Work Text:
Brazil, Rio de Janeiro
Saturday, October 8th
6:33 am
D-1.
Hinata’s eyes etch open as the beaming rays of sun come flooding in his room via the large window nearly covering the whole surface of the right wall of their bedroom.
Hinata grunts and sits up in bed, holding the blanket to his chest to protect his bare torso from the cool air. Damn AC had been blasting all night.
His eyes wandered over to the window where the sun rays were already abusing his retinas so early in the morning. He huffed at the realisation he completely forgot to close his blinds before heading to sleep.
A small tinge of panic settled in his gut.
His head immediately snapped down, and relief filled him almost instantly.
Kageyama was still sleeping soundly. Hinata smiled.
Today was the second day of their vacation. They had arrived in Brazil two days ago and Hinata had luckily gotten past his jet lag and finally readjusted to the Brazilian time.
Kageyama, not quite. He wasn’t used to travelling as much as Hinata. Besides, he was always the one who liked sleeping in more out of both of them. Nevertheless, Hinata made a mental note to brag about his well adjusted sleep schedule when Kageyama woke up. Whenever that would be.
Hinata inspected Kageyama’s sleeping face a while longer. The sunshine on his face only seemed to illuminate his features without bothering his precious rest.
Kageyama looked so damn good. He looks that good all the time, obviously. But Hinata especially loves him like this. Basking in the warm morning glow. A peaceful expression on his face. His stupid hair that manages to look perfect even after a full night of being smushed against the pillow. Hinata carefully brought his hand down and allowed the tips of his fingers to tenderly trace Kageyama’s face.
As tempted as Hinata was to just stay snuggled up to his boyfriend and watch him sleep, he had duties to attend to (Not to mention it would definitely get him called creepy by Kageyama if he actually did go through with it). Notably, one of his most important duties in their everyday routine was making breakfast.
It had always been that way since they lived together. The designated cook for lunch always varied. It depended on who had inspiration, who was busy, who had lost one of their competitions… But for breakfast and dinner, it had always been the same. Hinata cooks breakfast. Kageyama cooks dinner.
Hinata grabbed a discarded shirt that lingered on the floor and threw it on. He exited the bedroom as quietly as possible to not wake Kageyama up before padding over to the kitchen. A yawn emerged from his throat as he slid his hand into his shirt to mindlessly scratch his chest just below his right pec.
Once he had reached the living room, Hinata paused. He gently tilted his head from side to side, only switching sides once he heard a pop. His eyelids fell closed and his head gently tilted back.
He took in a long, deep inhale through his nose. Breathing in the warm familiar air of a Brazilian morning. The smell of fresh fruit vegetables sitting on the kitchen counter. The humid and salty zephyr flowing in from a nearby beach through the open window of the apartment.
Only this time, a subtle tinge of Kageyama’s scent came to meddle with all these smells.
Hinata welcomed that change with open arms.
His black bag sat idly, leaned up against the wall. Inside, completely unbeknownst to the still sleeping Kageyama, was stored a small black box.
Tomorrow, on Flamengo Beach, Hinata would get down on one knee. He’d pull that black box out and would open it to reveal the ring that would bind them together. Forever. He’d rehearsed it in his head, over and over.
All that was left was the execution.
Sunday couldn’t come any sooner.
***
Kageyama grumbled something under his breath as he finally managed to wrench his body out of the comfort of the bed that had so kindly supported his jet-lag-stricken body for who knows how many hours.
Truth be told, he had planned to go back to sleep. But once he had patted the space on the mattress next to him and noticed a clear lack of Hinata, he knew all hope for any more sleep was lost. He wasn’t about to let Hinata get a head start in the day.
As he stumbled out of the bedroom, his attention was immediately intercepted by the sound of sizzling filling the apartment, followed shortly by the sound of Hinata humming, and then by the smell of bread that wafted from the kitchen.
His interest piqued, he continued onwards. Soon enough, a figure appeared in his groggy vision, highlighted by the bright orange at the top. He hummed, comforted by the familiar setting.
The distance was quickly closed, and strong arms circled Hinata’s chest. Kageyama didn’t bother with a greeting, opting for simply nuzzling his face into the crook of his partner’s neck instead.
A small flinch followed by a scoff emerged from Hinata. Hinata reached his hand up to gently scratch Kageyama’s scalp.
“Mornin’ Sleepy-yama, slept well?” He hummed, hands going back to working delicately and carefully to cut open an orange.
Kageyama shrugged. “Could have slept more.”
A smirk curled on Hinata’s lips.
“Ah? Is Mister Kageyama still jet lagged? Jetlag-yama can’t adapt to a simple time chaAAOW!-” A sharp pinch to Hinata’s hip swiftly interrupted him.
“What the hell! I’m holding a knife, jerk!” He yipped while glaring over his shoulder.
“’s too early for you to be a smartass.”
Hinata grumbled to himself and continued cutting.
Kageyama admired him in silence for a few beats before letting his eyes trail to the oven where he noticed a tray resting on the top grill. Small balls of dough spread unevenly, their surfaces tiptoeing the line of golden brown.
“What’s that?”
“Pão de queijo!” Hinata shoots back enthusiastically. Kageyama’s eyebrows twitch upon hearing Hinata’s Portuguese, and how cool it sounded. A bit of competitiveness rushed through him, of course. But most of all, it always amazes him just how fluent Hinata sounds. Well, to him anyway. Not that he would be able to tell a bad Portuguese accent from a good one.
Anyway. That didn’t exactly answer his question. All he recognised was a word that bore a striking resemblance to ‘di’ in Italian—meaning ‘of’. So, yeah, he wasn’t getting very far.
