Work Text:
It didn't strike him that this was considered out of the ordinary. After all, it was normal to never use the service that you work in,......right? Yet his very adamant, very energetic co-worker insisted otherwise. Kageyama didn't know what he was expecting walking into work today, but it was definitely not his self proclaimed friend Hinata Shoyo bombarding him with questions on the lines of "how in Daichi's name have you not watched a single sky show??" and "are you not even curious?". Although Kageyama does have to admit that seeing the absolutely gobsmacked look on the red-head's face was a hundred percent worth it.
Hilarious as it may be, he draws the line between teasing and challenging when Hinata remarks "I knew you were basic but c'mon Kags!! this is a travesty."
Not one to back down from a taunt, his reply was immediate: "well at least I’m not cheap enough to take advantage of my work space!"
Hinata had an incredulous look on his face, and for a beat of silence Kageyama wondered if he had said something wrong before that thought was instantly thrown out the window with the sound of Shoyo's laughter bubbling out of his mouth.
"what? why are you laughing??"
"Kags-pffffthaHAHAHA- Kagsyyy.... they give us- employees- free sky shows once every three Fridays!! it's even written on the recruitment poster-"
Kageyama was utterly embarrassed. Dear lord let the ground swallow him whole for treating the "help wanted" posters as a terms and conditions page. Hinata knew more than him, which was berating his non-existent reputation as a socially adept employee. He started working at this planetarium around the same time Hinata did, but he couldn't get himself to socialize half as often as the latter, with his awkwardness and fear of rejection at play. His job entailed maintaining all the tech behind the scenes so he was never actually in the shows, just making sure the shows go smoothly. He wonders if he should have asked to watch a show with his co-workers since Hinata is persistent on the shows being a "must watch". It seems his internal dilemma was mirrored on his face because Hinata was downright cackling at him.
Once the teasing and laughter simmered down, Hinata had not forgotten his mission for the night.
"I'm serious though, you need to see at least one night show, I promise you'll never be the same!"
"Ugh fine. stop whining already and go do your job, moron."
Having gotten the affirmation he needed, Hinata happily obliged and went back to his work station. He was determined to make Kageyama experience an extraordinary moment.
Their shifts ended eventually, and Hinata talked to their manager to get himself and Kageyama a show in exchange for next friday, and into the projection hall they went. As kageyama took his seat (smack dab in the centre of the room, on hinata's insistence) he felt slight excitement, the feeling of dipping a toe into water without knowing its temperature, the nervousness a change of pace brings along with it.
The lights dimmed down and his wandering eyes landed on Hinata, who looked hesitant for a second before he dropped the mic he was holding on the table and walked back towards where Kageyama was seated. he waited for two minutes, when the soft music started playing and the dome ceiling started to fill itself with specs of light ever so slowly, and then he began speaking, facing Kageyama directly.
"The night sky, known by some as one of the most magnificent views to be seen by human eyes..." Kageyama knows the words well, he's heard them while fixing the lights, while making sure the projection is timed with the music, while keeping wires in check in the back room. "...to those some, it's a surreal sight. They're reminded of the bigger picture, the fact that the universe is full of the unimaginable. It might seem more awe-inspiring than anything here on earth. But as you look up at these stars tonight, keep in mind you are made of the very same stardust that once formed the very same stars. The stars died so you could be here now, and that is every bit as beautiful as the view you're looking at." Hinata finished talking, staring straight at Kageyama the whole time, and for the first time, Kageyama finally understood why he insisted on saying these exact words every show. He had asked him about it once and Hinata had told him "It might make one person's day, or someone might need to hear it, so that's a good enough reason for me."
Kageyama had just rolled his eyes back then. But hearing those words directly from Hinata, addressed to him and only him, in an empty planetarium with just the two of them and the stars, it felt like Hinata had just torn all his layers of skepticism and whispered those words into his very soul. It made him feel.... weirdly warm, the feeling blooming in his chest like how a star expands exponentially before dying out, except the feeling clawed its way into his heart and declared that its new home. He didn't have time to dwell on it, as his eyes caught onto the tufts of colour starting to show their existence, and his eyes were trained skyward for the rest of the show. They didn't get averted even when he felt Hinata's gaze fall on his side profile, probably to gauge his reaction.
He hates to admit it, but every word Hinata had told him about how breath-taking the view would be was irrefutably correct. His eyes wandered, and every spec of light they landed on, every cluster of sparkles, every splash of colour, left him speechless. He's seen the night sky before, of course, how could he have not? There was a time when he couldn't stop trying to find new patterns in the stars he saw in the sky when he was a tiny kid, but as time went by, he had gotten lost in the pull of life, always wanting to be better. As gravity grounded him to the earth, his desire to grow bound him to an often monotonous life of training. He has also seen the pictures of space floating around the internet, they're pretty hard to miss since they're very aesthetic. But nothing could have prepared him to be shoved head first into the realization of this masterpiece hanging right above his head. And that's not only in the sense of this projection, but these celestial commodities actually exist right above his head, in real life. They're there whether he looks at them or not, the endless void is constantly filled by light, movement, hues. They look almost painted, too perfect to be a simple occurrence and yet having enough flaws to look natural, like it was a piece of art- made, crafted with delicate care and not just appearing out of nowhere.
He doesn't know how or when his mouth had fallen open but he only realized it had when Hinata pushed his jaw upwards with a soft touch of his index finger. Kageyama felt the touch linger so he slowly turned to look beside him, where his companion was seated, and found Hinata looking at him with the most gentle look in his eyes, his mouth tilted upwards in a small smile. The dusts of light reflected onto his face in places that made him look even more soft and Kageyama doesn't know how that would be possible for a human, but this was Hinata we're talking about so he deems it believable, only if it's Hinata. All the wonder he had towards the sky show had transferred to him thinking about how unreal it was to be sitting next to such a vivacious person, how lucky he was to have someone help him fall in love with the sky and with life again. It was as if they were the only beings to be in this current moment, with the cosmos to bear witness to how intertwined paths always find their way back.
He felt Hinata's finger move upwards as he cupped Kageyama's cheek, moving his thumb over his left cheekbone as he looked into Kageyama's eyes. He was then presented with the words that he never thought anyone would be saying about him. They sounded like a melody meant to be played once and forgotten, but they got etched into his heart and he will be carrying them forever.
"I lied, the stardust is in your eyes."