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these are the things that Kageyama learns in middle school:
- drinking milk doesn’t actually make you taller, but he still kind of likes the taste anyways
- y = mx + b is a linear equation
- so is y - y1 = m(x - x1)
- and Ax + By + C = 0
- he really fucking hates math
- Kindaichi probably has a crush on Iwaizumi but also Kageyama isn’t really good with that sort of thing so maybe he doesn’t
- volleyball is even more amazing than he had first thought
- when you reject girls they usually don’t cry like in shoujo manga, but they do look sad
- there is nothing worse than the sound of the ball hitting the ground when you thought you would hear the slap of a palm against it instead
- if he wants to play volleyball with a team he can’t play at his full potential
- and you can only play volleyball as a team
I.
The ball reaches him at an odd angle and instinctively he tosses it a little too hard, a little too quick. Sugawara and Tanaka are watching and he thinks, this is it, I’ve messed up. He’s not even an official member of the Karasuno volleyball team and already he’s going to suffer through the same scene of having his toss hit the ground without anyone attempting to spike it. His upperclassmen will think him cruel and no matter how much talent he has, no matter how much he wants to play, he’ll be sitting out on the bench again.
But then there’s Hinata flying up into the air at a speed that’s even more insane to see on this side of the net, and he’s spiking the ball onto the other side of the court like it’s the easiest thing in the world.
“Can you do that again?” he asks, a wild grin on his face, and there’s a feeling in Kageyama’s chest like flying.
II.
Hinata is tiny, loud, and friendly, but he’s also an inferno of determination and ambition. Sometimes people seem to forget that he’s not just the boy who complains when he has to do his homework and who throws up when he gets nervous, but Kageyama’s first memory of him is
of wildfire eyes staring him down from across the net.
Hinata terrifies him a little because he smiles more than he doesn’t and he’ll trip himself sometimes because he’ll forget to tie his shoes, but he’s also the kind of person who could move a mountain if he had enough motivation and when his eyes get that special glint during a game Kageyama knows that the next point will be theirs, and he wonders why it’s him they call king of the court.
His mom does always say that the best relationships rest of a firm basis of respect.
III.
Slowly, surely, Hinata insinuates himself into every part of Kageyama’s life. He’s racing Kageyama to practice in the morning, ducking into his classroom at lunch and begging him for snacks after practice. He finds fun in sneaking up behind Kageyama and blowing into his ear, but even though he seems like that type of person Kageyama’s never able to scare him in return.
He teaches Kageyama things too, things like how to hold out his hand for dogs to sniff before he tries to pet them and how to hold squirming children so that they don’t drop. He shows Kageyama how to put ponytails in his sister’s hair and how to jam clothes at the base of the door so their parents won’t know that they’re staying awake late into the night.
From every single interaction they have, Hinata seems to learn something more about him. Kageyama doesn’t remember talking all that much about himself, but Hinata somehow knows that he’d rather have his ketchup on the side than scattered over his french fries, knows that he sleeps more comfortably if there’s a nightlight in the room but everything else is pitch black. It surprises him at first, freaks him out a little because he’s never really had a friend before and all of a sudden Hinata is an unmoveable presence beside him, an unstoppable freight train dragging Kageyama along behind him.
But soon Kageyama knows that Hinata doesn’t brush his hair because that would just make it messier than it already is and that if he had any motivation to study he’d actually have a high grade in English. Hinata invites him to study together at his house one evening and all of a sudden they’re sleeping over at each other’s places more often than they’re sleeping in their rooms alone. Kageyama isn’t being dragged behind anymore, he’s running alongside Hinata, full speed.
Hinata’s parents both have full time jobs but Kageyama stays up with Hinata and Natsu to welcome them home and they smile at him just as brightly as they do their children. His parents make sure to always buy pineapple ice cream along with their usual chocolate flavor because Hinata likes fruity things, and his mother will sit down beside them while she’s making dinner to help them work their way through math problems that are giving them trouble.
He weighs out the word brother in his mind, wraps his tongue around it during a break between his classes. Almost immediately he discards it, because Hinata’s not brother, he’s the one who curls up besides Kageyama at overnight training camps, the one who grabs Kageyama’s hand to lead him around to shops that he enjoys looking through on the weekend and doesn’t let go even when people walking by give them strange looks.
“You have to say what you’re thinking,” Hinata tells him during a disagreement over some inconsequential thing, “or else I won’t know what you really mean ‘cause I can’t read minds.” Kageyama looks down at him silently and wonders what Hinata would think if he knew that all Kageyama really wanted to do was bend down and kiss the frown off his face.
IV.
“You’re really amazing,” Hinata says, and Kageyama knows him well enough now that he can read the sincerity shining in his eyes.
He doesn’t really understand why he says this though, because he’s pretty sure that it’s Hinata who’s the amazing one. Kageyama is called a genius, but Hinata has managed to grow so much in such a short period of time, and Kageyama’s sure that he’d shine brightly even in a sea full of stars.