Hinata chuckled, sensing Kageyama’s confusion.
“It’s kinda like… little bread buns! But you put cheese in as well before baking it!”
Kageyama raised a reluctant eyebrow.
Hinata tsked. “Would it kill you to try new cuisines?”
“I have a strict diet.” Kageyama hummed.
Hinata scoffed. “Alright, athlete-yama.” He teased. “Surely you can fit bread and cheese in that strict diet of yours. Set the table, will you?”
Kageyama rolled his eyes but acquiesced with a fleeting kiss to Hinata’s cheek.
Right as Kageyama finished aligning the necessary utensils on the wooden oval table, a loud melody emitted from Hinata’s phone.
“Ah! They’re ready!” Hinata exclaimed as he rushed to wipe his hands clean of whatever fruit juice had gotten on them. Scrambling to turn the sound off.
Kageyama, noticing Hinata’s fumbling, quickly walked over to the oven to spare him the struggle. But before he knew it, he was being pushed aside by Hinata.
“I’ll get it! You crazy? What if your precious setter hands get injured? Hm?” Hinata scolded, slapping Kageyama’s hands away from the oven.
Kageyama pouted. “I’m not a child. I can take food out of an oven without burning myself.”
“Ah! Can you prepare the shakes please?” Hinata ignored Kageyama’s complaints. “I bought the usual.”
Kageyama glanced over to the right end of the counter and took note of two white plastic bags. Idle excepted for the occasional rustling whenever the small standing fan in their kitchen would rotate to face the bags.
Kageyama set his mind to the task, he knew it was no use trying to argue with Hinata anyway. Especially not in front of a burning hot oven. He walked towards the plastic bags, his hand tracing a straight line across Hinata’s lumber region as he did, drawing a small shiver from his partner.
His hands gripped the edge of the marble counter as he leaned over to inspect the containments of the bags: the first one, a few mangoes and a small melon—for Hinata. The second, blueberries and two bananas—for Kageyama. The protein powder was already sitting by the plastic bags, waiting to be used.
Kageyama felt something fond simmer deep down. Having someone that knew him so well, even memorising small details like what fruits he put in his shake. It wasn’t something that Kageyama took for granted.
Having someone so devoted and willing to accommodate his strict routine, his preferences…
It was touching.
And deep down, Kageyama couldn’t help but feel a little smug knowing that mindset had been, in part, a direct result of his own influence.
Kageyama tended to his chore, starting with Hinata’s shake. He kept a very watchful eye on Hinata, who had slipped on some sun patterned oven mitts and was currently sliding the tray out of its confines. The smell of freshly baked bread suddenly filled his nostrils, nearly making his mouth water.
Hinata pouted. Speaking of Kageyama’s influence on him.
“Ehh.. They’re way flatter than what I wanted them to be.” Hinata grumbled defeatedly.
He perked up immediately, bouncing on his toes.
“I’ll make them a hundred times better next time!” He declared, hope filling his eyes.
“Uh huh. Put the tray down first, dumbass. Or else they’re gonna drop on the floor.” Kageyama called out, briefly lifting his finger off of the mixing button to stop the loud whirring sounds.
Hinata glared over at him before shrugging and placing them down.
“..They’re already flat enough as is.” Kageyama added, unable to resist. Hinata’s head snapped up, renewed frustration in his eyes.
“Oi!”
Kageyama couldn’t help it anymore, he broke into a grin and hid his face into his shoulder to muffle a chuckle. The sight alone was enough to muffle Hinata's annoyance, too. Always helpless against Kageyama’s smile and laughter. Hinata smiled back. Warmth bloomed under his cheeks.
***
“So?” Hinata finally spoke up, lips pressed against the rim of his tumbler.
Kageyama paused his chewing.
“So what?”
Hinata rolled his eyes.
“The Pão de queijo! How is it?”
Kageyama hummed and quickly finished chewing.
“Good.” Kageyama nodded.
Hinata deadpanned.
“Just good? Not even great? Not excellent?” Hinata raised an eyebrow to fake offense. That kind of stuff might work for regular couples. Unfortunately, Hinata and Kageyama do not form a regular couple.
“Good.” Kageyama reaffirmed coldly before taking another sip of his shake. Hinata stuck his tongue out at him before stabbing a piece of leftover fruit on his plate.
Hinata quickly changed the subject to whatever was on his mind. Errands they needed to run today. Friends he wanted to meet up with while they were staying in Brazil. He boasted about how much he talked about Kageyama to them, and how he was so excited to have them meet. He assured him he would handle all translations, poking fun at Kageyama’s crappy English (and non-existent Portuguese) skills, earning himself an under the table shin kick.
Kageyama stayed mostly quiet, offering hums, glares and nods only when necessary. For all the world, he seemed completely uninterested. However, Hinata’s morning rambles had become an essential part of Kageyama’s day. A pleasant buzz in his ears that he found himself missing to no end when he was away.
Hinata’s signature satiated sigh signalled the end of breakfast. Kageyama wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood up. He quickly worked on gathering the dirty dishes scattered across the table.
Hinata immediately jumped up, offended.
“Stoppp!—” Hinata complained, trying to grab as many dirty dishes as he could while simultaneously trying to push Kageyama away.
“Dumbass, you cooked! Just let me handle the dishes!”
“Nooo!—” Hinata protested with a childish whine. “You always do them. Just go lay down and look pretty for once!”
Kageyama rolled his eyes and kissed his teeth. After a brief silence, Kageyama finally huffed and spoke.
“…How about you dry them for me?”
Hinata glanced over.
