Archive of Our Own ^beta

Since becoming a professional volleyball player, an arena full of cheering fans isn’t anything new for Hinata. However, he’s not normally sitting in the stands, and he can’t help but feel a little out of place — surrounded by people of all ages with posters and flags for the figure skaters performing today. 

Natsu is one of these fans.

Figure skating’s become one of her most recent interests alongside volleyball, triggered after having watched you compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Throughout the year, Hinata would hear her mention how she was looking forward to seeing you compete in this competition or that competition, bemoan about the off-season, and then get excited again once the new season started. (He’d been lucky that you weren’t competing the same weekend as his game against the Adlers.) 

There’s even a poster of you hanging up on a wall in Natsu’s room nowadays, and she didn’t hesitate to use that as an opening to talk about you. After Hinata first saw the decoration, she gushed about how pretty you always looked in your costumes, saying that she’d want to look like you if she could choose to look like anyone else.

When the Stars On Ice 2019 tour was announced, one of the stops happened to be in the city that Hinata was based in with the Black Jackals — a fact that Natsu had made sure he was well aware of. With the timing of the ticket sale, the choice of what to get her for Christmas was obvious. 

The date couldn’t come fast enough for Natsu, ecstatic to be able to see you skate in person for once instead of through a screen. 

Though you had performed in a couple group numbers already, the next performance would be your first solo performance of the program. Hinata had bought seats right next to the skaters’ entrance, so Natsu’s focus is there, waiting for the moment you walk out. She’s bouncing up and down in her seat, her hands clutching a handmade poster declaring support for you. 

Hinata can’t help but want to tease her a bit. “Do you feel that, Natsu?”

“Huh?” she replies, turning her head to look at him with furrowed eyebrows. “Feel what?”

“I think the arena’s shaking from all your jumping,” Hinata laughs. He makes a show of gripping onto his seat’s armrests to steady himself afterwards.

Natsu scowls at him. “You’ll see!” she declares. “When you see [Name] skate for yourself, you’ll be fanboying over her too!”

Before Hinata can respond one way or another, he’s cut off by a sharp gasp from Natsu. He follows her gaze to see what’s captured her attention — and the cause turns out to be you.

Once you emerge from the tunnel leading to the green room, in full view for everyone to see, the volume of the arena seems to increase tenfold as everyone (Natsu included) screams for you. No other athlete performing today had prompted as strong of a reaction. 

Though Hinata was aware of what you looked like, seeing you in-person somehow makes him feel like he’s seeing you for the very first time. In your sequined outfit, you practically glow as you circle around to face all directions of the arena, smiling and waving in acknowledgement of the cheers. With a smile on your face, you seem to shine even brighter.

Your attention is soon drawn away by the man you’re with, who gently urges you forward. While you hold onto the man’s shoulder and remove something from the bottom of your skates, Hinata idly wonders whether the man is your boyfriend or your coach. The suit and tie he’s wearing gives the impression of someone in a position of authority, yet his face is more youthful looking than his gray hair would suggest. The two of you share a brief hug before you take to the ice. 

After circling the rink a few times, you settle in the center, posing in preparation for the music to play. 

When the song starts, Hinata recognizes it as a contemporary one that he’s constantly heard on the radio. He’s expecting to see a lot of jumps and spins, but your performance mainly has you dancing around the ice on your skates — though you’re surprisingly no less captivating to watch in spite of that. He finds himself enthralled as he watches you move your body along with the music, your expressions always appropriately matching up with the lyrics of the song. And when you do make a jump or spin, he’s in awe of how smoothly, how effortlessly, you execute them.

At the end of your performance, you’re met with roaring applause — applause that he’s more than happy to contribute to. Stuffed animals and flowers rain down from the stands onto the rink as you smile and wave at the audience, making your way off the ice once the commotion starts to wind down.

To Hinata’s surprise, Natsu calls your name just as you pass by their seats, holding out a flower crown that’s apparently meant to be a gift for you. He’s even more surprised when you actually stop and walk over. You lower your head so that Natsu can place the flower crown on your head, and at almost the last second, he realizes that he should probably document this moment for her on his phone. 

“What’s your name?” you ask Natsu after lifting your head, a soft smile on your face.

Natsu’s eyes are as wide as saucers, probably in disbelief that she’s interacting with her favorite figure skater. Still, she manages to answer you. “My name’s Natsu! Natsu Hinata!”

“Thank you for the flower crown, Natsu,” you say, your smile widening. “I hope we can meet again someday.”

The man you’re with prods your back, so you leave Natsu with a wave goodbye, disappearing through the tunnel towards the green room afterwards.

A beat passes where Natsu just sits there, shellshocked. Then she starts squealing to herself, absolutely giddy as she marvels over how she actually met you and that you actually cared enough to ask her name and want to meet her again someday. She moves on to gush about how sweet you are and how she’s so glad she’s a fan of someone as wonderful and talented as you. 

“What’d you think, nii-chan?! Isn’t [Name] the best?” Natsu asks him, turning to her whole body to face him with an excited expression.

Hinata thinks back to your performance, and the way you were impossible to look away from on the ice. “Yeah!” he answers. “I can see why you like her so much now. She’s incredible!”

“She is, isn’t she?” Natsu exclaims, starting to bounce up and down in her seat again. “You know, she trains at a club near here. If you ever run into her, you have to get her autograph for me, okay?!”

Hinata laughs. “Okay, okay, I will!” he promises her.

After the show, Natsu uses the train ride back to his apartment to show Hinata videos of you performing at competitions. 

The way you skate in a competition is different compared to the way you skated tonight. In this particular video that Natsu’s showing him, you’re skating to more classical music, and Hinata thinks that your performance might be less exciting for it, but you’re quick to prove him wrong. 

Despite the lack of lyrics, the music seems to just flow through your body as you make your way around the ice. Every movement of your body — from the way you extend your arms to the way you turn your head — is in sync with the music, and even your jumps all land right on beat.

Watching you skate competitively is like watching art in motion, and he can’t— doesn’t want to take his eyes off of you. You’re the embodiment of elegance, yet also a force to be reckoned with — like a beautiful storm. To think that your skating today was only a fraction of what you’re actually capable of… 

By the time he and Natsu arrive at his apartment, Hinata’s more than willing to call himself a fan of yours. 

With everyone’s differing schedules nowadays, meeting up with any of his high school teammates isn’t an easy task, but they all were able to reunite in Miyagi during Golden Week. Sitting around the table with everyone for dinner makes Hinata’s chest fill with warmth — wrapped in the comfort that no matter where their lives take them, they’re all still able to get together like this every now and then.

As Yamaguchi talks about a multi-part documentary about dinosaurs that he and Tsukishima have been watching lately, Hinata starts to understand why Natsu would take every possible opportunity to talk about you. Though he’s happy to see Yamaguchi so lively, he can’t help but feel like a jar filled to bursting, wanting to tell everyone all about you.

Ever since attending Stars On Ice with Natsu a few weeks ago, Hinata finds himself using a lot of his free time to watch videos of you at competitions. Despite having already seen all your short programs and free programs at this point, he still likes to rewatch them— no matter how many times he does, you always manage to take his breath away. And sure, he has Natsu to talk about you with, but he wants other people to realize just how cool you are too. 

When Yamaguchi tells them about how one type of dinosaur would fight each other for the right to hunt a herd of a species they preyed on, poor Yachi starts to lose color. 

To save her from going into a complete panic, Hinata interjects, “I’ll have to check that out one of these days. All I’ve been watching lately are videos of [Surname] [Name] competing.”

“[Surname] [Name]?” Yachi repeats, tilting her head. Color slowly returns to her face. “The Olympic figure skater?”

“Yup! I took Natsu to watch her perform a few weeks ago, and she’s seriously amazing! The way she skates is like a work of art!”

With his mouth still full of food, Kageyama’s voice is garbled as he asks, “She’s an Olympian?” He pauses to swallow, a somewhat thoughtful expression on his face. “Huh. I thought she was just a regular figure skater when we met.”

Hinata opens his mouth, but no words come out, let alone even form in his mind. How could Kageyama say something like that so casually? Finally, he manages to exclaim, “You what?!”

Kageyama’s hand freezes with his spoon midway to his mouth. “What?” he asks with a furrowed brow. “Her coach knows my coach, I guess, so they came to watch our game against you guys and say hi after it ended.”

You came to watch the game between the Black Jackals and the Adlers. You sat somewhere in the stands of the arena. You saw him play.

For a beat, Hinata just sits there, letting this information sink in. And then, “What was she like?!”

“Uh, friendly?” Kageyama answers, his tone almost mocking. “We didn’t talk that long. She introduced herself, said she enjoyed watching the national team compete in Rio, and complimented me on my tosses.”

Hinata lets himself sink down in his seat, ignoring the way the chair digs into his back. Freakin’ Kageyama. How can he act like all of that isn’t a big deal? Sure, Hinata may not have competed in the Olympics, but he hoped you had thought something when you saw him play. If only he could invite you to watch him play in another game…

Suddenly, Hinata straightens right back up. An idea pops into his head, and it’s so good, that he can’t seem to get the words out fast enough. “Hey Kageyama, can you introduce me to her?!”

“Why? Are you planning on stalking her?” Tsukishima cuts in, his words making Yamaguchi snicker.

