This was it, the thrill of the court. Blood pumping through his veins, all sound disappearing as his eyes focused on the only thing he wanted to see- the other side of the net. His muscles moving, stretching, pushing him high into the air, the sweat rolling down his face as he leaped. The complete trust that formed between him and Kageyama as he closed his eyes and swung his hand down, confident in the belief that the ball would hit it no matter what. The ache of his palm after he smacked it, and the deafening clarity of the ball hitting the floor, that whack that let him know they'd made it. Hinata opened his eyes and cheered, throwing his hands up in the air as they scored another point. Of course, it was just a practice match between the divided Karasuno team, but it was a game nonetheless, and he was determined to win. His team cheered, the loudest coming from Nishinoya and Tanaka, who found it absolutely necessary to high five everyone within immediate reach. Nishinoya ran up to Hinata with a huge smile on his face, raising his hands in the air. "Nice work, Hinata!"

The orange haired boy laughed as his friend's hands slammed into his own, although he flinched when the pain came after that. For someone so small, he had a mean high five. "Thanks! Couldn't have done it without Kageyama's toss, though."

Tanaka cheered, running up to Tobio, who's face was as dark as ever. "Yeah man, high five!"

Kageyama stared at him, and sighed. He wasn't used to this whole 'team spirit' thing, but he raised his hands weakly and slapped them again Takana's, then turned back round to Hinata as the game continued. They had Tsukishima serving, and his long, but wiry arms cast the ball over the net without a problem. It was received by Sugawara, who was even more energetic now that he was actually on the court, and he sent it flying right back over.

"Chance ball!" Nishinoya yelled as he hit it up into the air.

Kageyama honed in on the ball and jumped, but instead of passing it to Asahi or Hinata, like they thought he would, he tapped it over the net with his fingers, and watched as it hit the floor undisturbed.

"No!" Yelled Diachi as he slid across the floor, his hands outstretched to hit it back up. He was too late, but he stood up and wiped his hands on his shorts, laughing. "Nice one. That's the winning point."

"Thanks." Kageyama turned round and was promptly met by the face of Hinata, smiling at him in awe. He wished he wouldn't look so damned happy all the time- it made him feel weird, almost like he was embarrassed. He was at least a head smaller than him, and his hair was such a bright orange mess that it honestly offended Kageyama, but whenever he smiled like that, his eyes so wide and bright, his face flushed from the exercise and the excitement...it pulled knots in Tobio's stomach, and he blushed. "What are you doing? Stop staring at me like that."

"That was awesome!" Hinata yelled, wrapping his arms around the setter's torso. He squeezed him, his voice going a hundred miles a minute. "I totally thought you were going to pass to me, I jumped and everything, but you didn't and it looked so cool, like you were just like 'wham', you know?"

Tobio froze as he felt Hinata hug him, that unbearable butterfly feeling in his stomach again. He hated this. Why did Hinata have to make him feel this way? Why did he have to be so cute, and so close to him? It was as if he was deliberately trying to make Kageyama go crazy. "What are you talking about? I just hit it over, it's no big deal. Get off me."

"Whoops!" Hinata said as he freed himself from Kageyama. He ran a hand through his hair, cursing at himself for getting carried away. He knew that his friend didn't like to be touched often, and he knew that it wasn't particularly normal to hug your team mates just for scoring a point, but he couldn't help himself- he was constantly fighting the desire to be close to him. Watching him act so reserved and stoic after just scoring an easy point like that, the sweat rolling down his face, and the way his dark blue eyes watched him like that...it was too much. He just wanted to be near him. "Sorry, I got carried away."

As the rest of the team began to pack the equipment away, Kageyama couldn't tear his gaze away from Hinata, or the way a slight blush was creeping up his neck. What was he embarrassed for? Did he shout at him too loudly? A slight feeling of guilt washed over him and he sighed, dismissing the matter with a wave of his hand. He noticed that Hinata's hair was even wilder than before, the sweat off his hands acting as a gel that spiked his flippy curls in in all directions. It was an absolute monstrosity, and he hated how adorable it made him look. Stupid Hinata. "What the heck happened to your hair?"

