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Hinata has always been short for his age. He forgets about it, most days, because when he's on the court, he can fly, and he tries his best to ignore the barbs of “shorty” thrown at him every time he faces a new team.
Kageyama, on the other hand, is tall. He's really tall, taller than a lot of other players. Compared to Hinata, he towers, and at first, it's just another thing for Hinata to hate about him. When they encounter each other for the first time, it makes Hinata seethe; it's another addition to his shitty intimidating presence, and he hates it.
In high school, though, he gets over it a lot more quickly than he thinks he will.
Kageyama's height gives him long legs, legs that Hinata finds himself watching more than he probably should (he's just admiring them, he tells himself). Hinata finds himself sort of envious of the height, really, not because of volleyball or anything, though a few extra inches definitely would help, but because Kageyama just looks good.
Hinata, on the other hand, is short and sort of plain, and he knows it. He supposes his height makes him stand out, but not in a good way. Girls don't like going for guys who are as tall as they are.
He voices this one day, to Kageyama, while they're sitting and eating lunch. Kageyama's sharing a piece of chocolate, breaking it off and handing it to Hinata, before licking the tips of his fingers. Hinata's eyes linger a second too long, and then he blurts it out.
“I wish I was as tall as you,” he says, and then he flushes, because that's not something he'd ever wanted to admit to Kageyama.
Kageyama looks over at him, like he's surprised. He drops his hand to his lap.
“You're fine at volleyball,” he says, sounding like he's trying to awkwardly reassure Hinata. “You play as well as much taller players.” He's been complimenting Hinata a lot, lately.
“It's not that!” Hinata quickly says, because he doesn't want Kageyama to think he thinks his height would ever make him any less of a player. He's determined to be the best, even compared to people like Kageyama. “It's just that it's kind of hard for guys like me to get noticed, you know? Except when people are making fun of me.” He takes a bite of the chocolate.
“I like your height,” Kageyama says, and Hinata freezes, chocolate melting on his tongue. “It suits you.”
Hinata has no idea what that means. Is Kageyama making fun of him? He looks over, suspicious, but Kageyama's staring hard at the chocolate in his hand like he's trying to burn a hole through it. He looks like that when he's being serious about something.
“Yeah,” Hinata says finally, “I guess, but it would be so easier if I was taller, you know?”
“Then I couldn't do this.” Kageyama sits up and rests his elbow on Hinata's shoulder, pushing him down, and then Hinata's shoving as his side good-naturedly and trying to wrestle Kageyama down to his height to see how he likes it.
He guesses if Kageyama likes his height, it's okay.
Xxx
They get closer, and closer, and then they're doing things like stealing kisses outside the gym and holding hands, Hinata swinging them together.
And again, Hinata's thinking about his height.
They're walking together on the road to home, Hinata holding his bike at his side. “Hey, Kageyama,” he says, thinking.
Kageyama looks over at him.
“Doesn't it...bother you that it's hard for us to...you know...” Hinata flushes because he hates saying it, it's embarrassing, so he just touches a hand to his lips and looks back to Kageyama.
The taller boy stops walking, looking absolutely perplexed. “What are you talking about?”
Hinata stops, too, and frowns. “You know! I'm...short, right, and you always have to bend down, and it's not easy for me to reach up either, you know, and-”
There's a warm pressure against his mouth, suddenly; they've gotten at least halfway decent at this, Hinata likes to think, and there's a tongue against his lips and he's going to open his mouth when Kageyama pulls back.
“You did steal my chocolate,” he says, frowning, licking his lips. “You piece of shit.”
“Shut up, maybe it was my own chocolate!” Hinata bristles (it wasn't, it was very much Kageyama's). “That's not even what we were talking about!”
“It is now.” Kageyama grabs him by the hair, tugging, and Hinata whines. “I didn't see any problems.”
Hinata opens his eyes and looks over to Kageyama, whose hand has now gone a bit softer on his hair. Kageyama's cheeks are tinted pink, just a little, and Hinata always feels proud that he can get him to do that.
“It's not like it's a problem for me to bend down, and it's not like you don't automatically yank me to get what you want,” Kageyama says, and shakes Hinata's head with his hand. “But you stole my chocolate, so I'm not doing that until you pay me back with a new one.”
Hinata's eyes go wide, and he's yelling indignantly that that's not fair, come on, Kageyama, I'll get you one when we go to the convenience store, but Kageyama's busy pushing him away and starting to walk again, so Hinata scurries to catch up.
He complains all the way home, and he thinks he's going to lose, but Kageyama bends down again on the way home and Hinata's breath dies in his throat; he definitely is going to do it.
And then Kageyama's flicking his forehead and running off and Hinata's yelling after him that he's an ass and he's never getting any chocolate or any kisses ever, ever again.
(Hinata presents him with a chocolate bar the next morning.)
xxx
Hinata knows they make sort of a weird pair, tall and smooth-haired Kageyama next to short and wild-haired Hinata, one exuding endless energy and the other looking like he's woken up on the wrong side of the bed every day of his life.
It doesn't matter when they hold hands.
It doesn't matter when they play together on the court.
It doesn't matter when Kageyama slumps against Hinata's shoulder on the way home from practice matches, falling asleep quickly and easily and Hinata's left sitting stock-still, trying not to jostle him because this is the one time Kageyama looks kind of cute.
And it doesn't matter when they're rubbing together in Kageyama's bed, late Saturday night, clean and warm after a shower and they've gone from lounging on the sheets to Hinata's hips pressed against Kageyama's, on top of him, grinding down and it feels so good that he can barely focus.
Their height doesn't matter at all like this; they fit together well, Hinata slipping just right into the curve between Kageyama's hips, Kageyama flushed against his own bedsheets and gripping Hinata's skin. Their faces are close enough for Hinata to count Kageyama's eyelashes, long and dark and then they're fluttering against his cheek when he presses his nose against Kageyama's forehead.
“Are you sniffing me?” Kageyama grunts, still moving his hips. “Why are you so weird?”
“I'm not sniffing you!” Hinata rolls his hips down harder and Kageyama hisses underneath him, breath hitting his neck. “I was trying to kiss your forehead, asshole. Now I don't want to.” Kageyama kisses his forehead, sometimes, and it always bothers Hinata that he can never easily return the favor.
“You are seriously weird,” says Kageyama, but he pulls Hinata's face back to his, and then he thrusts his hips up, hard, and Hinata's moan is swallowed by his lips.
The can kiss perfectly, like this.
Hinata is still smaller than Kageyama, but the way their legs tangle together when they're done is perfect, the way they fit against each other's sides. It's still perfect when they wake up in the morning, Kageyama long awake and his leg trapped between Hinata's own.
Xxx
Eventually, Hinata decides Kageyama's height is kind of attractive, kind of cute, and kind of infuriating. Kageyama's always having to get him things that are too high up, and he lords it over the shorter boy, but he always lets himself be pulled down to Hinata's level.
Hinata likes watching the long form of his body as he plays, likes looking up and seeing Kageyama right there, likes that he's able to use Kageyama as a human shield if need be. He won't tell that one to Kageyama, ever. He thinks he's hidden behind his larger form enough for Kageyama to know, anyway.
It's cute when presses Hinata up against his side like he belongs there, not looking at him because he's still embarrassed, even though they do weird stuff together often enough, and Hinata stretches his legs out next to Kageyama's, studying the difference.
“I told you, I like your height,” Kageyama says, when he notices.
“I like yours, too,” Hinata replies. Kageyama's shoulder is the perfect height for him to lean against, to fall asleep against, for Kageyama's head to press against his when he falls asleep, too.