Hinata scowls. “No!” he protests.

“I don’t even know her that well to introduce you, no matter how much you want to stalk her.”

“I’m not trying to—”

“You know,” Yachi starts, tapping the tips of her index fingers together. “I’ve read an article about her that said she trains in a city near you. It also said that she teaches a ballet class at the local community center in her free time.”

“A ballet class?”

Yachi nods. “Mmhmm! The article mentioned that a lot of figure skaters also do ballet to help them with their training.”

As Hinata processes this new information from Yachi, another idea starts to form in his head, and he can feel his lips stretch in a wide smile.

Kageyama sets down his spoon, the utensil making a harsh clang as it hits the plate. “Hinata, you dumbass, you’re not planning to go to her ballet class, are you?” he asks, fixing Hinata with a stern look.

“Ballet would help improve your posture,” Yachi says, offering Hinata an almost conspiratorial smile, “and that could help with your balance and coordination in volleyball too.”

Well, if it were for volleyball, going would be considered professional development, right?

The local community center is easy to navigate to, as is the room in which you hold your ballet classes every Friday afternoon. 

Despite not dawdling over making his way here, Hinata still arrives with barely any time to spare. In his haste to leave practice though, Bokuto had teased him about having a hot date that he was keeping a secret from them. His denial only spurred Atsumu to joke about him rushing home to spend the evening with his right hand. 

He could only imagine what they’d say if they knew he was rushing to attend a ballet class.

Hinata lingers beside the entrance, just out of sight. He can hear chatter coming from inside the room, but that’s to be expected, since your class is due to start in a couple minutes. He takes a moment to breathe in, and then breathe out, steeling himself. He’s really going to do this, huh?

Once Hinata walks through the threshold, as if on cue, all conversation comes to a stop. With every head in the room turning to look at him, he notices two very glaring facts — not only is he the only male student, but he’s also the only adult student. Suddenly, he’s not so sure that coming here was a good idea.

Hinata’s eyes slide over everyone’s faces until they settle on you, a neutral expression on your face as you look up at him from where you sit on the floor. 

Seeing you dressed in just a plain t-shirt and jogging pants is a contrast to seeing you in your figure skating costumes. Your beauty isn’t lessened for it though, and he’s not sure he’s ever seen someone look as good in casual clothing as you do.

You crane your head to see past him, probably thinking that he’s accompanying a child. (If only Natsu weren’t a teenager now.) Hinata watches as you knit your eyebrows — no doubt because you don’t see what he’s sure you’re expecting — but when your gaze meets his again, you smile at him.

“Welcome! I’m glad you could join us today. Feel free to set your stuff down at the back of the room. We’ll be starting shortly.”

There’s something about seeing your smile directed at him that makes his brain feel like it's short-circuiting, and Hinata struggles to form any kind of coherent thought. “O-okay, sounds good!” he ends up stuttering out, his face heating up after the fact. He tries to tamp down his embarrassment as he walks to the back of the room, not daring to look back and see your reaction.

By the time Hinata sets his belongings down and then heads back toward the front of the room, no one seems to be paying him any mind. You’ve gotten to your feet, and the other students have already taken up spots in front of a wooden handrail. He joins the other students, prompting you to begin class by clapping your hands together.

“In case anyone needs a refresher, my name’s [Surname] [Name]. Everyone can just call me by [Name] though, and, um—” You bring a hand up to the back of your neck, your lips stretching in a sheepish smile. “—I’m embarrassed to admit that I fell quite a bit at practice earlier today, so I think that’s why I’m having trouble remembering some things… 

“If everyone could please help me out by reminding me of their names, I would be so grateful.” You gesture towards the opposite end of the handrail, at a girl with short brown ponytails. “Why don’t we start with you, Nanako-chan?”

The girl next to Hinata giggles, and the others join in. “I thought you said you forgot our names, [Name],” she says, her auburn ponytail swinging as she rocks back and forth on the heels of her feet. 

“I really did, Minako-chan!” you insist. Your eyes widen once you realize your mistake, making the girls giggle even more. “I…I’m only barely starting to remember a couple things, but my memory’s still fuzzy in some areas…”

From the amused expressions on the girls’ faces — on top of your slip-ups — Hinata guesses that your memory is perfectly fine, and that this whole charade is more for his sake. Still, one-by-one, the girls go down the line introducing themselves, until he’s the only one left. 

“I’m Hinata Shoyo, thank you for having me!” Hinata says, before bowing his head to everyone. When he looks back up, everyone’s smiling at him.

“Thank you, everyone, for your help! I’ll work hard to fall less during practice from now on so I don’t have any more problems with my memory,” you promise, an earnest tone to your voice. The girls giggle in response, which makes your lips twitch upward. “Now let’s get started with some stretches.”

The stretches are simple enough. However, there’s one where you have them all lift a leg to rest on the wooden handrail (which Hinata learned was actually called a barre) and then lean forward onto that leg. Of all the stretches, that one gives him more trouble than everyone else, but other than that — so far, so good.

That is, until you move on to barre exercises. 

You start with an exercise called a plié, and Hinata thinks he’s mimicking your form correctly as you guide them all through each position — starting with 1st. As you go into 2nd position though, you instruct everyone to go through it on their own. There’s no objections from any of the other girls as they go through the motions as easily as breathing, but when his eyes seek you out for help, you’re already standing right in front of him. 

You move to get down on your knees, making Hinata sharply inhale at the sight. Recently, whenever he would indulge himself, you may or may not have been the subject of his fantasies, and were it not for the children in the room, he might’ve thought himself to be dreaming.

Instead of placing your hands on the waistband of his jogging pants though, you place your hands on his knees. “Your knees should always bend over your toes when doing a plié,” you explain, gently pressing down until you’re satisfied with their bend.

You straighten back up afterwards, circling Hinata until you’re standing behind him. He can’t help but jump when he feels your hand ghost over his lower back. “Your backside shouldn’t be sticking out when you bend your knees either,” you add. “From the moment you bend your knees to the moment you straighten up, you should always keep your back straight.”

That seems to be the extent of your adjustments for Hinata right now, because you end up returning to the front of the classroom to continue guiding them through the rest of the positions. After pliés, the remaining exercises are comparatively simpler, but no less demanding in terms of the precision and control they require. He figures he must be doing something right though, because you’re not prompted to come over and correct him any further at any point.

When they move away from the barre to the center of the room, Hinata thinks he might be in trouble again, but fortunately, these new exercises all build on what they’ve already practiced at the barre, which helps him with following along. He only struggles with the different jumps — so used to jumping to reach the summit rather than to move from one position to the other.

You eventually wrap up class by leading them in some cooldown stretches, and then congratulate everyone for doing a good job. “Get home safe, and have a wonderful weekend.”

The girls all thank you in unison, and then go to grab their belongings. Outside the room, Hinata sees that there’s already parents waiting. You head outside to greet each one of them, and from inside, he can hear you making conversation with them with a comfortable familiarity. 

Hinata walks over to retrieve his own belongings, immediately reaching for his water bottle from his sports bag. He hadn’t been sure what to expect from a ballet class, but it turned out to be a surprisingly good workout. He even broke a bit of a sweat.

“Goodbye, Hinata-san!” the girls politely say to him, each one all packed up and ready to go.

“Goodbye!” Hinata returns with a smile. He watches them file out of the room, choosing to hang back and rest a bit before heading out himself. (He’s definitely not lingering on purpose though.)

Even from the back of the room, he can hear when the girls (more enthusiastically) say goodbye to you. Moments later, you walk back inside with a smile on your face, but it’s quick to disappear once your gaze lands on him. 

“Oh, Hinata-san!” you gasp, jumping a bit. “I didn’t realize you were still here.”

Hinata chuckles. “Yeah, just taking a moment to catch my breath. Ballet’s more of a workout than I expected,” he admits, raising a hand up to the back of his head. “You don’t have to be formal with me, by the way! Just Hinata is okay. Or Shoyo, if you’d rather call me that!”

“Don’t you think we’re moving a bit fast if I call you by Shoyo?” 

There’s a teasing lilt to your voice that makes the way you say his name sound musical. Hinata plays it on a loop in his mind — trying to commit the sound to memory in case he never hears it from your mouth again.

You walk over to join Hinata at the back of the classroom, reaching into your own sports bag to retrieve a pair of sneakers. As you begin removing your ballet shoes, you ask, “What’s a professional volleyball player like you doing taking a ballet class anyway, Hinata?”

“Wait, you know who I am?” Hinata replies, trying not to sound too excited. He must not have been completely successful though, because your lips quirk upwards.

“Of course I do, I’ve seen you play. You’re a wing spiker for the MSBY Black Jackals,” you answer with all the nonchalance of someone talking about the weather — and while putting on sneakers too. When you straighten back up, your lips curve in a smile. “Your speed and jumping power are really incredible. I’m kind of envious, to be honest.”

“Really?” Hinata asks, his voice tinged with disbelief. He couldn’t imagine you being envious of him for anything. Yet, here you are, telling him exactly that. “You always go into your jumps with so much speed though, and you land them perfectly!”

Your smile diminishes ever so slightly, making Hinata wonder if maybe you don’t like being complimented. There aren’t that many interviews of you online, but he’s watched them all, and you tend to deflect whenever an interviewer tries to compliment you or compare you to your competition.

