why he struggled to keep his emotions from running rampant.
“It’s comforting to see Kageyama-san hasn’t changed at all.” One of his former kouhai’s chirped, chuckling softly. Kageyama tensed instantly as many of his former teammates began to laugh.
“Oi, you-“ Kageyama knew he was flustered now, if Hinata’s obnoxious laughter was anything to go by.
“He still stares at Hinata-san like a lovesick idiot.” Tsukishima glowered, and Kageyama took a few steps forward, ready to wring his neck, even as his face burned.
He paused when Hinata made a strange squeaking noise, and his face reddened to match his obnoxious hair. Kageyama froze in his path towards Tsukki, feeling his own face warming to mimic Hinata’s.
Despite being humiliated in front of their friends, Hinata’s gaze never left Kageyama’s face. There was something lingering in those soft brown eyes that was more than the shine from the auditorium lights overhead. Something that made Kageyama’s stomach churn painfully.
“Tsukki, my dude!” Bokuto made his presence known as he tackled the blonde in a playful headlock, which only earned him a pained sigh. Leave it to Bokuto to save Kageyama from embarrassing himself even further and be completely unaware of it.
At some point Hinata disappeared and was currently having an energetic sound-effect filled conversation with Natsu, who even now, looked identical to her older brother.
Kageyama busied himself with greeting fans, considering he didn’t have many friends he hadn’t already seen (that he knew of), and his only family was still in Tokyo running her salon.
Which was fine. Kageyama is fine.
He repeated this incantation to himself as he met up with his team, as they stretched, during the meeting, and as he left the locker room. It did little to calm him, but it helped him to feel a little more in control.
He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, knowing Hinata would be here . His whole body seemed to burn with disappointment at the fact that they had hardly spoken, and then they had both disappeared to be with their respective teams.
So Kageyama was lost in his own self-pity when he walked through the locker room door, so he hardly had any chance to react when a strong arm wrapped around his wrist and dragged him off, down the halls and towards an oh-so-familiar bathroom.
Kageyama’s brain was whirling too fast and he felt lightheaded as the ginger-haired demon shoved him against the wall, his shorter stature making his attempt at intimidation look comical, at best.
His heart was still pounding rapidly as he met Hinata’s gaze, willing his face to stay neutral. The way Hinata was staring at him, like he was analyzing every inch of his face, certainly wasn’t helping.
What.
—
“Where’s Kageyama? I thought he would be with you?” Hinata felt his shoulders slump as he gazed at Yachi, who was pulling on her coat with the same kind smile he’d come to expect from her.
“He left without saying anything!” Hinata whined, earning a soft chuckle from Yamaguchi, who then turned to look at Tsukki who was in the process of rolling his eyes.
“I’m sure he’s still around here. You have time.”
“Can you please just make up already? Seeing you both so absolutely enamored with each other is disgusting.” Tsukki huffed, clicking his tongue with distaste.
“What he means to say,” Yachi added, giving the taller man a pinch through his sweater. “is that we want you two to work things out. And no matter what happens we’ll be right behind you.” Yamaguchi nodded, leaning down to rest his head on Yachi’s shoulder, smiling at Hinata.
It’s so easy to tell yourself to be confident when you aren’t forced to be brave.
Standing in front of Kageyama after not seeing him for nearly two years, and knowing what he was about to do, made Hinata’s heart leap into his throat, stealing the words from his lips.
What is he supposed to say? Hey, sorry I dumped you and then moved across the world for years only to return and humiliate you on the volleyball court! Oh and I’m actually in love with you even though it’s been years! Sorry, have a nice day!
“Hinata?” Hinata shivered, as he was pulled back to reality, meeting Kageyama’s confused gaze. “What are you doing?”
“I won the bet!” Hinata shouted, far too loud than was necessary, and Kageyama flinched in shock.
“Yeah.”
“So... I want to say something!” Hinata couldn’t seem to lower the volume of his voice, and he sounded so stiff and tense it brought a flush to his cheeks. This is so not how he envisioned this going.
“I don’t really have a choice, so spit it out.”
So Hinata swallowed his pride, braced himself, and apologized.
