Archive of Our Own ^beta

Gripping the handle of his sports bag, Tobio walked across the empty campus area with large strides. The broad pathway was bathed in the faint silvery rays of the moon and the soft glow of flickering light bulbs that were surrounded by stray moths.

Since practice usual lasted late into the evening, even the last class was already over, and Tobio – who had (probably) finished most of his homework before heading to training – was looking forward to taking a hot shower and falling into bed. Once the team had cleaned up the gym and switched off the lights, he had only changed into sweatpants and a sweater. Knowing that the short way to the dorms, and thus to his own bathroom, would be reason enough to not join his teammates into the common shower room, Tobio relaxed a little at the thought of standing in his very private and very tiny shower cubicle in less than a few minutes.

However, with his second year at university just starting, it was still spring time and the air relatively cold and clammy, which is why Tobio hurried towards the dormitory buildings that soon came into sight. He approached the illuminated entrance area and stopped at the door to enter the code. Once the electric lock buzzed satisfied, Tobio pushed the door open and let himself in.

Dragging himself to the first floor, Tobio once more thought about today’s volleyball training. He had tried to get a hang of setting to the new wing spiker but nearly every ball he had tossed to the first year had dropped – un-hit – to the ground. It was frustrating and Tobio wouldn’t feel that irritated about it at all if there would be anyone else who was able to hit his tosses just the way he set them. He was confident in his tosses, he knew they were perfect. He was just missing the right person to hit them. The current fourth year’s vice captain was the starting setter, and despite Tobio respecting him for his experience and talent, he sensed the vague need that he had to improve on getting the ball to his teammates before the year was over. There was no other setter that was good enough and the team was on the verge of dropping to a lower division of university ranks anyway.

Annoyed by himself, Tobio pushed open the door and walked down the floor with rooms leading off to the left and right while repeating the words his coach had told him just half an hour ago.

You have to listen to your teammates, Kageyama-kun. Or we need a new wing spiker.

He tried, he really did, but why did it feel like going backwards if he wanted to listen to his teammates? The new wing spiker was a first year, he still had a lot to learn. Of course he wouldn’t be able to hit everything right away, but nothing at all was frustrating even for him. For the time being, a new wing spiker would probably be the easiest option, but the year had already started and there were only few new members, none of whom had any previous volleyball experience.

Tobio shook his head. He had to stop thinking for the day. Maybe something new would open up soon enough and he wouldn’t have to rack his brain late in the evening after failing to finish a smooth match with his teammates.

Heaving a sigh, Tobio raised his head and slowly walked down the long floor to approach his own door. But once his eyes focused on his surroundings, he stopped in his tracks. He blinked – once, twice – and stared in confusion at his door, or rather, at the boy who was sitting hunched in front of it.

Hesitantly, Tobio scowled and studied the other carefully, who had his eyes directed on the ground, unaware of another presence in the otherwise empty floor.

Bright hair, red and messy, sitting on top of the boy’s head was the most prominent feature. It stuck out to all sides, chaotic and wild, resembling a fluffy orange cloud. Freckles, pale in spring, sprinkled both sides of his nose, and ran across neck, arms and legs that were partly exposed by his t-shirt and shorts. His nose had a soft round, was tilted a little towards the ceiling, and fitted snugly right under brown eyes that resembled molten caramel toffees.

Deep in thoughts, the boy stared into nothingness as he leaned with his back against Tobio’s door, hunching a bit, while his legs were folded so that his butt nearly touched the ground.

It wasn’t necessarily the fact that this stranger was blocking the only access to Tobio’s room – if he didn’t count entry by breaking in through a window – but rather the large pile of laundry that the boy clutched to his chest, squeezed between his torso and his thighs and probably as big as himself, that confused Tobio the most.

His brows twitched.

Who was that? What was he doing here with his laundry? Did he lost his way?

Even Tobio could see that this boy was too old to be the child of another student. Maybe he was a new neighbour who had moved in while he had been at training; but he couldn’t remember if there had been any vacant rooms at his floor. Dormitories in Tokyo were usually occupied, empty rooms filled in fast.

In any case – and despite his outer appearance and body features screaming for a first year high school student – he must be another university student since he had obviously access to the dorms and knew the code to open the door. And for some unexplainable reason he had returned from the laundry room in the basement and decided to settle in front of Tobio’s room.

Given the sweaty clothes clinging to his skin and the general fatigue that came post-training, Tobio had no initial interest to get to know any of the reasons to why this boy held his laundry to his chest as if it was a huge dog to cuddle, and noticed once more that the redhead was blocking his room. Irritated by being denied to shower, change into his pyjamas and go to sleep, he clicked his tongue.

"Oi, dumbass!"

The other flinched, whipped his head around and stared in shock at Tobio. "W–w–w–what?"

Smooth muscles under freckled skin flexed when the boy grabbed his laundry tighter and Tobio couldn’t deny how beautiful the swift movement was. The boy shifted forward and was now squatting in some kind of defensive position, as if Tobio was about to attack him.

"What are you doing here?" asked Tobio, hoping to not sound that angry.

But the other must have sensed his annoyance that lingered under his fatigue layer as brown eyes widened in shock. The boy studied Tobio for a few seconds, then he relaxed his shoulders and shrugged even. "I forgot my key and locked myself out," he explained calmly.

Too tired to argue against such idiocy, Tobio grunted, "Okay."

For a moment they just looked at each other, Tobio stared expectantly at the redhead, who returned the look in confusion, then irritation.

"What?" asked the boy. "Don’t you have a room or something? Quit staring at me, it’s creepy."

"I’m not creepy," Tobio pointed out.

"U–huh, you seem very convincing when you glare at me like that," the other huffed. "You live here, right? Then go to your room and ignore me or something."

Confused by the chosen words, Tobio hesitated. "I do."

"Huh?"

"I do have a room."

Brown eyes stared at him for a few long seconds. "Then go there!" he finally exclaimed. It made Tobio laugh.

"Well, I would love to, but that is my room," he said while pointing at the door the boy was blocking.

The redhead blinked, then turned his head to look at the door.

"Ohhh," he sighed out. "ACK! I must’ve mixed the floors!"

Tobio frowned. "It says 109 right there, you know?" he said while pointing at the silvery numbers being painted on the wood.

The boy scrambled to his feet, careful to not drop any of his laundry items, and gave the door a long baffled glance.

