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Hinata had known what “type” he was into for a long time. Saying it was easy wouldn’t be the right thing, but, all in all, it was simple. Growing up, he never had a thing for those pretty girls in class, the ones with the cute laughs, colorful ribbons tied in their hair. His friends would chase them around the school ground, around and around, because I guess when you’re a kid and you like someone, actions speak louder than words. But his tiny bodied self had it a bit different than those other boys. While they ran around chasing those girls, his gaze followed them, on the way they yelled and bustled around, trying to be the “big dog” of the group.
Yeah, he’d say it was pretty simple. Although, once junior high started, simple may not have been the word best suited to his life at the moment. See, in junior high, things like gym and sports become a bit more serious and people realize “hey, they’re not just kids anymore.” So this means locker rooms filled with sweaty boys, showers being taken by those same said boys, things like shame and bashfulness forgotten in the aura of testosterone.
That was not “simple” for him, oh no. But either way, he had an understanding that, he feels like most, don’t even come to think about or have to think about, really. There was no reason to be worried about it, or to give it a second thought. He was a boy who was atrocious at math, was in love with the sport of volleyball, and also happened to like boys. It was just who he was.
Contrary to his own belief, who he was, was a reason for worry to the average male junior high adolescent. These thoughts proven by notes of “fag” crumpled into the trash can and whispers of “hey, do you think he, like, watches us?” in the showers, accompanied by side eyed looks and suspicious glares. It was mildly concerning, having people second-guess and dislike who he was, when he in turn, hadn’t given it much attention. Things had gone like that for a while and he was getting used to it. That is, until, one night towards the end of the school year, he ends up at home, thoroughly beaten and changed just as much for it, crying into his mother’s chest.
She tells him, “I’ll always love you no matter what, and I’m proud to know the true you.”
That night he decides no one else needs to know.
A year later, he finds himself at Karasuno High School, junior high forgotten, and volleyball fresh on his mind. This time, he would be on a team, no private matters put on display, just his ability to jump high, high, high and smash a ball down right after. He enters his new gym early, happy and full of aspirations, unaware that they would all come crashing down, pieces left scattering in the wind.
Okay, maybe he was being a bit dramatic, but really, who could blame him with that asshat of a setter he had the misfortune of meeting.
“You really suck at volleyball,” the dark-haired boy had said, just minutes after meeting him.
Hinata sputters, failing yet another receive.
“I-I do not suck.. You suck!” shouting as he goes to scoop up the lost ball. He’s left with a bit of a shock and a slightly raised heart rate, when the boy in question appears next to him, grabs the ball, and jump serves, effectively showing how much he, in fact, does not suck.
The dark haired boy turns to him, frown ever apparent. “Yes, you do.”
The rest of the practice hadn’t been much different and their new captain, Daichi, wasn’t very happy about it. Before they know it, they’re shoved out of the gym, their membership applications thrown out right after them.
“Learn to be a team, or you won’t be on a team!”
“This is all your fault, you know.” Hinata said, watching as the taller sets a ball just outside of the gym.
The second day after classes, the two headed into the gym, only to be kicked out again by their captain, a reminder of “we’re on a team, and you’re not” left with them. Hinata paced back and forth, going between peeking through windows and glaring at the back of Kageyama’s head.
The taller turns to find Hinata mid-glare, the latter not averting his gaze whatsoever.
“If you didn’t suck, we wouldn’t be here,” picking his stuff up, he turns and begins to walk away from the gym. “So it’s actually your fault.”
Hinata jumps up, grabbing his things and rushing towards the other.
“Where are you going, Mr. I’m better than everyone else?” Hinata asks, a tinge of annoyance seeping into his voice. They continue to walk until they are near the soccer fields, an empty area of grass with a bench towards the back of it. He watches as Kageyama set’s his things down and picks his ball up.
“I’m going to be ‘teamly’ and help you suck a little less, dumbass” he answers, walking away from Hinata before turning his body to face him. He sets the ball down, then proceeds to take his sweater off. “Is that okay, Mr. I’m annoying?”
Hinata averts his eyes away from the skin Kageyama shows as he removes the article of clothing. The guy may be an asshole, but he has a pretty nice looking body, he thinks, getting into position so that he can practice with Kageyama.
“I don’t suck,” he replies, squatting down to receive. “But okay.”
A couple hours later, and Kageyama hasn’t got tired of telling him he sucks.
“After all these tosses, you still can’t receive even slightly better” he calls, as Hinata tries to reach the ball that -somehow- got in the branches of the trees. It’s just slightly out of his reach, and right when he bends his knees to jump, he feels a presence behind him, sees long arms reach up and above him, to pluck the ball from the leaves.
