Chapter Text
The cool night breeze brushed past the brunette, enveloping him in a slightly uncomfortable chill, even with his comfortable Aoba Jousai Jacket on. The weather was turning colder, and the darkness of the night was arriving earlier; a clear sign that winter was approaching soon. He made a mental note to bring a thicker overcoat the next time he goes out.
It was already past midnight. The skies were dark with the winter constellations already out, the tiny flickering lights making the lone boy on the street sigh wearily. He would have loved to stay out to watch the stars and dream of the infinite worlds beyond, but he was tired from the gathering with his volleyball teammates earlier today, and all he wanted to do was to go back to his warm and comfortable home.
He shivered as his feet cracked against the stony path with every step forward. It was rather cold outside, and he never liked the cold.
“Thank you for coming!” The lady at the convenience store called after him, as he waved a goodbye with his perfect, beautiful smile, getting back on the path now with a cup of warm coffee in his hands.
Warm coffee is good. Especially on cold nights like these. He brought the cup close to his face and inhaled the fragrant smell of his drink, warming himself up nicely.
He had not walked far, when he noticed a small figure shivering on a wooden bench at the roadside. Signature orange hair and short height. Alone.
Out at this time of the night, wearing just a tee-shirt and mid-length pants that dropped slightly past his knees, in this kind of weather. Oikawa gritted his teeth at the thought of how terribly cold that must feel.
“My, if this isn’t chibi-chan?” The taller male stopped in front of his all-too-familiar rival from Karasuno.
The boy looked up from staring at his shoes, facing the person that had come to speak to him.
“G-Grand...King…?” His voice came out in barely a whisper.
Oikawa’s brows knitted together just ever so slightly, as he noticed that the usual happy gleam in the young boy was absent. His eyes were dull and hazy, and his entire person was lacking in energy. Was it due to the cold?
“Oi.” He called out to him again. “What are you doing here?”
“Nothing. What do you want?”
Oikawa sighed and turned away for a moment, thinking of what he should do.
Shrimpy seems to be in a disgustingly bad mood. Or should he describe it as being low on battery? Isn’t this guy supposed to have endless stamina? Either ways, he’s not like his usual self. Oikawa considered walking away and forgetting he ever saw the kid here. They weren’t really friends anyway. What this shrimp does outside of volleyball has got nothing to do with him.
“Little kids shouldn’t stay out too late.” He stayed. He didn’t know why he was being such a nice guy, but he stayed.
He checked the time on his phone - it said 00:57.
It was indeed, not the kind of timing for kids to be out. The sky would be pitch black if not for the street lamps by the roads. Almost everyone had gone home, and they were probably the only ones out on the streets now.
“Shut up. I’m not a kid!” His eyebrow twitched in annoyance.
Oikawa sighed once again. True, Hinata was only two years younger, but he really did look like a child. He had to continuously remind himself that he was speaking to a high schooler just like himself, since the little crow’s youthful looks were terribly deceiving.
He continued staring at the boy on the bench, waiting for him to explain himself. A part of him wondered to himself what was he trying to achieve, meddling into other people’s business like this...but leaving someone out here like this so late in the night probably wasn’t very good for his conscience.
“I just…” Hinata paused, and spoke again. “Kageyama…”
“What, you guys got into a fight?” If that was the case, Oikawa wouldn’t be surprised. Not surprised at all, seeing how they argue all the time. Kageyama could piss off anyone anywhere, anyway. Maybe if chibi-chan right here came crying to him about something bad Tobio did, Oikawa would have a reason to beat the hell out of that pesky kouhai.
Haha , he could already imagine Iwaizumi calling him stupid and childish.
But there was something about Hinata’s voice, and the way he bit his lip trying to control the overflowing emotions in his body told Oikawa that there was more to it than that. Kageyama as a person, meant more to Hinata than just that.
“Hold this.” He pushed his warm cup of coffee into Hinata’s cold hands.
The smaller boy blinked and looked up at Oikawa from his seated position, unsure of what was going on but nevertheless grateful for the warmth now in his hands. What came next was a white and mint green jacket draped over his shoulders, of which he clumsily slotted his arms into. It was too big for him and the sleeves went way past his fingers, but it was warm and it smelled nice.
“Stand up. I’ll bring you home.” He held out a hand, waiting for it to be taken.
But Hinata shook his head and stared at the coffee held in his fingers that poked out from the oversized jacket sleeves, no longer looking up.
“I don’t want to go home.”
“Then do you want to go to Tobio’s?”
“NO!” He almost shouted out, which gave Oikawa a bit of a shock.
But that confirmed his suspicions about something having happened between those two.
Oikawa averted his gaze for a few seconds, hesitating before speaking again.
“You can come with me, I'll take care of you.”
“Eh?” The orange-haired boy looked up again, his large brown eyes filled with hope and uncertainty.
“What, did you think I was gonna let you stay here all night?” He stuck out a tongue jokingly. “Come on.”
He didn’t wait for Hinata to take his hand this time. Instead, he took hold of his hand and pulled him up.
“G-Grand king?” The difference in height was apparent once the shorter boy stood up from the bench, with one hand in Oikawa’s and the other holding on to warm coffee.
“We’re going to my place. You okay with that?”
Oikawa’s house was just a five minute walk away, and since Hinata wasn’t going to go home or find Kageyama or whoever the heck he’s supposed to be associating with, he shouldn’t be complaining about Oikawa offering up his house.
Hinata blinked with a blank expression for a moment, before he nodded and gave a soft “yeah.”
Apparently it was rather well received. The older of them raised an eyebrow, wondering once again what had gotten into the mind of this young one.
Oikawa kept his gaze forward while pulling the younger male behind him. He never turned to look at the boy barely one step behind him who had now interlocked their fingers together, but he swore there was a small smile on his lips then.
If he wanted to leave, he could’ve left.
Hinata lowered his head to cover more of his face in Oikawa’s jacket, enjoying the warmth and sweet scent that engulfed him, tightening his grip on those larger, broader fingers.