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The first time they kiss, they’re alone in Hinata’s room after the first Interhigh match. Hinata’s tattoo has been bothering him the whole night, simmering hot and tingling enough that he can’t think about anything else. Well, actually, it’s—stupidly—more that he can’t stop thinking about Kageyama.
His chest aches a little, thinking about just how amazingly Kageyama played that game, how much he wants to achieve that level and surpass him. Thinking about how much he admires Kageyama, how lucky he is to be connected with someone as stupid in love with volleyball as he is, someone who he can go even farther than the top of the world with.
Ah. He really, really cares for Kageyama, and he thinks it probably would have happened this way even if tattoos didn’t exist. Hinata rubs his hand again, a nervous habit he’s picked up, and bites his lip. He traces the sword and the shield on his hand all around—the sword’s grown sharper, the shield more intricate, even though tattoos aren’t supposed to change at all, and takes a breath.
“Is it bothering you?” Kageyama asks him, tiredly. He’s lying next to him on the bed, Hinata still sitting up. The window is just above him, and the moonbeams play all over his face like a canvas.
“Is what?” Hinata asks, heart in his throat.
“Your tattoo,” Kageyama answers. “You’ve been obsessed with it all night.”
“Oh, uh, kind of,” Hinata mumbles. “It’s just—been really hot. It’s kind of uncomfortable,” he lies. The way the warmth spreads on his hand all up throughout him to his chest is intoxicatingly soothing, like a lullaby, and he almost wishes it would always burn like this.
Kageyama hums. “It feels nice when mine does that.”
“Really?” Hinata laughs nervously.
Kageyama yawns, big and loud, and doesn’t excuse himself. It should be annoying, but it’s cute, and Hinata hates it. “Mhmm. Like—like the feeling I’d get when my I’d come home as a kid and my mother would have some dorayaki fresh off the pan for me, or something.”
Hinata’s insult dies on his tongue. He kind of wants to have Kageyama this tired all the time, because the affectionate things that he says without even thinking about it is so endearing it hurts. “Stupid.” His voice trembles a little with the overflowing well of affection in his chest. “You can’t just say something like that and expect me not to—uhm.”
Hinata scratches his tattoo, hard, chews the inside of his cheek. He lets out a staggering breath, and Kageyama blinks, refocusing on him. “Can I—can I kiss you?” He asks softly, trying to keep the hopefulness out of his voice. It doesn’t work.
Kageyama startles, eyes widening as he sits up. “You—” he sputters. “You can’t just ask that out of nowhere, dumbass!”
“You can’t tell me I feel like coming home out of nowhere!” Hinata retorts, face red. “I—how do you think that made me feel, huh? You can’t expect me to not react to that!”
Kageyama scowls, but he’s blushing hard, too. “I was barely awake, okay? I—I wasn’t thinking when I said that!”
“So what? You—you still said it!” He fidgets, playing with his fingers, glancing between them and Kageyama. “C’mon, is it a yes or no? Don’t leave me hanging here, dummy!”
“It’s—of course it’s a yes, stupid, I’ve wanted to si—” He cuts himself off with a grimace, realizing what he’s said, and purses his lips.
“Oh, oh, what’s that, Kageyama-kun?” Hinata grins. “Since…?”
Kageyama scowls, and furrow his eyebrows. Christ, it’s adorable. “Since a few weeks after you made me show you my tattoo. When Sawamura-senpai took us out for pork buns and you stole half of mine ‘cause they ran out of your favorite.”
Hinata’s mouth pops open in surprise. He barely even remembered that night. “What, really? You’re kidding.”
“I’m not, idiot,” Kageyama grouses. “You were—cute. Kind of.”
“Awh, you think I’m cute!” Hinata is grinning, again, all full and toothy. “That’s sweet, Kageyama! I’m honored—”
“Are you going to kiss me or not,” Kageyama says, and it’s flat, more of a demand than a question. The blush glowing on his cheeks reveals everything, though.
“Only ‘cause you really want it! I’m gracious like that, you kn—”
Kageyama turns, suddenly, takes Hinata’s face in his hands, Hinata cutting off with a squawk, and—oh, gosh. Oh, gosh, Kageyama is kissing him. Hinata’s tattoo is burning hotter than anything he could have imagined, like the sun’s surface itself.
It’s so warm, Kageyama’s hands on him, the blush rising on his face. The little noise of happiness he lets out at the feeling of Kageyama’s lips against his is so, so embarrassing that he wants to die. He can feel Kageyama smile, his little amused half-snort.
He fists his hands in the back of Kageyama’s shirt. They’re shaking a little, the overwhelming rush of contentment and closeness and feeling of coming home all settling deep within him.
When they part, Hinata breathes out unsteadily, and looks up at Kageyama with stars in his eyes. His tattoo sizzles almost perceptibly.
“Felt really nice,” Hinata mumbles.
“Yeah,” Kageyama agrees lamely, as Hinata’s hands fall from his back to rest in his own lap. Kageyama looks at the hand with his tattoo, picks it up and runs his fingers over it gently, a caress. “Oh, yours is as warm as mine.”
Hinata reels, almost biting his tongue. “You can’t do that, stupid! That’s so embarrassing!”
Kageyama blinks at him. “We just kissed, dumbass. You can’t get more embarrassing than that. And I was curious.”
“You so can!” Hinata retorts. “You—you’re so… Agh.”
It does feel nice, though, Kageyama’s calloused hand in his. Kageyama runs his fingers over the tattoo, making it send little thrills down his arm as though in recognition. A different kind of comfort than the kiss, but still one nonetheless. Hinata’s tiredness overtakes him in a sudden wave.
He falls asleep like that without realizing, Kageyama playing with his hand like it’s a treasure. Hinata wakes up early, just in time for the dawn sunlight to wash over Kageyama’s face and dances over his tattoo, shirt rucked up just enough for it to be visible. Hinata watches sunrays play. Their carefree serenity washes over him, and he lets them lull him back to sleep, steady breathing matching Kageyama’s.