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Kageyama knew he had massively fucked up during middle school and no matter how badly he was in mourning, he had no right to have been a dick. He could never fix the mistake he had made. In his mind anyway.
When Takeda had announced that Karasuno would be playing against Aobajousai he had been slightly ecstatic, thinking that this was his chance to finally apologise to his old teammates.
When he had met Kindaichi as his team was going into the gym some of his hope plummeted quite pathetically to the ground. When he had managed to corner the onion-headed boy by the bathroom his hope of ever getting forgiven had gone down the drain.
Kindaichi hadn't even wanted to acknowledge the fact that Kageyama had apologised to him. He wanted nothing to do with him and he knew that if Kindaichi wanted nothing of him then there is no way that Kunimi is going to want anything to do with him.
He had gone back home, more dejected than ever, losing any hope of ever reuniting with his old teammates.
Turns out that there was still some hope.
~~~
“C’mon Kunimi!” begged Kindaichi as he and Kunimi walked around the store.
“I am never ever going to eat the poison that you call your cooking.” Kunimi refused to change his mind, no matter how many times Kindaichi begged for him to eat his food. He did not want to get food poisoning.
“But pl-” just as he was about to wheedle again he heard a loud curse from a very familiar voice.
He and Kunimi shared a look, arguing whether they should check it out or not. Eventually, they agreed that they should.
“Son of a-” continued a voice and Kindaichi’s confusion continued to grow. At least until they saw why the voice was cursing.
There, in all his undeserving pretty glory, stood Kageyama, trying his hardest to reach something from the top shelves.
Kindachi and Kunimi just stood there, not knowing how to react as Kageyama continued to curse.
“Why the fuck do I have this godforsaken height if I can't even reach things. Is this some sort of cruel joke or something? Son of a-! Why the hell are these shelves so freaking tall!” The raven continued to rant, oblivious to the audience that consisted of his old teammates. And exes.
The sight was so familiar that it took Kindaichi to a place he thought he had locked up forever.
~~~
“For the love of!” whined Kageyama as he struggled to reach the top shelves whilst Kindaichi and Kunimi stood next to him, giggling mercilessly at their shorter’s attempts to reach the top shelf.
“Ohhh, does cute wittle Tobio need some help?” cooed the normally sleepy teen.
“Oh so now you're deciding to be a nice boyfriend.” snapped Kageyama, shooting a glare at his taller boyfriend. He cursed the three extra inches the older boy had on him.
“Hey, we're always nice boyfriends!” defended Kindaichi, despite the fact that he was giggling at his shortest boyfriends attempt at reaching the top shelf where the mochi was. And it was his boyfriend's favourite flavour as well.
“Then help me instead of being jerks!” he almost stomped his foot but his grandfather had taught him better manners than that.
“Oh, and what are you going to do? Headbutt our chest?” asked Kunimi, flexing his dumb height on Tobio.
“Say bye bye to your kneecaps.” snapped Kageyama. He just wanted his mochi.
Kindaichi, sensing that his boyfriend was genuinely upset, reached over and gave it to him.
“Sorry, Tobio.” muttered the talker boy apologetically. Immediately, Kageyama's mood did a 180 and he stood on his tiptoes to press a kiss on the onion heads cheek.
“Thanks, Yuu!” said Tobio happily. “And you.” he turned around to Akira before sighing and pressing a kiss to his cheek as well. “You're not so bad either.” and he turned around to check out.
The two teens stood there shocked, blush in their cheeks before they went over to their shorter boyfriend and put their arms around him. “You're not so bad either, blueberry,” whispered Akira in his ear and Tobio ignored the blush on his cheek.
They had all thought that they would stay with each other forever. What a joke.
~~~
Kindaichi was moving before he could stop himself and handed Kageyama what he had been reaching for. And then his mouth moved before he could stop it.