"Huh?" Hinata's hands reached up as he tried to smooth it down frantically, to no avail. His hair refused to listen to him, determined to stand up in as many directions at once as possible. He felt another hand touch his head, and looked up to see Kageyama very carefully run his fingers through the orange mess, trying to smooth it down. It felt nice, having Kageyama touch him so softly, and he didn't dare make a sound or move in case he stopped. Tobio wasn't one to touch him very often of his own accord, and considering how fleeting and rare the moment was, he didn't want to ruin it. This was about as much affection as he'd ever get off the taller boy.

"Oi! Stop playing with each other's hair and go get dressed." Daichi yelled from across the hall as he was putting the last of the equipment away. The rest of the boys were heading for the changing rooms, after having finished the day's practice games.

Kageyama froze at the sound of his voice, and retracted his hand sharply, avoiding Hinata's eyes. H hadn't meant to do that, he didn't even think about it, he just wanted to touch his hair. As offensive as it was to his eyes, it was incredibly soft in his fingers, fluffy even. When Hinata made no movement to back away, he continued, but he realised then that Hinata probably hadn't moved because he was in shock at Tobio for doing something so weird. "Sorry."

As the taller boy turned and walked away towards the changing rooms, Hinata ran after him, walking beside him. "Wow, don't leave without me."

"Not my fault you can't keep up." He said absent-mindedly, unable to stop himself from winding the boy up.

"Eh? I can keep up! I can beat you in any race!" He roared, ready to set down a challenge. "Wanna race on the way home? Or are you too scared?"

Kageyama rolled his eyes as he walked into the changing room, Hinata settling beside him. "I'll race you to the store. Last one there buys the pork buns."

"You're on." He grinned, pulling his uniform off. He slid the shirt up off his shoulders, but got his elbows stuck in a strange position, and couldn't maneuver it off his head very well. He was left standing, his arms and head hidden under his raised shirt, with his chest on view to the rest of the changing room. "Ah! Help me, I'm stuck."

Tsukishima tutted and turned back around, engaging his conversation with Yamaguchi, the only person he ever particularly talked to. Everyone else on the team was incredibly loud and overbearing, but not him. Yamaguchi was quiet, intellectual, and followed him like a shadow.

Tanaka laughed, pointing at Hinata's struggle. "You idiot! Nobody help him, it's funnier if we leave him."

"Guys, c'mon! I can't see!" He whined, trying desperate to pull his top off.

Sugawara chuckled slightly, his kind eyes crinkling at the sides as he did so. "How did you even manage to do that?"

Nishinoya joined in too, bumping shoulders with Tanaka. "Obviously he's never taken his top off before. Show him how it's done, Tanaka."

"Woo!" He yelled, immediately pulling his shirt off and twirling it in the air like a lasso. He flexed his muscles, yelling some more.

Tsukishima sighed as he watched it. "You do realize he can't see you do that, right? You're showing off to nobody."

"Hey! Watch it, your jealousy is obvious, skinny boy." Tanaka said, his eyes widening as he faced the blonde boy. He flexed his muscle again, crunching over and bending his arms to highlight his six pack and biceps. "See these? These are called muscles, not that you'd have any."

Tsukishima pointed at his head. "See this? It's called a brain, not that you'd have one."

Yamaguchi joined in, taking a defensive stance behind Tsukishima. "And Tsukki does have muscles!"

"Tadashi, shut up." He said, although his voice was softer than when he spoke to the others. "Anyway, I'm going. Come on, Yamaguchi."

The two of them exited, and Daichi shook his head at Tanaka. "Hurry up and put your shirt back on, baldy."

"I'm not bald!" He roared, rubbing the slight fuzz that was his hair. "It's a buzz cut, chicks dig it!"

Hinata struggled again, calling out to his friends. "Um, guys? I really do need help."

