Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Music, chatter, and laughter wove around Hinata Shoyo, soothing him as he still buzzed with adrenaline. Having just finished the game, the taste of hard-earned victory lingered on his tongue, now mingling with the bitter taste of his third beer.

It wasn’t unusual to find a lot of MSBY Black Jackals players hanging out in this rundown bar near the gymnasium after a game. Most nights, they would have just one beer each before leaving. Yet that night, a clutter of empty glasses surrounded Atsumu, Bokuto, Akaashi, Sakusa, Iwaizumi, and Hinata as they celebrated their victory and the well deserved two-week winter break that lay ahead.

The setter always had the most surprising taste in alcohol and had absolutely no shame in it. 

Hinata bit his lip, feeling his heart sink.

"Yeah, I’m supposed to go home, but I won’t see them much. Natsu will be at school, and my parents are on a cruise in Europe, so I’m not sure what I’ll do. What about you, ’Tsumu?"

Atsumu’s smile grew even wider.

"Yes, I suppose," Kiyomi muttered. "Just don’t make me regret this."

That made Hinata crack a smile. He could tell that Kiyomi’s reluctance was just a cover for his true feelings.

"And what about you two?" Hinata asked, glancing at the lovebirds on his right.

Bokuto and Akaashi were plotting God knows what, knees brushing and whispering in each other’s ears. After years together, his two friends still seemed head over heels in love. Hinata had to admit, they could be sickeningly smitten at times, but mostly they were just heartwarming.

Bokuto looked at him with a sweet smile on his lips.

"We’re going to stay here and relax. Akaashi has a couple of days off," he confessed, but everyone shook their heads in response.

The whole gang chuckled as Akaashi’s face turned a shade pinker, though he said nothing to refute it.

"When are you leaving, Iwa?" Bokuto asked the athletic trainer, who had been assisting their team for a few months now.

"I’m leaving for Argentina tomorrow night," Iwaizumi answered, signaling the server for another round.

"I’m sure there’s an Argentinian setter who’s thrilled to have his Iwa-chan back for a few days," Hinata remarked with a knowing smirk.

Iwaizumi’s face turned crimson as he snickered. He wasn’t one to talk much about his relationship with Oikawa, but everyone could easily guess what was going on.

Hinata took another hearty gulp of his beer. Maybe he wouldn’t feel so alone if he weren’t surrounded by a bunch of love-struck idiots.

He didn’t want to be jealous, but how could he help it when Bokuto’s affection for Akaashi was evident in every glance and touch? Or when Atsumu gazed at Kiyomi with literal heart eyes, a look everyone noticed except the wing spiker? And Iwaizumi was no better, always glued to his phone whenever Oikawa played, called, or texted, whispering sweet, teasing remarks in their peculiar love language.

Hinata sighed. What would he give to have that too?

Hinata hated how Kageyama’s name always seemed to come up in conversation about him, as if there was something between them. There wasn’t anything between them—nothing of the sort had ever happened—and he was getting tired of reminding his teammates.

Of course, he and Kageyama had always been close friends, even when they were on opposite sides of the world. However, during Hinata’s time in Brazil, their communication had dwindled considerably. It took a drunken call from Hector’s wedding to rekindle their friendship, but since then, they had become almost as close as they were in high school—though, of course, they no longer saw each other every day.

Hinata had honored the promise he made Kageyama to stay on the court longer than him in their first match against each other. That night, Kageyama pulled him into his arms right there on the court, and Hinata knew he was fucked.

Because now, they text almost every day, call each other from time to time, and hang out whenever their teams play against each other. Kageyama’s team had won their second match, and they were both eager for a rematch—or maybe, one day, to play on the same side of the net again.

Yet, since his return a couple of months ago, they hadn’t had much time alone together. Hinata had initially thought their relationship was heading somewhere, but now he wasn’t so sure. His judgment about Kageyama had always been clouded by hope and that left him uncertain about where things truly stood.

It was just… no one made him feel the way Kageyama did. Since they’d met, Kageyama had clearly irritated him at times, but he also motivated him like no one else. Kageyama had a way of making him feel so special. They understood each other so well, and whether they liked it or not, they were always in each other’s orbit, as if magnetically drawn together.

And sometimes, Hinata could see that Kageyama was making an effort, that he was trying.

How was he supposed to view this as just a friendship when his whole body burned whenever their hands brushed on the way home, or when Kageyama said things like he felt better with Hinata’s family than he had in a long time?

Yet, as they walked alone through the empty streets leading to Kageyama’s family apartment, nothing had happened. Nothing ever did between the two of them, despite pushing the boundaries of their friendship more than a few times.

So yeah, Hinata was doomed. He had feelings for a man who didn’t feel the same way about him. He knew he needed to move on, to let go of those foolish hopes for a relationship once and for all.

"Mmh. I don’t think so," he finally answered Atsumu, who had been patiently waiting. "He told me he had a family trip coming up."