"It’s been a while since I was at a dorm, I thought they used another style for counting," he mumbled, more to himself than to Tobio. Shy brown eyes returned to look at him and he smiled in apology. "I just moved in a week ago and it’s my first time doing the laundry."

"I see," Tobio returned, unsure what else to say to that.

The boy turned around and inspected the rest of the long corridor that ended in a broad window at the very end, giving view onto the park at night. "So this is the–"

"First floor, yes," Tobio disrupted him, it earned him an annoyed glare.

"I know, I know. Sorry about that."

Tobio nodded, accepting the apology, and raised an eyebrow. However, it took a few seconds for the other to react.

"Ack, right. Sorry!" The redhead shuffled to the side, revealing the room to its owner. Bearing curiosity, brown eyes followed Tobio as he walked to his room. "Sorry again," he murmured, quieter now.

Tobio grunted and stuck the key into the hole, focusing on letting himself in. The familiar click let him sigh out and once he saw the genkan, he stepped inside and let his bag drop on the small step. He could still hear the other student stepping from one foot on the other, shuffling in his cheap slippers over the dirty ground.

With one hand still on the handle, Tobio hesitated. He scowled at the small step that separated the tiny entrance area from the rest of his dorm room and felt for some reason unsatisfied with the situation. For one thing, the very reason of why this student was waiting on the floor with his laundry was beyond him, but imagining closing the door and leaving the redhead be felt awfully wrong. Tobio scowled and stared into nothingness as his mind kept thinking in circles about a problem that wasn’t his. But then he heard it, a tiny sniff that escaped the other’s lips, very quietly, as if he had wanted to suppress it.

Tobio turned his head and studied the other carefully.

Strong arm muscles clutched to the laundry, but the redhead’s shoulders were hunched and his face once more directed to the ground. A forlorn expression tugged at the corners of his mouth and the previous gleam in deep brown eyes had weakened. Despite him saying that he was living here, he looked as if he didn’t know where to go even after knowing that this was the wrong floor and being shooed away from his previous spot.

"Did you, uhm," Tobio cleared his voice, "ask the landlord to let you in?"

Startled, the redhead raised his head, seemingly surprised to be asked something. Straightening his back, he returned the look calmly. "Yeah, but she wasn’t sure when she would get here."

"Oh. I see."

"I guess I"ll wait a bit and… hope that she’ll come here soon."

"I see," Tobio said again, awkwardly as he didn’t know what else to say.

For a few seconds they remained where they were, Tobio with a hand on his doorknob, the other student clinging to his clothes. He resembled a forgotten puppy in the darkest corner of the park and a pile of pity formed in Tobio’s belly. Before he would regret his words, he said, "You can wait here."

Confusion clouded the other’s eyes. "I… already do though?"

"My room, dumbass." He made a vague gesture behind him. "You can wait in here. The floor is… dirty. And you may annoy someone else," he added.

Brown eyes widened. "I didn’t annoy anyone so far!"

"Of course, you’ve been sitting in front of my door the whole time after all," Tobio commented grinning, which elicited a scowl from the other. "Do you want to come in now or what?"

"Huh? Yes. YES! Thank you!!"

Tobio nodded and stepped out of his shoes to make room for the other student. Still clutching his laundry, the redhead swivelled his head left and right to check that he had all of his items before stepping closer and into the genkan. Tobio had to admit that it looked kind of funny how the wild red strands tried to peek past the bunch of boxers, shorts and jersey to see his feet and get out of his cheap slippers. Without further ado, the boy stepped into the room, resulting in a deep sigh by Tobio, who stepped back to close the door.

When he switched on the light, a long-stretched ohhh came out of the other’s mouth. He swayed on his heels and looked around to inspect everything there was to see. Considering that Tobio hadn’t brought many things with him when he had moved to study at university a year ago, the redhead took awfully long to look at his bed, desk, chair, a built-in cupboard, the small shelf with his study books, the tiny kitchen, and the door that led to the likewise tiny bathroom. Those flats weren’t big rooms to begin with.

Tobio observed the other cautiously. The redhead stood indecisive in the middle of the room, still staring at every item he could find with a curious expression, as if he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to touch anything. Even in the dim light of the cheap bulb his bright hair seemed to glow and his eyes were soft. Despite his size, he possessed an athletic body, as if he was doing regular work-out, and that piqued Tobio’s interest.

It was somewhat weird to see someone other than himself or his sister – who came for occasional visits – in his room, but Tobio found that this boy oddly fit in here. He had a calming atmosphere around him, but at the same time radiated enough energy as if he was about to run all legs of Hakone Ekiden in one go.

Fetching his phone from his pocket, Tobio walked over to his desk and put the device down. Then he turned around to look at the other.

"Do you want to stand there the whole time?"

"Uhm…," the redhead said while scanning the room once more, as if there was more to discover, "I don’t really know, uh…" He glanced down at his creased clothes before looking back up.

"You make me nervous when you stand there the whole time. Sit."

The redhead nodded and looked around again, searching for a proper place to settle. When he didn’t move for another minute, but swayed back and forth and quietly hummed to himself, Tobio sighed deeply.

"Sit down already!"

Yelping, the boy sat where he was standing, which was, in fact, Tobio’s bed. Tobio was surprised as well, but to be fair, there weren’t many possibilities to sit down since he was standing in front of the only chair those rooms offered.

Once the initial surprise had worn off, Tobio relaxed his shoulders and shook his head. What a weird fellow.

"Who are you actually?"

"Huh?" The redhead blinked, puzzled.

"Your name. I don’t know it."

"Oh!" A tooth-filled grin flashed the other’s face and Tobio felt blinded for a second. "I’m Hinata. Hinata Shouyou! And you?"

"Kageyama Tobio."

Another grin. "Nice to meet you! Guess we’re neighbours now."

"You’re not from the first floor, though." Tobio raised an eyebrow.

"Right, I actually live on the second floor. But since I’m in room 209, we’re some kind of neighbours, right? Anyway, I was searching for my key when I came back from the laundry room and then I must’ve went here instead of going up further," Hinata mused to himself.

Tobio stared at the other as he heard the story, then he sighed again. "Idiot."

"E–excuse me!?"

"Who forgets their key?"

"Don’t tell me you never forget anything." Hinata looked at him with a challenging expression.

