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The alarm goes off, it shakes Shouyou out of his sleep, but not violently, not unwelcoming. He goes to bed every night anticipating its sound. Those trumpet horns that his roommate Kenma has learned to hate and curse every day, he loves and waits for as soon as he closes his eyes at the end of the day.
The thing is, Shouyou wakes at 5:30 am on the dot, content and cheerful. After he has changed into running attire, he goes out of his dormitory and waits by the front door. At exactly 5:45 am appears a taller figure, dark hair, in blue shoes; he's not quite stopping, but quickly matches Shouyou's speed as soon as he starts running too. Though, Shouyou thinks he is imagining this. Why would he change his speed just for Shouyou? Either way, it puts a smile on his face.
So Shouyou Hinata does feel lucky and he thanks the sky and the gods and whoever else there is to thank that he gets to wake up early every morning to run alongside Tobio Kageyama.
They barely even glance at each other. Sometimes Tobio will comment about the weather, about his route to meet Shouyou, the road that goes to the park was closed again today, referencing Tokyo's climate, population density and all these other random geography things that make Shouyou wonder, but more than that, they enamour him.
Because, oh yeah, Shouyou is in love. So he can't help but trip and fall face-first to the ground when Tobio speaks up.
"Do you have any plans for tomorrow— uhm, for the festival?"
No, Shouyou thinks, but he bet he was about to have some if he could survive the end of this run.
His face stings and he can't quite open his eyes, he hears Tobio stop and breathlessly ask are you okay? Hinata idiot, you never see where you are going! He tilts his face up to speak.
"No, Kageyama-kun! I don't have any plans for the festival. I'd love to tag along with you!"
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During the break before their last year in high school, Shouyou and Tobio see each other every day. They had promised they would do so after the closing ceremony of their second year of high school. Shouyou felt silly for not bringing it up before Tobio did, but he was always happy to oblige in whatever Tobio asked of him. He felt proud to hold the best friend of Tobio Kageyama title, and made sure everyone knew this post was his alone, including Tobio.
On wednesday morning, Shouyou had planned a little trip for the day. After some trains, buses, and a little walk, they stood atop a set of stairs in front of Tsukihama beach. It was chilly outside, and air blowing from all directions was salty and it hurt their noses and cheeks. It made Shouyou happy.
He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He talked without opening his eyes.
"You know, Kageyama-kun, I want to see the world from here, first." When he opened his eyes and turned to see Tobio, he was surprised to see blue eyes fixated on him already, lips partially parted— it was going to make him go crazy. He smiled before continuing. "You know, coasts are the only true border nature created between humans…" he leaned closer towards Tobio. "And to that, we built boats!"
Shouyou grabbed Tobio's hand and ran towards the beach. Tobio yelled and complained, but it seemed to Shouyou that he was squeezing his hand tighter the further they ran.
They spend the afternoon taking pictures of everything they find and each other, and Shouyou can't help talking about beach coves for at least an hour. Tobio sighs every once in a while, and every time Shouyou asks what's wrong, Tobio shrugs and says, "I wish time slowed down."
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Once they finish their run, they promise to meet for lunch, and Shouyou is back in this dorm room. He finds Kenma in the same sleeping position he had left him earlier that morning.
The building they live in is old, and it cries out in pain every time you step on it. Sneaking in or out was impossible, creaks, squeaks and groans everywhere around, and the paper-thin walls made it obvious when there was someone around. Kenma turns his face slightly when he inevitably hears Shouyou walk further into their room after taking a shower to freshen up from the run.
"Somph hwth didth it gof?" he was talking into his pillow half way on his face, Shouyou grabbed it so he could understand what Kenma was saying.
He yawns before repeating himself. "Uh, so how did it go with Mr. Tall, handsome and undiagnosed this morning?"
Shouyou huffs. "For your information, I don't think he is undiagnosed, but we've never talked about that officially. And, and, we have a da— a date. This weekend. For the festival." He jumps under his covers, hiding his grin and probably red cheeks, awaiting the teasing from his roommate.
"Though it's not a date to him, I'm sure. He probably just wants to hang out and the festival is a thing happening this weekend, you know." Shouyou re-emerges from under his blankets and finds Kenma sitting up on his bed, staring at him absently.
