Work Text:
"E de todos os meninos e meninas que eu já amei
Eu escolhi você
E em todas as novas vidas que eu ainda for viver
Eu vou te escolher”
Alinhamento Milenar, Jão
⛰️
Kageyama Tobio’s life in volleyball began with his grandfather’s teachings.
Ever since Tobio learned to understand human speech, Kazuyo and Miwa liked to remember that he was basically born with a volleyball in hands and a heart full of unswerving passion.
“You were so tiny, but had a tight grip on that volleyball already,” Kazuyo-san had said one day, smiling fondly from his hospital bed. His skin was pale and more wrinkled, eyes downcast because of illness, but the kind energy that came out in specters of his soul was still present, despite the weakness. Despite the pain. “But I shouldn't be surprised. When I held you in my arms for the first time, I already knew you'd follow in my footsteps.”
Tobio stared at him unblinkingly, wide-eyed, his mouth a straight line.
Kazuyo-san laughed weakly and stroked the top of his head. “You're in the right path to become the world’s best setter, Tobio.”
Tobio’s face lit up, a subtle blush spreading across his cheeks. “You think so?”
“I do,” he replied with a tiny smile, voice full of kindness. “I have no doubt that you will achieve it one day.”
Kazuyo-san’s hand still stroked Tobio’s hair as Tobio snuggled closer under that familiar touch, closing his eyes as he sighed in delight. His grandfather’s calloused hands used to bring a peace that Tobio only felt when they were together, so at that moment, Tobio wondered if he'd ever find someone else who could make him feel at home, too—always safe, guarded and loved.
“Kazuyo-san, you still think I'm gonna find my someone better one day?” Tobio asked in one shot. He feared it was a very complicated question and that his grandfather would say he couldn't predict the future, but as always, his warm words brought the answers Tobio needed to hear the most to be at peace.
“This is another certainty I have in life,” Kazuyo-san stated it as if it were a truth carved by the universe. As if it were an immutable, unshakable event that would happen, where two soulmates will shape their destiny until they can cross each other’s path and soar together. “Even when you lose hope and stop looking, they will cross your path and do everything to keep you strong. In volleyball and in life.”
Despite the obvious weakness in his voice, those words were enough to soothe Tobio’s heart.
After that conversation (the last one he had with Kazuyo-san), Tobio promised himself that he would find the someone who matches him, the person who plays and loves volleyball fiercely. The one who loves Tobio as if he were as breathtaking as the sunrise and the sunset. The one that Kazuyo-san promised would come to meet Tobio so that the two of them could grow together like a phoenix being reborn towards the morning sun.
Even though the shadows of his past kept darkening his present, Tobio trusted that this person would be the torch leading him to a future where he could see the light and finally be happy.
⛰️
Japan National Team @JNT_Official
We are so honored to announce the new member of our team, who will be playing in the Olympics 2024: Kageyama Tobio. Considered the best setter in Japan, Tobio-senshu now plays for the Italian team Ifviga Torino since the 2023 season, and is part of the incredible generation of monsters that has gained prominence in recent years.
It's an honor to have you defending Japan for the third time and we hope to provide an environment where we can grow stronger together.
Please, Ifviga Torino and Japan National Team fans! Say hi to our amazing starting setter!!!
*picture of Tobio with the other JNT members*
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Kageyama Tobio @KageyamaTobio
Replying to @JNT_Official
Thanks for having me in the team
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Sho!! ☀️ @NinjaShoyo
Replying to @KageyamaTobio and @JNT_Official
awwww kageyama-kyuun! you look like the maknae of the group 🧡
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Kageyama Tobio @KageyamaTobio
Replying to @NinjaShoyo and @JNT_Official
What the hell does that mean????
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Sho!! ☀️ NinjaShoyo
Replying to @KageyamaTobio and @JNT_Official
you'd know if you listened to all the kpop songs i've sent you!!!