Kageyama tutted as his hands shot out and lifted the shirt from Hinata. He had tried to avert his eyes, waiting for someone else to help him, but the rest just bickered and laughed, forcing him to look at Hinata's chest. He wished that his heart didn't thump when he saw him. He wished that his hands didn't sweat as he looked at the red head's smooth pale skin and jutting hipbones, the very slight outline of a six pack forming. He wished his eyes didn't follow every curve of his torso, the dip from rib to stomach and the two prominent lines his growing abdominal muscles had formed, pointing to something forbidden. He really really wished that he didn't feel this way. It clouded his head, it made him think things he didn't want to think, feel things he didn't want to feel. Just where along the line had he started to like him? At what point had he started to look forward to seeing him, instead of dreading it? Just when did Hinata start to fill his thoughts all the time? He didn't know, and it angered him. He didn't know if he was angry at Hinata for making him feel this way, or whether he was angry at himself for seemingly doing the worst thing he could to ruin the only friendship he had. Either way, it made him mad. "Just learn to get dressed normally, stupid Hinata."

"Oi! I'm not stupid, it was an accident." He said, finally free from his shirt. He swung his arms around a little and gave a small stretch, before realizing that Kageyama was watching him from the corner of his eye. He stared intently, his hands frozen during the act of closing his bag, and Hinata could suddenly feel more blush creeping up his neck. Why was he looking at him like that? Was he mad? Hinata tried to think of what he possibly did wrong, fear settling deep in his chest; Kageyama wasn't opposed to lifting him up by the scruff of his neck. "Ah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"What? Why are you apologizing?" The tall boy frowned, his dark eyebrows knitted together. He tore his eyes away from the other boy's chest and flung him his shirt. "Hurry up and get ready. I'm hungry."

Hinata pulled the shirt on and finished getting changed, his fear settling and changing to adrenaline at the reminder of their race. "Better get your money ready then, since you'll be buying."

The two of them left the school and upon reaching the top of the hill, braced themselves. The shop was at the bottom of the hill, and they had raced many times before. Although Kageyama was taller and could take larger strides, Hinata was faster, which made them evenly paces, for sprints anyway. Hinata had much more stamina than Kageyama in the long run, and would often outrun him when the team went out for long practice runs. The two of them got ready, and pushed themselves down the hill, desperately trying to go faster than the other. Kageyama liked it when he had competitions with the orange haired boy- it was the only time aside from their games when his thoughts were solely focused on beating Hinata, rather than touching him, or kissing him. It was its own form of release, really. This spurred him to go faster, but Hinata saw this and screamed wildly, trying his hardest to move his small legs even faster. Kageyama managed to slow his face as he reached the store, but Hinata was still running blindly, and it took all of Tobio's strength not to go flying when his hand shot out and grabbed hold of his small friend's shirt to force him to stop.

"You idiot, we're already at the store, and I made it first. You're buying." He said, giving Hinata a little shove towards the door of the convenience store their coach worked in.

"Aw man, fine. You want one or two?" He said, his hand digging around in his pocket to feel for his change.

"One. I'll wait outside, but hurry up- it looks like it's going to rain." He remarked, looking at the sky.

"'Kay."

Hinata walked into the store, going by the refrigerated section first. He scanned the shelves until he saw Kageyama's favourite juice drink, then picked one up for him. He put it on the counter as he bought four meat buns, knowing that the tall boy would not be filled with just one. After he had paid, he walked back out with the bag in hand, met by Kageyama. He was standing still, his head tilted slightly towards the sky, and Hinata felt himself taken aback by how beautiful he really was. His skin was tan and smooth, his jawline sharp as a knife, and his inky black hair blew slightly in the wind, holing a certain neatness and silkiness that Hinata's would never posses. He didn't know what words he could use to describe his feelings towards Tobio, and thinking about it made him feel sad, in a way. He used to hate him, frightened by that empty eyed glare that he'd met all that time ago, but after they became friends and bonded on the court, using a move that only worked for the two of them, he wasn't quite so sure. He's grown to admire Kageyama a lot, pushed further in his drive to succeed by his partner's incredibly talent and natural ability on the court. He'd managed to break down his barriers, just enough to see a side of him that was new and rare, a side of him that didn't have a cold, distant exterior. A side of him that Hinata felt was made especially for him. He was perfect for the boy, he challenged him, helped him strive for better, on and off the court; if Hinata could fly, it was because Kageyama was his wind.