"No. I don’t," Tobio confirmed with a satisfied grin.

Searching for words to retort, Hinata’s mouth opened and closed repetitively. "I was just really busy this week, okay? The year started and I was moving in and was looking for a club to join. Although, I’m a bit late."

"Which club?" Tobio asked, unable to hide his curiosity.

Another flash of sun. "Volleyball!"

"Oh…"

"What? Is there none?"

"There is one," Tobio said.

"Do you play too?"

A nod.

"Ohhh, amazing!! Which position? How is the club like? Are there many players? I’m a middle blocker, but I wanna be a spiker, you know. It’s such a nice feeling when you hit the ball like bwaaahmm and it goes down to the ground really fast."

Surprised by the sudden flood of words, Tobio stared at Hinata, flabbergasted. "Uh, sure," was his only intelligible reply. He couldn’t say that he had understood every word, but he didn’t know anything better than volleyball, and if it was about the feeling of touching the ball, they spoke the same language.

"So, you’re a first year then? Since you moved in recently."

"Huh, no. I’m a second." Hinata cocked his head to the side.

"I’m talking about your year," Tobio clarified, thinking that the other got him wrong. "Which university year are you in now?"

"Yeah, second. I just said that, idiot." Hinata laughed.

Tobio blinked and in the next pause they stared at each other.

"What?" Hinata then said. "Do you think I’m too small or something?"

"No, but… I…" Scowling, Tobio searched for the right words. "You said you moved in last week, so I assumed you would be a first year. Why do you look for a club now? It’s common to do that during your first year."

"Ah, I see," Hinata said. Irritation was replaced by a shy expression. It was truly amazing to see how quickly the emotions changed on this freckled face. But when a shadow fell on his smile, Tobio frowned.

"I had an injury in my last year of high school and stopped playing for a while," Hinata finally explained. "Healing took a few months and I did some light recovery training. But now I can play again!"

Tobio swallowed and nodded.

"So, you’re on the team? How is it like?" Hinata asked now and let his feet dangle from the edge of the bed.

"Uhm… It’s okay."

Obviously unsatisfied, Hinata frowned. "Okay?" he repeated, disappointment in his voice.

Tobio nodded again. He didn’t really want to talk about it right now. He played, he was good – he could say that about himself – but he didn’t have the connection to the other players he desired.

"Do you want to join?" he asked instead, hoping to distract Hinata from his previous answer.

Red hair bobbed wildly when Hinata nodded. "Yeah!" he exclaimed. "Of course. Can you introduce me to the coach?"

"Uh, sure."

"Great, thanks!" Contentedly humming, Hinata once more looked around and leaned a bit to the side to see behind the bed.

Tobio wasn’t so sure if that was a normal behaviour of someone visiting the room of another student or it Hinata was just nosy.

"Oh! You even have a Mikasa here!"

Probably the latter, Tobio noted.

Hinata smiled happily while he pointed with his fingers – his palms still busy holding his laundry – at the ball in the corner behind the bed.

Tobio nodded, unsure of how to respond to the statement of a simple fact. Nervous because he had said so many words earlier, he fetched his bag out of the genkan and unpacked his used jersey and towels from practice to keep his hands busy.

"What position do you play?" Hinata then asked and Tobio realised that he hadn’t answered that question earlier.

"Setter," he replied without looking up from his towel.

"Cool! For how long?"

Giving the ceiling a contemplative look, Tobio frowned. "For… For many years," he said lamely. "Since I was young."

"Young?"

Tobio frowned. "Very young. You?"

"Middle school!"

"I see."

For a moment they fell silent. Hinata watched him unpack and Tobio continued to sort his things for his very own laundry before sitting at his chair and checking his phone for messages.

"Hey, you wanna play together?"

Tobio raised his head. "Now?" he asked and glanced at the dark window.

"Obviously not, dummy." Hinata giggled. "I’m waiting for the landlord after all."

"Ah, right." He had nearly forgotten why there was another person in his room.

"Some other time maybe?"

Tobio eyed Hinata with a scowl. "Are you good enough to keep up?" He had meant to express himself differently, and of course Hinata misunderstood him.

"What. You’re that confident in yourself? Just you wait, I can fly!"

Raising his brows, Tobio asked, "Fly?"

Hinata nodded with a grim expression. "Just you see!" he exclaimed without any further explanations.

Tobio stared at him, then he chuckled and shook his head. He was indeed an odd fellow, but an interesting one.

"Sure," he mumbled quietly, realising that he had to answer.

"Hm?" Hinata, who had obviously forgotten about it, looked at him curiously.

"Let’s… play sometime, " Tobio added. "Maybe once I introduced you to the coach."

Brown eyes widened, soft and molten, and a warm smile spread on his lips. "Alright!"

Seeing how excited this other student was at the prospect of playing volleyball with him also excited Tobio, and although he had no possibility to let it show, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips nonetheless.

Tearing his eyes away from soft globs sitting above a pile of laundry, Tobio looked down at himself. He still had to change out of his clothes. He never used the showers in the club room, as he didn’t really like spending ten awkward minutes in silence, side by side, and more importantly naked, with his team members. Now that he noticed that the sweaty fabric was still clinging to his skin, he wanted to get rid of it.

"Still no message from the landlord?" he asked while peeling himself out of his sweater.

Hinata leaned back so that the laundry – that must’ve grown to a solid pile under his grasp – was resting against his chest and he could fumble for his pockets, retrieving a yellow mobile phone to check the screen.

"No," he sighed out. "She said she wanted to call me back."

Tobio – hoping to express sympathy – hummed, let his sweater drop on his chair and got up to tug at the hem of his t-shirt and pull it off.

"I hope they’ll fix it soon," Hinata continued, his voice subdued. "I don’t want to disturb you for he whole night or something. Maybe you have homework to do, because I certainly do have some homewo– WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

Tobio hesitated and looked from Hinata to the t-shirt he had in his hand and was about to put down as well.

"Changing," he offered with a scowl.

"I–I–I’m right here, though?" Hinata stuttered, his brown eyes darting over Tobio’s chest before fixing his eyes, the act itself seemed to cause him effort.

"So what? I want to wear something clean. I just came from practice."

Tobio looked around and noticed that his sleeping shorts and shirt were still on the bed. He walked over, fetched them and gave Hinata a raised eyebrow as the other student stared at him in bewilderment.

