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The first thing Hinata did when he saw Kageyama that morning was break out in a fit of laughter.
“Why are your cheeks so red?” Hinata asked when he finally had enough breath to speak.
“They're not that red!” Kageyama protested. Maybe this had been a bad idea after all.
“Yeah they are! Did you overdo the blush, Bakageyama?”
This was definitely a bad idea.
It was all those stupid boys’ faults. Yesterday when he was in the bathroom, Kageyama had overheard some dumb kids talking about him, saying how scary he looked. Kageyama knew he tended to scare people away, and he wasn’t very good at being social anyway. But after he left Kitagawa Daiichi, he thought that, maybe, things would change. He had a fresh slate, as nobody knew - besides the volleyball team - how hated he was at his last school.
So far this year, Kageyama wasn’t doing as well as he hoped he would. He had (reluctantly) befriended Hinata, and he was friendly enough with his other team members. But in class, Kageyama still didn’t speak to anyone. He usually ended up eating by himself if Hinata didn’t come around to bother him.
When he heard the boys talking about him in the bathroom, he thought maybe the reason that people didn’t talk to him was because he didn’t look friendly. If he looked more friendly, then maybe more people would like him, and he wouldn’t have to end up alone again.
But how could look friendly? His mother said a “welcoming smile” always made people like you, but his teammates had already assured him his smile was scarier than his frown - which bothered him more than it ought to.
Unsure of what else to do, he decided he needed a model: someone he could watch to see how they looked when they were being friendly.
None of the people in his class were particularly friendly. It wasn’t until class ended and a familiar head of red hair flashed outside his classroom that he hit a stroke of luck.
“Oi! Kageyama! Race you to the club room!” Hinata called from the doorway.
As Kageyama rushed to pack up his things, he heard one of his classmates say, “Oh, hi Hinata!”
“Hey Shun-kun!” Hinata answered back with a wave.
“Are you going to play volleyball right now?”
“Uh huh! But I’m waiting for Kageyama first.”
“That’s nice of you.”
“Ha! N-nice to that idiot?” Hinata blushed. “Nah, I just need to beat him to practice. But I have to wait for him so it’s fair.”
His classmate laughed. “Have fun at practice!”
“Thanks!”
On their way to the gym, Kageyama stared at Hinata, thinking about what he’d just seen. That person had probably talked to Hinata because he was friendly. Or was it the other way around?
As they raced to the gym, Kageyama counted six different people who waved to Hinata. And all of them looked genuinely happy to see him.
That’s when it struck him: Hinata was the perfect model.
Everyone liked Hinata. Well, almost everyone. He was always smiling and nice to everyone, and people always said hi to him in the hallways. Hinata was never alone at lunch, because he was always surrounded by people who liked him. He made friends with someone on the teams they played almost every time. Even if he was a bit much to handle, Kageyama hated to admit it, he was quick to warm up to. If Hinata was able to make friends with Kageyama himself, then he must be the prime example of a friendly person.
So throughout practice, Kageyama watched Hinata intently.
Kageyama watched as he listened to the coach, followed and Daichi’s directions - even if he whined a little - as he cheered on Noya and watched Asahi in awe, asked Suga for help, and barked at Tsukki for teasing him. Everyone - except Tsukki - had a smile on their face when they talked to him. But Kageyama couldn’t figure out what it was that Hinata was doing to appear more friendly, what it was about him that was making people smile.
It wasn’t until he was talking to Hinata himself, though, that he had his brilliant idea.
What do I like about his features? What about his appearance makes him look friendly?
“Kageyamaaaaa! Toss to me!”
“No, not until your recieves are better, dumbass,” Kageyama said. Kageyama did want to toss to Hinata, but he had to observe Hinata first if he wanted to get more data.
“I already worked on them with Noya-san!” Hinata protested. “Pleeeeaaase?”
HInata brought his hands and bowed deeply in front of Kageyama. He glanced up and pouted his lips, his eyes sparkling and wide, and his cheeks faintly red.
“F-fine,” Kageyama said, feeling himself give in. “But your spikes better be damn good!”
Why had he given in? Maybe it was because of Hinata’s friendliness. But what about it?
The redness in his cheeks makes me feel warm inside, Kageyama thought. That must be friendly! Kageyama suddenly remember that his mother used some kind of makeup to make her cheeks pinker. That must be why girls wore blush: because it made them look friendlier!
Everything was starting to make more sense.
That morning, Kageyama managed to discreetly go through his mother’s makeup drawer, and found a little container of pink powder labeled “blush.” He wasn’t sure how to put it on, though. Sometimes he saw his mom using a brush, and sometimes her fingers or a sponge, with different kinds of makeup. After starring at the pink stuff for a minute, trying to decide the best way to transfer the powder from the box to his face, Kageyama decided to stick his fingers in and rub them around. Once the pink powder coated his fingers, Kageyama swirled his fingers around on his cheeks in circles until he thought the blush was blended well enough. Satisfied, Kageyama put the blush back and grabbed his bag.
Before heading off the morning practice, Kageyama took one last look in the mirror. His cheeks were definitely pink.
And that’s how he ended up here, in front of a laughing Hinata. Kageyama thought that if the powder wasn’t making his cheeks rosy, then his natural blush would be.