"Oi! Quit staring and let's go." He said, grabbing the bag from Hinata's hands. He hadn't even noticed that Hinata had exited the shop, but when he looked to his side and caught the smaller boy staring at him so intensely, he was a bit taken aback. Usually Hinata only got that gleam in his eyes when Kageyama said something important to him on the court, but yet there he stood, with blush on his cheeks, staring. Tobio wondered what he was thinking about.

They walked together, Hinata filling the air with his many rambles of his day, and what Natsu done, and funny things he'd found online. He talked aimlessly to Tobio, not requiring him to speak, just to listen. Kageyama himself had grown to like the sound of Hinata's voice. He used to hate his constant chattering, thinking of it as useless noise, but now he listened intently to everything he said, purely for the fact that Hinata's face would light up,or he'd laugh, or he'd tug on his sleeve or jump up beside him if he got too excited. All of it was nice to watch, seeing him be so happy. He was like a small ball of sunshine that just couldn't be put down. He'd never admit such things, though.

When Kageyama reached his hand into the bag, he frowned. "Why is there four? Are you really going to eat three?"

"I could eat twelve if I wanted to!" He said, puffing his chest out. "But no, I got two for you instead. I thought you might be more hungry than you said."

"Oh." There he went again, doing simple things that made his heart stop. Why did he have to be kind? Why did he have to do stuff like that, stuff that would just make Kageyama fall for him even more? "Thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome!" The sky cracked and rain began to pour down, and Hinata swore. "Let's hurry up and get to my house!"

They ran the rest of the way, the wind blowing their damp hair back against their heads. Eventually they made it to his house, and Hinata flung open the door, dragging Kageyama in by the hand. He closed the door behind him, and kicked his shoes off, huffing a large 'Phew!' as he did so.

"Um, Hinata? My hand?" He said quietly, noting that it was still being held by his. Truth be told it felt nice, having someone touch him so affectionately, but that was the exact reason he had to let go. Any contact from Hinata just made it harder to control his feelings.

"Oh, sorry!" He gushed, immediately dropping his hand. Why did he have to do that? It was as if he couldn't stop himself from just reaching out and touching him in some way: a hug after a game; a high five after a score; a shoulder bump when they were walking, and even the brush of their hands if he handed him something. It was obvious that Tobio wasn't quite as fond of the contact as he was, and he ducked his head in embarrassment. "A-anyway, since it's raining and all, do you wanna just stay here?"

"I don't have any clothes with me." He said, frowning. He had been at Hinata's house a few times before, but had only ever stayed over twice. He liked it though, as much as one could when they were out of their comfort zone. He supposed it was as close as he could get to the boy without it being weird. Of course, that meant it hurt a lot more when he thought about the reality of their relationship.

"You can wear the same clothes tomorrow if you want, and if you sleep in pyjamas you can borrow a pair of mine. It'll only be us in the house anyway." He said, waking up the stairs to his room.

"Where's your mum and sister?" If I sleep in pyjamas? Does that mean he's alright with me sleeping in my boxers? Man, he really just does not like me in that way.

"Natsu's at her friends house for the weekend and my mum's visiting my grandma, so it's just me. That okay?" Hinata called behind his shoulder. His cheeks turned red as he thought about his invitation for Kageyama to sleep in his boxers. If all he did was look, then that wouldn't be weird, right? Just looking, looking was safe.

"Yeah, I'll text my mum now." Kageyama followed him into his room and sat down on the bed, dumping his bag on the floor.

Hinata followed suit, sitting quite close to Tobio, and brought his legs up into a basket where he sat. He stared at his friend, waiting fro him to finish his text, his large brown eyes unblinking.

"Would you quit looking at me like that? You're like a bug." He muttered.

"Ah, sorry. It's just..." Hinata trailed off. It's just what? Just that Kageyama was so beautiful that he couldn't help but stare? It's just that he wanted nothing more than to run his finger's through his short black hair, or to feel the weight of his arms around his waist? The words wouldn't come.

"Eh? Just what?"

"Nothing. It's just nothing." He said, giving him a small smile. "What do you want to do? I have a few movies, or we could play a board game, or just talk. It's up to you."

"I think I'd like a shower." Kageyama said bluntly. "It's cold, I'm sweaty, and my clothes are gross. Can I use your bathroom?"

"Yes, it's that room there." Hinata pointed to a door in the hallway. "Leave the shower running, I'll go in after you."