"Suuuuure, sure sure. Because that's a perfect explanation to whatever homoerotic tension you've got going on since you met in high school." He rolls his eyes and gets up lazily, then stands at the door looking at Shouyou.
"Should we go to get breakfast before I lose you when we naturally stumble upon Tobio-kun at some point in the next thirty-minutes?" Kenma smirks as Shouyou tries to put pants and socks at the same time, cursing under his breath, Kenma you are exaggerating, bastard.
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Kenma was not exaggerating, of course, but they do not see Tobio at breakfast, which means that Shouyou sulks. He tries to eat, but every time he lifts a spoonful of miso soup it pours back into the bowl because Shouyou looks up at the entrance of the cafeteria, trying to see if Tobio came in.
"What's with him?" Tetsurou, Kenma's boyfriend since high school, asked as he took a seat at the table with them.
"He's looking for you-know-who," Kenma responds, barely looking up from his cellphone. "Ugh, professor Yoshida is making our class participate in the photography booth at the festival."
This effectively wakes up Shouyou from his attempt of breakfast.
"WHAT?!" he yells, looking down at his own cellphone vibrating on the table.
"Don't worry, it won't interrupt your day too much. We are sharing responsibilities with the photography club. I signed us up for the first shift already," Kenma responds with a frown and a grin, finally putting his phone down and eating.
Shouyou grabs his phone and starts going through his messages in distress, he sees that Kenma had effectively claimed them the 9 am to 10 am spot at the booth, and sudden relief floods his factions when he sees a message from Tobio.
Tobi (just now)
Hey, got busy with something. See you at lunch.
He bags his phone and feels a ridiculous smile splatter across his face, while finally properly getting food from his bowl into his mouth.
Tetsurou looks at him, concerned. "Well, he recovers quickly." He continues eating, trying to be casual about the hand he just dropped on Kenma's shoulders.
"He probably was sent signs of life. You used to be worse before we started dating, Kuroo."
"NO I WASN'T!" Tetsurou screams in response.
Shouyou barely registers the rest of the conversation happening next to him. His mind too full about lunch time and about tomorrow and about the next year and about Tobio Kageyama.
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In Photography class, Professor Yoshida explains how they will run the booth and the class practices taking portrait pictures of each other. As an introductory and art elective class, it was usually full of people from all years and majors, and it had become a way for Shouyou to meet people across campus while doing something he liked.
Shouyou had a talent for photography, something that made him quite popular with his classmates, who looked for him for advice and generally liked to hangout with him. Kenma was used to it all, except for the curious History student, also from first year, who asked lots of questions every time she was around Shouyou.
Kenma rolled his eyes as he picked out a camera from a bunch on the table. "Don't turn now, but Mika is coming."
Shouyou was almost scolding Kenma when the girl in question taps his shoulder. She speaks with a high voice, almost screaming into Shouyou's ear. "Hinata-kun! Kozume-kun!"
"Mika! Please for the love of God, call me Kenma…"
"Hm, yeah, whatever. I saw you two signed up for the first shift— Yoshida said we could be at the booth in pairs or groups of three… can I perhaps," she speaks softer and slower now. "Join your shift tomorrow?"
"No," Kenma says, not looking up from the camera he was changing the settings on.
"Sorry, Hayashi-san. I think Kenma would be more comfortable if it was only the two of us." Shouyou feels tense, but shrugs slightly trying to reject Mika as delicately as possible. I don't really want anyone distracting me from the possibility of spending the whole day, including that stupid hour, with Tobio. Sorry-not-sorry Mika.
"Oh." She doesn't sound surprised. "That's okay! I probably will join whoever is at the shift after yours, then." Mika fixes her hair a little before taking the seat next to Shouyou, to which Kenma rolls his eyes again. "I heard that you and Kageyama-kun went to high school together, is that true?"
Shouyou jumps slightly in his spot. "Yeah, h-how do you know Kageyama?"
"Ah," she giggles. "We have the same academic advisor."
Oh, yeah. She's a history major after all, just like Tobio.
"Hayashi-san, we'll catch-up later, okay? Kenma and I really need to finish here to be ready for tomorrow," Shouyou says carefully as he turns in his seat to face Kenma. He doesn't say anything else until he hears Mika get up and leave their table altogether.
