Chapter Text
The air was still, the sky unmoving and the sun had already started to set. The previous blazing heat was now replaced by a faint breeze that ran through his ginger locks comfortingly. It almost felt as though someone were running their fingers through his hair and the thought made him choke up.
God, he was so tired of crying.
It’s all he’s been doing these past few hours after his breakup. The fallout was downright heartbreaking and his mental state had deteriorated significantly. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried to forget and move on, the clearer the image of him walking in on his boyfriend with someone else became. He still couldn’t believe how one hour made three years go down the drain just like that.
•••••
He’d been able to get off work early as a favor from his boss who greatly appreciated him as an employee with an admirable work ethic. Atsumu, his boyfriend, had mentioned earlier that week that he was planning on making him a dinner and to let him know when he would start heading home so he could set everything up on time. Of course, Hinata being Hinata, decided he’d much rather leave an hour early to get some flowers and chocolate for his beloved to surprise him. So imagine his shock when he arrives home only to see an unfamiliar car parked in their driveway.
He brushed it off as Atsumu inviting a friend or Osamu over to help him with the food and headed inside. As he made his way inside quietly, he started to notice that the table was set up along with a distinct aroma of his favorite dish coming from the kitchen and there were banners hung up all around, but the house itself was quiet.
Until he got to the stairs that lead up to their shared bedroom.
As he started to make his way up, he heard noises that sounded all too familiar to his ears. He could feel heart was pounding and he could feel his hands clamming up. Of course he knew what was going on but it was as if a part of his mind refused to believe it and tried to look for justification.
Standing in right in front of the door with his hand on the knob, he realized things would never be the same ever again. This would change everything he ever knew. About Atsumu, himself, their relationship as a whole and the life they had steadily built together over time. An open door gave way to many realizations. The widened and guilt ridden eyes, the two naked bodies intertwined under their duvet, the familiar brown tousled hair and golden brown eyes of a coworker of Atsumu’s he vaguely remembers meeting before. It was all too much for him.
He quickly closes the door with a choked sob and turns around to bolt out of the house.
“Shouyou, please come back!”
•••••
How long have I been sitting here, he drunkenly thought to himself.
He looked up from his bench, only to see the stars had already come out of hiding and the new moon had decided to join in. The universe must’ve pitied him to think that this would be a comfort enough to make up for the deceit and betrayal of his ex lover. As if it could also sense his tears that threatened to resurface once again, it suddenly started to rain. He flinched at the first sound of lightning and quickly regained some awareness.
1. He was drunk.
2. It was midnight.
3. He was sitting in the rain and lightning.
4. He was at the very least five miles away from where he could no longer even call a home.
His hand shot to the pockets of his pants and that was when he came to another conclusion ; 5. He didn’t know where his keys were.
He sighed angrily and out of frustration, threw a strong kick at the side of the vending machine that stood next to him. Bad, bad, very bad idea. He instantly crumpled to the floor in pain, the tears now freely trailing down his checks as he groaned out in pain.
“Hey idiot! What are you doing?”
He swiveled his head so fast he nearly got whiplash, only to come face to face with a man holding an umbrella who couldn’t have been any older than him (even if he was a lot taller) and had a very serious case of resting bitch face. That much he could tell, even if it was pretty dark out. As the man walked closer with an expression he could only describe as hesitance and disdain, he noticed that he had a rather lean build, shiny black hair, soft facial features and the most beautiful blue eyes he’s ever seen. He wore a nicely tailored black suit with a slightly disheveled looking tie and polished dress shoes. In his other hand he held a single chrysanthemum.He was breathtaking.
“-the third drunkie I’ve found in the park this week! What do you think you’re doing causing a commotion out here?!”
He shook his head, breaking out of his mini daze. A faint blush rose to his cheeks when he realized that not only had he openly checked this man out, but he had also managed to embarrass himself enough to be mistaken for an annoying drunkard. He stood up quickly, nearly stumbling back into the vending machine as his arms went up in defense. He winced in immediate regret when he felt a dull pain shoot up his ankle.
“Y-you, this isn’t what it l-looks like!”
He watched in panic as the man turned away from him to look at the bench he was sitting on where he had also left an empty bottle of sake and then turned back again to face him with a raised eye brow, almost as if asking, Do you think I’m stupid?
“I swear I w-wasn’t doing anything wrong. I mean, unless you count crying while you’re drunk cause you c-caught your boyfriend cheating on y-you on the day of your three year anniversary. In that c-case, then yeah.” He stuttered out while blubbering in between sentences.
The stranger’s eyes widened at the sudden revelation, as if he was listening to something he shouldn’t have and he looked like he probably regretted coming over to chew him out after having these personal problems thrown at him so suddenly. However, he seemed to have loosened up a little and his frown had less of a bite to it for his silent criticizing had turned into sympathy.
