Chapter Text
There was a boy who worked at the smoothie place, and Kageyama definitely didn't have a huge crush on him at all. Nope. Nuh uh. Not his stupid smile, or his hopeful dewy eyes, or his cute plush pink lips that make him just want to grab onto his cute cheeks and kiss the ever loving crap outta him. Nope. Not one bit.
Kageyama had a problem. He had a huge crush on the guy that works at the smoothie joint on campus. It wasn’t until one day after the gym that Kageyama spotted him. He was wearing black shorts and an orange shirt that read “The Crow’s Nest”. Putting up one of those chalkboard signs that you often see outside coffee shops. He was drawing on it with chalk. It read “Smoothie of the Week” and had cute little drawings of smoothie cups holding hands. He smiled and laughed while finishing up the final touches on said standee, standing up to admire his handy work and wiping his palms on the back of his pants. And Kageyama’s heart grew three sizes bigger. He watched the cute boy jump up in glee then skip back inside, cute butt and all.
Kageyama was inside the shop before he knew it. He was standing like a fool at the counter watching a tall boy with long hair in a ponytail mix smoothies.
“Ummm…” a voice broke him out of his reverie “Can I take your order or are you going to continue staring down Asahi all day?” The boy was about the same height as the orange haired boy, but with brunette hair up in spikes towards the sky and a blond streak on the fringe of his bangs. His name tag said Nishinoya
“There was a boy” He explained waving his hands about. The chocolate haired boy stared at Kageyama like he was supposed to say something else, “Outside, setting up the chalkboard . . ?” He left unhelpfully..
“Um.. orange hair?” Kageyama nodded violently, the brunette boy turned towards the back “Hinata, some creeper wants to order from you!” He screamed.
And out came sunshine with a face full of food “ ‘m on break, Noya!” He screamed back from behind the doorway to the staff room, then vanished back into it. Adorable, he was absolutely incredibly cute.
“Sorry he’s busy.” The boy named Nishinoya said. Kageyama got more than he ever wanted and nodded.
“It’s fine,” he said tearily, happy to have spotted the boy once more.
And that’s how Kageyama found himself at the smoothie place on campus every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. All the days Hinata worked, not because he scoped out the place before he went in or anything. It was just, he worked out so close to the smoothie place, and found himself wandering the store everyday after his initial encounter. He couldn’t help himself. Kageyama would have thought he was aromantic until he saw Hinata. His happiness was enough to fill an entire room and even still, seep out through the cracks. He was so cute and something about him just made Kageyama obsessed. He needed to know more about the boy, and that’s exactly what he set out to do.
Kageyama had successfully become more acquainted with Hinata and the rest of the store’s crew. There was Sugawara, Asahi, Nishinoya, their manager Daichi, and Hinata himself. Kageyama memorized every detail he could about Hinata, his favorite flavor was Mint anything, but he always recommended the Orange Cream smoothies to guests because it was his little brother’s favorite. He enjoyed Nintendo games over Playstation ones and was hyped for the new Animal Crossing game coming out on the Switch. He liked dogs more than cats, his birthday was June 21st, and his favorite number was 10. He showered everyday and his favorite movie was A Dog’s Purpose. He knew so much about Hinata, even the small insignificant details, everything but the most important question Kageyama wanted to ask: Would Hinata go out with him?
Kageyama was too scared to ask. Everytime he thought he was ready he just shied away from it. He opened his mouth to say “Do you wanna go watch a movie?” but what would come out would be something completely off topic. He was nervous, okay. He was such a grump and boring person, how could someone like him land a ray of sunshine like Hinata? He was a speck compared to him.
It was another rainy day in Spring and Kageyama had just gotten out of the shower at the gym. Today would be the day. He would ask Hinata out on a date even if it killed him and his ego. He dried his hair and put on his clean clothes, then grabbed his bag and set off for the smoothie store.
He entered, door chiming alerting everyone else of his presence. “Hey Kageyama!” Noya reached across the counter in a big wave over. “Hinata’s in the back today helping out the big boss do some inventory stuff. I’d call him up, but you know how Ukai gets when we interrupt him. Kageyama knew that very well considering how the old man almost called out his intentions in front of Hinata and the entire store.