“I’m sorry, Tobio.”
Kageyama choked on the sharp intake of breath that was caused by Hinata’s use of his given name. Hinata would have found it endearing if he wasn’t fighting down the urge to run away.
“Wha- Why would yo-“ Kageyama spluttered, his cheeks burning brightly, a brilliant shade of pink that only emphasized his flustered expression.
Hinata was a little concerned that he may just die here, if he can’t get control of his heart. It may just stop entirely.
“You were so selfish when we first met,” Hinata chuckled dryly, the guilt that he has been nursing since meeting Oikawa in Brazil making itself at home in his gut. “Do you remember?”
“Why are you bringing this up now?” Kageyama growled, but one look at his eyes told Hinata that he felt more embarrassed than angry. Hinata knows Kageyama regrets the way he acted in middle school. “I’m not like that anymore.”
“When’d you become so selfless, Kageyama?”
“What are you talking about, dumbass?!” Kageyama pushed Hinata off of him, increasing the distance between them, if only slightly.
“I’m talking about the fact that you just let me leave .”
Kageyama’s eyes widened, and the blue in his eyes was more distracting than ever, overflowing with a deep, stormy haze. It reminded Hinata of the tropical storms in Brazil: dark, heavy, and lethal... yet Beautiful.
“You let me make such a selfish, absolutely thoughtless decision...”
Hinata’s voice was raising in both pitch and volume steadily, as he grabbed a fistful of Kageyama’s jacket.
“And you didn’t say anything.” Hinata pushed his fist into Kageyama’s chest. “You didn’t call me a dumbass and you didn’t tell me how stupid I was acting.”
Kageyama was silent now, his eyes glowing with an emotion Hinata couldn’t quite read. It looks sad, but also not sad at all.
“Why?” Hinata’s voice failed him, wobbling as he headbutted Kageyama in the chest, earning a surprised grunt from the setter. “ Why didn’t you do anything?”
Hinata felt like he was where he belonged, curled against Kageyama’s body, the both of them sweaty and disgusting and still coming down from the high of the match.
It’s been quite a long time since they had been on the court, so why is Kageyama’s heart pounding so rapidly? It gave Hinata false hope.
So Hinata nearly jumped out of his skin when a gentle hand brushed against the back of his neck on its journey into his sweaty curls.
“Why did you call me here, dumbass? Did you want to lecture me?”
“I-“ want to tell you how much I still love you .
But Hinata knows how unfair that is, and that isn’t the reason he’s standing here.
“I was so selfish, and stupid.” Hinata spoke his words into Kageyama’s firm chest, too afraid to bring his gaze up to those sad blue eyes. “I had thought I was doing the right thing but... it’s clear now that had been one of the stupidest decisions I’ve ever made.”
Kageyama was silent, but his long fingers massaging his scalp were calming.
“I wanted to apologize for how stupid I had acted, running away and leaving you all alone. I never meant to-“
“If this is your prize for winning the bet, it’s pretty lame.” Hinata’s gaze snapped up to Kageyama, who seemed to be fighting to keep his face neutral. His eyes were sparkling with sadness, and it was clear Hinata’s words had rung true.
“You deserve to be happy, after all this pain and suffering you had been forced into.” Hinata took a deep, calming breath. This is it. “So I’m sorry...”
Kageyama’s eye twitched with irritation, no doubt by Hinata apologizing again , but Hinata was completely one-track minded, and he would not be interrupted.
“I’m sorry for being selfish one last time.” Then he was tugging on Kageyama’s tshirt to pull him down so Hinata to press their lips together in a chaste kiss.
This is goodbye.
Hinata wanted to kiss him, one last time. For himself. He was selfish, even after everything. He wanted to feel Kageyama’s lips on his one last time. He knew this would end very badly, but he needed this closure to finally let Kageyama choose for himself who he wanted to be with.
The kiss was way too quick, Hinata pulling away with the intent to run past Kageyama and leave. Before he could even reach the door, there was a hand gripping his arm.
Hinata flinched as the grip tightened, but Kageyama made no other move to pull Hinata back. He was silent as well: looking down at his feet, his eyes obscured by his hair.