“Even so, there’s still room for me to improve if I want to use triple Axels in competition, much less a quad.” You slide the strap of your sports bag onto your shoulder, and then place your hands in the pockets of your jogging pants. “I’d be willing to bet that you’d have no problem landing quads though.”

“You think so?”

“Mmhmm,” you hum, before walking towards the door without any preamble. Hinata hastens to fall into step beside you. “You’d probably make an impressive figure skater in another life — which brings me back to my question.” You cast him a sidelong glance as you two exit the community center. “Unless you’re considering a career change…?”

“Ah, no, I’m happy that I can play the sport I love for a living,” Hinata says, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. “It’s just that I’ve admired your athleticism ever since I took my sister, Natsu, to see you in Stars On Ice--”

“Natsu…” you repeat to yourself, a contemplative expression on your face before a lightbulb seems to go off. “Oh! I still have the flower crown she gave me.” You regard him with a knit brow. “I wouldn’t have guessed that you’re her brother, but I can see the resemblance now. Does she play volleyball too?”

“Yeah!” Hinata exclaims with a wide grin, unable to hide his pride. “She’s a big fan of figure skating too though, and told me I had to get her your autograph if I ever ran into you.”

You smile. “Well, I’m happy to oblige.”

You open your sports bag, rummaging around for a piece of paper, and then pull out a Sharpie and a wrinkled brochure from Skate America. Hinata watches you flip to a page with your profile before signing it -- your autograph an elegant combination of loops and swirls.

“So, you were saying?” you ask, handing the brochure over to him.

“Oh, uh, seeing you skate made me decide that I wanted to learn from you. Plus, my friend said ballet could help me with volleyball…”

You throw your head back as you let out a laugh. The sunlight seems to create a halo of light around your face, making you look like you’d descended from the clouds above. Who knows? Maybe you really had…

“You must be really dedicated to volleyball, huh?” you ask rhetorically. “Though I guess you’d have to be if you’d spend two years training in Brazil.”

“How do you know that?” Hinata gasps out.

“That’s what your biography in the program from your game against the Adlers said,” you answer, an innocent tone to your voice. As if your words weren’t the reason his heart’s beating faster than normal. “It’s not wrong, is it?”

“N-no, that’s right,” Hinata stammers. He pauses for a moment afterwards, clearing his throat. “I moved there after high school to train by using beach volleyball.”

You nod. “I really respect that. It’s tough moving away from everything you know, even if it’s for the sake of something you love,” you say, trailing off with a wistful look in your eyes. 

Huh. Hinata did read that the club you train at isn’t your home rink, but before he can ask you more about that, you press on.

“Anyway, did you find my class informative?”

“Yeah, definitely!” Hinata exclaims with a vigorous nod of his head. “You went at a good pace and had a sharp eye for catching mistakes.”

You scratch at the side of your neck with your index finger. “Sorry for putting my hands on you when I was correcting you, by the way. I should’ve been more mindful and asked if doing so was okay first.”

“It’s okay! You can touch me all you want!” The words leave Hinata’s mouth before he can think them over. 

You raise your eyebrows. A beat passes, and once his words finally process in his mind, his face feels like it’s been set aflame. Hinata hurries to backtrack. 

“I-I-I mean— I just mean that, if you need to correct me because I’m doing something wrong, then that’s okay.”

You laugh. “I’ll keep that in mind for next time,” you say, the corners of your lips still quirked upward in amusement.

“Next time?”

“If you think me teaching you ballet will help you improve in volleyball, then I’m happy to help with your growth as an athlete,” you explain. “At least, I hope to be able to be of help to you and to see you at my class again.”

And well, how can Hinata not keep attending your class now? (Not that he ever had any plans to stop going in the first place.)

As the two of you continue walking towards the nearest station, Hinata bounces the conversation back in your direction, asking you how your own training’s going. You tell him that, now that the season’s over, you’ve been working on your short program and free program for the upcoming season. They’re both already choreographed, so you’re just working on nailing the choreography — from there, your coach will decide what adjustments, if any, need to be made.

Questions about your short program and free program are on the tip of his tongue — you’d mentioned using triple Axels in competition, were you planning to debut them in the upcoming season? — but you turn the conversation back on him, asking if he won’t be too busy to attend your ballet class alongside his training now that the season’s over for him. He voices his surprise at how you knew that, and you admit to being a casual fan of professional volleyball. 

By the time the two of you reach the platform for your train, Hinata’s learned more about you than anything he had read or had watched could ever tell him. 

No interview could tell him that you use classical music in your programs because you genuinely enjoy listening to it — not because classical music is the traditional choice in figure skating. Or which pop songs you like to sing along to when you’re in the shower. And he’s learned that you’re actually quite scared of heights, so you’re glad that you’re never too far off the ground for any of your jumps.

You don’t ever answer a question of his without getting in a question of your own though, and Hinata ends up revealing a lot about himself to you too. He’s not used to it — so used to being the one who always asks about others — but he can’t say that he minds. Having someone show an active interest in him, especially someone like you, fills him with a warm, fluttery feeling in his stomach.

Though Hinata ends up spending a couple hundred yen that he didn’t need to on train fare, having the opportunity to get to know more about you beyond the Olympian figure skater is easily worth the cost.

“Okay, what’s yer secret?”

“Huh?” Hinata pauses in his movements, his arms frozen with his shirt bunched halfway up his torso.  What secret?”

Atsumu walks up to his own locker next to Hinata’s. “The secret behind why you’ve been doin’ real good at practice lately,” he says, before retrieving his own shirt.

“Yeah, you’ve been on fire, Hinata!” Bokuto exclaims, coming up on Hinata’s other side. “Been eating something extra good in the mornings?”

Hinata lets out a light laugh. “Ah, you guys really think so?” he asks, scratching the back of his head. “Thank you, but I’m still eating the same breakfast I’ve always been.”

When Yachi told him that ballet could help him with volleyball, Hinata had believed her — because she’d yet to steer him wrong in all the years that he’d known her — but he couldn’t imagine how that would actually work out. With each ballet class he attends though, he can feel the difference in his posture; and as he goes about his normal day-to-day, he can see how the change helps him in practice. 

The improvement in his form allows Hinata to exert less effort when he moves from position to position on the court. By avoiding using more effort than he actually needs to, he’s both able to move faster and also maintain more of his energy to better last him through the end of practice. His better posture even helps him with his workouts when he does strength training — the exercises that he’d previously struggled with are more manageable now.

Hinata has you to thank for all that. (And Yachi for leading him to you.)

He tried to compliment you on your teaching once, when the two of you were walking to the station after class ended, but you only deflected, saying that his innate athleticism is what’s to thank, not you. You also told him that you were just sharing the knowledge that you had learned from your own ballet instructors throughout the years — all of whom were professionals and actually had the proper qualifications to teach. Qualified or not though, there’s no doubt that you’re still a capable teacher. 

Whenever you walk the class through a new exercise for the first time, you always go through the motions at a pace that’s easy to keep up with. (Sometimes, he can’t help but admire the lines of your body as you do a demonstration for them, mesmerized by your fluid movements.) You also never fail to notice if he’s doing an exercise even the slightest bit incorrectly. You take care to not just correct him, but to also explain what he had been doing wrong previously, so he knows what not to repeat going forward. 

The girls are a big help to Hinata too.  

He’s sure that, to them, he was just some weird guy going to a ballet class for girls at first, so he made the effort to get to class earlier to have time to talk to them more. The more he talked to them and asked them questions and listened to what they had to say, the more they seemed to warm up to him — they’d even gone from calling him to Hinata-san to Shoyo-niichan. And whenever your attention is occupied with someone else, whoever he’s standing next to at the barre that day does their best to assist him if he’s struggling. Hinata’s as grateful to them as he is to you for your part in helping him become a better volleyball player. 

…if he doesn’t leave the locker room soon though, he’ll be late to your class today.

“Nah, ain’t what he’s eatin’,” Atsumu denies, his eyebrows drawn downwards as he studies Hinata. “He’s been happier than usual too, and always in a rush to leave practice on Fridays.” Atsumu crosses his arms. “No one’s that happy from jackin’ off every Friday night. I think yer right, Bokkun. Shoyo-kun’s datin’ someone.”

Bokuto gasps so loudly, Hinata would’ve laughed if Atsumu didn’t have him in hot water right now. 

“You’re dating someone, Hinata?!” Bokuto exclaims. “What do they look like? How did you two meet?”

“I-I’m not dating anyone!” 

“Oh?” Atsumu’s lips curve up in a smirk. “A friends with benefits relationship then?”

Hinata feels his face flush. He’d be lying if he said he’d never thought of you in that way, but those were in his fantasies! Not real life! 

“What? No!” Hinata cries. Atsumu doesn’t look convinced though, and when Hinata opens his mouth again, his next words leave without a second thought. “I’m taking a ballet class!”

For a moment, neither Atsumu nor Bokuto say anything. They only blink at him. 

“Good for you, Hinata!” Bokuto eventually says, clapping Hinata on the shoulder. “If it’s helping you with volleyball, more power to you!” A thoughtful expression crosses his face, and he purses his lips. “Maybe I should do ballet too…”

“That ain’t what’s important here, Bokkun!” Atsumu replies.