“That’s okay, I’ll come back later tonight. He close per usual?” Kageyama asked
Noya chuckled “I swear, you know his schedule better than himself with the way he’s been showing up lately.” But before Kageyama could ask why, a group of girls walked in with backpacks on, it definitely was midterm week. Allowing paying customers to get their orders in, Kageyama headed towards the door and waved Noya off.
He returned to his dorm and put on some television. If it were up to him, he would’ve just swept into the back and announced his undying love for Hinata, Ukai or not. But Hinata has a job, and social boundaries are a thing, so he’ll just have to wait until -- He woke up three hours later and jumped out of bed. Oh no He thought, and looked at his phone. 8:39 pm. The shop closes at 9, but he still had time!
He jumped up out of bed and ran outside only to be covered head to shoulders in rain, he ran back in and grabbed a jacket. He ran as fast as he could to The Crow’s Nest and got there in record time. Sure, he was absolutely drenched from head to toe, but he made it! He went to the door to pull it open, but it didn’t budge. That’s weird , he tried the door again but to no success. He looked at his phone again. 8:46pm. The store should be open, what if something awful happened to Hinata? What if he was being held up by some stranger or had fallen or -- Kageyama banged on the door.
“Hinata!!” He called out and banged again “Hinata, are you in there?” bang, bang, bang, “Hinata!” and suddenly the door cracked open.
“Kageya--” thunder and a squeak. Hinata jumped all the way up in the air like a cat, hair on end, and eyes screwed shut. “Kageyama,” he breathed “I.. Please don’t tell anyone but..”
“Are you.. Frightened of thunder?” another strike and Kageyama’s question was answered.
“Ye..Yeah” Hinata replied and pushed the door open so that Kageyama could come in.
“You know it’s not 9 yet right?” Kageyama asked, following Hinata over to the back room, checking his phone again. 8:59PM.
“Please don’t tell Ukai or the others… But how am I supposed to take orders when --” thunder slappe against the windows and Hinata ducked, hands covering his ears. Once he gained his composure he continued “I can’t even stand up straight.. It’s the lighting and the thunder, it’s so loud.. I’ve always hated thunder even as a kid, it’s so embarrassing I’m like a damned child! They’ll torment me for the rest of my life!!” He worried. Kageyama thought it was the cutest thing he’d ever seen. Hinata resembled a cat stuck out in the rain, hair on end and all.
“Hinata, chill.” Kageyama said and Hinata released the tension in his shoulders. “I won’t tell anyone, but you really should tell them yourself. How are you supposed to work at the store? They’ll find out eventually.” Kageyama blushed at the thought that he found out something about Hinata before the others. He tried to push the adoration aside.
Hinata slumped down onto the floor, back towards the counter. He knew that they’d find out eventually, but he didn’t want Kageyama to be the first to find out. Nor did he really want to tell the others. “I will I just.. Need some time to be able to say it. Like I always try to tell them when the weather app says it’s gonna rain, but then I open my mouth and something else comes out, it’s -- “ He runs his hands down his face, squishing his cute cheeks “It’s frustrating. You don’t understand.” Hinata sighed and put his head in his arms, legs crossed up against his chest. He looked like a scared child, and Kageyama wanted to protect him. Kageyama sat down next to him, both wet and soggy.
“Yeah. I do actually.” He said and stepped closer. Hinata looked up and widened his eyes, looking up, up, up at the taller boy. “I’ve been --” Thunder split Kageyama’s thoughts in half. Hinata jumped and held onto Kageyama’s arm with a squeak.
“Kageyama.” Hinata said and buried his head into Kageyama’s shoulder “Can I just stay like this until the thunder stops?” Kageyama could see how red and flushed he was just from his ears.
Kageyama’s heart skipped a beat and his cheeks flushed. He raised his arm to put it around Hinata in which Hinata snuggled under his wing in return. He adored Hinata, scaredy-cat and all. “Sure.” he smiled and rested his head back against the counter. They stayed like that until Hinata began snoring. He had fallen asleep in the crook of his arm. It may not be the answer he was looking for, but it was more than enough to heat him to his core.
“I . . . like you.”