"So, I was thinking about using the Nikon for the group setting and—" Shouyou gets interrupted half-way by Kenma.
"Sho! I told you she's trying to get to Tobio! Inouka is in their Japanese lit class and told me she's always hogging his space! He didn't mention her by name but from the description of how she talks and tries to get people's attention, I knew it was Mika!
Shouyou sighs. "Come on Kenma, we really need to focus! If we prepare thoroughly it means we will have more free time tomorrow!" He hears Kenma huff before they continue to talk about camera settings and how to divide the tasks between the two. Shouyou's thoughts linger on Mika's sudden question and what Kenma said; he shakes his head, thinking stop it, Shouyou Hinata.
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Tetsurou is waiting for Kenma outside their classroom when class ends, and Kenma pats Shouyou's shoulder before parting ways. Shouyou sighs as he sees the other two walk hand in hand away from him. Kenma's face seemed indifferent, but Shouyou smiles when noticing the pink tint on his face as he slowly tightens the hold on his boyfriend's hand.
Shouyou feels green. He wants that for himself. He has wanted that since the day he met Tobio in that club room years ago. But he also scolds himself every time he catches the feeling lingering in his stomach.
He arrives at the cafeteria, at the usual table he sits at with Tobio during lunch. Moving through the lines of food and drinks had been a sole act of inertia after the so many thoughts and green feelings infecting his brain. He was sick with excitement every time he was going to see Tobio, but he was especially excited about their potential date at the festival tomorrow.
From the corner of his eye, he recognizes the tall head of dark-hair, which stopped suddenly while looking around, as if searching for something. Shouyou's eyes focus on the scene and he sees Mika, of all people, hoarding the space around Tobio. She's all smiles and big arm movements. Shouyou feels alarmed with what he sees, his senses pushing him to get up and fight when Mika intertwines her arm with Tobio's.
He sits down when Tobio quickly frees himself from her touch and points with his head towards Shouyou's direction, smiling when their eyes meet. As Tobio sits in front of him after rejecting whatever proposition Mika gave him, Shouyou can't help to scold himself one more time, you are too damn greedy about Tobio Kageyama, Shouyou Hinata. You always have been.
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It was a cold Saturday morning at the beginning of his second year of high school. Shouyou sits in a moving bus, staring outside the window, happy to be there. Happy to have Tobio's sleepy head resting on his shoulder.
Shouyou knows he is not lucky, oh no, he fabricates his destiny. About a week ago, when the photography club at Karasuno high school met for the first time in the year, and they were discussing about which second and third years would be leading the first-year club trip, Shouyou was the first one to hold his hand up.
"Kageyama-kun and I would be delighted to help!" He smiled widely as he volunteered their weekend to be working on club activities instead of sleeping-in late and resting. Tobio didn't even flinch when he heard Shouyou throw his name in without consulting him first. This made Shouyou happy.
Earlier that morning, Shouyou asked Tobio to help with bags and other things that needed to be loaded under the bus, he made sure that the first-years had all gotten on the bus and had taken a seat already, leaving them no choice but to sit next to each other for the one and a half-ish hour drive towards the hakusoi fields where the first-year photography club trip took place every year.
Once there, he made sure to monopolize the attention of the first-year students he had seen interested in Tobio, because he knows. Everyone knows. Tobio is so good-looking, for fucks sake! He has heard giggly girls ask other second-years in the club about him, so of course he knows. And he knows how to keep them entertained and away from Tobio.
After he has revised a couple of people's camera settings, and has sent them on useless missions (opposite direction from where Tobio is, of course,) Shouyou allowed himself to look at Tobio. Gwaah, he doesn't even realize how needed he is, how cool he is, how pretty he is…
He is lost in thought when he hears a couple of girls whisper to each other about leaving their stuff on the ground just as an excuse to talk to Tobio later, since he is making sure all the equipment is safe and loaded where it needs to be loaded.
He turns to the group angry in his mind, but with a smile on his face. "Good job here, you guys! Why don't you go into the field a little further and practice taking portraits of each other, huh? I need to talk to Kageyama-kun about something, so I'll be right back!" He walks away, still smiling, feeling envy bubbling away in his stomach.