After Hinata had left him towels and set the shower up for him, he went back into his own room to get ready. Kageyama showered quick, and Hinata had to stop the smile that grew on his face when he caught sight of Tobio in just his underwear walking back into his room, his hair still dripping water droplets onto his chest. Normally he'd scold him for leaving water on the floor and bed, but in light of the circumstances, he was only too happy. Kageyama could dump the full ocean in his room and he wouldn't care as long as he got to see that view. He had his own shower quickly, feeling guilty for leaving a guest alone. He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked back into the room, and was immediately met with the extremely rare sound of Tobio's laughing.

"What's so funny?!" Hinata couldn't help but feel slight fear at the fact his friend was actually laughing. Tobio never laughed, like ever.

When Kageyama looked up, he laughed again. He had never seen Hinata with his hair less than 100% of pure rioting flicks and curls, and now, seeing it long and straight and plastered to his face, he couldn't help but chuckle- he looked absolutely ridiculous. "Your hair. You look so dumb."

"What? What's wrong with it?" Hinata ran to his mirror, looking at his hair. It was true that he did look strange when it was longer and straight, and his colour changed to a burnt orange instead of bright, but he didn't think it was laughable. "There's no pleasing you, Kageyama."

"What do you mean?"

"When my hair is normal, you say its a mess, and it offends you, and the colour hurts your eyes. And when it's wet, you think it looks dumb! I might as well go bald at this rate." He muttered.

"Tanaka did say it gets all the girls." He quipped, giving the tiniest of smiles.

"I don't care about what gets the girls." Hinata said quietly. I care about what gets you.

"Why do you value my opinion so much then? Idiot." Kageyama turned his face away, trying to fight the butterflies in his stomach. If it wasn't bad enough that he'd had to see Hinata's chest twice today, he now had to hear him say those things? Did he really care that much about what he thought?

"I don't know." Hinata pursed his lips, and quickly got changed into some long shorts and a t-shirt. "Anyway, let's watch a movie."

The two of them proceeded to lie on Hinata's double bed-which was thankfully long enough to accommodate Tobio's height- with a laptop in-between them, and watched the movie. Hinata's eyes were solely on the screen, drinking in the scenes, but Kageyama found it unreasonable difficult to look at anything but Hinata. He could watch his face all day, notice how animated it was. He was always smiling, or pouting, or laughing or thinking, there was almost never a moment when he stayed still. He was just incredibly alive. His pale white hand was sitting next to Kageyama's thigh, upturned as if posing an opportunity to be held. He wondered what would happen if he were to hold it. In an ideal world he would simply squeeze it right back, and there would be no reason to speak or explain anything, no awkwardness or stumbling thoughts, just them. However, in the real world, Hinata would probably drop his hand like it burned him, refuse to speak to Kageyama again, and potentially lose his trust in him as setter. It just wasn't worth it.

Hinata wished that idiot would hurry up and take his hand. He had been sitting it right next to him in the uncomfortable position since the start of the movie in hopes he'd be a man, get the hint, and take it. He should have known that Kageyama was an oblivious fool to anything that wasn't volleyball. Still, he kept it upturned until the end credits rolled, just in case. When it finished, Hinata stood and left for the kitchen, coming back up with snacks. He looked at Kageyama and suddenly remembered the juice he bought him was still in his jacket pocket. Sitting the snacks on the bed, he walked over to where it was hanging and pulled it out, flinging it to the black haired boy.

"I got you this." He said, smiling again. "It's your favourite, isn't it?"

Tobio stared at the juice in his hand. Another one of those innocent acts that left him feeling unsettled and overwhelmed with the unusual feelings of affection that he was so unaccustomed to. His voice was softer when he spoke. "Yeah, it is."

They didn't do much for the rest of the night other than lie in bed together, eating the snacks Hinata had brought up and watching movies. Kageyama wouldn't exactly say he was having fun, but he was content to sit next to Hinata. Just being beside him was enough. He listened again to whatever the smaller boy had to say, chucking in his usual insults, rolling his eyes when Hinata overreacted each time. Eventually, Hinata turned off the lights and they lay beside each other, Kageyama's hands itching to reach out and hold him. Instead, he simply stared at the ceiling, listening to the sounds of his team mate's breaths deepen and slow, sleep luring him in. He slid closer to him then, separated by only a few centimetres. He watched the consistent rise and fall of his chest, sure that he was asleep, and sighed.