“C’mere, get under the umbrella.” He said, stepping forward until he was standing in front of the weeping redhead.
Hinata looked up at him confused. The man simply rolled his eyes and grabbed his arm to tug him closer until he was no longer being pelted by the raindrops. He started walking the opposite direction from where Hinata’s car was and the short male quickly sobered up.
“Woah there, I don’t even know who you are, you could be kidnapping me!” He thrashed about in the stranger’s arms.
“W-what?!” The man spluttered looking down at Hinata in disbelief, “Calm down dumbass, I’m not kidnapping you!” He shouted as he kept walking, his grip on Hinata’s sweater never faltering.
“Fine, so we’ve established you’re not a criminal but then where are we going?” Hinata’s relented, huffing in indignation of the whole ordeal.
“If isn’t obvious enough, I’m getting you out of the rain so you don’t get sick like the drunk idiot you’re being. Don’t think I didn’t witness your meltdown over your lost keys.” The man scoffed in response.
“Whatever, you’ve got to be the weirdest stranger I’ve ever met. You’re being so mysterious, you didn’t introduce yourself and you’re dressed in an all black but I’m the one acting out of line?” Hinata exclaimed, sideyeing the stranger as he kept close to him.
He gulped and looked away when the man looked down at him once again. There was something about this stranger’s eyes that had caught his attention when he first saw him because they seemed so expressive at the the time. After a while, he realized what it was.
Melancholy.
Those blue eyes looked as if they held oceans of tears from the past, raging before simmering down again. Only the drowning of silent cries and the weight of too much knowledge resided in a gaze like this, he knew right then and there.
“I’m just taking you to my apartment. It’s two minutes away.” The man said quietly. And with that, it was only silence until they got to their destination.
•••••
Stepping into the stranger’s home, for Hinata, felt like an intrusion to say the least. He hadn’t known the man for long and while he didn’t seem like a bad guy, it didn’t change the fact he didn’t know anything about him. So getting a peek of his personal space so soon was kind of overwhelming and he was genuinely shocked that the stranger was so willing to lay himself out in the open as he didn’t strike him as the type to show vulnerability. Then again, Hinata could be talking, er, thinking out of his ass.
“Kageyama Tobio.” The stranger sighed, scratching his head.
“What?” Hinata turned suddenly, shooting him a curious look.
“My name-” the man cleared his throat, “My name is Kageyama Tobio.”
“Oh, my name is Hinata Shouyo.” Hinata smiled warmly.
“The living room is over there. Sit down on the couch while I go grab my first aid kit.” Kageyama said, taking off his suit jacket to drape it over the coat-hanger at the entrance. As if barely remembering he had a flower with him, he stared down at it for a long second with a furrowed brow before placing on the small bookshelf next to the door.
As Hinata waited, he looked around in awe. Kageyama must’ve been making big bucks because his place was decorated with luxurious pieces and very clearly modernly furnished. Everything from the marbled tabletops, polished mirror-like flooring, one-hundred inch television and silk curtains screamed successful. As his eyes surveyed the entire place, they landed on a couple of picture frames that sat on the coffee table and he found himself crouching down to look at them.
There was a picture of what was clearly Kageyama but younger, maybe in the ten year old range, playing volleyball with a taller and much older girl that had matching black hair and blue eyes. In the background, was the arm and hair of an older woman who he assumed must’ve been the mother but looked to be cut off from the image.
Next to that frame was a bigger one that sat vertically and looked to be a family portrait. The older man had a stern look on his face, hair slicked back in a prim manner and emerald eyes contrasting the sapphires of his wife who stood next to him about half a foot below. Her eyes were slightly narrowed in a monotone expression and her lips pursed disapprovingly, sleek black hair tied back in a bun. Her talon-like nails seemed to almost dig painfully into the shoulder of the young teen girl in front of her who stood rod straight with a smile pull taut at the corners. In front of the father stood Kageyama himself whose bangs were brushed to the side to reveal his forehead and his mouth formed a straight line. What was most unnerving was the dull and lifeless look in all of their eyes, not at all something you’d expect from a family picture.
He heard footsteps and quickly clambered back onto the couch in a desperate attempt to look casual. Kageyama looked at him weirdly as he rested his head on one hand that was propped on the couch arm and put the other hand on his hip.
“Uh, okay so anyway I’m gonna need you to elevate your foot on a couple pillows and ice your ankle for twenty minutes. You’re gonna want to do that every two hours and once the swelling has gone down I’ll bandage it.” Kageyama finished, handing the ice pack to a flustered Hinata.
“You seem to have experience with healing injuries.” Hinata said while in the process of doing what Kageyama had explained to him.
“You did a piss poor job of concealing your limp on the way here. Plus, I’m a sports medicine physician.” Kageyama explained.
Hinata’s mouth formed an o. “That makes a lot of sense.”