Shouyou stops a few meters away from Tobio and turns his camera on, thinking, photography is so interesting. It's a science just as much as it is art— just like geography is to me. He brings the camera to his face, looks through the viewfinder and focuses on Tobio, who is still not aware of his presence. He takes a few pictures.
Is it too selfish I want to keep this to myself, then? What would be of the world if Gogh had kept The Starry Night to himself, or if Anaximander hadn't shared his renditions of what he thought the Earth looked like?
Tobio finally looks back at Shouyou and they banter a little, as they have ever since they met. He feels Tobio get closer to him, and he can't help but smile as the wind runs through his hair, making a bigger mess of it than it already has.
Shouyou's eyes then catch a small sight of the moon lurking behind Tobio— it was dreamy to him to be able to see both the moon and the sun share the sky at the same time. Then he's caught by surprise, his hair is being tucked behind his ear, softly; the touch of Tobio's careful fingers feels cold at first, but then it burns. Shouyou thinks his ear will be red for the rest of the day from it, when he hears the shutter of a camera go off.
Their junior is apologizing and offering to delete the picture he took of this moment, which Shouyou was thanking the moon in the sky for.
“Don’t you dare, Aoiki, let me see it! I bet it’s really good.” Shouyou grabs the camera and stares at the picture with a million thoughts running through his head, all of them awash in Tobio. He thinks that if he ever gets to have a house or an apartment of his own, this picture should be on each wall of it, just for him.
Shouyou realizes then, for the first time, that he is greedy about many things in life, but he is the greediest when it comes to Tobio Kageyama.
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During lunch, Shouyou tells Tobio about the slight change of plans on his end, photography-booth-shift and all. He is left a bit speechless when Tobio's response was simply, "I'll come do that with you, too. We already planned to hangout tomorrow at the festival, didn't we?"
There's butterflies and beetles and many other kinds of insects flying in Shouyou's belly— he unfocused his sight enough to catch Kenma and Tetsurou walking outside the cafeteria making drooling faces at him. Ah, fuck it. They are probably right.
"I'm so excited for tomorrow, Kaegeyama-kun!" He says, with a full grin, eyes closed. Tobio only hums, and Shouyou's heart beats faster than before.
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Later that night, as he tries to fall asleep, Shouyou thinks about the intentionality in words and in actions; and while he doesn't like to hope too much, or think too far ahead, there's been moments between him and Tobio that make him suspect his feelings are actually reciprocated.
Back when they were moving from Miyagi to Tokyo to start their university life, Shouyou helped Tobio move into the apartment that his family generously paid for. They rode the train together. The few pieces of baggage between the two reminded Shouyou neither of them are too sentimental about things, and Tobio saying I can't imagine doing this with anyone else, as they get off the train made him want to promise his whole life to Tobio.
They got to Tobio's new place and left their bags messily around the kitchen and living room area. Tobio complained about it all feeling stuffy, and Shouyou called him Whinyama-kun, to which he received (well-deserved) pokes on his sides as they walked to the store to get things that Tobio would need in the apartment and Shouyou would need in the dorm.
After helping him frame some pictures and set up most of his things, Shouyou had gone out to get food for them to share. On the way back, he once again had that urge to say something to Tobio— about the future, about always being there for the other. When he entered the apartment, he found Tobio struggling to stretch the bedding over his mattress. Shouyou couldn't help but to smile at the sight.
This was one of those moments that kept Shouyou awake at night, hoping, like right now.
"Uhm. We are doing all this at least 3 more times, right?" Tobio asked, wiping his forehead, staring at his freshly made bed, the smallest grin lingering on the end of his lips.
"Yeah, Kageyama-kun." Shouyou sighed, love flowing through him with every breath he took. "And I'll make sure to get you food every time you move to a new place," he said as he placed the take-out plates of beef curry on Tobio's new and tiny chabudai.
Shouyou meant it, and he knew Tobio took it seriously, too.
He falls asleep with the memories of Tobio's eyes and smile as he vowed in his heart to love him forever.