“So you need someone to help you, tiny?” he was going to die. If Kageyama didn't kill him then he would end up killing himself. Why the fuck did he say that. Why did he have such a death wish?
Surprisingly, instead of trying to kill him like he would have done in middle school, he simply nodded and walked away. Yuutaro just stood there, confused until Kunimi continued pushing him towards where Kageyama was.
“So what else do you need Kindaichi to reach for you?” asked Kunimi whilst Kindaichi shot him a betrayed look.
“Here. I only need these three ingredients. And annoyingly enough they're all on the top shelf.” Kageyama added, shooting a poisonous look at the higher shelves as if they committed a crime.
“K, shorty. No need to declare murder” joked Kunimi but stopped when Kageyama shot him a look.
“Look at Hinata and then call me short. Jerk.” he hadn't really needed to end it that way but he took pleasure in doing so.
“I don't know. You were struggling with the shelves earlier.” teased Kunimi and this might be one of the fewer times that Kindaichi had seen his boyfriend seem so talkative.
“I will break your kneecaps.” Kageyama countered, lacking a considerable amount of bite.
“No need to be so violent.” teased Kunimi and of Kindaichi forgot for a bit he could imagine this happening daily. He could imagine him, Kunimi and Kageyama going out daily, teasing each other, going to Seijoh together. He could imagine them being together again.
He could forget yelling. He could forget hurtful words being flung left and right from all parties. He could forget about abandoning Kageyama on the court. He could forget about being one of the ring leaders of the whole thing. He could just forget Kageyama turning into a tyrant king. He could forget everything.
“...daichi, Kindaichi!” yelled Kageyama, snapping his fingers in front of him.
“You okay?” asked Kunimi worriedly. He sent a reassuring smile at both of them and ignored the harsh squeeze of his heart when Kageyama looked at him like a lost puppy.
“Yeah, fine.” he verbally reassured. “So what's the occasion for all of this?” asked Kindaichi as he dropped another thing in the cart.
Kageyama didn't respond, instead opting to look away, expression suddenly closed. Kindaichi and Kunimi both shared a look over his head. What did he say…?
“Ummm, this was my grandfather's favourite. I'm doing it for um the anniversary of his death,” answered Kageyama, still not looking at either, just grabbing something random from the shelves.
“Oh. I'm sorry for your loss. Mind telling us when he passed.” why were they making small talk. They should have just left it at sorry and left.
“Second year of middle school,” answered Kageyama and it sounded like he was choking back sobs.
“Oh.” and then something set in both of them. “OH.” shit. Shit. That's when Kageyama had suddenly become such a tyrant. Oh shit.
“Yeah, umm I need to finish my shopping. See ya guys-”
“Please can we come with you.” cut of Kindaichi, desperation clear in his voice.
“Oh. Umm sure. I have no problem with that.” answered Kageyama and his voice sounded less clogged up but when he looked up his face was flushed, eyes shiny and small nose red.
Kunimi and Kindaichi couldn't help but not feel guilty at how they thought Kageyama looked intensely pretty like that.
“Great. Now you have everything you need?” asked Kunimi, wrapping an arm around Kageyama out of instinct.
Kageyama tensed for a minute until he relaxed slightly.
“Umm yeah. It won't take long though” answered Kageyama, heading to the aisles that owned the things he needed with the other two following.
At first, it had been extremely awkward. At least until Kunimi sighed in boredom when he saw Kindaichi and Kunimi being awkward and decided he'd had enough.
“So tell me. How have the piano lessons been going?” ‘Please don't tell me he quit those, please, please…’
“Oh, they're actually going really well! My teacher said…” and off he was rambling excitedly about something other than volleyball.
It was very rare knowledge to everyone, except for Kageyama's family and Kindaichi and Kunimi, but Kageyama loved to cook and he adored playing the piano. Something about him using his fingers or something like that. Whatever it was, the teen absolutely adored it and had often played for Kindaichi and Kunimi back before things got so messy.