“If you’re talking about this apartment, trust me, it’s not from my salary alone. It’s mostly ‘daddy’s money’.” Kageyama frowned deeply at the end.
Hinata, curious about his family, decided to bring up the portrait.
“Are they your family?” He asked, gesturing at it. No shit Sherlock, he thought to himself embarrassingly, how’d you figure that one out?
“My father and sister? Yes. But as of today, my mother no longer is.” Kageyama responded quietly, shielding his face with his hair as he turned for the kitchen.
What does he mean she’s no longer-
His eyes widened as the realization sank in. The gloominess surrounding him, the black ensemble, and the chrysanthemum. It all made sense.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry I-“ He spluttered.
“Don’t be. If you knew her the way I did, you wouldn’t feel sorry at all.” Kageyama interrupted sharply.
The silence that followed seconds after was stifling. At some point he could hear noise coming from the kitchen and assumed that Kageyama must’ve been cooking. He took his ice pack off and inspected the swelling though it hadn’t improved much. He sat deep in thought at how ridiculously random these series of events were. Sure enough, after a half an hour, the scent of seasoned eggs and pork curry wafted his nostrils and he could almost feel his mouth watering.
Kageyama walked back into the living room with a bowl and cup in hand. He gently set them down on the coffee table and Hinata silently watched as his picked up both picture frames and set them down on the ground to make room. He moved the table closer to the couch Hinata was resting on and sat on the carpet to watch him eat.
“Thanks for the food, you didn’t have to go overboard though. Sorry for the trouble.” Hinata apologized guiltily.
“Don’t apologize idiot,” Kageyama tched. “Just let me know if you like it or I can find something else if you don’t.”
Hinata said his thanks and silently ate his dinner, occasionally sipping at the green tea that accompanied the food. All the while, Kageyama watched. When he was finished, he complimented the cook’s skills but instead of making any indication of going to do something else, Kayegama stayed sitting and looking contemplative.
“So, whats your story?” The dark haired male finally asked, fiddling with his hands. As stoic as he appeared, Hinata could admit Kageyama had his own brand of awkward adorableness.
“Oh, nothing interesting, pretty boring actually if you ask me. I’m sure I pale in comparison to you.” Hinata mused.
“Still, I want to know more about you. You’re gonna stay the night so we might as well get to know each other.” Kageyama shrugged.
“Alright. Well, I’m twenty three, I work a typical nine to five job at this office as a secretary, I’ve been living with the guy who is now my ex for the past three years and I haven’t had contact with my parents or younger sister ever since I came out to them as pansexual at the age of eighteen. See? Boring.” Hinata laughed bitterly.
“I meant ‘who’s Hinata?’, not ‘how is he a product of his environment?’” Kageyama shook his head. “There’s got to be more to you than that.”
Hinata was rendered speechless. He never felt this comfortable sharing with his friends. After all, he was past the point of having mastered his happy go lucky facade and not even most of those close to him could read him as well as this stranger could.
“Ha, I can’t believe this is happening right now. Just two hours ago I was sitting on a bench drunk over this asshole and now I ate dinner cooked by this stranger I’ve never met before in my life. I’ve got to be dreaming.” Hinata chuckles, leaning back to lay down. He wondered briefly if maybe a parallel universe version him had woken up to reality being restored once again as he dealt with this being his life from now on.
“As cliche as this will sound, things happen for a reason. Not saying that’s supposed to make you feel better, but life is all about balance. You can’t get too much of a bad thing without getting some good in return, that’s all.” Kageyama stood up and walked to a small door that looked to be a closet and reached in before pulling back to reveal he was carrying a thick wool blanket and pillows.
“Follow me, you’re gonna be staying in my room.” He indicated, turning down a different hallway.
“Hey wait, you’re doing too much!” He yelled as he followed after him.
“You have a sprained ankle that you need to keep elevated for a while and sleeping on the couch is not ideal, you could just injure yourself more so just stay in here for now.”
Kageyama opened a drawer and pulled out pajama pants and a long T-shirt that surely would fit too big on Hinata. He must’ve noticed Hinata’s train of thought when he looked at the clothes in barely disguised incredulity.
“I know they’re big but those are actually the smallest I own so we’re gonna have to work with that okay? Now the bathroom is that way. Considering you sat in the rain for a bit, you shouldn’t even argue about taking a warm bath. Just be careful with your ankle, you don’t want to jostle it too much. I’m gonna head off to bed so I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thank you Kageyama, for real.” Hinata said, wiping his eyes as he felt tears welling up again.
“Ugh, don’t cry dummy. It’s nothing.” Kageyama rolled his eyes, red coloring his ears. He walked out and closed the door behind him to give Hinata privacy.
He stood next to the floor to ceiling window and looked out at the night sky, the moon and stars still glowing brilliantly.
New moons stood for new beginnings, didn’t they?