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It's Shouyou's first time attending a festival on a university campus— let alone one in Tokyo. Doors opened at 9:00 am on the dot, making his and Kenma's shift the first one. He didn't think he would be working nonstop from minute one. He's directing a group of friends taking pictures in front of the white backdrop they set up in one of the classrooms, while on the corner Kenma sits editing the pictures of the group before this one.
They understood quickly why Yoshida had suggested pairs or groups of three to manage it all.
"Oi, Hinata, when is your boyfriend coming?" Tetsurou complained outside the classroom. He was graciously helping them by collecting the tickets used as currency in the festival and forming the groups before they went in to take their pics. "I kinda need a couple more hands."
Shouyou sighed. "He's not my b-boyfriend, ok?" He thanks the people he just photographed, directing them to Kenma who would help them select the ones they wanted to edit and print and then he breathes loudly before speaking again. "He texted me before the festival started asking if he should bring something, so you better thank him when he hands you that weird purple drink you love so much! He should be here around 9:20."
When that groups leaves with their pictures, Shouyou walks up to Kenma, somewhat in a panic. "How much have you told Kuroo-san?"
"Girl, you don't really hide that shit," Kenma says without really looking away from the computer screen.
"Okay… fair." Shouyou plays with his hair, trying to hide his anxiety. He looks down to his watch and sees the time, 9:18 am. This is the first time since the festival started that they have a little breather in between attendees wanting to take their pictures.
Shouyou steps out the entrance of the classroom, and after a few seconds Kuroo, who sits on a desk with the box of tickets, tugs at his shirt and points somewhere in the flowing rivers of people. "Go get your man, shorty!"
He looks up in the direction Kuroo is pointing at and finds Tobio without much issue. His build is tall and firm, and Shouyou thinks he looks elegant no matter the change of clothes he wears— he loves the way the navy bomber jacket Tobio wears right now is almost the same color as his eyes, and it might be that he is going insane after taking so many pictures in such a short amount of time, but he swears Tobio styled his hair. A little. He can even see the slightest bit of his forehead, usually covered by his bangs.
Kuroo wakes Shouyou up from the trance he is in by screaming into his ear and basically shaking him by the shoulders. "Isn't that the girl from your photography class?"
They hear Kenma's slides hit the floor chaotically as he runs to the door to watch too.
Mika was indeed standing next to Tobio, who seemed out of breath. He ran here, drinks and snacks in his hands, Shouyou thinks. He ran here for me. They are turning around looking for the booth, Kenma and Tetsurou guess. Mika knows where they are at, she has to direct this same booth in like half an hour, for fucks sake! Shouyou's fist tightens up without him realizing, as he sees Mika trying to pull Tobio in the opposite direction of where they are.
Shouyou is about to run angrily to snatch his non-boyfriend off of Mika's hands, when Tobio's sight finally lands in his direction. He sees Tobio's face ease, his eyes soften, his shoulders relax, and he starts to quickly walk towards him— disregarding the tantrum Mika is throwing behind him.
Tobio places a cup holder with four drinks and a bag of pastries on the table, he bows slightly at Kenma and Tetsurou and frowns at Shouyou.
"Do I have something on my face? Why are you looking at me like that?" Tobio asks, grabbing a green iced tea from the table to put in Shouyou's hand.
"No, it's nothing." Shouyou smiles wide, welcoming the green, greedy feeling growing in the pit of his stomach, alongside the tea. "You look handsome, Kageyama-kun!" He says before another group of people drop their tickets by Kuroo to get their picture taken by him.
Shouyou turns away to work without looking back at Tobio, afraid his smile would give him away.
"O—Okay? I was there for all that. He was looking at you up and down when you refused to look back, by the way. If you even care," Kenma says to Shouyou, laying lazily across his bed, head almost hanging off of it, his Nintendo switch held dangerously close to his face. "It's what happened after that that I need you to explain to me, pretty please." His voice went higher by a little, it made Shouyou laugh even though he didn't appreciate being interrupted in the middle of his retelling of the day before.
"Well, I'll continue now," Shouyou said, a little annoyed, but also happy. He was too happy to be annoyed, honestly.
In one of the corners of the classroom, the photography club set up a classic photo kiosk, the ones with a stool in a small booth where you'd pay a few coins, hear a timer go off, and have to pose four different ways before two copies of those four pictures were printed off on a strip of photo paper.