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Kageyama Tobio @KageyamaTobio
Replying to @NinjaShoyo and @JNT_Official
I did listen to them yesterday, dumbass! Still don't know what maknae means
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Sho!! ☀️ @NinjaShoyo
Replying to @KageyamaTobio and @JNT_Official
OH YOU DID!!!??? WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVORITE???
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Kageyama Tobio @KageyamaTobio
Replying to @NinjaShoyo and @JNT_Official
Explain what’s maknae first
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Sho!! ☀️ @ NinjaShoyo
Replying to @KageyamaTobio and @JNT_Official
UGH FAIR!!! okay, maknae is a term in kpop used for the youngest members of the group (in this case it's you, cause you're the baby of the team!! as i am one of the oldest members of asas são paulo, i'd be called hyung, which is the term for older members in kpop groups!!
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Kageyama Tobio @KageyamaTobio
Replying to @NinjaShoyo and @JNT_Official
In other words, you are old
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Sho!! ☀️ @NinjaShoyo
Replying to @KageyamaTobio and @JNT_Official
NO!! i'm a senpai so everyone respects me, and you should do the same ;))
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Kageyama Tobio @KageyamaTobio
Replying to @NinjaShoyo and @JNT_Official
…
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Sho!! ☀️ @NinjaShoyo
Replying to @KageyamaTobio and @JNT_Official
YOU'RE SO ANNOYING BUT I LOVE YOU UGHHH okay my maknae, i'll bring you some pães de queijo tonight 🧡
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Kageyama Tobio @KageyamaTobio
Replying to @NinjaShoyo and @JNT_Official
Don't be late
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Tsukishima Kei @SendaiFrogsKei
Replying to @NinjaShoyo @KageyamaTobio and @JNT_Official
This could be easily an email, you mfs.
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⛰️
Paris 2024 Summer Olympics
Tobio would never imagine rising earlier than the sun one day but here he is. Here they are, in fact: two bodies tangled under the covers with heat seeping into the pores of their skin and kissing their features with warmth; Tobio feeling like the sun himself as he holds the biggest star in his universe in his arms.
As soon as his eyelids flutter open, sunbeams peeking through the curtains and projecting a shining veil over them, Tobio is greeted by the sight of a serene Shoyo sleeping next to him, head resting on his arm with his unruly hair all over the place and his soft, low breaths warming Tobio’s chest.
The memories of yesterday are still fresh in his mind, with glimpses of the moment he reunited with Shoyo at the hotel flashing behind his eyelids. Memories of the small get-together they had afterwards with the other members of the Japan National Team, and all the hugs, words and touches Tobio shared with his partner after so much longing. Tobio remembers tanned, strong arms wrapping around his waist, freckled cheek flat against his heartbeats and long fingers getting lost in ginger curls; he remembers sharing the same plate of food with Shoyo at the team’s post-victory party until the moment they returned to their hotel bedroom. Tobio remembers being pulled down by the back of his head until warm lips could meet his, the taste of apple pie still lingering on their tongue every time Shoyo’s mouth brushed against his.
He remembers how the two of them stumbled on the bed and fell side by side, goofy smiles on their lips, bodies still tangled as they tried to keep kissing, panting and blushing like two idiots in love. Tobio clearly remembers the way they laughed afterwards; he remembers how Shoyo slowly took off his shirt, little by little exposing his broad chest and brown freckles on sandy beige skin. Tobio remembers slapping Shoyo’s hand away when Shoyo started to unbutton his shirt, but he softened under his fingertips like he always did, allowing him to take care of his body after years of needing a home to shelter in. He also remembers how the sight of Shoyo just in shorts, eyes wrinkled with joy as his arms looped around Tobio, were enough for him to understand the feeling that his partner brings to his heart. The way Shoyo kissed him between soft giggles, hugging him as if he were the most valuable being in the world, was enough for Tobio to remind himself that Shoyo is truly the embodiment of love to him.
