Chapter Text
Simbang Gabi nanaman.
The cold December air nipped at church goer’s cheeks and skin, causing most of them to wrap themselves even deeper into their jackets and clothes. The Philippines never had snow but when night came around Ber months, it sure as felt like it was one temperature away from dropping snowflakes.
It was always like this—listening to the hymns, propers, and readings in the early hours of the morning, always ending just before dawn. It was always like this—colorful, bright, well made parols adorned the outside of the churches and houses, lighting up the streets in a variety of hues of red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. It was always like this—smells of newly lit wax candles and fresh rice cakes flew through the night air.
“Pasko na!” a boy with a bright smile as bright as his orange hair walked out the Saints Peter and Paul cathedral, his much taller best friend ambled beside him in perfect sync with his energetic steps.
“Hm,” Kageyama smiled slightly, watching Hinata ramble on and on about how excited he was for Christmas day.
It was always like this—Hinata and Kageyama attending Misa de Gallo but never seemingly having the motivation to finish all nine days, always either sleeping in too late or just feeling lazy to wake up at the ass crack of night.
This year was different though, they had managed to finish it from December 16 and to December 24, they had managed to finish the novena.
As Shoyo continued to make kwento about how excited he was for the food his mom and aunts were preparing for Noche Buena, Kageyama hummed every now and then to signify that he was still listening.
Gunmetal blue eyes stared up at the star filled sky, the pale moonlight wrapping around their figures and every building around them. Tobio’s ears caught the faint sound of music blaring from a block away, probably a carinderia that was either still open or had open impossibly early, but Tobio quickly blocked it out, directing back all of his attention to Shoyo.
“Alam mo, Tobibi, kanina bumabagsak bagsak pa mata mo,” Hinata laughed quietly, energy slowly coming down as the cold finally caught up to him. “Hm?” Kageyama looked down over at his friend, “Kanina nung nagsasalita si father, konti na lang makakatulog ka na sa balikat ko,” The tangerine haired boy pointed out with a teasing smirk.
“Ah,” Tobio made a noise, placing a hand on top of Shoyo’s head to push him down. “Kung hindi ka nag iingay kagabi, edi sana nakatulog ako ng maayos diba?” he laughed quietly whilst Hinata tried to elbow him.
“Excited lang ako, ‘no,” Shoyo smiled, cheeks a kissable shade of pink.
Tobio begrudgingly shoved his hands inside the front pouch of his black hoodie, balling them into fists to stop himself from pinching his best friend’s round cheeks. He was always the cuter one between the two.
“Merry Christmas nga pala, Tobibi,”
Shoyo’s voice was quiet, quieter than usual but when Tobio looked him straight in his bright hazel eyes, he saw adoration, he saw care, he saw love. He saw the past 17 years of their lives inside those eyes and all the air in his lungs felt like they were punched out his body.
Softly and gently, the shimmering lights of the old, ruined churches built centuries ago reflected themselves onto Hinata’s orbs—like stars coming home to the sun. It was like the sun finally being able to see the shining constellations after centuries of only being surrounded by a big blue sky.
The lights from the church bathed Shoyo in a light golden color, it made him look holy, he looked ethereal. He looked as thought nothing could corrupt and ruin his golden wings.
For the nth time that night, Kageyama felt his breath get taken away.
It was unfair, absolutely unfair. Hinata Shoyo was an angel and he deserved heaven and much more than what Kageyama Tobio, a lowly devil can give him. He deserved the sun, the stars, and the feeling of the wind rushing through his veins.
“Punta tayo mall bukas, di pa ako nakakabili ng regalo para kay Natsu,” Hinata pouted to himself, a little bit exhausted. Tobio once again hummed, words just didn’t come easy to him, and maybe he was just a little bit afraid he would say the wrong thing.
Tobio clutched the fabric of the inside of his hoodie, trying to calm his poor heart down and also to at least try and repel the numbing cold feeling in his fingertips. It was missing the warmth of Hinata’s smaller hands wrapping around his as they prayed Ama Namin. It was as if time slowed down. For nine straight nights, Kageyama Tobio waited for hours just for that moment to arrive, for Shoyo to grab Tobio’s cold hands in his own and the setter just melted each time.
