Chapter Text
Hinata took a lot of photos. Kageyama wasn’t entirely sure why—though he did know that his fascination started when Yachi took that picture of him for the fundraiser poster—but he wasn’t necessarily bothered by it.
Until he started pulling Kageyama into them.
Kageyama raised a brow, giving Hinata his most questioning look. “You weren’t joking?”
“Of course I wasn’t joking,” Hinata said instantly. “I wouldn’t make you walk all the way here for a joke.”
“I’m not doing it.”
Kageyama turned immediately upon speaking with the intent of walking away, only for Hinata to reach for his wrist and pull. And Hinata was a lot stronger than he looked.
“Wait, Kageyamaaaaa!” He stretched out the name and pulled harder, successfully yanking an unprepared Kageyama back a foot or so. “C’mon, please? Just one time. Please.”
“Why are you so hellbent on getting a picture with me?”
“Because I got pictures of most of the team already but not you!”
“I’m pretty sure you’ve taken pictures of me,” Kageyama said, not as an accusation, but as a general statement. “You’ve got your dumb phone out lots of times on our breaks during practice. You should really leave it in the clubroom.”
He craned his neck to face him, frowning. That was his mistake: because then he saw the pout that pulled at Hinata’s expression, and the sheepish blush that dusted over his cheeks.
“That’s different,” Hinata countered, sticking his lip out. “You’re always grumpy and they're unfocused and we don’t have any pictures of us together.”
“Why do we need pictures of us together?”
At that, Hinata’s grip on him slackened, the pout dissipating as something like hurt, like vulnerability, flashed through his eyes. It was gone in seconds, but the lasting effect of seeing such a look cross Hinata’s features left Kageyama feeling unsettled.
“You know, for the memory?” he went on, but a ribbon of uncertainty was laced around his words. “Just. ’Cause this is my first team, and the third-years will be leaving in the spring… so I want to have lots of memories.” Then he shrugged with a chuckle. “I don’t know, maybe it’s stupid?”
Kageyama’s frown deepened. Hinata had been smiling the entire way here, jumping and bouncing around like a puppy on his first walk. Like he was the embodiment of energy and sunshine. But with a few words, Kageyama had managed to ruin it.
Was Hinata that sensitive to rejection or was Kageyama that insensitive?
“Fine,” he said. “Let’s take the photos.”
“Whaaa—hey!”
It was Kageyama’s turn to pull on Hinata’s wrist, dragging him into the photobooth toward which they’d spent the last fifteen minutes walking. Clumsily shoved the curtain aside and slid into the booth, tugging Hinata down with him.
“But you said—”
“We walked all the way here, didn’t we?”
“Well… yeah,” Hinata said, and then gave him a small, joyous grin. “Alright. Let’s do it!”
He shimmied on the bench a little, digging into his pocket until he pulled out some change. A few moments later had Kageyama staring a little nervously at the camera while Hinata’s grin widened and he flashed a two-fingered peace sign. What was he supposed to do? Pose, too?
Shutter.
Two: Kageyama blinked in surprise, and the camera caught his stunned expression. Hinata threw his arms up high.
Shutter.
Three: Kageyama jumped at the abruptness of this action but before he could do anything, something soft touched his cheek. Hinata’s breath ghosted against his skin for a fraction of a second, and Kageyama froze, eyes blowing wide in alarm.
Shutter.
Four: Hinata pulled away with a sheepish but happy grin. Kageyama’s face felt suspiciously warm and a look at the camera proved he was blushing.
Shutter. A whirring of the machine.
“All done,” Hinata exclaimed. “That was really fun, Kageyama, you made some funny faces!”
Kageyama sat still, blinking. Processing. His hand came up to touch his cheek, where Hinata’s lips had been.
Hinata stood up and exited the booth. “C’mon, Kageyama! Wanna see the pictures?”
He moved only because he had to prove to himself that he hadn’t imagined what just happened. And sure enough, when Hinata pulled out the strip of photos, Kageyama saw the evidence. Hinata had kissed his cheek.
It shouldn’t have been a big deal. It wasn’t a big deal. Hinata was physically affectionate with everyone—it was just in his personality. But seeing the proof of this display of Hinata’s affection made Kageyama’s heart fumble in his chest, stumbling out of its normal rhythm.
“These are great,” Hinata said abruptly. “You look so funny.”
“What? I do not,” Kageyama snapped back, but as he spoke, his face grew hotter. “Not everyone’s as photogenic as you.”
“You think I’m photogenic? Me?”
“I—well, you take so many pictures, it’s—ugh, dumbass, that’s not the point!”
Hinata didn’t respond. Instead, he looked down at the photo strip with an expression of sudden endearment, something Kageyama couldn’t quite decipher. Less like the burning midday sunshine and more like its afterglow, the kind of light that lingered after the sun dipped below the horizon when the day reached its end.
It was an expression that only made Kageyama’s heart stumble even more.