"Hinata." He said, staring at him. "What am I supposed to do with you? You ruin my day, you know that? Every day I have to see you, and be near you. You'd think that would be great, wouldn't you? Except I don't know how to deal with any of it. You make my head and my stomach feel weird, with your dumb smile and your staring. Who even smiles that much anyway? It's unnatural. Still, I look forward to seeing it. I kinda feel like it's just for me, you know? How stupid is that? But that's what you do me, Hinata- you make me stupid. Stupid Hinata."

Hinata kept his eyes closed, trying to stop himself from moving too much. Kageyama thought he was still asleep, and had just confessed to him the greatest thing that had ever reached his ears- he liked him. Not just liked him, he like liked him. Hinata stretched out his hand and wrapped it around Kageyama's, squeezing it gently. "Do you really mean that?"

"Eh?!" He said, pulling his hand free. "You're awake? I thought you were sleeping!"

"Nah, I was just lying there. It takes me a while to get to sleep." He said softly, turning to face Kageyama and opening his eyes. "Did you mean what you said?"

Tobio stared at him, unable to speak. This may very be the biggest fuck up he'd ever made in his entire life, and now he was forced to face the consequences. Hinata had heard it all, and was asking him if it was true. What point would there be in lying? He couldn't exactly pass it off as a joke, or as misheard words. He had to own up to the fact that he'd just sabotaged their relationship. He avoided Hinata's eyes, not wanting to know what emotion he would see in them. Discomfort, probably. Maybe disgust. He wasn't sure he wanted to see those emotions on such a happy face. Stiffly, he nodded.

Hinata stared at him, unable to believe what had just happened. He nodded! He really did like him, he meant it and he wasn't denying it. A surge of happiness flowed through Hinata, and he flung his arms around Tobio's neck, forcing him into a hug. "That's great!"

"It is?" He said, although his words were muffled since his face was pressed into Hinata's birds nest of hair.

"Yes! I like you too, but I was so afraid that you would be grossed out, or that you wouldn't like me back, or that you'd find me weird, you know? I was worrying that it would make us worse in the games, like if you didn't want to be near me, and then I just started freaking out, and-"

"Hinata." He said, gingerly wrapping his arms around the smaller boy. He held him close, taking in a deep breath, the scent filling his lungs. This was real, and it was happening. Hinata was in his arms, and he was speaking to him, and he wasn't disgusted, or weirded out. He was happy. Kageyama had made him happy. "Shut up."

They stayed like that for a while, just holding each other. It was something Kageyama had never experienced before, and as he laid his head against the crook of Hinata's neck, timing their breaths, he couldn't help but feel a gentle warmth spread through him, and he closed his eyes, basking in it. He'd never been touched like that. Something so simple, yet so warm and affectionate...it was completely new and unreal, and honestly it threw him off track for a bit, and he avoided Hinata's gaze. Hinata waited patiently for him, his hands pressed against Tobio's back, until the taller boy repositioned himself, and looked at Hinata's face. He stared at his eyes, those huge brown eyes that seemed to take up all of his face, and exhaled. His pupils were huge, his iris' a very warm brown with strings of gold woven throughout, and his thick black lashed were long enough to brush against his cheeks when he blinked. Kageyama had never noticed that before- he'd never been close enough to before this. Hinata sat perfectly still for him, knowing that it was uncharted territory for the taller boy. He was afraid if he moved or spoke he would frighten him, and Kageyama wouldn't come near him anymore.

Kageyama hesitantly placed his fingers on either side of Hinata's face, and rubbed his thumb along his cheek. His skin was remarkable soft, he noticed. He then leaned in, and gently brushed his lips against the other boy's cheek. "Goodnight, Hinata."

Blush spread across his skin at the contact. It was an unexpected gesture of sweetness that he'd received from Tobio, but he wasn't complaining. He settled back down into his pillow, pulling Kageyama's long arm over his waist, forcing him to spoon. "Goodnight, Kageyama."