“S-shut up!” Kageyama yelled at Hinata. Pretty soon his teammates would start showing up, and Kageyama wanted to get rid of the stains on his cheeks before someone else broke out laughing at him.
“...I’m going to the bathroom to take this stupid shit off my face.” Kageyama stormed off before the other had a chance to respond. He hurried around the corner at a fast paced walk.
“Kageyama - wait!”
He upped his pace to a slow jog, and made it into the bathroom before Hinata caught up to him.
He stopped in front of a mirror and began to furiously scrub his face.
Slam! The door burst open and in charged Hinata.
“Dumbass! Why’d you follow me in here?” Kageyama yelled at him, turning away so he wouldn’t have to face Hinata again. He crossed his arms and waited to hear whatever lame excuse Hinata would come up with, following him in here even when he obviously knew Kageyama wanted to be left alone.
“I’m sorry,” Hinata whispered.
Kageyama turned around in shock.
Hinata stood a few feet behind him, as if to give him space. His hands were folded in front of him and his eyes were downcast. Kageyama was shocked Hinata said sorry, but he was even more shocked by how sincere Hinata looked now.
“I shouldn’t have laughed at you,” Hinata continued, wringing his hands together. “It - it was mean. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad, and if I did...I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”
Kageyama wasn’t sure how to respond. He wasn’t use to Hinata being so forgiving, or nice to him. Hell, no one had ever bothered apologizing for making fun of him before.
But now Hinata stood before him, asking him for forgiveness. And Kageyama couldn’t find it within himself to refuse him. “Y-yeah. I forgive you. Dumbass.”
Immediately Hinata brightened up, and his bright eyes met Kageyama’s. Kageyama felt that familiar thump in his chest. Is this what friendship feels like? he thought.
“...do you want me to help you wash some of that off?” Hinata asked cautiously.
Hinata looked at him with stars in his eyes, and before Kageyama realized what he was saying, a word had slipped from his lips. “Fine.”
Hinata beamed at him and rushed to the sink. He pumped a bit of soap in his hands and ran them under warm water, lathering the soap all over his fingers. He gestured for Kageyama to come closer, and Kageyama’s feet carried him to the other boy. Before Kageyama knew what was happening, Hinata’s hands were on his face, rubbing circles in his cheeks with his soapy fingers.
Kageyama didn’t know how Hinata would be able to tell the difference between the powder and Kageyama's actual blush.
“Hey, Kageyama?” Hinata asked after a moment, breaking the silence. “Um...why did you put on blush today?”
“None of your business,” he said reflexively.
“C’mon - you can tell me!”
“Why do you even care?!”
“Um…” Hinata didn’t finish his thought. Instead, he focused on Kageyama’s cheeks, rubbing harder to get off the remaining powder. That was almost worse than giving him a direct answer.
Kageyama knew he didn’t have to say anything else. But he felt guilty for making Hinata shup up, and he felt like he owed Hinata an explanation. Since, after all, he had apologized for laughing at him. “I...I just wanted to look...more friendly.”
“Oh…” Hinata cocked his head. “I still don’t get it. Why’d you wear blush, then?”
“Well…” Kageyama mumbled, “you always look friendly…”
“...and?” Hinata gestured with his hand for Kageyama to continue.
“...and your cheeks are rosy and shit…”
Hinata flushed bright red.
“Like that.”
“H-hey!” Hinata sputtered. “Wait...was that a compliment?”
Kageyama frowned. “Of course it wasn’t.”
“I mean, it was kind of a weird compliment, but it totally was - ”
“No it
wasn’t
!”
Hinata giggled, finally removing his hands from Kageyama’s cheeks. He washed his hands and took some paper towels and wet them under the warm water. He brought them to Kageyama, who still hadn’t moved an inch, and ran the wet cloth over his face.
“Kageyama...you know you don’t need to change anything about yourself if you don’t want to, right?” Hinata’s question sounded more like a statement. “I mean, if you want to wear makeup, t-that’s great, but...I don’t think you’re doing this for yourself.”
Kageyama didn’t respond, finding an interesting stain on the bathroom floor to stare at instead.
“Are you?” Hinata asked. “Doing it for yourself?”
Kageyama frowned. “Not really.”
Hinata poked him hard in the chest.
“Oi - !”
“Then don’t do it. Okay?”
“Get your finger off me - ”
“Okay?!” Hinata poked him harder, a pout on his lips. He leaned in towards Kageyama so their noses almost touched.
For a moment, he couldn’t breath. Hinata was so close, he could see the pores in Hinata’s skin, all the shades of brown in his eyes, the places on his lips where skin began to peel. He blinked, trying to get a hold of himself. “Okay,” he said, backing away from the other boy.
“Good,” Hinata said, satisfied. He pulled Kageyama’s hand and led them both out of the bathroom. “Now c’mon, we don’t want our senpais to think we’re late for practice!”
He let Hinata lead them out of the bathroom, and into the gym. As the doors closed behind them, Kageyama heard Hinata mumble something under of his breath.
“But actually...Ithinkyoulookkindacutewithblush.”
“What’d you just say?!”
“Nothing!”