Bokuto vigorously nods his head. “You’re right,” he agrees, and then focuses his eyes on Hinata again. “Is the class you’re going to still taking students? Or do I have to wait if I wanna sign up?”

“Yer killin’ me,” Atsumu groans. “What’s important ‘ere is why Shoyo-kun’s even takin’ a ballet class in the first place. Out of all the ways you could improve yourself in volleyball, ain’t no way ballet would be anyone’s first choice.”

Hinata squirms under Atsumu’s firm gaze, and tries looking to Bokuto for help, but he seems to be lost in his own thoughts. 

“Will I have to wear tights if I do ballet…?” Bokuto mumbles to himself as he puts on his street clothes. “Or can I just wear regular pants?”

With his only lifeline distracted, and Atsumu showing no signs of budging, Hinata sighs in defeat before admitting the reason he started attending your ballet class. He enters your name in a search engine, handing his phone to Atsumu. 

At Atsumu scrolls through the search results, Hinata tells him (and Bokuto) about how his sister’s a big fan of yours, how he became a fan of you himself after taking Natsu to Stars On Ice, and how he ended up deciding to take your ballet class at the local community center.

Atsumu nods at the end, an understanding expression on his face. “She’s real hot, I don’t blame ya,” he says, handing back Hinata’s phone. There’s a picture of you on the screen…zoomed in on your backside. 

“Atsumu-san,” Hinata deadpans, fixing Atsumu with an unimpressed look. “That’s not why I attend her class!”

“Don’tcha go to ogle at her legs for an hour?” Atsumu asks, his lips stretched in a teasing smile.

“No! Of course not!”

“If that’s really the case, then why don’t we all hang out tonight? You, me, Bokkun, and Omi-omi. Been a while, and missin’ one class won’t kill ya, right?” Atsumu throws an arm around Hinata’s shoulder, and when he speaks again, there’s a challenging tone to his voice. “Unless…ya really do only attend to stare at her assets?”

Hinata bites his lip. He doesn’t want to miss your class, but…he doesn’t want Atsumu to get (even more of) the wrong idea either. And Atsumu was right, Hinata hadn’t hung out with his teammates on a Friday night since before he started going to your class. 

“Yeah, okay! Let’s hang out tonight,“ Hinata finally concedes. He’ll miss seeing you and the girls, but he hadn’t been attending your class for long anyway, so he’s sure without him there, it’ll feel just like old times for you all. “It has been a while, huh?”

The last way Hinata expects to be greeted when he arrives for your ballet class is for the girls to charge at him. “Shoyo-niichan!” they all cry, nearly tackling him with their hugs.

“What am I, chopped liver?” you ask, your voice barely audible over everyone else’s. There’s no malice in your tone though — you simply watch the scene unfold before you with a soft smile on your face.

The girls ask Hinata where he was last week, and if something had happened to him. From the forlorn expressions on their faces, he finds that he doesn’t have the heart to tell them the truth of what he got up to last Friday, and only says that he got tied up with volleyball. 

His answer seems to be enough for them, because they immediately move on. Everyone talks over each other as they all start telling Hinata the stories that they haven’t been able to share with him for the past two weeks, making him struggle to try to listen to everyone at once. 

“Why don’t we let Hinata-kun get a chance to set his stuff down?” you suggest at a volume loud enough to cut over the chatter this time.

That gets everyone’s attention long enough to make them remember themselves, and Hinata’s at last able to walk farther into the room than just past the threshold. Still, that doesn’t stop the girls from trailing after him like ducklings, or from continuing to regale him with the tales of their day-to-day lives. Fortunately, they take turns this time. 

Since two weeks’ worth of stories is a lot to get through, the conversation doesn’t stop even once they get to the barre. There ends up being a disagreement over who gets to stand next to Hinata — that you ultimately end up settling by using a counting rhyme — but you allow them all to continue talking as they go through the beginning stretches and exercises.

Though Hinata had expected otherwise, he can’t say he’s not happy about being missed in his absence. A warm feeling blooms in his chest and spreads throughout his body from knowing that everyone wanted him here — to think that he had gone from being an outsider, to being accepted as one of them.

Class ends with the girls telling Hinata that he can’t ever miss a class again. The way that their faces grow serious makes him want to laugh, but he holds back his amusement and tells them that he’ll try his best not to.

Once the two of you are alone, you say to him, “You really had everyone shook up last week.”  

Hinata takes a moment to look over at you as you two walk to the station. There’s a hint of a smile on your face, suggesting that you’re thinking about what had happened.

“When you didn’t show up by the time class officially started, the girls insisted I wait for you in case you were running late,” you continue, casting a sidelong glance at him. “So I waited another five minutes, and even then, they still wanted to wait longer for you, asking me if I knew where you were. 

“I didn’t, of course, so I told them that you must still be hard at work at practice. They seemed to understand, but well, as you saw for yourself today, they really missed you.”

“Ah, yeah…” Hinata awkwardly agrees, scratching the back of his head. “I ended up going to dinner with some of my teammates after practice last week.”

You wave his words away, not looking the least bit offended. “Don’t worry, I get it — there’s better ways for a guy in his 20s to spend his Friday nights.”

That wasn’t the case, but Hinata can’t really tell you that unless he wants to give context to why he ended up going out to dinner with Atsumu, Bokuto, and Sakusa in the first place. Instead, he bounces the question back at you. 

“What about you? Wouldn’t you rather hang out with your friends on a Friday night?”

“Not really,” you say without missing a beat. “Believe it or not, I like teaching ballet to the girls.”

“Really?” Hinata replies, unable to keep the disbelief out of his voice. From your posts on social media, he imagined that you lived the idyllic social life of someone his age.

You let out a laugh. “What’s so surprising about that?” you ask, though you don’t wait for him to answer. “Yeah, really.” 

A beat passes, and there’s a pensive look on your face. Hinata wonders what’s on your mind, but before he can ask, you open your mouth to speak again.

“Going into the 2018 Winter Olympics, and even in the time since then, I’ve gotten a lot more sponsorships and endorsements deals to fund my skating. I’m...” You trail off as your face takes on a more uncomfortable expression. “I’m very aware of how fortunate I am. Olympians don’t get paid to play their sport, so not everyone can afford to make a living out of figure skating.

“That’s why I want to try to give back how I can. If me setting aside just an hour of my time means that I’m able to provide enrichment to someone else’s life somehow…then that’s an hour well spent to me.”

If Hinata wasn’t sure before that you’re an angel, then he’s sure now. Your words leave him with his mouth hanging open in awe, but he can’t bring himself to close it, not even when you peek at him from the corner of your eye.

“B-besides,” you say, your voice a decibel louder than it normally is. You pause to clear your throat, and when you continue, it’s at a normal volume again. “I don’t really have any friends. The club I train at isn’t my home rink, so my rinkmates are just about the only people I hang out with.”

Hinata’s heart can’t help but ache at the matter-of-fact way in which you share this information with him. Who wouldn’t want to be your friend? Or rather, maybe you didn’t see your rinkmates as true friends, but at the very least…

“We’re friends, aren’t we?”

You stop right in your tracks, and seem almost frozen to the spot were it not for the steady rise and fall of your chest. Hinata’s own chest starts to tighten, moisture collecting on the palms of his hands as he wonders if he spoke out of turn. Beats pass where the only source of noise is the cars zooming by on the streets, their speed causing the wind to whistle in his ears. 

The silence between you two helps Hinata to clear his mind though, and he breathes easier when he realizes that, even if you don’t feel the same way, he’d only spoken what he feels to be the truth. Sure, he still admires you as an athlete, but to see you only for the you in front of the camera is a disservice to the you that his conversations with you have painted. 

Years of being a top athlete in your sport haven’t inflated your ego, but rather, made you aware of the ways in which it made your life different from the average person your age. Instead of making you arrogant, it’s made you kind. 

Kind, yet guarded — you’re more likely to share the bare minimum, than to talk about yourself at length. It’s one way that Hinata and you are alike, but with every detail you share that scratches more than just the surface, the more he finds himself wanting to bare his own soul to you too.

“Yes,” you finally say. The word leaves your mouth slowly, as if you’re testing out the way it feels on your tongue. “Yeah.” Your voice is more sure this time. “Yeah, we’re friends, Hinata.” 

And what follows is a sight he isn’t prepared for.

Your lips stretch outwards in a smile that you can’t contain, your mouth seeming to want to spread higher than is physically possible. It causes your eyes to crinkle at the corners, and there’s no missing the way your irises glitter even without the help of the sun.

Hinata’s seen you smile more times than he can count — it seems to be your go-to expression, if he’s being honest — but this is the first time he’s seen you smile where you look truly happy from the bottom of your heart. As he tries to etch this image into his mind’s eye, he’s vaguely aware that his looking has become staring. If he can’t coax this expression out of you ever again though, he at least wants to always remember the sight of it. 

However, a growl sounding from nearby interrupts the picturesque moment. Heat begins to creep up the back of his neck when Hinata realizes that the source of the noise is him.

You bring a hand up to press over your mouth for a moment. Even so, once you lower your hand, there’s still a hint of amusement on your face as you say, “I don’t want to keep you any longer if you’re needing to eat.” 

“Why don’t we get dinner together?” The words leave Hinata’s mouth automatically. “There’s this place that has the best healthy food around here! It’s delicious, yet really cheap too!”

