The smack of skin on leather ripped through the thick air, heavy with sweat and intent.

He saw it. The other side of the net, the sun pouring throughout the windows onto the polished wood. The sky outside that window, blue and vast; never ending and full of promise. He saw the faces of the other team, desperation contorting into panic and fear before being overtaken by awe. He saw the way they rocked back on their heels, minds entranced but their bodies too conditioned to not move into the next position.

He saw the faint breeze in the room as it whispered through their hair and he saw the light fracture through every drop of sweat. He saw and he felt. All with painful clarity.

The burn in his limbs, the beating in his chest, the rush in his veins.

He heard every breath from every lung in the room, the singing of the blood through them. Asahi - a soft tenor running desperately with a gentle wavering, Captain Daichi - a reassuring bass, fast and sure and every bit as breathless as the other team. The others - Suga, Tsukishima, Noya, Tanaka, Enoshita - the other team - the terror in their blockers blood and the awe in their captains. He smelled the ever constant pride and faint shock of his coaches and the star-struck delight of Yachi.

He could taste his setter.

Kageyama's blood ran and stopped at the same time. His breath left him in a quiet hush and his eyes watched him with all the attention of a man witnessing a miracle. He tasted like pride, and surety. Amazement and reassurement. Effort and skill. He tasted like rain and snow and cool spring days and a song he thought he might have known a long time ago. He tasted like victory and here and now and he thought that he could fly for years on that taste and those eyes.

The sharp snap of leather against polished wood announced his decent and the other team watched him land almost reverently.

His sneakers met the wood and his knees bent to carry the momentum. He felt the air still as the ball rolled toward the far wall. Slowly he took a deep breath, the feeling of movement returning to him as the moment when he saw the other side passed.

Like it always does. Standing, he looked toward the other team and he vaguely registered their faces growing paler and their knees trembling as they watched him. He watched them also, waiting for them to make a move. All of them watched him just as intently, each with panic in their stance and wariness in their eyes.

Suddenly a whistle blew loud and sharp against the oppressive silence. He found himself blinking and suddenly he couldn't be bothered to watch the other team's fears slither up their spines.

Turning around quickly - his amber eyes going soft instead of the sharp false-gold his mother always complimented him on - he smiled broadly. His team smiled back, running toward him with shouts on their lips. Slaps on the back, and ruffles of his hair, and hugs, and a less snarky than usual jab from the moon blocker and he thought he felt the arms of a certain setter for a moment before they too were lost in the mess.

"Match point! Karasuno wins!"

Pushing the cart full of volley balls into the storage locker he felt eyes watching him. This wasn't new. There was always someone watching him, and more often than not these eyes were the main culprit. He knew better than to ask why he was staring; that was a fight he didn't want to relive. Turning around, a pout on his face, he walked toward Kageyama stiffly.

"Need something?"

The taller boy simply blinked at him before tilting his head to the side.

"What's up with you today?"

Hinata startled slightly before crossing his arms, jutting out his bottom lip, and huffing in feigned irritation.
He noticed the way Kageyama followed the movement and he wondered whether he was watching his hands or his face. Deciding it didn't really matter, he placed a hand on his hip in challenge.

"Something exciting, not that it's any of your business."

He watched in delight as the blue eyes that had been watching him snapped down to meet his gaze.
The setter had that look again. The one he wore when he wanted to start a fight. Hinata was proud to admit that he had become somewhat of an expert on the taller boy's expressions. Not that it brought him any closer to figuring out what the setter was thinking. He saw an angry flare in those blue eyes and revelled in the way the King's body tensed in the way it did right before he threw an insult.

Kageyama opened his mouth, a sneer on his lips, before thinking better of it and turning away sharply. Walking a few paces away, he bent to pick up his bag and sling it over his shoulder leaving a confused red-head staring after him.

Glaring at the smaller boy from the corner of his eye, Kageyama shuffled almost nervously, trying to leave but not willing to let the conversation die.

"You seemed off today. Jittery."