Still drowsily with afterglow, Tobio pulls his lover closer to kiss the top of his head, inhaling the citrus scent of his shampoo. Shoyo, Tobio realizes, smells like an orange orchard mixed with damp grass after rain. He caresses the curves of his body, drinking in the sight of all the goldens and pinks shining on Shoyo’s skin and how the beams of sunlight make his hair take on an even more beautiful copper tone.
Tobio nuzzles himself against the bittersweet notes of his boyfriend’s body. He feels so full just diving in the peace of this moment, just enjoying the fact that he has Shoyo in his arms now. He has his someone better here with him, warming his body from head to toe, bringing a peace that was nonexistent in his past and loving him as if it was an unbreakable rule of nature.
Just like Kageyama Kazuyo once promised.
Just like Kageyama Tobio promised to himself, now he has Hinata Shoyo to love and be loved wholeheartedly, to appreciate every detail hidden in that tanned body sculpted by the gods; to bask in the feeling of golden skin bathed in the sunlight warming his own, joy popping up inside Tobio at being the only one to witness how ethereal his partner is even in his sleep.
He can't help but feel a bit smug about it.
When Shoyo slowly blinks his eyes open, he seems lost at first but sighs lazily when Tobio starts pressing light pecks on his eyelids, kissing all the traces of sleep away. Shoyo smiles and hums as he pulls him closer, muttering sweet nothings in Portuguese and nuzzling himself more against Tobio’s bare chest.
"Bom dia, meu querido," Shoyo whispers with a raspy tone, softly kissing his partner’s collarbone as his fluttering eyelashes tickle his skin. “Silly-Yama.”
Tobio sighs and kisses his eyelid once again. “‘Om dia.”
“Hmmm, I love slow mornings,” Shoyo sing-songs as he winds an arm around his boyfriend’s waist. “Gotta prepare our breakfast, tho.”
“Not now,” Tobio murmurs, already caging Shoyo in his arms. “Stay here.”
Shoyo slowly blinks up at him, copper eyelashes still shining in the morning sun. He hasn't cut his hair in a while, and some curls are long enough to cover his forehead. Unable to resist, Tobio reaches out to brush aside some locks and tuck them behind Shoyo’s ear.
“Stay here,” Tobio repeats lovingly. He voices his sweetest tone to convince Shoyo to remain there by his side, just enjoying the feeling of half-naked bodies sharing warmth and their limbs tangled together, building a home where they both can feel warm and safe.
Shoyo rests his chin on Tobio’s chest, still silent. He doesn't utter any words when he leans on his elbows with downcast eyes hovering over Tobio, the honey of his irises seeming to swallow him as Tobio’s cheeks grow extremely hot. Shoyo notices the effect he has on him, and just like Tobio, he feels smug about it. It's written all over Shoyo’s face how much he feels elated for having this man wrapped around his finger, and before Tobio can complain about his stupid (handsome) face, Shoyo bends down to finally perfectly kiss him.
His lips are dry and a bit chapped against Tobio’s, the initial bittersweet taste sweetening more each time their hot breaths mingle together. Tobio makes a noise in the back of his throat when he realizes that Shoyo’s lips taste like salted caramel. He is kind of obsessed with the taste: it reminds him of the waters of the Brazilian seas mixed with the sweetness of the watermelons they used to eat after practice at summer camps. Shoyo himself has a taste of summer to him, and Tobio hasn't loved a season as much as he does now.
Moreover, Tobio is obsessed with the feeling of their bare skin touching; he is completely mesmerized by the feeling of Shoyo’s hot mouth swallowing him and fingertips squeezing his torso as if he were clay to be molded and worshiped. Tobio is obsessed, he's completely whipped and wants more more and more from his man, so he pulls Shoyo closer by his back until their chests can be pressed together and there isn't an inch separating them.
Now that Tobio can have Shoyo in his arms after years of pining and longing, it won't be easy to let him go. In fact, it's going to be impossible to do this in this perfect reality the two find themselves in.