Right before Shouyou and Kenma have to switch with the next group of students to take over their spots, Shouyou grabs Tobio by his wrist, and pulls him towards the kiosk.
"For people who spent so much of their high school days with cameras in their hands, don't you think we have very few pictures of each other?" Shouyou smiles at Tobio, hoping he didn't weird him out.
Tobio seems a little lost in thought, not really protesting by the grab or the pull or the proposition. "I guess it's true," he finally says, "but it's really important to keep archives up to date— our last picture together probably is from graduation." His cheeks tint a beautiful soft pink, and Shouyou is captivated by the sight and feels a little more in love with life through it all.
They decide to do two sets of pictures, they would take two individual pictures, and then two of them together. Shouyou tells Tobio that they need to move quickly so that they don't miss their cue.
The first solo pics are Shouyou's. He steps into the booth and throws a couple of peace signs for the first picture, and closes his eyes while smiling widely for the second one. Tobio barely makes it in for the first picture together— when they are printed out, they both laugh at Shouyou talking in the third picture, with Tobio all blurred out on the corner, both of them laughing, head thrown back and all, in the last picture.
Then it was Tobio's turn. For the first picture he just sits there, like it is a passport picture or something, it makes Shouyou laugh. Before the next picture is taken, Tobio moves the curtain at the booth entrance a little, and stares at Shouyou laugh, sunshine stuck in his eyes, adoration coloring his face and ears.
Shouyou is still recovering from the laughter, he doesn't realize it is almost time for him to get into the booth with Tobio, he just feels being tugged by the sides of his waist, tenderly guided towards Tobio's arms.
They are taken aback from the impact of their bodies, one of Tobio's hands resting on Shouyou's shoulder, eye's on each other's instead of the camera. They hear the pictures printing outside the booth and…
"So he pulled you close enough to him and you didn't kiss him when you had the chance," Kenma says, giggling in between words, now sitting on the edge of his bed instead of laying on it.
"NO!" Shouyou is quick to yell as a response to Kenma's words, gaining some shut the fuck up dude from rooms around. His face is red and he continues with a much lower volume. "He probably was annoyed at me for taking so long to come into the booth and I don't fucking know, okay? He was just staring at me. I panicked."
Kenma slowly gets up and goes to Shouyou's desk, grabs his wallet and takes out the photo strip in question, pointing at the fourth picture in it, Tobio's lips curved up beautifully. Shouyou thinks the picture doesn't do his smile justice.
"Do you think that's the face of someone annoyed?" Kenma doesn't articulate his face much, but the shock in his eyes and disgust in his nose and mouth are exasperating Shouyou at the moment.
Shouyou takes the picture from Kenma's hand and looks at it a few more seconds before putting it back in his wallet. He then lays back on his bed, hands behind his head, and sighs profoundly. He realizes doesn't know how much he actually slept last night.
After a minute or two, Shouyou rubs his eyes hard, making them tear up and starts laughing out loud. Kenma sits back on his bed a little concerned about his roommate's unprompted laughter.
"Are you… Uh, okay?" Kenma is hesitant asking, watching him as he gets back into sleeping position on his side of the room.
Shouyou huffs before getting up and starting to get ready for his Sunday morning run with Tobio. "I'm great. I loved yesterday!"
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Tobio comes by Shouyou's dorm entrance at exactly 7:45 am, as per their usual on Sunday mornings. As he starts to warm up, trying to keep up with Tobio, running ahead a few steps and then lagging behind for a little, his mind wanders again to yesterday. From the corner of his eyes, he sees Tobio's fixated on him, just as they were during the festival, after his and Kenma's shift was over.
They tried almost every food stall available, tried go through an escape room, and failed to do so; they laughed and laughed in ways that Shouyou had not seen Tobio do in so long. It made him wonder, how much of his affection was reciprocated, if anything at all. He was not blind to the attention he received, but it would be a lie to say he wasn't scared of his own thoughts— was he making it all in his head?
Shouyou almost misses a step and it makes Tobio break his perfect running form, it makes him giggle. Maybe there was some hope for love, after all.