“I’m still washing them. But you can help me.”
Hinata’s eyes lit up with sparkles. A compromise.
“Oh! Yeah! Totally! Hand em to me and I’ll take care of it! You better keep up, Yama!”
“Settle down. If you break something, that's a win on my tally.”
Hinata pouted, reminiscing on the time Kageyama added a win on his tally after Hinata knocked over a glass.
Right after sweeping up the mess and patching up the cut caused by a flying shard. Of course.
So they both went onto the washing. None of them wanted to acknowledge the way their paces sped up near the end in a desperate attempt to catch the other off guard. It just resulted in them getting the dishes done quicker.
After they were done, Hinata caught himself staring at Kageyama lovingly as he carefully dried his hands with a hand towel. He admired the way he handled it with precise care, drying between each individual finger, rotating the towel around his wrists and upper forearms in careful passes. Hinata had formed a religion dedicated to Kageyama’s hands and had declared himself the highest priest of it. So he was always glad to see Kageyama giving them the attention they deserved.
Hinata closed in on Kageyama right as he placed the hand towel back on it’s rack to capture his lips with his own. Receptive as always, Kageyama quickly reciprocated; placing a hand on the small of his back while Hinata wrapped his arms around his shoulders. Standing on the tips of his toes. A grin spread across his lips, Hinata completely unable to contain his excitement. They’d been together for longer than he could count now, but kissing Kageyama was truly something he could never get enough of. It still gave him the same butterflies he would get as a clumsy seventeen year old. He had a feeling it would never change.
The kiss was firm without crossing the line of heated. When they both pulled away for air, Hinata remained close for a beat longer, nuzzling their noses together with his eyes tightly shut and a dimpled smile.
Kageyama’s eyes fluttered open to the memorable sight. Hinata’s smile. His freckles scattered across his face like constellations in the sky. Subtle white scars in various places recounting his recklessness. Brown eyelashes resting on his blushing cheeks.
Kageyama had never been a firm believer of any religion. But, if reincarnation were to exist, he must have done something really really great in a past life to have Hinata in this life.
“Race you to the shower!” Hinata interrupted his thoughts with a yelp as he took off sprinting.
Kageyama froze for a brief instant after such an abrupt stoppage. Then, his instincts kicked back in.
“You!— Oi!— DUMBASS!—” Kageyama yelled as he took off running after him.
***
The city life buzzed around the couple as they strolled down the street.
“We’re lost, aren’t we?” Kageyama sighed.
Hinata flinched in offense.
“Like hell we are! I— I recognise this place! Just haven’t been here in a while! It can’t be far!”
They were supposed to meet Nice and Heitor for lunch in a restaurant they would sometimes frequent after matches. Hinata had laughed in Kageyama’s face when he suggested using a GPS. He’d lived here for years! He knew the city like the back of his hand!
Now, he was in a bit of predicament. He sure as hell wasn’t about to admit Kageyama was right anytime soon. He had however severely overestimated his orientation skills and now found himself cursing just how many streets there are in Rio de Janeiro. He’s pretty sure they’ve passed the same souvenir store three times now, and still no restaurant in sight!
“Ready to admit defeat yet?” Kageyama asked with a hint of smugness in his tone after five more minutes of aimless walking.
“Nuh uh! It’s around here somewhere, I know it! I’m sure of it!”
“Uh huh. Well you just—”
Kageyama felt a tug on his arm as he took another step. He looked back to see Hinata frozen in place. His eyes wide as he stared at the facade of a bar they were passing by.
Kageyama narrowed his eyes and stopped at his turn.
“What? Is this it?” Kageyama inquired, eyes flicking back and forth between his boyfriend and the bar.
“…No.” Hinata breathed out, turning to face the bar completely.
Kageyama frowned in incomprehension.
“So what—”
“That TV!” Hinata gasped, suddenly pointing at a flat screen above the serving counter.
Kageyama looked up. The TV in question was running some commercial about charcoal toothpaste.
“..What? Do you want me to buy you a new toothpaste?” Kageyama was growing more lost by the second.
Hinata was briefly snapped out of his shock by Kageyama’s quite frankly hilarious confusion. He shook his head with a laugh and pointed at the TV again.
“That TV, I.. That’s the one! When- When you were at the Olympics in Rio I-.. I was on my bike and..” Hinata had to catch his breath, the whiplash of that memory was that intense. “I was working. And I- I saw you! On the TV!”
Kageyama raised his eyebrows.
“You’d scored an ace!.. I was just.. I remember watching you and I felt- so-” Hinata paused, trying to find his words. “So excited, and- and so envious! I was so proud of you, but I just wanted to jump into the screen and join you!-”
“…But you weren’t ready.” Kageyama finished Hinata’s sentence.
Hinata looked over.
“Right.” A slow nod. Not a bitter one. Just a firm agreement.
“I was super worried at first. I thought it would gnaw at me for days, seeing you there.” Hinata explained. “…But when I got to the beach that day, I felt like I was jumping twice as high.. Like I was way more receptive.. And my spikes were all ‘wuh-bam’!” He said, agitating his hands wildly. Kageyama simply nodded along.
At that point in time, Kageyama did seem out of his reach. But it didn’t deter him, no. That’s not how they worked. It gave him strength, it gave him power. It made him want to catch up as soon as possible while also navigating his health and his body’s abilities with carefulness. Just like he had taught him.
Kageyama couldn’t tear his eyes away from Hinata. He felt a lump in his throat. When he was playing on the national team at the Olympics, his mind was clouded with practice, matches, press events… He hadn’t really stopped and considered Hinata’s perspective in all this. He knew Hinata continuously supported him from afar, always. But he hadn’t considered that having the gap in their competences laid out right in front of him could have been a strong blow for Hinata.