It was such a touch starved action but Tobio really did love it.
Hearing Shoyo sing the hymns and cantatas right beside him made his heart flutter.
No, it was not a secret that Kageyama Tobio was absolutely in love with his best friend. Everyone could see it, everyone could feel it, everyone could sense this air of completion every time the two were together—it felt like everything made sense every time the two were in the same room.
Every single time Tobio had to stand up and every single time he had to feel Shoyo’s palm loosely press against his own, he swore he could feel the clouds in heaven part and hear the angels sing for them. Dramatic? Yes but was it accurate to how he was feeling? Definitely.
He could almost hear them singing to him, telling him to—
Kageyama shook his head. Those were unnecessary thoughts, he tried to convince himself, pulling back to listen more to Shoyo’s ramblings.
“Kamusta na pala si ate Miwa?” Shoyo asked, bending down to pick up a kalachuchi flower from the ground.
“Ayun, super busy daw sa pag-aaral, alam mo naman yung mga school sa ibang bansa, grabe mag bigay ng mga pinapagawa,” Tobio sighed through his nose, remembering how much his older sister apologized to him, promising she’d buy him new shoes the next time she came home.
“Kaya pala sumama ka samin nila mama dito sa Samar,”
“Tsaka kung di ako sumama, edi masisira tradisyon natin na mag simbang gabi,”
“Aminin mo na kasi, Tobibi, mahal mo nga kasi ako,”
“Aminin mo na kasi, pandak, mas mahal ako ng mama mo kesa sayo,”
Conversations came easy to the both of them, it was so easy. No matter how loud Hinata got and no matter how anti-social Kageyama became, they would always fall into perfect pace with each other.
“Tuparin kaya natin pangarap ni mama?”
“Na?” Tobio raised an eyebrow.
“Na maging parte ka ng pamilya namin!”
“Paano?” the dark haired boy couldn’t help but chuckle, watching his energetic best friend‘s eyes become filled to the brink with mischief.
“Pakasal tayo syempre,” those words came out of Hinata’s lips way too easily, it sounded too natural, it sounded so easy.
“Gago ka ba?”
Shoyo only laughed with pure delight but all Tobio could hear was the beating of his own heart, beating violently against the cages of his chest.
Shoyo laughed and Tobio swore the world became a little brighter, the moon almost sparkled, and it might have just been the euphoria and the chemicals in his brain but Tobio was sure the stars were dancing.
Shoyo laughed and Tobio suddenly knew what peace was—even if Shoyo wasn’t a very peaceful person.
“Seryoso ako, gagi,” orange hair was blown back by cold winds, Hinata grabbed the sleeve of Kageyama’s hoodie, dragging him towards a sari-sari store.
Kageyama Tobio was absolutely confused, impressed, and flustered at the same time, how could that little brat just say those words so easily—?
“Is that,” Tobio hesitated for a moment, watching Hinata call out for the owner of the store. “Is that your poor excuse of a confession?” Shoyo didn’t answer right away, pointing towards two coke mismo bottles before looking up at his gunmetal blue eyes.
“At least umamin, diba?” there was no hesitance in his words, no regret behind his hazel orbs, and no lies in his lips.
Hinata Shoyo had waited for years for the perfect timing, that perfect pocket of time kung saan pwede niyang ilahad lahat ng nararamdaman pero hindi—he could never manage to catch the exact moment he had been dreaming of since 7th grade. So why not now? Why not now that he’s finally finished the 9 days of Novena?
Turning around, Shoyo handed over the bottle of coke over towards Tobio but immediately jumped when his fingers brushed against the setter’s—they were so so cold.
“Gago, Tobibi,” Shoyo took the bottle back, throwing it inside his backpack before wiping his hands on his shirt, making sure it was dry from the cold vapors of the bottle. “Sobrang lamig ng kamay mo,” his warm hands found their way back to Tobio’s freezing ones; they were so cold to the touch.
Shoyo pulled the boy closer, trying his best to provide heat and warmth.