You chuckle. “You had me at ‘healthy food,’” you reply, and then gesture to him. “Lead the way, Hinata.”

When the two of you arrive at the restaurant, there’s a contemplative expression on your face as you take in the interior. Moisture starts to collect on Hinata’s palms, and the moment is reminiscent of the first time he ever had friends over back at home in Miyagi — the way his stomach had twisted as he wondered what his friends thought of his room. Did they think it was awesome and cool? Or did they think it was boring and lame?

Should he have brought you somewhere else? Was this not up to your standards?

Once the two of you are seated and you’re looking over the menu though, Hinata thinks that maybe he worked himself up for no real reason. All the different choices seem to compete to keep your attention before you settle on one. You even agree to share a dish with him.

By the time your food is brought out, any lingering doubts Hinata has are completely dispelled — there’s no mistaking the excitement behind the way your face lights up and you clap your hands together.

“Thank you for the food!” you chirp.

“Thanks for the food!”

Hinata definitely ends up eating more than he’d meant to, though as full as he feels, he can’t say he would have been against lingering at the restaurant for far longer. Still, stepping outside into the cool, night air helps his stomach feel a little lighter — walking you to the station just down the street, and then to his apartment nearby, should help too.

There’s no doubt he’ll have to work harder than usual at practice to make up for how much he ate, but the good food and company are easily worth the extra workouts.

“That place was really good,” you say, as if echoing his thoughts. “You have great taste in restaurants.”

Hinata laughs. “You think so?” he asks, raising a hand to scratch the back of his head. “I used to work as a delivery boy back in Rio, so I guess when I moved here, it just made sense to get familiar with what’s around me.”

Your lips curve in a small smile. “Very adventurous of you, but I suppose I wouldn’t expect anything else,” you say, seemingly more so to yourself than to him. “I’d looked up places online and read through pages of reviews before even deciding to step foot inside. And now, I just always go to the same places because I already know I like them.”

“Well, if you’d like, I’m happy to recommend more places!”

“I’d like that very much,” you reply, your smile widening. “If that’s going to be the case though, we should probably exchange numbers.”

You…wanted his number? Sure, it’d be for food recommendations, but that doesn’t change the fact that his number would be saved on your phone… Hinata’s thankful that you’re facing forward and can’t see the blush creeping up his face. That doesn’t stop his voice from betraying him though.

“Y-yeah! Good idea,” Hinata stammers out, his face feeling even hotter while he fumbles to retrieve his phone. 

He probably looks like a tomato at this point. If you notice, you’re kind enough to not comment on it when the two of you exchange phones.

Once you return his phone to him, you suggest, “Let’s get dinner again sometime.”

A big grin spreads across Hinata’s face. “Sounds good to me!” he exclaims. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Me too,” you say with a soft smile. “Goodnight, Hinata.”

He returns your goodbye, watching you descend the stairs into the station. It’s only when you’re out of sight that Hinata starts walking towards his apartment, reflecting on the events of today. 

On the court, everyone on his side of the net is his ally. Hinata’s never taken that fact for granted, but maybe having an ever-present support system makes him forget that isn’t always the case for everyone. After all, on the ice, it’s just you out there. For every misstep, stumble, or fall you have, you only have yourself to rely on to get back up and keep going. Maybe it’s made you become accustomed to standing alone, but that shouldn’t mean that you always have to. 

For as long as you’ll have him there, Hinata knows he’ll always make the choice to stand with you.

Getting dinner with you becomes a regular occurrence, and beyond enjoying your company, Hinata relishes in your delight with each new place he takes you to. There’s always an underlying nervousness — the hope that you’ll like what he likes too — but in the end, seeing your reactions chases away his worries, and he’s grateful that he can share his favorite places with you.

When you take him to your own favorite restaurants in turn, Hinata feels like you’re letting him in on a secret — like you’re allowing him to see a facet of you that no one else does. It fills him with a thrill that makes his blood thrum, knowing that he’s the only person privy to this kind of knowledge.

For tonight though, the question of where to get dinner is still up in the air.

He’d texted you this morning with a link to a family restaurant, but hasn’t received any kind of answer yet. Normally, you respond in agreement to whatever he suggests, so your lack of response has Hinata a little concerned. Then again…outside of discussing where to eat, the two of you don’t really exchange very many texts. 

Maybe you’ve just been extra focused on practice today. He remembers you making an offhand comment about putting in extra work on one of the jumps in your routine lately.

That’s why Hinata doesn’t think too deeply about the fact that everyone’s already arrived for class today except for you. Sure, he’s never seen you run late before, but you’re only human. The girls, however, seem to think otherwise — if their innocent gossip is anything to go by.

“I wonder if [Name] is gonna be in a weird mood today,” Minako wonders aloud. 

Maiko’s quick to add, “Yeah! She’s always in a weird mood whenever she’s late.”

“Weird mood?” Hinata repeats. “What do you mean by that?”

Minako purses her lips, and she and the other girls wear similarly pensive expressions. 

“[Name] just seems sad? Even though she’s being smiley like she always is,” Minako eventually explains. “She doesn’t really pay as much attention to us either.”

“Yeah, so we have to repeat ourselves a lot,” Nanako adds.

Hinata thinks about asking the girls if they know what causes this “weird mood” of yours, but he can’t imagine that you would choose to worry them with whatever’s troubling you. Even so, the sound of footsteps from out in the hallway indicates that the time for gossip is over — moments later, you walk through the threshold.

“Hi everyone! Sorry I’m late.” Your smile matches the cheerful tone to your voice, but it doesn’t reach your eyes, which seem lifeless in comparison. He’s never seen the beautiful hue look so dull before.

The girls rush over to greet you, showering you with hugs. The force of their enthusiasm visibly knocks the wind out of you, a hiss sounding from your lips as your face twists in pain. 

The expression only lasts for a moment though, before you breathe out a laugh. “Wow, you girls are getting so strong! I think you might even be getting stronger than me!” you exclaim with a wide smile.

They protest and insist otherwise, and it’s when you reach out to affectionately ruffle their hair that Hinata realizes you’re wearing a long-sleeved shirt despite the warm weather. He’s not the only one either, because one of the girls asks, “[Name], isn’t it hot wearing long-sleeves today?”

“Ah, I—” you begin. Perhaps subconsciously, Hinata watches as you finger the hem of one of your sleeves, tugging it down ever so slightly. “—I spent longer than usual at the rink today, so I’m still feeling a little cold!

“I’m sure I’ll feel warmer once we start class,” you reassure everyone. Then, with a clap of your hands, you direct them to the barre for warm-up.

From there, class goes on like normal, though perhaps it goes on too normally. 

At a cursory glance, you seem perfectly fine -- directing the class through the day’s agenda with practiced ease. However, it’s that ease that increases his concern. 

There’s an almost mechanical way about how you move today. And whenever Hinata meets your eyes, he’s always taken aback by the emptiness that’s there. You may be looking at him, but he gets the sense that you’re not actually seeing him.

The girls have little success in fully getting your attention as well. 

After demonstrating that day’s allégro combination and walking them through each step, you seem to stare into nothingness as you stand by, a vacant smile on your face. Like the girls said earlier, you end up being slow to register their questions, only digesting them after the second or third time they’re spoken aloud. Then, when you do finally answer, your delivery comes out sounding rehearsed.

Even once class is over and you’ve sent the girls on their way, the empty smile remains -- almost eerie by how unnatural it looks -- as you change out of your ballet slippers into more casual footwear. You probably have even forgotten that he’s there. Experimentally, Hinata calls your name. 

No response.

Hinata tries again. Louder this time. To try and knock down whatever’s weighing so heavily on your mind that it’s preventing him from getting through to you.

No response. 

Instead, you slide the strap of your sports bag onto your shoulder, and start walking towards the door. Hinata can feel his heart thrashing against his chest at the sight, a cold sweat forming on the palms of his hands. 

Your name claws its way out of his mouth -- a sharp cry that harshens the syllables -- while he reaches out for you, your figure just beyond his fingertips. It feels like you’re getting farther and farther away though, slipping out of his grasp with every step that you take. 

For a moment, Hinata sees himself on the court -- trying to close the gap between himself and a ball that’s been set to him, and he forces himself to stretch his arm even more. To make contact with the ball at all costs.

To grab hold of you no matter what.

And for a moment... Hinata thinks that maybe this is a set that’s not meant for him. As he lowers his hand, a sinking feeling forming in the pit of his stomach, his fingers end up catching on the soft cotton of your shirt. 

Without thinking, he pulls — the force of it stopping you right in your tracks. 

“Wha- Hinata?” you question, turning around to look at him. Your lips are parted in surprise, and he watches as the life returns to your eyes, the hue gradually brightening each time you blink at him.

Hinata swallows. “You didn’t forget about dinner, did you?” he half-jokes.

You gasp, scrambling to grab your phone from your bag. “Oh my god, I meant to reply after practice, but I was feeling--” You abruptly cut yourself off, like a car screeching to an immediate stop. “--my mind was elsewhere. Anyway, I’m so sorry. Let me look at the menu of the place you sent real quick.” You tap at your phone, and then scroll in-between pauses. “Yeah, I’m down to get dinner from here!”