Turns out, he’d been right not to worry. Like hell Hinata would let something like that get him down. When has seeing someone thriving ever impacted him negatively? He hadn’t gotten this far in his journey, made it all the way to Brazil with a once in a lifetime opportunity by moping about people that were in better positions than him. He’d learned not to be tied down by his weaknesses a very long time ago. To have Kageyama there turned out to be one of his greatest blessings. An encouraging taunt that said ‘I’m here now. You better catch up’.
Kageyama swallowed thickly. And catch up he did. It had been somewhere around two years now since Hinata’s Olympic debut. Kageyama could remember vividly the way his fingertips singed during the warm-ups before their first match. The way his heart pounded, pumping adrenaline straight into his blood. The way as soon as they stepped onto the court, they synchronized like it was a practiced dance. Like they’d been playing volleyball since the moment they learned how to breathe.
Kageyama slings his arm around Hinata and tugs him closer. Hinata glances up and smiled at Kageyama, that bright smile that always made Kageyama feel fuzzy. Kageyama responded with a kiss to the crown of his hair.
“I’m really proud of you, Sho.” Kageyama spoke softly. “Getting to play with you again… It was one of the best days of my life.”
Hinata could almost feel his eyes water, but he kept it in to not ruin this perfect moment.
“Well, what’s the best day of your life then?”
“Our reunion match, obviously. When we played against each other, when you came back from Brazil.”
Hinata grinned. “The one where you lost?”
“Yeah. The one where I lost.”
Hinata’s eyes widened, his lips parted in surprise at such an honest, fond confession. Kageyama could read Hinata’s expression and kissed his teeth in response.
“Don’t make me say it again.” He grumbled, giving Hinata a light shove. Hinata giggled, his cheeks having turned a rosy pink.
“…You called me Sho just now.” Hinata said smugly. Kageyama frowned.
“I always do.”
“Nuh uh! You only call me Sho when you’re all Sappy-yama!”
Kageyama pouted and straightened his posture like he was embarrassed at how Hinata knew him even better than he did himself.
“What- I don’t! What the hell does that even mean?!”
“You totally dooo!” Hinata sang before quickly ducking to dodge an incoming hair grab from Kageyama.
Kageyama gritted his teeth but quickly backed down as he noticed they were getting stares from people passing by.
“So, the restaurant, where is it?”
Hinata froze in place, Kageyama could see the gears turning.
“Crap! We’re late!” Hinata scrambled to find his phone and open his GPS.
Kageyama smiled smugly. “I win.” He declared. Hinata swore under his breath, then took off speed walking towards the indicated location.
Kageyama shot one last glance at that TV before following Hinata.
***
“Uwaaah, I’m so tiiireed!” Hinata declared loudly as he walked into the apartment. The sun had set. The oven door blinked 19:10 in bright red.
Heavy breaths followed Hinata’s entrance. Kageyama stumbled in and dropped the heavy grocery bags on the floor. Living on the fifth floor in a building with no elevator definitely had it’s pros and cons.
A groan of exhaustion left Kageyama which made Hinata snap his head towards him. His eyes narrowed and he read the complaint right in Kageyama’s eyes.
“Oi. May I remind you you’re the one who asked to carry the bags?” Truth be told, Hinata had offered to lighten the load. Grave mistake. Kageyama had seen it as a challenge and therefore decided he would rather die than admit he needed Hinata’s help for anything that required physical strength.
“I didn’t even say anything!”
“Didn’t have to, dummy. Can see it on your face.”
An eyeroll. “That’s one win for me, by the way. All losses for you today, huh?” Kageyama provoked with a smug grin.
Hinata perked up and placed his hands on his hips.
“Uh, excuse me?! I beat you to the shower this morning, remember?”
“You had a head start!”
“Mimimimi-” He mocked. “Not my fault your reaction time isn’t fast enough.” Hinata sang playfully as he leaned down, grabbing the first item out of one of the four grocery bags.
Kageyama watches him with furrowed eyebrows. His irritation left him as quickly as it came. He stared out the glass panes and admired the moon already overlooking Rio de Janeiro.
“It’s so late already.”
Hinata hummed in agreement as he pulled the fridge door open with his foot to begin putting away the groceries.
“Yeah. I told you Heitor would find a way to keep us there for hours. Maybe it’s a Brazilian thing? Or maybe just a them thing.”
Strong hands came up from behind Hinata, finding a home on his waist.
“Yama-”
A sigh replaced the end of his sentence as Kageyama latched his lips onto the side of his neck, right on his pulse point.
Hinata’s hands slowly released the bag in front of him, opting to grasp the edge of the marble counter instead. His head fell backwards, strands of his orange hair tickled Kageyama’s cheek.
“Yama..” He repeated, breathless.
Kageyama responded by pressing his body to his, back to chest. His kisses trailed further down, the length of his neck right down to his trapezius.
A giggle slipped. “Is this your strategy to get out of putting the groceries away?” Hinata accused from over his shoulder.
“No.” Kageyama shot back defensively.
“Cause it’s working.”
Kageyama hid a small smile in the crook of Hinata’s neck. Hinata smiled brightly in return, his heart skipping a beat. Making Kageyama crack a smile or a laugh would always be the ultimate form of approval to Hinata. Joy fit the intimidating King of the Court like a glove.
Hinata turned on his feet to face Kageyama. They shared a long, incredibly intimate eye contact before Hinata moved in.
Hinata hooked his arms around Kageyama, tugging him down just enough to crash their lips together. Kageyama grunted into it. Though, he pulled Hinata onto his tiptoes to avoid a strain on his back.