"What?"

"N–nothing!"

Wide toffee eyes followed him as he went back and prepared for the shower. Once he had everything, Tobio opened his mouth to announce that he was going to use the bathroom, but before he could do so, Hinata blurted out, "Do you have a boyfriend!?"

Stopping in his tracks – the second time today – Tobio stared at Hinata, who returned it just as perplexed, as if he couldn’t believe what he had just asked.

‘W–what?" Tobio asked, startled. "Where does that come from all of a sudden?"

"Sorry! I just… Forget it!" Hinata bent forward and buried his face into his laundry so that only the red tips of his ears were poking out.

Bathed in silence, Tobio studied Hinata carefully while playing with the ribbon of his sweatpants, unsure whether to pull them down as well. He wasn’t embarrassed to change in front of someone else, but now the whole situation had become awkward by this single, random question. Hinata’s red freckled skin didn’t make it any easier, but when Tobio looked at him – nosy and loud turning shy and embarrassed – he didn’t see any reason why he shouldn’t reply to that.

"I don’t," he said quietly.

"Huh?" Hinata asked dumbly and raised his head to stare at Tobio with a puzzled expression.

"I don’t have a boyfriend!" Tobio shouted. There, Hinata knew now. And probably all of his neighbours as well. Great.

"Oh. Okay." Hinata relaxed a little, then he added, "Would you like to have one?"

Tobio blinked, perplexed at yet another random question, and laughed, voice raspy. "Are you offering?"

A shrug. "I guess I’d like to get to know you better first, go on a date or something. After all, I only know your name and position in volleyball."

"And my room number."

"Right."

They stared at each other, then laughed, nervously and quietly, before falling once more into an awkward silence. Tobio wasn’t sure if he should say anything on the subject of boyfriends (and had Hinata said go on a date?), so he cleared his voice.

"Uhm, anyway," said Tobio, rubbing the back of his neck. "I’m going to take a quick shower, but you can just… stay here and… tell me when the landlord calls you."

"Immediately?" Hinata asked and peeked at the closed bathroom door behind Tobio.

"N–not right that instant." Tobio cursed himself for blushing. "Tell me after the shower. In case they call."

"R–right. Will do that." Another wave of red darkened Hinata’s skin, but this time he kept his upright position.

After one final glance at Hinata, Tobio nodded to himself and turned around to disappear into the adjoined room.

It wasn’t that he distrusted Hinata, but he nonetheless hurried to undress completely and get into the shower booth, that was as narrow as usual. The hot steam, which normally soothed his aching muscles after practice, was only able to wash off the sweat and grime that had come along. Tobio lathered his hair and body before showering off and finally step out again, reaching for the familiar towel. Once he was changed into shorts and a t-shirt for the night, he grabbed the towel once more to rub his hair dry. Lost in thoughts about this strange boy that was sitting on his bed with his laundry, Tobio stared at his reflection in the mirror.

Do you have a boyfriend!?

The question had surprised him; no one had ever asked him about such matters before – except Miwa, maybe – but he couldn’t deny that he was curious to why Hinata suddenly wanted to know. He had noticed the lingering gaze of brown eyes that had trailed off and stared at him when Tobio had begun to change out of his clothes. The open curiosity left a tickling sensation in Tobio’s gut and before his mind had the chance to investigate this further, he shook his head and hung his towel back on the hook.

When Tobio stepped out of the bathroom, Hinata’s eyes immediately returned from where they had been directed at the phone in his hand to look at Tobio. His face was still a little flushed and even the smile he flashed seemed fidgety.

"They didn’t call," he announced a bit disappointed.

"Oh, okay."

In retrospect, it had perhaps been an impulsive idea to suggest Hinata wait in his room, given that it was late and the landlord was either busy or on their way home already. There was little hope that the matter could be solved soon. Yet Tobio was strangely not bothered by the fact that he had to spend some time with Hinata. He had offered him to stay in his room to begin with, and although Hinata was nosy and loud, they had soon found a topic to talk about.

Even after a year on the team, Tobio sometimes felt uncomfortable around the other team members. It wasn’t that they were mean or bullied him, they were rather friendly and open with everything, but after Tobio’s experiences in middle school, he was always cautious around new team members, not wanting to repeat what had happened back then.

With Hinata wanting to be on the very same team, maybe something would change. If there was one on his team who he got along with, who would understand him despite his social difficulties, perhaps his relationship with the rest of the team would also improve.

Tobio sat down in his chair and glanced at Hinata, wondering if the redhead was really capable of doing any of this, or if Tobio was just desperate enough to believe it. In any case, it was late and he was tired, he couldn’t say for sure if the wishes were real or part of a dream.

Hinata had put his phone on Tobio’s bed so that he could wrap both arms around his laundry, rest his head on the pile and look down at the device while he waited for a call. His posture had eased a little, as if he had begun to relax despite being in someone else’s room and locked out of his own; but he shuffled his feet idly over the ground and stared at the black screen of his phone with a soft frown between his brows.

As if Hinata sensed he was being watched, he shifted his head to look Tobio in the eyes, and a speepish smile spread around his lips.

"Uhm…," Tobio started and shot a quick glance at Hinata’s bare feet. "What kind of injury did you have?"

Hinata raised his head a little higher, but the relaxed expression stayed and Tobio was relieved that Hinata didn’t seem to mind him asking.

"Oh, I misstepped while jumping and sprained my ankle pretty badly that I had to have a small surgery. But now it’s healed and everything!" Hinata grinned and turned his left foot a little to show his mobility.

Tobio studied the presented foot and indeed, now that he was paying attention to it, he could see a small scar running along the inside of the ankle near the protruding bone.

"It… doesn’t hurt anymore?"

"Nope!" Hinata declared, with a wide grin and shaking his head.

"That’s good."

"Yeah."

Tobio let his eyes linger on the scar, short and slightly reddish, and when he raised his head and met Hinata’s curious eyes, he suddenly remembered the basics of being an – albeit involuntarily – host.

"Uhm, do you want to drink something?"

Hinata beamed. "Sure!"

Tobio nodded and got up to cross the two meters to the kitchen where he took two cups to fill them with milk.

"Here," he said when he handed Hinata his share.

"Thanks!" A curious spark lit in Hinata’s eyes. "Uh, milk?"