“You suck at receives, and you’re short, just why are you playing volleyball again?” Kageyama asks, almost sounding genuinely curious.
Hinata tries to remain calm, knowing that, if you don’t know him, it might be a little surprising to see him on a volleyball team.
He confidently states, “You don’t know it yet… but I can jump really high.” Turning to take the reaction by Kageyama, but when he turns Kageyama is already walking away, a “sure, sure” said into the night.
I’ll show him he thinks, never one to back down from a challenge.
The next day, the two try to get into the gym once again, and once again get thrown out, but with a different bit of dialogue this time.
“I convinced him to have a scrimmage, 3 on 3 this weekend,” the vice-captain Hinata remembered as Suga, said with a smile. “Show him, you can be a team okay?” with a wave and then the doors are shut.
“This is our chance!” Hinata says cheerfully, whipping around to see a neutral face on the taller.
“Well, we better get to practicing if we don’t want to lose” is the explanation, the two taking off for another evening.
For the next few days, the two continue to practice, Kageyama’s onslaught of insults lessening, not by a lot, but Hinata feels like it’s an accomplishment. The weekend comes and Hinata couldn’t be more ready to prove himself as a team player. The two are paired with one of the older team members, Tanaka, a rough looking guy.
They find out they are going against two other first-years, Tsukishima, a boy who never looked like he’s smiled in his entire life, and Yamaguchi, a boy who looks like he gets beaten up by the former. They get paired up with Daichi, and then the game is underway.
The two teams volley the ball; points being given equal ways for the most part. The only problem is that Hinata hasn’t been able to hit the ball once. He’s gotten a couple receives, shanked a few (which earned a glare by Kageyama), but whenever he called for the ball, he got nothing in return.
A particularly hard serve comes across the net, and Tanaka is racing to the back of the court to receive it, diving and swinging the ball towards Kageyama. When it looks like Kageyama is going to send the ball over, letting them have a chance ball, Hinata races to the net screaming “Give it to me!” and before he knows it, the ball is coming to him, he’s swinging, and then the ball hits the ground on the other side of the court.
Hinata lands, raising his hitting hand and screaming an “OSU,” looking over to find Kageyama staring at him, wide-eyed, almost in awe.
Hinata sends him a smirk, mouthing “I told you so” turning to find the others, finding the same reactions more or less.
“You’re awesome!” Tanaka yells, running up to Hinata, ripping off his shirt, and screaming out what could only be categorized as a battle roar. Hinata screams with him, and the rest of the night goes as follows; “OSU” “Tanaka put on your shirt!” and “Kageyama’s team wins.”
After the scrimmage, the two find themselves walking home together, figuring out their paths were somewhat the same a couple days ago. The two strolled in silence, Hinata full of smiles, humming to a tune he made up as he went.
“I.. I guess you don’t completely suck,” the taller says, almost mumbles, Hinata barely catching it all. Hinata turns to him, not missing the slight blush that adorns his face, the thought of cute slipping past his barricades, before he reigns himself in and pulls the smirk back on to his lips.
“Yeah, I guess I don’t,” a wink and a tongue out, laughing as he dodges the punch thrown out by Kageyama.
“Goodbye, Kageyama!” he shouts, as he jumps onto his bike turning up the hill towards his house, thinking this might not be too bad.
The two, as well as the team, slowly get to know each other and Hinata thinks there might be a slight problem. It’s nothing he can’t handle though. See, now that he knows Kageyama can be less of a total asshat, he is realizing that the other is actually kinda hot. For one, the dude obviously takes care of his body. He can tell, because first of all, he can keep up with Hinata, and not to toot his own horn, but he’s pretty fit. Secondly, the way his body looks, is proof enough. He’s caught glimpses (always on accident, promise) when he’s changed in the locker room, or changed into a uniform for a scrimmage. He’s almost -hopefully almost- been caught looking, just a glance when he thinks no one else can see.
Besides the looks, Kageyama is just, downright, an interesting person. Interesting in the way that, even though he isn’t totally emotionless (there’s some embarrassment, anger, and annoyance-trust him, he would know), there is always an air of aloofness, as if he’s indifferent to it all. He can say this with first-hand experience, because he’s been around him quite a bit more since that first scrimmage. People actually call them “this weird quick duo” and alternate varieties of the sort, and he guesses it is true, they do play pretty well together.
A lot of this appeals to him, but he can’t help but remember what happened to him, the idiots that ruined that last year of his junior high. He knows that this is a different place, that he now has a real team of people he’s starting to care about, but it’s for the best anyways.