"I thought he was estranged from his family," Iwaizumi muttered, his chin in his hand.

It was well known that Kageyama wasn’t on good terms with his parents. They had never attended any of his games, from high school to the Olympics, and no one had ever seen them when they visited Kageyama in Sendai, as they always left him alone in their home.

Moreover, Kageyama had recently told Hinata that his relationship with them had never been worse, especially after he and his older sister Miwa came out to them.

"I thought that too. I don’t know. I thought he wasn’t going, but he changed his mind. I’m not sure why; we haven’t been talking much lately…" Hinata admitted, feeling the pitying looks from his teammates on him.

He hated when they did that. The silence stretched for a beat longer before Atsumu slammed his drink loudly on the table.

"Come see my family with us," Atsumu announced with a smile. "The more, the merrier!"

Though Hinata was genuinely touched by the gesture, he had no intention of being a third wheel to his friends for two weeks.

"Aww, ’Tsumu. You’re too kind," he confessed with his voice shaking a bit, as he rested his head on the twin’s shoulder.

The fact that Atsumu would sacrifice some alone time with his crush for him made Hinata’s eyes well up.

"Hinata, don’t cry now! You can stay with us too if you prefer," Bokuto admitted in turn, as he shook his shoulder.

Hinata smiled at him but shook his head. Argh, he felt so lucky to have them by his side.

"I’m sorry, guys. I’m just tired, I think. It’s okay, I promise," Hinata whispered, rubbing his cheeks and trying to regain his composure.

He shouldn’t have drunk that night; alcohol always made him so emotional.

"Mmmh. Speaking of the devil, I think Kageyama’s calling you, ’Nata," Iwaizumi grunted, reaching for the redhead’s cellphone, which he had left in the middle of the table among the others.

Hinata felt his cheeks burn.

Weird timing, right?

He grabbed his phone and hurried to a quieter corner. Yet even at a distance from his friends, he still had trouble hearing Kageyama clearly.

"Hey ’Yama! I’m sorry, this isn’t the best time. Can I—"

"Hinata! What are you doing for the break?" Kageyama blurted out in a single breath.

Hinata’s heartbeat picked up.

"I’m going home. Can I call you back? I’m not hearing you well and…"

"You see, I had this family reunion that I talked to you about, that I didn’t really want to go to, and my sister, well, my sister is bringing her girlfriend because she knows that’s going to irritate the hell out of my parents, and…"

"And?" Hinata repeated, unsure if he was following Kageyama.

"And well, she thinks that I should do the same."

Was Kageyama telling him that he had a boyfriend? Hinata felt his heart sink even deeper. This night was going from bad to worse and…

"Okay, yeah, I mean, if you have someone in mind…?" Hinata asked, unsure of what else he could do.

"No, I mean. It doesn’t have to be real, you know? I could just pretend with a friend and…" Kageyama hesitated.

Okay, he was calling to see if Hinata thought it was a good idea. It wasn’t as bad as Hinata had imagined.

"Well, yeah, if you think that’s a great plan, I’m sure someone would be up for it. I think Suga’s off too? Or maybe…"

"You wouldn’t want to do it?" Kageyama cut him off, and Hinata could discern the disappointment in his voice.

Hinata’s heart was racing so fast it felt like it might leap out of his chest.

"You didn’t invite me??!" Hinata protested as he heard Kageyama mutter, “Idiot,” under his breath.

"I’m telling you, he doesn’t want to come!" he heard Kageyama say, though it didn’t seem to be directed at him.

Hinata rushed outside, bracing himself against the winter wind to be sure he’d heard correctly. The line was silent for a moment before a more pleasant voice rang out.

"Hinata, hey! How are you?" Miwa, Kageyama’s older sister, cheered.

Hinata had met Miwa a few times and enjoyed spending time with her. She was a hundred times nicer than her brother, yet she shared his bluntness and a fondness for teasing. They also looked alike a lot, with the same dark eyes and jet-black hair.

"I’m okay, thanks! Miwa-san, I’m not sure I understand…"

"Oh, what my idiot brother is trying to do is invite you to spend the week with us. Our uncle said we could bring a plus one, so you’d just have to play along a bit and…"

Surely Hinata was in a dream. Or more precisely, a nightmare.

"What? Why me?" he asked quietly, trying not to get his hopes up.

Was this a prank? It had to be; there was no other explanation…

“Honey, you know our relationship with our parents is, well, tense, to say the least… And I think you’re the only person who could make this week bearable for him,” Miwa admitted earnestly, as Kageyama shouted in the background, “What did you say now?!”

Without realizing it, Miwa had hit Hinata’s biggest weakness.

So Hinata talked with her for a few more minutes before returning to the table, pale as a ghost. His teammates looked at him, all visibly concerned.

But Hinata just let out a chuckle before announcing in a solemn voice, "Guys… I think I just agreed to fake date Kageyama for a week."

And man, he should’ve taken a picture of his friends’ faces, because they’d never looked this stunned before.