Hinata practically quivered from excitement as their lips moved together. It started sweet, but quickly escalated as both of them fought for dominance in the kiss. Like in everything.
The kiss grew messy. Teeth and tongues clashing like waves crashing onto a shore—repeatedly, coming back stronger each time with no recovery time.
Hinata is finally forced to pull away after sacrificing all the air in his lungs to continue kissing his drop-dead gorgeous boyfriend. Though he does so with a cheeky grin, because of Kageyama’s face.
It’s been maybe half a second since they separated and already, Kageyama looks like Hinata has been denying him kisses for a year straight. He pouts, his half lidded eyes flutter and his eyebrows furrow. He tries to go back in almost immediately but Hinata nudges his head back just out of reach, earning a ‘Tsk’ from his partner. Hinata giggled, revelling in the control he held.
Hinata throws one look over his shoulder at the half emptied grocery bag.
“I think you’re right. It can wait.”
Kageyama’s eyebrows lift in surprise. His lips part in anticipation. Hinata chuckles again. Seriously, how could he not be powerless? The gods blessed him with a boyfriend like Kageyama, what was he supposed to do? Not want him in every way possible?
He pecked the corner of Kageyama’s mouth before stepping away. His hands slid down from Kageyama’s shoulders down to his hands. Grasping them to guide him towards the couch.
Hinata waited until the back of his calves hit the couch to quickly flip them around and push Kageyama onto the cushions. He could barely process what was happening before Hinata was prowling up his body in a way that made Kageyama curse under his breath.
Hinata straddled Kageyama, his thighs pressed into both sides of his hips, practically in a deadlock. He thumbs at Kageyama’s kiss swollen bottom lip, earning a shaky sigh from the younger.
“Let me..” Kageyama breathes. “Let me make you feel good.”
Hinata’s breath catches briefly.
Powerless, absolutely powerless.
Hinata tilts his head to the side, observing Kageyama carefully before smirking.
“If you can.”
The night ended with breathy moans. Whispered confessions in the dimly lit living room. Hinata would throw out orders here and there: more of this, less of that (though it was usually the former), and Kageyama would oblige every single request like an obedient soldier with his only objective in mind to please Hinata as much as humanly possible.
And when Hinata reached his peak, with Kageyama peppering kisses to his jaw and holding him like he was the most precious thing in the world… It suddenly dawned on him that tomorrow, at this time, they’d be fiancés. That this was the last night he spent with Kageyama as just ‘boyfriends’. That soon, Kageyama would be utterly his. Even more his than he was before, if that was even possible.
With that, Hinata closed his eyes, trapping some tears that were building up there and smiled from ear to ear.
***
The sun ascended over the horizon and into the sky once more, promising, propitious.
D-0.
Kageyama was still sprawled across the mattress. Chest rising and falling rhythmically, littered with a handful of moles. The sound of snoring followed. Kageyama had sworn by sweatpants for sleeping attire in any situation, but he had been practically dragged to a local clothing store by Hinata on their first day of vacation to buy more shorts. He’d put on a pair of dark gray cotton shorts to sleep, the one he’d found the most breathable. They had also bought more tank tops–like the loose fitting black one he had on right now. Hinata’s suggestion. Made Kageyama’s shoulders pop out more, allegedly.
Hinata was getting a complete eyeful of his sleeping boyfriend. Actually, he had been for.. maybe around ten minutes. He’d stopped counting.
His gaze was perhaps a bit less tender than the one he held yesterday, but it wasn’t countered by anything negative.
Just anticipation. Burning, blazing anticipation.
Okay, maybe he was a bit nervous too.
Could you blame him?! In around ten hours from now, he’d be proposing to Kageyama Tobio. His first, only and ultimate love. The best setter in all of Japan! (Okay, perhaps he was biased. But the stats didn’t disagree with him either.) His rival, his partner. The first to ever see the potential in him and who took it upon himself to exploit it.
The one who, in their first year, had gone against his own better judgement and had practiced endlessly to learn an entire new set, deciding to trust in Hinata in his journey towards being able to fight in the air on his own accord. The one that was able to comfort him after he collapsed on that volleyball court with only three words.
The one he’d text almost everyday in Brazil, whether it was a funny video, a progress update or a tally update. The one he’d stood next to at his first ever Olympics. Wearing the number ‘10’ jersey with pride, while Kageyama wore his ‘9’.
The one his late grandfather had promised Hinata to.
His soulmate.
Hinata took in a long, deep breath to ease his nerves. The moment was still far away. He needed to focus on every event leading up to that first. Just like in volleyball, one rally at a time. Don’t focus on anything other than getting the next point.
Hinata leaned down and placed a small peck on the tip of his boyfriend’s nose, earning a small face crunch in response that made him giggle. To Hinata’s surprise, the face crunch was followed by Kageyama’s eyes etching open. He almost immediately felt regret, feeling awful about disturbing such a peaceful sleep, but Kageyama quickly reassured him by wrapping an arm around Hinata and pulling him back down.
Hinata giggled.
“Looks like you finally caught up to the Brazil time, huh?”
“You woke me.” Kageyama croaked. The sleep voice was music to Hinata’s ears.
“You sleep like a log! No way a nose kiss would have woken you up, you were just already on the verge of waking up.”
Kageyama groaned, too groggy to try and counter that argument.
Hinata giggled, taking the small win happily as he pressed his lips to Kageyama’s—morning breath be damned.
The kiss was slow and sensual. Hinata practically held his breath, irrationally fearing that the slightest fidget out of the ordinary would spoil his proposal plans.