It doesn’t really help though, that Kageyama touches him a lot. Don’t get the wrong idea, it’s not anything intimate or the sort, hands squeezing his head, or attempts of punches being held away, but it’s touching nonetheless. It’s very hard to hide his reactions, small gasps, and blushed cheeks.
One day it got pretty weird at Kageyama’s, Hinata had been laying on the floor with his textbooks, they’re attempts at studying inevitably failing.
“AGHHH!!” he yelled suddenly, rolling towards the bed onto his back, his hands grabbing at his hair before flopping them onto the ground.
Kageyama had been laying on his stomach on his bed, half dozing off, when the scream must have taken him by surprise. He reached down and squeezed at Hinata’s head, Hinata immediately shutting his eyes tight, tensing up all over.
Kageyama pulled his hand away and asked, “Why do you do that?”
Hinata opens his eyes to see Kageyama looking at him, confusion tinging his features, head rested on his pillow.
“What do you mean?” Hinata sits up, tugging at the hems of his shorts to distract himself. He feels Kageyama’s eyes on the back of his head, and turns slightly, blushing at the attention.
He watches as Kageyama opens and closes his mouth, searching for words.
“Like, when I touch you or something, you act weird or something…” he fumbles his question, now looking away and at something else, “I don’t know, I guess.”
Hinata’s brain back fires and he answers before he can think.
“I just don’t like being touched, I guess.” He looks away, back to the hem of his shorts as silence ensues.
“Oh..” Kageyama lets out, the sound of him leaning up and grabbing at his own text book. “Okay.”
He continues to study after that, and Hinata follows right after him, all conversation on the topic put to an end. They continue to attempt at their work until it gets late enough, and Hinata heads to his own house.
I’m an idiot, he thinks, before going to bed.
The next day just seems off. Their morning practice goes by, and it’s not that it’s a bad practice, but things just seem weird. Classes go by as boring as ever, but the strangeness follows Hinata and Kageyama to lunch as well. Hinata also notices that Kageyama is making a conscious effort to not touch him. It’s not that they touched often either, but now he seems to lean away, trying to keep a good amount of space between the two even if they aren’t close to touch.
When they get to the evening practice, the rest of the team recognizes the weirdness, it’s not hard when “the weird quick duo” aren’t doing their thing.
“You two, go take a break and figure it out or something,” Coach Ukai demands, sending the two off and out of the gym. Hinata follows as Kageyama continues to walk ahead and towards that bench they used to practice by. He takes a seat and leans back, a sigh leaving him as he looks up into the sky. Hinata approaches him, taking a seat, and notices that Kageyama seems to scoot away a bit, and he finally gets fed up with it.
“What is your problem, Kageyama?” he questions, looking at the taller.
Kageyama lets out another sigh, answers with “nothing” as he stands up and begins to walk away again. Hinata stands up, rushing to catch up with him.
“Look, I know I said I don’t like people touchi-“ he starts, but is cut off by Kageyama spinning around, now facing him.
“But see, that’s the problem,” he starts, now looking into Hinata’s eyes. “You said you don’t like people touching you, but I watch as you let people high five you, jump on you, and put their arms around you at practice..” he takes a breath, “Now, how does that make sense?”
Hinata thinks back on it, and yeah, that was a pretty dumb excuse.
“Look... I just don’t like it when you touch me, okay??” he tries to explain, berating himself again when he sees the looks on Kageyama’s usually blank face, almost as if he’s hurt. He looks away now, towards the field, pausing a second before he replies.
“I know I’m not that great of a people person, but I didn’t think it was that ba-“ he begins to say, and before Hinata can stop himself, he stands on his tippy toes, while simultaneously pulling Kageyama down, to plant a kiss firmly on his lips. As he watches Kageyama’s face morph from one of hurt to shock and confusion, Hinata’s mouth to brain filter fails him again.
“I-I’m,” “oh shoot, I didn’t mean to do that,” “we can’t tell anyone” “please, don’t tell anyone,” he shoots off, one after another, fear immediately shooting through his veins, memories of bruises and pain fleeting through his brain. He prepares for the ugly comments, or the punches maybe, about to be thrown his way, but is surprised by Kageyama’s soft voice.
“I-.. okay,” Kageyama finally says, looking away as pink starts to rise up into his cheeks. Hinata is then surprised as Kageyama leans down himself, to place his own kiss against his lips, before moving away and walking back towards the gym.
“Practice is probably about to be over, we should head back,” he calls to the boy behind him, and Hinata gathers his bearings (as much as he can) before he trails a few steps behind the other, all the way to the gym.