“Tobio,” Shoyo says breathlessly, warm fingers carding through Tobio’s silky locks as the pad of his thumb caresses his cheekbone. He looks so beautiful panting with his pink mouth parted, big brown eyes seeming to memorize every dimple that Tobio has on his face. “I'll stay for a bit longer. Just because I want to.”
Tobio is still kiss-drunk so it takes a few seconds for Shoyo’s words to process in his brain. But as soon as they do, Tobio sighs and relaxes further against his pillow, stroking his partner’s back with slow, caring movements. He loves the feeling of warm, goosebump-like skin under his fingertips, and the way Shoyo’s breath catches every time Tobio squeezes a part of his waist makes him grin in endearment.
“You'd better,” he says with a demanding tone.
Shoyo laughs softly, “You sound so bossy first thing in the morning.” The sight of him with crinkled eyes and golden skin shining leaves Tobio breathless. Tobio runs a finger across the width of his smile, heart skipping a beat when Shoyo takes his wrist in hand to press warm lips against his fingers. Before he passes out by all that brightness, Tobio pulls Shoyo by his hair until their lips can meet again in another lingering kiss.
Shoyo makes a startled noise but proceeds to hum, melting into the kiss. “Missed you, dummy,” he whispers between kisses, voice muffled against Tobio’s mouth.
He detaches their lips and begins to plant a chain of kisses going from Tobio’s jaw to his collarbone, melting him into a cherry pink puddle little by little. Tobio turns his face a bit to leave his skin more exposed, without stopping the caresses on his boyfriend’s back. Shoyo kisses his earlobe, the corner of his eye, his cheek, the tip of his nose, and his forehead. Before kissing his lips again, Shoyo reaches his hand and runs a thumb across his moist lips, and Tobio shudders under his touch.
“Hinata…” His voice is nothing more than a faint sigh, as soft as the clouds in the early morning sky. “Shoyo.”
“Hmm??” Shoyo hums and continues to handle those lips with just his fingertips. His tongue peeks out and his pupils are blown wide, a few beads of sweat sticking ginger curls to Shoyo’s forehead as his plump lips shine different shades of pink and gold. Damn, this man will definitely be the end of Tobio. (In the best possible sense of the word.)
“You asked me to stay here,” Shoyo continues, his free hand going down to stroke Tobio’s happy trail. He leans down and presses mouth-opened kisses to his flushed chest, drinking in the sound of his heartbeats and the low gasps escaping Tobio’s mouth. “So I'm staying now.”
Tobio feels his own body evaporating into a haze of comfort under soft touches, his chest rising and falling with each kiss and love bite that Shoyo leaves there.
“You're gonna stay forever?” The question leaves his lips before Tobio can think twice, and he blushes and sweats more in anticipation.
“Until I want,” Shoyo answers as if it were an immutable certainty that he has in life. And maybe it is, since Tobio feels the same way. “Which means forever.”
Forever. Tobio likes this word. It tastes like love on his tongue, like home, like his favorite food and family. Tobio may not have had the most present parents in his life, but he always had people around with whom he could take shelter in their arms, people who showed the concept of family since when he joined Karasuno. People who promised that they would stay by his side forever, even in the form of memories. People like Miwa, who even far away, would protect him like the older sister who always showered him with drops of admiration and love. People like Hinata Shoyo, who promised to follow him to the top and play the best volleyball forever alongside and against him.
Always by Tobio’s side.
Forever forever and ever.
The taste of this word still lingers deliciously in his ears, and Tobio may blame Shoyo later for the next sentence that comes out so fondly from his mouth when he says, “Let's get married.”
Shoyo goes still on top of him and Tobio blinks swiftly. Wait… Huh???
“Huh??”
“Huh??”
“Don't huh me back!!” Shoyo hisses, eyes widening and shining with big brown stars as his chest moves along with his heavy breathing. “Say it again!!!”
Tobio pouts, “You heard me very well.”