Kageyama took advantage of the kiss to pull Hinata further down. Hinata offered no protest, lowering himself to his elbows without discussion. His hands wrapped around Hinata’s thighs, caressing up and down in smooth motions. The tips of his finger dipped past the fabric of Hinata’s shorts on every stroke up, earning a shiver from him.
“Sore?”
Hinata shrugged, hesitated and finally shook his head confidently. Kageyama blinked at him, a mix of doubt and surprise in his eyes.
“What?” Hinata snorted. “You not as good in bed as you thought? Mighty-yama thought he could make me sore?” Hinata teased while poking at his cheeks.
Kageyama glared at him, gritting his teeth.
“I went easy on you.” Kageyama grumbled, a lie.
One that Hinata saw right through. “Yeah right, since when have you ever done that?”
Once again, Kageyama really couldn’t counter that. Instead, he sat up, sliding Hinata further up his thighs. Hinata swooned and hooked his arms around Kageyama’s shoulders in response.
Kageyama scooted himself forward to the edge of the bed before swooping his arms around Hinata’s legs, his other arm supporting his back. He grunted as he stood up (even for an athlete like himself, 70.1kg of weight still required some effort) and proceeded to princess carry Hinata off to the bathroom.
Hinata giggled, his arms still wrapped around Hinata’s neck to help him.
“Oooh~ Carrying me like a princess, Yama?” Hinata cooed, kicking his feet. “Gee, you’re such a gentleman! I mean, I am perfectly fine, but I do agree this is the kind of treatment I desAAAH!-” Hinata was cut off abruptly by Kageyama briefly loosening his grip to make it seem like he was going to drop him before quickly catching him again. Hinata snapped his head towards Kageyama, looking utterly offended.
“KAGEYAMA!” He scolded, swinging his leg excessively hard to deliver a kick to his hip. “Not funny, you scared me!” Hinata whined.
Kageyama snorted, a smug smirk grew on his face. “I know. Totally got you though, you screamed so loud.”
Hinata stuck his tongue out childishly as the pair disappeared into the bathroom.
***
“Up, up, up!” Hinata shouted from the sandy floor.
“Alright!” Kageyama responded, hands already snapping into position.
Hinata immediately got up on his feet in record time. It’s one of the things he had struggled with the most when he started beach volleyball. Sand was unforgiving, giving you absolutely no steady surface to push onto, even for actions as simple as running, standing up or jumping.
After another pleasant morning spent in their apartment, the couple had decided to go out into the city once again. For lunch, Hinata took Kageyama out to his favorite restaurant (this time, armed with a GPS). Kageyama was very pleased with the food, and significantly less pleased when he learned that this was also the same restaurant Oikawa ate at during his time in Brazil. The scowl on his boyfriend’s face gave him such strong déjà vu he had to pat his pocket to make sure his wallet was still right where it needed to be.
Then came the sightseeing. They hadn’t exactly planned for it. The restaurant was the first domino. After that, ideas kept popping up in his head about which place he wanted to see again next. Every place was associated to a certain memory and invoked a deep sense of nostalgia in Hinata. Kageyama listened and nodded along to every story politely. With the way Hinata spoke so confidently, with a big grin and exaggerated gestures, it seemed as though this city had treated his boyfriend with kindness, and he was very thankful for that.
From the famous must-see sights to the gym he frequented down to the street corner he once crashed into with his bike and scraped his knee right open, Kageyama saw absolutely everything.
This trip down memory-lane lead them right to Flamengo beach. As soon as the two of them spotted a group of friends playing beach volleyball, they activated like sleeper agents.
Okay, Hinata hadn’t planned to come to the beach this early. Not until, well, the big moment. But knowing them, he had anticipated their activities would be interrupted by volleyball at least once. Probably more.
The freak duo had observed the game from afar until Hinata had made up his mind and marched up to the longest standing pair out of the whole friend group. Hinata had excitedly challenged them to a match, or so Kageyama guessed. He made out the words ‘I’m Shoyo, he’s Tobio’ and ‘volleyball’. The tallest of the pair had sized Hinata up. He shot one glance at his partner before shrugging and nodding. When Hinata bounced away, he watched that same guy turn to his partner. His hand hovered in front of his own chest, palm down—mimicking the same height Hinata stood at just seconds ago—and his eyes blown wide with disbelief. His partner just shrugged in response.
Kageyama concealed a smile.
That’s how they ended up in this match. They were currently leading the two men (whose names turned out to be Rafael, the taller, and Lucas, the shorter) by a whopping 20-14.
Set point: Kageyama and Hinata.
Hinata came head to head with Rafael, who had his arms already out, anticipating a block. But a blink, and Hinata was gone. Sprinting to the other side of the sand court.
Just as Rafael processed the information and stomped his foot down to run after him, Hinata leapt into the air.
Whoosh.
Up there waiting for him was a pin point accurate set arriving right in the palm of his hand, cutting through the air just as fast as Hinata. Catching right up to him, offering him a free swing. Hinata smiled wildly.
Smack!
Hinata’s eyes locked onto the corner limited by the white markings, his arm swung like a whip and the ball dug itself into the sand before Lucas could even think about trying to receive that.
Point to Kageyama and Hinata. Set 1 won.
Kageyama pumped his fist with a quiet celebration. Hinata, on the other hand, didn’t bother keeping his enthusiasm in, he pointed at Kageyama as soon as he landed. His eyes wide and big grin on his face.
“Giving such precise sets even on vacation? You show off, you!” Hinata giggled while delivering playful punches to Kageyama’s chest.
