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Kageyama and Hinata were an odd duo.
Of course, Karasuno had plenty of odd duos— like Tanaka and Nishinoya, for example— but their dynamic was at least much less confusing in its presentation.
Tanaka and Noya were both very primal Alphas who acted most similarly to brothers. Daichi would always be tasked with reeling in their play-fights and wrestling (much to the captain’s dismay), and frequent nips and growls were jokingly exchanged between the two second-years. It was all in good fun; there was no real hostility between them, and this fact was obviously conveyed in their interactions.
Kageyama and Hinata, however, are a different story. Anyone can tell there’s a tense hostility between them— that much is insanely clear— but there’s also something… else. Something that isn’t so easily deciphered by a watchful eye.
Their dynamic is certainly competitive, but in the odd times when there exists a rare truce between them, their behaviors with one another are puzzling.
This is currently one of those rare moments for the iconic first-year pair: they’re rather settled and uninterested in competition right now. This is one of those moments where the team subtly observes. This is one of those moments when their confusion seemingly builds.
The Karasuno team is on a longer water break since Ukai had needed to step outside for a phone call. There is idle chatter amongst them, but otherwise, it’s quiet.
They’ve split off into little subgroups: the third-years, the second-years nearby, the managers, Tsukishima with Yamaguchi, and then Hinata with Kageyama.
They’re talking amongst themselves, but no one else can make out the conversation. For two rivals who seem to hate each other, the two first-years are standing awfully close together. It’s always this way: they are always pressed shoulder-to-shoulder, or foot-to-foot, or thigh-to-thigh. A few minutes can’t pass by without the pair sharing a brief second of physical contact.
...Even if that physical contact is aggressive or defensive in its nature.
One moment, they can be pressed side-to-side, completely relaxed and content to be with one another’s vicinity, and then a second later they’ll be arguing and growling and snapping at each other’s throats again. It’s strange.
Now, though, they seem at peace; which is why the Karasuno team (minus Tsukishima, since he couldn’t give less of a shit) watches them even more closely, because this is when their interactions become unexplainable.
Sure enough, it gets unexplainable again: Hinata pauses mid conversation to gently headbutt Kageyama’s shoulder in a gesture of affection, and the setter doesn’t hesitate to return the sentiment by combing a slow hand through the spiker’s unruly ginger locks. Just as quickly as the exchange happens, it ends, and they return to a neutral stance.
Their teammates avert their eyes.
The second time it happens is during the lunch hour.
They’re sat together on the grass, bickering in between mouthfuls of food. Hinata snatches a small portion of the Alpha’s meal, who responds with a warning growl, which of course doesn’t deter the other. Hinata reaches for his bento again minutes later, only for Kageyama to snap his jaws near the prying fingers with a sharp clack of his teeth. The Omega jerks back, growling in annoyed defeat; but then Kageyama turns his head and quickly brushes his nose against Hinata’s freckled cheek. The action quiets the shorter boy’s growling and instead elicits a purr in its place.
The third time, it begins with a fight: classic arguing turned sour.
They’re snarling and baring their teeth in between insults, and Daichi prepares to step in to break it up before any teeth come in contact with skin, but then Hinata’s curled lips abruptly close around his teeth, and the boy tilts his head up to bump his nose underneath Kageyama’s chin. The Alpha’s aggression instantly fizzles, Kageyama responding with a huff before ducking down to nip affectionately at the Omega’s cheek.
Daichi stops and stares at the scene, a bewildered look on his face.
Seconds after, the first-year duo splits ways as if they weren’t just shy of ripping each other’s heads off.
The fourth time is when the team begins to officially grow suspicious.
Being in the same class means Kageyama and Hinata sit next to one another. Even that in itself is perplexing, because why would two rivals want to sit next to each other? Shouldn’t they want to be as far apart as possible?
Yamaguchi sits at a desk behind them, which gives him a front-row seat to their shenanigans. Usually, it’s just another cause for a headache, but today, their behavior entertains his curiosity.
When their teacher needs to step out for a moment, Hinata doesn’t hesitate to strike up a conversation. Not with Kageyama or Yamaguchi, though; rather, Hinata is talking animatedly with an Alpha in the seat in front of them. They’re discussing something related to a TV show that’s been popular lately, something that Kageyama could care less about. Therefore, the setter is tuned out.
That is, until Hinata laughs, and his scent grows that much sweeter with a wave of affection directed at an Alpha who is obviously not Kageyama.
It’s just a minuscule alteration in scent, yet it has Kageyama’s head snapping to stare at the two of them with possessive, calculating eyes. The hairs against his nape stand on end as the Alpha’s shoulders bristle.