Seeing the world has been Shouyou's dream ever since he first learned about geography. This planet and its people have always been fascinating to him. He told his mom from a young age that he would live everywhere and that he would see the corners of the earth if it had any. Natsu would get a little annoyed at him every time she asked if she could come with, at which he replied something along the lines of, you have to set sail on your own, because he didn't have the heart to tell her that he wanted to do it alone.
At the festival, though, Shouyou realized that the urge to see it all is not eating him alive. Not yet, at least. He's fine just staring at his own world struggle a little and almost choke with a piece of beef on a stick.
Dreams sometimes take a while to come true, and Shouyou is patient to see them all through. He knows Tobio is too.
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Shouyou sits next to the window in Tobio's room. It's almost the end of their second year of university, and they are sort-of studying for their statistics final. Not that Shouyou would ever willingly admit needing to study for statistics ever, but he enjoyed that he could be in a class with Tobio after so long. Suddenly, time is not enough for him. There's so much that he wants to do and say, but all the chances and all the plans and all in all can't be fit in the few weeks he has left before starting his journey.
He is overwhelmed, looking outside at the night sky, moonlight shinning on him, scribbling nothing in his notes, and he finally says it.
"Tobio, I'm taking a leave of absence." Shouyou almost never called him that. He wanted to reserve all his Tobios to when he knew he could offer more of himself, to when he could love him out loud and fiercely as Tobio deserved.
Right now he had the moon and the stars as his witnesses, heart on his hand, something he never thought he would say to Tobio. He was terrified of looking at him, so he kept his eyes up in this sky, scared of tears escaping without his permission.
"What? Why?" Tobio's voice is heavy on Shouyou's chest.
With all the strength he has contained in his body, Shouyou turns to see Tobio, engulfed in blue, thinking that is okay to cry if he needs to. “I need to see the world. I need to remind myself what this all is for.”
Then it happened again, one of those moments that sometimes kept Shouyou up at night. Tobio's response will keep Shouyou awake for many nights that will come, when he feels alone, or homesick, or when it all looses its meaning suddenly.
Tobio puts and then frowns, Shouyou knew whatever he was about to say was true and sincere; he has learned to read Tobio like a book, a pout and a frown was a memo from his heart.
"Okay, I'll see you later."
And there he was, still in Tokyo, in the apartment he has helped Tobio to move into two times already, a statistics book on his lap, some exams and papers away from taking a plane to Europe, and the start of his dream coming true.
He thinks that Tobio means it, because he has been there before already; bringing him an umbrella outside the of his last classroom of the day because it's rainy, buying him a coffee every morning of exam season, letting him stay over his apartment when Kenma and Tetsurou have taken over their dorm room. There's no way Shouyou Hinata wouldn't see Tobio Kageyama later, even if it took him ten or twenty years.
Shouyou smiles widely and laughs lightly between his words, “yeah, see you later, Kageyama-kun!"
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆
A few months into his one-year-long leave of university, Shouyou makes some calls and extends it indefinitely. He has spent the last couple of weeks in Italy, and funnily enough, everything there reminds him of Tobio.
He wasn't really surprised, everywhere he goes, every picture he takes, everything brings Tobio back into his mind. They have been good at keeping up with each other despite the distance, Shouyou's heart warms up at the thought of Tobio deciding to be more on his phone just for their friendship's sake.
Ah, their friendship.
So why is he in Florence, near Ponte Vecchio, staring at two rings, one in gold and one in silver, that together make a whole sun?
The old lady behind the table that holds many artisanal rings, earrings and necklaces is looking at Shouyou with a smile on her face, and when Shouyou finally caught on her staring, they both struggle a little to find a common language to try to communicate in.
After many failed attempts, Shouyou understands, the old lady grew up hearing stories about the sun being the star of love, and that when the two halves of it are together, it shines brighter and carries much more energy within. He says to himself, fuck it, what do I loose buying these? As if he didn't know exactly who he wants to share them with.
Who knows, maybe in a few years Shouyou Hinata and Tobio Kageyama will meet again and finally love each other the way Shouyou has always dreamed about loving Tobio, gently and insistently and powerfully.
With a smile on his face and with much pride and dreams inundating his chest, Shouyou packs the pair of rings in his backpack. all while holding onto the air ticket taking him to his next destination, São Paulo, Brazil.
Fim.