You start walking again, and Hinata easily falls into step beside you as the two of you leave the community center. “Speaking of practice—” 

At just the mention of it, you stiffen, your limbs locking up. A beat passes before you relax again, but your knuckles are white from how tightly you grip the strap of your sports bag.

“—sounds like it kept you extra busy. Productive day today?”

You laugh, but it sounds hollow. “I suppose if constantly falling on my ass counts as productive.”

“Is that one jump in your routine giving you trouble?”

“Yeah.” You give a rueful smile. “I’ve been landing my triple Axels nearly every time lately, so I felt like I was getting to a point where I would land one each time I tried, but I guess not. Then I got too stuck in my head and kept falling.”

“Couldn’t you still earn a high score from your programs without using a triple Axel?” Hinata asks. He’s never seen you flub a jump during competition, but your points seem to largely come from the artistry of your performance, rather than the technical difficulty. 

“Sure,” you say, shrugging. “How can I ever become an even better athlete if I only do what’s safe though? Knowing the option exists and is within my grasp… How can I think of not using a triple Axel?”

It’s a fair point. Hinata thinks of his own growth as an athlete. What if he’d never started spiking with his eyes open? What if he’d never mastered the split step? 

You clear your throat, straightening up. “Anyway, I’ll be okay by tomorrow, so no need to worry,” you say, a cheery tone to your voice. “After all, if this were a competition, I couldn’t let myself mope if I wanted to make up the points in my free program.”

You offer him another smile, and though it stretches wide enough to expose your bottom row of teeth, Hinata can tell it’s forced. 

He’s sure you’ll keep up this facade for the remainder of your time together today. You’ll grin when your food’s brought out, and you’ll exclaim how delicious it was, even if you didn’t really taste any of it. And then you’ll go home.

Would you even remember anything about today besides what an overall disappointment it was? Would your time with him today be no more than a mere footnote in your memories?

As you two continue to walk to the family restaurant, a Ferris wheel looming in the horizon catches his eye. Hinata forgets there’s an amusement park in the city sometimes, and idly wonders out loud if you’ve ever gone.

“Huh?” You follow his gaze until you’re looking at the Ferris wheel as well. “No, I’ve never been.” A beat passes, before you glance at him and ask, “Have you?”

“No, I haven’t been either.” His next words don’t even register in his brain, and Hinata immediately blurts out, “Do you wanna go?”

Your eyes widen. “Wh- like, right now?”

“Yeah!” Hinata exclaims with a nod of his head. 

“I-” You trail off, looking at a loss for words. “Yeah, okay,” you eventually decide, your lips forming a more genuine smile this time. “Why not?”

And that’s how Hinata finds himself at an amusement park with you. 

“What do you want to do first?” you ask, holding out a map of the amusement park for you two to look at.

There’s the Ferris wheel that gave him the idea to come here to begin with, but Hinata figures the view from the top would look better at night. The ice rink captures his attention next, though after the day you’ve had, he can’t imagine you’d want to put on skates for fun right now. 

As his eyes continue to rove the map -- the park boasting a surprising number of attractions -- nothing in specific jumps out at him, so he bounces the question back to you. “Is there anything you want to do?”

“Not in particular.”

Hinata hums in thought. “Why don’t we just wander around for now then?”

“Works for me,” you agree with a nod, folding the map back up and placing it in your pockets.

Dispersed amongst the rides, there’s no shortage of stores selling wares and vendors peddling food and drinks. The scent of sweets and baked goods waft through the air, which makes just being at the amusement park an experience in itself. He doesn’t hesitate in taking a deep breath, letting the smell fill his lungs.

As you two continue along the main path though, Hinata finds himself observing you more than he’s looking at what’s around him. Your eyes are wide while you take in the sights — an expression of wonder on your face — and he’s curious what you’ll be drawn towards. Your eyes linger on a rollercoaster in the distance for a bit, but then you’re exclaiming, “Hinata, look!”

You wrap your fingers around his wrist, bringing him with you over to a shop that seems to sell decorative accessories and other commemorative merchandise. Inside, you come to a stop in front of shelves of animal ear headbands. 

“Don’t these look like Jackasuke’s ears?” you ask, plucking a black-eared headband off a shelf. A giggle escapes your mouth after you place it atop his head. “Now you look the part of a black jackal.”

You look so pleased with yourself that Hinata can’t help grinning from ear-to-ear. 

Your attention returns to the shelves afterwards — eyes viewing what else is available — and he follows suit. He spots a row of black-eared headbands, and presumes that’s where you’d taken his from. He doesn’t hesitate to remove another one to place on your own head. 

You let out a soft gasp at the new weight on your head, making you look cutely surprised. Hinata snaps a quick picture on his phone before you can recover, and then switches to his front camera, aiming it to fit you both in the frame. “Say cheese!” he says, giving you a moment to pose first.

“Cheese!”

When Hinata looks at the shot he took, your smile seems to make you glow, and he wonders how someone can still look so good while wearing animal ear headbands. He doesn’t get to dwell on the thought too long — your body heat radiates off of you as you come closer to look at the picture, asking him to send it to you later.

The two of you end up looking at what else the shop has to offer, but ultimately, you only buy the animal ear headbands before leaving.

“Did you want to check out that rollercoaster?” Hinata asks once you two are back outside, pointing towards the one you’d been eyeing earlier.

You purse your lips. “I was thinking about it,” you answer, tilting your head to consider it some more. “It looks like there’s only loops, so it shouldn’t be too bad.”

Mind made up, you two start walking in the direction of the ride.

“Natsu usually holds my hand on rollercoasters, so you’re welcome to do the same too,” Hinata offers, and then adds as an afterthought, “if your boyfriend won’t mind that is.”

You furrow your brow. “My boyfriend?”

“That man you were with at Stars On Ice?”

You stop in your tracks. “You mean, my coach?” For a moment, you just look at him, appalled. Then, you start walking again. 

“O-oh. Natsu had said he was your boyfriend,” Hinata lies, attempting to tamp down his embarrassment. He mentally apologizes to Natsu for throwing her under the bus like this. 

Your expression becomes quizzical. You open your mouth, but quickly close it. “Given that I’m always hanging out with you on Fridays, I’m pretty sure I don’t have a boyfriend,” you eventually laugh. 

“R-right,” Hinata agrees, laughing along with you. Though his face is still warm, the new information also has him vibrating with excitement. 

You don’t have a boyfriend. 

You’re single. 

Though he’d be lying if he said that he didn’t already have a crush on you, knowing this allowed him to more deeply acknowledge the feelings he had for you — like Hinata could finally admit to himself that he liked you as more than an athlete and friend. More importantly, it means that he has a chance with you. He’s not so confident to think that his chances are anywhere near guaranteed, but at least the chance is there, no matter how minuscule.

He’s so caught up in his thoughts that he almost misses the way you’ve started drumming your fingers against your arm the closer the two of you get to being seated on the ride.

“Nervous?”

“A bit,” you admit, your voice quiet.

Hinata offers you a smile in an effort to calm your nerves. “My offer from earlier still stands,” he reminds you.

You eye the rollercoaster train with a wary expression as the ride attendant beckons you two forward. “I think I’ll take you up on that,” you say, looking more like you’re marching to your death than getting on an amusement park ride.

Once you two are strapped in, Hinata holds his hand out, palm up. He’s not sure whether you were serious earlier, but if he’s left hanging, he can play it off by taking hold of the handle on the restraint. 

You don’t hesitate to slide your palm against his though. He’s thankful that you’re facing forward and can’t see the wide grin that takes over his face — his stomach’s in a flutter from feeling your hand against his this time, instead of just his wrist. 

As the rollercoaster train ascends the lift hill, your grip on his hand tightens. When it crosses the peak, you squeeze, but his body barely registers the sudden show of force, his senses quickly overtaken by the ride. 

The train propels along the track at such a high speed that the wind seems to cut through him. Hinata takes in the sights around him through watery eyes, whether he’s looking at all the other park goers below or at you in the next seat, your eyes closed while you scream your head off. And then his world is turned upside down, literally. Before he can gather his bearings though, his world is right-side up again.

By the time the ride comes to an end, his heart is racing, and Hinata feels so full of energy that his limbs are shaking. 

When he glances over at you, your eyes are still closed, your chest heaving with every breath. You’d kept a tight grip on his hand the entire time, and he wonders if you’ve even realized that the ride is over now.

You seem to come back to reality after the ride attendant disengages your seat restraint, eyes opening and your gaze immediately finding his. “That was so much fun!” you exclaim as you release his hand. Your lips stretch into a smile so big that your face almost can’t contain it. 

The two of you make for the exit, your eyes bright as you gush about the ride. Hinata hangs on to your every word — seeing you so happy makes his heart swell to bursting. 

“Was that your first time on a rollercoaster?” Hinata wonders.

“Believe it or not, no,” you answer, still smiling. “It’s been a long time since I was last on one though, and I didn’t really have a great experience last time, so I’m glad this time was better.”

Hinata returns your smile with one of his own. “I’m glad too.”

For the next few hours, you two continue going on the other rides around the park. At your insistence, Hinata offered his input on which attractions to check out next, but overall, he was more than content to just let you lead him wherever you wanted. If it made your eyes crinkle and your face light up, he’d follow you anywhere.