Warm. He was so warm.
But his concerned words and light scolding just went in one ear and out the other as Kageyama Tobio stared at him, heart racing a thousand miles per second.
“Pakasal tayo syempre,” those words echoed through his brain.
“Seryoso ako, gagi,” was this some sort of dream?
“At least umamin, diba?” if it was, he hoped to God he’d never ever wake up ever again.
But this wasn’t a dream, this was reality and the tight grip Shoyo had on his trembling hands was the only thing grounding him.
“Ba’t di ka nagsasalita? Nilalamig ka pala! Baka magka-sakit ka p—”
“Mahal kita, Sho,”
Hinata was taken aback by Kageyama’s sudden but quiet outburst. It was lame, the dark haired boy had to admit. It wasn’t a grandiose gesture nor was it full of flowery words, it was just—it was just what he felt. It was what he’d always felt. There was no use beating around the bush, was there? So he had to just blurt it out, say it aloud, admit it to not only Shoyo but also to himself that he loved Hinata Shoyo and he was pretty sure they were soulmates.
Three simple words that were bland and unexciting compared to other confessions, compared to the ones they’ve watched in movies and read in books but it was theirs. It was a confession that was so simple but it said a lot.
“Wouldn’t it be better to just lay it all out? Just be straightforward with it, tell them you love them and let the moment take control, kasi kapag nagsalita ka masyado ng mga mabubulaklak na salita at gaya-gayahin mo si Lang Leav, mawawala yung orihinal na meaning at rason kung bakit ka umamin sakanya sa simula pa lamang,” Miwa had told him one day when he confined to her about his feelings, through text of course, Tobio would’ve fainted if he ever actually said it outloud.
“Ang rason ng pag-aaminan ng nararamdaman is para malaman niya na mahal mo siya kaya be straight forward, sabihin mo na ang totoo mong nararamdaman and if he actually feels the love and adoration you have for him with two simple words? Sasabihin ko na sayo ngayon—totoong mahal mo siya, Tobio, yung pagmamahal na magtatagal kahit ilang habang buhay na ang lumipas,” It was ironic , how Miwa had warned about being too poetic but she was being poetic herself, and she probably didn’t even realize it.
“Mahal na mahal kita, Sho,” Tobio repeated once again, louder this time.
Shoyo was the one standing in shock this time, his hold on Tobio’s hands only tightened and this made Tobio almost want to cry. It was so reassuring to be held like that, even if it was only his hands. He was being held like he was important. He was being held like he was the world and he thanked the stars that it was Shoyo who held him like that.
With every syllable rolling off his tongue, Hinata felt the sincerity in each curve of Kageyama’s lips, in each nervous eye contact, and in the way his hands shook, Hinata felt the unadulterated adoration.
“Mahal na mahal din kita, Tobio ko,”
Now, Kageyama Tobio never believed in magic or miracles but maybe this time, this one time, maybe it was real. Maybe the myth about completing the nine nights was real.
“Alam mo, ito talaga hiling ko noon pa, kaya kahit pagod na pagod ako, pinipilit ko talagang sumama sa simbang gabi kasi diba sabi nila kapag nakumpleto mo yung Novena, magkakatotoo yung hinihiling ng puso mo?” Shoyo silently admitted, gently swaying along to the faint music in the background.
“Ako rin,” Tobio mumbled as he leaned in closer unconsciously, trying to get a better look at Shoyo’s sunshine eyes and reddening cheeks, the uncharacteristically shy behavior was absolutely endearing to Tobio.
Once again, Tobio swore he could hear angels, clouds, and doves sing, telling him to just shut up and kiss the boy.
And this time, he listened.
As if all fear and doubt magically disappeared from his body, Kageyama Tobio, 17, dark haired with gunmetal blue eyes, and a penchant for saying the wrong things at the wrong time, leaned forward and caught 17, orange hair with golden sunlight eyes, and known for having zero filters, Hinata Shoyo’s soft lips, slightly chapped from the December temperature.
And it felt as though it was always meant to happen.
It was always like this—Kageyama and Hinata.
Shoyo and Tobio will forever be like this.