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“Oh, Hinata-kun?”
“Hello, Kageyama-san,” Hinata smiled up at Kageyama’s mother rather nervously. He’d been standing in front of the door for about two minutes, debating whether to knock, how to knock and after that what to say. It wasn’t the first time Hinata had gone to Kageyama’s or met his mother, but it was the first time he had gone without the boy himself, or without being invited. So of course he was a little bit nervous.
He was ready to run whenever it was necessary.
“I—Is Kagey—E--…Etto…Tobio alright?” He tried to smile, scratching the back of his head nervously. He figured calling Kageyama by his last name would be confusing so he sort of stuttered out the boy’s first name. It was weird and terribly embarrassing doing so.
His mother seemed to find it funny, chuckling at Hinata’s embarrassment.
The woman told Hinata her son had been doing well and was resting the last time she’d check. She handed the redhead a tray with a bowl of soup and a spoon and asked if he could take it to the boy.
Of course Hinata complied, carefully carrying the tray towards the boy’s room.
“Sorry for the intrusion…” Hinata said in a whisper as he stepped in. The room was dark, the windows closed and the shades hiding the afternoon light. It was also rather cold, which gave Hinata a bit of a chill upon stepping in.
As expected, the raven was lying in bed, head to the side, a line of drool trailing from his lip to his cheek and disappearing into the pillow. He was covered with a quilt up to the neck and looked to be in a very deep sleep.
Hinata placed the soup on the bedside table and sighed. He was a bit disappointed that Kageyama had been asleep. He had really been looking forward to talking with the other boy about anything, but he supposed it was fine this way too. On the bright side, he did get to see Kageyama’s sleeping face. Such a peaceful face, it was amazing a guy like him could even make such an expression.
Hinata's own face was heating up by the second. He shook his head in embarrassment.
Reaching for his bag, Hinata took out a folder he’d gotten from Kageyama’s class representative. He’d ask to take the day’s note to him, making up something along the lines of having to go to his house anyway, so it was fine.
He placed the folder next to the tray of soup and turned to the door. “Well, I guess the visit wasn’t in vain,” Hinata mumbled, taking one last look at Kageyama before he went to open the door.
“H—Hm…Kaa-san?” Kageyama’s tired voice suddenly rose up, making Hinata stop what he was doing and turn back to the sleeping beauty.
“Kageyama-kun! You’re awake!” Hinata cheered and quickly went over to stand besides the bed. “Ah, sorry. Did I wake you?” the boy suddenly flailed around, worried he had disturbed the setter.
On his side Kageyama had sat up in his bed, and turned his face the other way to hide his flushed cheeks. Not that Hinata could see in this darkness, but he wouldn’t take the risk. “I woke up on my own, idiot,” he mumbled.
“Oh, well just in time. You mom made you some soup,” Hinata motioned to the tray sitting at the bedside table before going to turn on the lights.
Kageyama gave his thanks and took the bowl of soup to eat.
“So, how are you feeling?” Hinata asked as he sat down on the bed besides the other.
“Never better,” he said as he took another spoonful of soup.
“Hmph, you’re not very descriptive are you?” Hinata grumbled.
Kageyama shrugged.
“By the way, I brought you today’s notes. Your class representative game them to me.”
“Why?”
“I…might’ve asked her to give them to me,” Hinata smiled casually.
Kageyama actually looked confused and Hinata didn’t miss it.
“H—Hey, what’s with that face? I—I just wanted to see you, idiot.” Ok, that was probably the most embarrassing thing Hinata had said to Kageyama ever. He realized it as soon as the words left his mouth, but it was already too late and Kageyama had heard loudly and clearly.
And it did no good to his heart either, which surely skipped several beats.
“Y—You, seriously. Saying stuff like that. If you wanna see me just…see me. Don’t make up stupid excuses.” Kageyama was definitely no better in fixing the awkward atmosphere.