Kageyama tsked and looked down at him with a smug smile. “Obviously. My sets are always perfect.”
Hinata bit his lower lip and ruffled the top of his head, forcing Kageyama to readjust his cap.
“Yeah right! That one set at the beginning was way too close to the net!” Hinata teased.
“Doesn’t count. We were on the bad side.”
“Uh huh… Hey! Wait! Since when do you know about that?!”
“Nossa! Vocês são rápidos!”
Lucas’s voice interrupted their victory bickering. Hinata turned to the voice with a flattered smile. Kageyama just blankly stared until Hinata mumbled a translation to him. He leaned in for a bow before pulling back and settling with a head nod instead.
“Especialmente você, baixinho! Como um ninja!”
Kageyama perked up this time, being able to make out the word ‘ninja’ and figuring the rest out. He would never get over that. The overwhelming pride he felt when his boyfriend would shatter past people’s low expectations of him time and time again. And in those instances where he was able to make Hinata shine just the way he deserved to with his sets, those were truly precious to him.
***
The couple walked along the sea shore, beach shoes in hand. Their shoulders bumped into each other every now and then. They had begged off the drinks offered by the two friends they’d played against (and won against, 2-0). Not only did neither of them drink, but Hinata figured a proposal was an undeniably good reason to want to stay clear minded.
Speaking of which, the moment was now dangerously approaching.
Well, technically speaking, he wasn’t constricted by any time limit. He had the ring, he could pull it out whenever he felt like it. However, when he envisioned the proposal, he imagined getting down on one knee, looking up at Kageyama as a warm orange glow cast over his face. The thought of matching up the moment where they would get engaged with the moment that the sun set was deeply comforting. And if anything, it saved him the stress of overthinking about what ‘the right time’ would be, which would probably lead him to never doing it.
His small crossbody waisted bag rested on his hip, facing away from Kageyama. He tried his best to focus on his breathing, as he could feel his heart rate already picking up. The butterflies in his stomach had practically been promoted to birds at this point. He rehearsed his speech in his head repeatedly while silently praying to the gods that he wouldn’t stutter or stumble over his words.
Kageyama, for his part, seemed completely fine. Which was expected of him. He walked alongside Hinata while taking big gulps out of a plastic water bottle. His forehead is still damp with sweat, some strands sticking to it. He’d read somewhere that you were supposed to take your partner out to some fancy place before proposing so they would look their best, but he immediately knew that wouldn’t work for them. First of all, because if Hinata told Kageyama to look his best, he’d just look down at himself with that adorably stumped expression and say ‘What’s wrong with how I look?’. Second of all, because Kageyama always looked his best. It was actually terribly frustrating.
Hinata was snapped out of his daze by the bottle of water suddenly nudging his arm. He looked up to see Kageyama looking at him with an expectant look. It was less of a request (‘Thirsty?’) and more of an order (‘Drink this.’). One that Hinata followed with no question. He offered him a warm smile and grabbed the bottle from him. He whispered a ‘thank you’, pecked his jaw and took another large gulp.
Kageyama watched him carefully. His eyes narrowed.
He pulled his mouth off the bottle opening with a dramatic refreshed sigh. He wiped his mouth off with his forearm and passed the bottle back.
“Mannn! That match sure got me pumped!” Hinata cheered. “I really did miss playing beach!”
Kageyama hummed before nodding in agreement. He pressed his palms and fingers together, stretching out his hands.
“Mmh. I was getting all fidgety, not being able to play.”
Hinata glanced over and watched Kageyama wiggle his fingers. He thought about teasing him about the strange gesture, but he wasn’t sure he could muster it up in his current state. Instead, he simply giggled and nodded.
And that’s precisely what set Kageyama off. His eyebrows furrowed.
“You alright, Sho?” He said with a nudge and a concerned tone.
Hinata snapped up straight. Crap. Act more natural, Shoyo! He’s gonna catch on!
Hinata immediately smiled and nudged him back. “Yeah! Better than ever!”
Kageyama blinked at him before nodding.
They continued walking together for a few more minutes, leaving a long trail of footsteps in the sand behind them. Not a word was exchanged. The silence wasn’t awkward, it never was with them. Just them, together. Their hands clasped together as they came down from the adrenaline of that match.
Hinata’s gaze shifted towards the sky. The surface of the water had become tangent to the sun in the sky.
Okay. Breathe. Soon.
In those minutes that led up to that sacred moment, his life with Kageyama flashed before his eyes, in a way. He recalled their first meeting as rivals. Their first meeting as teammates. The day he came to terms with his crush on Kageyama. The study nights that turned into volleyball practices. The sleepovers. The time they’d spent together outside of class. The time’d they spent together late into the night at the Karasuno gym, when everyone was gone. The confession that had happened in the same exact gym, on their graduation day. Their first kiss. Their first time. Their first match after Hinata came back from Brazil. Their first Olympics together. Their first time living together.
Their first love. Their first everything.
Hinata took in a deep breath. He had never been so sure about anything else in his life.
Other than maybe volleyball.
But Kageyama was his volleyball.
“Holy shit.” Kageyama breathed, looking at the sky. “Sho, look.”
The couple came to a halt abruptly as Kageyama’s attention was stolen by the absolute gorgeous sky. The sun was now actively setting, filling the sky with gorgeous orange and blue hues.
“It’s beautiful.” Hinata mumbled in disbelief.
They both stood in shock, not even having realised that they’d dropped each other’s hands. Their breaths taken, all they could do was admire this scenery taken straight out of a fauvist painting.
Hinata glanced over at Kageyama for confirmation.
Still distracted.
Now or never.