“Don’t look so awkward when you get a compliment, king,” Tsukishima calls out, and even though Kageyama turns away to snarl at him the feeling of that moment is not lost.
V.
“I’ll make you invincible,” Hinata says.
Kageyama remembers the sound of his toss hitting the floor during that horrible game in his third year of middle school, remembers the sudden surge of fear that he’d felt before he’d turned around to see his team watching him with dispassionate eyes. The ball had bounced three times, he remembers that as clearly as he remembers his name. For a long time afterwards, nerves would make his stomach clench whenever he tossed the ball behind him and he’d feel a sudden rush of relief when the sound of it being spiked reached his ears.
Now, he doesn’t think about it all that much because he knows that even if he messes it up and tosses too fast for Azumane or too high for Tanaka, Hinata will be there to smack the ball to the other side. It’s one of the fundamental laws of this universe, even if his science teacher doesn’t talk about it in physics class; Hinata has said it before, even if he hadn’t quite believed him then.
You’re not alone, he had said.
Kageyama’s not very good at speaking, so he tells Hinata that he shouldn’t be saying things like that when he can’t even receive the ball correctly. He makes sure to ruffle Hinata’s hair in that way that he likes, though, and brush his fingertips against his shoulder, and behind his irritated expression Kageyama sees that Hinata understands.
VI.
“I was kind of worried about Tobio-kun when he started high school,” he overhears his mother telling Hinata one evening. He stops himself from turning around the corner and sinks down against the kitchen wall instead. “He’s a sweet child, but neither of his parents are very social people and I’m afraid he’s never really learned how to interact with people properly. I’m not worried at all now, though, because he’s made a wonderful friend in you, Hinata-chan.”
“He’s learning now,” Hinata says. “I talked to some of his classmates and they say that he scowls less during class projects now, and that he’s less scary to talk to. He doesn’t smile enough though, but I’m working on that.
“And anyways,” he says, “you shouldn’t look down on yourself like that. If Kageyama’s a good person, that means he has good parents. I think you’re great and I bet Kageyama’s family couldn’t be any better no matter how you tried.”
“You’re a wonderful person,” his mother says in that warm tone of voice that she usually saves for when she’s feeling particularly emotional, and Kageyama can almost hear Hinata’s smile, clear and bright.
He hears someone clear his throat and when he looks up he sees his father standing in front of him, watching with affectionate eyes. He smiles at Kageyama, the skin around his eyes creasing in a smile, and then extends his hand to help him stand up. It’s warm and strong when he takes it, and when Kageyama steps back its grip tightens once, then twice, like a comforting heartbeat. His father’s fingertips are rough but gentle when they swipe underneath his eyes, and it’s only then that Kageyama realizes that he’s crying.
VII.
Rain used to not be something that Kageyama enjoyed very much, but now Hinata will wait for him after practice and complain loudly about how it’s dangerous to ride his bike home on wet streets. They’ll walk together, huddling against each other for protection from the cold and rain. Hinata’s hair will be plastered down around his head and when he squints his eyes raindrops will get stuck on his eyelashes.
When they reach Kageyama’s home, because it’s closer, his mom will be there to greet them with a smile and a couple towels. Kageyama’s hair always falls straight down, but when Hinata rubs his hair dry he’ll be stuck with bits of hair sticking every which way so it looks kind of like he’s just been electrocuted. They’ll peel out of their uniform jackets and Hinata will slip into one of Kageyama’s sweatshirts, rolling up the sleeves until more than just the tips of his fingers are visible.
Sometimes his mom will make food or sometimes his dad will bring home something from his work at a nearby restaurant. Either way his parents will ruffle Hinata’s hair when they sit down to eat dinner and the conversation that evening is lighter and more free flowing than it usually is. Afterwards they’ll race into Kageyama’s room and sometimes they’ll do a little homework but they always eventually find themselves curled up next to each other, playing video games maybe, or just talking.
Hinata will bury his face into the juncture of Kageyama’s shoulder and neck so that he can feel Hinata’s words form against his skin. He’ll wrap his arm around Hinata’s shoulders, or sometimes he’s even brave enough to tangle their fingers together. They’ll fall asleep like this, and even though it’s not the most comfortable position to be in neither of them wake up until Kageyama’s alarm blasts the next morning.
These are some of Kageyama’s favorite days.
VIII.
Kindaichi catches up to them after the match. Sawamura nods when he hesitates, and the rest of Karasuno moves on ahead. Hinata looks back once, concern showing in the tilt of his eyebrows, but then he turns back around and follows their team down the hall and around the corner.
“What do you want?” Kageyama asks. He’s not entirely sure how to act around his old teammate, because while it had seemed like the air between them had been less tense the last time they had met, Kindaichi still hadn’t accepted his apology.
“I’m not going to punch you,” Kindaichi frowns, “so stop giving me that look.”