You seemed to especially like the teacups, saying that they reminded you of your harness training. The faster the vehicle spun, the more you smiled with glee. Between the two of you, your combined power made it feel like the teacup was going to spin off the floor — your gracefulness in day-to-day life belied the strength you actually possessed as an athlete. He was thankful that he hadn’t eaten anything beforehand.

As the sun begins to descend below the horizon though, you two decide that perhaps the two of you have foregone food for long enough now, and end up dining at what looked to be the healthiest of the available options. The food still isn’t all that healthy, but that’s to be expected at an amusement park — Hinata figures one day of eating poorly won’t end him, especially in the off-season. It doesn’t stop you from ordering a cotton candy after dinner either.

You pluck pieces of the spun sugar from the paper cone as you two continue your tour around the amusement park — keeping an eye out for any more attractions worth going on before calling it a night. There’s a mesmerizing quality to the way the candy brushes against your lips, already melting on your tongue before your mouth closes. He swallows.

“—want a taste?”

Hinata startles, realizing that he’d been caught staring. “Huh?” he asks, shifting his gaze from your lips to your eyes.

“Did you want a taste?” you repeat. “Of the cotton candy?”

“Oh, uh, s-sure!” Hinata stammers. “Thank—”

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence, interrupted by the piece of cotton candy that you push through his lips. Out of instinct, his mouth closes around it, catching on the tips of your fingers as you draw your hand back. 

Once Hinata realizes what’s happened, his face feels like it’s on fire, but you don’t seem the least bit phased, simply tearing another piece of cotton candy for yourself. His face heats up even more when he sees your mouth catch on the tips of your own fingers — exactly where his mouth had touched moments ago.

Hinata immediately averts his gaze, trying to prevent his thoughts from taking an indecent turn. It flits past a splatter of bright lights, and his eyes double back, gaze settling on the Ferris wheel. The reason he’d suggested coming here in the first place. 

“Do you wanna go on the Ferris wheel?” Hinata asks.

“Oh, good idea!” you exclaim, your expression brightening. “Yeah, let’s go.” 

Without a second thought, you toss the remainder of your cotton candy into a nearby trash can. He can’t decide if the premature loss of your treat is a blessing or a shame. 

As the wheel carries the passenger car up, and up, and up, the sounds from below become dimmer and dimmer. And then, at the top, there’s only silence. It’s quiet enough that Hinata can hear himself exhale — if he listens closely enough, he can hear the sound of your breathing too. 

It dawns on him that this is the first time he’s truly been alone with you. Just you and him in the confined space. No one else.

The idea should make him nervous — and there’s a part of him that is, his stomach tied up in a small knot — but mainly, it brings him contentment, wrapping around him like a warm blanket. This exact moment will only ever be something that the two of you have experienced. There’s a sense of intimacy to that, and he’s more than okay with basking in it.

"Not that I didn't enjoy myself tonight,” you eventually say, voice quiet enough for the tranquil atmosphere, “but what made you suggest we visit here today?"

Hinata shifts his gaze from the view outside to where you sit next to him. With how dark it is in the passenger car, all of the lights limn your silhouette — your chin rests on your hand as you look outwards. Though he couldn’t see your face, your question and body language suggested you’d been deep in thought.

“I…” He’s unsure of how to answer you. Hinata decides not to think too hard about it, and to just tell you his honest thoughts. “I guess I just wanted to see you smile."

As if subconsciously, your mouth curves in a smile. "I've been smiling throughout the day though?" you say with your head tilted to the side, your words sounding more like a question.

"I know,” Hinata says, “but you didn't really seem to mean most of them.” Your smile falters a bit at this, but he presses on. “It felt like you were smiling because that's what you think people want to see from you, and I guess—” He hesitates for a moment, briefly averting his gaze, and then he fixes his eyes on yours as his next words come tumbling out. “—I just wanted to see you smile from the bottom of your heart."

Your eyes widen. “I—” you start, before breaking his gaze, looking down at the floor. When you meet his eyes again, there’s the hint of a smile on your lips. “I think you were successful.”

It’s the smallest smile he’s seen from you so far — a complete contrast to the time you confirmed that you two were friends. Yet, it’s still perhaps one of the more genuine ones you’ve worn. 

“Yeah,” Hinata agrees with his own smile, “I think so too.”

After the ride ends, the two of you decide to call it a night, having no other attractions left that either of you want to go on. 

On the way to the station, in the lapses in conversation, Hinata sneaks glances at you and sees you smiling to yourself each time. It’s the same smile as the one on the Ferris wheel, barely there. Knowing that you’d smile like that even when you think he’s not looking, makes his heart surge with affection.

Hinata walks with you all the way to your platform, and the two of you exchange goodbyes as the train pulls up. You don’t immediately prepare to board though. 

Instead, you press your lips to his cheek, drawing back before he can even process what just happened. Your eyes are soft as you look at him. “Thank you for a wonderful night, Hinata.”

He reaches up, touching a hand to where you’d kissed him while he watches you go. When the shock wears off, Hinata realizes that he’s grinning like an idiot.

“Surprised ya ain’t hangin’ out with yer girlfriend tonight,” Atsumu remarks in-between bites of food. 

Hinata should’ve anticipated this when he chose to sit next to Atsumu. Tonight, they and the rest of their teammates were hanging out together at a local pub.

“[Name]’s not my girlfriend,” Hinata corrects. As he reaches for an edamame pod, he offhandedly adds, “And I just saw her yesterday.”

“See?! That’s what I mean,” Atsumu says, and then he begins ticking off on his fingers. “Ya have a picture of you two as yer lock screen. Ya hang out with ‘er every week. And she even posted a picture of you two together on ‘er Instagram. Whaddya mean she ain’t yer girlfriend?”

Hinata chuckles. “I think I’d know if we were dating, Atsumu,” he replies, his tone patient like a parent speaking to a small child.

Atsumu mutters under his breath, and Hinata thinks he hears, “ya would be if you’d just ask ‘er out already,” but he decides not to respond. 

Ever since that night at the amusement park, the two of you have been texting more than you had before. 

At first, it started with Hinata sending you memes or photos of cute animals — anything that he thought might cheer you up in case you were having a tough time at practice. Then, you started sending your own finds back to him; and gradually, the two of you started asking about each other’s day and sharing stories from your day-to-day lives with each other. 

Nowadays, you two are texting on a daily basis. When Hinata checks his phone during breaks at practice, there’s almost always a text notification from you, which admittedly, probably doesn’t help his case. (Atsumu never passes up the opportunity to make a teasing comment whenever he catches a glimpse of Hinata’s phone.)

Still, apart from the time he’d asked if your coach was your boyfriend, his conversations with you didn’t ever broach romance and relationships. For all Hinata knows, there’s a chance he isn’t even your type. He didn’t seek you out with the intention of becoming your boyfriend though, so he’s just happy to be a part of your life at all.

The sound of his phone vibrating against the table brings him out of his thoughts, and Hinata jumps when he sees your name on the caller ID, as if you knew he’d been talking about you. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices Atsumu looking at his phone with a wolfish grin.

Hinata snatches up his phone before Atsumu can cause any trouble. “H-hello?”

He can feel his palms becoming damper as he waits for you to reply. This is the first time you’ve ever called him, and he wonders what you could possibly be calling him about.

“Hinata? It’s [Name].”

“H-hey! How are you?”

“Um, I’m doing good, thanks,” you answer after a moment’s pause. “Are you busy tonight? It’s kind of noisy on your end.”

Hinata cups his hand around the microphone to try to reduce the noise. “No, not at all! What’s up?” he answers. 

In the background, he can hear Atsumu say, “Can ya believe how ready he is to ditch us for a girl, Omi-omi?”

“If you’re already busy, it’s okay. I mean, it’s a Saturday night, so I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t already have plans—”

As you ramble, Hinata realizes that you’re probably nervous, and the idea that you could feel nervous talking to him is strangely gratifying. His mouth forms a smile, a little giddy over this knowledge.

“—come to the rink with me? I’m feeling a little restless at home, so I wanted to burn off some energy. Don’t worry though if you’re hanging out with friends or, um, on a date, or—”

“Yeah, I’d love to!” Hinata exclaims, interrupting you. As curious as he was about how long you could possibly go on for, he figured he should give you an answer sooner rather than later.

“O-oh, really?” you ask, a surprised tone to your voice like you hadn’t been expecting him to agree. “T-that’s great! I’ll text you the address then and meet you there.”

“Cool! I’ll see you there!”

Hinata doesn’t waste another moment — he leaves money for his share of the bill on the table, ignores Atsumu’s comment about him “leavin’ to get his dick wet,” and then says his goodbyes before leaving.

When he arrives at the address you’d texted him, you’re already standing out front, scrolling on your phone. You look up as he approaches, and an easy smile crosses your face. “Hey! Thanks for meeting me tonight.”

Hinata returns your smile. “Thanks for inviting me!” he says, falling into step with you as you start walking towards the entrance. 

Inside, you momentarily stop to greet the receptionist at the front desk, and then he’s following you out to the figure skating rink. He can’t help the shiver that runs through his body. The difference in temperature is extremely noticeable — he’s definitely not properly dressed.

You offer him a sympathetic look. “Sorry, I should’ve warned you to dress warm,” you apologize as you start an off-ice warm-up. You nod in the direction of your sports bag. “You’re welcome to use my jacket for cover. I might have an extra pair of gloves too.”

