Chapter Text
“Your hair is pretty long,”
Hinata looked up from his phone, furrowing his eyebrows before letting out an airy laugh and tucking his phone away.
“Yeah, I didn’t want to look like the ratty high school kid I used to be,” he responded confidently, tucking a misplaced hair behind his ear. He had thrown it into a low bun. Hinata had grown considerably taller as well, but Kageyama was too shy to take note of it having already commented on his hair and getting laughed at. Instead he decided to just stand there and observe his high school best friend who he hadn’t seen since their Karasuno days, the setter’s hands drumming awkwardly against his bag as they hadn’t spoken since graduating.
They had both reached their goal and became professional volley ball players, playing on opposite teams with new teammates and new connections. He felt off being by the redhead’s side, although he spent years beside it, and Kageyama knew if he would let Hinata slip through his fingers again and walk away without building back at least the foundation of their friendship, he would never let himself live it down.
“It’s good to see you again,”
“Yeah, although it feels like it’s been a decade since high school,” the redhead smiled. “I guess some things just don’t slot back naturally, but we should totally get drinks some day and catch up,” Kageyama’s ears twitched, his hands gripping onto the strap of his bag tightly. He tried to compose himself, finding amusement with playing with the rock under his shoe before he looked up and gave a faint smile.
“I’d love that,” he said, and Kageyama felt the pang he used to ignore daily come throttling back as Hinata beamed with content, his pearly whites in full view. It had been years but his heart has been stubborn and latched itself at the sight of Hinata, dancing and thumping and betraying Kageyama as he felt his face slowly grow hot. But the middle blocker hadn’t noticed, his attention drawn back to his phone as the screen lit up and he read the text on his screen before frowning and letting out a heavy sigh.
“You gotta be somewhere?” He hoped that the redhead would say no, but instead he was given a sympathetic smile and the older male nodded his head slowly, his fingers flicking across the screen with a reply.
“He can be such a baby, honestly,” Hinata groaned, locking the screen and placing it in his pocket again. “Miy—Atsumu’s gone home and is now asking me to come see him because he feels lonely.” A small blush scattered itself across Hinata’s cheek, and suddenly Kageyama’s chest felt compressed with an unnerving feeling resting deep in his stomach. “Sorry, first time seeing each other and I’m complaining to you about my boyfriend, it was nice seeing you though,”
“Yeah,” The setter replied flatly. He winced at the bluntness of his reply but if Hinata had picked up on it he must have ignored it, flashing another bright smile and adjusted his bag.
“Shoot me a text if you’re free this weekend, I’d love to get beers with you,” the older male replied, and at this point Kageyama felt as if he had his heart in his throat and succumbed to a tight nod, watching Hinata turn his back and begin to wave. Kageyama stood there, long after Hinata’s body had disappeared into the crowds; his lips trembling with his knuckles turning white from gripping the strap of his bag so tight.
His own memories of Hinata standing there in front of him before the graduation ceremony with his cheeks bright red, confessing that he wanted a relationship and he loved the setter flooding back, taunting him with the idea of what could have been his reality. But his reluctance, his narrowminded ego had chosen volleyball over Hinata and he turned the middle blocker down coldly stating that anything that wasn’t volleyball was a waste of time and would just get in his way.
Now he got the dream. His days were busy with practices, PR shoots and interviews for high standing magazines as he was recognized majority of the places he would go by adoring fans and volleyball enthusiasts. It was what he wanted, but when Kageyama left the town and retired back to his own apartment and was met with the silence of an empty home he wondered if all those years ago he had said no to something he truly needed.
The raven haired male’s head thumped against the pillow and he groaned into his hands, tears pricking the corner of his eyes as he felt himself break down. At least Hinata is happy, he thought, pursing his lips to hold back the murmur that he felt building in his throat. He had found out he loved Hinata too late but could find solitude in knowing he was happy, so he picked himself up and showered before flopping on his bed again. He glanced at the phone but felt too embarrassed to reach out and call him, and decided to let the weekend pass since it was best.
His heart wouldn’t be able to take seeing him again anyway.