“Sorry,” Kageyama says, though he doesn’t think that there’s anything strange with expression he’s making. “What’d you want to say?”
“It’s just,” Kindaichi hesitates, then sighs. “I thought I’d be jealous or something, you know? But I guess I’m not really. You and that shorty, it’s like you were meant to work together or something.”
“Yes,” Kageyama agrees. He waits for Kindaichi to say more, because that’s not any news to him. Hinata’s no longer the weak captain of the opposing team, the annoying rival he was forced to work with. He’s Kageyama’s teammate, his friend, the one who hits Kageyama’s tosses and begs him for more, the one who tries to steal sips of his milk when he thinks Kageyama isn’t looking, the one who fights him and nags at him and never leaves his side. They aren’t perfect now, but it’s a fact in Kageyama’s mind that it won’t be long before they work together like a well oiled machine.
Kindaichi just huffs. “Oikawa’s right, you guys really are idiots.”
Kageyama wants to protest, but then a stray thought pops into his mind and maybe Hinata’s innocent-faced deviousness is rubbing off on him a little. “Hey, Kindaichi,” he says. “Do you still have that crush on Iwaizumi?”
“What the hell,” Kindaichi yells, flailing backwards, and Kageyama can’t help the tiny grin that forces its way onto his face as a red color as bright as Nekoma’s jerseys blooms on Kindaichi’s face.
Aoba Jousai watches from the other side of the gym as Kindaichi jerks himself around and stomps off away from Kageyama. Oikawa raises an eyebrow and Kageyama’s breath hitches as he holds in his laughter.
“I can hear you, you asshole,” Kindaichi says loudly, and Kageyama has to bite down on his fist to prevent any more sound from escaping.
“What’d he want?” Hinata asks later, when Kageyama’s settled down next to him in the back of the bus. He moves away from where he was leaning against the window, pressing his shoulder against Kageyama’s chest and staring up at him through his eyelashes. Kageyama leans back into him just as firmly, and the cold air seems less oppressive.
“I don’t really know,” he admits. “Kindaichi can be pretty weird.”
“Well, duh,” Hinata says, turning his face into Kageyama’s shoulder. “I mean, he thinks that looking like a turnip is cool.”
They remain that way, Kageyama dropping his forehead onto the mess of Hinata’s hair. The rattling of the bus makes it a little uncomfortable, but each time the bus hits a stone or turns sharply their knuckles brush together so it’s alright.
IX.
Hinata kisses him first, suddenly on the walk home one day. His breath hangs in the frigid air, brushing against Kageyama’s face. His cheeks are so red that Kageyama sort of expects them to be burning with heat, but when he clumsily brushes his stiff fingers against Hinata’s face there’s nothing but cold.
“Kageyama,” Hinata says. “I--”
Kageyama presses his lips to Hinata’s forehead, then his cheeks, then his nose. He kisses his ears, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth when Hinata huffs in impatience.
Their thick winter coats crunch between them as they stand in the cold winter air, but all Kageyama can hear is the thump thump thump of his heart.
this is what Kageyama learns in high school:
- when his mom says clean your room she isn’t fooled if he shoves all of his stuff under his bed
- calling Tanaka and Noya senpai gets you free food even if you’re not Hinata, but Hinata’s the only one who can convince them to go all out for meatbuns
- there’s a special way that he has to flex his fingers when he does the halted toss, and though it had felt strange at first now he can do it without thought
- the logarithm of a number is the exponent to which another value, the base, must be raised to produce that number
- he still doesn’t really know what the hell that means
- he doesn’t need to worry about Hinata not relying on him, because no matter whether he has his eyes closed or not Hinata will always be there to receive his toss
- his team will always be there, he knows that for certain
- Tsukishima likes to pretend he’s an asshole but he also spends his weekends watching dinosaur documentaries and every once in a while Hinata can even convince him to help them with their science homework
- sometimes Yamaguchi is meek and patient and sweet and other times he’s terrifying, but no one is scarier than the captain when he’s mad
- Hinata likes to wear scarves that are long enough to wrap halfway up his face because the bottoms of his ears always hurt the most when he’s cold
- when Hinata laughs the earth doesn’t actually stop spinning; that’s just his imagination
- when he leans down Hinata’s breath will hitch and his small hands will curl into Kageyama’s jacket and he’ll stand up on his tiptoes so Kageyama won’t have to bend down so far to kiss him, even though he says he doesn’t mind
- Hinata’s smile tastes just like he had imagined, like sunshine and honey, and it makes Kageyama’s heart flutter when he feels Hinata grin against his cheek
- he’s completely and totally in love and that’s kind of terrifying
- but Hinata will stay by his side and receive all his tosses and he makes sure to tell Kageyama when he’s acting too much like a king and he says things like I’ll make you invincible even though he still sometimes gets so into a conversation that he’ll walk straight into a telephone pole
- so Kageyama finds that he doesn’t really mind all that much