"That okay?"

"Yep! I’m just surprised."

Tobio wasn’t sure whether milk was a drink to be surprised by. Usually, it was tea that was offered to a guest, but since he had neither pot nor tea leaves – and a personal liking for milk – milk it was.

They drank in silence. With the familiar taste spreading across his tongue, Tobio relaxed a little. Sitting in his chair again, not knowing what else to do with himself – except for homework, but he couldn’t possibly concentrate with another person in his room – he turned his gaze back to the other.

Whenever Hinata wasn’t sipping from his cup, he hummed and let his eyes wander around. The tips of the fluffy orange cloud covering his head danced whenever he tilted his head to check out the built-in shelf filled only with study books – but he soon lost interest and Tobio couldn’t blame him; even he didn’t linger there too often – before brown eyes quickly darted away to inspect the desk, the volleyball, Tobio’s bag on the floor, and once again his phone. As he took another sip, Hinata lowered his eyes to the cup and pressed his lips together, noticing remnants of the milk sticking to his skin. The next thing Tobio saw was a small pink tongue darting out to lick the milk off before disappearing back into his mouth. Tobio stared at the unfazed Hinata and swallowed hard.

"Wh–why did you ask if I… had a… a…" Tobio stuttered, suddenly reminded of the topic, but unable to finish the sentence.

"Hm?" Hinata looked at him curiously.

"A…" Tobio evaded his eyes and focused on the corner of his desk. "A boyfriend," he added quietly.

There was a short pause. "Oh, uhm…"

"Do I look like that?"

"Like what?"

Tobio looked back at the other student. "Like I would… I might have one."

Hinata shrugged. "Kinda?"

Surprised about this, Tobio blinked. "Oh."

"But I mean," Hinata hastily added, "me too. So it’s fine!"

"What do you mean?"

"I like men too, so it’s not like you’re the only one out there. Which is pretty good if you’re looking for someone." Hinata giggled at his own joke.

"Yeah, you’re right." Tobio nodded slowly. Realising that Hinata had shared something very personal where they hadn’t known each other an hour ago, he frowned and added, "Why did you tell me?"

Hinata shrugged again and studied the cup in his hand carefully. "I don’t keep it a secret or anything."

"I see."

Hinata smiled reassuringly, but then his eyes widened and he stared in shock at Tobio. "Sorry, do you normally keep it secret? I didn’t want to pry."

The sudden worry made Tobio chuckle roughly. "I invited you in my room dumbass, I think I should’ve expected some things to be revealed. Although, I rather thought about my cleaning habits or dirty laundry or…"

"Drinking milk at ten in the evening? I think as a student it’s a relatively healthy lifestyle." Hinata grinned.

"Healthier than forgetting one stupid key, dumbass."

"Oi, who do you call dumbass, idiot?"

"Who do you call idiot, dumbass?"

They glared at each other, waiting for the other to give in first. When Hinata’s forehead crumbled into a frown, Tobio decided to consider this his first victory.

"Why did you, though?" Hinata asked now.

"Called you a–"

"No." Hinata glared at him, then his facial features grew softer. "Why did you let me in? To let me wait here for the landlord to call."

Tobio shrugged. "It doesn’t really matter if you had gone back to your room, since you wouldn’t get in anyway. Waiting here is better than sitting out there, it’s still spring after all. It’s cold."

"Yeah, you’re right."

"And you have an injury, the cold isn’t good for sinews and muscles when they were hurt once," Tobio added and nodded towards Hinata’s bare feet.

"You didn’t know about that one, though."

"Uh, true," Tobio conceded. "I… don’t know why I did that. You didn’t look like a creep, not that much at least."

"Oi!"

"I just didn’t like to think that there’s a lost student sitting right in front of my door, probably all night," Tobio continued, shuffling awkwardly back and forth in his chair. "Only because he forgot his key when he went to fetch the laundry. And why don’t you have a basket??" He pointed at the loose socks, sleeves and shorts sticking out on all sides of the pile Hinata was still hugging to his chest.

"Woah, okay, thanks."

"You’re welcome."

Hinata stared at him, then he started to giggle. His upper body swayed and the milk in the cup made a small ‘blub’. His laughter was clear and bright and so mirthful that Tobio could just look at this boy, dumbfounded and in awe.

Once calmed down, Hinata wiped his eyes with his arm, the milk in his cup slopping along.

"I don’t have a basket yet, you’re right. I should buy one or maybe ask my mother if she has one spare to send me."

Tobio nodded, not sure what to say.

"Thank you, Kageyama." Hinata smiled. "You’re really kind. You didn’t want me to wait outside and let me in. I mean, I could be some weird creep or anything but you let me in anyway."

"I guess you’re… welcome?"

Another grin. "Thank you!"

Tobio looked at the other for a few seconds, then he laughed quietly. "You’re odd," he said but with no bite in his voice.

"Oh? But better than a creep, right?"

"Hm, I don’t know about that yet."

"Oi! I swear I’m no creep."

"No, you’re just gay."

"So are you!" Hinata laughed.

Tobio took a sip of his milk and shrugged.

"Are you actually hiding it?" Hinata asked then, his voice careful now and quieter.

"Uhm, that I’m…"

A confirming nod.

Tobio fiddled with his cup. "Kind of, I mean, I never told anyone. Just my sister."

"Oh, you have a sister! Me too! Older, younger?"

"Older," Tobio said reluctantly. He usually didn’t talk about his family with other people but the huge curious looking eyes were hard to not please and he actually didn’t mind to let out such information. "She is already working though."

"I see." Hinata hummed. "Mine is in middle school now."

"In the volleyball club?"

"Of course! She’s gonna be the best spiker ever!"

"She’s gonna be a wing spiker?" Tobio asked, genuinely interested. It was volleyball after all, but since they were talking about Hinata’s sister, who might have similar physical features as her brother, he had difficulty imagining a stature as hers as a spiker. On the other hand, he hadn’t seen Hinata play yet, and he didn’t want to make an early evaluation just based on stories.

"I think so! She’s not sure yet, she also likes to be a setter."

Tobio’s lips curled and he mused a little to himself about the setter position that he almost didn’t hear the next words that left the other’s mouth.

"So, uhm, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to pry." Tobio looked up to see Hinata fiddling with a sock sticking out of the pile. "You didn’t have to tell me that you’re gay."

