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Kageyama has these secret little smiles only Hinata sees. Hinata is then led to believe that Kageyama smiles a lot which isn’t exactly false. He does, it’s just only when they’re alone.
Tobio smiles his quiet little smiles when they stay late after practice together. When they're studying and Shoyo’s quizzing him on stupid English words and he actually gets it right, he smiles quietly. Tobio smiles his quiet little smiles when they get meat buns after practice and sit down at a bench to eat them and talk plays together. He even smiles big smiles like when he's over at the Hinata's and Shoyo's sister, Natsu, begs them to play with her. He grins wide and silly when she puts little clips in his hair and Shoyo giggles at him as if he doesn't look just as ridiculous. Tobio grins and grins when Shoyo says something dumb and he calls him stupid with no real bite behind it, but a simmering fondness. He even laughs when Shoyo begs him to push him on a swing and he reluctantly (happily) obliges. He grins when they're badmouthing Tsukishima together and Shoyo imitates him so badly, Tobio can't help but laugh bright and happy.
So when someone comments that Tobio doesn't smile a lot, Shoyo doesn't get it. Shoyo says, "He smiles all the time, what are you talking about?" and of course everyone is so confused because Kageyama doesn't share his smiles and laughs saved just for Shoyo. He keeps them safe just for them, like a secret. He tucks them away like it’s something precious and to be protected.
They say, "He seems really stoic all the time. We rarely see him smile, what do you mean Hinata-kun?" Shoyo then goes on to explain that Tobio smiles a lot when they're together! He grins so wide and he laughs and he even let Natsu put butterfly clips in his hair this one time! Tobio smiles so much!!
Everyone puts the pieces together, Kageyama smiles more for Hinata. He doesn't pretend or feel like he has to pretend. Maybe it's just that Shoyo brings out the best in him. They think Tobio must love him, he must care. To save your smiles for someone sounds like love, does it not.
They comment, "Oh, are you together?" and both Tobio and Shoyo blush six ways to Sunday, denying all accusations. Shoyo waves his arms but catches Tobio in the process. They stop and glance at each other, somehow blushing even harder.
"Umm." Shoyo's eyes are wide , he looks to Tobio for an answer even though he's probably as clueless as him. Tobio turns away and doesn't let go of his hand, gripping it even harder in fact. Leading them away, he mutters under his breath.
"Uhh, Kageyama?"
"Let’s go."
"Haah??"
He drags him away and of course, they're still holding hands. He looks around a couple times to make sure no one’s listening and leans in a little. "I think, maybe,” he shakes his head as if to reset. “I think that maybe, I might, like. You."
"Waahh??"
"Stop saying that. Anyway, I said what I said."
"So you, wanna kiss me and stuff?"
"Umm, no. I don't think I like you like that. I-fucking. I don't know." He’s frowning at the ground so hard Shoyo's sure his face is gonna get all wrinkly and stay that way. He reaches out with his free hand to wiggle his thumb in between his eyebrows.
"Don't be mad, Ka geyama. I don't think I wanna kiss you either. I think, I just wanna see you smile and hold your hand.”
The taller boy looks up, almost dumbfounded. Eyes wide and mouth slightly parted, he says, “Really? You-really?” He frowns again, “Don’t lie to me, dumbass.”
Hinata scrunches up his nose in protest, “Dummyama, I wouldn’t lie to your stupid face. Your stupid, pretty-whatever! I’m not a liar!”
“Well!” he stammers, “Why did you say that stuff?”
“Because it’s the truth! Duh!” Shoyo scrunches his nose up again and shakes his head at him. Tobio thinks he looks a little silly when it’s so obvious the redhead’s holding back a smile.
But Tobio doesn’t hold back, he smiles brightly and laughs a little. “You’re so dumb sometimes.” It sounds fond like dumb had taken on a new meaning. It sounded kind because Tobio meant it in a way that screamed love so loud you could hear it from miles away.
“So are you!! But, I like you anyway.” Shoyo smiles too, but rather a secret little smile.
Shoyo’s so bright and loud and sunny, he grins wide and brilliant. So maybe he saves his little sunset smiles for Tobio, soft and fleeting. Blink and you’ll miss it little grins. Maybe his smiles that only Tobio gets to see are like the sun peeking out of the clouds.
Shoyo gets to be quiet when he’s usually so loud and Tobio gets to be loud when he’s usually so quiet. Not that they aren’t themselves when they’re around other people, but that there are some things they tuck away just for each other. Not that they have to pretend around other people, but that sometimes there’s a part of you only one person can unlock.
“So, Kageyama. Do you think, maybe, we could be together, in a sort-of-dating-not-really way? Because I don’t wanna kiss and do... you know , you know? Maybe just, we could hug and stuff? And get meat buns and you could come over like you always do and it’ll be the same except...I don’t know actually. I just don’t feel the same way about our other friends? But I don’t think I wanna be with you in a kiss way, but like an ultra...friend….way?”
Tobio stares dumbfounded for a couple of seconds taking it all in. “Umm. Uhh. Yeah?”
Shoyo raises his shoulder to his ears, folding in on himself a little. “What do you mean, yeah?”
The taller frowns in confusion, “I mean yeah. I...feel the same kinda. I like you, but sort of not really, but also yeah.”
Shoyo rolls his eyes so hard Tobio thinks they might get stuck in the back of his head.“That didn’t make any sense,
Ba
kageyama.”
“Sure it did! I don’t like you like the romance movies my mom and my sister watch but not like how I feel about Yamaguchi or whatever.”
Shoyo looks down at their hands and smiles softly, “Yeah, never mind. I think I get it. You just suck at explaining stuff sometimes.” Looking up, he swings their hands together and knocks them against their knees.
Tobio grins wide and giggles when Shoyo juts out his knee a little to knock it harder against the other’s knee. He does the same and they make a game out of it for a while, giggling and smiling wide and smiling soft.
And so, Shoyo smiles like the dusk and the dawn and Tobio grins like the sun at midday. Maybe love really is so simple sometimes when you have someone to share it with. Or maybe they carved out a little piece of life and made it their own, made it kind.