He definitely worsened Hinata’s own raging embarrassment.
“I—Uh--… etto—“
“Tobio?” Kageyama’s mother opened the door and peeked her head in. Upon seeing the boy awake, she smiled fondly and told her son it was time to take his medicine. She handed an orange pill bottle to Hinata and instructed him to give the setter two. With that she was out the door.
“Ugh, I hate pills,” Kageyama grunted as he observed the bottle in Hinata’s hand.
Hinata opened the bottle and took out two of the pills. He took the glass of water that had been sitting on the tray and handed them to Kageyama with a sweet smile.
“Here you go~”
“Don’t look so happy about this, idiot,” Kageyama snatched the pills from Hinata’s hand, shoved them into his mouth and swallowed as much water as he could. Once done, he handed the half empty glass back to Hinata and slouched. “Ugh, that was horrible.”
Hinata chuckled. “Bare with it while it lasts,” was the only advice Hinata had to offer.
Kageyama sighed.
He really didn’t know what it was about Hinata. Maybe it was that smile (although most of the time it came at the worst possible times) or maybe his eyes (which were brighter than any he’d ever seen). Perhaps his hair-- a true mess Kageyama always wondered how he even managed to fix it in the morning-- or his laugh (dammit how it always got to him). There were so many things that made up Hinata Shouyou, and so many things that he meant to Kageyama Tobio, but throughout the whole list, right then he’d say Hinata was the one he liked.
Is that true?
“Hm? Kageyama-kun? Why are you looking at me like that?” Hinata’s head cocked to the side and Kageyama swore right then he could confess all the clutter of emotions he had been feeling lately.
That bubbling feeling that had started for longer than he could remember. That slight nervousness he’d always get when Hinata’s face was much closer than it should be. That warm feeling whenever he’d get a text from the redhead. So many things…
And right then, that little excuse he didn’t even need to make to see him.
His chest was overwhelmed. Despite the sleeping effects of his medicine he was wide awake, and his drive was completely active.
“Hinata,” he spoke up in such a voice that Hinata found completely mesmerizing. He tried stuttering something along the lines of “Yeah?” but it didn’t quite come out so he kept his mouth shut. “Hinata, I…I think I really—“
“Kageyamaaaaa!”
The door shot open with such abruptness that Hinata fell off the bed and Kageyama jumped back only to cause misfortune to his abdomen, the pain springing into action and dropping him back into the bed with a grunt.
The intruder? Tanaka Ryunosuke, accompanied by Nishinoya Yuu, Asahi Azumane, Daichi Sawamura and Sugawara Koushi.
All hell broke lose Kageyama thought as he clutched onto his abdomen.
“Your mom let us in,” Asahi explained shyly from the door.
Suga and Daichi went to stand besides their setter’s bed, both wearing similarly looking worry.
“Kageyama, how do you feel?” Suga asked.
“I’m great, thanks” Kageyama retorted sarcastically as he regained his composure.
“A—Ah! I’m sorry Kageyama! I might have caused too much noise!” Tanaka stepped in, dramatic tears falling from his eyes.
“Stop making more trouble for Kageyama, Tanaka!” Daichi held onto the back of Tanaka’s sweatshirt before the guy could leap down and hug the raven as an apology.
“Oi, cheer up Kageyama! We came here to make you feel better!” Noya gave his junior his greatest smiles, which he always thought made everyone happy. In all honesty, it did. Kageyama couldn’t help but break a chuckle.
“Thanks, senpai,” he mumbled.
Despite the ruckus, Kageyama felt rather grateful he had such amazing teammates that would take some time off to actually see how he was doing.
He never thought something as such was possible.
While Noya basically convulsed from the happiness of being called senpai by Kageyama, Suga questioned Kageyama, asking him how he was doing to which Kageyama answered genuinely. He explained how he’d been taken to the doctor after school the previous day. His injuries had been nothing life threatening, although he explained how his abdomen had suffered some kicks so the pain would last for about a week or so. He showed them the pill bottle and said that, although they helped to ease the pain, they made him drowsy.