"It’s okay," Tobio hurried to say. Hinata faced the ground, but his eyes darted up to look at him, fidgety and with a hue of guilt in his irises. "You told me too."

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks for telling."

"You too. Thanks."

"It’s not often I meet people who are like me," Hinata added and flashed him a wide grin.

"Do you mean sitting in front of the wrong door to be picked up by its gay tenant? You’re right, that doesn’t happen all that often," Tobio agreed and smirked when Hinata stared at him, flabbergasted.

"I… It’s not like I planned this!"

"Hey, you were the one asking me if I had a boyfriend."

"And you don’t, so there’s still a chance, right?"

Returning the half challenging, half interested looking expression, Tobio opened his mouth. "I guess," was the only intelligible thing he could think of, but it seemed to satisfy Hinata enough to form a new warm smile on his lips.

Raising their cups, they continued to drink the milk. Tobio finished his and in the moment he put the empty cup on his desk, a melodic tune filled the room. Both of them directed their eyes at the yellow phone, its screen blinking in tact to the music.

"Oh, uhm…" Hinta looked left and right, trying to find a way to place down his laundry.

"Give me that." Not thinking too much about it, Tobio got up and took the cup out of Hinata’s hands to place it at his bedside table. Then he grabbed the laundry – which smelled comfortably like laundry detergent and another distinct intoxicating smell – and pushed the pile on his bed.

"Thanks!" Hinata chirped and scrambled for his phone to pick up.

Unsure what to do, Tobio stood in front of the other and watched him talk.

"Moshi, moshi. – Yes. – I understand. – Yes, of course. I understand. I’m sorry for the circumstances. – Oh. – Oh, I see."

Hinata frowned and a dark hue gathered in his eyes as he stared down at his bare feet, their toes playing with the strap of his slippers.

"Yes, please call me then. – Thank you. Goodbye."

Once he cut the line, a deep sigh slipped between Hinata’s lips, sounding so depressed that it didn’t quite match the previous energetic expression. He looked up and searched for clear blue eyes, which he found immediately.

"Sorry," he said, subdued.

"What are you sorry for? What did she say?"

"She won’t manage to get here today, it’s too late already. She is on her way back home and she just called back because someone left her a note saying it was urgent, but she read it just now." Another sigh. "They will come tomorrow morning and open my door."

"Oh." Tobio stared at the bright hair and gloomy eyes, feeling as if these bad news had been meant for him and not the other student. When Hinata dropped his head and let out a frustrated groan, Tobio felt utterly helpless.

"What do I do now? I just moved in last week, I don’t know anyone in the dorms. Well, I know some people of course, but not that close yet and… ugh."

"Why did you move in last week? Since you’re a second year student already. Did you live somewhere else before?"

Hinata raised his head again. "Oh! I haven’t explained that yet. I’ve been living here for, like, a month, but my foot hasn’t felt alright. I had the surgery during my third year in high school, so it wasn’t that long ago last year. I went back home to get rehabili and everything."

"But, university." Tobio frowned in confusion.

"They allowed me to study from home!"

"That’s… unusual."

"Right? The staff was super nice! But most of my classes were boring. I hope it’ll get a bit better in the second year. Besides, I don’t know anyone yet, you’re the first one I’ve come to like!" Hinata exclaimed with a smile before his eyes widened and his skin colour darkened again. "I–I mean…," he stuttered.

"I understood," Tobio said hastily, but Hinata wasn’t the only one with a galloping heartbeat pumping blood faster through his veins than three seconds ago. "So, uhm," he tried to bridge the awkward pause. "Did they… say something else?"

"Huh? Who?"

"The landlord. The one you talked to over the phone." Tobio gestured vaguely at the yellow device Hinata was clutching with his hands.

"Oh! Uhm…"

"Do they have, I don’t know, an emergency room when something like this happens?"

Hinata stared at him, then he burst out laughing. "Pfff, emergency room. That’s a good one, Kageyama!"

Tobio scowled but said nothing in reply, too busy with not to melt under the brightness Hinata seemed to radiate when he was full of mirth. "So?"

Hinata calmed down and shrugged. "They just asked me if I had any possibility to stay over," he explained calmly and heaved a sigh. "I won’t be able to get into my room tonight."

He said it as if it was the final verdict and realisation dawned on Tobio. "Oh," he said with a dull tone.

"So, uhm…" Hinata hesitated, but then he glanced to Tobio’s bed and back at its owner, shy and a little desperate maybe. "I would like to ask if I…"

Tobio stared at those eyes, which looked at him huge and molten and pleading, and was initially reluctant to believe it all. But perhaps Hinata’s innocent eyes were just a little too endearing, so that his heart skipped a beat at the implied question and his resolve wavered.

* * *

"I can’t believe this."

"It’s just one night, Kageyama."

"Seriously, who forgets their key!? There’s only one key you have to keep with you and the door locks itself."

"I was in a hurry, y’know?"

Tobio huffed and scowled at the bulky pile of laundry sitting on his chair. Bathing in the darkness of the night, he laid on his side on his bed, his back pressed against Hinata’s and absorbed the incredible heat radiating from the other student’s body.

With only one bed and one blanket at hand, Tobio had had no other choice but to offer to share, despite the thought of sharing his bed all night made him incredibly flustered and embarrassed. After a little back and forth and harmless banter, they had settled into a position – Hinata taking the side near the wall, Tobio the open edge – and had agreed not to move again until dawn would fall through Tobio’s curtains.

Tobio wasn’t used to anyone other than himself sleeping in his room. He had never had a sleepover or something called ‘pyjama parties’ – which had become ridiculously popular during his cursed middle school years – to even experience sharing the same space with someone who wasn’t at least his sister. But despite his reluctance to invite Hinata to stay the night until the landlord would call in the morning, he had to agree that the persistent warm weight resting against his back was somehow nice. He’d never slept in a bed with another boy before, but he’d still known for a long time that this was something he wanted to try. Having Hinata right behind him was comforting in a way Tobio hadn’t reckoned with and thus he didn’t mind it that much.

Tobio blinked and focused his thoughts on the pile of laundry again.

Why did he had to remind himself that Hinata was gay like him right this instance?

"You know that there was an option for you to just say ‘no’?"