The silence was deafening. Hinata wasn’t sure what to say, he hadn’t thought this far ahead. He had been so sure he was going to be harshly rejected, that this action was strange.
It was uncharted territory.
Then Kageyama brought his eyes up slowly, and Hinata’s stomach dropped to his feet. There were tears slipping down Kageyama’s cheeks, ones Hinata wasn’t sure Kageyama himself was aware of as he glared at Hinata.
“Why?” Kageyama murmured, the tears only falling faster, as he let go of Hinata’s arm. Hinata was free to leave, if he chose, and he knew Kageyama was leaving that choice to Hinata. Selfless bastard .
“Why are you saying goodbye again?” Hinata knew he was breaking, could sense his resolve shattering at the sight of the tears streaming down Kageyama’s face. Kageyama, who looked so angry and sad that it was going to destroy him from the inside out.
“Tobi-“ Hinata reached his hand out slowly, gently, testing the waters. Kageyama flinched at first, but allowed him to brush his hand against his face.
Kageyama shut his eyes, his whole face clenching to prevent any fresh tears from escaping. It was not effective.
Instead, Kageyama gave up, his tense muscles relaxing as he nuzzled his cheek into Hinata’s palm.
They stayed like that, the silence wrapping around them, breaking down the walls that had been painstakingly built up over years of distance and unresolved longing.
For Kageyama, he had spent so much time waiting for Hinata to come back to him, he had fallen into a familiar bubble of yearning. He had become comfortable there, the ache in his heart dulled to a hardly-noticeable throb.
For Hinata, he carried the heavy unresolved guilt of his past mistakes like a crown for so long until he had forgotten the reason for his guilt in the first place.
“I...” Kageyama’s voice was so quiet, that if Hinata hadn’t been waiting for it, he would have missed it. “I can’t say goodbye to you too.”
Any words that had been on the tip of Hinata’s tongue lodged in his throat, stealing the air from his lungs. Hinata felt his own tears on his cheeks, as his stomach swirled with regret.
He had promised long ago to always be by Tobio’s side, and yet he had abandoned him.
He was officially the worst.
Hinata put up no resistance as Kageyama pulled him into a crushing hug, his shoulders trembling with silent sobs.
“I don’t care about your bullshit apologies.” Tobio snapped, his lips brushing Hinata’s ear. “And I don’t care about you leaving.”
A shiver ran through Shoyo as Tobio nibbled on his earlobe. He wasn’t sure whether to be afraid, angry, or aroused. That was probably Tobio’s intention.
“If there is any part of that tiny brain of yours that still loves me… That remembers your promise… Then quit feeling sorry for yourself and just stay with me, Shouyou.”
Shouyou was once again at a loss for words as Kageyama stepped back, his blue eyes alight with a fire he hasn’t seen in so long.
His heart fluttered in his chest, and Hinata wished Tobio would hear it. If he did, he would realize all the words he should have said long ago.
“I made it back, didn’t I?”
Kageyama’s eyes glittered with tears as he smiled. It was the smile only Hinata could bring out of him. A smile that hasn’t seen the light of day in years.
“Welcome home, dumbass.”
Shouyou smiled, and he wondered if Tobio knew just how true those words were.
After travelling the ocean and seeing the other side of the world, Hinata has lived in so many different places.
His small village in the mountains with its modest appearance.
Miyagi prefecture, with his friends and teammates and Karasuno .
Tokyo, Japan. With its bustling atmosphere and Kenma and Tobio .
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Where he learned to fly. Where Pedro and Heitor and Nice and Oikawa welcomed him.
And finally: Osaka, Japan. With his new teammates who helped him defeat his long-time rival. His new home among the elite of Japan.
Hinata has lived in many places over the years, and each one has left a mark on the person he is standing before Tobio now. But none of those places have ever felt like home.
Hinata’s home lies in those blue eyes, full of emotion he tries to hide.
The late nights practicing serve receives until their bodies gave out.
Falling asleep tangled together, their heartbeats beating in tandem.
So yeah, Shouyou is finally home. And he thinks he’s ready to stay this time.