It was a miracle he was up, he thought.
In the middle of it all Kageyama received two pork buns with a carton of milk as a get well soon gift from his teammates and he promised he’d eat them later.
“So, Hinata! You got here before us! You guys in the middle of something? Hmmm? Hmm?”
“Tanaka!” Sugawara covered his mouth and dragged him away from the confused Hinata and definitely abashed Kageyama. Noya opened his mouth to say something but Asahi was there to quickly drag him away as well, leaving Daichi to give some lame excuse for them to be off.
“Well, let’s get going everyone. We should leave Kageyama to rest,” he smiled at the raven. “Kageyama, we’re counting on you to get better for the next game, alright?”
“Yeah, yeah, Kageyama! Don’t think just because you’re a bit hurt we’ll go easy on you!” Noya chimed in, throwing a cocky grin the setter’s way.
“Get better soon, Kageyama!” Sugawara smiled.
Asahi gave Kageyama a smile as well before they went out the door.
“Hinata, you coming?” Suga asked before he could leave.
“A—Ah, you guys go ahead,” Hinata answered lamely, not sure what excuse he could make in exchange of admitting he just didn’t want to leave yet.
Sugawara chuckled and waved him off before leaving.
Kageyama laid back on his bed and sighed. “That was tiresome,” he mumbled.
Hinata laughed. “Right?”
He covered his eyes with his arm, feeling rather drowsy all of a sudden, definitely meaning the medicine was just kicking in. A part of him didn’t want to fall asleep. It strongly wished to confess these pent up feelings to Hinata and hope he could explain their meaning (as if Hinata was an expert in any of this) another said no, that it was wrong, that Hinata would definitely feel grossed out.
He felt conflicted and he didn’t know what to do.
“Ne, Kageyama. There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you…” Hinata mumbled suddenly, expression turning serious, facing Kageyama’s direction.
The raven moved his arm enough so he could see the redhead and question what it was.
“You know those bullies…they…well…” Without even the slightest idea on how to phrase it, Hinata paused, thinking twice on what he was to say. “They said something weird that day…”
The words from the bully reached his mind in an instant.
“Well, I guess it being you, you wouldn’t give in so easily. After all you never liked this type of stuff in the first place, isn’t that right?”
Whatever he meant, there was something more than meets the eye, Hinata could tell and it had really struck him. Perhaps it was not the best time to bring something like this up, but there was just no other way Hinata could think of to express his worry.
“I…want you to tell me, Kageyama. How do you really know those guys?”
There, he asked it again as if Kageyama’s previous answer hadn’t been enough to satisfy his expectations.
There just had to be another way, he thought.
There had to…
No response came from the setter. Hinata waited a moment, perhaps he was thinking of a way to explain?
When turning to question again, Hinata noticed the boy’s even breath, his closed eyes, his lips slightly parted.
He’d fallen sleep at some point.
Disappointment washed over the redhead once more in a single day. It wasn’t like he could do anything about it except try again.
Yet a part of him wasn’t as worried. A part of him told him he was fussing himself up with such a question for nothing.
He trusted Kageyama with his all. He trusted him when he shut his eyes to spike his sets, he trusted him to get him the right flavor of juice from the vending machine, he trusted him when those bullies came to attack them and he trusted him now, which made him feel rather stupid for doubting him in the first place.
“Who the hell were those guys, Kageyama-kun? And how did you even know them?”
“They were just some bullies. I…went to middle school with them.”
That had been enough, hadn’t it? He’d already explained his connection to them, so it was fine.
Giving one last look at the boy, Hinata stood up from the bed and made his way out, wondering if there was somewhere in the cosmos where he and Kageyama could ever have this delayed conversation without any interruptions.
But he supposed the interruption was for the best.