"And leave you to knock the doors on this floor, bothering the others?" Tobio imagined Hinata walking down the floor with his laundry and phone in his hand, scarred foot in his cheap slippers, trying to convince a student by knocking on their door in the dead of night, hoping they would let him stay.

"I wouldn’t bother them," Hinata said now, definitely pouting.

"Well, you bothered me, that’s enough for the day."

"Oh, how gracious of you, Kageyama-kun!"

There was a pause in which Hinata seemed to grab a piece of the blanket, playing with it.

"Am I a bother?" Hinata asked then, quiet and a little insecure.

Tobio turned his head to look at the wild strands of hair that seemed to glow a little in the dim light of the moon casting shadows over the edge of his bed. Hinata didn’t move and continued to face the wall, so Tobio turned back to look at the small kitchen counter where two used cups were waiting to be cleaned.

"No, you’re not," he finally said quietly. "I… don’t mind that you’re here, it’s alright. I think I would be really thankful if it happened to be."

"I am!" Hinata exclaimed, so loud that Tobio flinched. "Oops, sorry. But I am, Kageyama. Thank you for letting me stay."

Tobio blinked, then he grunted, "It’s fine." He frowned. "Just wish we had more space."

"Normally people have a spare futon or something."

"Well, excuse me that I normally don’t get any visitors to stay the night. The rooms are small anyway, two people barely fit in."

Hinata snickered. "I fit in though."

"That wasn’t my point."

Another sound of pure mirth. "I fit perfectly well into your bed, Kageyama-kun," Hinata said with a giggle, pushing himself back until his butt pressed against Tobio’s thighs and tickled his hamstrings.

Initially flustered, Tobio composed himself again and refrained from turning around. "Are you trying to flirt with me or something?"

"Is it working?"

Perplexed, Tobio didn’t know how to respond. The awkward pause made Hinata shuffle forward so that he could flop on his back, letting the mattress wobble under them.

"Wait, for real?" Hinata squawked and nudged his knees against Tobio’s legs.

"S–shut up, dumbass. Just sleep already!"

"I’m not a dumbass!"

"You are a dumbass. Only a dumbass forgets their key when they go to the laundry two floors down."

"I didn’t plan on forgetting it, things happen, you know!? I just had other things on my mind," Hinata explained and with each word his voice grew quieter.

"What other things?" Tobio didn’t want to pry, but given the recent developments, he felt it was alright to ask.

"I…" Hinata hesitated, then he swallowed the rest of his words down and said, "This isn’t your business."

At this Tobio turned around to scowl at Hinata, who returned the look with a subdued expression.

"You’re lying in my bed," Tobio stated, "in my borrowed pyjamas and under my blanket. Please explain how it could come to this; I didn’t even know you two hours ago!"

Brown orbs widened and Hinata downright stared at him, but then he evaded his eyes and focused on his fingers touching the mattress. "Nothing important," he mumbled and tugged at the blanket, trying to cover himself with it.

"Oi, don’t hog the blanket."

"You’re just too big," Hinata’s voice said, muffled by the fabric.

"This is a one-person bed!" Tobio grabbed the blanket to at least have some to cover his body so he wouldn’t get cold.

On the other side, Hinata raised the corner of the blanket and frowned at it. "This is a very small blanket," he began and looked back at Tobio, "for such a tall body."

"I’m not that tall, you know?" Tobio said, unsure where this was going.

"Yeah? How tall then?" This seemed to have picked Hinata’s interest and he looked curiously while raising his head a little from the mattress.

"188.4 cm," Tobio grunted, suddenly feeling weird about it, as if he had shared a very personal information, like his order of showering. Finding brown eyes gleaming in the dark, he noticed Hinata staring at him without saying anything. Then he flopped back on the mattress.

"Yeah, figured," he harrumphed.

"Did you measure me?"

"I don’t need to measure you to know that you’re freaking huge!"

"I’m not that tall," Tobio repeated, frowning. "Maybe… a bit taller than average."

Hinata didn’t answer that and for a few seconds Tobio studied him. He didn’t want to ask for his size, the topic felt vaguely dangerous and he didn’t know if Hinata felt weird– for whatever stupid reason – because he wasn’t as tall as Tobio.

Thinking of anything he could say to make that gloomy atmosphere disappear, Tobio’s slow thinking process came to a stop when Hinata heaved a deep sigh.

"Must be nice to be this tall and… you," Hinata said and made a gesture in Tobio’s general direction.

"What do you mean?"

Hinata threw him a glance and for one moment he watched Tobio closely. "Nothing," he said then and turned on his other side to face the wall again.

Tobio had two choices, leave Hinata be and close the topic right now, or investigate why the previous mirthful boy had turned into a gloomy blob.

"Come on, Hinata, tell me." The persistent words sounded wrong on his tongue, but he had already made his decision.

"You wouldn’t understand," Hinata replied lackadaisically into the mattress.

"Maybe you’re right," Tobio agreed quietly.

Hinata turned his head to give him a told-you-so look.

"But try me," Tobio added before Hinata could turn away again.

Another deep sigh. "No, you wouldn’t understand. You’re tall and handsome and athletic and I’m… not."

Tobio frowned in confusion. "You are athletic, Hinata. I can see that."

"U–huh." It didn’t sound convinced.

"Is it about…" Tobio thought about it, "being good looking? I don’t think I am, though."

At this Hinata whipped his head around so fast that Tobio flinched. "Are you kidding me!?"

Tobio glanced down at himself, his body covered by thirty percent of the blanket and sleeping shorts and a t-shirt. "Uhm…," he said, having absolutely no idea how to react to that.

"Sorry!" Hinata stared at him and even in the darkness Tobio could see him blushing. But before he could take in the endearing view or say anything at all, Hinata added, "Forget it, good night!" and turned to face the wall again.

Tobio stared at the red mess that was the back of Hinata’s head, waiting for him to do or say anything – or for an idea to pop up in his own head about how to breach the tensed silence – but Hinata continued to pretend as if he had fallen asleep from one moment to the next.

"Is it about sports? Volleyball?" Tobio asked carefully, observing closely every reaction the other student made. And indeed, Hinata’s shoulders slightly jerked.

"So? You wouldn’t understand," muffled words were spoken into the blanket.