He'd noticed when the excitable spiker had come peddling into school, with that wobbly smile he got on his face whenever something extremely pleasing happened. Further, he'd spent the day humming that stupid song that was on the radio all the time and zoning out even during warm ups. At first Kageyama had thought that he was just excited for their practice match against a neighboring school, but even after the game was over he still had that dazed atmosphere. Whatever it was he doubted the other would stay quiet for long.

His suspicions seemed correct when the smaller boy blinked owlishly at him before the wobbly smile returned with a slight flush this time. Kageyama's eye twitched and he told himself that the guy was just flushing in that way he did when he was excited.

"Yeah. Something exciting."

He replied with a faraway look in his eyes. Kageyama gripped his bag just a little tighter, trying to figure out how to ask for more information without sounding invested in the answer. Before he had the chance it was taken from him.

"Exciting? Don't tell me our little Hinata finally caught himself a date!"

Tanaka was as obnoxiously invested in any and every hint of romance within the vicinity of his teammates as he ever was. Kageyama sometimes wondered if the thought of pretty girls was his only drive to live. At his loud exclamation Hinata's face had gone tight with shock and red from embarrassment. Nishinoya, hearing the word date, bounced his way across the gym from where he was encouraging an uncertain Asahi.

"Who's got a date?", the libero asked with a suggestive movement of his eyebrows. Hinata opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by an energetic Tanaka.

"Hinata does!"

Hinata's brows furrowed further and it occurred to him that he very suddenly had no say in this conversation. Nishinoya's eyes sparkled with interest and he turned sharply toward Hinata, moving to throw his arm over him conspiratorially.

"When? Where? What are they like? Are they hot? I bet they're really cute. C'mon spill it Hinata!"

Tanaka sidled up to the other side of Hinata - jostling Kageyama farther away- and did the same.

"Who asked who out? I bet they asked you. Where are you going? Dinner? A movie?"

A loud snort sounded from somewhere far to their left and they found Tsukishima next to Yamaguchi, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Tsukishima had a sly grin on his face, the one Hinata knew he only wore when he was especially proud of a witty joke. Yamaguchi had a long-suffering frown on his freckled face, a resigned sigh already leaving his lips. He knew what was coming and he knew better than to try to mediate.

"The idiot would probably take his date to play volleyball." Tsukishima snickered to himself and Yamaguchi valiantly tried to not crack a smile.

Hinata's face went even redder in both embarrassment and anger. Tanaka and Nishinoya broke out into raucous laughter as they agreed noisily, making Hinata somehow more embarrassed than angry, and finally let go of him to dramatically laugh all over the sweaty gym floor.

Hinata was about to retort that he wouldn't do that but stopped short when he realized that playing his favorite sport with his favorite person didn't seem like a bad idea. He blushed harder at the incriminating thought. Kageyama stood to the side, confused as to why the idea was so funny to them. It was always good to practice any chance you got.

Yamaguchi - still holding back a chuckle - tugged at Tsukishima's sleeve as he moved to walk out the door. Tsukishima nodded and moved with him, a sadistic smirk still painting his sharp face. Kageyama wondered why they always felt the need to leave together after making fun of them. Hinata didn't have to.

Finally having enough he spoke up.

"I'm not actually going on a date. I never said that."

Kageyama tried to ignore the relief that loosed his muscles as he noted the petulant pout on the other boys face. Nishinoya and Tanaka were still to busy rolling in their amusement to hear him and Hinata huffed, irritated. Suga smiled reassuringly as he walked over to pat Hinata's shoulder comfortingly.
Hinata looked at him gratefully with a fond smile. Kageyama wondered how he could still adore their upperclassman as much as he did after seeing them like this far too often. He huffed at the thought that it was because Hinata had far too much affection for everyone to be thrown off by their childish actions.

"What is the occasion? If you don't mind me asking."

Suga was all innocent curiosity and interest as he spoke. Daichi walked up next to him, adjusting his bag and raising his brow in a way that suggested he was curious too. That same wobbly smile came to Hinata's face as he turned toward them brightly. He tilted his head to the side slightly in a way the made Kageyama wonder if the hair on Hinata's neck had always been so fine.

"My old man's coming home today!"

"Let our family return home with every seat filled."