“I’ll be okay!” Hinata reassures you. “I used to ride a bike through the mountains to get to school, so I can handle the cold pretty well.” Admittedly, he had also been dressed for the weather, but compared to the snow blowing in his face, the chill of the rink was easily more tolerable. 

“Wow, really? How long did it take you to get to school that way?” 

Hinata tells you about his commute back in high school, and you tell him about yours in turn. Then, the two of you end up just talking about school in general while you do your warm-up. 

He’s most surprised to hear you so matter-of-factly explain that you weren’t all that popular in school, on account of the fact that training and competitions often kept you out of class. In contrast, when he talks about his own school life, you’re not at all surprised by it.

“Makes sense that a lot of girls gave you Valentine’s chocolates and confessed to you,” you say, lacing up your skates now that you’ve finished your warm-up.

“I wouldn’t say ‘a lot’—” Hinata begins, when your words more fully hit him. “—wait, what do you mean, ‘makes sense’?” 

You let out a light laugh as you step onto the ice. “Did you not look in a mirror in high school?” you ask, skating off afterwards.

His cheeks burn at the subtle compliment. Did you just imply that he’s attractive? No, that you think that he’s attractive? His mind reels from the revelation and Hinata doesn’t even realize he completely missed you warming-up on the ice until you skate back over. 

You step off the ice to retrieve your phone and a portable speaker from your sports bag. You set the speakers on top of the rink wall, and as you navigate through your phone, Hinata catches a glimpse of your lock screen — the same picture of the two of you that he’s using as his lock screen too. His stomach erupts in butterflies at the sight, knowing that you also liked the picture enough to want to look at it every time you checked your phone.

“Hinata, could you press play on my phone, please, when I’m centered on the ice?” you ask, handing him your phone. A song is pulled up in the music app, paused right at the beginning. 

You take to the ice again, and following your directions, Hinata presses play once you’ve settled in the center.

For a moment, there’s only silence. Then, the dramatic strings of an orchestra fill the air, and you break your pose, twirling out of it to make your way towards the edge of the rink. 

Hinata can only watch in awe, amazed that you’re skating as well as he’s seen you perform in competitions — and this was you practicing. Though you seemed anxious about inviting him along with you tonight, he feels like he should’ve thanked you more than he actually had. As always, your every motion is in time with the music, and he’s grateful for the opportunity to see such beautiful skating in person, right in front of him.  

You round the ice, picking up speed, and his eyes widen when he sees you step forward on your left leg, your free leg kicking through to propel you into the air. Hinata watches you rotate — one, two, three and a half times — before you land on your right leg. He lets out a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding as you continue the rest of, what he realizes now is, one of your programs for the upcoming season.

You finish with a wide smile, nothing but pure, unadulterated joy in your expression. 

“That. Was. Incredible!” Hinata exclaims once you skate over to him, still smiling. “You did it! You landed a triple Axel!” Without thinking, he pulls you in for a hug, so buzzing with excitement over your performance.

You laugh as you wrap your arms around him. “Now I just have to land it in competition,” you reply, releasing him from your embrace. Despite your words, your expression didn’t dim in the slightest. “For now, I’m just glad I could do it while you were watching.”

“I would’ve been impressed no matter what,” Hinata says honestly. “Sure, seeing you manage a triple Axel was impressive, but the most beautiful part was seeing how at ease you looked while skating.” Even if you were just doing laps the entire time without executing any jumps, he still would’ve found you captivating from how at home you are on the ice — from how happy you look.

“Ah, t-thanks. That’s really sweet of you to say,” you reply, reaching up to rub the back of your neck.

Hinata blinks at you. “It’s the truth!”

You don’t say anything, only ducking your head to look at the ground. A beat passes before you sheepishly look back up at him. “Umm, speaking of skating, have you ever tried?” you ask in an attempt to change the subject.

Hinata tells you he hasn’t, and before he knows it, that’s how he ends up with a pair of skates on his own feet.

Even though he’s become a fan of figure skating, he’d never imagined trying it for himself. Hinata never thought supporting all his weight on only two thin blades would be so difficult either — you make keeping your balance look as easy as breathing. Against his will, his legs wobble as he tries to move forward, and he feels like a newborn deer trying to walk for the first time.

“It helps if you bend your knees a little,” you advise from the ice. “You’ll want to put your weight more on the balls of your feet too.”

Hinata does as you tell him, eventually managing to get onto the ice himself. 

“Good job!” you exclaim, clapping your hands together. “Wanna race now?”

The competitive side of him flares up, but that flame is easily overshadowed. Just the thought of zooming across the ice at faster than a crawl makes his stomach drop. “Wh-what?” Hinata asks, his eyes wide.

You laugh. “Sorry, I couldn’t help teasing,” you apologize, a soft smile on your face. “Here—” You hold your hands out to him, palms up. “—I’ve never taught anyone how to skate before, but I’ll try my best to guide you.”

Hinata places his hands in yours. If you notice that he’s holding on a bit too tightly, you don’t say anything. In fact, you hold on to his hands just as tightly. He can feel his body relax in response, his shoulders lowering now that he knows you’ve got him.

You instruct him to focus on getting one foot in front of the other and Hinata does as you tell him. He lifts one foot; puts it down, then lifts the other — getting used to how the blade feels against the ice and how to shift his weight in skates. He repeats the process while following you around the ice, taking slightly bigger steps each time until he’s able to push himself forward and glide. 

Once you teach him how to stop, and demonstrate how to fall and then get back up, you release his hands. He misses the warmth of them already, but you’ve already skated ahead.

You stay close enough so Hinata doesn’t have to shout for you, maintaining an appropriate distance to avoid crashing into him as you increase your speed. He follows behind, watching you alternate between skating forward and backward. You use the momentum you build to carry you along the ice, before picking up speed again. Eventually, you start using your momentum to propel yourself through the air — at first, to do single jumps; and then to do double jumps. 

“Now you’re just showing off,” Hinata says, after you land a double Salchow. 

You laugh, admitting, “Maybe a little.” Your body leans forward as you raise one leg in the air, gliding on one foot and traveling closer to him. “If I were really trying to show off though, I’d have done a double Axel at least.”

Hinata laughs along with you. Despite his teasing remark, you don’t even seem to be thinking too hard about your actions — your body deciding for you how you should move around the ice. Warmth wells up inside him from seeing you look so free. 

Seeing you like this, seeing the way the corners of your lips stay upturned, makes Hinata realize that this is the most unguarded you’ve been around him. That this is you, stripped down to your very core. He thinks that he could ask you anything right now, and you’d answer no matter what.

For all the time that he’s spent with you, and learned about you, there’s still a lot that he’s curious about. 

Why ice skating? Why not any other sport? How many more years do you think you’ll keep skating professionally? What do you think you’ll do once you retire? Will you settle here? Move to another city?

Atsumu’s words are what’s at the forefront of his mind though — “just ask ‘er out already” — and Hinata doesn’t think before he opens his mouth, “Hey, [Name]—”

In his rush to get the words out, he ends up tripping over his feet. You throw yourself forward, taking a hold of his hand to try to stabilize him, but it’s no use. Hinata can feel his body tipping over, and you quickly let go of his hand.

He falls the way you showed him — bending into a dip and leaning forward, so he lands on his knees.

“For your first fall, that wasn’t bad. I’ve definitely seen and had worse,” you say, offering him your hand again.

Hinata gets up on one knee, places a hand on it for support, and uses his other hand to take yours. “Hah, thanks—” he says, as you help him up. 

He cuts himself off right away though, stunned by how close he is to you now that he’s standing upright again. 

From this distance, Hinata could count your eyelashes if he wanted to. He can even see himself in your eyes, and wonders if you can see yourself reflected back in his. He knows that he should give you space, but he’s too preoccupied with the details of your face he’d never been close enough to notice before. 

He doesn’t notice just how close he’s gotten until he feels the warmth of your mouth against his, and even then, he’s not sure who leaned in first — him or you. When he feels your hands card through his hair though, Hinata decides he doesn’t need to know the answer, only needing to feel more of you. He brings his hands to rest around your waist, drawing you in so there’s only the press of your body against his.

Your lips are as soft as he thought they’d be, and he can taste a hint of your chapstick — cotton candy he thinks, like from the amusement park. He tilts his head to increase the pressure of the kiss, wanting to get a better taste of your mouth, and you respond in kind. 

Even with the evidence right in front of him, Hinata can’t believe that he’s kissing you. There’s a part of him that thinks this is all a dream. If it is, he hopes he never wakes up.

He reluctantly pulls back though once the chill of the rink becomes too much to ignore. “As much as I want to keep kissing you, I’m also starting to get cold from standing in place,” Hinata says, almost pouting.

You laugh. “My apartment’s pretty warm, but if yours is warmer, then by all means…”

He almost falls over again from how fast he tries to exit the rink. 

You end up intertwining your fingers with his -- likely to prevent any other incidents -- and this time, when the two of you walk by the front desk, it’s hand-in-hand. Hinata makes a note to thank Atsumu for the push, even if he won’t let Hinata hear the end of it. 

After glancing over at you though, and seeing the small smile on your face as you lightly swing your joined hands, Hinata decides that this is worth any amount of teasing.