Tobio didn’t take his eyes off of the other. "Depends on the problem actually. If it’s about volleyball I don’t have any problem myself but–"

"Yeah, of course you don’t," Hinata harrumphed, his tone making Tobio hesitate to continue. Not that he had planned to add so much more, but he would’ve at least tried to understand what was going on. Hinata’s response let him reconsider his choice of words.

"What is it?" Tobio asked quietly now and maybe it was the near tender tone that elicited a softer sigh out of the other.

"I’m… short," Hinata explained.

"And?"

Hinata shifted again to look at Tobio, who returned the obvious disbelief in brown eyes unfazed.

"I’m short, idiot."

Scowling, Tobio replied, "I don’t understand what you’re getting at."

"The point is that so many people just see my height and don’t believe me and put me off the court because they think I can’t do it anyway. So I trained. I trained a lot and by myself and got injured as the idiot I am and…"

Tobio stared at Hinata. He watched his mouth open and close, again and again, as he talked about his middle and high school, his foot and MRIs, and he slowly began to understand more about the person who shared his bed this night; but maybe he didn’t, at least not completely. Hinata was a little odd after all, although Tobio had heard others say the same about him. He had ignored it all along.

"So now I’m here, one year late where I could’ve joined the club during my first year," Hinata ranted further. "I’m already glad I don’t have to repeat any classes, my grades aren’t that great to be honest, but I was super happy that they allowed me to study from home to heal my foot and not loose another year. But I didn’t get to know anyone! And now I’m here and want to play. I really want to play, Kageyama. There is so much more I can improve, so many people I want to play against. I waited so long to join a university team, but what if they don’t want me?"

Processing the many words that had just left Hinata’s mouth, Tobio needed a few seconds to be able to say, "Did you show them? Did they see you play yet?"

Hinata shrugged and laid on his back again, staring up to the dark ceiling. "Some may have, dunno."

"Then show them again. Show the rest as well. Proof it right." Tobio wasn’t sure where he was taking those words from, but he had a sad Hinata in his bed and this image – despite being near strangers – didn’t sit right with him.

"It’s not that easy, Kageyama. They probably won’t let me once they see me."

"Then I will make them," Tobio said and was just as surprised as Hinata.

"You will? How?"

"Uhm… Yes. Maybe," Tobio said, blinking in confusion. "I can… tell them or something. Ugh, I don’t know. I’m tired and in my bed is another gay student I met two hours ago on the floor in front of my room, holding dirty laundry in his–"

"It’s not dirty! It came out of the dryer."

Tobio smirked. "Anyway, it’s late and I said a lot."

"Yeah, you don’t seem to be that talkative at first glance," Hinata said, snickering.

"Oi."

Hinata’s eyes gleamed mirthfully, before he let them trail over the dark ceiling and wall. "Not how I imagined this evening to be either, just so you know. I’m glad I wasn’t cooking while doing the laundry." He cocked his head to the side to let their eyes met. "It’s kind of nice though, isn’t it?" He chuckled softly.

Tobio shrugged half-heartedly and looked to the side, withstanding to rub his hot cheeks.

"Hey, lie on your back," Hinata said suddenly, nudging the other’s shoulder.

Tobio scowled suspiciously. "Why?"

"Just do it." Hinata stared at him expectantly and nudged him again.

Tobio heaved a sigh and let himself flop back on his bed, taking care that he wouldn’t fall off. When he looked at Hinata to see what he was up to, something warm pressed against his arm and his eyes widened when he stared down at the red hair that was suddenly so very close.

"W–what are you doing?"

While confusion clouded his exhausted mind, he stared down at Hinata, who had turned to lie on his side again, this time facing Tobio, and rested his head against his shoulder.

"Trying to sleep, had a long day," Hinata murmured and his breath ghosted over Tobio’s arm, tickling him. "I had a very long day and my super clean laundry is a pile on your dirty chair."

"I–it’s not dirty! I cleaned… some days ago."

Chortling, Hinata didn’t argue further but yawned and Tobio could see his eyes flutter close.

Frozen in his position, Tobio didn’t know what to do. Should he move? Hinata’s arm pressed against his own bare one, an angled knee touched Tobio’s thigh, and if Tobio moved his fingers, he would be able to caress Hinata’s legs. He had never been this close, this intimate, with anyone else before and he swallowed hard as his brain tried to think.

But… this felt nice. Hinata’s radiant temperature was comfortable, his warm body pushing against his side a solid weight, flexing and strong. Tobio had never imagined it would feel so good to be that close to someone else.

"Hinata?" he asked quietly, unsure of what to say in case the other was still wide awake.

"Sleep, idiot," Hinata murmured tiredly into the sleeve of his t-shirt. "’s long day, wanna sleep."

Tobio stared at the other’s relaxed expression and had to accept Hinata’s presence next to him willy-nilly. He tried to relax, stretching his legs and easing his neck muscles, but he didn’t take his eyes off Hinata.

He wasn’t exactly sure anymore how their current situation had evolved to end up where they were now, lying side by side together in his bed, sharing a blanket and the same pair of sleep shorts Tobio had bought as a double pack. Meeting Hinata truly hadn’t been on his itinerary, but maybe it was alright, maybe he had to thank the coincidence that Hinata had forgotten his keys and ended up on his doorstep.

Tobio never imagined he could relax while sharing the same blanket with another boy; but here he was, feeling strangely comfortable around Hinata, despite him being loud and nosy at times.

The matter about Hinata’s height had been something new to Tobio. There were players in volleyball who weren’t as tall as himself, but those were often liberos and not those who aimed to be a wing spiker one day. But he hadn’t seen Hinata play yet and he was kind of curious what he was able to do, who he could become. Discussing their heights had left an awkward feeling in his stomach and Tobio sometimes wished he wasn’t himself, though, right now, he was glad he was.

Glancing down, Tobio noticed that Hinata was breathing in and out evenly, having already fallen asleep. His forehead had dropped forward a little and now rested against Tobio’s shoulder, bare skin against fabric.

Hinata’s expression was for once peaceful and quiet, unlike the boisterous person he had come to know. Brown eyes were hidden behind eyelids, and the happy smirk that had played around Hinata’s lips was now drawn into a lax line as he trusted Tobio completely while he fell asleep just like that.

As he gazed at Hinata, feeling the comforting warmth next to his body, Tobio felt himself nodding off too. The last thing he realised was that he dared to turn his head a little to breathe in the other’s scent while resting his chin on soft orange curls.