God. He still remembered that fight like it was yesterday.
~~~
“If you weren't so fucking tyrannical then maybe we wouldn't have had to!” yelled Kindaichi at Kageyama whilst Kunimi just leaned against the lockers, expression beyond bored but eyes being a different story.
“That's no excuse for what you did!” yelled Kageyama. “I only asked you to improve at playing! Is that so hard!?”
“Well I'm sorry, King!” spat Kindaichi, ignoring the flinch he got from Kageyama. “that everyone else is normal and actually has a soul and cares about things other than a dumb sport. Who are you exactly trying to prove shit to!?” but it was clear he wasn't asking. He was mocking him.
“I do care about other things!” Kageyama's voice was small now, and he was no longer looked at Kindaichi.
“Oh yeah? Like what? Cause you sure as hell don't care about me or Akira!”
That was a low blow even Kunimi could admit to that, especially when he saw how Kageyama’s face twisted in heartbreak.
“If that's what you think then maybe we shouldn't be in this relationship,” whispered Kageyama bit they still heard him in the silence of the locker room, only being filled with heavy breathing.
“Good fucking riddance,” yelled Kindaichi.
Kageyama didn't respond, instead, he grabbed his bag and walked out, not even pausing at Akira and walked out of the locker room.
“You did the right thing,” reassured Kunimi when he was sure that it was only him and Kindaichi.
“I know. So why do I feel so guilty.” wondered Kindaichi.
~~~
“Anyway, thanks for the help!” said Kageyama, a small smile threatening to break out before he moved his hand to cover it.
Neither Kunimi nor Kindaichi knew what possessed them, but they both grabbed a hold of Kageyama’s wrist.
“Don't,” whispered Kunimi. “Don't hide from us, please,” begged Kunimi
“But my smile is ugly,” answered Kageyama, voice twice as quiet as his but they still heard him. “Everyone at the club seems to think so.” Kindaichi and Kunimi felt a wave of protective anger swell inside of them that they haven't felt since their first year at Kitagawa when they had defended Kageyama with all they had.
“We could give less of a shit what Karasuno thinks, Tobio.” using his given name was a risky move but Kageyama didn't seem to mind if the pink blush on his cheeks and puppy expression was anything to go by.
Kageyama didn't say anything, instead, he let his hand drop and he closed his eyes. Slowly, a face that they hadn't seen since in what felt like forever began to appear on Kageyama’s face.
It was his honest smile. It wasn't as bright as the sun but it was enough to light up the darkest souls. Cheeks flushed pink and an air of calm surrounded Kageyama and Kindaichi and Kunimi were blown away by the sheer beauty.
“There we go. There's that pretty smile that we all love and know.” teased Kunimi and he let out a chuckle when Kageyama hid his face in embarrassment.
“C’mon. Can we go over to yours? Your food is amazing and since Kunimi doesn't want to eat mine we can eat yours. Pretty please.” but everyone could feel the nervousness coming from Kindaichi.
“If you've been threatening Kunimi and yourself with your cooking then absolutely yes you can stay over at mine. I'm not heartless enough to let anyone suffer through that.” Kindaichi gaped at Kageyama whilst Kunimi doubled in laughter. Oh, how he had missed this.
“You would make an amazing housewife one day.” and they should have expected the elbow to their gut. They were manly enough to not double up at least.
“And you two would make fine husbands if you weren't assholes one day,” replied Kageyama back, adamant on ignoring the blush on his cheeks at being called a housewife.
“You wanna help us be respectable husbands, Tobio.” can whatever deity that was in the sky please smite Kindaichi, here and now. Please.
“Treat me out to a proper date and then we'll see.” countered Kageyama and Kunimi wrapped an arm around him.
“That will be more than achievable.” answered Kunimi as the three boys made their way to the till.
As they were checking out they all felt a small part of them relax slightly.
Things were far from perfect. But they were getting there.