Hinata looked back in front of him and took deep breaths in. He counted them in his head. One. Two. Three.
As quietly and as subtly as possible, his hand slipped into his bag. He felt out the containments blindly until he could perfectly make out a cubic box.
Here we go.
Hinata carefully took the box out his bag. He took in one last inhale for good luck, the familiar salty smell filled his nostrils. The moment can’t get any more perfect. It’s all falling into place.
Hinata finally turned on his heels to face Kageyama—
but he does not find his lover’s eyes.
His heart drops to his chest as he sees a dark shadow at his feet. A simple look down confirms it.
Kageyama, down on one knee, in front of him. His hands reveal an open red box, with a golden engagement ring inside.
“Yama—” Hinata chokes out, now firmly gripping his own box in his fist.
“Shoyo.” Kageyama begins. What’s up with his tone? And his eyes? Oh god, is he crying?
“I love you.” He huffs. “So much it scares me. You’ve made me so much better and I— I couldn’t imagine my life without you.” Kageyama gets out all his words as fast as he can before gasping for a breath. “I want to keep what we have until the rest of our lives. I want to keep competing with you, I want to keep training with you, I want to keep living with you.. I want to keep loving you. Please let me do that.” Kageyama took a deep breath. “Please marry me.”
The well burst and Hinata sobbed.
“No!” He hiccuped.
Kageyama froze. “No?”
“No!— No, not that!” Hinata wiped his tears with his free hand. His legs were threatening to fail under him at this point. His heart was so full. This feeling was simply indescribable.
He lowers himself to the sand as carefully as possible without crumbling onto it like an idiot. Just enough to be eye level with Kageyama.
His shaky hands come in front of him, opening the box up to reveal a silver engagement ring.
“I love you more, jerk!” Hinata cried. “You marry me!”
Kageyama’s eyes blew wide open. Not even with years of practice at being able to read Hinata could he have predicted something like this.
They’d planned to propose on the exact same day, at the exact same moment.
Was there anything in the world that was more them than that?
Kageyama could not resist it anymore, he cupped Hinata’s crying face tenderly and pulled it in for a searing kiss. Hinata melted into it, the tears switching from a waterfall to a steady dripping faucet.
They pulled away only to be magnetised back together into a crushing hug. The rings rested in each other’s laps. Kageyama couldn’t hold back the tears anymore, they rolled down his face and sunk into the fabric of Hinata’s tank top.
Even when they pulled away again, they still find a way to stay stuck together. Their foreheads pressed against each other’s as they breathed each other in. It was so strange, the realisation that the both of them had shared the same experience without realising it. Hiding a ring from the other. Deciding on a right time. The stress as they walked along the beach.
They’d shared every instant of that without realising it. Like the minute hand and the hour hand of a clock. Even with no conversation between them, they still continue to move with the same purpose.
“Looks like I beat you again.” Kageyama huffed with pride, his face red with tears.
Another wave of tears crashed into Hinata, but not from sadness, far from it. He was overjoyed, and didn’t know how to handle it.
“Oh!” Hinata exclaimed as he looked down at their laps. He quickly swooped the silver ring out of his box and slipped it onto Kageyama’s finger. It fit him perfectly. Adorned that beautiful hand perfectly.
Hinata snapped his head up with a small smirk. The tears still rolled down his face, giving him a salty taste every time he spoke.
“I put the ring on you first.” Hinata whispered triumphantly. Kageyama froze up before sighing softly. He should have expected it.
“I guess we’re even.”
Hinata swallowed thickly, his smile persisting (and for the record, it wouldn’t be leaving his face until a looong time).
Kageyama carefully held Hinata’s hand and slipped the ring onto his finger. This sure wasn’t how he had planned this proposal, but he absolutely loved it nonetheless.
Hinata lifted his hand up to the sky, the sun now barely peeking over the horizon, providing some light as a final gift. Hinata observed it in awe. The engravings, the small diamonds forming a neat line at the top and at the bottom. It was absolutely stunning.
Kageyama’s hand joined Hinata’s, palm facing the sky as he admired how they looked side by side. The silver contrasted the gold perfectly. Engravings were on his too, but it was much more simple to fit the simplistic design of the ring nicely.
Hinata smiled and leaned into Kageyama’s side. He still hadn’t fully processed this moment, he wasn’t sure he ever would.
Kageyama lowered his hand and wrapped an arm around Hinata. He sniffled, chasing away the remnants of tears and pressed a firm kiss to Hinata’s temple.
“You never said yes, by the way.”
Hinata raised one eyebrow and looked up at him with an amused expression.
“Isn’t it obvious by now?”
“Still. I want to hear you say it.”
Hinata sighed defeatedly and placed a kiss to Kageyama’s cheek.
“Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Kageyama nodded. The words sounded so foreign. To hear Hinata say that, it was.. Up until today, something he could only merely dream of.
“Your turn.”
“Hah?”
“Your turn!” Hinata nudged. “I also asked, and I want your answer.”
Kageyama huffed through his nose and made eye contact with Hinata. It was as though he was staring into his soul.
“Yeah, obviously, I will.”
Hinata’s eyes threatened to fill with tears once more, but this time, he managed to keep them down.
Boy, was the journey chaotic, but it had happened.
Hinata leaned his head back against Kageyama’s shoulder.
“I had a whole speech planned, y’know?”
“That’s alright. You can tell me it later. We have plenty of time.” Kageyama gulped and exhaled shakily. “We have forever, actually.”
And as the bright, blazing sun finally dipped below the horizon, engulfed by the calm, still dark blue sea, Kageyama and Hinata rejoiced in their very first moments being engaged to their soulmate.
:D