Yamaguchi may be a Beta, but even he shrinks back; he’d rather not interfere with a pissed Kageyama. What’s he got to be so mad about, anyway?
The raven-haired Alpha doesn’t relax one bit as class resumes. Yamaguchi grows bored of subtly observing his pissed-off teammate, and he turns his attention away… until his interest is piqued when class ends and Kageyama gets up faster than usual.
Hinata, too, stands before Yamaguchi has the chance to pack up all his things.
Curious, the Beta watches as Hinata approaches Kageyama cautiously, the Alpha pointedly avoiding eye contact. Nevertheless, Hinata reaches an arm out to brush their wrist scent glands together. The effect is instant: Kageyama sags like a leaf doused with water, and responds in kind: quickly bending down to drag his nose up the side of the ginger’s neck and the column of his throat, grazing over the scent gland there.
And, woah, okay— that’s intimate. Yamaguchi flushes and looks back down at the pencils he’s putting away.
Later, at practice that day, he relays this interaction to Tsukishima, who wrinkles his nose in disgust.
“So they’re scenting now, huh?” Comes another voice, and Yamaguchi startles a little, relaxing when he notices it’s only Sugawara.
“I-it seems like it,” Yamaguchi replies awkwardly.
“I didn’t mean to overhear, I just… well, you know, I’m honestly a bit confused by them!” Suga laughs. “It’s like one second they wanna fucking kill each other, and the next they’re all tangled up like they’re courting. I’m good at reading people, but this situation is just so bizarre. I can’t make sense of them.”
Daichi approaches, joining the conversation. “Who, Kageyama and Hinata?”
“Yep.”
The captain gives a breathy chuckle, shaking his head in mock disbelief. “They confuse me, too. It’s possible they don’t even realize what they’re doing,” he jokes.
Suga, however, brightens up at that. “You might be right on the money, Dai! Maybe they’re just acting off their basal instincts— I honestly wouldn’t put it past Kageyama to be very primal in that sense, but Hinata seems a bit more socially aware than that, yes?”
There are always some individuals who are more in tune with their basal and more primitive instincts. Often, this presents itself in behaviors that are more animalistic than most: growling, snapping, teeth-baring, rumbling, hissing, purring, chirping. People like Tanaka and Nishinoya are examples of more instinctually-driven folk, relying on primal urges and reacting to certain situations with behaviors that are not as human.
Kageyama and Hinata, apparently, also fall into this category.
Yamaguchi chimes in again: “We could always ask them?”
Suga gives a pointed look to Daichi, who looks like he’d rather die than confront two first years about courting behaviors, of all things. He’s not a fucking parent. Despite this, he sighs heavily, and reluctantly agrees.
After practice the next day, Daichi keeps his unsaid promise and asks Kageyama and Hinata to stay behind to talk. Kageyama doesn’t seem phased by this, but Hinata is instantly on-edge as the two are left alone to mop the gym floors and disassemble the volleyball net.
Hinata’s distress must tinge his scent with something tangy and unpleasant because Kageyama growls in frustration, throwing the mop aside to call out to him. “Hey, dumbass!”
The ginger Omega stumbles on his way over to Kageyama, clearly shaky with anxiety. “What do you want, Yama?”
“You need to relax,” he says. “You’re stinking up the whole gym. It’s not like Daichi-san told us we were off the team or anything like that, so it’s fine.”
“Oh no,” Hinata breathes. “But, wait, what if that’s exactly what he’s gonna tell us? What are we gonna do? If I can’t play volleyball, I’ll—”
“ Hey, ” Kageyama interjects, trying to cut off Hinata’s rambling, but the restless babbling continues. The Alpha growls to himself and finally just reaches a hand out to grip the back of Hinata’s neck, gently pressing the pads of his thumb and pointer finger into the sides of the Omega’s nape.
Hinata cuts off his word-dump and squeaks a little in surprise. After a blink, he relaxes with a gentle purr, effectively scruffed into submission. Kageyama lets him relax into the touch before letting his grip slide away.
“Thanks, I feel better now!” Hinata assures. Kageyama just grunts in response, finding his abandoned mop and returning to cleaning the floors.
Daichi, having witnessed the scene from the doors to the gym (he had been about to announce his presence before Kageyama did what he always does and called the other boy a ‘dumbass’, unknowingly cutting off the captain), blinks in shock. That little trick only works on an Omega who completely and wholeheartedly trusts the Alpha who’s doing the scruffing, and it’s an action done between family members and— surprise, surprise— very closely-bonded mates.
Giving a small chuckle, Daichi silently turns and leaves the gym, deciding it might be better for the two dumbass first-years to figure out their feelings on their own weirdly-intertwined terms.