“Tobiooo,” Shoyo whines. “Please, you can't say these things out of nowhere and think my heart can handle it!! Say it again,” he whispers, hands now framing Tobio’s face as honey-colored eyes remain fixed on him. “More calmly this time.”
His pout softens as Shoyo’s thumbs trace patterns across his pink skin, a delighted sigh leaving Tobio’s body until he finds the courage to release the words that Shoyo wants to hear so much.
“Let's get married,” Tobio repeats quietly, lovingly, passionately. He grabs Shoyo’s wrists and slowly sits down until the two can be face to face, their fingers now intertwined on his lap. “You and me.”
It's as if the sun were multiplying the beams of light to radiate Shoyo’s reaction: his mouth opens and he gives a weak chuckle, looking a bit astonished. His curls glow in different hues of yellow, orange and red, the amber in his irises seeming to drown in a pool of honey. Shoyo’s pink chest still moves back and forth with his breathing, and Tobio feels the urge to press his palm there to feel his heartbeat. But the sight of a small wet glow in the corners of Shoyo’s eyes prevents Tobio from carrying out such an action. A few tears threaten to fall as a trembling smile appears on his lips. Tobio hurries to cup his cheeks and starts kissing all those tears away, Shoyo taking advantage of the situation to wrap his arms around his boyfriend and sob softly.
“I fucking hate you,” he sniffles. “And love you. I love you so so much, Tobi.”
“Hmm,” Tobio simply hums and continues to handle his partner’s face, taking turns between kissing and running his thumbs over his moist skin. “Love you, too.”
“I'm only crying 'cause I'm too happy, okay?”
“I know.”
“It's not because I'm a crybaby.”
“Sure…”
“And yes!!! Let's get married!!!” A large grin spreads across Shoyo’s face as he nuzzles himself against Tobio’s hands. He is literally beaming in the sunlight and Tobio fears that it might burn his fingertips if he's not careful. But in truth, he wouldn't mind melting under that majestic sun that Hinata Shoyo is. “And of course it's just you and me, I want you to be mine completely!!!”
Tobio chuckles, “Dumbass. I've been yours for a long time.”
Shoyo bites his bottom lip to hide an endearing smile, unsuccessfully. “And you will be mine forever and ever!!!”
“Okay,” Tobio agrees, because there is nothing in the world he would like to deny to the man he wholeheartedly loves.
“Okay,” Shoyo says, because there is nothing in the world that would make him hide the love he feels for the someone better he chose to be with.
So that's the story of their proposal—no confetti, no public announcements on TV, no wedding rings hidden in wine glasses. There's just Tobio and Shoyo, Kageyama and Hinata sealing yet another promise between them in the silence of a slow morning as they claim each other theirs. Tobio honestly doesn't know exactly what a marriage will change in his relationship with Shoyo, but he is fully convinced that they will become even stronger together, with silver rings connecting them like pearly ties entwining soulmates.
Their life as fiancés begins with Shoyo lunging at Tobio until he collapses onto the mattress again, the air leaving his lungs at the surprise impact. It starts with Shoyo burying his damp face in Tobio’s neck, laughing and sobbing as he rubs himself against the warm skin there. There are no fireworks in the sky or romantic music: the only sound in the room is Tobio’s low laughs that begin to come out freely as Shoyo starts to tickle his ribs, kissing every patch of pinkish skin he can reach. This new phase of their lives feels a bit nostalgic, too, flesh and bones mingling into one under the summer sun as they float in memories of their teenage days—memories of when they would lie on the grass side by side, sweaty, pink bodies panting for air after training but ready to create more souvenirs that they would keep in their pockets forever, reminding of each other in any universe.
A new certainty that Tobio has in life is that, after years of Shoyo being the first to wake up, he now wants to do the same and enjoy this view of the heavens more often. As his fiancé, his partner and his someone even better. He wants to bask in the sight of a god kissing and loving him first thing in the morning—a beautiful view that is treasured for him only.
Only for Tobio to love and take.